Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-02-13
a workers earnings are sufficient to

make possible savings for protection
Of himself and family against sick
ness, accident, invalidity and old age.
1.-The several states should enact
laws" the report stated, providing
or the establishment of wages that
will be at least sufficient for the de-
cent maintenance of a family, in the
case of male adults, and adequate to
the decent individual support of fe-
male workers. In the beginning the
legal minimum for male workers
should suffice only for the present
needs of the family, but it should be
gradually raised until it is adequate
to future needs as well.
Until this level of legal minimum
wages is reached the worker stands in
need Of the device of insurance. So
far as possible the insurance fund
should be raised by a levy on indus
try, as is now done in the case of &C
cident compensation. The industry in
which a man is employed should pro-
vide him with all hat is necessary to
meet all the needs of his entire life.
Therefore, any contribution to the in
surance fund from the general rev.
cnues of the state should be only
slight and temporary. For the same
eason no contribution should be ex-
acted from any worker who Is not
getting a higher wage than is requir-
ed to meet the present needs of him
self and family. Those who are be-
low that level can make such a con-
tribution only at the expense of their
present welfare. Finally, the admin
%istration of the insurance laws should
be such as to interfere as little a.
possible with the individual freedom
Of the worker and his family. Any
insurance scheme, or any administra.
tive method. that tends to separate
The workers into a distinct and de
pendent class, that offends agains'
their domestic privacy and independ.
ence, or that threatens individual
self-reliance and self-respect, should
not be tolerated. The ideal to be
kept in mind is a condition in which
all the workers would themselves
have the income and the responsible.
ty of providing for all the needs anC
contingencies Of life, both presen,
and future. Hence all the forms OF
state insurance should be regarded as
merely a lesser evil, and should be sc
organized and administered as to has.
ten he coming of the normal condi-
ton"
Reducing Prices.
AS a means of reducing the cost o.
living the committee favored proven
ton of monopolistic control Of com
such public service monopolies as re.
main under private operation, ant
elimination of middlemen by estab'
lishment of cooperative stores tt
deal in the essentials of life.
Abolition of child labor, il neces
sary by taxing it out of existence ii
"stagnant states" extension Of voca
tional training and elaboration o.
the present experiments in municipa
housing and medical attendance wer,
urged as steps toward equalizing tn.
living conditions Of the employing
and employed classes, :
UNFOLDING the right of labor to or
ganize n to deal with employer
through representatives, the repor
urged a gradual recognition Of tn,
workers in, the management ant
ownership of the industries Of which
they are a part.
AS a first step it suggested admis.
sion OF employees to the industrial
part of management through forma,
'tion of shop committees to co-operat.
with owners of plants. The mex
phase, participation in ownership
the committee conceded was not O.
general value in a program for i'm.
mediate social reconstruction. /
classed private ownership as prefer.
able to a collectivist organization o,
industry which 1t characterized "as 8
state Of Socialism which would NEAR
bureaucracy. political tyranny, gener.
al social i~neffeciency and decadence'
but asserted that the present sys,
tenn, producing Insufficient incomes
for a great majority of wage Garner.
and unnecessarily large incomes fol
a small minority of privileged capital.
ists." needed modification and i'm.
provement.
System Will Last.
1T seems clear" said the commit.
tee, that the present industrial. sys,