Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-26

Ing the recent Boer war at cost of $780,
600, had with him as his special guest Mr..
Marcus NJ. Marks of New York, president
of the American Civic Federation.
The members of the party spent the fore
noon visiting places of interest about the
city and gathered at the White House
shortly before u o'clock. The President
shook hands cordially with each member of
the party and afterward addressed them
briefly.
President Roosevelt's Remarks.
I am delighted to have the pleasure of
meeting You gentlemen and Mr.. Marks"
he said. 1T have had communication with
Mr.. Marks on more than one question lead
ing up to the coal strike Naturally, like
any man who has anything to do with pub
lie affairs / not only take but am bound
to take, the very deepest interest in all
the manifold social problems which include
as one section of them what we group to-
gether as the labor problems.
More and more as our modern indus
trial progress goes on, there is a tendency
to work in federation or combination. both
among employers and among employees, In
corporations and In unions; and, of course,
gentlemen, among the reasons why | take
O. very great interest in these combinations
Is the very fact that by their power they
have such great possibilities for good
which necessarily implies that they have
also great possibilities for evil.
Whether you wish them or not it is idle,
in my opinion, to protest against the newt
able tendency of the times toward both cor
poration and union. 1t is worse than folly
to take exceptions to either corporation or
union such. The line should be drawn
on conduct. / greet you with all heartiness
and am delighted to see YOU
Pleased With the President.
ha pri,i
expressed themselves as deeply impressed
with the attitude of President Roosevelt
toward labor and OF his broad -mindedness
as an executive and man. From the
White House the party was piloted to the
Office of the United States bureau of labor,
where the members were formally intro
duced to Commissioner Carroll D. Wright.
Mr.. Wright expressed qualification at
meeting the representatives of the trade
unions of England, and proffered the hope
that their sotourn In this country might
be attended by both pleasure and profit.
He said he believed the ties between Great
Britain and the United States would be
further strengthened through Industrial
rather than political ways.
He referred to the refusal some years
ago of the manufacturers of Great Britain
to change their looms to make more
modern cloths that were demanded the
result being that Americans abroad who
wanted a different class of goods than
were manufactured in England were COM
PEELED to TO the continent. Continuing
Mr.. Wright said:
A Higher Standard of Living.
1T feel quite satisfied that much of the
difficulties attending the industries of Great
Britain at the present moment arise In
two methods OF restrictions. This is fur
ther Illustrated, from an economic point of
view by some ethics. The old demand of
the workingman, as you well know was
for living wage; wage that should keep
body and soul together That was his con-
test for years. 1t is no longer his contest
He is no longer fighting for a living wage
or what the older economist called the iron
law OF wages. That is past and gone for
ever, and the workingman in our country
or in yours who Is content with wage
which is measured by the iron law of
wages Is not good citizen.
1--WE want something beyond that The
demand of labor is today for a higher
standard of living, and that means some
thing of a margin beyond a mere living
wage 1t means something which will en-
able him to gain In the PSYCHOLOGICAL no
tentialites; something that will help him
to educate his family; something that will
enable him to participate in art, education
and music and all the good things that
help to make up culture everywhere. And
every workingman who does not get that
Is falling short of what he deserves"
Mr. Steadman Takes Issue.
When Mr.. Wright had completed his re-
marks Mr. w Steadman, representing the
parliamentary committee of the London
Trades Council. asked permission to say
a few words.
',fhere was one remark which you utter
ed" addressing himself TO Mr. Wright, "in
which you assumed that trade unions in
England restrict the output Of labor. l will
say that have worked in the trade union
for thirty years OF my life. and / know OF
no single case where unions in England ad-
vocate the restriction OF the output OF
labor"
Il am glad to hear," Mr.. Wright replied
Nevertheless, L have been investigating
the subject and believe shall be able to
print some positive information to the con-