Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-01-10
VALUABLE REPORTS on LABOR
Information of Great Importance Be
ing Prelared by Col. Wright.

| Washington, Dec. S.---Seyeral valu.
able reports are in course Of prepara-
ton by the Departments Of labor, di.
rectly Affecting vexed economic ques-
tons, ana viii he issued this year or
soon after enc OF those on which
good progress Is being made Is COM
pila;ioa OF the statistics OF wages for
all tie countries of the world for
which official reports have been made.
Comm ssioner Wright does not pro.
pose 70 make this an original work.
but simply 20 translate recent official
reports, reduce them to American
money and make such comparisons as
he can where a common basis can be
found In the character of the Indus
tries and the method of employing and
paying labor This will involve in II.
self large amount Of work. as a com.
mon basis Of comparison can only be
found for similar Industries by rednc-
Ing wages to uniform basis Of time and
comparing the product OF labor in each
country. The result OF the inquiry
will probably bemelcomed by students
OF the tariff problem, and may afford
weapons 10 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-
partment Of labor, which will be the
10th, viii give the history of strikes
and lockouts from January l. 1887.
down TO the close OF the hast year
This report will be a continuation OF
the third annual report OF the bureau
which riealt with strikes from 1881 to
the close of 1856 and contained an In
teresiing supplement on strikes prior
to 1881. The interesting features OF
the new report besides the actual rec.
ord Of labor disturbances, will be
study of the arbitration laws adopted
by the various states In recent years
and the decisions of the state courts
in enforcing and Interpreting them.
Commissioners Wright has been max
Ing some preliminary inquiries for the
special report which be was instructed
at the last session " congress to
make, regarding the effect of machn-
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.maklng ard the can
ming industry, but data will be OBJ
talned for the making of boots and
shoes. manufactures OF metal and all
the leading industries In which ma
chinery Is now factor.
One Of the most interesting branches
of the inquiry viii relate to the use OF
machinery IN farming operations on
the great farms OF the west. Some POI
litical economists have contendcd that
the boosted advance In Industrial de-
velopment during the last half century
was largely Illusoty because 1t affected
only manufactured products without
reducing essentially the cost Of food,
the great element In tae comfort of
the working classes. The question
just how far machinery has supplant-
ed manual labor In farming aud how
far the effect OF diminished cost of pro-
duction and reduced rates Of trans
portatlon have been Offset by the
pressure Of the population upon the
means OF subsistence Will be consid-
ercd In the forthcoming report, and
will fern one Of Its most valuable
features. Another interesting phase
Of the Increased productive power OF
labor and machinery upon the wages
Of labor and the purchasing power OF
those wages In commodities.