The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-11-15

thing more than it's trained troops.
The latter will be backed not only by
brains, money and supplies but also
by an army of labor freely given, it
is to be hoped, but forced if neces-
sary, If canvass of labor were pos
sible, it would doubtless be found that
the large majority Of workers are in
dead earnest about winning the war
and ready to help to limit in office,
field or factory; but the spirit of
strikes spreading over the country in
dicates that considerable percentage
of labor is interested in the war only
to the extent Of securing the maxi
mum wage for a minimum of service
Such individuals will probably not
cease to strike and demand ever in
creasing wages and shorter hours, but
there is not money enough in the
country by buy loyalty to the flag
from men of that stripe. We have
drafted brains, supplies, money and
men when they have not volunteered
labor alone has not been called. This
that it is not now doing a big share.
There are thousands of men and wo-
men, yes millions of them, who are
doing their very best. 1t is not this
labor that is referred to, but that rel
atively small portion of it, earnestly
needed by the government, which says,
DO thus and so, or We quit"
We have drafted men to support the
flag or to die for it, at 81 per day and
board. Can we not call the mechanic
to do the work for which he is fitted
without the dying) at the same fig
ure or even at normal wages? Ger
tainly justice to the one sent to the
front demands support at home, not
continued argument respecting rates
and hours Injustice or class legisla-
ton can not be the arguments oppos-
ed to the idea.
When drafted man leaves his fam
lily to care for itself and gives up his
occupation for some one else to fol-
low, his ardor of going is somewhat
dampened when he sees his neighbor,
with some slight defect going to work
as carpenters helper at 81 per day
or handling a pick and shovel at so
cents per hour when he was never
known to be worth more than $3.50
per day. 1t was with a rather bitter
feeling that the enlisted man sails.
while watching the stevedores who
have struck, no matter what the
cause, while the soldiers supplies and
supply ships lie idly waiting the la
borers pleasure. Is it possible that
some of those dlers realize how near
their action, their crime, comes to
manslaughter? Probably few OF
them do; probably the majority do
not.
The enlisted man does not want in
his company those who are happy to
have been rejected but he has a right
to hope for and to expect unlimited
support from all those who are I'M
able or afraid to accompany him
Argument is unavailing with such
men as are responsible for many of
the strikes. They are not many but
their influence has been powerful. The
American soldier knows that the
greater portion of labor is supporting
him, he wants to know that all of II
IS supporting him. He would like to
know that 1t is acting of it's own free
will, but If there is lack of free will |
he would like to know that 1t is fore
II to do its part by the government in |
whose care he has placed himself, |
whose resolutions he is trying to make |
rood, whose war he will win even |
hough it may mean his death.