Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-23
PAY INCREASES
FOR THOUSANDS.
IN STEEL MILLS
20 Per Cent Advances
Announced by Three
Industrial Concerns.
Business Boom Sighted
in Action; Railroad
Repairing Likely.

New York, Aug. 22.-(By The As.
sociated Press. .)-Three big corpora
tions employing normally nearly 30O,.
600 workers, Tuesday announced 2C
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 Midvale Steel & Ordnance com
pany and the Youngstown Sheet &
Tube company.
In the absence of Charles Schwab
and Eugene Grace of the Bethlehem
Steel corporation, no other official of
that company would commit himself
Secretary Brown said, however, he did
not know of any action that had been
taken on the wage question. President
Matthews of the Crucible Steel cor
poration said his company had taken
no action "as yet" It generally was
believed in financial circles that all
Independent steel firms would an
nounce increases within few days.
Surprises Flnanciers
News of the increase came as a sur
prise to the financial district. probably
because wage adjustments in other in
dustries have been generally downward
1t was followed by slight recessions in
the prices of steel shares.
No explanation of the increase was
given by the steel corporations. How
ever, it is known that the immigration
law had cut off the supply Of unskined
laborers which formerly drifted to the
nd a hn
shortage became acute last spring and
the steel industry began to show signs
of rehabilitation, temporary relief was
afforded by the employment of men
thrown out of work by the coal strike.
Resumption of coal mining and the
increasing demand for laborers in other
business revival this fall. is reported
to have caused apprehension among
mill managers who feared that the
higher wages elsewhere would cause
sufficient dissertations to hamper their
operations at a time when there was
every prospect for heavily increased
orders.
The United States Steel corporation
employs about 100000 men. of whom
1856, 900 are affected by the wage in
crease, the $4,000 in the mining and
departments being ex-
cluded. Their rates will be "equitably
adjusted" the official announcement
stated. The increase will swell the
company's payroll by $35. 100000 on
the basis of full time"-that is, o.
12-hour day-but many of the men are
now working only eight hours day.
The corporation employed as high
a on mn ~, on durip0 1910 Tho hiDb
est rate paid by the company for labor
was 40 cents an hour. from February
to May, 1920. On May 16, 1920. a
reduction of 20 per cent was announced
and in July OF the same year overtime
was eliminated. On August 10, 1921.
day labor was reduced to 80 cents an
hour, the rate now in effect. The in
crease will bring the rate up to 36
cents an hour.
SEQ Business Boom
The average payroll of the corpora
tion during 1918, the banner year, was
over $3.50, ,OOO, 600. but it dropped to
about 1882. 100000 in 1921. when there
were approximately 10000 men en-
ployed.
A forecast of what is to come is
seen in the large orders for rolling
stock recently received by railroad
equipment companies. The demand in
other lines also is growing and there is
much rush work on hand, which calls
Tor forces in many plants in excess of
he number now available.
In this connection it is reported that |
little success has been obtained thus
'ar in inducing men laid off in the dull
period year ago to return at the |
wages prevailing before the increase
ust announced. Many of these men
rave left the steel centers.
David Williams. secretary of the
general strike committee of the met
.opolitan railroad district. said the in
'rease would put considerable fire in
he veins of railway labor"