The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1916-01-04
MILLIONS TO STRIKE
IN UNITED STATES
WORKERS IN ALL AVOCATIONS
WILL UNITE IN TREMENDOUS
FIGHT BY LABOR.
IMPENDING INDUSTRIAL CRISIS
The New Year to See inaugurated the
Most General Demand for Higher
Wages and Shorter Hours Coun-
try Has Ever Experienced.

NhOSb UeH6fdl OcHlauu IOE IhASHcE
Wages and Shorter Hours Coun-
try Has Ever Experienced.
NEW YORK.-The impending in
dustrial crisis, in which it is now an
nounced 100000 workers will unite
in the most general and extensive
strikes ever experienced in the United
States Immediately after the dawn
ing of the New Year, forcibly illus
trates the fact that the problem Of
distribution has not been solved in
[ the United States, if it ever will be.
period of unprecedented prosper
ity, when all manufacturing plants
are running to capacity, when the
freight terminals are damned with
merchandise, when there are not
ships enough to carry the goods we
sell across the water, when capital
is doubling itself, when profit-shar-
| ing is being instituted in a number
of enterprises, when wages are good
and employment is general and the
problem of unemployment is absent
such a period is strategic time
for calling strikes.
| There is, in fact, no better indfca-
ton of general prosperity than the
dissatisfaction that precedes a strike.
1t indicates confidence that the bus
mess will stand an increase in the
wages.
Millions of Men Make Demands.
The 100000 workers who are
preparing to make demands for high
err wages, shorter hours and other
things soon after the opening of the
New Year include many branches Of
trade. They include railroad men,
miners, clothing trades, walters,
boatmen-in fact, representatives of
almost all the larger trades and man
ufacturing and transportation inter-
ests.
In New York city alone, it is fore
casted, the strikers will number 70,-
900 girls in the shirtwaist trade, 50,-
600 walters in hotels and restau-
rants, besides thousands of millinery
workers, milk wagon drivers, shirt
makers, garment workers, tidewater
boatmen and men and women in the
hundred and one industries which
contribute so largely to our general
prosperity and business.
The problem is to get the greatest
possible share in the profits for the
laborer without straining the situa-
ton to the breaking point AS yet
we have not learned the answer, per-
haps we never will, to the question:
How much of profits must be set
aside for labor and how much for
capital? Therein lies the great issue
of distribution, which comes next in
order after the matter of creating
wealth.
Strikes are unscientific; they are
based on the warfare idea; they array
capital and labor over against each
other: whereas capital and labor are
in reality cooperating forces. HUI
man cupidity is, of course, a great
stumbling block to a scientific solu-
ton of the distribution question.
Only a few conspicuous examples
make us hopeful that a genuine effort
is being made to find the answer.
Ford's plan of profit-sharing and
minimum wage of s. a day, with GER
tain paternalistic ideas regarding So
ciaI welfare and housing would not,
perhaps, lend itself to enterprises
which have at their head men OF less
humanitarian instincts. The person
al equation enters largely into the
administration of such projects as the
one that has been launched in De-
troit. Possibly more workable for
| the average business is the profit
sharing proposition Just made by the
International Harvester Company to
/ it's $4,000 employees to make them
stockholders in the concern.
RaiIroaders Want Eight Hours.
Probably the strike which will
! have the widest effect is that which
threatens the transportation sys-
TENS. No less than 400,0 goo railway
men are now taking a vote on the
eight-hour question. These organiza-
tions are practically decided to go in
for the demand The Brotherhoods
of Locomotive Engineers of Train
men. of Firemen and Engine Drivers,
and Order of Railway Conductors.
Behind these powerful organiza-
tions of the operating forces of the
great transportation systems are the
other branches of railway workers,
totaling in all round million men in
shops, freight houses and offices. The
idea is to get all branches of the bus
mess on the eight-hour basis during
1916.
Next in Importance comes the. fuel
industry in which 100000 men are
interested. This means probably a
two-month suspension of the anthra-
cite mines during the settlement.
For this and the increase in wages
and cost of production the public
} must pay in higher cost of coal.
From these two businesses, so es-
, sential to the general operation Of
J other businesses, the strike idea RAM
ifies to numerous contributing indus
t tries-the shirt makers, the garment
/ workers, the short waist makers, UNI
/ brella makers, the tidewater boat
| men and so on through the indus
4 tries that contribute greatly to our
2 national wealth and Importance, but