The Delta independent., 1904-09-23
THE PAY OF LABOR.
| Republican Policy Tends to = Steady
Increase OF Wages.

4uCECoDc Ot "hxCb-
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 we
must not only have wages as high as
they are now but constantly and steadily
Increasing"
II wss 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.
II is now sixteen years since Mr.. Reed
made his speech defending the vital ques-
ton In our economic policy, aud 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 10y President
Cleveland. has 10: three year, been con-
ducting an Investigation 10 determine the
effect of tariff legislation on wages. and
the result was made public in the July
bulletin of the department The inres-
tighten covered the period from 1880 TO
1903, and II shows an increase in wages
and work under the Mckinley and Ding
isy tari6 laws and a decrease in both
under the Wiison-Gormsn tariff law.
From 1890 to 1893 the Increase In en-
ployea was from g4.9 to a9.2: from 1888
to 1894 the decrease IVES N-i. and from
1897 to 1908 under the Dinglcy law the
increase was from 100 to 1864 There
was q like increase OF wages under the
Mckinley and Dingley tariffs and a dc.
crease under the Wilson German tariff.
The significant comparisons ARE of con.
ditions In 1894 under the Democratic
sarin and 1908 after six years OF the
Dingley tariff. There WAS an increase
Of 34-3 per cent. or more than onct third.
In the number Of employees. a decrease OF
81 per cent In the hours of labor. and
an increase OF ISIS per cent in wages
per hour. These are striking figures be-
cause they show tha; under Republican
tariff legislation more than onc-third
more men had employment than under
the Democratic tariff legislation. and
that they received nearly one-6fth more
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. Wrght's investigation went fur
ther and showed that Notwithstanding
the increase In the cost Of food products
the principal inrr-sse In the last ten
years has teen In wages. or the price
OF labor. That great commodity OF this
country 10 which Thomas Il. Reed saw
the development and progress OF Ameri-
csu civilization has Increased in value
more than has the cost OF living: so that
the benefits Of labor have been constant
ly increased BY protective tariff legisla-
tion and embarrassed by Democratic tar
in legislation.
President Harrison said years ago that
q cheap coat had the tendency to make
cheap men because IL tended to degrade
the labor used In the manufacture. The
Republican policy has been to enhance
the price OF labor. aud 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 he ideal OF
Thomas b. Reed has been realized under
the Dinxlcy tariff law. The value Of
labor. the rate of wages has constantly
md steadily advanced to lift the civiliza-
tion Of America, where labor is the lever
by which all mankind advances. from
drudEery to independence.