The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-03-11
OUR INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS
JAMES O CLARK

| from his labor report in Tho Herald
! of March 7, are to say the least, very mis-,
leading. II appears on the surface that
| condition of the wage-earner has greatly
| improved in the past half century, and
this proposition is based on the fact that
wages are much higher aud the cost OF
living materially lower than they were
| fifty years ago.
But we must take into consideration the
far greater increase of professional and Of
| fetal fees, salaries and endowments and
corporation Enthusiastically on water
| ed stock-in the past fifty years. for there
by hangs a tale, IL the light of which it
| is evident that wage-earners have by no
means kept pace with other class u the
race of progressive and enlightened CIV
| ilization.
! The question arises, if not, why not?
| But aside from this conundrum, which
propose to solve further on in another
article, let us ask how it is with the farm
er, whose condition is pictured in no less
| favorable colors by Mr.. Wright in those
| wonderful Figures, which like George
Washington, cannot tell a lie.
| These figures prove that the producer
pays increased wages for hired help while
getting greatly reduced prices for every
article of production, and yet they, do not
| figure out why the producer, under this
rule of economic. arithmetic, should not
be worse off than his father ana grand,
| father were fifty years ago, when hired
help was cheaper and farm products
| dearer.
i have Carroll D. wright's report in
| FULL fresh from the Department OF the In
| terror. 1t was sent to me, doubtless, Tor
missionary purposes, to convert me from
the error of my opinions concerning the
present industrial conditiou-a condition
that needs no other witnesses than may
be found in the persons OF several millions
of unemployed men and women, millions
I anti rn n
recently mortgaged TO Rothschlld by
Cleveland and Carlisle.
| notice that the newspapers which de-
nouncedAMr Wright the most bitterly tor
his report as a member of the A. r. U.
strike commission are the most eager to
cite his report as labor commissioners to
prove that everything is lovely, or COM
paratively so, with the laborer and pro-
Queer. This report, with q silence that is
sufficiently golden to satisfy the cham
pions of the single gold standard, i'll tell
ing how many farmers are renters
and how many live in homes that
are encountered. omits the Tar
percentage of tenent farmers is increasing
every year, and that the farms and homes
are constantly changing occupants, be-
cause each fresh buyer and victim, after
making the first cash payment to the own
er7 of the everlasting mortgage, cannot
decade, keep up the interest-losing what
he has paid and making room for the
rest. For men may come and men may
go, but the mortgage goes on forever.
In view of the present agricultural de-
preston and its causes, the folio Aing Of
fetal report from Washington may be in
tercsting.
/ Washington, March S.-A majority OF
the special committee of the House APP
pointed to inquire into the cause OF a5rl-
cultural depression has presented re-
port, saying: ''Since 1860 the purchasing
capacity of a dollar to secure the farmer
land and his proluc, has increased four
fold, while the power to pay his taxes and
debts has remained at Il standsrill. Dis
cussing the causes of the depression the
committee says: "Clis, legislation Of the
worst character encumbsrS the statute
books ana has been carried ON tn the
detriment of agriculture and its depend
ent industries for thirty years, cuiminat-
ing in the crime of the age, the demone-
tization of silver in 1873. The demonet;-
cation of silver was bold stroke in the
interest OF capital that has reduced the
value of every pro iuct in the world.
This is conclusivey proven by the
fact that Just as silver has deprecated, IN
like proportions have all other values
fallen i'll the scale. The tariff system OF
taxation is not only unequal. bat. as for
the past thirty years adm!li.tercd i'll thiS
| country, is most un lust to tbs con >umer.
/ ana has built up tru It's, combines aiid
gigant Z corporations that have not only
amassed immense wcI,tl ut the expense
of tn. peonle, but Us assumed control Of
direct legislation 80 as to perpetuate their
power and satisfy tn .ir greed.
= 4 would rem Il those corporation
serving da lies tiat are just now using
Carroll p. Virgins figures to prove that
farmers are ''pro>n ,ruus ana contelte |,
/ f,r iS n - PnuIllI ST
calamity howl.
Never before in the history of Amcr San
agriculture mas the average farm. r been
50 oppressed and 50 hol.elassy loaded
do n with debt as he now is, and never
before has the prospect OF liquidatin- or
even reducing this Indebtedness by the
sale OF farm products been so VIGOROUSLY
barren and slender. Never before have
farmers been extraordinarily driven from
state to state and from Sea to sea to
the extent they now are. Tens of thou
sands of men WHO ten and even five years
ago were the owners OF happy homes are
today homeless wanderers, liable to arrest
! as Migrants, simply because a COM
binatiol of tlx-gatherers, railroad, eie-
| vat1r and milling trusts and usury lecches
who loaned one kind OF money years
ago and are demanding another kind in
appreciated gpld coin now-have systemat-
i ically conspred to rob them.
1t is through these varied streams, to-
gether with the lack of organiza-
ton for defensive and offensive
action, in a period OF general organiza-
| ton, all around him, on the part OF CAPT
talsts and wage workers, that the tradi-
tional independent farmer has become
the most dependent creature in our free
and independent republic"
| This picture is not in the least eXag-
| gerated, as well-informed persons in all
States where agriculture is speciality will
readily testify. 1t applies more especially
| to our great western, middle and southern
regions, which furnish the nation with
staples, and in which landlordism and ten
ants are fast taking e place OF independ-
| ent ownership and owners.
| And what is to be the result?
Simply the decay of national freedom
and independence and of personal patriot
ism and loyalty to government, for these
virtues and qualities only flourish in the
atmosphere OF free, unincumbered and
| unmolested homes.
! will consider, in future article, the
present condition of the wageworker, as
! compared to his condition in the p.st.
| OUT-OF-THE-WAY FACTS