Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1908-09-28
WAGES AND FOOD.

According to Bulletin No. II OF
the Bureau of Labor of the depart
ment of commerce and labor, an in.
vetsigation of the principal wage
working occupation in 4,169 establish.
ments representing the principal
manufacturing and mechanical indus
tries of the country showed that the
average wages per hour in 1907 were
81 per cent higher than in 1906, the
regular hours of labor per week were
0.4 per cent lower than in 1906, and
the number of employees in the estab-
lishments investigated was 10 per
cent greater than in 1906.
Investigations covering the sales of
LOLA dealers in 6S localities show that
the retail prices of 80 principal ar
ticles of food, weighted according to
consumption in representative work
ingmen's families, were AZ per cent
higher in 1907 than in 1906. AS the
n2dyanee in retail prices from 1906 to
as greater than the advance
Ees per hour, the purchasing
an hours wages, as measur-
A. sd3Tas slightly-less in 1907
than in 1906, the decrease being one
half of 1 per cent.
Average hourly wages in 1907 were
higher than in any other year of the
eighteen-year period, 1890 to 1907, and
more than 20 per cent higher than
the average in any year from 1890 to
1900. As compared in each case with
the average for the ten-year period,
wages in 1907 were 2S.S per cent high
er, the number of employees in the
establishment investigated was 44.4
per cent greater and the average
hours of labor per week were SO per
cent lower.
The average price of food in 1907
was also higher than in any other
year Of the eighteen-year period 1890
to 1907. The average price of 30
principal articles, weighted according
to family consumption of the various
articles, was FOG per cent higher in
1907 than the average price for the
10 years, from 1890 to 1899. Compar-
ed with the average for the same ten
year period, the purchasing power of
an hours wages in 1907 was 6.S per
cent greater.
The increase in average wages in
1907 over 1906 was quite general, &C.
curing in 40 of the Al industries COW
cred by the investigation of the Blu
reau of Labor. The greatest increase
was in the manufacture of Gotten
goods, where the average wages per
hour in 1907 were 1928 per cent high
err than in 1906. In the manufacture
of paper and wood pulp the increase
was 10.1 per cent; in s other indus
tries the increase was S per cent but
less than 10 per cent, and in 30 in
dustries the increase was less than 5
per cent. In one industry, Bessemer
steel, there was a decrease of wages
of 0.9 per cent. In the Al industries
as whole, weighted according to i'm
portance, the increase in wages per
hour was 81 per cent.
Of the 80 articles of food covered
by the investigation 20 were higher
in price in 1907 than in 1906. The ar
ticles which showed the greatest ad-
vance in prices are flour SO per cent,
butter so per cent, evaporated ap
ples rs per cent, milk 7.3 per cent,
corn meal 6.8 per cent. cheese 6.7
per cent, and potatoes 5.4 per cent.
The only article which showed de-
crease is tea, the decrease being o.
per cent. The average prices of 20
ct the 80 articles were higher in 1907
than in any other year of the
eighteen-year period 1890 to 1907
Dallas Times Herald.