Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-10-15
Wage Farmers Shown
to Be Participants
in War Prosperity

Boston, Oct l5.--Average wages OF
men in eight leading industries. as
measured by average hourly earninss.
Increased all the way from "A per cent
to Il2 per cent during the period from
September. 1914. to March, 1919. ac-
corGing 20 { report on wartime
Changes In Wages issued today by the
ia tioraI Industrial conference board.
Increases in weekly earnings of men
ranged from 60 per cent to 10 per
cent.
PERCENTAGE increa ses IN earnings OF
female workers were broadly similar
IN the respective industries, with, how
ever. a somewhat wider range.
The eight Industries included were
metal. cotton, wool, silk, boot and
shoe. paper, rubber, and chemical man
ufactu-inz. Tho average results are
based on payroll data for one week.
usually the third week Of September
for the years 1914 to 1918. and for the
frst week OF March, 1919.
A noteworthy feature Of the results
is that the highest percentage IN
crcascs in earnings often were record
cd in cases where the absolute earn
inrs were relatively low, or vice versa.
Thus hourly earnings of male work
ers in cotton manufacturing Increased
over 100 per cent as against an in
crease Of 10 per cent for male workers
in the metal manufacturing industries
Actual hourly earnings Of the latter,
however, were 500 cents IN March,
1919, as compared with ESQ cents for
male cotton operatives. In the case OF
male workers in the rubber manufac-
turing industry. a high actual hourly
average was accompanied by haSn
percentage rate Of increase.
The increases shown were in most
cases greater than the corresponding
percentage Increase in cost OF living,
which was placed by a previous report
OF the board at 61.3 per cent for the
period from July, 1914. to March. 1919.
This fact indicates" says the report,
that these workers were In general
able to maintain and even to improve
their standard Of living prevailing In
1914" The report emphasizes, however.
that "com Do risons Of relative values
Afford no means whereby the ade-
cuacy of wages Of living standards
prevailing in either period can be de-
termined. The corupa risons simply
afford an approximate idea Of the ex-
tent to which the relationship between
wo xes and living costs existing at the
opening of the war was maintained OF
chanxed during ths succeeding four
and one-halt years" The report does
not purport to discuss the question
whether or to what extent wages should
vary with changes In the cost OF hv-
Ing.
Actual earnings Of men were con-
s:stently greater than those OF women.
Tie report points out, however that
this fact does not AFFORD conclusive
evidence az to how far the principle OF
equal pay for equal work" was ap-
piled, since the tasks at which men
and women were engaged in any given
in dustry, while often broadly Similar
where not necessarily Identical.
In the main. the percentage increases
In earnings Of pteceworkers were
greater than in those Of ttme-workerS
Actual earnings Of piece workers were
| In q majority Of cases likewise greater
than those Of time-workers IN the
same oosupational group. but the ex-
ceptions to this rule were rather
| numerous.