Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-10-13
LABOR IN NEW YORK.
WAGES HIGHER THAN THEY WERE
BEFORE THE PASSAGE OF THE
M'KlNLEY BILL.

Labor Commissioner Peck, One Of CIeve-
lands AppOintees, Tells Plain Truth
TO New York workingmen-Benefts of
Protection Made CIear-Greatest In
dustriaI Production Ever Known.
Mr. Peck, the state labor commissioner
soho makes the follol0ing report, Is
Cleveland Democrat haUtng been ap-
pointed to the office nc noW holds by
GroUer ClcUcland in 1888.
The following is the official abstract Of
the report of New York State Labor Com
missioner Hon. Charles f. Peck This re-
port has attracted so much attention that
the official abstract prepared by Commits
sioner Peck himself is presented herewith
in full Especial interest attaches to this
report because its author, although a
Democrat, appointed to the Office which he
now holds by Mr.. Cleveland while gov
ernor Of New York. commends the Nc
Kinley tariff and shows in his official re-
port that under it there has been a won
derful increase in manufactures. employ
ment and wages Of employees The report
and its author have been most bitterly at
tackled by the Democrats, a committee ap-
pointed by the national committee to ex-
anime into it having brought Commits
sioner Peck before the courts because Of
his refusal TO disclose to them the indi-
vidual business statements made to him
in confidence by manufacturers, upon
which he based his report:
In pursuance of law the undersigned has
completed the work attendant upon the is
suing Of the ninth annual report Of the bu-
fsf los Of lab \,
gives a brief summary of the contents Of
the same. Its completion has been neces-
sarily delayed by reason Of the unusual
amount and Important character Of the
work undertaken. OF all the varied sub
lects investigated and reported upon during
the bureaus nine years existence none has
borne a closer relationship to the welfare
OF the wage earners of the state or fur
nished the public in general with statistical
data SO valuable to a comprehensive under
standing Of the practical workings Of the
one great economic question OF he present
day than the tariff Tariff, whether levied
for revenue only" or for revenue and the
incidental protection Of American manu-
Tacturers ana American labOr," is certain
question Of such vast import as to enlist
the most thorough and dispassionate in
vestigation at the hands Of the American
people And while the present report has
under the law been confined 10 the state Of
New York, its results can but be taken as
indicative OF the conditions existing ia
every section of our country where manu-
featuring and industrial pursuits are fol-
lowed With the exception of a limited
number of the great Industries carried on
in our count y, no state in the Union offers
field so varied or extensive within which
the statistleian can carry on his work with
greater assurances OF intelligent success
than IS presented by the state OF New York
Within its borders are 10 I've found by far
the greatest number of manufacturing es-
adjustments, the most varied industries
and the largest number of individual en-
ployers and wage earners of any Of the
forty-four commonwealth embraced in tho
United States. 80 that whatever the stats
teal data collected and tabulated may
prove relative to the effects Of protection
on labor and wages in New York, may lust
~ be taken as fairly representative az the
conditions throughout the whole country.
Not for many years had the subject Of
the tariff assumed such great proportions
as attached 10 it in 1885. Always an i'm.
portant and interesting question of political
economies for discussion hy our statesmen
yet by reason of the president of the United
States making it the sole subject of his an
nual message TO congress IN December, 1887
interest in 10 became general among the
masses, 0Hd q memorable campaign of ed
ucatiou followed during TIL ter succeed
ing months Of 1855 II is not the province
OF the undersigned to here discuss the
merits OF a protective tariff or to pro-
nounce for or against the public policy of a
'tar1n Tor revenue only " A majority Of
the American people declared by their
votes in lSSs In favor Of the latter policy
and yet their candidate was defeated by
reason Of our electoral yssem, the
minority candidate and congress in
sympathy with the chic executive
being elected. The canvass r. carried on
with relentless vigor 10y bo-h sides and
public interest WIS unusually aroused in a
q
AZ 10 the personality OF the candidates
The selfish business Interests o. the manu-
faeturers and their employees were APP
pealed to. Larger production, WIDER mar
kets and increased profits were promised
the employers. More work, higher wages
shorter hours OF labor and uuexampled
prosperity were among the Inducements
held out 20 the wage earncrs by the advo-
Gates of protection" On the other hand
the advocates of the policy of a tariff for
revenue only Conteuded that only through
reform of our tariff laws e.. a re-
ductlon of our revenues to a basis of raising
gust sufficient money to detrav ne rNpoIlses
OF the government, honest y and eConomi-
cally administration all of these de-
slrable results be attained Almost in
Vulnerable queries were made of this
bureau hy the great writers upon economic
subjects, the leaders of thought and dis
cusslun in our pulpits, ou he rostruln and
through tile public press, for reliable data
and statistics bearing upon this very inn
portaut subject.
And II was by reason Of this situation. no
less than with "A view toestablish the truth
or fai.lty oi the premises taken bv he
two great political parties OF the country,
that the undersigned finally decided to
make the subject of '''lhe Effect OF the
Tariff on Labor and Wages one of special
investigation IL may be urged by some
that the Investigation made has not been
broad enough orof sufficient scope to fairy