Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-05-16
WAR BRINGS ABOUT
INCREASE In WAGES
While Laboring Men of England Are
Getting More Pay for Their y
Services Cost Of Living
81 Has Advanced.
PAUPER POPULATION IS LESS

Correspondence Associated Press
LONDON, May 2.-war as a wage
raiser has brought to a considerable
proportion of the laboring classes In
England some compensation for the
increased cost of living. Social work
ers estimate that the increased cost
OF living averages is at least 10 per
cent. while the average increase in
wages is not over 5 per cent The
plentiful supply Of overtime work
available in most trades makes II
easy for most worknen to more than
even matters.
The upward tendency of the Eng
Hsh workingman's wages was very
marked in March. According to the
official Board of Trade reports the
increases granted during the month
reached total of nearly 1866, 900.
The number Of work people who
shared the increases was 440, 900.
Increased wages in some Of the lead
ing branches of industry are stunned
up briefly as follows
Increase for These.
Raiwaymen-Al round increase of 70
cents week.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES varying from
Is cents to 50 week.
Policemen-war bonus OF Is cents a
week and upwards.
Carpenters-war bonus of 81 to $50 a
week.
General Laborers-Increases Of 70
cents to S1.50 a week.
Bflners-Empoyers generally offer 10
per cent advance in pay; miners demand
20 per cent.
Postal Employees. including telephone
and telegraph workers-Increase OF 81
a week has been demanded
Gas Workers-Increas es averaging 81
a week.
asked, but employers offer of 70 cents
accepted pending negotiations.
Textile Workers-Bonus for overtime
work in factories doing work on army
clothing.
Boot and Shoe workers-war bonus of
5.to 10. per cent granted in some places,
Coopersmiths-Average wage before
war 50: now $3.50
Clerks-some Increases; 10000 grocers'
assistants have asked readjustment of
wages; similar movements pending in
other branches.
Engineering and Building Trades Work
ers-Some sections have secured substan-
tial increases.
Number of Unemployed Decreases.
The number Of unemployed in Greai
Britain shows large falling off this
last February and. March, as compared
with the corresponding months NJ '-las
year, The Board OF Trades, labor gazette
prints statistics from the government
so3 labor exchanges. according to which
there were 81, 004 names on the registe
last month, as against 10O.6l6 for Febru
airy and 123. IA for March of the last year
The number of vacancies in employ
rnent reported to the exchange also SHOW
an increase over the late winter Of 1914
having a daily average of 5,746. or 10
more than the average for February. anC
1000 more than the average for Marcel
OF last year
London passed through the winter witt
fewer casese OF restitution demanding
relief from the poor funds than an!
winter within the memory Of the presen
poor law officials.
Paper Population Less.
The war, in fact. has enabled man
thousands of people belonging to tn
classes which usually must be helped, L
dispense with this kind of relief, an
has even put them in possession Of fund
more than sufficient to meet their need!
London's pauper population has de
creased steadily during the last thre
months.
The London. Guardian, at the begin
ming of 1915, were providing for 1000
paupers. This was a decrease a 80
from the corresponding date year be
fore. April l showed the total decreas
by further 5000.
II Is evident. however that these do
creases ar Elm part. at least, deceptive
being accounted for, not by improve
conditions, but by the fact that gres
deal OF relief is being administered b
new agencies such as the special wa
relief funds and the old age pensions.