The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-10-11

abnormal state OF things continues until
after the resumption Of specie payment IN
is1s-
The year 1850 found the country stall
suffering from inflated prices. so 1sso and
Isfs represent extremes Of normal and alb
normal industrial conditions. while the
years 1850 and Issf represent opposite ex-
irene limits Of general conditions. Prices
we're low in $50: labor vas iow: irnni-
grafton vas too small TO have any disturb
ing effect. for the great food of immigra-
ton TO America did not begin until the
famous Irish famine" year OF 1855.
La Isei we again had low prices with
highly paid labor. despite the fact that the
country had become filed by immigration.
The four years Of 1850. lstgl. Ise6 and 1881
are fairly taken by Mr.. Wright Is a basis
for his comparison of the course of real
or nominal wages N the United States
since 1870
In 1870 a ia5orer in large brewery in
the city Of New YORK received 62.s cents
day: in 1850. 81 cents day in is6s. ST. 30 q
day: in 1891. from 81. 90 20 81 day Com
positors who worked by the day received.
In Is40. si50; in 1850. 81; in 1855, from
$50 20 S.. and the same in 1871. build
Ing firm in Connections paid journeymen
carpenters. in 1850. from 81 . to s1.62 day;
In is6o, from 81 . TO 81. y day; in 1891,
from So 70 S. y day. firm Of builders
in New York paid. in 1870. si5pa day: in
ls60, s.. in ls58, $50: in 1891, $3.50
Painters received the same. The rates of
wages paid 10 wheeIwrights were, in is4o
si.25: in 1850. sl.25; In 1s66. 81; in 1891.
$3.50 Cotton weavers fwomen) in Massa-
chusetts earned. in 1870. on the average.
abont 81 cents day; in 1850. H.5 cents;
in 1850. from IS to 90 cents, on the aver
age; IA 1871. sl.05. Wool spinners. both
jack and mule, earned less than 81 day
in 1870. while in 1860 they earned sIo5
day in 1866. from ST. 20 to $3.50 a day: in
1891. from 81 81 to SITS day. In 1910. at
Etna, Pa. puddlers earned So. day; in
1850. s2s7 day; in 1856. from s5.37 to
ss.04 day; in 1891, 1857. In another
iron works. at Duncannon, Pa. the rates
were 81 20, s20i. s4ss and $2si for the
years named. The rates OF wages a day,
successfully for the years named, for
blasters and drilIers in the New Jersey ore
district. were Is cents. 81, $i65 and $50;
and for unskilled laborers in mining ore
at Cornwall, Pa, 80 cents. IS cents, $l45,
and $l.56.
Taxing wages in twenty-five industries
IL is found that the general average of
wages IN 1910 is represented by SIS. in
1856 by 1856 and in 1891 by 1856; that
is to say, on this basis wages have in
creased since 1880. as 10 shown by percent
ages. to the extent of $40 per cent. and
this figure shows the course of wages in
this country since that year. On the
basis of 100 in 1850, the increase has been
from s2.5 in 1910 to 1856 in 1891, the close
Of the period discussed.
These figures relate to what is defined
a. nominal wages. and therefore to learn
the real wages Mr.. Wright considers the
prices of some of the leading commodities
which enter largely into the consumption
of the people, and taking 22s leading articles
he finds that prices generally have fallen
100 in 1850 TO 9i.s in 1891. He reaches the
positive. absolute conclusion that while
the percentage of increase of prices rose in
1856 to point far beyond the increase in
wages. prices have now fallen TO a point
lower on the whole than they were in
1870 aud wages have risen even above the
high point which they reached in is6e.
As an object lesson Mr. Wright takes
the case of iourneyman carpenter in the
city of New York. considers what his
wages were in July OF each of the four
years named. viz: 1910. 1850, 1866, 1891;
what he would have to pay for certain
articles ut Wholesale rates. lie assumes
that the carpenter bought in each of THE
years named i've pounds of Boston crack
ers, of fair grade: five pounds OF butter, of
fair grade: two and a half pounds of
cheese; two pounds of fair Rio coffee; one
dozen eggs; one quarter OF barrel of
flour, OF medium grade; four pounds of
fresh beef. Of medium grade: four pounds
Of bacon, clear: one gallon of prime New
Orleans molasses; FIVE pounds of refined
sugar, either crushed or granulated: ten
yards OF Cocheco calico, and half ton of
anthracite stove coal. and that he paid one
wees atchAAi All tneSc articles n Ousd have
cost. for the years named, respectively.
$40 -. $40 q. SCI 81 and $l2i7. The lour-
neyman carpenter received. in $40, 81. 30
day; in 1850. s. day; in iSe6. $50 a
day; and in 1891, $3.50 q day. In ispl he
worked eight hours and in the other years
ten hours a day. His earnings In July of
the years named we're. therefore, respect.
lively 81 $l2. 81 and 81 week. In lsio.
| after paying the bill which has been de-
scribed at the close of the last week in
| July, he would have been in debt 81 p: IN
| 1880 he would have had left from his
weeks wages 81 %: in iS56 he would have
been in debt 6s cents. while in 1871 he
would have had $ IS 20 spare.
The inevitable conclusion is that when.
| ever prices of commodities rise. they rise
higher, relatively. than does the price Of
| labor, and thai when prices go down they
| Sc down much lower, relatively. than does
| the price Of labor. which remains o,d,uar-
iiy very nearly at its inflated price.
The carpenter received $50 in lsss in