Page:Wages in US 1908-1910.djvu/41

Rh, no more accurate or useful statistics could be secured, unless they furnished an abstract of their pay-rolls, and the records of each individual worker were tabulated. Such a task, for 500,000 workers, would be only less stupendous than a door to door census of the entire State. For the time being, neither of these propositions is practicable. Meanwhile, the Massachusetts system is an excellent substitute for the one which we may hope to adopt in the distant future.

Two other schedules are sent to employers and to trade unions, requesting statements as to changes in wages during the past year. For the purpose of the present study, the compilations of these replies are unimportant.

The Massachusetts method of collecting and presenting wage material has already been adopted by a number of States. Thus far it has met with admirable success, and until some more effective method is devised, it should be accepted as a standard by other State labor departments.

The Massachusetts system of collecting wage statistics has been described in detail in order to