The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-06
rear while General Hovey was fighting at the
front should now attempt a cowardly and
sneaking attack on his military record.
ooMm1ssIoNBR WRIGHT AND WAGES.

COMMISSIONER WRIGHT AMI WAGES.
The following is from an article in the Sem
tinel attempting to prove that protection does
not benefit workingmen or better wages:
THE first annual report of the United
States Commissioner of Labor (1S86y, page
220-225, gives a summary of all employees,
with wages and time, by States.
"This summary shows that on cotton goods.
for instance, the average rate of daily wages
for adult males is in Maine, $1.23; Massachu-
sets, ST.. IS; Vermont, ST.. 15; New York, $1.23;
New jersey, $1.44; North Carolina, SO. sc;
Georgia. 81. %; Great Britain, $1.17; Ger
many SC. so; France, 500 %.
at will be seen that New Jersey pays 81. AZ
and yet outstrips North Carolina, which pays
but 96 cents. Massachusetts, pays 81. 10; Great
Britain $1.17. Yet we are told that the Mas
sachusetts manufacturer needs a high protec-
ton against those of Great Britain, while
New Jersey needs none at all against North
C~arolina.
Now why9 Who can tell1 Perhaps the
Indianapolis Journal can throw some light
upon the mystery"
We think we can throw a little light on the
subject. The summary referee to By the
Sentinel expressly says that the exhibit sis
not complete for industries or States. but
covers only establishments investigated by
the bureau" It does not state the average
of wages paid in Massachusetts, cotton-mills
to be ST.. ID, as stated by the Sentinel. but
1877. 1t further shows that twelve mills in
Massachusetts, employed 7,04S hands, while
five mills in Great Britain employed ], 155
hands. The twelve Massachusetts mills paid
out 1868 a day in wages. while the five
British mills paid out 1881 a day. Each
Massachusetts, mill averaged $S4.5 80 a day for
wages, and each British mill averaged $27 a
day.
The wages paid in cotton manufacturer g
in Great Britain are relatively better than in
other industries. The same report of Mr..
Wright, from which the Sentinel quotes,
shows that in wooden manufactures the aver
age rate of wages paid in Massachusetts, was
$1.35 per day. against SS cents per day in
Great Britain. 1t also shows that in miscel-
laneous industries the average wages in
Massachusetts, were $2.l7 per day, against
$1.54 per day In Great Britain. REPORT Of
United States Commissioner of Labor for
1856, p. 225.1
Whether the particular establishments were
selected in this case to make as good a show
ing as possible for the British mills we cannot
say, but other official reports by Mr.. Wright.
when COMMISSIONS of Labor in Massachu-
eetts, show a much greater difference between
wages in Great Britain and Massachusetts,.
Thus his sixteenth annual report, p. 142,
shows that the general average weekly wage
of employees in ninety industries considered
was 77.49 per cent. higher in Massachusetts,
than in Great Britain during the twenty.
three years from 1860 to 1883. The same re-
port, p. al, shows that if the comparison is
confined tothe thirty-seven industries which
supply an exact com~parison-that is, an
average figure in both countries for the same
ndustries-we discover that the general az,
erage weekly wage in Massachusetts,, from
1860 to 1883. was 50. SO per cent. higher in
Massachusetts, than in Great Britain. The
same report shows, p. 122, that, taking the
average for all the industries supplying rates,
we find that wages by the hour in Massachu-
sets exceed those in Great Britain by 70.S8
per cent, and the excess is shown to exist in
every industry considered.