The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-11-01


Dor a Profitable one-Cost and
Profit.
Wage earners should realize that the
employers particular office on this
earth is not to increase their (the wage
earners) misery, not to make the con-
ditions under which they labor more
burdensome, but to manufacture his
goods at the least possible expense and
sell at the greatest possible profit. This
is a clean-cut business policy essential
to success, and as natural to the en-
ployer of labor as the desire on the part
of his employees to make their labor the
most profitable by getting the highest
possible wages for the fewest hours
work. Both are struggling to attain
the same object, and both are made the
victims Of competition. and both, in or
der to attain the greatest success must
come together on plain business basis
and destroy ruinous competition. The
employer keeps about even in the race
with competition by keeping abreast of
the times and offsetting adverse cond1-
tons by taking advantage of favorable
ones.
Now, if wage earners were as watch
full and as ready to take advantage Of
their opportunity to make their busl-
ness of selling labor a profitable one
one Of the greatest evils from which
they now suffer-reduced wages when
competition presses hard on the en-
ployer-would be speedily done away
with. The essential parts Of whole
must unite properly by each perform
ing it's separate part in perfect har-
mony with the other in order to
achieve the best results. So it is with
capital and labor, and as long as these
two factors fight each other the cost
Of the struggle will come out of the
profits of each, with labor the greatest
loser. because it Is the weaker, and
what might and would be clear profit
becomes a dead loss. AS the struggle
continues the fear of each other con-
tinues and forces each to take. advan-
tage of the other at the first sign of
weakness. Here again both become the
victims of wasteful conditions, brought
about by themselves, which could easily
be avoided. Capital and labor will be-
come equal business partners when
each has perfected it's particular line of
business. Capital has already done this
as far as conditions will permit, and
therein lies it's success. Labor has but
just commenced to view itself as
business proposition and organize on
business principles, and to this is due
it's growing success which will be great
or little in accordance with it's organ
ICED strength. Fellow wage earners,
consider yourselves business men con-
Quoting the business of selling labor
and establish your business on busi-
ness basis, and you will get the same
economic benefits that every business
gets by following business principles.
Figure the cost of a decent standard
Of living which will be the cost Of your
product, labor, and then figure at what
advantage over this price can you sell
your labor and realize fair profit.
Your product goes to market and
there you find the same conditions OBJ
tanning which confronts the manufac-
turer when he attempts to sell his pro-
duct. You find that every business
man whether he Is selling labor or
manufactured article has a different
idea of decent standard Of living and
guages his profits accordingly. That
Is called competition, and unless the
different competitors come together
and agree to establish a decent stand
ard of living by making price for
their product that will enable all to
live decently, the man who sells his
product cheapest will establish the
standard of living for all. Competition,
- o11nuyo1 f0 CONTROL "a Git with
establish the poorest standard Of living
that the meanest competitor will ac-
cept, and this standard will be yours
also. AS an individual conducting an
| Independent business you cannot sell
your product profitably. But you can
not get out of business apd you must
sell at a profit and in order to do this
successfully you must organize your
| forces and control the market for your
| product as other business men do.
Every stage Of progress has introduced
new forces and conditions which in
combination makes competition which
is a trust Of forces and conditions.
This trust forced the individual BUSH
ness man into corporations, hence into
trusts, which in turn are being absorb
ed into the giant merger.
Now, wage earners, can you not read
the lesson Of the times? Are you go
ing to continue to run your business at
cost and even at loss as guaged by
our standard or are you going to profit
by the success Of other business men
and discard useless and profitless
methods and adopt business principles :?
It is not plain business on your part
to pass from the individual wage earn
err to the local union, from the local
to the thorough organization Of your
craft, and from craft organization to
one giant labor trust for the promo
ton of your interests, not by fighting
or destroying the power of capital, but
by defeating it's power to injure?
Remember that war Is brutal waste
full and last resort. Let business prin-
ciples be the arbitrator to amicably
settle our differences with capital, re-
Numbering that every man or set of
men after once improving their posi-
ton by whatever means will not read
| lily return to the old conditions. Per-
feet your business as capital has done
and share with it the profits. When
this basis is established the two great
forces hbor and capital will unite Ia