The river press., 1904-10-26

expenditure for food was 1926 per fam
lily. or 42.54 per cent. Of the average
expenditure for all purposes. This data
was corroborated by other information
in less detail form. from 2j,44O families,
and so is entitled to be accepted as rep
resentative.
The most cursory examination Of the
above table reveals the fact that the
purchasing power of wages, measured by
retail prices of food, was ) per cent.
greater in 1903 than in 1893. and this
in spite Of the fact that the hours per
week had been reduced 81 per cent
But more conducive to the wide dis
scmination of the prosperity than these
proofs of the increased purchasing pow
er of wages, is the fact revealed in the
column giving the relative number of
persons employed in the establishments
investigated. Between 1894 and 1903 the
increase in the number of employees re-
ceiving these wages with increased pur-
| chasing power was 34.3 per cent, while
i'll the meantime the population of the
United States only increased u per cent.
Democracy's Last Resort.
Disheartened and disgusted with the
wide distribution Of prosperity in the
lomes, workshops and bank accounts of
American wage earners. demonstrated by
these figures, the Democrats appeal to
railroad labor as atfording the most ac-
curate barometer of wages" Here. they
say. "a large proportion of the employees
are union men. whose wages are COM
parntively steady
Then the compiers of the Democratic
campaign book begin to jugslc with the
feet to despise. They institute compare
were at high tide. and 1901, when they
had scarcely recovered from Democratic
recession of 1S93-1S9G. They suppress
the fact that the statistical average OF
railway wages was less affected by the
Democratic hard times than the averas se
Of other industries. for the obvious rea-
son that as forces were reduced in num-
bcrs the proportion Of high priced en-
Dloyes retained because of their expert
ence was greater.
They also conclude their comparisons
with the year ending June 3Oth 1907.
well knowing that the statistics Of the
Interstate Commerce Commission for
that year only reflect a month OF two
o! the advance in railway wages of that
C'lcilu'lF year, when ulu not reach HOOD
tide until July. 1909. Not until the
statistics of the Interstate Commerce
Commission for the year 1908 1904 are
Published next summer will it be pos
sible to make all authoritative COMPARE
son or the wages Of railway employees
and the cost Of living in tho year 1908.
But the report of the Commission for
the fiscal year 1903 is available and it
furnishes the following data, which
throws light on the rich slice of pros
rci'ity which has fallen to the share Of
railway employees:
NIMHER AND COMPENS ALTON OF
HAlLWAf EMPLOYEES IN TIE YEARS
1>o. AND 1908:
Year. Number Conncnsntion
1.n ,,.E: .:'.'.'....1$1 $12.'311 $77:.""221 .+13
1897 ............... S23,416 4G5GOl. .51S
Increase ......... 4SD.OG1 $500 10 s., /
InrrrlS" per cent. .H4 tt;j
lncrpaSr of compensation relatively
"''I H"'Ho'i ........ .,....... 81
That this relative increase Of comDcn-
sation. compared with that in the num-
her of railway employees. does not tell
the whole truth is proved by the follow
ing table:
AVERAGE DAILY COMPENSATION OF
CERTAIN DISTINCTIVE CLASSES OF
RAILWAY EMPLOYEES FOR 'rlIE
YEARS ENDING JUNE :UrII. 1907
AND 1903 wide siytccntl annual rcport
OF the statistics OF railways in the middle
States for 19o3 =. 40