The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-11-18
SHALL WAGES
/. | lRETURNT0PRE-
V|ARal1HEEBttEs
This Promises to Be Serious Re
construction Problem
5000. 900 MEN INVOLVED
100000 MEN INVOLVED
Price Of Wages Likely to Be Affected
According to the Law Of Supply
and Demand.

Washington, Nov l7.-Samuel
Gompers' statement at Laredo, Texas
that labor will fight to hold the advan'
tage in wages and hours won during
the war created stir in adminlstra'
tive and Congressional circles IN
Washington, coming as II aid at the
very time when Government depart
ments are face to face with the PROB
lem of the progressive Rehabilitation
of war industries.
I'D TO this time, in graphing with
this problem, the question OF wage re
duetion has been kept in the back
ground. because, as 1t was not an is
sue Immediately pending, 1t was
thought wise not to precipitate a dis
cusslon which might quickly develop
into sharp controversy at an hour
when cooperation from all sides was
deemed to be Of paramount import
ancc.
Now that the issue has been raised
however, the clash Of opinion Will be
difficult to postpone. 1t is thought
Apart from the field of controversy
where the opposing interest OF EN-
'p,oyer and employe meet, the opinion
OF economists here is that only one
thing can keep wages up, after the
over stimulation of the war subsidies
that would be by some artificial ar
rangement that would keep the price
of commodities at their present high
point. No way is seen to accomplish
this nor is thought to be desirable, Sc
that a downward trend of wages, as
paid by the great war industries and
a downward trend OF prices Is seen
To lie in the future, though effects OF
this kind are expected TO be but
gradual, as the world In the period
OF reconstruction catches up with pro
duction
! One OF the reasons given for the adj
vance OF wages, Sometimes TO mofe
than double pre-war figures, was the
high cost OF living so that any future
fall in the price Of commodities would
remove the agency of that argument
assording to economists.
A great part of the man-power oI
the civilized world was pitchdrawr
from production into military service
and the war industries, in order tC
supply the armies needs. competed
with one another for workers before
finally, Government Labor Bureau
was organized to stabilize these cond
tions and eliminate a rivalry between
the different warmaking branches o.
the Government.
Even the departments at Washing
ton whose special business it is t
compile labor statistics are in doub
as to the number OF men in the wal
industries who ultimately have TO b.
demobilizied The figures are place.
between 100000 and 5000,0O Adj
TO these the total of men in the arm
and the total Of ultimate demobliza
tion Is not likely TO be less than s.
100000. This rehabilitation is nov
beginning, to be gradually increase'
as events Justify, in both the arm,
and the industries. 1t may be tina
there will be such a demand for pre-
ducts from this country by thos
countries where immense reconstruC
ton will be required that. in tn
transition from war employment 4
peace time work, all the men to b
released for new jobs will be al
sorbed: otherwise, however. this siti
alton is also expected, inevitably. I
affect the price of wages accordin
to the law OF supply and demand.