Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-10-18
The Pocket Question.

Four years ago the Mckinley tariff went
into effect The changes during those four
years, in the wages of labor and in cost of
living, have been enough to deserve espe-
cial attention, and will decide the votes
of millions in the election this year.
Recent events, it is true, represent not the
results of that tariff, but the results of a
prolonged effort to overthrow it, and such
results of the new tariff as have thus fan
been developed. In wages there was a
substantial advance from October, 1890, to
OctobeV 1892, resulting naturally from the
increase sp many branches of manufacture
and the larger demands for labor, and
there has since been a great decline in con-
sequence of the closing of many establish
ments, and the inability of others to com
pete with foreign manufacturers while
paying the old rate of wages. In the cost
of living, there was no increase, but a
slight decrease between October, 1890, and
October, 1892, and there has since been a
considerable decrease.
In an article contributed to the London
Contemporary Review Andrew Carnegie
shows why it is that the cost of living is
much less in this country than in Great
Britain food being cheaper, whisky, beer,
tobacco tea and coffee bearing less tax
alton, and anthracite coal being as cheap
in New York us bituminous coal in Lon
don, although worn two or three times as
much. The difference in these items alto
gether outweighs the higher rents and
cost of some manufactured products here.
1t did not suit Mr.. Carnegie's audience
nor perhaps his purpose to point out the
fact that all this was equally true under
the Mckinley tariff. Prices are lower
since the Democratic change began
mainly because wages have been reduced,
and it may be noted that the great Car
negie steel works gave notice last week to
its 5000 hands that it wished to make re-
duction in all wages, except for common
labor, on the ground that it could not
continue to pay the present wages owing
to hard times and low prices, although il
has already reduced wages materially since
1890.
Prices are lower than they We're two
years ago, but not SO much lower as most
people suppose. The average decline in
prices of all commodities has been about )
per cent during the past year, about 6 per
cent since October, 1892, and about - per
cent since Oct. l, 1890. To avoid confu-
standard in comparisons which follow. OF
the decline in four years about q per cent
is due to the fall in prices of the two ma
terials of textile industries, wool and cot
ton because of the depression in these in.
dustrics. About per cent of the total de.
crease is due to the fall in breadstuffs,
because of the exceptionally large Euro
pean demand in 1890, and little is due tc
FL. foil i,,S ,,-I; tab 8 :,
cents per pound, Oct. 1, 1899, and has not
yet shown the full effects of the smaller
duty recently imposed The fall in the
prices of all manufactured articles, reck
oning each according to its proportion in
the general cost of living, is little less
than per cent of the total cost since 1890,
and not quite per cent since October
1892, nearly all of it during the past year
The cost of living had been affected by
reduction in manufactured products
nearly per cent in the two years under
the undisturbcd operation of the McKin-
ley law up to October, 1892, and has since
been reduced nearly per cent more, at
the expense of a tremendous reduction of
wages. How far prices of breadstuffs,
meats, wool and cotton have been affected
by tariff legislation, and how far
by other causes is a question about
which there may be wide differ
ences of opinion. But it is by no means
difficult to see that when Mr. Carnegie
proves that the cost of living was actually
lower two years ago in this country than
in Great Britain he justifies the claim that
the difference is somewhat greater now,
because British prices have changed much
less than prices in this country. In other
respects the change has been the worse for
Americans, because wages across the
water are on the whole no lower than
they were in 1892, while in this country
there has been marked decline.-[New
York Tribune
Many savage nations worshiped only the
naieyoleut 1eities ON tha rriDciuaI that