MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 125 



presence or absence of such j)i-ice changes as altered relative product- 

 ivity would effect is found corresponding- with the strength of labor 

 organization, I can not be so sure as to a causal connection. But 

 knowing something of the possibility and tendency of labor organiza- 

 tion in this regard some deductions may be drawn when strength of 

 organization is found coupled with relatively low prices, and rice versa. 

 In a word, conclusions negative so far as causes are concerned may be 

 drawn, and for the problem concerning the relation of organized labor 

 to prices negative conclusions are all that is necessary. 

 2. Strength of Organization and Prices. 



I take it that to show by good statistics that prices have risen as fast 

 and as much in weakly organized or unorganized industries as in those 

 which have strong unions, will disprove the common contention. Take, 

 then, the most general comparison available, — that l)etween raw ma- 

 terials and manufactured goods. It matters not that the line can not be 

 drawn exactly. It is reasonably certain that trade unions have their 

 great strength in the more skilled manufacturing industries; and, that, 

 with the exception of a considerable part of the bituminous coal pro- 

 ducing industry, the laborers engaged in producing raw materials are 

 unorganized or but weakly organized. Yet the latest statistics show ad- 

 vances in the index number of wholesale jtrices to 125.5 in the case of 

 raw materials and to but 122.2 for manufacturers, the average for 

 1890-99 being 100.^ 



RELATIVE PRICES IX UXORGAXIZED IXDUSTRIES. 



1908. 1907. 



Cotton 134.8 153.0 



Grain 163.0 148.3 



Livestock 122.3 129.7 



Average Farm Products 133.1 137.1 



Fish 124.9 128.3 



Milk 131.4 129.0 



Effffs 142,0 141.2. 



-toto^ 



Average Food Products 120.6 117.8 



'e^ 



Jute: Eaw 140.4 184.4 



Average Misc 119.9 127.1 



More particularly. Farm products head the list of certain great 

 groups at 133.1, the average for all products being 122.8. Next come 

 lumber and building material at 133. Foods are estimated at 120.0. 

 On the other hand clothes and clothing have risen to 11(3.9 ; house fur- 

 nishings to 114 ; metals and implements to 125.4 ; and fuel and light to 

 130.8, — the last containing many non-union and weakly organized oc- 

 cupatious.- 



But let us make the comparison still more particular, and more direct. 

 Take a group of industries in which unionism is strong and compare 

 those with other industries in which it is weak. Here the difficulty 

 w^hich at once confronts one is that we do not know with anv accuracv 



^Bull. Bur. Labor, Xo. 81. p. 209. Wholesale price.s, 1890-1908. 



^The diffleulty here lies in the fact that each of tliese groups — except the first — contains 

 some strongly organized trades. Conclusions are difficult except as we roughly estimate 

 the relative extent of such organization. 



