The Cordova daily times., 1918-12-02
LABOR AFTER
 WAR PERIOD
 IS A PROBLEM


 outselves down to winning the peace by drives as we have to winning the war. the problem of labor and industry in the after.the-war period will be easily and instantly settled" says L. F. Post. assistant secretary of labor.
 Mir. Post declares he does not an ticipate any particular problems in the readjustment period. We changed quickly from peace to war produc- tion." he said, and 1t seems to me that there should be no reason why our factories and our workmen should not be able to change back from the war basis to the peace basis as quick ly, making due allowance for such lack of raw materials as may exist, the raw materials, plants which were manufacturing articles for peace trade before the war should be able to reas- semble their machinery and change their processes back to the basis of peace production without so much con. fusion as many people anticipate"
 There is bound to be certain shift ing of labor from plants at present solely designed for war work to the plants that were the big producers in peace times, MT Post believes; but he regards the employment service of the department of labor as suitable agency for handling the problems that lieves that it will be able to provide workers with jobs as well as to pro vide workmen for employers
 There is an element in the wage question which may produce industrial unrest and in that only does the coun- try face danger from the reconstruc- ton necessities, thinks MT Post. Even this may be avoided by intelligent agreement and conference between labor and employers. However. Post declares, If employers are to be guid ed by the type of men who have fig ured all through history as the priv ilcged class who think il their relig- iOus duty to refuse to deal with or. ganized men, we will have trouble If as much disposition will be shown by employers to adjust industry and it's problems as the men they hire, the possibility of trouble will be reduced to d minimum.
 The worker who in peace times was able to earn $50 week, has. under war wages and war overtime, frequently been enabled to go home on pay night with S100 in his pocket representing his weeks wages. The going to be willing to stand a material reduction in it. It is true, of course, that he will be willing to forget the overtime work he has been putting in, but even should there be a reduction in the cost of living. which seems un- likely, the worker is not going to ac- Cept a reduction of his wages to his pre-war basis. That, however, is a matter of the individual, rather than the union.
 "Collectiye bargaining will solve great deal of that feel that there should be continued existence of the agency represented through the na- tional war labor board. The decisions of that board, providing for a review of the wage awards every six months on the basis of changes in the cost of living, and more particularly the awarding of the right of collective bargaining. if entered into thoroughly and in harmonious spirit by workers and employers alike, will do much to solve the problem through the opera tion of the shop committees.
 "I do not anticipate any lack of jobs. People forget that we have been practicing abstention from what We want and need and that there is much production to be caught up with and much essential work to be done that has been neglected or postponed dur ing the war period"