Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-06-03
INDUSTRIAL Peace THE WORLD Do MOVE.
INDUSTRIAL SITUATION SQUEEz.
Ing EVERYBODY.
But Few individuals Profit from
Strikes and LOCkOufS. While d
Few Employers and EMPLOYEES Are
at War the General Public USUALLY
PAYS the Cost.

Within the past few wears there has
oeen marked and growing public
awakening to public conditions, holh
political and economic, numerous and
varied. Not the least of these is the in.
creaslng general interest in the Industrial
situation OF this country. People who,
In the past, were content to let things
DRIFT along as they would, accepting the
unpleasant with equanimity and the
pleasant with simple satisfaction, are
nov no longer so unqnestioningly sub
missive to whatever fortunes overtake
them. They are every dav more prone
to ask questions; to ask WHY? to in
quife the REASON; to wonder il there
are not some forces at work, the modli-
cation of which might not be beneficial
to the community at large.
The growth OF this public attitude is
one OF the most encouraging symptoms
OF the times 1t indicates the develop
ment of that most important mental
activity, the process of THOUGHT; Of
the desire for EDUCATION, for the ac-
quirement of information which will
make possible the more intelligent direc.
tion OF energies.
While here and there some individuals
or collections OF individuals may have
profted more or less from the perennial
strikes, lockouts and other industrial
difficulties, the great mass of the Ameri-
can people, from the highest to the low
est in prosperity, has suffered more or
less from the disturbances of the normal
progress OF industry. The excessive rails.
ing OF wages in some places has not, as a
rule, been in obedience to the law Of
supply and demand and has often been
accompanied by deprivation of wages
altogether from persons who are lust as
much entitled to consideration as those
who have enjoyed the raise. On the
other hand, those communities the cap
italists of which have forced down the
wages of their employees to the minimum
have suffered, often without knowing it,
from the corresponding loss OF purchas.
ing capacity of their communities.
The fact is, the whole country-mean-
my by that vast majority OF its popula-
tion-is heartily sick OF the frequent and
persistent industrial strifes which are
reported in nearly every edition OF the
daily press. The American people want
peace and prosperity. They can have it,
and speedily, if they will persevere in
their evident present desire to be i'm
foimed. II they will only stop to think,
and think clearly, fairly and dispassion-
ately, they will not fail to see that indus
trial war is artificial, and industrial peace
natural. Nearly every employer wishes
to keep his enterprise going without in
terruption. reaping the benefits OF brisk
trade to be derived from prosperous
community at large. Nearly every EN-.
ploye wishes to keep at work, supporting
his family in comfort, building his home,
putting his surplus in bank, educating
his children, enjoying the pleasures of
life and looking forward to the better
ment of his present conditions to be de-
rived from greater and better productive
capacity.
Capital proftably employed at all
times and labor well paid and productive
is the ideal condition. There are two
influences which principally initiate
against the reaching OF this ideal cond-
ton. One is certain class OF employer
whose greed and shortsightedness lead
him to kill the goose that lays the golden
egg; the other is the restless malcontent,
spurred on by the demagogues who take
advantage of him. Control or remove
these two influences and industrial peace
is in sight.