Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-06-26
MANCHESTER, n. II.

What We Earn, and What We Get.
The United States Census states that the
average wealth production for each en-
mechanical establishments is 81, 204 year.
This report is misleading in several ways.
The bosses, agents, etc., are counted as
workers producing wealth, which makes
the average too low and the wage too high.
1t is an undisputed fact that the most Of
the workers labor much less than twelve
months in year, many only six months,
therefore if we assume that nine months is
a correct average, we shall have to place
the wealth produced in twelve months at
81, 93S. sc. But inasmuch as this last av-
erage counts in the bosses, ETC., it is not
the true average 1t is therefore quite true
and plain to the student, who wants facts,
that the average wealth produced by each
man, woman and child in the above named
Industries is over So, 900 for twelve months
labor, or $40 per day.
The same census makes the claim that
our average wage is S445 per year. But as
this wage counts the high salaried bosses,
agents, presidents of corporations, ETC., it
is manifestly unfair.
In order that we may see just how unfair
1t is let us take two illustrations:
First-A shoe factory employing 800
hands whose average wage is, say, 50 per
week-or for fifty two weeks, Si6S. In this
factory there are seven bosses, whose wage
is (average) S936 for fiftytw weeks each,
super and other 'wage'' items, includ-
ing a buyer, book keeper, etc., making a
sum so large that it makes the average for
the factory S4S3 43 for fifty-two weeks.
However, as the bosses are about the
only "help'' who 'work' fifty two weeks
in year and as the real workers have EN-
ployment only six months in twelve, the
average wage is exceedingly small. The
census being taken at a season Of the year
when most shoe factories are at work and
the bosses always ready to make the wage
ION paper large, is the way in which the
makers get such great () wages. Take
for our other illustration an industry that is
more steady and runs ten or twelve months
in q year. To be more exact let us take
the Amoskeag Company, the largest cotton
corporation in the world, located in this
city. This huge concern employs 1850
females and 3, 500 males, a total of 5000
hands. For the census year the company
makes the statement that the pay roll in
the mills is Sl50, 900 per month"; little less
than % cents day for each of the s, 900
hands. AS some of these 5000 may be on
sick list OF vacations, let us be fair and call
the average wages paid so cents per day.
This company further states that its total
pay roll per month is S225, 900. Here, then,
we have the company's own statement that
S75, 600 month are paid to other 'wage
of this goes to pay all the different and
numerous high salaried officials no one but
the corporation knows. 1t is common re-
port that the agent receives S25, 900 year.
This great company employs more than 100
bosses, whose wages will average S24 per
week; this total for fifty-two weeks, added
to the wage slaves earnings, makes the
average, on paper, very much larger than
it is in the pockets of the wage hands.
Everyone who has honestly investigated
the wages received by the real workers,
knows full well that S445 year is one fourth
more than the real average. The average
wages paid to. day is not over 1926 year
per capita, while the per capita wealth
produced is quite $1,000. What we could
get under the operative Commonwealth
would not only be every penny of the So, 900
we produce, but even more. This makes
one think, when you joina Trades Union
you are paying in money and doing some
work for little 10 per cent raise. When
you join the Socialist Labor Party you
work for something worth having.
Mass. +. G. r. GORDON.