A BRIEF STUDY IN TRADES-UNIONISM.

COMPARATIVE PRESENTATION OF WAGES, HOURS OF
LABOR, DAYS EMPLOYED DURING THE YEAR AND
YEARLY EARNINGS IN UNION AND NON-
UNION GLASS, HAT AND CIGAR
FACTORIES, 1898.

Among the most interesting industrial problems of the day is the question as to whether the organization of labor is of real or only assumed benefit and advantage to the worker directly concerned and the community of which he forms the most numerous and important element, and to what extent these benefits take upon themselves measurable and comparable shape. Much has been said and written on both sides of this important subject, without, however, materially aiding in bringing it out of the vast category of "vexed questions.'

With a view to helping on toward a definite and permanent solution of this matter, the Bureau has entered upon an extended investigation, the plan and character of which are illustrated in the tables which are herewith presented.

Three leading organized industries in the State were selected—the glassworkers, cigarmakers and hatters—and statistics carefully gathered as to relative conditions prevailing in representative union and non-union establishments. Care was taken to be absolutely fair and impartial in the collection of these data, without prejudice or favor against or for either system of labor, so that the results reached should be reliable so far as the limited presentation goes.

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The following summary table gives the principal points of interest brought out by the investigation, the number of hours worked day, piece or day work, the wages per day, the price per ruling quantity in the trade, the number of these unit lots made per week, the period of pay, whether weekly or bi-weekly, the number of days idle during the year ending June 30th, 1898, and the yearly earnings.

On all these points there is exhibited a decided improvement in the organized branches of the trades investigated, which is most particularly noticeable in the matter of yearly earnings, where the difference in favor of unionism amounts to 137.46 per cent. in the cigar, 107.87 per cent. in the glass, and 14.73 per cent. in the hat industry. The general tables relating to the three industries give all details, totals and averages.

As before stated, it is proposed to further develop and elaborate this line of investigation during the coming year.