The Cordova daily times., 1921-10-05
WAGES AND UNEMPLOYMENT

The answer to Mr. Gomper's fierce pro- nouncemcnt against any reduction of wages was immediately forthcoming in the informa- ton furnished through Mayor IIylan's unem- pIoymcnt committee, in New York-a commit tee on which the American Legion is promin- entlv reprcssented-w shows that there are about 50O,O0O unemployed people in New York city, and that these unemployed include about 75,000 former soldiers. These figures may he exaggerated, but lists of the charitable societies and various agencies that are engaged in relieving the necessitous show that the mum Der of idle workers in New York is very large indeed. If we are to suppose that lists of mil lions of unemployed throughout the country in reaction from war imitation, are consis tent with the full maintenance of the highest war wages, then evidently nothing Is to bt done about tine matter of unemployment. As q matter of simple business fact, however, the two things are not consistent. Mir. Hoover has the right of 1t when he says that the an swcr to conditions of idleness in production is the organization of further production, to meet an economic need. The lack of work can only be met by the organization of work, with of course a legitimate and porper attention through the means of public charity, to eases
 
 the meantime, those who can find work, but will not take it at reasonable wages, are really not eligible to places in the front rank of the bread line
 Mr Gompcrs says that if the workers sub init to any reductions at all they will have tC submit to further reductions. It may we'll bt that legitimate employment is in some case indeed dependent upon still further wag,
 
 hold' is really as mpractcablc for the cm ployed, ill all cases, as it is for the employers Manufacturers and employers in general havo been unable to hold the advantage that the war imitation gave them. When times were flush they were glad to get labor at labor own price Then the bottom was knockp, ont of the imitation. The result was the dis appearance of the dcmand-and the wheels stopped. It is time they started again. but they cannot start on false and inflated basis No government commission, no unemployment conference, can set people at work on an anti economic foundation. There must be con currcncc all around to achieve a revival oI business. But Mr. Gompcrs stresses the idle; of resistance. ''It is bcttcr," he says in sC many words "to resist and lose than not to re sist at all, because if you don't resist vou cn courage the employer in the idea that yor cant and won't resist" A little more of this doctrine of resistance all around will surely cn courage the employer in the idea that if is oi no use for him to try tO do anything. and tho ranks of the unemployed will be still further recruited. That is the best way in the world to encourage the shutdown and hoprIossIN handicap the revival.
 Concurrence is needed in this direction But the labor unionists are positively right il claiming that, if they accept lower wages, they should have lower food prices and lower rents There is as little economic excuse for war fOoC prices as there is for war wages Here is { field for Mir. 1ooVcr's organizing actvitic, which he should by no means neglect Fooc and clothing prices have not decreased r obedience to broad economic conditions Tn, sIowncss of the response of food prices, in par ticuar, to the plethora of production and sup ply constitutes a real grievance of labor II IS grievance which it is the duty of all con ccrncd to rcdrcss.- Boston Transcript.