Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-09-01
MONDAY .... SEPTEMBER /. 1919
LABOR DAY.

Labor-manua labor-whose day
ward strides during the past few
years. Formerly it was in slavery over
most of the world, and dependent
upon the will of a master every
where. If it is not master now, GER
tainly it is not servant of anybody,
except in the sense that every person
of the social order in which we are
enmeshed.
The changed condition of labor has
been brought about largely through
organization made necessary by the in
vention Of machinery. With the COM
ing of steam, the power-loom, the
knitting machine, the process of maxi
ing maleable iron castings, the hot
air blast for iron furnaces, and scores
of other labor saving devices. the old
order by which trades were trans
mitted from father to son and con-
tinued from generation to generation
in the same locality, passed away as
completely as did wooden warships
after the appearance or Ericssons
ironclad, turreted steamboat during
our Civil war.
Labor conditions were completely
disorganized. The factory. with It's
hundreds, sometimes thousands, of
employees, was built near some wafer
course on the city's outskirts far from
the residences of the family workers
of the old regime who had their cot
tage sand their gardens. Hovels be-
came the workman's homes ana
ployment depended upon demand for
goods, and the caprice of foremen.
Children were employed at nominal
wages to do whatever children
could do.
The result of this change was the
pauperization of labor. the stultifica-
ton of childhood, and practical illit-
eracy Of the workingman and his fam
lily. Even in Carlyle's day conditions
in England had not greatly improved.
In his Sartor Resartus he says:
at is not because of his tolls that |
lament for the poor; we must all toll
or steal (howsoever we name our
stealing). which is worse; no faithful
workman finds his task a pastime. The
poor is hungry and athirst, but for
him also there is food and drink; he
is heavy laden and weary. but for him
also the Heavens send sleep, and of
the deepest; in his smoky cribs clear,
dewy haven of rest envelopes him, and
fitful gatherings of cloud skirted
dreams. But what do mourn over isl
that the lamp of his soul should 20
out; that no ray of heavenly. or even
of earthly, knowledge should visit him;
but only, in the haggard darkness,
like two specters. fear and indigna-
ton, bear him company"
Largely through organized labor,
this condition was gradually changed.
Wages were forced upward. living
conditions improved. children lib
Grated so they could go to school and
know something of childish enjoyment
of life. Politically, the laborer became
a factor in government. He became
the master of his job and of his life, /
to greater degree than was dreamed
possible in the seventeenth century, |
And there is more, much more, to be !
done for labor. Wages are probably |
as high as circumstances will permit |
under present condition of production.
There is an economic relation between
wages and consumption that must be
That relation centers
a bout the cost of production.
Whenever greater efficiency isl
shown in production the Legitimate
scale of wages can be and should be
increased. When labor deliberately
increases the time of putting in ship
bolt from four minutes to ten minutes,
the price of labor is sure to be re-
duced, sooner or later.
Also it must be understood that the
world in no given year is able to
produce much more of the essentials
for living comfortably than is con-
sumed during any given twelve |
months Just in proportion as pro-
duction is reduced consumption Isl
reduced and the cost of living is in
creased
Labor should have full days pay
for full days work. That is fair,
whether the labor be of brain or hand.
Labor should have insurance
aga INST ill-health, accident and old
age. Also the government should see
to it thai. no person willing to work
is out of job; a,"s
Labor ofganizations should see to i
that provision is made for education
IF all children-children of the poor
Is well as the rich--on an equal foot