of physical misery; equally unanimous, however, are we in the opinion, that even in the present society the organisation of the working class and the interference of the State are in a position to check this misery; finally we all agree that the emancipation of the proletariat is to be expected not from its increasing decadence, but from its growing strength.
Another question, however, is that of the growing antagonism between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. This is, in the first place, a question of the increasing exploitation.
That this does increase, has already been shown by Marx a generation ago, and has, so far as I know, never been refuted by anybody. Those who deny the fact of the increasing exploitation of the proletariat, must in the first place be able to back their words by a refutation of Marx's "Capital."
Now, certainly, it will be said in objection to this that all this is but so much theory; we only recognise as true and demonstrated what we can grasp for ourselves. We do not want economic laws, but statistical figures. These are not easily found, It has not yet occurred to anyone to demonstrate statistically, not only the wages but also the profits, for the very simple reason that the safe is like unto a castle to the bourgeois which, be he even the most cowardly and weak-spirited of the lot, he is ever ready to defend like a lion against the encroachments of the authorities.
Nevertheless we can find some figures as to the increase of wages and other incomes. Some of these, the latest which we know, shall be given here. They were computed by Mr. A. L. Bowley, who read a paper on the question in March, 1895, before the London Royal Statistical Society (printed in the journal of the Society, June, 1895, pp. 224–85). We take the following table:—
| Total Yearly Wages Income |
Incomes not arising from Wages. | |||||
| Subject to Income tax. |
Not subject to Income tax. | |||||
| Year. | Amount in million pounds sterling. |
Per cent. of total national income. |
Amount in million pounds sterling. |
Per cent. of total national income. |
Amount in million pounds sterling. |
Per cent. of total national income. |
| 1860 | 392 | 47 | 376 | 45⅛ | 64 | 7⅔ |
| 1866 | 464 | 45 | 485 | 47 | 81 | 8 |
| 1870 | 486 | 44½ | 521 | 48 | 85 | 7½ |
| 1874 | 609 | 45¼ | 635 | 47¼ | 100 | 7½ |
| 1877 | 591 | 43 | 652 | 47½ | 130 | 9½ |
| 1880 | 567 | 42 | 652 | 48½ | 126 | 9½ |
| 1883 | 609 | 42⅔ | 696 | 49 | 122 | 8⅓ |
| 1886 | 605 | 42 | 715 | 49½ | 125 | 8½ |
| 1891 | 699 | 43½ | 782 | 48½ | 130 | 8 |
