The Labor enquirer., 1885-02-21
The Prosiem.

lu0fo - ltLto SCOfy " Iuytu0 CallcO LIN
Problem" Two boys, Ned and Sandy, havt
boys were puzzled to tell how TO divide the
candy equally, but finally Ned, the larger
boy, hit upon plan. He proposed that he
should take one bite off the longer stick and
thus make it the same length as the other.
This was done and each boy then c0ntentedly
ate one of the two equal pieces. Ned cheat
| ed Sandy but neither knew it
WhenI saw ZenO's amazing figures In The
ENQUIRER of January II, it occurred to me
| that perhaps capital and labor were trying to
solve the problem as the bows did. Ned
{capital) taking good bite first and then
dividing equally with Sandy, Qabor) both at
the same time ignorant that Sandy is con-
stantly cheated. But few days afterward
was reading another paper, one of very
large circulation, and IN reply 70 cores
pondent who had made inquiry In regard to
the Wealth of Great Britain and the United
States, / noticed the following statement:
with regard to the remuneration OF labor,
assuming the produce Of labor to be 100, IN
Great Britain 56 parts 60 to the lab0rer, 81 to
capital and % to government. In France Al
parts 60 to labor, SO to capital and g to
government. In the United States % parts
go to labor 23 to capital and to govern
nous discrepancy between this showing and
that OF the Chicago Tribune as given by
zeno. It seemed that If labor gets u per
cent Of the product in this country, the
Iaborers Of Chicago ought to have received
in 1884 the sum of $210, 40, ,568 instead of
S4S, ,382, 400. A difference Of $162 208, 1888.
think it would be very difficult to show
that labor receives q per cent Of the product
of this country, and on the other hand fear
that Zeno's showing will not bear very
close investigation. 1t is clear f6at he gives
capital nothing and assumes that everything
belongs to labor. He divides the total pro-
duct by the number of workmen and finds
that each workman ought to have had 50, 764.
If the Chicago laborcrs had actually produced
goods to the value OF $292, ,2S6, ,912, on the
theory that labor should have it all, 1t is
50, 764, But it is not at all clear that they
did produce any such amount or an amount
nearly approximating it. II each of the Chi
cago labOrers had received 81. 764 what would
have become of the other lab0rerS who ham
died the same goods an unknown number OF
times before the Chicago laborers ever saw
them The total product as given by the
Chicago Tribune represented all the labor
that had been expended on those goods, not
the labor of the Chicago operatives alone,
if / understand it. If do not, l am quite
willing to be corrected. Zan0 seems to think
that the capitalists got their stock for moth
ing. / am not by any means crihcising the
Socialist theory, or any other, but want the
labOrers to see their way as they go so that
they will not find, after having made an ad-
vance, that they are standing on hollow
ground that is likely, If not certain TO give
way beneath them and plunge them into a
pit Of confusion and trouble One more
point must mention. Who knows how the
total product Of the country would compare
with the present product, If a totally differ
ent system should be introduced? Would
there be as much to divide among the labor
ers, admitting that it would be divided
equitablyP OF course it Is pleasurable to
anticipate time when each shall receive his
slider 1t very unwise to shut our eyes to diff
culties and assume that they will disappear
because we wish them to. The millennium
will not come Immediately after the adoption
of any system. Mankind is not YET fitted for
it, but in the meantime let Us press on hope
fully and utilize all the best thought at our
command.
When read the remark of Thomas Garry.
when speaking of the Equality association. l
could not help reading between the lines.
He said: They have made threats OF all
kinds but we were inclined to look for their
execution upon our clerks rather than upon
our premises What / read between the
lines was this: "Clerks are very plenty in
New York and the killing of q few of those
wretched overw0rked beings every week is
a matter OF no consequence compared to one
hours business each day at our store. Let
any amount OF vengeance come, so long as
1t falls on the clerks, but when reckless men
60 so far as to injure our premises, tho mat
ter becomes serious" What ara human flesh
and blood and human feelings compared to
dollars, in the estimation of this man Garry
his remarks reveal the genuine tyIant.