Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-07-22
"Strike," But Hear.

Marriage and Deatn NOtceS, Wnen not eAceeu-
ing eight lines fifty cents.
strike But Hear.
We suppose that there IS nothing simpler
than simple addition excepting, perhaps those
people who have no talent for it, OF whom, un-
fortunately, there is considerable number, es-
pecially among the striking craftsmen. Ii 1t
we're to be announced to-day that ten dollars
will hereafter be the average price OF a day $
labor, among all the trades, we do not doubt
that it would be regarded by the toiling multi
tude as the gladdest and grandest event that
had ever occurred in the history OF the nation
al industry. Let us see then, if we can, what
the effect of such an advance in the price OF
every rich country has a multitude of artificial
wants. TO supply these wants, there have
been organized large number of productive
industries: and hundreds of thousands of labo-
rers are fed by them The first effect OF a
doubling of the price of labor would be to de-
stroy all those industries which are engaged IN
producing things that men and women can 90
without. When the price Of the necessaries of
life is raised the use of luxuries is reduced 10
a corresponding degree. This law is just as un-
VARYING in it's operation as the law of gravita-
ton. A man who spends $4,000 a year, Civ
ing -. 900 Of it to luxuries, drops his uxurles,
and spends his $4,000 on smaller number OF
people He diSmisses servant. and gives up
his carriage He stops buying flowers and CIV
ing entertainments Every man and woman
who had anything to do in feeding his artificial
wants loses his patronage; and thus whole
classes of people would by such an advance 10
the price of labor, be thrown out of employ
ment and into dic tress. This, however, would
be only an indirect or incidental damage to the
]aboring interest. though it would be damage
to that interest alone The rich would really
suffer very little by it.
There are certain things that We must all
haye-the rich and the poor aike-houses TO
live in. clothes to wear, and bread and meat to
eat What effect would such change have
upon these? A house that cost $4,000 to
build Yesterday, will cost $4,000 tomorrow
The brick maker. the stone cutter, the mason,
the carpenter, all working at double wages
would. by that very fact advance the price Of
their own rent in corresponding degree: The
tenement that rents for $3.50 to-day will rent
for $500 to morrow, and if it cannot be rented
for that sum, it will not be built at all. The
same thing will be true concerning what are
called the necessaries of life If it costs twice
as much money to produce barrel Of flour to-
day as it did yesterday, it will double in price.
Every article Of produce, every garment that
we buy for ourselves or our children, Will have
added to its price exactly what has been added
TO the cost of its production or manufacture
ard when this excess has been added to the
excess of rent. the laborer will find himself at
the end of his first year no whit benefited by
what seemed to hold the promise of fortune.
We cannot imagine a man with common sense
enough to labor intelligently who will be un-
able to see at glance that our conclusions on
this point are inevitable.
Now there is beyond this direct result OF
the trouble of the laborer. The destruction OF
doubling ofthe price Of labor an indirect effect
upon the price Of real estate, which greatly en-
hances various branches of Industry, and the rem
derng of other branches either precarlous or IN
sufficient in their profits, would inevitably con-
centrate capital, so far as possible, upon. real
estate Idle or poorly employed capital rs al
ways seeking for an investment; and II bank
lug and manufacturing and trade become un-
profitable, through disturbance OF Just rela-
tious between labor and capital, the man
who has money puts it into real estate: Under
this stimulus real estate rises at once. 1t already
feels this stimulus in this country, and it's
destined to feel it still more and more. lf the
price of labor were doubled the advance In
rents from this cause alone would not only be
appreciable but decidedly onerous. The lne-
vitable tendency of every strike is to drlye cap
ital out of manufacturing into real estate, to
raise the price of real estate, and to raise the
laborer' rent.
We have supposed this extreme case IN or
der to show the laborer, as we could DO 10 no
other way, the tendency of his measures to Sc
cure large wages by arbitrary means ihat
there is point beyond which 1t is not safe for
him to 90, is Just as demonstrable as any pro,
hIem in mathematics There is point beyond
which it is not safe for him to push his demand
for increased wages, or for fewer hours OF Ia
Dor, which is the same thing Our impression
is that he has reached that point, and we are
speaking in his interest entirely. The present
high aud increasing price of real estate, and
the buoyaucy of railroad and fancy stocks
show that money seeks to get away from man
uactures, and all those enterprises where capl-
tai is compelled to deal much with labor: ibis
is sad thing for labor-the saddest that can
happen The labor market should always De
in that condition which tends to draw capltal
away from real estate. Then rents will be loW.
provisions will stand at reasonable prlce;'
every hand will 6ud sufficient employment with
sufficient pay, and labor and capital De mutu-
ally dependent friends. We sympathize with
every effort of the laborer to better his condi-
ton, and our simple wish is to warn him
against supposing that increased wages beyond
a certain point, which he seems already to nave
reached, will be of the slightest use to hlm.
There is an average price for a days labor n
which capital can afford to pay, ana Tnicn iS;l
alone labor can afford to receive. Beyond this
all is disorder, injustice, and pecuniary adyer
Slty and loss to every class. The extorted dol-
lar which capital cannot afford to give to ao9r .,
lSa curse to the hand that receives it.-Dr. r.
&. HLlaud, In Scribner's Magazine
\ Sacramento fish. dealer named Budd, very
cooy agreed with brother scoundrel to muir
der Mrs Rudd fnr the neat sum of 81 sou Tor