The Portland daily press., 1877-11-26

Money value is hardly a correct criterion of
the value of labor, or its results from one
epoch to another, for we find that the same
articles huctuate in money value, or money
huctuates by its supply and demand. Labor
produces all the necessaries of life and we
can estimate more correctly by taking days
labor of a man to ascertain the value of the
necessarles OF life. Fifty years ago, in the
Eastern States, days labor was worth one
and quarter bushels Of corn, one bushel of
rye, or half bushel of wheat; twelve pounds
fpork. or fifteen of beef. In the New York
market now (Sept. oath corn brings 5Sc. rye
60 to 70c., wheat $1.40 to 81 so, dressed hogs
Z 10 Sc, and beef about the same. / think
days labor at the east is about Slips, ex-
cept this year, when pressure has reduced
it considerably below its usual price.
In these prices there are no doubt some
slight errors, but it is near enough to make
calculations. Fifty years ago these staples of
food were about the same in money value
that they now are, bat labor is double the
price now that it was then; or in other words
twice the quantity of food can be had now
for days work that could be had fifty years
ago. We ought not to judge by the extreme
condition caused by hard times this year, but
by normal condition. These hard times
this surplus of labor, labor being thrown out
OF employment-which have occurred the
PoSt IL VI 40 luOutuo WCLC VIOuRul Ou Willie
these necessaries o f life could be produced
for half the expenditures of labor that they
could have been fifty years ago. If twice as
much food land think nearly the same is
true in regard to clothing) can be had for q
days labor, cirtainly the condition of the
laborer is much better than it was fifty years
ago. What has labor-saving machinery had
to do with this? Fifty years ago, the farmer
and bis sons raised wool and flax, and his
rrifo nd hforc
TO cloth for wearing. Fifty years ago the
women and girls had mostly abandoned their
linen dresses, and put on calico in summer;
but they continued their home made
woollens, which usually were colored and
pressed smooth, also the mems
cloth was fulled and dressed
smooth, and these clothes would wear twice
as long as the present clothing, but they
cost four times the labor. Labor-saving
machinery has reduced the cost of clothing
one half. Some persons charge these hard
times to the labor saving machinery which
has thrown 80 many out of employment. l
recollect hearing Horace Greeley tell of his con
versation with an Italian wood-sawyer, when
he Travelled in that country. The man had
his saw fastened and took the stick in his
hands and rubbed it up and down on the
saw until it was cut Off, Mr.. Greeley told
him that in America they put the wood in
sawbuck which held it fast, and then rubbed
the saw up and down on the wood, and in
that way could saw twice as fast. But the
Italian said: ''We have so many men to
saw, and only little wood to sawW This
brings my argument to point. Is it econo-
my and philanthropy to fasten our saws as
they do, and employ twice as many men al
half the wages? We have seen that this was
the condition of the laboring class fifty years
ago.
At the centennial last year, and again at
our State Fair this year, saw the reaping
machine, with its self-binding attachment,
and some of your readers have seen it in sue
cessful operation in the field, with two men
and four horses doing the work of twenty
men fifty years ago with the sickle or twelve
men with the cradle twenty-five years ago.
This has reduced the cost sfIwheat one-half
In labor value, whereas without this reduc-
ton of labor value in the product, we could
not raise as much wheat, thus raising the
price in money value, and thus stop or great
ly diminish the export. A friend of min e
was lately in Manchester, N. H., and reports
tnat the cotton mills are making calico to ex-
port to China. This is the result of superior
machinery for manufacturing. By our labor
saving machinery, in the large products of
bread-stuffs, meats and manufactured goods,
we have bright prospect of immediate relief
for our hard times. Let us go on with our
labor-saving inventions-let us harness cleo.
trlcity to our aid, and while we have increas-
ed the quantity of our necessaries of life one
half for days labor, there is not only room,
but good prospect of again doubling the
quantity in the next fifty yearsl Invention
is not completed yet; there is still room The
rolling thunder of the clouds proclaims
reservoir Of power, impatient of idleness,
starting out with speed that outstrips the
light of the sun! How docile and useful
in carrying our valuable messages! The air
and the earth are Gods savings bank, in
which He has large deposits, ready to lend to
to every laboring man, and in His holy word
has commanded US to ego forth and subdue
the earth and replenish it," May we not
leave this world debtor to it for our short
stay here = Country Gentleman.