The Ely miner., 1937-12-16
EVERYBODY PAYS.
Duluth News Tribune EditoriaD

Conflicts between industry and labor
affect everyone. The recent timber
workers strike in Northern Minnesota
delayed operations ALI the camps have
not yet opened. Many men are still
unemployed.
Whose fault is that?
Solomon would find it hard to an
swer. The strike leaders can blame
the operators. The operators can blame
the strikers. The public knows only
one thing-that every person, including
businesses that deal in supplies, is af-
fected.
The unemployed workers must be fed
and sheltered Whatever relief agency
gets the job, the taxpayer will foot the
bill. And when the word taxpayer" is
mentioned, it includes every person,
who spends money for food, clothing,
shelter, luxuries or anything else.
Industrial peace, then, is everybody's
problem. The strikers and the en-
ployers are not the only ones affected.
To get industrial peace both sides
must be willing to see the opposite view
point. The employer cannot expect the
employe to work for inadequate wages.
The employe cannot expect to be paid
wages that mean the business runs at
a loss. When men, or employers, or
both, fail to see this everybody loses.
Today uncertainty is the curse of
tnf1, TyItrcfY~x, dnnc WI, q
congress is cooking up for it. Labor
does not know whether the AFL or the
CIO will win out. Unfortunately in the
labor groups few unscrupulous and
|self-promoting leaders" have risen to
the top. Most workmen are pretty sane,
level headed fellows. They want to
provide for their families The few
"racketeerS," who have gained control
in some isolated instances have one
thing in mind They want to feather
their own nests while the pickings are
good. These fellows realize that in
order to collect sufficient dues to af-
ford them a comfortable living, they
must "shOw the boys that they are
active every minute. Even if the ma
jority is satisfied, the minority can
call strike and there are few courage
Gus enough to stand up for their rights
in the face of ridicule and scorn from
the loud mouthed minority.
A business that is not operating at
a profit means jobs in jeopardy. A
business must be making money if il
IS to pay wages, hire more men and
buy more materials. A wage increase
that puts his employer in the red ano
keeps him there Is far less of help
to a worker than he thinks. And wages
that are lower than they need to be
are not the bargain rates that the en-
ployer thinks they are, either.
Everyone knows that the cost of doing
business has risen rapidly. That in
cludes materials, labor, taxes and other
items. All have increased In Duluth
there have been few wage cuts, if any
If it is humanity possible to keep wage
levels up it should be done. On the
other side there is an opportunity fol
labor to share part of the burden o1
increased costs. Labor could agree tc
go along with business on present wag:
scales, where fair living Is paid, until
the recession ends. And in return labor
should expect fair and just increase
in wages, where warranted, the minute
added income from greater production
begins
There ought to be enough calm, far
sighted men in Duluth and Northern
Minnesota labor and industry to dis
cuss these things together sanely. Un-
til that is done and a permanent plan
for industrial peace is agreed upon
every man, woman and child, not only
in this area, but in the entire nation
will pay and pay and pay.