﻿SET OF PRICE 
 
The I. W. W. is International all right — that is it bars no nationality “on the job,” and does its best by not ReCog NIZinG any nationality. (Work isn’t a language.) 

It is “international,” if you want it, but that is not why it is persecuted. It is assaulted because it is INTENTIONAL— Gracious! A sort of a Deliberate affair. 
It means business. 

The advantages of being a parasite are unquestionable and questionable— manifest and manifold. 

An employer of labor is in a favored position. On one hand, he sets the price “on labor power;” on the other hand he sets the price on “labor products.” It would seem he is the center around which everything revolves. (Supply and demand noted). On one hand he says “you’ll work for $4,” (ever hear it?) on the other hand he says, “pay me $375.00 F. O B Milwaukee.” (Ever hear it?) He orders things around in a very high-handed manner (under our constitution) . Dictatorial powers thus vested, in the person of an employer of labor, is not a manifestation of the muchly lauded Competitive System. (The constitution, by the way, was framed to fit the erstwhile competitive system.) 

There is no competition there! On one hand he stops labor, with an autocratic price set; on the other hand he stops consumer with an autocratic price set— where’s the competition? Where does he compete? 
Isn’t he a party to this “system?” 

Listen, LABOR, would not it be nice if we had the say so both ways—on one hand we could say, “Twelve bucks Mr. Boss;” on the oher hand, “Two-bits, Mr. Merchant—wrap it up and sent it up to the house”—if we had the full sayso (two ways) and if our say o would be as final as the employer’s is today. 
Recall: Employer stands between Labor and Consumer, and dictates to both today 
Recall: Labor stands between Merchant and Employer, and takes dictation from both, today. 
Recall: We can have “this sayso” if we organize a one big union — perfectly legal too (I cite the eminent success employers are having in this) but please recall: It is easier to jump the wages (prices of our commodity) than to take the curse from “The Necessities.” 

“How’s wheat quoted,” inquired the farmer at the elevator.— The elevator cannot possibly know the farmer’s expenses, the farmer might as well ask his pet pig how much axle grease it takes to haul 70 bushels of wild oats 12 miles (without mud guards) over graft graded hi-ways.— I wonder what makes these two birds so polite? Doesn’t either keep books? Don’t they know their own expenses? Only the other day I caught myself asking a farmer, “What shall I charge you for my services?” 
Can you imagine that!—”Fifty cents an hour,” he said. Can you imagine that!— I’m losing money every hour. Fifty cents an hour doesn’t begin to pay me for the tons of high grade foot! I have consumed raising muscles like iron — at that rate I’ll die of old age before I get back what I’ve spent. Can you imagine! 
— But I’m digressing: 
That was the competitive system. Alass, it is no more. 
In the industries the employer autocratically sets the price on labor power and on labor products. He dictates two ways. He has repudiated competition and, like all autocrats, is riding to a fall — workers will organize and show him where to “unload.” 
They will organize an l set a price on the energy they sell. Gasoline will have nothing on Labor after this.