The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1919-10-15
LABOR PROBLEMS
AND The HOPE OF
INDUSTRIAL PEACE
Was the Subject Discussed by DIR. Ed
ward West at the Old Public
Library Last Evening.

sang two numbers.
Mrs. c. o. Pickett of Omaha, Neb.,
accompanied on the piano by Miss
Elizabeth Barbour, in a voice of un-
usual sweetness sang, Were l Gard
ner" by Chaminade; Come For It's
June" by Dorothy Forster, and "The
Morning Wind" by Gena Branscombe.
Miss Mary Wilson told in her inimit-
able style story that gave the key
note of the Maysville Community Club,
how the Palace Beautiful rose by mag
ic when all the musicians played to-
gether.
Prof w. j. Caplinger then intro
duced the speaker of the evening, DR..
Edward West of the University of
Kentucky, who said in part:
The general feeling of industrial un
rest prevailing throughout the coun-
try as evidenced by strikes in the field
of transportation, in mining, steel and
other industries. is due primarily to
the rapid rise in the cost or living to-
gether with q general tagging in wage
| increases. A secondary cause for this
unrest is the never-ending agitation of
nostrums or unsound theories aiming
at a comprehensive change of the es-
tablished economic order. It is re-
gretable that this unsound propa-
ganda is the result Of misguided am
| bition on the part Of a few persons
and that the spread Of false doctrines
Is fostered by ignorance and suffering
among the masses.
| With the exception of a few setbacks
prices have risen steadily since 1898.
but since 1914 they have taken very
rapid squirt upward while the income
of wage-earners, salaried men, owners
Of long-term bonds, same proportion.
There has been good deal said about
profiteering as a cause Of high prices
and this nefarious practice has its in
fluence; but the primary causes of the
rapid advance Of prices are the phe-
nomental increase of currency, eape-
cially that form associated with bank
credit, and the marked shortage OF
supplies In turn Is due to reckless
and extravagant consumption since
the signing Of the armistice, the ex-
portation of large quantities of goods
to Europe, and especially the slacken-
ing of production caused by strikes
and general discomfort. Virtually nc
hope for a reduction of prices is seen
in the contraction of the currency for
the reason that its expansion rests
livery largely upon liberty bonds owned
by thousands and taken by banks tc
secure deposits against which checks
are drawn to meet obligations. This
results in the creation of additiona
currency but 1t is unavoidable. Tn,
rise in the price level, however, car
be haltered by general return t.
work, by increasing production, an,
by rigorous policy of saving.
The remedy of placing labor in tn
position where 1t was in 1914, that i
Of giving labor income the same pur
chasing power that it had then, cal
not be sought in the reduction of tn
cost of living including foodstuffs
clothing. rents and building materials
but rather in taking the level of thes
prices as an established fact and rails
ing wages in the same proportion. Au
thoritative computations, such as ar
made by the Bureau of Labor Stats
tics are necessary to make prope
wage adjustments.
What Is extremely important at thi
time Is the formation of national la
Dor policy and the universal recog
milton that the satisfactory settlemen
Of labor problems means greater so
clal welfare. 1t is not only ques
tion of general wages but one of mini
mum wages which determine the low
est standard of living In the country
other problems that ramify far an
wide throughout the whole structur
Of our civilization are hours of labor
afety and freedom from accident
health and morals, and social insur
ance including insurance against acci
dent, sickness. unemployment, invali
dity, and old age. Many of the State
have already legislated concernin
these problems, but too much specifi
regulation Is not desirable and man
of the details have to be left to labo
and capital to be adjusted anon
themselves. This therefore calls for
recognition Of the principle betwee
that labor has the right to organize.
Men with vision like ex-PresideI
Taft recognise and completely thi
right, but there are still some entei
prlsers who deny this right TO labo
One OF the chief sources OF frictio
between capital and labor is the lac
OF Industrial democracy or the lac
OF n machinery through which labe
may express itself eonoeraing labs
conditions. Let labor organize an
elect q shop committee" 10 meet vii
the employer and adjust disputes
their ineipisnt stages. This primo
pie 10 now beginning 10 be used rall
~ fsssiy The standard on. colosas