The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-08-14
TIE ANNUAL LABOR REPORT.
Statistics show That Hours Have
Shortened mud PnN Incrensed.

Statistics show That Hours Have
Shortened and Pay Increased
The fifteenth annual report Of the
Commissioner Of Labor has inst been is
sued II is in two volumes and is devot-
ed to the discussion Of the wages reCeiv-
I'd 10y laborers skilled and unskilled, in
different countries The wO:E Of cOmpll-
ing the report on this subject was begun
in 1884, II IS stated. and continued ever
since. when not interrupted by more i'm
pUrtaut work dema nding the immediate
attention Of the department. The report
on the question Of wages and the hours
of labor in certain crafts contains data
covering a period of I75 years. but In the
great majority Of instances the statistics
refer only TO the status during the past
fifteen or twenty years
The statistics relative TO compositors
show that in 1896, in Germany the mum
Der Of hours a week was 90 and that the
highest rate Of wages paid was g. cents
per day. In the year following week $
work in the State Of Maryland consisted
of 80 hours and the wages OF the compos-
i-o. was 81 per day. In New York dur
i-g the same year while the hours OF
work were the same as In Maryland the
wages increased 20 1898 per day In VIZ
giuia the hours of weekly labor in lNi3
were reduced 20 s. and the wages
increased to 1913 per day. In 1881 the
number Of hours per week in missouri
was reduced TO 81 and the compositors
we're paid at the rate Of s. per day. From
that time on to the present the scale OF
wages in different States and countries
varied considerably until in 1898 In
Massachusetts the hours OF work per
week were "A and the highest rate Of
wages 81 per day. The year previous the
number Of hours was cut in France TO 81
rer week and the rate Of pay was 3l5j
FER day.
In England during the year 1I25 carpen-
tiers and joiners were paid at the rate OF
a cents per day, and in 1911 the price
was increased to % cents per day. The
report does not give the number Of hours
Of Ia Dor required at that time During
the year 1897 the number OF hours per
week varied from A to s.. and the rate
OF wages from 80 cents 10 $l-i3 IN "a OF the
l61 wage quotations Members Of the
same craft in Missouri in 1856 worked only
IS hours a week and were paid at the rate
Of $50 per day while in California last
wear. for the same number Of hours OF
work per week. the carpenters and Joiners
were paid at the rate Of $3.50 per day.
In nearly all the trades IL will be found
that the number OF hours or labor re-
quired Of the wage-earner has decreased
while the rate OF wages has IN the ma
jority Of instances Increased. This IS par
ticularIy noticeable in reference to the
time Of labor arRi the pay OF skilled
craftsmen in the United States
The report states that the data present
"a has been compiled entirely from official
publications. for which credit is given
Many Of the reports which furnished
data as to wages stated the sex Of the
persons for whom wages were shown
other reports were either entirely sil"nt
on this subject OF furnished information
with reference TO but part Of the data
given. Frequently two quotations were
found in the same report for the same &C.
cupatiOn, as for instance, blacksmiths
With one quotation the sex was given;
with the other quotation, OF an equal or
even higher rate, no statement was made
as 10 sex. Rather than use two lines in
the tabulation Of this statement-oue for
males" and one for 'seS not reported -
it was thought better 70 assume that the
second quotation was for a nIile person
and combine the two in one average when
everything appeared 10 support the cor
rectness Of the assumption.
The hours Of labor were reported gen
orally by the day OF week, although Oc-
casionaIly they were given by the month.
For the sake OF uniformity il was neces-
sary 20 reduce these statements 70 q com
moa basis, and to do this it was neces-
sary TO determine the days Of work per
week in an occupations II is quite pos
sibIe that some error IF judgment has oc-
CURED in this classification, although II
is thought that this has occurred in but
few cases Hours per day have been
changed 20 hours per week by multiply
ing by or T. as the occupation was stated
| or was presumed TO be one Of six OF
seven days per week.
Rates were found reported by the hour.
Gay. week. month. OF yeaT-iu some cases
by the piece. PIECE rates. however were
excluded. except for a few occupations
having piCCe-rIte units generally under
stood In order TO secure uniformity Of
taUulati1n II was found necessary 10 re
duce gu time rates 10 common basis. In
most instances these rates were given by
the day. and for this reason al rates
/ were reduced 20 this asis- In many cases
| is was stated that the occupation was one
in which work was carried on either six
OF seven DAYS per week Where this was
not stated. however. II was necessary 20
arbitrarily class the quotation for given
occupation as engaged six OF seven days
| per week. and this has been done IN some
/ instances Weekly wages were reduced
! TO daily by dividing by or Z. as the case
was known or presumed 20 be