The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-09-13
WAGES ARE Up
MORE Than FOOD
Results of Investigation By Bureau
of Labor.
the PURCHASING POWER OF LABOR.
Comparison Between the Years 1905
and 19O6-The Figures Apply Only
to Wageworkers in Industrial and
Mechanical Enterprises and Not
to Clerks.

Mechanical Enterprises and Not
to Clerks.
Washington, D. C. Especially The
annual investigation of the Bureau
of Labor into wages and the retail
prices of food, the report on which
has just been placed in the hands
| of the printer, shows that in the
principal manufacturing and mechan-
ical industries of the country aver
| age wages per hour in 1906 were AS
per cent. higher than in 1905, the
regular hours of labor per week were
O.5 per cent. lower, and the number
of employees in the establishments in
vestigated was per cent. greater.
The average full-time weekly earn
ings per employe in 1906 were 80
per cent. greater than in 1905.
During 1905 wages were Increased
generally in nearly all industries, 40
of the Al industries covered by the
investigation showing some increase.
The greatest increase was in the man
ufacturing of cotton goods, where the
average wages per hour in 1896 were
11.2 per cent. higher than IN 1905.
In the manufacture of electrical APP
paratus and supplies the increase was
10.1 per cent. In street and sewer
work done by contract the increase
was 81 per cent; in iron and steel,
Bessemer converting, 8.5 per cent,
and in the manufacture of cigars, 8.4
per cent.
In the manufacture of bar iron the
increase in wages per hour was 60
per cent. and in the building trades
81 per cent. Briefly stated. two in
dustries showed an increase in hourly
wages of more than 10 per cent,
seven industries an increase of 5 per
cent. but less than 10 per cent, and
81 industries an increase of less than
5 per cent.
The fact should be borne in mind
that these figures apply only to wage
workers in manufacturing and me-
chanical industries and do not show
conditions so far as salaried employees
are concerned.
The retail prices of food, weighted
according to consumption in repre-
sentative workingmen's families, were
20 per cent. higher in 1905 than in
1906. AS the advance in wages per
hour from 1905 to 1906 was greater
than the advance in the retail prices
of food, the purchasing power OF an
hours wages, as measured by food,
was greater in 1906 than in the pre-
ceding year.
In 1906 the purchasing power of
an hours wages as expended for
food was IA per cent. greater than
in 1905 and the purchasing power
of a full weeks wages was 1 per
cent. greater in 1905 than in 1905,
or, in other words, an hours wages
in 1906 in the manufacturing and
mechanical industries of the United
States would purchase IA per cent.
more food than an hours wages in
1906 and full weeks wages in 1905
would purchase 1 per cent. more food
than a full weeks wages IN 1905.
The price of food was higher in.
every month of 1906 than in the
corresponding month of 1905. The
increase over the corresponding
month of the preceding year, which
in February, 1906, was only 0.4 per
cent, grew steadily greater through
out the year, the price in December,
1906, being 81 per cent. above that
of the preceding December.
The price in December, 1905, was
AS per cent higher than the aver
age for the year 1906, which year
showed a higher average than any
other year during the II years, 1880
to 1906, covered by the investigation
of the Bureau of Labor.
The increase in prices in 1906 over
1905 applied, in unequal degree, to
rs of the 80 articles included in the
investigation. The articles which
showed the greatest advance in prices
are lard, 9.8 per cent; evaporated
apples, 81 per cent; fresh pork,
S.8 per cent; dry or picked pork,
81 per cent; bacon, ga per cent;
ham, 7.3 per cent; while the advance
in fresh fish and mutton exceeded 5
per cent. The only articles which
showed any material decrease are
-four and sugar.
The articles which showed the most
marked advance in prices in Deem
Der, 1906, over December, 1905, are:
Butter, Is per cent; lard, 1873 per
cent; fresh pork, 1872 per cent; dry
or picked pork, 11.9 per cent;
bacon, Ill per cent; and ham, 9.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 flour, AS per cent.