Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1880-05-29

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my labor for that company as pay
msnt for the goods bought of him,
what would he think of ms2 But
suppose he had ,assantsd to it in the
start by written agreement what
would l think of him?
The money IS the thing and our
law provides that our wages shall be
paid in money, and then we can pay
for our goods in money. Where is
the illegally, or the injury. to any
body in thati And whenever one is
standing up to his contract by paying
money, where is the hurt to the con-
tract2
"But, Acknowledgment, the con-
tract you sign is an agreement ex-
torted from you that the storskseper
is honest enough to handle your mon
ey. but you are mott
l will conclude BY quoting the fol-
lowing piece I clipped out Of the
Pittsburg Telegraph:
THE STORE ORDER SYsTEM.-The Blu.
rea of Statistics at Harrisburg has prepar-
ed lengthy report on the suject of wages,
especially directed against, the store order
system. Agreat many facts and figures
are given showing the Injustice of the
system, not only as 1t works In Pennsyl-
yania but in other States. The report,
which is evidently the work .of9Hon,
Miles Humphreys, concludes as follows
The question has arisen, can these stores
be suppressed by law. We have already
shown that all law in this particular in
this country has been Intellectual. All at
tempts, too, in this State, to enact q law'o
o sweeping character have failed. Theil
failure can be ascribed to the impossibili
ties attempted. To declare it penal of
fense, for a company or individual mem
bers thereof, to keep store and sell goodi
even to employees is contrary to the gen
ius of our institutions, as it circumscrihes
the privileges of a designated member, tt
tho exclusion of all Others. To punisf
such storekeepers with fine and imprison
ment, because, forsooth, they would de
mand greater price for goods sold bJ
them, than the same could be purchased
from others, would lead to interminabl'
confusion, and place the offender in a po
sition unwarranted by justice or equity
The sals of pound of cheese or butte
at higher figure than coul be purchased
elsewhere consigning men to prison, is |
power too sweeping to be used by design
ing and heartless individuals-is providing
remedy more to be abhorred than th'
disease itself. We think, however, thai
law should compel the employer to pay
his employee in the lawful money Of th'
land; that the issuing of scrip should b
prohibited, and that settlement in full
should be made at least once month
With this mon.y sdrnSd az aoages, tho poTk
man should be left free to purchase sohere h
pleasss and to the best adCGntage, so'aether thu
be a company or any other store. Such
state Of affairs would give an impetus t.
individual enterprise in many Localities
where now they are dormant-would insti
new ideas of economy, trugality and Thrift
into the minds of the workmen, while i
would in nowise tend to diminish tho pro
ductive profits of the employer. Thes
advantages secured, the workmen woult
toll with a lighter heart and more willinl
hand, his increased exertion enjoyed to il
fullest fruition, and the days of th,
"truck system" in Pennsylvania would b
numbered.
FAIR Stow.