The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-07-31
rHE Prosperous wORKINGMAN OF
THE UNITED STATES

az" EhooFEh WVhh1NV"HS w
THE UNITED STA TIES.
NOW Much he Earns and How ne Lives
Al Interesting Canvass or Two Great
1adustries n the state or MiehiEss.
Prom TIE r,rridence Journal
The report OF the Michigan Bureau OF Labor
and Industrial Statistics bcspeaks careful at.
tention. 1t may DO said that industrial con-
dtlons In the West differ from those at the
East, and that we In this portion Of the country
must take exception now and again. for this
reason, TO the findings OF the bureau as de-
tailed in this report but certainly palms.
taking Investigation over so wide a field a. the
State OF Michigan cannot but prove OF general
interest and value. Moreover. the Michigan
bureau has conducted similar Investigations
for eight years and In that time has acquired
much experience In oollating facts like those
now presented.
1t would not be fair to say that the daily lie
OF the workinRman 10 pictured with absolute
correctness for all such canvasses Nc tho
Michigan bureau has made from homo TO
home must DO incomplete. But we may 10
suro that an approximately correct idea OF the
status Of workingmen. at least In certain in
dustries. may 10 gained from . study OF the
bureaus statistics. No attempt to secure
figures for all varieties OF industry was made.
the labors Of the Investigators being confined
chiefly to the agricultural implement and iron
working laborers. although q lew establish
monts OF other character were visited. Tho
two industries named are among the best
known and longest established In tho State.
and 1t was considered that an inquiry among
these would be valuable As srorjinR IN idea
OF how the better paid classes OF work men live.
1t is said that in those two branches OF manu-
facture workinRmen receive relatively high
skpk ~ AnI.~ -
cent the more prosperous grade OF employees.
For tho purposes OF this report 1888 work.
mon wore visited and confronted with long
list OF questions on many interesting SUBJ
jects pertaining to their homo life. They were
asked whether or not they owned the houses
in which they lived ifthere we're encumbrances
on their property: II they carried life insur-
ancc and to what amount how much wages
thoy received. and how much they saved I;
whether or not thoy owned pianos or sewing
machines, and variety OF other questions. 1t
was found that out OF tho SS3S to whom those
queries wore put ono earned $40 week. eight
from $50 to $40. and las from $40 to $50. while
at he other end OF tho pay roll we're dozen
boys who received but 50 . week. and 1922 more
with So or less. About 15 per cent. received SIS
or over. and more than II per cent. less than
81. while the average for the whole number
married and single men, was SlO06. ana that
for the married mon $ll.50 Tho average total
| amount for year was S4G7. tho married men
averaging 1926. . small annual income on
which to support family. In the estimation OF
good many moro favored people. But, with
this amount It is evident that the families Of
those Michigan workingmen have been pros
porous. at least In many cases.
As many as 2.92s Of the employees who were
visited owned their houses. and nearly half
HhAe
gnges. Almost all the householders were
married mon. moreover. and 46 per cent. OF tho
families concerning whom tho State bureau
made inquiries were therefore installed in
their own homes 1t 10 worth while to note in
| passing. that OF these house owners the largest
proportion wore Germans. Hollanders. and
Irish. with the Scotchmen and Poles not far
behind. Tho Scotchman's house cost s2.O25.
however and that Of the Pole 1886. the average
among all nationalitles reaching 1872
Nor are the comforts OF everyday life for
bidden. although tho average wages would not
seem. at first thought to afford much margin
for these. The American laborer looks upon
| certain luxuries a. necessities. and the Mchi-
gan figures seem to show that he is able to pos
sess some OF them. Sixty-nine per cent. OF
the families visited owned sewing machines.
and 1t ia fair to assume that those are positive
| luxuries IN many homo. whore in less PROS
porous days there Was an inordlnata amount
OF sewing BY hand. Slxty-seven Der cant. OF
all the employees intervis wed took newspapers
| and magazines. and half OF them daily papers.
and more than o fifth Of tho $3.50 possessed
musical instruments OF one kind or another.
while there were found 700 organs and S14
pianos. A fourth OF the whole number OF men
were insured. the average amount being near
~ $500. and 40 Der cent. saved money last
year. In all. $l75.470 was paid out in that
time for homes and improvements upon them.
and S320.sSO In cash was saved. This Is q
good general showing. and may b taken to In.
dicste fairly the financial status OF large bod
OF workingmen In . representative State OF