138 POLITICAL ECONOMY 



would benefit by the proposed plan, which is nothing more than 

 a contrivance for letting them see the course of the market and 

 ascertain tentatively the true market rate. It affords new and 

 better machinery for ascertaining the market rate than exists 

 now and it gives time for the process. Neither party would, 

 by adopting the time-labour system, gain the smallest advantage 

 over the other ; a fact which may, for some time, prevent it 

 from finding an advocate. 



The writer is however not without hope that it may ulti- 

 mately find its way into use, inasmuch as it may be adopted 

 gradually and tentatively, being worked by the side of the 

 existing plan. A single master in any trade might put up a 

 poster stating that he was willing to engage men on the terms 

 suggested. 



Here is such a notice. 



' A. B. is prepared to engage competent fitters for a term 

 of six months from the date of engagement at the rate of 35s. 

 per week of 54 hours. Each man engaged will be liable to 

 dismissal as if engaged as hitherto week by week, but A. B. 

 undertakes to receive as substitute any competent workmen at 

 the same wages for the unexpired period of the engagement. 

 Each man engaged will be at liberty to throw up his employ- 

 ment as if engaged week by week, but only on condition of 

 finding a competent substitute willing to work during the 

 unexpired period of the engagement at the same wages.' 



Similarly any trade-union might offer to adopt the plan as a 

 mode of terminating a strike. Their offer might run as follows : 

 ' The strike shall be at an end if 500 hands are given work at 

 35s. per week of 54 hours. Of these 500 hands, not less than 

 100 shall be engaged for one year, not more than 100 shall be 

 engaged for six months and the rest shall be engaged for inter- 

 mediate periods to suit the convenience of both parties; the 

 employer shall be at liberty to dismiss any hand so engaged 

 on condition of receiving an efficient substitute from the union 

 at the same wages for the unexpired period of his engagement. 

 Similarly any hand shall be at liberty to quit his employment 

 on finding a substitute.' 



There are numerous questions connected with wages which 

 have not been alluded to in the course of this article. The most 



