The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-06-29

Inc question OF lnduSJflal fela-
tons is more fundamental and Of
greater Importance to the welfare
of the nation than any other ques-
tion except the form of our govern
ment
The immediate effects of the form
and character of industrial organi-
zation are. however, greater and
closer to the lives and happiness Of
all classes Of citizens than even the
form and character Of our political
institutions. The ordinary man,
whether employer or worker, has rel
atively little contact with the govern
ment If he and his family are
well fed well housed and if he can
pay for the education of his chill
dren, he can exist under an autocratic
monarchy with little concern, until
some critical situation. develops in
which his own liberty is interfered
with or until he is deprived of life
or property by the overwhelming pow
er of his tyrannical ruler. But his
industrial relations determine every
day what he and his family shall
eat, what they shall wear, how many
hours of his life he shall labor and
in what surroundings. Under Ger
tain conditions where his individual
or corporate employer owns or con-
trolls the community in which he
lives, the education of his children,
the character and prices of his food
clothing and house, his own actions
speech and opinions, and in some
cases even his religion, are controlled
and determined, in so far as the in
terests of the employer make it de
sirable for him to exercise such con-
trol Up. 1D.
The only hope for the solution Of
the tremendous problems created by
industrial relationship lies in the eff
fective use of our democratic insti-
tutions and in the rapid extension Of
the principles of democracy to in
dustry. Political freedom can exist
only where there is industrial free
dom; political democracy only where
there is industrial democracy opp
1-2.)
There are only two alternatives
for effective action: First, the crea-
ton Of a huge system of bureau
cratic paternalism, such as has been
developed in Germany; second, ac-
tion which removes the many exist
ing obstacles which prevent effective
organization and cooperation, re
serving for performance by the gov
eminent those services which cannot
be effectively conducted by voluntary
organizations, and those which are Of
such vital Importance to the entire
nation that they should not be left
to the hazard of private enterprise
(p. A..
The Truth About American Industry
Have the workers received a fan
share of the enormous increase in
wealth which has taken place in this
country during the last twenty-five
years, largely as a result of their la
bors? The answer is emphatically
NO! Up. 81
The wealth Of the country between
1890 and 1912 increased from So tc
1877 billions, or 1SS per cent, where
as the aggregate income Of wage
earners in manufacturing, mining
and transportation increased between
1889 and 1909 only 80 per cent, from
2,516 millions in 1889, to 4,916 mil
lions in 1909.
The most exhaustive investigation
ever made showed that the incomes
of almost two-thirds of the wage
earners' families lincluding the earn
ing of father, mother and chiIdren)
were less than $3.50 a year, and of
almost one-third were less than $500.
All the Investigations that have
been made in different parts of the
country show that the least that
family can live ON in anything ap-
preaching decency is $500 a year
These figues show conclusively that
between one-haf and two-thirds of
these families were living below the
standards of decent subsistence, while
about one-third were living in
state of abject poverty Up. l0).
American society was founded, and
for a long time, existed upon the
theory that the family should de
rived its support from the earnings
of the father. Now, investigation
shows that ~ per cent of the fathers
of wage-ealnings families earn less
than $500 per year. Therefore, less
than one-fourth of these fathers could