The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-10-19
THE WAGE FARMERS.
They are Obtaining Their Share OF
Tho Unprecedented Prosperity of
The Country.

prices OF Ioou just issued DS the Uni
ted State Bureau of Labor is of in
tercst ut this time for the reason that
ii shows that wage carncrs are OBJ
tanning II full share of the unprecc-
dentcd prosperity of the country. The
invest .,tn',.$ - -" ourcau - :c
wages and hours of labor covered all
the principal manufacturing anu
ms. ,.,nv,~t ilu.,,ti,c, OF the United
States tor the sixteen wears from 1880
I" 1908. and the prices ~ '"n ar>
given for the same period.
The first wears covered Wy the rc-
port were wears nf n high degree OF
prosperity when measured by stand
ards of the past. Then came the de-
preston "t lS91 and the succeeding
years followed by the wave of pros
perity that is now sweeping over the
country and that is riSiN" constantly
higher. An excellent idea of the cf-
feet ni this revival of business on
wage rarnrrS is aitrrdrr by cnm-
pari>un "t the statistics Of 1908 with
those %; 1894. S"yE Il tt:~,>&";< II
shows that the average wage per
h"m ,.a> increased, 2l.1 Ger cen, while
the average hours worked per week
has decreased 80 per cent. So that
the average workman. working short
CT hours than in 1894. earns lG.7 per
cent more ,scl week. During tins same
period there has been 4 general ad-
vance in the prices of most c"mm"di-
llr-. but the average advance in prices
has hrvm mitch less than the increase
in wages. The increase in the
price Of food, weighted according t.,
the average family conSumrti"n, de
tcrni;cd hy the purchases of the fam
lies Of 2,5i7 wurkinymrN. has
amounted I" only H. per cent. ana
the average wage would purchase -
per cent more food in 1908 than in
lSHl. Still mere important are tn"
fixtures ~ t. the relative Lu,Mh"t
rnvl"yrd in 1908 H. compared with
lS!A. These show an increase t.. t.,
per cent. In other words nearly "M"-
third of those rmrl"yrd IN 1908 We're
without work in 1894. A> c"n~o-
uurmrr of this Great increasing il the
number employed and the increase
in the rate of wages the total amount
paid in wages WAS G5.1 per cent
greater in 1908 than in 1894.
An interesting fact in connection
with the increases in the average
prices of commodities is that it ha,
been most marked in the prices OF
agricultural products and raw ma
terials generally. The average increase
in the prices of manufactures has
been much less than the average in
cr"a,c - ~" '''rct nr"!''"'> { '"r
Ing If this is that. despite the in
creased cost of raw materials AMI the
great increase in the wages paid for
labor, the manufacturing establish
mcnts of the country. especially the
larger ones. have introduced ccon"-
mics that have enabled them to sell
their products at slightly advanced
prices. and. in some cases. at or below
the prices of 1894.
Probably the most important sin
gle factor in prcvcntin" commodity
prices advancing at the same rate a.
wages has been the decline in the
cost of tran>portati"n--a cost that
enters into the selling price Of practi-
cally every commodity. The Inter
state Commerce Commission report
shows that the average rate per ton
per mile for 1903 WAS 100 per cent
less than the rate for 1894. ana 1900
will show il still further rr'lur;i"n
When the steady advance i'm the
wages Of railway employees Of all
kinds and the large increase in the
cost Of practically every cnInm"dity
used in the construction or operation
ct railroad is considered it j. Won
dcrful that the roads have been able
to make this large reduction in their
average freight charges. II has been
made possible only by the expenditure
Of enormuos sums for the improve
mcnt of roadbcds and tracks, for the
elimination Of curves and grades, and
For the purchase Of more powerful
engines and ears Of greater capacity.
resulting in the average train-load be-
ing largely increased from year to
year. These railroad improvements
have had a very Important direct cf-
feet in increasing prosperity by Civ
ing employment directly and indirect
" 10 hnndrnds Of thnuSanla of rnon