Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1892-10-05

facturers, asking them TO state Wnetner
or not they were members of trusts. Ot
course in the face of criminal statutes
and public opinion, the manufacturers
strenuously denied that they were in a
trust-in many cases, where they were
lodging from one state to another, un-
der aliases to escape prosecution, OF
where the courts had declared that they
had a trust. But Aldrich paraded their
denials in The Congressional Record and
apparently believes these millionaire
monopolists incapable of coloring facts
AS the New York World puts 1t: MIR
Peck's report was made, like the Nc
Kinley tariff law, by the manufacturers
by the people who expect to reap the
benefits. They first prepared the bill,
and are now reporting on its effect IN
the state of New York. In aid of tins
pretty scheme Mr.. Peck refuses to make
public the letters on which he bases his
assertions.
Fourth-Mr. Peck's figures show a net
increase of production of S3l ,Sl0,l ,l3o'
and of wages of S6,377, ,925 in 1891 ove-
1S9O-S23. IL to each of the 2S0,UOO en-
plovees, or S43.96 to each employee IN
the fifty-one trades showing increased
wages-there being S9,717 instances OF
individual increases.
Fifth-Supposing that these STATISTICS
are correct they show that from some
cause or causes-perhaps good crops or
it may be increased prices for manutac,
tured eoods-the value of manufactured
products has increased $31, 600, ,0Oe, about
one-ffth of which has gone to labor
probably for work done-andsfour-hfths
of which rest snugly in the pockets OF
protected manufacturers. That MT
Peck should jump to the conclusion that
this increase in earnings meant increased
rates of wages and that these were due
toa tariff law, is unbecoming tohlm rs
statistician and inconsistent with ms
past records. In 1888, 1889 and 1871 he
attributed wage increases to labor or
carnations, strikes and national pros
perity.
These statistics also contradict those
of the senate committee-obtained with
considerable care-which show that
wages have advanced somewhat IN nj
teen unprotected industries; but have
fallen slightly in fifteen highly protected
industries.
In many industries the statistics ap-
pear to be entirely inconsistent with
previous and with contemporaneous
statistics and to depend largely upon
the elasticity of the consciences OF the
makers. Thus the average yearly wages
in the agricultural implements industry
for 1890 is $6j4.30 in New York and
s410.1O in Massachusetts, difference
greater than usually exists between
wages in this and in European countries
and yet these two states have the same
tariff law. In the second industry men-
toned (arms and ammunition) the aver
age yearly wages in 1890 were S1Gl.4o
in Massachusetts and $492.42 in New
York. The third (artifcial teeth shows
yearly wages of S554.45 in Massachu-
setts and S192 in New York-but not
withstanding this tremendous difference
the high priced labor of Massachusetts,
competes with the pauper labor of New
York. But by 1891 wages in this in
dustry had increased to $954.45-that Is
from about sixty-fve to eighty cents per
day. Analysis of other industries shows
the same glaring inconsistencies and
demonstrates the entire worthlessness of
such statistics, except for Republican
campaign purposes.
But there are, as Mr.. j. Schoenhof
has shown, important and significant
omissions in Pecks list of protective in
dustries. Three of these are the highly
protected and exceed : important in
dustries Of cotton goods, hats, caps,
etc., and iron and steel products. In
these, both the number of employees
and their annual earnings had declined
heavily from 1870 to 1880. Here are the
census tables Gn thousands);