The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-08-19
LABOR SHARES NEW
WEALTH OF nation
Wonderful Expansion Of Trade
and Commerce Made Under
President Wilson.
BILLIONS ADDED TO
WAGES OF WORKERS
Record Shows That Wage Farmers
Received 1ncrease of Three
Billions Over Previous Year.

NEW YORK,-The second chapter
of the Remocratic text book deals
with the wage problems Of America,
and shows how the 1aboring man has
benefited in many millions Of dollars
during the Wilson administration,
This second chapter is a description
Of the Democratic doctrine that the
real prosperity Of a nation is to be
measured first by the prosperity of its
workers.
From Labor Bureau Figures.
THE United States departing ent
OF labor report shows that the aver
age wage increase in the industries is
from per cent to 20 per cent during
the past four years. and that from
1913 to 1915, during the Wilson ad-
m1nistratton, wage earners in the
United States were paid $17,6OO.o00,-
900, against $14.320,000,0oo paid in
wages during the four years Of Mr..
Taft's term from 1909 to 1872" says
the book.
'This record shows that during the
Wilson administration the wage earn
ers of the country received in wages
over $3,000,000,000 more than they
did during the four years preceding
under the Republican administration.
According to the data of the de-
partment of labor upon union wages
per hour as the basis Of computation,
the average union wage during the
years 1914 and 1915, under Demo-
cratic laws and administration, were
1e$ ahA
for the six years-19O7 to 1912, in
clusive-under the Dingley and Payne
tariff laws and Republican, admins
tration.
Wages Up 10 Per Cent.
taking as basis tabulation of
press announcements of wage in
creases for 1916, made by the depart
ment- of labor. 1t is conservative to
place the 1916 wage level at 10 per
cent higher than 1915: or, 20 per cent
higher than the Republican level on
1907-1912.
1.-THE census of 1910 (based on
1909 data) gave the number Of was~
earners employed in manufacturing
industries only as 6,615,000, and the
wages paid, $3,427,000,000. It is es-
timated Con basis of preliminary re-
turns Of 1914 census of manufacture
ers) that in 1915 American manufac-
turers gave employment to 100000
wage earners at wages amounting to
$4,407, 100000; or an increase of
nearly $1,000,oo0,000 over 1910.
1T is conservatively estimated that
in 1916 American manufacturers en-
ploy 10 per cent more wage earners
at 10 per cent higher average rate
of wages per annum than in 1915.
This would bring the 1916 volume of
wages paid in manufactures only up
to $5,300,000,0O0, or upwards of
81, 100000 over the Republican
census record Of 1910.
More Than 2O,0O0,000 Earners.
'These figures are for wage earners
employed in manufacturing industries
only. The census of 1910 gave the
total number employed in manufac-
turing and mechanical industries as
10,65S,000, in transportation, 1884,
600. and in mines, 964,824, and in
agriculture, forestry and animal hus-
bandry (exclusive Of 5000, 900 farm
ers and other employers) as 6,659,000
making a total industrial army Of
wage earners Of over 100000 ,oo0.'
The .far-reaching character. Of the
wage increases won by American
labor in 1916 is shown, it is stated, by
the following cases noted by the labor