La Junta tribune., 1904-09-10
THE PAY OF LABOR.
Republican Policy Tsnds to eteeAy
Increase Of Wages.

Increase OF Wagee.
The question Of wages Is vital Qsss-
tion in this country, and the late Thomas
b. Reed. In 1888. said: ITO insure s1P
growth in civilization and wealth -
must not only have wages as high -
they are now but constantly and steadily
increasing"
1t was then thought by some OF Mr..
Reeds friends that he had gone too far
toward promise as to the meaning Of
the Republican policy Of protection. and
that his prediction would lead working
men to look TO this policy for benehts
that could not always come.
1t In now sixteen years since Mr.. RoaA
made his speech defending the vital quss-
ton in our economic policy, and there
have been three tariff laws since that
time. The Bureau of Labor. directed By
Prof. Carroll D. Wright who was ap-
pointed to the position by President
Cleveland. has for three years been con-
Quoting an investigation to determine the
effect Of tariff legislation on wages, and
the result was made public In the July
bulletin OF the department. The inves-
tigation covered the period from 1890 To
1903, and 1t shows nn increase In. wages
and work under the Mckinley and Ding
ley tariff laws and decrease in both
From 1890 to 1893 the increase In en-
ployes was from 04.9 to 90.2: from 1893
to 1894 the decrease was OIL. and fro0
1897 to 1903 under the Dingley law the
increase was from 100 to 1864. There
was like increase OF wages under the
Mckinley and Dinglcy tariffs and 4 do
crease under the Wilson German tariff.
The significant compar risons are of con-
ditions In 1894 under the Democratic
tariff and 1908 after six yesrs Of the
Dingley tariff. There wns an increase
of 34.3 per cent, or more than one-third.
In the number Of employees, a decrease Of
81 per cent In the hours OF labor. and
nm increase of 1873 per cent In wages
per hour. These nre striking figures be-
cause they show that under Republican
tariff legislation more than one-third
more men had employment than under
the Democratic tariff legislation, and
thht they received nearly one-ifth more
wages per hour. The average earnings
Of labor was mere than "a per cent
greater In 1908 than In 1904. or more
than hnlf as much again.
Prof. Wright's investigation went fur.
ther and showed that notwithstanding
the increase In the cost OF food products
the principal increase In the last Ten
years has been in wages. or the price
of labor. That great commodity OF this
country In which Thomas b. Reed saw
the development and progress Of Amsrs-
can civilization has increased In valus
more than has the cost of living; 20 that
tho benefits of labor have been constant
ly increased by protective tnri6 isgisla-
tion and embarrassed By Democratic tar
iH legislation.
Presidcn, Harrison said years ago that
a cheap coat had the tendency to make
cheap men because II tended to degrade
the labor used In the manufacture The
Republican policy has been to enhancs
tho price Of labor. md that has increased
the cost of living because oil our pre-
ducts entering into the living In this
country represent labor.
But the protection and he Ideal q
Thomas b. Reed has been realized under
the Dingiey thrift law. The value oe
labor. the rate Of wages has constantly
and steadily advanced to lift the civili.a-
tion OF America. where labor is the Isvss
by which all mankind advances, fro0
drudgcry to Independence.