Elbert H. Gary, president of the United States Steel Corporation, made statements (to the effect) that it is not opportune to abolish the 12-hour day in the steel industry at present.

This statement was made before the Committee of Iron and Steel Industries. Cutting hours would cost too much, besides there is a lack of labor in the steel industry.

His talk (Gary's) was as follows: "The demand for steel will continue for about six months. The moral and religious principles of the bible cannot be beaten. Those who doubt the bible are dangerous men. To abolish the 12-hour day would mean to hire 12,000 men more and that would cost 15c more. Agitation against a 12-hour working day is based on sentiment. The 12-hour day does not harm the workers physically, mentally or morally. It is to be doubted that people who work twelve hours are better family providers than those who work less."

That is the way the magnate of the largest American industry talks.

Religion and profit are mixed. The bible, religion and exploitation for the workers, the profit for him. You have to befuddle the mind of the worker with religion to be able to exploit him better. If the workers are hungry, if they are out of work, if they suffer, they must not rise and fight as men do, but they have to take to religion and have consolation in the other world.

For that reason the kings of industry keep up a string of clergymen and religious institutions whose duty it is to keep the workers in mental and spiritual darkness, so the bosses will have it much easier to exploit them.

The governing class in all past social history has cloaked its material interests with a mantle of nationalism and religion and by that has dominated the exploited masses.

Meanwhile an the different systems failed, they could not live on religion and love of country, not even on bayonets.