The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-18
SUBSCRIPTION TERMS
Genuine Good Times.

In the campaign of 1896 the republicans
In warning the people against the rising
prices that would follow free silver in
fiation of the circulating medium, dwelt
upon the generally recognized fact that
when prices are going up the price OF Ia
Dor Is the last to be affected And While
the recent experience of the country re-
affirms this proposition, 1t could not ne
foreseen that wages would chase the cost
Of living so rapidly UP the scale.
Prices have been rising for only five
wears and the most of the increase has
been in the last three years, but wages
have bounded up fast that the man who
is getting the same income that he had
twelve years ago is now quite as we'll or
better off than then.
This is a statement that will be warm
ly disputed in many quarters, and, OF
course, it will be easy TO find many ex-
ceptions But the unskiled laborer in
Minneapolis and the average skilled
laborer, too is better off to-day than ever
before in his life. Unskilled labor and
many skilled laborers are getting a larger
cash inc<Ane than they were before the
hard times, and while the cost Of food has
increased little over what it was twelve
years ago, the cost of clothing and some
other items Of living expense has de-
clined. Taking all living expenses into
consideration there can be little doubt that
dollar will go just as far to-day as
twelve years ago. 1t won't go so far as
in those dismal times of 1896 and 1887, but
many of us didn't have a dollar at all
then. We were in the fix OF the river
man who said that If steamboats, were
selling at cents apiece, he couldn't buy
a gang plank.
But whatsoever disputes the general
statement that wages are substantially
up with prices will have to come into
court with such a showing Of hard figures
gathered by hard work as those pre-
sented in another column by Mr.. II. ].
Sheridan special agent of the United
States department Of labor. He shows
that normal family now spends $4,000
for food, as against s203.37 for the same
purpose in 1890. In 1897 the same family
had to spend only 1922 for food. But
machinist he is now earning $945.50 as
compared with 1918 in 1890 and sS3S.75 In
1897 After paying for his years foOC
now this man has $72546 for other pur-
poses; in 1897 he had s65643 and in 1890
$711.63. 1t is likely that most Of what nc
buys with this surplus over food is cheap
er now than it was in 1890.
no
worse if the machnist were credited with
only the actual number of days he ther
worked instead of the full number O
working days in the year. Full time Il
common now; in 1897 it was very rare
and the number of the unemployed wa
very large.
The common laborer is far better OF
now than during the dull years of low
prices. His actual wages-their pur
chasing power-are much larger thai
then With the recent increase in the pa.
of many day laborers in Minneapolis
from $3.50 to $3.50, they are fully as wei
off as they were in 1890. Of course tn
man who had steady employment in har
times at the same rate Of pay he is get
ting now is worse off than he was, bu
that simply means that he was fortunat
when others were unfortunate, and con
ditions are now being equalized.
The facts Mr.. Sheridan present:
though of course, not with that purpose
furnish excellent material with which
reply to the democratic charge that thes
prosperous times are merely a veneer {
high prices and that the purchasing pow
er of wages is much lower than 1T wa
Though the data were gathered in Min
neapolis, they are probably typical of tn
whole country west of the Alleghenies.