PROBLEMS OF DISTRIBUTION 231 
can secure for the members of the strong 
trade union a larger remuneration than is 
enjoyed by people of equal capacity in other 
trades. By their strong organisation the 
parties in question place themselves in the 
position of monopolists ; and the monopolist, 
whether he be selling labour or commodities, 
is able to get more than normal earnings, 
as we have already learnt. As a rule, how 
ever, it would be necessary for the monopolist 
trade union to restrict its membership, as it 
could not hope to place an indefinite number 
of people in employment at an abnormally 
high wage, and, if they were not debarred, 
multitudes of people would flock into the 
calling in which earnings became exceptionally 
high. 
We may inquire next whether larger 
wages can be secured by the working 
classes through trade union effort on the 
assumption that all workpeople are combined 
with equal strength. They certainly can if it 
is a fact that social friction is strong and 
that social friction ordinarily works to the 
detriment of the wage-earner, as it is 
alleged that it does. Combination on the 
part of labour might at least be sufficient 
to counteract the effects of this social friction, 
so that wages rose more rapidly and higher on