Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1892-09-08
PRICES AND WAGES.
At Last the Truth About them i
Known.


ing that Wages Have Risen and rriccs
Have Failen-Nst . Peg Ian DIR the
Mckinley Prices Liar TO Hang . False
hood on Facts FROM the Caanimous
and Nom Partisan Senate Report.
Until within . fow weeks no comprehen-
stvely scientific investigation into the wages
question for the period covered by the new
Tariff had been completed. although one
which promised unimpeachable results had
been inaugurated. But judging by the signs Of
the times. and the isolated facts which came
under our notice, we made the following
statement good whilo sgo: "The simple
fact OF the matter is that wages have been
higher, work more plentiful. trade brisker.
foreign commerce larger, average duties low.
or, manufactured commodities cheaper and
every class OF citizens moro prosperous since
tho Mckinley Tariff passed than they were
before in many years. We do not attribute
all this to tho Mckinley Tariff. but We know
it to be . fact. and every one Of ordinary
intelligence and Information knows that 1t IL
q fact. Why attempt to deny IT."
Since these words we're written the Senate
Investigating Committee has reported, and
verifies our statements In every particular. No
doubt the Free Trader would Ike to shift the
argument from the solid foundation Of this
elaborate. non-parttsan, absolutely conclusive
report, to the meagrs data cited before It was
made. But we do not propose to allow him 70
do 80. Hero are the facts, which We win com:
pei him to face:
(Ectracss from tks Senate Report On F,iees aIed
Naaesl
I'm order to give the statistics collected the
weight Of undoubted authority. tho committee
decided at the outset, with entire unanimity,
that the inquiry should be extsnded only 70
such subjects and be carried on through such
agencies aAd By such methods a. were ap-
proved BY the unanimous voice Of the commit
tee. and this plan was scrupulously followed
in all decisions as to tho eharacter, general
scope and details Of the Investigation. All
concurred In the view that II the facts could
be secured In such manner Is to create rom
eral confidence In their accuracy, Q great step
forward would be taken In tho solution Of Inn
portant economic problems. There was no
expectation that the members Of the commit.
toe would agree about the political or even the
economic bearings Of the facts ascertained;
but all we're DESTROYS that hereafter there
should DO NO reason to question the integrity
of tho facts.
"The committee consulted from time to time
several eminent statisticians q to the scope
of the inquiry and the methods by which it
should be conducted. Among the gentlemen
consulted were Gen. +. A. Walker, Prof Henry
@. Adams, Prof. Edmund J. james, Mr.. Ed
ward Atkinson and Mr.. W. II. Grosvenor.
The committee are under obligations to these
gentlemen, especially to General Walker, for
their kindness In giving valuable time and adj
vice to tho consideration Of the details Of tho
committees work.
TN the summer Of 1891. DR.. Roland P. Falk-
nor. professor Of statistics In the University OF
Pennsylvania, was selected as the statistician OF
the committee, and to him was given entire
charge OF tho work Of analyzing the statistics
collected and easeertainment Of results. DR..
Falkner's report. which is annexed hereto
appendix Az embodies the results Of the in.
vestgatlon, and explains In detail the reasons
for adopting the methods BY which these results
are reached. Tho committee cannot express
too strongly their appreciation Of the crest
value Of Dr.. Falknsr's services IN this connec-
tion.
I'm stating the results OF the Investigation,
comparisons are made, unless Otherwise
stated. with the price or.wages for the months
of June. July and August, 1889. the average
fnR thAoA NNNN hnt,& RARpA n
This average Is expressed by the number 100.
and the changes are shown in the tables sub.
mitted by percentages Of 100. The results Of
the inquiry are % follows:
"Tho summary for September l, 1891, shows
decline In retail prices Of the IA selected ar
ticles Of 0.64 OF per cent. BY one method
of computation. ! $40 per cent by another.
WAGES.
Itappears from the report Of the statistician
that in the fifteen general occupations selected
by the committse, wages were threc-fourths OF
! per cent higher in September, 1891, than In
the three months selected as basis in 1889.
and that the wages in the special industries
selected was 0.31 OF per cent. higher than at
the beginning OF the period"
So much sfor the Senate Report. Then, on
August 29th. came tho report of the Democr
ic Commissioner Of Labor OF New York State,
Charles F, Peck. VINO, by the way, was appoint-
cd to his present Office by Grover Cleveland,
when he was Governor OF New York.
Mr.. Peck has been conducting an investiea-
ton through his bureau into the effects OF the
new Ta,ih upon wages. Here are the facts
he discovered.
Labor RspOrt on Wages.
THE period covsrea by investigation includes
che year immediately prior to tho enactment
OF what is termed the Mckinley bill. land the
year Immediately following its becoming law.