Americus times-recorder., 1919-10-26
APPROACHING THE CRISIS.

Two industrial conferences in Washington
have come to an abrupt end, with the chasm be-
eween capital and labor, which these conferences
were expected to bridge wider than ever. The
deep and earnest efforts of Presidnt Wilson and
Secretary Wilson have come to nanght The secre-
Eary is said have stood with tears streaming from
his eyes as the conference of coal operators and
miners broke up Friday evening, and he contem-
plated the untold suffering facing the nation after
rhe mines close down, they to do, on No
vember l. with winter only beginning.
Apparently the nation is the threshold of
the showdown between capital and labor. Cond-
tions cannot continue they are; there must be
an end to the situation, and the end must come
soon Capital says it cannot and will not go any
farther; labor says it must and will go farther,
Capital says production must not be decreased and
that wages have reached the limit; labor says it
must have more pay and less work Capital says
automobile is a luxury, not necessity, for the
average laborng man; labor says it is time for the
Iaboring man to enjoy some luxuries.
Labor has always accused capital-and with
more or less cause-of being arbitrary and tyran-
nical But recent developments have shown that
labor is assuming a tyranny no less harsh and re-
morseless than that which the employer has shown
IN the past In the case of the Industrial Confer
ence, have the labor group demanding arbitra-
Eon of the steel strike and in the Of the miners
demands we see them absolutely refusing to con-
slider arbitration of the dispute in negotiations
fail. In the steel strike labor appears to be losing,
and is willing arbitrate in the latter labor knows
it has the nation by the throat and proposes to
freeze it into granting an increase of pay and de-
crease of work
And all because of the strange and false god
Of Bolshevsm finding following in America
If labor attempting to solve the prob
lens the nation is up against it would find universal
sympathy in its stand But it is not it is appar-
emily actuated only by the selfish dogma of I'm
going to get mine; regardless of what happens"
In these troublous times cooperation, not d
vision of efforts and purposes, is needed. To gel
the nation out of the danger zone and bring dowr
the cost of living there must be greater, not less
production; the city laborer must employ more o
the industry seen on the FARMS there must be
thrift, not wild extravaganza; there must be hon
esty and trust between the employer and the EN-
ploye, and there must b a spirit of mutual con
Germ and interest and brothery love-
Perhaps we shall safely weather the storm
that appears to be brewing. Possibly we no
entirely bereft of sanity and shall yet be governed
by the rule of reason. But the of force will
bring about better times for labor. Labor may
paralyze industries and bring the people of the ma
ton to misery and want in effort to secure
greater per centage of profits, but such method
reduce profits, and labor is bound to suffer equally
with the remainder of the people
Let us hope happier day of better under
standing is just ahead of us. And, in the meantime
let us of rural Georgia prepare to make ourselve
more nearly self-supporting and self-sustanins
than ever. Then well be able to laugh at the re
mander of the world.