The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-10-09
THE MECHANIC AND THE TARIFF
What Three Years of sReform" Have Don
For Him.

What Three Years of .sReform" Have Done
| For Him.
From 1880 to 1892 the five million or
more persons engaged in manufactur-
ing and mechanical pursuits in the
United States were busy and prosper
Gus. During those twelve years tie
cities of the United States pushed
ahead at a marvellous rate. The build
ing trades were especially prosperous.
Carpenters, bricklayers, plasterers,
stone masons and painters were well
employed at good wages. Magnificent
buildings went up in all the large cit
les, and millions of surplus funds were
put into permanent structures of all
sorts. Skilled labor was in great de-
mand. There was no lack of currency
with which to prosecute these enter
prises. The wages paid were the high
est known, and they were paid in gold,
or in money as good as gold.
The same may be said Of manufac-
turing. While general observation and
the figures easily obtainable in individ-
ual cities show the prosperity of the
building trades, we have the official
census return of manufactures. Here
are the figures:
Capital. =. 80, 7s6, 7ss sos Sc, 1ss. se7 1856
No employed. 600 "A 447S 47S 80 g
Val. i Of pFoducts 5,s3s; 1s1, AS so5s, ss6
In spite of an alleged appreciating
currency, over "a per cent. more capl-
tai was invested in mills and factories
and workshops in 1890 than in 1880.
Nearly 66 per cent. more persons were
given employment. For each hundred
persons employed in 1880 we find an
additional &C persons in 1890; and for
each hundred dollars thus invested in
1880 we find an additional seventy dol
lars in 1890, or an increase of seventy
| per cent.
There was no lack of money with
which to do this enormously increased
volume of business.
How about wages?
Wages increased not only actually,
with the increase of the number en-
ployed, but at still greater rate rela-
lively. While the number employed did
not double, the wages paid more than
doubled, the increase being 131 per
cent. In short, every man, woman and
child thus engaged went home each
Saturday night with more actual mon
ey good sound money! in his pay en-
yelope, in 1890 than in 1880, and what
was true in 1890 was likewise true
down to the year 1892.
We therefore had money enough,
work enough, and a rising wage.
Defeated on all sides by the tremen-
dous array Of facts on this point, the
free silver advocates are now trying
to change their battle ground. They
declare that the workingman is getting
less and less of the profit Of labor and
capital in combination as his share,
and that the manufacturer is getting
more and more. This assertion is alb
lsolutely false. The reverse is true. The
average annual wage per hand paid in
1880 was about 500 more than the
average paid in 1870, while the aver
age in 1890 was $S3 more than ir
1880.
Including mechanics, there were add
ed to this class of bread-winners $780,.
600 between 1880 and 1890, or 25O,O0C
for each year. In manufacturing alone
over $3,O0O,OOO,OOO of new capital was
invested, or $500, 100000 annually. And
yet the claim is advanced that the
country was suffering from a contrac
ton of the currency. This is not true
but if it were, it would merely prove
that confidence and hope are after al
of more value as aids to progress thar
currency.
Then people were ready to invest
now they hold back. Then wage-earn
ers were receiving full money for theil
work, and their consuming power was
! almost double what it is now. 1t il
claimed by those who are capable o.
making estimates, that in 1892 tht
value of our manufacturing produc
, had reached $4,000, 100000. Had tn,
} Mckinley law remained in force, ant
, had there been no financial disturb
, ance, the close of the present year
1896, should have seen this amour
$12, 900, 600, ,00O*. Instead Of that, care
! full estimates by reliable authoritie
bring out the startling fact that tn