Workmen's advocate., 1888-11-10
THE INEVITABLE.

The last census shows that in the ten years l8TO-lS8O the increase in the number of manufacturing estab- lishments was on y small fraction of one per cent, while the capital at the command of those establish mcnts had increased STO0, ,OO0, ,000. Since then the average number of failures has been 10000 a year, of which more than one-haIf were fail ures of small manufacturers, driven out of business by their mighty com pcttors; so that the next census may show an actual decrease in the number of manufacturing establish ments, with large increase of cap ItaI. The "l'rusts," of course, are hastenng this proce88 of concen- tratlOn.
 The whole telegraph system of the country is now in the hands of Jay Gould. In the same manner, be- fore long, the whole railroad system will be under one management, with its ten thousands millions of capital, one thousand millions of annual rev. enue, 200, 1000 miles of single track, 40, GOO engines, 3O,OOO passenger cars, l,O0O,OOO freight cars, and 800, GOO employees.
 The water and steam power in manufacturing and mining increases twice as fast as the number of work ers. It has come to that point in some industries that the number of employees IS actually decreasing, while the steam power end the pro- duction are largely increasing.
 Of the class of small traders which in the past constituted SC large a fraction of the total population, we need not remark that 1t Is fast dis appearing, one large emporium talk ing the place, even in villages, of hundreds of retailers.
 But it has been generally believed that, in this country at least, the wage system did not affect agricul- ture to the same extent as it did other employments; and that, in proportion to the population, the number of farmers was largely in creasing, while the number of farm laborers was remaining insignif- cant. This illusion should be dis pelled. In the New England States, while the area under cultivation in creased 9O0,00O acres, the number of farmers decreased 23,000, and the number of farm laborers in- creased 24,00O. In the State of New York the area under cultiva- ton increased in ten years 3.359,0 ,00O acres, but the number of farmers de- creased $500, while the number of laborers increased 10000.
 Where the number of farmers in creased, the number of farm labor CTS increased in much greater pro- portion. For instance, in Pennsyl- vanla the first increased 4,700, but the second increased 3l ,0O0; and all the great agricultural States of the West show a similar tendency. As soon as they will be fairly settled the number of farmers will begin to show positive decrease, US is the case in New England and New York. In fact, many of the so- called farmers in Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, etc., are already mere tenants, and hardly less de- pendent and miserable than wage aborers.
 These facts and figures are suAi- clently suggestive. Any reference to them is studiously avoided by the stump orators of poodle parties in their tariff and mo tariff speeches, They point to a condi- tlon of affairs which, under free trade and protection alike, lead in- evitably, and with rapidity of which we have no conception, to the final triumph of socialism, and the establishment of a cooperative commonwealth. -N. J. IOlkS1et-