Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-18

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| THEODORE A. BELL
has improved the condition of millions
! of human beings. If 1t has at times
! been betrayed by false and unserupu
lous leaders, this fact should not blino
us to it's proper sphere in the indus
| trial world but we should aim to cor
rect it's errors and mistakes rather
| than to destroy 1t because 1t has erred
HIGH LIVING COST
Inseparably connected with the ques-
| tiop of properly rewarding labor Is the
| question of the high cost of living. To
| illustrate-a farm hand is engaged III
hoeing corn and receives a stipulated
sum for his work In the neighborine
town q factory hand is engaged in the
manufacture of shoes, likewise work
ing for an agreed sum. Their necessi-
ties or comforts require an exchange oi
the products of their labor. Each is en-
titled to proceed on the theory that ne
will receive an equivalent of his own
labor in the product Of the other. The
labor of both is first converted into
money, which is used for the purpose OF
exchange and for the measurement OF
values. They proceed to make their
purchases and only to find that some
thing has so radically affected the pro-
cesses of exchange that neither obtains
anything like the full value Of his hard
toll.
It is impossible to point out all the
factors entering into this great wrong,
but one Of the most apparent difficul-
ties seems to be that the road from the
producer to the consumer is entirely too
long and too tortuous In chief, the
manipulations of trusts and unlaWful
combinations have not only upset every
natural law, but have criminally ana
systematically robbed both the farm
hand and the factory worker OF a large
part of his earnings: and to this extent
trusts have enslaved both This applies
to the masses of producers.
HOW TO MINIMIZE
What can cooperation do to mini
mize this sort of evil? In my 1udg-
ment, tntelligenh cooperation can be
made more fruitful than any law that
can be written in the statute books.
Thus far, 1t must be admitted, the OPP
GRAFTON and enforcement of antitrust
laws have been little less than
farcical.
There are some who believe that the
trust evil will settle itself through the
workings of economic law, but that
way off, and to permit combinations 70
prey upon The People until The People
are so stripped that it will not De
worth while to prey upon them longer
would signify untold sufferings upon
the part of millions.
Perhaps through the machinery OF
economic law counter comblnai 'nns
may rise to wage warfare against the
trusts, and, in my opinion, this form
of co-operation must be adopted, IL
escape is to be effected. Associations
and federations made up of all classes
will have to wage united pallie
against the common enemy-the trusts;
and from a legislative standpoint every
law that directly or indirectly aftorus
shelter or immunity to the trusts must
be wiped out.
The form of cooperation that finds
it's expression in the maintenance OF an
efficient school system might well fur-
nish the subject for an entire article.
Our whole future is dependent upon the
sort of training the child is given in
the home and in the school. NO mat
ter what weight is given to heredlty
or natural instincts, the factor of educa-
ton is the determinative one. The state
has the paramount interest in the child
and every child must be deemed ward
of the state. Nothing can excuse neg
lect of the children. and child labor is
a crime against humanity. Cost What
1t may, every boy and girl of Cali
fornia should be sent to school, and II
poverty and dependence upon a child s
labor be urged as an excuse for non
attendance. let The People of Califor-
MIA set themselves resolutely to the
task Of removing conditions that re-
quire a sacrifice of babes.
PUBLIC SPIRIT
Let me devote a little of my remain
ing space to what is termed public
spirit" The presence of a fine public
spirit will indicate high order OF So
cial cooperation, showing quality of
sympathy that deems wrong done
to the humblest citizen to be wrong
done to all In our marvellous CONNER
ciaI advancement. there has been Gre
ated a very sensitive pLblic opinion re-
specting the rights of property; but
this sentiment is not so keen toward
fundamental human rights. 1t is wise
to throw all possible security about
property. Any uncertainty as to the
tenures by which property may be en-
loved will retard development and
weaken the incentive to industry and
economy.
But let us throw the same precious
guarantees around personal rights.
This will lead to better legislation and
the selection or only honest anu eiil-
cient office holders. 1t will enhance
the value the authority and the dig
nifty of the ballot. The elective fran
chise should be regarded as sacred
privilege. Through 1t men may CO.
operate for the highest good of the
COMMUNICATED is, if it be courage
ously used Graft and corruption in
our big cities betoken lack of pub
lie spirit; species of moral coward
ice of a paralyzing character Public
business must be made the concern of
private business, and on the theory
that clean government increases ma
terial prosperity
| would like to dwell on the co-opera-
tion that we witness in fraternal work,
in the church and in great number
OF associations that we meet on every
hand, but the limits Of this article Will
not permit.
Let me in conclusion call attention to
a method of cooperation that | think
most effective of all, that is in clearing
the way for true cooperative work:
Learn to work together on lines OF
agreement, eliminating as many points
of disagreement as possible. For IN
stance, two men may disagree In poll
tics, in religion, or in thousand other
ways. but they do agree that new