Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-04
Selected by Tavenner

and representing all American indus
tries, that the rich" constituting two
per cent OF the population, own 90 per
cent of the wealth of the nation; ana
that the poor" representing Do per
cent OF the population. own fve per
cent of the wealth of the nation.
1t is now officially shown that be-
tween one-half and two-thirds OF
American wage earners' families are
living below the standard OF decent
subsistence, while about one-third re-
ceive such an income as leaves them
in state of abject poverty.
Among the chief recommendations
Of the commission are that the re-
strictions, legal and illegal, upon the
rights of the workers to organize Tor
collective bargaining, for the controi
Of their own conditions OF work and
life, shall be removed; that the many
glazing denials Of justice to the work
ers by courts of justice shall be pro-
hibited; that the employment and use
of armed guards and militia to over
awe workers in the interests private
exploters shall be forbidden, as it is
now forbidden in every other civilized
nation.
1t is recommended that the natural
opportunities and resources OF the
public shall be open to the use and de-
velopment of those who will use and
develop them productivity.
The evils incident to tenant farming
and the evils incident to unemploy-
ment and subserviency in the use OF
industrial tools are shown to be ldentl'
cal in cause and effect and their rem
edy both by legislative action and by
free group action of the people them
selves, is demanded.
Showing by irrefutable testimony
produced at the hearings that the dan
gerous concentration of wealth on the
one hand and the bitter poverty on the
other is the result of inequalities in
the laws and in the control of wealth
and credit, the report of the commits
sion on industrial relations recon-
mends that the taxing power shall be
used to limit inheritances and to de-
rive the necessary revenues of govern
| ment from taxes on inheritances, on
franchises, on special privileges and
other unearned incomes rather than on
the earned incomes of wage workers.
| The commission points out that taxes
should not be put upon the consump-
ton of the poor And that they should
be derived from the social values, Gre
ated by the people, but which are now
! in a great degree monopolized by the
powerful few.
| The commission recommends such
REIMBURSEMENT of the credit system that
| the sources of money shall be directly
| available to borrowers who need credit
| in productive energy. 1t recommends
that all land, water power and min
eral rights secured from the govern
ment by fraud shall be regained by
vigorous and unrelenting prosecution
that the doctrine of superior use
shall be embodied in revision of our
land laws and that all unused lands
shall be forced into use by making the
| tax on non-productive land the same
as on productive land of the same kind
and exempting all improvement from
/ taxation.
| The tremendous Importance to labor
| and the value to labor of being repre-
scented by its own direct representa-
tives in the national congress are
brought home wildly by the findings
and recommendations of the commits
sion on industrial relations. The vita
! necessity of having large and effec-
tive labor group in congress is also
! brought home wildly by the problems
now confronting this congress and by
the conflict now going on there be-
tween powerful special interests or
the one side and the almost unguarded
public on the other. In spite of the
splendid work of the small labor group
now in congress the rights of labor
= are receiving but scant attention
What will this congress do toward es-
tablishing the right basis of industrial
relations which it has now virtually
recognized by its action in printing the
report and testimony of the Walsh
commission? The answer to these
questions will largely depend upon the
pressure exerted upon congress by the
intelligent and well-informed working
men and women of the nation.
The committee on industrial rela
tons, which has been ceaselessly or
| the job to get the report and testi
mony printed congratulates these
workers on having for their use testi
mony and information which, in The
words of Chairman Walsh. has com,
from the hearts and the lives and tt,
daily experiences of the working
people"