The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-03-18


sary to keep down the cost of produc-
tioA. The principal item in the cost of
production is the labor charge, the
wages of the men. The employee man.
ager set himself to his task One OBJ
ject, one thought, was always before
him-keep down wages. He drilled
this idea into his staff, his superin-
tendents, his foremen. The first COM
mandment of Big Business to him was
make dividends or quit"
Evil in over-caPitalization.
Frequently these large industrial
corporations were greatly overcapital-
lied. corporation representing an
actual investment of 500, 100000 was
organized for $5OO,OOOOOO. 1t didn't
take a financfer to see that $500, 100000
of its capitalization was wind, water,
fake-a lie. The law that gave the
corporation right to exist forgot to
keep it under control. The stock
was sold. shares representing fiction
as well as those representing value.
The Captain of Industry spoke of the
$4O0, 10000 of oyercapitaliZation as
melon" The law should have writ
ten it down larceny The selling OF
this stock was nothing more or less
than obtaining money under false pre-
lenses. When a working man OBJ
tanned bread under false pretenSes he
was sent to Jail. When honest meE
cried out against this grand larceny
they were called muckrakers, agita-
tors, and charged with provoking I'M
rest, disturbing business. If this did
not silence them, paid publicity told
the world that the stock was held by
widows and orphans; that the attacks
upon it were efforts to rob them.
The state, the law, the government,
had given dollars the right to organize.
A corporation is a union of dollars, ex-
actly as a labor union is an Organiza-
ton of men. The men organized as
matter of self-defense. They knew the
individual no longer had a chance to
register his complaint with the owner
and that as an individual the worker
was utterly meaningless in such a
large scheme. When he complained
he was told, Take things as they are,
stop whining; if you don't like your
jobs, quit. There are thousands of
men waiting to step into your shoes"
One of the first things the corpora
ton did was TO deny to men the right
the law gave 1.-THE right to organize.
In defiance of their attitude the men
did organize and forged the strike as
weapon with which to fight for their
rights. The law had not kept pace
with the times. It failed to furnish
protection. 1t failed to provide a rea-
.e--V
big combinations. The men asked for
the privilege of collective bargaining.
1t was a simple request, just one;
its meaning is clear. The men wanted
the right to appoint a committee to
represent them and discuss with the
men who hired them the terms of en-
ployment. The directors, generally
men who never saw the plant, tele-
graphed the employee boss, the man.
ager. direction to refuse the demand
for collective bargaining. There was
only one reply the men could make.
They made it. 1t was fOrce-the
strike. The last twenty-five years
have been filled with strikes, which
created waste and caused hate. which
grew out of the refusal of Big Bust
ness to concede to men a right the law
conferred on it, the right to organize.
capitaIistic DupIicity.
When the cost of living forced men
to ask for an increase in wages they
were often met with the answer, 1--WE
can't afford it." The men could not
afford to work longer for the wages
they were getting, because they were
unable to make both ends meet. The
pay envelope was not large enough.
The men pointed to the fact that the
answer given by capital was not true.
To show their good faith the capital
lists told the general public, I'VE are
only making 3 per cent on our capital;
men who loan money get 5 per cent"
They did not tell the people they were
receiving 3 per cent on $500, 900,
while the real capital invested was
only S1OO,0O0,0O0. The sweat of men
was being used to pay dividends on
S4OO,OOO,OOO. If the dividends earned
were distributed over the capital actu-
ally invested, $1OOOOO,OOO. the profits
would have been shown in their true
light. The reasonableness of the de-
mand of the men would have been dis
closed. It was a case of crooked capt.
talization. lying to protect its ill-got-
ten gains. Big Business needs ethics
Captains of Industry need ideals.
Let me repeat, the law left the men
helpless. They had only one course
Fight, Strikei Strikes cause great
public inconvenience. The people
smarting under hardships condemn
and blame the strikers. Strikes have
another effect that is even worse
They harden hate into a concrete class
feeling. Strikes are responsible for
the attitude of mind of many working
men today who say, 81 will do as little
work as possible for the money get"
It is a vicious circle of hate. Cooper
alton is made impossible. confidence is
destroyed, trust killed; the chasm be
tween employer and employee is wild
ened and deepened. A final conse-
quence Of these physical and psyche
logical effects is the tendency towards
riot The strike is a training school
It develops hate. 1t creates lawless-
ness, idleneSs, hunger, hate, Irritation,
disregard Of law which, when COM
bined and concentrated, make Revolu-
fiOnS