The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-12-30
PEACE AND PLENTY.
BY SCOTT NEARING.

The Democratic campaign leaders
spent all OF October and a portion Of
November telling the American peo-
pie that they were enjoying greater
measure Of prosperity than at any
time for a generation, The appeal of
the party In power during the cam
pa1gn of 1916 was an appeal for the
maintenance of things as they are.
Are the American people prosper
Gus?
Some of the economic facts that
nave come to light in recent days
suggest that the prosperity about
which SO much has been said is only
skin deep. 1t seems to be a bankers
manufacturers-m variety Of
prosperity. While billions have been
added to the fortunes of the few, the
masses are fighting frantically for
the necessities of bare existence.
The facts brought out by the Bay
onne strike gives a clue to the whole
situation. A great corporation, earn
ing handsome returns on it's invest
ment was paying it's laborers a wage
upon which health and social decency
for family of five were impossible
The Illinois vice commission re-
ported that more than halt of the
girls in five of the large Chicago de-
partment stores, were receiving a
wage that the store managers them
selves acknowledged was insufficient
to provide decent living. Strikes,
industrial disorders and official in
vestigations in other parts Of the
country have led to similar revela-
tons of a great gulf between Ameri-
can wages and the health of the Am
erican people. Indeed Bulletin 76 of
the federal bureau of health suggests
that third of the American families
are below the poverty line.
Within a few weeks the telephone
operators of a midwest city, with a.
population of somewhat less than a
quarter Of million, struck for
higher wages and better conditions
of labor. An appeal to the official
evidence brought out some interest
ing facts.
The state bureau of labor statistics
prepared a. report which showed that
in 1915 there were .523 female wage
earners 1S years Of age and. over in
the telegraph and telephone industry
of the city. Their wages were as
follows,-more than one-quarter Of
the total number (2S per cent? were
paid weekly wage of less than 5000
per week; over one half of the girls
(55 per Cent? were paid less than
$500 per week, and three-quarters Of
them (7S per cent? were paid less
than $500 per week, According to
this report only S.5 per cent of all
the girls employed in the telephone
and telegraph industry in the city re-
ceived $1,000 or more per week.
There has been no official investi-
cation into the cost of living of work
ing women in this city, but a report
recently published II the Industrial
commission Of the state, suggests
pretty conclusively that it cost about
$400 per year or $500 per week to
provide the minimum necessaries of
health and social decency for a sin gle
woman. This amount corresponds to
industrial sections of the country. In
view of the recent increase Of prices
it should undoubtedly be increased to
at least. $500 per week.
Accept the figure of $500 per week
for a single woman and compare it
with the wages in the telephone in
dustry as reported by the state indus
trial commission. The result is start
ling. If the girls work full time, and
very few of them do, more than three
quarters of them would be getting
less than living wage, and more
than half of them, receiving less than
$500 a week, would be far below the
level of living decency.
'fSecurity first echoes from the
house-tops.
. What is security?
Who is to be made secure?
Congress voted a huge army and
navy appropriation last summer, for
the purpose of defending the people
of the United States-of guarantee
ing a continuance Of their peace and
plenty. What will the fifteen-incA
guns do to the seven-dollar wage?
nj IL: