CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2631, 24 June 1887, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

[TO THE EWIOR.J Sir,—Will the laboring class and their rrofessed friends ever learn the simple econoraio truth, that wages can only come out of profits < I ask this, because I notice in tbe Carterton [■' Observer some curious correspondence . with reference to the question. I know nothing of the facts, oxcept that it appears Mr Booth, with his usual desire to employ the people round him, if possible, has found markets for ; firewood, but at a price which only leaves a very small margin for the ' labor, of cutting. In this he is denounced as trying to lower the wages • of the" working man," Mr Booth is'. well able to defend himself, if he ] . thinks it necessary. Ido not writo '. '■ for the purpose of doing so. I onl? 7) j take the fact as an instance of the :,i]J. inability of the working man to weiC the inevitable force of ■ the principle have laid down, This principle bar '.' | not worked out its legitimate results ' in New Zealand, yel, because, of the vast sums of borrowed money, both. { public and private, which have hitherto ; been available for tlio employment of. : la bor. I need hardly say that x large ' proportion of this has failed to yield a ' legitimate profit. The borrowing periodjfliavmg ceased we have now to., accept the law I refer to as the basie ( . of wages. The interests of the employer ■ and employed are really identical, and both will bo idlo unless profits can be made by working. If tbo former are makiug large returns, there will be; competition, and wpges will rise,, whoreag if profits are small, they will - as inevitably fall. Tho working man - and his friends may say what ought to .: be, as much as they like, but nothing ■ will affect this simplo law. If onw the working classes understand this..;« thoroughly, they must see that it is A to their best interests to provide th»,j)j greatest amount of intelligent labor intheir power iu return for their wages, ; thereby increasing the profits, in which aloue they can have a share. I write in the hope that these truths may sink into some thinking minds, Personally the question affects mo but little, as I am no longer a large employer of labor, and having no desire for votes I ■ . can speak what I believe to be'the truth. I am, 4c,, U. PaAKA2m Longwood, June 24.