The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1920-02-14
BLAME 1T TO LABOR.

to answer for without being charged
with the crimes of the profiteers. II
has become customary to blame the
high cost of everything onto the sin
creased cost of labor" or something
else that is only in a small measure
to blame for the added cost to the con-
sumner.
The coal barons, whom Secretary of
800 to 1000 per cent net profit on
their investment during the year 1917
denied that they were able to stand
any increase in wages to the coal min
pared and published to show that if
a II per cent increase in wages were
granted the companies will not be
able to make one per cent net profit
more than IA per cent increase is CIV
en- it will mean actual confiscation for
we would be operating our mines at
IAN actual loss"
\ The government officials assured us
1.-THE consumers) that the increased
cost of production, due to advance of
IA per cent in wages to the miners
will not be added to the cost of coal
to the consumer, but must be paid
from the profits of the mine opera
tors" Secretary Garfield, who made
IAN exhaustive investigation and prob
ably knows conditions as few men
know them, said: ''The increase of ID
per cent can be paid by the mine OPP
orators without materially diminish
ing their profits and shall not be add
ed to the cost of coal to the consum-
err" Yesterday we were notified that
the price of coal is to be advanced ST
per ton due to the increased wages
allowed the miners by the govern !
ment ORDER Yet it has been re- |
peatedly shown that the increase of |
IA per cent in wages means only from |
seven to IL cents ton added to the I
cost of coal. Thus the consumer pays
the increased wages to the miners and
from SS to SO cents per ton added prof
1t to some one, either the operators, |
railroads or retailers.
We are told that shoes are selling
fpr from $40 to $25 per pair because I
al 1the increased cost of labor
Sometimes this is varied to include
leather. Yet leather prices have de- I
clined more than so per cent since
the war closed and shoe prices have
advanced from 20 to so per cent.
The grand jury investigation at Spo-
kane showed that shoes that cost $7.75
Der pair. (Which includes labor, leath-
er. freight and wholesalers profits
added to the profits of the manufac-
turer) were sold for $17.50 per pair.
What per cent of that added cost to
the consumer did labor really get?
Organized labor has been arbitrary
and unreasonable in many instances
hut where labor is responsible for 10
per cent of increased cost capital. in
the form of profiteers all the way
from the manufacturer to the retailer,
get 80 per cent Isn't it about time
we were laying some Of the blame
where it belongs?
n "a -
Senator Porter, of Latah county is
one of the six in the state senate OF
Idaho who voted against the ratifica-
tim of woman suffrage. We believe
that Senator Porter owes an explana-
ton to the voters of this county and
state, for this action. Four democrats,
or non-partizans Davis, of Boise
county; Farady, of Elmore county,
Sampson of Shoshone county, and st.
Ca1ir, of Owyhee county, voted against
the ratification of woman suffrage.
Just two republicans, Porter, of LatalI,
and Owens, of Oneida county voted
against it, Had two more senators
voted with Porter and Owens and the
the amendment would have
been lost. Our attention has been
called to Senator Porters vote on this
question by men who supported him
FOR office and we have been asked
why did Porter oppose this meas
ure~' We cannot answer. Will Mr..
Porter answer it'
Secretary of State Lansing has re-