The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-09-09
THE PAY OF LABOR.
Republican Policy Tends to q Steady
Increase Of Wages.

ASpAOAA\ah OA1( 1CNuO 60 y OvSouO
increase Of Wages.
The question Of wages is a vital cues.
ton in this country, and the late Thomas
Il. Reed, in 1888, said: ITO insure our
growth in civilization and wealth we
must not only have wages as high az
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 since Mr.. Reed
made his speech defending the vital ques-
ton i'll our economic policy, and there
have been three tariff avs 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-
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 inves-
t~igation 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 Wilson-G German tariff law.
From 1890 to 1898 the increase in EN-.
ployes was from $40 to 99.2; from 1893
to 1894 the decrease was 94.1, and froms
1897 to 1903 under the Dingley law the
increase was from 100 to 1854. There
was a like increase OF wages under the
Mckinley and Dinyley tariffs and a de-
crease under the Wilson-Gormnn 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 3A3 per cent. or more han one-third,
in the number of employees, a decrease Of
37 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 han one-third
more men had employment han under
the Democratic tariff legislation, and
that they received nearly one-ffth more
wages per hour. The average earnings
Of labor was mere than "a per cent
greater in 1908 thar in 1894, or more
than half as much again.
Prof. Wrights investigation went fur.
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 Ameri-
can civilization has increased in value
more than has the cost of living; SO that
the benefits Of 10 Dor have been constant
ly increased by protective tariff legisla-
ZION and embarrassed by Democratic tar.
if legislation. I
President Harrison said years ago that
a 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 pro-
ducts entering into the living in this
country represent labor.
But the protection and The ideal OF
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 ~civiliza.
ton of America, where labor is the lever
by which all mankind advances, from
drudgery to independence.