The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-02-17
LABOR NOTES OF
WIDE INTEREST


by some TO represent a serious sociologi6
, problem, demanding earnest considera
tion on the part of far.seeing nations
There can be no doubt that fall in
the birth rate has been spreading h.
, Europe for several decades, but the qucs.
!, ton arises whether the undenable sta.
tistical facts justify the alarmist state
ments and protests which have gone
forth from time TO time. Are the ma
tions involved and the world at large
threatened with dire consequences from
, the failure of certain classes 10 replenish
the earth with successors of their own
kindy
Discussions Of this sort are primarily
of interest to the sociologist rather than
TO the physician. But they can be elm.
mated only with difficulty from the more
distinctly biologic aspects of the talk
about "race decay The scientist must
take position toward this question, and
the physician, in particular, is often az
pected to contribute an Illuminating
opinion on such topics. Shall he cham
pion the cause of those whose motto is
increase and multiply" or shall be
pauseNto examine the ideals of the mod
ern study of eugenics, which embraces
those agencies by which the human race
may be improved!
In the past, efforts to elevate mankind
were largely fostered by various types
J OF social reform, which aimed to i'm
prove the conditions of life, to perfect
our environment. The future calls for
a program which viii be directed to-
ward the very sources of life Our gen
Grafton carries heavy and complicated So
cial burdens, which are inflicted on it in
the form of an increasing dependent
class, typified in the feeble minded. 1t
ids TO be expected that his load can be
raised by some movement to control life.
This is work for the social hygiene of
the future.
Regarding the proposed plan of re.
quiring certificates OF health before mar
riage, the journal of the American Med
ical Association says that while il is
easy to pick out few extreme cases OF
degenerates on the one hand and of ex
eeptionally sound and healthy young peo
pie on the other, no one is at present
competent to divide the mass of possible !
candidates for marriage into the fit and |
the unfit. Ii would, however, have a !
good effect if men and women contem- |
plating marriage were compelled before |
taking that step to consider seriously |
their fitness for parenthood. Private in
itiatve, like that of the Chicago clergy /
man who refuses to marry one couple
not provided with medical certificates OF
health, might in time create a force of
public opinion which would make dis
ease mark OF social bad form--a thing
to be ashamed of in ones self and GER
e.. h. tN1 al Ia, h, Il |
dren. This may seem Utopian, yet with
in few generations social ideals have
undergone greater transmutation than
this would involve.
Attorney Drew, for the Erectors' as
ISOLATION, ~. S. steel trust gleefully
asks: Now that the dynamiters have
been found guilty, the pressing question
If the hour is, What is the American
federation of Labor going TO do" Presi
lent Gompers very forcefully answers; /, /,
VIII organized labor repudiate the
structural Iron Workers unions and
cave them helpless and at the mercy
Il organized capital and Unsuitable, un-
urbed greed for profits Such a course a
night win the praise of the pharisaical N
nd unmerciful good, but those with the i
owe of humanity in their hearts will III
ledge to sustain and strengthen the d
bridge 4 Structural Iron Workers un L
Dns' The reply is sufficiently full and $
rank not to be mistaken. ic
The claim by an eminent German phy- .
ician, DR.. Friedmann. that he has dis 9
Dvered serum which is a cure for tn. y
erculoss, is exciting the attention OF o
ledical men all over the world, and has y
cen made the subject of detailed re- y
ort to the state department at Wash ~
lgton by the American consul general >
t Berlin. There is widespread be- Q.
eff that DIR. Friedmann's discovery has :,
erit, unlike Professor Koch's lymph. OF
,ralded some years ago So long as tn u'
srculosis is to claim one out of ten OF 9, ~
lie whole human race as victims, the ~
orld will be keenly interested in every ".
fort to check the ravages OF the white NJ
ague And if a cure cannot be found, \,
least the intelligent efforts of the
st few years to check the scourge bv 70
eventive methods, such as better work.
q conditions and better sanitation, ran
carried on with good results In that
eat work union labor is taking an i'm DR.
rtant part. pa
err.
for letter carriers and tw
'rks in postoffices during disability re- COZ
lting from injuries in the service are no
ovi1ed for in an amendment to the the
stoffiee appropriation bill, presented by i'd
nator MARITIME of New Jersey. The ag'
1vison stipulates that letter carriers al;
either the city or rural delivery serv-
and clerks in the postoffiee of the yo'
It and second class, who are injured rea
lie performing their duties, are to be or
owed leaves of absence during their rea
ability and paid one-half of their reg tis'
n salaries during their absence pro- ger
ing the absence does not last longer los
In one year. In case a carrier or
rk is killed while at work or dies
m injuries within a year. it is also d"
Gifted that the heirs shall be paid wa
300. .
IRISH home rule became practically an :"
omplished fact and the fight of many sire
RS was ended when the home rule cha
went through its final passage in
House OF Commons, Jan. 10. From
re it went to the House of Lords, pes
ch in times past has been the grave
d of Irish hopes, but this time. thanks
the enactment of the rule which the
Is were forced to swallow two years
, by which they are deprived of the Z