New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-04
STATISTICS OF LABOR.
TWELFTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE
STATE COMMISSIONER.

MEMBERS.
Thomas ]. Bowling. Commissioner of Labor
statistics. has prepared a volumnous report
which will be presented to the Legislature to-
morrow evening. The Commissioner treats
chiefly of labor organizations. and whether or not
labor has been benefited by reason of such
ganza;ion. and in what respect. and to what
extent. Facts and figures furnished by labor
orga citations at the request Of the Commissioner
in answer TO certain questions. form the basis
of the conclusions contained in this report, which
Is in part as follows:
!; will be found from the informa ton received
that IN a great many Instances there have been
auctions in the hours OF labor without; correspond
ing reduction in wages.
Recent improvements in labor-savng machinery.
especially in the printing trade. have caused de-
crease in the number OF employees from 20 per cent
Sc % per cent in other branches OF industry the
decrease will average is per cent. and in some in
stances 1t high as 60 per cent. The whole
number OF members reported by $50 organizations
is 1890
The legislature Of 1894. by Chapter sos made il
compulsory for oonvct-made goods wares and mer-
cnandlse manufactured in other States to be
branded as SUCH and Chapter 500 compels agents
for or dealers in such goods to obtain license from
the Controller OF the State. The constitutiona,ity
OF these laws is beng contested in the courts.
Labor unions in every section OF the State. with
WnOm the commissioner OF LABOR 'tdtfst!ts - III
official communication on various occasions dur
ing the year enter protes, agans, the consoda-
ton Of this bureau with any department OF the
State
In order further increase the benefits to he
derived from the work OF this bureau. during the
last year requests have been many from labor in
all parts OF State for the Legislature to enact
a law whereby an annual report can be ascertained
by the Commissioner from all manufacturers doing
business In the State 70 the amount OF capital
invested. quality and value OF stock, material us'h,
quantity and value Of principal products. number o.
persons engaged and total wages paid. together
with a general classification of wages. 1t has been
demonstrated that the enumeration taken every ten
years does not meet these requirements, and fails
to elicit the desired Information which Is demanded
by the industrial world and highly valued by
wage-earners.
GROWTH OF ORGANIZED LABOR.
The labor organizations OF the State have materi-
ally increased their membership since the date OF
their formation. This growth has been particu-
larry noticeable since 1883. In tina, year $50 organ-
cations informed the bureau that they had ls62S
members The returns received in 1894 from 5S
unions show that the present membership is l55.So5
II should be explained that these figures do not
include the membership Of numerous mixed assem-
bies Of the Knights OF Labor and mixed federal
Unions attached to the American Federation OF La
Dor besides other organizations that failed 10 re-
TN.''"t'N
returned G6J contained the membership OF the unions
at the time OF organization. the number then being
4s3a7 Since the establishment Of these organiza-
tons they have gained 900 members. an increase
OF 2S5 per cent There has been falling Off in
membership in only two tradcs-coopers and ma
chine wood workers and turners-the cooper' or
ganiza,ion reporting decrease OF 10 per cent and
the machine wood workers and turner's. IS per cent
The organizations In the building trades have
added 80 $50 names to their membership rolls since
the organizations came into existence cigar ana
cigarette makers and cigar packers report an add
ton OF 5sll members; the clothing trades. NS'i
coachmen and livery stable employees LIS; food
products l7s5 furniture trades l,i9,; glass and
terra Gotta workers. 49, organizations connected
with the hat cap and fur industry, LlS3: hotel and
restaurant employees (waiters and cooks), ~; IRON
and steel trades engineers etc. 5S7; ieather-work
ers 209: brewery employees bartenders ana mlneral
water bottlers Lie: marine trades. +.l'4; metal
workers 2l7 plano makers and musicians. 5sis;
printers. bookbinders sereotypers etc, S'o5; steam
railroad employees. 562; street surface railroad en-
ployes $50; stone-workers 26s7; streetpavers etc.
el2 textile trades 1886; theatrical employees, 6s';
miscellaneous trades-barbers. bill posters carriage
ard wagon makers, cartmen. clerks and statesmen
diamond workers dock-buiders grain-shoveller'.
iron and wood workers. laundry workers and letter
carrers-lr0.
THE EIGHT-HOIR DAY
Among the various recommendaton OF the labor
organizations sent in to this bureau Is one asking
hat eight hours constitute a legal workday. Al
present eight hours is days work Tor s. branches
OF trade with total membership OF J0ss. In
c,udsd in the lis, OF these branches OF trade are
stone masons bricklayers. plasterers. carpenters,
derrickmen trainers. fathers. plumbers rooters TIE
layers stalrbuilders cigar makers. glass-workerS'
machinisis brownstOne cutters. bues'one cutters
and haggers. granite cutters. marble workers print
ers letter carriers carriage makers. modeers and
nall do work "A
full eight hours while others put In from nine or
ten to fifteen or twenty-five hours as a days labor.
These later include bakers, confectionefs. coach
drivers BARRIERS. butchers. Clerks and statesmen
tranmen marine engineers locomotive engineers
and 0rrnen brakemen. conductors. taors. walters
brewery EMPLOYEES street surface railway con-
ductor, and motormen. and they ask for favorable
considerable OF their plea for shorter hours OF
abor regulated by statute. Nearly one-thifd OF 'he
49, 1903 members OF labor organizations now ENJOY
the eight hour day and the call for further egsia-
tion extending the benefits OF shorter hours comes
from workers in nearly every trade ana GAZING
ORGANIZATION AND WAGES.
In the following summary will be found the num-
her Of labor organizations that have. since their
es,a hlIshment increased wages ana reduced the
hours OF labor together with those that nave not
effected any change. and a,so the number that re-
mort n lower rate Of wages and longer working
time than prevailed previous to organization
or the 6ss returns received by the bureau from
labor organizations in all sections of the state. 90
contain the rates of wages that prevailed previous
10 organization and those that are now In force
while 20 fail to state the wage rates that pre- +
dominated prior 10 organizations Twenty-seVeh 40
not answer the question relative to wages
E,ur hundred and one labor organizations say b
that they have increased wages. oil report 'hat ,
wages are less now than they We're previous 10 the
% the organizi,lo Iona. and the nguTes i
by Ia unions indicate that there has not
been any change In the schedule OF pay
As 10 working time. ivI organizations report +
that the hours OF labor have been reduced.
state that they have been increased. and the re- /
turns from 24s show that there has not been any .
change Twenty-one organize lions do not report ire
working time that prevailed previous to orgah'z'-
ton and Il fall to respond To the query
AID RENDERED BY ORGANIZATIONS