Norwich bulletin., 1912-02-14
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
MT. soardman's Reply.

Mir. Editor: In answer to "A Work iHgman" CD who believes that he should get what he or she is worth, let me say that if he or she Is a real workingman or woman, there is no union which will prevent him or her from starting in his line of business Tor himself; but society has passed or Is passing out of the individuaustic stage because that has proven a cumbersome, expensive, wastefuI sys- tenn"
 And the reason he doesn't set up for himself is because he realizes that organizations are taking the place of Individual effort. The contractor is a factor towards higher development He, MT. Workingman, probably could not prof1tably compete with present established organizations To be a, sue cess he must join the present organ lzauons of capital or labor.
 Labor has learned that 1t can deal better and get better results when or ganized. The fact that Mir. Workin- mans hours have been reduced from ten to eight and his wages increased rom S1.5O to SS.50 per day demon strates the power of organization.
 The contractor Is business agent over whom he has little or no direct control, who is a necessary factor. as things are constituted, to get work for him.
 The business agent is. as his improv- cd hours and wages show, a very val uahle factor for his weli-being. The one Is interested in his we'll being, for his living depends upon his success in working for the interest of the work CTS.
 The other agent the contractor. cares nothing for the worker, but to get as much work out of him at as low a wage as possible.
 MT. "Workngman' @ has little or no control over the contractor, but if a member of a labor organt zation he has right to express his opinion, to ad- wise in the direction of the affairs of the union, and that is the place for him to talk and not to us, who have nothing to do with the running of his organization.
 l do not hear him complaining of what the contractor makes off his la- bor, though l have no doubt he is l costing MT. Worker ten, yes, hun dred times as much as the business agent and is giving him much less re- turn,
 Thus the labor and eapitalistic or sandzations are some forms of CO., i operation which are meeting with some 1 success, Space forbids my going fur ther into the subject of cooperation but if MT, Workingnan will come to me I shall be pleased to talk with him on this subject
 l Now. these organizations, while ben ef1cial in many ways, are causing new problems which will require public ! control to remedy-unempi ioyment, ov- 1 reproduction (under- consumption, low wages and high prices, ] l believe that the general adoption i of the principles of socialism would | settle these problems to the advantage 1 of all
 But the average capitalist and labor unionist who is sattfied with things ! ts they are, and has ne regard for the Well-being of the rest of society, does ! not want change, l New as to the relative value oi | brain and braWn. We have a surplus | of brain power in this country, anG l personally l believe l might be better | off if I had a little less brain and 2 1 little more braWn. If it was not feI our importation of cheap labor brawr might be demanding better wages thar | brain,
 In regard te Vanderbilt's regard fol l the public, l do not think anyone who l knows me could think of putting int
 my mouth the expression of The pub l lie be d."
 ALBERT B0ARDMAN.
 Norwich, Feb. 12, 1s12.