Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1898-11-05


In 1895 the Massachusetts, Bureau OF
Statistics OF Labor began an immens.
work In a chronological presentation
OF graded weekly Sages In the United
States and In other manufacturing
countries In 1896 the work Wa con
tinuet in the report OF the bureau tog
that year. and Ia the latest report. re-
Gently published. the work has been
brought down to the letter o In tho
alphabetical list OF occupation IA
some evidence o. the extent OF this
statistical task the number OF wage
quotations Ia the report Is nearly 5O0.-
900. The number o, Individuals Gov
cred BY the report Is necessarily beyond
the range OF computation
The main sources OF Information
from which this compilation has been
made are the United States census 70.
turns. the labor statistic. % various
states. the reports Of the department OF
labor In ws.hinstou and the reports
OF American and British eoa.uis
Much Of this information Il detective
and chaotic. and !; haa been necessary
TO thoroughly sift Il 90 as to make Il
valuable az permanent contribution
10 the ataiOrY % labor and waz.z
One thing clearly dsmoaa,rAt~d BY
this report. II such proc, had b~-n
needed. Is that the rates Of wages In alt
mechanical and industrial employ
ments are much higher in the United
States than in all other manufacturing
countries. In the sc.Is Germany comes
next after Great Britain. with Francs
and the low countries close In the raar
until the mesgsr vaEca % Japan and
China are reached az the bottom. OF
courss. there are occasional etrrpttona
az In New Zealand Hawaii ani soms
other countries ueS to modern indu.
triea. In which the wages in 4oms me.
chsnleal crafts wsrs abnormaIly high
until the balance vas redresssd by The
attraction OF more skilled labor But
the rule holds good that wages are
higher and have more purchasing pow.
er In the United State. than in other
countries. It is for the political econ.
omist TO reconcile the phenomanon of
the higheat wages in the United states
In concurrence with a lover cost Of
production, than in low wage countries
The ststistician simply presents the
fscts.
Another striking thing In connection
With these statistics II the wide y.,r.
Of wages In the same employment, in
different sections OF the United sta,sa
so great a disparity should furntsb
cause for reflection to those who ba.
heve In the omnlpotsncy Of legislation
and government to control social and
Industrial conditions. Take ono e,nm.
pie from this report. Inc medium
weekly wage Of stone mason in tsss
and 1889 was s2i in Colorado. sts in
Delaware. fi2 in Georgia. sig.I in
Michigan, 1850 in Minnesota s2t n
Missouri. 81 in North Carolina and
1880 In New Hampshire. in other
occupations tho disparity IA atm great
CT IN the wage rates In different states
II legislation could regulate so Inn.
peratiye a matter some Of the sts,oa 30
this Union would need protection from
the cheap labor Of other atato. a,,,,a
az much as from that Of foreign coup.
tries. 'o"h-
Is Tor the worklngmen To pro,oc,
themselves by a more thorough a..o.
citation and by other yoluntarv roa,.
AGAINST unjust inequalities in vase
whist the wages Of masons. bricLi.v
erS ana iron workers are not ,o,, hIah
IA Massachusetts, and Colorado tha
u'nerenees in social and economical
oohultlons should not be such 90 -
MAKE the rates twice as hIyb In Iho.s
, p,a'es az in Alabama or North Caro-.
una while local dlsparlties in ,aas.
WI, WIN always exist by reason of more -
lsss favorable conditions of IIvIna 49,,
otnsr causes, II Is one of The At. "".
soelety TO level them up to az gre., a.
oH,eht as possible wherever COMMITS :"
ION. ions OF capital seek to exploit lahor -.
sihg advantage Of its weakraa y,
OF their own power anu
:" regard to the disparity 4,
o -, s report OF the Massschusetts pnrss.
olaliatics OF Labor ia n min. =, ~
t,a,1a. , Information. But thsss .,a
e a. VIII not be complet. un,,, , s.a
h,~ ~' also show the relations hs,y.e 10y
n wages and the cost o, nro.,'