The Washington times., 1913-09-15
WAGES AND LIVING COSTS.

Wages advancing at a sna1s pace while prices
of the necessares of life climb higher and higher
at almost unbelievable rate That is the substance OF
conclusions enforced by comparison of two very
Illuminating inquiries just made by the Department
of Commerce.
Here is what Secretary Wilson had done In
thirynine cities, whose total population includes
about onefth the population of the country, he had
made careful study of union scales of wages as OF
1907 and 1912 and for the cities, study of the
course of retail prices from 1900 to 1913. The re-
suits are nothing less than startling.
First, there were some unimportant decreases in
hours of work per diem averaging for bricklayers FL
per cent; carpenters, IL per cent? hod carriers,
per cent; machinsts, 22 per cent, and so on, these
figures being fairly representative.
While these unimportant reductions of hours have
been secured the wages per hour have advanced by
these averages:
Bricklayers, 55 per cent? carpenters, II per cent;
hod carriers, SO per cent; painters, l26 per cent
plasterers, per cent plumbers 1917 per cent stone
cutters, l6 per cent; iron molders, IA per cent;
newspaper compositors, 1914 per cent, and 50 on
So much for working hours and rates of increase
of wages. Let it be kept in mind now, that these Fl
ures are for union labor; generally, for very strong
and efficient unions whose scales advance much more
readily and markedly than those of unorganzed or
less effectively organized trades But when the
most fortunately organized labor is brought forward
for the comparison it shows that compared with the
increasing prices of foodstuffs, wages have almost
remained stationary. Here are the departments
conclusions as to retail prices:
Comparing retail prices 15 1913 with prices
the date in 1912, eleven of the fifteen articles
for which quotations given advanced and four de-
clined in price, Bacon advanced 1852 per cent; smoked
ham advanced 141 cent; pork chops advanced 134
per cent hens advanced Ills per cent eggs advanced
III per cent; round steak advanced 101 per cent sir
oin steak advanced 9S cent; lard advanced 72 per
cent rib roast advanced 6S cent butter advanced
5.8 cent and milk advanced IL cent Potatoes
declined 31a per cent; sugar declined 152 per cent;
wheat flour declined ~ per cent; and meal de-
clined 3.9 per cent
Comparing retail prices on June 49, 1913 with aver
age prices for the period 1890 to 1S99 every
article for which prices are carried with the exception
of sugar. advanced. Bacon advanced 1855 per cent;
pork chops advanced Ill cent round steak advanced
1925 per cent; smoked ham advanced "a per cent;
hens advanced 1858 per cent siroin steak advanced
72 per cent; rib roast advanced rs per cent lard ad
vanced 6c5 cent; meal advanced 573 cent;
potatoes advanced 444 per cent; butter advanced Alb
per cent eggs advanced 4O8 per cent milk advanced
SS4 per cent; and flour advanced 2S6 per cent Sugar
declined per cent. Ee
When the price of each of the fifteen articles of food
weighted according to average consumption in work
ngmens families, retail prices at higher level
June 49, 1913. than at other time during the last
and onehaf years. excepting on November
15 1872 when the level was slightly above that of June
1915. Retail prices of food June 49, 1913 592
cent above the price for the period
1890 to 1S99 33 per cent above the price June 1
1912 and 14 per above the price June 15 1911
Of course it is unfair to assume that the cost of
table supplies is representative of the whole field of
living costs. Quite the contrary. Nothing has ad-
vanced so much or So rapidly in cost as table sup
plies. weighted average of all the expenses of
living, for the whole country, would unquestonably
show that costs advancing much more rapidly than
incomes; but it is not fair to make beefsteaks and
bacon the basis of comparison.