The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-09-12
WAGES AND LIVING.

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The annual investigation OF the
Bureau Of Labor into wages and the
retail prices OF food the report on
which has just be. placed in the
hands Of the printer shows that IN
the principal manufacturing aud me
chanical industries OF the country
average wages in 1906 were as per
cen, higher In 1905. the regular
hours OF labor per w Eek were 05
per cent lower. and the number Of
employees In the establishments .n.
vestimted was per cent greater
than in 1905.
During 1906 wage We're increas.
ed generally in nearly all industries,
40 OF 81 industries covered uy the
investigation showing some increase.
The greatest increas. was in the
manufacture of cotton goods. where
the average wages per hour in 1906
were l12 per cent higher Than in
1905. In the manufacture Of elec.
trical apparatus and supplies the in
crease was lol per cent In street
and sewer work done boy contract the
Increase was 81 per cent, IN iron
and steel. Bessemer converting So
per cent. and in the manufacture
of cigars. S4 per cent. IN the manu-
iacture OF bar iron the increase In
wages per hour was 60 per cent and
Iu the building trades G1 Der cent.
Briefly stated two Industries showed
an increase in hourly wages OF more
than 10 per cent. Industries an In
crease Of per cent but less than
10 per cent. and 81 industries an in
crease OF less than 3 per cent In
on industry and wood pulp
there was decrease of IL per
cent. In the industries as a whole
weighed according to importance
the increase I'm hourly wages was
i.j per cent.
The fact should be borne In mind
that these figures apply only to wag,
workers in manufacturing and me
chanical Industries and do not show
conditions 20 far as salaried employ
| es are concerned.
The retail prices OF food, weighed
according to consumption In repre-
| g.nt,tIy. unrL ingman's familiag
were 30 per cent higher In 1906 thai
In 1905. As the advance In wage
per hour from 1905 to 1906 wa
greater than the advance In the r,
tail prices OF food. the purchasin
power of an hours wages as meaI
ured by food, was greater In 1870
than in the preceding year. In 1870
the purchasing power OF an hour
, wages as expended for food was
per cent greater than In 1905 an
the purchasing power OF a full week
wages was | per cent greater
1906 than in 1908. or. in other word
-, an hours wages In 1906 In the ma
ufacturing and mechanical indu
{, tries of the United States would pu
> chase IA per cent more food tina
an hours wages in 1905 and a fu
weeks wages in 1906 would pu
{ chase / per cent more food than
. mll weeks wages In 1905.
10 The price Of food was higher
h every month OF 1906 than in the co
/ responding month OF 1905. The 4
;. crease over the corresponding mont
Of the preceding year. which in Fe
ruary. 1906. was only 0i per cen
! grew steadily greater throughout Il
T. year. the price In December, 1906, b
I ing 81 per cent above that of Il
! preceding December. The price
. December 1906, was as per ceI
hihger than tn eayeragc for the yea
1906. which year showed high,
average than any other year durin
V the seventeen years, 1890 to 1870
y covered by the investigation Of II
Bureau OF Labor.
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. REPUBLICAN ALLEGATIONS