The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-04-06
WAGE LEVELS TO BE
LEFT UNDISTURBED
Change Either IN or Down Would
Involve Disturbance That
Arc Better Avoided
STEEL CAN AFFORD TO DROP
idncicuc, In Labor '"ntrihut" 10
lower Prt,rS ~ Production
Moro Than Wage.

Roduc IONS IN steel prices. as an
nouncrd hy the Industrial board oI
tho department 81 rummcrtc. are
held 10 hc No more important 10
ne general business situation, "N
pecially In tho building and con
struction industries. than are lh'
board statements mat present wage
lcv6,H should not be disturbed and
rrrwar prlccs nrc out ~ tho GncT
lion
Since Ianuar, there have been re-
rcived In the department of labor
thousands ~ lottcrs from architects
building contractors. prospective In
vcstigators in huildings, and from
state and municipal authorities In
which II was represented mat nm
certainty as to prices and wages
rather than the present high level ot
prices and wages. wcrc the stubborn
obstacles to be eliminated before n
general revival OF building and con-
strurtion work would be had
Recently the information ana cdu'
cation service IN the department ot
labor has been putting out tho ro-
suits ~ Investigations hy trained
economists In tho price ana VHgcs
and In this conclusion 80 eminent an
authority as rrof Irving FISHER ~
Vale university has COncurrod, mat
The popular expectation of rc'
establishment of pre- war prices ia
not justified. n was asserted that
wages had not advanced In proper.
ton to living coats, ard that while
minor price changes might he cN-
- -
language OF prof Fisher. we are on
permanently higher price level
and the sooner business men Of tho
country take this view and adjust
themselves to II, tho sooner win they
save themselves and the nation from
the misfortune which will come. II
We persist In our present false hope. ~
sicc, Must Come Down
Since the steel industry Is ono
which most profited from the dc
mards OF tho war. n probably can
afford to make greater reduction
In present prices than may he cx-
ptcted In other Industries building
and construction authorities arc not.
therefore. disposed 70 believe that
subsequent price negotiations by The
Industrial board OF the dcpa rtment
~ commerce will develop reductions
rroportionatcly ns marked a. those
announced for steel They assert
that the boards statement, 'in view
of the higher costs developed
throughout the world as a result of
the war. n return 20 ANYTHING like pre-
war prices Ia regarded as out OF the
question" Ia a sound conclusion and
timely corroboratlon of the state
ments made by the department OF
labor In It's campaign building and
construction work
The departments Of the govern.
ment---the department OF labor and
the department of commerce work
ing independently. have arrived a.,
tho same conviction, namely, that
the country IL on new price level
and 10 delay bssinesS projects In the
hone that pre-wRr prices again are
to preraii IL to tcopardiBc the hust-
ness structure OF the country, delay
the return OF prosperity and In the
end discover, as Prof. Fiaher puts
II. ito talk revcrently OF 1884
prices 10 to speak dead Language
today"
Wages Mus, STAY In.
investigation OF contracts on
buildings and construction projects
let In February. 1912 made ny the
department Of labor. produced con.
'incing evidence that n ma Jorlty OF
the contractors and builders In the
country have come to understand
the situation, When the contracts
let In February OF 1914 and 1914
are revised to the basis Of present
construction prices and these figures
are compared with the contracts let
In February, 1919. the com pa risan
shows that February. 1919 was bet.
ter than 90 per cent Of normal Now
mat the industrial board ~ the de.
rartmert Of commerce adds lis tcsti.
mony on the fulility or delaying
business In the h6pe oI availing Of
prc'war priceas,9Ircasonahle cxpcc.