Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-20
LABOR STRIKES AND PROSPERITY.

LABOR STRIKES AND PROSPERITY.
Six weeks after the first election of
William Mckinley to the presidency
William Jennings Bryan declared that
the failure of twelve banks In the United
States since the presidential election
afforded striking proof Of the disastrous
consequences of the gold standard. Mr..
Bryan did not seem to realize that the.
menace of free and unlimited coinage,
intensified by his election to the presi-
dency, would have been followed within
sixty days by a crash that would have
closed more than $4,000 banks, in fact,
every bank in the country.
: The same logic that would ascribe the
failure Of twelve banks, following on
the heels Of the national election of 1896,
to the evil effects of the gold standard
would doubtless regard the labor strikes
Of 1902 as the natural consequence of
the policies pursued by President Roose-
welt and the republican majority dom
inant in congress.
AS a matter Of fact, the labor dis
turbances In American Industrial CEN
tiers are the natural outcome of pros
perity. In times Of commercial depres-
sion prices are invariably low and labor
superintendent. In hard times the con-
fict between labor and capital always
turns on the pivot Of wage reduction,
or for reduced hours of labor and more
general distribution of the opportunity
of employment.
The advent of prosperous times brings
with 1t increased Industrial activity, a
greater demand for the products of labor
and higher prices. With the e Of
employment thrown open to the army
of unemployed labor there comes in
creased consumption. and that in turn
causes still higher prices. The general
rise in the price Of all articles Of ne
cessity, higher-priced food, higher-priced
fuel and higher rents forces the bread
winner to demand higher wages and that
brings on the irrepressible conflict be-
tween the employer and the employed.
Colossal Industrial concerns, like the
Steel trust or Standard Oil trust, whose
profits are proportionately greater by
reason Of the special advantages they
enjoy In the purchase Of the raw ma
terials and distribution Of finished prod
ucts, are in better position to raise wages
than are their less fortunate competi-
tors, and especially the owners OF small
mills and factories. The giant trusts
have almost a monopoly Of production.
by controlling the markets, and are
able to grant reasonable advances to
their employees without the threat of a
strike, while their less fortunate com
p~etitors, the owners Of the small fac.
eaten up by any material advance in
wages. are frequently forced into the
| conflict which they would very much
prefer to avoid.
The resistance to the just demands OF
labor on the part of the anthracite coal
| operators and managers Of railway cor
poratiOns is inspired by a desire to raise
dividends and decrease operating ex'
penses. An advance of 3 cents a day
! to the man who is the employer of
dozen wage-workers amount to $1S7.2(
a year, but 5 cents a day added TO the
pay roll Of the employer of 1000 meI
amounts to $500 a week, or SIS, 600
year. The railroad that carries 20,00(
workingmen on it's pay roll would In
crease It's operating expenses by more
than 100000 a year on an advance Of
only 5 cents per day per man, which
would represent only a pa per cent in
crease on a 81 per day wage. An ad
vance OF 10 cents to 10000 workingmeI
would be equal t $624,OOO a year, or
per cent on $15,6O0,OO0 of capital o
water.
In the face OF a rise OF 25 per cen
in the price of all things that the wage
worker wears, eats and drinks. a rails
Of 10 cents a day can scarcely be re
garded as his full share in the genera
rise Of prices. Under such condition
it is to be expected that organized labo
would exert all the pressure at its CON
mand for a general advance in wage
and 1t is not in the least surprising tina
this pressure should take the shape o
strikes at the points where their grie1
anees are greatest, or where the suppl
OF labor is not equal to the demand.
To the partisan demagogues, the labo
strikes are proof positive that prosperit
is either a sham or a curse. VIII
should the toilers bless prosperity
they nave TO strike for better pay
What good is prosperity anyhow II III
wage-worker cannot buy all he want
with the money he is able to earn
Would 1t not be far better for US to g