Evening star., 1916-05-01
RECORD IN CONCESSIONS
TO ORGANIZED LABOR
Summary of Wage Increases and
Shortening of Hours for Year
Ended May /.
Advances General the Country Over,
It Is Stated, in Every Line
of Industry.

More advantages were gained by or
ganized labor throughout the country
during the year closing today. May day,
than at any other period in its history
according to labor officials and gov
ernment bureaus charged with follow
ing the movements of labor There
were increased wages and shorter
hours granted by employers, many
voluntarily, and more legislation af-
fecting labor.
Wage increases were greatest in the
metal trades, many Of which were stimu-
lated by war orders Cotton manufacture
ing was the only main industry which
did not grant substantial increases. The
metal trades. too. claimed the greatest
number of strikes during the year, though
many plants increased the paw of their
men and cut working hours voluntarily.
One benefit brought by the industrial
revival which labor officials consider as
lmporatnt as increases in wages was the
erect on unemployment. which has dis
appeared within the past year. Statistics
Just completed by the Department of La
Dor show that men of all trades have been
called in to work. Iron and steel mills
| nave on their pay rolls now 36 per cent
| more men than were employed a wear
ago and the car building and repairinp
industry has increased it's forces by about
the same percentage. Manufacturers of
! Doots and shoes are employing 20 per
cent more men than this time last year.
Range of Advances.
wage increases during the year have
ranged from to Is per cent. No sta
| tistics have been compiled by either
| the Department of Labor or the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, but reports
coming into both tell 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 1900. about
800 more than the year before About
| two-thirds of them were for ware in
creases or decreased working hours
and most of them were successful.
Munitions strikes starting in the sum-
mer of 1915 attracted much attention.
MOST or them were for shorter hours
without pay increases. Shorter hours
generally were obtained by the NUM-
tions workers, but where wage in
creases were asked the workers seldom
got as much as they asked for.
=, A number of strikes occurred in the
clothing industry in eastern cities.
but their duration was compara-
lively short A middle western cloth
ing strike, in Chicago. however, last
ed Tor 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 construction in
that city for a time: the Oil and chemi-
cal strikes at Elizabeth. N. j.. and
street car strike. The eastern Ohio coal
strike was settled just year ago.
Causes Of Strikes and Lock-outs.
The causes of strikes and lock-outs
were numerous. In a total of 1900
strikes 800 were for wage increases,
133 for a shorter working day, 80 be-
cause of wage cuts. 80 because Of dis
charge of union men. 40 because of
employment Of non-union men and 20
for open or closed shop.
The most significant feature of the
years years labor legislation is given by
labor leaders as enactment of work.
mems compensation laws The growth
OF the industrial commission plan is
considered of great Importance also.
This plan unites in one authority the
administration of workmen's compen-
sation. factory inspection and other la
Dor laws. 1t was adopted during the
year by Colorado. Indiana, Montana.
Nevada and New York
Unemployment received the atten-
nois established a commission on un-
employment, California and Nevada in
vestigated unemployment conditions,
and Idaho provided emergency employ
ment through county boards.
Public Employment ofices.
Public employment offices were es-
tablished by California, Idaho, Iowa,
New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Illinois,
Michigan and Oklahoma extended their
public employment systems. Seven
states provided for licensing and su-
pervising private employment Offices
Laws relating to the employment of
women and children were passed by a
number of states. Arkansas and Kan
sas enacted minimum wage laws and
California. Massachusetts and Washing
ton amended minimum wage laws al
ready in force. Eleven states now have
minimum wage legislation. Arkansas
and Pennsylvania passed child labor
legislation during the year.
In the field of safety provision the
most detailed enactments were those
formulated by the industrial commits
sion of Wisconsin and the industrial
boards of New York and Pennsylvania
The seamen's act, the Alaska and
Arizona old age pension laws and CAL
ifornia's appointment Of a commission
to report on social insurance were
other important enactments.
NADDEr vrYyY ADE Dv rrAv1E