The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1895-06-28
THE RISE IN WAGES.

Told Comfort for rrotectionists-
Must soon Change Their kaleiao.e,,,
Again.
Every day brings reports of the adj.
'ahce IN wages at various manufac,
tories throughout the country. Mans
Oh these are described as voluntarv.
others are made at the request of the
workmcn. few to avert Threatened
strikes
Inc purely voluntary advance al
wages i not liable to occur in MANY
Instances They are often made when
no strike is threatened, but there may
be other considerations A factory
canno OF afford to have its skilled oper.
atives taken away by higher offers
made by others. An advance in such
case is strictly business movement
other advances simply anticipate the
demand fnr an increase 1t NAV be
added that there is limited mum Der
OF employers willing to pay what they
can afford. and that in such eases the
advance may be correctly described as
purely voluntary
1t is impossible to interpret these
advances. whether voluntary or not
as other than evidences OF improve.
ment OF business. The Carnegie Steel
20. frankly says so. and many Others
have DOUBTLESS done the same. What
ever the reason assigned. no intelli.
gent observer Of events can be in doubt
on the subject. This Il the more
significant a. wages have been the
subject OF more hum bug and misrepre.
sentation than almost any business
question that has been dragged into
the domain of politics.
When the protective movement first
became sharply defined political issue
IN the United states. the protectionis,,
had to meet the objection that wares
were much higher here than in Europe
and that this would be a scrions oh. |
stacle to American competition II \
was "A fact that wages were much hiph. |
err here. estimated by the week or |
month, than in Europe II was SO dur.
ing the whole of the colonial period.
although the policy OF England steadi.
~ disseminated against our industries.
IL is 80 in all countries where land i
cheap and labor scarce. Nevertheless.
the protcctionists denied this differ
ence OF wages, and asserted that
wages here and in Europe were con-
stantly the same. They relied then on
the Infant industry" argument. After
this was exhausted they changed their
tactics. and began to insist that the
nigh wages in the United States were
iue to the tariff, and could only be
by high duties When the
'anic of 1897. which had no relation to
he tariff. had reduced wages. this ar
'umcnt began To deceive. But when
he low tariff Of 1876 was followed by
general increase of wages, this aryn.
nent lost its force for a time. The !.
Increase OF duties in 1861 and the years 4.
GLOWING was made profe sscdly on &C. ,,
cunt OF the need Of revenue. After
he panic Of 1873. however. the wage
rgumcnt again assumed prominence.
nd has been doing active duty ever
ince.
The panic Of 1893 led TO great reduc-
ons OF wages. II happened that a re. e
'sion OF the tariff was then in contem- \.
lation, and workingmen were told a
nat the reductions were on account Of j
the fear Of tariff reform" Still the Il
ckinlcy act was not repealed. II Is a
otorious that wages were repeatedly Ii
'duccd while this act was IN orera- +
on, both before aud after the pr.si- u
initial election Of 1892. Since the re. =
,al Of the bill the tendency has been a,