Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 59, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 March 1899 — Good Tinies Figures. [ARTICLE]

Good Tinies Figures.

One year ago, March, 1898, the American Economist performed a valuable service in compiling and publishing an industrial census which showed that a vast increase had taken place in the gross sum of money disbursed among working people, as compared with the month of March, 1895, when the disastrous tariff tinkering of a free trade administration had begun its deadly work upon American labor and industry. That census, reporting comparative conditions in nearly 2,500 labor employing establishments, showed March, 1898, eight months after the passage of the Dingley law, a gain of 31.65 per cent, in the number of hands employed, a gain of 44.05 per cent, in the gross sum of wages paid, and a gain of 11.56 per cent, in the average wage rate per capita. The Economist is now showing the better times of the second year of prosperity, reporting a general advance in earnings of cotton mill operatives of about 10 per cent., of iron and steel workers generally 10 percent., in tin plate and sheet workers from 5 to 10 per cent., of coal miners about 10 per cent., and several other departments of labor fully 10 per cent. The reports thus far indicate that nearly 250, 000 workers have been affected by the advance in wages. Other establishments which were forced to reduce wages in times of freetrade tariff depression and which are now experiencing the benefits of revived activity, are certain to join in the increase of wages. Thus “Protection is keeping its word with the American workingman. The Dingley tariff is carrying out its contract to revive business and increase wages. The ‘advance agent of prosperity’ proves to have been acting with knowledge and authority. The fulfillment is in a fair way to make good the forecast, and more too.” j