Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-09-16
LABOR NOT DECEIVED.
PICKS FIGURES REJECTED BY
 WORKlNGMEN.

Republican Expectations Doomed to Dis
 appointment-Working Know That
 Mckinley Has Not Helped Them-what
 They Say About Peck's Figures.
 Evidence is multiplying that Commis- Bioner Peck's report is failing of effect in precisely the quarter where the Re publicans had hoped that it would strengthen their cause most. Republic an editors hailed the publication of Peck's figures with headlines suitable for announcing the arrival of the mil lennium and framed to catch the eye of the workingmen, but the workingmen are far too we'll informed as to their own condition to be imposed upon by figures given under pledge of secrecy by pro- tected manufacturers. Workingmen do not need to wade through pages of sta- tistics to find out whether their wages have been increased.
 We are beginning to hear from work ingmen in many trades, and they utterly reject Peck's figures and particularly his conclusions in favor of the McKin- ley tariff. Thus Matthew Barr, tin and sheet iron worker 7of New York, says: ''What strikes mo as very peculiar is the figures on the building trades. They seem SO incongruous that I must pause before I go any further. There is scarcely strike in this line but has bettered it's condition since 1889. And yet with all this the returns show de- | crease in wages of $96, ,829.
 "This industry is outside the reach of the tariff, and whatever figures may be put down there is only one thing that has gained it any advantages, and that is its organizations. Every concession has been fought inch by inch. Where the tariff does affect any branch of the trade, such as mine, we have certainly suffered. No tin and sheet iron worker in the city, to my knowledge, and ] know them nearly all, has yet used a \ sheet of native tin. Before the McKin- | ley bill was passed we had considera. ble work on tin roofs. In many cases | gravel roofs had an equal competition with us, but since the higher duty on tin was imposed in every case where gravel roof can be utilized it takes the place of tin, and there is less work fol us. We have been injured by the tariff and our wages may have decreased, but the other trades are not so affected, and believe they have been individual gainers."
 George Warner, of the Housesmiths union and the Central Labor union says: "You can make figures prove anything you like; am looking for tn, men of some trade who will show mt that their wages have been raised b, the tariff. If any trade has increased it's pay you can rely upon its being ol account of organization. Look at ou trade! We work on the buildings ant are not affected By the tariff, but tn men who manufacture the iron ant steel are highly protected. During tn past four years the men who have beer protected have been reduced in wage and we have been obtaining an increase MT. Peck's returns scarcely seem con sistent. He gives decreases in wage and production in building brick, til and sewer pipe, but in cement, lime ant plaster there is vast increase. As tn business of one is totally dependent ol the other, and one could not be bris, without the other, his figures certainl need some explanation.
 James P. Archibald, a prominen leader in the Central Labor union, says | I interested in-the paper hanging trad I-have been to me ludicrous. There i not thinking man in the labor circle in this city today, particularly in tn building construction line, who canno refute, so far as his own particular trad is concerned, the statements of MI Peck. I know of my own knowledg
 that in the most skilled branch of tn
 trade of manufacture of wall paper
 which is block cutting, and which
 very highly protected, the men wh
 formerly earned twenty-one to twenty four dollars per week are now, an
 since 1889 have been, working at con
 siderably less than twenty dollars. Tn
 Mckinley bill has had 8 deleteriou rather than a beneficial effect on tn
 wages in this branch of the trade"