New-York tribune., 1918-01-06

means that any increases IN war
toyes will have to be met out of the
,uoranteed income, if the bill should
M enacted as it is drawn. Additions
;, tho tax burden would therefore
..duee the income Of the carriers, but
Tho net return would nevertheless be
we'll above normal.
If the curve Of employment
sircc the United States entered the
vsr is examined it will be found that
there has been no increase IN the
number Of employees on factory pay
-olls while il labor statistics cover
;ny all industry were available there
), every reason to believe that they
,ould show Il substantial decrease In
ae number Of workers. The reason
sr this is not that the demand for
abor has abated, except in a few
Eases where operations have been
temporarily suspended because of
,oal shortage or similar trouble; it is
rather that the available supply OF
labor was fully employed last April,
and the supply has since decreased
without a like decline in demand.
That is why the wage line has mount
ed steadily while the line Of employ
ment has remained stationary. Un-
der these conditions and considering
the fact that time is the most
vital factor, it seems obvious that If
the output Of war goods is to be III
creased as much as is necessary the
production of goods for private con-
sumption must be corresponaingly
decreased. 1t is upon curtailmcnt Of
private consumption, rather than in
creasing the total industrial output
Of the country, that we must rely
mainly. Ingalls, Kimball, president
Of the National Thrift Bond Corpo-
ration, discussing All article on the
subject which recently appeared in
this column, sends the following in
,eresting contribution:
The nationwide campaign to in
duce thrift has not, as l understand
boo 1o1
great war loans may be successfully
foated, but first OF all to make labor
AVAILABLE for the production of war
goods-the tioatation of the loans
being secondary.
The full twenty-four hour produc
tive capacity of the country's indus
trial plants, if we are to believe the
statements of many industrial en-
glneers, is vastly greater than the
present production. We do lack
labor it is true, but when the op-
portunity offered by this lack is
thoroughly realized throughout the
country the labor supply will in
crease first by added energy and ef-
Aclency on the part of individual
workers now employed, and second
'y the addition to the producing
'Orces Of many who are not now at
work.
The introduction Of women in in
austry is Increasing our productive
ness not only by what woman pro-
auces, but by the freeing of men
from what might be called unproduc-
i've posts (such as street railway
'0nauctors), who are drawn by high
s' wages into more productive posi-
tons.
Ills undoubtedly true that a mere
increase in the hours Of labor, even
la0ugh voluntary, is apt to result in
Increased production because Of
""gue. On the other hand, prod
1s's which arc paid on piece work
'aS's will come through in greater
suahtity once the workingman thor
'uen'y understands the great oppor-
unity which is now his.
i"e Tribune is undoubtedly ia
1'''ar with the old story Of workers
"ao decrease their hours of labor by
"s exact proportion in which their
'ases arc Increased, for the sole rea-
~" 'hat leisure seems to them the
"'S1 desirable thing to buy with their
t. "a pay Many an employer con-
.s','en with this situation in actual
,,.suaeton has. in the past, been
"'ea to provide luxuries and other
st. ,S'stul ways of Spending money to