, 1879-08-13

AHFFS dlluHITNL
A practical and satisfactory way of showing
the improved condition Of laboriuE men Is t,Y a
comparison Of wages und priccs at different
periods Of t,me In the New England States.
The Boston Travier furnishes some stattstlcs Of
this character that deserve much consideration.
Three pcrlods are selected: 1900. when prices
we're low, 1872, when the war prices wcrc sti!l
at their hight, mud 1878, when we had again
touched bottom md found prices correspond
tngly lowered. Ten Of tile most important
trades arc compared, together with tho price Of
ten principal items Of expenditure Of each
period. In this war the reiasons between
wages and prizes arc ascertatncd. Beginning
with the year $500, VIZ find that the average
tnrm-laborcr WIS receiving with boarl} *3.40 pcr
week, the teau'ster S5.4o, tl!o carpenter sa.0e,
tI6 stone-mason $l1.45, the eot.on.wcaver
$7.74, tile wleclwrght S10.1i, the n1achine,otf-
csator {fema!c) S5.93, the mule-splnncr s0.83,
the lnschinisl s0.0,, the compositor $l4.83. So
much for tho wages. Now for the prize Of food
barrel, rico At TX cents per pound. tea At h4M
cents, sugar ut 81G CULTS, beef Mt IL centa hit
Ter ut 2l3 cents. potatoes at 30 cents per bush
cl coal al $g.40 pcr ton, wood at SB40 pcr cord,
while the rent of six.room tenement, sucl, "a
is needed by tic average family ia tolerabte cir
eumstances. was 3!.54 per month. Passing to
The condition OF labor and the fo.Kl-,uarketa In
1872. we notice considerable auctuailou. Tho
week, now received S5.7711f, IN increuse OF 10
aer ceut over 1850: The teamster received $l0.07,
IN Increase OF ~ per cent: tho carpcnser $tt.03.
"a increase Of 4 per cent; tug mason $sl.ss' M
'slU.G7, un Increase Of 33 per cent; the wheel
wright 5l7.T, ar incscase OF ~ per cent; tho
R,achtnC-opcrnt0r Sl0.3l. m increass Of 05 per
cent; tho mule-sptnncs $t0.7o. au lucrease OF, 70
pcr cent; and the cnrnposttor f25.17, IN increase
Ut T8 pcr rent. Talking shc Average, wu find
that wages In thcsu tell trAIes had risen U3 per
cent. 49,
selling tn lS73 iur $la75 per barrel, an udvanro
Of. - per cent OH tho prize Of tho same Erado
twalvo ycars before; riea brought ll1t cents pce
pound, MI advance of 81 por cent; tea, 60 cents,
M advaaec of 70 per N cent: beci, lo eents, an ad. ID
yanco Of - per cent: butter, 39k{ cents, al ad-
vance OF 80 per cent: potatoes, Blue, an ad-
vanco Ut 2! per eent; cusl, $9.i5 per tnn, m
IN advance Of 90 per CENT; while the rent Of a
six'room tenement Ind risen to SIG Der month";
M advance Of 1l9 per cent. Taking thu averages
Of tfe advance !u prices We lind It To be Just 10
per cent. That Ia, thcaa ten articles OF con-
sumption had risen In apparent value 90 pcr
ccut above their apparrnt vltuo IN 1850. The
wngea had at the same time sRen Is per cent !:
tlence tho laborer In ls53, Notwithstanding Tie
was II reality per cent batter oH than in the
year 18ii0, assuming tlcso ton staple articles to
fairly show .lo average Of The increased cost Of
living.
Ginning down to 1879 when values mud 50
forth had roacnel "hurd-pan,' Wo lind tllnt tile
furnl.lAborcr wis receiving BIB pGr week, IN
advance an the amount paid In 1BtN) OF II per
cont; tic teaulstcr rot IS, all olyahva 0f 50 per
cent; tho carpuntcr, $lt.Hf, an advance OF II
por cent; tho weaver, S3.7l, Al advance of p
per cent; thu mason. $l3+37, an advance Ut II
per cant: tho whceswrght, slJ7a. au auvluce
of ~ per cent; the machine ouesatoF, S5ae. au
| advances nf Z per cent; thu mulc-spnncr, S7.4l,
IN advance Of III per cent; the nacainIst, S!305,
/ 5l3.223, all odyaneu OF % p9r cent. Taking thu
average, wa lind lllat wages have risen, sst,co
| 1851, 23 per cent.
AS to prices In 1873, Aour was selling st $7.nF
per barrel. rac Ut l0 per cent oyer the price III
| 1861; rirc A. NJ cent% per ponnl, rise vi y:
per cent; :ca at N1N cunts, = risu OF ~ pei
cent; sugar at W cents. a riss VI , per cent
6sef ut Nv cents, o rlsu .! ~ per cent; but
ter at 9JH cents, a rise OF II tler cnut; puta
| toes ut VII cents yer 6ushet q risa OF u p:
| ecnt; coal ut $u.45 per ton, rise Ut per ceIlt
wool At $Ii74 per cord. a r1sn Ut 4 pcr cent
| wnile thu rrnt Ut u slx.r0nM lcnGMtcnt VII
81. ~, q rtau Ut u per cent. That IL, ltyIil4
! PRICES had adyaneeu coH,parcd with 1850, II pG
cont. Willie Waycs 4uh attyanrca ~ par eent,-
leaving In favor u tho workitEMan balanru o
| 7 pur utnl.
These figures were tnkcn from tho reports o
the bureau Ut Statistics Of Labor a,Il frou
fnuig9 work, In which no loose estimation /
allowed tn entrr, The CONCLUSION u wavE th
statistics nrnE ns IL 1hat the laborlnT nlan Is Il
| reaiftv better oil to-day tnsn he was III 1871
Tic iHcreasu In sIis wAIea IL lhrEcr than tsu In
tFeAYt III Tho HFjrt Of tho articles Which ll1