Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-05-12
WAGES ARE RISING.

Nhtfh tNs SHOWN higher wages
II has been asserted and reiterated
over and over again that wages have
fallen since the Mckinley tariff was en-
acted. IL is the one single survivor of
the multitude of fnlsehoods sent abroad
during the campaign OF lying in 1890.
II survives. not that Il was more fit than
the others-"McKinley prices" for ex-
ample-but r. IN the difficulty Of secur-
ing labor statistics complete enough TO
obliterate Il. Mckinley prices were
disproved by simply comparing the
market reports AS published before and
after the new law took effect. But
there are no regular reports published
on rates of wages. Tens Of thousands
of changes are annually made in this
country, some involving increased,
others decreased wages or hours of
labor. They have occurred. do occur
and will occur Independently Of any
tariff in response to the varying condi-
tons of industry. II orders for goods
come flowing In, the labor In the indus
try which makes the goods will be fully
employed and wage reductions will be
impossible. But IL short crops curtail
the demand becomes inadequate to the
supply because of overproduction, or a
change In fashion even, or for any other
cause, labor in the industries concerned
will be injuriously affected, n ID IL the
unfavorablc conditions continue, wages
will fall. The law Of supply and de-
mand will co tinue 10 operate inside,
and, 50 far, Independently. of any tariff
law that can be framed. Thousands of
changes in wage rates. both up and
down, were made In the most prosper
Gus years this country ever knew; they
are made now under the Mcltinley tariff,
and will be made unless Edward liellamy
or Henry George succeeds in revolution
izing the existing industrial system.
As rule, changes in rates of wages
do not get into the public press beyond
the local papers. \ reduction In wages.
being more unusual In this country than
an advance, Is more likely TO he chron-
icled. Ever since the Mckinley law
passed, the free trade papers all over
the country have watched like vulturcs
for instances Of wages reductions, and
gloated over these misfortunes of the
working people like birds of prey. The
New York Times in particular has been
on the alert to record and cXult over
every reduction Of wages, in order to
ascribe it to the Mckinley law. Read
ing its editorials II this subject one
would get the impression that Il five or
ten per cent. decrease in wages was an
unknown occurrence before the Mciin-
ley act passed.. We have before pointed
out its shallow dishonesty in this re-
spect. II collects ten or dozen or
score of eases of reduced wages, aud
proclaims that wages generally are fall.
ing. II needs not the thousand, of
cases Of increased pay which have oc-
Cured under the new law.
Only after u painstaking canvass of
all the industries of the c puntry, and Of
the wagc changes occurring In them
can any one form an Intelligent opinion
rs TO whether the general course Of
wages is up or down. But your Jealous
free trade ''reformcr" does not care for
that. lie is bent on making out case
against protection, and in his dcspcra-
tiun at the lack Of flvDring evidence,
does not hc,itlt, {, mial'l,ture IT,
In this connection we have already
called attention to the fact that the
annual report of the bureau Of stntisti IS
of labor OF New York stat, for 1901
chronicles ,0ll eases of increased wages.
2.0S) eases of decrease in the hours Of
labor virtually in rcl,s OF wages also
and only ~ cli,s OF rylu,al wages.
Yet all TIN ysir the New York Times
was loudly prD,luiming that wages
were generally falling
No less instructiveis the record of the
Stats EIrrau Of labor statistics Of
Illinois which has issucl rep rt ON
coal statistics for that state. Not only
has more coal b,en mined in the first
year of the new tariff ami more men
bsen employed than ever before, but
wages have averaged higher. while coal
has been cheaper, With Il single cX-
crption, and that the IN p,t unimplrtant,
wages were higher in 1891 thaa in any
Of the three other years considered.
These are the results arrived at by
scientific investigation. Similar results
would appear in every state from similar
Investigations. Wages are going up
under the new tariff.