Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-06-20
y. T.|O..Dl].AY'S PROBLEM.
SENS: VIEW OF THE RELATIONS
OF EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES.

]. SENSIBLE VIEW OF THE RELATIONS
De EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES.
STD Ter W0rkday, Higher Wages and
Il. s.e,' eecoHn1t1on of Unions Must BE Con-
ceded-What Fixe. the Rate. of
Wages.
S AZ the twelfth annual banquet of the
BOARD 'c'a of trade of Worcester, Mass,
April %. ex-Congressman Joseph Il.
walker delivered an address on Some
Phasesof the Labor Question" Among
other things he said:
T. When the time comes that wage earn
ers cease to demand higher wages and
employers will not, and, much more,
When they cannot advance wages,
progress In civilization has come to an
end
Again, employers must remember
mat advancing wages and shortening
the work day greatly stimulate inven-
ton In order to keep the cost of the
unit of product down and to still fur
Their reduce prices to the larger mar
ket.
These forces, seemingly destructive
to each other, act and react as centrip-
etal and centrifugal forces. While
seemingly destructive the one of the
other they are in reality not only de-
strable theoretically, but absolutely
necessary to the safety of society,"
Where progress ends, retrogression be-
gins
The combination of several factories
into gigantic corporations is only an
inevitable step in advancing civilian
ton. 1t must, in the working of mex
orable natural law, be accompanied by
like gigantic organizations of wage
earners. The harm that would come
to the country with the good that
comes from gigantic combinations of
employers can only be met ana neu-
trallzed In the combining OF the wage
earners in equally strong organiza-
tons. The increasing and ever enlarg-
ing volume of accumulated wealth is
necessary to larger distribution Of
wealth among wage earners and to the
shortening Of the workday, the in
crease of wages and the lowering Of
prices to the masses. Through the
proper distribution of this wealth, in
the use Of it by the masses of the peo-
pie, we see the present incalculably in
creased sum of human happiness. as
compared with the past.
The recognizing Of organizations of
wage earners is inevitable To refuse
them recognition is to attempt to turn
back the hands on the dial of time 1t
is as futile and unwise as to attempt to
relegate wage earners Of today to the
conditions Of the past
The changed conditions and methods
of employers in producing wealth have
necessitated changed methods and con-
ditions upon the part of the employees
in securing their betterment The mis-
takes and wrongdoings of organiza-
tons Of wage earners or of individuals
in them, as of organizations of em-
ployers, have no more justification or
excuse, but they have the same as
have the wrongdoings of other organi-
cations that have always accompanied
advancing civilization.
But to refuse to recognize a labor or
ganization by an individual and by cor
porations because of it's faults always
and everywhere puts them in the
wrong and leaves them defenseless be-
fore the public.
The resistance Of large bodies Of
wage earners outside Of labor organiza-
tons to being compelled to become
members of them is normal and honor
able. and they should be defended at
any cost; but members of labor or
CARNATIONS only do as all of us do in
trying to induce them to become men,
bers by honorable means. They are
only doing as their employers are do
ing in the organization of the employ
erS.
Furthermore, rates Of wages must be
agreed upon for groups of wage earn
ers. 1t is impossible for civilization
to advance on any other basis. We
must admit this has been the general
practice for a third of century.
Wages. as we'll as longer or shorter
workdays. are always made for groups
of workers-not the individual-and
necessarily so. It is impracticable for
individual employers in any large in
dustry to agree with individual wage
earners as to daily wages. Do not fail
to observe that wages are not primarily
fixed upon the basis of the amount OF
strength and skill that is required In
producing the results of the days labor
by the law of demand and supply.
Wages and the length of the workday
are fixed upon the basis of the require
ments of the social position of the
wage earners. That Is to say. the rate
Of wages is fixed In Christian commu-
mites by the amount Of money required
BY the wage Garner in each class by
the consensus of opinion Of all the peo-
pie in his community as to the style of
living he must maintain to keep his
self respect in that community. This
is largely made up of the opinions of
other classes of men his daily work
brings him in contact with: A deter