The Washington herald., 1919-06-08
By G. N. BARNES.


London, June THE labor situation
in Great Britain is just now sonnewha,
disturbing-not because OF industrial
discomfort, because that in itself is
a healthy thing-but because of the
lack OF restraint or sense of per-
spective which is being exhibited.
. The workmen live in pre-war men,
ories. and they are determined not to
go back again to pre-war conditions.
But their dread has become an OBJ
session. and they have become the
victims Of designing persons who
trade upon il.
I believe that labor Is quite un-
necessarily alarmed
Nobody wants workmen to 90 back
TO Ire-war conditions On the con-
tTary. everybody who has knowledge
or influence or authority. not to say
common sense. is agreed that these
pre-war conditions were bad, not only
for labor but for everybody else, and
that there must be no going back to
them Already evidence has been
given to this by agreements recently
made for q shortening of the working
DAY and the raising Of wages in GER
tain industries.
or course I know It Is said that
employers have been obliged to grant
concessions because of trade Unions
being strong enough to demand them
That is a contributory cause in some
cases But why should we refuse 20
recognize other and no less clear con-
t-1hu;oTy causes? Read the newspa-
pers. and especially the newspapers
which have been generally regarded
a. rejecting the views OF employers
OF labor. and any nnprejudiced per-
son cannot fail to observe a larger
outlook and new note of humanity.
employers of labor are much like
ether people and have been stirred
oN the events OF the last four or
hNr years. They are different and
better. as we all are, than before
the war
We have gone through the fiery
fuTnace of suffering and we have
come out better for the ordeal. We
have had to bear common loss and
endure common privations for a
great cause, and our differences
Lave skunk as a consequence.
sinister and Other Causes.
Why. then. is the air filIed with
strikes and rumors of strikes. and
why is IL that there is such lack OF
confidence as to hang up enterprise
and prevent employment?
There are, / think, two causes
one legitimate and unavoidable, and
the other sinister and preventabIe.
First, there is the fact that read
Justments are in process of being
made. and of course give rise in the
making OF some confusion, but this
will be but temporary. In this in
olude the recent arrangement of an
c'ght-hour day in the engineering
and shipbuilding trades, and the
same on the railways, the first hav-
ing been a matter of tacit agree
ment between employers and en-
ployed for the last year or two, and
the latter having been promised tor
after the war by the government in
the autumn OF 1917. These adjust
ments had to be made and are be-
ing made
But what happens as a consequence?
As soon as they are In process OF set
Ting down through the agency of the
proper authorities duly accredited by
employers on the one side and trade
unions on the other. they are either
repudiated or supplementary demands
are made by the men on whose be-
half they had been negotiated by the
representatives OF the two sides.
The second and most sinister and
dangerous cause Of present Industrial
dtslocation and lack Of confidence is
that there are those who are out for
creating just that condition of things.
There are certain woolly-headed peo-
pie among US who are out for trouble.
They are not concerned about indus
trial tmprovement-in fact, they would
rather that there was no such i'm
provement-because then they think
there would be a better chance of
their theories being tried.
Appeal to Fair Dealing,
They are not disturbed by the fact
that these theories have already been
tried in Re STA for eighteen months
and that they have resulted in a
hideous failure. They are NOT ova,
concerned about the safety of the
country during the transitory period
from war to peace through which we
are passing.
/ am not going to make any appeaI
TO these gentry. I know them, and I
know them to be hopeless specimens
OF perverted mentality, that thoy
have regard neither to time nor place
nor circumstance 50 long as there is
a chance Of getting m the limelight
or of experimenting upon poor, frail
human E- IRE with their half-baked
They are the Lenines and Tuotzkys
among US. to whom order Is ahatheua
unless II be ordered by them.
But / would like to make an appeal
to the fair dealing workman. In the
nrst place. I would make that appeal
to his better nature II there is. as
| believe there Is. q better feeling m
the community toward labor, why not
meet II half way?
As to the genuineness Of the feeling
The workman can easily satisfy him
self He has daily workshop expert
snce. he knows Of the many provi-
sions made during the war for the
Ease OF the workman-especially the
woman and the poorer workman
yetting due consideration He has
knowledge Of the fact that the en-