ADEQUATE REPRESENTATION OF EMPLOYEES Co 
the plans because of a supposed parallel between employee representa- 
tion and civil government. A further reason for certain of them is 
to be found in the wave of antipathy toward everything “foreign” 
and the enthusiasm for “100 per cent Americanism” so widespread 
during and shortly after the World War. 
While there is undoubtedly good ground for certain of these re- 
strictions as respects eligibility of representatives, particularly those 
relating to length of service and ability to speak, read and write 
English, it seems doubtful whether there is need for such restrictions 
with reference to voters. The analogous requirements for voters at 
civil elections were intreduced to prevent the fraudulent practice 
which had developed particularly in large cities with the growth of 
corrupt political machines, of “stuffing the ballot box” by voting 
“ringers,” brought into a district from outside at election time and 
having no interests in common with the residents of the district. 
Certain credentials were therefore required, to indicate that the voter 
actually lived in the district and had lived there for a time long enough 
to make it likely that he had not moved there for the sole purpose of 
voting. In the factory, however, there is little reason to suppose that 
anyone would seek employment, or, at least, that a significantly 
large number of persons would obtain employment just prior to an 
election, their motive being simply to influence the result. It is 
conceivable, of course, that where there was bitter feeling between a 
plant management and a local union, the latter might endeavor to 
have its members employed in order to manipulate the election for 
employee representatives with the hope of ultimately controlling or 
discrediting the plan. We have heard of only one such instance, 
however, and the danger would seem in most situations to be rather 
remote. In any event, every employee, by virtue of his employ- 
ment, has an interest in the choice of representatives, and it is im- 
portant to the management that the sentiment of relatively new 
employees should be properly represented at the council table. 
It may be argued that a probationary period during which new 
employees are ineligible to vote is desirable in order to give them an 
opportunity to become acquainted with their fellow employees so 
that they may vote more intelligently. Inasmuch as elections are 
held under most plans not oftener than annually, and since a new 
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