Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-20

condition among the poor was thrift
lessness and waste.
Talk about waste! The countries
of the world are spending $500 millions
a year upon the materials and mech
anisms of war, the machine of human
slauehterl In addition they are draw
ing from the producing class millions
of people, some of them with the best
brains of the country and some of the
best skilled workmen. England alone
spends $3.50, 100000 for war purposes
In one year-S4O for every household
in England.
"Talk about waste lands in England
are not producing one-half of their
capacity-the English landlord asking
prohibitive rents. An enormous acre
age is given over to sport, much of
which could be cultivated, especially
for afforestation.
"There is enough water in the Nile
to irrigate every portion of Egypt and
the Soudan, but when you get to the
higher reaches of this river there is
a large tract of land where the water
overflows, forming a great pestilential
morass, while lower down there is not
enough water. Drain that morass, con-
serve your water and then will all the
land blossom like a rose.
TT seemed wherever we went great
strikes were in progress, noticeably IN
England, Wales, Berlin and Paris. we
were in the latter city during the rail-
road strike.
REASON FOR STRIKES
Investigation clearly proved that
long hours and poor wages were the
underlying causes of the trouble in
every case, although some incidental
troubles may have been the exciting
cause in some of the strikes in Eng
land. The railroad employees in France
work from eleven to thirteen hours
day, without any regular day Off. A
greater number of them receive from
10. so and 90 cents a day. The cost
of living has advanced from Is to 30
per cent, and the men are desperately
poor.
by the way, we ran into the ex-
pressmen's strike in New York. The
helpers were on duty fifteen hours q
day and receiving less than $50. $4O
and $50 a month, while the principals
received S65 and $40 a month. They
asked for an 11-hour working day and
$5 a month increased pay. Do you
wonder that the expressmen in New
York citv were filled with the spirit OF
unrest? The worker is becoming edu-
Gated and he demands a large poTflon
of the amount he produces. His IN
come, through reason of the great IN
crease in the cost of living, has de-
creased very DltdlGl lc1lAS NAulAiio SAAo AS''
five years, and he naturally rebels.
In the United States the average wage
for workers is $465 a year, while the
average amount actually produced by
him is S3200 The disparity is probably
greater in Europe. The worker is get
ting tired and insists upon a greater
share of that which he earns.
"Three years ago I visited about
forty large cities, from Tronhjem, Nor
70 pr16 HUNGARY. and found
everywhere not only were cities and
nations not selling franchises, but were
buying back those already sold, even
at a large increase In price.
There is no change in this regard.
The people believe that public utili-
ties are natural monopolies, and they
believe that they, themselves, should
be the monopolists.
"They look with amazement and
wonder upon America, who sells its
birthright in the shape of public util-
ity franchises for mess of pottage."