The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-08-24
THE BIG INDUSTRIAL QUARRELs

THE BIG INDUSTRIAL QUARRELS
If the big industrial quarrels of the
present time could be submitted to an
absolutely impartial arbitration. the
decision might find about as much
wrong on one side as the other. But
when the workers try to settle such
disputes by the strike method, they
create disasters that ov~ershadow the
jure the whole community, themselves
included.
When the workers strike, their eff
fort is to stop production of the nee
essaries of life. The capitalists, with.
all their faults and selfishness. do not
usually TRIP to stop production, but
endeavor to keep it going by hiring
other men.
In ordinary industries, the rights of
the people may be less seriously af-
fected, because if some one factory or
group of factories is closed, the people
can obtain their supplies elsewhere.
When a strike ccurs on a nation
wide scale, tying up the railroads, the
coal mines, etc., the effort is made
to stop completely the production or
distribution of the necessaries of life
in hat line. Even though violence
may not be resorted to, the effort is
made to keep all workers from pro-
ducing or distributing something that
is vitality necessary to the general
welfare Of the nation. Those who
desire to continue to work and 10
produce are labeled scabs and life is
made miserable for them. In spite
of all effort, as occurred in Him
OILS with the coal strike, violence does
break out and innocent men arc some
times killed or MANNED.
In other words the striker takes
practically this position: The nation
must consent to the terms the striker
considers just and right, or the nec-
e~ssities of life will be withheld.
through non-production and non-dis-
tribution.
Americans, as a nation, will not in
definitely permit any body Of men,
capitalists or workers, to take this
of dictation and refuse to
permit the production of the things
are necessary to the welfare and
of the American people. They
will demand thai such disputes be
for settlement to fair ar
3itration. The present system is most
ridiculous in a nation which stands
1T the top Of civilization and where
welfare Of the whole people is
supposed to stand above the welfare
If clique or class. p
"a - IA
LABOR'S LAST RESORT'2 +.
Statistics recently collected indicate, s
in the nine years ending with |
922 there have been in this country
total Of $4,000 strikes, or about /
900 more than took place in the =
of century from 1881 to 1906 :
1clusive. According to the figures :
ne smallest number of strikes in any
ear of the nine was 1904 in 1914 and c
lie largest number was 1924 in 1917. n
These figures tell little in them p
elves. If supplemented by fairly ',
data as to the number of !
,orkers involved, the number of man
ours lost, with the values represent
| in lost wages and lost production, 9,
ere would be such an array of facts Ii
would account for much Of the pres ii
It tagging prosperity. But crying al
1er spilled milk furnishes little u
lidance for the future. "
1t seems more profitable to ask IN
by the number of strikes has so 81
eatly increased in the last decade. f.
lie profound economic disturbances of
the war years and the years that "
We followed made the problem OF "
justing wage scales to living condi- 81,
recurrently acute in all lines of an
lustry. The country is still in the an
of wage readjustments and gu
is earnestly yearning for a period by
industrial peace. SCI
IS it not time for the appearance
the scene of the forward-looking =,
leader who will urge upon en- ~
tiled trade unions a strategic peace ri
to the labor truce that is ola
ley preached by enlightened labor XXI
ders of Great Britain? asks the m
cago News. The hope of returning ere
rests upon production. The
ners have lone their share and the Z
Wy crops give promise Of good ~
IS. Labor shortages are reported -