Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1918-01-25

! FOI dENOINlHS W his wage dA GdfflSI
is able to purchase the necessary com
forts of life. And if that wage be the
minimum, he and his suffer in just
that proportion. Wages we hold
should be adequate. Not merely suf-
ficient for the mere creature comforts
OF life. But should be sufficient to
enable the wage Garner to become
possessed of more than these. An
adequate wage is more than that
needed to keep body and soul to-
gether. No matter what a wage
Garner does, the wage should be suf-
! ficient to enable him to support him.
self and those dependent upon him
and leave him something for the pro-
verbal "rainy day." St. Paul, in his
letter to Timothy (5:8) declares,
"If any provide not for his own, and
especially for thoseo his own house,
he hath denied the faith, and is worse
than an infidel" Those who hew the
wood and draw the water, Those who
labor with head OF with the hand in
the interest of the upbuilding of the
community are entitled to an ade-
quate wage. On this question very
able cociologist declares: Wages are
adequate when they reflect the best
interests of the community. And
there are three important ways in
which their effect on the community
may be measured:
l. The wage paid must be suffi-
cient to maintain the efficiency of the
workers.
2. The wage must be high enough
to make poverty, hardship OF social
! dependence unnecessary.
3. The wage must be sufficient to
enable the worker and his family to
live like self-respecting members OIL
the community.
These three facts of wage adequacy
are primary. No industry can endure
which does not give to it's workers
an efficiency wage.
Society is interested in self-sup-
port. And it is as much the duty of
society to see that the wage Garner
is given an adequate wage as it is
to care for the Individual unable to
support HIMSELF. A right looking
after the first will do away with a
great. deal of pauperism existing
today.
Wages must be sufficient to enable
the wage Garner and his family to live
like self-respecting members OF the
community. 1t is not enough to keep
the wolf from the door. And in these
DAYS of increased cost of living the
wage Garner owes it to himself and
those dependent upon him to secure
the maximum wage. For living has
increased by such leaps and bounds
as to appall the student of economics.
And while in some lines there has
been corresponding increase in
wages in the vast majority of lines
of the industrial world they have not
increased in due proportion. So much
so is it the case that growing hard
ship is being incurred by the wage
Garner.
The American wage, examined from
any point of view fails to provide in
this day of increased cost of living
a sufficient return to the wage Garner.
Individually the wage Garner can do
little to rectify the existing conditions
which confront him. Collectively in
a trade union, however, he can Go
much Truly in union there is
strength as many gridinq employer
has found out to his sorrow. And
while | for one would not decry the
endowing of Libraries and foundations
would be far more in line with the
betterment of social conditions should
an adequate wage be paid to the wage
Garner while making such liberal do
nations for the building up of his
mind and body. Most people get a
great deal of satisfaction out of a
good book, but the average worker
finds a book rather poor diet for the
pangs of hunger.
"All work and no play make Jack
a dull boy" is a proverb familiar to
all of us. The wage Garner should be
compelled to labor to such an extent
that there are few or no hours for
:. recreation. 1t is fundamental law of
being that the wasted energies should
be restored for a worker to keep up
his efficiency. And while to some eX~
tent a mans powers are restored by
refreshing sleep, yet there is not suf-
ficient rest obtained in single night
Of rest of eight OF nine hours to bring
man to his highest efficiency. AL
mighty Good in His good providence
arranged it so that one days rest in
seven should be mans portion. By
soberly spending the Lords day in
recreating his wasted energies which
have not returned to him during the
rest of the night, man is able to bring
back his physical being to its normal.
But disregarding this elemental law
man soon grows old before his time,
makes himself fit subject for dis
ease and finally succumbs to an early
death. France, during the revolution,
did away with the Lords day, direct
ing by decree that labor should con-
tinue without cessation. 1t was not
long ere the folly of the action be-
came apparent. The law was amended
to one day of rest in fourteen. This,
too, proving inadequate, a final re-
turn to one day in seven should be
observed as a day of rest. No man
can for long work continuously with
out regular days of rest being OBJ
served, in addition to that given in
every twenty-four hours. The union
worker demands as his right that he
labor eight hours, spending eight in
rest and refreshment and the remain
ing eight in the service of his fellow
man.
Back in the year 1865 some daring
! dreamer who dreamed far better than