New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-07
Wage Increase Is
More Than Offset
By Rise IN Prices
Pay of American Workingman, E,.
pressed in Terms of Food 1t VII
Buy, Cut ! 8 Per Cent in Ten Yesr

II a dollars worth of food bouss. !.
1907 weighed the market basket down q.
pounds, in 1916 that dollar purchased All.
a trAe more than seven pounds. The ,.,,s
prices Of food jumped 80 per cent in 1915, !.
compared with 1907, according 70 the inv,r,
cations Of the Bureau Of Labor Statistic, I.
the United States Department Of Labor. =,
reported in the April monthly review Of a,
bureau.
Despite an average increase Of 10 per s,..
in wages per hour in the same period, ssS +.
reduction in hours worked Of per cent. n,
rising cost Of foods has operated 70 cut IA.
pay Of the American workingmsn about i,I
per cent expressed in terms Of food his
wages will buy. A workingmsn who mad,
SO a day in 1907. working ten hours in lss|
worked nine hours and thirty-six minute
a day and drew s3.4S for it; but it cos. hin|
s4.17 70 buy the same quantity Of food his 81
would cover in 1907; so he really was d!
cents worse of.
The Bureau Of Labor Statistics gathers fsl
ures from forty-eight leading cities OF tai
United States on union scales Of wages, anal
from forty-sx cities on food prices. In thss
cities live about one-hfth (20,000,000) 81
our people The wage returns come frsn
eleven groups OF organized workers. Thea
figures are taken from two bulletins, givr,
scales OF wages and hours OF labor. and n.
tail prices of food. Index numbers, peres.
ages showing proportionate rates Of inera.
or reduction. are shown for each year. he
department has learned that the sbnora
increase in food prices shown in 1916 is 81
further increased in January 70 So per ess,
and in February 70 So per cent above IL,
average cost in 1907. OF course, all Ties
figures are based on averages and may re-
apply exactly 70 individual cases. II an arm
uniform were made on the average measur.
ments of the soldiers it would represent Their
average size. but wouldn't fit one Of them.
Factor of Idle Time
A vital fact should be considered herr
however: These figures do not account fs
idle time. Until recently the departures:
could not get satisfactory figures on this
point. But It is matter Of common knowi.
edge that Jobs now are chasing men. In 1901
there were no jobs to dodge. The land was
crowded with idle men. At conference o.
workers held at the Department Of Commera
and Labor in 1909 TO discuss the problem o.
unemployment. Samuel Gompers, President
of the American Federation Of Labor, stated
that "since October. 1907. nearly 2.0OO,0N
workers were out OF jobs" who had been
working steadily prior TO that time. Other
estimates placed the number OF men then
idle at from three 20 four millions Nova
DAYS every man who wants work can find it
and that is a very important fact
To make the difference in living costs PLAIN
sr take the experience of Denny ONehL
denny worked on the railroad in 1907 foT
81 40 a day of ten hours. Denny - STEADY
man and he kept his work right along. he
oot s8.40 a week in l907. Denny's pay now
on the averages found by the Department O.
Labor-is 1915 week. He works about
twentv-odd minutes less each day than NJ
did In 1907 Denny paid S. a week for food
In 1916 Denny had 10 pay s6.91 week f''
the same quantity of food. So Dennys 1--WE.
was actually cut during these nine year' o.
rising wages. He loses 50 cents week, n0
counting rent. which has not changed y"
Denny. nor counting clothes. which cost MN
more. ..,;s.1
The averages of food and OF pay quaiihsa
by reductions in hours worked. rose az aO0u'
Tho same rate from 1912 to 1915. so that OUT
inc that time wages would pay Tor aoos'
even quantities of food each year Actuai5
workers enjoyed better conditions in lsS
than in 1912. because they mad more -.
steadier work But war losses got into w
eouation in 1916 and pushed up 1000 price,
faster than wages. There were some. er0'
shortages also. which contributed their snsrs
Resides this. however. there is reason to rear
that other elements are conspiring 20 rs'''
nrices. Cold storage. rebilling, resnippnt
and withholding Of commodities from maf1
are suspected to contribute 20 the present :.
normal rise in the prices of food "netas'
some persons have conspired 20 engro'' y.
markets the Department Of Labor cams,
state. But the reports Of the Bureau !.
Labor Statistics seem to lend some color "
such an opinion. viewed in the light OF e0.'
ditions revealed by a comparison OF hgu'"
through a range of years.