Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1917-01-10
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS.
The Rise of Socialism.

Whether or not the world is drift
ing toward Socialism is a question Of
disturbing interest to many people,
The opponents of Socialism hold at
least that if it is not, the signs are very
disquieting, and that a determined eff
fort must be made to combat what
they consider a grave evil. The pro-
pOnents of Socialism on the other
hand feel certain that the dawn OF a
new Era is at hand. They point out
that economic conditions are paving
the way for a Socialized state through
the gigantic organizations now being
made ready for new masters when the
time arrives.
Big Business to Fight
1t has been stated on good authori-
ty that certain interests in this coun-
try will bend every effort in the fu-
ture to prevent anything like Social
ism. Indeed this has been going on
if the efforts of large corporations to-
ward aligning their help in the inter
est of the concerns means anything
Old age, pensions, sick benefits, profit
sharing, stock bonuses, all new, all
startling innovations not to have been
dreamed OF say twenty years ago,
have grown out Of the economic de-
VelOpment of the nation as it left its
SWaddling clothes and became an in
dustrial giant Most of these schemes
have behind them and with them the
proviso of being subject to an en-
ploye's continuous service. In other
words, if the employee leaves his posi-
tion for any cause, but strike in par
ticular, he forfeits each and all of the
benefits accrued to him.
The Dominating Issue.
But in certain places and in certain
instances Labor's strength has grown
faster than has Capitals. There the
men have demanded and won benefits
deemed outrageous and unfair by
many. The upshot of the struggle
seems to be that Capital will give La
Dor almost everything except direction
of business. Capital will give Labor a
great share of the profits and protec-
ton in it's old age, but LABOR MUST
MUST REMAIN CAPITAL. And make
no mistake, the battle is on!
Still Another Class.
All this gets back to the question as
it relates not to Capital and Labor,
but to the great intermediate class,
the small landowner, the small manu-
facturer, the small business and pro
fessional man. These we find in great
multitude scattered over this country
and the small towns and communities
where we have only the ancient laws
of competition governing business
life. The people of this class, Of our
class, are in the majority, but never
theless they are held between the
millstones of the opposing forces IN
the industrial centers.
Between the MilIStOneS.
The railroads may send their lines
into our communities, but, neverthe-
less, the heart of the thing is in the
city and the heart of the control lies
between capital and labor. The small
community, for instance, uses electric
ity and telephone service, but the con-
troll of these commodities, for COM
modities they are, lies in the hands of
great organizations.
Protecting Public Utilities.
The tendency of these great organi-
cations is toward protection for its
investment. In other words, the COM
munities large and small are, in a
measure, guaranteeing the public util-
ity certain rate for earning power
If the stock is watered and swollen to
a point far out of proportion to it's
physical value then the consuming
public must pay dividends not upon
what the thing is worth but upon
what it can be capitalized for. The
consuming public in this case is Meth
er Capital nor is it Labor, for both
these can protect themselves.
One Way Out.
But the tendency of the people is
also toward buying and distributing
in the mass what can best be bought
and distributed in the mass. One can
call it anything they like, but the fact
is the same. It is obviously right, for
instance, that each community should
buy its water in common and maintain
its sanitary systems in common. 1t is
but another step for it to say it will
handle it's communication, transporta-
ton and electricity in common. Be
fore it takes this step it must learn the
job. Not the details, perhaps, but the
fundamentals which consist principal
~ Of civic and community honesty
and consciousness.
The people learn slowly but they so
learn, and the time will come.
900
Light is dawning at last Even the