The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-12

Of Paris been organized in unions, the employers syndicate would perhaps hesitated to fix the general reduction of wages at 50 per cent.
 In the retail and wholesale trade ths reductions were quite general anc ranged from 20 to 50 per cent.
 A considerable number of the 900, ,0OC domestics found themselves out of em- ployment by reason of the breaking up of families and reduction of house. hold expenses. The simple law of sup ply and demand operated to decrease the wages of the others
 INDUSTRIES ARE BUSY
 More than 80 per cent of the com mercial and indcstrial establishments of France are now open as agains 57 per cent in the fall of 1914. The pro- portion of help employed by those establishments has risen from 34 pel cent of the normal in August, 1914, tc more than 75 per cent. The average proportion of mobilized men in sucf establishments being more than "A pel cent. it follows that the entire unmob- ilized staffs are again employed.
 The wages of the small salaried em' ployes have come back to the norma figure in 90 per cent of the establish ments The higher salaries still sui fer certain reductions.
 The increase in the number of work ing hours has automatically increases the earnings of workers paid by the hou in all factories whose production is takel by the army. In some eases the wag scale has been increased, making a doubl gain The piece work scale also has beei increased in many industries working fo the government. The reasons for thes increases are found in the comparativ' dearth of skilled workmen. and In tn zeal of manufacturers to push their out put to the maximum on the pressing de mands of the government.
 | The spinners and weayors of Normand, and the north are earning from 10 t 20 per cent more than before the war The remaining 10 per cent of the embroid erers and tulle makers unmobilized a. Calais, who earned 50 to 60 francs a weel are earning from 70 to 80 francs a week
 Local conditions entering into consid eration produce remarkable variations il the wage scale of the same trades il different regions
 The construction of barracks for the English army in Normandy nearly doubl the wages of carpenters and day laborers The urgent need of dock hands to handl with maximum speed the incoming arm. supplies pushed their wages up 50 pc cent at some places.
 WOMEN TO SHOPS
 Women whose earnings in distinctl. feminine trades were cut are abandon ing the sewing machine for the machin tool in growing numbers. What perma nent effect the innovation may have upol the labor problem is question the unioi leaders are studying.
 Decreased number of strikes was ; noticeable effect of the new conditions Only 97 cases. involving a total of 911 strikers. were reported to the depart ment of labor In the fist 16 months Q the war. There were 1O7S strikes. in volving 220,00O workmen in the year 1s1a This comparative tranquility Is attributed in some quarters to the contentment o the workmen, in others to the absence at the front of the younger and nor aggressive labor leaders
 It Is estimated that there are S50,00 women employed on piece work at thei homes. and these are excluded from tn beneficial operation of the lack of hell upon the wages in other industries Max CTS of artificial flowers earn from on franc GO cents) to 1 frans 10 centime (22 cents) a day. Women working on linel garments make from to cents al hour.
 An inquiry into the exploitation ol