The Connecticut labor press., 1920-10-30

warning that the wheels of industry may stop running unless the republican candidates are elected. Republicans, of course deny this as also do the manu- lecturers.
 While reported wholesale 1ay-offs of industrial workers in this state have not materialized, something else in relation has bobbed up that is worthy of more than passing notice. Some shops, not ably III Waterbury, are soon going on lo-hour day schedule instead of 8H hours but without wage reduction. In other words the help >wNrk longer but receive the same pay and no over time pay unless they work over 10 hours.
 These same shops, however, are wedding out the help and discharging the workers here and there in various departments. It doesn't look just right to me. There are men in labor circles Federation of Labor men particularly, who are better qualified to judge, so l leave the matter without further criticism. But I will venture to add that the leaders of thought and action III the hosts of organized labor need be alert over labor conditions of the near future.
 Service men and workingmen how1ed because they missed the good old beer but without avail. Diplomats how1ed because it was threatened to take away their booze and it proved effective right away. That's what we get for being born in free and liberty loving coun- try All hail the diplomats; rolled into one they are bigger man than Uncle Sam.
 The ruling has been made at Wash ington that not only could the diplomats themselves bring liquor into the coun- try, but that liquor consigned to them on shipment would have to be admitted. But you or l, good people, can't take a grips bottle of old Scotch; that is, legally. The diplomat, then, is a more powerful man in the United States than a native-born citizen
 The custom of throwing old shoes after the newly-weds has gone out ot style entirely. There are no more old shoes-except on peoples feet. ! After careful investigation the New York Herald asserts that prohibition as # is no wenforeed is moi prohibiting liquor traffic. Federal agents, who are are trying without much success to enforce the liquor laws, and the drys, who are 1 forever on the warpath against the Demon Rum, give 1t as their conviction l that up to date national prohibition Is l almost complete failure.
 Why the League of Nations issue predominating when there are so many other issues quite as vital? Such al problem, the exactions of labor, tho hours of toil, the prohsems of transpor. tation and the high taxes. Well, tht answer seems to be that the politician: l had to have an issue with which tc befog the people and keep them from thinking of their own troubles.
 The great good work in behalf of : long suffering public by William P Hagen, special agent of the Depart 1 ment of Justice, Is still moving for. ward. Not quite so rapidly as senns might wish, 1t is true, but on its way Restaurant food prices, to be sure, ar. l not tur1bling to an alarming extent bu the restauranteurs are beginning to tremble. The Hartford pie is now GU into six pieces instead of seven! More over, great hopes are entertained tha within another week five wedges vii be the concession made by the 1uncI room barons.
 The price of cut of pie, it is ad l rnitted, has not been reduced but vol l get a bit more pie in the cut. w can't of course, expect too much of lgood thing to come all at once. Sup posing, for instance, that by som hocus of fate the pie of the 1uncl counter should suddenly be divided intt four pieces and nickel quoted as tn price per piece, as in the days of old
 as many people gorging themselves witt [ pie and thus, so-to-speak, digging thei graves with their teeth.
 I The nickel is about extinct, anyway and the hye-cent article a thing of tn
 pssin pssi it vi is doubtfu e1" if the ee ve.een @ piece will cut much of a figure in tn
 scheme of things. ThereI1 be no nor
 leaves of bread, trolley rides and wha not for the nickel; the thin dime ha ! taken its place and come to stay "An'
 why not merchant asked me yes | I6TQdy, when the people Will SIdIld TO
 it all right?" And had no answe
 for it is true, the people not only stan'
 for it but seem to like it. A nickel her
 and dime there, they count up al
 right in the end, but the purchase
 doesn't register much of a kick if h
 pays 10 cents for five cent article l See how the canny fruit man does ii
 just for an illustration: Apples ar plenty and comparatively cheap but tn
 fruit mans sign always reads so as t catch the dime, never to include al | apple for three cents Dry good l men work it the same way in se11in
 srrisH wares and on some things worl
 in half-cent on the price to get bi more out of the customer.
 The old saw had it, nothing's sur
 but death and taxes. Up-to-date 1t
 that nothing's so sure the ever1ast
 ing high cost of living. High wage
 or low wages, the toll demanded fo
 food, clothing and housing will continu
 unreasonable, I fear.
 CARPENTERS GAIN.
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