Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-09-17
A PECULIAR CONTROVERSY.


A PRESS dispatch announces that
CHARLES II. Peck, commissioner Of the
New York State bureau OF labor and
statistics, has been placed under ar
rest. lie ia charged with having re-
moved from his office and destroyed
circulars and statistics supplied him
by manufacturers and others from
which to compile report, the object Of
which was to exhibit the effect Of the
Mckinley bill upon trade. The report
allowed favorably for the Mckinley
BILL An exchange says on this point;
"Tho period covered by tho commits.
slouer's Investigation included the year
immediately prior to tho enactment Of
tho Mckinley law aud tho year imme-
dlatcly following its going into opera
tlon. The statistics upon which his
conclusions arc basod were supplied By
over six thousand representative and
leading business firms Of tho State.
Tho facts show that tboro was net
Increase In wages Of s,3I7 ,p2b In the
year 1891 ~ compared with 1890.
and a not Increase Of rdluetlon Of esq.,.
ll5, 1880 In tho same period. An analysis
Of his table further demonstrated that OF
tho sixty-sovon industries covered, seven
ty-sovon por cont. show an lncfoasoolihor
Of wages or product, or both, "and there
were no less than sl,7l1 Instances OF In.
dlyldual Increase Of wagos during tho
same year" ,lsoll. Speaking OF another
table tho commissioner says; "of tho
slNty-clght industries included, sovonty.
i've per cont Of them show an increased
average yearly earning In tho year 1891,
while tho total average increase of yearly
earnings Of tho $4,000 employees was
s2Lll." lie addG "rho average Increase
Of yearly earnings Of tho employees In
the llity-one TRADES was $3.50 In 1891 as
compared with $780,"
MT. Peek remarks, In his report, reia.
tive to New York being State whose
condition may bo taken NJ rejecting
the situation OF the country at large,
~ follows.
"No state In tho Union offers fold no
varied or no extensive within which the
statlsllcian can carry ON hls work with
greater assurance OF Intelligent success
than Is presented by tho State OF New
York. Within Its borders arc To DO found
by far tho grpatosi number OF mauufar.
turing establishments. the most varied
industries, aud tho largest number OF in.
vldual employers and wago-oarnors OF
any OF tho forty-iour commonwealth
embraced In the United States. So that,
whatever the statistical data collected and
lNbulatod may provo relative to tho
effects Of protection on labor and wages
In New York, may Justly DO taken as
fairly representative Of tho conditions
throughout tho whole country"
OF course, the Repub ilcans have not
boon slow 70 make use OF MIR. Peck's
roport for party purposes, II being
specially useful for that object On ac.
count OF the Commissioner being him.
self u Democrat. The Democracy are
necessarily greatly exercised on the
subject, and numerous articles have
appeared which present the matter In
totally different light, and action has
been taken resulting in tho arrest Of
Mr.. Peck. Tho latter Ia accused by
leading Democrats OF making u false
report and OF burning or otherwise dis.
posing OF the tables and circulars upon
which his exhibit ought to have been
based. This alleged crime with which
the man Of figures Il charged Is said to
be part OF a conspiracy, In which he
il ono OF the chief participants. The
melting cause OF the plot Ia said to be
rooted In Hin move nents and Mug.
wumpism and It's object the defeat OF
Grover Cleveland.
The Republicans state, on the other
hand, that Peck's report is M honest
one, made up from tho materials OBJ.
iained by him from manufacturers and
others.
The subject ia one Of conspicuous
interest at present, and we have there.
IoJo given bsiei statement vi the