New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-24


workers returned home the other day from
foreign tour. She was quoted as saying that
she had found liberty suppressed everywhere
moment later iu the interview IL appeared
that her experience iu England consisted IN
cutting across the island and jumping aboard
her boat at Liverpool That lets her out. If
she had remained ia England she would have
found that liberty IS q very lively possession
there just now. I have been visiting England
for sixteen years, but ! have never before
seen the "subiect" act with so much initiative
and have never heard him express himself
so vigorously Mr. Bertrand Russell receives
an excellent free advertisement for his views
from the War Office. and proceeds 90 state
them in one of the best books written In re-
cent years, "The Principles Of Social Recon
struction." The book is widely advertised and
favorably reviewed. A half-dozen conscien-
tious DIRECTORS are dealt with unJust.y and
shamefuly in q time OF incalculaole strain
while some thousands are dealt with honor
ably. And conscientious DIRECTORS are only
per cent Of the total number OF claimants ior
exemption. These others are IN reserved
trades; they are the sole support OF
family; they have built up an individual! bust
ness And OF all these cases only per CENT
Of the decisions have been appealed against
Conscientious directors would never nave
been heard from If Parliament had not ere
ated their status. There are no conscientious
obicctors in Germany: there is the shooting
squad. Il is only in a free country that lib
ertv can raise a rough house" England IS
free country. There are plenty OF criticisms
that lie against her for mental sloth, for mis-
-. ffes- for
pride. But a man is still free 60 carry out
his policy and speak his mind. The perfect
proof is this: In the year 1915 she had 698
labor strikes. Al once the vigilant critic OF
England will say, "Thc laborng man is not
patriotic" Let me first point out that tins
is an exactly opposite charge from the charge
that he has lost his personal liberty. Sec
ondlv. II is untrue. He is patriotic, but he
feels no loyalty toward the profit makers.
The Welsh miners we're accused ot holding
IN coal from the navy and endangering the
battleship fleet But they showed figures to
friend of mine which proved the exact point
20 which they could proceed with their strike
without lesseuing the source OF supply iof
the navy.
Labor TO Control
There was a rule which the most famous
editorial writer i'm America used TO toHo"
when he was "a reporter If he wanted to find
ont where the real strength OF a movement
Law he went 10 the veteran politicians, dis
.rict leaders and county chairmen and asked
then, what was worrying them. II the major
ity Of them were worried by orc man that
man was the coming leader. y there was
one measure of reform which they agreed
was nuisance that measure was what the
voters were demanding. Now, this is what
find in talking with the leaders Of public
opinion in England: Each Of them has his
own notion Of what would be the helpful way
out of the tanglc But all of them are inter-
ested in what labor will do. In the hands OF
labor rests the control Of highlands future
after the war.
The social reconstruction after the war will
be so drastic as 90 be revolutionary IN the
strictest least sensational use of terms. The
machinery of the reconstruction viii be By
workshop councils. whore the men viii have
voice. This system admits them for the
first time in industrial history to share OF
control IN management
England has been injured by the presence
of the poor. What is wrong with the poor is
their poverty. Their poverty will be abol-
ished.
Too large a share Of the profits Of produc-
ton has gone 90 the employer. The worker
will receive higher wages and will enter on
standard of living which will give decent
life 10 the industrial population, instead OF
holding fourth part below the demands Of
health.
There will be the gradual establishment OF
minimum wage in industry and agriculture.
There will be drastic reform in housing.
The sums will be. little by little, destroyed.
Town planning, with severe restrictions on
the number Of houses 10 the acre, will be
Instituted by the state.
Cheap transportation will be carried out
wholesale. enabling the Industrial worker 10
live in decent surroundings at a distance
from his factory, because ne can ride to and
from work for IA penny or two.
The land monopoly will be broken and
here will be a system Of large farms, worked
BY modern methods, and a system Of small
tenantry.
Welfare work will be vastly extended. The
immense application Of it by the Ministry Of
Munitions sofa tidal marx from which