Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-08-02
Monday August ?. 1870.


We don't KNOW Just what our marx
,hese words. Something is going TO
happen"
That IS what everybody is saying
ABOUT food ard clothing ard other
things which have become necessary
and customary in daily life. and
about the prices Of these things
which have mounted and kept on
mounting The average citizen ts
quite sure something ought to hap
pea ard he Is also quite sure what
that something ought ultimately TO
be. but he is not at all sure Of the
how. Perhaps there are others Who
aret in the same fix as the average
man
Another remark. more definite
ara less frequent in this locality
our equally significant IS this. Of a
New York banker: Within five
years there will be five men to
every job"
What prompts such remarks as
these It Is hard to tell. The whole
Industrial and economic menage Of
the United States was entirely upset
by the war: IN fact the whole world
system has Undergone a change, in
Vulnerable changes. ard it will never
-artrrr ~ -ha game S-zrrS "a barara
In the long and difficult journey out
Of war conditions there have been 50
many unforeseen obstacles that many
men are wondering If any of the old
laws of business still hold good. So
many conflicting stories are told Of
conditions and reasons for conditions
that one hardly dares trust any Of
them.
In the same city within 4 week one
business man has declared with posi-
.iveness that clothing IL not to be
lower in price, but that it NUS,
necessarily 60 higher, especially cot
tons: while another has asserted with
equal vehemence that clothing IS go
ing TO take q drop, a decided drop
and that it Is coming soon They base
their opinions On reports from the
larger centers Of wholesale trade and
the metropolitan markets.
An agent Of the department Of JUS
tee who Is investigating profteerins
in Boston has characterized the pre-
diction OF advancing prices as pure
bunk and looks for $50 limit on
mems suits He says he has learned
from confidential source that manu-
facturers are already quoting reduced
prices to the trade with one hand and
handing cut better buy now" advice
with the other. And yet. wholesalers
continue TO bill goods to their Gus
TONERS right along at quotations sub
stanttaIIy in advance Of last years
PRICES
As to a coming surplus OF employ
Eeat: TIE great Lawrence wooden
mills have closed for an indefinite
time. The closing OF machine shop
IN Pawtuckes has been brought about
by . strike Of the 400 employees, and
il IL announced that the shop will be
closed for at least six months All
along the eastern Maine coast the
closing Of the canning factories has
thrown thousands out OF employment.
These specific instances might be
duplicated in numerous other places
From some localities reports have
come that industrial employees have
taken temporary positions OF farms.
to tide themselves over the slack
period; and rumors of soup kitchens
are heard H..
NJ. Gompers dictates that the mills
and factories be kept running wheth-
er they pay or not. whether they have
orders or not. whether money is avail
able to operate them or not. Or
eanized labor he says. will not
tolerate payroll cuts Shutting down
mills ne characterizes a heinous of
tense" He threatens that labor
will resist wage reductions" at all
hazards. and pleads for a people in
need OF every possible ounce Of pro-
lection
But is the attitude Of organized
abor as expressed by Mr.. Gompers
and exemplified in the history OF
labor in recent months, calculated to
do much TO protect the people? Is
dicta,orial threatening the method
best suited 10 bring about cooperation
ard harmony between employees and
employers? Does labor expect to sc,
emergency wages forever And to
have them increased whenever /,
takes q notion.
Is IT any wonder that something is
going 10 happen.
Unable to make his promises good