The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-05-31
SOCIAL SCIENCE.


The Wealth the unIted states4.Thc An
naal increase aud the Increase Of tue Pcos
pie--some Interesting Statistics.
David A. Wells, Of Connecticut, de-
livered the annual address before the
American Social Science Convention.
In the course Of his remarks he said the
slowness with which capital increases
even under the most favorable Cirt I'M
stances was illustrated by figures drlwn
from American experience. The wealth
Of the United States in 1870 was estima-
ted Mt s25, ,000,00O,000. This represents,
first, n value Of $500 to each individual;
second, the surplus result Of all the
labor, skill and thought exerted, and oil
tho capital earned aud saved or brought
into the country since it became practi-
cally the home Of civilized mon. With
capital increasing thus slowly, We should
be careful lest by impairing its security
we also impair its rate Of increase.
Though the idea Of direct interference
with the rights Of property meets with
little sympathy on this side Of the At
lantic, many Of the most intelligent peo-
pie interested in the cause Of labor re.
form, reasoning from the large nominal
aggregate OF the national wealth and
the lafge advance recently made in tho
power Of production, have adopted the
idea that tho amount Of the present IN.
nual product Of labor and capital is
enough for all, and that oil that Is nee
essary 10 secure to the masses comfort
and abundance is for tho State to in.
teryene, either by fixing the hours OF
labor or the rates Of compensation for
service, or the use Of capital, and so
compel It's more equitable distribution.
admitting tho desirability Of more
equal division, II will bo well to inquire
what we have really got to divide.
The maximum value Of our annual
product does not exceed 81, 600, 600, 600,
OF which the product Of our agriculture
is returned by the last census with un.
doubted approximatiye accuracy at
less than one-half that sum, or 81, 400,
100000. Fully nine.tenths Of this pro
duct, probably o larger portion, must be
Immediately consumed that we may live
and make good the loss and waste oil
capital previously accumulated, leaving
not more than one.tenth to be applied in
the form Of accumulation for efiectine
q future increased production and de.
velopment. Stated in aditferent bul
not less striking form, after $50 years ol
toiling and saving We have only man,
aged as nation to get about three and
a half years ahead in the way Of subsist
once. II now as whole people We
should stop working, producing, and re
pairing, and devote ourselves exclusive
" TO amusement and idleness, four year
would DO moro than sufficient to staryt
tliree.i e.iourths Of us out Of existence, and
reduce the remaining one.fourth to th'
condition Of semi.barbarism; resul
IL Is well TO think Of in connection witt
tho promulgation Of certain new theoriei
that the best way Of increasing abun
dance and promoting comfort is to do
crease the aggregate and opportunities
OF production. Few things are mor'
transitory and perisllable than capital
AS embodied in the ordinary forms w
sec about us, its duration Is not on al
average in excess Of the liic OF genera
tion. or al tho material wealth Of TIL
great and rich nations Of antiquity moth
ing whatever has come down to us OK
cept, singnlarly enough, those thing
which, like their tombs and publiI
monuments, could never have been pos
sessed Of q money valuation.
II, again, we suppose our annual pro
duct equally divided among our preseni
population, the average income OF eacl
Individual would be sl75 per annnm
/ II this estimate be considered small !
should be remembered TINT it is baset
on IN estimate Of national product great
or both in the aggregate and in proper
tion TO numbers than is enjoyed by an,
other milton our compeer in civilization
and that this sum, S175, is not the sun
whihh all actually receive as income, bu
the average each would receive were th
whole annual product divided equally
We know il Is not divided equally AMI
never will be while men are born witt
different natural capacities. The eyei
age annual earnings Of laborers and IN
skilled workinen Tor the whole countr
Is not in excess Of Sl00, which, placin
the family OF each at four-two adult
; and two children-the census of 1877
calls II five-givcs 800 as tho ayerag'
that each member Of that class pro
duces; to which, too, each such indi
yidual must be restricted in consump
, tion. Clearly, then, the time has no
vet come when society here can com
mand such degree OF absolute abun
dance as will justify any class or ind
yidual, especially those who depend O.
each days lnbor TO supply Its wants, Il
doing anght that tends to diminisl
abundance. Lot the working man
therefore, strive for the largest possibl
share OF the joint products Of labor a1lt
capital, rs IL Is his natural right to do
but II in 30 doing he restricts produc
ton and diminishes abundance, he doe
il at his peril. Street professions vii
never change tho conditions Of produc
ton and compensation. Idlenoss pro
duces nothing but weeds and rust-pro
ducts not marketable anywhere, thougl
society often pays for them mos
A Pest.