New-York tribune., 1904-08-08
4 REPLY TO COL. WRIGHT.
Democratic Ideas Of the Increase Of
Wages and Cost Of Living.

n-ssrf-g-o- Aug 7-Chair-1an Cowherd OF the
Democrzri1 Congress Campaign Committee Jo-caY
issued statement 10 retufe the recently PuoAshec
tables from me Bureau OF Labor II regard 10
the relation between the increase in wages and
The cost n living. A-r. Cowberd's conclusions are
as follows.
n the bulletin on cost Of living and wages re-
Gently ISSUED ~ ne ? - ,l1 - - - re cor
clusi1us reached. ~ Wholesale prices have AWAY ;
been the sraDdar5 by WHICH the rise or ran OF
the cost OF king haS been computed Had Colo
lei Wright followed Ile customary course o-
using wholesale prices. he would Have been COZ
fronfed with the excellent tables issued oy Dun
and Bradstreer both recognized commercial au-
thorities. Dun table OF prices shows I9at rom rom
est point. cost ~ Itlns ilcreaSsd = Per cent
The most skL-I JLgz-er co-ll 10y SLOW SL-,-L @
rise il wages Party 1ecesslt.es lLeTe-9te' " W. N0Ua "a
dare not ret-te II 20 ne aloILs lt.7 s--ll--s ~
certain anl unknown standard oi reta-! prices.
wholesale Irices are EN7G 1L1 s-aS-z, me 54J ll7
There Is neither stability nor uniformity IN, retail
Il 70 % cents tea from . cents 70 q 90. best
es2sEy g butter IRON 70 y oeRS sioTes sg9 P9p3o o
calires, could ind evidence N retail prices 10
T-his was tie way in which the cost Of living
vas reduced. The methods employed 70 r2-se
le- ---- 80 --ss---5. t----szes - --epes' Is "a
be found IN rhose Industries where union labor
Is strongest and where the strength q the union
Fest-Eaton. These conditions are peculiarly aP-
esIab '-shruelrs selected by Ar. Wright for com
parlsCn. -.-e- more than gue-thtrc, are II the
building trades. OF the remainder. 1.ls5 are like
wise II the unprotected industries The greatest
employers CT labor I- the country are the rail-
roads, and no other industry IS better barometer
0f The average The railroads employ al kinds
0f labor skilled and ursklllec. union and nOn-Ulio1.
IN 10 other industry are complete and accurate
statistics available Each railroad reports to
The Interstate Commerce Commission the total
wages paid l--l-She year and the total number
of To-kraeu on June 30 OF that year. The aver
aee wage Is therefore easily oDrainable- ny
were 70 railroad wages iIcl-ded IN Ar Wright :
report The answer is apparent The last report
0 TIE Interstate Commerce Commission shows
an Increase y railroad wages OF only per
cent The railroads employ more than 10000
men. N-. Hr.EL-'s figures cover llG.s2I men. Min
eS one " rhe next largest bodies OF laborers.
are also omitted.
M W-iEat'z rabIe does not show that any one
hese -5 81 men received more wages IN 1903
AAl b. --- ~ any other year. i o1-y claims
shoT thar the hourly wage FOR these particular
nsa hes increased: II other words, had mill
raised the wages cf its employees % per cent, and
men shut Gown one-haf The tine. this would
l3Ee nE--e1 -1 Mr Nrghts tables. an iu-
tease ID wages u WoulG have been just easy
% have selected an equal number Of establish
tnclts whose output. quality q work and num-
oe 81 employees were decreasing. and shown a
.-oucuo- CI wages instead OF an increase lu
Eages Then. ZOO, 5v taking hourly wages. Nr
hrlght would not have consider the 500 90 men
oM 9lt NJ eTIl oyrner- BY carefully selecting has
.sla1 easements re cid -0r have 20 consider the
-Ni"f whose wages the trade journals tell US
were reduced -H 1893 and 1904 from 10 30 per cent