, 1874-02-01
Making Pantaloons for Sixteen
Gents a Pair.
Are Trades. Unions a Benefit Or Dehi'
nlcnt to Workingmen?
The light Of a Nan to Spend His Honestly
ACQUIRED Wealth in His Own Hay.
The Woes Of Foreigners in America
Statements by Disseminated
EngIishmen.

ArAk
MI' ,r] nr3 s,s'Crs .cT1c.IJy 1TLrsTRAr- |
"4nh 4n AZ =. rnou.s Bnxssxy. II, +. New York:
:. Appleton Co. 1872.
It ia not safe to underestimate the lhnueueee
likely to flow from the social and POLITICAL tueo-
rles now generally received By the WORKING
classes. The demands recently made By nnem-
ployed vorkipgmen upon the Mayors OF our
principal cities show very clearly
THE .pEAoRAL1zrSa NATURE
OF the ideas which ara icaTening IN the m'os1 VI
society.
The relations OF Labor to caplia4 ano Va ta0
laborcr to the State, are subjects Of mnn1tesns-
increasing importance. Tho popular ignorance
which envelops these subjects should give way
to public opinion moro enlightened anu oes.e4
informed The experience OF tue pass 40 sn'
sure guide Of the student OF ponl'cs. ac'euce,
The skeptical spirit OF our day as as unPaten'
OF theories as it Is omnivorous OF 1ects. me
method Of treating subject Dy = n'stoiical
collection Of facts and statlstlcs Is becoming
descrrodly popular. This method, when
comrcuds itself alike TO the ec'eh-
tiao inquirer and to the prach-
cal man, ia especially applicable to any e1-
animation Of politico-economic questions Po-
lltical Economy having for its subject the every
dav sffairs OF men, its conclusions should be
verified BIZ their everyday experience.
For consideration OF the subject OF Wages,
viewed from the standpoint of the employer, tho
1o:k OF a1r. Thomas Brassey contains
AvAsr ARRAY OF FACTS
md statistics gathered from many different de-
3a,tments Of industry and from almost every
civilized country. A large share OF these facts
Ind statistics we're derived from the experience
fat Thar aYtpnEiTe con-
tracts with British capitalists for the construc-
ion Of RAILWAYS made him an employer OF labor
IN every part OF tue World
The trat three chapters, upon *Trades- Unions
ind Striles,' ''Demand and supply, ana
.cost of Labor" make UP & very Interesting
a-t;. - +ka rorE
.so " thu roaa- ~ tr,ada.-
's' ota7se' o7Ao'.
Cnions; both Tor gooa ana CIVIL,
nAs BEEN GREATLY EXAGGERATED
IN ann4ores the ilIiberal spirit which too often
,,n+r,,s .1osa ORGANIZATIONS. as calculated to es-
ous4 .'D - s,.e .,.a.,r;,,- .,.s.aa that sr,.1.
sat1sh aeaons sn7 "oe ~ 49, .,,.sa -
nslon OF caste "hen n~@ pega .u' ns;ass ~
,aar,ata fra rata Of wagcs without regard to the
.as.a,a fo~1.hor ia fonnd tn bo at variance
-sAA@.0 ~ ..-, rba;r ,-,,n;.
Will ''''' uo6' r .-.:.N ..x,,t;-,.. .os,,,.,a
cation and united action has sometimes secured
an ADVANCE OF wages at eomewhat earlier date,
hn+ eventually tle competition among employers
-..,1a h.aa ham o,na11v bonefcia]. This seems
"ouio n"'o ooou 49,, 49, 49, ,,a,,r,, .,,h
~ oe Po0A va, :, a;n4.;., .ho,o
scriptious usually necessary TO MAINTAIN tnese
organizations. The most protracted strikes
,.rc cc,ara1tv taken place. however, not for the
N1'e y. .a.,,,;r,~ -, .dronca ~ wapes Int
Po1pose W o7e11e 80, m m,. - .,,o:a et-;tas
Tor resisting 1au' tnc 1eaoe' VI '"eoo =.
snye Usually exhibited great Ignorance OF the
,ta.e Of thei- own trade. They have, therefore,
=. ,rout crecs hcen unsuccessful. and their &C.
III 1nes" e1e - ~. ,a,,st ~ +bo;r an.
tion mas o11ea 0'o1 eo W 'Ao '''A-4' - SN4
p!oyers-
That the rate OF wages ls reeu!atsc VI Aeces-
atty t,x the ratio between the supply Of labor
md tim dec,aud, is Bhown By Mr.. B1aseey to be
x,1vrnsAL EXPERIENCE.
The invar;able result of the commencement Of
railway c1,eratious in any country has been q
r,se il the prevalent rate OF wages; aud the in
cyitsh1e consequence OF any long continued de-
pres.iou Of any branch Of trade has been re-
3netion OF the wages paid in that trade. The
r,nd increase OF capitai in every civilized coun-
t,r during the present century is the influence
which has everywhere, By stimulating the &C.
rnnnd for labor, advanced the wages Of the
Iaborer. This advance has been aa great in
countries where Trades-Unions are unknown as
in countries where their influence and numbers
have been greatest.
IN the chapters on 1sCost OF Labor" and
"Dear Labor Stimulates Invention" the reader
viii ind presented very clearly the principle that
hich wages do not necessarily imply dear labor,
lust as low wages do not Of necessity make Ia
Dor cheap.
TIE REAL COST OF 1.ABon
s determined, not by the hones-%abes pau. pus
- +hs EneI;sh laborer are much higher than the
wages Of bis brethren in any other part OF
Europe, but his superior energy maAes tne 1n Fea
cost OF his !apor ~ = eana,;tr i, tha sctnaI cos
nfishar thrnnghout the world, ~ exhibited in
these chartors would seem to controvert the
position OF Mr. Mill, that tho laws wh1cn govern
tue distribution 9 rs 81 se xar1 derent ID dieron
cna.a cn"s .nd conntrier."
This tendency to equality in the actual cost ol
work is curiously illustrated By the experience
Of the elder Mr; hsassey st nte connt ~
contIacs, ca,v nori5 ~ and in eyery oua1tar Of thu
siobe IJ the dailv wage Of the laborer vas fixed al
Sidei2-dinerent rates; but it was found to b'
tie almost inssIiab;e rue snaI nr me a,,1
COST of LAnon aa..t "a - -nonar the sa,nt
'1a ,..;,rt ~ ~ wor xng everywhere performed"