Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-10-22
WAGES ARE HIGHER.
THE DEMOCRATIC LABOR COMMITS
SIONER OF NEW YORK ADMITS 1T.

THE DEMOCRATIC LABOR CoMMIs-
sIONER OF NEW YORK ADMITS 1T.
After Careful Investigation He Asserts
That the Mckinley Tariff Has stimu-
lated Industry. Increased Wages and
Diminished tho Number Of Strikes.
Mr.. Charles f. Peck is the Democratic
commissioner Of labor Of the state Of
New York, which is now completely
under Democratic control, and was APP
pointed by Grover Cleveland in 1888
to the Office which he now holds.
He undertook an investigation into
The effect Of the tariff on labor and
wages" doubtless With the purpose in
view Of supplying the Democratic party
with campaign ammunition in the form
Of an official report, specifically locating
and describing the numerous wage re-
auctions of which the calamity tariff
performer" has been prating since Oc-
tober 1890. But it seems that the facts
panned out differently from what Mr..
Peck expected. Nevertheless he seems
70 have had the honesty 10 give them to
the public exactly as he found them,
and to allow them TO speak for them
selves. The result has been, Just as in
The case Of the senate report, that pow
erful campaign document is placed in
the hands Of prOtcctionists. 1t needs no
comment, The following extracts speak
for themselves:
IN pursuance OF law, the undersigned has
completed the work attendant upon the issu-
iuE Of the ninth annual report Of the bureau Of
statistics az labor, and herewith gives a brief
summary Of the contents Of the same. It's COM
plcti0n has been necessarily DELAYED by reason
Of the unusual amount and important charac-
ter of the work uUdcrtaken OF all the varied
subjects investigated aud reported upon dur
inL the bureaus nine years existence, ucne
has borne "a closer Relationship 10 the welfare
of the wage eurucrs IF the state or furnished
the public ia general gjth statistical data so
valuable 70 o comprehensive understanding Of
the practical workings Of the one great eco
homie question Of the present day than the
tariff.
Tariff, whether levied ''for revenue only" or
for revenue and the incidental protection OF
American manufacturers and American la
bnr, is certainly a question of such vast import
as TO enlist the most thorough and disposition
ate investigation ~ the hands OF the American
people. And Will the present report has,
under the law, boen confined 10 the state Of
New York, its res ats can but bo taken as in
dira'ive Of the conditions existing in every
section Of our country where manufacturing
and industrial pursuits are followed.
The period covered by Investigation includes
the year Immediately prior To the enactment
of what Is termed tho Mckinley bill" and
the year Immediately following its becoming
law. That i, the data upon which the report
has been made was for the year commencing
Sept. I. 1882. upto and including Aug. 81, 1880.
and tho year commencing sept. ], 1880. up to
and including Aug. 81, 1891 The methods en-
poyCd 20 secure the necessary data were al
most entirely those Of the blank system, which
has proved so satisfactory in nearly all Of the
previous Investigations carried on by the
bureau since 1888 II was not the original pur-
posse nor is il now pretended. that the data
and statistics here presented represent any
but purely Wholesale manufacturing establish
ments. To have undertaken to cover the re-
tail and custom manufacturing establishments
Of the state would have been a physical and
financial inpossbility IN the present status OF
this bureau. Some 5000 blanks were addressed
and mailed to many separate establish
ments throughout the state, and of this num-
Der b.nN, ar = per cent, were returned fully
and correctly answered. The figures contained
in ne tables given elsewhere are based entire
Is upon returns furnished this bureau b, over
GOO substantial, representative and leading
business firms OF this state.
Il Is aCedless 20 comment upon the separate
figures or the totals included in these tables:
they tell their own story, simply and with alb
solute truth. 1t appears that there was net
increase in wages of SG,J77 81. 90 in the year
1871 as compared with the amount paid in
1891 and a net increase Of production of S31,-
3D. ldn6S n the year 1891 over that OF 1890. A
kirtple analysis of these tables further demon
strates the interesting fact that Of the sixty
seven industries covered II per cent. of them
.rfFH of
uct or both and that there were no less than
e9Tl7 instances OF individual increases OF
wages during the same year
OF the sixty-eight Industries included, ) per
cent Of them show an increased average year
IL earning, In the year 1891, while the total av-
eraEe increase Of yearly earnings OF the 2S5.000
employees was S23ll. The average increase OF
yearly earnings OF the employees in the fifty
one trades showing an increase was S43o6 in
1881 as compared with 1880.
Ia addition to the investigation Of this spe-
cial subject, the bureau has continued its an
nual investigation Of all labor disturbances oc-
curing in the state during the past year. The
total number OF strikes reported Tor the year
1891 was 4,5i9 as against b,2oo occurring In tae
wear 1890. n decrease Of 40. OF the total num-
ber-4 5l0-s,3s5, or 50 per cent. Of them, we're in
the building trades, "A fact that seems to follow
in natural sequence the results obtained In the
special investigation of the effect OF the tariff
on labor and wages"
II has been my experience, As aoubl not IL
has been that of every statistician more OF
less. that one often finds himself tempted-un-
consciously pcrhaps-to pursue an investiga-
ton with q view to establish a preconceived
theory. How often failure and positive dis
comhture follow / can safely leave 10 those
who have engaged in the fascinating study Of
statistics. To the true statistician, however,
uuinauonced by social or political cousidera-
tious. tho profession is an envtnble one, and
carries with II duties and responsibilities of
the highest order. To him theories are as moth
ing, without facts 70 support them they be-
come misleading aud therefore worthless.
Facts and truth are what he seeks, and having
possessed himself Of them he places them, hard
aud cold, "a they oftentimes are, before the
public, satisfied that he has done but his duty
aud thereby attained his highest ambition.
CHARLES F. PICK, Commissioner.
Does This Mean Free Trades
The latest ebulition Of Henry Waiter