The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1899-09-16

''They are very fine and afford men
a chance to live handsomely at a very
excellent hotel-in fact they may be said
to be strictly first class-at 65 cents
day. Sixteen cents for meals and six
teen cents for lodging"
eyes, Doctor, but the idea of excluding
women?''
'"rhere are women's hotels in New
York"
sTrue, but the separation of men from
women-mens hotels, women's hotels,
what an idea! What has brought about
This separation of the sexes?'
"'rhey are not separated in many no.
tells. You will find both men and women
together at the Fifth Avenue and at the
Waldorf Astoria"
eyes. true, at all the high-priced no.
tells, you will find the sexes together, but
at the low priced hotels the men are by
themselves. Why is it?" -l.s=-5,-.
That question, Mr.. Williams, answers
itself. Men with great abundance of
money can support their wives at the
first class hotels, but there is rapidly
growing great population of men who can
barely support themselves. Tens Of thou
sands of men never earn over a dollar a
day They have long since given up any
thought ofburdening themselves with a
family to support. They can barely sup
port themselves and no more. These men
naturally welcome the Mills hotel, with
first class accommodations at small
price.
"Why are women excluded?'
s ..They are not. But as there is no male
boarder there able, or willing to support
a woman, and as women never care to
mfngle largely with men without pros
pect of marriage, the single women nat
urally go to the women's hotel"
eve see there is prospect Of capital
lists in other cities taking up the idea of
constructing mems hotels.' .~-
eyes, that is very commendable. AS
the years go by there will be more and
more demand for mems hotels. The
army Of men who cannot support fam
lilies will rapidly grow larger
."How can you prove that, Doctor, when
the facts are that wages are today being
steadily advanced?"
eyes, that seems true, and it is true
that If a man will put ON a pair of over
alls and begrim his face he can get work
at, two dollars day. But, even at that
large wage IL he boards at a Mills hotel
at 65 cents day, his board will cost him
four dollars and half per week. His
laundry will cost him dollar more
week, while clothing and incidentals will
require dollar more, The very best he
can do his living at the Mills hotel will
cost him six dollars and a half per week.
Now, providing he gets work every day
and is never sick, he can apparently save
five dollars and a half a week, but that,
ayou see, is not enough to support a second
person -
..But, Doctor, at tine rate they have
been advancing wages lately 1t looks as II
the future was assured for laboring men,
1t seems now as If wages might reach
two dollars and half or three dollars
a day. A living wage like that might
convert these Mills hotels into family ho-
tels'
eyes, Mr.. Williams, If the wages you
speak Of were to prevail. But this era of
good wages will be of very short dura-
ti,n. The productive power Of machinery
in the world is so enormous, at the pres
ent time, as to make it possible to pro-
duce vastly more in short time than
can be consumed in long time. At pres
ent the entire productive force of the
country is being pushed to its furtherest
capacity. The result Will be that, in a
brief period, there will more clothing pro-
duced than can be worn out, more boots
and shoes will be made than can be used,
more lumber. more hardware, more Was-
ons. more chairs, more of everything WILL
In few years. be in the market than can
possibly be used The consequence will
be that the factories now MAX
ing these goods, will by and by stand
still Their employees will go into idle
ness. Then when they can earn nothing
they will go for their little savings In the
bank They will go in such large num-
bers as @ cause the bank to fail; then a
financial panic will be on, business gener-
ally will be shut down, ana mllllonalres
will double their fortunes"
How far is that time off, Doctor?'
at can be no further awayq than
five years, if it is that long. When all
the steam and electricity, machinery and
power is turned on night and day, as it
is now, the output in a single year Is
enormous. 1t is but a short time before
the overproduction will be so great as to
take many years to consume the sur
plus. 1t has taken six years to eat up
and wear out the over stock we had on
handn 1893, but the producing capacity of
the country is so much greater now than
formerly it is possible to produecm uch
faster, and consequently a vast overpro-
duction is only a short way off,
"Well, what of it, Doctor?'
''That this spirit of prosperity is only
of very short duration. Just as surely as
the pendulum. which swings FAR out on
the one side will swing far back ON the
other side, just SO sure is it that this
tremendous rush will be followed by
great reaction
What about it. Doctor?'
"Onlv this. Mems hotels will continue
to be mems hotels, never family hotels.
The men that occupy them can never
hope to support families. The labor con-
ditions will be such as 20 enable hundreds
themselves. OF course, we are glad to
see these mems hotels erected. They will
be ali in demand. If men are compelled
to live in celcbacy. Let them be just as
t.cI.1fort a hIa poSSihlp Rv all means LET