Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-01-03
SUBSIDIES, WAGES, AND SKILLED
LABOR.

orders, ED. Evening lost.
SUBSIDIES, WAGES, AND SKILLED
IdBOR.
To the Editor OF the Evening Post
Sir: One would infer from the argu
ments that are urged to support sub
sidy for our shipping that the great
obstacle to our SUCCESS in tho COM
mercial world is our skilled labor. IL
may do we'll enough for the homo
market. il we safeguard that market
with protective duty, but the moment
We undertake to enter foreign market
at any door whatsoever, there stands
the cheap lsborer TO srornfully turn US
back. If there ia any truth in this
argument it should run nimhly down
the entire scale. Each successive fall
IN wage should give an advantage over
the better remunerated enploye till
strictly "paurer labor'r supports the
pyramid OF financial prosperity. Our
immigration lolicy, from this point OF
view, must have heen an egregious
error. We should have excluded the
akilful workman, and given a warm
Welcome to the rauper bringing with
him the possibilities OF competitive
production.
All the show Of truth In this aTgu-
Dent is an illusion of figures. A days
work is assumed to be definite unit.
the counterpart OF every other days
work. If we pay for il dollar aud a
half when we might have bought it
for one dollar, we shall have lost
half-dollar and thrown ourselves out Of
the race. NOTHING could we'll be more
superficial and contradictory of ex-
porience than this reasoning. The
best paid labor is The cheapest labor.
How comes It to be the best paid
labor? Certainly not because it is
worth less than uther labor, but be-
cause il is worth more thRn other labor.
Skilled labor Is relatively undcTpaid, not
over-paid. Wages are forced IN against
active resistance by the superior pro-
ductive power OF the good workman.
The presumption, on the part OF the
| employer, Is always against him, and
he must make good bis claim with u
plain margin orr be fails TO secure tho
letter prize. Under severe com-
| meroial law, higher wages stand for
still higher relative efficiency.
Who is it that the employer first dis.
| misses. The poorest workmen. Who is
| ii that he finds the gr eatest difficulty
In securing? The better workmen.
What plGoes are hard to ill? Those
| that involve responsibility. What places
overflow with applicantsy Those that
are open to inferior W0rkmen. With
| whom is the inventive power Of tine
world, and the mastery of natural
agents present, but with these same
skilled laborersY
| 1t is indeed true that an employer
may use poor labor to force down the
wages of better labor, but no sooner is
this done than the underbidding work
man is again set aside by the better
man, and remains idle till another
service OF the same sort is called for.
The construction CT steam vessels at
the present time is empbatically one OF
skilled labor, high priced labor, and
our good fortune lies In possessing it,.
Here Is our superior promise. There
is also especial responsibility in the
navigation of these vessels. We are
far more in danger OF not icing able to
meet this higher demHnd than of fail
ing to have poor men enough to fill
inferior places.
This argument of cheap labor ia a
travesty on civilization. II it were
true, civilization should CONSIST in
going down hill, not up; 10 securing
unskilled, not skilled, labor; un.
intelligent and irresponsible, not in.
telliRent and responsible, men. II the
South is really hoping to prosper by
maintaining cheap aud ill-requited
labor, it is simply making q second
experiment OF the same order as the
first one, that OF slavery.
This same class OF reasoners scorn
cheap products. and yet set great store
by cheap labor. There is a like reversaI
of human experience In both cases. TIC
preserve or improve the quality Of com
modities and lower their price is the
one oorrelative movement with improv-
ing the quality OF labor and raising its
price. These two mean civilization.
Senator Hanna and bis compatriots, il
they had seen tho light in portions OF
Africa or Asia, where there is abund.
ant labor of the poorest kind, might
have done great things; but being
warmed into life in America, they find
the shell OF civilization too thick fur
them, and wish the rest Of us, having
shaken off our own encumbranoes, ia
lend bill in peoking them loose.
This much ought to be an encourage
ment to them. A Congress or com
munity that can listen with patience
to this form Of argument certainly
shows such deficiency In intellectual
acumen as should fit them for produo
tion in this army of psupers in spite o.
any little skill they may seem to have
acquired. We have yet to learn that {
moGel commercial nation is to be com
posed of Hsunas on the one band ant
helpless workmen on the other, WORKING
out-whose salvation? The American
workman, in his pliability, RESPONSE
bility and Inventive power, is full,
equal to his wages, and will never be
tray those who dare to trust him. Ill
is the first condition of our strength
and that toward which we have heeI
working from the origin OF our indus
try. Infer iority and poor pay are in
separnbly associated with each Other
and the commeroce Of the world ia no
committed TO them. Ii is q sirang,
perversion of the industrial world whei
its exploiters urge az their great wan
the lack of undeveloped labor.
- John Bascom.
Williamstown. Mass, December 18th
|