The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-12-25

that brings incompetent persons il to
the conduct of business increases the
profits of the successful employers by
enhancing the price of goods. The
price of the whole stock of goods is
determined by the cost of production
of that portion of the supply which is
produced at the greatest disadvantage
THE LAB ,RgR's sHARE-wAGEs.
The three shares above mentioned
being cut off the product of industry,
the whole remaining b 'dy of wealth is
the property of the laboring class. s.
far as by their energy in work. their
economy in the use of materials, or
tLeir care in dealing with the finished
product, the value Of that product is
increased, that increase goes to them
by purely natural laws, provided only
competition be full and free. Every
invention in mechanics, every discov-
ery in the chemical art, no matter by
whom made, inures directly aud i'm
mediately to their benefit. Unless
monopoly for employers is created by
law, or unless by their own ne
elect of their own interests, no other
party can enter to make any claim on
the product of industry, nor can any
of these parties already indicated carry
away anything in excess of its normal
share, as hereinbefore defined -
Walker.
The only circumstances that deprive
labor of its just shares of the product
of industry, apart from negotiable
laws preventing freedom of exchange,
bad money, etc., are those produced
by the laborers themselves. Such are
imperfect competition and the i'm
mobility of labor arising from a strong
Discrimination to change occupation or
residence. The same bright authority
| have quoted above says of compeUi-
ton: ct is the operation of individual
self-interest. 1t implies that each man
acts for himself, solely, by himself,
solely, in order to get the n ost he
can from others, and to give the least
he must himself. Now, this may
seem very unamiable thing, yet,
rightly viewed, perfect competition
would seem to be the order of the
is the order of the physical universe,
nefcent in operation.
when we say that through compe-
tition one reaches his best market,
does this mean that in that way he
does best for himself alone? On the
contrary, when one reaches his best
market, he does not only that which is
best for himself, but that which is best
| for others. Re not only gets more
than by resorting to any other market,
| but in the very act of doing so, he gives
more also. If in that market his service
or commodity bears higher price than
elsewhere, this is of itself proof that
his service or commodity is there in
greater demand, more needed, than
elsewhere. Were he to resort elsewhere,
he would net only receive less himself,
but would satisfy lower want on the
part of others, leaving higher want
unsatisfed."
But the first three classes are educated
and bold; the laborer is unlearned and
timid about changing either masters or
work. Men often remain idle rather
than work at. something that is not
their trade, and many have an aver
sion, amounting almost to superstiti-
Gus dread, of removing to other local
tiles. Masters are always and every
where in sort of tacit bat constant
and uniform combination not to raise
the wages of labor above their actual
rate" adam Smith)
Strikes of themselves may be bad;
but they show that their participants
are, economically speaking, hopeful
subjects. Strikes mostly fail CT their
immediate object, but they teach
employers that there is possible
limit to the degradation of the
laborer. Yet, from the operation
of purely natural laws, as we have seen
above, the laborers have an advantage
over the other classes that, with
proper competition and mobility on
their part, would secure them against
injury.
The highest paid labor is not 50 paid
because of any liberality on the part of
the employer. but because of the hign
value of the product. The highest
paid labor is that which costs the en-
ployer least, for the employer will not
increase wages in the proportion that
the labor becomes more productive,
unless the laborer is in a position to
compel him to do 50. In comparing
the cost of constructing railroads in
india and England it was found that
though the Indian laborer received but
from 4d to sd day and the Englishman
over IS per day, the sub contracts IN
the two countries were let at the same
prizes. 1uuldu Sp1uueIS dI ~ pence q
week cannot make cottons so cheap as
English spinners receiving 20 shillings
a week. Russia protects her cheap
iron labor against The high-prioed labor
of England; and Germany, France.
Austria and Italy do the same thing
American laborers need fear no compe-
tition from their interiors (poorly paid
laborers); the competition of superiors
is to be feared. If our labor is better
paid than tnat of other countries, 1t is
only because our labor produces more
and because men of the wages
class can get all the fertile land they
can till by going to it. 1t is only in
those industries in which the law gives
the emplo yer an advantage through
comforting a monopoly on him that
wages are low; and even in this case the
laborers could seek other employment |
if they were not so committed to C, r
tain occupations that they think they |
would starye if they should venture |
out, or if they should undertake.
through cooperation, to get rid of |
their oppressor by commencing in the |
same business for themselves. If they |
could or would only do either of these
fmo fIi1os thav would roooiUo oil thaf !