The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-09-17
RELIEF FOR UNEMPLOYED.

If the country is to get rid of the
condition of unemployment of which
complaint is made, it will be necessary
for everybody to go to work. Work
for everybody cannot be found while
those already employed continue TO
draw wages that make costs so high
as to put a limitation on production.
Prosperity brings work and work
brings prosperity. only by an in
crease in production at lower costs
win it be possible to increase the sup
ply Of goods that furnish the basis for
prosperity.
There would not be the widespread
unemployment witnessed at present
If industrial labor had accepted wage
cuts, thus lowering the cost of pro-
duction, and If it had gone on work
ing, thus increasing the volume of
production. The world is not suffer-
ing today from over production.
Shelves are bare, old clothes are
wearing out, we need more houses,
more bridges, more roads and more
Of nearly everything that is useful.
Railroads are in need of more equip
ment, even if they are not now using
all they have.
1.-THE trouble lies" says the Wollman
Review, Sin the fact that the return
on the efforts of the various produc-
ing groups is out of balance One
class cannot buy enough of the prod
ucts Of another to keep the latter em-
ployed at the old rate of wages. It
is groups that count, not individuals
The /soap-box ranter will get up and
rail at the inequality of wealth and
tell US that there are four or five men
in this country who are as rich as half
a million farmers put together. Even
if this were so, these four or five men
would not spend a 1.-THE as much as
half million farmers, because it is
impossible for them to consume ex-
cept as individuals. Their wealth is
merely capital that Is at the service
Of the community in the form of fl
nancing factories, mills, mines, rail-
roads and other enterprises. What
the very rich buy would not keep any
group of workers busy. But what
farmers, copper liners, coal miners,
bricklayers and carpenters buy when
they are busy and getting regular
wage will keep millions at work."
Some examples of the manner in
which the tendency to hold out for
high wage scales works against the
interest of labor itself are furnished
in the coal mining and steel indus
tries. One of the big coal mining
companies in central Pennsylvania
the sum of $29S.5O7.7S. The payroll
for the month of July this year had
dropped to $S5, 338.13. In this dis
trict none of the mines is operating
as much as two days a week. Some
are not running at all for the reason
that this district during the war Pc
riod became thoroly unionized, and
rates of $3.50 day were enforced for
such classes of unskilled laborers as
mule drivers, bumpers, etc.
An official of one of the small in.
dependent steel companies that owns
its own coal mines says that his COM
pany has mined no coal whatever
slllCe early III April II refused TO pay
the union scale of $3.50 for unskilled
labor. This concern at a rate of $500
a day would have gone ahead on full
operations at its mines. At a rate. Of
SIS day all of the mines in this dis
trict would have run full time. This
steel company, instead of mining its
own coal and making its coke, has
bought coke from companies operat-
ing on a non-union basis. 1t has
found it cheaper to buy coke at s2.75
a ton from non-uniOn companies,
paying freight Charges which bring
the total cost to $3.50 a ton, instead
of mining its own coal and making its
own coke at a total cost of $3.50 a
ton.