Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1891-04-21
The Unions Powerful Influence.

will present to the pubic LILO
most valuable statistics relative to
trades unlous that have ever been COM
piled by any labor bureau. The man
ner in which these facts are presented
is as novel as valuable. This report is
now in the hands of the state printer.
Of hours of labor the commissioner
says:
mine hours and ffty-four inmates is
the average length of time union man
works for a day, and ten hours and
eighteen minutes is an average day 1or
the non-union man. For weeks work
the union man gives an average OF fifty
nine hours and six minutes, while the
non-union man gives an average OF SIX
ty-two hours and fifty-four minutes; a
difference of three hours and forty-eight
minutes"
The report of the commissioner fur
Their shows that but 81 per cent OF the
union men work more than ten hours
per day, but that 10& per cent OF the
per day. Eight per cent OF the union
men work but eight hour per day.
It is a claim of the unionists that the
unions have in their ranks the best
workmen, and this claim is we'll borne
out bv the figures OF the commissioner
He says:
The union men have been employed
in the various trades represented an
average of II years and 8 months, and
the nOn-union an average OF years ana
months.
Thus an employer who employs con-
stantly none but union men receives on
an average four years more experience
than does the employer who conhnes
his help to DOn-unlon men.
The question of wages is one OF the
most important that enters into the cal
culations of the wage Garner, and on
this subject the report says:
The average daily wages for the All
union men is 1874, and for the 5O4 non
union men S2.04, general average Tor
the 92l men of S2.16.
The excess of wages is undoubtedly
due to the long and concentrated efforts
of the urion throughout the land for
reasonable recompenss for the labor
which they performed; and no doubt IN
short time the hours of labor Will
show a balance in favor of the union
man equally hattering. But the COM
missioner makes another very interest
ing comparison about wages. Here IL
is:
Thirty-seven per cent, or more than
one-third of the union men receive from
$3.50 to 81. "A per day; 1872 per cent or
nearly one-ffth of the non-unlon men
obtain like sum.
Thirty-eight and three-tenths per
cent of the union men receive more
than 81 per day. and 1873 per cent OF
the non-union men get an excess OF
1914 fer days work.
Here is a difference of 18 per cent in
one case and % per cent in the other in
favor of the union men-and yet some
men will ask, 'Of what use can the I'M
ion be to me?" Here is an answer to all
such inquiries: material and financial
gain that appeals to that great desider'
alum OF all men-the pocket.
The commissioner has compiled re-
trcns of personal interviews with 925
men. Speaking of this compilation he
says:
lone hundred and ffty-six, or 81 per
cent of the union men own their homes,
and 179, or SO per cent of the non-union
men are alike circumstanced. OF those
owning homes, As per cent of the union
wage-earners and 46 per cent of the
non-union have their homes paid for
trihe less than half in each case.
The average amount paid month
lv on incumbered real estate is
$l2.23 by the union worl1men and 81. 81
by the non-union."
Fifty-seven per cent of the union men
are paving for their homes on the
IL. tnll,,nonf rnlan whila 10 ne1,