Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-09-07
THE PAY OF LABOR.
Republican Policy Tends 20 a Steady
Increase of Wages.

] Increase of Wages.
The question of wages IL a vital aues-
ton in this country. and the hate Thomas
Il. Reed. in 1883, said "ro insure ou
growth in civilization and wealth W,
must not only have wages as high al
they are now but constantly aud steatlih
increasing"
II was then thought by some OF Mr..
Reeds friends that he had gone too far
toward promise as TO the meaning 81
the Republican policy of protection, and
that his prediction would lead working
I1en to look to this policy for benefits
that could not always come.
IL is now sixteen years since Mr.'itee6
made his speech defending the vital ques>
ton in our economic policy. and there
have been three tariff laws since thas
time. The Bureau of Labor. directed by
Prof Carroll -. Wright, who was APP
pointed TO the position by Presidents
Cleveland, has for three years been con-
Quoting an investigation to determine tho
effect OF tariff legislati on wages, and
the result was made public in the July
bulletin of the department, The inves-
tigation covered the period from 1890 TO
1903, and it shows an increase in wages
and work under the Mckinley aud Ding
ley tariff laws and a decrease in both
under the Wiison-Gorman tariff law.
From 1890 To 1898 the Increase in EN-
| ployes was from W,9 To G2. from 1893
to 1894 the decrease was 9i.i. and from
| 1897 to 1908 under the Dingley law tho
| increase was !iuia 100 to 1876 4. There
| was Ike increase of wages under the
| Mckinley n d Dinglcy tariffs and DO
crease under the Wilson-t;ormnn tariff
The significant comparisons are OF CON
! ditions in 1894 under the Democratic
| tariff and 1908 after six years Of the
| Dingley tariff. There was an increase
| of 3i.3 per cent, or more than onc'third.
| in the number of employees. decrease OF
| 81 per cent in the hours of labor. auda
| 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-Efth moro
wages per hour. The average earnings
OF labor was more than "a per cont
| greater in 1903 than in 1894, or more.
| than half as much again.
Prof Wright's investigation went fms
Their and showed that notwithstanding
J the increase in the cost OF food products
the principal Increase in the last fen
| years has been in wages or the price
of labor. That great commodity OF this
country in which Thomas H. Reed saw
the development; and progress Of Aidcri-
can civilization has increased IN value
| more than has the cost Of living; so that
The benefits of labor have been q slant
! ly increased by protective tariff iegisla-
ton AID embarrassed By Democratic tar
in legislation.
President Harrison said years ago thae
n cheap coat had the tendency 80 mako
| cheap men because il tended 10 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 livir jecausc all our pro-
ducts entering into the living in this
country represent labor.
But the protection and the ideal Oe
| Thomas u. Reed has been realized under
the Dingley tariff law. The value oe
| labor, the rate of wages has constantly
| aud steadily advanced to lift the ciyliza-
| ton of America where labor is the lever
by which all mankind advances, from
| drudgery 10 independence