The herald., 1895-08-04
A NATIONAL LABOR LAW

A MA AIIONAI- LAbOk LAW
( The safety of the commonwealth and
the welfare of society depend largely upon
BUSINESS prosperity. So Interdepend.
ent are all classes that one class cannot
prosper long at the expense of another.
Continuous opportunity to earn good
wages without fear of interruption is the
real basis of contentment and the abso-
Lutte necessity of all who toll. Such con-
ditions can only prevail when capital is
secure of reasonable return for the en-
ployment it gives and labor on the other
hand is satisfied that it is receiving its just
proportion of wealth created by it's toll
While much of the LABOR legislation in
every state is wise and beneficial in its
character, occasionally laws will be
enacted that are unwise and detrimental
to the business interests of the state. and
to all engaged in them, employer and
employee alike. Especially is this true
when the law imposes restrictions that
place our state at a disadvantage with
other states. Such laws disturb the rela-
tions that are absolutely necessary to
business prosperity.
Take, for instance, two manufactures
with exactly the same equipment OF capi-
tai and machinery, under practically the
sam, management and producing the
same articles. The two factories are in
adjacent states. The laws of one state
are made to favor labor; the laws of the
other to favor capital. In the one
instance the manufacturer is practically
at liberty to do as he pleases with his
help. He may regulate the hours of work,
the wages earned, and introduce q severe
discipline among his employees. Across
the state line his competitor is running
his factory ham pered by, to borrow a
word from Joe Howard's private dictiou-
ary, ''multltudinosity" of laws all re-
stricting the manufacturer in his actions
toward his employees. He can only run
his factory certain number of hours
each day, he must paw a certain scale of
wages and every employee must be of a
certain age. Now, these two manufac-
turers are competitors, and it does not re-
quire the wisdom of one OF the wise
men of the east'' to discern which has
the advantage and which is most likely
either to close his factory to preserve his
capital, or continuing, ultimately fail.
Such cases as these cited are not hy-
pothetical, but too often instances of
fact. The employees in the one case, no
doubt, rejoice in the fact of the vic
tories" gained, and IN the cause of human
lty, no doubt, the laws which they have
secured are just ones. However, the
mere boundary line of state does not
hem in any peculiar trade privileges nor
guarantee any especial commercial ad-
vantages. So long as the manufacturer
who Is not hampered by labor laws is in
the competitive field, there is disturbing
element to menace the liberties gained by
the people IN the state where labor laws
are in favor. Sooner or later an equal.
izing process sets in, and capital when
pushed beyond the point OF remunera-
ton. seeks new fields. Thus, what
seemed for time, and no doubt was, an
apparent gain III privileges for the people
proves to be a loss through the lack of
employment.
A national law regulating the hours of
employment for women and the ages at
which children should be employed would
do much toward adjusting the differences
between capital and labor. The matter
of wages usually adjusts itself as between
the law of supply and demand and the
LABOR unions. Wherever high wages are
paid better and more sllilful class of
operatives are to be found. The great
disturbing element in the labor field TAX
ing the country as q whole is the en-
ployment or non-e employment OF children,
the long or short hours employed and the
hours which women are allowed to work.
The cotton manufacturer of Massachu-
setts will always run his factory at a dis
advantage so long as the state of North
mper OF hours, while in Massachusetts
they can WORK but tifty-eght hours per
week. and while in the one state there is
no age limit at which children may be
put at work, while in the other it is pun
ishable by law to employ a male or fe-
male under II years of age. With this ad-
vantage the only reason why the North
Carolina mills have not taken all the
trade from Massachusetts lies in the
fact that the advent OF the cotton mill III
the former state is Of but recent date and
the output limited comparatively, but
increasing each year.
1t would appear that those W ho desire
to see the question of bouls OF labor.
employment of children and women en-
bodied III national law have the right
side of the question. We need national
legislation in the matters of labor, bank
ruptcy and marriage and divorce.
NO CoRksCREWS BUT