The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1895-07-05

| - of Labor. Encouraged by the labos
Onti"ck-rhs Newly Inaugursted aud
Very General Practice of Voluntarily
Raising Wages On Returning Prosperity
AN Omen for Good.
CuIcAGo. June IS. The famous Ten
nessean. Carroll ID. Wright. United
States commissioner OF labor. who il
attending committee meeting Of sta
tisticians in this city arranging for the
annual September meeting Of official
statisticians. which will be held this
year in Minneapolis. takes an enthusi-
astic view Of he labor outlook
II have always held" said Mr.
Wright, that a. soon as manu- factur-
er> and other extensive employers OF
labor put into active operation the
plan ~ raising The wages of their en-
ployes the moment that business
would warrant such an advance,
strikes will be effectually done away
with. IL j. a popular error to suppose
that the strenuous opposition which
craftsmen offer To a reduction of
wages. even in times OF financial de-
preston j. simply from considera-
tion Of the amount OF wages sacrificed
secondary consideration Perhaps il
might bc said with approximate accu-
racy that such is generally the case:
the main motive Of their resistance, to
the reduction being the knowledge.
gained by sad experience. that re-
stored prosperity in their line of bust
ness does not mean restoration Of
wages To the point from which they
were reduced 10 meet the exigencies Of
trade depression.
They have been taught by almost
universal object lesson that raise of
wages j. very difficult thing To at.
tain, that il often. il not generally.
follows with dilatory and haltinp
steps any Improvement in the general
financial and business conditions of
the country In other words. the la
borer has come TO regard any accepted
cut OF wages as SO much ground per.
manently lost Consequently they con-
test every inch of gound in the way
OF reduction with all the power that
organized labor can summon. This. Of 1
course, means strikes: and not until the /
sees that the employer
viii voluntarily restore wages that !
have been temporarily cut off because
Of poor business will he give up the
strike attitude and idea for one of con-
fidence that any improvement i'm the
trade In which he is engaged will bring
him benefit approximately in proper
non TO that which il brings to his EN-
Dlover
That this happy principle is be.
coming more and more generally ac.
'epted by the extensive employers of
abor Is matter of national congratu.
alton. and that there are substantial
roofs on almost evcry hand that this
ust and fortunate movement is be.
oming characteristic Of the hour can.
Iot be disputed II isNot too much to
ay Of this significant sign of tile times
hat IL marks a new era in the pro.
ress Of the cause OF labor and that
: growth and continuance means the
ealization Of many good things which
an nov he only dimly fore>ccn and
oped for.
II do not assume TO know anything
o"ut finance. save as directly rcla.
ing II labor. but am convinced tina,
DC reported voluntary increase Of
ages by great concerns throughout
le country i not only genuine but
eneral. and TO my mind il cannot fail
, have wholesome effect upon the
eneral business Of the country, see
. reason 10 doubt that this movement
rs just begun. and that ii viii stead
~.
on and Joy % all"
Mr.. Wright regards arbitration as
oral rather than an economic fea
ire, and SAYS that its chief valne must ,
IN bringing the employer and the
npioyed into closer Relationship.
Ihirty-one states with the national !,
svernment viii b. represented in the Il
ming convention. which will chiefly :
: given over TO the discussion OF inn a
owed methods in statistical work. n
inventions Of this kind have been :
~ FOR ten years. Nearly all OF j
osc who attend these conventions !.
= employed in the labor dpart- a
ent, ~ the various states or the ma. -
,nal government, although many =
ilege professors. economic writer's n
III specialists in pursuit of various II
le> OF investigation are expected 10 !.
tenn the convention. which will be
c largest OF its kind yet held. ~
" men asked for an expression a. tn O,
G general attitude os the ranks 81 n
Dor regarding the silver issue. Mr.
right sal id: a,
That is something about which | L.
not claim to know anything. and ~
nsequently cannot be induced TO 81
7 a word in relation TO it,
VALUABLE FOR MARINERS.