Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-10-17
DRIVE Of WAGE
CUTTING LIKELY
THROUGHOUT U.s..
Business interests of the
Opinion That Nothing Can
Be Done Until the Work.
ers Take Less Pay.
BY RALPH BURTON,
Especial Dispatch m .IOrning JournaD
Copyright 1921 by Albuquerque J0urnaD

| copyright l9%t by Albuquerque J0urnaD
Washington, Oct. 16.-Wage cuts
are the question of the hour in in
dustry. Much Of the vital energy
of the unemployment conference
wasyexpended in an attempt to pre-
went the obtrusion of this problem
into the deliberations, but all the
finesse of Mr. Hoover and his as
sociates was not able to keep it
out of the limelight.
The question of reducing wages
was the skeleton at the feast all
through the parley. Rumors have
| floated about that the committee
which was honored by the presence
of Mr.. Gompers in its membership
had nearly split wide open over it..
In any event it certainly disagreed
violently and publicly. The formal
recommendations OF the confer
ence, however, carefully avoided the
question but the business interests
of the country apparently hold the
idea that nothing can be done until
labor takes less pay, and it appears
probable that drastic campaign
OF wage cutting is likely.
The railroads have been among
| lIlb lSdutlS III utllltiiltili5 iAAthe
workers accept lower pay. one of
the big electric companies, accord
ing To statements by officials OF
the department Of labor, has re-
auced wages so per cent since jan
uary. Tine unemployment confer
ence worked out SO much statistics
that bear pretty directly upon the
case. They are said not TO FAVOR
further general reduetieps.
According to the May survey oil
1.-THE department of labor, carried out
| by the bureau of labor statistics.
living costs were then 1870 per cent
Of the living cost in 1915. The
national industrial conference
board estimates the percentage at
165. presumably for August, as are
the other figures given. Against
this, union wage scales average lI3
per cent of the preWar basis. The
union mans wage today will buy
perhaps five per cent more than in
1913, assuming that the figures are
correct.
But labor leaders say there is
another point to be considered.
This purchasing power depends on
tilC lltht lilu "ct
are steadily employed, Just now
several million men are unempoly-
ed and a great many more are
working on part time. Non-union
scales are below those of the union
workers. Since there are probably
more non-union workers than un-
ion men, and since many union men
have been compelled to Withdraw
from unions because they are out
of jobs and cannot pay dues, the
labor chiefs asserts the workers of
the country are actually CONSIDER
ably worse off than they were in
1913 and with further wage cuts
at this time are likely to cause
them real hardships. Moreover,
they contend, it is hard to see the
justification for further cuts at
time when living costs are again
tending upward.
The purchasing power OF the
American people has been reduced
greatly by unemployment and loA-
cred wages, as well as by advance
ing prices in certain lines. war
savings have been pretty well used
up, but the workers have no eco
nomic power and will be unable to
resist a program of reductions If
it Is undertaken. That is admitted
by union men themselves.