The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1915-11-19

fixed q thing as gravity III THIS were
true, the contention of the prohibition
list to the effect that the money spent
over the bar would be diverted to 9TH
er channels might be substantiated.
Supply and Demand Real Factors.
However, he assumes wages to be
a fixed thing. This is not true. Wages
ire most variable, determined by the
same economic law that causes other
commodities TO vary in price.
This variation is determined by
the law of supply and demand based
on the cost of production. Ii demand
be exceeded by the supply the price
will fall, but not below the cost of pro-
duction, for this would drive out the
production of the commodity Now,
labor being a commodity, it's price be-
ing determined by the same causes as
other commodities, if the supply ex
ceeds the demand the price falls, but
can not fall below the cost of produc-
ton.
Luxuries Become Necessities.
"Now, what is the cost of the pro-
duction of labor power? 1t is not the
actual cost Of the stern necessities OF
life, for we all know that all workmen
could live on less than on what they
do now-plain, coarse food, such as
black bread and potatoes, house with
inexpensive furniture, clothing Of the
simplest and most monumental kind
would be all that would be necessary
to keep the workman in good working
condition The luXuries of the thea
ter, cigars and beer are an unessential
in keeping the workingman in work
ing condition. While they satisfy the
workman and contribute to his mental
happiness, they are luxuries.
THE average workman wants these
luxuries and has been accustomed to
them for so long that they have be-
come a part of his life, i. e., they sat
( isfy a mental craving, not physical
Z one, and he figures on them in his es-
! innate of the things which he must
| have in order to enjoy life. We find
J that while he desires more wages, his
i wages never go above the point of the
! standard of living that prevails in the
/ country in which he works.
/, This standard of living is sum
total of necessities and luxuries that
he has been accustomed to, and when
lever the standard of living is reduced
by the elimination of the luxuries
!. where the tendency is to more anC
more reduce the standard of living tC
!, the physical necessities, there we fine
the competition between the worker:
for the job forces the wages down Il
the point where they get only enough
E to buy that standard of living.
Now if all working men in thi
: country would lower the standard o
living. if they would eliminate thu
> Injuries, If they would drop from thei
: Il bill of fare, the theaters the cigar
2 and the glass of beer, or any othe
lluxuries, either by voluntary actor
las a class and not as one individual
here and there, but as a class, or
by legislation the beer or cigars o
Il theaters would become non-existen
r so that these Injuries would become
/ thing of the past. competition betwee
Z them for the JOB would force thei
wages down to this new and lowe
J.. standard OF living, standard tia
f would mean only the stern necessitie
Y Of life and this Interpretation make
4 clear why so many OF the big bushes
" Interests rally around the Anti-Saloo
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