Evening journal., 1906-10-18
WAGE FARMERS
ARE THRIVING
Now Get Larger Pay For
Shorter Hours Of
Labor
THEIR MONEY GOES ESFURTHER

American wage-earners are enjoying a
large share Of the general prosperity I
OF the country. This fact is shown by
an analysis Of the recently published re-
port Of the UNITED States Bureau OF
Labor on wages. hours Of labor, and /.
prices Of food The figures show that
tic average wage-earner is working /.
shtrter hours than ever before; that he is
receiving more pay for The short work
week than he formerly received for the .
lcug-hour week, and that the increase
IN his average wage has been so great
that its purchasing power has risen, not
withstanding the increase in prices of
many commodities Finally. Il shows that I
khere has been an enormous increase I
Ia Ehe number Of persons employed
The report covers the sixteen-year per- I
led, beginning with 1880 and ending with /
1905. From 1890 TO 1898 the condition of the I,
workingman was fairly good In the last /
mentioned year the general business de- I
preston set in, and the wage-earner suf-
fered with all other classes. A clear idea !
Of the extent Of the improvement in !
conditions can be obtained by comparing
1894 with 1905. Such comparison shows
that the average wage per hour has in
creased from 2.5 per cent. while the aver
age hours worked per week have de-
creased S9 per cont. The average wage
earner, working shorter hours. earns 167
per cent more per week than in 1894
and 1913 per cent. more than in 1890. In the
meantime the average price Of food.
weighed according TO the average family
consumption IN the families Of 1867 work.
ingmen, increased l27 per cent above
l'ai and 9.s per cent. above 1890. Notwith-
standing this increase. the average wage
per hour would purchase ~ per cent.
more food in 1905 than in 1894 and 81 per
cent. more than in 1890.
Sull more important has been the in
crease in the number employed. amount-
ing to AZ per cent. over 1894, and TO 40g
per cent. over 1890 The combined effect OF
the increase in the average wage and in
the number employed was to increase the
total amount paid in wages per week by
Co.. per cent. above 1894, and 5g1 per
! cent above 1890.
II the Bureau Of Labor had secured
6ata as to the total cost of living for
the series Of years under consideration it
the purchasing power Of an hours wage
than is shown by considering the price Of
fcod alone. for h is true that while
there has been a general advance in COM
modify prices since the beginning Of the
present era OF prosperity, that advance
has been greatest in the prices Of agri-
cultural products and raw material gem
orally. The average increase in pric,s of
manufactured articles has been much less.
/ Tho increase in the price Of agricultural
products, especially meats. has advanced
the cost Of food TO much greater de-
gree than the prices Of clothing and
house furnishings have advanced. In
some localities the cost Of fuel has gone
NJ, and in some localities house rents
ave higher. but on the whole the average
cost Of living has not advanced in pro-
roiti to the cost OF foods
That manufactured articles have not
advanced in proportion to the advance in
the prices Of raw materials and the wages
OK labor is due to the fact tnat manufac-
'ur n IS abii, hments. especially the larg-
er concerns, have been able to intro
duce economies that have. to some de-
gree, offset the greater cost of labor and
materials. One OF the most important
foctors in moderaung The adv nee in CO r-
modify prices generally has been the de-
cline in the cost of transportation-a
cost that enters into the selling price Of
practically every commodity. The aver
ase freight charge per ton-mne for lgc5
as reported by the Interstate Commerce
Comm. .ssion. shows a decrease of 1O.s pcr
4
cent. as compared with 1890 The figures
for 1906 viii show a stnl funther reduc-
ton.
This rapid decline in the average cost
of transportation in the face OF greatly
increased expenditures for railroad wages
ana materials and supplies OF all kinds
has heen made possible by the expendi-
! ture by the railroads of hundreds Of mill
liens OF dollars for the betterment of
tracks and roadbeds the elimination OF
} grades and curves, and the purchase OF
/ moro powerful engines and larger cars,
enabling them to make large increases
from year 10 year in the average train
load. These railroad improvements have
contributed materially to the general in
: crease in prosperity of tho whole coun-
try, giving employment to many thou
sands OF wage earners and distributing
enormous sums OF money This work OF
railroad extension and Improvement viii
continue on an unprecedented scale foi
some years TO come If It is not interfereC
with by radical legislation. A recent re-
. View OF the work now in progress and
! projected in trunk line territory alon'
shows that the roads in that one section
have planned for the expenditure Of no
. less than 4oo.oOo,ooo during this year ant
y 1897 In the vast region beyond the Mis-
sssippi between the Canadian borde
: and the Rio Grande. thousands Of mile
OF road are under construction and pro
jected. and all over the South existing
lines are being improved and extended.