The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-05-05

4e,DcF slluauon m lnaI clLy. lie seemed to look upon it as perhaps the most se- rious labor situation that has developed in a number of years in the PittSburg dis trict. Nevertheless, there seemed to be some hope that a way can be discovered of overcoming the difficulty The friction ously impairing the industrial prosperity, although were there to be impairment of that kind it could not last long,
 The industrial activity of Pittsburg is spoken of here as comparable with that of Detroit Both cities have abundance of money resources and have had for a long time. New York bankers began to speak some 25 years ago of the steady and rapid increase in money resources in Pittsburg which were sufficient to make that city independent of other money markets, at least to great extent. After the swift and astonishing development of the automobile industry in the Detroit district, there came also rapid accumu- lation of money resources there Be- sides this influence, Detroit has gained pre- -eminence as the leading interior ex- port city of the United States. and this is reflected in her money resources
 The situation in New York city, espe- cially that created by the friction between the garment workers and their employers, may prove to be the most serious of all. Those who made up the census returns in 1910 reported that New York city is the leading community in the United States in garment manufacture, and yet it is comparatively recently that this industry was begun here. The garment workers, in addition to the claim that they are underpaid, insist that the employers dis criminate against their union They there- fore demand that the employers agree to recognize the union exclusively, and therein the chief issue between them and the employers lies. There are certainly 60,000 and possibly 75,00O, garment work CTS in New York The city is the heart of the garment manufacturing industry of the United States. Whatever affects the industry here is reflected upon the industry in other parts of the country Millions are invested in the industry The pay roll amounts to millions.
 The employers say that if the Garment Workers union would agree to affiliate with the Federation of Labor. then the difficulty could be adjusted speedily, be- cause the Federation of Labor insists that it's subsidiaries live up to the letter and the spirit of their contracts with their employers. Instead of doing that the Garment Workers union pays little heed to it's contracts, if the assertions made by the employers are correct.
 EXPENSIVE STRIKES
 In the past the periodic strikes of the garment workers have entailed heavy losses upon themselves and heavy losses upon their employers. Now the employ CTS are convinced that they must fight this issue to the finish and for that req son have ordered a lockout, in that way anticipating the strike Should the con- test be long maintained, it will grievously affect the garment workers not only here, but elsewhere. In fact, the employers have almost decided that unless satisfac- tory adjustment that will be permanent can be reached they will do one of two things-either move their manufacturing plants to other parts of the country or else abandon the business and go into some other manufacturing enterprise
 TRADE FOLLOWS THE LOAN
 Apparently the financial assistance which the United States has given since the European war began to some of the South American nations is proving the truth of the modern axiom that Trade follows the loan" Of course, one of the reasons which explain the heavy in- crease in our exports to South Amerira