The Winslow mail., 1926-01-15
PAST YEAR MARKS CLOSING OF
REMARKABLE PERIOD OF
THE ADVANCEMENT AND
ACHIEV EMENT OF
LABOR
By STEVEN L. HORTON

The closing of the old year
marked the end of the most re-
markable quarter century of his
tory. During this time our entire
social structure has undergone, if
not a complete change, alterations
that affect every phase of life. For
never before have so many new
things superseded the old.
The automobile has been develop
ed from a rich mans toy into a
dependable means of transporta-
tion, that is within the reach of al
most every one. The wireless, af-
ter reaching an almost perfect
state of development, brought forth
a son that has, within a few years
won more followers than baseball.
The air, if not conquered, has in d
large measure been subsidized,
while the number of household ap-
pliances designed to mitagate the
drudgery of Housekeeping are le-
gion.
During this time Mars pulled the
greatest debauch that ever dark
ened the world. Frightful as it
was, it had it's brigh spots, for
more thought was given to the en-
listed men than ever before. Never
before were such bodies of men
hurled into arms of Molock, never
were nations called upon to do the
great amount of labor required to
keep these great armies afield
With what result? The entire rev.
olutionizing of our methods of pro-
duction and distribution. This in
turn greatly affecting the moral and
social life of the nation.
The tottering throne of John
Barleycorn" has been over-thrown
and he and his prime minister
Bacchus have been outlawed along
with his whole court. These things
have contributed their share to the
new social order-are we better for
them-Who knows?
The question paramount to those
of us who work is: Are we better
off; have we stood still; lost
ground; or gone backward during
this period when the entire move
ment has been foreward That is
a question that can have as many
answers as times it is asked. For
each individual asked, will, out of
the sum Of his own personal ex-
perience, draw his answer, in many
cases without regard to facts so
commonplace that they are taken
for granted.
During this time labor has had
some. of it's hardest fought battles,
won some of it's greatest victories.
The eight hour day has in most
industries become the standard. To
bargain collectively is right dis
puted by but very few employers,
while safe sanitary shops are the
rule instead of the exception, and
in most states the workman is pro-
tected by some form of compensa-
ton law. To say that organized
labor is not the proginator of
these things-but that they have
been handed to us on silver plat
ter by the law-making bodies is
absurd. Who spread the propagan-
da? Who supported the lobbies
that worked for the present laws?
Who elected these men to office
then saw to it that they sawed
wood? Men who met together,
and placing hand to hand,
gether, and placing hand to hand,
mind to mind, decided what they
wanted and went after it. Yet,
they have not been the only bene-
ficiaries, for the entire body of So
ciety has had a hand in the reap
ing. For as every one knows, the
world is supported on the should
ers of Atlas, while he in turn
stands on a log. The man with
the pay-check is the log, the high
er he gets the farther the rest
must go.