The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1916-10-26

did not realize that their restriction
rules wcre cutting down the profits
of British manufacturers and SO fore
ing lower wages.
Wh't the War Hns shown.
The war however. has brought an
awakening. The restriction OF out
put in munitions IN aking in the ear
ly months OF the war cost dearly in
| English blood Once they realized
1t the unions assebteG to the tenn
porary suspension of the restriction
rules. Then David Lloyd George
took control Of munitions
Thousands of woman and girls Who
had never been inside shop were
put at the lathe and the bench In
few weeks their production was
twice that Of the trained machinists
who had proceeded them. In many
individual cases-without fatigue or
injury to health-the production was
treble that the male workers. Then
England awoke. Now everyone
knows why Germany was making in
roads on British commerce. Now
even the workers realize, not only
that the concessions made to them
were endangering British CONNER
cial supremacy. but that they were
actually condemning them to low
wages and poor working conditions.
lThey see that they cannot expect high
pay when the produced cost is high
er than that Of competing manufac-
turers or competing nations.
Our Own Case
| In this country is it no less nee
essary than 1t is in England, for |
all of us to realize that the worker |
will suffer whenever business suff- |
ers; that the worker cannot have
higher wages and better working
conditions unless the volume Of pro-
duction is great and the cost low.
With large volume and low cost there |
ia ample margin for prott. more and |
more Of which, as the profits in
crease. will be shared with the work |
ers through higher wages.
There are indications that. except !
under unusual conditions, our work |
ers do not realize these facts. The
country is in sympathy with them |
when they make reasonable demands
for wage increases and better work
ing conditions. The universal en-
dorsement of workmen's compensa-
ton acts, of the enforcement of strict
sanitary conditions In work shops, |
Of all the shortening of hours in ex-
hausting occupations--all indicate
that the country favors the best pos
sible conditions for its workers.
There Is point, however, which
industry cannot go without getting
into the same position that England
was in previous to the war. Am
erican workers may wiring unreas-
enable concessions from employers,
but IL these concessions raise the
production cost abnormally and les
sen Americas ability to compete in
foreign markets. the volume OF pro-
duction will shrink, the labor de-
mand be less and wages go down.
In the first year of the European
war our foreign commerce was cur
tailed. Wages went down and men
were thrown out of work. Industry
was not prosperous; neither could
/ tho Wnrlara hn FOR
however, we have enjoyed an excep-
tional sort of prosperity-due to war
orders. Profits have been large.
Wages have never been higher. In
dustry has been prosperous; so has
labor.
After the War.
Under such abnormal conditions.
the connection of the individual and
industrial prosperity is evident. Will
we realize the relation when condi-
lions are again normal? Then it
will be far more important that we
should understand the relation; that
employer and employe should work
together and not at cross purposes.
Otherwise We shall face the situation
that England faced before the war
destruction of her commercial
power-which meant with dread GER
tainty unprecedented hard times for
English workers.
Employer and employe will not
work together unless there is NUT
ual confidence between them. Ger
tain American employers, with con-
fdence in the good will of their men,
interest themselves in their employ
os' welfare and pay them the high
est wages possible, The men, con-
fident OF a square deal from their
employers. help them to make their
al nil iU