Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1873-12-25
From the Salt Lake Tribune, Dec. 2O.l
orR INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM--TRADE
UNIONS.

washington dispatch informs us that
.ha President will shortly send special
'nsssape to Congress, in which he will
l,;vo his views on our present labor COM
5oi;cations, and devote especial attention
!, ,he Granger movement. Trade un-
;ors we are informed will be analyzed
and their evil influences shown. We are
ourious to see what ideas the President
has to express on this important subject.
Asa rule, our statesmen hold very crude
notions of the laws governing re-produc-
tive labor, and there is danger, if Con.
oress ventures on legislation to control it
ony way, that their interference will work
perniciously. Labor is the source of all
value. and in proportion as the amount
of our useful products exceeds the con-
sumption of our people, will be our in
crease in wealth. At no past time in our
history have the facilities for production
been SO varied and extensive as at the
present time. Every year, according to
the estimate of ex-Indian Commissioner
Walker, we reclaim from barbarism an
extent of the national domain equal to
q European state. The application of
steam to the various processes of agricul-
ture and mechanical industry is being
constantly extended; the latest estimate
places the capacity of the steam machin-
cry in this country rs equal to the labor
of three hundred million men. Foreign |
immigration last year brought in nearly
half million population, all Of whom
had been reared, educated and skilled at
the expense of other nations. Then our |
women are desirous to engage in more |
varied industry, their refined taste and |
delicacy of touch fitting them for the |
more ingenious processes and lighter |
mechanical pursuits. And in addition
to all this, We have the Asiatic nations to
draw upon, from whose teeming popula-
tions, millions of industrious and apt
workmen can be obtained as soon as our
industrial system is so far perfected as to
admit of their absorption into our work
shops and factories. With these inex-
haustible facilities Of production at our
command it is sn anomaly dis
graceful to our social system that
the reasonable wants of any useful
member of our entire population
should be unsatisied. 1t is fair to as
sert that our productive forces, il set fully
to work, could quadruple our present
supply; and as the scale of value is al
ways determined by the relation of sup
ply to demand, this increased production
would so depress nominal values that mon
ey would acquire largely increased pur-
chasing power. This would enable our
population to enlarge their consumption
until it approximated to the ratio Of sup
ply.
What stands in the way of the harmo-
nious employment of our productive
forces2 While all classes are alike inter-
ested in the general prosperity, to what
cause are we to attribute the constantly
recurring shocks which derangs labor.
and infiict two serious evils upon society
the enforced idleness OF q large share
Of our producing population, and the suf-
!ering inflicted upon millions through
their inability to procure the comforts Of
lifef
We are told that the President in his
message will show the evil workings of
trade-unions. He probably has noticed
that the object of these labor organiza-
tons is to restrict production. Starting
in European countries where populations
are dense, and public works are well-nigh
perfected the efforts of the labor cham
pions in those countries seem to have
been directed to make the work 60 round.
To this end they restrict the amount of a
days work, shorten the hours of labor,
prescribe how many apprentices may be
taken to o trade, dictate who shall be
foreman, and preventing an employer
= working in his own shop, unless he is a
member OF the union. They further op-
pose prison labor, seek to hinder any ex.
tension to the useof steam, and prescribe
a scale of wages which, in many cases, il
disastrous to the interest that pays it.
These trade organizations have beer
introduced into this country, and are ma
nipulated to the same end. The mem
bers OF these unions seem to be led away
by belief that the consumption of peo
pie is q fixed quantity, and the selfish in
stinct possesses them to derive the larges
possible share of profit from the labor re
CURED to supply the aggregated demand
Instead of identifying their interest will
that of the consumcr~with the whole O
society, in fact-they set up an arbitrar,
and antagonistic interest of their own
ana the consequence OF this false politi
cal economy Is seen in the prostratiol
that now afflicts our industrial system
With better facilities of production thai
IS possessed by any European country
the supply Of useful articles is SO made
9uate to the demand, that prices are in
mated, and we are led to impose q pre-
hloitive tariff to keep out foreign compe
3tion. Every arbitrary source of ez
pense only adds to the evil, as snowfall
increases In bulk by continued rolling
and every addition imposed by thes
trade unions to the scale of wages, ha
the effect of still further enhancing tn
cost OF living. These unions, it will thu
% seen. move in Q circle. A mature
equation exists between the price {
commodities and the scale Of wages, an
tne higher this latter is carried, the moi
the healthy condition OF our social syl
tenn Is affected by imitation.
we cannot see how direct legislatio
to afford any remedy to this false stat
OF things, because labor contracts are b.
yond the province of the Law. maxim
power. In England and other Europea
countries, the clash between labor On
capital Is in a measure obviated by idel
hylng the two interests by means Of il
austrial partnerships. We have an abb,
ing conviction that the wages system is
iaise one, and If the President will r
commend to Congress the appointmel
'oi commission 10 inquire into the eau
VI strikes and other disturbances whit
,sonvnlse our industry, with view
seeisiatlon that will facilitate the ideni
neatlon OF the two discrepant interest
.ne eject of his proposed special me
sage can hardly fail to be useful. o.
'aoor relations constitute subject {
xnlch every public man should be i
.eihgently informed. and it is very desi
aole that soundcr notions of polite
economy should be disseminated amol
.le producing class. It is very certa
,aat their trade unions work disastrou
y to the whole body polite. and I
sooner sooner working men are brought to
kknowledge of this fact, the better it "