The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1920-02-27

| NFit tHthNh1tb bN lIllN htIlultDDI vi
success. To make profits it Is neces-
AIRY to keep down the cost of produc.
| Ion. 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 oh
| ject. one thought, was always before
| him-keep down wages. He drilled
this idea into his STAFF, his superin.
tendchts, his foremen. The first com
mandment Of Big Business to him was
make dividends or quit"
Evil In over.capitaIization.
Frequently these large industrial
corporations were greatly overcapltal-
lied. corporation representing an
actual investment Of S1OO,OOO,0OO was
organized for $5OOOOO.OOO. 1t didn't
take financier to see that $500, 900
OF It's capitalization was wind, water
fake--a lie. The law that gave the
corporation "a right to exist forgot to
keep 1t under control. The stock
was sold, shares representing fiction
as well as those representing value.
$500, 100000 Of OvcrcapitalzatIon as a
melon" The law, should have writ
ten 1t down larceny. The selling Of
this stock was nothing more or less
than obtaining money under false pre-
lenses. When a working man OBJ
taned bread under false pretenses he
was sent to Jail. When honest mel
cried out against this grand larceny
they were called muckrakers agta-
tors, and charged with provoking un.
rest. disturbing business. II 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 stase, the law, the government,
had given dollars the right to organize
corporation Is union of dollars. ex-
nctly as labor union Is an organiza-
ton Of men. The men organized as
matter of self-defense. They knew the
register his complaint with the owner
and that as an individual the worker
was utterly meaningless In such
large scheme. When he complained
he was told, Take things as they are,
stop whining; II 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 a
weapon with which to fight for their
rights. The law had not kept pace
with the times. II failed to furnish
protection. 1t failed to provide a rea-
sonable control over these powerful
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
W. NohSNtiNV luCIt was
only one reply the men could make.
They made 1t. 1t was force-the
strike. The last twenty-five years
have been filed with strikes, which
created waste and caused hate. which
grew out of the refusal of Big Bust
ness to concede to men right the law
conferred on 1t. the right to organize.
capitaIistIc oupIicity.
When the cost of living forced men
to ask for an increase In wages they
were often met with the answer, I'VE
cant 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 per cent"
They did not tell the people they were
receiving 3 per cent ON S5000OO, 900,
while the real capital invested was
only $lOO.WOOO0. The sweat of men |
was being used to pay dividends on !
40O.0O0,0O0, II the dividends earned |
We're distributed over the capital actu-
ally invested, $100,0O0.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. 1t was case of crooked CAPT
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, Strike! Strikes cause great
public Inconvenience. The people
under hardships condemn
and blame the strikers. Strikes have
another effect that is even worse.
they harden hate into concrete class
all St-tl,