l8 KANSAS UNIVKRSriV (jrAK'IKRI.V. 



posed of a group of citizens who were virtually denied the right of 

 self-government as much as if the}' were an old-time feudal village 

 governed by a lord of the manor. 



For many years the company carried out their plan of paying 

 better wages than in similar shops in the United States, and 

 thus proceeded upon their first supposition that a superior class of 

 laborers should receive superior wages. The rents charged in the 

 beginning were based upon an income of six per cent, on an actual 

 investment. In many instances the rents were higher than the 

 wages would warrant, although possibly no higher than the busi- 

 ness interests of the investors had good reasons to demand. In 

 1893, the company felt obliged to reduce the wages of the em- 

 ployees in order to keep up a regular dividend and surplus. The 

 laborers thereat became discontented and struck for higher wages, 

 although the company assured them that they were manufacturing 

 goods at less than cost. Prior to the reduction the rate of wages 

 Avas about $2.10. which included men, girls, and youths, and all 

 skilled and unskilled labor. The maximum rate was $4.50 per 

 da\'. After the reduction the a\erage was $1.67, while the maxi- 

 mum was $3.50. The entire reduction, which occurred at three 

 different times, amounted to between 20 and 25 per cent. A care- 

 ful estimate shows that at the same time a sudden depression of 

 33/-'-' P*^'' ^''-'^^^- 'n wages had occured throughout the United States, 

 and also that the sudden panic had thrown a large amount of man- 

 ufactured goods upon the market upon a decreasing demand, and 

 this reduced their price from 20 to 25 per cent., so that had the 

 laborers onh' known how to accomplish it the\- could have pur- 

 chased as many goods in the market with their wages after the 

 reduction as they could have done before when times were better. 



Not so, however, with rents. The following table exhibits a 

 complete statement of rentals: 



No. Kfiiliils. Anit. pt'f IMo. No. Kt'iil iils. A nil. pci- Mo. No. Kcntiils. Aoit. per Mo. 

 2 $4. 00 4 S 1 1 . 50 S $26. 00 



6 4- 50 173 12.00 I 27.00 



23 5-00 25 12.50 13 28.00 



4 5-50 4 13-00 9 30.00 



24 6.00 263 14.00 4 32.50 



41 6.50 70 15.00 20 35.00 



5 6.75 61 16.00 3 37.00 



55 6.00 222 17.00 4 40.00 



9 7.50 58 18.00 10 45.00 



83 8. 00 1 I g. 00 I 46. 00 



5 <^.25 26 20.00 I 50.00 



