The daily Nome industrial worker., 1916-05-18
FLY IN THE OINTMENT.

In the report Of the steel trust conditions, from tho owners point of view, were never so prosperous. That's the outside of the picture and no one but pessimist ever looks at the back of an Old Master and con. siders the cobwcbs and typhus germs and dangerous bacilli that turk with in it's dusty covering. The working conditions in the Steel Industry which now is making such rosy re- ports are just as rotten as any con- dition in industry can be in the worst exploiting country in Europe. Long hours, appallngiy frequent &C., cidents, innumcrable deaths, maim- ings, wages at or under the subsist- ence point, industrial subjcction of tho most degrading typc-these things arc the foundation of the globular millions upon which the steel trusts glorious prosperity Is founded for it's watCrCd stock.
 Still, as no enc looks at the back of the picture these things do no; matter. They will in any event at tend to themselves and in that day of wrath there will be little talk of dividends and less of commercial prosperity.
 But despite the rosy condition ol the industry Judge Gary emits a crosk of warning like a raven as the bird of ill omen. Things gre good now, he declares, but after the wal look out. The country will face the most intensive competition it has ever boen called upon to face ana then-the Judge shuddars to think of what will happen unless pro- tective tariff wall is built up to pre- vcRt the entry of foreign made goods from Europe Doubtless the Judge had in mind memories of very pleasant dinner with a very pleasant gentlemen named Roosevelt and he hethought him what a fortunate thing it would be for him and is prandial associates if the Colonei were head of an administration and a majority party d:stincly commit ted to High Tariff of cast iron protectiveness.
 However that may be, it is ro trivial mater any way to endeavor to piece out Q vision of what will happen after the war in Europe is over. To be sure much depends upon when it is over, but without any doubt it will be over some time.
 Any person that imagines that Europe will then present for us a ruined civilization never again to be rebuilt is we think forgetful or ig- norant of the facts of history. The way of retrogression has been the way of conservatism, the way or the specialization of peaceful customs. China at one time reached an elevated plane of intelligence that was approached even distantly by no nation whatsoever Centuries of peace uninterrupted by any dreams of conquest except small in ternecine wars of na magnitude served to impress upon the nation the sanctity of ancient forms, ana the worship of ancestors. Hence the mistakes and the errors and follies of ancestors were part of the national existence and were the na- tional religion.
 The conservation of anything | means quite the reverse of any such thing as conservatism as we collo- | quially understand the term, and the most radical changes in the ways ot | life off nations means also the most driving period of progress.
 The social and progressive value of tho French revolution h"S never beon aptly appraised, and despite the fact that Napoloor's wars spent moro wealth and destroyed more prosperity and ruined mere lives than ever before, the French people never wore so well off and so really | prosperous as after those VETS. The great war between the BritiSh i'm perialism and tho Napolecnic visions of Empire cost the British nation fabulous sums end priceless lives; but within a shcrt period British trade reached standards of activity and wealth production unknown 1