Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-21
HIGH WAGES FOUND
GOOD INVESTMENT.
Good Rate of Pay Is Asset,
Business Men of Industrial
Ohio Believe.
BY J. c. RoYLE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

cpHtihl DISPATCH 10 Inc star.
NEW YORK, July 21.~-A high rate
OF wages is an inestimable asset in
stead of a dangerous liability to any
industrial district, according to the
business men of northern Ohio The
cities of Youngstown and Niles have
agreed to pay contractor $4,000 adj
ditional on his agreement in order to
secure the payment of higher wage
10 the workers which the contractor
employs. These workers will be en-
gagged in erecting a dam for a new
water supply for the two cities. The
Mahoning Valley is determined to main
tain its claim that it pays the highest
wage of any industrial district in the
United States.
When A. ]. Guthrie secured the con-
tract for erection of the dam with a
bid of s886.799. common labor was
offered 80 cents an hour. This was IA
cents lower than the minimum obtain
ing in the district, which has monthly
pay roll In its steel mills of $1,000 900,
The district rose In arms to demand a
higher rate, but the Guthrie Co. as
serted that 1t could get 30-cent labor
and declined to pay the higher rate.
Contractors Take Up Raise.
Then the Mahoning Valley sanitary
district, a political subdivision formed
to handle the development of the water
supply, agreed to pay the difference of
$3.50 which would give the common
laborerS so cents an hour. This action
was held illegal, and after some talk
about raising the funds by public SUBJ
scription, the contractors agreed to
assume the extra cost themselves The
local rates In the Mahoning Valley in
general are 70 cents an hour for COM
mon labor In construction work; so to
SIS cents for common labor In the steel
mills. and Al cents an hour on railroad
section work.
Business men of the district main
tain that the workers are the best Gus
toners of the retailers and that high
wage is preferable to low rate when
the prosperity of the entire district is
taken into consideration. Many of the
employers at the industrial plants dc
not dispute this contention.
There is a general trend throughout
the United States toward the five-day
week The Chicago unions are deter
minedly seeking this schedule at pres
ent. The tendency resulting from the
lessening of working hours has not
been toward the reduction of wages.
neither has 1t been accompanied by a
sharp falling off in production. Into
the five-day week has been crowded the
work formerly done in five and a halt
days and the payment. in most in
stances, has remained stationary.
European Scale.
If the average American wage Garner
lived on the European scale. he would
have today nearly as much left over as
he spent. according to savings bank off,
Gals of New York
IF the real wages of the London
worker are placed at 100, then the real
wages at present of New Yorker are
1872" declared Reginald Roome, presi-
dent of the Excelsior Savings Bank, to-
day. This schedule takes into consid-
Grafton not only actual pay envelopes,
but also the prevailing cost of living.
But this great advantage possessed
by American workers is now in danger
because the surplus has not been used
to establish financial security. The peo-
pie of this country are not as thrifty as
some of the Europeans who have far
less"