The morning journal-courier., 1908-01-23
Thursday, January B, 1908.
DEMAND OF THE UNEMPLOYED.

DEMAND OF THE UNEMPLOYED.
 A march of the unemployed to the seats of local, State or federal gov ernment to present their dehlands for em pIcyplent is of itself disturbing, | but even more so is the ignorance | disptayed of the limitations of the government to give the relief needed | One f the saddest things in the world is tho sight of an honest man willing to work for the bread he must eat but unable to get employment. At such a moment ones heart snks at the disclosure of human misery, and more than anything else droops at the rest in the hands of government. If there was a remedy which the mayor of New Britain could provide for the unemployed who marched to his of flee the other day we may well be- lieve he would supply it. All he can do is to feel the misery of the situa- ton with the rest of us and give more attentive ear to the false industrial standards and legislative errors which together work to produce period of business depression when both capital and labor have to cease from their activities.
 The resolutions which the unem- ployed of New Britain presented to Mayor Landers reveal the intensity of the feelings of the unfortunate men, though 1t is not difficult to see that they were censored by some quick wftted Socialist. There is no question of the fact that the working men of New Britain have worked hard and produced a great amount of wealth during the period of prosperity that prevailed during the last few years, :" but 1t is also true that they were compensated for the work performed at wages determined upon by the two parties to the contract, and according to the only rule yet discovered for the determination of wage values It Is to be further considered whether during these years of toll we have only received wages enough to keep us in running order while working ' The savings banks deposits through out the State tell a different story. They have in their possession millions which belong to the toilers of the commonwealth. It is 8 delicate sub ject this proposition of just compen- sation for labor performed, and it is yet to be proved that the judgment of the individual is to determine it. Men have grown rich whose income was smaller than the wage paid the New Britain skilled mechanic and men have gone broke whose incomes were princely. It is also question for de- liberation whether so much has been produced that labor is no longer need ed, as the New Britain men claim. There are those who see other and more vital reasons for the industrial collapse and they have to do with the conduct of men towards one another perhaps these very men at that in- cluded possibly.
 On the other hand are the unem. ployed marchers of New Britain or sound ground when they declare tha, i've are at least entitled to enough tc enable us to live, whether others car make a profit out of our labors Q, not?" This would appear to deny the right of the employer to live, for sure. ly he could not live. nor would he in. vest his money in a producing plart, if He "eie opliseu to keep open Tn the absence of 9 demand for the goods he makes, and for the exclusive pur. pose of offering employment to thf idle. There is not a manufacturer ir the city of New Britain, nor in tho whole State of Connecticut, who woult not prefer to keep his plant bus, twelve months a year only to prepar, 1t for another twelve months o lively use. There is neither pleasur, nor profit in beholding an idle plant and to many an employer of laborer 1t is distressing for him to be obliged to see his men idle and his own capi tai tied up. If the right to live is in sisted upon in one instance it must h. insisted upon in another instance. I the unemployed have the right to de mand that they shall he given employ nlent regardless of the profit to b. gained by capital, which is it's wage then the employer has the right t
 demand of labor that under like cir cumstances, in which he is the great CT sufferer, labor must toll for him whether it finds any compensation in the engagement or not If the prop