Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-03-10

1t was David A. Wells, 1 think,
who seized upon this fact to make
a point for the gold standard.
Some years ago he showed by a
diagram that labor and gold had
kept substantial parity just as
silverites show that silver and
staple products have maintained
d wonderful parity during all
these years.
The question then is why did
wages rise while productions
fell. 1t does not seem natural
that this should be true. There
must be some other factor: play
ing part in that game. What is
that other factor? Plainly labor
organization. Who does not
know that stupendous efforts
have been~made through organ
lied labor to push wages upin all
these years? Who doubts that
wages had declined like every
thing else if no such thing as or
ganization had been known?
Suppose there had never been a
strike Oh boycott or an express
sion of dissent whenever the
employers felt inclined to reduce
wages does anyone think there
would have been no decline?
Nonsense! At what infinite cost
and sacrifice has labor been able
to keep up the nominal price Of
wages! But see the outcome.
Want, restitution and crime.
There are some things that or
ganized labor cannot do. one Of
which is to make capital employ
it, This is their weakness so far
as the public is concerned. Or
ganized labor is most powerful
but it cannot force consump tion.
This is it's weakness so far as the
public is concerned. It can
force up or force down prices
but it cannot force people to buy.
1t is because of this fact that we
dare to claim that the general re-
suit for organized labor though
labor was left no alternative
when capital began organizingfor
corrective purposes. In defense
OF truth it must be said that la
Dor was forced to organize in
self defense, but the result.
Wages are nominally high but in
reality very low-lower perhaps
than ever known since 1860.
There is no fair way of determ.
ming the average rate Of wages
but by counting in every laborer
and dividing the whole sum of
wages paid by that number. If
we plant in the U. S. 100000
acres of wheat and ! Of it proves
to be Il failure we still have to
reckon that ! in when we are
striking an average.
Let us treat wages in the same
way, the only fair way, and let
us suppose the average day wag-
es is $500 Then | will suppose
that the entire labor of the coun
Try is employed as follows:
100000 men work full time. ....... So 900 0oO
100000 men work u time L 800 900
| 100000 men work u time. 1000 OO0
| 100000 men work h time. .... 800 600.
100000 men work time. ...... 100000
! 5G0n.000 mon receive ................$ s. 900 00O
This plan shows at least that
wages may be on the average
less than they ever here, but |
have no statistics to prove it.
We have a com missioner Of labor
statistics in nearly every state
and one for the United States at
large but it is doubtful if one in
in the lot eyer tried to get at the
average wages of labor in this
way and it is the only true way l
can devise. [ have no doubt how
ever that if We had the exactf facts
it would be found that wages are
down On the silver plain just like
other things. Give us prospect
ty, general prosperity, and the
whole trouble is removed. Con
sumption will increase; that will
slim ulate production and that
will furnish employment for Ia
Dor. Organized capital IS at the
bottom of the whole trouble and
thank heaven it is defeating it's
own purpose. It will yet fall of
it's own weight.
Meantime there is nothing for
US to do but to fight on and stand
by our guns. A correct money