The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1913-03-12

are more eagerly discussed than
have put at the head Of this letter,
for Il 10 a matter Of vital concern to
the great majority OF our people.
Wage earners. In particular. ind that
every year II is getting more dimcult
to make their wages reach for the
necessities OF themselves and fam
ilies. for. although tho records show
that wages have advanced about 80
per cent In tho last seventeen years,
the coat OF living has advanced over
60 per cent. so II is no wonder that
they are eagerly looking for some So
luton.
There have been many explanations
made and many solutions offered.
Jim HIN. the noted railway masnate.
says Il is because the American peo-
pie are too extravagant. and that the
American workingman must come
down to the standard OF the European
peasant. j. d. Rockefeller says:
Save your pennies" and learned
professors have said that the solution
lays In fndinE some cheap food stun
for the masses. Thus Burbank's
beardless cactus has been suggested.
Seaweeds and ground alfalfa has been
recommended. but do not think that
any of those substitutes for the ordi.
nary bill Of fare vii ever be very
popular with the American people.
Before We can expect intellisently
to solve the problem OF making life
easier and more productive Of happi-
ness. we must understand the causes
which are constantly making life
harder for the masses Of our people.
for only by such knowledge can We
apply the remedy intsligently. In
that matter Thomas lawson has come
to our aid. In Everybody's Magazine
for November he writes the follow.
ing:
Tho wealth Of the country forty
years ago was S2s.000. 900. 900. To-
day Is is sl3s.0oo. 200. 900. This
3i35. 900. 900 900 IL not In the posses
sion Of the whole people. the ones
who produced Il and who number
one hundred millions Of people. but
over thres-Quartsrs Of II 10 possessed
by ten thousand Of the hundred mil
lions Of people - $50. .000.00o.o00
worth OF the nations wealth 10 repre-
sented In stocks and bonds. Over
forty billions Of the sixty billions In
stocks and bonds II countsrgeit. II
represents nothing but Q trick. To-
day. whom the prices are made up for
the American people there 10 added
to the raw material. labor and profit
charges. another charge Of three
thousand million dollars. In other
words. the owners Of sixty billions OF
stocks and bonds take each year this
amount through the cost Of the peo-
ple's living. II sixty billions Of the
hundred and thirty-nve billions Of
the. nations wealth belongs to ten
thousand people out Of the hundred
million people. and these ten thous-
and receive for II two thousand mil
lion paid by all Of the people. and II
forty billions OF the sixty billions II
counterfeit. then the people are not
only being robbed. but are being en-
shaved. For the annual payment they
make to the ten thousand on the
counterfeit capital will In time eat up
all the wealth Of the people. and they
will then be slaves. because they will
be able to exist only by the sufYerance
of the ten thousand owners Of two
thirds Of the nations stocks and
bonds"
There II nothing new In this state
ment. For years the socialists have
been pointing out that the inevitable
outcome Of the present system must
be collective ownership Of wealth pro-
duction or the liberties OF our people
will be at the mercy Of q few money
kings. They have been shouting for
years that the issue before the Amer.
lean people 10: Shall the nation own
the trusts. or shall the trusts own the
nation? But this statement, coming
a. II does from . writer Of national
reputation. q republican statesman
and millionaire. has perhaps more
weight with some people than the
voice Of socialist soapboxsr. To the
above statement Of Lawson I might
add q. few more facts. gathered by
reliable statisticians selected by . re-
publican administration. Last year
the producing class owned only 10
per cent Of the wealth of the nation.
Fifty-two per cent Of our people are
born In poverty. Ten million work.