Show poor are growing a richer the statement is so often heard ut torea by demagogues that in this country the poor are growing poorer at and A the rich are growing richer that the people generally have CO come me to believe it A no less distinguished person than J J ingalls once made the declaration cl that it seemed this would so soon on be the land of the poor and the home of tue the slave in the face of cold statistics of our country such statements have no foundations on facts carrollb carroll B wright 0 united states commissioner of labor statistics makes an entirely different showing in an article on the comparative condition of this country his deduction from the official census figures is that the rich are growing richer many more people than formerly are growing rich and the poor are growing better off of course his deduction will not at all please the calamity howlers bowlers how lers but mr wright proceeds to prove it in 1870 there persons or per cent of our population engaged in gainful occupations the tha number in 1899 1890 had risen to or per cent the skilled workers in 1870 constituted per cent of the whole community per cent in 1880 and percent per cent in 1890 though the productions of our farms in 1890 were greater by far than in 1870 fewer farm laborers were required to cultivate thern them agricultural laborers in 1870 formed 1476 per cent of the whole population and in 1890 only 1341 1344 per cent improved farm machinery brought about this change taking the average ef each person engaged 0 in manufacturing and mechanical pursuits men women and children there was an increase in wages between 1850 and of over 80 per cent and a dollar purchased much more at the latter date |