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1 Advertising Rates Made Known on '®p: Application. I' tW& If' !f4 f. ft' THE LABOR WORLD Published Every Saturday. Established in 1896 by Sabrie 6. Aikin. Business Office. Suite 610 Manhattan Building1. Duluth, Minn. Zenith Phone, Grand 65. Duluth Phone, Melrose 12S SUBSCRIFTIOKS. One Year, in advance $1.00 Six Months, in advance 50 Three Months, in advance 25 Single Copies, 2 Cents. W. E. McEWEN, Publisher. THE APPOINTMENT OF BRANDEIS. It is hardly conceivable that the president could have found another man whom the country knows as well and deems as well fitted for the supreme bench as L. D. Brandeis. His commanding legal genius has been at tested by many of th© country's able lawyers who have matched strength with him. In the public causes in which he has appeared he has shown not alone know ledge of the law, but keen power of analysis which car ried him through the husks of a question to the very bone and marrow. But his legal ability has not been more marked than his intense love of justice. Few men have ever commanded such confidence in their ability and their integrity of mind and heart. Brandeis has been called a radical, but his opinions have never led him away from the legality of a question rather it has been his determination that protection to citizens that the law intended should be assured. But even beyond these things rise the devotion of this man to unselfish public service. Of many men, happily, we say that they devoted their abilities to the service of their fellows, but how few have carried this to the point of refusing to profit beyond the modest competence with which Mr. Brandeis has been satisfied. The name of "the people's lawyer" that has been so often given him has been earned by his willing service to many causes in which he has not sought or received reward. The world has created few titles of honor such as this. The president is to be congratulated, the supreme court is to be congratulated, but moBt of all the country is to be congratulated on the addition to Its highest trib unal of such a man as Louis Brandeis. PAYING FOR THE NAVY. The Chicago Tribune figures the expense of the navy for 1915 at $1.45 per capita, and then naively states that this is "only" .0687 per $100 of wealth. The trouble with the reasoning is that the tax was practically levied per capita and not per $100 of wealth. It was so levied through tariff and other indirect taxes that a workman with no property, and living—as half of wage-earning fathers do—-on a wage of $10 a week, paid for the support of the navy taxes equal to a rate of .0687 per $100 on about $2,100 which he did not own. It was so levied that a multi-millionaire paid for the support of the navy no more than this poor laborer with no property to protect and no opportunities that lack of a navy would endanger. And the navy is but one item of a list of things for which taxes are levied in this un fair way. The Tribune should be ashamed of its effort to mis lead voters into support of such a system. THE STATE MILITIAMAN. In a recent address upon military preparedness, Henry L. Stimson, secretary of war in the Taft admin istration, had occasion to make some very unfavorable comment on labor's attitude toward the state militia. To quote Mr. Stimson: "What is even worse, there has gradually grown up among our laboring classes the feeling that the only sol diers with whom they are practically acquainted repre sent a different class of the community and are main tained for the purpose of being used against them. Instead of regarding the militiaman as a citizen, train ing to perform his duty of defending the country in case of real war, the labor man has come to regard him as a representative of capital, being trained as a policeman against labor." Mr. Stimson has stated the case clearly. The state militia has nearly always been "used" as a tool of capi tal to keep labor in "proper" subjection, says the Sea men's Journal. In theory the militiaman may be a "citizen trained to perform his duty of defending the country in case of war," but in practice the militiaman is somehow always a defender of the vested interests and the labor crushers. In the life of this nation there has been scarcely one war for each generation. On the other hand, there have been an Increasing number of Industrial wars in each succeeding generation. True, these industrial wars, known as strikes and lockouts, are not fought under the auspices of the nation. They are not wars of defense against other nations, but they are in many instances directed against the nation's more dangerous and most insidious enemies who, under the mask of patriots, seek to enslave the nation's workers and establish an indus trial tyranny with all its attendant miseries. And while these wars are not popular with the boughten press and the average politician, they are per haps of more far-reaching consequence as far as the nation's future is concerned than any battle ever fought between uniformed men under brass-bound generals. Just as long as the state militia is being used for the purpose of making more difficult the workers' struggle for justice, just so long will the militiaman be regarded not as a "trained citizen soldier," but as a trained serv ant of capital. TO ADJUST CONDITIONS OF SOCIETY. Biologists tell us that the air about us is forever laden with all sorts of germs. All we have to do is to provide the right conditions for them to flourish, and they will settle and colonize and grow with fabulous quickness. But without suitable soil they cannot pos sibly get foothold. The world is equipped with everything necessary to make mankind prosperous and happy, and there is in the heart of humanity everything to make possible the enjoyment of the good things of the world. The thing needed is to adjust the conditions of so ciety so that the interests and capabilities of mankind can have access to the ^things of life. Entered at Postofflce at Duluth, Minn., as Second Class Matter. This is the purpose ®f the organized labor movement. A Geneva dispatch printed in a Paris newspaper says that the heir to the Turkish throne, supported by numer ous Turkish officers, has begun a movement for sep arate peace, co-operating with certain diplomats now in Switzerland, including a former ambassador to Paris and Naby Bey. The Swiss papers say Germany is encour aging the separate peace movement because she is un able to bear the strain of financing Turkey. Tending to confirm the foregoing, a Milan paper prints a Constantinople message saying that the Young Turks and Old Turks are holding secret meetings with the object of forcing separate peace, and La Suisse, a Zurich newspaper, says three Turkish diplomats are now in Switzerland preparing a scheme for Turkish peace proposals. The Turkish expedition to Suez has been abandoned the Turk and Bulgarian offensive at Saloniki has been abandoned Secretary of the Treasury Helfferich has admitted in the reichstag that Germany's financial con dition is very unsatisfactory and 50,000 German troops have been quartered in Constantinople to prevent what is believed to be an imminent revolution. These things are believed to confirm the Geneva dispatch. Turkey seems to be a dead weight on Germany's hands, unable to make a military move without German money for troops and munitions and now it appears that Germany is unable to continue its contributions. Besides, well-informed persons in France say the central empires are increasingly alarmed at the growing menace of the Russians on the Galician front, and cannot afford to squander the slightest resource of men, money or arms on Turkey in the face of a Galician crisis. The conclusion is that the kaiser is at the bottom of the Turkish movement for a separate peace, and there fore it may be asserted that the allies will not consent to it. If the kaiser bit off more than he could masticate, that's his fault—and misfortune. HUDSON MAXIM'S WARNING. Hudson Maxim, the well-known inventor and mem ber of the naval advisory board, told the New Haven Chamber of Commerce a few days ago that in his opinion this country will be in danger of foreign aggression after the conclusion of the European war. When the war is over, he said, there will be sure to arise between the winners and ourselves serious complications to be ad justed—and both England and Germany will have a navy superior to ours. Continuing, he said "Our enemy would be able to land upon our shores at least a quarter million men inside a month, and after that continually bring reinforcements at the rate of 250, 000 a month, if they should happen to be required. Our little, poorly equipped army would not be able to offer resistance enough to make a ripple in the line of the enemy's advance. Our army would be just about one good day's killing." Mr. Maxim's warning is not unlike the warnings of a number of other men who assert that, on the principle of "Safety First," we should prepare to defend ourselves. He says that if an enemy landed at New York or Boston it would be able in two weeks to capture the area in which our great arsenals, navy yards and munition plants are situated. The European war has changed the opinions of a great many persons in regard to armies and navies and preparation. It may be that some of the experts who warn us are seeing dangers that do not exist, and that some others are closing their eyes to existing dangers. There are some who want no sort of preparation, and at the other end of the line are those—like Roosevelt and Leonard Wood—who would turn the country into a mili tary camp. LABOR'S IMPORTANCE. In the account of Mother Jones' speech before the United Mine Workers,, a few days ago, we read the fol lowing: Two American financial agents of the allied Powers of Europe are in Indianapolis in close touch with the convention of the United Mine Workers of America. This was admitted privately this after noon by President White. It is believed they are here to try to prevent a coal strike, which might hamper the manufacture of munitions of war. So American labor has the capital of Europe at its feet! That's not a bad turn in the affairs of war, but it is an all important development. It shows how small the big world is after all. Five thousand miles from In dianapolis, millions of men are struggling in cold ditches, pouring into each other's ranks the lead that is distrib uted to them for deadly use. Five thousand miles from this scene of slaughter, agents of the intrenched forces plead with the workingmen of a nation at peace to adjust differences wholly apart from the thing called war. And why? Because without the labor of the men at peace, the slaughter of the men at war would be impossible. The American workman has come into his own in a more definite way since the outbreak of this world war, than at any time in his struggle for the position of power. It must be a matter of deep chagrin for the financial agents. But it is a just turn in the affairs of men. Aside from the mere wonderment that the connection between the two—the warrior of Europe and the workmen of America—occasions, we can get from the above news some idea of the power which the workman in this vast country holds as his own. We'll wajger that there are financial agents at work other than those at Indianapolis. Miners are not the only class of labor who hold a rein in the mad drive of world affairs. Between the cocksureness of the militarists and the cocksurity of the antl-preparationlsts, the man who knows he doesn't know it all feels lonesomely lonesome. Speaking to the Motion Picture Board of Trade in New York, President Wilson had a good deal to say about liars, but mentioned no names. Now see if two or three prominent men don't fit that cap to their own heads. How many men do you know who do just as they please? Don't worry about giving the devil his due he'll get it. One of the most pathetic sights in the world is a highbrow person trying to conceal his delight in the lowbrow comedy of a movie show. The pleasure is all yours when the other fellow hands you real money. Clothes make the actress and the lack of them makes the chorus girl. Duluth is too proud to hold a winter carnival. St. Paul is having one this week and it is a dandy* AUSTRALIAN LABOR RETURNS TO UNIONS I I n,i "It is to 4he record of unionism in New South Wales we can turn with the greatest satisfaction," says the Australian Worker. in a leading edi torial On the silver jubilee of Austral ian trade unionism.. The paper refers to advances made by labor on the political field. "But when all this is granted," it continues, "there remains good grounds for dis appointment with the results of la bor victories in New South Wales. "The election of a parliamentary labor majority did not impress itself upon us as a swift transition from darkness Into light. There are no wonderful changes marking it off the labor era from that which pre ceded it. "It is, perhaps, too soon. Political power is not a magician's wand, "turn ing the hovel into a palace and the swineherd into a prince. "Injustices which have gr-own up in the process of the ages, and have be come entangled with every relation of life, are not to be abolished with a 'Hey, presto!' A tyranny which iden tifies itself with every social institu tion, and clothes itself with the home ly virtues and the religious instincts, is not easily -broken down. "Labor ministers are but human. They are too apt to confound their own elevation with the uplifting of the masses, and develop a irame of mind which enables them to act as though with their persona! triumph, the aim and object of the labor move ment were attained. 'In New South Wales this tendency has hardened into a positive evil. No wonder the ranks of the workers are torn with discontent. No wonder the unions carry resolutions of condemna tion. No wonder, where men and women who have fought and suffered for fhe. ideals of the movement are gathered together, the state ministry is greeted with sullen eyes and mut tering voices." The Australian Worker, however, is optimistic, and declares that the cause for jublliation is the advance of trade unionism. Says the editor: 'It is to the record of unionism in New South Wales we can turn with the greatest satisfaction. Labor's sil ver jubilee in that state is an event which the organized working class can celebrate with pride in their Splendid solidarity and in the justice of their cause. It is that solidarity, and that pas sion for justice, which will purge it of base intriguers and self-seeking ad venturers in the fleid of politics, and lead It onward, despite the virulence of enemies and the faithlessness of friends, to the consummation of its desires." COLORADO'S STRIKE LAW HURTS WORKERS At the last session of the Colorado legislature the state industrial com mission was created. One section of this law provides that employers and employes shall give at least 30 days' notice before making any change in working conditions. The law further provides that in case the industrial commission is investigating a question of this character, and an employer forces a lockout or the employes strike, the party or parties are guilty of a misdemeanor and liable to a fine of not more than $100. Under this act strikes are illegal until the commission makes its award. Writing in the Tailor, official mag azine of the Journeymen Tailors' union, Oragnizer Biggs, located in Denver, expresses his opinion of the act: "If the negroes of Tennessee should ask for better wages or conditions at the beginnig of the cotton picking season, and were restrained from en forcing their demands, and were com pelled to continue working until the season was over and the cotton picked, and were then given a hearing on the reasonableness of their demand, they would he In much the same position as are the journeymen tailors of Den ver, Colo. But, fortunately for the negroes of Tennessee, they have more freedom to right their wrongs than have the journeymen tailors of Dens ver." r-~~— TRY TO GET U. S. IN WAR WITH GERMANY Nearer and nearer. All the Roose velt papers are coming pretty close to saying in so many words that we must join the allies and fight against Ger many. The New York Tribune keeps on boosting the Roosevelt game, and here is what The,Chicago Post, a de voted Roosevelt organ has to offer: "We cannot believe, on the history of the war as it has gone by, that Germany, however well lntentioned, can fail to shock and anger once more the moral consciousness, of America. When militarism wages war a Lou vain, a Lusitania or' a Cavel incident is almost unavoidable, simple because militarism does not know how to avoid such incidents, "Secondly, If no such Incident oc curs, the clear-thinking American, in whom alone our. present interest lies, may be led to* face honfestly and finally the great-question: After all does not America's best Interest lie in the supremacy of Great Britain? Such a question, if forced on us, aa per haps it ought, to. be. forced on us for our own sakes,. could have but one answer from our people." In other words, The Post is per sauded in advance that Germany won't, because she can't, refrain from injuring the United States, and if she could and did, then we ought to take up the cause of Great Britain, any way. -The issue is clear enough as The Post sees it: Shall the United States remain neutral, Independent and act ing for America, o* snail it go to CARRIERS TO AVE SALARIES RESTORED 1 ROBERT BURNS Born Jan. 25, 1759. I In adding $300,000 to the appropri ation for the pay of letter carriers, and stating in explicit language that hereafter there shall be no salary distinction between the collection and delivery carriers, the house committee on post offices and post roads has paved the way for the restoration of the salaries of mail collectors who were reduced from $1,200 to $1,000 When Postmaster General Burleson decided to establish a lower grade of pay. The committee's action sustains the position of officers of the A. F. of L., who assisted the National Federation of Post Office Clerks in an agitation against Postmaster General Burleson's rule. In a visit to the post office ex ecutive, the tade unionists made this statement: "At no time in the history of the oldest employes in the postal service has the lines been drawn more tightly. Carriers are overburdened with weighty parcels clerics, under the two division plan, are compelled to study twice as much at home to learn dis tribution schemes. From the lowest substitute to the highest supervisory there is little, if any, slack. This at tempt of the department to drive men beyond the limit of their endurance and deprive thereby other men from an opportunity of securing work is not likely to aid in the restoration of prosperous business conditions neither will it make for a qualified, loyal cap able corps of postal workers.—A, F. of L. News Letter. The spark of genius, fanned to flame, Burns brightly at the shrine of Fame, Where is engraved the immortal name Of Robert Burns. He sang not of the ways of kings Nor soared on Fancy's fabled wings But looked on nature's plan of things And saw 'twas good. He saw the dawn flush o'er the sky. He heard the laverock sing on high, The humble daisy caught his eye And thrilled his soul Until he found himself a part Of nature's grand, supernal art And poured the feelings of his heart In tuneful song. And now when many years have sped We heap the honors of the head," Denied him 'til his soul had fled To more congenial spheres. He left a legacy of Worth To all his "brothers of th® Earth," So mark the mem'ry of his birth, Th'Immortal Memory of Bum*., —9— WASHINGTON STATE 8-HOUR LAW UPHELD Judge Smith of the King county court of Seattle has ruled that the state eight-hour public works law is legal and that the commissioners of this county have the right to establish a minimum wage of $2.25 a day for county road work. The so-called "station work" sys tem of sub-letting road contracts was declared to be an evasion of the eight hour law and the court called atten tion to the contract signed by illiter ate workers who did not know what they were signing. This was held to be contrary to public policy and was an attempt to defeat the plain intent of the state law and the minimum wage order of the county commission ers. The road contractors Were pros ecuted by Labor Commissioner Olsbn and other state officials, who insist that a contrary ruling recently made by Judge Wright of the Thurston county superior court was not a fair test, as that case was not tried on its merits and would not, therefore, be upheld by the state supreme court. Under the Wright decision large em ployers of labor in logging and other industries could call their workers "sub-contractors" and defeat the workmen's compensation law. State officials are confident that the decision of Judge Smith will be upheld by the state supreme court, if the contractors appeal. The Same Old Tune Still Seek Subsidy The National Boot and Shoe Man ufacturer's association, in convention here, complains of the high cost of leather and demands the restoration of such a tariff on shoes as "will cover the wage differential of the American over the foreign workman." This leaves it to be inferred that the higher costs of material extend beyond the country and that no tariff protection is needed on that score. The country Is accordingly given the impression that the home production is being heavily undersold by foreign shoe, manufacturers on account of our high wages alone. The war has greatly increased the exports of American boots and shoes, which in ten months past amounted to $32,000,00, against imports of only $192,000. But in a previous period of ten months unaffected by the war, and still under the new tariff which provides no duty on shoes, exports amounted to $13,700,000, while im ports rose to the highly ruinous level of $418,000, or hardly one-thirtieth part of the export trade. These facts were, of course, well known to the assembled manufactur ers. But we do not charge them with a deliberate attempt to deceive the country into believeing that they or their labor must go under it tariff protection is not restored to them. In common with other American manufacturers more tariff-coddled than they are, they have never tried to sing any other song than this war for England. Is. this after all to wheezy old tune and are too old to be the issue of the campaign?—Mil waukee Journal. WINTER WINTER BLACK WOOL WOMEN'S WAISTS—"White 25 HATS— Worth up to $7.50 JlMML Clearance of UJZ !ZA A A Women's Wearables $0.50 2 I" 1 COMPTROLLER SAYS BANKS ARE USURIOUS New laws to protect borrowers from usurious banks is urged by Comptrol ler of the Currency Williams in his annual report. It is suggested that the department of justice be permitted to bring suit against these offending banks on information (urnlshed by the comptroller's office. To support this plea is incorpor ated sworn statements from national banks in Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma and Louisiana, showing that they have been lending money at rates of from 20 to 2,000 per cent. A vo luminous amount of correspondence between the comptroller and banks is reprinted to show that there have been many shallow attempts to justi fy usurious charges. One bank president sought to de fend usury on the ground that "it is a long established practice," while others declared it meant failure to small banks. The comptroller, however, points out that no bank has been forced out of business because it was compelled SUITS—Splendid materials and the wanted colors. Kegnlar prices were HA from $19.50 to $29.50. Clearance Sale. Jp/»DU COATS—In black and colors. Comprising coats that have been selling at $12.50 (g aa to $19.50. Clearance SaleL tp3«\JU WINTER COATS—Rich materials, with ex tra quality linings. Regularly $25.00 d^1 AA and upwards. Clearance Sale $ I «5«Uv SERGE DRESSES—For women and misses. Exceptionally good values at $19.50 a wg Clearance Sale *P PLUSH COATS—Handsomely trimmed with fur. These are our regular d»A(J aa $40 and $45 lines. Clearance Price ipftOiUU and colored, that have been soiled and mussed by handling. Regularly $1.25 (JA^ to $2.50. Clearance Sale 0\/C Final Qearance Velvet Hats The hats for immediate wear, in chic shapes, becom ingly trimmed with flowers, wings, fancy feathers and with gold or silver, in two sale groups— 33 HATS Worth op to $14.00 3 French & Bassett (To. to keep within the law in its lnu rates. Usurious charges are in the x. exacted from helpless borrow caught in the pinch of necessity, the report. Reference is made three national banks which have A mitter under oath that the averaj rates which they charge on all loar are 25, 36 and 40 per cent per annui respectively. MANITOBA UNIONISTS MAKE STRONG DEMAND WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Feb. 3. delegation of trade unionists presents government officials with the demand, of organized workers in this provihc for remedial legislation. In the lis were included amendments to th election act, a new fair wage schedule for government contracts, raising the exemption under the garnishment act from $25 to $40, the reorganisation of the labor bureau, examination of barbers and moving pictue operators and better inspection of refrigerating plants and compressed air tanks. CHOICE ANY SUIT OR OVER COAT $15. VALUES UP TO $25. THE BIG DULUTH. Our Ninth Semi-Annual Sale of Manufacturers' Sample Furniture at Half Price And General Clearance Sale With Sweeping Reduc tions of I01» to 501° Through tte Entire Store—Come Early CASH OR OTO NEW EAST TERMS Established 1884. First St. and Third Ave West. 1 fi •(j $9.503 mm