Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-08-25
INDUSTRIAL UNREST CAUSED
BY Low WAGES DUE TO LACK
OF STRONG ORGANIZATIONS

holding of land out Of use and to secure
for the Government a part OF the "un-
earned increment.
Industrial Conditions in Isolated
Communities.
One of the most striking features OF
the report is the finding that many typi-
cal industrial communities present every
aspect of a state of feudalism. The re-
port says
1.-THE investigations and hearings Of
the Commission are the basis for the
following statements: WILL.
I. The conditions existing in typical in
dustrial communities which are either
wholly or in large part owned or con-
trolled by a single corporation or individ-
ual employer, present every aspect OF a
stat state of feudalism except the recogni mi
employer. The employees in such COM
munities are dependent on a single cor
poration. or employer. for their livelihood.
Furthermore, the employer in mann, many
life of such communities, either by the
| complete absorption of local political
powers or by domination Of the local au-
thorities.
Q The fundamental rights Of citizens
| in such communities are. as general
rule, seriously abridged if not actually
denied. Among the rights most seriously
violated are the right of free speech and
assemblase and the right of public high
ways.
In some cases. as for example in Col
orado. employers in such communities
| have assumed to usurp the functions OF
! the Federal Government itself in the is
suance of money-orders, and have not
only denied employees access to the
post office when located in their COM
pany stores but have opened and other
wise interfered with the mail directed to
the employees.
Such feudalstic conditions tend to de-
velop principally in connection with the
private exploitation of natural resources.
being most frequently found in mining
camps, lumber camps Gncluding turpen-
tine camps) and large plantations. There
are, however. striking examples even in
the case of manufactures, as. for ex-
ample, the textile towns and steel towns.
1T is suggested that the Commission
recommend:
l.. The enactment of appropriate State
legislation providing that where commu-
| owned land. the powers of the civil Gov
eminent shall not be interfered with,
nor shall the rights of access to the resi-
dence of any person be restricted, nor
go unmolested, to speak freely and to
| assemble peacefully. be interfered with
or considered to stand upon a different
basis from the rights of persons in other
communities.
g. The Post Office Department should
be directed to report to Congress all
communities in which the post office is
in any companys store or other building
operated by an employer or in which the
postmaster is a private employer or the
agent of an employer. The report should
show the facts separately for those COM
munities in which the employer or cor
poration operates an industry upon
which any large number of inhabitants
are dependent.
4. Congress and the State legislatures
should enact statutes providing that any
attempt on the part of an employer to
influence his employees either directly or
indirectly in connection with any Fed
eral election either for or against any
, tinlidaticn."