The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-07-06

WAGES ON THE RIsE.-The average wages
Of agricultural laborers in England, last year,
were forty cents day. The wages of Jour
neyman carpenters now, in Waterford, Ireland
are eghty-ihree cents day.
In Central India the wages Of field -laborer
are now six cents day, he finding his own
food women receive Al cents and boys cents
House servants are better paid, as they are
obliged to wear rather better clothes
Thirty years age, field hand cost his owner
in the Southern States, less than a dollar a
week, interest on his price and cost of keep
now the cost is twice as much.
In 1921, average wages at Lowell, Massa-
chusetts, in the factories, for females, 33 cents
day for males, eighty cents, clear of board
or So cents day for females, and 81 l2 fol
males, without board. The wages in IS4C
were precisely the same there.
The wages of labor at Greenwich Hospital
England, were, for carpenters, brcklayers and
masons, doubled from A. d. 1875 to 1928, from
Is cd. to 5s, per day.
The weekly wages of husbandry labor in En-.
gland, in 100, were equal to the price of fifty
four pnts of wheat ; in 1890, to eighty-twn
pnts in 1882 to ninety Pints. (Sixty-foul
pints make bushel)
From William Penn's cash book it appears
that in l699, it required LIT days of unsklled
|
cents day. In 1884 such laborer at Phla
delpha could earn tun of -four in 70 days
cash wages rs cents day. Flour was at the
former period, $45 "a at the latter $50 SO pei
tun.
Thus in 1872 years in England, the wages o.
unskilled labor had nearly doubled, when esti.
mated in wheat. In cash they had quite doub.
led, and in nearly all other commodities they
had many times multiplied their nominal value
Even in the year 1878 cottager's $ Sunday ha
cost 90 shillngs nov shilings a shirt los
3D., now 3s.; calico, Is Cd, now Cd, brown
sugar, 10d., now i'd. In IA years, from 1915
to Cd In these years the price of cloth dimin-
ished 81 per cent, wages :emiining in money
price the same. But what is more remarkable
the money price of all the British and lrisl
products and manufacturers exported from En-
gland, had fallen in these ii years full 40 pc
cent. The reduction continued steadily till ir
1850 SAL 63 would purchase as much of all the
articles which make up tn, multiform exports
Of Great Britain, as 1874 would have purchased
80 years before. The money wages remaining
the same, the real wages had more than doub
led in 80 years in perhaps rything but whea
and house-rent.
Tho wages Of women in the United State.
measured in the same way have trebled since
the year l5l5-the period ofthe general intro
ductlon OF machinery INTO manufactures.
The wages ofhusbandry in France have il
like manner trebled in 1870 years. While the
process of doubling the wages Of labor il
England, the population rose 10 fourteen mil
lions.
The facts of political economy must have
another and fairer hearing than the old schoo
authorities could give them. Increase OF pop
ulation and the unlimited multiplication of pro-
ducts by the use Of machinery do not depres
wages but on the contrary the improvement
of the condition of the iaborer everywhere keep
even pace with all such increase
The laws which govern society are bette
than the disciples Of the dismal science imag
inc. Life is not necessarily battle, nor is hu
manity failure. We have, indeed, grea
deal to learn, but we have as much to hope fol
which will come in the fullness of time. Tn
present good Of this faith is that we can than
| God and take courage.