Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-12-11
THE LABOR PROBLEM.


= THE LABOR PROBLEM. \
There are many matters affecting labor
ana the status Of the wage worker to
which l should like TO draw your atten-
ton. but an exhaustive discussion OF the
problem in al It's aspects is not o
necessary. This administration is near
ing Its end; and. moreover, under our
form OF government the solution of the
proolem depends upon the action Of the
states as much as upon the action of the
nation. Nevertheless, there are certain
considerations which / wish TO set before
you, because [ hope that our people Will
more and more keep them in msnd. A
bind and ignorant resistance TO every
effort for the reform OF abuses and for
the readJustment OF society TO modern
Industrial conditions represents not true
conSerVatism but an Indictment 10 the
widest radicalism; for wise radicalism
ana wise conservatism go hand in hand,
one Dent on progress, the other bent on
seeing mat no change is made unless in
the right direction. l believe IN q steady
effort, or perhaps It would be more ac-
cnrate to say In steady efforts in many
inherent directions, to bring about a con-
dition OF affairs under which the men who
work with hand or with brain. the labor
ers, the su~perintendents, the men who pro-
duce for the market and the men who
ma a market for the articles produced,
shali own a far greater share than at
present or the wealth they produce, and
- N'ASNA'" w 4 % l III kAS dllN
instruments by which all work is carried
on.
AS far as possible / hope to see a frank
recognition OF the advantages conferred
by machinery, organization. and division
or labor, accompanied by an effort to
pring about a larger share in the owner
snip by wage worker Of railway, mill and
FACTORY. In farming, this simply means
that we wish to see the farmer own his
own land; we do not wish to see the
farms so large that they become the
l property of ahSpntRn landlords whn farm
them by tenants, nor yet so small that
the farmer becomes like a European
peasant. Again. the depositors In our
savings banks now number over one
tenth OF our entire population. These
are all capitalists, who through the saw
ings banks, loan their money TO the work
ers-that Is, in many cases to them
selves-to carry on their various indus
tries. The more we increase their num-
Der. the more we introduce the principles
Fof cooperation into our industry. Every
increase In the number OF small stock
holders In corporations is a good thing,
Tor the same reasons: and where the
employees are the stockholders the result
Is particularly good. Very much OF this
movement must be outside OF anything
that, can be accomplished by legislation;
but legislation can do a good Zeal. Post
al savings banks will make II easy for
the poorest to keep their savings In
absolute safety. The regulation of the
they shall serve all people with equal
justice.
Corporate finances must be supervised
SO as to make it far safer than at pres
ent for the man OF small means to in
vest his money In stocks. There must
be prohibition of child labor. diminutfon
all mechanical labor, stock watering
should be prohibited and stock gambling
SO far as is possible discouraged. There
should be a progressive Inheritance tax
on large fortunes. Industrial education
should be encouraged. As far as pos-
sible We should tighten he burden OF
taxation on the small man. We should
put a premium upon thrift, hard work,
and business energy; but these qualities
cease to be the main factors In ccumu-
lating a fortune long before tina for
seriously affected by any inheritance tax
such as / propose. It Is eminently right
that the nation should fix the terms upon
which the great fortunes are inherited.
They rarely do good and they often do
harm to those who inherit them In their
entirety.
Protection for Wage Workers.
The above is the merest sketch, hardly
even a sketch In outline, of the reforms
for which We should work. But there Is
one matter with which the congress
should deal at this session. There should
no longer be any paltering with the ques-
ton OF taking care of the wage workers
who, under our present indus trial system.
become killed. crippled. or worn out as
business. The majority OF wage workers
must have their rights secured for them
by state action. but the national govern
ment should legislate In thoroughgoing
and far reaching fashion not only for all
employees OF the national government. but
for all persons engaged I'm interstate
: commerce. The object sought for could
be achieved to a measurable degree, as
far as those killed or crippled are con-
cerned. by proper employers liability
laws. AS far as concerns those who have
been worn out. L call your attention to
the fact hat definite steps toward pro-
viding old age pensions have been taken
IN many of our private industries. These
may be indefinitely extended through
voluntary association and contribu tory
schemes. or through the agency of saw
ings banks, as under the. recent Massa-
chusetts plan. To strengthen these prac-
teal measures should be our immediate
duty; IL Is not at present necessary to
consider the larger and more general
governmental schemes that most Euro
pean governments nave found themselves
Obliged to adopt.
Pending a t~horoughgoing investigation
and action there is certain legislation
which hould be enacted at once. The
law, passed at the last session Of the
congress-, granting compensation to GER
tain classes OF employees of the govern
ment. hould be extended to fnc.ud all
employees of the government and should
be made more liberal in its terms. There
Is no good Q for the distinction
In hazardous occupations and those not
90 engaged. III a man Is injured or killed
In any line % work. It was hazardous In
his case. Whether one per cent or 10
per cent OF those following a given occu-
patton actually suffer injury or death
ought not to have any bearing on the
question OF their receiving compensation.
II is a grim logic which says to an
injured employe or to the dependents OF
one killed that he or they are entitled to
no compensation because very few people
other than he nav been injured or killed
In that occupation. Perhaps one Of the
most striking omissions In the law Is
that II does not embrace peace officers
and others whose lives may be sacrificed
IA enforcing the laws Of the United
States. The terms OF the act providing
compensation should be made more lib