Pueblo chieftain., 1921-05-31
Where Civilization Fails

Wealth is the product of human labor ntelligently
directed Out of the current production there be
paid to speak, the running expenses of the people,
and the surplus accumulates TO become the invested
capital by which the labors of succeeding generations
are made productive and the general standards
of living are raised.
In the United States of America the national pos
sessions of land and other natural the power
of American labor the skill with which American labor
lis directed, and tho accumulated wealth of the nation
invested capital in machinery, the of trans
portation and other productive instruments of civza
ton. sufficient to give to woman and
child in the United States comfortable living, accord
ing to American standards together with surplus to
be added to the total of the national wealth.
Unfortunately this theoretical prosperity for every
American does not work perfectly in practice. Some
than their fair share others get much
less, and while it is true m general way that
rewarded business and industry very much accord
ing the they render there many exceptions
10 the rule.
At the present time, in the period of read ustment
following great war, there many persons in the
United States who arc either earning less than is
say for comfortable living for themselves and their
families out of work altogether Speaking in
general way is true that the first feel the pinch
of unemployment either those who have shown their
ineffciency in the work in which they have been en-
gagged else those whose labor has been directed with
least intelligence the part of those who have been
their employers And yet to very large extent un-
employment fault of the workers. and it is not
fault OF the directors of industry but it is due the
fact that the complex machinery Of modern business and
Industry does not always smoothly and does not
always accomplish perfectly the purposes for which
is designed
There at the present time in this country, in
round numbers hundred million American men, women
and children, distributed thru forty-eight states with
variations of physical and industrial conditions
and with differing tastes abilities and purposes Some
Industrious, others disinclined industry Some
thrifty, others inclined to dissipation Some have
high ability to work harmoniously in groups; others
have tremendous natural instinct towards individual
effort.
It is very simple thing to say that hundred mil
lion Americans may easily produce enough to satisfy
the needs of hundred million Americans with regular
surplus for the increase of fixed national wealth. but
it is much difficult and complicated thing to
work out in practice plan by which every
do the thing that he she is best qualified to do
contribution the national benefit and receive in re-
turn fair share of the total national product.
1t should be evident therefore, that ttcrc is moth
ing to gain and everything lose by destroying sys
tem which, while far from perfect, is the product of
human experience, continued thru unnumbercd centuries
and which slowly tends toward improvement
If watch fast or slow, the sensible thing is
TO have it regulated and not to destroy the watch and
go back TO the hourglass other antique con-
trivancc long since abandoned by human beings
But the radical reformer's first thought is Of
destruction As remedy for the faults of civilization