The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1901-08-16
Another Opportunity for Labor

Large associations of capital such as the
big steel trust seldom need great deal OF
sympathy. The trust exists for the pur-
pose of making just as much money for its
organizers as they can possibly get out of IT,
and in pushing 1t to that limit the result to
competitors is only thought of to the extent
of making sure that it will be to cripple
them. The trust may benefit or ipjure the
laboring man, that is not primarily the bust
ness of the trust. 1t must make money, il
is waging war for money aud as in other
wars, all is tair in WARMTH the trust.
That does not mean that the trusts invaria-
bly, either do or do not iDjure the laboring
man, simply that the cause of the laboring
man as laboring man is but an incident to
the trust arrangements. Personally the
men behind the trusts may have very
sympathetic feelings for the men woI king in
the great mills controlled by them, but
philanthropy is left behind when the
managers enter the Offices from which the
Affairs of the trusts are directed. The
trusts exist to make money and all the
money that they can make, and the posi-
tons and salaries OF the men who operate
the trusts, or their profits as The case may
be and the very lives of the organizations
themselves depend on their making money.
But II the labOring man Is to have his in
terests looked out for Ii is very evident that
some one other than the trust officials are
the ones who are to do 1t for one of the ways
by which trusts could make money il the
laboring men would submit to it would be
by the reducing OF the expenses of manu-
facture by the reduction OF wages. This to
the trusts Is just as legitimate way of in
creasing profits by reducing expenses as
any other way and would be resOrted to by
them just as readily. But while the labor
ing men have no sympathy to say the least
to expect from the trusts they have the
greatest danger to fear from themselves.
The trust wins over its competitors because
by one means or another it finally includes
them all. The men can only WIN by being
united. Once the trust has the control of
things and little hardships is felt by the
general public because OF its control.
Similarly let the laboring men be united,
let them be loyal to themselves, and the
trust would suffer no hardship. Every
where 1t would have to pay the same rate
OF wages. Ii there were competitors all
would be on the same footing and the
better pay OF the laboring man would work
no hardship simply because all were treated
alike. The only possible way by which in
jury might arise Is the one which the trusts
nave to teach themselves In their greed by
actual trying and that they do not In their
greed raise the price of the manufactured
article to so high price that the article will
not sell so we'll, and more is lost by the de-
creased sales than is gained by the greater
profit on each sale, but that would be a
small matter which would as easily adjust
itself as 1t does now. Ii labor were paid so
highly that it devoured all of tue profits
there would not fail to be reaction which
would tend to make the correction needed
AS things are now, however, 1t would seem
that the members Of the Amalgamated AS
ISOLATION might receive a greater share in
the profits of the great steel industries,
whose muscles they furnish, without
Gripping the industry in its competition
with the rest OF the manufacturing world
la other words the steel trust is in posi-
ton where 1t might easily afford to place
its employees In position to share with it
the advantages of its position without i'm
pairing that position. Ii the men can only
trust themselves, IL they can be we'll
enough organized, there IS no reason why
they should not reap advantages which
will be worth while. The contest Is be-
tween the two organizations and yet 1t is
all within one of the organizations In
reality for all depends upon the laboring
men themselves.