Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1900-03-09
Defense Funds.


note there is quite general move
ment among Labor organizations with
out financial resources to create de-
tense funds. A defense fund is an ac-
emulation of capital available at
moments notice. Such fund is not
always called a defense fund. The
Standard OIL company has such fund.
Mr.. S. c. T. Dodd, solicitor of that
corporation, recently said this to the
Federal Industrial commission con-
corning the members of the Standard
company: They have obtained and
utilized the best scientific skill In in
vestigating and experimenting up on
the obtaining of new and useful pro-
ducts from petroleum, and have cheap
ened Illuminating oil and otherwise
benefited mankind by the utilization
of these by-products. They have used
their united capital in opening up the
markets of the world for American pet
roleum, and have held those markets
against the fercest foreign competi-
ton. This was rendered possible only
in the cheapening of transportation at
home, across the ocean and in foreign
lands, and by the best and cheapest
methods Of manufacture" This shows
what defense" fund can do in GER
tain directions. Methods of raising it
differ. Thus, President Rockefeller told
the commission that 1--WE (the COM
pany) wish to lower the cost Of pro-
duction and incidentally net small
profit for. the stockholders. Some
people think he got this statement
twisted-that what he tried to say
was: 1--WE wish to net large profit
for the stockholders and incidentally
to lower the cost of production" How
ever that may be, in pursuance of his
philanthropic purpose he raised the
price of oil three cents a gallon, thus
giving his stockholders $50,OO0,000 ad-
ditional profit per annum. Now, Or
binary wage earners cannot we'll adopt
Mr.. Rockefeller's method of raising
defense fund; they cannot at pleasure
"touch" the public to the extent of
million a week; they must themselves
earn and contribute the mites that
make the fund. But they can use their
fund to develop and improve the Labor
market, just as Mr. Rockefeller uses his
to gain and hold markets for petrole-
UNI and its products. Organization
makes Trust of Labor, just as surely
as concentration makes a Trust of
money, and while in respect to their
constituent parts the two Trusts diff
fer in kind, their necessities require
very similar methods and means If
the combination is to be successful.
If you want honey you must have
money" was the refrain of song I
once heard a charming soubrette sing,
many years ago, and it's true every
time and everywhere, in industrial af-
fairs; it's truer now than it was years
ago, and ten years hence the need of
money is likely to be yet more i'm
perative.
| don't propose to make any argu-
ment to show the necessity for defense
funds. II man stands under the mid
day sun and won't see it shine, you
can't convince him that it does; If he
does see 1t, you need not try to prove
it. The question is: How to get such
funds? There's only one way: Con-
tribute little every month. Most
men can save rs or so cents a month
out Of beer and tobacco bills, and be
none the worse OF. It's not likely that
money will accrue at the rate of mill
lion o week; neither is 1t necessary.