New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-29
MINIMUM WAGE FAVORED
Seager Sees No Improvement
Unless State InterVeneS.
URGE GOVERNM ENT CHANGE
Albert Bushnell Hart Says Time
Has Come for a Rule of
Men, Not Laws.

Boston, Dec. 26.-Wages paid home
workers in New York and Boston tene-
ment houses and to young girls in city
department stores are typical Of wages
below the living level, according to Pro-
fessor Henry r. Seager, of Columbia
University. at a joint meeting to-day Of
the American Association for Labor
Legislation and the American Economic
Association. He argued that conditions
which control the supplies Of such work.
ers give no promise Of improvement un-
less the state interferes by prescribing
the minimum rates which will be toler-
ated.
"In the United States to-day" said
Professor Seager. "the great majority Of
our industries pay living wages to the
great majority of the workers they en-
ploy Starvation wages. when encoun-
tered, are due 10 exceptional circum-
stances that justify extraordinary RENE
dies"
"A minimum wage must become prfn-
ciple in this country, either by trade
unionism or legislation" said Professor
John r. Commons. of the University of
Wisconsin. in reviewing Professor Sea-
gers address. The platform OF the
Progressive party in Wisconsin declared
for minimum wage, and the prospect Is
that such a wage law will become eff
fective under the present administra-
ton"
Professor Albert Bushnell Hart OF IIar-
ward president of the American Political
Science Association, and Professor Frank
A. Fetter, of Princeton University. presi-
dent of the American Economic Associa-
ton. were the speakers nj a joint session
OF those two organizations tonight That
the time has come for a government of
men was the declaration of Professor
Hort in presenting IAN apology for the
rights of man" He said:
The Massachusetts, constitution Of 1850
declares that there shall always be a
separation of powers between the three
departments of government, ITO the END
il may be a government OF laws and not
of men This principle Is looked upon
as sacred; but the president Of the Amer
| lean Political Science Association takes
courage to deny that the separation OF
| powers ever has been complete or can
| be made 10 work smoothly. To be sure,
| the federal government and every state
| government is built on that principle but
| there were mixtures even in the Massa-
Chusetts constitution of 1870. and that IS
what has enabled the Governor and Coun-
| ell Of Massachusetts, in one year 10 recall
| ninety-siX judicial decisions by pardoninS
| the criminals condemned.
The rights OF man are not the same
| that they were a century ago. New
! rights are being added all the while.
/ There is no rigid standard Of the rights
| of man. Nor is there any government of
laws which will carry itself on without
! human agency The attempt TO leave the
| human will and human errors out Of the
| account has brought about mass of
| statutes which do not agree with each
| other, and do not make consistent
| whole. ii is time for a government OF
/ men.
Speaking on the topic Population or
| Prosperity" Professor Better said:
The superior popular prosperity in the
| United States as compared with Europe
! can be preserved only through the con-
! servation OF natural resources end BY
! the retardation of the rate Of increase u
| the population.
slacken. but cannot prevent, the ultimate
/ decline Of welfare, if population continues
| its rapid growth. immigration Is source
| of enormous and continuing contributions
to our population. 1t ha-, however, es-
J tablished standards OF living in many
| occupations that are abnormal. Indus
| tries thrive commercially while paying
| wages insufficient to maintain labOierS on
| the American plane. The competitive in
! fluence of immigration Is especially great
| in the low paid occupations.
THE pressure Of population" Pro-
| fessor Fetter added. is checking in
America the favorable movement Of the
popular welfare noticeable throughout
/ the Dinof appth century"