The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-09-19

by MIR. WadlIn, thp sIHtistician OF mnssn-
clIusrttr, AEtGr Bsing Appealed to by
Free rrndsrs.-Ho Also Shows that
Wages Ia the Protected ministries oil
that State have Increased UndOr tho
Mckinley Bill
Hartford Post
When Labor Commissioner Peck, oil
New York, published his figures indi-
eating a general increase in wages in
his state since the passage OF the Nc
Kinley bill, the disturbed free traders
set up tho cry that Mr.. Peck was no
statistician any way, that nobody had
confidence in the results OF his labors,
and the New York EreniHg Poa observed
that such an able statisucian rs MIR.
Wadlin, OF Massachusetts,, for instance,
would never make such report, Tor oil
course, it said, wages could not be IN
creased by the Mckinley bill.
1t was rather unfortunate that the
free traders should have specified Mr..
WadIin, for he has just issued tho an
nual statistics OF manufacture in Mas
sachusetts, and, without making any
reference to the Mckinley bill US u
cause, he finds exactly what Commits.
sioner Peck found regarding wages and
production. His methods OF securing
results are not exactly like those OF
Commissioner Peck. and this fact is the
more convincing OF the truth OF the
assertion that wages have increased
under the Mckinley law, for the same
result, practically, is reached by ditier-
emit methods. Moreover, the manufac-
turers in Massachusetts, are required to
take oath to the correctness OF their
information.
In regard to wages Mr.. Wadlin finds
that during the past year the total
amount paid, in the seventy-tive indus
tries considered, increased go per
cent. In carpetings the increase was
3.GG per cent; in cotton goods, 467 per
cent; in machines and machinery, 3.5S
per cent; in metals and metallic goods,
1928 per cent: in paper and paper
goods 40 per cent; and in WOODEN and
in worsted goods, 7.l5 per cent, and Los
per cent respectively. In boots and
shoes, however, the total amount paid
in wages decreased 375 per cent, and in
leather 1872 per cent.
1t will be noticed that in the dis
tinctively protected industries, the raw
material Tor which is taxed, wages paid
have increased in every case. We have
been told by the professional tariff re-
formers about the hardshtps endured
by the carpet manufacturers because OF
the heavy taxes on wool. And yet
wages have increased in that industry
nearly 4 per cent. They have increased
almost as much US in the cotton goods
industry, where raw material is free:
In machines and machinery and metal
goods.-those industries which Cover
nor Russell not long ago asserted were
folding their tents like the Arabs and
silently stealing away-the increase in
wages paid has been about per cent.
And in wooden goods we have an in
crease OF over per cent.
This must at least be true-whether
this increase is due to protection or not,
the Mckinley law certainly does not
prevent it, and it seems to have been
much larger on the average since the
passage OF the bill than before. In
other words, the factories Of Massachu.
sets, like the factories OF other states,
nave employed more help, or employed
help. more hours and paid better wages.
Labor during the last year has received
an increase OF its share OF the profits OF
production.
The average yearly earnings per in
dividual, without regard to sex or age,
employed in the seventy-five indus
tries, we're, he says, $437. 90 in 1890, and
S44l.9O in 1891, an increase OF OIL per
cent. This is sufficient to show that
the laboring people of Massachusetts
have secured. more money for their
labor in the last year than they did be-
fore. And, since money never went
further than in the present year, it
shows that their material condition has
been greatly improved. The Demo,
Gratis will claim that the Mckinley law
has nothing to do with this, but the
Republicans claim that it has and re-
quire that the Democrats specify what
this increase is due to, il not the Nc
Kinley law
Regarding production, Mr.. Wadlin
finds the Industries of Massachusetts,
have been doing very much the same
as Mr.. Peck found the industries OF
New York had. The increase in the
value Of goods made amounted to 1873
per cent. There were decreases in the
value Of production in boots and shoes
in cotton goods, leather, in machines
and machinery and in musical lnstru-
ments. But it will be noticed that in
most OF these industries raw materials
are free. On the other hand, gain in
production is noted in the carpeting OF
| 90 per cent; in wooden goods OF OIL
per cent, and in worsted goods OF 9.1S
per cent. In these industries raw ma
terials are not free. The average pro-
portion OF the business done reached
| 10. 90 per cent in 1890 and 697 per cent
in 1891 OF the full productive capacity Of
the 3, 745 establishments compared.
Mr.. Wadlin's report is admirable in
its thoroughness and clearness. We
agree with the professional tariff re-
formers that he Is one OF the best sta
tisticians in the country; that his re-
searches are made upon scientific plans
and that the results which he places
before US at all times afford tho very
best opportunities for comparison and
Judgment. The fact that while pursu-
ing different methods he has arrived ut
the same results in reference to the in
dustries OF Massachusetts that Commits
sioner Peck has in reference TO the in
dustries OF New York, establishes be-
yond doubt that the movement to-
wards higher wages and greater produc.
ton has been steady during the past
year and it is during the past year that
tho Mckinley law has been most fairly
tested.
We have no doubt that an investiga-
ton like Mr.. Wadlin's would show that
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