Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 36.djvu/668

650 will reward investigation—which will throw light, when properly understood, not only on the particular problems in hand, but on larger problems. I propose in the present paper to communicate some reflections which I have made. The alleged drawbacks, when considered, do, in fact, suggest for consideration questions of a weighty nature, which go to the root of ideas of progress, and affect the most general views of the prospects of modern civilization.

The alleged drawbacks of which I speak are mainly the following: First, it is said, workingmen in many cases have more to pay for rent than they would have to pay when earning less money under different conditions, or they have to pay railway or 'bus fares or similar charges for conveyance to and from their work, which are in the nature of an increase of rent. Consequently, although the money wage is more, the workman is not so much better off than he was, because a large part of that money wage has to be paid as a fine, practically, to enable the workingman to be in a position to earn it. In other words, the gross sum is more, but the net sum is not so much more. It is easy to perceive, also, that this principle may have a much wider application than may at first be surmised. The case usually thought of is that of rent, or an equivalent fine on a workman, which he pays in order to be in a certain place where the money wage can be earned. Suppose the climate in which he has to live in order to earn a larger money wage than he can get elsewhere is so exhausting as to compel a larger consumption of food in order that the money may be earned? The question of gross and net is thus of a wide-sweeping kind.

Next, it is maintained that along with a great increase in production, which has undoubtedly taken place, there has come an increase in the severity of the labor, and that the workman's remuneration has not risen in proportion. It seems to be suggested at times that the increase in the labor is itself an evil, even if it were proportionately remunerated, but the complaint rather is that the severer toil is not adequately compensated; the workman has a severer call made on his energies, and he is not so much better off. To be able to earn more money, it is sometimes urged, he must, in fact, spend more money on food and other things than he formerly did. Here, again, is a question of gross and net, and it will be observed how the last complaint raises in a different form the question already suggested under the first head by a consideration of the effects of climate. A distinction is made between the gross earning and the net surplus, the difference being something which the workingman has to pay as a fine to enable him to earn the net sum which he wishes to spend.

Last of all, it is maintained that on all sides the scale of living