The record-union., 1893-07-21
HIGHLY PAID LABOR.
When Wages are UnnaturaIIy Adj
vanced the Consumers suffer.

When Wages are UnnaturaIIy Adj
vanced the Consumers suffer.
The increasing numbers and Improv-
ing organization of trade unions is dis
cussed in the Engineering 4hdg0ziHe by
Lawrence Irwell, who finds in the ability
displayed in the formation OF such socie-
ties proof OF the capacity of the Anglo
Saxon race for all general purposes of
self-government. The title of his paper,
hOwever-"The Weak Points in Trade
UniOnism' - indicates that he finds
grounds for criticism.
Attempts on the part of labor organiza-
tions to permanently regulate wages are,
in the majority of cases, says the writer,
injurious to the best interests of the
workers themselves and 10 the we'll being
of the community. Whether a man
chooses to work eight hours a day or ten
is matter entirely under his own con-
troll: but whether his earnings shall be 50
or IS a day is outside his influence and
beyond that OF any com blnation OF work
ers, because it depends upon circum-
stances which cannot be regulated by in
dividuals, either alone or in a body
When attempts are made to secure higher
wages than are produced by the natural
process of supply and demand, with
the addition of the skill OF the worker
the outcome is Ill some instances utter
failure, and in others supposed success
which, when examined, shows that other
workers have been deprived OF a portion
OF the reasonable earnings to which they
were justly entitled.
Whenever uniOnism succeeds in keep
ing up higher rate of wages than natural
laws produce, the community of consume
ers pays the difference, and is therefore
the sufferer by the process. To the I'M
biased observer this system will VERY
closely resemble that of an import tariff
which assists one class the manutactur-
ers-at the expense of the rest of the
population.
In every case in which labor below A
certain rate of remuneration is prohibited
by any device the rate is kept above what
it would otherwise be by a simple system
OF protection. Let us imagine a case in
which the workers in some factory COM
bine to secure higher pay than before.
and the manufacturer, through the pres
sure OF contracts, or for other reasons.
eventually consents. The increased
wages do not come out of his profits, but
out OF the pockets OF those who purchase
his goods, because he will in the end re-
coup himself by raising the price of what
he sells; whether he does so at once or
not is quite immaterial. Eventually the
purchasers are Indirectly taxed for this
addition tc the earnings Of the operatives
in some one establishment
The chief process by which general
prosperity can he produced is by making
the necessities of life as cheap as possible
and by bringing various comforts within
the reach of every body; yet members of
neutrality-suspicious. frequently combine
to raise their own wages and to make
what they produce dearer to other work
ers. Could the labOrers in all industries
follow their example, all necessities
would be dearer than they are, the cost of
their production having been increased;
this would mean lessened demand. fol-
lowed, OF course, by a smaller output
and diminished employment sof labor.
Wages are only worth. what. they can