WAGES AND COST OF LIVING
| Board of Trade Wages Index No. | Board of Trade Wages Index Number Retail Price of Food in London | |
| 1895 | 89.1 | 93.0 |
| 1900 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| 1908 | 101.0 | 109.0 |
| Increase per cent. | 13.3 | 17.2 |
Thus, real wages have actually fallen since 1895.
Again, as has been already remarked, the Board of Trade Wages Index Number deals with trades which on the whole have gained more than wages generally. Railway wages have been stationary for years, even while the cost of living has been going up. On the German and Swiss national lines the men have been granted higher wages in compensation for increased costs; here our railway companies abuse their monopolistic position to the uttermost in regard to wages as in regard to the public welfare.
In addition to reduced rates of wages in slump years, the working classes are made to bear the brunt of depression through (1) "short time" or partial unemployment, and (2) dismissal.
Unemployment.—Table showing, for the end of each month in 1900-1910, the number of members out-of-work in the Trade Unions which pay "Unemployment Benefit." These figures do not include members receiving strike or sick pay
| Date. | Membership. | Number out of Work. | Per Cent. |
| 1900 | |||
| January | 521,833 | 14,252 | 2.7 |
| February | 524,872 | 15,114 | 2.9 |
| March | 524,199 | 11,821 | 2.3 |
| April | 525,865 | 13,075 | 2.5 |
| May | 531,608 | 12,645 | 2.4 |
| June | 533,119 | 13,992 | 2.6 |
| July | 533,499 | 14,566 | 2.7 |
| August | 534,331 | 15,971 | 3.0 |
| September | 536,242 | 19,520 | 3.6 |
| October | 535,668 | 17,750 | 3.3 |
| November | 539,175 | 17,715 | 3.2 |
| December | 540,102 | 21,496 | 4.0 |
| 1901 | |||
| January | 545,539 | 21,682 | 4.9 |
| February | 543,487 | 21,159 | 3.6 |
| March | 544,688 | 19,618 | 3.8 |
| April | 547,197 | 21,018 | 3.6 |
| May | 544,460 | 19,487 | 3.4 |
| June | 541,651 | 18,605 | 3.4 |
| July | 539,422 | 18,164 | 3.9 |
| August | 543,971 | 21,025 | 3.7 |
| September | 542,917 | 20,180 | 3.7 |
| October | 544,827 | 19,995 | 3.8 |
| November | 545,832 | 20,614 | 3.6 |
| December | 554,018 | 25,703 | 4.6 |
| 1902 | |||
| January | 553,218 | 24,470 | 4.4 |
| February | 561,708 | 24,072 | 4.3 |
| March | 551,270 | 20,241 | 3.7 |
| April | 550,958 | 21,349 | 3.9 |
| May | 549,023 | 21,926 | 4.0 |
| June | 554,893 | 22,832 | 4.2 |
| July | 550,169 | 21,859 | 4.0 |
| August | 551,565 | 24,549 | 5.5 |
| September | 553,870 | 27,522 | 5.0 |
| October | 548,442 | 27,270 | 5.0 |
| November | 549,197 | 26,454 | 4.8 |
| December | 552,415 | 30,302 | 5.5 |
| 1903 | |||
| January | 547,671 | 27,685 | 5.1 |
| February | 549,843 | 26,471 | 4.8 |
| March | 559,129 | 24,096 | 4.3 |
| April | 554,901 | 22,665 | 4.1 |
| May | 554,524 | 22,102 | 4.0 |
| June | 556,695 | 24,804 | 4.5 |
| July | 555,743 | 27,394 | 4.9 |
| August | 561,946 | 30,751 | 5.5 |
| September | 558,508 | 32,179 | 5.8 |
| October | 555,105 | 32,358 | 5.8 |
| November | 562,954 | 33,614 | 6.0 |
| December | 559,897 | 37,501 | 6.7 |
| 1904 | |||
| January | 561,226 | 36,767 | 6.6 |
| February | 563,824 | 34,388 | 6.1 |
| March | 567,232 | 33,950 | 6.0 |
| April | 561,611 | 33,706 | 6.0 |
| May | 571,384 | 36,002 | 6.3 |
| June | 573,373 | 34,066 | 5.9 |
| July | 568,272 | 34,494 | 6.1 |
| August | 575,061 | 37,006 | 6.4 |
| September | 575,575 | 39,005 | 6.8 |
| October | 576,642 | 39,396 | 6.8 |
| November | 577,268 | 40,244 | 7.0 |
| December | 573,726 | 43,435 | 7.6 |
Unemployment—continued