Evening journal., 1920-10-25
THE HIGH COST or STRIKES
Strikes and The High Cost of Food

How much did you pay for potatoes
last April2 Whatever ii was, ID was
over "a more per barrel-nearly so
cents more per peck-because Of one
specific strike.
From February till June, 1920 you
paid about twice as much as you need
nave paid-twice as much as you
would Otherwise have paid-for all
your fresh vegetables. also entirely on
account OF a strike.
Many people have sought relief
from the high price OF meat by eating
fish, but the price OF tuna went up
% per cent. last year and 80 per cent.
more this year because OF two strikes.
Thousands Of people OF New York
have had 10 pay three cents more for
every can OF tomatoes and other
canned goods because OF another
strike.
Strikes have been one Of the big
sest factors in the high cost Of sugar.
In one Instance one strike alone sent
ihe price Of sugar up eight cents a
pound and il is probable that alto
gelher you pay double that extra on
every pound OF sugar you buy be-
cause OF strikes.
And this is Just on the sugar you
use The cost OF the sugar the pre-
servers and Gamers use is making
you pay a % per cent. advance, even
over the big raise OF last year, for
this years preservatives, and has al
ready caused a raise OF about 30 per
cent. more on all preserves you will
buy next year.
We all paid more for peaches and
other fruits this summer than ever be-
fore-the primary cause goes back to
a strike. New Workers particularly
have had 10 pay more for meat direct
ly due TO strikes. And in the same
way IL can be shown specifically, that
labor as well as the rest OF US, that
overworked women and underfed chill
dren, as well as proflteers, have, dur
ing the past year, been paying exor-
bitant and otherwise wholly unneces-
sary high prices for hundred and
one other products, that all OF us have
10 have or suffer without, directly and
specifically because OF some strike or
series OF strikes.
One OF the most important develop
menis in the last decade-one that has
contributed very much not only TO
raising the standards OF living in New
York and all the North Atlantic sec
iion Of our country-has been the
rise OF the fruit and vegetable growing
Industry in the Southern seaboard
States. Formerly people in the north
ern sections OF the country were linn
lied during a large part OF the winter
months, 10 the few fruits and vege-
tables that could be carried over in
cellars from The previous summer,
and which not only furnished the
meagerest diet Of this kind but which,
in proportion as they were con-
sumed or spoiled, rose higher and
higher in price. The development OF
fruit and Vegetable growing in The
South has meant that from January
on. our markets have been supplied
with an ever-ihcreasing variety OF all
kinds Of palatable and healthful pro-
ducts, which each year tended to be-
come cheaper in proportion as the
lsupply grew Till even the poorest
among our population have been able
10 reform the family diet on a more
healthfui and palatable basis
The main arteries which supply This
important food element 10 our mill
lions OF families in New York and vi
cinity are the Clyde, Mallory and Old
Dominion steamship lines. Early in
the present year the dock workers Or
each OF these lines struck. Follow
ing the usual practice OF modern
strikers OF striking just when they
could influence their employers most
by pinching tho public hardest, and in
spite OF the fact mat they had a
wage agreement with six months still
10 run. the dock workers on each line
/ planned this strike for Just the time
when the Southern vegetables for the
northern market were beginning to
arrive on the dock from their partlcu-
lar section.
These dock laborers, which in the
south were chiefly Negroes. and in the
north almost entirely foreigners, had
been receiving s3j a week for nine
hours a day. They struck for sii a
week, eight hours a day, four hours
on Saturday and 80 an hour for all
overtime. These three steamship lines
are on record with the Interstate Com
lmerce Commission as having been run
al net loss OF over s6,00OO00 last
year, so that any increase In wages
had In depend on an allowance by the
commission OF an Increase in freight
rates 10 is not proposed TO so into
The ethical phases or the Justice of
such a strike here, but this Is sufli-
cient 10 indicate that at least this
strike was not forced on labor by un-
| ntdIdNit Wdkts UT NNhuiNiNu0s
BY April this strike had so dimin-
ished New NOrk's supply OF potatoes
that a special attempt was made tC
get cargo Of potatoes through The
cargo was brought safely TO the
Spring street dOck-tO within a few
hundred yards OF the commission
warehouses and 10 within a mile oi
NewYork's biggest public markets. Bu
the less than three hundred striker,
mot only refused TO handle these po
taloes themselves, but In spite Of lh'
interest and the need OF the who'll
population OF New York, succeeded
through intimidation and olhe
methods. familiar 10 the public II
preventing their being removed thes
few hundred yards by any othe
means.
Finally a lighter was secured ant
the potatoes moved aboard 10 wiihou
the knowledge OF the strikers. Tit
Lighter was then towed down tn