The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-09-08
WAGES GO UP IN THE EAST
Weekly Earnings of Employees in New
York Set New Records in Several
Lines of Industry.

The average per capita weekly earn.
ings of employees in factories in the
state during May were $1615, against
$3.50 in April. The per capita earn.
ings for one week in May, 1916 were
$1424 and in 1915 they were $12.74. A
report by the state department of labor
says, according to the New York
Times:
manufacturing activity in New York
state in May, 1917, showed gain. The
amount Of wages paid was greater than
in any other month since these returns
have been received with the exception
of March, 1917, when the pay rolls
were higher by negligible amount
Contributing factors to the result were
increased scale of operations, overtime
employment and increase in wage
rates."
The reports Of the department ara
based on figures submitted by 1000
representative firms employing more
than 100000 persons and having a
weekly pay roll of more than $4,000
OOO. Concerning some of the groups
the report says:
"The paper industry had in May /
per cent fewer workers, but paid out )
per cent pore wages than In April!
TlisSassas5fisheda new record IN wages i
tor this industry. There were general
increases in wage rates and mills OBJ
Grated to capacity. The number of
employees was 8 per cent and the wage
aggregate "a per cent greater than in
May Of last year.
THE food liquors and tobacco group
reported in May gain over April of 2
per cent in the amount of wages, which
estaDllshed new record. The number
OF employees remained about the same.
miscellaneous groceries reported gain
OF per cent in employees and 6 per
cent in wages. Bakeries reported a loss
OF per cent in employees and more
than 3 per cent in wages"
Creation of labor adjustment COM
mission to have final Jurisdiction dur
ing the war over labor disputes in
plants having contracts with the gov
eminent has been determined unon nv
the council of national defense. It ia
proposed to give the commission full
powers by awarding contracts only tn
those who will agree to abide bv its
findings and require pledges of their
employees to do so. A statement is.
sued by the council defined the func-
ton OF the new body as follows: "The
commission shall have jurisdiction
over all disputes concerning wages or
conditions of employment in all estab-
lishments having contracts with the
government In accordance with tbe
eight-hour law Of June 10, 1912. or
March 3, 1913, and shall hear and de.
termine all labor disputes in which
more than 1000 workers are directly
affected"
A petition signed by city firemen
of Fond du Lac, Wis, seeking an in.
crease of SIS a month in nav. has
been filed with the city commission
ers. The petition states that the city
fire fighters find it impossible to sup
port their families in proper manner
on present salaries.
The appellate term OF the New York
supreme court has decided that the
landlord Of an apartment house must
exercise care in the employment OF
help so that tenants may not suffer
from dishonest employees.
Buffalo IN. W Hotel Mems asso.
citation has signed a two-year agree
ment with their organized walters and
have made verbal agreement With
cooks, granting wage increases, one
day off in seven and ten-hour day
within IA hours.
The first agreement in rs years be-
tween the painters and their employ
ers of Ottawa, Canada, has been put In
effect. The painters will receive 37h
cents an hour, and the paperhangers
AZ cents an hour.
Wisconsin state commission has
prohibited all work for women in man.
ufactories and laundries between 9
p. m. and 8 a. M, except In pea cam
ming factories.
Detroit now has wireless classes orr
ganized by the Detroit branch Of the
National League for Woman's Sery.
Ice, where women may quality rs radio
operators