The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-08-28
DISCUSSING THE DEPREssIOM
Thoughtful and Successful Business Men Tx.
pressing their Optnicas.

Carol ID. Wright. Chief Of tho Massachu-
scits Bureau Of Statistics, addrcs. ed the Hewitt
Committee yesterday morning On tho cause and
euro Of the present depression. lie expressed
tho opinion that there arc not moro persons out
Of employment in Massachusetts to-day than
there were in 1875. The number - persons re-
cciving relief from the public trens lry in that
state is continually decreasing. Many persons
Will not leave the cities and take "a, thoir abode
in the country. The natural law ut control
persons In tho choice Of habitat d cannot O
iniorlorcd with without disa. a. At present
the labor employment in Massucl lsotts is in n
hcttri state than for the last tlrcc years except
it1 regards the iron trade. Manufacturers arc
In mnny cnscs unable to I'LL their orders. some
are building now works. The Amo5koag mills
are adding 900 luoms.
Mr. Wright showed by statistics That the hours
Of labor have boon gradually deere, sing in Mas
sachusctis. and that at present the nvrrngc time
employed is eight hours Dor day Tor each laOUrcr.
taking the year through. He mainta ned that the
use Of machinery has enabled men to receive
moro pay for less hours Of labor. and that gem
orally laborers arc now doing nearly as well as
much how ns then. II the work now done in
Massachusetts by machinery were Il JnC by hand
labor i would take 9.0OQO00 people. instond Of
the l,GJOOOO now employed. Tho entire ac-
cumulutcd wealth Of tho country would dsap-
pear in ycar. To do tho work now done by
the railroads would cost 400. 900 GOO instead II
100000 COO and would require 100000 horses.
More people nrc enabled to live in a given area
than could live thrre without the USE of ma
chincry. Mr.. Wright said that there II steady
approach to the equalization OF wages all over
the world. Tho workingman has never received
asuiilctent remuneration. and yet The rewards
Oi capital have not been too great. Mr.. Wright
expressed tho opinion that as population in
ercascs the Almighty will provide some means
Mr. lIcwitt-Why does He not do it in India
now
Mr. Wright answered. can't tell you. sir"
Hewitt IA htt max II d. al D. .
that Congress could do To benefit the working
classes. and Mr.. Wright replied; Wei. they
might ADJOURN daughter As to the relief
Of the unemployed. he believed il was mainly
an individual question. and when individuals
get their private affairs adjusted TO the new or
der 81 things we should hgnr less ot the trout
bios If the workngmnn. The most that Com
gross could 10 would hc 10 maintain the cur
world. Mr. Wright favored iariT for revenue
nnd protective tarin ON infant manufactures
unit they could stand alone. In conclusion. he
said hc thought the discussion before the Com
mittee would do good.
j. w. Walker of Worcester Mass doing q
business of about f2.OO.UOu "a yonr. manuiac-
turing leather IN Chicago, ILL.,. and boots anil
shoes in Worcester. was the next speaker. lie
began life as workman. and had a capital -
loo saved from his earnings at the a4gc Of 80.
IT, said tn" boot and shoe business wis next in
Hnnn'inl importance 70 agriculture. On tho
whole the volume Of business had Increased
since 1872, but tho capitalist HAS made little
profit and tho business has been carried on
mainly for the benefit of the workingman. who
Has U''f'll luIulri'il 'illitlS UlfNl Af hNNfuEf
number Of hours worked now is ten. and there
are not So many women and children Employed
~ formerly. Tho power Of the community To
pay for better class of goods has increased
since 1850. The effect OF machinery holds pre-
eisoly the same place "a higher education.
With reference To the unemployed, he said that
the question is us to the kind OF work and wages
q hundredtold more than the want Il work.
Tho trouble is that mon want 10 he omulovcd NJ
specific kind Of work % a. yarticular place and
NJ q particular price. Mr.. Walker was in favor
u protective tariff as one Of the means 81
keeping W wages.
AAnson W. Beard Collector Of the Port Of
Boston, said that he had been engaged us a
manufacturer oi clothing for twenty-five years.
lie th cught tho immediate cause Of our trouble
Il extravaganza on credit. Whilo eXtravaganre
that IL paid for helps business that which is not
paid for Is an INJURY 90 the community. He
said thatouc branch Il labor had not been re-
fcrrcd to. that % domestic service. There Is no
twenty-five years foreign operatives have
mainly r'rlan 90 rho Americans In the factories
This WAS because they wurhcl cheaper. and IL
Wa TINS that occasioued The oyerpIu- of labor
IN the manufacturing districts. IN hi- opinion
there ia work enough now for all tho Mhorors
10 90" country. only tu"y are not properly dis
trlhuted There 10 plenty If work In the agri-
cultural districts. In his experience he did not
know % one man who had suc'ct led in lusl-
ness who hal not begun Mt the bottom and
worked up. N'Vlva! OF hus mess is dependg at
upon M .cr'll "n'c ofcariali-t- IN the stability
st inc clncuriun 81 Mr. Boards address NJ.
II witt 90 luar hum on 'iH ~n'lf ini .uFrrIri-
duruon. Mr. liill began So much ln The line Of
previous speakers thut hc -iokc pn.y few
lA4A4fH-.