The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-05
FIVE MILLION WORKERS !.
OF UNITED STATES GET
NEW YEARS CASH GIFTS
Wage Farmers stockholders to Cut Melon Aggregat
ing Three Hundred Million Dollars-United States
Steel Co. Leads With Three Salary Increases Total
ing $33,ooo,000


and only a few hours old he
was able to totter with a load
Of gold for Mr. Average Man esti-
mated anywhere between $500, 900, 900
and 100000. This is the young
gentlemans answer to the high cost
Of living and his proof that prosperity
is abroad in the land.
n According to the Department Of
Labor more than 100000 wage earn
ers will share in the cutting of this
tremendous melon in the shape of
salary increases, bonuses and holiday
gifts. Never before has there been
anything like this voluntary sharing
Of increased profits and this serious
effort on the part of firms to aid
their employees in meeting the un-
usual living conditions. Everywhere
throughout the country business con-
Germs have announced definite wage
! advances or their equivalent in the
! form of bonuses, holiday gifts profit
/ sharing plans or insurance benefits
] Government reports indicate that the
straight salary increases will average
4 10 per, cent. and the bonuses from 5
| to so, per cent.
4 ~ Cash Bonuses Most Popular
| + OTCundC01y. t10e general prosperity
| Of the country has advanced almost
step by step with the increased cost
| of living, SO that firms are now able
through their augmented profits to
| help their employees solve the ques-
ton Of the high prices. To many big
concerns the popular method has
! been one of cash bonuses ranging
from two weeks additional salary to
a half Of the total years wages. This
has been favored no doubt because
bonuses are less inflexible than wage
advances and carry no promises for
1 the future.
/ A favored method being used now
for the first time to any extent is the
giving of insurance policies on the
group insurance plan. While this is
| not a tdirect answer to the solution
| of Increased living expenses it takes
/ care of a necessary expenditure and
relieves the ordinary employee Of Of
at least one additional burden. 1t is
estimated that many millions of dol
lars worth of life and accident insur-
ance has been given out by firms the
/ past week.
One insurance concern announced
recently that in the last few weeks it
has written over $4,000, 900 worth of
| group 1nSurduCc lOT liIIIlS thai pI G.
sented the paid policies to their en-
ployees at Christmas It is the pur-
| pose Of the firms to pay the annual
premiums on these policies.
Joy Also for Stockholders
The general prosperity of the coun-
try is also reflected in the fact that
hundreds Of thousands of stockh old
ers will share in extra dividends.
| q ~
nounced the dividing Of big profits, in
some cases amounting to 100 per
cent. of share values. In the month
of December alone more than $780,
| 100000 in stock dividends were an
nounced; the amount may have ag-
gregated $4OO,0 100000. This means
| that altogether the stockholders and
employees in the United States will
receive as their share in the years
profits somewhere around $800,O00,-
900.
The record for wage increases dur
ing the past year goes to the United
States Steel Corporation, whose $780,
| 900 employees have shared in three
salary increases aggregating $33,000,-
1000. The American Telephone and
Telegraph Company probably takes
second place with a distribution of
! $1,000 900. Then there comes the
Bethlehem Steel Company with 10
per cent. wage increases to it's 10000
workers.
| New England mill workers have
had no less than $fo,000,000 volun-
tarily added to their annual wages
Miners, steel workers, cigar makers
| and the employees in almost every
branch of industry in the country
have been rewarded by either wage
increases or substantial bonuses.
| Banks, railroads, express compa-
MES, hotels, insurance companies and
commercial houses are only a few Of
| the hundreds of institutions who have
| been willing to divide their extra prof
| it's.
| New York, securing as it did the
| cream Of the unusual prosperity, was
| in turn the most generous in divid-
| ing it. Many millions were given
away as bonuses during the holidays
and many other millions have been
| tackled on the wage share in extra
| dividends.
Salary Increases and Bonuses
| The following is list Of salary in
creases, bonuses and Christmas gifts
| by employers to employees that have
been made this year:
Adams Express Company-Increase
in wage schedules by 100000, with
additional increases that will aggre-
gate 100000.
Atlantic National Bank-Ten per
cent. increase in salaries to all in
banks service more than a year.
American Express Company-Bon-
us of months salary to all in service
more than a year.
| American International Corpora
| Unconstitutional salary to all mem
bers of staff.
Amoskeag Manufacturing Company
Three increases in wages of $4,000
cotton mill employees during year.
cent. increases in wages to $4,000 en-
| ployees in New England and New
York.
American Brass Company, Water
| bury, Torrington and Ansonia, Conn.
Ten per cent. bonus, with additional
! rs per cent. bonus for month of De-
cember.
Appomaug Company, Rhode Island
Ten per cent. increase in wages
| Aston, Vincent-Ten per cent. bon
us Of years wages to employees of the
Ferncliff estate.
Andrews & Co.-Ten per cent. pom
| US Of years wages.
American Agricultural Chemical
Company-Ten per cent. bonus.
! American Bridge Company-Ten
per cent. wage increase to all un-
1ot. 000