The Socialist and labor star. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1911-1915, 1913-10-31
WORK or UNI|ON|sN
Organized Labor Has Developed
Industry.
A BUILDER OF PROSPERITY.

Trade Unions by Raising Wages Have
Been Potent Factors In the Increase
of the Nations Wealth-Future Of
the Movement.
In a recent editorial giving credit to
and recognizing the prominent part
played by trade unionlsm in the up
building Of national wealth the st.
Louis Republic also hazards look into
the future. The Republic says:
In discussing the labor movement
not enough is said about its purely
economic effects. SO far as business
conditions are concerned. where should
we be by this time if it had never
been? Has unionism been a good thing
or a bad thing for the country gener-
ally. from q purely commercial point
Of view?
Some industries, probably, would
have developed about rs they have,
had it never come into being. They
are industries where the operating Or
CARNATIONS are naturally small and
the contact between masters and men
is direct and personal. 1t is the great
industry in which q man is merely q
name or a number instead of person.
with personal characteristics and
rights. in the eyes of his employer, that
has given rise to trade unionism.
Whatever else trade unioniSm has
done or left undonc. it has certainly
raised wages generally throughout the
Industrial field. That is. it has caused
the products of labor to be more widely
distributed than they would or could
have been without it.
Now. business tlourshes best whore
there is the largest consuming public.
and no public can consume largely
without q large income. Speaking gen-
orally. union labor has not boarded lis
income. 1t has spent it. The result IS
the highest general level Of prosperity
any nation has ever seen. BY diffusion
Of wealth trade unioniSm has helped
wonderfully to develop the department
store, the American railroad. which af-
fords the cheapest transportation in
the civilized world: the American pos
tai system and the American factory, |
with facilities for cheap large scale !
production previously undreamed OF.
The con~estcd money Of the few can |
not work such miracles. Large Amer |
lean fortunes are not locked up in land |
or hidden away in Accommodations OF
treasure. They arc in the instruments
or production. And it is diffusion of |
wealth which has given our wealth its |
characteristic form.
Trade unionsm. 10y forcing wages
upward and ever upward, has uncon- |
sciously created the experimental de-
partment Of The modern factory. 1t
has set manufacturers and merchants |
to diminish labor cost by using labor |
effectively, not Ivy lowering wages. |
This process has been wonderful |
stimulus to American inventive genius |
and brain power. 1t has done much to
give its distinctive character to our |
Industrial civilization. 1t has had eff |
fects far beyond the actual area OF the
organized labor field.
What will be the next chapter in the |!
history Of the labor movement? The |
question is a fascinating one. The re |
public. with a keen consciousness OF !
the perils Of prophecy, ventures on |
guess or two rs to the future.
Notwithstanding the events Of tho |
past few weeks in st. Louis, the strike !
Is becoming obsolete. This is i'll mar
mony with the general tendency OF his |
tory. In the middle ages two citizens |
who desired to find out Which was the |
better man used to put on armor ana |
poke at each other with lances. Now |
they decide By forms Of struggle which |
benefit society Instead Of merely break |
Ing up hardware. Struggle IS eternal |
bur the strike is foolish and WaStctul |
and will give place 70 something D"t- |
ter
We believe also that ownership or /
industries by the workers Will uill- |
mately accomplish itself. The advance |
In this direction is constant. The Scu-
eral hubble knows little about it. 1t IS |
q movement which no one has any spc- |
cial interest in advertising. In the |
LONG run the people with savings &C
counts shall inherit the earth. Now |
the working people Of America own |
the savings banks. and there are many !
signs Of the development of new |
thrift and new foresight Oh their |
part. The development of corporation |
management is helping to make such !
collective ownership OF great proper ,
ties possible.
We should not he surprised if tie !
man now in early middle life should !
live to sec the lines dividing the own
Inc and the lab0rin@ classes fade ont !
because the two had intcrpenetratcd. |
LUXURY and extravaganza have not !
eliminated themselves by natural proc !
ess in other societies because there !
Was no one ready to take advantage OF /
the opportunity which they created. In !
the workman with frugal habits, |
healthy American ambitions and 4 !
bank account we see Il person who IS
I