Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1925-04-17
|labors.y
1910
Spec $.

HOW often the dealer Who lives by
the working mans wages. is found on
the Side OF the big concerns whose
ann Is to lower wages ana thus cur
tan the spending power Of labor.
Yet Il is a fact of common knowl-
edge that low wages result in low
buying power anu sarinkage of
patronage. Happily the majority OF
merchants are opening their eyes to
the facts, and instead of fighting the
workman and attempting 10 reduce
his wages, they are enllsting on his
side.
This is an indication that the small
retail dealer is becoming quite intell!-
gent, and alive to his own interest.
Money changes during the last
decade have reduced the buying power
of wages until what seems a hatter-
ing increase in the wages OF postal
employees is in reality scarcely keep
ing pace with the increased cost Of
living.
The postal employe who got 81 200
in 1913 has since been raised 90.
But the purchasing power OF his
Sl,S0O has been reduced to Sl,04l as
compared to 1918. Thus in reality he
is getting less than he was paid in
1913. His increase is not real except
on paper.
The real enemies of Union Labor
are not the capitalists, nor the large
employers who seek TO lower the
Union scale by employing non-union
labor.
The real enemies are the non-uniou
men who are willing TO work for low
wages. Were it not for the fact that
many workmeu are willing to be used
as fodder for the purpose of keeping
non-union machinery going there
would be no difficulty in obtaining
settlement Of all wage controversies
by arbitration.
| Low wages and long working hour,
may be laid directly at the door oil
non-union wofkmen. The employer
merely take advantage of such labor.
Cuba may not be an exact parallel
to the United States in problems per
tanning to the workingman's pro-
gress. But a few sidelights on work
ing conditions in that country are IN
teresting TO American workmen.
Women who work in Cuba receive
$1.00 a day for eleven hours hafd
work. Nor do they work thus for
Cuban employers, but for American
capitalists who have large interests
in Cuba.
In proportion the men are no better
IN a a
ganization. In Cuba the American
workman has a reflection of what the
conditions would be in his own coun-
try were the labor organizations TO
discontinue functioning.
There is a principle which is bar
against all information, which Is
proof against all argument, and
which cannot fail to keep man III
everlasting ignorance. That prin-
ciple is condemnation before inYesti-
gation.-Herbert Spencer
The Illinois Tradesman, Springfield
says: Our foreman was telling as
of reading about some penltentiaiy
where the lack Of printers was so
noticeable that the institution was
unable TO ret out a weekly publlca-
ton. 1t had bankers enough 10 start
several banks; preachers sufficient to
carry on a number of reyirals, and
representatives enough from various
walks of life 10 open up almost any
kind of business, but not enough
printers to get out the weekly sheet
Again we are warned to remain
away from the coast states. An. IN
flux of emigrants from other sections
of the country has overrun Oregon,
Washington and California recently
and now the unfortunate workmen
who are out of jobs cannot return 10
the central and eastern states for
lack of funds.
It is an old saying that rolling
stone gathers no moss" And while
the theory has been exploded in part
il still contains the essence Of truth.
Unless one has an unquenchable MI
gratory instinct he had better stlek
10 his job instead of following visions
and dreams thai are never to become
realities except by the rafest good