The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-03-23
H|GH WAGES Makes
men BETTER CITIZENS
Remarkable Lesson in Organiza-
ton Secured From Present
Era Of Prosperity.
Worker Who Receives Good
Wages Travelling on Road
to Better Manhood.

The newspaper reports in regard to
the increase Of wages for the year are
year encouraging as we'll as highly in
structive. They are encouraging be-
cause they furnish evidence Of a state
Of prosperity which the people of the
United States have never before enjoy
ed, and they are instructive because
we find corporations, large and small,
Increasing the wages of their employees
unsolicited.
What a grand lesson this is to the
laborer who knows the value Of an or
ganization! The United States Steel
Corporation gave an increase Of 10
cents a day to it's employees, and there
are 10000 men classed as general la
borers in that company's employ and
1t Is only very reasonable to expect
that, If these laborers were organized,
they could get more substantial in
crease by their having a moral right
to share in the general prosperity Of
that company, and more especially
when the statements Of the company
show the largest distribution Of divi-
dends in recent years.
Surely the worker who receives good
wages is travelling on a shorter road
to be a better citizen, a more faithful
husband and Of greater use to the
community in which he lives than the
unfortunate who receives poor wages
and irregular employment.
The real value of money depends on
circulation for it's utility, and we have
seen with sorrow where there Is a
scarcity Of that precious metal prog
ress is at a low ebb and men are slaves.
It seems to all thoughtful persons
that the labor union has a worthy OBJ
ject in modern life and undoubtedly
that it can accomplish much by the
workers being solidly united in mind,
heart and action. But, like all other
associations, there is much room for
the laborers to improve their early
form of organization.
In the first place, the officers and
representatives Of each local must be
men Of character and moral worth,
men who are alive to the all-important
question of the industrial situation,
men who are possessed Of modern
thought, and, as such, will combine
thought with action; men who will be
possessed of an individuality which
will gain for them the confidence and
give them united support when the
crisis is approaching.
But in order to secure the best talent
for our representation our organiza-
ton must let go the habit Of electing
to office even Tom, Dick and Harry
simply because they are good fell
lows" who are ever ready with the
glad hand" This is one of the abuses
which has retarded the progress of la
Dor unions for years.
The writer has seen some of these
men in office who possessed no quality
to give them leadership, either by vir-
tue of their intelligence or moral pow
er, and their union principles were
purely sentimental. The actions of
these self-sought office-seekers is such
as to keep many well-meaning work.
er outside the union and often cause
the weak and Indifferent ones to desert
because Of seeing some leaders at the
meetings who were as ignorant Of the
precepts of Cushing's Manual as they
were Of the contents of the Koran
1 may be told that am placing upon
our members the brand of inferiority.
But I answer that the great majority
Of laborers today do not understand
the punctuality and regularity which
the modern labor union requires.
While the laborers have their faults,
like all the other sons of Adam, yet
all should rejoice that the human mind
is ever susceptible to cultivation.
Therefore, my fellow-workers, let
us take pride in our organization and
acquit ourselves like men. Let us show
that we can settle down quietly to
honest and definite work in the con-
vict1on that whatever ideal each Of US
may have for our organizations fu-
ture will be most likely realized, by
showing our capacity, to use faithfully
and we'll the powers and resources at
our command. with the consolation
that at the end we have left the world
better than we found it.-John Bray
In Laborers' Journal.