At  the  Congress  of  the  Association  for  Social  Policy  in  1905
Herr  Kirdorf,  the  director  of  the  Westphalian  Coal  and  Iron
Syndicates,  said :  "  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  our  workpeople
can  at  any  time  change  their  positions,  for  an  undertaking  can
only  thrive  if  it  has  at  command  a  stationary  body  of  work-
men. I  do  not  ask  legislation  to  come  to  our  aid,  but  we  must
reserve  to  ourselves  the  right  to  take  steps  to  prevent  the  frequent
change  of  work.  It  has  been  i^oposed  that  all  workpeople
should  be  compelled  to  form  organisations  and  the  employers
be  compelled  to  negotiate  with  these  organisations.  Let  me
remark  for  myself  that  I  decline  to  negotiate  with  a  labour
organisation    of    any  kind  whatsoever."     Words    like    these.
THE   SYNDICATES  197

coming  from  one  of  the  greatest  autocrats  in  the  German
industrial  world,  have  naturally  given  rise  to  the  apprehension
that  the  large  cartells  would  not  bo  indisposed  to  challenge
the  working-man's  most  fundamental  rights,  viz.,  his  right  to
combine  and  his  right  to  sell  his  labour  where,  how,  and  to
whom  he  will,  should  a  favourable  opportunity  arise.  Professor
Adolph  Wagner  said  at  tho  meeting  of  tlio  Evangelical  Social
Congress  in  May,  1907,  that  in  spite  of  tlie  improvement  in  the
condition  of  the  working  classes,  their  "  dependence  upon  the
enormous  capital  concentrations  was  to-day  greater  than  ever."
It  is  the  uncertainty  as  to  where  this  dependence  may  in  the
end  lead  that  creates  most  suspicion  and  distrust  of  the  syndicates
in  the  minds  of  the  workers.
It  remains  only  to  refer  to  the  public  attitude  towards  the
cartells,  and  to  the  legislative  and  other  measures  which  have
been  proposed  for  the  checking  of  such  excesses  as  have  come
to  light.
