CONTENTS. PAGE PAgE Notes OF TIIE WEEK ............ ..... 585 FROM TELAIL TO THE SINDH. By C. E. Bechhofer ...... 598 CURRENTCANT ..................... 589 CONSILIATION (From the Mahabharata). Fy Beatrice FOREIGN AFFAIRS. By s. Verdad ............... 585, Hastings ..................... 600 MILITARY NOTES. By Romney 590 ............... READERSAXD WRITERS. By R. H. C. ............ 601 BELLES LETTRES.By Leo Minden ............ 591 CHILDREN FOR MEN. By Duxmia ............... 602 TOWARDS A NATIONALRAILWAY GUILD-IX. BY Henry Lascelles ..................... 591 TEgE WAY BACK‘ro AMERICA. By T. K. L. .......... 604 TOWARDS A VOLUNTARy INSURANCE-4c~. By Margaret VIEWS .4~rjREVIEWS. By A E. R. ............ 605 Douglas ........................ 592 THE APPROACHTO PAris By Ezra Pound ...... 607 A PILGRIMAGETO TURKEY DURING WARTIME-11. By llarmn- DRAMA By JohnFrancis Hope ............... 609 duke Pickthall ..................... 594 PASTICHE. By ALice Morning,William Repton, P. Selver ... 610 THEIRISH IN ENGLAND.By PeterFanning ......... 595 LETTERS TO THE EDITORFROM Syndicus, T. M. Salmon, Mar- NEWSPAPERSNOBBERY. By A. E. Fletcher ......... 597 garet DougIas, Press-cutter,William Hare, s. Verdad, THE KING, GODSAVE HIM. (From the “Liverpool Daily HaroldFisher, Harold Lister, E. Belloc, David Lamb, Post.”) ........................ 597 Ezra Pound, PeterFanning ............... 611 -~ . - -..... ... ... - ~. .... - ........ ------ communications relative to THENEW AGE should A12 wemean the creation of amonopoly of labour in the he addressed to THE NEW AGE, $3, Cursitor Street, E.c. unionsand its direction to theabolition of thewage- _.._-__--- systemand the collective partnership lof theunions either with their employers or with the State, isalone NOTES OF THE WEEK. of anyavail towards labour’s emancipation; in short, REFERRINGto the“revolution in thespirit of trade thatwages can only beraised by being abolished. unionism” which the events of the last few years have Startling as these conclusions may at first sight appear, broughtabout, the “Times” on Wednesday deplored they are not only consonant with our definition of wages the fact that the recent Congress had met and dissolved butthey areconsonant withfact. Upon whatever without giving the nation a lead. On its own account, theory the labour legislation of to-day is based, it is no’w therefore,the “Times” was driven to say that“the demonstrated that even amelioration, let alone emanci- essence of trade unionism is collective bargaining.” So pation, is not likely to resultfrom it. After seven or it is, and so we agree it to be; but collective bargaining, ten years ‘of unprecedented social legislation, based, of it will be found, will carry us a good deal further than course, on the maintenance of the wage-system, wages the “Times” \has as yet any notion. On the following haveactually fallen both absolutely and relatively. day,for example, an important correspondent under Absolutelythey have lost nine points in the racewith the pseudonym of “X” suggestedthat a “proper” if prices ; and relativelythey have seen profitsoutstrip not a necessary complement of collective bargaining is them bysomething like twenty per cent. It is impos- sible,after this, to grant the Labour andLiberal and “collective contracting.” “ Letthe unions,” said this writer, “both of employers and employed, make them- ToryParties’ contention that in the end things will selvesreciprocally liable for breach of contract. ... work out all rightfor Labour. Labourhas already Trade unions could contract interse ora trade union fallen behindunder therules of Social Reform ; and could contract withsome individual or corporation of shows every sign ,of falling behind still further. Either, undoubtedfinancial stability ; such as a great (railway therefore, some new policy is necessary, or both sections company.’’ Ourreaders will see,even if the “Times” of the nation must see themselves drifting further and further apart into more and more mutuallyhostile camps. shouldfail to see, the bearing of this‘observation on *** ourrecent propaganda. It is by nomeans the only We sawlast week the attempt made by the City symptom we have observed this week of the growth of Editor of the “Daily Citizen” to dispute the definition theidea .of atrade union as a collective entity-as in of wages as the price paid for labour as a commodity. fact, a responsible monopoly of skilled labourand a No more,we think, will be heard of him. Mr.Philip principal in industry ; but its appearance in large type in Wicksteed, however, has now entered the ring with an the “Times” is interesting. *** argument more sentimental than economic. Addressing, as president, the economic section of the British Asso- The “Times” remarks, however, that the new move- ciation ,on Thursday, Mr. Wicksteed urged that ment of trade unionism in this direction is ‘‘unfortified psychology was at the root of economics, the laws of by anyreal knowledge of economics.” Butthat is which could notbe understood or liberally enough simple assertion unfortified by anyargument. It is interpreted save by reference to the human mind. We clear that the movement depends upon the definition of quiteagree with Mr. Wicksteedthat psychologypre- wages; and we are quite prepared to defend, when it is cedes economic, an,d, indeed, most other so-called laws attacked, the definition upon which our (case rests. That of science; but the matter really cannot be allowed to wagesunder the wage system are the price paid for endthere. Ruskin, it will beremembered, entangled labour as a commodity an,d are fixed by thecost of himself in! a trinity of ethics, aesthetics, and economics, production, that is, by the average subsistence cost o,f withthe result that nobody cannow say what his theproletariat, are propositions simple enoughto be opinion wason any of thethree ,subjects. Aristotle, easilyrefuted if they are wrong. And fromthese pro- likewise, as we mul,d easily show, nevercleared his positions follow all the deductions we have made with economic mind of psychologicalclouds; andPlato the beginnings, atany rate, ofrevolutionary effect : deliberately did not. The pointis whether we are to that legislation cannot raise wages ; that amelioration is plungethe subject of economicsback intothe gloom impossible; that no taxation, whether of land valuest or of psychology, metaphysics, ethics,and aesthetics, or capital values, can permanently enlarge the real income to continue to discuss it in the clear cold light in which Qf the working classes ; that economic action, by which PFofessor Pigou, for example,has recentlyleft it. If 586 Mr. Wicksteedhas any psychological lightto throw Wse said that Mr. Murphyhad more sense than all upon the subject, or can invalidate by psychology any thle Labour leaders put together. About him there was of th,eformulated “laws” of economics,we, atany no indecision; nor had he failed, as a good strategist, rate, should be glad to listen to him. But his address to reckonthe enemy’s as wlell as hisown strength. last week was less an appeal t’o reason than an appeal Addressing thce Dublin Chamber of Commerce onthe to the gallery. The amount of wages, he said in effect, occasion of its quarterly meeting, the chief business of was not fixed by thse subsistence cost of the proletariat, which was to congratulate him on his campaign, MI- but by the value put by the buyers of labour upon it; Murphy said : The question is not onle of wages with in other words,its pricedepended upon sentiment. us, but of Larkin. Is Larkingoing to manage our This,we reply,is not only untrue in fact,since men businesses or are we? I saw that Larkin was the enemy payusually only what tbey must; but it is impossible and I laid my plansto put an end to him. I think I even as an ideal, since, at the best, men can only pay havedone it. Employers are moreafraid of a threat what they can. Sentimentmight conceivablylead us of a strike than they are of the strike itself. So I made to wish to pay more than the market rate for labour; up my mind tocounteract the threat by a lock-out. but sentiment would not enable us to payit while a During a strike thIe employer can generally manage to single competitor ‘chose to pay the market rat-e and nmo get his three meals a day, whereas thre workman has no more--and could find labourerson those terms ! resource in ninety-nine casesout of a hundred. Con- Psychology or no psychology,the outstanding fact of sequently, th,ere were so many people seeking employ- thesituation is that some labourers at least are com- mentthat they would takeany risk to get it. The pelled to sell their labour for subsistence. But if some, difficulty of teaching the men this is extraordinary. then all. We agree with Mr. Murphy that the difficulty is extra- *** ordinary.That leaders should plunge or be plunged into a strike with half their army potentially blacklegs Thje remedy, we therefore say, isnot to wish that at the end o’f the first twenty-four hours,is culpable; employers would b,e social-minded enough to pay more butthat they sh’ould notdevote all theirenergy to wagesthan they need, butto inspire theproletariat creating a monopoly and providing commissariat for a with the desire toget all that theycan take. In one strikeis criminal. Mfr. Murphy,it is obvious, could sense, at anyrate, we agree withMr. J. A. Hobson nothave won if eitherhis fellow-employers were not thatthe yield of wages,like the yield sf rentand with h.im, or if he could not count on an armyof black- interest,is dependent upon th*e “pull”enacted by the legs. The former condition he can alwayshave; but wholeclass. Theclasses of rentand interest are, we the latter is in the hands of trade unionists. Un,til they know, tacitly or formally organised as onle man; so too, forswearParliament, offices, magistracies,and such almost,is the class (of profits. Labour,however, Is like gew-gaws for their leaders, and settle to the busi- still without a monopoly of itstitle to the product ness of making the unions blackleg-proof, their strength -namely, itslabour; and, in consequence, receives, will never be .equal to that of any Murphy in! the world.