Evening journal., 1914-04-18
SATURDAY APR. ls. 1914.
THE MEN UP ABOVE, AND THE MEN DOWN BELOW.


,r~HEsE are days in which, hundreds OF large bus
i ness corporations in the United States are pur-
suing policies of retrenchment In most instances,
doubt such retrenchment is warranted by industrial
and commercial conditions It symbozes business
prudence and wisdom.
with all that, however IL bears heavily upon many
thousands of bread-wnners and those dependent upon
them for support It produces distress in thousands
of American homes IN which, under normal oond-
tions, privaton and want unknown.
We have noticed frequently that in reducing operat
ing expenses there is disposition by such corpora
tons to cut the salaries and wages of those who are
absolutely dependent upon their work for the necessa
ries Of life leave unimpared the salaries of the
mghy-paid officials Of such corporations who are not
thus dependent In other words when It to the
payrolls Of such corporations the retrenchment is
made the cheap end Of them and the expensive end
goes unscathed The small salaries o. the many, who
need every cent they make for the support and
comfort of themselves and their families, reduced.
and the large salaries Of the few, who would suffer
neither want discomfort If their compensation
were lessened, permitted to remain intact
AS we view it, this policy OF reducing the salary
the Office boy and leaving untouched the salary Of
the president in time of industrial and commercial
stress is fundamentally wrong and productive Of hard
ships and nfeeng which might well be avoided.
To a who is dependent upon his salary or wage
for his daily bread and particularly TO who has
family dependent upon him. reduction Of salary is
misfortune and the loss OF Job rs n tragedy. TOO
many heads corporations lose sight of those facts
We do not think that any OF them find pleasure in
striking at the bread and butter Of those whom they
employ. Neither do think that such corporation
heads any satisfaction in nhictng suffering upon
others that they themselves may continue to draw
high salaries which in many instances play unim-
portant part in shaping their mode of living
We prefer TO take the charitable view that
many high-salaried who are at the head Of cor
ooratons so busy with weigty matters that they
ail to realize how illogical is retrenchment policy
which aims the low salaries and ignores the high
and which strikes at the who dependent
upon their salaries and takes cognzance Of those
who might continue TO live in comfort luxury If
their salaries for the time being, cut off al
together
We also prefer think that such corporation heads
are too busy TO realize how much better and more
consistent il would to the men down below If
the up above would bear at least their proportion
ate share of salary reductions at times when retrench
ment is dictated by business prudence, especially at
this time when political and social agators work
ing industriousy to array labor against capital
and class against class.
Many of the worlds heroes have been In au-
thorty who would not send their men where they
would go themselves and who would not ask their
men to do things they would not do themselves This
II period in bur industrial and commercial history
which supplies splendid opportunity for corporation
heads heretofore thoughtless, to become heroes by
making the high salaries instead Of the salaries,
bear the burden OF their retrenchment policies