The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-04-25
WHY H SHOULD THERE | H | !.
. Be HARD Times
Question Which Drives all Parties
to Accusation and Recrimin-
alton to Explain. u
Robert J. Logan Assigns Cause, to
Be the Robbing of Opportuni-
ties by the few. -

dismal wall, Hard Times" z
The millionaire, like his !: poorer
brother, has felt it's sting, and sits; in
his mansion building air castles and
dreaming Of what he would do had he
the ready cash. =
The politicians are as badly scared
az the financier, for a panic brought
on. by hard tines is always disas,
trous to the party in power, for, Justly
or unjustly, the people always hold
the ''ins" responsible. =.
The Democratic party has hardly
recovered from the effects of the panic
Of 1898, which came during a Demo-
cratic administration, and the Repub-
licans lost several successive con-
crosses after the panic of 1873, barely
saving the presidency in 1875 and
1880.
| Why should times be hard is the
question that drives the ,hnancier,
manufacturer and wage Garner to ac-
cusation and recrimination in explain
ing the present depression in an en-
deavor to place the blame where they
think it rightfully belongs. -
Financiers Pet Theory.
! "A papicky market caused by the
fear Of DISQUALIFICATION and: the
senseless investigation of the trusts
is the financiers pet theory.
! Increased cost of labor" cries the
manufacturer; while the workingman
protests and insists that the prices of
| commodities are far in excess of the
occasional wage increase.
! A short while. ago. the world stood
aghast at the remarkable wave Of
prosperity in which this nation seemed
engulfed. .*
Far ard wide our great enterprise,
! tact and business energy was headed
and admired. 7:
| Pessimists shook their heads AMI
predicted dire ending, while the
| optimists babe us be merry, as greater
Land grander achievement were yet to
! come.
Did we heed the pessimists, and
/ prepare the ark that would weather
the storm, or were we carried away
by the promises Of the false prophets
with their horn Of plenty?
Buncoeing the Workers.
Has the worker participated in this
past performance to the extent OF
]
fuss made about our exalted condi-
ton, or have those who hold the
power to bolster the prices Of necessf-
ties been the real and only gamers Q,
this laudable fnanciering? +
Today the cost Of living is even
higher than that of year ago, arC
the fact is that prices generally are
higher now than at any time for the
past Is years. s. q
Meats controlled by the beef trust
are higher than in % years. &.
Butter, eggs, fruit and vegetables
controlled by the refrigerating privati
car system, are constantly soaring
higher and mean prosperity for the
.Armours, .Swifts and Cudahys.
Practically everything the people
use which is controlled by trust is
continually mounting up in price, :
But are wages also advancing?
If the general level of wages in your
line of work has gone up IS per cent
J. you are holding your own. .. y
h If they have not reached this mark
i the prosperity of the trusts is coming
out of your pocket.
In the days of epidemics, floods
|
the nations output there was an ex-
cuse for the Tightening of pure strings
Before the introduction Of scientific
farming the failure, Of crops was A
national catastrophe and was suffici:
! emit explanation for the expression
hard times" In some localities.
/ Condition Of Country:
During the month of September last
the exports Of wheat from this coun-
try were valued at one million dollars
more than in the same month the pre-
vious year, and yet the number of
bushels was over a million less! OF
cotton the same story is to1d-smal1ar
exports, but more money coming in to
pay for them.
Today thousands of skilled mechan-
les parade the streets seeking work
It is farcial to say their condition was
caused by the high standard Of wages
1t is not the amount Of money paid
in wages but the value Of the product
which is the determining factor of the
a fixed limit they cannot exceed the
price of the article, and as wages have
value of the articles produced.
AS this Is an age of urplus there
seems little excuse for the present de-
preston in trade.
There is no lucid analysis Of the
many reasons given that will produce
undeniable facts, or leave the cause
undesirable, and the question again
asserts itself, "has the nation fallen
!: into the hands Of the few who drain
! its opportunities to the dregs or are
) we still a, country, of the people, fol
the, people, and by the people
e HYPOCRISY OF UNION SMASH.