Cayton's weekly. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1916-1921, 1919-07-12
STRIKES AND THEIR EFFECT.

and in other countries giving Thoughtful
people great concern. Not only many large
industries are para yzed by the striking
workers. but, in large cities like Chicago.
strikes are ordered in departments the clos
ing down of which endangers the health of
every citizen. Just at present the street and
alley cleaners. REINFORCED by other essential
departmental employees on strike for
higher wages, and the budget for the year
will have to be materially increased to meet
the demands. The money must come from
somewhere and that somewhere is the tax
payers pocket.
With the cost of living steadily advancing
the wage Garner has a perfect right to de-
mand more for his labor but his demands
should be reasonable and not enforced by
violence. Strikers always command the sym
pathy of the masses until by some overt act
they lose it. In the past it was at this
point we stepped in and rescued the en-
ployes from their embarrassing positions
The thought of buckng union labor never
occurred to u.s. 1t was ever a case of follow
ing the first law Of natllre-self preservation
The unions in the main barred us from par
ticipating in the benefits of organization, yet
it has never been clear how they expected
us to be friendly or expected us to starve
rather than fill a place left by white
striker
The inconsistency of the thing should
have dawned upon them years ago. 1t should
have been apparent that we are strong
factOr-always were and always will be
in the labor world in America. For union
ism to triumph must be recognized as a
part and parcel of every trade, nor must
we have separate organizations affiliated with
the whites, for with that arrangement the
day is not far distant when break would
come Capital is never asleep and to con-
serve it's interests one organization might be
pitted against the other. The dollar BILL not
sentiment, rules the business world.
Daily our services are becoming more in
demand. Aliens, according to customs
officials, moving overseas at the rate of
1000 day. This exodus is going to have
a marked effect upon the labor supply in
this country. No foreigners coming ill., but
1000 leaving day, is going to deplete the
markets Of those men who have been doing
the work that demanded muscle. There may
be some falling off in these figures, but it is
safe to assume that emigration may be fairly
steady, or at least that we may not be flooded
with the "cheap European labor" the fear
Of which played so large a part in the sup
port of the exclusion bill in the last congress-
everywhere LABOR has Deen granted
greater power and better conditions. The
strongest indication that these advantages
will be maintained and even increased is the
shortage of man power Europe will certainly
face the moment her industries begin to pick
up. The chief advocate of complete exclu-
sion is the American Federation of Labor,
and judging by the past, they are right in
the position they take Forei gners are not
accustomed to the American standard of
living. They overcrowd the labor market
and keep down wages, especially in the I'M
skilled trades. They are hard to organize
and hard to control when organized. Of
course depression in Europe may be so
severe and prolonged that the tide will again
set this way but the possibility that work
men will be leaving rather than coming to
the United States should cause us to take a
new look at bills of exclusion. There has
been some talk Of opening the door to the
japanese and even to the Chinese workmen