Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1923-08-10

the private ownership Of property is
based
Viii wealth give way 10 reason and
justice and thus maintain and per
petuate its functions in . manner and
under a method that will bring the
greatest peace and the most happi-
ness 10 all citizens within govern
meni9 or will IL continue to obStruet
and thus antagonize until compelled
by force TO surrender its dominant
power and its methods Of acquisition
and in the end be subjected TO the
injustice that must inevitably follow
Ii is here that the worker and own
ership could ard should play part.
Ii is freely realized and almost uni
verSally recognized that the present
wage system is based upon what is
called supply and demand. There
fore, the wage-earner who is without
the means Of Withholding his labor is
forced to sueeumb TO the economic
pressure that is brought TO bear upon
him when entering into a contract for
wages and working conditions. In
fact. he has nothing whatever 10 say
about his employment If unorganized
and dealing individually. He merely
has the choice of accepting what is
offered or of refusing and with the
supply Of labor greater than the de-
mand and family to feed, clothe and
shelter, what other choice can be
made than that of accepting regard
less of the injustice of the wage or
working conditions that he must labor
for or under? Justice that should be
the standard in the negotiation for
the sale of the laborer's skill or
strength has no place in. this scheme
of things, being elassed as an abstract
proposition, form of sentiment that
the holders and wielders of economic
power frankly and coldly state has no
part in business.
Change Is Imperative.
Hence ii must be evident, at least,
to any student of economic problems
or fair thinking men, that unless
there be a change in the present OPP
pressive manner in the functionlng of
industry as il affects the rights and
standards of the laborer and the share
of both employer and employee in
the production and joint ownership
of the product, the revolutionary
change must continue until there is
finally break or upheayal in society.
To avoid this as previously quoted
wise men are discussing it; practical
men are proposing schemes; popular
meetings, legislatures and rulers of
| nations are all busted with it, yet so
| far no plan has been proposed or
evolved upon which opposing forces
have come together in agreement for
working basis upon which to at
least make a start.
Many hold that a universal recogni-
| ton of the trade union movement,
and thus thorough organization, be-
tween the contending forces in in
| dustry, with the state as umpire, as
it were, backed up by public senti-
ment in expression through the fran
chise, is the most practical and just
plan and that through limited opera
ton it has already proven its worth
hence should be the method toward
finding a real solution. For the pres
ent this method as herein outlined
and in partial operation should appeal
| to all who view present and impend'
ing conditions in industry and gov
| eminent from an unbiased and for
ward-looking standpoint.
Should this goal be reached, how
ever, there will still be that void
that something lacking that mans
nature Graves which is necessary fol
real and true cooperation-that some
thing which makes for satisfaction
and voluntary stimulus toward tn,
| full expenditure of effort and energy
| in mans labor which is ownership
Ownership in part, at least, of the
tools of production as called for IL
the Catholic Bishops Reconstruction
| Program. As the relator views it
with less than this the laborer cannot
protect his rights to the full fruits OF
! his labor or maintain and broaden the
liberty which by right is his under
the neutral law and through the pm
vate ownership of property.
For If the state own all the mean:
of production and distribution then
true liberty is at an end and the la
borer will receive only such portion
of the fruits of his labor as the
master, THE State" shall apportior
to him. Neither will be have free
choice of his employment so that by
carrying out the doctrine of those
who would overthrow in its entirety
the present capitalistic system of -ov'
eminent, the laborer would find I
worse state awaiting him through
adopting the other extreme.
Hence it would seem that thorough
organization of capital and labor sep
arately or co-jointly, the latter pref
erably, and giving to labor part own
ership of the tools of production witt
a limit on capitals share for prof.
would make for security and thu
much satisfaction to the laborer
bring about higher efficiency and In
creased production and PRACTICAL!
eliminate the parasitical element tina
now hangs as a barnacle upon indus
try. forcing it into productive labor
| thereby creating more wealth ant
consequently a greater amount FOL
distribution which in turn would ten'
to bring to industry the peace anC
Justice which the encyclical contends
/ for and which is so necessary for thu