Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-10-14
WAR CAUSES BIC
BOOST To WAGES
PAID IN GERMANY
but Future Presents a Problem
AS Return of Peace Is En-
pected to Flood Labor
Market with Unem-
ployed.

Berlin. Sept. IS, correspondence of
The Associated Press. 1.-The huge drains
hnd losses of thirteen months of war
have had the paradoxical effect of
pla cling the German worklngman in
position of prosperity uneXampled in
his history, of raising his wages TO a
point never attained before. and of al
most completely solving his non-em-
ployment problem The faster men at
the front have fallen and holes in the
ranks had to be filed, the better has
become the situation of the men at
home the higher have mounted the
savings banks deposits Of the few doing
the work of the former many.
Each month has drawn from the ranks
|of nearly all trade men whose places
have not been filed, yet whose work
has had to be done. The work has been
done. in part by overtime labor, in part
by workers whose value-and in con-
sequence whose pay-lncreased about in
proportion to the Withdrawals.
Yet the very fact that the workers
who has stayed at home is having an
Unprecedented heyday has created a
problem which his leaders If not he,
are studying and worrying over-the
problem of how to take care Of him
when the war Is over, when hundreds
of thousands of his fellows come stream
Ing back from the front, when the
lucrative manufacture of war materials
suddenly stops. Some think the prob
lem is to be solved by kindly employers
who will Immediately take back their
former employees, even though business
does not at once resume its before-the
war volume. Others, less optimistic,
are far-sghted negotiating with the
government already, and are asking
that no matter when the hostilities cease
the hundreds of thousands not regularly
employed as soldiers shall be kept on
the rolls for eight or twelve weeks till
economic matters adjust themselves and
xhe men can get back to work.
The organized trades are pling up
small fortunes in their treasures against
the time when they shall have to begin
again paying out the unemployment
benefits that just now have dwindled to
the vanishing point. And the govern
ment is practically pledged to supply
hundreds of millions of marks, if neces-
sary, toward this same end
The labor situation in Berlin to-day is
more than fair measure by which to
gauge the situation throughout the
empire More than ever since the begin
ming of the war there has been an in
tlux Of workers from the country. at.
tracted by the high wages prevailing.
especially in those trades catering to
army needs. The country has always
had a smaller percentage of men unfit
for military service than the city. The
Of ha
called for most of the men who are ft
has created a greater shortage Of work.
men in the small towns than in the
cities.
At the great Central Employment
Bureau maintained by the principal
branches of labor in Berlin, between 45
and 5o trades are represented. At the
end of the first week In September 10 Of
these trades reported that not one mem
ber was out Of employment 80 others
reported from one to 1S5 members un-
employed and entitled to unemployment
support. The total number drawing this
support was $40 six trades had one man
apiece. four had two men, and three had
three The unemployed on November
81. 1914, numbered S,4O6 among the trades
represented.
The city of Berlin assists in support
Ing the unemployed, and adds on an
average 90 per cent of what the trades
themselves pay out. Yet during the
week ending August q last. the city was
forced to cxpend through this channel
out one-half Of 1,7Ss marks while dur
'hg the week ending November Q 1914,
Unemployment had been so great that
the city's share had been one-half Of
4,sN marks,
Inc following table shows the status
pi the organized workers OF Berlin. In
the nrst column is the number en-
pioyed on July l. 1915, in the second the
number drawn into the army up 10
June o. 1915, in the third the total ON.
nloved on July l, 1914: