New-York tribune., 1918-06-29
Print Paper and
Woodpulp Makers
Get Wage Increase
War Labor Board Makes
Advance of 10 Cents
an Hour

WASHINGTON, June 28.-Award of
general wage increase of ten cents
an hour for workers in the wood pulp
and newsprint paper industry, with
equal pay for men and women doing
the same work, was announced to-day
by the War Labor Board, which at the
same time made public a letter to the
Federal Trade Commission recommend
ing that newsprint paper prices re-
Gently fixed be reconsidered to deter
mine whether there should be further
increase to cover the advanced cost of
production.
The wage advances are binding upon
nineteen companies and affect the
membership Of eight unions. The new
scales, running from Is to 93 per cent
over schedules established in October,
1917, give inside day workers the low
ing for more skilled trades to a maxi
mum of fifty cents per hour for me-
chanical repair men. Eight hours is
made day for mill workers and nine
hours for employees outdoors, with time
and one-half for overtime. An ar
rangement is made for revision of the
scales on January 1 and July of each
year in accordance with the rise or
decline of commodity prices. Notify
ing the trade commission Of the ad-
vance, q letter signed by Joint Chair
men Taft and Walsh said:
"The National War Labor Board in
ing conditions and additional compen-
sation to be paid by the newsprint
paper manufacturers to their employees,
which said decision will measureably
increase the cost of production Of
newsprint paper, feel constrained, in
simple justice to the parties in inter
est, to most respectfully request that
the case involving the fixing of the
selling price Of rlewsprint paper recent
ly decided. by your honorable commits
sion be reopened and that your honor
able commission reconsider your find
ing in said case with a view to deter
mine whether our award in this sub
mission should require an amendment
of your finding"
A minimum of 81 cents per pound
for newsprint paper was fixed June l9
by the Federal Trade Commission, the
previous figure having been three cents
Four Holidays Permitted.
In it's wage award the Labor Board
declared the new scale is based en-
tirely upon increased cost of living. 1t
orders recognition Of the rights Of
workers to organize, and fixes four
holidays for each year-July 4, Labor
Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. G.
A. Crocker and 7. M. Guerin, as a sec
tion of the board, fixed the details of
the award, which were approved by
vote of the whole board. A recon-
mendation is made for an investiga-
tion by the workers and employers,
which will classify types of work in
the mills and establish differentials in
wages within six months.
Paper, pulp and sulphite mills of the
following corporations are governed by
the finding:
International Paper Company. Abb
tibi Power Paper Company, Fort Fran
els Pulp and Paper Company, St. Regis
Paper Company, Tidewater Paper Mills
Company, St. Maurice Paper Company,
De Grasse Paper Company, High Falls
Pulp and Paper Company, Spanish
River Pulp and Paper Mills, Limited;
Taggerta Paper Company, E. B. Eddy &
Co., Ontario Paper Company, Falls
River Company, Union Bag and Paper
Company, Lake Superior Paper Com
pany, 1tasca Paper Company, Pajepacet
Paper Company, Powell River Company
and Finch Pruyn Company.