, 1879-06-19

At Eail Hifer III khaf one. Iuefo Ahonlh 10
an Immediate Investigation. A Doard should
ho constituted Of proaonlativos from
oacl, mill, I'M cqunl number of work.
men md Of ownors, oholl olnsa oloct-
ing It's own representatives.. To tlloao
mon Should bo exhibited statement
Of tho actual faots,-ths transactions since
tho reduction Of wages In April, 1873, tho
outlay for expenses, tito income from salos,
and of tho profits and tho fossea. IT tho
selling pricos Of cotton be advanced, how
long has Tho ailvnnco boen IL operation, and
what tho promise Of pormanoney? What
are tho prices elsewhere agaiuas which tho
American goods havo to eompeto2 II At tho
rate Of wages paid prior 10 April, 1873, tho
CLOTH could not bo produced except at loss,
and II under tho ro1ucod wages the closf
has boon produced and sold at n profit, how
great Inns been the proAt and will tho ro-
storat'on Of tho 10 por cent, or any portion
Of It, leavo tho employers any profit, and
how mich? Unless tho cotton can b. sold
now for only II por cout moro than in April
Of 1ast yoar, then tho restoration Of
tho IL por cont iu wagcs will leave
the manufacturers precisely where they
were at TINT time, producing ut a
loss. All these mattsra arc susceptible
Of proof Of direct evidence, and, unless the
purpose be to force tho roturn Of wages,
whether tho employers can afford to do so Or
not, then thoro should be no difficulty IN
reaohing an intelligent aud rational conclu-
sion as to what would bo fair and roasou-
able rate of wages. '''
Tho pny-rolls Of these print.oloth mills
now foot up $310, GOO month. That ia The
sum paid directly to the operatives; but tho
loss will not DO oonAnod to the moro opora-
tives employed, but will extend to almost
every peraon engaged in any, kind Of busi-
moss in that city. II will not reduce tho
cost Of living, or tho daily expenditures for
tho support Of tho fa1nilss Of ali involved;
all these expenditures must 60 on, and be
represented by debt to DO paid out OF future
earnings. But in the meantime this amount
Of monthly wages viii coaae.
It ia M fndisputab1o fact TINT tho owners
Of the print-cloth mills will not advance the
wages, unlesa they can afford to do 80; tho
experiment Of running tho mills at D loss has
been too recent and too costly to 10 repeated.
Why not, then, before thero Is an appeal to
forco,-heforo Tosort ton bitter and disas-
trous was,-try reason, and havo IN intolli-
gent aud comprehensive examination Of tie
faota ? Botsor DO that 5efore than q Ter three
months loss Of wages and tllree months sus-
pension Of work. . Is not roaHou botter than
brute force" in the examination Of mere
matter Of dol!ars aud conts2 Is It not bottor to
try to reach a satisfactory conclusion of wlat
is just and equitable before erpending and
wasting million or moro Of dollars than
being compelled to havo snch arrangement
after tho money has been irroooverably lost?
It will be we'll for tho workmon in Chicago
md tho Nor!hwest who may be contemplate
ing strike for eight houra as the measure
Of tlny'a work TO exercise not only tho pru-
dent course Of counting the cost, but Of try
ing the policy Of reason, Of argumont, and
Of ascortaining facts before rcsortirg to force
or civil war. No employer will over refuse
just and equitable wages when It Is proata.'
bio 10 him to pny thom. Whenever an en-
ployer can make q profit On labor. he will
not only pay tho wages, but nlao increase
tho number Of his workmen tho increase In.
tho number employed increasos the wages Of
labor In accordance with tho low Of demand.
but whom. labor oeasea to be profitable,
whethor from the rato Of wages or osher-
wise, then employers will not engage 1t,
finding It less loss to stop production than
to produce ut loss. 4 careful, candid IN.
vestigntion of the faots by an amicablo arbi-
tration on the part of employers and eu-
ployod is the rational mode Of proceeding,
rather thnn aaansoloss. idiotio resort to force.
Tho exercise Of littlo reason IL cheaper and
moro satisfactory in tho oud than blows, fol-
owed by Tho consequences, aud then rosort
to Cancellation ind arbitration.