The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-26

appointed 20 ONCE when cleveland vas
governor. in his official report said wages
OF 1891 in New York state exceeded those
Of 1880 by So, 81. 600. and the net increase
OF production in sixty-eight industries,
employing 2s5,000 persons, was 81. Bis. 900.
These figures were confirmed by the
superintendent Of the New York state
bank department who says in his official
report that deposits in the savings banks
have increased over so 0O0, 900 during the
past SIX months. The Democratic state
board OF equalization also reports that the
tax roll Of real and personal property II
greatly in excess Of last year. The report
OF Labor Commissioner Wadlin, Of Massa-
chusetts. covering the year 1891 has just
been published, showing an advance in
wages of 2.65 per cent. over the year pre-
ceding, the aggregate Of wages paid being
$129, 4l6, 24s an increase Of q. 335.o45 over
1880. The greatest increase was in wooden
goods-7.15 per cent. In brief. the conclu-
sions Of this report are these:
The increase in the average number Of
persons employed was LIZ per cent, en-
ployment being given to 5.166 additional
workmen.
The increase in the total amount Of
wages paid was 265 per cent.
The average increase in wages, including
men, women and children. was 81 per cent.
The average number of persons unem-
ployed decreased As per cent.
There are ffty-two, or 9.33 per cent, Of
the seventy five industries represented, in
which is shown an increase in average
yearly earnings, and all Of the protected
industries are included in this number.
The only important industry of Massa-
chusetts that Is not prospecting and which
shows decline in wages is that Of boots
and shoes and leather. the raw material of
which is free. According to Democratic
doctrine these industries should show an
increase in wages. Just the reverse is
true. They employ . smaller average
number of workmen, the wages paid by
makers Of boots and shoes have fallen 8. Is
per cent. and by leather manufacturers
$50 per cent These industries would be
utterly destroyed by q removal of the pro-
tective duty on the manufactured article,
such az the Democrats advocate.
When the Mckinley bill was before
congress and it was proposed to put duty
on hides, the leather manufacturers de-
manded that they should be allowed free
raw material or their business would be
destroyed. Their request was acceded to
with the known result.
The boon Of free raw material did not
in hn Tn ~ oh "a
tories against drop in wages and decrease
in their product. With superior plants
of productive machinery. with raw ma
terial free, these Industries fell back while
the tarif-ridden industries were advancing.
If with free raw material in the shape Of
hides and protection for their finished
goods, which is the Mills bill and Demo
cratic platform of 1883, these industries
did not increase, what do the Democrats
think would become of these industries
under tariff for revenue only, or ''free
trader"
The Democratic labor commissioner Of
Indiana has also published an official report
showing an advance in wages in that state
during 1891 under the Mckinley law, and
the labor commissioner of Minnesota
shows in his official report an increase of
wages in that great agricultural state.
The labor commissioner of the Dominion
Of Canada reports under q protection
policy that does not compare with our
own an increase of wages of 16 per cent. in
ten years ending with 1891, but the average
earnings, according to the Dominion off,
cial, are $272 yearly for each person. Let
this be compared with $441.90 in Massa-
chusetts and $451.S9 in New York. The
same labor which earns 500 in Canada
will earn $16250 in Massachusetts, and $166
in New York under American protection.