Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-03-09
Reduced Salaries.

Reduced Salaries.
On Tuesday last an article from Wal
lace's Monthly, showing the proba-
bility OF lower wages for farm hands,
though that paper sold out to the gold
standard men of the east, and advo-
Gated what is the prime cause of low
wages, the gold standard, and its pri-
ces for the products of labor.
j. A. Mccall OF the New York Life
Insurance Company, will be remem-
bered' as the author of agold standard
catechism that was circulated and
published as a republican campaign
document showing the loss to labor,
to those insured, the reduction Of
wages unless the gold standard was
maintained, and yet he has discharg-
ed one half of the employees he had
march in the Mckinley professions
and reduced the wages of those re-
tanned about 80 per cent. because of
the increased purchasing power OF
money paid for salaries.
The Cresco school board has re-
duced the wages OF it's teachers from
two and half to ten dollars per month
The truth is the purchasing power of
salaries has been nearly doubled in
the last ten years which is equivalent
to an increase in salary while the
ability of wealth producers 10 pay tax
es out of which these salaries are paid
has been correspondingly decreased.
A large majority of those having fixed
salaries by reason of their devotion to
the cause OF low and lower values,
are committed to that policy and by
every rule of right should be consist
ent, and take the medicine without
complaint which they commended to
the tax payers. A system of money
that cuts in two the price of corn, oats,
beef, hogs, wool, and other products
of labor, should cut all public salaries
in two. Tie expenses of the families
OF those who produce the wealth aud
pay the taxes, under existing condi-
tions must be reduced and it should be
understood that the expenses OF the
nation, the state, and if need be of the
public schools should be correspond
ingly reduced. Lower salaries should
be part of the scheme of appreciating
dollars.
To maintain the standing and char
acter of our public schools the wages
of its instructors should he increased
rather than reduced. The time and
money they have used in preparing
themselves for an efficient discharge
of the duties of their calling should in
sure them an increase rather than q
reduction in wages. But the law fixes
the salaries of federal, state, and coun-
| ty officers, and as these cannot be re.
duced, except by law, the only mean:
the public has to get relief from the
exorbitant drain Of taxes is to reach out
for wages fixed by contract. The
salaries Of the average county officer
at present prices of farm products.
will take the entire crop of three OF
four good farms conducted by men as
competent to fill the office as is it's in
cumbent. But these salaries are fixed
| by law and can only be reduced by en-
actment OF the legislature which seems
inclined in revising the code to allow
salaries to remain as at present. Its
only retrenchment 80 far is to reduce
the price allowed to publishers OF
newspapers for printing done for the
counties and for other legal printing
While the prices heretofore paid fol
this work has not made the printers
rich; or the counties poor, we should
not feel disposed to complain had the
/ al n ro1roa1 fhnfN h.
pay of other salaried officers proper
tionately.
When we read of men who are thor
oughly educated as accountants anG
book-keepers who are willing to work
for barely the food that will sustain
life; as was the case of the book-keep.
er for the Linseed Oil company who
came to the Office ana seated himsel
at the desk at which had sat ant
worked for years; and after writing
farewell messages to friends, deliber
ately committing suicide; his last writ
ten words being, II die hungry" VIZ
see in it the desperate straits to which
those who may be reached by private
contract are being reduced to. The
thought of the thousands and thous
ands competent to manage any busi
ness who are willing to perform any
sort of labor that will give them foot
and fuel to keep wife and children
from suffering, shows what money
famine and hard times will bring |
people to.
J. These things have been seen AM
foretold by the reform press of tn
country for years only to be scotfe'
at by the great dailies owned aut
controlled by those who profit by the