Evening star., 1922-08-31
Steel Wage Increases Benefit En-.
tire Country.

tlIc OUuutIy.
No matter what the compelling
reason really was, 1t generally Is
agreed that the recent wage in
creases in the steel industry Will
have a most beneficial effect on all
Of the nations activities. Editors
seem to feel that the present i'm
migration laws have their effect. but
there is little disposition displayed
to criticize because of this. A few
papers, notably the New York Even
ing World, characterize the wage
advance as window dressing" be-
cause Of the certain passage Of the
new tariff bill. which places a duty
on steel.
The increase recognizes the New
ark News says, that living costs
are not coming down and that where
they are not static the tendency Is
upward In a sense. too. this wage
increase may be regarded as the
steel mems answer to President
Harding, who called them into con-
ference a few months ago to urge
upon them, If possible, the establish
ment Of a basic eight-hour day.
This Is an industry in which the
laborers are unwilling to take re-
saesi9as Soesi0a time, IN pay BY cuts IN 'ne'
The immigration laws must be
considered IN this connection, the
Springfield Republican AYERS. as
"the present immigration law is un-
doubtedly keeping out OF the country
as the iron and steel Industry ao.
serbs" The announcement. however,
sis the best Industrial news OF tho
year." the Buffalo News thinks, as
when affairs are we'll with the
steel trade all is on the way to be
the Ms.' country. %n .A The steel industry is
something of a trade barometer"
"Window dressing is the way the
New York Evening World describes the
move, holding "the tariff explains It.
The tarifr profiteers are doing little
pairing to bang the old dinner pail
handed down from the Mckinley cam
paisn." The Milwaukee Journal also
thinks that the tariff is factor. but 1t
ness apparently registers the shortage
Of common labor generally reported
throughout the country.
The advance should be. the Chicago
Tribune says, followed in other indus
tries with a raising Of pay where 1t has
Rod" And the best explanation is the
simplest" the Buffalo Times insists, as
| "the steel industry raises the nay OF
labor in its employ to keep in line with
the trend of the times. Having decided
that to guarantee living wage is the
thing to do, steel does it with emphasis.
r. comes at psychological moment.
M scntiment enters into the matter.
II IL big business and good business"
There seems little ground for suspi-
Increase is a seeking to enlist the sup
port Of labor by offering to share iile-
climate gains with employees. As a
mater OF fact, economic conditions
Justify, II they do not actually make
imperative, the action of the steel COM
nanies. Apparently to ATTRACT labor to
the mills an increase of 20 per cent In
wages is deemed necessary by practical
men. Wage readjustments upward are
Just as Inevitable as readjustments
lindustrial conditions demand them"
The action also reflects a period OF,
unns,,al prosperity in the steel CEN
ters,". the Springfield Illinois state
Journal says, and .'the public Is not
that the ensd orders their
books than in many years; that prices
~ al classes and grades Of steel have
sdyanced sharply. and that the shares
and the bonds Of the steel companies
6AVA. SHOWN IhSA kAARlONCiASALS "a
recsnt months The Little Rock
rsansas Democrat feels the same way.
araufi1e that ''it IL difficult to believe
that the raise IL the result Of q political
naavA Shortage of labor and the ex-
nsctation Of . brisk business revival
sesmf TO be the more probable causes:
srood thing at this time" holds
tbe Denver Rocky Mountain News,
nscause "ttie American steel industry
ss 10 intrenched as to command the
worid "A substantial increase to
hsif 4 million persons at least ID GO
ina 10 rive 4 brighter tone to the in.
dustriaf atmosphere everywhere.
ECommon labor is reaching 1 premium
on account of the present immigration
laws. on the other side. II It were not
Tor the existing American law some
Lof the unfortunate countries Of
EUROPE would be sending hero its
neonfe by swaTms, limited only by
facilities 1t is
reasonabie to assume also, the Louis
vile Courier-Joupnal thinks, that
the wages of the steel workers have
been deAated more than similar
wages generally and that it was
to make the increase In
order 10 prevent the steel workers
from seeking other employment. of
course the bill WILL he pAssed on tn
~, =. 1sha MANIA E7An3afaF