26 THE FOOD CRISIS AND AMERICANISM 



tion's history, each delay makes it possible for the Hun 

 to multiply a thousandfold the destruction the I. W. 

 W.'s can or have in the past wrought. 



Enforced reduction of output, the refusal to do piece 

 work, and an effort to eliminate merit, have been more 

 fruitful of unnecessary and destructive labor contro- 

 versies than the question of wage. If organized labor 

 will abandon these vicious theories theories that 

 run counter to all established economic principles 

 labor controversies will be few; for, in my opinion, 

 a great majority of the people of this country will 

 agree with me in this proposition ; viz. that no wage 

 scale can be so high as to be hurtful to humanity if 

 that scale is based upon a measure of merit, and ap- 

 plies to all those who labor, even if only to those who 

 labor with their hands. But when any class of labor 

 attempts to take the burden from its own shoulders, 

 and by shortening hours, restricting output, thus elim- 

 inating merit, throws this increased burden upon the 

 shoulders of other labor, it is running counter to the 

 spirit of American democracy and outrages every sense 

 of even-handed justice. 



Our civilization is built upon the Christian faith. 

 The basic principle of Christianity is service service 

 to one's fellows any departure from that basic prin- 

 ciple is a step backward, and away from all that is 

 highest and best in the civilization of to-day. 



