The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-27

months ending February !, ouc exports
OF manufactures increased 1I2 per cent,
while the total exports. including man
ufactures. increased only 40 per cent
and the exports OF all articles excepting
manufactures but 3.3 per cent. That
We would never have arrived at this
pitch Of prosperity In manufac turing
without capital combining for this very
purpose will be seen more clearly IL In
stead OF seven months In one year we
make the comparison for the past ten
years. taking seven months ending
February l for each year of the ten, In
the seven months OF 1SSS-S9 the exports
of manufactures We're S7S.751,433. In
1892 they had risen to S9G095.461. In
1898 "a panic year,, they had fallen to
SSS,27s, ll9, but the next year they had
again risen to Sill ,0O50sS. In 1895 they
were down again. probably the chief
cause. being the silver agitation, which
made foreigners dlstrustful OF our sta
billty; consequently they fell about
seven millions, to slo4. GOT ,l0l, but in 1896
there was again an advance to S125, S02.-
CS2, showing the faith that the country
had begun to exercise in the permI-
nencE was assured by the election OF
Mckinley there was an immense stride
In these exports of no less than S27,000,-
600. the aggregate having risen to $751;
SS2.GS2. Though the figures of 1898 did
not move up with such enormous In
crease rs the previous year. yet 1t was
more than nine millions, the total being
Si39,5fl, 0a9; but the record for the seven
ri0ntits ending last February came up
to slS2.S3G. sos. showing an advance OF
more than S2?0O0.O00, breaking all re-
cords IN increase. excepting the seven
months ending February l. 1897.
Now the great and underlying princi-
Pile that has put It In our power during
the last decade to make such an unpre-
csdented advance In q department ofcom-
merce from which we We're generally
supposed to have been almost excluded,
is that OF the much maIisned comb!na-
ton OF capital Without such means
as we possess despite much ignorant
hostility OF aGGrcsating capital there
could have been no such progress as
these statistics So clearly demonstrate.
People who take narrow view OF the
subjec. talk about the system throwing
men out OF employment. To my mind
1t Is evident that there must have been
far more money spent in wages when
the manufactured exports were $780,
600 than when they were only s7S.C00. 900.
ten years previously. More than double
the value Of material by nearly three
millions worth certainly could not be
moved by less number OF men. 1t
probably required more than half as
many more, namely, so per cent. and
during this period labor itself has only
increased Is per cent, thus leaving the
workman better Off than before the
combinations began TO make such pro-
gress in the improvement OF machinery.
Can anybody Imagine that the rail-
roads could employ an army of 100000
workmen at good wages and that 1-l0O
part OF cent per ton per mile would
make the difference between dividend
and no dividend to certain prosperous
were not worked extensively in the
railroad industry? AS similar Crgu-
ments apply TO other industries with
equal cogency, consider 1t unneces-
sary. to multiply examples as any one
can do so for himself simply by opening
his eyes, looking over the industrial
field. past and present. cooiiy rejecting
on the situation. and without permit
ting political prejudice or newspaper
sensationalism to cloud his reason or
d!stort his common sense. One OF the
results Inseparnble from combinations.
no matter how selfish the promoters
may be. Is that they make everything
which they produce cheaper to the con-
sumer than 1t possibly could be without
their existence; and the larger the
combination, as rule, the better and
the cheaper is the consumer served. 1t
is only during the brief transition period
of the change from the separate con-
Germs to the combine that wage earncrs
suffer. After that they are better OF
and labor Is more fully employed, usual
10 at higher wages. Many OF the small
err concerns that 60 into the combines.
and obtain very profitable rcmunera-
ton for their properties. would other
wise become bankrupt.
The fact that reduction In the price
OF n manufactured article invariably
stimulates consumption. needs no more
demonstration than that the inileXible
law of supply and demand disposes 3f
any fear as 10 arbitrary advances in
prices. HENRY CLEWS.
Wool.
Bradstree,s: The market continues
ouiei the goods combinations that nra