The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-08-23
The H.nhOr 0uesfIpE.

| VIII pIotJtbDlJ uhso Doch 1OtOhSNr'
-~%a-~~~-~~~-
The Labor Question.
| New YORK, Aug. 22.-Mr. Hewitts con-
gressional committee on the labor question
continued its session to-day. Prof. Summer
said he was professor Of political and social
| cult for any person to claim that he had
thoroughly Investigated the labor question.
He directed attention to the fact that within
the last few years the means OF transporta-
| ton and communication had become greater,
| and by these means, he thought, over pro-
duction was caused, which made 9 complete
revolution over the whole land. Within the
last quarter Of century. great improvement roy
| had been made in machinery, and this pro-
duced a temporary set back in labor;
The laborer in the United States at present.
was not having as good times, Or as good
Subsistence as the abprers M N IL England W.T. ta
| tistics of tho condition OF labor in Massachll-
sotts. The state of labor in Massachusetts is
very bad II there was any other state Id
which it was worse, 1t was pennsylvania, on
account Of the depression in the coal and iron
trades. The local causes OF depression In this
country dated from the war
| In 1867 the people were honestly convinced
that the time had to come to pay OF the gov
ernment debt, and had prepared themselves
for it. The back-track could then have been
taken without much suffering. The failure
to begin this repayment had caused the Pc
riod of speculation, which had resulted III d9i 5ar
greater depression when the panic OF 1873
came. Initiation might improve matters for a
short tme but would have to be sustained by
further initiation, until It burst up by national
bankruptcy and reputation. Inc eliecI o, fd
this would be that movable capital would
leave the country, wages be diminished, and
non-capitalsts be SO reduced as to be driven
to the sorest necessities. ,,
He could not see how the bonds could be
paid in greenbacks, forif he was to have paper
: for paper, he might as well keep the paper
bond. This scheme was SO wild and prepos-
ferrous that any Congress attempting such 8
! measure would raise such howl throughout
J the country that it would have to be repeated
In less than six months.
!, Since 1S73sthe people have been trying to
4 get to @ solid basis, and every sound man mas
q = been economizing and accumulatlng capital.
3 This has been the cause Of the slackness IN
trade, and the effect has fallen on the non
= capithlistic class. The professor could not
b see that any legislation could be made that
would be effective in remedylng this evil. 1t
could work itself out, and would do so. He
d. then spoke about the protective tariff; taxa
:, ! tion was of course necessary, but ne clalmeo
= that raising revenue by. o protective tarlll
q was wrong, 1t was taxation in favor OF 1ndl .h
. people The difficulty of deciding what shmal "a
,, be protected led to endless trouble He die
. not know Of such thing rs over-produGtl0n
= = but thought that protection encouraged dls
/, proportionate productlon; that is. an undue
u proportion Of capital would be put in sucf
! industries as get protection, and cause dis
ggsaRss''on'ts gesRs production q particular nss
: | cross examination between witness and tn
a committee, and brought out many interest
W ing facts on the subject OF transportation
y. colonies to The West by the government aid
u Sumner said he opposed such action at pres
u ent. The homestead law was all that wa
10 necessary. If such a scheme was taken n
> bv private enterprise, the industrious belnf
70 separated from the idle, it would be beneficial
h1tr prDr Mt AGENTS 1OlIIl
20 selections.
?, AS to remedies for the present evils, he di
II le not know OF any specific thing the govern
~ ment could do; the only remedy for the de
1t doctrines to the case In point; The only wa
y, the government could assist the non-capita]
- list in the accumulation of capital was to Civ
VI the greatest amount OF privileges IN using nj
ia liberties and energies tor production, and b
u removing restrictions on trade and leave hill
! 4 free to profit by the fruits OF his industry.
i, He did not see how the government coul
81 supply work. Society does not owe any ma ma
% o living. He must fight nature as all other
=, do. The more the government supplied. wit
III work the more would have to be furnished
r. until capital be reduced and the whole natio
~, become paupers. He favored tax on income
ID in preference to the imposition Of protectlv
~ tariff.
T. After recess, William E. Dodge, the wei
known merchant and banker, was called III
te thought the working classes had not reduce
bllclI SAptu3t3S LII Win J1lc biInes
10 He was OF the opinion that ii the working
3e men would live now as they did before tn
IN war, the wages they now receive would b
better. He also thought the employers wer
d now more extravagant than before the VOL
Ne and set bad examples In extravaganza befor
IS their employees. Dodge also spoke agans
ID the great evil caused by the unlimited sale c
ce Intoxicating liquors; He suggested that tn
le government appoint q committee to invest
gate the result OF Intoxicating drinks upo
81 the community at large. II this was done,
'd would assist in solving the question Of th
4 present depression.
y Witness did not think that lack of capita
y was the cause of the stagnation In business
s. but the lack of confidence In the government
He had never found money more plentiful
,r than it had been for the past two years. /
5 the government would redeem its obligations
t. in gold, he thought 1t would restore confidenc
n to a certain extent.
l. J. N. Stearns, agent Of the National Tenn
n perance Society, was also Of the opinion tha
T. Intoxicating liquor was one Of the principa
d causes of the trouble He said so mucl
o money for liquor was 50 much taken from tn
J. capital OF the country. He said that Maine
J. thirteen years ago. spent 81, 37O 900 for liquor
last year it only spent $780, 900, and now tn
!, prisons and poor-houses were nearly al
= empty.
" " The committee then adjourned until to
= morrow.
! CUsTOM-HOUsE NOTES.