The daily Nome industrial worker., 1916-05-16
A QUESTION OF PROFIT.

It cannot be repeated too often that modern business enterprise is founded solely upon the profit is ob. tained therefrom. Such questions as efficiency, safety first, speeding up, long or short working days. women labor, child labor, sanitary housing and other incidentals are an- swered in the affirmative or in the negative according as the question of "does it pay" is answered affirma lively or negatively.
 Today tomorrow or the next day to eliminate the profit making factor from practically all business enter prise would mean that the owners of those wonderful enterprises would at once dissasociate themselves therefrom. They are not ;n the bus mess for their health; neither are they undertaking these ventures from any romantic motive any mor9 than from any humanitarian con sideration; they Grc in the business because it pays. The business that does not pGy, that is effectively or ganized and produces TO profits no matter how beneficial to any commit nifty, TO matter how usefUlly from a social point of view it may function, is dropped like a hot po;atoe. IL colIapses and until it can be review cd so that it will pay, it lies there unknclle ed, forgotten and fOrlorn.
 Understanding then that the sti- mulus of all business is the profit that is :n it, we can understand prac- tically everything no matter how outrageous, no matter how anti-social, no matter how inhuman that is done in the name of business.
 " We realize then that the only factor seriously to be considered Is the profit factcr and that other fac tors such as the welfare or heath or safety of employees, protection against accident, protection against loss of means of subsistence are only to be seriously considered just as they affect the profit making factor.
 No matter what we pretend to be the case, no matter what posing bus mess may affect, tho only thing thar does count is whether it pays or docs not pay. When welfare work CTS today wish to urge some special reform upon employers they do moi proceed to play upon the strictly hu- manitarian sentiments of such; they don't begin to harp upon any partl' cular ethical duty, nor any supposed realization of christian or other virtue. They insist upon taking the facts and figures and by them show. ing that such methods as employers are pursuing are rcacting upon them as employers; that they lower the health and by doing so lower the efficiency and accordingly also the profit making ability of the e H. ployeec. They point out that the injuries sustained from defective appliances succeed in injuring or killing experienced and highly effic;- ent employees whose place is not filled without considerable contin- gent loss to their employers; there. fore they urge safety first.
 It's not to elevate the employee or physically that prohibit tion is urged for workers but Hs Rockefeller said "to give increased punch to tho pick. It is not to at- ford the workers more leisure that the shorter work day is urged, but Ill order that a better rested worker may give more intensive labor dur ing the period of employment. It ts not to mako life more pleGsGnt foc workers that unsanitary conditions are removed and laboriDg mems dwelling are fitted with improved appliances, but in order that a perfectly robust worker may give more labor power and conse- quently more profits to tho boss.
 Profit is tho main thing and if much money is in sight the employer will do anything and everything to get it.
 The other day the steamer Roanc- ke turned turtle when it's cargo | shifted. An investigation was held | and survivors examined by officials | It San Luis Obispo. Their testi-