Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-08-03
The TasiA and Cost Of Living.

senator Aldrieh's speech on the tarih
viii b., used and we'll deserves to be used,
a. an arsenal of facts by the defenders of
protection, says the New York Tribune.
The array of proofs drives opponents of
protection To small but snappish carping
about details, as Senator Vest expressed
his Joy at the admission that pearl buttons
had increased in cost. Men who are not
large enough to surrender point when
they are beaten have 10 keep up piiiful
show Of resistance, though they know II Is
of no use, lust as some tonfederates
threatened that after the great armies OF
rebellion were destroyed, guerrilla warfare
would last for years in the woods and
swamps of the South. But the people of
that section had too much sense to waste
their lives in pointless and aimess
struggle. supporters of free trade theo-
ries may profitably abandon the pretence
that the Mckinley bill has raised prices
or increased the cost of living.
senator Aldrieh reasons that the decline
of "a per cent. in prices, and the raise of
lis per cent. in the purchasing power of
wages, which at $500 family, would mean
abont s2i for each of Is 900 900 families,
or ss2J 900 000 yearly. II is fair TO say
that the l3,0"0,0o0 families are not
all supported by the manufacturing and
mechanical labor which is reported TO have
advanced only three-quarters of l per
cent. Nearly half the population is
supported by agriculture. The wages of
farm labor according to the elaborate re-
port issued in April by the Department of
Agriculture have advanced |. 3 per cent
during the last two years and per cent
during the last four years. The average
advance in wages would therefore seem to
he greater than the committee estimates.
On the other hand, the wages of nearly
half the labor Of the country, being en-
ployed in agriculture, do not average 5000
a wear; but even if c0lored labor at the
South be- excluded, the average would be
lees than $500 year. The farmers who
own their own farms, or work land on
shares, doubtless average more, but even
they do not have an average Of 5000 a
family to expend in the purchase of things
not raised On the farm. The estimate of
the senator ean only be regarded "A an il
lustration of the general result of the great
changes ascertained.
Senator Allrich's speech does not appear
to have brought fully one important fact,
that the prices of other than farm products,
separately considered, have declined greatly
dnring the last three years. though this may
be clearly inferred from the statements
given
Thus IL IL shown that the advance in
wholesale prices of farm products from
June. 1889, to September, 1891. WIS more
than Is per cent. and vet the retail cost of
all articles actually declined Necessarily
the decline in all other than farm products
must have been large. When the detailed
report of the committee has been pub
lished it may be possible to separate the
items. and thus to determine measurahiy
how great the decline has been in the cost
of things which the farmer has to pur-
chase.
Meanwhile il ia obvious that the advance
in farm products, while it has brought a
,,-,at rain 20 tho farmar ha. not involved a
corresponding loss to the consumers OF
articles manufactured from those products
Thus the farmer received for wheat al New
York 80 to 81 81 cents in June. lss9, and
patent flour was selling here at 1915 per
barrel
| Last September the price of wheat had
| at 81 barrel, rise of only q cents a bar
| rel. against q cents bushel for wheat
| Now the wheat sells at 81 ~ cents. or five
cents higher than in 1889 while the same
flour sells at s4.1t,, dollar lower than in
June. 1889. The price of manufactured
products generally are about the lowest
! ever known, ami tiiese measure tue eN-
peuditures of the farmers, as well as a
great part of the expenditures of other
! producers. The retail prices of articles
made from farm products have not al
vanced at any time in proportion to the
advance of prices of such products, and
meanw lille the cost of other manufactured
articles has been materially diminished to
| consumers.