The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-12-22
A LOOK AT THE FIELD.
REVIEW OF THE SITUATION IN IN
DUSTRlAL CIRCLES.
Bradstreet Presents Some Instructive
Facts and Figures-Number0 of Men
Employed in 1884 Compared
with 1880.

lar rs reported, $40, OOO fewer employees are
at work in twenty-one states-containing 90
per cent of the manufacturing employees
than have hitherto been required. 1t is fair
to presume that more detailed inquiry
would reveal nearer $50, 900 as the total-in
part due, of course to customary stoppaga at
this season. The inquiries include twenty two
states-Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia,
Kentucky, Missouri, and all north thereof
There has been general reduction in wages
in Industrial lines varying from 20 to 25, and
in some instances 30 per cent, taking the
year through. In some lines the reductions
are as low as 10 to Is per cent. Skilled
workers In specialties only are exempt, or
partially exempt from this The reduced
forces at work range from 33 per cent at
some points among the iron workers to an
average of 20 per cent against 1880 for the
states reported to 10 per cent among glass
workers, II per cent. among the tobacco
operatives woolen goods 16 per cent, boots
and shoes IA per cent, and cotton goods 1214
per cent. The reductions referred to do not
include the shrinkage in clerical forces in
mercantile houses at leading cities
going on at the present time, and which
is assuming noteworthy proportions.
Among the industrial wage-earners reduction
in wages have been greatest where there
have been no industrial organizations or
weak ones Where trade-unionism is strong
est contract rates and united resistance have
combined to retard the downward tendency
of wages. In the states covered by this in
quiry there were 2, 452, 749 of that number
CT 20 per cent.
The most complete reports are from New
York, New England, Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Minnesota, Kentucky and Michigan. New
York has dropped from the rolls about Iii
Ier cent of the men estimated as employed
i'll 1882, Pennsylvania about II per cent,
Kentucky about Il per cent, Michigan about
Is per cent, OHIO about Is per cent, and
illinois about per cent or the number re-
ported displaced hy the depression in trade
less than Is 900 are reported due to strikes,
or about 5. ) per cent The locations number
engaged therein, AMI character of the exist
ing prominent strikes, all due TO resisting
wage reductions. are as follows: Number ell
gagged in strikes: Pennsylvania railway pit
miners, 500; Hooking valley anI others,
5000; Tennessee, 300; Angus, Iowa, 1000;
total coal miners, 100 Cotton weayers,
Massachusetts, AMI Rho !e Island, 1850; hat
ters, Connecticut, l,2i0; boots ana shoe,
Philadelphia, 5000; Philadelphia weavers,
1000; total striking. Il 90
There is talk Of 1, ,0j0 Pennsylvania blum
inous liverpool miners striking on Monday
if cents per bushe is not granted for min
ing instead of 25s cents There is menace OF
also Of strike at al early day from the
Pittsburg machinery holders, OF which,
however, there is no certainty. II the
seventeen leading industrial cities the
number reported dispensed with is III,
lis, or nearly 81 per cent of the total re
ported The total number busy in those cities
in 1880 was 923, 799, or 81 per cent. of the
total in the states enumerated in this iii
quiry, indicating that the industrial depreS-
sion las shown by the reduced number of
employees has been 50 per cent greater il
cities than in the country districts. In tbs
cities themselves the greater falling away ii
the numbers employed (preportionatel ha:
been in Detroit, Troy and Cleveland
being conspicuousl, in Philadelphia, il
Richmond, Va, in New York, Patterson, N
j., Pittsburg, and Wheeling.
Perhaps as interesting portion of the in
ouiry as any Is that which points to the ap
prOXlflldbe uecFtHsH Ill t.IS uuillbeI eIlE1lO)
| in leading lines of industry. 1t is to b,
regretted that more complete data OF
| this point cannot be given, owing t,
want of space The employees in bias
| furnaces, rolling mills, steel-works, forge
and bloomaries foundries, machine and loco
motive works in the United States, in 1880
numbered 421, coo, and in the states reported
| 3SS, 900 Reports to BradstreetsS indicat
that at least 1900 OF such operatives hav
been dispensed with, or 20. per cent.
OF operatives on clothing in New York
| New England, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, a
least 35 900 fewer are at work than a yea
ago, or over 27 per cent. Of those in 1886
| On cotton goods the decline in the numbe
of operatives in New England, New York
New Jersey, and Pennsylvania is 10000 o
nearly 121a per cent of the total in 1885,
| On woolen goods the decline in NeN
England, New York, New Jersey, an
| Pennsylvania is "a 900, or 16 PER cent of th
total four years ago In New Englan
alone 1900 WOODEN goods operatives er
idle las against 1882 and the industry ha
suffered much more than that of cOtto
goods, in which lin New England) the totf
idle las against 1882 is 1900 hands. |
boots and shoes, SO far as detailed
there are $4,000 fewer operatives 6
work than four years ago 5000 temporal
lily in New Englandl or about IA per cen
fewer than 1880 This industry is, however
relatively less depressed than others specified
In Paterson, N j., there are 1000 fewer sil
operatives at work or about 16 per cent. {
the whole number in 1880. In Pennsylvani;
Ohio, and in st. Louis about 100 operative
in the glass factories have been laid off
about 10 per cent Of the total in 1880.