The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-06
THE TRUST" DOES IT.

1HE ltA0l fDfS'F 49,
All manner OF people are ct all tinieS
coine 10 Washington city As men 10
a,,.o 70 the seas in ships to dc their
,'....,,,oss g, ga DO the citizens OF the United |
c+.,cs drift to the seat Of this mighty |
,,overnment generally with the proudest
-, of securing for their own particu- !
lar behoof something of what That gov
eminent is supposed to hold in an equal
trust for all.
4 specialty OF the Washington Post is |
30 have these wayfarers interviewed. and |
il picks up very many novel If but ie" |
valuable suggestions from them. a MI
u p Reavu. Of Chicago, put up |
ut one OF the hotels last week, and he |
delivered himself to reporter al'ef
.be following fashion. He said.
1T is commonly said that wages nave
increased greatly IN almost all INES Vi
work within the past hfteen OF i"en'S
roars. There is no way of refuting inc
stoten,ent. Wages Of nearly every class
OF bread-earners have steadily advanced
throughout the United States. But II
thcro has been an increase in the earnings
of our working people 1t must be reneih-
bored that the class which tolls Tor us
Twins, needs a great deal more than ala
tbo average wage-earners Of generation
aoo Then the wants of the mechanic or
| farm er's hired hand were Few ana OF the
SIMPLEST sort. The artisan Of to-day lives
like ar aristccrat compared with his pre-
decessor Of three decades ago.
"The workman VINO makes 50 day
now. as against 81 paid for the same
| sort OF labor IN former times. Is no De'-
te- off because of the difference, eNcepl
tina; his standard of living is higher As
| civilization becomes more complex the
| demands on the pOcket-book even OF inc
| b,,n,aIa are enormously enlarged. Ser
| want girls wear silk gowns: the children
Of hard working parents must dress neat
lv. extensive furniture must be bought
| for the home, and if there is q daughter
She must have a plano. IL is all right
no doubt. but when people talk Of the
| hotter wages paid nowadays let them
| reflect On the other side of the picture
BATTER wages are we'll enough, but an the
| same the struggle for existence Keeps get
| ting harder all the time and the average
/ workingman IS no happier. seeing that
| his wants have increased far In advance
Of his ability to satisfy them. This brings
| us up to the unequal distribution or
! wealth. but that IS too big subject ana
too serious for present consideration.
Mr. Reavin can take the cake. lie has
been an uncommonly shrvwd observer
and has learned great deal. but he has
drawn the most remarkable conclusions
from what he has learned that We have
met with lately. Though the workingman
| has Iuxuries that a king could not pro-
| cure two hundred years ago, Mr.. Reavill
| thinks his present increased wages are
| really no more seryiceable to him than
his old and low wages were. because his
| desires have so increased that the present
wages will not supply all of them. But
| the difference between naked man
without a cent and a man with dollar
who has bought clothes that cover his
nakedness. is that suit Of clothes and he
has no money with which to supply his
other thousand wants. But Is II 10 DE
said that he is no better off than the
naked man?
troon the other hand. Rockefeller, with
all his money, may have desires hhat ne
cannot supply. But is 1t to be SAID tha'
Rockefeller is an unfortunate man be
.ause he wishes things that money Will
not secure?
=, the subject itself were not such
serious one. and one so much misunder-
stood. we should not be jusIihed III "u-
dressing serious augmentation to it. But
MIR. Reavilrs foolish remarks open Inc
door for a correct view of the matter
lie is perfectly right in pointing out that
the desires Of worhngmen, and he mish'
ho,e added of all other classes OF men,
increase rapidly as they have the ability
TO crafty them, and that is the principe
which places It's true check ana Limitation
mon tho evils that are feared from In
dus;rial combinations. AS these combina-
tons are formed. the ability TO produce
cheaply is increased. The combination
sells as oheaply as 1t can, because II
makes more money by great sales at
small profits than by small sales at great
, nrofits. AS the product is reduced in price
I the consumer mas more money to spend
I'm something else, and. when he mas
) | money. the desire for the other Ahihe
sprines up in his mind Then there mus'
s be "a new industry employing laborers ''
4 supply this other thing. So that me III
3 dustrial combinations tends directly 10
4 first. making everything as cheap as pos
sible. and. second, to increasing employ
g ments thereby so that the entire surplus
population can find employment The In
0 dustrial combination is the direct descen
aant Of steam and electricity, born of th'
competition which they make possible
and. being once in business, it swells TIT
volume Of 1t so that every one can hn'
a living employment Thus does mature
= supply the appropriate redress for all o
: it's own difficulties, II man VIII only ALLOW
her laws TO have their own free and un
: interrupted effect.
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