New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-27
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
MS EFFECT on THE LABoRERS OF THE
STATE

IT'S ECEAI w 4uI AhDOnDNo ~1 @AAN
\. opsrrY EXPERIMENT IN STATE SOCIALISM
oaxsussIoNEa PECKS REPLIES TO THE
srVATEs ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CANAL EXPENSES.
,rr .xouIAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRrBrNH
Albany Feb os.-rhe experiment in state sociAis"
,uv heine made by the state OF New York, by pAyhs
Iaborers employed by tho state higher wages ZION
the market rate. apparently with the consent W W.
,rnor Hill, Is to 30 continued this year. a'"ous"
100000 must be appropriated by the Leg'siS'"io
present year TO pay the expenses OF that eApc'" .
The sociaistc experiment referred to Is cxA'seno!
man Smiths law Of 1850, declaring that no 'S"o
employed by the state shall receive less ''aN
h,y. and all otherwise employed by the s'a'e "o'
ess than 2o cents an hour, which latter pro'S'o" "
many cases las increased the wages Oh isoo"
n and q so . day. The law not only VIII .op
the Legislature to appropriate sooOVo mo'o w .0
canals this year than 1t did last year. ou' wiz 49,
unlcss repealed make necessary far larger appr'p~
.on. Or the con,tn,ctIon of new armorcs. normal
schools and asylums The total loss therefore tha'
the State suffers by the law Is not l'"i'cu '" 'io
100000 referred to above: Is iar larger anu i'
amount increases with every Appropriation ior Puon0
work made by the Legisiatare. 49,
Emit. rs stated, Governor Hill approves this In
,casc IN the State taxes benefit privileged class
OF xorktnemen who are 10 te paid higher wages than
,h.r fellows not so fortunate TO be In the States
cn,n,ov Governor Hill signed the two-dolars day
law last car To-day he showed that he sti approves
that law despite Its disastrous effect on tie states IL
nances.
Charles r. Peck. the superintendent OF the bureau
OF Labor Statistics, sent to the state Senate today
II. ct thA frn "a
Afcrward Mr.. Peck stated to The Tribune CORES
nonaent that he had submitted tc report 10 Governor
i'm for his approval. The Governor as a politician,
would not permit such q document To go 10 the Legs
latuc unlcs. he had first Inspected 1t and had Sen
whether 1t me, with his approval The "o'erhor
drew his blue pencil through several sentences winch
Lo evidently thought socia>tic. and he wordod
some of the other portions Of the report 80 as 10 MAKE
bid for the Labor vote The report was In rpy
10 q resolution offered by senator oConnor on fco-
rary lc asking the superintendent OF the bureiu VI
Labor statistics furnish replies TO certain qucsuos
npon tile effect Of the twOdollarS a day law. Tic
FIST of these questions the following:
l. Has Chapter $50 Of the laws Of lisp, commonly
Known as the two dollars day law. increased ,'e
" per day PAID Ia the la2rcrs III TINS s'A'e WHO
are not employed on the public ""fhs
Mr. Peck's reply TO this question was worried 10
/ respectfully answer to question ono that ! am
not In possession Of any Information chaphhs "e u"
,y whether Chapter 900 of the laws Of lr-', com
m'niy Known a, the ~,wodolla,s d.y law hs,
Increased the price per aas PAD u rd MSoer' III '''
MIR Hin clearly said To- Mr.. Peck. That wont
do We must avoid the impu,ation OF having created
1ryile-ed class. that 1t has Increased inc wa
{. mel whI arc not aLorerS for the sta'c' WI. III"
therefore amended the answer 80 II now rcads a.
follows
AN not An possession Of any specific lniOrinauon'
AN yet OF the decided opinion thar 'hsp.tI ,ou W
dollars dsv law la, increased L, some extent the
pcc per day lsbOrcrs In this state not cnpio!cd
On the pablo WORKS.
senator oConnor upon reading this reply said ::
s1ha, 4, not a reply worth anything. desired
,nccinc information a. to where aud when that law
IN, raised the wages other lSborers' The Tribune
correspondent Is informed that the law did raise
lie wages In the "canal Counties OF
the farm lxborers Of the Republican
farmers The farmers In the canal counties are thus
twice hurt by the Law; once in the increased taxes
ind secondly, In being compelled to pay higher wages
4, their farm hands. Mr.. Peck. however. says moth
irg about the woes of the Republican farmer. lie
Is democrat.
Tie second question Of senator O'Connor was as fol-
lows
he is rqncsied 10 specify particularly the place,
where and the kind os labor in which Increase 81
wage, has been the result OF the enactment o 'hch
chapter and his rcsson, for believing that such in
erc;ise 5 dse to the operation OF such law
In.
:. Upon inquiry lind that along the line 81 the
canal and wherever lavor i employ "a at Ntate cot
TIE act OF raise has eeSn sNsi 9 9 SS r sr re-
teiyne AN increase equal 70 that made b' the passage
Of the two dollars aday' law.
Mex. senator o'Connor asked the following pointed
question:
p How much additional expense has such Law en- en-,
tailed in TIE c0nduot Of the public works sin'e It's
1s Sds sd AMOUNT mSS ~u OF In IL, oTi
ncces ny 10 be made u meet tn, dehScncles o, ,ic
current year. and for the fiscal year beginning October
Mr.. PEEK has To acknowledge that the canal ex
perscs have been increased 100000. which he does
rs follows:
@ respectfully submit the following conmunca
ton from t.e superintendent OF fnblc Works, the only
enca Of The state wig could po>'Dy b. N - ,si.
question:
.ofuee of the superintendent Of Public Works;
p AlEa"{ n m !. iob lyo Of bureau Of
Labor statItcs. ,... -. ,.o
Sir, III rep Is to ySr tho for Of
current year Ia the Department under my CONTROL
, S b 5 the h aGiS@ tho~and oo6o6 dollar
the appropriation FOR the fiscal year BEGINNING on
october /. 1850 will have 10 be Increased III t same
Iii is no, true that all labor tho canals has beer
ered by the hour instead OF rDw 'Rf AANN%S 'e'
superintendent Of Public Works.
Senator oCOnnor then addressed this question 70
Mr.. Peek:
state particularly those residing ia the Interior Tree
hCldc-S and taApayer>:
Mr. Peck evadcd this awkward question In this man
ncr:
L. IL hxs never yet been In my power I" lIhI,
into the condition. personal. domestic or hha'a. n
tito wS,Thers wage inquiry 81 great 'au'
AID significance. The appropriations grahtei 'hi'
Bureau have not been more than suf iehl iDr W"
on which they have been expanded Even had ben
free 10 incur Outlay. respectfully submit that ti-
question Is beyond The functional scope Of hi. bns a
at present Constructed but would DC covered ny an
Industrial census. which would be especially vaiuaoi'
Ia the great state Of New York with it, vast wealth.
large population and diversified industries.
Then senator OCa,nOr sought ~ pin down Mr