Labor Editor Calls for Production for Use
H.P. Hughes, editor of The Spokane Labor World, speaks to Everett workers on the power of the labor press and the necessity of shifting away from a profit-driven economy.
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H.P. Hughes, editor of The Spokane Labor World, addressed a large audience at the Everett Labor Temple regarding 'Industrial Evolution.' He emphasized the necessity of a union label league in every labor center, framing consumer choices as a matter of household survival. Hughes highlighted the role of the labor press as the backbone of the working-class movement, recounting how it successfully exposed the plots of mine owners against labor leaders like Moyer, Haywood, and Pettibone in Idaho and Colorado. Arguing that labor is the source of all wealth, Hughes posited that the current industrial system, based on production for profit, inherently relies on a surplus of labor and results in economic instability. He urged a transition toward 'production for use' to ensure that workers can maintain a demand for the goods they produce and prevent the periodic panics caused by the current economic model.
“Labor is the basis of all wealth and that labor organizes to get a larger share of what it produces.”
The rhetoric of labor organizers in 1911—specifically regarding the 'labor-displacing machinery' and the concentration of wealth—parallels modern discussions surrounding automation and the gig economy. The belief that local press is essential for worker solidarity remains a central tenet for labor activists today.
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