WAGES. Wages are the remuneration of labor, either mental or physical. 'Phis remu neration includes not simply that which is paid by one man to another in the form of wages, but that which a man earns with his labor even when he works for himself. In short, it is that quantity of wealth wbich comes to one during a given period of time because of the exercise of his own powers, physical and mental. It does not include that which comes to him as the result of labor previously performed b himself or others or which comes to him throu the ownership of capital or land, though t e return which he receives at a given penod for capital which he himself had previously ac cumulated might conceivably be called deferred wages for his previous labor and thrift.
There have been some objections to calling labor a commodity and wages the price of a commodity. Whether labor be a commodity or not, there can scarcely be any doubt that the wages of labor have some features in com mon with the prices of commodities. A kind of labor which is very intensely desired or needed will generally command a high wage, just as a commodity which is intensely desired or needed will command a high price. In both cases, however, the desire or need must be somewhat specific. It is not enough to say that air is very much desired or needed in the sense that we could not get along without it. It is not intensely desired or needed in the sense that we ordinarily. want more than we have got. Similarly it is not enough to say that a given class of unskilled labor is intensely desired or needed in the sense that we could not get along without it. It sometimes happens that a given class of unskilled labor is not intensely desired or needed in the sense that we do not need any more than we have got, or at least do not need it with any great degree of in tensity.
The problem of wages is one af the most acute of our social and economic problems be cause on this problem depends the problem of poverty. Poverty must, however, be distin guished from dependence, which may result from injury, incapacity or a variety of causes. Poverty in a u.neral sense results only from low wages. There can be said to be poverty in a commututy when there are considerable numbers of laborers capable of working who cannot sell their labor at a high price or for good wages. Until this situation can be re moved no commtmity is free from reproach.
Until it can create conditions under which every one who is capable of working can sell his labor at a good price or can command good wages for his labor, it will not have solved the problem of poverty. It may cover up the problem by decreeing high wages, or by taking something from one class of people in order to pay it to another class. This is obviously no cure and is certain in the course of time to bring about worse conditions than those which it is designed to cure. The only real and permanent cure is the creation of such condi tions as will enable every normal laborer, with out govenunent interference or compulsion of any kind, to sell his labor on the open market at a good price, or to command high wages for his labor under the normal opera tion of the laws of demand and supply. So long as it remains true that an employer of labor need not talce any. trouble to find help, but can merely take his pick among the numerous ap plicants for jobs, the forces of demand and supply are working to the disadvantage of that class of labor. The reproach of poverty cannot be removed until the opposite symptoms show themselves, that is, until the average laborer never has to look for a job, but can talce his pick among several jobs which are offered.
There need not be the slightest difficulty in bringing about this condition. A proper re distnbution of human talent which wIll multiply the !lumber of em.ployers, either actual or po tential, and diminish the number of laborers, especially of the unskilled or ignorant sort, will ultimately bring about the right condition. If we could double the number of employers look ing for men and halve the number of men look ing for employers, we should very mate rially changed the relation of supply and de mand. Each laborer would then be able not only to get good wages but take his pick among the jobs offered. He would not need any social legislation to protect him because he could then dictate his own terms, not only as to sanitary and social surroundings, but also as to ail the conditions of employment. So long as he is dependent upon governmental authority to pro tect him against undesirable conditions of labor, he is not really a free man. His real free dom will be achieved when the forces of the open market enable him to talce care of himself.