Evening star., 1924-09-01
Continued from First Page.)

ment of religious worship. This is
the general American policy which is
working out with a success more
complete for humanity, with it's finite
limitations, than was ever accom-
plished anywhere else in the world.
The door of opportunity swings wide
onen on our country. Through it, in
constant flow, go those who toll.
America recognizes no aristocracy
save those who work. The badge Of
service is the sole requirement for ad-
mission to the ranks Of our nobility.
These American policies should be
continued. We have outlawed all
artificial privilege. We have had our
revolution and our reforms. I do not
favor a corporation government. a
bank government. farm government
or labor government. ! am for a
common-Sense government by all the
people, according to the American
policy and under the American Con-
stitution l want all the people to
continue to be partakers in self
government. We never had govern
ment under our Constitution that was
not put into Office by the votes of the
toilerS.
Mixing Work and Brains.
It is only necessary to look about
you to observe the practical effect Of
this policy. 1t is somewhat difficult
to find men in important Government
positions who did not in their begin
nings live by the work of their own
hands. OF those who sit at the
Cabinet table of the Nation none
were born to the purple, save only
as they were born to become Amer
lean citizens, and nearly all in early
life earned their living by actual
manual labor The Secretary of
Labor comes from union labor ranks.
In each important national conference
in which labor is Interested. labor has
been represented. On several occa-
sions under this administration that
has been the practice. 1t was so at
the conference on unemployment, on
transportation, on agriculture, on the
business cycle, on intermittent en-
ployment in construction industries,
and on the great Washington con-
ference for limitation of armament.
The same policy prevails in the MEM
hership of many of our important
commissions. The chairman of the
United States Shipping Board, one of
the most important places of buSi-
ness administration in the Govern
ment. is filled by a man who was
prominent in organized labor The
St. Lawrence River, the Interstate
Commerce and the United States
Employees Compensation Commits
sons, the Vocational Education and
the Railway Labor Boards, are ex-
amples of this policy and are results
of the open door of opportunity. Those
who have been identified with toll
are now and will continue to be in
important places of Government
authority. The wage earners of
America have been mixing their work
with brains ever since the day of
George Washington.
But the Government of the United
States is not for the qualification of
the people who happen to hold office.
1t is established TO promote the gen.
eral welfare of all the people. That
is the American ideal. No matter
how many officeholders there may be
or what their origin, our institutions
are a failure unless they serve all the
citizens in their own homes. 1t is al
ways necessary to find out what ef-
feet the institutions of government
and society have on the wage Garner
in order to judge of the desirability
of their continuation.
Higher Living Standards
One of the outstanding features OF
the present day is that American
wage earners are living better than
at any other time in our history.
They have not only retained, but ac-
during the war. The cost of living
has been high, but the increase in
wages has been greater. Compiia-
tions of the Department of Labor
demonstrate that the wages OF an
hour or a day buy more now than 1t
ever did before. Not only are the
American wage earners now receiv-
ing more money, and more of the
things that money will buy, for their
work than any other wage earners
in the world, but more than was
ever before received by any COM
munity of wage earners. We have
here in the United States not only
the best paid workers in the world.
but the best paid workers that ever
lived in this world.
All this has been accomplished in
spite of a general shortening Of the
hours of labor in the industries. The
case of the iron and steel and the
box board industry are particularly
notable in this regard. AS a direct
result of President Hardings fnitia-
tive the iron and steel manufac-
turers were brought together and an
agreement was reached under which
the 12-hour day and the 7-day week
have been eliminated. Secretary
Davis did the same for the box board
workers.
Without Loss I'm Wages.
Yet this has beer done without any
loss in wages. On the other hand,
there has been actual gain. The De-
partment of Labor statistics show
that in 1924 the customary working
time per week in blast furnaces has
been reduced to IS per cent of the
customary working time per week in
1913. But earnings per hour in 1924
are more than two and one-half
times the earnings per hour in 1919!
Despite the great reduction in hours,
weekly earnings in this industry
stand today 80 per cent above weekly
earnings of 1913.
In the open-hearth furnace depart
ment of the iron and steel indus
try, working hours are now only
"A per cent of the working hours Of
1913. But earnings per hour are
more than two and two-thirds times
the earnings per hour of 1913. Earn
ings per week are SO per cent above
the weekly earnings of 1913. All
other departments of the iron and
steel industry have enjoyed large in
cerases in earnings per hour and per
week.
1 know that figures are sometimes
tiresome. But these I am quoting
are SO eloquent that I am sure you
will pardon other illustrations. In
the shoe industry regular working
hours are now IL per cent lower than
in 1913, hourly wages are two and
one-seventh times those of 1913, and
ful1-time weekly earnings are 90 per
cent above those of 1913.
In cotton manufacturing hourly
earnings are more than two and one
half times those of 1913. Working
hours have been reduced s per cent,
and wages by the week are almost
two and one-third times what they
were in 1913.
Gain In Past Year.