Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1915-08-26

munity or state in mll1c4l ne mas maze
his home. For these reasons, it seems
desirable at the outset TO suggest a
to Congress that
these problems of industrial relation
ship should occupy their due promln-
ence in the deliberations of that Hon
orable Body, and that the entire ma
chinery of the Federal GOvernmel
should be utilized to the greatest po
sible degree for tn correction OF su
uepforable conditions as have be.
found 10 exist.
Iile lack of a porper Industrial re
lati0nsnip and the existence OF pa.
labor conditions is matter OF tn
most serious moment during times
peace, but the events of the past yea
have demonstrated how enormous.
their enace to the wlfar of a natl
is increased during a period OF wal
The present European war } Oeln
fought on the farms and in The ia
tories as much as in the trenches. ~
effective mobilization of our lndustrlt-
resources is as important simply frol-
the standpoint of war, aSsthe moplnza
ton of our military and naval forces
at is equally important that action
should be taken now rather than al
ter war is reality.
IAN attempt is madesin the succeed
| ing pages of the report to Suggest
some of the measures which should be
adopted. with a full realization, how
ever, that no action vii lbe effective
which does not come through an un
Outstanding by the American people
of the essential facts ergarding indus
trial conditions. Practically, however,
there are only two alternatives for eff
/ fectiver action, first, the creation OF q
huge system of bureaucratic paternal-
| ism such as has beenh developed in
Geramny; or action whihc will re-
move the many existing obstacles
which prevent effective organization
and cooperation, reseFving for per-
Torrance by the government only
those services which cannot be- eff
fectively conducted by voluntary or
ganizations, and those which are OF
such vital importance to the entire
nation that they should, mot be LETT to
the hazard of private enterprise"
The Introductory statement closes
with the following quotation from
CARLYLE, the Scotch historian, which, II
lsserts, contains in a few eloquent
sentences the very heart of the situa
zion in American industry"
with the working people, again, il
! is not SO well. Unlucky. For there
are from twenty to twenty-five million
of them. Whom, however, we lump
together into a kind of dim compen
dious unity. = as the masses.
Masses indeed: and yet, singular to
say, the muss1s oensiest all OF units
=, every unit Of whom has his OWL
heart and sorrows; stand covered
there with his own skin, and If you
phick him he will bleed. Every unit
Of these masses is. a miraculous man
even as thou myself art; struggling
with vision or with blindness for his
infinite kingdom (this life which he
has got, once only, in the middle Of
eternities1; with spark Of the divin
lty, what tho ,ucallest an Immortal SOU
in him!
CLEARLY a difficult point for gov
eminent, that of dealing with these
masses; if indeed it be not rather the
sole point and problem Of govern
nent, and all other points mere acci
lental crotchets, superf1cialities, anC
oeatings Of the wind! for let char
ter-chests, use and wont, law common
masses count to so many millions oil
lnits; made, to all appearances, by
God, whose earth this Is declared tC
be-
1, That section OF the report made
public today deals almost entirely
with the causes of industrial unrest.
Causes Of Unrest.
i, The report finds that the causes oil
/
almost without exception under foul
main sources which include all the
others. These four are:
l. Unjust distribution. of wealth
and income.
il 2. Unemployment and denial of op
portunity to earn a living.
| 8. Denial of Justice in the creation
n the adjudication and in the admin
istration of law.
II 4. Denial of the right and oppor
unity to form effective organizations
Unjust Distribution.
Discussing the first of these causes
i, the report summarizes evidence show
ng that "A families possess aggregate
incomes totaling at the least fifty mil
ions per year, while between one
fourth and one-third of the male work
ers in factories and mines, 18 years
Of age and over, earn less than $1,000
Der week, and only about one-tenth
arm more tina n$20 per week.
Inequality in the distribution OF
wealth and income is set forth as
follows:
First. with regard to the aduN
vorkmen, the fathers and potential
-athers, from whose earnings accord.
ing to the American standard the
support Of the family is to be de
i rived.
i Between eaesfpuFtha ana ene-third
of male workers n factories and
mines Is years Of age and over earn
less than SO per week; from two
thirds to three4apfths earn less than
SIS. and only about pnetenth earn
more than so q week. This; does not
take into consideration lost working
time for any cause.
Next are the women. the most
portsntoHsIT growing factor in the
labor force whose wages are import
ant not only fog their own support,
or as the supplement Of the meager
II =