Evening star., 1933-05-16
Business BoOns
Wage Increases and Employ
ment Gains Reported in
Many Sections.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
sOUTHBRIDGE, Mass, May 16.-A
per cent wage increase effective May
~ was announced at the Hamilton
Woolen Co. last night by r. g. Walker
treasurer. About 1000 employees will
benefit.
This Is the flrst increase toward
restoration of a scale which had beer
cut 20 per cent.
SAN FRANCISCO. May Is OP.-The
noise of construction machinery tangled
louder during the last six weeks in the
far West, as more than $22,500 900 waa
added to the value of engineering con-
tracts awarded in the IL States.
Impressed by the volume Of this years
contracts, the staff of the Western Con-
structon News and Highways Builder
gathered data showing jobs launched In
the first four months Of 1888 totaled
SITE, ,668 383 Figures covered all jobt
amounting to more than $4,000.
While comparative data on the like
1892 period were not available. 1t was
estimated this years work was running
at about four times the rate OF veal
ago. This was due partly to active WORK
in bridge and tunnel building
the Golden Gate and San Francisco Bay
Bridges. and the tunnels on the Colo
RADIO River Aqueduct.
ALEXANDRIA. La, May 16 R.-
After lengthy period Of idleness, one
Alexandria lumber mill yesterday re-
sumed operations and two others an
nounced they would start during the
coming week
Putting between so and so men to
work, the Rockwell Powers Co. started
an announced two month schedule. The
Ferd Brenner Co. laid plans to resume
operations within the next few days.
Oficials for Roy O. Martin Co. an
nounced "a run of at least three
months" on a 5O-hour a-week basis, to
start May %.
STEELTON, Pa. May 16 R.-Sey-
eral hundred workmen. idle for months,
returned to their jobs in the Bethlehem
Steel plant yesterday.
Frank A. Robbins. jr., general man
ager, declined to say how many men
went into the mills. Three hearth
furnaces were charged Sunday and
within . day or 80 the A and 20 inch
mills will resume operation.
wINsToN-sALEM. N c., May 10
@.-The r. j. Reynolds Tobacco Com
pany began the operation of night
shift in its cigarette plant last night,
adding 900 workers to its payroll.
Ohicials said an increased demand fer
their product necessitated an expansion
of operations, and it was decided to put
on the night shift to give work to Ad-
ditional men and women rather than
increase the 512 day schedule Of day
work, which has boen followed for
some time.
TAYLORVnLE, Ill, May 16 R.-
The Peabody Coal Co. said yesterday
the signing Of two new contracts will
permit employment Of 200 additional
men in mines here during the Summer
NEW YORK. May ls R.-The
United Restaurant Owners Association
adopted . resolution yesterday agreeing
to raise wages 10 to 20 per cent imme-
diately. Calvin w. Klein, secretary
said approximately $4,000 restaurant
workers are employed by the 5000
members Of the association.
The announcement Of the increase
did not say whether 1t was a reinstate-
ment Of any recent wage reductions.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. May 16 IP.-
Two cotton mills speeded up production
last night. giving employment to las
operatives.
Oficials Of the Fletcher Mill. pro-
ducers Of yarn, announced q night shift
would be put to work employing los
workers and the Dallas Mills announced
40 additional workers will be taken on
at the same time.
CHICAGO. May Is R):-Barlow &
Seelig, manufacturers OF household
washing machines. yesterday reported
sales during the first quarter Of 1888
greatly increased" over those Of the
corresponding periods OF the previous
two years.
WHEELING, w. Va. May 16 (P.-
The Wheeling Steel Corporation an
nounced its Benwood Steel Mill. idle
since the first Of the year, resumed 100
per cent operation yesterday, with re-
call Of about 600 employees.
NEW YORK. May 16 CP-The New
York Cotton Exchange Service yester-
day announced domestic cotton mill
activity is now at the highest rate In
several years, having showed marked
advances the past few weeks. Domestic
mills operated at about 100 during the
first part of May. an index rate based
on the average daily operations from
1922 to 1927. This compares with an
index of 80 in April. 81 in May, last
and sc two years ago.
PHILADELPHIA, May 16 LR.-Fac-
tory employment in Pennsylvania in
creased / per cent and wage payments
per cent from the middle of March
to the middle of April, the Federal Re
serve Bank of Philadelphia reported
yesterday.