The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-02-09
National Plunninq
Only Way To Full
EnploYnent--AFL
Federation Warns Nation Of
Dangers To Be Met
In 1910

washington, IL. 4. (ILNS). - The
Monthly Survey of Business of the A.
f. of l.. contains inspiring encourage
ment, largely due to the activities of
organized labor; and also repeats its
earlier warning that the nation needs
as planned program for production
in private industry.
Business has started the present
year at much higher level than that
Of 1898. Steel production is up 65 per-
cent, heavy building orders 8S per
cent, orders for machine tools more
than doubled; and nearly everything
else has registered an increase. The
survey goes on:
"The rapid business rise which be-
gan last June tapered Off in mid-No-
vember to temporary lull which OBJ
servers believe is normal after so
swift an upswing. War scares had a
dampening effect in January, but OBJ
servers point out the underlying
soundness of the business structure
and the stimulating forces now pres
ent, believing that the spring will
bring new upsurge of recovery. :.
1889 Outlook Good
observers seem unanimous in the
belief that, barring war, recovery will
soon be resumed. The outlook for
1889 is distinctly encouraging. A more
constructive labor policy is developing,
typified by Roger Babson's advice to
his clients that regular conferences
with labor's representatives may avoid
serious trouble
"Of the wage increases which, due
to union activity, lifted the general
hourly wage from 58A cents in 1886
to 65A cents at the end of 1887, very
little was lost in the recession of 1888.
There were some wage cuts, but no
general move of wage cutting. By Oc-
tober, 1888, the wage tide had turned
upward again and the average was 63
cents for industry as whole. Thus,
of the 7-cent gain only 2 cents were
lost.
"Trade unions have done important
service to American industry. Mainten-
ance OF buying power was one of the
chief reasons why the recovery of 1888
was the swiftest in our history At a
time when general wage cutting was
imminent, trade union resistance
checked this destructive force"
But the outlook for 1910 the survey
declares is not good, and repeats its
demand for national planning in no un-
certain terms. 1t says:
Trouble Seen in 1910
HMop
denied an opportunity to produce what
they need for a decent living. There
is no prospect of return to 1929
levels of production and employment
in 1889. Unless the American nation
can devise some means of National
Planning, labor will be permitted full
employment to create full production
only for short periods of prosperity;
the years between will be times of
widespread unemployment and low
production, with miserable living
standards and actual hunger for mil
lions.
ga very real danger lies ahead
for 1910. The Federal govern
ment, with all its spending for
recovery, has not succeeded in
getting private industry to put
men to work and produce goods
to capacity. By 1910 the present
wave of government spending will
have largely exhausted its stim-
ulating effect on business, and
unless plans are devised to set
private industry to work produc-
ing goods and raising living
standards, we shall either face
another depression or a greater
armament program to put men to
work. Excessive armaments lower
living standards and increase dan
ger of war. Also, government can
not forever go on piling deficit on
deficit"
an this critical outlook, which lit |
orally may be matter of life or
death to all of US, the first step is to |
establish a National Planning Board
of representatives from business, la
Dor, agriculture, consumers, govern |
ment with provisions for experts to
assist them and a mandate to stimu-
late the production of goods by pri-
vate industry"