The Connecticut labor news., 1922-08-18
Weekly Statistics Gathered By Gov ernment Bureau Shows Some In- teresting Doings.
AUSTRIA

the dismissal of 100000 metal work CTS in Vienna and Lower Austria un- less wage reductions are accepted by the workmen, who have already re- ceived notice to conclude new agreement for reduced wages. The reasons given for the effectiveness of German competition are said to be found in the fact that Austrian wages are 40 per cent. higher than German wages, though the cost of living is only IA per cent. higher; and while the capacity of the Austrian workman is rated 27 per cent. less than pre- war times, the capacity of the Ger man worker has not decreased cor respondingly.
 Vienna.-Striking street railway men of Vienna resumed work on the afternoon of July 3, on the basis of substantial concessions made to them by the municipal authorities. In con sequence of the concessions made, 1t is said that the present fare of I5o crowns is to be increased to 25o crowns.
 AUSTRALIA
 Land Settlement.-Promin citi- zens of Queensland are endeavoring to procure immediate survey and de velopment of about 22o,oOo acres of alnd in the Dawson River Valley said to be capable of growing the finest cotton in the world. Plans of develop ment contemplate the refinement of an area large enough to afford homes for 10000 settlers and the eventual construction of railroads to serve the same. .-- .fsist.iA ;.lkR4 ..HI A~-4 .AAEk BELGIUM aIA4
 Strikes.-Asserting that on account of the heat they desire to work at night instead of in daytime, long .shoremen at Antwerp, engaged in un- loading pitch, have struck without mo- tice. Inasmuch as the port regula- tions require 75 per cent. extra to be paid for night work, the employers have refused to allow the proposed change. This latest strike and prior strikes of the lumber longshoremen and building construction workers are seriously retarding activities ln the lumber markets. &l @'@ ,E E lF.. CANADA
 Compensatory Benehts.-Under the Workmen's Compensation and Moth CTS. Pension Acts. $2,I12,2o3 and $488,o5I, respectively, were dispensed by-the British Columbia Government last year to persons. entitled to 6ene- fits because of industrial accidents. These amounts included payments to workmen'si widows, and funds fex- pended for hospital treatment, nurs- ing, medicines, and professional at tendance for injured workmen.
 Unemployment. - Labor Depart rnenta officials report remarkable de crease in the number of men out of work in eight out of nine of the Canadian provinces. '.' " 13''s q fe ENGLAND
 Trade Board Restrictions.-It is reported that the Government has de- cided that no trade board shall be set up. in the future unless the Ministry of Labor is satisfied that the rate of wage prevailing in the trade is unduly low as compared with other employ ments, and that no adequate means exist for the effective regulation of wages throughout the. trade.
 Wage Agreement.-An important agreement between Cumberland pig iron makers and blast furnacemen has been concluded, under which the wages of the employees will continue to be regulated by the 1919 sliding scale agreement until October. 1922. This means that there will be no further reduction below 35A per cent. on standard rates in the wages of blast furnacemen until October of this year, at which time, if the ascer- tained price of the product justlhes an advance in wages, the men will be paid the increase.
 FRANCE
 Metal Workers Strike.-Over 12,- 900 metal workers in Havre are on strike following the announcement ot employers that 10 per cent. reduc- ton in wages would be made.
 Operating Expenses of Hotels According to an official report of Senator Hugues Leroux the eight hour law, applicable to hotel em- ployes, together with prevailing high prices and heavy taxation on busl- ness, has caused an increase of 4So per cent. in the average operating ex- g penses of French hostelries, and an increase of 300 per cent. in their rates since 1913. The report shows that the eight-hour law necessitated an aver age increase of 20 per cent. in hotel personnel.
 GERMANY
 Wages vs. Living Costs-Accord- ing to German statistics, the wages paid to German workingmen in Janu ary, 1920, bore a fairly just relation ship to those of the pre-war period. Upon this theory, taking 100 as the base of a wage and cost-of-living scale, it is found that the average wage of German workers has ad- vanced from 100 to 56I, while their living cost has advanced from 100 to 4o2 In other words, the purchasing power of the workers wages aver ages 40 per cent. higher than it did in the pre-war period.
 ITALY
 Emigration Conventions.-Nego egotia-