Evening star., 1922-10-23
WAGE BOOST NEAR
| IN STEEL INDUSTRY
Another Increase Declared
Necessary to Hold Labor.
10 Per Cent Expected.
BY j. C. ROYLE.
Special Dlspa tch to The star.

special dispatch to The star.
NEW YORK. October 23.-A further
advance Of wages In steel and other
basic industries shortly after Novem-
her l Is under serious consideration
by employers A 10 per cent increase
In the operating schedules Of steel
plants would exhaust the supply OF
labor in practically all the great steel
centers. and plant managers In Penn
sylvania and West Virginia predicted
today that 1t would force q general
wage advance Of about 10 per cent
Such a production increase Is justified
both by orders now on the books OF
the steel companies and business
which 1t is known will be placed
shortly.
First Raise an Experiment.
1t became known publicly today for
the first time that the 20 per cent
wage advance by the United States
Steel Corporation. which was followed
by Independent producers and spread
through hundreds of other industries
ayers were not sure they could hold
labor even at the new scale. They are
even less sure today.
The coal strike, the rail strike and
the freight congestion which followed
and which still is factor has pre-
vented industrial operation on the
scale JUSTIFIED by plant orders and the
real conclusive test of the present
wage scale has not been made. OPP
erattons at the mines and steel mills
however. are increasing Just as
rapidly as railroad facilities will
permit.
The freight car shortage undoubted-
iy IS lessenfng. and the best Informed
industrial executives asserted today
that the question of whether the steel
mills can hold their men or get more
at present wages will be determined
within the next two weeks.
Heavy Drain ON Labor.
AS freight movement increases. the
building crafts. the mines and other
industries are drawing upon the
ranks of the steel workers. There is
a big shortage in the building trades
especially for plasterers. Wage scales
in those crafts nominally are little
changed, but in reality craftsmen
have forced bonuses from employers
and insist upon working overtime
even up to twelve hours a day. AS
sections are making fully 500 week
and common labor in the building
trades is drawing 80 cents to 81 an
hour.
The great steel companies have
opened special employment bureaus
and are using large advertisements
to attract workers. but the latter are
not available. 1t is maintained in
Pittsburgh that steel and other in
dustries cannot expect to secure labor
in a tight market for 80 cents an
hour when 80 cents Is being paid in
other lines.
Movement Far-RenchinK.
The last increase in steel wages was
20 per cent II the new increase Is
forced. 1t is generally believed in
steel circles that 1t will not exceed
Corporation is expected to take the
lead in whatever action is taken. In
dependent makers in Ohio. Indiana
and Illinois indicated today they
would not push up wages except to
meet advances by the leading inter-
workers whom cold weather will re-
lease from outdoor labor. Much of
this unskilled labor. however. Is still
employed by tremendous roadmak-
ing programs.
At all events the final test Of the
present wage scale in steel and other
Industries. which will have q bearing
oh phlSeS oHu " oSes III HoHoESoS VI
other lines and will affect every citi-
zen directly or indirectly to some ex-
tent, is in sight.
Cloth Prices Advance.
Prices for wool, cotton and silk are
at the high points of the year. Ad-
vances have taken place in the nm
ished products also. but those in
creases have not yet approximated
the raw commodity gains and the
movement of cotton. woolens and silk
goods still Is upward
While there has been little check to
automobile manufacture the produc-
ton Of auto accessories is falling on
slightly Prices. however. are fully
maintained. Makers Of car bodies are
exceptions to the rule, as demand Is
still Irp.enf for THAR nroducts