The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1917-08-30

The success of this battle with pow
erty is contingent upon the existence
of social surplus, the basis of all so
cial well-being. 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 a scale never before known
| in the world. 1t has made us the rich
est nation with wealth estimated at
something close to 5O,OOO,0OO,OOO. 1t
| is an intolerable condition that when
there is enough and more than enough
| to feed all, that any should hunger,
save, perhaps, the chemically criminal
and the unemployable of various anti
social types.
Civilization has kept pace with in
creased economic production. start
ing from a rude social order wherein
bare and uncertain existence was the
most that man could wrest from ma
ture, society has attained an inCred-
ible economic productivity by the de-
velopment of intellectual force and
manual dexterity, by the more efficient
arrangement of its own powers, and
most of all by the discovery and utili-
cation of natural energies. The diff
fusion of comforts, the possibilities of
luxuries, the rise of arts and letters,
the spread of culture-in a woad, 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 prtn- |
ciple which has Ousted the gloomy, |
pesslmistic prophecy of Nautilus. From |
1850 TO 1900 the population increased
226 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
u greater extent of iron and steel, tex
tiles and other manufactures. Our per
capita wealth in 1850 was $3O7. It is
now supposed to be about $500 or
$4,000.
WORKERS NOnQtIlOn DeIIeFeQ.
Together with this great increase in
national production and wealth. with
the creation of a great unprecedented
social surplus, has gone a wonderful
betterment in the condition of the
classes. Wages have risen.
expenditures have increased for nom
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
,ether, there has been a steady and
improvement in the
of the workers.
But the creation of this huge social
urpluS has not removed the challenge
If want; it has not destroyed the
menace of poverty. 1t has only made
solution of a bitter problem posi-
lie. While there is no doubt that the
Intensity of poverty is less today than
n the past, even in this country. vet
he challenge of poverty and its con-
equent misery still stands wolaike Mt
or Hollander: "The root of the
roblem lies deeper. Poverty, like GER
ain of its primary causes, is a phase
f modern industry. The very forces
,hich increase the national product
nd enlarge the social surplus, if left
D themselves, breed conditions Of
'ant. Far from diminishing
nth increased wealth production. the
Misery resulting from such causes is
] the face Of social inactiOn. likely IN -.
ugment and intensity. Society NAV =,
row richer, civilization may advance. =
nd yet poverty continue to gnaw can :
ar-lIke at its vltals."
Our enormous national wealth with
s unprecedented social surplus. oUr
asst natural resources which We are
IN time, our national ldagIg >,
nd aspirations for social, political and a
ldustrial Justice, are the fgcfo-a ;,
.hich. sooner or later, may give Us tho .,
nIque distinction Of being the worlds \
rst nation to abolish pOverf-