New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-24
co,fuTssrOyFR PICKS FIGURES.


But a short time ago Democratic journals
were demanding a single instance OF increase
of wages under the operation Of the Mckinney
| hill They are answered much more fully than
they desired to be, by the portion OF Commits
sioner Peck's report which was published III
detail on Thursday morning by 1.-The ne
cordern The figures are there gwen by estao-
! Gshments showing the number OF work.
ers at each establishment whose wages nave
| been advanced and the details cover more
J than four full pages of that journal. Although
this is only one portion of the report rcIatlng
"a increase of wages, and docs not touch I'M
nortant DEPARTMENTS in which many thousand
| men are employed whose wages have been gen
orally advanced, the details gwen snow 'na'
the wages Of 1871 employees were higher III
1891 than in 1890, in the industries cohsloeieu'
| At the same time the entire veraclty ana 'hor
ouphness of the report are strongly cohhrmeu
| hv tho fact that in few branches OF industry
wages have been reduced during the same year,
| and the details show that the number OF en-
Moves in these industries whose wages were
thus reduced was 4,s63.
large proportion of tho workers are en-
Moved at piecework, and separate taple Is
devoted in the official report TO the comparison
| of their earnings In other occupations, also
omnlovinp n great number of workers. the
actual advance in wages during the year was
affected by reduction in the hours OF LABOR
| But in the cases of which details nave 10" pee,'
published nearly 10000 employees received
higher wages by the day, week or month Ill
1891 than in 1890. These cover large pro-
| nortion Of the occupations and the preponder-
| apco of advance in wages exhibited by me
d.toiIod stat, merits is really surprising. Thus
| IN rho manufacture Of agricultural implements
the wages of 800 hands were advanced WhiIc
only suffered a decrease IN wages. III inc
Garnet manufacture the wages OF l,i3l ad-
vanccd while the wages OF only II decllneh'
In the clothing classes, embracing hity-iour
sonoratc tables. the wages of 1866 hands ad-
varcod while the wages of only jli were re-
duccd In boots and shoes 5Sl advanced and
only o13 declined In the making of clocks and
watches 4s4 advanced and II declined IN the
carriage manufacture 6l5 advanced ana ~
declined.
Had this report been fabricated as some
Democrats have fooliShly pretended, withou;
regard 10 the actual returns submitted. there
would not have been exhibited considerable
| decrease of wages in some of the empoymcn's
Brt the Commissioners report shows that In
the manufacture Of bricks no less than ,240
n,rsons had their wages reduced, and only 16l
had wages advanced. In few other instances
similar losses appear, and these correspond ac-
| curatolv with what is known OF the condition
Of the manufactures in question. W hen inc
full details of the report have been published, 1t
will he Of great public interest 10 submit full
| abstract showing In what departments Of IN
| dustrv the gain in wages has been realized bnt
| the facts already submitted suffice to establish
bcvond any reasonable dispute the enormous
remembrance of advance in wages during the
wear; in question. TO any fair mind the ex-
animation of these published details will bring
conviction that the report of the Commissioner
does in fact. represent the actual condition OF
the working population OF the STATE IN respect
| 70 their wages, as far as he was able 10 aScer'
tain
All the proceedings in the courts, which have
been instituted for the purpose OF competing
the Commissioner to disclose the names OF en-
Movers. which were given to the Labor bureau
under pledge of secrecy, will fail, as they ought
10 fail. Ii would be impossible for any similar
hoard IN obtain the information sought II en-
Movers in giving it ran the risk OF exposing
,bo;r busincss 10 competitors. The Commits
s;ouor has rightly insisted that he will preserve
inyiolable the privacy OF the Individual reports
made to him. and in doing SO he should be
sustained by public opinion