The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-02-01

Walter b. Hilton, editor OF the
"Wheeling Majority" and which was
printed in the last issue of that pa
per is worthy of thoughtful consider
alton of those who figue on the cost
of production. Editor Hilton writes:
"No one knows what wages ought
to be. We gently venture to sug-
gest: about $40 a week as a min
imum. We admit that we have no
scientific basis for this figure-It
is only our guess. But we believe
it a good guess, and are willing to
let it stand until figures are offered
to prove it too low.
"The trouble is that the cost sys-
tenn has not yet reached human
life. We are getting along to the
point where we can come close to
estimating the cost of producing a
ton of steel or loaf of bread, but
none has yet ventured into the field
of humanity. How much does it
cost to produce human labor?
"All that the average man ever
thinks of the wage problem is that
some union or other is disturbing
the peace by trying to get higher
wages for it's members. He wishes
they would find some way to stop
this endless agitation so that busi-
bo
that even the wage that the workers
are asking for is inadequate to sup
port human life; he doesn't know; he
has no means of knowing. Various
commissions, and boards, and depart
ments and bureaus in the service of
state and nation have delved into
every other cost but this. On the
question of human life he has no
data. He has only the opinions of
the press, the platform and the pull
pit, almost all of these being con-
trolled by economic interests dia-
metrically opposed to his ever find
ing out the truth. They are pur-
chasers of labor power; it is to their
interests to hold down the price
of the thing they buy; if it is below
the cost of production, it is no con-
Germ of the purchaser.
"This used to be the attitude of
all business, but of late years there
has been tendency to learn the
truth, a movement recently given
impetus through official recognition
by the Federal Trade Commission,
headed by the far-seeing Edward N.
Hurley. The government has ac-
cepted the principle of cost-plus-ten
percent on munitions and SUPPLIES
contracts. 1t is good as far as it
goes, and now it needs but one step
more-to give to labor power the
same compensation. We must insist
upon cost-even without the extra
ten per cent profit.
what is the cost of labor power?
The human machine should have the
same consideration as a mechanism
of steel and brass. The cost of the
raw material, of erection, of INSTALL
ing, of maintenance and of depre-
citation, whic his duplication-all these
are figured in the case of machine;
why not in the case of human
being?
Consider the average worker. He
is supposed to be married, and have
at least three children. And he
lives up to the supposition. Now
he must feed and clothe himself,
wife, and the three children. This
for himself and wife is the cost of
maintenance, for the children it is
the cost of erecting and installing
them as workers to take his place
when he is scrapped.
"The cost of maintenance, then is
the food, clothing and shelter for
himself and wife. The cost of pre-
pairing their children to take part
in the machinery of industry is
the cost of their food, clothing and
shelter, and of their education and
development, mental and physical
For himself and wife there must also
be the deduction for the days of
production-in the form of their
own savings, or the payments toward
an old age pension or endowment in
surance 1t is reasonable to assume
that these added costs will total, at
present prices, $40 per week. The
only source in the family through
which this can come, at least dur
ing the days of the children's early
childhood, is through the husband
and father, the wage Garner.
"And this must come, in sickness
or in health, in idleness or Swork-
or something suffers. If the cost
!. e1O and. through whatever causes,