A Rational Wages System

between Emplo

see straight

ually a large and a plastic item in his expenditure, he always tries to cut down that item either by lowering wa

ible. He thinks that the less work he does the more there is for somebody else, and i

stribution of the wealth produced. Morally there is nothing to choose between them, because each is trying to rob the other. They cannot help it. Neither is to blam

necessary to provide the tools to work with and the material on which to work. Interest must be paid on capital in order that the employer may live, and in order to accumula

fault of the employer; it is not the fault of the

siness in competition with other businesses; he would soon find how keen a man must be in order to keep the busine

t look the conditions squarely in the face a

ets "low labour costs"; the worker gets "high wages and sho

er who pays wages under the Reward System soon finds that he has adjusted his whole establishment and sales policy on this basis. If he goes back to day work or piece work, the labour costs go up instantly. So he must stick to the system: it pays him to sti

ons and the R

e properly organised to

e trade. In connection with engineering workshops, they should be acquainted with the latest practice in all kin

ork would often prevent an expensive strike or would smooth out difficulties that tended towards a strike. Such a man should be paid anything from ￡500 to ￡1,000 a year. This sounds a lot, but it is abs

duty until disputes arise. If there is a general complaint from any shop that time studies are unsatisf

the worker (who would, of course, be a union man), so that there can be no complaint of unfair

d and the firm's standard times will show a

connection with the time study system, and one where the most unfairness will take place. But an approximate check may be obtained because the handling tim

ficiency is reached is at least 25 per cent. of the day wage. That is to say, if wages are 20s., the reward when the work r

anagement and th

hine tools and driving gear, keeping stores and stocks, inspecting the product, costing production accurately, preventing waste, keeping the sales and publicity department up to a high standard, and watching every phase of the work so as to keep everything up to a high pitch of efficiency. All this does no

t. And where scientific management is introduced, efficiency in production follows-that is what it is for. The point is, is the worker going to accept it and its consequences, understanding it, seizing its good points, rejoicing

ngs, and the whole of the intellectual forces of the country will be against him, because the conditions after the war will demand industria

me it for its advantages, and reserve all his strength and power to adjust and preserve

the increased demand that is bound to follow the reduction in price. In the long run, the system will mean employing more men than would be employed under present methods, and they will be men of high efficiency,

debt left by the war must be shouldered, and both interest and repayment of loans must come from somewhere. Unless the worker is to be ground to the dust, he must assert himself; but he will be utterly ignored if a selfish and stubborn attitude be adopted, and he will be drive

he affairs of the State and share its responsibilities and its benefits. If he is to take that place-and no man has a better right to it-if he is to have a voice in the cou

ly is o

l compel the worker to take a greater interest in his surroundings and in the way he is governed. He will resent inefficie

ion; there will be no paternalism or "giving shares for nothing" about it. It will be clean, honest hard

e efficiency of the other, th

Future o

and Reward System affect

very serio

of labour is taking place and will

illed as craftsmen, and machine attendant

may possibly be controlled, and the trade-unions should endeavour to di

and more especially the skilled turner, finds machinery and methods o

e, he is put on a machine with an instruction card. The setter-up sets up the machine and gives advi

e, and this number will be greatly increased if the machine attendants of the near future are absorbed by the unions. If the trade-unions are to control the organisation of Labour, this new class of s

only the exploitation of the new class, but the destruction of the old, because the more intelligent men of the new class will be sel

on card will be made out from the standards book and handed to the machine attendant, who will work to it, and wi

ed-one that will employ many intelligent people: I refe

ncrease in the clerical staffs o

a trade especially suitable for women on account of the li

h in its turn means more workers. Speaking generally, any article made in very large quantities is sold to a great number of people, which means that it is sold largely

all industry and industrial systems-namely, the ultima

wages, because the semi-skilled labourer need no

the situation and adopt sliding scales of wages for different classes of labour

Reward System. This system means, as I have shown, an addition to the day rate of wages, and therefore the unions might arrange for

the wages received were at least equal to the day rate for skilled men, and that the task

ard their individual efficiency would bring the earnings to cons

mployer and the worker, but it can only be brought about by the Re

s. If the trade-unions lose control over labour-not only skilled, but semi-skilled labour also-the natural tendency will be for the employers to coerce and intimidate the workers

ge by the worker so long as the wage does not fall below the limit of absolute necessity. The tendency to increase is due to the discontent of the worker when wages are below the necessity level, this leading to strikes, slacking, and inefficiency, which compel the employer to rai

. It is because this average at present is an average of necessity instead of an average of reasonable comfort that Labour troubles

use no worker can be really efficient when haunted by the constant fear of debt and misery and starvation. And it is also evident that this minimum of comfort cannot be ba

s. The cost of living differs in various parts of the United Kingdom, and therefore there should be a scale of wages for each district, based on the purcha

sy matter to record the prices of these necessities: and if an annual revision of wages be made, the employer cannot complain about excessive increases,

ent, should be revised

tion of the basis of wage calculation, together with the payment of a reward for efficiency, would have a remarkable effect

ctual and

conditions of work under scientific management and other existing conditions. The comparison generally drawn

a real education, and whose minds are so confused by the contradictory statements made in the Press-their only means of becoming acquainted with the broader aspects of citizenship-that they can rarely exercise a balanced judgment on any subject. Any scheme of work and

appeal to him, and no appeal at all if two or three shillings a week are in the balance against it. He does not know how his health improves and his efficiency increase

fficiency is not their aim so much as making the lives of their workers pleasant and happy. But it is impossible for all firms to be wealth

dark house resulted in greater efficiency, then that method would be adopted. But since it does mean healthier and happier conditions, and more wages and greater

her we like it or not. And, accepting him, we must acknowledge that he has certain rights and privileges-rights and privileges which so many of us are

ion and the introduction of automatic machinery enable the capitalist to do this. He risks his capital in the hope of greater re

efficient management, we will not have automatic machinery, the case would be different; but this system and this machinery were being introduced before the war, and the installation of automatic machinery has been increased enormously since the war began. This

red, and the same amount of mental application. But whereas day work means constant close supervision by the foreman, and pie

other. But when a man is compelled to take up a handicraft for the sake of a living-and this always was the case-there is not so much difference between being compelled to work on an automatic machine and being compelled, for example, to throw a shuttle thr

y so proud all the time of the work whereby he earned a miserable pittance. How many of those workers would gladly have given u

ons of the work did not weigh with them at all, but, Mr. Ford being what he is, the conditions were, of course, excellent. This gave the Ford Company the pick of the workers of the United States. As far as can be ascertained, there is great satisfaction among the Ford workers, and it is considered a privilege to get a situation with the Ford Company. Now, an essential f

y are well paid for the work, and there does not appear to be any increase of idio

he finished article is so great, if the worker is to get but a very moderate return, that only the wealthy co

r the study and appreciation of finer things, and in the en

f machinery or of some worse form of slavery, and, f

is absolutely impossible-as impossible as it is for a hi

achine and not on an automatic; this work must be done by a single man and not by a team of men; this work must be done under this or that old-fashioned system and not under a well-organised system? These lines can never be drawn. Progress, by its very nature, will crush w

ean more leisure for everybody. In order to make the best use of leisure, better education, real ed

eir education. Instead of curtailing wealth, the trade-unions should endeavour to control the production and distrib

aid or better rewarded man than the worker. But he would be a leader and not a driver, and whatever he possessed would be looked upon by those who worked under him

he immediate future, what method shall we adopt? Is it to be day work or piece work? Is it to be co-partnership or profit sharing that tend to rob a man of his liberty and turn him into a miniature capitalist? Or is it by

ow. The trade-unions would be wise to give close attention to the Reward System and that greater organisation of which it is a part. With trade-union support i

drive him farther and farther from that end, and only education, better conditions of living, a certain amount of leisure, and a desire to undertake responsibility, will enable him to achieve it. Following on that will come the realisation of wh

be the best of several existing methods of payment for work done; and as this particular method will be adopted more and more, and as it undoubtedly leads to greater production and is to the direct and immediate advantage of the worker, those concerned with the welfare of the worker ought to consider the system in all its bearings,

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