Evening journal., 1898-07-11
TaIE COST OF LIVING.

lutE OOOl Or ulNl4NG.
The latest publication OF the Massa-
chusetts Bureau OF Statistics OF Labor
is devoted to rates OF wages and the
purchasing power OF money, condi-
tions in 1897 being compared with
those in 1860, 1872 and 1881, where pos
sible. In the matter Of wages, COM
pairing 1897 with 1861, the following
showed decline: Agriculture, as re-
lates to laborers paid by the day, with
out board, S.76 per cent; blaclSsmiths,
2.32; clothing (ready-made), 1874; no
siery, 1928; leather, 4.62; machines
and machinery, 34,47; metals and me-
talllc goods (not fine work., 2914; pa
per, 1.69. The following show de-
cline as compared with 1872: Agrlcul-
ture, as relates to laborers paid by the
month, with board. 1888; blacksmlths,
2.6s; boots and shoes, 6.SS; cabinet
maling. S.37; carriages, 2195; cloth
Ing (ready-made), 7.21, and machines
and machinery, 21.97. On the other
hand, an increase, measured by the
percentages annexed, Is found in the
following industries in 1897, as COM
pared with 1891: Agriculture, as ne
lates to laborers paid by the month,
with board, 2.7S; boots and shoes, 1885,
building trades, 1891; cabinet making,
1912; carpetings, 1906; carriages, 0.6O;
cotton goods, 1.5S; glass 1884; metals
and metallic goods Zine work.. 1909;
musical instruments, 1923; printing
. lS1Ol; rubber goods, elastic fabrics
31.75; stone, 468; straw goods, 1881;
and wooden goods, 4!9S. The following
show the annexed percentages Of in
, crease in 1897 as compared with 1872.
Building trades, 1.O9; carpetings, 6S.92i
metals and metallic goods, 56.9S; ant
paper. 26.32.
AS a rule, wages we're higher In 1S9'
, than in 1881, only eight industries be
Ing exceptions But wages were gener
lally lower in 1897 than in 1872, eyei
after the nominal rates for 1872 has
4, been reduced to a gold standard
There are only four exceptions, and II
. only two OF them-building trades an'
b carpetings-was there an increase II
!, 1897 over both 1872 and 1881.
. The question whether wages hav
y really gone up or not cannot be deter
(, mined until the purchasing power O
= the wages Is known. All Of the arti
= cles classified as groceries, with th
/, solitary exception of green Rio coffee
j. were lower in price in 1897 than ii
e 1881. Provisions were generally lower
y In most lines there was a heavy reduc
tion Of price. Continuing the inqulr
conducted by the congressional com
mittee in 1892, the Massachusetts, Blu
u reau finds that there was decrease a
] the price Of groceries of 30 per cent. Fl
/, 1897, compared with 1872. and a de
crease of 6.67 per cent. compared witt
g 1881. Provisions show a decrease o
! 1852 per cent in 1897 compared Wit
d both 1872 and 1881.
r lht buituu uoto nbt 1btNAAlN W 10
ure out the relative gain to the work
q ing men by the movements in tn
prices Of wages and of the necessarie
4 Of life. The elements of the computa
= tion are complex, OF course, involvin
IS the relative numbers OF workers Il
J. the different employments and the rela
tive amount OF the total expenses whic
= is consumed by the different article
Q which enter into consumption. II tn
(: average inquirer or the political econo
mist will compare the changes q
u wages with the changes in the prices 0
/, articles Of necessity of daily living, !
; is evident, as a broad truth, that tn
e condition of the working people ha
a improved in respect to their ability Q
u command quantities of the good thing
OF life. There is a further element
which is of material consequence, bu
- which is wholly omitted in the invests
cation by the bureau. That is the re
= duction in the hours of labor which ha
been brought about even since 1881
d Adding this, though it is indeterminat'
r to the gain by the movements in tn
/ prices OF wages and necessities, It
Y evident that the working classes ar
4 gaining materially in the struggle Q
q life.