New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-18
LOW WAGES OR HIGH WAGES
WHICH?
WHAT WORKERS REALLY NEED
From The Weekly Tribune, June 10. 1901.

A resident OF Lynn, Mass, Wrloes 10 i"o
Tribune in comment upon the Mckinney oip VI
which he does not wholly approved ana maRes d ~
mari, which deserves attention. The tone OIL mo
,ettet Is courteous. and perhaps IL viii he as well
70 omit his name from this reply to what ne says
but his remark should not be allowed 10 pass I'M
noticed He makes the following suggestion as
the solution of OUR present business rouoles'
nWbat the business men. farmers and laborins
men need is steady employment. Now, steady
work OF low wages Is much better tnah nisn
uabps with unsteady employment"
This Is remark often made nowadays by o
c,oss Of men whom meet In various parts OF the
country have no acquaintance with our CORES
yrlent md not the least idea as to his occupation
or nosition in the business world. His WORDS
are however. identical with those OF men ire
ourntv meet. who think that constant toll OF 10"
prices is the desired end to be aimed at IN 'ne III
dustrial world My observation is. that Sucn re-
marks are made only by men who ore wiling
TO get gain from the work Of other people "i'nouV
regard to the comfort Of those who do the WORK
never heard practical farmer make snch a
remark for two reasons. Farmers have WORK
enonqh all the time they can always find enough
IN 40. Secondly, because they know that low
wapes mean low prices for what they grow. Any
sensible farmer will tell you that he prefers TO pay
o,od ,yaoes for his help and get good prices for
his produce.
never heard a workingn11ah make such q
| statement, because Inever met one who did not
| think that good. fair wages FOR his work was an
element which entered largely into bis own happi-
moss I never yet found workingman who
seemed to comprehend the idea that he could
profit by low wages If they would only Leu hlm
work LONGER each day and more days In each year
There may be o sort of deep significance In such q
statement os steady work at low wages" bat 1t
Is so decd TINT it invariably escapes the observe
| ton Of the average laborer Somehow such q
statement carries no real conviction to his mind
/ AGAIN. I never heard such remark from
arv manufacturer who takes broad view of
/ this question and who has the well-beng and
/ hnopiness of his work-people at heart. No man
sbonld employ other men who will not guard
their well-being as sacredly as he will his own
What would our correspondent think Of a work.
ineman who would assert that what the world
needs is d set of manufacturers, who Will run
their mills constantly and pay high wages whether
there are any profits or not, and that it is better
| for manufacturers 10 run constantly, even at
loss. than to run on high prices only few weeks
ut a time That position Is as tenabie as the one
| he takes.
| Let me state what, it seems TO me, business
I men, farmers and laboringmen need. All OF theu
| need full employment at fair wages. Good fali
! prices for the products Of the farm make farmers
| nrosperons and enable them to pay their hell
| GOOD. fair wages. Good, fair prices for the
products of shop and factory enable business mer
| 10 nav good, fair wages to their workmen anc
| should leave them a fair return for their OWL
| time and capital invested, md they should always
! be satisfied with foir profit. Steady employ
ment at good wages gives the laborinS men means
! with which TO purchase the products Of the farm
the shop, and tie factory, and so make steady
employment possible. In short, good wages fol
| people who work and constant employment al
I Good wages is the key to the whole sltuotion
H. makes little difference how constantly o mar
| labOrs If you keep his wages each week az t9'
! starvation point just barely enough to keep podN
| and soul together for himself and his famuy
! He ceases TO be q general consumer, indeed liz
oet5 40 surplus of wages with which 70 DuS
! ordinary comforts Lack of consumption is "a
| IMPORTANT an element ia producing glut III The
! markets, which leads to low prices as Is over
| production -. a.
| Anv economic system based On the Statement
| ~ orr correspondent will end. Of necessity, II
tbe DEGRADATION OF labor and the ruin Of the work
| iTG classes ANY system that produces cheal
| mon mud cheap women must lead TO misery anC
| want II we can so manage that the 3O.QO0;O0'
! of working people in the United States shol p'
| constantly employed at good wages then all th'
| other conditions necessary for prosperous PEG
| nle will follow as q matter of course. Constant
| work for little pay may be the best we can q
| for culprits in our pcnitentiares but II should
| hardly be limited at as the thing our entire PEG
| Me need r. G. HORR.