Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1916-05-02
LABOR ENJOYING
BEST PERIOD IN
UNION HISTORY
Idleness Disappears, Wages
Go Up and Working
Hours Decrease.

Washington, May 1.--Organiz2d
labor received more in the year end
ing with Nav in increased wages,
shortening of hours and legislation
than ever before in its history. a.
ccrdng TO Officials of the American
Federation of Labor. Wage advances
were general the country over i'll
virtually every line of industry and
laws benefitting labor were put on
the statute books of every state in
the union except five.
Wage increases wer" grea est in
the metal trades. many of which were
stimulated by war ders. Cotton
manufacturing was the only main IN
dustry which did not grant suhstan-
tial increases. The metal tradss, too,
claimed the greatest number of strikes
during the year. though many plans
increased the pay Of their men and
cut working hours voluntarily.
One benefit brought by the indus
trial revival which labor officials con-
sider as important as increases In
wages was the effect on unemploy-
ment, which has disappeared within
the past year. statistics Just COM
pletcd by the department of labor
show that men of all trades have
been called in to work Iron and
steel mills have on their payrolls now
SO per cent more men than were en-
ployed a year ago and the car build
ing and repairing industry has in
creased it's forces by about the same
percentage. Manufacturers of boots
and shoes are employing twenty per
Csnt more men than this time last
year. y
Wage increases during the year
have ranged from five to fifteen per
G mt. No statistics have been com
piled by either the department of Ia
her of the American Federation OF
Labor, but reports coming in to both
tell of what is being accomplished
in manufacturing plants in all parts
OF the country.
Working Hours Decrease.
The department of labor puts the
country's 1915 striks at loo about
800 more than the year before. About
Two thirds of them were for wage IN
creases or decreased working hours
and most of them were successful.
Munitions strikes starting in the sum
mcr of 1915 attracted much attention.
Most of them were for shorter hours
without av increases. Shorter hol:s
were obtained by the mua.-
tions workers, but where wage IN
crcases were asked the workers Sell
dom got as much as they asked fos.
Strikes in the clothing industry III
Eastern cities involved a number OF
strikes, but their duration was COM
pal atively short. A Middle western
clothing strike, in Chicago, however.
lasted for three months and involved
from 5000 TO $4,000 workers. Other
strikes of Importance during the year
included the building trades strike IN
Chicago. which halted building in that
city for a time: the oil and chemical
strike at Elizabeth, n. j.. and neigh
boring cities and the Chicago street
car strike. The Eastern Ohio coal
strike was settled just a yea" ago.
Strife Causes.
The causes of strikes aud lockouts
were numerous. In a total OF 1,2e'
strikes three hundred were for wage
increases: 1873 for y shorter working
day: 90 because of wage cuts, 60 be-
cause of discharge of union men; 40
because of employment of non-union
men and 20 for omen or closed SHOP.
The most significant feature of the
years labor legislation is given by
labor leaders as enactment OF work
mems compensation laws. The grow n
of the industrial commission plan Is
considered of great Importance also
This plan unites in one authority tins
administration of worAmen's compen-
sation. factory inspection and otAe'
LABOR laws. It was adopted durlna
the year by colorado, Indians, Mon
ina, Nevada and New York.
Unemployment received the alter
ton of number OF legislatures
Illinois established n commission OF
unemployment; california and Nevad;
investigated unemployme nj conditions
and Idaho provided emergency EN-
rloymput thrOnoh county boards