The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-09
A NEW FORCE IN SCIENCE
THROUGH WHICH 1T Is PROPOSED
TO SOLVE THE WAGE PROBLEM.
Relations of Monopoly and COMPETE
ton, and of Production, Distribu-
ton and Land Values

SN-NAAN~,
the reader is asked to again consider the
most perpleXing question with which
science has to deal. The labor question has
been selected for examination in order to
prove the value Of this discovery. 1t is ex-
pected, in demonstrating the problem of
wages, to show how wages may be greatly
increased, and how equal social relations
may be obtained. 1t is the intention to
make this proof at once simple and scien-
tific, so as to leave no room for two opin-
IONS 1t is hoped that the labor problems
will be demonstrated as clearly and as GER
ta1nly as problems in mathematics or in
physical science are demonstrated. 1t will
be the purpose of this paper to prove every
step by natural laws of cause and effect,
ana give the reader positive explanation
OF all the facts connected with wages. Ev
cry question that has a problem in 1t must
be question of cause and effect, and the
solution of the problem will always depend
on the ability to separate the effect from
the cause. All the failures that occur in
the attempts to solve social questions are
failures arising from treating the cause as
an effect, and treating an effect as the
cause.
The wage question is full OF perplexities,
and unless correct start is made failure
is sure to follow in the end. The trouble
with nearly all writers on this question
has been a trouble in the beginning; they
failed to start on the right road, and the
further they Travelled the worse they were
lost. The wage question is about the value
OF the services of labor, and since value
does not attach to the laborer, but to the
thing his labor creates. the wage question
is question about value and the things
an
De begun with an example of value a COM
mon table, to which a value has attached:
me lapor question begins here. The first
I"CI VI Importance Is to notice that the
taple is something we see that does not
GhahSe, while value is something which We
90 not see and Is quite sensitive to change.
Th1S table and it's value are to each other
as cause and effect Either the table is
me cause OF value or the value is the cause
Vi Ine table: Unless We determine the true
cause and its effect in the beginning We
VIII fail all along the line. If value did
not attach to tables it is certain that labor
Woulq not pulld them, and as a result it is
round that tables are built because value
VIII attach to them. This because a Ia
porer does q thing is the reason whv he
does it,, and is the cause of the fhine-
proquced, hence it is concluded that value
- me cause and labor is an effect Of that
cduS9. value Is therefore the cause in the
atiaches are effects of this cause The true
Soiuilo Jl OF the wage question will now de-
R}Suu upon Inc ability to follow this cause
6ailr09gh the mazes of it's development, and
ma its laws by classifying and anaiv1ing
us us eHects A laborer builds a table and
NaIue attaches to it, but If value did not at
tach, or II it failed to attach in sufficient
quanuty, the laborer will build no more
t t6otes' put on the other hand if the value
oIlaI atlacnes is SO great to allow him
considerable profit he will build tables with
Ieverlsh activity and will hire other labor
ers 10 build them for him 1t will he Main
to any, who look at the facts. that profits
are very important factors in this problem
ana tney are factors that are usually over
lIoH fba or ignored. The profit in the value
81 the taoIe IS everything, because it fixes
the relation of the cause to the eff,act-the
greater the profit the greater will be the
activity of the cause and the greater the
number of effects. It's the profit that de-
termlnes the speed or intensity Of the cause.
ana IL results IN what We commonly call the
strength OF demand. 1t is rates of profit
mat determine prosperity or adversity for
When the rates are too low business will
lahgulsh and starve to death. The plenty
or scarcity OF work in modern society de-
Ponds altogether on profits; it is not neces-
sary that single profits be great, but aggre-'
gate profits must be ample and the "a 10
must be sufficient for the risk When wa
have human laws in existence that tend TO
drive all rates of profit down to one com
ca IttWs' l0F particular classes, to counter
act them. For this reason patent laws and
protective tariffs are kept in force The en-
tire wage question rests on these terms
value and prohts-and finally it's solution
depends upon profits and the laws of value
by which profits are sapportioned.
1I1E ~ w ER OF' INCREASE.
1t is highly necessary that we keep profits
in sight. The business man whose success
or failure in business has taught him to deal
carefully with facts, never loses sight of
profits; it is only the writer's who expect
to teach him that can afford to ignore them
or treat them an evil to be abolished.
Let US return to the example of the table
and suppose that the laborer, unaided by
or oil
creasing so rapidly that his production Of
tables increased from one to ten tables
day. In this supposition each increase in
the capacity of labor would be followed by
an increase in his wages and a decline in
the price of tables This la borer howavar,
would not produce ten tables and accept the
same pay he could get for only six When
one laDorer found he could get no higher
wages Tor ten tables than for six, he would
do Just what the monopolies and trusts are
cursed for doing-he would work only long
enough TO produce six tables, there would
De no competluon.c and his wages would
remain natural The development of the
power to Increase the capacity of labor
however, requires extensive plants and ma
chlnery, and also railroads. These things
must nave q value of their own which is
quite distinct from the value of tables. and
TINS value OF the plant requires demand to
sustain it, and it gets this demand by using
part OF the increased produce as profit
planted the individual worker, all the eff
fects were beneficial. The laborer who was
called from his bench got better paw and
easier work, the profits were larger and the
pubic had better tables for less money
rms has been the case in the beginning Of
every new advance of machinery in pro-
duction and the benefits ontinued to grow
so long as the profits were high the plants
We're increased or others We're built and
wages would nave advanced to a very high
level had other things outside been equal
Inc monopoly which the supposed work
man enjoyed, while he waited on the mar
Ket instead OF producing a competing sur
Plus, would have been transferred to the
greater workmen in the plants competi-
ton would have remained inert, with great
benefit to all concerned
a change, however, was in rapid progress
Instead of natural wages rising with every
advance OF machinery, the rate of wages
renamed almost stationary or declined IN
stead OF wealth and capital becoming wide
~ dlftused and justly distributed, causing
homes to multiply and leisure and luxury
gan 10 concentrate, poverty became the
rule and competency became the exception
instead OF capital being earned and largely
the property of labOrers and the organizers
OIL laoor and commanding a fair rate of
profit, it developed in great floods of I'M
earned value and filled every avenue OF pro-
duction and exchange, competing with capi-
tai that had been earned and saved It de-
stroyed profits in all lines and filled the
world with wrecks and ruins. This flood
OF unearned capital did not come in mill
hons nor tens of millions, but it came in
hundreds and thousands Of millions of dol
lars. value there was in the greatest
Abundance while poverty abOunded and
distress prevailed Competition Is the curse
or modern society," because it changes our
progress into decay. it pushes us back from
the higher rule of harmony among de-
pendent parts to the rule of a struggle for
existence among conflicting elements. The
laborer IS conscious that the rate of his
TO- Lon