Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-07-17
PRICES. WAGES AND PRODUCTION

fCfCA hiuOhhitCJ uu G"V " NUOO
he opinion of the New York Merchants Association in a state
ment given out yesterday. 1t is not difficult to agree with these
findings. Each one is closely related to the other
Dine Of the main reasons for high prices is the
high wages paid to labor and labor is being paid higher and
higher wages in order to meet the increase in prices. 1t is an
Everlasting merry go-round and will continue until something
gives way.
The third element, that of labor shortage, also figures
prominently in the situation for a shortage of anything brings
higher values. But there is still another feature involved that
perhaps, is not given the consideration that it deserves; we
refer to the decrease in production. Not only is there a seri-
tous labor shortage, but such labor as is available is working
shorter hours and, in many instances, the amount OF work
zone during those shorter hours is limited. Naturally this
sauses a scarcity of the article manufactured and the prices
Use as q result.
1t stands to reason that a factory manufacturing shoes,
BAY, will not be able to make as many shoes in eight hours, or
Blk hours, as some labor leaders are now advocating, as could
be made in ten hours. Then, if the laborers feel that they have
been driven too hard in the past and decide that they will take
1t a little easier and produce less per hour than heretofore the
output OF that factory is still more curtailed. The result is
when you go to the shoe store to buy a pair of shoes the dealer
charges you eight, ten or twelve, even fifteen dollars and you
are limited to only certain kinds at that. The merchant will
tell you that he has had orders placed for months ahead and s
unable to get deliveries. He says he is lucky to have what
tstock he has. In short, there are not sufficient shoes being
made to supply the demand. This naturally makes the price
Eof shoes high. The fewer hours the shoe factories work the
fewer the shoes that are made. No one can dispute that.
OF course, the shoe factory is not the only factor in this.
1.-THE shoe qanufacturep has tt beT1s&leather and if the tan
Eners are working fewer hours and limiting the production dur
ing these fewer hours the leather available for making the
shoes becomes scarce and higher in price all of which goes in
ito the final cost of the shoe when the finished product is ready
for the buyer. Behind the tanners are the cattle raisers and
behind the cattle raisers are the grain merchants who charge
high for the grain needed to feed the cattle because the farmer
charges more for his corn. But the farmer charges more for
his corn because he is forced to pay so much for his shoes
and 50 it goes.
After four years of the greatest devastation the world has
ever known the greatest need today is production. Not only
must we produce in order to continue our existence in furnish
ing food and clothing for ourselves, but we must produce to
make good the awful losses incurred during the war. But we
cannot produce unless men work and it stands to reason that
The fewer hours that men work and the more they devote to
play and recreation the less they will produce.
We do not mean that men should work all the time and
never take rest or recreation. The old adage that ''al work
and no play makes Jack a dull boy still holds good. There
must be enough rest and recreation to make men fit to work,
but in these days of reconstruction when we are trying to get
back to normal conditions and when there is such great need
for merchandise and materials of all kinds it is the duty of
everyone to give oil that is in him, within reason, toward pro-
ducing everything possible that will not only supply our ordin-
airy wants, but that will make good the losses caused by war.
We do not oppose the eight hour day for labor. We be-
lieve that the twenty four hours divided into three equal parts,
eight hours for work, eight for recreation and eight for sleep
is as near the ideal as we can get in this life. 1t is apparents
however, that in such unusual times as these sacrifices must
be made all along the line and this means the man who takes
the profits as well as the laborer who limits his hours of work.
Reducing the hours of labor is not the only way of cut
ting down production. The manufacturer or capitalist who
deliberately curtails the output of his factory or mine in order
to limit the supply and thereby keep up prices is a real culprit
and a menace to society.
AS for shortage of labor, this is to be expected when i'm
migration is cut off. Not only are there no immigrants coming
to this country, but thousands are going away from here back
home. There is reason to believe that once they have had a
taste of conditions over there they will be ready enough to