Sattg Nom? SniutBirtal Murker.
Published Daily except Sunday
Nome Mine Workers’ Union, No. 240, Western Federation of Miners.
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"To secure to each laborer the whole product of his labor, or as
nearly as possible, Is a worthy object of any good government."—
Abraham Lincoln
Address all Communications to Dally Nome Industrial Worker,
Box 210 Nome, Alaska. Phone, Black 134.
All changes In standing advertisements must reaph this office at six
•'clock each evening to Insure Insertion in the following Issue.
Advertising rates made known on application.
Entered as second class matter March 1, 1311, at the post office at
Rome, - AiasKa, under the Act of March S, 1871.
Nome, Alaska, August 1 ♦>, 1010.
THE KAIMiOAl) STHIKK
SITUATION.
The gravity of the railroad strike
situation and the consequences o:
a walk out in that industry are ti
lie appraised in the extent of tilt
efforts which are being made to ef
feet a settlement of the difficulty
The possibility that the employ
ees should strike and thereupor
paralyze the distributing industrj
is considered a serious matter na
turally enough.
Yet Its very gravity should serve
to direct attention to the shortcom
ings which are inherent in the pre
sent system of private ownership.
It it does not do that, then thf
public lias simply lost sight of th<
really important phase of the strike
situation.
Here are two sides to a contro
versy. One representing the own
ership of-the machinery and th
land and the other the labor which
applied to the machinery and tin
land keeps the industry alive. Laboi
is the vitalizing force without which
operation of any industry is imposs
ible.
Away back, possibly in Europe
Asia or South America, or even a!
home in the United States are bond
holders, stock holders and others
who possess the ownership whicli
gives them the right to claim pro
fits from the operation of the in
dustry.
H is essential to the well being
of society that the transportation
Industry be well and economically
and efficiently operated, serving
worker and shipper alike. And the
theory upon which the managers
and the railroaders appear to work
is that a fair day's work should he
the fore runner of a fair day's pay
Of which all is theory. The rail
roaders face a condition of things
which enter also into this contro
versy and which is the stumbling
(dock in the way of any settlement.
This is watered stock. Practically
all the railroads are over capital
ized. All of them are operating on
a capital for which *value has not
been received. Yet on all of these
roads, the costs of operation in ac
tual fact, are supposed to be
brought within the sphere of profit
able operation and that is the burd
en which the management of each
and all must carry.
Hence we observe while one road
could easily pay the demands of
the brotherhoods, other roads could
not do it so well, and they have
•even under normal conditions had
to struggle to continue operation
and have had receiverships and so
forth, not to mention re-organiza
tion which was accomplished by
squeezing out the original water
ami sponging up a fresh quantity
from others willing to supply it.
The story of American railroads
Is the story of battles between con
flicting interests to control them,
and although such histories do not
find their way into the schools, they
are much more instructive than
those which do, and they are much
more interesting.
The failure to teach history aright,
such history as involves the story
of the great railroad manipulations
and the story of the great industrial
•consolidations, is responsible for the
fact that the average man is utterly
unable to approach any such a sub
ject with grasp and intelligence.
Not only that, but it can be said
with accuracy, that no person can
rightly understand the evolution of
bis nation’s history unless he has
taken the pains to familiarize him
self with the story of its financial
and industrial development. That
history is merely reflected in the
courts of law, in the legislative halls
and in the executives, but is the
very foundation of the political ac
tivities which are the subject of at
tention from the school historian
who is excellent usually at the
wholly fatuous and useless task of
| making his readers familiar witii
' the effects while mentioning never
the actual causes of the events in
] spire his narrative. This railroad
J difficulty is enhanced by reason of
the stock manipulations which re
sulted in the introduction of so j
much water in the stock, and the
efforts of those in control to pay
dividends upon an over capitaliza
ti6n.
The mythical idea of fair day’s
wages for a fair day’s work cannot
even be theoretically considered,
even if it were possible to adjust
the antagonistic concepts of em
ployer and employee as to w’hat is
a fair day’s work and what is a
fair day’s pay. The question which
is involved is whether it is possible
or not to operate the roads at a
profit if the demands of the railroad
brotherhoods are granted.
The usual business procedure is
reversed. If a man buys a business
he usually considers whether or not
he will get an adequate return upon
his money. If the facts indicate
lhat he will not over a Certain,
figure, he will not pay over that
amount.
Hut in railroad speculation that is
not the procedure. So many shares
are sold. The re-organizers or pro
moters put them in proper propor
tion in their pocket. Then man
agers are called upon to make it
pay. It is immaterial what has been |
invested as a capitalization. It may [
be ten it may be twenty or it may
be but a small amount over the ac
tual value. But the actual value Is
never considered at all. And the
water carriers of finance are usually '
accomodating enough to sell as
many shares as they can conveni
ently and profitably dispose of.
Their motto is all the water the
property will bear. And the shena
nigan docs not stop there. Hoads
and right of ways are bought and
sold. adding to the capitalization
and the profit ot' those who control
the main road. And this goes on
until bankruptcy cals for a receiver
and re-organization, and the whole
thing is repeated as from the be
ginning.
To make the roads pay first of all
higher rates are demanded. Charges
are added, cunning fees that are
made to appear as if unconnected
with the traffic rates. The operating
force is cut down. Larger engines
with smaller crews, roadbeds main
tained at a minimum of expense
compatible with safety sufficient to
be more profitable than danger.
Against this condition then come
the workers’ demands like a tidal
wave against a break water. Those
demands threaten the whole system
of railroad finance as it has existed
in the United States from time im
memorial. If the other conditions
remain the same, the other costs yf
operation remain as they are, ob
viously some roads cannot pay the
dividends. They must equalize in
two ways. One is the shipper must
pay increased freight rates and the
other is that the unorganized work- *
ers will have to have their wages ;
reduced. The clerical staffs, the
permanent way hands, the roust- i
aboutr. and non-union shop workers (
will have to endure a cut.
A sense of outrage will permeate j
the shippers who pay the increased {
rate, but they will pass it on to the (|
consumer who will pay the higher j
costs. For the railroads will not j
do without their dividends. That |
is why the companies exist. A lot j
of drivel is written about public B
service corporations; there is no 0
such thing. There-are money mak- 8
ing companies which seek to profit- 9
ably operate public utilities. But 3
their function is primarily to pay
dividends. The railroad stock that
cannot pay dividends becomes unsale
able. It does not matter if the roads
were operated with the highest poss
ible efficiency and functioned to per
fection in the public weal, if they
did not pay, no one would want to
i
buy a share for ten cents.
A manager is appointed be
a use
he is supposed by his geni 3 to
he
make a road pay. If he catmo
is replaced by another man.
In any event whether the brother
hoods win or lose in their figh for
better conditions, it will com<
of the workers’ hide. The
out
nan
agers will sen to that. And tl at is
the way under the system tha
cards are stacked. Just as lo:
the
g as
profit
is tli0 incentive of al in
pro
dustry, just so long will those
fits under any and all cir um
stances be taken out of the tfork
ers.
All this is reason the more v by
the workers must make their ight,
not in isolated craft unions or in
craft brotherhoods, but in onej big
union in all industries, looking to'
the establishment of an industrial
democracy as the final goal.
Vet because they are on the fir
ing line and the improvement in rhe
condition of one set of workers en
courages the rest to fight to better
theirs, and as solidarity of labor is
the main thing, all workers gtand
to lose with the brotherhoods and
win with them if they win or if
they lose.
I And there will be no settlement
; until the industries are controlled
by the workers. Everything else is
merely a settlement of a local
trouble and as a general rule, a
robbing of Peter to pay Paul.
Arbitration settles nothing. By
arbitration either the managers win
or the employees win. And if the
former win, it is but putting off the
fight for another day. The brother
hoods know that. They have freely
arbitrated. And they found them
selves exactly where they were be
fore. Society offers no solution ex
cept the industrial battle which
leaves one or other master of the
field.
Coming down to cases in fact,
capitalism is truly anarchic.
GET T!JE NEWS niGHT. HEAD
THE WORKER.
For Correctly
Fitting
EVE
i GLASSES
| Go to
Segerstrom & Hagen
Jewelem and Optician*.
Milo's
Cafe
OPEN DAY AND NIGHT
Next door to Pacific Cold
Storage.
LOMEN BROS.
Prescription Prugists
and
Drug Sundries
You
OR YOUR NEIGHBORS MAY TRADE WITH US, IF IT IS YOU
WE HAVE ENDEAVORED TO PLEASE YOU AT ALL TIMES
ROTH IN QUALITY AND PRICE IF YOUR NEIGHBOR ASK
THOSE ABUOT OUR GROCERIES AND PRICES, WE CLAIM TO
HAVE THE BEST SERVICE OF DELIVERY IN THE CITY.
VE GIVE OUR CUSTOMERS THE BENEFIT OF A WIDE EX
PERIENCE IN WHAT WE DEEM BEST FOR THEIR INTER
EST. GIVE US SOME OF YOUR ORDERS AND WE WILL
PROVE TO YOU THAT YOUR TRADE IS APPRECIATED HERE
MOLLERS GROCERY
an FRONT STREET PHONE, MAIN 80.
Steamer Arctic
will sail for Teller, Lost River, York, Tin City, Wales, Deer
ing, Keevalik and Kotzebne, Thursday, August 17th, 7:30 p. m.
For information call up Al-aska Lighterage & Com. Co. or
U. S. Mercantile Co.
BUTTERICK
FASHIONS
A TREASURE-TROVE of SMART STYLES
Styles for Women,
i
MISSES, GIRLS, JUNIORS, CHILDREN, LITTLE BOYS. THE
COMPETE FASHION GUIDE TO AUTHORITATIVE
PARIS
NEW YORK
LONDON
BERLIN ,
and NOME at
HILLS PHARMACY
We Deliver The Goods.
mnririnrti
narmaaon
U3nfifunm-iPfirinrinfwingLnirLiu-unj^nf mrownj~wwtwwlwYlrT,rTYrfTTII
“S. S. UMATILLA”
For Seattle Direct
SAILING FROM
NOME
AUG. 5TH.
AUG. 29TH.
SEPT. 25TH.
OCT. 25TH.
SAILING FROM
SEATTLE.
JULY 20TH.
AUG. 15TH.
SEPT. 11TH.
OCT. 7TH.
SCHEDULES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
F. J. O’CONNOR, ’ ALASKA L. & C. CO.
Commercial Agent, AGENTS
Fropt St. and Steadman Ave. At Dock.
I *«‘C«>cic«c«uagua<:ic»c»cu=»nr^TLFu:ir‘glfi1fT - ‘fi'TWf■fiWfYTfWfrirf
ALASKA STEAMSHIP GO.
S. S. VICTORIA
LEAVE SEATTLE:
AUGUST 4
AUGUST 23
SEPTEMBER 18
OCTOBER 13
LEAVE NOME.
AUGUST 16.
AUGUST 31
SEPTEMBER 20
OCTOBER 29
STEAMER NORTH WESTERN due Nome August 23.
Steamer NORTH WESTERN sails from Nome, August 27, via Cor- j \
dova, Juneau and Ketchikan the INSIDE PASSAGE.
R. A. Carroll, Agent, Nome
We have received on the
Umatilla a nice tine of
SLICKER COATS before
buying see
Cheap John Store
* " " ’’SSBDIT ~**^y>r*r*■ -/. .<* *
ONE PRICE TO ALL. TELEPHONE MAIN 48. -
I
Kent Transfer Co.
General Transfer & Freighting
Qoa[_& QU
Phone Main 139.
MR. MINER
For Hose, Tents,
and Canvas, See
PHIL MURPHY
MURPHY HAS THE GOODS
GET THE NEWS RIGHT. READ Anything In the line of job work
THE WOKKER. Satisfaction assured.
MINERS
RESTAURANT
Opposite Industrial Worker.
FIRST CLASS MEALS.
Served in
FIRST CLASS STYLE.
Under New Management
OPEN ALL NIGHT.
Phone Main 153.
S. H. SIMEON
+*+*+*********+*
++++++++++*++
U. 8. MAIL BOAT jjj
‘ Silver Wave”*
♦
Making scheduled trips be- 4»
tween St. Michaels and all *
+
way points, including Bluff,
Solomon, Nome, Teller, York, ^
Tin City, Deerlng, Candle and |,
Kotzebue. 4*
4*
fr4>4>4*4>4>4>4a4a4,4’£4>4>