The labor world. [volume], November 07, 1896, Image 18

About The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current

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14
Kffect of Low Wages.
Low wages break down the self re­
spect of the laborer, says The Granite
Cutters' Journal. They extinguish the
fires of his hope and ambition, causing
him to be indifferent to his mental, so­
cial and moral development, and reduce
him to the low level of making a strug­
gle to keep himself alive. Poverty is an
insurmountable obstruction to progress.
In this country, where the governing
power is in the hands of the laboring
classes, such compensation for labor as
will cause the man with the ballot in
his hands to realize the importance and
responsibility of his position and enable
him to qualify himself to meet it3 re­
quirements is an absolute necessity. A
blow struck at the wages of the laborer
is a menace against the nation's life.
Despots, with the aid of great standing
armies, may maintain and keep solid
their oppressive government where pov­
erty has extinguished the manhood of
the oppressed. But here in our country
the common man is the highest author­
ity. He should be a manly, intelligent
ruler. He must have a chance to earn
and rcceive the wages that will bring to
him the necessary culture.
Labor In Japan.
Labor in Japan is organized, and a
Japanese appears to pin his faith to the
utility of unions and guilds. These are
organized, according to United States
Consul Connelly, not alone to secure
higher wages, but also to protect infe­
rior work. These organizations dictate
terms in. the payment of labor and also
for whom a laborer shall or shall not
work. Skilled labor in Japan is so
scarce that by means of these unions la­
borers are able to effect rapid increase
in wages more successfully than in any
other country. Although the amount
paid for labor in Japan is much lower
than for the same class of labor in the
United States the rates have risen enor­
mously—in many cases as high as 100
per cent—during the past three years
and are advancing now as steadily as at
any previous time. No control is exer­
cised in the matter of the employment
of child labor in Japan, a question upon
which American statutes put a strict
interpretation. Those in authority,
however, are coming to the idea that
this point should be regulated by stature
and that child labor of all kinds should
be abolished.
Chinese Labor Decreasing
Deputy Labor Commissioner Green of
California has completed his investiga­
tion regarding the Chinese labor of the
ttate and finds that the number of coo­
lies employed in factories has greatly
decreased.
This has been especially noticeable in
the overall factories, which employed
Chinese almost exclusively a few years
r.go. At the present time less than 1,050
are working. In shoe factories also
.white labor is gradually forcing the Chi­
nese out, and where factories employed
from 100 to 800 Chinese two or three
years ago less than one-fifth of that
number are now engaged.
THE LABOR WORLD
TRADES UNIONS.
Extract From the Address of President
Perkins of the Cigar Makers' Union*
Trades unions mark the orderly rise
and development of the wealth produc­
ing classes through the evolutionary,
educational process. Their methods and
results stand out in bold relief when
contrasted with the revolutionary, errat­
ic methods applied by the reactionary
enthusiast. Revolutions may and un­
doubtedly have checked the degeneracy
of nations, but invariably leave the
great mass of the people in the same rel­
ative economic condition. The great
revolution in France may have checked
the degeneracy of the reigning govern­
ment otherwise it in no way improved
the economic condition of the masses.
On the other hand, the organization of
the producers in trades unions in Eng­
land not only had the effect of check­
ing the degenerate tendency of the gov­
ernment, but it ameliorated the eco*
nomic condition of the toilers as well.
In the first instance oceans of blood were
shed and myriads of precious human
lives were sacrificed on the altar of pa­
triotism with no resultant improve­
ment in the economic condition of the
masses, while in the second instance not
a drop of blood nor a life was sacrificed,
and nevertheless great benefits accrued
to the workers in increased wages and
improved factory and general working
oonditions.
The foregoing instance illustrate the
orderly development of the working
olass movement along the lines of the
least resistance, the least cost, the
smallest sacrifice and the greatest result­
ant benefits
Trades unions are the natural and
logical refuge of the producing classes.
They lead straight to the fulfillment of
labor's hopes and anticipations. It has
been truthfully said that the permanent
prosperity and high development of any
nation depend upon the economic well
being of the great mass of its citizens.
History and our own experience clearly
indicate that this can best be accom­
plished through the trades union move­
ment. The producing capacity of any
country is developed just in proportion
to the ability of the masses to consume.
I know of no means better calculated to
make consumers of a nation's hosts than
for i$s people to unite in trades unions
and through their agency unitedly se­
cure more and more, until they obtain
all that which they create. This result
will inevitably follow the complete un*
ion of labor and harmonious working
in unison, with one common purpose in
view. This indisputable economic fact
was recognized by the founders of the
trades union movement and furnishes
apart of the foundation upon which are
grounded the hopes and expectations of
its present adheients. Little authentic
knowledge is obtainable of the early
struggles, the privations, the ceaseless,
unrewarded toil of the masses, who un­
til a comparatively short time ago were
looked upon as mere beasts of burden
and treated as suoh, but to the analytic­
al mind, or even to the casual observer
who reflects upon the accumulation of
great wealth the Hands of a few who
are dissipating at the expense of the
life's blood of innocent children, defense­
less women and poverty stricken men,
who toil for a pittance while the favor­
ed few may reap the harvest and revel
in licentious luxury, it requires no great
stretch of the imagination to depict the
condition of the toiler of the early ages.
As long as these conditions prevail it is
the duty of intelligent men, of thought­
ful, honest men, to encourage the devel­
opment of trades unions, the great level
ers of social and economic inequalities,
the historical, practical and logical
means by which labor is enabled to
achieve more and more and finally all
of the just fruits of its honest toil, and,
if necessary, fight for their maintenanc
—G. W. Perkins, International Presi­
dent.
The Great French Strike.
A telegram from Albi, France, dated
Oct. 25, says:
Great festivities attended the opening
today of the cooperative glass factory
which has been put up by the former
striksrs of the Carmaux glass works.
The striko, which grew out of the dis­
charge of a member of the Glass Work­
ers' trade union last year, was trans­
formed into a lockout when the men of­
fered to return to work. Efforts were
made to induce the French ministry to
intervene in the dispute and secure jus­
tice for the workingmen. The Paris
municipal council voted large sums of
money to support the strikers, and many
other municipalities all over the coun­
try followed suit.
M. Landrin of the Paris municipal
council at today's ceremony saluted the
workers in the name of Paris. M. Henri
Rochefort delivered a speech, and with
M. Jaures, the Radical Socialist deputy
for Carmaux, who was prominently
identified with the championship of the
cause of the strikers, lit the furnaces.
At an open air meeting M. Jaures de­
clared that the present movement had
founded asocial revolution and marked
the downfall of capitalism.
Give the Idle Employment.
If we could have our way, there
should not be an ablebodied idle man in
this country.
A million men could be easily em­
ployed today at fair wages on needed
publio improvements, and there is plen­
ty of money to pay them, only it is not
rightly divided.
Let no man be permitted to hold over
$1
,000,000 and see what power the ex­
tra millions would give to furnish wori
to all who need it.—George T. Angell
Italian Immigration.
Herman Stump, United States com­
missioner of emigration, who has gone
to Rome under instruotioBs from Secre­
tary Carlisle, will 'consult with the sec­
retary of the interior of the kingdom of
Italy in relation to the. emigration of
Italians to the United States." He is
also directed to appear in person before
the Italian parliament and to hurry
back here before congress meets so as to
report the result of his mission in Italy.