The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-04-10
AVERAGE SALARY s2,1oo.
Every Worker in United States Should
Get it, Said Walter Higgins.


Walter Higgins OF Chicago told an an
dience Of $50 people in Rowland hall las
evening something about What Social
lists Want" His lecture was the fourtl
OF series Of five which the Barre Social
isl local is holding on successive Wednea
day evenings during March and April. II
the minds of many, who have been in
terested listeners throughout the entri
lyceum as it has been conducted to date
Comrade Higgins presented one of thu
best argumentative discourses on tbs
propaganda that has been heard in Barre
for some time. As his predecessors il
the course developed the idea Of the So
eialist attitude on the present system
the speaker followed in logical sequence
with reply to the frequent criticism
that Socialists don't know what they
want presenting the ultimate goal Of
the movement as we'll as the Socialist
program as followed wherever any gov,
ernmental powers have been achieved.
Illustrative of what has already been
accomplished along the line OF collective
effort within the realm of the United
| States, the speaker cited the govern
ment's endeayors in behalf of the work.
ers OF the Panama canal project. Con-
| ditions there, be argued, show what the
government can achieve, once it sets it
self to the wheel in behalf OF the plain
people. He told of the original plan to
let many departments OF the work to
contractors, of the resulting failure to
obtain satisfactory prices, and of the
final decision to insist on direct govern.
mental supervision throughout.
How the government is furnishing
hotels, cottages, board, lodging, laundry
work. clothing and other necessaries, all
at cost, to the workers on the canal,
formed interesting portions of Comrade
most of the men from the labor of low
est class up to the highest sslaried en-
gineer would rather hate to come home
after the project is completed. The in
sight into Socialistic practices while in
the canal zone, would in his opinion,
make Socialists of them after they had
reached the United States. To his au-
dience he submitted the proposition that
similar conditions could exist within the
limits of the United States proper, if the
workers would only set out to make
their wants emphatically known through
the medium of the ballot.
According to Mr.. Higgins, the gov
eminent had taken several steps in the
right direction, although it was the
pressure of the masses that always
brought the desired consummation. The
postal system. for example, had placed
the rate of postage at a minimum and
to show how beneficial it had been TO the
workingmen as well as to all Others. he
placed an estimate on the cost which
express companies would place on the
transportation Of a letter. He beiieved
they would charge not less than one dol /
lar per thousand miles for carrying a
single letter. To the credit of Socialists |
and the agitation il has created he |
placed the eountry's excellent postal I
system.
From the same source came the pres /
sure which resulted in the Chicago vice /
recent investigation. The l
work would be extended to every state /
in the union. the speaker continued. and /
il would be fortified BY the fact that So /
eialism and the spirit OF dissatisfaction l
which it has created was behind ii al
ways. The findings Of the commission
have opened the eyes Of the people every
where, Mr. Higgins contended.
The speaker didn't complete his dis 4
roursc without taking a rap at ex-Prcsi-
dent Taft and the present incumbent Of
the executive chair. His arguments
plainly tended to show that each and all /,
II the country's presidents in late wears 4
hsd been guilty Of bad faith in making
their appeals to the electorate. Taft, he