The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-04-17

There's in the land about about pay envelope
bonanzas Most has been a blast of thousand
egaphones announcing increase for certain classes OF
railroad There is echo though. that says, Have
you got Your share?'
1t is live question Have YOU really got your share
of the Astounding prosperity? Let men who toll turn
in the newspapers present day food quotations and
then to the records of 10 years ago Compare
the difference with the uplift in your wages.
Nor is the increase in the cost of food and other
sites the only test There is evidence at hand
to indicate from which end of the horn of plenty the
worker is getting his share of prosperity 1t apperains
to railroads Government statisticans who measure and
weigh and assay prosperity especially unparalleled and
amazing and boundess prosperity say that since 1900
the pay of railroad employees has been increased II per
cent. Fine, isn't it? You bet. Now altogether
But, wait a minute What have Hartman, Morgan
Rockefeller and the rest Of those earnest workers gotten
out of it. We had almost overlooked that. Let S refer
again to the prosperity assayer report. Oh here
it is Net earnings that the profits of the railroad own
have increased 80 per cent since 1900 Almost dou
bed that's all The shower from the big end of the horn
must have nearly sutfocated them.
Their 80 per cent not only larger dividends but
great rise in the value of the bales of stocks and bonds
held by them. 1T has made possible the issue Of watered
stock to extent unparalleled and amazing our
prosperity, and additional So while it is boundless
S far the wizards Of Wall ST concerned, any
workingman who can fad barrel or vat big enough to
hold his months wages will be able to get fairly good
line of its volume
Organized workingmen have Jared better than the
fellows who make individual arrangements for their pay
take what is offered them. On the railways in the
past years. for instance, the conductors have been
advanced Is per cent remen IA per cent and engineers
II per Railroad clerks have been given increase
Of less than per cent and station per cent. The
higher officials have been rewarded for their ability in
holding down the employees by increase of 40 per cent
since 1900.
While they land themselves philantmopiss in Civ
ing the Il per the wizards continue to gather in 81
per cent for themselves. The game has been worked
oft before, but like the tanalizing puzzle of the lit
tie shells or the cleaning gold brick, it is
AT the time of the hard coal strike the operators grant
ed the increase Of 10 cents ton for mining coal
The operators increased the selling price of coal 80
ton Recently the telegraph companies granted to OPP
orators advance of 10 per cent. Fine wasn't it Sure
it And then they increased the rates for sending
messages average of 80 per cent On the rate under
which the heaviest business is transacted they told old
c. People to come up with 30 per cent increase. SO
it is in other lines. Wages increased 10 per
prices boosted 40 per cent
All of this should comfort any toiler who may fear
that he is getting than his share of prosperity Let
him see what the big corporations and the trusts and
combines that tell him what he must pay for food are
getting out of it. Many authorities contend that,
derng rents food and other necessaries little if any
more comes from the pay envelope than was the
case or 10 years ago. Until the workers wages out
not have his share Of prosperity.