Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-11-03
Provide Against a Labor Crisis!

After-war problems of the gravest
country, with a view to the prevention
of industrial and social distress and
decentralization 1t is not too soon to
begin what has been called reconstruc-
ton. Already a movement of labor
away from the munitions plants has
begun, to such an extent as to compel
a meeting of large manufacturers in
New York next week to consider ways
and means of preventing further de-
sertions and of restoring the working
forces to keep the American munition
supply up to the required point pend
ing the final yielding of the enemy.
Workingmen realize that as soon as
the war has definitely ended there
must be a radical readjustment.
Scores and hundreds of plants will be
shut down pending changes back to
former conditions of production. There
will be an interval of unemployment
even with the promptest possible re-
sumption of ordinary industry. In
this shifting and during this period of
slack there will be much non-employ
ment, and, in consequence, much suf-
fering, for many of the workers, de-
spite the receipt of remarkably high
wages for the past year or two, have
failed to put aside funds for the "rainy
day"
Lat IF will come the return of the
Army from France, two millions and
more of soldiers, eventually to go back
to former occupations, and thus caus-
ing wholesale displacement of work
ers in all lines. The readjustment will
be country wide, and will affect many
millions of people. Wage changes are
almost certain to occur, as the labor
supply is increased and demands less.
en-. In some eases doubtless there will
be deliberate effort to curtail working
forces to save expense and to bring
the wage scales down.
Already the government is starting
the study of these questions But it
should go further, and Immediately
begin providing for the period of nom
employment, by instituting large works
which will give occupation to part
of the army of unemployed. During
the war period commercial and public
building has been almost wholly sus-
pended, save for the emergency needs
of the government. Many new govern
ment buildings are necessary-in this
city OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the tempo
rary provisions made for Office hous-
ing, provisions that should be discard
ed and replaced by permanent works
as quickly as possible.
Reclamation projects, river and har-
Dor improvements, roadmaking, these
are some of the means by which the
government can. by immediate legis-
lation, make provision against the
time of stress. The states, necessarily
SldCheIeU III tHeu OWL puUuc WOTkS,
can do as much in the aggregate, per-
haps, as the federal government. Cities
should adopt Improvement projects on
wide scale, moving now in advance
of peace, to insure an abundance of
work for the people who will within a
few months be rendered idle through
the cessation of hostilities.
If these things are not done, if pro-
vision is not made now for the works
that must be started during, the COM
ing year to afford the needed oecupa-
ton to an immense number Of people,
there will be serious industrial crisis
in this country. 1t is not matter
alone of studying the broad problem
Of reconstruction, but one of prompt
legislative enactment to make certain
that some kind of employment will be
assured while the broader plans are
being worked out by commissions or
congressional committees.