Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-11-19
Secretary Of Labor Discusses
Present Condition of Amer
lean Workman.
by james }. Davis.

Secretary OF Labor.
War first gave us the liv.ni; wage
as thing to. think about. Since
then II has stayed with us as
phrase. label for the amount OF
money that /; was supposed [" req
resent. We still hear much about
II. with a good deal Of confusion as
to what IS meant by a living wage.
The trend of events since the war
has put the employer in the position
of clinSing to the original meaning
o. tho term, as waE" adjusted to
tho actual cost Of living Eut to
the wage Garner himself the living
wage has come To mean something
more definite, II II means anything
to him. tho living wage means "A
wage on which he can really live
that ia. pay envelope that will per
mi, him to do \ little more than
merely meet tho day-to- day cost Of
his necessities aud enjoy somcthink
or life in addition,
To my mind one OF the significant
developments OF human society since
the war is this frame OF mind on the
part OF the worker. In his view
living has become something above
meeting the bare necessities OF life
In his thoughts the merely living
wage. In It's original meaning. IS
something obsolete. He viii never
willingly go back 10 It. To this fac,
we may a we'll reconcile ourselves
and adjust our economic IF" TO H.
While. Is now. unemployment is still
rife, and work is NJ a premium, We
may deliberately force wages down
as we please. it can he only FOR y
time. Al the moment when bust
ness improves and prosperity re-
turns. We may expect II as Ger
tainty that the American workman
will come back with n wage per
hitting him not Simply to exist. but
TO set something out OF existence,
and let mo say here and now that
this is 80 he regarded as a reason
able and welcome thing.
"a living VINCE"
am convinced that this wider
conception Of what constitutes n
truly living wage is entertained n"t
alone by the workman himself hut
tho American people as n whole have
willingly conceded il To him. y few
rcactionary minds among us may
still cling 10 the literal interpreta
zion OF a living wage as one I"
meet the cost OF living only, hun
these / feel sure will he rushnd
aside by the greater number Of NOR"
liberal minded Americans who in tho
future will he sure To put q broader
conception on the term. "a living
wake" There is no turning bach
tn. war the workman grew aCCu~
toned 10 comforts in life that he had
no; before tasted. Even now h" con
ccivcs that many of the most am
bilious OF these cnlOym"n;s h" may
have TO give mp for good. F"r tho
time tcinE he has been forced |"
surrender them all. Nevertheless.
large measure Of these new enjoy
lnerts he has never given up per
iG
not tho Wish nf our people that he
should give them up forever.
No ono has ssnsed tho present
economic situation more acutcly or
accurately than President Harding
himself. In ono "f tho finest speeches
Die ever made, in passag" t"uch-
.ug on justice 10 tn" workiuGman.
DE- pu; "a most forcihlc ana moving
cor s'ructiou ON this popular feeling
iu favor Of q better treatment ~ the
man who tolls In that speech the
PRESIDENT said The wor kman :
lowest wage must b" enough for
comfort. enough to make his house
q home. enough To insur" that tn"
struggle Tor existence shall not
-ruwd out the things worth existing
;ur" 40 on" could have expressed
ibis moro succinctly. |, was an eN-
precision not simply OF a general
popular conviction. hu, Of new de-
mand OF the workingman himself.
AFTER all this is not a new or rev
stationary demand on his part, 10
is not cxorhitant. He is only CON
srioUS OF having won new dignity.
a moro important place. a place OF
-roat"r responsibility and trust. in
aur national life. and he now Graves
the answered reward. This much
S certain, that from now ON our pro-
ple IN general Viii nav" 10 shape
their way OF life. thnir own ability
10 earn and Ia pay so that hcnccforth
"a proper share of the simple good
things that All Of us have always
enjoyed shall fall TO the lot of the
man who tolls one form in which
this award must fan 10 him Is in
he form Of Il waCc=c1ail Il what YOU
wiN-in view o: the loose meaning
;nat has come 70 10 attached TO the
old living wage. l prefer TO call the
new wage tho buying and saving
wage.
"GninfulIr Employed"
OF the il50o.0oO persons "Eainful-
~ employed" IN tho United states.
@fs00.1n0 or nearly 90 per cent are
The actual wag. earnsrs. skilled
workers. samiskillrd workers labor
crs and servants. If 20 these you
add the ncarl" - per cent engaged
IN clerical and kindred work. We have
ITaSil.H4lE 'NiflE ana "A hall lnltil'l,
or IS per cent OF all those "gaintul
" employed" on wage or week y
salary basis. In other words they
look to the pay envelope for their in
coma These constitute the great
buying public in our country They
arc purchasers OF goods made in
tho United States" !; is for these
that We should seek 10 provide. no,
merely the living wage, hut the saw
Ing wac, for, II the American work
man enjoys anything as much az
spending. It IS saving To award
him a saving wage !s no more than
tust credit 70 the TRAIT which has
made MIN the greatest producer the
greatest buyer. the creates, market
known TO the world
Let there be no doubt as TO the
American worhmans ability and
propensity 20 save For two wears
nYn nTNNrN RIM