The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-20
BURDEN OF PROOF
 ON MPLOYER AND
 0-HOUR DAY. STAYS
Davis Believes There Is a Way Out of Every Industrial Controversy Without
 Stopping Work
By HARDEN coLFAx


 Special Correspondent of The Age
 Herald
 Copyright 1921, by The Age-Herald)
 Washington, March 19.-(Special.) ) Wage reductions will be sanctioned by the government as mediator in indus trial disputes where proof is unmis- takable that present wage scales are abnormal. The burden of proof, how ever, will rest upon the employer, Notwithstanding organized labor's bitter fight last fall against the re- publican ticket there will be no re- prisals now. Nor will there be, with government approval, a lengthening of the working day. The eight-hour day is here to stay.
 Such IS the keynote sounded by the labor department on the eve of the new administratien's first entrance as me diator on the troubled neId of indus try. The packing houses are the spot of irritation for the< moment, but a long list of industries affected by wage controversies is forming in the offing. The labor department appears to be on the threshold of its greatest activ- ity. Secretary Davis wants to make that period the period or its greatest usefulness as we'll
 PACKING TROUBLE
 The oath of office was still fresh on MT. Davis lips when trouble broke in the packing industry. He acted at once and accepted an invitation to keep the industry going and prevent a strike by offering h,s services as mediator to employers and workers. They accepted and the business sus- talned no interruption. When hearings begin next Monday they will inaugu- rate something more than mere me- oiation in the packing business: They Will lnaugurate the administration s labor policy of preventing a strike in the first place, if there can be such prevention
 "We are going to try not to let
 matters get as far as a strike in
 any industry, the new Secretary
 told the writer. ssWe believe
 there is a way out of every indus
 trial dispute, way without stop
 ping work. Reasonable men aI-
 ways can find a common meeting
 ground I belfneve that both the
 employers md the employees are
 Ie"sohapie men. We are going to
 try to help them find that meet
 ing ground where they can settle
 their differences,
 That is one of the cardinal points which Secretary Davis has settled upon, presumably after conferrins with the President. There are. many polnts of policy yet to be determined 80 pressing are some of them that MT. Davis is setting new pace for his subordinates. He comes to work about 7:So in the morning-never later than Sand stays at his desk late at night. He is trying, he says to find out all about his job.
 SHOW PRICE DROPS
 on another floor Of the. same build Ing branch of the department is com : bling facts and issuing bulle.,os showing the rapid fall of prices. These figures show heavy reductions in the cost of living. They are vital in their application to wage disputes. The whole theory of the living wage is constructed on the cost of living. As lying costs scared during the war pe- rlod, labor secured its chief advances on their showing. Inversely, it foi- ,oWs that as the cost of living av- ing reached wthe crest, toboggans downward, wages, too. go with it.
 The government will not oppose such reductions, but it must be proved beyond cavfl that they are justified It must be proved that the workman can live in comfort and save some thing. Starvation pay finds no cham pion at the labor department Nor does the. watered wage.
 Before sanctioning wage reduc- tlons. however, the suggestion will first be made that extra efficiency ef- fort be made by labor to justify pres- ent scales. Labor will be asked to give more in finished product per eight hour day. to tighten up, work harder. increase output If that can be done, it is possible through greater production, to decrease labor costs. It may not be possible, but 1t will be tried.
 WILL D. AL SQUARELY
 Secretary Day also wants employ CTS to feel tha 2. his department will deal fairly an squarely with them. The labor der ment has been ac- cused-whethe stly or not IS an- other thing ts critics of being unduly partial times to labor. Sec retary Davis wa } no such accusation to lie at his dooi The department will