Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1931-12-04
LAB 0 R N VS.
BY
F. T. CORNELIUS, Secretar,
SafsHnry-Spencer Central Labor Union

The Salisbury. : Spencer Central
Labor Union, as the local branch of
the American Federation of Labor
makes several very positive declara-
tions on educational work which is
quoted in part as follows:
-1.-That we place ourselves on re-
cord as favoring compulsory full time
education to the age of sixteen and
part time education to the age of
eighteen in every state, and that ade-
quate machinery for such law enforce
ment be provided and maintained.
2.-That we reaf1rm our support of
such schools and urge all local unions
and component bodies and members
to support and protect the vocation
-d een1Tnn.rion school IDEAS ard shae
we endeavor TO secure the active CO.
operation of all organized labor and
other social groups interested in COM
%prehensive education opportunities
for all children.
3-That we urge upon our men,
bership and other citizens to make
demands upon boards Of education to
seek the advice of educational experts
outside their several localities to re-
organize their teachers training insti-
tutions for a normal growth of school
systems, and in order that increasing
efficiency in the training and a more
enlightened professional outlook of
the teachers may be assured.
4-That immediate steps be taken
to absorb unemployed teachers into
school systems by making room for
regular appointments through reduc-
ing the number of children in classes
to a maximum of thirty children i'll
a class.
5-That we call attention of organ
lied labor to the importance of the
Parent Teachers Movement, and its
relation t o the maintenance of those
ideals which American workers re-
gard as sacred, and that we urge such
members as are parents of public
school children that dhey particip-
atein the activities of the Parent
Teachers Association of their COM
munities to the end hat this influence
upon the training of the children
shall be in futherance of the ideals
which they as trade unionist are pledg-
ed to sustained.
WORKERS LOSE II BILLION
DOLLARS
Wage earners yearly income is now
s11,0o0,00Q,0 900 below the 1929
level. This does not include losses OF
salaried workers. The total income OF
factory workers is now 81 per cent
below 1929, of Railroad workers Is
per cent below, and the income OF all
wage earners, we estimate, has de-
clined 81 per cent below 1929. Cost
of living has declined only II per cent
workers actual purchasing power is
therefore - per cent below 1929.
Allowing for the change in prices the
wage earners loss is $1,000, 600, 600
in 1929 dollars.
This loss is a major factor in
business development. No other single
item in record of business losses has
had anything like the economic effect
of this ii billion dollar decline In
wage payments. Bank failures have
caused panic, but actual deposits in
all banks that failed in the year end
ine September 3oth 1887 was less than
one seventh the amout lost by wage
earners (s1,5oo,o oo, ooo). All business
failures reported to Dun's review IN
the same period involved only one
fifteenth the amount ($750,o00, ooo)'
If the United States were to lose its
entire foreign trade, the lose would
be less than one half as great as the
wage decline ($5,150,ooo, ooo) IN