The Connecticut labor news., 1921-02-18
STRIKE LOSSES FIGURES ARE NOT
 BASED ON FACTS
Approximate Cost Cannot Be Estimated Except in Few
 Isolated Cases

Washington, Feb. 18.-An approxi- mate cost of strikes can not be esti- mated, except in isolated instances, says EdsOn L. Whitney, writing in the Monthly Labor Review, issued by the
 United States Bureau of Labor Statis- tics.
 The writer discounts claims by those who estimate the cost of strikes down to the last dollar. He says it is i'm possible to estimate the loss and that figures issued on this subject '"are but mere guesses by the compiler, not sta tlStical i'll character and frequently in correct Ill their conclusions"
 Despite the machinery established by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the various states complete information of every strike can not be obtained, nor IS it possible to say that the information is correct i'll every particular, especially since statements of employers and en- ployes are frequently greatly at vari- ance. Teh recent steel strike illustrates this point. On the first day of the strike, says Mir. Whitney, the union officials announced that 279,OOO men were idle; the next day the number was given as 327,OOO; two days later as 340O0O, and on October 27 as 37O,OOO olt llO OlIlS1 l1oIlO uC- nied that over 40 per cent. of the above number actually went out. On October Is the Inland Steel Company, at h. diana Harbor, announced that 5000 of tehir employees had returned to work, while the union officials claimed the number was 25O. On October 27 the Indiana Steel Company at Gary, h. diana, stated that their mill was oper- ating, while the union officials said that the strikers were standing firm.
 It is shown by these figures that the steel strike resulted in loss of 2,OOO,- GOO man-days or 40000000 man-days, according to ones viewpoint. From the standpoint of statistics, however, the figures mean nothing.
 The loss resulting from strikes Is largely mythical, according to the writer, who says:
 Most industries are seasonal to a certain extent and when, after short strike, the men return invigorated and rested as result of their vacation, they will, in the course of the season, do as much work as they would have done had on strike occurred" Instances in the steel industry are cited to prove this point. It IS also stated that a miners strike does not necessarily reduce the amount of yearly wages received, as it may divide the slack season with two parts, and in estimating their loss in wages this condition should be borne in mind"
 In discussing strike losses by enl- ployers, MT. Whitney says, ''very few who estimate this loss explain their method of figuring"
 Except ill very long continued strikes, 1 however, 1t seems to be limited mainly ,a@l,, difficult to figure, for profits are elusive and may disappear even in the absence of a strike, since they are generally dependent upon market conditions at the time of the sale, rather than at the time of manufacture.
 "Temporary losses i'll one establish ments are often offset by temporary gains later as where a shop is closed | for time by a strike of its employees and neghbor shop gets its business during the time, and then later the first l shop profits similarly by strike at the second shop.
 Tn only rare instances does the pub lie, the innocent third party suffer money loss. It suffers in inconvenience mainly.
 Rarely is there any loss of time to i'll related industries. Manu- featuring establishments do not live | from hand to mouth. They keep enough | raw material on hand for most emer- gencies and their finished product is rarely oversold.
 Tn the recent coal strike what little | inconvenience was suffered was due to fear that there might be shortage of | coal, rather than because any such | actual shortage existed, and the few that were closed because of the strike undoubtedly soon made up for lost time, if the slack season in | hat industry was not at hand
 While it may be possible to get at he cost of a few small strikes, 1t does lot seem that figures purporting to represent the cost of strikes in money nave any value whatever"