Evening journal., 1906-11-10
GREAT TRUSTS PUT
ALL WAGES HIGHER
Standard Oil, Copper and
Steel Corporations Decide to
TO Let Men Prosper
BIG ROADS ARE IN LINE

railroad and industrial corporations OF
the country, the AFFAIRS OF which are d.
rected from this city, have decided to in
crease the prevailing rate OF wages 10
their employees. II was predicted that the
action OF the Pennsylvania Railroad
MANAGEMENT IN increasing the wages OF
It's army Of 165,OO0 men nearly S.2ooO,ooO
would soon be followed by all tho am
portant railroad and Industrial corpora
tions Of the United States
The Standard oil Company has decided
to increase the wages of Its eo,vl0 emf
ployes in different parts Of the United
states. The increases will be carried out
through the companys subsidiary cor
porations.
Information also reached the city from
Montana that the Amolgamated Copper
Company, generally known as the Cop
per Trust, which employs nearly ib01
mon in the mines Of Montana, has already
made a proposal TO It's employees mcreas-
ing their wages about tell per cent.
The United States steel Corporation,
the worlds largest trust which advanced
the wages Of its army Of 10000 employees
IN March. 1865, without solicitation from
the men. is also considering the question
Of wage increase.
The Phiiadelphia and Reading Com
pany. the New York Central, the Lacka-
wanna and other Eastern roads have
either been requested 10 advance the
wages OF the employees or have taken
some steps to do so.
one reason for the general tendency Of
trust managers to increase the wages Ct
the workmen was brought out by a trade
agency. which reported that the present
cost Of living was the highest in twenty
years. According to Dun's Index Num-
Der Of commodity prices proportloned e
consumption. the average cost was Si@.-
6S3 on November II last. Compared with
year ago on the same date the present
cost. as shown by the. rdex number. Is
81 higher.
Another reason given by nnanciers Il
! that the Industrial cor1orations arc al
In a highly prosperous condition and tho
scores Of plants are being worked &C
their fun capacity and under high pres
sure. Under these conditions It Is SAID q
be the desire Of the managements OF I'M
larger corporations 10 nave their work
men participate in the prosperity.
Men of prominence IA Tire flnancia
world saw In the concerted action
the great corporations a desire TO check
mate the growing tide OF antagonism {
corporations such as wus brought out II
the recent election. rho ciscontent anon
the iaboring element the higher cost
, the dollar unit and the effect OF the di'
closures OF corporate abuses, Il Is ger
orally admitted here. forced the corpor'
tions TO adept more iberel policy 70 Il
workinemeh and thereby conciliats n
active antagonlsm which was rodects
? in the election.
v It became known that the standard Q
Company had decided before the elecuo
, TO increase wages. The FIRST public M
I nouncement was made yesterday, when
e was said that the Gaiana Oh Company
: subs diary concern. manufacturing iubr
! eating oils. had Increased the wages
its men Practically all the subsldiaI
companies will make amilar an1ounc
= ments to sixty thousand men wi'h'n Il
next few weeks. The Increases win ATE
more particularly the men who rcce'
less than S25 a month.
J. The action OF the Copper Trust in NO
tana In offering TO increase the vases
y It's men ten per cent. viii be TO surpri
4 10 those familiar with the cnndiuons
: the labor market In the great Butte CO.
3 per camp. There has been a scircity
r miners for several months, and Inc pr
I, ductlon OF copper. despite the srcat G
e mand. has not increased more than n
y to ten per cent. as compared with q
! production last year. The Increase IN co
n sumption, Il is estimiled has been
o least thirty per cent Many estlnrsts d
y increase I'm consumption TO he about for
L, per cent.
IS In the case OF the Pennsylvania. will
II increased the wages Of its 'aen ~ 1ho
Is 81. 1000, the action WIS also v'ldntsl
" with the exception OF single lat
trouble in one Of the Standard on Co
pany's Eastern refnerics. there has be
no demand for increased wages fron
n sixty thousand employees.
W Exact facts concerning the amount
ie the increases on the Western rcada col
's not be learned yesterday. but Il appes
st to be a settled policy Judging from sta
= ments made by leading Western raiiTo
,r officials in Wall street that compromil
Sc will be made which will be satisfacte
to the workmen.
Railroads which are exrccted TO ina
y compromises are the Chicago, Mfiwaus
and st. Paul the Rock l'iand ana
= Louis and San Francisco system, and
! Northwestern. on other railroads teri
& mating in Chicago It is expected that
) stead OF general advances In wages suec
Z departments OF labor VIII be advanced
8 meet the wages Of other branches
Z II was said that the difficulty nich (
& layed the managements Of tie several C
\ porations Of the West in increasing vas
4 was the fact that the leading officers
\ that II would be practically impossible
reduce wages later in event Of decline
earnings and a falling on In bu1iness
y one banker familiar with the working
: the corporate mind expressed It vest
day-"It is an easy matter to advar
wages In times OF prosperity, bit II is
entirely different NATTER 10 ask Y,
workmen to accept decreased wages wi
business falls on. The success OF the ~
ent administration at the polls. and
fact that Congress Is committed q.
stand pat policy, in my judgment r.
given the country years steady h':sin
IA sight"
1t was impossible 20 obtain any oct.