The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-05
GOOD YEAR FOR LABOR

che year ending with May !, IN IN
creased wages, shortening Of hours
and legislation than evey before IN us
history. according to officials OF tne
American Federation of Labor. wage
advances we're general the country
over in virtually every line OF indus
try and laws beneftting labor were
mt ON the statue books Of every state
in the union except five.
Wage increases were greatest IN
the metal trades, many of which were
stimulated by war orders. Cotton
manufacturing was the only main IN
dustry which did not grant substan-
tiaI increases. The metal trades, too,
claimed the greatest number OF
strikes during the year, though many
plants increased the pay of their men
and cut working hours voluntarily.
Omen benefit brought by the indus
trial revival, which labor officials con-
slider as important as increases In
wages was the effect on unemploy-
ment which has disappeared within
the past year. Statistic just complet-
ed by the Department of Labor show
that men of all trades have been
called in to work. Iron and steer
mills have on their payrolls now
thirty-six per cent. more men tnan
were employed year ago and the car
building and repairing industry has in
lcreased its forces by about the same
percentage. Manufacturers OF boots
) and shoes are employing twenty per
cent more men than this time last
year.
Wage increases during the year
} have ranged from five to fifteen per
cent. No statistics have been com
piled by either the Department OF
Labor or the American Federation oil
Labor. but reports coming in to both
itell of what is being accomplished IN
manufacturing plants in all parts Of
the country.
The Department of Labor puts the
country's 1915 strikes at $500, about
1900 more than the year before. About
, two-thirds of them were for wage in
creases of decreased working hours
and most of them we're successful
5 Munitions strikes, starting in the sum
,mer of 1915 attracted much attention
Most of them were for shorter hours
without pay increases. Shorter hours
generally were obtained by the mum
tons worksr, but where wage increas
es were asked the workers seldom
got as much as they asked for.
Strikes in nthe clothing industr.
d in Eastern cities involved number o
n strikes, but their duration was com
e paratively short. A Middle Western
: clothing strike, in Chicago, however
+ lasted for three months and involve
e from 5000 to $4,000 workers. Othe
S strikes of Importance during the yea
included the building trades strike l
Chicago, which halted building ig tina
city for a time; the oil and chemics
:, strikes at Elizabeth, N. j., and neigl
q boring cities and the Chicago stree
car strike. The Eastern Ohio COZ
strike was settled just year ago.
The causes of strikes and lockout
= were numerous. In a total 1,2U
). strikes three hundred were for wag
| increases; 1873 for shorter workin
lie day; 80 because of wage cuts; go b
g cause of discharge of union men; 4
It because of employment Of non-unio
IS men and 20 for open or closed shop
It The most significant feature of tn
g years labor legislation is given by Ii
70 Dor leaders as enactment Of worl
NJ mems compensation laws. The growt
!, of the industrial commission plan
: considered of great importance als'
This plan unites in one authority tn
administration of workmen's compel
sation, factory inspection and othe