El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-09-19

THE STRIKE Of 25OOO ironworzers and others engaged
IN the shipbuilding industry San Francisco ana
other cities in the bay district and Of 1000 or 5000
Portland has aroused the nation to the Importance OF
the labor prevalent in the United States and to the
vital necessity Of ending the disputes TO the end that the
production Of war materials, ships etc. may proceed With
out delay. Whether a strike psrayzes industry
whether the hands Of the enemy, the effect for
the time being IS the same The plant IS not aiding the
government.
The strike Of the shipBudeTs at San Francisco attracts
more attention than any other recent strike because of the
numbers Of engaged and because construction OF
upward Of S50O00O00 worth Of shipping involved at
time when the United States and the entente allies very
greatly need every ship which be brought into service
Other strikes have been less important only because
fewer have been engaged and because they did not
strike so directly at the heart Of the nations war program
there have been copper strikes IN AZona ana Montana
instance the smelter strike IN Utah. the coal miners
strike In New Mexico, Colorado, Illinois and at various
places the south; the freight handlers strike IN Kansas
CIV the street car strikes in San Francisco Seattle Spring
field and many other cities, and host Of smaller strikes
down TO that of the union plumbers Of FL Paso-
The strike for union recognition, solely, IN time has
been generally condemned unwise and altogether
necessary In the Shipbuding industry the steel mills
and the munoH plants labor unrest has been due IN
part at least 10 the tremendous increase IN the cost OF
living the that all previous wage increases had
been swallowed up the higher OF food clothing and
rent Also the workers saw their employers aaSSlng great
fortunes and companies paying unheard OF dividends from
their and could why they should
not receive wage somewhat proportion 10 the firms
profits and the high cost of living.
Most Of the strikes Of today connected very closely
with 3Ocent beef 5o-cent eggs, the small and steadily
year ago Government investigators in
have sought IN for evidences Of sinister connection
between strikes and German propaganda It has
times been that the feeling of injustice wage
has been fosered by those whose interests not
these OF the United States such the l. ". W Arizona
and Montana but such eZtTaueOus influence the
rule
The only fair solution be to fix scale of wages
with the cost Of food So long the prices Of
the necessities Of life keep going up wages also must Climb
Government control Of prices may stabilize the cost Of
living that further increases viii not be necessary
though VIII take time to put the control into effect
relating to the retail dealer and the ultimate
If prices not checked, wages must keep climbing,
thus automatically adding to the of living for every
increase IN wages IN industry higher prices
be charged for the products of that industry So
may prove endless chain Of until the country
becomes exhausted.
The problem comparatively simple now, the main thing
being TO end avert strikes and keep production going
steadily. The serious time viii after the
the markets return normal conditions and suTfets of
commodities force lower prices How about wages then?
Attempts to reduce them will be dangerous, for while II
comparatively easy bring about increase wages
the hardest of hard tasks them down. And,
while IN few instances nay be possible keep wages
up and sell products at the reduced price and still allow
fair margin Of profit, that viii be the IN most
businesses and industries, It VIII be Of cut all
around and then shall have the real labor problem be
solved The million to be turned free b. the
army may help IN this solution.
In the meantime, president Samuel Gompers of the
American Federation Of Labor, has been greatly