The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1916-06-28
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During the recent labor disturbances
which Spread from various manufac-
tHfIHs ESTABLISHMENTS all over the
country to the Chicago works Of the
International Harvester company,
Some interesting information was
Drought out concerning wage increases
during the last fourteen years. At the
| Very beginning of the disturbance in
the Harvester plants, the management
ordered a careful investigation of the
wage increases to it's employees since
1902, the year the company was organ
ICED. In order that this investigation
might be fair, accurate, and impartial,
the company went outside and en-
gagged a firm of certified public &C
countants to make a detailed eXamina-
| ton of the pay rolls from the year OF
the companys organization down to
the present.
Without waiting for this report, the
company proceeded at once to offer its
employees in the Mccormick and
Deering works a new schedule, in
creasing the minimum rate to rs cents
an hour and granting new rate which
was equivalent to a wage increase of
II 10 per cent. This new schedule
was applied to all employment, piece
work or time.
Examination of the pay rolls by the
certified accountants showed that the
wages. even before the recent in
crease, were much higher than those
In effect when the company was or
gained The following certified re-
port was made as to the Mccormick
and Deering works:
CERTIFICATE
We have made an investigation
of the pay roll situation at the
Deering and Mccormick Haryes-
ter works of the international Hsr-
vester company of New Jersey
and
WE HEREBY CERTIFY, That
the average hourly rate of wages
of employees of these works tex
elusive of superintendent and
general foremen) during April,
1916, shows an increase of 50.34
per cent over the average hourly
rate for the manufacturing season
of 1902.
Certified Public Accountants
This report shows an increase o
more than one-half in the hourly rat'
of wages from 1902 down to April, 1916
When to that is added the increas'
granted in the new schedule effective
May list, it makes the actual total in
crease of the hourly wage rate from
1902 to the present time 67.03 per cen
more than two-thirds.
A week later the same firm render et
another certified report covering &h
Deering and Mccormick Irvine mills
as follows:
CERTIFICATE
We have made an investigation
of the pay roll situation at the
Deering and Mccormick Irvine
mills of the International Harves-
ter company of New Jersey, and
WE HEREBY CERTIFY, That
the average hourly rates of wages
of employees Of these mills lex
elusive of superintendent during
April, 1916, show increases over
, the average hourly rates during
the manufacturing season of 1902
as follows:
Per Cent.
Female employees $3.50. $3.50
Male Employees ....... .51.47
All employees ..........5 1881
This comparison is on the day
, shift only; night workers are paid
premium of 10 per cent over day
wages, which was not the practice
In 1902.
(Signed) HASKINS & SELLS,
Certified Public Accountants.
But there had also been a ne
schedule for the twine mills, effectiv
May 1, 1916 Adding the increase II
cluded therein to the figures of th
certified accountants report, the totl
increases in the twine mills frol
1902 to date are:
Per Cent.
Male workers ..........7 1854
Female workers .96.58
| OOs1O
That means a total increase of th
hourly wage rate in the Irvine mill