[144] H. B. Higgins, "A New Province for Law and Order," _Harvard Law Review_, Jan., 1919. The Commission acting under the Canadian Industrial Disputes Act, carried this line of reasoning to its further logical consequences by awarding in some cases higher _absolute_ increases to the lowest paid men, and so on up the scale to the highest paid men who received the smallest increase. The large increases granted to the lowest paid men were justified by the Commission as necessary to bring their wages up to a living wage level. See, for example, the Report of the Commission on Disputes in Coal Mining and Other Industries in Nova Scotia. _Canadian Labor Gazette_, July, 1918. For a similar policy based on the same grounds, see the "Arbitration Award in Certain Packing Industries in the United States." _U. S. Monthly Labor Review_, May, 1918. [145] The figures are: ----------------------------------------------------------- (Wage groups) (Group average) 1914, wages Relative increase Absolute increase, earnings per hour of wages earnings per hour ----------------------------------------------------------- .15-.20 208% .193 .20-.25 187% .188 .25-.30 185% .230 .30-.35 184% .266 .35-.40 174% .268 ----------------------------------------------------------- Such figures as these are not, of course, sufficient ground for confident generalization, but they support an imputation that the compromise method does furnish the best solution of the difficulties the problem presents. [146] See W. C. Mitchell, "Business Cycles," page 134. Also W. C. Mitchell, "History of the Greenbacks," pages 33-37, 123-145. CHAPTER XII--THE REGULATION OF WAGE LEVELS--(_Continued_) WAGES AND PROFITS Section 1. The profits return in industry, under any policy of wage settlement, will be closely scrutinized.--Section 2. The possibility of measuring a "fair" profits return for all industry discussed. A method suggested.--Section 3. Would the principles of wage settlement worked out so far, produce a fair profits return? An open question.--Section 4. The scope and form of any measure designed to assure the desired distributive outcome can be discerned.--Section 5. The various steps in the formulation of such a measure reviewed. A measure tentatively suggested.--Section 6. The difficulties of calculating wage changes called for under the suggested measure.--Section 7. The chief practical weaknesses of the suggested measure examined.--Section 8. It would be open to theoretical criticism also. The alternatives even less satisfactory.