Montana labor news., 1935-05-30
Workers Classified as Unskilled,
Skilled, intermediate and Pro-
fessional - 80 Per Cent Must
Be Taken From Relief Rolls.
Rates Are Far Below Prevail
ing Industrial Wages-Lowest
in the South - 40-Hour Week
VIII Rule.

Misunderstanding in accordance
with the authority conferred upon him
|by the Congress OF the United States,
President Roosevelt issued an executive
order fixing wage scales for the $780,
600 jobless now on relief rolls who are
provided with employment under the
l$4,800,000,000 work relief program.
The wages range from $40 per month
for unskilled rural workers in some
sections of the South to 1914 per month
for professional workers in the North.
In setting the wage rates, which are
admitted to be far below the prevail
ing wages in private industry, the coun-
try was divided into four sections COM
prising the deep South, Middle South,
central States and Northern States, and
the workers in these sections grouped
in four classes-unskilled, intermedi-
ate, skilled and professional or tech
nical.
In addition to varying wage rates
according to regions and the four class
ifications the rates also varied accord
ing to five population classifications
with the highest wages in cities having
over 100000 population and the lowest
in cities of less than 5000 and rural
areas.
An examination Of the pay schedules
revealed that wage rates for unskilled
workers generally are far below the
$50 per month first suggested for re-
lief wages, varying from $40 in cities
under 5000 population in the South to
SIS in cities Of over 100000 in the
North.
For intermediate workers the rates
vary from a low of $27 in the South to
SOS in the North.
Skilled workers will be paid as low
as $35 in the South, with a maximum
of $85 in the North.
Professional and technical workers
top the Presidents pay scale, running
from a low Of $50 in the South to 1914
in the North.
A statement issued by the Division
of Applications and Information, head
ed by Frank c. Walker, said the rates
OF pay set forth in the Presidents
order were based on the rates applied
by the Federal Emergency Relief Ad-
ministration on its projects before the
present $4,800,000,0O0 work relief pro-
gram was authorized. The statement
added:
THE rates paid on this program in
the 3,0O0-odd counties in the United
States were typically determined by a
local wage committee consisting of one
representative of business, one repres-
entative Of labor and the local relief
administrator"
The presidents order prescribed that
except with the specific authorization
of the Worker Progress Administra-
ton at least 90 per cent OF all persons
employed Of work relief projects shall
be taken from the public relief rolls.
The order also limited employment
to one member of a family group and
barred employment of persons under
10 or in poor health.
With regard to hours the order pre-
scribed that the maximum hours OF
: work shall be determined by the Works
Progress Administrator, but shall moi
S be in excess Of eight hours per day and
S 40 hours per week"
t In establishing the maximum 40-hour
/ week the order followed the hours limi-
%tation contained in most NRA codes
E regardless of the fact that a number oil
industries are now operating on the 35-
+ hour week and less.