Evening star., 1922-08-23

BETHLEHEM, Pa, August LS.-
President L. G. Grace of the Beth
lehem Steel Corporation. today an
nounced an increase of 20 per cent
in the wage rate for common labor,
together with an equitable ADJUST
ment In the rates Of other classes
of it's employees. effective Septem-
ber 1.
PITTSBURGH, August 23.-Execu-
tive officers of many Independent
steel-producing concerns in the Pitts
burgh district were hurrying nome
today from vacation points to decide
on whether their concerns would meet
the action of the United States Steel
Corporation yesterday in advancing
the wages of 100000 common laborers
20 per cent. effective September !.
opinion that the advance would oe
promptly met and announcement
would be made before the end of the
week
Large manufacturing concerns not
listed in the steel industry declared
would affect them, since their basic
wage in the. recent past has been
higher than that paid In the steel
industry.
L. 5. Corporation Takes Lead.
NEW YORK, August 23.-Three big
steel corporations, employing normal
lily nearly 100000 workers. yesterday
announced a 20 per cent wage In
crease for all day laborers in their
manufacturing plants. The United
States Steel Corporation took the lead,
but was quickly followed by the Mid
vale Steel and Ordnance Company and
the Youngstown Sheet and Tube
Company
In tho 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 tho wage question.
President Matthews of the Crucible
bad taken no action las yet" 1t was
generally believed in financial circles
that all important Independent steel
firms would announce increases with
in few days.
News Is Surprise.
News of the increase came as
surprise to the financial district.
probably because wage adjustments
in other Industries have been gen
orally 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 immigra-
tion law has cut off the supply Of
drifted to the iron and steel CEN
tiers. When the labor shortage be-
came acute last spring and the steel
industry began to show signs of re-
habilitation, temporary relief was af-
forded by the employment OF men
= - Axy
strike.
Dearth Of Labor.
Resumption of coal mining and the
increasing demand for laborers in
other Industries. combined with the
expected business revival this fall. Is
reported to have caused apprehension
among mill managers, who feared
that the higher wages elsewhere
would cause sufficient desertions to
hamper their operations at time
when there was every prospect for
heavily increased orders
The United States Steel Corporation
employs approximately 100000 men.
of whom $4,000 are affected by the
wage increase. the $4,000 in the min
being excluded. The increase will
swell the company's pay roll by $685.
100000 On the basis of full time
that is. q twelye-hour day-but many
OF the men are now working only
eight hours a day.
Dropped to $33c,000, 600.
The average pay roll Of the corpo-
ration during 1918, the banner year.
was over S45o.ooo.ooo. but It dropped
to about $4,000, 900 in 1921. when
there were approximately 100000 men
employed.
A forecast Of what is to come. is
seen in the large orders for rolling
IL
equipment companies. The demand
in other lines is also growing and
there is much rush work on hand.
Independents to Follow.
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio, August 23.-i
All independent concerns in the Steu-
benville district, including the Weir
ton Steel Company. Folansbed Broth