Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-01-28
THE GOLDBUG NERVE.
CLAIMS THAT WAGES ARE
RISING VOLUNTARILY.
On the Contrary Heavy Reductions Are
GenGfal-The Ninstsy Bill Does MOI
In the Least Cheek SJd Standard
Tendencies.

do Blade, publishes the following eul-
torial, under the heading Wages Ris-
ing Voluntarily:
Wages are the price of labor. La
Dor is a commodity, and like all others
its price depends primarily upon de-
mand as related to supply. The re-
vival of industry, consequent upon the
victory for honest money at the polls
last fall, and the restoration OF the
conditions which provide sound OASIS
for our industries by the enactment Oh
the Dingley tariff law. is now bringing
its logical result-an increase OF wages,
without strikes or the employment Oh
brute force in any other FORM.
This is the general claim made by
the gold press without specifying par
ticular instances. The reverse is the
truth. Wages are being reduced all
over the country, even in those indus
tries especially favored by the Ding
ley tariff. Following is portion or
the record as printed in the news COL
umn of the same papers that are edl-
torially advertising Mckinley prosper
tty:
Cotton manufacturers operating two
thirds of the spindles of New Hamp-
shire reduced the wages of their en-
ployes about 10 per cent January 1.
At least 10000 operatives are affected.
The Cotton Manufacturers associa-
ton, of Fall River, has reduced wages
10 per cent in all the mills of the city.
The reduction affects $4,000 employees.
Amoskeag corporation, of Manches-
ter, N. H., employing 5000, and the
China, Pembroke and Webster mills at
Suncook, employing 1900. reduced
wages 10 per cent commencing Janu-
airy 1.
The Housesmiths' and Bridgemens
union of New York made complete
surrender to the firm of ]. B. & ]. NJ.
Cornell Monday, but quit work again,
induced to do so by threats of suspen-
sion from their unions.
The weavers at the Bridgeton, N. j.,
wooden mills went on a strike Friday.
The Fishdale mills of Sturbridge,
have notified their employees of a re-
duction of 10 per cent. About 400
persons are employed.
The Millbury cotton mills of Wor-
cester, Mass, have posted a notice Of a
cut of 10 per cent.
The treasurers of the Lowell cotton
mills, at meeting held at Lowell,
Mass, Friday, voted to reduce the
wages of their employees from January
II. About $4,000 operatives will be at
fected.
The reductions in wages have made
a great deal of trouble in the mills at
Fall River, Mass, and the labor leaders
who are there managing the case for
the workingmen, have submitted a rea-
sorable proposition to the capitalists.
But that proposition has been all but
rejected. What the labor unions sug-
gest is arbitration by the state board,
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poohed. 1t has been further requested
by the toilers that the agreement pro-
posed be deferred until next March,
so far as its operation is concerned.
The representations Of the men that
they are at present degraded by their
wage scale below the standard of CIV
ilization is amply confirmed by indie
pendent investigation. Many of the
mill hands have been compelled: TO
support their families on seven dol
lars week. So poor are the toilers
that their children were forced to go
without medical attendance during a
recent epidemic of diphtheria The
capitalists declare that they are now
paying the highest wages they can af-
ford, truly astonishing statement in
view of the high protection they are
enjoying under the Dingley bill
Those who do their shopping in the
department stores of the large cities
can testify from personal experience
that the prices charged for the prod
ucts of the Fall River mills were never
so high. The grades of goods have
moreover, deteriorated in quality. But
the men whose toll produces these
commodities have been forced to sub
NIT to a reduction of their pay until
they are at the point of starvation.
The World has canvassed the or
ganized trades Of New York, and made
estimates of unorganized labor, and
finds that there are $4,000 unorganized
men in that city out of total of 297.
900, or almost one man in every three
The only trades showing increases over
last year in number employed are the
building trades and cigarmakers. II
must be confessed that in New York
as we'll as in New England, the Ding
leyized gold standard is, up to date, a
failure. And this is the year of ouI
Lord 1898. When may we reasonably
expect prosperity?
Until very recently wages in the
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