Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-03-22
WASHINGTON NEWS.
Busines 50 Which Will Come Before the
Senate and House this Week.

withdrawn, that course having been suggest
ed by senators who are heartily in favor of
the principal item il embodies, but do not
think II best TO mix the matter with the is
sues raised by the resolutions or to dispose
of il as party question. Should it be with
drawn. the subject of secret sessions will be
brought up soon after Mr.. Edmunds resolu-
tions are disposed of. Not less than dozen
senators are in earnest accord with the move
ment 10 consider the nominations in open
session, and rs many more are in favor of
some mitigation of those rules which force
them so often TO keep their mouths closed
when subject is broached, which all man.
kind besides may discuss freely. Ludicrous
suppositions, lapsi linguse, which have illu-
minated the proceedings of the last few days
have not all been purely accidental. An eff
fort will be made and will probably succeed
to get up the Washington Territory bill as
soon as the pending resolutions are out of
the way.
The unfinished business of the morning
hour is Gen. Logan's bill to crease the eff
ticiency OF the army.
Senator Frye hopes to find opportunity
during the week to begin the discussion of
his resolution adverse to the creation of a
fishery commission.
Senator Wilson will look for a chance to
attempt the passage of the Des Noines set
tiers relief bill over the Presidents veto.
In the House of Representatives tomor-
row the bill to grant pension to the widow
of Gen. Hancock and several other private
pension measures will be brought up as un-
finished business of Friday evenings session.
The Indian appropriation bill which was
extensively discussed last week is likely to
be passed tomorrow afternoon or Tuesday.
The postotfice appropriation bill will then
have the right o: way and it is expected to
run through the week. 1t is understood that
the consideration of this measure will be en-
livened by political debate concerning the
postmaster generals policy in regard to last
years appropriation for carrying ocean mails.
The business for the morning hours this
week will come from the committees on war
claims, District of Columbia, civil service re-
form and American shipping and naval at
fairs, or so many of them as NAV be reached
under the call. Measures of general interest
that may be brought up for action are bills
relating to pilotage and the bill to increase
the navy,
Saturday will be devoted to combinations
of the silver discussion.
First Annual Report of the Bureau of
Labor.
labor has been submitted by Commissioner
Carol ID. Wright to the secretary of the in
terror and it will be printed Immediately
The report will cover about 500 pages con-
tanning facts, figures and deductions concern
ing depressions of a novel and interesting
character. The commissioner says that out
of the total number of mines, factories and
similar establishments in the country about
| seven and one-haf per cent were idle dur
| ing the past year. Owing to this ideness
about one million men were out of work dur
ing the year. million of men out of en-
| ployment, the commissioner says, means a
| loss to the consumptive power of the coun-
try of over million dollars day, or more
than three hundred million dollars per year
The earnings of the people named in the
class above would not be far from 5000 each
per annum, representing the total earnings
of 1890, 900. The wage earnings of the
million that should be employed are crippled
to the extent of over $500, ,O00O 900 per an
mum, sum sufficient to cause reaction in
business and general curtaiment of expense
from which result apprehension and tmidity
among all classes. The volume of business,
however, curiously has been fairly well pre-
served, at least not crippled to any such ex-
tent as indicated by the Gripping of the CON
suming power, but prices have constantly
fallen. There has been constant dimin-
ishing of profits until many industries have
conducted with little or no margin to those
engaged, and great lowering of wages in gen
eral. Some industries of course had been
badly crippled temporarily, experiencing
few months of severe stagnatlon, until the
temporary removal of the glut in the market
brought them up again, but on the whole the
volume of the business of the country dur
bn Il
satisfactory. The commissioner says that
probably large number of men have been
thrown out of employment by the continued
extension of the application Of steam power
and labor saving machinery, and that while
these thus deprived of employment have sut-
fered the effect has been beneficial in reduc-
ing the cost of production In this connec-
ton the report says that in those countries
where machinery has been developed to the
highest the greatest number of work people
are engaged, and that in those countries
where machinery has been developed to little
or no purpose poverty reigns, ignorance is
the prevailing condition and civilization con-
sequently form in the rear; yet if the qnes-
ton should be asked if every wage worker re-
ceived his equitable share of The benefits de-
rived from the introduction of machinery the
answer would be no. One cause of this is
found IN the TACT tfat IN many instances
an adult male has been obliged to work
at reduced wages, because under the improv-
ed machinery. men and children could per-
form his work, but the net earnings of his
! family stand at higher figure than of old.
/ 1t i. also true that while the laborer has
| been displaced apparently, in many direc-
tions machinery has brought new occupation
to women. The apparent evils resulting
| from the Introduction Of machinery, and the
consequent subdivision of labor, have, to a
large extent of course, been offset by the ad-
vantages gained, but it must stand as a posi-
| tive statement, which cannot be successfully
! cODtroverted that this wonderful introduction
and extension Of power machinery, is one of
the prime causes, if not the prime cause of
the novel, industrial condition in which
the manufacturing nations find them
selves. The direct results so far as the
present period concerned of this wonderful
and rapid extension of power and machinery
are, for the countries involved, over production
or to be more correct, bad or injudicious pro-
duction, influential cause in producing the
condition of things reiterated as to the alb
normal increase of machine and development
of industrial enterprises has been the facility
with which stock companies could be organ
lied. In fact the modern system of carrying
on great works by stock companies has done
much toward predicting in all countries, the
had industrial conditions undar which thu