The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-07-05

The increase in wages during these
t%wsnty.tour years has averaged 50 per
cent, and the increase continues. The
same rise In wages has bean general In all
the States Of Europe,-in some places
greater, and in others leSs,-and the rise
continues to this time. There are two
facts noted as having special reference to
this rise in tho price Of labor; the one is
that the prizes OF bread has remained sta.
ti0nary, and the other Is that the increase
Of wages has been greater In those trades
10 which machinery has been introduced
In o recent article by Mr.. Edward At.
kinson, OF Boston, no points out that
during the ten Yeas from 1870 to 1879, in.
elusive, there was a saving in the cost Of
transportation of merchandise, which
largely enters into the cost OF the articles,
as compared With the rates charged from
1855 to 1860, inclusive, equal totwelVe
huudted mllllsns oil dollars In gold coin.
Hs computed the values Of certain guam.
titles Of the several kinds OF breadstuffs,
and also OF beet, pork, butter, lard, and
wool, and asCertsined that the values Of
thess articlesln 1859 In New York aggre.
gated $632 6S, and In 1880, 1851 80. The
cost Of moving this quantity OF articles Of
food was, In 1869, $lS5 81. and 10 1879,
was SOL so, a difference Of 1924 %. Thus,
while the cost Of transportation was
largely reduced, hspTiCe OF food was sub,
stantially unchanged.
Thus, the fact that the price OF food has
remained stationary In France has been
confirmed By the experience In this oun
try, and the probability Is that, unless
there be some extraordinary cause, the
prices Of food will continue to msihtain
their present average. The immense in.
GREASE in the production Of this country is
met by the corresponding increase Of con
sumption, abroad and al home, which Is
rendered possible by the regular increase
in wages, or the means In the hands Of
the people 10 purchase the food. This
renders II almost certain that the policy
adopted In the Continental States Of
Europe Of taxing articles OF food imported
from America, thus diminishing the pur.
chasing power Of wages, will neCesBita'e
an immediate And c~otnpensating increase
Of wages. No people will ever submit TO
any reduction Of the quantity oil their food
to which they have become accustomed.
The improvement OF the working classes
Of Europe consequent upon the tntroduc'
ton ard application Of steam machinery
is OF itself q tefutAtion Of the theory that
human life has been sacrificed BY the
ayarice which substitutes steam aud iron
for human labor. Instead Of placing the
workman moTs IN the power oil the eU,.
ployer, II has made him more essential 70
the employer. Machinery hag reduced
the Cost oil pFOduCtionj has Thereby in'
creased consumption, and bV increasing
consumption neCessitated an increase Of
production and Of labor. The increase oil
wages mas increased the interest Of labor
in ia pToduCt. With increased wAges, the
workman Is encouraged 10 improve his
condition aud that Of bis family
nv education and ny 3 general advance:
ment in oil things. 10 the genera
Improvement Of his class the dig
encea in social ranks are gradually re.
moved, aud its leads up to q broader
eu%ualiSatlon Of the rewards for Industry,
sSill and irugalIty. The iDCresse oil wages
consequent upon the Increase Oi employ.
ment and 10 the employ ment Of ektlled
labor indiCSles, az IL suggested by the or.
tiuie from which We have quoted, that
labor, beirs more essential than ever 10
capital, Ia gradually receiving by the pro.
cess Of inevitable laws Of compensation a
greater proportion Of the j1int earnings
ri capilal add labor, and this is shown 10
the reduction Fl the rates Of Interest the
world over. This fact is alec shown 10
the figures wa have quoted from MI. AT.
kinsou. The price Of certain quantities o.
CERTAIN articles Of food 10 1850 and ID
1880 amounted In New York to within
lev cents oil tho ZANE sum. Owing 10 the
reduction Of the cost Of tfenspottatior,
the aams weight Of the sAme atiOlPe EaI
delivered In New York In 1879 tof SOL 81
against SiS5 "a In 1859. Tue differ
ehce, 1874, vas that much additional
compensation 10 the labor on the farm
40 much additional 10 the share Of the
fg32 which fall 10 the farmer, and 60 much
less oil the SlS5 which in 1869 was taken a
tbe share Of the capital employed In trans
variation. TSke any Of the pint ptoduc.
lions Of labor and 6Apital eud II will be
iound thaItbe greater The employment o.
machinery the lower the cost oil pfodu0
lion The lover the cost Of production, The
oyeAief the demand Tor consumption the
S,esier the dtmand for labor, and tht
s,sstsi the WSgsa o. labor; and though
The article produced may be sold to con
spmeis at much less price than belofe,th
nSo6t on (he Increased production " q
much greater that both capital and lego'
aTe mofp prosperous, and the share Alip
10 labor ID more equilably propottioned
There may be exceptional cases, but M
rule may he regarded a. generally vetlhe'