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Show H I WORKINGMEN SEEING BOTH SIDES B i Amazement,, even to incredulity, was H V widely manifested the other day at the ac: H I- tion of numerous representative commit- H I tee of the employes of a great industrial H J establishment. These .men, in convention K . assembled adoptcd'a series of resolutions H earnestly opposing any further demands' H (; for an increase in wages or for reduction M ). of hours of labor. This was done entire- j i ly on their own initiative, and at a time, H I' when other men, in both private and gov- M , ernmental employ, were demacling higher H f wages and shorter hours, and were strik- H ing or threatening to strike for the ei:- H ; f orcement' of those demands, to an extent H V both in -numbers' and in impassioned deter H ', minationmnprecedented in-industrial his- H I j tory. -'Ohiitfi' face 'the incident certainly H seemed a strange anomaly. H ft Fulbexplanation,. however, wasobvious H 7 and instant, made in the very act itsjlf. M ' We have only -to ' read the 'resolutions H ' ( which' those men adopted, and to compare M Jj them with those of-mother organizations j I taking the opposite .view. Usually the res- H i olutions and other outgivings of labor un- H j ' ions, strike committees and similar bodies H ' i are concerned solely with the needs or the M j desires of their authors. The men feel H the need of more money and therefore H i they demand it. They want for them- H selves more time for recreation and there H fore they demand shorter days of labor, LV The argument is surely subjective. Cir- Scumstances, the interests of others, the inevitable results of a granting of their demand upon the vast and intricate inter- locking social and economic system of the H state are disregarded. They simply want H f what they want, and want it when they H ( i want it. I These men of whom we are speaking, (however, employes of the Midvale Steel and Ordnance company, took other ' views. Doubtless they felt their -own needs as keenly as anybody. But they M looked beyond them. They considered the H causes of that high cost of living which H - j is so commonly made the pretext for de-B de-B , wands for higher wages. They saw and m j, said that it was to be abated not by rais-H rais-H , I ing wages, which would aggravate it, but j ! "by diligent, efficient and conscientious 1 i labor, by thrift and by avoidance of waste Iand extravagance;" and especially by "increased "in-creased production and the stabilization of prices in conformity with wages now being paid." In brief they were to seek not mere dollars but a greater purchasing 1 fl power for the dollar. . M a They went further. They pointed out H I that the workman who demands a great- H er proportionate return for his labor'than W his fellows in other industries are get- ' ting, is just as guilty of profiteering as is Hr the grocer or other tradesman who charg- H es extortionate prices for the necessities B . of life; and that the granting of their de- H ; mands would simply "result in higher H j prices being set by the profiteers for the H '. necessities of living to all purchasers B! alike." Therefore they asked not higher B i wages for themselves but the national V , control of private monopolies, the restric H tion of profits to fair rate, prohibition cf i i " unnecessary exports of food and clothing H! and the ppen marketing of unnecessary B: y exports of food and clothing, and the open B! S marketing of hoarded supplies, in order ! I; . "to bring about normal conditions, witn B J sueeial privileges to none but justice to I all." Bf I How influential and effective their ap- B peal be, we do not .know. We, do kiow B! chat it' is of inestimable value as an ex- Bl I ample and an inspiration to' the whole B' country- to employers and employes alike. B! j and as the manifestation of a spirit of in- B; i taJJigent comprehension and impartial R' judgment whish, if it could generally pre B , vail, would satisfactorily ahd.speedily. B i solve our social and economic problems. B 1 It, simply means that emploersandem-,, B : ployes alikeshall carefiilly consider born 1 wKfk sides and all sides of controversies, instead in-stead of only their own side. Harvey's Weekly. |