The times., 1892-09-23
A DEMOCRATIC VIEW.
THE M'kiNLEY TARIFF HELPS THE
WORkiNGMEN.

The Democratic Labor Com I'm missioner of
New York Commends the Mckinley
TariT-It Has Added Millions to the
Earnings of Laborers.
The most important incident of the
campaign thus far has probably been
the report of the Democratic commits
sioner of labor in New York, Hon.
Charles F. Peck. This report, prepared
by Democrat, is recognized by Repub-
licans and Democrats as the most strik-
ing Endorsement that could have been
given the Mckinley law.
Mr.. Peck, who is Democrat, was ap-
pointed to the Office of commissioner Of
labor statistics by President Cleveland,
and has held the position (as Democrat)
ever since. In his report he takes up
the question of wages and manufac-
lures since the enactment Of the McKin-
ley law, comparing the first year under
the Mckinley law QS9D with the last
year under the old law. Of course his
figures relate only to the industries of
his own state of New York, but they
are very interesting and important in
their bearing.
The report shows that there was net
increase in wages of $6,377, ,925. 90 in the
year 1891, as compared with the amount
paid in 1890 and a net increase of pro-
duction of $31 1915, $780, 6S in the year 1891
over that of 1890. OF the sixty -sever
industries covered n per cent of them
show an increase either of the wages or
product, or both.
Commissioner Peck gave as reason
for selecting the tariff as the subject for
his ninth annual report that it especially
affected the working classes. He had
found that the statements Of the Demo.
cratic speakers were not borne out by
facts. Governor Campbell had said that
not single workingmans wages had
been raised as the result of the McKin-
ley act. MY reports show that there
were just $4,000 men whose salaries
were raised as the result of this law"
asserted the commissioner. Mr.. Peck
added that he was free to admit that his
report was not in harmony with the
platform adopted at Chicago in so far
as it related to the subject of the tariff.
However, his report was as he had
found the condition Of affairs
The summary prepared by Commis-
sioner Peck says in opening:
In pursuance of law the undersigned
has completed the work attendant upon
the issuing of the ninth annual report of
the bureau of statistics Of labor, and
herewith gives brief summary of the
contents of the same Its completion
has been necessarily delayed by reason
of the unusual amount and important
character of the work undertaken. OF
all the varied subjects investigated and
reported upon during the bureaus nine
years Of existence none has borne a
closer relationship to the welfare of the
wage earners of the state or furnished
the public in general with statistical
data so valuable to comprehensive un-
derstanding of the practical workings of
the one great economic question of the
present day than the tariff. Tariff,
whether levied "for revenue only" or
for "reYenue and the incidental protec-
ton. of American manufacturers and
American labor" is certainly question
Of such vast import as to enlist the most
thorough and dispassionate investiga-
tion at the hands of the American peo-
pie. And while the present report has
under the law been confined to the state
of New York, its results can but be
taken as indicative of the conditions ex-
listing in every section of our country
where manufacturing and industrial
pursuits are followed.