Omaha daily bee., 1897-02-28
HOY LABOR Has SUFFERED.

The annual report of the New York
bureau of statistics of labor, just is
sued, presents instructive figures show
ing how labor has suffered during the
last few years in consequence of the
attack ON the policy of protection. The
statistics are derived from various in
dustrieS in New York during n period of
five years. 1t is shown that in 1891 the
average wage was $465.51; in 1892 it had
risen to S466.1S; in 1893 the average fell
to $46O.41; in 1894 it had fallen to
$439.97; in 1895 it went down to $436.23
and it has declined since. 1t thu APP
pears that between 1892, the year of
highest wages and greatest prosperity.
and 1895, when the attack on protection
had produced its logical effect, there
was n decline in average wages in New
York to the extent of $29.95 per en-
ploye.
What Is true of that state will be
found applicable to every other state;
indeed, the decline in wages in New
York has probably been somewhat less
han in most of the other states. As
Stunning, however, that the percentage of
decline has been pretty evenly dis
tributed, it is interesting to consider
what this means in reduced purchasing
power of workers in the manufacturing
Industries. The number of these may
be roundly stated at 100000 and null
tiplying this number by the difference
in average wages in 1895 as compared
with 1892, it will be seen that in the
later year the aggregate earnings of
employees in the manufacturing indus
tries was less by $150,O00,000 than in
the earlier year. All other labor
suffered in nearly or quite equal pro-
portion with that employed in manu-
featuring. Wage earners of all classes
had their pay reduced. 1t certainly
cannot be an exaggerated estimate that
the purchasing power of the labor of
by $500, 100000 than it was in 1892
that is, the fall in wages in the later
year gave the workers of the nation of
all kinds less money by that amount
than they received three years before.
But this is not all, for while in 1891
get it, in 1898 there were hundreds of
thousands of people out Of employment,
so that this waste of earning capacity
must be added to the account
Such has been the result to labor of
the economic policy brought forward
xx,ttl tI,a ,lxA,,f 90 tl,A l,,tnsItratsA
that will go out of power e Thurs
day. 1t is true that policy was not put
form for nearly two years after the
democratic party came into power and
it was not carried as far as the admins
tration desired, but the assurance that
the policy of protection was to be as
sailed was in itself sufficient to pro-
the unfortunate conditions from
which the country is MOI yet recovered,
though progress is being made in that
direction in anticipation of a change of
policy. or course the loss sustained by
labor told upon consumption. In all
branches of production the demand was
reduced and this was especially felt by
the agricultural producers, What their
loss has been from the falling off in
domestic consumption during the last
few years it is impossible to compute,
but there can be no question that it has
been heavy.
We have said that progress is being
toward better conditions and this
Is PROFESSIONALLY true, but 1t will be
slow until there is a change OF policy
that will make n demand for all the I'M
employed labor. The country is as
sured that the new administration will