The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-05
In LabOr'S
Field.

N. P. Olson, deputy labor commission
er, is authority for the following informa-
ton on the labor wage question, showing
the relation of wages to the increased
cost of living. In an interview yesterday,
he said:
1.-The boast of high wages, frequently
made for political effect, is not supported
by facts-at least not in the state OF Min
nesota-
Whatever Improvements may have
taken place during the past two or three
years In the general conditions of labor
are due to the increase of the number Of
people employed, and not, as some would
have 1t appear, to any material increase
in the rate of pay. Tables prepared from
returns from nearly $4,000 employees in the
various trade and manufacturing indus
tries in the state for 1899 show that ten
out of every one hundred work for less
than 81 per day, and that nearly one-half,
VI 45.72 per cent, receive less than $40
per week. The average wages for all,
when high-priced skilled laborers are in
cluded, is shown to be $l.70 per day. It
must be observed, however, that in these
schedules common day laborers farm
for $780, $1.25, 81 or less per day, are not
included. If the number of the latter and
the wages they receive were included in
the above, it is pretty certain that the
throughout the entire wage earning force
of the state. Unfortunately. there is no
data available for a comparison between
past and present wages, but 1t is impos-
sible to believe that the average wages
of skilled and unskiled labor for years
past has been lower than $1.2 or even
$1.50 per day.
yet, even though it had been, the
present cost of living is so much higher
than two, three or four years ago as to
more than offset the effect of even a
very considerable increase In wages. For
instance, rents on middle-class buildings
are 10 per cent higher than one or two
years ago; groceries and meats are from
10 to 80 per cent higher; board by the
week is on an average 81 higher than
two years ago-at any rate when quality
Is taken into account. Clothing and shoes
especially the latter-are considerably
higher; in fact, it is difficult to name
anything entering into the list of the
wage earners necessaries OF life which
has not increased in price from 10 to 70
per cent. In other words, 1t now requires
on an average 20 per cent more for the
than 1t did two years ago, and to claim
that the average of wages has been in
creased IN the same ratio would be an
absurdity on its face because everyone
at all familiar with the situation knows
better.
ut is true that there are isolated cases
throughout the state where wages have
been advanced during the past year or
tWo-notably among saw mills and iron
ore mines in Northern Minnesota. But In
no case has this increase exceeded or
~ per CSill Luz Tue Whole numDef en-
ployed in such establishments
AS for the high wages which are ac-
tually paid to certain employees and which
swell the average, the returns show that
the. number receiving. them forms but an
insignificant proportion of the whole
number. Thus it is found that only 3
out Of every 100 receive between SIS and
$1S per week, while the proportion re-
ceiving btween SIS and 500 per week is
only 8 out of each 100, which is also the
proportion of those receiving $40 per week
and over-in short, there are only IS in
a 100 who receive SIS or more per week.
These facts and figures, covering as
they do orly the best paid labor in the
state, the skilled and semi-skilled, in
dictate that wages in general in this state
are far below that point which insures
comfort and plenty to the average wage
Garner. And this is made clearer when
1t is considered that large numbers of
those whose wages have been taker; into
account are idle during a considerable
portion of the year. Therefore, instead
of singing the praises of high wages,
which do not exist, and thus creating i'm
pressions which are. not only false and
misleading, but positively injurious to the
great majority of the people of the state,
those who are thus engaged had better
turn their attention toward the attain
ment of conditions which would actually