The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1899-09-07
PRICES and WAGES.
Have Workingmen Been Bene-
fitcd by the Good Timesf
SOME CONVINCING TESTIMONY.

Not Only Are Wages Higher bv Fifteen
to Twenty Per Cent, but the Average
Cost of Cotton Fabrics Is Lower Than
In 1S98-The Words of an Authority |
on the Subject.
Many of the most extreme Democrat
ic papers of the country have sought
to convey the impression that the price
of the necessities of life have increased
more rapidly in the last three years
than the wages of workingmen and
that the workingmen have therefore
gained nothing by the boom in busi-
ness.
This would be matter of great i'm
portance If true and careful investi-
cation Is in progress to determine
whether or not it is correct.
The inquiry in the cotton goods in
dustry shows that the claim is abso-
lutely without foundation.
The firm of Bancroft, Sheldon and
| company of Columbus is one of the
| largest in Ohio dealing in cotton fab
| RIGS. Mr.. R. E. Sheldon, of this firm,
is an authority on the cotton fabric
| industry. Mr.. Sheldon was asked
| whether it is true that the prices of
cotton fabrics have increased in a
greater ratio than the wages of work.
ingmen and that, therefore, the pres
ent prosperous times are an injury in
stead of benefit to the workingman.
Mr. Sheldon said:
"Prices Of fabrics have not increased
faster than wages. On the contrary,
wages have increased much faster than
the prices of fabrics. The following
comparison of prices on the leading
cotton fabrics will indicate plainly
enough that workingmen's wages have
increased faster than prices:
Aug.
1896 1897 1899
Standard 4-yd. sheet-...
Appleton "A Sheetings.6 c 5 C SIC
ings ........ .......41sc 3Bc 4 c
Hills 4BleachedCotton. 5Rc 6 c
Hope Bleached Cotton. SAC 5Ac 5%c
Lancaster Ginghams. ..6 4&c SIC
The low prices in 1897 were the re-
suit of the enormous cotton crop OF
that year which was the biggest crop
in the history of the country. While
prices were lower in 1897 wages were
not reduced. The average price of the
five staple fabrics quoted was .0565 in
1896, and is .0525 today. Prices today
are lower than In 1891 when the work.
ingmen were struggling to get employ
ment at any kind of wages, while now
work is seeking them. -~-'
"It is we'll known that the scale of
wages in the cotton industry
all over New England was re-
duced during the hard times. In many
cases the reduction was 25 per cent.
Within the last year the old scale has
been restored in nearly every mill in
New England, and in some cases the
advance has gone beyond it.
'It is a falsehood to say that the
slight increase in the price of cotton
fabrics over the prices of 1897 works
trary, can prove that man today can
buy more with 50 than he could with
$3.50 under the Grover Cleveland-Wil-
son tariff.
notwithstanding the local price of
fabrics, the total business of this trade
during the first six months of the
present year exceeded the business of
the same period in 1898 by nearly 20
per cent. The business of Ohio during
the month of July, 1S99 showed an in
crease of 26 per cent. over the same
month of last year, and the business
of Columbus for the first half of Au-
gust, 1899, shows an increase Of S5 per
cent. over the same period of last year.
All of this is very gratifying, especial
ly when l remember that I did not
make dollar in 1895 and 1896, but lost
money and was tempted to quit the
business.
"The following comparisons between
the prices of standard fabrics in 1864
and the prices Of the same fabrics
today will give some comfort to all cit
izens who favor staple currency:
1864, 1899,
Per yd. Per yd.
Cocheco Prints. ........ so 4 C
Lancaster Gingham. go c 6Ac
Hills "A Bl'ch'd Cotton. 81 c sac
, Hope Bleached Cotton 81 C sac
Appleton's Std Sheeting 72Ac 5Ac
, Pepperell Sheeting.. $1.64 16 G
"a laboring man in 1864 did not
earn as much as he can today. A
number of causes contribute to the diff
ference between the prices of 1864 and
1899. In 1864, when a man got a So
bill he examined it carefully. He was
, dubious about it. He would much pre-
fer to have his S. in gold. How many
. are there who scrutinize S. bill to-
, day? Sound money is the great cause
of the difference between the prices OF