Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1888-02-04

which they draw portion for their
own support, because, forsooth, pro-
duction precedes the market.
AS to payday preceding the mar
ket that is simply untrue, for the
funds from which wages are paid re-
present past labor and past DISPOSE
ton of labor's product even if the
actual cash paid out as wages has
been borrowed by the employers. 1t
still represents labor done and pro-
duet disposed Of.
And when the .Sun complains that
"most employees are probably pene-
trated with the truth" it is tanta-
mount to complaining because they
have intelligence enough to know
that their laboris the main factor in
society. 1t is necessary, in some
cases, to say that the word "labor,"
in the sense in which we use it, com
prehends all useful work by hand or
brain. The Interpolation seems to
be imperative in this instance.
Now, let us amuse ourselves with
the SIMS order of intelligence
again
ut will not do for employees to run
off with the idea that they do not get
their share Of the cost of production.
They, of course, get every penny of the
labor cost; and it is the chief difficulty
Of the employer, after he has taken the
product from their hands, to get some
thing more than this cost in return.
Sometimes he gets considerably more;
sometimes he gets sum equal to the
cost; but sometimes, and the incident is
more common than men suspect he gets
much less than cost. and then If he does
not become bankrupt it will be because
previous successes have supplied him
with the means of meeting the loss. I'm
der prevailing systems the employee is
dead load on the shoulders of the em-
ployer, and great many of those who
undertake to give employment can only
carry their burden in IA manner that
makes riding more uncomfortable than
going afoot."
But do employees run off with the
idea that they do not get their share
of the cost Of production? And if
they are possessed Of this idea, what,
for instance, does the Sun say to con-
trogort it? Why, "they get every
penny of the labor cost" Do they?
Does the Sim not know that the life
of the workers is shortened by long
hours of labor, insufficient food and
shelter, and unhealthy surround
ings? The force expended IN labor
is mt sufficiently compensated for,
and the result is disease and earl Y
death. Life assurance statistics,
though by no means showing the
full extent of labor's suffering, should
at least teach the Sun to be more
careful in It's statements. OF cours,,
the Iaborcr gets the full cost to the
employer Of his labor, but Me lab0rcr
must Pug darh IN the shape Of proM
every penny over and above the
mere cost of precarlous living.
And, mark you, Mr.. Dana, the
worker can never receive the full
value of his labor until he can
equitably exchange his labor force
for the labor force of others whose
products are necessary to life. And
that can never be done while the
industries of the world are controlled
by the mere brokers in labor's pro-
ducts-the proIit-mongers who con-
sumo but return nothing Of value to
society.
Capitalists know this. Dana knows
it.
In the face of this knowledge to
inslnuate that the employee is dead
load upon the shoulders Of the en-
ployer is simply audacious. How
long since are employers in the
habit of employing men who do not
give them more than value received?