The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1909-12-17
STANDARD Of LIVING
It Set by the Cheapest Man So.
Ciety Retrogrades.
LAW OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND

A False and Spacious Doctrine That
Trades Unionsm Resents-Based on
Greed and Desire to Profit at HUI
manty's Expense.
1t has been pet phrase of those
who favor low wages that 1.-THE law of
supply and demand" must, in the nat
ural order of events, control the labor
market-if there are three men for the
one job, then the one who will work
for the smallest sum is properly en-
titled TO the situation.
Civilization advances as the people
move forward. All that retards prog
ress is a handicap. If living condi-
tons are to have standard set by the
cheapest man, whose individual needs
may be of such nature as to preclude
the home life of community from
following its normal way, then the
people of the era will suffer and the
backward tendency become more
marked as time goes on.
Time and again have employers en-
deavored to impress this specious cry
Of supply and demand" on their en-
ployees. Trades unionism resents the
doctrine and in so doing Is proving of
service to all.
There are recognized among thinking
In, CT
essary to enable our present day civ
ilization to be tolerable. One of these
is a wage sufficient to provide for the
home and those living therein. While
that, 1t is hoped. will be improved as
time goes on, it is desirable that we
should make the most of the work at
hand. In objecting to the claw Of sup
ply and demand we are making no
false move, for it is based primarily
on greed and the desire to save or
make money even at the expense Of
the community life.
At the present time unfortunately
there are thousands of men and wo-
men without employment. 1t might be
possible to reduce wages because Of
this condition. If this were done there
wouldn't be any more work to be OBJ
tanned as a result, and merchants and
mechanics would suffer
There is a persistent and growing
demand for educational facilities, for
reasonable leisure, for books and pic
lures, for a home with all the civiliz-
ing influences. Setting it's face sternly
against all these is the law of supply
and demand"
There isn't an employer who takes
advantage of periods of depression
who would not resent encroachments
on his home life. We will admit that
the man in business frequently suffers
severely from dull times. We are not
now considering the problem of max
ing money, but the larger issue Of
whether the children should be prop
erly fed and educated and whether the
mother should be secure in providing
for the household needs.
From every standpoint-the econom-
ic, the sociological and the humanita-
rian-there come objections to the
Flaw of supply and demand" as ap-
piled to men, women and children
The latter have long been victims to
the "law," and the searchlight has re-
vealed the need Of preventing loss Of
life and stunted moral and physical
growth. 1t is impossible to measure
human life by the yardstick Of the dry
goods store or the weight of the gro
GERS commodities. There are so many
essential things to be considered that
this article of protest has hardly been
able to do more than touch the sur
face.-Painter and Decorator.