The representative., 1899-11-23

exercise Of brain power no less than
muscle. as by ski1lfuliy organizing and
directing laborers contribute to the pro-
duction OF wealth. Do you thus far
agree?
Tom Lucas--Yes,
H. B. F.-My "class-consciousness
draws picket line. On one side 1 put
bankers and all employers who by COM
bination with the aid of special .favors,
rebates, discriminations, have monopol-
lied the means of intelligence, distribu-
tion and production. On the other side
1 put the great mass of humanity Be-
tween these two there should be waged
continued holy warfare. The. great
trouble with Socialists is their very mar
row definition of who the laborer is.
also believe that laborers should be
rewarded in different degrees, accord
ing to their greater or lesser capabili-
ties to produce valuable wealth, and
that their share of wages, using the
word in it's broad sense SO as to in
clude profits, can, In this stage of the
worlds history, best be determined,
with some great exceptions, by competi-
tion "a If made free to all. This would
be a healthy incentive to excel and a
necessary recognition of the seInshness
OF human nature, which must have an
other hundred years Of practice before
your heavenly-like emulation (5) can
take its place. This Populism will
hasten more than any agitation of
yours complete Socialism, / would let
the profits or wages, in some cases quite
large, be used as investments in those
industries as yet unnecessary to
socialize.
Tom Lucas-There is just where you
prove yourself ignorant and unfriendly
to the wage Garner. You speak of an
equality of opportunities, but under
such a system children would be born
with less capital than Others We be-
lieve that capital should be equally
divided for the benefit of ALL and then
there would indeed be an equality of op-
portunity for each new born infant.
Wharton Barker-Under Populism
there will be no greater inequality of
wealth than that bred in the greater or
lesser capability Of different men to
produce wealth. 1t is the duty of just
government to see that all men have
equal opportunities, but no government
can give men equal capabilities.
H. B. F.-Even If under Populism, in
heritances gave undue privileges, they
could be regulated by the income tax.
But where Populism would perhaps
measure by the thousand the probable
differences between the capabilities Of
different people, Republicans and Dem
ocrats now measure peoples different
capabilities Ito steaD by the millions
Populism, however, would make the la
borers themselves capitalists very many
years before Socialism will even give
them loaf of bread.
Tom Lucas-Your government own
ersh1p Is only in the interest of tax
payers. 1t will benefit laborers as little
as 1t has in England.
Professor Lloyd-But in my book on
English co-partnership 1 have shown
how the laborers in profit sharing are
allowed to receive their share in own
ershtp, management and results.
English Industrial Democrat-Yes,
and consider how we have advanced the
standard of living Of the English over
the French laborers, through the Trade
Union movement
Algernon Lee-Modest, indeed, these
professors! Satisfied that workers
share" in the direction and advantages
Of their own work! Their wonderful
goal is simply to make laborers more
efficient toilers, capitalists more effic-
lent pirates, not to make all our lives
freer and fuller. If those middle class
people or any other outsiders invested
In co-partnership concerns, they did it
to get profits out of the labors of the
workers. That seems to be their high
est ideal. Their profit-sharing plan is
a conspiracy by which the employer and
exploiter 00) gives back a small frac-
tion of his unearned profits on condi-
ton that the exploited (1O) shall be
submissive to his will.
Professor Zeublin-I have suggested
how the engineers of Great Britain
might advance their wages to 20 shil-
lings per day.
Tom Lucas-Prof Zeublin and other
close theorists, college professors,
ought but do not seem to know that
price Is not product. What follows
when those engineers get an advance in
wages to 29 shillings per day? Are
laborers in other branches benefited
thereby? By no means Competition
of laborers settles wages. If it were
possible to establish fixed standard of
living (Which stationary state no So
cialist wishes). then profits must also
be fixed. The power of consumption of
the rich would also have to be reduced
to stationary standard. Otherwise the
capitalist will add those Increased
wages to the price at which such pro-
uucts Will be Sold What lonowsy why.
Va course, all other laborers, desiring
such products, Will De compelled TO pay
A.