Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1886-04-25
A REPLY TO A FOOL.
" "ZENO" READS BRADSTREET
AND SMILES.
Terrific Economy Taught by Edward
Atkins0n-Salyati0n in a Pine
Box The Economist"
Eats Meat Cooked
For One Cent.

While most thinking labor reform
crs have scorned the assininc pro-
ductions Of Capitals chief scribe, as
unworthy Of notice, and which John
Swinton tossed aside soappropriately,
IN his Paper, with the slightest
"twist Of the wrist imaginable,
"Zeno," in a playful mood expresses
himself upon the "folly Of the fool, ="
in the Denver La1or EaQuirer, as
follows:
The de0ilitated condition of popular
political economy and the present system,
is occasionally revealed by the imbecle
/ minds of their supporters. 1t makes one
i'll to hear a large daily designate as 81
| prominent thinkeraud writer. the writer
Of an article in Bradstreet's of March y.
! His name isElward Atkinson. of Boston.
/ The leading proposition in the article is:
THE way for the working classes to
improve their condition is to produce
! more or waste less. When : IN one has
( found ont this secret for hi elf the labor
. question Wil! be practic,dl solved"
BY working to establish eight hours,
iaborer5 are now trying to produce less
Perhaps this is because 'oyer-production"
has been dinnel into their ears 50 long
They have learned that the more they
produce in day the less they receive Of
it as wages. Supply and Demand, that
nnmutabe law, is ignored by Mr.. Atkin-
son, at least until he finishes III, essay;
! for the more men produce, the weaker is
the demand Ior their services, and they
sink into poverty
As for waste, would it not be better if
everybody wasted more, 50 as to create
a demand?
Mr. Atkinson's aim is to show how
we'll single men can live on $500 per year
or even SIP. OF course, when single
men are provided for, ''the labor question
is practically solved"
The bin of fare for the 5000 basis seems
to exclude many things that require
thousands Of wage earners to produce.
suppose all single men adopt this scheme;
those earning 5000 per year can save
$780, Now suppose a discharged cigar
maker, Gvery man or tailor for there is
no demand for their services comes along
and offers to do the young single man 5
work for 800. Then an ice cream
maker, or an actor, without situation
appears who will do the work for 5000.
This is supply and demand. Read the
following table of the amounts paid in
the United States for various productions
presumably authcnticJ
i.iquOr, $3.50. 900. .0000.
TobarCo, $500. 0OO. 900.
Bread, $50, ,O00. 900.
Meat, S3O3. .00O. 900.
Iron and steel $500, OO0, 900
Wooden goods, S231, 900, 600.
Sawed lumber, S233, 900 900.
Cotton goods, S9lO,G00. .OOO.
Boots and shoes. SlSG 600 900
Sugar and m0Iasses. 1855, 900, 600
Public education, $50, ,0O0000
Missions, home and foreign, 81, 500, O00.
Total 81, 1853. 800 900.
OF this total production the single
young men would assist in consuming
but five items: bread. meat. wooden
goods, boots and shoes and sugar, these
they will use IN very reduced ratio.
They now amount to but 81 500, 900 600
Think how the first two items, liquor and
tobacco would suffer; II, $50, 900, 900 Of
trade nearly wiped cut Everything
else would suffer, and millions of laborer-
be thrown upon the market, and the
great Inv of supply and demand would
suffer 4 severe strain, The wage system
would probably fall under the load, which
would vindicate Mr. Atkinson were that
his object.
Two single men are to share room
for SlG0 per year. This will make a
light activity in sawed lumber and land
lords. Iron and steel will be dead en
tirely, and puddiers and molders vii
compete for the 500 Of the single young
men. Missions viii be useless for wC