The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-22
VI.

But. We are told. It is true that wealth In
creAses. but II is tending to be concentrated
In q few hands. The rich are becoming richer
but the poor poorer. Is this true2 NJ. Guyot
demonstrates Its falsity by the economical
statistics OF various countries. In Germany
during the last fifteen years wages have risen
on an average from 75 toloO per cent In Eng
land wages In 1888 were moro than 80 per cent
higher than they were In 1850. Moreover. the
purchasing power OF money was greater at the
later date. The prices oall the necessaries Of life
were lower In 1891 than they were In 1850
with the exception OF meat and. leather; wool
remained almost stationary. To the increase
OF money wages. and to the workman's power
OF obtaining moro necessary articles for the
same money must be added the reduction In
the hours Of labor. Mr.. Robert Gifren ss-
Inmates that in England this must be
reckoned as an additional increase OF
20 per cent. on wages He showed in
1884 that the same man who fifteen years
before. after having paid his rent. had bal
ancs OF Is shillings per week. then had a sur
plus OF 27H shillings. In France the wages OF
miners have increased by more than hun
dred per cent since 1874. In Paris. between
1880 and 1888. wages increased between 90
and 100 per cent: only In the case OF roof
workers was the gain but IL per cent
Throughout France the eonsum pton OF meat
WnlCh III 1919 was DuI tulEhy-IOuE pOunue
head. had reached sixty-slx pounds In 1882.
The consumption OF cotton Der inha bItant fell
on between 1919 and 1901. Why1 Because the
use OF the more costly material wool for cloth
ing had increased In the interval to proper
tionAble extent. Are these the signs OF he decay
and misery which are announced so clamor-
ously By tho soeialistio seers2 Is there. asks
NJ Guyot. an honest person who will not rec
ognizs the progress made. when We compare
the present mode Of living among workmen
with that OF only thirty years ARo-their
clothes. shoes. the women's dresses. even
down to the very appointments OF tho table
The workinEman in our day enjoys almost
gratuitously many OF the fruits OF progressi
for few cents by entering a railway train he
can give himself the luxury OF journey at
speed to which the Emperor Napoleon at the
height OF his power could not attain. Ma
chinsry works for him. While he watches il =
want is supplied which formerly would have
required the labor OF twenty men. Instead OF
himself lAboring he simply directs a machine.
The muscles which used to be his instruments
OF labor are now TO q large extent only the
supports OF his intellectual activity.
So far. in One. is it from being true that facts
confirm LAsIAlls's imagined iron Law OF wages.
that It Is rather the Law formulated BY Bastlat.
which is certified by experience. That law
was this: 10 proportion as their capital grows
does tho absolute share OF the capitalists In
the product Increase. but their relative share
diminIshss. The Workmen. on the contrary.
see their share Increase both absolutely aud
relatively. In the United States Mr.. Atkinson
has demonstrated the truth Of the same Law.
There are. no doubt. fluctuations. the results
OF crises. But he shows that the general ten
dsney Of wages IL toward . mAXimUm and that
Of profits toward = minimum.
So much for the assertion that the poor are
becoming poorer In his own country II.
Guyot linda Il easy 20 demonstrate the sKtEaOE-
DIARY dihuSlen OF the nAti0iAl wealth. With
regard 70 land he POINTS out that very small
properties. Up 70 Z EeEes. are TO- 42G. 600 Ia