in 1893 to 77,158 in 1894, when the eight-hour day was introduced into many of the Government establishments. In 1895 the number sank to 22,735, but in 1896 there was a rise to 108,271. The number of persons affected by decreases in the hours of labor greatly exceeded the number whose hours were increased during each of the years 1893, 1894, and 1895. In 1896, however, the conditions were reversed, largely accounted for by the London building trades, in which the readjustment of working rules involved a trifling increase in the average hours worked. The average number of hours of labor per week per employee showed a decrease during each of the four years.

The following table shows the number of employees affected by changes in the hours of labor, classified according to the extent of such changes per week, and for the years 1893 to 1896:

EMPLOYEES AFFECTED BY CHANGES IN HOURS OF LABOR, BY EXTENT OF CHANGE PER WEEK, 1893 TO 1896.

It will be seen from the above figures that, in the case of 71,899 out of a total of 73,616 persons whose hours of labor were increased in 1896, the increase was less than one hour per week. As previously alluded to, this large number is accounted for by the London building trades, in which a readjustment of working rules involved a trifling increase in the average hours worked. In the case of changes of over one hour per week, the number of persons affected by decreases greatly exceeded the number whose hours were increased during each of the four years mentioned.

In the following table the number of changes in rates of wages during the years 1894, 1895, and 1896, and the number of individual employees affected, are shown by industries:

NUMBER OF INCREASES AND DECREASES IN WEEKLY WAGES, AND EMPLOYEES AFFECTED, BY INDUSTRIES, 1894 TO 1896.

The returns for the year 1894 show that there were 779 changes in rates of wages, 608 resulting in increases and 171 in decreases. These changes affected 670,386 individuals, 175,615 gaining a net increase and 488,357 sustaining a net decrease. In the case of 6,414 individuals, the wages were changed during the year, but were the same at the close as at the beginning. Of the entire number of persons affected by changes, 539,202, or 80 per cent, were employed in the mining and quarrying industries.

During 1895, 804 changes in rates of wages were reported, 624 being increases and 180 being decreases. Of a total of 436,718 individuals whose wages were changed, 79,867 gained a net increase, 351,895 sus

tained a net decrease, and in the case of 4,956 the wages were changed during the year, but stood at the same level at the end as at the beginning of the year. In the case of the building trades, all of the 217 changes reported, which affected 24,431 persons, resulted in increased wages.

The figures for 1896 showed 1,607 changes in the rates of wages, of which 1,471 were increases and 136 were decreases. These changes affected 607,654 individuals, of whom 382,225 gained a net increase and 167,357 sustained a net decrease. In the case of 58,072 the wages underwent changes during the year, but were the same at the close as at the beginning.

The following statement shows by industries for the years 1893 to 1896 the number of individual employees affected by changes in rates of wages, and the net results as shown by the average increase or decrease per head per week, respectively:

EMPLOYEES AFFECTED BY CHANGES IN RATES OF WAGES, 1893 TO 1896, BY INDUSTRIES.

Employees affected by changes in rates Average increase per head per of wages.

Industries.

week.

During the entire period of four years the groups of building and clothing industries and employees of public authorities showed a steady increase in the average weekly rates of wages per employee. The employees in the mining and quarrying industries appear to have suffered most in regard to reduction of rates of wages since 1893. In 1896 there was an increase of wages in all the principal industries except the last mentioned.

The changes in the hours of labor during the years 1894, 1895, and 1896, and the number of individual employees affected, are shown, by industries, in the table following.

NUMBER OF INCREASES AND DECREASES IN HOURS OF LABOR, AND EMPLOYEES AFFECTED, BY INDUSTRIES, 1894 to 1896.

There were 221 changes reported in the hours of labor in 1894, of which all but two resulted in decreases. The changes affected 77,158 persons, of whom 77,030 had their hours decreased and 128 had their hours increased. A greater number was affected by decreases in the hours of labor in 1894 than during any other year for which data were obtained. This was due to the introduction of the average eight-hour day in Government establishments, which affected 46,313 of the employees reported.

In 1895, 141 changes in the hours of labor were reported, of which 12 were increases and 129 were decreases. These changes affected 22,735 persons, 1,287 of whom had their hours increased and 21,448 had their hours decreased.

The figures for 1896 showed a total of 245 changes, of which 22 resulted in increases in the number of hours of labor, affecting 73,616 employees, and 223 resulted in decreases, affecting 34,655 employees.

During each of the three years cach group of industries showed a decrease in the average number of hours per week worked by an employee.

Returns regarding wages of agricultural laborers in England and Wales showed a downward tendency in 1894 and 1895, but in 1896 a change for higher wages was reported. The number of laborers in districts in which changes in the current rates of wages took place was 129,481 in 1894, 119,890 in 1895, and 99,329 in 1896. Of these, 107,000 in 1894, 92,334 in 1895, and 40,751 in 1896 were in districts in which wages fell, and 22,481 in 1894, 27,556 in 1895, and 58,578 in 1896 were in districts in which wages rose. The total net effect of these changes was a fall of £2,705 ($13,164) per week, or 5d. ($0.10) per head, in 1894, and £2,629 ($12,794) per week, or 54d. (80.11) per head, in 1895, and a rise of £383 ($1,864) per week, or 1d. ($0.02) per head, in 1896, on all laborers in the districts in which wages changed. Calculated on the total number of agricultural laborers in England and Wales, the fall per head was d. ($0.015) in 1894 and 1895, as compared with a rise of d. ($0.003) per week in 1896.

The information presented regarding changes in rates of wages of railway employees in 1894, 1895, and 1896 was derived mainly from returns furnished by their trade unions.

The rates of wages during the three years did not, so far as ascertained, undergo any marked changes, but there appeared to be a slight upward tendency. With regard to the hours of labor, there seemed to be a tendency toward a decrease. Changes in hours of labor are of two classes-(1) those resulting from representations by the board of trade under the railway-regulation act of 1893, where there were reasonable grounds for complaint on account of excessive hours, and (2) other changes.

In 1894 information was received of changes of wages affecting 3,004 persons, of whom 2,968 had increases and only 36 decreases. These figures represent the number of persons whose rates of pay were altered, but it does not necessarily follow that they all benefited or lost during the actual year 1894. There were 98 cases of reduction in hours of labor resulting from representations by the board of trade. The changes. reported from other sources affected 540 railway employees, all of whom had their hours reduced, the average reduction being 12 hours per week. In 1895, 558 unions of railway employees made returns, of which 139 contained particulars of changes of wages and hours of labor and 419 unions had no changes to report. The changes in rates of wages affected 823 persons, but in the case of 228 the changes affected individual workers only. Of the remaining 595 work people, 389 had a rise and 206 suffered a fall in wages. There were 71 cases of reduction in hours of labor resulting from representations by the board of trade. Changes reported from other sources affected 5,103 railway employees, 5,007 of whom had their hours decreased and 96 had them increased. The average reduction for the year was 5 hours per week.