Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-10-26
WAcEs ARE hlCHER.

Mr.. Charles +. Peck Is the Democratic
commissioner Of labor OF the state Of
New York, which is now completely
under Democratic control, and was APP
pointed by Grover Cleveland in 1883
TO the Office which he now holds.
He undertook an investigation into
the EFFECT Of the tariff on labor and
wages" doubtless with the purpose in
view Of supplying the Democratic party
with campaign ammunition In the form
of an official report, specifically locating
and describing the numerous wage re-
auctions of which the calamity tariff
''reformer" has been prating since Oc-
tobsr, 1890 But it seems that the facts
panned out differently from what Mr..
Peck expected. Nevertheless he seems
TO have had the honesty to give them to
the public exactly as he found them.
and to allow them TO speak for them
selves. The result has been, Just Is in
the case Of the senate report, that a pow
erful campaign document is placed IN
the hands of protectionists. 1t needs no
comment. The following extracts speak
for themselves:
In pursuance OF law, the undersigned has
completed the work attendant upon the fssu-
ing OF the ninth annual report OF the bureau Of
statistics Of ie Dor. and herewith gives . brief
seminary Of the contents OF the same. Its CON-
ple.ion has been necessarily delayed by reason
OF the unusual amount and important charac-
ter OF the work undertaken. OF all the varied
subjects investigated and reported upon dur
Ing the bureaus nine years existence, none
has borne = closer relationship to the welfare
OF the wage carriers OF the state or furnished
the public in general with statistical data SO
valuable to = comprehensive understanding Of
the practical workings of the one great eco
nomio question OF the present day than the
tariff.
Tariff. whether levied for revenue only" or
for revenue and The incidental protection CT
American manufacturers and American la
Dor. is certainly question Of such vast import
a. 10 enlist the most thorough and -dispassion-
ate Investigation at the hands OF the American
people. Aud while the present report has.
under the law, been confined 10 the state Of
New York. it, results can but be taken as in
dicative Of the conditions existing in every
section OF our country where manufacturing
and Industrial pursuits are followed.
The period covered by investigation includes
the year Immediately prior to the enactment
of what is termed the Mckinley bill" and
the year Immediately following It's becoming
law. That Is. the data upon which tho report
has been made was for the year commencing
Sept. /. 1859. up TO and including Aug. 81, 1880,
and the year commanding Sept. I. 1880, up TO
and Including Aug. 81. 1891. The methods en-
poyed 70 secure the necessary data were al
most entirely those OF the blank system, which
has proved satisfactory in nearly all Of the
previous investigations carried By the
bureau since lS<5. Il was not the orr yinal pur-
pose. nor il Il now pretended. that the data
aud statistics here presented represent any
but purely wholesale manufacturing establish
ments. To have undertaken 10 cover the re-
tail and custom manufacturing establishments
~ the state would have been a 2hysiC al and
financial impossihility II the present status OF
this bureau. SEINE s,of0 blanks were addressed
sad mailed 10 IS many separate establish
msGts throughout the state, and Of this nun
Der 8. 20 or - per cent. were returned fully
and correctly answered. The figures contained
Ia the tables given elsewhers are baeed entire
~ upon returns furnished this bureau by over
s.fsu Substantial representative aud leading
business arras Of this state.
II j. needless 90 comment upoa the separate
figures or the totals Included ia these tables:
they tell their own story. siIaply aud with alb
solute truth. IL appears that there net
increase n wages Of Si.317 .ssS.C9 ia the year
1891 A. compared vita the amount paid H.
lssa and net increase II prod uction Of Sa.-
Sl5.l5o.5s In the year 1891 over that Of 1880. A
simple analysis az these tables further demon
sfratss the interesting fac. that % the sixty
seven Industries covered = Ter cent OF them
show An Increase either uf the wages or prod
net or both. add thst there were 10 less than
s9sl7 instances u Individual Increases o.
wages duriaz The same Yesr.
or the sixtv--fgbt industries included. . pcr
cent 81 them show an increased average year
ly earning IN tas year ISal. While he total AZ
craze Increase % Yearly earnings % the $50
49, .
yesrly earnings ~ the employees IN the ffty-
oae trades showing an decrease was $3.50 IN
lseI "A con pared with f2o9
In addition - ths investi - ton of this spe.
cisl sauiect. the bureau has coaunued it, an
neal iavesf izetion Of al iahcr distur hRncss &C
curing ia the state during the past year. The
total nuraher ~ strikes reported fcr tie year
is9i VS. asa a. against s25s occurring in the
year 1890 a decrease % l.1ao. OF The total nun
hsr-f 5ia esis or Sc Per cent II them were ID
ths building trades. fact that seems 70 follow
Ga natural sequence the results obtained II the
special Investigation 81 the effect u the tariff
On laoor snd ssgea.
IL ass hsen ms experience. ss doubt rot &
has been that - every statisticisn move ~
less. that one eftsn ands himself tempted -un-
consciously reThsps-to pursue sn inresfizs-
ticn VITA view - establish = prrconcsived
theory How a-ten faiiare snd positive ass
crmftnre follow { can safely leave - these
wHo bare errs-red 20 the rs@cinstiuS study 81
STA stiles. 70 The srue ststisticisn. however
uninfnenccd IS soelai or political crusaders
tions- the g-efessloa e ~ eaviabts cue. and
carrse- efth II dutes sad re~nors hftlties ~
tie hirhest sgfi-r To hhn thsori-s are - nofh
al vitaocs fsef. @ s1pporf thesn tksv b.
cnrss n,s5eaa.nT sF8 Therefore wort hleSs
Fsrts al trufA src what heseeks znd hsarfag
p1ssessad hir1sslf - thera y places thsra harS
ssa eaii as th%y eftentinaez sre. ,ef.ore tAe
ruhic sa+isf~i shsf - ass fone Ant be dagg
srrl Sd srekv sfa.sre6 r Re r rtevf RI sfsfon
CuAsl.es e Pxcz. Counaizsloae-.
Mss Jalis Perry q Charlotte $40
Ms Laurie Msmssan OF Ions were
guess at tie New Livingston ysstsr-