Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-01
MEN AND MONEY
BY N. S. Rukeyser.
= tCopyright. 1921

William Green, president of the
American Federation of Labor, reply
| ing to my inquiry as to whether high
wages in the United States would
last, asserts that a high wage policy
| is necessary to assure American pros
perity.
| II should answer your question
most emphatically in the affirmative,
! the most authoritative spokesman for
! organized labor in the United States
said. "A high wage policy is now
! definitely a part of our business ad
ministration and has proved neces-
sary to insure low unit production
costs
THE introduction of labor saving
machinery, the increasing use of
mechanical power, result in increased
productivity and lower prices. They
are doubtless a factor in high wages.
| II should expect an upward. trend
! in wages in bituminous coal, textiles
and railroads in 1927. There is no
reason to expect wage decreases. The
| two important groups that are out of
| line are coal and textiles.
Trade unions are certainly a major
| factor in wage increases. They con-
stitute the standard fixing agency as
well as a protection against wage de
standard extends to unOrganized as
well as to organized industries
Will Not Yield.
Organized labor, it appears, enters
1927 with a firm determination not to
yield any of the gains thus far made
in working conditions, hours of labor
and wages.
One trouble with the American APP
proach to the farm problem is the at
tempt of outsiders and amateurs to
lay down dictum as to what needs to
be done.
Farming is a specialized business
and should develop its own experts.
One of the big business men of farm
ing is Charles c. league, president of
the California Fruit Growers Elk
change, a remarkably successful CO.
operative agency which markets Sun
kist oranges, grapefruits and lemons.
Mr.. league has little confidence in
attempts, legislative or otherwise, to
solve the farm problems by easy
formulas. He approaches farm prob
lens just as the business leader faces
trade problems, with a desire to meet
issues as they arise. He is skeptical
about Quack remedies and forms of
relief.
asked him whether the experience
of his organization is a safe guide to
proposed cooperative agencies in the
cotton and grain belts.
1.-The principle of cooperative mar
keting," answered Mr.. league, has
been applied with varying success to
the different industries which have
sought a solution of their marketing
problems through this means. Our
experience in our own industry han
ding highly specialized commodities,
produced in a limited area, may not in
every case be a safe guide to other in.
dustries whose problems are vastly
different, and for this reason we hest
tate to advance them as helpful coun-
sell"
Capable of Cooperation.
Mr.. leagues association has among
its membership numerous retired bust
ness men from the East who have
become gentlemen farmers. They are
therefore are possibly more capable of
cooperation along strictly business
lines than ordinary farmers.
AS for farm relief legislation, Mr..
league said: Farm relief legislation
In our opinion has taken on such po-
itical aspects that the economic con-
ysideration upon which sound plans
must necessarily be based are likely
to be somewhat overlooked
Matthew S. Sloan, president of the
Brooklyn Edison Co., is fast develop
ing reputation as the leading pub
lie utility executive in the country.
The keystone of his policy is to
turn consumers who buy electric
power, into friends of the company
thinking the old-time antipathy is
illogical and fatal to complete sue
cess. He believes that the way to
make friends is to deserve them
Though a believer in publicity, he
knows that turning on the spotlight
is useless unless you have done some
thing worth while to direct attention
to.
Mr. Sloan, with the systematic
manner Of an engineer, has analyzed
what the public wants. The answer,
he decided, was excellent service at
the lowest possible rates.
Mr.. Sloan's company has the repu
tation of giving service.
AS for rates, he has just followed
his own precedent of two years ago
in announcing a second voluntary rate
reduction. This time his company an
nounced a reduction of 7h to cents
a kilowatt hour in the maximum rate
for electric service, effective January
/. The new reduction will save con-
sumers 81 100000 year By the end
of 1927 the two cuts will have meant
a saving of $5,500,000.
Meantime, the net earnings have
risen to new peaks, and the securi-
ties of the company to unprecedented
SUBMITS.
The explanation is good manage