TRANSACTIONS OP SECTION F. 



459 



labour,' 'standard of living,' 'bargain,' to recall here only some of them. In 

 the author's opinion, they are all the outgrowth of a most precarious method of 

 scientific theorising, namely, the generalisation of concordances that are merely 

 likely to appear — for instance, when labour becomes more productive, there is no 

 direct connection between this fact and a rise of wages; the opposite frequently 

 happens, namely through the universal practice of ' nibbling ' of piece-work 

 prices. 



The author claimed that the only way to build up a well-founded theory of 

 wages-variations is to investigate, in the reality of social life, the process of 

 such variations — that is, to observe accurately, both from the side of the em- 

 ployers and employees, what are the circumstances that initiate a rise or a decline 

 of wages. Mere statistics furnish no indications : they only record what has hap- 

 pened, not Jiow it happened, while psychological and sociological analysis of the 

 position of bargainers reveals various elements that immediately influence wages. 

 The author undertook some years ago investigations in this direction, and he has 

 already collected a large amount of facts, giving rise to conclusions of which he 

 mentioned some only as instances : — 



1. The process of variation is quite different according as the work is piece- 

 rated or time-rated. 



2. There is a special chance for rise when the places of employment are 

 numerous. 



3. The more the rates of wages are differentiated in the same trade and place 

 of employment, the more wages are liable to rise by means of a kind of social 

 ' leading-on.' 



4. The process of variation is thoroughly changed when both bargainers (or 

 one of them) are organised. 



5. The degree of knowledge of the economic conditions of their industry 

 among working-men affects the process of variation. 



6. The process of variation depends as much on the psychological standard of 

 working-men as on their material standard of living. 



FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1. 



1. Wages and the Mobility of Labour. By Professor A. L. Bowley, M.A. 



The effect of removing obstacles to the movement of workmen from one place 

 to another was first analysed under hypothetical conditions summarised in the 

 following table : — 



