can eliminate graft whenever its members desire to do so. As far as the unions are concerned the solution seems to lie in the increased participation of the rank and file in the activities of the organization and increased provisions for fixing responsibility upon their business agents."

Joint agreements between employers and labor organizations representing their employes are urged as having proven the most satisfactory method of fixing conditions of employment.

A detailed plan for a permanent national mediation commission to be appointed by the President in disputes involving interstate commerce is outlined and urged upon Congress. Members, the number of which is not named, would be appointed for six years. Where official mediation of a strike fails, a board of mediation would be appointed consisting of three persons, one to be selected by the Commission and one by each of the parties. No power to compel arbitration should be given to such a Commission, says the report. The proposed commission would have jurisdiction in all strikes where an establishment, except public service establishments, is engaged in interstate commerce. The plan provides for permanent advisory councils of employers and unionists, who would work with the commission.

Discussing immigration, the report urges restriction based upon the general provisions of the so-called BurnettDillingham bill. It recommends:

"1. The enactment of legislation providing for the restriction of immigration based upon the general provisions contained in the so-called Burnett-Dillingham bill, which has received the approval of two Congresses. With a full realization of the many theoretical objections which have been urged against the literacy test, the consensus of evidence is so strong that its practical workings would be to restrict immigration to those who are likely to make the most desirable citizens, to regulate immigration in some degree in proportion to the actual needs of American industry, and finally to promote education in Europe, that it seems necessary at least to urge that this plan be given a practical test.

"2. The enactment of legislation providing that within six months from the time of entry all immigrants shall be required, under penalty of deportation, either to declare their intention to become citizens by taking out their first papers or to definitely register themselves with the proper authority as alien tourists, and further providing that all immigrants who have failed to take out their first papers at the end of two years shall be deported, as shall all who fail to take out their second papers when they become eligible, deportation in each case to act as a bar to future entry.

"3. The provision by the States and municipalities, with the assistance of the Federal Government, if necessary, for the education of all adult persons who are unable to speak, read or write the English language. In order to accomplish this it may be necessary to provide that employers shall grant certain definite periods of leisure for such instruction."

MARY AND HER LANDLORD.

Mary opened a little shop

To help her on life's way; And honest toil found fit reward, And it began to pay.

"How's biz?" the landlord often asked,
And Mary was imprudent;
Of course she never guessed he was
An economic student.

But Mary's landlord's eagle eye,

Was watching how things went, And when the 15th May came round He doubled Mary's rent.

The imposition staggered her,
But what could Mary do?
Subsistence bare is the tenant's share,
All above is the landlord's due.

So Mary kept on as before,

Improving as time went; But step by step with increased trade The landlord raised the rent.

And thus the merry game went on

Till Mary's life was spentAs fast as God could prosper her, The landlord raised the rent.

LET LABOR OF NATION BE

WARNED BY NEW YORK'S

MILITIA PROGRAM.

While President Wilson is disclaiming that there is no enemy in sight, and while some very palin signs of approaching world peace are manifesting themselves, the great State of New York, heart of the system and seat of the nation's money power, quietly slips over the hardest jolt that has yet come to the workers in this country.

Five laws have just been signed in that State that would seem incomprehensible if they were not so self-evident.

These laws provide the following almost unbelievable things:

Beginning August 1 this year, every male in the State will be enrolled as a member of the reserve militia.

The governor has power to draft from the reserve militia for the following pur

poses:

To bring the active militia up to strength.

To quell riots, uprisings, or almost anything else that he may take a notion to quell.

It is believed that the laws gives the governor and military commission power to select the individuals to be drafted.

Any person who refuses to obey the draft summons will be treated as a deserter in accordance with the warcode.

All children over eight years of age must undergo military training in school. All boys between 16 and 19 must attend summer military training, unless occupied in gainful occupations.

These laws were passed so quietly that but few knew anything about them before they became laws. Even members of the Senate Committee on Education knew nothing of them until too late.

Already New York State is in an uproar over the matter. A great non-partisan State organization to fight for their repeal is in process of formation.

What has happened in New York can happen elsewhere. There is no more to prevent such legislative action in any other State than there was in New York, with the exception that in those states where the referendum is operative the people have a final veto power.

It is evident that an attempt will be made by the extreme militarists to get other states to pass similar laws. The armament crowd sells a gun and ammunition every time a child is added to the school army roll. It sells a gun and ammunition every time a new man is brought into the war ranks.

The munitions crowd is busy promoting such legislation as this. It delights in every move toward conscription.

And this is at a time when it is only by the hardest kind of fighting that any advance can be secured for labor in the way of industrial preparedness.

THE WORKER'S WAGE.

Satisfactory When It Enables a Man to Support His Family Decently.

In reply to a query by a Washington (D. C.) newspaper, "What is a satisfactory wage?" A. F. of L. Secretary Frank Morrison said:

"A satisfactory wage is something more than a weapon to keep the wolf from the door; a compensation which a man can disburse himself and make both ends meet without his rich employer's social settlement workers coming to him and attempting to teach him how to keep body and soul together on what he receives. Social settlement work is all right in its place. But it has no more place in the life of the working man than in the life of any other man.

Give

"Organized labor says to the capitalist: 'Keep your social workers. us an eight hour day and a satisfactory wage, and your social workers will not be necessary. Give us proper wages, and we will conduct our homes and our lives in such a way that we will not have to be instructed as to how much we shall spend for rent, food, clothing, doctors, amusements, magazines and penny newspapers.'

"No man wants to be dictated to as to what he shall spend his money for, the quantity and quality of what he shall buy or when he shall buy it, what he shall read or where he shall go."

Ask for the Label.

A RIGHTFUL PROTEST.

Here I am a union card,

This pocket is my home;

I wish that I could get away

From here, I'd quickly roam. Made in a sweatshop, what a shame! That I am compelled to stay, No union label for a chum

Why can't I get away.

I wonder are there other

Union cards in such a fix?
Can there be other union men
Who do such awful tricks?
I'll just go off and kill myself;
At least that's how I feel;
These sweatshop goods impair my health,
I cannot stand this deal.

If I could only talk to him
I'd say a word or two
That he'd remember all his life;

He'd know my words were true.
What right has any man like him
To own a union card?

If I was only able I

Would kick him good and hard.

He takes me out and pays his dues
And thinks that ends it all;
Upon my word I never heard

Him for a label call.

They'll fix him yet and when they do

With joyfulness I'll sing

If he is not a hypocrite
There is no such a thing.

-Thomas H. West.

THE LABOR GROUP.

Congress. Today many bills to strengthen the power of the few over the many are before Congress, and in danger of being passed.

Those eighteen union men on the firing line in Congress need your help.

Organized labor in every district in the United States surely possesses one tried and true representative who is qualified to stand for nomination and election to Congress as a real spokesman of the people.

Will labor find such men, get them into the race, and stand behind them?

Or will it continue to play into the hands of any plausible politician who comes along?

If labor makes the most of its opportunities, there will be fifty men instead of eighteen in the labor group at the next session. - The Granite Cutters' Journal.

Get the Label habit.

"What is the greatest thing in the world?"

It was asked the scholar, and he gravely answered that learning is, "for it comprehends all and promotes all."

It was asked the artist and he cried: "Art, for it combines matter and spirit both at their best."

The preacher solemnly declared: "Religion, because it is a light from Heaven." The lawyer argued: "Justice, for it is the soul of peace and progress."

"Money," said the banker, "for it is the spring of action."

The young man, full of hope and spirit cried: "Ambition!"

Out of his garnered wisdom the weary old toiler answered: "Content."

The pair of lovers, hand in hand, lisped together: "Love."

The mother with her baby at her breast, smiled: "Sacrifice."

The wild roysterer cried: "Pleasure.” The wan invalid whispered: "Health." To a shambling, grinning fool was put the question. He simpered and sickly said "I don't know."

And after all, which is really the wiser of them all-from the scholar to the fool?

A WONDERFUL MINE.

Situated in the beautiful Kaap Valley, in the Jamestown district of Barberton, Transvaal, there is a mine known by the name of Verdite. The name was given to it on account of the peculiar greenstone found in the mine, which is unknown in any other part of the globe. Articles of jewelry and ornaments are made of verdite, and it has been called the lucky greenstone of South Africa. This greenstone is a silicate of magnesia, or talc, colored green by nature in the course of its formation. Other silicates of magnesia may be mentioned here: Peridote, serpentine, meerschaum and statite. The mine, or, rather, hill, consists of three varieties of talc, green, white and black. But a peculiar fact is that in the black talc there is present pure gold. Some of the finest specimens of gold-bearing rock have been found in this mine. Every one knows that gold is found in quartz, pyrites, or even in seawater, but scarcely ever has it been mentioned in books that gold exists in talc. When the verdite rock has gone through the ordinary process of crushing and the gold has been extracted, the waste (or what is called the slimes from a gold mine) is used in the manufacture of soap, grease, paint, paper, toilet powders, gasjets, electric insulators, crayons and many other articles of every day use. In fact, one might say that everything got from this mine can be used for some commercial purpose.

THE BEST JUDGE.

"Uncle Moses, how did the Lawd make de berry first man?"

"Why, he done make him out of de earf."

"Den why don't he make 'em out of earf now?"

"'Cause de Lawd nebber do anyt'ing extrabagant. Land ain't as cheap as it used ter be. Fust thing you know, Massa Rockefellah would buy up all de mud and put a stop to de popellation, and den where'd we be? De Lawd am de best jedge ob how to go about his own biz-ness."

TELLING HIS EXPERIENCES.

An Irish soldier just home from the front was relating his experiences to his mates at home. "I well remember one time. Myself and Brother Denis was a listenin' control, when a 'Jack Johnson' burst close to us, and when we came to ourselves after the shock there was my poor Brother Denis with his left arm clean blown from the shoulder. When he saw what they had done he got so mad that he dashed out before I could stop him, and he grabbed two Germans, one in each hand, and dashed their heads together till they fell insensible." "Ah," said one of his mates, "sure and are you not just telling us your Brother Denis had his left arm blown off?" "I am," says the Irish soldier; "but, sure, you don't take any notice of these things when you're fighting."

TRUE SCOTCH.

For once the American had discovered something British that was better than anything produced "across the pond." His discovery was a fine collie dog, and he at once tried to induce its owner, an old shepherd, to sell it.

"Wad ye be takin' him to America?" inquired the Scot.

"Well, I guess I would," replied the Yankee.

"I thought as muckle," said the shepherd. "I couldna pairt wi' Jock."

While they sat arguing an English tourist approached, and offered to buy the dog, and the shepherd sold the collie for much less than the American had offered.

"You told me you could not sell him," said the American when the purchaser had departed.

"Naw," replied the Scot. "I said I couldna pairt wi' him. Jock'll be back in a day or so, but he couldna swim the Atlantic."

The working class movement to be most effective must be conducted by the workers themselves in the interest of the workers. It will not be dominated by the so-called intellectuals or butters-in.— Gompers.

CHILD LABOR.

Child labor is a wicked practice, one totally abhorrent to all ideals of intelligence and devoid of heart understanding. There is nothing in later life that can ever compensate a neglected or abused child for the losses which were a part of its childhood. As the human body, the human mind and the human personality develop they remain fundamentally unchanged. There is a time to grow and a time to develop which never return. The fundamental problems which confront our nation are those of child labor and education.-Sampel Gompers.

PRIVATE OWNERSHIP.

One group does the work and starves, the other with property has the leisure. This is privilege, plutocracy. It exists in Milwaukee and in every industrial center in the United States. Those who work are penalized because they work; those who own are rewarded because they control the resources and the means of production.

Private ownership puts it in the power of the owner to pay dying wages and charge monopoly prices. It enables the owner to say to the worker, “You toil and work and earn bread, and I'll eat it."-Professor Scott Nearing.

BOOST THE LABEL.

There are trades that have no union label, and we must support them. Carpenters, painters, and building trades generally have no union label, yet they are an important part of the labor movement in every community. Our locals should be active in every central labor body where they are located and should demonstrate by their acts that the shoeworkers are ready at all times to support their sister unions of other crafts in every contest where the interests of wage-earners are involved. Remember, every time you boost a sister union you strengthen your own.-Shoe Workers' Journal.

Yearly on February 2 and for fortyfive days after, a mysterious fire breaks

out in Ariyake Bay, on the west coast of Kyushu, Japan, burning both on land and sea, the origin of the conflagration being a complete mystery which a recently outfitted scientific exploration party will make a point of solving.

HE WAS WISE.

He had been calling on her twice a week for six months, but had not proposed. He was a wise young man, and didn't think it necessary.

"Ethel," he said, as they were taking a stroll one evening, “I-er-am going to ask you an important question."

"Oh, George," she exclaimed, "this is so sudden. Why I-"

"What I want to ask is this," he interrupted: "What date have you and your mother decided upon for our wedding?" -Detroit Saturday Night.