The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-01

own business and TO introduce any econ
omy or Improvement.
Third-But the union strives to share the
advantages of machinery, division of labor
and business organization by directing its
attention 10 shortening the hours of labor,
raising the minimum day wages. and regu-
lating the piece prices. Shorter hours Sc
cure all the advantages hoped for from re-
striction of output. and, besides, are the
necessary compensation for increa sed in
tensity of exertion.
Fourth-Hours and wages are controlled
on the only basis on which they can fairly
be controlled. namely, through confer
ences of the representatives of labor and
the representatives of capital for the entire
competitive field. Neither the employer
alone fixes them, nor the labor union
alone, either of which would be despotism,
but the representatives of each agree in
conference. This is representative govern
ment. 1t places all competitors on an
equality; it takes control out Of the hands
OF local unions and walking delegates and
places it in the hands of national conven-
tiOns and national officers. This eliminates
personalities, local friction and petty con-
tentions. and makes more certain the
forcement of labor contract.
THE INJUNCTION.
Fifth-Again, the new unionism relies on
fair treatment by the public authorities.
The first conference agreement between
the powerful Mine Workers Union of Hi
nois and the operators of that State, which
has brought notable prosperity and salts
faction to both capital and labor, would,
nevertheless, have suffered defeat had not
Governor Tanner refused TO furnish militia
to help a company to bring in colored labor
from other States in order TO break the
agreement to which the company itself
was party. The fact that the mine work.
ers have political power is essential in
maintaining organization. AS long as the
abuse Of injunctions-which have now gone
so far in Ohio and Connecticut as even to
prohibit persuasion-is continued or en-
larged, there is but little hope for labor
organization. The only remedy is either for
the judiciary to keep hands off or for the
workingmen TO control the judiciary
through practical politics
Finally, it must be noted that with the
increased tension Of machinery and divi-
sion OF labor and the higher standards of
wages, there is an increasing residium of
the aged and of incompetents and delin-
quents who cannot or will not work up to
1iAC MINIMUM lCquAlCu ny employers. OF
the sake of honest labor as we'll as for the
public good these classes need to be clear
ly set apart from the strictly industrial oc-
equations. This is difficult problem, espe-
cially for the aged. but for the other class
es promising solution is that of the labor
or beggar colonies where these classes
voluntarily or compusorily work under SUI
pervision. The colony idea has already
proved its value in the United States for
epileptics and idiots, and in Holland and
Germany for beggars and tramps, and is
being adopted in New South Wales for the
less competent unemployed. When once the
grip of these submerged classes is taken
from the neck of the working classes the
labor question can be treated on it's merits
as an industrial and not as a partly police
and partly charity question.
JOHN r. COMMONS,
OF the Bureau of Economic Research.
Washington, d. C.