Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-10-22
BUCHANAN AND Low WAGES.

BUCHANAN AND Low WAGES.
On the 22nd January 1910, Mr.. Buchanan
made speech in the United States Senate,
(vide Congressional Globe, for Jan. 1910, PIP.
1906, or Niles Register vols. 67 and 6S,) in
which the following passages occur -
SIN Germany, where the currency is purely
metallic, and the cost of everything is REDUc-
ED to hard money standard, a piece OF broad
cloth can be manufactured for fifty dollars the
manufacture OF which, in our country from the
expansion of paper currency would cost one
hundred dollars. What is the consequence /?
The foreign French and German manufacturer
imports this cloth into our country and sells it
for a hundred. Does not every person per-
ccive that the redundancy of our currency is
equal to premium of one hundred per cent.
in favor of the manufacturer.
''NO tariff of protection, unless ii amounted
to prohibition, could counteract these advan-
tages in favor Of foreign manufactures. |
would to heaven that could arouse the atten-
tion of every manufacturer OF the nation to
this important subject.
''What is the reason that, with all these ad-
vantageS and with the protective duties which
our laws afford to the domestic manufacture of
cotton, we cannot obtain exclusive possession
Of the home market, and successfully contend
for the markets Of the world 1t is simply
because we manufacture at the nominal prices
Of our own inflated currency, and are compel
led to sell at the real prices Of other nations.
REDUCE OUR NOMINAL TO THE REAL STANDARD OF
PRICES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, AND YOU COW
Err OUR COUNTRY WITH BLESSINGS AND BENEFITS.
'.The comparative Low PRICES of France
and Germany have afforded such a Stimulous
TO their manufactures that they are now rapid
ly extending themselves, and would obtain
possession, in no small degree, even of the
English home market, IF IT WERE NOT PoR
THEIR PROTECTIVE DUTIES. While British man
uiactures are now languishing, those of the
continent are springing into healthy and
AigorouS existence"
Having thus given Dir. Buchanan's own
smooth and polished language, let us see what
is the meaning of it in plain English, when he
says ':reduce our nominal standard of prices
throughout the whole world, and you cover
the country with blessings and beneits.''-
Now, what did Mr.. Buchanan mean by this
language, if he meant anything, but that our
standard of prices should be reduced to that
of the hard money currency of Europe And
what is the European standard then, to which
he desired our own to be reduced? Accord
ing 10 the best authorities on that subject.
Porter's Progress and Wade's History of the
Middle and Working Glasses, two recent pub
lication's, containing statistics collected by
the British Government, the standard of pri-
ces for labor in Europe, is as follows =
Wages in France.-Calais common iaborers
I'D, per day, with board, and without dwell
ling, Boulogne, sd. per day, do. do Nantes.
3d. per day, with put board and without dwell
ling; Marseilles. 4d. to I'd. per day with board
and without dwelling. The food in some dis
tricts ''consists in rye bread, soup made of
milet, cakes made of Indian corn, nor and
then some salt provisions and vegetables, rare
ly, if ever, butchers meat In others, ,sswheat-
On bread, soup made with vegetables, and
little grease or lard twice a-day, potatoes, or
other vegetables, but seldom butcher's meat
SiCedea.-.'The daily wages of skilled ag-
riculturist are I'd. or Sd; while the unstilled
obtain 10 more than Sd. or Id. and board
themselves. Agriculturists in the southern
provinces live upon salt fish and potatoes; in
the northern provinces, porridge and rye bread
form their food
Bararia. are paid at the rate of
Sd. per day, in the country without board.
Betgium.-''A skilled artizan may earn, in
Summer, Is. 2. to Is. 3d.; in Winter from
lOd. to Is ID; unskiiled, half as much with
out board; live npon rye bread, potatoes, and
milk" Agricultural laborers have less
Germany -''Dantzig, laborers, 4Id. to I'd.
Si N"g "It'4Out huDiDurg. su. per
day, without board Holstein, I'd. per day.
W .thout board.''
Netherlands. s.-South Holland laborers. Sd.
to 4d. per day, with board North Holland,
20d. per day, without board Antwerp sd. per
day, do; West Flanders, 96s, to lois per
per year, with boards
HGly.-:sTreste laborers. I'D. per dav with
out board do. Sd. per day, with board Istria
Sd. to lOd. per day, without board do. 4d. to
sd. per day, with board Lombardy, id. to Sd
day, do; Genoa, sd. to Sd. per day, do, and
without lodgings; Tuscany, Cd. per day with
out either.'
Saroay.-'sIn 1887 man employed in his
own loom working very diligently from Mon
day morning TO Saturday night, from 5 O'Clock
in the morning until dusk. and even at times
with lamp, his wife assisting him in finishing
and taking him the work, could not possibly
earn more than 20 groschen (about 60 cents) |
per week. Nor could one who had children
aged II years and upwards, all working at the
loom as well as HIMSELF with his wife employ
ed doing up the work, earn in the whole more
than 81 weekly"
These are facts which speak for themselves. |
This is the doctrine of James Buchanan. in
1910. Ten cents ia about the average stand |
ard of European labor. And it is to this |
standard he wished ours to be reduced. How
do you like it, We honest laboring men OF
Pennsylvania