Kansas State University mason finds 88-year-old note at stadium

[jakeXT]

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — A mason working on a Kansas university building has found an 88-year-old handwritten note that gives a glimpse into the lives of laborers in 1928.

The Manhattan Mercury reports that the mason found the note in a tobacco can he encountered in December while restoring and replacing stones at Kansas State University’s East Memorial Stadium in Manhattan, nearly 60 miles west of Topeka.

A Facebook post from the Kansas State Historical Preservation Office says the five authors dated the note Feb. 2, 1928, and wrote that they hope the letter is found someday in the future, perhaps after they’ve died. The letter is signed with the names C.K. Bell, Geo H. Bell, W. Sowell, Jim Kelley and Ray Disney.

The nearly 100-word message explains that masons made $10 per day and that laborers made $3.20 per day. It also expresses hope that “things will be better” for the working man in the future.

http://ksnt.com/2016/02/04/kansas-state-university-mason-finds-88-year-old-note-at-stadium/

"Dear Folks, Will place a not(e) in wall as it may some day be found and perhaps the men that Built it will be dead and forgotten. We are having nice weather was 18 above zero this morning. Hope when this is opened things will be better for the working man than (now?). Mason got $10 per day and labor $3.20 there will have to be a change soon or the labor will be out of luck. Please print this if found signed CK Bell, Geo H Bell, W. Sowell, Jim Kelley, Ray (Disney?) Good luck."

https://www.facebook.com/KSHPO/photos/a.155452451270921.36576.155171257965707/585104041639091/?type=3&theater

[gratuitous]

1. We hope "things will be better for the working man"

Gov. Brownback proudly announced that conditions for working men are as bad as ever in Kansas and indeed in the United States, but that now working women were entitled to the same shabby treatment (or worse), and that was a record he was proud to run on. The Kansas Legislature greeted Gov. Brownback's announcement with a standing ovation and a promise to do even worse by working people in the future.

[MuseRider]

2. Ha Ha

Do you live in Kansas? Sounds pretty close on the mark. He keeps telling us the sun is still shining but since everyone has 3 or 4 jobs now so the corporations don't have to pay taxes (and we are still broke ass as hell) we never get to see it!

I would wager that they got more respect then, if not pay, for doing a hard days work than people do now.

Brownback may get a standing O in the legislature but he gets booed when in front of the people. I still to this day do not think it is possible that he won.

[malaise]

9. You win the thread -exellent

I'd love Bernie to read that at a rally
That said I suspect the laborer today is worse off.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

3. I love this kind of stuff. I wish we could say things were better now for

workers.

[snooper2]

5. compared to 88 years ago, yeah I would say things are much better

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

7. Hmmm, maybe you're right. I misread the 1928 pay rates given

as per hour as opposed to per day.

Still, it does seem hard to compare.

If you want to compare the value of a $3.20 Income or Wealth, in 1928 there are five choices. In 2014 the relative:
historic standard of living value of that income or wealth is $44.20
contemporary standard of living value of that income or wealth is $85.60
labor earnings of that commodity is $140.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $181.00 (using production worker compensation)
economic status value of that income or wealth is $213.00
economic power value of that income or wealth is $565.00

https://www.measuringworth.com/uscompare/relativevalue.php

[Flying Squirrel]

10. Is that sarcasm?

https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/docs/publications/bls/bls_0484_1929.pdf

In 1928 Kansas, a laborer made .40/hour and worked 48 hours/week.

That works out to $19.20/week, which the CPI calculator translates into $266.12 in 2015 dollars. Federal tax was 1.5% for that tax bracket and there were no Social Security or Medicare withholdings.

Now the minimum wage in KS is $7.25/hour and the workweek is reduced to 40 hours (yes, that's an improvement). So the gross pay is now $290/week, or 9% higher for 8 fewer hours.

But take out $22 for social security and medicare that you may never live to receive, and now you're back down to $268/week.

I did a quick federal estimate based on a single person with no children and came up with $9/week in federal taxes for 2015, which drops your take-home pay down to $259/week. With federal taxes being only 1.5% in 1928, the take-home pay back then (in 2015 dollars) would have been about $265/week.

So while today's laborers work fewer hours per week, they still take home about the same pay as they did in 1928, or less.

Not much progress at all, especially considering it's been almost 90 years. Wonder if the stock market's about to crash too?

[Blue_Tires]

12. Now compare workplace safety, leave, disability,

workplace rights, hiring practices (i.e., women and minorities), etc. and get back to us...

I mean, FFS...

[pintobean]

4. Cool story, bro.

Rec

[FLPanhandle]

6. Way back in the 1980's we found a 1920's sex education booklet behind a medicine cab. in our dorm.

These were old dorms from the late 1800's. There was a space in the wall if you pulled the medicine cabinet out. Not sure why we pulled it out at the time but stuffed back there was this little booklet.

I remember laughing about advice on your wedding night and not to shock your bride by showing off your erection.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

8. Apparently, neither were you to show off your

sex education booklet.

[Brickbat]

11. K&R

[Glassunion]

13. Actually things are better...

If you adjust for inflation, their wage works out to 5.54 an hour. Today, the actual minimum is 7.25 an hour.

You still can't feed your family.