The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-12-04
SOCIAL CONDITIONS ARE LITTLE
CHANGED IN OVER FORTY YEARS

pfshments But more surprising to me than any the
wonderful of this age the fact that while
making such marvellous strides along scientific lines.
have made little in solving social problems
This thought brought forciby home to recently,
when the following quotation from speech:
The people arraying themselves side
or the other of portentous On side is
capital. formdabE entrenched in privilege arrogant
from continued triumphs. conservative tenacious OF
old theories, demanding new concessions. enriched by
domestic levy and foreign commrece. struggling to
adjust all values to its standard. On the other
hand is labor asking employment striving to develop
domestic industries. battling with the forces OF ma
ture and subdung the wilderness-abor. starving
and sullen cities -resoutely determined to
overthrow system under which the rich are growing
richer and the poor growing poorer; system
which gives Vanderbilt wealth beyond the dreams
of avarice and condemns the poor to poverty which
has refuge from starvation but the prison or the
grave.
suppose that every reader of the above thought as
he read that is speech of industrial
the fact it delivered by Senator John
j. Ingalls,. the Kansas wasp on February To- 1896 IN
the United senate Just to think that was made
nearly years ago and yet closely does it parallel
that it might have been delivered only
Yesterday That we the of portentous strug-
gle none deny Capital so formidaby en-
renched arrogant and never SO reactionary.
This the recent industrial conference when
the employer group. demanding new concessions re
fused to recognize the right of industrial aboers to col
ectve bargannga right that has gained wellngh uni
versal recognition
| Labor on the other hand was never determined
under which the rich are growing
richer and poor growing poorer The wealth of
Vanderbit,in 1875 which Senator Ingalls, speaks OF as
beyond the dreams of avarce. would look like small
change compared the huge fortunes OF the nutnii-
of today and because Of the growth OF holding
companies nterlockng drectorates the power pos
by these is multiplied hundredfoid Wages
and have also increased particularly
during the past but whole these increases
have kept pace with the increasing cost OF living
Evidence of labors determination to alter system which
gives the average employe little more than living is
everywhere in the present unreStln
the steel strike and the threatened railroad
strike.
So far the farmer has gone strike. nor even
threatened do and it would be sad day for the
of the city should he be driven
such desperate But there increasing signs
of justified dissatisfaction with system by which one
of capitalists fixes the price the farmer must accept
his live stock grain and another set fixes the price
he pay for his and bread The recent heavy
decline price hogs with corresponding drop
the price of pork example of this rule which
refuses to work both While the industrial aborer
demanding the right to bargain collectively the farmer
denied the right bargain individually but must
take what he get for his product and what is
asked for everything he buys 1t would not be surprising
therefore, II the farmer should join with labor in demand
ing q system system in which the producer and
aborer have of voice in determining the share
they shall receive for their toll
But how is this change be brought about7 We do
not revolution this country but reform by force
unless peaceful is found for
remedying a situation of which Senator Ingalls, COM
planned 40 and which has existed in greater or
the for increasing production and transporting
has been amazing but in the matter of equitable
distribution of profits have stood still.
The to this astonishing inconsistency 1t seems
me- the fact that scientific progress is largely
individual while social progress be collective Ono
man invent farm implement for increasing
ducton and capitalist convinced of its value put
i 1t the market. But laws and governmental
systems only be tried in this country when
jory have agreed upon them. As my readers know,
man named Plumb has proposed system for the
management of railroads. For all anyone def
ney determine this plan be of great value in pro-
noting social evolution and preventing revolution but
it should be given a trial before II this be
true
i There is old saying that what is everybodys busi-
is nobodys business" and this be the
trouble with solutions for the industrial
rest 1t only be settled by all of putting
minds the problem and agreeing plan
of plans for promoting greater justice We
ventve genius. We must do the job ourselves And
is job of governmental repairing that be
or the whole roof may tumble down heads 1t is
little for the farmer to production If
going to allow that produce to be conered
to himself and other consumers prices that
back the profit he has made. Farm machinery
essarily be careful attention by the progressive
farmer but believe the grain belt might
just protaby give equal thought the governmental