按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
e and could not buy bread。
The lesson is this； when commerce is starved down to a certain point； it goes to pieces。 Then when the food comes it can not assimilate it。 It is like a man who has been without food for thirty days。 His muscles have disappeared； his organs have shrunk； he can not walk； he is only skin and bones。 The disappearance of the muscles is like the disappearance of labor's jobs in hard times。 The shrinkage of the vital organs is like the shrinkage of capital and values。 When the starved man is faced with food he can not set in and eat a regular dinner。 He must be fed on a teaspoonful of soup； and it is many months before his muscles come back； his organs regain their normal size and he is a well…fed man again。 So it is with the industrial state。 It can be starved by crop failures； by war waste or by labor slacking on the job。 Anything that lessens the output of field and factory； whether it be heaven's drought or man's loafing； starves the economic state and starves all men in it。 If crop failure should last long enough； as it does in China； millions of men would die。 If war lasts long enough； as it did in Austria； millions of citizens must starve。 If labor should try slacking； as it did in Russia； the economic state would starve to death and the workers die with it。
Men who have been through strikes and lockouts until they have been reduced to rags and hunger place no trust in the Russian theory that men can quit work and loaf their way to wealth。 We loafed our way to hunger； misery and peonage。 We saw that the whole world would come to our fate； if all should follow our example。 Luckily we won our point； so we went back to work and helped feed the starved social state； and in a few years America was rich again。 And America continued rich and fat until the World War wastage shrank her to skin and bones again。 Much of her muscle has disappeared （1921： five million workers are idle） and she must be nursed back by big crops； and big output by labor before she will be strong enough to reabsorb into her system every muscle in America。
That's my belief。 That's my gospel。 I did not make this gospel。 It is God's law and we can not alter it。 If I were asked to write the BIBLE OF LABOR； this chapter would be the law and the prophets。 And from these truths I would advise each man to write his own Ten Commandments。
CHAPTER XXX
BREAKING INTO THE TIN INDUSTRY
I decided to leave Birmingham as soon as my stomach had got used to regular meals and my pocket knew what real money felt like again。
The dry years had ended and once more the northern farms were yielding mammoth crops。 But the country was so sick that it couldn't sit up and eat as it ought to。 So the farmers were selling their crops at steadily falling prices。 This drove some of them frantic。 They couldn't pay interest on their mortgaged farms； and they were seeking to find 〃the way out〃 by issuing paper money； or money from some cheap metal with which they could repudiate their debts。 Banks could not collect their loans； merchants could not get money for their goods； manufacturers were swamped by their pay…rolls and had to discharge their men。 Coxey was raising a great army of idle men to march on Washington and demand that the government should feed and clothe the people。
All my savings had long since gone； and from the high life in the Pie Boarding…House I had descended to my days of bread and water。 All men were in a common misery。 If a hobo managed to get a steak and cook it in the bushes by the railroad track； the smell of it would draw a score of hungry men into the circle of his firelight。 It was a trying time； and it took all the fortitude I had to look hopefully forward toward a day when things would begin picking up and the wheels of industry would whirl again。 The idle men who had camped by the railroads had drunk their water from； and cooked their mulligan stews in； tomato cans。 The tin can had become the badge of hoboing。 The tin trade was new in America and I foresaw a future in the industry； for all kinds of food were now being put up in tin； whereas when I was a child a tin can was rarely seen。 I decided that two trades were better than one； and I would learn the tin plate trade。 I went to Elwood； Indiana； and found a place there in a tin mill。 My knowledge of puddling； heating and rolling； occasionally working in a sheet mill similar to a tin mill； prepared me for this new work。 In tin making a piece of wrought iron is rolled thin and then covered with a thinner coating of pure tin。 After this is done the plate remains soiled and discolored； and the next process is to remove the stain and polish the tin until it shines like silver。
To have a job and eat pie again made me happy。 Our union contained several hundred members； so I had a lot of prospective friends to get acquainted with。 I was then nearly twenty…one and a pretty good mixer； I liked men and enjoyed mingling with them and learning all I could from what they told me。 When they drifted into a saloon I went along for the company。 I did not care to drink； so I would join some impromptu quartet and we would sing popular songs while the other fellows cheered us with the best will in the world。 A drink of beer or two heightens a man's appreciation of music； and the way the boys applauded my singing makes me rather regret the Volstead Act。 It queered my act。 Since beer disappeared nobody has asked me to sing。 Prohibition may be good for the health but it is sure death to art。
Those were happy days。 But just when all my troubles seemed ended and the rainbow of promise in the sky； a new cloud appeared； black and threatening。 In fact it swept down like a tornado。 The men decided to strike。
A strike！ Of all things！ We owned about the only jobs in Indiana。 Our strike wouldn't last longfor the mills。 For us it would last forever。 The day we walked out； others would walk in。 And it would be so small a part of Coxey's army that the main body would march on and never miss it。 I had just gone through that long； soul…killing period of idleness and had barely managed to find a job before I collapsed。 Now that we were to strike I would have to push that job aside and sink back into the abyss。
In reaching Elwood； I had tramped from Muncie； Indiana； to Anderson； a long weary walk for one whose feet； like mine； were not accustomed to it。 From Anderson I tramped to Frankton； and there I caught a freight and rode the bumpers to Elwood。 The train took me right into the mill。 It was summer and the mill had been shut down by the hard times。 The boss was there looking over the machinery。 They were getting ready to start up。 I faced him and he said： 〃Do you want a job？〃
〃Yes；〃 I said。
〃What at？ Greasing up to…night；〃 he said。 Weary and hungry as I was from my hoboing； I went right to work； and all night I； with a few others； greased the bearings。 The next day he gave me a job as a catcher。 A catcher is one who seizes the rolled plate as it comes out and throws it back to the roller。 It has to be rolled many times。 The boss who gave me this much…wanted job was Daniel G。 Reid； who afterward became one of the big men in the tin industry。
After I became Secretary of Labor I w