Willmar tribune., 1915-09-08

tstration Of law.
4. Denial Of the right and opportun
Itty to form effective organizations
Discussing the first of these causes
the report summarizes evidence show.
! Ing that A families possess aggregate
incomes totaling at the least $50, 600,
| 600 per year, while between one-fourth
and one-third Of male workers in fac.
tories and mines, 18 years Of age and
over, earn less than SO per week, and
only about 0ne-tenth earn more than
$50 per week.
inequality in the distribution Of
wealth and income is set forth as fol.
lows: :*z
FIRST, with regard to the adult
workmen, the fathers and potential
fathers, from whose earnings accord.
ing to the American standard the
support Of the family is to be derived.
Between one-fourth and one-third
OF male workers In factories and
mines 18 years Of age and over carr
less than SO per week; from two.
thirds to three-fourths earn less than
SIS, and only about one-tenth earn
more than $40 week. This does not
take into consideration lost working
time for any cause.
Women Workers Get Below $s a &
= : Week.
"Next are the women, the most nor.
tentously growing factor in the labor
force, whose wages are important, not
only tor their own support or as the
supplement of the meager earnings OF
their, fathers and husbands, but be.
cause through the force of competi.
tion In a rapidly extending field, they
threaten the whole basis of the wage
scale. From two-thirds to three.
fourths of women workers in factor.
les, stores, laundries, and in indus.
trial occupations generally, work at
wages Of less than $8 week. Approx
imately one-f1fth earn less than 81 and
nearly one-half earn less than $6 q
week. '.,~E
"Six dollars a week-What does II
mean to many? Three theatre tick.
cts, gasoline for the week, or the price
| of dinner for two; a pair of shoes,
three pairs Of gloves, or the cost OF
an evening at bridge. To the girl II
means that every penny must be
counted, every normal desire stifled
and each basic necessity of life barely
satisfied by the sacrifice of some 9th.
er necessity. II more food must be
had than is given with Is cent din.
ners, 1t must be bought with what
should 60 for clothes; If there is need
for new waist to replace the old one
at which the forewoman has glanced
| reproachfully, or at which the girls
have ,giggled, there can be no lunches
for week, and the dinners must cost
cents less each day. Always too the
room must be paid for, and back Of
it lies the certainty that with slack
seasons will come lay-offs and dis.
charges. If the breaking point has
come, and she must have some amuse.
ment, sWhere can it come from? Sure.
ly not out Of Sc week. .ss.s. z
chiidren's Wages Come From
* Fathers.
"Last of all are the children, for
whose petty addition to the stream OF
production the nation is paying q
heavy toll in, ignorance, deformity OF
body or mind, and premature old age.
After all, does it matter what they are
paid, for all experience has shown
that In the end the fathers wages are
reduced by about the amount that the
children earn. This is the so-called
family wage and examination Of the
wages in different industries corrob.
crates the theory that in those indus.
tries, such as textiles, where women
and children can be largely utilized,
the wages of men are extremely low.
"The competitive effect of the EN-.
ployment of women and children upon
1 - Il
overestimated. Surely it is hard
enough to be forced to put children to
work, without having to see the wages
OF men held down by their employ.
ment. r." -s-z,s /. ~. Il. :
"This is the condition at one end
OF the social scale; what is at the
other? -. =
Millions on Millions That Can't BE
.--..s Spent. - *s
"Massed in millions, at the other
end OF the social scale, are fortunes
OF q size never before dreamed Of
whose very owners do not know the
extent, nor without the aid Of an in,
tell}gent clerk, even the sources OF
their incomes. Incapable Of being
spent in any legitimate manner, these
fortunes are burdens, which can only
be squandered, boarded, put into SO.
called 'benefactions,' which for the
most part constitute menace to the
state, or put back into the industrial
machine to pile up ever-increasing
mountains Of gold.
In many cases, no doubt, these
huge fortunes have come in whole OF
in part, as the rich reward Of excep.
II g