davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-05-22
Holds Decrease in Production !
Cause Of High Coast Of Living

To the Editor of the Labor World:
The article by Mr.. Sweeney in your
May 18th edition in relation to the
increase in wages, profits, etc., is en-
t1rely misleading, full of misinforma~
ton and calculated to cause more
unrest on the part of the working
class because of it's misinformation,
Mr.. Lauck, who calls himself a. con-
sult1ns economist, attempts to mako
the public believe that the increase In
the wages Of the railroad employees
mas had almost nothing to do with
the price of comm oddities because of
the insignificant cost of Transporting
pair Of shoes or suit of clothes g.
distance of thousand miles or more.
In this respect, however, he has not
taken into consideration the increase
IN wages which enter into every
other means of production and ex-
change: For instance, nothing is said
as to the increase in wages in the
iron and steel industry. The coal
mining industry or the shops where
freight and passenger cars are built,
the cost of ties and all other kinds
of lumber, etc. In 1914, labor alb
sorbed 44% of the total earnings of
the railroads OF this country. At
present they absorb about $50.
Take, for instance. the industry OF
coal as an illustration OF the lack OF
sane or sensible thought on the part
o. this ALLEGED economist, Mr.. Lauck
If a man owns a coal mine and
rents that mine to a. producing cor
poration he received before the war
something like 15c per ton as roy
atty. With the depreciation of the
dollar, however, he must now receive
35c to 4Oc royalty on a ton of coal in
order to be as we'll off today as he
was in 1914. That Is to say, 80 or
30 tons Of coal at royalty of 15c
would have bought a. pair Of shoes
in 1914. Today it will require roy
atty Of 15c per ton ON 80 tons Of coal
to buy that same pair of shoes. Now
in figuring in percentages of profit
suppose that the royalty today is SOC
in place of the 15c. The statistical
jugglers Immediately fly to the con-
clusion that there has been an in
crease of profits Of 1000 and so they
denounce the coal owner as a prof.
tecr, whereas the fact about the mat
ter is that the coal owner is not as
well Oft with soc royalty today as
he was with 15c in 1914, and besides
this, he has the excess profit tax and
the state and federal income taxes
to pay--indeed. he is worse or thar
he was in 1914, although. the figures
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-05-22

forums of Nazareth, but truth is more
desirable than peace, and the only
place where. ones peace is free of dis
turbance is the graveyard.
"A community can operate only
on the basis of the lowest common de-
nominator. It can undertake only
those activities which public opinion
will support. Since. therefore. pro-
posed measures must go through the
process of securing public opinion for
their support, discussion is a conser-
vative safeguard against hasty action.
That is what gives merit to a free
mans tnalienable right to trial Ibv
jury. 1t prevents hasty. or unjust Ac-
ton through enforced open discussion
OF his case by his fellow citizens
1T stimulates respect for opinions
other than our own. "A decent respect
for the opinions of mankind is 9 mech
essary safeguard against the iIlusioH
that we are invaluable. It is the, DAM
ger against which Oliver Cromwell,
warned the members of parliament:
beseech you, gentlemen, by the
mercies of Christ, to remember that
1t is possible fou you to be Mistaken
THE task of correcting wrong opin-i
ion is q spiritual process, and requires
a spiritual weapon-that is. discus
sion. You cannot exterminate an ideal
with club; you only scatter it. I'll
must be met on its own ground. Thci
only antidote to wrong opinion is al
right opinion. Hence Jef:erson's great
dictum: Error of opinion may be tol.
Grated, if reason is free to combat it,
''There are only two ways to govern
a nation-by the sword or by pubic
opinion, by force or by reason. It we
adopt the method of reason, then free
dom of speech must be complete, not
partial. Where is the group of self
appointed men who have the authority
or means for determining what sub
jects citizens may or may not discuss?
II a mans speech issue in a material
deed intended to hurt the community,
then and then only is it q guilty act
subject to law. But dogmatically 20
predetermine what opinions will he
helpful or harmful is an impossibilitA.
This is why the function of law is to
deal with overt acts, not opinions.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-05-22
GREAT COOPERATIVE
PLANTS ARE PREDICTED.

Great cooperative plants, owned
and operated by labor, was predicted
by DR.. John A. Ryan, Of the Catholic
university, Washington, in addressing
the annual meeting OF the American
academy of political and social
science.
The speaker said that industrial
autocracy in this country has de-
stroyed the ancient American philos,
ophy Of equal opportunity, and that
industry will never become stabilized
until this is recognized and the pres
ent theory and, practice are aban-
doned in favor Of a return to old
methods.
To illustrate how this will come
about the speaker declared that not
so many years ago 1t was the popu-
lar belief that only few men were
equipped to run the politics of this
country. He said the same view has
been held toward industry, but it is
rapidly giving way to belief that
labor also can conduct industry.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-05-22

may demonstrate that his PROFITS are
1902 larger.
Now. take the case of shoes: In
the Arst place the price of leatherlA
has Increased by more than 20OHE]
In the great shoe centers the work 4
ers nave enormously decreased pro-
dnctlon. Their wages have increased
py 1902 or more, and while they
worked six days a week in 1914 they !,
are now only working five days. The
result is that with increased wages
there has come a decreased produc-
ton. !
One Of the chief causes for the
high cost Of living is the high \cost O:
government. During the next twelve
months every family in America will
contribute $500, directly and indirect.
~, on the average, just for the fun
OF being governed. 1t is a notorious
fact that governments are always
Wastefu1 and yextravagant-thatf they
generally employ two men and sR.0G
to accomplish the same result tina,
private ownership will accom- lAsl,
With one. Every department of or
government is over-staffed. ThouI-
sands upon thousands of sa1arieN
officials are riding upon our hack{.
and performing no useful service
whatever, and the more we extend
the functions of government the
worse off we will be. The second
immediate cause for the continued
high prices is decreased production
let me illustrate. Take the year of
1918 compared with the yeir 1925
In the great textile industry il is &
SHOWN that the number of hands er,.
ployed increased by 1879 blu. There
was a decrease in production 0: l4Ef
and the increased costs of a ward al
cloth was 42%. Witt, this situation +
confronting us there is no hope for {:
reduction of prices under normal con-
dltlons unless the workers once more
adopt their old slogan of q "fair /
days work for fair days pay" anC :
at least resolve to increase produc-
zion. for the whole world is suffering
TO-DAY from decreased production ard
governmental extravaganza.
The specialization of the Goa; 1nines
railroads, and other great basic ir-.
dustries would simply be jumping
from the frying pan into the fire.
They have been a failure all over the
world and under every form OF gov
crnment, and in free country like
Cir own, the failure would be n,onut
mental.
F. G. r. GORDON. (
Minneapolis. !
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-05-22
AMERICAN DOLLAR IS
WORTH But 80 CENTS

The present purchasing power of
the American dollar is worth but 80
cents, said Professor Irving Fisher of
Yale university in an address before
the southern sociological congress in
Washington last week.
The speaker said the gyrations of
the American dollar was the chief
cause of the high cost Of living and
that 1t strained the credulity Of the
people to say that cotton, wheat, beef
and other commodities were high be-
cause they were scarce.
. The great evil of the high cost of
living, said Professor Fisher, is found
in the fact that incomes and prices
do not go up in unison and social
Injustice is created by this failure.
Fifty per cent of the labor discon-
tent in this country, he said, can be
attributed to the reduced. purchasing
power Of the dollar. ~
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-05-22
PRIVATE POLICE AGAIN.

The Baldwin-Felts Detective agency
of West Virginia, well known to union
labor and composed Of the leading gun
men Of the country, cut loose in the
little village of Mateawan Wednesday
and when the shooting was over seven
of their number had bit the dust. Four
miners were killed and the mayor Of
the village, who wanted to know by
what authority the private detectives
were acting as police officers, was muir
dered in cold blood, according to the
Associated Press report Of the tragedy.
James Baldwin, head of the agency,
was seriously wounded and his partners
in business, Albert and l.. G. Felts,
were killed. 1t was Albert Felts who
shot the mayor.
The private detectives, employed by
a West Virginia mining company, were
sent to Mateawan to cvict from com.
pany houses the families of miners who
had been dismissed from the company s
employ. Eight families had been
turned OUT, the police DECLARE. when
the mayor approached Albert Felts and
asked by what authority their action
was taken and by what authority they
arrested miner. Felts reached for
his gun and shot the mayor on the spot.
He in turn was promptly shuffled off
by the chief of police and then the
fireworks started. = 800.
1t will be recalled that several years
ago the American Federation Of Labor
made protest to congress against the
employment Of private police in West
Virginia following tho wholesale
slaughter of striking miners by this
same detective agency. The senate ap.
pointed = committee TO investigate and
bill was introduced in congress 70
prohibit corporations doing an inter
state business from engaging private
armies possessed with police power. The
bill never became law. Its passage
would have hit the United States Steel
Corporation, which maintains a large
army Of special poliee wherever it oper.
ates mines 81 mills. x III
Let's see,s did not the Citizens ALI.
ance Of Duluth protest against the reg
ular Duluth police affiliating with the
4. +. Of u. out of fear that policemen
would subordinate "a organized labor
their allss iaass - ths eittyi and statss
"a mid III inters ting 70 know it,
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-05-22
WE BELIEVE WE'RE FAIR.

"Try at least to be fair,' advises
an anonymous friend, who returned to
The Labor World the editorial in tho
last number entitled "Showed Bad
Manners" in which we commented on
the action Of the delegates to the con
vention Of the United States Chamber
of Commerce in hooting down Matthew
Woll, vice president Of the A. F. of L.,
when he began o discussion of the
Kansas antistrike law.
Our friend also enclosed an article
by Richard Spillane in which the writer
scores the Hearst papers for printing
an editorial on the subject which he
characterized as "wholly untrue and
wholly unjust Mr.. spillane asserts
that Vice President Woll spoke for
one hour and IS minutes, exceeding
the time allotted to him by one hour
and five minutes. He explains that
Mr.. VOL had declared tho Kassas anti
strike law was sovietism in capitalistic
form, "and between sovietiam Of CAPT,
talism and sovietism Of labor he pre-
ferred that Of Lenine and Trotsky,
When he mentioned the names Of these
Russian Bolshevists, 80 Or 40 persons
hissed.'
Mr.. Woll was permitted to proceed
five minutes longer when he was in.
terrupted by calls from the floor tor
VAl1en, -" Allen," meaning Governor
Allen Of Kansas who was next on the
program. Mr.. VOL then apologised for
taking up so much time, according to
Mr.. spillane, and thereupon left the
platform. Governor Allen made no at,
tempt TO- answer Mr.. Woll.
Now this is wholly Mr.. spillane 3
view Of the incident, but it is com.
pletely out Of tune with the reports Al
printed in the New York papers, not
Hearst papers. Surely the New York
Evening World cannot be accused Of
bias: in favor Of union labor. What
docs it say in criticism of the dclegatee
to the Chamber of Commerce who
hooted down Mr.. Woll and interrupted
his speech with cries Of ~"Allen,
Allen2n
| Governor Allen missed the oppor,
tunity Of = lifetime,'' said the Evening
World, ''fIwhen:she failed to administer
a singing rebuke to these business
men. :. -.
>"The discouftesy and intolerance was
fall the more glaring because Governor
Allen was pfeseat and scheduled as the
next speaker. u
"tHad Governor Allen risen to the
occasion he would have accepted the
discourtesy Of the chamber az a fortu.
nate opportunity to read lesson in
tolerance. He.would have refused to
discuss the plan itself. before a group
OF self'revealed bigots.. He would have
strongly defended Mr.. VOLTS right to
be 'heard.'
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-05-22
THEY sT1FLE COMMERCE.

The railroad, managers have again
thrown: up their hands as they did at
the beginning of the war. They have
fallen down. They admit their in
ability to handle traffic and one Of
them predicted at Toledo Monday eve
ming that unless the situation was
changed an industrial panic was emf.
nent. For relief they ask for the tenn
porary return Of the "wartimen sys.
tenn OF control Of freight shipments to
relieve traffic congestion and result
ant car shortage.
This is the first fruit of private rail-
road management. Representatives of
farmers, millers, bankers and ware.
houses have lodged a vigorous protest
with the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion against tho criminal efforts of
the railroads to disorganize the trans
portation system Of the nation. In
their struggle for traffic they have
restricted tho movement Of freight cars
and largely nullified the wise methods
that were successfully employed by the
federal administration of transporta.
ton.
A statement issued by the Farmers
National Council charges that talk of
car shortage is in the interest Of direc,
tors and stockholders of the railroad
companies who own stock in companies
manufacturing railroad cars.
One Of the first acts of Secretarv
McAdoo was to mobilize rolling stock,
power and equipment of the railroads.
by adopting the rule that CONTINENT
should be at home any place in the
country, he added the equivalent Of
aoo'ooo freight cars, and an equivalent
amount Of motive power to serve the
nation. This meant that hundreds of
millions Of tons Of freight could be
handled. 1t meant . saving, according
20 railroad authorities, Of over $4,000.
100000. :....',
The railroads have abandoned this
policy. In their efforts to upscramhle
the roads they compel the hauling Of
empty cars to all sections OF the coun.
try. They have closed mills and unset
industry. Millions Of dollars worth Of
food has rotted At tszminals, md the
cost Of living increases. ..az y.
This is one Of the first evils Of pri-
:vate operation. There will be ether
l't almost as serious. The logic
S s. he situation il plain, Is it is iasyi.
table 'lE' The railroads must 30 1.,claim,tds
py the government and operated 81 the
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-05-22
10 THE VOTERS NAY, KNOW.

Aese are some Of the things that
sne s'xty-sixth congress has done for
the interests that exploit the people Of
the United States. 81
IL passed the Cummins-E sch bill vail,
dating eight billion dollars Of watered
stock; guaranteed per cent dividend.
on railroad securities, including the
watsred stock; guaranteed the roads
an exorbitant rental until September
II 1920, to be paid out Of tho public
tfeasasy;. appropriated. three hundred
million nil dollars Is = revolving fund "a "a
the roads. and 10 now contemplating
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-05-22
SOME BUSINESS men F. :.
T. MI6hT Be ANARCHISTS

In discussing the case Of an an
archist who 10 held for deportation,
kssiatAnt Secretary Of Labor Post was
asked by Congressman Campbell,
chairman Of the house rules commit
tee: 1s-
III the majority OF the people of
this country were like this man. do
you think we would have any con-
stftution or government ct. allf' /.
The labor secretary said:
,e II think It likely that we would
not have. but would coup1s with
that statement that the saIde condi-
ton would oxist if certain business
psoples wers g The M jority In this
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-05-22

interest Of the public, ana not in the
interest Of speculative bankers and
stock. gamblers. Private ownership Of
transportation more seriously menaees
the stability Of this government than
any war possibly could do. It places
the people absolutely at the mercy Of
the profiteer, and puts a halter on bust.
ness that impedes its free and ordered
movement. - '
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-05-22

~s~SN SSsS$AASS
million dollars. This has been very,
properly described as the, most colos,
sal subsidy in human history.
Passed the bill to lease coal and oil
lands belonging to the Federal govern,
ment. This means that the most valu-
able part Of the public domain will bs
turned over to the interests which will
use tho natural resources Of the nation
to increase their private fortunes.
Passed through the House, and will
soon put through tho Senate, q water
power bill which will place the power
trust in control Of the most desirable
power sites in this country. Of course
our water power should be harnessed,
but its development should be in the
interests of all the people and not
privileged few. The pending measure
makes no provision to adequately safe
guard the public interests, and gives
the power companies practically all
they have been demanding.
Is preparing to enact legislation
which will transfer to the shipping
combine our national merchant marine,
which cost the people Of this country
billions Of dollars. The advocates Of
this measure declare that the ships will
continue to fly the American flag, and
that no foreign corporation will be
permitted to purchase them. This is
all silly twaddle intended to deceive
the people whose interests are being
sacrificed. The ships will go to the
American shipping trust, which main
tains the closest relations with the
British shipping combine and every
other shipping combine in the world.
1t is true that the ships will fly the
American flag, and that the directing
corporation will have directors who are
American citizens, but the American
citizens who ship their freight on these
vessels will be compelled to pay extor.
.tionate rates. The only satisfaction
they will get out of the transaction
will be the knowled &c that the man
who robs them was born under the
Stars and Stripes instead of the Union
Jack.
Congress hopes to complete this pro.
gram and adjourn by June /. The
members will put in the summer and
early fall .endeavoring to bamboozle
the voters into returning them to office,
They will get back to Washington next
December, and then they hope to put
through compulsory military service, a
consumptiop tax, and some other legis.
lation which they lack the nerve to
enact at this time.
+ In view Of the foregoing. it must
he clear that every American citizen
has a vital interest in the approaching
congressional elections. Unless some
thing can be done to GUST the crowd
now in control there won u be anything
left that is'worth giving away.
Congressman Carss of this. :distric.
IN every instance voted against privi-
1ege and with the people. We in Du.
luth and in other sections of the Eighth
district can play our part in regener-
ating Congress and saving something
FOR the people by helping to re,elect
him.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-05-22

attitude With relation to the maints-
nance BY corporations Of private armies
clothed with police power who take
the law into their own hands and shoot
up the regular officers of the law.
The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1920-05-27
# You Need a Medicine
You Should Have the Best

Have you ever stopped to reason why
t is that so many products that are ex-
tensively advertised, all at once drop out
Of sight and are soon forgotten? The
reason is plain-the article did not fulfill
the promises of the manufacturer. This
applies more particularly to medicine.
medicinal preparation that has real
curative value almost sells itself, as like
an endless chain system the remedy is
recommended by those who have been
benefited, to those who are in need of it.
A prominent druggist says "Take for
example DIR. Kilmer's Swamp-Root, q
preparation l have sold for many years
and never hesitate to recommend, for in
almost every case it shows excellent re-
suits, as many of my customers testify.
No other kidney remedy has so large
SALE"
According to sworn statements and
verified testimony of thousands who have
used the preparation, the success of DR..
Kilmer's Swamp-Root is due to the fact,
90 many people claim, that it fulills al
. most every wish in overcoming kidney,
liver and bladder ailments; corrects uri-
nary troubles and neutralizes the uric
acid which causes rheumatism.
You may receive sample bottle OF
Swamp Root by Parcels Post. Address
DR.. Kilmer & Co., Binghamton, N. T.,
and enclose ten cents; also mention this
paper. Large and medium size bottles
for sale at all drug stores.-Adv.
The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1920-05-27

night when drawing up his plans. But
he could not tell her SO now-not
while she stood there questioning him,
with such accusation, such bitter re-
proach.
"You will, won't your" she demand
ed, her face reddening.
He chose the path of least resist
ance. He took the shaving mug from
her hands,, replaced it on the table,
and put his arms around her and
kissed her on the lips. 1t was probably
the most" prudent answer he could
have made; and when, upon her re-
peating her question, less insistent-
~, he said, Don't think about un-
pleasant things she promised to try,
and lighted the oil stove and busted
herself with breakfast preparations !;
and as she went about her work she
hummed to herself almost happily.
During breakfast, however, she re-
turned to the troublesome. topic.
Daniel" she began, refilling his
coffee cup, 81 want you to tell me
what you intend doing. I don't like
you to have secrets from me-"
Really, l am surprised and sad
dened. | never suspected / was so
transparent"
"Tll tell you what I'd like, Daniel"
Her voice was low and serious. "Td
like to have you go back to Russia
with ne. There's work to be done in
Russia-Oh, such quantities of work
and yon and could do SO much. Oh,
Daniel, you don't know what it's like
in Russia-the poverty, the misery,
the millions cowed by tyranny. They
are cropping in the darkness. They
need light. They must be taught that
all workingmen are their comrades, all
the rich their foes. They must be
taught to strike back when they are
struck
"See here, Esther!' Fitzhughs
clenched fist struck the table a ring
ing blow. His quiet demeanor had
radically changed. "rve something l
want to tell you. Henceforth my
brain, my energy, every particle of me,
will work toward but one end-Ma-
terial Success. Money means Power,
and Power is my goal. I've known all
along l could reach it. shall have to
be cold, heartless, selfish. There's no
other way. The poor pooh! What
are the poor but beasts of burden to
pack and carry for their masters, who
are the rich and intelligent"
As he talked Esther crouched back
in her chair, bringing from him as
though each word he spoke was
whip-lash across her face.
NATURALLY, you hadn't thought Of
me.'' she murmured, when he paused.
con the contrary" he said, and there
was hidden meaning in his words,