The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-09-02
AS OTHER EDITORS SEE r.
ADss Event. ]. ReIsef the Press Of tie Nation
Enfirs Nat;aa Helpsd.

No matter what the compslling
reason really was. 1t generally b |
agreed that the recent wage in-'l
grasses in the steel industry Will |
haye ! most beneficial effect on all
81 the nations activities. Editors
seem to feel that the present immi-
grafton laws have their effect, but
here il little disposition display
cd to criticize because Of this. Al
few papers. notably the New York
Evening World. characterize the
wage advance rs window dress-
INK" because Of the certain pas
age Of the new tariff bill which
places . duty on steel.
The increase recognizes, tho
Newark News says, that living
costs are not coming down and. that
where they are not static the ten
dency is upward. In . sense, too,
this wage increase may be re-
earded - the steel mems answer
to President Harding, who called
them into conference q few months
ago to urge upon them. II possible,
the establishment Of a basic eight
hour day. This is an industry in
which the laborers are unwilling
to take reductions in pay by cuts
in their working time" Also the
immigration laws must be ccnsid-
cred in this connection the Spring
field Republican AYERS, as 1.-The
present immigration law is un-
doubtedly keeping out Of the coun-
try thousands Of common laborers
such as the iron and steel industry
absorbs" The announcement.
however. lis the best industrial
news Of the year." the Buffalo News
thinks as when. affairs are we'll
with the steel trade all is on the
way to be we'll with the general
business Of the country. The steel
industry is something Of q trade
barometer"
Window dressing" is the way
the New York Evening World de-
scribes the move, holding 1.-The tariff
explains it. The tariff profiteers
are doing . little window dressing.
They are also preparing to bang
the old dinner pail handed down
from the Mckinley campaign" The
Milwaukee Journal also thinks that
the tariff is factor, but it likewise
suggests that the steel business
apparently registers the shortage nj
common labor generally reported
throughout the country" The ad-
vance should be, the Chicago Trib-
une says, followed in other indus
tries with a raising OF pay where
it has been reduced during the
liquidation period" And the best
explanation is the simplest" the
Buffalo Shines insists, as the steel
industry raises the pay of labor in
its employ to keep in line with the
trend Of the times. Having decided
that to guarantee a living wage is
the thing to do, steel does it Will
emphasis. 1t comes at a psyche
logical moment. No sentiment en-
tiers into the matter. 1t is Bis
business and good business"
There seems little grounds fol
the suspicion, the Chicago News
feels, that the increase is Seeking
to enlist the support of labor BY
offering to share illegitimate gains
with employees. AS matter of fact
economic conditions justify, il
they DO not actually make impera.
tive. the action of the steel com.
panies' Apparently to attract labor
to the mills an increase of 20 pei
cent In wages Is deemed necessar,
by practical men. Wage readjust
ments upward are just as newt
able as readjustments downward
when economic factors and indus
trial conditions demand them" tn,
action also reflects a period o
unusual prosperity in the steel cen
ters,' the Springfield Illinois Stat,
Journal says and "the public is no
ignorant that the steel manufactur
ers today have more unified order!
On their books than in many years
that prices Of all classes and grades
of steel have advanced sharply
and that the shares and the bond.
Of the steel companies have showI
marked improvement in recen
months" The Little Rock Arkan
sas Democrat feels the same way
arguing that 1T Is difficult to be