Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 4.djvu/100

 84 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

product comparable, this fact alone would destroy the comparability of the wage statistics. In the one census we thus have a larger pro- portion of the lower-paid operatives who work in the country where the cost of living, and as a consequence wages, are less, and in the other census a diminished proportion of this class of workers and a largely increased proportion of the higher-paid wage-earners of our cities. As previously shown, there was from 1880 to 1890 an increase of 267 per cent, in the number of those reported in the manufacturing statistics as engaged in five of the building trades.

The manufacturing schedule of 1890 called specifically for a report of the salaries of clerks and of officers of corporations, and the estimated value of the services of the employer, and only for the aver- age number of employes, while the schedule of 1880 called for the greatest as well as the average number of employes and for the amount paid as wages. As to the result of this change in methods we have presented the statement of a former census official quoted and not disputed by Colonel Wright.

Considering Mr. Steuart's tergiversations, we can do no otherwise than accept this statement, which Mr. Steuart does not directly dispute, not only because Mr. Waite appears the more credible witness, but because we find him corroborated in part by so respectable an author- ity as General Walker, who, on p. 381, "Volume of Industry and Wealth," Ninth Census, remarks :

" In reference to certain of the common trades, it needs to be stated, in explanation, that the apparently inadequate amount of wages reported is due to the fact that a very large body of labor is included which is not represented in the wage column. Thus the statistics of carpentering show that for a total production of $132,901,432 (the value of materials being $65,943,115) the amount of wages paid was only $29,169,588. The consideration above noted is sufficient to account for the seeming deficiency, inasmuch as the labor of proprie- tors of establishments in this line (certainly not less than 17,142, and probably rising to 20,000) was compensated, not out of the wages paid, but out of the profits of the business. In some branches of industry the number of 'hired hands' is even less than the number of artisans working in their own shops, and hence receiving no wages, but living off the profits of manufacture."

Mr. Waite's statement seems also corroborated by Mr. Steuart, who says: " An examination of the original report of 1880 reveals the fact that, to some extent at least, officers, firm members, and clerks, as well