The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-04-06
THE BUSINESS
SITUATION REVIEWED

Settlement of the railroad mems
wage dispute, and the United States
Supreme Courts decision upholding
the constitutionality of the Adamson
Eight Hour Law, were factors of far
reaching Importance to the business
world. To meet the demands of the
employees, which were granted, will,
it is estimated, cost the railroads
about $60,000,000 year in increased
wages. ~The cost of strike, to the
entire country, would have been in
calculable, to say nothing of the EN-
barrassment to the Government in its
preparations for war. 1t seems to be
the impression that the railroads
will be permitted to increase their
freight rates to compensate them for
the concessions they have made. The
public will eventually foot the bill.
The increased pay allowed the
trainmen is in line with similar adj
vances that have been made in all
branches of industry. The strong
argument back of these wage in
creases has been the higher cost of
living. Paradoxical as it may appear,
however, the general advance in
wages has been a large factor in
bringing about the higher cost of liv-
ing. This advance is not to be de-
cried, for, in most cases, it is de-
served and much needed by the bene-
ficiaries; but it does seem that this
is the time for employees generally to
reciprocate. For their own future
welfare, as we'll as for the good of
business generally, it is highly i'm
portant that employees should give
full return in their daily work. Wag-
es cannot continually advance, nor,
apparently, can hours of labor be
shortened much more.
The labor problem has become the
most serious one that manufacturers
have to contend with, but it is easy
of solution now as compared with
what it will probably be when the
millions of men now at the front will
return to peaceful vocations. 1t
therefore becomes urgent for the en-
ploye to exert every effort to increase
his output, and thus make himself
more valuable to his employer, if
he wishes to keep his employment
when, with the close of the war, COM
petition in the labor field becomes
most keen.
There has been a great shortage of
labor since hostilities began, and,
should the United States enter the
war, the situation in this respect
would become much more acute. But
there will some day be an end of the
conflict, when an economic readjust-
ment must take place. Then high
wages cannot be paid unless the en-
ploye earns them, for the prosperity
of the employee depends upon the sue
cess of the employer. This is one
reason why there should be greater
cooperation between them.
Greater efficiency is easily obtain |
able, if the employee can be shown that |
it is to his advantage to produce
more. He should be educated along |
this line, and it seems to be for his
employer to see that he gets this in
struction. 1t is a safe conclusion that |
when the lesson is learned, there will |
be an immense saving of labor, in all |
industrial lines, which will accrue to
the advantage of everyone.
There is no doubt that one of the
greatest necessities that will be felt
in all countries, after the war, will be
that of doing away with waste and ex-
1t is difficult to econo-
mize in times of prosperity, but there
will be an impelling need of it when
the world begins to readjust itself and
to prepare for paying its war debts
Christian Science Monitor,