NOME INDUSTRIAL WORKER
TRI-WEEKLY
Published Tuesday. Thursday,
and i Saturday.
By Nome Mine Workers’ Union, No, 240, International Union ol Aline,
Mill and Smelter Workers.
Subscription Price
On« Year . $20.00
Six Months . 10.00
Pne Month . 2-00
“To secure to each laborer the whole product ot his labor, or as
atarly as possible is a worthy object ol auy good government."—Abra
ham Lincoln. j
Address all communications to Tn -Weekly Nome Industrial Worker.
Box 210, Nome, Alaska. Phone, Black 134.
Entered as second class matter August 6, 1918, at the Post Office
at Nome, Alaska, under the Act ot March 3, 1879.
NOME, ALASKA SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER, 28, 1918
STANDARDIZATION OF WAGES
The intense competition it is be
lieved will develop in modern war in
dustry has occasioned the idea that
(O standardize wages would be an ex
cellent plan and in a law passed last
July, such indeed became effective as
tar as the war industries are con
cerned, and it was declared in a joker
to the measure in which it is inserted
that no moneys would be available
¥or the payment of wages for a high
er standard than that provided by the
war industries board.
It has always been the effort of em
ployers, as employers, to keep wages
within a maximum set by certain in
dustrial conditions. This maximum
was decided by competition between
employers in the same line of industry
and competition between workers
seeking employment in that industry.
Usually by a gentlemen's agreement
the employers were able to come
together and the economic necessity
which drove the workers compelled
them to accept what was offered them.
Now since the war broke out in
dustrial activity has become intensi
fied beyond any standard of activity
heretofore known. Yet at the same
time the army and navy and war
steeds in other lines, has completely
denuded the market of such excess la
bor as might compete among itself for
the jobs.
On the other hand the war profits,
to put it euphomistically, hgve been
generous. The dreams of avarice
have had nothing on the heights to
which the profits have soared and
with that soaring there has been a
distinct attempt upon the part of em
ployees to keep them up. and to do
this the prime essential was to keep
the labor from the exploitation or
which the profits came, always la
boring. Hence between themselves
the gentlemen’s agreement as to wage
scales which as employers they would
pay went by the board. It may be
stated en passant that where money
•enters the meeting the gentlemen's
agreement goes out the doorway im
mediately and because these employ
ers did so compete, labor received
higher pay than the employers wish
ful to pay. Hence they want relief
against the economic necessity for
profits that is theirs and they want
to keep wages down so that their
profits may be kept up.
The situation is complicated by
reason of the fact that the high costs
of living keep the workers hustling
to buy the means of subsistence, so
that to standardize wages without
controlling the food and clothing and
fjther necessities of the working class
es, more effectively, this standardiza
tion of pay means simply a lower
standard of living. >
This plan has been attempted be
fore. In the Middle Ages the dearth
of labor followed the ravages of the
Black Death thruout the continent
and Great Britain resulted in an in
dependence of labor that it has never
known since or before, no matter
what people say. Labor could make
more money, live better, and have
•greater choice of jobs than ever since
that time. Not that the money made
was nominally higher. Indeed no,
■but its purchasing power was so
enormous that with few days work
a man could live a month. To meet
this condition the employers got busy
and passed the Statute of Laborers in
the reign of King Edward III and it
remained on the law books of Eng
land up to the present century. lin
ger this the wages which might be
'asked were definitely set from time
to time, and organizations and strikes
•were prohibited with very severe pen-;
alties.
But the plan did not wark at ait.
Labor was scarce and labor simp!/
sot what labor wanted and did so uu
*tl! a certain set of economic circum
stances reduced iai>)r again to its
former poverty stricken condition.
interesting. The first of course was
the natural result of plenty: labor
became more fecund and reproduced
itself with extraordinary rapidity. The
discovery of America flooded the na
tions of Europe with silver and the
shilling which formerly would keep
a worker a long period of weeks, lost
its purchasing power and accordingly
the actual wages paid became ever so
much less. The steady improvement
in agriculture and manufacturing
methods advanced the wealth of the
nation and with the tendency towards
its centralization always in evidence,
the rise of the middle class became
marked, keeping even step with the
advance of the reformed religion, the
obliteration of the monasteries and
the strict submergence in the ranks
of the workers of those who were
workers.
One of ths most permanent results
of the Statute of Laborers was to
keep the workingman always a work
ingman. It failed to prevent wages
going up as long as there was a na
tural shortage of workers, but it most
certainly did more to establish a per
manent working class as a class than
any other thing. It Contributed In
no small measure to the establish
ment of a powerful Middle class which
finally seized the reins of government
during the reign of King Charles and
afterwards during the reign of King
William, it firmly established its na
tional supremacy with the Bill of
Rights.
The importance of this fact, and it
is one of the most important histor
ical facts in English history, altho
hardly to hq met with at all in the
histories as written by the capitalist
historians. And by the way capital
ist historians from Macaulay to Green
from Hume to Froude have written
most entertainingly of English history
without doing any justice whatsoever
to the really singnificant facts which
took place in that nation during its
exciting developments, industrially,
politically and otherwise.
In view of the effort now being
made to standardize wages, one hears
a whole lot about labor profiteering.
In view of the enormous and well
ascertained increase of the prices of
necessities, this to the majority of
the workers will seem to be the gross
est kind of unjust irony. And more
than helf of it is really just that.
.Moreover wnue mere are men getting
huge salaries, the purchasing power
of the dollar has so decreased that
the actual increase in wages is prac
tically nil during the past few years.
In view of these things, the stan
dardization of wages which takes no
stock of the soaring costs of provi
sions, of food, clothing and rents,
will surely defeat itself. It will re
sult if tried without question in an
increase of working class discontent
and will possibly be used as an argu
ment for industrial conscription. The
argument it provides for wealth con
scription, real and absolute, however
is not to be overlooked at all for it is
that and not labor conscription which
will provide a remedy for the diffi
culties the increased costs of living
forces upon the attention of the peo
ple.
I’OSS IBI LI T1 EH
While the possible results of a sub
mission of Bulgaria to Allied peace
requirements are enormous, those
who see the beginning of the end of
this war would do well not to let
their optimism get the better of them.
The situation is cleared by such an
important achievement, but Bulgaria
is a small nation and will probably
count as little in the final conquest or
defeat of the nations as has Serbia's
destruction counted up to this. Ameri
ca is not even at war with Bulgaria
at the present time. The. Central
Powers are the real objectives and it
is in them that developments must
be noted before really important hap
DRY FORCES CONFIDENT
PITTSBURG—The big fight of the
dry and wet forces of this state which
will reach its climax in 1919 finds the
dry forces confident of victory accord
ing to Dr Harris, head of the Dry Fed
eration.
NOT INDISPENSABLE
CLEVELAND,—While the news
papers are regarded as an essential
industry and newspapers simply in
dispensable, Secretary Baker says
that inasmuch as there are many older
men capable of performing the work
as well as the younger men of mili
tary age now in the industry, they
will not be regarded as exempt in
any way.
DRAWING ON MONDAY
WASHINGTON,—The new draft
lottery will be held here on Monday
and the men inducted into service ac
cording to the numbers drawn on that
day.
Keep Posted, Read the WORKER.
DEAD IN ST PAUL.
§T PAUL,—Archbishop Ireland
died Wednesday night at his residence
in this city. One of the most noted
of the Catholic hierarchy in America,
strong efforts were made to secure
for him a cardinalate, but these were
never successful.
PLUMBERS GET .$8 A DAY
ST. LOUIS,—The 150 journey
man plumbers who quit work about
Aug. 1, because their demands for a
wage scale of $8 a day were refused,
have gone back to their jobs. The
master plumbers granted the increase
asked, raising them from $6.50 a day
to $8. Plumbing work on new schools
has been seriously delayed, and much
war work hindered. Many of the
plumbers, probably more than 100
have left St. Louis, and the contract
ors now face a shortage of labor.
PROVE THE PUDDING BY EATING
BUTTER EGGS PIG PORK PRE
SERVES AT INDEPENDENT GROC
ERY.
Keep Posted, Read the WORKER.
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
;-Y
Foil RE-ELECTION' TO THE TERRITORIAL
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
JAMES P. DALY
(DEMOCRAT)
r-'
ELECTION NOVEMBER 5tli, 1918.
FOR DELEGATE TO CONGRESS
HON. CHAS. A. SULZER
U
(DEMOCRAT)
ELECTION, NOVEMBER, 5, 1918
FOR REPRESENTATIVE
ALMER (Slim) RYDEEN
(DEMOCRAT) of Candle.
ELECTION NOV. 5tli, 1918.
For Re-election
JOHN A. WILSON
For Road Commissioner
Election, November 5, 1918
FOR TERRITORIAL ROAD COMMISSIONER
AL WINKLER
INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE
ELECTION NOVEMBER 5, I91B.
ALASKA STEAMSHIP CO.
S. S. VICTORIA
Last Sailing' of the Season
LEAVES NOME
OCTOBER THE 20TH
R. A. Carroll Agent, Nome
S.S.AOM. WATSON
IeavesIioMe
Octobet 4th
(VIA KOrlAiv AND ANCHORAGE)
Last Sailing of the Season
Schedule Subject to change
Without Notice
Pacific S. S. Co.
L. C. Wolfe Agent==Nome
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[ HOMELIKE AND COMFORTABLE QUARTERS FOR TRANS- T
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• BARNEY GIBNEY.
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15 cents per loaf
1* 2 Loa\es 25c.
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PAID ADVERTISEMENTS
WASHINGTON STATE
FEDERATION OF LABOR
EXECUTIVE AXI> LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
EVERETTE, WASH. Sept, 9th, 1916.
To Trade Unionists of Alaska,
Greeting.
Ordinarily we would not think of making any sugges
tions to you concerning political candidacies in your Territory
but in the present situation wi» feel justified in doting so. Tho
interests of labor in the entire northwestern group of states
and particularly Washington, is closely allied with the interest
of labor in Alaska. We have watched with growing concern
the efforts of large corporate aggregations to tighten their
hold upon the wealth of your country and have watched the
splendid fight waged in Congress by your Delegate Mr Wick
ersham.
It is because we believe Mr Wickersham is fighting in
Congress against tho exploitation of labor and the great nat
ural wealth of Alaska by powerful private interests, that we
are taking tho llebrty of urging our fellow unionists in Alaska
to rally to his support In his campaign for re-election.
Knowing that you will accept this communication in the
spirit in which it is written and assuring you the continued co
operation and good will of your fellow trade unionists, we beg
leave to remain.
Fraternally Yours,
E. P. MARSH
President Washington State Federation of Labor.
CHAS, R. CASE
Chairman Legislative Committee, Seattle Central Labor Council.
J. G BROWN
President International Shingle Wearers’ Union of America.
WILLIAM SHORT
Sec.-Treas. Dist. No. 10, United Mine Workers of America.