South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-05-11
FORMAL REPORT OF
WAGE ARBITRATION
BOARD ANNOUNCED
commission Reveals Local
and international Elements
Entering Into Settlement.

when entered into the decision os
aIOltration committee which ad-
S'eo the wage differences between
ie contractors and brickIayers -
aoe public By the commission.
report. embracing as Il does not
"iy international conditions but a
.'edl aspect as well. IS printed i'm full
because OF the imr ortance attached
70 % by every employer and empIoye.
The bricklayers were given p wage
decrease Of IA per cent on this
award nearly all other building
crafts have settled their differences
with their employers.
Building Gains Headway.
With all OF the major building
crafts a. work with the exception
ozone. building operations In South
oBend have begun again upon broad
scale Contractors report many in
| quiries for building projects while
lumber yards and material men Of
al kinds are making many estimates
on houses and larger construction
work.
The plasterers' union 10 the only
I one Of the major bodies In the
building industry which has not
inferred into a wage agreement with
the contractors. Inability Of the
TWO 10 get together upon p scale
which Will govern for year has
led the contractors and builders to
send letter tantamount 20 an ulti-
matum TO the plasterers' union. This
gives the plasterers until Thursday
4 morning 10 return 10 work upon the
same basis as the bricklayers re-
kturned. namely a percent de-
crease. or the contractors will en-
ploy plasterers whenever and where
, ever they can find them.
il was not made known Tuesday
morning what action the plasterers
would take in regards 10 this letter.
According 20 L. y. Gall, secretary
{ the Contractors and Builders ev-
change, the plasterers thus far have
shown no disposition 20 recede from
their last years scale of $1.25 per
hour
Plumbers Take Reduction.
The plumbers have returned TO
work on II percent drop in wages
They together with the boss plum
.bers have agreed upon a wage cut
Is cents an hour or from $1.1212
hour 10 9712 an hour The
eet metal workers have reduced
ges from 81 per hour TO 86 cents
{per hour.
The electricians have as yet failed
TO reach an agreement upon wage
differences Hopes are entertained.
however. for an adjustment Of this
difficulty before long, although IL
was reported that one Of the larger
| companies had found no difficulty
y in hiring men at inside prices 10 do
their wiring. This shop was report
ed 10 have decided upon an open
J shop" in the future.
Report of Commission.
The detailed report of the arbitra-
ton commissions hearing and de-
cision in the bricklayers' case, is as
follows:
South Bend. Indiana,
May Q. 1921.
To The Members of the Bricklayers'
Union:
To The Building Contractors:
South Bend, Indiana.
Gentlemen:
we have unlimited faith in the
><bility and capacity of the people I
of the United States 10 solve salts
factorily the problems that confront /
rs but the solution will require time \
wisdom. For one is blind, in
deed. who fails 10 see that I'm coun-
tries numbered among the most
highly civilized. there is today po- /
Iitical and industrial turmoil that !
in MANY instances amounts 20 chaos.
In our own country recent federal /
rcports state that there are between
600 coo and 10000 workers out /
of iobs The business depression Is |
ra,icn-vidc and involves every great /
Industry. The farmers, who num- /
her AZ leas, 50 per cent OF our pop /
, uIation are, as class, hnanclaly
hard hit
Much Of the 1920 crops IS unsoId
and that VIII ch has been marketed
was often sIld at loss. rms APP
niles not only 10 cereal growers ou'
also TO cotton raisers and TO STOCK
men. especially the sheep and catue
raisers. Many Of our most pro0uc-
tive mines are closed or worKlhs
mart time. and the coal fields ana
the copper districts are hit especially
LAID In the manufa curing centers'
,-ba+ber the cotton ard wooden iulIe
or New England. the Snoe IaNLoiltS
~ Massachusetts,; the clothing cen
tors OF New OK. New Jersey ana
IssrnsvIvania- the rubber cities and
~ automobile cities labor for the
most mart Is working greatly re-
duced hours. The lumber districts
chow a vast number OF closed mills.
The sad condition of our railways
= common knowledge. There are
400 600 idle cars on the sidinEs'
b,ndreds OF thousands o. men are
ont Of work or al reduced hours I,
high freight and passenger rates
vrftb a minimum freight O. be hauled
20 few passengers TO be carried
ms is truly a serious national prob
len.
Retailers Hold Prices.
The renorts Of the Federal Trade
Commission and Of the Department
~ labor Just published and deal
ia, With the cost OF living state
most emphatica,Iy that 'the retail
cost q food and other necessities has !.
not declined as mach as the whole
sale price. For instance. comparing
C0o~I /