, 1923-02-22
ORGANIZED LABOR AND WAGES

Of articles in recent Issues of the
Cheyenne Tribune telling Of organi-
zed labor; its origin. history, aims
and results.
The article appearing last Sunday
dealt with the wage situation OF to-
day as compared with present day
cost of living and was as follows:
In our previous articles we have
dealt entirely with the history Of
organized labor. In this issue we
will present some reasons why the
worker does not consider that pre-
vailing wages are too high in com
parison with ruling prices of living
commodities.
This question is vital, not only
to the workers themselves, but to
socies y in general. There is a deep
seated belief in nearly all minds out
side of the circles of organized la
Dor, that in %unionized factories and
other union york that wages have
been pushed to exhorbitant levels
n that the only way to return to a
sound condition is by the forcing of
wage scales.
In reviewing the facts bearing on
this question we must have a stan
dard of comparison on which to base
u judgment, for without some such
basis. statistics are confusing and
meaningless, and there would be no
way to determine that one dollar
per day was too small or thai twen-
ty-five dollars per day was too much.
The expression "a taIr days wage
for a fair days work. may mean
anything, without some basis of com
parison.
There are three fundamental stan
dards used by economists who make
a study OF this question. hat first;
have wages kept pace with the cost
of living second, are the wages paid
a living wage. that is, are they suf-
ficient to maintain a family of Ave-
& size in health and reasonable
creased In proportion to the national
productivity, when population in
creases taken into account?
Now let us see IL your first STAN
dard the wages paid during the war
n now are enough to purchase
as large a quantity of food, clothing
and other necessities OF life as the
wages Of 1900. On this matter we
must remember that because OF ris-
ing prices the dollar was only worth
when We entered the wal in 1917
half as much as the dollar Of 1900
and by 1920 only one third as much.
Looking at 1t from this point the
man making two dollars in 1900 had
to be making six dollars in 1920
to break wen.
In referring to the report Of the
United States census bureau cover
Ing wages in manufacturing indus
tries. for the Years 1899 to 1919, we
discovered that while there vas an
increase in the average earnings Of
factory employees. from 1926 for the
year 1899 to $1,159 for the year
1919. the purchasing power Of the
dollar had so decreased that In COM
parison with the dollar of 1899 It
represented a value Of considerably
less than 35 cents. In other words
the s1.159 average earnings in 1919
was equal only to $420 based up
on the values OF 1899.
In nearly all Of the charges that
wages are too high they have been
made not at unorganized labor but
at union labor. We are not going
to argue this point but will let the
figures OF the United States depart
ment OF labor statistics give the facts
as they find them. For this pur-
pose we will use the averages pre-
sented OF union wages covering the
bakers, building trades. metal trades.
printing trades. teamsters. laundry
workers and those employees in the
culinary trade. the above represent
ing an organized membership Of
about 100000 which should pre-
sent a fair basis OF values.
We find that the union wages
were a little more than twice a.
high in 1891 than in 1907 but that
the buying power was only % per
cent OF what 1t was in 1907. Ac-
ceptinE the average full time earn
fnss OF 1907 as a basis Of value
representing 100 per cent with a
corresponding value placed upon the
purchasing power we find that while
the average full time earnings of
1921 represented 20s per cent inso-
far as dollars were concerned, the
purchasing power OF the dollar was
%6 cents and the relative buying
power OF the average full time earn
ings for the latter year represented
but "a per cent as of comparison
with 1907.
While there was q sharp decline
In the prices OF commodities in
1921. this was more than offset
by the lack OF employment that came
with the decline and continuity OF
employment must always be taken
in consideration in any discussion of
earnings. Since the sharp decline
spoke OF. however. we have been ad-
vised by the United States depart
mont of labor OF increases in the
cost OF living commodities that show
n decided tendency to rise to former
high levels.
II is interesting TO note in this
connection. what some OF the trades
should have received in average
earnings In 1920 to have enjoyed
tho purchasing power possible
In 1918. for instance. the b%ricklaycrs
OF New York received $1,000 for an
average full time week in 1 4. In