The New York herald., 1921-02-02
LABOR IN NO MOOD
TOILET WAGES JOIN
DECLINE OF PRICES
Industrial Survey OF Two
Cities Finds Only Three
Voluntary Reductions.
RADICALS ARE ACTIVE
Labor Leaders Sheer at Sys-
TENS of Industrial DemOc-
racy and Shop Plans.
HOW THE WORKERS HELP
Leitch and Bridgeport Plans
in Operation Described by
Participants.
HOW THE WORKERS HELP

part of labor to permit wages to join
In the downward trend of prices and
the general effort to beat back to any
thing approximating pre-war values,
It did not manifest itself in survey
Of industrial plants in Greater New
York and in Bridgeport made last week
by THE New YORK HERALD.
The survey was, of course, limited
to what might be called representative
Industries and industrial establish
ments. For obvious reasons it sought
results in those plants where various
systems of shop representation. en-
ployees' committees. industrial democ-
racy and cooperative societies existed.
The investigation was prompted by the
dispatches from Philadelphia a fort
night ago to the effect that the en-
ployees of the Abram Cox Stove COM
pany had suggested TO their employers
that rather than suffer further re-
duction of their numbers they would
urge wage reduction of 15 per cent.
Only Three Examples.
THE NEW YORK HERALD was able to
nnd no establishment where the en-
ployees had. of their own volition, urged
their employers to reduce wages. In
only three cases was 1t discovered that
the workers. after hearing from their
employers that there we're no orders IN
sight and that shutdown seemed In
evitable, took their cue and drew up
plans of wage reductions, overtime elm
ination and 50 on, warranted to keep the
place open.
The three illuminating examples Of
this were shown in the factories of Will
lam Demuth & Co. of Brooklyn. the
Champlain Silk Mills of Brooklyn and
Whitehall. N. Y. and the Bridgeport
Brass Company OF Bridgeport, Conn.
There may be others offering the same
interesting data, but this survey failed
TO reveal them.
And further, the reporter found
score of instances where the employers
had posted notices in which they had
said, in substance. that on such and
such a date such and such shops in the
plant would close and others would be
cut down to the minimum number of
employees necessary to keep the doors
open, and that on that date. the yearly
inventory having been finished. wages
would be cut 10, Is or 20 per cent
The Nodded Leitch System.
The William Demuth Company. manu-
facturer OF tobacco smoking pipes
cigar and cigarette holders and other
paraphernalia for the tobacco consumer
closed It's factory in Richmond Hill be-
fore Christmas in order that an inven-
tory of stock. equipment and the like
might he made. Il Is the largest in
dustry of Its kind in this country
I'VE opened mp again on January l."
explained Leopold Demuth. president of
the firm with IS per cent, of our
normal force on the payroll. We have
well known system OF industrial de-
mocracy in force In our ant II Is the
Leitch system modified and adapted
IT has worked well, but no system will
work OF itself. No system Is stronger
than the organization behind It.
THE point Is however. that I went
before our House of Representatives.
which is composed OF delegates elected
from among the actual producers by the
producers, and told them that whereas
more tobacco is consumed when men
are out of work u did not follow that
idle men bought new pipes.
"I told them that my affairs were
theirs that I had not been slow to
Increase their wages when business
boomed that l would not be slow to
increase them again II business In
creased. But | showed them that we
had no orders; that IL Is an economic
impossibil;y to conduct a business on
p losing basis, that II | continued to
run up a weekly deficit would be
forced 20 close down the plant because
could not meet expenses.
The Workers Propose n Cut.
Therefore. the House of Representa-
tives drew up a plan. II agreed that
we should reduce the income Of the piece
workers 90 per cent. and that OF the day
workers 10 per cent These decreases
sent the workers back TO the old scale
or near Il. That appealed TO this firm as
a sincere effort on the part OF The WORK.
ers. the producers 70 cooperate. and we
accepted their plan. We believe that
business will recover it's wonted health
soon. ! told the men in our plant that
would restore the reduction they Imposed
upon themselves Just the moment busi-
ness warranted IL. We conduct an open
shop. There Is no discrimination against
the union man. Any man here can be-
long to any association he desires to
tust so long as he works honestly, faith
fully and intellitently On the other
hand, / am supposed to be as honest.
Just and fair TO him as he to me"
AT the present time the Bridgeport
Brass Company is operating half time.
Furthermore, only so per cent. OF It's
normal number Of employees are work.
ing even that half time IL muAt be
understood that all the Industrial estab-
lishments visited by the reporter for
THE NEW YonK HERALD were operating
on part time and with reduced forces.
OF course 70 would be Infinitely moro
interesting to take observations OF
plant where the full force had been re-
tained after the workers had vU,ed
themselves decrease In pay. OF course,
again. Il would be necessary first TO find
that factory.
The Bridgeport Brass Company en-
ployees operate under the so-called
Bridgeport plan, n system less intricate
than tho Leitch plan. but like the Leitch
plan Of industrial democracy. dependent
70 a great degree upon the wisdom, the
leadership and the sincerity OF the em-
ployer.
Just before January 1, Guy l.. Miller.
general ms bager for the Bridgeport
Brass Com /any. went before the council
OF the workers IN his plant and told
tiem the same old ory. orders were
not arriving. Old orders had been filled.
Thers was no new business. Money was
tight The outlook was not bright Now
what did tho workers propose? The staff