Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-05-01
HOW TO HARMoNIzE CAPITAL
AND LABOR. E

There ought to be no antagonism be-
tween labor and capital, for the interest OF
one is necessarily the interest Of both; but
il is nevertheless true that a kind'o Of ''irre-
pressible conflict" does exist between them,
and that the only hope Of harmony lies in
the introduction Of some plan that will
effectually emove the existing prejudice.
Much has been said and written about the
injudicious conduct Of laboring men in
combating for the ostensible purpose OF
protecting the interests Of labor from the
exactions of capital. Elaborate arguments
have been produced to prove that work
ingmen only injure themselves by such
means, and thatthe blow which they strike
is aimed at the fountain head from whence
their own flow. But the con-
duct of employers is open to precisely the
same censure-in fact to greater censure.
They are accustomed to holding their m
ployees aloof, to debating what rate OF
wages shall be paid, what number Of hours
shall constitute q days work, and all other
matters pertaining to the relations between
capital and labor. It is quite true that
employers have a perfect right to deter
mine what they are willing to pay for
labor; but if they combine to enforce their
demands, they have no reason to complain
if ~workingmen also combine to resist those
demands. 1t is just here that the difficulty
lies. Both classes are inclined to assert
their "rights"-the n to pay what they
please for work. and the other to require
what they please for their services. Strikes
and suspensions, with an almost incessant
wrangle between capital and labor, are the
natural consequences of this situation. In
order to produce a reform in this respect,
therefore, it is essential that some plan
should be devised for bringing the inter-
ests Of employer and employee more close
ly together ; that is, to make it an induce
ment for labor and capital to go hand in
hand, and to work for the Common interest
with the same incentive that the different
members Of a firm or corporation now
nave. To accomplish that result it is
only necessary to give employees a chance
to acquire q small interest in the business
TO which their services are devoted. We
observe by our English exchanges that the
late strikes in that country have caused
manufacturers, in several instances, TO
adopt the plan of selling to their workmen
small interests in their business concerns,
allowing the latter to pay for their shares
BY q certain weekly deduction from their
salaries. The effect of this plan can not
be otherwise than good, for both capital
and labor. Its effect necessarily is to
make the workingman feel that he has a
direc, interest in advancing the business ;
that he is working for something more
than the weekly stipend, and that his W
prospects are IN some degree bound up
with those Of the establishment. It also
leads to economy and frugality on the
part of the workingmen. Instead Of ex-
pending money foolishly, as so many now
| do, there is an incentive to increase the
share in the business, and to invest in it
every penny that can be saved from need
full household expenses. If employers in
this country would adopt that or some
kindred policy, they would not only free
themselves from present evils in respect to
labor, but they would greatly enhance the
interests both of themselves and those
| whom they employ.