Workmen's advocate., 1890-06-28
ACT PROMPTLY.

PTONelutnt LII Ihe ciop prospectus anu large surplus of unsold cereals produced last year, the tendency of foodstuffs is to further decline in the wholesale price; a decline which is extremely in. furious to farmers and highly beneficial to the capitalists, but nearly immaterial to the wage-laborers; for, it should be born in mind that the retail prices which the latter class must pay to middle-men is never sensibly reduced, except in the long run and when the conditions favorable to a reduction have become permanent.
 Our plutocracy, therefore, is turning to great advantage this state of affairs. According to the statistical computations of the. Financial Chronicle, the net earn ings of railroads are about IA per cent larger than they were at the correspond- ing time last year; whereas the volume of exchanges, as shown by the returns of clearing houses, has enlarged from 10 to 20 per cent. The production of iron, which is the best known criterion of business, is still increasing and promises to reach, and even to exceed, the extraordinary figure of 9,000,000 tons of "pig" this year. And yet, in the face of such a production, surpassing by more than two million tons-or 30 per cent the unprecedented one of 1887, the iron workers were afraid to demand higher scale of wages.
 In commenting upon the situation within the radius of it's observation the Chicago Tribune observes that trade is holding steadily to the high water mark of commercial prosperity. In every trade there is unusual industry a satis- factory margin of profit, an active mar ket and healthy state of collections. It would be difficult for the most bearish croaker to find any indication of any immediate reversal of the present favor. able conditions"
 In New England. according to Brad. streets reports, business Is every sats- factory" and the protit-makers con graduate themselves upon the fact that there has been no general labor disturb ance and that "there are no signs of any. With the exception of the demands in May and since then for shorter hours among the building trades, the employees appear to be contented."
 iPit Iht Ittlbil WHO have had an excellent season and could well afford to run their mills during the dull portion of the year, propose to recognize the peaceful character of their operatives by limiting the production. The boot and shoe manufacturers. in particular, have had brisk trade. The machinery shops are generally busy, orders from the South and West being unusually extensive, The Chattanooga IrddeSmdn, in it's weekly review of the industrial development of the South for the week ending June IA, reports forty-two new industries, eight new banks, five new railroad companies, and a number of street railway lines. Not only is Northern and British capital flowing into the Southern States, but the great fortunes made by large owners of real estate--formerly slave e-holders- in the towns where manufacturing in. dustry Is being developed are invested in those new enterprises. And the poor people, of course, too glad only that an opportunity is given them of earning a pittance by creating enormous wealth for their employers, call it blessing
 In conclusion of this cursory review we shall express the candid opinion. from a careful survey of past and pres ent conditions. that Lahnr has nrnyed