Evening journal., 1920-11-03

Carpenters. through various strike
victories" got 65 per cent increase
ln their rate OF wages last year, but
their actual wages decreased 3 per
cent.
The coal miners, as a result OF the
great coal strike and all the maneu-
NeTlng and politics and negotiations
that followed, got an increase OF "a
per cent. in wages. But because OF a
system which that strike victory"
helped TO perpetuale, the average
skilled miner is getting 80 per cent TO
GO per cent less wages than he other
wise would be earning.
As result OF the clothing strike
victory year ago, wages were in
creased from about s35 a week TO s65
and SIS and often more a week for 35
per cent. less work But for the las.
three months, during what Is nor
mally the busiest season OF the year,
half OF thS clothing workers have
been walking the streets.
What happened in the CLOTHING in
dustry has happened TO a greater or
less degree In the silk, cotton goods,
shoes and other industries.
Under normal conditions, where
competition for the sale OF products
is keen, on a price basis, the average
manufactures has TO do everything
possible 10 keep his costs down.
Under such conditions, he has un-
d0ubtedly been very reluctan. TO ad-
vance wages any more than he had
TO-, except perhaps, on a basis Of
greater efficiency OF production.
But during the war and for the
first year and a half after the war
conditions were such that almost any
manufacturer could easily sell all he
could make. This coupled with the
great shortage Of labor. has made il
actually profitable during the last few
years for employers 10 pay as large
wages a sposslble. AS a matter OF
fact employers have in. general been
very willing in the last few years to
meet all demands for wage advances,
unless the demands were out OF all
reason.
One OF the points the p. r. T. men
emphasized most strongly in their
strikes was the fact thae other RAPID
transit companlts in and around New
York had voluntarily raised the wages
OF their men. That this tendency is
general Is not only a matter OF com
mon knowledge but Is definitely es-
tablished by the statistics Of the
United States Bureau OF Labor, which
reporoed tha. Of all strikes last year
less than 30 per cent were principally
for wages.
Bmt there are, OF course, exceptions
10 this rule. The r r.. T. company
which is in the hands OF a receiver,
could not meet the wage demands OF
It's men and keep on operating. The
CLYDE Mallory and Old Dominion
lines. the Westcott Express and the
New York Transfer Company could
not pay the wages asked and con-
tinue on a profitable business basis.
And there are, Of course. now. as al
ways. many other special industries
or special businesses within an in
dustry that cannot afford, because Of
their special conditions, 10 pay the
workers as high wages as other in
dustries. or even other businesses In
the same industry.
In general. II has always been char
acteristic Of Americans when they
have found that they could not earn
as much as they wanted to earn be-
cause OF circumstances beyond any
ones control, in the lob or industr,
or locality where thpv were. tha
they have had enough American
energy and initiative 10 90 into sOml
other Job or industry where circunr
| stances were more favorable for th'
exercise Of that initiative and energy
When our fathers and forefatheri
found that farming and industry II
the East had become overcrowdel
they never thought OF striking agains
a situation that was inevitable No
have we any record OF their trying 4
solve such situations by agitating fO
some visionary scheme in which tn
government or the state or somehod'
else was 10 take control and worl
some omnipotent imposslbility fo
them. Instead, by tens OF thousand
thew went where opportunity was.
There Is a tremendous shortage o
labor IN almost all fields today. An,
worker today in any industry whicl
cannot pay what the worker wants 4
earn could. II he tried, with one-tentl
OF the initiative and energy that sen
hundreds OF thousands Of American
Of other generations into the Yves
OF South. easily ind that many job
that would pay him anything h
could reasonably earn But. Of cours,
that would take him away from hi