The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-12-22

of the working classes OK England has
enOrlE ously increased within the last MY
years. Their wages have increased rom
so to 100 per cent. and their hours OK labor
have decreased 20 per cent, at the same
time that the purchasing power Of money,
except IN the single matter OF house rent
has remained substantially the same In
the last ten years especially, thanks to the
farmers of the United Sta'es, he shows
that the average price of wheat in England
has largely declined, especially rs COM
pared with the ten years from 1887 to 1916
Moreover, before free trade IN food pro-
ducts, the fluctuations in the price of wheat
from year to year we're occasionally so
great that The workman saw bread rise to
a point which meant to him starvation.
"PeriOdlc Starvation says Mr.. Gitfin,
was, IN fact, tho condition of the masses
OF worklngmen throughout the kingdom
fifty years ago" while during the last
twenty years the tlucluations of wheathave
been slight.
AS the period covered by Mr.. Grifiln's
paper is substantially the same with that
during which England pursued the policy
Of gradually Topping of tariff exaclions
until she finally emerged into absolute free
trade, the paper is not without It's peril
hence in the present tariff discussions in
this country, though 1t was not prepared
with any reference whatever to the tariff
question. We add, from the N Y. Suns
synopsis Of Mr.. Giffiu's paper
During the last half century sugar and
such articles have largely declined IN price,
and the present consumption of sugar
and tea In England is four times wha,
1t was forty years ago. There could be
no better evidence Of dltfused well being
among the masses" concludes Mr.. Gifin.
Clothing is also cheaper than 1t used TO be,
and the only article much interesting the
workman which has increased IN price is
meat. But fifty years ago meat was not an
article Of the wOrkmsn's diet, AZ II has
since become. Formerly the only meat
be consumed was pork-bacon and hams !;
aud Of these the quantity now imported Is
nearly equal to the estimated consumption
among the English working classes fifty
years ago.
House rents have undoubtedly much IN
creased. They are now at leas. fifty per
cent higher than they we're halt century
since. In spite of this increase, however,
the workman, because Of his greater wages
I'D In oh nc hoe
larger margin than he had before tor mis-
cellaneous expenditure. Mr. Giffin con-
tends, further, that the houses are better
and that the increased rent Is merely the
higher price for aauperlOr article.
In proof Of the improved condition of
the working people he cites various social
statistics. As compared with the rates
upon which DIR. Farr's famous life tables
were based rates obtained in the years
164l-45, during the last five years the aver
aee OF human life in England has In
creased from 80 Q years to 41.9 years gain
Of two years. by far the larger proper
ton OF this increased duration of life IL
lived at useful ages, and not at the depend.
ent ages of childhood and old age. No
such change eonld have taken place, Mr.
Giffin argues. without great increase IN
the vitality OF the people. Mot only
have fewer died, but the masses who have
lived must have been healthier and suffered
less from sickness than they aid. From
the nature Of the figures, Also the improve.
ment must have been among the masses,
aud not among select class whose figures
threw up the average" Besides, this gam
has followed an amelioration of the condi-
ton of the working people, which has only
lately been effected and partially applied.
A greater gam may be expected when the
lives OF all who are living have been passed
from their birth under the improved con
ditioRs.
The amount per head OF population of
food consumed, vastly increased
between 1910 and 1881. In 1851 the chill
dren In average attendance at schools aid
ed by Parliamentary grants numbered
$4,000 for England, and $4,000 for Scot
land IN 1881 the numbers were respective.
ly 2,S63, 600 and 100000. "rhe children of
the masses."I says Mr.. Giflin, "are nov
good education all round.
whereas fifty years ago the masses had
either no education at all or u compare
lively poor one"
In 1880, with u population little more
than half what 1t is now. The number Of
offenders committed dor trial was
1890; in England alone $4,000 Now
the corresponding figures are: United
Kingdom, $4,000, and England, $4,000.
Changes III the law AS to commitments I'M
account for some of this great
decrease, but not for enough Of 1t To inval.
ida,e the truth OF the assertion that serious
crime has much decreased during the las,
half century. Since lS40, with con-
s,antly increasing population, there has
been an absolute decline IN the amount e
pauperIsm Finally, IN 1891 the number
OF depositors in savings banks was 400 600,
rs against 4, 100000 in 1881; the amour, OF
deposits IN 1881 was $6S, 595, 900, as against
S40l $40, 900 In 1881
From these statistics Mr.. Gitiin argues
that ''in longer life, III increased consump.
ton Of the chief commodities they use, IN
better education, IN greater freedom from
crime and pauperism, and IN increased
savings, the masses OF the people are i'm
mensely better OIL than they were fifty
years ago" "Discontcnt with the pres
ent," he adds, should not make MS forget
that things have been much worse"
-a-----SsS->---
We All Know
That water never runs up hill; that kisses