Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1888-03-17

The difference between the cost and price is
your profit. If labor stands you in its mar
ket price your profit will reward your q&orts,
and it viii pay you to keep up your MY II
you paid higher wages your profits would be
small; You would give up your enterprise
and all would suffer-
II didn't know you could be SO eager. But
surprising they tell me my profit is too large,
that my labor pays mo SO well ought to
make il up 10 Them The young proprietor
was looking musingly out Of the window
where the autumn wil,d was chasing the
russell leaves in savage glee Mr.. Jennings,
the paymaster, had reached the door, but
waited a moment to clnch his argument
Then If YOU lost money your help ought
to contribute. But ii might not he at all
their fault that you lost, any moro than II is
to their credit you succeed Their labor in
quantity AMI quality would DO just the same.
What reason in changing its valuations No,
/ am sure there Is but one way, TO measure
the value OF your labor as you do everything
else, by what it win bring
"Not quite everything said Philip; but he
said ii so low the argumentafive Jennings did
not near it, All he heard was just as he was
closing his door:
please send in the overseer of No. weave
roomn
1t was but few moments, during which
Philip did not move from his seat, before the
overseer came In, stroking his apron defer
entiaily.
,'Mr. Bright, the men and girls complain;
they say they ought to be paid by the day
instead of by the piece"
(which ones complaint The lazy ones,
guess. Why surely, Mr.. Breton, it wouldn't
be right to pay the best weaver and the poor
est the samen
"Why notgn asl.ed Philip, with unchanged
features watching tho look of establishment
that shone ON the mans round fat face.
'Why not if we paid them all the highest
pricefn
"Wcll sir, it wouldn't be a month before
bad and good would all be worth about the
same, and that as little as the poorest of
them. 1t would be poor way to encourage
them to be smart"
docs Graves work in your roomW
eyes, but he is just going out for this
mornin -his'---
"Send him in If you can find him. Philip
rose to his feet now, and was walking the
room impatiently when John Graves slouched
ill., He turned on him as if he was going to
do violence to his visitor, but it was only a
question he hurled at him.
''What do you think ought to be changed
in the milll Speak up now, and let me know
your mind.n
II think we work too hard for our pay
then,n drawled the laborer, but his mind was
In an unusually excited condition
"That is because the public want such
goods as ours so cheap"
"There's other things to cut on besides labor
forever and ever. Oh, no, ye can't buy poor
cotton, it would show in the cloth; ye canf
save on machinery, it would spoil yer sales;
but If we carders and weavers and spinners
be cut, it don't leave a mark on the cloth.
But it leaves deep gashes in our hearts and
joys, you be sure.n Graves looked at the
young man to see il he might go on, but he
could not read his masters face He hesi-
tated moment and then he continued
"There amt poor bent girl in the mill
but might live life so happy it would make
strong man cry to think of it. We are OF
more account than your machinery. No
beltin' or patent self acting springs could do
our work; il takes immortal souls, and intel
lects in the image of God TO do it. It's the
same sort of work you do and compare what
the two of us gets We amt fairly paid till
we gets, the weakest of us, a taste OF the
sweet things in this world we have longed for
so long / don't care what yer wise book
men says" Was the young proprietor angry,
he stood so grave and stillg What a changed
Time was when pity would have shone on
every line of his face But he might have
been a statue for all appearance Of melting in
him now.
81 pay you tho market price, as much as
the other mill owners"
Well, God nave mercy on his poor children,
If Philip Breton could make that excused
The man sat down without an invitation, and
leaned his brawny elbows ON the table.
'Now see here, you told me TO speak my
mind, and am agoin to. We are poor; we
amt got nothin'; we can't lay back and wait
for our price. We want somethin' TO eat
today; we come to you for work; we
must have work, if it only earns us
a loaf of bread. Is it right, then, to value
us at what we can be got forg III we could
haggle with We, and hang off the way little
ready cash lets a man do, there might be
some sense in 1t. But you never let as get
enough ahead for that It's work or so
hungry with u.s. The poorer we gets, the
tighter We can squeeze us, and l sometimes
wonder why ye gives us as much as ye do
s'pose man might live on a little less And
it's all business, as ye say"
Philip had seated himself, but he said
nothing. He had given the man the priv
ilege of his tongue, and he did not seem dis
posed TO stop him.
SIS the right pricn Of thing what man
II give for it, If they had the money, men
would give $1,000, 600 for a breath of air,
when they're stited. Would it be right to
pump Off the air. and then let it on at u, 0oO,-
600 a breathingl If you was drowning,
you'd give 81 100000 to be saved if it was
only to hold out a pole to yer. Is that fair
price for holdin' out polel We're staryin'
unless we can get bite to eat. Is it any
more right to bargain with us for life Of
hard work, for just enough toliye onl A man
wants somethin' more than food. He wants
to send his children to school, to get loaiin'
hour now and then, to make himself some
thin besides a brute. He wants-he wants
some such things and chances as you have.