The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1909-06-24

Il Onllnltl from rage Vllt.l
are dealing with Il class mortality which
is highest in communities where women
are employed in mills and other gaintul
orcupat ions and in consequence the chill
drcn fall victims to ignorance and ne
glect = Page 1856.
Was it to these capitalist conditions
that Roosevelt referred when he said
The poor and the helpless. especially
women and children. would he the first
to die out?' And all he has to offer is
day nurseries for the children Of moth.
ers who have to work in factoric-l'
Dying Out of the Community.
In his attack on socialism Roosevelt
intimates that there would be created
a system which would neccssitate the
prompt dying out of the community
through sheer starvation" Roosevelt,
Homes commission takes issue with
him and proceeds to show that he has
described a system already in existence,
and. assuming he is AIissomian, pro-
ccels to show him. On page 2G4 of the
report it is said;
Vital statistics show that the birth
rate in England has dropped
from 34,3 per LOCO in 1873 to IS per
coo in 1901. in South Australia from
80 in 1888 to p in 1906 in Germany
from 4O.4 in 1881 to 35.3 in 1894. The
great decline in the birth rate in France
has been a matter of much COMMENT
This decline came during the time OF
the fullest triumph of capitalism. But
Roosevelt's Homes commission rUb9 il
in bit when it proceeds to quote Roose-
welt himself. This is found on page 2dj:
Mr.. Roosevelt is quoted to have said
that there are fewer descendant, Of the
than there were fifty years ago. We
must either alter our ways on We must
make way for other races-Asiatic or
Whatever they are--that will certainly
replace us
There YOU have it, We must alter ON
ways or capitalism will destroy us. 1t i
the knowledge that poverty is so immi-
ncnt these days and that life of pow
erty is so horrible the knowledge that
every nation on the earth is preparing
to kill in war millions of workers. which
leads the people to prefer to have no
children rather than to bring them into
the world for such fate as awaits them.
Fate of the Worker.
This is not mere assertion. Roosevelte
Homes commission proceeds to show
that economic conditions are, apart from
the declining birth rate, rapidly destroy
ing the workers who are already in eX-
istence. On page so of the report are
these words:
There is abundant statistical evi-
dence to show that industrial workers
pay a very heavy tribute to the so-called
white plague; nor is it cause of wonder
when the many mfavorable factors to
which they are subjected are considered,
such as crowded and unsanitary work
shops. deficient light ovework, long
hours in bad air, dampness, exposure
co extremes of heat and cold, sudden
'hanges in temperature, and the inhal-
alton of irritating dust, vapors, etc. All
of these factors are calculated to lower
the power of resistance and favor the
spread of disease, especially when some
of the workmen themselves are already
afflicted and are careless in the DISPOSE
ton of their eXpectoration."
That is pretty hard blow. But
satisfied with that it proceeds to talk
of the evils Of incompetence and to
charge them to Mr. RooSevelt's profit
system
That incompetence is a great evil has
been exploited SO much that it is not
necessary to dwell ON thi, phase of it.
Suffice it to give what Roosevelt's
Homes commission says is the chief
cause of ii:
Referring to the effect of low wages
as a cause of intempcrance, Mr. Nurm
quotes Prof. Jestus Won l.iebig, who, in
1860. declared; Alcoholism is not the
cause, but the result, of distress 1t is
the exception to the rule for a well
nourished individual to become drunk
ard. When, on the other hand, mans
earnings are insufficient to provide the
quantity and quality of food required
for the restoration OF his working ca
pacity, sheer necessity compels him to
have recourse to alcohol. Page 242,
The Full Dinner Pail Deadly.
Rooseyelt's Homes commission rubs it
in still further. Eight years ago, when
Roosevelt was on the national ticket
the republican party made its campaign
on what it termed the full dinner pail
Now comes Roosevclt's Homes commits
sion and says the full dinner pail pro