Considering the regular hands and choosing each year a wage earner near the median for that year, we have the following table. +--------+-----------+-----------+------------------+ | FIRM | Total | Bonus. | Average Earnings | | B. | Wages | | per week, | | | in Year. | | including bonus. | +--------+-----------+-----------+------------------+ | | £ _s._ | _s._ _d._ | _s._ _d._ | | 1887 | 18 0 (a) | 10 6 | 14 3 | | 1888 | 39 6 | 21 8 | 15 6 | | 1889 | 38 16 | 20 4 | 15 4 | | 1890 | 36 6 | 16 6 | 14 4 | | 1891 | 39 0 | 18 9 | 15 4 | | 1892 | 39 12 | 20 0 | 15 7 | | 1893 | 38 8 | 24 0 | 15 2 | | 1894 | 40 3 | 15 0 | 15 9 | | 1895 | 37 10 | 19 0 | 14 10 | | 1896 | 40 7 | 20 0 | 15 9 | | 1897 | 37 11 | 19 6 | 14 10 | | 1898 | 40 7 | 20 0 | 15 11 | | 1899 | 29 11 (b) | 14 9 | 15 6 | +--------+-----------------------+------------------+ (a) half-year (b) 9 months In a typical week, January 5th-12th, 1899, the wages were: Full workers, average, 16_s._ 2_d._ 1 at 21_s._ 5 between 16_s._ and 17_s._ 4 " 15_s._ and 16_s._ 1 at 14_s._ 10_d._ 1 " 12_s._ 9_d._ Learners in their third year, 2 at 10_s._ 6_d._ " " second " 1 " 5_s._ 9 jobbers, average 5_s._ 5_d._ 1 at 7_s._ 2_d._ 4 between 5_s._ and 7_s._ 4 less than 5_s._ Average, for all except learners, 11_s._ 7_d._ FIRM C. _Information obtained._--Complete list of wages for first week in every month, from January, 1897, to February, 1900. Full lists in five weeks described as "slack," "busy," or "typical." The wages of fifteen hands tabulated, most of them throughout 1897-99. The work is divided into four departments:-- Binders, from twenty-nine to thirty-eight hands. The median wage fluctuated in the three years between 11_s._ and 17_s._, excluding holiday weeks; 13_s._ is the general average. About six are on time wages. In the warehouse, where Government folding is done, five hands are employed. The median wage of this group fluctuated in 1897 between 16_s._ and 27_s._, being low at the end of 1897. In 1898 and 1899 it was a little steadier, averaging about 21_s._ (piece rates).