The morning call., 1892-01-17

our people. 1t is upon the condition Of
working women in twenty-One OF our princi-
pal clteS-tEeir occupations, wages. moral
character and modes Of living. 1t Is de-
voted specifically to women who are en-
plOyCd in shops and manufactures. We
expect to further pursue this subject by in
Yestigatiug the condition Of those who ply
the needle, domestic servants and other
classes of women who earn their bread.
Volume five, which IS now nearly ready
for distribution, is upon railroad labor. We
have been at great paluS 10 gather the ma
terlal for this report, and l think with
good results We have had the hearty CO.
operation of organizations Of railway en-
plOyes aud of the companies. As an Illus
tTatiOn | may cite the fact that several Of
tie latter sent Us their pay-TOils so that we
might have the exact truth as to the wages
paid all classes Of men. This volume Will
be ready for distribution IN January
All these volumes are OF great and in
cTeaSing value. The demand for them con-
tinuFs without abatement They are not
thrown away by scattering them broadcast,
but any volume is sent without cost 10 a
person requesting it. Not less than 200, 900
copies of these reports have been distributed.
and the greater part Of them nave gone di-
rectly to the working people of the country.
By system or exchange we receive re-
ports on similar subjects from foreign cOuu-
tries. Those issued by this department are
favorably reviewed and commented upon
abroad. AT tie Paris exposition ours we're
awarded the gold medal, and the Commits
siOEers were kind enough to award another
to me-.
We have two Other volumes in prepare
ton which Will be issued next year and the
year following. The first will embrace the
facts which we have obtained relative 10
iron and steel-the relative efficiency of
labor producing it in different countries, the
wages paid and the cost Of living The
second will cover in the same way the
manufacture of textile fabrics and mis-
celaGe0us articles, such as glass, lumber,
earthenware. etc. They will be more elab-
crate and exhaustive than have ever before
been prepared anywhere.
In nay judgment the condition of the
age-wOTkers of the United States, viewed
in all aspects, is better now than at any
previous period in our history. There
is continual ebb and flow of the tide
OF general prosperity, which for the
time affects more or less the men and
women who toll. For this reason il is
not easy TO make a comparison Of a single
year with another preceding or following
1t. But taking period of, say, twenty-five
years, and striking general average, so TO
speak, we may reach a fair conclusion.
Doing this We see a marked and gratifying
Improvement. Wages are higher and while
In some respects the cost of living Is also
increased considering what a man gets for
his money, the advantages he has OF educa-
llUl LilS RCuDld "a uiluSlbl Oh I1l6illReUG6
and social enjoyment, the relative value of
wages over the cost Of living has materially
advanced. A very important consideration
is the fact that while wages have increased
there has been general decrease in the
hours of labor.
None Will deny that in the United States
the wOrkingman-pOpularly so called-is nc
this time more of a social and political
factor than ever before. Labor is more re-
specialized may use the expression
without being misunderstood. Education
develops in the workingman all that goes
TO make good citizenship and this com
mands confidence and respect. la our own
country tie conditions are radically diff
ferent from those of any other Here the
great body of workers a,e not composed of
continuous line or race. In Germany. for
instance, they are substantially all Germans
and have been for centuries. la England,
France and other counties it is much the
same.
Comparing our own with foreign coun-
tries, it is an indisputable fact that the con-
ditiOn Of the working people is immeasur-
ably better. What is most demanded now.