The daily Nome industrial worker., 1916-05-19

ned sure con ODLdlH dtIGullOll HO matter how trivial be the enactment except the labor law. No attention is paid to that. You can drive dog team and sled through any that the territory has pasesd apparently and there's not a soul to say nay. That has been the historic way ana is most forcible argument for labor organization. When labor is proper ly organized and educated along the lines of class interest you will not need even eight hour laws. The workers can enforce an eight hour day themselves. It is a sound fact that what reforms have been perma- nently gained for labor did not come through legal enactments but through organized enforcement. The strength of an organization can in variably be guaged by it's ability tC enforce it's betterment of conditions. Where unions have been strong legal cudtJIiGllS ldtlllLdltd lliCI C ChCil Sti forcement. But that was because the unions had the economic powe; which in turn was reflected in poll tical, and hence in the executive field of the political world.
 Without a labor organization strong and healthy to enforce labor laws every two by four operator can laugh at them without fear of mole station While the government might be put to extraordinary expense to convict some eptty offender against some petty social enactment or against some petty statute to pro tect property, there is no enthusiasm in pursuing either the pettiest or the largest offender against either the most important or most trivial labor law.
 Interview some of these officials on the subject They'll tell you to swear to a complaint, to hanF them the direct testimony on a platter, they want you to convert yourself into voluntary stool to secure fer them the evidence so that after all was in they might if they had a mind try to enforce the law.
 The workers can therefore depend upon themselves alone and that through labor organization. Up- lifting or other officials with axes to grind may speak fair, but fine words butter no parsnips. And when it comes to delivering the goo Is ana seeing shat both the letter and the spirit of the law is lived up to. as far as lahor legislation is concerned, they simply are not there. They haven't time for any such work. It is outside the province of the days routine which prefers to live the life of ease with dignity comes from Dertunctory enforcement of such statutes as will convey to the world at large the idea that 'it is law abiding community.
 The real remedy is labor organiza- tion. The workers must unite or the proposition. They have common interests and the concern of ono Is the concern of all. If not they should make it so. They have all the same labor power to sell whatever variety of that labor power it may be, and in effecting that sale they are all on the same field. Combination of all on that field is the essential thina and if that is realized there will be little trouble enforcing literally and in dead fact the eight hour day, law or no law, officials or no officials contracts or no contracts.
 It's a dead wrong steer to have the workers signing agreement with an employer. They get it in the neck every time. Their agreement must be with their fellow workers and if they organize to that end, the control of the job is theirs.