The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-11
Three World Problems
The Legitimate Sphere Of Government, Woman's
Place and the Labor Question.

to the sinking fund.
"IF A MONOPOLY, n GOVERNMENTAL
While local considerations and local con-
ditions rave much to do in the determine
ton Of each case, there in n general prin-
ciple which is becoming more and more
clearly outlined as the question OF govern
ment ownership In discussed, namely, that
when a monopoly becomes necessary It
must be government monopoly and not
monopoly in private hands. In other
words, the principle now most famiRarly
applied il, composition where competition
Is possible; government monopoly where
competition Is impossible
/ have not space for the discussion Of de-
tails; many different methods have been
employed in different countries for the ac-
quiring Of private plants by the city or
State. and different methods have been
employed in different countries for the
elimination Of the political element from
public service. Those who have faith In the
intelligence and capacity Of the people
have confidence that they will be able to
reduce to a minimum any dangers attendant
upon a course which they believe to be neces-
sary to their own welfare.
The fact that after more than aquarter
Of a century Of experience no r~etrograde
movement is to be observed furnishes some
proof that the dangers anticipated have not
in practice been shown to be insurmount-
able.
sEcoND-woMAN's PLACE.
Another world problem Is to be found
in the effort to fix woman's place in the
social economy.
No one can travel around the world with
out noting the wide difference that exists
between the treatment Of women in diff
ferent countries. In the Orient woman has.
until comparatively recent years. occupied
a very inferior position. In no respect has
the influence Of the West upon the East been
more marked than in this.
Even in Japan. where for half a century
the ideas Of America and Europe have
found vigorous growth. womsn's position
il not yet equal to mans. The education
o. boys received attention before the edu-
cation Of the girls. but the girls schools
are now multiplying In number and attend
ance.
THE BACKWARD ORIENT.
Travelling in the country. one still sees the
blackened teeth. it formerly having been re-
garded as the proper thing for a woman TO
make her teeth black after marriage. but
among the young generation the custom
is unknown.
In China woman has not only Jagged be-
man in education but she has been
subjected to a torture known as footbind-
ing, which is to be found nowhere else.
Societies are now being formed to dis
courage the practice, but it Is sad to learn
how slowly this reform has grown.
In both Japan m China plural marriage.
or what is equivalent to plural mar
riage, has been common. The man has
been allowed to take unto himself as many
wives as he could support without asking
the consent OF former wiyes-a practice
which seems strange to those who AVE
been brought up to regard the marriage
VOW as mutually binding and to consider
man and woman as standing upon an equal
plane when entering upon the relation Of
husband and wife.
C AMERICAN WOMEN.
In India child marriage is one OF the
worst customs that ha We afflicted these I'M
happy people. Girls nave been given in
marriage when only 0 or 10 years old, and a
widow OF IL or 10 is not unusual.
Remarriage Of widows il not permitted
under Hindu custom, suttee, the burning
OF the widow, formerly being regarded as
the proper thing. In both India and Arabia
the women are still yelled and excluded
from the society Of men. 1t is difficult to
estimate the loss that has come to society
from the failure to recognize she mutual
timulus which man and woman find in
cooperation in the work OF ~civiliza ton.
Even in Europe woman's position is not
az good as it is in the United States, although
in the Christian countries her rights are
more respected and her good influence more
appreciated. Max O'Rell, the witty French
lecturer, used to say that il he was going to
he born q woman, he would pray to be born
in the United States.
1t was a happy expression, for surely
there is no other country in which 80 high
an estimate is placed upon woman or where
she more fully shares in both the Joys and
responsibilities OF life. For the superiority
of her position she has Christianity and edu-
cation 10 thank; Christianity has ever
recognized woman's equality with man
and education has fitted her to be a real
helpmeet in life.
QUESTION.
A third question which one meets every-
where is the labor question.
In Europe it is a question between labor
ard capital and the laborer is organizing
for the advancement Of his welfare. The
guild and the labor organization nave long
sought to enlarge the laborer's share Of
the joint profit of labor and capital and to
improve the conditions which form his en-
vironment.
The efforts of these societies have mainly
been directed, first, toward the improve
ment OF sanitary conditions; second, toward
the shortening Of hours, and third, toward
an inoroaso in wages.
1t looks like a reflection on ma nkind in
general to say that laboring men should
have to ask legislation to protect their
lives while at work. II would seem that
employers would OF their accord re-
gard the safety and the health Of employees
as Of paramount Importance, and yet it
has been necessary. even In the United
States, to compel the building OF airshafts
in mines and to force the use OF safety ap-
planes on railroads and street car lines
n in the operation Of machinery.