The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-01-20
LABOR NOTES or
VIDE INTEREST

Many working people are realizing
that they cannot buy as much as they
formerly could with their money. Sure
ly IL would seem that all workers coult
realize the fact. Yet so cleyerly is tho
capitalist system operated that there are
millions who fail to see the seriousness
of the present situation. The estab-
lished newspapers are silent on the sub
ject. The attention of the people is di'
verified by all sorts OF schemes. The SIN
ister attempt OF the rulers of America
to-day is to keep the appearance OF
prosperity ahoat.
To this end the whole machinery OF
commercial society is engaged in cover
ing mp the holes and bare spots of our
industrial walls. Tinsel, draperies and
various brands Of hangings are tackled
up. The dazzling riches of the upper
class are continually kept before the
public eve. Credit and installment
schemes for buying homes and lots 'on
time" methods Of buying furniture, jew
els and watches, "the tick" way OF get
ting food and other necessaries are Great
ed to rob the wage Garner and fool him
| into believing that his lot is not so
bad after all.
A sham installment plan prosperity,
glittering about him. benumbs his mind.
He is unable to see below the glitter Of
the surface. While the workers are be-
ing pilfered by these means. the screws
are being fastened tighter ON their lives.
Wages remain fixed. Prices keep going
oh
a myth to him. The ultra rich do
not have any care as to these things,
The despicable "crawfsh" climbers are
too busy apng this set to worry The
workers are too busily engaged in meet
ing their bills each week to find time
to think the why" of the bills.
Many working people cannot see that
the so-called prosperity is enslaving
them more each day that ii continues.
They do not know that the whole ar
rangement is unnecessary. The reason
that wages are fixed and that prices
rise is not hard to understand.
The control of wages and prices lies
in the hands Of few people who own
the industries of America. The lower
wages are and the higher prices are,
the richer and Weather they are. 1t is
to their interest to keep the present kind |
of. prosperity going. Real prosper
ity demands a great income for labor. |
Therefore. real prosperity is unattain-
able in our present system. To obtain I
greater income and lower prices, the
working class win have to control wages
and prices. This is impossible as long
as the workers do not own the indus
tries.
The case Of Paul Golik. an Austrian
aborer, who. some months ago, secured
Judgment in the sum Of 81 2IJ3.30 for per.
,onal injuries sustained by him, is only
/ sample OF the thousands of cases
throughout the country where workmen
ire compelled to contest in the courts
or personal injury damages against en-
,loyers. The injuries received by the
workman referred to were of such
nature as to leave him a lifelong Grip
he. BY the Vaccinations of the at
ornev for Golik. the expenses of the liti-
alton since the injury, which occurred
u 1900. have absorbed the entire amount
warded and to-day Golik is without
ent and dependent on charity. This
ase is only an incident of the thous-
nds of personal injury cases which wind
p in the same manner and leave the
INJURED workman without any relief.
'hese facts argue with great force for
he establishment in each state Of a !
workmeps compensation
IVY.
The city administration Of Denver has q
rdered a 10 per cent. cut in all city ]
nployes' wages, il being reported that /
is the policy of the mayor to carry /,
ut a so-called program Of strict econ
my. The authors and those who cham
an the 10 per cent. cut are not af |.
,cted. as their salaries are fixed by =
lie city charter The local central body q
as taken action opposing this reduc- {
on. and vigorous protest will be en-
red against the reduction of the sal s
les or wages Of those who can least O
ford il. /,
A conference of the legislative com
ittee and other representative mem.
RS of the Texas state federation OF
Dor has been held. The purpose of n
is conference was TO draft tenta- N
We bill for workmen's compensation, 4
be introduced in the coming session n
the legislature. The salient provi-
ms contained in the compensation :,
VS. of the states where compensation -
VS. have been incorporated were in y
rporated, with changes suggested by u
fects developed in the actual demon OF
ration of them. al
M
Vigorous demands are being made hs
on the attorney general Of the state
the enforcement of the "anti-kiss
death" law, and the mill owners are
hting for still further extension Of
ne on the pretext that no practical p'
nd threading shuttle can be secured re
take its place. The use of this So
little is a frequent cause of tubercular
'uble. The so-called kiss death of
little can be threaded only by draw On
, the thread through the eye by the -,
:tion of the breath. "
The Minnesota State Federation of La ul'
! has prepared a minimum wage bill Wis
be introduced in the coming ses- CO.
n of the state legislature. The bill ito
poses TO establish industrial boards bo
consist OF members representing the us
ployers. employees and the general 90
,lic, each board TO represent a given ~
ustry. The duty of these boards -,