Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1920-08-13
Asks Why Men Are
Laid Off


of workers" is a "revival of that old
and crude policy of laying off men
during a presidential campaign for
the purpose of driving them in fright
and necessity into political camp"
President Gompers of the American
Federation of Labor has issued
statement demanding the reason for
shutting down production at this time,
when everybody is clamoring for
more production"
"For months we have heard the cry,
dinned and dinned and dinned into our
ears-increase production" said Com
pers. "How can increased production
be accomplished under policy of lay
ing Of thousands Of workers? 2"
The Federation president then pro-
ceeded to pay his respects to the
American Wooden Company for clos
ing its Massachusetts mills. He said
the company had increased its income
| 316 per cent between 1914 and 1913,
the net increase in common stock
earnings being 53l per cent.
"President Wood told his stock
holders that the close of the year left
the company with untitled orders suf-
fcient to keep the machinery fully
employed we'll into 1920, and with
good prospects for full production for
the entire year." said Gompers. "For-
eign deliveries increased approx
mately 100 per cent during 1919"
He continued: "In addition to this case,
there is the action of the Pennsyl-
vania railroad in laying off approx
mately 10000, if reports are accurate.
Will this help move freight, will it
help give the nation that increased
production of which it stands in real
need? 2"
In addition to the laying off of men,
there have been reports Of efforts to
decrease wages. 1t will be recalled
that in 1907 and 1908 employers
sought to reduce wages, the result of
which at that time would have been
to produce a panic. The American
Federation of Labor sent forth the
warning that we would resist and re-
sist and resist, and we paraphrased
a saying and declared it better to re-
sist and lose than not to resist at all.
The policy of reducing wages was
abandoned as a result of that warn
ing. We repeat that warning today.
At all hazards we will resist wage
reductions. There is no excuse and
much less a reason for reduction OF
wages. We will tolerate no reduction
of wages. Even yet we have ground
to cover before we return to all the
purchasing power of 1913.
Instead of impaired efficiency of
labor there is an ineffciency by mill
shutdowns, contends Gompers, and
adds:
The mills and the factories should
run. Management should consult with
workers through the chosen repre-
sentatives of the workers. The CO.
roperation to be achieved by such a
policy will give the nation the pro-
duction that it needs and that is
needed by a whole world. Arrogance,
bigotry and autocratic conduct of
employers is waste that society can
| i'll afford.
Surveying the fourteen important
industries, the department of labor
| found that in five there was an in
crease and in nine a decrease of the
number OF persons employed in June,
compared with May. There was a
| 5.3 percent increase in the iron and
steel industry and 3.2 per cent in
crease in car building and repairing.
The decreases were GA per cent in
woolen, per cent in hosiery and un-
derwear and 81 per cent in leather
manufacturing.
Ten industries showed gains in
numbers of employees in June, 1920
compared with June, 1919. The larg-
est increases were 42.9 per cent in
mems ready-to-wear clothing, 20.4 pei
cent in car building and repairing
and 1916 per cent in paper making.
There were decreases in silk, cigar
and leather manufacturing and coal
mining.