The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-12-05
EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES.


American Economist.
II there is any one thing which more
than another wrecks the peace OF mind
and skaters the placldi,y of he Ame.
can free-trader that one thing Is the
improved condition Of American labor
growing out OF the protection policy.
Better it were. in the view OF the Amer
ican fsee-trader, that the workpeople
OF this country were reduced to abjeet
poverty than that they should be in any
degree indebted for their present pros
perlty to a protective tari6. A fellow
Of this ilk, Schoenhof by name, rushes
into print in the New York World
with a contribution intended to show
that Commissioner Wright Of the Unit
ed States department Of labor is guilty
OF a partisan perversion Of figures in
his recent bulletin showing that the
rate OF wages for 1900 is higher than in
lSsl-lSss the years OF greatest prosper
ity prior to the election OF William Nc
Kinley, and very much higher than in
1885, 81 90 sc. the period Of industrial
paralysis following the triumph OF free
trade in 1881.
Mr.. Schoenhof. being an American
free-trader. is displeased at this show
ing Of increased wages, and puts him
self to some trouble to demonstrate that
Commissioner Wright Is wrong. Stress
Is laid upon the fact that only limit
ed proportion Of the statistics cover
the entire ten-year period. 1Ssl-lsO0. and
that the majority OF the statements
cover not more than three or four years.
The commissioners las returns repre-
scented p industries and 1872 occupations
"a fairly representative number. one
Mould think 1t takes time to make a |
poll Of the vast industrial field OF the |
United States. and in the limited time
al his disposal and in the absence Of
any power to compel answers to his re-
quests for information It is not sur
prising that the commissioner was not
able to cover the field more thoroughly.
Nevertheless the showing was an i'm
Dressiye one. Starting with 100 as the
average in 1891. the wage rate went up |
to 1OO.So in 1892, after the Mckinley
tariff had been in operation a full year;
went down to 1922 in 1898, following
the advent Of free-trade adminIstra- |
ton. and reached the lowest point, 97.SS,
in 1895. after full year Of the Wilson
free-trade tariff. Recovery Of the wage
rate was relatively slow after the Ding
ley tariff went into operation. The
average rose to 1886 in 1897. dropped
back to 1879 in 1898. and then rose
quickly to 1Ol.54 in 1899. and 1Cs.4s in
1900.
Excellent as this showing is on the
side Of protection and prosperity. It
falls far short Of telling the whole story.
1t takes no account Of increased en-
ployment. In 1898 a poll Of 2229 estab-
lishments representing 90 Industries
showed an increase over 1895 Wilson
free-trade tariff period) Of 64,749 hands
employed and sS,11S,s1369 in the amount
Of monthly wages paid, being an in
crease Of 3Ls5 per cent in the number
Of hands employed, gain Of A.O5 per
cent in the amount Of wages paid. and
a gain Of 1156 per cent in the average
rate Of wages per capita.
The United States commissioner Of
labor did not go into this all-lmportant
question Of increased employment. His
statistics deal only with the increased
wage rate. Not even the federal census
wiz be able TO make known all the facts
# increased employment under McKin-
ey and protection prosperity as con-
-rasted with the dismal period Of Demo-
'rale tariff-makiDg Of 1s93-1S97. The
.Welfth census will tell Of the enormous
Increase 0f employed labor and Of wage
aging in 1900 as compared with 1890.
'1t unfortunately. It can make no com
'arison between the labor employed {
md the gross sum Of wages paid in
Ss5 Gree-trade tariff period) and 1900
Dingley protective tariff period, re-
pecuvely. Nevertheless the facts Of
hese extraordinary contrasts are per-
ectly known through the very ef-
ectiye industrial census polls Of the !
American Profeotiva Tariff IeaorIe In ,