The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1919-09-20
Work and Wages
Mrmn colncr,s WstkIyl


Rudyard Kipling has always had
the knack OF saying briefly and clear
" what many men think. Here. from
a poem written many years ago, are
Two Inns voicing the hope n desire
Of every man who pays wages;
Give uH the men who do the work
For which they draw the wage.
a moderate wishl Merely that men
should do the particular job which
they agree 10 do for their weekly
wage.
The New Testament puts the case
Of the worker Ia sevcn words. The
lnborer Is worthy OF his hire. Like
all human truths. that too n mod
crate. II asks no special favors, no
bonuses. n says simply that the man
who ~ the work. must not he de-
MED the reward a. his labor.
Behind these statements II a ems
OF justice, nothing less. In the midst
% Industrial alarms more ane more
en- l0yers and employees are trying 10
find the proper relation between worK
and wages That In not the whole
subject In dispute. Many other things
will have to be settled before our In
duatrial situation will be safe and
solid. Hut II we get an adjustment
OF work and weHcs-if men do enough
aud not too much work for enough
and not too little pay-we will have
n sure foundation on which TO build
our prosperity.
Who IL to determine right and
wrong In such "a complicated bust
ncHsg A professor In an eastern COLI
lege said the other day hat he was
going 90 vacate his chair and get
work ms n Pullman conductor. because
the pay vas better. Nearly every
country doctor looks with envy az the
pay check Of a locomotive engineer.
The pay OF labor makes an effort to
keep up with the cost OF living. The
pay Of the small profo ssionai man "
likely To remain fiNea over a long
period OF time. where Is Justice 10
be found-when you remember that
even the highly paid lahorers are III
content with the buying power OF
their wagcE7
We have seen so many artificial
checks on the law OF supply and de-
mand that We sometimes 70 not rec
ognizc lis fundamental trp,A. There
IN a social premium on the profess
sions. Sons Of laburers flock to law
and medical schools. II n n sign OF
progress, but II increases the supply
of professional men beyond the I'M
mediate need Of their services. Also
there Is a social value IN nvwspn per
reporting or In music which cannot
he paid for by the employer. The
section hand can get along without
the efficiency export, but the country
at large nceda the expert loo. and he
cnnnot get along without the section
hand. The deeper you dlg into com
pnrative value the harder the prob
lem Of wages becomes.
AZ the same time the principles are
not obscure. II In a common place that
no business pays when u sends It's
employees to the poor house. II may
temporarily pay the owners. hut not
d community. That IN the great
argument for u living wage. Tho
argument against the excessive wage
IL exactly the same. No business is
worth running N u cNhausts itself In
ltR pay roll and hRs nothing left for
expansion. for development OF new
processes, n for change. These are
both social and business principles,
and do not conflict with the inevitabl,
law that the price paid for labor is
determined by the need for labor and
by the number of men who can do the
required work. Between princely pay
and starvation wages there Is the
proper level whore Justice and fair
ness to both employer and emplOye
have q place. To get to hat level Is
the object OF all honest adjustment
at the present time. II ought to be
thu object OF every strike. IT strikes
arc inevitable. II ought To he the
object OF conferences. with good will
on both sides. The process OF adj
iusting ourselves to that level Is dif-
rcult. and suffering Is unequally dis
tributed. But 80 long a. We know
what we are after We have no eason
to despair. The problem can he sow
ed, and We. In America. have the hap
piest chance Of solving II.
The business ~ a dog dealer IN apt
TO he a bowling success.
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