Year: 1875

operatives by constant complaints that wages arc too
high In this country" the mill owners, who are, Dor
should be, OF intelligence, might very wisely lake
the true ground that they crippled by the unsound
currency and explain to their people, what IS I'M
doubtedly true, that renewal OF their prosperity
depends upon the establishment Of a considerable ex-
port trade and this itself depends upon having
sound currency al par with gold the obvious and
necessary for manufacturer and operatives TO
unite vigorously demand for specie payments.
They might add, what true is evident, that
resumption must bring not lower but higher wages,
because resumption would bring activity prosperity,
an enlarged market and greater demand, and these
things have in the worlds history been known
to lower wages. The truth is that If to-day our cur
rency at par with gold, the FAN River operatives
might successfully strike before three months we're
past, whereas it is question whether all the
mills can be kept going


WHY WE CAN AFFORD HIGHER WAGES THAN THE


RSGLisH.
But this is not ALL | and some manufacturers com
pairing wages here with wages in England with the
ton that they must be ncapacated from rivalry with
the English until wages here down to the English
level But believe they wrong in this, and that
they can afford TO pay, as they In fact paying,
higher wages and still maintain at least tho home
ket against the English In point Of fact the wages Of





in woolens | believe less than nth part, and
in cottons a third In tho standard yarns from which
the bulk Of the goods consumed this country made
the labor forms less than onethird Of the cost ain
told The Englshman pays about cent per
pound for his cotton But leaving that aside find
inquiry that the cost of sending his goods here ncud
ing packing insurance and transport but not counting
In duties would be not less than eight per cent the
whole cost OF the goods But eight pcr cent
on the whole cost is equal to three times
eight or twenty-four per cont on the
cost of tho labor alone, which is onethird OF the cost
1t follows that manufacturers afford to pay from
twenty to twenty five per cent for their labor
than the English and still hold their II thoy do not
overstock the market; II, that Is to say they have
home or foreign market for their product


blame the mill owners, therefore, for laying their
undoubtcd woes constantly to 'high wages" They
cannot now afford to pay than they do They may
be forced make further reductions for tho times
are very hard with them; fow OF them are making
money; many are sacrificing goods rather than stop
and those think themselves fortunate who go on
and sell their product for tho bare cost of cotton and
labor At such time strike by operatives is folly;
cannot hope to succeed But the other hand the
mill owners ought to examine into tho real Of
their difficulties and show their people the remedy.
They should tell their people, When good times return,
as they will confidence is restored,
then all wages and prices may be expected to rise;
there is shadow Of doubt that resumption Of specie
payments would almost immediate rise in the
prices Of labor well commodities This need not
frghten q cotton spinner, for he has only to consider
that the number of consumers Of cotton goods-who
prosperous will naturally be much greater consumers
than now-is vastly greater than the comparatively
trivial force employed in the production Of cotton
goods There not, believe, two hundred thousand
operatives in all the cotton mills in the United States,
and there more than forty millions of people who
buy and cotton goods Moreover, though there is
over production, with renewed prosperity for
the country, there would undoubtedly bc demand to
which the supply would for while be unequal and
consequently there Is promise OF some years Of
common profit to this industry.


CHARLES NORDHOFF.