The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1872-10-23
Cau.eand EaecI-IsiI ICoaIorLabOr:

We hear Of late that coal has advanced to 80
high f-ure in England as to make it profitable
for the Bszaus to import that article 10 quantity
at nearly 81 per ton less than the English miners
charge The price Of coal has also advanced iu
the Eastern States Of America With us the
rise nay Be- owing to the tricks Of railway mo-
uopolists il combination With miue owners bot
still the normal condition Of the market, eveu 10
New York. Philadelphia, Pittsb1rg and CincIn-
uati. Is higher than it vas ten CT twelve years
s-o. thoagh there Is 10 complaint Of diminished
or diminishing PRO .uctio1, nor yet that the in
crease IN prodgetiou does not keep pace with the
Increasing demand and consumption Of coal The
Pail Mall G1-s5s treats the English coal problem
10 this Eay: Il SAYS the advance IN the price Of
;hat srticle has ca1sed an advance 10 prices gen
sraEly. It costs 80 per cent more to bGiLd
house nov than Two years ago so per cent more
tor mlcbiueryi 53 per cent more for eoPPeri III
per cent more for gas pipes SO per eeut more
for wrought nails 95 per eeut for egt nails %
Fer cent. for iron bars. etc, etc, to the end OF
whatever requires coal il It's production. The
logic Of this, ia the oPi1iga Of the Gl-5tts' {:
that nearly every commodity sill Be cheaper or
dearer accordingly as coal Is high Or low IN the
market.
With aU proper tiaidity in questioning the
views Of 50 high an authority, Ne may be par
doued for the suggestion that the theory Of the
Pal Nal G-l-stts iz rot sound Il i true that
coal enters largely into the cost Of the Pr0dgction
Of many things uscessaty to haman life and
modern civilization Bat the cost Of coal Is not
the main item Of expense in uroducti0u, nor has
coal advanced as much IN the last ten years, or
the Iast two. as the other articles mentioned 10
the above list The advance 10 coal has Tot
been over 10 to Is per cent. in England. II,
then, the prcs Of coal regulates the Pres Of nails
copper. INC. gas pipes, b1ilding l1mber etc, it
would seen. 70 be quite logieiaI, that the advance
IN these dependent commodities should keep even
race nth that Of coal The fact l., they have
advanced far above the per cent Of the increased
price OF coaL We must therefore look 10 other
directions for abe cause Ct general high prices
And the frst thing that arrests attention in cou-
siiedng the subject Is the rapid advances made
IL the hst two or three years in the price Of labor
Skilled labor Is GOV nearly 80 per cent higher
than it vas four years ago and ordinary labor %
70 60 per cent higher Labor Is the chief item
Of expense IN the productIou 0f al things coal
included. If the farmer has to pay only SO per
mouth for his ploEmen and h4rEesters, he nay
afford to sell his wheat at 81 per bushel Dat If
be has TO pay $50 to $40 per month, it Is clear
euo1gh that be must advance the Priee Of his
crop, 20 into Bankruptcy, or quit psodlcing grain
If the manufacturer Of lumber has to pay his
miIlmsu double the wages paid four years ago, be
must needs advance the price of lguber End 50
through the Eh0ls 1nge Of manafactures-
Nothing can escape the advance II viii cast
u1ore 70 bald house. more to work I mias, more
TO raise a ton Of coal or chop cord Of wood,
more to feed q fsslily and more to elothe IL
Rsuts must Be higher, and even taxes VII be IL
creased, because # the wages Of all persons II
private bfs are increased, there VII be demand
aad = necessity for a increase of the SHARES
and fees Of pobIie oEicers and those Who dr1E
their wages from the PabIe treasures
Another ea1se Of the advance II prices gen
s-sIlv. ssd of Isbor also, nay Be traced to the
rau5i increase IN the producti0u Of the precious
metals, which regulate the valas Of labor' and
sTsr7thinr that labor produces Some years ago,
=beu there vas s th0asand uilio1s less gold and
silver in circulation thsn nov, and when It cast
very nearly dollar to obtain dollar troa the
mines, the representative value Of dollar vas
much more than 1t iz nov, when the ulnes are
worked with greater profit. The sdTa1es PTIees
viii be maintained as I0ag Is these Two eaaSe=
erst and 20 far a. We can see, NOBODY Sll Dc
inisred by it, though il S eqsally hard % see
where the SPECIAL benefits cone from to nanElna
at large and especially TO the a5orsr- Foe
th5uef be receives doqbls wages, Be nast pay
doobie prices for everything he eats or crnks--
SIX Uai5z-