The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-04

there II recorded q great increase. never
less than 70 per cent and In some in
stances more than 100 per cent. More
than this the men who were in 1895 beg
ging for a chance to work at any price
and when given employment received lit
tie more than actual living expenses, are
now dinicult to secure, even at the hish
wages. During the present year many
orders have gone unified because OF lack
Of men. and higher wages produced no
better results because the men are not
to be had.
The secords OF tho city employment
once are nonpartisan. They are merely
the results of the bookkeeping OF ono
branch OF the city government. record
is made Of every order for help received.
This record includes the number of men
desired. the kind of work 20 be done, the
wages to be paid and later there Is sup
plcmented notation as to the time and
manner OF filing
When the record for 1885 il placed he
side that OF 1900. a startling difference ia
apparent. The October record was one
OF the smallest OF the present year and
yet It occupies as much space In the once
books as all OF 1896 During the month
Just closed i.4s5 men we're secured for per
sons desiring more help. In the corr.-
spending month Of 1895 positions vers
found for only ls3 idle men and the record
Tor the entire year stands but 1.s47
Women the WaGe-Earners.
An examination OF the books OF 1895 dis
closes startling fact-more women thar
men were placed during the year Tho
exact figures stLnding liza women ara
ieti men, Labor Commissioner yrou,
wnen asked for an explanation OF this
peculiar condition. said;
Never except during the dsrkes, DAYS
has -
the demand for female heip. To kee,
starvation from their husbands and thai-
families hundreds Of women did laundry
work. accepted positions as servants ana
undertook almost any kind OF ton ira,
would bring In money 20 buy supplies 81
food and clothing, Many az these vnrner
worked when their husbands were ahls
TO End nothing 70 do
Vow that prosperity has returned I,
Is impossible to secure sufrcient verncn
TO I'LL the demand. although their wages
have advanced IN fully a. great pronor.
ton as those % the men. During isss she
pay 81 capable women 20 DO hou<ewnrk
vas from 80 20 SIS a month. The aver
are was about si3 where II Is now over
zoo. and more exceed the latter neyirr
than was ever the case with the former
The most convincing comparison possi-
Bile % be made from the employment Of
See records Is that 90 wages In the or-
der books of both 1905 and 1910 appear coll
umns showing the wages offered the men
wanted Placing these columns side nv
side difference Is shown so stsrtIlnr
that u seems impossible that the change
has come 20 rass IN only four wears.
Common iaborers. o, whom q were ssn,
out In September. 1895 and so IN ssn-
temerr. this wear. have enjoyed one q,
the greatest wage Increases Of all. In
iSS their usual paw was Ns5 a dav a.
though In some rare cases as hixh a. q, "a
was given. II now ranges from N-y "a
S-S a tsy, with few a. s75 and many
at e That the increase in wages has
neen much greater than that in the cost
OF living Is shown BY the fact that whils
four wears ago many men accepted WORK
FOR 80 cents day and board. the regular
board These figures. Ike All others hsrs.