The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-12
THE NAN BEHIND THE MACHINE


RAY HAT we know as the labor question in this country
WAE is really question Of civilization.
WV No country is properly civilized until the
common laborer is able to live in some degree OF
comfort and happiness
The prerequisites for proper condition Of the laborng
classes
l. Comfortable homes,
D. Not more than hours of hard labor daily
g. Such compensation will secure proper clothing ana prop
food and some recreation.
While workngmen of this country enjoy OF the COM
forts life than any other nation have always
with us problems Even the times of greatest prosperity
OF employment 1t is often hard road tor
competent workman get from job to another without
serious losses Sickness and misfortune often place IN the PaP
list who would be sesupportng and prosperous under
ordinary circumstances.
There constant struggle with poverty and disease IN most
of the homes of this country
Still it will do us good occasionally compare conditions
listing in this country with those where civilization is younger and
the conditions trying St..
Japan is now cassed as civilized nation 1t GROWN.
idly in wealth. developing manufactures well agriculture
is an nation yet the labor conditions there almost
unsatisfactory China OF the semcvzed nations
the Japan Gazette Of June 2 there published traa
ton of article The Want of Skilled Labor in Japan which
had appeared the Asa japanese newspaper Inc writer de
pored the lack of skilled labor in Japan Japan has laws Tor
the protection of labor for restricting the employment OF women
and children.
Mr.. Kawakarni, Japanese, writes:
Chlden under years. of scarcely OF age
largely employed in factories and generally made to
work for nuousy excessive long hours while have to
work tor the same periods to which the men are SUBJECTED ana
like them they have to work in the nighttime too 1t IS no
eXaggeratlOn and 10 hours
worked in factories"
The factories properly built suitably ventilated,
and lung diseases The wages paid ordinary aboers
S. to So They work from II hours day
the railroads. for instance while the stock holders getting 80
to 40 per cent. in dividends.
1t said that there little dissatisfaction however and what
agitation has been going principally from the edu
Gated and professional classes rather than from the aborers
Newspapers dprecate any reform The Japan Mail OF
July IS that rich and poor Japan separated by
gulf comparable with that dividing the putocrat and pauper the
West 1t acrbes the of the working classes part
the lack of the lives of the very rich the Japanese
house and Of living offering such opportunities for
and luxury those OF Europe and America and rich
Japanese usually preeng avoid any display Of extravaganza
1t evident that reforming conditions Japan the radical
necessary The Japanese borer has been shown
be able do but oneh much the ordinary American in
the kind OF work If the skilled American labore
go into Japan compete side by side with earning 20
cents day. it may be that he would suffer
wages although not likely of course that any such experiment
would be tried.
that tends restrict the inventive power the working capacity
the American aboer take away his ambition destroy his
independence would endange the American industrial system
The organizations OF capitalists and labor have only
the American machinery the best possible but neglect nothing
that will add to the individual intelligence and health and produc
tive capacity of every individual American laborer
The proper union Of brains and muscle necessary TO Dr
duce good results the mental simple labor OF the
world Civilization depends the behind the machine
C. N