Strike bulletin. (Clinton, Ill.) 1913-1915, 1914-10-21
the uNC0ASvMeD SURPLUS AND
WHAT IT MEANS IN the WORLD


tie SHOES worm ~ Ia the factory TIE
sumner that finally buys and "ears them Will prob
ably hav. to pay ~ or g. pair for them but
". need hot so FAR that
The worker with his q In wages can buy back
and consume only ~ worth of commodities That
leaves - worth OF wealth In the form Of shoes.
hats stoves OF whatever the product may be. for
the capitalist III. owner Of III. factory The
capitalist deduets the cost Of his material.
rent and other expenses and still has isf, profit
varies in different Industries. but Its existence
must b. assured. under tn. present system II the
ORGANIZATION as 1t Is constituted today based
upon the ASSURANCE of profit
tfnt The own.r 81 tn. taotury has only one pair
u feet. one head, and IN numbers h. Is oompata-
si"Hlastt 10 Iced Win ms best efforts ho Is
able. as an Individual a class to consume
all IL" wealth that IL created Tor him by other
m'ns Lb"r. Labor would lie able consume its
"~n product hut II not allowed 10 do because
the Wages Of labor permit 1t to buy back oniy a
fraction.
so W have What Is known to economists as the
IN "nsnmed surplus Every year ali The countries
al tn. World that are h5 some mistake tall-d civ
lz'd' produce IN various forms Of wealth more
than they consume.
To get ud 81 this unconsumed surplus IL the
problem Of industry today
Their. would be ne sensible. Obvious and res-
sohahle method OF getting rid OF H. namely. to pay
the workers that have produced II enough in
wages and salaries to enable them buy BACK
their own product. In other words, To Increase III.
rnf' haslns power OF the working class. But the
masters OF industry OF the country. the manager
iai brains by whose wisdom We set much
store. appear never to have thought of simpI.
solution "a that.
So manufacturers and merchants continue their
present futile efforts to get rid Of their surplus
stocks 10y making business better" That is they
attempt. By ON. childish device after another. to
compel the small percentage Of tn. population
that has purchasing power 10 buy things that they
do not need.
To this worthy end are employed a vast army
Of advertising experts and salesmanship speo isliss
An appalling sum of human effort and intelligence
is perverted from legitimate channels of activity
and prostitut.d to the sersic. Of designing and
forcing upon the market continual changes In
fashion
Though form Of human product escapes H.
the most obvious manifestation. perhaps OF this
species OF insanity Is apparent In womans wear
Ing apparel for the reason that the Idle rich
man has more per capita spending power than
any other class and that her desires have not
evolved beyond the primitive demands supplied by
endless variations In the decking OF her own per-
We have therefore, one ridiculous fashion In
April. another In May. one monstrous absurdity
assaults our vision In January. another In Feb
ruary. We no sooner aecustom our eyes to woman
Kind tied In around the ankles than they suddenly
balloon out at the base. We train ourselves to
regard with philosophical equsnimity hats perched
at a precarious angle the top of the head when
suddenly as with a fail. all high hats are swept
from the landscape and feminine headsesr 10 once
more damned bucket wise over forehead and eyes
Season after season the unsophistcated public
| Is treated to the same delighted announcements
OF the fashion %onSsr. that shsre.: las. year
that last seasons skirts were vide At the bottom
but this year they must be vide at the top. The
fashion venders. the commercial insiders. hear
these tidinss without shock Naturally. What
else would you expectf
Blame the folly OF Womankfndf That 10 the
easy and superficial thing to do. Meanwhile just
how strong minded must indiy dual woman
need be to dress In one fashion while her world
dresses In another Are you not yourself ready TO
! rtdicue and call queer" the slightest deviation
from the prevailing standard II you think the
responsibility for the stiffness OF fashion lies In
the vanity Of woman. suppose. Mr.. Superior Minded
PHILOSOPHER YOU try .rrayins yourself this sea.
| pointed shoes that you set away few years ago.
Or why not bring out tina, bicycle which yo. once
found both useful and enjoyable and which 10 still
D as seryiceable Oyerf
The responsibility lies not In the folly of indi,-
social and Industrial system which is deliberately
designed TO compel Its members TO buy things that
~hole Industrial and CONNIE rcial organization, as
at present constituted would fall to the ground
with crash. Against this system the individual
is helpless.
Under the present organization of society a vast
majority Of the population is unable TO buy more
unable to buy even these. II the small minor
lily that possesses purchasing power was not prae.
tcaily forced to buy more than 1t really wanted
| or needed our whole present system of industry
would fall And in spite of what may be called
chants and their hired talent to compel
quicker and more reckless change of fashion signs
not wanting to indicate that this crash never
theless cannot much longer be averted
II Is estimated that last year two billion dollars
/, and craftsmanship" and atm Is heard from Maine
10 California general complaint that business
| Tn. President assure. the nation that this con-
dition Is but psychological Glowing crop reports
are circulated as evidence Of well fed popalaee
old party political orators find assurance Of
| tionsi prosperity In tn. annual report OF the De-
psrtment OF Commerce, which shows American
exports exceeded imports by tsSaooo o0o.
Hut all the time the merchant looks with dispir-
tied eyes upon his shelves Of goods which will not
sell The commercial traveller finds II hard TO
l. maintain that lght assurance and optimism " hich
ssiesmanship experts assure him 4. the successful
com mercal manner. In the face of ever lighter
order books and mounting household expen-
ditures. The eyes of the unemployed leap across
! the reports TO scan with eager feroeity the
Help Wanted column. And msyhap Of this
sauni army catches the light assurance Of the we'll
fed that with exports exceeding Imports all IL
necessarily we'll with US. perhaps at least a glIm-
fits HIS confused and Tired mind OF