Evening star., 1934-09-03
Where They Put the Blame.

Labor day is always the occasion for
summing up and looking forward, OF
review and forecast of conditions
affecting labor in employment and in
relations with employees. This Labor
day is no exception. There is the
usual assortment of statements bear
ing on the developments of the past
wear and forecasting what the next
few years have in store for labor. The
statements reflect the confusion and
uncertainty of the times.
In New York, Matthew Woll, vice
president of the American Federation
of Labor, refers to the succession OF
disappointment" under the New Deal,
warning that these disappointments
are giving strength by stimulating
greater interest in communism and
other 'isms."
In Washington, Secretary of Labor
Perkins offers gain Of ten per cent
in employment and sixteen per cent
In pay rolls over last year at this time
as some of the reasons for satisfaction
In Improvement of our economic
condition.
At the same time Donald r. Rich
berg. director of the Presidents Exec
utive Council, predicts that flve mil
lion families will be on the Federal
relief rolls by next February; that,
partly because of the drought, relief
expenditures will rise steadily during
the next few months, continuing the
rise that has accounted for an increase
In those receiving Federal relief Of
from to 1875 per cent of the total
population between January, 1888, and
June, 1894.
In Wichita, Kans., William Green,
president of the American Federation
of Labor, says that "the Nation must
accept the thirty-hour week" as "a
real remedy for unemployment" and
that the forty-hour week, laid down
rs maximum under most of the N. r.
A. codes, could not supply employment
for the Nations workers; pending
such employment there must be an
enlargement Of direct relief, and those
for whom the Government cannot sup
ply work must be fed by the Govern
ment, while the sound, fundamental
principles of the N. r. A." must re-
main a fixture" in our economic
policies and processes.
In Idaho, Senator Borah, again tax
ing up the lance in his jOuSt with the
New Deal, warns labor not TO sell its
birthright of liberty for any mess OF
pottage called security, and empha-
sizes that the choice of one does not
necessarily preclude the other-that
both are possible.
Overshadowing everything else on
this Labor day is the general strike
In the textile industry, organization
of which, under one of the first of
the N. r. A. codes, was being hailed
less than year ago as one of the
triumphs against working conditions
and exploitation of labor that have been
charged against this industry. In this
strike, one of the fundamental issues
Is the change of this same N. r. A.
code under the threat of industrial
warfare, employers charging that to
submit to a change under such con-
ditions relegateS the whole code prin-
ciple to the scrap heap; labor charging
that the code has failed TO better the
conditions of the workers.
The confusion of thought, the un-
certainty of purpose, the adoption OF
one experiment to correct the faults
of its predecessor and the widespread
industrial warfare that is mark of
the day-an these things might be
considered normal growing pains as
the Nation reaches the new strength
and vigor Of maturity. But it is sig
nificant that most of the criticism
for what is wrong is laid at the door
of government. Employers and en-
ployes alike blame government for ills
and look to government for the cure
And it might be said that of all the
disturbing features of this Labor day
that is the most disturbing.