Year: 1878

to the swarms of unemployed men and
women who have drifted into our
towns and cities. The effect of the
Developments Of recent years in la
bor-saving machinery must be per-
manently felt in wide range of in
dustrial pusuits. This is illustrated
by the statistics of the shoe industry
In Massachusetts, where it is stated
that there are now $4,000 less hands
employed than there were in 1855;
and yet the amount and value of the
shoes produced last year was i'm
mensely in excess of the production
in 1895. And various other industries
throughout the country have been
affected perhaps quite as seriously as
shoemaking in Massachusetts. In the
Tribcne office in this city there has
recently been introduced a perfecting
press that prints, folds, pastes and
cuts the weekly edition of that paper
at the rate some $1,000 an hour; and
scarcely dozen men are needed to
tend this marvel of mechanism.
With the facilities but recently in
use it required sixty or seventy per-
sons to manage the presses and feed.
fold and deliver the papers. This
new labor-saving press is good for the
Tribune, but bad for the press room
toilers. One of our large printing
houses is successfully using type-set-
ting machines, one of which does the
work of several cOmpositors. And so
it IS in almost every department Of
industry, machinery is waging an IT,
resistible conflict with muscle, and it
seems apparent that the only relief
for the unemployed is a return to the
pursuits of rGral life. Happily, Un.
Gle Sam is not only erich enough to
give us all farm but he has shown
paternal interest in his children in
providing liberal homestead law. by
which all may at once enter upon
their inheritance. The great necess-
ity OF the time is the honest cO-opera.
tion OF capital in aiding those without
means to get out of the slough of de-
spond in Onr towns and cities into a
new life in the great agricultural dis
trlctS. 1t does not require such a
large amount of capital, or such seri-
GUS risk as should render it difficult
to set such a system of farm colonies
on foot, us would at once infuse new
hope among our labOring masses.
The withdrawal even Of a small per
cent. of those now seeking vainly to
live hy technical pursuits in our man.
usacturing centers, would vastly ame-
liqrate the condition of those who re-
main. A few properly organized
farms colonies would do more to es.
tablish wages on the most liberal
scale that employers could afford, than
all the strikes that could be organiz-
ed.


| In this connection we would call at
tention to Gen. Buffers proposition,
that instead Of maintaining armies
on the frontier, for protection against
the Indians, the government should
organize military colonies; that is to
say. the government should give men
who have had military experience and
training, a reasonable sum Of money
per year, not to exceed the pay and
rati0ns Of an equal number Of sol


diers, on condition that they would
60 out and cOlonize the extreme
frontier and protect all the region be


hind them from the attacks of the


red savages.


| There are many thing about such .


plan that strike Us favorably. II


would be no more expensive than .


standing army; it would settle up thu


territories, and it would draw of thu


surplus population Of our cities. The
time during which such pay should b<


given might be limited to two OF


three years, or until the colonists


crops would support them; and ther


as the line of settlement moved far


ther on, a new set Of military colonie.


could be placed farther and farther


west. The colonists could be requir.


ed to each keep a horse, rife and


ammunition; and to meet at stated


periods for target practice and drill


and to be subject to the call Of their


officers for active service at any time


Ben Buffers plan deserves to be


carefully considered.