The Evening Star MONDAY, JUNE 29, 1874

Evening Star, Issue 3541, 29 June 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, JUNE 29, 1874

It is perhaps inevitable, but still a matter to be regretted, that employers of labor and those who work for wages conceive it t© be their interest to combine against eacH as appears to be the case from what transpired at the meeting of carpenters on Friday evening. In this instance, apparently, it is not the men but the masters who have taken the initiative ; and the consequence is likely to be an organisation in self-defence. No one can blame the carpenters for this. If one class of persons conceive it right to contrive to secure their personal interests, like liberty must surely be permitted to those who are affected by their adverse action. The worst feature in all such cases is, when such organisations are carried to extremity, both sides and the public are losers in a variety of ways. If the result should be a lock-out of the men, all production in that particular trade ceases for a while; the capital of the employer, invested in plant and buildings, becomes unproductive, not even paying inte-,

resb for outlay; his income ceases, his contracts are delayed, or he is prevented entering into engagements through uncertainty as to his ability to fulfil them; and instead of profit, at the end of the year he finds he has been living on his capital, which is another term for loss. He is, to all intents and purposes, a poorer man than he would have been had he continued industriously, and at market prices, to have followed his vocation. On the workmen, as a rule, the consequences are of a lock-out or astrike more disastrous. The first effect is cessation of all wages; the second, if a good supply of hands can be obtained elsewhere, a permanent reduction of wages. This has been the almost invariable result at Home, where facilities for procuring hands are greater than in the Colonies. It may not, and probably will not take place here, although, through trade in Otago being in an exceptionably prosperous state, such a contingency is by no means improbable. But, assuming matters are not carried to such an extremity, the necessary steps to be taken render selftaxation necessary to give effect to the combination to support wages. Out of seventy-one reported to have been present at the meeting on Friday, six had been working at the rate proposed to be given by the employers. Those six very properly asked and obtained a guarantee from the remainder that they should not be losers if they refused to work for less than 13s a day. As the masters have combined, it is to be presumed that those half-a-dozen will cease to work, although up to this time they have been content with the wages offered as a maximum. Now it follows that, acting on the guarantee of those sixty-five men, oneeleventh of the number of those who gave it will be sustained in, we are forced to say, idleness at the others’ expense; and so long as they continue out of work, supposing that the masters decide to employ the remainder at the current rate of wages of 13s a day, the incomes of the sixty-five will be reduced to 11s lOd a day, or absolutely less than the money they have bound themselves to pay those men for withdrawing from labor. But if the masters should resolve to punish themselves, in order to pull down wages, and refuse to employ any of the sixty-five men unless they accept 12s a-day, they still have the six to maintain while they themselves earn nothing—that is, presuming those men should insist on the contract being fulfilled. In any case, much must be lost and nothing gained by the disagreement. To the Colony,'and especially the town, the cessation of building operations would be disastrous. Houses are wanted for the population pouring in, and there is a constantly increasing demand for good workmen. It cannot be expected that under such circumstances work can be allowed to stop. The mistake on the part of the masters seems to us to be that they have not considered where two masters run after one man he can command the highest price for his work at which it will be profitable to employ him. But this principle should also teach workmen that there is a limit to the wages that can be paid for their work, beyond which it will not be profitable to enir ploy them. If the cost of building is too high, capitalists will not build ; and cessation of building is but another term for a fall in wages which must necessarily follow. So long, however, as work can be done within profitable limits, the masters must be aware that if they refuse to contract it is within the power of the educated workmen of the present day to take their places, and by combining in small companies to takesuch contracts as they decline. Whether it is wise or politic to invite this class of competition it is for them to decide, not for us. We point out these things in the hope ttyat this trade dispute may be amicably adjusted in an intelligent spirit on both sides; for neither can gain by the course adopted. If the masters succeed in reducing workmen’s wages, they will gain nothing; for being all on an equal footing, their competition with each other will be equally severe as now ; and, excepting in contracts taken on a calculation of the higher rate of wages, their profits will not be increased. If, on the other hand, they dismiss their men, the probability is they multiply competition beyond what before existed, and provoke a resistance that wo have shown must act detrimentally to all classes of the community.