The Washington times., 1907-07-28
UNION LABOR PAID
$87,5OO EVERY DAY
Yearly Wages are $27, ,300,-
600, Based on $3.50
a Day.

The question has been frequently
asked, by merchants and others, What
. Une wage earners' money power in
the District? That question can be ap-
proximateiy answered. as far as IL ap-
plies TO organized labor. To determine
this question. a Times representative
undertook TO secure a conservative esti-
mate or the daily wage OF all men
carrying union cards
Conservative leaders. who are posted
as to the wages paid the highest class
OF skilled mechanics. the middle class
OF mechanics. and those receiving the
smallest compensation under the union
scale, were consulted. 1t may be
pointed out that there are some skilled
men who receive as high as 80 a day,
a large body that draw from s. to r,
aha another large portion receiving a
70 -. The number that receive wages
below these last figures, IN comparison
win the large number that receive tl
and IS. 10 very small
TIktnE all the factors into considera-
ton and making a careful computation
for a general average. 81 was the con-
sensns Of opinion that $50 Is a most
conservative estimate OF the average
wage. Taking that as a basis for the
ECO union men IN the District, here Is
the reHuit:
Daily wage Of 5000 men at $50
,,,,9 ~ osN.ss... Sg7, 500
weekly h25 600
Yss,5.. es-'-..-...-..-.--.-.. 2,Z7b .o0p
ieSfiy wages. es.----....-........... q 300 OOO
These hsures. however. only apply 20
organised union labor-membera OF
unions afhliated with Central Labor
Onion
There are probably Ao0o men and
women In tie city not members Of any
organisation, earning small wages. OF
course these figures do not take into
consideration the army OF employees iu
the Government oa5ces, except the Coy
eminent Printing Ofdoe, Bureau OF
Printing and Engraving. and q few
ether Instances where organized labor Is
employed.
When IL In considered that nearly
every dollar OF the money earned by
organized labor Is spent with the u,er-
chants and landlords OF the city the
wage Garner Is made to appear as Of
the greatest Importance. II L. largely
his money that keeps the wheels OF
business enterprise moving and he Is =
financial fecter which cannot be elInlin-
ated In the present business prosperity
and the future up6ullding Of the city.
IL 20 the estimate furnished above Is
sdded the pay Of the army OF employees
Who work IN the Government DEPART
nents, which IN all probability would
aggregate as much as that OF the or
gznized labor wase earners. then there
would be a grand total Of dollars
earned and spent here that would be
astounding.
II may be argued by some that the
average Of E60 Per day is too high be-
cause many OF the union men who fol-
low outside vocations do not work full
time BY reason OF bad weather and cold
weather when certain lines Of work
must be suspended That feature was
carefully considered in the computation
that resulted in the figures presented.
The PrepouderRnce OF wages received
eoove the $3.50 average reached is SO
largo In several large unions that many
who were consulted as TO what they
thought would be a fair average IN
sisted that the $50 was not fair and
should be advanced at least one dollar,
making the average tL5Q