Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-29

MATHIS BErTIR THAN N FoRMER YHans
AT the preachers meeting Of the Methodist
ministers at Foundry Church the question OF
industrial economics and socialism was again
taken up. Last week, it will be remembered,
Mr.. Oyster represented the Federation Of Labor
side Of the question and this morning by
invitation Mr.. Paul Bowen appeared as knight
OF Labor to propose some solution for the pres.
emit economic difficulties, while Mr.. W. A.
Crofut championed the present condition OF
affairs 80 far as competition of labor was con-
cerned. Both gentlemen were listened to with
great attention, and at the close Of the ad-
dresses the matter was laid over until the next
meeting.
NR. PAUL BowEN's ADDRESS
Mr.. Bowen claimed that in ten years the COM
mon laborer had increased 80 per cent, while
OF skilled laborers there had been only an in
crease Of is per cent. Child and aged labor
was supplanting the skilled laborer and many
million men who wished to work were lying in
chronic idleuess. The poorest pay was given
for the most unhealthy and dangerous
labor. while the highest, pay went for work sur
rounded by healthy environments What he
complained about, said Mr.. Bowen, was the un-
equal distribution. One man now often pos
sessed half dozen residences, while twelve
other persons were crowded into one small
room.
THE GREATEST MISERY
Inc greatest misery arose from the fact that
those who lived life of constant toll lived also
a lie OF constant fear that even the poor pit
lance they received would be taken from them
mere was dissatisfaction. undoubted dissa It's
tion, and military officers today were planning
means ior the suppression of not mobs
OF anarchists, but Of disaffected lsboring men
People were turning from honest labor to
the government for special privileges and in
the main only twotypes ofhumanity were being
bred-the crafty and the brutal. All classes OF
Sl,izens were organizing for the purpose Of
iopoying ana TINS was even of the min
listers. There was d war between capitaii.ts
ana iaborers. Not over the production of
wealth, but over its division. Many reliefs had
been proposed for this state OF affairs
Charity was one but MIR. Bowen held that in
this regard charity was q failure 1t enabled
men to compromise with their conscience by
giving back small portion Of their gains IL
also encouraged pauperism. To receive some
thing for nothing, said Mr.. Bonen, is the sur
est means OF breaking down manhood.
CHARITY NOT SUBSTITUTE FOB JUSTICE,
Charity was no substitute for Justice. Edu
cation and increased skill had been proposed as
remedies, but would equally fail Of success.
Inc fault Is competition and the fight would be
"aSed Just as bitterly, whatever the uni
versai condition Of education and skill.
Economy likewise would fail. A broad
spreading national economy would he a ma
tlonal calamity, throwing millions out Of EN-
ployment.
All these remedies which had been mentioned
sala ar; Bowen. were virtues. and applied in
sally would prove an evil.
continuing, Mr.. Bowen said the golden rule
was good one, but that the golden rule was
uelea'ea by the rule OF gold. The remedy for
the existing evils, he said was to socialize land
and capital. There must be free access 10 tbe
land. In this regard child TODAY was Al = dis
advantage compared with the child of thirty
wears ago.
WANTS TAXES ABOLISHED.
he did not want land contiscated but wanted
taxes abolished and ground rents appropriated
10 puDhc uses. All men. he held, had an equal
right to the earth Those who held possession
OF portions OF II had merely franchise from
the people for that portion and should
pay TO the people the rent for the portion held
Everybody either directly or indirectly pevs
rent and what was needed was simply that rem,
shouid go to the people instead OF to private
parties: The Plan, he held would utterly de-
| stroy all speculation in land.
Nature, said Mr.. Bowen, was the first and
greatest employer. Nature said come and WORK
for me and take all that is made The capi;al-
LIST says work for me and take only enough TO
Keep you alive. II the land were free nature
could stand in the open market and bid against
the capitalist employer and wages would be
COOPERATIVE COMMONWEALTH
10 organize cooperative commonwealth
was tremendous affair and he oniy believed
in approaching the matter by stages. He
thought the government should appropriate all
railroad, telegraph and telephone systems and
| all municipal franchises. These things couId bt
accomplished. said Dir Bowen Every child
today had on its shoulders $500 railroad bond
| on which 1t must pay interes. and dividends
hun the railroads in the interest of the people.
not Tor profits, but for expenses. and the bond
on the other hand would belong to the child.
The government said Mr.. Bowen, had never
gone into any productive enterprise in which
IL mas not succeeded far better than any pri-
vate citizens could. The mail service was
cited by the speaker as an instance
AIR. Bowen held that the plans outlined
would not result in any loss of individuality,
but would allow additional time free from grind
ing down occupations for the development of
individuality
Mr.. b. II. Warner in a few words advocated
the idea that in this matter the example and
opinions OF practical men should be taken and
men who employ labor and make millions only
TO pour them out in q constant stream OF
benefits.
MR.. ". A. CRoFFUr's REMARKs
Mr.. W. A. Croffut was introduced and spoke
to some length. He did not believe things
were going to ruin. He did not believe the
poor were getting poorer or the rich richer.
Things were well today and would be better in
the future. The present economic system of
competition he held was the best conceivable.
Mr.. Croffut showed by diagrams and figures
that wages have doubled during the last forty
years, while the price of almost everything that
men buy has been reduced one half in the same
length Of time. The wage-earner who then
got Sl.5O day now gets IS. and 80 cents now
buys as much 81 bought then Reasoning
from analogy, he showed that in thirty years
from now Dor the progress acceleratesj the
man who now gets So day will get Sc day,
and things that 81 buys today can be had for
so cents in the year 1926.
THE HAND AND BRAIN.
The speaker held that the hand is trivial
factor in production; that men and women are
now mostly hired not to work but to think, to
superintend capital in the shape of machinery,
and that the amount of machinery in the coun-
try equaled the combined strength of 200 OOO 900
men. He held that il there was . fixed amount
of labor and OF property in the country the
argument of the restrictionsts would be sound
and no man could then honestly make
million dollars, but, as q matter of
fact, the amount of property and Of
labor is Tremendously flexible and one man
like Vanderbilt can earn Chat is create,) q
million dollars worth of property that did not
before exist as honestly as another man can
earn 81. The brain. he said is now the chief