St. Paul daily globe., 1888-02-13
THE LABOR SCALE.

1t is difficult to understand why there
should not be the cleareSt understand
ing among those directly concerned re-
garding the proposition advocated by
the GLOBE that employers and en-
ployes agree upon scale of wages be-
fore the building season begius. 1t is
equally ineXplicable why there should
be so little disposition evinced in some
quarters to give the matter adequate
consideration. Ordinarily men are
quick to adopt suggestions which would
obviously rebound to their personal adj
vantage. The advantages which would
accrue 10 both employers and employed
through the adoption of a definite scale
are so manifest that further elaboration
OF them seems almost ridiculous. The
criticism that the remuneration of labor
is regulated by the market rate, and
that. therefore, an established scale is
unnecessary, is puerile. Of course the
market rate controls the price of labor.
But what is to prevent the market rate
from suddenly rising when con-
tractor is half through with his
work, the estimate for which was
based upon the prevailing rate of
months before, when the contract was
entered into9 Then, too, looking at it
from the standpoint of the workmen,
what is to prevent an employer who
suddenly finds he has underestimated
from discharging his men, hired at the
market rate, and employing others at a
less price to complete work half fin
ished? If all the labor needed for a
certain work could be purchased at one
time and one price, just as all the lum-
Der needed is estimated upon, then
there would be no trouble. Both en-
ployers and employees would.be satisfied.
That is just exactly what would be
brought about by the adoption of a
wages scale. The wOrkmen would
place value for definite time upon
their service and the contractors would
have to accept it. Neither could take
advantage of the other. 1t ought
not to make any difference to
the contractor In making his
estimates, and before the contract is let,
mind you, what price he has to pay for
labor, any more than it makes any differ
CuCC W hlIH NlldO pilCc ilc pays I0f
lumber. As to the equally puerile criti-
cism that the strike of last summer was
caused by difference of opinion re-
garding hours and not wages, the faulti-
ness of the statement is at once appar-
ent. If mechanic receives say so cents
an hour, it is certainly a matter which
affects his wages if he works nine hours
instead of eight. AS to poor workman
receiving the same wages as good one
under the fixed scale, that is a matter
each employer can determine for
himself. He is not bound to keen
the poor workman any longer than
is necessary to find a good work
man to take his place. 1t is sig
niicant fact that the workmen appar-
emily have more marked disposition to
arrange scale than the employers have
to agree to one, though the interests Of
both are Identical. 1t is to be feared
that the Importance of this question is
underestimate. 1t should not be. 1t
is one in which the city at large, as well
as the contractors and woIkmen, has an
interest. Such strike as the disas-
trouS one of last year must be avoided
at all hazards, and the only way it can
be done is in the adoption of a fixed
scale of wages, to be binding until the
cease of the building season.