Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-10-24
SOME ENGLISH FIGURES.


for Several Years Under Tree Trade"
The condition of England has come to
be quite study in America during re
cent years, almost as much Of q study,
III fact, as the condition Of our own
country.
Both sides in the present tariff wa-
look to England to find proofs Of their
favorite theories. We study the ques-
ton of wages in England almost as care
fully as in America. Mr.. Blaine has
made some studies in this fed, too, and
as result he declares Undoubtedly the
inequalities in the wages of English and
American operatives Gn cotton mills
are more than equalized by the greater
efficiency Of the latter and their longer
hours of labor"
But the usual protectionist verdict is
that England is a mighty hard country
for labor, and that America is far in the
lead, not only in the wages of labor, but
in general manufacturing prosperity aad
therefore what a good thing protection is,
Wenow have some recent figures about
the growth of England, figures which
report at the recent annual meeting of
the Golden club.
From the address Of this gentleman we
learn that the foreign commerce of Eng
land rose from e6lS. 530.4S9 in 1886 to
e743, $50, 274 in 1SS9-or an increase of
about $500, 200, 900 in four years, which
was a gain of more than SEQ on every
500. 1t is interesting to note. that dur
ing the same time our own foreign COM
MERGE gained, as shown by the latest
treasury reports, only $175 1000, 900. OF lit
tie more than $13 on every 800.
During these four years the invest
ment of English capital in foreign coun-
tries has gone on rapidly; the annual in
terest alone on this English capital in
vested in foreign countries amounts to
from $500, 900, GOO to $500, 100000 The re-
ceipts of English railways increased $15,-
CO0,O00 from 1888 to 1890, and the opera
tons of the London clearing house show
the astounding gain of more than So ,O0O,-
100000 for this single year. Bank de-
posits on Jan. 1, 1888, were s., SOC, 100000
on Jan. 1, 1890, they were $3,050, OOO, 600,
OF a gain of $3.50, 100000 in one year. The
deposits in savings banks gained from
Jan. 1, 1888, to Jan. 1, 1890, about $780,
100000.
The public revenues showed q condi-
ton not less satisfactory. The revenues
collected showed a surplus of about &c.,
100000. and instead of squabbling for
years over the question how to get rid
of the surplus without reducing taxes
the government forthwith reduced the
revenue duty on tea from twelve cents
pound to eight cents.
Agriculture, too, has made gain,
there being 106,SO9 more acres under
cultivation in 1889 than in 1888, with an
equal increase in pasture lands; and there
were more horses, cattle, sheep and hogs
the gain in hogs being 10000, and in
sheep $4,000.
The condition of the English working
classes forms a highly interesting answer
to the assertion so often heard on this
side of the Atlantic that ssBritish free
trade is running the British workman
On March 1, 1889, there were twenty
eight laborers in every thousand out Of
employment in England, but ON March
/, 1890, there were only fourteen in every
thousand-these figures including strikers
also. The number of paupers is also
diminishing. The total number of pool
receiving aid from the state in ENGLAND
and Wales was about 80, 600 less in Jan
uary, 1890, than at the same time in 1888
which is the lowest figure reached since
1858. In the latter year forty eight per
sons in every thousand were paupers
now the number has fallen to twenty
seven.
The tendency toward higher pros
perity is seen, too, from the fact tina
emigration is falling off, the number @
people leaving England the first si7
months Of this year being 26,500 les
than for the same time last year. Crime
is also decreasing. The ratio Of crimes
committed in 1868 was one for every 81
Of population; in 1888 it had fallen tt
one for every GIL.
In contrast with this latter fact Mr
Medley points out that in the United
| States in 1850 the arrests were one TO-
every 3,448, while today we have on
for every 715, not including boys.
Referring also to the condition Of az
riculture in the United States he quote
the statement made last April to one o
the committees of congress by Mr.. Polk
Of the Farmers Alliance: ave are upol
the brink Of ruin, and we assert tina
this is not the fault Of the farmers. w
assert that it is the fault of the fnancia
system of the government, which ha
imposed an undue, unjust and intolera
bic burden of taxes upon agriculture.
In view of the facts here set fortl
| protectionists would do well to chang
their cry that british free trade" i
running the farmers and working classe
| Of England.
Dool enid