The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-08


been in business, etc, and the TACT
that any theory can he proved by re-
tail prices properly selected rendered
them peculiarly attractive to the bu-
Teau.
The Republicans were delighted.
Field agents were sent out in all parts
of the country who understood their
business. both as statisticians and pol
iticians. They interviewed families
and grocers, always using discretion
in choosing localities. Thus, a grocer
who did small business ten or twelve
years ago in the suburbs OF a CITY
where he had no competition probably
got good prices then. He is now the
leading grocer Of the city and must
sell close. Just the man for these eX-
perts.
This is only one of hundred tricks
that can be played with retail prices.
They lack uniformity. Coffee is sell
ing in the same city and on the same
block all the way from 10 to 40 cents
per pound; tea from 20 cents TO SLOW,
''best creamery butter" from Is TO 80
cents. etc. In making selections Tor
quotations the bureau of labor eX-
perts are untrammeled. The one who
can make the best showing however
will have the strongest pull for pro-
motion.
Jumping at Conclusions.
The prices of thirty articles of food
are quoted The cost for all foods is
based upon the prices of these articles
and the estimated cost of living Is
based upon the cost of food which
forms only about 40 per cent. of the
total cost of living. For aught that
this report tells us, the cost of cloth
ing. of fuel. of rent and of other items
90 have gone 1D
three times as much IS has the cost
of foodstuffs 1t is easy for an eX-
pert to jump at conclusions.
Recipe for Raising wages.
These few statements convey some
idea of how statistics of retail prices
are made to order. The methods en-
ploved to raise wages are equally
Questionable and interesting, though
less intricate. In a general way you
should, if you desire to raise wages,
select such occupations as have, dur
ing the period covered, developed
strong labor unions; then select only
euch establishments as have been
highly successful and have increased
the quantity and quality of their pro-
ducts: If you find that you have been
unfortunate in any industry or occu-
patton, cut it out.
Col. Wright selected his industries
and occupations carefully. He paid no
attention to whether an industry was
protected or not, unless 1t was to keep
away from the highly protected ones.
for they usually pay smaller wages
than are paid by the unprotected in
dustries The building trades, entirely
unprotected, provided the best statis-
ties for showing a raiHe in wages.
Hence out of the 3,429 ESTABLISHMENTS
selected for comparison, 1199. or more
in
trades. OF the remainder, 1.188 estab-
lishments were flour mills, bakeries,
foundries and machine shops, planning
mills newspaper printing offices, mar
BILE and stone works, blacksmithing
and horseshoeing shops, and street and
sewer works. All of these and many
others are in the unprotected indus
tries, and in many of them the
strength of the unions has been de-
veloped in recent years so that the
rise in wages comes within the period
covered. Not one fourth of the estab-
lishments selected are in the protect
ed industries.
why Railroad Wages Were Cut out.
Col. Wright began an Investigation of
railroad and mining wages. In his re-
port he expresses regret that the
force available for the prosecution OF
the work did not permit OF the extern
sion of the investigation to cover trans
portation, mining, agriculture. and the
other great industrial groups.
The last report of the Interstate
Commerce Commission gives the real
reason why the bureau of labor report
contains nothing as to railroad wages.
This report indicates that average
wages were only about 3 per cent.
higher in 1908 than in 1897. Their
publication would have spoiled the
colonel's figures and seriously marred
the harmony of the effect. Hence. he
wisely decided to cut them out.
More than 100000 workers were en-
ployed on the railroads in 1903. Only
1882 wages earners were invest-
gated by the bureau of labor. In no
other industry are as complete and ac-
curate statistics available as In that Of
railroading. No other industry offers
better opportunities for comparison
with previous years. No other indus
dustry is a better barometer of aver
age wages The railroads employ both
union and on-union labor. The wages
OF engineers, flremen, conductors, etc,
change infrequently and slowly; those
OF section men and of common labor
change frequently and rapidly
Each railroad reports the total wages
paid during each year and the total
number OF workers on June 30 OF each
year. L uttC 10 AlO JAESAAH WIN HNNA
age numbers; all is simple and plain.
These probably are the real reasons
why Col Wright stopped his investi-
cation Of railroad wages and made nc
report upon them. Had wages in rail-
reading made as favorable a showing
as do those in the building trades nc
pains or expense would have beer
spared 10 obtain and publish them.
Undoubtedly the investigation Of
miners wages was called off for sim
liar reasons. That the wages of Goa
miners was not keeping pace with tho
rapidly rising cost Of living is attestet
by the reports Of the Coal Strike Com
mission in 1903 of which Col Wrigh
was a prominent member. One of the
reasons then assigned for the 10 pc
cent. increase in wages awarded wal
20 equalize wages with the increased
cost of living.
Some of the Defects In the Report
There are over 80 OO0.0 900 persons ii
the United States employed for gain
Wright's Investigations covered 1862
wage earners
Not one worker in ten is a member o
any labor union. Nearly all OF tn
workers considered by Wright ar
members Of labor unions. AS a rule
union wages are higher than non-unior
Wright's report does not tell us tn
yearly earnings of a single worker
Weekly wages may have risen, Will
yearly wages have declined, In fact
this is exactly what has happened II
the window glass industry. During tn
last few years glass plants have beei