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A
A Unit of Value for Labor.
The Cost of Living the True Baaia of all
Wagea.
Strikes, violence, and even blood
shed are always likely to occur be
tween the employer and the employed,
so long as wages are regulated by the
law of supply and demand, instead of
by the cost of living.
To regulate wages by the law of sup
ply aud demand, as we do the price
of merchandise, is to make merchan
dise of workingmen and women.
Could man’s labor be separated from
himself and be dealt in like so much
pork or molasses the law of supply
and demand could be justly applied to
human labor. But human labor is the
human being; they cannot be separa
ted ; and hence, to regulate the price
of human labor as we r gulate the
price of cattle, is to make cattle ol
human beings.
Strike, seven when successful, result
in little or no permanent good, .ro
say they are wholly useless would be
incorrect in the face of what they have
done; even their failure is useful, if
only to draw general attention to the
Injustice suffered by the working
classes. But strikes never have been
and never will be sufficiently successful
to do away with the necessity of their
constant repetition.
Neither strikes for the employed,
nor tiie law of supply and demand for
the employer, can ever so regulate
wages that the Industrial classes can
all the year round support the civili
zation the state and society have
obliged men and women to adopt.
As citizens, all of us must perform
certain duties and conform to certain
modes of living. To walk about naked
is not sinful; nevertheless, it is forbid
den, because to appear decently
clothed is a social and state rtquire-
rnent. Likewise, our civilization
obliges us to pay rent, to pay taxes, to
educate our children, to support the
infirm,aud to give an equivalent in re
turn for our food and drink. In short,
the state and society compel us to
live up to a standard of decency and
morality which they have established ;
and punishment, more or less severe,
follows upon a failure to comply with
this standard.
Doec the state, however, while thus
forcing men and women to live in a par
ticular manner, also protect them from
those contingencies over which they can
have no control, that keep them from
earning the means they must have in
order to live in the manner expected
of them ? The state says to the
workingman, “ Unless your tax is
paid you cannot vote; you shall not
exercise this right of freemen.”
But does the state shield the working
man from the necessity of taking
eighty cents a day for his labor when
he should receive a dollar and a half a
day, that he may pay his taxes, his
rent, his children’s schooling, as well
as the living and clothing of himself
and family as required of him by so
ciety and the state ?
Even a child knows the state does
nothing of the kind. Aud yet, the
state expects every wi rklngman aud
woman to do their duty by it, by soci-
ety, by their families, and by them
selves, just as if nothing interfered
with their getting the means they
ought *to have to fulfil their obliga
tions.
It is because in this respect, the
state fails in duty towards the indus
trial classes, that these resort to strikes
as the only means open to them for
self protection.
It must he evident that wages
should be regulated by the cost of
living, if men and women are to earn
the means to defray the cost of living
in the manner expected of them by
sooiety and the state.
(Strikes are the efforts made by the
industrial classes to have their wages
regulated by the cost of living. Bat
the industrial classes should not be
obligee to resort to such measures ; it
is enough if they must labor for their
wages besides fultilling their social
aud political duties, wit hout being also
obliged to fight for their wages To
the at vte aione beloug-i the duty of
regulating wages by the cost of living.
How is tills to be done ?
It can be done by est bUshing a unit
of value for labor.
* There is a unit of value for time, for
weight, for measure and for money;
known respectively as the second, the
grain, the inch, and the mill. These
are the unalterable foundation to the
various degrees and quantities of time,
weight, measure and money in gen
eral use.
No valid reason exists why the same
principles should not be applied to
Jabor; vyliy that should not also have
value uponjwhich toAuiid
the various degrees and quantities of
pay for the various kinds of work
done.
The unit of value for labor must be
a fixed quantity of an article in gen
eral use; the market price of which
quantity equals the daily cost of living
to an able-bodied man wh3 does the
least skilled manual work, such
as digging, lifting and carrying.
Such an article is wheat flour. When
the market price of this is high, all
the other necessaries of life are high or
soon become so ; and when the price
of it is low other artioles are equally
reasonable. Not that the rise and fall
in the price of flour necessarily cause
a rise and fall in the price of other
things, but what affects the normal
price of flour also ultimately affects
the price of everything else. So that
taking the year through from Janu
ary to December, it will be found that
as the price of flour has been so have
been the prices of the other necessa
ries of life.
A carf ful inquiry extending over
the past twelve years has revealed
that a grown person who furnishes the
least skilled manual work requires in
order to comply with what the state
and society expect of him, an amount
of daily wages equal to the cost of
fifty pounds of good family flour.
The unit of value for labor, then,
should be—the cost of fifty pounds of
good family flour in the locality where
the work is done.
This unit of value may be known as
a wage, just as the unit of value for
time is known as a second. Then all
payments for work other than the
least skilled adult manual work, will
be as much above or below this unit
of value or wage as the present rates
are now above or below what is now
paid for the least skilled adult man
ual work. Thus : The yard hand of
a mill would receive one wage; the
moulder 0 , puddlers teamsters, clerks
and boys would receive two, four or
three wages or half a wage, or what
ever proportion the pay of these now
bear to that of a yard-hand. Then in
stead of the question, “How much
wages do you get?” the inquiry will
be : “How many wages do you get?”
It will be readily seen that under this
system it will be immaterial what the
price of flour may be; the pay re
ceived will always buy the same quan
tity of it or of other necessaries.
Should the price be three cents a
pound, then the lowest daily wage
will be a dollar and a half; if two cents a
pound,the lowest daily wage will be a
dollar—but a dollar will, under these
circumstances, buy as much flour or
other necessaries as a dollar and a
half. 80 that let the cost of living be
what it may, the pay of the industrial
classes under this State or national
law, will always be in accordance
therewith.
The average price of fifty pounds of
good family flour in each month could
be accepted as the value of the wage for
each following month ; should the av
erage price of the flour in February be
four cents a pound, then the wage for
March would be two dollars.
Then, when companies water their
stock, squander their money, or for
want of foresight and skill are unfor
tunate In business, or become nearly
ruined thr.ugh rivalry; or when fi
nancial panic-) and commercial disas
ters arise, because of unscrupulous
gambling and speculation ; or when
thousands of slaves and pauper labor
ers flock In from abroad, employers
cannot make the industrial classes of
America bear their losses or take the
miserable pay of workers in foreign
lands.
The law will step in and proclaim
You can no more compel the innocent
workers to suffer for your losses, ex
travagance or cupidity, than you can
give thirty instead of thirty-six inches
to the yard, because you have been
unfortunate in business. Evtry man
must bear the burthen of his own stu
pidity, indiscretion and guilt; he can-
not cast it in whole or part upon the
innocent. Goods measured by the
yard may vary in price according to
their quality, but the yard measure
itself must remain invariably fixed
at thirty-six inohes ; so,liki wise, work
measured by the daily wage may
vary in price according to its quality,
but the daily wage itself must remain
Invariably fixed at the cost of fifty
pounds of good family flour. You can
no more alter the one at your peril
than you can the other.
Had everyone the right to arbitra
rily sell by his own standard of weight
and measure, there would arise the
same disputes and angry feelings be
tween dealers as the present arbitrary
right of every employer to fix the rate
of pay to workers now creates between
Labor and Capital.
\
Itemical and Statistical.
Collin county, Texas, has shipped
nearly 800,000 bushels of grain this
season.
The Texas corn crop will reach 140,-
000,000 bushels, doubling that of iast
year.
Virginia has 172 tobacco factories,
which consume 48,000,000 pounds of
the weed annually.
A queen bee lays, in the height of
the season, from 2000 to 3000 eggB in
twenty-four hours.
The California wheat crop is put
down at 50,000,000 bushels, and that of
Kansas at 80,000,000.
The celebrated Dummett orange
grove has, according to ihe Florida
Disvatoh, been sold for $100,000.
A gardener of Watertown, Wis., has
a grape vine which he thinks will
yield one thouiaud pounds of fruit.
The cream producing qualities of
the milk of Ayrshire co vs is quite as
great, and in some instances more so,
than the Jerseys.
Ohio is cedited by the census with
25.000, ( 00 pounds of wool in 1880, with
3.000. 000 sheep—or eytr eight pounds
to the head.
The cultivation of mushrooms is a
paying branch of gardening in France,
where this esculent is consumed every
year to the value of $1,800,000.
Mattresses made of needles from
South Carolina pine boughs are said to
cure pulmonary and rheumatic ail
ments, and an active trade in them
has been established.
It is estimated that forests still cover
twenty-nine per cent, of Europe and
forty per cent, of the vast territory of
Russia. Russia’s timber includes two
hundred million acres of pine.
The chief of the Bureau of (Statistics
reports the exports of breadstuff's dur
ing the seven months which ended
July 31, at $81,150,715, against $131,-
957,684 in the corresponding period
last year.
Chemists believe that coal tar is to
fmnisb a complete substitute for mad
der, in the way of c during t+ xtile fab
rics red, purple, black, etc., arid for
which the cost to manufacturers has
been so heavy.
Rock county, the garden of Wiscon
sin, will raise 6232 acres of tobacco this
y^ar. The acreage of wheat is about
10,438—a decrease of 1000 acres. ‘Ihe
tobacco crop last year was 4,561,851
pounds ; of wheat, 107,717 bushels.
Peter Collier, chemist of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, says that sorg
hum should not be ground for sugar or
syrup until the seed is fully mature,
and it is better several days after cut
ting. To cut while the seed is in the
dough and grind immediately has
been generally recommended.
The Texas Homestead and Farmers’
Association, of Dallas, has rilled a
charier, the object of the assd&iatiou
being to encourage immigration, es
pecially of the negro race, aud to pur
chase subsidies and sell land. The
capital stock is $1,000,000.
A weed far superior to oakum has
been discovered in Putnam county,
Fla., which after being put through a
process, proved the above assertion.
A stock company is being formed for
the purpose of utilizing it. The weed
is found in abundance.
%
The Faithful Wives of Weins-
berg.
Weinsberg is in the northwestern
part of Wurtemberg, about thirty
miles from Stuttgart. It is early men
tioned as a capital city of the bish
opric of Wuizbuig, and later we read
that in the year 814 Emperor Louis I.
established theFreiherrshaftof Weins-
berg. About 1129 Freiherr Wolfarm
von Weinsberg transferred the castle
to the Rhenish Palgravine, Gottfried
of Caled. The latter gave it as a mar
riage gift with his daughter Uta to
Duke WelfVI., who regarded It as a
part of the allodial estate of his wife,
and refused to deliver it to Konrad
III. when this Emperor claimed it as
a reversionary fee. An intense hatred
existed between the 'Hohenstaufens
and Welfs. It began In the time of
the unfortunate Empelnr Henry IV.,
oulminated when in lwO Henry sent
for Frederic of HohenstVifeu, and in a
solemn speech in whicAhe acknow
ledged his loyalty, gi^/e him his
daughter Agues iu marriage and the
Dukedom of Huabia as dowry. The
d-iathof Henry in 1189 brought new
complicatious and feuds, aud Konrad
welcomed any event that mWht make
tiie Welf feel his power. H^ accord
ingly appeared with hlB army before
the castle, having in the meantime de
feated the forces of Welf at Esslijjgeu
as they were hastening to the help of
the besieged Weinsberg. The attaok
upon the castle was begun. After a
determined struggle, Welf fell, wound-
1, and the surrender seemednow to
evitable. *• Withoutgfimb or
mercy,” were tbe words of the Etupe
ror, and the town was to share the fate
of the castle. The greatest ttrror pre
vailed. Then the hi 'li-born Duel ess
and the wives of the town officers held
a council, and determined to go in pro
cession to the Emperor, imploring
him to let them escape, and al*o alio w
them to carry away with them their
most preci' us po-sessions. Toe Euipo
ror who had no wish to wage war with
women, received them kindly, gave
them permission to leave the besieged
town, and take with them all that
they could carry upon their shoul
ders.
The women went ’away, night pass
ed, and the morning came. At an
early hour Konrad’s army was drawn
up in file, the gates were opened at
command of the Emperor, when Duke
Frederic, the Emperor’s brother, turn
ing, espied, down in the village street,
and along the stesp path that led from
the castle, a long line of women carry
ing on their backs, not clotning, jewels
and silver, but each her husband ; and,
behold, Uta, the stately duchess of the i
castle, leads 'he procession, the wound
ed Duke Welf upon her back ! Had
not the Emperor distinctly said, “Take
with you all you can carry upon your
shoulders?” When Duke Frederic
beheld this sight, he like of which
has never before been seen since the
the world began, he cried out angrily
to the Emperor, whose face showed
quite plainly that he was not dis
pleased by this exhibition of woman
ly faithfulness, answered : “A King’s
word is not to be broken ;” and while
the Emperor and his army looked on
in mute surprise, the strange procession
wended its way patiently and silently
down the road, carrying away the
men, and leaving the castle and town
to tbe troops. The Emperor gener
ously ordered that.nil the treasures of
the women should at once be collected
and carried out to them.
To perpetuate this instance of wo
manly fidelity the ruins have ever
since borne the name “ Weibertreue”
—woman’s faithfulness.
The Value of Immigration.
Recurring to the money value of an
immigrant, the most recent, works on
immigration assume $1000 ts tbe
worth of each permanent addition to
our population. These writers, how
ever, have adopted as their basis of
valuation, the maxim that an article
is worth what it costs to produce it.
It is true that the cost of production
as an element in computing the true
value should not be lost sight of; but
we think it is more correct to say, the
value of an article is wuat it will bring
in the market. The almost universal
law of supply and demand governs
the labor as well as the produce mar
ket. It may cost the farmer of the
Northwest 75 cents to produce a b
of wheat; but if, owing to a lino!
demand, he can obtain but 60 cents
for part of his crop and, at a later pe
riod, owing to an unusual demand, 90
sents for the remainder, the cost of
the wheat continues at 75 cents, while
the value is respectively 60 and 99
cenls. So with humau beings regard
ed only as instruments of production.
The son of a rich man, whose rearing
aud education cost $29,000, if not
trained to usefulness, is worth far less
to the community than the son of a
mechanic of small income*? hose whole
cost has not exceeded $1500, if the
latter be a well instructed and skilled
artisan. Transport from Germany to
a sparsely settled portion of the North
west, two men ; the on* a healthy la
borer, with limited education, whose
life support end education has not ex
ceeded $1500; the other a highly
educated man—an architect—-but of
inferior muscular development, whose
money cost was $20,000. As no de
mand exists for flue public buildings
or elegant private mansions in that
locality, the worth of the latter is far
less than that of the former; while in
one of the large cities, unless there is
an over-supply of architects, his value
will greatly exceed that of the other,
who can do nothing more profitable
than carry bricks and mortar for the
erection of a building whioh is design
ed and supervised by the architect.—
United States Economist.
For general we ar dark felt round
ha s are chosen iu shapes like those
of the velvet. Large thick twists or
rolls of velvet trim the crowns of
round hats, also of poke bonnets.
Guimpes and plastrons will con
tinue to be worn to dinners and small
assemblages, where the Russian che
mise will also be seen, with a tight-
fitting corsage open all the way down
and showiug the bouffant pleats of the
chemise, which seem to be held in
plaoe by a bow whioh b| placed on the
breed to close tlie^irnage'. ,
The Jocose.
Copy of a notice on the beach of a
fashionable Freucli watering place:
“In tbe ease of ladies iu danger of
drowning, they should be seized by
the clothing, aud not by the hair,
which generally comes off.”
Nothing makes a newspaper so pop
ular as the imparting of useful infor
mation. ‘ H >w shall I keep the awts
out of the RK'ar bowl?” asks a corres
pondent. “Fill the sugar bowl with
salt,” was promptly responded.
A Ban Francisco paper is pleasant
reading while one is enjoying his
after dinner cigar. Here is ,a para
graph : “A Chinaman died of small
pox while lying on a heap of tobacco
that was afterwards used in making
cigars.”
“I see,” said old Mrs. Anohovy,
“that they are making railioad car
wheels out of paper. What do you
suppose that’s for, Mrs. Birdseye?”
“That, oh, I’ve no doubt they are
getting scared about so many people
being run over and cut in two end- 1
wise, aud are trying to get soin kind
of stuff that ain’t so dangerous,''
It was a warm Sunday nn V,and
some of the congregation iu the little
church were sleeping languidly ex
cept one man who snored in a manner
not at all languid. The preacher, ob
serving this, left his notes, and said to
one of the deacons in the front row :
“Will you please ask that brother to
stop snoring, or he wiil keep other
brethren awake.”
Little Freddie was undergoing the
disagreeable operation of having his
hair combed by his mother, and he
grumbled at the manoeuvre. “Why,
Freddie,” said mamma, “you ought
not tomake such a fuss. I don’t fuss
and cry when my hair ik combed.”
‘ Yes,” replied the youthful party,
“but your hair ain’t hitched to your
head.”
The Heliograph on the Frontier
The value of the heliograph in keep
ing up communication between scat
tered detachments of troops was so
marked in the British campaign in
Afghanistan and South Africa, that
the adoption of the system by our
forces on the Indian frontier will
doubtless prove equally successful.
Messages can be sent with the helio
graph at the rate of from six to twelve
words per minute, according to the
ability of the operator, and it is a
splendid substitute for the telegraph,
should the Indians cut the lines, which
they have been doing, and always can
do, when on the warpath, while they
cannot cut a sun flash. It is under
stood that heliograph lines are about
to be established by Lieutenant Mans,
and partly under direction of Colonel
•mmanding scouting op-
thCTRld ^
tiou with oneal
for couriers or the proxinn
graph office. The signalul
count of their elevated po^pvns are"
enabled to observe with their glasses
the movements of the hostiles, and in
a few minutes to communicate it to
any command in the field, each of
which is always to be accompanied by
one or two heliographic signalmen.
The great advantages of this system
of transmitting messages in the moun
tainous t*id hostile oountry are self-
evident.
When the Lover may Speak.
As a rule a delicate wornau does not
think of a man as a lover or even know
whether she should care for him in
that capacity or not until she has re
ceived some impression of his special
interest in her. Then she begins to
consider him. Does a long talk bore
or delight her ? Does she find her
self talking to him freely or entertain
ing him with an effort? Is the fes
tive occasion from whioh he is absent
robbed of some portion of its bright
ness? Does she “nee his face, all faces
among”—catch his voloe, though a
di zeu are speaking ? Then, uncon
sciously, do her cheeks begin to glow
at ills coming. In her eyes smiles
a welcome, timid, yet sweet; and the
reverent, waiting lover may speak
safely, for his time has come.
It U the mark of a great mind to be
firm iu matters pf real weight aud im
portance, and of weak ones to be in
flexible in little things.
*
—Tb» parades on Tuesday and W d-
nesday were larger perhaps than any
thing erer heretofore seen In Phila
delphia