The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-01-05
LABOR STANDARDIZATION

SUNDAY, JANUARY 5, 1879
% LABOR STANDARDIZATION
- The proposals said to be under consideration
- by the British cabinet looking to the establish
ment of an international tribunal to adjust labor
conditions, has not met with the approval of the
American Federation of Labor.
- The United States Department of Labor is al
ready attempting to stabilize conditions in this
country and the probability is that way
will be worked out to satisfactorily adjust condi-
tons here, and at once in order that the men
and the women who have given themselves to
war work, may not find themselves out of jobs.
: During the past months these and women
who have served their country, either directly
20 the firing line indirectly by taking the
places of those who went to the 'front.' have been
doing tremendous work, and certainly to them
this country owes debt that must be paid.
There are hundreds of thousands of who
voluntarily gave up remunerative work to offer
themselves and all that was theirs on the altar
of humanity. There hundreds of thousands
who have themselves voluntarily entered the
service of their country and there are hundreds
of thousands of men called to the colors, under
the draft act, and who must go back to the
- jobs which they have resigned other
work, equally remunerative, if they to dis
s4zscharge their obligations.
Men who have taken the places of others who
have gone to the front, must be protected and
women who have tasted the sweets of economic
independence, will not give up their positions
without struggle.
Here the question of woman and industry is
of less moment than in Great Britain where the
government by entering into written agree
ment with labor organizations, pledged itself to
s reversion to pre-war labor conditions at the
end of the Great War;
There are 1880 900 women in Britain in in
dustrial employment In the United States few
women have entered industrial life compared
with the British total. American figures are
merely estimates, there has been no survey.
The highest approximate is 100000.
With the lessening of demand owing to the
stoppage of much of the war work there has
been reduction in the number of women work
ers, but not to pronounced degree here, as in
Britain.
The best way to internationalize the standards
of the working people is to first establish Amer
aican standards, according to Frank Morrison
secretary of the Federation of Labor
This the United States government is trying
to do, in cooperation with the American Fedora
ostion of Labor, through the labor bureaus which
ahave been established in all sections of the
oeountry.
According to the statement recently made by
Mr.. Morrison any other system means that
American workers must surrender the gains al
ready made, during the war.
. As yet, American labor has not been standard
ized but conditions in this country are rapidly
adjusting themselves, and with the government
land labor working together, the employment
sproblem in this country reduces itself to methods
and time, for the working principle has already
been established.
. Cooperation will be the keynote of amicable
/ adjustment. recognition of the rights of
Others, by the the woman who comes
back from service abroad, and the men and
the women who have taken their places.
With the stimulus which has been given to in
dustrIal life and the great commercial enter
prises which will be the outcome of the war
the problem of labor is merely that of adjust
ment and cooperative effort will soon strike the
balance of power.
Winter and the New Year have joined hands
and causing humans to shiver and shake.