South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-07-31
JULY 81. 1920.
CAPITAL STRIKING FOR PROFITS.


1t Is labor's complain. After all the yelp-
ing that has been going the rounds for moons
blaming high wages and MISREPRESENTATION Cor the
high cost Of living, plutocacy is beginning to show
its dirty used the injunction TO queu the
coal strikers and The militia TO subdue the steel
workers. popular cry being for production.
coupled with a sneer al labor's demands for more
profits itself
II it is wrong for labor to check production by
quitting work. a time OF shortage is It not just
wrong for capital check production by clos
ing its factories? This accusing parallel is drawn
by employees of the American Wooden Co, which
has recently closed many OF its plants in Massa-
chusetts and Rhode Island.
Representatives Of the employees insist that this
Is nothing than a strike" on the part of cap
tal intended keep up prices just as labor strikes
for higher wages Insofar it is calculated to
hurt production. they argue that it in violation
OF the Lever act.
They also argue that 1t is morally wrong mas
much it tends to deprive the public Of sorey
needed wooden cloth. and force consumers to pay
exorbitant prices for what they get and also i'm
poses hardship thousands OF families by throw
ing people of unnecessarily. This IS true,
If the so-called wooden trust has really closed its
mills for the reason charged. and not as It main
tains. from necessity. owing to lack Of orders TO
keep the plants running.
Whether there enough business TO keep the
plants going could probably be determined from an
examination of the companys books The matter
is not simple, however The of price enters
into it at the very beginning If there was lack
Of orders. It because the manufacturers
asked too much for their cloth? Undoubtedly
lower prices would have stimulated business The
president OF the company explains that "the mar
gin Of profit fixed last February would not per-
nit of reduction in the price of cloth" But
mat margin fair one. Irofteering one?
Interest is lent to the controversy by the fact
that in the cities where the trust" plants
have closed. the independent" wooden mills are
still operating.
Surely here is something that the federal de-
partment OF justice should look into. Either
wronged corporation should be justified or
wronged public should be protected Tt is no time
tc tolerate capital strikes" We have always had
them. but gradually approaching an age OF
consistency and what is sauce fer the goose
is for the gander." The attention % the fed
eral department OF justice might also be directed
the attitude of the Pennsylvania railroad in the
matter OF laying off its men, following the award
Of the railroad labor board
Likewise with the coal barons Bituminous min
have been enjoined from striking. but where is
the mandate requiring the mine operators to put
the miners back work. and let them produce?
None. and the people raying the penalty
the high OF coal Every mine in the coun-
Try should be placed under federal receivership.
with instruction to put those miners TO work and
keep them at work until every coal bin in the
try is full There Is Just much law for there
was for restraining the miners
Some day perhaps. America will grappie with
this problem # should and itself from rev
oiution. II capital IS TO be permitted strike
profits. TO stihe production and to keer up prices
rahC
hours the latter that more men may have en-
pioyment merely serves to fan the flames of hate
and revolution turks just around the corner