Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-05-09
A SIDEL|CHT ON
COST Of LIVING
Recent Demand Made by East
ern Fireman Is a Sermon
in Economics.
BY 3. c. FORBES.

y.
NEW YORK, May ave are all he
coming too genteel for this work = dav
world We hate to soil our hands. Man
ual labor is despised Unless we can
wear collar and coat at our work we want
10 change our job. If we have to toll more
Than eight hours in the "a we feel badly
treated Honest sweat is no longer con-
sldered respectable, using that word in
its modern sense. We all aspire to he
dilettantes. 7 once lived in a country
where the bricklayers had every brick
laid IN front of them by negro helpers.
These observations are inspired by the
demands made upon the railroads by loco
motive tiremen Each of them wants an
assistant 10 do the rough work And
bless you, the precious tiremen must not
In future be asked to groom their me-
chanical steeds lest some oil or CRIME
spoil the polish on the tremans nails.
one railway manager is credited with
having remarked "They want valet"
And a perusal OF. the lengthy schedule of
demands -the text would fill a whole col
umn-reveals why such comment should
have been made The impression con-
veyed is that the firemen have become
too uppish for their jobs. When a man
gets into that frame of mind he Is apt
to trip and fall to mother earth.
Do not the latest Developments justify
the railway managers contention that an
advance in engineers wages would be
followed by similar demands from all
classes of employees? The managers
knew what they we're about when they
insisted upon arbitration.
Another labor incident is worth more
than passing notice. The refusal of the
coal miners representatives to accept the
agreement made on their behalf by
subcommittee is likely to lead to grave
consequences friend told me that
President Baer, of the Reading company,
vowed that the next oyertures for peace
must come from the men. The producers
are naturally chagrined over the rejection
of the settlement mutually agreed upon by
the conferees delegated to draw up
reace pact A bitter fight may follow.
The householder should be glad spring
is at last here for it may cost money
lots of ito keep furnaces going after
coal bins are emptied
The cost OF living has been soaring
ra Their rapidly of late through the 1resn
concessions granted labor Every yard
n COSTS
day than it did a month or two ago
hence dry goods are dearer. Tine wages
Of coal miners admittedly are MOVING
inward. and it can be accepted as a
foregone conclusion that the price OF
fuel will rise Then the chances are
that the railroads Will be called upon TO
make some new allowances TO certain
classes of employees another tax by ana
nv mon the consumer of life's neces-
Saries. All these benefits to the workers
may be absolutely necessary to meet the
heavier burdens entailed by modern con-
ditions. but never let the fact be over
looked that each advance in pay means
an additional load upon the rest of us
Wages never come down. That broad,
fundamental fact is worth remembering.
OF course. there may be local declines
in times Of depression, but the rule
international in applications substan-
fiauv true The sooner the tariff on i'm
ports Is radically lowered, the better for
us all. If we keep on lacking up wages
we viii become impotent as competitors
for the worlds markets If 1t costs the
American manufacturer a dollar and five
cents to produce merchandise foreigners
can supply at dollar. we fall out of
the race. And now that we consume
most of our home grown toodstuffs it
IS Increasingly desirable that we should
outstrip other nations as manufactur-
ere.
The economic fabric is so woven that
If you overstrain one thread the whole is
weakened. Are we in danger Of spelling
the fabric?