Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-12-11
UNION SCALES OF WAGES HAVE
BEEN ADVANCED In PAST YEAR


scale Of wages and hours of labor for
1O1 of the principal trades in 48 OF
the leading cities in the United States
prevailing in May, 1916, have recently
been published by the Bureau OF
Labor Statistics of the United States
DEPARTMENT of Labor. The scales
shown are those of the baking, brew
ing, building, freight handling, stone.
metal millwork, printing, soft drink,
and teaming trades.
Reports of the weekly wages were
received from 80 trades. In 80 of
these trades the average rate OF
wages, taken collectively, was higher
on May Is, 1916, than on May l, 1915.
In 10 trades there was no change,
and in trade was the average rate
lower The bakery trades, collective
~, received and advance of per cent
All but one of the II brewing trades
listed in this report received an in
crease of from 1 to per cent Thirty
of the 81 building trades listed receiV-
ec an increase from to II per cent.
Chauffeurs, teamsters, and drivers re-
ceived an increase of 8 pc cent.
Freight handlers received the great
est increase in any one occupation
IA per cent. Granite cutters had an
increase of 4 per cent. All of the
metal trades gained an increase of
from to 10 per cent. Mllliwork
painters hardwood finishers) receiv-
ed an increase Of II per cent. In
book and job printing 8 of the IL
trades received an increase, in no
case, however, above 8 per cent. In
the soft drink establishment group,
the increase was from l to per
cent in the several occupations.
Considering the rates Of wages per
hour as distinguished from rates per
week of the 101 trades, SO showed an
increase, Is showed no change, and
for none was the rate lower. Taken
collectively, rates per hour in 1916
were 4 per cent higher than in 1915,
per cent higher than in 1914, IA
per cent higher than in 1910, and 10
per cent higher than 1907.
The highest scales per hour paid
in May, 1916, in a few of the princi-
pal trades, were as follow: Brick
layers, SIS cents in Dallas, Houston,
and San Francisco; carpenters, 10
cents in Chicago; portable and hoist
ing engineesr, rs cents in Chicago,
Detroit, Newark, New York, St. Louis,
and San Francisco; hod carriers, so
cents in Portland, Ore, St. Lois, Salt
Lake City, San Francisco, and Spok-
ane; inside wiremen, rs cxsts in Cho-
cago and st Louis; painters, IL cents
in Chicago; plasterers, S7.5 cents
in Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Port
land, Ore, St. Louis, Salt Lake City,
San Franciso, and Seattle; Istruct-
tural iron workers, rs cents in San
Francisco, Seattle, and Spokane; COM
positors an book and job work, AZ 2
cents in Denver and Salt Lake City,
and on newspapers printed in Eng
hsh (day work., rs cents in Seattle;
linotype operators on books and JOB
work and on newspapers, printed ia
English (day work., rs cents in Seat
tie,
I As to changes in hours, 81 trades
showed a reduction OF hours between
1915 and 1916, and 50 trades had no
change Only one trade, machinist
operators in book and job printing,
had an increase in working hours
in the year.
! The hours of labor in the metal
trades range from "A to So hours per
week, "a being the predominant hours.
The printing trades in the book and
newspaper offices In nearly all Of the
cities covered have an S-hour day or
less.
The bulletin further shows by index
members (percentages) the relative
changes between 1907 and 1916 IN
union wages and hours of labor IS
compared with retail prices of food
and in the purchasing power Of wages