The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-03-24

a Newspaper against the desk as >t he
spoke. :, Here's a full report of his
speech at Lincoln Hall last night. Lis
ten to this:h sI.;~.
THE Etna Implement Company re-
quires an annual profit of 100000 to
pay the dividend on the entire stock
issue. Should they pay six per cent
only on the actual cash paid in, they
would require but $4,000, so that
they are, in some way, earning $44O,-
600 more than the capital fairly and
honestly calls for.
"Now this company, like thousands
of others, is not trust. 1t has no
monopoly on its products; 1t has to
sell in open competition. and this
large profit is now made by means of
high prices for its
output, but is made by extorting from
the wage-earners a large amount OF
work at smaller rates Of pay. Some
saving Is no doubt made In their ex-
pense account by reason Of the con-
solidation, but the larger part of that
$4,000 is wrung from the men, who
are compelled to work for lower
wages than before any stock was is
sued
How is it earned? By. what pro-
cess is it stolen from you men? It's
as plain as the sun in heaven. When
McGregor took hold, the total pay
roll was about thirty-seven thousand
dollars per week. Within a year 1T
was reduced to less than twenty nine
thousand dollars! That reduction
paid'a five per cent dividend on the
entire stock-stock which had been
given away for absolutely nothing!
In these works there are over five
hundred laborers receiving but seven
dollars and twenty cents week.
twelve cents an hour-men with fami-
lies to support, cut down to this rate,
have ten times as much as is their
duel"
"There McGregor," said Rains
for holly. Our duty-to our stock
holders and ourselves-imperatively
demands that we stop this fellow at
once. I'm told that he is carrying
the workingmen with him in a solid
body!"
McGregor gave a very palpable
snort, and Rainsford wheeled on him
sharply:
II tell you McGregor, you under
ate in this matter entirely! Can you
for a moment suppose that men will
hear such incendiary talk as this
and not do some thinking?"
Mr.. Rainsford," said McGregor
steadily, eve been with working
men all my life, and I know them.
Those figures and statements come
glibly enough from Thorne, but the
men do not fit the facts together in
their own minds. I'll bet there are
not ten per cent of his hearers who
could to-day, clearly and intelligibly
repeat his arguments. BY tomorrow
they'll be more hazy, looking upon
the whole thing as bid for votes.
"And he'll get the workingman's
solid vote in this district"
McGregor stepped forward, his
eyes flashing: There has never
been any such thing as solid labor
vote! 1t would be a keen and
terribly effective tool if these fellows
ever had sufficient sense to pick it
up and use it-but they haven't!
The men stand together in the
unions and but against each other
at the polls. They'll q stave, 1 them
selves. and, their families in SYM.
pathetic strikes and then slash each
other on election day! Solid vote!
Go into the shops or street and ask
the first dozen you meet how they'll
vote. You won't find one who's
thinking of his own affairs, but
they're all stopping over for the good
of the country. They've got all the
big party slogans ripping off their
tongues because they sound
important. Free raw material
is of more Importance to
them than freedom from pinch
ing economy, Home Trade a big
ger thing to talk about than home
compfort and sufficiency. The in
iquity Of the other party is more ap-
palling to them than Thorn's CUFF
about the iniquity of the mortgages
on their wages. The Panama canal
is more worthy to engage the Tit
anic intellects of these brawny sons
of toll than the alimentary canals of
their families! If they took up pol
itics as they do their union matters,
we might feel as though we ought to
get busy, but there's no fear of that
their leaders'll head all that Off"
"Why?" The question was from
Odell.
"Odell," responded McGregor, "the
ruption!"
Union leaders will know that old
style political discussion in the meet
ing will cause certain dissension and
discord.
''Why can't we make use of that
you've got something back of
that Odell," said Rainsford eagerly.
Suppose I found man-active
and influential in the union-who
would introduce resolutions in their
meetings to support Thorne in a
body?"
That's a slashing good ideal"
said Mac, after staring at the wall
for a few moments. "A first rate
idea-lf you can get the right fell
low"
~ think I can," asserted Odell.
II haven't spoken to him yet, and