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THE SETTLEMENT OF WAGE DISPUTES
The MacMillan Company
New York . Boston . Chicago . Dallas
Atlanta . San Francisco
MacMillan & Co., Limited
London . Bombay . Calcutta
Melbourne
The MacMillan Co. Of Canada, Ltd.
Toronto
THE SETTLEMENT OF WAGE DISPUTES
by
HERBERT FEIS, Ph.D.
Associate Professor in Economics
University of Kansas
New York
The MacMillan Company
1921
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
Copyright, 1921,
by The MacMillan Company.
Set up and printed. Published October, 1921.
Press of
J. J. Little & Ives Company
New York, U. S. A.
To
37 Mellen St.
PREFACE
"The Settlement of Wage Disputes" falls naturally into two almost equal
parts: the first an account of the present industrial situation in the
United States, and of the factors which govern American wage levels at
the present time; the second an attempt to formulate principles which
might serve as the basis of a policy of wage settlement for the country.
The proposals made in the second part are based on the theoretical
analysis of the first part.
Certain chapters in the first part (III and IV) may prove difficult for
the ordinary reader. They are intended to be merely an analysis of a
particular set of facts and tendencies--those which affect the present
wage situation in the United States, or may affect it in the near
future. Such an analysis of a particular set of facts is all that
economic theory can successfully accomplish.
This book was first projected in the summer of 1914. The Dress and Waist
Industry of New York City had set up a Board of Protocol Standards to
settle wage disputes. The late Robert C. Valentine was then engaged in
finding a basis of wage settlement for the industry that would be of
more than passing value--and as his assistant, I first became convinced
that there could be no permanent peace under the wages system, once
different interests became organized, unless a clear body of
fundamentals principles applicable to all industries are supported and
enforced.
In the course of the work I have incurred many obligations both in the
United States and Great Britain. I can only acknowledge a very few here.
To my teachers, Prof. F. W. Taussig and W. Z. Ripley, I owe much, both
for their instruction, direct help and example. In Great Britain, Mr.
John A. Hobson, Mr. Henry Clay and Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Webb aided me
greatly to understand British experience. My debt to the work of Judge
Jethro W. Brown of the South Australia Industrial Court is heavy as the
book shows. Above all I have to thank my friend Dr. Walter B. Kahn for
his share in the work.
H. F.
_University of Kansas._
CONTENTS
PAGE
Chapter I--Introductory 1
Sec. 1. In any attempt to formulate principles for use in the
settlement of wage disputes, past experience furnishes much
guidance. What this experience consists of.
Sec. 2. Such principles as have been used in the settlement of
wage disputes have usually resulted from compromise; reason
and economic analysis have usually been secondary factors.
However, industrial peace cannot be secured by a recurrent
use of expedients.
Sec. 3. The attitude most favorable to industrial peace.