The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-01-04

of intoxicants during the war. This
nation has no right while assero-
bling hundreds of thousands and per-
haps ultimately millions of our young
men under abnormal conditions, in
which the ordinary restraints of home
them to the terrible temptation and
peril of alcoholism. We believe that
the Government should not only for
bid the manufacture and sale of in
toxicants within it's borders, but
that it should use all its power to
induce the allied nations to adopt a
similar policy, and that in any event
we should not furnish food materials
to be consumed in the manufacture
of intoXicants, nor permit our sons
to be surrounded by evil influen-
ces of the liquor traffic while on
foreign service.
Governmental Control and War
PrOfiteering
We believe that the national in
terest should be made paramount,
and that the railroads, tlegraphs,
mines, steel and iron works, NUM-
ton factories and other great eco
nomic functions essential to the con-
duct of the war should be taken
over by the government and social
lied.
We demand that immediate and
drastic steps be taken to put an end
to the iniquitous profiteering which
enables a relatively small class to
make enormous profits out of the
tragic sacrifice of blood and treasure
being made by the nation as a whole.
That the great war should be ex-
plotted for private profit and ag-
grandizement is a stain upon the
national escutcheon. For example,
it has been estimated that whereas
in the three years, 1911, 1912 and
1913, the average yearly profits of
the United States Steel Corporation
were $63 100000, its profits for 1917
will reach the fabulous total of
$3.50, 100000. We have conscripted
the manhood of the nation to wage
this great war for democracy in the
world, and we cannot reasonably do
less than conscript these excess prof
it's. Such a tax levied upon the
war profits of the Steel Corporation
would yield a revenue of $3.50 ,2OO,-
600 to the Government toward the
war cost. This would still leave the
Steel Corporation $97 100000 excess
war profits, in addition to the $685.
100000, the average yearly profit
Of the three years preceding the
war. There would thus be a total
of $160,8OO,000 to be distributed as
dividends among it's stockholders,
much more than double the average
earnings of the corporation in the
three most prosperous years of its
history prior to the war. Until such
time as this and similar industries
are taken over by the Government
and operated for the common good,
all excess war profits should be
taxed upon basis at least equal
to that which already obtains in
Great Britain.
Organized Labor Representation
We heartily approve the policy of
the Government in placing upon all
boards and commissions created for
the regulation of industry during the
war representatives of the organized
labor movement chosen by the work
ers themselves. We urge that this
policy be extended and the represent
alton and influence of the workers
upon such boards be materially in
creased. We demand Furthermore
in the interest of democracy, that
when the time comes for the Sc
lection of peace commissioners to
represent this nation in the ar
engagements of terms of peace such
commissioners shall include repre-
sentatives of organized labor and
the radical forward looking forces of
the nation Only in this way we
believe will it be possible to make
our peace commission thoroughly
representative of the democratic i'm
pulse and spirit of the nation.