Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1947-09-26
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~ GEORGE S, BENSON
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Wages and Baskets


A real basket Of food, according
to the American Federation Of La
Dor, is a good unit to use in meas
uring income. That is, how many
baskets Of food will your wages
buy? The Federation's Monthly
Survey" for July has put together
some interesting figures comparing
wages in America in 1910 with
wages in Europe in 1910. These fig
ures are in terms of baskets con-
tanning items for adequate nourish-
ment. An American family of five
would need about four of these bas-
kets a day.
One hours work by a factory
worker in the United States in 1910,
according to the A. F. of L., would
buy 2.83 baskets. In Britain an hour
Of work would buy 1.2s baskets. In
France, Ill; in Germany, 1.02; in
Italy, IS; and in Russia, only 40.
This means that the American
worker could buy with his wages
seven times as much food as a Rus
sian could with his in 1910.
Measure Of Freedom
These figures are in keeping with
personal observations in Europe in
1886 and again In 1916. The amount
Of food worker could buy with his
wages was in direct proportion to
the amount of freedom that a work
er enjoyed in his own country. Rus
STA. had the least individual free
dom and the lowest wages. Amer
lea had the most freedom and the
highest wages.
More than 20 years of Comnu-
nism in Russia. under totalitarian
state which owns and operates the
tools Of production, has failed to
change the ratio in comparison with
America. The monthly Survey"
is right when 1t comments that his
tory has proved that free enter
prise under a democratic form of
government provides the highest
living standards for workers."
Workers are becoming aware that
their best opportunities lie in pre-
serving individual opportunity
freedom to own property and to Gre
ate and operate an industry or
business.
Threats Today
I fear. however. that the Amer
lean public does not understand
some Of the threats being made
upon this very essential factor in
the American way of life. am
interested in seeing industry pay
the highest possible wages. Amer
lea must continue to provide the
best for the most. But I see dan
gers threatening the very things
that enable Americans to buy more
baskets of food than the workers Of
any land.
1. High taxes are cutting of in
vestment of new venture capital.
This will prevent expansion and
growth. New tools and new indus
tries will not be available to provide
jobs.
2. An eXtravagant federal budget
continues to spend and to create in
flation. This restraints men from
venturing and investing.
3. Industrial relations are un-
steady. This instability again
makes capital afraid to venture.
Way to Confidence
Taxes must be lowered enough
that the ordinary man can keep a
larger percentage of his earnings,
and so that men will be inspired
! to invest and venture into business
enterprise. We need to overhaul
the federal budget, to get rid Of
wasteful and infationary govern
ment spending. We need firm but
friendly industrial relations.
If these things were achieved,
they could do much to preserve the
essential ingredient Of our system OF
high wages and high standards Of
living in this land of the free.