The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-09-06
THE TRITTMPH OF LABOR

The real triumph which labor, once very den-
mite class of citizens has scored is that the reason
for this special holiday has passed
1t was established at a time when we were
emerging from an agricultural to industrial age
and changing our social order through machinery.
The first beginnings Of that era had divided men
into two classes, those who worked for wages and
those who hired others for pay.
M In the agricultural era, then as now, there were
no social barriers, conflict OF interest between the
employer and the employee.
The hired man on the farm ate at the same table
with the owner of the farm and worked at his side
The hired girl went to the same church socals with
he daughter of the house. Oftener than not she mar
red the son of the family
But industry brought changes. Competition in
manufacture led the owners Of factories to buy as
Acheapy as they could Labor commodity The
wage Garner became distinct social class
And as industry became more organized, the con-
fict deepened and our ancient Americanism took on
"a snobbish attitude of mind, as well as a rather
tyrannous'
The fiction grew that the who worked for
wage was less in dignity, less in rights, than the
one who was able to build factories.
Very early those who worked for wages found
that they must organize If they expected to live de-
Gently or to be able enjoy the articles they manu-
featured.
Labor day was established a recognition Of
the growth of organized labor.
1t was political gesture Theoretically it was
set aside to permit the wageearner to plan for bet
ter things for himself.
The right Of collective bargaining is recog-
nized principle. But the justice which labor OBJ
tains for itself longer depends entirely this
fact
For with the organization of industry on scale
of quantity production, with gigantic corporations
s1ppanting individual owners with labor having OBJ
tanned a margin of savings from his earnings, the
ownership of industry is longer closely held, but
the worker has become The line between
labor and capital is disappearing.
8 This is the day of the labor banks and Of stock
ownership by wage carriers
1t is estimated that more than seven hundred
million dollars worth of stock is held by employees In
Industries in which they employed
That proportion will grow as the years pass and
larger portion of the stock gets into the hands Of
men who labor in the industries.
Fifty-seven thousand employees of the telephone
company own stock in that concern. Forty thousand
semployes of Armour & Co. own stock in that big in
sdustry.
Eet And there thousands upon thousands of wage
who stock in other industries than those
in which they employed:
That has been the triumph of labor and the ulti-
mate disappearance of the term as class designa-
ton is but matter of time.
The public schools the high standard of living,
the general distribution of modern conveniences
of living all moving fast to make the term mean
lngless.
The changed status from the time Labor day was
officially established has been greater than any
change brought by a revolution Of force
re The fine part of it is that 1t is a continuing
change Of the old ORDER always better than yes
terday.l