The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-08-23
THREE BIG STEEL
COMPANIES RAISE
WORKERS WAGES
Nearly 100000 Day Laborers
Get 20 Per Cent Increase In
Manufacturing Plants.
IMMIGRATION LAW CUT
OFF FOREIGN LABORERS
United States Steel Was First
And Followed BY MidvaIe and
Youngstown Company.

NEW YORK, Aug. 22.-Taree big steel
corporations, employing nominaIly 500, 600
workers. today announced a 20 per cent
wage increase for all day laborers In
their manufacturing plants. The United
States. Steel Corporation took the lead.
but was quickly followed by the AidvaIe
Steel and Ordnance Company and the
YoUn Estown Sheet and Tube Company
In the absence of Charles Schwsb and
Eugene Grace of the Bethlehem Steel
Corporation, no other official of that
company would commit himself. Seere-
tary Brown said, however, he did not
know of any action that had been taken
on the wage question. President Mat
the'Ws of the Crucible Steel Corporate
said his company had taken no action
"as YETI. 1t was generally believed in
financial circles that all Important steel
firms would announce increases within
few days.
News ofthe increase came as a sur
prise to the financial district. probably
because wage adjustments in other In
dl istries have been generally downward.
1t was followed by slight recessions in
tire price of steel shares.
No Explanation.
No explanation of the increase was
given by the steel corporations, however
it. is known that the immigration law
has cut off the supply of unskilled Ia
bbrers which formerly drifted to the iron
ind steel centers. when the labor short
;Lge became acute last spring and the
steel industry, began to show signs of
rehabilitation, temporary relief was af-
1orded by the employment tof men thrown
out of work by the coal strike.
r.
creasing demand for labor in other indus
tries, combined with the expected busi-
ness revival this fall, is reported to have
caused apprehension among mill mana
gers, who feared that the higher wages
elsewhere would cause sufficient deser-
tions to hamper their operations at a
time when there was every prospect for
heavily increased orders.
The United steel Corporation employs
approximately 220. .Oa0 men, of whom 1856
900 are affected by tho wage increase.
The highest rate paid by the company
for day labor. was 81 cents an hour, from
February to May 1920. On A1ay 16, 1920,
a reduction os 20 per cent vas announced
and in July Of the same year overtime
was eliminated. On August 10. J921 day
labor was reduced to 30 cents an hour,
tho rate TOW in effect. The increase
will bring the rate up to SO cents an
hour
The average pay roll OF the corporation
during 1918, the banner year. was over
s45O. coo. 900. but it dropped to = sS22, ,ooo.-
900 in 1921. when there were apDroxi-
mately 10000 men employed.
Forecast Future.
A forecast OF what is to come Is seen
in the large orders fer rolling stock re-
Gently received by railroad equipment
companies. TIE dcmard in other lines Is
also growing and there iz much rush
work on hand. which calls for forces in
many plants in excess Of tho number
now available. In this connection, 1t Is
reported that little auccess has been OBJ
tanned thus far In inducing men laid off
in the dull period a year ago to return
at the wages prevailing before the in
crease just announced. Many Of these
men have left the steel centers.