Co-operative Societies. Co-partner* hi /> .V> 



wages he earned during the previous year. This scheme 

 worked with great success, and gave a stimulus to the 

 workmen, who felt that it was to their own interest 

 that they should be industrious, efficient miners. 



If co-partnership were generally adopted, strikes 

 would be avoided and loss of money prevented. The 

 workmen would no longer look on their employers as 

 enemies, but would ' give their best energies, feeling 

 sure that they themselves would be directly benefited 

 by their own labour. 



11. CAPITAL AND LABOUR. WORK 

 AND WAGES 



The President of the British Association told its 

 members in 1915 that "the duty to work, the right to 

 live, and the leisure to think are the three prime 

 necessities of our existence, and when one of them fails 

 we only live an incomplete life." Now he might have 

 added to the first of these prime necessities that the 

 duty to work implies a reward for labour, in other 

 words, that wages are paid because work is done. 

 This was stated long ago by St Paul in his memorable 

 words, "The labourer is worthy of his hire." 



This chapter will deal briefly with work and wages, 

 and the relations between capital and labour. We all 

 know that the greater number of men and women have 

 to work for their living, and the wages given for this 

 work vary very much, according to the time, the 

 place, and other circumstances. But all kinds of work 

 and all rates of wages are controlled by certain laws 

 which never change. 



