The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-04-21
A Working
Mans Views

Editor Of The Pennington Times -
The history of the past century has
been the history of gradual in
crease in the wages of the working
classes. When in 1900 Thomas JEFF
ferson was elected President, the
working men Of the North were in a
condition but little superior to that
Of Colonial days, condition in which
they worked long hours at toll for
small pay. From this state of af-
fairs the invention Of machinery and
the improvement Of production on a
large scale, as regulated by law,
have gradually emancipated the
working man, and wages have risen
while the prices of many articles of
consumption have declined.
This progress, however, to which
the working man has largely and no.
bly, contributed is not yet complete.
Until within the last generation, the
problem confronting the United Stat
es as an Industrial nation was, how
to increase the public wealth. Now
the question is, how to distribute the
vast riches which have accumulated,
very largely as a result of the efforts
put forth by working men. In this
evolution, society has reached stage
where in return for his days toll, it
is possible to give the working man a
wage upon which he may live with
reasonable comfort and decency, and
with which he may obtain the neces-
saries and some of the pleasures of
life, which, in the past, society was
too poor to provide for him. The
enormous increase in the productivity
of labor, due to the invention of ma
chimes and to the increased intelli-
gence of the workers, has now made
possible condition which will per-
nit the wage Garner to enjoy small
but fairly comfortable home, and to
secure a reasonable amount of nour-
ishing food.
The realization of this possibility
is contingent only upon the laboring
man forming strong unions, and upon
their demonstration to the American
people of the fact that the necessary
wages can be paid without threaten
ing the industries of the nation. Much
that has been said about the Ameri-
can standard of living has been vague,
but to a large extent this vagueness
is inevitable. 1t is easy to state what
sum Of money given man should
earn, but it is hard to define just ex-
actly what necessaries, comforts, and
small luxuries a whole working popu-
alton should receive. And vet, not
withstanding all the vagueness, there
eemains in the mind OF the WORKING
man certain more or less definite
things which make up to him what he
calls the American standard of liv-
ng, and certain sum which he feels
Or believes is living wage. 1t has
been stated by an authority that the
American standard of living should
| mean, to the ordinary unskilled work
man with an average family, a COM
Portable house with at least six
rooms. 1t should mean bath room
dining room, kitchen, and sufficient
sleeping room that decency may be
preserved and a reasonable degree OF
comfort maintained. The American
standard of living should mean, to the
unskilled workman, carpets, pictures,
Uouho, diIu ultlltuiO WAN WHICH w
make home bright, comfortable and
attractive for himself and his family,
an ample supply of clothing suitable
for winter and summer, and above all
a sufficient quantity of good, whole
some, nourishing food at all times OF
the year. The American standard OF
living, furthermore, should mean tc
the unskilled workman, that his chill
dren be kept in school until they have
attained the age of at least sixteer
years, and that he be enabled to lay
| by sufficient to maintain himself anc
his family in times of illness, or al
the close of his industrial life, wher
age and weakness render further
work impossible, and to make pro
vision for his family against prema
| ture death from accident or other
| wise.
| | dare say that practically ever,
| working man in the Lead Belt will
agree to what | have stated above
| but, says one, how are we to attain
wages sufficient for us to supply al
of the things enumerated? In answe
to this question we will say, to begin
with. let us organize ourselves into
strong compact union. After accom-