The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-09-09
UNEMPL IS UNNATURAL
Slump Has Jared Entire Ma
chinery of Our Country.
Governor Does Not Lay All the
Blame on Labor.

As the name Of the article implies,
It pertains to the relation of the public
to Industrial disputes and warfare
Governor Aliens article opens with
the promise that the present unem-
ployment is unnatural. He points out
that activities of all sorts were in
American public believed that with
the rehabilitation of three million
men who had been engaged in war ac-
tivities. employment for all of them
would be found in "catching up" with
the building and industrial program.
No Obstacle in Sight.
Apparently" says the governor,
way of the high tide of prosperity
which would bring the energies OF
; every element Of the country into
full play. In the very midst of these
high and reasonable expectations,
there came \ slump which seems to
have Jared the entire machinery OF
our commercial and industrial life.
Men do not agree upon the cause for
the unexpected condition which has
brousht so many activities to stand
still"
Governor Allen does not lay all OF
the blame for the depression, upon
labor. There has been a tendency on
the part of all to hesitate before en-
tering upon the descent which leads
to pre-war conditions.
All EnlOyGu war
Every man who was enjoying a
war profit naturally held on as long
as he could. The man who~made
brick and the man who laid brick
were both grasping at the desirable
opportunity to continue the high price
of material and labor The trust
which manufactured cement, the
trust which sold it, and the trust
which worked it into buildings, all in
their several ways decided that they
would not ccduce the war profits until
compelled by circumstances so to do. |
"Organized labor formed early the
determine ton to keep up war prices.
On the day we signed the armistiee,
Samuel GOmpers. president of the
American Federation of Labor, ad- |
dressing at Laredo, Tex, an inter- |
national labor council, said, 1.-The fight
OF labor in the United States is to
keep what it won during the war
For the purpose of carrying out a |
program which was intended to !
strengthen lator's condition. the doc |
trine of doing less work for larger
pai- was promulgated.
.'In April. 1919. James Aarkin, q |
radical leader of the garment makers, !
slid- to his followers in New York, |
Do as little as you can for as much |
az YOU can get They accepted his |
advice. They accepted increased wages
OF nearly 400 per cent and cut down /
their producing capacity nearly so per !
cent What happened. did it Increase !!
the prosperity Of the garment max
ers2i No.
The public quit buying gaRments /
and there were more garment max
ers out of employment in the indus /
trial centers than there had been for /
a quarter OF century in the United
States
"A labor leader in Seattle called a
strike because a mason carried 4
board from one floor to another that |
ought to have been carried by a car
penter. Why did they do this? OBJ
viously for the purpose of multiP4ying !
the personnel which works in the |
building trades industries. Has it |
helped? AS a result more masons and |
carpenters were out of employment in /
Seattle than had been out of employ
ment for a good many years in that
thriving city.
Not American Doctrine.
Stacking is not an American doc
trine. 1t does not fit a land of achieve
ment where we are behind with our
construction activities. It is ruinous |
equally to the man who -labors and |
the man who employs.
"Out In the middle west this multi
plication of personnel upon the task |
has had a wrecking influence. not only
upon the industry it has touched di-
rectly. but upon all Which are at |
fected indirectly.
Probably in the middle west no |
graver deterrent to the general ac- |
tivity exists than the present status of |
the transportation problem. II a |
farmer ships four carloads of stock to |
the market, it takes one carload to !
pay the freight upon the ether three |
cars
TT costs him one-third of the SELL |
ing price of his wheat to land it at 1
its ultimate market Railroad freight |
rates are incredibly high. The wild |
est dreams of the early railway finan- |
cier never contemplated the present |
earning schedule. yet when you bring |
to his attention the disastrous re- |
suits of these extortionate rates he |
has no difficulty in proving thatNt the |
government still owes him money TO |
make up the deficit between these |
rates aEd the operating cost
The factor of labor in this prob |
lem has been very conclusive. and |
here again the multiplication of per- |
sonnet has hao more to do in causing |
the wreck than the wages paid per
man. It is rot that they are paying |
too much for the man-they are pay
ing too many men to do one mans
work
One Example of RaiIrOading.
Recently I examined the new reg
ulation of craft in the railway bust
ness. One sample IS sufficient to
show the extraordinary effect that
has followed the Illogical expansion
OF the personnel. This typical case
relates to the removing of a nozzle tip
from the front end of a locomotive.
Mechanically it is as simple as the
uuhitching of a team of mules. but
here is the elaborate provision Of the
crafts regulation for performing this !
task.
1T is necessary to send for boil |
er-maker and his helper. to open the |
door of the boiler. because that is a |
a
send for a pipe man and lis helper to
remove the blower pipe. because that /
Is pipe mans job Then you must |
send for n machinist and his helper to |
remove the nozzle tip. because that is |
a machinist's job