The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-09-24

live up to bounden duty" Therefore th'
arguments are mostly musterings or tac
Scrmane TO the pending question. nov
and again, naturally. misplaced retor'
mer declares his radicalism. or a ireSl
recruit displays his awkwardness In Tho
drill. or a brashy youth talks AS wlidN
as q ons-term member Of n legislature
but toward the performances OF these ir'
regulars the attitude OF the convention
Is that OF the giant TO the child. There
may be a wave OF amused laughter, anc
the Incident Is over.
The gallery spectator may have the
usual run OF initial Inquiries regarding
trade unionism answered in the develop
meut OF the, proceedings on the hoor'
Why. he will ask, organized labor?
WHY organized labor After TWO DAYS
In tho gallery the spectator NAV well be
inclined 10 ask. Why not organized In :
bOr? In the absence OF the union who
vidual employer or the employing class
no behalf OF the employed, as their dele
Getes do by reason OF their Office Who
could render labor laws effective? Who
could ever present the complaints OF the
nonunionists, either to employers or So
ciety2 Who could tell the world that
there Is labor question? In tnc state :
ments OF delegates. from any OF the oc-
cupations represented In the convention.
made not necessarily for Justification OF
unionism. but rather In explaining every
day work IL convincing testimony that
I'm the conduct OF industry In general labor
Is treated as a commodity In the market.
The item OF labor in the bookkeeping
OF an employer runs along in the column
with the Items Of raw materials or other
supplies All things equal, the business
man buys in the cheapest market. lie
exercises his choice In buying from one
dealer or another in coal or ore. lumber
or lea ther similarly, he PLAYS off Ia
Dor against labor-the stock OF unem-
rloyed labor against his own employed
labor Notwithstanding the waste OF this
process, as q general thing the dealers
in materials survive through their fore
sight. management. judgment. OF the
average market prices, and their being
able to wait. But the wage worker. as
seller OF labor. usually cannot wait
Standing alone, his labor is usually on
forced market. he competes for en-
ploymcnt with his fellows, his wages
tend 10 fall. and II the conditions under
which he works are bad he cannot af'
ford 10 rcmonstrate In this situation
this question the genius OF this age has
offered TWO solutions. The first is. to
reform or reyolutionize social conditions.
Unhappily. the multiplicity OF doctors ana
battle the masses. Put me in office. -
the doctors say. 80 that | may compel
society To take NV medicine, Verify;
the result, thus far. has not rsmedied
that defect In the labor market whereby
the excess OF the seekers for work over
places for them puts In ieopardY the Sc
security OF the wage earDcrS at work
Clearly. then the workers must try the
other solution. which modern times have
developed-the mastering Of the labor
market BY the wage workers. managing
the sale OF their labor in combination
The New York labor bureau reports from
year to year 6 per cent or 3 or perhaps
S Of the organized workers as unem-
ploved When insured by the solidarity
OF their labor ORGANIZATIONS against low
wages when their time shall come TO
get work the idle union members refuse
TO sell their labor In The market at the
buyers first bid. Besides, In progress
i've degree. III. years see The trade union
membership insured also against sick
neNs. accident, death. and unemployment.
Further, the union not oulS cnforces the
making cf law prescribing conditions
conservative OF the health and comfort
~ the workers. but iniscts llfc into such
laws. That ali these statements are facts
not 10 bc contradc;od. affecting int!-