Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-01

benefit accrues to him by reason Of his
being q consumer, thus receiving the bene-
ct Of the reduced cost of production. The
frequency of Industrial depressions and
financial panics, coupled with the proba-
bility that such disturbances will, in the
future, become more frequent and take on
. more aggravated form, make the posi-.
tion OF the w~age-worker far from secure,
and are well calculated to cause apprehen-
sion. How are these industrial depressions
to be avoided? The capital employed in
| the manufacturing industries and the labor
employed in the factories are each contrib
ting to the same e~nd-supplying the neces-
stiles and wants OF mankind. Yet capital
is seeking in the first instance to obtain in
terest for itself in the shape Of profits.
while labor is striving to obtain for itself
those things necessary to sustain life as
we'll as those which contribute to comfort
and convenience. As the wants OF man are
scarcely limited except by his ability to
purchase, it is evident that both employer
| and laborer would be benefited were the
laborer to receive the increased compensa-
ton to which the. increased productive
ness of his labor justly entities him. Their
interests are not necessarily a~ntagonistic
and except for the perverted state Of trade
brought on daily by the shortsightednees
Of capitalists and aggravated by the close
competition of the commercial world. their
interests need not clash.
Thofr sn$arocko oro nnf NV onV 1onoQna
identical. but they are reciprocal. As mil
lions of dollars are annually being added
to the wealth of the world by the industry
of the productive classes, and the use of
machinery and the progressive methods OF
modern industry before alluded to augment
this increase in wealth in a constantly in
~creasing ratio. The result OF this is a ten
dency, already apparent, towards decrease
in the interest rate. Capital will have to
be content with smaller profits, while labor
will receive the greater reward. These re-
suits are gradually working themselves
out, and thus the labor problem will event.
ually solve itself. But this solution may
be greatly retarded by the unwise and -des-
potic action OF capital, and can be very
considerably hastened by the thorough or
g%anization of both labor and capital. OF
labor to the end that it may be in a po-
sition to demand a just share of the accru-
ing profits, and of both labor and capital
to the end that unwise and Improbable
production may be avoided. The consum-
nation Of these hopes can be facilitated by
legislation in some particulars, but the
greater part OF the remedy must come from
that thorough understanding of the sub.
ject which an be gained only by complete
organization of all the industrial forces
both employers and laborers.
In treating of this subject and it's RENE.
dies no attempt has been made to deal
with the question from alocal standpoint.
Important as the settlement of local dis
putes concerning wages may be to the COM
munities involved, their bearing upon the
general result must be temporary and in
significant. Though something may be
done in the way of legislation by Congress
to preserve the advantages which American
labor now enjoys yer that of Europe, I
believe that even a national view of the
subject is much too narrow, and that when
any material Improvement in our indus
trial condition is effected, that OF all the
other industrial nations of the civilized
world will be involved. In settling the
question of wages a mining community
stands upon a footing somewhat different
from that upon which other industries
rest. To the extent that we depend upon
the production of precious metals, we are
only remotely and indirectly affected by
financial panics and industrial deprsssions.
Still, in these days of transportation facil-
ties and rapid transit the condition of the
w~age-worker here is in a great measure de-
pendent upon the condition of his COLA
borers in other parts of the world, ever
those engaged in other industries. Con-
slant employment for all is the great de-
sideratum for both capital and labor, and
to this end every inducement should be
held out for the employment OF all the
capital in the land in opening up new ave-
nues of industry. Probably no other one
a would exert so great an influence
in this direction as the distinct announce
ment by the American people OF their ad-
herence to- a sound, bi.metallic financial
policy, with sufficient assurance that this
question had been definitely settled. The
feeling of uneasiness and apprehension
caused by the agitation OF this question
has been one of the most prominent fac
tors in financial panics and industrial de-
preston.