The Labor enquirer., 1886-08-14

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featuring Nations Considered as Group
in Relation to the Present Depression" :"
In this chapter Mr.. Wright considers
the manufacturing nations, Great Brit
ain, France, Belgium, Germany and the
United States, and perhaps Austria, Rus
sia and Italy, as family or group
effected simultaneously by the present
industrial depression. He then hur-
riedly sketches the commercial and in
dustrial policy which has, for a longer or
shor;er period of time. prevailed in each
country, and which has produced the
present results In all of them. Overpro-
duc,ion. the commissioner thinks, is the
chief reason for the universal depression,
and this surplus production has arisen
in all these countri es through widely
different causes.
The following is significant and agrees
we'll with the teachings of Socialists:
"......".when it is considered further
that the condition of these nations has
been reached under both free trade and
protection policies, and under wide
range of tariff restrictions, it is readily
seen that the family of nation given to
mechanical production have reached an
epoch in their existence, aud that COM
mercial systems which might have been
at one time, or under some circum-
stances, necessities, are now apparently
expediencies, to be used temporarily,
and not as permanent features of ma
tional progress"
Commissioner Wright denies that
there is a contest between laborer and
capitalist as such, but declares the con-
test between them is as to the profits of
capital and wages of labor. "and this
contest will continue as long as
the purely wage system lasts"
He also says: "It is absurd to say the
interests of capital and labor are ident-
ical. They are no more identical than
the interests of the buyer and seller"
ALI Socialists will readily concede the
latter point, but from purely Socialistlc
view the contest between laborers and
capitalists is not as to the amount of
wages of one and profit of the other,
but as to the practicability of abolishing
the wage and the profit system.
The tables on the Variation in the
Cost of Production" are interesting and
instructive. From them we learn the
cost of labor, materials, and other items
connected with the manufacture of
thirty different kinds of com modities.
In some articles the cost of production is
but one-sixth the selling price of the
goods, show ing that the other fve-sixths
has beeu gobbled up in profits. Thus,
the retail price of a ton of bltuminous
coal is about 81, cost of labor rs cents,
other expenses Insurance, interest, etc.
49 cents, total $l.A. This explains why
our coal syndicates are able to weather
over hard times and have something
left, and why the railroads adjacent to
the coal fields can declare large divi-
dends.
American workingmen, you have been
admonished that you must not much
longer expect higher wages or better
conditions than your European breth
ren in serfdom.
In order to find what the condition of
European laborers actually is | turn to
appendix B in the work before me, aad
under the head of Earnings and Ex-
penses of Wage Receivers in Europe" |
read the following remarks as to the
general condition of the work. ny classes
in Italy:
The habitatlon of the laborer and
the mechanic Is generally a room in
damp ill-smelling building .........Econ-
omy is practiced such as prevails in few
other countries. The coffee grounds
from the wealthy mans kitchen are
dried and resod to the poor. In slml-
lar way oil is twice and sometimes three
times used, the drippings alter successive
fryings being gathered from the pan and
sold to the poor. There are markets of
second d-hand articles of food and CLOTH
ing. Old shoes, hats, clothes, can die
ends, dried coffee grounds, second hand
oil, etc., are spread out upon the broad
stones of the plaza or square of a town,
and it is in such places, to a considerable
extent that the workingman buys his
supplies"
Here Is the diet of shepherd in the
Roman campagna
Breakfast black bread, oil water.
Dinner do do do
supper: do do doi
This mans wages and expenses for
the year is $2525. The description says
he lives in haystack-!ike hovel.
The condition of the country laborers
is worse than those who dwell in the
towns and cities-but not much worse.
Here is the description of skilled
shoemaker IN Florence, Italy:
"Condition.-Family of four; parents
and two babies. Works in cellar, pur
suing his business on Sundays as we'll as
on week days.
"Diet.-Breakfast bread and onions,
or coffee. Dinner: macaroni, some
times pork-black bread, salad, funn o.
chic. Supper: bread and coffee some
times cheese.