The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-10-19
PECK ON LABOR AND WAGES.

Law-The democratic Labor Commits
sioner of New York Pecks a Hole In the |
Free Trade balloon - Mugwumps and !
Democrats Wild With Rage-But Peck |
Is Sustained by Reports from Other State |
Bureaus. |
When Grover Cleveland was governor
of New York he appointed one Charles |
T. Peck, staunch democrat, commits |
sioner of the bureau of the statistics of
labor. 1t was nice Office for Mr.. Peck,
and he has managed to hang on to it
ever since. OF course he has all along
felt deeply grateful toward Mr.. Cleve-
land, and was anxious to do something
to help that gentleman into the presi-
dental chair again. Mr.. Peck seems to
be an honest sort of fellow, not up to
the tricks and lodges of his fellow par
tisans. He heard them making great
noise over alleged strikes and lockouts
and reduced wages and did not dream
but that they meant what they said
and that the calamities they talked of
really had come upon us. Now it oc-
cured to Mr.. Peck that it would be
good idea to make, through his labor
bureau, an exhaustive investigation
into the wages question. He hoped thus
to definitely locate the strikes and lock-
outs and wages reductions and, with
the official stamp of his bureau upon
them, they could not be denied by the
republicans ns-.-N
SO Mr.. Peck set his investigating ma
ehinery at work. The first returns that
came in did not happen to show re-
duction in wages and Mr. Peck was ac-
cordingly happy. But his season of re-
to come in which put an altogether diff
ferent aspect on the situation. Instead
of decreases, increases We're shown in a
great majority of cases. and the total
results were a magnificent tribute to
the prosperity of the Empire state
existence.
As we have said, Mr. Peck was an
honest man. Though democrat and
keenly interested in the election of his
old patron, yet he knew his duties as an
officer of the state, and resolved that
the paper should have the valuable in
formation which he had gathered at
their expense and especially for their
information. He accordingly launched
his famous report on the Effect of the
Tariff on Labor and Wages" which fell
like dynamite bomb in the heart of
the free trade camp. From its demon
alizing effects the democratic leaders
have not yet recovered. Here is what
the report itself said:
The period covered by investigation includes
the year Immediately prior to the enactment of
what is termed the Mckinley bill" and the
year Immediately following its becoming law.
That is the data upon which the report has
been made was for the year commencing Sep
TENDER l. 1882 up to and including August 81,
1891 and the year commencing September /,
1890, up 20 and Including August 81, 1891. The
methods employed to secure the necessary data
were almost entirely those of the blank system,
which has proven so satisfactory in nearly all
of the previous investigations carried on by the
bureau since 1888 1t was not the original pur-
pose, nor is 1t now pretended that the data and
statistics here presented represent any but
purely l0kOIesale manufacturing establishments.
To have undertaken to cover the retail and Gus
tom manufacturing establishments of the state
would have been physical and financial impos-
sibiity in the present status of this bureau.
Some eight thousand blanks were addressed
and mailed to as many separate establishments
throughout the state, and of this number 5000,
or seventyfive per cent, were returned fully
and correctly answered. The figures contained
in the following tables are based entirely upon
returns furnished this bureau by over six thou
sand substantial, representative and leading
business firms OF this state
fol tnh 70
produce here, showing increases and
decreases of wages and amount of pro-
duction, 1891 over 1890, upon which the
commissioner thus comments
= From the above the reader will readily under
stand the exact nature and scope of the investi
cation, the results Of which are herein briefly
summarized in tables showing u comparative
statement of the increases and decreases of
production ana wages in the sixty-seven indus
tries covered With view of economizing
space, have classified trades under the head
ing of Industries" That is, in the clothing
industry is included all those trades or estab.
lshments manufacturing articles of wearing
apparel; and so, too with the metals and me-
talc GOODS agricultural implements etc
Uuder clothing is Included no less than 1886
distinct trades.
It is needless to comment upon the separate
figures or the totals included in the above table,
they tell their own stO;y simply and with abso-
Lutte truth 1t appears that there was net in
crease in wages of S6 81 100 in the year 1891,
as compared with the amount paid in 1890, and
a net increase of production of S3l BIS 1870 SO in
the year 1891 over that OF 1890, simple analy-
sis of this table further demonstrates the inter-
esting fact that of the siXty-seven industries
covered sGventy-s per cent of them show an
increase either of the wages or product, or
both, and that there We're no less than s9,7l7 in
stances of Individual increase of wages during
the same year.
He presents "a comparative table
showing the increases and decreases of
the average yearly earnings of employees
in the year 1891 over 1890 and continues:
The figures included in the above table seem
to be, and they are, in strict harmony with the
facts established by table No |. OF the sixty
eight industries included, - per cent of them
show an increased average yearly earning in the
year 1891, while the total average increase of
yearly earnings of the 2s5,O00 employees was
S23 The average increase of yearly earnings
If the employees in the tifty-one trades showing
an increase was S43 90 in 1891, as compared with
1880
In addition to the investigation of this spe
otal 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 for the year
1891 was 4.5l9, as against 6,25s occurring in the
year 1890, a decrease of 1,7iO OF the total mum
her 45l9-2,375 or SO per cent Of them were 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"
Of course the mugwumps and demo
Gratis attacked Mr. Peck with wild rage
for daring to thus ruthlesslv pull down