The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-18


EugIand-Its Purposes Discussed with
Relation to the Situation in This
Country-A System Widely Adopted in
English Cities.
(Robert P. Porter in New York Sum-
Perhaps the most important and inter
esting experiment. for maintaining what
is termed "a living wage and one that
Is capable Of wide extension. is what is
known as the fair wages resolution. The
history of this movement dates back about
seven years, and it was one of the direct
results of the Investigations Of the royal
commission into the evils Of the sweating
system. Among other evils 1t was found
that persons employed by contractors in
the manufacture Of articles for the poor
law authorities were actually in receipt
of poor law relief. That is, the wages OF
these unfortunate people were insufficient
TO support them. AS result, resolu-
ton passed Parliament on February 10,
1881, which, while not in any way I'M
dertaking to fix the rate of wages, aimed
TO recognize and uphold the minimum
current ratio of wages that might prevail
in different trades or districts. The reso-
luton WAS as follows:
That in the opinion Of this House it is
the duty of the government in all govern
ment contracts to make provision against
the evils recently disclosed before the
sweating committee, to insert such con-
ditions as may prevent the abuse arising
from subletting, and to make every effort
to secure the payment of such wages as
are generally accepted as current in each
trade for competent workmen.''
For six years this resolution has been
in force. One after another of the great
municipal corporations adopted substan.
TALLY the above, London, believe, going
even further, and practically indorsing
trades union rates and the hours current
in the organizations representing the
trades which might be concerned in the
contracts Without the exact facts before
me, believe the fair wages resolution
has been adopted by 200 or more English
municipalities and it Is finding Its way
over this side of the Atlantic. These cir
oumstances naturally suggest inquiry in
relation to the operation of this direct
Legislative experiment to hold up the
wages of labor, and, to that end, avail
able existing data have been obtained.
Information on the working of the fair
wages resolution may be obtained in the
report of select committee or the SUBJ
ject, made in July, 1897. as the result of
10 sittings and the examination and sift-
ing Of good deal of evidence. Accord
ing to the select committees report the
resolution has been beneficial to labor in
the main. 1t has, moreover, put all con-
tractors on an equality, SO far as the cost
OF labor goes. AS regards the relations
between employers and employed, its
working does not appear to have any ad-
verse effect. Indeed, 1t seems probable
that 1t has done something to promote
agreements between masters and men.
in reference TO the rate Of wages and con.
ditions of employment. 1t does not ap.
pear, either, that the contractors, as
whole, object to the resolution or to the
way in which it has been administered.
1t appears also that complaints from the
Workmen of breaches of the resolution
are not now SO frequent as formerly.
OF course, as to the administration of the
law we are not SO greatly interested,
though the main difficulty in England
seems to have been in the Interpretation
as to whether the words current in each
trade meant in the particular district
in which the work was done or the high
est current rate in the trade 1t was
found that practically each department
of the British government interprets this
to mean the rate of wages generally &C
oepted as current In each trade for COM
petent workmen in the district where the
work is carried out, and these words,
with slight variations, are now inserted
in nearly all government contracts. This
is the natural Interpretation Of the resolu-
ton, though witnesses before the COM
mittee went SO far as to say that the fair
wages resolution had already driven
vast amount of work from the Thames
which would otherwise have been done
In that locality. and was fast killing the
Thames trade. 1t was represented to the
committee that the effect of allowing
contractor to disregard rate Of wages
held to be current in the district where
his yard was situated would be to induce
contractors in other parts of the country
to do the like, and thus to drive down
wages. 1t is also admitted that the effect
of the resolution has been unfortunate
for the old soldiers and marines, many
of whom were employed by contractors at
less than full wages, but are now OK
Guided. 1t has also been decided that
in all contracts this clause shall be in
serted
''Ihat the contractors shall undertake
that, in the engagement and employment
of workmen and others required for the
execution Of the work, no preference shall
be given as between unionists ard non
unionists.
In this way, while intended to main
tain wages, it does not by act of Parlia-
ment recognize tho rights of the trade
union absolutely to dictate wages. This