Evening star., 1935-08-12
INCOMES. IN j. s.
JUMP ) BILLION
Commerce Department Es-
innate Covers All Phases
of National Income.

he american pcOpie enJCycu di
income raise Of 5000 ,oo0, ,o00 in 1884
over the previous year, with large
part Of the total income going to labor.
This was estimated by the Com
merce Department, IN a survey of all
phases of national income, showing
that the total 1884 figure was s49. .440,-
000, 900, the highest since the $6l ,433,-
900 900 in 1881. and compared with the
1929 boom year peak Of $78,576,-
100000.
Out OF the total 1884 income, labor
got $33 .l09 ,000, 900. or 81 per cent, as
compared with 65 per cent in 1929.
The figure of 1894 900 900 in relief
wages was responsible for 28 per cent
of the 81. so that regularly employed
labor received 642 per cent.
The relief wages included those paid
by the Civilian Conservation Corps,
the Civil Works Administration, emer-
gency relief projects and admins
trative pay rolls. But $302 900 900
paid out by the Public Works Admin
istration was grouped under the con-
struction industry
Highest Since 1881.
Labor's income of more than
S33 600, 100000 was highest since it's
1881 figure of sag, ,444 ,OO0. 900 and
compared with $5l ,0Ss, ,OOO, 900 in peak
1929.
While income paid out declined 43
per cent from 1929 to 1888" said the
report. the Bureau Of Labor Statistics
indexes of The cost of living and of
wholesale prices decreased % per cent
and 81 per cent, respectively. The net
decline from 1929 to 1884 in income
paid out was 81 per cent, as COM
pared with a decrease of 20 per cent
in the cost Of living and Fl per cent
in the level Of wholesale prices.
The 1898 to 1884 changes tended
to reduce the disparity of the trends
for the earlier period. Relative to
1929, labor income declined 43 per
cent by 1893 and increased IA per
cent from 1888 to 1884, while property
income fell off 40 per cent by 1888 and
increased only per cent in 1884.
Exclusive of work relief payments,
labor income increased IL per cent
from 1888 to 1884"
With the exception of electric light
and power, the report said the income
paid out by each major industrial
group increased in 1884. OF agri-
culture 1t said:
Income paid out in 1884 to the
agriculture industry increased 10 per
cent, but there is evidence of a much
larger increase in the total income
produced than in the income paid out
in this industry in 1884. > There is
evidence also to indicate that large
business losses shown in 1882 for the
agriculture industry have been elimi-
mated and that business savings oc-
CURED in 1894
In dollars the report put agricul-
ture's income at 1929. 900 900 for
1884. compared with 50 9e3 900 900 in
1888 and S6,157 100000 in 1929.
Available data" the report con-
tinued. indicate a marked decline in
both 1888 and 1894 in business losses,
which in 1882 equaled approximately
$40 900 100000 - A tabulated
sample of published corporation re-
ports showed business losses in 1888
were less than half of the 1892 total
and in 1884 were further reduced to a
point between ne-fourth and one
fifth of the 1892 figures"
Small Business Prospers.
Aside from labor. the next largest
share Of the national income went to
owners and partners of unincorporat-
ed businesses, professional persons and
other self-employed persons. This de-
clined Al per cent from 1929 to 1888.
but increased 10 per cent from 1888
to 1884. In 1884 payments to this
class were s8.103.000, 900, compared
with $12, ,424, 100000 in 1929. Their
proportionate share gained from 1873
per cent in 1929 to 1874 per cent in
1894.
Salaries in mining. manufacturing,
construction and water and rail trans
portation were less. proportionately,
In 1884 than 1929 They were s.5 per
cent OF the Nations total income last
year, as compared to ~ per cent in
1929 The proportions going as wages
to workers in these industries fell from
2l.9 per cent in 1929 to 1871 in 1884.
Dividends fell from 7.6 per cent of
the national income In 1929 to 4.6 in
1888, but rose slightly to Al in 1894.