New Britain herald., 1919-02-13

by members of the union. The War Labor Board ought to be continued in existence by Congress, and endowed with all the power for effective action that it can possess under the Federal Constitution. The principles, methods, machinery and results of this institu- ton constitute a definite and far reaching gain for social justice. No part of this advantage should be lost or given up in time of peace
 While holding that mere justice, to say nothing of chivalry,'' dictates that women who filled in industry the places made vacant by men called to war "should not be com pelled to surfer any greater loss or inconvenience thar is absolutely necessary" in the read iustment under peace conditions, the report declared that no te"ale worker should remain in an occuPd- tion harmful to health or morais. III this classification. street car operaIlo'i and the cleaning of locomotives were especially mentioned. An er1c1eht ha- tional employm ent serv1ce' u wa" stated. would be able to shirt TO oo- mestic and other suitable lines ot ac0 +iritv women war workers whose CIT cumstancea required them to contlnue as wage earners.
 The committee asserted that III few industries directly connected with +be carrying on of the war. wages had reached a plane. upon which they cou1d not possibly continue for this grade of occupat ton" but declared that .thc general level of wages attained during the war should not be lower ed" The average rate of pay, it was stated, had not increased faster than the cost of living. and a considerable of wage earners. both men and women, were not receiving living wages when prices began to rise in 1915.
 Opposes Wage Reductions.
 To support it's convention 'on the grounds both of justice and sound economics we should give our hearty support all legitimate efforts made by labor to resist general wage reduc~ tions, even when the cost of living re- cedes from it's present high level" the committee said:
 Even if the great majority of workers were now in receipt of moro than living wages, there are no good reasons why rates of pay should be lowered. After all, living wage is not necessarily the full measure of justice All the Catholic authorities on the subject explicitly declare that this is only the minimum of justice. Tn a. country as rich as onr, there are very few cases in which it is possible to prove that the worker would be getting more than that which he has a, right if he were paid something in excess to this ethical minimum. Why then, should we assume that this is the normal share of almost the whole laboring population? Since our tn- dustrial resources and instumentalittes are sufficient to provide more than living wage for a very large propor- tion of the workers, why should we acquiesce in a theory which denies them this measure of the comforts of life? Such a policy is not only of very question: ble morality, but is un- sound economically. The large demand for goods which is created and main tained by high rates of wages and high purchasing power by the masses is the surest guarantee of a continuous and general operation of industrial es- tablishments. It is the most effective instrument of prosperity for labor and capital alike"
 Favor Living Wage.
 The bishops advocated assurance to workers of incomes adequate for de cent family life'' by legally enforced minimum wage schedules and a, sys- tenn of social insurance inaugurated with state aid and eventually supported by industry. This insurance, they de- clared should be utilized merely to IN,4iI 1O a,-'v earnings are sufficient to make pos sible savings for protection of himself and family against sickness accident, invalidity and old age
 The several states should enact laws" the report stated, providing for the establishment of wages that will be at least sufficient for the de- cent maintenance of a, family, in the case of male adults. and adequate to the decent individual support of fe- male workers. Tn the beginning the legal minimum for male workers should suffice only for the present needs of the family, but should he gradually raised until it is adequate to future needs as well.
 Until this level of legal minimum wages is reached the worker stands in need of the device of insurance. So far as possible the insurance fund should be raised by a, levy on indus try, as is now done in the case of ac- cident compensation. The industry fn which a man is employed should pro- vide him with all that is necessary to meet all the needs of his entire life. Therefore. any contribution to the in surance fund from the general reve- nues of the state should be only slight and temporary. For the sam @ reason no contribution should be ex acted from any worker who is not getting a higher wage than is re- quired to meet the present needs of himself and family. Those who are below that level can make such a con- tribution only at the expense of their present welfare. Finally, the admin