New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-11
GEO. CLINT Go.
43.4smD %7wEsT 23:sT.
NEAR BROADWAY.
factory: l5& AND $50 WEST l9"sTRetr
THE LIVING WAGE DISCO SSED.
EDWARD ATKINSON. SAMUEL GUM HH'
AND PROFESSOR SEL1GMAN BEFORE

EDWARD ATKINSON. SAM Ell "ONi i-
AND PROFESSOR sELIGMAN BEFORE
THE, NINETEENTH CENTURY CLUB.
d,ecpsslon OF the queGtion Ought Puhhc
Rod,es 10 Recognize the Doctrine or Ne l'N"'S
Wore2' was listened 70 by the members anu su.''
Of the Nineteenth Century club at Shcrry 'S.
.,',,,,. .che sneakers were Edward Atkinson o.
Ros,on. Samuel Gompers. president OF the Aneri'
can Federation Of Labor. and professor H. ~
soIign,an Of Columbia University. The speakers
rora Introduced by John \. Taylor. the P'eS'"'"-
OF the Nineteenth Century Cluo.
IN his opening remarks Mr.. Atkinson sa'o 'ha'
az he had been unable to get n dehnltoh o' .'e
Giving wage" from Mr. Gompers' the uiS'u'''
would have to be abstract one.
THE use Of the word wages imphes an ''e' -
service rendered for an equivalent" continued the
sneaker "If the work done is not worth 'he
equivalent IN money or goods, no indlvi1u"' o'
corporation can possibly pay the living wage con
tnuously The wages must he rc'oNeieu WIN
profit II the industry is 10 continue
IF a workman has proved incapable or re'ue e,
such service as would eniite him 10 the H nIsn'
wage I'm ore are he must seek higher wages us
where. Neither the employer nor me ye6 nv The
can make the OF wages. Ihal Is HNtu u, ~ -
Communitv Of consumers who buy the goods There
nm living wages are sometimes displaced 10y new
inventions. or by the removal Of the art 10 SOM som,
and the workman who has mastered only that
specific art suffers yet more CTpl'a, o .nH de-
chance and that * us luhCllol' Inv S'N"'N'N 49,
stroycr Of capital Is the inventor. 49,, :.
The only remedy for the workman Is for MN 10
cultivate versatility The claim for Il so-caucl Nv
ing wage IS misleading and confusing, i does ,iol
define tho actual claim which is made ny MI
t;ompers and organized labor. All that a man re-
ceivcs in this life. In n material sense. Is lNIns
wage What he consumes is his cost 10 the coHh-
munity." , c-. A,
spoke In part follows: go ,,,. .,
"Jn giving \ definition for this discussion SUB
Ynlttod the following a minimum wagc-a wage
which when expended In the most economical
wav shall he sufficient TO maintain an average
sized family in n mamie" consistent with Whatever
NO contemporary local civilization recognizes as
indisncnsa bic 10 physical and mental health or as
required by rational self-respcct Of human beings.
MIR Atkinson complains Of irdelniteness IN my
definition aDd asks that II he reduced to money ~
would be as easy 10 reduC" the Tcipes 81 law 70
dccinlals In communities where wages are lowest
and hours OF labor longest ignorance and paupcr-
ism crime and immortality are corComltant eVlis.
Where fair equivalent f. paid Tor labor. inc
status OF the community Is higher. and the town
or city is called prosperous. When wages I"tl
below the living wage limit strikes and riot fol-
low The b-utcs that society creates II lmprlsohS
or strangles for self preservation. When wages
sink below the minimum the result is mental ana
physical dwarfs. When the workman receives
on jugh TO sustain himself and family his entrs
ncic hborhood is benefited II Is tho wage OF ne
worker which gives the channels OF trade healthY
tone Without rate Of wages sufficient To man,,
tain himself the worker becomes a non-consuiner'