Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-05-02
NE misses much who knows 90
much that no one can tell him much"
ADJUSTMENT OF LABOR


effect that all the reports concerning
labor overplus or scarcity are merely
conjectural and not based on actual
information. 1t is said the Federal
experts admit that there are no
agencies in this country for obtain
Ing comprehensive data respecting
employment conditions and that
estimates are all they have on which
to base their conclusions.
10, One would suppose there should
he Improvement on such situation.
Certainly there ought to be better
facilities for adjusting labor to the
needs than those now existing.
Presumably there would be a con-
siderable prejudice in some in
stances to be overcome before proper
cooperation could be secured from
labor itself. The need, however, is
great. The country has an illustra-
ton of this made quite conspicuous
during the coal controversy, the
picture of twice as many miners as
needed loafing half the year because
of lack Of work and expecting and
demanding an annual wage for six
months Of work. This, too, when the
food products were rotting in the
fields because of scarcity of labor.
But who would work the whole year
round when he could make a years
pay in six months and enjoy the
fishing and hunting during periods
of idleness? And who could lead
unwilling labor to the work await
ing 1t?
The South has had more colored
workers than it actually needed and
consequently the wage was low as
compared with places where labor
was scarce. During the war some
other fields and a similar condition
is now Offering inducements which
are worrying southern employers.
The South, some say, could spare
OF an exodus Is sometimes contagious
and more would be likely to go away
than could we'll be spared; besides
those that remain will be in a posi-
tion to demand better pay. The
labor of the North would welcome
such q change. Low wages and long
hours in the work of the South
where labor is cheap and plentiful
he + bor MI
i. for several years. The restraint up
on immigration and the readjust-
ment of the surplus labor of the
country may have far reaching
beneficial effects.
A telegram the other day an
nounced that the Bethlehem Steel
Corporation had put thousand
: Mexicans to work in it's plants and
was finding them good men. This
/, reminds us that the peoples who
+. come to this country for employ
ment do not as rule return to their
! country will ill-will against the
). United States. The Mexicans have
in the past entertained ill-will to-
ward their neighbors on the North.
1t is possible this will be lessened
through the medium of employing
Mexicans to work in our industries
and the better understanding SO
brought about.
Parts of Canada have profited
financially from the sale of liquor to
be smuggled into this country. All
Canada is now being aroused by the
departure of workingmen for the
States where better jobs and better
Fpay await Them
Accurate data may not be obtain
able respecting the extent of these
changes which the labor conditions
Sin this country under the operation
sof the present immigration laws are
undergoing. but there seems little
doubt that these are material and
unjust inevitably prove advantageous
sto all concerned.