Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1907-12-12
DUTY EMPLOYER OWES EMPLOYEE

For several years this country
has experienced unprecedented bust
ness activity and prosperity" said
former Senator w. I'll. Hatton of
New London in a recent interview.
1.-The great majority OF our people
are honest and laW-abiding and
have conducted their business enter
prises honestly and on correct econo-
mic principals, but we have a class
OF men who instead of devoting their
energies to legitimate enterprises and
grass grow where one has BEFORE
have been trying to make five or
more shares OF stock stand on the
foundation of one share, unloading
such watered stock on the people,
diverting capital from legitimate
business, absorbing the earnings and
savings of the people, with the in
evitable result-investigati X
pOsure, loss of confidence not only in
these fake enterprises, but in every
thing.
"These disreputable schemes and
methods, together with other infiu-
ences, have brought about the pres
ent money panic.
1T is unfortunate that many en-
ployers are taking advantage of the
present financial disturbance, and
are reducing, or attempting to re-
duce wages. Wage earners are the
last, to get the benefit of any ad-
vance in general conditions and they
should not be the first called upon to
submit to reduction. | hope indivd-
uals and labor organizations will
use ell honorable means In their
power to resist any such tendency
or movement.
"The question OF production has
practically been solved: that is,
enough is produced to provide liber.
ally for every one, but the question
of fair division and distribution re-
mains to be solved. We hope some
practical profit sharing plan apple
able to all lines may be evolved and
adopted. This will be step in the
right direction toward a more equit-
able division. AS the employer, as a
rule, does not divide and share with
the employee any unusual gains, he
should not ask the employee to
bear the unusual losses. The en-
ployee has a moral and equitable in
terest in the accumulated profits and
surplus, after allowing reasonable
returns forcapital, and such accumu-
lation should be held in trust to
bridge over times of depression and
cover unusual losses.
at may be truthfully said that the
wage Garner now has more of the
comforts and luxuries of life than at
any time in the past, but considera-
ton must be given to the fact that
advanc civilization demands
more OF the laboring man each year
in the care of his family, and to the
further fact that great advance
has been made in invention and or
ganization, resulting in greatly in
creased effec, iyeness and productive
ness of the worker. Shall not the
real producer have an increased
share in the general prosperity of the
world?
"Some say that the wage Garner
has been simprovident, which may Ee
true in some cases, but have not |
some of the employers been extraya-
CANT and ilnprOyident also? 1t |
would be an interesting experiment |
for some employers to undertake to
support a family on the wages of |
the ordinary workman. There GER
tainly would be no automobiles or |
vacations at the seashOre. Use the
surplus, cut off some of the luxuries
of the employer, sell the automo-
biles, before you reduce wages.