The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1920-11-11

AMERICAN CITIES
automobile Plant Centers in
North Flooded With Unem-
ployed; Pay Reduced in New
England Textile Mill Towns.
New York, Nov. General wage
deflation has begun. This is the in
terpretation generally put upon the
reports from nearly all parts OF the
country and from all lines OF busi-
ness and industry to the almost
unanimous effect that manufacturers
n business men in almost all lines
are confronted with the necessity for
either curtailing their working per-
sonnet with a resultant ~lessening OF
production. or reducing wages and
salaries on a wholesale scale.
Reports indicate that not only
wage carriers but salaried men as
Well y being caught in the eco
nomic pressure that Is beginning to
squeeae normally small incomes
: back to their normal pre-war dimen-
sions.
Many firms are known to have be-
u the process of wage and small
salary deflation By operating first on
the incomes Of the unorganized cleri-
force and the minor executives.
the cuts in many or these cases are
said to have equalled so per cent.
There Is evidence in reports from
the big industrial centers and In the
department of labor statistic for the
month. to show that unemployment
Is greater at the present time than at
any period since before the war.
100000 Laid Off in Cleveland.
Cleveland and Toledo are said to
be flooded with unemployed. One
hundred thousand men have been
laid off in Cleveland recently and
10000 are reported as still minus
jobs, whereas the normal number of
those out of work is 10000. Condi-
lions in Toledo are said to be equiva-
lent If not worse than in Cleveland.
The problem in both cities Is aggra-
waited by the arrival of worker from
Akron and Detroit where thousands
Of workers In the rubber and auto
mobile plants have been laid off
within the last few weeks.
The estimates Of those now out Of
work in Detroit range from 49, 900 to
100 $1,000. Whereas six months ago an
apartment in Detroit was almost I'M
%obtainable at any price. for rent
signs are common in windows there
now and there has been a general
drop In rents.
Mill Men Back at Less Pay.
While union labor leaders have
been warning the men in the ranks
that the manufacturers intended an
unjustified general cut In wages and
prophesying trouble rs a result, none
has as yet developed where cuts have
been made. On Monday in Uncas-
Vile, Conn, the cotton mill Of the
Uncasville Manufacturing Company,
after a shutdown of two weeks, re-
opened with a general wage reduc-
ton of 20 per cent. In the after
noon Of the reopening day e. D.
White, general manager Of the COM
pany, said the full working force had
shown up and that there had been no
trouble as a result Of the wage re-
duction.
I'VE were operating at a loss under
the old wage SCALE" he said. ut was
a question Of shutting down or re-
ducing wages Work Is not to be
had elsewhere and the employees were
glad Of the opportunity to continue
work at the reduced wage"
In line with the experience Of this
company are those Of other New
England textile mills. the tire and
rubber companies In Akron, Ohio
M the automobile manufacturing
concerns in Detroit.
Textile Mills Ran Half Time.
Many Of the textile mills In New
England have been running on hall
time and there are cases of recent
record where they have rome on q
full time schedule with a reduced
wage rate at the request of the en-
ployes. The tire and rubber COM
panies in Akron and the automobile
companies in Detroit have been put
ting wage reduction into practice
under camouflage for months.
The method has been as follows:
Lay off a certain number of me1
getting 80 cents an hour; wait unit
they apply for work; explain that thu
old job at the old rate is not available
but there is work to De had for 81
cents an hour: then, If the work II
desired, put the applicants back II
their previous places, doing the sam
labor at the reduced rate.
In Akron and Detroit at leas
thousands of men who have beer
laid off within the last few months
are again at work at q reduced wag'
rate. So far the threatened labo,
upheavai has not occurred.
Gompers Warns Workers.
Gompers recently issued a warning
to the workers that the interest
were combining to effect an u~njustt
fled wage reduction, and on Sunda.
John L. Lewis, president Of the United
Mine Workers, painted a verbal pic
ture of a combination Of capitalist
grouped together for the commo
purpose Of forcing down wages AM
destroying organized labor. The op