Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-01-05


sented The questions are reproduced
7 FIVE QUESTIONS:
| J. Are strikes aud lockouts a necessary
feature of the wage question
, Is arbitration the missing coupling
between labor and capital
. . May We not hope to discover some
more satisfactory and equitable basis for
the division OF the profits arising from III
dustEisl enterprises2
Does the remedy lie in the direction
OF industrial partnsrships-a mutual par,
ticipation Of all concerned in the profits
arising from production?
). Is productive cooperation practicable
in the United States
The replies were numerous and exhaus'
tive, aud combined form very valuable
addition to the already large mass Of in
formation bearing upon the present rels'
tious OF labor aud capital, and what they
should be. The Age of Steel, in it's issue
of January d, ust at hand, prints num-
Der OF these replies, among them being
found the views Of Samuel lnughhn, Esq
President OF the Junction Iron Company
c. II Spaulding, Vice President and Sec,
retary OF the Spaulding Iron Company, OF
Brilliant, and John Ehmann, Secretary OF
the Ohio Valley Trades Assembly.
CHARLES EIDGELY,
President Of the Springfield NJ Iron
Company and also OF the Ellsworth Goa
Company, SAYS.
As it seems TO me. the dissatisfied feeling
among the working classes is what We
always witness in periods Of depression IN
business. There are special causes oi
trouble in many Of the different industries
but the discomfort is more manifest OF late
because the lines have pinched all OF them
We are also lust now passing from the
condition of new country, with sparser
population and undeveloped resources, tc
iha, of an old one, with a redundant poPu'
latioa, and with all the appliances in the
way oi plant, money transportation, skilled
Labor, etc, etc, necessary 10 supply our
r selves with about all the manufactured
goods. and in fact everything which We
need for the supply Of all our daily wants
WHILE THE COUNTRY WAS NEW
and We we're importing goods from abroad
10 make up for the lack Of capacity OF our
own manufacturers and other producers
the prices which obtained were naturally
those which were current abroad, plus the
] cost Of transportation, and what other load
? ING came from the tariff and convenience
3 d. for
payment OF higher wages, and 10 this lac
the influx OF population in this country
may largely be attributed. Nov, as one
industry after another reaches POM
where il can supply the wants OF the wnol'
country prices receje. The tOTeiga article
. i first shut out OF the market, and then d
- fierce competition springs up among th'
! different home concerns with III" effect
snll further reducing prices. Pnces are
not reduced except when trade is dull
WHEN TRADE Is Dull.
with industries employing labor largely q
! yraat many men are out OF employment
consequently, when prices are reduced Il
always happens that prices oil labor are re
y ducs2. Now It seems 10 mo that With tn,
advent OF oatter times, wages will 80 In
proye with some OF the Industries rs Il
= silence a great deal of the present com
plsipt but with others, and these VIII
J. lsrrzIv be manufacturers. trade VII! hardly
l. improve enough to keep them fully EN-
o plovsj The tendency Ct pricss and o.
;; wa9es will be permanently lower until OIL
4 coets ri proiuction are reduced to the POM
q Inst will sllow of expectation in competi
ton with foreign goods. Then We ma
. hone to maiutsjn wages Ct that point
whatever it is Holding these views,
! think that there will De
a MORE AND MORE DIFFICULTY
in the management OF labor. snd that ouT
9 ropulstion will become more and NOR,
q turbulent The trouble is 100 deep to bf
# reached By any change of method IN deal
n inyw,th labor. l. i7 utterly beyond the
= control o! capital as ANYTHING can be
I And the trades unions are utterly lusuitl
; Gent in coping with it. | can now answer
ID YOUR direct questions |. Theoretically,
!, .hould say no But 1t will be almost I'M
: possible to prevent them so long as mar
/ sets nuctuate and thereby increase anc
r diminish the demand for labor. , dt
e. not believe that arbitration can be com
= DIo,e remedy for the differences betweeI
0 ,.aD;t,l and labor The price OF labo
r. n1st be governed By the demand and sup
) DIV and this principle will assert itself II
n snite of every effort, either OF employers
smDloyes, or a-oitrators Arbitration,
sen.ibla will recognize the fact, and IN 81
far as it decides in accordance with IT, l
- will better matters. Bat that is the tarth
es. extent to which it can 60 Z. do no
,, see how The
=, RELATIONS BETWEEN CAPITAL ANP LAHo'
can in any general way be other than tina
of emuloTer and employ, Nor do | Sc
y how auy man who is char ID WITH the EN-
ploymant of labor can SCI any rule D
i Tbicb 10 be Governed in settling rates 0
~ wages except the market price |. l th'n'
moi. in any large sense. have seen co
4 operative establishments flourish IN stu"
y, way aud Tor limited time. But my on
y sergation has been to the effect that asa
J, from, the difficulty which the lack OF capita
,, implies them lack the most lmPortan
-, element OF proper business training an
!, ere so Jealous and suspicious OF each oin'
q that they make too many changes OF pohc
y; and of management to succeed see n
= hope Of any immediate improvement l
,g that respect. Th4 best OF the men are COZ
stantly descEting from their ranks to tax
their places in the ranks of the capitalist
This will always be so and the progress
q cooperation will be retarded accCrdingl.
er ). Ii have not sufficiently answered
5 ready, ! should say that it was not
lie the present time, except in Z small va
,r and under special circumstances.
: JOHN \. GIBNEY,
= s. louis, No, general sales agent Be
=, mont Nail Company, says
:, NJ; but they are likely to continr
~ features until a better understanding
~ ~ cached as 70 the duties Of capital as We
* "a laIor. We hear too much OF the rlgh
Of capital and the rights Of labor. Bo
bsr. important rights, il Is true, but Il
gTea, stress upon them is calculated to pr
% 5nce strained relations. The contra
4 aTY1fR A