Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1910-06-20

dividual, as conditions are to-day,
tends strongly to send down the price
OF labor at the same time accentuating
the cost of living.
Instancing this. there is a manufac-
turing concern of which we all know,
right here in this vicinity. whose presi-
dent receives $780, 100000 per year. and
this means that every employe OF that
concern must first earn one dollar per
day to make IN that sum.
But this is not all. There are
number of other extremely high priced
officials in. or members of, the same
concern. and every employee must earn,
by their labor, the sum Of seventy
five cents for a number of these, fifty
cents for others and varying sums for
others still before a thought is given
to wages for the employe, and this
methods seems to be a popular one
employed by most large concerns in or
der to lick up the tremendous profits.
But the laborer must do more. Sufi-
cient must be earned TO cover the rent
| (whether the operator or operators own
the establishment or not) OF the plant.
interest on the capital invested. a suit
able sum for sinking fund, for the
extension of the plant and other i'm
! provements. and. then. perhaps the
! rest may be allowed as wages. Is it
any wonder that such firms cannot
raise wages?
It is to be hoped. however that the
/ people will some day see the cat
the enormous sum they earn by their
labor and demand by their ballot a
encouragement Of industrial affairs so
that they may come into their own.
But right there is where the danger
lies.
When the we'll fed mechanic sees the
evils Of the system he is very apt to
take the matter up in a rational man
ner, but should the laborer look beyond
his paltry howell and see the glimmer-
ing palaces tenanted with their male
nonentities and female frivolities he
will be apt to disregard the ballot and
resort 70 violence.
And we should not he too certain
that the government will be able t.
cope with such a situation. The worlds
history points out. and clearly. the
flimsy securities behind which privi-
lege has hidden on more than one oc.
casion when labor arose in its might
and demanded justice
You have undoubtedly heard of tho
unfortunate Marie Antionette's reply
to servant who entered her private
apartments to inform her that there
was a great concourse OF poor people
at the palace gate demanding bread
When the queen understood that thos,
poor people had no bread TO eat She
said: why don't they eat cake?' AND
this rejoinder stands out as a shining
illustration Of how ignorant the ex
tremely rich are of the extreme povert,
in which the poor wallow.
OF course the poor people of France
Of that day did eat cake. and. more
} they put to an end forever the pos
sibility Of the queen ever eating eithe
bread or cake. sad. but true.
Ard where can we find a person wh'
would object TO those who raise pro
duce-the farmer. for instance. secur
ing to Themselves good prices for TIL
commodities their labor brings into eX
istence. when labor was well psid-sa'
from sixteen TO eighty dollars per day
And the above figures need not b
taken as fabulous.
, While seeking ether informa ton II
the twelfth census I learned that wer
J the sum total of wealth created dur
ing the year 1899 divided equally be
tween those who entered in to In
production ii would give to every mar
woman and child the sum of sixtee
} dollars per hour. But. Of course, sue
. men as Carnegie or Rockefeller woul
! NOT Eet {szyttalen per day And thu