Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-02-20

or woman. The rule should be-same work,
same pay. But in general, of course, men
and women do not come into direct competi
ton, and the light work should be left to the
women, with as good a rate of pay as justice
demands.
Mechanic What do you think of all the
labor troubles that are now occurring In the
country?
Mr.. Bodwell.-Well, I see nothing in them
but what could and ought to be settled by fair
arbitration. NV Judgment is and my expert
ence has always been that fair conference
between employer and employed brings about
an adjustment, and where the parties cannot
agree themselves there should be an arbitra-
ton. The whole matter should 60 upon the
basis that capital and labor both have rights
and are dependent on each other. The fac
tory needs labor as much as labor needs
wages, and tho two must get along together.
No wise friend of the laboring man wants to
make war on capital, and no capitalist, If he
has any sense, wants to do injustice to labor
ing man. They have got to work together OF
both will be injured. But when we speak OF
capital and labor we do not mean two classes
of the community, because the man working
for wages to-day will very likely ten years
hence be capitalist employing other men to
work Capital and labor, therefore, are not
in the same hands, but are continually shift
ing and exchanging places. The rich man
gets poor by Encouragement, and the poor
man gets rich by good management. 1t is en-
tirelv wrong view to think that they are two
permanent forces in the same hands, in con-
fict with each other and bent on each others
ruin.
Mechanic DO you think the labor diff
culties that are affecting so many enterprises
will cause trouble among your workmen?
Mr. Bodw Il do not, for intend to pay
and always have paid tine highest wages for
men doing the different kinds of work for
which l employ them. 1t is not my practice
to discharge men unless they should prove to
be incompetent or unfaithful in the discharge
of their duties, or unless have no work to
offer them. Having been laboring man my
self all my life, can sympathize with all the
Just demands that labor may make.
Mechanic-Do you think this labor ques-
ton likely to go in the political field?
Mr. Bodwell.-No, not as a distinct politi-
cal party The fact is that if it were not for
a protective tariff the wages of American
workmen would go right down on the same
basis of European workmen, and all these is
sues inside the tariff would not sustain the
American scale of wages fer single month.
The protective tariff benefits both capital
and labor, but certainly it benefits labor even
in larger degree than it does capital. In
connection with the tariff discussion these
labor questions will of course come to the
'front.' and think every intelligent workman
in this country should be able to see that il
protection is abolished he is at once put in
competition with the workmen of Europe
so that after all the main question for wage
workers in the United States is the question
of protective tariff on products. But
don't mean to imply that the benefits of the
protective tariff are limited to capitalists and
wage workers. The value of farms in Maine
during the last twenty-five years has been
much increased. especially in the neighbor-
hood of manufacturing centres. If the fam
products of Canada under free trade were
thrown into Maine, it would seriously iniure
the Maine farmers. In fact all classes of the
community share in the benefits of protec-
tive tariff These are my views and act on
them in my own business affairs.