Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1919-01-18
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SATURDAY, JANUARY is, 1919.
THE FIFTH LOAN.

The Fifth Government Loan, which
is to be distributed to the people next
spring, will find Americans in all
walks Of life in particularly good shape
to participate largely.
This, II is pointed out by the Gov
eminent authorities, Is fortunate, for
Uncle Sam will have to ask for q very
large amount in order to meet his re.
naming military outlays. The pro.
ceeds of the Fourth Liberty Loan were
all exhausted by December 1, and
since then the Government has been
borrowing money from the banks to
meet its current bills. These have
been heavier since the signing of the
armistice than before as the liquidat-
ing of the war machine necessarily
entailed considerable augmentation
The American people in the first
three Government loans. furnished the
money with which to construct the
war machine. The Fourth loan saw
II we'll into the victorious drive that
ended the war. But the copcluding
battles. the weeks of expensive delay
since the amistice, the bringing home
. of the men who are to be discharged,
and the liQuidating of the war con-
tracts must all be paid for with money
TO be rasied in fifth great popular
appeal
The record of business failures in
the United States for the year 1918
shows that American business men
are in splendid shape to make large
subscriptions to the Fifth Loan. The
twelve months just closed say only
1882 failures. This compares with
1856 in 1917, 1898 in 1916, and 3D.
1876 in 1915. This shows, for 1918, a
$50 decrease. The total is the
smallest since 1899, when there were
1887 failures. BY reason of the
great increase in the number of bust
ness houses In the country since
1899, the 1918 failures are relatively
even much smaller than then.
Farmers everywhere are making
the greatest returns in history
Wheat is pegged at $3.50 and the
Government is also practically guar
anteeing the price of hogs and corn
Among wage earners, despite thu
high cost of living, there is a marked
general prosperity The average
yearly wage OF the United States
Steel Company employees Is now 81,
574. against 1905 in 1913 and 1868 II
1902, a 100 percent increase. The in
crease in the last five years is 74%
Common labor, receiving SO day be
fore the war, now gets from $3.50 L
S.. Skilled men now get on tn,
average from So to $50 a day and few
get as much as SIS a day. In tn,
Seattle shipyards men are getting 81
a day.
Railway wages have been advances
S700,000,000 per annum in the las
year, following a s100,000,0 900 advanc
given by the Adamson law The FOL
lowing table shows the relative pay
in 1914 and now and may be take
as a minimum OF the advances Il
nearly all fields of employment.
Office boy, per week. s 500 $ 1874
Minor station agent, a
per month. ...,...,. 74.75 1870
Baggage man, per
month ......,...... I2.SO l4f'4
Drawbridge deck hand 5000 1852
Car repairer or black
smith, per day. 522 9.5
Plain carman, per day. 400 81
Ticket clerk, per month 1880 1921
Ticket clerk and tele-
phone operator, per
month ...,.....,.,. 1888 1920
Out in the country, farm hands VIII
used to be happy over $50 a mont
with board, are now getting as niue
as So a day.
The cost of living has, obviousl!
taken up much OF the gain in wage
and profits everywhere, but there
still left handsome margin. TIL
public, in 1914, could have bough
bonds in tremendous amounts an
since then, taking the country by an
large, profits and wages have mounte
more than living costs. When tn
Fifth Loan is offered to the public 4
the spring, Uncle Sam will be do
cidedly unwilling to accept any pie