The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-28
ONE PHASE OF THE LABOR QUESTION.

takes very superficial view OF 1t, and one
that no one ought to set up against the opin-
ion of those who have made it life study.
Up to the late war the question almost
solved itself through natural means The
country was not so wide then. The frontier
was in western Iowa and Kansas Mime
sofa and Dakota we're terre incognita, and all
west of that was region that had barely
been traversed by exploring parties.
None of the great 'transcontinental
railways had even been projected. and the
Missouri river was the 'jumping-of place"
Cook county, Illinois, then had population
of LA, 954, while now the city of Chicago
alone has about 600, 600. St. Louis then had
1882 inhabitants, and to-day there are
over $4,000 people there. The country has
increased in population in the same ratio,
and the boundary of the settled portion of
the country has moved westward from 500 to
600 miles, while meeting march of civiliza-
ton has advanced eastward from the Pacific
is left to the Indian ard buffalo.
The advice to go west and grow
up with the country is very much easier
given than practiced. There are 10000, 900
than there were in 1860. The country has
had to accommodate itself to this enormous
increase, and tens of thousands of square
miles of wild lands have been taken up and
| oh ,,k1 al
distance to unoccuped land has heightened,
until the mechanics of New York and Mas
sachusetts now find themselves 1000 miles
from land that can be pre- empted. This
unless they have money enough to
convey them and their families there and to
maintain them until they can render the soil
productive and available. Practically it is
as far from the east as from Liverpool Havre
or Bremen. The cheap Storage rates from
those ports have made all Europe the rival
of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, in the
field and workshop, and the problem of pro-
viding for our own and for the hundreds of
thousands who annually immigrate here is
one of the greatest that ever engaged public
attention. Its growing magnitude is such
that it must be met, and met soon. Some
practical solution must be reached, and the
earlier the better.
We have in our 260, 900 manufacturing es-
adjustments nearly 100000 employees.
These will give support to not less than TO-,
100000 of our population, ana probably
more. There are over 1000, 900 farms in the
United States, with a total area of $50 900, 900
acres, and valued with improvements. at
over $4,000, 100000. There are 1870. 493
persons engaged in agriculture. 1t will be
matter of surprise to some to learn that the
number of people engaged in professional
and personal services exceeds the whole
number ot persons engaged in manufactures
and mechanical and mining Industries. There
are upwards of 100000 classed
under the former head. These, for the pres
ent, may be left out of consideration, as, pre-
sumably, they are able to take care of them
selves, or at least they are not at the mercy
of employers. The same may be said
generally of farmers 1t is with this vast
army of 5000, 900 mechanics that government
has to deal The first aim is to give them
steady employment at such wages as will
maintain them in comfort. Any serious dis
arrangement in business, such as a financial
panic or any other cause that would operate
to close factories and mills for any length of
time, must inevitably result in much
suffering. The reflex influence of a
general depression in the manufacturing in
terests of the country would be felt by every
body The financial loss would be confined
to no class. 1t is therefore, clearly manifest
| that every measure should be taken to foster
our industries and to render it possible to
give employment to every available man.
We have farmers enough to feed all; what
we need is steady ork for men who are not
able to buy farms, and who have not money
enough to even go west and pre-empt land.
Employed, this great body of men
make the wealth of the nation. II
obliged to remain idle they become
at once a burden to themselves and to the
community at large. 1t is the duty Of gov
eminent to not only devise means for keep
ing these men busy, but to also secure to
| them such remuneration as will enable them
by decent economy to save a little of their
wages against possible adversely. In this
way, and this way only, will they be kept
contented, prosperous and happy.
But, while it is an easy thing to point out,
in general terms the necessary measures,
it is one of the most complex and perplexing
things to formulate laws that shall secure