Pa. i
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| this country to a large degree. |
. them
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f ery.
| stroyed individual initiative.
THE MEYERSDALE COMMERCIAL, MEYERSDALE, - PA.
Organ-
sly
t eT = ne eT = my -—
’ soil without letting the capi- those who are living from the relatives here, went to Mason. visited relatives in Cumbex,
exploitation of labor. |
~ WHAT'S S0 AND WHAT
INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVE the big capitalists. They are
: —_— not their own bosses.
No, Socialism will not de- Even leaving the big capi-
stroy individual initiative. | talist out of consideration, the
Capitalism has largely de- small ‘business man, from
whom we hear this objection
You want to be your own the most frequently, is not his
boss. 5 own LOSS.
You are not your own boss. In all cities and towns of
Up to the middle of the nine- considerable size the grocer is
L teenth century, and even later,| governed largely by the will of
individual initiative was open | the retail grocers’ association.
to the people in general in| He is not his own boss.
The butcher is governed
But it is no longer open to! largely by the will of the re-
em. | tail botchers’ association. He
And yet, the man who howls is not his own boss. |
that he wants to be his own | The saloon keeper is govern-'
boss has not yet awakened to; ed largely by the will of the
talist gouge him out of most of
the product of his toil. This
is slavery, not liberty. The
farmer is not his own boss.
The small business man can-
not go into business or stay in
it without the consent of the
big capitalists. This is slav-
ery, not liberty. The small
business man is not his own
boss.
The yearner for industrial
individual initiative will have
to reconcile himself to the fact
that the time has forever gone
by when a man could, in an in-
dustrial sense, be his own boss.
The labor saving machine
compels. associated effort.
The day of associated indus-
trial effort is here. |
The man who objects to it
merely kicks against the,
ization among any class of la-
borers has a tendency, not
! only to force up wages for that
particular class but it affects
other classes of labor the same
way. Those who step in be-
cause of the special induce-
ments and bribes held out to
them, and take the place of or-
ganized men, are injuring
their own cause. by preventing
proper safeguards from being
placed around labor, safe-
guards for which the men on
strike are contending. Do
they intend to enforce the in-
terests of those who rob labor
| of its just share or must we
conclude that ignorance is the
cause? The cause may lie in
the individual person losing
sight of every interest for the
. the
fact that times have
changed.
He does not realize that
there has been, an industrial]
revolution and that the masses |
of the people are now living in|
a condition of industrial slav-'
He imagines that conditions
| are just the same as they were,
in the early days.
He imagines that a young
i man, or a man of any age, has
. the same opportunity to get on,
i in the world that he had in|
it.
§ till it, either.
| the dangers of the frontier, of]
. course, but, if he was willing’
| all avenues of industry was so
i great that it could not be sup-
. plied.
if trade and every profession is
ally jammed.
. days the wealth of the country
was
‘working on their own hook.
wealth, against which a man
the early days.
He forgets that in the early!
days the land was free. In or-|
der to get a farm all a man had
to do was to go out and take
And it did not require a
lot of expensive machinery to]
He had to brave
to do that, the land was as free
as air. =
He forgets that in the early
days the demand for men in
He forgets that today every
not only overcrowded, but lier-
He forgets that in the early
distributed somewhat
equitably, and that business
and industry were carried on
for the most part by individuals
He forgets that at that time
. hand work was thechief meth-
od of carrying on industry. i
He forgets that since that
time wealth has for the most
part concentrated into the!
hands of a few; that: varied]
and marvelous machinery has
been produced, and that it
now requires a great fortune
to engage in business in such
a manner as to be abie to com-
pete.
He forgets that business is
now carried on for the most,
part by great aggregations of
with only a limited amount of
money has no show at all.
. He forgets that this indus-
trial revolution has been
brought about by the change
from simple hand tools to great
labor savihg machines: which
make ‘associated effort necess-
ary and inevitable.
He forgets that the small
businesses are at best only
making a bare living for those
engaged in them, and that a
great many of them are not
even making that, but, on the
contrary, are going to the wall.
He forgets that during the
past thirty or forty years the
great business est idlishments
have crowded millions of small
business men out of business
and into the ranks of wage
workers.
If he will take the trouble to
open his eyes and look about
him, hewill discover that the
fact that a few men acquired
possession of the means of pro-
duction and distributioon
dooms the masses of the peo-
ple to continue to serye these
few just as long as the'capital-
ist system lasts. 3
The day when a man could
be his own boss industrially, in
the old sense of the term, has
forever passed away.
The labor saving machine
compells associated effort.
Capitalism makes this fact
harmful.
Socialism will make it bene-
ficial.
The working man, so far as
industrial matters are concern-
ed, is governed chiefly by the
master class. He is not his
retail liquor dealers’ associa. Picks. | time being, save his own. Right’
tion. He is not his own boss.!
The job printer is governed
largely by the will of the em-!
ploying printers’ association.
He is not his own boss.
The building contractor is
| gowerned largely by the will of
the builders’ association. He
is not his own boss. :
he clothing merchant is
governed largely by the will of
the retail clothiers’ association.
He is not his own boss.
The hardware merchant is
governed largely by the will of
the retail hardware merchants’
association. «He is not his own
boss. .
The druggist is governed
largely by the will of the retail
druggists’ association. He is
not his own boss. :
The plumber is governed
largely by the will of the
plumbers’ association.
not his own boss.
And so on.
But that is a very small and
insignificant part of the story.
The small business man is
the abject slave of the trusts
that control his line of business.
If ‘they permit him to make
a living at all, it is only a bare
living. If he gets “funny”
they crowd him out of business.
Frequently, they crowd him,
out of business when he don’t
get “funny” at all, simply be-
He ig b
He will have his bruises for
his pains.
If he does not clear the track]
he will be run over. {
The wheels of progress can-|
not be turned back.
He may as well overhaul
himself one time as another,
tear himself loose from reac-
tionary conservaiism, and
dump the senseless prejudices
out of his mind.
The world has discarded in-'
dustrial individual initiative in
the old sense. Henceforth we,
will get along without it.
But Socialism will remove
the evils that have come with’
this change. At the present]
time a few men dominate the]
whole industrial situation. The
| rest of us are their slaves.
Socialism will give us all an’
equal voice in industrial mat-
ers.
That will be far better than
the old style of individual in-
itiative where we fought the!
whole world single handed and
came pretty near starving to
death at it.
But Socialism will give
everyone individual initiative!
in a new sense of the term.
There is the most unbound-
ed range for individual initia-
tive in public affairs. #
We can illustrate with a
school teacher. The school
cause he is superfluous, be-
cause they don’t need him.
How do they crowd him out?
Easy.
By declining to grant him
dealers’ discounts. In other
words, by refusing to sell goods
to him at wholesale prices. Of
course, he can not make any-
thing by buying them at re-
tail prices. So he goes out of
business.’ He is not his own
boss.
Even if he is permitted to
stay in business he is not his
own boss, for the wholesalers
draw the dealers’ discounts
from him at any time they see
fit. If they do so, he goes to
the wall. He is at their mercy.
He is not his own boss.
Manufacturers frequently
find it to their financial advan-
tage to put in retail stocks of
goods in various places in
charge of hired managers.
Such managers are not their
own bosses.
Branch department stores,
in charge of hired managers,
have made their appearance
in many towns. Such manag-
ers are not their own bosses.
There are in the United
States many saloons which are
owned by the big brewing com-
panies and are in charge of
hired managers. Such mana-
gers are not their own bosses.
Another favorite method on
the part of the big manufac-
turers is to put in a stock on
consignment to a small merch-
ant. The public probably
thinks the merchant owns the
stock. But as a matter eof fact
the manufacturer owns it.
The merchant merely pays the
rent and the insurance, does
the business and gets a com-
mission on whatever he sells.
He is dependent upon the will
and whim of the manufacturer.
He is not his own boss.
Even those merchants who
ly all heavily in debt, either to
or manufacturers can with-
own their own stocks are near-
teacher works for the public.
She does not own the school
and run it on her own hook.
She is not her own boss in the
old sense. She has to be guid-
ed, in general terms by the
collective will. Alas she lost
her individuality and her pow-
er of individual initiative?
Not she. She has lost most of
the graft propensity. But she
has retained all of her indivi-
| duality and improved upon it.
'She is always trying to im-|
i prove herself. She is always
| trying to discover better meth-
| ods of accomplishing results.
Her heart and soul are in her
i work. She finds daily use for
all of her powers of individual
initiative in doing her portion
of the collective work.
So in all occupations in the
Socialist commonwealth. Each
one will in doing his portion of
the collective work need to
bring his powers of individual
initiative into use.
But industry will really be-
come a minor affair in the So-
cialist. commonwealth. | It will
Be attended to first because
the material wants must be
provided for first. 1:1 |
But the great glory of Social-
ism is, it will emancipate the
people from eternal slavery to
the securing of mere food,
clothing and shelter.
Socialism will enable the
people to employ the larger
portion of their time in higher
pursuits.
In these higher pursuits in-
dividual initiative will have
full swing.
And the people will be a-
mazed when they remember
that they once prized the old
Saplintistic individual initia-
ive,
IN UNION THERE
IS STRENGTH
A Self Conscious
Laboring
Safe for Demccracy.
In organization he finds that
| mob of unorganized
Class Will Make the World!
here there is great danger of
losing just what he is seeking.
Today the individual laborer
without the power of organ-
ization back of him, has about
as much chance to make a fair
bargain with organized capital
as a lamb would have in bar-
oaining with a wolf. Hence
his own interest demands a
power equal to the occasion.
power. Unorganized labor
stands in about the same rela-
tion to organized capital as a
indivi-
duals would to the German
army.
“A kingdom divided against
itself will fall.” No one is
more familiar with the prin-
ciple contained in this ex-
pression than are the exploit-|.
ers of labor: hence their ef-
forts to divide the forces of
labor and to keep them divided |
.Do you blame them? It
means gold. To them this
means life, liberty and the pur-|
suit of happiness; to labor it
means poverty, destitution and
misery.
A laboring class conscious
of ‘its power and intelligent
enough to organize that power
can be and probably will be
the force which will win the
world and make it a safe
place for democracy against
the united efforts of political
kings and kaisers. :
«Moo — (Contributed)
| Local
Miss Myrtle Smiley, enter-
tained the Fortnightly Club;
Friday evening. Sewing and
refreshments were featured.
James Phillips, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Ge A. Phillips, who is
in the Western Maryland Hos-|
pital at Cumberland, under:
| went an operation of the throat
| Wednesda Snr
T
noe
| ness-so€i
| church; re
| ter refreshments were served,
they went to the Red Cross
headquarters, where theyspent
the rest of the evening in sew-
ing.’
Russel Baughman and son,
William E., of Berlin, were
Meyersdale visitors Wednes-
day.
Miss Edith Tressler, of
Johnstown, is visiting relatives
here.
Charles Griffith, of Harris-
burg, visited his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. H.'L. Griffith, the for-
mer part of this week.
Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Black
and daughter Mary were visit-
ors in Somerset Friday.
Miss; Sarah Thomas is visit-
ing her brother, Charles Thom-
as, in Georgia.
Mr. and Mrs. M. F. Baer and
son Guylard,; Mr. and Mrs.
burgh, Sunday.
Mrs. Simon Bittner and
children are visiting ‘relatives
and friends in St. Paul.
Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Reed,
Mr. and Mrs. George Blake
1 and son Glen motored to Moun-
tain Lake Park, Md. Sunday.
Charles Beal motored to Pitts-.
the banks, or the wholesalers, |
or both. They are dependent;
Is it not a strange sight to
W. H. Habel returned Tues-
day from a business trip to
Akron, Ohio.
upon the will and whim of | ehold men leaving occupa-
their creditofs, who can close! i,ng in which their class i Ds
e 5. ¥ ©} n w ass is not! 4. . :
them out so quick that they, ,,.;anized and take the place! ny Elonhoh,
won’t know what “hurt them.! of orcanized labor i h |
: ee) ganized labor in other oc-| ¢ ’ ;
They are not their own bosses. cupations where organization, A Mrs. Ida
To sum up. | forced an advance in wages;| 9-1 USSRY.
The working man cannot but owing to a lack of proper| Mrs. Clarence Rowe and
Mrs. A. C. Kennell and
own boss.
Even the trust magnate has
to be governed largely by the
will of other trust magnates.
He is not his own boss.
The small merchant, the
small manufacturer and the
farmer are the abject slaves of!
work without the consent of a| recognition of the union, is| WIS: Geo. Benford are spend-
capitalist. He cannot work| out on strike in order to gain) 108 2 few days in Casselman.
| yithom letting a capitalist con-| that recognition which is nec-| Mr. 2nd Mrs. Edgel Smith,
| fiscate the larger portion of | essary to maintain its life? | of Randolph, Pa., were guests
| his earnings. This is slavery, The men on strike are sim-; of the former's father, A. G.
| : WT ¥ ar An]: aT . . . ' ith 5 dav
not liberty. The W orking man ply seeking more s surity for nts, Sunday. : |
| is not his own boss. selves, their families and Mrs. Anna Fike, of S- |
The farmer caniot I labor in general against town, who had been 12
town, Pa., Monday. { land, Sunday.
Mrs. Walter Smith, Mrs, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Powell
Shannon Smith and son Jo- and daughter Ruth, of Levels,
seph, of Boswell, Pa., visited W. Va. spent Tuesday at the
at the home of Mrs. George home of C. A. Phillips.
Hibner, Sunday. ; | Mrs. Elizabeth Younkin ré-
Misses Lillian and Maggie | turned home on Sunday from
Baer spent Sunday at the home | a visit in Roswell and Johns-
of Albert Baer at Vim. , | town.
‘Miss Myra Lichliter, of Elk| Mr. and Mrs. James Irwin
Lick, spent Monday in town. | and little son have returned to
Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Groff ' Acosta, Pa.,
RELIABLE PLUMBING SERVICE
The plumbing should be in-’ 72
stalled so as to avoid the necessity < Ss
of frequent repairs and prevent the . | C—=T
moderate first cost from becoming “T_ |
exorbitant. | :
Our experience and skilled TEES
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high quality of materials and
“Standard” plumbing fixtures we
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Ask tor booklez.
ea
Fo
—— | \
Ii IAA
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3¢
BAER & CO. Plumbing & Heating Tz — Se aVoin
| a
Meyersdzle Pa.
: SESS ES EET, rr PE Er SENN eR
F. f
Yod
J. T. Yoder
JOHNSTOWN
Sells the Champion Cream Saver
HE worth of a separator depends very largely upon its bowl.
| A separator bowl must be scientifically designed, properly
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lose a great deal more cream, besides wearing out the bearings
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cheap separator is only two or three years.
The bowl of the NEW De Laval
: is sclf-centering
The new De Laval bowl is so constructed and so balanced upon
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The new De Laval bowl has been call-
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Come in and see one of the new ma-
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