Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-27
II. s. Labor and the Dole

and all are wards Of the state. Social
4 ism In our time" was the campaign
cry. Through the dole some two and
| half millions Of persons were made
wards or the state, to the extent of the
dole, while the state did not assume
any Of the functions through which
these wards might have produced at
least some of the wealth required for
their care. It was an unbalanced pro-
gram, bound TO come to grief. But
those British trade unionists who fore
saw grief were derided and pushed into
the Background.
It seems clear that if any part of the
Socialist program Is to be adopted,
something more than payment OF doles
must be adopted SO that the state may
at least derive an earned income with
which to pay It's wards. But it seems
even clearer that the Socialist move
rnent, based upon the visionary picture
conjured by Karl Marx, is as visionary
as Its patron saint when it comes TO
practical application Of policies. The
position taken BY the American Fedora
ticn of Labor In declining to be other
than a trade union organization When
the British trade unions went into poll
tics they were the strongest in the
world and the best disciplined For
years past visitors from abroad and
self-acclaifned intelligentsia at home
have lectured the American Federation
Of Labor and It's officers for the blind
ness and failure to see the goddess of
opportunity reckoning to them to turn
political.
Overlook Labors Part.
At ell times in this mad rush the
fact ever borne in mind by the Ameri-
can trade u1ionists-that all wealth is
primarily created by labor and eventu-
ally all the burdens of taxation are
paid by labor directly or indirectly
has been. forgotten and overlooked by
those who have led the British trade
union fran trade tlnionisr11 into poll
tics and Socialism with the net result
that the trade unions Of Great Britain,
today the shadows Of once powerful
economic forces, are impotent to pro-
tect themselves or their members.
From nearly 100000 in 1920 the
membership Of the British trade unions
has shriifk to little more than half
that number. Meantime, there have
been more drastic and severe wage re-
auctions in almost any IL months dur
ing this decade than the United States
wage earners have suffered In the en-
tire period.
It has Been said that the British
Labor party will have to be rebuilt.
Whether it will or not, whether it can
or not, Is for politicians to say. More
important will be the rebuilding of the
British trade unions, certain to be torn
and split and stripped Of much of their
remaining power by the movement now
in its early stages
For the United States the lesson of
Europe's experience with the dole is
manifest. to leave untouched and un-
rernedied the basic causes of unemploy-
r1ent Is. to make insecurity O haunting
fear to labor, and instability a continu-
ing nightmare TO business. If inseeur-
ity is the laborer's reward for the in
yestmert Of his skill and experience in
industry, then labor will be driven to
q dole as a guarantee against involun-
tary idlenesS. For men will not starve
dole or no dole! Once we have set
our face toward the dole we may ex-
peet some of the results which perplex
Europe's finances and political order of
today.
American Labor Opposed.
The position of American organized
labor toward the dole is one of ardent
opposition. American labor has a pro-
found abhorrence for the whole princi-
pie underlying the dole. It is idle to
say we cannot be driven to the dole. 1t
is certain we will resist it to the last