, 1881-04-06

Tlere scelIlS to bH Il general movement III
nil parts Of thu country by tho various
brn!lches 0t Industrial snbor for mi illcreasG
of wuges. Thu first advance demanded
ranges from 10 to ~ per cunt, to bu followed
according to circumstances by I'LL additional
lncrcasu ns the consequent rise III tho cost OF
living tnkes PLACE. There II nothing more
natural n,nong l.,rn ,vi,o nre dependent ul,on
wagc-lah0r tlitln to suck to lnlyo tint labor as
productive rs possible, Md therefore I'LL Ill
crcaso iii tho s,lM Ut duly or weekly wagcs
appeals strongly to all, aNtt yet thero are illl-
t,ortaMt economical considerations which un~
fortunately fall to receive tint attention
which they I!crit, n,ld which hnyo I. direct
bearing oil tllls question.
Tive ygnrs aEo, to 20 no further back, there
was It sudden demand far Iron md steel, and
III brief ttme all t1io mills antt furnaces Ind
orders eQualing their full capacity, This
was promptly followed by Il demand for NIL
tncscaso Of wnges by MI persons engaged Il.
those lines OF production. This WIS fol-
lowed III turn by ah advance In tho prices OF
Iron and stcol, aud that by nnothor rise iii the
rates Of wages. This advance III tho price Of
tho rnw material seriously Infected other in
tlus.sius, 80 that prices Of NIL kinds OF il,nnlt
fuetureal articles were atlynncetl, aial, sympa-
thetically, tho wagcs OF nil kinds OF labor
advanced proportunn.ely. Tho result
WIS II general llercaso Of tho cost
Ut living, md ns general III increase
III tllo cost OF production OF all kinds Of ,m1l-
tlfacturel goods. 1t did not take long untcr
these circumstances for tho suspended Brit
lsh all4 othor European iron n1!1 .stcut mills
II light up their tires, a,ui III. Il fow months
fleets .ot vessels laden with foreign stcrl allsl
Iron were Oil their way to this country, not
| wlthstanung the ellurnOus protection Of tho
tariff, rlg-tron which WIS selling III Mny.
1870. fnr Sls per tu,l could nat be purchased
for less tIan SUI Il, September, md as Il cot.
sequence all Europo slilppetl pIg-!ron to this
country. So with all aller commodities.
During tho briof period while these high
| prices prevailed wo imported tons OF lnIl-
luis ofl0l!uss' worth Ut fareign nrfactures
| IN exctss Ut Whnt we 0thprWi8u would llAyo
dune, because Of tho Inability Ut American
| manufacturers ulAer tho great cost Ot home
| prOtt,ltt!t,lls to snll tllefr nbnormulIy tlenr
| goods 1T competition with tho Europeans,
Notwithstanding the higl. tatllr. The Amerl-
cAla market Wns soDll broken down, pttccs
rccetcd rapidly. and In tlle recession taking
with them tic rntes of wagos to- wl,at they
wure before the rlsp took plaeo. During Tho
eight or ten months tho rlse in wnges md
Ut prices proyatAl tho cost of LIVING III
ereAsed to tho full extent of the Increase III
wn9es, 80 no practical benefits resulted to
wasc-labor. Un tta contrary the country
waslilled by all extraordinary importation VI
foreign.nlu.lo goods, which, until they wcru
consumed, were sold 10 the exclusion OF all
equal amount OF Aoncstc-nado goods. =
4 general nt!ya1lce now In the cost of pro-
lnctlo.t, Us Il result Of tho increase Ut wage
labor, must VI necessity luke place. as III 1S70;