Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1896-06-25

wage-earner resIsts cuts in wages, but
finally wages do and must fall, for as
prices fall, reducing the fund out OF
which wages are paid, the employer
will reduce wages, or, failing in this,
close his mill or factory, for in the
long run the employer cannot and will
not pay wages out Of his own accumu-
lations. If the price received for the
product is not sufficient to recompense
the employer for his outlay for raw
material and wages and leave a profit
over incidental expenses he will have
no incentive to production, always ex-
cepting the owners Of such mills and
factories, the machinery of which rap
idly deterlorates in idleness, and who,
consequently, will struggle on to keep
their mills open even at loss.
So we find when prices are falling,
not only the nominal wage rate falling
but the income of the wage-earner fur
Their cut into by short hours and idle
ASSh' EhAAu LOl otlbh AbuuNhAOhp lin
wage-earner is not as we said, COM
pensated by corresponding fall in the
prices which he is obliged to pay in
supplying his wants. Consequently
falling prices mean reduction in the
purchasing power of his wages. His
house rent is only remotely affected by
falling prices and does not fall with
the resulting fall in wages, and house
rent is large item. Then the wage
Garner buys his bread at the bakery
and the loaf of bread does not fall in
price with the fall in wheat which inn
poverishes the farmer, or he buys flour
in small quantities at the corner gro
cery where he also buys other proyi-
sions. But it is long after the price
obtained by the farmer for wheat and
the miller for flour has fallen before
the corner groceryman can reduce the
price of the bag of -four, for he always
has on hand a supply of -four while
prices are falling which he could in
deed replace at lower prices, but for
which he may have paid considerably
higher, and unless he can keep up the
retail price much after the wholesale
price has fallen and until he can dis,
pose of what he bought at higher prices
he will be out of pocket. And so 1t is
with other groceries and all goods
bought at retail
The foregoing demonstrates conclu-
sively ~ That the impoverishment OF
the farmers of the United States has
steadily proceeded since the date Of the
, demonstration of silver. ~ That
there can be no real prosperity in a
country where the farmers are reduced
to penury and bankruptcy. 90 That
J with the impoverishment Of the farm.
ers all wage-earners suffer, and az
as is said by The American in the
closing paragraphs of the article in
questionable wage-earner prospers
when prices are rising, for then it is
that his employer prospers. Then ii
Is that he receives the best wages, and
then it is that his wages go farthest
and his command over the comforts Of
life is greatest When prices are fall.
ing and when the profits of industry
are decreasing, then it is that employ
ment is slack and wages low. while
even the purchasing power of the
smaller wage grows relatively less and
less.
All producing classes prosper to-
gether and they suffer together. Pros
perity lies in rising prices, and adver'
sity, losses, suffering, in falling prices
To check the fall in prices should
therefore be our one great aim, fol
while prices are falling progress is i'm.
possible and civilization is at stand.
still. The fall in prices during the last
twenty years has been artificial and
to check the fall we must remove the
artificial cause-namely, the apprecia'
ton of gold. And this can be done only
by decreasing the demand for gold
which in turn can be done by remon'
etizing silver.