The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1920-01-16
Manufacturers Record)

Some people are looking forward,
even hopefully, for business depres-
sion which would bring about lower
wages, and therefore lower prices
and reduced cost of living. This is
fundamentally false position. Men
who think that the way to safety and
to prosperity is through panic and
depression and low prices are abso
lutely without any understanding OF
the present conditions. Because pan.
les and lack of employment in the
past, throwing millions of people out
of employment, have brought about
lower wages and lower cost of living
is no reason whatever for looking for
such things under present conditions
The world has completely changed
World imitation has cut the dollar in
half, and no power on earth can alter
this fact for many years to come.
Wages are high, and justly so. They
should continue high Under pres
ent conditions the laboring man is
entitled to high wages so long as he
gives efficient service.
1t is true that the changes which
have come about have produced a
certain intoxication of extravaganza
and waste on the part of men who
are getting high wages. They are at
the same time less efficient and ener-
getic than they formerly we're, but
that is only the inevitable outcome CT
the mighty changes which are taking
place in the financial, economic and
social relations of wageearners and
all other interests.
The man who hesitates in carry
ing out construction work because of
the high cost of doing work at the
present time is making a mistake.
He cannot get lower cost for years to
come except through a business de.
preston, which is not in sight, and
which If it came would mean des-
perate revolution, costing every bus
mess man and the country infinitely
more than it now costs to 20 ahead
as rapidly as materials and labor are
available for all work.
The country needs 100000 dwell
ings or more. They must be built or
else the housing problem will in it.
self threaten revolution
The railroads need to spend at
least $5,0oO,OOOOOO, possibly double
that sum, to create the transporta.
ton facilities needed. Failure to do
SO will bring about complete break
down to transportation and inability
to handle coal, even when available.
and much of the recent coal minir -
trouble has been due to the shortaga
of transportation.
When once railroad development is
again under way and construction
work for dwellings and hotels and Of
flee buildings has gotten we'll start.
ed, as it must do, the demand for lab
or and for materials will greatly ex-
coed the supply.
The business men of Baltimore have
been noted for many years for their
ultra-conservatism; but today they
are carrying on an amount of build
ing of dwellings, apartment-house,
enormous manufacturing plants and
warehouses greater than ever before
known in the history of the city. ex
cept in the rebuilding period after the
big fire. Thousands of dwellings are
under construction, many apartment
houses costing from 100000 to ST.
100000 or more are under way, vast
manufacturing plants to employ
thousands of hands are going up or
contracts let for their construction.
In this respect Baltimore is setting
the nation an example which should
be followed by the entire country. If
the extreme conservatism of Balti-
more business men justifies the vast
building activities in that city, surely
there is no other progressive town or
city in the country in which the same
forces for upbuilding should not he
at work aggressively.