The Washington herald., 1921-10-12
Uncertainty.

NCERTAINTY always breeds unemploy-
u ment. 1t always will. Whatever tends to bring
uncertainty will help bring unemployment What
ever continues period of uncertainty, continues
the period of unemployment. This is not psyche
logical or condition 1t is hard-headed
business sense. If contractor, a producer, can
not be more than reasonably sure OF fulfill
ing agreement, he will avoid definite dates,
refuse them include conditions Frequently
this loses the contract Men will not definitely
undertake in time OF uncertainty.
In the face of threat of railroad strike,
or a general coal strike, all business slows down.
If there is to be price readjustment in trans
portaton or in coal, or steel, large users regu-
late their affairs accordingly. There is psychol-
ogy of mere mental atmosphere in this. 1t is
bald-headed fact, fixed, known uncertainty to
affect prices and costs. To avoid such occasions
and conditions is in large measure to avoid
ployment, and with this, abrupt and marked
wage variations
There is all this country trial of strength
between organized labor and ant-union forces.
This at this period of exceptional idle
ness, which puts organized labor at distinct
disadvantage. Employers have reason to believe
those who wish to-that now is the time when
they break the unions Possibly it is, but
at what cost to them and to the public
could foretell.
With this uncertainty is the strike OF all the
railroad employees. strike with 100000
or 100000 out of work and the temper of the
public, would quite surely be failure. But
again, at what cost forete The
miners terminate in April This wage schedule is
probably the highest relatively OF any craft
The miners say they will not accept a reduction,
but will strike. They probably would lose, but
at what cost to others can foretel.
1t is utterly useless to expect productive busi-
ness to recover and normal conditions to return
in the face of such uncertainties these
and others only less critical and vital Normal
and continuous employment cannot and will not
come out OF such a situation. There will be
temporary remedies, but the lies in the un-
certainties the known unknowns in the business
equation. Permanency in production will only
follow permanent settlements of the causes from
which uncertainty comes.
In the end employers and workers will b,
held to very strict account and those responsible
for any serious upheaval will be known. We
believe the general public feels that there are
certain things which the two sides. can and
should agree as already settled and not to be
disturbed. These are collective bargaining, the
basic eight-hour day and wage scales fixed, in
general, on the cost of living but with quantity
production material element. Equally assured
of public approval is. the demand that labor rules
must not stand in the way of increased production
must not unnecessarily increase costs, nor inter
fere with general shop efficiency.
We believe the public is also coming
and more to the conviction that strikes worse
than unnecessary and that if mutual agreements
cannot be made for arbitration, they will have
to be forced. The right way, the fair way and
that which meets human nature the level, is
arbitration with wholly detached, unprejudiced
deciding voice. If employers and workers cannot
arrange this, Authority must. 1t is useless for
labor to proclaim its support OF international
peace, while maintaining the absolute right to
wage internal war. The problem of unemploy-
ment rests largely in uncertainties and these
certaintes rest largely in the relations of
ployers and workers as to questions which
realization of fair play to each other and
of justice to the public would settle quickly and
for mutual interest.