Facts For Laboring Men

The work of the Michigan labor bureau under the factory inspection law of 1893 reveáis some things of interest to the laboring classes and their friends. Out of about 3,000 factories in the state, 1,644 have been inspected. This is the result of the inspection: The number of operatives employed j by these 1,044 factories, if running at full capacity, would be 72,602. They are employing at present 47,457, leaving operatives unempioyed, 25,205. The monthly pay roll of these 47,457 who are employed is $1, 618,794, which : is an average per month for each man employed of S34.ll. The loss to labor for the 25,205 j tives unempioyed, monthly, is 8859,742.55. The same for one 3'ear is $10,316,910.60. This is a loss to labor of nearly 35 per cent. Of these factories there were running full time, 1,106; part time, 394; idle, 144; total, 1,644. Of the ones idle and running on part time, there has been a loss of time each day, in hours, 2,210; reduced to days of 10 hours each, 221; a loss of 8% months of time every day. This represents a loss of money to labor for each day, $289.93; for each month, 7,538.18; for the year, ! 448. 16. It will be thus seen that labor loses daily by the unempioyed operatives of these factories, 82,755.53; the same ! ing for each month, 371,645.21; eaeh year, 8859,742.55, which, added to the loss of time as above, makes a total loss for each day of 83,045.51; each month, 879, 183. 39; each year, 950, 290. 71. The report f rom many of these factories show a reduction in wages from 5 to 2-5 per cent as compared with one year ago, whén a reduction of an average of 10 per cent took place. When we take into consideration that the above figures (which are official) ! are from only about one-half of the factories in the state (reports from the others not yet received) the enormous j loss to labor by the depression in business can readily be seen. What has wrought this awful change in the condition of labor in Michigan'? It has all come about since the change in the national administration. From industry and plenty under Republican auspices, we have fallen into idleness and want under Democratie influences.