davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The labor world., 1921-09-24
LOW WAGE CUTS PROFIT.

A number of Minnesota pulpwood
tie and post operators met in Minneapo
lis two weeks ago and organized a state
association. The very first thing they
did after organizing was to fix a new
wage scale for their employees, and they
did it with vengeance.
Day laborers in the woods are to be
paid from $26 to $50 a month and
board. Piece workers will be given
two and one-half cents for every stick
of pulp wood they cut and 1917 cents
for every tie. Board to be charged the
mon was fixed at one dollar a day.
That was all very fine. The timber
merchants patted themselves on the
back over their '|success' in agreeing
upon wage scale for their men and tn
which there was little opposition. The
workers were not represented in the
meeting and there was, therefore, none
to make objection to the new scale.
Now come the purchasing agents for
the railroads and the paper mills who
insist that the price Of pulp wood, ties
and posts be reduced in proportion as
wages have been reduced. The timber
merchants, having no talking point in
their favor, are compelled to yield, and
they find themselves now forced to do
business on smaller margin of profit
than when they paid higher wages.
In their eagerness to "turn the
screws'' on their workmen, who they
claim have had everything pretty mucI,
their own way in regulating wages for
the past five years, the timber men
find themselves worse off than before.
In reducing wages to the core they have
been compelled to cut prices to a point
where the business ceases to be profit
able.
And that. is exactly what comes from
autocracy in industry, whether it is on
the side Of the workers or of the en-
ployers. Democracy in industry recog.
nizes the axiom Of "Live and lie;
Live,'' which will be found, as tn;
adage implies, to work both ways, dur.
ing times of plenty as we'll as during
periods Of depression.
The labor world., 1921-09-24

a. bill authorizing the War Finance cor
poration to use the governments credit
to the extent Of $500, 100000, which is
to be turned over to the railroad ad.
ministration and used in the "adiust.
ment Of all claims and accounts during
federal control.' Those who advocate
this indefensible proposal say that the
money is to be spent getting the car
riers in shape to handle the nation IS
business, and thus will give employ.
ment to large number of men who
will be put to work building cars and
locomotives and repairing tracks and
other equipment.
Nobody who is tolerably familiar
with the ways Of railroad management
gives~any credence to this claim.
Those who are simple enough to be
in doubt as to what the railroads pro-
pose doing with the $5oo,0oo,ooo sub
sidy should give heed to the action Of
the New York, Chicago and St. Louis
and be fully advised as to its ultimate
destination.
The railroads are taking money from
the depleted federal treasury not to i'm
prove their properties, not to aid un-
employment, not to anticipate the
maximum transportation need, but to
pay dividends. That is the unadulter-
ated truth, and no amount of specious
lying will wipe it out.
The other day the Pennsylvania de.
clared a dividend it had not earned.
Its action violated sound business prin-
ciples and morals. It is going to dis
tribute mythical profits on the asusr-
ance that its friends in the government
will provide the cash.
Don't be fooled by the high-soundinc
of the unemployment con-
ference. The dividend referred to
above tips off it's sponsors real pur-
pose.
The labor world., 1921-09-24
TAKING Us INTO srERIL1TY

Now all you nice little boys and girls
in the science class, attention, please!
The question is, "What is ammonium
sulphate?''
No answer' Is, Congressman Larson
or either Senators Nelson or Kellogg
in the class? All, there they are. All
three Of them. Do any of You three
nice little boys know what ammonium
sulphate isl; No, it is not what you
clean rugs with. No, it's greatest use
is not the making Of smelling salts!
It is the principal ingredient in the
most costly fertilizer in our depleted
farms and gardens. That is, the nitro
gen in it is. Where does it come from?
From various parts, in and out Of this
country. The beef and pork packers
make it from hides, horns, hair, etc., or
if they don't they could. It is derived
mostly from the destructive distillation
of coal.
J Since McKinley's time it has been
on the free list, as our three little boys
down in front could have told you.
Why did the high protectionists Of
those old days let it come in free?
Because the farmers needed it in order
that they may fertilize their fields and
orchards. They need the nitrogen in
it. Said Mckinley, "I am protec-
zionist; but if we tax fertilizers, we
tax ourselves into sterility. We cannot
grow cotton, tobacco, hemp, nor in
many places, wheat or corn or apples
or peaches, or many other foodstuffs,
unless we have cheap nitrogen. And
ammonium sulphate is fertilizer in
gredient. Therefore we must refrain
from making it dear by taxation. Let
it come as cheaply as possible, and the
fields will remain rich. We shall not
become a desert as many long cult
waited countries have done, because they
did not fertilize.
1t Mckinley did not say just those
words, he ight have done so; and he
thought those thoughts For he put
ammonium sulphate on the free list.
It is NOT on the free list in the
Fordney bill. 1t carries a duty of $12
ton. A certain company, called the
Barrett company, handles most of this
commodity in this country. They pc.
most of it from the coke-makers.
School is over, now; but Oscar and
Knute and Frank will please write es-
says on this for the next recitation.
The labor world., 1921-09-24
FRANK 1. DAY ENDORSES
DISTRICT COURT JUDGES

Duluth Judges have demonstrated
that they are bigger men and have
keencr sense of Justice than the
state railway commissioners. The
latter in u slambans decision, rais-
ed the street railway fares from S
to 8 cents. The wise men of the
woolsack, after due consideration,
restored the 8 cent rate. The, re-
suit Is that the railway commissions
ers have on hand a lot of embar-
RAISING explanations which will
keep them busy till next election.
1t is only fair to railway comulis-
sioner jacobson to say that he op-
posed the raise in rates and appears
to be entirely free of corporation
influence Frank A. Day in Fair
mont Sentinel.
The labor world., 1921-09-24
GERMAN, LABOR COMPETITION.

Somehow we cannot fathom the re-
marks of Oscar Mitchell made before
the Kiwanis club one day last week in
which he said;
"German citizens are working early
and late. They are working hard. They
are working for low wages. Germany
is going ahead in an industrial way in
a manner in which other European ma
tions are not. -.
"Unless we want to be left behind
we must emulate the example Of the
German industrial workers and mana.
find ourselves in subservient position
find ourselves in subserviant position
within few years.
What does Mr.. Mitchell advise? How
would he have US "emulate the exam:
pie Of the German industrial workers
and managerse" They are working
"early and late," which presumably is
that they are working long hours
"They are working for low wages -
according to Mr.. Mitchell. Shall
American workers "emulate the exam
pie" Of the German workers by also
working long hours for low wages!
There can be no other Interpretation
to his conclusions. And if American
! workers should "emulate the example
Of the German industrial workers.
what thenf Would that satisfy! There
il China and Japan and India where the
workers are employed for longer hour.
and are paid less wages than in Ger
many. Why not have the American
workers. emulate the example'' Of tn,
workers Of the Orientq Would not that
be the logical thing to do to MAKE
America the industrial master Of th,
worldf -.
What has become of the argument
for , high tariff to protect Amsrieai
labor from the stcheap, pauper lsbol
Of the old world1'' Why have y,
enacted stringent immig ration Law
agai4st tha ipport,s sttiio1 ttii,o,11 S ths y,sllos,
The labor world., 1921-09-24
TAXES IN TERMS OF LABOR.
An eminent economist has determin

An eminent economist has determined
that the British people have to work
four months in each year to support
their government. In reducing govern
ment cost to an expression in terms Of
labor equivalent he has brought homa
to tax payers, strikingly and effective
ly, the inevitable result of continued
neglect of their own interests.
Nobody has taken the trouble to fig
ure out how many months each Ameri-
can must work to meet the burdensome
demands Of his government, but some
one is certain to do so, and then there
will be earnest thinking.
The late DR.. Rosa stimulated atten-
tion when he published an analysis Of
government expenditures showing that
of each dollar gathered by the tax COL
lector 90 cents plus went for the pur.
poses Of war. When we know what that
% cents means in hours of unrequitted
toll we shall more fully appreciate its
import.
Politicians act as though they be-
lieved the American citizen to be as
spiritless q drudge as the patient OK,
and it may be that they are justified in
50 thinking. But when that tolerant
individual is shown that he works one
sixth Of his time, let alone one-third,
as the Englishman does, to support such
government as he gets, he might decide
that it isn't worth it and that some.
thing should be done about it. 15t~ 1. r
The labor world., 1921-09-24

men Of tho Esstf TO promote trade
and restore prosperity is it the program
to compel American workers to lower
their standards and tread the pathNof
civilization Backward 1t can/not be.
It must not be.
The German industrial system, with
its straight-jacket methods, is no more
acceptable to tho American workers
than were the German political and
military systems.
1t is not even acceptable to the Ger
man workers, who have through their
trade unions, time and again rebelled
against it. It is maintained only in
such, industrial plants as the Krupp =
operate at Essen, from which the Uni
ted States Steel corporation patterned
its industrial policy. It is relic Of
Kaiserism that still hangs on under the
new order in Germany. Instead of be-
ing encouraged by Americans it should
be repudiated by them as strongly as
was the German system Of political
government. There are some things in
the customs and habits of the German
people we can profitably emulate, but
there is nothing in the German system
anywhere that can fit into our govern
ment, our industries or our lives. We
would smother under it.
Low wages and long hours do not
make a cheap product. Man for man,
the American worker, employed unde:
reasonably fair conditions, does not
fear the competition Of European labor.
He has had to meet that competition
right here at home in the woods, iron
mines, steel plants, mills and factories,
where his standard Of living has been
matched against that Of alien workmen, |,
and he has made steady advances in
spite Of it.
If Mr.. Mitchell would speak out as
daring1y against the raw capitalization
methods which obtain in the privilege
enjoying American ndustries-methods
that are yoking all industry-as he did
in favor of lower standards for Ameri-
can workmen, he would perform great
public service.
If the water could be squeezed from
the stocks in the big industries, thus
taking less money from the product to
pay dividends on wealth that does not
exist, there would be no reason to talk
reductions in wages to meet foreign
competition. All things in industry be-
ing equal the pep of the American
workers would count most in overcom-
ing differences in wage scales between
those obtaining in the United States
and other countries.
The labor world., 1921-09-24
PIG IRON LABOR PHILOSOPHY.

sit is unfair to the workmen of this
and every other community to reduce
their earning power, but tax them on
everything that they eat or wear, and
at the same time keep the wages Of
railroad employees above what other
,workmen Of the same grade are willing
to accept for their own services.'
This is a quotation from statement
said to have been made by the .presi-
dent Of a large sheet and tube com
pany.
Who made the statement is of little
consequence.
The material thing is the philosophy
of life underlying it. That is also the
amazing thing-amazing that men Of
today, men who profess belief in JUS
tice, men who pride themselves on their
right thinking, on their love Of human
ity, should rate labor the same as pig
iron is rated.
Labor is humanity. Food, shelter,
education, the safety Of the home life
OF America, depend upon that. This
philosophy, in effect, declares that tho
payment for Tabor shall be govern ..l
solely by what workers are willing to
accept.
Can such a philosophy, such a princi-
pie of life, stand the test of ANALYSIS
from human standpoint, from tho
standpoint of the ethics of modern CIV
ilization?
There is background to this twill
ingness to accept Let us examine
that background. As it's fringe there is
the law Of necessity" Men must work
In order to live.'' Within the cycle of
this law there are the laws that others
must live off the work that men shall
do Wives and children must be pro-
vided for, education must be looked
after, mans duties to civilization must
be observed, else civilization will soon
decay.
Work, then, is the basis of civiliza-
ton. Wages is the pay which men re,
ceive for the work they do, for the
esrvice they give to civilization. This
service, in turn, rests upon work.
Whether or not there is work to be done
the law Of necessity still operates.
This law Of necessity crushes the
spirit OF men without work, grips them,
deadens them to every sense save self.
preservation. The value Of the service
to those who control work-everythine
Is thrust aside, They must work to
live.
Some, driven by this law of necessity
are ready to give their service, give
their work, for any wages named by
those who control work.
Here is set the background Of twill.
ingness to accept.
Is that really willingness It i.
most inhuman compulsion. More than
that, it is an assault upon civilization
the practical driving Of men into fore
ing their wives and, children into 8
lower standard Of living; deprivina
child life Of its proper nourishment and
training, destroying homo life, with on.
stroks setting back civilization twe
Ieenerations. "a
II Tie IL dinr nnot 4 I'm fhe 3; s.iiron
The labor world., 1921-09-24

congressman who are making up the
revenue bill declare that they don =
know where the money IS coming from,
but they have suspicion that Il IS
going q como out of tho pockets of
their eonst tituents
The labor world., 1921-09-24

GLORY OF PR1vA7E INITIATIVE.
T. Advocates Of private ownership Of
transportation, those who: prate eyer
lastingly Of the inferioriitt.yl md inefh-
sieasy of government osneIlhip, Asvs
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-30

and his "onjecturcs. lie had heard a
faint sound and turning quickly saw
or the first time that he was not alone
in the music room. In II dim corner
beyond the piano was n cushioned scat
and on it, her hands claSpcd in her lap,
her eyes wide with the slccplrsSncss and
anxiety of the night. "rourhcd Betty
GordOn. He took II quick step toward
her. Sh" drew back, pressed tight
against the wall, Eer look one Of ter
ror. TarrOr of him.
But he came on until he stood over
her. looking down into her raised face.
lie felt no end Of pity for her. she
looked so small and helpless and hope
less. Big gray eyes. pleaded with him
and he read and understood that she
asked only that he go and leave her. An
impulse which was utterly new to him
surgCd over him now, the impulse to
gather her up into his arms as one
would child and comfort her. Not
TINT she was Just child She had done
her shining brown hair high up on her
head: she fought wildly for an air of
serene dignity; he judged her at the
last of her teens. But she was non" the
less fowPrlike. all that n true woman
should be, according to tho beliefs Of
certain men of the type Of Jim Ken
dric. n true descendant of sweet,
old fashioned grandmothPrS. Her little
high hcclcd slippers. her dainty blue
dress, the flower which even in her
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-30
A Tale of Adventure
BY OUIEN SABE who Kno,os)
copyright. 1927. By Charles Scribner's Sons

the gart.en was rifle. To be sure there
were risks to be run but now, If ever,
struck him rs the time to run them.
If he could only find where Betty
Gordon slept. He must give her word
of hope before he left her here among
these devils; assuring her that he would
return for her and bring the law with
him. Or. if she had the nerve and the
desire to attempt escape with him now,
that was her right and he would go
as far as man could to bring her
through to safety. Noiselcssly he crossed
the room. He would pass through the
music room and down the hall toward
the living quarters of the house. If luck
were with him he would find her.
1t was only when he was about to
pass out of the music room door going
to the hallway that he heard voices for
the first time. They came from dis
tance, dulled and dCadencd by the oak
doors. bur he knew them for the voices
Of men, raised in anger. A louder word
now and then brought him recognition
OF Ruiz RiOs's voice n sharp answer
might have been from Escobar. He
stopped and considered. If these men
quarrelcd, how would it affect him I
Quarrel they would, soon or late. he
knew. For both were truculcnt and in
the looks he had seen pass between them
there was no friendship. Two rebellious
spirits held III check by the will of 10
raida Castclmar. But now Zoraida
was away.
Then for the moment he forgot then
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-30
CHAPTER y
In Which u Man Keeps His NoFd
and yoroIDa DarcS and Laughs

Krndrtc called TO Bruce: r"|S'tHcr
,lnv carried the unconscious BARLOW
into fine house. K"ndr'c, one" SN'iNlru
,hat his old friends heart sun oIa"
scarcely hrpnthed Until he lighted 4
lomn and found lii" wound. IT was III
Tho ,,houIdrr and nor only did not hp-
,r,r dangerous. but failed +" rNpIaln
,Lr non's condition of coma. mere
,.,,s u ,ri,klo uf blood acr0Ss the i'"i"
forehead N"udrir pushed back lhc nan
,r,J found II eat there. ragged ana llli'u
With dirt. Plainly tn" impact "i lhc
heavy bullet bad Hut!icrd I" unH'a' ~"
,oilor who. pitching Uut OF Il" S"d"'
and striking ON his head, had b"'h
stunned by the fall
Krndrir bathcd and bandAscd b"th
wounds while Bruce went f"r a u"t'l'
"l brandy.
"IIo'~ coming around" aid l\"n-
l.ir us HarIov'. throat rwriy"d the
Singing liuuur. Il don't want t" be
nu Lond whru be- opens NJ eyes. Bruce
f,r len wears I've called TwistN bN tue
name Of frirpd Hes down and out Tor
a lIttlr and what We two have to say to
each other can wait spell,
Rrucc, .tolid faced, now and mor"Ie,
nuddpd K"ndrir went outside ana N'"oI
v.otrLinp ,hr flames work their will win
Brucr'e barns, his heart H"aF "i'HiiI
him. One friend down, Il bullet hO.r N
it. .Lruldrr. shot n. Il raiding cattle
,IiI; urulrr friend looking t. nav,
L,.r his hovish nnturr with the loss at
his hone. And both rendered what they
we're through the wickcdn"NS OF "o'
rnrn Woman? As he bro"drd over
L L,,gtution shp had wrought he be-
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-30

DRUCE was calling loudly to his men
- to ggt to horse and follow. But while
he spoke he broke of hOpclessly rcaliz-
ing that not a horse was left to him.
Before he and his hcrders could get
into saddle they must wait for day
light and must waste hours in driving
IN horses from the distant pastures,
wild brutcs for the most part that a
man could never get near enough on
| foot to rope. He threw out his arms in
wide gesture of despair. Thereafter
! he stood, silent and moody. watching
his hay filled barns bu"".
IF | could get my hands on Iii" man
that engineered this" h. said. his voic"
broken. barely carrying TO kcndri"
few PAGES away. "That's all | ask.
Kcndrir. his rage scarcely less than
Brucc'S, called back to him
II could lead you a. straight Il" a
String. It's the handiwork OF your
ncighbor.
"RiOSE" cried Bruce "ag"rIN'
"Xoraida C0etclmar.
"Damu her. cried the boy. in the
Grclight Kcn6ric saw his steady eyes
clisten and knew that they were filled
with tcar>. tnc trr"iblH tears Of rage
rising above anguish, "Damn her
After that hc stood silent again lo";'
.ug at the burning hIimins<, when /"
now Nn,ac smrtrd sIyward, whom a
Il tfI a.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-30

he named the crowd to which Bruce had
already lost so heavily. ''Thcy've fired
the dry grass,
But while he watched it the light did
not alter, neither tlaring up nor dying
down, burning steadily like a lamp.
When after two or three minutes he
observed this he left the house and
walked out into the field keeping to
the shadows when he could, watchful
and suspicious. Thus presently he came
to see what it was lantern tied from
low limb Of tree. Below the Ian
tern he saw n dark object: 1t moved
and he heard the clink of bride chain
Again he went forward puzzled and
curious. He made out that the saddle
was empty he could see no one near. A
man might be hiding behind the bole
of the oak or might even be above in
the branches. lnwardly Kendric prayed
that he was. He was ready for n
meeting with any loiterer of Zoraida' \
following. His pulses stirred as he
thought that it might even be Rios or
EsCobar.
But though he circlcd the tree and
pcerCd long into the shadows among the
branches, he still saw no one. At last
he came close to the tcthcrcd horse. It
was his own, the sorrcl FL Rey he
had ridden here this morning. saddled
and bridled. spurs sung to the horn.
The lantern shed its rays upon the sad =
die and kcndric saw something else nj
the horn: bunch of little blue field
flowers, held in place by bit of white
/ ribbon.
lie snatchcd the flowers down angrily,
tramplcd on them, ground them under
root. They seemed to him n bit of
Ioraida herself; they taunted him, they
Dorc the message she sent. They were
her summons to come back to her. lie
'crkcd free the tie rope and swung N,
into the saddle. eager and anxious 10
60 back to her the swiftcst way in
| order that the time might come the
more swiftly when he would fulfill his
word and bc free TO leave her. He'd
get a rife from Bruce; with that and
his revolver he'd take his chance, let
all Of her Internal rabblc bar the way.
From the rear Of the house he called
to Bruce.
'"l'yc found my horse; they left him
behind he said rs Bruce came out.
II We got to go back, so back | &c
the quickest ! know how. Take decent
care Of Barlow; he was a real man once
ana may be again. if he can shake that
damned woman oil. Lend me rifle
Il YOU can spar" it. I'll see you again
rs loon MS the ord lets mo. SO long
SO long. Jim. returned Bruce
droarily. lie brought out rifle. hold
ing 1t out wordlcSSly. And KCndriC
rode away into the night.
In III" mountains. though in another
narrow pass, h" was stopped as he hat
been this morning. A lantern wa,
A,NFl i l..