The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-01-31

1871 .Z,2OS.3H 4Z,ooO,lo Il
1905 -... 2,506,3s4 47,516.O2S
1906 ..... 3O36,J 63.047 1867
In the eight years, 1892 TO 1899, in
ciusive-two of these years being pro-
tective tariff years. and six years COW
ering the free trade tariff period and
the recovery from the effects of that
tariff-American money orders sent
abroad amounted to Sill, ,5S5, being
an average of S14,O12.O4S per year.
In the next ensuing seven years of
the full benefits OF Dingley tariff pro-
lection. 1900 to 1906, inclusive. the to-
ia, OF money orders sent abroad was
S249, 14S,0S2, the yearly average being
SG5,572, 1873.
These are purely postal figures. They
do not include the amounts sent abroad
by express money orders, by registered
letters. or by small drafts purchased
from American banks. 1t would be safe
to say that. all told. the 1906 remit
.ances by American wage earners to
foreigners amounted to fully $1O0.0OO,-
600.
Does. it not bear directly upon the
question whether the wage earners
lave or have not shared literally In the
great gains of American industry in
the past ten years of adequate protec-
ton to domestic labor?
| Does it not tend to prove that the
| increase alike in the rate OF wages paid
and in the total sum of wages has far
outrun the increase In the cost of llv-
| ing?
| Over sixty-three million dollars was
sent abroad through the postoffice dur
ing the year ending June 80. 1906. by
prosperous Americans Of foreign birth
| or extraction TO their relatives In other
| lands.
! In the tenth year of the Dingley
tariff close upon five times the money
went abroad from American wage earn
ers that was sent in 1895, the first year
OF the revised tariff known as the Will
son-Gorman law-as $50, 047, S67 In 1906
was to $4,000, 4S6 in 1895.
The figures of postal orders issued in
the United States for payment abroad
begin with 1892. That was what may
| be termed a normal protection year.
The tabor OF the country was well en-
| ployed under the Mckinley tariff of
1890. At the. end of June, 1893. the
Wilson-Gorman bill had not yet been
enacted. Labor had not begun to feel
the pinch of tighter times. So the
amount sent abroad went up to $16.-
| 34i 1873.
Now, note the next year, 1894, after
i the force of the panic OF 1893, a free
trade panic. became visible. Then there
was drop to $13.792.455. The next
year, 1895, after the mills and factories
I! had closed their doors to a million
work people, there was q further drop
to S12,903,4 SG This was low water
mark. Wage earners had less to spare
to send abroad.
In 1897 came the Dingley law. Mean
while the warehouses and store shelves
had been filed with foreign goods
rushed to the United States at lower
tariff rates In anticipation of the high
| er prices sure to come after the higher
tariff OF 1897. Wherefore the real ben
efits of the Dingley tariff were not
visible until these supplies were ex-
hausted, and 1t was not until 1900 that
the first big jump in foreign remit
tances occurred That year the postal
orders amounted to $16,749,O1S.
The sums sent to other countries by
wage earners in the United States In
postal orders increased by leaps and
bounds from 1900 on: In 1901. over
twenty millions; In 1902, neorly TWEEN
ty-three millions; In 1903, over thirty
five millions; in 1904, over forty-two
and a half millions in 1905, over for
ty-seven and half millions and in
1906, over sixty-three millions.
Where did all this money come from ?
Not from the savings banks, for the
| savings deposits of Sl,747 ,961 $50 in
1894 (free trade tariff period had In
1905 increased to $3,26l ,236, l19, an in
crease of almost 100 per cent In the
protection period. Not from the build
Ing and loan association form of saw
ings, for these show an almost equiva-
lent increase In 1906 as compared with
Is94 Not In diminution Of what Is
known as industrial or wage earners'
Life insurance, for this line of insur-
ance has increased enormously In the
past ten years.
20 the sixty-three and odd millions
OF dollars which went abroad last year
In postal orders to foreign relatives
rat It represent clear savings after
Int citing the increased cost OF living
after swelling the savings bank depos
ia to an estimated total OF $4,0O0,OOO
in building and loan associations and
In life Insurance.
There Is no escape from the conclu
sion that the wage earners OF the Unit
ed States are accommodating money al
phenomenal rate in these years OF
protection prosperity.
We are taking in foreign laborers a
the rate of over million a year, ant
are absorbing them into our labor field
so rapidly that the influx has no efrec
In lowering wages On the contrary
wages have increased by hundreds o.
millions of dollars during 1906 Ii
1905 our national wage payments az
regated about $1,000, 100000. In 190'
the total will reach fully S40OO,0OO.
ooC.
No wonder our AmericaniZed foreign
eis eaa spare much more than $4,000,
eco IN single year to send abroad
/ American Economist
The Farmers Wage Increase.
Seven billion dollars is the estimate
OF the value Of the agricultural pro
ducts of 1906. Ten years ago, undo