The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-12-28
MOST WILL NOT BE MILLIONAIRES
(From the Minnesota Labor Review

(From the Minnesota Labor Review
That long predicted process of the shifting down of
the middle class into the working class to be
we'll under way according to the income tax returns
Long prophesied and long delayed, it comes at time
when the workers are being hit by unemployment
caused by improved machinery and when the adjust
ment will be most difficult if any adjustment is pos
sibe under the present industrial and social system
Latest income tax returns disclose decrease of Co.
O4O in the group reporting incomes from $4,000 to $780,
0OO onefour Of these moved up, threefourths moved
down to the groups reporting incomes less than $4,000
per year.
The vast majority of middle class business people
and professional people have lived and sriven in the
belief that eventually they would become real capital
lists They have scoffed at the of the organized
workers, or any idea that all notwel in the world
and would not always be for those who applied indus.
try and brains
Chain stores, chain most everything, and industrial
consultations driving out the Independent merchants
and essening the opportunities for executives are now
beating down the middle class.
That this process is at work reflected not alone in
income tax returns, but in capitalist magazines.
typical example is an article in December Harpers
"The Cost of Prosperity or care You and l Better
Off Than We Were?" by James Truslow Adams, mid
die class gentleman who finds the middle class suffer
ing severely result Of what passes for prosperity
In his opinion the workers and the millionares arr
benefciaries of present conditions. The workers to
slight extent His size up Of the spiritual losses
cruing in obtaining material prosperity all too true
Mr. Adams describes present prosperity like this
"There is no prospect of comfortable retirement in oil
age For many who thought Of it in the oil
days there is the present spectre Of illness in
capacity"
He finds the following conditions present in on
much Wanted prosperity: Marriage is steadily bein
postponed with all that implies physologically and psy
chologicallythat the birth rate is fallngthat hear
disease, divorce, and insanity all increasing Their
is less leisure except perhaps for the old poor and t
new very rich, than there 20 years ago. Speedn
up has been made deadening thing in office as we
factory work. In cities people, who is years ag
had comfortable homes are by no means as comfor
able today The cost Of living increases rapidly th1
It is impossible for many TO feel that they have
omc security that will endure to the end Of their day
The article commences by quoting a Washingto
news dispatch announcing "the highest standard
living attained in the history Of the world VIZ
reached last year by the American people" II col
cludes with this soothing question "The highest stan
ard Of living attained in the history Of the world
Changes are coming with lightning-ke swiftnes
The process of shifting people into two classes will
at increased pace. 1t is not something to be
spaimg about, but hopeful sign. It will remove h
camoufage and the obscurng Of issues and interests
the great financial powers.
History shows that human beings demand the rig
to live. When they can't make a living under a soci
SYSTEM they have failed to change It for one
der which they could. And the right to make mon,
when il conflicts with the right Of the majority to Ii
will be cast into the ash barrel
Conditions and statistics disclose that most pf u
middle class will join the working class they will
become millionares And the quicker the middle ella
realizes that and gives its aid to the cause Of 4
workers Of the city and the country and wastes lie
time on dettante lectures, that soothing but pr
mote no constructive action the earlier there will
economic security and real happiness for those who h
today and those who used TO compose the middle cla
Perhaps this is waste Of space The process
shifting down the middle class is under way and all
criticisms Of middle class gentlemen will not stay it.