The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-14
Average Per Hour in 1905 Much
Higher Than During the
Previous Decade.
COST OF LIVING ALSO
HAS BEEN AUGMENTED
But Purchasing Power of an
Hours Work Is Greater, Ac-
cOrding to the Statistics.

WASHINGTON, Aug. ia report
was issued by tho Bureau of Labor to-
day OF an investigation into wages and
hours of labor in 1905 in the principal
manufacturing and mechanical indus
tries Of the United States. The report
gives the average wages and hours Of
labor and tho number OF employees in
ldentIea! establishments in both 1904
and 1905. While tho figures presented
are not exhaustive for the United
States, it is said they arc fairly rep
resentatlye OF the Industries investi-
gated,
The results of this investigation show
that III 1905 the average wages per hour
In the principal manufacturing and me-
chan1cal industries Of the country wore
l.o per cent higher than in 1904; that
the average hours Of labor per week re.
named the Same as in 1904 and that
% per cent moro persons were en-
ployed in the establishments investi-
gated AS there was no reduction in the
average hours Of labor per week, the
average weekly earnings per employee
were l.6 per cent higher than in 1904.
When the figures Of this article re-
latlng to wages and hours of labor and
that or the succeeding article relating
to retail prices of food are brought to-
gether, 1T is seen that the retail prices
or food were 0,6 per cent higher in
1905 than in 1904, AS the average
wages per hour increased more, the re-
tail prices of food, the purchasing pow
er of wages increased. In 1905 the pur-
chasing power of both hourly and week
ly wages was ] per cent higher than in
wages in 1905 would purchase | per
cent more food than an hour wages
in 1904.
The average wages per hour in 1905
were 1873 per cent higher than the
average for the ten.ycar period from
1880 to 1899, inclusive. The number of
employees was 1876 per cent greater and
the average hours of labor per week
were Al per cent lower. The average
earnings per week in 1905 were Id per
cent higher than the average earnings
per week during the ten years from
1890 to 1899. The aggregate weekly
earnings of all employees, that is, the
total amount Of the pay-rolls, were 52.3
per cent higher in 1905 than the aver.
age during the ten-year period named.
Cost of Living Higher.
The retail price of the principal ar
ticles Of food, weighed according to
family consumption Of the various ar
tlcles, was l2.4 per cent higher in 1905
than was the average price for the ten
years from 1890 to 1899. Compared
"t'h ohS oNCldBO 1VI Iu0 SdIlo IGu-yeuI
period, the purchasing power of an
hour g wages in 1905 was 5.s per cent
greater, and of a week g wages IA per
cent greater than the increase in pur-
chasing power Of hourly wages be-
cause Of tho reduction OF the hours of
labor during the period.
The average wages per hour in 1905
were 2l.5 per cent higher than in 1894,
the year of lowest wages during the
period covered, and weekly earnings
were 16.7 per cent higher The pur-
chasing power Of an hour g wages was
greater in 1905 than in any other year
covered by this investigation, being
n per cent greater than In 1894, the
year of lowest wages, and 13 per cent
greater than In 1896, the year of low
.st retail prices. The purchasing power
If weeks wages in 1905 was 3.5 per
,eDt greater than in 1894, but 27 per |
,ent less than in 1896.
In making the inquiry the Labor Bu-
eau attempted to cover only those in
lustries in which the wages paid in the |
United States in one year were S10,- |
100000 or over. The data presented |
we're obtained in all cases by special
lgents Of the bureau through personal
lists to the establishments represented.