South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-03-16
LABOR AGENTS IN
MONTHLY BANQUET
HEAR LLOYD TALK
Chicago Labor Manager Dis,
cusses Present Employment
and Wage Conditions.

THE seed which is planted today
in the minds Of the workers will
be reaped in the period OF Industrial
activity and prosperity following the
/ present defiation in business" said
I Q. c. Lloyd. labor manager Of the
4 Eerheimer-Stein Clothing CO. Chi
cago. in his talk before 40 members
Of the st. Joseph County Employ
ment association at their regular
monthly meeting held Monday night
| in the Y. VI. G. a. when he spoke
\ on the subject, THE Trend Of the
Cost Of Living and Wages" He
| also said:
The cost Of living beginning with
/ the pre-war period in December
1914 as given in the Federal Bureau
Of Labor report up until the peal,
OF it's climb in June 1920 shows that
the increase for the Chicago district
totals just 1857 greater than thc
/ pre-war level The decrease from
June 1920 until Dec. /, 1920 as given
by the Bureau Of Labor shows that
/ the decrease has been just 1870
Since Dec. /. the statistics given by
| the National Industrial conference
indicate that the total decrease to
date in the cost of living from the
peak is between 20 and 22e6.
AT the present time the country
is in the throe of business deflation
due to the sudden refusal of the
+ public to buy because OF the high
prices. In an effort to check this
dehation in business articles have
had their prices slashed to reawaken
the buying public TO the fact that
real values can be bought at almost
pre-war price standards. Raw
materials have dropped and prices
have come down in everything pro
portionally with the exception OF
labor.
Eliminate Bonus.
Necessarily, because OF the cur
tailment of merchants in buying
large stores of goods have accumu-
lated and the supply has far exceed
ed the demand. Naturally the only
course for the business man to adopt
was to lower his prices He has
suffered heavy LOSSES by stocking UP
with raw materials when their prices
wore high. In an effort 10 get back
/ 10 normal many manufacturers
have cut wages in amounts vaI-jng
from to 400. other manufact-
urers have reduced the startine
rates Of new employees and still
others have made little wage reduc-
ton because they have stopped pay
ing bonuses.
AS a result OF this depression
many plants have closed while
others have operated on only part
time schedules. Consequently many
men have been thrown out of EN-
plOynent. Now. on account Of the
large number Of unemployed tbs
employers are being sought for jobs
a year ago. This naturally cause,
a downward tendency in wages.
Wage reductions have been OF
most frequent occurrences in the tex
tile industries of the east and south
Many knit-goods factories, shoe fac
tories furniture Ilants. and hosiery
mills have reduced wages in
amounts ranging from 10 TO 40 per
cent and the packing plants in Chi
NdEU 4lt AAOW EOltSAOGA 4llk ltAuG-
tons of 12ia 10 10 percent.
The remedy 10 be offered for
this condition of business will b.
found in a satisfactory working re-
lation and harmonious dealings be-
tween capital and labor. II the seed
of trouble and unrest is promulgated
in the minds OF the workers now
the result when business once more
asceuds 20 normally will be discard
/ However, on the other hand IL the
seeds OF good viii and cooperation
are sOwn now a harvest Of good
will be reaped by both when conji-
tons once more reassert themselves
upon sound basis in mutual bene-
fit 70 both.
Suggests New Policy.
a good sound cooperative poll
Cy which will be conductive Of har-
mony and Increased production be-
tween labor and capital is the mos
effective argument which can be of
fered as a solution for the present
state of affairs. The laborer should
+ be brought TO realize that he should
accept a reduction in wage rates
7 which will somewhat equalize the
wages with the new levels or farm
products and merchandise. before
conditions Will again assume state
/ of stability such as existed in the
/ pre-war days.
The adoption Of mutual IOliCy
T Of cooperation will do more than
anything alse in attaining this hap
by state Of normal business and
although I do not think that prices
VIII ever again reach the same level
that they were before the war / do
believe as soon labor IS Debated In
/ proportion with other items normal
conditions will be restored" said Mr..
I Lloyd in conclusion.
Following Mr.. Lloyd's address a
F general discussion on labor and in
dustrial conditions as existing in St.
Joseph county was held. Represen-
tatives from every leading manutac-
turing company in South Bend and
Mishawaka were present at the
/ meeting.