The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-08

Iupltu pfOuucllou Ol lilnt 'i'ths Al 4 al
River and New Bedford that opera
ives in cottoa mi |, have olly.suffered
net actual reduction of . per cent. IN
the amount they earn, despite the APP
pareat bad showing OF the series OF rednc.
lions OF wages that have taken place
during the past few years.
To Offset TINS small net reduction OF
earnings there has been reduction OF
the cost of living Of about 90 per cent,
not considering rents, as The NEWS
understands the matter
There has been no data prepared so
far as we are aware, TO show the per-
centage of reduction Of the cost OF pro-
duction of cotton cloths, which Is
necessary to enable one to make a
really fair estimate of the comparative
condition of labor. But it requires no
special showing to demonstrate that
capital is not able to show that 1t has
Jared as well, in comparison with its
past during the past 10 years as labor
has. The great reduction and total ex-
Gnction Of dividends is evidence enough
on that point.
But though cotton may be king, 1t Is
not fair to assume that cotton cloth op-
eratives are representatives OF all labor
as to wages.
In other lines Of industry there have
been figures prepared that show how
capital and labor have shared IN their
| joint earnings. Tie Railway Age. has
been looking into the matter, as it
is affected by railroads, and while
it may not bs safe to swallow all 1t
thinks it has discovered, its figures are
certainly Of considerable interest. The
Railway Age is not an organ of railway
operatives. II is generally found on the
side of the capitalistic interests.
Fifteen leading railroad companies are
selected, and it is shown that they pay
in salaries of over 5000 a year 81, 2O5, ,l51,
and the total paid in all salaries is Sl01,-
| SSS, 1894 while the rumber of employees
is l70,6j1. If all the large salaries
were wiped ont and the entire
amount paid in them were to
be distributed equally among
all the employees il would increase each
mans wages by just $LO6a year, or 13
cents week. The capital stock of these
companies is 100000, 900, aud their
net earnings for the year were IS, 941 ,O6s,
and if this sum were to be divided
among the 170,6 ,651 employees each ones
share would be 81 week.
The Age goes on to show that if all
these roads were operated as one COM
pany and were to abolish all the higher
officers and devote all the net earnings
OF tue aggregated lines to increasing the
wages of their men: the resulting in
crease would be less than II cents day
TO every man.
These facts, considered in relation to
the other fact that railroads paid less
| than per cent. in dividends last year,
seem to show that as class the en-
ployes are getting decidedly the best of
| the railroad business, at the present
| time.
Such inquiries as these go to show
that labor is not being oppressed, but is
getting its full share of the earnings it
and capital together win.
If labor organizations would devote
some portion of their energy to the con.
sideration of conditions as they exist,
instead of the study of a one.sided and
often false view Of labor's disadvantages,
how great their influence might be in
the direction of those things that have
permanent beneficial value. 1t is to be
hoped that time will come when labor
and capital will join in study of actual
conditions, and will be able to agree as
TO the facts and the meaning OF them.
Labor organizations are in position
to perform very great work, but there
is no hope that they will do so until they
develop a temper that seeks rather for
the truth than for Fictitious circum-
stances calculated to enforce their plea
for betterment, regardless of the power
of capital to respond or of their econ
omic right to demand.
There are ethics of wage-receiving no
less imperative than The ethics Of wage
paying, and whatever Paul insists upon
wages that robs Peter commits an eco
nomical sin of an especially grave
nature.