, 1899-11-23
INDUSTRIAL CENSUS.
RECORD OF THE SECOND YEAR
OF PROTECTION.
Inc Restoration of That Policy Has Re-
suited In an Increase of 1886 Per
Cent In Wages Paid and 1919 Per
Cent in the Rate of Wages.

The extent to which American labor
mas gained in employment and in
wages in the past tour years, by rea-
son or the restoration of industrial
activity In place of the dullness, de-
preston and enforced idleness of the
a%esolate period following the free-trade
experiment at tariff making in 1894
cannot, for obvious reasons be accu-
rately stated in figures. 1t is impossi-
bic for any but government agencies to
cover the ground with anything like
completeness. Employers of labor dc
not. as a rule. take kindly to inquiries
as TO facts concerning wages, gross
sum OF output, etc. Hence an unofh-
cial poll of the Industrial situation is
certain to be attended with difficulties.
n American Tariff Protective league,
always exceptionally successful in this
neld. has just completed its industrial
census for the month of March, 1899,
using that month as the basis of COM
parison with March. 1895. the former
being nineteen months after the enact
ment of the Dingley tariff, while the
latter was seven months after the en-
actment OF the Wilson tariff OF 1894.
In the case of the earlier period the
country had considerably longer thai
seven months in which to settle down
to an average level of results Inc con-
%ditions, for the reason that the period
of well-defined stagnation really began
very soon after the election of Grover
Cleveland in November. 1892. Counting
the time during which domestic produ-
GERS were engaged in reducing their
scale of operations in anticipation of
free-trade tariff times, together with
the seven months of actual experience
under a free-trade tariff, we have a to-
tai period of time practically the same
as the nineteen months between Aug.
l, 1897. and April 1, 1899.
1t is. however, to be borne in mind
thai our returns for March, 1899, fat
tering and significant though they be,
fall considerably short of adequately
expressing the real progress made in
nineteen months of practical protec-
ton. Everybody knows that a very
important advance in the wage rate of
the whole country has gone into effect
since the close of March, 1899, our CEN
sus month. Therefore our census fails
to present the full facts of increased
prosperity among American wage
earners. We show that, compared with
March, 1895, there was in the 1857 es-
adjustments reporting a gain of 1874
in the number of hands employed, or
a gain of 1886 per cent for March,
1899; that there was a gain on the
gross sum of wages paid of s3,461.-
235.5S, this being 54.O9 per cent more
than in March. 1895; and that while in
March, 1895, the average rate of wages
per capita for the month was 1886,
the average rate per capita in March,
1899, had increased 20 $36.S6, being a
gain of 1O.49 per GEN Had this census
been extended so as to include the
months of April and May, 1899, the
months in which the heaviest and most
general advances in wages occurred.
the percentage of increase in the per
capita wage rate would undoubtedly
have been above 10 per cent.
The figures in condensed form are as
follows.
Number of reports received, cover
ing March. 1895, and March, 1899. 1857.
Number of hands employed:
March, 1895 ........ ........ 191, 1929
March. 1899 800. .267,4S6La
Gain for March. 1899. 1856 per cent.
Amount of wages paid:
March, 1895 SEQ. ........ S6,39S,O4i.53
March, 1899 ...... ........ 1859, 2S0.33
Gain for March. 1899. 54.09 per cens.
Average wages per capita:
March. 1895 .S33.36
March, 1899 ........ ........... 1886
Gain for March. 1899, 1919 per cent.
Such is the story of protection and
prosperity as affecting the American
~wage-earner. 1t is a story which should
bring joy to the heart of every Amer
lean citizen.