South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-04-22
PRESENT SYSTEM
CAUSES POVERTY
Millions of Men Engaged in
GainfuI Occupations Are
Forced to Live in Poverty,
Says Rev. ]. c. MCGinn.

An instructive and interesting talk
on The Abolition Of Poverty was
given Wednesday night in the rooms
OF the Associated Charities by Rev.
J. g. McGinn, G. s. G.. Of the sociology
department of Notre Dame university.
There was a large number OF social
workers present and there was a con-
siderable discussion Of the subject pre-
sehted by Rev. Mr.. McGinn. on next
Friday night Or. w a. Bolger, G. ).
G.. head Of the sociology department
OF the university, viii speak on Fun
damental Principles of Sociology.
The speaker Wednesday night held
that the maladjustment Of our eco
homie system was the cause of much
Of our poverty and that the prevention
of poverty demanded social interVen-
tiOns. He said in part.
THE abolition Of all needless pow
erty rs the aim OF modern philanthrO-
py and social reform. In fairly pros
porous years. millions Of men engaged
In gainful occupations are forced to
live in poverty. Investigations by
Hunter in the United States and by
Booth and Rountree in England have
discovered from 25 TO 80 per cent Of
wage earners living in conditions that
unfit them as members Of society.
One-half the working class children
are, during some part Of their first
Il years, brought up under conditions
that are not sufficient TO maintain
decent living.
People Forced Into Dcstitution-
Temporary sickness, lack Of en-
plOyment and accident force these
people over the line OF poverty into
the class we designate as the destitute
Sixty per cent OF males, 10 years OF
age and over, are earning less than
S62S a year while the minimum for a
decent standard of living is between
500 and $500 a year. When we con-
slider the wage earnings of the ma
JOrity Of workers we are not surprised
20 find many OF them forced into the
destitute class by sickness, accident,
etc.
Poverty is TO a great extent a phase
OF the wage question. Let us there
fore regulate wages. This can be ac-
cOmplished in two ways, organization
of labor with collective bargaining
and by wage legislation.
Wage systems are sound There is
nothing essential in modern wage de-
termination to prevent toilers from
getting an economically sufficient
wage. Laborers in the past have been
forced to bargain for work under I'M
favorable conditions. The necessity of
concerted actions on the part Of the Ia
borer is recognized by all students of
economic distinction.
Ideals of Organization.
1.-The ideal Of organized labor is to
combine in one organization all men
employed or capable OF being en-
ployed in a given industry and to Sc
cure for each and all of them a def
mite standard of wages. hours, cOndi-
teiOns of work, etc. The assumption
upon which organized labor is based is
that the natural laws of supply and
demand does not insure such wages
etc As one labor leader expressed it:
The natural laws of supply and de-
mand have unseXed men and women
and has made the child the father Of
the man and his bread winner
Those who can't organize, should
be protected by minimum wa5k laws.
a wOrkingmens compensation law
would do away with much Of the pow
erty due to accident. There is annu-
ally $4,000 fatal accidents in indus
trial commonwealth. An industry in
which a man is injured should care
for him.
Compensation laws should be based
upon the principle that the wear and
tear OF the human machine is just as
much a factor in the cost OF produc-
tiOns as is the wear and tear OF ma
chinery."