The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-08-14
WAGES AND HOURS
OF LABOR IN 1905
Some Statistics Based on In
dustrieS in Which $4,000
600 or Over Was Paid.
W0RKMEN RECEIVE MORE
FIGURES SHOW INCREASED PUR-
CHASING POWER.
W0RKMEN RECEIVE MORE

dSHlliSlOH, aug ia report was
issued by the bureau of labor today on
an investigation into wages and hours
OF labor in 1905 in the principal manu-
featuring and mechanical industries of
the United States. The report gives the
average wages and hours of labor and
the number of employees in Identical
establishments in both 1904 and 1866.
While the figures presented are not ex-
haustive for the United States, 1t is
said they are fairly representative Of
the industries Investigated.
Increase Over 1904.
The result of this investigation show
that in 1905 the average wages per
hour in the principal manufacturing
end mechanical industries of the coun-
try were 1.6 per cent higher than in
1904; that the average hours of labor
per week remained the same as in 1904
and that 69 per cent more persons
were employed in the establishments
investigated. AS there was no reduc-
ton in the average hours of labor per
week, the average weekly earnings per
employe were 1.6 per cent higher than
in 1904
Food Also Higher.
when the figures of this article re-
lating TO wages and hours of labor and
those of the succeeding article relating
to retail prices of food are brought to-
gether, it is seen that the retail prices
of food were 0.6 per cent higher in
1905 than in 1904 AS the average
wages per hour increased more than
the retail prices of food, the purchas-
ing power of wages increa sed. In 1905
the purchasing power of both hourly
and weekly wages was l per cent high
er than in 1904, or, in other words, an
hours wages in 1905 would purchase
per cant more food than an hours
wages in 1904.
Ten-Year Period.
THE average wages per hours in
1905 were 1879 per cent higher than the
average for the ten-year period from
1890 u 1899, inclusive. The number of
employees were 1876 per cent greater and
the average hours of labor per week
were Al per cent lower. The average
earnings per week in 1906 were IA per
cent higher than the average earnings
per week during the ten years from
1890 to 1899 The aggregate weekly
earnings of ell employees, that is, the
total amount of the payrolls, were 52.J
per cent higher in 1905 than the aver
age during the ten-year period named.
Increased Purchasing Power.
The retail price of the principal ar
ticles of food weighed according to
family consumption of the various ar
ticles, was 12.4 per cent higher in 1905
than was the average price for the
ten years from 1890 to 1899. Compared
with the average for the same ten-year
period, the purchasing power of an
hours wages In 1905 was 5.8 per cent
greater. and of a weeks wages IA per
cent greater. the increase in purchas-
ing power of weekly wages being less
than tie increase in purchasing power
of hourly wages because Of the reduc-
ton of the hours of labor during the
period.
Used Only Big establishments.
THE average wages Per hour in 1905
were 215 per cent higher than in 1884,
the wear of lowest wages during the
period covered, and weekly earnings
were 1871 per cent higher. The pur-
chasing power of an hours wages was
greater in 1905 than in any other year
covered by this investigation, being ~
per cent greater than in 1894, the year
of lowest wages and 1.S per cent great
er than in 1896, the year of lowest re-
tail prices. The purchasing power of
a weeks wages in 1905 was 3.5 per cent
greater than in 1894 but 81 per cent
less than in 1896
In making the inquiry the labor bu-
reau attempted TO cover only those in
dustries in which the wages paid in the
United States in one year were $4,000
900 or over. The data presented were
obtained in all cases by special agents
of the bureau through personal visits