Norwich bulletin., 1918-04-16
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The Strike of the Hod Carriers and
 and Pick and Shovel Lahorers.

MT. Editor: The bod carriers and pick and shovel laborers who work for our local contractors went on the most unreasonable strike this morning that ever was inaugurated in Norwich.
 If this strike were a nasty, foolish affair, or if the men had grievance of any kind against either their em- oloyers or the public, they might be forgiven for what they did. But look ed at in the most favorable light. this strike has been vicious, devilish and disloyal occurring at this time when every loyal citizen is thinking how he may best serve his country.
 There are several good reasons why the pay of these men ought not to a raised a cent at this time, although their employers, in order to avoid trouble and because of the scarcity of labor, were willing to make conces- sion.
 The wages in the building trades here and, almost all over our country at present are so high that it makes building, except for war purposes, nearly prohibitive.
 Another reason why the pay of these men should not be raised is, they are getting more pay now than our aver age school teachers. They are getting more pay than many good men who are preaching the gospel. They are perhaps paid more than most profes- sional men even for a few years after leaving college. Again-more than 50 per cent. of them do not earn the pay they re- l ceive. They are largely slackers and ] work only when the eye of the boss or l foreman is upon them.
 Many of them have little if any in- l nd h1 1U be taking the pile which they have l made hepa to tie countries whence 1 they carl3e when the war is over. ] What fools We Americans be! 1 We a~e f-1iing cur sons to fight in ] France, lo staIad all the hardShips o1 i trench life, to live for weeks at a time ] in mud and water, to live with lice or 1 their bodies and rats about their feet i 10 eat their scanty rations. and these i strikers are some of the men foI i whom our sons are fighting-that they
 may live on the fat of the land, enjoy
 good food, good beds, go to the movies smoke cigars and cigarettes, live better n fact here than some of the lords 1T i the countries from which they came 1 Our boys in the trenches will receive ] about a dollar day for the noblest work in which men ever engaged an6 ] contributions are being taken up al 1 oyer the country to give them a smoke
 To my mind, the strike evil in time of war is crime. England migh have been much nearer winning tht 1 war if it had not been for the strikes among her workmen.
 Our shipbuilding and much othel 1 war work has been held up by strikes I would like to say to every father
 mother, brother, sister, wife or sweet heart of a boy in the war that ever! man who foments a strike, encourage or engages in one during the war i firing a German bullet into your bo,
 or mine.
 There is. a remedy for this.
 The government is telling us wha to eat and what to refrain from zat ing. It is saying that we shall hav
 only so much coal to burn, and grea
 many other things. 't
 It can just as easily draft ever.
 man in good health from 21 to '
 years of age in the country-aliens a | well as citizens. If it is seen tha many of those above draft age ar serving their. country as well in thei } present occupations as they coul
 elsewhere, let them remain, but let tn 1 government by all means see that non of us obstruct but that all of us hel , in the largest measure in the winnin of the war.
 JOHN M'WILLIAMs. Norwich, April 15, 1918.