Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-02
AFRAID or PEcKs BOOMERANG.
A Prominent Republican Journal Is No
Deceived bv His Firurea

Deceived by His Figures.
The eagernoss with which the report
of Commissioners Peck has been adopted
as campaign document by the Repub-
hcan papers has one exception in the
Philadelphia Telegraph. This Repub-
hcan journal scores Peck's performance
in the following words:
If Commissioner Peck's report came
from different source it would be en-
titled to general public respect. Unfor-
tunately, however, it is matter of his
tory that this particular bureau Of labor,
SO called, has more than once attracted
attention by its sensational perform
ances, putting forth documents that
would not bear the light of honest ex-
animation. In this case Mr. Peck has
given to the American people paper
the reception of which fully illustrates
its character. AS the matter
stands, this report has already become o
powerful boomerang. AT the first fire
of criticism it goes to pieces like house
of cards. An hours study Of this paper
by any citizen of ordinary mental Ca
pacity will result in its being thrown
aside as absolutely worthless.
The report pretends to give the result
of inquiries addressed to some 5000 en-
ployers in the state of New York, and
shows in effect an apparent net increase
of production in sixty-seven grouped in
dustries of $31, 900, - for the year 1891,
the year following the passage of the
Mckinley law, over that of 1890, with
net increase in the amount of wages
paid of $6,300,000, the average being
twenty-three dollars year or about
fifty cents week for each employee.
Upon examination it is discovered that
the grouping of these industries is
most remarkable performance. For in
stance, under the head OF Clothing"
there are found 1856 different trades, this
including the making of all sorts of
wearing apparel, inside and outside, cot
ton ard silk, blankets, bags, shoddy,
worsteds, woolens, ribbons, hats, sleigh
robes, trimmings, bedquilts, buttons,
table covers, feathers and even feather
busters, millinery ornaments, flower ma
terials, Masonic and society goods, etc.
Under the head of "Metals" there are
found nearly 200 different branches of
industry, from the making Of bells to
that of wire fence. Then there is no
separation whatever of protected from
unprotected industries. The building
trades occupy conspicuous place, also
the undertakers' business, gas lighting,
electric appliances, and many other
things which bear no relation whatever
to the tariff. The whole thing is jum-
bied up with the manifest purpose of
simply making grand total in accord
with preconceived object. 1t cannot
be told whether there has been any
actual increase in the rate of wages paid
or not, but in view Of the well known
fact that there was general paralysis
of trade in many branches during 1890,
the inference fairly is that the increased
earnings and the increased product are
the result simply Of more hours of labor,
with. the corresponding improvement in
machinery and general methods of pro-
duction constantly noted. Finally, these
tables include as workers men, women
and children, and do not show the aver
age amount earned by the entire nearly
100000 persons.
The fact is, no pretended investiga-
ton upon the subject of tariff and wages
has been presented from any source for
many years past of less merit in any
possible way than this paper of Labor
Commissioner Peck. The political party
against which it is manifestly directed
can riddle it until there is absolutely
nothing left of it. Not only that, but
the Documents sure to prove destruc-
tive boomerang in the discussion of the
wisdom or unwisdom of the present tar
if law, its advantages OF disadvantages
to the working people. For instance,
the average increase of earnings for all
classes in the 1856 branches of trade SO
absurdly included under the head of
Clothing" is shown to be about thirty
cents a week, or A per cent. over that
earned in 1890; while, as is well known,
some of the schedules of the tariff re-
lating to clothing show an increase Of
80 to go per cent. Again, what sense is
there in putting out document of this
sort to try to convince the working peo-
pie of New York that their wages have
been raised, their financial condition
bettered? That is matter which every
laborer certainly can tell for himself
when he gets his weekly envelope and
pays his weekly bills.