The Washington herald., 1906-10-15
WAGE FARMERS THRIVE
Now Get Larger Pay for
Shorter Hours of Labor.
THEIR MONEY GOES FURTHER
Report OF Bureau of Labor DiscIoses
Great Increase in Wages During
the Past Sixteen Years-EHormous
Incrense in Number OF Men En-
pIoycd-COst of Living.

American wage-earners are enjoying q
large share Of the general prosperity
Of the country. This fact is shown by
an analysis Of the recently published re-
mort of the United States Bureau OF
Labor on wages. hours Of labor, ana
prices of food. The figures show that
the average wage-earner is working
shorter hours than ever before; that he IS
receiving more pay for the short work
week th8n he formerly received for the
long-hour week. ana that the increase
ia his average wage has been so great
that its purchasing power has risen, not
withstandins the increase in prices Of
many commodities. Finally, II shows
that there has been an enormous increase
in the number of persons employed.
Covers sixteen Years.
Tie report covers the sixteen-year
period. beginning with 1880 and ending
with 1855 From 1880 to 1898 the condition
of the workingman was fairly good. IN
the Iast-mentioneo year the general busi-
ness depression set in. and the wage
Garner suffered with all other classes. \
clear idea of the extent of the improve
ment iu conditions can be obtained by
comparing 1891 with 1905. Such a COM
parison shows that the average wage
per hour has increased from 215 per cent.
while the average hours worked per
week have decreased 50 per cent. The
average w1Ee-caruer. working shorter
hours. earns 49, per cent more per week
than in 1894 and 12-9 per cent more than
i'm 104 I'm the meantime the average
price OF food weighed according 90 the
average family consumption in The fam
HES Of 2,555 worSingmen, increased 12-7
per cent above lS9i. and 9.S per cent above
1850. Notwithstanding this Increase. the
average wage per hour would purchase
"a per cent more food in 1865 than ia
1884 and 81 per cent more than In 1S9.
More Men Employed.
Stu more important has been the in
crease in the number employed, amount
ing 60 q per cent over ISs4. ana to a99
per cent over 1850 The combined effect
OF the increase i'm the average wage
and in the number employed was TO in
crease the total amount paid in wages
per week by e5.7 per cent above 1894, and
59I per cent above ISse
Cost of Living.
il the Bureau OF Labor had secured
data as 90 the total cost OF living for
the series Of years under consideration it
would have shown "a larger increase in
the purchasing power cf an hours wage
than is shown by considering the price Of
food alone for St. IS true that, while
there has been Il general advance i'm COM
modify prices since the beginning of the
present era of prosperity, that advance
las been greatest I'M the prices of aETi-
cultural products and raw material gen
orally The average Increases fn prices OF
manufactured articles has been much less
The increase i'm the price OF agricultural
products especially meats has advanced
the cost ol food 10 q much greater de-
gree than the prices Of clothing and
house furnishings have advanced in
some localities the cost of fuel has gone
up. and iu some localities house rents
are higher but on the whole the average
cost OF living has not advanced in pro-
portion ~ the cost of foods.
Manufactured Goods.
That manufactured articles have not
advanced in proportion TO the advance in
the prices of raw materials and the wages
of labor is due To the fact that manu-
featuring establishments. especially the
llrger concerns. have been able 10 intro
.duce economies that have, To some de-
gree. offset the greater cost of labor and
materials. one of the NEST important
factors in moderating the advance i'm com
modify prices generally has been the de-
cline in the cost Cf transportation
Z cost that enters into the selling price Of
I practically every commodity. The aver
age freight charge per ton-mile for 1865.
f.r~ Trrt rfsrfrr
Commission shows a decrease Of I8.9 per
cent Is compared with 1894. and 1S6 per
I cent as compared with ls9Q The figures
I Tor 1906 viii show "a still further rcduc-
tion
transportation Cost Decreased.
This rapid decline in the average cost
of transportation ia the face of greatly
increased expenditures for railroad wages
and materials and supplies of ali kinds
, has been made possible BY the eSpendi-
ture by the railroads OF hundreds Of
> millions OF dollars for the betterment OF
tracks and roadbeds, the elimination Of
p grades and curves. and the purchase OF
more powerful engines ana larger ears.
enabling them to make large increases
from year TO year in the average train
load These railroad improvements have
I contributed materially to the general IN
crease I'm prosperity OF the whole coun-
tTy, giving employment TO many thou
sands OF wage eamers and distributing
enormous sums of money. This work OF
railroad extension and improvement VIII
continue on an unprecedented scale for
some years to come, If it is not interfered
with 10y radical legislation. 4 recent re-
view of the work now in progress and
projected iB trunk line territory alone
shows that the roads in that one section
/ have planned for the expenditure OF not
less shan 500 06e 900 during this year and
1901. In the vast region beyond the Mis-
sissippi. between the Canadian border
and the Rio GTande. thousands of miles
: OF road are under construction and pro-
jected. and all over the South existing
lines are being improved and extended.
q
Want Lower Freight Records.
The North Carolina Case Workers As
: sociation Of High Point, n c.. has just
4 filed complaint with the Interstate Com
j merce Commission. in which about thirty
transcontincutaI carriers are named as
tie defendants. The Case Workers Asso-
citation is 4 voluntary mercantile asSOcia-
ton. consisting of firms manufacturing
furniture I'm North Carolina and Virginia.
The association requests the commission
90 compel the defendant carriers to re-
duce their freight limit
Weather Bureau Examinations.
The Civil Service Commission announces
an examination TO be held November ID
to secure eHgibles to fill two vacancies in
the position Of TeDaiTman in the Weather