The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-07
SOLUT. ON OF LABOR PROBLEM
By C. E. STEWART

prevailing for iron and steel, and the constantly increasing prices in something to eat and wear. the problem has be- come even a greater one than it was then.
 But during the meeting a prominent manager of a big plant was invited to say something, and he in turn presented the other side of the question, and he did so In an equally convincing manner. He started out by agreeing fully with all the statements made by the proceeding speaker, and deploring as much as he the conditions that made it necessary for the honest laboring man to have to give the best years of his life for snere ex- istence, and measly one at that, but, he pointed out, that the industries were paying all they could for what they re- cefved. He insisted that if every man would do an honest days work, and if it did not take two men to do what one really ought to do, and ought to do with out hurt or injury to himself, that the industries could and would be glad to do 1t, increase the pay of their labor, he stated that the industries had no discre- tion, they could not pay man on the merit system in proportion to what he did, that under agreement a scale of prices were fixed for each job, and it didn't matter whether the work was done well or indifferently the pay was the same, and that this rule extended throughout the entire organization from the common laborer up.
 Now any system that fixes mans wages when he holds down certain job simply because he holds that place, and does not take into consideration whether he does his work well or indifferently, is unjust not only to the man that em- ploys him, but to the man himself. If there is to be no reward for duty well done it is bound to kill the ambition, and destroy the Individuality of labor. If ali are to receive the same that do work of the same nature, regardless of the way and how much they do, capital must of necessity make the price of that labor as near the value of the one that does the least as is possible, and the result is that the worthy and competent workman must bear the burden of his thriftless and unworthy comrade.
 Capital has kept pace with labor-labor has organized for self protection, and
 in order that labor might get the great est benefit possible from cooperation, and being organized might demand from capital just return for service rendered. Great power was thus placed by labor in the hands of it's leaders, and unfortunate ly these leaders were not always worthy and abuse of their power has been fre- quent, resulting badly for labor and ir- ritating capital, but it has resulted in more uniform and probably a higher wage for the laborer. On the other hand capital has not been idle, it has also or ganized into hugh corporations and trusts, and in return for the higher prices paid labor, it gets higher prices for that which it produces and labor consumes, and from the power derived from their greaL organizations and ability to control prices, have been and are guilty of great abuses. The government has passed laws and is apparently trying to enforce them, correcting the abuses of both or ganized capital and organized labor, but surer and more effective method would be a fair and just treaty between the two. and it does appear in this great country and this advanced stage of civil ization it ought to be brought about.
 So this is big question, and we do not know that the disagreement arising from it had anything to do with the crime in San Francisco, but we do know that 1t has great deal to do with the disagree ments between capital and labor and brings on strikes and attendant evils. Cannot the leaders get together in all friendliness and with patriotic desire to promote tranquility and the pursuit Of happiness agree to De just in all matters, each with the other?