The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-01-12
Conditions Shown in Various
Parts Of Country
ALL CLASSES AFFECTED
Increases Range From Ten to
Twenty Per Cent; Common
Labor Advance
tAssociated Press Dispatch.l

Chicago, January, 10.-A survey OF
centers of the middle west in the year
just ended has brought out somewhat
diversified situation, the trend moving
toward increased pay for labor OF
nearly all kinds in most quarters but
standing almost still in few others
In Illinois there were substantial wage
advantages in many lines of industry
particularly iron manufacturing, lum-
Der working, clothing making, print
ing, leather handling and manufacture
of harvesting machinery.
The iron workers got better than a
thirty per cent raise during the year
First came ten per cent advance;
then another ten per cent rise and
finally third uplift of ten per cent
more, each raise being calculated on
the salary total made by the previous
raises. The iron workers included
molders, open hearth furnace opera
tors and ether employees in similar
labors in Chicago, East st. Louis,
Rockford, Peoria, Moline, Rock Is
land and Waukeegan.
Lumber Mill Workers..
Lumber mill workers were paid, at
the beginning of 1916 from $3.50 to
S1.75 for common day labor but be-
fore the year closed their wages were
advanced to $500 and $3.50 per day.
These mill hands who were paid by
the week, earning SIS each six days,
were given bonus of per cent be-
fore the close of last year, and were
afterward advanced to SIG per week
and then to SIT and that bonus was
continued in both cases. The lumber
teamsters' wages averaged SIG per
week when a five year contract was
adopted whereby their wages We're
increased to SIT per week for the
first two and half years and to SIS
per week for the remainder of the
five year term
Clothing manufacturers have al
lowed wage increases of from 10 to
Is per cent, affecting about $4,000
workers in Illinois, mostly in Chica-
go, and harvesting implement manu-
facturerS have raised the wages of
common labor ten per cent and also
have made advances in piece work
but on varied percentage according
TO the class or work. w
Printing House Employees.
Printing house employees have been
given a IL per cent increase in Chi
cago, other parts of Cook county and
in Hammond Ind, involving about
twenty thousand workers. Leather
manufacturers made advances in 1916
varying from ten to fifteen per cent
and affecting approximately 10000
workers in the great leather making
districts of Chicago, Milwaukee, Wau-
kegan and Racine, Wis, the last
named noted as sole leather and
harness leather manufacturing local
ity
In Cincinnati wages are reported
higher than they were a year ago
but in Ohio generally there have been
practically no increases except to the
laborers employed in the establish
meats operated by machinery COM
panies. Two large paper companies in
Indianapolis have announced raises
in wages amounting in one case to a
bonus of $4,000 and in another to a
bonus of $4,000 In Indianapolis and
the state generally, however, few
have been made,
Situation In Mexico.
The situation in Michigan shows
many favorable aspects. A report iss-
ued by the Board of Commerce OF
Detroit said that in Detroit and the
manufacturing villages of Hamtram-
ack, Highland Park and River Rouge
which are essentially part of De-
troit'S commercial life, the number OF
factory wage earners and salaried
office employees were reported as be-
for the year just closed $4,000, an in
crease over previous year of 29,206. A
canvas made last October by the
Board of Commerce showed an average
increase of 13 per cent in wages but
in some lines it is slightly more than
is much higher.
Desire of manufacturers for the
services Of tool-makers, craftsmen
and special machine workers led to g
demand for labor that broke all rec
ords in Michigan. The labor situa-
ton in the state was marked by lit
tie unrest, the exceptions being &
strike of patternmakers for a nine
hour day with ten hours pay and Z
strike of cigarmakers which was o.
some violence. In the Bay City dis
/. triet wage increases have varied from
few cents for textile workers to a.
high as fifty and even IS per cent fol
expert toolmakers. There have been il
this district wage increases of from
5 to. 10 cents per hour in building
trades and laborers are still reported
scarce in those lines. Jackson, Mich.
reports prosperity and best wages fol
common day labor paid for some
time, the workers earning from S2.5l
to $2.75 per day. BARRIERS got a tel
per cent increase and molders Wer.
given a raise of so cents per day o
nine hours. School teachers and JAM
tors have been granted increase
ranging from z to 10 per cent.
~ Wisconsin Wage Advance.
Nearly all employees in every in
dustry in Wisconsin have obtained
wage advances with exception o
clerks and office employees) accor
ding to a report made by James A
Fetterly. secretary of the Retail ant
Credit Division of the Merchants ant
Manufacturers Association who ha
just completed general survey
Skilled labor has benefited to the ex
tent OF an advance in wages amour
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