Evening star., 1937-02-27

cOVery began IN Mdrcn, 1888, after
making two unsuccessful attempts to
get under way in the last Summer Of
Mr. Hoovers administration. The N.
r. A. hindered recovery, instead Of
helping 1t, by its combined practices
Of raising wages and restricting pro-
duction. The Public Works Adminis-
tration did little to relieve the unem-
ployment in the heavy industries for
the aid Of which it was designed. The
future looks fairly hopeful-and there
will be no imitation. So that is that.
Very concise, il you accept the find
ings Of Drs. Burns and Mitchell.
THE Atlantic takes up the months
investigation of economics in a
piece by George E. Sokolsky called
THE Industrial Front" In this Mr..
Sokolsky asks why. in industrial ques-
tions, we hear only Of employer and
organized labor. There are, he points
out, quite a number Of other Inter
ested parties" concerned. They are, as
he lists them, "investors. management,
supervisory forces, white-collar work.
ers, skilled workers, common labor and
the consumer" But when news breaks
on the labor front, these, despite their
interested status, are ANONYMOUSLY
relegated to positions of bystanders.
Mr.. Sokolsky takes as example of
the egotism of organized labor num-
Der of recent disturbances in which
the C. I. o. and the lime-lighted John
Lewis have taken part. Mr.. Lewis, he
says, belongs to group which is more
interested in union membership than
in improving the condition of the
worker" Under his leadership, he re-
marks. labor is rapidly being divided
against itself-the unSkilled man
against the skilled-and such con-
hict as this at this particular time is
above all things destructive.
Productivity" says Mr.. Sokolsky,
lis increasing pay rolls are f1lllng
up -. wages have been raised, and
there is chance to restore business
not only to what in 1929 was called
normal, but even to greater heights.
Why should men strike at such a
time? To whose advantage is lt?'
He answers his questions at some
length. but his finding is pretty we'll
summed up in his last paragraph, as
follows:
Here, then. is the crux of Americas
industrial problem: Who is to man.
age industry-the management Of in
dividual plants or John Lewis of the
C. I. O.? And, if it is to be John
Lewis, how can he carry through a
program of high wages for unskilled
labor and at the same time keep prices
down? Obviously, to management, the
Lewis movement presents destructive
force which is heading industry and
the country back into depression con-
ditions."
OF the sit-down strike, Mr.. Sokolsky
says: 1T is nasty form of sabotage.
The fact remains that handful of
workers in maSs-production industry
sometimes as few as Is or 20-can
put plant out of commission during
a 'sit-down,' in spite Of the objections
of other workers who want to work" ="
able to do that. Have factories ceased
to have doors?
THIS brings one to the dreary fact
that Mr. Lewis does seem TO oe
news. and not only the Atlantic but
the Forum and Century have given
him space. A flamboyantly written
piece appears in the March issue Of the
latter publication from the pen OF
Louis Adamic. Mr. Adamic is mo, e
than ecstatic over the greatness and
beauty of his hero; he positively. gets
down and wallows IN his joyful adula-
ton.
He has been likened to a steam
roller" he sings, "and described as
thick and burly, but I think trif1e
carelessly." by all means. let no one
be careless with Mr.. John Lewis)
Tough ruthless 'domineering.