The herald., 1896-03-22
THE Labor Exchange-its Foundation

eponSlDllty for tne sentiments expfessed.J
The Labor Exchange-its Foundation
EDITOR HERALp:-Mr. James Semple of
Pasadena considers it his duty to attempt
to scotch the labor exchange movement
with his threadbare platitudes from that
jejune theory, the single tax. But that
noble effort to readjust the economic
machinery to conform to our best ideas of
social production aud distribution the
labor exchange, goes on all unconscious OF
his puny pipings. The single tax philos-
ophy (?) has about as much to do with the
proper solution Of the labor problems as
the logical connection discoverable in
Arternus Wards saying: 1.-THE earth re-
wolves around its axle-tree once in every
twenty-four hours, subject 10 the constitu-
ton of the United States" In Mr.. Sem
ple's first criticism of my printed remarks
on this subject, he quotes what said on
the main ideas of the money question, and
then takes square issue with me, pro-
nouncing my premises wrong and the
conclusions necessarily vicious. This led
ME to make rather detailed statement of
our position on the nature and functions of
money. 1t then turns out that as he CEN
not refute the arguments used, he draws in
his horns and says he didn't mean 1t. 1t is
difficult to discover where my opponent is
"at." Suppose the state of California
should prohibit the use of vitrified clay pipe
1Or WdtcT Ut 6oWor puTpOSeSs WOulO HOt inc
price OF that commodity decline? Ask the
manufacturers in this city whether they
would welcome such law or not Mr..
Sempte's illustration of the vacant lot in-
dustry is strange writing for single-tsxer.
He should have said that by placing q pro-
hibitory tax on the vacant lot industry the
price of vacant land would vanish. He
then would have ''vindicated" his pet
theory and also agreed with what said on
financial legislation. But to the Labor Ex-
change: We are used to ridicule and
eneers and can overlook them when COM
ing from the luxuriant thoughtless, but we
submit that any set of reformers who
claim to be able to think in straight line,
should AVOID such expressions as ''chasing
delusive phantom," unless they point out
why phantom. and steer us to the reality.
Now is it q phantom for a number of men
to agree to work together to supply
their wants, rather than to separate
and work singly for different bases?
We claim that in working for
ourselves we get all our labor produces,
whereas while working for boss we must
share with him. Bossing comes too high.
See the figures. Edward Atkinson, q stats.
tician--not a labor agitator-says that the
value of a m,n's work in this country.
taken as an average, is about $40 day /;
the difference? In the bosses pockets.
Yes, they come too high, and the Labor
Exchange proposes to dispense with their
.services." Labor creates all wealth.
Then put the laborers to work for them
selves and they will own all the wealth in
short time. The ,laboring people of the
world evince less business sagacity than ia
displayed by their lower brethren. the
monkeys, for who ever heard of tribe of
monkeys gathering cocoanuts and handing
them over to one of their number and
themselves going without? In effect this
is what is done by people who work for
wages. Wages represent only portion of
the wealth the laborer makes. 1t cannot
be right for him TO work for portion when,
by other arrangements, he can realize the
whole. 1t is not equitable to do less
for ourselves than the law of
equilibrium depauds for all men.
AS long as the masses were ig-
faint excuse for living off the producers, for
an intelligent direction was and Is neces-
sary to make labor effs Give. But at this
late day when the different trades are filled
with an overwhelming proportion of capa-
BILE and skilled mechanics, who may easily
build civilization unaided, it is simply in.
sanity for them to part with two-thirds of
what their labor creates, aiony with nine
tenths of their natural rights, just to get
themselves "bossed." No sir, it comes too
high. After the Labor Exchange has estab-
lished depository for the supplying of all
the immediate wants of its members, it
will form building department which
works like this: stone cutters, brick
makers, lime burners. etc., are put to work
on raw material, other workers follow and
build houses, each worker being paid by
the exchange in labor checks. If there are
a dozen men in the gang, then when a
dozen houses are built. each man will have
received enough labor checks for his labor
on each of the houses to pay for all in la
Dor that IS crysta!ized in his own house.
The checks are then cancelled; all done
without the help of gold or the boss. By
this method, men become home owners
that in all probability never could do it in
any other way We do not need money in
order to go to work; we go to
work first and the money naturally
follows. The Labor Exchange idea cannot
be properly carried out without the tools of
production. for men with their bare hands,
no matter how intelligent and skilled, can
not compete with machinery. But there is
an unfailing source whence these costly
things are coming. In the competitive
struggle for existence the big fellow lords
it over the small! fry. crowding them to-
gether tighter and tighter tn the wall, until
in seif-defense they are compelled to COM
bine with the workers, who alone can make
their tools available. Thus in middle class
the small manufacturer, the shopkeeper,
etc.. find that the tussle against powerful
monopoly is useless, and SO they give up
the fight, gladly putting in their small
means to build up social system with the
fighting features eliminated. and ia which
none cnn fail who try. In this way can the
workers and their tools be reunited; and
being in position to support themselves,
the trusts will be starved out for want of
customers. Plenty more can be said in
favor of the cooperative principle that the
Labor Exchange has taken up, but must
not encroach TOO much ON the space in our
liberal HERALD-the peoples paper!
w. &. B. RANDOLPH,
Station D.