The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-21
THE W0RKINGMAN OF TODAY.
Prof. Commons Thinks His Condition
Has Not Improved in Thirty Years.

To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
In the Journal of the 18th inst you criti-
else my statement that the condition of the
workinSman of to-day is worse than thirty
years ago, basing your arguments on the
report of the Senate finance committee and
the compilations of Mr. Edward Atkinson
1 am familiar with both. and L fully be-
heve that the report of the finance COM
mittee is worthless for comparing the
economic condition of laborers thirty years
ago and now; and as for Mr. Atkinson, it
is my opinion that his theories are largely
false and his statistics are mainly jugglery.
You also neglected to note that | re-
strlcted my statement TO the unorganized
and unskilled laborers. You state that the
purchasing power of wages has increased
from loo az basis in 1860 to 167 in 1891
This depends on the estimate of the Senate
finance committee that money wages have
increased from 100 to 1907 and the prices
or the articles entering into the working
96.2
Regarding the increased money income
OF laDorerS there are several important
factors overlooked. In the first place daily
wages are given instead of aggregate yearly
wages. Irreguarity of employment has be-
come frequently recurring and idleness eX-
cessiyeIy prolonged during the last two
decades; This cause alone should deduct
ABOUT III per cent. from the annual income
as compared with the earlier period even
allowing for instability then.
Again, the income is given in money, but
thirty years ago the laborer had other
sources OF income for which he paid no
money, whereas now all of his income is
represented by money payments. Formerly
ne lived In small communities where he
could have d small truck garden could
Keep cow on common pastures, could have
pigs ana poultry and eggs of his own pro-
auction at scarcely any expense These
items now represent according TO the re-
port IN question, 1924 per cent of the
Workingmans total expenditures Suppos-
ing ne and his family could have produced
nan Oh that on his own plot of ground his
a ha1n 4
total expenditures compared with the CITY
workingman of to-day.
mere are new expenditures, too, which
the laborer formerly escaped, hui which
now are necessary. To omit those like
educatlon, newspapers books, etc. which
may De taken as evidencing a higher stand
ara of life, street-car fare should take its
place as lO per cent of the family income
which would therefore represent l6 ON OF
a total income of 1907.
Furthermore. the prices which the finance
committee give are Wholesale instead of
retail prices covering this period of years
except those of the Massa chusetts Bureau
OF STATISTICS, and by comparing these with
lhe wholesale prices of the finance COM
mittee / am convinced that retail prices
have risen higher or have not fallen as low
as wholesale prices
Though goods are cheaper now than for
inerly, the wearing capacity is less being
largely machine-made and shoddy and tho
laoorer must purchase more often or go
ragged.
But this is not ALL The tables YOU ouote
do not pretend to give but $50 per cent. of
the total expenditures of the workingman
and the remainder, 31.4 per cent. of his
expenditures consists largely of items like
rent, which have literally leaped forward
IN prices Rent is given in that report Mt
lo.O6 per cent. of the laborer's total ex-
pendltures, and is represented as remaining
constant for thirty years. This is the low
est percentage given by any of the Amer
lcan labor bureaus, except that of Con.
necticut, which Is generally dscreditet
massachusetts, puts IL at Is. IA per cent
and it Is more than likely that the average
workingman spends one-fifth of his total in
come Tor rent. Indeed, the report in cues
ton gives budgets which yield percentages
Tor rent as high as 30 per cent and quite
q number OF them range from % per cent
10 80 per cent. Now, IL is not too much to
say that rent for given accommodations
has doubled in thirty years
Other items held by the report to be con-
slant are taxes, insurance organizations re-
1gion charity, books, amusements liquors
and tobacco. Three of these, at lea st have
greatly increased, namely, taxes, LIQUOR and
tobacco, the latter two at least fivefold on
account OF taxation. But if we make q
very low estimate and allow that 90 per
cent. OF the total eXpe 1diture is required
for articles which have doubled i'm cost
this estimate would be represented by 81
out of a total of 1901 and in 1860 it would
nave been 10 out OF a total income repre-
scented by 100. In other words the increased
expenditures for these items has risen 1s
out of a total rise of 1907.
believe / have underestimate rather
than overestimated the allowances that
IL seems quite certain that the average
workingman is no better off than he was
thirty years ago, the organized and skilled
laborers are somewhat better Off and the
unorganized and unskilled are in a worse
condition. JOHN r. COMMONS
Bloomington