The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-10-18
(By Frank p. Walsh)


War Labor Board the attorneys and
| representatives of the employing cor
porations urge that, regardless of the
essential fairness of any wage in
crease that might be awarded by
the Board, the financial condition of
the concerns would be impaired there
by and that the Board should con-
slider this possible result in fixing
rates of wages for the workers.
Under the principles and policies
to govern relations between workers
and employers in war industries for
the duration of the war, as adopted
by the Government in conformity
with the proclamation of the Presi-
dent of date April 8, 1918, the pow
ers and duties of the Board are
clearly defined.
The underlying object of its crea-
ton is that "the maximum produc-
ton of all war industries should be
maintained" To this end, there
fore, of course, all existing wage
standards must be maintained. Where
wages were fixed by contract be-
tween organized groups of employers
and employees. and the same are
found by the board to have been fair
at the beginning Of the war, it be-
comes the duty of the Board to as
certain, by careful investigation and
research, the increased cost of liv-
ing, as well as the advance, if any,
which would ordinarily and natur-
ally come about in times of peace,
which sums must be added to the
pre-war wage.
Where wages, however arrived at,
are found not to have been fair and
adequate at the time our country
entered the war, proper basic stand
ards are established, to which the
last foregoing elements of increase
are added
Supplementary to these considera-
ktions, it may be noted that the
Presidents proclamation also i'm
noses the following definite and
specific direction upon the Board.
"In fixing wages, minimum rates
of pay shall be established which
will insure the subsistence of the
worker and his family in health and
reasonable comfort"
! This provision, it has been found
n experience, required substantial
increase in the wages of all of the
common laborers which have come
within the jurisdiction of the Board,
with the possible exception of build
ng laborers and few other indus
tries. The evidence in many cases
shows that numbers of skilled and
semiskilled mechanics also, by right,
invoked the principle of the living
wage on account of the inadequacy
of their compensation to meet this
just requirement of the government.
Giving effect to the foregoing du-
ties and limitations imposed upon it
by the proclamation of the Presi-
lent, the Board, after mature de-
liberation, in large number of
cases unanimously applied the fore
going rules and principles, and &C
cordingly held that the financial
condition of the employing corpora
tions was entirely irrelevant under
the principles proclaimed by the
President, and would not be con-
sidered if proposed increases of pay
to workers were just and proper.
Obviously, to have regard to out
side considerations, such as are in
volved in the claim of financial in
ability to pay, might entirely de-
feat the wage fixing function of the
Board by proof that even fair
wage could not be paid to employees
without financial detriment, or that
a minimum rate of pay, "insuring
the subsistence of the worker and
his family in health and reasonable
comfort" would be, confiscatory.
If workman engaged in an es-
sential industry is expected to per-
form his part uninterruptedly in
necessary war production, it will not
do to say to him, upon presentation
of his just demands, that the ire
mendously increased expense of fuel
and raw materials has been taken
into account by his employer and
paid in full, but that the legitimate
increase in the cost of labor must
be ignored, even though it means de-
privation and suffering to him, to
say nothing of the menace to his
family life; or, that his employer
has not looked ahead to the newt
able rise in labor cost as he has to
the cost of fuel and materials. and