128 TWELFTH REPORT. 



1908. 1907. 



Rope, twiue and huiiiiing- 121.0 138.0 



Cotton goods ". 115.2 138.0 



Carpets 118.9 123.2 



Iron and steel 113.9 135.3 



Woolen goods 122.7 128.0 



Tools 113.6 115.7 



Boots and shoes 121.3 125.9 



Average 118.0 128.4 



^& 



The average relative prices for the gi'oup of 7 is 118 in 1908, and 

 128.4 in 1907. 



I exjjerienced more difficulty in finding strongly organized industries 

 for which prices were available. Among the strongest only two such 

 were found (bread and coal) neither of which affords satisfactory con- 

 clusions. But adding five of those wiiich were much stronger than the 

 ones included above, 1 find that the average relative price for the years 

 1908 and 1907, respectively, is 119.0 and 119.9. 



1908. 1907. 



Bread 113.6 111.4 



Coal 132.7 134.2 



Lime and Cement 107 . 4 104 . 3 



Tin and Sheet Metal 110.5 115.7 



Tobacco: Chewing and Smoking 118.3 118.3 



Paper 86.7 87.4 



Lumber and Timber 164 . 168 . 6 



Average 119.0 119.9 



Thus in 1908 the index number of prices in 7 weakly organized in- 

 dustries was one point lower than in 7 relatively strongly organized 

 ones; while in 1907 it was actually 8.5 points higher. The year 1908 

 was one of generally lower wholesale jirices than in 1907, and it is not 

 without significance to note that the more strongly organized industries 

 showed the smaller decrease. 



Massachusetts statistics show that for the year ending September 

 30, 1907, 98% of advances in wages occurred without strike. And of 

 these at least 67% were not the I'esult of any immediate union activity. 

 The amount of the advance, however, was somewhat less than in the 

 33% in which unions figured.^ 



^First Annual Report on Changes in Rates of Wages. 



