The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-04-01


read an essay on Coming Inven-
tions as Necessitating Better Dis
tribution of Wealth" The first
portion of the article is given be-
low:
During all past ages the majority of
mankind have been in bondage to the
necessity of severe and constant toll
in order to supply the ordinary neces
sites. The chief exemptions from
such necessity have been, first, where
in the tropics, necessities of fuel,
clothing and shelter were small, and
nature yielded with slight labor, sufi-
cient food for a moderate population;
and secondly, where superior class of
princes and lords were elevated above
the necessity of toll by means of the
subjugation of the masses
While great deal of regular hard
work is, beyond question, benefit to
men, a great mitigation of its severity
as pressing upon the masses of men IN
most lands, is earnestly to be desired.
Although such mitigation has to some
extent been secured by many, yet the
old conditions of eXacting toll for the
multitude still prevail in the most
civilized countries, even IN this clos
ing decade of the nineteenth century.
Yet great change is manifestly in
i. progress, through the wonderful
achievements of science and harness.
ing the great forces OF nature into
mans service SO as to relieve human
muscles of their work. Now, in civil
lied countries, in large proportion of
the departments of labor, machinery
accomplishes tenfold the amount of
work that once was performed by hui
man hands unaided. Numberless ar
s1I4 Of fOrf md In
costly product of human manipula-
ton, are now turned out by ma
chinery with surprising cheapness.
This change is already so. far adj
vanced that what, half century ago,
were luxuries in reach only of the
wealthy, are now brought within
reach OF the common laborer. The
purchasing power of the average wage
of such laborers has, in that period,
risen nearly one half for food, and has
more than doubled for clothing and
furniture. Through mechanical inn
provements, there has been an eX-
treme ckeapening of most products
of cotton, of iron and steel, of
literature, of clocks and watches,
and of a great multitude OF conven-
fences and luxuries. In foods, cereals
have been greatly reduced In price.
Sugars have gone to less than half.
Improvements in transportation have
immensely cheapened products. By
the same means the poorer classes
may now readily afford to travel
hundreds of miles in luxury. The
cheap and brilliant kerosene now
illuminateS the formerly dark homes
of the poor. The homes of the labor
ing classes now abound in objects
which fifty years ago were IuXuries in
reach only of the wealthy.
This immense increase Of prOduc
. tive power in civilized lands, is con-
stantly creating vast SURPRISES of pro-
ducts over and above the mere neces-
stiles of the population, although not
more than would supply wholesome
comfort to all, if reasonably divided;
while at the same time yielding due
reward to those of superior capacity
for the services their abilities and
energies have rendered. To secure
such reasonable division of the sur
plus products to the weaker multi
tudes, is the difficult problem of the
present day. Economists OF all classes
are busy upon this problem. Social
ism endeavors to solve it by extreme
measures, which threaten to with |
draw the necessary stimulus of re-
ward from those persons of ability |
whose brains and energies axe abso- |
Iutely indispensable in carrying on
and improving the vast system of |
production.
The problem is beyond question a |
most grave and pressing one. There
is always a large class OF able men, |
greedy for gain, who are constantly |
on the watch tointercept the immense |
surplus products of wealth and divert |
it into their own private storehOuses
and treasures. Under present con-
ditions of law, these men are to large |
extent successful in raking in immense
gains, for which they have rendered |
no adequate equivalent of labor or
skill. They have accomplished this
mainly by a highly developed talent
for acquisition, Involving methods of
deception and trickery. Under the
improved conditions Of wealth pro-
duction in the United States, there
has grown up in that country a very
large class of milliOnaires and multi
millionaires. 1t is believed to be safe
to say that the great majority OF these
money princes have acquired their
vast possessions through inequitable
methods, even if they have not direct
pecially true of the larger fortunes.
The vast battalions of laborers,
skilled and unskilled, are of necessity
subject to the organization and direc-
ton of the captains of industry. 1t Is
impossible for the rank and file to
know when they are properly paid for
their labor. 1t is clearly In the power
of their superiors to grind them down
far below what is their due. Blind
resistance, maybe made by strikes,
usually to the injury of both employ
er and employed. The thinking mind
naturally turns in search of expedi-
ents for better industrial and social
organization, by which the vast
power of the leaders of industry shall
be brought under wholesome control,
and the laborers shall be secured
against INSCRIPTIONS oppression. 1t
is of the highest Importance to pro-
ducers that the vast working classes