The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1911-04-22
The Lives, Health and Safety Of
the Employees Must Be Given
Recognition =.
ACCUMULATION OF DOLLARS
NOT AN ABSOLUTE RIGHT
Modern Society Demands Fair
4 ness and Justice Towards
=. "VA10Aa''
By HERBERT HI. MORLEY.

r IT intend to run my business as l
see fit without interference or sug-
Eestion from anyone. - This is the
statement that has met many an ear
nest worker who has courageously
determined to devote 4 portion Of his
energy to the improvement Of the lot
Of those who toll. when he was en-
deavoring to wrest from some avaric-
1ous employer some concession in the
interest Of the workers. 49,
Certain Term Defined. ~
And the term 'avar1cious' is used
adVisedly, for none but an employer
Of such q stamp will advance 80 sor-
did proposition. It implies the de-
termination to operate the business in
which he IS interested without regard
to suggestion as to the lives, health
and safety of those who labor for
him, and with no thought save the
accumulation of the dollars that mean
more than the interests of humanity
to such a man as he.
!: Run Business Right.
Whatever may have once been the
general opinion as to the right Of an
employer to run his business: under
this selfish and inhuman plan, mod
ern society will permit him to runit
unmolested only so long as he runs. it
right--runsl it with a just and fair
consideration for the rights, of. those
who labor, with some thought for
their health, safety and comfort, and
with evidence of appreciation of the
fact that society as whole is bound
!: to protect each individual unit and
that the employer is responsible for
his share. OF the protection -:
{. ! :z s.s Duty of Employer. ,s,:. u. :. !,
/ II is constantly being made. more
plain that more: is reduiTed and that
: naoresi tor be required than that the
employer shall offer to..Woriingmen
the opportunity to work or refuse to
work for such wages and under such
conditions as ne sees fit to impose.
The dreadful cost Of such policy in
the past, in the shortening of the
lives of the toilers. the limiting of
their power to labor during life by
subjecting them to the ravages Of pre-
ventable disease; the compelling to
work under conditions that have
made, life .unbearable in many cases,
has caused a .deep-rooted and grow
ing demand for such conditions in the
various hranches Of industry as shall
prolong life to the utmost, minimize
the exposure to deadly and incapa-
Chatting disease, and make as com.
Portable as possible the conditions UNI
der which labor shall be performed
Trade Union Activity.
The trade-union movement has
been the pioneer in this work. and It
Is but just to say that had It not been
Tor. its ceaseless and vigorous cam
pa1gn in this direction millions more
workers would needlessly have been
sacrificed and the old inhuman and
costly conditions prevailed Indefinite
ly. =
This trade-union activity has result
ed in the awakening of considerable
portion of society to work along these
lines. Interested in some cases from
a humanitarian and in others from
an economic standpoint, they have
rendered the cause Of labor much as
sistance in this direction. The various
organizations that have taken an in
terest in the fight against tuberculosis
have aided us greatly in .arousinE a
public interest that if maintained will
surely stamp out this dread scourge
OF the workers.. Other organizations
and scientific societies have become
interested in the work of studying and
fighting deadly dieases to an extent
that promises a speedy and considers
able relief from this grave burden
that has so long rested on the,
shoulders of the workers: r. a.. f..