Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-03-07
Rights and Privileges of Labor.

Philadelphia Call: Labor is a COM
modify, to be sold in the open market.
1t is governed, as is any other salable
article, by the law of supply and de-
mand. If labor is in no greater supply
than the market will readily take the
price goes down. If it is in large de-
mand the price strengthens. The en-
tire population of the world is capable
of producing morethan it will consume.
Hence, in the dense population of the
Old World labor is cheap. Owing to-
our comparative smallness of popula-
ton. labor has been well remunerated
here. At times the demand exceeded
the supply. During the rebellion,
Chinese were imported to work on the
Central Pacific railroad. When the
war was over, and our armies had been
disbanaed. we had enough labor to dis
pense with thisimportedhelp. audience
the demand that they should go. In all
the countries Of the Old World, despite
their large armies, which represent in
peace consumption and not production
eating but not productive labor-and
in war destruction-for war is destruc-
tive-population is SO dense that labor
is cheap. Thesupply exceeds the de-
mand.
And this remark applies as we'll to
skilled as to unskilled labor. We will
hereafter show that, while the cost of
living, quality considered, in Europe,
EQUALS that of this country, the priceof
labor is from one-third to two-thlrds
less. The law of supply and demand
regulates it. And even here the ques-
ton is already before. US, and is being
a%nXiously considered. There are a few
leading principles that ought to be dis
tinctiy understood. Capital, like labor.
has certain rights and privileges. We
can form an idea what these are when
we accept certain facts. Capitalists re-
gard security first, and will take less
for money if the security is ample.
Government bonds, our security, will
command capital at three per cent.
Railroad bonds command four to five
per cent; real estate, five to six per
cent; and less valid securities. seven
to eight. Capital invested in business
usually expects from ten to twenty-five
per cent, because of RISKS, care and
management.
Labor, on the other hand, asks enough
for comfortable support-a dollar o day
for unskilled and UP to five or ten dol
lars for skilled labor. These are the
primary facts. After these come the
competition-the law Of supply and de-
mand. 1t is not within the scope of
these articles to go largely into this.
Our trade unions seek, on the one hand
to keep down the available supply of
labor and SO aim to regulate the prices,
while capital combines and seeks to
force down the price. The result, as
regards labor, is to force young men in
to professions until these are crowded
and capital seeks out new avenues OF
investments in order to overcome its
difficulties. In each case the remedy is
defective and must ultimately fail.
Both these elements should, and can.
reach a base of harmony. Skilled labor
should be produced by Practical ap-
prenticeships and not in schools, as it
will, il close restrictions are insisted
on by trade i1nions, and the two-capit-
al and labor-by arbitrating differences
and developing new fields of enterprise,
can mutually prosper. This is especi-
ally true in this country, where the
real test, as to the honor and dignity
Of labor, is being made.
But the real threat and danger. both
to capital and labor, and equally to
both, comes from abroad. England has
five thousand millions surplus capital.
1t could lose a thousand millions of
dollars it thereby 1t could permanently
break down otir manufactures and
control our markets. Europe is dense
ly populated, and all kinds Of labor are
in excess of the demand. This low
priced. labor. threatens us. Hence both
capital and labor ars Threatened from
abroad. We have done much, and are
apparently equal to the regulation OF
our home difficulties. We have devel-
oped more in the line Of new indus
tries-thus charging the scope Of skill
ed labor and limiting the need for. un-
skilled labor-than any nation on earth.
Railroads, steamships, electric tele-
graphs, telephones, lights, etc, and the
multitude Of forms and kinds of ma
chinery, all Of which. employ skilled
labor, are the special products Of this
country. We prefer the arts Of peace
and excel in them, and lately, Laws. for
arbitratirg between capital and labor
look to the prevention of conflicts and
injustice.
Where, then, is our danger? From
overcrcwed, capitalized Europe. There
labor is oppressed and capital power.
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