El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-02-22
WILL IT BE A CRASH OR JUST
A CUT AFTER THE WAR ENDS?

UR main difficulty after the war is going to be COM
petition with other nations for foreign trade Our
- goods win cost so much to manufacture than
those Of other countries that viii have trouble in find
ing buyers We vii have raw materials than any
other country, but Il VIII be found that foreign buyers
into country, ship materials abroad and
manufactured and placed sale cheaper than
can manufacture and sell the commodities Where
European other foreign raw materials can be utilized
the difference IN price viii be even more IN favor Of for
sign sellers.
Our labor cost viii be the chief item Labor IN the
United States is being paid from two to ten times as
much as labor In other countries For instance the
age wage of skilled railway labor in England s1224
week The average wage before the war was S72o per
week American skilled railway labor receives much for
days work British railroaders receive in week
slightly higher than IN England Nevertheless, officials Of
the railroad brotherhoods asking great general wage
raise The request is based partly the increased cost Of
living ana even more because OF the increasing dIcu
Of retaining in railway service at present pay.
There is intense competition for skilled labor. The
industries offering fabulous wages Many Of them
operating government contracts plus
percentage Of profit basis The only obligation resting
the contractors is that they turn out schedule time
product sufficient IN quality and quantity to meet the pro
visions Of the contract There is incentive to economy
The government pays the costs and the contractors must
the labor ct whatever wage In order to deliver the
goods That is the why @cost plus" industries
offer uneard Of wages and all other industries forced
70 raise wages lose their employees No wondeT Wage
eaners hear Of family Of workers going to Detroit and
securing employment at $500 week and of boss steel
roller at Pittsburg, working wage and bonus basis
making 5000 week They Of labor colonies in the
east, every family in which has its automobile No
der they are ured away from railroads. flour Mills auto
mobile factories small foundres and the like to find the
fountain Of gold.
wages Of skilled labor throughout the country have
risen unprecedented heights because all industries have
been forced compete with the factories and because
the OF living has furnished workers with greater
incentive than before to sell their labor to the best
advantage situation has naturally developed which per-
its Of criticism Of workers Of their employers but
which is aught with very serious consequences In the
future
What VIII happen when the war ends? Nothing easier
than raise wages providing the cost OF the product
be raised at the time and nothing IS harder than to
bring them down when the price Of the product is forced
down BY market competition Labor organized and
organized alike, fights wage reductions to the last It
VIII do after the Nevertheless something must be
the ends great part Of foreign
trade Is lost Our present costs high that
factuers cannot compete peace time basis with for
egn sellers English French German Italian and Japanese
standards Of living and Of wages VIII operate to dis
advantage Our manufacturers viii have to cut all along
the line They VIII have to cut their profits, reduce
wages levels nearly corresponding to the European
standards, and, where foreign materials in
petition obtain materials at home at prices
spending to those the foreign materials command
HcW accomplish all this q nation wide scale with
causing financial crash industrial revolution is
problem which TIE country must face and solve There
be escaping it We must compete for foreign trade
On equal terms OF lose It.
Losing it would the collapse Of industries and