Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-01-28

Allows the Combines to Collect u
Much Greater Assessment.
While the Republican leaders in CON
gress declare that wages We're never so
good and certain for every man that
wants work. thanks to the benign infiu-
ence of the Dingley law, the evidence
shows they are buffers of the stand
pat" order. The last employer in the
United States TO lower wages is Uncle
Sam, and it may be judged that times
were getting tight and that the man
was seeking the job when wages at
Tie CEar!eStOwn navy yard. Boston,
We're cut = per cent beginning Jan. >
This information is given in the Boston
Transcript Dec. 81, which says:
Indignation runs high among the
wOrkmen employed at the CharlestOwn
navy yard today. as il has been made
public this noon that the men employed
Ut the workshops in the yard will have
their pay reduced from 81 TO 1.S4 per
day. This includes all the lower grades
of wOrkmen. The other employees.
working for larger pay. will also be in
Guided in this cut. This comes as =
great blow 10 The several hundred men
employed at the yard. who are consid-
cred To be more experienced and of a
better grade of mechanics than are gen
orally found in cities or other govern
ment departments. This announcement
was made by circulars posted in the
different shops and is the outcome Of
the report of the board of wages. which
includes the various heads of depart
ments in the yard and which decides
as to the grade of wages paid every
six months
The board of wages decides the per
diem that shall be paid by the going
rate for the same class of work in 9th
er establishments and only reduces
wages when they have clear evidence
that for some time Il similar reduction
has been universally adopted The
statement 10y the Republican leaders
that wages We're never so good is Ell
Their therefore an effort 10 deceive the
people as To the true state of affairs or
shows dense ignorance OF economic
conditions. If the board of wages
could be given the job of also decid-
ing what would be fair price for the
trusts and combines to charge for the
necessaries of life. there might lie Il
reasonable hope of the cost of living
being made To agree with wages paid.
Unfortunately they have no such pow
er, and the DinGlCy law 'relentIeSSly
gives most of the trusts such enormous
protection that ii amounts To 4 mOnOp-
oily in much that is consumed and pre-
vents competition from reducing the
price OF nearly everything else.
IL the tariff was reduced to reve-
nue. basis. so that it would produce
enough moneT to run the government
with the postofiicc grating and other
grating eliminated and with trust
productions that are sold cheaper
abroad than here OH the free list. the
cost of living and the wages of labor
would soon fird reasonable level. |
The old excuse for protection that it
would foster and build up infant in |
lustries cannot now he claimed as nee |
rSSary for the gigantic trusts. for some |
Of the largest of the combines are max |
ing profits so great that they pay large |
dividends on watered stocks. ten times |
greater than their plants could be re- |
produced for. The consumers of the |
United States are therefore taxed not |
only to support the government, but |
also the much greater tax imposed by |
The trusts. and that is what the Re |
publican leaders call the benign infiu- |
'nce of the Dingley law.