davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10
Reductions of Forces

The number of employees in railroad
service in 1920 was 100000. In 1916
it was 1,647 600. If one road made
showing such as this-namely, rcd &c
tion in train miles in the face OF an
increase in the volume of traffic-and
instead of showing a smaller number
of employees showed much greater
number, the president of that road
would be likely to start looking for
new general manager. An analysis of
the work of the employees shows that
employees on an hourly basis worked
approximately per cent more hours in
1920 thain in 1915 and those on daily
basis 13 per cent more. These figures
do not mean that each employee who
was on an hourly basis worked more
hours in 1920 than in 1916, merely that
there were more employee hours and
employee days spent on railroad work.
1t is difficult for a railroad manager
to take his own detailed figures and
determine exactly what causes are to
blame for a per cent increase in the
number of employee hours and the 10
per cent increase in the number of en-
ployee days with an actual decrease in
train miles, and quite impossible to
make even q guess without detailed fig
ures at how much the national agree
ments are responsible for this result
and how much conditions which are
now under the control Of the managers
were responsible for the reult. 1t can
be said. however, that these figures for
the number of employees shows one Of
the important points of attack for rail-
road managers on operating expenses.
Total railroad operating expenses
are divided under the Interstate Com
merce commission regulations, into
maintenance of way, maintenance OF
equipment, traffic expenses, transpor-
tatlon expenses, miscellaneous opera.
tons and general expenses A re-
duction in the amount of labor ex-
pended in transportation is real
and permanent economy, and it has
been towards such reduction that tn,
best efforts of American railroad man.
ayers has been aimed. The most i'm
portant factor of reducing the number
Of men hours in transportation is to
increase the trainlaod, or TO put it the
other way around, to haul the same
volume of traffic with less number
of train miles. Road freight brake,
men and fragments wages constitute
4.29 per cent of total compensation
Road enginemen and motormen, 31t
per cent; firemen and helpers. 2.39
per cent; freight conductors, 2.22 pei
cent; passenger enginemen, lis per
cent? passenger brakemen and flag
men, 0.90 per cent; passenger conduc-
tors, Nj per cent; passenger fremen
and helpers. 0.S4 per cent;--a tota. |
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10
Help Problem. Acutc

THE help problem is still pressing
one" said an executive of one prom
inent store. There is a tendency on
the part of our workers to give US more
work for the same money we were pay
ing them during the boom times. We
hesitate to reduce wages, and have
chosen rather to reduce our staff as a
means Of cutting down expenses. The
remaining workers, in both selling and
non-seling departme have been
given to understand that the retention
of their positions depends largely upon
increased individual efficiency. Records
actually show betterment of efficiency
IN almost every employee"
Through the spring and up to the
present time the apparel departments
have been the leaders in the volume
of business. Accessories and personal
furnishing goods appear to come next.
Other departments are characterized as
flair, Iand the really slow departments
are housefurnishings and the like. The
dullness in these goods is ascribed to
two causes: First, the shortage of
houses that has prevented much NOV
ing, which always created a demand for
new furnishings, and second, the fact
that prices of these commodities have
not shown as great a drop as have the
prices Of apparel.
Some of the stores that formerly
budgeted their purchases for six
months in advance have abandoned
this method and have adopted instead
policies that are flexible and permit of
expansion or curtailment to suit the
varying changes in the wholesale
markets or the buying temper of the
public. &
Every possible source of information
is being tapped by the department
store executives to get line on whole
sale trends and influences affecting the
buying power of the public. A searcher
for information on retail conditions is
usually pumped" for information on
other subjects by the retail executives.
GLOW do you find things in the whole
sale markets ?" What do you think
of the iron and steel business ?" "What
is the automobile trade doing?" These
are a few of the questions that re-
tailers ask of others in their quest for
information that will guide them in
shaping their own buying and selling
policies.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10

gregate of 100000 tons, which thew
are offering at prices under the pri-
mary market.
one district interest, which does not
subscribe to the Amalgamated Associa-
agreement in the sheet mill division,
TINS week is working off an accumula-
t1on OF orders aggregatng several
thousand tons. Recent sheet tonnage
IN the Mahoning Valley includes gal
Vanlzed tor roofing purposes Sheet
prices, under the reduction, are being
quoted at 2.65c for No. 10 blue annealed,
5.o0c for black and 4.50c for galvanized
hese quotations compare respectively
with 2.85c. 3.75c and 4-75c on the vari
Gus grades, which have been nominallv
quoted. 1t is known, however, that the
lower prices have been accepted by a
number of district sheet makers on new
tonnage for some time past.
Decline in bar iron prices, reflected in
the recent wage adjustment, showing
That prices on shipments for the last
sixty days averaged 2.3Oc against 2.55c
the preceding two months, may be ex
pected to continue. Reports reaching
here are that bar iron is being offered
IN the east at 1.85c, Pittsburgh.
Further Wage Cuts Coming
Saggng of bar iron prices to the steel
bar level means further substantial
reductions in the wage rates of puddI-
ers and finishers. At 230c puddlers'
wages dropped from $12.52 per ton, as
compared with postwar mark of
$3.50. At 1.S5c the pudding rate
would be $l026 on the old scale, under
which the mills are still working bv
reason of clause which provided that
it shall continue in effect for thirty
days in event of failure to reach new
agreement. Even this price is nearly
three times the rate paid in extremely
low periods in past years.
Strip steel inquiry is slightlv mora
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10

active than it has been. Cold rolled
strip has settled to aroun 5 cents,
while hot rolled has declined to $50
cents, with a likelihood that tonnage
could be booked at 21a cents. Current
demand is principally for the hot
rolled, coming chiey from auto makers
and makers of autom obile parts.
In the raw materials market prime
Western spelter has sold at Az cents.
and consumers are expecting a record
low price of cents for recent wears
to be realized before the swing upward
begins.
Old material quotations are entirely
nominal and based on what it is be-
lieved the market would be if any ton
uage were moving. All around, such
quotations are down SO cents to 81 a
ton.
The steel market in so far as the
Shenango Valley is concerned appears
weak and inactive About the ONLY ac-
t;vity displayed is at the sheet mill of
the American Sheet and Tinplate Com
pany, which is now running at full ca
pacity. The Sharon Steel Hoop Com
pany also has enjoyed a slight squirt in
business Leading blast furnace opera
tors assert there is little likelihood of
any of the fourteen furnaces Of the
Valley blowing in.
Henry w. Toney, president of the
Sharon Pressed Steel Company, whose
plant is operating at over DO per cent
of capacity, announced that satisfac-
tory adjustments of financial Difficult
ties have been made and the plant is
now ready to make and oliver 1900
truck and autom obile frames daily. The
company recently installed 4OO-ton
Mesta press.
The Standard Tank Car plant, which
has been fairly active for some time,
will close down next week for an in
definite period
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10
Delay Spring Underwear Offer,

Jobbers and manufacturers of knitted
underwear, who met in conference here
last week, practically decided that the
facturers bedelayed until August Is TO
September /. In normal times most
OF the spring lines would be open now.
There is we'll founded belief among
the jobbers that spring underwear will
be slightly cheaper in price, compared
to fall lines which have been on the
market for some months, although
many manufacturers assert that their
present production is showing little or
no profit, and in many cases an actual
loss
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10
q. S. Sales COLONY in London

An American sales colony is being
built up in the vicinity of Bush Inter
national Sales Building, now under
construction in London. according to
Major r. c. Mitchell, who is connected
with the Bush interests in London.
Armour & Co.. he said, 'have a
new building at Kingsway. The Guar
anty Trust Company, of New York,
have obtained London office. The
lngersoll Watch Company has opened
a great block of Offices and have their
shops on the ground floor. rhe East
man Kodak Company has fine Offices,
and large number of other important
American firms are now represented in
London"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10
THE business depression has
had curious reaction on the

TIME business depression has
had curious reaction on the
general retail field. Big de-
partment stores and speciality shops,
contrary to expectations, even Of the
merchants themselves, are doing
large volume of business. Executives
of half dozen leading stores in this
city are emphatic in their statements
that the volume of business in units
of merchandise Il far in excess of
what 1T was year or even two years
ago. Income from this enlarged dis
tribution, however, is smaller, owing
to lower prices. This is the crux of
the retail problem as several of the
leading merchants view the situation
at present.
Income from sales bids fair to
remain at its present level, or to re-
cede with further declines in prices.
AT the same time efforts to bring
down overhead or general selling ex-
penses in the stores have been only
partly effective. The margin of net
profit left the retailer is shrinking
constantly, and although not at the
danger point yet, forms a feature of
the business that is giving rise to
some hard thinking and planning in
the executive Offices of the big retail
distributing plants.
Most retailers still view the whole
sale markets in general with certain
amount of apprehension. The retailer
is far from convinced that prices of
most commodities have reached their
lowest levels. The hand o-mouth pol
icy of laying in new stocks is still
being adhered to with the utmost rigid
ity in most Of the New York establish
ments.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10
81 States Seek to Curb
Fake Stock Promoter

Thirty-seven states now have blue
sky laws prohibiting Or conditioning
the sale or distribution of corporate
and other securities, which in many
cases have provided complicated prob
lens for brokers, promoters, those re-
sponsible for reorganizations and ex-
changes of securities and others.
whether of the Ponzi type or not. For
the solution of these difficulties the
Clark Boardman Company, Ltd, of
New York, has published Blue Sky
Laws, book which gives the full text
OF the laws and general discussion of
allied subjects.
The authors are Robert r. Reed and
Lester II: Washburn and the prepare
ton of the work was begun at the in
stance of the Investment Bankers AS
sociation of America.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10
u. S. SteeI's Untitled
Orders Decline Again
Books on June 80 Show Total
OH Hand of 5,ll7,868

Unified orders of the United States
Steel Corporation at the end OF june
showed a continuation of the decline
in new business that has been going o.
steadily since the corresponding mon.a
a YEAR ago, when they amounted 70
10,97S,817 tons The bookings on Jun.
80 stood at 5,117,s68, decrease OF
364,619 tons. compared with the uh.
filed orders on hand at the close G.
May
According to trade authorities, there
is as yet no sign that the price reous,
tons have attracted much new 6us,
ness. The outlook is that the Stes.
Corporation will show another drop u |,
its untitled orders for July, as THIS d
normally a dull month, any way. Il.
The untitled orders OF hand at 'ns
end of June compared with the re .a,5
total of 1878, 0S3 tons in April, lsl"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10
Bigger Retail Sales Yield Smaller Profits

overhead, through imposing more work
on the accounting, wrapping and de-
livery departments. This comes a. a
time when the merchants are striving
to bring down the cost Of doing bust
ness.
The tendency among the retail stores
has been and still is to dispense with
all unnecessary help and to operate
with much smaller stats than were
used year or two ago. Little has been
done toward reducing individual wages
and no horizontal wage reductions have
been made among the local stores, so
far as can be learned
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10
Competition Keen

Retailers admit that present compe-
tition in New York is the keenest in
years and that some of the low retail
prices are based not on the cost of
merchandise but upon selling competi-
ton only. One retailer recently made
the assertion that he was ready to sell
silk hose costing him S12 a dozen at IS
cents pair if forced to do 50 by COM
petition.
Hopes of making big profits in the
retail field this year have been aban-
doned by most merchants. Many of
them frankly state that they will be
glad to break even if they can build
up good will which will yield them a
profit when times become normal again.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10

clothing workers in New York Ctr ;,
December, when $4,000 employees ws. ~
out; the strike of 10000 miners in M;
nois in July, $4,000 sugar worker '' y
Porto Rico in February, 10000 t;r., "a
workers in the Northwest and 25S6a
miners in Indiana, both in June. ''''
Causes OF Strife
Among the causes Of strikes A..
mands for increased wages led tbs ~.
last year, with 1915 strikes out ~ ss'
total of 3,109. Demands for incress.s
wages and decreased hours were :.
sponsible for 263 strikes. and discbsrs.
of employees for 1879. ext On tho -.
was recognition of the union and tba.
recognition of the open or closed sbn,
The smallest number of strikes ~.
any cause during the year apparentiv
was caused by unsatisfactory foo5
given employees, which was Responsible
for two strikes.
In lock-outs the largest nurbs,
eleven, was based on a decrease i,
wages, and the next largest number
ten, on an increase in wages.
OF the strikes last year 633 ended
IN favor of the employers and $50 in
favor of the employees. Four hundrsd
and twenty-nine were compromised
The strikes in 1920, on an ayersg.
were more lengthy than those of fbs
previous four years. in 1918 strikes
averaged % days and lock -outs 81 days
In 1917 strikes averaged 18 days and
lock-outs IS days. In 1918 strikes
averaged II days and lock-outs "a
days. In 1919 strikes averaged 81 dsy,
and lock-outs SO days, and in 1920
strikes averaged 38 days and lock-outs
So days. The total duration Of strikes
in 1920 amounted to 47,504 days, and
of lock-outs 1876 days.
The 5-Ye0r Record
Appended is table showing the mum.
of strikes and lock-outs beginning each
month for the period from 1915 to 1920,
Inclusive:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10
Ne,U Steel Price Far Below
Var Peak, but Aboue 1913 Level

UGH has been said and being held back
because steel returned to prewar levels On
their face the formally announced last
week by the United States Steel Corporation Steel Ron
IRON and Steel ackawanna
substantially above the prices that which is considered
typical level. - ~
IN making public schedule
important companies President
10 s'ale that some OF the
~ N"Noi i'o
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10
Price NoaU Essential

I'VE Informed our buyers" said one
store executive, Chat price was to be-
come the essential factor in merchan-
dlsing goods to the public However,
contrary to our expectations, as we re-
view our sales sheets from week to
week. we find that our more expensive
merchandise is outselling the cheaper
goods. We can't explain this even
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10
Strikes Decline

Although the figures for 1920 are
subject to later revision, the figures so
far indicate that the number of strikes
was less in that year than in any of
the four preceding years. This reduc-
ton, according to the Department Of
Labor, was due to lessening in strike
activity during the last quarter of the
year. During the first six months of
the year more strikes occurred than
during the first six months of 1919 or
1918, and more than twice as many oc-
CURED as during the last half of the
year. This" says the department,
appears to have been due to the slow
ing down of the mills during the sum
mer, followed by shut-downs in the fall
and the realization that a strike might
result in no benefit to the laboring
men, but. on the other hand might
probably be exactly what the employ
ers desired"
Contrasted with 1919, last year saw
fewer large strikes. In 1919 three
strikes alone involved more than mil
lion men. There were but few cases in
which violence was resorted to suffi-
GENTLY to attract more than local at
tention.
Last year the strike involving tho
largest number of men was that of
the anthracite miners in September
Other large strikes were those of the
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10
Roads Aim to Prosper
Through Economies
More Savings Believed Possible in Re-
dIction of Costs of Materials
and Labor Waste

FFhOAMATELY "a cent of the of the rail-
roads In 1920 paid labor leaving about SO cent
materials There small the
2a5ooo miles of the operating
income of So400o0000 the railroad
IN 1916 the last before the United The
problem which the railroad saving
operation q possible
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10
ANNOUNCED last week, compared with
the 1913 price for the same products:

Looking back over the course of
prices on pig iron and steel products
during the first six months of 1921
The Iron Age notes that the aggregate
price reductions have varied according
to products, the greatest drop being on
galvanized sheets, the price of which
at the end of June was $40 ton be-
low the January l quotation. Plates
have declined SIS a ton, structural
shapes SO to $40, steel bars ST to So
and wire products S. to ST. In pig iron
the reductions have been proportionate.
Bssic Valley furnace declined $3.50
during the six-month period, while
foundry iron at Philadelphia has
SHOWN a decline of about So, at Chi
Cage S12 and at Birmingham SIS.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10
Depression Checks
Clashes with Labor
Strikes Less Freque mt as Workers Deem
Time Unpropit ious for Battling
With Employers

TTSHE low point in the number of strikes The Ja
States during the last five reached
strikes 50 lock-outs Department
year period -.
the
ished by the the June Monthly Review
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10
TAPE MEASURES
BALLADE OF SAFETY FIRST
By Morric Ryskind

BALLADE OF SAFETY FIRST
Ponz offers fifty If it seems too nifty,
Everybody buys: Ponder and be wise
Careless folk and thrifty See if he shifty
Listen to his lies. Listen his lies
NoW they use their eyes Hearken while he cries:
And the sign they "This yields fortythree"
In financial skies: Say, "For other
'Sfr per cent for mel" Sir per cent for mel"
Be you "But"-and "If"-ty;
See what he replies:
An his lote be rifty
Listen to his lies
Turn to and signs
Ends his melody.
This song dies
"SiX cent for me-"
LEnvOi
If he argufes,
Listen--to his lies!
Then say, "That's n. g.
Sir per cent for mel"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10


York has led all other states each year
in the number of strikes. Last year
New York led the list with 551 strikes,
Massachusetts was second with 367,
Illinois third with 242 and Pennsyl-
vania fourth with 1885,
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10
Other Opportunities

Loss and damage to freight also pre-
sents an opportunity. In 1916 only
only nine-tenths of a cent of every
dollar Of revenue was paid out for loss
and damage to freight, while in 1920
two cents was paid out on this ac-
count, and in 1919, when the govern
ment was operating the roads, 23
cents was paid out.
Materials and supplies other than
fuel cost the railroads 1928 cents out
of every dollar of revenue in 1920.
Rails, ties, materials used in the re-
pair of cars and locomotives, bridge
material and ballast are among the
largest single items of railroad con-
sumption of materials, but the rail-
roads also are large users of office
supplies and materials and a great
number of other like articles. SO far
there has been comparatively little re-
duction in the price of rails, some re-
duction in the price of ties and a con-
siderable reduction in paper and many
other classes OF Office supplies. Mr.
Loree's estimate of S300,000,0OO does
not seem oyeroptinistic
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10

If reduction of s45o,oo0,o0O is
made in wages through the cut made
by the Wage Board, S300,0O0000 is
saved in materials, supplies and fuel
costs, and further $780, 100000 is
saved through q modification of the
national agreements and abolition of
extra men on crews, etc. (this is half
of the total saving that the managers
estimated could be saved), the total
gain in net revenue after the payment
of expenses, taxes and rentals will bs.
slightly over 100000, 900. This
would make the railroads, as a whole,
solvent, providing that the traffic con-
ditions are no worse than they were in
1920. There is among some railroad
men in the East considerably more
optimistic feeling in regard to in
creased earnings th1l there was ear
lier in 1921.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10

The foregoing table reveals that the
number of strikes beginning in May of
each year is the highest for any month.
agreements in many industries ter
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-03-11
Wireless Phone Proposed
BetlOeen Brazil and France
(By Associated Press)

-ss Sby associated PreSS1
BUENOS, AIRES, March 11.--Wire-
less telephone communication between
Buenos Aires and Paris Is a promise
OF the not distant future. The govern
ment has granted a concession to the
General Wireless, Telegraph company
OF Paris to construct on the Argentine
coast powerful radio-telegraph and
radio-telephone station to communi-
cate with France and other European
countries. The company. it is stated,
expects to establish telephone connec-
tion with Paris by a system of contin-
uous waves of 800 kilowatt power and
over. ~
The duration of the concession is for
80 years. 1t authorizes the company
to carry on experiments in long-dis-
lance radio-telephony and if at the end
OF three years the experiments are con-
sidered by the Argentine government
satisfactory, the concession will be ex-
tended to permit commercial exploita-
ton of wireless telephone as we'll as
telegraph communication. Three plants
are to be erected, according to the
plans.