Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-04-19
FOSTER AND ELIOT.
THE TRADES UNlONlST ANSWSEs
THE COLLEGE PRESIDENT.
H"sV Judgement Is Affected by the
PGint of a.cw--'Tradrs MONS Raise
Wages IiioV.> Dn Not Apologize
Fer Stri..eS ot. Hoyco.t.

Fcirt of .ew-Fradcs MONS Raise
NaGcs-> niors Bn Not Apologize
Fer >tri.cs or iioyco.t..
tn Feb. in TaAcuil hail Eo~ton
President i.lioi Of Ilarv;,.d college Dc
hN"rcd al atl"VsS oI iii" q" ~;inn Of
trades unlohs, in WITCH ale the
SPEAKER WAS arit,a';.ily fr1a,f,,,,,'. he Ell
iciSed severely soaIe Of th, as which
unionists recognize as entirely Ie@iti-
mate On Feb u in the sam" hall
Frank X. Foster of Typographical un-
ion No. Is replied to President Eliot
Both meetings were held under the aus
piccs of the Boston Central Labor un-
ion. Following is Il liberal extract from
the address of Mir Foster;
The point of view. What Judgment
is so infalliblc rs not to be affected
thereby: The old legend of he two
knights and the gold and silver shield
finds its daily analogy. The lenses of
all our faculties are focused by our
environment. We each of us look cut
upon tie World from an individual
pedestal formed by the influences of
heredity. of birth, of training, of sta
ton.
The objective unive"ee wears Il differ
ent aspect when viewed from the tene-
mcnt house window from that which it
presents when seen from the home of
wealth, leisure and culture: hence it is
not to be marveled at that the profess
or's study and the factory work"oOm
generate two distinct philosophers of
life.
ut is seldom said President Eliot.
referring to college professors in gen
eral, that a man brought up in so ut
terly different Il manner can under
stand the real conditions under which
the members OF trade unions work"
If the conditions which produce trade
unionism are not understood is it not
reasonable inference that in theoTiZ-
ing about the results of these condi-
tions, as manifested convrctcy in trade
union methods. olr academic friends
may sometimes be guilty of assuming
things not in cOnSolEnce with the facts
the very error President Eliot charged
some Of his Questioncrs with?
We understand President Eliot ad-
mits that trade unions have raised
wages. To use lis own language in his
main argument: "There is some clear
gain to the whole community from the
progressive rise in the prices of labor
and of materials since labor unions be
gan to put UP wages. Invention has
been strongly stimulated thcreby.''
But President Eliot assures us-and
here is where the arch of our wide
ranged trade union policy is supposed
to fall-proyided you do get thorough
GrganZatio create your labor monop-
oily and place your union label on all
products, yeu viii neutralize your own
efforts and there will be mo advantage
to any
| One of two conclusions seems inevita-
| ble-i G., that under a more perfected
| organization of trade unions wages will
! be relatively higher or they will not be
| higher.
! If they are higher, as we believe and
contend they will be, then our purpose
will have been so far realized.
If they are not higher, then the solici-
tude of our academic friends for the
public interest will have been most
man.festly wasted.
The influence of 1.-The point of view"
is possibly no more strikingly shown
than in that portion of the address un-
der consideration, dealing With the
question of wages. "The men in my
business" said the president of Har-
ward, .'believe that seeking only the
highest possible wages is not the prin-
ciple on which any great combination
! OF men ought to work" He also says
there is joy in doing all the work one
can.
An insistent demand of labor is for
higher wages, but it is not true that
the demand is pressed irrespective of
circumstances The difference of a dol
lar a day means great deal to the
average seller of manual labor.
To the high salaried professor whose
remuneration increases with length Of
service and who has hanging over him
no sword of Damocles in the form of
fear Of a penniless old age this differ
ence may have little meaning.
tilted by no such consolation. The over
whelming chances are that increasing
years will bring to him decreasing
wages. He is only sure of the present,
for some new machine may at any mo-
ment destroy the demand for the par
ticular kind Of labor commodity he has
to sell.
But the remedy which trace unionists
seek for this condition of affairs is not
,, to he found in the system of pensions
advocated by President Eliot, but in
present rate of wages which will enable
them to establish their own savings
bank account and, if necessary, union
approximation fund, as is now done
by some Of the strongest trade unions.
We are fully convinced that the pen.
sion system would restrict and cripple
the mobility of labor and that 1t IS
manifeStIv undqmOcratic and Maternal