The Newtown bee., 1892-11-25
THE BEE BUZZ.

Increase in Wages.-Faithfulnes in Public Ser
 vice.-Uncertain People.-Feelings as Basis | of Action.
 During the period dating from 1860 to 1890, the average wages in the United Stated advanced nearly 70 per cent, while the cost of living, as shown by the de- cline in prices, was reduced five per cent. In other words, the purchasing power of wages was nearly 75 per cent greater in the year 1890, than it was in 1860.
 Coincident with this advance in wages a great reduction in the hours of employ ment took place. These facts appeared in the report of the Senate finance con- mittee, covering an investigation into prices and wages for 50 years. They are confirmed by the census figures showing the relative annual earnings of all per sons employed in the textile industries in the years 1860 and 1890, the average an- nual earnings for 1860 being $205 and for 1890 $332, or an an advance of G1 per cent.
 | COL CARROLL D. WRIGHT,
 in his report for the Massachusetts bu- reau of labor statistics, made a compari- son in 1884 of the average annual wages paid in Great Britain, showing that aver age wages in Massachusetts were v per cent higher than in the same industries | in Great Britain.
 The commissioner of labor statistics of New York, Charles F. Peck, in his re- cent report shows an increase in the av- craze annual earnings of 2S5, ,000 persons engaged in 67 different industries, repre- 1 senting l, 1,12l trades of $23.11 per capita. This would indicate an increase in annu- al earnings of about per cent. for the year 1891 over 1890.
 The above are extracts from an article in the October number of the Forum by U. $. Senator Nelson W. Aldrich of Rhode Island.
 The writer's interest in this, as in all other economic questions, is not that of the party politician in any partisan sense, but rather as to a practical matter of the science of government.
 | Every man who has to earn his living, SAAA iAesS t] AhuiAy bo SuPpolL dud SiiHuIcu to educate ought especially to ask in all seriousness for the facts in the case. Ev- cry citizen, in the legal sense, is factor of the government and has duty in the matter as we'll as a practical self inter- est.
 As mere shibboleth for campaign issue, protection or free trade is minor consideration, but in so far as it is really a question of employment, wages, con- forts and privileges it is certainly worth our while to have mind and hand in it.
 THE PUBLIC SERVICE
 of the town, like all public service, should be regarded by all as a sacred trust, in which every ones welfare is involved. The public highways for example, are to be maintained at the public expense, for the public convenience and comfort and pleasure. Therefore, when money is ap- 1 propriated from the treasury of the town, funds raised by tax upon the property of 1 the people, to build, improve, or mend | the public ways, the people have the | right to expect that said funds will be | spent for the purpose proposed, to the best advantage and according to sound | principles of business.
 There is no good reason why any man who accepts any public trust should not the duty with the same prompt- ness, skill and fidelity with which he would do the work of any other corpor- ation, or even his own private business. !. If a man cannot do so, has he any right to accept such a trust?
 Any public trust which is faithfully and efficiently administered is an honor and satisfaction, both to the man who does it and to everybody whose welfare is involved. The man who defrauds the public, injures himself most of all, for in the long run public opinion is very apt to fix upon it's servants the proper and just estimate of their conduct and char acters. Of course there is always room { for difference in judgment as to what is best.
 THE MOST UNCERTAIN PEOPLE in the world are those who go by their feelings; because feelings are very fickle, md especially so if they have been culti- rated by excessive attentions. Our sem iations need to be kept we'll in hand by . title sound sense, or they will run away with us. Morbid sensitiveness is dis ase, and any one who is habitually overcome by his feelings is weak. We need more scientific education to 2