The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-04-09
Workmen are Not Slipping Back Into
Their Former Positions as
1t Was Expected Of
Them.
INDUSTRIAL PROBLEM
Idle Men are Paid by Government and
are Not Eager to Accept
Jobs at Larger
Pay.
[By Frank J. Taylor, United Press
Staff Correspondent

Staff Correspondent
BERLIN, March 20--(By MaiD.- -
Germany's workmen are not slipping
automatically back into their former
positions like so many round pegs
into an equal number of prepared
round holes. The old theory which
used to travel the rounds OF the
entente newspapers that Germans
were efficiently Transforming war
industries into peace industries and
lining up workmen for the 5ump-off
at the worlds commerce as soon as
the peace treaty is signed, is not
working out in practice. German
intentions may have been better.
Interior troubles are largely hing
ing on labor. The thousands Of work
less men who cannot find Jobs, and
hendricks who do not want to, after
four years of army life, are ready
sources of unrest. Germany's trou-
bles with her workmen began before
the armistice was signed, in the days
when Hindenburg's iron defense sud
denly cracked everywhere, and each
man made for home without waiting
to be demobilized. Labor was thrown
upon an unready market in enormous
quantities.
For the most part, these millions
found jobs, though in every large
city there were literally multitudes
of unemployed, either Intentionally
or unintentionally. Many became
soldiers of fortune. either for or
against the government, and many
continue in this calling. Food condi-
tions, already bad, became much
worse and prices scared. To pre-
vent starvation in the streets, the
provisional government allowed
amounts varying from eight to fiji
teen marks to men, depending on
the families they supported.
This has become a still greater
evil. Men who can draw twelve
marks for not working at all would
not accept fifteen marks for work
ing. 1t takes lot Of good intentions
for the ordinary workingman to &C
cept a job digging snow off the Ber-
lin streets for three marks additional
day, especially IL he figures the
fatherland owes him a good long va
cation, anyway, for the services he
rendered at the front. In this con-
nection 1t may be observed that
women for the most part swept the
snow off the Berlin streets this win
ter, just as they did In the past war
winters.
This workman's benefit has =. be-
come a real danger for the govern
ment, 1t cannot quit paying the
money to the voorhees, for fear OF
uprising OF workmen's soviets. Once
the government tried and 1t had to
give in under threats. Once the gov
eminent tried to reduce expenses by
adjusting the payment for volunteer
guards, with the result that the gov
eminent was surrounded and had to
continue the high pay. The govern
ment may be stronger now, though
it still is apprehensive of adjusting
the labor problems and OF making
men go to work. Worlmen have
learned the use of force, and the
government knows 1t.
Like all countries, Germany Is suf-
fering under a movement to the big
cities, where there is less work, less
food and more trouble Still the
voorhees, stay where the music Is gay
and where dancing is the only thing
that can be found in unlimited guam
titles. It is noticeable that in Ger
many there Is an extraordinarily
large number of young men among
the voorhees,. For the most part
they are unmarried and irrespon-
sible. There seems to have been
fewer marriages in Germany during
the war than in any other land, with
the result that cities are flooded with
reckless daredevil young characters.
who have little aim in life as their
legacy from four years OF trench life
and two more years of military serV-
ice in the kaiser's army.
The land in Germany needs men,
and the government already has
plans for supplying those who want
ground from the huge estates that
have been confiscated. Though there
is food and prosperity among the
farmers. the difficulty is in finding
men who win go to the land. A great
movement is being organized and a
tremendous campaign is being con-
Quoted by means of poster and maya
zine propaganda Germans who are
familiar with the labor problem feel
that this is q big step in the solution
of the workingman's situation, If he
will 70 TO the country 1t will &C
complish the double purpose Of feed
ing the population and supplying
work.
1t is possible that the success of
this movement will change Germany
into an agricultural as well as an in
dustrial land.
In the Industrial centers, especial
1y the Rhineland, the problem is one
LOT securing both business and sup
plies for manufacture. Factories
turned suddenly into war production
or built for that purpose, cannot be
turned back to peaceful pursuits in
a month, as they were turned tc
war. Especially is this true in view
So ri