Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-08-21
Wages in Massachusetts, aud Great
Britain.

The comparison of wages paid to labor
( ing men in Massachusetts, and Great Brl-
I tain. as found in the Massachusetts Statis-
tics of Labor for 1884. compiled BY Car
rol D. Wright, the present head OF tie
national labor bureau, shows interesting
and important facts illustrating the rela-
| tive effect of Protection and Free Trade
upon wages.
Massachusetts is the only State in the
Union that prepares full statistics bearing
upon the labor question, so that 1t is only
in Massachusetts that such comparison
as that made BY Col Wright is possible.
But Massachusetts. being a large manu-
featuring State. well represents the effect
of Protection upon the wages of her la
boring population, while Great Britain as
fairly represents the effect of Free Trade
upon the workingmen of that country.
The period covered by Col. Wright
in his report is that from 1860 to
1888. 1t was impossible of course to OBJ
tain statistics concerning all kinds OF labor
in the two countries, but the work was ex.
tended as far as it could be. and included
comparison between SO industries in
Massachusetts, and 80 in Great Britain.
Full tables accompany the report showing
the wages paid in each country in the in
dustries investigated, but the grand re-
suit carefully summed up is enough to salts
fy and convince the readers of the journal,
If they were not convinced from other
sources before, that wages are much
higher in Massachusetts under the policy
of Protection than they are in Great Brit
ain, where the doctrine of Free Trade pre-
walls. The grand result as stated by Col.
Wright in closing this part of his work is
as follows:
81. The number of employees whose
average weekly wages are represented in
the comparisons from 1860 to 1888 is at
least one and a quarter millions { ,250,-
OOO).
2. In the comparisons, SO industries in
Massachusetts and 80 in Great Britain
were represented. The Massachusetts
wages were higher in all thu industries
compared, the percentage in favor OF
Massachusetts, on an industry basis, being
70 40,
3. The purely manufacturing indus
tries entering into this comparison num-
bered "a in Massachusetts, and 81 in
Great Britain. In these industries the
percentage in favor of Massachusetts was
1902.
4. Complete comparisons were posi-
BILE in the case of 81 industries having
wage statistics for both countries. In
these industries the percentage in favor
of Massachusetts was 1888
5. On the yearly basis, Massachusetts
from 1860 to 1888, and Great Britain
from 1872 to 1888. the percentage in
favor of Massachusetts is 1887.
g. Wages in Massachusetts are 20 So
per cent higher then they were in 1860.
7. Wages in Great Britain are ga
per cent higher than they were in 1872.
Mr.. Lords figures. for comparatively
few industries, show an average advance
OF 80. 10 per cent in Great Britain from
1850 to 1888.
The grand result of the comparative
wages investigation in Massachusetts and
Great Britain for the years 1860 to 1888
is
That the general Average wcekty rage
of the employees in the industries cOnstd-
cred in Massachusetts ,oaS II = per cent
higher than the general acreage weekly
rage of the employees in the industries
considered in Great Britain"
These are the facts found after one OF
the most careful. impartial. thorough in
vestigations ever made upon this subject.
In 1861 protective tariff was enacted by
the republican party. so that the period
covered by the investigation began one
year before the tariff was established and
closes in 1888.
| Statistics. it is said, are not always reli-
able. but all sources of information which
we nave go to prove that Col. Wright
has not estimated the excess of wages in
Massachusetts over wages in Great Bril-,
ain greater than it is. The working
people of Great Britain are good authority
about the matter. and corroborate by their
statements Col. Wright's results, as well
as by their constant immigration to this
country to obtain better wages and i'm
prove their condition.
The republican party supports the poll
CIV of Protection. and the democratic par
ty supports the Free Trade policy of
Great Britain. Laooring men of Maine.
which party will you support, that which
protects your interests or that which
would grind you down to the pauper
wages of Great Britain under the policy
of Free Trade
Mr.. Bayard is not half so lmpetuous in