Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-01-02
LABOR SAVING INVENTIONS.

Why They Seem to lie Curse, and How
They Might bring blessing.
A writer in one of the labor papers
complains OF the extensive use which
newspapers make of stereotype plates.
In his honest Indignation he says Ia
Dor papers have no business to touch tho
contaminated things" And again:
They are up to the times, buy in tho
cheapest market and patronizc ovcry
thing that happens to be labor saving,
even when they know that it is labor de-
Btroying." Evidently the writer has
studied only tho surface of tho problem,
when the cause of tho OWL lies much
deeper.
He forgets that the editor of q labor
paper is the victim of system he has
not created. and that it is not his fault
If there are moro people willing to write
editorials or compositors needing cm-
ployment than he can reasonably find
room for lie Is bound to give the work.
ingman a paper at the current price,
and avail himself of those economic
which will keep the costs within Ger
tain limit. The object of the labor pa
per is not, or ought not to be, the giving
of employment to the unemployed. but
to educate tho masses and explain to
them how and why there are so many
men unemployed; and also to indi-
cate the reforms which are ncces-
sary to prevent in the future the con-
tinuation of such an unnatural state
The labor-saving device in itself can
not be an evil, especially in regard to
printed matter, Of which, when not cor
ruptive of morals, there never can be too
much, nor that too cheap. That it is
not policy to encourage the use OF labor
saving machines, for fear of destroying
the opportunities for labor is an argu-
mont no better than the one the protec-
! Zionist would make us believe, viz: that
it is better to produce in this country
certain articles at double the cost than
to import them and pay for them with
articles we can produce ourselves at sin.
| gle cost. Men will not work more than
they can help. The existing labor-sav-
| ing machine will be perfected, others
will be invented, and day will como
when, by wiser and more just laws,
every drone of the community will DO
compelled to perform his share of tho
| d
gether, instead OF fighting each other as
we do now three or four hours labor a
day will produce enough to satisfy all
necessary wants and good many lux
uries besides.
Let not the we'll meaning correspond
emit be alarmed and believe as he SAYS,
that removing the necessity for labor
means idleness, idiocy, disease and
death-social suicide" When the hap.
ply times which | have referred to come,
there will be good deal of useful leis-
ure-not elegant leisure. as now in GER
tain classes. Then labor will be honor
ed, not looked upon with contempt MS
now by certain classes Then every
body will in a certain measure have n
chance to follow the bent of his natural
talent instead of having to drudge for
ten or twelve hours day in some un.
congenial occupation.
For the present state of society tho
labor-saving machine has not improved
the lot of the average toiler. sowing
machine may be very useful invention
to the lady in good circumstances. but
the working woman who bends her spine
over it for twelve hours day has never
been able to get more than n precarious
living out of it, Though the benefits of
labor-savin- machines are immense,
millions are toiling harder than ever.
All the advantages have gono to those
who lravo monopolized the natural
sources OF wealth Owning the soil they
owned the men; owning the men, they
soon owned mems genius and controlled
their product. This world AS first in
tended by the Great Designer was we'll
enough, bus solfishncss stepped in and
made II mess of it.
Let those who have been despoiled oil
their natural rights unite and reassert
them, and labor-saving devices will
prove blessing. Edward Fairview.