Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1893-10-11

When we take into consideration
the natural resources of this Country,
the question naturally arises, why
should we have poverty? The soil is
fertile, the climate favorable, the sea-
sons good, the mines rich in mex
haustlble wealth, the people indus
trious and intelligent, and all the
natural concomitants to prosperity ex-
listing in abundance No nation pro-
duces more. In fact, the art of pro-
duction in this country has been re-
duced to science. We seem to have
lost sight of everything else in the ex-
penditure of all our efforts to produce.
The question of wages and distribu-
tion OF profits has been lost sight of
except by the speculstor, the manu-
cturer and the corporations. What
is the result? While we have doub bled
the wealth of the nation in twenty-five
years we have impoverished the peo-
pie who made it. No truth is more
self-evident than that the laborer is
entitled to that which he produces.
Vet such are the conditions in this
country that while enormous wealth
has been produced. few have ac-
cumulated it, while the many who
produced it are poor. In our eag-
erness to increase production we
have omitted that other question
OF equal Importance, the distribution
of profits. How has machinery and
improved methods of production bene-
flied the laborer. One man now can
produce as much as four could forty
years ago. Is his task any easier?
Does he work less hours, or receive
wages in proportion? Not at all. In
MANY instances his task is harder.
Improved machinery. protected by
patents, has passed into the hands of
capital, and capital takes to itself all
the improved methods of production.
Furthermore, machinery has displaced
abor. Thousands of Idle workingmen
have been thrown out of employment
and fierce competition has made life a
desperate struggle for existence. To
make matters worse. new element
has been introduced into the field of
labor, the employment of women and
children. Thus the comparative num-
ber of wage workers have been doubled,
while the power of production has
been quadrupled. Common sense
would indicate that this latter state of
affairs should improve the condition
of labor instead of rendering it
worse. With the introduction of
improved machinery the distribu-
tion of the profits thereby gained
should be distributed as follows
First, to lessen the hours of la or;
second. to cheapening the article pro-
duced. The result would be to give
the laborer more time for recreation.
and social and intellectual improve
ment, and also to decrease the cost of
living, which would be equal to an in
crease of wages. We see no logical
reason why capital should receive
any benefits from improved machinery
other than fair per cent on whatever
is invested in the same. 1t is not our
purpose to discuss the different phases
of the problem of distribution, but
simply to point out some grave errors
in cur system and indicate a remedy.
Our patent laws are defective in the
fact that they furnish capital an op-
portunity to rob the inventor and en-
rich itself. 1t is notable fact that
the majority of inventors are poor
men. and the truth of the old adage,
that necessity is the mother OF inven
tion,' is made manifest in the history
of American patents. We have now
in our minds gentleman, laborer,
who invented the process of manu-
featuring granite ironware-a most
valuable invention-and who is only
a common laborer in the factory of
the man who secured control
of the patent. It occurs TO MS if the
government would pay a royalty to
the inventor of all useful inventions,
proport;oned upon their usefulness,
that it would not only protect the in
ventor but the general public from
the greed of inscriptions capitalists
The sewing machine and the telel hone
are notable examples of enormous
fortunes beiag made at the pense OF
the pubic.
One OF the most important factors
in our distributive system is the
means of transportation No salts
factory explanation can be given Of
the reason why farmer in Nebraska
should pay Slo.50 for ton of oal that
the miner in Pennsylvania received
but 80 cents for producing. while both
the farmer and miner are poor and the
railroad owners have millions ihps
they never can u, tseis useless 10
state that sn clio. IS at state and
natioIHs control have proved unavaiI
ira Transportation at cost will go a
/ long ways towards solving the prob
lem of equitable d stributioa. and this
can only be secured by national own.
ership. In other words the people
should own and control public high
ways and means of transportation.
The greatest and most important
factor, however, of distribution is the
medium thr ugh which owie-ship in
property is exchanged Fer various
reasons this is true. Trans-
portation is tax on pro-
drction for changing localities
Money Is a production To- exchanging
Ownership These Two sge IT'S const tt
lsute the two important fietoss in dis
aribnticn. The obje- of g vernment
Is 10 control and re eyulate b ia. Most
Z the larg fortunes in this country
aave been made ly furnish NJ trans
pcrtation, o. furnis, ing money-the