St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-05
CAN THEY ANSWER IT
Why Do Not Wages Keep Pace
With Production
Values d? g
A Democrat Makes Some In
quiries Based on Peck's
Report.

ANP0AS "a LIooOi vi
missioner Peck, of New York, show?
On the day following the publication
of the New York Statistician'S report,
Hon. John 81. Ives, of this city, wrote a
letter to the st. Paul Dispatch on this
subject, asking a few pertinent ques-
lions. and stating a great many impor-
tant facts bearing on the question. Mr..
Ives waited patiently for a few days to
see this communication appear in the
Republican organ, but. as that paper
does not seem to have any intention of
giving it a place. the GLOBE publishes
it below. Mr.. Ives is a ciear-headed
r%easoner. and, while he does not pre-
tend to be a humorist, he riddles the
conclusions drawn by the Republicans
from this report in an interesting and
amusing manner. His communication
to the Dispatch follows:
Editor OF Dispatch.
Dear Sir: Permit an humble Demo-
crat to differ with you upon the ques-
ton Of the proper construction of the
statistics of the New York labor COM
missioner, Mr.. Peck.
Passing your editorial | will content
myself with reference to your heading
In large type on the first page, reading
as follows:
Manufactures have increased SOL
SIS. 1860, and wages S6,377, 925.09 in the
year"
"This result directly due to the opera
ton OF the present tariff system in that
S tate"
If the amount Of manufactured pro-
ducts in n year has Increased S31, 315,-
$1,000, do you consider it an
astonishing fact that the mount
paid out for labor has also
Increased? 1t certainly is not aStOnish-
ing unless they were getting their labor
for nothing. The only question that
arises is whether the increased sum
paid for labor bears an astOnishingly
large proportion to. the increased prod
uct.
The price paid for increased labor
the amount of the increased product.
Now, don't you think that labor would
receive at least one-fifth of the value of
manufactured products i'll this country
if the Mckinley bill had never existed?
Don't you think that labor ought to, and
would, receive at least one-fifth the
value of manufactured products if there
had neve been q high tariff law in this
country?
By the way, in glancing over the
schedule L observe large amounts paid
for wages in the manufacture OF prod
uctS with which the Mckinley bill has
no concern. | observe, also by the
schedule, that in the last year in this
great state OF New York. where, as you
say, there is 1.-THE most varied indus
tries and the largest number of indl-
viduaf employers and wage-earn-
ers of any of the forty-four
of the commonwealth of the
United States" there has not been a
cent paid out for labor in the manufac-
ture of those two petted and protected
articles in the Mckinley bill, to wit:
Pearl buttons and tin, while it is obvi-
Gus that the tariff on these two articles
has resulted in an increased cost to the
wage-earnerS of that state of many
thousands of dollars in the last year
alone.
The question is not whether there was
more money paid for wages in any n
state i'll the past year than the year be-
fore, nor whether individual wages in
individual cases have increased. The
wages of an individual naturally in
creaSes. whether in the line of manu-
featuring, or in the mercantile line, or
in any other line or occupation. This
was so before Mckinley was born.
The question is whether the wages of
the various classes engaged in manu-
featuring, have. as a whole, been in
creased.
That the Mckinley bill has not done
this, | understand Mckinley himself
has at last conceded. If, however, l am
misinformed, and Mr.. Mckinley still
disputes The proposition. he can easily
go to Homestead and learn the truth.
Very truly yours, JOHN. ii. IVES.