The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-31

"Tucker & Dorsey's report says the increase is
| from 10 to % per cent.
Six out of Indianas thousands Of factories will
pay out $12S, 14O more in wages this year than
they did in 1894, and yet the calamity bowler is
IN tne ianS Shs TO roeetion and
Prosperity do not go hand in hand.
| SENTINEL'S s DELIBERATE UNTRUTH.
The Sentinel assumed CONTRARY to the
plain statement, as seen aboye,) that the in
crease referred to in the wages was simply
an increase in the total wages paid and not
ar increase in the wage scale. Figuring
from that it reached the conclusion that as
there were many more people employed in
1898 than in 1894, the increase in wages was
not proportionate to the increase in number
of employees, and that, therefore, there was
an actual decrease in the rate of pay. 1t
took the case of Nordyke & Marmon Co.,
for instance and figured that at the present
rate of pay of $4,000 month its 375 em-
ployes receive an average of 1913 each,
while four years ago the 200 men in it's en-
ploy received an average of 5000 month,
basing this upon the incorrect assumption
that the increase of 5 per cent. has refer
ence to the actual increase in the amount
of the monthly pay roll.
The first editorial Of last Friday was fol-
lowed by another on Saturday, equally as
perVersive of facts and speaking especially
of the tin-plate factories. The table shows
that the American Tin-plate Company, or
Elwood, has increased its wage scale ~ per
cent in the last four years, but the other
table shows that in the same time 1t has
increased it's employees from 500 to l 800
Taking the same line Of argument used IN
Sentinel pretends to claim that this shows
that the wages Of the employees Of this COM
pany have really been reduced from an av-
erage of $144 a month to $4444 Then the
Sentinel comments on this as follows:
1T will be noticed that in some cases the
reduction of wages has been much heavier
than in others, probably because the. wage
level in some factories so low in 1894
that it was impossible to force 1t much
lower. The most notable exception to this
rule is the American Tin-plate Company of
Anderson. Ind, and this exception is the
more notable as this industry has been the
with liberal protection, amounting to 80
the American Tin-plate Company, as shown
by Statistician Conner and Mr.. Royse, was
paying its men on the average of $l44 a
month or at the rate of $3.50 a day. But
the tin-plate manufacturers claimed that
their protection was not high enough to en-
able them to maintain the American level of
wages. They claimed that in England the
worlingmen received only half as much as
in this country, or about $2.4O day, and
on this plea they secured an increase of the
tariff rate to As per cent. ad valorem for the
protection of American workingmen.
And after this bounty IS given into their
hands in trust that they will give the work
ingmen the benefit of 1T, what have they
done? AS irrefutably shown by State Stat
istician Conner and Mr.. Royse they have
put the bounty in their pockets and reduced
the wages of their men to $44 a month On
the average, or 81: as per dayItar below the
level of the workingmen of England, with
whom they compete. What a horrible
mockery of honesty and justice, and de-
ures are authoritative. Mr.. Conner is a
statistician of great experience He has been
furnishing campaign statistics for the Re-
| publican party for years past and his emf
nent services in that line were the cause of
his appointment to his present office The
figures are compiled from the signed reports
RmnlOXGrG and amnl0VGG They a n
not be questioned. 1t is a revelation that
may well cause workingmen to pause before
they vote for any continuation of the ex-
listing system
People unaccustomed to the Sentiners
methods might excuse this and say it was
simply an honest mistake which might have
been made by any one under the same cir
cumstances. But on Saturday morning the
Journal explained in it's columns the error
of the Sentinel article of Friday, showing
the meaning of the tables printed above.
Yesterday the Sentinel took up the Journals
statement, thereby showing that it's editors
had read the article and asserts that ANY
person of ordinary intelligence will see that
Journal could possibly be drawn from the
words of the folder quoted above"
REFUSED TO PRINT IT.
But it was not there that the Sentinel
| made its greatest mistake. On Saturday
Mr. Royse mailed to the Sentinel in ample
time for it to have been considered and
printed Sunday a statement showing the
fallacy of the Sentinels position. He yes
terday furnished the Journal d manifold
copy of the letter to the Sentinel which
follows in full:
Editor Indianapolis Sentinel: Will you
kindly do State Statistician John B. Con-
ner justice by making known the fact that
he did not furnish the information quoted
| by you Friday and Saturday from An An
tidote for the Blues A casual reading Of
the folder will show that the facts quoted
are not credited TO Mr.. Conner but are
| directly IN NIX nv
manufacturers themselves. The only i'm
formation Mr.. Conner furnished is that con-
| tanned in the tables dealing with industries,
he furnished no individual reports. Mr..