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Abstract

The question—the very serious and practical question raised
in Mr. Johnston's late interesting paper is this—Can the
toiling masses really improve their condition by these incessant
and unhappy Strikes, or are they only beating their hands
against the iron bars of inexorable Economic Law?
For instance, the question is not whether
if all nominal incomes were raised real incomes would be raised
too, and that if everybody had twice as many shillings, other
things being unaltered, everybody would be twice as well off.
Briefly summarised, the proposition placed before us in Mr.
Johnston's paper is that strikes, if carried out on any extended
scale, must fail, because a mere increase of nominal wages,
unaccompanied by any increase in production, cannot really
improve the condition of the masses. The aim of this paper is
to show that it can.
In all industries increased wages will signify
increased price of goods. But these goods again are of two kinds, those which the
masses consume, and those which they do not.
The question before us is
simply whether strikes when they are successful can really
improve the labourer's position. I have tried to show that they
can. It is for the present company to decide for themselves
Whether I have succeeded.

Item Type:	Article
Authors/Creators:	Ogilvy, AJ
Keywords:	Royal Society of Tasmania, Van Diemens Land, VDL, Hobart Town, natural sciences, proceedings, records
Journal or Publication Title:	Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania
ISSN:	0080-4703
Collections:	Royal Society Collection > Papers & Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania
Additional Information:	In 1843 the Horticultural and Botanical Society of Van Diemen's Land was founded and became the Royal Society of Van Diemen's Land for Horticulture, Botany, and the Advancement of Science in 1844. In 1855 its name changed to Royal Society of Tasmania for Horticulture, Botany, and the Advancement of Science. In 1911 the name was shortened to Royal Society of Tasmania.
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