The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-08
Some Workers as Guilty as
Some Industries, He Says.
New Jersey Man Addresses En-
plOyers' Association Today.
HIGH PRICES ARE JUSTIFIED
He Says Cost of Commodities in
Most Cases Causes Them.
Men. Who Hoard for Gain
Branded as Robbers.

Labor. equally as much industry
and capital has been guilty of
profiteering since the United States
entered the war. That was the charge
before the Kansas Employers associa-
ton this afternoon at its annual con-
vention in Memorial hall. Phillip
Bird. of New Jersey. charged that the
significance of the strike situation is
that labor does not realize this war
is labor'S war" and that labor strikes
are as much a form of profiteering as
eXorbitant prices.
Bird, who was the principal speaker
before the convention of the employ
ers, justified to an extent the abnormal
profits of manufacturers and retail
ers. He said unusually high prices
for commodities, byproductS and labor
had justified to an extent, at least, the
tremendous advance in prices to the
consumer. But Bird found nothing
wherein he could Justify the action of
labor in forcing walkouts and strikes.
If a commodity honestly COM
mands a certain price because of con-
ditions surrounding production, said
Bird in his justification of high prices
by producers, the manufacturer is
honestly entitled to have that price no
matter how high it is" But that didn't
mean Bird favored taking advantage
of national necessities or conditions
confrontin a people in crisis
a
of a nations necessities said Bird,
land boards a commodity SO as to Sc
cure a false initiation of price, he is
not a profiteer, but a plain and simple
robber, who is buying his own Sc
curity with the blood of our fighting
men. AS a robber he should be brand
ed and punished.
Cause o. Labor Troubles.
Concerning the labor problem Bird
said
Il want to point out that the false
reports of huge profits by manufac-
| turers in war work have played no
small part in la abor troubles Because
workers have heard that great money
is being made, they naturally want TO
share in the property, and few stop
to find out whether the reports OF
| these huge profits are true or false
This is but an added reason why every
| earnest manufacturer should 90 an
! that he can to prevent profiteerIng-
For, if profiteering on the part II
! the manufacturer works such great
| evil it goes without saying that SINH
lar profiteering by any other class
| must of necessity be harmful hen
1 say "profiteering by any other class,
! | do SO advisedly, for 1 believe that
| the endless strikes which nave ted up
production and decreased output can
be called nothing else than proIlteer.
ing by labor. 1t is not a pleasant
term yet it is the very word which
| orr president himself used in his re-
ply to the striking shipbuilders.
! is the duty of the government" said
| he Ito see that the best possible con-
ditions of labor are maintained, as Il
| is also its duty to see to it that there
is no lawless and constituencies prof
| iteering."
This is sufficient justification foi
; the use of the word and ample evil
dence is added by available statistics
Million Days Lost in Strikes.
"a recent investigation of labor dis
,turbances disclosed the appalling fact
that between April and october g.
1871. I156 of our industrial establish
ments lost 6,2S5,519 production days
thru strikes These shops which re-
ported are of course, but a small
part of the manufacturing industry;
but the returns may be taken as typi-
cal The financial loss represented by
these figures is the smallest consider
alton. The real significance is that
labor does not seem to realize that this
war is labor's war. and that the de-
fection of the workingman is not hurt
ing capital as much as it is hurting
our men at the front.
Labor may mislead itself into be
lieving that the administration is bliss
fully unconscious of the trend oi
events, but no deluSion is more fatu-
Gus"
The sessions of the Kansas employ
ers will be concluded this evening with
a dinner at Pelietier's tea room. The
dinner will be given at $50 O'Clock
More than 100 manufacturing and in
dustrial activities are said to be rep
resented at the convention, which /.
the second annual gathering of tht
state aSSociat ton