Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1906-08-17
UNCLE JOE SOUNDS THE
SLOGAN OF PROSPERITY

servant of the people, STANDS To-Day
In this campaign squarely on its rec
ord.
We have no census figures as to bus
mess conditions in 1896, but we have
them for 1890, 1900 and 1905, and In
supplement these we have the official
message of President Cleveland, COM
planning that unparalleled business
distress and lack of confidence mark
ed the greater part of his administra-
ton. We also have the official state
ment of Samuel Gompers, president of
the American Federation of Labor,
that more than 100000 workingmea
were without work in 1894 and 1895,
and that work did not return to them
until 1897.
According to the census of 1890,
there were $6,525, 5,0O0.759 capital in
vested in manufacturing industries IT.
the United States, whereas, according
to the official figures, there were in
1905 $13,122, ,607 ,090 so invested. The
average number of wage earners in
1890 as given by the census, was A.
PSI, ,535 (and Mr.. Gompers said g.
000, 900 were without work in 1894
and 1895. In 1906 the number was s.
492,17S, not including those in the
hand trades.
The total wages paid in 1890
amounted to $1,S91, ,309,696 and in
1905 to $2.661 .409.S5S.
The value of the output of our man.
ufactures in 1890 was $9,372,378,S43
and in 1905, $14.S73, 3,818,425, not in
cludingsthat from the hand trades.
Taking the testimony of President
Cleveland and Samuel Gompers as to
the deplorable condition in 1894, 1895
and 1896, it will be readily seen that
the Industrial development of the
country, both as affecting labor and
capital has been at the rate of 100
per cent in the ten years.
Wages and Cost of Living.
There has been much discussion and
no little confusion over the effort to
compare the relative increase in wages
and cost of living in the last few years.
The labor bureau of the United States
in its last bulletin on this question
made very careful analysis for the
fourteen years from 1890 to 1904. In
that comparison and analysis 1t was
shown that the weekly earnings of ell
employees had increased 53.4 per cent
from 1894 to 1904, and that the retail
prices of food products had increased
in the same time only IL per cent. This
l believe, is the only careful and sci
entiflc investigation that has been
made of the subject.
"Plant the Factory by the Farm"
The republican party has always
| followed the maxim, plant the fac
| tory by the farm" that there may be
the closest possible exchange between
the two great bodies of producers. One
| of the old complaints here in the west
was that the manufacturing was prin-
/ nj. Ia H., L..
tion of settled policy of protection
! has gradually extended the Industrial
! development to the west and the south
bringing agriculture and manufacture
closer together. The new statistics Of
manufactures compiled by the United
J States census office last year show
more clearly than any previous census
the general benefit of the protective
policy. The prosperity that has come
to the country under the Dingley law
has not been spasmodlc nor sectional
except that 1t has produced greater
extension of manufacturing into the
central, western and southern states
This new census shows first that there
has been a larger per cent of increase
in the capital put into manufacturing
plants in the last five years than there
has been in the product of these in
dustries. The actual increase In capt.
tai was $3,700. 100000 or Al per cent
greater than the capital invested in
1900. The actual increase in output
was $3,364, 100000, or about 30 per
per cent over that of 1900. Capital has
grown confident of its investment and
has turned back into the plant a larg-
er share of its earnings, to increase
the demand for labor and ultimately
increase the output.
This census also shows that in the
five years from 1900 to 1905 the Ia
rease in the number of wage earners
employed was 16 per cent over the
number in 1900, and the total wages
paid 80 per cent greater; in other
words the increase in the total wages
paid was almost twice the ratio Of the
increase In employment. To my mind
there could be no more complete an
swer to the complaint that wages have
not advanced since 1900.
Industrial Increase.
But the most significant figures In
this new census are those which show
where the greatest increase in indus
trial plants, capital. employment
wages, and output took place. II was
In the central, western and south
ern states, which few years ago were
designated simply as agricultural Sec
tlons of the country. OF the three bill
lion and a half dollars of new capi-
tai put into Industrial plants in these
five years more than one-half of ii was
In the central, western and southern
states. New England increased her iu-
dustrial capital only $264, 900. 900; the
middle Atlantic states $1,3S4, 900, 900;
the southern states, 1915, 900, 900; the
central states, 81 1,114 900, 900, and the
far western states, $271, 100000. The
percentages OF increase were: New
England "a per cent; middle Atlantic
375 per cent: southern. 72 per cent;
central AZ per cent. and western, 71
per cent. While the increase in tho
old manufacturing centers of the cas-
was normal and healthy, the increase
In the central, western and southern
states was In the nature Of great
boom In Industrial development.
The comparative increases in labnl
and wages also were much greater Il
the west and south than in the olt
manufacturing centers of the east. Til,
increase In wage earners In New Eng
land In the Ave years was little more
! than ten per cent. and the total wage:
paid. 1914 per cent; in the middle At
lantic states the increases were: Wag'
earners, is per cent, total wages, 25A
per cent; southern states, wage earn
: ers. 22 per cent. total wages 494 PEE
cent; central states wage earners, Is.
per cent wages S2 per cent; westeIT
states, wage earners, 20 per cent
: wages, SO per cent.
More than this, the wonderful de
velopment of manufacturing industr!
: In the south and west has alreat!
: moved the industrial center of th'
? country nearer to It's geographical
center and It Is safe to say that toda!