The New York herald., 1921-07-10

~ Mined by the word mutiny'
has romantic associations for
almost everybody. In the main this is
due to the fact that such a strike
means a bloody clash between the
rebels and those in power, and swift
conclusion, with one or the other in
power. Furthermore, strikes at sea are
not fomented for high wages or shorter
hours, although such have been known
TO happen, but for that intangible
thing known as power.
Strikes ashore are sordid money mat
ters, whose drama is the drama of a
siege, infinitely inferior in this regard
TO those at sea. which are more in the
nature of hand TO hand battles. The
former, however. have a greater sigt
nificance and have a greater effect
upon the generality of human beings
than the other. They are visible evil
dence of the greatest of wars, the
class war.
Marshal Olds, who has studied tho
phenomenon of the strike at first hand,
treats the subject in its effect on the
high cost of living. He shows by an
array of figures which cover strikes
in every industry during the period
that followed the signing Of the arm
istice how they have raised-~the cost
of necessities. Although Mr.. Olds has
been "a laborer on a farm, assistant
in a railroad repair shop, dock wal
loper. working boss Of a gang and as
sistant machinist, and except for hir-
ing his own stenographer and occa-
sionally an assistant, he has never
been an employer" he believes labor
is far more to blame for strikes than
capital, not the rank and file, so much
as the professional labor leader.
The writer shows that strikes have
increased the cost OF necessities to the
ultimate consumer and caused total
loss of about hundred billion dollars.
Strikes have. been the chief cause of
the high cost of living. 1t is the
authors belief that strikes are costly
to the laboring man. One of the chief
reasons he decries strikes is that
strike in one industry, where the
grievance may be just, affects numer-
Gus other allied industries.
There is no question: he writes,
minds bent wholly on competition in
production and sales, have in the past
too often taken a ruthless advantage
of labor when circumstances have put
il in their power to do so. There is no
question that the advantage labor has
taken of the strategic position, which
events of the last few years have
given it, it is largely excused and
justified in it's own mind because of
much of the past attitude Of Its en-
ployers. If the human relations in In
dustry are to go on only on the basis
Of the law of the jungle-merely ac-
cording to the primordial working out
of the unmitigated cause and effect
If the whole relation between en-
ployer and employee is to consist of
watching and mannvring till circum-
stances put one or the other at dis
advantage in order that they may
take their revenge or get all they can
while the getting is good there is little
hope that even with all it's great eff
cheney our present day system Of in
dustrial management can last"
Mr.. Olds looks on strikes as a viola
ton of law and labor unions as trusts
operating i'm the face OF the law. He
strongly emphasizes the value of the
open shop and shows that where the
open shop is in existence labor condi-
tions and wages are better than in
places maintaining the closed shop.
He thinks well of Gov. Aliens in
dustrial court and expresses even
greater approval Of the Canadian
Mackenzie King plan for settling in
dustrial disputes.
He stresses the political power of
labor and declares that the political
problem is noAmore the domination of
the boss, but his domination by the
labor trust.
Readers may wonder what their ia
vorite authors do with their spare
time. Harold MacGrath In the Ameri-
can Golfer discloses how he spends
some of his, in catching black bass at
Cape Vincent, where he fishes every
summer He is a ,connoisseur of bait.
Live bait. mind you; none of those
murderous plugs I understand my old
friend Bob Davis uses when he fishes
with Ben Ames williams No, sir;
live minnow. a four and a half ounce
Leonard rod, ten foot length, a single
turn reel. Never use anything but
If can't catch 'em with q |
minnow. I don't catch 'em; I want to |
catch 'em my way"