Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-05-01
WAR INCREASES
WAGES HALF AS
MUCH AS LIVING
Cost of Necessities in England
Ten Per Cent More Than
During Peace Demand for
Labor Sends Earnings Up,

London, April 19.--War as a wage
raiser has brought to considerable
proportion to the laboring classes in
England some compensation for the
increased cost of living. Social work
ers estimate that the increased cost
of living average is at least 10 pei
cent, while the average Increase in
wages is not over per cent. The
plentiful supply Of overtime work
available in most trades, makes II
easy for most workmen to more thar
even matters
The upward tendency of the Eng.
lish workingman's wages was YeN
marked in March. According to tin
official board of trade reports, tn,
increases granted during the month
reached a total OF nearly 1895, 600
The number of work people who
shared the increases was 100000.
Schedule of Mage Increases.
Increased WAGES In some Of the
leading branches Of industry are
summed up as follows
Railway Men-All round increase
of 3 cents a week.
observation-disclosures varying
from 20 cents to so a week
Policemen--War bonus of rs cents
a week upwards.
Carpenters-War bonus of 81 tC
s. so q week.
General aborers-Increases of rs
cents to $3.50 a week.
Miners Employers generally offeI
10 per cent advance in pay; miners
demand 20 per cent.
Postal employees, including tele-
phone and telegraph workers-In-
crease of 81 a week has been de-
manded.
Gas workers-Increases averaging
81 week
Bakers-Increase of $1.25 weel,
asked, but employers offer of rs
cents, accepted, pending negotia-
tons.
Textile workers-Bonus for over
time work in factories doing work on
army clothing
Boot and shoe workers-War bonus
of to 10 per cent granted in some
places.
Coppersmiths-Average wage be-
fore war 80; now, $3.50.
Clerks--Some increases; 100000
grocers' assistants have asked read
lustment wages; similar movements
pending In other branches
Engineering and building trades
workers-Some sections have secur-
ed substantial increases.
The number of unemployed IN
Great Britain shows large falling
off the past February and March as
compared with the eorresponding
months of last year The board Of
trades labor gazette prints statistics
from the governments 4O3 labor eX-
changes according to which there
We're $1,000 names on the register
last month as against 100.6lg for
February and 123,714 for March Of
last year.
Many Opportunities for Work.
The number of vacancies in en-
ployment reported 10 the exchanges
also shows an increase over the late
winter of 1914, having a daily aver
age of 5,746, or a hundred more than
the average for February and 500
more than the average for March of
last year
London passed through the winter
with fewer cases of destitution de-
manding relief from the poor funds
than any winter within the memory
of the present poor law officials.
The war, in fact has enabled many
thousands of people belonging TO the
classes which usually must be help
ed, to dispense with this kind of re-
lief, and has even put them in pos
session of funds more than sufficient
to meet their needs. London's pauper
population has decreased steadily
during the past three months
The London Guardians, at the be-
slnhlng OF 1913, We're providing for
100000 paupers. This was a de-
crease of $500 from the correspond.
ing date year before. April show
ed the total decreased by further
1900.
y is evident. however. that these
decreases are IN part al least decep-
tive, being accounted for. not Nv i'm
proved conditions, but by the fact
that great deal OF relief is being
administered by new agencies. such
as the special war relief funds and
the old age pensions.