Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1921-09-23
The PIG IRON MIND
DEVELOPS A PIG Iron
LABOR PHILOSOPHY

II Is unfair % the workmen Of tbs
ard every ether community % reduce
thsIr earning eewer, bur tax them 81
.exerything that they eat 81 wear. and
II the same time keen the wages II
railroad employees above what o.her
wnrkmen 81 the same grade are Nj.
liag 70 accept for their own services
TINS l. quotation from = state.
ment said - have heen made hS the
president IF large sheet and tube
company.
Who made the statement Is of little
consequence
The material thing Is the philosophy
Of lie underlying t. That Is also the
amazing thing that men Of
to-day. men Who profess belief in Jus.
tiee. men Who pride themselves On
their right thinking. or their love Of
humanity. should rate labor the same
- pig iron Is rated.
Labor i humanity. Food. shelter.
education. the safety of the home lie
Of America. depends unon that This
philosophy. in effect declares that the
payment for labor shall be governed
solely BY what workers are willing
10 accept
Can such a philosophy. such nrin
elple OF life. stand the test OF analysis
rem a human standpoint. from the
standpoint 81 the ethics OF modern
eiyilisations
THERE'S u background TO this wi.
lingness 10 accept" Let US examine
that background. As It's fringe there
is the Law Of necessity-"Men must
work in order To live. Within the
cycle OF this Law there are the laws
that others must live off the work
that men shall do. Wives and child.
rem must be provided for. education
must be looked after. mans duties 10
civilization must be observed. else
civilization viii soon decay,
Work, then. Is the basis OF eiyiliza.
ton. Wages Is the pay which men re-
eeive for the work they do for the
service they give TO civilization This
| service, I'm turn. rests upon work.
Whether or not there Is work 10 he
done. the law OF necessity still oper.
ates
This law of necessity brushes the
spirit OF men without work, grips
them. deadens them To every sense
save seif-preservation. The value of
the service they give. the rights of
other men. the profit of their needs
To those who control work--every.
thing Is thrust aside. They must
work 10 live.
Some. driven by this law OF neces.
silly. are ready TO give their service.
give their work. for any wages named
| by those who control work.
Here is set the background OF will
lingness To accept"
Is that really Willingness n is
most inhuman compulsion. More than
| that. II is an assault upon civilization,
the practical driving of men into fore.
ing their wives and their children into
a lower standard OF living. depriying
child life of Its proper nourishment
| and training. destroying home life,
with one stroke setting back civilixa.
| tion two generations.
In the leading quotation the pig.iron
| philosophy Is clearly expounded In the
declaration that II IL unfair to reduce
! the wages of certain workmen and at
the same time keep Up the wages OF
| certain other workmen
The fair thing to do, according TO
the tube company president. Is TO re.
| duce the higher wages 10 the lower
standard. and then submit them all
to the test of Willingness TO accept"
| There is no ethical standard by
which the wages OF labor can be made
subject TO the laws which govern the
marketing of pigiron.
Labor cannot be separated from the
worker. Labor cannot be stored for
future use. It's demands for susten.
ance are always immediate which
must be Immediately supplied or the
laborer Will die and those dependent
upon him will suffer.
There is. therefore. only one sound
philosophy for governing the pay.
ment OF wages. This is full payment
for the service given. regardless of
| the Willingness to accept" lower
standard, inspired by the law of ne.