The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-04-26

DdESOI AHu bAiC pol ASh SduAO W ~
n hard toll, paid miserable pittance, neithe
s fed, lodged, nor cared for half as well a
r his employers dog living, if living it de
serves to be called, upon the very smalIes
amount Of food sufficient to sustain life
and in this position he would have remain
| ed had not umonism been extended to him
| had there not been a Joseph Arch anC
other kind friends to labor amongst them
and help to raise them from state o.
, degradation, and how these good men have
been assailed by those who ought to have
been co-workers with them To me there
J seems selfshness in preaching to men
that there is nothing better for them than
to be content Sith their wages, and lead a
, sober decent life, only to do good to him
/ self and save his own soul. Those who
try to gather these laborers into associa-
tions in which the fundamental rule Is that
they shall not consider every man his own,
but every man anothers wealth Sf which
the essence is that each shall contribute to
fund for the good Of others, as well as
himself, breaches higher and more Chris
tian doctrine.
The Objects Of Trddes Uniofs. 1t is
generally acknowledged that one, if not
the principal objects Of unions, Is - obtain
for the workmen the best rate Of wages
which their services will command, and
then to reduce the number Of hours in
which the wages are to be earned. There
are people who argue that the interest Of
the public is to have all produce as cheap
as possible. and that, therefore, the larger
the profits which Is retained by the pro-
ducer. the worse for the public interest
But this conception Of the public has some
thing outside the whole body of producers,
who collectively form, perhaps, fourhfths
of the population, is slngularly narrow.
The interest of the community Is the wei
fare Of the various classes which compose
it, not the multiplication Of products at
constantly cheaper prices. The notion
that the public is a gamer whilst goods are
continually growing cheaper even though
this end be obtained at the expense of
each class of the community in turn suf-
fering in liberty, health or comfort, Is dls-
posed of by being stated. Such theory
would lead to the conclusion that slavery
was public benefit if it could be shown
that slave labor would conduce to increase
production at lower rate.
Let us look at the question from anOth-
er stand point. Supposing workingmen
earning a surplus beyond their average
earnings, and the operations Of trades
unions be so successful as to keep down the
rate of profit to the average, and to con
vert the whole of that suplus into wages,
it is plain that the cost of production would
not be raised thereby. The surplus may
be appropriated by the capitalist, or by
the workmen, or divided between them.
Each will no doubt endeavOr to secure to
himself rs much as he can
Equalization 81 Ldbor.-As a general
rule the scarcity Of labor does not materi-
ally raise its price, while the abundance al
ways lowers it, The unemployed deter
mine the rate Of wages whether these un-
employed be men dismissed in consequences
Of a slackness of trade or new hands, the
same result follows Suppose IN a body Of
| 900 workmen there are fifty equally good
with the rest who cannot find employment;
in this Instance the rate of wages will not
be determined by the $50 employed but by
the fifty unemployed AS a matter Of
course masters will employ those whom
they can hire at the lowest wages. If the
fifty unemployed offer to work for Dos per
week il the place If Dds masters will dis
charge that number IF their present work
men If they will not submit to the reduc-
ton, to make room for those who will
work for the lesser sum but the surplus
Of labor remains undiminshed. The work
ing men discharged, urged by necessity,
gladly offer to work for 3Os per week also,
, and thereby supplant fifty who are getting
25s. In this manner the tritiing redun-
, dance of fifty men reduce the wages OF the
entire body Of operatives. Now to pre-
vent this, trade societies step IN, and either
' purchases this surplus labor or remove il
where wanted.
.Irbitrdti0n aHd Cancellations In all
= well regulated societies one great object Is
, to settle all disputes that arise between
their members and employers by arbitra
. tion or Cancellation rather than resort e
+ strikes. We have found lin the society
have the honor of rtpresenting), by long
n experience, that fOur-hfths Of the disputes
+ which arise can be settled by cancellations
/ All that is needed is that the employer
r will meet certain representative workmen
= an theIe are few who will not amicably
: discuss the matter in dispute before any
: harsh steps are taken by either party. ",
h cannot indulge il the hope that disputes
4 will not from time to time ARISE, betweeI
workmen and their employers, and witt
every disposition on the part OF both EN-
\ ployer and employed to act with fairness
. misunderstanding Will occur. 1t wOul,
n be a mistake to assume that disposition
n to strike and interfere between employer
: and their workmen is phenomena pecul
lar to unionism These are the ordinar
= incidents Of the association of worklngmel
a i'm masses How readily will body O
. men. who are dissatisfied with their wages
4 subscribe a small sum for the purpose Of
. strike, and form rude union, whlc
"a scarcely exists, or is intended to exist be
J yond the immediate occasion. The fact is
I the frequency Of disputes comedies with
a weak, fuctua ing and poor union, and Gel
y tainly the least orderly, where the unio
= has acquired no real command over II
q member, or is struggling into existence
r. All well established seek to diminish tn
! frequency and the disorder Of strikes, an
A to prevent their occurrence, If possible
- and we hope much good will be done i
Il establishing Courts Of Arbitration, on til
10 plan recommended by Mr.. Mundella an
q Mr. Rupert Kettle These courts ~ coI
ciliation are an imitation of the Consei
; des Prudhommes in France. Each couI
II Gil was there established by decree of III
u Government, and consists of a Presfden
70 Vice President (not necessarily eltht
h employers or workmen), and six membel
n elected by employers and workmen. III
q aim was to obtain settlement Of trad
of disputes by judges who we're the equals
y the disputants. The proceedings were j
" expensive the judges we're unpaid an
r a delegation Of the council, consisting
Il one employer and one workman, sat
NJ Judgment almost daily. The result in
O. out Of every 100 cases brought before the
&c tribunals was reconciliation between Il
he parties And though appeals were Re
ls mitted to the superior courts Of law, IN,
4 were rarely made More frequent and I