Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-03-18
THE BLAME is LAID
CCoRDING to the March nur

A CcoRDING to the March mum
~ Der of Industry, a magazine
published in New York, the
government itself is mainly respon
sible for the conditions of unemploy
ment now prevalent in this country
This publication recently prepared
and distributed questionnaire tt
the most important corporations ant
manufacturing firms in twenty-si,
States. This inquired as to the eXten
and cause of unemployment. The
number of employees represented by
the manufacturers answering thi.
QUESTIONABLE aggregated one mil.
lion, which, according to the law Of
sensus of the opinion of employers
throughout the United States. AS to
the reasons given for unemployment
the basic causes were shown to be
as follows:
. ID The abrupt stopping of war
work. "
(2) The failure of the Govern
ment to pay manufacturers their
just claims in connection with war
contracts.
(3) The absolute lack of a fixed
policy on the part of the Govern
ment resulting in (a) hesitation
and uncertainty. (b) instability of
raw materials, (c) high cost of
labor.
(D Strikes for decreased hours
and increased pay.
(5) The consuming public buy
ing only according to the actual
Immediate needs. a.'-
(6) Talk of price fixing and
Government interference.
, To these should be added one more
not mentioned by the manufacturers
but which appears to be materially
handicapping business in the United
States, and that is the censorship OF
cables. Recently a large firm OF
agents and commission merchants
state that while the war is prac-
tically over and commerce is pre-
pairing for normal conditions. we find
that we are still very much handi-
capped through the unsatisfactory
cable service" and they mention
specifically a large business in al
monds, with Spanish exporters,
which was lost because of the Burle-
son grip on the cables. The attitude
of the present administration is en-
tireiy beyond our ability to compre-
hend," declares the Merchants Asso-
citation of New York. "They are most
anxious to find employment for re-
turning soldiers and to build up bust
ness, but, on the other hand, they are
putting all kinds of difficulties in the
way of our transacting business by
the censorship, which seems so un-
necessary, especially to China and
the Far East"
AS long ago as last September, Re-
publican Senator's and Congressme en-,
foreseeing the troubles which would
arise should the termination of the
war find the United States unpre-
pared for peace conditions, conferred
on the matter and the tangible re-
suit of the conference was the re-
bill introduced by SEN
ator Weeks, and enlarged and i'm
proved by Senator Cummins. This
measure contained a most compre-
hensive program for the determine
ton of economic problems, but all
attempts to get it up for considera-
ton were frustrated by the Demo-
Gratis, at the instance of Mr.. Wilson,
who did not wish Republican
measure considered because of the
credit which would go to that party
for having conceived and perfected
it. So March finds the government
on a policy of meddling,
price-fiXing and dodg-
ing responsibilities, while the head
Of the government pursues in Europe
the old vision of Alexander of Rus
sia and declines to call an extra
session of Congress to permit Re-
publicans to unravel the sad tangle
in which the Wilson bureaucracy has
fettered business.
You can't talk idealism to a man
with a stomachache, and Mr.. Wilson
will doubtless find, should he return
to this country within the next six
months, that his own particular
League of Nations makes small ap-
peal to a country whose industrial
works are comforting themselves in
the gripes of governmental interfer-
ence and Russitied bureaucracy.