The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-08-16

HuJuol COuSSHJS negotiating 1OI JlS
entire country.
Wage Standardization merely ex-
tends the familiar method of wage
fixing to cover the entire nation.
What has been done in many indus
tries the War Labor Policies Board
is planning for the whole people.
But, although wage standardization
admittedly follows familiar prece-
dent, it is solely a war measure.
The President has said that in
lustry plays as essential and as
honorable a role in this great stiug-
gle as do our military ornaments
With that fact in mind, employees
and employers have discussed wage
Standardization with the War La
Dor Policies Board. Except a.
war measure, it frankly would not
nave been considered.
Stabilizing Industrial Effort.
But the need to stabilize industrial
conditions so that no productive
power be wasted is so obvious that
the representatives of the War and
Navy departments and of the Emer-
sency Fleet Corporation, together
with the other governmental
branches charged with the duty of
supplying the primary materials of
war have, with labor leaders and
business executives, become con-
WINGED that wage Standardization is
'ssential to national success over
Germany
The need for increased production
of war stuffs through stabilized
industrial conditions has, further
more, long been so apparent that
Congress, on it's own initiative,
without the advice and even with
out the knowledge of the War La
Dor Policies Board, instructed the
Policies Board to standardize
wages.
But, although the showing made
oy Army, Navy and Fleet Corpora
avn "ao ONCI
he Policies Board would have hest
lated to ask labor to make whatever
sacrifice wage Standardization in
1olves if the proper safeguards had
not been erected. If profiteering
lad been allowed to go on unchecked
nd the cost of living had not been
ontroled, Standardization would not
lave been right.
Congress, through the taxes on
excess profits, the War Industries
Board, through its price-fixing, the
President, through the veto of $40
wheat, have prepared the way for
Standardization of wages. Addition
Il methods of keeping down the cost
f living are being investigated at
his time.
All these measures, past and pend
ing, have revealed the determine
ton of the American people to let
no one make money out of the war.
Wheat price-fixing means for the
manufacturers wha wage Standard
cation is to the workers of the
country.
That means plainly that just as
the price-fixing committee takes in
to account the cost of production
and proper profits, so wage stan
dardization must be built upon an
accurate knowledge of the cost of
living and a just estimate of what
makes up the right American stan
dard.
Organized Labor Consulted.
Upon these general grounds the
War Labor Policies Board is ad-
vancing, as rapidly as the gravity
of the problem permits, to the es-
tablishment of standard wages.
Everyone who has a real interest at
stake will be consulted. So far,
preliminary conferences have been
held with the union representatives
of all trades engaged in war in
dustries and with employees of those
industries.
The War Labor Policies Board is
accordingly, with the aid of John
R. Alpine, vice president of the
American Federation of Labor, and
Hugh Frayne, labor representative
On the War Industries Board on the
union side, and with the advice of
Herbert F. Perkins, vice president
of the International Harvester
Company, proceeding as rapidly as
the Importance of the matter makes
possible toward the domination of
standards.