Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 21, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 November 1899 — INDUSTRIAL CENSUS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

INDUSTRIAL CENSUS.

RECORD FOR THE SECOND YEAR OF PROTECTION. The Restoration of That Policy Has t Resulted In an Increase of 89.56 Par Cant in Anomt of Wages and 10.49 Par Cant in Per Capita Wage Rata. The extent to which American labor has gained In employment and in wages paid In the past four years, by reason of the restoration of Industrial activity in place of the dullness, depression and enforced Idleness of the desolate period following the free-trade experiment at tariff making In 1864 cannot, for obvious reasons, be accurately stated in figures. It is impossible for any bnt Government agencies to cover the ground with anything like completeness. Employers of labor do not, as a rule, take kindly to inquiries as to facts concerning wages, gross sum of output, etc. Hence an unofficial poll of the industrial situation is certain to be,attended with difficulties. The American Protective Tariff League, always exceptionally successful in this field, has just completed its industrial census for the month of March, 1899, using that month as the basis of comparison with Marfcb, 1895, the former being nineteen months after the enactment of the Dingley tariff, while the latter was seven months after the enactment of the Wilson tariff of 1894. In the case of the earlier period the country had

had considerably longer than seven months In which to settle down to an average level of results and conditions, for the reason that the period of welldefined stagnation really began very soon after the election of Grover Cleveland in November, 1892. Counting the time during which domestic producers were engaged in reducing their scale of operations in anticipation of freetrade tariff times, together with the seven months of actual experience under a freertrade tariff, we have a total period of time practically the same as the nineteen months between Ang. 1, 1897, and April 1,1899. It is, however, *to be borne in mind that onr returns for March, 1899, flattering and significant though they be, fall considerably short of adequately expressing the real progress made In nineteen months of practical protection. Everybody knows that a very important advance in the wage rate of the whole country has gone into effect since the close of March, 1899, onr census month. Therefore onr census fails to present the full facts of increased prosperity among American wage earners. We show that, compared with March, 1895, there was in the 1,957 establishments reporting a gain of 75,754 in the number of hands employed, or a gain of 39.56 per cent, for March, 1899; that there was a gain on the gross sum of wages paid of $8,461,235.58, this being 54.09 per cent more than in March, 189$; and that while in March, 1895, the average rate of wages per capita for the month was $33.36, the average wage rate per capita in March, 1899, had Increased to $36.86, being a gain of 10.49 per cent Had this census been extended so as to Include the months of April and May, 1899, the months in which the heaviest and most general advances in wages occurred, the percentage of increase in the per capita wage rate would undoubtedly have been above 15 per cent The figures in condensed form are as follows: Number of reports received, covering March, 1895, and March, 1899, 1,957. Number of bands employed: March, 1895, 191,732%. March, 1899, 267,486%. Gain for March, 1899, 39.56 per cent Amount of wages paid: March, 1895, $6^98,044.53. March, 1899, $9,859,280.38. . Gain for March. 1899, 54.09 per cent Average wages per capita: March, 1895, $33.36. March, 1899, $36*6. „ Gain for Majreh, 1899, 10.49 per cent "

bring joy to the heart of every JuniH can citizen. j -- _. afSIMMIBI What Hrjrati We*l4 Bryan says he “would notpuß the flag” In the Philippines, aßtf.fipß. cannot be kept flying there bF'4K|Hgj|H sent of Agulnaldo. He says be**«rotdfl not run away” from thevjPhlllppfiiß that is, would not withdraw the truuM, | and yet they cannot stay there ty t|9 consent of Agulnaldo and his bandMj insurgents. He says be would retmj a naval station, and yet It coattiafpgHh retained except by going eonttHwH the consent of Agulnaldo. He deelaM that he would have the United assume a protectorate over the toIAMH and yet this, too, would be against tag consent of Agulnaldo. Any and aBJH these things which Bryan would done would have to be done by fOffl and without the consent of the gOffl erned.—Council Bluffs Nonpareil, % | A Roll of Honor. wyffl | Here is a roll of honor for tbe MB cratic party of the nation eonsistlrfjigß the leading papers of that party are now insisting that tbe FlllplsSl must be conquered before any atteßpH Is made by Congress to decide orlpl form of government for tbe Phfßn| pines: Philadelphia Record, PhlJidjfli phia Times, Louisville Courler-JoßtuHj Washington Times, Atlanta Cona/tajm tlon, Chicago Chronicle, Galvestaß News, Nashville American, MenWjM Commercial-Appeal, Dallas, TeaS News, Lexington, Ky., Herald, BH! mond, Va., Times, Savannah, QaM News, Mobile, Ala., Register, ClevdnH Plain Dealer, Albany, N. Y., Timjfl

Union, Dubuque, lowa, Herald, SMB City, lowa, Tribune. It is also true tilfl the Democratic papers of the South saßl more generally supporting the admlnlM tration and the army than the cratlc papers of the North.—Des MdfcfH';' Register. . -M Kchoet of Mason’s Threat.’-S 1 Senator “Billy” Mason may as be setting his affairs in order.—Bouwd Journal. • \ ‘/-Sk -'1 He might as well do it right n<rj| and relieve the nation of his offensifß presence in the Senate of the Uniflp States.—Toledo Blade. j The probabilities are that SenijH Mason will have to give np his seal coupon to the Senatorial doorkeenflH Baltimore American. I If this is what the Senator is waitH for he may as well resign now. Mrilßj save him several months of weo| waiting.—Springfield (Mass.) Union. |j His threat to resign Is worth rems|B berlng. The administration wIH jfl sustained not only at Washington* l|l in the next National Convention of fffl Republicans.—Brooklyn Eagle. | Petitions are being signed by laiS numbers of Republicans urging hM not to wait for the action of the eqHj vention, but to get out of office at onaß Yet every one who knows Billy kamH he will stick to his office to the end his term.—St Louis Globe-Democsa|fl Some of the rough border Stall years ago might have been excuaaflH for sending a man like Billy Masongl| the Senate. There is no excuse Cor|jß : Empire State of the West being rcjjßj sented by him. He will strike ft poml lar chord by resigning.—Peoria HegmSg Transcript. m \ y"*i«. v -' . Best of AU Route* V