WAGES AND COST OF LIVING IN CANADA.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2796, 14 June 1890, Page 6 (Supplement)

WAGES AND COST OF LIVING IN CANADA.

« At a time when the labour question has ' assumed such an acute form in this country a great amount of interest ought to concentrate on a series of returns just collected by the Government at Ontario, and which relate to the amount of wages paid in the various trades and the cost of living in that province. Of the returns on which the tables are based 23,000 were furnished by employers and 2,752 by employes. The first thing shown is that there has been a gradual shortening of the hours of labour, the avorago number of hours por week being 58'24, as compared with 59*10 in 1884, and the average of 58-60 hours for the five yoars 1884-88. There is a greater steadiness of employment, the average last year having been 270-07 days, against 265 17 days in 1884, and the average of 268*03 days for the five years 1884-88. Earnings also jshow an increase, these are now averaging 420 dollars 7 cents, as compared with 383 dollars 31 oents in 1884, and 395 dollars 41 cents as the average of the previous five years. But with all this inoreaso the cost of living has kept pace, and the surplus of wages over cost of living now averages 50 dollars 45 ceuts, against 48 dollars 84 cents in 1884, and an average of 49 dollars 76 cents for the five years previous. A curious feature of the return is that it shows clearly that tho cities are not the most desirable places for workmen. It is true that the wages are higher in proportion, and there is a smaller surplus in every case. In the case of the larger cities there is for " males with dependents, tenants"—i.e., who do not own their houses —so close a margin that in London the wages do not come up to the average cost of living by 6 dollar* 6S cents, and in Hamilton by 3 dollars 2 cents. In Toronto they show a surplus of 23 dollars 90 cents.