Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1907-09-05
Labor Day
Grafton
Rev. F. L. Buzzefl Delivers Address
of the Day at Great Falls
Workers. Celebration

In the midst or the pleasures OF this
National holiday, in honor of labor, we
turn aside for an hour to serious con
sideration Of the worlds greatest pro-
blem, the Labor Problem We take it
for granted that when you honored us
with an invitation 70 address you, you
desired us to speak according to the
light we had. On last Labor Day at
Kslispell, 1 heard Hon. Ex-Governor
Smith declare that the laborer should
receive the full product of his labor,
but Mr.. Smith did not show how the Ia
borer is to obtain the full product of
labor. This is the labor problem. How
can Labor sesure its full productf
But can this problem be solved when
there is no general agreement to the
question "What is the full product Of
Laborf The land and the machinery
or the means of production that labor
has to use to produce wealth, are own
ed and controlled not by labor, but by
another and smaller class Of men called
capitalists. These capitalists truthfully
say that without our tools labor could
not produce, and they retain for them
selves the lions share Of the product
Of the laborer, who has to use their
tools. Carol ID. Wright says that the
capitalist keeps four-fifths Of this pro-
duet fer the use of his machinery, and
gives the labor one-fifth for his labor.
The laborer is not satisfied with this
division, and thus arises the ever pres
ent industrial war between capital and
labor, that fills the country with strife
and lockouts, the laborer's home with
want, and society with strife. But
what is labor's full producti Last
year the Boston & Montana paid labor
three and one half millions, and after
all expenses and improvements, they
had for their share seven millions, or
twice as much as they gave labor.
These capitalists claim that these seven
millions were only a fair return for
the money invested in their plants.
The laborer answers them that their
plants were created by their labor, that
il was built out of the surplus value
of their labor. The laborer's argu-
ment runs like this, Robinson Crusoe
lives by working little garden on his
lonely island, his man Friday puts in
an appearance, and is hungry, he hires
Friday TO work the garden, and Mr..
Crusoe does the planning or brain
work. Friday uses the stick for hoe,
having some inventive genius, Friday
thinks out machine which, if it could
be materialized, would enable him to
produce ten times as much as by his
stick. Mr.. Crusoe sends Friday along
the coast to find some iron that some
stranded ship may have deposited.
Friday returns with q variety Of iron
and tools that he has collected. Mr..
Crusoe and Friday together mater
ialze Fridays invention, and the ma
chine is built by which Friday pro-
duces ten times as much as before.
Mr.. Crusoe is on the road to modern
capitalist. Fridays work in the gar
den produces a living for both, and a
surplus Something must be done with
this surplus. Mr.. Crusoe begins to
exercise his brain, and he sends Friday
to the coast with instructions to flag
any ship that he may chance to spy.
A ship is hailed, the captain lands, and
Mr.. Crusoe shows him his fine garden
Of fruits and vegetables. The captain
makes a large purchase, for which he
leaves a pile of gold, and agrees to
make this island trading post. In
few months several passing ships have
called, and loaded up with the much
desired fresh fruits and vegetables.
Mr.. Crusoe has a big pile of gold, but
a poor house and undesirable surround
ings. The land is fertile, but he has
but one laborer. He arranges with the
captain of ship to bring him one
hundred laborers, and surplus OF mo-
dern machinery. The laborers and the
machinery arrive. Mr.. Crusoe owns
the land. The laborers are hired to
work the land with machinery. They
are paid with the wage that represents
one-ffth Of what they produce. Mr..
Crusoe sets them to work building cot.
tages for themselves and families, and
rents them these cottages, or sells them
on notes bearing ten per cent interest.
They build a store, and he sells them
goods that are given by the ships in
exchange for the products Of their la
Dor. Mr., Crusoe has a it Of loneli.