The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-12-19
WAGE SYSTEM.

In an address at Philadelphia last Sunday Car
roll D. Wright, United States Commissioner of La
Dor, said:
THE wage system will pass away. In its stead
| believe, there will come a system which will be
composed of the proft-sharing and the co-opera-
ton ideas, The great labor question means the
struggle of humanity for higher standard of life
The employer must consider his employees as we'll
the stakeholder, as an investor"
To the capitalist these words may seem insane;
to the general public they will appear Utopian, but
to those who study closely the evolutions of mod
times, there may be more truth in these words
than the world ever dreamed of. But few can con-
clude from what was yesterday and is today, what
may occur tomorrow. The world is no longer where
it was, nor does the intelligence of the age propose
to remain, if possible, where it is at present The
tendency is to march upwards, by equalizng things.
But the great problemsis how to reach there. Mr.
Wright tells what is being done in Germany and
England to solve the problem In Germany the
employer pays onelfodrth the cost of a sick and
death benefit policy, the employee one-fourth, and
the government one-haf. England too has taken
up this question, and should not the United States
follow in the wake? The present relations between
capital and labor, which the commissioner terms
''the iron law of wages" will, he predicts, pass
away. The wage system which has been carried
on for more than three hundred years, and which
leads periodically to overproduction, is unsatisfac
tory to the great army of mechanics who toll and
drudge whilst the sun shineth, when there is de-
mand for their strong muscle and cunning hands.
But the surplus of their labors requirements is ex
hausted during the winter months, or whilst CAPT
tai is striving get rid of its overproduction In
the end, after years of toll and labor, great
army of mechanics and laborers at I'm
able to work, all relationship between them and
their employees being settled by cash payment, many
have to fall back on charity. But for others, who
young, hearty and willing to work. there is
work. Mills and factories close down to sell their
overproduction. In the meantime business is stag
nant and labor must provide for itself. Our in
dustral system must be at fault. 1t leaves labor
in state of uncertainty as to future possibility
of having sufficient te provide for the mere wants
of the body. There is no equilibrium between pro-
duction and consumption, and this our present in
dustrial system, leaves labor in doubt as to what
the future may bring forth People, who are intel
ligent, who read the daily papers, weekly journals
and monthly magazines, will no longer be deceived
by prosperous times or revival of business. What
forms They will not submit their evils to bank, in
surance railroad other corporations for final adj
justment These chiefs of industry may be con-
suited by government, but the Intelligent la
borer and mechanic whose lives these chiefs held
formerly in their pockets, are awakening to
life and are already demanding share in the
profits of our great industries. On this allimport
ant question Mr.. Wright says:
''The wage system will pass away. It is, as has
been shown, unsatisfactory in many of its appli-
cations It depends too largely for its equities upon
the generosity and greatmindedness of employers.
That there are many who would scorn to influence
the votes or actions of their employees and who
would be incapable of taking petty great adj
vantages Of their workmen is happily true That
there are others, however, who make of these
opportunities proves the weakness of the system
and argues for greater measure of independence
for those who labor.
THE system that will take the place of that
under which mere wages paid probably will be
composed of the proit-sharing and cooperation
plans. The working people will then acquire the
interest of investors and the capable will rise
to their opportunities and the less worthy will find
their level" -
All these demands and predictions may indeed
sound Utopian today, but in free country, where
agitation is action, and men freely express their
views, what next year or five years hence may
bring forth no one can foresee. All should be in
terested IN the wise organization of industry and
the just distribution of Its fruits