The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1909-01-10
Under the Auspices
of the
OGDEN TRADES ASSEMBLY
LABOR AND ITS REWARD.


OF something good TO read. our a..
tontion WAS attracted to an article
With the above heading, written by
| MIR. o. 2 Hoff, labor commissioner OF
Oregon. We found the article so uu
OF meat, and written in such mast
erlul, Just and unbiased manner. that
We could not refrain from reproducing
it here.
Mr.. Hoff said: " In the sweat OF
thy face shall thou eat bread The
book of books, no matter from what
standpoint it is regarded, stands pre-.
eminent as the foundation of all laws.
anil the above quotation is not only
n Judgment passed on mankind, but
also commandment given. AS law
of the first order it places the stamp
| OF respcctablllty on labor in obedi-
once TO the same. On moral ground 10
| evade this command is lawlessnesS
before the moral bar OF the highest
moral court.
For man 10 labor is the natural
condition of gaining health and hap
| pinesi while idleness breeds dis
content. degeneration and weakness.
both morally and physically. The
setting aside by legal enactment a
holiday designated as Labor Day, IS
a recognition in common law OF the
| dignity of labor that has stood in all
! ages as a divine law
That there are and always have
been men who hold labor In contempt
is certain. This even extends to Ger
tain officers whom these very labor
| "a, nv
votes However, these people should
not be too harshly Judged. Their lack
OF consideration and breadth oil char
acter, and their self-assumed Import
ance is more TO be pltled than
blamed The average laboring man
does not find fault because he has 10
work Therein does not lie the
trouble. but in the often seemingly
unjust division of the profits OF the la
bor. Our sense of justice p;aIniy secs
that each person Is entitled to such
compensation for his honest efforts
as Will permit him TO live anc rear Il
family in a comfortable and up-to-date
manner. This would not be a difficult
matter If justice had the adjusting.
First fair price for the raw ma
terial. then. as 1t passes through the
| different hands. pay eac1 man waaI
is his by right, adding the same 10
the cost, also fair profits for tac
money invested in the plant or tools
and the risk of such Investment. and
the necessary cost OF dlsposlnS TO
the customers. But here comes com
petition and greed pressing down the
prices when times are hard. each one
as the pressure is extended backward
taking care that his part of the trans
action yields the proper profits until
it reaches the toiler who. being, If
he stands alone, least able to take
care of himself. has TO take the prin-
| cipal cut in downward trend OF the
article. On the other hand, when
times are good, the prices are raised
and the effect OF it is first noted at
Tho selling end. and it takes Ions
Time and often trouble In the labor
circle before the working man gets
his share in the increase. which ne
cessarily has made the cost OF his
| existence greater a laboring man s
right in the share of a produced value,
a lust pay for his work. should be an
amount as will allow him. if he prac-
tees Industry economy and intemper-
ance. and being free from any un-
usual amount OF sickness or mistor-
iune, to live up TO the standard OF
his surroundings, giving his children
the best of education. and TO save up
sufficient 10 keep himself and wife
when the inhrmity of old ase retires
him from active work.
Economical living does not mean to
live and dress on the smallest amount
possible TO exist, but TO restrict the
expenses TO the minimum necessary TO
conform TO the American standard OF
living In our onward march what
was a luxury last year and none IS
| more responsible for this than the
employing or Weather part OF the
community, who sets the pace IN fads
and fancies as well as ordinary mat
ters.
Humanity must be fitted in lump
and not in parts or by classes III our
improved and stlll advancing ciyi!iza-
ton shall be entitled to the commea-
cation of just and sensible people.
When employers by reason of more
comfort in their homes, finer texture
in their clothes. better lood and high
er priced amusEments spend more
money TO live, the employees arc Just
ly entitled to their proportlonate
share In this higher civilization
There Is a proof. or at least may be
accepted as SUCH that the employers
profits are increasing and that the
! business can stand higher wagesL
when he changes his mode. of life 30
that his expenses increase, and he.
| himself, becomes responsible for the
demand that will be made on him for
better pay by those who assist him
in the creation of his added wealth.
There is impressed on my mind
another phase of this matter regard
| iEG the ability of the average work
ing man as well as business man TO
keep up with the general advance,
ana it Is one OF vital importance. Mar
riagc is the institution of physical
and moral necessity. The conditions
that tends TO make this happy or
otherwise should receive the most
careful attention, even from the side
of q waGe-eaTncr and his pay. Love
ia supposed to be the foundation for
a happy union of man and wife. Hut
doubt that love viii last. long. IL
respect, for the object of love de-
parts.
There arc a'few angels among the
women, stll | believe that but few
exist, and will retain the proper re-
srect for a husband who, barring
sickness and misfortune, fails 10 Dold
his own in the general advance
| "ThC old saw that when nOVerty