MASTERS OR WORKMEN.

255

vantageous to the men. But, unfortunately, thisis not always the case; and the temptation to themaster, in times of depression, to reduce in effect thewages which he pays (by increasing the price ofarticles at his shop), without altering the nominalrate of payment, is frequently too great to be with-stood. If the object be solely to procure for hisworkmen better articles, it would be more effectuallyaccomplished by supplying a small capital, at a mo-derate rate of interest, and allowing the details ofthe shop to be conducted by a committee of work-men, in conjunction with his own agent, and allowingthe books of the shop to be audited monthly by themen.

(289.) Wherever the workmen are paid in goods,or are compelled to purchase at the master’s shop,the evils are very great; much injustice is done to themen, and much misery results from it. Whatever mayhave been the intentions of the master in such acase, the real effect is, to deceive the workman as tothe amount he receives in exchange for his labour.Xow, the principles on which the happiness of thatclass of society depends, are sufficiently difficult tobe thoroughly understood, even by those who areblessed with far better opportunities of investigatingthem: and the importance of being acquainted withthose which relate to themselves, is of more vitalconsequence to the workmen, than to many otherclasses. It is therefore highly desirable to assistthem in comprehending those principles, by ren-dering all the relations in which they stand to eachother, and to their employers, as simple as pos-sible. Workmen should be paid entirely in money; —