The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-03-01
THE CHURCH AND
THE WORKIN c N A n
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OFFERS
THE ONLY ADEQUATE soLu-
TON OF THE LABOR
PROBLEM.

ONEI ADG&OA 0OEO-
TON OF THE LABOR
PROBLEM.
Conditions in the Labor WorId-In-
sufficient Wages-Dangerou Occu-
pations- Socialistic Theories False
The Teaching of Leo. XIII.
In the course of a recent address
David Goldstein, the well-known Cath
Ollie lecturer on Socialism, outlined
some of the present-day conditions
which make the lot of the wage-earn-
er, and particularly of the city wage
Garner, excessively hard, and then
warned against agitators who arraign
these conditions in order to further
seditious principles. He spoke of the
causes of the hard conditions for
working people and said that the
Catholic Church, as was shown by the
encyclical of Pope Leo XIII, under
stands the situation and can solve it.
"The past century" he said ''has wit
messed revolution in the methods
of producing wealth, though the re-
sponsibilities are not accepted and the
duties of those who own and control
the means of production are not dis
charged upon the authority of Christ
ian truth. So the old question of mas
ter and man in a new form confronts
us. Conditions of labor are intoler-
able, and the wages are insufficient.
In the words of Leo XIII, some
remedy must be found, and quickly
found, for the misery and wretched-
ness which press so heavily at this
moment upon the large majority of
the very poor
Few deny that the lot of the work
ingmen and their families is hard, es-
pecially for those who live and work
in our large cities and also in the
mill and mining towns OF our country
In dealing with the labor problems a
separation must be made between the
city and the country workmen. The
conditions of the city are harder than
those of the country.
"Of the 100000 persons over 1C
years of age who, according to the
last census, are engaged in gainful
occupations, 100000 follow agricul
tural pursuits. Of the remaining 10,
100000 only about 100000 can be
classified as wage-workers proper
These 100000 form the class whose
problems cry out for solution. Let us
consider the state of the city wage
worker, those in the great mill towns
and those engaged in mining indus
tries. What are the facts related tt
this class which call for action?
Insufficiency of Wages.
These workingmen are wholly de
pendent upon others for an opportu
nifty to work. In most industries theil
wage is determined upon a competitiv,
basis without any regard for thei
basic right to living wage; wage
sufficient for themselves and thei
families.
"Not alone are wages low whel
compared with the cost of living, blu
they are low as compared with tn,
value of the earnings of their EN-
ployers. Accidents are frequent, Will,
the danger of life and limb in ou
great manufacturing and in our trans
portation industries are increasingly,
great One may reasonably conclud
from the statistical reports issued b,
our government that the dangers o
modern employment keeps pace witt
our remarkable industrial progress
Though progress should have regar,
to man as well as to wealth.
"The latest United States govern
ment report shows that in Is years
beginning 1886 and ending 1898, 22,71
persons lost their lives in the Goa
mines of this country. This does no
include the injured, which numbe
about three to every one killed On
who assumes to speak with authorit,
declares that by raising the standar,
of safety appliances the mining fatal
tiles can be reduced at least S5 pc
cent.
Loss of Life on Railroads.
Most appalling is the loss of lif
and limb on the railroads. The inter
state commerce commission report
that 1896 railroad employees wer
killed and 6OS,328 injured during tn
decade ending December, 1908, 40 pc
cent. of which are said to be prevent
able
"Year after year the number o
railroad men killed and wounded ar
listed in even larger totals on GU
statistical tables. The general put
lie pay hardly any attention to then
We more often think of the horror O
war-of the great number who wer
killed and wounded upon the battle
fields of our civil war. Yet, com
pairing the number who were kille
and wounded in the war from 1861 t
1866 to those killed and wounded o.
the railroads during the last decade
we find 162,019 more credited to tn
commercial pursuit of transportatio
than to the war, which is happily be
coming memory.
"The following table gives the exaC
totals:
i employees ON RAILROADS.
Ten years from 1899 to 1908 inclusive
Killed ................ 1928
Wounded sos 80