Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1903-10-21
WAGES On UP GRADE
REPORT OF STATE COMMITS
SICNER or LABOR.
Some Inter 2stine Statistics Relative
to Wases-S ate Election Board
Decides Contest Between Rival
Claimants for Senatorial Race.

Des Moines, Oct 20.-The report Of
the state commissioner of labor sta
tistics, which is in the hands of the
printer, will show some interesting
statistics and will also embody rec
concentrations for important changes
in the law governing this department
The bureau of labor statistics, of
which Commissioner Brigham is the
head, is doing a valuable work and
one which deserves more considera-
ton than has been given it by the
people of the state. The facilities OF
the bureau are not sufficient to en-
able the commissioner to gain all the
information which he desires, but
with the force at his command and
the opportunities afforded, he is GER
tainly doing good work.
The biennial report which will soon
be published will give some very in
teresting statistics relative to the
wage question in Iowa and will also
call attention to some matters which
are worthy the careful thought of our
people The bureau has sent out a
large number of blanks for reports
from employers and employees. show
ing the wages paid and the condition
Of the laboring men. and giving data
from which to arrive at fair conclu-
sion concerning the relations OF en-
ployer and employee in our state.
Quite general replies have been re-
ceived to these requests for reports,
so that it is possible to arrive at, II
not an actual average. at least
in fifty-seven different occupations,
and also the average wages earned
by the laboring people of the state as
a class
OF the individual wage-earners of
the state, 395, representing fifty-seven
occupations, reported for the year
1901. OF this number 337 reported
their earnings as $233143 for the
year, an annual average of $66219.
Only 1873 persons reported that they
had saved money from their earnings,
the amount being $26,215, or an av-
erage saving of $1S9.26 each. Of the
whole number reporting, 236 persons
carry life insurance and 1877 fire in
surance; 1873 reported that they
owned their own homes and of these
seventy-four valued their homes at an
average of $1.569 all clear of incumb-
rance, while fifty-four others reported
an average Indebtedness of $699 on
their homes.
1t will be noticed that the average
annual earnings of the individuals
reporting an ounted to $662.19. Mr..
Brigham explains that it is probable
this average is too high for general
average of the wages of the laboring
people of the state for the reason that
the individuals reporting represent,
perhaps, the higher class of skilled la
borers and those belonging to unions.
To Get at something like correct
average for the lab0ring masses other
data mus be considered, and the re-
port furnishes this in the shape OF
statements from employers of labor
in different institutions giving en-
ployment to more than five persons
each. these reports show by bien-
NAL terms. beginning in 1926, the
number of persons employed. the
amount of wages raid and the av-
erage wage per person for the year,
also the per cent of increase over the
previous year. These reports are
shown in the following table:
No. To;al ave. Per CT.
Year. Emnvh. Wages. WAGES. Inc.