Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-01-10
VALUABLE REPORTS ON LABOR
Information of Great Importance Ee
ing Prepared by Col. Wright

Washington, Dee. S.-Scveral valu-
able reports are in course of prcpara-
! ton by the department of labor, di-
rcctly affecting veNcd economic ques-
tons, and will be issued this year or
soon after. One of those on which
good progress is being made is a com
pilation of the statistics of wages for
all the countries of the world for
which official reports have been made.
Commissioner Wright does not pro
pose to make this IN original work,
but simply to translate recent official
reports, reduce them to American
money and make such comparisons as
he can where common basis can be
found in the character of the indus
tries and the method of employing and
paying labor. This will involve in it
self large amount of work. as Il com
mon basis of comparison can only be
found for similar industries by reduc-
ing wages to uniform basis of time and
comparing the product of labor in each
country. The result OF the inquiry
will probably be welcomed by students
of the tariff problem, and may afford
weapons TO both sides. Many calls
for such data are received by the de
parment. and Col Wright feels that
the publication will be useful. in spite
Of differences in the method OF in
quiry and the value Of statistics for
different countries.
The next annual report Of the de
partmcnt of labor, which will be the
10th, will give the history Of strikes
and lockoutS from January |, 1887,
down 10 the close of the last year
This report will be continuation OF
| the third annual report Of the bureau
which dealt with strikes from 1881 10
the close of 1886 and contained an in
| tcrpSting supplement on strikes prior
to 1881. The interesting features Of
the new report, besides the actual rec.
ord Of labor disturbances, will be 0
study Of the arbitration laws adopted
by the various states in recent years
and the decisions Of the state c0urts
in enforcing ana interpreting them
Commissioner Wright has been max
Ing some preliminary inquiries for the
special report which he was instructed
at the last session Of congress to
make, regarding the effect of machin-
cry upon production and upon the
wages and condition OF labor. Very
satisfactory reports have been OBJ
tanned as to the data available in the
Industries for which inquiry has been
made. These have been weaving and
spinning. bread making ard the can
ming industry, but data will be OBJ
tanned for the making Of boots and
shoes, manufactures Of metal and all
the leading Industries in which ma
chlnery is now a factor.
One Of the most interesting branches
Of the inquiry will relate TO the use OF
machinery In farming operations on
the great farms Of the west. Some po-
litical economists have contended that
the Boosted advance in Industrial de-
velopment during the last half century
was largely illusnry because It affected
only manufactured products without
reducing essentially the cost Of food,
the great element In the comfort OF
the working classes. The question
just how far machinery has supplant-
ed manual labor In farming and how
far the effect Of diminished cost Of pro-
duction and reduced rates Of trans
portation have been Offset by the
pressure Of the population upon the
means Of subsistence viii be consid.
cred In the forthcoming report, and
will form one Of it's most valuable
features. Another interesting phase
~ the Increased productive power Of