The morning call., 1891-07-28
PROGRESS MEANS IMPROVEMENT.

The Boston Commercial Bulletin has
been delving into the ancient chronicles
from which McMaster got his material for
his graphic account of the American people
at the time of the Declaration of Independ-
ence, and has uneartned some curious facts.
whose value is not impaired by the efforts
of the Boston publicist to press them into
service in support of a political theory.
The main point which they prove is that the
condition of the laboring man is far better
now than it was three-Quarters of a century
ago, and that the doctrinaires who tell us
that the poor are growing poorer DO not
know what they are talking about.
AT the beginning of the century era
tives in cotton mills in New England
worked from 5 o'clock in the morning to
80 O'Clock in the evening, with two inter-
missions Of so minutes and % minutes for
breakfast and dinner. Women and chill
dren of tender years were largely employed
in the mills. Wages ranged from CO cents
DAY to 81, but the latter pay was only
earned by very first-class workmen. The
wages and hours of labor in the New En-
gland mills were probably fair criterion
of the condition of labor in other branches
o! industry. Farm laborers earned 81 TO
s. month besides board and lodging. 1t
is not easy to ascertain the wages which
mechanics got at the beginning OF the cen
fury; but at the time jackson was Presi-
dent, masons, carpenters, painters and such
workmen received from 81 to 81 90 for
day of ten OF eleven hours of actual work.
All this, Of course, was in the Eastern
States.
The mode of living in those days was such
as no workman would put up with in our
time. He and his family occupied one or
two rooms at most, which were unexpected,
the walls unpapered and implanted. They
rarely contained stove the cooking was
done in pot over an open fire. There was
a bed for the father and mother: the chill
dren slept on straw beds. The clothing of
the family was scanty. Few workmen wore
undertaking; coat was expected to last
year or two. The wife had one or two
calico dresses. She and her children went
barefoot, except in the coolest weather: the
husband and father usually owned pair
Of c0whide boots. They lived on corn meal
rye meal, and sometimes wheaton bread
with pork, and occasionally fish or game
which the children caught. Groceries were
sparingly used; tea, coffee and sugar were
kept in the house, but were not always on
the table; the corn cake was sweetened with
molasses.
Let the reader of Mr.. Henry Georges
Progress and Poverty" and such works.
contrast this sort of living with the living
that Is within the reach of all workmen in
our day, and he will be able to judge for
himself whether or n the poor are growing
poorer In sober truth, tie world is moY-
ing forward, and all who dwell therein move
with it. The necessities of life are more
abundant than they were and more easily
obtained by all classes. Wealth is increas-
ing, but the increase is not always equal.
But there is distribution, nevertheless.
There are times when sudden discovery
of a number of Iabor-saving inventions
throws operatives out of work for period.
There are times when labor markets are
glutted by an advent of laborers from
strange places, and wages fall and men are
perforce idle. But these msadventures are
temporary in their action. labor-saving
machines at first cost a certain number of
workers their jobs. But it creates a new
demand for labor to construct the new ma
chinery. An intelligent workman emerges
from one hole to fit into another. So the
market which is overcrowded is pretty sure
to be presently depleted. When work grows
scarce workmen move to other points where
labor commands bread, and the old eQuilib-
rum is restored.