The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1892-09-27

lftAAoto AALtA IIt JIG VI COlQllLlk LlLl4
As the New York World puts it: Mr.
Pecks report was made, like the Nc
kinley tariff law, by the manufacturers
by the people who expect to reap the
benefits. They first prepared the bill,
and are now reporting on its effect in
the state of New York In aid of this
pretty scheme Mr.. Peck refuses to make
public the letters on which he bases his
assertions
Fourth-Mr. Peck's figures show a net
increase of production of s3l ,s15. $50.
and of wages of 81, ,377, ,925 in 1891 ove-
1S90-$23- II to each of the 285. 600 en-
ployees. or s43.o6 to each employee in
the fifty-one trades showing increased
wages-there being S0.717 instances of
individual increases.
Fifth-Supposing that these statistics
are correct they show that from some
cause or causes-lierhaps good crops or
1t may be increased prices for manufac-
tured goods-the value of manufactured
products has increased $31 ,O00, 900, about
one-fifth of which has gone to labor
probably for work done-and four-fifths
of which rest snugly in the pockets of
protected manufacturers That Mr.
Peck should jump to the conclusion that
~---p AAAtA CtA1S IL
rates of wages and that these were due
to a tariff law. IS unbecoming to him rs
a statistician and Inconsistent with his
past records. In 1888, 1889 and 1890 he
attributed wage increases to labor or
ganizations, strikes and national pros
perity.
These statistics also contradict those
of the senate committee obtained with
wages have advanced somewhat in iif
teen unprotected industries. but have
fallen slightly in fifteen highly protected
industries.
3 In many industries the statistics ap-
pear to be entirely inconsistent with
previous and with contemporaneous
statistics and to depend largely upon
the elasticity of the consciences of the
makers. Thus the average yearly wages
in the agricultural implements industry
for 1890 is S654.30 in New York and
S419.I0 in Massachusetts difference
greater than usually exists between
wages in this and in European countries
and yet these two states have the same
tariff law. In the second industry men,
TONED (arms and ammunition) the aver
age yearly wages in 1890 were $56l.45
IN 4naSSaCnuSeIlS ana $4JS.4S IN new
York. The third (artificial teeth) shows
yearly wages of s554.45 in Massachu-
setts and $192 in New York-but not
withstanding this tremendous difference
the high priced labor of Massachusetts
competes with the pauper labor of New
York. But by 1891 wcges in this in
dustry had increased to $254. .45-that is
from about sixty-five to eighty cents per
day. Analysis of other industries shows
the same glaring Inconsistencies and
demonstrates the entire worthlessness of
such statistics, except for Republican
campaign purposes.
But there are, as Mr.. j. Schoenhof
has shown, important and significant
omissions in Peck's list of protective in
dustries. Three of these are the highly
protected and exceeding important in
dustries of cotton goods, hats, caps.
ETC., and iron and steel products. In
these, both the number of employees
and their annual earnings had declined
heavily from 1870 to 1880. Here are the
census tables Gn thousands):