The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-03-06
RI ATNS OF Capital and LABOR DISCUSSED BY SCY YOU

tho various States as to boycottlng.
Establishing, company stores, women and
child labor. which has removed some of
the ca tscs OF friction between employers
ana employees. Arbitration boards To which
4 labor controversies may be submitted
have been provided for by tWenty-ohe Of
tho States. but only In u few cases have
Euch boards been ublo to accomplish
much In. tho adjustment OF ggravntcl
dltliculties. They arc chiefly advisory
boards, having no poWct to enforce their
decisions. i355 u 554, III D. #
Uncle Sans Labor Army.
.'1Iow many people arc there III tim
United States, h1r. Secretary who work
with thcIr hunds?' 55 u &
..Yoll viii find that III the census re-
ports, replied Secetary Cortelyou. Take
out al who IRE engaged as proprietor*.
clerks and professional men ard we n. q
that there arc eIg hteen md one-hnlf mil
lions who work for wages with their
lands Some Of these ara skilled work
men and others linskiled OF the total
number about four million are women"
"What percentage OF the whole belong
to the labor unions" sS n Y
at ID estimated TINT there arc about
two millions belonging to the unions"
;"l1ow about wages, nrc they increasing
lin the United stntes?"
Yes" replied Secretary Cortelyou.
4iThc Bureau Of Labor has been making
an investigation Of that subject and Its
estinnte Is that wages arc now on the
average @about IS pei, cent. higher than
they were in 1894, 1895 and 1906, and 10 or
IL per cent. above tho wages of 1889,
when they were higher than at any pre-
vous time in our history
But It IS Costing More to Live.
"How about the cost OF living? Has
not that also increased n
H "Ycst' replied the secretary, t"The Bu-
| rcau of Labor has investigated that Sub
! tcct and 1t finds that the average cost
or living Of 1902 over that Of 1890. the
country over. had Increased 8.3 per cent,
| The Investigation was based on the In
acrease In Il the retail, prlces ofa5food on
an estimated amount used by each fami-
s5ly." II s5 " ~ e. X IA Il
'}"can You give the cost In different
parts Of the lcOuntry?&
.,Yes.'4 said the Secretary of Commerce
and Labor as he picked up a report and
+ went over the figures. 4''rfc average cost
OF food per family estimated by averag-,
4 inE 1881 families in different parts Of the,
United states was {344.61 each. In the
North Atlantic States the average N
round numbers was $500 per family and
in tie South Atlantic stntes sile per
I family. In the Western States It was
s322 and In the South Central States. $50,
These figures are based entirely on the
retail prices Of food and are believed TO
/, he fairly representative Of It's actual cost
TO the working man" Az
the Syndicates and Trusts.
j What Is your department doing as 10
the great combinations OF capital?
4N.The Bureau OF Corporations, replied
Secretary Cortelyou, has been gathering
from all sources the information already
available as to the various combinations
OF capital which come within It's juris-
diction 1t is compiling that information
+ and studying 1t in order to define the
scope Of its inquiries for more specific In
I formation from such corporations or COM
bina.ions."
gathers be confdential. or will lit be
E printed, so that all may know just how
the various corporations stand ~ n q
,'Some OF the information of a general
nature will be published and distributed.
y but as to certain specific Information e.