The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-08-24

age where the tendency Is irresistibly
In the direction OF the continued
growth Of corporations. Whether we
like II or not, we shall have to accept
1t. II is an element of common sense
to accept the inevitable, not only with
resignation but with cordlality.
But do not look upon this devel-
opment as undesirable. We are liv-
ing in a great age, which will be call
ed by future historians the age Of the
conquest of natural forces by the hu-
man find. There was a similar age
thousands Of years ago In prehistoric
times when men domesticated animals
and plants. when they exchanged the
free life of mere hunters for the exact
ing and settled life of agriculture and
trade. BY giving up a portion of their
freedom those ancient people found
that they were repaid by great ex-
pansion OF the possibilities of life. We
are doing the same thing in differ
CIT way lHc Olu HuhtcT was PeiSuesu-
ed to give up his freedom to wander In
order to enjoy freedom from hunger.
Our people are being persuaded to give
up a portion of their freedom of indi-
vidual effort and undergo the disci-
pine of the collective effort, for the
privilege of having a lot of things and
Of doing a lot of things which they
could not have or do otherwise
To illustrate how far the activities
of corporations affect our daily life,
thought It would be interesting to find
out how many people were employed
by the corporations with which
would have to deal In coming from
New York to Denver. l went through
this simple process: | received a tele-
gram from Mr. Phillips, travelled over
the Pennsylvania and Burlington rail-
roads in Pullman cars, and upon ar
irving at Denver talked to Mr.. Phillips
over the telephone. find that in Or
der to do this l had to depend on cor
porations as follows:
The Western Union Tele-
graph Co. employs ........,. 10000
Pennsylvania railroad ........ .225, 900
Burlington, Northern Pacific and
Great Northern ,............ 100, 900
Pullman Palace Car Co.. 10000
American Telegraph & Tele-
| nn0nG
total Of, say ............. .551 900
II we add to these the United States
Steel corporation, which makes a good
part of the rails, bridges and cement
for these structures, the Baldwin Lo-
connective works and American Loco
motive works, which build the engines,
we should find that the corporate ma
chinery we depend upon to make this
trip would soon count up to a million
employes-in eight concerns alone.
ing about 100000.
In getting this information, l secur-
ed the last annual reports of a num-
Der OF these companies and l found in
them a number of bits of information
well worth knowing. For instance,
find that the Pennsylvania railroad
has either as pensioners or employees
1890 men who have been in the service
40 years and upward. This is a good
example of how these corporations af
feet peoples lives. Another thing is
interesting to mining people. The
Pennsylvania handled last year 49,
100000 tons of freight of which over
go per cent, nearly S6,0OO,O00 tons, was
the product of mines. To this we could
add 100000 tons of manufactured
iron and steel, so that the total freight
really coming from the mines amounts
to nearly two-thlrds of the total
find, moreover, that this concern is
owned by 1896 stockholders of whom
1896. or nearly half, are women. Its
funded debt amounts to $728,353, SIS,
held by about 100000 bondholders. It's
employees number about 225000, so
that altogether the number of people
who depend partly or wholly upon this
concern for their livelihood exceeds
100000.
think few of us realize on what
colossal scale these concerns are CO.
operative industries. They are own
ed literally by the public. There Is no
stakeholder of the Pennsylvania who
owns per cent of the stock. The
board of directors and the officers,
numbering in all about 80 men, are
said to own altogether less than per
cent Of the stock.
Almost every one Of these reports
contains something Of interest. In
that Of the American Telephone &
Telegraph company find this sem
tence; "The radius of dependable
commercial speaking transmission has
been very greatly increased, and it is
now certain beyond any question that
as fast as developed or potential bust
ness and social requirements indicate
commercial practicability, every Sec
ton Of the country can be put in
speaking transmission with every 9TH
or section, and every subscriber to the