The Detroit times., 1914-04-22
Former Detroit Newspaper Man.
Writing in Parsons, Cites So
a-Day Wages of Sweepers
WILSON COULD BETTER
CONDITIONS, HE DECLARES
CouId Bring Up Wages and Save
the Workingmen From
Poverty
ALLAN L. BENSON

4 thSk American people tItNNcN 49,
do. / / should say he is falling mfsei'
ably 10 do what the people "an'
done" Allan L. Benson, former mau-
aging editor OF The Detroit Times III
thei MAY issue Of Pearsons magazine
SO rharacterizes the results OF one
year OF Democratic and Wilsonlah
rul4
Henry Ford Detroits leader in the
new dispensation of labor and capital
ha,kdone what Wilson should DO or at
leah attempt 70 do. in that ne mas
imtkoyed the conditions OF 2ooVV
workers by giving them living WasS'
and more Mr.. Benson declares
Id explanation OF these statements
he states mr.. Wilson appears 10 De
Heve that il the average man-tne
lab6rer-can be enabled TO live III
lie Emore cheaply all viii be well.
The annual income OF the average
wo1kman's wage is less than $500
MrI Wilson contends that his policies
viii decrease the cost OF living, not
inctease wages"
Mr.. Benson then presents TINS arsu'
ineht: .lf Mr.. WILSON reduced the
cost OF living 50 per cent. would llV'
Rgtmise rably and saving $3.50 year
3 Constitute 'prospefity?". Does he not
Z s..AysaSA 'SlMat * the average ann92l
wade was increased 10 ST5o a yeaNlt
mekns but pitiful existence with
children taken from school at an ear
Nv age to help the family. Mr.. Wilson
knows that to bring up tamily on
s15b a year Is 10 live in poverty Mr..
Wikon apparently believes 1t is TO
be The fate OF most OF the human race
fcrkyer TO live in poverty and that
the problem OF the unemployed must
be with us always He has proposed
nothing that comes within gunshot OF
Whit Henry Ford has done for his en-
pioyes Ford's $50 a week sweepers
make all OF Mr.. Wilson's plans for
improving the conditions OF those who
work look contemplate. II Mr., VII
son were TO be followed by presidents
like himself Il would take hundreds
OF years To do what Mr. Ford has done
IN one day.
"In the face OF what Mr.. Ford has
done how can Mr.. Wilson hold his
tongue. When told last winter that
a25O0O men were idle in the single
city OF New York he first discredited
the statement. and then said that
even II the report was true. condi-
tons were no worse than they had
been the year before or any winter,
"Mr. Wilson. IL he had the desire
to do so, could end both poverty and
unemployment without hurting any
body except the grafters who are now
hurting us. Suppose Mr. Wilson
should stop fiddling about reducing
the cost of living and do something
about a minimum wage. | mean q
minimum wage law based on the cost
OF l!ving?"
Mr.. Benson outlines his plan for
such a law and II includes. a three
month calculations on the price OF
staple foods and articles From the
data thus gathered Mr.. Benson sug-
gests that the minimum wage be es.
tablished so as TO cover the cost OF
living and leave a margin for saving.
AS starting point he suggests $4,000
a year.
III the gentlemen who control prices
attempt to whoop up these prices" he
continues, "let them go as far as they
like. With the wages OF the workers
going UP dollar for dollar with the
cost OF living the workers should wor.
~. Such a law may throw the least
meet this situation by causing the
government TO provide work for these
men. Until we have more clothing
and food than we want, there will al.
ways be work for men who can make
this food and clothing.
"Of course all this sounds very fool
i2h to business men and statesmen
like Wilson. A year ago they would
have said that such wages could not
be paid. Since Mr.. Ford established
a minimum wage OF $1,565 a year Il
will not do for gentlemen 10 deny so
promptly that a minimum OF $4,000
could be established. Mr. Ford after
establishing his minimum still pays
soc per cent dividends.
Here is an idea that could be work.
ed out without the shadow OF a doubt
ard applied. II could not be applied
however, without hurting business
and the scandal OF the Wilson admin.
istration is that II has not hurt bust.
ness. SBy hurting business / mean
diyerting the fruits or industry from
the property owing class 20 the class
which does the work n the Wilson
administration had been a success in
dnstry would have been running at top
speed with small returns for the own
ers. Everyone would know Il had
been a success because workingmen
everywhere would be as we'll on as
are the employees OF Henry Ford.
Tho trouble Is that workers every
where are not as prosperous as Ford's
fweepers and II Is business men IN
stead OF working men who are most
certain that Mr.. Wilson is a great
president.
"The main thing you wanted Mr.
Wilson 10 do was reduce the tariff as
the Democratic psoers said that would
help you. The tariff has been reduc
ed. Has Il helped you. II has not
"Mf Wilson has kept faith In that
he did this. Passed an income tax
lag, revised the currency and
strengthened the antitrust laws. Has
~ reduced the cost OF living or viii Il
reduce that cost? II has not and there
are no Indications that Il will.
IT r. this sort OF thing that makes
Drosress slow. The people are prom.
ised one thing and given another. The
capitalists are not looking for any.
thing that would end poverty. because
fpt1nihg that would end poverty
: rouid end capitalism. When the peo.
ne realize this fact they will look
elsewhere than TO capitalists for ad-
ricc and not elect 10 Office men who
require 100 years 90 do what can be