Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-18

ront by point until 1t has reached
the lowest figure ever known.
The chief reason for this fail In
staple product of New England labor
Is the competition of southern mills,
which have several important advan-
tages over those of the north and east.
First, they. are close to the fields
where the cotton is raised and thus
they save freight on raw material
Then they can procure labor for lower
wages than are paid In New England.
because labor is not well organized In
the South: and they can require oper-
atIves to work more hours per day
than the laws of the New England
states allow, because southern legis-
latures have not passed laws restrict
ing the hours Of labor.
The standard of living is higher and
more expensive in New England than
in the South. partly because the ell
mate is colder. requiring more fuel
and clothing and better food ana
houses than would suffice In the mia
climate of the southern states. ana
rarity because fashions and pubic
sentiment in New England forbid that
simpliclty and frugality which may be
maintained without criticism below
Mason and Dlxons line. Thus the
food. clothing and tenement OF Ne"
Bedford family. which In that town are
regarded as fxins the status OF the
family in the depths OF poverty wouiu
he regarded in a southern city as qu''e
comfortable and respectable.
This competition with the south ~
nne of the most serious problems eh"'
ever confronted New England ana her
nublicIsts and statesmen. as wen az het
manufacturers, are PROFOUNDLY eNe'
cised concerning 1t. Her pubic oplii''''
condemns the repeal of laws tnat huNe
heen nassed in the interest of labor anu
tho reduction OF wages that Will enaple
her mills to meet the competing prices
Of the South: but the outlook IS 'ha'
the laws must be repealed ana the re-
duction must be made or the mills must
close permanently. The grind OF ihuus-
trial connection Is bearing hard upon
the mill owners and operatives OIL Inv
northeastern states.
China Is being dsmembered. soon
European governments VIII be IN con-
troll of her territory and European
flnanclers will be engaged in utiiizlhs
and developing her vast resources ihe
chief of these is her myriads OF people
who are remarkable for their Industry
their aptness at acquiring any mechan-
ical art. and the small cost and guam
tlty of food and clothing necessary u
supply all their wants. what wouiu ne
uncomfortable poverty for an American
mill operative would be opulenee Tor
Chinaman; and when print miiis are III
operation In China. and the cotton Is
crown near them. as 1t can be In abun-
dance. and when the product OF those
mills is put upon the markets OF the
world what is to become OF the mn
employees OF America?
what liz here said of cotton goods
win amply to many OF the leading com
modities manufactured and consumed
nv civilized man. There seems to be
every reason to believe that the labor
of Asia will shortly be employed in pro-
| ducing these commodities, and when
this comes to pass the distress that
must ensue among the working classes
OF the more highly civilized nations
Will inevitably be very great. Then in
deed will the grind of industrial COM
petition be something awful. The sur
fering that will be caused by 1t VIII be
OF the severest character. The labor OF
civilized countries will resist wage re-
| auctions and the lowering OF the
standard of living, while employers VIII
find 1t impossible to pay established
wages and operate their plants, and out
of such a status must come social tur-
MOL and upheavals of dreadful char
acter.
OF course man will ultimately so ad-
lust himself and his environments as
to bring relief to himself; but In order
to do this he win be obliged to put in
practice principles of law, finance and
social order quite different from those
which now prevail in the world