The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1902-08-07
AN INTERESTING COMPARISON.


good and bad times is well worth read
ing and is republished from the Spring
field Mass Republican:
"The extent of employment and the
amount of work done during times of
industrial depression compare more iav-
orably with good times than might be
supposed This will be made apparent
by taking certain satisfies of manufact
urers just issued by the state labor
bureau for 1901 and placing the figures
side by side with returns made to the
same bureau in the year 1894. The latter
wear was one of unusual industrial act
iyity, and the earlier Is still remember
ed AZ probably the worst in business
way within the experience of two de-
cades. The comparison follows
1901 1894
Number Of establishments ..... 4Gb fV@
Average number 81 persons en- ,,, ,,.,
plOyed ................ ........... 5Jb,Vi 9bpod0
Largest number employed at one go
time 4plot olu'lui
Smallest number employed poe. $3.50 26,fGj
Number unemployed at one 800, 90, o.,
time ..... ......- io@ lVohif
Average individual earnings $4,000 1921 n
Average number 81 days In opcr- ... ~.
atiun ...-...... .....,... SZ, ~ Ztb,ps
Proportiuu OF business done ..... 20 ~ M
The difference in the number Of esta-
blishments considered by the bureau
makes any comparison Of the aggregate
or relative volume Of employment i'm
possible, but otherwise some idea IL Civ
en- of the meaning Of good and bad
times in the matter of work,
1T will be seen that the variation in
extent Of employment IL very large even
in the best of times industrially, ~ last
year when llG, 732 more workers were
employed at one time Of the year In the
mills and factories considered than Mt
another time. This il a larger number
than that employed at the same period
Of the year 1894, but relatively to the
whole number of workers considered IL
is a smaller number, though not 80 much
smaller ~ might be supposed. Average
individual earnings were only about 9
per cent larger in the year Of prosperity
than in that Of adversely, and actual or
real wages must therefore have been
smaller in the time Of prosperity, since
the rise in commodity prices has been
about FIVE times q per cent.
Amy one would guess that, in such a
period Of activity ~ that Of last year,
the mills Of this commonwealth would
be producing close TO their utmost ca
pacity. The figures IA 10 the proportion
Of business done tell quite another
story. The mills produced only 6s per
cent Of what they were capable of pro
ducing If all the machinery were oper
ated through the 800 working days OF
the year within the limit Of the law IL,
to hours In the hard times Of 1894 they
We're worked TO 30 per cent Of their ca
pacity The difference il remarkabl,
small all things considered
Evidently we must conclude that tn,
popular impression e1aggerates both
the hardness Of hard times and the good
ness Of good times The great mass o.
the labOring population continue a
work during hard times and at wage
reduced to "A smaller degree than the re-
ductiOn in the prices Of what the wages
are to buy. The capitalist chiefly suffer,
from hard times and prospers in good
times. The mills are generally KEEP
going in periods Of depression, but il
terest and profit earnings suffer Il,
this AZ 1t may, however the wage earn
er will choose the times of 1901 over
those Of 1884 and he will be wise II
doing 30.