The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-05-13
HOW LABOR RESPONDS

nOW LADOh hEHSFONDS
All over the United States the men
who are working for wages are for the
most Part giving to the extent of their
ability, energy and faithful service, and
ale responding to extraordinary appeals
raade to them. One or two concrete ex-
amples will illustrate this.
The managers of a large industry at
Niagara Falls, many of whose artisans
are not citizens of the United States,
called their employees together recently
so that it might be learned whether
these men were willing to give faithful.
earnest and efficient service in the man
ufacture of commodities which are
needed by the government. "How many
of you are willing to do this?" was a
question put to these employees. With
out hesitation every hand went up, and
the pledge thus given has been faithfully
kept.
Within few weeks one of the larger
industries of the United States received
an order from the government for very
large quantity of its product, because
that product has been found especially
valuable for certain form Of war serv-
ice. In order to manufacture the prod
uct within the very short time which
the government requested be done, 1t
would be necessary to operate the fac
tories night and day. The employees were
called into the large hall and We're told
that they would be detained only 10 min
utes, which would not be deducted from
their time. Then the explanation was
made that the government stood in press
ing need of the commodities they man
ufactured and needed it in a very short
time. They were asked if they would
aid the government by working night
as well as day, being assured of course
that they would be paid for the extra
work. There was no delay in the re-
Spouse. Every hand went up and every
man, large number of men in all. in
the employ of that corporation is now
working many extra hours each dav.
taking only enough out of the "a hours
for small amount of sleep. The gov
eminent will get the product within the
time i'm which it was asked the manu-
facturers to deliver these commodities.
In other ways labor in the United
States is showing zeal. patriotism and
enthusiasm, not hampered to any great
extent by disposition to insist upon the
stricter rules of the labor organizations.
Some of those who were leaders in the
campaign for selling Liberty Bonds re-
ported this morning that when full details
of the sale of these bonds are received
it will be found that so far as the num-
Der of individual subscriptions is CON
cerned, much the larger part will be
found to represent subscriptions made By
those who work for wages. There is
mot likely to be much difficulty here
after, so far as securing the highest eff
ficiency of labor in the building of ships
is concerned. The shipbuilders of the
United States have now in supreme au-
thority over them, so far as the govern
ment is concerned one of the great
masters of the science whereby there are
established cordial, man-to-man relations
between those who employ and those
who receive wages for their employment
Charles NJ. Schwab.
Reports come from New York and from
many parts of the country that the
wage earners, if their leadership be
skillful, If the direction of their work
be in the hands of men of mastery ex-
ecutive ability in whom the working
men have confidence. will represent by
their aggregate efforts the high water
mark of American efficiency which is
undoubtedly to be established this year
whereby our man power our munitions.
our equipments for war, our ships and
orr fond products may be equal to any