New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-28
The Golden Eqo
COURTESY or THE NEW REPUBLIC"
WYE are hearing much to-day Of tbs
w rapacity Of labor Solemn editorial,


workers, who already earn their big two dollars
day and yet covet more. Labor is admo,.
shed not to turn our present prosperity into
adversely, not to kill the ancient goose TIA,
laws the golden egg. But, unfortunately. laho,
is a little hard Of hearing. It has 70 re. IN
very early in the morning and is too dul.S
after its day Of work to give proper considera.
ton TO these pleas for justice and moderation
It cares very little about the ancient goose and
very much about the golden egg. Labor BE-.
ieves that it must pursue its own interest or
forfeit that interest. II knows no other way Of
securing fair wages than 70 get all it can.
How much labor can get, how much il has
already obtained it is difficult 10 say II has
been calculated that during the past year
money wages advanced from 10 IS per cent.
and that the wage increases that went into
effect on May J. 1916. benefited some 100000
employees TO the extent Of S75,000000 a year.
Week by week this raising Of wages spreads
throughout the country BY strikes and the
silent competition of higher wages elsewhere
pressure is brought to bear upon employees in
industries hitherto unaffected All the adyan.
tages are with the worker. Business is flourish.
ing. the scale Of prices hgh employment
steady, while the war has brought to an end
the importation of foreign sborers, upon
whom employers depended to keep down wages
The surplus labor supply is gone ana even the
semi-unemployables are at work. Never in our
history has the demand for labor more com
pletey overbalanced the supply.
LII 70
even moderation to the wage Garner. He reads
about enormous war profits, flush times, easy
money. He knows that he must pay more for
his meat and groceries, and he wants more
money, as much more as he can get. He has
Just passed through a period in which his
real earnings have declined, for in the last
decade prices have advanced faster than
money wages. The worker had more dollars
in his pay envelope, but could buy less with
them. Now he has a chance to redress the
balance. Doubtless his increased wages will
raise prices still further, but at least part OF
this increase, perhaps the greater part viii
be paid by others than wage earners. Wage
labor demands its share in the universal pros
perity 1t demands higher wages shorter
hours, better labor conditions, a large share in
the control Of industrial government.
To many good citizens this will seem
grasping policy. 1t is. Yet under our pres
ent industrial system no alternative is offered
That system is based upon the idea that each
individual and group will secure by all peace
ful means whatever it possibly can. Excep
where the public interest is adversely affected
any one may demand anything for his labor or
wares, in reason or out Of reason. The United
States Steel Corporation may raise its prices
one or three hundred per cent; the munitions
manufacturers may quintuple their charges;
and the farmer is entitled to charge whatever
the customer will pay. The process undoub'-
eddy bears heavily on individuals and on cer-
tain economic groups. Thus, when the value
of money falls, as it has fallen lately, the IN
crease in prices, profits and wages lays heavy
burden upon the people with fixed incomes.
Indeed, every change in the relative bargain
ing power of the various groups creates the
necessity for painful readjustments. J 81 no
one demands that capitalists shall accept less
than current interest rates or merchants less
than current prices and the government is not
asked to intervene unless the change in con-
ditions is one which undermines the health.
safety or prosperity Of the nation as a whole.
The present rise in wages has no such
tendency. 1t is not excessive, or even sde-
quate. In part it is a belated effort to over
take the rise in prices, TO restore, m other
words. a former wage. Beyond this, doubt
less, it represents an advance. But even II
wages increased more rapidly than they are
now increasing, il would be a long time before
they brought reasonably equitable dstriou-
ttion Of income within sight. A very large
proportion of American wage earners still re-
ceive much less than living wage interpret
ing that phrase in the strictest sense. An IN
crease in wages is therefore in the interest
not Of the workers alone but of the community.
How long the present upward tendency IN
wages will continue and how long thereafter
the higher wage level can be maintained will
depend upon the length and course Of the war
and upon the economic conditions which peace
will bring. Much Of the enlarged demand for
labor is in industries which will decline or even
disappear upon the conclusion Of peace. rms
will mean disruption, unemployment and
painful adjustment to new conditions. But Y
is scarcely probable that it will involve final
end Of our present industrial intensity What
is more likely ia mere change in the dlroe-
ton of our productive energies, perhaps A
slackening but not complete stopping.