Connecticut western news., 1892-09-01
TARIFF AND WAGES.
LABOR COMMISSIONER PECK ON
 THEIR RELATIONS.

He Says the Mckinley Bn Has Increased
 workmen's Wages and Enlarged Pro
 duction in the Wholesale Business of
 New York-His Report Made Public.
 ALBANY, Aug. 29.-Charles F. Peck, com missioner of labor for New York state, has issued his annual report. A large part is devoted to figures of interest in relation to the tariff. In order to prove whether pro tection," as advocated by one political party, or "tariff for revenue onlyn would prove of advantage statistics have been gathered to show in every industry in the state the in- crease or decrease of production and com parative increase or decrease in wages. Mir. Peck says:
 1.-The period covered by investigation in- cludes the year immediately prior to the enactment of what is termed the Mckinley bilp and the year immediately following its becoming law. That is, the data upon which the report has been made was for the year commencing Sept. 1, 1889, up to and including Aug. S1, 1890, and the year com mencing Sept. l, 1890, up to and including Aug. 81, 1891.
 "The methods employed to secure the necessary data were almost entirely those of the blank system. It was not tho orig inal purpose nor is it now pretended that the data and statistics presented present any but purely wholesale manufacturing establishments. To have undertaken to cover the retail and custom manufacturing establishments of the state would have been physical and financial impossibility. Some 5000 blanks were addressed and mailed to as many separate establishments throughout the state, and of this number 6,000, or 75 per cent, were returned-fully and correctly answered.
 The Increase In Wages. "From the tables it appears that there was net increase in wages of S6, ST, ,925. co in the year 1s9l as compared with the amount paid in ls90 and a net increase of production of s31, ,Sl5 130. 6s in the year 1891 | over that of 1890.
 "A simple analysis of this table further | demonstrates the interesting fact that of the sixty-seven industries covered n per cent. of them show an increase either of the wages or product, or both, and that there were no less than s9,717 instances of indi- vidual increases of wages during the same year.
 "While the industries' are but sixty seven in number the total trades repre- sented amount to 1,12l, and give employ ment to 2S5,00o workingmen and women. | Of the sixty-seven industries 75 per cent. of them show an increased average yearly earning in the year 1891, while the total average increase of yearly earnings of the 285, 600 employees was s23.1l. The average increase of yearly earnings of the employees in the ffty-one trades showing an increase | was $43 96 in 1891 as compared with 1890. "In addition to the investigation of this | special subject the bureau has continued it's annual investigation of all labor disturb. | ances occurring in the state during the past year. The total number of strikes reported for the year 1891 was 4,5l9 as against 6, 25s occurring in the year 1890, decrease of 1,7S9. Of the total number 4,5l9, 2,375, or 6S per cent of them, were in the building trades, fact that seems to follow in nat. ural sequence the results obtained in the special investigation of the effect of the tariff on labor and wages.'"
 A statistIcIan's Ambition.
 The report closed as follows: "It has been my experience, as I doubt not it has been that of every statistician more or less, that ope often finds himself tempted, un. consciously perhaps, to pursue an investi- gation with view to establish a precon- | ceived theory.
 "How often failure and positive discom. future follow can safely leave to those who have engaged in the fascinating study of statistics.
 gro the true statistician, however, unin- fiuenced by social or political considera- tions, the profession is an enviable one, and carries with it duties and responsibilities of the highest order To him theories are as nothing; without facts to support them they become misleading and therefore worthless. Facts and truth are what he seeks, and having possessed himself of them he places them, hard and cold as they often times are, before the public satisfied that he has done but his duty, and thereby at- tained his highest ambition.s