The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1906-10-25

ten by Ine GFOIeSSOF Oh fIn1cS ana
Economies in the Catholic Semin-
ary at St. Paul, Mimi, is taken by
Buffalo Catholic Union and Times
as a subject for the following:
One of the most interesting books
for Catholics that has appeared in
recent months bears the title "A
Living Wage.n and is written by
the Professor of Ethics and Econ
omicS in the Catholic Seminary at
st Paul, Minnesota. Prof. Ryan,
the author, has discussed very
carefully just what wages are
sufficient to enable man to live
properly under the varying con-
ditions of American life today.
He has drawn up very careful
schedules of family needs and
some of hiss conclusions are indeed
striking. He considers that any
thing less than $500 per year is
not living wages in any of the
cities in the United States; that is,
under present conditions, and with
food and rent as expensive as they
are. it is impossible for man to
feed and clothe himself and his
wife and three children which is
the modest allowance, after con-
SultatiOn of statistic. that Prof.
Ryan makes for the number of the
Americans family on any sum less
than $50 per month.
''This is not all, however, Pro-
fessor Ryan considers that while
5000 per year is probably sufficient
to enable a man to support himself
and family properly in the South
ern States, where fuel, clothing
food and some other items OF,
expenditure are cheaper than in
the North, this is not true for
most other parts of the country.
1t is possible for a man to live
properly on this sum in the small
er cities of the East and West, but
1t is not possible for him to live in
the larger cities in the North with
out submitting to privations that
make life miserable, at least at GER
tain seasons of the year. Prof.
Ryan goes even farther and does not
hesitate to say that more than sixty
per cent. of all the male adults en-
plOsed in urban occupations, or
probably seventy per cent. of them
III all occupations, are compelled
to accept less for their labor than
this sum, which he has demonstra-
led 10 be the lowest living wages
on which n man may support his
family with decencv.
Sometimes the old lessons OF
catcchism are forgotten. We feel
sure that most children when learn
Ing by note the names of the three
Slirs that cry to heaven for ven
gcance, thought very little of the
significance of the words which
they so glibly repeated. 1t will be
remembered that one of these sins
Indeed, it may well be called the
most important of them-is de
iIaudine laborers of their wages.
lhiS looks like such a heinous crime
that ordinarily there would seem
10 be little possibility of any but
The veriest scoundrel falling into it.
One of the most interesting phases
"i modern life, however, is exactly
Tie nearness of some of these old
lime sins or ordinary. every day
living i'll some of the phases of oul
social order that usually are con-
>ldered to be quite distant from the
dinger of serious sin.
LAS rule, 1t is frankly stated
hat man has right to pay amy
wages that he can get the people
TO work for. The law of supply
and demand is supposed to regu.
late matters of labor as well as oi
commerce. a man may hire labor
just as he may purchase materials
rs cheaply as possible There Is.
however, in Prof. Ryan;S book
qulte enough to make anyone who
thinks thus pause before putting
such rules of conduct into action.
The laborer has a positive right tC
living wage. If he is deprived
OF that right to a living wage. i
he is deprived of that right an in
Justice is committed. If the depri
vadon of that right he is paid
wages less than he ought to receive
he Is actually being defrauded c