The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-03-31

farmed only by tenants. who, while
doing all the work, were allowed only
the most meager livelihoods, that
the landlords might get the lions
share of the country's products by
virtue of nothing but their monopoly.
In the cities conditions have been
and still are the same as in the coun-
try, with only such variations as
necessarily go with urban life.
All this, it is generally agreed, will
have to be changed with the SOLE
diers' return home at the wars end.
1t is recognized that hundreds of
thousands of men who have had a
taste of broader existence than the
old one, will not tolerate a return to
the former order of things
The suggestion most frequently
heard is that the landlords will be
forced to dispose of their great hold
ings at reasonable prices, on some
such basis as the one already pre-
>vailing in Ireland. Others favor a
more or less close approximation to
the single tax.
Taking into account the relief this
will affect in labor congestion in the
industrial centers, and the fact that
there undoubtedly will be a heavy
emigration to the colonies, it seems
fair to predict an immense better
ment in the masses lot in Postbel-
lum England.
England inevitably will cease to
be free trade country after the
war.
Reciprocity will prevail between
the mother country and her colon
les. 1t. may include all the present
allies.
The tariffs purpose will be, part
ly, revenue. More particularly it
will be for protection against Ger
many. The English policy is not,
in general, for protection against
.neutrals, but it is hard to see how it
can be avoided in this case, as Ger
mans might otherwise establish their
factories in neutral countries, get
their raw material from home and set
the protection program at nought.
Already plans are under discus
sion for preventing the employing
class from getting the benefit, to the
workers disadvantage, of the
higher prices it is expected this tar
if will mean.
One suggestion is for a minimum
wage. This is not very generally
favored, however. It's opponents say
it is too inelastic method to work
satisfactorily. 1t is unlikely it will
be adopted.
Another proposition looks toward
a profit sharing system, so scienti-
.fically worked out that price in
creases will automatically mean cor
respondingly larger incomes for
workingmen.
A still more radical scheme con-
templates government control, or
even government ownership, of all
manufacturing industries.
Inasmuch as the tariff will have to
be imposed with labor's consent and
aid, there is no question that labor's
interests will have to be duly con-
sidered. Indications are that the re-
suits form may be more or less So
cialistic.
1t is pretty safe prediction that
the war is going to be followed by
important internal changes in most,
if not all the belligerent countries.
Perhaps these changes will be for
the worse. Obviously there is far
less liberty in belligerent and even
in neutral Europe today than there
was before the war If this condi-,
dition should become chronic, of
course the wars result can be set
down as entirely bad.
If plutocracy succeeds in getting
still tighter stranglehold on the peo-
pie than it had before, things will
be all the worse.
The people seem to realize this,
however, and are pretty watehful.
So it looks as if the odds favor
changes in the line of improvement,
big Improvement and soon at least
in spots.
Are revolutions likely? Peaceful
economic revolutions ?-Yes, very
llhcly luueeu.
But an overturning of govern
ments? Of some, maybe; not all.
There is hardly a suggestion of
such a thing in England. The sit
uation is said to be the same in
France
British officials believe that a COM
plete governmental overturning is
distinct possibility in the case of the
central powers, perhaps so soon as
to shorten the war. The Italian
governments position was VIGOROUSLY
precarious long before the war be-
gan. There is no reason for believing
it is less so today
Curiously enough, the Russian re-
CINE, supposedly the most unpopu-
lar with the people of any in Europe,
appears to have been enormously
strengthened by the world struggle.
All accounts indicate its entire safe
ty for the present, though there is
general belief that it's post bellum
methods, largely with the ruling
class approval, will be greatly lib
eralized
From Fridays Darn.
Y. M. c. A. Directors at MEETING.
DR.. ]. W. Andrews entertained the