Rocky Ford enterprise., 1904-09-23
THE PAY OF LABOR.
Republican Policy Tends to . Steady
Increase of wsxes.

Increase of wsxes.
The question OF wages IL II vital ques-
ton In this country, and the late Thomas
i. Reed. In 1883. said: ''ro insure our
growth In civilization and wealth We
must not only have wages as high a.
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 u promise ns to the meaning OF
the Republican policy Of protection. aud
that his prediction would lead working
men to look to this policy for benefits
that could not always come.
II is now sixteen years since Mr. Reed
made his speech defending the vital ques-
tion In our economic policy. aud 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-
ductins M investigation to determine the
effect of tariff legislation on wages. and
the result was made public In the July
bulletin OF the department. The invss-
tisntion covered the period from 1890 to
1903. and II shows an increase In wages
aud work under the Mckinley and Ding
ley tariff laws and decrease In both
under the Wilson.Gorman tariff law
From 1870 to 1893 the Increase In en-
ploycs was from DID to 13.2: from 1893
to 1884 the decrease was OIL. and from
1897 to 1909 under the DinEiey law the
Increase was from 100 to 1904. There
was like increase Of wages under the
Mckinley and DiDrl.y tariffs AMI u de-
crease under the Wilson -iorninn tariff.
The significant eompn risons are of con-
ditions In ls'H under tho Democratic
tariff and 1903 after six years of the
DinSl-y tariff. Their. was AT increase
| of 3.3 per cent. or more than Que third.
In I'll. number Of employees. n decrease OF
"a per ceat In the hours OF labor. and
IN increase Of 1873 per cent In wsxcs
per hour. These arc striking figures 'bs-
cnu-e they show that under Itepabiicsn
! tariff legislation more than Que third
| more men had employment than under
| the Democratic tariff legislation. and
that they received nearly oae.huh mors
wages per hour. The average sarninsv
| Of labor was mere than o. per cent
greater In 1908 than In 1894. or more
than half a. much again.
Prof. wrishi's investigation went fur
| ti-r and showed that Notwithstanding
! the increase In the cost Of food products
| tho principal Increase In the last ten
years has been In wages. or ths price
OF hinf. IHst great ruulfn'iity OF tnlo
| country 10 which Thoinas Is. Reed 49,
the development and progress Of Amsd-
Gnu civilization has Increased In value
| moro than has the cost OF living: - thss
tho b-u-d,s Of labor have been CONSTANT
iy Increased by protective tarid lsxisla-
tion and embarrassed by Democratic tar
| ID legislation.
President Harrison said years ago thst
cheap Goa, had tho tendency 10 make
| cheap men because u tended to degrade
the labor used Ia the manufacture. The
Republican policy has been To sahsnes
tho price Of labor. and tha, has Increased
the cost o. living because all our pev-
ducts entering Into tho hsias in this
country represent labor.
Hut the protection saa he deal ss
Thomas Il. Reed ha. b~ea realized unde~
| the DiaEl-y tsHn law. TIL. value ~
| labor. the rate of wages has eonsssnsiy
| aud steadily advanced ts lift the csiiiss-
| iIaa Of Absries. where labor IL the isvss
By which all man.inJ advances. srsA
dEadEcgy 10 Independence.