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Show WAGE SYSTEM. In an address at Philadelphia last Sunday, Carroll Car-roll D. Wright, United States Commissioner of Labor, La-bor, said: . "The wage system will pass away. Iti its stead, I believe, there will come a system which will be composed of the profit-sharing and the co-operation ideas. The great labor question means the struggle of humanity for a higher standard of life. The employer must consider his employes, as well as the stockholder, as an investor." To the capitalist these words may seem insane; to the general public they will appear Utopian, but to those who study closely the evolutions of modern mod-ern times, there may be more truth in these words than the world ever dreamed of. , But few can conclude con-clude from what was yesterday, and is today, what may occur tomorrow The worl is no longer where it was, nor does the intelligence of the age propose to remain, if possible," where it is at present. The tendency is to- march upwards, by equalizing things. But the great problem'-is how to reach there. Mr. Wright tells What is being done in Germany and England to " solve 'the probleittV : In-Germany the employer pays one-fourth" the cost of a sick and death benefit policy,. 'the employe one-fourth, and tho government one-half. England, too, has taken up litis question, and should not the United States follow in the wake! The present relations between capital and labor, which tlie commissioner terms "the iron law of wages," will,- he predicts, pass away. The'wge system which has been carried on for more than three hundred years, and which leads periodically to overproduction, is unsatisfactory unsatisfac-tory to the great army' of mechanics who toil and drudge whilst the sun shineth, or when there is' demand de-mand for their strong muscle and cunning hands. But the surplus of their labor's acquirements is exhausted ex-hausted during the winter months, or whilst capital capi-tal is striving to get rid of its overproduction. In the end, after years of toil and labor, our great army of mechanics 'and laborers are at zero. Unable Un-able to work, all relationship between them and their employes being settled by cash payment, many have to fall back on charity. But for others, who are young,, hearty and willing to work, there is no work. Mills and factories close down to sell their overproduction. In the meantime business is stagnant, stag-nant, and labor must provide for itself . Our industrial in-dustrial system must be at fault. It leaves labor in a state, of. uncertainty' as to future possibility of having sufficient td provide for the mere wants of the body. There ig ho equilibrium between production pro-duction and consumption, and this-, our present industrial in-dustrial system, leaves labor in doubt as to what the future may bring forth. People, who are intelligent, intel-ligent, who read the daily papers, weekly journals and monthly magazines, will no longer be deceived by prosperous times or revival of business. What they want and are clamoring for are industrial reforms. re-forms. They will not submit their evils to bank, insurance, in-surance, railroad or other corporations for final adjustment. ad-justment. These chiefs of industry may be consulted con-sulted by our government, but the intelligent laborer la-borer and mechanic, whose lives these chiefs held formerly in their pockets, are awakening to a new life, and are already demanding a share in the profits of our great industries. On this all-important question Mr. Wright says: "The wage system will pass away. It is, as has been shown, unsatisfactory in many of its applications. appli-cations. It depends too largely for .its equities upon the generosity and great-mindedness of employers. That there are many who. would scorn to influence the votes or actions of their employees and -who would be incapable of taking petty or great advantages ad-vantages ?5f their workmen is happily true. That there are others, however, who make use of these opportunities proves the weakness of the system and argues for a greater measure of independence for those who labor. "The system that will take the place of that under which mere wages are paid probably will he composed of the profit-sharing and co-operation plans. The working people will then acquire the interest of investors and the more capable will rise to their opportunities and the less worthy will find their level." - All these demands audi predictions may indeed sound Utopian today, but in a. free country, where agitation is action, -and. men; freely express their views, .what next year or five years hence may 'bring forth no one can foresee. All .should be interested, in-terested, iri the wise organization of industry, and the just distribution of jits fruits. ( |