[42] The articles alluded to were, one upon "Strikes and Arbitration Courts," in the _Gazette_ of Wednesday, the 12th, and the one on "The _Times_ on Trade Arbitration," in the _Gazette_ of Thursday, the 13th. The former dealt with the proposal to decide questions raised by strikes by reference to courts of arbitration. Amongst the sentences contained in it, and alluded to by Mr. Ruskin, were the following: "Phrases about the 'principles of right and justice' are always suspicious and generally fallacious." "The rate of wages is determined exclusively by self-interest." "There is no such thing as a 'fair' rate of wages or a 'just' rate of wages." [From "The Pall Mall Gazette," April 21, 1865.] _WORK AND WAGES._ _To the Editor of "The Pall Mall Gazette."_ SIR: I am not usually unready for controversy, but I dislike it in spring, as I do the east wind (_pace_ Mr. Kingsley), and I both regret having given occasion to the only dull leader which has yet[43] appeared in the _Pall Mall Gazette_, and the necessity I am involved in of dissecting the same, instead of a violet, on which I was about this morning to begin operations. But I see, Sir, that you mean fairly, and that you have careful thinkers and writers on your staff. And I will accept your battle, if you will fight with short swords, which is clearly your interest, for such another article would sink the _Gazette_; and mine, for I have no time to answer speculations on what you writers suppose my opinions may be, "if we understand" them. You shall understand them utterly, as I already understand yours. I will not call yours "fallacies" _à priori_; you shall not call mine so. I will not tell you of your "unconscious" meanings; you shall not tell me of mine.[44] But I will ask you the plainest questions, and make to you the plainest answers my English will admit of, on one point at a time only, expecting you also to ask or answer as briefly, without divergence or deprecation. And twenty lines will always contain all I would say, at any intervals of time you choose. For example: I said I must "dissect" your leader, meaning that I should have to take a piece of it, as I would of my flower, and deal with that first; then with its sequences. I take this sentence then: "He (Mr. R.) seems to think that apart from the question of the powers of the parties, there is some such thing as a just rate of wages. He seems to be under the impression that the wages ought to be proportioned, not to the supply and demand of labor and capital, but 'to the hardship of the work and the time spent in it.'" Yes, Sir, I am decisively under that impression--as decisively as ever Greek coin was under _its_ impression. You will beat me out of all shape, if you can beat me out of this. Will you join issue on it, and are these following statements clear enough for you, either to accept or deny, in as positive terms?--