New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-09-05
Equitable Commerce. no. Nv.

To dc Editor ef The ItibNrs;
showed in my last article that there are two
thinga only to whicn price is affixed, nancy Labor
and Property. l ahowed in the next place imper
ectly, as I admitted, bnt still with EQficent
thorouehness to predicate preliminary statement
upon the Glowing, that all property is redgcible 70
labor that sidesaddle silver spoon, or house,
regarded rs an object to DO aold, and upon which
price is to be placed, is only tho representation Of
a certain amount, certain number Of hours, o.
human labor, which have been bestowed upon it
which labor and that alone, makes j. property and
entities itto price, and hence that, when reduced
to the more elementary view Of the subject thereto
only one thing which is legidmatey & basis Of
price, namely, human labor. Henceit followed that
if we can find any equitable means Of determining,
in each case, hov much ought 70 b charged for
eyery bour Of human labor or rather how much
ought 10 be returned fer il by hin to whose benefit:
Il goes, we havelhe basia OF determination Ike
viae Of tbs exact price which ought to be asked
ard received for cvery Article OF pTopsrsy which Is
ever 1old-Rstrlct mathematical ga8ge fkopestg-
q neasure OF al true commercial exchanges. I
shcwed in theSle4s place, with partial fa4aesa o.
illustration that labor being the only bass of pro-
peltv and OF price, tie eus2aat OF tee eboc Is tho
ire measure or 2usge OF the Gm0hHt Of tue price,
er in other wordf the limit Of pIce, with refer
cree whatsver 10 the uG!Ac o. that labor t9 the pur
ohassr.
But Labor is word which IS used IN two gone.
whg: different sapees, L il tometinsa Ufed TO
aienify gDere ac0Fi9y or performances OF eny kind,
whether ggreaabe or olEsgseeab p aad ot1er tiueg
tcsisuty that whica cosfs painful or disagcaesaL5
eyuetisnce "letor So Is lGooya and iikewise ~
Ell the intermediate grades between tue most de-
Hehifn1 md ths uoes dissgrseaote performances.
Labor Thicn is Patterned 10! the merepleasQre
o 1t, ss WHEN one sings OF pays Or rsi-tss "a aRea
eete IN company, ia noe tho basis q price. + il
this is bor eniy " s;ch "cosgs. which is p-nei or
repuenant IL e1saa measUre, which Il GO. In Or
lie, "a Distinguish thiz sigulE5atlca end 1yoid .he
an4bIsuity Of Ehe wugd labor, ths. wcrd is aban-
daned, and Tie formala runs iEus C0sT Is THE
I5slT or PRlcg In efhsf wofGs, t6a p1iafQlnesa
o. repueranco Of labor ID tbs imi; Of prica.
Labor Ia ne4zufed BY time, BY ui-olteg, hours
aid DAYS Ihe dagree Of painialness or repag
rance Of nny particular kird OF labor to the
ir6sviausI vho performs It, which is its coss
is u1easared how That q tie pzrE!2ulAr gas
ton 20 y hch i had arrived az the end Of ny
last article, end which l Propofed 70 EnEwer IL
| shIs.
/ Before, however, proceeding to do 50, lei me
n1eke ore or two observations, which gaeul 70 b.
| necessary jgat ct this point.
la he tigst place, by Labor is meant every Epe
| ciea OF industry, whether withshesd or hands, Oh
/ tongue, everything which enc human being does
| for mother ard which IL g7es him any trouble, OF
| cosfs him anything. to perform,
/ In the next place, the n1ere amount OF time Iii
| reetly expended upon any work is Bot cinsays the
whole OK tho tims actually expended. In I'll ooou