Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-04-05
Labor and Wages.

Those who are of the opinion that labor
ers of the United States have comparative
~ little interest in the tariff question will
find instructive figures for their perusal in
a census bulletin recently issued which CON
tans statement showing the average wages
paid in manufacturing establishments in
the various States and Territories. 1t is
stated that the number of employees in all
manufacturing industries in the country,
not including mining and quarrying, in the
year 1890 was AN S32, and that the total
amount of yearly wage. paid reached the
enormous total of -, 2s2 S23, 265,
The census shows that the average rate
of wages in the United States for the year,
was 1884, which is n most favorable showing
as compared with the earnings Of foreign
labOrers II is a significant fact that, ac-
cording to the tahuated statement, the Ter
ritory of Wyoming pays a higher average
Of wages than any other State or Territory
in the country, the average being S1GS per
employe, or $2S4 above the general average
for the whole country. The lowest wages
are paid in North Carolina, where according
to the census statement the average per per-
son is only f21G per annum or S26S below
the general average Twenty eight States
paid below the average and only twenty one
above that rate.
The average rate Of wages in Vermont
manufacturing concerns, and outside OF
mines and quarries, was S4Ol. - per an
mum, or seventeen per cent less than the
general average for the country. The cost
of living is less in this State than in many
others, so that the wage-earners of Vermont
undoubtedly get as much in return for their
labor as do those in other States where the
general average is higher, but where the
cost of necessaries and luxuries is high in
proportion In some of the Western States,
for example, the employees ought to get twic.
as much pay to enable them to live on til,
same scale rs do the laborers of Vermont
and other Eastern States.
Vermont makes good showing in the
rate of wages paid as compared with some
other New England States however Maine
falls below the general average for the
country twenty eight per cent, New IIamp-
shire twenty per cent, Rhode Island nine
per cent. In Alabama the average falls
twenty three per cent below tho mean, in
Arkansas twenty-six per cent, in Delaware
seven per cent, in Florida four per cent in
Georgia thirty seven per cent, in Kentucky
thirteen per cent in Louisiana fifteen per
cent, in Maryland twenty per cent in Mis-
sissippi thirtysix per cent, in North Caro-
lima, fifty-siX per cent, in South Carolina
forry-five per cent, in Tennessee eighteen
and one-half per cent, in Texas three per
cent, in Virginia thirty two per cent.
One OF the most significant facts brought
out by the census statement in regard to
wages is the loss suffered by wage earners
during the recent industrial depression. The
rate of wages was as high if not higher when
the present administration began than in 1890
1t is safe to say that very large number
of laborers have been out of employment in
this country since last June, covering pc
riod of nine months. However, If a mil
lion laborers have been out of employ
ment for the past six months, which is a