Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-01-05

NOT so DEFIANT
Fear New Administration Will Not
Be Sympathetic-Wage Reduction
Seen-Open Shop Chief Worry.

Washington. Jan. 5.--OrSar;zed
labcr is in-a state Of alarm OYER dr.
clinicg wage scales. over the dfIis-
ton that is taking place in the labor.
market and over concrete revcrsas
which it has sustained recently az
the hands Of capital and the courts.
There is no panic on the part OF la,
Dor leaders, il must be ADDED, o.. ht-
cl;nation on their part to. surrender
tamely to unfavoranle conditions.
hut there is genuine uneasiness over
the future ard misgiEng in many
quarters as to the ability of the
unions TO protect fully the interests.
Of the tens Gf thousands of men IN
their ranks. Ky
In the first place, labor is deeply
concerned over the general movsn1elT
throughout the country for a grad
nal, and IN some cases, a radical ses
duet:on in wages. II the next place,
.here is even deerer concern over thu
stead, growth Of the open shap
movement. And finally there is the
feeling that labor can no longer look.
to the Federal Government for tho
syInnathy which it received at the
bands Of the Wilson administrations
These are. the general causes fDt
lAbor's worry. as reflected 4, the;
correspondence Of members of the,
House arr. s.Senate ani as indieatsa;
by the appeals which have gors ops
or which soon will 20 out to wofez
:ng4nen and TO the country for sup
port in res:stire the tendencies of
the present readjustm mt period :.
From AL that; could be gataere1
Yesterday, enlightened labor leaders
gravely doubt their ability to-na;n+
tsin,highy wage sz;eses in the faef t93h
,dec1iring markets generally. Nest aH.
chem haye .pbrlt, Hsde. .up theiE|
minds that labor. t.as. we'll as, busisif
ness, must expect smaller retuth
thar in, the past although every pasS
Sbf effort pis: bdHs made TO! PessttE
none the ref7uctiogs. Is,
sisUpiop spogesmsms haEe claimed I'M
All ithei,. wage !conttnyersies that,
|fbeir followers could no. ACCENT Iess|
pay 50 .lorg- as4the cost Of liy;ha'
3lie9a5s;iaeI +; IL Iss ag hs1lsvelsa aEnnloyeals
as cften insisted chat the cost .G
ff:vine could rot he materially reitisef'
20 long as la!ar p.as paid war tins,
wages. The two clements never hayf
failed to deadlock on that prcposi-
lion. ~.
But, hy degrees. it seems from all
reports received here, TIE two s:alea
are going down simultaneously. The
.rsepsrtment Of Labor statistic;ans
show conclusiveir: that there "a: "a
decrease in the last few months in
food, clothing ard shelter although
fuel is still high. 1t is uPdersto9a.hi.
that figures soon to be ma3e-p -prblie
will show corresponding decliha
in wages, perhaps propcr;tonats
decline. 81
]. Labor leaders. it is declared. m!aM
be reccnciled to retslced wage scaipA
II they could be assured Of 8 t,pce.n
the fight for the omen shcp and:if
trey had any guarantee Of synpa4
thetic consideration from f;ovefhs
merit. But a;nparen.ly they hare u.
reason to expect either. hsnGe, ni1rd
pf tie depression in organized iabaf
riIrles., Il,
It is telt By u,tor leaders generally
that decided reaction against u7istE;
ism is n1an;fes:1ing itself in r.anY
parts of the co;rtrY; that now the
Nar IS over great MANY folk have
become conv;rces that labor prtf:..
teered at the expense of tie Gg Ell,
tneft and the country N the same
sense If not to the same extent as rnti--
5,