The Washington times., 1921-06-14

around 100000 tons weekly, accord
ing to reports TO the Geological Sur
vey. A few weeks ago the output was
below 100000 tons week. lncreas-
ing coal output and consumption
means humming factories and employ
ment OF more workers.
COAL A BAROMETER.
Coal output is one of the most GER
tain barometers Of industrial activ-
ity," said George III. Cushing, manag-
ing director of the American Whole
sale Coal Association When fac
tories shut down the demand for coal
slumps Immediately and the mines
also close, laying OF workmen.
"Workmen now are returning to
the.mines in large numbers in answer
to the demand for help"
with factories reopening and unem-
ployment apparently decreasing.
workers are returning to their ma
chimes and taking up their tools at
wages ranging not more than rs jper
cent below those OF 1920, even In
cases where the reductions have been
deepest.
On this basis the average of work
ers are far ahead OF the standard of
living they maintained In 1920. Last
fall, for instance, the hourly rate of
WdstS loi VI tiiOushOut N'c
United States averaged rs per cent
above the scale paid In 1918, accord
ing to a report to the Labor Depart
ment.
More than twenty other trades then
were receiving rates OF pay which
were at least 100 per cent greater than
in pre-war days. Among such trades
were building laborers whose increase
was 126 per cent; floor layers 119 per
cent. metal polishers, i46 per cent:
molders, 135 per cent; machinists. 109
per cent, and painters, 106 per cent
RAIL WORKERS AHEAD STILL
Two million railroad workers now
are nearly 100 per cent ahead of the
pay envelop game as IL was played in
1914 despite a IS, per cent wage cut
just administered by the Railroad
Labor board at Chicago. Just before
the cut, the rail workers were being
paid at rate approximately 135 per
cent greater than before the war. ac-
cording TO computations on the basis
of reports to the Interstate Commerce
Commission. The Railroad Laoor
Board removed s4O0. 900 900 a year
from the pay envelopes of the rail
workers, but left therein 500. .0Oe. 900
which was added last summer.
A Is per cent cut in the wages of
striking ocean going steamship engi-
neers and seamen, to which their rep
resentatives agreed at conferences
with Secretary of Labor Davis. would
have reduced the operating expenses
of vessel owners only IL per cent.
according to Labor Department Of
ficials.
Despite the agreement of work
ers to wage reductions which TO
them seem large but which fail to
spell material economies in the gem
ersl operating expenses of the
plants in which they work. many
industries now are taking on addi-
tional workers and preparing to
operate full time. This indicates,
Labor Department officials say. that
unemployment is tending to be re-
duced.
Some industries which the depart
ment discovered are employing more
and more workers daily are leather
manufactures, paper and printing,
clay stone and glass producers, au-
tomobile plants. and railroad shops.
Jobs now are becoming more and
more plentiful in many of the big
cities including, according to the
Labor Department records, Denver,
st. Paul, Bayonne, N. j.; Seattle !;
New Bedford, Mass. Grand Rapids
Atlanta and Indianapolis.