Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-08-24
SEES AN END OF
LABOR TROUBLES
ROGER BABSON THINKS LABOR
DISTURBANCES ARE TO
COME TO AN END.

road strike, and certain textile
strikes, we are prone to think that
strikes are very general at the pres
ent time. Roger w. Babson, how
ever, refutes this opinion in a state
ment issued to day as follows
CAS- a matter of fact, we have
very few strikes at the present time
Ever since the war the strike curve
has been below the point which was
then called normal" The fact that
We have had three strikes of large di-
mensions blinds us TO this basic truth
Two of these strikes, the coal strike
and the rail shipments strike, are m
Industries which have not been defat-
.d. so far n war time wages go. The
other, the cotton textile strike, has
been practically Debated and the
trouble is about going the rest of the
distance The difficulties in these
three industries are then eases Of be
lated hostilities.
For the most part labor is not
striking, wages are being gradually
lei down TO lower levels and the dis
position Of men is to keep at work.
There is always q rise in the strike
curve during the summer. We are
having that rise now. Nevertheless,
we are not having the number or the
wide distribution Of strikes which we
had last year or at any time since
1918 We will not have a repeti-
ton Of those conditions this year.
The strike curve is nearer normal
than almost anything else in industry
"As To the future, the answer is TO
he looked for in conditions. What
made the tremendous wave Of strikes
" hich marked the years 1915 to 1920?
The simple fact that there were
more Jobs than men; that the cost Of
living was going up; that labor was
IN a position to force the issue No
such prospect is in view for the years
right ahead Therefore, we need
not look for a repetition Of the strike
conditions Of the war days. Those
days are passed. Nevertheless, we
are going 10 have strikes. There are
going to be a good many of them.
They are going TO be called Tor
reasons other than the ones that
backed the strikes of war time. Then
men went on strike for more pay.
They were courageous, confident,
buoyant. They were sure Of success.
They were seldom disappointed. In
the future just ahead, they are going
to strike against wage cuts, against
attempts to rule out the unions. They
are not going to be as successful as
they were in the war time strikes.
y "In consequence Of this the real
question of the next few years is as
to the frame Of mind which Labor is
going to have. I'm contrast with the
buoyant confidence of the war years,
Labor is now going to be sullen,
resentful, revengefu. What they
do not gain in open victories, they
are going to be disposed to accomp-
lish by indirect means. A man who
cannot get his pay raised can stall
on the job. He can get the best of
his boss by all kinds OF nasty tricks
in the factory. These are short
sighted policies. In the long run
hey work to the disadvantage Of
Labor. Still, they are the usual re
course of Labor when it is met by
obstacles that do not yield.
Fright here is the problem of the
employer of the next few years. How
shall he meet the new temper Of La
Dor? In my opinion that ugly temper
must be met by open dealing, by set
ting before Labor the facts under
which business is done and by ad
hitting Labor progressively TO q
greater share in management % the
elements of the industrial relation
which most directly concern Labor
That is to say: the time to develope
personnel departments, set up profit
sharing, organize shop committees
/. ard all of the rest Of the things that
belong to this class is, not when La
Dor is in the saddle and holds a gun
at the employers head, but when
the employer himself is in the saddle
and is in the position to dictate
terms.
"The employer does not have to
take this reasonable course, If he
does not want to- He can use these
next years TO pile up trouble for
himself and his successors in days
to come. If, however, the employer
is wise, he will take advantage of
his position to set up the best kind
Of machinery, with which to defend
himself and his industry. II IS not a
question Of strikes in the immediate
future. 1t will be a question Of sab
hotage. Sabotage, however IS worse
than strikes. IL demands It's OWL
treatment.
'In view Of these conditions, invest
ors give more thought TO the labor
policies of the companies IN which
they purchase securities. An exami-
nation of corporation earnings shows
that the labor policy is the great de
termining factor between profit and
loss during normal times. This cspc-
cially applies TO various concerns in
the same line of industry. They AL
pay approximately the same price
for raw materials; they all have prac-
f;calI,, tb. can,o hours Of work but