Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-03-26

$500, 16l 900. The wage earnings of the
million that should he employed are
crippled to the extent of over 50 GOO, 600
per annum, a sum sufficient to cause re
action in business. The volume of bust
ness, curiously enough has been fairly
well preserved, but prices have constantly
fallen. There has been a constant dimin-
lshlng OF profits until many industries have
been conducted with little or no margin
and great lowering of wages in general.
a large number of men have been
thrown out of employment by the con
tinued extension of the application of
steam power and laborsaving machinery
and while those thus deprived of employ
ment have suffered, the effect has been
beneficial in reducing the cost of produc
ton In this connection the report
says that W 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 de-
veloped to little or no purpose poverty
reigns. Yet the wage worker does not
receive his equitable share of the benefits
derived from the introduction of maChin-
cry. since in many instances the adult
male has been Obliged to work at reduced
wages, because under improved maChln-
cry women and children could perform
his work, but the net earnings of his fam
lily stand at higher figure than of old
Machinery has brought new occupations
to women.
The apparent evils resulting from the
Introduction of machinery and the cOnse-
quent subdivision of labor have TO u large
extent been offset by advantages gained,
but this wonderful introduction and extern
sion Of machinery, however is one of the
prime causes of the novel industrial con
dition in which manufacturing nations
find themselves. The direct results of this
wonderful and rapid eNttntiOn of power
machinery are, for the countries involved
over-prOductlOn, or to be more correct,
bad or injudiCiOus production The iuilu-
entail cause in producing the condition Of
things rected as to the abnormal increase
of machinery and the development of in
uu>trlal enterprises, has been the facility
with which stock companies could be
organized. In fact the modern system of
carrying on great works by stock COM
panles has done much toward producing
in all countries, bad industrial cOndi-
tions under which the present generation
is laboring. The result has been Il some
what reckless and abnormal organization
of capital and Of the interests aimed at
The development of the Industries of the
country, material, labor, capital. have
been oVercOnSumed, and to such an eN-
tent that over production stands for over
consumption. Reckless consumption OF
all materials and elements necessary to
Industrial progress, has always produced
industrial staguation.
The employment of contract labor, of
foreign importation and rapid immigra-
tlop generally, are features which have II
positive influence IN Gripping the Consum-
ing power By the census of 1850 the
whole number engaged in agriculture in
the United States was 1j1. 1913: into tins
number there had been absorbed Sl2 So
foreign born. The total number employed
IN manufacturers, mechanical and min
ing industries was 3,N31,ll2; into this had
been absorbed l,225, 131 of foreign born
1t Will be seen at once that the
tendency of immigrants to assimlate
with our mechanical industries. Prior to
each period of depression since 1851 there
has been a large increase IN immigra-
tiOn and following the inception of de
preston, a sharp falling off as times
became prosperous after each period
Notwithstanding this, during the past 30
years, immigration has been of lnestima-
bic value to American industrial progress,
hut it cannot be said now that America is
the home of the oppressed of all nations.