The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-02-13
IMAGES AND ECONOMIC LAW.

Of the most intelligent ana conservative
1 labor leaders of the country, and what
he says is always entitled 10 consider
alton. His most recent utterance bears
on the subject of wage reduction as a
! sequel to the recession of manufacture
ing activity and the compulsory pause
in large construction operations of all
kinds which followed the disturbance
last October.
| Mr.. Gompers says that the working
men of this country have come TO the
conclusion that the condition that OBJ
tains in other large countries where
there are large armies. of unemployed
will not obtain in the United States;
| it will not be tolerated. 1 be-
lieve that the workingmen have come
to the conclusion that they win not
submit to any reduction of their wages
there is no necessity for it, there is
no excuse for it. 1t is not helpful; on
the contrary, it is harmful, injurious
and destructive"
Very few men in any walk of life
will differ from Mr. Gompers in his
view as TO the desirability of high
wages. The well-paid workingman is
the best index of nations strength
and prosperity, and the unemployed
should have the first consideration of
statesmen. But Mr.. Gompers does not
tell how wages are to be maintained on
the same level they held year ago. 1t
is easy enough to say the worker will
not accept a reduction in wages, just
as it is easy for the railroad operator
or the manufacturer or the farmer to
say he viii accept no reduction in his
earnings. If the mere saying could eff
feet results, none of us would ever feel
the pressure of circumstance; but in
exorable law, a cruel law it may be,
governs the industrial and commercial
world, and no artificial barrier or COM
bination can check the operation of
that law in its ultimate workings.
When copper, for instance, finds no
demand at a price which pays the cop
per mine owner, he has no alternative
but to shut down unless a lower wage
scale and cheaper cost of production
can enable him to continue mining. |
The cotton goods manufacturer may
not want TO reduce the wages, but when
market conditions offer the choice only |
Of suspension or lower wages, there IS |
no escape from the alternative.
At the floodtide of prosperity when |
demand outruns supply, labor can make |
it's own terms and the employer is in |
condition TO meet them cheerfully, be |
cause his own profits are good; but !
when the conditions are reversed, both I
employer and employed have TO meet
the situation by accepting reduced re-
enumeration. In a good many instances |
manufacturers operate in times like |
these on a margin of profit so small as
their plants deteriorate from disuse !
and their employees suffer want. Sure |
ly Mr.. Gompers would not ask sensible |
men to believe that wages can be main |
tanned now at the level prevailing last
spring, when all the facts are against |
him and concrete instances in point |
are to be had in every part of the |
country
Business conditions are gradually |
improving; only yesterday the an
nouncement was made of resumption
in a number of large establishments
making steel products, cotton goods
and other lines; but in no instance did
the resumption furnish work for the
full quota of men formerly employed, |
and all of the establishments had been
shut down for some time. 1t is right
for the laboring men and their unions
to prevent as far as possible any I'M
due or unfair reductions, but it would
seem the part of wisdom for the en-
ployes to concede a share of the sacri-
fee which every class must make be
fore the industries of the country at
tain once more the phenomenaliy pro-
fitabIe basis on which they operated
so long before the October crisis in
terfered.
Common sense is about as badly
needed now as any other factor of sub
stantiaI prosperity, and such utter
ances as Mr.. Gompers' do not comport
with the common sense knowledge of
economic law that governs all men
whether the like it or not.