Page:Shop Talks on Economics.djvu/45

 owning employer to divide this surplus value with him.

Note Figure C. If the portion returned to us in wages is doubled, there will be just that much less unpaid labor for our employers to keep. The extra portion paid to us will be paid over to the monopolist.

Monopoly generally means that the monopolist is strong enough to force other employers to divide with him a portion of the value of our products formerly appropriated by them.

The real fight is between the monopolist and the mine-owning employer who will do all in his power to "smash the Trusts."

The mine owner in this instance may offer us $9.00 a day and we may try to live on $9.00 for a few weeks. We will be unable to do it because we will be receiving less than the value of our labor-power.

Do the Trusts rob the wage-workers when selling them Trust-made products?

Can a monopoly sell its product at the same price as the independent concern and make a bigger per cent. of profit? Why?

What are three causes for a rise in Prices? Explain.

There are more factories producing barrels this year than last year. All these owners are competing with each other to sell hoops and staves. But the prices of hoops and staves have risen everywhere, Why? Has the value increased? Precisely the same methods of production prevail in the hoop and stave industry as formerly.

Also the wages of men and women working in the hundreds of small factories all over the United States have risen during the past year or two. There are many men and women out of