Worcester daily spy., 1872-01-06

l | commonwealth QGeDlN al ncHrI. 10 TINS cues
lion am sure no one will venture an affirmative
| reply. Neither is it Of paramount importance
| so determine whether the situation Of this large
| oudy of persons is better or worse than it wa.
| formerly. Our view should be forward and no
| backward.
Many seem to hold the opinion that if tht
working men and working women, as they are
commonly designated, receive constant employ
| ment and are adequately remunerated; if they
gain the needfu bread and meat in exchange
| for their labor; if they have comfortable homes
| and enough for the decent support OF themselves
| and their families, il is their duty to be there.
| With content. But this is a narrow judgment
| 0l the matter in issue. They ought not on.y 10
| perform their daily tasks faithfully, but ne Sc
| circumStanced that they VIII perform them
| cheerullv. In so far as hes within our power
| NC ought 10 remove every lust cause of com.
| plant. Every human being should have higher
| and nubleT aspirations than merely TO provide
| ood and clothing for the body. This should
| ncver content him. The head OF Il family ought
10 have time for study, thought, reading, recrea-
| lion, innocent pleasure; he properly desires to
give his children better education than he had,
| and furnish them advantages superior TO those
| he himself enjoyed.
| The fact that there is unrest and diss1tis1ac-
| ton when man is confined 10 unremltting toll,
| is one Of the brightest and most healthy omens
Of the times. 1t is an indication that his better
| nature is struggling for emancipation; it is a
| hopeful sion of finer and nobler manhood in the
| future. Such efforts for improvement should
never be discouraged but always encouraged.
| That there ever have been and ever will be
| GRADES OF society, is true enough; the states
man should seek 10 diminish the distance be-
| tween the extremes by elevating the lower. 1t
| nlS been said that as soon as the materials for
| lhe construction Of society were brought to-
| gether they ptoce eded forthwith TO arrange
| themselves in laycrS-the stronger, more nimble
| and more cunning of the living constituents
climbing to the higher places, and forcing upon
hose below the office of uph0ldlng them in their
elevation. AS the pyramid was originally built,
80 it remains in its general design Within
the heaving mass of multitudinOus life individ-
tal atoms are constantly changing places, bat
without destroying. however much disturbing,
the primitive distribution into layers. These
are still disposed one above the other, in a grad
ullly diminishing series.
1t is so natural to feel that what always has
been must always be, that we are too apr to con-
cent ourselves with things as we find tn IN. Bat
This is the dictate neither of wisdom nor of pru-
dence. Standing still is not the province of So
ciety it must either advance or retrograde.
Especially under such government as ours, is
change almost normal condition and an in
berent necessity. The pyramid continues to lift
itself as an entirety; but atoms in the bottom
layer today may be in the top layer of to-
morrow. Hence one reason why it becomes ps
10 fairly and honestly examine the condition OF
me labOring classes, upon whom the whole su-
perstructure Of the social organism rests. Be-
cause they are part OF ourselves, il deVOlVcS
upon us 10 relieve them, as far us possible, from
the grievances to which they are subjected.
Their existence is not separate from the exist
cnce of the state; what tends to their welfare is
calculated to promote the general welfare; in
he last analysis their interest is identical with
the interest of the upper classes; the least adj
dition to THEN comfort is a gam to the whole
community; and If their case Is considered in
the right spirit there IS no good cause for an
agonistic feeling.
The question raised by them and in their be-
half can never be adjusted by the two extremes
those anxious to secure the greatest possible
amount OF pay for the least possible work, and
those anxious to obtain the greatest possible
amount of work for the least possible pay. Nor
will relief come W til the determination how
many hours shall constitute legal days work.
For no period can be fixed which should be ap-
picahle alike to all. The ingenious, skilled
laborer who uses mind as well as muscle, can
not apply himself the same number of hOnrs to
his task as he who merely handles the hoe or
shovel, holds the plough or drives the oxen,
uses the trowel or weaYeS at the loom, The
great desderatum is to determine what would
be fair division OF profits between the employer
aud the emplOyc. Settle the question as TO
compensation per hour, and there win be no Sc
rous difficulty about the uumber of hours
Let us not expect to adjust the issue confront
ing us by lecturing the laboring classes We
must be willing TO meet them on Their own
ground and discuss the matter at stake from
their point OF view. We must believe not only
in the necessity, hut have faith in the practical
Oiiity, OF culvating the soil. Plough it thor
oughly, enrich it as may be necessary, prepare
it to the utmost for an abundant crop. How
ever barren it may appear to superficial obSer-
vation, it is capable of almost indefinite i'm
prOyement l commend to your earnest atten-
ton the results which may be wrought out by
the bureau of statistics OF labor | doubt uOt
"A "a,
throw light upon the solution Of this great la
borproblem. A subject so vial to the common
wealth as the question whether the daily life OF.
a majority Of its citizens can be enlarged and
improved, must not be ignored, and should re-
ceive no secondary consideration at your hands.
THE MILITIA
The report of the adiutaut-general shows the
militia OF the state to be IN excellent condition.
The number oil men in camp in 1871 was 1852
represented TO be well disciplined and prepared
for efficient service. The ordinary expenses OF
She year were about S166,000, being some $780,
COO less than these Of the previons wear Prior
10 the late war, this item of state expenses was
notifar from $4,000 annually; as the number
OF active militia taen was about the same as il
is now, the difference in the expense seems ouite
100 great. Ten or twelve Years aro the towns
in which militia companies were organized
charged little or nothing for the use of their
armOrics; during the war the practice was
fortunately, it has been continued since the
return OF peace. This is wrong. The towns in
question ouIht to feel interested enough 10
furnish a room for the use of the militia without
expense to the state. The commonwealth also
pays the officers an men OF the force, especially
those of the cavalry branch, at much higher
rate than 1t did dozen years ago. With the
prices shat now prevail, and the increased cost
Of almost everything, tins to considerable ex.
tent is Unavoidable; but | have reason to be-
a. al inf a..
| penses can Oe reduced some fifty II ousand dol
lars annually without imDaring the efficiency
OF the force. 1t Will he the aim of the executive
department to do whatever IS practicable in this
| direction, and | respectfully commend the
force and its interests to your friendly consid,
| Grafton
| Connected with the state arsenal property
| Cambridge, there appears t1 be an * tensvs
| establishment, built up during the war con.
| >Isin4 Of four large buildings one of which i,
more than sufficient for the storage of the mill
| fary prOuerty Of the state not in the hands of
| the militia. The annual cost for the repairs and
| superiuendence Of this proDery is about $1,000
and it also costs over S2500 yearly Tor the trans
| portatiUn OF camp equlpIge to and from tha
| clmplng-rrO nds. | recommend the sale OF
| this entire estate at Cambridge, and the pur-
| chase Of suitable camplng-grOuuds at Il more
| central point, on which a small building should
| be erected for the stora &c OF our camp cquiDage
| thus saving the annual expense OF trausporta
| ton. The proceeds Of the sale OF the CamOrldIc
| property would nor only Duy and prepare the
| new grounds for use, but would also give a con
| siderable sum of money TO the public treasurp
and | am cou,i inced that the commonwealth
would he the gamer IN many ways by the trans.
| action
am informed that $4,000 was appropriated
last year for the purchase Of breech-lOadin-
arms. As no expenditure has been made, anl
AS the general government has under advise
meut plan for furnishing the militia Of all th,
| states with Il uniform arm Of this description
suggest tie prOpuety Of awaiting the action o
the authorities at Washington.
BANKS FOR SAVINGS.
The number Of savings institutions in opera.
tion in the commonwealth is one hundred ant
sixty. Their progress and increased business
derive special interest from the fact, that thei
deposits are supposed to represent, for the mos
part, the earnings Of labor, As no individual il
allowed by law to deposit larger sum than ont
thousand dollars, the aggregate Of deposits ant
depositOrs must measurably show the genera
diffusion Of wealth. The whole number of de
postors, according to the last report is j0O, $50
while the amount Of deposits IS S163 58j 943
the increase Of depositorS during the past yea
was 5000, aud IN the deposits it was S27 100,
Si5. These figures would appear to lndicat
general prosperity throughout the state in TN
year Just closed.
Most Of the institutions, SO far as am In
formed, are managed IN very safe and satlslnc
tory manner; though thing it questionable