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ALBERTA LEGISLATURE MEN! Tlio workni'B of* Canada have beer for yearn liUHt elocling representatives In purl lament to write the law; not only In writ* I ho law, lint to enforce Ii wllh Unit Instrument called government. I ty ii'Kiti t'lint'iiiit'iii thsja law-mak- BU iii«' niiiiii'iti H The Alberta & Great Waterways]H'mtVH "' •*• ,"""llv '" wl"" hM ■"■'■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■^■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■,i|I1)W <|a-v.-l.i|is-.l lulu rnipoiiilltiiiH. Tiii< corporations, having secured nil llio workari it 11 ■ I 1" glvs them, ara now Split in the Ranks—Insurgents Expected to Total Fifteen Will Accept Leadership of J. R. Boyle. Liberal, of\ Sturgeon—-Hon. W. H. Cushing, Minister of ePubtic lori'liava given Works, 'Resigned] R'ly Agreement Seat of Trouble—The CBrien Takes a Hand at Introducing Legislation Smith (L.) moved the atltlresM In reply to (he speech from the throne, lie, mentioned the past year as one of plenty and abounding prosperity to all. The total yield of grain In Albert a for 1909 w uld exceed 34,000,000 bushels. This represented an Increase over the yield of 1908 of 3S per cent, and over that of 1907 of 137 l-"2 per cent. In comparing the yield of wheat in Alberta to that of the prairie provinces, he showed that Alberta leads Saskatchewan by 2 1-2 bushels per acre, and Manitoba bq 3 3-4 bushels per acre, and the quality was equally as good. The deficit arising from hail insurance during the past four years was approximately as follows: 1906, |3,000, 1907, $11,000; 1908, $47,000 and 1909, $7.1.- 000. Roberts (L.) ln seconding the motion, referred to the largely Increased number of schools In the province, also to the proposed university. He also claimed that Alberta produced the best beet cattle and the finest horses upon the American continent. Refering to the mining Industry, the coal produced In 1909 was over 2,000,- 000 tons. On being put to Ihe House the motion carried without dissent. This elicited an almost universal "pained look of surprise from the Treasury benches and the Visitors Gallery. -All eyes being turned upon R. B. Bennett (C), who was expected to make the flrst speech for the opposition on this' occasion. He was reading a journal of the House, glancing up and seeing the eyes of the Premier and others expectantly fixed upon him, calmly said, "I have nothing to say." His silence was eloquent, dashing the hopes of members who expected to make their maiden speech on this occasion. Boyle (L.) put his motion In connection with the Alberta and Great Waterways railway. Motion carried. Beimet (C.) gave notice of the following questions he will ask the Government on Thursday: 1. From whom did the Government purchase the site for the University? 2. What was the date of the purchase? ■ 3. What was the purchase price? 4. How was lt paid, in cheque or in cash? How was the price delivered* to the vendor? By mail, express or by an individual- 6. If by an Individual, by whom? T. Who conducted the negotiations for the purchase of the said site? O'Brien (Socl gave notice that he will on Wednesday introduce a 1)111 to amend the Coal Mines Act, to provide means of communicating distinct itml definite signals trom the lower end to the working place, and between the underground places and the upper workings thro ighout the mines. Also to-.' manholes every 2B yards on any road or plane whete the produce of the- mine is drawn by a horse or other animal, or where the plane ls self-acting or worked by an engine, windlass or gin where there is nW three feet between the mine cars nnd the side ot the place. Also !io provide In all mines, where the product of the hiln-3 Is drawn hy mach'norv or other mechanical appliance at a speed exceeding four miles per hour a separate travel ling road. The manholes to be not letti than four feet long and four feet wide and also to amend the Act so that the operators shall be compelled to place timber at the nearest pAlnl on the cross nudi to where lt ls needed. Feb. 15.—Tho new Municipal Act was Introduced by Attorney-General cross and given a flrst reading. The Important clauses ln the Act are those fixing the borrowing power of the towns at 10 per cent, of the value of their rateable property. The Attorney-General also- introduced an -Act regulating traffic on highways. Marshall (I,.), Prov. Sec, ln- troduoad an Aet which win ■sours to married woman certain iharei of ihsli deceased IiuhIipuiIh' OBtatia, (Tni*« paper ■hacks!) A syndicate or Edmonton and Winnipeg t'lipit'iiiHiH tne Keeiting Incorporation under the name of the Alberto Central Hallway Co., nnd propose to construct llneH of railway wem of Ponolta Into the Brazetiu coal Ileitis, with n branch Into Strathcona. The petition for the bill was introduced by Campbell (I.) of Ponoka. Puffer (I..) introduced a petition asking for the incorporation of the Yellowhead Coal Co. Glendennlng (L.) Introduced a petition asking incorporation of the Stavely Chilt, and Smith (L.) Introduced a petition asking for amendments to the Camrose charter. Attorney-General Cross (I..) introduced a petition asking for amendments to the Edmonton charter, and also for ratification of fhe entrance agreement of that city and the C.P.R. Premier Rutherford answered the questions of Messrs.Bennett and Boyle, evidently to the satisfaction of the members concerned, as no questions were raised. The Rutherford government shows indications of being divided against itself. The atmosphere has been charged with an air of reticence and reserve which seems to indicate that a distinct split in the, government ranks might occur any day. What might be termed a preliminary skirmish took place today, when Bennett, leader of the Opposition, and Boyle (L.), leader of the insurgents, crossed swords with Premier Rutherford and Attorney-Gen eral Cross over the distribution of copies of documents concerning the Alberta anil Great Waterways Railway to the press, before they were laid upon the table of the House. The upshot of this skirmish was that the cabinet denied having given Information or Instructions to other* to give it, whereupon Boyle (I..) moved that the clerk of the executive council, M. J. McLeod, be called to the bar of the House to make an explanation of his conduct. Mr. Speaker ruled that the matter required notice of motion. Bennett (C.) questioned the sincerity of cabinet ministers ln their replies. Cross (Att,-Gen.)—"I don't propose to have my sincerity questioned by {any member of the House, and I ask the member to accept my statements until they have been proven false." Bennett—"Bounds very nice, but there's nothing to lt." • Premier Rutherford—"There is nothing to what the junior member for Calgary (Bennett) has said either." There was another skirmish later in the session, when Mr, Boyle pressed the premier for an explanation as to why Mr. Gushing (settlor member for Calgary) was ocupylng a private mem ber's seat, and aft to the truth of the press reports bt his resigoafloYi. Rutherford had no statement to make. Boyle—''Do I u-itorBta"**:*! that the minister has toot resigned?" Mr. Beirncrtt thought tWt the premier could take the members Into hie confidence and give a little Information on the subject. Premier Rutherford said there had been reports that Mr. Cushlng's resignation had been placed ih certain hands, and the government had no Intimation that this was true. C. M. O'Brien introduced a bill to amend the Coal Mines Act. The bill was read the first time. (Second reading, Feb. 2lBt.) The following private bills received a flrst reading: An Act respecting the Salvation Army. (Introduced by McDougall (L.) An Act to ratify certain money bylaws of the city of Lethbridge and amend Its charter. Hon. Buchanan. (Continued on Pag* S) usai'tlng their legal right of ownership, Tills Ih only as II ran lie. (limit men or a corporation ths right In own a llilug anil we uiii.ii. tn li consistent, grant the right to dt u i thoy ploitso with wlinl legally belong, to them. The value of these "grants" to corporations Ih not In the thing Itself; Imi In thai It given them the command of wage-labor—the title-deeds to jobs. It used to bo ownership of bodies; It) Is now merely Ihe ownership c con trol of JoIih. It's cheaper, and therefore more profitable. Up to this time that portion of the labor market termed organized labor has never questioned the right of corporations to own their jobs, and with it that portion of wealth they produce but do not take home when the whistle blows. Not only are the corporations enforcing their legal rights of ownership; but they refuse to even feed the slaves they can not make a profit out of. This, too, Is the only thlnu they can do and themselves survive. .n, what the wage-workers of Canada are really confronted with i the result of their own undoing. In other words they have received what they voted for. If this be so, and organic" tabor finds itself at the end of its tet.ier, confronted with the brick wall nt ownership of the earth by a few ror- poratlons, in Labor's name, what ls there left for us to do hut to set about the task of restoring the earth to those who builded It. Or at least that portion of it used to rob labor, called capital. The Lord glveth; the Lord taketh away. So with the workers. When we secure possession of the law-making powers, the title-deeds to Jobs will be abolished; collectively used property will be made collectively-owned property; privately used property will be privately-owned; production for profit will cease and production for use commence. The labor market, strikes, poverty, prostitution, and a dwarfed and starved 1 iman race, will give place to industn. My free men at d free women, and a iew civilization wlll have been born. Let us cem < . i ling like animals. And be Mini H. P. P. Th : 3RI rtSl-l ELECTIONS. . ' ,• i| it tltntioiti are met anil |i | ■ ii ie that the Ion' on lo bs y.n\w • '111 I'i 'llltf will Hot lie IhhI o stand tor thl (raalng trim »ai ilu vary i ( Britain's work ut .Socialist mill "Labor" Tn■ • i ' spei [ally ihe latter, has I rt'i id, Tin' ih iih liir as run B. C. LEGISLATURE Williams and Hawthornthwaite take an active part in criticising the Government's Legislation From a Socialist Standpoint—Important Amendments to the Companies' Act and the) Public Schools Act Introduced— The Liquor Act Criticised. jigi' ,.i i il .,, 'us lima are iih ltd- only one "Labor" candidate lected without the assistance ol 'liei'nls and In all three comet • ■ vole ot the "Labor" Purty uuilldattf as much smaller In com- "in '.sou in i i! totitl vote than In Hume places who-t a i-joclallst waa the third nu thu tlcl t At tn b di ance lt looks as If the "Labor Pi ty was the greatest enemy the vti'i I Jian of Great Britain has, oufside o. .ihnself. The "Labor" M. '.s ate Li -eials, but prefer lndepend- < ice n ,rder lo d*raw their salaries ft m the labor organizations. The mis- si. of the "l/tbor" Party seems to be lo 1 "*o vorkingmen Into supporting tne .erals under the Impression th ' he is voting for himself. The ury that tho Liberals plowed with the Sodaliitt heifer is not correct. The Liberals could not "exploit t' e propaganda" or plagiarize the programme of a workingclass party. If I the Liberals took anything from the f^ocial Democrat cr "Labor" platforms, It was but their own they took and it had no business there ln the first place. Instead of nullifying the Socialist platform with such nonsense as "The \bolition of the LordB," etc., let those parties who profess to voice the Interests of the toilers change their pro- grammt to what it should be—"the aiolltion of the wage system." That is ill there is really, and all there i uld be, in fact, to any Socialist plat- t in. rhe Liberals (In Canada will never s'.eal mything from our platform be- e.iusf: there is nothing in it that belongs to them. If the Serial Democratic! Federation of Great Britain had stuck to ■ lf.st fc the past quarter of a cc .. .. .it season and out of neason advocu'od revolution and based its propaganda on showing the worker where and how he was being robbed, and that alone, who doubts but what the rest of the platform which it now.-, has w iuld have been realized ere this. Show the worker the "wage trick," and once he has grasped . joj niay safely leave the rest to h.m. LEEDS. The Act to Amend the Placer Mining Act. SAMMY AND IHE DEVIL Oh Sammy Jones was a working asi, VVho faithfully served his boss; When lt came his time from earth to pass Why, he went to hell of course. He saw the smoke dt the sulphur pit, lie eyed IU lights and shades; He raised his grimy toll-hardened mitt, And he knocked on the gate of Hades. Mow Nick waa having some fun within While the Imps a plutocrat baited. tte failed to hear the knock thro' tbe din. And Sam fell asleep while he waited. You might think lt queer, to sleep down there, In sound of Hell's furnace roar; It's well p'raps then, to repeat again The thing I said before. That Sammy Jones wiib a working ass Of the Proletarian breed A unit of the wage-slave class Who had fed the fat I'lutes greed. Who had gone to IiIk work of'l heavy- eyed, And tolled for a tenth of his worlh; And he had to make up after he died The sleep he lost on Earth. Well, Nick at last he opened wide, And outside took a peep; The very flrst thing the old man Bplod Was Sammj fast asleep. His Highness, i out an awful roar He hollered:- Well'! Well!! We'll*'!! I never knew a To sleep on the He kicked at Sa- And Sammy And muttered: The whistle -de before ps of Hell. c-, ah t Cloven heel 'tied a bit et me sleep awhile," t blown yet. Old Nick he dr * away a pace, He scanned **aui o'er and o'er— The toil-stained' hSnds and tired face— Hp cooked ai them—and swore. He closed th ate with l'ttle Jar, And said I" tbe imps: Be still, "There's a1 worn out wage s'ave come , fror afar. Let him -.,-ser ' long as he will." "For he wont te his work oft heavy- eyed, He tolled for a teijlh of his worth; He had his hell before he died— He was bound to the Plutes on Earth." GERALD O'CONEL DESMOND. The BrltlBher strongly objects to what he calls A tax on his bread. 'Tis hard to undersand what interest a mule can have In the price of fodder. Ib that not a question for the master to settle? Speaking in Committee on this urn on Monday, February Hth. Hawthornthwaite rehearsed tl"' arguments that he had used against it during the second reading, that under the Bill as It stood, a gold dredging company could get a license covering several miles of a creek or stream to the ultimate extinction of the Individual placer miner, whose lease only covered a few hundred feet square, on the same stream. As these men were not mentioned In tbe BUI he Insisted tbat the Bill shoultl bo amended to safeguard their Interests. McBride insisted that the individual miners were amply protected, but Hawthornthwaite remained unconvinced. Parker Williams hardly thought it was up to th'e House to better the Act, but rather up to the Premier to Bhow that it was free from objections. Haw. thornthwaite had shown that the Gold Commissioners might not entertain applications for license from the placer miners and there was no reason why the miners should have to rely on the chance of having a good Commissioner. In the Yukon especially, large dredging corporations had arrived and by a hundred and one devices had succeeded In squeezing out the placer miners, until the latter were glad to get enough to pay their way out. A change had taken place in the political complexion of tbe Province recently, and if a man who had parliamentary ambitions was appointed as Government Agent or Gold Commissioner it gave him a grip on the district, and he could use his position to nurse the district with a view to his election. He had many functions to perform and could make his Influence felt In many wai s. The question resolved itself 'nto whether the miner should be protected by the Act or by the Agent or Gold Commissioner. McBride lectuix, H'illlams on his skeptical attitude towards government officials, and signified his willingness to accept any good amendment on report. Parker Wiliams retorted that the Premier was generally successful in distorting what was really said. He knew an old farmer in his own district from whom he always gqt a dressing down when they met, and he always left a little wiser man for lt, but it was not so in this ease. The point he wished to make was that the tendency was '•" that direction, and it continued It wtuld become much worse. A mln- iiter of the gospel had to be three mouths ctear of the church before he could be a candidate for parliament, and any government official should be one year out of offlce previous to his nomination. When the'Bill reached the Report stage on Wednesday, February 16th„ Hawthornthwaite stated that after going into the matter with the Premier he had satisfied himself that the Individual miner was amply protected by the forms used under the Act, and would not oppose the Bill any further. The Liquor Act Hawthornthwaite continued the adjourned debate on' the second reading on Monday, February 14th. It was one of the vost Important Bills of the Hession and he could not let it go without expressing the opinion of the Socialist Party towards It. It was very comprehensive and In some respects grasping. The question It dealt with was becoming larger and more Important but the Bill could not modify or remedy the evils complained of to any considerable extent. He allude id to the resolution he had induced the House to pass laHt session, asking the C'overnment to consider the advisability of appointing a Commission to enquire into the fact . as to the liquor trade In B. C, and as to the Gothen burg system and regretted that the government had not acted on that. The evil they were defiling wllh was one ot Ike products of the present system ot wealth production, but ninny believed that It could be remedied by applying force or punishment, As to Local Option the Socialist Party had fought It tn u straight ami fair manner. They objected to the principle and method, and were satisfied that lt produced greater evils, and that had been the result of prohibition wherever tried. They objected to it ln principle and as absolutely inefficient as a remedy. Last session he hail quoted from Rowntree and other eminent temperance reformers to that effect. He (Hawthornthwaite) believed that if they abolished the liquor trade in B. C. lt would establish the use of harmful drugs, as ln Montreal, where in one week there had been 100 arreBts for drunkenness which had been traced to'the use of a drug which produced all the sensations of intoxication for a few cents. These evils could never be eradicated while the profit system continued. He did not propose to give way to. those people in any shape or form. There was no reasoning with them, and the Socialist objection to the Bill was that it catered to them. Owing to the Socialist agitation a great discussion on this matter had been going on ln labor bodies, and now, knowing all the facts, they knew there was nothing to fear from local option. The day had gone by when reasoning founded upon scientific investigation could be» controverted. Section 75 was drastic ln the powers it gave the police, and the House would not be justified in giving them more power than they ever had In the Province betore. He did not wish to attack the police. They were just as good and in many cases better than the police elsewhere, but he did not think lt right to put the proposed powers In their hands, as it would lead to erll effects in the persons exercising them. It would lead to a form of Tammany in B. C. that was to be avoided * * ■ The statement by the Attorney-General that high license would Improve the character of the applicants, meaning that men with more money would go Into the business, was not a proper stand to take. There were as many bad men with money as without lt in B. C. The Bill.would give good results ln limiting licensed houses in rural dls-. trlcts, but as a reform measure I* was inefficient and.would tall to the, ground. Investigation would show that while, the Gothenburg system was not com-, pletely successful lt had an Important effect in remedying some of the evils. The Copenhagen system, from the. standpoint of Improved environment, was the best system yet advanced. For himself he considered municipal control to be better, the government to take the trade and turn It over to the municipalities, under strict regulations. Then considerable reforms could be accomplished. The police would nol have the powers objected to, drunken? ness would not be allowed, the number of licenses would be reduced, and only good liquor would be sold. "While so reform could prow) a complete remedy, the Socialist Party would not oppose the second reading, but would endeavor to make It as effective ns possible and less Interfering with the liberty of the individual, The Fernle and Coal Creek Clubs Friday, February 18th, Hawthornthwaite elicited from the Attorney-Gen- eral lhat the Aet would not affect club licenses nnd at once remarked that they had now opened a "Jackpot." Tho so-called reforms were to affect the poor man only, who had as much ilnht to enjoy himself as anybody else, and would not affect the rlrh and well-fed. There were a number of working men's clubs In the Province. The Attorney- General had" deprived two of them.iu (Continued1 on Page 4) J_ TWO In Wot bhrios "hlbll.h.d »T.ry Batur' ty by tka SmUIIiI Tarty at OanaOo, a* ths Oslo. at tha Wa-rt.rn Oiarlan, Flaok Hock ■sa.m.nt, 165 Bastings Street, Vsaoon- -*-»,-* o. 8UBSCBIPTION: niM Tn Tear, BO oents for Six Months, 86 cents for Throe Montha. Strictly In Advance Bundles of 6 or more copies, for a ferlod of not lees than three months, at fibs rate of one cent per oopy per issue. Advertising rates on application. If you receive this paper, it la paid la making remittance by cheque, ex- -ebsvge must be added. Address all " communications and make all money erders payable to 1MB WESTERN CLiUION, ■ex ass. Vanoonver, B. C. 569 Watch the label on your paper. If this number is on it, your subscription expires the next issue. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26th, 1910. EXIT "INDEPENDENCE.' "Now that the old country papers are to hand, one has an opportunity ot sizing up the situation as it is left ■'by the elections. The results are lather hopeful than otherwise, the most hopeful feature being the passing of Laborism as an "independent" .entity from the field of British poli- "Ucs, for we feel safe in asserting that Is the last appearance of the Labor Party as even a pretended political party apart from Liberalism. Even the "Socialist (?) Review," fie vehicle of Ramsay Macdonald's ■weighty and oracular utterances, ■seems well aware of this. After pointing out that the Party's "successes" 'were in those ridings where no Liberal ■ candidate was run against them, and that iu three-cornered lights they lost heavily, it expresses regret that more seats could not at this election, have .been sawed off with the Liberals, and openly vouchsafes the opinion that, unless, at the next election, some better understanding can be arrived at, the Labor Party may lay aside all lopes of any great gains. The "Review" further freely intimates that the Labor Party has no inten- j tion of using their position to force the hand of the Government in anyway, even to obtain those highly ne- -•jessiiry and statesmanlike reforms of ■/Which we have been hearing so much. The reasons it gives for its proposes! unwavering support of the Government show no little ingenuity, but -are of little concern to us, as we are 1>y no means prepared to deny the wis dom of the course outlined. It is the very best thing the Labor Party can Ao for Itself, and incidentally for Labor, for lt will clear the way for the uiprise of a real Labor Party. At the next elections there Is every liope that Liberalism will go down to irretrievable defeat before the on- ■jomlng of Tariff Reform, the futility! of which latter will make it the easier to point the impossibility of any .salvation for the workers except In -the abolition of Capitalism. Also Tariff Reform will bring us that German -war if, by that time, Germany is in any shape to put up a fight for its commercial existence. As for the Liberal Party, it will, vwiblle ln power, make the most of the •-dimness of its majority as an excuse for doing nothing. It will, as usual, attempt to make Itself as much political capital as it can and will stay in power as long as it may. It has more to fear from internal disruption than from any exercise of the balance of power by either the Laborites or the Natfonalists, the latter being "by no means eager for another election ■with their treasury empty and the In- idependent Nationalists hovering on their flanks. However, the many rifts in the Liberal lute are becoming so evident that it seems probable th*' .-another election will be forced on, 'iwhoever HkeB or dislikes lt. THE WESTERN CLARION, VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA., oneness of a nation, in which sense first and lighter' one won. Nor can "the people" is non-existent. For j we expect other tricksters to expose every nation is divided into two clas-! the process of their own gains. It ses whose interests are irreconcilably j would scarcely be proper for Jim Hill antagonistic. The class that exploits to tell the four milion paupers of the and the class that is exploited. The | United States that the country yield- latter is governed by the henchmen of ;etl a loaf and a half of bread per day the former for the former, now as in ! per individual. If he did, it is quite Caesar's tlay. ! within the range of possibility, some So if we translate our definition of;of them would get restless, and ln- democracy and call it what it is, a stead of standing meekly in the bread government of the workers by the line, would adopt a course which, while masters, it becomes quite clear. It | not calculated to get them any more also, Incidentally, becomes quite clear bread immediately, would ultimately that It differs in no way from pluto-' prove very disastrous to Jim Hill and cracy, autocracy, or any other cracy. his ilk. Which is the truth. Extravagance is not the cause of The purpose of government has liev-: high cost of living because of the very er changed nor its function altered in j obvious reason that for the vast ma"3or- any material particular. Merely the j (ty of people extravagance ls outside the range of possibility. Nor is the enormous output of gold the cause of high cost of living, the editor of Moody's Magazine to the contrary notwithstanding . This oracle declares, according to Hector McDonald, that "the value of gold will depreciate as the quantity increases." This is not true; the quantity of any commodity has absolutely no bearing upon the VALUE of that commodity, nor has it any bearing upon price, except when consid- 3ATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26th, 1910. methods have been modified. Guile has been substituted for force. Cunning has supplanted courage. The smooth tongue has taken the place of the mailed fist. Double dealing and demagogttery are the characteristics of democracy, whence its origin should be plain. It could have been conceived nowhere but in the crafty minds of the trading and trafficking bourgeoisie. And that indeed is just where it originated. It was the weapon of the timid bourgeois ered in relation to the consumption of against the bold, bad baron. He cut'that particular commodity. The high cost of living has, in my judgment, nothing to do with the enormous output of gold, principally because the a poor figure in mail, but double dealing Is his specialty. Hence democracy became his ideal, and of course, to it, as to al! his ideals, truly worthy of! cost of living has Increased consider- hlm though they are, he was false from the very beginning. To him democracy merely meant the substitution of his own autocracy for that of the feudal lord. Possibly it was a change for the better, whatever that may be. Anyway it is no concern of ours. We have no leanings towards democracy. All we want is a short spell of Working class autocracy. After that Is over, there will be no worriment about governing the people. There wil be nothing in it for governors. THE COST OF LIVING. DIVINE DEMOCRACY. Tes, divine democracy for democracy has at least one of the prerogatives of divinity in that it is purely mythological a creature of phantasy, a fable for "the feeble-minded. , What is democracy? "A clubbing of the people by the people for the ^people," says Oscar Wilde, but he was a satirist of the standing order, otherwise he might have been for- ,i"5lven for being a satyr, as others are. .The democrats and the dictionaries Well ,cia that democracy Is a government of the people, by the people, lor the people, whicli is absurd on the lace of lt. For, look you, the people -who govern are not the people who are governed for the people. It Is the ""common people" who are governed fry the people for THE PEOPLE. ■That term "the people" is misleading &n itself. It carries a suggestion of the Some time since I intimated that I would make an attempt to inquire into the "high cost of living" but for several reasons, not the least of which was torpidity of the think-tank, I have not yet done so. Hector McDonald, in his reply to Untermann, Clarion for Jan 8th touching upon the gold question, quotes some assertions, which are not uncommon these days, but which to my idea can hardly be correct; therefore, I determined to take the question up, always mindful, however, of being not quite fully equalled for the task, as, owing to the frequent and all-absorbing fires that have visited this community, books of reference and newspaper files are not to be had by ordinary plugs. I mentioned in my last article on "Jim Hill and Extravagance," that Hill used statistics in an extraordinary manner, grouping them to suit his own purpose. I had no idea at that time that he was either an ignorant babbler or a deliberate falsifier, for instance he says, "measured by bushels or dollars, our crops are large, meaus- ured by the mouths that must be fed, they are shrinking in size, instead of growing, and that is the only way to measure crops—by the mouths that the crops must feed." This is true, not only of crops, but of everything else, I mean the standard of measurement. It is useless to show that the production of some commodity has increased if we do not also take into consideration a possible increased demand for the commodity, the production of gold not excepted, but of that more anon. All right, let us take the United States' crops, and measure them by Hill's standard. In the Scientific American for Dec. 18th, page 466, under the caption of "The Enormous Crops of 1909," we read, "we grow enough wheat in this country to supply every Individual with a loaf and a half of bread per day. This Is slightly more than the average supply per capita for the last forty years." Of other crops corn, oats barley, rye, flax, potatoes, hay, tobacco, we are told they are nine per cent, greater than ln the previous five years and yet all the crops are not recorded. So it will be seen, by Hill's own measurement, that the wheat crop Is greater to-day than any time during the past forty years. He says lt is less. Of course Hill is the transporting business and as the exports have fallen off, and possibly his share of slave-juice, he must needs conclude that there Is not enough wheat raised to go round. Nevertheless, notwithstanding Hill's stupidity or cupidity, there Is a loaf and a half of bread per Individual raised ln the United States, and if that is not enough to go round, I'll go ball for BUI Miner. Perhaps the key to Jim Hill's nonsense ts to be found in this fact that a slave-owner cannot be expected to be animated by an excessive desire to tell the naked truth to his slaves. That would hardly be sensible. We cannot be too Insistent In proving to the workers that they must not take their economics from the master class. The three card monte man does not tell his victim the reason his later and heavier bets lost, while his ably during the past ten years and the output of gold has not. Within the past four years the cost of living has increased enormously and the output of gold has fallen off. Unfortunately I cannot produce statistics to prove these assertions, but if they be wrong, perhaps some comrade can oblige by furnishing the required data to prove them so. However, I shall endeavor to give definite data for my assertion i that the output of gold has no bearing upon the cost of living. Gold, Is Is asserted, cannot be regarded in the same light as other commodities, because it is not a consumable commodity. Corn, wheat, iron, etc., are destroyed, as it were, in the process of consumption and do not add. I So that even it the increased production of gold did affect prices, we can williout uliduly taxing credulity, maintain lhat its effects are neutralized by the heavy drain consequent upon the hoarding habit. Gold ls, moreover, above all things else, the means of International exchange. It is, of course, the basis of all exchange, but in national and more so In Jocal tranac- tions, paper substitutes are extensively used, promissory notes, mortgages, life insurance policies, I. O. Us, etc. In international transactions, however, gold, while not the exclusive means of exchange, is the most general. Gold assumes this particular function owing to certain convenient quality inherent to it, the principle of which is .the large amount of value contained in small bulk. But with the development of Society, particularly under capitalism, a more convenient means of exchange is desirable. Fve hundred thousand dollars In bank notes may be conveniently and safely conveyed many miles by one man, but the transference of fifty-thousand dollars in gold for one mile, would be a task beyond the physical capacity of any one man, and attended With some danger. Consequently other means of exchange take the place of gohl. Gold, however, always remaining the recognized basis of all exchange. Money, therefore, In whatever form, is merely a medium of exchange. "A Social relation" as Jlarx puts it, and is such does not excange, but functions in exchange. It is not, there- refo, absolutely necessary that money have exchange value in itself. This is readily seen in paper money, or ln United States silver dollars, these have not. intrinsically, the value which they represent in business and commercial transactions. The value lies in property and stored bullion, not in the money as money. In times ol financial stress most of this paper mon ey becomes useless, and gold then becomes practically the sole medium ot exchange. For this reason alone I am almost inclined to emphatically deny that its increased production raises prices. For, were that so, an increased de- Socialist Directory Every Local of the Socialist Party ol Canada should run a card under thi. head SI.00 per month, r Secretaries please note. DOMINION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, Socialist Party of Canada. Meets every alternate Mondny. D. G. McKenzie, Secretary, Box 836, Vancouver, B. C. BBITISH COLUMBIA PBOVINCIAL Executive Committee, Socialist Party bt Canada. Meeta every alternate Mouday. D. G. McKenzie, Secretary, Box 836, Vancouver, B. C. AXBBBTA PBOVINCIAL EXECUTIVE Committee, Socialist Party ot Canada. Meets every alternate Monday in Labor Hall, Eighth Ave. East, opposite postofflce. Secretary will be pleased to answer any communications regarding the movement in tbe province. F. cutoby, Sec, Box 647 Calgary, Alta. MANITOBA FBOVXNOIA1. EXECU- tive Committee. Meets flrst and third Mondays of every month, Jublleo Hall, corner of King and Alexander. The Secretary will be pleased to furnish any Information and answer any correspondence relative to the, movement. s. Cumming*, Organiser; W. 11 stebhings, Sec , Suite 7 l.yclia Court, Winnipeg , man. ONTABIO PBOVINCIAL EXECUTIVE Committee. MeetB In Labor Temple, 167 'ihurch St., Toronto, on 1st and 3rd Wednesdays. Organizer, w. Gribble, 134 Hogarth Ave., Toronto. P. C. Young, Secretary, 940 Papo Avo. MABITIMX PBOVINCIAL HXECU- tlve Committee, Socialist Party of Canada. Meets every second and fourth Sunday at Comrade McKln- non's, Cottage Lane. Dan Cochrane, Secretary, Box 13, Glace Bay, N. S. LOCAL BEVBLBTOXB, B.C.S.P 0_ Propaganda and business meetings'at L?m- ev^Ty, Sunday evening lrf th« bdlson Parlor Theatre. Speakers P.u;ss'ne through Revelatoke are invited to attend. B. F. Gay man He*.™ tary. w. W. Lefeaux, OrganTzer ™" LOCAL LADTBMITH WO. 10, 8. P. OP C. Business meetings every Saturday 7 p.m. in headquarters on First Ave. lt.lti. Williams. Sec, Ladysmith. B. e LOCAL MOYIE, B. C, NO. 30—iuEET« every Sunday 7:30 p.m. ln McGregor Hall (Miner's Hall), Mrs. Thornley, Secretary. LOOAL BOSBLANB, No. 86, 8. P. OP O, meets ln Miners' Hall every Sunday at 7:30 p. m. K. Campbell, Secy., P. O. Box 674. Rossland Finnish Branch meeta in Flnlandera' Hall. Sundaya at 7:80 p. m. A. Sebble, Secy., P. (J. Box 766 Rossland, B. C. LOOAL NELSON, 8. P. OP C, MEETS every Friday evening at 8 p.m., ln Miners' Hall. Kelson, B. C. c A Organizer; I. A. Austin, Secy. LOOAL PXOENIX, NO. 8. 8. P. OP 0., meets every Sunday at s:3l) p.m., la Miners' Hall. Matt Hallday, Organizer. H. K. Maclnnls, Secretary. LOOAL CALOABT, ALTA., NO. 4, 8. P. of C. Meetings every Sunday at 8 p.m. ln the Labor Hail, Barber Block, Eighth Ave. E. (near poslutlice). Club and Reading Room, Labor Hall, D. A. McLean, Box 647. Secretary, A. Mac donald. Organizer, Box 647. LOOAL BELLEVUE, ALTA., NO. 18, 8. P ot C, meets every first and third Sunday evenings, Bellevue Town Halt J. uliphaut, Secretary. LOOAL VANCOWVBB, NO. 1, 8. P. OPJ Canada. Business meetings every Tuesday evening at headquarters, over Edgett's Store, 151 Hastings St. W. F. Perry, Secretary, Box 836. 1 to the general volume of these articles, j m"and wouId cause a corre8pondihg fall They are eliminated from the sphere in whicli they move as use values. But gold, as money, is not destroyed in consumption, i.e. circulation, and each gold piece thrown into circulation does add to the volume of gold coins in use. Gold coins are not destroyed in functioning as use values. If this were actually so, then the amount of gold produced from year to year would not produce fluctuations in the market according to the rate of gold production, but (granting the value of gold depreciated with its increase and prices of other commodities rise accordingly), there would be a general increase in prices in direct ratio to the increase of the volume of gold, all other things being equal; that is, provided no undue circumstance had influenced any other commodity. Let me make that plain and suppose prices of commodities to be 100 and the output of gold to be 2 for the year 1900, in 1905, output of gold is 3, prices advance to 112, now in 1910, output of gold falls back to 2, prices would not fall back to 100 but would advance to 118, which is mai.ifesty absurd. The quantity of gold produced for the century 1800 to 1900 Is somewhere around 10,000,000,000 ounces. At the beginning of the century, some ten million ounces and at the end some ten thousand millions., "Upon what meat is this our Caesar fed that he has so suddenly grown great?" Why has its power to increase prices not been manifest years ago? Why is it reserved for this late day and generation to feel the weight of Its tyranny? The proper answer to these questions in my humble judgement Is, to deny that increase, in the gold supply has any influence on prices. Gold as currency, is not destroyed In consumption. Here is where many people get astray. Gold Is not destroyed (I speak of currency), but It is withdrawn from circulation, as Mac has pointed out In one of his editorials lately, In the countries where banking is not yet Introduced, or where people have not Implicit- faith In the banking system. During the Phlllipine insurrection, for the flrst few years, the United States government paid off the troops in gold, they discovered almost immediately a heavy drain upon their gold currency, so much so, that It became imperative for them to cease this method of payment and substitute paper notes. After the soldier hud received his monthly wage and had passed his few gold pieces on to the native or Chinese merchant, those gold pieces disappeared. They were much more convenient for hoarding than the base Mexican dollar and possessed the further merit of not being susceptible to wholesale depreciation as was silver. This hoarding of gold Is general in all countries where capitalist development Is backward. Egypt Is renowned ub tho burial ground of gold. Many chieftains from the desert, have, upon occasion, brought thousands of pounds In gold coins, which have every evidence of having been hoarded, to make payment for transactions they had been Induced to make. France Is not far behind Egypt. Nor Is Britain, particularly Ireland, quite guiltless of the hoarding habit. in prices, which has not been observable in all commodities during the present industrial crisis, but only in those commodities which were themselves on the market out of proportion to demand. I have, however, a much more potent reason for denying that increased production of gold enhances prices. During the years 1850 to 1875 the gold supply Increased in greater volume than during any other twenty- five years. The discovery of gold in California, Western Australia, South and West Africa, threw into circulation vast amounts of gold, and yet we find recorded almost everywhere, a general fall in prices and an actual increase in wages, shortened hours and better conditions of employment. It was during this period that the great | reforms took place in England and' elsewhere. Of course at the close of this quarter century, the usual panic arrives. Now, while denying that increased production of gold is the cause of high cost of living, I am far from denying that gold has nothing to do with increased prices. Gold, useful as it Is, is a commodity thai has Its value determined as have all other commodities, by the social labor time necessary for its production, and as considerable labor saving machinery has been introduced into the production of gold its value has of course fallen. This is perhaps what most people mean when discussing the gold question. \ However, I fancy I am encroaching upon space and will not deal with the high cost of living. As a matter of fact, the "high cost of living," is a chimera, -a bug-a-boo which does not exist. Money is a medium of exchange, "a social relation" and it is not money we get for our toll but food, clothing and shelter. Money ls the agent by which we obtain these things ln exchange for our labor power. We get aa much, generally speaking, those of us who have the proud privilege of producing, as we have done these many many years. The high cost of living be damned. All you, as a seller of labor power are entitled to, Is the cost of your production as a value producer and you get that don't you? Then where ls your kick. The high cost of living has nothing to do with you as a slave. What does concern you Ib the tremendous price of freedom. But that will keep till I have another brain spasm. J. H. LOCAL VANCOUVEB, B. O., HO. 45, Finnish. Meets every second and fourth Thursdays in the month at 161 Hastings St. W. Secretary, Win. Myntti LOOAL VICTORIA, NO. 9, 8. P. OP O. Headquarters and Reading Room, Room 1, Eagle Building, 1319 Government St. Business meeting every Tuesday evening, 8 p.m. Propoganda meetings every Sunday at Grand Theatre. K, Thomas, Secretary. LOCAL NANAIMO, NO. 3, 8. P. of C, meets every alternate Sunday evening ln Foresters Hall. Business meeting at 7:00 o'clock sharp. Propaganda meeting cummences at 8:00 o'ciockl Jack Place, Rec. Secy., Box 826. LOOAL COLBMAN, ALTA., NO. 8. Meets every Sunday night In the Miners' Hall and Opera House at 8 p.m. Everybody welcome. Socialist speakers are Invited to call. H. J. Smith, Secy. LOOAL EDMONTON, ALTA, NO. 1. 8. P. of C. Headquarters 622 First St, Business .and propaganda meetings every Thursday at 7:30 p.m. sharp. Our Reading Room ls open to the public free, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. doily. F. Blake 649 Athabasca Ave., Secretary-Treasurer, T. Blssett, 322 Fourth St., Organizer. , / LOOAL WINNIPB0. 8. P. OP O. NBAD- quarters, Kerr's Hall, 120 1-2 Adelaide Stree upp.Rohlin Hotel. Business meeting every Sunday morning 11 a. m. Propaganda meeting Sunday evening 8 p.m. Everybody welcome. Secretary, J, W, Hilling, 27a Young St; Organizer, D. McDougall, 434 Jurvis St , LOOAL FEBNIE, 8. P. Of O, MOLDS educational meetings ln the Miners' Union Hall, Victoria Ave., Fernle, every Sunday everlng at 7:46. Business meeting first Sunday ln each month, same place at 2:30 p m David Patun, Secy, H„x 101 LOOAL OBEENWOOD NO. 9, 8. T. OP C, meets every Sunday In Miners' Union Hall at 7:30 p.m. Business meetings, 1st and 3rd Sundays of each mouth Geo H culic-ium, organizer; R ;J. Campbell, Secretary, Box 124. LOOAL VEBNON, B. O, NO. 38, 8. P. OP C, meets every second and last Friday iu each month, t has. Chancy Secretary, Sox 127, Vernon, B. C. g LOOAL PRINCE BUPBBT, B. C, NO. S3, 8. P. of O.—Meets every Sunday ln hull ln Empress Theatre Block at 8:00 p. m. Angus'* Mclver, Secretary. LOOAL MABA, B. 0., NO. 34, 8. P. of C. Meets llrst Sunday in every month in Socialist Hall, Mara, 2:30 p.m. Cyr.il Rosoman, Recording Secretary. LOCAL TOBONTO, ONT., NO. 34, 8. P. of C.r-Buslness meetings 2nd and 4th Wednesdays In the month, at the Labor Temple, Church St. Propaganda meetings every Sunday at 3:*$ o'clock at the Labor Temple. Speakers' class every Thursday at 8:00 o'clock at l.alor Temp e. J. Stewart, Secretary, 62 Seaton St. LOOAL OTTAWA, WO. 8, 8. P. OP O. Business meeting 1st Sunday ln month, and propaganda meetings following Sundays at 8 p.m. ln Roberts- Allan Hall, 18 Kldeau St. A. Q. Mc Collum, 68 Slater St., Secretary. LOCAL COBALT, HO. 9, B. P. OP a Propaganda and business meeting. every Wednesday at 8 p.m. ln Miners' Hall.' Everybody Invited to attend. Arthur L. Botley, Secy., Box. 446. LOOAL BEBLIN, ONT., NO. 4, 8. V. of C, meets every second and fourth Wednesday evenings, at 8 p.m., 61 King St E., opposite Market Hotel. l V. A. Hicitz, Sec, 98 West Lancaster Street.' LOOAX, OLACE BAT NO. I, OP N. 8.— Business and Propaganda meeting every Thursday at 8 p.m. ln Macdonald's hall, Union Street. All are welcome. Alfred Nash, Corresponding Secretary, Glace Bay; Wm. Sutherland, Organizer, New Aberdeen; H. G. Ross, Financial Secretary, offlce in D. N. Brodle Printing Co. building, Union Street. .9®®®®*®*®®®*****®®®®*®®®*®®®®** 6" ""
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