PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1903, 24 July 1890, Page 39

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Trades Unions and Co-operation.

Some weeka ago I asked my young friends to write me letters on the above aubjeota, but only one baa sent in bia thoughts on tbe subject, and he confines himself to short hours and high wages. Supposing you have another try, and divide your essayß into four partß, giving— (1) The benefits of unions

(2) The evils of unions (3) What you think of the advantages and disadvantages of participating in the profits— that it, do you think it advisable for employers to give a fair wage and to get a Bhare in the profits besides ? and (4) What you think of co-operation— that is, the workmen owning the businesses and working them themselves.

The papers have enumerated the advantages of unions, but the objections to unions have not been dearly given. Some of them have been going too far already, and if they don't look out they will be their own deatruction. On the West Coast a union won't even allow a man to do a good day'B work ; they are praotically saying that no good man ia to work more than four hours a day. That means that twice aa many men will be required aa formerly to raise a given quantity of coal. This will, of courae, make coal dearer, and then it beoomes a serious matter to consider whether it won't be better to use less or even to give up that coal and uae the inferior coal nearer home. That will almostydose up the mine, and the men thrown out will have to break up their homos and at considerable expense migrate elsewhere. One of our wealthiest citizens, ana a true friend to the workmen he employs, says that he will not invest his money in any industry until the labour question is on a firmer basis than at present, and one of our largest Dunedin firms a week or two ago seriously thought of not building a large warehouse which would have stopped the directspending of thousands in skilled artisan labour. These are only two instances that have come under my notice. Were I in tbe commercial and manufacturing world I daresay I should hear of many more. Now I'll give you what I think are the disadvantages connected with trades unions, and you oan criticise them and add any more disadvantages you on think of.

DISADVANTAGES.

The following* were mentioned in a debating Booiety in Dunedin a week or two ago : —

1. Trades unions won't get rid of the antagonism existing between tho two sides— the buyer of labour on the one side and the seller of labour on the other. As business is now conducted, each triei as a rule to get the advantage of the other. 2. Capitalists will not care to launch out In fresh ventures, became they do not know to what extent their workmen would go In their demands. They might, like the colliers, demand a rate of pay that will give them 80s a day, or allow them to loaf half their time. 3. It is suggested that arbitration boards be appointed to settle disputes arising out of trades unions, but euoh boards will only act like poultices and heal local troubles, and not get rid of the difficulties of the system. 4. As unions gain in strength they often gain in arrogance, and in all cases they interfere with the liberty and even the consciences of their members. 6. The gaiu to a very great extent is only temporary—in fact, what seems to be a gain may even be a positive loss.

As an instance, say the hours of working are reduced from twelve to eight, and the wages remain the same ; that means that it will take three men to do the work formerly done by two. You can easily see that the price of labour iB increased.so per cent., and aB the employer cannot pay that out of hia profits, he must raise the price, and a moment's consideration will show that if the article is increased anything like 50 per cent, in price the demand will be lessened, and as a consequence the third man won't be employed after all, while the price will be increased to those employed though their wages are not raiaed.

6. Unionists live to an extent on non-unionists. Those In unions raise the prices of the goods they produce ; thoae not in unions cannot ; ao unionists getnon-unioniits'goods at the same rates at formerly, while the non-unlonlsts have to pay higher prices for union goods though their wages have not been increased. In this way unionists may be said to sponge on non-unionists.

7. When the unions are in danger of having more members than there is work for they restrict memberships by heavy admission fees and by regulations. 8. Unionists do not make the opitaliits pay them the inoreased wages They pay thtm themselves.

I know of one case where the price of an artiole has gone up nearly 100 per cent. The masters combined and formed a ting. In a Beoond lease 20 per cant, has been added to tho price of an artiole by a ring of maater tradeßmen, though the unionist have not raiaed the wages employed in the factories produoing that artiole. Our meat in Dunedin has been raiaed 20 per cent,, too, though the very day the announcement was made the market reporta showed that the price of cattle had gone down. In a fourth case the capitalists in another trade are combining to force caah dealinga. Thia will force a certain industry into the hands of a few, who will then control priceß in much the same way aB many industries are controlled in America. In a fifth the men have caused the masters to form a Union and one job of £60 or £70 ia to go to Sydney because it can be done cheaper.

9. They are the cause of strikes.

Many a time men go out or are rather looked out. They are offered lower wages and refuse them. That is often what the master wants, beoause' the market is glutted and the lock-out gives him a chance of working the surplus off. Then, of course, the men go back and get the high rate formerly ruling, but they fail to take into account tho time spent in idleness, and the amount of ill will that ia raised up.

10. Unionist raise tbe price of goodß on themselves ; take an instance:—

Before unions wore formed, A produced goods coating him £100, he wißhed to gain 10 per cent, bo sold to B for £110 ; B wishing to gain 10 per cent, on what they cost him sells to O for £121, and O wishing to sell to D at a profit of 10 per cent, sells to him for £133 1 10. Now, supposing that through unionism A has to pay £110 for the Bame gooSa, » moderate addition, th«n to soil to B and B to C, and C to D, anch getting 10 per cent, the eoodi costing £133 1-10 formerly now cost £146 31-100. That is, trade unionists get an increase of £10, but have to pay £13 odd more for the artiole, a loss of over £3.

11. Unions diecour Ago enthusiasm, and reduce nil to a doad level. 12. Unionßts overlook tho fact ttmfc habits and emfcoms of the workers must ba reformed too, to make Unionism a permanent success.

13. Some work for home trade, some for foreign trade ; tbe latter cannot raise wages without losing the trade.

Theae I think ara a few of the obj actions to unionß. Now, let me see what you oan do in adding to this list and in criticising it, in addition of course to the argumenta in favour of the unions. For my part I don't think that, unionism will do the good expected of it. It will not

solve the labour difficulty. But you must not think I do not sympathise with the labourer. I have worked 12 and 16 hours a day myself, and have an intense sympathy for the millions that are ground down to atarvation point. We oan banish the difficulty by doing to others just what we should like them to do to us. Trade unionism, however, ia a step towards the solution of the difficulty, for this reason : in time the members will find opt that supply and demand must not be restricted. Then, instead of capital against labour, it will be capital and labour against capital and labour— that is, the workmen will have a share of the Erofitß. Following that, when the men will aye found out the true value of capital and the worth of a good manager to a buaineas, they will combine in true co-opeiation and beoome capitalists and labourers combined. Now, perhaps you will see what I want you to write about when I ask you to give all the arguments you oan for and against participation in profits and co-operation, Now, with the eßsay sent me I'll conclude my weekly crack, noticing just a oouDle of points in it. The writer refers to short Lours. It baa been calculated, how I don't know, that if every men worked from four to six hours a day there would be sufficient produced for everybody. Next, ia another sentence my young contributor mentions that employers have made large fortunes. In the United States 25,000 persona own one-half of the wealth. Now, ao the population is about 60,000,000, thia meana that 60,000,000 give athalf of the product of their labour to 25.000. To put it in another way, eaoh of the 25,000 forces 2,000 to surrender a half of their comforts and luxuries I have out out what "Sohoolboy" wrote about the threatened railway strike because it has been averted.

SHORT HOUBS AND HIGH WAGES.

Deab Pater,— l read your chapter in the Witness every week aud find it very interesting, and so I have complied with your request to write an essay on " Trade Unionism and 00-operatiou." Trade unionism has done a great deal towards bettering the position of the working clasiea. At one time the labourers worked for very small wages, aud their employers made large fortune* from their work. Later on, however, the labourers began to find they were not receiving their dues. They joined together, demanding 'shorter hours and higher wages. This was granted, and continued till at last the employer* could yield to their demaud no longer without loss to themselves. The men went ,'oufc on strike, but being bent on receiving higher wages, which their employers could not give, they caused their employers a great deal of expense and brought no good, but rather the reverse to themselves, since in many cases they are compelled, after a long interval of idleness, to secure their former positions at lower wages. Union among workmen would do little or no good ia New Zealand, as wages are so high that little can be done to better their position without ruining the employers. The Rev. Mr Waddell, in his recent lecture at Balolutha, said he approved of trades unions, and also that before long no classes would work more than three or four hours a day. I thought that this would be a delightful arrangement, but my father says that as the working hours become shorter so do wages decrease, and if we do less work we will hare to do without many of the luxuries whioh we vow have. We have a farm, and as it takes about three houri to milk, clean, and feed the cows every morning and night, he doesn't tee how this alone can be done, unless we had one man for tho morning and another for the night work. And now " cffr6 Pator," I should like very much ,lf you would «ivo your opinion on the subject of short hours and high wages.— l am, &0., A Eohoolbot. Stony Creek, July 18.