TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION F. 709 



ae it appears to be at first sight, since the determination of profits, with any degree 

 of exactness, in most industries is impossible. However, in some industries, such 

 as coal-mining, iron-smelting, and cotton-spinning, the movements in the prices 

 of some few commodities may be taken as a rule to indicate the movements in 

 profits. For instance, in the cotton industry ' margins ' are taken to vary as 

 normal profits, and by ' margins ' are meant the difierences between the market 

 prices of raw cotton and of yarns. It can be taken that in some industries the 

 determination of normal profits may be made usually with sufficient ease and 

 accuracy for practical purposes. Even in these cases, however, the question of 

 the regulation of wages is not settled, for it has further to be decided (1), whether 

 wages shall vary directly, and at the same rate, as normal profits, and (2), how 

 frequently a movement shall take place, i.e., over how long a period the normal 

 profits shall be reckoned. Arbitration seems to imply that the rate at which 

 wages and profits shall be made to vary together can be fixed for all time or a 

 long period of time ; and the objection has consequently been made to arbitration 

 that when it is admitted fully into an industry the employt^s are prevented from 

 rising above a certain position. Such dislike to arbitration as exists, is largely 

 grounded on the desire to render possible at any time resettlements of the rates 

 between profits and wages. But it is not yet clearly perceived as a rule, that 

 many strikes might be avoided by an appeal to arbitration for the settlement of 

 matters of fact and calculation, after the fundamental principle upon which the 

 readjustment of wages was to be made had been accepted by both parties. 

 Again, no little difficulty has been caused by the fact that the question of the 

 intervals between readjustments of wages has never been exhaustively discussed. 

 The advocates of slid'ing-scales — which have also met with the same criticism 

 as arbitration — have frequently assumed that the 'sliding' should be ideally 

 continuous, so that wages and profits might feel alike the ' ups and downs ' of the 

 industry. To such an arrangement, however, and to any arrangement closely 

 approximating to it, the gravett objections can be found, at any rate at the present 

 time. It is obvious that the method of regulating wages must be diftVrent under 

 different industrial forms. 



6. Some Urgent Needs of a Great City. By Miss L. A. Walkington. 



The paper refers to the city of Belfast, and five urgent needs are pointed out. 

 (1) Homes for the dyin(/. — These are required for refined, educated, poor gentlemen 

 and ladies, such as tutors and governesses, who for various causes cannot be nursed 

 by friends. Their essentials are privacy and rapid admission on proper recom- 

 mendation, without the delay of election. (2) Open spaces for children's play- 

 £/rou?ids.— Great danger and inconvenience are caused by children, who have no 

 proper playground provided for them, playing in the streets. Playgrounds should 

 be provided, one in each crowded locality, not necessarily large or elaborately got 

 up, but with benches, shelters, sand, and trees. The resulting benefits would be 

 found in improved health and happiness of the children and comfort of pedestrians. 

 <3) Libraries in raised type for the blind.— Am outline of the history of raised-type 

 books is given. They are of great benefit, and free libraries containing them are 

 needed. (4) Clubs for working yirls.—These should have suitable eating and 

 sleeping accommodation, and are needed in working districts tor mill and factory 

 workers, who are exposed to danger when lodging in private houses. They 

 should be near the girls' work, cheap, attractive, and run on business principles. 

 (5) Homes for inebriates. — There is only one such home in Ireland, that for 

 inebriate women in Belfast. More are needed, and further legislation is required. 



7. The Increase in Consumption in Ireland. By Robert Brown. 



The author drew attention to the following statistics of consumption, a 

 disease which is accountable for nearly one sixth of all the deaths in Ireland 

 and about one half of all deaths between the ages of fifteen and thirty-five. 



