The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-20
FOOD HAS GONE Up
MORE THAN WAGES /
Interesting Figures Compiled by
Bureaus of Labor, Substantiating
Those Of Labor Commissioner.
Times : Dispatch bureau.
Munsey Building,
washington. u 10. July ID.


The Bureau OF Labor, of the Depart
iment of Commerce and Labor, corro-
borates and emphasizes the results OF
recent Investigations Of the Commits
sioner OF labor showing a great in
crease in the price OF food since 1890.
The average price Of thirty principal
articles. weighed according to family
consumption OF the various articles,
was 20.6 per cent. higher In 1907 than
the average for the ten years from 1899
to 1890.
As against this increase OF EOS per
cent. in the price of food the Bureau
OF Labor admits 1t can only show an
increase OF SIS per cent. In the pur-
chasing power of an hours wages In.
1907. An increase OF little over s
per cent. in wages 4is all there Is to
offset an increase OF over 20 per cent.
In the cost OF food.
OF the thirty articles OF food COW
cred by the Investigation, twenty-nine
were higher In price in 1907 than in
1906 The articles which showed the
greatest advance in prices are flour.
80 per cent; butter, 80 per cent;
Ievaporated apples. rs per cent; milk
cheese, 81 per cent. and potatoes.
i5.4 per cent. The only article which
showed a decrease Is tea, the decrease
being OF per cent. The average prices
Of twenty of the thirty articles were
higher in 1907 than in any other year
of the eighteen-year period-1sso to 4
1907.
The investigation Of the principal /
working occupations in 4,169 es-
Establishments representing the prin-
cipal manufacturing and mechanical In
,dustries 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 1905,
and the number OF employees in the
establishments Investigated was 1.0
per cent. greater than In 1906
Investigations covering the sales OF
1.014 dealers in sixty-eight localities
show. that the retail prices of thirty
principal articles of food. weighted
according to consumption In represent
tative workingmen's families, were ID
per cent. higher In 1907 than In 1906.g
AS the advance in retail prices from
1906 to 1907 was greater than the ad :
vance in wages per hour. the purchas-8
ing power OF an hours wages, as
measured by food, was slightly less
in 1907 than In 1906. the decrease being
one-half Of per cent
Average hourly wages in#1907 were
higher than In any other year OF tine
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.
1890 to 1899. average hourly wages IN
1907 We're 2s.s per cent. higher, the
number OF employees in the establish
ments Investigated was 44.4 per cent.
greater, and the average hours OF Dor
per week were so per cent. lower.
The increase in average hourly
wages in 1907 over 1906 was quite gen
eral, occurring In forty of the forty
one industries covered by the invest
CATION OF the Bureau of Labor the
great Increase was In the manufacture
Of cotton goods. where the average
wages per hour in 1907 We're q ~ per per
cent. higher than in 1905. In the
manufacture Of paper and wood wood pulp
the increase Z was 10.1 per cent IN
eight other industries the increase was
s per cent, but less than 10 per cent
and in thirty industries the increase
was less than per cent. In one M
dnstry. Bessemer steel, there was a
decrease OF wages OF 90 per cent. IN
the forty-one Industries as whole Who'll
weighted according to Importance the 9 e
increase in wages per hour was 80
nor cent rs