Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1921-12-02
LAB0R'S PAY Is
NOW LESS THAN
80 YEARS AGO


During tho past ihlrsy years the
Wages paid workers in this country
have not Increased. hut actually have
decreased. is the deliberate opinion Of
Professor Paul n. Douglas. Of the
University ef Chicago. and. Francis
i.amherSon. eminent economist. who
publish their studies and conclusions
IN the September iSSue of the Amcrl-
can Economic Review.
The commonly accepted belief that
vases have been surely and steadily
advancing since 1890 is completed,
| disproNed by these Investigators.
They admit that nominal pay rates IN
many instances are certainly higher
| than those which were granted during
the presidency of Benjamin Harrison.
| but analyses OF wages paid and living
costs convince them that, when meas
urcd by what money Will buy. the
/ MorkcfS' compensation has actually
| diminished over this period.
Wages, IL Is held, are meaningless
| unless prices are considered The
period eampfchended by the survey.
1890 to 1918. was one Of rising prices,
Wage rates also advanced but
prices eutstripped them at every
stage of tho Journey.
The eeanemials used what material
was available for the q years and
their deductions seem 90 have been
subjected to every test necessary IL
meet the requirements of science. In
,lices ~ prices and of wages were
utilized. The cost Of food was taken
las sufficiently reliable measure of
the changes In the cost Of living.
while hourly and weekly wage rates
were deemed sufficient Indications OF
the actual annual incomes of workers.
Reckoned In the figures of the IN.
deN, hourly wages In 1890 were na,1.
by ipiS they had gone To the figure
of sii.S. The hours of lahor had been
shortened during that period. how
ever 40 that the weekly wages had
moved only from 1908 In $500 TO MI
IN 1918.
Retail food prices during the same
period. the indices show, had all
vaneed from 1919 In 1890 Ia 2666 In
1918. The buying power of money
had decreased more rapidly than
wages had increased. When the IN
dex Of real wages was elaborated for
full time weeks IL was found that the
a9.i of 1890 had gene down to 7od
IN 1913.
4 3bHttfHiHE AillHs Aitt AAAitifN hftttif
that .the purchasing power of the esa
tahliahed weeks work In 1918 waa
/, from 20 To 20 per cent less than IN the
e0's, and from 10 to 20 per cent less
than in iglb."
After establishing To their entire
satisfaction, that the worker today
. receives less remuneration than was
!. lpaisl.in lhp0 for u given amount nf
! service, the economists believe that
they have found the answer to pro
vailing discomfort and unrest, IN
spite Of many optimistic statements
10 the contrary. life for the average
worker becomes more difficult and
Z burdensome.
Another important service has been
performed by these students IN ut
9 lacking the hackneyed charge that
= the workers Stacked during the war.
american labor as WHOLE they
say, cannot legitimately be charged
= with having profiteered during the
war. Rather, like Alice In Wonder
; land, Il was compelled To run faster
To stay In the same place"
i The purpose of this extended in
D uuiry wnH 10 provide positive facts
upon which might be determined, In
; the view of the authors, whether there
: h not fatal weakness In the conten-
:. ton of employers who hold that the
liquidation Of labor must precede
economic recovery. Thes Unconditional
} statistics available reveal It's incin-
cerity and baselessness.
The effect of this important eontri-
: button will be TO tear down the noun
tain of propaganda lies that have
been disseminated by interests TINT
are concerned solely IN further low
ering the standards Of workers, un-
al tney shave finally reached the un-
social strata Of absolute beggary.'