Iron County register., 1899-06-01
IN RELATION TO WAGES
why the WOrlSingman Wauld Pros
per More Under the Double
Standard Than at Present.

! To the Editor: I understand that you
argue that silver has not declined, but
! that gold has advanced, and that meas
ured by the gold standard almost all staple
commodities have declined to about half
/ price since 1873 If this is so, why has not
/ this been of great advantage to the work
| tngman, since his wages on gold stand
! ard have advanced, or at least have not
! declined, since 1873, while everything that
| he buys is about half-price? Is he not just
as well off as if his wages had been doubled
| and what he buys had remained fixed in
price? And If this is so, in what way has
the workingman suffered by the decline IN
| silver? And would he not suffer by having
everything advance in price, while his
| wages remained as before?-R. S. S.
| A sufficient answer would be to sim
| ply call the attention of the writer to
.he palpable fact that never in the his
| tory of the country has. there been SO
much suffering and complaint among
the poor as during this long period of
i low and falling prices. But the matter
will not be dismissed in that abrupt
way, for the letter is gentlemanly in
tone, and deserves a courteous response.
In the first place, it may be remarked
that the writer evidently overlooks the
fact that the wages of labor are nee
essarily paid out of the prices
received for the products of Ia
Dor. Hence, whatever the nominal
| wage rate of some workingmen may be,
| it is utterly impossible for wage-work-
ers, as a whole, to be benefited by gen
eral fall of prices, because that is nothing
more or less than a partial destruction
Of the fund out of which they must be
paid. Even if the employer were will
ing to sacrifice himself in the inter-
| est of the employe, the sacrifice would
be unayailing, because the ruin of the
former would inevitably bring ruin to
| the latter.
But the employer is not willing to
thus sacrifice himself. The moment
prices begin to decline, a struggle COM
| mences between the men who earn the
wages and those who pay them, with
the advantages all on the side of the
latter. If the wage-earners combine to
keep'up the wage rate, there is no pow
er on earth to prevent the employer
from reducing his working force or
closing his factory. AS a rule, the en-
ployer can entirely suspend operations
with no actual suffering to himself or
O0H Tic hAhSO NOlh "
live. Loss of time accompanies every
strike and lockout, and this itself is
equivalent to reduction of wages.
The mere wage rate is not a fair test of
the average condition of labor. If
man only work three days in the week,
the wage rate remains the same, but his
earnings" are reduced one-half. The
man who spends a large portion of his
time looking for work or waiting for
his mill to resume, finds little comfort
in the reflection that the rate will be
fairly good when he succeeds in get
ting something to do.
1t is simply out OF the question for
the condition of the working classes to
be improved by general and continu
Gus fall of prices. Such fall inev-
itably causes business depression and
''hard times" There is not trade
journal in the world that does not rec
ognize this as a fact, and the idea that
the poor man can be benefited by hard
times is too absurd for serious coEsid-
Grafton. Moreover, this effect upon the
wage-earner involves a great humani-
tartan question that is seldom adverted
to by writer's or speakers. When fall
Of prices depresses business many es-
Establishments either close entirely or
work reduced force. In either event
multitudes of individuals are relegated
to id1eness. Those retaining employ
ment may, by combined struggle,
keep up the wage rate. If they have
regular work, and can buy more cheap
ly, they are, of course, better off. But
how about those who have no work. and
consequently no pay? In perhaps
ma jority of cases loss of employment is
followed by actual suffering, not only
to the wage-worker himself, but to the
wife and children dependent upon him.
In many instances it becomes literally
a struggle with starvation, leading to
suicide and crime in almost every form.
1t is, therefore, infinitely better that all
should be employed at fair wages than
that a part should have work at high
wages. But further. Our correspond
ent must keep in view the fact that
there are millions of workingmen who
lead toilsome lives, but who have no
regular wage rates, such as the farm
ers. The farmers wages are what he
has left after paying the expenses of
raising and marketing his crops. If the
prices are cut in two, his wages are cut
in two, or at any rate largely reduced.
If the hired man gets the same wages
as formerly, where does the farmer
come in, selling his crops for about half
prices and paying taxes, interest, debt
and all fixed charges at the same rates
as before? This means more than the
mere General statement SIlO0eSfS All
fixed charges must be paid out of what
would otherwise be profits. A fall of
prices may entirely destroy profits,
make it impossible for debtors to meet
their obligations, and ruin is the result.
Our correspondent errs in supposing
that the workingman's living ex-
penses have been reduced one-half.
The greatest fall has been in wholesale
rates. Retail prices have not come
down in the same proportion. Wheat,
for example. has fallen one-haf, while
bakers bread has fallen very much less.
The reason is that between the pro-
dueer and the consumer stand the mer-
chants and spectators, all striving to |
preEeat a fall in their hands, and en- |
deavocing TO make Il profit on every |
dea'. ihe very poorest people buying |
their supplies from day to day, two or i
three cents worth at time, as they !.
so frequently do in large cities, are |
hardly conscious of any cheapening at |
all
He also errs in assuming that under |
free coinage the workingman's wages /
would remain the same as they are |
now, while what he buys would be |