Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-05-14
LOAFER is BANE OF
MODERN INDUSTRY
Editor of Economist Tells of
One Cause that Helps
Keep Industrial Con-
ditions Bad.

Looking at the Industrial panorama
from the many points of view of the
various individuals and interests, the
attentive observer sees just one thing
"a loafer. He may be full bred,
high bred, high class loafer, who does
nothing but loaf, or he may be one of
the halfway variety or of any degree
from zero to full capacity in the line
of the loafer's accomplishments.
The head of a union in Chicago
states that in the plumbing trade
three units were formerly considered
full days work, but now it is one
and one-half. The leaders make no
secret of such things as a general
rule because they have enough work
for their present supply Of labor and
they don't have to be fair.
There is an old-fashioned thing
called the moral law that used to
have certain function in these mat
tiers, and some of our more aged citi-
zens would like to see it come back
just for the sake of old times, you
know. Somehow it seem odd to these
old citizens, who were broughu up too
strictly, perhaps, for man to agree
on eight hours work and then render
only six hours service. Maybe the old
citizen is out of his head. But a
rather young person was discovered
today who, speaking for himself and
other employers, said: 1--WE do not
mind these advances in wages. Some
of the workers have been underpaid,
some of them are underpaid now.
Therefore, let wages go up. But when
the man gets his wage, he has no
right to give less in service than he
has agreed to give. II he does, he is a
swindler"
Looking for some cure for this state
of things the searcher finds no pre-
scription that has not been tried be-
fore and failed in one degree and an
other. 1t is unpleasant to let affairs
take their course and fall back on the
fierce law of necessity, but in the
opinion of some rather able observers,
that is a thing that is going to hap
pen. They say that not until the man
who is aldiahing his trowel about
your head in nenacing way has
spent all his money during a period of
ideness. and is wondering where the
next meal is coming from will there
be any readjustment. Then it may
be an employer will get full service.
About that time, however, the en-
ployer will think he has his opportu-
nifty, and will begin to Cypress, or at
least some Of him will, but there will
be liquidation in the labor market and
a long process of distress before these
readjuStments are made. A byst ander
suggests that we had better return to
the slavery system Which existed in a
portion of this country previous to
1865 But however lovely such sys-
tenn may be, this country has ex-
pressed its disapproval of it in q con-
|stitutional amendment.
Complaints of railroad service are
probably as numerous as anything in
that line, but even there it is the
loafer. The charge is probably not
well founded that the railroad COM
panies are not using due diligence.
They cannot get somebody at the
switch, and all along the line there is
similar shortage. The faulty trans
portation accounts for more evils in
business than any other one element
and there, as elsewhere, our troubles
must continue till the loafer becomes
a man or something like a man. &C.
B. EVANS.