262 



employed by the year without board, while the rate with board, $15.88, 

 was a little in advance of the previous averafje, the difference represent- 

 ing board being $9.25 against $10.50 in 18GG. Prices in the South had 

 increased in these three years, had been well sustained in the Eastern 

 States, but had slightly receded in the Western. 



The present investigation gives evidence of a decline in the rate of 

 wages of laborers employed by the year, far greater than that reported 

 in 18G9. The average rates for the three periods, for the several geo- 

 graphical divisions, are as follows : 



May, 1875. 



December, 

 1869. 



Decem'ber, 



1806. 



Eastern States . 

 Middle States .. 

 "Western States 

 Southern States 

 California 



§29 00 

 26 98 

 23 25 

 15 27 

 44 50 



132 03 

 29 15 

 27 01 

 16 81 

 46 38 



133230 

 30l07 

 28 91 

 16 00 

 45 71 



The central belt of States, on the parallel of 40^, fairly represent the 

 most prosperous agricultural regions, and illustrate the decline in price 

 of farm-labor during the past eight years : 



Up to 1869 the demand for labor in Iowa for the opening of new farms 

 and extension of the producing area of those already opened kept 

 prices up to the point of 1866, while all the States eastward exhibited 

 a decline. During the past five years, an era of overproduction and low 

 prices in Iowa, the depreciation has been greater than any others of 

 this list. 



Perhaps a better understanding of the actual status of labor in these 

 States may be obtained by a comparison of the average prices per month 

 of farm-labor with board, much the larger number of farm-laborers being 

 employed under such a contract. The prices in these States are as fol- 

 lows: 



The uniformity of the rates of 1866 is somewhat remarkable, yet a 

 careful examination of circumstances affecting prices will prove the con- 

 sistency of the statement. If the various prosperous industries of Penn- 

 sylvania and Ohio stinaulated the wages of agricultural industry, the 

 great demand in States farther west for increasing numbers of farm- 

 animals to make good the depletion caused by the war, and a similar 

 cause for enlarging food-supplies, upheld the rates in the more purely 

 agricultural States. In 1869 prices, had receded, quite equally in the 



