Workmen's advocate., November 08, 1890, Image 1

About Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891

Image provided by: Connecticut State Library, Hartford, CT

                
J nisi f J T o $
US. '.' 1,
. I 1 JM
3 S mt
OIKiAMZKl) LABOR.
WEEKLY MEETING OF THE
CENTRAL LABOR FEDERATION.
Strengthening the Lines of Labor in
F.very Organized Triple.-!,. Siinial
Elected t( IC'irrsiiit the ('. L. F.
at the Detroit, Convention of 1 lit
Am. rh-uii Federation of Labor
"Iiistriiclions to the Delegate"
the Special Order for Next San
Hay. At the regular "ninthly m". ting of the
C. L. I". lust Sunday, delegate (!, II. Me
Viy of the Piano-makers' Union pre
sided and delegate 1 ii 'ki r of tlie St-rinati
Waiters' Union was Yice-Ohnirman.
Tlie Pie Bakers' I nion reported that
it was not thr Brook!) n Pie Baking Co.
which was being boycotted hut the Ante
rii'an Pie Baking Co.
A committee from the United Bro
therhood of Tailors of Newark, N. J.,
!'t i ( ' ics1 1 (I two speakers for ' heir s 11:1 -s -m
ot in,;' 011 Thursday, Nov. IS, in that
i-ii. Tin ii' request was granted and
delegates Bneksath an 1 l'r;i-bt-r m re
deputed 0 -peak.
'llu; ea.se of the Italia Mosaic Wmk
ers was next 1 1 i.cii-si tl. Jt. was reported
h:0 iiie Hoard of Walking t degates.
night.- "I Labor and ( Vnlral Labor
Union h.id tlrivt n the Italian union ne 'i
i'l'oni a joli week and in doing so
bail actually used Micks tied el ill is. Tins
a as hy far I he most out 1 ageoiis a-ault
as yet recorded in this interiie.-me
.-1 rife , I ! 'gates Phi men berg, I h uman,
Hard. Wilson and Kandlcr were elected
a eoiomitfee ith full power to take
siction in this matter,
A committee from the 10th of Novem
oer celcbra'ion was granted pel mission
to distribute phaniplets ami circulars,
In the case of (lie India Wharf Brow
ing Cm., it was decided to request that
concern to fulfill its promises as given to
our Arbitration Committee.
The ease of the Turn Hall, I'.ast lth
street, ami its manager Kramer, who
has evinced such pronounced antagon
ism toward Organized Labor, was then
I'tuisiiit red. It was derided that the
Non-Intercourse Com in it tee forthwith
proceed against that ball. All members
of unions w ho are also members of the
Turn Society must not patroni.e the
bar.
In this ease of Mix Mnni'n Jmiriiul it
was voted to give the A 1 ltitr.it ion Com
mittee full jiuin'r.
Financial Secretary Waldinger re-
(n'rtetl that delegate Kline of the United
Coat, Operators bail spread a report, that
no bo ds were kept in this body and that
thing.-- were, generally carried on in a
loose way. It was decided thai the or.
gani. anon be notified and roipii Mod to
withdraw the said Kline, as lie was evi
dently suffering from a mental aberra
tion which utiiitted him for the func
tions of delegate. Delegates F'ra-ber
Ib-rzhcrg and I-'leisclmer wt re deputed
to transmit this matter to the Coat Ope
rators. The Italian Stone Masons reported
trouble at Rlsth street and Nth ave. and
1 be Arbitration Committee was instruct
ed to act.
The I'iano Yarnishers reported that
they were hopeful of victory in their
light for !l hours.
Bakers' Union 31 reported that two
more bosses bad signed tlie contract, and
, at they will have a ball on Nov. ?, at
the New Irving Hall.
The ball of the Vest-makers takes
place on Nov. x, at the same hall, and a
committee was elected to see that union
beer was sold on that night.
Th? United Upholsterers will have a
ball on November la, at the Everett
Hall.
The jolly mixers of jam and dough
commonly known as Tie linkers will
dance on Nov. la, at Clarendon Hall.
The M dd Ale and Porter lirewers of
Union No. 1. will frolick on Nov. 211, at
34J W. 42d street.
The Tailors Progressive Union No. 1.
will have a ball on Nov. at Webster
Hall.
The Buttonhole-makers requested that
all those who do not join this union
shall not be recognized by the rest of the
clothing trade.
The Advance Association of Bookbin
ders reorted following the Bakers and
removing from Hotze's scab hall, tj:J
Bowery.
It was decided that all unions should
request the sal 'on keepers of their meet
ing places to join the Saloonkeepers'
Union.
Barbers' Union No. 1 wants to know
what unions have complied with the
resolution passed by the C. 1.. F. and
appointed committees to lind out how
many union barbershops there are in
their precinct. The Barbers' Union re
ported also that it had endorsed the reso
lution against the Tammany candidate
for Sheritf, J. J. Cormaii.
Confectioners and Cake-bakers No. 7
reported that for some unaccountable
reason the Executive Board bad decided
against sending a delegate to the Ameri
can Federation of Labor Convention;
bu- all the local unions would have a
meeting and a delegate would be elected.
The 1 iremeiis' Union expressed the
desire that steps he taken to organize
the lirenien in unorganized factories.
The ease of Brewer Peter Buckel, 'a ho
has discharged union firemen, was re
ferred to the Arbitration Committee.
The United Machinists will have a
meeting to organize the English speaking
machinists on Nov. 22, at Ledwiihs'
Hall. i!d ave. and lath street.
Baker-' Union 'J2 reported that it had
succeeded in forcing 1-leischmaii's Yeast
out of eight bakeries.
The ( iencral Laborer' Union reported
that some of the largest lirnis of brick
makers were standing by them and tncy
were no longer afraid of 1 lie Knights of
Labor.
The Amalgamated Bread-workers No.
1 reported that tl Ltcdeitafel" had
b Id a festival in Fit no's Park on Satur
day, and (bar at. it o'clock pool beer had
been permitted to be solo sfithellt ob
ject ion.
Itelegafe Sanial was appoiniod to
speak before the Ladies branch of the
Cecil;-makers at I') lhagoras Hall, on
Nov. ;;.
Th" Paper-bangers and Decorators
lJ wid dcm,.iut justice and lair play
from the American Federation of Labor
at I he 1 letroit ( 'onvi ntion.
The sea! was granted to Bakers' Union
tC) on boy cot 1 ciiculars against two
obstinate bos.sos,
On motion of delegate Buhm it was
decided to send a delegate to I no t 011
vention of the American Federation of
Labor to be held at Detroit on December
S, and delegate Lucien Sanial was
elected. I he matter of '-Inst ruction to
the Dtdegaie" was made t he special or
der for next Sunday, at 4 P. M. , and a
full attendance is requested and ex
pected. The delegates of the Building Material
Handlers having been absent three times
the union will be notified.
The following resolutions were then
presented and adopted on behalf of the
Cloak-makers Union.
WilKKKAS, Police Justice llogau has
so grossly misconceived his duty as to
refuse to enlarge the bail of Contractor
Rosenthal, who murderously assaulted
a member of Cloak-makers' Union of
New York, his bail being only ifoOO. al
though he was informed by Mr. Hum
mel, the lawyer of the union, that Un
said member was lying at the point of
death and although this fact was proven
by a medical certificate; therefore be it
' Jit'sol ret, That we stigmatize this act
of Justice llogan as against our sense of
justice and as arbitrary and partial in
the highest degree.
Walking Delegate Hermann, of tlie
Architectural Iron Workers' Progres
sive Union, was sticcesstul in inducing
the linn of Manstield and Fagan. of
llohoken, N. J., to make their establish
ment a union shop. He was equally
successful with Mr. Bremer, also of llo
hoken. While the Yanderbilts, by a series of
agreements looking to the final absorp
tion of a number of railroads winch re
present a capital of alio million dollars,
are slowly but surely securing the abso
lute ownership of a continuous trans
continental system of transportation
from the Atlantic to the Pacitie, other
railway magnates are not only contem
plating but actually carrying out a simi
lar scheme in self-defence. They
know that if they do not act promptly in
the same direction the Yanderbilts will
make it impossible for them to ever do
it, and that their own great trunk lines
will tinally Itecttne tributary to the New
York Central. Important negotiations
are therefore in progress between the
Baltimore & Ohio and the Northern
Pacitie roads for an agreement, offensive
and defensive, which, if consummated,
will practically amount to a consolida
tion of the two 8) stems. Henry Yillard
is the prime mover of the scheme, and
President Charles F, Meyer, of the Bal
timore A: ( ihio is on a tour of inspection
with bis whole Board of Directors over
the Northern Pacific with a view to the
consummation of this gigantic enter
prise. The receipt of a sample copy of this
paper is an invitation to subscribe.
CENTRAL LABOR UNION.
A Ciinllitt
I toil Mv lout
In llu I'lmtl ;
liritii inn.
The Central Labor Union is threatened
with disruption. The ' trpt-ntcrs will
probably leave the body, and may join the
Central Labor Federation. It is also pos
sihle that they may be expelled next
Sunday tor disobedience. The tit uble
originated with the boycott against the
(irand Opera House and Madison Square
(Jarden, where union carpenU'is are
employed, while the Balfe Musical
Club, who belong to the K. ;;f L,, we:e
discharged. The Central Labor Union,
the majority of whose delegates are
Knights of Labor, took sides with the
Balfe men, and now the carpenters who
belong to tiie open unions declare that
they cannot get justice at the hands of
the. 0. L. U. The matter was discussed
Sunday at great length in executive
session and the result was that the boy
colt agaiast the two thetttivs was re
solved upon, although the carpenters
said that after a careful investigation
they had satisfied themselves that the
grievances of the Balfe musicians were
altogether unfounded. If the carpenters
withdraw from the C. L. U. the other
building trades will he powerlo.-H, a., they
cannot enforce any strikes against the
opposition of the carpenters.
The meeting was presided over by
Phil. Kelly of the Theatrical Protective
Una hi.
Upon request of the subo dinate asso
ciation of the Lithographers' Protective
Ass ici.itiou a resolution was indorsed
denouncing Assemblyman F'. S. (iibbs
lor favoring the Cigarette Bill, which
was to give a monopoly to a certain
cigarette concern: but the bill did not
pass.
The candidacy of (leorge K. Lloyd,
who is upon the ticket of the Common
wealth party for Comptroller, was en
dorsed. Delegate Bey nobis reported that the
benefit for the late W. A. Hotchkiss
bad resulted in a lo t prolhof $1:30 511,
Local Union No. aOll of the Carpenters
Brotherhood reported its withdrawal
from the ('. ,. U.
The executive session took place after
the transaction of the routine business.
The discussion was stormy, the delegates
ot the open unions denouncing the j
K. ol L. f r their unfairness. The Car- j
pt-hters were ordered to strike on the
two ineatres, nut, tncy reiUseil point
I.I....1- ... .1.,,., 1
I'ltoiii 10 u urj oioci.
STEEL.
lainniKMiH Development of Mi is I inulii
iiumiIhI Industry in tlieliisl Ten Years.
From a preliminary report on the steel
industry, just issued by the Census
Bureau, it appears that the total produc
tion of steel in the United States during
the year ended June :J0, lW), was -1,-KKi,-D-ti
tons of X,tn M) pounds, as compared
with 1,1 In, Til tons produced during the
year ended May 111, lsso, an increase of
.Vsi,i ions, or ,-ao per cent, in tin-
ten years from lssti to isi)) the produc
tion of Bessemer steel ingots and direct
castings has increased from (JS",'Jirs t,,ns
to ;,7s,.')72 tons, open-hearth steel from
M,:i'2 tons to "i((l,;l")J tons, and crucible
steel from 7ti 'Mil tons to S,i ;"i;tli tuns. o
Clapp (iritlithsor Robert-Bessemer steel
was made in the census year lsl), as
there was no works in existence in t his ""- "" v " "
countrv at Hit t. time. During the year i w,t, raPl utteiition to the various speak
ended June :!(), lMltl, the production of 1 ('rrt- P;tdoss logic of tlie socialist
Clapp Grit iths steel in the United States orators-Comrades McNamara, ewen,
1 1 , , . . . : .,.,.1 l, ,,.,,11 ,w ,.....,1 1.1
was Ni.'.m.i tons and the production ot
liobert-Bei-senier steel w as 4.50 1 tons.
The United States now leads all other
countries in the manufacture of Besse
mer steel rails, the output during the
year ended .June IJO, ls'.io, amounting to
-.U;il5,05t tons, an increase of l,JU"i,17!t
tons over the production of the year
ended May 31, lssi). In the manufacture
of basic steel this country has made a
promising beginning, the production of
this kind of steel during the year ended
June IJO, Win, amounting to 'W.l'.'J
tons,
The Vermont Supreme Court lias re
cently decided that railroad pools are
legal w hen the rates charged are reason
able. To the unlearned in law this ibci
sion would seem to eontliet with the
Interstate Commerce At t; but we have
the won! of a distinguished railroad
lawyer that such is not the case, hecau-f
"it is a well settled rule that exceptions
can lie made to Acts declaring certain
things illegal, provided it can be show n
that the exceptions are not contrary to
. l; .. v .. - ii .i
public poln-v. Now, cone wiles ibis
' 1 -
logical lawyer (Judge Springer, of the
Atchison), thanks to the Vermont Sit-
preme Court we have good authority
for saying that pools are not illegal, and
"we are more than ever willing to join
them."
IN AUSTRALIA.
A . 1
toe I'll line ot llu- I, rent Mi ike, lv j
Our Sjttiii'v t om-hpomteiit. !
Long ere this reaches you, the news j
of the great Australian strike w ill have
come to you through the swill electric !
current. The immediate cause of the j
strike was the dismissal, by the Captain j
of the S. S. "Corinna" (which belongs to j
the Steam Ship Owners' Association of j
Australasia), of the fireman of that ves i
hel, Mr. P, Madge, who also was the do-
legate of the Seamen't Union. The union I
demanded the re-instatement of Mr.
Madge, which demand was refused. Mr.
Made had Idled the position of lireniMi
for seven years, three of which he had
served under the present Captain; a
length of service that gives the lie to the
charge of incapacity put forward as a
reason for his dismissal. The real inten
tion was to deal a blow, if possible, at
the principles of trades Unionism.
For some time past, too, the ollicers
and seamen had been clamoring for bet
ter pay, (as they were much overworked
find largely underpaid). Their modest
requests were practically refused by the
shipping companies, who said they
could not all'ord to grant the com essions
a.sked. This forced the ollicers into a
union which soon atliliattd with the
Trades and Labor Council of S)dney.
This raised the ire of the shipping lirnisi
vho olfcred to grant a slight increase of
salary if the ollicers would withdraw
f 1 1 1 1 1 1 the T. and L. Council, which they
declined to do.
Then there was trouble between the
Bliearers and squatters in respect to the
juice for shearing and the employment
of non-union shearers. The wharf la
boreis stood by the shearers, and they,
with the shipping ollicers, seamen, etc.
rune out on strike. Subsequently the
t'ray and trolly men and shearers,
i oust abjiits etc., were called out, r.iui
now we have in all Australia. lOOJM.O
men, the bone and sinew of the land,
striking against the damnable tyranny
under which they groaned so long.
The shipping firms, squatters etc., are
now united into an Employers' Union,
1 battle is being
waged between
,,
c
,'nited Capital ot. the one hand and
United Labor on t he other. The employ
ers have shown every determination to
light; they have refused arbitration have
declined a conference, and have treated
the Labor party with the utmost lack of
consideration.
In the early stage of (lie strike (on Sa
turday afternoon, Aug. Moth, the Labor
party held a demonstration, matching
from the Circular fthiay, Sydney, loth
Exhibition Building. Seven thousand
men took part in it. Speeches were
made, and resolutions passed condemna
tory ol the capitalistic party. On Salur-
, fiiv afternoon, Sept. (i
aiiother demon
stration was belli, -I I labor bodies takiti'r
part. A procession w as formed at ( '11
cular 1 nay with banners and bands.
Nearly all Sydney turned out to see this.
The march was made through the prin
cipal streets to the Domain, where four
! platforms were erecled -orie of these
: being that d the 'Australian Socialist
1 ' "."
Since then the capitalists have hail
special constables sworn in. All available
clerks, etc., men with as much strength
as a kitten and many with as much in
telligence as an oyster, have been en
listed. The Unionist offer of !)()0 special
constables, made on August '-'s, was re
fused by Premier Parkes. There was
no real necessity lor an army of specials,
w hose only effect w as to irritate, those
on strike.
On Friday, September 111, a slight dis
turbance arose at Circular yuay, ow ing
to the cartage of noli union shorn wool,
it being carted by the employers per
sonally, from Darling Harbor sea.
The Riot Act w as read, though there
was not the slightest necessity for
that being done. The police (including
the specials and troopers) charged the
people in their usual savage fashion,
lotting out regardb-ss of fin-nd or foe.
The press, Uissed as it is here by capi
talists, hits been all along anil is now mis
representing the Labor party. The
iiiit-t barefaced falsehoods lind a place
k. their columns, to their discredit l.e it
.-aid.
A Labor journal, entitled the Wrn-
" Hi I, tuuii, has l en started in Sni-
, ' . . ,,. ,
iifv, and in tjhieen-land J he Workir
(!t 'I1(,thly) is doing etfective work in
, educating the masses. Its subscription
i !st already exceeds l ,00o and it is
j '" , ,1(,tion. (whih w
believe to lie not very farotrj, the Laltor
' party are advised to drop the question
of tiscal policy (. -., Free Trade vs.
Protection), and to let the issue be:
"Labor vs. Capital." Doubtless this
strike, w hich is t he greatest w inch has
ever taken place in Aust ralia, has been
a great edueaiiond factor as regards t he
workers, opening their eyes to the fact
that the anlipalht of the capitalists
toward theni is greater than they hail
previously supposed.
I must not forget to relate that the
Mounted Police on Saturday broke up
a strikers' meeting at Belmore Paik,
Sydney. Evidently cipitalism was the
moving power. In every way the capi
talists are annoying the Labor party,
and it is 11 matter of woiub-r Unit there
has not been a real riot ere this
As 1 write, the strike is as far from
being settled its ever. The employers
are obdurate, but their wage slaves arc
lirm and determined.
F. E. S. II F.wiKoN.
SYPNKY, Sept lsin.
LOVERS OF LIBERTY!
Sinn Ynnr Niiini-s to (lie Koll ol' Honor.
The following appeal has been issued
by the Pioneer Aid and Support Asso
ciation: "I'ntK.NPS ANP ( 'OMKAliKS: A heavy
burden rests upon our conciences. An
indelible stain clings to the American
name. We allowed on November II,
NN7, several of the best of our class lo be
saerilieod to the tyranny of class hatred.
The generation that, perpetrated, or
allowed to be perpetrated, llu- judicial
murder, cannot atone for the crime.
The cemetery of Waldhciiu incloses the
strangled bodies of our immortal friends.
Thousands of brave men and women
every year make a pilgrimage to this
(it)lgotha of the proletariat, to dedicate
tears to the memory of our heroes, and
hear their voices morn powerful in
death than in life crying out, 'Lift up
your hearts!'
"Hence, it behooves us to erect a
token to show the pilgrims the sacred
ground where tin ir dead rest.
"We are aware t hat the preservat ion
of lh ir memory does not require a
monument of stone or bronze, lor they
already have' erected themselves an
eternal monument in our hearts. It is
not; an imitation of (be customs of a
conventional world that induces us to
direct this retpiest for your help for the
erection of this sign of remembrance.
This- monument shall he worthy of our
martyrs a monition to our duties, an
appeal from the dead to the living!
" The Pioneer Aid and Support Asso
ciation whose object is the providing
for the families of the murdered and
imprisoned labor leaders and other vic
tims of the reaction, as well as to erect a
monument to the entombed leaders of
the people at Waldiioim cemetery has,
by acquiring title to their graves, re
moved all obstacles to the execution of
their project.
"It is the intention to unveil the
monument at the next World's Congress
of Workingmen during the World's
Exposition, in ISIKi, to be enabled to
show the visitors that 4W years after
the discovery of this continent a new
era has commenced for tho wage work
ers. "There is no doubt that in Chicago
alone the necessary funds could be
raised for this monument a consider
able amount having already been ob
tained but everywhere the desire has
been clamored to give all comrades and
lovers of liberty an opportunity to con
tribute their mite to the erection of this
monument,
"We, though opponents of the monu
ment culture, consider this clamor as
justified. We perceive in the projected
monument a symbol of the fraterniza
tion of the wage-woi kers w hich has to
precede the freeing of an enslaved
world. If, therefore, appears to us as
appropriate that everybody sign his
name to the roll of honor, no matter
how small the amount may be.
"Please send .'nwides to the treasurer,
Mr. Thomas Orel!, 54 West Lake Street,
Chicago, 111,, and forward letters of
advice to the secretary, Mr. Martin
Lat her, A voiitla'e Station, Chicago, 111.
"With fraternal greetings,
PlO.NPKK All) ANP SPPI'DltT ASS'N.
Mat bias Schmiedingcr. I'rmiili'nl ,
Martin Lat her, Carr. Sn-tditry,
Thomas (ireif, Tiatxtirer,
Mrs. Sophie Oluiniii,
Hermann Kaune,
Louis Vornhrook, Trusters.
I ienry Mueller,
Il'y. Linnemeyer, Sr. j
During the last two years 1,:!71 estab
lishments in this State reported strikes,
lock-outs, and boycotts; a total of :J2,7sJ
persons were engaged in these economic
diM urbances; the temporary loss to the
employes is estimated at .IMS, 11"i1, and
to the employers at iJ.'illoJIiMi.'J.'i. i'lir
'hermore, as compared with the pre
ceding year, ls7, the number of
strikes, etc., during the period under
consideration shows an increase of
and the number engaged an increase of
nearly 25 per cent. No wonder Chair
man Sloan declared at Albany that no
appropriation could le made forschools,
but any amount of money would be
granted for armories.
IN CALIFORNIA.
.Iidnt Dilntle liel u 1 1 . i. v illi tie, the
Na! loimllt anil SoeUlisc t uiuliiluttt for
t'liiiK'i-i-NH, uml Hi. Knr., it Keptem-ii-latUe
lleiiHiiiiil.
No news has yet come from California
concerning the result of the only politi
cal contest on (he Pacitie Coast in
which we fell interested and that is
the campaign of II. (i. Wilshire, the
Nationalist nominee for Congress in the
extensive district of w hich Los Angeles
is the center. We only know, thus far,
that Mr. Wilshire hasconducted a vigor
ous campaign on lines thoroughly So
cialistic ami that he was not at any
time or any w here afraid of proclaiming
himself a Socialist. On Sunday, Oct.
21!, a joint debate took place at Turn
Vert-in Hall, Los Angeles, between him
and Dr. Joseph Kurz, the Democratic
i linee for County Treasurer, The hall
was crowded; but Dr. Kurz was belated
and the audience became restive until
Mr. Owen, editor of the WWhly A' km
tilit, was invited by the chairman to
entertain it with an ex-teinpore address,
w hich he promptly brought to a close
when the Dr. at. last made his appear
ance. Singular to say, Dr. K tux's
spec -b was actually an niiloiseinect of
Hit- Nationalist doctrine, w hich he false
ly ami hypocritically claimed was ac
cepted by the Democratic paity. He
said thai he hail been a Socialist since
lol and lie thought the principles of
Socialism and Democracy w oris almost
identical, so that the best way for the
Nationalist parly to work out its ends
was through the Democratic organiza
tion. I bis clumsy attempt to capture the
Nationalists with political tally gave Mr.
Wilshire an advantage over bis oppo
nent, which he was not slow to improve.
In his reply to Dr. Kurz be reviewed
and explained the Nationalist platform
anil' challenged the Democratic cham
pion to produce one plank from the De
mocratic platform that couid in any
way be coiisiriu d as Nationalistic in its
meaning and tendency. Referring to
tho worn out plati'.uth) that Socialism is
foreign to American soil, Mr. Wilshire
considered Socialism lit length, saitl be
was an American, born of American
parents, yet was a Socialist.
In response to Mr. Wilshire, Dr. Kurtz
spoke for ten minutes, lie still insisted
licit many planks of the Nationalistic
platform were embodied in that ol the
Democratic. While the speaker gener
ally indorsed the principles of National
ism, he thought the results desired could
be worked out, and should be worked
out, hloIy, The Doctor appealed to his
Nationalist friends to support the Demo
cratic ticket. "If you consider both
parties' evils, choose the lesser of the
two, the Democratic party."
Mr. Wilshire cloned in rebuttal. He
bad no tlilliciilly in gel l ing t he best of
the doctor and reitirated all his previous
statements which the littler bad not
answered.
A viva voce vole was then taken. The
sentiments of Mr. Wilshire were almost
unanimously adopted by the audience,
Dr. Kurtz receiving but few voles.
In the afternoon of the same day Mr.
WilHhire had already addressed National
ist Chili No. 1 of Los Angeles in Temper
ance Temple on the subject, "National
ism or Plutocracy, Which'"
In the course of this address Mr.
Wilshiii) chielly criticised Edward At
kinson's last book, as also tho writings
of David Wells, show ing that both these
writers, although each arguing from a
dilferent standpoint, are equally mis
taken as to their conclusions concerning
the tendencies of the present time. Mr,
Atkinson contends that the competition
among capitalist?, together with the
determined stand the w orkers are taking
in regard to enforcing their demands,
constantly tends to reduce the prolits of
capital. Mr. Wells, on the other hand,
acknowledges that the day of competi
tion between capitalists is past, anil that
it is idle to struggle against the fact,
which the constant improvement in
machinery anil methods of production
has demonstrated, that industry can no
longer be profitably carried on except on
the largest possible scale; nevertheless,
he claimed that the present widespread
discontent is solely due to the inability
of men to adapt themselves to the change
of conditions now going on, and that as
soon as civilization has become adjusted
to the new order all w ill work smoothly
anil new avenues of employment will he
developed.
The speaker could not understand how
a thinker so clear-sighted a? Mr. Wells
in discerning the trend of modern busi
ness can come to such preposterous con
clusions, be himself maintaining, as Mr.
Bellamy has done, that the tendency to
consolidation of capital now going on
points directly to the final goal of the
nationalization of industry.
In conclusion Mr. Wilshire criticised
somew hat severely the attitude of pro
fessed nationalists who object to politi
cal action at the present time.