South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-05
LABOR'S ONE Day.

On this day set aside BY law a tribute 20 labor.
not only every wage Garner but every employer
should take stock Of the present situation.
Were the view confined 20 two outstanding situa-
tons, there might we'll be cause 20 feel dark and
gloomy the future.
Thsrs r. a labor war in West virginia The fight
OF for better conditions the mining districts
OF that state has the point Of actual warfare.
The United States army stands guard in the
mountains. equipped 10 kill in order TO restore
quiet IN those regions
The merits OF the controversy have been lost
90 view IN the open clash between the contending
factions
The union believe that they battling fer
living wage. for conditions that make life possible
and that their organization IS the sole bulwark
against oppression that amounts TO slavery
Opposed 70 them are the employers who have de-
clared for open shop IN their mines. They claim to
be battling for the rights OF every 70 hold his
Job under any condition he sees fit 20 accept.
Many workers have already been killed. More
men will die probably. And surely there will be
hunger IN the mines. while in the cities that need
fuel there will be freezing and suffering later on.
That IS dark picture
The other IS the fact that there are nearly six
million jobless men in the United States today and
that soon the cities will be filled with hungry
seeking work
In the banking district served by the Chicago
Federal Reserve bank. the reports issued today
state that IN one year the number OF employees fl
the important industries has decreased % per cent
and that the rayrolls have dropped 81 per cent-a
falling OF the average wages OF about one-eighth.
That IS the other dark picture.
Now turn TO the bright side. The worker in tho
United States is the paid. lives higher
standard and reaches higher social plane than the
laborer OF any other nation.
49,,
which the world is making for it's years of madness
and destruction.
The lowering wage is met. in part at least, by
higher purchasing power that wage.
The loss Of jobs Is not correspondingly high in
percentage as was occasioned in other countries
In prestige labor stands higher today than ever
before. The outstanding lesson of the was that
labor alone counts-human labor. which holds civil
Lzaton together.
Equality made more than phrase and the
last vestige of class sense of superiority wiped
away. except the minds Of the idle MASTERS
whose wealth will be dissiLated by their own
worthessness
To reach the high standards Of life. the social
Importance, the acknowledged equality Of rights la
Dor has been compelled to meet many obstacles
Standards OF life are fixed by ability produce
and the worker OF this country has outstripped
ali by his power create wealth.
The home OF the average American worker OK
today IS equipped with more comforts than the pal
aces OF kings a century ago.
At his COMMAND through Libraries and schools,
are available facilities for education which were
denied college students Of fifty years ago.
Luxurtes Of twenty-five years ago have become
cessides-and must remain necessities.
Dignity and justice are the two essential demands
OF labor on this day every worker should know
within that these only hts rights but
his duties
The employer who has any lurking suspicion
within his soul that he grants these privileges
should purge himself of that thought
To receive dlgnifed treatment must be digni-
fed. To demand justice. just.
This applies alike to the triumvirate OF Industry
equally interested partners-Labor. Employer and
Public