The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-11-18
All Work Is Both Mental and
Physical.
REMUNERA ALTON.
Professor Plehn Explains the Two
Economic Forces and Their Re-
lations to Each Other.

an interesting one to large majority of
this worlds in habitants, was treated In a
most interesting manner by Professor G.
G. Pehn, in the fifth lecture of the uni
yersity course on political economy, which
was delivered at the Mark Hopkins Art
Building last evening.
Labor was defined as being ''the exer-
ton of human beings directed toward an
economic end" and its different forms
were stated to be discovery and invention,
acquisition or appropriation of free raw
products of nature. the production of raw
materials by directing nature, as in agr-
culture, ETC., manufacturing raw material
into higher forms, transportation, which
gives place value. exchanging products
and services which supply the wants OF
man without material means, such as
giving instruction, directing the labor OF
others, making laws, etc. Labor of all
kinds is both mental and physical as in
the simplest form, such as stone-break king,
physical labor is required To break the re-
sisting body and mental labor is required
to direct the hammer rightly. and in cOmpn-
sition. which seems purely mental, physic
labor is needed To move the pen
The quantity of labor force depends on
the size of the population, the length of
the worklng-days ana holidays taken he
ing also considered. Longer hours, the
lecturer said. generally result in poorer
and less labor. since the worker becomes
overtired, and holidays, when not too fire.
Quent, are beneficial.
The quality of labor influences directly
the quality of labor force, and is itself in
f1uenced by the moral habits and intelli-
geDce Of the laborer. On the favorable or
unfavOTable relation of the lebOrer 10 the
products of his labor also depends both
- -.
wages produce, as rule, better work and
more of it than lower wages, which tend
to make laborers Indifferent and careless.
Division OF labor, one of its forms of
organization, has many advantages, one of
which is that by letting number of men
each do certain part of the work on some
article it can be manufactured more Cheap
~ and probably. as there is no lost
motion" and great skill Is ACQUIRED in the
different departments. A great evil of
such division is that it makes the work
mans life too mou0tonouS and units him
for other occupations.
'The giant undertakings of modern
times, however" said the professor, re
Quire so great division of labor and in
yolve so many dark sides that we are apt
TO lose sight of the advantages and sigh
for the old guild system with its jolly ap-
prentices. its skilled journeymen and
famous masters. where every workman
D.
port himself and his family wherever he
went"
Composition OF labor, which is the
unity of several persons in one act for the
sake of greater strength or power was
touched upon briefly. ana the methods of
industrial remuneration were next consid-
cred, the positions and powers of en-
ployer, foreman and laborer being de-
fined at length. The wage system. which
is the purchase by one man or set of men
OF the work of another man or set of men,
was divided into six kindS--time, piece,
task, progressive, collective and co-opers-
tive. Each of these was shown to have its
advantages and disadvantages, and no one
of them met The hearty approval OF the
speaker, although he said that where an
employer deals with a group instead of in
dividuals the results are generally more
satisfactory. as the men, equally interest
ed In the results of their work, exercise
mutual supervision. which is beneficial.
and an immense advantage would be
gained if it were possible to leave the or
gauiZatiOp of individual groups to the
members of that group.
The evil of ''sweats' comes from the
fact that the 'sweated" people are under
the dominion of self-elected oYerseer,
whose wages come directly from their
work, or, in other words, from the profit
In the job, so that the harder he can force
them to work the higher his wages will be.
The cause OF wages was stated TO be
labor, the source Of wages tie product.
AS to what determines the amount of
wages there have been many opinions.
The law which socialists and labor agita
tors quote in part. calling it enormously
the iron law of Ricardo" says: "The
natural price of labor is the price which is
necessary 10 enable the laborers one with
another to SubSist and perDetuate their
race without increase or decrease, accord
ing to the standard of comfort prevalent
among them at given place and time"
This last clause is omitted by those who
call the law 'ron." and without it 1t
seems so, indeed.
This question as to the amount of wages
has not yet been satisfactorily answered.
but on one side wages must sustain life or
work ceases, and on the other the figure
will, up to that point where higher wages
would begin to discourage business bv
decreasing profits, be set by the laborer's
standard Of life. Causes that tend to
break the laborer's spirit. such as dire
poverty, etc, tend to lower wages. All
that, gives pride. ambition and courage.
tends to elevate them. Wages, however
are again limited by the capital available
to employ labor.
In conclusion Professor Plehn spoke
very feelingly of the many wrongs of the
working classes. and urged the necessity
of forming public opinion tn sympathize
with the lab0rer and the ACCESSIBILITY of
temperate agitation 10 awaken
the sometimes dormant ambition, hope and
courage, which will help a man, however
humble his position in life, TO rise to no.
bier things.
The next lecture will deal with capital
and interest and the theories of the Ans.
TRAN school.