The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1892-09-08
PRICES AND WAGES.
4: Last tho Truth About them j,
Known.

Have Faicn-.Not q Peg LIFT for tho
Mckinley PrIees Liar to Hang = Fake
hood Oh - Facts from the Unanimous
and Non-Haraisnn Senate Report.
Until within iow weeks no comprche n
sively scientific Investigation into the wages
question for the period covered by the new
Tariff had Icon completed. although one
which promised unimpeachable results had
been tnaugurated. But judging by the signs OF
the times. and the isolated facts which came
under our notice. We made tho Following
statement good while ago: "The simple
fact OF the mutter 10 that wages have been
hiShor. work moro plentiful. trade brisker,
foreign commerce larger, average duties low
or, manufactured commodities cheaper and
ov"ry 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 DO fact, and every ono OF ordinary
intelligence and Information knows that it is
a TACT. Why attempt to deny it,"
Since these words wero written the Senate
Investigating Committee has reported, and
verillss our statements in every particular. No
doubt the Free Trader would like to shift the
argument from the solid foundation Of this
elaborate, non-partisan, absolutely conclusive
report, to tho meagre data cited before 1t was
made. But We do not propose to allow him to
do so. Hsre are tho facts, which We will com.
pei him to face:
/ EsFacts from as Strase Report on Prices end
Wages.l
I'm order to give the statistics collected the
weight OF undoubted authority, the committee
decided at the outset, with entire unanimity,
that the inquiry should be extended only to
such subjects and be carried on through such
agencies and by such methods a. were APP
proved by the unanimous voice of the commit
toe. and this plan was scrupalously followed
In all decisions as to the character, general
scope and details OF the Investigation. All
|coocurred in the view that II the facts could
eral confidence In their accuracy. great step
forward would be taken In the solution OF i'm
portant economic problsms. There was no.
expectation that the members Of tho commit
tee would agree about the political or even the
economic bearings OF the facts ascer,ained :;
but all were DESTROYS that hereafter there
should be no reason to question the integrity
Of the facts.
"The committee consulted from time to time
several eminent statisticians a. to the scope
Of tho inquiry and the methods by which it
should be conducted. Among the gentlemen
consulted were Gan. F. A. Walker, Prof. Henry
G. Adams, Prof. Edmund J. James, Mr.. Ed
ward Atkinson and Mr.. W. NJ. Grosvenor.
Tho committee are under obligations to these
gentlemen, especially to General Walker, for
their kindness in giving valuable time and ad-
vice to the consideration Of the details Of the
committee work.
I'm 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 the work OF analysing the stats tics
collected and the ascortainmoQt of results. DR..
Falkner's report, which IL annexed hereto
(Appendix Al, embodies the results Of the in
vestiyatioa, and explains In detail the reasons
for adopting the methods by which these results
are reached. The committee cannot express
too strongly their appreciation Of tho great
value OF DR.. Falkner's services in this conneo-
tion,
'ln stating the results Of tho Investigation
comparisons are made. unless otherwise
stated, with the price or wages for the months
OF June. July and August, 1889, the average
for these months being taken as a standard.
This average is expressed by tho number 100.
and the changes are shown In the tables sub
mitted by percentages OF 100. The results of
the inquiry are - follows:
PRICES.
"The summary for September l, 1891. shows
Ia decline in retail prices Of tho 214 selected ar
ticles OF o.64 OF per cent. by ono 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 committee, wages were thres-fourths Of
II per cent. higher in September, 1891, than in
tho three months selected as q basis in 1889,
and that tho wages In the special industries
|selectod was OBJ Of per cent. higher than at
the beginning of the psried."
So much :for tho Senate Report. Then, on
August 29th, came the report Of the Dsmocr
lie Commissioner OF Labor OF New York State.
Charles F. Peck, who, by tho way, was appoint
ed 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 o, the
new Tariff upon wages. Here are the facts
he discovered.
Extracts From the Ne,o Yorh State Bu,eau of
Labor Report on Wages.l
"The period covered by investigation includes
the year Immediately prior to tho enactment
OF what is termed the sncKinley bill" and the
year Immediately following its becoming law.
That is. the data upon which the report has