Evening journal., 1920-10-30

Everybody knows that there has
been an immense labor shortage in
our big cities during the last year.
The suburbanites have been unable 10
get their lawns cut; they can't get
th cir coal delivered when IL Is need
ed. Plumbing and electric lights 20
unflxed for days and weeks because
plumbers and electricians can't get
enough help 10 handle their work.
StOrekeepers can't get clerks or de-
liVerymen TO take care OF their busi-
ness. Apartments are poorly heated,
ashes accumulate In the Easements
and dirt collects In The Railways be-
cause owners can't get help. And a
hundred and one Jobs that used to be
done regularly and as a matter OF
course are not done because the labor
is not to be had.
Yet through two nerve cen.er"
strikes the clothing trade in our big
ciiies have had 80 per cent more men
than have ever been needed TO do the
same work, permanently attached b.
ihem. And many other such Industries
IN these same cities are burdened with
far more men than they need whom
they cannot send back into other fields
where they are needed because Of the
rear or strikes which would be even
more expensive than the carrying OF
this extra burden on the pay roll
Farmers an through the Middle
West are In crying need Of LABOR i'm
the harvest fields, yet tens Of thou
sands Of men who used 30 take care
Of the nations crops are TODAY in the
same siates getting S2O per week for
TWO days work in the coal mines. not
only keeping reasonable number "
miners from working regularly, hut
| tremendously and needlessly cutting
down The nation's food supply and
adding TO the price OF both food and
coal. This is one Of the results Of
the coal strike.
our brick yards and many similar
industries cannot get men. This is
one or the reasons why bricks have
gone from $40 10 Sii a thousand Yet
in certain departments OF our rail
roads there are 10000 more men on
the pay rolls than IL has ever taken
TO do the same work before whom she
railroads are not sendlns back TO
ields where they are really needed
because OF the threat OF strikes which
would be even more expensive than
continuing TO pay wages 10 this un-
necessary labor.
America los. some 6.OOOOOO imml-
grants who would formally have
come to swell our labor ranks. because
of the war. During the war we made
| up a large part Of this lack not only
through more efficient machinery and
through greater individual efficiency
lbut particularly through cO-opera i've
Ienlclency in the handling and distri-
button Of labor We could today make
up a large part OF labors numerical
deficiency in the same way, but as a
matter OF fact we are b. mendOusly
eNaggeraling the numerical deficiency
| or our labor not only by individual
inehiciency but by a tremendous in
etlclency in the distribution Of labor.
| Not only have strikes been chiefly to
blame for this, but the perpetuatlon
| OF ihis inellcient distribution OF labO7
mas been one Of the chief aims and
reasons for many Of the biggest strikes
since the war.
During the whole war. but particu-
larry after America entered the war.
lhere was a tremendous extra demand
\ Tor labor IN many special fields par
! ucularly TO mine coal, TO make muni-
lions, special machines. uniforms aud
such war equipment In order 10 get
at once the labor required 10 meet the
emergency demand in these special
industries unprecedented vases We're
offered
We all remember how. attracted bv
these wages tens Of thousands OF nor
ters, clerks, BARRIERS farm hands and
all kinds Of labor from every kind OF
miscellaneous occupations and from
many Of the less essential Industries
! Hooked 90 the muntion plants and
into other war" industries.
10 is, OF course, natural that when
the war ended This extra labor want
ed TO stay in these same industries at
the same high wages. Morevef. a
great proportion OF these men had at
once Joined In the country as a whole
the unions In their new trades. Today
twice as many workers are oeganized
as in 1916. In the clothing rad the
unions have six times as manv mem
Ibers as they had before the war, and
! In many Of the great special war in
dusircs the proportion is neary as
lgreat. This new labor not only Join
ed the unions. hut began at once TO
take very active part in union ar
fairs. I'm fact, there is no doubt that
a ereat deal OF the radicalsm that is
now pcrmeating our older and more
conservative unions In due 10 the in