New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-24
Prohteering Laborers
Everybody Else Makes Money in W.,
Time. So Why Not They3

NATIONAL ETeCIOfs hssOCldllOn, IN this
ing's Tribune makes me feel that It is h,,a
time that some one took exception to ths..
frequent denials of the patriotism OF ~.
American worker. The impression IA bs,n.
created that the frequent demands on a.
part Of labor for higher wages are contr,r,
to the whole spirit Of our present national
life-that such an attitude Is the only blot a,
the white banner of unselfish national ser,,s.
under which our people are marching. N,
Drew makes unfavorable comparisons v,A
the attitude of the English unions and onl,
the other day q movement for higher war,
was characterized as treason" by a speak,,
before manufacturer association.
II is assumed by all Of these critic. A,
labor that the workingman is falling behind
his capitalist brother in devotion to his coup.
try. The failure of American labor 10 AMI.
scribe to the English programme is due to Nj.
recognition of the fact that the reverse 1,
true. Let US see what reason he has "a,
thinking so.
In the first place, he is unmoved when you
point out to him that executives Of great In.
dustries have allowed their business to tak.
Sdlc VI IbSSAl temporary anu W0rkln1
for the government for the nominal stip.,d
of 81 year. He sees such instances written
up in his newspaper as examples Of "unsel.
fish sacrifice and patriotic DEVOTION" and h.
wonders what is meant by the word sacrise.
He wonders if the wives and daughter, AZ
these men thereby have less to eat and "a
wear, if their houses are less comfortabl,
baataI than Of old - h.
given way to the trolley on his Wife, ,hop.
ping trips, if there is worry over insuraue.
premiums.
He knows that none of these condition.
obtain; that the scale of living Of these man
and their families is still so high as 10 \.
almost identical with his own dreams q,
heaven. He wonders how much suffering 1,
involved in giving up salary of $4,000
year as vice president of a big concern And
forcing yourself to live on the miserabl.
$4,000 of your profits from the business.
Always providing, of course, that there exist
company so "unpatriotic" as 10 dscontinu.
the salary of a vice president merely becaum
ne wanted few months off to assist the gov.
eminent. They are rare as vet.
Others Make Profit
The laboring man also hears il loudly bro.
claimed that mo one must be allowed 10 PET
rich out of this war" Yet he is acutely con.
scious that he seems to be the only one who
is even expected TOT take il seriously. n.
knows that when the government wanted can.
tonments built it had to guarantee a profit 10
the contractors. He knows that when som.
of the coal men found that the governmen.
price did not give them their usual profit
they practically refused to operate. Then Ii,
Fuel Administration allowed them a hghe,
price. Ii had to do so to keep these coal men
from sitting back in well-fed ease and refus.
ing to take any interest in the amount Of coal
mined.
We read every day Of the necessity OF
Stimulating production" OF this commodity
or that. We are told that the manufacture Of
another necessity must not be allowed 10 de-
crease. And what are the remedial measures
adopted by the government TO avert these
threatened calamities? Simply an Official as.
surance that profits will be maintained The
government, by its action in the case Of our
great industries whose products are necessary
to the war, has admitted that the only method
of preventing our capitalists from retiring
from business for the period of the war is to
make it worth their while in cold dollars 10
keep busy.
Suppose there are a few industries that
have reduced their prices for the benefit Of
the government. We all remember when the
government made its agreement with the
steel men by which they were 10 get steel at
about half the prevailing price. When the
announcement was made did the steel stocks
turn into scraps OF paper, with no particular
value? Not to any perceptible extent. The
holders of stock still seemed obsessed with
the idea that the steel companies were going
to make money, and they were not wrong.
The point | wish to make is that the Amer.
can workman cannot be expected TO make
sacrifice that hurts, a sacrifice that means
actual discomfort for himself and those he
loves, unless he is inspired by better ex'
ample of unselfshness than the American
capitalist.
Does the government tell the laborer thss
if he will kindly go on working at his job any
increase in his expenses will be promptly
made good by a corresponding raise in wages,
so as to insure him the margin over STARK
necessity 70 which he has been accustomedI
Does that sound ridiculous? Il is preclsey
the arrangement that the government mas
with the railroads, the coal operators and the
ipbuilders-patriots every one!
The workingman, on the other hand, Is con-
fronted with an increase in his necessary per-
sonal and household expenses which amour"
to an actual reduction in salary Under SINH
lar circumstances he sees others raise PIE"
and increase rates. What would you ma"
him do?
He cannot be blamed for demanding
higher wage during war times as long as our
daily press is full Of tales of sudden fortunes
created by the war; as long as the rich 8"
growing richer as long as our great el'ie,
fairly reek with the evidences Of new-fouh'
wealth striving for expression; as long as .
voluntary reduction Of income from excessive
to ample is classed as sublime unselhshne'A
ANDREW J. KANE.
New York, Nov. q, 1917.