The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-01-10
U. S. SURVEY.
SHOWS DROP
IN REAL WAGES
Figures Expose Ballyhoo
of the New Deal
Pledges
tD.iy worker washington BureauJ

DAILY Worker Washington Bureau)
WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 9. =
Average living costs in 80 cities for
families of between Is and 20 mil
lion wage and lower-sslaried work
ers whose yearly income ranges
from 81 900 to $4,000, increased S3
per cent during the 18-month
period from June 1893 to Novem
Der 1894, Secretary Of Labor Frances
Perkins declared in answer to a
question on her long-awaited cost
of living survey, which was released
today.
She stated that "the past 10
months have witnessed a continuous
rise in living costs" Her cost Of
living survey covered only the Ave
month period from June |, 1884, to
November 1884
The secretary's announcement
side-stepped the publication of sta
tistics which would show the real
wages. or amount Of necessities and
miscellaneous items the group
studied could buy during the period
selected. "We have no figures on
resl wages" the Office of Tsador
Luhin, Commissioner of Labor Sta
tistics told your correspondent af-
te- Miss Perkins press conference.
1--WE don't care to relate those"
twages and cost OF living),
Reluctant to Give Facts
OBVIOUSLY. the failure to give the
press the effect of the appreciate
rise in the cost of living is caused
hv the Roosevelt administration
reluctance to inform the workers of
the decrease in their real wages, or
the smaller sum they now have
with which to buy food. clothing.
shelter and miscellaneous items. The
drop couldn't be reconciled with the
New Deal boast of "the new order
of things" or the Roosevelt oppo-
sition to Federal Unemployment and
social insurance.
1t is known. however, that be-
tween June 1888 and June 1884 the
real wage of the manufacturing
worker decreased IL per cent, ac-
cording to special report by Emer-
gency Council head Donald R. Rich
berg to the President.
Thus. in view of Miss Perkins
statement today that "the average
cost of the goods purchased by the
families of wage and lower salaried
workers in the larger cities of the
U. S.. increased by slightly less than
two per cent in the five months
period from June, 1884, to Novem-
Der. 1884" and the recently in
augurated Big Business Roosevelt
administration wage-cutting drive.
it is quite clear that the New Deal
has forced down the standard of
living of the great mass of the peo-
pie even lower than during the
period covered by her latest figures.
The big business coloring of the
Roosevelt administration, which eff
fected a tremendous increase in cor
poration profits while the Blue
Eagle was forcing workers within
the confines of the N. r. A. codes,
is especially significant when it is
remembered that President Roose-
welt proposed in his opening mes
sage to Congress to pay the So
called "employables.'' who will be
removed from the relief rolls, a
wage under prevailing rates
Hedges On Forced Labor
When asked about this admin
istration forced labor project, Miss
Perkins hedged noticeably. II will
have q much clearer conception
when I have some administrative
connection with the program" she
said. She added that it was her
understanding that it was not "a
wage at ALL but security re-
turn. 1T is the kind of thing you
can't say anything about until you
have the case before you,' she told
tho presr.
In discussing the refusal of the
big steel companies to accede to the
order of the Steel Labor Board for
plant elections to determine union
representation, Miss Perkins. who
has always supported the steel cor
porations, revealed that the Roose-
welt board had actually proposed
that instead of elections in every
plant, that there be a general
agreement with the major steel
companies to recognize the Anal
gamated Association of Iron and
Steel Workers GA. F. of Id as the
agency for such purposes but not
without preventing the other groups
coming forward for representation !"
But wouldn't that method block
any agreement with the A. A,?' a
reporter asked, making it clear that
such a plan would simply provide
mother employers weapon for at
lacking real unionism.
Speculation as to what it might
mean cughtn't to go into that. f. +.