Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-04-09
A VICIOUS

That the worker in every department Of human tn-
I4qstEy SHALL he eempens4tsd tar his labor at = rate which,
viii provide him . decent livelihood; that the eeRdhttiena
OF hs employnneat shall be such as to enable him to con-
serve his health and energy; and that his hours of regu-
lar hher shall be such as will afford hia epRertunity for
wholesome relaxation and for the proper Development of
pegeud the field Of reasonable argument Ty assert them
is merely to aaeert facts which are admitted wherever
reason rules. Te deny them is to deny the self-evident
There Is no dispute over the principles involved. 1t Is
in cennsetion vita the methods proposed for the osten-
mile purPese OF applying the prineipls that the coatro-
verE arises. And among these methods there are none
mere vicious, none more calculated to impede the prog
res Of Industry, and ultimately to injure the entire pub
lie, including thosa in vhose alleged interest those naeth,
eds are planned, than the various schemes which in
crease the cost Of productisp BY the adoption Of slew.
cumbersome and inef6cient methods of work.
The tendency in this direstion "a by no means peculiar
70 the nresent time.~. 1t has Doubtless been exhibited in
every age, and there are many we'll known instanees Of
it in quite recent tiAaes.
Wsav,ns VA. doae BY rhsAa until the early part of
the past century. Then came the power loom, and the
proposal to install that device met With strepuoy. OPP
position from THOUSANDS of members of the weaving fra
ternity. In England Yorkshire and Lancashire were the
scenes Of bloody riots, and several of the new machines
we're seized and destreEed.
The introduction of the cotton gin was similarly op-
posed. The work Of ginning cotton had always been done
by hand. and it Was uncomfortable to- many Of those en-
Gagged in that wsrk that a process by means of which one
operative With , machine could tyrp' out more work than
could many BY hand could be otherwise than DISASTROUS
to them.
The substitution Of the harvesting machine for the
grain cradle was opppsed on similar grounds. The new
machine was condemned as q device of the evil one, in
tended to take the bread from the mouth Of the poor
man.
in printing establishments was opposed by many print-
ers, the reason advanced being, - in the ether cases, that
the machine would drive many workers out of employ
meat.
We have seen. these and Thousands, of other lsbor-
saving devices adopted. and those who had opposed them
) At the beginning presently bessas rseonensd to them.
They have driven no one out Of employment. On the con-
trsry, thsy have cheapened products to the eaasuner to
, eneh en sxtent that demand h4A bssR increased u4ny
talA. n cash Of the cases above mentioned. not only
has tAs ,As sf hachtpeTy resulted in increasing the de-
n914, but thsFe has hseu ? lecidsa hsttsrpept in the
eosditi94 ef ths lAhoFsx. Not all Of this beAsAt, Of course
is to be attributed 70 the use Of machinery, spnt at any
rsts the tears that were entertained that machinery
would destrey labor hare prayen grolpdles.
= The ARorts for the cnrtailment Of production take on
) diferent forms today. Their pHrpeae is the &ane. panae.
5 IL, to require the en1ploypaept Of many where , few
would sufacs. OF this cla1 are some Of the rules gov.
Iernins railroad employment, Of which mention has form.
4 erly been made. Whatever may have bean the original
purpose, some OF These rules are used in order to enforce
4 til employment of persons HAo are not needed, Hhile
these who could quite ~ we'll have performed the work
/ rsaasip idle under pay. OF lke character are resulattani
: which prohibit men Of one craft froa Performing duties
( no m3tter boy trivial. although they may Be merely In
8 ci6ental to their regular eMpleynept in order thst Herk:
> mep in other crafts may be called In.
Regulations of this ehaE.eter. % pssA. ass not q
+ lasting bensAt to the real workers in any legitimate call
Ing. ON the contrary, they are . distinct ai.sayantsSge
, bsesass they tssA to'Eise ssaA seesspbipp to the aetys
1 worker asd II the iosisr. and, by Increasing the eest q
: pya1pctaa. e atseeuFses estlEpFiss, aa4 to inasssse tn,
$50 q llistpE e TIE worker hlipssBt
Fl.ess4 ~ s.tass.., Of FssSs ETY. eae4snAtsasa. 4ep.zd,
. iAg : lot Of money on . paving contract. surely. Mr.
8 ~. has beea , Iaple sGsisl lsnE aeaugh net te Nisd
! l1tae thh.ss liks thstk gs
I Ja4sf l4.asais tllsska y. ought t. TT out u.
ei41teeartha sMsadHept fsf tl4My yssN q "a. DNt sgPeo4