Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-12-31

NEW YORK, Dec. 2i.-Twenty col
umns Of Bradstreet's are occupied
this week with the results OF . most
important investigation Into the gen.
eral condition OF the leading manu-.
featuring industries OF the United
States. The inquiries embrace TWEEN
ty.two States. including Maryland.
Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky.
Missouri and all north thereof. There
has been general reduction OF wages
In Industrial lines, varying from 20
TO Is per cent. and In some instances
10 30 per cent, taking the year
through. In some lines the reduc-
lions are as low - 10 10 10 per cent.
Skilled workers In specislties are ex-
empt, or partially exempt. from this.
The reduced forces at work range
from 80 per cent. at some points
among the iron workers, TO an aver
age OF 90 per cent, against 1880, for
the States reported; 10 10 per cent.
among glass workers., IL per cent.
among tobacco operatives. 10 per
cent In wooden goods, II per cent In
boots and shoes and 12t per cent.
among cotton. workers. The reduc.
lions referred TO do not include the
reduction OF clerical forces In mer.
camille houses.
Among industrial wage earners the
reduction In wages have been the
greatest where there have been no in.
dustrial organizations, or weak ones.
Il must not be overlooked that con.
siderable share OF the number report
cd now out OF work will soon be busy
again, stoppages of mills aud facto.
ries 10 various lines being customary
at this season. The total number oil
Industrial employees Is 2, 45s, 749 and
the total decline In the number of OPP
eratives reported Is 3l5. s49 compared
with 1880. OF the number reported
displaced by the depression In trade
less than 10, 900 are reported due te
strikes, or about SO per cent In the
seventeen leading industrial cities ths
Number reported dispensed with By
striking 10 III. 10. or nearly SO pei
cent, OF the totals reported. They
are now distributed among the fol
lowing cities: New York, Phlladel
phia, Chicago. Boston, Baltimore,
Cincinnati, Brooklyn, ST. Louis,
Pittsburgh, Troy and vicinity. Cleve
land and vicinity, Paterson, Buffalo,
Louisville, Detroit, Richmond and
Wheeling.
The employees In blast furnaces
rolling.mills. steel works, FORCES and
blomaries, foundries, machine and
locomotive works In the United
States Ia 1880 numbered sci 900. aud
Ia the States reported above 3Ss, 600
The returns indicate that q. least so.
00o Of such operatives have been dis
pensed with, or 90 0 per cent. Ofthe
operatives OF clothing 10 New York,
New England. Pennsylvania and
Ohio at least 25 900 fewer are Al
work now than q year ago, or over
% per cent, less than those 10 1880
On cotton goods the decline 10 the
number of operatives In New Eng
land. New York, New Jersey and
Pennsylvania Ii about 20, 900. or Ia
per cent. OF the total four years ago
la boots and shoes. 30 far ~ detailed,
there are over IL, 900 fewer operatives
at work than four years ago, OF about
Ia per cent fewer than In 1880. This
industry Is, however. relatively less
depressed than the Others specified
In New York. Pennsylvania, Ohio
and Kentucky there are reported 49,.
900 fewer employees of tobacco man.
ufacturers. or abost II per cent. oil
the total 10 1850, In Paterson N. j.,
there are 1000 fewer elk operatives ai
work. or about Is per cent of whole
number Ia 1880 In Pennsylvania,
Ohio and In ST. Louis about ZOO op-
eratives In the glass factories have
been laid of. being about 10 per
cent of the total emntaved In iSs@n