The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-09-26

FOR WORKINGMEN
Wages Have Advanced Under
the Mckinley ACt
PECKS WAGES REPORT.
What One Of CIeveland's Appeintees
Reports of New York.
FACTS FOR THE DEMOCRATS.
Labor Commissioner Peck, One OF Cleve-
lands Appointees. Tells Plain Truth
to Now York workingmen-B Benefits OF
Protection Made Clear-Greatest In
dustrial Prod duction Ever Known.

The following is the official abstract OF
the report Of New York State Labor Com
missioner Hon. Charles II. Peck. This re-
port has attracted so much attention that
the official abstract prepared by Commits
sioner Peck himself is presented herewith
In full Especial interest attaches to this
report because its author, although a
Democrat, appointed to the Office which he
now holds by Mr.. Cleveland while gov
crnor of New York, commends the Nc
IKinley tariff and shows in his official re-
port that under 1t there has been a won
derful increase In manufactures. employ.
meut and wages of en- p'oyes:
In pursuance OF law the undersigned has
completed the work attendant upon the is
suing OF the ninth annual report Of the bu-
reau Of statistics OF labor, and herewith
gives brief summary OF the contents of
lsarily delayed by reason Of the unusual
amount and important character of II
work undertaken. OF all the varied su
5ects Investigated and reported upon durin.
the bureaus nine years existence none has
borne closer relationship to the welfare
OF the wage earners of the state or fur
nished the public In general with statistical
data so valuable TO u comprehensive under
standing OF the practical workings Of the
One great economic question of the present
day than the tariff. Tariff. whether levied
for revenue only" or for revenue and the
facturors and American labor" is certain
a question OF such vast import as TO enlist
the most thorough and dispassionate in
westigation at the hands of the American
people. And while the present report has
under the law been confined to the state of
indicative OF tho conditions existing in
every section Of our country where manu-
featuring and industrial pursuits are fol-
lowed. With the exception Of limited
number of the great industries carried on
In our country. no state In the Union offers
a field 10 varied or extensive within which
the statistfcian can carry an his work with
greater assurances OF intelligent success
than is presented by the state of New York
Within its borders are to be found by far
the greatest number Of manufacturing es-
Establishments, the most varied industries
and the largest number of individual en-
lployers and wage earners of any of the
forty four commonwealths embraced in the
United States. So that whatever the statis-
Itical data collected and tabulated may
prove, relative to the effects of protection
on labor and wages In New York, may just
conditions throughout the whole country.
Not for many years had the subject of
the tariff assumed such great proportions
as attached to IL in 1888. Always an i'm
portant and interesting question of political
economies for discussion BY our statesmen,
States making it the sole subject of his an
nual message TO congress in December, 1887,
interest in 1t became general among the
masses, and n memorable Campaign of ed
ncation" followed during the ten succeed
ing months Of 1888 II is not the province
merits Of q protective tariff or to pro-
nounce for or against the public policy Of
tariff for revenue only" A majority OF
the American people declared bt their
votes in 1883 in favor Of the latter policy,
and yet their candidate was defeated by
reason OF our electoral system, the
candidate and congress in
with tho chief executive
being elected. The canvass was carried on
with relentless vigor by both sides. and
public interest was unusually aroused in
question Of great public policy rather than
as as to the personality of the candidates.
facturers and their employees were ap-
pealed to. Larger production, wider mar
kets and increased profits were promised
the employers. More work, higher wages,
shorter hours of labor and unexampled
prosperity were among tho inducements
held out to the wage earners by the advo-
the advocates OF the policy of tariff for
only" contended that only through
a reform" Of our tariff laws-i. g., a re-
uucuon OF our revenues to basis Of raising
Just sufficient money to defray the expenses
Of the government, honestly and economi
cally administered-could all Of these de-
sirable results be attained. Almost in
numerable queries were made of this
bureau by the great writer's upon economic
subjects, the leaders of thought and dis
cussion In our pulpits, on the rostrum and
through the public press, for reliable data
SfnflCfinQ Il.
portant subject.
And IL was by reason of this situation, no |
less than with view to establish the truth |
DR. falsity of the premises taken by the |
two great political parties of the country, !
that the undersigned finally decided to
Tariff on Labor and Wages" one of special |
1t may be urged by some |
hat the investigation made has not been |
broad enough or of su fiicient scope to fairly |
the deductions arrived at, by rea- |
non of the fact that the cost of living, in |
:luding the necessaries that go to make IL |
Up, have been given no place in the work. |
u should be borne In mind, however, that
6 has been my endeavor to investigate
,nly that phase of the subject which re-
ates simply to the increase or decrease of |
production and the rates of wages paid.
The period covered by, investigation in
'ludes the year Immediately prior to the
OF what Is termed the "Mckin-
ey bill, and the year Immediately follow
ng its becoming law. That is, the data
ipon which the report has been made was
or the year commencing Sept. l, 1880, up
% and including the 3ist of August, 1890,
md the ycnr commencing Sept. /, 1890, up
q and including the 3ist of August, 1891
The methods employed to secure the neces-
AIRY data were almost entirely those Of
he blank system, which has proved 40 sat
sfactcry In nearly all OF the previous in
'estigations carried on by the bureau
ncc 1883 IL wns not the original purpose,
Tor IL IL now pretended that the data and
tatistics here presented represent any but
,urely wholesale manufacturing estab-
ishments. To have undertaken to cover
he retail and custom manufacturing es-
Adjustments OF the state would have been
physical and financial impossibility in
he present status OF this bureau. Some
200 blanks were addressed and mailed TO
y many separate establishments through
MT the state, and OF this number 6,0O0, or
D per cent, were returned fully and cor
ectly answered. The figures contained in
he following tables are based entirely
pom returns furnished this bureau by over