The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-10-12

WAGES and the prices to the pub
est, s so1is Ia q - r.: = sxree
those laws upon which the whole
7 structure of society rests. !
Prosperity can not be built !
I upon accidents, success can not !
I come from sorcery, and plenty is
I not a gift Of thieves. !
machinery, wise superintendence and
ne must be himself willing and
efficient woker.
Factors in Production.
All the need Of raw material and
market which belongs to the employer
belongs also to him. AS, there can be
no large profits without successful
production, 90 there can be perman-
emily no large wages without succ-
sessrul production. The first and
greatest interest Of every workins1nan
Is to make the business in which he is
engaged as successful as it is possible
to make 1t. The public wants it's
goods at the cheapest prices, but goods
tnat are scarce and expensive in the
making must be expensive to the pub
nc. At the: last there can be no re-
ductton in prices without Increased
efficiency IN production. 1t seems
plain that there is a' common unity for
these three interests. That unity is
found. In the successful labor which is
aole alone to furnish large products,
nigh wages, and cheap goods.
The division Of the~spoils must be a
cause OF debate, and questions of
profits, wages and prices must be ad-
1usted by agreement and by the work.
Ing OF those laws upon which the
whole structure Of society rests; but
there can be no conflict over spoils
which do not exist, and no one of the
| parties can win At any point in the
conflict until his successful labor has
secured Its abundant reward. -. ::
Division Of. the: Spoiis. :
This indicates very clearly the ma
ture Of the labor battle. ut is not a
question Of principles or of methods,
but 1t is a question Of the division of
the spoils. The employer and en-
ployed have a mutual interest in maxi
ing the profits as large as possible It
Is only when the profits are to be di-
V1ded that the class interest becomes
eVoent. One other matter must be
set forth In order to put before US all
the elements of the problem; that is,
to clear up the incoherence Of thought
with reference to the nature of pro-
duction. Whatever labor satisfies
normal human want is production, and
Whatever services are required in the
satisfaction Of that want, from the
first use Of the raw material until the
finished product is placed in the hands
OF those who are to use 1t. is a part
Of the labor production.
Most Complicated Problem.
The production Of the most COM.
monplace articles of use is very COM
plcated affair. 1t fis not alone the
cooper who has made the water pail,
for 1t took a hundred years for the
raw material to grow in the forest.
Then those who opened the iron mine
to-" get material for the hoops. and
those who built the sawmill, and those
who constructed the railways that
brought. the raw material and took
away the product, and those who man.
aged the banks that furnished credit,
the drayman upon the street. the clerk
In the store, and the young man who
sets the water pail down in someone's
kitchen where 1T has been ordered,
have each some part In the task of
producing the water pail, and must
each be paid for his services. It ia
quite evident that there can be no
exact mathematical calculation for de-
Gliding: just what each ones share of
the product is.! -. ~.s. .4...,s-..... - /.
1t would cost more ~ figure out by
an elaborate system Of bookkeeping
each one Of the elements Of cost in
volved, than the whole transaction
could pay for. So 1t will always hap
pen that the particular elements In
production cannot be specifically rec
ognized and rewarded in particular
transactions. Rough and substantial
justice Is the best that any one can
hope for. On division Of the profits
the parties may always differ, but the
thing upon which they cannot be al.
lowed to differ is in the production
Of profits. All unnecessary labor must
be eliminated to reduce the cost. and
the labor thus set free can be em-
ployed elsewhere. This is the key to 1
the labor problem. /. b,
e .*1 Largest Production Possible. aS..
The unity OF interests for all parties
SIN the securing the largest produc-
found alone In the distribution to each
tion possible, and the labor conflict is
producer of his fair share Of the re-
suit.
II must Be noted, therefore, that Il
this statement OF fact IS correct, the
5combinat tfon Of employers that would
limit the output OF any special line OF
product IA the interests of scarcity
continY,ssd i on pase four.