Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-08-24
Would Purchase Telegraph
and Telephone Lines for
Operation By Government

! litical life and abridgng the tunda-
mental rights of citizens.
1t is evident both from the inyestiga-
ton Of the commission and from the re-
ports of recent governmental bodies
that large part of our industrial pop
ulation are a result of the combination
Of low wages and unemployment, living
in condition of actual poverty, the
report declares.
At least one.third and possibly one
half Of the families Of wage earners IN
manufacturing and mining learned IN
( the course of year less than enough
to support them in anything like a
comfortable and decent condition, 1t
was stated.
"The crux of the question: the re-
Port says, is, have the workers re-
ceiyed a fair share of the enormous in
crease in wealth which has taken place
in this country during the past quarter
| of century as a result of their labors:
the answer is empnatically-no
1.-THE wealth of the country between
1890 and 1912 increased from % to lSf
| billions, or 1873 per cent, whereas the
aggregate income of wage earners mi
manufacturing, mining and transporta'
tion has risen between 1889 and 1909
only % per cent, from 2,5l6OOOOOO
in 1899 to 4,9l6,000,0O0 in 1909. Fur.
ther more, the wage earners share OF
the net product of industry in the case
of manufactures was only 4O2 per cent
in 1909, as compared with 44.9 in 1889,
1.-THE investigations and hearings Of
the commission, it was stated, Justify
the conclusions:
=" As result of their unprotected
condition, women and children are ex-
plotted in industry, trade and domestic |
service and agriculture to an extent
which threatens their health and wei
fare and menaees the well.being of the
future generations.
S'The competition of women and chill
dren is direct menace to the wage and
salary standards of men,
Under present conditions children
are permitted by their parents to go
to work largely because their earnings
are necessary for the support Of the
rest of the family. The restrictive leg !
islation has thrown heavy
burden upon their fathers and mothers
who, at existing wages, have been bare
ly able to support their families The
evidence shows that the burder of child
labor legislation has rested upon the
wage earners rather than upon the EN-.
plOyers,
1t was further found that;
''Tne welfare of the state demands |
that the useful labor of every able |
boiled man should as minimum be
compensated by sufficient income to
support in comfort himself, a wife and
at least three children and provide for
sickness, old age and disability
Under existing conditions such an
income is not received by fully one
half the wage earners employed in in.
dustry.
alt is probable that even at present
the national agricultural and industrial
rtput is sufficient to permit the es.
tablishment of such a standard.
"The problem is therefore essentially
one of distribution
The adjustment of wages by legal
enactment was declared impractieable
and organization and fixing of stand.
ards by collective bargaining was there
fore recommended.
Creation Of federal bureau of labor
statistics was suggested. Under nor.
NAL circumstances work day should
not exceed eight hours, the report de,
cared.
The employees of the Western Union
and Postal Telegraph companies are
not only under paid, but subjected TO
many abuses, it was stated.