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Show . BOOK REVIEWS. The April number of the Catholic World Magazine is of unusual interest. inter-est. "The Sun's Plan in the Universe," by Rev. S. M. Searle, in addition to its purely scientific side answers many of the common questions concerning the apparent conflicts between science and religion. There is no conflict w hen the scientist and the theologian each confines con-fines himself to his proper sphere. Rev. John A. Ryan, S. T. D., - discusses dis-cusses the labor problem. What is a just wage? is the most troublesome question of the day. The writer says in part: "The right to a living wage, like all other moral rights, is based on man's rational nature. To this standard all human conduct, if it is to be moral and reasonable, must conform. The lower human activities must be subordinated to the higher; the animal faculties must be so exercised as to promote the proper prop-er activity and development of the morale intellectual and spiritual faculties. facul-ties. "The primary principle governing the use and distribution of these goods i3 that each man must treat not only his own, but his neighbor's personality as a thing sacred and worthy of being cherished in itself and for its own sake. This is the great principle of the dignity of personality, which received its first adequate expression centuries ago in the moral teaching of the Cath-I Cath-I olic church, and God's material gifts, therefore, ought, as a matter of justice, to be so distributed as to provide every I adult male with this reasonable minimum. mini-mum. In the case of the laborer this r?ans a family living wage. Society has distributed the functions of industry indus-try and limited the laborer's opportunities opportu-nities in such a way that his right to a decent livelihood must be realized through his wages. "The employer's obligation to pay a living wage rests ultimately on the human dignity of the laborer. A human hu-man being is something more than an animal; he is a person, and as such has j certain moral claims which his fellows are bound to respect. To deny or to ignore this vital fact of the sacredness of personality, is to destroy the basis and possibility of moral rights. If personality per-sonality be not sacred and Inviolable, not only oppression of the laborer, but theft, adultery and murder are legitimate; legiti-mate; for the Tights violated by the last three acts rest on precisely the same basis as the right to live decently. decent-ly. W hatever difference exists between any two of these rights is one of decree not of kind. This abstract right of the laborer to a decent livelihood for himself him-self and family becomes in the actual conditions of present society the right to a. family living wage. The practical, average possibilities of the situation leave him no other means to realize the right in question consequently if the existing industrial organization Is reasonable and legitimate, his claim to Jt.lvJ" ,s reasonable and legitimate. legiti-mate. Turning to the objections urged against our argument, we And that, as a general standard of distribution, pro-- pro-- ductivity is impracticable, and in any case is less consonant with our moral ideals than the standard of effort and self-sacrifice. Some of the commoon interpretations in-terpretations of 'inability to pay a living liv-ing wage must be rejected because they subordinate the essential needs of the laborer to the non-essential needs of the employer. In other words, they violate the moral law by treating the laborer as a mere means to the em-' em-' ployer's welfare. The most important j of . these interpretations, namely, the I one arising out of the claim to take . interest, is, moreover, notably weak in I the grounds. upon which it is based. Finally, the phrase 'a family living wage' means in terms of money not less j than $2 per day, or about $600 per year. (See the April, 1902, issue of this mag-; mag-; azine for statistics in support of this j estimate.) In their recent testimony before the anthracite coal commission. Mr. John Mitchell and Dr. Peter Rob-I Rob-I ei ts placed the minimum cost of mairr-taining mairr-taining a miner and his family at $600, and $575 per year, respectively." The balance of its contents will well repay perusal. 'Th Catholic Truth society of San Francisco has published a timely booklet book-let "A Life of Our Lord." It was prepared for the London Truth society soci-ety by Lady Amabel Kerr, whose name Is a guarantee that the work has been well done. The chief events in the life of Christ are related in simple and i charming style. The language of the i ?Sp?.ls ia used Profusely. The booklet book-let will be found useful for both young and old as it is one of the best short Jives that we possess. The society has also published "Wbv I Am a Catholic," by Rev. Charles A. Kamm. Father Raram is a convert to the Church who became dissatisfied T V, Episcopal creed. He gives in these pages the reasons why he embraced em-braced Catholic doctrine, mainly because be-cause of the lack of authoritative teaching in any sect. His argument is well knit and his paper will be found useful for many minds. These pamplets and many others may be had from the Catholic Truth society so-ciety at the rate of $3 per 100 cop- |
