Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-10-17
WAGES BREAK DOWN.
SUDDEN DISAPPEARANCE OF A LIST
OF BOGUS WAGE ADVANCES.

Investigation Proves That Pretended In
crease in Protected Industries Had No
Foundation in Fact-ProtectionistsA At
tempt to Hoodwink Wage Farmers.
The World published several weeks
ago compilation of 500 strikes, lock-
outs and wage reductions in protected
industries. Immediately the protection
lists sent out orders for quick returns of
increases of wages, and the land was
searched from one end to the other.
AT length returns from twenty eight
establishments were received pretending
10 show that wages had been increased
In them under the Mckinley tariff law.
On Its face the showing could not be said
to be satisfactory, but Mr.. John De Witt
Warner has examined the beggarly list
and has found that even it exaggerates
the benefits of the Mckinley act to the
wage earners.
In the first item it was shown that
just before the passage of the Mckinley
Dill wages in the establishment had been
reduced twenty-five cents day in one
department and 1919 cents in another.
After the passage of the act the wages
were restored 1879 cents a day all
around, leaving the wages of the iron
molders still less than they had been i'll
1888.
The second establishment employed
four men and about twenty girls. An
increase of 8 per cent had been report
ed. The operatives assert, however, that
there was no increase whatever.
The same tale is told of the third es-
tablishment, in which an advance Of 10
per cent. was claimed.
This Is what is said of the fourth es-
tablishment by the agent who investi
gated its reported increase in wages Vt
1O per cent: "This report of an increase
of wages in their works is deliberate
and barefaced lie. There has been no
increase whatever in ten years.
In the fifth establishment an EN-
ployee, on being shown the report that
his wages had been raised, exclaimed,
"What ie!"
In the sixth the only changes had been
in reduction of wages. The seventh en-
ployed fifteen or twenty hands, and
wages had not been raised. There was
no such establishment as the eighth.
The ninth employed two men. The pay
of one of them had been raised from
twenty-five cents to fifty cents a day,
while that of the other remained sta
tionary at $1.25.
Wages III the tenth had not advanced.
There has not been single advance"
is the report, "but there have been
scores of reductions" One of the pro-
prietors of the eleventh establishment
said that there had been no advance.
adding, 1.-The Mckinley bill has not
helped us, nor has it had any material
effect on our business" He is a highly
protected glovemaker, his tariff tax nav
ing been increased from 90 to "A and 80
per cent. Another glovemaker, the
twelfth, thought that his wages might
have been raised, but he was very I'M
certain.
In the thirteenth concern the mer said
that their wages were slightly advanced
because they were agitating the subject
of strike.
In the fifteenth an advance of 315 per
cent. was made this year, although in
1883 the employers had promised sub
stantlal increase if Harrison was elected !
In the fifteenth the men obtained M:
of 10 per cent. after fight, and
this advance, to quote one of them. didn't |
put them :" 'alf back where we was eight
or ten years ago"
In the sixteenth, seventeenth and |
establishments there had been
no increase i'll wages. There was no
such establishment as the nineteenth.
In the twentieth wages had been raised
from three to four dollars week. In the
twenty-first, twenty-second, twenty |
third and twenty-fourth there had been
no advance. In the twenty-ffth the pay
of few individuals had been increased.
The employees in the twenty-sixth
said that they would not have known of
the alleged increase if they had not read .
about it in the newspapers.
In the twentyseventh a few increases
had been accompanied by more reduc-
hons. In the twenty-eighth wages had
been increased in answer to the demands |
OF the operatives, who, however, were
still dissatisfied.
The effort to discredit The Worlds
list of 800 strikes and wage reductions
by twenty-eight falsehoods about in
crease OF wages cannot be called emf
nently successful. The wage earners
know too much about their own incomes
to make possible such game as that
tried by the hard pressed protectionists.
New York World.
Reduction ad Ultimum."