The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1920-12-04

DUE, Is under way. Inc do-
normal boom that affected every
branch of industry on account of the
War is subsiding fast, and now nor
malcy'' is upon US. Industry is ex-
periencing the pangs incident to a
gorged stomach full of rich food, and
the purging process is painful but
necessary, while the chances for a
better and bigger constructive de-
velopment Of Natures are
brighter than ever.
Wars demands threw all Of the
considerations under which business
is ordinarily conducted into the dis
card. Price or cost was relegated
into a secondary place. Delivery be-
came the prime consideration. Time
was the essence, and az everything
had to be produced at abnormalsp speed
in spite of the reduced productive ca
pacity consequent to the withdrawal
Of millions Of labor-units for military
service, an artificial shortage Of labor
ensued that brought the cost up to an
unheard of figure.
The result was the silk shirt per-
iod. The three-dollar-a-day man,
finding himself in the possession Of
ten dollars, fifteen dollars, and even
twenty dollars for one days time,
rather than one days labor, went on
a joy-ride. So did his boss. They
bought lavishly of totally unaccus-
toned things. The vendor of fancy
clothing, the purveyor of pleasure
cars, the ~real-estate man, and the
rest Of the crowd experienced a boom
the like of which they will probably
never experience again. Our Uncle
Sam himself took part in the fray,
and devised a fearful and wonderful
system of taxation designed to skim
most of the cream OF the War profits,
in order that the inevitable headache
of the morning after might be as
suaged by some money in the treas
ury with which to pay the bill.
Now that the fog of battle is clear
ing, stock-taking Is under way. Pric-
es, securities, and all sorts of COM
modities are passing slowly and tor
tuously through the clothes wringer
of readjustment, and the water is
slowly trickling out. 1t hurts. There
Is no doubt about that, but, as the
conscientious mother said to her frac-
tious child when administering cor
poral punishment with vigor and the
aid of a slipper. Johnny. this is alto
gether for your own good"
1t is not surprising that the labor
unions are FESTIVE at the realization
that the old easy-going slackness in
factory discipline is about over. Bad
habits are easy to acquire. but diff
cult to overcome. The artificial lin
itation of output, which has been en-
couraged by many labor leaders, and
was tolerated during the Wal period
by employers because they could not
help themselves, must go. The tenn
porary hiatus in general business is
the factory managers opportunity,
and he is taking a deep breath and
sailing into his housekeeping with q
| gust of enthusiasm that is good to
see.
In the factories of the country, the
era of hiring and firing has returned
Untitled orders in every field r d.
| minishing, and, as a result, men are
being weighed In the balance of per
Torrance. The loafer, the Stacker
the unskilled, are being welded out
with vigor, and the effect upon the
raj mechanic and trained man is sal
utary. Many thousands of unskilled
workers from the so-called n~on-essen'
| tial industries. who. attracted by the
high wages and slack discipline main
tanned in the shipyards and Other
branches Of the metal trades. found
their way to a place on the payrollsa al
mechanics. are out of a job. AS
consequence, the ranks Of the wait
ers In hotels and restaurants arr
again becoming preponderatingl,
male. Elevator-boys and bell-hopl
are again masculine. while real ma
chinists are once more operating the
tools in the workshops.
Throughout the country, the chic
topic OF conversation is the condition
of the automobile industry. and it,
allied trades. Here is where the blow
has hit hardest. with the possible ex'
ception Of textiles. and here, may II
be remarked. was where imitation was
greatest. Attracted by the lure Of
enormous profits. automobiles and
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