The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-11-10
MEMBER or ASSOCIATED PRESS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1920.
WAGES AND PRICES

Every person who works for a Nv
ing is intensely Interested in the prob .
able effect on wages of the price re.
duction already started and which
will continue-not back to the pre.war
level, but to a point where American
manufacturers can compete with
those of foreign countries and where
domestic buyers will not refuse to
purchase American goods
1t is in fact the deaation of bust
ness following the war and which fol-
lows every great war Precisely Che
same thing took place after the Civil
swar ana older pebple now living can
remeWbe- some rot the circumstances
which resulted The present move
ment IS IAN inevitable economic pro
lcess and not at all subject to political
control, labor organization insistence
Ior captalistic pre- sure
n frhe consumers OF the country
stood the gaff during the war and
have endured the burden for two
years following butthe time has come
when they refuse to continue buying
a. inflated prices. Manufacturers
/ must prt duce goods at lower prices or
close their plants Not only will the
home pressure compel It but slowly
but surely the foreign manufacturers
are getting under way and are getting
ready to unde.sell American manu-
facturer5 not only in the world mark
cts but right here in the United
States. IN some lines they are 81
ready doing it quite effectively
In many lines of bushes and manu-
featuring great profits have been
made during and sine, the war ana
these profits ought to be cut 70 a
sharp degree A striking instance Of
this kind has been the coal mining
and cool dist 'ibution Even If profits
in MANUFACTURING and jobbing were
entirely removed It would not cnt
prices moro than small per cent,
however The Slash has % be WIDER
and deeper to meet the situation
There are three ways In which 10
can be brought about and on'y three.
They al apply to tn wage Garner and
are lower wages longer hours or in
creased efficiency Tho 6rst tive are
moi aeoeptabe to those who work for
wages while the third cannot be ap-
Piled to non intelligent classes OF
labor ~
The Banner does net hqlieye there
Is any heed Of reducing the wages OF
skilled labor provided il is loyal and
Wiling to do It's share 70 meet The
new situation. During the war help
was so scarce that any kind of a
worker was able 10 ct almost any
wages demanded but prices were so
high that the manufacturer could sim
pay the wage and make profit For
tho present at least, that situation has
sappeared and there are job hunt
ers I'm every town instead of jobs
waiting to be filed
II would seem that the FIRST thing
TO try is to weed out the inefficient
the loafer. the tima-kil'er, the sh'rk
and the crock. Drive these out of the
,hops and back into the ranks Of cas-
ual labor and manufacturing can be
resumed at fair pr6at without any
material reduction IN wages or any
considerable Engineering of hours.
The profits would no. be the same as
during the past few years but they
ought not 70 be
Casual unskinod lahore would by
the same process become planty
4 enough so mat rompe6Gou would en-,
force a needed reform IN is ranks
and there ought TO be such reform.
A good fair percentage Of casual labor
is Industrious. faithful and honest but
in recent years there has developed
another considerable part II this
ordinary labor whose whole aim has
been to shrk, to do the boss and g1t
his money without any fair return.
This kind has proved itself unfair q
its mates. dishonest with It's employ
ers and of no value to the community.
1t deserves no special consideration.