Daily critic., 1880-05-22
Saturday, May 22, 1880.

DnrnBuriox op LABOR AND PoruLA-
roN.-The census Of 1870, a. compared
with that Of 1860, presented the fac,
that in parts Of New England, aud in
New York, the towns aud cities we're
growing, at the expense Of The country.
For some reason the people were crowd
ing into cities, anu the farms were being
deserted. As a consequence, the farms
were growing larger, while their mum.
Der was diminishing. These were gen
orally regarded as very unhealthy in
dica,ions for the body-politic, arguing
that something was wrong IN our laws,
and social organization: but within GER
tain limits the tendency noted Il nor
NAL one, and will not Of itself afford any
necessary occasion Tor alarm, u Il be
found 20 exhibit itself In the fofihcom.
ing census. A the progress Of mechaui-
cal invention diminishsa the amount Of
labor required for the production Of
food, the noun, employed in the pro.
duction Of other nccessaries aud luxu.
ries Of life Ia couespondipgiy increased.
This involves an increasing develop.
ment Of the mechanical and mAnuiac.
tn ring industries. and as these are
chiefly prosecuted in towns and cities,
it also involves an increase In the rsla-
tive amoun, Of the urban population.
A certain increase In the size Of farms
is another natural result Of the same
cause. since a farmer can tlll a much
greater amount OF land with the aid of
modern agricultural machinery than he
could without II.
bat although = considerable increase
In our urban population aud In the
sise Of farms Is 10 be expected, Il doea
not by any means follow that the entire
increase actually taking place is a
hcalthful one. To n large extent the
development Of manufactures IA due 20
the increased consumption Of luxuries
by limited class, who are able 10 ex-
pend In this way vast sums Of money
which would never come Into their
z hands, II there were an equitable dis
tributlon Of the products OF labor. With
such n distribution, labor itself would
b. distributed among the different in-
dus,rica In very different manner
from that In which Il ia distributed un.
dor the present condition OF things.
Much more Of II would be employed In
the building Of comfortable houses for
working people aud much lesa Of Il in
the erection Of stately mansions for the
rich, much more would be devoted 10
the production Of substantial goods for
the clothing Of the masses and much
less TO the production OF laees aud
other costly fabrics for the sole use
Of a small aud pampered class. Aud
not only would labor be thus transfer.
red from one mechanical or manufae-
turing industry 10 another, but a con-
siderable portion would be transferred
from those industries to agriculture or
horticulture; for under the supposed
conditions, large portion OF the people
would consume a great deal more food
aud food OF much better quality than
they now do, thus increasing the de-
mand for the products Of the soil,
Moreover, an equitable division Of the
products OF labor would involve great
change In the character OF our cities aud
; towns themselves. Oyerorowded tene-
ment houses would be done away with,
and large part OF the men who do the
, work OF our towns and cities would have
n, mes in the surrounding country along
radi. i lines Of railway, on which cheap
morniL g and evening trains would be
run at COZ ,yenient hours. Zach house
80 situated you'd have lis garden at
taehed aud man,' would also have few
acres OF pasture or orchard In addition
The hours Of labor iu the workshop OF
the factory would hardly exceed eight,
aud the workingman would spend por-
tion OF his time in open air labor upon
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