New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-18
THE CAUSE OF HIGH PRICES
Ex-Governor Prince Thinks It Is the
Reduction Of Hours Of Labor.

Sir I have been greatly surprised in
reading articles as 10 the reason OF the
increase IN prices Of commodities not to
see more stress laid on the most obvious
cause, easily recognized as such because
II necessarily brought about an increase
n the cost Of so many articles, easy to
calculate and constituting almost the en-
tire rise IN price. I refer 20 the increase IN
wages by shortening the hours OF labor.
4 few years ago a vast body of workers
in various branches OF business concluded
20 reduce the tine Of their activity from
ten hours 70 eight hours each day. No one
except their families or dependents, could
object To this. Each man is his own mas
ter as TO how he uses his time. If he
chooses 20 work a whole day he can do it.
or 20 work only half OF each day. or not
TO work at all.
But naturally the man who works half
a day receives half Of the pay Of him who
works all day: and the man only working
one hour would receive one-tenth Of the
pay Of the man who worked ten hours. If
men wished TO work only eight hours out
Of ten. they would naturally receive eight
tenths Of the pay received by the fuT-day
man Their voluntary loss Of one-ifth OF
their time. and Of its worth in money,
would concern no one but themselves, and
not affect the value OF any product OF
their labor.
But IN this case. the workers demanded
and succeeded in obtaining the same wages
for eight hours Of labor. mental or manual.
which before had been paid for ten hours.
II may seem strange that this was posi-
BILE but Il was done through combination,
and every one knows that IL occurred. Of
course. every piece OF work or business
requires now Just a quarter more days for
its completion than L did before this reduc-
ton in hours A piece Of work formerly re-
curing forty hours for its accomplishment
would be finished in four days Of ten hours
each. but now requires FIVE days Of eight
hours each
II the man having the forty-hour job 20
perform receives g a day. the work would
cost s. when II was done in four days, and
now costs so when r. requires five of the
shorter DAYS Thus by this reduction Of
time and maintenance OF fuH price for the
curtaiIed day, one-quarter is added % the
cost Of every product Of the labor thus af-
fected.
Il may be said that all kinds Of labor
have not had the extraordinary good fort
une Of being ab1e 20 get full pay for frac-
tional work but even in those cases there
g an increase in the expense Of living, be-
cause so many OF the necessar:es Of life
are the product Of the increased priced
labor. so that the purchaser is forced 70
increase the charge for his own work.
whatever Il may be, in order 10 meet this
increase IN his expenses.
The result Is easy 10 see. II is impossi-
bic 70 make something out Of nothing. II
everybody who produces anything charges
g for what was before worth 81, "a simply
changes the purchasing power Of money
and reduces II by % per cent. No one is
benefited. tecause each man who receives
fourth more than he used 10 for his
work pays a fourth more FOR everything
that - consumes.
Il works around I'm a circle. and would
make no real difference 20 producers or
workers but that. on account Of being idle
ore-ffth Of the time. he really does not
get the same purchasing power Of money
that he did before He is getting tho same
number Of dollars for forty hours work
that he used 20 get for fifty, bat the
purchasing power Of those dollars IS less
ne may think that he is getting just as
much for q short day as a fun one. but
really he IS receiving just four-9fths as
much I'm purchasing power.
In addition 20 this. in some states there
&c now a half-holiday on Saturday That
would mean. il generally observed. the loss
of one-twelfth more OF the available time
OF those adopting the custom. II reduces
the weekly business time TO forty-four
hours from the sixty that a few years
ago was universal. thus losing sixteen out
Of sixty hours. or more than cne-quarter
Of the entire available productive power
Of the people
Years ago We used 20 be taught that one
reason for the prosperity OF the United
states. a. compared with the poverty OF
Mexico and South America, was that the
people in the latter wasted about half OF
their time in holidays and really only
worked three DAYS In the week on the
average. II would have startled both old
and Young. then, II they had been told
that within a generation the American peo-
Die cat least in certain statesl would reduce
their own productive time more than a
quarter II would require wonderful natu-
raj advantages and all Of the Wanted en-
terprise and energy OF the American peo-
pie 20 overcome such a handicap as that
But 7 am writing simply % suggest that
- per cent added TO the oldiime price Of
commodities can Re naturally accounted
FOR by the = per cent added 10 the price
u the labor which produces those COM
mod.ties. by the reduction OF hours from
ten 10 eight. while retaining the old per
diem compensation
Of course. there are other causes for the
present Initiation OF prices. Among them