New-York tribune., 1919-09-26


tory Catholic census of the United
States. (22) A report on the application
of the new code Of canon law to CON
ditions in the United States.
Cardinal Gibbons's mes sage to the con-
vocation stated that tie Catholic Church
"is recognized more widely and clearly
as the one church that knows it's own
mind, that has q message for society
in its troubled state and that is obcyed
and loved by its people"
Message for Society
It's message for "soci,ty in its
troubled state" as enuncated by the
four bishops and rs now assured OF
Endorsement by the hierarchy, said
among other things:
Zone of the most important problems
of readjustment is that created by the
presence in industry Of immense num-
places of men during the war Mere
justice, to say nothing of chvalry,
dictates that these women should not
be compelled to suffer any greater loss
or Inconvenience than is absolutely
necessary; for their services to the
nation have been second only to the
services of the men whose places they
have been called upon to fill. One
general principle is clear: No female
worker should remain in any occupa-
ton that is harmful to health or
morals.
"Women should disappear as quickly
as possible from such tasks as conduct
ing and guarding streetcars, cleaning
other activities for which conditions of
life and their physique render them
unfit.
Equal Paw for Women
"Another general principle is that
the proportion of women in industry
ought to be kept within the smallest
engaged in the same tasks as men
should receive equal pay for equal
amounts and qualities of work.
"The general level of wages attained
during the war should not be lowered.
In a few industries, especially some
directly and peculiarly connected with
the carrying on of war, wages have
reached plane upon which they can
not possibly continue for this grade of
occupations. But the number Of work
ers in this situation is an extremely
small proportion of the entire wage
earning population. Even if prices of
goods should fall to the level on which
they were in 1915-something that cam
average present rates Of wages would
not exceed the equivalent of decent
livelihood in the case of the vast ma
jority. Wages, on the whole, should
not be reduced, even when the cost of
living recedes from it's present high
level
"On grounds both of justice and
sound economies we should give our
hearty support to all legitimate efforts
made by labor to resist general wage
reductions"
Assails High Costs
The Letter or the four bishops takes
up the question of the high cost Of
living, asserting that the living cost
has increased rs per cent since 1915.
1t says:
If the eXtortionate practices of
mopopoly were prevented by ADEQUATE
laws and adequate law enforcement
prices would be kept automatically at
as low level as that to which they
might be brought by direct govern
ment determination. Government COM
petition with monopolies that cannot
be effectively restrained by the ordi- =
nary antitrust laws deserves more
serious consideration than it has vet
received.
wore important and more effective
than any government regulation of
prices would be the establishment of
cooperative stores. The astonishing diff
terence between the price received by
the producer and that paid by the con-
sumner has become scandal Of our in
dustrial system. The obvious and di-
rect means Of reducing this discrep-
ancy Is the operation of retail ard
wholesale mercantile concerns under
the ownership and management of the
consumers"
For Social Insurance
The letter advocates social insurance
but says, any insurance scheme or
administrative method that tends to
separate the workers into distinct
and dependent class. that otfends
against their domestic privacy and
Independence or self respect should not
be tolerated.
The life insurance offered to sol
dlers and sailors during the war should
be continued. so far as the enlisted
men are concerned. 1t is very douot-
tui whether the time has yet arrived
when public opinion would sanction
the extension OF general life insurance
by the government to all phases of
the community
The letter deals in detail with rogu-
lations of capital and labor and, after
asserting ''the right of labor to
organize and to deal with employers
through representatives." says lit is