New-York tribune., 1906-08-14
LABOR'S PAY AND HOURS
Increase IN Purchasing Po1cer of
Wages Sb05cn.

Washington, Aug IS.-The Bureau of Labor to-
day issued a report Of investigation into wages
and hours of labor in 1905 in the principal
facturnG and mechanical industries OF the United
States The report gives the average wages ana
hours % labor and the number of employees IN
identical establishments in 1904 and 1905. While tile
figures presented not exhaustive for the United
States. the report says lit is believed they are
Tairiy representative Of the industries investigated
Continuing the report says:
The results of this investigation show that in
1905 the average wages hour in the principal
manufacturing and mechanical industries of the
country were is per cent higher than in 1904; that
the average hours of labor week remained the
were employed in the establishments Investigated
AS there was no reduction in the average hours OF
I laooI per Week the average weekly earnings an
employe were L6 per cent higher than in 1904. AS
we'll as in the weekly earnings az employe there
was a considerable increase in the weekly earnings
OF an employees or in other words IN the amount
OF the weekly payroll. This increase per cent
IN the establishments investigated
Mhen the figures of this article relating to wages
ana hours OF labor and those of the succeeding
%cle Telating to retail prices of food are brought
1cSether. it is seen that the retail prices of food.
Iue Weght being given to the quantity and cost Of
the different commodities consumed. 0.6 per
cent higher in 1905 than in 1904 AS the average
prices of food, the purchasing power of wages in
creased In 1905 the purchasing power of both
Than in l9G4 or. expressed IN other words hour
ages ha IN lSo1 would purchase per cent more food
ne averages OF wages an hour in 1903 were 49,
from S % to 1889 e ncs3e aIsgfse 9F The the 5P ar
employees was 1876 per cent greater the avera
hours or labor week Al per cent lower.
me average earnings Il week in 1905 were II per
cent hlgher than the average earnings a week
uuIIhS the ten years from 1890 to 1899 The aggre-
Sdte weekly earnings of all empoyes-that is the
tt92I4l amount OF the payrOlls-were 80 per cent
period named " ~ -
,a The retail price of the principal articles of food
Melglt according 10 family consumption of the
various articles was 12.4 per cent higher in 1906
than was the average price for the ten years from
losV 10 1893 Compared with the average for the
same ten year period, the purchasing power of an
noeur wages In 1905 was SIS per cent greater and
oi weeks wages IL per cent greater the increase
IN purchasing power of weekly wages being less
man man lhe increase in purchasing power of hourly
wages because of the reduction of the hours of
iabor during the period.
Ihe average wages an hour in 1908 2l.5 per
Sent s higher than 1928. the year of lowest wages
curing the period covered, and weekly earnings
OF an nourS wages was greater I'm 1905 than in any
Per cent greater than in 1924. the year of lowest
wages and 13 per cent greater than in 1896. the
year or lowest retail prices The purchasing
power Of weeks wages in 1905 was g. 5 per cent
1895 80 ~ "
In making the inquiry the labor bureau attempted
10 cover only those industries in which the wages
paid in the United States in one year were s1OOOO-
COO or over The figures presented obtained
IN all cases by special agents of the through
personal visits to the establishments represented.