The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-09-05
PRICES and WAGES.
Have Workingmen Been Bene-
hted by the Good Times?
SOME CONVINCING TESTIMONY.

To IWeuty FER Gent, nut the Average
Cost of Cotton Fabrics Is Lower Thaa
In 1S96-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 a 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
rics. 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 1895
standard 4-yd. Sheet.
Appleton "A Sheetings.6 c5 5HG
| inSs ........ .419c 3Bc 4 {
Hills "A 4BleachedCotton c 51sc 6 {
Hope Bleached Cotton. $40 51ac $50
Lancaster Ginghams. C 4%c SIX
The low prices in 1897 were the re-
suit of the enormous cotton crop o
that year which was the biggest croI
in the history of the country. While
prices were lower in 1897 wages wer'
not reduced. The average price of tn,
FIVE staple fabrics quoted was .0565 IL
1896, and is .0525 today. Prices toda!
are lower than in 1891 when the work
ingmen were struggling to get employ
ment at any kind of wages, while nov
work is seeking them.
'It is well known that the scale o
wages in the cotton industr,
all over New England was re
duced during the hard times. In man.
cases the reduction was % per cent
Within the last year the old scale ha
been restored in nearly every mill II
New England, and in some cases tn
advance has gone beyond it.
"It is falsehood to say that tn
slight increase in the price of cottol
fabrics over the prices of 1897 work
harm to the workingmen. On the con
trary, can prove that man today ca
buy more with So than he could wit
$3.50 under the Grover Cleveland viii
son tariff.
!: Notwithstanding the local price O
fabrics, the total business of this trad
during the first six months of th
! present year exceeded the business G
the same period in 1898 by nearly
per cent. The business of Ohio durfn
the month of july 1899, showed an in
crease of 26 per cent. over the sam
month of last year, and the bushes
of Columbus for the first half of Al
gust, 1899, shows an increase of 35 pc
cent. over the same period of last yea
All of this is very gratifying especial
, ly when I remember that I did nc
make dollar in 1885 and 1896, but los
, money and was tempted to quit th
, business.
"The following comparisons betwee
: the prices of standard fabrics in 186
, and the prices of the same fabric
today will give some comfort to all eli
: liens who favor a staple currency:
, 1864, 1899