The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-01-24
WORTHY OF IT'S HIRE

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The declaration of the Master that
"the laborer is worthy of his hire"
has recently sprung into life and
REAL MEN are setting their houses
and themselves in order that the prin-
ciple enunciated therein shall no long
err be nullity but must be put into
faithful practice.
Labor, by its loyalty and singleness
of purpose and practice, during the
trials and hardships in the life and
deathe struggle from which our ma
ton and our associated allied nations
have so gloriously emerged triumph
ant and victorious, destroying the "di-
vine right Of kings" in world control,
and substituting "the voice of the
people" and "the voice of God" in
lieu thereof, has rightfully gained its
inherent place in the world.
When such potential men of big af-
fairs as Charles M. Schwab, E. H.
Gary and others, ad infnitum, who
were never before even suspected of
any great degree of friendliness for
labor, we repeat, when they come out
and take bold and firm stand and
demand that labor must be respected
and justly treated, we plainly see
what triumphant democracy means to
the people when it takes possession
of the minds and consciences of men.
Mr.. Schwab, the great steel mag
nate, who is recognized as being the
most potent single individual in the
industrial world today, has declared
himself as being in favor of recog-
nizing and maintaining the coordinate
relationship of labor to capital in all
industrial enterprises, that the right
to organize for its betterment and
advancement socially, financially and
otherwise naturally and legally inheres
in the labor movement.
Mr.. f. H. Gary, about the counter
part of Mr.. Schwab in the industrial
affairs of our great nation is in per-
feet accord with the declared princi-
pies as enunciated by Mr.. Schwab and
in fact champions some larger and
more substantial ones. In addressing
the War Industries Board, very re-
Gently, in regard to steel products,
announced that his company favored
reduction of the maximum prices
that have maintained for their commo-
dities during the war period of in
f1ated prices, and if needs be, to OPP
crate even at a loss, rather than that
the now-eXistent wage paid labor
therein should be curtailed, in adj
vance of any reduction in the cost of
living, for he was confirmed in the
opinion that any reduction prior to
that time in the wages paid to labor
would Of necessity entail hardships
that could not be justified from any
angle.
Now let US contrast this democratic
spirit of REAL MEN with the spirit
and actions of the Shylocks owning
and operating the great lead indus
tries of st. Francois county. Do we
hear of any of the master spirits of
these great concerns pleading the
cause of labor, and demanding that
no unkind hand shall be placed there
on?
Do they, or have they, ever mani
Tested any real concern in labor's
welfare?
Instead, the edict has gone forth
that one-sixth part of the laborer's
time (Which is the same as that part
of his bi-monthly wage) must be cut
off because of small depreciation in
the price of their products. This was
put into effect in albut the twinkle
of an eye, while the wage paid pre-
vious to this last tragedy was only
obtained after two or three years
wallowing in the "high clover" of in
lated war prices for their commodi-
ties.
These cormorant crews of heartless
Shylocks who possess and have the
managerial control of these lead fields,
the richest and most remunerative of
any on Gods footstool, should be in
termed and allowed only the compan-
ionship of bill kaiser and his cormor-
ant crew. More anon.
| A LABORING MAN.