The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1898-09-24
PROSPERITY RETURNING.
Are Finding Employment-
Drynnite HowlerE.

The American Economist prints re-
turns from 2,229 manufacturing con
Germs, giving the number of men EN-
ployed and wages paid, in March, 1895,
and also in March. 1898. These estab-
lishments. which represent every in.
dustry. are scattered through AZ states
and territories. They had on thei,
pay rolls'in March, 1895, at time when
the violence of the panic of 1898 had
somewhat abated, 20i,5S0 hands,
Those men were paid during that
month as wages the sum of $7,0T0,000.
That was at the average rate of $34.6C
per month. Last March the same es'
Establishments had on their pay rolls
269, 1923 men, whose wages amounted ia
O,19s,000. The average payment was
bare trife lessthan $3S.
Thus it appears that in three years
there was gain of 81 per cent. in the
number of men employed and of 0 pei
cent. in the rate of wages paid. These
1920 concerns, which have made re.
ports, have not been picked out ba-
cause they have been enjoying special
prosperity. They are representative
of the conditions obtaining in the
classes to which they belong. There
fore, the employers have been making
successive demands upon the unem.
ployed, of whom there were so many
three years ago, until they have near
ly oneethird more men in their service
than early in 1895. and are paying a
better rate of wages. The wages are
paid, too, in gold value money, and
not in free coinage silver dollars, with
a purchasing power of only about 40
cents apiece.
AS a result of the employment of so
many more men, and the disbursement
of so much more money in the form OF
wages, all those persons who supply
the necessares of life to the wage.
workers have been benefited. The gro.
GERS, the clothiers, and all other re-
tail dealers have been able to do more
business. The old debts due them
from the unemployed, whom they were
carrying, have been paid off in whole
or part. The merchants and shop
keepers have required the services Of
more men, and they, too, have made
drafts on the ranks of the unemployed
The war with Spain, which began
about a month after the above-men-
toned industrial returns were made,
did not throw anybody out of work,
| No branch of industry was depressed
by it. It may be said that the transfer
of so many men from peaceful to mill
tary pursuits tended to stiffen prices
in the labor market. But ii appears
from the reports of the commercial
| agencies the advent of peace is to be
followed by greatly increased indus
trial activity. The working force OF
/ the TEXTILE manufactures is to be in.
creased. The rising demand for iron
and steel is putting up the price OF
these products, and calling for the EN-
ployment of more men to fill new
heavy orders,
| In the meanwhile, the irritated and
unhappy Bryanites are crying out thai
there is no prosperity, and no present
hope of any, and that the state of at
fairs could not be much worse than =
is. The men who were idle in 1895 be
cause they could not get work, though
they hunted for it. are busy now
Wages have advanced, wages are pai'
in what the Bryanites call "appre
ciated gold dollars"-dollars which
they allege buy too much for th'
workingmen who receive them. Blu
the Bryanites contend that all tina
does not indicate prosperity. Their
can be no prosperity according tt
them until the country is flooded will
free coinage legal tender silver dol
lars, which will buy only two-fifths a
much as gold value dollars do, bu
which by dishonest, retroactive legis
lation will be made to 60 as far in TIL
payment of gold-standard debts a
100-cent dollars.-Chicago Tribune.