The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-08-21
.BABSON SEES END
OF LABOR RUCT|ON
EXPERT DECLARES THAT, CON-
TRARY TO OPINION, STRIKES
ARE NOT VERY GEN
ERAL AT PRESENT.
! Points Out Dangers Of Future and
Shows How Labor and Capt.
tai Should Cooperate.
NV ROGER w. RABsoN.)


Wellesley INNS, Mass, Aug. I'm
yIew g! the newspaper space recently
taken hv the coal strike. railroad str,ke.
and certain textile strikes, we are prone
TO think Tint strikes are very general
at tho present time. Roger w. Baoson'
however rcfutes this opinion In state
mcnt issued to-day as follows:
AS a matetr Of fact, We have very
few strikes at tho present time CFci
since the war the strike curve ms pee.
below tho point which vas then caileu
normal Tho fact that we nave hao
three strikes OF large dimensions blinds
10 TO this basic truth. Two or these
gtr,r.s the caol strike and the raj!
shonmcn's strike. are IN industries when
have no, been Debated, so far as WAT
limo wages 20. Tho other. the cotton
textIle strike. has been partially oe-
rlo,aI md the trouble IS about going
tho rest Of the distance. The difficuI-
,Ies IN these three industries are thcn
cases OF helnted hosttliues.
Outlook Brighter.
For the most part labor Is NOT stFlN-
Ing. wages are being gradually 'et oo"n
TO lower levels and the disposition %
men js TO keen at work. There Ia always
r,sa l., Tho strike curve during tn"
summer We are having that rise now
%,y.r.h.Iccs We are not having IN"
,u,rhcr nr the wide distribution OF
strikes which We had last year or al any
,ir,r since 1915. W" Will not nav
rcnetitiop Of those conditions ms year.
Tho strike curve is nearer norma! t"d"
almost anything else in industry.
As 20 the future. the answer is TO ne
looked for in conditions. what maze
the tremendous wave ~ S'rlh'H
marked the wears 1913 I" lH-V' ne
simple fact that there were more J"o9
,ha,' ,,.r. ,ha, tho cost "f living was
Going M: that Tabor was IN position
In force the issue No such prospect -
+, ,ic,r for the wears right ahead. There
FOR, we need not look for "a rop'illloh
-. ,bc g,rikr conditions Of the war days
rrhec DAYS are paScd Nevertheless, VIC
,rc going tn hay" strikes hT"r" are
roing TO be a good many Of them IheF
,rc going To be called for reasons "lh'r
| ,hsu the ones that backed tn" S'r'kt9
war time Then men went ON Sir'N'
| for more pay. They were courageous:
confident. buoyant. They w"r" sure OF
! success They were seldom "IS'IPp"'"'-
ed In the future just ahead iNcE arc
going to strik" afa'nSt WaE" cuts
or.ins, attempts to rule out the unions
! They arc not going 10 be as success" u
as they were in the war-tin" StrIN'N'
| "r, conscoueurc Of this. tho real
question Of tho next few years Is as 10
+ tho frame Of mind which labor Is going
70 bayr In contrast with the bu"yant
| confidence uf the war years Iah"r Is
! no,,. rni,g 10 hc sUllcD rcs"ntful. re-
/ yrnCcfuI What they 10 not gam IN
oncr victories. they arc going 10 nc
D disnoscd 10 accomplish Ivy indirect
,ca,s =, man who cannot got his pay
! raised can sia'l on the job. II" can &c.
,be best Of his boss by ali KINDS "i
NASTY tricks in the factory. These arc
I ebor,- sich,,d roliCicS. In tho long run
I ,bcv work tn the disadrantaE" 81 labor.
! S,uI they arc the usual recourse or
, labo- when It is met by obstacles mat
/ do not yield.
"Rirht here g the problem ~ the
empioyer Of the notN few years. Row
! shall he cot the new tcmn"r "r Eth"r
! In nv nplnion, that ugly temper must
| he met ny open dealing. ny s"iunE ne
/ sorc labor the facts under which bus
ness Is done and by admitting labor
/ orogrcSsively 10 n greater snare III
! ,ron,gemcnt or tho clements Of tho In
/ dus,-iol relations which most directly
co,rern Dor. That f. n say. the time
! 10 develop personncl departments. set
I'm rroft sharing organize shop COM
I nIIttees and all ~ the rest OF the things
/ mat belong to thla class IL, not when
! labor 81 IN the saddle md holds gun nj
/ me employers head hu; when III" ON
! nIoyer himself - in tho saddle and Is
/ in the position TO diC,at" terms.
Sabotage Worse Than Strikes.
The employer does not hav" 10 iak7
: this rca sonab!e course II h" does NOT
whnt TO- He can use those next years
tu pile up trohu" for himself ana MS
! s,,crcssors in days to como. IF. how
over the employer - wise. Iva will take
advantage OF hts position t0 set MP the
. hcat kind Of machinery with which to
J daf.nd himself and hts industry. II IL
mot a question Of strikes in the imm"'
dio,e future Il will hc a question ot
sabotage. Sabotage however, IS worse
than strikes 1t demands It's own
treatment
, In view Of ,hese conditions, !nv"s-
tors should give more thought I" the
labor policies Of the compun!eH In which
/ ,hcy purchase securities. An eNan!na-
( ,Irn Of corporation earnings shows TINT
tho labor policy ~ tho great determining
factor between rront and loss during
normal times This especially applies I"
various concerns In the same In" of
Industry They will pay approximately
the same price Tor ia" IllNteI JUN, III.
nil have practically the same hours OF
work. but one company succeeds ma THO
other fails. Statistics show that tho
difference Is very largely due Ia their
labor and financial policies. Therefore
conservative investors will seek securI-
ties OF companies which have broad
minded labor policy. and which com
pan!cs are now developing plans which
Will be Of use when the next period OF
prosperity comes. Ice cannot he gath
cred IN summer hut must he put ur IN
the winter when Il is not needed. The
some principle applies 10 labor. Labor
troubles are very difficult 20 settle when
thcy occur. Wise manufacturers pre-
pare. during such times as these pre-
tentative measures 80 that labor trou-
hles Will not occur when times ARE
good"
General business "a holding 'ts own
according 10 the index OF tho Rahson-
chart. 1t shows activity today nj c"
hollow normal as compared with 9re
last week and minus 1850 year ago