New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-08-19
Labor and Capital.

The Vermont Chronicle quotes oar paragraph
on The Anarchy Of Labor, as evinced IN the lste
Factory Riots in and about Pittsburgh including
the following paragraph
when the time shall come that each lsoorer snsl
be occurred definite though necessarily stna4
10 the prCsta Of the business ne "orks a. ine5e
will vanish IT, now the cotton spnners OF fitsO1,sn
,ye rsid The lowest market value Of their WORK then
the proprietor fair interest on nis caPieA' 'e -
value Of his skill, supernbndence sc. ana tn,i.y -
balance divided AZ Prcis among oNhsi %
and an hsnds we should hear no more OF susa com
go. The hours Of labor would be harmoniousiy
sgyeed ON without bothering Legislatures Intl some
,1ch adjustment IL effected we sna nave sueh ihou'
,rial su4eutes ihs; going on IN fittsoufgn'
IN ,bis the Chronicle queries follows
s. Pm, ,uupose there is no profit Suppose that
month sfter month the proprietor gets only hdJ lar
interest on bis capital half the market value Of hs
kin &c would there be no complaint on me part o.
tae sborer md his receipts reduced 70 Aay ihe mar
ket vsue Of his work. Would hc hold On-ooHA ne
hold on In the hope Of better times II you 60 on the
principle Of market values how shall those values D.
determined in regard TO skill rsk, capital &c otneI
wise than BY trying what be done win ITEM Juss
as tie sbOrer tries what be done with MS AFFINITY
Our contemporary labors under three dissdvan-
tsges First. he has not read what has been writ
ten on the subject he discusses; Secondly, he has
not considered our remarks which ne comment"
on Thirdly, he does not fairly comprehend n"
opn language. Wages is one thing Front quite
another: vet he iumbles them recklessly TO-
gether We had very distinctly intimsted that
First, the absolute Cost Of producing the fabrics
contemplated Secondly the Profits should be
fairly divided. The Wages Of producers Is part
Of the Cost not OF the Profits.
Let us take Chair = factory as the basis OF i
nstration First the proprietor or capitalist sup
4 Tor he mn ecOuOml-
cal prosecution Of tie business, holding the prop
erty therein as bis security. He selects the re-
quisite number Of persons of diverse capacities
who mutually agree with him and each other 70
nrosecute the business on joint account and upon
certain defined conditions. From the capital thus
supplied the needful materials, fixtures, Imple-
rnents. &C. would be purchased, the buildings
erected or rented, and the workmen OF all grades
paid until returns should be realized The Labor
would be paid now, according to its TAR market
value. So much would be cost aud the next
claim upon the proceeds would be that OF Capital
10 it's fair annual interest. All that remained alter
this would be profit and would be fairly divided
among the parties interested pro rata, as follows
Suppose the clear profit to be $4,000 for any SIN
Gle wear: The capitalist whose investment was
=
$40 600 annual interest thereon 500, would draw
a dividend on the latter sum- and if at the same
time manager or chief business man, allowed
II 900 per annum for his services IN that capacity
which is paid to him along with the other Ia
borersl would be entitled 10 dividend In that ca
pacity also. The foreman, If paid sl2 per week,
would be entitled to dividend on 1924 the com
mon workmer earning sc to $40 per week, would
draw on their 5000 10 $500 per annum respective
~: and even the apprentices, doing task-work
and paid therefor, would have a claim TO dividend,
which would be small in amount but most i'm
porant in its effect in stimulating industry quick
ening observation and inducing habits of careful
ness and saving. Suppose the total earnings OF
Capital Skill and L abor for the year were $4,000,
the proprietor and managers share OF the profit
beyond his interest and compensation would be
$40; the foremans SIPS the workmens 500 to
500 and so on The advantages secured by this
arrangement would be
/. More permanence aud steadness in employ
ment;
p A sense Of mutual interest and dependence
in all hands, and an earnest endeavor by all TO
avoid waste and increase production
g. more republican relationship between
Capital and Labor Employer and Employed, and
the devotion OF all the talents Of each to the mu-
tual good Of all
Such is the substance of the Labor Reform
which has already been effected in several Instan.
ces in France. to the advantage and satisfaction
of all concerned. We have some approximations
to it in this country, OF which the Whaieship IS
the most noticeable There will gradually be
more and more, as the public become convinced
by observation and experience that the interest,
not of one party merely, but of all, will be sub
served by it. But the change cannot be made
general in day; it must be gradual at best, and
there may be cases in which it cannot be made at
all We do not urge its adoption in cases where
all parties are satisfied at present and move on In
tolerab,a harmony. But in the case of the Pitts
burgh Factories the ruling system OF monarchy
has resulted in anarchy ofwhich the fruits are pub
lie loss and private distress, threatening to he
long continued We urge, therefore, that an at
tempt be made in Pittsburgh to reconstitute the
relation OF Employer and Employed ON an I'M
proved basis. The old system being there an un'
deniable failure it is high time that better were
sought out and adopted.