The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1892-11-03

SnetSt )IONluCNlOl Ill 1dlldlld Is also
on cooperative principles.
In this also, little capital is needed,
and the other conditions of produc-
ton and sale are equally simple.
But the principle cannot be applied
generally.
Where, then, is the remedy for the
imperfection of the "Wage system
to be found? do not believe in any
Morrison's pill Neither do | be
lieve that the resources of Christian
civilization are exhausted. The evo-
luton of man has been going on,
and will be going on until we
hear the great voice out of |
the throne saying: Behold the |
tabernacle of God is with men, and |
he shall dwell with them, and they
shall be his people; and God himself |
shall be with them, and be their |
God" Whatever solution may be
proposed, the rights of the indivi-
dual must be recognised; that is the
rights of the capitalist, the director
of industry, the skilled and unskilled
workman. But the rights of society
are as sacred as those of the indivi-
dual, and also must be recognised.
Individual freedom and state inter
ference must be recognised. SO must
the laws of economics and the prin-
ciples of Christianity.
First, then, we start from the wage
system as a basis. Except where
voluntary cooperation is practica-
BILE, free contract and freedom to
combine are the postulates of indi-
vidualism. The advance upon sla-
very and serfage which wages indi-
cate must not be lost. But no poll
teal economist of repute now holds
that workmen cannot possibly get
more than the amount in so-called
wages fund" There is no wages
fund. There are necessary charges
connected with all production and
distribution of wealth, among which
are wages that must be paid at the
market rate. And when all charges
have been met, the profits should be
divided equally between employers
and employed. In other words, the
employed cannot be regarded only
as part of the charges, or as mere
"hands," classed with horses and
machinery, and other charges.
The rights in equity of every in
dividual connected with the bust
ness must be recognized if the wage
system is to last. And mere ad-
vance in wages cannot measure these
rights, for the human element in
labor is different in kind from every
other element, and the more it is in
troduced in the quality of the
poduct the better. The wage
system then must be supplemented
by protit-sharing. 1t is said that in
some lines of business there are no
profits, and that in others there are
losses. In the latter case the wages
cannot be recovered any more than
the other charges. Where there are
no profits division cannot be made
How to satisfy the workman that
there are no profits, or if the bust
ness is to continue wages must be
reduced, are difficulties not beyond
solution. When the principle of
profit-sharing is acted on men will
certainly do better work, fewer bosses
will be needed, more labor-saving
inventions will be made, and the
workers will be ready to submit, when
necessary, to reduction of wages.
At the same time, the evils that
wrecked cooperative schemes will
be avoided. Capitalists and directors
will have their dues, right of control
and remuneration proportioned to
capacity, and share profits.
In protitsharing | see bit of
solid ground rising out of the I'M
| rI,iat | ,ln,- fools hot - hoe
rights in equity as well as in law,
and though rights in equity are al
ways indefinite, they can and must
be recognized. How then shall we
secure the acknowledgment of these
rights and how shall we secure that
the workman shall hereafter be not
juggled out of them? To define and
enforce them by statute would be
full of danger, but wherever an in
dustry accepted the principle and
embodied it in a plain form, why
should its books not be inspected by
Government officials? The great
difficulty will be to induce employers
and companies to accept the princi-
pie. The progress may be slow, but
the rate will depend upon the reality
of our Christianity, and on the sue
cess of the establishments which try
the experiment. 1t is being tried
now in different countries and gen
/. orally with success. Clearl y the only
objection to this proposal will come
from capitalists who consider that
they are entitled to all the profits.
But if the principle is sound, and
the only objection to it is from
human greed, why should not the
Church assert the principles? 1t is
not enough to preach sermons de-
nouncing Nabal. David's men had
no legal claim against that ancient
capitalist, They only had a claim
in equity, but Nabal would not
acknowledge that. With all the in
science and fancied security of
wealth, he asked, "Shall / take my
bread and my water and my flesh,
J and give it unto men whom | know
not whence they be-" Our working
men are not interested in Nabals
who died 1000 years ago, if we can
not apply this story to the Nabals of
to-day. They do not think much of
churches that blow trumpets in
honor of men who three or four