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Pebniary 2J, 189-1 Record and Guide. 291 instrumental in determining the rate of wages, the latter plays but a eoinparativel.v small part in creating the great inequalities in wages whicli prevail. In free-trade England wages are very much higher than iu prot eel iouist Italy; not, however, because the English niaiiiifiictiirer or employer tiikes as his share a smaller portion of what is produced. In the protectionist United States wages are higher than in free-trade Great Britain, but this is not due to the larger heartedness of our millionaires or because tho labor market with us is ruled .strictl.y accortling to the golden rule. In Australia, where tariffs are low, wages ore as high as iu the Uuited States, where the tariff is high, and the parity cau not be attriliuted an.v more than iu the case of the divergences just noted to dift'erences in distribution. In short, the more we travel, and the more we see the more we are driven to the conclusion tluit inequalities in the wage-rates of countries denote as i ii the case of inequalities in the wages of indi¬ viduals, ineffiKiliti/ in powers o.f jiroiJitcHiin. AVh.v does Jones earn twenty-five dollars a week and l!row n onl.v ten dollars? In the main, is it not because Jones is a harder worker than Brown, or a higher class of worker'? We luiiy bi^ very certain that high wages, wherever they exist, in individuals or in communities, connote high powers of production. .Vs wc have seen, it must mean either this, or ditt'erences iiierel.v in the distribution of what is produced; and if we iiccept the hitter explanation we have to face the question : Can it be in the process of divi.sion that the American secures twice the wages of the Eurojiean and the European mau.y times the wiiges of the Oriental ? It would be difficult to maintain this theory. We are brought, tlien, to the conclnsiou tliat higii wages are the correlative of high powers of production :ind efficiency, that the.y cannot be created b.v the siicred writings of Dahome.v or b.v any other sacerdotal or piditical instrument; they cannot be stolen or obtained by fraud or force—they must be earned b.y work iu the sweat of the brow and b.v the operation of the intelli¬ gence. If wages are higher in the United States than in Europe it is solel.y beciiuse people iu this couutry work more effica- ciousl.y than do those in Europe. Bnt if this be so, unto wlmt ii pass .arc we bringiug our dear old Uncle Sam, with his fears about "pauper labor." " Pauper labor'' is inefficient labor, labor of a low iirodiictivit.v; and can tlie inefficient compete successfully with the efficient ? What is competition but the process through which the efficient triumph.' In modern industri.al history what is the chief fiict that stands forth? Is it not that men, methods and machiner.y of relatively low productivity h.ave everywhere been supplemented by men, methods and machinery of relativel.y high productivity? The inefficient labor, the cheap labor, the p!iu])er labor, cannot successfully compete with the efficient, the dear, the high-class labor an.y more than can an iintiquated piece of machinery compete with a costly niodern engine, (lid locomotives of the Stephenson type can be obtained at a small part of the cost of a modern compountl Biddwin, but w-hat riiilroad would replace the hitter b.y the former l Indeed, iind this is the centre of the matter, it is liirjh- jiriceil labor that is cheap lahor, and the pauper Labor that Uncle Sam fears is the dearest on earth, aud the only labor that cannot compete witn his househidd. While the old man is sutt'eriug from headache and nervous fright about " Pauper Labor" manufacturers and economists iu the United States and in all progressive, enlightened countries are satisf.ying themselves that " higher wages mean a gi-eater amount of work done," and that the Poles, the Hindoos, the Chinese earn unifonuly small wages and cannot compete with the English and much less with the American, because with them the cost of production despite the low wages is high. High wages do not necessarily mean dear labor. The German Com¬ mission of 1870, the English Commission of 1885, collected a large amount of evidence substantiating this view. Hofman says the Berliner iiccomplishes as much work in ten days as the East Prussian in twenty-.seven. The wages e.ai-ned by the former are proportionately higher. Roscher declares the Meck- leuburger does twice as much work in a given time as the Thur- iugi.an and earns double the wages. The cost of spinning a yard of cotton goods is greater in India than iu England, though the Indian opeiiitive's wages are lower and his working day louger. Mr. Blaine showed thatthel.abor-costof spiuning in this country is the lowest in the world. In the Prussian coal mines the average annual earnings of a laborer is .$22.5, in Pennsylvania .'H335, yet the cost of mining a tou of coal is two-thirds less in Pennsylvania tlian in Prussia. Beciiuse the former produces only 256 tons per annum agaiust the American's 5(50 tons. In England the average wage of the nailmaker is about $3 a week, in the United States iqiwards of $5 a day, yet American nails are only half the price of English. The reiison for this dis¬ parity is that the American produces two and a-half tons of nails ill the time that the Englishman is making two hundred weight. It is unnecessary, however, to multiply examples. High wages w herever they exist are not a gift, nor a social convention, they are the result of a high rate of production. Uncle Sam then ha.s nothing to fear from "Pauper Labor." It is only the more efficient, tlie more productive, the better educiited labor that he need trouble himself iibout. The "imuiiers" of Europe or Asia will never bother the old gentleman or work him iiijur.y. Legislation at Albany. .\I.UANV, Fcliriiary 22.—James R. Sliottiold, the Assemlilvmiiii of the llth A.sspuilily District of New York, who introduced the bill making .59 Liberty street again the place where legal sales shall take place in New York City, hiid arranged w-ith tho Assembl.v Judieiar.v Committee for a hearius; upon the measuro this afteruoou, but owing to a late session of the Assembl.v tho Committee had uo time to hold its nieetiug. Mr. .Sholiticld, thorcforc, wiis compelled to defer making his ap;ilicatiou for a fiivornlde report ou the bill until Tuesday next. He iiiteuds to push the bill witli all possible energy and regards it as one of the most important that he has preseuti'd to the Legislature. Senator Cantor, as tho represeutiitive of Richard Croker, has given uotice of his intention to tight tho bill with all his power, Mr, Can¬ tor is at present ill at Lakewood, N. J., but his friends here are olisorviug Wui. Sheffield's movements in regard to tho bill with keen iittention, and it can be predicted that ox-Speaker Sulzer will iutor- )iiise ever.v piirliameiitar.v obstiuitiou ho can emplo.v to the advance¬ ment of the Ilill lieyiind the walls of the .Asscmblv Chamber. 'I'he present week the Seuiite pnssed AHsemblymiin Law.son's bills tor the iiimpletion of the Riverside Piirk and Drlvew.i.v, aud tor the iiimpletiiiu of the Catliedral Parkwn.v. The sum of !p50,(l(IO has been lii|iped olt'of the iipprojiriiitiou for the Riverside Park, leaving it at !(i700,000, aud if.'iO.OOO olf the appropriatiou for the Cathedral Piirk¬ wa.v, leaving it at lt>2llll,(l(IO. This action -n-as taken at the request of Mayor (jib-oy, who stated that 1(1100,000 would be expended upon these parks out of the appropriation of $1,000,000 recentl.v made by the Legislature for the iniprovenient of the Parks of New York. Both the Riverside Park bill and the Cathedral Parkwa.v bill are now iu the hands of Goveriuir Flower; who.it is said, has been advi.sed b.v Mavor (jilroj'. who was here the present week, that he had better sign theui. The bill for the exteusiou of the Riverside Park aud Drivewiiy to the bulkhead line is in a shape satisfactor.v to the authorities of New York, according to the statements of Assistant Corporation Counsel lilaud.v, but late this week Senator Guy received a letter from Jauies .\. Deering suggesting that certain ameiidnients be made to the measure. Senator Gu.v could uot understand from Mr. Deeriug's letter preeiselv w-hat he desired done aud accordingly has sent him tho Ilill aud the suggested anieudmeuts to fix it up as ho desires to havo it shaped. Then Mr. Blaudy intends to have another look at the bill. .Senator Robertson aud Asseuiblyiiian Robertson iutroduced a bill the present week abolishing the four-headed Board of Park Commis¬ sioners and substituting one of two memlierj; oue to be a Democrat and oue to be a Republican. This undoubtedly is a Republican party measure. It is difficult to tell whether or not it will ]iass the Legisl.a- ture. The attitude of the Democrats upou the measure will doubtless disclose Governor Flower's probable course toward it if it ever reaches him. If they oppose it uo oue will doubt that he intends to veto the luea sure. Ma.vor Gilro.v while liere the pieseut week expressed his disap- )ii-oval ot the liill appropriating i}S2,000,000 to build a bridge over the Harieni River, from 1st aveuue to Willis .avenue, unless it was ameuded so as to provide that tho work need not be begun uuder four years. This amendment has besn accepted by Air. Butts, the introducer of the bill. It is gcnerall.v interpreted to mean that Tamman.v Hall does not intend to build the bridge uuder four years. It is said that the Tammauy Hall magnates are directing most of tho aiipropriatious to the improvement of tho West Side, where they have unimproved properf.v which they wish to sell, rather than to the district north of the Harlem River, where the.v have but little. Mayor Gilroy, also through Mr, Ulaudy, is opposing here the bill of Mr. Sheffield appropriating $500,000 for a site and $625,000 for a new building for the College of the Cit.v of New York. President Huuter aud a large number of the proiuiuent graduates of the college appeared before the Assembly Conimittee on Cities ou Tuesday iu behalf of this bill. While Mr. Blaudy oppo.sed it on the ex.asperatiug ground to the graduates that tho college had outlived its usefulness, the graduates argued that if the City of New York could aft'ord to build a Speedway upon which to speed fast horse.s, it could well aft'ord to bu.v a uew .site for its chief college aud build a uew college liuilding for it. But Mayor Gilroy's hostility will probably kill the bill if it ever reaches Governor Flower, Assemblvmau Lawson has iutroduced a bill proliibitiug the con¬ struction of au elevated railwa.yupou 14th street. New York, betwecu 7th avenue aud 4th avenue. The bill is iutroduced iu the Interest of the shopkeepers upon 14th street, "I do not wish to interfere with au.v rapid tran.sit schemes," said Mr, Lawson, .vesterdii.v, "but I do think that 14tli street should lie protected from the invasion of au elevated railway, when some other street could as well be taken," A bill was introduced by As.semblymau Butts .yesterday declaring that on and after Jauuary 1, 1895, "all iucuiubrauces and obstruc¬ tions upon any street or sidewalk or public grouud iu the 2.3d aud 24th Wards of the City of New York shall be removed liy the Com¬ missioner of Street Improvemeuts" iu these wards. The Board of Estimate aud Apportioiimeut of New York is to make au aiipropria- tiou for removing the iucuiubrauces. Assemblyman Tobias presented a " labor bill " of iuterest this week. It provides that " all stone of auy description used in St.ate or ninui¬ cipal works within the State, or which is to be worked, dressed or carved for such use, shall be so worked, dressed or carved upon the grounds where such w-orks are beiug carried on, or within the boun¬ daries of tho State, or withiu tho boundaries of the municipality."