Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-28
WORK
POLICY IS URGED
Steady Employment Declared
Best Method of Combat
ting Trade Slumps.

Agencies, both economic and govern
mental, are telling labor what to do In
the matter of unemployment, instead
of asking labor what to do. That COM
plant is widely heard, not only from
labor leaders, but from sound bankers
and economists.
These men feel that those who are
either holding down jobs or looking for
jobs know more about jobs than alb
stract theorists. In consequence they
feel that some Of the suggestions made
In Congress and elsewhere and by Gov
eminent agencies are entirely imprac-
teal. The American worker not only
wants q job, but q steady job. He
knows that temporary relief OF unem-
ployment through temporary measures
will not yield . steady job. Recovery
by the workers, they say, must be
based on O sounder footing than that.
They declare 1T must be based on in
dustrial and commercial needs Of
proper business policies and on eficient
management.
Wage Cuts Few.
On the other hand, the workers have
never been so close to the employers
as they are today. There Is q con-
spicuous lack Of resentment in most
fields of endeavor over the curtailment
Of output which has necessitated the
cutting down Of pay rolls and the num-
Der of those employed. Wage cuts have
been comparatively few. workers In
general realize that employers do not
desire to cut down the number of
workers or the sums paid to them.
This is not q philanthropic attitude;
1t is purely selfish.
The employers know that their own
workers are their best customers, and
II the buying power Of their employees
Is curtailed business must sir4er in
such way as to hurt profits. Con-
seuuently labor Is demanding the
utmost efficiency Of management from
employers. Conversely, the employers
are demanding efficiency on the part
of the workers, and the demands OF
each are being met.
The whole labor situation starts on
the basic principle. that there can be
no steady jobs unless there can De
steady profits. Labor leaders here
pointed out today that in those indus
tries and corporations where ed1cient
MANAGEMENT had prevailed, curtailment
Of employment had been almost
negligible.
The halls of Congress have resounded
to the demands that reserve be built
up for the workers through both con-
tributions of employers and employees.
Labor leaders today pointed out that
this had been done to wide extent
by many companies. Some have done
it in cash and some have done 1t by
permitting and aiding the purchase OF
stock in the concern by the employees,
which stock may be sold or hypothe-
Gated in times Of stress.
Job DiversiflcatiOn.
Considerable controversy exists among
labor leaders with regard to the theory
that unemployment might be guarded
against by workers acquiring the ability
to do more than one job. Some leaders
feel that this would disrupt the trade
union practices and would be unfair
to workers who had gone through long
years of apprenticeship in one trade.
Others felt that 1t would be Of distinct
benefit, in view of the fact that this
policy would encourage workers to be-
long to more than one union.
ment in months in the industrial situa
ton has taken place since January ]
This cannot be attributed to RELIEF
measures in the slightest degree since
relief measures had not yet been oper-
alive. 1t is due according to employ
ment authorities, to direct demand and
increased production with consequent
gain In the number Of workers en-
ployed.
The three great employers Of labor.
the railroad, the steel industry and
automobile industry, are leading the
(Copyright, 1917