The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-28
TBE LtBORERS HIRE.
D,fieuItIrs That B~s-t the soriai'-'s
Efforts co ReSulate ~.

To rur Enron oF THE SUS Sir In
an.wsr, 90 nv question as to shat dete rmines
the lust measure Of lsborers Nalue' "
the operation OF the Law OF supply ana
de mAnd does not. 4 socialist replies
by nAiysly laying down two conflicting
bAsa. Of value, needs and efficiency. but he
does not attempt to show by what pr'nclple
other than that Of supply aud demand the
sum due the laborer shall lie measured on
- hIchever basis tits prediCated. This. OF
course, - the question ON which hEht u
needed. this IL the case Of sO"ial'sm vs.
capitaIi-m A socialists definitions OF
value follow
The real value Of any persons services
in industry IL the value 81 his product.
This il value based On efficiency on TINS
basis II the product has no market value
the lAbOrer Is entitled to nothing
The value OF labor power in the market
equals the cost OF maintaining the lRbor-r
and raising his children to take hts place
This 10 value based on the laborrr'- needs
What II the COS, Of maintaining the laborer
and raising his children could not be
realized 10y the sale Of his products
The equitable share OF the eNcrter o.
labor power In his product - the equivalent
Ia value Of that Part OF the product due 10
This is hut a restAtement Of \ 500 lalist'--
first definition ana means that the laborer Is
entitled To- what his share ~ the product
Will bring Ia the market. but does not lndi-
cate how that share - determined
The basis Of compensation lad down IN
tie first and third propositions - ~tri'flN
equitable but u u vcre Troi'o--d To the AN-
erag. WORKER he would r-pudiatr u GA Two
grounds fret. that he NE- entitled 10 COM
prnsatIou hecaus" " his Efforts irrespective
of their consequences secondly. because he
Nas UNIV illing 20 take the risk of loss
4 So,Ialist- has y definition Of surplus
value" also. which. though " has no appAT-
CIV l-Nan,T. % may p" Worth while Ia eN-
anime II - a. follows The dtteren,"
l.aHtt II las nfaT
aud the value Of Itz product j. surplus
alu-
sum necessary to maintain the labor"r. a.
Lard dow u IN the Second definition. and he
BARGAINS Tor and obtains nv sum. u IL eyi-
dent that h" has recelv-d all that - ably
hi- irrespective of how the market Tor the
product goes. u the market pro" Of his
labor should 10 that defined IN the first amt
third definitions. u means ~ ~ n be does not
TeCeiN. the value Of his product he j. being
.SplousSi. which II sell evident u. however.
he should receive more than the value
Of his product. which Is very possible y hen
he IL paid before that value can I've realized
by sale, u i eIually true ma u" rmploy"r
entitled to the return II part or all. a. the
,a-- might he. OF ~" wages Paid the IA
horrr in advance but a. Ne have seen. this
il a risk the Iahorer declines 10 take
Those definitions ~ the lahorer value
do not. however meet the issue. They tell
~ that tho laborer i worth the value of his
share OF the product or the sum neCeASAry
to satisfy his needs they do not solve the
problem now 70 measure Ills snare 81 the
product or the extent - his needs In
other words A SociAlis s'denntions merely
| hes the question and leave "a no wiser than
were before
The truth IL that tho socialist -rts him salf
an impossible task vhsn he attempts To
calculate the value Of the lahorer = services
90 the laborrr himself This value ~ the
estimate which each individual. BY the very
condition Of his being. places on them. and
40 long as men shall differ physically m
, tslleCtualy. morally and e-thetiCally -
long viii that estimate vary with the ind-
viduAl IL may 10 represented hy any sum
/ from that sufficient 20 provide the hare
neaessaries Of life to That eluAte To realize
| al the dreams OF ambition hut. whatever
sS sum may be, the lAborer will receive "
pr,@N Idsd his efficiency will warrant u and
! crowded al-o that no laborer whose stan
ss-d OF value II lower than his. while his Ell
fscRncy l. a. great. - Wiling TO accept III.
smaller sum. which - the exact measure OF
| the latter value In the case In other words
IL will be determined ny the relation Of need :
10 efficiency. supply 70 demand II this j.
not the true method Of determining how
much the lAborer ought to receive no social
ist, to my knowledge. has indicated what the
true method H. or analysed its operations
NV YORK. July p. QT.ERu.