The Portland daily press., 1885-03-21

Rev. DIR. Bashford's lecture in the Me
chanics' Course.

The audience at Mechanics Hall last even.
ing testifie by its size ard evident enjoyment
the appreciation felt by Portland people in the
course and their interest in what DR., Bash
ford had to say. DR.. Bashford was introduced
by Mr.. j. B. Coyle and was warmly welcomed
The two great things which enter into money
making are production and the saving of the
product Production may be divided into two
departments agriculture, or the production
OF the crude material, and manufacture, Oh
the refining and preparation of that material
In regard to the distribution OF products
first to be considered is the question of railroad
growth and power While the right of govern
ment control is not denied, IL is better to leave
the problem to the solution OF the nataral laws
OF trade. Within the past twenty years the
railroad mileage has increased in dispropor-
tienaGe degrees to the increase OF prod uctlon
and this has led to the high rates of freight al
present existing.
The question OF the currency was next dis
cussed, and the danger arising from an iufi tted
condition OF the medium OF value was poiutsd
out. The laboring man always suffers the
most from changes in the currency. The
greatest evil in our present financial situation
Is the coinage of light weight silver coins.
The ebb and fioR of trade is one of the great
factors in money making. People are guided
in their money transactions by the dictates OF
wealthy men have made their money by wise
operations in crises of the markets. In the
state OF the currency, expansion is invariably
followed by contraction, leading to bard times.
This is illustrated by reference to the de-
preston OF 1878 and the present low state OF
trade and the causes leading thereto.
Cooperation as against competition was
touched upon. Competition is not conducive
to lower scale of expenditure, as illustrated
in the Case OF parallel lines of railroad. The
ok,.n -
pursuit reduces the amount of work obtain
able by each and necesstates high profit.
There are three reasons why cooperation ia
not successful in this country as in Eugland
frst, the American feeling of Independence
from which We get our desire to buy where
we please; second, the prevalence of the credit
system; and third, the fondness for money
making. In England the success Of co-opera.
tive stores Is demonstrated by the figures show
ing the amount of their business. Co-opera-
tion will eventually be the rule in this
country, Mrs. Livermore saying that the ladies
will keep house on the plan of cooperation.
DR. Bashford then made few practical sug.
gestioGs outside the strict line of his discourse.
On the subject Of waste, he spoke in regard to
the cost OF the liquor annually consumed In
this country. Money spent here is waste
Another thing IS the tobacco habit, and here is
another case of direct output with no return
adding nothing 10 mans power to produce
or the productivity of the soil. Then we spend
more on sickness than in France when we
might be as healthy as our French friends
Our fires and social follies also cause great loss
and ths American proclivity for running ln
debt also leads to loss
The theories of communism and socialism
have got to be met in this country. Henry
George says every man should receive compen
sation proportionate to his labor, but a mans
labor may be honest and arduous, and yet not
increase production. So in one sense the
world owes him nothing.
In bringing his most interesting discourse tc
a close, DR.. Bashford made few remarks in
regard to the higher purpose of the Creator in
fixing the laws which govern the science ol
secular life.