The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-12-30

- viz OA4ADCO OtdGCo OCpdI OlIl6I1G VI
Labor is quoted the following state
ments by the Hon. James j. Davis
Secretary of Labor:
1T Is sometimes argued that wages mus
be reduced if we are to increase the sale
OIL our goods IN foreign markets. The
answer is that by such wage reduction.
we reduce our profitable home market fal
more than We increase the less certain
prohts OF the foreign market. Experience
mas proved, even to the most casual OBJ
server. the fallacy of much of the baC
ecoonomlc thinking of the past.
=, Ihe loW-Wage fallacy is the worst oil
al: "A dullard must see the folly of kill
ing the purchasing power of the greatest
n99YeE' the worker, in the market at home
which provides US with all but a fraction
of our national wealth and prosperitv.
NO matter on what plea or excuse, re-
oucClon OF wages is bad business and worse
ECONOMICS, whether applied in the broad
No matter how large the population, we
know that no low-wage country is prosper
Gus, ana we also have it proved in figures
and facts that no low-Wage industry in
the United States is prosperous today. Nc
low-wage section of the country today is
nigh wages prevail. The employer there
lore, who reduces wages, whether from
selnsh motive or because he thinks it
good business, is not a good business man
and is hurting himself. He may for a
Tune succeed in paying a wage below the
cost OF living, but he is only throwing on
paying, in the form of unpaid grocery and
clothing bills, the wages which he him
sell should pay; To be very frank, he is
stealing from the public. This applies to
any INDUSTRY as whole, as it does ia
any individual employer. The time has
passed when any industry or any en-
scales will be looked upon as shrewd or
clever in business. Such employer is not
clever IN business but parasite on the
community, and public opinion will event.
UallV force him tn q decent
get out of business.
This is not a random statement I'm
fortunately, employers of this description
still exist. not only singly but sometimes
In groups. l can cite the instance of a
certain American. city where an enlight-
ened employer who comes to establish a
new industry and is prepared to pay the
throughout the United States. will be in
formed that the local rates are thus and
so, and that he is injuring business if he
pays more. If the new employer ignores
the. warning a committee will visit him and
tae suggestion, he will be outside the
ranks playing lone hand. No one there
appears to have seen the restriction to
the entire life OF the place in this restric-
ton of wages.
Quotation from the Young Wom-
ems Christian Association, a con-
sentative organization:
THE low wage is a danger and menace
to the community: The industry or bust
ness) that cannot pay living wage is a
parasite and is (actually subsidized By
public and private charity living wage
should provide health-giving food good
clothing, adequate housing, education and
recreation, with sufficient margin for
dentistry and medical upkeep. and to tide
over. periods of sickness or unemploy-
ment. THOMAS K. LEWIS.
To the Editor:
In your editorial columns of Dec.
%, you attacked THE Readers
Digest under the heading of
"Pre-Digested Literature" To me,
a constant reader of The Times and
also the little magazine, victim of
your editorial shafts, the attack was
both Illogical and unfair.
You did explain that the Di-
gest attempts to boil down the
best things each month in the out
standing magazines. Then you say
it would be better to read one
magazine all the way through.
No doubt it would be better to
investigate all the stories that ap-
pear in newspapers also and
especially to refuse to form opinions
from the pre-digested stuff on the
editorial page.
Obviously that Is impossible.
Readers Of the Digest probably do
read in to more of the magazines
from which the articles are taken
than those who are not readers. Yet
the little magazine brings to them
things that they may have over
looked.
Surely you would not advise not
reading Durant or the Wells out
lines on the grounds that they are
predigested stuff. Who knows how
many have been led by these out
lines to reading the original sources?
Similarly many may be led by
the Digest to read the magazines.
The purpose of the little magazine
is set forth on the fly leaf as fol-
lows: "An article a day from the
leading magazines-eacll article of
enduring value and interest, in con-
densed, permanent booklet form"
Surely such a statement, lived up
to, makes the magazine worth while.
A READER.
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