Omaha daily bee., 1883-03-13
REDucrpG THEIR WAGES.

REDUCING THEIR WAGE8-
The iron and steel monopolists, who
for over twenty years have flourisbed
and grown fat from the national
bounty In the shape OF an exorbitant
tariff protection, are about to cele-
brate their defeat In the last congress
by q general reduction Of the wages
of their employees. From Pittsburg..
Cleveland land Wheeling come threats
that as profits have been cut down by
the new tariff, wages must follow the
downward movement Of the market,
and that the laborer must share with
the employer the effects Of the opera.
ton of q lowered tariff This pros
pect is all the more unfortunate
for the Iron workers, because the
men In the mills have scarcely recov.
cred from the effects Of last summers
strike, when 60, 900 workingmen pro.
tested against q ter per cent. reduc.
ton in their wages by refusing to
work at the prices offered. What
little savings we're before that time
accumulated we're for the most part
swept away during the progress Of the
long continued lockout, and the mass
of employees are In no condition either
to resist q reduction or to refuse their
labor even at starvation wages. When
the depressed state Of trade Is also
taken into consideration, the outlook
for the iron workers cannot be
said to be q cheering one. Many
mills have either permanently closed
their doors or have greatly restricted
production. Competition which by
bidding f)r labor increases Its money
value is less than II has been for FIVE
years and the slackened orders and
curtailed railroad extension make the
outlook for increased production In
the near future most unpromlsing.
Labor Is always the first element In
production to feel the fsots of a de.
pressed market and the last to K
periencs tho benefits Of pros.
porous times. This Is the I'M
Just law which the greed Of
capital has incorporated In the stat.
utes Of political economy. None of
our great industries have illustrated
the operation of this rule better than
the steel manufacturers. Bolstered
for years by outrageous tariff duties,
on the plea that the imposition of an
exorbitant tariff was a guarantee of
higher wages to the American laborer;
entrenched by patents and defended by
giant cancellations of interests, they
have heaped up mighty fortunes at
the expense Of the public.
With seven-tenths Of the benefits
of tariff protection accruipg to their
own interests, the average of wages
paid to their employees, for whom the
heavy duties were ~piteously demand
ed, has been a trifle more than a dol
lar and q half q day. Hundreds of
thousands of dollars have been. spent
at Washington to prevent any inter.
ference by congress with their allow.
anoe of the national bounty. while q
million a year were donated by nine
of these corporations out Of the
profits Of their business to keep q
tenth company from adding to the
production Of Bessemer steel.
The cry that wages must be further
reduced Is intended for political Of.
feet. There Is no sason to suppose
that profits will be any less during
the coming year than they have been
during the depression Of the past year.
It was to meet that depression that
the 10 per cent reduction Of last sum
mer was made, and since that time
the closing Of the mills and the blow
Ing out of furnaces has restricted pro
duotion, 90 that the Iron trade 10 In
better condition than II was six months
ago. A further reduction of the wsgel
Of their already poorly paid employs
will be an act of wanton injustice
which will react on the heads of thu
authors.