davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-06-23

among the leaders in this respect with 36 miles surveyed and ready for the contrac- tors. The roads to be improved are in diff ferent parts of the county, and next winter when the citizens of this county, in their automobiles or other vehicles, ride along them and see the difference between trav- cling on a we'll paved, hard road and dirt road. to which they have been accustomed in past years there will be no further doubt as to how they will vote in future when the question of good roads is sub- nnitted to them.
 Word comes from Mobile that the coun- ty board of revenue is about to contract for about five miles of highway between the city of Mobile and Chickasaw, to be built either of rock asphalt or bitulithic mate rial.
 Within the last few days these counties have voted bond issues for road building purposes:
 Grays Harbor county, Wash, $400,000 by a vote of 15 to 1.
 Menominee county, Mich, S400O00,
 
 the county S1 ,000, ,000 for road construction this year.
 Yakima county, Wash, s5o0,ooo, by vote of 19 to l.
 In Kentucky the counties of Clark, Fayette, Mercer Washington, Nelson, Earue and Meade have voted to accept federal aid, which means they will issue bonds to raise their part of the fund
 In the same state Jessemine, Union. and Crittenden counties will vote on the fede- ral aid question in a week or two. Hancock, Breckenridge, Henderson and Livingston counties have voted special tax to meet the federal aid and Daviess county has issued bonds.
 In New Jersey contracts have been awarded for 20 miles of 18-foot concrete roads; Pennsylvania, B miles; Maryland, 7.5 miles; West Virginia, 16.5 miles.
 Lee county, Miss, a few days ago, voted by 5O6 to ll9 for concrete road across the county
 Projects now under consideration in Alabama, it is estimated, will use up the entire federal aid fund allotted to this state this year That means that some ( thing like S4,000000 will be expended on permanent hard roads in Alabama during the present year, if the state and the coun- ties appropriate only enough to match the federal appropriation.
 As a matter of fact, present indications are that the federal apportionment will be several times exceeded this year and for several years to come.
 With state bond issue of S25,00O,OOO, sufficient to build 250O miles of good high ways, according to the estimate of State Highway Engineer w. s. Keller, and the growing sentiment in favor of hard roads, it is not without the range of possibilities that Alabama will have as good, if not better, system of highways ten years from now than any other state.
 Yours for upbuilding,
 lY3Aaea1I
The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-06-23
WHAT OF THE FUTURE?

Possibly the most gratifying feature contained in the report which comes from this empire-like state of the northwest is to be found in the promise which it fur nishes that Montana is to become one of the very great wheat-producing states Of this country. MT. Tfill was always of the opinion that the agricultural pos abilities of Montana were almost incon- ceivably great There was need only of adequate transportation and the bringing to the knowledge of the farmers what the possibilities of the state for agriculture are, in order to make the state as great in agriculture as it has been, and is, in very important neral-production.
 The farmers of Montana will receive for their wheat twice as much money as was the entire cost of the purchase of the Louisiana territory by President Jeffer- son. For he paid France SIS, ,0oo.0O0 for the vast area which stretches west of the Mis- sissippi river from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian boundary, whereas Mon tana wheat harvested this year will bring to the farmers considerably more than 80. .0O000o.
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07
Destroy IIIiteraCy
That Men May Live

Washington. - Destroy illiteracy
that men may actually live, write p.
p. Claxton, United States commits
sioner of education, in a stirring ap-
peal that this drag on Americanism
may be removed through legislative
action.
Beyond the distance over which
the human voice carries" says the
federal educator, "the man who can
not read is deaf to human speech, nor
can he hear when the speaker ceases
to speak. Except as he by chance
may be read to by another he might
as we'll have lived before the alpha
bets were invented. For him there
is no record even of his own life. For
him no voice speaks across the cent
uries, the years, or the days. For
him there is no literature of song Or
story, of art or science, of informa-
tion or inspiration. For him the books
are dumb as blocks of wood. The
daily papers with theiE burden of the
news of the world are silent as the
blank sheets on which the news is
printed. For him letters from distant
relatives and friends have no mean
ing unless by chance they are inter-
preted to him by one who knows the
art he has never learned. Space and
time alike wall him hopelessly in.
"The man who can not read sees
only to the limit of his horizon, or
at most to such distant parts of the
world as may be explained or de-
scribed to him in the spoken word by
some returning traveller. Except for
accidental glimpses caught from oral
tradition the past is as black as the
night into which it was submerged
when it passed. There are for him
no broad illumined fields thronged
with the busy millions of his ances-
tors, and no sunlit heights across
which march the great events of the
age-old struggle for freedom and for
power over the forces of nature.
Night shuts him in on all sides. Dark
ness lies on all the horizon of his
senses and bars the doors of his
imagination"
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07
WON'T DISCUSS 8 HOURS

Washington.-The national war la
Dor board refuses to enter into further
discussion on whether the eight-hour
day is practicable. In its decision in
the case of Madison (Wfs.) employers
and workers, the board said:
"The time has now come as set
tied national policy that eight hours
shall constitute the basic days work.
1t is not necessary to repeat argu-
ments that sustain this principle. 1t
is sufficient to refer to the packing
house case, decided by Judge Alt
schuler, and the decision of Justice
Clark, in award in re Molders versus
Wheeling Mold and Foundry company,
Wheeling, w. Va, and the decision
of the railroad wage commission"
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07

There are many positions against
labor. There is only one attitude pos
sible toward labor. That is the reply
of this newspaper toward one who
asks for a definition of it's "labor at
titude."
"What labor is the world has been
taught by this war.
1t is not something separate from
the nation, something special, it is
the nation.
And labor is not something that can
be defined merely as thing accom-
plished by muscular power or mechan-
ical skill.
Every human being not parasite
is laborer.
The mar who digs the ditch is no
more a laborer than the engineers
who plans the ditch and makes the la
Dor useful and efficient.
The man on the battleship operating
the wireless telegraph is laborer
and laborer was Marconi, when
through years of Encouragement, he
worked and labored, mentally, at the
wireless telegraph problem.
The man who stands half naked in
the heat inside the iron hull driving
red hot rivets labors But his labor
is less exhaustive than that of the
President who carries the load of ma
tional responsibility, the hardest labor
on earth. The clerk behind the coun-
ter labors; so does the chief manager,
with responsibility and anxiety added
to hard work.
When men speak Of an attitude to-
ward labor they refer usually to or
ganized labor, representing the ma
tural method by which workers pro-
tect themselves against selfshness
and the public against ineffciency.
Mechanical labor protects itself, as
the doctors protect themselves, with
rules and certain tests of skill and as
the stock brokers protect themselves,
beginning work at ten in the morning,
stopping at three, and furnishing with
expulsion any man violating the stock
exchange union rules, by working be-
fore ten or after three-a fve-houl
day.
The extent to which the world at
titude on labor has changed can be
quickly expressed in a brief quotation
from La MARITIME. He was a great
Frenchman of sincere democratic
mind, believing the people, yet he
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07
GOVERNMENT MACHINE NO
LONGER POLITICAL

Boston.-The Boston Globe declares
that the machinery of government has
shifted from a political to an indus
trial base.
directly it had declared war
against Germany" says this paper,
congress became as a fifth wheel
to the coach. There was no feeling
against it. There was only general
agreement that if war-making were
left to that body, the war would be
made some time in 1923. The leisure
ly political discussion of peace time
simply would not do. We all knew it,
and our administration machinery be-
came, therefore, group of quickly
improvised executive boards-food,
fuel, shipping, railroads, war indus
tries, and so on. Instead of being
politicians the men who have steered
the fortunes of the country have been
combination as odd as it was new;
group of business executives skilled
in administrative detail, and, behind
them, a group of highly trained tech
nical experts with minds schooled in
scientific exactitude, who had hitherto
been known to the country chiefly as
professors In England it was the
same.
"This abrupt shift of government
from political to industrial machinery
is no accident. When these political
forms of government were created
they fitted the social structure of the
national life. The alteration of our
political machinery Jagged behind un-
til the war caught US trying to run a
twentieth century industrial nation
with a political machine which was
for the most part, constructed in the
eighteenth century.
"The stark necessity of war time
compelled us to abandon much of it
and set up an economic governmental
machine in its place. 1t is not u
question Of whether we approve Of
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07
PASS COSSACK BILL

Charleston, w. Va.-The state SEN
ate has passed constabulary bill
despite strenuous opposition of organ
lied labor. Trade unionists declare
that the senate's action is in line with
the anarchy that is being established
in various sections of the state by
employing interests. 1t is stated that
ir Davis and Piedmont workers have
been denied the right of assemblage,
and in Mcdowell county deputy
sheriffs are denying miners the right
to hold meetings or join the miners
union. Similar conditions exist in
Logan county and other sections of
the state while the legislature is pas
sing red flag laws and other legisla-
ton "tc check the growth Of bolshe-
vism,"
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07
What is Your Attitude Toward
Labor?

could say: "You might place me be-
fore the muzzle of those guns before
you would make me sign these two
words associated together, 'Organiza-
tion and Labor"
The great French poet, statesman
and democrat believed that the COM
bination of words Organization and
Labor would mean destruction to So
ciety.
Today the intelligent man knows
that labor without organization is la
Dor inefficient.
From the moment men were recog-
nized as equal before the law the
right of workers to organize for
greater protection and efficiency was
recognized as a matter of course. The
rights of organization is recognized
by the United States government,
which recently, through the Presl-
dent, threatened to take over and
operate manufacturing concern that
Disseminated against organized labor.
The right of organization is not
only recognized, but welcomed by the
intelligent employer; he knows that
the profits come from the pay of
those that work, that his welfare de-
pends on the general welfare-there
is no profit in department store in
China, where you can hire men for 8
cents a day.
And the intelligent employer asks
only fair competition. Let him hire
good workmen, paying as much as the
other employer, paying NO MORE,
and he will take his chances. The
right kind of citizen does not want to
depend for his profit on his ability to
pay his fellow citizens too little.
There was a day in England when a
workman who went from one parish
to another to look for work, even
though starving was branded with
a red hot iron to teach him to
stay at home. That day is gone. The
problem is to arrange justly, fairly
and reasonably the share to which
each man is entitled, the thinking man
who plans, the skillful mechanic, the
laborer. There is plenty for all in
this country, with just taxation, free
opportunity and wise management.
The problem is to see that each has
enough, that no one oppresses an
other, that ability receives it's just
reward, with no man stirring up
bitterness or false economy.
Chicago American.
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07
Is Discrimination
u. S. SALARIES JUMP-WAGES
"INCH" LONG
LaFOIlette FavOrs Advance In Wages
of Government Employees Which
Have Not Materially In
creased Since 1855

Washington.-In pleading for wage
increases to government employees,
Senator LaFollette presented a list of
prominent office holders whose sala-
ries have been advanced since 1905.
The speaker did not object to these
increases, but cited them to illustrate
the attitude of congress toward gov
ernment employees.
Senators will vote themselves an
increase of salary of so per cent, "
said the Wisconsin law maker, "and
deny to government employees per-
centage of increase that will sustain
life, and yet they marvel and COM
plain and threaten because there is
dissatisfaction in this country; they.
organize Investigations to find out
why it is that meetings are held and
voices are raised protesting against
the condition of things that exist
here today"
The speaker showed that the sal
ary of the president and members of
the cabinet have been increased so
per cent since 1905; private secretary
to the president, so per cent; vice
president, so per cent; secretary to the
vice president, 81 per cent; represen-
tatives in congress, so per cent; sec
retary of the senate, 80 per cent;
sergeant-at-arms of the senate, al
per cent; speaker of the house of
representatives, so per cent; sergeant
alarms of the house, "A per cent;
doorkeeper of the house, AZ per cent;
chief justice of the United States su-
prcme court, from $13, 500 to $4,000
year; associate justices, from $12,-
600 to $4,000; circuit judges, from
$1,000 to $500; district judges, from
$4,000 to $500.
Senator LaFollette showed that the
salaries of senators, cabinet officials,
judges, ETC., are fixed by statute,
while the proposed increase for gov
ernment employees is a bonus. If these
employees fail to secure the bonus in
future appropriation bills, they will
drop back to the wage level of 1885.
"The wages of the employees of the
government he said, "have not been
materially changed since 1855, but the
salaries of representatives, of SEN
ators, of judges, of cabinet officers,
of presidents of ambassadors have
been raised enormously"
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07
Injured Workers
STATE COMPENSATION is MOST
SATISFACTORY
The Plan is Both Practical and Eco
nOmical Declare the States In
Which the Plan Has Been
in Operation

Jefferson City, Mo.-State compen-
sation for injured workers is both
practicable and economical, is the
verdict of state officials operating un-
der this system.
Missouri trade unionists are urging
the legislature to pass compensa-
tion law that will exclude private
liability companies.
Compensation laws generally pro-
vide that employers may insure in a
state fund or by other methods en-
dorsed by state officials. AS the Mis-
souri, private insurance companies are
opposing any form of state compen-
sation, either partial or complete, H.
c. Chancellor, a member of the Mis-
souri, Legislature, wrote to managers
of state funds for authoritative infor-
nation on this subject. A synopsis of
the replies follow:
Maryland-"Our state fund has
been successful" Writer predicts
that the state fund twill eventually
write all compensation insurance in
this state" because of its cheapness.
Montana-State fund has been "un-
qualified successful. No sentiment to
abolish the plan, but considerable
sentiment to make the state fund ex-
elusive"
Nevada-No criticism against state
fund here. Believe "that any effort
to abolish it would meet with every
resistance"
New York-State funds success
"has been most impressive" Private
interests shave not been so bold as
to come forward and publicly ad-
vocate the abolition of the state
fund"
Ohio-"Our state fund has been
very successful. Both the Ohio Man
ufacturers' association and the Ohio
state federation of labor are most
ardent supporters of the state insur-
ancel fund" No private companies
permitted in this state.
Pennsylvania do not know of
any serious criticism that is being
made by enemies of our state fund"
Washington-"Our state fund has
been very successful" No private
companies permitted in this state.
Criticism of the act comes from those
who have been put out of business.
Similar reports were received from
Nova Scotia and Ontario.
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07
Alien Land!OrdiSm
Violates Basic Law

San Juan, Porto Rico.-A defiance
of Porto Ricos basic law, adopted by
the United States congress, is re-
sponsible for the alien landlordism
that has plunged this island in misery,
declares Santiago Iglesias, member of
the Porto Rico senate and A. F. of
l.. organizer.
In 1909 congress inserted this pro-
vision in Porto Ricos first organic
act:
'No corporation shall be authorized
to conduct the business of buying and
selling real estate or be permitted
to hold or own real estate except
such as may be reasonably necessary
to enable it to carry out the purposes
for which it was created, and every
corporation hereafter authorized to
engage in agriculture shall by it's
charter be restricted to the ownership
and control of not exceeding 500 acres
of land"
1t is now charged that the military
bureau of insul9r affairs at Washing
ton, under General McIntire, has per-
mitted a fragrant violation of this
provision with the result that ATT in
dividuals and partnerships from the
United States, Spain, France and
other countries own 766,396 acres of
land. The value of this land and
other property is estimated at over
$165, 100000, about two-thirds of the
taxable property of the island. The
taxes these ATT parties pay is about
one-half of the value of their prop
erty.
"Regarding the difference be-
tween the varieties of landlordism,
says Iglesias, whether alien or
domestic, it may be said that under
the alien system the money paid in
rent, or in other ways, goes out Of
the island, and thus the absentees
control the domestic monetary circu-
lation, the prices of all property and
the wealth created by labor"
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07

what happened; it is what did hap
pen."
"This shift of public thinking from
the political to the economic is not
confined to governments. 1t has been
copied by the workers. The features
Of the great strikes in England have
been their way of blandly ignoring
MISUNDERSTANDING political ac-
tion for "direct," or economic action.
Similar tendencies are appearing here
Modern society is no longer prl-
marily political. 1t is industrial and
commercial 1t must be handled as
such. Problems which governments
once treated as political have to be
recognized as plain bread-and-butter
or business propositions"
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07
PIECE WORK LOSING OUT

Washington.-Piece work is disap-
pearing on many important railroads
in this country, following the an
nouncement of Director-General of
Railroads McAdoo, before he retired
from office, that if it were shown that
the employees oppose this system it
would be abolished.
The A. F. of L. railway employees
department announces that the fol-
lowing railroads are the latest to
join the no-piece-work column:
Chicago & Alton, Norfolk &
Western, Hooking Valley, Pennsyl-
vania, Long Island, Cumberland VAL
ley, Denver & Rio Grande, Chesapeake
& Ohio, and Indiana Harbor Belt.
Pere Marquette employees have de-
clared against piece work and they
have notified the management to that
effect.
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07
LONG HOURS CAUSE WRECK

Albany, N. Y.-The rearend colli-
sion on the New York Central rail-
road at South Bryon on January 19,
in which % passengers lost their
lives, was due, says the upstate
public service commission, in a report
just made public, to the fact that the
engineer of the train, which crashed
into the other, was "for temporary
period not in full possession of his
senses" He had had no sleep for
17h hours previous to the accident.
" 1t is reasonable to assume" says
the report, "that there comes time
when nature asserts itself, especially
in the present case of a man over 81
years Of age"
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07
Gains in Newport

Newport, R. l. I.-Bricklayers and
masons have raised wages from 80
to Sc cents an hour; painters have ad-
vanced rates to SIS day and sign
painters and paper hangers to Sc a
day. The agreement that the paint
ers, sign painters and paper hangers
have signed calls for five-day week.
The telephone girls are organizing.
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07
Gains in Los Angeles

Los Angeles, Calm his annual
report to the central labor council
Secretary-Treasurer Myers shows the
steady growth and development of the
trade union movement in this city.
During the past year % unions were
organized, and 16 established organ
izations have affiliated with the CEN
traI body, making a membership gain
Of $3.50. Numerous trades have Sc
cured wage increases and improved
conditions.
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07
Wages Advanced

Hamilton, Ohio.-The Estate Stove
company voluntarily increased the
wages of some of its employees re-
Gently. The men were granted re-
duction in hours which amounts to
practically an 8 per cent increase.
They formerly worked Sd hours and
now they work fifty. The men are
very much pleased with the action of
the company.
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07
Gust NOn-UniOn Books

Louisville, Ky.-The Kentucky state
text book commission has refused to
readopt the reader of the American
Book company and has awarded the
contract to a union publishing house
in Philadelphia. The commissions s
action means loss of over 100000
to the non-union book company.
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07
"Big Six" Celebrates

New York. - Typographical union
No. held victory" celebration, at
tended by nearly 5000 persons, to
commemorate the making of New
York 100 per cent newspaper city.
Addresses were made by former presi-
dents, including Hugh Dalton, who
holds card No. in this union, which
has membership of 5000.
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07
PROFITS IN TOBACCO

New York.-An increase of nearly
$1,000,000 in net earnings is shown
in the annual report of the Liggett
& Myers Tobacco company. Net
profits were $1O,O5O,221.
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07
Miners Flock to Union

Knoxville, Tenn.-At the conven-
tion of United Mine Workers, district
Nc. 19, President Bittner reported
that the membership has increased
since 1917 from a handful of workers
to 204 locals and a membership of
$4,000 aggressive organized miners.
Yearly wages increases total over $4,-
100000.
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07
LOCKOUT is ENDED :

Dallas, Tex.-A lockout of building
craftsmen inaugurated by the Build
ers' association has been ended as
result of conferences between the
workers and employers.
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07
WANT EIGHT-HOUR DAY

Observation-Disclosures of the Cleve-
land Chain company are on strike to
enforce an eight-hour day. A depart
ment of labor concilliator is attempt
ing to adjust the dispute.
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-03-07
60 MINERS LOST LIVES

Scranton, Pain the production of
10,O27, ,901 tons of coal in three in
spection districts of Lackawanna
county last year, 60 men lost their
lives, 1873 were injured, 55 wives were
widowed and l4e children orphaned,