l6o UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO STUDIES 



the traffic will bear. They are in all probability fixed by the opinion of 

 the public as to how much such a man should be paid. Public opinion 

 is thus a great factor in determining what a fair wage shall be. 



While this is true of certain classes of the population, it is the case 

 with but a small number of the entire laboring class. It is therefore to 

 the interest of all classes to make their influence felt to as great an extent 

 as possible in the formation of public opinion. If this can be done they 

 will be able to rely on public sentiment to assist them in determining 

 in the distribution of products what their share shall be. This is the 

 principle of social philosophy that is behind the organization of the wage- 

 earning class. They, least of all classes, have as yet had the assistance 

 of public opinion in fixing the amount of wages they shall receive. They 

 know that organization will further the growth of this class feeling which 

 will make itself felt. When a definite public opinion has settled upon 

 what a wage-worker should receive, the number of strikes will very 

 likely tend to diminish. The workers will then be content to take the 

 wage that the public have determined is fair and just, as is the case with 

 the doctors, or they will go into some other employment where the pros- 

 pect of higher wages is better. 



MOVEMENT FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF EMPLOYERS 



Recent success in the efforts of the unionists in increasing their num- 

 bers, and still more in their disturbance of industry by strikes, has led 

 to the formation of organizations of employers in various parts of the 

 United States. These organizations have been formed largely as a 

 means of self-defense, and also in part, perhaps, to convince the public 

 that in many lines of industry the limit of high wages has almost been 

 reached. At least this is the contention of the employers. Experience 

 has also taught the employers that standing alone one employer is hardly 

 equal to the task of keeping up a winning fight against the odds that the 

 unions are able to wage against him. It was seen that the weaker firms 

 were being crowded to the wall. The result has been a union of employ- 

 ers so that their combined strength may serve as a bulwark to withstand 

 the attacks of the labor unions. The movement for the organization of 

 employers is new. The idea is said to have been originated by Mr. 



