THE ADVANCING LINE OF GERMANS "War is declared by a few men in one nation; the cost is paid by the people of all the world." Somebody's commerce follows some nation's flag, but the business and the emblem do not always agree. Today, all Europe has gone to war to establish national supremacy in certain markets. I hardly dare hope that either this or the following statements will go unchallenged; still my study convinces me, at least, that they are true. That is, England has control of certain markets today; Germany wants them and has been a trifle too successful-for Great Britain's comfort-in taking them. England has been uneasy, even furious. Russia has a vast wealth of natural resources-lumber, coal, minerals, and rich soilwhich are awaiting development and need markets. The other countries, knowing they will be left behind if Russia ever starts, have tried to keep her from getting started; they have blocked her outlet to markets. are That is, European nations, finding themselves without many of those things which make for successful business competition. are trying to remove commercial inequalities with the sword. They taking fifty million dollars a day out of their business-already starved in many ways-to spend it on war, which does not help but destroys their trade even as it destroys the factories and farms which support that trade. From a cold business point of view, this proves that war over markets is outright foolishness. In itself it makes impossible the thing for which it is fought. not the one to deny him; I get my fun by talking shop. But, to talk shop in connection with war is not to compute the cost of the harness, the guns, the projectiles, and the fortifications. Instead, it is to talk of the markets which war is supposed to open. It is to gossip about "commerce following the flag" and to speculate on what flag will go where and whose commerce will follow it. TECHNICAL WORLD MAGAZINE EMPEROR FRANZ JOSEPH OF AUSTRIA He was in the middle of the ring when the world's greatest open fight was started. because we have not learned to make them cheaply. On the same basis, any country can sell machines and manufactured articles to South America because it has not been developed to the point of producing them. The second fundamental law is that the export trade proceeds upon an exchange of manufactured articles for raw materials. For example, we can sell rough ores, lumber, and the like to Japan and buy manufactured articles. Europe can sell machinery or manufactured articles to South America and take in exchange cattle or natural farm products. We sell raw cotton to England and buy the cotton goods. If you will study the export markets you will discover that the "export trade" is mostly between highly developed coun markets than they name on the largest percentage they sell at home. As I see it, the export market is more a spillway of profit. for over-production than it is a source If, as this indicates, all export business gin or none at all, how long will it take is done either on a ridiculously small marwith the "profits" they make off conthe warring European nations to pay, quered markets, the principal and interest of a war debt which grows at the rate of fifty millions a day? it worth what it costs? Especially does On a business basis, does war pay? Is it pay when it is a matter of the most force, keep a market wide open to its common knowledge that a nation may, by subjects without being able to assure "War never was a bargain. On the contrary, it entails costs that can never be paid." single pound of its goods? Shells from dreadnaughts may open a market; they cannot force unconvinced consumers to buy. This article has viewed war from three angles. If the foregoing is accepted, these conclusions naturally are arrived at without further discussion: War is declared by a few men in one nation; the cost is paid by the people of all the world. (Continued on page 302) LIGHTS OF BRITISH DREADNAUGHTS AT SPITHEAD BEFORE THE WAR BEGAN and MAN-HUNTING By Gilson Gardner The job and the man must be brought together. The private employment agencies have failed because they are run for private profit; the state agencies have failed because their jurisdiction is local. Congress is fighting out the problem of the unemployed and is planning revolutionary legislation which will allow the National Government to smooth the path of employer and worker, and to stamp out the fraud now practiced upon those least able to bear it.-The Editors. J OHN SMITH was out of a job. Smith was one of a number of other men similarly situated. They all applied for jobs at an "employment agency" in the city of Detroit, Michigan. On the eighth day of June, 1914, the operator of this agency was sentenced to serve ninety days in the workhouse without the option of a fine by Judge Connolly. From a Detroit daily of that date, I quote the story: He "The court blamed death of one man and the suffering of for the many more whom he sent into the wilds of Minnesota for jobs. This man conducted an employment agency and was arrested and convicted several times for violation of the law. promised a Federal officer to close his. place of business. The Federal officer was transferred to Chicago and opened another agency. A gang of men were sent to Minnesota by him. He told them jobs were waiting for them. He accepted their fees and shipped them to the woods. One man was killed by being struck by a train, the others undergoing suffering before they could get back. The arrest followed on a charge of violating the employment agency laws. for mercy but was refused." 74 176 pleaded private employment agency. It states That is the story in a nutshell of the one-half of the problem which civilization today faces in the eternal question of The Man and the Job. Hon. Wm. J. MacDonald of Michigan, member of the House of Reprethe House a bill (H. R. 17017), "To sentatives, June third, introduced into provide for the establishment of a National Employment Bureau under the direction and supervision of the SecreCommittee on Labor, Mr. MacDonald tary of Labor." Before the House himself a member of the committeestated the problem of the man who wants work, is willing to work, but can't get work. "I doubt," said MacDonald, "whether tigators who are brought into direct there are any of us except those invesployed, who realize what a tremendcontact with the problem of the unemously vicious system the present private employment agencies comprise. It is rather a strange commentary on the most unfortunate class, the weakest our industrial and social system that the victims of fraud and actual robbery class we have, are made most cruelly when they are seeking to obtain employment that will give them a bare existence." JOB-FINDING AND MAN-HUNTING The Commissioner of Licenses of New York has under his charge the administration of the law concerning the licensing of employment agencies. In his annual report for 1913, appears the following paragraph: "Men are told that they are going to do grading work, and when they are shipped fifty or a hundred miles outside of New York they find that they have to work standing up to their knees in water. Some are told they have to work on roads, and find that they must go into tunnels. Good sleeping quarters are promised to some, who are then made to sleep on the floors of shanties without even straw to lie upon. Proper food and cheap board are described, which turn out to be unfit food furnished at extortionate prices by the purveyor. Men are led to believe that they can earn three dollars a day when frequently they can not earn one dollar a day and must pay the greater part of it for food and sleeping accommodations. If there is a strike on the works and the new hands are sometimes in danger, this fact is concealed. If they have no money they can not get away and must bear with the conditions, no matter how unfortunate they are." 177 This sort of testimony can be gathered all over the country, wherever official investigation has established the facts. From the report of the Wisconsin Commissioner of Labor is taken the following brief paragraph which tells the same story of fraud, oppression, misrepresentation, COPYRIGHT-HARRIS & EWING FRANK WALSH Chairman of the Commission on Industrial Relations who is interested in the employment bills. WHERE THE HUNGARIAN GOES FOR A JOB "The private agency has failed because it is run for private profit." The Government must take up the task. |
