El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-08-30

LONG with its fight for higher wages and shorter hours
organized labor has taken up the eudgels against
proteerng in an effort to show that nordinate profits
rather than higher operating COSTS due to abors demands
are responsible mainly FOR the increasing difficulty in max
ing income the cost Of living
Consequently labor representatives able to cite the
tariff commissions report for 1918 showing that in pre-
pairing for the market certain articles Of common use the
labor cost IS less than half the total cost Of production
For instance the labor cost Of producing sugar repre-
scented being 424 percent Of the total cost Of production
the sugar making industry being IN which the labor
cost IS relatively high Figures Of the department of
erce are cited to that the manufacture of mems
shirts and collars only p to IS percent Of the cost Of
manufacture be charged against labor, while mems
factory made clothing the labor cost IS IS to 46 percent
On knit goods the labor charge is said to % percent
and muslin underwear p to IS percent While these
figures are for 1913 and conditions have changed since
their compilation it is to be considered likely that the
1919 higher prices much than Offset the increased
labor charge.
An effort Of this kind to show the relation of the labor
cost to the total cost of production is in the night
direction Unfortunately, it does not far enough to
show the actual profteeng something that could be indi
Gated only by tabulaon Of costs and selling prices
through until the articles reached the consumers hands
We all agree that extortionate profits ought to be
eliminated and that only in that elimination hes any
present hope Of reducing the Of living Federal prose
cuors charged with detection and prosecution Of
pTOfiteers.
How far viii their efforts be extended? win they
lock for proteers only among wholesalers and retailers
packers commission merchants cold storage enterprises and
the Ike?
the merchant or factory head who takes 400 percent
profit IS profiteer isn't the farmer who makes 400 per
pr0IlIeer asOs ana erpl0ye
shoe factory who commands wage Of $50 week
pToser too? Or the profits Of agriculture and in
dusa labor however huge to be exempt from any charge
Of profeerng and only those OF the Of industries
and businesses to be singled out for ASSAULT
It IS to be supposed that agcultursts and industrial
labor VIII repzdiate any charge Of profteeng and viii
insist that the most they get is not only usabe
but necessary in view Of the increased cost Of al the
thin0s they consume
This brings up another thought Certain labor leaders
have conference in Chicago recently considering
Tie feasibility Of organizing national labor party Eng
Land has such party and it undoubtedly exerts power
ul influence but in this country the private in the ranks
Of abeT not apt to be controlled by the dictates of
his union officials in matters political He has probably
been Democrat Republican since his first vote and
one OF the other he is likely to remain.
Moreover, the Of Samuel Gompers and other
labor leaders in getting, through nOnparsan effort what
they went after should warning against any
effort unity organized labor in politics. attempt
whcih would be likely to consolidate all other elements in
the country in opposition.
There those labor leaders who fOreseeing such
Of opposition would weaken it by forming
haison Of organized labor and agriculture. The hope is
llusory- II can't be done.
The interests Of labor and agriculture conflict Labor