The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1923-09-19
LABOR FARES WELL

Demagogs have been telling the laboring people of this
country that they are opposed. The same story is related to the
farmers. The farmer is advised that out of each dollar paid by
consumers for his product the tiler of the soil gets but 81 cents.
The laborer is advised that out of the dollar he produces he is
permitted to retain but 20 cents.
In the case of the farmer the figures are not far out of the
way. But in this case this wide margin of difference can be
readily explained. Corn, for instance is transformed into some
thing like two hundred different products such as corn flakes,
corn syrup and the like. Canned peas, tomatoes, pumpkins, corn,
and apples add to the margin of difference between price paid
to producers and that paid by consumers. Most of this difference
represents service to people and not profits to middlemen as the
demagags would have us believe. There are too many middle
men, but each of them in his way renders a service for which the
consumer is willing to pay. Otherwise they would not be in
business.
In the case of labor this 20 cent statement is a pure fabrica-
tiOn, made out of whole cloth. About 80 per cent of the cost of
most articles of general consumption goes to labor.
There isn't anybody in Montana who does not know that in
figuring the cost of constructing a house so per cent of the price
is paid to workers and about so per cent for materials. Then we
must apportlon a labor cost to the lumber, brick, cement, hard
ware and other parts of the structure. Labor gets SO per cent
of the cost of transporting these materials. Labor gets a share
of the profits on these materials for every wholesale and retail
dealer in building materials must employ bookkeepers, collectors,
stenographers and other helpers to handle the business.
Coal furnished another example of the utter absurdity of
this 20 cent statement. We do not have the figures available for
Montana soft coal, but an interesting table of hard coal prices
made public in connection with the threatened strike illustrates
our point. A ton of anthracite coal in Iowa costs $21. The cost
of this coal to the retailers on the Missouri river is $3.50. This
price seems ridiculously high. The demagog points to this price
per ton and tells the people they are being robbed.
This $21 price represents the best grade of anthracite coal.
The mine price of this coal is 1885. Anthracite coal is sorted into
eight sizes. Egg, stove and range coal, which includes SO per cent
of the product of most mines commands this price. Pea coal is
priced at $3.50. This includes 13 per cent of the mine production.
Buckwheat, rice, barley and birdseye sizes, including 20 per cent
OF the mine product, range in price from SLIGO to $3.50 per ton.
The average price of hard coal at the mine is 1868. Of this sum
the miner gets $3.50. The freight on a ton of hard coal from the
mines to Missouri river points in Iowa is 1896 and one half of
this sum goes directly to labor. If we pursue this coal down the
line we shall find labor getting a toll at every point of contact
just as we find in the cause of building materials.
We do not claim in this connection that labor gets too much.
The labOrer is worthy of his hire if he gives honest service. What
we seek to point out here is the utter absurdity of the claim of the
demagOg that labor gets only 20 cents out of each dollar which he
produces. The difference between the price paid to a miner for
producing a ton of anthracite coal and that paid by the ultimate
consumer looks big but an analysis of the facts makes it clear
that out OF this price to the consumer labor gets a much larger
share than the demagog claims.
Labor in America is better paid and more prosperous than in
any other country in the world. He should know the facts in ali
these branches of industry in which he labors. The truth will
make him free of the wiles of the demagog and it will make hin
contented to live frugany, husband his resources carefully and in
time become a capitalist as well as a worker.