Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1904-09-09
THE PAY OF LABOR.


Rspublican Policy Tends to . STEADY
Increase of Wages.
The question of wages is vital auss-
ton in this country, and the late Thomas
B. Reed, in 1888, said: ITO insure ouy
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 a 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 snce Mr.. Reed
made his speech defendingxhe 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 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 invet
tigation covered the period from 1890 to
1903 and it shows an increase in wages
and work under the Mckinley and Ding
ley tariff laws and a decrease in both
under the Wison-Gorman tariff law.
From 1890 to 1893 the increase in en-
ployes was from $40 to 99.2; from 1893
to 1894 the decrease was "a. l, and from
1897 to 1908 under the Dingiey law the
increase was from 100 to 1854. There
was a like increase of wages under the
Mckinley and Dingley tariffs and Z de-
crease under the Wilson-Gorman tarj3.
The significant comparisons are Of con-
ditions in 1894 under the Democrats
tariff and 1903 after six years Of the
Dingley tariff. There was an increase
of 34.3 per cent, or more than one third,
in the number of employees. decrease ef
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. md
that they received nearly one-6fth more
wages per hour. The average earnings
of labor was mere than 81 per cent
greater in 1903 than in 1894, or more
than half as much again.
TOi- w right lliftSll8dtlOn Wchl Auk-
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 Ansri-
can civilization has increased In value
more than has the cost Of living; - that
the benefits of labor have been constant
ly increased by protective tariff lsgisla.
ton and embarrassed by Democratic tar
III legislation.
President Harrison said years age that
cheap coat had the tendency to make
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 pre-
ducts entering into the living in this
country represent labor.
But the protection and he ideal 81
Thomas B. Reed has been realized under
the Dingley tariff law. The value of
labor, the rate of wages has constantly
and steadily advanced to lift the civilixa-
ton of America. where labor 10 the lsvss
by which all mankind advances, from
drudgery to independence