Evening star., 1922-09-03
CONTINUED From First Page.)

basis. When the time arrived for
making this provision effective the
employers repudiated their agree
ment. and even went so far as to deny
that there had been any such agree
ment definitely reached. In May. 1871,
nearly 10000 printers ceased work.
At this time nearly 5000 still are con-
tending. the remainder having Sc
cured the forty-four-hour week.
A Wage Cut of AZ Per Cent.
In the textile industry of New Eng
land employers goaded the workers
until resistance was the only course
consistent with manhood. About a
year and a half ago there was a
general wage reduction of 22 per cent.
This the workers accepted. Five
months ago another reduction. this
time of 20 per cent, was proposed and
the workers, after falling to secure
conferences with the employers, re-
fused to continue at work under the
proposed reduction. Their resistance
to this patent injustice has been one
of the inspiring and heartenlns
pages of recent industrial history.
The granite cutters and the quarry
workers have been in idleness for
many months, due to the determine
ton of employers to reduce wages
and to crush the organizations of the
workers. Here, too. there has been
a magnificent American resistance to
injustice. The packing house work
ers were compelled to resist similar
unfair proposals, and In the needle
trades it was necessary to cease work
in protest against the determination
of employers to revive the old sweat
shop practices of the past. The needle
trades have been magnificently vic.
torious in their efforts. and who will
say that q victory of this kind Is not
a victory for the best American
standards and traditions? The work.
ers have stood for the humanitarian,
proposals of reaction and retrogfes-
sion.
These are some of the factors that
have brought about industrial un-
rest, and that have created inter-
ruptions in some of our most i'm
portant industries.
notwithstanding Employefs.
. If employers had been forward
looking, If they could have divorced
themselves from an erroneous inter-
probation Of their self-interest, II they
could have brought themselves to a
true understanding Of the purpose Of
industry, and that it is essentially
cooperative in nature, there need
never have been a single Interruption
Of our industrial processes due to q
stoppage of work since the signing OF
the armistice.
There is no sufficient reason why
our Industrial life should not always
proceed as steadily as it did during
the period of the war, when all forces
were concentrated toward q single
end.
We have had Industrial disturb
ances and an unsettled state of mind
because some employers have thought
they could restore in industry con-
dition under which they could, with
out Limitation or consultation, dictate
the terms, and conditions Of employ
ment.. x As
In itself unrest Is not condition to
be deplored. A healthy unrest Is the
main incentive to betterment and
progress and a higher civilization. 4 1t
fs the unnecessary causes for unrest
unrest which angers Sand gropes for
any Outlet-that are conducive to
unreason, confusion and chaos. 1t Is
the duty Of thinking men, In the Ia
Dor movement and out Of 1t, to so
direct q healthy. unrest as to translate
Il into action Of q natural, rational
character TO bring about the best pos
sihle, condition for the beHefit not only
Of The &orkers.- but Of all the Qsopls