The Principles of Economics, with Applications to Practical ProblemsFetter, Frank A. (Frank Albert)
General
The Principles of Economics, with Applications to Practical Problems
Fetter, Frank A. (Frank Albert)
Economics
3. _The need of organization of labor has grown with the growth of
factories and with the loss of personal touch among the workers._ This
is another aspect of the point just mentioned. The smaller the number of
employers, the easier is it by an understanding to suppress competition
on their side. If there is only one factory of a kind in a town or city,
the employer is able to drive a harder bargain with the worker.
Especially in times of industrial depression is a change of employment
difficult for the laborer; it involves much risk, and loss of time and
money in moving. In the long run competition must be felt even in such
cases. The unfair employer will find his workmen drifting away, his
force reduced in number and quality, and his evil reputation going
abroad among workmen. But there is a great deal of friction in this
adjustment and the loss falls largely upon the workman. In a large
industry, especially, the workers have no personal acquaintance with
each other, nothing to give them a sense of unity and power. In the
old-fashioned shop, with its close association and its interchange of
views, could grow up a strong public opinion; but in the wilderness of a
modern factory the worker may be unknown in name and character to the
man who touches elbows with him. Moreover, in America differences in
nationality and in speech among immigrant workers is often an effective
factor in preventing the assertion of their interests. There is an
analogy (though it is only an analogy) between these conditions and the
political conditions that have led pure democracies to give way to
representative governments. So long as a community is small and men know
each other personally, there may be popular government, but when the
number becomes larger the only way in which public opinion can be
concentrated and made effective is by delegating the functions of
government to representatives.
[Sidenote: Main objects of trade-unions to-day]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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