The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-01-31
WAGE FARMERS
|. RECEIVE INCREASE

of Labor William B. Wilson stated
today that more than eleven hundred
thousand wage earners in the United
States received substantial increases
in pay in the months of November
and December, 1916, according to f1g
ures just compiled.
"With few minor exceptions"
said the secretary, "all of the 1,11S,-
$40 increases came after election day.
November Z, and 931,76 during De-
cember. This is extremely interest
ing in view of the prediction of
closed shops soup kitchens, bread
lines etc., should President Wilson
be reelected, with which the Repub
lican managers flooded the columns
of the newspapers and plastered the
billboards of the country in the last
six weeks of the campaign. It is
significant that of the J,118,970 OF
workers affected, only $500, of a
little more than per cent are en-
ployed in the manufacture of munit-
ions. 1t is also significant that
whereas 66 of the ZIP increases noted
for November were the result of
strikes, only 33 of the 304 for De-
cember were secured through this
method.
81 have had prepared from vari-
Gus newspapers and periodicals tables
showing wage increases secured by
employees in manufacturing and other
establishments in the months men,
toned. The figures presented were
secured from As trade union periods
Gals, AZ labor papers, 6 leading trade
journals, and over so daily newspa-
pers published in various parts IT
the country. Great care has been
taken to eliminate all disputes.
"The reports for November, 1915.
show ZIP statements of wage in
creases in 38 states. Three of the
reports relate to railroads and other
interstate establishments. Of these
PIP reports 131 show the number of
establishments affected TO be 1913, and
~ reports show 187,20T employees
affected. Of the PIP reports of wage
increases 81 are stated to be the re-
suit of mutual agreement between
employer and employees, Sc as the re-
suit of strikes, 70 by voluntary act
ion on the part of the employer, and
for the remaining II no reason was
stated. The second table shows the
same information arranged by indus
try or occupation. This tabulation
shows n reports which gave the
number of employees affected, the
largest number affected being in
foundry and machine shop, 32,426;
mining q, 800; iron and steel 24,5OU;
boots and shoes 1890; textile work
ers 1880; tanning $4,000.
"The publications examined for the
month of December show 304 reports
of wage increases. These were feI
establishments in 80 states. 81 ct
which were for railroads and Other
interstate establishments. Of these
304 reports 500 showed a total OF
359 establishments involved. One
hundred and forty reports showed the
total number of employees benefited
by the increase of wages to be 931,.
763. Of these 304 reports of wages
increases IS were reported TO be OBJ
tanned by mutual agreement be.
tween employer and employees, SO a:
the result of strikes, 172 by volun
tary action of the employer, and fol
the remaining Sd, no reason wal
given. The second table shows tn,
same information tabulated by in.
dustry or occupation. This tabli
shows that the largest number o
employees benefited were in iron an,
steel, Sal 500; textile workers 208,
$50; garment workers 112, 800; work
ers in electrical supplies $1,000; mu
nitions $4,000; boots and shoes 80.
730; telephone and telegraph SERVES
$4,000; paper manufacturing 23,115
I'm the reports from which our fig
ures were compiled there was no uni
formity in stating the amount Of in
crease, and in large proportion o
the cases it was not possible to de
termine percentage.