The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1876-02-02

kerosene to light up thei
rooms. Men willing to labor for hu
manitv where they do deserve bette
encourage ment than they have re
eeived or are likely 10.
THD BUSINESS OUTLOOK
is Just as bad as ever. Last weel
there were forty six failures. some o
them very large. Ohe jewelry hous'
went up with liabilities 10 the amoun
of 800. 900, with over S700,0 ,00(
worth of goods in their stOre-tha
is goods that had cost them thai
amount. This 100000 worth o.
goods cannot be sold to day for one.
fourth their cost, for the reason thai
only very few are buying iewelry
aud that few can buy the best in the
world, Of individuals, at half the
prices they can of dealers. A dia.
mond never gets to be second handed
and people who have them are all
willing enough to realize on them, in
the hope Of holding on till the better
times come If any Of your readers
want $50. 900 cashmere shawl, or a
5000 diamond, they viii do well 70
strike it now. would buy 4 dozen
or two myself, but for reasons.
l have no sympathy for those who
fail because of fast living, or extraV-
agance, but that is not the class that
is going under al this time. The
failures of to-day are caused by the
dreadful depreciation of goods, and
the terrible dullness of trade. 1t Is
horrible for a man who has worked
hard all his he, and Is getting in po-
sition to retire on decent competen-
cy, to have it ali swept oGs from I'M
der him. The sufferers Of to-day are
mostly of this class, and they are 10
be pitied.
THE EMPRESS MONOPOLY.
Everybody except the Express
Companies and their subsidized
Agents oIgh. to hope for the sue
cessful repeal Of the postage law
which increases the rates on all third
class matter. This amendment has
been favorabIy reported TO Congress
by the appropriate committee. The
Express Companies are straIning eve
nv nerve to defeat it, but we shall see
whether Government exists for the
good of the people, or intends the
people shall exist for the good Of mo-
nOpolies.
The Companies in New York have
"a large lobby in Washington, and are
spending and lendisg money widely
to influence the matter. Any Con-
gresham who inds his expenses run
ming high with the enormous board
bills of the capital, knows that .he
has no safer or surer place to apply
for a temporary accommodation
than to one of the express lobby.
There never was q measure more dl-
rectly for the good of every voter
who las ten dollars a year
TO spend to please himself or his
family, than the law which sent
packages by mail for cent an ounce.
Ii brought books and half the facili-
ties of the city, for getting better
goods aud lower prices to the door OF
the loneliest farmer in the northwest,
living miles from any village, but vls-
tied by the mail rider once week
The Express Companies have had
the field long enough to make g:gan-
tic fortunes for every one Of them,
but with their usual dog-in-the man
ger spirit, they don't want poor peo-
pie to have their little parcels sent at
the only rates they can afford to pay.
There will always be business enough
for the Express people in taking box
es, and articles too large for the mail,
but with unparalleled greed they
even grudge the sending of books at
the reasonable and nabitual rates of
mail The oppression Of the new
postage law in operation the last
year has nearly killed the profits OF
the large newspapers. Some bad in-
creased their size by column or two
to give their readers the benefit Of
more reading, but the increased
weight of a. half once doubled the
postage, and nearly ruined the pro-
prietors. know of one of the lsrg-
est and most popular newspapers in
the country, whose increase of post
age by this infamous bill was $50, ,O00,
and there are plenty more TO tell a
similar story.
If aDy one labors under the delu-
sion that the express companies need
the protection of high postage, let
them come to New York and see the
buildings they do busi-
ness in, the palatial houses they live
in, and the enormous salaries the Of
ieials vote themselves. Let it be IN
derstood that the profits Of these
do not show in their state
ments. 1t was urged in Washing
ton that they were making only a
moderate profit on their capital, but
they did not explain that they were
using up their profits in $4,000 sala-
ries, and that every stock holder
luartered on the company every rel
ltive be had in the world.
SERVANT GIRLS.
In this city it frequently happens
hat servants sue their employers for
wages 1t is thing they are fond
Of: if they have any small grudge to
1ay of, they take the time when most
nconvenient to demand the money, |
md if it is not forthcoming at once, I
% enter suit for the sake of seeing a
ielicate mistress obliged to 60 to a
,ideous police court, among vagrants
md reprobates. The last case is tha!
If a millionaire who was sued BY q
,irl Tor her wages as q servant al nls
louse in the country. He put in
he very just defence that she was un-
Ter contract to stay a certain time,
put left before it was up; hence. he
'efused to paw her. He would have
lad justice bad be rested his defence
here, but he added bill O. the ex-
,ense it cost to get the girl, including
are to New York, and board for him.
elf and wife at hotel, intelligence