Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-02-08

I never seen a finer Teller than that Curran but he's forgot all about the wrongs and rights he used to holler so purity about. There's no chance for us in any mans mercy: we must depend on ourselves"
 At this very moment Philip Breton was pressing the little brass bell on his counting room table For an answer his paymaster his hand.
 'sDo we pay our help enough?"
 A thousand eager voices would have shout ed a no to him that would have shaken the foundations of stone, but MT. Jennings, the paymaster, put his pen behind his ear, took it down. looked keenly at it, then in surprise at the young mill owner. ..-.
 ''We can get 1000 as good for the same, if that is what you mean" An, what chance have the poor mills people, when the young master choo es such a3 yisers as this7
 'No,n said Philip, slowly. "It isn't ex- actly what I mean; can we raise the wages?r
 ''Can you; why yes, I suppose you can step right into the mills and give S1OO bill to every hand. But you couldn't afford to do that thing long, and I don't think it would do anybody any good. wouldn't assume to advise you, sir, but why not just as we'll go up street and insist on paying fancy price for your fourg'
 
 we give them? And what a life it is at that" suggested Philip, sadly. Apparently he had not quite forgotten them.
 ''No doubt, no doubt!" repeated the pay master with the querulousness of. his class, 'but is there any sense in putting ill your or my fiat? You can't make a ninety cent laborer worth dollar and a quarter by giv ing it to him. You insult him and damage business by making it all uncertain with the gratuitous element"
 ''I see you don't believe in benevolence, my dear Jennings" and Philip smiled curiously.
 ''Yes, I do, for sick people and paupers, but if you don't want to make paupers of every body you mustn't"-
 But am not pauper, and never earned penny in my life till few months ago" Philips eyes flashed at a sudden revelation.
 But, ah-but that is different Drop that then. To make our cloth there are number of expenses; there is the mill and the ma- chinery, the money locked up in fabrics and material. These are fixed; you don't think it your duty to pay extra prices for raw ma terial nor make a gratuity with every dollar you spend on machinery, no matter how poor the man that sells to you. Now comes an other element, labor. That should be as fixed as the rest and all calculations based on it's market price. When you go to market with your cloth you don't ask any gratuity, nor does the buyer claim any; the price is fixed better than the caprice of @ moment could fix it. The element of labor enters into the cost. The difference between the cost and price is your profit. If labor stands you in it's mar let price your profit will reward your efforts, and it will pay you to keep up your mill If you paid higher wages your profits would be small; you would give up your enterprise and all would suffer-"
 1T didn't know you could be so eager. But supposing they tell me my profit is too large, that my labor pays me so we'll ought to make it up to them." The young proprietor vas looking musingly out of the window where the autumn wind was chasing the .usset leaves i'll savage glee. Mir. Jennings, he paymaster, had reached the door, but waited moment to clinch his argument.
 'Then if you lost money your help ought Q contribute. But it might not be at all heir fault that you lost, any more than it is 70 their credit you succeed Their labor in quantity and quality would be just the same. What reason in changing it's valuation? No, am sure there is but one way, to measure the value of your labor as you do everything ,lse, by what it will bring"
 ''Not quite everything" said Philip; but he aid it so low the argumentative Jennings did AAO closing his door:
 'sPlease send in the overseer of Mo- weave room"
 It was but few moments during which Philip did not move from his seat, before the overseer came in, strokipg his apron defer sntially.
 ''Mr. Bright, the men and girls complain; hey say they ought to be paid by the day .nstead of by the piece"
 tWhich ones complain? The lazy ones, I guess. Why surely, MT. Breton, it wouldn't oe right to pay the best weaver and the poor est the same"
 "Why not2' asked Philip, with unchanged features watching the look of astonishment that shone on the mans round fat face 'Why not, if we paid them all the highest price2'
 ''Well 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 hem. It would be poor way to encourage hem to be smart"
 "Does Graves work in your room:'
 'Yes, but he is just going out for this nornin'-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 in. He turned on him as if he was going to 10 violence to ms VlSlCOr, but It was only q question he hurled at him.
 sWhat do you think ought to be changed in the milla Speak up now, and let me know your mind"
 ''I think we work too hard for our pay, then," drawled the laborer, but his mind was ill an unusually excited condition.
 "That is because the public want such goods as ours SO cheap"
 ''Theres 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 can't 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 ill our hearts and joys, you be sure" Graves looked at the young man to see if he might go on, but he could not read his masters face. He hesi tated moment and then he continued
 ''There aint poor bent girl in the mill but might live life so happy it would make strong man cry to think of it. We arc ot more account than your machinery. Nc beltin' or patent self acting springs could dc our work; it 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 aint fairly paid till we gets, the weakest of us, taste of the sweet things in this world we have longed for so long. I don't care what yer wise book men says" Was the young proprietor angry,