industrial peace. The wage system
should be so designed as to make it clear that the wage is a share in
the industry's earnings which is to advance as these earnings advance. A
"regulated slide of wages rising with the prosperity of the industry as
a whole" would help to secure this without friction. Methods of
industrial remuneration giving an assurance of thus sharing the benefit
of increased or more economical production are required. A valuable work
on such methods, which are already very various, was published by the
late Mr. David Schloss many years ago. New methods will, no doubt, be
found. The problem, however, is one for judicial treatment by those who
have devoted special study to it.

The methods already tried include the more general adoption of
piece-wage, progressive wage arranged in various ways giving a fixed
rate for the hours worked plus an additional sum proportionate to the
excess of output over a fixed standard, collective piece-work, contract
work, co-operative work, sub-contract, profit-sharing in various forms
including special bonus, product-sharing, and industrial co-operation.

Each method should be considered on its merits, in the light of the
experience already gained, and having regard to its applicability to
each class of industry. The aim and the principles which must guide
endeavours to achieve it are clearly stated by Mr. Schloss:

"But while a reduction of hours of labour, say to eight hours in the
day, may readily be admitted to be on grounds both economic or social
highly desirable, yet it is no less desirable that during those eight
hours every working man in the country shall use his best available
tools and machinery, and, performing as much labour as he can perform
without exerting himself to an extent prejudicial to his health or
inconsistent with his reasonable comfort, produce an output as large as
possible. In the interest of the people as a whole it is expedient that
the remuneration of the labour of the industrial classes shall be
increased, and since this remuneration is paid out of the national
income, it is a matter of great importance not only that the working
classes shall succeed in obtaining for themselves a far ampler share in
the national income than they at present receive, but also that the
productive powers of the working classes shall be exercised in a manner
calculated to secure that this income shall be of the largest possible
dimensions."

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