Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-15
AUTOCRACY HELD
!. INDUSTRY DANGER
Institute Speaker Declares
Democracy Needs Labor
Organizations.
BY a stan Correspondent OF The star


UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, Au-
gust l5.-American industry is being
concentrated in the hands of indus
trial autocrats" Donald r. Richberg,
Chicago author and lawyer, warned the
Institute of Public Affairs here today
BY encouraging such concentration,
thus helping crush out small business
and competition for labor, the Govern
ment is defeating its own purpose, ne
declared and opening the way for the
destruction of Democratic institutions
AS a result of these industrial con-
centrations he said, 1.-THE. doors of OPP
portunity are being deliberately closed
on the independent self-protectng
worker There is no place for him in
this industrial system. The applicant
for lob is not permitted to negotiate
a contract He has no individual bar
gaining power He is not Ssrf because
his employer has no property interest
in hinl-only the property interest in
keeping him free to be exploited"
Balance of Power Necessary.
It is essential for a sound social or
ganization, he said, that there be bal
ance Of power between the different
elements of society. If any group OBJ
tains dominant power tyranny is in
evitable
1.-THE balance of economic power" he
declared, lis being destroyed by the OPP
orators of modern industry in America.
There are millions Of unemployed work
ers ready to break down the wage
standards, With the constant dis
placement of workers by machines this
unhappy reserve supply of labor is con-
stantly increasing. If it were not Tor
some 100000 trade unionists there
would be no weight of any consequence
on the employee side Of the scales.
3 Izr.,.I
laudable efforts to render public service
by great money makers. Unfortunately,
these noble experiments support reams
of sophistical argument in favor of still
further concentration of industrial pow
er, so that more billions may be press
ed out of the natural and human re-
sources of this wealthy Nation"
Industry" Mr.. Richberg continued,
sis the last stronghold of despotic
power The only effective challenge to
this power in America and throughout
the world has come from organized
labor. If the despotic power of those
who now control the ma jor industries OF
America is further strengthened by
further consolidating the monopolies of
employing power. one Of two results
must follow. Either this power will be
matched by the development OF Nation
wide labor organizations welding
economic and political power of stag
gering proportions--or all effective,
above-board labor organizations will be
crushed and an underground, revolu-
tionary labor movement will begin to
rise to power"
Canada Rum System Held Bad.
The liquor situation in Canada, under
government sales control, is worse than
in the United States under prohibition,
BENJAMIN H. Spence, editor of the
Toronto Star, told the institute last
night.
The test of any system, he insisted,
els the amount of alcohol that goes
down the outlets of the people
Tracing the history of the Canadian
system, he said: THE government
simply acts as selling agent for brewers
and distillers and purveyor to the drink
ers. The system helps to increase sales
and consumption. 1t quickens the speed
of transactions, lowers the price, IN
creases sales and piles up the pro1lts
of the producer"
THE idea that there are no more bar
rooms in Canada is mistake, he in
sisted. They are only masquerading
under another name.
-Four of the iquor-selling provinces,
he declared. have established beer par
lors. The difference between these and
the old saloons is the difference between
tweedledum and tweedledee. In the old
saloon customers stood up to drink. In
the beer parlors they sit down to drink
The question to be decided is simply
whether a man can drink as much in
a semi-horizontal as in perpendicular
position. In either way he can drink
so much that he does not know or care
whether he is sitting or standing or
rolling on the floor It is playing with
the question to argue that the evil of
public drinking is in the position of the
body of the drinker. The consensus
seems to be that man really can hold
more liquor sitting.
Government Defeats Schools.
"In Ontario scientific temperance
teaching is obligatory in the public
schools. yet the student sees emblazoned
on the windows of the government Ii
Quor establishment that coat of arms
of the province. This very association
of the government with the liquor trade
cuts the ground from under the feet of