Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-10-20
Marked Reduction of the Earn
ings Of Laborers in Great
Britain
in RATES AND HOURS
Official Organ of the London Chamber
of Commerce Prints Highly Interest
ing Figures on the Labor Situation
in Ensland-principal Changes in
the Printing Trade.

washington, OCL. GU.-IA tIleIheO AS-
duction in the wages OF labor in En-
gland is reported in the Chamber OF
Commerce Journal. the official organ OF
the London chamber of commerce,
copy of which has just reached the
treasury bureau of statistics.
."There is a warming" it says, ITO
masters and men alike in the official re-
| port on the changes in rates OF wages
and hours of labor during 1901. 1t fore
shadows relapse from the prosperity
OF the last few years, decline IN
wages having to be recorded Tor the
first time since 1895. Moreover, during
the first half of the present year the
tendency is Still towards lower wages.
The number of working people affected
by reductions in 1901 was greater than
!, any year in the period OF 1S93-19Ol, the
computed amount of the reduction be-
iEg more than the total reductions re-
corded in the previous eight years. 1t Is
estimated that the net decrease IN the
wages bill last year was about 1,5S4,00O
pounds sterling, compared with net
increase of 100000 in 1900. The fall
in wages was confined to the mining
and quarrying and the metal, engineer
ing and shipbuilding groups Of indus
tries, there being net increases in the
ether groups-building textile, clothing,
etc. One most satisfactory feature in
the report is. however. the fact that
there was large increase in the per-
centage of workpeople whose wages
were settled by Cancellation boards, etc.,
which is mainly due to the formation or
re- establishment of such boards in the
mining industry. Out of every 100 per-
sons whose wages were changed, only
two were concerned in strikes and lock-
outs. This is the lowest recorded per.
centage. With regard to changes In
hours of labor, $50 workpeople had their
hours heightened and 2S,690 had them
shortened, the net result being a reduce
ton Of 58,72S hours per week. The
principal changes were in the printing
trade. Included in those affected by
changes in hours in this trade are H.
923 compositors, readers, machines
minders, bookbinders, mechanics, etc..
employed in the London printing trade.
Compositors' hours were reduced under
the award of the arbitralors appointed
by the board of trade from ffty-four to
flfty-two and one-half. The 1etterpress
printers. bookbinders and machine ruiz
ers of Glasgow, to the number of 5000,
also secured reduction from fifty-two
and a half to fifty. A brief considera-
ton of the foregoing will show that al
together the. outlook for labor is less
encouraging than for some years past,
and it behooves both employers and en-
ployed to use common sense, zeal and
intelligence in maintaining and console
dating industry, upon which the pros
perity Of the country depends"
The following table. compiled from
the eighth annual Abstract of Labor
Statistics of the United Kingdom re-
Gently issued by the British board of
trade, shows the standard rates Of
wages for London at the beginning Of
1902:
Wages
Trades. Per Week.
Upholsterers commandments. $l2.96
Shipyard platers ................ 1l.6I
Cabinet makers ................ 11.3A
Boiler ship platers ............ 1924
Plasterers OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 11.O0i
Bricklayers 1050l
Masons 1850
Carpenters and joiners ......... 1880
Pattern makers .............. 10.45
Plumbers 1924
Riyeterss. 1921
shipwrights 1921
French polishers ................. 9,72l
photographic printers .......... 9.72I
Iron founders .............. 9.7eI
(hand) ......... 9.4s
Tn o,neers 9.4S
painters ........ 900
Brass molders and finishers. S.64
and plasterers' labor