The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1921-02-22
SIX BILLIONS FROM PAY
ROLLS IN SIX MONTHS
HEAVY WAGE CUT is DIS
CLOSED BY GOVERNMENT
SURVEY OF BUSINESS.
IA BIG DROP In PRICE VALUES
Forty-ive Million Wage Farmers
Look Forward to Industrial Revival
AS Unemployment Begins to Wane
In Cities. Business Boom Forecast

In Cities. BUSINESS BOOM FoIeCdsl'
A cut of $6,OO0,0O0,000 has been
made in the pay rolls of the American
wage earners during the past six
months.
Forty per cent of the great army OF
As, 100000 workers have been affected
bv reduced wages, short time and I'M
employment. The remaining 90 per
cent with few exceptions. it is pre-
dicted, will be affected some time
within the next fifteen months.
These are the highlights OF nation
wide survey of the present business
situation in the United States This
canvass was made by government
agencies, trade organizations, financial
institutions and individual business in
terests. Virtually every industry in the
country was questioned in an effort
to secure authentic reports on the
present-day business situation.
Despite the big cut in the pay rolls
of the American wage carriers, all
signs are said to point to business
revival. Unemployment is reported to
be waning. Business is picking up
here and there, and it is predicted that
the present year bids fair to be big
one industrially and commercially, de-
spite the present situation.
With the reelection in wages there
also has been a reduction i'll the cost
of commodities. A commercial agency
has reported that values have dropped
and June, 1920.
Big Advance During War.
In order to obtain an idea OF the
cut in the paw rolls OF the working
people of the United States it is nee
essary to go back to the census fig
ures of 1910, which placed the mum
Der of workers at approximately SO,
| O00O00 In 1918 the government est1-
mated that it required seven workers
to support a man in khaki. There were
about 100000 men in the army, and
it is estimated that the army OF wage
earners must have been 35,00O,O0O. 1t
is now placed at 100000. -
Government officials do not know
how much wages were advanced since
before the war. A federal survey
however. was made last year III 81
states among hundreds of industrial
commercial and other business estab-
| 1ishments. These reports show that
wages advanced nearly AS per cent
on June last, over 1914.
The average estimated annual pay
of the workers in 1914 was about
5000 Applying the rate OF increase tc
that figure, the average annual pay
in June 1920, was $500.
A fair normal growth, making al
| 1OwanCe for the rush of women into
industry during the war period, would
bring the number of wage earners up
to 100000, or a total wage paid OF
about $67, 500,000,000.
Drastic Cuts Made.
When the business depression that
followed the war became general
throughout the United States, and ev-
cry industrial center, large and small,
from the Atlantic to the Pacltlc, was
affected, numerous manufacturers be-
gan to retrench Workers were placed
on reduced schedules in some in
stances. In others there were wage
reductions. Wartime bonuses were re-
moved, and in numerous instances en-
tire plants shut down completely Tor
period.
| 1t is estimated that almost all OF the
| 100000 workers engaged III manu-
featuring have suffered reductions. In
some lines, such as the textile and
automobile industry, the cuts were
drastic, throwing thousands out OF
work.
In the basic industries of oil-pro-
ducing, lumber and metal mining
many workers have received wage re
auctions. Many others, especially the
100000 men employed in the mine
fields, are still working at the same
pay rate, but on reduced time. While
the army OF 100000 railroad en-
ployes have not had their wages cut,
their numbers have been reduced and,
in many cases, their working time has
heen emf down