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PACE TWO
THE COLUMBIA EVENING MISSOURIAN, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1920.
H
IV
MEXICO MUST
SOLVE LABOR
PROBLEM NOW
Foreign Agitators Creating Un
rest Among the Ranks
t of tiie Working
i . People.
STRIKES ARE COMMON
President Obregon Hopes to
Remedy Trouble by Pass
ing Labor Law and
Other Mctliods.
Br Rkirn II. Tiuix
Wmird Press Slap Corrrsfonckmu)
"Wasmmiton, Dec. 2i When General
Alv&ro Obregon finished vtiih Ins inau
Kuralion at president of Mexico the other
day ami took over his desL in the nation.
al palace. his firM remark to the newly
appointed cabinet was probably Some
thing Iile this:
"Aow ihen, gentlemen, let's get
Vork on tins labor situation!"
Obregon may not have used just those
tvords, but lie realizes ith all ctTtawtv
tliat Mexico's indutnal situation repre
sents the most critical internal probltm
that the counry faces today. Obregon's
friends ileclare that liad lie been able to
occupv the presidential hair directly fol
lowing the overthrow of Carraiua, Mex
ico would have escaped the delicate state
of affairs that has been created b) the
Mexican working man, with the aid of
the foreign agitator. Obregon bears the
reputation of being a strong nun. quick
cl deu-ion and aggressive when he be
gin to act.
It was necessary, however, to choose
a president ad interim. Tliat job fell to
Adolfo de la Huerla, a thoruughl) like
able, pleasant sort of person, but some
Imies passive, alvtavs conciliatory and
sciwding to the employer's vide of it
loo much of a -liberal" himself to deal
successfully with labor problems. It was
difficult, too, for a provisional govern
merit to adopt measjres of a lasting na
ture. As a result, the Mexican laborer's
state of mind has de-eloped in less than
sn months from placid satisfaction or
mild discontent to a condition of natian
vide demand for higher wages anJ hliort
er hours, with a determination to achieve
this aim, whatever the cost may be. And
n several occasions, in different parts
of the country, his eforts liarc assumed
a radical character wherein labor demon
strations Iiave been punctuated by cries
of "ira la Sonet!" iva Russia!" or
-llier slogans pertaining to bolshevitm or
"the triumph of the prulelarita." It js
rliat pliase of tlie Mexican labor situation
that is creating uneasiness today and will
demand the full attention of the new
president, Obregon.
roOELY PAID WOEIOXs
It is not the purpose, here, to dwell on
the justice or injustice of the Mexican
laborer's raue. For jcars, rndoubtedly,
he was one of the poorest paid workers
in tlie world. Also, his stanaard of br
ing was one of tlie lowest in tlie woild
and it took little to satisfy his wants.
Hut today, the Mexican day laborer, who
a year ago probably was receiving two
pesos (511 daily, is demanding four or
file pesos. Tlie increases asked are
greater, of course, as the skill of the par
ticular job is enhanced.
In the past three months strikes have
been almost perpetual. They liave oc
curred in every part of the counlr), from
the Texas border to the stale of Yuca
tan. They liaie included the coal min
ers in the state of Cbahuila, the textile
workers in the state of Puebla and in
the vicinity of Mexico Gty, the railwa)
shopmen, cmrloyes of tire oil companies
at Tampico, tlie stevedores at Vera Cruz
and scores of other occupations. Mnkes
frequently have been averted, as in the
case of the tramway craploves of Mexico
Gty, by tlie emplovers acceding to the
demands rather than suspend operation.
Through all of these movements
-roup of radical agitators has worked un
ceasingly to promote the unrest and pro
fit by it in the interest of l-oI-bcvim
than they do about tlie Einstein theory.
Many of these radical leaders are forign
er Americans, Russians or Spaniards
who attempt to direct the movement, pub
lish reil literature and call meetings
Cinch discuss the grievances of the Mex.
ican worker and the principles of com
munism in ihe same breitlu Oimmnn
Kic magazines are published and there
has been formed the "Communistic Fed.
cralion of the Mexican Proletariat,"
which represents the extreme left of
Mexican labor. Thus a situation has
been created similar to tliat which our
ow-i Samuel Compers experienced
namely, a struggle for the upper liand
between the conservative and radical la--bor
elements. Thus far, the Mexican
Federation of Labor, which is designed to
maintain parallel lines with the mer
ican Federation of Labor ami of which
the Communistic Federation is an off.
shoot, has retained tlie majority.
The communist element, at a m-eling
vrhicb the writer attended, attempted re
enly to call a general strike in Mnco
Gt). Tbertwcre ample "vivas" for Trot,
xky and Lenin but the strength of the
"reds" was not sufficient to swing the
strike.
ntCDICTS I-.DISTMAL BOOM
Obregon has two principle remedies
for tlie present critical situation. He be
lieves, first, that one of the difficulties
is the lack of an adecpiate labor law and
one of his first acts as president will be
to introduce a bill before Congress set
ting forth the "privileges and the duties"
cf Iioth capital and labor. Secondly, he
considers that the industrial development
of Mexico, which he predicts will be tre
mendous now that peace is established,
will create such a demand for labor that
the situation will automatically adj't-st
itself. The latter belief is good logic,
but Obregon may, or may not, realize
that the launching of this industrial boom
depends, largely, upon Mexico settling
the outstanding issues with foreign gov.
ernments, especially the United Stater,
and obtaining the recognition of tin
United States for the new Mexican ad
ministration.
Mexico's industries and resources can
not be developed wulwut foreign capital.
And foreign capital is not likely to enter
Mexico In any appreciable sums until
foreign governments recognize Mexico's
stability, or in some way define their at
titude toward the new Mexican regime.
Christmas Tree Harvest Begins
Back in October in Vermont
FRANK KING TO VISIT HERE
Is Now Associated Press Staff Cor
respondent in London.
Frank King. Associated 1'iess Jaff
correspondent in London, a graduate of
the University of Missouri, will bo in
Gilumbia next spring. A letter recencd
a few dais ago bv hi father, 11. II. K'ns,
county school attendance officer, said that
Frank would come earl) in the spring,
probably in March. How -long lie will
tav is not stated.
King, as an Associated Press corres
pondent, made a trip through Sibr:
before taking his present position.
$3,537,380,000 IS
SPENT ON SHIPS
Production on June 30 This
Year Was, 93.15 Per Cent
Complete.
l ASitiACTox, Dec. 21 The program
of the United States dipping Hoard.
ninth rails for 2 IS ships of 13,675,711
deadweight tons is nearing completion.
On June 30, 19J0, production as 913
per cent complete The production of
1919, uhich put into ojwrailon oter hi
million tons of ships, Mas the largest in
the history uf any nation. Tlite figures
are gnen in the annual report of tlie
United States Shipping Board, made pub
lic recently.
This gigantic program Hill be more
readil) understood from the f olio v. in g
proportions:
If all vessels on the program were
placed in a straight line, stem to stern,
the) Mould extend for a distance of 158
nul-s, and if steaming a mile and a
quarter apart Mould reaih from New
orlc to Southampton, England.
The total dead Height tonnage is equal
to the carrying capacity of 38363 frieght
cars loaded 33 tons to the car.
A total of 4,593,000 liorsepoMcr is gen
erated by the propellirg trucluncry.
For the transportation of tlie hull steel
alone, 115,000 flat ears would be ;
quired.
For manufacturing the met u&ed,
rod of steel three-fourths of an inch
diameter and 37,500 miles long would
be necessar. This rod Mould extend
around the earth at the equator and suffi
cient would remain to make a three
strand fence from .New York to San
Francisco.
Besides this shipping program tlie
tmergency Fleet Corporation planned
and put into execution ten strel-ship con
struction jards, seven Mooden-bhip jards
and four concrete-ship yards.
This corporation let contracts for thir
teen marine railways eleven of vthich
are tompleted, seentewi dry docks, six
teen of Mhich will boon be in operation
and imo grsing docks. The money ex
pended on this gigantic program to June
20, 3920, has been $337,380.72694.
TItc board Mas first organized in 1916
its purpose is to establish a permanent
American marine ultimately renting on
private enterprise, trie report says.
"During September, 1919, tlie Dms.on
of Construction dclnerrd 150 ships of
over 3,000 dead Height tons, which repre
sented a total of 810,386 tons. Tlie oat
put for the month of September, 1919,
has greatly exceeded prewar delireries
For an entire jear.
"Our merchant marine has been placed
on fifty foreign trade routes. On June
30, 1920, there had been established 209
general cargo berths of Mhich 202 are
betMeen the United States and foreign
ports. These various berths afford the
shipper "229 senices. Many of them are
making o)ages to ports of the world
where ships under the American flag
were seldom seen before.
.Missionary Society Elects.
The Young Peoples Missionary Socie
ty of the llroadway Methodist Church
met at tbe home of Mi Ruth Husk on
Virginia atenue Wednesday. Tlie follow
ing officer Mere elected for the coming
jear; President, liernice Irvin; vice-pres
ident. Heme Clements; secretary, Anita
Moore; treasurer, buth Husk: supeni
tendent of mission study urd publicity, I
Frances 'Jrinstead; superintendent of j
supplies Hulh Carrier.
CHRISTMAS TRESENTS
The best Christmas present you can I
possibly give jour family is the guaran
tee backed up by the New York Life
that Santa Claus will alwajs visit )our
home as these happy seasons recur even
tbo. Dads chair may be vacant.
"W. G. Stephenson will be clad to show
you more about Cris contract. Adr. S-98 J
"For Mother's Christmas.
Don't forget that pretty blooming
plant for mother a Christmas. We have
beautiful ones from 75c up.
COLUMBIA FLORL CO.
Adv. Phone 366
Genuine Fyrex Cooking Ware al New
man s. adr.
Since fne million Christmas trees are
annually shipped out of Vermont, it is
only natural to wonder where they all
come from. They mut come from farms
not farms operated to produce the
Christmas tree crop, but abandoned
farms where the trees lue planted and
reared themselves.
These -abandoned Jarms be in high
al!es in the foot In lis of tlie Creen
Mountains. One may see sections eo
ered by thirtj-odd farms, once thriving
settlements, but now all but two or three
may be unoccupied. Such land, once
under the plow, is gradually coming back
to foret. Along the frni-choked, faintly
traced lurrows joung bpruces come up
and in the open sunshine take on a vivid
green. And more than tliat the Mm
mdrical branches are a Inelf green clear
to the ground.
Christmas trees cannot b- cut in areas
of spruce forest, beaue when they grow
in dene clusirrs the undrr branches die
for want of light, and hence the trees
Iiave no talue as decoratne Christmas
trees.
Few, indeed, see the Iianet. One or
two lonely partridge hunters perhaps,
will see it as it lies covered with tlie
first earl) non squalls in the moun
tains. Hut bark in October, wljen tlie
da) hae nt lost all of the nicllouncs
of autumn, a gang of twenty choppers
Mill have been bust!) at work cutting,
thr scattering jounj; spruces and tving!
A ILL WATCH LEGISLATION
Former Columbia Woman to Serve
on Two Committees.
Mr. Walter McNab Miller, formerly
rf GdumLij, lia Wen selected a mem
ber of the steering committee of the Mi-t-ouii
Woman's legislative Committee.
The legislative committee was formed
in St. Louis recently at a meeting of rep
icsentatiie of nine women's nrgantza
lions, in the state. In addition to the
steering committee Mrs Miller will also
serve on the publicity committee.
Among the measures tliat the women
will support at tbe coming sesi.in of he
General Assembly are: Tlie establish
ment of a mimmjm Mage commission
with women represented on it; a Tiusim
of the faclon inspection law, aloli-hIng
th fee basis for factor irspection nuk
ing it mandatory that at least two worn
tn be inspectors and that inspection be
frtatewide; the unpassed bills of the c!ul
dren's code; a reiion of the primary,
registration and election laws; the elimi
nation of the word tmale from ihe state
Constitution; a law making women eligi
Me to"tie elee'ed delegates to the conti
tutional convention; adt-quatc appropria
lion for the state board of healtlu
them with twine into bunches of from
two to six, according to size.
The cutting and bundling is tbe easiest
part of the harvest, for the trees must be
hauled for miles to the railroad, and at
this time of the jear the mountain roads
are nothing more titan frozen cuts and
Hater holes. Despite this fact, however,
heay 2 horse wagons and even motor
trucks, bristling with great criblike
bodies struggle slowly out, loaded high
Mitlf" the trees. Two horses are able to
draw out at a load aliout seventy trees
of aterage size.
At the chosen town on the railroad
ctcry disused spot is hired and a moun
tain of trees begins to grow, till eight
thousand of them may be packed in a
solid mass. At once the loading on flat
cars begins, as tlie great piles are
opened up and laid between the tall up
rights along tlie sides of cars the fra
grante the sun distill from the spruce
fills the air. It a delightful place to
le, for the sun's rajs slanting among
llie bundles, bnngs out all the itid col
ors of the emerald till the place teems
bathed in Irarslucenx light all its own.
"Say It
With
Flowers
Columbia
Floral Co.
Why don't you joiii llie steady tream of people who are
starting accounts in
The "Original" Xmas
Banking Club
EVERYONE IN THE FAMILY
OUGHT TOfJOINOUR;
CHRISTMAS
JpByL
tSM sBHBfBIn I
IT 7 1KHHI
Seal Sale Expected'to Averaze 10c.
n average of ten cents invested in
tuberculosis Christmas Seals by every
rrntn, woman and chllJ in Missouri this
month toil! double the effectiveness of
the fight being made to eliminate this
disease and save hundreds of lives, ac.
cording to Dr. Walter Mc.Nab Miller,
eieeutivr secretary- of tlie Missouri Tu
beiculosis Association. The seals, health
bonds and Christmas seal fund certificates
are on sale during the holidavs. The en
tire proceeds of the sale in this stale,
eirept a small percentage sent the .Na
tional Tuberculosis Association to cover
costs of supplies and administration, will
be expended in extending the prevention
and educational viorL carried on by the
.Missouri Tuberculosis Association.
CLEANING
PRESSING
REPAIRING
S. K. C.
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JT 'Wfc
OurChHstmas
Greeting
sS .
Vi W5
To You and You and Yon
We wish a Merry Christmas
We will be open Friday evening
and until noon Christmas Day
" One delivery Christmas
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41
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1
Quality Store -Costs No More
9 North 9th Street
Phone 179
It cols nothing to join and it's the one sure way to have j
money, rou can begin with 10 cents, cents or 1 cent, and
increase )our deposit tlie same amou t each week.
IN 50 WEEKS
10 CENT CLUB PAYS $127.50
5 CENT CLUB PAYS 63.75
2 CENT CLUB PAYS 25.50
1 CENT CLUB PAYS
Or jou can hegin writh the Ltes".
jour paj ments eacli week.
You can deposit 50 cents, 1.00 c
week.
. . 12.75
r.ount and decrease
5.00 or more each
' COME L AND ASK AB uT IT
WE LEAD OTHERS ft LLOW
Exchange National Bank
IS Parents are especially urged r fl
VV W 1 -?aaaaH
I M
Everybody Welcome
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