Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1897-07-02
LOSS OF EARNINGS
NOW DECREASE IN WAGES AFFECTS
GENERAL BUSINESS.

NSuN6VSS0 oSSSSSSISs
why Railway Were Forced Into Re-
oeivers Hands-Enterprise Side Tracked
and Money Withdrawn From Circula-
tion-The Remedy. 85 $8
All available facts point to the con-
elusion that the people Of the United
States have during these three years o1
free trade and industrial famine been
suffering from q loss Of part Of the enor-
nous income Of those engaged in gain
full occupations The side trackingof al
enterprise, the destruction Of our indus
tries and forcing our railways into the
hands of receivers has resulted in an al
most fabulous loss Of income Az! the
whole nation had shared in the pros
perity, 80 all classes were affected by
tho depression. It is folly to imagine for
a moment that the occupations Of part
# the people of nation can be taken
away from them and wages reduced and
the rest of the country remain prosper
GUS 0
The American farmer has suffered
during the last few years simply because
the consuming powers Of those engaged
in manufacturing and mechanical pur-
suits have been curtailed. It should be
remembered that we are all part Of one
great living organism, as intimately
connected as the parts Of the huanan
body itself. Hold up your left hand and
imagine the thumb and your fingers the
five grand divisions Of the gainful O.
equations as returned by the census de-
partment The "Hand Of Toll" repre-
sents these workers, numbering 30, 736,
681 persons. Left Of the life line, in
Guiding the thumb, represents the farm
ers, o. oyer e,ooo.o 900 Of our workers;
~ -ef'~ 49, -: 80 assume, repre-
sents Il: csc engaged ia manufacturing
ard m ccha.:ical pursuits and who ex-
c:ed 5000, 600; the second finger may
represent those engaged In personal and
domestic service, exceeding 1890, 900
in all; the third finger represents those
engaged in trade and transportation, ex-
ceeding 3,326, 900, and the little finger
represents tie professional, class with
less than 1000, 900; the whole repre-
senting the national hand of toll, and .
total engaged in gainful occupations Of
20, 735, 661.
Now it is impossible for any one of
these five different classes to set up in
business for itself and thrive while it's
fellow finger is injured. When the blow
was struck at our manufacturing indus
tries, what happened? Work and wages
stopped. The wages of 4,713,000 work
ers were either reduced or stopped alto
gether. How much were those wages?
About So, 1884, 900, 900 in 1890. Proba-
bly, more in 1892. A cut of only 10 per;
cent all around means loss Of $3.50, 4
600, 600; a 30 per cent reduction means
q loss annually of $500, 700, 600. 49, ts$sss
The blow directed at the heart of our
prosperity paralyzed other organs. 1t
seriously affected our railways and
threw out Of employment $50, 900 men
and reduced many others to three-Quar-
ter time. In short, it raised havoc with
the country. With the election Of Nc.
Kinley hope has returned once more.
With favorable legislation our manufac-
turers may be able to start up again.
The same is true Of our railways The
extension of the present interstate COM
MERGE act, giving the roads power to
enforce the present schedule under the
supervision of the commission, will en-
able the railways of the country to, be-
gin the building Of II, 500 miles of rail-
way already projected. This means the
expenditure Of 100000, 900, mostly in
labor. As the opening Of the mills will
benefit the railways, SO the prosperity
Of the railways will enable the man.
ayers to expend millions on needed
which will give employ
ment to numerous branches of manufac-
ture. ...-..
Once put the incomes Of the people,
whether engaged in manufacturing, in
professional or domestic
or in agriculture, right again
and the money question will disappear.
During the last four years we have
made less commodities, carried less
freight and less passengers, worked less
hours and less men and women, and
paid less wages. Once start our army Of
workers up again, and the whole coun-
Try will be benefited. To that end Pres
ident Mckinley called congress together:
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