The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-26
THE LABOR SITUATION AND OUT
LOOK.

An encouraging feature of the labor sit
uation is that the most influential men
and real leaders, both among the employees
and workmen. are trying to bring about
peaceable settlement and better under
standing. There is need of their best eff
forts, for the labor world was never more
unsettled nor the immediate future more
threatening to Industrial interests than at
the present time. For this situation there
are doubtless some special and local causes.
but there are two of universal operation,
viz. general prosperity and the alleged in
creased cost Of living. A conservative labor
leader recently expressed the opinion that
perhaps the most potent factor in the sit
uation has been the exploitation of pros
perity talk a good deal of which has been
for political purposes. when one has
prosperity dinned into his ears for months
and years." said this labor leader, 'he
comes to the point when he wants to know
what has become Of his share of this WON
derful prosperity. and from that to a strike
is but short STEP" There may be some
thing in that view. Prosperity has been so
general and pronounced that the press and
people could not help talking about it, and
perhaps that has been overdone. Undoubt-
edly employers can afford to pay better
wages in prosperous times than in hard
times. but IL must be remembered that
wages have been raised more than once
since prosperity returned, and there is a
All business nowadays is done on very
narrow margin of profit, and manufac-
turers and employers of labor have to do
a very large business to get even a small
return on their investment. A large en-
ployer of labor says:
Prosperity for the employers is not as
great as the public and especially the work.
ing classes seem to believe. There Is. of
course. a warrant for an increase of wages
In most trades, but the prosperity mas not
increased In proportion to the demands of
those employed. This prosperity, which is
not as great as painted by agitators by 80
per cent. has completely dazzled the work.
ing classes. who. because an employer
business has increased % per cent. imagine
that the scale of wages should also be in
creased Is per cent.
Labor is entitled to a reasonable share in
the increased profits, but profits do not
increase In the same proportion as the out
put Of a factory. In many instances in
crease Of profits does not keep pace with
the increase of sales.
The claim that there has been a great
increase I'm the cost of living during the
last four or five years is not altogether sus-
tanned by facts. There has been an in
crease in some items and a decrease in
others The largest increase has been in
the cost Of meat, but meat Is not one of
the largest items in the cost of living.
There has been no material increase in the
cost Of groceries. vegetables or rent and
the cost Of clothing has decreased The
building managers of Chicago demonstrated
last winter that in the two years from 1906
to 1902 the total cost of living had increased
only about per cent.
But, whatever the cause Of the general
unrest. of strikes and of threatened strikes
the fact is apparent. The situation would
be very discouraging were it not that the
oldest and best leaders on both sides are
trying to get closer together and find a
way out. Some of the more conservative
labor leaders say the unions have been
spreading too rapidly, and that the younger
organizations are too ready to make un.
reasonable demands and too eager tc
strike. 1t should be fundamental prin-
ciple of all labor unions that strike is the
last of all resorts, and employers and en-
ployes alike should recognize the fact tina,
arbitration is the best remedy for labor
troubles. Local labor leaders who are or.
dering strikes would better initiate the big
labor leaders like Mr.. Arthur, at the head
Of the locomotive engineers; Sargent. when
he was at the head Of the locomotive fire.
men; Gompers. of the American Federation
and others Of that class. The wisest labo,
leaders are those who avoid strikes