Principles of Political EconomyPerry, Arthur Latham
General
Principles of Political Economy
Perry, Arthur Latham
Economics
Also labor-troubles are quite as likely to arise from the want of
character and training and considerateness of the employees towards
the capitalists. The relations are reciprocal and they are also in
their very nature delicate. One poor workman however good his
disposition, one unfaithful overseer no matter how great his possible
skill, may mar the current product in such a way as to lose it the
market and cost the establishment the present profit. The strength of
a chain is the strength of its weakest link. It is a matter of immense
difficulty at any time, and emphatically so at the present time to
organize a working force in factory from top to bottom so as to have
it go forward as a unit as towards the marketing of the product,
without bad workmanship at some point and unskilful supervision at
another; because the laborers as a rule have not given themselves time
to learn thoroughly their special parts, because they are not content
to remain steady at one thing and at one place, and because they do
not practically recognize even if they perceive it that their own
permanent interests are exactly coincident with the permanent
interests of their employers. Just now in this country the public Law
robs the manufacturers (at their own behest) of their best markets at
home and abroad, makes it difficult or impossible for them through
wanton taxation of their raw materials to create a good quality of
goods for any market, and so multiplies frictions and failures and
losses along the whole line of production. The lack of what may be
called Apprenticeship on the part of skilled laborers, the consequent
difficulty of rising from one gradation of effort to a higher and
better-paid one, the restlessness of native laborers under such
disabilities, the rapid admixture of foreigners, the lack of coherence
throughout in point of intelligence and apparent identity of
interests, together with the instability and haphazardness of the
resources and personal training of the employers as a class, gives
birth to Labor-troubles which are at the same time Capital-troubles,
to read the daily record of which makes one sick at heart.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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