The Washington herald., 1911-11-26

conditions in the regulation of hours and pay in the
recognition of employers iability-n the entire sweep
of labor conditions are working toward better
things.
The Triangle Shirtwast fire was a terrible thing
horrible thing. But not many years ago in Rhode
Island it customary o>shut up thousand workers
in wooden building with barred windows and with
fre-escapes. The people locked in That would
be utterly impossible now"
Closely bound up with every phase Of the problem
of big Business, in Miss Tarbels~Opinion the war
against poverty, against starvation
I've must understand that all these things work
out gradually" she said The distribution of wealth
will of course the great lessening of poverty
And the world has always been fighting poverty
There in the world to-day fewer starving people
than there have any time since the begin
ming of history. At the time cannot be denied
that there millions upon millions of people who have
not enough to eat, who are near to the starvation
point.
And the consideration of these people-of the
hungry thousands, only in America but in India
China, all the world-brngs us to another step
in the development of business 1t forces us to the
realization that think of the whole world not
just Of our country
America is a rich nation, rich in money in labor
in natural resources and in power We have knewn
what do with these things. Now we finding
They be used for the benefit of the whole world.
They not just to pile mp fortunes with"
OF her part in the awakening of the nation
to the fight against privilege Miss TarbeI speaks not
at all.
There has always been some one waking the
people up" she said lightly, in response reference
to the Importance of her work Sometimes the people
are being walked up to thing sometimes another.
Every do what he or she can of course.
1T is the duty of every person who sees wrong
to expose it, make the people understand what the
wrong is"
Miss Tarbel speaks very quietly who knows.
Meeting her ones first impression is simply of per-
fecty balanced investigator Who having looked deeply
and sanely into modern conditions speaks with absolute
authority. One forgets Miss Tarbells actual power in
the thought of her personal fitness for it. This
is a who do things reflects and then
remembers that this is a by whom, constantly,
things being done.
AS goes on to talk with Miss Tarben listening
TO her quick, low voice. watching the play of express
sion in her gray eyes, struck by curious resem-
blance to another who works to make things
oetter'-Jane adams. There is not much likeness in
The actual physical features of the wo-the settlement
worker and the exposer of business evils. But in ex
preston, in the tones of her voice manner of
speaking and in her gestures the woman who
works to make America better by alta ckng the wrongs
Of wealth makes one thing irresistibv of the woman
who works to make America better by helping the
wrongs of poverty.
Asked how she came to be a "muckraker' Miss
Tarbel smiles and replies very simply that she was
always interested in it.
Journalism has always been my business" she
;aid land it has made it possible for find things
out and see where wrongs exist. 1 have never done
laly journalistic work, but my magazine activity has
combined the position of writer with that of consult
ng editor, and have had facts about bust
ness conditions
AS 1 said, think when a person sees what is
wrong she ought to do what she to right it.
But I'm not the first muckraker, by any means,
she smiled. Undertaking is very old profession
There have always been muckrakers. For instance,
there Voltaire. An excellent muckraker, Voltare