The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-09-05
Member of The Associated Press.
1s75ssffi0s
<uNloM 1lAaED
LABOR DAY

Labor Day Comes to Ibis year with greatly
changed conditions from those prevailing one year
ago. The situation was then far from normal but
it was subsdag from the abnormal stage brought
On by the World War when human energies were
diverted from the arts Ct peace ia;o channels for
tic destruction Of human beings and he wping
cat OF property. Il has been said with consd-
cradle justice that labcr won the war. Iooking
back on those cycnliuI four years, history is net
Wrraied nahi nov 20 say that il was labor OF the
9mc'; tar better perhaps 10 ailot 10 each It's
share OF praise and OF glory Ter here plenty for
both. In any event labor is today rapidly assum-
ing It's normal phase but In The rcadjustnent pro-
cess there should BE ample give and take There
mast be il square deal Is 10 be given Here
we have a situation entirely reversed. Only few
months ago il was next TO impossible to'secure labor
o. any kind lor any purpose. Today the govern
ment reports recently issued state that nearly SIX
million men and women are on; OF work with slim
chance of finding anything to do. Experts explain
that this an inevitable development in connection
with REIMBURSEMENT but that does not feed hungry
mouths o. clojhe the naked Il IS therefore quite
clear that another abnormal condition exists even
though Il IS termed getting back to normal This
condition calls fer clear thinking and calm action;
the extremist should mol be allowed to run wild
but men who can point the way should be en-
couraged 10 help. Government action may be nee
essoy 10 bring about a resumption of normal bust
ness conditions; when this happens labor will
gradually be absorbed into the various channels of
industry so that before another year the nation
will have settled down to a steady routine Of pro-
duction and manufacture, under conditions abso-
uely fair 10 the abcrer and producer and to those
who have advanced their capital for development
purposes. Nov IS a time for give and take. time
ter greater appreciation than ever before Of the
rights of others Confidence being the basis of
all successful business II goes without saying that
unless confidence reasserts itself business will con-
tnue 10 stagnate. There ale indications here and
there that better times are ahead. With confidence
and cooperation cur country can be brought back
to that state of activity whereby the demand for
labor will be sufficient 10 give work to every man
who wants work and al a wage large enough to
not only enable The laborer 10 provide actual
bread end butter for himself and his dependents
but leave enough over TO educate his children and
sci aside something fer old age That is all that
labor demands; if our people are to be happy and
conienIed that is what they must enjoy God for
bid HAT We should ever go back TO he pre-,var
days when any man or any group cf man can gel
together m d community Of interest for The purpose
OF fal'ening on lie sweat aud bleed Of their fell
lows. The war gave US a new insight as 10 what
might be dcne by cooperation. 1t would be moth
ing short Of criminal to allow selfish greed to gain
the ascendoncy after we have learned the lessen