The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-03-24
WAGES RISING
FASTER THAN IN CITY
Average Salaries Are the
Highest in Far-western
States.
PAY IN UTAH is GOOD
Factory Wages Increasing
More Slowly; Land Values
Much Higher.
PAY IN UTAH is GOOD

ii'ouey wages OIL farm labor in
creased about % per cent during past
four years. Since 1902 the increase has
been about 36 per cent. These estimates
arc pased upon reports Of correspond
ehts OF the bureau of statistics (acri.
cultural forecasts) Of the department of
agriculture
wages OF farm labor tended upward
during the decade of the seventies:
they were almost stationary during the
eighties, and declined from 1892 to
1874, since which time they have stead
lily tended upward. Farm wages now,
compared with wages during the
eighties, are about 90 per cent higher;
compared with the low year of 1894,
wages are now about 81 per cont higher.
The current average rate of farm
wages IN the United States, when board
is included, is, by the month, S2l.3S; by
the day, other than harvest, Sl.l6; at
harvest, $1.57. When board is not in
cluded, the rate is, by the month, S30.3I;
by the day, other than harvest, ST. So;
by the day at harvest, $1.94,
Highest in West.
Wages IN different sections of the
United States vary widely, avera pinp
highest In the far western states and
lowest i'll the south Atlantic states For
instance, the monthly rate, without
board, is $3.50 in Nevada, $54 in Mon.
tana and SOL in Utah; but $3.50 in
South Carolina, $3.50 IN Mississippi.
and 5000 in Georgia. TThe highest
state average, 5000, is thus seen to
be SO times higher than the lowest
rate, $17.90
This wide difference in the wage
rates in different sections of the United
States is gradually lcsscning. In seven
Investigations made between 1866 and
1881, the average of wages of farm day
labor (Wlthout board) in the far west
ern states (where wages were highest)
was about 100 per cent higher than in
the south Atlantic states (where wages
were lowcsO; whereas, in seven inves-
LEGATIONS made since 1893, the western
states averaged about ITO per cent
higher than the south Atlantic, and in
the past year they were only about 90
per cent higher.
Factory Rise Slow.
The money wages of farm labor have
increased relatively more than wages
FOR labor In city manufactures during
the past twenty to thirty years. A
comparison Of the average Of wages
per employee IN manufacturing indus
tries, as reported by the censuses of
1910, 1900 and 1890, indicates that the
wages of such employees increased %
per cent in ten years (l900 to 1910,
and increased only % per cent In the
twenty years; the increases in farm
labor wages were approximately 81 per
cent IN the ten years and about 30 per
cent in the twenty years. This rela-
tive gain of rural upon urban wages
acts automatically upon the movement
from country to city.
Wages Of farm labor have been i'm
creasing, rapidly, not only in the United
States. but IN most, if not all, other
countries of the world. In the central
agricultural region of Russia the wage
per day paid to male labor for the years
190119o5 averaged 81 kopecks (17.5
cents) at sowing time, SO kopecks (25,7
ceuts) at hay harvest, and 81 kopecks
| (27.7 cents) at wheat harvest BY 1910
these wages had increased to 30 ko.
| pecks (27.S cents). 73 kopecks (37.6
cents) and 81 kopecks (44.S cents), re-
| spectively. In Hungary the wages of
per cent IN the ten years from 1897 to
| 1907, lp Denmark, from 1892 to 1905,
wages Of farm labor, with board. in
creased about 80 per cent, and without
| board % per cent. In Sweden wages
| of agricultural laborers Increased 3S
per cent in the ten years from 1898 to
| 1908. For Norway we have data show.
ing the wages III country and in towns,
wherein is shown that wages with
board, increased 10 per cent in country
| and IL per cent in towns, during the
ten years, 1895 to 1905, thus showing
a greater gain in country than in town
wages, In Japan, where economic con
ditions have been changing rapidly, the
yearly money wages of agricultural la
| Dor more than doubled in the fourteen
years from 1894 to 1908, and increased
43 per cent from 1898 TO 1908
Values Nearly Doubled.
Although farm wages i'll the United
States increased about 81 per cent from
1900 TO 1910, land values nearly doubled
| in the same time; indicating that In the
distribution of the proceeds from farm
! ing operations a larger proportion now
goes 10 capital account and less to labor
account than formerly; the interest
rate Of return on the capitalized value
| of land, however, is probably less now
| than twenty-five or thirty wears ago.
The value per acre of crop production
increased about 30 per cent from 1900
| to 1910,
The premium of harvest wages over