The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-03-14

and the betterment of our conditions
in general, and at the same time Sc
cure a living wage. Some one has
said that the world does not permit
the loss of anything that makes for
the common good. If this is so, then
labor organizations have come to stay.
'It may be due merely to coincidence
but the fact remains that the highest
human efficiency among wage workers
is to be found in countries where labor
organizations are the strongest.
I'm this day and age workers are
more abundant than work, hence the
employer has more often been able to
exploit the worker than the worker
has been able to exploit the employer.
This circumstance has lead labor in
this country to unite for their common
good as one capitalist has said: The
organization of labor has carried to
the employer advantages and disad
vantages. On the one hand it has
robbed the employer of the executive
voice in fixing wages, hours and con-.
ditions. 1t has clipped his privilege
of being the sole arbiter Of the condi-
tions under which his workers shall
toll and live. 1t has compelled him to
take into account in his reckonings
the attitude of his workers, and to rea-
lie that they must have voice in
all things affecting their welfare.
"On the other hand the organization
Of labor has made for higher intelli-
gence on the part of the wage Garner.
1t has brought about higher wages,
shorter hours and more livable and
better working conditions, which nee
essarily uplifts the toiler and makes
him "a more valuable and efficient
worker.
''The -unionists of Walla Wal
la have many things to be proud Of
and one is that they can, and do, pur-
sue the even tenor of their way with
out becoming involved in labor dis
putes, strikes or Industrial strife, such
as many large labor centers frequently
do. The labor unions of this city have
had their troubles, but invariably have
been of mild form, and usually termi-
Mate in good to both the worker and
the employer. Another thing will be
noticed in our city, and that is that the
employer and wage Garner work more
in harmony with each other than in
many of the cities of this great north
west
1--WE believe it will be conceded that
all the ades-unionists in Walla Wal
la are aW-abiding citizens-men who
are building homes for themselves and
their families and are vitality interest
ed in the growth and development of
all things pertaining to the welfare
and advancement of our home city.
Labor organizations as we said before,
are here to stay, and the sooner the
average citizen fits himself to his in
vironments and directs his thoughts
to the question of how most wisely and
how most equitably to deal with such
organizations, instead of directing
their thoughts of how most effectively
to destroy them, the more speedily are
they likely to hasten the day when in
dustrial peace will be at hand.
about four years ago the union men
of Walla Walla conceived the idea of
buying some property which could be
converted into a labor temple for the
meeting place of all the different
trades Consequently the Christian
church property on South Third street
was purchased, costing approximately
$4,000, and the property stands today
clear fanny membranes, and every
dollar of it was contributed by the
trade unionists of Walla Walla. We
are now contemplating some extensive