Evening journal., 1920-10-26

l you have paifd $50, 65, or s75 for
a SUIT or clothes recently about $50
TO $50 OF those pr.ces was due TO
strikes.
No matter what other factors may
work TO decrease the price OF cloth
ing in The future. you probably will
nave TO continue 10 pay 30 per cent
more than you otherwise would have
TO pay because Of a strike.
Mems shirts have gone up out OF
all proportion 10 their increased cost
OF production and TO the increased
cost OF other articles. The extra diff
ference is because OF strikes.
LaDoring men have 10 pay four
times as much for their Oyerals as in
f9f3-about twice as much as a year
ago The chief reason Is strikes by
other abOring men.
Certain cotton cloth went up 9
cents a yard on account OF one strike.
Several hundreds OF millions OF
yards Of gray cloth went up cents
a yard entirely because Of strikes.
Scores OF millions OF yards OF many
kinds OF dress cloth made in the
Providence district went up 100 per
cent entirely Because OF strikes
Moreover these increases Of cents
a yard and cents a yard and 100 per
cent apply merely 20 increased. costs
caused by strikes that affect factory
production. They apply only TO fac
tory prices. Railroad strikes, dock
strikes, teamstcrs' strikes and many
other str kes have further so handi-
capped or held up the distribution
and sale OF those goods. that you, the
ultimate consumer, have often had
to pay many times this much.
When the war ended, America began
the task Of demobil zing 100000 men,
most OF whom had been out OF
civilian life from one to two years.
All the men and women who had
anything TO do with the discharged
solder, from rehabilitation officers
to Salvation Army dOughnut girls,
will tell you that the discharged sol
der in general-and 100000 families
! VIII tell you that their discharged
soldier in particular-had Just two
ideas when he got out OF the army
First, TO get some good home cooking
again, and. second. 10 get back into
nice new suit OF civilian clothes.
During 1919 America needed, there
fore, at least 100000 suits Of clothes
more than II needed the year before.
| As a matter OF fact. it got Just 1000
900 suits less than the year before, or
some S.NOOO suiis less than ii
needed. because OF a series Of strikes
that tied up virtually the whole
clothing industry the spring OF that
year.
The facts about labor condsNQns In
the cloth ng industry have rather fire.
quonlly come to public attention In
the past II Is generally known that
while designers and cutters and such
skilled workmen receive exceptionally
high wages, the great bulk Of the
work used to be done under what is
popularly known as sweatshop con-
dilions by a very low grade OF labor
largely recently arrived or unas-
simulated foreigners. both men and
women. most OF whom have been too
physically or technically inefficient TO
DO other kinds Of better grade work.
Unquestionably labor conditions in
the clothing field had been in crying
need OF readiusiment for many years
before the war. But the great sudden
war demand for uniforms and other
articles Of clothing, with lis CORE
spending demand for labor, had
brought such a large measure Of re-
adjustment in tbs field that before
the end OF ne war, the chief evils o
the sweaieh0p system had disappeared
and the most ordinary clothlnf
worker was receiving from-s2j TO s3'
/ Il Nt'ks
In October. i9is-during the war
the workers had struck for a change
from a piece TO a straight foriy-four-
hour week. which had been granted
although this would and did cut pro
duction per worker just 30 per cent
But hardly had the workers resumed
working after this victory than th'
war ended and they saw another op
portunity for getting far more thai
the mere doubling OF wages and tn
shortening OF production by 30 pc
cent which the war had brought
With sudden peace. however, labo
leaders in the clothing field. realiznl
that the demobiization OF our 1000,
900 soldiers would mean sudden de
mand for at least 100000 new suit
OF clothes. Immediately called strik
for double even their war wages.
Instead. therefore. of the production
OF the 100000 additional uis o
clothes which were needed, This strlk
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