Many requests for information concerning the pay of city laborers having been received by the Bureau, an original investigation was undertaken to secure the facts desired. A letter was prepared and sent to each city auditor. He was requested to name the different departments of labor under control of his city, specify the different branches of labor, and give the pay per day for laborers in each kind of work. Many cities responded promptly and fully, but, in the case of several, a long correspondence became necessary before the desired information could be procured in proper form for publication. It was found that there is no uniformity of classification of city labor in the different municipalities. The various departments existing in the thirty-two cities in the State are as follows: In no one city do all of these twelve departments exist, Boston having but seven, while some cities have but one or two. In many cities the term "Highway" is used instead of "Street," while other cities include paving, health, sewer, etc., under "Highway" or "Street." No attempt was made to learn the number of laborers in each department, the information supplied covering only the pay per day. When different rates were paid in the same department, the highest, lowest, and intermediate rates are given. When laborers were paid on some other basis than by the day, the facts are given in a separate column of the tables. We present, first, a table showing the departments of city labor, the cities having such departments being arranged alphabetically thereunder, with the rates of pay opposite the name of each city. |