The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-09-04

destroyed tle ideals Of the past ages we
are now finding that it is not possible 10
live in contentment without them, and
that the secret Of replacing them must
be discovered, If we would continue to
exist.
The drawback upon so mauy of ue is
chat we allow the instinct of the mo-
ment TO be our only guide. But when
man is capable Of weighing his future
against his immediate interest, Of set
ting for himself goal and pursuing it
with perseverance, he as already real
lied considerable progress.
The tendency to capitalistic combina-
tion presents many new problems for la
bor but old principles are not yet su-
perseded, never wholly can be. Pru-
dence and industry never can be strip
ped Of their rewards. We have Difficult.
ties, but we must not be pessimistic.
There are no resources in the assump-
tion that we are approaching the worst
OF all possible times, in the worst of all
possible worlds. Labor directed by skill,
industry and fidelity will always be
wanted; and IL is for this class of labor
that capitalistic employers must always
pay well. In almost every employment
OF an industrial nature a very great am
cunt is necessary 10 make il serviceable
at all-only in times OF great demand
and scarcity of labor would any one EN-.
ploy crude labor where skill is required.
The frst question at all times that an
employer asks is What can you do? How
skilliul, how efficient are you? In the
best employments, TO which all should
aspire, the question never will be, How
cheaply can you work. For the skill
OF the worker 10 the chiefest OF factors
in determining the rate of wages. Nor
can the rate OF wages be very much af-
iected by the influx of new labor, be-.
cause our new labor Is seldom labor
accustomed TO the operation. There
never is, in any one industry, a percep.
tible amount OF desirable labor floating,
which could be used to compete ef-
tectively with trained labor holding
the field, No sensible employer would
engage new hands in the place Of those
used and trained to his work, even
were such new hands offering them
selves for employment. Machinery
will, indeed, do much; but the more
elaborate the machine the more neces.
sary is high intelligence to it's efficient
operation.
1t is a fortunate sign OF the times that
the fact is forcing recognition for itself
that cheap labor by no means implies
cheap production. What once seemed
a paradox is now accepted as an
economic truth, namely, that low cost Of |
production and high wage rate 90 hand
In hand. This is especially 80 In the
United States, where the land is still
able to absorb a large part Of the ia.
creasing population. Our high wage
rate, moreover compels study Of labor
saving processes and their introduction
practicable, and, as labor
saving IL the result, a cheapsning of
production ensues. Here are AT once
the cause and the result of high ne.
lection Of machinery in AmerIca. So.
II a high wage rate in this country Ia an
lmpelling cause TO the introduction
Of improvements and the adoption
of labor-saying processes, the low
wage rate OF the Old World is an
equally strong inducement for the con
tlnuance OF rusty and antiouAted
Ina' hOds. The old labor methods
going parallel with low wages. becomes
luits lngralnOd with the countries
where they prevail, and offer sudieient
grounds for their perpetuatiOn. 20 the
mployer OF labor advantages are offered
v hich in themselves ara sufficient not 10
make him anxious 10 change tue old for
the new methods. Conferyatism be-
comes Increasingly pronounced in pro-
pjrtiOn ~ the rate OF wages decends 10 a
lower and lower scale. Machinery of
old styles 10 used therefore 70 the limit
oi tie lie In Europe, ia spite OF steady
loss OF its efficiency; while IL is cast
aside in America when but partially
worn, or worn not at all, If an improve
ment has come out that can do the work
quicker. more effectively, and cOnse.
quently move cbeaply.
cannot dwell on this topic, or any
other, within the limits permitted for
this addrass; but have desiTed 10
touch this topic, because OF the strong
encouragement found Ia it for hope and
belief in the progress and permanent
welfare Of labor.
a.