The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-01-28
PRESIDENT Elu0TT's
THOUGHTS ON LABOR
Herbert s. Bigelow Takes Fall
Out Of President Elliott's
"Pleasure in Work."
Gives Some Figures on Wages
Of Labor and Finds no Rea
son for Pleasure.

Cincinnati, O., Jan. 26.-President
Eliot's thought on labor was the sub
ject of some comment by Herbert s.
Bigelow, in his pulpit at the Vine
Street Congregational church, Sunday
night. President Eliot was quoted as
SAYING.
a good deal about the conditions of
labor in our American society, and the
saddest thing that 1 have learned is
the lack of the happy spirit of labor in
American Industries. That is most
pathetic and lamentable thing. .
What Is the cure for this prodigious
evil? It is the bringing into American
industries Of the method and spirit of
the artist. The artist rejolces in his
work; it is the chief satisfaction and
happiness of bis life. - x
Bigelow, for So prOdigious an evil.
There is a lack Of happiness in the
work Of the American people, This is
a prodigious evil. The cure for it is to
introduce happiness into the work of
the American people. A truly remark
able suggestion!
With this kind of reasoning, what
problem need stump us? Poverty. is a
prodigious evil. The cure for it ts
evil. The cure for it is temperance.
Sickness is a prodigious evil The cure
for it is health. -
If the American workman is not hap
py, why not? The last bulletin of the
Labor Bureau furnishes some official
statistics which have a. bearing on the
subject.
In Indiana, the wages. of 1925 en-
ployees were investigated, and the
IN IL
Eight thousand four hundred and
ninety-four carriage workers were
found to receive an average of $6.98 a
week. The average for nearly 1900
paper mill hands was found to be $6.57
a week. Conditions were better in Illi-
nois. The average weekly wage OF
8O,8S1 employees in this state was
found to be 1910. In Missouri the av-
erage for over 10000 investigated drops
| were three free employment bureaus
that received over 5000 applications
for positions. They were compelled to
send 5000 Of these applicants away in
to enforced idleness. ="
In this same report, the Labor Com
missioner informs US that the employ
ees of the woolen mills of New Jersey
get $6.43 a. week. The factory hands in
PennsyWania were found 1tos get. 1928 q
teSGSSk SAHs 1tAe1E
made, $9.53 %as sFeel lAnda 1 the mens.who
have not tire s5prfyilege OF mining coa1
but who are able to get Jobs as helpers
merely. made an average weekly wage
Of $3.50. x
Now, suppose We take one of these
$3.50 a week men. Call up "a picture.
A miners hovel. Six small children.
Why not? Eight moutha< to feed.
Flour, shoes, clothes. school-books, to
buy. Rent to- pay. Five dollars and
80 cents a week. Just slip into his
boots. How would you 'slike to put
your hand on that mans shoulder and
say: =, x
my mar I perceive that you do not
go about your work happily. This is a
prodigious evil Now the cure for this
is simple. You should become a kind
of artist. You should have no end OF
enthusiasm for this $3.50, job of yours
In a word. # you are not happy, the
cure is to be happy. -;
But then, 1t would be waste of
words. How could miner, who has
never been to a university to study
logic and political economy-how could
he hope to catch the force of that?