Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1919-12-17

THE PROFIT IN DAYS WAGE
The Ford International Weekly.

interest to the welfare Of the city. He
is probably a householder, living under
conditions which represent more than
mere maintenance, in that they repre-,
sent the graces of social life. More
than that, he is probably father with
more or less numerous progeny, all
of whom must subsist and be reared to
usefulness on what he is able to earn.
Now, it is obvious that to regard the
/ man alone, refusing to reckon with the
home and the family in the background,
is to arrive at a series at facts which
are misleading and which alone can
never suffice even for temporary SOL
ution Of the, questions that concern us.
How are you going to figure the con-
tributiOn of the home to the days work
Of the man? You are paying the man
for his work, but how much does that
work owe to his home? How much to
his position as citizen? How much
to his position as the proyider of a
family? The man does the work in the
shop, but his wife does the work of the
home, and the shop must pay them
both: on what system Of figuring is the
home going to find it's place on the cost
sheets Of. the days work? It finds it's
place there already in sort Of hap
hazard way. If man cannot support
himself, his wife, his children, his hab-
itation, his position in society-why, he
doesn't stay at the job, that's all. 1t
isn't matter of cost and profit to him; ;
it is the matter of Giving"
Is mans own livelihood the "cOst"?
And is his ability to have home and a
family the profit?
Is the profit on days. work to be
computed on a cash basis only, measur-
ed by the amount man has left over
after his own and family's wants are
all supplied?
Is the livelihood of five or six per-
| sons besides those of the actual worker
to be charged up to ''profit''2
| Or, are all these relationships to be
considered strictly under head Of
"cost," and the profit to be computed
entirely outside of them? That is, after
having supported himself and family,
| clothed them, housed them, educated
them, given them the privileges Incl
dent to their standard of. living ought
there to be provision made for still
something more in the way Of savings
4 profit, and all properly schargeable to
the days work? These are questions
which call for accurate observation
and computation ,.fs -. 5s<y... +.
Perhaps there is no one item con-
nected with our economic life that
would surprice us more than knowl-
edge Of just what excess burdens the
/ days work actually carries
It carries all the workers obligations
outside the shop; it, carries all that is
necessary in, the way Of service and
management inside the shop. The day S
productive work is the most valuable
mine Of wealth that has ever been open
ed. ~: 4a q rs ~ ~ ss7y NJ. - ~ ss@sx7s .
+ Certainly it cannot be made to carry
less than all the workers outside obliga-
i lions. And certainly it ought to he
made to take care of the workers sun
set days when labor is no longer posi-
BILE to him, and should be no longer
necessary. Andsif it is made to do even We
these industry will have to be adjusted
to a schedule Of production, distribel-
ton and reward which will stop be
leaks toward the pockets Of men DO
isdo not assist production in any Why,
land turn all streams for the benedtspf
those who do. In order tocreate. a
system which shall be as independent
Of tie goodwill Of benevolent employers
as Of the HIVE of elash ones. we shah
have to :flnd azbasiss hathe actual facts
of life itself. IS
F! 1t costs just as much PHYSICAL