Evening star., 1923-10-14
When WHIST Be Worth ST. Again?

Iyou can get tweRtxx15ea2ArR Eeth eS
goods than to receivs thirty dollars
which can be exchanged for only
fifteen dollars worth Of goods.
.I was talking to a man in the
building industry today, and. helrwas
telling me about the extraordinary
way the unions. have placed restric-
tions about apprentices and their
persistent efforts to keep men out, OF
their organizations. OF course, they
are merely trying to improve their
condition, and In that they have my
fullest sympat thy The trouble is that
they are going exactly the wrong
way about it. They are really max
ing ahipgs worse for themselves
They have forced, wages up, it is true.
but they have also forced up the ex-
pense of living for not only them
selves but for every one else. This
kind Of artificial and false prosperity
in one Industry means depression in
other industries, which means in turn
a falling off in production and a
lessened value for the dollar. II the
building industry could command all
the workers it needed, wages might
not be 80 high, but they would bay
more. and thatswould bring prosperity
to a hundred other industries.
''The same thing holds true in the
coal industry. The anthracite unions
have followed the same mistaken
policy Of the building trades bodies,
with the result that there is a short
age of labor in the anthracite fields
and a great surplus In the soft coal
regions. That kind Of thing is hap
pening all over the country with
equally disastrous results. We can
never get the proper balance in pre-
duction until there is a free inter-
charge of, labor so that men can
move without restriction In those di-
rections where their services are most
needed" -..
The Russian Way.
Can the government offer any
help in solving that problem.' 1
asked.
NO" said Mr.. Roberts, with un-
usual emphasize o"That is the kind of
thing that has happened in Russia.
People are always wanting to lay all
their troubles on the government
and. think that a law will remedy
anything. You, cannot dictate to a
man what kind Of work he is to do
and where he is to do it. He must
be given a free choice"
Then what is the remedy?"
Education. The fundamental prin-
FcipIes of economics are very simple
and do not require, any great mental
ability.to craps. The first thing Amer
leans have got to learn is the mean
ing Of money. This foolish idea that
high wages mean prosperity must be
gotten out of their heads The only
real prosperity is spelled production,
and everything that interferes with
production interferes with prosperity.
That ought to be easy to understand,
but apparently 1t Is not. Before a
man is elected head of a labor or
gantzation he should be required to
take, an examination in the farst prin-
Iciples of economics, The government
might help by making simple, eco
nomics an obligatory subject in our
schools. e ~. - ,,
80. - -. -, -,
Editors Note.--This is one of Sc
ries of articles in which some of the
most xital problems at present before
the American nation are discussed by
some of the. best known leaders of
AmsTicsn industry and thought. The
Inexs article In this, series will appear
in this section next Sunday.
Copyright BY Uuited Publishers News Service }