The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-05-27

to establish Duluth as a saloonless
city, was opened at the Auditorium
last Monday night, the building was
crowded to the doris. Estimates Of
the crowd that listened to the speak,
ers run from 1000 to $500: but
whatever number the Auditorium
holds was present. It is also an
nounced that several hundred were
mediation.
Every seat was occupied, all Of the
walls were lined, the rear in front Of
and behind the railing was packed,
and so was the gallery. Many Of those
seated were women, and probably
many curious ones attended, but all
seemed to take part in the enthus-
iasm shown. Applause for each Of
the speakers was liberal and nothing
happened in the way of Interruptions,
cat calls or interpolated remarks to
mar the meeting. It was exception
ally orderly as compared to many
meetings where partisanship runs
high.
o. J. Larson acted as chairman.
Speeches were made by Bishop Nc
Golrick, former Governor Van SAINT
and Senator Richard Jones. The lat
ter discussed prohibition from the
standpoint of a trade unionist.
Just before he arose he was handed
a copy Of printed circular which
was being peddled outside the build
ing in behalf of the Minneapolis
Trades Union league in which the
citizens Of Duluth are asked to "give
just consideration to the hundreds Of
men and families who will be de-
prived Of their employment and
homes if the paid 11irelings Of the
Anti-Saloon league should be sue
cessful in inducing you to vote Du-
luth dry. Do not be deceived by paid
agltators or men who have deceived
themselves into believing that there
is a moral issue to prohibition"
Senator Jones devoted his opening
remarks to answering that circular
and declared that the league has gone
on record as favoring home rule as
against county option.
1--WE are giving them a chance for
home rule in this campaign" said Mr..
Jones.
He spoke Of the attitude of the
league as being opposed to legislation
that would throw men out of employ
ment and went on to show that the
liquor interests have fewer. men en-
ployed in proportion to the money in
vested than any other industry, and
declared that the men thus thrown
out could be easily absorbed in other
business with better pay. He spoke
Of the personal liberty phase Of the
matter and declared that personal
liberty ends where the rights of
others begin.
Tea VS.. Whisky.
"They will bring Clarence barrow
here from Chicago" said the senator,
and he will tell you that he has as
much right to drink glass Of whisky
as you have to drink a cup Of tea He
probably has, but you never heard of
| man going out and committing
murder on a cup Of tea, have you?"
Said Senator Jones in part:
AS g. member Of trade union I
shall fight theliquor traffic, because
it is opposed to every principle advo-
| Gated by organized labor; because its
influence In trade union affairs has
resulted disastrously and caused trade
union leaders and entire labor Or
CARNATIONS to forget the sound prin-
| ciples upon which the labor move
ment stands.
| "Our opponents. seek to Influence
the members of organized labor
against the prohibition movement on
the ground that prohibition deprives
the individual Of his personal liberty
However, there is no room in the
philosophy Of trade unionism for the
personal liberty plea When a man
joins the labor organization he for
feits his personal liberty to a large
extent. He agrees that he will not
work more than a certain number of
hours, nor for less than given wage.
| aside from the question of per-
sonal liberty there is the greater
question of labor exploitation. Re-
Gently the national Socialist party Sc
| lected five of its best investigators to
examine into the liquor question.
| After a year of research they re-
ported that the degree Of exploitation
in the liquor industry ran up to 70
per cent, while the average in all
other industries did not reach 50 per
| cent.
|, According to the United States
census reports for 1910, 100000
invested in the liquor. business gives
employment to only u wage-earners,
while 100000 invested in the iron
and steel industry gives employment
to 2S4 men; paper and printing, 500;
leather, 469; textiles, 574, and lum-
Der, 579. The wages paid in the liquor
business amount to only s per cent in
proportion to the amount of capital
invested. But in tho iron and steel
business they amount to II per cent:
paper and printing, FL per cent;
leather, % per cent; textiles. % per
cent, and lumber, ~ per cent.
Death Rate in Traffic.
But the exploitation in wages is
not the most serious part Of it all.
The workers suffer at an awful cost
Of life for the questionable privilege
Of working for the brewer and saloon
keeper. English authorities say that
the death rate among the brewery
Workmen in that country is 50 Der
cent higher than the normal death
rate. Forty-three leading life insur-
ance companies in America appointed
their best actuaries to make an in
vestfgation into the question, It was
g. cold blooded business nronositfon n