The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-09-18

advances" in wages, though in n,
single instance has 1t been stated TO wha
previous rate OF wages the "advance' re
lated. With q view TO sscertaining tn,
facts, The American Protective Tariff
League has undertaken an investigation
to determine the average mum Der OF hands
employed In different industries, during
the frs. half OF the years 1890, 1892, 1894,
and 1895, together with the percentage OF
wages paid, the rate of 1890 being taken
as full standard.
The League has received almost 800 re-
ports from So different industries, the
larges number of industries that ever re-
! ported TO any census made by the
League. AS 40 of the replies were either
unsigned, only partially filed out, or
both, they were omitted entirely from
the calculations, leaving the particulars
representing the information given by 456
different employers OF labor.
These returns show that the same in
dustries employed 11,577 more hands IN
1892 than in 1890, an increase OF ID per cent
In 1894 they employed 20, 4l7 hands less
than in 1892, IA decrease OF IA per cent. In
the early part OF 1896 they employed r.
0S3 more hands than in 1894, but Ia. 1854
less hands than in 1892, and 27s7 less
even than in 1890 For 1895, the en-
ployment OF labor shows an increase of IS
per cent, as compared with 1894, de-
crease of 10 per cent, as compared with
1892 and a decrease of 8 per cent. as COM
pared with 1890.
An examination OF the percentage OF
wages paid in 455 different Industrial
establishments shows that the average
wages paid in 1892 was per cent. higher
than in 1890; in 1893 1t was II per cent
less than in 1890, and q per cent. less
than in 1892; while for the 1895 period
the average rate of wages paid was Ia per
cent. less than in 1890, IS per cent. less
than in 1892, and only per cent. greater
than in 1894. While those reported sad
vances'' in wages have been diligently
reported in the cases OF the few indus.
tries that have been enab bled so make
them, nothing has been heard OF the far
more numerous other instances where
the wage earners have not been so fortu-
nate.
The result OF Democratic administra-
tion and free trade fanatic Congress is
that labor was earning $500, OOO 900 less
his year than in 1889.
We have to thank the more conservative
Democratic Congressman that the result
Is not worse. Contrast this half-decade
Of Democratic destruction with the pro-
gress OF the country during three de-
'ades OF protection. When capital in
vested grew from q, ,Ooo, 500, 715 in 1860 to
Q, 524, 475, so6 in 1890; when labor en-
'loyed grew from 1900, 900 to 1880, 600:
Vhen the amount OF wages paid grew from
7s,s7s, 966 to s2,2s3, 216,529; when pro-
uction grew from 81, $50, se1, $40 to 80, 1872.
81, 2S3. They are interesting, these figures.
'on't look at them as dry statistics.
hey call for no deep study to compre-
end them. 1
In one decade from 1880 TO 1890 tho
umber OF hands employed grew from I
49, 800, to 4,712, 500, the wage paid from i
'4a 1858, 7s5 to s2,2s3, Sl6, 52o-an average p
'crease of two hundred thousand year
new workers, and an increase in wages
VI, 1886, 262, 7s4, new avenues of employ
ent opened and wages distributed on a
ale unparalleled. This was protection
nd the threat OF free trade has thrown
back half dozen years till labor is
IS busy now than 1t was in 1889, and its
rning capacity is less by three hundred
illion dollars year. Y,
Here the suggestion naturally follows ar
at our consumption of goods must be Sa Ga
the basis OF our consumption in 1889 NJ
least so far as the wage earners are Is,
, -, ce
ncerned' If they are in receipt of $780, fsl
1000 less than in 1889. This being the de
Sc the effect Of our present importations WI
foreign goods could only be fairly We
uged by comparing them with our i'm. cat
rts OF 1889 That we are not consum. va
as much as we did from 1890 to 1s99 pla
well known, but II the demand has ves
len back to that of 1889, then our man. SSVE
'cturers will certainly have to curtal ma y
Dir output very shortly. The Iesppe Pil
ties that it has. as matter OF fact fan
fned from representatives OF several in. Del
'tries that this is likely TO be the case. VIII VIII