Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-06-01
PROSPERITY FOR wAGE.EARNERs.

PROSPERITY FOX NAGE'EARNEhS.
The advance of wages announced in
lie current issue of the American
Economist is natural development of
HE conditions of returning prosperity
which set in directly upon the inagura.
Ion of President Mckinley two years
ago. Following the enactment of the
D.ngely Tariff came II marked reyi-
val of business activity, which at the
lose of 1898 had in many ways passed
lhc high water mark of 1892, the year
in which the benefits of the Mckinley
Iuiif were at their zenith. The first
quarter of 1899 has witnessed n con-
tinuation and increase of "good times"
Iingely Tariff times-and q new set of
exceptional prosperity have been es'
t&bliShed
Now comes the wage-earncr'S period
Of prosperity. He has not been without
some share in the bettered condition of
th'ngS for even though his wages were
hot largely increased. he was the
gainer by increased and certain en-
r,oymcnt. So long ago as March
.s9S, as shown by the industrial cen
Sus Of the American Protective Tariff
c:gue. Il vast increase had taken
place in the gross sum of money dis
bursed among work people, as com
pared with the month of March. 1898,
when the disastrous Tariff tinkering
u y FreeTrade administration had be-
gun its deadly work upon American
labor and industry 1t will be recalled
1hat this census. reporting compare
tive conditions in nearly 2500 labor
employing establishments. showed for
H"1ch, 1898. eight months after the
l,:ss:ge of the Dingely law, Il gain of
j .tJ per cent. in the number of hands
employed, Il gain of 44.05 per cent in
'!c gross sum of wages paid, and II
Ihin OF l1.56 per cent in the average
%l9o rate per capita.
These gains, important and signiti-
crrt though they were, had not at
that time reached the more populons
Ccnters of employment, the large aver
.sge being helped by exceptional in
creaseS in regions OF smaller popula-
Ton. For example, phenomenal gains
were shown in the States of the Paci-
&c Coast, the Far West, the Middle
West and the Northwest. Longer time
was needed TO bring about general adj
vance in the heavy producing districts
of the Middle and Eastern States. En-
Crn0uS OyerStockS of foreign goods
brought in just prior 10 the higher d,-
les of the Dingely Tariff ha. depreS-
>ed home production i'll many import
ant lines, and until these stocks had
been absorbed by consumption the
lean period must perforce continue.
The advent of the fat period 50
confidently anticipated as tn" natural
outcome of the policy of Projection Is
obviously at hand Tn" reports
prIpted in the current issue of the
american Economist show II general
advance in earnings of cottni,
laill operatives of about 10 I"''
cent. of iron and steel WORK
cls generally 10 per cent, i'll I'm
plate and sheet workers from 10 10
per cent. of coal miners about 10 per
ont. and in several other departments
of labor fully 10 per cent The report
thus far indicate that neatly 250,ooO
workers have been affected by the adj
vance i'm wages. Other establishments
which were forced to reduce wages i'll
times of Free-Trade Tariff depression
and which are now experiencing the
L.netits of revived activity ace certain
TO join in the increase of wages.
There is in the situation. rs it exists
TO day and as it promises to develop
from this time, a guarantee of good
business for the entire country. As is
well remarked by "Dun's Review of
March IL:
Traders and manufacturers can only
sell when wage-earners can buy, AMI
IN proportion to their buying power.
Those who fail to comprc-
lend what such II change may mean
have only TO consider that Il tenth m
crease in the wages of all labor would
put into the market Il new buying de-
nand, in amount about thrae-quarters
of the entire value of exports 10 all
countries.
Protection is keeping its word with
the American workingman. The Ding
10y Tariff is carrying out its contract
10 revive business and increase wages.
The advance agent of prosperity
proves TO have been acting with
knowledge and authority. The fulfill
;nent is in II fair way to make good
th forecast. and more, too.