Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1922-10-11

wages have had a sensational ad-
vance. and this advance was COM
pulsory because OF the shortage OF
labor.
In both fields OF activity Il was a
question OF bidding high for labor
or shutting down the plants. Labor
like commodities, is subject to the
law OF supply and demand. The
wage OF labor will never come down
until the supply exceeds the de-
mand.
The law passed by Congress soon
after the war restricting immigra-
ton IL wholly responsible for the
present labor shortage. II this law
had never gone on the statute books.
II our portals had remained as free
TO immigration since the war as they
were before the war and as they
| have been throughout our history,
our inflated wage scale would have
been well llquidated before now.
That wages would not debate when
there was a shortage of labor should
have been clear TO the Washingt on
statesmen. II should have been clear
America does not produce its own
labor. and never has produced its
own labor since the formation OF the
government. England. France, Ger
many. italy. and all the countries Of
! the Old world produce their own
| labor. They do not depend upon
| foreign labor 20 do their work. our
only domestic labor. outside OF the
rural sections. Ia colored, and in the
North that is wholly negligible
There isn't enough OF It 70 make a
dent in the situation.
We produce no labor in America
for the reason that there Is no sym
pathy between the American public
school and the pick and ak. Put
boy through an American public
school. whether he he the son OF an
Immigrant laborer or the son Of an
old line American. the result Is the
same. He will have nothing to do
with labor.
And what IS true Of the American
bov is true Of the American girl. in
respect Of service. This spirit Is fine,
admirable. II is the spirit that has
made America what she is-the rich
est and strongest nation in the world.
But Il leaves Us without labor Of
our own and almost wholly depen-
dent on foreign labor 10 do the plain.
simple work that only human hands
can do.
We must have substratum OF
plain labor. Modern life and moderI
civilization cannot exist without Il
We must have mechanics. carpen
ters. plumbers. plasterers. bricklay
ers and painters 10 build housing
quarters for our people. Modern
civilization cannot exist without this
skilled labor. and the present short
age Of it IS so great that mechanics
here in New York have been de-
handing and getting bonuses be-
yond the union scale that have run
their wages up TO as much as SIS
day.
In Chicago prices have gone still
higher-as high as SIS a day fo-
plasterers. according to a Chicago
dispatch published in one OF the
morning papers in New York a few
DAYS ago. Can you fancy anything
more Impossible than this? Can you
fancy what it means in house rents.
what IL means in the cost OF the
shoes we wear. the clothes we wear,
the food we eat? For all branches
OF labor have a direct bearing, the
one on the other. in respect OF
wages.
In this situation It Is perfectly
clear that the country should de-
mand. and that you should demand. |
an Immediate change in our immi- !
grafton laws-a change that will |
let into this country the willing |
workers Of the Old World who are
begging at our doors for admit
lance. In the matter OF immigration |
what we need. and what common /
dictates we should have.
is not restrictive laws but a selective |
system.
ANY change in the immigration |
law that would let into this coun-
try more plain labor and more skill |
ed mechanics will he fought TO the |
limit by organized labor. Whether
our present restrictive law was pass
ed at the behest OF organized labor
7 do not know: but I do know /
that the law is exactly what organ
lied labor has been contending for
and what organized labor will con-
tend for with all its force.
A country the size OF America, a
democracy. must have party govern
ment. There is no other way to man
age it. No big concern can exist
without organization. and the biggest
concern in the world to-day
s the American Government.
A democracy is a mutual concern
managed by the citizens OF the coun-
ry. with a population OF a hun
lred and ten millions. obviously the
,nly way the individual citizen can
make himself felt in the management
II his business-and his Government
$ his business-is through a political
,arty
We are not lacking in party org
nization. Indeed. the Democratic
nd Republican parties are so strong
Y organized. have become so thor
ughly intrenched in the field OF
'olitics. that it is a question IL they
lave not become our masters, not
ur servants.
In the early days OF the Republic
hey represented distinct and posi-
I'VE ideas. But with these great
ideas converted into
history there are no longer any big
issues between them that
ave any place in our politics.
There are. to be sure many small
oints on which the Republican and
parties differ to-day. It