The San Francisco call., 1896-06-28

THE FIELD OF ECONOMICS.

THE FIELD OF ECONOMICS.
The story of the philosophy of eco
nomics is very much more interesting and
entertaining when the subject is partially
freed from political and ethical environ
ment. The field of the practical play of
economics reaches from producer to con-
sumner, and between these two lie all the
machinery, appliances and agencies of
commerce. Between these two points,
producer and consumer the entire oper
alton of cause and effect is confined, hence
if one spot is touched, whether in rudeness
or sympathy, an effect is produced which
is felt by producer and consumer, and all
that is between. The bounds of the COM
ing and going of every one are set, and be-
tween them he is free to come and go, but
they inJerlace with the bounds of another
at some point, as does that ones interlace
with still another, hence there is no such
thing in existence as entire separateness.
Commerce strains and groans in effort
to reach the consumer, but the expense of
it all is charged to him. He carries, in
deed. the burden of cost of production and
transportation, including the expense of
all the intermediary agencies, commonly
called middiemen. The consumer is
separated from the producer by two to
him, unsurmountable distractions time
and distance. But the rail or water COM
merce-carrier undertakes to remove in
part these distractions, and in ratio to the
carriers ability to remove them is the
burden of the consumer lightened, and it
is right here that the importance of public
supervision of the charges of the COM
mon carrier for the use of his transporta-
tion facilities is made manifest. We say
public supervision because it is q matter
in which every participant in the move
ment from the producers fields, to illus
trate, to the provision closet of the con-
sumner has personal interest, which in turn
involves the business connection of every
intermediary factor and agency.
The farmer is free to sow or not that a
surplus may be left after supplying his own
needs, but if he does restrict his product TO
his own needs he cripples the threshing-
machine, the elevator, the railway agencies
and the distributor to consumers from
the final point of accumulation and dis
tribution, by causing a scarcity. AS a con-
sequence, the consumer is loaded with an
extra burden which is likely to include in
creased charges by the elevator, railway
and all other intermediary agencies.
There is point, of course, beyond which
the consumerwill not go. He will restrict
his expenditure by consuming coarser
food and wearing apparel when the bur-
den becomes too great, and that is, in
fact, the only protection he has against
combinations to advance the cost of his
living beyond what his income iustifies
his paying. In any event, however, the
farmer will have plenty for his own con-
sumption.
If the product of the consumer 1--WE mean
by consumer the industrial operative who
has to buy every article of consumption
advances materially upon a permanent
basis his wages are likely to be advanced,
thus widening the difference between in
crease and expenditure and leaving him
greater net difference. Now, assuming
that the farmers products do not advance
in the same proportion, he is still better
circumstanced than the operative. The
smallest OUTLAY of the farmer is for manu-
factured goods; naturally so because the
very expensive items of consumption, such
as breadstuffs, meat and vegetables, to-
gether with house rent. fuel and lighting,
cost him practically nothing at all. On
the other hand the largest expenditure of
the operative is for the very things the
farmer gets free, so in any event the
farmer could not have the cause to COM
plain that the operative would have.
The study of the philosophy of ap-
piled economics could not help convincing
any falr-minded man that it is the first
duty of the Government to tighten the
burden of operatives by equalization, so to
speak. That is to say, conditions should
be so that there would be a reasonable and
just difference between expenditure and
income of the frugal and industrious
operative so as to leave him net surplus.
When that is done, conditions should be
such that would make the farmer the
operatives only source of provisions and
breadstuffs supplies at prices full up to
where another advance would be checked
by outside competition. or, in other words,
up to where the farmsr had gone beyond
the protection which the Government
gives him, which should of course be
ample to leave him a margin of profit as
is secured to the industrial operative. The
application of the principles of protection
upon these lines would provide sufficient
encouragement to steady and sure wealth
expansion. and at the same time prevent
an unjust distribution of wealth's in
creases. 1t is this kind of protection that
the Republican party has obligated itself
to give to the country.