The Holly chieftain., 1919-03-13

Ion. The War labor Board ought to
be continued In existence by Congress
and endowed with all the power for ef-
fective action that 1t can possess under
the Federal Constitution. The princi-
pies, methods, machinery and results
of this Institution constitute definite
and far-reaching gain for social jus
tice. No part OF this advantage should
be lost or given up in time of peace.
Heusine Ter Working cIassea
Housing projects for war workers
which have been completed or almost
completed by the Government of the
United States have cost some forty
million dollars and are found in eleven
cities. While the Federal Government
cannot continue this work in time Of
peace. the example and precedent that
1t has set and the experience and
knowledge that 1t has developed should
not be forthwith neglected and lost.
The great cities in which congestion
and other forms Of bad housing are
disgracefully apparent ought to take
up and continue the work at least to
such an extent A. will remove the
worst features Of q. special condition
that IL menace at once to industrial
efficiency, civic health, good morals
and religion.
Social Insurance.
"Until the level OF legal minimum
wages Is reached the worker stands in
need Of the device Of insurance. The
State should make comprehensive pro-
vision for insurance against illness, in
validity, unemployment and old age.
So far as possible the insurance fund
should be raised by levy on industry,
as 10 now done in the case Of accident
compensation. The industry in which
a man is employed should provide him
with all that is necessary to meet all
the needs of his entire life. Therefore,
any contribution, to the insurance fund
from the general revenues OF the State
should be only slight and temporary.
For the same reason no contribution
should be exacted from any worker
who ID not getting higher wage than
is required to meet the present needs
of himself and family. Those who are
tribution only at ths expense OF their
present welfare. Finally, the admins
tration of the insurance laws should be
such AZ to interfere as little as possible
with the individual freedom of the
worker and his family.
A New Spirit Vital Need.
"'Society,' said Pope Leo XIII, can
be healed In no other way than by
return to Christian life and Christian
institutions The truth of these words
is more widely perceived to-day than
when they were written, more than
twenty-seven years ago. Changes in
our economic and political systems
will have only partial and feeble EN-
cheney II they be not reinforced by the
Christian view of work and wealth
Neither the moderate reforms advo-
Gated In this paper nor any other pro
gram Of betterment or reconstruction
will prove reasonably effective with
out reform in the spirit Of both labor
and capital. The laborer must come to
realize that he owes his employer and
society an honest days work in return
for fair wage and that conditions
cannot be substantially improved until
he roots out the desire to get maxi
mum of return for minimum Of serv-
ice. The capitalist must likewise get
new viewpoint. He needs to learn the
long forgotten truth that wealth Is
stewardship, that prOft-making is not
the basic Justification of business en-
terprise' and that there are such things
as fair profits, fair interest and fair
prices. Above and before all, he must
cultivate and strengthen within his
mind the truth which many of his class
have begun to grasp for the first time
during the present war-namely, that
the laborer IL human being, not mere
ly an instrument OF production and
that the laborer's right to decent
livelihood Is the first moral charge
upon industry. The employer has a
right to get reasonable living out of
his business, but he has no right to In
torast m hia inyoafment untfl his on.