Norwich bulletin., 1919-09-22
CIRCULATION WEEK ENDING SEPT. 10th
 1O.332
THE STEEL STRIKE,

with intense interest the new test of ssrength between capital and organ
 ized labor which is to start with the
 steel strike today. The chief point
 at issue is the unionized shop. an at
 tempt to try to fasten the "closed
 shop upon the steel industry. all
 though such a statement is carefully
 avoided in the twelve demands that
 the heads of the steel workers have
 put forth
 Neither singly or collectively are the twelve demands made anything more
 than a cloak that covers. or seeks to
 cover, the purpose of the unions to be-
 come dominant in the steel industry
 The subterfuge is that they have ex-
 a1ted motives-that they seek only to establish for the employees humane
 and reasonable methods of dealing
 with the very vital problems which af- feet their lives. their homes and their future"
 Some of the demands will provoke no criticism. It is not unreasonable to ask for an eight hour day, for one days rest in seven. for the right of collective Bargaining and for extra pay for overtime Nor can fault be found with a demand for wages sum- cient to enable those who receive them to live according to the American standard" though what this standard is cannot be stated with exactitude. Taken by itself. the desire to main tain the American Standard" seems laudable enough
 But why workers cannot live up to the American standard may we'll be . question when it is understood what wages are paid the steel workers. The lowest pay for unskilled help in the steel industry is s3.5O per day, the highest s6. Skilled help ranges from g per day to s7o and sso. Rollers are the highest priced help. who some times run up to $50 ana always ave rage s3o. The next highest priced help are the nelters who average $20 a day. The plaint that men at these wages cannot maintain the American standard of living will cause no riv- CTS of tears from the American pub lie.
 One insistence of the unions is that in dealing with their employees the steel companies shall apply the prin- cIples of seniority, which is surely a debatable point. The demand that physical examination of applicants for employment. be abolished is hardly worth discuss Even more sum mary should be the dismissal of the proposition that the abolition of com pany unions be ordered. The logic of this attempted exaction is that one of the rights for which strike has been ordered shah be denied to others.
 Finally it Is demanded as a condi- ton precedent to peace that the com pany shall add to its obligations that of participating in the collection of union dues and assessments by es- taolshing what is known as the check-of system It is of course. through the collection of these dues that the sinews of a possible war on !! the employers are accumulated. l Wherever such fund is kept, amrnu- hilton is stored. The demand. there fore, is that the companies shall aid | and abet their potential enemy or | enemies at their own expense It is i not a little to ask and it wouN be l much to grant.
 Concededly. Judge Gary resorted to no fiction when he said that it was the settled policy of the United States | Steel Corporation and it's subsidiar- ies to have the wages and working conditions of the employees compare favorably with the highest standards ef propriety and justice. Concededly i he stood on no shifting sands when he the cause of the empioye who is not and does not want to be a | of a union Whether he was right in saying that the country can not afford and will not stand for a closed shop, remains to be seen.