Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-03-13
CLERKS AND THEIR PAY.
A CHICAGO MAN SAYS THEY ARE
SUBJECT TO ECONOMIC LAW. Ia,

tne same Outihy-D In
crease In the Number of Distributors
Supply and Demand.
Clerks constitute one of the most numerous
classes of great city's population, and their
types, manner of life, duties and temptations
make an ever interesting subject for study.
Thousands of men and women are today
penned in behind the counters of innumerable
establishments In Chicago weighing, measur-
ing, answering sensible and senseless ques-
tons, and cultivating habits Of courteous ad-
dress for their own and their employers in
terest-and the majority Of them for pit
lance wholly disproportionate, it is said to
the duties required and the services rendered
The connection between clerk hire and crime
and immortality, the responsibility of employ
ers for the hardships and slips Of their en-.
ployes, the physical mental and moral con-
sequences OF what clerks as a class have to
undergo, are thus matters of vital Importance
70 the students of social science. Said gem
tlenan yesterday in reference to this phase of
city life:
SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
Most of what people term the abnormal
PLANTATION in private motives, in the innate
desires of individual citizens; and l hold that
clerks themselves are primarily responsible
for what are commonly set forth as wrongs
and hardships, The wages for services are
not essentially different from the price Of
commodities. Supply and demand regulate
both. An abundant supply or an unusually
strong demand means invariably rise In
wages, and the reverse means a fall
Now let me give you few facts. From
al appearances there is little or no difference
between the present decade of our history, in
respect 70 popular sentiment, and the decade
preceding. Hence, the facts of the one period
are approximately true for the other. From
1870 to 1880 the gross increase of the popula-
ton OF the United States was zoos per cent.
During this same period agriculturists in
creased In almost exactly the same ratio as
the general increase Manufacturers and
miners increased in number ~ per cent,
while professional men and those engaged in
personal service show an increase Of 80 per
cent Our farmers, manufacturers and
miners are practically our only wealth pro
ducers, and we find their average percentage
Of increase to be sc Thus we have a sc per
cent increase of wealth distributors merely
handling the products of a Sc per cent. in
crease of wealth producers for so per cent
general increase OF population
These figures, think. are very significant.
What is more, they only tell half the story.
turing the last decade-and the present will
yield equally surprising results when the
census of 1890 is taken-farm laborers in
creased only Is per cent, in the fece of a 80
per cent. general increase, and domestic
servants only 10 per cent, while general
clerks and copyists show a Sl5 pei cent. in
crease, clerks in hotels and restaurants O IO7
Per cent increase, walters and porters a $50
per cent. increase, and laborers about stores
and warehouses an s13 per cent. increase.
Now, from the very nature Of things, what
must be the inevitable result of such state
OF affairs upon vast number of the popuIa-
ton of citiesi Simply small wages, irregular
employment, and often priYation and conse-
quent wrongdoing.
PREFERENCE FOR CITY LIFE.
For the multitude it is proverbialy true
that city life is more desirable than country
Life, and it is equally true that the work Of
clerks, despite its annoyances, is less labori-
Gus and more agreeable than that of laborers
Hence, to be with the crowd and have gem
teel work have grown to be little short Of a
national evil That employers are often
criminally negligent of the health and well
fare Of their help is true and this Is an evil
not easy to correct, for, however bad the
conditions Of a place are, competition and
necessity viii bring somebody to fill it. The
main point is, however, purely q business
one. When the supply of those who are
anxious to get genteel employment is SO
standardization far in excess OF the demand
employers need not and viii not pay high
wages, and it is a question whether the Gu
pidity Of employers or the foolishness of en-
ployes is more 10 blame for existing circum-
stances
As rule, the storekeeper finds it more to
his interest TO have three clerks at 81 a day
each than two clerks at $50, and when
they're TO be had, as they invariably are in
cities like Chicago, he viii take the three
clerks, irrespective Of whether they receive
sufficient wages to exc out q decent living.
Further, when, as is usually the case In big
cities, there are numbers Of people out of
employment, 1t is q question whether 1t Is
not good public policy as well as private
interest that large number Of clerks should
be employed at "a small wage than a smaller
number at better pay. Thus many factors
come into the consideration Of every social
and economical question and make its solu-
tion difficult
las look at the matter, many If not most
OF the evils experienced by clerks and people |
similarly employed spring from the senseless
passion of the masses to forsaks small towns
and rural districts for the metropolitan COM
nlunities. A year and a crust in Chicago is
better than lifetime and roast beef ON the
sand heaps Of Hammond, seems to be the
prevailing notion. Hence moral response |
hility aside-and Hsral responsibility cuts q |
small figure in such matters-Chicago en-
ployers feel little necessity of catering to the
needs or desires of employees or of Offering
nigh inducements In point of wages. The |
whole thing practically comes to this: There |
Is the place-so many hours day, so much |
pay. you want it, take it; if you don't,
somebody will be glad to get it Personally |
think the clerks position anything but |
easy, and his pay anything but adequate,
but TIL we have less disparity In the numbers
OF wealth producers and wealth distributors
matters will not be much better. n-Chicaeo
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