New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-01

in its manifestations, which are only
more acute than usual, but in its
projections and implications.
Possibly never again will it be
feasible to mine Europe, as an ore
bed, for unlimited quantities Of the
raw human material consumed in
American industry. The war has
destroyed great quantities Of it al
ready, and continues to use it up,
50 that the actual supply will have
been much diminished when peace
returns. Besides, wage inducements
in Europe after the war may be
such as to discourage voluntary en-
igration. There is then a changing
attitude in this country toward i'm
migration. The demand that it be
restricted is not likely to subside.
1t is more than a question Of in
oreasing the existing supply of com
mon labor by importations from Eu-
rope. 1t is a question Of replenish-
ing in that way the present supply.
1t does not replenish itself. 1t Is
neither a constant nor an increasing
quantity. Common labor reproduces
itself biologically but not socially.
The second generation goes into
white collars. Hitherto the supply
has been continually replenished by
immigration, changing racially all
the time.
Uncertain as to the future Of i'm
migration from Europe and know
ing the tendency Of the labor COM
modify to change its form and van
ish upward, Pittsburgh turns, as
once before it did, to the South. 1t
thinks again Of bringing the negro
North. That was tried at the time
of the Homestead strike, by Mr..
Frick, with unsatisfactory results.
The negro is a poor substitute for
the European in the steel industry.
He has as much muscular strength,
nerhaps more. and he is not any less
tractable, perhaps more so; but eX-
perience is that he cannot stand the
sheer physical strain of the work as
white men do. He goes to pieces.
He gets tired all at once. Besides
there are sociological consequences.
Negro immigration would mean
"black belts" Several survive from
the Prick experiment. The differ
ence between "black belt" and an
alien European colony is obvious
ard important. The "black belt is
permanent. The white European,
10 matter how unpromising to begin
with. is ultimately assimilated.
If YOU think Pittsburgh is indif-
ferent to such matters as this, that
she has no pride but in the curve of
pig iron production, that to make 1t
rise she will furiously consume the
organic and inorganic things of the
earth without thought of human con-
sequences. that she doesn't mind
smoke so long as it pays, and that
she acquires wealth only to spend it
abroad-if you think that, you think
very badly of Pittsburgh. You can
not apply heat and labor to iron ore
on a vast scale without producing
smut and CRIME; nor, with the world
clamoring for the products of your
toll and depending upon you for the
means to its greater development,
can you choose and perfect at leisure
the conditions under which the mate
rails of ore. coal and labor shall be
brought into their miracle working
relations. Pittsburgh is very dirty
place; so is any forge. She is Meth
er ashamed of it, proud of it, nor in
different. 1t cannot so far be helped.
But where she can be beautiful she
is tenderly so. Within that envelop-
inc greenish vapor are many lovely
spots. You come upon them sudden
". Out of a neighborhood patheti-
cally mean and wretched, where in
prosperous times the sun is hard to
see. you run abruptly into one all
soft and green, thoughtfully planned
and built, where people have rare
pride of habitat and hang flower
toxes around the necks of the lamp
posts. The Pittsburgh banker who
takes you out to lunch calls your at
tention to the brightness Of the city.
The smoke, he says, is not so bad as
il used to be. 1--WE made these big
city buildings put IN automatic Stok-
ers,' he adds. I'VE made the rail-
roads mind their smoke a bit. That
haze you see comes from the old Con-
neIlsville coke ovens, and they'll soon
disappear, because by-product ovens
are supplanting the beehive type. We
are even cleaner now than Glove
land"
This, however, is off the labor
problem. If immigration should fail
- .o,,lor;-b tho nrocont ctock of Ia