New-York tribune., 1919-03-14

advance in wages was due not to the ad-
vance as much as to the fact that the
advance had not been granted earlier and
that therefore when the retroactive agree
ment went into effect the workers received
not only the higher wages but an extra
bonus, representing part payment on past
wages due them. This brought such food
of money to the workers that it was easily
seen there would be trouble when thew
once again received wages only without the
bonus.
Peril Of Sudden Wealth
The bonus payments stopped in December
The deferential payments stopped on Feb
ruary /, when all piece work was abolished
Then was the time for returning to normal
wages and to face period of possible un-
employment. Then the time, too, for
the |. w. W.Bolshevik agitators to step in
and take full advantage of the reaction
setting in after the extraordinary boom in
Altoona.
d. II. Shearer, general manager of the
Penn Central Lighting and Power CORPORA
tlon, saw what was coming. Some six
months ago Shearer got up in the Altoona
Chamber Of Commerce and urged it to get
labor and business safe in America
"Bolshevism isn't a new thing at ALL"
said Shearer. ITS only the name that is
new"
"The day of divine rulership is over. 1t
is thing of the past here in America as
we'll as in Russia and Germany The busi-
ness man of to-day who wants to destroy
organized labor because he doesn't under
stand it is merely q camoufaged Bolshevst.
Labor has rights that we must recog-
nize if we expect labor to recognize our
rights We have got to live in fifty-ffty
harmony and understanding to get along"
Labor as a Partner
Speaking along this line Shearer got the
Chamber of Commerce to take up the get
together plan. Then he went to the labor
unions and addressed them something like
this: "You labor men look upon our Cham
Der of Commerce with eyes of suspicion.
You think it is a conspiracy against labor.
You have been told that time and time again
by the ultra radical agitators and nothing
that we say will convince you that it
isn't so. want you to come in and investi-
gate for yourselves. I want all your labor
organizations to join the Chamber of Com
merce of Altoona and you will have votes
enough to elect three directors and get
representation on every committee that is
appointed. Then you will know everything
that is being done. You will have access
to all the books and records. You will be
right inside, and if there is any conspiracy
against labor you will be in a position to
know it, If there isn't we will sit down
together and do what we for our
! mutual benefit and for the common good
of us all and the entire community"
Shearers plan had carried in the Cham
Der of Commerce, and 1t carried in the Cen
trail Labor Union, too The dissenting votes
were unimportant.
Since then the labor unions have found
out that the Altoona Chamber of Commerce,
at least, is not conspiracy against labor
The labor unions have also found out that
unemployment is not the result of con-
spiracy against labor fomented by organized
capital, but that all the business interests,
big and little, combined in the Chamber of
Commerce are worrying as much about un-
employment as labor and are trying as
hard to avert it. Together, then, the busi-
ness men of the Chamber of Commerce and
the labor representatives of the Centra,
Labor Union are working out the after-the-
war problems of industry and labor