The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-09-16
THAT LABOR REPORT.
COMMISSIONER PECK CAUSES CON-
STARVATION AMONG DEMOCRATS.

fhs Party Of Free Trade Ia Already Ac-
eusing Him OF Treachery-A Very Dr.
hcuit Document for Democratic Cam
paign Orators to Explain Away.
1t is probable that Mr.. Charles F.
Peck, the commissioner of the New
York bureau Of labor statistics, has
never made an official report Of greater
interest to the public than the one which
has just appeared from his bureau. It
will create great excitement among his
Democratic associates, and they are al
ready loud voiced and passionate, as
well as utterly unreasoning, in their
charges Of treachery to the party be-
cause he has seen fit to print the results
of an investigation by his bureau which
do not accord, as he freely states, with
the declarations of the Democratic ma
tional platform, or with the arguments
constantly offered by Democratic speak
ers and journals.
The subject for the investigation this
year was chosen by Mr.. Peck with much
good sense and entire fidelity to the true
interests of the working people, whom
he is expected in a measure to represent.
If not very shrewdly, for the interests Of
the Democratic party. No doubt Mr..
Peck expected, as indeed he frankly
says, that an investigation of the course
Of wages and the increase or decrease Of
production in manufacturing in this
state would show, in accordance with
tho thaotfaa Of b;a nm r-4x- n danraa.sn,, i. 4
industries resulting from the enactment
of the Mckinley tariff. He states that
he determined upon the investigation
more than year ago, when the new
tariff had been passed, but had not gone
into effect as yet, and that he believed
its results would be in harmony with
Democratic convictions. When the re.
turns had been received and compiled
he discovered, much to his astonish
ment, that the results were by no means
favorable to Democratic theories; but
he has nevertheless published his annual
report, giving the figures as he finds
/, them, without regard to their politica,
effect. The Democratic politicians VIII.
are now denouncing him doubtless ex
ipected that he would find it convenient
to omit altogether this year the annua
report required by law. because the ma
terial collected for it did not happen t.
: suit the interests of his party.
4 Coming from such source, this re
port must he accepted as exceedingly
strong testimony. 1t shows the progress.
!, of manufacturing industries in thu
greatest state in the Union during tn,
first year after the passage of the Nc
Kinley act, in comparison with the las
{ year prior to its enactment. This com
parison shows an increase in value O
products amounting to S81 ,315, 1870 in
single year, which is in itself remarka
) BILE evidence Of tho increased prosperity
resulting from the new law. The valu
} of products, however, is not by an,
. means the most important gain with re
/, spect to the interests of the wage earn
ers. The report Of the commissions
: goes further and compares the rate o
{ wages in sixty-eight industries for tn
two years. The results show an increas,
in fifty-one industries, averaging $3.50
for each, while the decrease in other
! was so far unimportant that the tota
/. average increase in yearly earnings %
the employees in al! the Industries in
: cluded i'll the investigation was $28.1
for each person. The official statemen
shows that no less than 2s5 GOO Elm
ployecs are directly embraced in tn
statistics presented, and that there wer
J no less than S9,7l7 instances of individ
nal increase Of wages during the year il
the industries reported to The bureau.
This is an official answer, and from
, Democratic labor bureau, to the sues
tiou asked so frequently by Democrats
journals not long ago, whether any in
crease i'll wages had followed the enact
ment of the new tariff in any depart
ment Of industry. 1t is not denied b
: advocates Of the protective policy tina
under its operation fluctuations occur i
different ind astrics i'll both directions
! for in some II change OF the popular de
mand or in the conditions Of productio
may cause general depression for tn
Time and thus compel a reduction {
wages, even while the conditions in
5 far greater number of industries wal
rant increased production and an nc
vance i'll wages. The evidence sui
nitted by the commissioner cstablisht
the fact that i'll this state the number {
industries in which an advance in wage
has been realized is far greater than tn
number in which wages have RENAME
unchanged or have declined, and Tia
s the net result has been equivalent TO
gain of $93 II for each one of more tina
! quarter of II million wage earners.
will not DO an easy matter for DEM
}: cratic orators to meet these disclosure
in an official report by IA Democrat S
}, well known and i'll his party so influel
tial Ms Mr.. Peck And he is quite ligI
in saying, in answer to charges of I'M
deity to his party, that the labor burea
l. has no business 10 modify, shade, twi
OF suppress the results of an investigi
d ton because they do not prove helpfl
10 political party. His official duty
10 tell the truth as he finds it.-Ne
York Tribuup