The daily Nome industrial worker., 1916-07-06
UNREASONABLE DEMANDS.

Journal in a recent issue said about The Labor Situation" in part as follows:
 '"The most embarrassing thing in the present industrial situation is the unreasonable and ever-increas- ing demands of labor.
 The corporations, especially the mining and manufacturing compa- nies, have made great profits, some of them a great deal more than others for special reasons. All of them have been generous in sharing profits with their workmen, wages have been raised repeatedly and yo- luntarily. But labor is scarce and uneasy. It's market value has a3- preciated. The employer is daily confronted by new demands Re- sistance is promptly followed by a strike In the mining and metal urgical industry the latest have been the strikes by miners in the lead mines in southeastern Missouri and by the zinc smclters in Oklahoma. the zinc mining may any strong re- sistance be offered. In some of the less profitable industries, however, the maximum limit has been reached and works have been shut down where new demands have exceeded what remained to give. We shah with the present industrial move ment".
 We hear much about the unrea- sonable demands of labor; we all ways have, but quite within recent months we hear great deal more.
 Labor has on an average in any of the industries received merely an increase equivalent to the in- creased costs of living. In most cases not quite that Twenty per cent is good round average for the increased wages, and that is what is regarded as unreasonable by so many of the organs of the em- ploying classes.
 Has anyone within the same recent months heard any mention of un- reasonable profits? Yet profits have been enormous. They Lcve been greater in industrial enterprise than ever before in the history of the world. At no time in any pl2co has the entire industrial system re- warded owners with such munificent return for the money invested and never before has water been reduced in the capitalization of many com panias to the refined gold of divid ends. This is not assertion. This is a conclusion.
 Let's quote a few.
 First National Bank of New York. Capital ten millions. Net earnings for yecr seven million two hundred thousand. That's quite chunk.
 The Liberty National Bank made 62.6 per cent profit, the Chatham and Phoenib 33 per cent and so on, water and all giving big returns.
 The Norfolk and Western revenues increased 56 per cent for January. This railroad is taken at random. Bethlehem Steel paid 30 per cent dividends and carried over an enormous surplus. The United ] States Steel after paying it's di- vidend carried over $105, 5,00O,OO0 | surplus cash in the banks. Its slaves for they are slaves, got twenty per cent increase making the pay of { some of them as high as $1.65. The Baldwin Go. after paying a fat di- vidend carried over one and hall million suhplus. It's increase ill profit is about 60 per cent.
 The Republic Iron and Steel Co.'S net profits for the past year were four and quarter million as com pared with one and three quarter a year before. Laekawanna watered stock and all is earning thirty per cent Atlas Powder Co., made four hundred thousand dollars in 1914. In 1915 the same company made one million six hundred thou sand. The Westchester Arms Co. last year made 465 per cent on it's capital of one million. The Hercu- les Powder Go. put away surplus