The San Francisco call., 1897-01-04
FOR MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP
AND TRADES UNION PRICES
Rev. Mr. Bliss breaches Economics as Applied
in Modern Light to the
Workingman

problem of the unem pioyed in which con-
nection, he pictured In eloquent ana
pathetic language the modern struggle to
procure work.
The laborer who is out of a job finds the
churches shut but the saloon open. and TO
the poor man, said the speaker, there
sometimes seems more brotherhood in
the saloon than in the church. 1t was re-
Gently stated by a good authority that
the trades unions and saloons Of Chicago
gave more work than the churches.
He spoke of the attraction OF the saloon
and its free-lunch system, which leads in
directly 10 the increase o. lntemperance.
The workman ont OF job keeps alive on
free lunches, and then when he does OBJ
tain work he feels that he is under an OBJ
legation to treat" back again. "And
YETI exclaimed Mr.. Bliss, at e temper
ance people say that inlemperance is the
true ex xpIanation OF the unemployed prob
lem"
1.-The man thus reduced to the point OF
starvation grows reckless and sneers at
the church." Mr.. Bliss quoted the stats
tics of Professor Warner as to the causes
of poverty, which go TO prove that only II
per cent of poverty is directly caused by
intem perance; that 70 per cent is the re-
suit of environment, over which the lnd1-
vldual has little or no CONTROL and that
for 25 per cent the individual is RESPONSE
bic. 1t is also unfortunate that the char
itv bureau usually has to deal with the
worst class of the unemployed because
the most self-respecting portion viii never
beg until comD Delled by the slavery of
actual starvation.
He strongly emphasized the effect of en-
vironment and declared that large pro-
portion of the children reared in the
slums have no chance to develop into real
manhood and womanhood. They are
Dit hac
affirmed that almost every child born in
the New York slums is damned from in
fancy and by society 10 be an outcast if 4
girl, and thief if boy.
DO we wonder them" asked Mr.. Bliss,
THAT we have some in our land who are
professional deadbeats? 1t is not bv
charity, but by changing the system, that
we shall bring in God 8 light of love. The
remedy in this case is the same as before.
EXalt the junction of the municipality,
which by operating AM controlling these
public enterprises will earn sufficient
money with which 10 give work to the un-
employed. At present our civic life leads
in three d's-dirt, debts and death rates.
1t is true that the debts Of some European
cities are apparently larper than our own,
but they have baea incurred by establish
ing enterprises which now bring in an in
come"
The speaker cited the familiar cases of
Berlin and Glasgow.
''In America" he resumed, "our debts
have not been incurred for municipal
activities, but for municipal inactivities,
TO support ward heelers, for jobs and to
squanuer in the gutter" The money con-
tributed by the public TO pay for watered
stock and exaggerated dividends. if
nrocure work for idle men from
Maine to California. Mr.. Bliss added
that he was strongly OF opinion that such
municipal employment should be confined
to residents i'll the municipality. more
over" said he, lit should be given out at
trades union wages and trades union hours
in order that it may not undercut other
legitimate labor in similar lines. Under
our present system the contract iobber
brings in the cheap labor of the foreigner
and our native workmen walk the public
streets in poverty"
With the adoption of the principle of
corporate ownership San Francisco may
ultimately be made as beautiful as ancient
Athens and possess its free baths, its gar
dens and temples as fair as the Acropolis
of old.
Mr.. Bliss finally advocated the taxing
of land values, where land is held for
merely speculative purposes. ~ cannot
believe" he said, "that God gave London
to the Duke of Westminster, New York to
the Astors and California to the Southern
Pacific Railroad
The fact OF inequality among men, be
contended, made brotherhood and CO.
operation all the more necessary. If all
men were equal com petition might be
just. Theology was the true sociology,
and he came not IN the name of Marx or
Bellamy but in the name of Jesus Christ.
But we cannot even be saved bv Christ
unless we go out and make our cities the
cities of Christ