The daily Nome industrial worker., 1917-06-15
REASONABLE PROFIT.

Among the CherlShable Amerlcans whose patriotism rises to the occa- sion is the head of the philan- throp;c House of Armour.
 MT. Armour would welcome gov ernment control of the food situa- tion and as long as a reasonable profit is assured he will be satis- fled.
 Reasonable profit? Where have we heard cognate or identical phrase before? Seems like greeting an old friend and as we overhaul the lemoter convolutions of our memory we are reminded of that lofty expression reasonable wages.
 But truly who will decide when profits are reasonable? He who an nexes them or he from whom they are annexed? And there is the rub not alone for Uncle Samuel, not alone for Mir Armour, but for all profiteers or those profitted from.
 Enters the idealist who rights all wrongs by an artifcially constructed scheme of things whereby the mille- nium can be brought about by legIs- lative fiat He starts off with a wizard wand called governmental control and prescribes a regimen for employers called reasonable profits, and fer employees called reasonable wages.
 The alarmed thing is so simple ana so easy that it is l ard to understand wby no one pays much attention to the Idealist bent upon adjusting wrongs.
 Now when there is something in the nature of food crisis, owing to the sickening fear of those who never wanted, that there will not be enough to go around if govern ment insists upon feeding workers and soldiers, we hear talk of con trolling this, that and the other thing.
 Patriotism with much flag waving and other stimu ating devices rises from it's seat and beckons the wizard hither and bids him for the Love ot Mike, get busy arranging things within the commonwealth so that there will be no further unseemly disturbance over the whole confu- sion. bad enough as it is.
 And the wizard gets busy and bursts into Congress with his wand crying by the way to all and sundry Presto. Change, and the thing-is not done.
 For at once as we see, even now, there is a frenzied discussion as to what is fair, reasonable and equit- able and it is realized with much drowning and sinking of heart and deploring of human intractibility that ever so many people have ever so many views, and that the views of one and another are diametrically opposed to one another.
 In vain the wizard points out the glorious prospect comes from his panacea He says in vain that the iion and the lamb lie down together under his plan, and that all souls have but single thought and all hearts beat Gs one. The govern mcnt with delightful paternalisn appoints what profits may be forth coming from the industry to him who owns, thus vesting private own ership in an even securer position that it has held before-ownership by the Grace of Government. The employer is ratified as such receiv- ing his per annum as royalty re- 'ceives his, in monarchical lands. He is apportioned his per cent per qoand, per mile, per gallon, per bushel, per this, that or the other thing which he makes and purvoys and distributes; verify an ideal con- siition satisfying with full secure governmental efficiency the social needs And government with de- }ightful paternalism appoints what wages may be paid to workers: Enough that they will be competent ly fed, competently clothed and com petently sheltered. Their wages will be apportioned as the rations of The bondsmen were rationed for their labor There is no appeal be-