Evening star., 1938-07-09
Present Situation Of the
Plain People Analysed.

Az tA1o 1oAtoi u 4uc Oval
REFORE the World War, which divert
ed attention from the economic sit
uation delayed and augmented the de-
preston, Woodrow Wilson said: "The
thought of the plain people, who enjoy
no privilege and have very simple and
unsophisticated standards of right and
wrong, must prevail, if the Government
is to survive" This administration has
deluged the plain people with economic
froth and so thoroughly deluded them
that they cheer for such absurd and fu-
tile legislation as the wage-hour BILL
Let us assume, for the moment, that such
legislation had been the law of the land
early in the administration. At that
time the 25-cent minimum hour wage
bought three or four pork chops. AL
though "willful waste makes woeful
want" the administration destroyed sew
eral million pigs and the same quarter
only bought two pork chops. A reduc-
ton of about 40 per cent in wages as far
as they relate to pork chops and the per-
sistent effort of the administration has
been to boost prices-that is, reduce
wages. Wages isn't money. 1t is the
food, clothing, shelter, commodities and
satisfaction the money will buy, so less
money in the pay. envelope or higher
prices for what it buys are one and the
same thing-a reduction in wages
Wages and capital are earned and
there is difference between earning
and getting. If one finds, or steals, dol
lar, he Is that much richer because some
one, unfortunately, Is that much poorer.
Likewise, if one acquires a dollar, or
million dollars, for which he renders no
corresponding service, he is that much
richer because others, somewhere and
somehow, have been robbed of that
much, and are that much poorer. The
plain people were robbed of millions that
went to landowners for not making a
social contribution, that is, not raising
pigs, cotton, wheat or other such much
needed commodities.
All the outstanding gold had been
bought and paid for by labor at $40 an
ounce. The administration compelled its
owners (unconstitutionally, If the minor
ity in the Supreme Court was right to
sell 1t back to the Government at that
price and then decreed it to be worth
much more. If, as the administration
claimed, there was a profit of billions
and millions in the transaction individ-
ualS somewhere and somehow were
robbed Of that much, because the admin.
istration rendered no equivalent service.
Moreover the change in the standard re-
duced wages and deprecated savings,
because, afterward, the money bought
less.
Political economy has to do with our
bread and butter, of which we may have
sufficient and also with our neighbors
bread and butter, of which millions have
less than sufficient. It touches every
pocketbook. every day and it is impor-
tant that we should search for the truth
and also to follow it wherever it may
lead. Our economic ills are manmade,
not God inflicted, and ignorance is a
crime, contemplating those who influ-
ence legislation or sway public opinion.
The wickedness OF the administration
in perpetuating the wretchedness and
misery of the jobless, hungry, poverty
stricken millions is incomparably worse
than that of any gangster group and
contributes more to the fire of discomfort
that may destroy the best form of gov
ernment ever devised.
j. B. CHAMBERLAIN.