The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-11-02

Complete Exposure of Free Trade Tricks
and Falschoods.


Complete Exposure of Free Trade Tricks
and Falschoods.
Since the beginning of the present
year the free trade newspapers have
been busily engaged in reporting what
they were pleased to term advances"
in wages, though in no single instance
has it been stated 10 what previous
rate of wages the advance" related.
The American Protective Tariff League
undertook an investigation to deter
mine the average number of hands
employed in different industries, dur
ing the first half Of the years 1890, 1892,
1894 and 1895, together with the per-
centaRe OF wages paid, the rate of
1890 being taken as a full standard.
Almost 500 reports were received
from eighty-five different Industries.
The returns showed that the same
industries employed $3.50 more hands
in 1892 than in 1890, an increase of 10
per cent In 1894 they employed 24,0s1
hands less than In 1892, a decrease of
20 per cent; in the early part OF 1895
they employed 11,756 more hands than
In 1894, but IL, 1926 less hands than In
1892 and 2,795 less even than in 1890.
For 1895, the employment of labor
shows an increase of IL per cent. as
compared with 1894, decrease of Is
per cent. as compared with 1892 and
decrease of 0 per cent as compared
with 1890
The average of wages paid in 1892
was per cent. higher than in 1890; in
1898 IL was 10 per cent. less than in
1890 and II per cent. less than in 1899;
while for the 1895 period the average
rate of wages paid was IA per cent.
less than in 1890, IL per cent. less than
in 1892 and only per cent. greater
than In 1894. While those reported
advances" in wages have been dill
gently announced in the cases of the
few industries that have been enabled
TO make them, nothing has been heard
of the far more numerous other in
stances where wage earners have not
been SO fortunate.
From this latest investigation Il is
apparent that the industrial condition
of the United States has retrogressed
more than half decade. Six years
have elapsed since the taking of the
census of 1889, and per cent. less labor
is employed now than then; also labor
earned this year at the rate of IA per
cent. less wages than in 1850.
The result of democratic admins
tration and free trade fanatic con-
gress is that labor has earned $500, 00o,-
600 less this year than in 1882 Contrast
this half decade of democratic destruc-
tion with the progress of the country
under protection.
Nearly two millions of people were
given employment in decade. Two
hundred thousand per year. This was
protection. And the threat OF free
trade has thrown us back half dozen
years till labor Is less busy now than II
was in 1889, and its earning capacity is
less by three hundred million dollars a
year.
Here are few samples OF the 500
reports received;
The Tennessee Coal and Coke Com
pany employed this year 30 less hands
and paid 25 per cent less wages than
In 1922. The Griswold Cotton Company
have kept all their hands at work, but
their earnings were 20 per cent. lower
in 1894 than in 1892 and, this year,
were still per cent. below the 1892
rate. The Cambria Iron Company
shows 81 hands more employed in 1895
than in 1894, but the wages OF all $3.50
hands are % per cent lower than in
1892. For every S5,5cs paid In wages
in 1892. the larger number OF hands are
now earning only s4,1s The Brooks
Locomotive Works had half the number
of 1892 hands at work this year and
nre able TO pay. to the smaller number,
less than half the 1892 wages. The
Lincoln machinery shop employed less
than half the 1892 number OF hands at
20 per cent. less wages. The Perry
County railroad did not reduce its
wage scale, but has laid off 80 per cent.
OF its hands. A Louisiana sugar planter
employed 40 per cent. less hands than
In 1892 and at 10 per cent. less wages.
b These are the sort Of conditions that
the free trade papers gloat over as
prosperity hands employed than
In 1894 and less wages earned by those
who have been fortunate enough 20 re-
tain their positions. The information
supplied was either sent by the prcsi-
dent of the company, the assistant
president. the auditor. the superin-
tendent or the proprietor.