Evening star., 1922-10-01

of wage reduction. The Iron Age
speaks Of the outcome Of the strike
as the most brilliant victory the
miners have ever Won. The mine
of the period of retrogression.
4. At the time this article is writ
ten it is apparent that the railroads
Of the country are about ready to rec
ogniZed the end of the period OF re
trogression. The recognition will, Of
course, be in spite Of the unlawful in
junction secured by Attorney General
Daugherty and it will be in spite of
the most strenuous efforts of the
greatest financial powers in the coun-
try to bring the railroad unions to
the point OF collapse.
5. Some Of the largest employers in
the textile industry, who sought to
impose upon the workers a wage re-
duction Of 20 per cent in addition to
reduction of 22h per cent imposed
a year and a half ago, have been COM
pel1ed to abandon their efforts after q
strike Of more than five months. and
the workers have returned to their
tasks in those factories at the wage
existing prior to the strike. To that
extent the employers in the textile in
dustry have recognized the end of
the period Of retrogression.
Result Of the Struggle.
am not so optimistic as to say
that we have before us pathway
strewn with roses and that reaction
has disappeared. What can be said
is that the organizations Of labor
have proved their ability to resist the
most furious and concentrated at
tacks and that in so doing they have
maintained for all the workers of
America a standard Of living that ap-
proaches equity and they have kept
ment.
AS I have pointed out, there devel-
oped Immediately upon the signing OF
the armistice a vast concerted ef-
fort to reduce wages, lengthen the
hours of labor, and generally to lower
the standards Of working conditions.
Because the trade unions constituted
a constant vigilant barrier and BE-
cause the trade unions continually
sought the improvement and the ele-
walton Of the conditions of all the
workers. their destruction became
necessity to those who sought to de-
teriorate working conditions. The
labor was planned and conducted be-
cause of what those organizations
sought to accomplish. 1t was the re-
suit Of a crude and ignorant greed
which was entirely without 1ore-
sight and without understanding.
I should like to attempt to mako
it clear that in their struggle to ele-
vate the standings of labor. the or
ganizations Of the workers are seek
ing to do much moro than Is generally
understood. Good living conditions.
the sense Of freedom, eduction, good
wages, relations Of cooperation. and
good will between employer and en-
ployed. and general industrial emo.
lency with high-Erade, high:speed
production go hand in hand and can
not be separated. The greater the
volume Of our national production and
the greater the consuming power OF
The masses Of our people, the strong
er We shall be as q nation. the more
nt for leadership we shall be as 9
nation, the more self-reliant we shall
be and tho fuller our capacity for
living and the enjoyment Of life.
We cannot have prosperity and well
being for the wage earnefs OF our
country without consequent and
coincident prosperity and well beins
for our country as q whole. II this
neoessitates a curtai1ment Of specu-
lation and a curtailment Of auto
pSado power and 0xoebitant uaeaTnsd