New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-24
INDUSTRIAL DEMOCRACY.
a wErGHrY STUDY IN SOCIOLOGY.

T'hs, Industrial workers are not their own
masters TO the same extent when American In
dependence was declared no ono doubts VINO re-
fleets on Arnold Toynhees phrase. me indusu'a
revolution" The change OF ,he independent tool
worker IN his l-,,e shop into the dependent ma
chine worker In tho crfat factory, under captain
OF industry. introduced into mons economic roia-
Hons With their felow-ctizCns tho inequality out
OF which they had risen In their political relations
The so-called labor question Is the term "h'h
describes the workers struggle still going on 10
regain the economic equality with his employer
which he possessed before the substitution OF ma
chincrv for tools deprived him Of II. II Is struE-
clio for the widening Of the idea ~ democracy. to
mokc the democratic principle as good IN indus
trial as II Is IN political cations. This struggle
IS the subject OF this book and the aim OF II i eN
pressed I'm the title. Tho work mny he summary
described as an account a. the struggle ne carrl'd
on with the, aim by trade-unions in Great Britain
=, "a carefully elaborate aud valuable con-
,r,hution 20 the economir and sociological studies
which NOW attract the most th0uGhtful MINDS ana
It's value is enhanced by ~ copous photography
4 uu,oue Interest attaches 20 the work a. the
tont product Of a husband and Wife each rarely
qualified for the task NJ. Webb s London
barrister and a member q he London county
Council. ard has been chairman Of the Fochnic"
rdnrotion Board and vice-C hartman Of the Local
Government Committee. Mrs Webb Is daughter
Of NJ Richard Poit"r. sometime president OF TIC
Grand Trunk Railway. Of Canada \ pupil "i MI
Herbert Srcncer she has been associated WIN
Mr. Charles Booth In hls investigation of me
WORKING classes OF London. Both she and her nus
ha,i have published valuable stories In Social Sci
ence" tho fruit or their personal invcsf'Gaion' N
the course q which Mrs Webb herself. In ORDER Ia
re, AZ the facts became at vrrous times rent co..
lec;or taiioress and workinS-ciasS i"dgcr IN
workins-cass families. The result of SIX years
nsti.,i rigorous study of tho subject In all its
l,.rr log "a exhibited II
the tradn-un onisin OF Great Britain. is lumnouSy
nre>cn;ed in this remarkable book. Concerning
the irade-union literature hundreds or volumes
annually whose essence they have extracted IN"
authors declare that 1t lays bare more completely
than any other records known 20 us. The real
nature and action OF democratic Organization J"
the Anr!o Saxon race
Certain rreiudices against trade unions Gndouo'-
ed,v a,e due i'm part to a misunderstanding OF the
,rsdc-uYion.sis general principles and aims ana IN
par, 20 the mistakes. common 10 mankind "h'n
nartiru'ar unions have made. Il would indeed DE
singular II some OF the vast number OF unions
were not less wise than others Mr. ana MiS'
Webb nrc no apologsts for such. but they clear
oway many an ,i,-founded prejudice The trade
uniorist NAV admit much fiOm candid criticism
&, fuu content with the general verdict that time
md converted opponents have given IN ms laNo''
The ignorant assumption that trade-unlohS ioS''F
strikes Is confutcd by the fact that strikes are lar
more numerous where durable combinations nave
no, heen formed The Judgment Of orthodox po-
I,,cal economists Of the old school that the
tanaticai Faith of the working cinsycs in aruh'hi
combinations would give Way 10 tho more natural
system Of individual competition. has been con-
fued by results In which it is the employers not
the workmen. who appear as converts. The DUKE
of Davonshire himself large employer, ana char-
man 81 the Royal Commission on Labor mas Ied
RE way by a proposal TO confer large legal rights
I'll; GC
...octa,ions as incorporated bodies authorized 10
conclude legally enforcible collective agreements
The charge of limiting production. which the rsen-
la,ions Of some trade.unons have given rise TO- Is
thus rebutted by the testimony OF a great BRUSH
employer In The Contemporary Review for
November. 1892: -1a
We employers owe more than as body we are
inclined TO admit % the Improvements IN our
me,hods Of manutacure due 10 the T rhn t a
ard pert,nacity of trade-unionS have caused a'ls
OF Parliament TO be passed which w2nd not 6r o} po
tlcans all OF which have tended to promote
British commerce.
TIE student Of the subject is aware that trade
unions are no modern thing: they are the modern
SUCCESSORS q, the guilds OF craftsmen in the Middle
Ages; II Is their methods which are modern
changed 10 meet the conditions of labor changed
by the Industrial revolution from individual tool
work TO collective machine work This revolution
necessi,aed the workers adoption Of collective
vidual bargaining. IN which wages are gradually
nibbled away by competition below the necessities
OF normal lie. Even now, IN the unorganized
trades some employers Of which. our authors
say are making colossal fortunes the conditions
o: the wage-earners remain IN many cases he
low the level OF a living wage" and whole Soc
tons OF ne waRe-earners. unprotected by factory
ect or collective BARGAINING habtUally crushed
down below the level Of physiological efficiency"
II Is an automatic principle In economies that
wherever the economic conditions of the parties
concerned are unequal, legal freedom Of contract
merely enables the superior in strategic strength
TO dictate the terms" Hence. as J. 5. Mil wrote
in lN9. nothing hut close combination Of the
employed give them even chance Of sue
cessfully competing dp coming 70 terms against
the employers" This an economic hortsy
then: j, is economic orthodoxy now This is the
first and ne ,cssary function Of the trade union
IT IA combination % resist any attempt TO lower
the standard OF he among iis members. l. c., to
reduce the standards OF expenditure which the
members Of .his that trade have become accus-
TONED to regard necessary 20 maintain tOler
able and decent scale Of living.
How vitality necessary such combination IS op-
pears IN the account OF The HisRug Of the
Market" TO which Mr.. and Mrs. Webb have de-
voted interesting chapter. But It appears there
that the trade-unon. though nomnally COM
bination 10 regulate the sale OF labor 10 employers
is really n combination 10 ". stand the encroa III
rnent on their subsistence which all tho rest OF the
community is making rs buyers OF the produc- Of
their labor O customers" The customers de-
mand for cheaper products tells first upon tho
ia.lers The competition OF these pulls for lower
prices from the wholesale dealer. He in turn.
squeezes lower terms from the manufacturer and
he pcrforcc must lower the cost Of produrt.on
While this NAV Re effected sometimes 10y improve
ments In technical process OF machinery. & can hc
more eypedtiously accomplished by n cut In wages.
or what amounts 10 tho same by speeding UP tho
mill 10 get work for the same wages
Whatever reluctance the humane employer nay
have 10 squeezing his men. thc competition os
lcss scrupulous rivals forces him 20 IT, The f. ~
yIdual wJrkmaa's only hope OF withs'a ndinc tho
pressure which, Is unreslsicd. would force him 10
lower and ever lower means OF living. is in such
resistance az RS jrade-union can oppose 10 the
lowering process This In It's form. IL resistance