194 LAND AND LABOR. 



consumer must give so much. Between the producers 

 and consumers stand these great armies of nonpro- 

 ducers, who appear to be remarkably well fed, clothed, 

 and housed, notwithstanding their numerous failures. 



With the close of the harvest of 1879 a speculative 

 movement in breadstuffs and provisions was inaugu- 

 rated, induced, as generally believed, by the foreign 

 demand, which, however, for wheat, was not greater 

 than that of 1878, whilst the production was largely 

 in excess of that year. This speculation advanced the 

 trade price of some of those staples to the home con- 

 sumers from thirty to one hundred per cent. The 

 advance, though well understood to be purely specula- 

 tive, reacted upon other articles of general consump- 

 tion, also causing a rise in their cost to society. 



In 1881 there was a large advance in all food pro- 

 ducts, with crops very considerably short of those of 

 the previous year, and an increase of failures to 5,582 ; 

 1882 brought abundant crops, lower prices to the pro- 

 ducer, but largely increased cost to the consumer, and 

 6,738 failures. And now, as I write, February, 1883, 

 the great increase of failures since the beginning of the 

 year, with the stagnation of general trade, the rapid 

 increase of idleness from the shutting down of many 

 large industrial operations, and the rapid decline in 

 wages, seem to indicate that this year will be marked 

 for its exceptional general distress. 



It is certain that to just the extent of the increased 

 cost of the articles of general consumption to the 

 masses is the advance an additional deprivation to 

 the productive classes, because there is no improve- 

 ment in their general condition that could induce a 



