Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-11-02
POLITICAL COMM NT.


The rewards of Labor
| There are journals and spe akers whose de-
| sire 10 be entirely fair. aud In tone perfectly
impartial betrays them into great Injustice
In discussion OF the tariff question. la or der
TO be fair, and to impress others with their
fairness they are disposed 20 conccde those
claims OF their opponent which they are least
able TO reluie, and SO many of them begin 10y
admitting that wages In ''tho SO industr.e q
which are not projected" are not affected by
the tariff. A greater injustice to the cause OF
| protection could hardly be done.
| That the matter may be examined with the
utmost fairness, a few first principles should
| be recognized at the outs ct. These will be
admitted by every honest reasoner, and all
fair dispute VIII turn upon their application
to the question at issue Thus:
], Increased dema nd for labor, as for anv
commodity. tends to advance prices. IL
there is no ch ange in the supply Of the COM
modify or OF labor, the increased demand
viii certainly produce an advance.
2. A relatively small excess OF demand over
supply tends to produce a relatively large ad-
vance in price. Thus Tooke's history Of
prices showed that an excess of one-tenth in
the demand as compared with the supply of
its pricc in Great Britain.
3 So when comparatively small number
OF labOrers are required, but are not 10 be
found except by taking them from some other
kindred occupation 10 which the men have
been accustomed, those who consent To change
demand a considerable increas. in wages.
Those who refuse, also. insist upon cODsid-
cradle Increase as the price OF their refusal.
The places OF those who consent have to be
filled from other less paid empoyments, and
~ la IN ha i'm MI dam nd M.
siderable increase for the change; also, those
" ho refuse demand a considerable increase.
Thus the Impulse OF moderate increase in
the demand for labor extends gradually
throughout the whole field.
An adequate duty on tin plates, for Ill u.s.
traton, would make 1t poss bic 10 produce
100000 tons or more in this country. now pro-
duced elsewhere. This would create de-
mand for labor here 10 do that work. Better
wages must therefore be offered to skilled
iron workers. mechanics, miners and unskill-
ed laborers In large number, and this would
tend TO advance the wages OF others who
should remain in their present occupations.
To Till the places OF those who may 20 into
the new works others must be drawn from
still other branches OF labor-from mechanl-
cal, manufacturing or agricultural employ
ments The men induced to change would
want better wages than they nov receive. The
men who refuse would also want better
wages. So certain impulse upward would
Great NJ a new demand for labor IN one.
In the same way duty repealed, or so re-
duced that products now made here can be
more cheaply imported, must Of necessity
lessen the demand for labor here in that oc-
cupatioD. The men therein employed must
seek work elsewhere. In order 10 get II, In
preference 10 other workers. they must pro-
pose To- work at considerably lower wages.
The men who consent 10 remain In these
other employments in their turn, must con.
sent TO accept lower wages. So distinct
downward impulse is given 10 wages in all
employments by lessenei demand for labor
In any.
How much reduction will a man consent 10
accept in order TO avo d entire loss o. emp oy-
mentl Often, just as much as he can bear,
retaining barely enough 10 live on. So the
tendency Ia TO depress wages out OF all pro-
portion To the numb n Of laDorers left unem-
ploved. In like manner, when a few new
workers are required, each man will ask all
he Can get. The tendency then Is to advance
wages out Of all proportion 10 the number of
new workers required. The entire supply Of
work daily. A demand for twentv-one mill on
may raise wages, just as the demand for
Jer cent more than the whole supply OF wheat
would raise the price of the entire supply.
Every candid man must recognize these facts,
and must therefore admit that, other things
being equal, a new duty that protects must
tend TO advance all wages while the repeal
or reduction Of duty that protects must
tend to depress all wages -NeU York
Tribune