The Portland daily press., 1871-12-14

ture of Hon. David A Wells, in the Mercantile
Library course last evening, was one ot the
most instructive and interesting of the winter
at least to politicians and practical business
minds The audience was quite small, owing,
doubtless, to the storm. The subject was an
nounced as Some of the Conditions under which
we Get Living. He first remarked that the
necessity of earning living by labor has been
felt by men of all ages. The conditions are va
ried and governed by artificial circumstances;
but nature is impartial and under like circum-
stances, makes a like return. To discover the
nature and cause of inequalities, we must go
back to the consideration of natural forces The
first condition is to carry over productions from
seasons of plenty to seasons of scarcity; and
man rises above the animals only as he tempts
nature to produce; and herein is the secret of
our advanced civilization-that by our knowl-
edge of forces we apply them to the work of
production The force of the consumption of
coal produces to the world the equivalent of the
labor of millions of hands; and we know not
to what we may yet arrive at in this direction.
Another condition is the means of distribution
of the produced wealth of the world. Within
the past ten years we have gained $4,000 miles
of railroad; great agent in distribution
Another feature of onr civilization is the awak-
ening of society to more proper distribution
of the fruits of labon This was formerly done
by might; now it is by the superiority of intel
lect and application Out of this later feature
comes schools, churches, hospitals and means of
education out of the former strikes, combina-
tons and communism. In the time of Henry
VIII, 72,o0o thieves were hung; but society
now finds it cheaper to educate men. The av-
erage cost of bringing boy up to the age Of 16,
If we add the interest to our expenditure, is at
least $1,000. If man fails to earn his own liv-
ing he taxes the community, and there is no in
crease of production. If he becomes a criminal
the tax on community is much greater. Socie-
ty has also discovered that larger life is neces-
sary; and this requires greater leisure for Guilt
walton and partial relief from toll; and inves-
tigation here developes the fact that the laws
which govern production and distribution Of
wealth are not antagonistic.
The natural demand therefore is that there
shall be greater production and a greater econo-
my in the distribution and use; or greater in
crease of accumulated wealth after deductine
what is necessary for the support of the laborer.
The slow growth Of accumulation was illustra-
ted by statistics. In America, after $50 years
Of labor we have accumulated one-third as
much as Great Britain did in 800 years. If we
should stop producing three years would be
more than enough to starve ont three-fourths Of
our population, and the remaining quarter
would be reduced to a state of standardization
The duration of capital is scarcely up to the
life of an individual. Natural force is oul
enemy; if left to itself it will tear down; i
properly guided it produces. The speaker theI
proceeded to discuss the forcible division o
wealth by legal enaotments which is the prac
teal demand of modern Labor Reformers.
the whole annual accumulation of the countr
was equally divided it would give each indivi
dual but S175; but left to itself accumulation
divided by intelligence. 1t is the right of ever
man to get the best price for his labor, but
in his efforts for compensation he check
production he does it at his peril. 1
the old world the natural forces are fully g
work or are exhausted. The only remedy fo
this state of things is emigration to countr
where not q tenth part OF this power
used. When there are two to sell and one
buy the buyer fixes his price; when there al
two to buy and one to sell the seller has the az
vantage. One of the great errors OF our systei
IS the failure to secure the maximum OF pr
duction. One of the greatest causes of failul
is placing the SUPPLEMENTARY of mechanics
industries in the hands of men without pract
cal education, making capital stand for brain
England surpasses us in manufactures becaus
manufacturing corporations with large and e,
pepsive boards of officers at a distance from, III
factories and the practical details Of b,s;ro,
in the hands of men who have no pecun;ar,, :,
terest in them are unknown. In England if ~
name of "John Smith & Son, cotton spnnerv
is placed on large factory, that sign mea,
what it says and John Smith and his sons a
practical men and have no time to run polite
caucuses and railroads. Another error is Il
practical abrogation of a thorough apprenti
system, which disciplines boys for the highe
places in their ayoeations. 1t is an error
believe that Congress, composed chiefly of la
yers and other professional men, know what t
people want better than the people themselv
and apply legislation to produce remedies I
fictitious difficulties, or aid people to produce
adding taxation, in the form of protection.