The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-03-31
WORK and WAGES.
What a Year Of Democracy
Has Done for Workingmen.
GENERAL sHRINKAeE IN BUSINESS
The News Figures Based on Statistics
Gathered from a Diversity of In
dustries-The Story They Tell Of the
Years Depression.

The tables presented on this page of
THE NEWS have not only peculiar inter-
est but vast Importance.
1t was in no spirit of "bearing" the local
business market that The NEWS ad-
dressed the following letter to avariety OF
industries in Rhode Island
PROVIDENCE, r. l., MARcg Q, 1894
DEAR srR-For the purpose OF enabling THE NEWS
20 publish n comparative statement Of the shrink
age Of Industrial and Mercantile Business in Rhode
Island during the past year, will you kindly answer
the enclosed questions and return the same before
March a.
tions THE NEWS will be pleased to have you con-
vey the information sought in any way and to any
sXtent you may deem proper.
Respectfully yours,
THE NEWS COMPANY
II will be observed that the date Sc
lected, March j, was not time of our
greatest business depression. A number
OF industries that had been
closed down were started up
and there had already begun
the line TO provide the necessities of
depleted market. The NEWS has no wish
to discourage this movement as IL has not
during the wearing period of depression
uttered word tending to further depress
the business situation by crying "wolf." 1t
sought only to place on record SO far as lay
in its power, the story in facts and figures,
of a remarkable period In Rhode Islands
history, which period IL hopes to see
shortly closed--and, incidentally, II
believes that the encouragement OF a
strong Republican vote next Wednesday
will do much to hasten better times with
the prospect OF, within few short months
more, calling a halt to the
neddling with industrial legislation by
,he gang Of small politicians holding seats
I'm Congress from territory that hardly
knows the sound OF a factory whistle.
II is to be regretted that the diverse
methods OF answering the NEWS inquiry
make 1t impracticable TO properly sum
marize the results. From the figures given
il appears that only 1881 are employed
today where II, ,167 were employed one year
ago. But an inspection of the individual
reports tells much more than any sum-
mary il is possible TO make from
them. For example, the Barstow Stove
Company, while they do not care to i'm
form the public of the number they en-
ploy or the wages they pay, tell ms that
with half their force, wages
have been reduced about 10 per cent
and they are running on but two-thirds
time; the Franklin Machine Company are
employing only about one half their force; ;
the Nicholson File Company have
Machine Company, while maintaining
their average wage scale are employing
only 50 men where 40 were employed; the
J. Il p. Goats Limited Coz do not care to
give details, but state large shrinkage in
business, and SO on.
The following II an extract from letter
from the Gorham Manufacturing Com
pany:
GoRHAx My'o. coNpASY, stLyERsmIIHs,
PROVIDENCE, X. L., March n.
70 THE EprroR or THE NEWS
We believe that business IL improvi ing and every
Effort should be made TO encourage it We already
see an improvement In our line. With us actual
sales this month are ahead Of this
month last year MarCb l. 1ss3, we
employed here aud 20 our stores and ofhces
e6e. The same time this year We had i2ia
II would be a dificult matter 10 make up the
a,ersse ,~ages which would include 2 large