The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-12-13
WORK AND WAGES.

The report of Labor Commissioner
which has just been issued
by the state printer, contains among
other things sOme intere sting intorma- .
ton on the question OF wages. The
method pursued 10y Mr.. Meri ether III
this investigation, although laboriOns
one, ia without doubt the best for arriv- /
ing at an accurate knowledge OF the
real wages earned by workiDgmen and
women. The pay rolls OF establish
menis in the different industries we're
considered and the time. work
and amount received by each ndiyid- /.
ual employe was noted. a separate slip
of naper being used Tor each individual
laborer, SO that upon completing The
examination OF the payroll for one
year each siip cont aimed u showing ot
the time, work and wages received by
each individual emplOye during that
period. This method shows, not what
laborers might earn, hut what they
actually did earn in the specified period;
TINS, il John Jones was found on The
pay rolls for l5O days and during that
time was paid $3.50, his average daily
income would be given as 81. The
pay rolls OF factories In fourteen ditter-
ent industries were examined and the
wages Of 4,775 employees ascertaiuei.
The labor commissioner 3 averages are
based upon the known wages OF those
4,775 employees. An examination OF
the tables presented shows that no
inconsilarable number OF labOrers
receive less than 81 per day. This -
true even in IRON works, where the
nigh wages earned by the skilled
laborers ought to somewhat elevate the
general average; l9 per cent OF all the
employees in iron rolling mills receive
less than 81 per day tor each work day.
Of paper and cigar-box factory en-
plOyes IS per cent. receive less than
81 per day; OF saddle and harness
employees % per cent; OF shoe factory
employees 7O3 per cent; OF soap and
lard factory employees AZ per cont; Of
stamping works employees 68 per cent;
of tobacco factory employees II per cent
receive less than 81 per day. Of course
I'm those factories where very large
per cent of the employees receive less
than 81 per day, 1t will usually be
found that the employees consist largely
of women, boys and girls; as for
instance in paper and cigar-box facto.
ries, where S5 per cent of the employees
receive less than 81 per day, very
large per cent of the employees a:e
young women and boys.
The highest wages reported are in the
iron rolling mills, where out OF a total OF
2O7 employees three enjoy daily income
of over 81, three more under 81 but over
Sc, and eleven over So but under S5.
Nearly 10 per cent of iron workers
enjoy daily income of $3.50 and
upward. 1t must be remembered that
these figures represent daily incomes,
that is including Sundays and holidays.
Excluding holidays the average will OF
course be higher, reaching In the case
| OF one "tOn-worker" In st Louis iron
rolling mill the snug sum of SlO.6l fol
each day worked.
or 26 harness makers in st. Louis
whose wages were ascer;ained from
| the pay-rolls, only three were fonnd
enjoying daily income of as much al
$2 so; l2 had between $l.5O to 50 90;
the balance had less than $3.50 day tc
live on. AS already remarked, these
figures are OF value, not as showing
what can be earned when working full
time, but as showing what working
men have to live on. A harness makeI
must live 365 days in year whethe:
he works or not. 1t is OF interest
therefore, TO know that the sum will
which the average harness maker ha
to meet each days expense Is $l.l6
The average for each work day is LIS
Of course, if either work or working
men were absolutely steady and lost NJ
time other than Sundays, the averag
would be higher.
In connection with the question o
wages the labor commissioner presents
the result of an investigation into tn,
cost of living. 1t Ia necessary to hav
information on this point before it ca
be determined whether given rate o
wages is high or low. The figures pre-
sented on this subject are based upo
data collected from 43S families, con-
prislng 2,0l0 individuals. Special agent
of the labor bureau visited these AZ
families, which were selected so as L
represent different trades and cOndi
lions of labor, and the information OBJ
tained was carefully sItled and exsmir
ed before being reduced to tabula
. shape. In all the families visite
, inquiries were made as to the amour
spent for spirituous liquors. This wa
8 delicate subject to handle; end i
some cases the labor bureaus agent
were unable to obtain the information
I They succeeded, however, in obtainiu
8 information on this point from p
D families, comprising l,Os7 persons. VIII
during the year consumed $9,SIl
e worth of spirituous liquors. This make
! an average OF $4l so per family, al
: 50 OS per individual. These figures al
S exclusive of beer consumed by brewer
employees who get their beer free at ii
: brewery, and also exclusive of amoun
e spent at saloons. In other words, the
D show merely what workingmen spen
= for spirituous liquors at home, not wh,
e they spend alone or with friends {
e saloons. In the nature of things,
1 would be difficult if not impossible
= ascertain the amounts spent in thei
1 outside ways, although il may be tt
, case that as much or more Is thus spel
C than at home IN the family. The sun
i mary of total expenses OF wOrkingme
u shows that the amount spent for BET
e almost equals that spent tor meat-tt
Y average expense per individual for me
i being S17 61 per year. while that II
5 beer is So 0S.
Il 1t is interesting to note the GiffeI
II ence i'm the condition OF laborers
8 Kansas City, st. Louis aud the mimi
o districts, as shown in Mr.. Meriwether
e report. In St. Louis the average yea
/ Iy savings of each Individual reporte
i is 1922 81, in Kansas City $5 Sc and
: the mining districts IS 50. In st. Lou
the expense tor food constitutes 80 pI
Il cent. of the totel expense, in kans'
II City il constitutes A rer cent. III
y Kansas City workingman also spen'
q Il larger per cent for meat than do
II his brother in ST. Louis, the expen
If for meat in Kansas City being IS p
t cent, while in St. Louis il is only
II per cent. of the total expense. Thi
S teen per cent. OF st Louis labOreI
r expenses is for rent, in Kansas City
Is l2 per cent, in the mining distriC
it is only per cent. The miners clot
ing constitutes IL per cent. of his tot
expenses, the Kansas City wOrkingmt
!. spends only IA per cent. for clothing
IS in ST. Louis, however. it " Ould appe
y as il worklngmen dressed better thu
), in either Kansas City or the mimi
: districts, as In St Louis the expen