The Connecticut labor press., 1920-09-04
NEED OF WORLD
 IS PRODUCTION
Wage Increases Not Really of Great Material Benefit to
 the Workers.
LIVING COSTS KEEP PACE
Situation in Germany as Outlined by Influential Labor Journal Is Much the Same the World Over-FaII in Prices Imperative.

Improved economic conditions for workers do not always follow material increases in wages. According to the Metallarbeiter-Zeitu of Stuttgart, the official organ of the German Met al Workers federation, German work CTS have not benefited greatly by wage increases. Discussion of the subject by that publication indicates a situa- tion similar to that in America: < Before the war it was obvious that only part of the rise in wages wrung from the employers by the workers was a gain, as the greater part was swallowed up by the ever-increasing rise in the cost of commodities. Had it not been for the trade unions almost the whole of 1t (the increase in. the national wealth) would have gone into the pockets of the employers.
 Since November, 1918, wages have risen considerably, but no one can assert that the conditions of living j have improved; 1t is impossible that they should, because the prerequisites are wanting.
 If all wages and salaries were doubled tomorrow this would not nec- essarily represent improvement of the condition of manual and nonmanual workers, but rather an opposite ten dency. This tendency may be Illus trated by the following example:
 Before the war the daily milk sup ply of Dusseldorf was 130,OO0 liters (34.842.8 gallons) and this was equiv alent to one-third of a liter (.352 quart) per capita, based on a popula- ton of 100000. The daily supply at present Is 10000 1iters (5,283.5 gall lons), or one-twentieth of a liter (.O528 quart) per capita. Were the income of Dusseldorf multiplied by three the milk supply would not be increased, and a similar line of argu- ment applies throughout the whole country.
 "Throughout the whole country there is only one-half of the foodstuffs that 1t contained before the war. This con- dition cannot be remedied by raising wages and salaries or by the issue of paper money. Increase of production at home and increase of import from abroad is the only cure.
 eff goods produced in Germany are too dear-and high wages and feeble effort may have this result-we are at once faced by foreign competition; no one will buy our goods; our condi- lions of living will be made worse. Specialization will not alter the state of affairs unless 1t affects the quantity and kind of goods produced. Sociali- ZatiOn will do no good unless it brings with 1t great increase in the produc- ton of goods, and the mere raising of wages and salaries is purely illusory. Every increase of wages entails an equivalent rise in price; for wages plus the employers profit determine the price of goods. At present. how ever, profits are not on the upgrade. Hence the mere rise of wages has ef- fects that are analogous to the in- Jection of morphine.
 "The need of the hour is fall in prices and a rise in production. The strike today is a two-edged weapon the workers need not renounce it as a weapon, but it should be used only after full and serious consideration of the evil conditions under which we are living, and recourse should be had to it in no case without the fullest re gard for trade union principles"
 Here is a solemn warning and ad- absorb in the spirit in which they are given to their German fellows Chicago Daily News.