The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-05
Schedule Of Wages in 1899 Shows
a Substantial Increase.
ADVANCE IN ALL GLASSES.
Reports Received by state Railway
and Factory Inspectcr Reveal :
Most Satisfactory Condition Of
Things-Advance In Pay Of En,-
pIoyes Ranges From 10 to rs
Per Cent. Throughout the state.

In a comparison between Washington
and other members Of the great family
of states in the Union. there IL probably
no better basis than the wage schedules
paid in the staple and CHARACTERISTIC In.
dustries. Figures compiled by State
Railway and Factory Inspector william
Blackman, from reports and statements
received by him from various lumber and
single mills throughout Washington,
show that the trend OF wages paid to both
skilled and unskilled laborers was stead
fly upward during the year 1885, A mar
yelous showing Il also made In these re-
ports as to the output and increase In
product of the mills engaged In this In
dustry.
While Mr.. Blackman II a member Of
the present fusion administration. he
willingly comedies the fact that under
conditions prevailing during the past two
or three years In this state great pro-
gress has been made in the Industries
referred to. and material advantage to
the wage-earner has resulted therefrom.
The reports which Mr.. Blackman IL now
gathering cover the year 1899. They are
contained in statements secured by him
while performing the duties Of his posi-
ton as mill and factory inspector. Many
OF the reports, containing statistics as to
output, comparisons with operations in
1898 and wage schedules. were. however.
made by the millmen themselves, who
willingly co-operated with Mr.. Blackman
in gathering these facts.
Probably the most interesting and VALUE
able showing made by the mills OF the
state is in the scale of wages paid to
operatives. After scanning perhaps fifty
reports, Mr.. Blackman yesterday selected
sample one, which, on examination,
proved to contain figures which are a
fair average of those given in the ma
jority of the reports The wages paid
to the mill hands as reported in the state
ment referred to are as follows:
Bookkeepers, "a per day; engineers, s.
per day: ffremen. SITS per day; head saw
yer, 81 per day: single packers. $3.50 per
day; fler. 8 per day; plansr men. $3.50
tallyman, $3.50 per day; blacksmiths. $3.50
per day; boom men, SIPS per day; COM
mon laborers. s1S5 per day.
aged a trifie higher than the above. In
the report from a Kent mill 1t was stated
that common laborers were paid $2.25 per
corded as drawing S per. day.
Mr.. Blackman stated that the wage
schedule as given In the foregoing was
throughout the lumber ana single. mils
This schedule is 20 per cent. higher than
that paid by the same mill during 1885.
The majority of the reports stated that
higher wages were paid during 1899 than
in 1898. In some cases the advance was
~ per CENT, IN OtnerS 10 ana IN some
as high as Is per cent. In very few cases.
however, was there no record of an adj
vance In wages.
Probably no other industry in Washing
past year as the lumber and, single In
dustry. The lumbermen of the state
campasn Of 1sss of the McRnes
electoral ticket, for the reason, as stated
in circular letter addressed to the voters
and issued by the lumbermen, that the
oil nf n
a Republican congress meant protection
for Washington lumber and logs and a
consequent higher wage schedule. It
fulfilled.
1t might be only fair to say that the
foregoing comment on the conditions Of
and single industries did not come from
Mr.. Blackman.