The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-27
WHEELING DAILY INTELIIGENcER MONDAY MARCH 81 1880
INCREASED WAGES 7.
In the Industrial Llnes-Enccts Five
Hundred Thousand People.

Al tuS luluStriul lIlncS-ESflCCtS Five
Hundred Thousand People. :.
Bradstreets: So much has been writ
ten regarding the recent advances IN
wages that some Misrepresentation seems
likely to be aroused regarding the extern,
and Character Of the advances SO far
gained by labor. Replies received in an
swer to Inquiries by Bradstreet's 60 ia
show that the major part Of the wages
advanced have been confined largely Ia
two industries, that of iron and s,ee,
and Its allied trades and that OF cotton
and manufacturing. Regarding the lat
ter, however. 1t might be remarked that
this Is confined largely to the New Eng
land and middle states, and is not shar-
ed IN to any marked extent by the
southern cotton industry. Touching the
New England advances. too, which are
estimated to involve fully 100000 opera.
tires. and most OF which will date from
April ]. might be added that the ad.
vance in many cases Is merely the res
toratton OF the rate of wages paid up 10
ABOUT a year or two, and ID not In any
sense n clear advance over any previous
rates. !
In the iron and steel and allied indus.
tries, however Is found the creates,
and widest manifestation OF improving
trade. In this line the working out o!
che sliding scale arrangement of pay
ment, where operative, has made for the
most important advances. the rapid In
crease In values since January lending
Itself readily to this. From oil centers
OF this Industry come practically uaans-
nous reports OF advances, varying with
the section and character OF work IN
rolved and ranging from 10 to % per
cent. Answers to Inquiries point to
maximum estimates Of the number OF
operatives benefited being little exag-
Gerated. In all It is probably safe to
say 100000 operatives have been directly
benefited by the recent important gains
In value of product. This, It might be
added. refers more particularly 10 the
more finished products Of the Industry,
1t being We'll understood that the low
rates at which most OF the lake iron-ore
product was placed this year have left
little margin for increases. which have
naturally been smaller than would have
been the case had the present boom In
Iron been clearly perceptible TO those
most interested when ore quotations
were being fixed.
An encouraging feature brought out
by the inquiry is that while iron and
steel and cotton goods, the latter moro
particularly In the north and east, have
shared most largely in the present pros
peritE. either in the wag OF longer time
worked. In increased opportunity for
labor or In actual and definite advances
In wages received. the general report
from other industries is, In the main.
encouraging. Exceptions to this are
most perceptibIe in the glass and pot
terry trades. where uncertainty as to
possible combinations, coupled with
strikes for higher wages In the former
Industry. render the outlook rather un-
settled. LoRge. time or Increased nun
bers Of employees are, however, being
worked in furniture and other wood
working industries. particularly IN the
northwest, activity In clothing manu.
featuring. silk weaving. wagon build
ing and implement making are all eth
or employing more people or are work.
Ing longer hours, which Is equivalent
to advancing wages. Estimates Of num-
bers benefited in these and various other
lines are naturally difficult TO obtain,
but with the large number OF opera
tives known TO have been directly bene-
flied In iron and steel and cotton goods
manufacturing It Is believed that the
aggregate number OF persons benefited
either by direc. advances. by longer
time worked. or by increased opportu-
mites offered 10 labor. will certainly
amount to at least 100000, and q good
portion of these have gained material
advance over the rate Of compensation
paid one year ago.