The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-05-30
WAGE CHANGES SINCE 1914

manufacturing industries OF tne
United States during the past six
years, compared with changes in the
cost of living together with data re-
garding the number Of workers en-
ployed and the average hours work
ed per week, were made public to-
day in a report issued by the Ma
tional Industrial Conference Board,
10 East 39th street, New York. This
report, covering fifteen representa-
tive industries, employing in june,
1920, 5S9,l3 wage .earners, traces
the movement Of average actual
earnings in the principal industrial
occupations from September, 1914,
to the end, Of 1920, compared with
changes in the cost Of living as as
certained by separate extensive in
vestigations made by the board.
In December, 1920, the report
shows, average hourly earnings Of
male employees in the industries re-
porting ranged from 127 per cent to
1913 per cent and those of women
employees from Ill per cent to 1872
per cent above the September, 1914,
level. In certain industries, the
hourly earnings Of men increased
relatively more than those of wo-
;men-this was true in the boot and
shoe, cotton, wool and silk indus
tries. In the hosiery and knit goods,
rubber and metal industries, the per
centage of increase for women since
the beginning Of the war was great
er than the percentage increase for
men. 1t was found generally true
that the industries in which the
least increase took place are the
ones in which the wage rates were
relatively high in 1914, while the In
sdustries showing the greatest in
crease are those which before the
war paid relatively low wages.
Some Of the industries showing
the largest percentage increases in
average hourly earnings Of men
workers are the wool, leather, cotton
hosiery and knit goods industries,
while women in wool, hosiery and
knit goods, cotton and paper manu-
featuring showed the greatest in
creases over 1914.
The period covered by the boards
investigation includes the industrial
depression which began to develop
in the spring of 1920 and with in
creasing force continued for the re-
mainder of the year. This depression
showed itself in irregularity and
sharp fluctuation of wage in several
industries, due partly to the elimina-
ton from time to time of wage
earners with low wage-earning ca
pacity. -
In June, 1920, the number of men
employed in eleven Of the industries
covered was 4O4, 094 and in Decern-
Der, Boasts, a decrease of 24.6 per
cent. /
Average weekly earnings, the re-
port states, were affec.ed more than
hourly earnings by the : industrial
depression in the latter part Of the
year 1920. The principal cause Of
the decline in the average was the
widespread adoption of part-time
operation made necessary by the re-
duced market demand. Reduction Of
wage rates, though of less impor-
tance, was contributing factor to
Cne Qecllne.
The course Of average hourly ear
nings during the last seven months
of 1920 was affected by a number of
influences, some Of which operated
to raise, while others tended to low
er the average, the report says.
There was a tendency of hourly
earnings. to remain steady, or in
some cases to rise, even after week
ly earnings had begun to decline
through part-time employment AS
the business situation became more
acute, general wage reductions were
made in a number of industries.
The investigation indicates that,
n the eleven major industries for
which data from 1914 is available
wages-as measured by hourly earn