Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-08-29
W0NBY THETARIFF
Results Of Free Trace and
Protection Compared.
COMMISSIONER CHAS. F. PECK
Issues HIS Annual Report showing ne
InoEe@ss in Protection aud Wages
Of 1891 Oves Isso.

ALBANY, Aug. -s.--1harlss i. Peck.
connllssioner of labor Tor NeN aorE,
-ssaea hs annual report tonight. A
large poraoa ls devoted to figures IF
interest ln relation 10 Che tariff In or
Ger to prove ihat protection as sdvo-
Gated hy one polucal party or .Harf
for revenue only" Would prove u ad-
vantage. ststsUes have been gathered
10 show IN every INDUSTRY Ia the state
The increase OF decrease oi production
aEd comparative aDegt ase ol decrease
~ wages. The perod covered ~ the
Investigation includes tle year lmme-
dlately prlor 10 tBe euactnlo nj Of what
is termed as the MCKINLEY biz and
the year Immediately " after lts becoming
a Jaw. That Il toe dste upon winch the
report has been made sas for tie year
commencing September j. 1859, up 20
and including the Slst Of August, 1880.
and the year commencing September I,
1890. up 10 and including the Slsf Of
August, 1879. 1he methods employed
70 secure the necessary data were al
most entirely fhoss ot the blank sys-
tenn. lt was nos lae original purpose,
nor lt is iUt pretended, thai tie oata
and statistics presented present Any but
purely wholesale msnufacturng estab-
li-hmouis 10 have undertaken 20
cover tie retal and custom manufac-
turing establishments OF the state
would have been physical and fnan-
cal impossihAiy
taauAs Promptly lierurned.
Seven thousand blanks were i'd
dressed snd mailed 20 a. many separ-
ate establishments throughout ths
state and o1t Of this number GOO, or
IS per cent, were returned fully and
correctly answered. From She lalaes
I Il appears that there was q nei iucFeas6
7 ~ wages q S9,317 .925.oa la the year
/ 1891, as compared with tlo amount
T paid iu 1890, aad a nct increase of pro-
I ducuon Of S3l,3lb, ,lSo.6s Bad tie wear
! 1891 over thatof 1880 gmple anslv-
/ SIS Of this table further demonstrates
I the interesting fact ~ tie siKiv-sevcn
industries covered. eevclty-tcycu per
/ ceat Of them show an increase either
I Of the wages or pYocaCt, Or both, aud
I tIAL lIttt were EN less AEaI -
! 1T instances Of individual increases
/ of wages during this same yesr While
/ the industries are tut G7 in Uumbcr.
I the total trades represented amount
! 10 ,l2l and give employment % le5.-
/ 600 wOrkmon and womCu. ~ the 81
/ industries = Der cent of them show al
increased average 81 yearly earnings "a
the year ls4l waile the total average
/ increase Of yearly earnings ~ tht 1857
/ 600 employees was S2&ll Ihe average
/ increase OF yearly earnings oi The en-.
/ pioyes In the 81 trades showing an M
crease wss $3.50 in 1891. az compared
with 1890. ln addition O. the invests
CATION 81 thl- special subject,
the bureau has continued lis
annual investigation Of all labor
disturbances occurring iD tie state dur
/ ing the past year. The total rumber
Of strikes reported for tlo wear 1871
was &. .5lg. Is sganst 6,25s occurring IN
the year 1890 "a decrease Of j .7Se % The
/ total number. 44lt; 1875. cr 52 per
/ cent 81 tbem were in Tho building
! trades. fact ihst seems o. follow Ia
| natural sequence the result obtained iu
the SPECIAL investigation Of the "cf cct
OF tarlh ou labor ana wsRes."