The labor standard., February 15, 1922, Image 1

About The labor standard. (Hartford, Conn.) 1908-192?

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Constructive In FoIIcy--A Publication Especially Intended for Humanely Thinking Men and Women
VOL. XIII No. 27
Single Copies 5 (Jents
FEBRUARY 15, 1922
Qne Dollar . a Year
ESTABLISHED 1908
TAX EXEMPTIONS 1
BENEFIT THE RICH
BUSINESS MEN
SEEK CO-OPERATION
IN LABOR PROBLEMS
WOMEN VOTERS
STUDY EFFICIENCY
CO-OPERATIVE PLAN ,
PROVES SUCCESSFUL
WITH! DAIRYMEN
HARTFORD PAINTERS
NOMINATE DUNNE FOR
present wage scales
not sufficient to
Meet living costs
NEW LOCAL LEAGUES
-OF WOMEN VOTERS
ARE ORGANIZED
BURDEN THE POOR
i IN GOVERNMENT
GENERAL SECRETARY
Enormous Issues of Tax-Free
New Jersey Chamber of Com
merce Wants Workers Ap
pointed on Bodies Dealing
With Questions on Industry
Great Interest is Evoked
in
Should Encourage Other Produc
ers and Distributors to Estab
lish Direct Communication
Between Farms" and Homes
Joseph C. Skemp, owing to HI
feenator LaFolIette Says That
Program . Recommended by Ex
ecutive Committee Meets
With Hearty Approval and
Enthusiastic Support
Securities in JLast Few Years
Simply Shifts Load, to Those
Pressing Problems at Recent
Conferences Called by the
Health, Resigns After Eigh
teen Years of Faithful Service
Capitalistic - Methods Will
joring ADout Serfdom'
Period of Strife '
or a
Least Able , to Bear It
, Connecticut League
to Brotherhood
36
I:
v
r -V
. . A WASHINGTON Sixteen billion
" dollars', worth of tax-free securities
have been issued in the last tew years
That is an estimate of tax experts and
v ' - statisticians who" are engaged in the
hopeful undertaking of trying to raise
money for running the government
, ,both by levying taxes and exempting
securities and still keep the secret
hidden from the people. But the hard
truth is that the government has got
to function and its functioning must
" .be paid for out tof taxes.' , No matter
,' " how much blather may be bellowed
by the tax experts and the "stop-it
now-hell's-let-loose" exhorters for tax
' ; reform, the fact stands out boldly that
this tremendous volume of securities
. t' has already escaped taxation, and
their holders cannot be reached by the
tax collector. No extended argument
is
necessary to prove that these
security holders are not wage-earn
ers.-' . ,' '
Without leveling an accusing finger
at any particular class of patriots, it
" is a safe conjecture that, these securi
ties are held by -persons, corporations
and institutions : able to pay taxes
without giving up any of the neces
saries of life or even foregoing any
of their normal comforts. The sound-
'i ness of this conjecture is shown in the
annual decline, of Federal -income-tax
payments . since 19i6. ; In that year
receipts from income taxes; from indi
viduajs were $9997285. " Availing
off in these returns to $731,372,053 s
noted for '1917. In; 1918 they were
nearly 'cut in half K being $392,247,329.
This is a drop frdhi 1916 to ;1918 of
$600,725,616 in a form of taxes which
were' originally levied with 'the object
of placing the burden of taxation upon
those best able to bear it.' )""
v No account 5s taken by the tax ex
perts of the natural increase in in
come taxes accruing, through fortunes
: made in 'war profiteering. . It is likely
that these figures were too astounding
to include in their estimates' because
of the possible effect-upon those" who
have to pay the war taxes out of their
blood. ' ;l''iv;;;.C.ri'V- -' '
CSTor. do the tax experts consider the
relation between the' decline in indi
vidual income taxes and, the increase
in tax-exempt securities. In view of
the issuing of these tax-exempt se-
. curities a a time when the ratio of
individual income-taxes was beingin
creased, and . great fortunes were be
ing piled up by war contracts, it is a
reasonable presumption ; that 5 the
securities exemnjfrom taxation. were
" issued wjth" tfie object 4of permitting
persons of. large means to invest in
thsm pd at the same time to. escape
their just payment of the war lebt.
No matte what may be done in the
future regulating or prohibiting the
' issuance ,of tax-exempt securities, the
taxes which should have been paid by
n the holders of the, securities already
exempt have beeh shifted, and . will
continue to be shifted, from those who
, are best able to pay to those who are
least able to pay..
Stated in i plain ; terms sixteen bil
lions of tax-exempt! securities are
taxes; lifted from the rich'and put J
upon the poor.: The poor must pay
thenv for -they are at the end of the
burden-bearing line.
FOOD PRICES SHOW '
DECLINE IN MONTH
Retail Costs Gjhten Out by Labor
Department Indicate De
creases in Various Cities
WASHINGTON ;- Further de
creases in retail food priees are shown
in statistics issued by the Department
of Labor for twenty-seen of the
. v country's larger cities for the month
I ending January 15. The decrease in
that period for some of the cities was
given as follows: .
Providence, eight per t cent.; Man
chester, Na ,H., New Haven, and 'New
York, seven per cent.; Baltimore, Kan
sas City, .Little Rock, Philadelphia, St.
. Louis, Springfield, Mass., and Wash
ington, D. C, four per cent. .
For the year period. January'' 15,
1921, to January 15, 1922, fhe an
nouncement said, there was a decrease
of twenty-three per cent, in " Savan
nah; twenty-two per cent, in Norfolk;
twenty-one per cent, in Birmingham
and Salt Lake City; twenty per cent,
in Pittsburgh and St. Louis; nineteen
per "cent, in Columbus and Minne
apolis; -eighteen per cent, in Balti-;
more,,. Cincinnati. Little Rock, Louis
ville, Milwaukee and New Orleans;
seventeen per cent, in Indianapolis,
New v Haven, Providence, Rochester
and Springfield; sixteen per cent., in
f Kansas City; New . York, Peoria,
Philadelphia, Seattle, and Washing
ton, D. C.; fifteen per cent, in Chicago
and fourteen per cent, in Manchester.
WANT-MORE JOBLESS
' SAN? f RANCTSCCM-The Industrial
Association, an organization of busi
ness men. is advertising in eastern
papers for buildingdraftsmen to corned
. i 1 A, 1 XL.' 1 I
to inis city, inougn mousanus ui men
are unemployed, i : '
Tjrade unionists called the atten
tion of 11 city's board of supervisors
to these "advertisements, ; and the
board -has : asked the mayor to issue
' a proclamation setting forth the un
employment; situation, ' ' ?' - ,
Only recently the. board appropri
ated' $25,000 to meet the extraordi
nary unemployment situation in .this
city," -but : regardless , of these condi
tions, business men advertise:
"Working conditions - ideal; climate
jdn surpassed; - outdoor- work; year
round;- living expenses most reason
able; write for information and appli
cation blank to Industrial Association,
San Francisco." -
NEW JERSEY Constructive co
operation with labor organizations in
individual shops, m aiv industry-wide
scupe, is recomraenaea o employers as
the,best solution of the industrial re
lations problem in a report just ap
proved by the Executive Committee
of the New Jersey State Chamber of
Commerce and adopted by its Board
of Trustees.
The State 'Chamber is urged to try
to have representatives of organized
labor appointed to committees which
deal with workmen s compensation,
unemployment and other questions
vitally affecting labor, as well as the
employers and the public. Employers
and workmen are also called upon to
get together and "purge themselves of
those domineering and abusive prac
tices which stand in the way of their
greater usefulness.
Code Is Outlined
The report outlines a specific code
of ethics for handling industrial rela
tions, which provides for. collective
bargaining and greater co-operation.
The recommendations and 'report are
the result of long ami careful investi
gation by the Chamber's Committee
on Industrial Relations, which con
sists -of Charles D. Freeman, Chair
man, of J. W, Jay & Co.; L. K. Com
stock, President L. K. Comstock Com
pany; Sam S. Lewisohn, Adolph Lew-
isohn & , Sons; Ernest J. Draper,
President American Creosoting Com
pany; weiier l. JNoyes, swift & JUo.;
T. P. Sylvan, New'' York Telephone
Company; C. N.V Wheeler, Crocker
Wheeler. Company; Paul Studensky,
Secretary to the Committee.
The committee makes these specific
recommendations: ;
"We recognize that the manage
ment of the personnel of industry
should be carried on in a no less thor
ough and scientific manner than the
management of physical problems of
production, and suggest therefore
hat: - y .v ; . vw , '
4 "There should be develoned in our
State Departments of , Labor expert
consulting services that would spread
among employers the knowledge : of
improved methods of Ihandllne oer-
sonnel; employers' associations and
Chambers of Commerce should foster
the development within -their own
bodies , of such expert consulting ser
vices; .t- employers should take v the
initiative in establishing in their" own
shops personnel " departments, - or
where on account of size this is im
practicable, adyice on-personnel prob-
lems should, be secured elsewhere;
there should be greater appreciation
by labor, organized as well as' unor
ganized, of the benefits which may
come -through the efforts of experts in
enlightfjied management , of the per
sonnel." ' -"'';- '" '
For Fair Representation 5
"The establishment of shop repre
sentation, carefully devisedand fair to
all concerned; should be encouraged.
'In constituting committees which
deal with . workmen'sy compensation,
unemployment and othery questions
which vitally affect labor, as well as
the 'employers and the public, the
State Chamber should endeavor to
have representatives of organized la
bor alongside those JA the other in
terests affected. -
"The practice which the State
Chamber has been following of having
its committees base their decisions on
the investigations, made by its Bu
reau of State Research; of maintain
ing the research" work of the 'latter
absolutely independent and free of all
dictation from the officers orv mem
bers of the -Chamber as to the char
acter of acts or conclusions to be pre
sented ; . of publishing the reports of
the bureau free of all censorship, and
of merely seeing - that the men carry
ing on the research be thorough and
unbiased students, fearless in their
work this practice is sound and
should be "continued and -further de
veloped. "We call upon-both employers and
wptkmen, wherever they are. organ
ized and negotiate with each other,
to redouble their efforts toward purg
ing themselves of thoe domineering
and abusive practices which stand in
the ' way of their greater usefulness,
and to develop more consistently, the
rule j6f reason in their dealings and
such constructive experiments of industry-wide
! co-operation vbetween
them as have been begum ; ; ' ,
"The efforts of all concerned should
be directed toward" devising measures
for the regularizajion of industry and
reduction, and prevention of unem
ployment." ; V
STUNG BY BUCKET SHOPS
NEW
YORK JMore than 100,000
persons . have been victimised by
bucket", shops in . this city last year,
according to' District Attorney Ban
ton, who says he is. amazed at the
magnitude of these operations.
"vOne of the favorite methods Of the
bucket shop operators was to inter
est people in buying stock on the in
stallment ' tlan. The affairo was con
ducted along: legitimate lines until thel
stock had been nearly paid for. Ihe
bucket shop would then secure consent
of the customer to place the stock in
a "pool' This was the last heard of
the stock.
" f "
PENNSYLVANIA'S JOBLESS
HARRISBURG, JPa. Unemploy
ment in this state has increased 10,000
since January 1, but the peak has been
reached, is the hope of Commissioner
Connelly of the state department of
labor and industry. The present un
employment figures are 315,860.
HARTFORD The Connecticut Lea
gue of Women Voters is among the
first state, leagues to take up the con
sideration of Efficiency In Government
Miss Belle Sherwin, Chairman of
the Efficiency in Government Depart
ment of the National League , of
Women Voters, attended two con
ferences held in Waterbury, Februarv
J., ancr in aartiora, v eDruary . to
discuss Connecticut questions . relat
ing to her department.
Members of the executive board of
the Connecticut League,' state officials,
and a number of men interested in
changes looking toward greater effi
ciency in government were present.
The special topics of taxation, state
police administration, civil service, the
reorganization of . state departments,
and the city manager plan were taken
up. , : .
r-Miss Sherwin outlined briefly what
some of the other states are doing to
bring the questiomof efficient govern
ment to public, attention- t
"When we were first organized,"
she said, "the need seemed to be for
citizenship schools such as you had
at Yale. It took oiily a short time
to see that we needed more specific
information. Our department asked
the states to proqeed-to take measures
directing the minds of the new, voters
to the specific changes. . It was sug
gested that sub-committees be formed,
leading up to schools for study, out of
which would came the presentation of
the program before at least one meet
ing' of each local league. . ,
"In Virginia, a conference was called
by the Governor, which ended with
the-passage of important resolutions.
In other states committees have' been
appointed to work out what appeared
to be the. most pressing problem. , In
Ohio, forMnstance, we inaugurated a
campaign , to popularize knowledge of I
the election laws. Women can offer
in every, state support for whatever it
seems important to, have ' accom-
Mr. William H- Blodgett,-Tax Com
missioner, was nresento outline the
situation in Connecticut. He gave
figures showing that real estate bears
from 80 to 90 per cent of the tax bur
den. the: tax on intanerible' DroDertv
constituting only a fraction of 1 pr
cent of the state's income. He pointed
out that in asking for welfare meas
ures the ' proponents - must' f ace ' the
fact that we -are " placing the burden
on the, owner" of homes.' He said that
Connecticut is in need of .trained stat
isticians" to point out where' we are
going" in taxation.' . " -
Civil ' Service . Question . Discussed
Professor Henry W. Famamj -JMr,
Horace Taft. and others spoke briefly
on the civil service question, showing
the trend not only in state agid local
government, but in business establish
ments, to be in the direction of choos
ing employees by means of tests 'for
ability and qualification.
Mr. C. M. Gallup described the ap
plication of the City Manager plan to
West Hartford, where the election of
the Council last yea,r was by propor-l
tional representation. The elimination J
of the party label for candidates was!
thus accomplished, and. the method,
of election, with nomination by peti
tion, saved the expense and. trouble of
holding caucuses. New London and
Stratford are ' the other Connecticu t
tdwns -J- which adopted the City
Manager plan last year, , '
Mr. Thomas Russell, a member of
the General Assembly, and of the
Commission appointed by Governor
Lake'to study and recommend re
organization of the, stafe departments,
told of the drawbacks to the present
hap-hazard growth of the departments
and bureaus which now number about
forty. The expenditure of the state
in the last fifty years has increased
in proportion to the ; population well
over ten-fold. The system of spend
ing that money is practically the same
as fifty years ago, Whatever short
comings there may. beJn state admin
istration he laid to the system, not to
the personnel- of the administration.
He outlined the. tirnts of the bill
brought before the last session of the
legislature for the? reorganization of
this system, which was enacted only
in certain -details. He advocated es
pecially coordination of the con
struction work undertaken by the
state, which he said would save more
money than any other single project.
Major Hurley, Supt. of State
Police, told of the various duties of
his department, including licensing et
moving picture houses, duties of the
Fire Marshall's office, supervision of
bill-board advertising, and far-reaching
responsibilities concerhing the
commission of crime. He urged that
law report this either to 'the local
citizens observing any violation ., of
authorities or to the state police.
BOSTON WOMEN'S V
CLUBS PROGRAM
BOSTON Prohibition, peace, pro
tection of women in industry, physi
cal education,' public schools and the
protection of infancy are questions in
cluded in a "Six P Platform" which
has been adopted by a' number of
women's civic organizations of Bos
ton and sent as a questionnaire to
candidates in the fall election.
The platform is supported by the
League of Women Voters, the ; Na
tional W. C. T. U., the General Fed
eration of Women's Clubs and the
Congress of Mothers, and was adopted
by a joint committee from these or
ganizations. A copy, has been sent to
Frank .Foss,. chairman of the Repub
lican State Committee, requesting an
answer within a month which will de
termine the stand to be taken by the
Republican candidate.-
I he practical application of the
theory of co-operative marketing has
apparently been' successfully tested by
the extensive dairying interests of
New York , state, says The - Christian
Science Monitor. The. effort to organ
ize the system of direct dealing be-'
tween the producers and consumers
toiiowed the recent . strike of milk
wagon drivers, in New York City and
in adjacent cities in r the State and in
New Jersevi The. "deli vprv nf millr
jwas so completely held upby the strike
that necessity compelled the adoption
oi somejnaependent means of market
ing thesTiroducts of the dairies and of
1 - X 1 L 1 f 1 T M
supplying tne neeoa oj, tne. millions OI
consumers temporarily deprived - of
service. What seems to-have been
proposed and ' adopted as an emer
gency measure has now been accepted
s a permanent marketing system.
managed and directed by-what is to he
known as the Dairymen's League Co
operative Association, Inc.:
Here is a concrete example -of. what
may be accomplished by , the mtelli
gent application of the co-operative
plan to what, it is agreed, , is one of
the really vital domestic ' problems
The proved success of the system
should , encourage itsv extension 'to
other producing and '. distributing in
dustries until there- has been .estab
lished, between the ; farms and the.
liomes of the consumers, a direct line
of transfer and ; communication. It
reauired a disrupting of the forme
distributing 'agencies resulting from
the continued strike of the drivers to
make apparent the possibility of es
tabii:-hing the newerrsystem It may
require a combined refusal of ; con
sun;ers to continue 'the payment of
excessive tribute to profiteering mid
dlemen to emphasize the. necessity of
extending the operation . of the sys
tem to include ; other essential prod
ucts of tne farms. The farmers al
ready recognize the need of correct
mg present method, They -daily see
tfte d i streusi effect of" allowing the
natiiral flow of their surplus products
to be . interrupted land -.impeded , by
those . agencies . wmqh ; nave, acquired
the power of . dictating, not only the
price at which, those products may be
sold, but the volume in which they
may.be offered to : the consumers.
, Itcanndt'be denied that the ability
to maintain commodity prices at their
present high-levels Tesults from; the
fi.gran t exercis e of the . power, to re
strict the natural supply.t Raw foods
are stematieally?ifestroyed Jor ali
lowed to go Ungathered through .the
machinations of those ' who control
distfibutini agencies. If it is esti
mated that as great a net profit -can
be made by handling and distributing
one-fourth of the total production as
by distributing the entire marketable
crop, the farmer, dairyman, orehardist
or stockman finds himself . without ,? a
market for his surplus,, and : the con
sumer finds himself forced . to pa.y
whatever price the distributors care
to charge for the restricted portion of
the crop they choose to make avail
able... ' " " ' '"
: These "are the abuses which co-ope-'
rative marketing, if properly conduct
ed, promises, to correct. The New
York state farmers, beginning vwith
the products of the jdariry, propose to
include in the marketing plan all other
iPerishable products of the farms. Such
an undertaKing- under, conditions now
existing, is of the greatest . economic
importance.- Its complete success de
pends upon the necessary co-operation
of the consuming public, which has
been compelled to endure, with the
farmer, serious abuses at the hands
of the profiteers. ' Its success other
wise is doubtful. No co-operative plan
can succeed without actual co-operation.
The name, in itself, means noth
ing. ' . - ' ..' , V,
Hartford Printers Honor
-Memory of David Durie
-.HARTFORD. Av memorial to
David Durie has been adopted . by
Hartford Typographical Union, No.
127, and spread-upo its-records. The
memorial as prepared by the commit
tee, George A. Clintsman, Philip B.
Gray and Thomas Crosby, is:
"Passed from among us December
4, 1921, David Durie, long an honored
member of this union. '
' "Faithf ul-o every obligation - as
sumed by him! painstaking and con
scientiouS in the discharge of every
task imposed upon him; willing at all
times to inconvenience self for the
general good; modest and unassum
ing in his attitude toward his fellow
members; keen in his' interest for the
protection of therights of labor; hon
est and faithful a a workman; in
dulgent and affectionate- as a hus
band and father; sincere iij his friend
ships; liberal in his opinions; chari
table in his outlook upon his..surround
ings; square in all his dealings; in his
early promotion to a higher and hap
pier "sphere Hartford Typographical
Union No.' 127 sincerely mourns its
loss and sincerely sympathizes with
his stricken family whose loss exceeds
ours a hundred-fold. . .
"In token of our regard for- his
memory, it is ordered that this minute
be spread upon the records, that our
charter be draped for thirty days, and
that a copy of this record be trans
mitted to his bereaved wife." 1
TEN CENT STORE PROFITS
JS'EW YORK The'. S. S. Kresge
Company, ownersof , a string of 5 and
10 cent stores, reports the largest net
profit in its history, last. year. After
all charges, including federal taxes
were met, there remained a surplus of
$3,402,033. . , , .
H ARTF ORD. J oseph C. Skemp of
.Lafayette, lnd., secretary-treasurer of
the Brotherhood of Painters and Deco
rators, has tendered his resignation to
the executive board, to become effec
tive as soon as his successor is elect
ed. The trade union official has been
m ill health for some time. He was1
never of robust build, and hisveighteen
years of faithful and efficient service
m his present position has worn him
down and forced him to quit. The
reierenaum is now seieccmg , nis sue
cessor.
James J. Dunne Xominated
'Local Union No: 481 of Hartford
has placed in nomination thciiame of
James J. Dunne" for the office of gen-
James J. Dunne
"1 a r -m -m m
erai secretary-treasurer and has is
sued the following circular letter:
Hartford. Conn.. Februarv. 1922.
To all Members of the Brotherhood of
r Painters, Decorators and Paper
hangers of America. :
Brothers, Greeting:
Local union No. 481 has maced in
nomination the name of Brother James
J. Dunne for the office of eeneral sec
retary-treasurer of our brotherhood,
and in his candidacy we, request sup
port from every member who firmly
believes that initiative and executive
ability, undeniable honesty, and close
attention to . business; ycoupled with
twenty years' continuous and active
service in office and committee duties
for the benefit of his brother mem
bers, the major portion of such time
and service being without pay, should
be rewarded.! '
Brother Dunne was a delegate to
the twelfth -biennial general assembly,
at Dallas, vTexas, where he received
numerous offers of nomination' for; the
office of general secretary-treasurer,
all of which, he; declined with the hon
est statement that he was in Dallas
to do the bidding 'of Union 481, and
hot for the purpose of seeking personal
favors or office. ' .. " r - -
In view of the -fact "that the re-
grettalJle failing in health of both Mr.
and Mrs. Skemp has brought about
the resignation of our general secretary-treasurer,
Brother Dunne has
now accepted the nomination, wfth the
firm belief thaty every officer, and
member who has done business with
him at any time during 'the past
twenty years as "well as those whom
he has so willingly and ably assisted
when they;needed his intelligent serv
ice, will now rally to , his support, and
return him a winner.
x It is useless to list in detail the
various offices' and committees to
which he has been elected, or the mul
titudinous duties that he has been
called upon to perform for local, state
and general organizations. Suffice it
to say' that, he has been tested and
judged from every angle, and a unan
imous verdict has ' been " rendered by
all, that he is unselfish, scrupulously
honest, and ' a capable and ; tireless
worker in any movement that is for
progress m our locals and our
brotherhood. . .
Brother Dunne has v m his posses
sion hundreds of letters from secre
taries of locals.- district councils and
conferences, and from general officers
of our brotherhood, thanking him for
his prompt service and the very satis
factory results obtained through his
unbeatable activity.
Local Union No. 48 L will deem it a
fereat favor and will appreciate every
effort made by the membership of our
brotherhood ' to reward1 " an honest,
faithful and capable record by casting
a large Vote for our candidate James"
J. ' Dunne, for the office of general
Secretary-treasurer. ,
Assuring, you that his nomination
and election will be a credit to our
brotherhood, we beg leave to remain,
Sincerely and fraternally yours
ELECTION COMMITTEE
ERNEST GALUSH A, President
LOUISETHOMPSON,
Vice President
WILLIAM -T. HAYNE .
Executive Board
d. F. McCarthy,.
Financial Secretary
P. P. 0REILLY, Treasurer.
GEORGE L. LETURMY
ALEX JACKSON -
GEORGE MITCHELL
EDWARD McVEY
THOMAS J. CUMMINGS,
Business Agent
ATTEST:
EDWARD A. LETURMY,
Recording Secretary
P. O. Box 193, Hartford, Conn.
CIGAR INDUSTRY NOTES
"It is reported that Powell and Gold
stein, who moved from Oneida, N. Y.,
to Pennsylvania, have lost their con
tract with Mr. David Ellis of Buffalo,
N. Y., owner of the C. J. D. brand.
Justin Seubert, Inc., of Syracuse,
who tried the open shop game, has'
been taken over by their large credit
ors.
The cigar business in Hartford is
dull, caused by the local merchants
handling many cigars rrom otner ais-
tricts. Moral: ""Patronize home in
dustry.
(By Charles M. Kelley;)
WASHINGTON. D. C Notwit.h
standing the American oTfcpr ia tn.
day receiving less real wages than
ueiore me war, tne American em
ployer is determined to force him back
to sun lower wages.
An accurate comparison of union
wage scales with living costs cover
ing a period or twenty years shows
conclusively that, measured bv th
amount of food, shelter and clothing
his pay will purchase, the worker
is infinitely worse off than he was at
tne oeginning or the present century.
So declares Senator Robert M. La
Follette. of Wisconsin, who reentlv
delivered in the Senate perhaps the
most sensational deliverance yet made
on the condition of the working peo
ple.' - . . s '
In terms' of what monev wSlr hnv.
tne tracK-iaoorer on the railroads to
day is receiving, in exchange for his
toil only $341 a year, Senator LaFol-
it. j. -i n , . . -
lette said. -
That means that these men hun
dreds of , thousands of .them, v have;'
Deen reduced to a level of SI a dav--
wnicn snows mat th.ey have "got, back
Not satisfied with thrusting . them
Deiow tne level or subsistence, rail
road managers are today before the
United States Railroad Labor Board
demanding still further wa?e cuts
The railroads ask the Labor Board
to make the datly waee of laborers
$1.50 for a ten-hour day; Measured
by the purchasing power of 1900, this
will be equivalent to only, fifty cents.
(fPT.:. 1. Ct j. " 't .ri.ii m,
j, nis, , says oenator lar oiietxe
would be less than Chinese coolies
were , paid m the days when the Pa
cific railroads were ''permitted to im
port them freely11 and exploit them
unmercifully." "
Senator LaFollette directed the at
tention of the Senate to a great con
spiracy that has Jseen hatched by the
masters of American V finance and
business" to destroy labor unions.
which al$ne stand between workers
and serfdom. Labor is being crushed,
he said;: by the processes of unem
ployment and wage cutting, j 7 V
"loday there -are five or six mil
ions of toilers in ; the United States
who are out of work," continued Sena
tor LaFollette; "and their families
are hungry, to the end that their spirit
may be crushed and a new generation
of serf s ; Way .be ored. - ;f : '.
This evil ( combination against Uhe
workers is made more formidable and
terrifying because it has enlisted the
active ; support . and co-operation of
the 7 national administration , and the
courts." ' ' v 'r ; .
The United States .Supreme Court
and the. lower courts," senator Laf oi
lette charged, "are depriving the
workers of their weapons of defense
1 1? J A 1 A '
one Dy one ana seexing to oma inem
with chains, so that their masters may
with impunity scourge them, into sub
mission, 'i - -
No such combination has ever, been
arrayed together for an evil putpose
in the history of this country. Beside
it; the. slave power pales into insignifi
cance by the record that is being made
oy tne reaerai courts atvtnjs time, v
"This effort to crush labor," says
Senator LaFollette, "and reduce free
born Americans to the condition of
Russian serfs, may succeed,? although
I still have such faith in the courage
and integrity of the American people
hat I believe they will finally achieve
a glorious victory as overwhelming as
that which crushed the slave power in
1865. But, in any event, success can
be achieved by these sinister ;f orces
pnly after a period of .stf if e and chads
which is too, horrible to contemplate,
and their success, however and when
ever accomplished, witk. mark the
downfall of, all the American repub
lic. : ' - . -- ---
- Anv attempt to further depress
wages, the Senatorsaid, would be dis
astrous. He contended that, the
worker today is living below the Jevel
of decent subsistence. The worker
during the war did not profiteer, con
trary, to popular beiier, but, nice Alice
in Wonderland, was compelled to run
wice as fast to . keep m the same
place. The calumnies uttered against
labor. Senator LaFollette said, were 4
shameless, wanton and wicked. ,While
pronteenng was rue w uuamcaa
finance, labor contributed loyally and
generously to the winnirig of the war,
and is getting in reward treatment
so brutal, so unjust, that decent
opinion must stand appalled at ' its
mere contemplation. ; .
MRS. JOHN MITCHELL DEAD
MOUNT VERNON, N. Y.Mrs.
John .MitehelMwife of the late presi
dent of the United Mine Workers died
in this city of pneumonia, after a
short illness. . .
PAINTERSf NEW HOME f
LAFAYETTE, lnd. The Brother
hood of Painters, Decorators and
Paper Hangers has issued a beauti
fully printed brochure descriptive of
their fourstry office building erected
in this city.
The building is in the Italian style
of -architecture peculiarly appropri
ate for the home of an organization
interested in the decorative arts. It is
stated that jthe "color effects attained
in the building are evidencfe that this
age has developed not only marvelous
materials to work with, but the artis
tic genius to put .these materials to
gether with fine harmony. V
' "The whole - appearance- of the
Brotherhood building exterior, sug
gests at once those precious advan
tages in modern design and arrange
ment over much that is ancient, with"
respect to convenience, lighting, ven
tilating and sanitation."
'- - -- ...
HARTFORD New 'local leagues , ' :
have been organized this .month in
Groton, New Britain, Collinsville and -Putnam.
Mrs. Frederick P. Latimer
is president of .the Groton ; League.
Miss Corinne Bacon was elected presi
dent in New-Britain." .Miss Murray,
State Organizer, has addrfjsed a num
ber of meetings in Hartford andNew
London counties, including Uncasville,
South- Glastonbury, New Britain and
Collinsville. . . . ' .
A number of .leagues are carrying '
out the program recommended -by the. .
Executive Board, and are holding each
week a meeting to hear , the program,
of one of the standing committees,
after which they will vote to concen
trate study and work upon the t sub- ;
ject of one of the committees. New
Haven is. holding, these meetings .with
great success. . , , . . . v
The Ridgefield -League is -having i I
preliminary lessons in Parliamentary
Law, using, Roberts V Parliamentary. -Practise
as a textHwok with Mrs.
Hugh Shield's t asleader. These . will
be followed by a group ." of six lec- . '
tures "given by Prof essor' Starbird of
Yale.' At the regular meetings the
question box has - opened up a wide
field of investigation. f ; ; ;
The Norwalk League now numbers,
betweenthree and four hundredl It .
will hold monthly meetings and - plan
definite work to follow the Know- N ;
Your-Town questionnaire.
In. Stratforo! v where v the Council--Manager
plan has . been adopted, the
burning subject of study is local eov-
ernment. Parlianientary law is being
studied with a view to enabling women
to take part with ' greater assurance
in the caucus and town meetings. '
The Riverside vWomen's Civic Club-
affiliated with theConnecticut League, '
has centered its attention upon prob
lems of local education. The Club has
been active in obtaining , a Civic Gen- "
ter'fOir Riverside. , ' -
From Greenwich the report "comes:
"The Greenwich League of Women "
Voters finds its local program ready .
made,' and ; has laid . aside . vhatever
plans it had - in order to c6ncentrate
on the ive issue of a new Higli SchooL
The present school is 16 years bid, was
built, for 250 pupils and now Rouses '
633. here never was a gymnasium
or lunchroom, , and the auditorium is
cut up into class rooms; , The school '
committee asks the town to. vote a
new building as a memorial to its war
veterans and give them and "the zlz . -
community, a. civic and rec-rp-iticr.ai
cenfer.r.yiBrsion:toJ.iricTtaied , tssrs ' '
is shown in the ; opposition, and the
League of Women Voters Is marshal. ' -
ingthe woman-power of 'the town -to
offset it. "-'A central ''committee of
women from 10 organizations,"-work- -ing
"with , the executive board of - the
League, is planning mass meetings
and other measures for the education
and organization of the voters." ' ' "
A unicrue method of raisiner monev "
for the League of Women Voters has
been adopted by,' the Manchester
league, which will cater for the an- '
nual banquet of the Chamber of Com
merce. A study class on child wel
fare has been formed under the direc
tion of Miss 'Marjory Cheney. The
February meeting of the league iSto
be ' addressed by the town treasurer
on "Taxation." , '
LABOR FIGHTS BILL
, ITOOUTLAW STRIKE
i,
1 . .
WASHINGTON There should be a
board in the commonwealth with '
authority to., compel employers and ".
employes to submit their differences'1
to arbitration and to be governed by
the decision declared James O'grien '
representing the Arkwright Club, be-.
fore the legislative Committee on La- v
bor and Industry. He was supporting .
ais petition for a law providing that
it shall be unlawful for - any person, ,
organization or combination to strike
if such person or the members of such
organization or combination are"
licensed employes.
Unalterable i opposition was voiced . . "
by a large number of representatives :'
of Labor organizations. On behalf of
the American Federation of Labor,
Martin. T. Joyce opposed the measure,
asserting that it is unfair autotaati
cally to pledge a man - who 1 takes an ;
examination for a license not to join
a trade unions He also expressed the
opinion that the bill was -unconstitu- '
tional. ' " . . -
i
COT TO BRITAIN, OF '
' V SHORTER WORKDAY
GLASGOW F. A. Macquisten,'
member for Springburn, one of the '
Glasgow parliamentary divisions, "re
cently addressed" about 1000 of the un- .
employed in his constituency. Man- "
kind, he said, would never be able en-"
tirely to dispose of the problem of 'im-. t,
employment. To mitigate the' evil he'
thought to me thing on the lines of the
Workmen's' Compensation Act should
be adopted, whereby - unemployment
would become part of the costs of the'
industry. Industry would be stimu
lated and would spread its operations .
evenly over the years, instead of hav
ing periods of great production . and
periods of underrproductiom
L The' shorter working-day costs
money, and he had been told by, a
rarge employer of Labor in Glasgow
that the cost of the reduction of hours '
after the armistice had-added .some- ,
thing like between 175,000,000 to
200,000,000 to the cost of the articles ,
produced in this country. ;
The only part .of the hog that the
packers waste is the squeal, and the
consumers furnish" that New York,
Evening Telegram.
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