, 1875-08-08

ind permanent improvements.
MISTAKES OF TRADE-UNI0N1SM.
In time of peace prepare for war;" may
In some cases be wise MAXIM 1t has bee,
adopted Us the motto of one Of the great Ell
glish trade unions, and is favorite legend Il
be inscribed on the flags borne in unionis
professions. It is an avowal of the underly:
ing principle Of these organizations. Their
members believe that the natural state o1
man, in the relations OF capitalist and Ia.
borer, is war. They unite for the ostensib1e
object OF fighting their employers. Their
relief work is incidental and subsidiary tc
this. Yet the latter il Of substantial value,
while the former is IN almost ,1nnixed evil.
The power of trade-unions to force o.
maintain wages above the market-level-that
is, the level at which demand and supply
would fix them we're there no unions-is very
wdge. fund, which is the aggregate remunera
ton of labor either in all trades, in one, or in
one establishment, according to the connec
ton in which the term is used, may be either
the real or the possible wagc-fund- Tho
former is the amount actually paid the lat
afford to pay and still make a living profit.
It is evident that when the real and possible
wage-funds coincide,-that is, when an en-
ployer is already paying all he can aford, -
no persuasion, threats, or compulsion can
advance wages. If the men positively de-
cline to work for the sums they are receiving,
the employer must abandon his enterprise
and shut up his shops. or consume his
capital He cannot do business at
a loss In Guch case as this,
then, trade~un1onism is powerless. When the
real wage-fund is below the possible one, the
working Of economic laws will bring about
an advance. The two always tend to coin
latter, the profits Of the employers in this par
ticular branch OF industry will be above the
average. New capital will be drawn into it.
The demand for the particular kind OF labor
will thus increase, and its remuneration will
therefore advance. The process may be
hastened by strike Or q threatened strike,
but the increased facilities for bringing other
journeymen from different parts OF the coun-
try, and even from different countries, d.
minishes every year the chances of success
full strike. Moreover, if it does succeed, it
rarely pays for itself. Suppose 100 men, re-
ceiving $3 day, struck for 80 days, and then
got So. 50 day apiece. The aggregate wages
lost during the so days would be $4,000.
The aggregate gain would be (1odX5o cents)
$50 day. They would have to receive these
new wages for $50 working days, or so
weeks, before they had made up the 50, 900
lost by the strike Of 80 days But, before
the thirty weeks had passed, the working Of
certain to have caused the advance. In this
case, the 50, 600 would have been worse than
wasted, for the strike, besides having given
the men nothing they would not have got at
any rate, would inevitably have cultivated
habits Of Incidence and int 4mperance among
some OF them. It would moreover, have
caused bad feeling between masters and men,
and this hurts the Inter moro than it does
the former.
The good done the wo, king1nan by union
ism is, then, very probe smatical. The harm
done him is unfortunate ly not problematical,
but sure. The union re duces ali its members
to the level Of the worst It will not, as q
rule, allow employers in most trades to pay
by the pieco,-which is the most rational
aud equitable form of the wege-system- 1t
fixes certain average wage for good, bad,
aud indifferent worlm4en- It refuses to let
the active, strong, sk:llfn man reap the re-
ward Of his SUPER ority over his sluggish,
wastefu1, and bung; ling comrade. It stretches
Ill it's members ou Procrustean bed The
inferior majority imposes its rules upon the
superior minority. The journeyman is thus
deprived Of Ill Incentive to make himself
3 frst-class worker. He will get no more
pay if he does so, and his strongest impulse
10 energetic labor is thus taken away. There
IS preten Sc, indeed, OF admitting none but
skilled artisans to membership, but it is only
. pretenf,o, and shallow at that The union
must admit almost anybody who applies, in
order to have the slightest chance Of success
in its misjudged warfare sgainst the employ
ing class.
There is valuable suggestion to b made
IN this point 1t has been put in practice on
J small scale in England. Why not divide
he members of union into at least three
:1asses-fve would be better-in accordance
Tith their capacity for work? Certificates, is
'ued By the Governing Board and counter
signed by employers, should be issued.
Then a graduated scale Of wages
.ou1d be fixed. 4 irst-clasa man
would be worth at least 80 per cent moro than |
! third-claas one. Under tho present system,
he skilled workmen Of America are donating |
bout oue-quartcr Of their wages to the un- !
killed This is very generous, no doubt, or |
rould be if it we're done as an act Of gener-
'tdty. But it is grossly unjust to the wives |
md children of the iaarmer,-a crying in- |
ustice to them
And this IL not The voest nm aRainst The !