Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/387

 ECCENTRIC OFFICIAL STATISTICS 373

is discovered that the Aldrich report has not even a solitary wage quotation for our greatest industry agriculture. " By it (he says) we find that, taking 1860 as the standard at 100, rates of wages rose from 87.7 in 1840 to 160.7 in '891 ; that is an increase of 60.7 per cent, from 1860 and of 73 per cent, from 1840. Taking the average according to the importance of the industries, that is to say, of each industry relative to all indus- tries, it is found that the gain from 1840 to 1891 was 86 per cent." Colonel Wright here misses the point entirely for there has been no contention that there had been no improvement in conditions since 1840 or 1860, but that in recent years the rich have been growing richer and the poor poorer.

Had he quoted the report more fully his figures would have shown that almost the entire increase in wages was prior to 1872 and 1880, and that the increase during the period when census figures show the greatest increase in earnings was comparatively insignificant. That the increase in rates of wages shown by the Aldrich report are exaggerated as a result of the fallacious methods of the statistician is capable of demonstration, in fact has been demonstrated, as Colonel Wright is aware, by an able statistician, Mr. Fredrick C. Waite.

In the foregoing quotation of Colonel Wright's article may be noticed a blunder that seems inexcusable in a statistician. An increase in relative wages from 87.7 in 1840 to 160.7 * n ^91 is not, as Colonel Wright statesman increase of 73 per cent. An operative receiving 87 cents in 1840, and $1.60 in 1891, would have an increase in wages of 73 cents ; not of 73 per cent., but of over 83 per cent. The increase, according to importance, as is seen by reference to the Aldrich report, was not as Colonel Wright states, 86 per cent., but 104 per cent. While the Aldrich report shows a great increase in rates of wages from 1840 to 1891 the increase from 1872 to 1891 was less than 6 per cent, by simple average. Averaged according to importance the increase shown is 10 per cent.

After the panic of 1873, as shown by this report, the rate of wages fell and had but partially recovered in 1880 so that the