Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-07-28
MR.. ATKINSON ON EARNINGS OF CAPT
tai AND LABOR.

from numerous other reports and calcula-
| lions the correctness of which is estab-
lished.
Atklnson's propositions are: The annual
product of year is the source of all
profits and earnings, and is the result of
the joint application of labor and capital
In this product or its, distribution or con-
sumption, all take part who engage in
gainful occupations. These are fraction
less than one in three of the popula-
ton. The gains of the workers aided to
the capital Of the country aggregates a
large sum; but, with few exceptions
it is small in each individual case The
majority spend their lives in getting liv-
ing. These working classes now receive
for their own use and consumption 80 per
cent. of the total amount of the product of
the country. Therefore capital can secure
of the annual product but ten per cent.
The workers secure, subject to temporary
fluctuations in each ten years, an increas-
ing share of constantly increasing pro-
duct or its equivalent in money.
Mr.. Atkinson assures us that no one could
have been more surprised than himself to
find the mathematical facts producing
these results. He holds that if his con-
illusions can be proved, that a wholesome
discomfort with the narrow conditions of
life may be directed to the promotion of
greater abundance, higher wages. shorter
hours Of work and better conditions of life.
Mr.. Hawley admits that the commercial
product for say the year 1880 was S9,000,-
100000, and that 80 per cent. of it, or
SIS, l00,O0O,000 was the wage or salary fund.
But he holds that the sum remaining over
this wage or salary fund which passes over
to capitalists and property owners and is
added to the capital of the nation, is much
greater than Atkinson estimates. The lat
ter holds it to be about $40 per capita of
the population on an average product of
$500 worth of all commodities in a normal
year. The former holds that there is
$4,000, 100000 worth of service rendered
by professional men, domestic servants,
men of wealth and others, and by horses
used for pleasure, railways when not oc-
cupied for business, ETC., which have no
material basis. The value of these sery-
ices he adds to the sum of the products.
and assigns that additional amount to
profits.
Mr.. Atkinson's reply is trenchant when
he asks how one can make profit out of
services of servants, driving pleasure
horses or riding in pleasure cars? He
adds that he includes all such services in
the entire production of the year, and
that it does not then exceed in value 5000
per capita on the average of population
that from the part of production mo mat
ter what it isl that enters into commerce
(held by him to be 90 per cent of the
whole all wages, taxes, profits and pay
ment for all services or earnings must be
derived, including payment for professional
and personal service, and the service of
wealth as well-unless previously accumu-
lated capital enters into the consumption
of given year without being reproduced,
which would be disastrous.
In brief, Mr.. Atkinson by series of
calculations worthy the earnest attention
of the thoughtful, maintains that the COM
mercial value of the product of 1880 was
S9,000,O00,000, or, with $40 added for con-
sumption on farms, is 5000 worth per cap
tia, and that the average income or pro-
duct Of all at work, rich and poor, is worth
5000 year, to be distributed as wages,
profits and taxes; that not exceeding ten
per cent. of the product Of any year is or
can be set aside, accumulated or main
tanned that wealth is in this country very
much more evenly and widely distributed
than anywhere else; that the wage receiv-
ers, small farmers, or those who are in the
position of the employed rather than the
on moderate salaries save at
least one-half of all the capital which has
been saved; that the other half may per-
haps be traced TO the capitalists or to the
in whose hands it is the most
potent force in production; that if the
share OF the annual product which is now
secured by capitalists to be added to their
own capital, were evenly distributed
among all who do the work, as great dis
parity would continue to exist in the con-
ditions Of the working classes as now. He
holds that it follows that the trade union
ist is illogical, as his object is to secure
larger share of the annual product
TO his particular trade than now comes
to the members of that trade, and this
can only be accomplished at the cost of
some other trade; and as capital leaves
an art unless it can earn the average
of profits In other occupations, it fol-
lows that the trade unionist cannot get
any large advance on the customary rate
for his particular trade, at the expense of
capital.