The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-09-18
FOOD PRICES ADVANCING.
average Increase I'm Wages Not
Keeping Pace.

washington, Sept. 9.-How the cost
or living is increasing is shown in a
summary OF the report of the bureau
OF labor. The figures are for 1906,
anu are compared with the average
prices for the years 1890 to 1905.
The price fof food was highes in ey-
cry month of 1906 than in the cores
ponding, month of 1905. The ircrease
over the corresponding month of
the preceding year, which, in Febru-
ary' 1905. was only Q.4 per cent. grew
steadily greater throughout the wear.
the prices in December, 1905, being
o. per cent. above that Of the preced-
ing DEFENDERS. The price in Decem-
Der, 1906, was 4.S per cent higher
than the average for the year 1905.
winch year showed a higher average
than any other year during the seven
teen years, 1890 to 1906, covered by
the investigation of the, bureau OF
labor. 1t.
| The Increase in prices in 1906 over
| 1905 applied, in unequal degree. to
twenty-five Of the thirty articles in
cluded In the investigation. The. ar
ticles which showed the greatest ad-
vance In prices are: Lard, 9.S per
cent; evaporated' apples. 81 per
cent?; fresh pork. 8.S per cent; dry
or picked pork, 81 per cent; bacon,
S.4 per cent; ham. 7.3 per cent:
while the advance in fresh fish and
mutton exceeded s. per cent. The
only articles which showed any ma
terial decrease are -four and sugar. A
The articles which showed the most
marked advance in prices In Decem.
Der, 1905, over December, 1906, are
butter. Is per cent; lard; 1919 per
cent; fresh pork. 1872 per cent; dry
or picked pork, 11.s per cent; bacon,
III per cent, and ham. s.s per cent
The only articles which showed any
marked decline in price in December,
1906. from the price in December,
1905, are potatoes 5.s per cent, and
hour, 4.S per cent. ~-' IL
The bureau of labor balances this
with statistics showing that wages in
manufacturing and mechanical in
dustries have kept little ahead OF
this advance. The inquiry, as usual,
has been, confined to wage earners-
that Is. what IL, generally known as the
l'labor vote" NO account is taken to
show the condition Of salaried men.
clerks, saiesnen, bookkeepers and
typewriters.
| In the principal Industries OF the
country average wages an hour in
1905 were 4.5 per cent higher than in
1905. the regular hours of labor a
week were 0.5 per cent lower and the
number OF employes>in the establish
ments investigated was per cent.
greater. The average full time week
ly earnings for each employe in 1905
were 3.s, per cent. greater than in
1905. There also were shorter hours.
During 1905 wages were increased
generally in nearly all industries, for
y Of the forty-one industries covered
by the investigation showing some In
crease. The greatest increase was in
the manufacture of cotton goods.
where the average wages per hour in
1905 were l1.2 per cent, higher than
in 1905. In the manufacture of elec-
trical apparatus and supplies the in
crease was 10.1 per cent. In street
and sewer work done by contract the
increase was 81 per cent. in iron
and steel. Bessemer covering, S.5 per
cent. and in the manufacture of cigars
S4 per cent.
Increase I'm wages.
In the manufacture Of bar iron the
increase In wages an hour was 60 per
cent, and the building trades 6.1 per
cent. Briefly stated, two industries
showed an increase in hourly wages
of more than 10 per cent, seven in
dustries an increase Of per cent,
and 81 industries an increase of less
than per cent. In one industry
paper and wood pulp--there was a
decrease Of IL per cent. In the in
dustries as whole. weighted accord
ing to Importance, the increase in
hourly wages was 4.5 per cent.
The retail prices Of food, weighted
according to consumption in repre-
sentative workingmen's families, were
2.9 per cent. higher in 1906 than in
1905. AS the advance in wages an
hour from 1905 to 1906 was greater