, 1873-04-22

, APRIL ~, 1873.
vapte of tho laboror rs e100 did in 1e00. With
this fact IN mind, let uB 400 how tho laboror III
manufacturing industry has farod ursdor tho pro-
tootvo system.
In 1870, according to the congua returns,
tlicro woro employed III manufactures 2,o75,Go7
hands, nt,d l',o e,,ttro Rnm pald nj wages for
labor was a775, 5,821 ,6O0. This Ia m avorngo Of
e373.87 annually for ovory porson employed.
But this is in currency during tho frat six
months of 1870, prior to tho taking Of tho con-
suB, tho premium on gold averaged 152a cents,
aud, for tho purpose Of comparison with tho
wagoH of 1860, tho avorago paid must DO ro-
lucod to gold values, na1noy, s32o.24 per capita.
Now, In 1860 thcro wore paid 9378878,o6d to
1,811, ,240 pornonB employed MI aVorago OF
s2sS.04 per capita. lilo iucroaso iii Tho gold
valuo Of wagos pail to hands employed In mnn-
ufacturos hus, therefore, boon only 794.oo
per capita, Or lous than u per cont.
With an incroaso Of only "a per cont
in wagoB, while tic coat Of living
has increased ncnrly TO por cont III gold, tho
laboror cannot DO aaid to layo boon benefited by
tho protective period. Moreover, without such
m incroaso In tho cost Of living, his wagos In
! creased quito ns much under tho low tariff from
1866, to 1860. For, in 1850, the average paid to
hands employed in manufacturoB WAS e257.82
and tho increase from that timo to 1860 was,
therefore, fraction over u por cont. Tho
official tlguros compare as follows:
7s,1ssss ss,'sss aS1;Sts as35sss ssss4 ssse
is7o. wages red,ccd 70 golu .oas.24
Increase, isso @ to 1884, IL nor per cen. cen.
Non-protection, therefore, gavo to tho laboror
in ton years, without incroaso in tho cost OF liv-
Ing, largor incroase Of wagos than protection
has given him In ton years, with an increase of
nearly 30 per cont in his noccssary expenses.
In tho light Of these facts, it is easy to UNDER
stand tho frequent and prolonged strikes Of
lnborcrs, and tho obstinate resistance Of en-
ployore. THO laboror know that llo could not
1.-Two on his wages as woll as ho used to do in
1860. lilo statistics provo lint llo was right
Ho Ind beon told by tho defenders Of protoc-
ton that laws making his clothing and other
articles Of necessity moro coatly wero intended to
protect tho American manufacturorB-to socuro
them bottor profits, 30 TINT they could atford to
pay 1nrgor wages to labor. Following that tho
manufacturer had realized tho designed increase
Of profits, tho laborors have repeatedly struck
for tho increase OF wages which would place them
also IN bottor position than they had in 1860, and
which had boon 40 often promised M tho result
Of tho protective ta1es. But tho manufacturer,
counting lis gains, has found that ho has not
roallzed largor but smaller profit than
ho did boforo tho protective b{undor bo-
gan. Taught. to expect larger, ho hns boon
unwilling to yield largor wages upon a
reduced profit, md yet in many Cases, md in tho
average to tho cxtont Of nenrly 12 per cent, has
boon forced to do 80. Thus tho laborer, with
many strikes and much loas Of time, ind good
feeling and individual hardsNips+ has secured
nearly the Same increase which the natural prog:
ress Of manufactures hnd giyon him in the
J previous decade, but with IN increase in the
cost OF living nearly four times as groat.
Tho protectionist, as Is lis habit when cor
ncrod by facts will reply that tho conuus rotur1,
{ aro not absolutely accurato. They arc at leas
: moro roliablc, boing gathered by per
eons who have no interest in proyint
any theory, than the statistics prepared
t by different associations Of manufacturers. Err
rors, In inquiries conducted by 80 many indo
pondont Marshals, may safely DO expected tt
noutralizo and balanco oach other, and, moro
over, tho census of 1870 has bocn at least as nc
I curato as those OF 1860 and 1850 With which ri
have compared results. Whatever errors haV'
t occurred arc much moro likoly to bo in favor O
: the manufacturers than against thom, einco TIL
4 statistica are based on their own returns
;, and they aro not likely ito report tn
= amount paid In wages as loss thai
1t really ia. Tho difficulty Is thu
the facts, when collected by anybody oxcop
: associations Of Interested persons, always ten
r to provo tho eamo truth-that protection bone
fits nobody, but is stupendous blunaor. Unde
It's operation, tho manufacturer has reallzed los
profit upon his capital, and the laborer less in
s croaso Of wages, than were attained under til
lowest revenue tariff, while both hayo boo
! taxed, and all industry embarrassed, by n moo
Il dlegome and mistaken interference with nature
- laws.
| Ez@SENsH.......s
~ THE TRAFFIC IN YOUNG GIRLS.
+. Tue outrage which has boon brought to til