The Washington socialist. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1914-1915, 1915-01-07
JUDGE BLACK s REMEDY FOR
UNEMPLOYMENT
Back to the Land
AND HARD LABOR FOR LIFE
But VIII This End Poverty

But VIII This End Poverty
SO accustomed have the majority OF
people become to the false idea that
there Is a good excuse for poverty
among the workers, they concentrate
their minds on but one aspect of the
problem of life and labor; namely,
how to avert destitution through en-
forced idIeness. Under capitalism,
this problem, sordid and mean as it is.
has not been practically solved. 1t
would be but petty achievement IL
1t were solved, satisfactory to slaves
and slave drivers, mayhap. but Of lit
tie interest to real men and real
women.
"a great deal has been said re-
Gently about the unemployed and
what to do to help them temporarily,
recently remarked Judge w. w. Black.
81 have seen nothing. however, on the
subject of how to prevent unemploy-
ment. 1t seems to me that at this
time this should receive good deal
of consideration. Locally think that
the way to prevent unemployment Is
to induce the ordinary man who has
to work for wages to buy five or ten
acres Of Iogged-off land close to city
where he can, when times are good.
work at the mills and factories, and
when times are hard he will have
steady employment on his land. There
can be no doubt but that this would
be a sure cure for unemployment
There is always something to do on
land"
A Chimerical Scheme.
Where is the money coming from
to buy five or ten acres of logged-off
land close to city," AS each unem-
ployed man can see the impracticable
nature of this advice for himself, we
need not waste space on the argu-
ment. Judge Blacks nothing down
and the rest on time" scheme is a
thing of the past The trick of argu-
ing for the present day in terms of
by-gone years and experiences is too
common to call for criticism. We're
all on to the game And we are all
well acquainted with men who are
struggling right now for a beasts
existence among the stumps. Almost
to man they are poverty-stricken
and disconsolate. They pay too dear
a price for such life as is their lot
But Where's the Money Or the
Available Land?
Even If some poor beast is so en-
amored of life of dirt, ugliness, de-
privation and hard labor that he is
willing to undergo the ordeal of fire
and stumps in order to hang on by
the eye-lids. where is the money to
come from, or how is he to get his
start? Judge Black himself says, in ]
The interview above referred to:
1T must be remembered that
the ordinary man working in
mill, when he takes out such time
as loses by sickness and holidays !
and the time mill is likely to be /
idle, does not receive over $500 /
for an entire years work. There
are instances where one acre of
raspberries has produced an in
come of $500 year If to small
fruits are added some chickens I
and COWS and vegetables, which
the women can readily raise on
such a tract as / have described,
he is sure of food and he has free
fuel, free water and free rent,
while if he is working in a mill he
has to pay rent, pay for fuel and
water, out of what he earns A
man who has a tract of land close
to town with the aid of bicycle
or a cheap motor vehicle, can
work at the mills when such work
is profitable and be sure of EN-
ployment where he is his own
boss whenever the mill shuts
down. It is true that large amount
of our land is held by spectators
who demand an exorbitant price
for it, yet it would be better for
them and for the community If
they would sell their land at rea-
sonable prices and on such terms
that the man without money could
buy it,"
If, as the Judge admits, $500 a year
Is the average pay yearly of a. mill
hand, how is he to support his family