East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-09-04

As see Il. the average thinking
man who cunjemplates Tor moment
the difficulties under which labor has
&. rried forward lis tasks in the past
as, ltl corcede The truth OF the gem
,ii statement. EVERY man is entitled .
10 ,he fun social equivalent OF what
l.5 produces The problem, however 1
Is 10 arrive al that figure and IL Is IL +
suol { -,ctioa that conciliauon and .
dtscussi, u viii render their great ser .
y',ss
Let me illustrate the problem lY {
drawing attention 10 finished loco
motive as il stands on the rails
ready for service That locomotive I
I l. the collective result OF tha activities
/ Of nearly all elements Of organized
s,t.,ty. The man in the orr beds.
the miner of coal and producer OF
/ limestone and feldspar. only touch
the side OF the raw material The or
ganized efficiency OF the blast fur
mace the intricate labor OF the foun-
dry the vision of the inventor, all
Z find a meeting place in that construc-
ton Of mechanical skill But ] have
not touched at all upon the interest
OF the educator. of all those along the
way who had TO do with the labor
production. have not referred 10
the minister who looked after the
spiritual interests of all those who
I had anv task to perform in connec-
ZION with this finished product When
all these are included. I still have
made no reference to the farmer,
who through his performance of So
cial duty has rendered it possible for
i those who labor in mechanical lines
To live on food raised far outside their
home town. Then. as the link Of all
these apparently unrelated activities.
comes our transportation system
How can it be possible for US to blind
our eyes to the fact that every fin
ished product is the result of an in
terplay of social functions touching
every phase OF society? Thus arises
the complicated question as to what
is the fun social equivalent OF what
man produces?
The modern industrial method Is
too complicated for'any man or set
, of men TO decide that a solution Of
ali trouble has been found. There
fore look forward over the future
1 Of the Department OF Labor as a
means OF helping 10 bring nearer year
: by year the goal of complete social
justice This surely must be the ideal
of those who regard humanity as
something too sacred for selfish ex-
= ploitation.
What / have said relative to the To-
, comotive as a type illustrative of the
activities necessary to produce one
result leads me to state most en-
phatically that labor is the producer
Z of all wealth, but to add with equal
emphasis that muscular labor is not
the only form of labor The influ-
ence of the mental concept must not
be lost TO sight; the productivity Of
n labor as affected by management;
e the foreseeing OF a machine in the
: mind OF an inventor; all these things
It seems to me represent labor.
One of the greatest services that
can be rendered by the nation to la
Dor Of the muscular kind is in the di-
rection of efficiency. and that is why
o during my congressional life l gave
G whatever support l could to the sub
ject of vocational education I am
j glad to see that the Page bill has
: been re-introduced and to know thai
the friends of vocational education
are striving to bring into it some
changes that may produce promptel
, action on the part of congress. Blu
y whatever congress in its wisdom may
II do. the fact remains that the creates
strength to come to our nation is IL
the direction of efficient life on th'
part of the majority. Our higl
schools are producing students fo
colleges and for professional life
They are only small proportion o
the student forces of America. Thos
! who do not reach the high school ar
the vast majority. 1t is of that vas
majority that society must think il
order that the lives of the many ma
become efficient. I strongly favo
federal funds being placed at the dis
posal of those states that will con
tribute similar funds to produce
educational change which is essentia
now that our nation has taken on
distinctly manufacturing type Of de
j velopment
As one who came to America !
Of childhood led by parents who saw !
America a land of hope. I share
p common with others some apprehen
a. sion at the apparent loss of simple
al n our national life. Yet l mus
Is hold to the hopeful belief that ult
I'd mately there will be restored to tn
le country some of the simplicity thu
by once characterized ii and which prt
is ceded our artificial lines of soci'
n. cleavage we gain nothing by III
IN separation of classes We lose II
lg common touch. I am confident thS
p simple democracy will increasing
st commend itself to American thougi
as a means of holding us together
= a nation. strong in our respect Il
n mutual rights snd for individu
al hopes.