Daily Nomp 3niutatrial Worker.
Published Daily except Sunday
*V None Mine Worker*’ Union, No. MO. WeMeri Federation of
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Ltneola
Address all Communications to Dally Nome Industrial Worker.
Bm *10 Nome. Alaska. Phase. Black 1*4
'AH changes in standjng advertisements nut renah this #®oe st six
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Advertising rates made known on application.
Entered as second class matter March 1, 1*11, at the post effloe at
Horae, Alaaxa, under the Act of March S, 187*.
Nome, Alaska, February 15, 101(1.
The strike of agricultural labor
ers in Porto Rico for better condi
tions is a forlorn hope.
The unfortunate fact about that
island is that the labor supply is
hopelessly in excess of tho demand
and In conseuqence poverty, low
wages and distress are chronic.
Porto Rico as an American terri
tory is an experiment that failed.
Not because of the fact that politi
cal conditions have not boon im
proved by the American occupation,
but because the economic conditions
were subjected to no change for the
better.
Really Porto Rico could be select
ed by the sociologist to demonstrate
that four-fifths of this world’s woes
are economic.
Porto Rico ic a healthy place and
the Porto Ricans are healthy. No v
and then an opldcmic used to
sweep over the island and very bene
ficiently decimate the inhabitants.
The people regarded this as God s
holy will and were becomingly
humble in Us exertion by Divine
Providence. But latter day and Am
erican sanitary science has so Im
proved the lot, that these userui
examples of Divine will have not
been forthcoming and in conn
(juence from 1899 to 1910 the popu
lation lias increased twenty per cer .
They live simply in Porto Rico
Some of them almost subsist on the
smell of an oil rag. The simple
life can show them nothing when it
comes to a question of subsistence
from day to day. But as they in
crease and multipy, there are too
many for the land and they are
suffering periodical stretches of ac
tual famine among the unemployed
and chronic poverty among all the
workers. Women work as well as
men; they work before marriage
aril before and after child birth,
and their average pay is twenty
live cents a day. The average pay
for a day laborer is a little over
fifty cents a day, and you canoiit
grow very fat on that. Still, wliai
with this simple life and cheap ba
nanas and other fruit thty get alonr,
cheerfully while working. But there
are too many men nrd loo many
women for the job : ' h moe
quence is that Porto Rico in no par
ticular save an improved insular sa
il Ration, lias been benefitted by
Undo Sam’s control, and that bene
fit Is a doubtful one in the mai l
consequences.
Tho island of Porto Rico produ
ces sufficient to feed, clothe and
shelter in comfort and in luxury ten
times its present population. Its
exports of coffee, fruit, sugar, to
bacco alone reach figures sufficient
to provide its population with
wealth beyond the dreams of avar
ice. Moreover the Porio-Ricans are
healthy, industrious, frugal and ef
ficient. When working at home
there is no more satisfactory work
man from the capitalist point ot
view'. They produce the wealth of
their country, more than sufficient
to keep them all happy and con
tented and it does do no such thing,
hut instead pays tho dividends for
absentee and domestic landlordism
and proprietorship while they them
selves go without.
Now American ideals of political
freedom, courts, officialdom and so
forth help not at all to benefit the
Porto Ricans. Their troubles do not
arise from political but from econo
mic conditions. They do not own
the land; they have to work for a
pittance and thousands can get no
work at all.
The blessings that the American
flag has brought them are paper
blessings. Tho Improvement wrought
by an improved political system
matters nothing when they have not
the means wherewith to live.
In this state of affairs what the
remedy proposed is, is most inter
esting. They do not propose to
strike at the root of the evil by re
storing to the Porto Rioans the
.. • •- ■! t,«.>»..
__ 4
land; instead the proposition is t>
reduce the excessive number of un
employed by exporting Porto Kltan
labor to other places.
They first triod it on Hawaii.
There they were supposed to be a
blessing. But it was round that
they iiad to face unfamiliar condi
tions of production and could not
compete with Asiatic labor. 'I no
Porto Klean laborer in Hawaii was
branded by the American latifund
ists there as a failure and he pre
ferred his oriental coolies. The fact
that the Porto Rican was from Am
erican soli could not appeal to the
planters of Hawaii at all. Big pro
fit is v hat thoy w< re after, and
whether it came from one class of
workers or another did not matter.
Now it is proposed to ship Porto
Ricans to the Island of San Domin
go. Since the United States assumed
practical if unamed sovereignty over
that island things have been very
peaceful. American capitalists have
acquired enormous concessions. They
have got control of huge tracts oi
valuable land and valuable mineral
resources The San Domii gan raise i
on the pap of revolt wiion things
didn’t suit him, is not a very effi
cient wage slave. The American
capitalist has already discovered
tliis fact. And in his quandary he
turns to Porto Itico where he know:
there is a big supply of excess
labor.
He therefore proposes to solve tin
unemployment question in Porto
Rico and the employment question
in San Domingo with one move
ment.
The Industrial Worker said that
four-fifths of the troubles in the
world are economic not political.
Take San Domingo. It has no
such beautiful political institutions
as had Porto Rico at any stage ol.
the game. Spain really afforded
Porto Rico an excellent system of
laws and the people were contented
therein.
.San Domingo on the other hand
was a republic wherein land tenure
was not very sacred and the lati
fundist of the present day, the bp;
plantationist, was conspicuous by
his absence. Aliy San Domingan that
wanted it could get a piece of
ground and cutivate it himself. He
was always having political trouble,
because now and then political lead
ers fought out some little scheme of
graft.
Despite all this the San Domingan
was hundred per cent better off if
a laborer than the Porto Rican, and
even today although American capi
talism is fastening upon the coun
try like a blight, they are paid twice
and three times as much as is paid
for labor in Porto Rico.
The scale is interesting. In Porto
Rico the average worker in cotfeo
fields roceived 35c. a day; sugar
65c.; tobacco 45c.; fruit 50c. In
San Domingo that troubled lane,
whose internal woes have occasioned
crocodile tears in the kept press and
forced American potential occupn
iton, the coffee worker gets $1.25,
sugar $1.00, tobacco $1.35, fruit
$1.50. Moreover these scales are ac
tually falling in San Domingo since
Americans have started to efficient
ly develop the country, and they
propose to smash it altogether by
dumping a portion of the Porte
Rican population there.
They dont intend to take all the
surplus population by any means
The Porto Rican planters would ota
ject to that; in fact they did so
and thdre has passed between Inter
ested ones in Porto Rico and inter
ested ones in San Domingo a veil
gratifying correspondence wherel;
it is pointedly stated that only i
portion of Hie unemployed In Pi-rt<
Rico will be takon as immigrants
The economic pressure wi!l still lx
sufficient to keep down wages ii
both places. Porto Rico as an ex
ample, of oolonlal government Urn
'been therefore a lamentable>;m<
striking failure. It bad to be, be
cause of economic conditions.
Alaska is the great paradox. That
means nothing, so we will explain.
The United States Is supposed to be
the country in the world where re
presentative governmtnt and popu
lar control has proved Its efficiency
beyond alt other systems.
The United States is the country
wherein the Voice of the People is
unmistakably supposed to be the
Voice of. God: wherein the con
sent of <Ue governed Is supposed to
be the prime and essential founder
tlon for all government; wherein de
mocracy Is supposed to be the conjl
tlonn wherein citizenship has its
being and lives and moves; wherein
the tendency has been and Is to
further extend popular control over
all Institutions, and to bring, home
directly and squarely to the people
a government of the people, by the
people for the people.
Everyone of those conditions thus
recited have been political shibbo
leths for over half a century anti
more. The United States Is, In fine,
supposed to be the country where
representative government as op
posed to all other concepts of rule
has found and proved Itself th%
highest, the best, the most practical
and the most successful.
Now Alaska is a portion of the
United States to which the blessings
of representative govtrnmont have
been long denied; not only that,
but wherein the blessings of repre
sentative government when they did
come, were ao conspicuously re
stricted and so narrowly confined
that there is hardly a single Sub
ject whereupon legislation Can be
enactod with the perfect and very
positive assurance that it will fjrifand
under the Enabling Act. Not only
that, but the real government 1?
vested in a bureaucracy and the pro
posals for Alaskan betterment poll
tically embrace not an extension ol
popular government but an out and
out bureaucracy to be known as a
Commission.
Moreover, the one conspicuous
fact In modern history Is that
bureaucracy has been a complett
and costly failure. The Russiar
system of government is esenticallj
a bureaucracy and It has been in
efficiency itself although its depart
mental management is characterizec
by great ability and precise techni
cal knowledge. The scientists anc
savants who have control of the Ini
mediate direction of the vafifjc
| bureaus outcido Petrogrr d, are mS
| of such conspicuous ability tha
[ their palters are received with pro
found respect. Notwithstanding
the dismal failure that has charac
lerized their administration is n'
less a striking fact in connoctior
with it.
Now therefore in spite of these
facts, in spite of the utter failure
from every point of view of bureau
cratic government, it is insisted in
and persisted in when Alaska
considered by the United States, by
the United States wherein repre
sentative government is supposed to
have reached such a stage of per
fection as to place it in a plane
above all others and especially above
such reactionism as a bureaucratic
system of administration, that a
bureaucracy is the best for Alaska.
That is why Alaska Is we say a
a paradox. As the territory of the
United States of America it is O
be administered not along the lines
of representative govtrnment, but
along iines which are Just exactly
the reverse of that.
Truly the ideals of democracy
must be but skin deep when such a
condition finds not only attention
but favorable consideration and ap
proval. Either the persoages who
have been placed in control by the
people distrust the people and po
pular government, or they regard it
as useful only in an emergency and
not at all to be of general use by
all the people all the time, any
where and everywhere.
Alaskans are placed certainly in
a peculiar position. Taught that re
presentative government is the only
government, instructed that the only
ideal is a government of the people
by the people for the people, such a
government denies the right of a
government by Alaskans for Alas
kans to exist in any but the moct re
stricted sense and the real adminis
tration of. affairs is to be placed in
the hands of a bureaucracy In which
is vested full and complete and
autocratic control of the territory’s
resources as more trustworthy and
efficient.
Alaska is a paradox because part
of the United States: an administra
tive paradox worth consdering. Ana
paradoxes generally contain a fun
damental fallacy.
HAVE A HEART.
The proper thing for your affinity
on Valentines day, Heart boxes fil
led with choice Chocolates.
HOS'-: CAMIV STORE
WHEN IN TOWN
LOST.—Silver mesh pocket bool:
with letters V. E. S. Return to
Mrs. Sheldon. Reward.
Anything in the line of job work
at the Industrial W'orker Office.
Satisfaction assured.
CHEAP DOS FEED.—Good cooking
salmon for 4c. lb at Murphy's.
Always in the lead.
raKraafisaswifiSM i
United States Mail
WHY .NOT WHITE NOW ON THE EATON PRANE PIKE CO.
STATIONERY
THE BEST IS NONE TO GOOD.
Box Paper and Envelopes, 25c. per box and upward.
' Writing Tablets, 5c. and 10c. and upward.
Envelopes, linen, 15c. for pkg. of 25.
Plain white Enveloites, 10c. per pkg. of 25.
Envelopes per box of 250 $1.00.
FREE! FREE!
A Beutiful Cut Glass
FREE! FREE’
PUNCH BOWL
ONE CHANCE WITH EACH 50c PURCHASE OR PAYMENT ON
ACCOUNT. DRAWING ON LINCOLNS BIRTHDAY.
HILLS PHARMACY
KliMSIlilBliilgliiliirMillBIMlIMiliiniIHliiln/illMiiiZBIilflBBiHSBIHMiliiliiBiREIilfilliiRfiiniillBliilZIHi
IKE NOME INDUSTRIAL WORKER
is prepared to handle
all kinds of
JOB PRINTING
Let us figure on your
work. Call up Black
134 or call at
THE INDUSTRIAL WORKER OFFICE
r.
NOTICE
We have been appointed agents
for the
_ * 4 •• » . V ;
Dodge Automobile
The popular, fully-equipped, ~
pleasure car that satisfies all
ALASKA LIGHTERAGE 5 OM’L 68.
Cheap John Store
/wwws/wwwvwwwvwvwwvwvwwvwwwwvww
FOR GENT’S FURNISHINGS
FLANNEL SHIRTS WE HAVE A LARGE VARIETY TO
SELECT FROM.. A COMPLETE STOCK OF GENERAL) MER
CHANDISE, TENTS, TARP ALINS. CANVAS, AM, SIZES.
HIPPERS, EURBCA AND IJ. & RUBBERS A SHOE PACES.
WE CARRY THE SIWASH SOCKS.
SEE CHEAP JOHNS STORE BEFORE BUYING. OUR
PRICES ARE ALWAYS THE LOWEST IN TOWN.
Kent Transfer Oo.
General Transfer & Freighting
Qoal & QW
Phone Main 139.
For Summit and Greenhood
Shirts, Midlicott and Stady Un=
derwear and Sox, the best ever
sold for the money.
MURPHY HIS THE COOPS
PHIL MUBPHY
AKTIC SPRING
WATER I
Always at your Service. i
Prompt delivery— Blizzard or |
Shine at usual Rates 18 |
■ Buckets <1.00. SOc. a Barrel. |
A. D. POTEET. |
Phone Red 128. |
A FEW SPECIALS
ON OUR BARGAIN COUNTER THIS WEEK.
QUAIL BRAND, BERRIES, Gal. Cans, 65c. per can.
QUAIL BRAND PEACHES, Gal. Cans, 45c. per can.
QUAIL BRAND APRICOTS Gal. Cans, 45c. per can.
QUAIL BRAND, RHUBARB Gal. Cans, 40c. per can.
SEA PORT PEACHES .<4.00 per case.
FORCE.8 Pkgs. (or <1.00.
SHEEDE1) WHEAT BISCUITS. 8 Pkgs. (or <1.00.
MOLLER’S GROCERY
PHONE MAIN E8 ttl IgBONY flTH ME I
INDEPENDENT
MEAT MARKET
Wholesale and Retail Dealer
in Beef, Pork, Mutton, Veal,
Ham, Bacon Poultry and Fish
Game in Season. All freeh
Stock. No old or damaged.
W. H. Webb prep. Phene M.15
ABE YOU 8EBHKO A PATENT?
If so It will ngr y»u to lnTosttcats
rates af the IsAsOaliU Waiter am
r*hMffW* af agoMeatlaa iterator.
Extol xsuur toctottara saMoss to tte
tMlastrial Worker.
i
WE CAN DO IT.