The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-05-12
Something TO be POndered.

The present is time when it is profitable
to keep it constantly in mind that the price
of labor is dependent upon other considera
tions than the mere agreement between EN-
ployer and employe. The fiat principle car
no more be applied to the question of wages
than to the question of currency A hOd1
carrier may strike for So day, and his emf
ployer may agree to give it to him. But
where is the money coming from? Who is
going to pay it? Can the hod-carrier and the
man who employs him reverse the great
laws of trade?
The eight-hour movement is a case in
point There is a widespread demand among
the men employed in the building trade for
eight hours work with ten hours pay. In
some cases the demand has been acceded to.
Stated in other words this demand is for
an increase of twenty-five per cent in hourly
wages. Now it may be that the condition.
of the building trade will warrant this largeu
increase. If so, the demand is reasonable |
one, and the movement is likely to be per-
manent success. If the condition of the
business will not justify the increase, then
the agreement of the master-buiders to pay
it will amount to nothing, practically, after
existing contracts shall have been fulfilled.
An increase of twenty-five per cent in the
wages of the men employed in putting up
building means an increase of one-fourth in
that part of the cost of the building which
represents labor. Somebody must pay for
this. Who will it be? Principally and di-
capitalist who puts his money into the build
ing. But suppose that the capitalist finds
that it will not be profitable to invest so
much money, and concludes to wait? What
then? Is there any way in which the mas
ter-builder and his men can force him to
build? And if they cannot compel him to
build, how are they to find employment?
And if they cannot get employment at
the wages which they demand will they
not pretty soon conclude that it is wise to
tlaatr IL 30, all
sible for the capitalist to employ them?
Or, again, let us suppose that the move
ment has become so general and the prac-
tice so well established that the capitalist
at last consents to build, notwithstanding
the increased cost. What is the result?
His investment being larger than it would
have been under the old system of wages,
he very naturally and properly demands a
larger income from his building. 1t may be
tenement-house occupied by the very men
who build it. In that event, they have to
pay higher rent Or it may be rented by
grocers and dry-goods merchants who sell to
the builders, and, having to pay higher rent,
they are forced to charge higher prices for
their goods. What is true of this one case
is true of all cases. 1t is, we repeat, i'm
portant to remember that there are other
factors to the wage problem than the agree
ment between the employer and his EN-
ploye. Every business has an inevitable
correlation with every other business. All
trades and industries are mutually interde-
pendent. The conditions of all of them
conspire to fix the wages which can be paid
in any one of them, and any attempt to
force the price of labor beyond this limit,
while it may succeed for a time, must uti-
mately fail. 1t is not the fault of capital
more than of labor that there is limit
beyond which wages cannot be increased.
The richest and most prosperous of employ
ers cannot reverse the laws of trade or con-
troll the mighty forces of commerce.-CO
cord Independent Statesman.