Semi-weekly herald., 1909-08-23

II
vanced intelligence supposed 20 aecin
from practical experience, Inc iaborinl
element of the world would adopt
more reasonable, Just and peaceful !, ol
icy In the solution of controversial
SO frequently arising between employ
er and employed. But this hope IL
being rapidly dissipated, by the lie
curing and expanding CHARACTER q
disturbances in the industrial world
until one is forced to wonder. ant
mentally conjecture, as 10 'whithe'
are We drifting" industrillly. aud what
Is to be the ultimate Outcome?
Just AS our own country, and the
world generally. is showing signs OF
convalescence from a long period OF
industrial depression, an epidemic OF
disastrous disturbances seems to have
involved the entire world. Day by day
from almost every corner of the uni.
verse come reports OF new strikes
and the increasing violence OF organ
lied labor in the efforts TO enforce its
unreasonable demands.
Usually this demand is that wages.
already liberal and high, shall be fur
ther advanced.
For the past two years industry
and commerce has been In a state Dor.
dering upon complete stagnation; not
only in America but in Europe as well
II Is unreasonable. not to say outrage.
ously unjust, to ask and expect en-
ployers TO further Increase their ex.
penses until they have recovered a
portion of the losses sustained through
the long period of depression. Wages,
in general, are on much higher basis,
than ever before in the history of the
world, to demand further advance
at such time, is suicidal, fatal alike
to the welfare of both employed and
employer.
1T is scarcely fortnight ago that
France emerged from a crisis precipi.
tated by universal Industrial strike
that threatened the very foundations OF
mat republic. In Barcelona. the chief
manufacturing city of the Spanish pos
sessions, organized labor declared a
strike which at once developed into an
organized revolution, involving the en-
tire Catalonian province, and threat
ened the mother country with bloody
revolution and her government with
dissolution. The revolutionists appear
now to have been controlled, but at
what terrible cost in prosperity,
blood and money. Before the strike
Barcelona was one of the most pros
porous, thriving cities in Europe. To.
day, SO far as remunerative industry
ngures, 1t Is ruined metropolis. Much
OF the loss is irreparable, and under
the most favored conditions the work.
ing classes will be years in recovering
from the injuries sustained as a re.
suit of their ill-timed, unreasonable
demands.
"A trivial dispute over wages and
working conditions in the wooden and
nary placid and conservative Sweden,
in an universal labor war and para.
lyzed industry throughout the king.
dom. Mills, factories and shops have
locked their doors against former EN-
ployees, voluminous tourist travel
whose liberal expenditures was a Do.
tential factor in the little country's
has been diverted to other
channels and lands. much OF 1t never
to return, and millions of dollars that
would have gone into the general cir
culation, in greater or less degree ben
efiting every class and element, is ir.
reyocably lost. AS might have been
foreseen, would be the outcome, the
iron heel OF the military will stamp
the dlsturbers INTO submission, and
augmented poverty will add to the mis-
cry of the poor. increase the length
and multiply the sufferings OF the ap.
long and severe winter.
In our own land strikes, revolu.
tionary III their violence, are In force
and are threatened In various import.
ant industrial centers. In every in.
stance they are the result of untime.
ly. unreasonable demands, and In ev.
cry instance there is the customary
of arson, rapine
bioodshed and every form of violence
1T would seem, that even ignoring
the lessons taught by past experiences
a humane regard for the welfare of
their abJect followers would constrain
the leaders of organized labor to coun-
sci and advise against these untimely
disturbances, instead of bending their
every effort and resorting to every
contemplate scheme to prolong and
embitter existing disputes and to pre-
cipitate new troubles.
"A cool. dispassionate. survey of pre-.
vaiHng conditions, and calm, un-
prejudiced attempt to penetrate the
future, compels the conclusion that
Il severe struggle and intense sui.
fering, must come with the applica-
ton of the only methods that appear
to be adapted 10 the clarifying of the
INDUSTRIAL atmosphere. and of bringing
the wage earning elements hack fa n