River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-09-22
PROSPEROUS wAoE-EaRNEes.
beneficial Effects of the Mckinley Act In
New York.

new hOtA
The testimony of the bureau of labor
statistics respecting the favorabl, op-
Grafton of the Mckinley act in this
state is confirmed from another official
source, equally trustworthy and
equally under democratic control. This
is the report of the banking depart
ment The two reports stand in the
relation of cause and effect. Commits
sioner Peclx's investigations have shown
net increase in wages of Sc. 377. 925
for 1891 over 1890 in the industries for
which he had received returns This is
nnmistakable evidence of the prosper
ity of the wage-earners. Ii they are
earning more money they are undoubt-
edly saving a large portion Of the in
creased surplus. II would be natural
to look for large increase in the de-
posits in the savings banks, and in Su-
perintendent Preston's report this evil
dence is found The increase in de-
posts during the last six months ex-
ceeds $4,000. COO, and the gain since
January l, 1889, is $50, $50, 516. One re-
port thus supplements the other. There
is large increase in the earnings of
the working people as shown by one
democratic bureau. There is a CORE
spending increase in the savings of
the same class as shown by another
democratic bureau. Two departments
of the state administration cooperate
in furnishing official proofs that the
working people of this state have
been greatly benefited by republican
legislation affecting the industries in
which they are employed.
These two official reports confirm in
the most convincing way the results of
the investigation which the Tribune
has been conducting in this state. In
every town which our staff correspon-
dent has visited he has received testi-
mony indicating increased earnings of
the operatives in factories since the
passage of the Mckinley act Even
when the rate of wages per day has not
advanced there has been the difference
between half time and full time, and
that doubles earnings. Before the
passage of the act business was slack
and the factories were not operated six
DAYS in the week or twelve months in
the year. During the last two years
employment has been constant, and
nearly all the manufactures and work
shops have been running on full time
Moreover, there have been promotions
in many industries, in which finer
grades of goods have been made in con-
sequence of increased protection; and
these have involved the payment OF
higher wages. For example. in the
glove ana carpet trades and in the
worsted mills skilled operatives have
been advanced to higher branches of
work and their earnings have increased.
The Mckinley act has operated in more
ways than one to enlarge the surplus
savings of the working people.
For example, in the worsted mill
at Utica the advance in the wages
of weavers has been twenty per
cent. since the last defeat of Mr.
Cleveland, the champion of the low
tariff cause, That is the statement
of the manufacturer. There are demo
cratic journals which have been hooting
at similar advances of wages disclosed
in other industries described in the
Tribune, and denouncing them as
campaign lies" They will have to be
more cautious hereafter since two
democratic bureaus of the state admin
istration have demonstrated the abso-
lutte correctness of the republican pc
sition, that wages have advanced and
that the working people are prosper
ing under the existing tariff. We in
vite our democratic opponents to take
up the wage rolls of this Utica worsted
mill and estimate the damage which
will Ice done by the enactment of low
tariff. The weavers there are receiv-
ing two dollars day, against sixty or
seventy cents paid for the same class of
work in England. How can they find
work in that factory and have money
to save at the end of each week if
revenue tariff be enacted in the interest
of English cheap labor? 1t will be mt
terly impossible. Democratic policy is
nothing less than a conspiracy against
the interests and prosperity of Ameri-
can labor-N Y Tribune