Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1916-06-24
HARVESTER COMPANY WAGE
INCREASES SINCE 1902


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
lied. 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 detailed examina-
ton of the pay rolls from the year of
the company's organization down to
the present
Without waiting for this report, the
company proceeded at once to offer it's
employees in the Mccormick and
Deering works a new schedule, in
creasing the minimum rate to Is cents
an hour and granting new rate which
was equivalent to a wage increase OF
IL 1-9 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
ganized. 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 Harves-
ter works of the International Har-
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.
(Signed) HASKINS & SELLS,
Certified Public Accountants.
This report shows an increase OF
more than one-half in the hourly rate
of wages from 1902 down to April, 1916.
When to that is added the increase
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 cent
than two-thirds.
A week later the same firm rendered
another certified report covering the
Deering and Mccormick Irvine mills,
as follows:
CERTIFICATE rr
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 superintendents) during
April, 1916, show increases overf 81
the average hourly rates during
the manufacturing season of 1902
as follows:
Per Cent
Female employees $1,000 $3.50
Male Employees -51.47
All employees ........55.91
This comparison is on the day
shift only; night workers are paid
a 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 new
schedule for the Irvine mills, effective
May 1, 1916. Adding the increase in
cluded therein to the figures of the
certified accountants report, the total
increases in the Irvine mills from
1902 to date are:
Per Cent.
Male workers 1854
Female workers 5000. 96.5S
Total -S6.46
That means a total increase of the
hourly wage rate in the Irvine mills,
from 1902 to date, of more than four
fifths
The farmer has not felt the effect of
these increases in wages for the SIM
pie reason that by improvements in
processes of manufacture and by the
of efficiency in the works
the company has been able to offset
the increasing cost of labor.
The recent rise in prices of farm
machines was due solely to the abrupt
and unusual increase in the cost of
raw materials used in their manufac-
ture. Material prices will doubtless
go back to their former level in time,
but wage increases may be regarded
as permanent additions to the cost of
production.
Weather Report