The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1922-01-10

In and industrial forecast for 1922
it is necessary to consider the causes
of the depression, chief among which
is the unbalanced relationship be-
tween the prices of farm and other
primary products on the one hand
and the prices of manufactured goods
transportation service and various
other products and services on the
other hand.
The final estimates of the depart
ment of agriculture upon the 1921
crops give them a market value to
the farmers $S000,0O0,00O below the
value of the crop of 1918 and $3,400,-
10000 below the value of the crop Of
1920 These are figures of great signi-
fcance. The farmers have produced
nearly as much in quantity, but it has
been valued in the exchanges at less
than one-half the figures of 1919. Al
other products and services have moi
declined in like degree, the farmers
must buy much less, and all the in.
dustries are suffering in consequence
1t is useless to expect a return to
normal conditions while this disparity
of compensation between great bodie:
of producers exist. 1t is unfair and il
establishes an effective blockage
against a revival of business. 1t is
that the business community took
.cognizance of the situation, and sci
itself to the task of correcting it. The
argument that stock on hand was pur.
chased at higher prices has lost what
ever force it ever had. Merchants who
are interested in the return of pros
perity should do their part for it, and
one of their duties is to reduce operat-
ing costs.
In large part the situation is charge
able to the action of organized labor
in clinging to the war time wage rates
Raw materials and foodstuffs have
had great decline at wholesale, but
between the wholesale markets and
consumers the cost of handling and
manufacturing has not declined in like
proportions. The effect is to obstruct
the distribution of goods and throw
millions of wage-earners out of EN-.
ployment, at the same time keeping
up the cost Of living on the entire
wage-earning poulation. In the ag.
gregate there is no gain, but a great
loss, to the wage-earners as class.
4 Railroad Wages.
The railroad companies are strug.
Cling with difficult situation, and al.
though their efforts are in the public
interest they have little help from the
public. Railroad wages in shops ant
for common labor are so far above
the wages paid for similar work along
their lines that the companies find i,
practicable to make important savings
by contracting for their repairs and
much other work. The New York
Central has contracted for freight
at some of its terminals, and
the Erie has contracted for track
over portion of its line.
The operation of railway repair shops
always has been regarded as a matter
Of policy within the discretion of the
If company can save
money by operating its own shops it
should do so, and by the same reas-
oning if money can be saved by letting
out the work, that should be done.
The railroads are maintained primar-
lily to give service to the public, and
the public is entitled to have them
operated upon level of costs corre-
spending to what the public pays and
receives for like labors and services.
of service and merit in
service may we'll be recognized, but
should be based upon
the value of services rendered. ANY
other system would make railroad
employees a favored class, at the ex-
pense, not of the railroad companies,
but of the public, including millions
1t people who have less pay than the
men.
We have letter from Montgomery
Ala, in which the writer says:
THE producers are forced to
sell beef for from ~ to 3 cents
per pound and hides for from l
to 8 cents and the consumers paw
from rs 20 40 cents per pound
for steak and from So to SIS per
per pair for shoes. The same is
true of all other products. The
negro porters on railway trains
get salary of from 500 to $500
per month for eight hours of easy
work a day; while the farm labor
ers work from 10 to IA hours a
day in the dew and cold and re-
ceive a salary of from So to SIS
per month, and the farmer loses
money paying that salary. Some
thing is radically wrong and I
fear the result will not be good