The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-03-05

Tney nave less Inan tnlTu Va the
rolling stock necessary to meet normal
requirements. The demand for trans
portation facilities will necessarily In.
crease during the period Of reconstruc.
ton. have seen locomotives sneez-
ing. coughing, expiring every few
miles. Old, broken-down engines, the
kind one expects to find in q museum.
! was on de luxe train. diplomatic
express. commented upon the con-
dition of the locomotive, which came
to full stop every once in while.
commented upon the condition Of the
coaches. The chief of the train looked
at me, smiled and said: IF you
think this one is bad you ought to see
some Of the others"
The war disarranged plants and fac
tories. The demand was for num-
lions. Peace gave way to war ana
plant equipment efficient for peace
production gave way to plant construc-
ton necessary to manufacture the
weapons of war. Plants were com
mandeered. Machinery was torn out
new machinery put In. A complete re-
construction and reorganization was
| effected. Now that the war Is over ana
the demand for everything Is great, II
Is necessary to change these plants
back and fit them for the production
needed. 1t is expensive, 1t takes time,
1t retards production.
1t is strange that, while everyone
can see and understand the difficulties
and delays incident to recognizing
and rearranging machinery and plants,
many people cannot see or understand
the problem of rearranglng mems
lives, who for four years have been
living abnormally. The effect OF the
war upon plants and equipment Is con-
coded by the very man who refused to
see any effect Of the war on the men
who were in 1t.
Women In Labor World.
During the war women answered tne
roll call. They left their homes ana
went to work. There is hardly kind
of work that can think Of that have
not seen women doing In Europe l
have seen them loading boats, shovel
ing coal, washing windows, driving
wagons, cleaning streets, conductors on
trans. Many of the women who went
into the industries were young women
Now that the war Is over and the men
have come back there is demand Oh
the part of the men that the women re-
tire to their homes. This Is impossi-
BILE in many cases, for these women
have grown dependent upon their jobs
for their living. Then, too, there Is a
shortage of manageable men. Some
employers of labor have taken ad
vantage of this situation. They pay 9
woman less money than they pay Q
, man for the same work. This makes
both dissatisfied. The woman has TIT
sympathy Of the working man. H'
doesn't want her to compete with hin
to the extent that his wages VIII d.
| lowered, neither does he want the bos
to discriminate against her.
Women have come into the world
r work to stay. If there is any meaning
/, In the phrase "class conscious" the
, are living examples of It. They ar
: more outspoken about their demand
, than men. They sense wrong lon
before a man can see it. They hav
brought their intuition into the labo
, world. They are more radical thai
t men. and they stimulate men to action
They have brought to the labor prob
lem a new and interesting angle.
, The key to the future is in the hand
3, of these men and women. Production
is the door that must be opened. Me
!. and women mist work. or winter an
want will make a No Mans Land O
j., Europe before the sun of 1920 tnnw
the frost from the ground.
', Children crying for bread. shiVerin
: In the cold these bleak winter nights
' nre praying that men will work whe
they pray to God for good and warmth
= Their help cries are slnothered by
= great blanket-unrest. VIII men hea
a them?
y, SO sought to find the causes of III
rest, knowing 1t would bring me clos
!, to the heart of the trouble.
copyright. 1890. Western Newspaper Unior
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