, 1865-04-20
The Labor Market.

Will the price Of labor come down: Ihat
is the question that enters most larSaty lnto
the engagements and preparations iof tutura
bustuess The advance Of wages went ap,
not alone upon the demand for increased ser
vices in the several departments OF labor,
but u,ainly because laborers we're taken from
their respective pursuits to the battle Held
by hundreds Of Thousands, the consnRptiou
of ali the various products OF labor steaa1ly
going on ~ largely az ever. mus Vas useo
IN ali current production and all tue accu-
mulated stock On hand at the Commences
ment Of the war.
A very general selfdenial in the Way Of
consumption has been observed, and in this
way we now approach the end OF the war,
and the time of the return Of our thousands
Of soldiers to their usual avocations. In
many branches Of industry there Will hence
forth be q lessened demand, and particular
manufactures, recently most Inquired for,
will be given up altogether.
There MIL necessarily be change In the
! employment Of many manufacturing estso-
! lishments, OF they viii be discontinued This
! will create more competition in the ranks OF
labor, the natural consclusnca Of which Is a
/ teduction in The price. The tendency Of the
! labor market Is maniEest;J to lower figures,
| and the engagements row being enteIao
| future delivery are also at lower prices,
based, to considerable extent, on reduc-
| tiou In W2geS.
We have heard of contracts entered into
within the last few daysfor tho manufacture
and delivery Of iron at u future day, at fully
two dollars per ton below the present actual
cost Of making it. This contemplates not
| opiy fall In the wages Of the labor In and
| abcut the iron works, but also In Aimilar
reduction at the iron and coal mines, and IN
| the transportation charges On our canals,
By the greater supply Of boats, which WI
aud for tro OF three years past, IN the SER
vice Of the Government.
The same Is true Of the railways. RELEASED
from the heavy tonnage required OF them oy
the Government, they will have an abund-
ance Of cars, With motive power, for the or.
dina1y business Of their respective lines, thus
bringing back the usual competition, aud
consequently lower charges. But these
changes will be comparatively slow
The soldiers will be mustered ont gradually,
even when peace Is declared, and the use q
our canals ard railways viii az gradually tal
back to legitimate traffic. The indication!
all point, ultimately, to low wages, for tht
reasons stated, and the reduction in prices 9
the necessaries Of life, already commenced
By fall in groceries, and almost ~ man9fae
lures, The sooner proper point Is reached
the sooner will business actively revive.
The longer the time IL delayed IN rsachin
the lowest point warranted, By changed Gu
cumstances, the longer will active trade
| deferred, for the reason that the producers
. coal, Iron, manufactured goods, &c., will nj
care to proceed much beyond the daily wan
, | to carry stock into the future when It ms
be more cheaply produced, and afforded
lower prices It IS true, there IL = counte
: yaIlipE cause for any decline in stock price
/ and to some extent fall in prices Of ever
thing measured by cheapcned currency.