The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-04-25

IN $50 and 80, which probably was due
10 the rise I'm silver caused by the pas
sage or the Sherman act. Gas coal for
example advanced from rs I'D to los "A.
A collapse came in the autumn with
the bankruptcy Of Argentine, and prices
began TO fall, yet though prices fell,
production did not increase and wages
were maintained. The rural population,
therefore, poured into the mining dis
tricts, attracted by the high rate of pay.
The economist gave these figures in
its issue of Nov, II, 1898:
Year. Miners employed. Tons raised.
lSs0...-..........-...... 6lZ, 4bl lN,0lZNzl
1885,. .,-...--.-.......... 66s. 46T Isl GA $40
Stationary production and increasing
supply Of labor necessarily led to inter-
mittent employment and by the spring
of 'S3 the average weekly wage had
receded once more TO about 2Os, or near
the point Of departure.
These figures are taken from an articls
in the Contemporary Review for Novenn-
Der. 49, by Sydney Olivier. ] have not
seen them questioned.
In August 80, the board Of trade re-
turns showed coal at 1Ss 11zd. In June,
'9S. it stood at 9s 4}4d and two points
had become clear to the owners
F1rst-That owing to the evidently re-
stricted buying powers Of the whole
world there was a distinct shrinkage in
the demand for coal
SecOnd-That if the coIlieries could
bAllg UE Ndll4Eu Oh DN EEtuLllE SUN NUAA-
tracts (as the market afforded), 1t would
be absolutely necessary TO have the cost
Of production reduced.
The first charge on coal is the royalty,
which varies from Sd to I'D, which is
fixed. payable 10 the landlord, and which
becomes more enormous as coal falls.
Then comes the cost OF machinery, etc,
and then labor. Labor is the only por-
ton of the charge which is suddenly
! compressible, and the owners proposed
reduction on the advanced scale. But
the miners alleged that, through irregu-
lar employment, their wage was already
reduced to the existence point, and that
they could stand no more.
Then came the strike. the most terri
bic trade CONFUSION Of our times. and
there the matter rests. So long as the
royalty remains fixed and prices fall
mines can only be worked by the in
vention OF machinery which will dis
pense with labor or by reduction OF
wages and such is the hardship and
ruinous injustice Of the approaching
standard
Turning now to America we find ex-
actly the same series of phenomena APP
pearing. only because OF our partial iso-
latiOn through the tariff, they have been
more spasmodic. They have also been
/ less developed because here the struggle
Of life is less severe; they exist however
just the same.
It is always alleged that all wages
have risen in the last twenty-five years,
and Senator Aldrich's report is cited
as authority. But Mr.. Aldrich deals only
with industrial wages, agricultural
wages are the basis.
The triennial reports Of the bureau OF
agriculture show that since 1856 farm
labor has fallen, and since 1880 it has
been practically steady, while industrial
labor rose II per cent
Farm labor could not rise because
farm profits were falling. An acre OF
wheat was worth, in round numbers.
S12 in 1880 and 50 in 1883; an acre or
corn 81 in 1880 and IS in 1889 In other
words here as IN England land was be
ginning to fail to support the population
and a migration toward the towns be-
gan.
L quote from the September number
Of the publications Of the American
statistical association, page 4l6:
NO more significant fact has been
disclosed by the last census than the
great increase which has taken place IN
the urban population Of the country dur
ing the last decade.
1.-THE increase has been quite regular
from 1890 to 1880 in which time the city
deniZens increased from S-35 per cent
of the total population to 22.57 per cent;
but from 1880 TO 1890 there has been
leap from 22.57 per cent. to D. per cent
The maximum increase IS found IN
cities of from 10000 to 100000 inhabitants,
Wnlen nave lilGAE1SEA 1A--o INt NSA-N- -
striking decrease in the rate OF growth
Of cities Of more than 1OO,OOO inhabitants
is worthy Of note"
This shows that the local centers OF
industry grew portentously by mlgra-
tons from the surrounding rural dis
Meanwhile industrial prices were
probably sustained by the tariff, and the
farmer paid the difference so long as
his resources lasted. But finally the
1s.-r- hat heir
sale no longer paid our foreign deDts-
And a Drain of Gold
set in. This drain caused the price OF
gold to rise or in other words forced
values down, and is apparently still fore
ing them down. and must continue to
force them down till we get to the gen.
eral level Of the rest of the world.
The New York Tribune, a very good
authority. estimates that the shrinlSage
in value Of the four chief crops alone, as
compared with last year, amounts TO up
ward OF 1920, GOO, 600, and this loss Of in
come represents direct curtailment Of
the demand for manufacturers, for We
have substantially only the home market
The consequence is the general slack
ness Of the demand for labor. which takes
the form either Of reduced wages or loss
of time 1 quote again from the Tribune
shrinkage has been:
"In the iron, cotton. wooden and shoe
industries. employing about 100000 per-
sons a year ago. the work Is now equiNa-
lent 10 about 100000 persons full time,
and with wages averaging abou. SLIGO,
against 50 then. so that little less than
81 O00 600 is now paid for labor where 81
600 900 was paid a year ago"
II is also very certain that this fall in
price is not caused by overproduction, for
our crops have been unusually small, and
our stock of manufactured goods was
light when the squeeze CT last summer
began. The stock of everything is small.
But IL Is still Too Much
since the people are too poor to buy,
and they are poor because gold is appre-
ciating and prices are all falling.
Certainly an era of recommendation has
not been an Eldorado to the working
man.
And this process apparently must go
on to its inexorable results. AS the mass
of surplus labor accumulates the unions
overflow, and to protect themselves must
exclude the weaker. These are left ut
terly helpless
A good example Of this was the con-
sequences which followed the success
OF the London dock strike. Before the
trouble numbers Of poor people gathered
every morning at the gates and COM
peted with each other for a days work.
but after the strike union was formed
which monopolized the labor. and those
who were excluded fell back hopelessly
into the vast stagnant pool Of the east
- r4a.1 NrarHe HarLran