The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-08-03
PUTTING 1T ON THE
WORKER OR THE OWNER
By Scott Nearing

war, the workers will. 1t the work
ers will not pay, the owners must
There is no other possibility.
Owners and workers receive all of
the income that is paid out in the
United States. Owners and work
ers possess all of the $50 billions of
wealth that exists in the country.
The line of economic division in the
community is between owners and
workers. Whatever bills one does
not foot, fall to the share of the
other to pay.
The workers in Russia, who are
evidently disinclined to pay at all in
so far as the war debt is concerned,
are for pushing the owners off from
the map,-but that is in Russia.
There is no such radical movement
in the United States.
The owners are very few in num-
Der. Probably not more than one
person in five in the industrial dis
tricts owns industrial property. The
Industrial Relations Commission re-
ported that two per cent of the
people of the United States owned
60 per cent of the wealth of the
country, and that the most i'm
portant kind-resources, franchises,
banks and machinery.
While the owners are few. the
workers are many. In most large
industrial centers they make up more
than four-fifths of all of the peo-
pie. If the owners pay the war
bill, it will be a rich mans war
and poor mans fight. If the
owners pass on the paying to the
workers, the workers will do both
the paying and the fighting.
A little study of history throws
onto the foreground some important
facts about previous wars. Hereto
fore, the workers have paid, in high
prices, low wages, poverty, hard
ships and suffering. Indeed, there
is hardly war in modern times that
has not been a blessing to some
group of business men. The Ma
poleonic wars proved source of i'm
mense business advantage to the
British. The foundation of many an
English fortune was laid during this
bitter struggle. While the people
of Britain endured the grinding hard
ships of that great struggle many
business men prospered.
The Civil War found Washington
so infested with business brigands
that Lincoln was at his wits end.
Finally in desperation he is reported
to have said to a group of New
Workers who were insisting upon a
gunboat for the protection of New
York Harbor-"If I were as rich as
you gentleman are said to be, and
as frightened as you appear to be,
I would build a gunboat myself and
give it to the government" The
gunboat was not built. On the other
hand, the business men from all
parts of the nation were fattening
upon war contracts.
During the Civil War many of the
soldiers were paid in paper money,
so deprecated that it took $2.65 in
paper to buy $1.O0 worth of gold.
Meanwhile the interest on the bonds
was paid in bullion.
The Civil War like the Napoleonic
Wars proved to be Of the most i'm
mense business advantage. Blood
was poured out freely. The common
people sacrificed to the limit of their
endurance, while the business inter
ests were reaping rich financial
reward.
The worker need not necessarily be
compelled to pay. 1t would be per-
fectly possible for the government
of the United States to pay for this
war by imposing land tax that
would take all of the economic rent
of land; by taking all incomes in
excess of two thousand dollars, dur
ing the continuance of the war; by
laying a heavy inheritance tax; and
by taking all of war profits away
from the war manufacturers. Such
a system of taxation-called the
CONSUMPTION of wealth-would prob
ably raise considerably more than
ten billions of dollars yesr-enough
to pay for the war, out of the prop
erty rights of the well-to-do.
Such a thing is possible. Will it
happen? Well, say,-will it hap
pen?
EGGS IN COLD STORAGE