Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-18

nail manufactures. electrical works. shoddy
mills aud other industries. an OF whose
workmCn have suffered TO greater or less
extent either from direct reductions Of wages
or the equivalent OF our,alled hours OF
work
RAILROAD INTERESTS,
4 word to railroad employees In this con.
uCcticp Like other business interests the
railways have suffered heavily by reason Of
the business staruation from which Cleve-
land has hardly recovered even temporarily.
during the entire period OF the democratic
administration. The eleven railway lines
entering the city have an aggregate mileage
exceeding 5000 and even iu the face OF the
distressing condition Of business last wear
the outward shipments alone aggrc gatcd up
ward Of GooO 600 tons so that some idea OF
the Importance OF the traffic may be I'M
agiucl.
A comparison o. few Items Of those out
ward shipments will give an idea Of the ter
rihle falling OF In the volume OF exports.
For instance there were shipped from the
city in 1895 only 49.os9 tons Of coke, as
against about $50 600 tons In 1891 or 1899,
and the export ot petroleum, one OF the COM
modities for which Cleveland Is famous, az
greCated fully 10000 tons less IN 1895 than In
1892. The export Of -four also amounted TO
less than $4,000 tons, as against upward OF
$4,000 tons IN 1892, aud during the three
years OF democratic administration the ship.
monts Of merchandise fell from over $4,000
tons to q little more than 100000 tons an
nually. rroportionatc decreases may he
found In almost any OF the items which 10
10 make up the long list OF exports.
This means the employment Of fewer men
in connection with transportation. less work
and less pay.
REAL ESTATE VALUES
The real estate market is OF course one
OF the first things to BE- affected by Impaired
hue La. - A.
no exception 20 the general rule. Property
which has Increased steadily in value for a
long term or years previous TO 1892. and
other property which had made great up-
ward bounds for the few years Just preccd-
ing that date has remained at practically
stationary prices for the last three and one
half years. During mos: Of that period
II has been a comparatively easy task to
ana any number of vacant houses IN almost
any part OF the city, thing unhcard OF In
n period OF corresponding length previous
to 1892. ana whole blocks Of houses erected
In the suburbs in the expectation that they
would be sold to worktngmen have remained
vacant
The story OF Cleveland since 1892 should
convey useful lesson TO a great variety OF
wage earncrs. | have gone thus much into
detail Tor the purpose OF showing people
engaged In all classes OF occupations the
deadly effects OF free trade ana financial dis
turhance on the prosperity Of our great cen
ters OF Industrial energy. 1t is a sorrowful
story, but none the less important Wrong
and misguided as were the men who brought
these conditions upon us their crime will be
small indeed with that OF those who next
November vote not only to continue the
present policy, but fasten upon the nation
another experiment. which will be still more
iatal in its results. The success OF free
silver would simply wipe out some Of the
industrial cities. Panic and bread riots
would follow, and the work OF a quarter OF
century Of prosperity would be DESTROYED.
Surely such a possibility Is remote
ROBERT p. PORTER.