The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1885-12-28
LABOR STATISTICS.
CHIEF ARTHUR =. HADLEY ISSUES
HIS FIRST REPORT.
Men Who Do the Most Physical Work
Have the Least to Show for It,
Cheap Foreign Labor
Trades Unions.

NEW HAVEN, Conn, Dec Is. Arthur I.
f'adley, chief OF the newly established state
tursau Of labor statistics, issued his hr5t
report Saturday. 1t covers n period OF five
months, ending Nov. 30. The bureau wa
sstsb!i,hed by the last legislature. Mr.
Hadlev has found out good many things
not generally known The report VIII
create much discussion throughout TIL state
1T is found Says the report THAT the
men who do the most physical work have
she i1as5 to show for it, have little lndepan-
!enca Of action, and are frequently victims
ii evil, and abuses
Mr. Hadlcy's investigation showed that
tie ordinary estimates Of wages, even when
most carefully made, almost always were
10, high, Employers could not be relied On
fpr truthful answers, and employees who
lid answer the bureaus circulars could not
properly be considered as representing the
average wage-earner.
III is almost impossible that trades unions
b0uld be judged on their merits squarely
t} the public. They are apt to he made an
Instrument of agitation, which is all evil
s,ni leads to bad and inefficient work.
Another thing" the report says, 'the
law regards them with disiavor A fair in
castigation of trades unions is impossible.
because Statements on both sides conflict, ~
Vii he is unable to obtain any thing beyond
tpuntaly information. 1t aisapproVrS Of
;re employment of unskiilal labor of child
I,n al Il the labor of married women, which
breaks up the home. Foreign cheap labor
thouli not b3 encouraged French Cam
dams have a Standard of living winch il
NtnEll he misfortune 10 American work
'irrn to adopt.
In this direction Mr.. Hadley thinks that
uatters are slightly improving Still, he
.I,r.t t..
in Connecticnt for the next five years ~ it
has in the past five very serious social
problem will result The Italians expenses
are at Il minimum, he bears infinite crowd
ing by employers, and he has a simple diet
The pieee-wOril sy stem can not be abolished
Growing ont of it is the contract system in
Factories, by which owners let out the privi-
leg" Of getting work ont Of men t. fore
nan. who makes thair wages and sapcrvises
their work, There is every danger that its
effect upon the vast majority Of wofkmen
HbD are not contra tors aud have no hope
of becoming contractors viii lie bad. The
contractor IS likely to economic By crowd
ing down wages 10 the lowest possible limit.
The demand for weekly payments is
extensively made and in many respect. ia
well founded iioiilng back part of u
~nrknans pay i 'eplorabIe ard the
re 'e>,itv MOI "a great as representa-. II is
10 re t. keep a hold Oh employees. The re-
port adds; 'Di>truat a man and you will
10 muah to make Tim untilIStw orthy."
OF ~ concerns which sent i'll reports 20
employed more hands ia leSi than i'll 1850,
Il hal less ana . reported no change. In
these concerns j,~2J persons were employed
in 1850, as against d,JJl iii l,>a, an increase
If 3 per cent Twenty four factories
showed increased pay rolls, II diminished
mes, and } Were unchanged Actual wages,
Mr. Hadley finds, are aIn!ost The same in
tue two years.