The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-10-25
SATURDAY, OCT. IS, 1918.
THE CAPITALIST VIEWPOINT.

In an address at the ~semi-annual
meeting of the American Iron & Steel
institute yesterday Judge Ebert H.
Gary, chairman of the United States
steel corporation bemoaned the fact
that in spite Of the cOuntry's wealth
and resources, foreign capitalists
wonder why we are not more continu-
ously prosperous. Judge Gary said:
There are exceptional cases, in
which Encouragement has caused
distrust or dissatisfaction on the
part of foreign and domestic capital
lists; but this is not the principal rea-
son for hesitanCy at the present time
on the part Of these capitalists in
making Investments in our securities.
They wonder why 1t is that with
our great and growing wealth n re-
sources and our superior advantages
we are not more continuously prosper
GUS; why we are not more stable in
prices and values and in general con-
ditions; why there is ever any dispO-
sition on the part Of any one to inter-
fere with the normal and natural
progress in the development Of our
country and it's industries.
Every one who travels extensively
dbEDdu Is CONFRONTED Will lllcSC III
Quiries by foreigners friendly to and
interested in our commercial and
financial conditions and success; and
we assembled in this room are asking
ourselves the same question.
Il venture the assertion that It is
largely because of much unnecessary
agitation and ill-considered criticism
by those who hav not the nations
best interests at heart.
There is too much d~emagogism.
too much mud singing. The man out
of office citizens the one in office and
the n in Office in turn seeks to ad-
vance his own interests regardless Of
the effect upon all Others"
This is the viewpoint Of the CAPT
talist- Sounds reasonable. doesn't
it? The trouble is with the muck
rakers,' the demagogues. These pes
tiferous individuals with their lex
posures" are the root and foundation
of the whole trouble. They can't let
a poor corporation squeeze and grind
it's employees in peace Inc quiet. No,
they have a way of getting hold of
facts. which when shouted from the
housetop Of publicity, cause govern
ment Investigations and square deal
laws and other things which hamper
poor "capital' and curtail it's increase.
OF all the damnable corporations in
the country, Of all the souless, grip
ping. trusts that are throttling the
true prosperity of this country, the
one that Judge Gary represents
stands to the forefront.
This is the corporation which in the
past worked its employees twelve
hours a day, seven days a week at
the most dreadful task that ever falls
I'd the lot of mantle work in the
blast furnace rooms Of a steel fac
tory, and it probably still continues
the practice.
This is the corporation about whose
employees the following was written,
in an article hat appeared in The
Metropolitan Magazine:
Had you ever thought of working
twelve hours in one day? At one
task? Before a row of 1000 or 5000
degree furnaces? Amid the rattle OF
wheels and chains, the roar Of air
blasts, the hiss and sputter Of metal
and the crack of c~annon-like eXplo-
sions? All about you a vast menag-
erie Of pOnderous and awesome ma
Chinery, darting long arms, swinging
huge cauldrOns of liquid fire in the
Bemi-darkness over. your head, twirl-
ing mighty Bessemer conVerters with
their grumbling molten maws. or
pushing past you coffin like shapes of
White-hot metal that glowed mean
hescently? Always the intense heat,
always the presence Of danger, al
ways the spur Of the speeding up sys-
tenn to keep you stumbling forward,
intent on getting out the tonnage?
Had you thought of doing that for
one hour, and then for two and then
for three, and four and seven and fin
ally for twelve hours? Had you?
. IL . That is the barbaric twelve
hour day that obtains in the steel in
austry.
= Here we have the work Of the
"muck-raker". This is the thing which
is! termed by Judge Gary, "unneces-
sary agitation and ill-considered crit
Gcism by those who have not the ma
tion's best interests at heart"