The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-10-09
THE MECHANIC AND THE TARIFF
What Three Years of reform" Have Done
For Him.

What Three Years of Reform" Have Done
For Him.
From 1880 to 1892 the five million or
more persons engaged in manufacture
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 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 We're 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 indiyid-
ual cities show the prosperity of the
building trades. we have the official
census return of manufactures. Here
are the figures:
Capital so, $50. 76e. 800 &C. 139, 397. 1856
No; employed 9Ia 900 2.790a32 4,476 ss4
Val. of products 5349 iS1 As 9656 "a "a $50 9S
In spite of an alleged approaching
currency, over Ga per cent. more CAPT
tai was invested in mills and factories
and workshops in 1890 than in 1890
Nearly &c 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
Ihere 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-
velope, 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 irving
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 ali
solutely 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 in
1880.
Including mechanics, there were add
ed to this class of bread-winners 2.5OO.
600 between 1880 and 1890, or $50. 900
for each year. In manufacturing alone
over $4,000, 100000 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 all
of more value as aids to progress than
currency.
Then people were ready to invest;
now they hold back. Then wage-earn-
erS were receiving full money for their
work, and their consuming power was
almost double what it is now. 1t is
claimed by those who are capable of
making estimates, that in 1892 the
value of our manufacturing product
had reached $10,0OO,OOO,OOO. Had the
Mckinley law remained in force. and
had there been no financial disturb
ance, the close of the present wear.
1896, should have seen this amount
So, 0O0, O0O, O00s Instead of that care
full estimates by reliable authorities
bring out the startling fact that the