The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-30
The Sliding scale.


A sliding scale usually has a maximum and
minimum Tie Eaen and ihs owners agree
that under no circumstances shxu the pay by
the piece os estimated On lover price than 8
certain -1iniDu2 Or on = higher price than 3
fixed maximum That q. thst IL the owners
and men sEree that tie uaea shall not, under
say e-.e1E1staness. oe paid less than 80 much .
ton. they should &c. that minimum pay. no
lnas,s- how low The price Of iron might fall in
tie market; and, il return fo- this concession
OF the owners. Il TIE price rises above the maxi
IuE the ownc-s viii no: correspondence have
10 increase vsgeS. Or. 30 apply sne siraiie sail
further 20 street Car companies, the owners
might agree that tie wages should be based on
the receipt Of isrss between $ and Is day.
When the reeslp; ssrs only a the men would
&c. - much pay As ii the receipts were s., while
II the recsi p.s were SD they would GET 20 more
than II they were IS
sliding scale Of pay Is one form q profit
sharing, So IL gives the workman hxed pro-
portion Of fas selling price OF the product
How inst proportion SHAH De divided - geae.-
SLY hxe1 oy the WORK men themselves. Wa.
the owners consider most 10 the total cost -
Them per ton Of labor. To turn ont ;ae finished
products number % different kinds .. vark-
men are eynployed. sa3 the sum total OF iheir
PSF Is the COS. Of labor 20 the owners That
sum total the owners naturally want % keep
down an she wo-Kuea v2aI - increase Ye,
ity q the wo-kms1 II il ihei- dividing IL
among themselves they should change their
own shares 50 thsi tas red aetio1s woa. i tsu on
the worS'nea IL some departments and nct OF
TIE w0rklea ii others IN tie same way, If
the manufacturers. instead % the wo-knen's
associations. should prepare ths detailed scala
Q! wages, they might make Changes which
would re3Uca Ehs total cost OF lsoor ~ decre@s.
ing ;ae p.y o. the higa-prieed wo-kmsa win.
CIT affecting the o.hArs
/. hss been customary IN the iron and steel
business tcr t1e wo-ADea 20 Dc pAid on $ slid
Ing scg4e. based OF Gas price .. some standard
article Manufactured This criterion may Re
steel rails, steel o5l-srs, pig iron. - Scyvhlny
else Of standard demand II large quantities. Il
would oe too complicated - have separate
Aiding scale fer every article Of manufacture,
HID some standard article has teen taken IS TIE
measure 81 va-ue 81 the others. though the
pr2ces o. tie o;hers may a0s and rars-y 60 Use
SC1 ts-l - sISc. rata.
Both Ire manufacturers and ths wo-Knea
adopted Eha sliding scale ID prevent constant
labor troubles Tie p-4ee o. iron sa5 steel
products ale.2asss greatly, and under system
q pay ~ the day or piece iAs worknen
were constantly striking, % ges higher
wages when 1ae market price went cp o. 70
prevent 5 rsc action n their wages whs2 the
Easrke: p,iee fell The warADsn cid not think
y was lar tAa; sasy should he pad no more
S1Sa re pF1ee rose. SE3 s2s Ils201SctErS-S
naturally sought ~ rsiacS wages when sce mar
kst r-los % Ihe.r pcodacI fell Tie result was
SUCCESSION oi s!-lk=s sad lockcDts, sGca events
taxing p-scs S; almost every DSterial slse-s
ten = the market pg.esL
Twas thus ina; tie sliding scala came - be
adopted, a21 It's workings, though " NJ means
wholly satisfactory. have been productive lof
fewer strikes than tAe Cd system There rsgely
IS troao!e w1ea The Easrks; price Is higa. as tAs
->sna-Act1rers profits increase =! TIE sane Iir1s
t1e wo:k1aen's wages IncrsSse Recently TIE
market p--cs has aSsa vibrating around TIE
minimum .: tie siding scz.s. sG1 a. tie tine
q tie HOMESTEAD loekoaF il was below Ire min
lE1Urc. - tAst the we-kEea we're pSt1 IL the
sale : gteE than the market pr.cs o. Eas pro
duet TIE manufacturers sought - leweE tee
minimum - ~ so make the workman share II
re reduction below tie minimum market prics
al sae ssz-s- TAis Vas one OF tie To-21s ~ con.