Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-18

In order to reach any useful result, we
need to know especially what is the eff
fciency Of labor-that is, what any given
unit OF labor produces. In India, for ex-
ample, grass is cut with a pocket knife by
men squatting on their launches, and
carrying jute bag on their shoulders in
which they put the hay crop by handouts
In America it is cut by hay harvester
drawn BY horses, the driver sitting on
comfortable seat. In Italy blowing is
done by relays of men and women using
wooden mattocks In England it is
done by gang plows run by steam
or electricity. An American work
man turns out 80 per cent. more
shoes with given machine than an Eng
hsh workman using the same machine.
What can the rate of wages do for us in
such cases towards the solution of any
economical problem? Yet such cases are
as multifarious as the inhabitants of the
earth.
Again. the rate of wages Is different in
different parts Of the same country. This
variation happens in the same trades
The variation will sometimes run as high
as 100 per cent. MIR. John Jarrett testified
before committee of congress In 1888
that the wages in western rolling mills
was from so per cent. to 200 per cent.
higher than in the Bethlehem Iron Works
of Pennsylvania. We have quoted this
testimony once. We will quote 1t again
Now | want to say further that the
wages paid in that concern were in some
instances 80 per cent. less than those paid
in the western mills l will go further
| will say, for instance, that in 1882 there
| was at least over double the amount paid
in western mills for rolling hands that
was paid in that mill, perhaps nearly
three times as much.
Mr.. Jarrett is well known high tariff
spouter. MIR. Blaine is another, and ht
told US, in his famous cotton goods re
port, that the wages of cotton spinners
in Massachusetts We're higher than II
the other New England states and sheil
hours of work shorter
Now, we ask again, what can the rat,
of wages" tell us, even if we could resolv,
that milky way and bring it into oul
arithmetical tables? Nothing at all TAX
the comparative rates of wages that ar
now flooding the country from Washing
ton under the frank of Bill Chandler
Here is specimen:
England. U. 6
Cotton mill hands. Sl6O SCI
Both figures are wrong, as Mr.. Blain
proved to us in the report already referee
to. But suppose they were right. Woul
they tell us how much cloth 81 90 in wage
produces in England and how much in tn
United States? Would the nine cents pc
day paid to the East Indian grass cutie
convince Us that the American hors
mower getting $3.50, could never CON
pete with him in the hay market? A fey
years ago an American citizen went t
Brazil to restore ruined sugar plants
ton. The first thing he did was I
double the rations of the hands. The
had been half starved and were in q col
dition of bodily weakness and ment,
mutiny. The result of doubling the pa
was to more than double the crop. TIL
plantation was restored and became prof
able TO its owner.
There are signs that the wages racket
has nearly run its course, and that worl
ingmen are beginning to see it's hollow
, ness and inconsequential character. "
! doubt whether IL will hold out thirty day
longer.-New York Post.