industries in whose operation they aid. It is, indeed, argued that the manufacturer, miner, or merchant who is making enormous profits, pays, therefore, larger and more generous wages; but it is urged on the other side that while this is true in isolated cases, the general rule holds good that the price of labor is governed by the law of supply and demand; and that, as already pointed out, monopoly among producers means a monopoly among purchasers of labor. Let us now, however, leave out this indirect benefit which may, or may not, accrue to the workmen in these various occupations, and find as nearly as we can the number which are, or can possibly be, directly benefited by the operation of monopolies. Let us deduct from the total of 5,647,368, such classes of persons as it is evident cannot have a direct share in the results of a monopoly and are not engaged as skilled workmen in a trade which has been organized to control competition.
We may certainly deduct the following items from the total:
| Agents | 18,523 |
|---|---|
| Clerks, salesmen, and accountants in stores | 445,513 |
| Commercial travellers, hucksters, and peddlers | 81,649 |
| Draymen, hackmen, teamsters, etc. | 177,586 |
| Sailors, steamboat-men, canal-men, pilots, and watermen | 100,902 |
| Apprentices | 44,170 |
| Blacksmiths | 172,726 |
| Fishermen and oystermen | 41,352 |
| Lumbermen, raftsmen, and wood-choppers | 43,382 |
| Photographers | 9,990 |
| Saw-mill operatives | 77,050 |
| Tailors, tailoresses, milliners, and dressmakers | 419,157 |
| Total | 1,632,000 |