Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-02-13

to be continued in existence by con-
gress, and endowed with all the pow
err for effective action that it can pos
sess under the federal constitution.
n results of this institution consti-
tute a definite and far-reaching gain
for social justice. No part of this adj
vantage should be lost or given up in
time of peace"
Should Protect Women.
While holding that "mere justice,
that women who filled in industry the
places made vacan by men called to
war" should not be compelled to suf-
fer any greater loss or Inconvenience
than is absolutely necessary in the
readjustment under peace conditions,
the report declared that no female
worker should remain in an occupa-
ton harmful to health or morals. In
this classification, street car opera
ton and the cleaning of locomotives
were especially mentioned. An eff
was stated, would be able to shift to
domestic n other suitable lines Of
activity om war workers whose
circumstances required them to con-
tinue as wage earners.
The committee asserted hat in a
few Industries directly connected with
the carrying on of the a wages
had reached a plane upon which
they could not possibly continue for
this grade of occupation" but declar-
ed hat "the general level of wages
attained during the war should not
be lowered" The average rate Of
pay, it was stated, had not increased
faster than the cost Of living, and a
considerable majority Of wage earn
ers, both men and ome were not
receiving living wages when prices
began to rise in 1915. 49,.
To support it's contention hat con
the grounds both of justice and sound
economics we should give our hearty
by labor to resist general wage re-
auctions, eve when the cost of liv-
ing recedes from it's present high
level" the committee said:
Even If the great majority Of
workers were now in receipt of more
than living wages, there are no good
reasons why rates of pay should be
lowered. After all, a living wage is
not necessarily the full measure of
justice. All the Catholic authorities
on the subject explicitly declare that
this is only the minimum of justice.
In a country as rich as ours, there
are very few cases in which it is pos
sible to prove that the worker would
be getting nor than hat to which
he has a right if he were paid some
thing in excess Of this ethical mini
mum. Why then, should we assume
that this is the normal share Of al
most the whole laboring population
Since our industrial resources and in
strumentalities are sufficient to pro-
vide more than a living wage for a
very large proportion of the workers,
why should W. acquiesce in a theory
which denies them this measure Of
the comforts of life? Such q policy
Is not only of very questionable
morality, but is unsound economical
~. The large demand for goods
which is created and maintained by
high rates Of wages and high pur-
chasing power by the masses is the
surest guarantee Of a continuous and
general operation of industrial estab-
lishments. It is the most effective in
strument Of prosperity for labor and
capital alike"
Decent Living Wages"
The bishops advocated assurance
TO workers of incomes ADEQUATE for
decent family life" by legally en-
forced minimum wage schedules and
a system Of social Insurance inaug-
urated with state aid and eventually
supported by industry. This insur-
ance. they declared. should be utilized
merely to bridge over the years until