Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1892-10-06

mpuclC commence IN The unver1hed hg- |
ures of these interested manufacturers
that The American Economist had when |
it obtained, by the same methods, its
list of twenty eight Mckinley wage ad-
vances. But unfortunately for it The
Economist gave names and locations, SO
that an investigation was possible. The
Reform club at once got the facts in
each case and proved that there had
been far more wage reductions in these
mills than advances, and that instead Of
supplying reliable information the man.
uracturers had treated Inc Economist
to collection of falsehoods.
Senator Aldrich is another over cred
ulous protectionist statistician. When
he wished to annihilate Hon. John De
Witt Warmers list of 400 tariff trusts"
he sent out blanks to protected manu-
facturers, asking them to state whether
or not they were members of trusts. OF
course in the face of criminal statutes
and public opinion, the manufacturers
strenuously denied that they were in a
trust-in many cases, where they were
lodging from one state to another, I'M
der aliases to escape prosecution, or
where the courts had declared that they
had trust. But Aldrich paraded their
denials in The Congressional Record and
apparently believes these millionaire
monopolists incapable of coloring facts
AS the New York World puts it: ''Mr
Peck's report was made, like the Nc
Kinley tariff law, by the manufacturers
by the people who expect to reap the
benefits. They first prepared the bill,
and are now reporting on its effect in
the state of New York. In aid Of this
pretty scheme Mr.. Peck refuses to make
public the letters on which he bases his
assertions"
Fourth-Mr. Peck's figures show net
increase of production of $31, 315, 100,
and of wages Of $6,377 1926 in 1891 ovec
1S9O-s23. II to each Of the 2S5,0OO en-
ployees, or $43.96 to each employee IN
F., the ffty-one trades showing increased
wages-there being 89,717 instances OF
individual increases.
Fifth-Supposing that these statistics
are correct they show that from some
cause or causes-perhaps good crops or
it may be increased prices for manufac-
tured goods-the value of manufactured
products has increased $31 ,000, 900, about
one-fifth of which has gone to labor
probably for work done-and four-fifths
of which rest snugly in the pockets OF
protected manufacturers. That MI.
Peck should jump to the conclusion that
this increase in earnings meant increased
rates of wages and that these were due
TO a tariff law, is unbecoming to him as
a statistician and inconsistent with ms
mast records. In 1888, 1889 and 1891 ne
attributed wage increases to labor OF
carnations, strikes and national pros
perity.
These statistics also contradict those
of the senate ommittee-obtained win
considerable care-which show una
wages have advanced somewhat III NJ
teen unprotected industries, but nave
fallen slightly in fifteen highly protected
industries.
In many industries the statistics ap-
near to be entirely inconsistent with
nrevious and with contemporaneous
statistics and to depend largely upon
the elasticity of the consciences OF the
makers Thus the average yearly wages
, in the agricultural implements industry
for 1890 is $654.30 in New YORK ano
&419. 10 in Massachusetts, difference
greater than usually exists between
t wages in this and in European countries
and vet these two states have the same
? tariff law, In the second industry men
/. toned (arms and ammunition) the aver
. age yearly wages in 1890 were 1851 Al
;. ;n Massachusetts and $492.42 in New
, York. The third (artificial teeth shows
. yearly wages of $55445 in Massachu
: setts and S192 in New York-but not
9 withstanding this tremendous difference
: the high priced labor of Massachusetts
1 completes with the pauper labor OF New
Q York. But by 1891 wages in this IN
r dustry had increased to 1854. 45-that Ii
J. from about sixty five to eighty cents PEI
: day. Analysis of other industries shows
y the same glaring inconsistencies ant
It demonstrates the entire worthlessness
q such statistics, except for Repubhcal
Q campaign purposes.
: B,1t there are, as Mr.. j. Schoenho
has shown, important and slgnli1can
K emissions in Pecks list of protective in
II dustries. Three of these are the hlghl.
protected and exceeding important in
J. dustries of cotton goods, hats, caps
8 etc., and iron and steel products. L
/ these. both the number of employee
L and their annual earnings had decline
L heavily from 1870 to 1880. Here are tn
y census tables Tin thousands):
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