The Washington socialist. [volume], June 04, 1914, Image 1

About The Washington socialist. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1914-1915

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"Fails To Answer The Critics"
SAD PLIGHT OF THE EVEN
ING HERALD.
Emll Seidel's Talk on the Socialist
Administration Worries Retain
ers of Capitalists.
Tho capitalist lyvtMD is Np!«t« with
contradictions. It is full of paradoxi
cal situations.
AH intelligent men and women know
that capitalism lias served its pur
pose; that it is no longer either desir
able or practicable It drives oven
good men ami good women into hail
w.i\s. sad straits. Perhaps no one
suffers more from the inherent evils
of moribund capitalism than the edi
tors of our dally papers, each of which
is but the mouth-piece of some politico-
MOBOMIQ organization, or (if some am
bitious individual.
Now conies the Bnolag Herald to
bear witness to the fnmgolin asser
tions In its reportorial columns of
Way 29, it gives a very fair and inter
esting account of ex-Mayor Sidel's
talk on his Milwaukee administration,
given at me People's Theatre last
Thursday evening to an audience that |
taxed the capacity of the place. The
editor of the Herald asserts that
Seidel failed "to answer the critics."
The report of the lecture affords full
eridence of the splendid work done by
the Socialists of Milwaukee. Comrade
Seidel covered all the really vital
points in his talk, but at the con
clusion of his narrative urged the audi
ence to ask questions concerning any
matters not covered by his address.
The editor of the Herald did not ask
any questions. "The critics" did not
ask Seidel any question. No. They,
waited until this Socialist statesman
had left town and could not. therefore,
defend himself; then they brought out
a lot of boiler-plate stuff by that un
distinguished pork-chopper, David
Goldstein, "of Boston," who is sent
out by the richest corporation in the
world "to fight Socialism." But the
statements made by Goldstein have no
weight with any one who knows that
renegade's history. Comrade Seidel
tells a straightforward fctory of what
the Socialists of Milwaukee accomp
lished. The Herald realized that
Seidel was telling the real facts in the
case, and had the good sense to re
port the speech at some length. The
Goldstein stuff is sent out by the
enemies of human progress to offset
the educational value of Seidel's
speeches. But the Goldstein boiler
plate stuff does not fool any one; not
«yen the editor of the Herald.
"We thank the Herald for the steno
graphic report of Seidel's speech,
which is more than an answer to "the
critics."
We are content to reprint the Her
ald's report, as it is a complete an
swer to that paper's editorial remarks
published after .Seidel had left Everett.
LUMBER INDUSTRY PAYS
$367,000,000 IN WAGES
TO 735,000 EMPLOYES
Striking facts regarding our forest
resources, their value and their waste,
are condensed in an eight-page illus
trated circular of the American for
estry association just issued. The
lumber industry is said to employ
735,000 people, to whom are paid an
nually $367,000,000 in wages, the worth
of products being $1,250,000. The for
j ests of the country cover 550,000,000
fc acres.
An average of 70 human lives are
Sacrificed annually to forest fires.
Spays the circular, and a loss occurs of
Damage from insects and
tree diseases, costs each year 150,000,
--000. The cost of destruction result
ing from floods is not estimated, but
is given as "countless millions."
The railroads of Great Britain kill
in accidents for which the passenger
is in'no way responsible one passen
ger for every 72,000,000 carried, while
those of the United States kill one
for every 4,900,000 passengers carried.
The painter should grind his own
colors; the architect work in the ma
son's yard with his men; the master
manufacturer he himself a more skill
ful operator than any man in his
mills, and the distinction between one
man and another he only in experi
ence rind skill, and the authority and
wealth which these must naturally
and justly obtain.—Ruskin.
None, pities him that's In the snare,
And warn'd before, would not beware.
—Robert Herrlck.
TALKS OF WORK IN
CITY OF MILWAUKEE
Seldel Give* Hit Version of What His
Administration Did There.
Kmil Seidel, who was major of Mil
WW|M during the administration of
affairs in that city by the Socialist
party, ■poke hen1 at the People'^
theatre Thursday night to an audience.
UnODg Which were several score of
women, that filled tho auditorium.
The speaker delivered an addresn that
was to :i marked t)egl'M free from
t>'« stock phrases of the Socialist
Orator, presenting (he Milwaukee ad
ministration as wewed by the admin
; Ist nit or.
When the Socialists took office,
Bftid Seidol, they found a condition of
deficiency and duplication throughout
ilie city's departments. There was a
separate fire and police alarm sys
tems, tools were scattered over, the
city. The first act of the administra
tion, ho said, was to take an inventory
of municipal property, revealing this
to have a value of $■!:..ooo.Oiiti, whereas
the city's wealth had been estimated
at $35,000,000. Everything on hand
was listed. everyth'nK purchased was
listed, and when the administration
ended by vote of the people of the
city two years later, a complete list of
everything on hand was turned over.
"At least," said Seidel, "everybody ad
mitted the Socialists had been hon
est."
The next step, he said, was the or
ganization of three departments, one j
to install a better system of account
ing, one to create standards of effi
ciency on scientific bases, the third
to study social problems and find their
causes and the remedies. Briefly he
sketched the work of the first two; |
regarding the third he spoke at length.
Socialists at Work—How Babies Were
Saved.
In districts into which the city was
divided, said Seidel, were established
child welfare houses, where trained
nurses, employed by the city, had
headquarters, serving those who called
there and going into the homes where
babies were and where babies were
expected. These nurses maintained
history cards for all the children born,
showing weekly records of their de
velopment and condition. When moth
ers learned and understood that this
work was to save their babies they
co-operated readily. When baby's
condition was unfavorable a red-ink
entry on the history card was made,
and the physician employed by the
city, scanning these cards, learned
more from the records than would be ]
known by the average family physic
ian, and he gave prompt attention to
the case. Mothers were taught how to
feed and care for their babies, ami the
result, said the speaker, was that at
the end of six months the death rate
among babies had decreased G4 per
cent.
For this initial work $G,OOO was ap
propriated, and this, said Seidel, was
promptly attacked as illegal, although
an appropriateion of $5,000,000 for new
wharves was urged as entirely legal.
This work, he. explained, was really
the second stage in child welfare
work, the first being that among the
women.
The Art of Being Practicable.
Properly, said Seidel, Child welfare
work begins before the Child is born,
the second stage continuing until the
child enters school, the third during
the school age, the fourth after gradu
ation —one-third of the human span of
life. "What do you offer the boy after
he graduates?" he asked. "You shut
him out of the saloon, the poolroom,
the moving picture show. Your po
liceman runs him off the Streets, and
your curfew makes him a criminal,
but. have, you any place for him to
which you can invite him and make
him welcome?"
The problems presented by the un
employed, the garnishment of wages,
id.- need of healthful recreation, the
effects of unsanitary housing, and
tuberculosis, were attacked by the
Socialist administration, said the
speaker, and considerable progress
made during the administration.
Seidei's review of the administra
tion was presented most eompic-lien-
Bively when he summed up the rea
sons, as he saw them, why the Social
ists were retired from power, As the
int. rests of the working people were
looked after by the Socialists, Re
publicans and Democrats failed to
■ land appointments. This was one
(Continued on Page Four.)
Formerly The Commonwealth
EVERETT, WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, JUNE I. fill.
CONDITION OF MINERS BAD
IN MICHIGAN.
Latrst Newt From Calumet.
(Socialist Party Press Service.)
Washington, Juno 25. —That condi
tions in the Calumet field have not im
proved since the "settlement" of the
strike is the substance of a significant
letter sent by President Sidney
Thomas of the Keweenaw Miners' Un
ion No. 129, to Representative Mc-
Donald, the congressman who forced
I the Calumet investigation upon con
gress. Thomas makes a hopeless ap
peal for federal help. His letter is as
follows:
"I don't know if you can do anything
to help out the situation, the mine
j managers have not lived up to their
\ promise.
"About three weeks before the
strike was called off a committee from
each local called on the different man
agers and tried once more to get
j things settled up, the only condition
that things could be settled was the
man surrender their cards and sign a
slip never to join the W. F. of M.
again while in their employ.
"The committee asked if there would
be any discrimination and they all said
that every man would be taken back,
but those that the grand jury indicted,
and those arrested for any other seri
|ous charge. But many are. turned
down that have, not been arrested or
even have been conspicuous in the
strike. Some are turned down be
cause they went before the investigat
ing committee. One manager said
thai those that went there will never
gel any more work in the copper coun
|try. So far as I know no one has been
hired from this end of the mining
country who did go there.
"It seems to me, now that the strike
is over, they want to crush the spirit
of unionism out of the men by keeping
them without jobs and making them
go elsewhere to seek work —then it in
an expense t omove their families
after they are settled.
"The poor men are left in a sad
place at the mercy of the hearless set
of mine owners who never gave us
anything and don't intend to. A job
to a man with a large family means
something and it looks like as if they
'are going to make a job look so good
to him that he will put up with most
anything before he will go on strike
again.
"It makPS men say very often, 'Mow
'long will the government allow such
things to l>e done by the men who own
, ~ rythtng and don't do anything'?"
I . . — —
Getting on —but where to? Gather
ing together but how much? Do you
mean to gather always -never to
spend? If so, I wish you joy of your
godd< ss, for I am just as well off as
'you, without the trouble of worship
ing her at all. Hut if you do not
spend, somebody else will -somebody
elae must. And it is because of this
(among many other such errors) that
■ I have fearlessly declared your so
called science of Political Rconomy to
in- oo science; because, namely, it has
'omitted Hi" study of exactly the most
Important branch of the business—the
■study of spending. For spend you
11 must, and as much as you make, ultl
■ tnatelj Rußkln's "Crown of Wild j
Olive."
CUT OF ROOSTER, WITH
HEAD DOWN, FEATHERS
PLUCKED, ETC.
Comrades —How do you like the
looks of our rooster this week? Don't
you feel ashamed of him? We do, but |
it can't be helped. Two Sundays to
gether raises Cain with the receipts
j by mail, and the advertising manager
being compelled to collect as well as
solicit, something had to be slighted.
As a consequence of the various
causes which conspired to cripple us j
we are back to the old four pages '
again. Now, comrades, it is up to i
you. You saw last week what an im-!
provement the extra pages made, you
enjoyed the extra reading matter —we j
know you did —and if you wish to have
six pages weekly it is up to you to
get in and hustle. We sent a photo
of the office rooster to Seattle to have j
a out made but it has failed to arrive
and you will have to use your Im
agination and picture tho most de
jected looking rooster you have ever \
sei ii. All together now and let's have
him crowing again next week.
F. (!. CROSBY,
Adv. Mgr.
SEIDEL AT CHEHALIS.
Good Work Accomplished.
Kmil Seldel, ex-Socialist mayor of
Milwaukee, delivered an interesting
and convincing lecture to about 500
people in the Glide theatre last Tues-1
day night. Ho talked on "Taxation
and Municipal Government." Told us
of the way the Socialist party cleaned
up the "dirty places" in Milwaukee.
Meantime the audience sat at high
tension awaiting the completion of the
next sentence ho they could clap their
hands, aa they soon found out. that
every sentence was worthy of a hearty
cheer.
Comrade Win. Stackhouse came
over from Centralia with a streetcar
load of A-l Reds and helped us in
getting our literature before the
crowd. We took thirteen applications
for membership in the local here, and
sold about $2.40 worth of Keece's
books and took in $16 on collection.
Considering the political situation in
Ibis vicinity the meeting was a grand
success. Old party advocates took
Intense interest in the lecture and
even some, of them contributed to the
movement. Hull Moosers were special-
I.V interested. One Mull Moose threw
down his party and applied for mem
bership in our local because he said
the Bull Moosers' party was only a
blindfold between Wilson and Debs.
We hope that more of them will have
backbone enough to peep over this
"blindfold."
Wishing for great success, 1 am
yours for the revolution,
('HAS. MILLER,
Organizer Chehalis Local.
. — .
I Snohomish will construct a $20,000
public water system.
AN UNNECESSARY TRAGEDY.
Little Comrade Pays Tribute to Greed.
A terrible tragedy, the result of
criminal negligence on the part of the
railroad corporations, happened last
week in the family of Comrades Ed
tad Julia Herman, both old-time work
ers In the movement.
The family was returning overland
to their home in Pasco after visiting
with Mrs. Herman's father, and had
stopped to camp and prepare dinner.
Two of the children were dispatched
to a nearby spring for a pail of water,
which necessitated their crossing the
railroad track. While doing so the
little girl, aged four, caught her foot
in an unprotected frog. At this mom
ent a train dashed into view. The
brother heroically endeavored to ex
tricate, his sister but in vain. In the
meantime, the mother, hearing their
outcries, appeared upon the scene just
in time to see her child ground to
; pieces beneath the engine, while the
iboy, still clinging to the unfortunate
llittlo victim, was hurled down an em
bankment.
As might be expected, the mother
became temporarily deranged, and for
a time her reason was despaired of.
At present, however, she is reported
to be improving.
This is but one example out of mil
lions showing the utter disregard of
corporations for risk of human life, j
Laws providing for safeguards as in
this case, are ignored, for the sake of,
a few dollars, and as usual the work
j ing-class suffer the consequences.
Comrades all over the state will
< sympathize with the heart-broken par
i ents. Let us retaliate by making
every effort to do away with this,
profit-hunting system that sacrifices.
thousands of human beings every day,
in order that a few parasites may have
more blood-stained dollars to squan
der.
"THE WORLD DO MOVE."
University Seniors Won't Dress Like
Monks.
Seattle, May 88.— The senior men
,at the University of Washington have
made a final decision not to wear caps
and gowns during commencement
week or at the commencement exer-1
cises.
The senior women decided to wear
I In in.
The men circulated petitions, which
were signed by a majority of the,
class, in which reference is made to
the custom of wearing the cap and
gown as "moss grown and obsolete."
"We, the undersigned male, mem
bers of the class of 1911 of the Uni
versity of Washington," reads the pe
tit ion. "do here signify our intention
to appear during commencement week
and at the commencement exercises
In the ordinary garb of a male citizen
of the United States.' '
Spokane country saw mills report
shipments for the first three months
or 1 itt4 or 214,550,000, an Increase over
the corresponding three months of
1913 ol 16,295,000 feet.
Seattle board of public works is
getting bids on a tunnel under Lake
Wai hington, brick work to cost $187,
--n te $175,000,
WHAT A SOCIALIST
CONGRESSMAN COULD DO
(Socialist Party Press Service.)
Washington, D. 0., May 23.—Want-!
Ed, Socialist congressman to make a
national issue out of the abolition of!
, poverty.
If there, were at least one Socialist
congressman in Washington, he could,
I do more to make the country and the!
powers that be sit up and take active
notice than any number of Bull Moos
ers, Progressives of the Democratic
or Republican stripe.
lint, what could a Socialist congress
man do? Could he be of any earthly
value? Would it be. worth the timei
and energy necessary to get one elect
ed? Here is the way a Washington
Socialist has doped out what a brave
congressman, albeit playing a lone:
hand, could do.
i
What could on« brave man in the j
house of representatives do, to make j
the ABOLITION OF POVERTY an i
immediate, issue in congress?
WHAT HE COULD DO.
He could introduce a resolution call
j ing for the creation of a standing com
mittee on the Abolition of Poverty.
He could insist, upon a hearing on
this proposal before the Rules com
. mittee.
He could get publicity for his argu
ment before that committee from thou
sands of newspapers and magazines, I
through the press associations and
1 special correspondents at the capitol.
He could answer the ridicule of the
434 other members of the house byj
presenting the great petition in be
half of his resolution, which would
come in from all sections of the coun
try when, his plan was published.
He could force a definite acceptance
or rejection of his measure from the
party spokesman on the Rules com
mittee.
He could publish in the press every
where the names and excuses of these
party leaders, with his own views as
to the social effects of poverty.
AND THEN SOME.
He could introduce bills providing
for special commissions of economists
and scientists to report on the best
means of doing away with poverty as
a social nuisance; he could make his
argument for these bills before house
committees interesting, and could so
strikingly illustrate it by presenting
living proofs of the effect of poverty
upon children that every newspaper in
America and Europe would print the
story.
He could address an open letter to
the president of the United States, to
the chairman of the national commit
tee of each political party, and to the
leaders of each party in congress, chal
lenging them to declare: (a) Wheth
er they believe the abolition of pov
erty within a generation, to be pos
sible; (b) whether they desire such
abolition, and (c) what definite legis
lative and administrative steps to that
end they will initiate and support.
He could then call the attention of
the people to their replies or their sil
ence, and ask the people to write let
ters to their representatives in con
gress, and to the president and his
cabinet, demanding that constructive
action for the abolition of poverty be
undertaken at once. He could force
upon the attention of the house every
day some new argument, protest or
demand bearing directly upon this one
point.
He could, in a few weeks of such
agitation, frighten the party leaders
into holding conferences on the "pov
erty problem."
Anyway, Let's Try One From "Our" |
District.
He could drive them, in their fear I
of the resentment of the aroused
farmers' organizations, labor unions,
social workers and forward-looking
citizens generally, to make platform
Dance and Picnic
Silver Lake Sunday, June 7
Auspices Ladies' Label League
Dancing starts at 2:30. Take
Interurban Car.
No. 178.
WASHINGTON SOCIALIST IS
TAKEN OVER BY SNOHOM
ISH COUNTY COMRADES.
(Ed. Note. —The following article
■ was inadvertently omitted last week.)
When the Commonwealth was placed
■ in the hands of a receiver, it became
necessary for some of the comrades
; to publish a paper to take its place.
j Then the Washington Socialist was
born. In a short time the Common
! wealth property was for sale. A com
rade bought it. Meanwhile, the sec
ond class mailing privilege had to be
! obtained for the new paper. But no
• company had legally been formed to
' own and publish the new paper, and
sign an application, as the legal own
; ers, for the mailing rights. Three
j comrades assumed this responsibility.
They had to. So the paper was legally
privately owned, with no press com
mittee, and no one besides the three
comrades who do the principal work
of the paper to act with authority for
the comrades who support the new
born Washington Socialist.
When the county convention met,
this anomalous position of the paper
. was explained to the members as
. sembled, and it was suggested that
I The Washington Socialist be made a
! party-owned paper. The matter was
deferred for two weeks, when a mass
i meeting of the Socialists of Snohom
• jish county was called. After much
. discussion pro and con it was decided
that the paper should be owned and
. controlled at once by the party mem
bership of the county.
A committee of five was then elect
ed to act as a press committee, with
full authority to act for the comrades
(of the county.
ENCOURAGING ACTIVITY.
Seven New Locals Organized.
The following locals have been
chartered by the state office the past
ten days: Lyle, Orin, Outlook, Ka
lama, Fernwood, Hazel Dell and Port
Orchard. Renewed activity is report
ed all along the line. The sale of
due stamps is increasing greatly and
taken all in all things are booming.
NEW ZEALAND.
A fine of $5,000 has been inflicted
on a trade union federation in New
Zealand on account of the alleged in
sulting of a strikebreakers' leader.
Increased scale of wages for the
telephone girls by the industrial com
mission forces the Bell Telephone Co.
to consider installation of automatic
devices.
A railroad has been incorporated to
build from Wrights Station on the
north bank into the heavy belt of tim
ber between Lyle and Goldendale.
The philosophy of one century is
the common sense of the next. —H. W.
Beecher.
Custom does often reason overrule,
And only serves for reason to the fool.
—Earl of Rochester.
pledges on. this issue before the cam
paign of this year is half through.
He could, in brief, set at work for
humanity such moral forces as have
never been loosed in America, and
marshal them in one splendid fight
ing machine to compel obedience to
I the masses at the national capitol.
One brave man in congress could to
day put a new soul into the struggle
of the dispossessed.
He could fairly be called a states
man, and a great man.