New Britain herald., 1921-03-14
EVERY INDUSTRY IS
 REDUCING ITS WAGE
Labor Surplus Is Factor in Busi-
 ness Depression

industry. Reports to the department
 of labor show DroSre ssive decline
 which. beginning in September. has
 followsi business depression and
 price rocet sions.
 The full scope and extent of the
 reductions so far made is not known
 The department of lahcr has been
 getting iSc':ted reports for many
 months. Ut these have not been
 correlated. as general wages reduc-
 tion surveys are outside of the usual
 line of statistical tabulation by the
 bureau of labor statistics.
 Reports received show wage re- ductions running as high as a 1-3 per cent in the hosiery and under wear industries in February. Ethel bert Stewart. chief of the bureau of statistics. stated that wages prac- tically throughout the country would be moved down in the general busi- ness and industrial readjustment. He declared. however. that the slashes so far made were far in ex- cess of the drop in the cost of liv- ing or in prices in general. This should not be the case" MT. Stew art declared. Wages should down hill slide. as they did in the up- follow prices and cost of living in the down hill slide. as they did in the upward climb instead of being to this time.''
 Conditions of employment have had much to do with wage reduc- tions. Three million men or more are idle in the United States. That :, 3,000.000 represents wage earners, I willing workers who are out of a job and the labor surplus has figured largely in the wage reductions.
 Lack of Orders a Cause.
 In tho period from October 15 to November Is last, estimates in ten of the fourteen industries classified by the labor department showed reduc- ions in wages. due to general lack of orders.
 Iron and steel wages increased dur ng the period. Those in the automo- pile industry struck balance. both | light increases and decreases being | 'eported. The car building indus l ry was likewise on the turn at that l ime. In the cotton industry a small | lumber of mills reported 10 per cent | increases, but the majority reduced | wages 20 per cent. Slight decreases | were made in hosiery and under year. Wages in the wooden industry we're decfeased. The silk industry ra3 on the turn.
 Since that time large corporations Ike the General Electric have re- uced wages. The United States Steel l orporation, however. have stood on he existing wage scales and had re- uced neither wages or prices. but lany of the independents have cut 1 ages.
 \ -+z A@ r%,, | { labor. covering conditions in Jan- ary. show that during the period De- ember IS. 1920. and January IS. 921, there were wage changes made V establishments in thirteen of the l ,urteen industries. In each of these ldustries. ono establishment granted l n increase to employees.
 Iron and Steel: Wage rate de- reases ranging from 20 to 25 per ant. were made, to all employees in 1 ne establishment. Three plants re- orted a decrease of 20 per cent. af- .cting all employees in the first plant nd 90 per cent. in the second. The umber affected in tho third plant as not stated. A reduction of l5 per mt. was made to the entire force in lree mills. while another mill re- lced the wages of all employees 12 er cent. III two anu \ 1e-h half was eliminated, resulting in
 decrease in earnings of 13.7 per mt in one plant. while the approxi- ate decrease was not reported by Ie other plant.
 Plants Partly Closed.
 Due to lack of orders many estab- 'hments were partially closed and Q per capita earnings reports for is month show a decrease of GA per mt. when compared with last sea- n.
 Automobiles: In one shop a 12 per mt. decrease was made to s5 per mt. of the force. A degrease of 10 r cent. was reported by three estab- hments affecting so per cent. of the en in two establishments and 75 r cent. in the third. Thirty per nt. of the employees in one concern ceived a decrease of about g per nt. General business depression Is reported throughout the indus and several factories were closed e to strikes. The per capita earn ,s are reported as being 4.6 per nt. less for the payroll period in nuary than for the corresponding riod in December. Cotton Manufacturing: In a large l 0f fha |