The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1919-07-03
Issued by U. S. Dept. of Labor.
By j. Ogden Armour.

million workers who would
nirmally have come to our
shores.
2. The retention by the Nation 5
military and naval establish
ments of nearly 100000
workers which may continue
for an indefinite period.
g. The creation Of new industries,
such as shipbuilding, and
manufacture of chemicals ano
dyes, requiring hundreds OF
thousands of workers.
4. The urgent demand for building
and construction of every
class, due to their having bee4
held back for several years
5. The shortage of the world =
food supply.
6. The proportionately higher lev
els of commodity prices eX
isting practically all over Eu'
rope.
On the one hand then, we are fac
ng a serious shortage Of labor a
,oon as we approach normal indus
.ial activity, and on the other hanu
here is confronting us tremend
us, unsatisted demand for many
4ecessities which it was difficult 0.
impossible to obtain during the war
Normally under such conditions
We could have expected flood o.
.ow-priced goods from the Old World.
While now we find that prices in Eu |
.upe have risen proportlonately mucLI
higher than in America, and the de
.nand for commodities and labor, til
| make up for the wastage of war, isl
eyen more keenly felt there thahE
mere.
! Tn manufacturer who now quote
he lowest possible price conslsten,
With the high cost of labor, and guar
4ntees this to be so, doing his buyine
lreely on the same basis, ranks as ou.
nlghest type of patriotic citizen. A
new level of prices has been estab
.ished, from which there can be n.
material recession until inventive
genius succeeds in correspondingly
increasing labor's productive capac
Ivy by mechanical means.
Statement by james B. Forgan,
. rirst National Bank, Chicago.
While it is my belief that the gen.
3ral trend of prices during the mex,
decade may be downward, l do NO.
anticipate any sudden or violent tum
Die in the near future beyond tht
elimination OF war prices made neces
aary to stimulate production In high
cost pants. We cannot "eat our caKt
and have it," We cannot immediate
iy have low-priced products VIII.
| uighcUst labor.
at no time was honest labor NOR,
indispensable than during the Wal
and during that period the averas,
weekly wage of all workers was
greatly advanced.
Out Of the war has come a stront
realization of the value OF labor |.
civilization, and we must accustoA.
ourselves to the evident fact that L
permanently higher scale of wage
or compensation has been establsue1
for the worlds worker. both skilleD
aud unskilied.
In ali lines Of industry, to make
fair profit, selling prices must be l..
proportion to the cost OF production
including the enhanced cost OF laDUi
This fact should be recognized In Duy
Ing as we'll as in selling.
There exists in the world today
and there will exist for sometime u!
come, tremendous latent demanJ
for goods and service and a relatiNt
shortage caused by the war. TRt
high cost of living has not yet begul
to recede, and 1t would be an errl loh
eous policy at present to attempt} II,
cut prices at the expense Of labor th'
Statement by Maj. General Geojrg,
w. GOethals.
The immediate problem that yoon
fronts US is the resumption of jbusi
ness, including particularly building
constructor, manufacturing and min
ing. il
Business is being retarded because
we are hoping for, or fearing lower
prices. Whether these fears, oil
hopes, are ever going to be ireaized
no one can say, but above the maze
OF conflicting arguemnts that are be
Ing applied to the situation, one fac