The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-04-06
SOURCES OF WEALTH
Father BrOSnahan Discusses
LabOr'S Contention.
IT IS NOT SOLE PRODUCER
Workman Must he Maintained TO
Continue PrOductiGn-WeaIt of
Nations Produced by Work of
Hands and Brains, Is Lecturers
COnclusiOn-Taiks on Philippines.

Rev. Timothy Brosnahan, Of the Jesuit
ITheologate. at Woodstock. Md. spoke be-
fore the Aloysius Club. at Gonzaga Hall,
/ street. near North Capitol street north
west. last night on The production OF
vgJalth and the claims of labor
ANY question regarding the working
mans claims. said Father Brosnahan.
TO a share Of the output Of production
is not only an economic question it
is pre-eminently a moral question. The
wcTkingman is not only producer, but
ne must be maintained for the sake OF
further production.
That the laborer is worth his hire is
an elementary truth Of economic justice.
admitted by the capitalist as we'll as by
the wOrkingman. The disag reement arises
whell they attempt to determine what IS
the laborer's hire.
Who Is the PrOducerf
Both admit that the wealth of the
country belongs to the producer. One
maintains that brains are the main agent
IN production, the other that labor pro-
duces all wealth.
What are the factors in the production
OF wealth? Three answers have been
gwen 10 this question.
First labor is the sole factor in pro-
ductisn
Second, nature and labor are the fac
tors
Third, nature, labor, and capital are
the factors.
The first answer is that given by So
sialisul.
''Ca5 Marx. pathfinder Of Socialism.
| taught that the value Of commercial
goods sdoes not depend on their utility,
but IS measured wholly by the amount
OF labor embodied in them. and that
labor + measured by the time required to
produ1e an article under normal condi-
tons pf production. ana with average
degree Of skill and intensity prevalent al
that time
'Mar1's error is twofold First. he
minimizes the rights OF lahor The Other
error OF Marx lies in this-ihat he ignores
nature as a factor in the production Of
wealth Labor alone does not make Goa
more valuable than shale
Brains More Than Muscle.
Mans efficiency as a producer is limit
ed by the inherent qualities OF matter
He cannot add particle Of the total OF
existing smatter He can only c0mbin.
materials and adjust forces.
This fact reveals two truths First
the Creal or, in preparing the earth FOL
mans hatIitatiOn. has furnished il lavish
| ly with p&)tentielities Of wealth. The sec
ord truth is that It is brains rather thar
| muscle tlzst transforms and subjects tn,
energies nj nature 10 mans use and serv.
ice.
Early Socialists maintained that tn,
labor whE3h produces wealth is manua
labor On the other hand, the extreme
defenders of capitalism hold that the
enormous increase OF wealth which i.
characteristic Of modern times is due
to the intellect. knowledge. and the other
rare mental qualities OF mankind
Labor Directed by Brains.
Human labor. of whatever kind. now.
ever unskill,d, is always informed by in
/ teIligence Even a charwoman require.
! intelligence in the performance Of hei
humble duti If she did not. she woulC
/ be replaced 10y a machine. The most per.
fected machine will never dispense witt
/ directing intelligence.
Apply this obvious truth TO two Of the
vexed questAlns of labor-frst, it cannot
be denied that in every department OF
/ production, machinery has become ar
astounding IN tor in the augmentation OF
wealth: second. il is evident that under
capitalism. production has enormously in,
/ creased. But, capital. in so far as il is
productive ana not predatory or dropsical
| is accumulated wealth directed by intel
ligence TO the production Of further
wealth
! 1T may be said. then, that the wealth
Of nations is GOduced by no other agents
than the bTsi IS and hands of the mar
who works. a .behnitiOn that covers labor
/ of whatsoever Kind done by man"
/ Bishop Hendk ok, Of Cebu, Philippine
/ Islands. told Of the quality Of the clergy
/ in the insular possessions. and the per
/ picking and faikreaching question-labor
/ He praised he Aloysius Club for ia
! successful cOura, OF lectures. of which
/ last nights was the last for this season
Bishop Hendrick leaves Washington OF
/ Tuesday.