River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-09-08
THE PAY OF LABOR.
Republican Policy Tends to a Steady
Increase of Wages.

Republican Policy Tends to Steady
Increase of Wages.
The question of wages is vital ques-
ton in this country, and the late Thomas
b. Reed, in 1888, said: ITO insure our
growth in civilization and wealth wa
must not only have wages as high as
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 Il 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 benefits
that could not always come.
1t is now sixteen years since Mr.. Reed
made his speech defending the vital ques-
ton in our economic policy, and there
have been three tariff laws since that
time The Bureau of Labor, directed by
Prof. Carroll ID. Wright, who was APP
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-
and work under the Mckinley and Ding
ley tariff laws and a decrease i'll both
under the Wilson, German tariff law.
From 1890 to 1898 the increase in en-
ployes was from $40 to 99.2; from 1898
to 1894 the decrease was 94.1, and from
1897 to 1908 under the Dingley law the
increase was from 100 to 1864. There
was like increase of wages under the
Mckinley and Dingley tariffs and a de-
crease under the Wils0n-Gorman tariff.
The significant comparisons are of COM
ditions in 1894 under the Democratic
tariff and 1908 after six years of the
Dingley tariff. There was an increase
of 343 per cent. or more than onc-third,
in the number of employees, decrease OK
81 per cent in the hours of labor, and
an increase of 1873 per cent in wages
per hour. These are 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
that they received nearly one-ffth moro
wages per hour. The average earnings
Of labor was mere than 81 per cent
greater in 1908 than in 1894, or more
than half as much again.
Prof. Wrsht'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 Il. Reed saw,
the development and progress of Ameri-
can civilization has increased i'll value
more than has the cost of living; SO that
the benefits Of labor have been constant
~ increased by protective tariff legisla-
ton and embarrassed by Democratic tar
if legislation.
President Harrison said years ago that
a cheap coat had the tendency to mako
cheap men because it tended to degrade
the labor used in the manufacture. The
Republican policy has been to enhance
the price of labor, and that has increased
the cost of living because all our pro-
ducts entering into the living in this
country represent labor
But the protection and the ideal OF
Thomas B. Reed has been realized under
the DingIey tariff law. The value OF
labor, the rate of wages has constantly
and steadily advanced to lift the civiiza-
ton Of America, where labor is the lever
by which all mankind advances, from
drudgery to independence.