The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1906-10-25
WORKER SHOULD observation-disclosures
Force or Institution.

We often read in the D and
elsewhere oflhow the working poo,
pie should invest their savings. II
would seem that it would he moro
appropriate to tell them how to get
The savings. 1t is all-importantt to
cultivate the habit OF saving, but
when you talk to the average wage
Garner about saving money in the
lace OF the cNorbitant prices he is
confrontc1 with for everything he
eats, wears and the place to lay
ms weary head, he is liable to
give you the CLASSY eye. MANY
a young man starts out in life with
best intentions, buta succession OF
OF disasters discoulages him until
ne takes to drink, and from that
II 1T is down hill all the way. Men
frequently drink to drown sorrow.
but sorrow is a good deal like cork
tits hard bsink, and the stronger
the liquid the better it Will loat.
Astory is sometimes told of the
young man standing ut the bar,
slightly under the weather. with
The gale increasing in its fury every
minute, when an old man laid his
hand gently on his shoulder with
the plea: "My friend, why don,t
You save your money for a rainy
lay ~ Looking around, with an
parent disgust, be rearkcd "D--m
1t. partner, | did save up several
times for u rainy day, but it was
always sure to rain the next day.
So it is with most men; they
strive for years to do the right
thing, but some schcmer manages
to get the accumulaions of a life
time, often at one full sweep. The
men who do not work, have to
york others, III order to live, and
like other parasites, the life Of the
parasite depends on the death of
the victim. If not his literal, at
least his industrial death. Work
IS not worst thing in the world by
any means, but the worst thing is
the taking away from the worker
what he has honestly earned. How
to prevent this is the problem of
the ages. 1t is safe to say that the
trade union has done more to read
II riddle than any other force ex
tant to-day. While it has not
done all that could be desired, vet
1T has done much. There is scarcely
Il union in existence that has any
standing at all, that has not in.
crcased the wages of lis members
from twenty-fiv cen s to ii dollar
or a day. Some have done 81
great deal more than that, to saw
nothing of the shortening of hours,
elimination of driving and better
condiii ions generally.
But say that the average is an in
crease OF 1ilty cents per day. That
amonts to Sd per week. or about
Sloo per year. The initiation fee
VIII not, as general rule, he more
lhah 5000 per member, and the
dues 30 cents per month or a total
III. eStnnent Of Sll for the first wear.
After thaGit will not he over So. 90.
on which d net return will be re-
celVed OF 1900 per cent. on the
amount paid III. 1t would appear
form showing that Stondard Oil or
:FreIZied Einance'' is not in it
With n trade union as an invest
Is it not clear, then, that the first
thing of all things that a worker
should do is to get into the union
of his craft? Ii one does not exist.
he should proceed quietly to get
one started at the earliest oppor-
Unity If a union is organized and
conducted properly the right plan
IS to organize thoroughly, educate
carefully and fraternlze completely.
a good many unions fail because
they are o patient enough to do
either one of these important things.
They expect to begin TO collect rent
for d structure before the founda-
ton is fairly begun. They seem to
think that the object of unionism
is to organize and strike. They
should be satisfied to organize well
enough SO that they will not have
to strike.
They should also remember that
it is well to once i'll a while try to
imagine yourselves in the employ
ar,S nlace Tn fhaSa IayrS of mnpnE