The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-04-17

CUTTING WAGES BELOW
A RIGHTEOUS STANDARD
Never Fails to Disturb Conditions
and Bring About Business = :
Depression. :

The Unfair employer-the man to-
whom no obligation is sacred and is
ever on the alert to take advantage Of
his business rival and his employees
is a. curse and a detriment to any
community. If all employers were fair
and would act on the square there
would be few strikes or lockouts. I'm
der our present system Of production
the man who invests his capital in g.
legitimate business has right to ex-
pect a reasonable profit. The wage
Garner has right to expect a fair or
living wage, and the employer has a
right to expect a fair or safe return
on his investment.
Practical Business.
There is no room for sentiment in
business either for the employer or the
employe. The contractor, manufacture
er or business man has to meet the
competition of keen rivals; he has to
take risks, and sometimes he fails and
not only loses his business, but his
invested capital. The first require
ment of the business world is to tran
sact business on safe and equitable
basis.
Conditions Of Success.
It is the dishonest methods Of the
unscrupulous and unfair employer that
is the greatest menace to real CONNER
cial stability and progress. Let the
fact once be recognized that the work
er is entitled to a living wage and the
standard be set by committees repre-
senting both capital and labor, and let
the employer agree to be fair In their
competition and not cut below the
standard scale Of wages and business
would be on an improved basis imnae-
diately.
The Unfair Employer.
The unfair employer seeks to gain
an advantage over the fair employer
by cutting wages and working his men
a greater number: Of hours. thereby
diarranging: trade :eendi itionsszs Thus, ii,
the competition for work, employers
are forced to figure contracts to the
lowest possible cent to meet the un-
scrupulous competition. Merchants
will sign an agreement to close on
say Wednesday afternoon. Soon the
dishonest and covetous will take ad--
vantage and slyly open to scop in a
little trad with the result that ultim-
ately every store will open and nobody
Is any better off. The unfair employer
Is responsible for the system of poor
| workmanship. People want things
| cheap, and give thepreference, as q
rule, to the lowest rendered.
Effect Of Low Wages.
The man who works his helm lone
hours who pays a low rate Of wages
and does inferior work can tender al
lower figure than the man who ten
ders on the square, who pays goo6
wages and puts up an honest job. The
result Is not hard to perceive. Ulti-
mately every tender is on the basis OF
a rush job. The man who puts in ar
honest tender is out of the race while
his competitor, who is ready to throw
his work together, lands the prize
There we have a fruitful cause o1
strikes. To meet this unscrupulous
| competitor the fair employer feels
compelled to reduce wages, and Is
likewise compelled to lower the quail
| 1ty of his work.
Open Shop FaItacy.
Let us suppose for moment that we
carry out this system to it's Logical
conclusion. Suppose that every shor
Is an open shop, with the lowest stand
ara OF wages and the worst possible
conditions, what advantage has the
employer gained. When it is no longer
possible to restore wages, and in this
respect we are all on common level
when profits have been cut to the van
lsnlng point, business is bound to- suf,
| ier The workers who do not receive
a nvlng wage will be the poor custom
ers or the merchants who will have tc
90 business on a low wage standard
Inc prosperity of the merchant and the
community depends upon the standard
OF wages paid. The man who earns
only 81 per day is only one-third as
! valuable to- the community as the mar
who earns SO a day. The merchant
knows by experience that 50 mechanic.
are Infinitely better than the dolla,
laborer. Well paid workmenS are thu
backbone of a community, and it is
| the amount Of money in circulation
! paid out as wages that gauges the
| prosperity Of a town or city. Thu,
| we see that the tactics Of the dishones1
and unfair employers not only work.
! to the detriment Of the wage earne,
but disarranges business ! conditions
! and helps to bring on and perpetuatf
hard times.--Buffalo Republic. I :
SENTENCED SIX MONTHS
| FOR STEALING TWO CENTS