Evening star., 1919-03-09
Remarkable Analysis W. KhuOey
Various Legislative COMPLICATIONS Make Read;uents d. cu
Employers and Employees VIII Ubset-WW America Have
Labor Party?-Many MS for Congress Remedy

plus of the labor market gives then
chance to force wages down. In
other words certain employers notably
resent laborS independent attitude
during the period of high war wages
when all industries We're short-handed,
and have determined to get even now
that the period is believed to have
gone by.
This situation makes not only for
unemploy but for i'll feeling. !
am unwilling to declare this situation
really serious, but l know ii to be
threatening. OF course, it must be
remembered that not much more than
10 per cent of labor is organized in
the American Federation, which COM
prises the elite of the nations work
ing forces, but there is a growing
spirit of revolt among orthodox work.
ers against their leadership, and
among unorganized workers. or those
banded in the less important and more
radical bodies, there is a tendency to
take the bit into the tooth and work
on lines not authorized by the Ameri-
can Federation
TN Chicago, New York and else
where labor parties are in process OF
formation. although, as everybody
knows, Mr.. Gompers and the Ameri-
can Federation bitterly oppose all
such activities l have no doubt that
this particular manifestation IN
American labor circles has been IN
the British labor party. but IL dis
content were not increasing among
American workers generally, II there
was not an increasing conviction
among workers that the tempori2inB
methods OF the old-line organizations
are Inadequate to secure the ends
which labor feels itself entitled to,
this political movement would not
find supporters as it does. Personal
ly, / believe 1t likely to become I'M
portant.
II am inclined to think the move
ment represents nothing more radical
than is represented in Great Britain
by the rise OF the labor party, ana
therefore ! see nothing in 1t which
any balanced mind can define as boil
shevism,@ but believe we may expect
an effort on the part of labor to Sc
cure direct representation. outside OF
the old parties both in the national
Congress and the legislatures OF the
states.
Il won't attempt to forecast the
effect of this on the old parties, but
fail to see how any one, studying the
signs of the times in Great Britain.
where labor has arrived at political
power of great significance, can doubt
that similar results are to be expected
here
I asked Dean Kirchwey II he be-
lieyed the country to be fully safe
from actual bolshevism.
Il 90 mol ueHy, he dnSW Sltu, Liiet
restlessness and discomfort may de-
velop in America till they become
threat against our institutions, but
think this fact Hes quite beyond, or
at least upon the outer edge. OF the
political manifestation to which have
referred. Whether or not serious
development occurs will depend on
the intelligence and the good Will
which in the immediate future Is
brought to bear upon solution OF the
problems involved in the general labor
situation.
"The best cure for the Idle man who
broods on bolshevism is job which
will give him decent living wage
and it is here that the Importance of
the federal employment service mani
tests itself AT the present moment
1T is placing about 100000 men per
week in industry, most of them per-
manently fitted into jobs. II that
work is kept up at that rate I don't
think we shall need to worry about
bolshevism. If it ceases then the fu-
ture will contain new problems
The service does not aim merely to
offer man temporary work or to put
any man haphazard into any job
Wnlch chanceS TO be vacant. 1t stud
les men and their wishes, and jobs
and their requirements and tries to
satisfy them both. AS mere Illus
tration Of the care with which we
work may I say that we have devel-
oped here among other things a skill
ed trades bureau which subjects men
to careful analysis. including a real
study of their psychological peculiari-
ties, with a view to ascertaining what
kind of positions they will At and will
fit them. We feel it necessary to en-
deavor to see to 1t that the capacity
and skill of every man applying to us
shah find the freest play and complet-
est satisfaction
This is the primary aim In the six
ty highly organized employment Of
fees in New York state, at any rate,
and. of course. special attention is
paid to discharged fighting men and
released munition workers.
''The methods of demobiliza ton
have been such as to dump discharged
men helter- SIX elter unintelligently, on
those labor markets nearest to the
places Of their discharge. This has
meant increasingly large numbers of
discharged men In the great industrial
centers and especially in New York.
The practice of the War Department
is to discharge men en- masse, with
out considering the question az to
whether jobs can possibly await them
near the place of their demobillza-
tion.
1.-The regulation of the War Depart
ment which permits camp command
ers to give preference with regard to
discharge to men seriously needed in