Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-11-03
BUSINESS IN AMERICA
Labor With Colossal Task and Unprecedented Opportunity
Must Be Wisely Comseled Against Extortion.
ABOR in the United States-the
American workingman-ha put
By WILL r. KENNEDY.
OF The Star STAR.


American workingman-haS put
his shoulder to the most colos-
sal task in the entire history
of the world. Here it is: To feed and
clothe and furnish munitions to five
million U. S. soldiers and those of the
allies; to build U-boat destroyers ana
ships by the hundreds. to carry over
these military supplies: to continue
20 meet the requirements of one num-
'ired millioH people in continental
United STAKES: to rebuild the war
blasted old world to restore the
broken-down or worn-out facilities
of this country.
To the everlasting honor of the
American workfngman. labor has
tackled this tremendous job with
patriotic spirit that has won the COM
mendation of the United States De-
partment of Labor and other war
work establishments. Labor has in
some instances seized the opportunity
to make demands for unprecedented
wages and government officials and
leaders in industrial life, represent
ing both capital and the best interests
of labor. have been fearful that labor
conflicts may follow the war of ma
tions. Wise counsels are now being
held to prevent any such calamity IN
The interests of capital. the consuming
: public and the home interests of the
workinsman.
Labor is getting sonnet thing better
than square deal in the matter
of wage allowances through the con-
ference of national labor adjusting
agencies. The entire world appre-
,iates the wartime intensified and
efficient efforts of the brawny arms
of toll and if labor does not become
eXtortionate a new era is AT ndnd III
which the workingman viii nave
recognition and influence and power
never before possible. The barped
wire entanglements between the
hereditary enemies, capital ana IaDor'
have been cut, both have been WORK
ing as allies to win the war, each
recognizes as never before their inter-
dependence, and the nations of the
world are cured of their prejudices TO-
ward either purSe-proud arlStocracy
or toil-stained working class
During the reconstruction period.
when peace returns to the Worlu tne
international court of nations Will
consider most carefully solution Oh
the erstwhile labor problem.
Earlier articles in this series nave
stated the big business problems.
concerning transportation, fuel ana
labor-and have discussed separately
why the transportation facilities nave
been practically paralyZed ana what
was being done to relieve this condl-
ton: and why there has been Iuei
shortage and the ALLEGATION of sup
plies. allotment of fuel. relocation or
plants. equivalent to an industrial
revolution which is working order
out of chaos. This article deals with
the labor situation. present and fu-
ture.
There is absolutely no such thing as
"unemployment" today. There is a
Job. and good job. at comfortable
living wage for every man who will
either work or fight. Neither is
there any excuse for any man not be-
ing engaged on essential war work
that is the demands are so large that
business generally is ffourishlng and
there are appeals for labor from all
corners of the country that cannot be
met.
In round figures, the shortage of
common labor. needed for war work.
runs from 100000 to 1.250.O00; the
prOba ble shortage of skilled labor is
$4,000 to 300, 900.
This does not mean that Uncle Sam
is short that many men, but that with
the stimulation of war work 1t IS
found impossible to find that number
without drawing them from other en-
ployment. To give two concrete ex-
ampleS:
First. Since the beginning of the war
there has been a depletion OF mine
workers in the anthracite coal fields
from $4,000 to IA 900. The increased
efficiency of the worker is attested by
the fact that. although depleted by
$4,000. the production of coal has been
maintained. In an effort to relieve
the pressure in the coal fields. the
United States employment service of
the Department of Labor in co-opera-
tion with the united mine workers
organization, has been conducting Il
successful campaign to restore to the
mines practical mine workers who
have left that industry for less es-
sential occupations. In November
alone 1901 former miners from all
sections of the country have returned
10 the mines after working as paper
hangers, painters, grocerS assistants.
BARRIERS. travelling statesmen and taxi
ca6 drivers
Second The Macy board. in charge
of shipbuilding labor adjustments,
points out that before the war started
the shipbuilding industry had barely
10000 employees. but that it now rep
resentS 100000 employees hastily called
together and is in urgent need of
:OO.OOO more before June. 1919
The government agencies are now
trying 10 put every man where he
can do the best work and TO send men
in large blocks to where they are
, most needed.
Out of scores of large projects let's
select just one to be used as an
illustration of the labor supply puzzle
as faced by the government officials:
The Old Hickory plant at Nashville.
Tenn, will be the largest SmOkeleSS
powder plant in the world. 1t will
Employ $4,000 hands. This means that
an entirely new city will be gathered
within reasonable distance of this
project
Now, here is how the government
service system works: Those who
need labor for such big projects deal
directly with the Washington admin
istrative headquarters. On smaller re-
auirements there are 500, and there
soon will be LOO, local employment
offices TO which the contractor makes
application for such labor as he needs.
If the local official can meet the caii
he does so. If not he transmits the
request. with recomme nda tons. to the
state director.
AS is the case on the Nashville smoke
less powder plant many of the needs OF
the large projects cannot be met IN the
state. so the director passes the requisi-
ton along to the federal headquar-
tiers Here those with a vision of the
labor conditions throughout the entire
country figure out where il will be best
TO draw labor from considering state
conditions, the wage scales and con-
munity COMPOSITIONS. Again consider
ing the Nashville plant-labor cannot
he taken from Kentucky because they
are building there the biggest canton
ment in this country: nor can Alabama
afford to release any, because the gov
eminent is building at Muscle Shoals
two units of great chain of nitrate
plants to cost se0.OO0,000. So the fed
labor, because the entire east is ter
ribly short In the west they are