The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-08-31

The success of this battle with pow
/ erty Is contingent upon the existence
/ of social surplus the basis of all So
cial well-belng. That is, as a nation
we must produce goods or services
much in excess of our immediate needs
of subsistence. And we are doing that
today upon scale never before known
| in the world. 1t has made us the rich
est nation with wealth estimated mt
something close to $3.50, 100000, 900 It
is an intolerable condition that when
there is enough and more than enough
to feed all that any should hunger,
save. perhaps. the chrOnically criminal
and the unemployable of various anti
social types.
Civilization has kept pace with in
creased economic production. start
ing from rude social order wherein
bare and uncertain existence was the
most that man could wreSt from ma
ture, society has attained IN incrrd-
ible economic productivity by the de
velOpment Of intellectual force nad
manual deXterity, by the more efficient
arrangement of its own powers, and
most of all by the discovery and utili-
zation of natural energies. The diff
fusion of comforts, the possibilities of
IuXuries, the rise of arts and letters,
the spread of culture-in a word, the
development Of civilization is the con-
sequence of increased economic pro-
duction." And furthermore, we can
place no limit to the future rate Of in
crease in production clearly assign
able.
The history of the United States
illustrates the working of this prin-
ciple which has ousted the gloomy,
pessimistic prophecy Of Malthus. From
1850 to 1900 the population increased
22G per cent, while the production of
the eight great cereals increased 400
per cent. And what is true of our agri-
cultural products is also true even to
a greater extent of iron and steel, tex
tiles and other manufactures. Our per
capita wealth in 1850 was $307. 1t is
now supposed to be about $1,S0O or
$1,000.
Workers Condition Bettered.
Together with this great increase in
national production and wealth, with
the creation of great unprecedented
social surplus, has gone a wonderful
betterment in the condition of the
working classes. Wages have risen,
expenditures have increased for non
physical satisfaction; the deposits in
savings banks have augmented the
per capita consumption of wheat,
sugar and meat have grown; the death
rate has declined, and, taken alto
gether, there has been steady and
improvement in the
condition of the workers.
But the creation of this huge social
surplus has not removed the challenge
of want; it has not destroyed the
menace of poverty. 1t has only made
4 solution of bitter problem pOssi-
bIe. While there is no doubt that the
of poverty is less today than
in the past, even in this country, yet
The challenge of poverty and its con-
misery still stands wolflike at
1ur threshold. In the words of PrOfes-
sor Hollander: 1.-The root of the
problem lies deeper. Poverty, like GER
ain of its primary causes, is phase !
# modern industry. The very forces
which increase the national product |
md enlarge the social surplus, If left |
20 themselves, breed conditions of |
want. Far from diminishing
With increased wealth production, the
misery resulting from such causes is,
n the face of social inaction, likely to
augment and intensity. Society may
ROW richer, civilization may advance,
md yet poverty continue to gnaw can
.er-like at its vitals."
Our enormous national wealth with
is unprecedented social surplus, our
,ast natural resources which we are
in time, our national ideals
md aspirations for social, political and
Industrial justice, are the factors
which. sooner or later, may give us the
unique distinction of being the worlds
lrst nation to abolish poverty. J