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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
ROYAL MEEKER, Commissioner
MONTHLY
LABOR REVIEW
VOLUME
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
IX
NUMBER 2
AUGUST, 1919
WASHINGTON
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
1919
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Contents.
Special articles:
Pag0
A study of food costs in various cities, by Prof. William F. Ogbum, Ph. D . 1-25
Labor provisions in the peace treaty, by J. T. Shotwell, Ph. D .................. 27-39
The road to the eight-hour day, by Dr. Stephan Bauer, translated by
Alfred Maylander................................................................................................. 41-65
Industrial relations:
Social reconstruction program of the Federal Council of the Churches of
Christ in America...................................
66-75
Principles of industrial relations adopted by United States Chamber of
Commerce................................................................................................................ 76-78
Reports of British coal industry commission on nationalization and managem eut......................................................................................................................... 78-86
Prices and cost of living:
Retail prices of food in the United States......................................................... 87-107
Comparison of retail food costs in 50 cities in the United States.............. 108,109
Index numbers of wholesale prices in United States, 1913 to June, 1919. 110, 111
Changes in wholesale prices in the United States.......................................... 112-118
Cost of living in the United States.................................................................... 117-119
Prices and cost of living in foreign countries—
Belgium............................................................................................................ 120-122
Cuba.....................................................................................................................
122
Great Britain......................................................................................................
]23
Lima, Peru...................................................................................................... 124 125
Madrid, Spain.....................................
125
High prices of building materials in England................................................. 125,126
Cooperation:
Agricultural cooperative enterprises in Canada.............................................. 127-130
Employees’ representation:
Activities of industrial councils in Great Britain.......................................... 131-136
Collective bargaining:
Collective bargaining for employees of Government-controlled telephone
systems................................................................................................................. 137 138
Vocational education:
Training for foremen.................. ......................................................................... 139; 140
Employment and unemployment:
British labor exchanges and United States employment offices, by Ben
jamin M. Squires.......................................................................
141-156
The employment service of Canada, by George W. Edwards, Ph. D ........ 157-168
Employment in selected industries in June, 1919........................................ 168-172
Wages and hours of labor:
Readjustment of wages and working conditions of New York harbor em
ployees, by Benjamin M. Squires.........................
173-185
Changes in wages and hours of labor in Canada............................................. 185-192
Wages in Sweden during the war....................................................................... 192-195
Employment and wages in the glass industry in Japan............................... 195,196
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in
IV
CO N TEN TS,
Minimum wage:
Page.
Minimum wage for women in mercantile industry in the District of
Columbia.............................................................................................................. 197-200
New minimum wage orders affecting California mercantile and canning
industries........................... .................................................................................. 200-205
Women in industry:
Efforts to standardize the working day for domestic service, by Mary T.
Waggaman........................................................................................................... 206-213
Industrial accidents and hygiene:
Metal mine accidents in the United States during 1917.............................. 214-216
Meeting of industrial physicians and surgeons at Atlantic City, June 8.
1619...................................................................................................................... 216-218
Medical and surgical service for employees in industrial establishments. 218-220
Fatal industrial accidents in Canada during 1918........................................ 220, 221
Workmen’s compensation:
Reports of workmen’s compensation boards in Canada—
Alberta.................................................................................................................
222
Manitoba___........................................................................................................
223
Social insurance:
Report of Connecticut social insurance commission................
224-227
Ministry of Health Act of Great B ritain ........................................................ 227, 228
Belgian unemployment benefits........................................................................ 228-230
Labor laws and decisions:
Labor organizations held liable for acts of members...................................... 231-234
Labor legislation of Chile..................................................................................... 234-237
Housing:
Report of the United States Housing Corporation......................................... 238-240
Labor organizations:
Thirty-ninth annual convention of the American Federation of Labor.. 241-246
The American Federation of Teachers, by Mrs. Y. B. Turner.................. 247-255
Convention of Association of Governmental Labor Officials, June 2^4,1919. 256, 257
Conference of Danish cooperative trade-unions.............................................. 257, 258
Seandinavian-Finnish Sociopoliticalconference............................................. 258-260
Labor bureaus:
Department of Labor in Brazil...............................................................................
261
Conciliation and arbitration:
Work of National War Labor Board for year ending May 31, 1919............ 262-270
Strikes and lockouts:
Strikes and lockouts in the United States, January to March, 1919 ......... 271-275
Immigration:
Immigration in May, 1919..................................................................................... 276, 277
Italian emigration during 1914 and 1915.......................................................... 277-279
Publications relating to labor:
Official—United States......................................................................................... 280-286
Official—foreign countries.................................................................................... 286-294
Unofficial................................................................................................................. 294-305
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M ONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W
VOL. IX—NO. 2
WASHINGTON
AUGUST, 1919
A Study of Food Costs in Various Cities.
By P ro f. W
il l i a m
F. Og burn.
T
HIS article presents the conclusions reached by analyzing the
food budgets gathered by the agents of the United States
Bureau of Labor Statistics in the cost-of-living survey of
1918-19. This study covered 92 urban communities, of various
sizes, in all geographical sections of the country. Nearly 13,000 family
schedules were obtained. These schedules contained a total of 474
items, of which 145 called for the quantities and the costs of the dif
ferent articles of food consumed by each family for an entire year.
Food, being the most important of the several groups of items in
the family budget, constitutes the most important single index of the
cost of living. During periods of rising prices, the prices of food com
modities are discussed first and most frequently, and comparisons in
the cost of living are, indeed, often based on the trend of food prices
alone. Although such comparisons are not strictly accurate, never
theless, as food expenditures overshadow in importance all other
items in the budget, the food index may be, and has been, used as a
cost-of-living barometer when the price changes in other articles of
consumption are not readily available. Also, it may be noted, that
to some extent such a comparison is justified by the fact that the
quantity of food consumed is more constant than other items of con
sumption. Generally speaking, if the family income fails to increase
as rapidly as prices increase, the amount spent for food is cut least,
the necessary sacrifices being made in other things—clothing, rent,
fuel, etc.
Because of its great importance, the expenditure for food has been
studied more than any other group of family expenditures, and more
scientific work has been done on this item than on any other in the
budget. In determining the value of the different foods for pro
ducing energy, for building tissue, and for supplying indispensable
mineral and biological elements, particularly good work has been
done by the Department of Agriculture and by various dietitians.
In the present investigation, the family schedules were gathered by
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[303]
1
2
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
agents of the Bureau, who sought to ascertain from the housewives
the amount and price of each food article consumed during a period
of a year. Usually the agent could obtain with accuracy such infor
mation only for a short period, such as a week, and had to compute
the yearly consumption by multiplication, due consideration being
given to seasonal variations and family circumstances. The work
was done with extreme care, however, and the results may be ac
cepted as accurate within a narrow margin of error. This is a costof-living study, not a dietary study. The food budgets reported by
the housewives to the agents of the Bureau do not, of course, give
with as minute accuracy the quantities of the different articles of food
purchased and the amount of waste as would be shown by a . careful
dietary study. It is interesting and worth while, however, to take
the budgets for a year as reported and analyze them in respect to
their adequacy in fuel value and in the proportions of carbohydrates,
proteins, fats, mineral constituents, fruit and vegetable acids, and
cellulose tissue. The analysis and comparison of the food budgets
as to sufficiency and costs in different cities gives some very valuable
information.
Comparison of Cities in Food Costs.
The first consideration in the present article is given to a compar
ison of food costs in various communities. Much interest has always
been displayed in this subject and since prices have been rising so
rapidly this interest has become almost passionate. The newspa
pers comment almost every day upon the relative costs of foods in
different cities, and such comparisons are frequently cited in wage
disputes.
Past attempts to compare the food costs of cities have rarely been
wholly satisfactory. The simplest method, and the one most fre
quently used, has been to compare the retail prices of a selected list
of articles. This method shows simply comparative prices and does
not show comparative food costs, as the proportionate consumption
of the various food articles is not necessarily the same in different
cities. Thus a sea-coast city may consume much fish while an inland
city may consume very little. Another method of comparison has
been to weight the articles in the selected list according to variations
in local consumption. This would produce accurate results, if full
dietary information were available. Such information, however, has
rarely been available. As a result selected food lists might very well
represent a different percentage of the whole dietary in one city than
they do in another, and the conclusions reached be therefore subject
to error. The error might not be large but, in comparisons of food
costs by cities, the differences themselves are not very great, and even
a minor error becomes of serious importance.
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[304]
MONTHLY LABOE REVIEW.
3
In tlie present studies it was not found possible to arrive at any
completely satisfactory method of comparison which could be applied
to a large group of cities without undue expenditure of time and
labor. Therefore, in the present article, the plan is to employ
several methods of comparison according to the character of the
material available. The first comparison is that of the average
cost of food for families with varying incomes. As this comparison
involves little labor in preparation it was possible to extend it to
cover 91 localities. Following this there is offered a comparison of food
costs for families of uniform size and expenditure. This is a more
satisfactory method of comparison than the one just mentioned,
but as it involves much labor in tabulation it could be made for only
43 localities. Following this in turn, there is offered a comparison
of food costs of an adequate dietary by cities for families of uniform
size and expenditure. This is possibly the most accurate comparison
of all, but because of the very great amount of work involved in com
puting the necessary data, it could be made for only 11 localities.
Other comparisons of less importance, but of significance from some
particular point of view, are also added.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[305]
4
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,
Average Cost of Food in 91 Localities, for Families of Varying
Incomes.
In Table 1 is presented for 91 localities the average cost of food
per year for families with incomes from $1,200 to $1,500. The
localities are ranked in decreasing order of cost.
T a b l e 1.—R ANKING OF 91 i LOCALITIES IN THE
AMOUNT OF A N N U AL E X P E N D I
TURE FOR FOOD FOR W HITE FAMILIES W ITH TOTAL A N N U A L INCOMES FROM
$1,200 TO $1,500.
Locality.
Fall River, Mass......................
Lawrence, Mass........................
Butte, Mont..............................
New York. N. Y .......................
Boston, Mass.............................
Charlotte, N. C..........................
Charleston, S. C........................
Johnstown, N. Y ......................
Cripple Creek, Colo..................
Newark, N. J ...........................
Manchester, N. H .....................
Dallas, T ex ................................
Scranton, Pa..............................
Baltimore, M d..........................
Huntsville, A la........................
Steubenville, Ohio...................
Calumet, Mich..........................
New Orleans, La......................
Houston, T ex............................
Pittsburg, P a ............................
Portland, Me.............................
Philadelphia, Pa., and Cam
den, N. J.................................
Corsicana, T ex ..........................
Meridian, M iss..........................
Providence, R. I ......................
Syracuse, N. Y ..........................
Westfield, Mass........................
Atlanta, Ga................................
Trenton, N. J ............................
Chicago, 111.................................
Little Rock, Ark......................
Charleston, W . V a ...................
Dover, N. J ................................
Omaha, N ebr............................
Richmond, V a ..........................
Pueblo, Colo..............................
Kansas City, Kans., and
Kansas City, Mo...................
Bridgeport, Conn.....................
Sail Francisco and Oakland,
Calif.........................................
Norfolk, V a ................................
Chippewa Falls, W is...............
Mobile. A la................................
Brazil, Ind.................................
Des Moines, Iow a.....................
Danville, 111...............................
Milwaukee, W is........................
Aver
age an
nual
ex
pendi
ture
for
food.
Num
ber
of
fam
ilies.
$624
601
601
584
579
565
561
557
554
553
552
552
549
547
545
541
540
539
539
535
533
48
32
7
151
160
28
24
33
38
46
41
21
62
60
29
10
35
42
35
81
38
376
3.62
3.13
3.15
3.22
3.75
3.04
3.11
3.33
2.92
3.22
3.25
3.29
3.16
3.43
3.03
3.52
3.42
3.36
3.07
3.24
533
533
531
530
528
528
525
524
523
523
523
521
517
515
514
86
23
23
50
69
29
48
50
120
16
23
18
46
50
25
3.16
3.40
3.32
3.33
3.38
3.01
3.37
3.06
3.20
3.04
2.90
3.43
2.77
3.34
3.08
514
514
91
44
2.91
2.76
514
514
513
513
508
506
505
505
114
17
17
41
20
29
23
74
2.99
3.00
2.97
3.08
3.27
3.07
3.31
3.21
Equiv
alent
adult
males
per
family.
Locality.
Cincinnati, Ohio.......................
Virginia, Minn..........................
Louisville. K y ..........................
Winston-Salem, N. C..............
Cleveland, Ohio........................
Denver, Colo..............................
Rutland, V t..............................
Oklahoma Citv, Okla.............
Trinidad, C'olo..........................
Green Bay, W is........................
Seattle, Wash............................
Fredericksburg, V a .................
Astoria, Oreg.............................
Portland, Oreg..........................
St. Louis, Mo., and East St.
Louis, 111.................................
Grand Island, N e b r ...............
Wichita, Karis..........................
Everett, W ash..........................
Wilmington, Del......................
Knoxville, T enn......................
Columbus, Ohio........................
Bakersfield, Calif......................
Spokane, W ash........................
Pana, 111.....................................
Memphis, T enn........................
Indianapolis, In d .....................
Grand Rapids, Mich...............
Detroit, M ich...........................
Evansville, In d ........................
Duluth, Minn............................
Chambersburg, P a ...................
Rock Island and Moline, 111.,
and Davenport, Iowa.........
Minneapolis and St. Paul,
Minn........................................
Buffalo, N. Y ............................
Birmingham, A la.....................
Eureka, Calif.............................
Jacksonville, Fla......................
I.os Angeles, Calif................. 1.
El Paso, T ex..............................
New Bern, N . C........................
Roanoke, Va........................
Sacramento, Calif.....................
Salt Lake City, U tah...............
Fort Wavne, In d .....................
Savannah, Ga............................
i Bisbee, Ariz., had no families with incomes between $1,200 and $1,500.
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Aver
age an
nual
ex
pendi
ture
for
food.
[306 ]
Num Equiv
alent
ber adult
of
males
fam per
ilies. family.
$504
504
503
503
503
502
501
499
499
498
498
498
497
497
86
18
38
20
89
63
31
34
25
25
GO
21
22
38
3.30
3.14
3.59
3.53
2.99
3.05
3.44
3.12
2.98
3.56
2.98
3.66
2.87
2.99
497
495
494
493
492
491
491
490
488
488
487
487
4S7
484
482
482
481
87
26
29
29
25
17
75
20
42
28
35
45
39
78
37
38
24
2.94
2.74
3.06
3.24
2.86
3.28
3.13
3.22
3.07
3.14
3.22
3.13
3.38
2.81
3.71
2.98
3.10
481
56
3.00
480
479
470
475
474
463
459
456
455
454
453
430
427
101
83
37
28
IS
75
8
22
12
39
23
25
21
3.40
3.02
2.91
3.06
2. 01
3.20
2.91
3.01
3.07
3.03
3.01
2.93
2.88
Only white families are included..
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
5
The average annual expenditure for food by all the families in all
the cities listed was $511. The median amount was $505 and the
median cities were Milwaukee, Wis., and Danville, 111. The largest
sum, $624, was spent in Fall River, Mass.: and the smallest sum,
$427, in Savannah, Ga. In the last half of the table there are very
few localities in New England or in the North Atlantic States. The
cities having the smaller expenditures for food are for the most part
from the Middle West, with some from the South. The very large
cities are found mostly in the first half of the table, although there
are also in this part of the table a number of smali towns. Some
southern cities rank high in the table and consequently in food costs.
The information in Table 1 is of much interest and particularly so
because of the wide range of localities covered. Its weakness is that
the families concerned differ somewhat in income and greatly in size,
with the resultant possibilities of error due to these causes. To make
satisfactory comparisons it is much better to include only families of
the same size and of the same income. This has been done for 43
of the communities and the results are shown in Table 2, which
ranks these communities according to the average annual expendi
ture for food for families consisting of husband, wife, and three
children aged approximately 2, 5, and 11 years, with an annual
expenditure of $1,300.
T a b l e 2 .—RANKING OF 43 LOCALITIES IN AVERAGE ANNUAL
E X PE N D IT U R E FOR
FOOD BY FAMILIES OF THE SAME SIZE, 3.35 EQUIVALENT ADULT MALES, AND W ITH
THE SAME TOTAL ANN U AL E X P E N D IT U R E , $1,300.1
Locality.
Lawrence, Mass.....................................
Fail River, Mass...................................
New York City, N . Y ..........................
Boston, Mass..........................................
Huntsville, Ala.; Meridian, M iss.....
Portland. Me.; Manchester, N . H ....
Newark, N. J ..........................................
New Orleans, La. (w hite)...................
Pittsburg, Pa.........................................
Philadelphia, Pa.; Camden, N . J ___
Houston and Dallas, Tex....................
Baltimore, Md. (white).......................
Scranton, P a.......................................... .
Providence, R. I . . . . , .............................
Westfield, Mass.; Johnstown, N.
Rutland, V t.........................................
Richmond, V a ........................................
San Francisco and Oakland, Calif__
Baltimore, Md. (colored).......................
Charleston, S. C..................................... .
Syracuse, N. Y ........................................
Kansas City, Kans.; Kansas City, Mo.
Atlanta, Ga..............................................
Average
annual
expendi
ture for
food.
$602
599
597
593
564
564
564
560
559
555
553
550
550
547
547
545
542
540
534
534
533
532
Locality.
Virginia, Minn.; Calumet, Mich.................
Cripple Creek and Trinidad, Col................
Cincinnati, Ohio.............................................
Birmingham, A la...........................................
Chicago, 111.......................................................
Denver, Col......................................................
Seattle, W ash..................................................
St. Louis, Mo.; East St. Louis, 111.............
Oklahoma City, Okla.; Wichita, Kans__
Portland, Oreg................................................
Bridgeport, Conn............................................
Charlotte and Winston-Salem, N . C.........
Cleveland, Ohio..............................................
Columbus, Ohio..............................................
Detroit, Mich...................................................
Brazil. Ind.; Danville and Pana, 111..........
Everett, Wash.; Astoria, O reg..................
Indianapolis, Ind............................................
Buffalo, N. Y ..................................................
New Orleans, La. (colored)..........................
Los Angeles, Calif..........................................
Memphis, T enn..............................................
Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.................
Average
annual
expendi
ture for
fjod.
$532
530
529
528
528
528
528
524
523
521
520
520
519
516
512
511
511
510
508
504
494
486
481
1 Only white families are studied for this table,except in New Orleans and Baltimore, where the colored
amilios are classified separately.
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[307]
6
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
In using this standard family of uniform size and income, it is to be
emphasized that there were not sufficient families of this precise
type to permit of direct analysis. What has been done, therefore,
is to analyze all the family schedules available and by the system
known in statistics as “ correlation ” to compute from the experiences
of all families the probable experience of a family of the type noted.
The type thus becomes in some degree an abstraction but has been
proved to represent the truth with extreme closeness.1
The broad general indications of this table are not strikingly
different from those of Table 1, although the scale of ranking is
somewhat more accurate than in Table 1. In the first half of the
table are found most of the large cities in the northeastern section
of the United States. The western cities predominate in the last half
of the table. Minneapolis and St. Paul, as several other studies have
shown, have very low food costs, as has also Los Angeles. New York,
Boston, and Philadelphia, together with the New England manu
facturing towns, are high in the scale.
Further interesting comparisons may be obtained by grouping
certain of these cities according to locality and size. The average
annual expenditure for food of a family of 3.35 equivalent adult
males and $1,300 expenditure, as noted in Table 2, for four of the
very large eastern cities—New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and
Boston—was $568. The corresponding average expenditure for ten
large eastern cities—Buffalo, Providence, Syracuse, Cincinnati,
Indianapolis, Columbus, Scranton, Fall Fiver, Bridgeport, and
Newark—was $538. The average for southern cities—represented
by New Orleans, Atlanta, Birmingham, Memphis, and Richmond—
was slightly smaller, $530. The four Pacific coast cities—San Fran
cisco, Los Angelos, Seattle, and Portland—had a still lower average,
$521; while lowest of all was the average for three middle western
1 Thus, ior example, 100 schedules are obtained in complete detail for a certain city. The families are of
the same general character, but differ w ithin moderate limits as to size and income. Perhaps none of
these families have an income of precisely $1,300 and a membership of precisely a wife, husband, and 3
children aged 2,5, and 11 years, although a number may closely approximate this type. By careful charting
and analysis of the whole group of families, however, a line can he drawn which shows on the average j list,
how the expenditure for food changes as income increases and the number of children increases; and from
the course of this line can be determined the probable or average amount which a family of a given size
and income w ill spend on food.
The mathematical method used in the computations is explained in full in a forthcoming bulletin of the
Bureau of Labor Statistics entitled: “ Analysis of the Standards of Living in the District of Columbia in
1916.” The particular equation used in Table 2 is, for Philadelphia as an example: X 4= 45.60—0.0103 X 3+
3.132 Xj, when X*= the percentage of the total expenditure for food, X 3= the total annual expenditure,
and Xs== the size of the family measured in units of adult male according to the United States Bureau of
Labor Statistics scale based on calorie requirement. The foregoing equation is for Philadelphia and the
amount spent for food, as seen in Table 2, is determined by substituting $1,300 for X 3, 3.35 equivalent adult
males for Xa, and solving for Xi. This gives the percentage spent for food, which multiplied by $1,300,
the total expenditure, w ill give a figure representing the total amount spent for food. Similar equations
have been worked for each of the 45 localities, thus enabling one to ascertain the average expenditure for
food by families w ith the specified total annual expenditure and of the specified size.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[308]
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
7
localities—St. Louis and East St. Louis, Minneapolis and St. Paul,
and Kansas City, Kans. and Mo.—$513. The very small towns—
Westfield, Mass.; Johnstown, N. Y .; Rutland, V t.; Brazil, Ind.; Dan
ville, 111.; Pana, 111.; Huntsville, Ala.; Meridian, Miss.; Astoria, Oreg.;
Everett, Wash.; Virginia, Minn.; Calumet, Mich.; Cripple Creek and
Trinidad, Colo.—had an average expenditure for food of $539.
It should be remembered that the food costs in Table 2 do not
represent necessarily the costs of dietaries properly representative
of the respective localities. These figures are rather the amounts
spent out of $1,300 for food by families of the same size. This point
may be brought out by a comparison of, say, Bridgeport, Conn., and
Providence, R. I. The figure for Bridgeport is $520 and that for
Providence $547. Bridgeport may be lower than Providence, partly
because rent is much higher in Bridgeport than in Providence. It
is well known that rents in Bridgeport increased enormously as a
result of the war activities, so that out of $1,300 perhaps an unduly
large portion had to be devoted to rent, thus reducing the amount
available for food. The costs of adequate and representative dieta
ries in the two cities may have differed considerably from the fig
ures in the table. Since, however, for an income as low as $1,300,
food is of the first consideration, the ranking of the cities in Table 2
probably corresponds very closely with the ranking of cities on the
costs of comparable, representative dietaries.
It is thought that the basis of comparison used in constructing
Table 2 also largely eliminates another factor which might tend to
vitiate the comparisons made in Table 1. The studies of yearly
expenditures for the various cities did not all cover exactly the same
12-month period. For a few of the cities the studies were for the
12-month period ending August 31, 1918, and for some for the 12month period ending February 28, 1919. The studies for all of tho
cities were for 12-month periods ending between these two limits.
Comparisons of costs between cities might therefore be somewhat
influenced by this factor. For instance, if comparison should bis
made betweon the cost of dietaries in New York for the 12-montli
period ending August 31, 1918, and the cost of dietaries for Salt
Lake City for the 12-month period ending February 28, 1919, the
Salt Lake City figures would be higher than they should be in such
a comparison because tho price of food rose between these two dates.
In the present studies this factor could not be of groat importance
as the large bulk of the studies, i. e., for 70 out of 92 localities, were
for the 12-month period ending during the four months of the fall
and winter season of 1918—19, October, November, December, and
January. And as the prices of many articles are often set by sea
sons the error due to the time of collecting the schedules would
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
probably not be very large. In any case, however, the method used
in constructing Table 2 reduces this factor or error to a minimum
and practically eliminates it, for we are comparing in Table 2 the
proportion of 11,300 spent for food, and it does not follow that the
proportion spent during the 12-month period ending August 31, 1918,
will be appreciably larger than the proportion spent during the 12month period ending February 28, 1919. This will be so for the
reason that food habits change very slowly and furthermore that
the other factors in the budget have risen as well as food. There
will be some fluctuation in the percentages spent for the various
classes of expenditure as a result of rising prices over a 7-month
period, as some classes of expenditure rise faster than others, but the
change will not be very large. Therefore comparisons of portions of
a fixed total expenditure reduce to a minimum the error involved in
the fact that the studies were not all mado for the same 12-month
period.
Cost of Adequate Dietaries in 11 Localities.
It was noted in a previous paragraph that the most satisfactory
method of comparing food costs by localities would be that of compar
ing the prices of typical, representative dietaries from each locality.
The difficulty in this method lies in the determination of the question,
What is a representative dietary and how can one arrive at dietaries
from each locality which represent the same degree of adequacy?
These two difficulties, it is believed, can be met by using the calorie
content of food as a guide, allowing for local variations in food
habits. The unit of measure most commonly employed in measur
ing the adequacy of dietaries is the calorie, which is the unit for
measuring heat-energy. The prime function of food is, of course, to
furnish the body with energy. But energy production is not the sole
function of food. Food is required to build up waste tissues, and
for this its value is measured in grams of protein. The body also
requires certain mineral substances, and there are certain qualities
of food which have not been determined chemically but which are
of marked biological value.
It has been estimated that the number of calories needed by a
man at moderately hard muscular work is from 3,000 to 3,500; a man
at hard muscular work requires about 1.2 times this amount; a man at
light muscular work about 0.9 as much; and a man at sedentary work
about 0.8 as much.1 A family usually wastes about 10 per cent of
the calorie value of food before it enters the mouth and there is also
a small per cent of the food which enters the mouth which is not
digested or consumed as fuel, so that 3,500 calories as bought probi Tliis is the scale employed by the United States Department of Agriculture.
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9
ably represent slightly over 3,000 calories assimilated by the body.
The calorie requirements for an adequate diet must be supplied from
proper amounts of protein, fats, and carbohydrates. In addition
the body requires small amounts of calcium, iron, phosphorus, and
other chemical substances, some of which have not been fully deter
mined.
Thus it is seen that an adequate dietary is very complex and diffi
cult of accurate measurement. Is it possible to get some one single
unit of measurement for the adequacy of diet ? This seems impossi
ble, but fortunately a partial solution at least has been found in the
fact that the dietaries which yield 3,500 calories per man per day
are usually abundant and varied enough to be fairly well balanced
and fairly adequate in the amounts of the necessary constituents.
Such has been the experience of students of food values in various
parts of the country. Dietaries of families in general which yield
less than 3,500 calories per man per day are generally not well bal
anced. They may be so in the proportions of fats, carbohydrates,
and proteins, but are usually not so in minerals and other sub
stances. For these reasons, therefore, 3,500 calories may be taken
as the dietary standard of measure of the adequacy of food bud
gets. This standard is used in this study for the purpose of com
paring one city with another. It is easily seen that comparisons
made on this basis would be affected by the sizes of the families and
still more by the incomes of the families. In other words, 3,500
calories, if purchased by families with generous incomes, would cost
a good deal more than 3,500 calories purchased by families with mea
ger incomes, and similarly the larger families can purchase 3,500
calories considerably cheaper than can the smaller families. A
comparison, therefore, of the cost per man per day by families pur
chasing 3,500 calories per man per day must be made for families
of the same size and with the same income.
Such a comparison is made, for 11 localities, in Table 3, which
shows the cost of food per man per day for 3,500 calories, for a family
with a total annual expenditure of $1,300 and consisting of husband,
wife, and three children aged approximately 2, 5, and 11 years,
respectively. As noted in an earlier paragraph the standard family
here used does not represent actual families; the process has been
to arrive, by the method of “ correlation,” at what such a family
would spend for 3,500 calories per man per day, using the expen
ditures for food shown in all the family schedules available in arriv
ing at the result.1 In no locality were there less than 69 family diei The footnote on p. 6 explains in a general way how these computations were made. The equations
here used are of the type Xio= 0.218+ 0.0000719 X 3- 0.0381 X 2+0.0000937 X «, in which Xio represents
the cost of food per man per day, X 3 the total annual expenditure, X 2 size of family in units of adult
male, and X « the number of calories furnished by food consumed per man per day.
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taries analyzed. Tlie analyses seek to take into consideration customs
and kabits and are based upon dietaries producing a constant number
of calories, 3,500. Even then, however, it is questionable whether
the figures for some of the southern cities do represent the cost of
an adequate dietary, inasmuch as the food customarily consumed
may not be properly balanced. This is especially true of the New
Orleans colored people who consume probably an undue proportion
of such cheap foods as pork, molasses, and com meal.
T a b l e 3 .—COST PE R
MAN PE R DAY OF 3,500. CALORIES IN A FAMILY CONSISTING
OF H U SB A N D , W IFE , AND 3 CHILDREN A GED 2, 5, AND 11 Y EARS, W ITH A TOTAL
ANNUAL E X PE N D IT U R E OF 81.300.
Locality.
New Y ork.......................................................
Providence.....................................................
Boston................................... ..........................
San Francisco and Oakland........................
Chicago.............................................................
Seattle..............................................................
Average
cost per
man
per day
(cents).
57.6
54.9
53.4
51.2
51.1
50.2
Average
cost per
man
per day
(cents).
Locality.
Denver...........................
49.6
49.3
48.7
45.3
42.6
41.8
A tlanta....................................... .
The cities in the table are chosen from various sections of the
United States, though of course they are not completely repre
sentative of each particular section. In this table the southern
cities are lew, the cities in the northeast of the United States are
high, and the Pacific Coast cities and most of the middle west cities
are between the extremes.
The conclusions of Table 3, which is worked up from equations,
follow closely those of Table 4, which is based on simple averages.
T able 4 .—COST OF ACTUAL Y E A R L Y CONSUMPTION OF FOOD Y IELD IN G A PP R O X I
MATELY 3.500 CALORIES PE R MAN PE R DAY.
Average
Average
Equiva Calories
expendi total annual
lent
yielded
ture for
expendi
adult
per man
food.
ture.
males. per day.
Locality.
New York..............................................................................
Providence.................................................................................
Boston.................................................................................
Chicago................................................................................
San Francisco and Oakland..................................................
Seattle.....................................................................................
D enver.......................................................................................
St. Louis and East St. Louis................................................
New Orleans (w hite)....................................................................
A tlanta...............................................................................
Minneapolis and St. P a u l .. .. ..........................................
New Orleans (colored)...........................................................
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S678. 73
647.00
628.92
613.10
605.40
' 588.76
569.23
567.37
564.76
526.00
485.29
449.00
81,170.20
1,448.28
1,310.20
1,514.00
1,414.15
1,587.30
1,357.13
1,422.39
1,368.37
1,342.07
1,359.96
965.30
3.34
3.30
3.34
3.35
3.35
3.34
3 .35
3.35
3,410
3,460
3,330
3,420
3,540
MONTHLY LABOE REVIEW.
11
Table 4 shows for each of the 11 localities the actual price of a
yearly food budget yielding approximately 3,500 calories per man
per day for families of about 3.35 equivalent adult males. This
table was constructed by choosing from each locality between 20 and
30 actual yearly dietaries, which averaged approximately 3,500 cal
ories per man per day, while the families represented averaged 3.35
equivalent adult males. The prices paid for these dietaries were also
averaged, representing, therefore, the actual prices of such typical,
representative dietaries. The expenditures of the families were
similarly averaged and are placed, for purposes of comparison, in
the table. Table 4 represents a comparison quite similar to that in
Table 3. It is not quite so highly refined; the incomes, for in
stance, are not wholly constant from city to city, but the things com
pared are very easily understood.
Variations in Food Needs and Food Costs.
In discussing the variability in food costs from locality to locality
it may be well to observe some of the factors producing variability
in such costs. Climate is a factor affecting the food needs; indivi
duals living in a cold climate, particularly if working out of doors,
need more calories than do those living in a warm climate. This is
very well illustrated by the recent study made on the food con
sumption in the messes of the various training camps for soldiers.1
For instance, in November, December, and January 3,700 calories
were consumed per man per day in the messes, while in May and
June only 3,500 were consumed. In other words, the variation in
temperature from summer to winter seemed to cause a variation
in food needs of 200 calories per man per day. The food needs
of individuals also vary according to weight, age, and stature. The
greater the weight and the greater the stature the greater the
amount of food consumed as measured in calories. As adults be
come older, however, their calorie needs become less.2 Calorie
needs also vary according to sex. The basal metabolism of the
average woman is about 300 calories less per day than that of the
average man. There are also variations according to type of muscu
lar activity engaged in. Loggers in the north woods have been known
to consume 5,000 or more calories per man per day. These men
are engaged in hard physical labor out of doors in a cold climate.
Similarly, college athletes living an active, muscular life have been
1 “ Preliminary results of nutritional surveys in United States Army camps,” by John R. Merlin and
Caspar W. Miller, in American Journal of Public Health, June, 1919.
2 See A Biometric Study of Basal Metabolism in Man, by J. Arthur Harris and Francis G. Benedict,
Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1919, p. 190. Stated mathematically, the equation reads: H = +
66.47+13.75 ie+5.00 S—6.76 a, where H=*total heat production for a man in muscular repose, for 24 hours
after eating; «>=■weight in kilograms; S=*stature in centimeters; and a=age in years.
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
observed to consume nearly as many calories. Tire average amount
of food consumed by soldiers in the camps, as brought out in the
study just referred to, was about 3,900 calories per man per day
(including food consumed outside the messes). Men in sedentary
occupations, of course, need much less. These causes of variation
may perhaps be neglected in the present comparison of cities, as
such variations as may be caused by these factors are comparatively
small.
The principal causes of variations in food costs between cities are
dietary customs and habits and the prices of the articles comprised
in the dietaries. For instance, in certain sections of the South much
more fat meat is eaten than in any other part of the country. Meat is
a fairly abundant source of food energy in the Northeast. Bread and
cereals are the largest sources of energy among the poorer families.
These differences in dietaries arise largely because of differences in
the production and distribution of food products. Peculiar local
and personal habits also cause variations. For instance, the agents
reported that in New Orleans the lack of refrigerators caused the
poorer families to buy in very small quantities, using the corner
grocery store as a substitute for an ice box, thus increasing the cost
of food to them. They also reported that the methods of cooking
in New Orleans are apparently somewhat more expensive than the
methods employed in other cities. The budgets of w o r k i n g m e n
also vary according to whether they take their lunches at home
or purchase them, the latter procedure increasing somewhat the
total family expenditure for food.
Variation in Food Costs with Changing Income and Chang
ing Size of Family.
Certain interesting relationships between food costs, family expend
itures and size of family, in a selected list of cities (see Table 2, p. 5)
may be observed in Charts A and B.
These charts compare 10 cities of the United States in different
geographical divisions. Chart A shows how the percentage of total
expenditure for food decreases as the income increases, and Chart B
shows how the expenditure for food increases as the size of the family
increases.1 In these charts there is very little variation in the slopes
of the lines and indeed such variation as appears might possibly occur
because of the small number of families chosen from each city.
In Chart A, if the slope of the line for one city is greater than for
another city, it might mean that as the income goes up the demand
for other things, such as rents, clothing, and miscellaneous expendi1 These charts are plotted irom equations worked out as explained above.
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
13
lures, would be greater, or would cost more, in the first than in the
second city. Such a force might perhaps operate to a small extent
between small towns and large cities. In cities where food is rela-
fiew York
H m tsv ill s '
r i£ n ? n i5
W est field *"
Hansa 5 City
B- ridg&PorT
ChicAGo
5 am I rancisco 3
B razil 4
ri IRREAPoLlSi^
Ch a r t A .
1 And Meridian.
2 And Johnstown and Rutland.
3 And Oakland.
* And Danville and Pana.
6 And St. Paul.
lively abundant in families with low incomes the slope would be
sharper than in cities where food is less adequate in families of low
incomes, because as income increases but little additional would be
127971°—19------—2
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
spent for food, so that the percentage spent for food would fall
sharply in relation to total expenditures. There may he other rea
sons as to why the slopes of these lines vary from city to city.
S')
N
If)
oQ
— ri
ci
d Ò
—
^ r c - O r O O C T i r ' I i n
io ó
t
t
y
y
ri in,
Mew York
Kansas Lift'
WesTfield 1
SAN FfWC!5C0*
H unts VILLE.
2
C hicago
B r a z il 4
B ridge pout
Memphis
niMHEAP0U5i
P e rc e n ta g e jo r jo o d
a c c o r d in g
t o Si^ e o j
ly
Chart B .
' And Johnstown and Rutland.
2 And Oakland.
3 And Meridian.
1 And Danville and Pana.
5And St. Paul.
The most striking point in Chart B is that there is very slight
variation in the slopes of the lines for the cities charted.
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15
Of greater practical significance is the variation in both Chart A
and Chart B of the height of the lines above the base. Thus the line
for New York is considerably higher than the line for Minneapolis.
There are several conditions which might explain why the line for
one city is higher than that for another. This would occur if food
costs more or if the customs and habits dictated more expensive diet
aries. Probably food costs constitute the most important factor in
the determination of the height of a line.
These two charts afford certain interpretations as regards the
comparative cost of living. They are, in addition, very clear in show
ing what happens to the expenditure for food when the income
increases and when the family increases. They show the changes
which occur in the percentage spent for food as the size of the income
grows and as the size of the family grows.
Extent of Underfeeding.
A point of prime importance is the determination of whether
families are getting enough to eat in the various cities investigated.
It is possible to draw some conclusions on this point through the
consideration of the number of calories received according to various
incomes. In Table 5 are shown the number of calories purchased in
11 localities by families composed of husband, wife, and three chil
dren aged 2, 5, and 11 years, with varying total annual expenditures.
T a b l e 5 .—AVERAGE NUM BER OP CALORIES PE R M A N PE R DAY Y IE L D E D IN FOOD
PURCHASED B Y FAMILIES OF CONSTANT SIZE (H U SBA N D , W IF E , AND
CHILDREN AGED 2. 5, AND 11 Y E AR S), W ITH VARYING E X PE N D IT U R E S.
THREE
SI,000. $1,200. $1,400. $1,600. $1,800. $2 ,0 0 0 .
Locality.
Chicago.....................................................................................
Providence...............................................................................
New York.................................................— .........................
D enver......................................................................................
St. Louis and East St. Louis..............................................
San Francisco and Oakland................................................
Seattle.......................................................................................
Boston................................................ •-....................................
St. Paul and Minneapolis.....................................................
A tlanta........... - .......................................................................
2,624
2,632
2,644
2,735
2,854
2,881
2.890
2,943
3,002
3,238
3,368
3 ,392
2,851
2,770
2,791
2,894
2,977
2,962
2,981
3,114
3,130
3,371
3 ,654
3,403
3,079
2,908
2,939
3,052
3,100
3,044
3,072
3,285
3,259
3,504
3,940
3; 413
3,306
3,046
3,087
3,211
3,223
3,125
3,162
3,456
3,387
3,637
3,533
3,185
3,235
3,370
3,346
3,206
3,253
3,627
3,516
3,770
3,761
3,323
3,383
3,528
3,468
.3,287
3,343
3, 798
3,645
3,903
3,424
3,435
3,446
The table shows that in Chicago the normal family of 3.35 equivalent
adult males with expenditures of $1,000 purchased on the average
2,624 calories per man per day; those with expenditures of $1,400
purchased 3,079; those with expenditures of $1,600 purchased 3,306;
those with expenditures of $1,800 purchased 3,533; and those with
expenditures of $2,000 purchased 3,761 calories. If 3,500 calories
per man per day is a test of an adequate diet, then we should be jus
tified from the above figures in saying that in Chicago families of
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
this size were not adequately fed unless their incomes were as high
as $1,800 a year, although families with $1,600 total expenditure
were consuming on the average a fairly large number of calories—
3,306.
In Providence and New York, two cities with unusually high food
costs, practically none of the normal families within the range of in
comes studied were getting food yielding 3,500 calories, although
with $1,600 total annual expenditure the food consumption yielded
over 3,000 calories per man per day. In Seattle and San Francisco
none of the families within the groups covered quite reached the
3,500 calorie mark, on the average, but families with a total annual
expenditure of $1,200 consumed food yielding about 3,000 calories
per man per day. Only in St. Paul, Minneapolis, New Orleans
(white) and New Orleans (colored), and Atlanta were families with
expenditures of $1,000 a year able to purchase food yielding over
3,000 calories per man per day. On the other hand, in no case was
the average consumption of any group of families as low as 2,500
calories.
It is interesting to note that the calorie value of food purchased
by families having total expenditures of $1,000 may vary but little or
quite widely from the calorie value of food purchased by families
with expenditures of $2,000. In Chicago, for instance, with a total
expenditure of $1,000, food yielding 2,624 calories was purchased;
with a total annual expenditure of $2,000, food yielding 3,761 calo
ries was purchased. In Atlanta, however, the food purchased by
families with an annual expenditure of $1,000 nearly equaled in
calorie value the food purchased with an oxpenditure of $2,000.
Similarly, there is not very much difference in the calorie value of the
food purchased in San Francisco by families with an expenditure of
$1,000 and that purchased by families with an expenditure of $2,000.
In San Francisco, for instance, for every increase in total expenditure
of $100, there is an increase of only 41 calories consumed per man
per day. In San Francisco the families with the lowest incomes at
no time purchase as low an average as 2,700 calories per man per
day. In Atlanta the families with the lowest incomes purchase
on the average more than 3,250 calories per man per day. Thus
there is seen to be considerable variation between cities in the dif
ferences in the calorie value of food purchased from maximum in
comes and minimum incomes. How is this to be explained ? It is
possible for a certain amount of this variation to arise because of the
small number of the cases studied, as not more than 100 schedules
could be used for analysis from each city, largely because of the great
length of time it takes to analyze the dietaries. Another possible
factor of variation is that at times families getting the larger in
comes do not need quite so much food, as measured in calorie values,
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
because their members do not do as much hard muscular work.
It is suggested, however, that difference in habits is chiefly respon
sible for the fact that the fuel value of food purchased from large
incomes is at times not much greater than the fuel value of food pur
chased from small incomes. For instance, in a very able study made
by Sherman and Gillett,1 the data on food consumption of 92 fami
lies were collected with extreme accuracy and analyzed in minute
detail. These families were grouped into four groups according to
cost of food per man per day, the first group paying on the average
26.1 cents for food yielding 3,000 calories, and the fourth group
paying 44.7 cents for food yielding 3,000 calories; and the authors
state that “ group 1 was getting practically the same amount of food
value for 26 cents as was group 4 for 45 cents.” If there can be such
a range in the price of foods of the same fuel value it seems quite
reasonable to expect the variations shown in the table under discus
sion. This point is also seen quite clearly by observing that the
colored families of New Orleans get more calories for their money
than do the white families. If the food consists largely of cereals
and fat meats the calorie value will be very high for the cost. On
the other hand, if a good deal of lean meat is consumed, the fuel
value will be low for the cost. The cost per 1,000 calories will also
be high in cities in which the population eat proportionately large
quantities of fresh vegetables, as may perhaps be true for some cities
on the Pacific coast.
In Table 6 are shown the number of calories of food purchased in
11 localities by families of the same income ($1,300) but varying in
size.
T a b l e 6 .—A V ERAGE N U M BER OE CALORIES PE R MAN PE R D A Y Y IE L D E D IN FOOD
PURCHASED B Y FAM ILIES V ARYING IN SIZE A N D HAVING AN A N N U A L E X P E N D I
T U R E OF $1,300.
Size of family in equivalent
adult males.
Locality.
2
1.90
3,230
3,340
3,400
3,470
3,510
3,580
3,600
3,710
3,730
3,870
3,940
4,600
P vdenc
2.05
2 3.35
3,190
3,310
3,360
3,410
3,460
3,520
3,560
3,660
3,660
3,820
3,890
4,520
2,840
3,000
3,030
2,870
2,970
2,970
3,200
3,200
3,040
3,410
3,440
3,800
2
2 5.00
2,390
2,620
2,600
2,180
2,340
2,2S0
2,740
2,610
2,250
2,880
2,860
2,890
i The Adequacy and Economy of Some City Dietaries, by H. C. Sherman and L. H. Gillett, 1917, p. 9
2 1.9= family of husband and wife; 2.05= family of husband, wife, and one child aged 2 years; 3.3o= family
of husband, wife, and three children aged 2, 5, and 11 years; 5.00=family of husband, wife, and fiv e children
aged 2, 5, 8, 11, and 14 years.
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
This table shows very clearly how the calorie value of the food
consumed per man per day diminishes as the family increases, the
total expenditure remaining the same. For instance, in St. Louis
a husband and wife with a total annual expenditure of $1,300 con
sumed food yielding 3,730 calories per man per day; a family of
husband, wife, and child aged two years, consumed food yielding
3,660 calories; families consisting of husband, wife, and three chil
dren aged 2, 5, and 11 years, with an annual expenditure of $1,300
consumed food yielding 3,040 calories; families consisting of hus
band, wife, and five children aged 2, 5, 8, 11, and 14 years, con
sumed only 2,250 calories per man per day. From these figures
are seen very clearly the dietary difficulties which confront parents
with growing families and with constant incomes.
From the two previous tables and the discussion of them it seems
quite clear that a good many families were probably not receiving
adequate food, the inadequacy varying considerably from city to
city. In Table 7 is presented certain miscellaneous information
which throws additional light upon the adequacy of the fuel value
of food consumed by working men’s families.
T able
7 .—CALORIES
PER MAN PE R DAY SU P P L IE D B Y FOOD
FAM ILIES IN VARIOUS LOCALITIES.
Calories per man per day.
Locality.
No. Aver
age
of
of
fam size
fam
ilies. ily.
1
A tlanta.......................... ............... 93
Boston........................................... 85
Chicago......................................... 74
Denver.......................................... 86
New York.................................... 100
New Orleans (w hite)................. 71
N ew Orleans (colored).............. 73
Providence................................... 100
San Francisco and Oakland. . . 76
Seattle........................................... 69
St. Louis and East St. L o u is.. 79
St. Paul and Minneapolis........
77
Aver
age.
Range of
distribution.
2
3
4
3.32
3.71
3.49
3.08
3.39
3.52
3.65
3.91
3.33
3.16
3.25
3.59
3,420.75
3,104.80
3,021.60
3,062.80
2,930.00
3,370.40
3,200.25
2,746.00
3,048.70
3,170.60
3,109.25
3,183.50
2,000-6,000
1,800-5,000
1,600-5,000
1,500-4,700
1,250-4,750
2,000-5,000
1,500-5,250
1,600-4,150
1,750-4,150
2,000-4,400
1,250-5,000
1,750-5,500
CONSUMED
BY
Per cent of families
reporting—
Less
Less
Standard Less
than
than
than
devia
3.500
3,000
2.500
tions. calories. calories.
calories.
5
802.25
661.60
668.80
717.40
720.75
669.00
739.75
606.75
538.05
585.90
725.00
729.50
6
7
8
61.3
81.2
79.7 •
74.4
77.0
67.6
67.1
89.0
78.9
69.6
72.2
71.4
36.6
45.9
50.0
55.8
48.0
33.8
42.5
74.0
59.2
42.0
46.8
46.8
8.6
23.5
25.7
20.9
33.0
11.3
16.4
41.0
11.8
17.4
21.5
14.3
In column 3 of this table is placed the average number of calories
in the food consumed by the families observed. The average num
ber of calorics consumed in New York and Providence is less than
3,000 per man per day, and in no city is the average number of
calories consumed as high as 3,500. In column 4 of this table is
placed the number of calories per man per day yielded by the food
consumed by the family consuming the least amount in fuel value
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and by tbe family consuming the greatest amount. Thus, in Atlanta
the family consuming the least amount of food received only 2,000
calories per man per day, while the family consuming the maximum
amount received 6,000 calories per man per day. In column 5 are
found the measures of variability of the families in the calorie value
per man per day yielded by the food consumed. These indexes are
called standard deviations. If two-thirds of the standard devia
tion is added to and subtracted from the mean, two limits are found
within which half the families will fall. The standard deviation
for Boston is 662; two-thirds of it will be 441, which added to and
subtracted from the mean, 3,105, gives two limits 3,546 and 2,664;
so that in Boston half of the families considered consumed food
yielding between 2,664 and 3,546 calories per man per day. In the
last three columns of this table are placed the percentages of the
families representing a consumption of food of less than 3,500 calories
per man per day, of less than 3,000 calories per man per day, and
of less than 2,500 calories per man per day. Thus in Atlanta, 61.3
per cent of the families consumed food yielding less than 3,500 calories
per man per day; 36.6 per cent of the families consumed food yield
ing less than 3,000 calories; and 8.6 per cent of the families con
sumed less than 2,500 calories per man per day.
As stated above, a man at moderately hard muscular work needs
food yielding between 3,000 and 3,500 calories per day. Also it
was noted that dietaries yielding 3,500 calories per man per day
were usually adequately supplied with the various necessary chemical
constituents and that dietaries yielding less than this are not usually
well balanced although the amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and
fats may be sufficient. On the other hand, it is highly important
to remember that the calorie needs vary according to type of mus
cular activity engaged in, and according to age, stature, weight,
body surface, and no doubt still other factors. In the very careful
study of calorie production made by Harris and Benedict,1 the heat
production of 136 men at muscular repose was noted. These men
of course varied in weight, stature, age, and body surface. The
man whose heat production was the lowest produced 997 calories
por day and the man whose lie at production was the highest pro
duced 2,559 calories per day, the average being 1,632 calories per
day. It is seen from these measurements that the calorie con
sumption of individuals varies quite widely around the mean. Thus,
although the average was 1,632 calories, the heat production of
approximately half the cases was less than this figure, going as low
as 997 calories. Thus, when we observe that 61.3 percent of the
families in Atlanta receive less than 3,500 calories per man per day,
1 A Biometric Study of Basal Metabolism in Man, by J. Arthur Harris and Francis G. Benedict. Car
negie Institution of Washington, 1919, pp. 40fl.
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it does not necessarily follow that all these families, i.e., 61.3 per cent,
were underfed. It is quite conceivable that a good many families
did not need 3,500 calories per man. It is impossible to tell from
this table how many families received less food than they needed
for proper growth, repair, and energy output. This could not be
told unless measurements had been taken on age, weight, and
stature, and unless something was known about the amount of
muscular activity engaged in.
It is known that approximately 50 per cent of the families receive
less food than the average and so some judgment as to the extent of
underfeeding can be made by looking at the table of arithmetic
means. Also, if in the various cities no more than 50 per cent had
received less than 3,500 calories, there might exist no significant evi
dence of serious underfeeding. But considerably more than 50 per
cent receive less than 3,500 calories in all the cities. Furthermore,
the last column of the table shows that in most of the cities, 15 to 20
per cent of the families consumed less than 2,500 calories per man
per day. It is highly improbable that such a large percentage of the
families needed only such small amounts of food. In the study by
Harris and Benedict the least heat production was 997 calories, 635
less than the average of 1,632, the deviation from the average being
38.9 per cent. If the desirable number of calories is placed at 3,500,
then 2,500 calories is a deviation of 1,000 cal-ories from the desirable
number. This deviation of 1,000 calories is 28.6 per cent of the de
sirable number, 3,500, so that families receiving less than 2,500 calories
per man, judged in this rough manner by the evidence from the HarrisBenedict study, are underfed. It is perhaps desirable to note here
that Sherman and Gillett1 found in their extremely detailed and
careful study of 92 families that “ about 50 to 75 per cent were not
getting enough energy.”
Analysis of Food Consumption in Selected Cities.
The Bureau’s study shows that the dietaries in different sections of
the United States vary considerably, according to the local food
products and according to the habits of the population. The varia
tions shown in the family schedules conform closely to what has been
surmised from observation or indicated by detailed dietary studies in
different cities. It seemed worth while then to analyze the food
budgets as reported, in order to ascertain the fuel (energy) value,
the tissue building (protein) value, and the sufficiency of mineral
and other constituents in the average diets.
1A Biometric Study of Basal Metabolism in Man, by J. Arthur Harris and Francis G. Benedict.
Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1919, p. 9.
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
It is desirable to compare dietaries of families of approximately
the same size and of nearly the same income group. The dietaries
compared, therefore, are for families of approximately 3.35 equivalent
adult males and with a total average annual expenditure of (with
one exception) approximately $1,300 to $1,500 a year. The dietaries
are also nearly constant in the number of calories yielded per man
per day, the number being generally 3,400 or 3,500.
In order to eliminate the idiosyncracies peculiar to an individual
family, it seemed desirable to take the average quantities of food
consumed by a group of families. Therefore, for each locality, the
dietaries of about 30 families were averaged, those families being
chosen so that the average calorie consumption of the group was ap
proximately 3,500 calories and so that they were families of approxi
mately 3.35 equivalent adult males. It seems quite clear that the
number chosen is sufficiently large to smooth out individual tastes
and is probably large enough to be fairly representative. To have
used a larger number of cases would have been desirable, but the labor
involved in the computations made this impracticable.
The data for the 11 localities were then analyzed and the results are
presented in Tables 8 and 9. In these two tables the quantities of food
purchased rather than the quantities consumed are given; perhaps
something over 10 per cent is not utilized by the body. In Table 8
is shown the analysis on the basis of the various chemical constitu
ents ; and in Table 9 the analysis shows the foods classified according
to general classes, such as meat, fish, dairy products, cereals, and
so on. The tables should be considered together to get the best
understanding of the dietary standards.
Average total annual ex
penditure for family.
Size of family in units of
the adult male.
Total cost of food per 1
year.
Number of calories pur- ||
chased for 1 cent.
j
(h
Phosphorus.
flo
j
Calcium.
Fat.
Protein.
Locality.
Carbohydrates.
Grams per man per day.
Calories per man per day.
T a b l e 8 __ CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OP FOOD IN AVERAGE D IE T A R IE S OF 1) LOCALITIES.
87
117
108
103
104
95
114
102
112
97
103
St. Paul and Minneapolis---- 102
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132
106
126
129
104
112
126
114
129
125
120
123
471
501
485
464
516
507
441
494
463
454
514
488
0.7055 0.01282 1.2997
1.0145 .01920 1.8917
.8761 .01736 1.6601
1.0063 .01816 1.5749
.7582 . 01588 1.5323
.9050 . 01493 1. 2858
1.2558 . 01664 1.8852
.8893 .01740 1. 7202
.9816 .01831 1.7623
.9821 .01881 1.8570
.6399 .01666 1.4591
.8501 .01721 1.6885
[823]
16 3,430
20 3,430
18 3,510
16 3,420
17 3,420
15 3,410
19 3,350
18 3,410
18 3,460
16 3,330
21 3,540
17 3,470
80 $526.00 3.37 $1,342.07
67 628.92 3.34 1,310.20
70 613.10 3.30 1,514.00
73 569.23 3.35 1,357.13
74 564.76 3.34 1,368.37
965.30
93 449.00 3.35
60 678.73 3.33 1,470.20
64 647.00 3.34 1,448.28
70 605. 40 3.34 1,414.15
69 588.76 3.35 1,587.30
76 567.37 3.35 1,422.39
87 485. 29 3.35 1,359.96
22
MONTHLY LABOE BEVIE'W.
T a b l e 9 . -A M O U N TS IN PO UNDS OF FOODS CONSUMED PE R MAN PE R D AY, CLASSI
FIE D IN G ENERAL FOOD GROUPS, FOR AVERAGE D IE T A R IE S OF II LOCALITIES.
Pounds of foods consumed per man per day.
Item.
At Bos Chi Den
lanta. ton. cago. ver.
Total m e a t............... .......
Total fish..........
Total meat and fish........
Milk, w hole......................
Total dairy products1. . .
Total.eereals.....................
Total sugar_____ _____
Total fruits.......................
Total vegetables............
Total miscellaneous........
0.296 0.350 0.380 0. 400
. 0176 .1130 . 0142 .0270
.314 . 463 .424 . 427
.169 1. 116 .874 .575
.653 1.350 1.033 .'833
.856 .967 .972 . 920
. 163 .161 . 18ft
.427 .277 . 375 .423
1.001 1.0S5 1.151 1.122
. 0944 . 0390 . 0337 . 0606
.103 .140 .135
New
Or
leans
(white).
San
St,
St.
New
Fran
Louis Paul
Or New
Provi
cisco
and
Seat
and
leans York.
dence. and tle. East Min
(col
Oak
ne
St.
ored).
Louis. apolis.
land.
0.320 0.320 0.356 0.361 0.420 0.309 0.369 0.316
.0989 .1050 .0710 . 0640 .0628 .0543 .0104 .0401
.419 .424 .427
.425 .483 .363 .385 .356
. 376 . 0303 1.407
. 859 .950 .920 .317 . 813
.220 .148 1.575 1.017 1.107 1.178 .485 .977
1.112 1.077 . 966
.916 .962 .700 1.097 .901
. 333
. »10
. 0864
.140
.331 . 212
.302
.944 .913 1.318
. 1230 . 0550 . 0571
.120
.120
.435 .499
1.057 1.045
. 0352 .0456
.121 . 138
.386 .337
1.173 1.339
.0860 .0559
.131 .146
1 Including whole milk, evaporated and condensed milk, butler, buttermilk, cheese, cream, and ice
cream.
The ftpst column in Table 8 shows the amount of protein consumed
per man per day in the various localities. Protein builds up the waste
tissues and is found particularly in lean meats, cheese, and eggs.
Considerable controversy has arisen as to the amount of protein
necessary. Estimates range around 100 grams per day, although
some very excellent authorities claim that 85 grains a day are
sufficient. In Atlanta and Seattle and among the colored people of
New Orleans the amount is lowest, being under 100 grams. The
amount seems adequate, however, in all the localities. In the larger
cities the amount is somewhat higher. Dietaries rich in protein are
usually the most expensive.
In columns 2 and 3 are shown the number of grams of fats and
carbohydrates per man per day. The fat needs are estimated at 100
to 115 grams and the carbohydrates at approximately 500 grams, a
gram of fat yielding about 9 calories and a gram of carbohydrates
about 4 calories. One gram of protein also yields about 4 calories, so
that 100 grams of protein, 115 grams of fat, and 500 grams of carbo
hydrates yield a little over 3,400 calories. As regards the consump
tion of fats the cities listed in the table do not show any sectional
differences. In Atlanta 132 grams of fat were consumed, but among
the New Orleans white people the amount was only 104. St. Paul
and Minneapolis, Chicago, and Seattle are not particularly high in
the amount of carbohydrates consumed, although St. Louis is.
The quantities of the minerals, calcium, iron, and phosphorus,
needed to maintain the body in health are so small that a careful
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[3 2 4 ]
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
23
dietary study is necessary to determine whether a family or an indi
vidual is getting sufficient amounts of these indispensable elements.
Tiie average dietary in each of the 11 localities furnishes a sufficient
quantity of these mineral substances according to accepted standards.
The standard for calcium, which is found plentifully in milk, is usually
estimated at 0.7 gram per man per day. This is a sufficient allow
ance, 0.45 gram being considered an irreducible minimum. St. LouÍ9
is a little low in calcium; Newr York, Denver, and Boston are high.
The standard for iron is usually estimated at 0.015 gram per man per
day, 0.010 being an irreducible minimum. Atlanta is the only city
low in iron. The standard for phosphorus is 1.32 grams, the mini
mum being 0.88 gram. Most dietaries are found to yield sufficient
phosphorus; the deficiency has usually been in calcium and iron.
However, dietaries yielding 3,500 calories per man per day in all these
sections of the country seem generally to supply a sufficient quantity
of these mineral substances.
In the first line of Table 9 is listed the amount of meat in pounds con
sumed per man per day in the various localities. In the succeeding
lines are the amounts of fish, meat and fish combined, whole milk,
dairy products, cereals, etc., all expressed in pounds per man per day.
It is customarily estimated that 4 to 5 ounces (0.25 to 0.31 pound) of
meat and 2 ounces (0.13 pound) of fish are the allowances usually
found in large samples of dietaries studied. Since fish and meat fur
nish approximately the same food values the quantities consumed
should be studied together, for a deficiency of meat may be made up
with a surplus of fish. A little over 5 ounces (0.31 pound) of meat
and fish is generally the amount consumed. In none of the cities are
the dietaries yielding 3,500 calories per man per day lacking in meats
and fish. Meats and fish are usually the most expensive articles of
food in a dietary, and it would seem that the families studied could
really get along on less meat than they actually consumed.
Usually about a pound of dairy products are consumed per man
per day. There is considerable variation in the cities in the amount
of dairy products consumed, Boston, Chicago, New York, and
Seattle all being high—above a pound per man per day. Atlanta,
New Orleans (white), New Orleans (colored), and St. Louis are rather
markedly lowr. This generalization is also borne out by a considera
tion of the consumption of whole milk, as shown in the fourth line of
the table. The southern cities are very low in the amount of milk
consumed. Milk is a highly important article of diet. This lias long
been recognized for children, who should have a quart of milk a day;
but the value of milk is now appreciated very highly even for adults.
Milk, besides being a plentiful source of calcium, may be used to make
up the deficiencies of an ill-balanced diet. One-third of a quart of
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
milk a day, or about 0.75 pound (11 to 12 ounces), is considered
desirable. In Atlanta, St. Louis, and New Orleans the milk consumed
is far below the amount desirable. The New Orleans colored people
consume only 0.0303 pound of milk per man per day.
Families usually consume a pound or three-fourths of a pound of
cereals per man per day. Cereals are great energy-producing foods,
rich in carbohydrates. They are the cheapest sources of energy.
The dietaries here studied do not seem particularly high in cereals,
nor are they especially low. The amount of cereals consumed seems
to be about as great in cities far removed from the grain area as in
those near it.
The correspondence of the several estimates as to the amount of
sugar and the amount of fats consumed per man per day is suffi
ciently close to refer to such an amount as a standard—about 2 ounces
(0.13 pound) per man per day. Most of the cities are adequately
supplied with these foods; particularly is there no shortage of sugar.
The vegetable allowance found in most families ranges from one
pound to one and one-fourth pounds per man per day. New Orleans
and New York seem to have less vegetables in their dietaries than
the other cities, although in general the allowance is cpiite adequate.
Dietitians usually advocate a generous consumption of fruit,
suggesting as a standard a pound or a pound and a quarter per man
per day. However, families usually fall below this standard, partly
because fruits are expensive; although most excellent foods, they
are not consumed in the quantities desirable. In most of the cities
only about 0.3 or 0.4 pound are consumed per man per day. The
amount of fruit consumed is a little greater near certain fruit centers
such as San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, and Atlanta.
Having considered the tables in detail it seems desirable to draw
some broad generalizations from the data. One is impressed par
ticularly by the absence of striking differences for cities so widely
separated in so far as chemical constituents and classes of food
are concerned, remembering of course that only dietaries of approx
imately 3,500 calories are compared. The most striking variations
are in the amounts of dairy products and fresh milk, in the consump
tion of which the southern cities seem unusually low. The variation
in the prices, as seen in the column showing the number of calories
purchased for a cent, seems somewhat greater than the variations
in the various food constituents. How does it happen then that
the costs vary so much and yet there is so very little variation in
the food constituents? Food costs may vary (1) because the same
individual articles are higher in price in one city than in another;
or (2) because dietaries may be unevenly balanced with reference
to food constituents, the more poorly balanced diet costing less than
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25
the better balanced diet; or (3) because in localities where prices
may be nearly the same and for dietaries that are adequately balanced
cheaper types of food may be purchased. In the dietaries just
discussed they are all approximately well balanced. The variation
in the cost would therefore seem to be accounted for by the fact that
prices are higher in one locality than in another, or because cheaper
types of food are purchased in one locality than in another. The latter
reason might explain why the colored people of New Orleans purchase
a fairly satisfactory diet cheaply, particularly as compared with the
white population in New Orleans. Of course the individual articles
of food consumed in the various localities may vary widely. To
develop this point would require the comparing of- full dietaries by
cities.
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Labor Provisions in the Peace Treaty.
B y J. T. S h o t w e l l , Ph. D.
r OW that we have the Peace Treaty presented for examination
by the public as it is passing the scrutiny of the Senate, it
may be well to resume in a few words the history of the labor
negotiations in Paris.
At the first plenary session of the Peace Conference the president,
M. Clemenceau, announced that one of the matters immediately
before the conference was international labor legislation. Immedi
ately after this statement a commission was appointed, which set
to work to prepare the labor sections of the treaty.
The American members of this commission were Mr. Samuel Gompers, representing employees, who was elected president of the com
mission, and Mr. E. N. Hurley, representing employers. Mr. Hurley
was soon recalled to the United States and his place was taken by
Mr. H. M. Robinson, and subsequently by Dr. J. T. Shotwell, of Co
lumbia University.
The commission met in almost daily session for two months and
finally prepared a report,1 which was adopted as published by the
Peace Conference in plenary session on April 28, 1919. In the final
treaty, however, the text has been changed somewhat as a pure matter
of drafting, in order to make it conform to the rest of the document.
Advantage of the chance for revision was also taken to incorporate
into the text itself the protocols which were added to the labor sec
tions in their first form. In both redrafting and reediting certain
infelicities were eliminated and the text was substantially improved,
being made clearer and more simple in language.
One substantial change, however, has been made, one which affects
the representation of the British self-governing dominions in the In
ternational Labor Conference. In the first form of the proposed
draft they were not to be treated as independent States, but in the
final form adopted in the treaty this has been changed so as to admit
them to the status of separate national representation. This change
naturally was the subject of much discussion, for it means that within
the British Empire there will be representation from Australia,
Canada, and South Africa, in addition to the representation from
Great Britain. The American representatives were opposed to this
upon the political basis, but the change is justified not only by the
i This report was published in the Monthly L abor R ev ie w for May, 1919, pp. 1 to 26.
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
part played in industry by these progressive portions of the British
Empiie but also by the part which they have played in the war' and
it must not be forgotten that, after all, this was a treaty of peace and
not simply a convention drawn together for purposes of arrangement
of the constitution of a world State. Canada asked nothing more
than the right to be regarded as a progressive nation, and the United
States and Canada can undoubtedly cooperate more effectively in
the future meetings of the International Labor Conference if Canada
is gi\ en a separate vote than if leit as a subsidiary factor subordinate
to the British representatives.
As a result of the change the labor section now conforms definitely
to the rest of the structure of the League of Nations. Advantage
was taken of this fact by the Germans in their negotiations to ask
that they be included in the Labor Conference, and in the exchange
of letters which followed the Gormans received the definite promise
of participation in the Labor Conference after the October meeting.
It was impossible to admit them to the October conference, partly
because of the fact that in the negotiations themselves the Germans
gave evidence of a tendency to intrigue, which was most unfortunate.
Their reply to the Allied proposals for a later conference was a request
for the immediate holding of a new labor conference at Versailles
before the acceptance of the treaty, in which revolutionary labor
would have a chance to express itself in a hostile way as regards the
Allied Governments. They asked that this conference be held, knowing
that it would delay the treaty and that it was not likely to result in
any further real progress than that already made. Indeed, their defi
nite proposals, apart from the points which the Allies had already
incorporated in the treaty, were either impractical or definitely
revolutionary. When this was pointed out to them, instead of dis
cussing the real issues the German envoys issued another appeal, with
the intent of provoking insurrectionary objection to the treaty in
Allied countries, showing that their chief aim was not industrial peace
but political advantage. Consequently, it was impossible to proceed
with any plan of inviting them to the October conference itself, since
they gave promise of using the occasion not for the benefit of labor
legislation but to undo the treaty.
It should be pointed out, however, that in the invitation extended
to the Germans to participate in the Labor Conference after the Oc
tober conference, we have made the first definite step toward the
inclusion of the Germans in any part of the League of Nations. It
is essential, of course, that they should be committed to the same gen
eral regulations with reference to labor as the rest of the world, and
consequently it is important that they should be admitted to mem
bership in the conference at the earliest possible date. In this con
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29
nection it may bo of interest to note that it was voted that as soon
as the Germans give evidence of good faith in dealing with this mat
ter they may have copies of the entire minutes of the commission
which drew up the labor organization.
I t will be noted that in the final text of article 19 of the draft,
which is now No. 427 of the treaty, there has been inserted a paragraph
which offers a modification of the terms in the case of those nations
where climatic conditions and imperfect organization make the situ
ation substantially different from that in the more advanced powers.
This clause was inserted in order to make it possible for Japan to sign
the treaty without reservation. It is of great significance that a
document should have been drafted to which a power like Japan
with its new conditions of industrial development could subscribe,
and the concession is no more than would in any case be involved
in the carrying out of laws by countries of “ imperfect industrial
development.” Some doubt, of course, was expressed as to whether
this lessened the real force of the legislation, but it was felt that it
rather made its application possible, if the public opinion of the
world sufficiently supports the proposed legislation; and without
that public opinion focused upon the enforcements of these proposals
they will not in any case be effective.
It may be recalled that a delay in, the application of labor treaties
had been allowed in the past in the case of those countries which were
not ready to accept the proposals at once. This is about all that is
granted to Japan or to other newly industrialized countries, for the
proposed treaties will go before the legislatures of these countries in
their first form and there be scaled down if need be. Thus the legis
lature of Japan will learn authoritatively of the high standards em
bodied in the general conclusions of this conference, even if its own
Government is unable at the time to apply the full measure of recom
mendations.
The special interests of the United States were amply guarded by
the clause which allows it to treat all proposed treaties which cover
subjects that normally may be considered to apply to the separate
States rather than to the Federal State as simply recommendations
for legislation. In this way the United States does not become a
party to a contract which it can not carry out. The result, however,
of entering into this International Labor Conference will undoubtedly
be to accentuate the need of national legislation as over against State
legislation, and the experience of the conference in drafting legislation
to cover such variant situations as are presented by the many nations
participating in this conference should be of great service in the prep
aration of national labor legislation where the variant conditions
in the different States present difficulties.
127971°—19--- 3
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
The program for the conference is definitely limited to those items
which are laid before it by the International Labor Office, although
for the first conference the items are mentioned definitely in the treaty.
The point to be borne in mind is that while the treaty accepted the prin
ciple of the eight-hour day and of the other items in the agenda, it
is left to the conference to prepare the exact form in which these
principles will be enacted into legislation and made binding. Con
sequently the labor section of the treaty will remain imperfect unless
the Labor Conference in October succeeds.
Indeed this brings up an exceedingly important point, for it follows
naturally from what has just been said that the Labor Conference in
October is a continuation of the treaty-making of Paris and that the
successive labor conferences are to carry on year by year the nego
tiations with reference to labor begun as a result of the World War.
I t is proposed, in short, that the Peace Conference of Paris shall
have no end so far as labor is concerned.
In this inspiring work the United States has been called upon to
play a signal role. The first conference is to be held at Wash
ington and the members are to come here as guests of the country.
Organizations of labor, therefore, owe it to the cause of constructive
industrial reform and sane statesmanship to cooperate to the full in
helping to insure complete success for this conference.
The International Labor Conference and the so-called charter of
labor attached to it are not the only sections in the Peace Treaty
which affect labor. Special attention should be drawn to article 312,
which has reference to social insurance. Advantage is there taken
of the cession by Germany of territory to surrounding States to impose
upon those States an adjustment of existing social legislation which
will be satisfactory to a commission appointed by the governing body
of the International Labor Office. Thus in the case of Poland, for
instance, Germany and Poland are to make a treaty which will
transfer to Poland the funds for social insurance which affect the
lives of those citizens of Germany who are now to be under Polish rule.
Poland agrees on her part to apply the money to the purposes to
which it was formerly applied. In the first draft of the Peace Treaty
there was no time limit for the making of this treaty, which might
therefore go by default, resulting in great damage to the social
insurance of central Europe. In the final text of the Peace Treaty
an additional clause has been inserted, stating that in case Germany
and the other power to which it has ceded territory can not agree
within three months on the exact details of the social insurance
scheme to be applied to the inhabitants of the ceded territories, the
matter shall be left to a commission consisting of one German, one
representative of the other power in question, and three members
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appointed by the International Labor Office, who will by majority
vote (which means that the three neutrals shall be in control) decide
within three months what shall be done in the matter. Thus,
technical experts are definitely called upon to pronounce upon these
extremely technical questions, and the remaining territories of the
neighboring States of Germany will find themselves stimulated to
set up the same social insurance as that in force in the ceded
territories.
Text of Labor Provisions in Peace Treaty.
The text, of the sections of the treaty affecting labor are given
below.
P art XIII
of the
P eace T reaty.
Section I.
■
O rganization o f labor.
Whereas the League of Nations has for its object the establishment of universal
peace, and such a peace can be established only if it is based upon social justice;
And whereas conditions of labor exist involving such injustice, hardship, and
privation to large numbers of people as to produce unrest so great that the peace and
harmony of the world are imperiled; and an improvement of those conditions is
urgently required: as, for example, by the regulation of the hours of work, including
the establishment of a maximum working day and week, the regulation of the labor
supply, the prevention of unemployment, the provision of an adequate living wage,
the protection of the worker against sickness, disease, and injury arising out of his
employment, the protection of children, young persons and women, provision for
old age and injury, protection of the interests of workers when employed in countries
other than their own, recognition of the principle of freedom of association, the
organization of vocational and technical education and other measures;
Whereas also the failure of any nation to adopt humane conditions of labor is an
obstacle in the way of other nations which desire to improve the conditions in their
own countries;
The high contracting parties, moved by sentiments of justice and humanity as well
as by the desire to secure the permanent peace of the world, agree to the following:
C hapter I . — O rganization.
A r t ic l e 387. A permanent organization is hereby established for the promotion o f
the objects set forth in the preamble.
The original members of the League of Nations shall be the original members of
this organization, and hereafter membership of the League of Nations shall carry
with it membership of the said organization.
A r t . 3 8 8 . The permanent organization shall consist of:
(1) A General Conference of representatives of the members, and,
(2) An International Labor Office controlled by the governing body described in
article 393.
A r t . 389. The meetings of the General Conference of representatives of the members
shall be held from time to' time as occasion may require, and at least once in every
year. It shall be composed of four representatives of each of the members, of whom
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two shall he Government delegates and the two others shall be delegates representing,
respecti\ely, the employers and the-workpeople of each of the members.
Each delegate may be accompanied by advisers, who shall not exceed two in num
ber for each item on the agenda of the meeting. When questions specially affecting
women are to be considered by the Conference, one at least of the advisers should be
a woman.
The members undertake to nominate non-Government delegates and advisers chosen
m agreement with the industrial organizations, if such organizations exist, which are
most representative of employers or workpeople, as the case may be, in their respective
countries.
Advisers shall not speak except on a request made by the delegate whom they
accompany and by the special authorization of the president of the Conference, and
may not vote.
A delegate may by notice in writing addressed to the president appoint one of his
advisers to act as his deputy, and the adviser, while so acting, shall be allowed to
speak and vote.
The names of the delegates and their advisers will be communicated to the Inter
national Labor Office by the Government of each of the members.
The credentials of delegates and their advisers shall be subject to scrutiny by the
Conference, which may, by two-thirds of the votes cast by the delegates present,
refuse to admit any delegate or adviser whom it deems not to have been nominated
in accordance with this article.
A r t . 390. Every delegate shall be entitled to vote individually on all matters
which are taken into consideration by the Conference.
If one of the members fails to nominate one of the non-Government delegates whom
it is entitled to nominate, the other non-Government delegate shall be allowed to sit
and speak at the Conference, but not to vote.
If in accordance with article 389 the Conference refuses admission to a delegate of
one of the members, the provisions of the present article shall apply as if that dele
gate had not been nominated.
A r t . 39 1 . The meetings of the Conference shall be held at the seat of the League of
Nations, or at such other place as may be decided by the Conference at a previous
meeting by two-thirds of the votes cast by the delegates present.
A r t . 39 2 . The International Labor Office shall be established at the seat of the
League of Nations as part of the organization of the League.
A r t . 393. The International Labor Office shall be under the control of a governing
body consisting of 24 persons appointed in accordance with the following pro
visions:
The governing body of the International Labor Office shall be constituted as
follows:
Twelve persons representing the Governments;
Six persons elected by the delegates to the Conference representing the employers;
Six persons elected by the delegates to the Conference representing the workers.
Of the 12 persons representing the Governments 8 shall be nominated by the
members which are of the chief industrial importance, and 4 shall be nominated
by the members selected for the purpose by the Government delegates to the Confer
ence, excluding the delegates of the 8 members mentioned above.
Any question as to which are the members of the chief industrial importance shall
be decided by the council of the League of Nations.
The period of office of the members of the governing body will be three years.
The method of filling vacancies and other similar questions may be determined by
the governing body subject to the approval of the Conference.
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The governing body shall, from time to time, elect one of its members to act as its
chairman, shall regulate its own procedure and shall fix its own times of meeting. A
special meeting shall be held if a written request to that effect is made by at least
10 members of the governing body.
A r t . 394. There shall be a director o f the International Labor Office, w h o shall
be appointed by the governing body, and, subject to the instructions of the govern
ing body, shall be responsible for the efficient conduct of the Internationa] Labor
Office and for such other duties as may be assigned to him.
The director or his deputy shall attend all meetings of the governing body.
A r t . 3 9 5 . The staff of the International Labor Office shall be appointed by the
director, who shall, so far as is possible with due regard to the efficiency of the work
of the office, select persons of different nationalities. A certain number of these
persons shall be women.
A r t . 396. The functions of the International Labor Office shall include the col
lection and distribution of information on all subjects relating to the international
adjustment of conditions of industrial life and labor, and particularly the examina
tion of subjects which it is proposed to bring before the Conference with a view to
the conclusion of international conventions, and the conduct of such special investi
gations as may be ordered by the Conference.
It will prepare the agenda for the meetings of the Conference.
It will carry out the duties required of it by the provisions of this part of the
present treaty in connection with international disputes.
It will edit and publish in French and English, and in such other languages as the
governing body may think desirable, a periodical paper dealing with problems of
industry and employment of international interest.
Generally, in addition to the functions set out in this article, it shall have such
other powers and duties as may be assigned to it by the Conference.
A r t . 397. The government departments of any of the members which deal with
questions of industry and employment may communicate directly with the director
through the representative of their Government on the governing body of the Inter
national Labor Office, or failing any such representative, through such other quali
fied official as the Government may nominate for the purpose.
A r t . 398. The International Labor Office shall be entitled to the assistance of the
secretary general of the League of Nations in any matter in which it can be given.
A r t . 399. E ach of th e m em bers will p a y th e trav e lin g an d subsistence expenses
of its delegates an d th e ir advisers an d of its re p re se n tativ es a tte n d in g th e m eetings of
th e Conference or governing body, as th e case m ay be.
All the other expenses of the International Labor Office and of the meetings of
the conference or governing body shall be paid to the director by the secretary
general of the League of Nations out of the general funds of the league.
The director shall be responsible to the secretary general of the league for the
proper expenditure of ail moneys paid to him in pursuance of this article.
C hapter I I . — Procedure.
A r t . 400. The agenda for all meetings of the Conference will be settled by the
governing body, who shall consider any suggestion as to the agenda that may be
made by the Government of any of the members or by any representative organiza
tion recognized for the purpose of article 389.
- A r t . 401. The director shall act as the secretary of the Conference, and shall trans
mit the agenda so as to reach the members four months before the meeting of the
Conference, and, through them, the non-Government delegates when appointed.
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A r t . 402. Any of the Governments of the members may formally object to the
inclusion of any item or items in the agenda. The grounds for such objection shall
be set forth in a reasoned statement addressed to the director, who shall circulate it
to all the members of the permanent organization.
Items to which such objection has been made shall not, however, be excluded
from the agenda, if at the Conference a majority of two-thirds of the votes east by the
delegates present is in favor of considering them.
If the Conference decides (otherwise than under the preceding paragraph) by twothirds of the votes cast by the delegates present that any subject shall be considered
by the Conference, that subject shall be included in the agenda for the following
meeting.
A r t . 403. The Conference shall regulate its own procedure, shall elect its own presi
dent, and may appoint committees to consider and report on any matter.
Except as otlienvi.se expressly provided in this part of the present treaty, all matters
shall be decided by a simple majority of the votes cast by the delegates present.
The voting is void unless the total number of votes cast is equal to half the number
of the delegates attending the Conference.
A r t . 404. The Conference may add to any committees which it appoints technical
experts, who shall be assessors without power to vote.
A r t . 405. When the Conference has decided on the adoption of proposals with regard
to an item in the agenda, it w ill rest with the Conference to determine whether these
proposals should take the form (a) of a recommendation to be submitted to the mem
bers for consideration with a view to effect being given to it by national legislation or
otherwise, or (b ) of a draft international convention for ratification by the members.
In either case a majority of two-thirds of the votes cast by the delegates present shall
be necessary on the final vote for the adoption of the recommendation or draft conven
tion, as the case may be, by the Conference.
In framing any recommendation or draft convention of general application the Con
ference shall have due regard to those countries in which climatic conditions, the
imperfect development of industrial organization, or other special circumstances make
the industrial conditions substantially different, and shall suggest the modification, if
any, which it considers may be required to meet the case of such countries.
A copy of the recommendation or draft convention shall be authenticated by the
signature of the president of the Conference and of the director, and shall be deposited
with the secretary general of the League of Nations. The secretary general w ill com
municate a certified copy of the recommendation or draft convention to each of the
members.
Each of the members undertakes that it w ill, within the period of one year at most
from the closing of the session of the Conference, or if it is impossible owing to excep
tional circumstances to do so within the period of one year, then at the earliest practi
cable moment and in no case later than 18 months from the closing of the session of
the Conference, bring the recommendation or draft convention before the authority
or authorities within whose competence the matter lies, for the enactment of legislation
or other action.
In the case of a recommendation, the members w ill inform the secretary general of
the action taken.
In the case of a draft convention, the member will, if it obtains the consent of the
authority or authorities within whose competence the matter lies, communicate the
formal ratification of the convention to the secretary general and w ill take such action
as may be necessary to make effective the provisions of such convention.
If on a recommendation no legislative or other action is taken to make a recommen
dation effective, or if the draft convention fails to obtain the consent of the authority
or authorities within whose competence the matter lies, no further obligation shall rest
upon the member.
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MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW .
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In the case of a Federal State, the power of which to enter into conventions on labor
matters is subject to limitations, it shall be in the discretion of that Government to
to treat a draft convention to which such limitations apply as a recommendation only,
and the provisions of this article with respect to recommendations shall apply in such
case.
The above article shall be interpreted in accordance with the following principle:
In no case shall any member be asked or required, as a result of the adoption of any
recommendation or draft convention by the Conference, to lessen the protection
afforded by its existing legislation to the workers concerned.
A r t . 406. Any convention so ratified shall be registered by the secretary general of
the League of Nations, but shall only be binding upon the members which ratify it.
A r t . 407. If any convention coming before the Conference for final consideration
fails to secure the support of two-thirds of the votes cast by the delegates present, it
shall nevertheless be within the right of any of the members of the permanent organiza
tion to agree to such convention among themselves.
Any convention so agreed to shall be communicated by the Governments concerned
to the secretary general of the League of Nations, who shall register it.
A r t . 408. E a c h of the members agrees to make an annual report to the International
Labor Office on the measures which it has taken to give effect to the provisions of
conventions to which it is a party. These reports shall be made in such form and
shall contain such particulars as the governing body may request. The director shall
lay a summary of these reports before the next meeting of the Conference.
A r t . 409. In the event of any representation being made to the International Labor
Office by an industrial association of employers or of workers that any of the members
has failed to secure in any respect the effective observance within its jurisdiction of
any convention to which it is a party, the governing body may communicate this
representation to the Government against which it is made and may invite that Gov
ernment to make such statement on the subject as it may think fit.
A r t . 410. If no statement is received within a reasonable time from the Government
in question, or if the statement when received is not deemed to be satisfactory by the
governing body, the latter shall have the right to publish the representation and the
statement, if any, made in reply to it.
A r t . 4 1 1 . Any of the members shall have the right to file a complaint with the
International Labor Office if it is not satisfied that any other mqmber is securing the
effective observance of any convention which both have ratified in accordance with
the foregoing articles.
The governing body may, if it thinks fit, before referring such a complaint to a
commission of inquiry, as hereinafter provided for, communicate with the Government
in question in the manner described in article 409.
If the governing body does not think it necessary to communicate the complaint to
the Government in question, or if, when they have made such communication, no
statement in reply has been received -within a reasonable time which the governing
body considers to be satisfactory, the governing body may apply for the appointment
of a commission of inquiry to consider the complaint and to report thereon.
The governing body may adopt the same procedure either of its own motion or on
receipt of a complaint from a delegate to the Conference.
When any matter arising out of article 410 or 411 is being considered by the govern
ing body, the Government in question shall, if not already represented thereon, be
entitled to send a representative to take part in the proceedings of the governing body
while the matter is under consideration. Adequate notice of the date on which the
matter will be considered shall be given to the Government in question.
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A r t . 412. The commission of inquiry shall be constituted in accordance with the
following provisions:
Each of the members agrees to nominate within six months of the date on which
the present treaty comes into force three persons of industrial experience, of whom
one shall be a representative of employers, one a representative of workers, and one
a person of independent standing, who shall together form a panel from which the
members of the commission of inquiry shall be drawn.
The qualifications of the persons so nominated shall be subject to scrutiny by the
governing body, which may by two-thirds of the votes cast by the representatives
present refuse to accept the nomination of any person whose qualifications do not in
its opinion comply with the requirements of the present article.
Upon the application of the governing body, the secretary general of the League
of Nations shall nominate three persons, one from each section of this panel, to con
stitute the commission of inquiry, and shall designate one of them as the president of
the commission. None of these three persons shall be a person nominated to the panel
by any member directly concerned in the complaint.
A r t . 413. The members agree that, in the event of the reference of a complaint
to a commission of inquiry under article 411, they will each, whether directly con
cerned in the complaint or not, place at the disposal of the commission all the informa
tion in their possession which bears upon the subject matter of the complaint.
A r t . 414. When the commission of inquiry has fully considered the complaint, it
shall prepare a report embodying its findings on all questions of fact relevant to deter
mining the issue between the parties and containing such recommendations as it may
think proper as to the steps which should be taken to meet the complaint and the
time within which they should be taken.
It shall also indicate in this report the measures, if any, of an economic character
against a defaulting Government which it considers to be appropriate, and which it
considers other Governments would be justified in adopting.
A r t . 415. The secretary general of the League of Nations shall communicate the
report of the commission of inquiry to each of the Governments concerned in the com
plaint, and shall cause it to be published.
Each of these Governments shall within one month inform the secretary general of
the League of Nations whether or not it accepts the recommendations contained in
the report of the commission; and if not, whether it proposes to refer the complaint
to the Permanent Court of International Justice of the League of Nations.
A r t . 416. In the event of any member failing to take the action required by article
405, with regard to a recommendation or draft convention, any other member shall
be entitled to refer the matter to the Permanent Court of International Justice.
A r t . 417. The decision of the Permanent Court of International Justice in regard
to a complaint or matter which has been referred to it in pursuance of article 415 or
article 416 shall be final.
A r t . 418. The Permanent Court of International Justice may affirm, vary, or reverse
any of the findings or recommendations of the commission of inquiry, if any, and shall
in its decision indicate the measures, if any, of an economic character which it con
siders to be appropriate, and which other Governments would be justified in adopting
against a defaulting Government.
A r t . 419. In the event of any member failing to carry out within the time specified
the recommendations, if any, contained in the report of the commission of inquiry,
or in the decision of the Permanent Court of International Justice, as the case may be,
any other member may take against that member the measures of an economic
character indicated in the report of the commission or in the decision of the court as
appropriate to the case.
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A r t . 420. The defaulting Government may at any time inform the governing
body that it has taken the steps necessary to comply with the recommendations of the
commission of inquiry or with those in the decision of the Permanent Court of Interna
tional Justice, as the case may be, and may request it to apply to the secretary general
of the League to constitute a commission of inquiry to verify its contention. In this
case the provisions of articles 412, 413, 414, 415, 417 and 418 shall apply, and if the
report of the commission of inquiry or the decision of the Permanent Court of Interna
tional Justice is in favor of the defaulting Government,the other Governments shall
forthwith discontinue the measures of an economic character that they have taken
against the defaulting Government.
Chapter I I I . — General.
A r t . 421. The members engage to apply conventions which they have ratified in
accordance with the provisions of this part of the present treaty to their colonies,
protectorates and possessions which are not fully self-governing:
(1) Except where owing to the local conditions the convention is inapplicable, or
(2) Subject to such modifications as may be necessary to adapt the convention to
local conditions.
And each of the members shall notify to the International Labor Office the action
taken in respect of each of its colonies, protectorates and possessions which are not fully
self-governing.
A r t . 422. Amendments to this part of the present treaty which are adopted by the
Conference by a majority of two-thirds of the votes cast by the delegates present shall
take effect when ratified by the States whose representatives compose the Council of
the League of Nations and by three-fourths of the members.
A r t . 423. Any question or dispute relating to the interpretation of this part of the
present treaty or of any subsequent convention concluded by the members in pur
suance of the provisions of this part of the present treaty shall be referred for decision
to the Permanent Court of International Justice.
C hapter I V .— T ra n sito ry P ro v isio n s.
A r t . 424. The first meeting of the Conference shall take place in October, 1919.
The place and agenda for this meeting shall be as specified in the annex hereto.
Arrangements for the convening and the organization of the first meeting of the
Conference will be made by the Government designated for the purpose in the said
annex. That Government shall be assisted in the preparation o f the documents for.
submission to the Conference by an international committee constituted as provided
in the said annex.
The expenses of the first meeting and of all subsequent meetings held before the
League of Nations has been able to establish a general fund, other than the expenses
of delegates and their advisers, will be borne by the members in accordance with the
apportionment of the expenses of the International Bureau of the Universal Postal
LTnion.
A r t . 425. U ntil the League of Nations has been constituted all communications
which under the provisions of the foregoing articles should be addresssed to the
secretary general of the League w ill be preserved by the director of the International
Labor Office, who will transmit them to the secretary general of the League.
A r t . 426. Pending the creation of a Permanent Court of International Justice dis
putes which in accordance with this part of the present treaty would be submitted to
it for decision will be referred to a tribunal of three persons appointed by the Councij
of the League of Nations.
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
Annex .
F ir s t Meeting o f Annual Labor Conference, 1919.
The place ef meeting w ill be Washington.
The Government of the United States of America is requested to convene the confer
ence.
The international organizing committee w ill consist of seven members, appointed
by the United States of America, Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Belgium and
Switzerland. The committee may, if it thinks necessary, invite other members to
appoint representatives.
Agenda:
(1) Application of principle of the 8-hour day or of the 48-hour week.
(2) Question of preventing or providing against unemployment.
(3) Women’s employment:
(a) Before and after childbirth, including the question of maternity benefit;
( b ) During the night;
(c) In unhealthy processes.
(4) Employment of children:
(a) Minimum age of employment;
( b ) During the night;
(c) In unhealthy processes.
(5) Extension and application of the international conventions adopted at Berne
in 1906 on the prohibition of night work for women employed in industry and the
prohibition of the use of white phosphorus in the manufacture of matches.
Section II.
G eneral P rin cip les.
A r t . 427. The high contracting parties, recognizing that the well-being, physical,
moral, and intellectual, of industrial wage-earners is of supreme international im
portance, have framed, in order to further this great end, the permanent machinery
provided for in Section I and associated with that of the League of Nations.
They recognize that differences of climate, habits, and customs, of economic oppor
tunity and industrial tradition, make strict uniformity in the conditions of labor
difficult of immediate attainment. But, holding as they do, that labor should not be
regarded merely as an article of commerce, they think that there are methods and
principles for regulating labor conditions which all industrial communities should
endeavor to apply, so far as their special circumstances will permit.
Among these methods and principles, the following seem to the high contracting
parties to be of special and urgent importance:
F ir st. The guiding principle above enunciated that labor should not be regarded
merely as a commodity or article of commerce.
Second. The right of association for all lawful purposes by the employed as well
as by the employers.
T h ird .— The payment to the employed of a wage adequate to maintain a reasonable
standard of life as this is understood in their time and country.
F o u rth .— The adoption of an eight-hour day or a forty-eight hour week as the stand
ard to be aimed at where it has not already been attained.
F ifth . The adoption of a weekly rest of at least twenty-four hours, which should
include Sunday wherever practicable.
S ix th . The abolition of child labor and the imposition of such limitations on the
labor of young persons as shall permit the continuation of their education and assure
their proper physical development.
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S e v e n th .—The principle that men and women should receive equal remuneration for
work of equal value.
E ig h th .—The standard set by law in each country with respect to the conditions of
labor should have due regard to the equitable economic treatment of all workers
lawfully resident therein.
N i n th .—Each State should make provision for a system of inspection in which
women should take part, in order to insure the Enforcement of the laws and regulations
for the protection of the employed.
Without claiming that these methods and principles are either complete or final,
the high contracting parties are of opinion that they are well fitted to guide the policy
of the League of Nations; and that, if adopted by the industrial communities who are
members of the League, and safeguarded in practice by an adequate system of such
inspection, they will confer lasting benefits upon the wage-earners of the world.
Article 312 of the Peace Treaty, which has to do with social and
State insurance in ceded territory, is as follows:
P art X , -S ection VIII,
op the
P eace T reaty.
A r t ic l e 31 2 . Without prejudice to the provisions contained in other articles of the
present treaty, the German Government undertakes to transfer to any power to which
German territory in Europe is ceded, and to any power administering former German
territory as a mandatory under article 22 of Part I (League of Nations), such portion of
the reserves accumulated by the Government of the German Empire or of German
States, or by public or private organizations under their control, as is attributable to
the carrying on of social or State insurance in such territory.
The Powers to which these funds are transferred must apply them to the performance
of the obligations arising from such insurances.
The conditions of the transfer will be determined by special conventions to be
concluded between the German Government and the Governments concerned.
In case these special conventions are not concluded in accordance with the above
paragraph within three months after the coming into force of the present treaty, the
conditions of transfer shall in each case be referred to a commission of five members,
one of whom shall be appointed by the German Government, one by the other inter
ested Government and three by the governing body of the International Labor Office
from the nationals of other States. This commission shall by majority vote, within
three months after appointment, adopt recommendations for submission to the Council
of the League of Nations, and the decisions of the council shall forthwith be accepted
as final b y Germany and the other Governments concerned.
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The Road to the Eight-Hour Day. 1
By Dr . Stephan B auer , B asel.
(T ranslated
by
Alfred Maylander.)
1. The International Origins.
N the last months of the year 1918 the eight-hour day has become
the war cry of the masses; the employers retort that it can
be introduced only by international action. Thus there arise
once more the questions as to the reasons which determine the dura
tion of the hours of labor, the effects of their shortening, and the
most efficient methods of their regulation.
The first question is: How many hours must a people work in
order to meet their subsistence and cultural requirements ? That
depends at all times on the productiveness of the labor and its
technical equipment on the one hand, and on the nature and extent
of the requirements of the people on the other. India and Japan
are the most backward countries industrially; they have the longest
hours of labor. In the Middle Ages, when the guilds flourished, the
workday started at sunrise and ended at sundown; during that period
the highly skilled few worked exclusively for the requirements of the
landed nobility and their retinues. Humanism raised its voice against
this socage.
The first advocate of a shorter work day was Thomas More (1516).
On his happy island, Utopia, work is generally compulsory, just
as in the writings of W. Rathenau and in the Soviet Republic.
Special overseers, the syphogrants, supervise all work. “ They see
to it and take heed that no man sit idle, but that every one apply his
own craft with earnest diligence; and yet for all that not to be wearied
from early in the morning to late in the evening with continual work,
like laboring and toiling beasts. For this is worse than the miserable
and wretched condition of bondmen; which, neveitheless, is almost
everywhere in the life of workmen and artificers, save in Utopia.
For they, dividing the day and the night into 24 just hours, appoint
and assign only six of those hours to work; three before noon, upon
the which they go straight to dinner, and after dinner, when they
have rested two hours, then they work three; and upon that they go
to supper. About 8 o’clock in the evening they go to bed. Eight
hours they give to sleep. All the void time they give to study,
music, and sports, but not to dice-play and such other foolish and
pernicious games. ” 2
I
1 Authorized translation by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of Der W egzum-Achtstundentag. Zurich,
1919. 31 pp.
a More, Sir Thomas. The Utopia. Edited by William Dellam Armes. New York. 1912. pp. 100 if.
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With the eight-hour day the world draws nearer to the dream of
Thomas More, who himself had declared that he wished, rather than
expected, its realization. In what manner has this historical process
taken place ?
The cradle of the eight-hour day is to he found in five countries:
In Germany, England, Australia, America, and France. Its origins
are international.
From the fourteenth to the end of the sixteenth century, Germany
was the classic country of mining. Up to the end of the fifteenth
century mining was carried on in four six-hour shifts. In 1467 the
miners of Freiberg went on strike because their shift was increased
to eight hours. On Saturdays and on days preceding holidays the
six-hour shift remained in force.1 These miners were highly skilled
workers. However, since the influx of peasant bondmen into mining,
which since the eighteenth century has been especially a factor in
coal mining, and still more since the declaration of freedom of trade
in the middle of the nineteenth century, the eight-hour shift has been
disappearing. Through overtime work, and finally by agreement, it
has been lengthened to a 12-hour shift.
During the first third of the nineteenth century, the daily hours of
labor in English factories were from 12 to 14. The change to a
10-hour day began with the legal restriction of child and juvenile
labor through the law of 1833, which also introduced factory inspec
tion. In 1834 the hours of labor of children 9 to 13 years of age were
reduced to eight. However, the law did not change the hours of
labor of adult persons. The failure of the law to do so was made
the subject of a protest by two social reformers, Robert Owen,
active since 1815 in the interest of labor legislation and of the tradeunion movement, and John Fielden, member of Parliament for
Oldham, both of them cotton-goods manufacturers. They initiated
a movement for an eight-hour day, which came to naught. But
why ?
Col. R. Torrens, member of Parliament for Bolton and a political
opponent of Fielden, gives us information on this subject.3 Fielden
wanted to secure, through an alliance of employers and workers, the
eight-hour day with continuance of the earnings then obtaining, 5 shil
lings per week, as a minimum wage. He believed that this would
cause a decrease in production; howmver, the price of the smaller out
put would be as high as that of the former larger output. In other
words, it wms an attempt to prevent, by a shortening of the hours of
labor, a fall of prices in times of crisis, a combination of protection of
labor with that of capital; similarly the French manufacturer Boucart
of Gebwmiler, in 1828, had tried to justify the demand for a 12-hour law
1 Otto Hue. Die Bergarbeiter, voi. 1, 1910, pp. 264, 265, 402.
* On wages and combinations. 1834.
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in France. This justification of the attempt caused its failure, for
Col. Torrens could easily prove that a rise in prices of cotton prints
in England would lead to an increase in the indebtedness of the
country, and thus would be lost the advantage which the British
workers, owing to their greater efficiency, had gained over their con
tinental comrades. Only by increased productivity of the English
workers could their hours of labor be shortened and their wages
increased. The most urgent step to bring this about would be the
abolition of the duties on grain, for cheaper bread would increase the
purchasing power of the wages.
Several manufacturers, led by Fiel den and Wood, actually intro
duced the eight-hour day in 1834. But the workers did not bestir
themselves. They wanted higher wages, and not an increase of 50
per cent in prices.
At the parliamentary inquiry of 1834 the textile manufacturers
stated that the 12-hour day was absolutely necessary if a sufficient
yield on the capital invested in industry were to be obtained. When
the eight-hour day for children came into force in 1836, children
employed in factories were dismissed in large numbers. Hence it
must be considered an enormous achievement when Lord Shaftes
bury and John Fielden, by means of a compromise, succeeded in
securing a 10-hour day for juvenile workers under 18 years of age
and for female labor, through enactment of the lawr of June 8, 1847.
In 1867, Karl Marx, in his book “ Kapital, ” designates this suc
cess as the beginning of the physical and moral regeneration of the
English factory workers.1 In 1901 the hours of labor in textile
factories were shortened to 554 per week, averaging very nearly
9 a day. Ln Bolton and Oldham the weekly wages of adult cot
ton-mill workers rose from 5 to 32 shillings between 1834 and lOCffi11
The great-grandfathers of the spinners of to-day thus had more com
mon sense than have their present leaders. Through organization of
very strong trade-unions two generations have carried on a policy
of minimum wages and legal protection of labor and it seems to be
reserved to the third generation to pick the ripe fruit of the eighthour day.
In Australia, the third country of origin of the eight-hour day, the
eight-hour movement was initiated by the trade-unions. The
modern economic history of this continent begins with the discoveries
of gold in 1851. Several years later the yield of the gold fields
decreased and as a consequence wages also fell.3
1 In chapter 13, 3 c. of his book Marx ¡has predicted the . hygienic necessity of further shortening the
workday to eight hours.
* Fifteenth Abstract of Labor Statistics in the United Kingdom, 1912, p. 101.
3 See: Bauer, Stephan, “ Arbeiterfragen und Lohnpolitik in Australien” in Conrad’s Jahrbücher für
National-Ökonomie, 1891, pp. 648 and 649; Rae, John, “ Der Achtstundentag,” Weimar, 1897, p. 212; and
particularly, Düke, Sir Charles, “ Problems of Great Britain,” 1800.
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The workers most exposed to wage fluctuations, and particularly
affected by decreases and increases of the population, were those in
the building trades. For their economically precarious and exhaust
ing work in the warm climate of Australia they sought compensa
tion in the shortening of the workday to eight hours. Many of
them may have remembered the unsuccessful strike of the London
building trades of 1853, the first labor dispute in which a demand
was made for the eight-hour day. By the end of March, 1856, a
movement for an eight-hour day was under way in all building trades
at Melbourne; an eight-hour league carried on the propaganda.
The movement was powerfully promoted by Mr. James Stephen, an
employer, who stated that experiments carried out in his brick
kilns had shown that his workmen performed as much work in
eight hours as in ten. Serious opposition on the part of the employ
ers was not to be feared, for they had been made to feel the indis
pensableness of the workers when, at the outbreak of the gold fever,
a number of buildings had been left in an unfinished condition.
The only employer willing to risk a strike, the architect of the
parliamentary building at Melbourne, was compensated by the
Government for losses caused by the eight-hour day. At the same
time the building-trades workers declared that they would consent
to eventual wage reductions made necessary by the state of the
building market but would insist on the maintenance of the eighthour day. After three weeks of agitation the eight-hour day pro
posed by the league was realized without a strike. On April 21,
1856, the building trades of Melbourne established the eight-hour
day by peaceful means and in 1859 they secured its permanency
through a four months’ strike. The colony annually celebrates
the return of that memorable day with parades, banquets, and
public fairs; the Government has acknowledged its importance by
decreeing it a legal holiday.
Trade-union after trade-union secured the eight-hour day. In
1873 the Parliament of New Zealand took the initiative in giving
legal force to the principle that no child or woman should work
longer than eight hours.1 Victoria followed in 1874. A half-holi
day on Saturday afternoons was introduced in both States. Since
1901 the eight-hour law in New Zealand (Factories Act, articles 18
and 19) has regulated the hours of labor as follows: Adult men, maxi
mum per week 48 hours, per day 8f hours; women, maximum per
week 45 hours, per day 8J hours.
The causes for the early successful introduction of the eight-hour
day in Australia may be summarized briefly as follows:
1.
The warm climate, on account of which masons and furnace
workers were the first to write the eight-hour a day on their banner.
1 Reeves, Wm, P ember. State Experiments in Australia and New Zealand.
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2. The tenacity with which the eight-hour trades held on to this
achievement even in the face of wage reductions.
3. The barring of immigrants used to longer hours of labor and a
lower standard of living.
4. The absence of any considerable export of manufactured pro
ducts and the high cost of imported articles owing to high freight
rates.
5. The increasing connection of parliamentary and trade-union
power; as a matter of fact the central labor organizations of the
metropolitan towns are a kind of advisory labor council, which influ
ence Parliament but do not encroach upon its rights.
The following statistical data will serve to illustrate the presentday characteristics of this eight-hour country:
1. The natural increase of the population during the period 18611915 was 2,900,000 and the excess of immigrants over emigrants
only 500,000. The country therefore has maintained its national
character.
2. The increase in population was nearly twice as large as in
Switzerland; the same holds true of the frequency of marriages; the
general mortality was one-third lower, and mortality from tuber
culosis more than one-half lower.
3. The number of factory workers rose from 198,000 to 321,000
during the period 1901-1915, or nearly in the same ratio as in Switzer
land during the period 1895-1911 (from 200,000 to 329,000).
4. Owing to greater exploitation of water power the number of
motive horsepower is considerably greater in Switzerland (730,000)
than in Australia (505,000).
5. Figures giving, for 1911, the distribution of the workers among
small establishments (employing up to 20 workers), medium size
(employing 21 to 100 workers), and large (employing over 100 work
ers) show that 7 per cent in Switzerland and 28 per cent in Australia
were employed in small establishments, 22 per cent in Switzerland
and 34 per cent in Australia in medium-size establishments, and 71
per cent in Switzerland and 38 per cent in Australia in large estab
lishments.
6. The per capita value of exports was £14 11s. 2d. ($70.85) in
Australia and £14 10s. lid . ($70.79) in Switzerland, or nearly the
same in both countries.
7. During the period 1906-1913 the membership of trade-unions
rose in Australia from 147,049 to 497,925, and in Switzerland from
68,535 to 89,398.
8. In Australia at the end of 1916 an adult male full-time worker
earned 8 shillings ($1.95) per day of eight hours, and an adult female
full-time worker, 4f shillings ($1.16). In the large cities of Switzer1 2 7 9 7 1 0— 1 9 ------- 4
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land at that time the daily average wage for 10 hours’ work may
be assumed to have been 6 francs ($1.16) for male workers and 3.75
francs ($0.72) for female workers.1
These comparisons are intended exclusively to show the importance
of the two factors—organization and legislation.
In the United States, Ira Steward, a machinist and social reformer,
in 1850 initiated an agitation for the eight-hour day. He was
essentially a man of one idea, and in fact was sometimes called the
“ eight-hour monomaniac.” 2 Steward’s idea was afterwards taken
up by George McNeill, a former textile worker, and by Prof. Gunton
and F. A. Sorge. The chief argument of his agitation was that a re
duction of the hours of labor would make it possible to give employ
ment to the surplus of the unemployed. His theory that in case of
the adoption of the eight-hour day equal production would require
the employment of more hands is the counterpart of the manufac
turer’s doctrine that reduced production means higher prices. Both
theories are based on a reduction of output. This conventional
doctrine was soon replaced by the theory that a higher standard of
living of the working class would furnish a new basis for the forma
tion of wages. Shorter hours of labor, therefore, would mean higher
wages. In 1863 a trade-union convention at Boston, convoked by
Ira Steward, resolved to agitate on this basis for the eight-hour day.
The Labor Reform Association, founded in 1864, and the Grand
Eight-Hour League of Massachusetts, organized in 1865, became the
centers of this agitation. The flooding of the labor market after the
termination of the Civil War brought home to all workmen’s or
ganizations the realization of the need of united action A national
labor congress vTas called to meet in Baltimore on August 20, 1866.
The eight-hour day was the main subject under discussion. On the
motion of Schlagel, a German follower of Lassalle, the congress resolved
to fonn a National Labor Party, the first object of which should be
to secure legislation making eight hours a legal day’s wmrk. The result
was disappointing. Six States enacted laws pseudo (Scheingesetze)
which wrere not intended to be enforced, or, like that of Connecticut
(1867), merely provided that eight hours should be considered a day’s
work unless other than eight hours had been agreed upon contrac
tually. In 1868 the National Labor Union secured the legal intro
duction of the eight-hour day for workmen and employees of the
Federal Government.3 Attempts were made to nullify this reform
1 It is to be regretted that since the wage investigation made in 1895 by Fridolin Schuler no reliable data
are available for Switzerland; social statistics, the record of the development of national prosperity, are
being somewhat neglected in that country. The excellent official statistical yearbook of the statistician
G. H. Knibbs has been used as the source for the data on Australia.
^ 2^'omm°ns, John R. and associates. History of Labor in the United States, Vol. 2. p. 88. New York,
3 An account of this legislation appears in the M onthly R e v ie w for October, 1916, pp. 116 to 133 in
an article entitled “ Federal lim itation of hours of labor on public works.”—[E d .]
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through wage reductions, frustrated by President Grant, however, in
1872. Various sorry experiences in the field of legislation caused the
trade-unions to redouble their efforts; after 1869, new eight-hour
leagues were founded, and in May, 1872, the building trades of New
York secured for themselves the eight-hour day after a four [three]
months’ strike. The entire American trade-union system was, how
ever, disorganized by the crisis of 1873. A wave of revolution
ary syndicalism swept the decade 1873-1883. It was not until
the foundation of the American Federation of Labor that matters
came to a turning point. Under the influence of its leaders, Adolph
Strasser and Samuel Gompers, both skilled cigar makers, the Ameri
can trade-union movement returned to the principles of the British
trade-unions. In 1884, the new labor federation resolved to call a
general strike on May 1, 1886, for the eight-hour day. The strike
brought the desired success temporarily to about 13,000 workers. Not
until 1888, however, at its congress at St. Louis, did the American
Federation of Labor, on the urgent solicitation of the wood-workers,
resolve to make a new general eight-hour-day demonstration on May
1, 1890. After that the eight-hour-day movement spread also in
Europe.
The centennial celebration of the French Revolution brought the
International Socialist Congress to Paris in July, 1889. At this
congress the representatives of the labor parties met for the first
time since the Franco-German War. Among the subjects under
discussion was the international legislation concerning which Swit
zerland had taken the initiative. The proposal of the Swiss Federal
Council was particularly acclaimed by Cunninghame Graham, the
British representative, and the Belgian, Caesar de Pape. The most
important act of the congress was the adoption of the following
motion of the National Federation of French Syndical Chambers and
Corporative Groups made by its secretary Lavigne:
International D em onstration on M a y 1, 1890.
The Congress resolves that a great international demonstration shall be organized
in such a manner that on a fixed date the workers in all countries and cities shall
simultaneously present to the public powers the demand that the duration of the
working day be fixed at eight hours and the other resolutions of the International
Congress of Paris be enacted into law.
In view of the fact that the holding of such a demonstration on May 1, 1890, has
already been resolved by the American Federation of Labor at its congress of December
1888, at St. Louis, this date is herewith fixed as the day for the international demon
stration.
The workers of the various nations shall organize such a demonstration in a manner
best suited to the conditions in their country.1
1 Protokoll des Internationalen Arbeiterko^gresses zu Paris, abgehalten vom 14 bis 20 Juli, 1889. Deutsche
Übersetzung m it einem Vorwort von Wilhelm Liebknecht. Nürnberg, 1890, p. 123. [Two international
congresses of the socialists were convened, that of the Marxists and that of the Possibilists. The reso
lutions here in question were adopted by the principal, or Marxist, congress.—E<L]
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This ‘‘Bastille assault” of the proletariat has now lasted 28 years.
It has cost punishment, bloody strikes, and heavy sacrifices. Let
us see whether and how the eight-hour movement is nearing its
termination.
First, a personal reminiscence. My sojourn in London for studies
enabled me to be present at the first English May-day celebration.
At the entrance to Hyde Park I waited for the labor parade. A
marshal dressed in a red coat rode at its head. A police officer tried
to induce him to dismount, but when the marshal refused to do so,
saying proudly: Am I not a free Briton? the officer respectfully
retired. Behind the gate of the park a meeting of a religious sect
■was assembled in a circle around a preacher. They peacefully
continued their psalm singing without being disturbed by the
standard bearers of the new times.
Of the speakers to be seen on the stands a conspicuous figure, a
man with smooth white hair and flashing eyes, attracted attention.
His speech grew more and more violent. “ The day must come,” he
shouted, “ when the capitalists will beg you on their knees to work
eight hours.” But the masses were incredulous, there was no
applause, and an old English labor-union member standing in front
of me muttered something like “ bloody nonsense.” The speaker
was Paul Lafargue and next to him sat his wife, a daughter of Karl
Marx.
Why do I mention this episode ? Because a comparison of the past
and present makes us conscious of three facts: The enormous change
that has taken place, the indescribable hardships with which each
step forward was achieved, and the invincible powder of ideas.
II. The Age of International Experiments with the EightHour Day.
In the decade following the first May-day celebration the great
capitalistic press reported with much complacency each decrease in
the number of participants and each increase in the number of
workshops which did not close down on May 1. The belief in the
eight-hour day was met with a shrug of shoulders and a greater
display of armed force. But such delusion and consciousness of power
could not prevent, though it might conceal, two things: First, the
transition to the legal ten-hour day and a far-reaching curtailment of
the hours of labor on days preceding Sundays or holidays; and second,
the voluntary introduction of the nine-hour and eight-hour day in a
number of large establishments and entire industrial groups. As to
the progress of ten-hour legislation it suffices to quote some data show
ing in what year the ten-hour day was adopted by law in each country.
Great Britain comes first on the list with the coming in force on May
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1, 1848, of the ten-hour law, to which is dedicated one of Macaulay’s
famous speeches. France followed on March 31, 1904, Serbia on
July 1-14, 1911, Germany on April 1, 1912, Greece on May 6, 1912,
the Netherlands on January 1, 1913. During the war Portugal (Jan.
22, 1915) and Bulgaria (Feb. 7, 1917) were added to the list; in
Switzerland the ten-hour day has been in force since November 15,
1917. Norway adopted the nine-hour day (54 hours per week) on
January 1, 1916. Only Austria-Hungary, Belgium, and Italy are
behind Switzerland, which in 1877 was leading in labor legislation on
the Continent.
Faster than the legislative machinery trade-unions and liberalminded employers have brought about far-reaching curtailment of the
hours of labor. A beginning was made by the English mining in
dustry. In South Yorkshire it returned to the eight-hour shift in
1858.1 Production increased. Thanks to the progress of organiza
tion this example led in 1872 to the introduction of the seven-hour
shift in Durham, Northumberland, and in the ore mines of Cleveland.
In Germany the eight-hour day was introduced in the State coal
mines in 1890; at first this innovation had unsatisfactory results, but
improved hoisting apparatus led to increased production later. In
Austria a coal-mining company which in 1891 had introduced the
nine-hour shift and thereby secured greater output reported this re
sult to a social statistician. To the annoyance of the coal magnates
an article on the subject was published in a chamber of commerce
report. The services of technical experts were at once secured to
belittle in trade journals the importance of the results achieved in
that mine. It required an extensive strike with all its horrors to
cause Austria, in 1901, to adopt by law the nine-hour shift for coal
mining belowground. Thus the ice was broken; Belgium and Spain
soon followed Austria’s example, and the Netherlands adopted the
eight-and-a-half-hour shift. France was the first country in Europe
to introduce the eight-hour shift, June 29, 1909, Great Britain, Nor
way, Finland, and Portugal following suit. In Germany mining leg
islation was reserved to the individual States. This fact, and the
role of a State within the State which the mining and iron and
steel industries played, explains the lagging behind of Germany’s
legislation. In the United States the labor organizations have over
come the obstacles of the Federal Constitution. By a collective
agreement the eight-hour shift was introduced in all American coal
mines2 on May 5, 1916.
To-day three-fourths of all the coal of the world is being mined in
eight-hour shifts.
iR ae, J: Der Achtstundentag, 1891, p. 39.
2 Anthracite mines only. See Productivity of labor in the anthracite coal mines, in the M onthly
R ev ie w of August, 1917, pp. 37-43—[Ed.]
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Coal is the food, iron and steel are the backbone, of industry. What
are the hours of labor in iron and steel? Furnaces and rolling
mills have everywhere been given by law a franchise to operate with
twelve-hour shifts, and very similar conditions prevail with respect
to glass works. Inclusive of overtime, workmen in Germany may
be employed in such plants for 16 hours and workmen in France for
14 hours. There are two reasons for this exceptional situation.
First, the dominating and, in case of war, the important position of
these establishments, and second, on the part of the workmen, the
employment of great masses of unskilled and unorganized workers,
mostly of east and southeast European origin.
In spite of this, England, the United States, and Belgium have
successfully introduced the eight-hour three-shift system in these
industries. In Belgium the engineer L. G. Fromont, during the
period 1892-1904, made observations in the zinc smelters of Engis
on the efficiency of this system of operation and the results were
printed in the publications of the Institut Solvay de Sociologie.1
Until 1888 the 24-hour shift prevailed, followed by a 24-hour rest.
Alcoholism and carelessness in work were the result. In 1888 the
12-hour shift, with one rest period of one hour and two of half an hour,
was introduced. A new and more complicated blast-furnace system
demanded the whole attention of the workers. The smelting of 1,000
kilograms (2,204.6 pounds) in place of 583 kilograms (1,285.3 pounds)
of sulphide of zinc had now to be done in 12 hours, but in the new shift
of 24 hours at shift changes only 1,000 kilograms (2,204.6 pounds)
instead of 2,000 kilograms (4,409.2 pounds) were smelted. Notwith
standing the changes the establishment sick fund had a deficit; the
exhaustion during the heat of summer caused the applications for
relief to increase. In 1893 the system of three 8-hour shifts was
adopted, in all of which combined a rest period of only 1^ hours was
allowed, making a gain in time of about 10 per cent. One hundred
and ten kilograms (242.5 pounds) were produced per hour instead of
100 kilograms (220.5 pounds). Six months after the beginning of this
experiment the worker produced in 7^ hours of actual working time
as much as he formerly produced in 10 hours; his earnings for 8
hours were the same as for 12 hours under the old conditions. The
establishment sick fund, which showed a deficit in 1892, had assets.
Alcoholism disappeared, while self-respect and discipline increased.
The introduction of the eight-hour day in the British iron and steel
works is especially due to Mr. John Hodge, organizer of the tradeunions in this industry and late Minister of Labor, who made a
report on it to the special commission on hours of labor of the Inter1 Fromont, J. G, Une experiénce industrielle de réduction de la journée de travail. Brussels, 1906.
(Institut Solvay.) Digest in Goldmark’s Fatigue and efficiency. New York 1912. Pp. 144-155.—{Ed.}
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national Association for Labor Legislation on June 11, 1912.1 As to
the conditions under which in 1906 the eight-hour shift was intro
duced, we quote Mr. Hodge himself:
So anxious were the workmen to obtain an eight-hour day in these works that the
higher paid men came to the determination, so as to remove every argument of the
employers, that they would pay a percentage out of their own wages so as to give the
lower paid classes of labor an eight-hour day with themselves, and so to get rid of the
argument of increased cost of production; but added to this was a proviso that the aver
age output of the melting shop should be ascertained, and such taken as a basis, and
for every extra ton of output over that average a bonus should be given to the higher
paid men, so that what they had given to the lower paid men would come back to them
in greater volume as the output increased. To-day, I believe, the contribution of
the higher paid men is very small, if not entirely wiped out, as a result of increased
output.
I should like now to deal again with South Wales. In the tin-plate trade of South
Wales—and they have an enormous foreign export trade—the eight-hour day is uni
versal. In the sheet-mill trade in South Wales the eight-hour day is also in operation.
That probably paved the way for us to a considerable extent, as in our agitation for
an eight-hour day in that district with the steel makers, we have met with less oppo
sition from the employers than has been the case in other districts; in fact, I might
say a much more generous consideration than that shown by the employers in any
other district.
Questioned on the results of the eight-hour day in South Wales, mill managers
agreed that there has been an increase of output in rolling mills of at least 20 per cent;
but so far as the open hearth melting process is concerned they would not place the
output at more than 12J per cent greater.
As to the social effects, Alderman P. Walls made the following
statement:2
When the question of eight hours was first raised, it was argued that if a man got
shorter hours, it would only mean more time for drinking, but the effect has been
exactly the opposite. We have had the eight-hour shift over 21 years in one district
in the North of England, and over 14 years in another, and the moral effect is marvel
ous. The mien take an interest in social and economic problems, and are now citizens
in every sense of the term. They are in their allotment gardens, out with the wives
and children for a walk, or out on their bicycles.
In France the introduction of the eight-hour shift in place of the
12-hour shift has had the same results; each eight-hour shift produces
as much as formerly each of the two 12-hour shifts, without entailing
increased costs of production and at the same piece rates. “ The
earnings of labor have remained the same in the last 10 years, but
four hours have been gained. Instead of leaving the factory at
midnight all fagged out the workmen go home at 4 or 8 p. m. Their
strength is not exhausted. They work in their gardens or attend
their vineyards. Others go fishing or go hunting in the mountains.” 3
Wonditions in British Iron and Steel Works, I. Speech of John Hodge (Publications of the Inter
national Association for Labor Legislation, British section), 1912. 8 pp.
2 Conditions in British Iron and Steel Works II.
Speech of Alderman P. Walls (Publications of the
International Association for Labor Legislation, British section), 1912. 2 pp.
» L’Ouvrier Metallurgiste, May 1, 1906; Marcel Lecoq. “ Lajoum dede huitheures,” 1907, p. 178; Francois
Delaisi. “ La joumee de huit heures dans les forges du Jura,” in “ Pages libres” August 28, 1900. Raoul
Jay. “ La protection legale des travailleurs,” Paris, 1910, p. 356.
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The German mining and iron and steel industries manifested the
strongest opposition to the introduction of the eight-hour shift.
Computations were made showing that its introduction in iron and
steel mills would mean the employment of 57,000 more workers,
an additional expenditure of 85,000,000 marks ($20,230,000), and
an increase of 3 to 4 per cent in the price per ton.1
The machinery industry is one of the industries which most extend
the hours of labor through overtime work. This practice of system
atic overtime work has been combated in the English machinery indus
try through experiments of the Salford works of Mather & Platt, who
already in 1883 employed 1,200 men and in that year changed from
the nine-hour day to the eight-hour day. The result was twofold:
Increased production and a decrease from 2.46 to 0.4 per cent in time
lost on account of absence from work. On the initiative of CampbellBannerman, Secretary of War, the eight-hour day was introduced
in the cartridge factory at Woolwich and one year later also in the
gun factory. Not a single workman was added to the working force
of these establishments, which employed 16,000 men.
In France, in the arsenal at Tarbes, where the eight-hour day had
been adopted on September 1 , 1903, in place of the ten-hour day, the
nine-hour day was introduced on June 1 , 1904, because there was not
a sufficiently larger output or increase in saving of material to make
up for the decrease in production, which could have been prevented
only by large expenditures for machinery. The directors of the
arsenals of Rochefort and La Rochelle, on the other hand, stated
that the transition from a workday of 9 hours and 35 minutes to an
eight-hour day did not result in decreased production; in the case of
La Rochelle the increase in production was estimated at 10 per cent.2
In Germany the private arsenals of Krupp have opposed the eighthour shift at all times and even as late as October, 1918. On^the
other hand Germany can point to one of the most thorough experi
ments with the eight-hour day, made in the Zeiss Optical&Works at
Jena. English experiments described by John Rae in 1894 induced
Prof. Franz Abbe, the director of the Zeiss works, to make some
experiments himself. During the course of years he had gradually
shoitened the hours of labor from 12 to 9 hours. After the nine-hour
day had been effective for 10 years he introduced the eight-hour day in
the spring of 1900. One year later Abbe published the results of his
experiment.3 The results, based on careful observation of 233 per
sons, are briefly the following:
1V ieher, Franz: Die Arbeitszeit in ununterbrochenen Betrieben der Grosseisenindustri
1912. p. 57.
2 France. Bulletin de l ’Office de Travail, vol. 14, 1907, p. 29.
s Die volkswirtschaftliche Bedeutung der Verkürzung des industriellen Arbeitstages
Sozialpolitische Schriften. Jena, 1906, p. 203.
'
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1. With equal piece rates the hourly earnings increased 16.2 per
cent (instead of 12.5 per cent as would have been the case if the out
put in 9 and in 8 hours had been equal). This is equivalent to a 10
days’ excess output.
2. This increase in output was observed in the case of old and
young workers without marked differences.
3. The increase is somewhat larger in the case of workers employed
at coarse work, such as machine hands (machine grinders, turners,
drillers), than in the case of those employed at finer work.
4. The increase in output is effected through unconscious adapta
tion of the worker to the higher speed of the machine.
5. A lessening of output in the case of longer hours of labor is due
to fatigue. This increases with the number of manipulations, the
rapidity with which they have to be executed, and the duration of the
passive presence in a noisy workshop. Abbe calls this factor the
waste of energy through unnecessary and unproductive effort
(Kraftverbrauch durch Leergang fur Nichtarbeit). This waste of
energy through useless human effort takes place at the cost of the
cooperation of intelligence and activity, and means that the valuable
capital which Germany possesses in the natural intelligence of her
working classes remains largely unused because the conditions are
lacking under which this intelligence can come into full play.
This great scientist has made it his life task to counteract such
waste of intelligence.
The most important accessory materials of modern industry are
furnished by the chemical factories, the working forces of which are
exposed to great danger from accidents and poisoning. The shorter
their hours of labor the lower is their accident and sickness rate;1
hence the curtailing of the hours of labor is in their instance a
hygienic requirement. Yet until now hardly one-third of the workers
in the chemical industry have worked less than 10 hours per day.
Not until January, 1911, did the Baden aniline and soda works at
Ludwigshafen, which employ 8,000 workers, introduce an actual
working day of 8 hours 20 minutes, “ in order to permit of a longer
night rest for workers living at some distance.” 2 England and Swit
zerland, the former of which manufactures chiefly quantity prod
ucts (acids, alkalies) and the latter quality goods (dyestuffs, etc.),
were the first to shorten the hours of labor in the chemical-in
dustry. In England the firms of Charles Tennant & Co., Burroughs,
Wellcome & Co., and Brunner Mond & Co. first introduced the eighthour shift. All of them have reported that the transition from the
nine-hour to the eight-hour shift has caused little or no reduction
1Schneider, H. Gefahren der Arbeit in der chemischen Industrie. Hannover, 1911, p. SC.
2 Jahresberichte der Gewerbeaufsicbtsbeamten für das Jahr 1911. Berlin, 1912. Voi. II, pp. 2, C4.
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of output. On inquiry by Sidney Webb and Harold Cox as to whether
piece rates were in use the firm of Burroughs replied: “ None of our
employees are paid in this manner. We rely upon their honor to do
the best they can for our business during the eight hours of work
per day.” 1
On February 7, 1895, the firm of Brunner Mond & Co. issued the
following report on the success of the eight-hour-shift system:
The cost of labor per ton of products has annually decreased, and is now the same
as at the beginning of the experiments with the eight-hour shift. Improvements in.
the process of production were introduced to a considerable extent during this period,
but the firm does not consider them sufficiently important to explain this remarkable
result. It rather believes that this result is largely due to the fact that its employees
work more steadily and more intensively.
Sir John Brunner says:
The appearance of the workers, and particularly their bearing when they leave the
factory after the close of work, has strikingly improved. No less has the steadiness of
their work increased. Permanently employed factory workers having regular attend
ance to their credit are being granted an annual leave of one week with full pay.
They lose this leave if during the year they have been absent 10 days without leave.
Before the introduction of the eight-hour shift the percentage of chemical workers
who had earned a week’s leave was 43 in 1888, in 1891 it rose to 78, and in 1893 to 92,
while the percentage of other workers was 59 in 1888, 67 in 1891, and 76, in 1893. In
addition, under the old system the manager had to he present in the factory on
the morning after pay day in order to choose substitutes for the missing workers and
to remove those that were drunk. To-day this is hardly necessary. The workers
arrive at their shift regularly and sober. To be sure this eight-hour shift in chemical
factories applies to seven days in the week and only to chemical workers employed
at piece rates, while all other workers who receive time wages are still working nine
hours per day.2
In the chemical industry of Switzerland, which is concentrated at
Basel, the hours of labor up to 1897 varied between 9 and 9J hours.
At that time a local labor organization presented demands to the
factories and secured an 8^-hour day. The weekly wage of adult
male workers was 21 francs ($4.05). In 1905 the workers went on
strike and obtained a minimum wage of 24 francs ($4.63) and a
maximum wage of 27 francs ($5.21). In 1906 two firms agreed to
introduce the eight-hour day and the other firms followed suit.
The effect of these reforms may be observed from the following data
showing the number of workers in the chemical industry in 1900 and
in 1010:
1900.
1910.
Chemical workers (skilled and unskilled).................................................. 1, 030
Auxiliary workers and laborers.....................................................................
238
Apprentices and other workers.....................................................................
36
1, 366
510
35
Total........................................................................................................ 1,304
1,911
1 Webb, Sidney and Cox, Harold. “ The Eight Hours D ay.” London [1891], p. 255.
2 Rae, John. “ Neue Fortschritte der Achtstunden-Bewegung in England” in Braun’s Archiv für
Soziale Gesetzgebung und Statistik. Vol. 12, 1898, pp. 18 and 19.
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Concerning recent curtailments of the hours of labor one of the
largest firms made the following report to the Swiss factory inspection
service :
Our process of manufacture requires daily rest periods for the workers so as to give
them time to change their clothes, bathe, and wash. For this reason we have to reckon
with gross and net hours of labor, i. e., the hours during which the workers are present
at the working place and the hours they put in at actual work.
On the request of the workers their hours of labor were gradually reduced in the
course of years. In May, 1917, they were reduced to 52 gross and 46$ net hours; in
December, 1918, to 51 gross and 46$ net hours.
This curtailment in May, 1917, had been effected through the grant of a half-holiday
on Saturday afternoon, which for some time had been among the most frequent demand#
of labor.
The loss of 3$ gross hours of labor on Saturday afternoon made it necessary, if pro
duction was not to be curtailed too much, to work seven hours in the forenoon (from
6 a. m. to 1 p. m.) on Saturday in place of the eight gross hours usual in the past.
The most recent curtailment of the hours of labor to 51 gross hours was also effected
on request of our employees through reduction from 15 to 10 minutes of each of two
daily rest periods used for changing clothes and bathing.
Observations as to the effect of the shorter hours of labor upon the health of the
workers could not be made because the steadily increasing cost of living brings with
it consequences which may vitiate or nullify the effect of shorter hours of labor.
Likewise the effect upon the intensity of production can not be determined in
view of the extremely complex as well as important factors arising from war-time
conditions.
The successes of the eight-hour day in the chemical industry are not
restricted to large establishments. The report of the Swiss factory
inspection service for the years 1910 and 1911 quotes the following
example as to the successful introduction of the eight-hour day in a
small establishment:
The owner of a small chemical laundry, who for the last two years has introduced
the eight-hour day, made the following statement as to the success of this measure
in a Swiss trade meeting: Beginning with the introduction of the eight-hour day
the hourly wages were so computed that the earnings of the workers were equivalent
to those made by them on the former nine-hour basis, in addition most of the workers
were granted a wage increase of 10 per cent. What were the results of this somewhat
risky movement? The turnover of the business for 1910 as compared with that for
1909 increased by 2,940.44 francs and the net profit by 1,910.26 francs. The total
amount of wages disbursed, on the other hand, decreased by 414.55 francs. I wish
to emphasize that the prices charged in the steam laundry as well as in the chemical
cleaning and dyeing department had remained exactly the same. Thus the result
can not be ascribed to increased prices.1
In the textile industry it seems that outside of Australia the eighthour day has not yet been introduced to any large extent. If the
weekly average of the hours of labor is considered, the nine-hour
(United States, Great Britain, and Norway) and the ten-hour day
prevail at present. In Austria a lace factory in Lettowitz introduced
1 Berichte der eidgendssischen Fabrik- und Bergwerkinspektoren, 1912. pp. 191,192.
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the eight-hour day about 30 years ago, but after a few years returned
to the nine-hour day. Nevertheless, it may be assumed that after
the World War, progress in the methods and technique of manufac
turing will permit curtailments of the hours of labor at shorter inter
vals than formerly. If, for instance, we are informed by a leading
ribbon factory that in the last 10 years the production of the factory
has increased 30 per cent and the number of workers employed
decreased, a reduction of the weekly hours of labor from 59 to 48,
or by 18.6 per cent, would within five or six years have been counter
balanced, even if the efficiency of the workers had not increased.
But that the efficiency of the workers is increasing, through attend
ance of several looms, etc., is a fact that can not be disputed.1
In the food products industry overtime work prevails to a large
extent, and the granting of permits for overtime work is felt to be jus
tified by the perishable character of the material. The more interesting
it is for Switzerland to see that overtime can be abolished and that the
eight-hour day is practicable in this industry. Proof of this has
been furnished by Mr. Mark Beaufoy, radical member of Parlia
ment, who in June, 1889, introduced this reform in his vinegar and
jam factory at London and has since kept up the practice of closing
his establishment on Saturday afternoon so that the weekly hours of
labor totaled only 45.2 As to the effects, Karl Kautsky has made the
following statement:
In an interview granted to the writer, Mr. Beaufoy was very enthusiastic con
cerning the results of the curtailment of the hours of labor in his factory from 9J to
8 hours. He said the employees work more willingly, more intensively, without
rest periods, and with the greatest punctuality. As to the output, Mr. Beaufoy
could not furnish accurate data, the eight-hour day having been introduced only
since July of the preceding year, but he was fully convinced that it had increased
considerably. In addition a number of overhead costs, such as lighting, heating,
etc., had greatly decreased, so that the result of the experiment does not merely
signify an improvement in working conditions but also increased profits. And all
that was achieved without the least increase of the capital invested in the under
taking. Mr. Beaufoy also informed me that other manufacturing establishments,
among them a printing establishment and a chemical factory, had made like experi
ments with like results. In his opinion the general introduction in England of the
eight-hour day is practicable already even without the least danger to industry.3
One of the most important food export industries in France,
Germany, and Austria is the sugar industry. We requested one
of the most prominent sugar manufacturers to inform us what are
1 Ample proofs for this assertion may be found in Schulze-Gävernitz, G. von: Der Grossbelrieb, 1892;
Bernhard, Ernst: Höhere Arbeitsintensität bei kürzerer Arbeitszeit, 1909. The introduction of the auto
matically stopping loom does not alter this fact; it has been estimated that during the one-hour noon
rest 50 per cent of the Northrop looms are automatically standing still.
2 Webb, Sidney, and Cox, Harold, “ The Eight Hours D ay,” London [1891], p. 26.
8 Kautzky, Karl, Der Arbeiterschutz, besonders die internationale Arbeiterschutzgesetzgebung und
der Achstundentag. Second edition. Nürnberg, 1890.
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the prospects in Moravia for the introduction of the eight-hour shift.
His reply, dated November 27, 1918, is as follows:
The prospective introduction of the eight-hour day will probably have beneficial
effects, particularly in the beginning, because more workers will find employment.
I was always in favor of the eight-hour day and am convinced that it will have a
beneficial effect upon the worker and that the initial loss in output and increased
cost of production will disappear within a short time. The number of workers re
quired for the three-shift system will soon not be larger than that now required for
two shifts and in many instances the workers will produce in eight hours as much as
now in 10^ hours.
Since the outbreak of the war wages have doubled here, but the output of the
workers has decreased considerably. At present we have here a large oversupply of
labor, but in spite of this fact nobody thinks of reducing wages, another proof that
wages are not governed by the law of supply and demand but rather by the minimum
necessary for existence.
I want to assert that all the sacrifices which the workers have made for the socialdemocratic idea will be repaid through the introduction of the eight-hour day. The
eight-hour day will enable them to lead an existence worthy of human beings.
The eight-hour day has also made headway in a luxury industry
of the first rank—the diamond industry. The main seat of this
industry is Amsterdam; factories are located also in London, Geneva,
St. Cloud, and Hanan. Since 1890 the workers of this industry
have had an international organization. They have an international
secretariat at Amsterdam, and in 1905, in Paris, combined into a
world federation of diamond workers. At their congress at Amster
dam in June, 1910, they adopted a resolution to change from the
nine-hour to the eight-hour day, beginning January 1, 1912.
This success, the greatest ever achieved by an international secre
tariat, was realized on the date named.
In commercial establishments in Switzerland the office employees
have recently secured a half-holiday on Saturdays and in large cities
the eight-hour day.
In the field of transportation, particularly in that of railroads,
there still exists great diversity in all Europe in the gross and net
hours of labor. In this field Switzerland took the initiative in 1890
by limiting the daily hours of labor to 12 and by granting a mini
mum of from 8 to 10 hours off duty. Since then the tasks of rail
road employees have greatly increased and the endeavors to
secure an eight-hour day for the entire working staff have not come
to a standstill.
Such endeavors, for the first time, met with success in the United
States. In 1916, in view of a threatened nation-wide strike and of
a refusal to arbitrate, President Wilson called the representatives
of the workers and of the railroads to Washington and in person
submitted to the Senate the results of the conference, proposing at
the same time the enactment of an eight-hour law. This law, the
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Adamson Act, was passed on September 5, 1916, and has been in
force since January 1, 1917.1
The total number of establishments operated on the eight-hourday system and the number of workers employed in them are known
for only a few countries. The census of manufactures of the United
States (1913) gives the number of workers working eight hours per
day as 625,652, or 7.9 per cent of all wage-earners in manufacturing.
Of the quarter million printers employed in printing and newspaper
establishments 53.7 per cent had secured the eight-hour day.2 Of the
countries which are neighbors of Switzerland, data are available for
Austria,3 where in 1907, 8.8 per cent of the factory workers worked
nine hours or less (20 per cent in Vienna, 15.9 per cent in Prague, and
59.2 per cent in Trieste) and for Upper Italy,4 where the factory
inspection service reported that in 1909 in the inspection district of
Milan 7.95 per cent of the workers worked from 9 to 9J hours per
day, and in that of Brescia 4.3 per cent.
In Switzerland in 1911 only 6.2 per cent of all factory workers had
a working week of less than 54 hours.® The eight-hour day has been
introduced in the ore mines of Delsberg, and anyone who sees how
these miners strike at the hard rock with the utmost exertion of
their strength must know that in their case even eight hours of work
is exhausting and injurious to health. As in Germany, municipal
gas and water works in Basel adopted the eight-hour shift on Jan
uary 1, 1910. As already mentioned, the most important industry
vith eight-hour operation in Switzerland is the chemical industry.
Beginning with 1919, the shoe factory Bally at Schonenwerd, the
largest on the continent, employing about 5,000 workers, will
introduce the 48-hour week. In this factory the weekly hours of
labor have been 55|. A thorough study of the results of these
experiments seems very desirable; their importance rests upon the
assuring of the permanency of shorter hours of labor. The experi
ment itself must not take place under the influence of political high
tension. It must appeal to the conscience of the worker to
secure through the greater efficiency of himself and others the
republic of the workman founded on prosperity.
The experiments with the eight-hour day, of which a very incom
plete selection has been presented here, and which will be supple1 Robbins, E. C. "The Trainmen’s Eight-Hour D ay,” in Political Science Quarterly, New York,
September, 1917, p. 142; and Bulletin des Internationalen Arbeitsamtes, 1916, Vol. X V , p. 51.
2 U. S. Department of Commerce, Thirteenth Census, Vol. V HI, Manufactures, General Report. Wash
ington, 1913, p. 316.
5 K. K. Arbeitsstatistisches Amt. Die Arbeitsreit der Fabriksarbeiter Oesterreichs. Vienna, 1907.
«Uffieiodel Lavoro. Rapporti sulla ispezione del lavoro. Rome, 1909. Table No. 73.
6 Schweizerische Fabrikstatistik. Bern, 1912, p. 263.
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mented by an international investigation, permit the following con
clusions :
1. A gradual transition from the nine-hour to the eight-hour day
is essential for the success of the experiment.
2. The success of the experiment manifests itself, after a period of
adaptation lasting about three months, in an equal or larger output
during eight hours than formerly during nine hours by the same
groups of workmen.
3. In mechanical establishments this success will be promoted
through greater speed of the machines and through innovations in
technique and organization.
4. Equal production by the same working force will result neither
in a rise of prices nor in greater employment of the unemployed.
5. The advantages of the eight-hour day will specially benefit the
juvenile workers whose instruction in continuation schools after
10 or 9 hours of industrial labor becomes worthless. For this
reason Bulgaria and 18 States of the American Union prescribe a
legal maximum working day of 8 hours for workers under 16 years
of age and the United States of Mexico prescribes one of 6 hours.
The eight-hour day will make it possible for women in industry to
take care of their children and to contribute to the lowering of infant
mortality. The rate per 1,000 births is 72 in Australia, 123 in Swit
zerland, 137 in Italy, and 150 in Japan. It will also lead to better
care of the household and to greater interest in the securing of
suffrage. To adult men the eight-hour day means greater oppor
tunity for physical development and attention to gardening as well
as mental culture, fulfilment of their civic duties and extension
of their knowledge of politics.1
1It is to be regretted that no special investigations exist, at least not to our knowledge, as to the working
hours of great intellectuals. Of Alexander von Humboldt it is known that he could work 18 hours; in the
case of Mommsen, however, such overwork and'lack of sleep led periodically to a slackening of creative
power (L.. M. Hartmann, Theodor Mommsen, Gotha, 1908, p. 147). Goethe forced the resisting body to
follow the mind, but he admits that in poetry certain things can not be forced and that one must wait for
happy hours to achieve what can not be done through will power (Eckermanns Gesprache mit Goethe,
Mar. 21,1830). Balzac wrote about 100 works in 25 years and died at fifty. Generally he worked nights and
frequently in daytime and nights, as a rule 7 to 8 hours; “ an enormous figure, if one considers what a
realhour ofliterary work means” (Emile Faguet, Balzac, 1912, p. 27). Great mathematicians seem to be
subject to special moods with respect to the overcoming of unwillingness for work. Of Henri Poincare, it
is reported that he worked two hours in the forenoon and two hours before supper andslept from 10 p. m. to
7 a. m. (Dr. Toulouse, Henri Poincar<5, Paris, 1910, pp. 40, 144). He allowed his mind complete rest.
When not in working mood he quit working, in contrast to Zola who overcame this resistance by will
power. “ If intellectual work can not be measured by calories and may be kept up longer than
physical labor, it nevertheless is an established fact that from the point of view of fatigue there exists
only a difference in degree between the two kinds of work, so that mental fatigue which more or less accom
panies every industrial work, must also be taken into consideration” (Jules Amar, Le Moteur Humain,
Paris, 1914, p. 590).
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III. Social Revolutions and International Solutions.
The storm signal of the social revolution of our times was given
by Russia in 1905. The attempted revolution failed at that time,
but the leaders and parties of the revolution of 1905 are in part those
of to-day; the idea of workmen’s councils originated in those days
and the eight-hour day was proclaimed in St. Petersburg at that time.
In spite of the defeat by Japan, revolutionary ideas could not yet
gain any foothold in the army; the revolution collapsed and with it
the eight-hour day.1
The next act of the revolution was played in Mexico: The flight of
the military autocrat Porfirio Diaz from the social revolutionist
Madero initiated the civil war. Not only had the old régime per
mitted the working-off by peons of wages advanced, but in addition
it had undertaken the forceful deportation of agricultural workers,
which had been justly criticized in the United States. In the summer
of 1912 the Diaz Government replied through memoranda in which
American criticism was refuted and Mexico’s own workers described
as inefficient individuals who could be managed only by coercive
measures. However, a government which indulges in constant
polemics and insults and is not creatively active bears the mark of
death on its front. After misery beyond description, Mexico in 1917
adopted a constitution which introduced the eight-hour day in all
its Federal States. As to the circumstances under which this was
done and as to its results nothing can so far be learned. If, however,
the Mexico of to-day has become a social and radical State it is in a
great measure due to the wise noninterference of the United States
in the internal disturbances of their neighbor. The jingoism of the
stock jobber party was also effectively opposed by the inviolable
peace policy of the American and Mexican labor organizations.
Uruguay, in 1917, followed the example set by Mexico. The reaction
of the revolution in that country, the transition to the eight-hour day,
seems to have taken place as peacefuly as in Australia and in
six American States which possess the eight-hour day for women—
Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, and Washington —
and the District of Columbia.
A revolutionary consecration was again placed upon the eight-hour
day by the Russian revolution which in Finland in 1917 and in Russia
in 1918 proclaimed the legal eight-hour day at the time of the collapse
of a corrupt government and of the helplessness and dispiritedness of
the masses.
The introduction of the eight-hour day in Russia fell in a period
of very serious disorganization of the food supply and of daily civil
JSoe Stephan Baaer, Arpeiterschutz u n i Vôlkergeuieinschaft. Zurich, 1918, p. 83, footnote 9.
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war. It is clear that such is not the atmosphere in which intensive
labor thrives. It is not to be wondered at that after political dissen
sion, fighting in the streets, hunger, the usual consequences
of long wars appear, and men become unaccustomed to labor and
dislike work. The Soviet Government did not in the least disavow
this fact; it stated that the situation was hopeless unless the pro
ductivity of labor were increased through greater discipline of labor.
As to the ways and means of achieving such an increase N. Lenin
has expressed himself in his work, “ The Next Tasks of the Soviet
Power” (pp. 34 to 36), in the following remarkable manner:
The most discerning vanguard of the Russian proletariat has already set itself the
task of raising the discipline of labor. The central committee of the Metal Workers’
Federation and the Central Soviet of the Trade-Unions, for instance, have begun the
preparation of corresponding measures and the drafting of bills. This work must be
supported and hastened with might and main. The following measures must be
made the order of the day, and be practically applied and experimented with: Piece
work wages, the application of all that is scientific and progressive in the Taylor system,
the adjustment of earnings according to the net profits arising from production or
from services as in the case of transportation by rail, waterways, etc.
The Russian is a poor workman as compared with more advanced nations. Under
the régime of Czarism and while remnants of serfdom were still in existence this could
not be different. To learn to work—this task the Soviet Power must make the people
grasp in its full extent. The last word of capitalism in this respect, the Taylor system,
combines in itself—like all capitalistic progress—a refined cruelty of capitalistic
exploitation together with a number of the richest scientific achievements in the field
of analysis of mechanical movements of the worker, the doing away with superfluous
and awkward movements, the working out of correct working methods, the introduc
tion of better systems of cost accounting and control, etc. The Soviet Republic must
at any cost take over all that is valuable of the achievements of science and technique
in this field. The realization of socialism will depend upon our success in the com
bining of soviet power and soviet organization in administration with the latest
improvements of capitalism. The study of the Taylor system, and instruction therein,
its systematic examination and application, must be exploited in Russia. While
trying to increase the output of labor one must take into consideration the peculiarities
of the period of transition from capitalism to socialism, which require on the one hand
that the basis of socialistic organization for productive competition be created, but
which on the other hand require the use of compulsion, and this in such a manner
that the liberation under the dictatorship of the proletariat does not become sullied
through the internal decay of the proletarian power.
At the same time, March, 1918, at which Lenin preached this
gospel of work drill, Irving Fisher, an American economist and
scholar, expressed his doubts as to the beauties of the piecework
and Taylor systems. He said that it is not merely the instinct of
self-preservation which forces the laboring man to work; he is driven
by a number of other instincts, those of workmanship, self-respect,
the home-making instinct, the instinct of solidarity, the belief in a
future. A scheme like the Taylor system, which plays only upon
the material instincts and, figuratively speaking, is trying to hold
out a bale of hay for the donkey and, as he approaches it, making
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him walk the faster to reach it, rouses the instinctive dislike of the
worker.
Irving Fisher contrasts these experiments with those of Robert B.
Wolf, a wood-pulp manufacturer, who, after failure with the Taylor
system, appealed to the instinct of workmanship of his workmen.
He gave to his men charts of their individual output and of the total
output of their department. On the charts furnished them were
recorded daily by a series of curves the work performed by them.1
Within a period of eight years, in which the equipment of the plant
remained the same, the output was doubled; wages were increased
40 per cent; there were no strikes; all the workers are organized. It
is the development of these spiritual instincts which may now be
observed in America, the promotion of knights of labor instead of
beasts of burden, the perception that the building up of a new society
on the helotry of an old one is unthinkable.
The Russian revolution of October, 1917, was followed in Novem
ber, 1918, by the German and Austrian revolution. The provisional
Governments of these two countries decreed on November 19 and
December 28, respectively, that beginning with January 1, 1919, the
eight-hour day should be introduced in all industrial establishments.
Switzerland has experienced a considerable increase of its national
wealth during the war. War profits and savings of the farming popu
lation on the one hand are offset by undernutrition of the urban
workers and underpayment of salaried employees on the other. This
class conflict has been the culture medium for the general strike.
There exists a Bolshevism of the parvenus, the junk and munition'
barons, which has a more inflammatory effect than all the brochures
of Lenin and Trotzki. It is in the nature of democracy that it will
generate in its robust veins an antidote against the ravages of these
pests. This antidote, this rejuvenating elixir, is social reform.
If Switzerland intends to introduce the eight-hour day it will have
in its favor the facts that its building trades have almost secured the
nine-hour day through collective agreements, that in its machinery
industry the nine-hour day is in force, and that its chemical industry,
power works, and office employees have secured the eight-hour day.
The only opposition comes from the textile industry. This industry
is essentially dependent upon export trade and repeatedly has com
plained about German, Italian, and American competition.
i “ Health and War,” in The American Labor Legislation Review, Vol. VIII, No. 1, New York, March,
See also Jules Amar, “ Organization physiologique du travail,” Paris, 1917, pp. 10 to 12. At
the time of Taylor’s death (1915) of 107 establishments in America employing 43,000 workers which
had introduced the Taylor system, 58 reported complete success, 15 partial success, and 34 failure. Only
in one instance was failure due to opposition of the workers; all other cases of failure must be ascribed
to faulty management, “ experts,” or financial causes. C. Bertrand Thompson, “ Scientific Manage
ment in Practice,” in Quarterly Journal of Economics, February, 1915, pp. 262-307.
1918, p. 15.
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If Germany and America adopt the eight-hour system will Switzer
land be able to keep its skilled workers from emigrating ? When its
competitors make technical improvements will it not have to intro
duce more intensive operation and consequently shorter hours ?
That “ international competition” should for Switzerland be the
decisive argument for introducing the eight-hour day by international
agreement only can not be seriously asserted. What international
competition could that be ? Surely not that of Switzerland’s neigh
boring countries, which after the World War will have their hands
full in restoring their industries to a peace basis. One must, there
fore, look to America and Japan in order to find such competition.
In America the hours of labor are already shorter than in Switzer
land and after the war the burdens of insurance and taxation xvill
surely not be lighter than those of Switzerland. There remains only
Japan. But experts of all countries who have investigated at first
hand the industries of Japan are unanimous as to the low efficiency
of Japanese industry. “Japanese spinning raids are hardly one-half
as efficient as European mills.” The Japanese, writes the “ Econom
ist” in 1911, are wholly incapable of handling textile machinery.
Japanese machinists are described by engineers of their own country
as mere coolies, the lowest kind of day laborers who work for a bare
living. In the manufacture of silk goods mixed with cotton, France
and the United States overtook Japan as long ago as 1906.1 Under
nutrition and fatigue have caused this indifference of the Japanese
worker to greater efficiency. It would, therefore, show gross ignor
ance of facts to close the road to social reforms by further reference
to that deplorable phrase, “ the yellow peril.”
Danger to national industry from foreign competition does not
seem important as an argument that the eight-hour day should he
introduced through international regulation only. Introduction by
international action has, however, certain advantages over extra
ordinary national procedure which should not be underestimated.
An international treaty, unlike a law, can not be provided with
loopholes in the shape of technically unjustified exceptions and
special privileges. The national honor becomes more involved
through the charge of having broken a treaty than through viola
tions of the law by a fellow citizen. For this reason the enforce
ment of a protective labor treaty encounters less resistance from
local interests, crowned and uncrowned industrial magnates, than a
law. The international treaty increases the national State power
and strengthens the feeling of the masses that they are defending a
common human right. Participation in this supernational posses1 Heber, E . A. Japanische Industriearbeit, Jena, 1912, pp. 163 to 170, and K. Kuwata (Tokyo), Die
Arbeiterbewegung in Japan, in Griinberg’s Archiv fin- die Geschichte des Sozialismus und der Arbeiterbewegung, 1915, p. 89.
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sion teaches them to stand above village and sectional interests.
In widening the intellectual horizons and the social interests it also
strengthens those community instincts without the culture of which
national life withers away.
For all these reasons the introduction of the eight-hour day may
already be proposed at the peace conference. Dante calls world
peace the greatest of all possessions required for the happiness of
humanity. The masses must not be kept from creative participa
tion in the fruits of this peace. The author has no mandate to ex
press himself here as to the form in which the international eighthour bill should be submitted. Personally he believes that immedi
ate transition to the 54-hour week, as it exists in Norway, and within
two years to that of 48 hours as in Australia, with a limited number
of overtime hours, and after a few years with overtime permitted in
exceptional cases only, would be a practical solution of the problem.
Thus great progress will have been made in social history, the
greatest since 1848. Not as a mute witness but as an active helper
a new generation must face the great problems of organization,
regulation of income, guidance of young persons and of education.
The securing of eight hours devoted to cultivation of the mind and
to recreation, the creation of the equal right of all peoples to inter
nal and external progress, is the safest pledge of common resistance
against a repetition of the crime of 1914. Neither faint-heartedness
nor hesitation can lead to the removal of the unspeakable pressure
of race-hatred which as a sad heritage of this criminal war burdens
the souls of men. In a year (1901) of the profoundest peace Ernst
Abbe said of those who opposed the curtailment of the hours of labor:
“ If maintenance of this point of view on the part of our bourgeois
classes has hitherto been due to lack of common sense and to folly,
any further adherence to this point of view must be classed as
criminal.” 1
That which the great scientist and democratic employer had
foreseen had happened in Russia and Germany: The collapse in war
and revolution of the master-in-my-house doctrine and of the system
resting upon the greed of industrial barons. In the greatest con
ceivable contrast to this attitude stands the declaration made in
August, 1916, by the President of the United States to the railroad
workers: “ The eight-hour day now undoubtedly has the sanction
of the judgment of society in its favor and should be adopted as a
basis for wages even where the actual wmrk to be done can not be
completed within eight hours.” To the protest by the president of
the National Manufacturers Association he replied “ that the wThole
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economic development seems to point to the eight-hour day.”
Through his general insight and firmness he saved the country in
August, 1916, and in March, 1917, from general strikes and brought
it about that 400,000 railroad employees secured the [basic] eighthour day without recourse to a strike.
This is the state of affairs at the present hour—and now the old
democracies have the word. They will have to take to heart the
words of the French factory inspector:1 u We have wished for an
era of justice; let us bew'are of an era of exhaustion.”
i Hamp, Pierre. La victoire de la France sur les Français, 1916, p. 71.
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Social Reconstruction Program of the Federal
Council of the Churches of Christ in America.
HE Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, repre
senting 30 Protestant denominations in the United States,
issued in July, 1919, a very comprehensive pronouncement on the
relation of the church to the problems of social reconstruction,
touching specifically upon many subjects of vital and intimate
concern to workingmen, including unemployment, vocational training,
higher wages, women in industry, housing, Americanization, etc.
The text of this statement is as follows:
I. Introduction.
The church finds itself this May of 1919 in the midst of profound unrest and suffering.
The entire social fabric of some of the most advanced nations is in chaos and their
people menaced by starvation, while other powerful nations, of which the United
States is one, have experienced loss of life, material, and capital in the great war,
and serious industrial disorganization and unemployment. It is, moreover, a world
suffering from overstrain and agitated by conflicting programs of reorganization.
In the midst of the confusion, stout-hearted men and women are working with
abundant courage to avert famine, to put the internal affairs of the nations in order
again, and to reconstruct international relations on a basis which shall tend to assure
cooperation, disarmament, and permanent peace. Surely this hour, which puts
supreme obligations upon every social institution, is one which calls to the church
to give its utmost, both of the ministries of personal religion and of unselfish public
and social service.
Fortunately the church itself has undergone, within the last decade and especially
during the war, an enlargement of scope which amounts to a transformation. The
churches to-day recognize, as they did not a generation ago, that the Kingdom of God
is as comprehensive as human life with all of its interests and needs, and that they
share in a common responsibility for a Christian world order. They are convinced
that the world is the subject of redemption; that the ethical principles of the Gospels
aye to be applied to industry and to the relations of nations; that the church is to
devote itself henceforth assiduously to these purposes along with the individual
ministries of religion.
In taking this position the church realizes that it is on historic ground. It recalls
the words of Isaiah: “ Is not this the fast that I have chosen; to loose the bonds of
wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and let the oppressed go free, and that ye
break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the
poor that are cast out to thy house?” It knows that the second of the two Command
ments, which our Savior interpreted by the parables of the Good Samaritan, the Lost
Sheep, the Sheep and the Goats, and by His own ardent social ministry, leads straight
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into the struggle for social justice and for the larger life of humanity, here in this
world. The Lord God has spoken to us, in this our day, and has lifted the vision of
the church to this broader horizon of the Kingdom of God.
IT. Social Reconstruction.
The Social Creed of the Churches was formulated seven years ago as a statement of
the social faith of the Protestant churches of the United States. Although necessarily
general in its terms, it has been understood, and has had far-reaching influence,
especially in crystallizing the thought of Christian people. It has stood the test of
these years, and we now reaffirm it as still expressing the ideals and purposes of the
churches. But this earlier statement of social faith now requires additional statements
to meet the changed world which has come out of the war. The declarations that
follow may be considered as corollaries of these long-standing articles of faith. They
should read in connection with the statements on reconstruction of the various denomi
nations in the United States and Canada, and the significant monograph of the arch
bishop’s fifth committee of the Church of England.
The Method.
In some respects, the most urgent question before the world at the present time
is the method of social reconstruction; shall it be by constitutional and peaceable
methods, or by class struggle and violence? Shall we be willing to suddenly overturn
the social order according to untried theories of industrial and political organization;
or beginning where we are, and conserving what has been achieved in the past, shall
we proceed by social experimentation, going as far and as fast as experience demon
strates to be necessary and desirable? In America, where, as in England, the people
hold political power and freedom of discussion and association, and can do finally
whatever they will, there is every reason for following the second method.
The supreme teachings of Christ are of love and brotherhood. These express them
selves, in a democracy, in the cooperation of every citizen for the good of each and
all. This results ideally in a noble mutualism and in equal and world-wide justice,
which constitute the highest goal of human endeavor. The doctrine of the class
conscious struggle is opposed to this ideal. It is a reversion to earlier forms of com
petitive struggle. It not only strikes at injustice by greater and more savage injustice,
but tends in practice to the breaking up of society, even of radical groups, into bitterly
antagonistic factions, thus defeating its own ends. The dictatorship of the proletariat
in practice is a new absolutism in the hands of a few men, and is as abhorrent as any
other dictatorship. The hope of the world is in the cooperation of individuals and
classes and the final elimination of classes in the brotherhood of a Christian society.
To build up this cooperation should be the supreme endeavor of the churches.
Tendencies to V iolence.
Class consciousness and the use of violence are not confined to revolutionary groups.
The possession of wealth and education tend to the formation of classes, and industrial
ownership and management to a class-conscious ruling group. We observe also with
regret and deep concern numerous resorts to mob action in which returned soldiers
and workmen have sometimes participated, frequently without police restraint, the
continuing incitement to riot by certain public officials and periodicals, especially
the partisan press with its misrepresentation and inflaming spirit, and the unfortunate
and dangerous tendency of many State and municipal officials to deny fair hearings
to radical offenders, and to use unnecessary and provocative brutality during strikes.
While conspiracy and violence must be restrained by the police and military forces
of the State, these should be used to maintain public peace and safety, and with due
regard to the established rights of freedom of speech and peaceable assembly. It is
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undesirable that private citizens or groups of vigilantes should be allowed to take
the law into their own hands. Legislators, judges, and officials should act firmly but
justly, without bluster and without unnecessary violence. Workingmen believe
that they do not get an equal chance before the law, and it is highly important that
whatever real basis there is for this conviction should be removed.
A deep cause of unrest in industry is the denial to labor of a share in industrial
management. Controversies over wages and hours never go to the root of the industrial
problem. Democracy must be applied to the government of industry as well as to
the government of the nation, and as rapidly and as far as the workers shall become
able and willing to accept such responsibility. Laborers must be recognized as being
entitled to as much consideration as employers and their rights must be equally
safeguarded. This may be accomplished by assuring the workers, as rapidly as it
can be done with due consideration to conditions, a fair share in control, especially
where they are directly involved; by opportunity for ownership, with corresponding
representation; or by a combination of ownership and control in cooperative production.
Trade agreements between employers and labor organizations can make provision
for joint settlement of grievances, for joint responsibility, for guarantees against
aggression by the employer or the men, and willful limitation of output, for a shop
discipline that shall be educative and shall make for efficiency by promoting good
will. The various movements toward industrial councils and shop committees have
not only an economic but a spiritual significance, in that they are or may be expres
sions of brotherhood, and recognize the right of the worker to full development of
personality.
R ig h ts a n d O bligations.
One high value which comes with the participation of labor in management is
that it makes possible again the hearty cooperation of all engaged in an industry and
a new era of good will. Therefore, along with the rights involved in social justice
go corresponding obligations. With the development of industrial democracy, the
evidences of which are all about us, and the coming of the short work day, the impor
tance of a genuine cooperation in industrial processes and efficient production must
be impressed upon large numbers of workers. As the worker tends to receive approxi
mately what he produces, it must become apparent that what he has for himself and
family, and the social surplus upon which depend the great common undertakings of
society, are directly related to the productivity of his own labor, as well as finally to
the length of the working day.
In d u stry as Service.
The Christian and modern conception of industry makes it a public service. The
parties of interest are not only labor and capital, but also the community, whose
interest transcends that of either labor or capital. The State, as the governmental
agency of the community, with the cooperation of all involved, should attempt to
secure to the worker an income sufficient to maintain his family at a standard of
living which the community can approve. This living wage should be made the
first charge upon industry before dividends are considered. As to excess profits:
After a just wage, and fair salaries, interest upon capital and sinking funds have been
provided, we commend the spirit and the conclusions of the twenty British Quaker
employers in awarding the larger part of excess profits to the community, to be devoted
voluntarily to public uses, or returned by taxation.
H ig h Wages.
The hoped-for reduction in the cost of living has not yet materialized, and it is now
evident that we are on a permanently higher price level. The resistance of lab r to
general wage reductions, even when accompanied by reduced hours of work, should
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therefore receive moral support from the community, except where the demand
is clearly unreasonable. Wage levels must be high enough to maintain a standard of
living worthy of responsible free citizenship in a democracy. As was pointed out in
the statement on social reconstruction by the National Catholic War Council,1 a
considerable majority of the wage earners of the United States were not receiving
living wages when prices began to rise in 1915. Real wages are also relating to the
cost of living and vary with the purchasing power of the dollar. Actual wages, that
is, wages reckoned in power to purchase commodities, have been decreasing for several
years in spite of wage increases. There is urgent need of provision by industry,
under the guidance of the Government, for some regular method of adjustment of
wages and salaries to the purchasing power of money.
High wages are desirable as a general principle, since they mean, or should mean,
a fairer share of the industrial product, greater purchasing power, and consequently,
stimulated trade and greater happiness, health and hopefulness for the workers and
their families. It should be kept in mind that under machine production, with a
proper method of distribution, all might work and all might share in comparative
plenty. Employers who plead a falling market, aggravated competition, increased
hazard, or exceptional conditions in justification of low wages or wage reductions,
should support their contentions by opening their books and submitting their figures
to public scrutiny.
U n em ploym ent.
Unemployment is one of the tragedies of the present industrial order, which the
war has demonstrated can be controlled, or at least effectively reduced, by the
Government and cooperating voluntary agencies. Any adequate attempt to meet
the problem of unemployment should include:
(a) Rehabilitation and permanent maintenance of a coordinated nation-wide
employment service.
(b ) Reorganization of seasonal trades, wherever practicable, so as to make continu
ous employment possible.
(c) A policy of public works and land settlement framed with particular reference
to the absorption of unemployed labor.
(d) A guarded extension of provisions and opportunities for social insurance to
cover unemployment due to industrial conditions, or to ill health, accident or old age.
To offer work is much more valuable than unemployment insurance.
(e) The rehabilitation of industrial cripples under the direction of the State and at
the expense of industry. The possibilities of such rehabilitation have been demon
strated in relation to the cripples of war.
V ocational T ra in in g .
The provision made by the Federal Government for the vocational training of large
numbers of soldiers and sailors, including all participants in the war who suffered
any considerable disability, should be the beginning of a general policy of vocational
training, not merely in the interest of industrial efficiency, or primarily for private
profit, but as part of a sound educational policy. It should include the human
relations and social responsibilities of industry, and the general principles of industrial
democracy. Secondary higher and professional education should be made more
generally available to those who can not meet their high cost, so that the best training
shall be placed effectively within the reach of the aspiring youth of the humblest
household.
1 This statem ent was published in the M o n th ly L a b o r R e v ie w for June, 1919, pp. 44-52.
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P a y in g f o r the W ar.
The American war debt, while not comparable with that of European belligerents,
will yet be very large. Powerful influences are organized to shift the burdens of this
debt upon the public, while the public itself is unorganized and practically unable
to protect itself. A beginning has been made in direct taxes, some of which have
been levied upon the minor luxuries of the people, and a revolt has already taken
place against this policy throughout the country. These taxes are now lik ely to be
charged up to producers, and they in turn will recoup themselves by indirect charges,
the fairness of which the public w ill not be in a position to estimate.
Perhaps no greater or more perplexing problem of fair distribution of wealth has
ever been faced in this country. It is very necessary that a policy in the matter shall
be carefully worked out in the interest of public welfare, to maintain, and, if possible,
to advance the general standard of living; and that it shall not be settled by a selfish
struggle of interests. While the cost of the war should fall in a fair measure upon all,
resolute use should be made of the now accepted graduated income and inheritance
taxes, as a just method for placing the heavier burdens of the debt upon those most
able to bear them, and lifting them correspondingly from the shoulders of those least
able to carry them.
• F reedom o f D iscu ssio n .
The inevitable special restrictions, during the war, upon speech, assembly, and the
press, should be removed with the signing of the peace covenant. While immunity
can never be granted to one who speaks or acts knowingly against the public safety,
censorship is essentially abhorrent in a democracy, and can be tolerated only in a
compelling emergency. To those imprisoned for conscientious reasons, whose offenses
were prompted by motives that were beyond a reasonable doubt honest and disinter
ested, general amnesty should be granted as soon as peace is established. The con
tinued imprisonment of such persons can result only in a sense of injury that makes
for discontent, and in depriving the communities to which they belong of that service
which, the war being over, they may safely be counted upon to render.
D em ocratic R ig h ts o f W om en.
The importance of the democratic rights of women is not as yet comprehended by
public opinion. Their freedom, their right to political and economic equality with
men, are fundamental to democracy and to the safety of the future. The church stands
also for adequate safeguards to industrial women, for a living wage, the eight-hour day
as a maximum requirement, prohibition of night work, equal pay for equal work, and
other standard requirements of industry in which women are engaged.
The necessity for protective legislation, such as the limiting of hours and the
prohibition of night work, is shown by the survey of women’s labor in one of the States,
submitted to the governor by the Director of the Women in Industry Service of the Fed
eral Department of Labor, which reveals that out of 112 large plants studied only 10
per cent have an eight-hour day, and one-third of the employers of plants worked
women as long as Go, 73, 75, 84 and 88 hours and 40 minutes a week. Five States
have as yet no legislation governing the working hours of women.
While taking these positions, the church believes that home making and mother
hood will always be the great profession of womankind; and to this end, the church
should use its great influence to secure for woman in the home economic independence,
the control of her own person, and a professional standing in her work equal to that of
men in any service which they render.
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Justice to the N egro.
The splendid service of the colored soldiers in the war, and the unanimous loyalty
and devotion of the colored people of the Nation, reinforce the justness of the demand
that they should be recognized fully as Americans and fellow citizens, that they
should be given equal economic and professional opportunities, with increasing
participation in all community affairs, and that a spirit of friendship and cooperation
should obtain between the white and colored people, North and South. The colored
people should have parks and playgrounds, equal wages for equal work, adequate and
efficient schools, and equal facilities and courtesy when traveling, adequate housing,
lighting and sanitation, police protection, and equality before the law. Especially
should the barbarism of lynching be condemned by public opinion and abolished by
rigorous measures and penalties.
H o u sin g .
The housing situation in the cities and industrial communities of the Nation has
become serious because of the cessation of building during the war, and is resulting
in overcrowding and marked increase of rents. The war-time housing projects of the
Government, where they are well located and clearly needed, should be completed.
Above all, the housing standards set by the Government during the war should never
be lowered. In the emergency we urge persons who have free capital to invest in
homes for the workers, first, however, studying the problem of housing in its modem
aspects. It is especially necessary to watch effort in the various State legislatures to
break down protective legislation.
The ideal of housing is to provide every family with a good home, where possible
an individual house, at reasonable rates, with standard requirements of light, heat,
water, and sanitation; and to encourage home owning by securing a living wage,
permanence of employment, cheap transit to and from work, and by ending the
speculative holding of lands in and around cities and towns.
M enacing S o c ia l F acts.
The war has brought to the knowledge and attention of the Nation certain menacing
social facts. We have'learned that one-tenth of our people are unnaturalized aliens;
that on an average, 25 per cent of the men of the training camps were not able to read
a newspaper or to write a letter home; that one-third of the men of the selective draft
were physically unfit; that there are approximately 2,000,000 mental defectives in
the United States; that there is an alarming prevalence of venereal infections.
Nation-wide movements are now in formation, under the leadership of departments
of the Government, but including the cooperation of the entire social organization
of the country, to meet these problems, concentrating especially at this time upon the
Americanization of immigrants, and upon sex morality and the control of venereal
diseases. All of these movements appeal strongly to the churches and will receive
their energetic cooperation.
A m erica n iza tio n .
The church is in a position to render great service in Americanization because of its
extensive missions to immigrants and because thousands of our churches in crowded
areas now reach the foreign born. The contribution of the churches has especial
value, since in addition to instruction in English, they are able to interpret the
religious and moral ideals of America, and since they work in an atmosphere of brother
liness, with an appreciation of what these peoples are bringing from the old world to
enrich American life. The church is also deeply concerned that the living conditions
of these people shall, as soon as possible, approximate our American standards. If
they are underpaid, or poorly housed or otherwise neglected or exploited, we shall not
only fail in their Americanization but they will drag down the standards of American
labor.
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It should be recognized also that an effective shop management, in which labor is
given its proper responsibility, is difficult to organize when the men do not under
stand each other’s speech, and represent divergent national labor experiences. Ameri
canization is therefore necessary to the development of industrial democracy.
A N ew S o cia l M orality.
The church has also certain manifest functions and duties in the cooperative effort
which is being organized by the Public Health Service for sex morality and the control
of venereal diseases. Its most important function is the instruction of children and
young people in the spiritual ideals of love and the relations of the sexes; the training
of young men to be good husbands and fathers as well as of young women to be good
wives and mothers; personal watchfulness by pastors, teachers, and leaders of clubs
over young people, especially over those who manifest tendencies to indiscretion;
educational assistance to parents in the training of their children.
State legislation requiring certificates of freedom from venereal infection before
marriage is in an experimental stage. Such laws require careful formulation and a
thorough education of public opinion. They should be made a part of regulations
aiming to prevent the marriage of persons unfitted to become the parents of children
because of these or other infections, or because of other physical or mental disqualifi
cations. In the absence of such laws, or of their effective enforcement, parents should
look carefully into these matters before the marriage of their children.
The churches should cooperate in community efforts to abolish segregated vice dis
tricts, to make humane provision for prostitutes, and for clinical treatment of infected
persons. While favorable to the establishment of clinics for the treatment of infected
persons, the church cannot advocate prophylaxis. Treatment to prevent infection is
likely to result finally in an increase of social immorality, and, as has been demon
strated' by the experience of segregation, in an increase of venereal diseases. The
church must use its utmost educational influence to strengthen self-control and to
preserve the religious sanctions of marriage and the integrity of the home.
Repressive and curative measures are inadequate without also a simultaneous
attempt to secure a freer scope for normal sex expression through all grades of associa
tion between men and women, from comradeship to marriage. To this end it is impor
tant to provide abundant wholesome opportunities for the association of the sexes,
possibility for earlier marriages through economic freedom, and the encouragement of
love and unselfish devotion of men and women to each other in the home. The
church, which brings both sexes and all ages into normal relations, is admirably fitted
to provide for this wholesome association of the sexes, and to do so should become an
object of definite endeavor.
S u b stitu te s f o r the S a lo o n .
Prohibition has now become a part of our basic law. That it should fail of enforce
ment through apathy, or in consequence of the influence of special interests, is incon
ceivable in a democratic country. Whatever vigilance is necessary to make the law
effective will surely not be lacking.
The passing of the saloon, which with all its pernicious influences, was yet a social
center to a multitude of men, creates a new obligation to replace it with wholesome
equivalents. Community centers, the church as a social center, fraternal orders and
private clubs, public recreation, education in the use of leisure time,—all these should
be developed rapidly and with great power and attractiveness. Especially should our
churches be opened seven days in the week, with helpful religious, educational and
social activities. But let us remember that the best equivalent is the home, and that
whatever makes homes possible and renders them beautiful surpasses every other
method.
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III. The Church in the Social Movement.
When the church enteres upon the actual tasks of social reconstruction, it under
takes problems that are highly technical, often controversial, and difficult for an
organization which is composed of men of all parties and movements. But a hesitant
policy will get nowhere in the present crisis, nor will general statements or casual
service avail. The ordinary preacher can not be an economist or sociologist, nor is
he, as a rule, familiar with industrial management. But the moral issues of recon
struction are confused and difficult, and it is concerning these that the minister may
be presumed to have technical knowledge. The church which does not show the way
here is derelict to its duty.
The Church’s D istin ctive P rogram .
The right policy for the church is therefore to study social problems from the point
of view of the spirit and teachings of Christ, and, acting loyally and unselfishly upon
these teachings, to exert its vast educational influence and use its institutional organi
zation for human happiness, social justice, and the democratic organization of society.
This looks toward a positive program, which may here coincide with social movements
and tendencies, there oppose them, but in which the church knows its own mind and
has the power of united action. Within this cooperation liberal and even radical
positions may l}e held with propriety by leaders and minority groups in the church,
for the broadest liberty and fellowship are desirable. It is only necessary that all
should remember that they represent a wide and generally conservative membership,
which must be led, not driven, and which responds to wise, patient and educative
leadership.
A N ew S o cia l Force.
It is important also at this time, that the churches, and especially ministers, should
be conscious of the fact that they are part of a corporate entity and that the public
should realize that there is available in the churches, in a sense, a great new social
force. This is evidenced by the fact that there are in the United States 135,000
ministers, priests and rabbis in charge of congregations, who minister to 42,000,000
actual communicants. In the Protestant churches there are 115,000 ministers in
charge of congregations, 25,000,000 communicants, an influential religious press, a
great system of educational institutions, and large numbers of social agencies, such as
hospitals and child-caring foundations.
The value of the church for national causes is one of the outstanding discoveries of
the war, and its assistance is now being sought by every great movement. The church
should respond with all its power, especially through pastors and the church press,
bringing into action all its educational facilities, and taking its place in the community
organization to which all such movements finally come for their main effort.
The church is both an educational force and an institution organized for neighbor
hood and community service. Its buildings are important social centers, capable of
great enlargement of activities. If directed intelligently and with public spirit, so
that it can never be truthfully charged with self-seeking, or the desire to control the
State, it may become one of the potent and beneficent factors of a turbulent era. The
religious bodies have learned to act together during the war, and it is now possible,
to a considerable extent, to use them as a united force for such purposes as are expressed
in these statements.
A M in istry o f E d u ca tio n .
The period of readjustment requires above all else patient, honest and critical
thought. The problems pressing for solution have a spiritual phase which the church
should interpret and emphasize. More than ever the training of ministers should
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include economics, sociology and politics. The preacher should take seriously hia
teaching office and be a leader of thought among his people. He should induce the
employers of his church to make conscientious study of their problems and duties;
and the wage earners, likewise, seeking also to bring the groups together in sympa
thetic understanding.
A signal service may be done by the church in developing community ideals by
means of the forum method of discussion. A service of worship in the morning and
a forum service in the evening for the study and emphasis of the social phase of religious
experience and obligation, constitute a well balanced Sunday program. Worship
and discussion can be combined simply and appropriately. In this way many a
church may also redeem its Sunday night service.
C o m m u n ity R ela tio n s.
Community relations and responsibility will henceforth bulk large in the work of
local churches. A pastor is not only a citizen but the leader of a disciplined force,
with, therefore, a double obligation to public sendee. It is a false idea that the
churches are only concerned with religious, educational, and charitable enterprises.
They are, or should be, vitally concerned with civic, economic, and other social inter
ests. And what is here said refers not only to churches in towns and cities, but with
especial force to rural churches because of the limited social resources of rural com
munities.
In a comprehensive statement of this kind, it is also necessary to say that local
churches can never constitute a powerful social force, until they are effectively
federated and intelligently related to the social movement of their community.
The next ten years should see the Protestant churches working unitedly in every
community, and Catholic, Hebrew, and Protestant churches cooperating in social
effort. Here is one field in which theological and historical differences need not
figure, in ‘which religion may become a uniting, and not, as too often at present, a
divisive force.
We advise church people and pastors to take sympathetic interest in the community
center movement in their own community, to assist in its development, to keep it
out of the control of the politicians, and under the control of public spirited citizens,
and to avoid needless duplication of buildings and effort. It is very important that
such centei's should be w ell supervised by trained workers.
The Church a n d W orking P eople.
One of the important tasks of the next ten years is to bring the church into closer
relations with the wage earners of the nation. We have been negligent in this matter
and have suffered a rude awakening in needless estrangements. The main features
in this task are as follows:
(a) The creation, as rapidly as possible, of many hundreds of powerful, highly
socialized and democratically organized churches in working class neighborhoods of
cities and industrial centers, and the development of special methods for problems
which require distinctive treatment, such as those encountered in logging camps,
company towns, and among night workers and submerged populations.
(b ) The development by the seminaries and by special training methods of ministers
who know how to administer such churches, men who know economics and social
problems as well as theology, and who desire to devote their lives to the welfare of
the masses.
(c) A powerful effort by the whole church, but concentrating in these churches, and
in alliance with the workers themselves, to achieve the great objects for which the
. workers are struggling, such as living wages, reasonable hours, safe conditions of labor,
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equal opportunities and pay for women, participation in management and ownership
and abolition of child labor.
(d)
Surveys of the working class resident districts of our cities and industrial centers,
in order to lay out, with common consent, large noncompeting parishes for these
churches, and to secure, as rapidly as possible, the closing out of competing churches
and the placing of their financial equities in other noncompeting centers. This will
require the cooperation of city missionary societies and federations of churches, and
also of home mission boards.
M oral R eco n stru ctio n .
/
The experiences of the war, revealing, as they do, reversion to barbarous practices
by highly civilized peoples, the nearness to the surface of savage instincts and deep
selfishness in vast numbers of men, the willingness to profiteer on the part of workers
as well as employers, the intensity of racial, national, and religious antagonisms—these
experiences have demonstrated anew that the progress of humanity is dependent not
alone upon social organization, but upon the strength of the moral emotions and the
discipline of character. Whether the work that is to be done in reconstruction,
beginning with the peace treaty itself, shall yield satisfaction or disappointment, will
depend mainly upon the working capital of moral character among the peoples who
undertake the tasks.
N ow that the war is over the church should return to its historic functions of Christian
nurture, evangelism, and religious education, with new sanctions and a sure knowledge
that its ministry to the inner life and to the building of character are after all its great
est contribution to social welfare. If the governments of the world have learned the
lesson of the war, they will encourage the church in these vital undertakings, and they
will themselves turn with renewed energy to the work of education. They will drive
hard at that moral discipline which alone can fortify our democratic ideals. Every
movement of social reform will be partial and disappointing until a powerful work of
education, both general and religious, has been accomplished.
IV. Conclusion.
It must not be forgotten that in social reconstruction we are dealing with matters that
vitally affect the welfare and happiness of millions of human beings, and that we have
come upon times when people are not submissive to injustice or to unnecessary priva
tion and suffering. They are deeply and justly in earnest. As has been said, we are
laying the foundation of a new world. If those who are the actual industrial, political,
and social leaders of the Nation will not act upon the principle that the greatest shall be
the servant of all, then the people themselves, with indignation and bitterness, are
sure to take their destiny and that of the world into their own hands. The social
question can not be dealt with casually. People who are born with unusual ability,
of whatever kind, or who receive special advantages, are given them for unselfish
service. Large holdings of property can be justified only by devotion to the common
good. We are entering upon an era in which the absorbing concern of the world will
be for social justice and the greatest well-being of the greatest number. This will
animate the religious spirit of the future—a spirit which has found its supreme expres
sion and example in Jesus Christ.
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Principles of Industrial Relations Adopted by
United States Chamber of Commerce.
HE Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America1
has from time to time considered questions respecting relations
between employers and employed, having committed itself to the
principle of vocational education in the States, having opposed legis
lative restrictions on industrial efficiency, and having declared that
railroads and their employees should settle their controversies without
permitting the public service to be impaired. In 1917 the board of
directors authorized the appointment of a committee to consider the
whole question of industrial relations and the principles which should
prevail, and in February, 1918, this committee presented a report
upon the labor policy which the United States should follow during
the war. It was later requested to formulate principles which it
believed should be applied between employers and employed. This
task, however, was subsequently referred to a new committee whose
report, made in April, 1919, was submitted in the form of 13 definite
principles of industrial relations to the membership of the National
Chamber (Referendum No. 27) for approval or disapproval. The
committee just referred to consisted of nine members, as follows:
Henry P. Kendall, chairman, manufacturer, of Boston; Henry
Bruere, of New York City; William Butterworth, manufacturer, of
Moline, 111.; Joseph H. Defrees, lawyer, of Chicago; A. Lincoln
Filcno, merchant, of Boston; John W. O’Leary, manufacturer, of
Chicago; L. A. Osborne, engineer and manufacturer, of New York
and Pittsburg; F. A. Seiberling, manufacturer, of Akron, Ohio; and
Harry A. Wheeler, banker, of Chicago. The report is signed by six 2
members. The committee did nothing more than indicate principles,
and in-connection with the submission of the report to the membership
of the national chamber there were prepared some outlines of consider
ations which were regarded as having a bearing in favor or against the
principles set out by the committee. These outlines are printed under
the heads “ Arguments in the affirmative” and “ Arguments in the
negative.” In like manner several appendixes were added to the
report as submitted, containing the following material: (a) Declara
tion of principles by the National War Labor Board; (b) Cooperative
boards for British industries; (c) Examples of relatively small labor
turnover; (d) Proposals for the settlement of industrial strife.
1 National headquarters, Washington, D . C.
2 Mr. Osborne and Mr. Seiberling, according to a statement issued by the Chamber of Commerce, did not
attend the meeting at which the report was prepared and consequently were not called upon to take action
with respect to it. Mr. Filene withheld his signature from the report upon the ground that in his opinion
it does not go far enough in presenting a constructive program.
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Principles of Industrial Relations.
Tho following is tho report of the committee. Each question sub
mitted, except No. 13, was favorably indorsed through the registra
tion of the necessary two-thirds vote. Question No. 13 was, however,
indorsed by a majority vote.
1. Industrial enterprise, as a source of livelihood for both employer and employee,
should be so conducted that due consideration is given to the situation of all persons
dependent upon it.
2. The public interest requires adjustment of industrial relations by peaceful
methods.
3. Regularity and continuity of employment should be sought to the fullest extent
possible and constitute a responsibility resting alike upon employer, wage earners,
and the public.
4. The right of workers to organize is as clearly recognized as that of any other
element or part of the community.
5. Industrial harmony and prosperity will be most effectually promoted by ade
quate representation of the parties in interest. Existing forms of representation
should be carefully studied and availed of in so far as they may be found to have
merit and are adaptable to the peculiar conditions in the various industries.
6. Whenever agreements are made with respect to industrial relations they should
be faithfully observed.
7. Such agreements should contain provision for prompt and final interpretation
in the event of controversy regarding meaning or application.
8. Wages should be adjusted with due regard to the purchasing power of the wage
and to the right of every man to an opportunity to earn a living at fair wages, to rea
sonable hours of work and working conditions, to a decent home, and to the enjoyment
of proper social conditions.
9. Fixing of a basic day as a device for increasing compensation is a subterfuge that
should be condemned.
10. Efficient production in conjunction with adequate wages is essential to success
ful industry. Arbitrary restriction on output below reasonable standards is harmful
to the' interests of wage earners, employers, and the public and should not be per
mitted. Industry, efficiency, and initiative, wherever found, should be encouraged
and adequately rewarded, while indolence and indifference shpuld be condemned.
11. Consideration of reduction in wages should not be reached until possibility
of reduction of costs in all other directions has been exhausted.
12. Administration of employment and management of labor should be recognized
as a distinct and important function of management and accorded its proper responsi
bility in administrative organization.
13. A system of national employment offices, with due provision for cooperation
with existing State and municipal systems, can be made, under efficient management
and if conducted with due regard to the equal interests of employers and employees
in its proper administration, a most helpful agency, but only if all appointments
are made strictly subject to the civil service law and rules. Policies governing the
conduct of a national system of employment offices should be determined in con
junction with advisory boards—National, State, and local—equally representative
of employers and employees.
127971°—19----- 6
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Seventh Annual Meeting of Chamber of Commerce.
At the seventh annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of the
United States, at St. Louis, April 28 to May 1, 1919, resolutions were
adopted covering a wide range of subjects, including soldier and
sailor employment, Government ownership and operation of public j
utilities, encouragement of foreign trade and investments, construc
tion, highways, waterways, water power, a National budget, and the
President’s veto power.
The resolutions pertaining to soldier and sailor employment and
to resumption of construction activities, which have a bearing upon
questions of particular interest to labor, are as follows:1
Soldier and Sailor Employment.
Employers generally adopted a policy of reengaging soldiers, sailors, and marines
formerly in their employ, and this chamber recommends a continuance of this policy
to the end that every soldier, sailor, and marine shall find employment in the commu
nity where he was employed when he entered the service.
Prompt reemployment depends upon proper distribution. Proper distribution
necessitates the return of a discharged man to the community where employed when
he entered the armed forces, at least until such time as he may be better able to
obtain elsewhere the kind of work, or the new opportunity, which he may now seek.
The commercial organizations of the country should continue to develop a program
of closest cooperation in the field of soldier, sailor, and marine employment, in all
cases instructing the official in charge to keep the headquarters of the Chamber of
Commerce of the United States closely advised in order that it may serve as a clearing
house among local organizations and with the Government.
Construction.
The interests of the public require an immediate resumption of construction activi
ties in order that the housing and other construction needs of the Nation necessarily
deferred by the war may be provided and that labor may find ample employment.
The Federal Government, especially the Railroad Administration and the Treasury
Department, as well as State, county, and municipal authorities, should proceed
with public work wherever possible.
Reports of British Coal Industry Commission on
Nationalization and Management.
HE
for May, 1919 (pp. 109-114),
T
contained a summary of the circumstances leading up to the
appointment of the British Coal Industry Commission, and of its
Monthly
L abor
R e v ie w
interim reports concerning hours and wages in the coal-mining
industry. These reports were submitted to Parliament, where that
signed by the chairman and the three representatives of employers
in general, usually referred to as the Sankey report, was indorsed,
1 Summary oi the seventh annual meeting of the Chamber of Gommerce of the United States, St. Louis,
April 28 to May 1, 1919. Washington, 1919.
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and after some hesitation the miners agreed to accept it. The com
mission resumed its. hearings on April 23, taking up the questions of
the nationalization and future organization of the coal mines and
the mining industry. Mr. Justice Sankey was retained as chairman,
and the six labor representatives on the commission remained un
changed, but on the employers’ side Sir Thomas Hoyden and Mr.
J. T. Forgie retired, their places being taken by Sir Adam Nimmo
and Sir Allan M. Smith. On June 20, 1919, the commission handed
in reports, which are now under consideration by Parliament and by
the Miners’ Federation. As in the earlier case, there are several
reports. One is signed by the chairman, Mr. Justice Sankey, and in
this, on the whole, the six labor members concur, though they present
a brief memorandum setting forth some points in which they differ
from the chairman; another is signed by five of the six employers’
representatives, while the sixth, Sir Arthur Duckham, finding him
self unable to agree with any of his colleagues, presents an independ
ent report of his own.
The members of the commission had before them three distinct
propositions: The ownership of the coal itself, the ownership of the
mines, and the management of the mining industry. On the first
of these there was complete agreement in principle, though there
was some diversity of opinion as to how the principle should be
carried into effect. Private ownership of the coal deposits of the
nation is admitted to be an anomaly which should no longer be
permitted. The chairman’s first recommendation is that Parlia
ment should immediately pass legislation for acquiring the coal
royalties for the State. In this recommendation the miners’ repre
sentatives concur entirely; Sir Arthur Duckham declares that "the
whole of the mineral rights of Great Britain should be acquired by
the State;” and the coal owners’ representatives, having discussed
at length the difficulties arising from private ownership in coal,
conclude:
We have carefully considered the evidence submitted to us and have come to the
conclusion that the most effective method of dealing with the problem in the national
interest would be for the State to acquire the ownership of the coal. Under State
ownership there would be one owner instead of several thousand owners, and the
difficulties caused under the present system will be effectively dealt with.
As to the method of acquiring the ownership of the coal, the
chairman, the six employers’ representatives, and three of the miners’
representatives advocate “ fair and just compensation” to the present
owners of royalties, and provide carefully for safeguarding their
interests. Three of the miners’ representatives think no compen
sation should be paid, though they are willing to make “ compas
sionate allowances” in cases in which small owners might be reduced
to poverty by the confiscation of their rights.
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Ownership of the Mines.
On the question of ownership of the mines divergencies of opinion
appear. The chairman’s report recommends the immediate accept
ance of the principle of State ownership of the coal mines; the
continuance of the present system of coal control for three years,
during which a system of local administration shall be worked out;
and legislation for acquiring the mines for the State after such a
scheme shall have been worked for three years, paying fair and just
compensation to the present owners. To this the miners’ repre
sentatives agree, adding the proviso that all coke and by-product
plants attached to collieries shall be treated as part of the coal mines
and acquired by the State. Duckham is not in favor of national
ownership, holding ¿jjiat it involves State management, that this
would be “ an unprecedented and colossal experiment,” and that a
mistake “ would result in a national calamity,” while the other five
representatives of employers declare:
We have carefully weighed the whole of the evidence and have come to the conclu
sion that the nationalization of the coal industry in any form would be detrimental •
to the development of the industry and to the economic life of the country.
The miners’ representatives give no independent arguments for
their view, merely indorsing those of the chairman’s report, while
the Duckham report stresses principally the fact that the whole
question is as yet theoretic and that it is unwise to experiment in
such a serious matter. The argument, therefore, lies between Mr.
Justice Sankey and the five representatives of the mine owners. It
is conceded by all that State ownership implies some form of State
management. Sankey’s argument is, first, that the present system
of individual ownership and management is wasteful and inefficient.
In the export trade, competition between coal owners to obtain
orders is so keen that frequently the industry does not get the full
value for the article, while in the retail trade the system of distri
bution through the hands of many private individuals prevents the
consumer getting the article as cheaply as he should. “ In other
words, there is underselling in the export trade and overlapping in
the inland trade.”
Again, the lack of capital in some cases and the lack of proper
management in others prevent the attainment of the best results.
The coal mines are owned by about 1,500 companies or individuals,
and there is much unnecessary expense in the duplication of equip
ment, lack of standardized appliances, etc. “ Unification under
State ownership makes it possible to apply the principles of stand
ardization of materials and appliances and thereby to effect econ
omies to an extent which is impossible under a system where there
are so many individual owners.”
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These defects of private ownership, Sankey admits, might be
overcome by a system of unification falling short of State ownership,
but such a system would fail to meet a fundamental difficulty found
in the respective attitudes of the coal owners and the coal miners.
The relationship between the masters and workers in most of the coal fields in the
United Kingdom is, unfortunately, of such a character that it seems impossible to
better it under the present system of ownership. Many of the workers think they are
working for the capitalist and a strike becomes a contest between labor and capital.
This is much less likely to apply with the State as owner, and there is fair reason to
expect that the relationship between labor and the community will be an improve
ment upon the relationship between labor and capital in the coal fields.
Beyond this antagonism there is a final difficulty in the way of
private ownership which Sankey considers insuperable. The work
ers have developed desires wdiich will not be satisfied with higher
wages and shorter hours, no matter how liberal the concessions in
these respects. They are manifesting in an ever increasing degree
the ambition and the deep desire to take a share in the management,
to become in some degree the heads, as well as the hands, of the
industry. This desire can not be satisfied under private manage
ment; the private owners are definitely unwilling to yield any part
of their complete authority. This was made very plain at the
hearings.
The attitude of the colliery owners is well expressed by Lord Gainford, who, speak
ing on their behalf as a witness before the commission, states: “ I am authorized to
say on behalf of the Mining Association that if owners are not to be left complete
executive control they will decline to accept the responsibility of carrying on the
industry, and, though they regard nationalization as disastrous to the country, they
feel they would in such event be driven to the only alternative—nationalization on
fair terms.”
Faced, therefore, by these two irreconcilable attitudes, the deter
mination of the miners to have a share in the control of the industry
and the determination of the mine owners to keep that control in
their own hands, the chairman, hacked by the labor members of
the commission, considers State ownership and management the
only way out. It is admitted that this is an experiment, and that
there is a chance that State ownership may stifle incentive, but
against that is the fact that the present system involves destructive
unrest and industrial strife.
I think that the danger to be apprehended from the certainty of the continuance
of this strife in the coal-mining industry outweighs the danger arising from the
problematical fear of the risk of the loss of incentive.
The main argument of the mine owners against nationalization is
that State management must necessarily be timid and bureaucratic.
The passing on of responsibility from one man to another is, in their
opinion, an inseparable feature of governmental management; and
such an attitude is fatal to success in industrial undertakings.
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It is of the essence of success in industry that those who conduct it should not hesi
tate to take responsibility and incur commercial risks. When this is done in the
coal industry, what is placed at risk is the capital—or profits of capital—made avail
able for the very purpose of being used in a risky undertaking. On the other hand,
the only justification for a Government official taking risks is a grave national emer
gency. * * * Should the State indulge in industry, particularly in the mining
industry, which is so vitally connected with the destiny of the Nation, the result
would be nothing short of disaster.
Furthermore, the mine owners feel that should the policy of
nationalization prevail there is grave danger that the management
of the industry might be swayed by political considerations to an
extent that would be gravely detrimental to the Nation. They feel
that no evidence has been submitted justifying the conclusion that
the benefits claimed by its advocates would result from State owner
ship of the mines, and that there is no ground for belief that nationali
zation would have the effect of reducing the price of coal. With
out cooperation between workers and management, nationalization
could not secure an increase of production, but the evidence has
shown that strikes are not prevented by State ownership and man
agement. They believe that the opposition between employers
and employed in the coal fields has been greatly exaggerated and
that all reasonable desires of the workpeople can be satisfied without
any change of ownership.
It is regrettable that during the whole of the proceedings emphasis has been laid
on a state of antagonism which is alleged to exist between the employers and the
workpeople in the coal industry. To such an extent is this feeling alleged to exist
that it is stated that the only means of overcoming it is to nationalize the industry
and to substitute the State for private enterprise.
From the evidence submitted, which is confirmed by our own knowledge, no
foundation exists for such an assertion. In certain cases owing to the action of indi
viduals, few in number but active in agitation, local unrest has been created, but we
are convinced that the relations between the employers and the vast majority of the
workpeople in the coal-mining industry do not call for the drastic proposals that have
been advanced.
The personal and human element which exists under present conditions would be
almost entirely eliminated should the State take over the industry.
From the evidence submitted it is clear that the mine owjiers are prepared to increase
the facilities for enabling the workpeople to acquire a greater knowledge of and inter
est in the industry.
Finally, they feel that the support given to the claim for nationali
zation “ comes mainly from socialists and theorists who seem pro
foundly convinced that it is their prerogative to lead the Nation in
the direction of thought considered by them to be good for the
Nation,” but that the theorists themselves were often not of one
mind on the subject.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[3 8 4 ]
M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
83
Acquisition of Mines.
If the State is to own the mines it must of necessity acquire them,
and as to method of doing this Mr. Justice Sankey and the six miners*
representatives are in substantial agreement. It is advised that the
State should purchase at a fair value all the collieries, and all
buildings, plants, machinery, stores, and other effects in and about the
collieries. Any expenditure for development, including housing, if
incurred with the consent of the controller of coal mines after a
fixed date, should be repaid with interest. The State should also
assume the power to purchase any real or movable property directly
associated with the working of the colliery not covered by the above
provisions. It is proposed that most of the present officials engaged
in the coal-mining industry, including the managing directors of
companies, should be offered an opportunity of remaining at their
present salaries on a five years’ agreement, with the provision that
they shall receive any increases awarded from time to time. Fur
ther, any just claims of pioneer boring companies should be recog
nized, and the State should assume the power to carry out explora
tory borings.
Plan of Administration Under State Ownership.
The six miners’ representatives, again, are in substantial agreement
with the chairman in regard to a suggested scheme of administration
for the mines while their ownership is being acquired. It is pointed
out that the time at the commission’s disposal has been too short to
allow of formulating a complete scheme, and that this plan is put
forward only as a suggestion of the lines along which the management
might be developed. As outlined, the plan provides for a series of
mining councils, local, district, and national, in each of which the
miners themselves are to be represented, and which are to function
under a minister of mines, who is to sit in, and be responsible to,
Parliament, and who is to be assisted by a standing committee of 18
members, elected from the national mining council. Each mine
is to have its local council of 10 members, consisting of the manager,
the under-manager, and the commercial manager as ex officio mem
bers, four members elected by the mine workers, and three members
appointed by the district mining council. This council shall advise
on matters of health and safety, and shall report fortnightly to the
minister of mines and to the district mining council any fall in out
put, and the causes thereof. Should the mine manager refuse to be
guided by the advice of this council the matter is to be referred to
the district council. One important provision reads as follows:
T he c o n tra cts of e m p lo y m en t of w orkm en shall em b o d y a n u n d e rta k in g to be
fram ed b y th e d is tric t m in in g council to th e effect th a t no w orkm an w ill, in conse
q u e n ce of a n y d isp u te, join in g iv in g a n y n o tice to d e te rm in e h is c o n tra ct, nor w ill h e
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[385]
84
M O N T H L Y LABOR REV IEW .
combine to cease work, unless and until the question in dispute has been be'ore the
local mining council and the district mining council and those councils have failed to
settle the dispute.
The plan for the district mining council is perhaps the most impor
tant part of the whole scheme. Its purpose is to prevent the devel
opment of bureaucratic control by causing the industry “ to be con
trolled locally by a council of 14, upon which there is equal repre
sentation for the miners, for the consumers, and for persons acquainted
with the commercial and technical side of the industry.” It is sug
gested that the coal fields be divided into 14 districts, for each of
which there shall be a district council consisting of a chairman and
vice chairman, appointed by the minister of mines, four members
elected by ballot by the workers, and eight members appointed by
the national mining council, of whom four shall represent con
sumers and four the commercial and technical sides of the industry.
This council is to have wide powers:
Subject to the direction of the minister of mines the district mining council shall
manage in its district the entire coal extraction, the regulation of output, the dis
continuance of or the opening out of mines, trial sinkings, the control of prices, and the
basis of wage assessment and the distribution of coal.
The miners’ contracts of employment are to contain an agreement
not to strike in consequence of any dispute affecting a district unless
and until the question in dispute has been before both the district and
the national mining councils, and both have failed to settle the dispute.
The national mining council is to be in the main an advisory body
designed to work with the minister of mines. A standing committeeof 18 members, elected from and by the national mining council, and
representing in equal numbers the workers, the consumers, and the
commercial and technical side of the industry, shall meet regularly
for the purpose of superintending the operations of the district mining
councils. No national alteration of wages shall be made without the
consent both of the minister of mines and the standing committee.
In regard to this scheme of management, the miners’ representativesdiffer from the chairman in two respects: They feel that there should
be a fuller representation of the miners on the district and national
councils, and they object to the restriction upon striking.
Whilst fully recognizing the necessity of working rules, and the importance of pre
venting unnecessary stoppages, we feel that the provisions of paragraphs L, LXIV,
and L X X II may be used to impose upon the workers by law a particular form of con
tract, without their consent—an innovation to which we think it will be difficult togain agreement, and which we believe to be not the best calculated to attain the object..
Mine Owners' Scheme of Management.
Tho report of the mine owners’ representatives contains a suggested
scheme of management differing from the above, especially in the
smaller weight given to the miners. The scheme calls for the creation
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[3S6]
M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
85
of a mines department having at its head a responsible official thor
oughly acquainted with the mining industry. This department
would naturally be the agency for acquiring the coal rights of the
country, but it should have other functions in addition.
It should also have administrative functions, including the functions which are at
present exercised by the mines department at the Home Office, and it should have
jurisdiction over all questions relating to the coal mines except the adjustment of
labor disputes and wages, which are appropriate subjects for the jurisdiction of the
Minister of Labor. For example, it should deal with questions of safety and technique;
should collect and publish statistics relative to accidents, output, export, and con
sumption; it should be a record office for data relating to the coal industry and should
deal with questions affecting new coal fields and the development of existing ones.
In the exercise of its duty the mines department should be assisted by a national
advisory council consisting of representatives of (a) the department, ( b ) the colliery
owners, (c) the mine Workers, (d) mining engineers, and (e) other scientific experts.
To secure cooperation and harmonious relations between employer
and employed, the report recommends the creation of a system of
pit committees, district councils, and national councils, somewhat on
the line of the Whitley committees. Apparently there is no intention
of giving the workers any authoritative voice in these; indeed, this
seems to be provided against in the introductory sentence:
While it is essential, even in the interests of the mine Workers themselves, that
the executive authority of the management should not be impaired, we recommend
that full and regular opportunity should be given to each party to bring forward for
discussion any question of mutual interest.
Since it is provided in the paragraphs dealing with the creation of
the mines department that questions involving the adjustment of
labor disputes and wages shall be under the jurisdiction of the Minister
of Labor, and since these committees are only for purposes of discus
sion, no authority being provided for carrying out decisions they
may come to and no line of action being indicated in case the two sides
fail to come to an agreement, the plan hardly seems to meet the
demand of the miners for a voice in the management of the industry.
Related Matters.
The two main reports recommend the improvement of conditions
for the workers, both in the mines and outside. Both call for an
increase in the number of mine inspectors, for the improvement of
housing conditions, the establishment of pit-head baths, etc. Both
advocate Government action to further investigation and research in
regard to methods of mining and using coal. There is general agree
ment that the production of coal has fallen off alarmingly, but
disagreement as to the responsibility for this situation. Mr. Justice
Sankey does not attempt to apportion the blame.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[387]
86
MONTHLY LABOR EE VIEW.
The alarming fall in output has convinced me that at present everyone is not doing
his best. I am not able to say whether this is the fault of the management or of the
workers or of both. Each blames the other. The cause must be investigated, but
whatever it may be it is hopeless to expect an improvement in the present atmosphere
of distrust and recrimination.
The miners’ representatives touch on this subject in their memoran
dum, stating that there is no evidence to show that the men are
refraining from doing their best, and calling earnestly for an im
mediate investigation, while the employers’ representatives call with
equal emphasis for “ an immediate and complete investigation” into
the causes which have contributed to the fall.
Summary.
Taking up the three main questions before the commission, it
appears that on the first, the ownership of the coal rights of the
Nation, there is unanimity of opinion that this ownership should
vest in the Nation itself. As to the method of acquisition, the
commission stands ten to three in favor of compensating the pres
ent owners. On the question of State ownership and management of
the mines, seven are in favor and six against. The seven in favor
are in fairly substantial accord as to the method of management,
although differing on the question of how much representation should
be accorded the workers, and whether or not they should give up the
right of striking without waiting for the action of the various bodies
on which the workers are represented. Five of the six opposed favor
a scheme of management retaining the authority of the owners, but
allowing the workers opportunity to present their view. As the
report phrases it:
The authors propose that by means of joint committees of employers and workers
full opportunity should be given to the workers in each district and at each colliery
to make suggestions with respect to the methods and conditions of their work, without
impairing the authority of the owner, agent, or manager of the mine, upon whom the
law imposes responsibility for the control, management, and direction of the mine.
These different reports were presented June 20, 1919, and are now
before Parliament for consideration and action. The information
received in this country seems to indicate that there is likely to be
long and earnest debate over them.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[38S]
PRICES AND COST OF LIVING.
Retail Prices of Food in the United States.
HE retail price of 22 articles 1 of food combined, for which con
sumption weights are secured by the Bureau, shows a decrease
for the United States of less than five-tenths of 1 per cent in June,
1919, as compared with May, 1919. Thirteen of the 43 articles for
which prices were secured for June 15, 1919, and May 15, 1919,
making comparison possible, were cheaper in June than they were
in May. Cabbage declined 20 per cent, butter 7 per cent, chuck
roast 5 per cent, rib roast, plate beef, and bananas, 4 per cent each;
sirloin steak, round steak, and lamb, 3 per cent each; hens, 2 per
cent; pork chops, corn flakes, and baked beans, 1 per cent each.
Flour, rolled oats, Cream of Wheat, canned com, canned peas, and
sugar were the same price in June as in May.
Articles which increased were: Potatoes, 15 per cent; prunes, 9
per cent; onions and coffee, 5 per cent each; lard and Crisco, 4 per cent
each; rice, 3 per cent; evaporated milk, oleomargarine, corn meal, and
raisins, 2 per cent each; bacon, ham, fresh milk, eggs, bread, macaroni,
navy beans, canned tomatoes, and oranges 1 per cent each; canned
salmon, nut margarine, cheese, and tea increased less than five-tenths
of 1 per cent.
On June 15, 1919, the cost of 22 articles 1 of food for which weights
were secured was 14 per cent higher than a year ago. In the year
period, coffee increased 41 per cent, potatoes 31 per cent, cheese 28
per cent, eggs 26 per cent, butter 24 per cent, lard 23 per cent, sugar
16 per cent, milk 15 per cent, and flour 12 per cent. Onions and
prunes, which are not included in the 22 weighted articles, increased
133 per cent and 53 per cent, respectively. Corn meal decreased 6
per cent, chuck roast and plate beef each decreased 5 per cent, and
navy beans 31 per cent during the year period.
1 Sirloin steak, round steak, rib roast, chuck roast, plate beef, pork chops, bacon, hain, lard, hens,
flour, com meal, eggs, butter, m ilk, bread, potatoes, sugar, cheese, rice, coffee, tea.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
87
[3 8 9 ]
88
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
A V E R A G E R E T A I L P R I C E S A N D P E R C E N T O F I N C R E A S E O R D E C R E A S E JU N E 15,
1919, C O M P A R E D W IT H J U N E 15, 1918, A N D M A Y 15, 1919.
Per cent of
increase ( + ) or
decrease (— )
June 15,1919,
compared w ith—
A verage retail price—
A rticle.
Sirloin steak..............................
Round steak...................................
Rib roast..........................................
Chuck roast.....................................
Plate beef.........................................
Pork chops.......................................
Bacon, sliced...................................
Ham, sliced.....................................
Lamb................................................
Hens.......................................... . . . .
Salmon, canned..............................
Milk, fresh....................................... .
Milk, evaporated (unsweetened).
B utter...............................................
Oleomargarine........................ .......
N ut margarine............................... .
Cheese................................................
Lard.................................................. .
Crisco................................................ .
Eggs, strictly fresh..........................
Bread................................................ .
Flour..................................................
Corn meal..........................................
Rolled oats........................................
Corn flakes........................................
Cream of W heat..............................
Macaroni............................................
R ice....................................................
Beans, n a v y ......................................
Potatoes.............................................
Onions................................................
Cabbage.............................................
Beans, baked....................................
Corn, canned.....................................
Peas, canned.....................................
Tomatoes, canned............................
Sugar, granulated............................
T ea......................................................
Coffee..................................................
Prunes................................................
R aisins...............................................
Bananas.............................................
Oranges..............................................
U nit.
r o u n d __
.. .d o __
...d o ...
...d o ...
. . . d o __
...d o ...
...d o ...
. . . d o __
. ..d o ...
.. . d o . . .
...d o ...
Q u a rt..
15-16oz.can
P o u n d __
. . .d o ..........
. . .d o ..........
. . .d o ..........
.. .d o ..........
.. .d o ..........
D ozen.......
Pound L . .
P oun d __
.. .d o ..........
.. .d o ..........
8-o7,. p k g ..
28-oz. p kg.
P o u n d __
...d o ..........
...do........
.. .do........
.. .d o ..........
.. .do........
No. 2 can..
.. .do........
...do........
. .do........
Pound__
. .do........
..do........
. .do........
. .do........
Dozen......
. .do........
22 weighted articles com bined.
June 15,
1918.
M av 15,
1919.
Cts.
42.6
40.6
33.5
29.5
22.7
37.2
51.5
46.5
37.4
37.6
29.5
13.0
Cts.
44.4
41.6
35.2
29.7
22.5
43.0
56.7
54.5
39.6
43.5
31.9
14.9
15.1
67.9
40.4
35.3
42.2
38.8
33.9
53.1
9.8
7.5
51.1
33.2
32.6
42.5
10.0
6.7
6.7
12.5
17.6
2.9
4.8
9.1
64.7
30.2
16.6
15.1
June 15, June 15,¡Mav 15,
1918. i 1919.
1919.
8.4
14.1
25.1
19.0
13.4
Cts.
43.1
40.4
33.8
28.1
21.5
42.4
57.2
55.2
38.4
42.6
32.0
15.0
15.4
63.3
41.4
35.4
42.4
40.2
35.3
53.5
9.9
7.5
6.3
8.4
14.0
25.1
19. k
13.8
12.0
12.1
6.2
3.3
10.7
9.6
17.5
19.1
19.0
15.8
7.7
17.3
19.1
19.0
15. 9
10.6
10.6
69.8
40.5
23.2
16.5
38.8
54.1
70.1
42.6
25.4
16.8
37.4
54.4
3.8
11.2
+ 1
(2)
+
1
5
- 3
- 3
5
+ 14
-
+
2
+ 8
(3)
+ 24
+1
+2
- 7
+2
+ 4
+ 4
+1
+1
)+ 2
-1
)+ 1
+ 3
+1
+ 26
-
4
- 1
+1
+
1
- 3
11
+ 15
+
4
- 5
+ 18
+ 3
+ 13
1
12
6
+
10
- 31
+ 31
+ 133
+ 15
+ 5
-2 0
-
1
+1
+ 16
+ 8
+ 41
+- 53
+ 11
+ 14
1 Baked weight.
2 Decrease less than five-tenths of 1 per cent.
-
+ 5
+ 9
+2
+1
- 4
( 2)
1 Increase less than five-tenths of 1 per cent.
1 No change in price.
During the six-year period, June, 1913, to June, 1919, the retail
price of the 22 articles of food combined increased 88 per cent.
The following articles increased 100 per cent or over: Lard, 154
per cent; flour, 127 per cent; corn meal, 125 per cent; potatoes, 111
per cent; bacon, 107 per cent; ham, 104 per cent; pork chops, 103
per cent each; and sugar, 100 per cent. Other articles show increases
ranging from 67 per cent for sirloin steak and fresh milk to 98 per
cent for lamb.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[390]
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,
89
A VERAGE R E TA IL PRICE A N D P E R CENT OF INCREASE OR DECREASE IN THE
U N IT E D STATES JU N E 15 OF EACH SPEC IFIE D Y E A R , COMPARED W ITH JU N E 15,
1913.
Average retail price June 15—
Unit.
Article.
1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919
*
Sirloin steak................
Round steak...............
Rib roast.............. .
Chuck roast.................
Plate beef.....................
Pork chops..................
Per cent of increase ( + ) or
decrease (—) June 15 of
each specified year com
pared with June 15, 1913.
Pound___
. ..d o ...........
.. .d o...........
. ..d o ...........
.. .do...........
.. -do...........
. ..d o ...........
Hens............................. .. .d o ..........
Cts.
Cts.
25.8
22.3
20. C
16.3
12.1
20.9
27. 6
27.1
19 4
21.9
26.0
23.4
20.4
17.1
12.5
21.8
27.3
26.6
20.0
22.1
Cts.
26. C
23.2
20.2
16.4
12.3
20.7
27.3
25.8
21.8
21.0
20. C
9.0 8.9
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
28.6
25.7
22.4
18.0
13.4
23.2
29.3
29.2
23 9
24.4
20.2
9.0
32.8
30.1
26.1
22.2
17.0
30.9
42.5
39.1
30.4
28.8
26.3
10.6
42.6
40.6
33.5
29.5
22.7
37.2
51.5
46.5
37.4
37.6
29.5
13.0
43.1
40.4
33.8
28.1
21.5
42.4
57.2
55.2
38.4
42.6
32.0
15.0
15.4
9.0
Milk,’ evaporated (un- 15-16 oz.
can.
sweetened).
B utter.......................... Pound___ 35.3 33.9 34.9 36.7 46.9 51.1 63.3
41.4
35.4
23.3 24. 5 33.8 33.2 42.4
15. 8 15.4 15. Î 17.2 28.0 32. 6 40 2
35.3
Eggs, strictly fresh... Dozen....... 27.5 27.8 26.5 29.5 40.9 42.5 53.5
Bread............................ Pound2. .. 5.6 5.7 6.5 6.4 9.6 10.0 9.9
Flour............................ P ound__
3.3 3.2 4.2 3.8 8.1 6.7 7.5
Com m ea l................... . . .d o .......... 2.8 3.0 3.1 3.1 5.5 6.7 6.3
8.4
14.0
25.1
19.1
9.1 9.1 10.8 12.5 13.8
7.6 9.6 19.5 17.6 12.1
Potatoes....................... . . .do..........
1.8 2.3 1.7 2.9 6.4 2.9 3.8
4.0 5.4 7.0 4.8 11.2
7.7
17.3
19.1
19.0
15.9
Sugar, granulated — Pound___ 5.3 5.1 6.9 8.7 9.3 9.1 10.6
55.1 55.1 56.8 64.7 70.1
30.2 30.2 30.2 30.2 42.6
13.3 13.0 15.7 16.6 25.4
12.6 12.7 14.6 15.1 16.8
37.4
54.4
+ 11 +
+ 15 +
+ 12 +
+ 1C +
+ 11 +
+ 11 +
+ 6 4+ 8+
+23 +
+ ii +
27 +
35 +
31 +
36 +
40 +
48 +
54 +
44 +
57 -j32 +
+ 1
+ 5
+ 2
+ 5
+ 3
+ 4
—1
—2
+ 3
+ 1
+ 1
+ 4
+ 1
+ 1
+ 2
- 1
—1
—5
+ 12
- 4
65 + 67
82 + 81
68 + 69
81 + 72
88 + 78
78 + 103
87 4-107
72 -{-104
03
72 + 95
0)
-
1 0 ) + 18 + 44 + 67
- 4 -
1 + 4 + 33 + 45 + 79
— 3 — 4 + 9 + 77
+
+
+
1
2
3
7
- 4
+ 16
+27
+ 11
+ 7 + 49 + 55 + 95
+ 14 + 71 + 7 9 + 7 7
+ 15 + 145 + 103.+ 127
+ 11 + 96 + 139 + 125
+28 - 6 +61 +256 + 61 + 111
- 4 +30 +64 + 75 + 72 + 100
+ 2 + 2 +13 + 55 + 66 + 88
combined.
i No change in price.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
*Baked weight.
[3911
R ELA TIV E R E TA IL PRICES OF THE PR IN C IPA L ARTICLES OF FOOD IN THE U N IT E D STATES, JANUARY, 1913, TO JUNE, 1919.
Year and month.
Sirloin Round
steak. steak.
Rib
roast.
Chuck
roast.
Plate
beef.
Pork
chops. Bacon.
Ham-
Lard.
Hens.
Eggs.
But
ter.
Milk.
Bread-
Flour.
Corn
meal.
Pota
toes.
CO
o
All
Sugar. articles
com
bined.
1913.........................
1914.........................
1915.........................
1916.........................
1917.........................
1918.........................
100
102
101
108
124
153
100
106
103
110
130
165
100
103
101
107
126
155
100
104
101
108
131
166
100
105
101
107
131
172
100
105
96
108
152
186
100
102
100
106
152
196
100
102
97
109
142
178
100
99
93
111
175
211
100
102
97
111
134
177
100
102
99
109
139
165
100
94
93
103
127
151
100
100
99
102
125
156
100
112
126
130
164
172
100
104
126
135
211
203
100
105
108
113
192
227
100
108
89
155
253
188
100
108
120
146
169
176
100
102
101
114
146
168
1913: Av. for year
January..........
100
92
93
96
99
100
101
104
104
104
104
102
101
100
95
95
98
101
101
102
102
102
101
101
100
100
100
93
93
98
101
101
102
103
103
103
103
102
101
100
92
93
98
102
101
101
101
102
103
103
103
103
100
89
90
100
94
100
93
100
97
100
95
97
100
108
91
100
107
10ft
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
99
98
100
91
100
106
100
98
97
April...............
M ay.................
June.................
July.................
August............
September__
October..........
November___
December___
100
94
94
97
101
101
102
104
104
103
101
100
99
103
100
99
103
104
108
107
102
97
99
100
101
104
105
104
103
101
99
99
99
102
104
106
104
102
100
99
100
100
100
101
102
102
101
101
100
104
104
103
102
101
101
100
97
98
73
76
81
87
96
109
121
144
138
106
94
92
91
92
98
100
101
104
100
99
99
99
99
100
101
102
102
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
101
101
101
100
100
99
99
99
98
98
98
98
100
102
103
104
104
87
91
104
no
109
no
106
107
106
98
97
97
100
102
104
101
99
98
98
97
98
100
101
102
104
105
104
1914: Av. for year
January..........
February........
March..............
April...............
M ay.................
June.................
July.................
A ugust............
September__
October...........
November___
December___
102
99
99
100
100
102
103
106
110
107
103
100
101
106
102
102
103
103
105
106
109
113
110
107
105
103
103
100
101
101
102
102
103
105
108
105
104
103
101
104
102
103
102
103
103
104
106
109
108
106
104
103
105
103
103
103
103
104
104
105
108
108
107
106
104
105
99
100
100
103
106
103
106
119
113
110
104
93
102
98
98
99
99
99
100
101
107
108
106
104
103
102
98
99
99
99
99
100
103
108
108
105
102
100
99
100
99
99
99
98
97
97
99
99
98
99
97
102
100
104
105
108
106
103
103
104
103
100
97
94
102
126
106
90
74
77
82
87
96
107
113
131
139
94
104
93
92
86
85
88
89
94
98
98
103
103
100
102
102
101
100
100
100
100
100
100
101
101
101
112
no
no
no
no
no
no
112
114
114
114
116
104
98
99
99
99
99
99
98
106
113
111
112
113
105
104
103
103
103
103
103
103
105
109
109
109
¿07
108
108
108
107
105
112
132
155
111
105
89
83
84
108
95
94'
93
91
91
93
95
143
145
132
113
no
102
104
101
99
97
98
99
102
107
107
105
105
105
1915: Av. for year
January..........
February........
M arch.............
April...............
M ay.................
June.................
July.................
101
100
98
97
99
101
103
105
103
102
100
99
100
103
105
107
101
101
100
99
100
101
103
104
101
101
99
98
99
101
103
103
101
103
102
101
101
102
102
102
98
88
85
85
94
99
98
100
100
101
99
98
98
98
99
100
97
98
96
95
94
95
97
98
93
97
97
96
96
96
95
93
97
95j
97
99
100
101
98
97
99
129
98
74
75
76
78
81
93
101
98
94
94
91
90
90
99
101
100
99
99
98
98
98
124
120
126
126
126
128
128
126
126
124
138
136
137
139
130
125
108
109
89
85
84
82
86
89
99
85
120
no
118
120
122
124
126
127
101
103
101
98
99
100
100
100
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
i
no
no
no
109
109
109
108
>
w
w
o
<
1
H
3
August............
September__
October..........
November___
December___
104
104
103
101
99
107
106
104
102
101
104
103
102
101
100
103
102
101
99
99
102
102
100
99
98
103
107
110
99
87
100
100
101
101
101
98
97
99
100
100
89
88
91
92
92
97
97
97
95
95
88
101
117
133
135
88
88
92
95
101
99
99
100
100
100
126
124
124
122
122
124
117
113
113
114
108
108
108
107
107
82
79
94
97
106
123
118
111
119
124
100
101
103
104
105
1916: Av. for year
January..........
February........
March.............
April...............
M ay.................
June.................
J u ly .................
A ugust............
September__
October..........
November___
December___
1917: Av. for year
January..........
110
102
102
104
108
112
117
116
115
115
111
108
107
130
111
117
119
130
133
135
137
138
133
138
133
134
165
137
141
143
155
170
182
181
178
178
175
173
171
107
101
102
104
106
110
113
112
111
110
108
106
106
126
109
114
118
127
130
132
130
129
131
130
127
128
155
130
133
135
148
161
169
168
165
165
163
162
161
108
99
118
103
106
109
113
112
110
110
108
107
106
131
109
116
128
131
134
137
137
136
137
136
132
134
166
138
142
145
159
174
184
182
177
178
174
172
171
107
100
101
103
106
108
112
110
108
108
107
107
107
131
109
117
122
133
136
138
138
135
136
138
135
135
172
143
148
152
166
183
189
187
181
183
179
177
176
108
89
92
104
107
109
110
111
116
125
118
111
106
152
113
125
133
146
146
148
151
164
185
185
165
161
186
163
160
161
170
175
177
ISO
201
220
216
206
197
108
101
101
103
104
105
107
107
108
110
110
111
110
152
110
114
123
141
155
158
159
160
164
178
179
181
193
180
179
181
183
187
191
194
200
208
214
216
217
109
101
102
104
107
109
110
111
111
114
114
114
114
142
114
118
125
136
144
145
147
147
152
159
159
161
178
162
163
164
166
170
173
181
180
193
193
195
198
111
93
94
96
100
106
108
110
111
118
123
135
137
175
136
138
151
167
176
177
174
176
188
198
207
211
211
208
209
210
209
208
206
206
209
213
216
216
216
111
101
104
107
111
113
114
113
112
113
114
112
112
134
119
126
129
136
138
136
131
131
142
146
138
143
177
154
170
155
136
141
140
138
140
167
134
141
161
165
198
198
253
225
146
123
125
137
145
156
158
160
155
141
149
157
151
169
146
114
107
106
107
109
109
112
111
113
118
121
126
126
146
128
1 2 .8
174
206
246
220
229
223
214
208
205
203
200
200
200
200
200
137
154
178
182
195
219
272
232
235
235
227
233
233
160
175
183
170
166
181
179
177
174
172
176
173
193
1fi7
133
145
151
152
146
149
153
157
155
157
168
237
233
297
339
352
366
246
206
172
178
183
178
188
1S8
188
147
129
129
165
161
154
154
158
137
141
155
170
174
190
148
153
161
166
173
176
130
122
124
124
124
124
124
124
126
136
144
150
138
164
140
142
144
150
170
170
176
182
176
176
176
166
172
165
167
168
172
174
175
174
174
174
172
172
172
113
107
108
107
108
108
108
108
110
113
117
126
131
192
132
121
133
122
123
120
124
129
133
138
142
151
148
151
144
132
133
102
100
100
100
99
99
99
100
101
102
105
109
112
125
112
112
112
114
117
119
125
128
132
143
144
147
156
151
151
151
148
148
135
120
125
120
119
119
117
116
134
148
155
174
167
211
171
178
177
178
181
185
183
185
180
109
123
101
82
79
82
87
93
105
120
132
149
154
139
158
147
101
112
116
119
122
134
152
160
168
184
165
195
177
128
123
123
198
142
155
170
186
215
235
103
100
99
105
108
97
95
93
95
102
109
114
118
127
118
J u ly .................
A ugust............
September__
October...........
November___
December___
108
101
101
104
106
109
113
113
112
111
108
106
106
124
109
113
116
125
127
129
129
130
131
130
124
126
153
129
131
133
144
157
168
166
163
164
161
159
159
203
206
206
203
203
203
223
227
230
227
217
213
229
229
229
206
194
188
167
169
175
193
196
196
167
171
178
181
183
187
January..........
February___
March..............
A pril...............
Mby.................
June.................
162
162
165
172
175
170
175
174
177
182
187
181
165
165
169
175
178
171
175
174
178
184
186
176
183
183
184
188
188
179
193
180
184
197
205
202
217
205
203
212
210
212
199
193
191
197
203
205
211
203
211
223
246
254
188
186
193
202
204
200
218
147
140
143
154
155
184
149
174
186
177
165
175
174
166
169
167
169
172
172
172
172
172
174
200
203
206
218
227
227
207
200
197
200
207
210
188
182
171
182
194
224
196
195
193
193
193
193
185
172
175
182
185
184
M a r c h ........
April...............
Ma y .................
Co
June.................
July.................
A ugust............
September__
October...........
November___
December___
1918: Av. for year
January..........
February........
March.............
A pril...............
M ay.................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
160
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92
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
Effort is made by the Bureau to secure quotations on similar
grades of commodities in the different cities. There are, however,
some local customs which must be considered when any comparison
is made of the prices in the different cities. The method of cutting
sirloin steak in Boston, Mass.; Manchester, N. IT.; Philadelphia,
Pa.; Providence, R. I.; and Portland, Me., differs from that in other
cities. The cut known as “ sirloin” in these five cities would be in
other cities known as “ porterhouse.” There is in these cities, owing
to the methods of dividing the round from the loin, no cut that
corresponds to that of “ sirloin” - in other cities. There is also a
greater amount of trimming demanded by the retail trade in these
cities than in others. This is particularly true of Providence, R. I.
These, together with the fact that the beef sold in these cities is of
better grade, are the main reasons why the retail prices of beef
in these cities are higher than in others.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[394]
127971o—19
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
94
M O N T H L Y LABOR REVIEW ,
AVER A G E R E T A IL PRICES OF THE PR IN C IPA L A R TIC L ES OF FOOD
[The prices shown in the tables following are computed from reports sent monthly to the Bureau by retail
Baltimore, Md.
Atlanta, Ga.
Article.
U nit.
June 15.
June 15.
May June
May June
15, 15,
15, 15,
1919.
1919.
1919.
1919.
1913 1914 1917 1918
1913 1914 1917 1918
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
24.0
21.4
19.6
15.4
10.4
26.9
23.4
21.5
16.9
10.8
40.0
37.5
30.1
26.3
21.3
40.9
38.3
31.0
26.3
21.4
40.0
37.4
32.2
25.6
19.7
23.3
22.0
18.7
15.7
12.8
25.2
23.8
19.2
16.2
13.5
32.6
30.2
24.6
22.0
18.2
Cts.
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
31.4
28.2
24.2
20.4
16.4
Cts.
Sirloin steak.....................................
Round steak....................................
Rib roast...........................................
Chuck roast......................................
Plate beef..........................................
46.8
45.9
36.8
31.5
24.8
45. 8
44.3
36. 5
31.0
24.3
44.4
43.2
35.3
29.5
22.7
Pork chops.......................................
Bacon.............................................. .
H am ...................................................
Lam b.................................................
H ens..................................................
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
22.5
32.0
29.0
20.0
20.5
24.0
30.5
30.5
21.8
22.4
30.3
43.0
39.1
30.4
23.6
38.3
54.2
47.0
40. 0
35.6
41.3
59.8
54.8
40.7
37.4
40.2
60.0
54.8
39.3
37.4
18.7
23.7
31.0
18.5
22.4
18.6
24.6
30. C
20.3
22.3
30.8
40. 5
42.5
30.0
29.2
42.9
48.6
52.0
41.1
40.4
42:1
51.4
58.2
42.7
47.0
43.3
53.0
58.1
40.3
45.8
Lb
22. 3 26. 3
22.5 24.9 25.9 20. 6
Milk, fresh........................................ Q t.. 10.0 10.0 13.9 20.0 20.0 20.0 8.8 8.7 10.8 13.0
Milk, evaporated (unsweetened). (2) ...
16.1 16. 3
B u tter... t ......................................... L b .. 37.9 34.4 50.5 56.5 70.8 67.8 38.3 36.0 50.6 54.4
L b ..
43.0 43.6
28 8
14.0
14. 9
73. 5
38.0
28.7
14.0
15.2
68.8
39.1
N ut margarine................................
Cheese...............................................
Lard...................................................
Crisco.................................................
Eggs, strictly fresh.........................
Lb
40.4 40.5
35.0 35.0
Lb
34.4 34.3 40. 9 40. 6
35.0 34. 8 42. 7 43. 9
L b .. 15.5 15.2 28.1 33.3 39.5 41.7 14.1 14.2 26.3 32.2 37.5 38.9
Lb .
33.5 35.2
33.2 34. 6
D oz.. 24.2 26.4 40.7 40.4 48.5 48.1 24.7 24.0 39.3 41.5 51.4 50.7
Bread................................................
Flour.............................................. ...
Com meal.........................................
Rolled oats......................................
Corn flakes.......................................
Lb(3)
L b ..
L b ..
Lb
(4)---
Cream of W heat..............................
Macaroni...........................................
R ice....................................................
Beans, n a v y.....................................
Potatoes...".......................................
(5)...
L b ..
Lb
Lb
L b ..
Onions...............................................
Cabbage............................................
Beans, baked...................................
Corn, canned....................................
Peas) canned....................................
Lb
Lb
Tomatoes, canned..........................
Sugar, granulated...........................
Tea.....................................................
Coffee.................................................
6.0
3.8
2.5
5.9
3.5
2.7
2.9
25.2
21. 9
10.1 13.3 13.1
18.1 19. 1 14.4
3.0 7.1 3.7 4.4
24 8
20.7
13. 6
14.4
6.0
(«)...
(6)...
(0 ...
5.8 12.5
10. 2
17.4
19.3
20.1
12 2
8.4
17.0
19.9
19.8
(«)...
L b ..
Lb
Lb
13.8
5.2 10.1 9.2 11.0
76.9 84.2 88 0
29. 6 29. 8 39. 7
13.9
11.2
88 5
41.2
16. 6 18. 3 20. 8
15. 1 16.1 16. 8
30.9
55.4
20 4
16. 8
30.0
52.3
Prunes............................................... Lb
Raisins.............................................. Lb
Bananas............................................
Oranges.............................................
9.8 10.0 10.0 10.0
7.6 7. 1 7.4 7.5
4.9 5.8 5.5 5.6
9.9 9.7
14.1 14.1
9.2
5.4
5.4
3.2
2.5
5.6
3.2
2.5
2.1
23 7
16. 5
10 5 12 0 13 1
17
9
12
6
18 7
2.6 6.4 3.0 3.5
8.9
7.9
5.4
6 8
9.7
6. 7
6.2
9.6 9.6
7.7 7.8
5. 5 5.5
7.3 6 9
13.1 13.2
23 6
16) 6
13 2
4.3
4.9 11 0 11 2
9 6 6 0
15. 1
18. 9 18 9
18 5
4. 5
4.6
8.8
14 6 14 7
8.8 10.1 10.1
65 0
28 5 28 5 37 Q
15 0 16 7 24 1 25 3
15.0 15.0
31 7
58.0 60.7
1
1 The steak for which prices are here quoted is known as “ porterhouse” in most of the cities included in
this report, but in this city it is called “ sirloin” steak.
2 15-16 ounce can.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[396]
95
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,
FOR JUNE 15, 1913,1914,1917,1918, 1919, AND MAY 15,1919, FOR 19 CITIES.
dealers. As some dealers occasionally fail to report, the number of quotations varies from month to month.]
Birmingham, Ala.
Boston, Mass.
Buffalo, N . Y.
June 15.
June 15.
June 15.
May June
May June
May June
15,
15,
15,
15,
15,
15,
1913 1914 1917 1918 1919. 1919. 1913 1914 1917 1918 1919. 1919. 1913 1914 1917 1918 1919. 1919.
as.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
26.8
22.5
19.9
16.8
10.5
29.0
23.5
21.5
17.5
12. (
Cts.
34.5
31.3
26.3
22.4
17.5
42.1
39.7
34. C
28.9
23. (
45.4
42.7
36.6
31.3
23.5
43.9 137.0 134.6 141.2 155.1 162.7 160.4 22.8 23.2 31.7
41. 1 34.0 34.2 41.( 56.8 59.4 55.8 19.8 21.2 29.8
35. i 25. ( 24. S 29. ( 39.4 42.1 40.3 17.5 17.8 25.0
30.1 IS. C 16. i 24.5 34.6 33.1 30.3 15.5 16.2 22.8
21.8
12. 3
40.9
38.6
32.6
29.1
40.2
37.7
33.1
28.9
22.0
41.4
38.8
32.7
27.1
20.7
19.5
33.8
30.0
21.7
18.7
22.5
34.0
33.0
21.0
19.5
31.5
44.5
42.5
31.7
22.9
35.2
54.1
45.4
40.0
32.3
41.2
62.4
55.4
44.5
37.9
40.1
61. S
56.5
44.4
36.7
40.5
48.0
49.1
38.3
42.8
44.7
52.9
56.7
41.7
45.4
42.9
53.9
58.3
40.9
46.2
40.6
48.0
46.9
33.9
38.7
44.5
49.0
53-7
34.7
42.4
43.8
49.3
55.6
33.9
43.0
25.5 28.8
10.3 10.0 12.2 15.3
33.0
20.0
16.5
73.9
43.5
33.2
28.7 30 9
20.0 8.9 8.8 11.0 14.0
16.6
69.5 35.3 34.9 47.8 51.6
43.1
31 3
15.5
15.6
68.4
40.8
31 0
15.0 8.0 8.0 1L0
15 8
63.0 32.9 32.0 45.2
41 3
13.0
28.7
15.0
14.5
39.3
28.7
15.0
14.7
59.9
40.7
39.0
42.6
39.4
33.8
48.8
39.0
42.7
33.0 33.4
40.6 Ì6.Ó 15.7 28.2 32.9
35.2
47.2 34.4 33.5 49.8 56.1
35 9
42.1
40.0
33.8
66.8
35 2
41.6
32.4
41.0 14.2 13.7 26.4
34 7
67.6 25.8 26.9 41.5
33.4
40.5
38.9
31.9
53.9
33.6
40.6
39.3
32.8
54.1
9.7
7.7
5.4
10.6
14.7
9.6
7.8
5.6
11.0
14.7
9.7
7.3
5.5
7.0
12.9
6 .0
25.3
22.0
13.2
13.6
4.3
25.4
21.5
14.0
13.9
5.3
10.5
9.3
19.5
19.6
21.2
10.8
5.8
19.1
19.9
21.2
14.2
11.0
86. 3
42.7
14.3
11.0
86.0
43.8
24.8
17.6
39.2
56.7
25.0
17.5
40.0
58.4
40.0 37.0 50.0 53.5
34.5 33.2
15. 4 15. 2 28.1 32.0
27.0 29.5 40.0 40.5
5.3
3.8
2.2
2.3
5.6 10.6 11.5
3.7 7.8 7.2
2.5 4.9 5.4
10.5 12.5
18.9 17.9
2.3 6.4 3.4
9.2
5.2
5.2
5.1
9.8 9.1
71.7 75.8
32.3 32.1
15.3 15.8
16.4 15.4
Cts.
24.0
25.4
31.8
23.0
26.2
5.9
3.7
3.6
1.7
Cts.
22.3
25. C
30. 8
24.2
26.0
6.0
3.8
3.5
Cts.
32.0
41.8
42.6
33.5
31.7
9.1
8.8
6.8
11.2 12.5
19.2 17 8
2.2 6.9 3.2
6.8
5.1
9.1
6.9
7.3
6.0
5.0
8.9 9.2
64 3 64 3
...... 34.5 3 4 . 4
16.4 16 8
14.7 15.2
9.5
8.1
6.8
7 4
13.8
24 8
20.4
13.8
11 8
3.7
Cts.
9.5
7.9
7.0
Cts.
Cts.
5.5
3.0
2.6
5.0
3.0
2.7
9.5
7.9
5.6
49.6
31.5
30.7
43.4
10.0
6.2
6.9
24 8
3.1
17.4
16 8
1 0 .4
4 5 .5
46.9
24 1
25 8
45.8
46 3
62.9
66.2
24.0
20.2
13.8
1.8
1.8
5.0
....
.....
9.7
7.1
7.0
12.8
24.1
19.9
13.2
12.3
7.4
2 .5
13.0
10.9
3.1
7.2
5 .5
10.9
12.0
10.1
6.4
13.9
18.2
17.4
13.9
18.2
17.3
5.2
Cts.
10. 5
11.0
3.2
29.3
29.3
39.1
16.5
10.3
66.5
40.3
13.0
14.1
24.3
14.9
42.6
58.6
26.8
14.8
42.3
57.0
9.2
8 .9
15.9
10.4
66.0
5 28-ounce package.
6 No. 2 can.
[397]
Cts.
13 6
1 0 .5
66 2
Cts.
20.3 2 0 . 2 32.2
23.3 2 2 . 0 41.6
26.3 26.3 41.8
18.7 17.8 27.1
21.7 21.2 29.6
12 8
6 0
10 7
18 3 18 5
22 1 21 3
21.6 21 3
5 9 .1
! Baked weight.
18-ounce package.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Cts.
96
MONTHLY LABOE KEVIEW,
A V ER A G E R E T A IL PRICES OF T H E PR IN C IP A L A R TIC LES OF FOOD FO R
Chicago, 111.
Cleveland, Ohio.
Article.
Unit.
Sirloin steak.....................................
Round stea k ....................................
Rib roast...........................................
Chuck roast......................................
Plate beef..........................................
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
23.4
20.3
20.0
15.9
11.2
24.5
21.8
20.2
16.2
12.1
30.3
26.9
25. 1
22.0
16.8
37.9
34.9
31.9
27.9
21.4
39.5
36.0
34. 1
28.7
21.0
38.5
34.0
30.8
26.3
19.5
25.2
22.0
20.0
17.2
12.5
27.0
23.6
19.7
17.3
11.9
Cts.
Cts.
31.5
29.6
24.9
23. 2
16.9
41.6
39.0
32.1
29.4
22.3
41. 4
38.1
32.8
29.7
21.7
42.4
38.8
31.6
27.5
19.6
Pork chops.......................................
Bacon.................................................
H am ...................................................
Lam b.................................................
H ens...................................................
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
18.8
32.0
32.4
20.2
20.3
19.0
31.2
31.9
21.2
19.3
27.9
43.6
41.6
29.9
27.6
36.0
55.0
48.8
35.6
34.3
38.6
59.7
56.6
38.4
41.2
37.5
59.7
57.3
35.5
37.7
20.7
28.6
36.0
19.2
22.3
21.4
26.9
35.0
20.3
20.9
32.5
43.1
43.6
31.1
30.3
37.3
49.0
49.1
36.5
36.4
44.3
56.3
58.3
38.1
45.5
43.7
57.6
58.8
38.8
42.8
Salmon (canned)............................
Milk, fresh.......................................
Milk, evaporated (unsweetened).
B u tter...............................................
Oleomargarine.................................
L b ..
27.0 30.3 32. 2 32.2
25 1 28 9
Q t.. 8.0 8.0 10.0 11.9 13.0 14.0 8.0 8.0 10.0 13.0
14.4 14. 6
(i) ...
L b .. 32.7 30.8 43.4 46.8 62.4 57.5 36.2 36.6 48.1 50.8
L b ..
38.9 40.0
30 8
13.0
15. 2
67. 7
42 0
30 6
13.7
15.5
62.5
43.1
N ut margarine................................
Cheese................................................
Lard...................................................
Crisco.................................................
Eggs, strictly fresh.........................
L b ..
L b ..
33. 6 34. 2
L b .. 15.0 15.0 26.3 31.6
L b ..
Doz. 24.3 24.4 39.6 39.4
34 8
42 0
41.0
33 6
54.8
35 3
43 7
4Ì.8
34 8
53.4
Bread...........................................
Flour..................................................
Com meal.........................................
Rolled oats......................................
Com flakes.......................................
Lb.2.
L b ..
L b ..
L b..
(3) ...
Cream of W heat..............................
Macaroni...........................................
Rice....................................................
Beans, n a v y ......................................
P otato es..’. ......................................
(4) ...
L b ..
Lb .
L b ..
L b ..
Onions...............................................
Cabbage.............................................
Beans, baked...................................
Corn, canned....................................
Peas, canned....................................
L b ..
L b ..
(5) ...
1 15-16-ounce can.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
June 15.
May June
May June
15, 15,
15, 15,
1919.
1919.
1919.
1919.
1913 1914 1917 1918
1913 1914 1917 1918
6.1
2.8
2.9
1.2
23. 9
18. 8
13 6
11.1
3.1
4.0 10 8
9. 1
16.3
17. 8
17.5
10.4
5. 8
16. 5
17.3
17.7
( 5 ) ...
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
34.0
32 8 32 3
42 5
38.6 16.5 16.1 28.6 31.9
34. 2
51.1 27.6 27.1 42.5 43.1
23. 9
18. 8
10. 2 12 2 13 0
20.3 17. 5 11. 3
2.0 6.7 2.9 2.8
5.3
4.9
33. 8
42 4
37.6
33 3
51.2
6.1 11.4 10.2 10.0 10.0
2.9 7.8 6.3 7.4 7.2
2.8 5.7 6.8 5.8 5.7
6. 5 6.5
12 5 12. 6
(= )...
Tomatoes, canned.......................... (5)--Sugar, granulated.......................... Lb..
T ea..................................................... L b ..
Coffee.............................................
L b ..
Prunes.............................................
Raisins...........................................
Bananas............................................
Oranges.............................................
June 15.
5.0
16.1 16.2
8.8 8.7 10.0 9.9
56.0 58. 1 62 8 62 0
28.7 28. 2 36.9 38. 7
16.9 24.5 26.1
14.5 14. 8 16. 6 17.7
35.8 36.3
51.4 50.0
2 Baked
weight.
[398]
5.5
3.2
2.7
5.6 10.1 10.0
3.2 8.2 7.0
2.9 5.5 6.8
1.5
24 4
18 8
10 4
20 Q 15 6 11 6
2.1 7.3 3.3 3.2
24.4
18 6
13 4
12 0
3.8
4.8 11 4
10 2
16 3
19 6
10. 2
11 5
7.1
16.2
19.8
10.6
5.9
5.0
5.2
9.7 9.7
7.8 7.9
5.8 5.9
8. 2 8.3
13 6 13 0
15.8 15.9
9.0 9.0 10.8 10.8
40 0 61 6 66 3 67 4
27 8 20 4 41 3 43 2
15.8 16.1 23.5
13.4 14.7 16 2
45. 2
|
54.0
1
3 8-ounce package.
25.8
16 6
45.3
52.4
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
98
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
A V E R A G E R E T A IL PR IC ES OF TH E PR IN C IP A L A R TIC L ES OF FOOD FOR
N ew Orleans, La.
Milwaukee, Wis.
Article.
Unit.
June 15.
May June
May June
15, 15,
15, 15,
1919. 1919. 1913 1914 1917 1918 1919. 1919.
1913 1914 1917 1918
June 15.
Cts.
Cts. Cts. C ts. Cts. Cts. C ts. Cts.
Sirloin steak.
Round stea k .
R ib roast.......
Chuck ro a st..
Plate beef----
Lb.
L b ..
L b ..
Lb
L b ..
22.5 23.7
21.0 21.8
18.5 18.5
16.5 16.3
11.5 11.8
Pork chops.
B acon.........
H am ............
Lamb..........
H ens...........
Lb.
L b ..
Lb
Lb
L b ..
19.5
27.3
27.
19.5
21.5
19.7
27.5
27.7
19.0
20.3
Salmon (canned)............................
Milk, fresh......................................
Milk, evaporated (unsweetened)
B u tter..............................................
Oleomargarine...............................
Lb
Q t..
7.0
7.0
N u t margarine........
Cheese.......................
Lard...........................
Crisco.........................
Eggs, strictly fresh.
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
Doz.
Bread..........
F lour...........
Corn m ea l..
Rolled oats.
Corn flakes.
Lb.3.
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
Cream of Wheat.
Macaroni.............
R ice......................
Beans, n avy........
Potatoes..............
(5) . ~
Onions........
Cabbage.........
Beans, baked.
Com, canned..
Peas, canned..
Lb.
Lb.
(*)Lb.
32.:
39.8
37.8
31.6
27.9
20.3
22.5
19.5
19.4
14.5
10.9
23.5
20.4
20.4
15. 0
12.4
28.6
24.3
23.8
20.8
15.4
34.7
31.4
30.7
24.4
19.4
36. 5
33. 5
32.7
26.8
21.4
28.9
42.0
40.6
31.8
28.8
40.1
57.1
54.3
39.7
42.9
39.5
57.3
55.3
39. 0
38.6
21.9
29.7
26.8
21.3
20.0
24.3
30.0
27.5
21.4
21.9
30.7
47.9
38.3
29.7
28.7
38.1
53.8
45.4
39.2
37.7
43.9
62.0
52. 4
43.4
42.4
24.4 28.:
33.1
12.0
15. 7
64.2
40. 3
26.9 31.7 36.2 35.6
33.7
12.0 10.0 9.7 11.2 14.2 16.5 16.5
15.0 15.1
15. 9
58.8 35.0 33.9 47.6 50.5 68.7 64,
42.4 42.7
41. 6
33. 2
40. 0
40.0
34.0
38.0 49.3
36.1 36.2
33. 6
40. 6
33.1 31.8 42.1 42.1
40.8 14.9 14.4 26.7 32.5 37.9 40.9
34.1 35.0
34. 0
46.7 25.6 25.9 38.4 35.9 45.9 48.2
8.0
32.2
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
31.
15.8 28.1
22.8 38.:
1.1
6.0 11.4
3.1
3.3
8.
6.8
11.2
21.
2.4
7.
6.0
( 6)~
(«)-OO-.
Tomatoes, canned.
Sugar, granulated.
T ea...........................
Coffee.......................
(6) ~ .
Prun es...
R aisins...
Bananas.
Oranges..
L b..
L b..
Doz.
Doz.
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
4.9
Cts.
Cts.
40.1
37.7
33.4
30.1
22.4
Lb.
5.6
3.1
3.0
Cts.
Cts.
30.1 38. 2
28.8 37.6
25.0 31.5
22.6 29.0
16.4 22.1
8.9
57.1
27.5
16.0
14.5
9.2 10.0
7.7 7.7
5.8 5.6
7.4 7. 6
14.1 13.9
24.9
19. 1
14.6
11.1
3.0
25.1
19. 5
14. 7
11. 5
3.1
20.0
45.2
60.6
55.3
40.7
42.2
9.2 9.2
7.6 7.7
5.2 5.3
8.3 8.5
14.1 14.3
5.2
3. f
2.6
4.8
3.7
2.8
2.0
24.7 24.
11.9 11.4
9. 8 11. 4 12.2 12.9
17.8 16. 6 10.8 10.
2.0 6.3 1.8 4.5 4.3
4.5 10. 5 11.6
10.6
16.6
18. 4 18.3
17.9 17.8
16. 7
10.6
66. C
38.3
17.4
10.6 5.1
65. Ç
40.5
22.8
16.7
38. 6
54. 8
23. 9
16. 9
38. 1
55.1
9.1
8.5
5.2
5.9
4.9
9.5
7.3
6.1
35.9
33.1
32.0
25.3
3.1
8.2
4.7 3.
17.8 17.6
17.6 17.5
19.0 18.9
14.9 14.
9.3 8.8 10.3 10.3
60. C 60.1 69.8 68.6
26. 6 24.9 36.6 37.8
16. 1 16.2 23.7
14. 8 15. 7 17.1
25. 7
60.4
27.0
17.0
16.7
58.8
i The steak for which prices are here quoted is known as “ porterhouse” in most of the cities included in
this report, but in this city it is called “ sirloin” steak.
2 15-16-ounce can.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[4 0 0 ]
99
M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
JU N E 15, 1913, 1914, 1917, 1918, 1919, A N D M AY 15, 1919, FO R 19 C ITIES— Continued.
New York, N. Y.
Philadelphia, Pa.
Pittsburgh, Pa.
June 15.
June 15.
June 15.
May June
May June
ID,
15,
15,
1913 1914 1917 1918 1919. 1919. 1913 1914 1917 1918 1919. 1919. 1913 1914 1917 1918
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
26.3
25.3
22.5
16.4
15.3
26.8
25.8
22.0
16.9
14.9
32.3
32.5
27.6
21.8
20.2
44.1
45. 2
38.2
31.3
28.5
45.6
46.9
40.9
32.1
28.1
21.5
26.0
29.5
17.2
22.1
22.4
25.8
30.0
17.2
21.8
32.2
42.0
44.1
26.7
29.8
39.7
48.4
34.1
33.6
40-3
45.0 , 44.5 20.8 22.7 34.2
52.7 53.0 27.1 26.4 41.3
58.1 59.0 31.6 30.1 45.0
33.9 32.8 21.4 21.3 31.1
42.6 43.1 23.2 23.8 30.8
9.0
Cts.
30.0 35.2
9.0 10.9 12.8
34.5 32.8 45.6 50.8
33.8 33.9
16.1 15.7 27.3 32.6
32.8 34.6 44.7 50.3
6.2
3.3
3.5
2.8
6.1
3.2
3.5
9.9
8.3
6.7
10.5 12.2
19.0 17.8
2.9 7.9 3.8
5.9
4.8
9.9
7.2
8.0
4.5
5.6
8.4 8.8
50.9 55.5
26.3 27.9
15.9 17.3
14.1 15.1
Cts.
Cts. Cts.
42.2
44.4
37.8
28.9
25.9
130.0
25.4
22.3
17.6
12.3
Cts.
Cts.
130.9
27.2
22.2
18.2
11-9
136.5
33.7
27.8
24.0
16.4
Cts.
Cts.
1.53.9 154.3
49.8 49.4
39.7 41.2
34.6 33.9
23.6 22.4
May June
15,
15.
1919. 1919.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
27.2
23.7
22. C
17.0
11.5
28.0
24.7
21.7
17.0
12.8
34.9
32.2
27. C
24.3
17.2
49.4
46.4
37.6
33.7
24.8
Cts.
46.8
39.3
31.0
20.3
48.9
44.9
38.4
32. S
23.4
48.3
44.4
36.8
31.4
21.6
22.0
29.0
29.6
21.4
24.8
23.3
29.8
31.4
22.0
27.2
Cts.
1 5 0 .1
41.0
51.1
52.2
39.5
42.9
47.2
56.2
59.9
43.1
46.5
46.6
55.
59.5
42.8
46.0
32.4
43.8
43.6
35.8
34.7
39.7
52. S
51.5
39.6
42.8
44.8
59.1
62.0
42.2
48.1
42.9
59.6
62.9
41.0
46.4
36.6
15.7
14.2
67.2
39.5
37.4
24.0 26.9
15.0 8.0 8.0 9-0 12.0
14.8
61.4 39.7 38.1 52.8 56.7
41.5
29.0
13.0
14.8
73.3
42.3
28.9
27.3
13.0 8.6 9-2 10.3
15.2
68.4 36.7 34.9 47.5
43.5
31.1
12.5
32.0
14.3
14.8
68.6
40.5
31.7
13.3
15.0
64.1
42.9
33.5
43.1
38.7
32.4
59.6
33.8
43.0
36.1 37.2
41.3 15.3 14.8 27.9 32.7
34.0
62.0 27.7 28.8 43.3 46.4
36.5
46.
38.1
31.8
54.7
36.7
45.2
33.1
39.2 15.5 15.4 28.0
33.4
55.3 25.5 26.3 42.5
34.8
41.7
39.4
33.6
54.3
35.7
42.4
40.5
35.2
54.0
8.8
7.8
6.9
7.5
12.0
10.0
7.8
6.9
7.5
12.0
9.4
7.5
5.3
7.7
12.3
9.4
7.5
5.5
7.7
12.2
10.0
7-6
8.8
13.4
10.0
7.7
6.3
8.5
13.9
24.0
19.7
13.2
12.4
4.3
24.2
19.6
13. 7
12.5
5.4
24.2
20.7
14.3
24.3
20.5
14.
11.7
5.0
25.1
18.0
14.1
11.9
3.2
25.1
17.4
14.3
12.1
4.2
11.6
9.4
15.7
19.6
18.1
13.0
15.2
’ 9.8
18.1
12.6
11.3
17.3
19.1
18.3
12.4
7.9
17.0
19.1
18.2
14.7
9.9
55.0
36.7
15.3
10.0
56.6
39.5
15.0
10.6
78.0
40.6
16.2
10.7
80.0
43.4
26.9
15.9
36.4
57.6
29.4
16.2
36.1
56.3
24.7
15.9
42.5
58.5
26.5
16.9
42.9
56.0
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
4.8
3.2
2.7
2.5
4.8
3.1
2.8
8.9
8.0
4.9
ID. 8 13.1
18.3 17.7
3.1 5.3 3.7
6.3
4.9
9.5
7.1
6.8
4.5
4.9
8.7
60.3
27.4 27.3
8.3
15.3 16.8
13.4 14.3
11.8
4.1
11.6
10.5
14.3
18.4
18.4
14.2
18.3
18.4
14.3
14.7
[401]
1.7
10.0
61.4
38.4
24.2
14.9
36.0
55.3
29.4
15.6
36.6
53.2
5.5
43.7
9.8
6.7
6.9
10.4
19. 7
2.7 7.1
12.4
17.4
3.8
6.6
5.0
9.4
65. 7
28.5
9.5
73.8
29.8
15.4
14.4
17.7
14.3
8.2
10.0
33.6
32.5
5.3 10.4
3.2 7.9
3.0 6.1
13.3
61.5
36.2
3 Baked weight.
4 8-ounce package.
* 28-ounce package.
? No. 2 can.
5.4
3.2
2.7
52.0
5.5
6 .2
100
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
A V ER A G E R E T A IL PR IC ES OF TH E PR IN C IP A L A R T IC L E S OF FO OD F O R
St. Louis, Mo.
Article.
June 15.
Unit.
1913 1914 1917 1918
San Francisco, Calif.
June 15.
May June
15, 15,
1919. 1919.
1913 1914 1917 1918
May June
15, 15,
1919. 1919.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Sirloin steak.....................................
Round steak....................................
Rib roast..........................................
Chuck roast......................................
Plate beef..........................................
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
23.7
22.2
18.3
14.3
10.7
27.3
24.3
20.0
15.9
14.1
31.5
30.5
25.9
21.7
16.1
38.4
37.9
31.2
26.5
21.2
41.3
41.1
33.9
27.7
23.1
39.7
39.4
32.1
26.0
20.8
20.7
19.0
21.0
14.6
13.3
20.7
19.7
22.0
15.6
14.7
22.5
21.9
21.6
15.5
14.8
32.7
32.0
30.1
23.4
21.5
32.3
31.3
30.4
23.1
21.4
31.0
29.6
29.5
22.3
19.7
Pork chops.......................................
Bacon.................................................
Ham ...................................................
Lamb.................................................
Hens...................................................
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
18.2
26.0
27.3
18.0
18.5
19.8
26.0
27.5
19.3
19.0
29.1
41.7
41.2
31.6
25.6
35.2
49.2
47.7
37.9
33.8
40.4
56.0
59.1
39.9
40.5
38.3
55.5
60.0
38.8
38.1
23.7
33.9
30.0
16.7
23.4
24.7
33.9
33.0
18.0
24.0
30.6
44.1
41.8
23.8
26.1
39.8
56.0
49.4
32.1
37.9
45.5
62.8
58.1
33.4
51.2
45.5
63.0
59.6
34.0
49.9
26.3 29.7 30.4 31.2
23.4 26.3 27.7
L b ..
Milk, fresh........................................ Q t .. 8.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 13.3 13.3 10.0 10.0 10.0 12.1 14.0
(i )_
13.1
14.6 14.9
B utter. A ......................................... L b.. 34.4 31.8 47.3 50.3 67.3 61.3 34.6 31.4 43.6 50. 7 66.3
L b ..
37.7 37.9
35.9
29. 0
14.0
13. 7
64.7
39.1
34.3
34.5
41.0
30.1 31.4 41.2
38.7 18.4 16.8 28.5 33.9 36.2
34.7
35.5
45.1 29.6 30.7 37.1 45.6 56.3
34.8
40.9
36.6
35.8
54.8
L b ..
34.5
33.4 31.6 40.6
L b ..
Lard................................................... L b .. 13.6 12.5 25.3 29.2 38.6
L b ..
33. 7
Eggs, strictly fresh......................... Doz. 21.4 21.9 37.0 37.4 48.9
Bread................................................. Lb.2 5.5
Flour................................................. L b .. 3.0
Corn m eal........................................ Eh.. 2.2
L b ..
Corn flakes....................................... (3)...
Cream of W heat..............................
Macaroni................................
R ice...................................................
Beans, n a v y ....................................
P otatoes.. ......................................
(4)...
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b .. 1.7
Onions..................................
L b ..
Cabbage............................................ L b ..
Beans^baked................................... (5)-..
Corn, canned.................................... (6)...
Peas, canned.................................... (&)...
1 15-16-ounce can.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
24.1
14.0
9.9 12.6 13.3
20.5 17.2 11. 1
1.7 6.3 3.8 3.0
6.3
Tomatoes, canned.......................... (6)...
Sugar, granulated........................... Lb.. 5.0
T ea....................................
Lb
Coffee................................................. L b ..
Prunes............................................... L b ..
Raisins.............................................. L b ..
Bananas............................................
Oranges.............................................
5.6 10.4 10.0 10.0 10.0
2.9 7.6 6.2 7.2 7.1
2.5 5.0 5.7 5.2 5.3
6.0 6.3
14.0 14.0
24.1
16.4
13.6
11.7
3.4
14.3
4.9 9.0 8.8 10.4
56.5 68. 8 72.8
28.0 27.5 37. 7
14.6
10.4
73. 6
40.8
16.7 16.8 24.3
17.0 16.3 16.3
32.6
45.8
26.3
16.7
33.3
47.4
2 Baked weight.
[402]
9.3 10.0 10.0
7.3 7.2 7.4
6.5 7.5 6.5
7.8
14.2
10.0
7.5
6.8
8.0
14.3
24.8
24.9
10.2 13.1 13.1
19.2 15.9 9.9
2.5 4.2 2.6 3.2
13. 7
10. 0
4.0
5.9
3.4
3.4
5.9
3.5
3.5
2.1
4.3 10.0 9.6
7. 7 4.2
16.0 15.7
16.1 16.5
16.2 16.3
3.6
5.3
Cts.
2.3
5.6
5.9
19.3
19.2
18.2
19.4
14.0
5.1 8.1 8.8 10.3
51.9 53.3 56. 0
30.0 30.6 37.3
14.2
10.3
58. 5
40.8
14.5 14.3 21.9
13.8 13.3 15.6
39.4
53.6
23 0
15. 7
40. 7
53.2
s8-ounce package.
18.3
101
MONTHLY LABOE EE VIEW,
JU N E 15, 1913, 1914, 1917, 1918, 1919, A N D MAY 15, 1919, FO R 19 C ITIES—Concluded.
Seattle, Wash.
Washington, D. C.
June 15.
June 15.
1919.
1913
1914
1917
1918
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
23.8
21.5
20.0
16.8
13.0
24.0
21.0
18.6
15.0
12.6
27.0
25.8
23.3
19.5
16.1
38.0
36.2
31.3
26.6
22.5
24. 2
31.7
30.8
20.8
24.3
24.6
31.7
30.0
20.0
23.8
32.6
46.1
40.7
27.4
26.3
8.5
8.6
35.0
32.2
1917
1918
May 15, June 15,
1919.
1919.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
27.5
23.9
21.6
17.9
12.1
28.8
25.0
21.7
17.6
13.4
34.4
33.3
27.7
24.3
18.8
51.1
49.2
39.7
34.9
24.2
52.0
48.7
41.5
35.5
23.2
40.0
55.4
49.7
37.6
39.7
48.6
63.6
58.8
40.3
46.6
48.4
64.0
59.2
39.2
46.0
20.9
26.8
30.0
20.9
22.6
22.3
25.3
29.0
22.4
23.9
35.5
41.0
42.6
33.1
31.0
46.4
51. 2
50.4
44.3
43.4
47.8
55.0
58.7
47.7
48.0
49.1
55.1
59.0
45.7
48.0
24.8
11.3
28.7
12.5
8.0
24.7
10.0
28.6
14.0
49.6
31.5
13.0
14.3
63.5
41.6
8.0
43.9
31.3
12.0
13.7
65.0
40.5
37.4
35.9
49.2
55.0
32.2
14.0
15.7
74.3
39.5
32.8
14.0
15.7
36.2
43.6
37.7
35.7
54.8
36.3
44.0
38.3
37.1
56.0
35.6
45.5
38.3
34.5
53.3
36.1
43.1
40.0
36.2
54.5
10.4
6.8
7.0
8.0
14.9
10.5
6.8
7.1
8.1
14. 9
10.0
10.0
27.1
16.3
14.2
10.8
2.6
26.3
16. 9
14.7
10.5
2.7
7.2
8.9
22.4
20.6
19.6
7.8
7.7
22.3
20.0
20.1
17.5
10.8
62.8
40.0
16.9
10.8
63.2
43.6
20.2
17.2
50.0
59.6
23.7
17.5
52.2
58.0
31.1
27.9
31.3
33.1
28.5
28.5
40.4
49.6
5.5
2.9
3.1
6.0
2.9
3.2
10.1
6.9
6.3
10.8
6. 1
7.5
1.8
10.3
29.3
5.2
13.7
17.6
1.8
4.6
3.3
5.4
1914
40.0
37.8
32.8
26.3
21.9
16.3
5.9
1913
40.5
37.8
33.8
27.4
23.1
17.7
1.1
1919.
9.2
50.8
30.8
5.1
58.0
31. 7
13.9
14.1
15.4
14.2
Cts.
Cts.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
14.8
14.1
34. 5
27.2
33. 4
33.8
25.6
25.4
42.9
44.3
5.7
3.8
2.5
5.6
3.8
2.5
10.4
8.4
5.1
10.0
6. 5
6.1
2.8
10. 8
20.4
7.3
12. 5
18. 8
3.3
14.6
13.2
3.2
6. 2
5.5
12.8
10.8
[403]
7.6
5.4
9.6
14.0
24.5
21.0
1.9
4.9
4.9
8.7
57. 8
28.6
8.9
69.9
29.5
16.6
13.8
17.6
15.3
I
1
6 No. 2 can.
* 28-ounce package.
Cts.
Cts.
49.9
46.5
40.0
32.6
21.2
68.6
39.4
7.9
5.4
9.7
13.8
24.6
20.6
14.8
13.1
4.5
12.6
15.5
6.3
15.1
20.1
20.0
20.2
20.6
16.2
79.1
39.4
16.9
10.3
78.9
40.3
23.3
15.8
43.5
61.2
25.4
16.5
44.3
54.6
10.2
102
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OE TH E PRINCIPAL ARTICLES
Bridgeport,
Conn. j
Article.
Butte,
Mont.
Charleston, Cincinnati
S. C,
Ohio.
Columbus,
Ohio.
U nit.
May June May June May June May June May June
15,
15,
15,
15,
15,
15,
15,
15,
15,
15,
1919. 1919. 1919. 1919. 1919. 1919. 1919. 1919. 1919. 1919.
Sirloin steak.
Round steak.
Rib roast___
Chuck roast..
Plate beef—
L b ...
L b ...
L b ...
L b ...
L b ...
Cts.
Cts.
52.1
49.8
39.6
32.7
20.5
Cts.
Cts.
48.6
46.2
36. 1
29.9
18.6
39.5
36. 8
32. 3
26.5
19.7
39.2 40.8
36. 8 40.3
31.9 34.9
25.8 28.8
19.1 22.2
40.0 39.0
39.7 37.7
34.2 33.7
28. 1 26.7
21.6 24.0
Pork chops_
Bacon.............
H am .............
Lam b______
H ens...............
L b ...
L b ...
L b ...
L b ...
L b .. .
43.8
58.2
61.2
40.1
44.9
40.6
58.2
61.2
39.6
45.6
41.0
63.1
58. 7
37.4
42.9
43.7
65.0
61.1
36.3
42.8
46.1 40.7 3-fti 6 40.3
60.3 53.0 53.7 54.7
56.2 54.3 56.7 56.6
40. 8 38 0 37.6 37.5
49.2 44.7 40.8 41.7
Salmon (canned).
Milk, fresh............
B a tte r ......... ..........
Oleomargarine-----
L b ... 35.2
Qt — 15.0
15.5
L b .. . 67.9
L b . . . 39.4
34.9
15.0
15.7
61.8
40.4
42.8
15.5
15.0
65.4
43.1
15.5
15.4
62.4
..........
N ut margarine..........
Cheese.........................
Lard............................
Crisco...........................
Eggs, strictly fresh.
L b ...
L b ...
L b ...
Lb...
D o z ..
34.3
43. 4
39.0
33.7
62.6
34.5
42.4 41. 6 42.0
40. 4 38.4 40.5
35. 1 37. 1 38.1
65.8 52.3 58.8
Bread...........
Flour...........
Corn m e a l..
Rolled oats..
Corn flakes.
L b.3.
L b ...
L b ...
L b ...
10.0 10.0 10.0
7.5
8.3
8.9
13.7
7.6
7.5
8.7
14.6
Cream of W heat.
Macaroni...............
R ice.......................
Beans, n a v y ........
Potatoes...............
24. 1 24.2
L b . . . 22.9 22.9
L b ... 13.8 14.0
L b ...
L b . . . 3.7
3.6
30.0
19.2
12.9
29.7 25.0
18. 5 21.4
13.2 11.9
13.9
4.1
Onions........................
Cabbage......................
Beans, baked............
Corn, canned.............
Peas, canned.............
L b ...
L b...
C6) . .. .
(6)-~ .
Tomatoes,canned........................
Sugar, granulated..................... ..
Tea---- : ...................... ....................
7.5
8.3
9.2
13.8
9.9
7.5
7 .7
8.7
14.6
Cts.
44.7
58.1
55.0
40.8
48.8
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
C ts.
C ts.
37. 8 42.5 41.2
37.2 40.8 39. 4
32.3 36.2 34.2
25.5 31.2 29.8
21.0 24.6 23.1
38.9
54.5
57.1
32.5
41.3
30.4 30.5 28 5
20.3 20. 3 14.0
15. 1 15.2 14.5
72. 2 67.1 64.8
41.5 42.7 40.6
28.7
14.0
14.5
60.3
41.9
29.2
14.0
14.6
65.8
40.9
29.6
14.0
14.8
59.8
41.4
41.0 43.0
42.7 42.2
38.4 40.3
33. 7 34.5
52.7 54.4
35.1
42.6
37.5
31.9
47.9
34.7
43.0
39.1
34.3
44.3
35.0
41. 2
37.7
32.9
47.2
35.5
42.0
37.8
34.5
41.9
9.8
7.6
5.0
6.7
13.8
9 .9
7.7
5.1
7.7
13.3
9.8
7.4
5. 9
2
14.0
9.7
7. 5
5. 8
21.2
12.1
25.2
17.1
13.3
24.7
15.9
13. 5
25.0
18.8
.8
10.5
3.2
12
25.0
18.6
13.2
81.7
42.6
10.7
7.7
5.0
9.2
14.9
10.0
7.8
5.0
9.5
14.9
25.0
8
8.0
14.2
12.2 12.0 11.6 11.8
13.9 11.1 11.2
11.2
2.2 2.1
5.1
3.4
4.8
3.2
12.3 12.6 5.9
8.2
12.5 14.5
9.9
9.2 11.4 13.1
10.2 8.4 8.3 7.1 7.2 5.8 10.1 6.9 11.3 7.1
16.7 16.5 22.9 22.9 15.3 15.1 15.3 15.1 16.4 15.9
21. 5 21.6 18.5 18 7 21.2 21.0 17.1 16.8 15.8 15.6
20.9 20.7 17.9 1 8 1 21.3 21.2 17.2 17.2 16.1 16.6
16.0 15.8 17.5 16.9 15.9 15.5 14.7 14.6 13.4 14.6
10.2 10.1
12.0 12.1 10.4 10.5 10.4 10:4 10.6 10.6
64.4 64.2 76.8 76.6 78.4 77. 1 75.8 74.4
Coffee.............................. .
L b....
L b ...
L b ... 39.3
41.8
50.8
51.7
41.2
41.4
37.6
40.0
81.5
40.8
P rim es...
R aisins...
Bananas.
Oranges..
L b ...
L b ...
D o z ..
D o z..
27.3
17.0
37.9
57.5
21.6
23.4
17.6
47.5
53.4
24.9
15.9
41.8
61.0
25.1
16.2
41.0
60.0
22.7
17.1
35.4
45.4
23.8
181
38 2
47.1
22.3 22.3
15. 7 16. 4
38. 0 38. 3
52.2 49.4
. n o oi/oaiv
w unai
25.3
16.2
37. 7
56.6
17.3
49.0
53.7
a t e u e r e q u o c e a IS
report, but in this city it is called “ rump ” steak.
2 15-16-ounce can.
F
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[404}
103
M O N T H L Y LABOR REVIEW .
OF FOOD FOR 31 CITIES ON MAY 15 AND JU N E
Dallas, Tex.
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919.
Cts.
Cts.
Fall River,
Mass.
May
15,
1919.
Houston, Tex.
15, 1919.
Indianapolis,
Ind.
Jacksonville,
Fla.
Kansas City,
Mo.
June
15,
1919.
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919.
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919.
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919.
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
42.2
40.8
35.0
31.8
26.4.
39.2
38.3
34.7
31.0
25.8
1 60.3
50.6
37.6
30.9
1 58.5
48.3
36.1
29.1
38.7
38.7
32.5
29.5
26.1
37.1
37.1
30.3
27.5
24.4
41.2
40.6
29.7
28.6
23.1
39.7
39.2
29.1
26.7
19.8
43.0
40.0
34.1
28.1
22.4
43.3
39.8
34.1
27.7
21.1
40.8
38.1
30.8
26.3
21.0
39.4
37.3
29.7
24.9
20.0
41.7
62.1
59.0
43.9
37.8
41.5
64.9
57.0
44.3
37.8
41.6
51.8
54.1
39.1
45.8
41.6
53.2
55.6
36.6
46.3
40.5
61.0
50.6
40.0
43.3
41.4
63.8
51.5
40.0
38.3
42.4
54.9
58.4
45.8
39.0
40.5
55.8
58.8
42.0
38.2
42.3
56.7
55.9
38.6
41.0
43.3
58.3
56.8
36.7
41.1
39.3
58.8
56.2
34.3
39.0
38.0
58.9
56.8
32.5
38.0
31.6
18.0
16.0
62.3
35.9
30.7
18.0
16.6
60.6
36.4
29.9
15.0
15.7
68.7
39.5
30.2
15.0
15. 7
62.1
40.1
31.4
17. 5
15.7
67.0
39.8
30.8
17.8
16.0
63.5
41.6
26.7
12.7
15.4
63.8
41.5
26.9
12.7
15.6
58/9
43.2
31.7
18.0
15.3
71.5
40.6
32.8
18.0
15.6
68.1
41.7
32.9
15.0
15.3
66.6
38.2
32.2
15.0
15.8
63.3
39.1
36.4
42.8
37.3
33.6
44.0
36.2
43.5
38.2
37.1
46.1
36.9
42.7
39.4
33.9
63.5
36.8
43.2
41.0
36.1
68.2
37.5
40.8
35.0
34.1
44.1
37.5
40.3
37.3
33.1
46.0
' 35.4
41.9
39.8
34.4
48.4
35.4
43.0
39.9
36.3
44.8
35.8
42.2
37.4
33.4
49.1
37.0
42.1
38.2
34.3
53.3
35.4
42.9
40.8
35.9
49.7
35.4
43.4
42.4
37.7
47.8
10.0
7.4
6.7
9.7
14.6
10.0
7.6
6.7
10.3
14.6
10.0
7.9
8.4
9.5
14.2
10.0
7.9
8.2
9.4
14.2
8.9
7.8
6.0
7.3
14.2
8.9
7.8
6.1
9.4
14.3
9.5
7.6
5.3
8.0
14.5
9.7
7.6
5.6
7.7
14.5
10.0
7.7
5.4
10.4
14.4
10.0
8.0
5.4
10.5
14.7
10.0
7.0
6.7
10.1
15.0
10.0
7.0
6.6
9.8
15.0
25.5
19.4
12.9
12.7
3.8
24.8
21.2
13.3
12.7
4.9
25.2
22.2
13.4
12.3
3.8
25.1
22.2
14.0
11.8
3.9
24.7
15.3
11.8
11.9
3.8
25.5
19.2
12.6
12.2
4.2
26.2
20.0
13.7 :
11.6
2.9
26.1
20.3
13.9
11.8
3.2
25.3
21.8
12.9
13.3
4.6
25.3
19.9
13.4
13.5
5.3
24.6
18.5
13.3
13.1
3.2
25.0
19.0
12.9
12.5
3.0
9.2
7.6
19.8
19.4
2Ó.0
11.1
4.4
19.2
19.0
21.5
12.3
11.9
17.3
19.9
19.7
14.1
8.3
16.9
20.1
20.1
8.4
5.9
18.6
16.9
17.9
8.2
4.9
18.8
17.5
17.6
11.1
9.9
17.8
18.2
17.8
11.8
6.8
18.1
18.3
17.2
9.4
5.9
18.2
20.4
20.2
11.8
5.9
17.5
20.7
21.5
11.4
9.4
16.7
16.8
17.5
10.5
5.6
16.4
16.3
17.2
14.7
11.3
78.4
45.5
14.8
11.2
83.0
49.6
15.1
10.7
57.6
41.2
14.9
10.5
55.3
43.2
12.6
10.8
64.2
36.9
13.6
10.9
64.4
38.8
15.5
11.0
83.3
42.3
16.4
11.0
81.8
45.2
14.6
10.6
85.4
44.3
15.0
10.6
83.7
47.7
16.4
11.1
81.4
40.6
16.1
11.0
78.9
44.8
22.7
16.6
39.2
49.6
24.0
16.5
39.5
50.2
21.9
16.6
40.2
53.5
24.6
17.2
40.0
52.5
23.0
16.3
34.3
52.4
23.8
16.2
35.9
51.8
24.1
18.9
30.4
48.6
25.8
18.7
30.6
47.9
23.0
18.1
38.6
63.3
25.2
18.5
37.5
70.0
21.5
18.2
42.9
56.1
23.3
18.7
42.8
53.5
8 Baked weight.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
4 8-ounce packaga
6 28-ounce package.
[405]
6 No. 2 can.
104
M O N T H L Y LABOR REVIEW ,
A V ER A G E R E T A IL PR IC ES OF T H E PR IN C IP A L A R TIC L ES OF
Little Rock,
Ark.
Article.
Unit.
May
15,
1919.
Louisville,
Ky.
June
15,
1919.
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919.
Manchester,
N . H.
May
15,
1919.
Memphis,
Tenn.
June
15,
1919.
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Sirloin steak....................................
Round steak....................................
Rib roast..........................................
Chuck roast......................................
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
Lb
41.1
39.4
35.6
28.3
24.0
40.3
38.2
34.5
28.8
22.8
39.3
38.1
32.2
28.8
24.1
39.1
38.1
32.1
27.9
23.0
156.0
51.1
34.7
31.2
154.0
49.0
33.3
29.6
42.3
40.5
33.3
29.4
24.0
41.5
39.0
33.8
29.3
22.8
Pork chops........................................
Bacon................................................
H am ...................................................
Lamb.................................................
H ens..................................................
L b ..
L b..
L b..
L b..
L b..
41.6
59.4
55.3
40.9
37.5
41.5
59.4
55.9
41.9
34.7
40.1
57.6
57.5
40.8
43.7
39.6
58.3
57.4
40.0
40.4
42.3
52.8
52.9
39.4
45.8
40.1
52.0
52.4
38.1
46.4
40.7
60.0
56.2
42.5
39.0
40.9
60.7
58.2
41.2
38.8
Salmon (canned)............................
L b ..
Lb
L b ..
Oleomargarine---- -: ...................... L b..
32.6
16 0
16.2
67.3
41.0
33.2
16 0
16.5
64.1
43.5
29.3
15 0
14.9
66. 3
41.6
29.9
15.0
15.3
63.5
42.7
31.3
15.0
16.5
73.3
38.8
31.2
15.0
16.6
67.9
39.9
33.7
18.0
16.2
70.6
42.4
33.0
18.0
16.8
64.6
41.1
N ut margarine................................ L b ..
Cheese............................................... L b ..
Lard................................................... L b ..
Lb
Eggs, strictly fresh........................ Doz.
38.1
42.1
37.6
34. 5
46.5
38.3
42.8
40.7
36.0
49.9
35.0
41.4
39.2
34.1
48.4
35.4
41.6
39.8
34.7
45.1
34.0
40.5
39.5
34.8
60.8
34.8
40.8
40.6
35.8
65.5
40.6
41.9
40.2
32.9
.48.5
40.6
42.1
41.8
35.8
47.9
Bread......... ....................................
Flour.................................................
Corn m e a l........................................
Rolled cats.......................................
Corn flakes.......................................
Lb.A
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
M -
10.0
7.5
5.8
10.8
14.7
10.0
7.6
5.9
10.6
14.8
10.0
7.6
5.2
7.4
13.7
10.0
7.7
5.6
8.6
14.1
9.3
7.8
7.1
8.7
14.8
9.3
7.8
7.1
8.7
14.8
10.0
7.8
5.3
9.3
14.4
10.0
7.8
5.4
9.9
14.3
Cream of "Wheat............................
Macaroni...........................................
R ice...................................................
Beans, n a v y ....................................
Potatoes............................................
(•)...
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
24.9
18.0
12.7
13.3
3.6
24.9
18.9
13.5
13.4
4.2
25.2
18.6
13.3
12.0
3.1
25.2
17.6
13.6
12.1
4.1
24.9
23.4
13.2
11.8
3.7
25.1
23.5
13.3
11.7
3.3
24.5
20.2
12.3
12.9
3.4
24.8
19.2
13.3
13.5
4.2
Onions...............................................
Cabbage............................................
Beans, baked..................................
Corn, canned....................................
Peas, canned....................................
L b ..
L b ..
(•)...
( 5)—
(«)-..
11.4
9.8
17.5
17.6
18.5
11.0
5.4
17.3
18.0
18.1
11.0
9.7
16.8
18.0
18.8
8.9
5.4
16.6
1S.0
18.8
10.8
12.3
19.1
21.8
20.5
14.2
8.2
18.5
22.2
20.6
9.5
8.5
18.9
18.3
18.0
9.3
5.8
19.3
18.3
18.1
Tomatoes, canned..........................
Sugar, granulated..........................
T ea.....................................................
Coffee.................................................
(6)...
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
15.4
11.2
86.0
43.9
15.4
11.2
88.1
47.0
14.9
10.7
78.9
42.0
14.8
10.8
80.1
43.9
15.1
10.6
60.4
42.6
18.8
10.5
60.4
43.6
15.2
10.9
84.9
41.1
15.1
10.8
87.8
45.8
Prunes............................................... L b ..
R aisins.............................................. L b ..
B ananas........................................... Doz.
Oranges............................................. Doz.
21.3
18.5
40.0
57.2
23.7
19.2
37.7
57.9
21.4
17.0
37.9
47.9
24.0
17.4
38.6
49.0
22.4
16.8
37.5
55.5
23.5
17.0
38.8
55.1
25.2
17.2
39.6
53.5
26.1
17.7
41.0
52.2
MilkJ evaporated (unsweetened).
1 The steak for which prices are here quoted is known as “ porterhouse ” in most of the cities included in
this report, but in this city it is called “ sirloin” steak,
a 15-16-ounce can.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
6406]
105
M O N T H L Y LABOR REVIEW ,
FOOD FO R 31 CITIES ON MAY 15 A N D JU N E 15, 1919-C ontinued.
Minneapolis,
Minn.
Mobile, Ala.
Newark, N . J.
New Haven,
Conn.
Norfolk, Va.
Omaha, Nebr,
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919.
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919.
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919.
May
15.
1919.
June
15,
1919.
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919.
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
38.3
38.3
32.5
27.9
24.0
37.1
35.8
31.5
27.3
21.9
45.6
46.2
36.7
29.6
21.2
56.2
50.8
40.9
35.7
Cts.
48.2
48.6
39.8
33.1
23.6
53.9
49.1
39.6
33.7
48.5
43.2
37.1
31.9
22.0
47.8
43.2
37.7
31.3
21.1
43.6
40.9
32.9
28.3
21.0
39.6
59.8
57.3
32.6
35.3
47.3
61.4
54.6
40.0
44.2
47.1
61.7
53.6
36.9
44.5
44.7
50.4
55.0
41.2
44.4
44.6
51.4
55.0
41.4
44.2
42.3
57.4
60.3
42.1
45.7
40.1
59.4
61.7
41.3
47.0
41.7
54.1
49.4
47.0
47.1
42.1
55.5
54.5
43.0
46.4
39.4
59.7
58.1
40.5
39.4
38.9
60.9
58.8
36.2
37.1
36.9
12.0
15.5
62.0
39.0
37.3
12.0
16.0
56.7
38.5
31.2
17.5
16.5
71.9
41.8
31.8
17.5
17.1
66.1
42.8
34.2
15.5
14.4
68.1
40.2
34.3
15.7
14.4
63.1
40.9
33.0
14.8
15.0
68.5
41.3
33.1
14.4
15.2
63.1
42.4
30.5
22.5
15.3
74.1
43.8
30.4
22.5
15.3
69.4
46.2
31.9
13.5
15.9
65.9
41.4
31.9
13.3
16.2
61.1
43.1
31.6
39.6
38.9
33.5
48.2
31.8
40.1
40.5
35.0
42.7
39.1
41.6
38.3
33.1
50.4
40.6
42.2
41.9
34.1
50.9
34.6
43.9
39.0
31.9
60.2
34.9
43.8
40.9
33.0
62.7
36.2
42.3
39.8
34.1
61.0
36.3
42.4
40.9
35.2
65.2
38.3
42.3
36. 8
33.9
53.3
39.0
42.6
39.5
36.0
54.4
35.6
40.8
40.3
34.9
49.6
36.0
41.3
43.1
35.0
48.1
9.2
7.2
6.1
6.2
14.3
9.6
7.2
6.3
6.3
14.6
9.7
7.6
5.9
10.7
14.7
9.7
7.7
6.0
10.5
14.7
9.8
7.8
7.2
8.1
12.5
9.8
7.8
7.2
8.7
12.5
10.0
7.6
7.5
8.8
13.8
10.0
7.6
7.4
8.8
13.9
9.9
7.8
6.2
10. 1
14.5
9.9
7.8
6.1
9.7
14.1
10.0
7.2
6.1
8.2
14.9
10.0
7.3
6.3
8.8
15.0
25.2
20.4
13.5
10.0
2.7
25.3
19.2
13.8
10.6
2.8
26.3
19.5
12.7
13.5
4.2
26.2
19.3
13.1
13.5
4.8
23.4
19.9
13.8
12.6
3.8
23.6
19.8
13.9
12.4
4.6
24.6
20.9
13.7
12.9
3.9
24.5
21.0
14.3
12.6
3.8
25.3
21.3
14.5
12.5
3.7
25.5
19.8
14.2
12.5
4.0
25.2
15.4
14.1
12.5
3.0
25.5
19.5
14.1
12.7
3.1
10.9
9.8
18.8
16.7
17.6
11.0
8.2
18.6
16.8
17.6
11.3
7.0
17.6
19.3
19.6
11.4
3.4
17.3
19.9
20.1
12.8
10.8
15.4
20.4
18.6
13.6
7.5
15.2
20.5
18.9
13.4
11.3
18.5
21.8
21.7
12.7
8.2
18.4
22.0
21.3
11.6
8.9
14.5
21.5
22.0
12.8
5.7
14.5
21.6
22.2
12.3
8.3
20.6
17.0
17.8
10.1
7.3
20.9
17.2
18.0
16.6
10.7
61.1
41.7
17.0
10.7
61.5
43.9
15.1
10.9
76.8
37.3
14.7
11.0
76.3
38.4
14.5
10.1
55.8
38.2
15.1
10.1
56.3
40.6
20.0
10.2
61.2
41.5
17.2
10.3
60.8
43.7
15.5
10.4
82.6
41.8
17.5
10.4
80.144.9
17.1
10.9
77.2
44.6
17.2
10.9
77.1
45.0
25.3
16.1
43.9
58.1
26.4
16.5
43.3
57.1
21.7
18.3
31.2
56.8
23.9
18.0
30.4
57.5
25.1
15.3
39.2
60.6
28.6
15.4
38.8
60.6
26.1
16.5
36.2
57.3
27.2
16.5
36.3
58.1
23.0
16.7
38.9
56.2
25.4
16.8
38.8
58.2
24.4
18.0
42.5
50.3
25.6
19.1
40.0
50.0
38.9
36.7
32.4
26.8
20.4
38.4
36.6
32.6
24.8
18.4
40.1
58.8
56.6
33.8
38.4
6 28-ounce package.
? No. 2 can.
8 Baked weight.
* 8-ounce package.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[407 ]
42.1
39.4
30.9
27.3
20.1
106
M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
A V ER A G E R E T A IL PR IC ES OF T H E PR IN C IP A L ARTIC LES OF
Peoria, 111.
Article.
Unit.
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919.
Portland, Me.
May
15,
1919.
Portland,
Oreg.
June
15,
1919.
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919,
Providence,
R. I.
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919.
Sirloin steak.....................................
Round steak....................................
Rib roast..........................................
Chuck roast......................................
Plate beef..........................................
C ts.
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
38.7
38.4
29.6
27.2
21.3
Cts.
Cts.
1 63.0
54.7
36.7
30.4
1 59.4
50.4
33.8
27.5
Cts.
Cts.
37.9
37.4
29.6
25.7
19.8
34.9
33.3
31.4
25.9
20.5
34.5
32.4
31.6
25.0
IQ 2
166.8
54.7
43.9
38.0
164.9
52.4
40.6
35.8
Pork chops.......................................
Bacon................................................
H am ...................................................
Lam b.................................................
H ens..................................................
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
39.0
58.9
56.9
39.4
40.2
38.9
58.9
56.6
37.9
38.9
43.3
52.3
54.8
39.2
46.5
41.9
52.4
55.2
38.6
47.1
44.7
59.3
56.8
37.0
44.0
45.0
59.5
57.8
35.1
41.2
45.2
54.0
62.0
44.4
46.6
43.7
54.4
63.4
44.6
47.6
Salmon (canned)............................
Milk, fresh........................................
Milk,evaporated (unsw eetened).
B utter................... ............................
Oleomargarine.................................
L b ..
Q t..
(2) -■
L b ..
L b ..
30.6
11.9
15.6
64.2
41.9
31.3
11.8
16.1
58.9
43.1
29.4
13.6
15.9
72.4
41.6
29.4
14.0
16.2
68.7
42.5
35.2
14.6
15.0
64.7
40.0
36.2
14.4
15.0
62.9
40.1
34.9
15.5
15.6
70.1
37.5
35.1
15.0
15.5
65.3
38.0
N u t margarine................................
Cheese............................................
Lard...................................................
Criseo.................................................
Eggs, strictly fresh.........................
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
Doz.
36.1
43.2
39.0
35.0
48.6
36.3
43.5
39.7
35.2
43.1
35.7
43.4
40.6
34.2
60.4
35.8
43.7
42.0
36.1
65.4
35.3
44.2
37.0
34.7
49.6
35.0
44.2
39.4
38.3
51.8
33.8
43.2
39.7
34.1
64.1
34.0
42.2
41.7
35.0
67.9
Bread............................................... Lb A
Flour................................................. L b ..
Com m eal........................................ L b ..
Rolled oats....................................... L b ..
Com flakes....................................... (4) - -
10.0
8.0
6.1
8.7
14.9
10.0
8.1
6.2
9.1
14.9
10.0
7.7
6.5
7.5
14.2
10.0
7.7
6.4
7.3
14.1
9.9
6.5
7.3
8.2
14.6
9.9
6.5
7.4
8.5
14.5
10.0
8.2
5.8
8.6
13.9
10.0
8.0
5.9
8.4
13.9
Cream of W h ea t.............................
Macaroni...........................................
R ice................................................
Beans, n a v y ....................................
Potatoes..........................................
o ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
26.8
15.1
14.2
12.1
2.9
26.7
15.5
14.1
12.5
3.1
24.9
23.1
13.9
12.5
3.4
24.9
23.0
13.9
12.3
3.1
28.3
17.6
13.8
10.6
2.3
28.3
17.5
13.9
10.6
2.4
24.7
20.6
13.4
11.8
3.9
24.6
20.5
18.3
11.9
3.2
Onions...............................................
Cabbage...................... .....................
Beans, baked...................................
Com, canned....................................
Peas, canned....................................
L b ..
L b ..
(*) -(«>..
C6) - -
12.4
9.9
19.2
16.6
18.8
12.0
7.3
19.8
17.6
18.9
11.8
9.9
19.3
21.2
20.5
14.0
7.3
18.9
20.8
20.5
5.5
8.4
23.8
21.7
21.1
7.8
6.4
23.1
22.5
21.5
10.7
11.1
17.1
20.3
20.1
13.2
7.3
17.0
20.6
20.2
Tomatoes, canned..........................
Sugar, granulated..........................
T ea............................................... .....
Coffee.................................................
(«) . .
L b ..
L b ..
L b ..
16.3
11.1
70.8
39.0
15.8
11.0
72.8
41.4
19.3
10.3
62.8
42.0
19.7
10.3
63.9
44.7
18.6
10.6
60.5
42.5
19.3
10.6
63.3
44.6
16.4
10.5
61.9
45.3
15.8
10.5
59.9
47.2
Prunes............................................... L b ..
Raisins.............................................. L b ..
Bananas............................................
Oranges............................................. Doz.
26.1
16.8
27.6
17.2
19.8
16.3
24.6
15.6
28.8
16.2
50.3
23.8
15.9
36 4
62.5
17.1
15.5
53.3
21.8
15.1
37. 5
62.9
58.3
5A8
62.2
62.5
1 The steak for which prices are here quoted is known as “porterhouse" in m ost of the cities included
m this report, but m this city it is called “ sirloin" steak.
2 15-16-ounce can.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[408 ]
107
M O N T H L Y LABOR REVIEW .
FOOD FOR 31 CITIES ON MAY 15 A N D JU N E 15, 1919—Concluded.
R ichmond, Va.
Rochester, N . Y . St. Paul, Minn. Salt Lake City,
U tah.
Scranton, Pa.
Springfield, 111.
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919.
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919.
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919.
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919.
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919.
May
15,
1919.
June
15,
1919.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
C ts .
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
45.4
42.7
36.9
31. 7
25.4
45. 0
42.2
35.9
31.9
25.6
41.6
39.9
34.0
31.1
23: 5
42.0
39.2
32.3
29.0
20.6
40.6
36.7
34.9
29.2
20.5
40.6
37.1
34.0
28.3
19.4
36.0
33.3
28.1
25.3
20.0
36. 1
33.3
27.8
25.1
19.5
48.6
44. 1
38. 6
32.9
22.8
47.8
43.3
37.7
31.6
21.2
38.8
37.6
30.9
27.4
23.0
38.0
37.6
29.9
26.3
21.6
43.4
51.8
51. 8
41.4
46.2
43.3
53.6
53.5
42. 9
45.2
44.1
48.1
53.5
39.0
45.1
44.2
49.6
55.1
35.9
45.5
39.9
56.4
55.9
36.5
37.5
39.9
58.2
57.8
34.2
35.2
42.8
60.6
55.7
34. 4
38.3
42.7
61.2
56. 7
33.0
40.0
46.3
60.7
58.8
44.9
46.5
45.8
58.1
60.0
43.3
48.4
40.1
54.4
53.4
39.5
38.0
39.1
54.1
54.5
38.0
36.2
26.6
15. 5
15.8
76.0
40.3
26.7
15.7
16.2
70.3
40.9
30.8
13.5
15.3
67.7
41.1
30.2
13.5
15.2
64.1
41.2
31.5
11.7
15.1
63.2
38.1
31.6
11.7
15.5
58.4
38.8
32.8
12.5
13.4
65.1
40.0
31.4
12.5
14.1
61.1
40.6
34.6
13.0
15. 1
68.3
41.3
34.7
13.0
15.1
64.1
42.3
32.1
14.3
16.8
65.6
43.4
32.1
14.3
17.3
60.2
44.4
37.4
43.1
37.8
34.7
51.5
36.3
42.9
38.9
35.4
53.8
33.6
41. 1
38.4
32.8
52.4
33.6
41.2
40.3
34.3
55.4
34.0
39.0
38.8
34.9
48.5
34.2
39.8
41.7
36.5
46.3
39.2
40. 4
39.3
37.9
46.6
40.1
43.6
42.6
40.4
48.8
35.8
42. 2
39.4
34.4
54.2
35.9
42.3
40.7
35.3
57.3
36.6
42.3
39.4
36.1
49.2
37.2
43.0
40.7
38.8
43.9
10.4
7.7
5.9
10. 2
14.5
10.9
7.6
6.0
10.1
14.8
10.0
7.5
6.3
0.7
13.6
10.0
7.5
6.4
6.9
13.7
9.0
7.2
6.0
6.8
14.5
9.2
7.2
6.2
7.1
14.7
10.2
6.2
7.3
8.8
14.7
10.0
6.0
7.4
8.4
14.8
10.0
7.9
8.4
10. 1
14. 1
10.0
7.9
8.1
10.1
14. 2
10.0
7.5
6.6
9.7
15.0
10.0
7.6
6.8
9.9
15.0
25.2
18.6
14.4
13.1
3.3
25.4
18.4
15.2
13.3
5.0
24.6
18.9
13.5
11.8
3.2
24.9
19.1
13.5
11.8
2.8
25.7
16.9
13.6
10. 3
2.6
25.9
16.8
14.1
10.7
2.5
25.6
16.3
12.7
12.0
2.3
26.3
17.2
13.7
12.3
3.8
25. 4
21.3
13.3
13.9
3.1
25.1
21.5
13.6
14.3
3.4
26.9
15.4
13.5
12.5
2.9
26.9
17.7
14.0
12.8
3.0
11.1
9.6
15.0
18.4
21.8
8.7
3.1
15.0
18.8
21.9
12.5
10.9
15.3
19.6
19.0
12.4
7.9
14.9
19.4
19.1
8.5
10.4
19.8
17.5
16.5
11.7
6.7
19.0
18.0
16.9
13.6
9. 2
16.9
17.9
17.5
13.1
9.8
18. 4
18.7
18.1
10.1
10. 5
16.8
20.1
18.9
11.3
7.7
16.8
20.5
19.3
10.4
9.5
19.3
17.2
17.3
11.5
6.4
19.1
17.2
18.2
17.9
10.9
83.2
39.8
17.3
10.8
81.3
41.2
16.7
10.3
59.8
37.7
16.5
10. 4
60.3
39.3
16.3
10.9
62.0
41.5
17.0
11.1
60.7
42.9
16.8
11.0
68.5
47.4
16.8
11.0
68. 5
47.9-
17.3
10.3
65.3
40.9
17.1
10.5
64.7
44.3
16.5
11.0
80.0
39.1
17.1
It. 1
83.6
43.8
22.5
16. 4
42. 1
53.8
24.5
16.6
44.1
54.4
22.4
15.3
40.2
58.3
23.9
15. 4
40.8
54.8
23.4
16.3
23.9
16.5
56.6
56.3
18.2
15.6
43.8
52.5
19.3
15.4
51.0
52.1
22.2
14.9
35.6
56.2
22.6
15.8
36.2
56.1
22.9
19.1
39. 2
55.7
26.9
19.9
43.0
52.9
3 Baked weight.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
4 8-ounce package.
[409]
5 28-ounce package.
6 N o. 2 can.
108
M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
Comparison of Retail Food Costs in 50 Cities in
the United States.
HE table following shows for 39 cities the percentage of increase
or decrease in the retail cost in June, 1919, of 22 food articles,1
T
combined, compared with the cost in 1913, in June, 1918, and in
May, 1919. For 11 other cities, comparisons are given for the oneyear and the one-month periods, because these cities have been
scheduled by the Bureau at different dates since 1913.
The average family expenditure is based on the prices sent to
the Bureau by retail dealers and on the average family consumption
of these articles in each city.
The amounts given as the expenditures in June, 1918, and in
May and June, 1919, represent the amounts necessary to buy a
year’s supply of these 22 food articles, when purchased at the
average retail prices charged in the months specified. This method
makes it easier to compare the increase with the year 1913. This
year has been selected for the comparison because it was the last
year before the war, when prices were normal.
No attempt should be made in this table to compare one city
with another as the average number of persons in the family varies
according to the cities and these 22 food articles represent a vary
ing proportion of the entire food budgets according to locality.
This table is intended to show merely comparisons in the retail
cost of these 22 food articles for each individual city. Effort is
made to secure prices on similar grades of commodities in all cities.
Local customs, however, must be taken into consideration. For
example:
1. In Boston, Mass.; Fall River, Mass.; Manchester, N. H .; New
Haven, Conn.; Portland, Me.; and Providence, R. I., very little
fresh plate beef is sold, and prices are not secured from these cities
for this article.
2.
The cut of beef known as “ sirloin” in Boston, Mass.; Manches
ter, N. H .; Philadelphia, Pa.; and Providence, R. I., would be known
as “ porterhouse” in other cities. In these four cities, owing to
the method of dividing the round from the loin, there is no cut
that corresponds to “ sirloin” in other cities. There is also a greater
amount of trimming demanded by the trade in these cities.
3.
The most of the sales in Newark, N. J., are of whole ham
instead of the sliced, as in other cities.
While it is advised that comparisons should not be made as be
tween cities without taking these and other facts relative to local
customs into consideration, the figures do represent the trend in
1 Sirloin steak, round steak, rib roast, chuck roast, plate beef, pork chops, bacon, ham, h ens, fresh
m ilk, butter, cheese, lard, eggs, bread, flour, corn meal, rice, potatoes, sugar, tea, and coffee.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[4 1 0 ]
109
M O N T H L Y LABOR REVIEW ,
the retail cost of these articles to the average family in each indi
vidual city.
..
R E T A IL COST OF 22 FOOD A R T IC L E S ,! COMBINED, IN JU N E, 1919, COMPARED W ITH
THE COST IN MAY, 1919, JU N E, 1918, AN D W IT H THE AVERAGE COST IN THE Y E A R
1913, B Y CITIES.
Average family expenditure for 22
food articles, combined.
Percentage in
crease June, 1919,
compared with—
City.
1919
1913
June,
1918.2
May .2
June. 2
May,
1913 June,
1918. 1919.
8361. 00
335.15
•377.53
388.16
8594. 26
595. 87
626. 27
621.45
604.12
8663.14
662. 28
735. 30
703. 09
660. 95
8672.94
663.13
736. 35
681.53
643.66
Buffalo................................ ...................................
318.15
Charleston..............................................................
Chicago.......................... .........................................
Cincinnati..................... .........................................
348. 60
336.48
338.26
539.51
438. 54
584. 57
545.22
537. 96
607.05
473. 36
680.76
613.31
628. 27
601. 26
474. 34
689.18
604. 51
630.31
574. 93
555.82
621. 07
411.36
559. 59
652.08
640.45
717.11
459. 89
643.31
651.41
621. 95
728.19
454, 52
643. 83
84
79
A tlanta...................................................................
Baltim ore...............................................................
Birm ingham ................ ........................................
B oston....................................................................
Cleveland...............................................................
354.01
D allas.....................................................................
D enver....................................................................
D etroit....................................................................
395.41
247.36
335.02
86
98
95
76
13
11
18
10
7
1
(3)
(3)
43
43
89
11
8
18
11
17
<1
(3)
1
41
(3)
13
12
17
10
15
(5)
43
2
41
(3)
98
80
86
84
84
92
Fall River..................... .........................................
375. 51
Indianapolis..........................................................
Jacksonville................. .........................................
Kansas C ity..........................................................
345. 23
377.10
340.12
614. 23
602. 33
547. 91
583.15
556. 07
680. 22
689. 28
627. 84
669. 73
636. 51
673. 40
694. 49
615. 52
682. 31
625.14
78
81
84
10
15
12
17
12
41
1
42
2
42
L ittle Rock...........................................................
Los A ngeles...........................................................
L ouisville...............................................................
Manchester................. ..........................................
Memphis........ ..................................... , ................
390.14
284.84
363.85
366.01
368.46
638.65
402. 03
593.07
613. 98
606.84
700. 73
470. 78
692. 32
672.76
712.15
710. 52
467. 40
696. 56
659.30
720.58
82
64
91
80
96
11
16
17
7
19
1
41
1
42
1
Milwaukee.............................................................
Minneapolis...........................................................
327.25
319.98
364. 92
376.96
622.94
607.15
720.24
645.04
683.41
609.84
595.38
722.11
641.90
674.63
86
86
N ew ark..................................................................
New H aven..........................................................
528.48
512.16
611. 21
598. 74
639.53
15
16
18
7
42
42
(3)
(6)
41
New Orleans.........................................................
New York..............................................................
369.29
355.36
697. 06
650. 34
691.30
627. 52
606.46
19
12
12
13
11
(3)
(5)
334. 52
693.89
651. 61
682.48
637. 25
618.04
89
83
Omaha....................................................................
586.29
581. 94
618.30
552.98
547.52
Philadelphia......... ...............................................
Pittsburgh.............................................................
352.19
350.35
593. 25
583. 96
601. 27
8 387.56
641.53
653.46
646. 93
676.78
451.36
713.12
646.52
642. 24
664. 99
449.01
695.50
84
83
594.80
546. 63
549.22
524.05
394.31
667.98
610. 55
629.48
609.15
441.37
680.84
605.10
613.58
603. 58
449.10
407.45
567.03
415.08
567.18
619.08
458.89
642. 51
465. 71
626. 57
687.89
458.97
641. 20
467.36
616.33
691.40
Portland' Oreg.....................................................
Providence............................................................
266.03
380.85
Richmond..............................................................
346.40
St. L ouis................................................................
St. Paul
.....................................................
Salt Lake City......................................................
326.36
San Francisco.......................................................
Scranton.................................................................
Seattle....................................................................
271. 48
335.98
265.35
W ashington................................ .........................
354.82
261.87
76
79
88
69
83
97
88
72
69
86
76
95
1 See footnote on page 108.
2 Cost of year’s supply at prices charged in specified month.
8 Increase of less than five-tenths of 1 per cent.
4 Decrease.
8 Decrease of less than five-tenths of 1 per cent.
6 No flour sold in Portland, Oreg., in June, 1918, by request of Food Administration.
1 2 7 9 7 1 ° — 1 9 ------- 8
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[4 1 1 ]
5
1
*2
42
9
10
11
11
8
*2
14
11
12
15
14
41
43
41
2
13
13
13
9
12
*1
41
41
«2
2
(3)
G>
<s)
42
1
110
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
Index Numbers of Wholesale Prices in the
United States, 1913, to June, 1919.
HOLESALE prices in the United States, considered in the aggre
W
gate, were slightly lower in June, the Bureau’s weighted
index number registering 206 as compared with the revised figure
of 207 for May. Noticeable decreases occurred in the groups of
farm products, food, etc., and chemicals and drugs, the index numbers
for these groups dropping from 238 to 230, from 211 to 201, and from
168 to 163, respectively. On the other hand, the index number for
cloths and clothing increased from 225 to 250, and that for lumber
and building materials from 163 to 171. Slight increases took place
in the fuel and lighting and metals and metal-products groups, while
in the groups of house-furnishing goods and miscellaneous articles
no change was shown.
Among important commodities whose wholesale prices averaged
lower in June than in May were rye, wheat, hay, cattle, sheep, poultry,
tobacco, beans, butter, cheese, eggs, fish, rye and wheat flour, fresh
beef, mutton, rice, potatoes, cast-iron pipe, alcohol, alum, opium,
acids, and wrapping paper. Cotton, flaxseed, hides, hops, peanuts,
coffee, fruits, lard, hams, corn meal, olive oil, tea, shoes, carpets,
leather, silk, wool, cotton and woolen goods, anthracite coal, coke,
ingot copper, lead pipe, bar silver, zinc, lumber, linseed oil, turpen
tine, rosin, and jute were higher in June than in May, while barley,
corn, hogs, canned goods, lamb, milk, salt, sugar, vinegar, matches,
petroleum, steel, brick, lime, and cement were practically unchanged
in price.
Comparing prices in June, 1919, with those of a year ago, it is seen
that the index number for farm products increased from 214 to 230,
that for food articles from 179 to 201, and that for cloths and clothing
from 243 to 250. During the same time the index number for fuel
and lighting increased from 171 to 180, that for lumber and building
materials from 148 to 171, and that for house-furnishing goods from
192 to 231. In the same period the index number for miscellaneous
articles, including such important commodities as cottonseed meal,
jute, malt, lubricating oil, newsprint paper, rubber, starch, soap,
plug tobacco, and wood pulp, increased from 199 to 214, while that
for metals and metal products dropped from 177 to 154 and that for
chemicals and drugs from 205 to 163.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[4 1 2 ]
111
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,
IN D E X N U M BER S OF W H O LESALE PRICES IN SP E C IF IE D M ONTHS, 1913, TO JU N E ,
1919, B Y GROUPS OF COM MODITIES.
[1913=100.]
Lum
Metals ber
and Chem House- Misand
build
ieais furmsh- . celiametal
ing
ing
and
prod mate drugs.
goods. neous.
ucts.
rials.
Farm
prod
ucts.
Food,
etc.
Cloths
and
cloth
ing.
Fuel
and
light
ing.
1913.
Average for y e a r . . .
January.......................
April............................
July..............................
October.......................
100
97
97
101
103
100
99
96
101
102
100
100
100
100
100
100
99
99
100
100
100
107
102
98
99
100
100
101
101
98
100
101
100
99
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
99
102
100
100
99
98
101
101
1914.
January.......................
April............................
July..............................
October.......................
101
103
101
103
102
95
103
107
99
100
100
98
99
98
90
87
92
91
85
83
98
99
97
96
101
101
101
109
103
103
103
103
98
99
97
95
100
98
99
99
1915.
January.......................
April............................
Ju ly .............................
October.......................
102
107
108
105
106
105
104
104
96
98
99
103
86
84
84
90
83
91
102
100
94
94
94
93
106
102
107
121
101
101
101
101
98
97
96
99
98
99
101
101
1916.
January.......................
April............................
July..............................
October.......................
108
111
113
136
114
117
121
140
110
119
126
137
102
105
105
128
126
147
145
151
99
102
98
101
140
150
143
135
1%
109
111
114
107
111
122
132
110
116
119
133
1917.
January.......................
F ebruary...................
March..........................
April............................
M ay........................... .
June.............................
J u ly .............................
A ugust........................
Septem ber.................
October.......................
N ovem ber.............. ..
December...................
147
150
162
180
196
196
198
204
203
207
211
204
150
160
161
182
191
187
180
180
178
183
184
185
161
162
163
169
173
179
187
193
193
194
202
206
170
178
181
178
187
193
183
159
155
142
151
153
1S3
190
199
208
217
239
257
249
228
182
173
173
106
108
111
114
117
127
132
133
134
134
135
135
144
146
151
155
164
165
185
198
203
242
232
230
128
129
129
151
151
162
165
165
165
165
175
175
137
138
140
144
148
153
151
156
155
164
165
166
150
165
160
171
181
184
185
184
182
180
182
181
1918.
January.......................
February....................
March..........................
April............................
M ay.............................
June.............................
July..............................
A ugust........................
Septem ber.................
October.......................
N ovem ber..................
December...................
205
207
211
217
212
214
221
229
236
223
219
221
188
186
178
179
178
179
185
191
199
199
203
207
209
213
220
230
234
243
249
251
251
253
253
246
169
171
171
170
172
171
178
178
179
179
182
183
173
175
175
176
177
177
183
183
183
1S6
186
183
136
137
142
145
147
148
152
156
158
157
163
163
216
217
217
214
209
205
202
207
206
204
201
182
188
188
188
188
188
192
192
227
233
233
233
233
178
181
184
193
197
199
192
191
195
197
207
204
185
187
187
191
191
193
198
202
207
204
206
206
1919.
January......................
February....................
March..........................
April............................
May..............................
June 1...........................
220
215
226
233
238
230
204
193
200
207
211
201
231
220
214
214
225
250
181
181
180
179
179
180
172
167
161
151
151
154
160
162
164
161
163
171
179
173
171
167
168
163
233
233
233
231
231
231
206
207
218
216
214
214
202
197
200
203
207
206
Year and month.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
i Preliminary.
[4 1 3 ]
All
com
modi
ties.
112
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
Changes in Wholesale Prices in the United States.
TNCREASES in the wholesale price of many important commodities
in the United States during the second quarter of 1919 are
shown by information collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in
representative markets. Among the articles showing an increase are
bacon, hams, lard, corn, corn meal, barley, cotton, cotton goods,
hides, leather, shoes, anthracite coal, and copper. On the other
hand, some articles, as cattle, beef, sheep, mutton, butter, rye, rye
flour, and potatoes decreased in price during the quarter. A number
of articles, as hogs, eggs, milk, wheat and wheat flour, oats, rice,
sugar, wool and woolen goods, bituminous coal, coke, pig iron, steel
billets, spelter, petroleum, and gasoline showed practically no change
in price.
Comparing prices in June with those for July, 1918, it is seen that
a number of commodities were much higher. Conspicuous examples
of these are hogs and hog products, butter, eggs, milk, corn, sugar,
wheat and wheat flour, hides, leather, shoes, and anthracite coal.
Decreases between these two dates are shown for cattle, beef, sheep,
mutton, corn meal, oats, rye and rye flour, potatoes, cotton and
wool textiles, coke, copper, pig iron, steel billets, pig tin, and pig
lead.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[414]
W HOLESALE PRICES IN JU L Y , 1914, 1915, 1916, A N D 1917, AN D IN CERTAIN MONTHS OF 1918 A N D 1919, AS COMPARED W ITH A VERAGE PRICES
IN 1913.
AVERAGE MONEY PR IC ES.
July—
Article.
Unit.
1918
1919
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
Jan.
Apr.
July.
Oct.
Jan.
Apr.
May.
$9.213
.132
17.500
7.281
.111
.161
.081
18.500
5 .46Ó
.109
.261
.169
.030
$9.985
.141
18.250
9.825
.157
.190
.131
27.167
6.545
. 131
.276
.223
.031
$12.560
.164
30.500
15.460
.248
.240
.201
42.250
8.600
.145
.376
.318
.050
$13.113
.175
31.500
16.300
.293
.295
.250
50.400
11.144
.192
.487
.557
.081
$15.175
.205
31.900
17.150
.271
.308
.258
53.200
14.950
.243
. 415
.330
.059
$17.625
.240
34.875
17.720
.276
.303
.264
48.500
10.975
.205
.432
.374
.054
$17.856
-.245
35. 500
17.850
.286
.336
. .266
42.500
9.469
.151
.554
.497
.082
$18,413
.245
35. 500
17- 538
.289
.349
.238
50.375
9.556
.176
.618
.579
.091
$18,325
.245
35.500
20.500
.326
.360
.313
55.000
13.500
.229
.615
.403
.066
$17.744
.243
35.500
20. 763
.331
.377
.342
57.688
11.469
-.204
.556
.428
.072
$15.460
.203
35.500
20.665
.333
.381
.347
58.250
7.850
.165
.513
.404
.068
1.390
7.031
.783
1.750
.529
1.036
5.533
.743
.049
.444
.058
1.170
6.100
.808
1.982
.405
.966
5.035
.746
.045
. 863
.075
2.170
2.170
2.216
1 9.985 1 10.702 1 10.210
1.665
1.665
1.385
5.350
4.825
3.370
.872
.765
.693
2.648
1.705
1.625
13.687
10.500
9.169
1.722
1.125
.957
.094
.087
.091
1.035
.687
.993
.073
.074
.088
2.223
10.275
1.401
3.150
.653
1.613
8.738
.956
.091
1.084
.088
2.589
12.215
1.609
3.525
.681
1.741
10.060
1.133
.087
1.152
.088
2.598
12.419
1.772
3.810
.695
1.563
9.350
1.185
.088
1.211
.088
2.458
12.013
1.766
3.938
.693
1.487
8.425
1.191
.071
.926
.088
June.
FOODSTUFFS.
(a) A n im al.
100 l b s . . . .
L b .............
B b l............
100 lb s . . . .
L b .............
L b .............
L b .............
B bl............
100 lb s___
L b .............
L b.............
D oz...........
Q t..............
$8. .507 - $9.219
.135
.130
18.923
17.250
8.305
8.769
.141
.127
.166
.177
.102
.110
22.471
23.625
4.687
4.538
.095
.103
.270
.310
.226
.187
.030
.035
(6) Vegetable.
Wheat, No. 1, northern..........
Wheat flour, standard patent
Corn, No. 2, m ixed...................
Corn meal...................................
Oats, standard, in store..........
R ye, No. 2 ..................................
R ye flour....................................
Barley, fair to good m alting..
Rice, Honduras, head.............
Potatoes, w hite.........................
Sugar, granulated.....................
.874
4.584
.625
1.599
.376
.636
3.468
.625
.051
.614
.043
.897
4.594
.710
1.780
.369
.618
3.075
.533
.054
1.206
.042
2.582
2.170
12. 750 1 10.0,85
2.044
1.775
4.880
4.835
.764
.799
2.226
1.915
11.417
10.356
1.391
1.534
.070
.079
2.375
1.272
.075
.074
1 Standard war flour.
113
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
B u.............
B bl............
B u.............
100 lb s___
B u.............
B u.............
B bl............
B u.............
L b .............
Bu.............
L b.............
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
[415]
Cattle, good to choice steers..
Beef, fresh, good native steers
Beef, salt, extra mess...............
Hogs, heavy...............................
Bacon, short, clear sides.........
Hams, smoked, loose...............
Lard, prime, contract.............
Pork, salt, mess........................
Sheep, ew es................................
Mutton, dressed........................
Butter, creamery, extra..........
Eggs, fresh, firsts...................... .
M ilk.............................................
114
W HOLESALE PRICES IN JU LY, 1914, 1915, 1916, A N D 1917, A N D IN CERTA IN M ONTHS OP 1918 AND 1919, AS COMPARED W IT H A V ER A G E PR IC ES
IN 1913—Continued.
AVERAGE MONEY PR IC ES—Concluded.
Article.
Unit.
1919
1918
July—
I
1913
Jan.
Apr.
July.
Oct.
Jan.
Apr.
May.
$0.324
.536
.171
.180
1.455
$0.312
.641
(B
.250
1.437
2.150
4.450
?. 470
.324
.640
.830
5.645
$0.325
.610
C1)
.250
1.437
2.150
(!)
1.642
.300
.630
.770
6.500
$0.296
. 455
.191
.209
4.0651.308
.328
.530
.830
4.750
$0,317
.616
.240
.230
1.455
2.150
4.275
1.308
.272
.550
.800
5.000
1.750
)
1.642
.280
.660
.785
6.500
$0.290
.426
.150
.176
1.091
1.500
(»)
1.054
.295
.680
.825
6.500
$0,309
.483
.165
.191
1.073
1.500
C)
1.103
.351
.710
• .850
6.742
$0.328
.562
.190
.206
1,182
1.600
(')
1.137
.408
.825
.900
6.750
3.500
3.500
3.500
4.500
4.850
4.850
4.850
5.000
5.850
5.933
5.000
15.000
.318
.338
57.450
100.000
6.600
3.600
6.370
3.600
6.693
4.100
.235
.263
37.250
47.500
7.750
.842
.068
.079
3.750
.160
.240
.235
.263
36.150
47.500
7.750
.880
.070
.070
4.000
.168
.240
7.000
4.100
6.000
.260
.290
36.600
47.500
7.750
.796
.081
.091
4.000
.175
.245
8.050
4.100
5.781
.204
.228
33.600
43.500
7.350
.715
.056
.074
4.000
. 175
.245
8.017
4.000
3.900
.153
. 175
29.350
38.500
7.000
.725
.051
.065
4.000
. 185
.245
8.093
4.000
3.844
. 160
.179
29.350
38.500
7.000
.725
.051
.065
4.000
.185
.245
4.000
4.000
.176
.196
29.350
38.500
7.000
.719
.053
.068
4.000
1914
1915
1916
1917
.073
.082
.471
.777
1.382
.563
.184
.270
.449
3.113
$0.131
.215
.070
.085
.444
.650
1. 328
.505
.194
.275
.475
3.150
$0,092
.160
.060
.075
.557
.850
1.508
.539
.258
.280
.495
3.250
$0.130
.253
.078
.088
$0. 261
.450
.140
.160
.760
.270
.460
.635
3.750
1.600
3.250
1.176
.330
.540
.815
4.750
2.175
2.200
2.350
2.750
5.313
2. 200
2.000
5.200
2.200
5.507
June.
TEXTILES AND LEATHEK GOODS.
$0.128
.221
.686
1.100
2.000
1.200
.
2.000
1.200
0
MINEKAL AND METAL PRODUCTS.
Coal, anthracite, chestnut................................ 2,240 lb s...
lb s...
Coal, bituminous, run of mine........................
lb s...
Coke, furnace, prompt......................................
L b .............
L b .............
Pig iron, Bessemer............................................. 2,240 lb s ...
Steel billets.......................................................... 2,240 lb s ...
lbs___
Tin plate, domestic, coke.................................
L b .............
L b .............
L b ........
B b l............
Gal............
Gasoline, motor.................................................. Gal............
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
2,000
2,000
100
2.200
2.538
.157
.167
17.133
25.789
3.558
.449
.044
.058
2.450
.123
.168
5.241
.134
.148
14.900
19.000
3.350
.311
.039
.051
1.750
.120
.140
2.200
2.750
.199
.210
14.950
21.380
3.175
.391
.058
.220
1.350
.120
.120
2.750
.265
.325
21.950
41.000
5.875
.389
.069
.113
2.600
.120
.240
12.000
.620
.114
.093
3.100
.120
.240
6.000
6.000
6.000
.255
.285
36.600
47.500
7.750
.932
.080
.087
4.000
.171
.241
8.222
.200
.245
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,
[4 1 6 ]
L b.............
L b.............
Y d .............
Y d .............
Wool, 1/4 and 3/8'grades, scoured................... L b .............
L b .............
Y d .............
Y d .............
L b .............
Sq. ft.........
L b.............
Shoes, men’s, Goodyear welt, vici call, Pair...........
blucher.
Shoes, women’s, Goodyear welt, gun metal, Pair...........
button.
RELA1 IVE PR I CES.
1919
191S
July—
Article.
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
Jan.
Apr.
July.
Oct.
Jan.
Apr.
May.
June,
'
FOODSTUFFS.
(a )
A n im a l.
Cattle, good to choice steers............................
Beef, fresh, good native steers........................
Beef, salt, extra m ess.......................................
Bacon, short, clear sides..................................
H am s’ smoked, loose........................................
Lard, prime, contract......................................
Butter, creamery, extra..................................
m
Milk.......................................................................
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
108.4
103 8
91.2
104.8
111.0
106.6
92. 7
105.1
96. 8
92.2
87.1
82.7
85.7
108.3
101.5
92.5
87.0
87.4
97.0
73.6
82.3
116.7
105.8
84.2
74.8
85.7
117.4
108.5
96.4
117.5
123.6
114.5
119.1
120.9
139.6
127.2
89.0
98.7
88.6
147.6
126.2
161.2
184,8
195.3
144.0
182.7
188.0
183.5
140.8
121.3
140.7
142.9
154.1
134.6
166.5
194.9
230.7
177.7
227.3
224.3
237.8
186.4
157.1
246.5
231.4
178.4
157.7
168.6
205.0
213.4
185.5
234.5
236.7
319.0
235.9
133.9
146.0
168.6
207.2
184.6
184.3
211.8
217.3
182.5
240.0
215.8
234.2
199.0
139. 4
165.5
154.3
209.9
188.5
187.6
213.4
225.2
202.4
241. 8
189.1
202.0
146.6
178.7
219.9
234.3
216.4
188.5
187.6
209.7
227.6
210.2
216.4
224.2
203. 9
170.9
199.4
256.2
260.0
215.4
188.5
187.6
245.1
256.7
216.9
284.5
244.8
288.0
222.3
198.4
178.3
188.6
208.6
186.9
187.6
248.2
260.6
227.1
310.9
256.7
244.7
198.1
179. 4
189.4
205. 7
181.7
156.2
187.6
247.1
262.2
229.5
315.5
259.2
167.5
160.2
165.5
178.8
194.3
Sugar, granulated......................... ...................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
H
K
£-1
r
>
o
(6) Vegetable.
Barley, fair to good m alting...........................
fel
a
• 'I
Wheat, No. 1, northern...................................
Wheat flour, standard patent........................
S
O
w
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
102.6
100,2
113.6
111.3
98.1
97.2
88.7
85.3
105.9
196.4
97.7
1 No quotation.
159.0
153.4
125.3
109.4
140.7
162.9
159.5
118.9
96.1
72.3
134.9
133.9
133.1
129.3
124.0
107.7
151.9
145.2
119.4
88.2
140.6
174.4
295.4
278.1
327.0
305.2
203.2
350.0
329.2
222.6
137.3
386.8
174.4
248.3
2 220. 0
284.0
302.4
212.5
301.1
298.6
245.4
154.9
207.2
172.1
248.3
248.3
253.5
2 222. 7
2 217. 8
2 233. 5
266.4
266.4
221.6
301.8
210.8
334.6
184.3
231.9
203.5
416.4
268.1
255.5
264.4
394. 7
302.8
180.0
153.1
275.5
178.4
170.6
154.3
161.7
111.9
168.6
172.1
204.7
169.8
2 Standard war dour.
254.3
224.1
224.2
173.7
253.6
252.0
153.0
178.4
176.5
204.7
296.2
266.5
257. 4
220.4
181.1
273.7
290.1
181.3
170.6
187.6
204.7
297.3
270.9
283.5
238.3
184. 8
245.8
269.6
189.6
172.6
197.2
204.7
281.2
262.1
282.6
246.3
184.3
233.8
242.9
190.6
139.2
150. S
204.7
<
HH
¡3
H-“
I— *
Ol
116
W HOLESALE PRIC ES IN JU L Y , 1914, 1915, 1916. A N D 1917, A N D IN CERTAIN MONTHS OF 1918 A N D 1919, AS COMPARED W ITH AVER A G E PRIC ES IN 1913—
Concluded.
R ELA TIV E PR IC E S— Concluded.
July—
Article.
1919
1918
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
Jan.
Apr.
July.
Oct.
Jan.
Apr.
May.
June.
TEX T IL E S AND L E A T H E R GOODS.
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
102.3
97.3
95.9
103.7
94.3
83.7
96.1
89.7
105.4
101.9
105.8
71.9
72.4
82.2
91.5
118.3
109.4
109.1
95.7
140.2
103.7
110.2
101.6
114.5
106.8
107.3
145.6
141.6
144.7
135.0
146.7
170.4
141.4
203.9
203.6
191.8
195.1
254. 8
205. 9
235.2
208.9
179.3
200.0
181.5
253.1
242.5
234.2
219.5
308.9
257.4
294.1
232.3
178.3
196.3
184.9
247.7
278.7
328.8
280.5
308.9
276.7
309.3
232.3
147.8
203.7
178.2
243.8
289.6
(l )
304.9
305.1
276.7
322.0
261.1
176.1
237.0
184.9
253.9
276.0
G)
304.9
305.1
276.7
G)
291.7
163.0
233.3
171.5
231.3
205.9
261.6
254.9
254.8
225.2
0)
291.7
152.2
244.4
174.8
226.6
192.8
205.5
214.6
231.6
193.1
G)
187.2
160.3
251.9
183.7
241.4
218.6
226.0
232.9
227.8
193.1
(l )
195.9
190.8
263.0
189.3
100
101.2
104.4
120.5
152.6
152.6
160.6
181.3
208.8
208.8
208.8
216.6
216.8
256.3
254.3
260.3
251.2
251.0
205.9
G)
202.0
221.7
305.6
200.4
100
103.9
108.1
126.4
160.9
160.9
160.9
206.9
223.0
223.0
223.0
229.9
268.9
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
98.6
100.0
78.8
85.4
88.6
87.0
73. 7
94.2
69.3
88.6
87.9
71.4
97.6
83.3
97.9
100.0
69.0
126.8
125. 7
87.3
82.9
89.2
87.1
131.8
379.3
55.1
97.6
71.4
103.7
100.0
108.4
168.8
195.6
128.1
159.0
165.1
86.6
156.8
194.8
106.1
97.6
142.9
111.7
227.3
591.0
202.5
202.4
335.3
387.8
337.3
138.1
259.1
160.3
126.5
97.6
142.9
124.2
162.7
236.4
149.7
157. 5
317.4
184.2
217.8
187.5
154.5
136.2
153.1
130.1
142.9
119.9
162.7
236.4
149. 7
157.5
211.0
184.2
217.8
196.0
159.1
120.7
163.3
136.6
142.9
126.0
186.4
236.4
162.4
170.7
213.6
184.2
217.8
207.6
181.8
151.7
163.3
139.0
143.5
131.8
186.4
236.4
165.6
173.7
213.6
184.2
217.8
177.3
184.1
156.9
163.3
142.3
145.8
151.5
186.4
227.8
129.9
136.5
196.1
168.7
206.6
159.2
127.3
127.6
163.3
142.3
145.8
150.9
181.8
153.7
97.5
104.8
171.3
149.3
196.7
161.5
115.9
112.1
163.3
150.4
145.8
152.3
181.8
151.5
101.9
107.2
171.3
149.3
196.7
161.5
115.9
112.1
163.3
150.4
145.8
154.8
181.8
157.6
112.1
117.4
171.3
149.3
196. 7
160.1
120.5
117.2
163.3
162.6
145.8
M IN ERA L AN D M ETA L PRODUCTS.
Coal, anthracite, chestnut...............................
Coal, bituminous, rim of m ine.......................
Coke, furnace, prompt shipment...................
Copper, electrolytic...........................................
Copper wire, bare, No. 8..................................
Pig iron, Bessemer............................................
Steel b illets.........................................................
Tin plate, domestic, coke................................
Pig tin ..................................................................
Pig lead................................................................
Spelter..................................................................
Petroleum, crude...............................................
Petroleum, refined, water-white...................
Gasoline, motor...................................... ...........
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
i No quotation.
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,
[418]
Cotton, upland, m iddling...............................
Cotton yarn, carded, 10/1.................................
Sheeting, brown, Pepperell.............................
Bleached muslin, Lonsdale............................
Wool, 1/4 to 3/8 grades, scou red ....................
Worsted yarn, 2/32s..........................................
Clay worsted suitings, 16-ounce.....................
Storm serge, a ll wool, 50-inch.........................
Hides, packers, heavy native steers.............
Leather, chrome calf.........................................
Leather, sole, oak..............................................
Shoes, m en’s, Goodyear welt, vici calf,
hlucher..............................................................
Shoes, women’s, Goodyear welt, gun metal,
button...............................................................
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
117
Cost of Living in the United States.
OLLOWING the presentation in the May, June, and July num
bers of the
data relating to the
F
cost of living in industrial centers, a summary is here presented
Monthly L abor R eview of
which gives in the same form the combined figures for 92 localities,
comprising 12,096 white families and 741 colored families. Data for
the latter are given for 12 cities only. Practically one-third of the
white families and one-fourth of the colored families come within the
income group $1,200 and under $1,500.
In the table for white families it will be noted that the average
percentage of expenditure for food decreased as the income increased,
with one exception. The last income group expended three-tenths of
1 per cent more for food than the preceding group. The percentage
of expenditure for rent and for fuel and light also decreased as the
income increased.
On the other hand, the average percentage of expenditure for
clothing and for miscellaneous items increased without exception
with the increase of income, while the per cent of expenditure for
furniture, with two exceptions, increased in the same manner.
Looking at the columns showing surpluses and deficits, it will be
seen that both the percentage of families having a surplus and the
average amount of surplus increased with the income, but while
the percentage of families having deficits decreased with the income
the average amount of deficit, with one exception, increased with the
income.
The data for colored families show the same general features,
but with less uniformity, owing perhaps to the much smaller number
of families, on account of which the effect of any unusual conditions
in a single family would have a greater effect upon the final results.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[419]
118
A VERAGE AM OUNT A N D P E R C ENT OF E X P E N D IT U R E P E R ANNUM FOR T H E PRIN C IPA L GROUPS OF ITEMS OF COST OF LIVING OF FAM ILIES
IN 92 IN D U ST R IA L C ENTER S, B Y INCOME GROUPS.
WHITE FAMILIES.
Income group.
Average yearly expenses per family for—
Food.
Clothing.
$111.63
156.45
206.50
257.38
306.94
384.20
503.03
332
2,423
3,959
2,730
1,594
705
353
4.3
4.5
4.7
5.0
5.2
5.7
0.4
2.89
2.98
3.16
3.36
3.62
4.09
4.95
$371.61
456.16
515.55
571. 75
626.52
711.86
859.98
T otal....................... 12,096
4.9
3.33
548.50
Rent.
Total
average
yearly
Furni
Fuel
and Miscel expenses
per
and a ture
furnish
laneous. family.
light.
ings.
i $121.65 i $57.19
a 149.66 2 64.15
3 179. 73 3 73.31
«207 17 « 79.35
5 232.10 5 87.07
6 248.30 5 93.01
^ 260.21 7 102.03
237.60 8 191.37
8 76.15
Surplus.
Deficit.
Fami
lies
hav
ing—
Average
amount.
Fami
lies
hav
ing—
Average
amount.
Fami Av. sur
lies *
(+ )
having plus
or defi
neither cit ( - )
surplus
for
nor
group.
deficit.
$30.31
47.85
61.95
84.31
97.20
116. 74
133.06
$149.81
201.02
262.40
335.28
404.27
500.08
608.23
$842.91
1,076.08
1,300.71
1,536.68
1,755.74
2,054.97
2,466.91
137
1,309
2,732
2,112
1,315
585
306
$47.59
67.33
106.34
157.74
233.42
290.65
404.45
144
835
975
5,25
240
102
45
$114.48
107.35
123.03
141.23
155.57
165.68
213.81
51
279
252
93
39
18
2
—$30.02
.62
+ 43.09
+ 94.88
+ 169.14
+ 217.21
+ 323.34
73.22
306.10
1,434.36
8,496
155.26
2,866
127.03
734
+ 78.95
P E R CENT.
Under $900........................
$900 and under $1,200...
$1,200 and under $1,500..
$1,500 and under $1,800..
$1,800 and under $2,100..
$2,100 and under $2,500..
$2,500 and over................
2.7
20.0
32.7
22.6
13.2
5.8
2.9
44.1
42.4
39.6
37.2
35.7
34.6
34.9
13.2
14.5
15.9
16.7
17.5
18.7
20.4
1 14.5
2 13.9
s 13.8
« 13.5
5 13.2
6 12.1
i 10.6
1 6.8
2 6.0
5.6
«5.2
5 5.0
64.5
i 4.1
3.6
4.4
4.8
5.5
5.5
5.7
5.4
17.8
18.7
20.2
21.8
23.0
24.3
24.7
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
41.3
54.0
69.0
77.4
82.5
83.0
86.7
43.4
34.5
24.6
19.2
15.1
14.5
12.7
15.4
11.5
6.4
3.4
2.4
2.6
.6
T otal.......................
Ï00.0
38.2
16.6
s 13.4
85.3
5.1
21.3
100.0
70.2
23.7
6.1
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
3
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,
Under $900...............
$900 and under $1,200__
$1,200 and under $1,500..
$1,500 and under$l,800..
$1,800 and under$2,100..
$2,100 and under $2,500..
$2,500 and over.........
Average persons
in family.
Num
ber
of
Equiva
fami
lent
lies. Total.
adult
males.
I
V
COLORED FAMILIES.
Under $900........................
$900 and under $1,200...
$1,200 and under $1,500..
$1,500 and under $1,800..
$1,800 and under $2,100..
$2,100 and under $2,500..
$2,500 and over.................
136
347
193
43
18
3
1
4.2
4.9
5.4
5.7
6.4
9.0
7.0
2.92
3.31
3.56
4.09
4.24
6.77
5.95
$375.76
456.90
520.69
617.03
673.91
946.49
1,027.16
T o ta l........................
741
5.0
3.39
475.94
$104.65 i $100.44 i $47.42
158.42 9 128.12 9 56.76
219.60 i 163.88 i 66.37
71.38
297.68
193.92
69.41
214.15
298.03
73.47
446.86
168.00
69.60
496.70
220.00
$28.43
42.00
59.95
75.74
93.50
76.87
152.00
$134.79
198.00
260.23
309.04
436.10
461.00
575.00
$791.47
1,040.52
1,290.67
1,564.78
1.785.11
2,172.69
2,540.46
62
171
112
29
13
2
1
$36.06
52.66
79.62
134.81
188. 77
61.79
183.00
27
88
36
7
4
$42.18
47.84
58.72
143.74
68.84
47
88
45
7
1
1
+ $8.06
+ 13.82
+ 35.25
+ 67.52
+121.04
+ 41.19
+ 183.00
io 58.80
47.68
216.41
1,115.08
390
68.79
162
53.97
189
+ 24.41
100.0
45.6
49.3
58.0
67.4
72.2
66.7
19.9
25.4
18.7
16.3
22.2
34.6
25.4
23.3
16.3
5.6
33.3
100.0
100.0
100.0
52.6
21.9
25.5
177.58 io 138.59
P E R CENT.
$900 and under $1,200...
$1,200 and under $1,500..
$1,500 and under $1,800..
$1,800 and under $2,100..
$2,100 and under $2,500..
1 N otin clu ding
2 N ot including
3 N otincluding
4 N ot including
6 N otin clu ding
18.4
46.8
26.0
5.8
2.4
.4
.1
47.5
43.9
40.3
39.4
37.8
43.6
40.4
13.2
15.2
17.0
19.0
16.7
20.6
19.6
i 12.7
9 12.3
i 12.7
12.4
12.0
7.7
8.7
i 6.0
9 5.5
i 5.1
4.6
3.9
3.4
2.7
3.6
4.0
4.6
4.8
5.2
3.5
6.0
17.0
19.0
20.2
19.7
24.4
100.0
42.7
15.9
1» 12.4
ic 5.3
4,3
19.4
1 family in which rent is combined w ith fuel and light.
44 families in which rent is combined w ith fuel and! ight.
91 families in which rent is combined w ith fuel and light.
78 families in which rent is combined w ith fuel and light.
51 families in which rent is combined w ith fuel and light.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
21.2
22.6
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
3
K
F
k!
3 N otincluding 21 families in which rent is combined w ith fuel andlight.
i N ot including 9 families in which rent is combined w ith fuel and light.
8 N ot including 295 families in which rent is combined w ith fuel and light.
9 N ot including 2 families in which rent is combined w ith fuel and light,
ip N ot including 4 families in which rent is combined w ith fuel and light.
3
I— *
H -i
CD
120
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
Prices and Cost of Living in Foreign Countries.
Retail Prices in Belgium/ 1914 and 1919.
T
HE following information relative to retail prices has been pre
pared by the Belgian Labor Office upon information furnished
by its correspondents located in six different districts.
The first 13 articles considered are identical with those for which
data were published in the R eview before we entered the war, and
are the characteristic household necessities. These prices for 1914
were published in the Revue du Travail, May 31, 1914.
In order that erroneous deductions may not be drawn from the
figures presented certain explanations are deemed necessary. Owing
to action of local committees in price fixing, and the National Food
and Relief Commission which controlled the supplies of flour, bakeries
were required to conform not only to a fixed price, but also to a
standard of quantity and quality of bread manufactured. These
varied greatly during the course of the war. White wheat bread,
which was almost exclusively used in the cities before the war, could
be sold only to the sick and became an article of clandestine com
merce. In 1918 the price of white wheat bread rose to 15 francs
per kilo ($1.31 per pound). The price of butter on April 1,
1919, is that of clandestine commerce, there being no butter on the
open market. The prices quoted for beef are for fresh meat in the
open market. Refrigerated meat from Argentina could be pur
chased on the market at 6 francs per kilo ($0.53 per pound). In
1918 potatoes and sugar were to be obtained only through clandes
tine commerce. The former sold as high as 5.5 francs per kilo
($0.48 per pound) in 1918, and sugar at Tournai at 25 francs per
kilo ($2.19 per pound). Men’s and women’s woolen stockings were
on sale in public supply depots at prices lower than here reported,
but in limited quantities. Prices reported for men’s felt hats are for
new ones. Cleaned and restored hats were and still are much used.
The prices for these ranged from 20 to 30 francs ($3.86 to $5.79) in
1918, and from 15 to 20 francs ($2.90 to $3.86) in 1919.
The following table shows the average prices of 22 articles for the
districts from which reports were made. These averages are obtained
by dividing the sum of minimum and maximum prices of the article
as reported by twice the number of districts reporting. The prices
for April, 1914 and 1919 only are here reproduced. The average
increase in the price of sugar can not be truly given. In the Govern
ment supply depots, where only limited quantities were obtainable,
it was 181 per cent, while in the clandestine commerce it was 1,206
per cent.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1 Revue du Travail (Brussels), May 1,1919, p. 293.
[422]
121
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
Prices in 1918 were generally higher. The increase in the average
prices (sugar excepted) of 13 articles of food in 1918 over 1914,
based upon the data collected in the investigation, was 780 per
cent.
A V ER A G E PRIC ES OF 22 COMMODITIES IN 6 LOCALITIES IN BELG IU M . A P R . 1. 1914,
A N D A P R . 1, 1919, W IT H PE R CENT OF INC R EA SE.
Average price.
Apr. 1, 1914.
Apr. 1, 1919.
Cents.
Cents.
2.63
24.94
23.16
27.83
25.55
19.69
16. 89
1.14
.61
5.95
5. 43
4.90
12.42
9.19
13.13
3.11
443.90
328.10
57.90
67. 55
77.20
260.55
Per cent of
increase.
6. 83
65.98
115. 80
152. 86
94. 41
96. 51
94. 76
2.19
3. 06
i 16. 71-2 77. 26
15. 40
11. 46
31. 42
25.99
50.14
9.31
1,596.11
1,518.14
156. 33
250.90
268. 27
708.89
160
263
400
449
269
390
461
92
400
i 181-21,200
184
133
153
183
280
200
260
363
170
270
247
172
A supplementary study of increased prices is made in a report
published under date of May 15, 1919. The remarks in the preced
ing report (relating to prices in Belgium) in regard to the manner of
collecting the data and to other market conditions apply also to this
report.
The prices quoted cover a wider range of articles and are for the
first four months of 1919. From the figures reported the two tables
following have been computed, showing (1) the relative prices for the
first four months of 1919, compared with prices in April, 1914, and
(2) the relative decrease in price in February, March, and April,
1919, compared with January, 1919.
R E LA T IV E PRICES IN BR U SSE LS, BELGIUM, JA N U A R Y TO A P R IL , 1919, COMPARED
W ITH A P R IL , 1914.
Relative prices.
Group of articles.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
April,
1914.
100
100
1Ò0
100
1919
January. February.
March.
699
516
615
564
471
522
403
428
481
344
383
455
639
534
424
374
1 Revue du Travail (B elgium ), May 15,1919, p. 338.
[-123]
April.
122
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
R ELA T IV E PRICES IN B R U SSE LS, BELGIUM , F E B R U A R Y , MARCH, A N D A P R IL , 1919,
COMPARED W IT H JA N U A R Y , 1919.
Relative prices, 1919.
Group of articles.
January. February. March.
April.
Prime necessities......................................................................................
Clothing, shoes, heat, and ligh t.............................................................
100
100
100
81
91
85
58
83
78
49
74
74
T otal........................... : ...................................................................
100
84
66
59
Cost of Living in Cuba in 1914 and 1918.
OR the information of the officers of the United Railways of
F
Havana in connection with the demands being made by the
employees for higher wages, the following comparative list of prices
of necessities in Cuba for the years 1914 and 1918 was compiled in
the office of the company and has been transmitted to this Bureau by
the State Department. I t is remarked that “ great care is said to
have been exercised in obtaining the figures, which represent the
actual cost to the laborers as learned by actual investigation and
not through the usual method of published quotation.”
COM PARATIVE LIST OF PRICES OF NECESSITIES IN CUBA FO R TH E Y E A R S 1914 AND
1918.
Article.
U nit.
Per cent of
Price in 1914. Price in 1918. increase, 1918
over 1914.
Food:
M ilk............................................................................ Q uart...
Oil....................................................................
(*)
Quart. . .
Can2___
Flour......................................................................
Miscellaneous:
(3)
1 M aximum price quoted.
2Size not specified.
SO. 40
.04
1.11
.12
. 15
.14
.47
.25
.20
1.15
.30
.04
.06
i. 08
.06
.08
1.40
SO. 84
.10
.19
1.25
.30
.40
1 1.89
1.40
.75
1.30
.60
.10
. 14
.25
.25
.20
.60
110.0
150.0
72.7
108.3
100.0
185.7
302.1
60.0
275.0
100.0
100.0
150.0
133.3
212.5
316 7
150.0
50.0
. 15
1 2.00
1 12.00
1 12.00
1.30
1 5.00
1 25.00
1 25.00
100.0
177 8
108.3
108.3
3 N ot reported.
“ Tasajo” (jerked beef) and “ bacalao” (dried codfish) are among
the principal sources of sustenance for the Cuban laborer. The oil
mentioned is used largely throughout Cuba for cooking and table
purposes.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[424]
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
Retail Price Changes in Great Britain.
HE following table gives for Great Britain the increase in the
T
cost of food and general family expenditure for January to
July, 1919, over July, 1914. The food items included in this report
are: Ribs and thin flank of beef, both British and chilled or frozen;
legs and breast of mutton, British and chilled or frozen; bacon, fish,
flour, bread, tea, sugar, milk; butter, fresh and salt; cheese, mar
garine, eggs, and potatoes.
The table gives percentages of increase, and is not one of relative
prices, as is the table given for the United States. When making
comparisons this should be borne in mind, and to obtain the relative
price it is necessary to add 100 to the percentage as given, i. e.,
January, 1919, the increase is 130, the relative price being 230.
The figures represent two comparisons:1 First, the increase in price
based on the same quantities as used in July, 1914; second, the in
crease in the cost of living, based on the change in the quality of the
standard of living. In other words, the increase in column one of
the table shows what the wage earner paid for the same quantities
of food, while the figures in column two give the change that results
from a substitution of one kind of food for another to meet war
time conditions.
The same method is used in family expenditures, the third column
showing percentage of increase of all articles and the last column
giving approximate figures, based on the increase in cost of all other
articles and the estimated changed consumption of food.
IN C R E A SE IN FOOD A N D A LL ITEMS IN GREAT B R IT A IN B A SE D ON JU L Y , 1914.
{Compiled from issues of The Labour Gazette, London.]
Per cent of increase as compared w ith July, 1914.
Food.
Date.
AH item s in family budget.
Expendi
Expendi
Retail prices,
Retail prices,,
tures,
tures,
allowing for
assuming
assuming
allowing for
estimated
same
estimated
same
quantities.
change in
quantities.
change in
consumption.
consumption.
July, 1915..
.......................
July, 1916..
.............................................
J u ly ]1917 .
..............................
July] 1918.....................................................................
1919.
January............... ..........................................................
February......................................................................
March..................................... .......................................
April..................................... - .......................................
M ay.,........................................... ..................................
June...............................................................................
July................................................................................
32J
2 61
104
110
72
67
130
130
120
113
107
104
109
79
77
79
87
81
87
97
* 40-45
3 75
^ 100-105
* 120
4 120
* 115
< 110
4 106
s 105
6105-1IQ
75-80
90
90-95
90
95
90
95
109
1 For a more complete explanation, see article by Prof. W. F . Ogbiirn, pp. 169 and 170in the Monthly
L abo r R e v ie w for May, 1919,
/ aincluding tax on sugar and tea,
s Not including taxes.
*The increase, excluding additional taxation, on commodities is 7 per cent less.
5 The increase, excluding additional taxation, on commodities is 6 per cent less,
e Tax rate not reported.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[425]
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
Cost of Living in Lima, Peru.
RECENT report of the consul-general at Lima, Peru,1 shows a
A
considerable increase in the cost of living in that city since the
beginning of the war. It is stated that in 1916 the Peruvian Govern
ment issued a decree prohibiting the exportation of the principal food
products grown in that country, with the exception of sugar and rice,
yet the local selling prices of all native products have gradually
increased until complaint is so general that the municipal authorities
of Lima are now seriously considering the cause of the high cost of
all articles of first necessity.
The table following, issued by the municipal authorities of Lima,
shows the retail prices of 28 articles in August, 1914, and in April,
1919:
R E T A IL PRICES OF 28 ARTICLES OF H O U SEH O LD CONSUM PTION IN LIMA, PE R U ,
A U G U ST, 1914, A N D A P R IL , 1919, A N D PE R C E N T A G E OF INC R EA SE.
Article.
Unit.
Vermicelli, ordinary...................................................... ..........................
B utter.................................. ......................................................................
Charcoal (for cooking).......................................................................
Q uart...
Milk (fresh)................................................................................................ Q uart...
Round steak (w ithout hon e)................................................................
Beef (with hone)................... ..............................................................
Coal...........................................................................................................
Price in
August,
1914.
Price in
April,
1919.
$0.06
.04
.055
.04
.06
.04
.04
.07
.05
.08
.07
.75
.625
.70
.14
.60
1.75
.015
.08
.30
.50
.035
.10
.15
.125
.025
.04
11.00
$0.11
.08
.11
.105
.18
.09
.09
.09
.085
.17
.14
1.50
1.00
1.10
.34
1.20
3.25
.04
.15
.60
1.37
.045
.25
.355
.25
.055
.075
40.00
Per cent
of in
crease.
83.3
100.0
100.0
162.5
200.0
125.0
125.0
28.6
70.0
112.5
100.0
100.0
60.0
57.1
142.9
100.0
85.7
166.7
87.5
100.0
174.0
28.6
150.0
136.7
100.0
120.0
87.5
263.6
The report states that the increase in price of nearly all imported
articles, such as textiles and wearing apparel, is greater in comparison
than the above list, that house rent has increased 50 per cent, and that
the cost of furniture is 150 per cent higher than before the war.
Shoes have increased in price from $7 to $12.50 a pair; men’s felt
hats, from $4.50 to $6.50; silk ties, from 75 cents to $1.50; woolen
underwear, from $5 to $7 a suit; colored shirts, from $2.50 to $3;
1 Dated Apr. 30, 1919, and transmitted to this Bureau through the State Department.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[4 2 6 ]
125
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
men’s socks from 75 cents to $1.25 a pair; men’s woolen suits from
$40 to $55; ladies’ silk stockings, from $1.25 to $3 a pair; white
collars, from 30 cents to 35 cents each. The price of room and board
in boarding houses has increased from $40 to $75 a month, with baths
extra. Fruit, such as bananas, oranges, and grapes, is more expen
sive than in the United States.
Prices of Food in Madrid, Spain, 1914 and 1919.
HE Chamber of Commerce at Madrid, Spain, is authority for the
following data,1 giving a comparison of the prices of certain
T
foodstuffs in that city in 1914 and 1919 :
W HO LESA LE A N D R E T A IL PRICES OF FOOD, M ADRID, SPA IN , 1914 A N D 1919, A N D PE R
CENT OF INCREASE IN 1919.
Wholesale.
Commodity.
U nit.
Olive oil............................................ Q uart...
Eggs................................................... D ozen...
Codfish.............................................. Pound. .
. ..d o .......
. . .do.......
...d o .......
Pickled sardines............................ . ..d o .......
1914
1919
$0.175
.23
.098
.153
.368
.21
.072
.05
.063
.074
$0.24
.554
.256
.377
.544
.377
.149
.083
.094
.153
R etail.
Per cent
of in
crease.
37.1
140.9
161.2
146.4
47.8
79.5
106.9
66.0
49.2
106.8
1914
1919
$0.178
.25
.114
.175
.394
.263
.079
.06
.07
.087
$0.33
.58
.28
.438
.57
.44
.158
.087
.114
.175
Per cent
of in
crease.
85.4
132.0
145.6
150.3
44.7
67.3
100.0
45.0
62.9
101.1
High Prices of Building Materials in England.2
FACTOR of great importance in the almost desperate housing
A
situation in Great Britain is the cost of building materials,
said to be such an obstacle in this branch of the reconstruction
scheme that houses of the class formerly renting at about $200 a
year if put up now could not be rented profitably at less than $450.
The following table of prices of certain building materials before
the war and in the spring of 1919 illustrates the condition. It should
be stated that in the London area transportation is a factor, and
that the area in the Midlands of England, for which prices are given,
is surrounded by brickyards and lime and cement works.
1 From Reports on Foreign Markets for Agricultural Products No. 10, p. 13, May 29, 1919. Bureau of
Markets, U nited States Department of Agriculture.
2 From Commerce Reports, June 23, 1919. Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, U nited States
Department of Commerce.
9
127971°—19
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[427]
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,
PRICES OF B U IL D IN G M A TER IA LS IN E N G L A N D B E F O R E THE W AR A N D IN T H E
SPR IN G OF 1919.
Material.
Prewar price.
Price in spring
of 1919.
1,000
.do
$8.51
7.54
$19. 47
18.25
1,200
10.22
12.16
$8.76-9.97
0.44 and 0.57
61.44
43.80
105.85
80.30
15.22
29.81
$16.55-17.28
0.69 and 1.15
99.88
87.60
184.93
265. 22
5.84
9.12
1.46
0.42-0.49
2.43-2.67
5.35-5.84
2.19
18. 01
20.19
1 1.22
1.95-2. 43
7.30-9. 73
11.68
6.70
U nit.
In the London area:
Bricks—
First, hard stocks...................................................................
Second, hard stocks...................................................................
Tiles—
Plain red.................................................................
Other...................................................................................
Cement, best Portland..................................................................
L im e...........................................................................................
Iron, common bars...............................................
Lead, sheet, English....................................................................
Wood, best deals.....................................................................
In the Midlands:
3-inch bricks, delivered on site..............................................
Cement, o n site ..........................................................................
Sand, on site....................................................
Timber..............................................................................
Steel, fixed ..................................................................
Lead, fixed .............................................................................
Carting...............................................................
Standard
1,000
1 Plus $2.02 for carting.
I t is estimated that not fewer than 10,000,000,000 bricks will be
required, and the output at Peterborough (the largest center of the
industry) would not exceed some 600,000,000 a year with every kiln
in operation. The shortage of railway cars for transportation is a
further difficulty.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[428 ]
COOPERATION.
Agricultural Cooperative Enterprises in Canada.1
nnjHE agricultural cooperative organizations of Canada are divided
into two classes: (1) Commercial bodies, such as the Saskatche
wan Cooperative Elevator Co. (Ltd.); United Grain Growers (Ltd.) ;
and the United Farmers’ Cooperative Co. of Ontario (Ltd.); and (2)
educational bodies, which include the United Farmers of Alberta;
the Saskatchewan Grain Growers’ Association; the Manitoba Grain
Growers’ Association; and the United Farmers of Ontario. These
provincial organizations are still further combined into a Federal
body called the Canadian Council of Agriculture, which consists of
the executives of the various farmers’ organizations, both educa
tional and commercial. This body has its headquarters at Winnipeg.
The Grain Growers’ Grain Co. (Ltd.).
The oldest of the commercial bodies—the Grain Growers’ Grain
Co. (Ltd.)—was organized in 1906 under a charter of the Province of
Manitoba and was reorganized on a national basis in 1911. During
the 11 years of its existence this company handled 232,740,876
bushels of grain, leased elevators, opened up timber tracts, and
established the Grain Growers’ Guide, a publication which, starting
as a monthly paper, changed to a weekly, and now has a circulation
of 55,000 copies per week.
The Alberta Farmers’ Cooperative Elevator Co. (Ltd.).
The Alberta Farmers’ Cooperative Elevator Co. (Ltd.) was or
ganized in 1913 with 46 locals which represented 4,499 shareholders
holding 6,560 shares of stock at a par value of $393,600. The stock
was 20 per cent paid up. At the final meeting of the company in
1917, just before its amalgamation with the Grain Growers’ Grain
Co. (Ltd.), the records showed that the locals had increased to 145,
composed of 14,528 shareholders 'who held 21,527 shares of stock
having a par value of $1,291,620. The paid-up capital stock at this
time amounted to $563,689.28.
The act of incorporation provided that each shareholder should
have one vote irrespective of the number of shares held and proi Summarized from a typew ritten statem ent, dated Alberta, April 15, 1919, by the United States
Consul at Calgary.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
127
[4291
128
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
hibited voting by proxy. The shareholders were grouped into locals
which elected delegates to represent them at the annual meeting of
the company.
During the four years of its existence the company handled
44,477,195 bushels of grain, developed an active live-stock business,
opened a cooperative supply department which in 1916-17 moved
2,691 cars, and conducted a large and constantly growing mail-order
business in farm machinery. The profits of the company from June
30, 1914, to August 31, 1917, were $459,777.
United Grain Growers (Ltd.).
In 1917 the Manitoba representatives of the Grain Growers’ Grain
Co. (Ltd.) amalgamated with those of the Alberta Farmers’ Co
operative Elevator Co. (Ltd.), between whom there had always
existed the closest cooperation, under the name of the United Grain
Growers (Ltd.). The new company adopted the methods of govern
ment employed by the Alberta company, thus applying the local and
delegate system to the whole company.
On August 31, 1918, at the close of its first year’s business the
company’s records showed that there were 35,000 shareholders,
grouped into 337 locals. The number of shares subscribed for was
115,642, having a par value of $2,891,050. The paid-up capital
totaled $2,159,763. The charter provides that only farmers can hold
stock, each person being limited to 100 shares having a par value of
$25. No stock, however, can be sold below $30 a share. The com
pany’s profits for the year ending August 31, 1918, were $441,760
and a dividend of 10 per cent upon the paid-up par value of the stock
was paid.
From 1906 to 1918 the three companies handled a total of
307,129,933 bushels of grain, operated 343 country elevators, 231
flour warehouses, and 181 coal sheds. The present company also
operates, under lease, a terminal elevator at Fort William, with a
capacity of 2,500,000 bushels, and owns a private terminal elevator
at Port Arthur with a capacity of 600,000 bushels. A large business
is carried on in hay, posts, twine, wire and bale ties, salt, fruit,
vegetables, lumber, builders’ supplies, machinery, oats, etc., the
“ total turnover” amounting, in 1918, to $5,925,791. The company’s
live-stock business in the same period amounted to 4,402 cars. A
sawmill operated by it in Northern British Columbia has a capacity
of 75,000 feet of lumber in a 10-hour day. A general land agency
business, together with an insurance department in all its branches,
forms another branch of the company’s many activities; and the
imports of machinery from the United States—and practically all
comes from the United States—amounted during the last three
years to $1,561,473.89.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[430]
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
129
The United Farmers of Alberta.
The United Farmers of Alberta, an organization for educational
and propaganda purposes, was organized in 1909. It developed out
of the Canadian Society of Equity which was formed by some farmers
from the United States who had formerly been members of the
American Society of Equity. The company’s membership includes
approximately 20,000 farmers residing in the Province of Alberta.
Its headquarters are at Calgary.
As in the case of the other organizations the members of the United
Farmers of Alberta are divided into local associations which report
to the central office at Calgary, while the central office keeps in touch
with the locals through the medium of circular letters. The locals
are represented in the annual convention by elected delegates, “ the
basis of representation being one delegate for every 10 paid-up
members, or major portion of 10.” The officers of the association
are a president, four vice presidents, and 10 directors, who are elected
by the delegates in the annual convention, to carry on the work from
year to year. The objects of the association as defined in the con
stitution are as follows:
1. The fostering and encouragement of cooperative effort to the end—
(a) That the moral, intellectual, and financial status of the farmer may be improved
thereby;
( b ) That the rural home may receive more of the necessities, comforts, and con
veniences of modern times, and rural life be enriched and improved thereby;
(c) That the business of agriculture may receive the proper recognition that its
importance justifies in provincial and national affairs;
(d) That the Dominion may perform to the best advantage the functions in the
Empire which in the economy of nature it is best fitted to perform.
2. To further the interests of farmers and ranchers in all branches of agriculture; to
promote the Best methods of farming business; to seek to enlarge and increase markets;
to gather market information; to obtain by united efforts profitable and equitable
prices for farm produce; and to secure the best and cheapest transportation.
3. To watch, influence, and promote legislation relative to the objects specified in
the preceding subsections (1) and (2) and to any other matter affecting the farmers’
business, and to take any legitim ate action necessary for this purpose.
4. To promote social intercourse, a higher standard of community life, and the
study of economic and social questions bearing on our interests as farmers and citizens.
5. To settle disputes between members without recourse to law whenever possible.
6. To take into consideration any member’s case of grievance, hardship, or litiga
tion, and to defend our membership as far as it may be possible and just.
The association has from its formation taken an active part in
influencing legislation and creating public sentiment in regard to
questions having to do with the improvement of agricultural condi
tions. To its efforts may be ascribed most, if not all, of the credit
for the passage of a number of acts of this nature, including the pro
hibition act now operative in the Province.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[431]
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
An organization known as the United Farmer Women of Alberta
has developed from the men’s cooperative movement, and is
carrying on the same kind of work among the farmers’ wives and
daughters as the United Farmers of Alberta is accomplishing among
the farmers. Its form of government and basis of representation are
the same as those in the farmers’ organization, the officers consisting
of a president, vice president, and 10 directors, who also have head
quarters in Calgary.
According to the report the United Farmers of Alberta and the
United Grain Growers (Ltd.), “ constitute the greatest cooperative
marketing societies that an agrarian movement has ever produced.
* * * As commercial and social organizations these societies have
a far-reaching influence in all provincial affairs, and as potential
political forces they are to be reckoned with in Dominion as well as
provincial parliaments. Among the demands made by the farmer or
ganizations are tariff reform and reciprocity with the United
States, according to the Reciprocity Agreement of 1911.”
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[432?
EMPLOYEES’ REPRESENTATION.
Activities of Industrial Councils in Great Britain.
QLLOWING upon the acceptance by the Government of the
recommendations contained in the Whitley report, joint in
dustrial councils had, at May 1, 1919, been established by the Ministry
of Labor in 33 industries, as follows:1
Asbestos manufaturing; Metallic bedstead; Bobbin and shuttle
making; Bread baking and flour confectionery; Building; Chemical
trade; China clay; Coir m at and matting; Elastic web, cord, braid,
and small-wares fabrics; Electrical contracting; Electricity supply
(including both municipal and company-owned undertakings) ; Fur
niture; Gas (including both municipal and company-owned under
takings; Gold, silver, horological, and allied trades; Hosiery; Hosiery
(Scottish); Made-up leather goods; Local authorities1 non-trading
services (manual workers) (England and Wales); Match manu
facturing; Packing-case making; Paint, color, and varnish trades;
Welsh plate and sheet trades; Pottery; Load transport; Rubber
manufacturing; Sawmilling; Silk; Tin mining; Vehicle building;
Wall-paper making ; Waterworks undertakings (including both munici
pal and corny)any-owned undertakings); Wool (and Allied) textile;
Woolen and worsted (Scottish).
In addition to these applications of the Whitley report, provisional
committees had, at May 1, either already drafted, or had been
appointed to draft, constitutions for the following 19 industries:
Bleaching, etc., of textiles; Boot and shoe manufacture; Carpets;
Flour milling; Glass; Heating and domestic engineering ; Locks,
safes, and latches; Musical intruments; Needles and fishhooks;
Newspapers; Printing; Printing ink; Roller engraving; Shipping;
Surgical instruments; Tramways (including both municipal and
company-owned undertakings) ; Wire drawing; Wrought hollow-ware;
Zinc and spelter.
Steps have been taken for the application of the Whitley report to
Government industiial establishments,-2 to the civil service,3 and to
local authorities1 administrative, professional, technical and clerical
staffs.
1Data taken from British Labour Gazette, London, for May, 1919, p. 176.
2
See M onthly L abok R e v ie w for May, pp. 114-116.
3 Idem, July, pp. 123 to 126.
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[433]
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
Methods of procedure on the Whitley councils are determined by
the representatives of the organizations of employers and workers in
each particular industry, who are also given a free hand in the
drafting of their constitution and the formulation of the functions
and objects of their council.
Except in industries where wage-fixing machinery in the form of
conciliation boards already exists, the consideration of wages takes
a prominent place among the particular objects of joint industrial
councils, and the discussion of matters arising out of wage demands
takes up a considerable amount of the time of the councils.
In the constitutions of some councils it is provided that no strike,
lockout, or arbitration shall take place until the matter in dispute
has been considered by the council.
The machinery for conciliation is readily available in those trades
for which councils have been formed, but the formation of joint
industrial councils is in most cases so recent that not much informa
tion is yet available as to the practical value of the machinery set
up. However, the small experience so far gained seems to show
that a better relationship between employers and workers is already
being produced. I t should be noted that the two sides on the
councils are of the same numerical strength, and that in the event
of a deadlock no automatic machinery, except in a few instances,
is provided for the settlement of the case. Such a deadlock has
already been reached in several cases, but the inability to agree does
not seem to have embittered the feeling between the two sides, as
in each case, with the approval of both sections, the Ministry of
Labor has been asked to take action as indicated in the Wages
(Temporary Regulation) Act, 1918.
Referring to the application of the Whitley council plan to the
administrative departments of the civil service, an account of which
was given in the July issue of the Monthly Labor R eview (pp.
123-126), it should be stated that the committee of 30 representing
in equal numbers the Government departments and the civil service
associations, which was appointed to consider a Whitley scheme in
this connection, submitted its report on May 29, 1919.1 It recom
mends the establishment of a national council, departmental councils,
and district and office (or works) committees; sets out the constitu
tion of the national council, following this with some notes explana
tory of certain provisions in that constitution; and concludes with
recommendations respecting the departmental councils and district
and office committees. The constitution provides for a national
council of 54 members, one-half representing the official side and
one-half representing the employees or the staff side; the chairman
i Report of National provisional joint committee on tlie application of the W hitley report to the ad
ministrative departments of the civil service. London, 1919. 8 pp. Cmd. 198. Price, Id. net.
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[434]
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
133
of the council shall be chosen from the official side,1 and each side
shall be represented by a secretary. It is recommended that details
as to organization and functions of works committees shall be left
to the departmental council concerned when instituted.
Summary of Agreements Made by Joint Industrial Councils.
The action as regards wages and hours, disputes, working condi
tions, etc., hitherto taken by Whitley councils in a number of indus
tries, is set out in the following statement :2
The council of the asbestos manufacturing industry has established a 48-hour week,
without reduction of time rates. Rates for piecework are to be raised 15 per cent,
and the shift system is to be considered. The china clay council’s agreement provides
for a 46-hour week, a time rate of Is. Id. [$0.26] per hour, an increase for pieceworkers,
a minimum wage of 25s. [$6.08] for adult women time workers, and an increase of
wages for boys. The coir mat and matting council has agreed, pending a general
revision of piece prices, upon a 15 per cent increase on bonuses (20 per cent in eastern
counties). The elastic webbing council has agreed that a 48-hour week be estab
lished from April 7, and a subcommittee has been appointed to consider rates of
wages, especially in reference to women’s work. The electrical contracting council
has made provision for a 47-hour working week, with one break of 45 m inutes’ duration
in the ordinary full working day. The national concilation board interim committee
of the furniture council has settled a standard rate for London upholsterers and upholsteresses. The council of the gold, silver, horological, and allied trades has agreed
upon a standard week of 47 hours. The hoisery council agreed, in December, 1918,
upon an additional bonus of l-pi. [$0.03] in the shilling upon wages earned, making a
total of 6^d. [$0.13] in all; the agreement to remain in force till the end of March, 1919.
On April 10 the council agreed upon a 48-hour week, without reduction of time rates,
and an increase of 7£ per cent on piece rates. The council of the made-up leather
goods trade has adopted a national 48-hour week, a minimum wage of Is. 5d. [$0.34]
per hour for day workers, and, pending further negotiations on applications recently
received, an increase of 12J per cent for females and for piece workers. The council
of local authorities’ nontrading services (manual workers) (England and Wales) has
resolved that it be a recommendation to all local authorities that the working week
for day men or women shall be not more than 47 hours, exclusive of meal times; that
any change in hours im plied by this resolution shall not entail any loss of pay; that
this resolution shall come into operation as and from the last pay day in May; that
the question of a one or two break day be left for local settlement; and that in no
case where a smaller number of hours are worked shall that number be increased.
The council of the match manufacturing industry has agreed that working hours be
reduced to 47 per week, with no reduction of rates, and that all Sunday work be
considered as outside the 47-hour working week. The council of the packing case
making industry has adopted a 47-hour working week. The agreement of the rubber
manufacturing council provides for a 47-hour working week, without reduction of
time rates; no reduction of piece rates; no increase to be made in the present basis of
calculation for output bonus; the agrreement to include both men and women. The
saw-milling council has adopted a 47-hour working week, without any reduction of
wages; the agreement to include both skilled and unskilled workers. The vehicle
building council has agreed upon minimum rates, the agreement to remain in force
from February 1, 1919. The wool (and allied) textile council has adopted a 48-hour
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1This also applies to departmental councils.
2Labour Gazette, London, for May, 1919, p. 176.
[435]
134
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
week, the details of the arrangement and rates of wages to be settled by the district
councils. Questions of wages and hours are at present under consideration b y several
joint industrial councils.
Some of the other recent activities of joint industrial councils may be classified
and summarized as follows:
Disputes and Conciliation.
Several councils have devised machinery for dealing w ith disputes and for under
taking conciliation duties. The principle adopted in some cases is that such matters
should be dealt with, where possible, b y shop or works committees or b y district
councils; the national council confining itself to questions affecting the whole in d u s
try. The wool (and allied) textile council has established an arbitration panel.
The chemical trade council has established an emergency committee of six members
constituted by forming a panel from the members of the council in alphabetical
order, and appointing the first three on the em ployers’ list and the first three on the
workpeople’s list to serve for the first month, proceeding through the lists for each
subsequent month. This committee is prepared to go at once to any place in which
a dispute has arisen which can not be settled locally. The road transport council
has agreed that the executive committee constitute a joint arbitration panel, and
that a joint traveling arbitration panel, composed of three members (one from each
side of the council, with the chairman) be constituted. It is proposed that the d is
trict councils, when formed, should endeavor to compose all disputes arising within
their areas, and that the traveling panel should be summoned only in cases of extreme
urgency. The furniture council has established a national conciliation board.
Councils have recently been invited to express their view s w ith regard to under
taking conciliation where one or both parties to the dispute are not represented on
the council. Most of the councils have readily agreed to undertake such duties when
requested to do so.
Working Conditions.
Welfare committees have been formed by the building and china clay councils.
The home office has been in touch with several councils with a view to improving
factory conditions.
Education and the Training of Apprentices.
Committees to deal with education and training of apprentices have been appointed
b y the building, china clay, electrical contracting, furniture, pottery, silk, vehicle
building, and wool (and allied) textile councils. Some of these committees have
been in close touch with the board of education and with local education authorities.
The building council’s education committee has drawn up a report dealing with the
entry and training of all apprentices and other recruits for the building industry,
schemes of apprenticeship, preapprenticeship education, and prospects in the indus
try, and general education. The electrical contracting council’s committee has drawn
up a scheme of apprenticeship in the industry. The committee of the pottery coun
cil is considering the regularization of conditions of entering of apprentices into the
industry, and the provision of adequate technical education. The committee of
the vehicle building council is inquiring into the question of the position of apprentices
returning from the army.
Liaison officers have been appointed by the board of education to act in an advisory
capacity on most of the joint industrial councils.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[4S6]
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
135
Statistics and Research.
The building council has appointed a committee to consider the question of scientific
management and reduction of costs, with a view to enabling the building industry
to render the most efficient service possible. This committee has held several m eet
ings, and has appointed two subcommittees to deal respectively w ith questions of
improving production and questions of the distribution of the product. The pottery
council has appointed a statistical and inquiries committee to inquire into the gen
eral problems of the industry. This committee has appointed a subcommittee to
get information on wages and making prices, and on the average percentage of profits
on turnover. The vehicle building council also has appointed a statistics and research
committee.
Subsidiary Trades: Demarcation and Sectional Committees.
The general question of the establishment of demarcation and sectional commit
tees is receiving the attention of several councils. The constitutions of these coun
cils were framed to embrace or to exclude certain sections impinging upon their indus
try, but this did not wholly solve the problem. The made-up leather goods industry,
for example, is divided into three sections—belting manufacture, saddlery and harness
manufacture, and fancy leather goods manufacture; and the council has decided that
matters relating exclusively to one of these sections should be dealt with by an appro
priate subcommittee, whose decisions should be reported to the council for informa
tion. The problem of demarcation is more complex in the textile industries, where
there is considerable overlapping between wool and cotton, cotton and silk, silk and
hosiery, silk and wool, etc. There are indications that to meet this difficulty the
councils concerned are proposing to form joint consultative committees for the pur
pose of determining questions of demarcation.
Organization of Employers and Workpeople.
The following councils have taken action with a view to improving the organiza
tion of employers and workpeople in their respective industries : Coir mat and matting,
made-up leather goods, pottery, rubber manufacture, and tin mining. The pottery
council has passed a resolution to the effect that employers in the industry be requested
to grant facilities to trade-union representatives to enter the works at meal times
for propagandist purposes and for enrollment of members, provided that no inter
ference with the carrying on of the duties of the workpeople is caused thereby.
Relations with Foreign Office and Board of Trade.
The council of the match-manufacturing industry has been requested by the for
eign office and the department of overseas trade to supply information as to (a) the
encouragement of study and research with a view to the improvement and perfection
of the quality of the product, and of machinery and methods for economical manu
facture in all branches of the industry, and (6) the preparation and consideration of
statistics and reports relating to the industry throughout the world and the effect on
the industry of customs and excise duties. The question of setting up commercial
subcommittees, charged with the special work of dealing with matters in which the
board of trade and its departments are concerned, is receiving consideration by several
councils. Some of these councils are now forming commercial subcommittees.
Others have delegated the matters referred to to their general purposes or other stand
ing committee. Liaison officers between the board of trade, including the depart
ment of overseas trade, and councils have in some cases been appointed. Most coun
cils directly affected by the question of import restrictions have appointed deputa
tions to state their requirements to the board of trade import restrictions committee.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[437]
136
M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
F orm ation o f D istrict J o in t In d u stria l Councils.
District joint industrial councils have been established by the national joint indus
trial councils of the following industries: Bread baking and flour confectionery,
chemical trade, elastic webbing, electrical contracting, furniture trade, hosiery
(Scottish), match manufacture, paint, color and varnish, rubber manufacture, wool
(and allied) textile, woolen and worsted (Scottish). Most of the other councils have
the question of the formation of district councils under consideration. In some
industries district councils are regarded as unnecessary.
W orks Committees.
Works committees are being set up under the auspices of the respective joint indus
trial councils in the following industries: China clay, hosiery (Scottish), match manu
facture, pottery, rubber, woolen and worsted (Scottish). Several other councils
are at present considering the question of the formation of works committees.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[438]
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.
Collective Bargaining for Employees of Govern
ment Controlled Telephone Systems.1
lAOLLOWING tlie failure of the strike of Atlanta telegraphers,
who went on strike early in June, 1919, for recognition of their
right to organize and the reinstatement of employees said to
have been discharged for joining the union, a national strike of com
mercial telegraphers was called for June 11. The actual number of
workers who joined in the strike is not known, the unions claiming
large numbers and the telegraph companies maintaining that their
business was not crippled by the strike. Two days later a national
strike of electrical workers and telephone operators employed by
the Bell system was called for June 16, to support the telegraphers
in their demands. Both appeared to be for the purpose of forcing
governmental and company recognition of the unions and the right
of collective bargaining, as well'as for an increase in wages. Each
strike order was issued by the national officers in response to strike
votes previously taken by the membership.
On June 14 the strike of the electrical and telephone workers was
averted by an order (Bulletin No. 27, Order No. 3209) issued by
Postmaster General Burleson, granting them the right of collective
bargaining. The order is as follows:
Employees of telephone companies shall have the right to bargain as individual
or collectively through committees or their representatives chosen by them to act for
them. Where prior to Government control a company dealt with representatives
chosen by the employees to act for them who were not in the employ of the company,
they shall hereafter do so. The telephone companies shall designate one or more of
its officials who shall be authorized to deal with such individuals or representatives
in matters of better conditions of labor, hours of employment, compensation or griev
ances, and such matters must be taken up for consideration within five days after
presentation.
Such employees shall have the right to organize or to affiliate with organizations
that seem to them best calculated to serve their interest, and no employee shall be
discharged, demoted, or otherwise discriminated against because of membership in
any such organization, as prescribed in B ulletin No. 9, issued by me, dated October 2,
1918.2 In case of dismissal, demotion, or undesirable transfer of employee where no
1 Government control of telephone and telegraph systems ceased on July 31, 1919.
2 Published in M onthly L abor R e v ie w for February, 1919, p. 147.
137
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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138
M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
real cause is shown by company for said dismissal, demotion, or undesirable transfer
it shall be considered that discrimination was practiced, and upon such finding the
employee shall be reinstated to former position w ith full pay for time lost or shall be
reimbursed for any loss sustained by reason of demotion or transfer.
Inability or refusal to perform the regular work of position occupied by them,
excessive use of intoxicants, dishonesty, in civ ility to subscribers or the public shall
be considered sufficient cause for dismissal.
Where requests or demands are now pending, the telephone companies shall imme
diately proceed to negotiate a settlem ent.
A ll telephone companies are hereby directed to comply strictly with the require
ments of this order, and failure to do so on the part of any official w ill result in dis
ciplinary action.
A subsequent order (Bulletin No. 27, Order No. 3210), under date
of June 16, directed the telephone companies to designate an officer
or officers to whom complaints might be made, and whose duty it
would be to keep complete records of complaints and the action taken
in each case. Following is the text of this order:
Representations have been made to the wire board that employees having grievances
are often left in doubt to whom they should be presented. Each telephone company,
therefore, shall at once designate an officer or officers of such company to whom com
plaints may be presented, and shall make such selection known by placing a notice
on its bulletin board giving the name or names of the officer or officers so selected.
Such officer or officers so appointed by the company shall carefully make a notation
of all complaints presented and the hour and date when same is received, and also
hie action taken on each complaint. This is necessary in order to avoid any con
troversy as to questions of fact.
Order No. 3209 w ill be strictly enforced.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[440]
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION.
Training for Foremen.1
for foremen are at present being conducted in the city
CLASSES
of Detroit under the supervision of the board of education of
that city and of the University of Michigan.
The special need for such classes arose from the fact that the lack
of cooperation between the school and the shop frequently results
in the failure of apprentices to complete their training, causing a loss
both to themselves and to industry.
This lack of cooperation, the author states, is due in many instances
to the absence of proper understanding and sympathy between the
average foreman and the apprentice. The foreman often has little
patience with a boy whose theoretical knowledge of a craft surpasses
his practical ability; while, on the other hand, the boy underestimates
the skill of a foreman who is unable to transfer his practical knowledge
to paper.
The apprentice through the various opportunities for training
afforded him can perfect his work, but the problem has been to provide
a means whereby the foreman might come to appreciate the character
of the boys’ training in the school and adapt his course in shop instruc
tion to it in such a manner as to shorten and intensify the apprentice
ship course.
A solution of the problem has been found in the organization of
classes for foremen. These classes are being conducted at the Cass
High School or in the plant schools, for the Northway Motor Co.,
Cadillac Motor Co., Ford Motor Co., and for several other plants.
About 200 men are at present in attendance.
It is pointed out that in the formation of such classes the coopera
tion of the plant executives is essential. They call the men together
and explain the nature of the work to them. The enrollment is vol
untary. Classes of 20 and not to exceed 30 men do the best work.
The classes meet once each week for two hours, this being about all
the time the average foreman can spend in addition to the home work
required.
1 Classes for foremen, by E. Lewis Hayes, Vocational Summary, June, 1919, pp. 32, 33.
for Vocational Education, W ashington.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Federal Board
139
[4 4 1 1
140
M O N T H L Y LABOE R E V IE W .
The course is divided into three or four terms, each of three months’
duration. The instruction falls into two classes:
1. Subject matter supplementary to his daily employment to be
given as regular evening instruction in the interest of the foreman as
a producer.
2. Subject matter having to do with the foreman as an instructor
and leader of men to be given as a part of a teacher-training program.
The following analysis of the terms’ work is given:
If in the first term he (the foreman) has mastered square root, the Pythagorean
theorem, threads and gear calculation, cutting speeds, feeds and taper cutting, together
with enough elementary algebra to handle textbook formulas, very good progress has
been made. H e should have also had some free-hand lettering and enough sketching
to know the proper placing of views and how to dimension them correctly.
In the second term can be taken up for discussion subjects that are more particularly
in the foreman’s sphere, such as handling and disciplining men, relation of employer
to labor, shop transfers, labor turnover, relation to other departments in plant, time
study, production of schedules, premium systems, care of shop equipm ent and tools,
etc. For many of these subjects it is advisable to call in experts in the plant, who will
give talks which outline the policies and processes best suited to the needs of their
particular plant.
Elementary instruction is given in chemistry, which will enable the men to better
understand heat treatment and working of metals. The use of the slide rule is taken
up and plenty of shop problems given. Mathematics should be carried to a point where
the men can solve the right triangle and make calculations for laying out a bevel gear,
spirals, and other tool-room problems.
The third term should be given over entirely to teacher training as provided for by
the plan of the State board for vocational education (conducted in this State by the
University of Michigan).
In this work a careful analysis is made of the various machine tools, including types,
names of parts, tools used on machines, machinist’s tools, standard operations, together
with calculations necessary to each operation as outlined in the course for machinists
compiled at the Cass Technical High School of Detroit. Especial attention is given to
accident prevention. The material which is being collected with the assistance of
these experienced foremen is quite comprehensive.
On completing this work, courseso t udy leading to the mastery of each machine are
made up, and attention is given to arranging the machines and processes in proper
sequence for the efficient instruction of the apprentice.
Though the instruction in Detroit applies chiefly to tool room and
metal work and, therefore, consists largely of mathematics and related
subjects, those interested in the management of the classes are con
fident that the methods used might be as applicable to other lines of
work where the character of the instruction would of necessity be
different.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[442]
EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT.
British Labor Exchanges and United States
Employment Offices.1
By B enjamin M. Squires .
HE British system of labor exchanges and the work of these
exchanges during the period 1913-1915 have been described
T
somewhat in detail in a bulletin of the United States Bureau of
Labor Statistics.2 Federal employment offices in the United States
under the Division of Information of the Bureau of Immigration,
and their work, have been dealt with in a bulletin on public employ
ment offices.3 The reorganized Federal Employment Service has
been described in the Monthly R eview ,4 which, moreover, has con
tained from time to time summaries of the activities of employment
offices under different systems and essential changes in organization.
Therefore, it is not the purpose of this article to consider at length
details of organization or administration or to attempt an exhaustive
analysis of returns, but rather to emphasize outstanding points of
resemblance or difference in the two systems.
Apart from the meteoric existence of the United States Employ
ment Service, “ born of the war7’ and forced by lack of appropriation
to suspend many of its activities shortly after the signing of the
armistice, the most noticeable contrast between it and the institu
tionalized British system is to be found in the organization necessary
to serve adequately yet economically such widely different areas
with such unlike density of population.
The United Kingdom is essentially an industrial community. In
its area of 121,428 square miles—less than half the area of the State
of Texas and only about one twenty-fifth that of the United
States—-are 46,407,000 people, nearly half as many as are in the United
States. The United States has an average population of 33.7 persquare
mile; the United Kingdom, 382.2, or more than ten times as many.
British industry is highly centralized as compared with industry in
the United States. As a consequence, there is a vast difference in
the problem of establishing clearing areas in the two countries.
In February, 1919, the United States Employment Service was
administered through 748 emploj-ment offices, each State theoreti
cally having a district office and the remaining offices being branches.
The British employment system at that time, including temporary
i
The maps and charts accompanying this article were prepared by Mr. A. H . Stockder, of Columbia
University. Acknowledgment is also made to Mr. A . E. Tyler, of the Em ploym ent Department of the
British Ministry of Labor, for much of the basic material pertaining to the British system.
2 The British System of Labor Exchanges, Bulletin 206, U . S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
s Public Employm ent Offices in the U nited States, B ulletin 241, U . S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
i M onthly R e v ie w , U . S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, March, 1918, pp. 76-78.
141
1 2 7 9 7 1 ° — 1 9 ------ 1 0
[4 4 3 ]
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M O N T H L Y LABOR REVIEW ,
offices, was made up of 440 exchanges and 1,121 branch employment
offices, a total of 1,561. Each office in the United States was responsi
ble, on an average, for the employment needs of 138,387 persons
scattered over 4,048 square miles; each office in the United Kingdom
for but 29,729 persons in the relatively compact area of 78 square
miles. To maintain the same ratio in the United States as in the
United Kingdom of employment offices to area would require nearly
39,000 offices; to maintain the ratio to population would require
nearly 3,500 offices.
The distribution of labor exchanges and employment offices at the
time mentioned above is shown in the following tables. It is more
strikingly presented in the accompanying maps of the two countries
showing the location of the offices.
D ISTR IB U TIO N OF FE D E R A L EM PLOYM ENT OFFICES B Y A R EA AN D P O P U L A T IO N ,
F E B R U A R Y , 1919.
State.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Area, square
miles.
Population in
1916.
51,998
113,956
53; 335
158,297
103,948
4,965
2,370
70
58,666
59,265
83,888
36; 354
56,147
82; 158
40,598
48,506
33,040
12,327
8,266
57,980
84,682
46; 865
69,420
146,997
77,520
110,690
9,341
8,224
122,634
49,204
52,426
70, 837
70,057
41,040
96; 699
45; 126
1,248
30,989
77,615
42,022
265,896
84,990
42,627
9,564
69,127
24,170
97; 914
56,066
2,332,608
'255; 544
1,739,723
2,938,654
962,060
1,244,479
213,380
363,980
893,493
2,856,065
428,586
6,152,257
2 ; 816; 817
2,224,771
1,829,545
2,379,639
1,829,130
772,489
1,362,807
3 719,156
3,054,854
2,279,603
1,951,674
3,410,692
459,494
1,271,375
106,734
442,506
2,948,017
410,283
10,273,375
2,402,738
739,201
2,202,081
5,150,356
835,741
8,522,017
614,315
1,625; 475
698,509
2,288; 004
4,429,566
434,083
2,192,019
383,699
1,534,221
1,386,038
179,559
2,500,350
3,026,789
102,017,312
[444]
Number
employ
ment
offices,
Febru
ary, 1919.
12
9
8
24
10
14
2
3
11
11
7
50
15
16
9
10
10
9
10
32
21
14
12
14
13
12
1
14
19
Average
area per
office.
Average
population
per office.
8
7
11
40
12
71
8
7
7
12
24
3
13
6
14
8
5
34
4,333
12,662
6; 667
6,598
10,395
355
1,185
23
5,333
5,388
11,984
1,133
2,424
3,509
9,129
4,060
4,851
3,671
1 233
258
2,761
6,049
3,905
4,959
11,307
6j 460
110,690
'667
433
17,519
834
6,553
10,120
6,369
1,026
8,058
636
156
4,427
11,088
3,502
11,079
28,330
3,279
R594
4,938
3,021
19,583
1,649
194,384
26,394
217,465
122,444
96,206
88,891
106,690
121,327
81,227
259,642
61,226
123,045
187,788
139,048
203,283
237,964
182,913
85,832
136,281
116,224
145,469
162,829
162,640
243,621
35,346
22,615
106,734
31,608
155,159
58,612
174,125
300,342
105 600
200,189
128,759
69, 645
120 028
76; 789
232,210
99,787
190,667
182,898
144,694
168,617
60,617
109,587
173,255
35,912
73,540
748
4,048
136,387
7
59
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Digitized for 127971°—19.
FRASER (Faces page 143.) No. 2.
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EMPLOYMENT OFFICES
IN THE U N IT ED K I N G D O M
JA N U A R Y
ISIS
143
M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
DISTRIBUTION OR LABOR EXCHANGES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.1
Labor ex Branches.
changes.
Name of division.
London and South Eastern........................... .....................................................
South W estern................................................. ......................................
West M idlands................................................. .....................................................
Yorkshire and East Midlands...............................................................................
North W estern................................................. ................................................
Scotland..........................................................................................................
Ireland......................................................................................................................
U nited Kingdom .......................................................... , .........................
Total.
73
178
64
154
108
74
36
42
30
53
72
32
51
31
19
69
161
119
136
152
214
106
184
161
126
101
212
150
155
440
1,121
1,561
1 From revised list submitted by Employm ent Department of Ministry of Labor, as of April, 1919. Tem
porary offices are included. The list for January, 1919, excluding temporary offices, showed 406 exchanges
and 1,068 branches.
The British labor exchanges system was established in 1909, after
a number of inquiries into the problem of unemployment. Prior to
this date labor bureaus had been set up in many cities by municipal
“ distress committees” under the authority and stimulus of the
Unemployed Workmen Act of 1905. These for the most part had
fallen into disrepute as labor exchanges in the true significance of the
term. In this respect they resembled many of the so-called public
employment offices of this country, patronized chiefly by the unem
ployable or at best by casual labor, and looked upon as a form of
public charity.
The bill providing for a system of labor exchanges was introduced
to give effect to proposals of the Board of Trade. These proposals
were laid before Parliament during the course of a debate on the
recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and
Relief of Distress in regard to unemployment. I t is interesting to
note, however, that previous to the proposals for establishing a na
tional system of labor exchanges “ a good deal of preliminary work
had been undertaken, particularly in the finding of premises for the
labor exchanges and in the framing of a scheme of administration
by an informal departmental committee of the Board of Trade.” 1
Without going into the details of the act it may be said briefly that
the Board of Trade2 is authorized by the act to “ establish and main
tain in such places as they think fit, labor exchanges, and assist any
labor exchanges maintained by any other authorities or persons.”
Labor exchange is defined as “ any office or place used for the purpose
of collecting and furnishing information respecting employers who
desire to engage workpeople and workpeople who seek engagement
or employment.” The Board is empowered to collect and furnish,
such information and, moreover, to take over any labor exchanges
1 Report of the Proceedings of the Board of Trade under the Labor Exchanges Act, 1909, p. 2.
2 The labor exchanges are now administered by th e Ministry of Labor.
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
established by any other authority. The cost of administering the
act is placed upon the Exchequer.
Two years before the establishment of the British labor exchanges
system, there was created in this country by act of Congress a Division
of Information under what was then known as the Bureau of Immi
gration and Naturalization for the purpose of “ promoting a beneficial
distribution of aliens admitted into the United States among the
several States and Territories desiring immigration.” Apparently in
creating the division there was no thought of establishing a national
employment service, and it was not until the passage in 1913 of the
act creating the Department of Labor, for the purpose, among others,
of “ advancing the opportunities of the wage earners for profitable
employment,” that any legislative authority was given for a Federal
employment system.
With this somewhat doubtful legislative sanction, and faced with an
unusually large amount of unemployment during 1914 and 1915, the
Commissioner General of Immigration decided to utilize the Immi
gration Service to secure “ for aliens and other persons” such infor
mation as it was possible to obtain concerning opportunities for
employment. The work contemplated was a Nation-wide informa
tion system through the medium of the Departments of Labor,
Agriculture, and Post Office. Immigration stations were arranged
to include employment offices, and later a zone system was introduced.
On July 31, 1917, the organization had extended to 37 States.
Headquarters had been established in 41 cities and branches in 52
cities. No legislative sanction, however, other than that previously
mentioned, had beeen given to the service.
The foregoing brief review of the employment work of the Bureau
of Immigration has been given because it emphasizes the difference
in the attitude taken by this Government and by the British Gov
ernment toward public employment service. The British Labor
Exchanges Act was proposed by the Government to meet what was
deemed to be an industrial need. The need in the United States was
probably as great. In fact what is known about unemployment in
dicates a higher average percentage in this country than in the
United Kingdom.
When the war came on the British Government had an employment
service well established, with 409 labor exchanges and 1,067 local
agencies. At the time of our entry into the war, nearly three years
later, we had only the limited employment services under the direc
tion of the Bureau of Immigration and several State employment
systems. For five months we struggled along in a haphazard fashion in
the manning of shipyards, munition plants, and other war industries.
War industries stole labor from one another. Some manufacturing
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
145
districts were crippled as to output because of the labor shortage,
while others had a surplus of workers. Finally, on October 6, 1917/
Congress appropriated $250,000 for the development of an agency
to assemble and distribute the labor power of the country and to
stabilize labor conditions. Later the President gave $875,000 for
the purpose from his national security and defense fund. In Jan
uary, 1918, the Secretary of Labor separated the Employment Service
from the Bureau of Immigration and made it a distinct service of the
Department of Labor. The process of expansion was speeded up by
the President’s proclamation of June 17, 1918, following a recom
mendation of the War Labor Policies Board, solemnly urging all
employers in war work “ to refrain after August 1, 1918, from recruit
ing unskilled labor in any manner except through this central agency.”
Thus both in the circumstances of their inception and in the prob
lems immediately faced there is a vast difference in the two systems.
The British system was established under peace-time conditions and
during a period of comparatively normal industrial activity. The
system was designed to occupy a permanent place in industry. If, as
has been estimated, five years are necessary to organize a national
employment service, then the British service had gone through the
necessary period of trial and error before war-time needs made
unusual demands upon it. In this country, on the contrary, the
labor market was decidedly chaotic before an employment service
was authorized by the Government. But if organization under such
circumstances was difficult, the frantic demand for labor, coupled
with exceptional powers in the allocation of labor, made for a remark
able showing of results. Most conspicuous was the effect of the
President’s proclamation. Legislations jumped from 282,294 during
July, 1918, to 555,505 during August, 1918—the first month of
effectiveness of the proclamation. Help wanted increased from
484,033 to 1,227,705. The high point was reached in November,
1918, when registrations totaled 744,712 for the month; help wanted,
1,724,943; references to employment, 748,934, and placements
558,469.
The signing of the armistice made for a sharp drop in the activities
of the service and particularly in the demand for labor. However,
“ demand for labor,” as presented to employment offices, and espe
cially during a period of shortage, is a most uncertain index of the
needs of industry. During the war many employers no doubt asked
for more help than they reeded, with the hope of getting enough.
The figures are indicative, b owever, of the general industrial situation.
The following tables summarize the activities of the Employment
Service from January, 1918, to February, 1919; the employment work
of the Division of Information, Bureau of Immigration, from May,
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
1915, to December, 1917; and what is known of the work of public
employment offices other than Federal during 1917. In this con
nection it should be stated that the Federal Employment Service
during 1918 and the two months of 1919 was really a combination of
Federal, State, county, and municipal offices. To indicate some
what the change in the extent of public employment service, though
disclaiming any intent to draw exact comparisons, the figures sub
mitted by the State, county, and municipal offices covering the year
1917 have been combined with the returns of Federal offices.
SUMMARY OF 14 M ONTHS’ AC TIV ITIES OF THE U N IT E D STA TES E M PL O Y M EN T SE R V
ICE AS R E O R G A NIZED U N D E R T H E D E P A R T M E N T OF L A BO R S
Year and month.
to
Help wanted. Registrations. References
positions.
89,002
92,594
177,831
320,328
328,587
394,395
484,033
1,227,705
1,476,282
1,588,975
1,724,943
1,024,330
82,253
92,452
144,156
195; 578
206,181
246,564
282,294
555,505
531,226
594,737
744,712
549,593
62,642
70,369
118,079
171,306
179,821
221,946
250,152
500,510
513', 662
606,672
748,934
525', 486
51,183
58,844
100,446
149,415
156,284
192,798
217,291
395,530
362,696
455;931
558,469
392,934
8,929,005
730,881
504,114
4,225,251
587,306
510,952
3,969,579
514,436
422,541
3,091,821
372,186
312,743.
10,164,000
5,323,509
4,906,556
3,776,750
1 M onthly L abo e R eview , U . S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, April, 1919, p. 141.
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Positions
filled.
147
M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
EM PLOYM ENT W ORK OF THE DIVISION OF INFORM ATION, B U R E A U OF IMMIGRA
TION, MAY, 1915, TO DECEM BER, 1917.1
Help
wanted.
Year and month.
Registra
tions.2
References
to
positions.
Positions
filied.
1915: May...........
June..........
July...........
August......
September..
October__
November..
December..
3,826
3,601
8,665
7,931
4,551
5,423
4,650
3,588
12,132
14,530
18,061
17,827
13,334
12,215
11,908
11,902
3,752
5,131
6,360
7,321
5,671
5,460
4,459
2,622
3,495
4,646
6,035
6,757
5,405
5,006
4,146
2,170
Total......
1916: January__
February...
March........
April.........
May...........
June..........
July...........
August......
September..
October__
November 3.
December..
42,235
111,909
40,776
37,660
5,063
6,413
10,209
12,104
21,326
17,402
23,657
26,791
27,185
27,985
25,995
21,533
15,015
14,257
19,484
13,498
17,614
18,824
24,058
23,720
26,276
28,504
27,318
26,805
4,300
5,036
8,113
8,843
12,938
13,839
17,608
18,062
19,643
21, 789
24,618
21,139
3,419
4,185
7,030
7,653
11,453
11,960
16,309
16,313
17,169
19,044
18,822
16,597
225,663
255,373
175,928
149,954
26,002
28,482
36,950
42,074
46,125
51, 718
64,406
81,350
84,226
83,928
90, 722
82,029
33,780
29,701
23,933
39,247
48,099
43,145
50,866
65, 000
57.031
69.031
78,139
81,898
26,698
23,532
35,452
37,451
41,301
40,678
46,239
57,247
56,552
62,104
67,226
62,840
20,008
13,367
27,271
28,745
32,061
32,330
38,113
46,859
46,586
51,093
58,027
51,439
718,012
619,870
557,320
445,899
Total......
1917:4January__
February...
March........
April.........
May...........
June.........
July...........
August......
September..
October__
November..
December..
Total.....
1 Figures for 1915 and 1916 are from Bulletin 241, U . S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, p. 52.
2 Includes re-registrations.
3 Inclusive of activities in cooperation -with State and municipal employment offices in the State of New
York.
4 Figures for 1917 are from the M onthly R e v ie w , U . S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, March, 1918, pp.
152 and 153.
OPER A TIO N OF PU BLIC EM PLOYM ENT OFFICES OTH ER TH A N F E D E R A L ,
M ONTHS.1
Registrations.
Month.
Help
wanted.
N ew.
Renewals.
Total.
References
to posi
tions.
1917, B Y
Positions
filled.
78,867
79,572
104,139
129'824
150' 893
153;855
163', 121
183; 871
166; 360
174,285
139,879
127,994
62,152
55; 819
62; 868
70,920
89,512
95,331
111,545
118; 584
loo', 420
104,054
99,098
85,744
30,472
26', 345
35,836
35,911
32; 862
44,382
35,854
35;094
33,854
55; 949
38; 593
35,563
92,624
82,164
98; 704
106,831
122,374
139,713
147,399
153', 678
134;274
160,003
137,691
121'. 307
91,263
73;149
94', 043
lOi; 694
128,476
135,683
129,659
143; 023
134,451
142,113
127,098
111,154
77,601
63,555
83; 838
102,631
118,591
120,147
124,583
194,738
123,367
130,914
115,591
101,115
1,652,660
1,056,047
440,715
1,496,762
1,414,806
1,356,671
1 M onthly R e v ie w , U . S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, March, 1918, p p. 152 and 153,
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148
M O N T H L Y LABOR REVIEW ,
O PER A TIO N OF F E D E R A L A N D
OTHER PU BLIC EM PLOYM ENT O FFICES, 1917, B Y
MONTHS.i
Help
wanted.
Month.
Registrations.2
References
to positions.
Positions
filled.
January.........................................................................
February.......................................................................
March.............................................................................
A pril..............................................................................
M ay................................................................................
June...............................................................................
July................................................................................
A ugust...........................................................................
September....................................................................
October.........................................................................
N ovem ber.....................................................................
December.....................................................................
104,869
108,054
141,089
171,898
197,018
205,573
227,527
265,221
250,586
258,213
230,601
210,023
126,404
118,865
122,637
146,078
170,473
182,858
198,265
218,678
191,305
229,034
215,830
203,205
117,961
96,681
129,495
142,145
169,777
176,361
175,898
200,270
191,003
204,217
194,324
173,994
97,609
76,922
111,109
131,376
150,652
152,477
162,696
241,597
169,953
182,007
173,618
152,554
T otal...................................................................
2,370,672
2,116,632
1,972,126
1,802,570
1 Monthly R e v ie w , U . S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, March, 1918, pp. 152 and 153.
2 Includes renewals.
The percentage help wanted is of registrations and positions fdled
are of help wanted, registrations, and references to positions, based
on the preceding tables, is as follows:
PER C E N T A G E A N A LY SIS OF W O R K OF F E D E R A L EM PLOYM ENT OFFICES, MAY,
1915, TO F E B R U A R Y , 1919, A N D OF OTH ER PU BLIC EM PLOYM ENT OFFICES
D U R IN G 1917.
Percentage—
Help
Positions
wanted Positions
filled are filled are
is of
of
help
of regis
registra wanted. trations.
tions.
Period.
1915 (8 m onths)..........................................................................................
1916................. ............................................................................................
1917 (Federal).........................................................................................
1917(both)..................................................................................................
m s......;........................................................
January............................................................................... ...............
February.............................................................................................
A pril.....................................................................................................
May.......................................................................................................
June......................................................................................................
A ugust..................................................................................................
Septem ber...........................................................................................
October................................................................................................
Novem ber...........................................................................................
December............................................................................................
February...........................................................................................
37.7
88.4
110.4
115.8
112.0
211.3
108.2
100.2
123.4
163.8
159.4
160.0
171.5
221.0
277.9
267.2
231.6
186.4
124.4
98.7
96.5
66. 5
82.1
62.1
76.0
34.6
57.5
63.6
56.5
46.6
47.6
48.9
44.9
32.2
24.6
28.7
32.4
38.4
50.9
62.4
33.6
58.7
90.6
71.9
85.2
73 2
62.2
63. 7
69. 7
76.4
75.8
78.2
77.0
71.2
-68.3
76.7
75.0
71.5
63.4
61.2
Positions
filled are
of persons
referred
to posi
tions.
92.4
85.2
95.9
80.0
91.4
77.9
81 7
83.6
85.1
87.2
86.9
86.9
86.9
79.0
70.6
75.2
74.6
74 8
72.3
74.0
The daily average of registrations, help wanted, and positions
filled each month under the reorganized Federal Employment
Service is shown in the following table and graph:
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149
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,
A V ER A G E D A IL Y R EG ISTR A T IO N S, H E L P W A N TE D , A N D PO SITIONS FIL L E D EACH
MONTH FROM JA N U A R Y , 1918, TO F E B R U A R Y , 1919—U. S. EM PLOYM ENT SERVICE.!
Average daily
Year and month
Registra
tions.
1918: January.....................................................................................................
May...........................................................................................................
Ju ly ...........................................................................................................
A ugust......................................................................................................
October.....................................................................................................
February..................................................................................................
3,164
' 4,100
5,544
7^522
7,930
9,863
10,857
20,574
22,134
22,027
31', 030
21,984
22,589
22,215
Help
wanted.
3,423
4,026
6,840
2,320
12,638
15', 776
18.617
45;471
61,512
58,851
71,873
40 j 973
28,111
2i; 918
Positions
filled.
1,969
2,558
3; 863
5,746
6,011
7,711
8; 357
15,231
15,112
16,886
23,270
15,717
14,315
13,597
i Sundays and legal holidays om itted in computing averages.
A.—AVERAGE DAILY REGISTRATIONS, H ELP W ANTED, AND
POSITIONS F IL L E D —U N IT E D STATES EMPLOYMENT SERVICE.
Chart
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150
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
The daily average of 23/270 placements during the month of
November, 1918, is probably without a parallel in the records of
public employment offices. The record throughout the year indicates
the tremendous burden placed upon the Employment Service and the
unsettled industrial situation. Obviously, however, it is not to be
taken as a measure of the value of the service.
Unfortunately the facts that should be known in order to appraise
properly the value of employment service are not readily available
from the records of public employment offices. The aim of the service
is not only to bring the man and the job together, but to keep them
together. What is most lacking in employment records is informa
tion that will show how successfully the latter has been accomplished.
A large number of registrations, help wanted, references to employ
ment, and placements may simply mean that the employment service
is dealing with the casuals or helping to produce them. The reverse
is, of course, not necessarily true, but until greater emphasis is placed
on the relation during a given period of full-time jobs to help wanted,
of registrations to individuals registering, and of placements to indi
viduals given work, it is useless to attach any considerable impor
tance to the volume of work of employment offices.
Moreover, if any attempt to compare employment systems is to be
worthy of the effort, records must be standardized so that renewals
and replacements will have a uniform significance. As it is, the pre
sentation of employment statistics must be prefaced with the state
ment that they do not indicate what they purport to indicate, or by
an apology for their seeming exactness. Thus, in presenting a sum
mary of the operations of the employment offices under the Bureau
of Immigration, Mr. Herndon states that “ It is impracticable to
explain definitely the meaning of each set of figures, since instructions
have been changed many times * * * as to the manner of report
ing and what should be reported. The chief significance that should
be attached to these figures is that the trend has been toward a very
decided expansion of business, which means the rendering of greater
public service.” 1 Employment figures certainly should signify more
than this.
1he returns of British labor exchanges show individuals registered
as against registrations and individuals placed as against situations
filled. Lasker states, however, that “ the records of those who do
not renew their applications (weekly) form the ‘dead register.’ If
after an interval of a week or two the applicant renews his applica
tion, the old card is used again, but his registration is statistically
i Public Em ploym ent Offices m the United States, B ulletin 241, U . S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, p. 52.
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
151
treated as a new one.” 1 This is not strictly in accord with instruc
tions issued to the exchanges, and Beveridge states that “ should an
applicant who has failed to renew his registration on the proper day
during any week present himself to the exchange during the same
month, his index card is simply replaced in the live register without
being recorded as a registration.” “ If the workman has been on the
dive register7 during the current year, but has not been on it during
the current month, his registration is counted as a re-registration.
The number of fresh registrations added to the number of re-regis
trations gives the number of individuals registered during the
month.” 2
The same question arises in the relation of individuals securing
work to situations filled. Each placing is recorded, however, as either
(1) a first placing during the year, (2) a second or subsequent placing
in an occupation during the year, (3) a first placing in an occupation
following a previous placing in another occupation during the year.
Of these the first record gives the number of individuals placed by
an exchange during a year in all trades taken together. But if at
any time during the year a re-registration is classed as a first regis
tration the registrant is to all intents and purposes a distinct indi
vidual in placement records.
One other factor should be noted in considering the relation of the
individual to registrations and placements in returns of the British
labor exchanges. Except for 1910, workmen in occupations of more
or less casual nature, specifically dock laborers, cloth porters, and
cotton porters, are dealt with on a separate register known as the
casual register. The records are so kept that the number of indi
viduals given work in any one year or month and the number of
separate jobs of work are available, but the figures are not included
in the published summary of registrations and placements. If a
casual registers for other than the occupations named above his
application is treated as a fresh application on the general register.
The work of the British labor exchanges is shown by years in the
tables following.
1 The British System of Labor Exchanges, Bulletin 208, U . S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, p. 13.
2 Report of the Proceedings of the Board of Trade under the Labor Exchanges Act of 1909, p. 154.
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,
W ORK OF B R IT ISH LA BO R E X CH AN G ES, 1910 TO 1919.1
Vacancies (situations).
Sex and year.
Number of
registrations.
Number of
individuals
registered.
2 986,000
1,323,171
1,593,874
2,088,735
2,316,042
1,512,335
1,229,171
1,167,864
1,363,590
1,005,193
793,912
926,597
1,124,970
1,267,077
1,381,694
1,072,213
954,172
938,725
1,119,905
995,684
297,275
446,035
626,756
714,270
909,383
1,004,970
909,721
906,627
977,999
260,928
253,290
362,670
513,649
566,150
706,458
716,816
636,095
623,830
669,732
180,688
272,037
346,846
390,141
507,538
577,206
539,564
539,396
582,899
(4)
2 234,000
414,458
518,300
532,060
707,071
1,232,891
1,921,826
1,873,706
5 1,8 5,691
749,416
188,527
300,030
363,991
351,755
476,926
920,638
1,501,260
1,487,728
1,478,934
729,571
85,677
178,446
226,275
270,325
312,344
493,515
846,196
814,735
808,490
230,747
62,764
136,409
168,554
199,395
232,935
385,101
695,631
706,034
624,220
122,296
101,083
121,725
133,421
160,145
306,192
615,920
636,269
547,412
(4)
2 122,000
185,108
200,403
186,574
211,898
194,864
241,314
265,668
6 2 6,673
106,595
98,367
138,684
146,434
137,668
157,093
150,559
184,443
204,283
234,285
105,032
49,972
106,920
130,601
143,715
157,278
161,459
148,091
146,103
148,158
37,782
38,702
77,881
88,086
90,387
103,280
106,716
110,900
120,525
122,054
28,278
64,752
70,565
74,535
85,068
90,237
100,053
105,547
106,429
(4)
2 58,000
117,718
151,890
158,524
207,441
246,047
266,378
268,142
263,110
98,727
46,641
88,833
110,948
115,171
148,310
183,393
203,909
206,914
212,139
97,080
26,019
57,208
78,941
94,518
100,019
137,702
145,010
131,927
132,570
43,661
19,557
44,450
57,940
65,921
74,236
99,504
108,609
104,834
98,706
27,648
2 1,400,000
2,040,455
2,464,467
2,965,893
3,442,452
3,186,137
3,658,689
3,575,380
3,739,064
1,959,931
1,127,447
1,454,144
1,646,343
1,871,671
2,164,023
2,326,803
2,843,784
2,837,650
3,045,263
1,927,367
458,943
788,609
1,062,573
1,222,828
1,479,024
1,797,646
2,049,018
1,999,442
2,067,217
573,118
374,313
621,410
828,229
921,853
1,116,909
1,308; 137
1,557,235
1,555,223
1,514,712
358,910
Number
notified.
Number
filled.
Number of
individuals
given work.
Men.
1910..
1911. .
1912..
1913..
1914. .
1915..
1910. .
1917. .
1918. .
1919 3
TVoran.
1910..
1911. .
1912. .
1913..
1914..
1915..
1916. .
1917..
1918. .
1919 3
Boys.
1910..
1911..
1912..
1913. .
1914. .
1915. .
1916..
1917..
1918. .
1919 3
Girls.
1910..
1911..
1912. .
1913..
1914. .
1915. .
1916..
1917. .
1918. .
1919 3,
38,066
48,153
54,206
61,320
84,701
95,869
93,986
88,003
( 4)
Total.
1910..
1911..
1912..
1913..
1914..
1915. .
1916..
1917..
1918. .
1919 3,
1
2
475,938
587,289
652,303
814,071
1,058,336
1,351,406
1,375,198
1,324,743
(4)
4Not available.
6Published figure obscure.
Source: British Labour Gazette, London.
Approximate.
* 13 weeks.
The accompanying charts B and C show the daily average, by
months, of registrations and vacancies filled by the British labor
exchanges during the period January, 1910, to May, 1919.1
1 For the period prior to January, 1919, the charts are reproductions of graphs prepared by the employ
ment department of the Ministry of Labor. Averages on which the graphs are based have not been publish
ed for the entire period. For the period beginning January, 1919, averages appearing in the Labour Ga
zette have been used.
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[4 5 5 ]
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[4 5 6 ]
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Ch
art
C.
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,
lOO
A percentage analysis of the previous figures showing the work
of British labor exchanges is given below.
PERCENTAGE ANALYSIS OF WORK OF BRITISH LABOR EXCHANGES IN SPECIFIED
YEARS.
Year.
Men.
Women.
Boys.
Girls.
Total.
Vacancies filled as a percentage of registrations.
25.7
27.4
32.2
27.1
30.5
47.4
51.8
53.4
49. 1
18.0
1910................................................................. . . .
1911.................................................................. . . .
1912.................................................................. . . .
1913.........................................................................
1914................................................................. . . .
1915.................................................................. . . 1916.................................................................. . . .
1917.................................................................. . . .
1918.........................................................................
19192................................................................ . . .
26.8
32.9
32.5
37.5
32.9
31.2
36.2
37.7
0)
16.3
31.7
42.1
44.0
48.5
48.7
54.8
48.4
45.4
(’)
26. 5
33.7
37.8
38.2
41.6
35.8
40.4
40.8
39.1
37.5
28.0
26.7
30.5
33.6
31.1
32.4
41.1
42.6
43.5
40.5
18.3
Vacancies filled as a percentage of individu als registered.
39.4
56.2
60.2
66.7
65.7
70.9
63.4
59.0
52.1
26.9
33.3
45. 5
46.3
56.7
48.8
41. 8
46.3
47.5
42.2
16.8
31.9
39.1
45.7
44.7
51.1
66.9
66.7
66.5
59.8
18.1
1910................................................................. . . .
1911.........................................................................
1912.................................................................. . . .
1913.................................................................. . . .
1914................................................................. . . .
1915.................................................................. . . .
1916....................................................................
1917.................................................................. . . .
1918.................................................................. . . .
19192....................... ....................................... . . .
41.9
50.0
52.2
57.2
50.1
54.3
53. 3
50.7
46.5
28.5
33.2
42.7
50.3
54.6
51.6
56.2
54.8
54.8
49.7
18.6
Vacancies filled as a percentage of vacancies notified (help
w anted).
85.2
81.3
82.0
79.3
77.7
71.3
69.9
68.8
68. 5
69.2
1910...................................................................
1911.........................................................................
1912.................................................................. . . .
1913.................................................................. . . .
1914.........................................................................
1915.................................................................. . . .
1916.................................................................. . . .
1917.................................................................. . . .
1918.................................................................. . . .
1919 2............................................................... . . .
75.2
77.7
73.4
69.8
74.2
72.3
74.9
79.5
74.5
63.3
77.4
72.8
67. 4
62.9
65.7
66.1
79.9
82.5
82.4
74.8
73.3
76.4
74.5
73.8
74.6
78.0
82.2
86.7
77. 2
52.0
81. 5
78.8
77.9
75.3
75.5
72.8
76.0
77.8
73.3
62.0-
Individuals given work as a percentage of individuals registered.
1910........................................................................
1911........................................................................
1912........................................................................
1913........................................................................
1914........................................................................
1915....................................................................
1916........................................................................
1917........................................................................
1918........................................................................
1919 2.................................. ............................
C1)
0)
0)
0)
29.4
30.8
30.8
36.7
53.8
56.5
57.5
52.0
C1 )
0)
(U
(l)
46.7
48.2
54.1
54.2
60.0
54.2
51.7
45.4
33.7
33.4
37.9
33.6
33.3
41.0
42.8
37.1
42.9
43.4
47. 1
41.4
46.2
47.0
45.4
41.5
0)
32.7
35.7
34.9
37.6
45.5
47.5
48.5
43.5
0)
Vacancies notified (help wanted) as a percentage of registration.
1910........................................................................
1911........................................................................
1912........................................................................
1 9 1 3 .............. .......................................................
1914........................................................................
1915........................................................................
1916.................................................................. . . .
1917.................................................................. . . .
1918.................................................................. . . .
1919 2..................................................................
1Data incomplete.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
30.2
33.7
39.3
34.2
39.3
6& 5
74.0
77.6
71.7
26.0
41.0
58.3
65. 2
77.0
71.9
82.9
61.4
55.0
36.6
43.1
43.7
50.8
44.2
40.0
44.0
43.5
(>)
30.8
0)
35.4
213 weeks.
[457 ]
44.9
48.6
52.0
59.6
48.2
56.0
54.4
49.2
50.3
44.2
32.8
38.6
43.1
41.2
43.0
56.4
56.0
55.9
55.3
23.2
156
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
PERCENTAGE ANALYSIS OF WORK OF BRITISH LABOR EXCHANGES IN SPECIFIED
YEARS—Concluded.
Year.
Men.
Women.
Boys.
Girls.
Total.
Average number of registrations per individual registered.
1910........................................................................
1911........................................................................
1912........................................................................
1913........................................................................
1914.....................................................
1915........................................................................
1916........................................................................
1917........................................................................
1918........................................................................
1919 2 ......................................................................
1.2
1.4
1.4
1.6
1.7
1.4
1.3
1.2
1.2
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.4
1.5
1.5
1.3
1.3
1.3
(9
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.4
1.3
1.3
1.3
1.3
(9
1.0
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.4
1.4
1.3
1.3
1.3
1.2
1.0
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.6
1.4
1.3
1.3
1.2
1.0
Average num ber of vacancies filled per individual given work.
1910................................................................
1911.....................................................
1912................................................................
1913................................................................
1914....................................................................
1915....................................................................
1916........................................................................
1917........................................................................
1918......................................................................
1919 2 ............................................
(9
1.3
1.5
1.5
1.4
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.1
(9
1 Data incomplete.
(9
(9
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.5
1.3
1.1
1.1
1.1
(9
(9
2
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.1
1.1
(9
(9
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.1
1.1
1.1
(9
1.4
1.4
1.4
1.4
1.2
1.2
1.1
1.1
(9
Thirteen weeks.
In considering British labor exchange statistics it must be borne in
mind that the employment service is interwoven with unemployment
insurance. The National Insurance Act of 1911, the Extended Act
of 1916, and the Temporary-Out-of-Work Donation scheme in effect
since the cessation of hostilities and replacing, during the period of
its effectiveness, the contributory plan under the 1911 and 1916 acts,
have all been administered by the labor exchanges. Registration and
renewal are compulsory for those wishing to claim benefit. Em
ployers, on the other hand, are not required to list vacancies with the
labor exchanges. As a consequence, registrations in proportion to
vacancies, particularly in the insured trades, should, in normal
times, be greater than under a system having no connection with
unemployment insurance. This no doubt accounts in part for the
comparatively low percentage help wanted was of8 registrations.
The high point was reached for all classes of labor taken together in
1915, when help wanted was 56.4 per cent of registrations. The
percentage in 1918 was 55.3 as against 211.3 in the United States.
The low percentage during the first thirteen weeks of 1919 is to be
attributed in part to the inclusion of all occupations in the Out-ofWork Donation scheme with its compulsory registration feature as
well as to the lessened demand for labor.
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157
The Employment Service of Canada.
Bv George W. E dwards, Ph. D.
S a preface to a study of the present Canadian Employment Serv
A
ice, it is necessary to survey the attempts made before 1916 to
establish governmental agencies for the distribution of labor. Most
of the early employment bureaus, opened during times of business
depression, were regarded merely as temporary palliatives to relieve
an industrial ill wdiich periodically afflicted the economic system.
Municipalities were the first to start Government labor bureaus.
Montreal in 1896 began the so-called “ Free Municipal Labor Bureau,”
which received an annual subsidy from the city treasury. This office
was under private operation until March, 1914, when the city govern
ment assumed full control. To aid the many unemployed who
besieged soup kitchens and stood in bread lines in the snow of a bitter
Canadian winter, Toronto organized in December, 1908, a free
employment bureau. During the next year and a half this office
secured casual employment for about 4,800 persons, who were placed
mainly on farms or on relief work furnished by the city engineer and
the park commissioner. After 1908, unemployment was swept away
by a vTave of prosperity which continued until 1913, when the cycle
of business once more had run its course and jobless, hungry men
again walked the streets of Canada’s industrial centers. Especially
serious were conditions in Winnipeg', which had undergone rapid
development. In the fall the local authorities opened a public
employment office, and in a few months positions wrere found for over
4,000 women and 6,000 men. Besides these three eastern municipal
offices, Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, New Westminster, Calgary,
and other western cities also operated labor bureaus. Calgary
exacted a small fee from each applicant given work by the city. In
Saskatoon the local board of trade was quite successful in securing
harvest hands, and during one season made the record of obtaining
6,500 men.
Provincial and Federal Efforts.
Ontario and Quebec wTere the only Provinces which undertook
the operation of general employment agencies. Even Ontario’s
“ bureaus” were scarcely worth the name, as they were supported on
the insignificant total allowance of $150 a month. This sum was
widely, though quite thinly, distributed over the Province among a
half dozen agents who conducted their employment work as a side
activity to their regular occupations. In Ottawa, the capital of the
Dominion, the agent carried on the Government’s business and his
own from a small shop where he repaired watches. In another city
127971°—19---- 11
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
the agency was so little known that a provincial investigator failed
to learn its whereabouts despite inquiries at the police headquarters,
the local Y. M. C. A., and a newspaper office.1 From the beginning
of 1907 to the end of 1914, the monthly reports of these agents
showed the following results:2
Male.
Applications for work............................................................. 13, 930
Help w anted................................................................................ 9,343
Situations filled .......................................................................... 7,034
Female.
839
1,910
551
The efforts of Quebec to found a provincial employment system
were far more wholehearted. Serious consideration was given the
matter, and in 1910 a committee was appointed to visit the United
States for the purpose of observing the organization of employment
offices there. Several of the middle-western States were then operat
ing successful bureaus, but the delegation made its pilgrimage only
to Boston, whence it returned with such enthusiastic reports of the
Massachusetts system that the legislature of Quebec soon passed £‘an
act respecting the establishment of employment bureaus for work
men (chap. 9).” Accordingly, in 1911, offices were opened in the
cities of Quebec and Montreal, and a year later another was started in
Sherbrooke. In his first annual report the superintendent of the
Quebec office gives this rather curious statement of policies: 3
“I have always aimed to keep the employment bureau free from the
spirit of party and the inevitable patronage, consciously or not,
exercised by the employees of a Government concerned to win the
popular vote and to favor their friends. I have endeavored to induce
more respect for governmental authority by putting it above the
often disturbing rivalries of the labor world. And I have made it a
point to openly and surely avoid even the appearance of the pre
dominance of one social class over another, while at the same time
facilitating the initiative of the bureau in conciliation.”
Before the war, the Province of Quebec had advanced farther
than Ontario in organizmg employment bureaus, for a comparison
of statistics shows that the Montreal office in its first year placed
more persons in positions than the entire Ontario system from its
inception in 1907 until 1913. However, even the work of Quebec
was far from being a pronounced success, since in general the num
ber of persons applying at the offices and the number of positions
filled did not show any increase from year to year.
Mention here should be made of several provincial bureaus which
specialized in farm labor. The Ontario Department of Colonization,
in the year before the outbreak of war, placed 3,927 laborers on
1 Ontario. Report of Commission on Unemployment, Toronto, 1916, p. US.
2Idem, p. 115.
3Quebec. Report of Minister of Public Works and Labor. 1911, p. 118.
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159
selected farms throughout the Province.1 The Saskatchewan,
Alberta, and Manitoba D apartments of Agriculture placed large
groups of farm hands in the prairie Provinces, and the Northwest
ern Territories, cooperating with the Canadian Pacific Railway,
secured many excursion trains of laborers for the harvest season.
As in the United States, so in Canada, the Federal Government
aided in the distribution of labor through its immigration bureau.
Although no regular offices were established, the Dominion service
placed thousands of new arrivals in positions as farm hands and
domestic servants through the efforts of 30 salaried employees and
about 160 agents, located mainly in Ontario and Quebec. The
latter found 3,956 jobs in 1912 and 5,749 in 1913, for which services
they received from the Federal Government $2 for each person who
was given employment. I t is claimed that 20 of the 30 salaried
agents of the Immigration Branch secured jobs for about 20,000
aliens in 1913.
Private Agencies—Their Services and Evils.
Undoubtedly the most potent cause for the slow growth of public
offices was competition with the many private agencies which flour
ished throughout Canada. In 1914 there were 315 commercial
agencies licensed by the Dominion Superintendent of Immigration.
Only 16 were of a philanthropic nature, while the rest were organized
solely for profit. The Dominion Immigration Department estimates
that 77 of these agencies placed about 100,000 persons in 1913, while
the Ontario Commission on Unemployment credits the private
agencies with 60,000 of the 70,000 situations secured in the Province
during 1914.2
Fee-charging private agencies thus made a far better showing in
placements than did free public bureaus, the principal reason being
that the former offered to applicants, who in most cases were immi
grants, a variety of servicers which the latter could not give. An
nually, until the Great War closed the ocean lanes, thousands of Ital
ians, Hungarians, Slavs, Bulgarians, and other southeastern Euro
peans were landed at Montreal. These foreigners were bewildered
and lonely until, to their delight, they met an obliging person who
spoke the tongue of their home-land and who conducted them to a
large, though not very clean, office where they met other com
patriots. Here their luggage was stored, and letters were written
for them to notify relatives in the old country of their safe arrival
They were then conducted to nearby lodging houses, where they
1 Ontario. Report of Commission on Unemployment, Toronto, 1916, p. 117.
2Idem, p. 113.
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
remained for a few days until shipped west to jobs in lumber camps,
in mines, or on railways.
Although such services were performed by most private agencies,
it must be remembered that the motive was not philanthropy but
gain. In consequence there occurred the many abuses for which
private commercial agencies have been anathematized by the press
and indicted in official reports. The findings of the British Columbia
Royed Commission on Labor described these unsatisfactory prac
tices as follows: 1
The workman is assured that employment is to be obtained, only to find, after
seeking work and spending his time and incurring expense, that the reported vacancy
has been filled. * * * Collusion sometimes existed between the manager of the
employment agency and the foreman of the contractor requiring labor, whereby the
foreman received a share of the agency fee on all workmen placed w ith the contractor.
The obvious result of such an arrangement is that workmen are discharged after a
few days of work to make way for new men, who in turn are soon replaced by others.
Governmental Regulation of Private Agencies.
Their sins became so flagrant by 1910 that Government regula
tion of a drastic nature was invoked. Practically every large
municipality in Canada enacted ordinances which compelled pri
vate agencies to take out licenses and make reports to the local
police. In several cases there were by-laws limiting the fees which
could be demanded of applicants. These rules were further reen
forced by provincial legislation. The Quebec act, which had estab
lished free employment bureaus in 1910, as noted above, at the
same time required all private agencies to be licensed by the Minister
of Public Works and to be supervised by the factory inspectors of
the Province. However, the old evils continued with little abate
ment, so that in 1914 the act relating to employment offices was
materially strengthened (Chap. 21). In cities where public bureaus
were organized the annual fee for operating a private employment
office was raised to $200. Regular inspection of the moral and
sanitary conditions of offices was provided, monthly reports were
required, and the maximum registration fee to be charged was
fixed at $3. Similar legislation was passed in Ontario, Saskatchewan,
and British Columbia.
The Federal Government also had a direct interest in the proper
conduct of private agencies, because most of their registrants were
foreigners. Therefore in 1913, an order in council2 compelled all
employment agencies dealing with immigrants to secure licenses
from the Dominion superintendent of immigration. This depart
ment had power to revoke a license if the agent failed to abide by
1 British Columbia. Report of Royal Commission on Labor, 1914, p. 4.
2Privy Council, 1028.
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161
the Federal regulations which limited all fees to $1, prohibited charging
for transportation a sum over the actual cost of the ticket, and re
quired a complete record of every applicant registered by the agent.
Federal regulation was indeed effective, for in little more than a
year after the passage of the order in council 75 licenses had been
canceled. In other words, for overcharging, for sending applicants
to places where no jobs existed, for misrepresenting the character
of work and of wages, and for splitting fees with employers, one
out of ever}^ four private employment agents in Canada had been
successfully prosecuted and convicted.
Thus when the Great War came in 1914, labor was being distributed
over Canada through varied and unconnected channels. Every
year municipal bureaus were placing about 30,000 persons, provincial
offices about 15,000, the Dominion representatives 25,000, while
commercial agencies were credited with fully 200,000. I t may be
said that the municipal offices were only local in their operations and
were organized mainly for humanitarian purposes to furnish casual
relief work to unskilled, indigent persons; the provincial and Federal
agencies, though broader in scope, were entiroly inadequate, and in
fact were concerned mainly with agricultural workers and immigrant
labor; the private agencies had proved more effective and more
efficient because they distributed labor solely on an economic basis.
The immediate effect of the war on labor was parallel in every
country, as the unprecedented disorganization of industry brought
universal unemployment. In Canada the civic offices were over
whelmed with applicants during the winter of 1914-15. This was,
however, only a passing phase of the industrial revolution which the
war was destined to bring to Canada. Soon the call to arms drew
thousands from field and factory, while at the same time the demand
for workers on munitions and in shipyards became well-nigh insatiable.
At this juncture, policy dictated the formation of a national system
for mobilizing the man power of the Dominion, but unfortunately
neither the Federal nor provincial governments took any action and
commercial agencies were given a clear field. In fact, public offices,
organized as they were either for local unemployables or for immi
grants, declined relatively in importance as the war continued.
Establishment of the Ontario Labor Exchanges.
However, public interest in a more efficient organization of the
labor market was growing, especially in Ontario where Canada’s
large manufacturing interests are concentrated. In December,
1914, the Provincial Government appointed a Commission on Unem
ployment. This body, after a searching analysis of causes and
remedies, submitted a painstaking report which proposed, among
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other recommendations, “ that some form of public employment
office should be established by the State to replace the system now
in operation in Ontario, which is in need of being modernized and
made efficient.” 1 Consequently, wheq the provincial legislature
in 1916 created a “ trades and labour branch,” one of the functions
of the new labor department was “ to establish and maintain in the
various centers of population throughout Ontario, employment
bureaus and similar agencies for obtaining suitable employment
for workmen.” 2 Under this act, “ zone” or major bureaus were
opened in large cities such as Toronto, Ottawa, and Hamilton, and
later “ subzone” or minor offices were started in small industrial
districts. Cooperating with the Imperial Munitions Board and with
the Provincial Department of Agriculture, the new employment
offices during the year ending October 31, 1918, placed 11,812 women
and 23,217 men.3
Employment Offices Coordination Act.
Ontario was therefore the first to establish an effective laborexchange system. Nevertheless, the provincial officials were fully
aware th a t complete m obility of labor could be secured only by a
nation-wide em ploym ent service. In fact, one of the purposes in
appointing the O ntario commission on unem ploym ent was “ to
further the organization of provincial em ploym ent bureaus through
out Canada w ith a view to their ultim ate linking together in an
effective national system .” This m ovem ent had always been
supported by the Dominion D epartm ent of Labor,which as early as
1914 had fram ed a detailed plan of Federal labor exchanges. A t
last in April, 1918, the M inister of Labor introduced into the Dominion
P arliam ent the “ Em ploym ent Offices Coordination B ill,” which was
quickly passed. The financial features were based on the Canadian
agricultural instruction act of 1913, sim ilar to our Federal vocational
education statu te. The sum of $50,000 was provided for the fiscal
year of 1918-19, $100,000 for 1919-20, and $150,000 for each suc
ceeding year. These subsidies are distributed among the provinces
“ in the proportion which their expenditure for the m aintenance of
em ploym ent offices bears to the total of the expenditures of all the
Provinces for such purposes, b u t in no case shall the allotm ent to
any Province exceed one-half the am ount expended for the m ain
tenance of em ploym ent offices by such province.” The purposes of
1 Ontario. Report of Commission on Unemployment, Toronto, 1916, p. 41.
2 “ An ant to establish the trade and labour branch,” ch. 13, sec. 10, subsec. D; Ontario Public Service
Bulletin, November, 1916, p. 19, December, 1916, p. 31, February, 1917, pp. 13-16; Riddell: The new employ
m ent service, in Social Welfare, Dec. 1,1918, pp. 56, 57.
3 Annual Report, Trades and Labor Branch (1918).
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the act are stated as follows: “ (a) To aid and encourage the organiza
tion and coordination of em ploym ent offices and to prom ote uniform
ity of m ethods among them ; (b) to establish one or more clearing
houses for the interchange of inform ation between em ploym ent
offices concerning the transfer of labor and other m atters; (c) to
compile and distribute inform ation received from em ploym ent
offices and from other sources, regarding prevailing conditions of
em ploym ent.’’ 1
Organization of the Federal-Provincial Service.
In November, 1918, when the armistice brought to an end the
fighting on the western front, Canada was preparing to set in motion
her new machinery for efficiently distributing labor. But all at once
the problem changed from shortage to surplus. While the United
States Employment Service, initiated in the midst of war, had aimed
to find the necessary workers, the Canadian system, perfected after
the close of hostilities, was concerned mainly with seeking jobs. In
the readjustment of the labor market Canada faced a task propor
tionately more serious than that of the United States. Four years
of war had withdrawn from peaceful pursuits about 500,000 men
into military service and 250,000 persons into occupations more or
less directly associated with war. Therefore, three-fourths of a
million individuals out of a population of between seven and eight
millions had to be reabsorbed into normal industry.2
This change of events forced the Governm ent to expedite the oper
ation of the em ploym ent service. In November, O ttaw a, the Do
minion capital, was the scene of several conferences, from which defi
nite action resulted. Following a m eeting w ith the provincial pre
miers, sim ilar to our State governors, th e Federal authorities agreed
to augm ent the subventions under the original Em ploym ent Act, and
later, by an order in council, the sum of $30,000 was added to the
1918-19 appropriation, while for 1919-20 a special allowance of
$150,000 was voted to the original budget of $100,000.3 Em ploy
m ent policies were defined and several vexatious questions settled in
a convocation attended by representatives of the federal and the pro
vincial departm ents of labor.
A t last, w ith the new year ushering in an ominous labor crisis, the
em ploym ent service of Canada was organized and ready to func
tion. Since the beginning of the year the system has expanded
1 Canada. Employm ent Offices Coorclination Act, ch. 12, sec. 3.
Canadian Repatriation Committee. General Survey of Canada’s Repatriation Plans.
p. 7.
3 Privy Council, 537; Labour- Gazette, May, 1919, p. 593.
2
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rapidly and by the 1st of July there were in operation 89 offices,
distributed as follows:
Prince Edward Island....................................................................................
1
Nova Scotia....................................................................................................... * 6
N ew Brunswick.........................................
6
Quebec................................................................................................................
7
Ontario................................................................................................................ 35
Manitoba.............................................................................................................
8
Saskatchewan.................................................................................
9
Alberta................................................................................................................
5
British Columbia............................................................................................. 12
As the Province of Ontario is operating the largest number of
offices, it may be of value to analyze its system. Though outlying
towns have only one-man bureaus, large cities are equipped with
well-staffed offices. In Toronto the main bureau occupies a clean,
spacious, three-story building, centrally located. The men’s division
is on the ground floor, where interviewers or examiners register both
soldiers and civilians. Female applicants have a separate entrance
which leads to the floor above. The success of this bureau in secur
ing opportunities has been aided materially by “ scouts,” who can
vass the local industries and solicit positions. Clearance among offices
within the Province is actively conducted. By telephone, wire, or
mail, each office reports vacancies which it can not fill locally, and
applicants it can not place, to the provincial clearing house, where
an assistant to the general superintendent “ matches,” or seeks to
bring together, demand and supply.
The Soldiers’ Civil Reestablishment Department.
In each local employment office there are one or more representa
tives of the information and service branch of the Department of
Soldiers’ Civil Reestablishment (the S. C. R.), which has been in
trusted with the responsible task of demobilization.
The returned soldier in search of work differs considerably from
the civilian applicant. The veteran, as described by one himself,
is “ a man sometimes crippled by war in a way that all may see,
sometimes invisibly crippled, perhaps even in the head, but always
with a new slant on life that is hidden to others and probably to him
self.” 1 In view of these conditions, the Soldiers’ Civil Reestablish
ment department has placed its own representative in every employ
ment office. This official is himself a returned soldier who has been
in the training camp, the trench, and at times the hospital, and who
1 Pearson, George. Fitting in the returned man. Issued by the Department of Public Information for
the Repatriation Committee. Ottawa [1919], 14 pp.
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can therefore give sym pathetic counsel to his comrades seeking to
find themselves in a new and strange environm ent. Though the rep
resentative of the S. C. R. interviews and advises applicants, actual
placement m ust be made only by an examiner of the employment
service. On this separation of functions provincial authorities are
quite insistent.
The general organization thus outlined is now in operation through
out Canada, save in Quebec and the M aritime Provinces. In Quebec
it was deemed expedient to operate separate employment offices for
civilians and for soldiers. As M ontreal is a port of disem barkation
for the overseas forces during the summ er m onths, the S. C. R. has
here opened its m ain office, 1 where steady stream s of applicants are
efficiently handled by a staff of returned men who “ work the way
they fight.” The Maritime Provinces, which include Nova Scotia,
New Brunswick, and Prince Edw ard Island, also presented a special
problem to the Federal authorities, since these far-eastern districts
had never established public employment bureaus of any description.
Therefore, the Dominion D epartm ent of Labor operates nine bu
reaus and in addition shares equally w ith the Soldiers’ Civil Re
establishm ent D epartm ent in the expense of m aintaining four “ onem a n ” offices.2
The Employment Service Council.
As in the U nited States, so in Canada, the Federal Em ploym ent
Service is a division under the D epartm ent of Labor, and the director
is likewise responsible to the cabinet officer. However, a feature of
the Canadian organization no t possessed by the U nited States system
is an em ploym ent service council. This body, which acts in advisory
capacity to the M inister of Labor, is composed as follows:
1 representative appointed by each provincial government.
2 members appointed by the Canadian Manufacturers’ Association.
2 members appointed b y the Trades and Labor Congress.
1 member appointed b y the Railway War Board.
2 members appointed by the Railway Brotherhood.
2 members appointed by the Canadian Council of Agriculture.
3 members appointed by the Department of Labor, two of whom shall be women.
1 member appointed by returned soldiers.
1 member appointed by the Soldiers’ Civil Reestablishment Department.
The council is well balanced—on the one hand the Provinces are
represented, and on the other the leading national economic interests
of the Dominion have m em bership—-and the personnel chosen a t a
recent conference in O ttaw a is strong. I t is planned th a t each
1Two pamphlets issued hy the Department of Public Information for the Repatriation Committee,
entitled: The Program of Repatriation, Otlawa [1919], 30 pp.; and Returned Soldier’s Handbook, Ottawa,
[1919], 30 pp. See also Montreal Star, June 14,1919.
2 Labour Gazette, Ottawa, May, 1919, p. ¡195.
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provincial minister of labor shall have an advisory council of employ
ers and employees, and each local employment superintendent his own
consulting committee.
Federal Administration.
Actual administration of the employment system is not conducted
by the Federal Minister of Labor, but by the director. This officer gen
erally does not possess jurisdiction over local bureaus, for, as noted
above, the Dominion Government operates offices only in the Mari
time Provinces. However, the Federal director has full control over
interprovincial clearance of labor. For transferring farm workers,
factory hands, coal miners, and lumber pilers, the Dominion will
directly operate its own district clearing houses at Halifax, Ottawa,
Winnipeg, and Vancouver. This shifting of labor is being aided
materially by a special transportation rate of 1 cent a mile over the
Grand Trunk, Canadian Pacific, and Canadian National railways for
all trips which would amount to above $4 at the regular fare. Because
of this four-dollar minimum rate, the rebate is of no service for trans
ferring workers over distances of less than 116 miles. Again, as the
concession applies only to railroads, it is of small use within British
Columbia, where it is said that half the workers sent out from the
employment offices use steamship lines.
Labor mobility depends mainly upon a complete knowledge of
employment conditions throughout the country. The Federal direc
tor is securing this necessary information through reports from super
intendents of provincial clearing houses, superintendents of local
offices, and especially employers and trade-union officials. These
statistics not only will form the basis of interprovincial clearing but
in the near future may govern the movement of labor from Great
Britain to Canada. The mother country now faces an enormous
surplus of men and women who have been idle since December, when
v ar industries closed. Canada, on the other hand, has natural
resources capable of supporting a population of fully 50 millions
instead of less than eight. Officials of the Empire and of the Do
minion therefore, are considering closer cooperation between the two
national employment systems so that immigration in the future
will not be left to blind chance but will be regulated by the oppor
tunities for work.
From the foregoing survey it is clear th a t the Em ploym ent Service
of Canada is a State-Federal rath er than an outright Federal system .
The Provinces have complete control over the adm inistration and
personnel of local offices, for the theory of state autonom y is still
strong although somewhat weakened by the n atu ral concentration
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167
of Federal power due to the necessities of war. Still, as it was noted
above, the Dominion D epartm ent of Labor in cooperation w ith another
national organization, the S. C. K,., does assume the operation of local
offices in the M aritime Provinces where sta te authorities have failed
to establish any m achinery for placing returned soldiers. The
Dominion would unquestionably possess the power to withhold the
money grants under the coordination act and to open its own offices
in any province where the local governm ent refused to m eet the con
ditions specified in the statu te. This, however, is only a rem ote con
tingency, and the Federal service will m ost likely confine its activities
to the control of interprovincial clearing, the collection of em ploym ent
statistics, and the standardization of operation. The last function
presents a field of unlim ited expansion. Already O ttaw a furnishes
all printed forms and cards used by the bureaus. F u rth er uniform ity
could be secured by national publicity, which is greatly needed, as
the public apparently has not fully grasped the nature and purposes
of the governm ent offices. A publicity campaign, emphasizing the
unified, national character of the new service, would m ost certainly be
effective, and would prevent duplication, since such general press
notices advertise every local office throughout the country. E s
pecially is this true a t the present time, when all Canada is vitally
interested in its m ost hum an and pressing national problem —the
reestablishing of the returned soldier into civil life.
F u rth er proof of the efficacy of the Federal service is its influence in
shaping a common policy regarding commercial agencies. Although
im m ediate abolition has been deemed unwise, provincial legislatures
have been urged by the employment service council to pass measures
which provide for the gradual extinction of private bureaus. They
were prohibited to exist after the first of June in Saskatchewan and
M anitoba. Ontario is weeding out the m ost inefficient agencies, and
Quebec will probably take sim ilar action in the near future.
Attitude of Employers and Employees.
To an observer coming from the U nited States the attitu d e of
capital and labor tow ard the em ploym ent system seems somewhat
anomalous. In general, employers are receptive, while tradeunionists are rath er apathetic. The Canadian M anufacturers’
Association is showing interest in various progressive industrial
plans and now views the employment service as an integral p a rt of
the country’s industrial m achinery. While the Trades and Labor
Congress, representing organized labor, has officially recorded its
opposition to commercial agencies, it bas n o t taken a very certain
stand regarding public offices. One reason is the possibility of
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interference with the business agents or the local union secretaries
in placing their members. A second cause is the fear that the strike
power may be endangered, though the employment service has ruled
that in any industrial dispute every office must adopt an attitude
of strict neutrality. The card on which the employer makes out
his order contains the question as to whether a strike or lockout
exists or threatens, and if such is the case the local superintendent
on the one hand must attempt to fill the vacancies and at the same
time must notify applicants of the condition of controversy. Local
superintendents state that workers generally refuse to accept employ
ment where a strike or lockout is in progress. These assurances,
however, fail to satisfy the western unions, especially in British
Columbia, where the closed shop prevails absolutely in many indus
tries. Generally speaking, all economic groups hi the Dominion
are in support of the employment service, and starting so auspiciously
it will undoubtedly stand as one of the most constructive pieces of
legislation born of the reconstruction period.
Employment in Selected Industries in June, 1919.
rP H E Bureau of Labor Statistics received and tabulated reports
concerning the volume of employment in June, 1919, from
representative establishments in 13 manufacturing industries.
Comparing the figures of June, 1919, with those of identical estab
lishments for June, 1918, it appears that hi 3 industries there was an
increase in the number of persons employed and hi 10 a decrease.
Cotton manufacturing shows the largest increase, 3.8 per cent, while
automobile manufacturing and silk each show an increase of 2 per
cent. Decreases of 25.6, 18.3, and 14.8 per cent appear, respec
tively hi men’s ready-made clothing, iron and steel, and cigar manu
facturing.
Ten of the 13 industries show an increase in the total amount of
the pay roll for June, 1919, as compared with June, 1918. The most
important increases—26.2, 21.5, and 17.6 per cent—appear in silk,
cotton manufacturing, and' car building and repairing, respectively;
while the decreases—15.4, 13, and 9.5 per cent—are shown in iron and
steel, men’s ready-made clothing, and cigar manufacturing.
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COMPARISON OF EM PLO Y M EN T IN ID E N T IC A L EST A BL ISH M EN T S IN JU N E , 1918, A N D
JU N E , 1919.
Industry.
Automobile manufacturing.
Boots and shoes.....................
Cur building and repairing..
Cigar manufacturing............
Men’s ready-made clothing.
Cotton flipishing.....................
Cotton manufacturing.........
Hosiery and underwear___
Iron and steel.........................
Leather manufacturing.......
Paper making.........................
S ilk ...........................................
W oolen....................................
Estab
lish
ments
report Per iod of
ing for pay roll.
June
both
years.
42
64
35
51
33
17
52
54
82
32
51
33
48
Number on pay
roll in June—
1918
1 w e e k .. 100,981
.. .do....... 58,877
£ month. 40,789
1 w eek. . 17,624
...d o ....... 20,019
...d o ....... 14,288
...d o ....... 47,071
.. .do....... 30,690
| month. 188,980
1 w e e k .. 17,260
.. .do....... 26,582
2 weeks.
9,910
1 w eek .. 46,389
1919
102,952
57,635
38,467
15,016
14,885
14,155
48,873
28,540
154,395
16,863
24,836
10,113
45,409
Per
cent
of increase
( + ) or
de
crease
(-)•
Amount of pay7 roll
in June—
1918
1919
+ 2.0 *2,589,660 *2,733,949
- 2.1 1,052,165 1,178,998
- 5.7 1,770,136 2,082,171
-1 4 .8
269,237
243,630
-2 5 .6
378,816
329,465
- .9
267,845
308,710
737,705
+ 3.8
896,290
- 7.0
431,638
456,150
-1 8 .3 11,290,991 9,554,914
364,245
- 2.3
381,729
519,962
- 6.6
562,208
271,632
+ 2.0
342,684
- 2.1
860,289
932,443
Per
cent
of increase
( + ) or
de
crease
(-).
+ 5.6
+ 12.1
+17.6
- 9.5
-1 3 .0
+ 15.3
+21.5
+ 5.7
—15.4
+ 4.8
+ 8.1
+26.2
+ 8.4
Tlie next table shows the number of persons actually working on
the last full day of the reported pay period in June, 1918, and June,
1919. The number of establishments reporting on this question is
small, and this fact should be taken into consideration when study
ing these figures.
COMPARISON OF EM PLOYM ENT IN ID E N T IC A L ESTA BL ISH M EN T S ON THE LAST
FU L L D A Y ’S O P ER A T IO N IN JU N E , 1918, A N D JU N E, 1919.
Industry.
Automobile manufacturing............................
Car building and repairing..............................
Cigar manufacturing.........................................
Men’s ready-made clothing.............................
Cotton manufacturing......................................
Iron and ste el......................................................
Leather manufacturing....................................
Paper making.....................................................
S ilk ........................................................................
W oolen.................................................................
Establish
ments
reporting
for June
both years.
Period of
pay roll.
23 1 -week___
22
34 J m o n th ...
18 1 w eek___
4 ........ d o ----12
32 ........ d o ___
18
86 | m o n th ...
16 1 w eek___
19 ........ d o ___
19 2 w eeks__
39 1 w eek___
Number actually work
ing on last full day of
Per cent
reported pay period
of in
in June—
crease ( + )
or decrease (—).
1918
1919
58,084
13 612
36,397
3,947
4,485
9,466
20,942
12,423
153,518
13,040
10,766
6,234
36,199
70,548'
12,774
35,844
4,077
3,752
9 594
22 ,326
12,009
127,265
12,522
9,007
6,318
33,904
+21.5
- 6.2
- 1.5
+ 3.3
-1 6 .3
+ 1.4
+ 6.6
— 3.3
-1 7 .1
- 4.0
-1 6 .3
+ 1.3
- 6.3
Comparative data for June and May, 1919, appear in the follow
ing table. The figures show that in 9 industries there was an
increase in the number of persons on the pay roll in June as com
pared with May and in 4 industries a decrease. The greatest
respective increases appear in woolen, 14.2 per cent; cotton finish
ing, 8.8 per cent; and paper making, 7.8 per cent. The largest
decrease, 7.2 per cent, is shown in cigar manufacturing.
In comparing June of this year with May, 10 industries show an
increase in the amount of money paid to employees and 3 show a
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decrease. The most important increases—23.1, 22.2, and 17.7 per
cent—are shown in woolen, cotton finishing, and paper making,
respectively; while a decrease of 7.7 per cent appears in cigar
manufacturing, and decreases of 3.6 per cent appear in automobile
manufacturing and in car building and repairing.
COMPARISON OF EM PLOYM ENT IN IDEN TIC A L E ST A BLISH M EN TS IN
JU N E , 1919.
Industry.
Automobile manufacturing..
Boots and shoes......................
Car building and repairing...
Cigar manufacturing..............
Men’s ready-made clothing..
Cotton finishing.......................
Cotton manufacturing...........
Hosiery and underwear........
Iron and steel...........................
Leather manufacturing.........
Paper making..........................
Silk.............................................
W oolen......................................
Estab
lish
ments
report Period of
ing for pay roll.
May
and
June.
40
64
36
51
42
16
51
53
83
31
49
33
48
1 w eek. .
.. .d o ___
| m on th'
I w eek..
. . .d o ___
. . .d o ___
. . -d o ___
. . -d o ___
J m onth.
i w eek..
.. -d o----2 weeks .
1 w eek. .
Number on pay
roll in—
May,
1919.
June,
1919.
93,996
58,288
38,990
16,265
14,755
12, 816
48,261
25,275
160,963
15,955
22,303
11,539
39,773
99,169
57,635
38,797
15,096
15,576
13,945
48,548
26,734
160,561
16,307
24,039
11,712
45,409
Per
cent)
of increase
( + ) or
de
crease
(-).
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
MAY A N D
Amount of pay roll
in—
May,
1919.
June,
1919.
5. 5 S2,759,780 $2,660,956
1.1 1,158,926 1,178,998
.5 . 2,178,038 2,099,432
7.2
266,305
245,689
5.6
306,209
345,533
8.8
. 248,545
303,674
772,465
890,038
.6
5.8
372,583
423, 851
.3 9,828,339 9,998,443
2.2
355,960
367,897
7.8
462,849
544,974
391,805
402,172
1.5
14.2
757,324
932,443
Per
cent
of increase
( + ) or
de
crease
(-).
- 3.6
+ 1.7
- 3.6
- 7.7
+ 12.8
+ 22.2
+ 15.2
+ 13.8
+ 1.7
+ 3.4
+ 17.7
+ 2.6
+23.1
A comparatively small number of establishments reported as
to the number of persons working on the last full day of the reported
pay periods. The following table gives in comparable form the
figures for May, 1919, and June, 1919. The small number of estab
lishments represented should be noted when using these figures.
COMPARISON OF EM PLOYM ENT IN ID E N T IC A L E ST A BLISH M EN TS ON THE LAST
F U L L D A Y ’S O PER A T IO N IN MAY A N D JU N E , 1919.
Industry.
Automobile manufacturing
Boots and shoes.....................
Car building and repairing.
Cigar manufacturing...........
Men’s ready-made clothing.
Cotton finishing....................
Cotton manufacturing........
Hosiery and underwear___
Iron and s te el.........................
Leather manufacturing___
Paper m aking....................... .
Silk............................................
Woolen.....................................
Establish
ments
reporting
for May
and June.
24
27
36
18
4
13
32
16
76
IS
19
22
43
Period
of
pay roll.
1 w eek___
. ..d o ..........
J m onth...
1 w eek___
. ..d o ...........
. ..d o ..........
. ..d o ...........
.. .d o ..........
J m onth...
1 w eek___
. ..d o ..........
2 w eeks. . .
1 w eek___
Number actually work
ing on last full day of
Per cent
reported pay period
of increase
in—
( + ) or de
crease ( —).
May, 1919. June, 1919.
66,936
13,987
36,632
4,632
3,506
9,598
21,994
10,906
128,487
12,532
9,654
8,769
31,196
71,367
14,970
36,232
4,572
3,752
10,307
22,304
11,057
133,978
12,763
10,413
8,940
35,063
+ 6 .6
+ 7.0
—1.1
-1 .3
+ 7 .0
+ 7.4
+ 1.4
+ 1.4
+ 4.3
+ 1.8
+ 7.9
+ 2 .0
+12.4
Changes in Wage Rates.
In 11 of the 13 industries there were establishments reporting
wage-rate increases and in 1—iron and steel—decreases during the
period May 15 to June 15, 1919. No change was reported in car
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
171
building and repairing and cigar manufacturing. Many firms did
not answer the inquiry relative to this item.
A u to m o b ile m a n u fa c tu rin g .— O ne firm gave an increase of 15 per
cent to 10 per cent of the employees, and another concern reported
increases of 5 to 15 per cent but failed to give the number of persons
affected. About 25 per cent of the force in one plant received an
increase of 2^ cents per hour. One plant reported an increase of
2 cents per hour, affecting all of the employees, and another plant
granted 5 per cent of the employees an increase of 2 per cent.
About 20 per cent of the employees in one establishment received
increases ranging from 21 cents to 15 cents per hour. The average
hourly productive rate in one plant was increased 0.0306 cent.
Boots a n d shoes. —An increase of about 15 per cent was given to
approximately 25 per cent of the employees in one establishment.
Two firms granted an increase of 10 per cent, which affected the
whole force in one plant and about 25 per cent in the other. All of
the employees in five factories received an increase of 8.7 per cent.
M e n ’s ready-m ade clothing. —Twenty-five per cent of the employees
in one plant received an increase of 10 per cent, while 50 per cent of
the force received a 5 per cent increase; an increase of 10 per cent
was given in one shop but no data are at hand relative to the number
of persons receiving the increase. An average increase of 5 per cent
was granted to 90 per cent of the force in one establishment. One
concern gave the cutters an increase of $5 per week. The girls in
one plant received an increase of 4 per cent.
Cotton -finishing .—One establishment gave an average increase of
18 per cent to all of the employees. Nine concerns granted an
increase of 15 per cent, affecting the entire force in four plants and
95 per cent of the employees in five plants. One firm reported a
10 per cent increase and another an increase of 4 cents per hour,
but both failed to make any statement as to the number of persons
affected.
Cotton m a n u fa c tu rin g . —All of the employees in one plant received
an increase of about 20 per cent, and the entire force in another
plant received an average increase of 18 per cent. Twenty-three
establishments granted a 15 per cent increase, affecting the entire
force in 18 plants, all of the employees but the office force and over
seers in 1 plant, and practically all of the employees in 2 plants,
while 2 plants failed to report the percentage of employees receiving
the increase. All of the employees in 2 plants received an increase
of about 15 per cent. An increase of 12 per cent was given in 3
mills, this affecting all of the employees in 2 mills and 50 per cent
of the force in the third mill. Two plants reported a 10 per cent
increase; this affected 25 per cent of the employees in one plant, but
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
the second plant failed to give any further data. One establishment
reported an increase but failed to state the particulars.
H o siery a n d underw ear .—The entire force in five mills received an
increase of 15 per cent. One company granted a general increase of
10 per cent and another plant gave 75 per cent of the employees an
increase of about 10 per cent. Two plants reported increases, but
failed to give the number of employees affected.
Iro n a n d steel .—One establishment gave the entire force an increase
of 15 per cent. Tire hot mill tonnage men in one plant received an
increase of 3^ per cent. One concern granted a small general increase.
Respective decreases of 19.6 and 11.7 per cent, affecting the puddlemill and the finishing-mill workers, or 45 per cent of the employees,
were reported by one establishment. One plant decreased the ton
nage men in the bar and the sheet departments 17£ and 12fr per cent,
respectively. A decrease of about 6 per cent, affecting about 3^ per
cent of the employees, was made by one establishment.
Leather m a n u fa c tu r in g .—All of the employees in one establishment
received an increase of 15 per cent. The entire force in 2 plants
were given a 10 per cent increase. An increase of about 8 per cent
was reported by one concern, but no further data were given. Fifteen
per cent of the employees in one plant received an increase of 6 per
cent and the entire force in another plant were increased 5 per cent.
Half of the force in one establishment was given an increase, the per
cent of which was not reported.
P a y e r m a k in g .—The entire force in 2 mills received a 10 per cent
increase, and another mill reported an increase of about 10 per
cent but did not give the number of persons affected. All of the
men in one establishment received an increase of 40 cents per day
and the women 25 cents per day. A slight increase was given by
one concern and another plant reported an increase to the shop
employees, but neither gave further information.
S i l k .—An average increase of 25 per cent was reported by one
plant. An average increase of 15 per cent was granted in the weaving
department by one mill, and an increase of 15 per cent was given to
the entire force in one plant and to all of the laborers in another
plant. Five establishments reported a 10 per cent increase which
affected all of the employees in three plants, two-fifths of the force
in another, and 10 per cent of the employees in the fifth plant.
Woolen .—All of the employees in one establishment received an
increase of 18 per cent. Increases ranging from 15 to 20 per cent
were given in 30 mills. Fourteen plants granted a 15 per cent
increase, affecting the entire force in 12 plants and the pieceworkers
in one plant, while the other plant failed to state the percentage of
persons affected.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[474]
WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR.
Readjustment of Wages and Working Conditions
of New York Harbor Employees.
By B enjamin M. S quires .
r p iI E adjustment of wages and working conditions of New York
harbor employees during the war has been described in detail in
previous issues of the M o n t h l y L a b o r R e v i e w .1 The reason for
the emphasis given to what might appear to be a purely local
situation affecting directly but a few thousand employees is three
fold: First, the unusual insular location of the cities comprising
Greater New York makes it dependent probably more than any other
city in the world upon the operation of harbor craft for the daily
supply of food and other necessities. Thus while less than 16,000
men are employed on harbor craft, four or five million people are
immediately affected by any interruption to harbor traffic. Second,
the importance of the port of New York in the world’s commerce
when considered in relation to harbor transportation as a link between
rail and steamship lines gives an almost world-wide importance to
any interference with the commerce of the port. During the war,
particularly, a strike of New York harbor employees would have
checked the flow of men and supplies and might well have been an
international calamity. Third, there is illustrated forcibly in the
efforts to maintain peace in the harbor during the past two years the
lack of a definite labor policy on the part of the Government and the
confusion resulting from conflicting jurisdiction of governmental
agencies.
As stated in a previous article 2 the Arbitration Board established
early in the war for the adjustment of wages and working conditions
of men employed on New York harbor craft was set aside by the
Railroad Administration and an award made to railroad marine
employees in excess of awards previously made to all harbor em
ployees. This resulted in the withdrawal of private boat owners
from the agreement creating the Harbor Board. The War Labor
1 U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics M onthly R e v ie w , January, 1918, pp. 230-233; M onthly L a boh
R e v ie w , July, 1918, pp. 1-21; August, 1918, pp. 45-62; September, 1918, pp. 1-26; February, 1919, pp.
12-27; and April, 1919, pp. 246-249.
2 Id 3 m ., February, 1919, pp. 12-27.
173
1 2 7 9 7 1 ° — 1 9 ------1 2
[4 7 5 ]
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
Board was appealed to but both private boat owners and the Railroad
Administration refused to accept its jurisdiction. A strike was called
which was ended only by a request from the President that the War
Labor Board hear and determine the case and that all parties accept
its jurisdiction. Government interests and employees accepted
the jurisdiction of the War Labor Board. Private boat owners
refused to be bound in advance by the decision, submitting, however,
in the case of one company in order to have the privilege of presenting
evidence and cross-examining witnesses.
The hearing extended over a period of nearly three weeks. Little
attention was given to the main issue—the demand for an eight-hour
day—counsel for employees apparently resting his case on the recogni
tion by the board of the eight-hour day in other industries and
submitting evidence chiefly in support of increased wages.
From the outset there was little prospect of a unanimous decision
being reached by the board. This had been a stumbling block when
the board had first attempted settlement. According to its rules of
procedure, the board could sit as an arbitration body only in case of
joint submission, without which it was a board of finding and in case
of disagreement could not refer the case to an umpire. When adjust
ment was first attempted the board did not have a joint submission
and was unable to agree on a finding. Now, however, the board
had a joint submission on the part of Government interests, one
private boat owner, and employees, and if unanimous agreement was
impossible could refer the case to an umpire.
The board failed to secure unanimous agreement and the case
went to an umpire who found himself with insufficient evidence to
establish the eight-hour day except in the case of tugboats in con
tinuous operation, on which the eight-hour day could probably be
least readily applied, and on ferryboats, which were already on an
eight-hour basis. A commission was recommended, however, to in
vestigate the practicability of an eight-hour day, the decision of the
commission to be final. Wages were left as under the award of the
harbor board of arbitration pending a decision on the question of
hours.
The decision of the umpire came as a surprise to both sides. The
Railroad Administration had previously granted wage increases and
an eight-hour day but the order making the grant effective had been
withheld. Private boat owners had been willing to grant a wage
increase and to submit to. the findings of a commission in the matter
of hours. The Railroad Administration was thus in the position of
having agreed to accept the decision but of having previously agreed
to pay more. Employees had agreed to accept the decision but
knew of the proposed award of the Railroad Administration and
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[476 ]
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
175
the offer of the private boat owners. Private employers with the
exception of one had not agreed to submit to the War Labor Board,
had been willing to pay more than the umpire awarded, and were
naturally satisfied with the decision.
Under these circumstances employees felt they had a just grievance
and three days after the decision was announced met and voted to
reject the award in its entirety. The strike committee was in favor
of calling a strike at once but it appeared that the time might be
opportune for a compromise settlement. Conferencas of all interests
were called for this purpose but representatives of Government
interests claimed to be powerless to do other than accept the decision
of the umpire. Private boat owners, however, made three proposals:
1. Unqualified acceptance of the umpire’s decision.
2. An immediate increase of 10 per cent in wages with a provision
that all other matters at issue would be freely discussed with a
view to reconciling differences.
3. All prior agreements to be set aside and an entirely new com
mittee consisting of an equal number of representatives of the
unions and the private employers to be created to consider all matters
at issue and to enter into a new agreement on wages and working
conditions.
These proposals of the private owners were considered by the
strike committee and rejected, the committee voting to declare a
strike on the following day on all harbor vessels except those operated
by the Army and the Navy and on vessels carrying supplies to State
institutions.
The strike was called on March 4, 1919, and resulted as in the
previous strike in an almost complete tie-up of harbor traffic.
Negotiations were continued, however, with the Railroad Adminis
tration and on March 8 a settlement was reached whereby the eighthour day was established and a wage increase granted. Other
Government interests accepted the railroad settlement and the
strike was thus reduced to the boats of private owners, comprising
about 50 per cent of the total harbor craft.
This action by the Railroad Administration and other Government
interests brought forth a storm of protest from commercial interests
in New York City. The Merchants’ Association sent letters to the
Secretary of War, the Secretary of Navy, the Director General of
Railroads, and the Chairman of the Shipping Board censuring them
for failing to stand by the award of the War Labor Board after the
President had given his assurance that those departments would
use all their power to enforce it. Agreements “ to promote resort to
arbitration as a means of composing differences between employers
and employees * * * are valueless unless their obligations are
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[477 ]
176
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
honorably observed by the parties thereto. Refusal to abide by an
arbitration award, after having voluntarily agreed to be bound
thereby, is signal bad faith. To condone such violation, to yield to
further demands determined excessive by the arbitrator, is to reward
bad faith, to place a premium upon it, and to promote resort to it.
Condonement, therefore, amounts to encouraging a resort to force
and discouraging arbitration.
“ By whoever sanctioned, such condonement of the violation of an
arbitrator’s award is reprehensible; it is doubly harmful when
sanctioned by governmental authority, for it is then tantamount
to notice that the Government will not enforce the obligations of
good faith, but on the contrary will reward the delinquents by con
ceding their demand. It is obvious that such a position, taken by
the highest governmental officials, must have a far-reaching and
exceedingly harmful effect.
“ But in the present case concession to bad faith is not the only
nor the most disturbing feature. The surrender of governmental
rights is even more serious.”
The letter called attention further to the communication filed with
the War Labor Board by the respective governmental interests prior
to the hearing in which they stated that “ should your board in
accordance with the President’s request reassume jurisdiction over
the controversy, we desire to assure you that we will g l a d l y submit
any interests which we may have in this controversy to your board
and will abide by such decision as you may make.”
The telegram sent by harbor employees to the President was
quoted, in which it was stated that “ complying with your cabled
request * * * striking marine workers of New York Harbor
have returned to work and submitted their cause absolutely to the
War Labor Board, which you have declared to be the instrumentality
set up by our Government to settle such controversies.”
Several of the New York papers came out with editorials denouncing
the attitude of the Government in yielding to the demands of the
strikers and criticizing employees for failing to stand by their promise
to accept the decision of the War Labor Board. Employees remained
firm, however, and governmental interests took the position that
the terms of settlement were virtually those decided upon by the
Railroad Administration prior to submission to the War Labor
Board.
The settlement in the case of Government-operated craft relieved
the situation somewhat and brought about conditions that served
eventually to end the strike. In making the settlement with the
Railroad Administration, employees had contended for the closed
shop, but were dissuaded by having pointed out to them that the
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[478 ]
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
177
success of the strike made such, a provision unnecessary. Accordingly
the agreement by which employees returned to work on Government
boats made no mention of the closed shop, but provided that men
should perform their accustomed duties. Their “ accustomed duties/’
however, involved the towing at times of boats of private operators
and this became an immediate menace to the strikers because it
permitted the resumption of a considerable part of the harbor traffic.
The Railroad Administration was accordingly notified that the
unions could not permit the handling of boats owned by private
companies. Longshoremen working on the piers of two steamship
lines were directed to quit because the steamship companies were
charged with taking coal from barges manned by nonunion men.
This phase of the strike brought dissension within the ranks of the
harbor unions and the longshoremen. The longshoremen were
working under an agreement which did not expire until September.
The international president of the longshoremen was opposed to a
violation of the agreement, although some of the other officials of the
longshoremen were in favor of calling a strike wherever necessary
to give effectiveness to the harbor strike. Three of the harbor unions
on strike were locals of the International Longshoremen’s Associa
tion. Two of these unions were in an embarrassing position in that
many of their members had previously lived on the boats on which
they were employed and found it almost impossible to obtain living
quarters ashore. Moreover, neither of the unions was able to pay
any considerable strike benefit. As a consequence, the Longshore
men’s Association was faced with the unemployment of many men
thrown out of work by the strike, a possible strike of others in sym
pathy with the harbor employees, and the urgent need of many of the
members of the affiliated locals of harbor employees.
The situation was thus of serious concern to the Longshoremen’s
Association. The international president had made several attempts
to get the striking unions to accept a compromise settlement, having
secured an offer from private boat owners of a 15 per cent increase
in wages and a 10-hour day. Strike leaders, however charged him
with being in the employ of the boat owners and refused the offer.
The clash reached a climax when, through the efforts of the interna
tional president, the Tidewater Boatmen’s Union voted to accept
terms of settlement proposed by the private owners and returned
to work. This led to the return to work of some 2,500 men on
strike. A considerable number of these men were employed on coal
boats, and since the fuel shortage was acute the Railroad Administra
tion began to tow coal barges. The Marine Workers’ Affiliation was
now faced with a new danger. Although criticizing the Tidewater
Boatmen for the separate settlement, the Affiliation had appreciated
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[479]
178
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
the hardship which the strike imposed on tidewater captains and
their families and had voted to accept the settlement. This meant,
however, that the boats to which these men returned were manned
by union men and could properly be towed by railroad or other
Government tugs. It was necessary, therefore, to repudiate the set
tlement of the Tidewater Boatmen and to declare that Government
tugs could not move boats manned by the Tidewater Boatmen.
This led to a clash with the Railroad Administration, the regional
director declaring that in the original settlement the men had agreed
to perform customary work and that, moreover, the coal boats
and grain boats of private companies were now manned by union
men, whose settlement had been approved by the Marine Workers’
Affiliation. The same situation arose a few days later when the
Lighter Captains’ Union made an independent settlement with
private boat owners, thus releasing more boats, which, being manned
by union men, could be towed by Government tugs. The action of
the Lighter Captains’ Union was also repudiated and notice served
that boats manned by members of this union could not be towed.
The point was now reached where either the strike must be
extended or lose much of its effectiveness. Men on railroad tugs
were forbidden to tow any harbor craft owned by private companies
unless an agreement had been signed with the Affiliation. The
Railroad Administration replied that men thus refusing to tow
boats manned by union men would be summarily dismissed. In the
meantime further conferences were held between private boat owners
and strikers, with a final offer from the boat owners of a 60-hour
week and a 15 per cent increase in wages. This offer was rejected
by the several unions, and on April 16 a strike was ordered to take
effect the following day on all harbor craft. No boats were to be
exempt, and it wTas proposed to stop all traffic, including deep-sea
boats. The Central Federated Union, of New York City, declared
itself in sympathy, and there seemed to be danger of a general
sympathetic strike.
Government officials were appealed to and at the request of the
Secretary of Labor a truce was declared for forty-eight hours. A
conference was held April 17 between all interests, with the mayor
of the city presiding. Private boat owners offered to arbitrate the
question of wages and to concede a ten-hour day. This was rejected
by employees. The conference was continued during the two fol
lowing days and the representatives of employees finally agreed to
accept the ten-hour day and to arbitrate the question of wages
before a committee of boat owners and employees. Thus, after
seven weeks of warfare, the strike was ended on terms but little
more favorable than were offered at the beginning of the strike.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[4 8 0 ]
M O N T H L Y LABOR REV IEW .
179
Naturally, during the strike considerable bitterness developed and
this for a time threatened to prevent the carrying out of the agree
ment to arbitrate. Boat owners named a new committee to act on
the arbitration board and requested employees to do likewise,
refusing finally to accept certain strike leaders as arbitrators. The
owners receded from this position, however, and a compromise was
effected by which two-thirds of the employee representatives should
be actual employees. A new agreement was entered into as follows:
1. That the arbitration committee of four on a side appointed in April last, after
the resumption of work be dissolved.
2. That a new arbitration board, consisting of twelve employers and three cap
tains, three engineers, three hoisting engineers and three representatives of cooks,
deckhands and firemen, be appointed to take the place of the dissolved committee.
Of each group of three at least two shall be employees in the service of private boat
owners. This board may act collectively or through subsections, as its members may
determine at their organization meeting, to be held at the Maritime Exchange on
Tuesday, May 27, at 10 a. m.
3. That this arbitration board shall select from its membership a permanent board
of arbitration and conciliation for the adjustment of such future matters of difference
as may arise. The six employer representatives shall be chosen by the employer
members, the six employee representatives shall be chosen by the employee mem
bers, and at least a majority of the latter shall be actual employees in the service of
the private boat owners. This permanent board shall adopt suitable rules and regu
lations to govern its proceedings. In case the members of this permanent board are
unable at any time to agree, they shall select an umpire, whose decision shall be final.
In case they are unable to agree upon the selection of such umpire, each shall select a
disinterested arbitrator and these, in turn, shall choose an umpire and the decision
reached by those three, in conjunction with the board, shall be final.
4. This arrangement shall continue in force until December 31, 1919, and there
after thirty days’ notice of termination is given.
5. Both sides pledge themselves to give the plan here outlined a fair trial and to
resort to the permanent board for the adjustment of any differences in preference
to declaring a strike or lockout.
Acting under the above agreement, arbitration proceedings were
held and a wage scale agreed upon which granted increases averag
ing about 10 per cent. The wage scale and working conditions
established by agreement with private owners are shown in the fol
lowing table in comparison with previous wages and conditions,
demands, and adjustments proposed by the War Labor Board and
effected by governmental interests.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[481]
.
Occupation.
180
WAGES A N D W ORKING CONDITIONS OF N E W Y OR K H ARBOR EMPLOYEES.
Wages and conditions established by—
Wages and conditions
Agreement between Marine
demanded by Marine Board of Arbitration,
Workers’ Affiliation and
Workers’ Affiliation New York Harbor Wage Award of umpire for
U. S. Railroad Adminis
Nov. 9, 1918, effective Adjustment, July 12,
National War Labor tration
Mar. 8,1919, effective
Dec. 1,1918.
1918, and in effect at
Board Feb. 5,1919,
tim e of demand of Nov. effective Mar. 1, 1919. Mar. 1,1919, and confirmed
by
other
Government
9,1918.
interests.
Award of New Y ork Harbor
Arbitration Board created
by New York Boat Owners
and Marine Workers’ Affili
ation, June 16, 1919, and
settlem ents of Mar. 31,1919,
and Apr. 3, 1919.
A ddi
tional
Monthly rate. per day
for
board.
A ddi
tional
Monthly rate. per day
for
board.
[482 ]
A ddi
tional
Monthly rate. per day
for
board.
Monthly rate.
A ddi
tional
per day
for
board.
Monthly rate.
Addi
tional
perday
for
board.
TUGS, STEAM LIG H TER S, AND OTH ER SELF-PR O PELLED VESSELS.
Captains................
P ilots.....................
Mates.....................
Engineers.............
Oilers, licensed...
Oilers, unlicensed.
Firemen................
$225
200
150
225
150
145
$135, 140
$1 . 0 0
1 .0 0
$140,$150, $160
140
115
130, 140, 150
$0. 75
.75
80
75, 80
$0. 75
. 75
$140,$150,$160
140
115
130, 140, 150
.75
.75
80
75, 80
.75
.75
.75
Deck hands..........
127.50, Î32.50
1 .0 0
75, 80
.75
75, 80
Cooks.....................
127.50, 132.50
1 .0 0
75, 80
.75
75, 77
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
.75
.75
$190
170
$ 1 1 0 , $ 1 2 0 , 145
180
115
115
105,
/
\
/
\
f
\
/
110
\
105
/
1
1
$155,$165,$175
2 200, 210, 225
2 180, 186
130
1 145, 155, 165
2190, 200, 215
$0.75
. /5
.75
.75
. 75
.75
2 80
1 80, 90
go, 85, 9 5
1 80, 85
go, 85, 9 5
1 80, 85
2 85
75
.75
75
. 75
. 75
.75
. 75
2
2
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,
W A G E S.
FERRYBOATS.
Captains or pilots..................................
Wheelsmen..............................................
Engineers.................................................
Oilers, licensed....................................
Oilers, unlicensed..................................
Firemen...................................................
Deck hands, first...................................
Porters......................................................
$225
145
225
160
150
150
135
125
$175
95
$175
95
100
95
95
85
100
95
95
85
$190
110
180
120
115
105
85
CAR AND CATTLE FLOATS.
3 $30
$1.00
$75
$0. 75
$75
$0. 75
$105
COVERED BARGES AND LIG HTERS.
[4 8 3 ]
Captains...................................................
Mates.........................................................
Engineers................... ............................
4$5.50, $6, $8.50
i $3.50, $3.75, $4
<$3.50, $3.75, $4
<6, G. 50, 7
< 4. 25, 4. 50
4 4. 25, 4.50
44
$120, $125, $130
90
135, 140
3 $26, $27.50, $29
s 15
3 29, 30.50
COAL BOATS AND GRAIN BOATS.
Captains...................................................
$125
$85
$S5
$110
$110
SCOWS AND D U M PER S.
Captains...................................................
110-hour day,
$100
$90
* 12-hour day.
3 Per week.
* Per day.
1S1
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
$125
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
Floatmen................................................
182
WAGES AND WORKING CONDITIONS OF NEW YORK HARBOR EMPLOYEES—Concluded.
Wages and conditions established by—
Kind of vessel.
Wages and conditions
demanded by Marine Board of Arbitration,
Workers’ Affiliation New York Harbor Wage Award of umpire for
National War Labor
Nov. 9, 1918, effective Adjustment, July 12,
Board Feb. 5, 1919,
1918, and in effect at
Dec. 1, 1918.
time of demand of Nov. effective Mar. 1,1919.
9, 1918.
Agreement between Marine Award of New York Harbor
Workers’ Affiliation and Arbitration Board created
U. S. Railroad Adminis by New York Boat Owners
tration Mar. 8 , 1919, effective and Marine Workers’ Affili
Mar. 1,1919, and confirmed ation, June 16,1919, and
settlements of Mar. 31,1919,
by other Government
and Apr. 3,1919.
interests.
HOURS P E R DAY.
[484]
Self-propelled craft:
Single crew tugs and lighters....................
Double crew tugs and lighters..................
Ferryboats..............................................
Cattle and car floats............... .......................
Covered barges and lighters...........................
Coal boats, grain boats, scows, and dumpers..
8
8
8
8
8
8
12
12
8
12
10
12
12
S
8
12
10
12
8
8
10
12
8
8
10
ÌÒ
12
Not specified....................
7
8
12
DAYS P E R 'W EEK.
Coal boats and grain boats
All other boats..............
6
6
7
6
7
Ö
6
O V E ETIM E B A TE (F O E W O E K P EB F O B M ED IK EXCESS OF S PEC IFIED H O P E S P E E DAT OE DAYS P E E W E E K ).
Coal boats and grain boats__
Scows and dumpers..............
Lighters: Engineers.............
All other craft and employees
Not specified.................... $1 per night.
Double time............... Time and one-half...... Time and one-half...... Time and one-half............ Time and one-half.
Straight time for 11th a n d
12th hours, time and onehalf thereafter.
W ATCHING R A TE.
Covered barges and lighters
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Time and one-half...... 351.50 per night............ $1.50 per night............ $2 per night...................... $1.50 per night.
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
W O R K IN G C O N D IT IO N S.
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
183
In reviewing the relations of New York harbor boat owners and
employees since the concerted action of the latter in 1917, a few facts
stand out predominately and lead to obvious conclusions. The
Marine Workers’ Affiliation was admittedly brought into being in
part by the strategic position of labor in the port due to the unusual
demands of war and in part by the uncompromising attitude of many
boat owners toward harbor unions, particularly the unions of un
licensed men on harbor boats. The advantage due to the war may
be considered to have passed except as it may have resulted in an
increase in membership and in the rather uncertain change in the
general relations of employer and employed as a result of forced
negotiations during the war or the realization of an undercurrent
of unrest permeating our whole industrial system. New York harbor
boat owners have apparently receded from their previous position of
opposition to unions of their employees and are prepared to deal
collectively with them through union representatives. This marks
a long step in advance of former relations and with careful direction
should lead to continued adjustment of industrial relations through
peaceful negotiation.
The chief obstacle to the plan of self-adjustment in the harbor lies
in the lack of organization of boat owners and, what amounts to the
same thing, the lack of solidarity on the part of the harbor unions.
Nothing so encourages negotiations between employers and em
ployees and makes for equitable adjustments as the respect that
each side has for the strength and reliability of the other side. At
present boat owners are poorly organized though a practically united
front was presented during the strike. The entire period of previous
negotiations, however, had been characterized by conflicting interests
of employers. There are between 400 and 500 owners of harbor
craft in the port. The railroads constitute a distinct interest unwilling
thus far to be considered with other interests. The harbor equip
ment of steamship lines constitutes another interest more or less
willing to cooperate. Some two hundred private owners or operators
of commercial harbor craft belong to one of three associations of
boat owners. Probably two hundred owners are independent of any
association of employers. The result has been a jealously guarded
independence inimical to a constructive policy for dealing with labor.
What must come if peaceful negotiation and settlement is to be
assured is a complete organization of employing harbor interests
and the formulation of a definite labor policy to which all shall
subscribe and be held responsible. It may well be that for the
consideration of matters other than industrial relationship distinct
interests should have their own organization but in dealing with a
bodv of labor organized on the basis of the entire port nothing short
of a complete organization of all employing interests is practicable.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[485]
184
MONTHLY LABOS REVIEW.
In contrast with, the lack of organization among boat owners the
Marine Workers’ Affiliation showed evidence, for a time at least,
of an almost complete union of harbor employees, but the defection
in the ranks during the strike and the clash between the Affiliation
and the International Longshoremen’s Association has emphasized
the necessity of a closer organization. The final settlement of wages
and working conditions by collective action has served to reunite
the harbor unions and to restore the prestige of the leaders and
the Affiliation.
The real test of the machinery of self-adjustment will probably
come when harbor craft and marine equipment now under Govern
ment control is placed again in private operation. The contention
of the men was originally for a standardization of wage rates and
working conditions. This was accomplished by the arbitration
agreement first entered into, but was upset with the withdrawal of
the Railroad Administration from the agreement and the establish
ment of different conditions. The history of the harbor unions shows
a lack of complete harmony between railroad and other members of
the unions. With the exception of one union recently formed com
posed entirely of railroad employees, each of the harbor unions is
made up of railroad employees and employees of other harbor trans
portation companies. In a measure the railroad employee has felt
superior to other employees. For the most part there has been a
slight difference in wages in favor of the men on railroad boats.
Consequently the railroad employees were the most difficult to keep
in line in any general strike action. This fact accounted, in part, for
the willingness of the Affiliation during the last strike to sign up an
agreement with the railroads rather than attempt to force a general
settlement before any men returned to work. Men on railroad boats
and on other harbor craft operated by the Government are now on
an eight-hour day and are receiving higher wages than men on pri
vate boats, who are working 10 hours. The feeling is prevalent that
an attempt will be made to reduce wages and increase hours when
boats are released from Federal control. This will meet with op
position from the employees on Government boats, who will then
need the support of other members of the several unions. It is not
unlikely that this will serve to strengthen the'Affiliation.
If, on the other hand, railroad marine employees should continue
to enjoy the eight-hour day and the wage differential, it is unlikely
that other employees will continue to be satisfied to work 10 hours
for less money. It will thus be a question of a struggle by railroad
employees against a wage reduction and increase of hours, or by
other employees to raise wages and reduce hours to the level of the
railroads. The test will be severe and the manner in which it is
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[486]
185
MONTHLY LABOE REVIEW.
met will be determined by the sincerity and vision with which
both sides face the issue. Tie most feasible way seems to be as
suggested—for each side to recognize that in industrial relations
the port is a unit, and to adjust wages and working conditions
on that basis. Permanent adjustment machinery should be estab
lished, with provision for the prompt consideration of grievances
and for regular joint meetings at which matters of common interest
will be freely discussed. If both sides face squarely a'nd openmindedly the problems that arise, the danger of further interruption
to harbor traffic is remote.
Changes in Wages and Hours of Labor in
Canada.1
HE table following is a summary of the wages and hours of
T
labor as fixed by the more important industrial agreements
recently reported to the Canadian Department of Labor:
WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR IN CANADA AS FIXED BY RECENT INDUSTRIAL
AGREEMENTS.
Industry and occupation.
Locality.
Wages.
Hours
per
week.
Date agree
ment came
into effect.
BUILDING TR A D ES.
Painters, decorators, etc__
Plumbers and steam fitters.
Hamilton, On $0.525 per hour»........
tario.
Waterloo, On $0.60 per hour 2 ..........
tario.
44
Apr., 1919 s
‘9
May, 1919s
$212 per m onth.........
44
May, 1919
$162 per m onth.........
$175 per m onth.........
$0.65 per hour...........
44
44
44
Do.
Do.
Do.
.do............... $0.60 per hour............
.do............... $0.60 per hour............
.do............... $0.55 per hour............
44
Do.
44
44
Do.
Do.
44
44
44
44
44
Apr., 1919
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
E N G IN E E R S , ETC.
Steam shovel, drag line, and cableway
workers.
Cranemen, steam shovel........................
Engineers, dinkey engine......................
Orange peel bucket, clamshell, derrick,
steam roller, steam and electric hoist
workers.
Concrete mixers, air compressors, and
engineers (not specified).
Engineers, chief, electric power plant__
Engineers,assistant,electricpowerplant
Ottawa, Ontario
__ do...............
---- do...............
---- do...............
M ACHIN E SHOPS.
Machinists.........
Operators,first....
Operators,second.
Operators,third...
Operators,fourth.
Ontario
__ do..
__ do..
__ do..
__ do..
$0.80 per hour............
$0.55 per hour............
$0.60 per hou r............
$0.65 per hour............
$0.70 per hour............
PRIN T IN G AND P U B LISH IN G .
Compositors, hand and machine...
Pressmen in charge, journeymen..
Guelph, Ontario $20 per week 8............
48
Oct., 1918«
Regina,
Sas $29 per week '............
Sept., 1918»
(8)
katchewan.
1Data taken from Labour Gazette (Ottawa)
6In effect 3 years.
for June, 1919.
7Minimum for day workers; $31 for night workers.
2 Minimum rates,
8Not reported.
s In effect 1 year.
6In effect 19 months.
«Per day.
‘ $21 per week after September, 1919.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[4 8 7 ]
186
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
W AGES A N D H O U R S OF LABOR IN CANADA AS F IX E D B Y R E CEN T IN D U ST R IA L
A G REEM ENTS— Continued.
Industry and occupation.
Locality.
Wages.
Hours
per
week
Date agree
ment came
into effect.
B R E A D B A K ER S.
Shops employing 4 men:
Foremen............................
Dough mixers....................
Second hands.....................
Machine men.................... .
Other bakers......................
Foremen, packing room---Shops employing 3 men or less:
Foremen...........................
Second hands....................
Other bakers.....................
$30 per week.
$28 per week.
__ do..........
$24 per week.
$22 per week.
$24 per week.
$25 per week.
$23 per week.
$22 per week.
Jan., 19191
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Ottawa, Ontario $30 per week.
$25 per week.
__ do...........
$22 per week.
__ do...........
Jan., 1919»
Do.
Do.
Ottawa, Ontario
__ do...............
__ do...............
__ do...............
__ do...............
__ do...............
.do.
.do.
.do.
CAKE B A K ER S.
Foremen........
Second hands.
Third hands..
B R E W E R IE S .
Bottlers.
Bottlers, beginners........................
Cellar men, drivers, and kettle men.
Drivers’helpers.............................
Drivers, single...............................
Wash-house workers......................
Engineers......................................
Firemen........................................
Waterloo, On- $18.50 per week.
tario.
$17 per week...
__ do......
$20 per week...
__ do......
$18 per week__
__ do......
$19 per week...
__ do......
$19.50 per week.
__ do......
$30 per week__
__ do......
$21 per week...
___do......
2 471
247*
247*
247*
247*
247*
70
56
(T>
0
CO
0
0
0)
(7>
0
TRANSPORTATION.
Men on the back............................ Montreal, Que $32.50 per week.
bec.
$30 per week__
$28 per week —
$0.60 per hour..,
$0.55 per hour..
$20.25 per week.
$0.50 per hour..
$0.45 per hour..
$25 per week —
Longshoremen:
Nitrate and hulk sulphur, grain ......do............... $0.75 per hour.
trimming and bagging.
$0.65 per hour.
Coal handling, general cargo vessels..
«9
Apr., 1919*
«9
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
29
29
•9
=9
*9
»9
»10
(4)
Jan., 1919*
(*)
Do.
{')
Feb., 1919*
(*)
Do.
Do.
(4)
(‘)
(4)
(4)
(4)
(4)
(4)
(4)
(4)
(4)
(4)
(*)
(4)
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
MUNICIPAL EM PLOYM ENT.
Conductors and motormen, street rail
ways:
Edmonton, Al $45 to $70per month
berta.
$75 per month6.
$82 per month 5.
$85 per month *.
$0,35 per hour..
$0,375 per hour.
$0.40 per hour..
$0.45 per hour..
$0.40 per hour —
$0.45 per hour...
$0,475 per hour..
$0.50 per hour...
$0,395 per hour..
$0.68per hour...
10.60 to $0.65 per hour
$0.70 per hour...
$0.60 per hour...
Car repairers:
(4)
(4)
Painters and blacksmiths.....................
1In effect 1 year.
2Average: 50 hours, April to September; 45 hours, October to March.
•Per day.
•Not reported.
*Minimum rates.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[4S8]
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
WAGES AND H OURS OF LABOR IN CANADA AS F IX E D B Y R E C E N T IN D U S T R IA L
AG R EEM EN TS— Concluded.
Industry and occupation.
Locality.
Wages.
Hour#
per
week.
Date agree
ment carne
into effect.
ri)
Feb., 19X9*
(i)
C1)
Do.
Do.
(•)
(i)
ri)
ri)
ri)
ri)
ri)
G)
ri)
ri)
ri)
ri)
ri)
ri)
ri)
ri)
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do
Do.
municipal employment— concluded.
Trackmen..................................................
Night watchmen...........................................
Track greasers................................................
Firemen: 3
Operators, first 6 m onths.....................
Operators, second 6 m onths...............
First m en, first 6 m onths....................
First m en, second 6 m onths...............
First m en,second year........................
First m en , third year...........................
Horse drivers, first vear......................
Horse drivers, second year.................
Horse drivers, third year....................
Horse drivers, fourth year...................
Chauffeurs..............................................
Engineers................................................
Mechanics................................................
Lieutenants.............................................
Captains..............................................
District chiefs.........................................
Electric light and power:
Linemen, foremen.................................
Linemen, subforemen........................
Linemen, journeymen.........................
Meter installers......................................
Meter repairer and test m en...............
Meter foreman........................................
Arc lamn trimmers and trouble m en.
Repair m en ............................................
Telephones:
Switchmen, first class..........................
Switchmen, second class.....................
Switchmen, third class........................
Inspectors,first class............................
Inspectors, second class.......................
Inspectors, third class..........................
Service men, first class........................
Service men, second class...................
Service men, third class......................
Rackmen, first class.............................
Rackmen, second class........................
Rack men, third class..........................
Switchboard men, first class..............
Switchboard men, second class.........
Switchboard men, third class............
Night service men (main), first class.
Night service men (main), second
class.
Night service men (main), third class.
Night men, branch...............................
Subforemen, branch office...................
berta.
‘8
68
‘8
68
88
68
88
‘8
do
..d o
..........
month.
Shop mechanics.....................................
Installers, first class.............................
Installers, second class.........................
Installers, third class............................
Linemen.........................................................
Cable splicers.........................................
Laborers and teamsters..............................
.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do
Do.
Do.
Do
ri)
ri)
ri)
ri)
ri)
ri)
ri)
ri)
(•)
ri)
ri)
ri)
ri)
ri)
ri)
ri)
ri)
Do
Do.
Do.
Do
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
ri)
ri)
ri)
' Do.
Do.
Do.
ri)
ri)
ri)
ri)
(•)
ri)
ri)
ri)
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
ri)
Apr., 19198
Do.
ELECTRIC P O W E R AND TRANSM ISSION.
Linemen, first class....................................
Linemen, second class.................................
tario.
ri)
•Not reported.
8 In effect 1 year.
8 The agreement provides for the establishment of a two-platoon system.
4Minimum rates.
‘ Per day.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[489]
188
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
Employment and Wages in Pulp and Paper Mills.
RECENT report on the pulp and paper industry of, Canada,
A
compiled by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics and the forestry
branch of the Department of the Interior, gives employment and wage
data for the years 1915 and 1917, showing considerable changes
during the two-year period. The report shows that the number of
mills increased only from 80 to 83, while the average number of wage
earners increased 30.1 per cent, the average number of salaried
employees increased 38.2 per cent, salaries and wage payments were
greater in 1917 than in 1915 by 94.6 per cent, and “ the ratio of
increase in the cash value of the production was nearly 140 per cent.”
In 1917, salaries and wages paid amounted to about 11 per cent of
the total capital invested and to about 21 per cent of the value of that
year’s product.
The following table gives the number of employees in the various
wage groups, showing a decided upward trend during the period.
The average weekly wage of all employees—men, women, and chil
dren—was approximately $13.42 in 1915 and $15.76 in 1917.
NUM BER OF EM PLOY EES RECEIVING SPEC IFIED W E E K L Y W AGES, 1915 AND 1917, BY
SEX .
W eekly wages.
Less than 15..............................
$5 but less than $10.................
S10 but less than $15...............
1915
1917
Total.
Chil
Fe dren
Males. males.
under Num
Per
16.
ber.
cent.
Total.
Chil
Fe dren
Males. males.
under Num
Per
16.
ber.
cent.
05
3,993
5,882
1,563
'546
402
186
463
3
Total............................... 12,451
652
122
59
2
1
184
373
4,515
5,887
1,564
'546
402
2. 81
33.98
44.31
11.77
4.11
3.03
62
829
6,926
8,117
3,119
1,904
25
540
64
6
13,287
100.00
20,957
636
11
79
9
7
98
1,448
6,999
8,130
3^ 119
1)905
0. 45
6.67
32.25
37. 47
14.37
8.78
106
21,699
99. 99
1
The employees in this industry are largely adult males, their
proportion being 93.7 per cent of all employees in 1915 and 96.6
per cent of all employees in 1917.
The combined pulp and paper mills have 66.3 per cent of the
workers; pulp mills alone employ 26.5 per cent, while paper mills
alone employ the remaining 7.3 per cent. Such women as are em
ployed are mainly in the paper mills, where practically one-fourth
of the workers are females. Disregarding the females, employed,
as just stated, in relatively small numbers, the variations from month
to month in the number of workers show for all the mills a decrease
of 15.1 per cent from the month of highest employment (July)
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[490]
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
189
to that of lowest (February). The greatest falling off is in the pulp
mills, where the difference between these two months is a decrease
of 29.8 per cent.
Of a total of 304 working days in 1917, all mills combined worked
263 daj^s on full time and 18 days on part time, and were idle 23 days.
The pulp and paper mills combined worked 296 days on full time
and shutdowns wTere practically nil; pulp mills had 242 full days
and 39 days idle, and paper mills had 251 full days and 29 days idle.
The average shift was 10.2 hours long for all the mills, being 9.4
hours for pulp and paper combined, 10 for paper alone, and 10.9
for pulp alone. The hours per week were 61.6 for all the mills,
paper mills alone and paper and pulp combined reporting less than
this (59.5) but pulp mills alone working 65 hours a week.
Wages in Ottawa Building Trades.
N agreement fixing wages for certain occupations in the Ottawa
(Canada) building trades, and providing for the form ation of a
joint industrial council, has recently been signed by representatives
of the Building Trades’ Council of O ttaw a and the O ttaw a branch of
the Association of Canadian Building and Construction Industries.
This agreement is as follows:
Agreement made in duplicate between the Building Trades Council of Ottawa
and the Ottawa Branch of the Association of Canadian Building and Construction
Industries hereby provides:
1. That this agreement shall be for one year, terminating April 30, 1920.
2. That we, the'undersigned, hereby agree that the rate of wages stated in the
accompanying schedule shall be the rate to be paid to the various trades in the
city of Ottawa.
3. That we accept the principle of the eight-hour day except for laborers and steam
engineers, who are permitted to work nine hours if necessary.
I . That we agree to eliminate overtime as far as possible, except in the case of
accident, or for the saving of life or property.
5. That we agree to the principle of weekly pay, employers to be allowed two days
in which to make up their pay roll.
6. N ■>member of the unions in the employ of any recognized contractor shall be
allowed to work after hours for any other contractor or for any private party.
7. The members of the unions parties to this agreement propose to do all they can
to promote efficiency by working to the interests of their employers, by giving a fair
day’s work for the wages paid.
In d u stria l Council.
8. We agree to the formation of an Industrial Council consisting of five representa
tives from the Building Trades Council and five representatives from the Ottawa
Branch of the Canadian Building and Construction Industries, with an independent
chairman to be agreed upon by both parties.
9. In case of any dispute between the parties to this agreement, it is understood
that before a strike is resorted to the dispute in question shall be laid before the Indus1 2 7971°— 19—
13
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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190
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
trial Council, this council to be called within 48 hours after being notified by either
party.
10. This agreement is subject to the individual agreement of the various unions.
11. The employers agree to the principle of closed shop.
12. The parties to this agreement recognize only the following holidays: New
Year’s Day, Good Friday, Dominion Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christ
mas Day.
Schedules.
Occupation.
Masons and bricklayers, marble and tile setters
Stonecutters...............................................................
Carpenters..................................................................
Painters...................................................................
Plasterers....................................................................
Electrical workers.....................................................
Cement finishers.......................................................
Plumbers and steamfitters......................................
Laborers......................................................................
Steam shovel workers..............................................
Steam hoist workers.................................................
Steam mixer workers...............................................
Wages per hour.
. $0.75
. .75
. . 60
. . 50
. .70
. .60
. . 60
. 1 .65
. 2 .45
, .95
. .65
, .60
Wages in Calgary Metal Trades.
EPRESENTATIVES of the Calgary metal-trades unions and of
R
the different contract shops in that.city entered into an agree
ment on May 17, 1919, for a 44-hour week and certain minimum
wage rates, and providing that “whatever is the general basis of
settlement in wages in Toronto or Winnipeg will automatically take
effect in Calgary, plus 5 cents over the highest point.” The agree
ment is as follows:
This agreement entered into between Patternmakers’ League of North America,
Molders’ Local 360, International Association of Machinists 357, and International
Brotherhood of Blacksmiths and Helpers 281, and the different contract shops in
Calgary.
In effect from this date and to remain in effect thereafter unless five days’ -------notice has been given in by either parties of a desire to change.
C lause 1 .—The regular working days shall not exceed eight hours the first five
days of the week, and four hours on Saturday. Shops to close at 12 noon on Saturday.
The night shift shall consist of seven and a half hours per night, five nig h ts per week
and paid for 44 hours.
Clause 2 .—All time worked over schedule shall be considered overtime and shall
be paid for at the rate of time and one half for the first four hours after close of shop
hours, and double time thereafter. Double time for Sundays and all Dominion
holidays: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Empire Day, King’s Birthday, if proclaimed
by Federal Government, Dominion Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christ
mas Day.
‘ To Dec. 31, 1919.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
* Maximum, 50 cents per hour.
[492]
191
M O N T H L Y LABOR REV IEW .
C lause 5 —The minimum rate of pay shall be as follows: (pending settlement in
Winnipeg and Toronto):
Cents per hour.
Machinists............................................................... ....................................
Holders.................................................................... ....................................
Patternmakers....................................................... ....................................
Blacksmiths........................................................... ....................................
Acetylene welders................................................ ....................................
Temporary, and 5 cents per hour above Toronto or Winnipeg, up to 85
hour retroactive from date of starting work.
80
80
80
80
80
cents per
Cents per hour.
Specialists............................................................... ....................................
65
Rough drillers........................................................ ....................................
60
Helpers.................................................................... ....................................
60
General laborers.................................................... ....................................
55
General laborers.................................................... ....................................
50
(First three months.)
Whatever is the general basis of settlement in wages in Toronto or Winnipeg will
automatically take effect in Calgary, plus 5 cents over the highest point.
Apprentices, 30 cents per hour first year and 5 cents per hour increase each six
months of the second year, and 5 cents per hour increase each additional six months
until the finish of apprenticeship.
Clause 4- Apprentices shall serve four years, and during said term shall be ad
vanced in all branches of the trade. The ratio of apprenticeship shall not exceed one
for the shops at large and one for every five journeymen regularly employed.
Clause 5. (a) A patternmaker shall be any person who has served an apprentice
ship at patternmaking.
(b) A molder shall be any person who has served four years with varied experience
at the trade. (Fifteen minutes latitude will be allowed either way for completion of
jobs.)
(c) Machinists’ work will consist of the operating of lathes, planers, slotting, milling,
shaping, boring, or other machine tools requiring skilled operation. Laying off work'
fitting and erecting tractors, dismantling and assembling.
(d) A blacksmith shall be any man who has served four years with varied experi
ence at the blacksmith trade and who, by skill and experience, is capable of taking a
piece of work, with use of blue prints, and transmitting such work to a successful com
pletion within reasonable time.
Clause 6 .—No person to be allowed to start work at any of the crafts unless he has a
card, or accepted by shop committee. The employer has the option of starting non
union men in event of union being unable to secure union craftsmen.
Clause 7.—When a grievance of specified or general nature arises, same will be taken
up with the management by the shop committee of the craft affected; failing an ad
justment, the chairman of the different crafts shop committee will take the matter up
All grievances to be adjusted during shop hours, time limit not to exceed 30 minutes.
Farm Laborers’ Wages in 1918.
A
STATEMENT of farm laborers’ wages in Canada in 1917 appeared in the M o n t h l y L a b o r R e v i e w for April, 1919 (pp. 178,
179). Similar figures have been put out by the Dominion Bureau of
Labor Statistics covering 1918, showing that the wages paid for this
class of labor, both male and female, were considerably higher than
those paid in 1917, which were then the highest on record. During the
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
summer of 1918, taking the Dominion as a whole, the average wages
per month, inclusive of board, were $70 for males as compared with
$64 in 1917, and $38 for females as compared with $34 in 1917. For
the year as a whole the average wages paid to males were $617 as
compared with $611 in 1917, and to females $416 as compared with
$364. The increase , in the average value of board per month is
noted, the figures being $21 for males and $17 for females, as com
pared with $19 and $15, respectively, in 1917. The following state
ment shows, by Provinces, the average wages (including board) paid
to male and female farm labor during the summer of 1918:
AVERAGE MONTHLY WAGES (INCLUDING B OARD) OF FARM W ORKERS IN SPECIFIED
PROVINCES OF CANADA IN THE SUMMER OF 1918.
Males.
Province.
$89
86
86
78
69
65
62
60
46
Females.
$57
50
49
45
31
33
35
30
25
Wages in Sweden During the W ar.1
AN investigation of wartime changes in the level of money wages
paid in Sweden was made during the past year by the
Swedish Government. The investigation, the results of which are be
ing published in the Sociala Meddelanden, the monthly journal of
the Department for Social Affairs, disclosed decided increases in all
industries. In the lumbering industry the average daily piece
work earnings of woodcutters increased from 97.3 cents in 1913 to
$3.59 in 1918, or 269 per cent, while the average daily earnings of a
driver (plus the keep of his horse) increased from $2.05 to $8.80, or
329.3 per cent. These figures are based on returns covering 150,000
persons employed in lumbering during the winter months in northern
Sweden.
In the case of seamen the figures, which were obtained from the
official records kept by the Swedish Seamen’s Registry, show
that during the period 1914 to 1917 the average monthly wage
for all classes of workmen on steamers rose from $19.18 to $22.97, or
19.8 per cent, and for workers on sailing vessels from $16.77 to $22.16,
or 32.2 per cent. In addition to the fixed ■wages, bonuses to cover
war risks were granted. These ranged in 1918 from $14.86 to $25.69
for ordinary seamen and unskilled firemen; from $14.86 to $27.03
for able seamen and skilled firemen; and from $14.86 to $29.75 for
donkeymen, boatswains, and carpenters. The bonuses varied aci Data taken from Labour Gazette, London, May, 1919, pp. 180,181.
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M O N T H L Y LABOR REV IEW .
193
cording as the voyages were along the Swedish coast, to other Baltic
seaports, and to more distant places. Certain allowances varying in
proportion to the war-risk insurance upon the vessel were also made
to deck hands and engine-room hands. By reason of these allow
ances an able seaman, taking part in a voyage between France and
England might, during the war, earn $135.19 per month, while one
employed on a journey between Sweden and England could earn
$67.58.
Index numbers show the percentages in rates of cash wages of the
more important agricultural workers during the period from 1913 to
1918. Male and female farm servants living in received increases
of 104 and 91 per cent, respectively, while carters and stockmen
living out had increases of 85 and 81 per cent, respectively. Com
pared with 1913 the day rates of male laborers who boarded out in
creased 125 per cent in summer and 134 per cent in winter, while
those who received board in addition to money wages had increases
of 88 per cent in summer and 106 per cent in winter. Female farm
laborers who received only money wages had increases of 148 per
cent in summer and 140 per cent in winter during the same period,
while those who received board in addition to money wages had
increases of 112 per cent in summer and 116 per cent in winter.
Reports as to handicrafts, transport, and hotel and domestic serv
ice show that at the end of 1918 the increase over 1914 in the handi
crafts and transport group amounted to 110 per cent, as compared
with 68 per cent in the hotel and domestic service group. At the
end of 1917 the increase in both groups was the same—41 per cent.
The smaller increase in the hotel and domestic service group in 1918
is attributed to the large increase in the cost of board and lodging,
which forms part of the remuneration of this class of workers. In
quiries made to ascertain the increase in the value of board and lodg
ing of female servants showed that in towns with more than 10,000
inhabitants the average increase between 1914 and 1918 was 148 per
cent, for other places it was 140 per cent. In Stockholm alone the
increase amounted to 255 per cent.
Wages and Labor Costs in the Wood-Pulp Industry.
NE of the largest industries of Sweden is the wood-pulp in
O
dustry. It has grown from a production of 318,000 tons in 1900
to 1,324,000 in 1916. The pulp industry is also one of the largest ex
port industries of the country. Exports in 1900 came to 207,000 tons
and in 1912 to 812,000 tons. Most of the wood pulp now manufac
tured, as well as exported, is chemically produced pulp (978,273 tons in
1916) as distinguished from the mechanicallyproduced (346,184 tons in
1916). The so-called sulphite process is the most generally employed.
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M O N T H L Y LABOR REVIEW ,
Recent data as to wages and labor costs in the industry are con
tained in a detailed memorandum prepared by the members of the
wood pulp manufacturers’ association.1 The data apply to 33 estab
lishments, which produced over 764,000 tons 2 of wood pulp in 1915.
Out of 4,696 wage earners reported by the 33 establishments in
question, 1,934, or 41.3 per cent, had earnings of 40 ores (10.7 cents)
or less per hour, and 790, or 16.8 per cent, earned 55 ores (14.7 cents)
and over per hour. The ordinary working day is 10 hours.
NUM BER AN D P E R CENT OF WAGE EA R N E R S RECEIVING CLASSIFIED WAGES PE R
HOUR FOR ORDINARY W ORKING TIME (NOT INCLUDING OVERTIME OR E X TR A
WORK) IN 33 ESTABLISHM ENTS.
Southern
and central
Sweden.
Northern
Sweden.
Total.
Classified wages per hour.
Num
ber.
45 ($0,121) but less than 50 ores ($0.134)............................
50 ($0,134) but less than 55 ores ($0.147)............................
55 ores ($0.147).......................................................................
Per
cent.
Num
ber.
Per
cent.
Num
ber.
Per
cent.
42
92
307
629
475
420
519
117
581
1.3
2.9
9.6
19. 8
14.9
13.2
16.3
3.7
18.3
45
254
256
309
269
162
127
7
85
3.0
16.8
16.9
20.4
17.8
10.7
8.4
.5
5.6
87
346
563
938
744
582
646
124
666
1.9
7 4
12.0
20.0
15 8
12. 4
13.8
2.6
14.2
3,182
100.0
1,514
100.0
4,696
100.0
The labor cost of producing one ton of wood pulp in 1915 as re
ported by 33 establishments, and including 4,342 employees, is as
follows :
SUMMARY OF LABOR COSTS PE R TON OF PU L P IN 33 ESTABLISHM ENTS, EMPLOYING
4,342 W ORKERS, IN 1915.
Northern Sweden.
Department.
Crowns.
Productive:
Wood room..........................................................
Digesters..............................................................
Blow pits.............................................................
Screen room........................................................
Dryers or wet machines........................................
Boiler house.......................................................
Power plant......................................................
Acid room..........................................................
Total productive............................................
Repairs:
Machine work..................................................
Carpenters....................................................
Bricklayers...............................................
Lead burners.....................................................
Total repairs..............................................
Grand total.................................................
Screenings....................................
Yard labor..................................................
Dollars.
Southern and central
Sweden.
Crowns.
3.89
.55
.40
.38
1.37
1.12
.49
.60
8.80
1.04
.15
.11
.10
.37
.30
.13
.16
2.36
4.83
1.24
.51
.56
1.84
1.29
.49
.77
11.53
1.11
.42
.21
.14
1.88
10.68
.29
11.89
.30
.11
.06
.04
.87
.44
.22
.33
.50
2.86
.08
3.19
1.86
13.39
.43
1.90
Dollars.
1.29
.33
.14
.15
.49
.35
.13
.21
3.09
. 23
.12
.06
.09
.50
3.59
.51
1 Arbetsloner m. m. vid pappersmassefabriker tillhorande Pappermasseforbundet lor ¿r 1915. [No
place, no date.] 75 mimeographed leaves.
2 Refers to ton of 2,240 pounds wherever used in this article.
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
COMPARATIVE LABOR COSTS (INCLUDING R E PA IR S) PE R TON OF PU L P , B Y GEO
GRAPHICAL DIVISIONS, 1911 TO 1915.
Northern Sweden.
Southern and central
Sweden.
Years.
Crowns.
1911..............................................................................................
1915..............................................................................................
10.87
10.68
10.51
10.69
10.68
Dollars.
2.91
2.86
2.82
2.86
2.86
Crowns.
13.74
13.41
13.19
13.57
U3.29
Dollars.
3.08
3.59
3.53
3.64
13.56
1 So reported; differs by 10 ores (3 cents) from total given in the preceding table.
Expressed in hours of labor it requires 18.1 one-man hours to pro
duce a ton of wood pulp in the establishments (18) in northern
Sweden, and in those (15) in southern and central Sweden 22.2 hours.
These data include repairs but not yard labor nor labor in connection
with screenings. The highest time cost per ton in any establishment
is 44.4 hours; the lowest is 12.4 hours.
Employment and Wages in the Glass Industry
in Japan.1
HOUGH encouraged by the Government in 1876 by the establish
T
ment of a model glass factory, transferred 10 years later to private
ownership, the glass industry of Japan was only fairly prosperous
until the outbreak of the recent European war, at which time, due to
the shutting-off of supplies from France, Belgium, and Germany, the
manufacture of glass received such a stimulus that it now bids fair to
compete with the industry in other countries. Before 1914 practi
cally all the window glass used in Japan was imported, but this
branch of the industry is receiving special attention and in 1918 its
product to the value of $1,756,000 was exported.
The number of employees engaged in glass making, which was
5,724 in 1908 and had increased to only 9,458 by 1914, is reported for
the year 1917 as 17,694. Only about 2,000 of these were women,
due mainly to the nature of the work and to the fact that skill and
experience enter largely into efficient glass blowing. It is of interest
to note, however, that while women still constituted in 1914, as in
1908, only about 5.5 per cent of the total number of employees, by
1917 the proportion of women had risen to 11.8 per cent, in con
formity with the general trend the industrial world over.
i From Commerce Reports, June 21, 1919, Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Department of
Commerce, Washington.
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
In competing with other countries Japanese glass manufacturers
would seem to have a great advantage in the low wages paid even to
well trained labor. The table following is compiled from unofficial
sources, official statistics of wages paid to male glass workers not
being available:
AVERAGE D A ILY WAGES OF GLASS W ORKERS IN JAPAN IN 1917.
Per cent
Average
of total
daily wage
employees.
in 1917.
Sex and age.
Males:
Over 15 years of ago........................
Under 15 years of age......................
Females:
Over 15 years of age........................
Under 15 years of age......................
73
18
$0.38
.14
8
1
.17
.11
The average wages in the pottery industry, the previous trade of
large numbers of glass workers, were 37 cents a day in 1917, as
compared with 32 cents in 1914. It is understod that wages for all
kinds of labor increased at least 40 per cent in the last year.
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MINIMUM WAGE.
Minimum Wage for Women in Mercantile
Industry in the District of Columbia.
number of the
(May, 1919, pp.
ARECENT
216-219) contained an account of the formation of a Minimum
M o n th ly L ab o r R e v ie w
Wage Board in the District of Columbia, and of its consideration of
wages of women in the printing and allied trades, resulting in the
establishment of a minimum wage of $15.50 per week for such women.
The board next proceeded to call a conference on wages of women
in the mercantile industry. In accordance with the terms of the
law creating the board, employers and employees were asked to elect
representatives to act on this conference. The employers promptly
nominated six representatives, three of whom were selected by the
board. For the purpose of securing the active cooperation of the
employees four meetings were held at will :h the purpose of the con
ference was explained in detail and the wc men were urged to take a
full part in the deliberations and decisions. The employees mani
fested great interest in the matter and were very willing to do their
part. At the final meeting, at which their representatives were to be
elected, there was an attendance of at lei st 700, and the questions
and suggestions from the floor showTed that the women were keenly
alive to the possibilities of the plan. Nominations were numerous,
and the six representatives asked for were secured by a process of
elimination, 15 being elected at first, and i:his number being reduced
by successive choices. From these six the Minimum Wage Board
chose three, and then appointed three members to represent the
public. According to the terms of the law, one or more members of
the board must sit in each conference, but in this case the whole wage
board took part.
At the outset the conference had before it figures prepared by the
board, based upon an investigation covering 4,609 women in the
mercantile industry, showing that more than one-half (53 per cent)
received wages of $12 or less per week, cnly 25 per cent receiving
$16 or more. About 7,000 women are employed in this industry in
the District.
The conference held 10 meetings before deciding upon its recom
mendations to the Minimum Wage Board. The first item considered
was the cost of room and board in the District. Evidence was pre
sented based on figures collected by the board, on information
received from the manager of the Homes Registration Service of the
" ........................ ................
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
United States Housing Corporation, and on questionnaires filled out
by 782 women employed at $16 or less a week in department and
5, 10, and 15 cent stores. From these questionnaires it appeared
that 345 of the women concerned who were not living at home paid
an average of $7.22 per week for room and board; 341 living at home
and paying more than $5 a week averaged $6.31; 53 living at home
and paying less than $5 a week averaged $3.43; while 43 who lived
at home made no report. The manager of the Homes Registration
Service reported that the average price in Washington for room and
board, with two persons in a room, each receiving 15 meals a week,
appeared to be about $35 per month per person, and that there
seemed little likelihood that these figures would show any decrease in the
near future. The budget presented by the employee members of the
conference fixed the cost for room and board at $8.50, with $2 a week
more allowed for lunches. After much discussion each member was
asked to vote for the amount which he thought a fair and reason
able allowance for room and board. Three votes were registered for
$8.50 and three for $10, the three others ranging from $9.40 to $9.52.
Finally, $9.30 was fixed upon as a compromise, every member agree
ing to this amount.
Nearly as much discussion took place over the proper allowance
for clothing. The budget presented by the employees allowed $4.65
per week for this item. The employers presented a budget allowing
$3.43 per week; while from the questionnaires already referred to,
it appeared that the actual expenditure for clothing of 295 women
living away from home was $4.03 a week. Four estimates of the
necessary minimum expenditure for clothing were finally placed
before the conference, as follows:
Per week.
Employers........................................................................................................................... $3. 43
One representative of the public................................................................................... 4. 00
A second representative of the public.......................................................................... 4.30
Employees........................................................................................................................... 4. 65
After careful consideration of actual prices of goods to-day, and
of the range and number of articles required, the conference com
promised on an allowance of $4 per week for clothing.
The discussion over the amount to be allowed per week for inci
dentals was not prolonged. The principle was admitted that a
minimum wage ought to include provision for recreation, vacation,
self-improvement, and similar purposes, and the amount was fixed
at $3.20 per week.
•
There was much discussion over the wage which should be fixed
for beginners in the work, and over the length of time a beginner
should serve before being entitled to the standard minimum wage,
but these points were settled by the early part of July.
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
199
Recommendations Submitted to Minimum Wage Board.
On July 12th the conference presented to the Minimum Wage
Board the following recommendations, signed by every member of
the conference, including the members of the Minimum Wage Board:
T o the M in im u m Wage B o a rd o f the D istric t o f C olum bia:
The conference on the mercantile industry having completed its consideration of
and inquiry into the subject submitted to it by the board reports its findings and
recommendations as follows:
1. The conference finds that the minimum wage for women workers in the occu
pation under inquiry should be $16.50 per week, and that any lesser wage is inade
quate to supply the necessary cost of living to women workers in such occupation
and to maintain them in health and to protect their morals. The weekly budget
upon which this wage is based is: Room and board including lunches $9.30; clothing,
$4.00; and sundries, including laundry, sickness, dentistry, oculist, amusements,
vacation, savings, insurance, church, charity, organizations, self-improvement, car
fare, and other incidentals, $3.20.
i
2. The conference recommends:
q
(a) That the wage to be paid to any woman worker who has had seven months’
experience in the mercantile industry shall be not less than $16.50 per week.
(b) That the wage to be paid to learners and apprentices in such occupation shall
be not less than $12.50 per week if such learner or apprentice has had less than three
months’ experience in such occupation, and not less than $14.50 per week if such
learner or apprentice has had more than three months’ experience but less than seven
months’ experience in such occupation; and that the maximum time that any woman
shall be employed at wages less than $16.50 per week shall be seven months.
Following the procedure established by law, the Minimum Wage
Board must hold a public hearing on these recommendations, the
date of which must be advertised for 30 days before its holding.
After this hearing, if the recommendations are adopted by the
board and embodied in an order, two months must elapse before
they become effective, so that the new rates can hardly go into
effect before the first of next November. Two facts make it seem
almost certain that the recommendations will be adopted. They
have been publicly indorsed by the secretary of the Merchants’ and
Manufacturers’ Association, so that there is little likelihood that
serious opposition will develop at the public hearing. And the
recommendations have been signed by the three members of the
Minimum Wage Board, all of whom attended the conference meet
ings and took part in the work, so that unless serious opposition
develops, bringing to light some entirely new factor in the situation,
the board will naturally adopt the recommendations which they have
already indorsed.
Two facts stand out prominently in connection with this award.
The wage fixed, $16.50 per week, exclusive of bonuses or commis
sions, is the highest which has yet been awarded in the United States,
the highest minimum which has yet been fixed outside of the Dis
trict of Columbia being $13.50 in California for women in stores.
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M O N T H L Y LABOE E E V IE W .
More important than this in its implications for the future is the
fact that this award was reached with the active assistance of the
workers themselves. One of the chief objections brought against
minimum wage boards has been the plea that it was impossible to
rouse the workers to take any interest in them. The experience in
the District shows the workers ready to cooperate cordially and
intelligently in accomplishing the real purpose of minimum wage
legislation. They have taken their full part in securing the present
award, and the fact that they have done so is the strongest possible
testimony to the success of the methods adopted by the Minimum
Wage Board of the District.
New Minimum Wage Orders Affecting Califor
nia Mercantile and Canning Industries.
HE Industrial Welfare Commission of California has fixed a
minimum wage of $13.50 for workers in the mercantile and
canning industries of the State, the orders becoming effective on
June 22, 1919, in the case of the mercantile industry and on
July 12, 1919, in that of the calming industry, and superseding orders
previously issued affecting these two industries.1 These new mini
mum wage orders (I. W. C. Order No. 5, amended, mercantile indus
try; and I. W. C. Order No. 3, amended 1919, canning industry) are
considered by the commission to be “ by far the most scientific that
we have yet been able to make.” “ The mercantile o rd e r/’ con
tinues the commission in a communication to this Bureau, “ is the
result of one year and six months’ experience regulating that indus
try, and the canning order is the result of practically four years’ reg
ulation. We believe that in this canning order we have been able to
definitely fix a basis fair to all women workers and one that will
provide those who are especially good with excellent incomes during
the canning season.”
Order Affecting Workers in the Mercantile Industry.
The following is the text of the order affecting workers in the
mercantile industry, superseding order No. 5, dated July 6, 1917.
The wage scales applicable to minor learners, adult learners 18 years
of age and under 20, and adult learners 20 years of age and over,
are set forth in subsections (a ), (b), and (c) of section 2 of the order.
For the sake of brevity the rates given in these subsections are
i Rates of wages for workers in the mercantile industry were published in the M o n t h l y R eview for
September, 1917 (pp. 116, 117); and for workers in the canning industry, in the M o n t h l y R eview for
July, 1917 (pp. 57, 58), and the M o n th ly L a e o e R e v ie w for November, 1-918 (pp. 171,172).
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
grouped into one table under section 2. With such slight editorial
modification, the order is in the same form as issued by the indus
trial welfare commission.
Experienced Workers.
1. No person, firm, or corporation shall employ or suffer or permit an experienced
woman or minor to be employed in the mercantile industry in California at a rate of
wages less than $13.50 per week ($58.50 per month), except as otherwise provided in
section 9 of this order.
Learners.
2. The wages of learners may he less than the minimum rate prescribed for experi
enced workers:
Rate for workers beginning at age—
14, 15, 16, and 17d
Period.
Week.
First six m onths...............................................
Second six m onths...........................................
Third six m onths.............................................
Thereafter not less than.................................
Length of apprenticeship...............................
Month.
$8.00
8.50
9.00
10.00
11.00
12.00
13.50
18 and 19.
Week.
$34.67
36.83
39.00
43.33
47.67
52.00
58.50
3 years.
$9.00
10.00
Month.
20 years and over.
Week.
Month.
12.00
$39.00
43.33
47.67
52.00
$10.00
11.00
12.00
$43.33
47.67
52.00
13.50
58.50
13.50
58.50
11.00
2 years.
1\ years.
1 When a minor who starts at the age of 17 years attains the age of 18 years, she shall be paid not less than
the beginning wage for adult learners.
(d) That all learners shall he registered with the commission. Application for the
registration of learners shall be made by the employer not later than two weeks from
the date of starting employment. Pending issuance of certificates of registration, the
learner shall be paid not less than the minimum rate for the wage group in which she
belongs.
(e) The total number of female learners in any establishment shall not exceed 33$
per cent of the total number of females employed, and the total number of male learn
ers shall not exceed 33$ per cent of the total number of males employed. In com
puting the total number of employees, special and part-time workers shall not be
included.
Part-time Workers.
3.
(a) All adult part-time workers and experienced minor part-time workers,
except waitresses,1 shall be paid not less than 35 cents per hour.
(6) All inexperienced minor male and female part-time workers, except wait
resses,1 shall be paid not less than 25 cents per hour.
(c) A ll adult and minor part-time workers shall be registered with the commission.
Application for the registration of part-time workers must be made by the employer,
and pending the issuance of certificates such tvorkers must be paid in accordance Avith
the rates specified in sections 3 (a) and 3 (6).
(d) The total number of adult and minor female part-time workers in any establish
ment shall not exceed 5 per cent of the total number of females employed.
1Special minimum rates for part-time-work waitresses will be determined when the orders are made
in the hotel and restaurant industry.
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Special Workers.
4. (a) All adult special workers shall be paid not less than $2.25 per day.
( b ) All minor experienced special workers shall be paid not less than $2.25 per day.
(c) All minor inexperienced special workers shall be paid not less than $1.50 per day.
5. All women and minors now employed in the mercantile industry must be rated
and paid in accordance with their periods of employment, as specified in sections 1
and 2.
6. Where payment of wages is made upon a commission, bonus, or piece-rate basis,
the earnings shall be not less than the minimum time rate for the wage group in which
the worker belongs.
7. Every person, firm, or corporation employing women or minors in the mercantile
industry shall keep record of the names and addresses, the hours worked, and the
amounts earned by such women and minors. Such records shall be kept in a form and
manner approved by the industrial welfare commission. Minor employees must be
marked “ minor” on the pay roll.
8. No person, firm, or corporation shall employ, or suffer, or permit any woman or
minor to work in any mercantile establishment more than 8 hours in any one day,
or more than 48 hours in any one week, or more than 6 days in any one week.
Infirm Workers.
9. A permit may be issued by the commission to a woman physically disabled by
age or otherwise, authorizing the employment of such licensee for a wage less than the
* legal minimum wage; and the commission shall fix a special minimum wage for such a
woman.
10. Every person, firm, or corporation employing women or minors in the mercan
tile industry shall furnish to the commission, at its request, any and all reports or infor
mation which the commission may require to carry out the purposes of the act creat
ing the commission; such reports and information to be verified by the oath of the per
son, member of the firm, or the president, secretary, or manager of the corporation
furnishing the same,.if and when so requested by the commission.
Every person, firm, or corporation shall allow any member of the commission, or
any of its duly authorized representatives, free access to the place of business of such
person, firm, or corporation for the purpose of making inspection of, or excerpts from,
all books, reports, contracts, pay rolls, documents, or papers of such person, firm, or
corporation relating to the employment of labor and payment therefor by such person,
firm, or corporation, or for the purpose of making any investigation authorized by the
act creating the commission.
11. Every person, firm, or corporation employing women or minors in the mercantile
industry shall post a copy of this order in a conspicuous place in the general workroom
and in the women’s dressing rooms.
12. The commission shall exercise exclusive jurisdiction over the questions arising
as to the administration and interpretation of this order.
Definitions.
A learner is a woman or minor to whom the industrial welfare commission issues a
permit to work for a person, firm, or corporation for less than the legal minimum wage
in consideration of such person being provided by his or her employer with reasonable
facilities for learning the mercantile industry. Learners’ permits will be withheld by
the commission where there is evidence of attempted evasion of the law by firms which
make a practice of dismissing learners when they reach their promotional periods.
A special worker is one who works less than six days a week.
A part-time worker is one who is employed for less than eight hours in one day.
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Students attending accredited vocational, continuation, or cooperative schools may
be employed at part-time work on special permits from the commission, and at rates
to be determined by the commission.
For the purpose of this act, a minor is defined to be a person of either sex under tha
age of 18 years.
This order shall become effective 60 days from the date hereof.
Dated at San Francisco, Calif., this 22d day of April, 1919.
Order No. 5 of the Industrial Welfare Commission, dated July 6, 1917, is hereby
rescinded as and of the date when this order becomes effective.
Order Affecting Workers in the Canning Industry.
The following is the text of the order affecting workers in the fruit
and vegetable canning industry, which supersedes Order No. 3, dated
April 3, 1917.
Day-worlc Rates.
1.
(a) No person, firm or corporation shall employ, or suffer, or p e r m i t any experi
enced woman or female minor to be employed on day work in the fruit or vegetable
canning industry at a rate of wages less than $13.50 per week or 28 cents per hour,
except as otherwise provided in section 7 of this order.
Women and female minor day workers are deemed experienced when they have
been employed in the establishment one week at time rates.
(6) No person, firm or corporation shall employ, or suffer, or permit any inexperi
enced woman to be employed on day work in the fruit or vegetable canning industry
at a rate of wages less than 21 cents per hour.
(c) No person, firm or corporation shall employ, or suffer, or permit any inexperi
enced female minor to be employed on day work in the fruit or vegetable canning in
dustry at a rate of wages less than 18 cents per hour.
(d) No person, firm or corporation shall employ, or suffer or permit any male minor
to be employed on day work in the fruit or vegetable canning industry at a rate of
wages less than 25 cents per hour.
Preparation of Fruit and Vegetables.
2.
(a) No person, firm or corporation shall employ, or suffer, or permit any woman or
female minor to be employed in the preparation of fruit or vegetables in the canning
industry at a rate of wages less than $13.50 per week, or 28 cents per hour, provided
that
(6) Where the employer elects to pay on a piece-rate basis instead of a time basis in
the preparation of any product, the piece rates shall be not less than the scale given
below; provided further, that if, in individual establishments, these piece rates do not
yield to at least 66| per cent of the women and female minors employed on each product
at least 28 cents per hour, said piece rates must be raised, in such individual estab
lishment, to yield to said 66J per cent of the women and female minors so employed on
said product an hourly earning of not less than 28 cents.
Asparagus.............................................................................per 100
100lb
lbss.... $0. 22
Cherries............................................................................................ do.
.65
Apricots............................................................................................d o ...
.47
Cling peaches................................................................................. d o. . .
.31
Free peaches....................................................................................do.
.20
Hand-peeling peaches...................................................................d o .. .
.50
Pears....................................................................................
.55
Plums................................................................................................ do.
. 16
Muscat grapes (stemming)............................................................do.
.65
Tomatoes (finished product)............................................... 12 quarts.
quarts..
.04*
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It is further provided that rates per box shall be fixed on the maximum weight
capacity of the box, one box being placed upon another. The rates per box so fixed
shall be posted daily on the bulletin board, together with the average weight per box.
This bulletin board shall be placed in plain sight of the cutters.
For the preparation of fruit or vegetables, any person, firm or corporation may elect
either the time-rate method of payment, as in section 2 (a) of this order, or the piecerate method, as in section 2 (b). Notices shall be posted in the general workrooms
and in the women’s dressing rooms, stating which method is in use, and a copy of said
notice shall be sent to the industrial welfare commission.
Inexperienced women, inexperienced female minors and infirm workers working
upon the preparation of fruit or vegetables on which piece rates are being paid, shall be
included in the G6J per cent mentioned above.
Preparation of all Other Products.
3. For the preparation of all products upon which no piece rates have been fixed by
the commission, piece rates may be fixed by individual establishments, provided,
however, that the piece rates so fixed shall yield to at least 6 6 | per cent of the women
and minors working on each said product, not less than 28 cents per hour.
Canning and Labeling.
4. For the canning and labeling of all varieties of fruit or vegetables, piece rates may
be fixed by individua1 establishments, provided, however, that all adult women em
ployed at such piece rates shall be guaranteed earnings of not less than 21 cents per
hour for the first w eek’s employment, and thereafter not less than 28 cents per hour
during regular time.
Hours of Labor.
5. (a) No person, firm or corporation shall employ, or suffer or permit any minor to
work in the fruit or vegetable canning industry more than eight hours in any one day
or more than 48 hours in any one week, or more than six days in any one week.
(6) No person, firm or corporation shall employ, or suffer or permit any adult woman
to work in the fruit or vegetable canning industry more than eight hours in any one
day or more than 48 hours in any one week or more than six days in any one week ex
cept in case of emergency, provided, however, that the provisions of this section shall
not apply to those occupations coming under the provisions of the Statutes of California,
1913, Chapter 352, “ An act limiting the hours of labor of females,” etc.
(c) No person, firm or corporation shall employ, or suffer or permit any woman or
minor to work at labeling in the fruit or vegetable canning industry more than eight
hours in any one day or more than 48 hours in any one week or more than six days in
any one week.
(d) No person, firm or corporation shall employ, or suffer or permit any adult
woman to work in the fruit or vegetable canning industry, in case of emergency, at
a rate of wages less than one and one-quarter times the above scale.
Emergency work shall be all work performed by any woman in excess of eight
hours in any one day, or all work performed by any woman in excess of six days in
any one week, provided, however, that all work in excess of 12 hours in any 24 hours
shall be paid for at not less than double the time or piece rates herein provided.
(e) Every woman and minor employed in the fruit or vegetable canning industry
shall be entitled to one day’s rest in seven; provided, however, that nothing in this
section shall apply to any case of emergency as specified in section 5 (f) of this order.
(/) Sunday shall be considered the day of rest for all women and minors unless
a different arrangement is made by the employer for the sole purpose of providing
another day of the week as the day of rest. In all such cases a written or printed
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notice shall be posted in the workroom designating the day of rest for all women
and minors; and provided further that all work performed on the day of rest shall
be paid for at the rate of time and one-quarter of the time or piece rates paid for the
first eight hours and double said time and one-quarter thereafter.
(g) No person, firm or corporation shall employ, or suffer or permit any woman
or minor to be employed before 6 o’clock a. m. or after 10 o’clock p. m.
G. Every person, firm or corporation employing women or minors in the fruit or
vegetable canning industry shall keep a record of the names and addresses, the hours
worked and the amounts earned by such women and minors. Such records shall
be kept in a form and manner approved by the industrial welfare commission. Minor
employees must be marked “ minor” on the pay roll.
Every person, firm or corporation employing women or minors in the fruit or vege
table canning industry shall furnish to the commission at its request, any and all
reports or information which the commission may require to carry out the purposes
of the act creating the commission; such reports and information to be verified by
the oath of the person, member of the firm, or the president, secretary or manager of
the corporation furnishing the same, if and when so requested by the commission.
Every person, firm or corporation shall allow any member of the commission, or any
of its duly authorized representatives, free access to the place of business of such
person, firm or corporation, for the purpose of making inspection of, or excerpts from
all books, reports, contracts, pay rolls, documents, or papers of such person, firm or
corporation, relating to the employment of labor and payment therefor by such
person, firm or corporation; or for the purpose of making any investigation authorized
by the act creating the commission.
7. A permit may be issued by the commission to a woman physically disabled by
age or otherwise, authorizing the employment of such licensee for a wage less than
the legal minimum wage; and the commission shall fix a special m in i m u m wage for
such woman.
8. Every person, firm or corporation employing women or minors in the fruit or
vegetable canning industry shall post a copy of this order in a conspicuous place
in the general workroom and one also in the women’s dressing room.
9. The commission shall exercise exclusive jurisdiction over all questions arising
as to the administration and interpretation of this order.
This order shall become effective 60 days from the date hereof.
Dated at San Francisco, Calif., this 12th day of May, 1919.
Order No. 3 amended of the Industrial Welfare Commission, dated April 3, 1918,
is hereby rescinded as and of the date when this order becomes effective.
1 2 7 9 7 1 °— 19
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WOMEN IN INDUSTRY.
Efforts to Standardize the Working Day for
Domestic Service.
By Mary T. W aggaman.
VER since the signing of the armistice England has been in a
E
tnrmoil of labor difficulties. Not the least among them is the
domestic service question. Both the Ministry of Reconstruction
and the Ministry of Labor have been struggling with this problem.
The Women’s Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Reconstruction
was requested to study the subj ect. Four subcommittees were created
and a divided report was made, five memorandums being submitted
to explain the dissenting opinions of certain members of one of
the subcommittees. Various nonofficial bodies have been evolv
ing methods to meet the situation. Miss Clementina Black, an
expert on women in industry, has gone so far as to propose a pl&n
which “ will at one sweep remove from each separate dwelling the
buying, preparing and clearing up of the day’s meals,” and which
will carry on the household work by means of a “ domestic federa
tion.” 1 The British crisis, however, in domestic employment has
already been touched upon in recent numbers of the Monthly
L abor, R eview .2 The situation in this country is probably not
comparable in acuteness to that in England, as the exodus of house
hold workers into other activities has not been so extensive here.
Again, caste lines in America are not drawn so taut as they are in
Great Britain, which may possibly account for the less violent
recoil here against domestic service. I t is evident, however,
that the war has also brought about in the United States significant
changes which have radically affected home labor. The servant
question, which Mrs. Kathleen Norris, the well-known author,
calls “ the most exasperating of all domestic problems” and “ an
absolute menace to family life,” is certainly very much to the fore.
In the American Journal of Sociology3 more than a score of years
ago Jane Addams arraigned domestic service as a “ belated industry”
and scored its ethics. Dr. I. M. Rubinow has declared that
“ the backwardness of the home causing an antiquated labor
i Clementina Black: The New Housekeeping, W. Collins Sons & Co., London, 1918, p. 67.
2‘‘Domestic service and unemployment among English women,” M o n th ly L abor R e v ie w , April, 1919,
p p . 191-195.
“ Report of women’s advisory committee on domestic service, Great Britain,” Idem, June, 1919, pp.
226-229.
8American Journal of Sociology, March, 1896, p. 536.
206
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contract with an exceptional restriction of the worker’s personal
liberty makes a social discrimination against this vocation and
causes that lack of servants.” 1
At present the complaints of servantless housewives are heard on
every side. The Woman’s Division of the United States Employment
Service reports that figures received by that service “ on domestic
and allied work indicate that the 1920 census will show an accelerated
shift in ‘females engaged in gainful occupations’ over the 27 per
cent shift of the 30 years preceding 1910, out of domestic service.”*
From the same source we learn that “ domestic work is the one
industry for either sex in which Employment Service offices have
had labor surplus at no time during the past year and a half.”
“ A tabulation for twm typical weeks in recent months shows that
excessive demand over supply (of servants) is practically universal
and continuous. * * *”* In one week the net excess help
wanted was 2,492. In the second week there were 2,941 net excess
calls—a labor shortage in this line of 40 per cent.2
The Woman in Industry Service reports that the Housekeepers’
Alliance of one of the Southern States has been pleading with indus
trial employers to discharge Negro girls so that they may again be
available as domestic servants.
From the foregoing it would seem safe to assume that the call of
the kitchen is falling on unheeding ears—that domestic service is a
very unpopular occupation. When opportunities are offered to leave
it, it is left. In this connection it is interesting to summarize recent
movements which indicate that the servant problem is being analyzed
and practical efforts are being put forth to solve it.
New York Committee on Household Assistants.
The organization in January, 1919, in New York City of the
committee on household assistants under the auspices of the United
States Employment Service was the outcome of the constant shortage
of domestic servants, which was found not only in every New York
City branch employment office but also in similar branch offices in
various parte of the State. This shortage ran from 50 to 66 § per
cent.
In the late fall and winter months of 1918 numbers of women had
been dismissed from munition factories who had formerly done
domestic work, but when such work was offered them again it was
rejected. They preferred the factory, with its shorter working day
and Sundays off, and an improved social status. If housewives were
1 “ Household service as a labor problem, ” by I. M. Rubinow in The Journal of Home Economics, April
1911, p. 132.
* Typewritten report furnished by Woman’s Division of the U . S. Employment Service, June 25,1919.
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to get any help in their homes it was clearly to be seen that they would
either have to draw such help from the group available from stores,
offices, and factories or from a class of women having then own homes
and families who could do part-time work hut were not able to meet
business and industrial requirements. The United States Employ
ment Service therefore organized the committee on household assist
ants with the following personnel:
Chairman, Mrs. Percy Jackson, representing the Consumers
League, the Women’s Municipal League, and the Women’s City Club;
Miss Emily Gunther, head of the Department of Household and
Institutional Administration at Teachers’ College; Miss Penrose, of
the Household Training Department of the Y. W. C. A.; Miss Louise
Odencrantz, assistant to the Federal Director on Women’s Work of
the United States Employment Service; Mrs. Richard Boardman and
Mrs. Elihu Root, representing the employers; Mrs. William Wadhams,
representing interest in training; and Mrs. Marie Orenstein and Miss
Jeanette Eaton, for publicity service.
It was decided to make placements through the United States
Employment Service. A conference of woman examiners was held
and a great deal of publicity was given to the plans of the committee,
but at first very little was accomplished in the way of placements.
The committee concluded therefore to establish training courses in
household work in order to create an interest in the plan of the eighthour day assistant. This conclusion was “ based on the belief that
graduates of the school would be placed without question and that
well-equipped workers would prove the best advertisement of the
system.” A household occupations course was planned for the
Washington Irving High School, and efforts were made to advertise
it. However, no one registered. It was concluded that the matter
would have to be taken up at the employers’ end of the line—a
demand for household assistants would have to be created. The
establishing of an eight-hour day for domestic workers was a spe
cialized task which could not be carried on in the general employ
ment offices. Moreover, employers would have to be taught how
to plan their work and placements would have to be followed up.
In the beginning of March the work of the committee was threat
ened with complete disintegration because of the cut in the appro
priation of the United States Employment Service. However,
private financial support was forthcoming to carry through the ex
periment for two months with a paid executive secretary in one of
the United States Employment Service offices. The following out
lines the household assistant system:1
1 Mimeographed copy of Report of the Publicity Committee of the Committee on Household Assistants
(New York City).
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209
Regular eight-hour assistants engaged to be exclusive employees for the house
wives (preferably working for no one else at the same time) and engaged to work
quite as permanently as ever servants do. They give eight hours a day, six days a
week. They eat and sleep at home. They agree to give extra service whenever
required, for which they are always to receive extra pay. The wage is determined
according to a sliding scale of efficiency and length of time in employment, and does
and should compare favorably with that which ..obtains in factory, shop and office.
These assistants are engaged for regular specific duties, just as resident maids are,
but—and here is to be found the safety valve never existing in our present order of
domestic service—never, under any condition, is specialization permissible. During
the eight hours they hold themselves ready to do whatever the circumstances of the
particular day require.
The committee spent two weeks in publicity work. In this connec
tion copies of a folder were distributed among hundreds of employers
and with the cooperation of the United States Employment Service con
tact was established with 150 employers. In the interests of one of
these employers the following advertisement was inserted in the New
York Sunday Times:
A young business woman may secure three months’ vacation on coast of Maine if
willing to help with the housework, 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, in exchange for room
and board, traveling and incidental expenses paid and $5 a week additional. Apply
by letter only.
Eighty-five answers were received.
Other advertisements followed. Both applicants and employers
were of a superior type. Applicants for summer jobs included
teachers, social workers, business women, statisticians, college girls,
buyers, etc., who said they liked housework and wanted “ to make
good at it.” Employers showed enthusiasm and a sense of responsi
bility toward the system. The employers might be classified as
follows i1
1. The woman from the suburbs who is willing to give up her resident maids and
introduce this system as soon as she understands it.
2. The women in New York who have rather large establishments and can not
make the adjustment quickly. They * * * have made out schedules covering
the particular duties in their homes and have registered for assistants in the fall.
3. The women whose households are without service and who under pressure of
necessity rush into headquarters to beg for assistants—this last group were the most
numerous.
Applicants fell into the groups indicated below:1
1. The married, trained, and heretofore, resident domestic who seems to be the
best adapted at present for the home assistant, principally because of her long years
of training.
2. The liigh-school graduate interested to take up this profession instead of going
into business.
3. The young business woman who really likes housework and finds she can be a
part-time home assistant while studying.
1Mimeographed copy of report of the Publicity Committee of the Committee on Household Assistants
(New York City).
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4. The married •woman who has her own home and understands the problem of
household work. One or two of this type have even had their own maids. One or
two have grown children and wish to become wage earners.
5. The business women and school teachers who can get the benefit of a change of
occupation by becoming home assistants during the summer months at the seashore
and in the mountains.
Employers were invited to come to headquarters to thrash out
difficulties. A schedule was drafted or possibly the supervisor would
visit the prospective employer’s residence before arrangements were
finally made and the contract signed. Both employer and home
assistant were urged to consult with headquarters in the adjustment
of any difficulties that arose. Two points of the problem stood out
prominently: The arrangement for Sunday shift, and the “ resisting
of the pressure to employ home assistants where resident maids are
still used.” The committee, however, concludes that—1
The five weeks’ effort has proved beyond the shadow of a doubt the reliability and
responsibility of the home assistant. The task which lies before us is that of training
her and making her efficient. The experiment has accomplished its fourfold purpose.
An enormous demand on the part of employers has been established; a new source of
applicants has been tapped; public interest has been demonstrated, and most impor
tant of all it has been clearly proved that the eight-hour day home assistant is a solu
tion of the domestic problem and capable of adjustment to many different homes,
while a definite method of establishing this system has now been satisfactorily worked
out.
The experiment has had to be discontinued because further funds
are not available.
Home Assistant Plan in Other Cities.
The household assistant system has also been inaugurated in
Philadelphia, Pa., Hartford, Conn., and Providence, ft. I. In
Philadelphia the Young Women’s Christian Association has been
active in the movement. In Hartford the plan has been established
in cooperation with the Housewives’ League, the City Civic Federa
tion, and the United States Employment Service. In that city the
workers have committees for training, recreation, and community
part-time service, community laundry, etc., while the employers
have similar committees.
In November, 1918, a bureau of household occupations was set up
by the Housewives’ League of Providence. The workers are fur
nished neither meals nor lodgings. As in the case of the New York
system, the employees are called household assistants. They have
standardized pay and hours and are addressed as Mrs. or Miss. If
the bureau’s rules are not kept by the parties to the domestic bargain,
the names of such parties are dropped from the bureau’s register.
1 Mimeographed copy of Report of the Publicity Committee of the Committee on Household Assistants
(New York City).
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211
Training classes have been started which offer opportunity for
women to perfect themselves in certain lines and also for the purpose
of inducing women who have been in the factories to learn how to do
housework. The president of the Housewives’ League of Providence
describes the success the bureau has had and states that the bureau
has been particularly appreciated by women who are able to give
only a part of each day or some days a week to home-assistant work.
Despite its enormous Negro population,Washington, D. C., has also
experienced a severe servant shortage. The United States Employ
ment Service reports that in the spring of 1919 in the District of
Columbia the calls for household, hotel, and restaurant help in two
typical weeks were in excess of registration by 32 and 64 per cent.1
A plan has been under discussion in that city for groups of house
keepers living in the same neighborhood to cooperate in the employ
ment of domestic workers so that jobs in different dwellings or
apartments can be dovetailed, with a minimum loss of time to em
ployees in going from place to place.
Cooked Food Agencies.
A survey of the agencies for the sale of cooked foods without profit3
was made by the Woman’s Committee of the Council of National
Defense in the spring of 1918. While primarily undertaken as a
matter of national preparedness for war developments in the food
situation, the investigation obviously has a direct bearing upon the
servant question. The report on such agencies was restricted to
‘‘ noncommercial agencies which strive to remove or lessen the entire
preparation of three meals a day in the individual home without
weakening the privacy of the family.” In the section of the report
dealing with the American agencies a brief account is given of past
efforts in the matter of providing cooked food. Among the experi
ments described is that of a communal kitchen in New York which
started in 1918 and came to an untimely termination. Some of the
reasons given for the failure were religious prejudice against what was
thought to be a “ communistic venture,” the use of volunteer helpers
(the advice of the British Ministry of Food was never to use the
volunteer worker except possibly in small communities), the fluctua
tion of market prices, and the difficulty of getting necessary supplies.
Further space in the report is given to the American Cooked Food
Service, the first station of which was started in New York, Febru
ary 1, 1918. Such service was planned to “ meet the needs of the
great mass of independent homes, * * * and to save the coni From typewritten report from Woman’s Division of U. S. Employment Service.
1 “ Agencies for the sale of cooked foods without profit,” report prepared by Iva Lowther Peters, Ph. D.
under the direction of the food production and home economics department of the Woman’s Com
mittee, Council of National Defense. Washington, 1919.
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sumer from commercial exploitation ”—to benefit the young family
living on low salary without a maid, and the large family where the
mother is on the brink of nervous prostration for lack of sufficient
domestic help, and others, from the lonely lodger in a hall bedroom
to families having private residences or luxurious apartments.
The report states that probably “ for the majority of patrons the
cooked meals are delivered at the home for the same price that the
retail buyer would pay for the raw foodstuffs * *
Economies
are also effected through reduced maid service, and elimination of
food waste and the upkeep of individual kitchens.
Progressive Household Club of Los Angeles.
A unique association of workers is the Progressive Household Club
of Los Angeles, organized to provide “ a cheerful and welcome home
for the domestic” out of service or taking a rest. The club is a recre
ational center with educational features, lectures being frequently
given to the members. Prior to the vrar, classes in English for
foreign girls were held twice a week, but these classes were abolished
as immigrant pupils were no longer forthcoming. The members of
the club are reported to be of a high-grade type and expect firstclass wages. The employment office of the association procures jobs
free to its membership.
The finances of the club are too restricted to carry out schemes
calling for a large outlay of money. However, the domestic while
out of a job or on a vacation can have, for a small expenditure, a
room and the use of the kitchen and laundry. Members and their
friends can always avail themselves of the parlors, where there are
numbers of books and magazines.
This club indorsed the California bill providing for a 10-hour day
for domestic workers. The Assembly bill (A. B. 25) was defeated.
Its companion (S. B. 88) passed both houses but received a pocket
veto.
Domestic Workers’ Union.
From Toronto, Canada, comes word of the organization of a Do
mestic Workers’ Alliance which is affiliated with the Bartenders and
Hotel Waitresses, etc., under the American Federation of Labor.
The charter of this new union has been obtained and it is reported
that it already has a membership of over 200.
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213
Attitude of the National Women’s Trade-Union League of
America.
The following resolution, adopted at the seventh biennial meeting
ol the National Women’s Trade-Union League of America, which
met in Philadelphia the first week in June, 1919, graphically indi
cates the viewpoint of this organization on the question of domestic
service:
Whereas, standardization of working conditions is imperative in all trades and occu
pations, of whatever nature, and
Whereas, there are two and a half million domestic workers in the country, and
Whereas, the conditions of domestic service are notoriously without standard, and
Whereas, this lack of standardization works harm not only to the domestic workers
but also to those employers that are fair-minded and would concur in standards if
there were any, and to the community; and
Whereas, organization of the workers is the only effective means of securing stand
ards and maintaining them; therefore be it
Resolved, That the National Women’s Trade-Union League do all in its power to
promote the organization of domestic workers throughout the country, and
That this convention go on record as favoring exactly the same standards of hours,
wages, and working conditions for domestic workers as for workers in any other
occupation.
The Outlook.
The above-mentioned attempts toward solving the difficulties that
now beset the doing of the necessary and important work of the home
seem to tend to the establishment of a new domestic day_a new
era in domestic management—and to the overthrow of many outworn
and now unworkable domestic conventions. Coincident with the
wage earners’ clamor for participation in the management of industry
comes the demand for the democratization of the kitchen and the
abolishing of the more or less feudal relations of domestic service.
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INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS AND HYGIENE.
Métal Mine Accidents in the United States During 1917.
RECENT publication of the Bureau of Mines 1 contains data
concerning accidents in metal mines in the Unites States during
the calendar year 1917. The number of operators making returns
for the year 1917 was 4,637, about 600 less than in the previous year.
The number of days worked during 1917 was only 110,000 less than
in 1916. In 1917 the total number of employees reported was
200,579, as compared with 204,685 in 1916. The decrease of 2 per
cent was chiefly in the gold and silver group (8,200); the iron mines
showed an increase of about 4,000; and the copper mines, lead and
zinc mines (Mississippi Valley), and the nonmetal mines employed
practically the same number as in 1916. The labor shortage seemed
largely due to increased turnover and to shifting of labor from one
occupation to another.
The statistics show that the normal fatality rate did not increase
and, in spite of war conditions and labor shortage, there was a de
crease in the number of nonfatal injuries. In the fire in the North
Butte mine, Butte, Mont., on June 8, 1917, 161 men were killed.
If this number is deducted from the total number of fatalities for
1917 (852), the normal rate is shown to be 3.60 per 1,000 300-day
workers instead of 4.44, or 0.02 less than in 1916. This is the lowest
rate for the period during which the Bureau of Mines has collected
statistics on the subject, beginning in 1911, when the rate was 4.45
per 1,000 300-day workers.
The report states that the number of nonfatal injuries was 46,286,
as compared with 48,237 in 1916, making a nonfatal accident rate
of 240.87 per 1,000 300-day workers, as compared with 250.64 per
1,000 in 1916 and 248.56 in 1915. The general tendency of the non
fatal injury rates from 1911 to 1916 was to increase. This is said to
have been due chiefly to the fact that the enactment of compensation
laws and the establishment of better inspection service caused the
companies to keep more complete records. An examination of the
most systematic and complete records kept by large companies leads
1 Department of the Interior. Bureau of Mines. Metal-mine accidents in the United States during the
calendar year 1917. Washington. 80 pp. Technical paper No. 224.
214
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MONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W .
to the belief “ that the foregoing nonfatal injury rates at metal mines
are lower than those that actually exist.”
As the size of the names was not considered in the compilation of
the tables from the reports received from operators, the figures cover
reports from prospectors, development companies, and producing
mines. As far as can be ascertained, all of the large companies made
out detailed reports, so that, measured on the basis of production,
the statistics are regarded as representative of the industry.
The tables represent the five divisions of the mining industry, as
follows: Copper mines, 649 operators; gold, silver, and miscellaneous
metal mines, 3,166 operators; iron mines, 205 operators; lead and
zinc mines (Mississippi Valley), 369 operators; and nonmetallic min
eral mines (not including coal mines), 248 operators.
It is explained that as many of the States now have compensation
laws the bureau’s classification of serious and slight injuries is on a
14-day basis in order to conform to the classification used by the
States. This classification of injuries is as follows:
FATAL, SERIOUS, AN D SLIGHT INJU R IES IN METAL MINES IN THE U N IT E D STATES,
1916 A N D 1917.
Injury.
1916
1917
697
852
44
693
10,099
37; 401
39
668
10,229
35,361
48,237
46,288
Serious (time lost more than 14 days):
Permanent disability—
Total...............................................................................................................................
Permanent total disability includes the loss of both legs or arms,
one leg and one arm, total loss of eyesight, paralysis, or other condi
tion permanently incapacitating the workman from engaging in a
gainful occupation. Permanent partial disability means the loss of
one foot, leg, hand, eye, one or more fingers, one or more toes, any
dislocation where ligaments are severed, or any other injury known
in surgery to be permanent partial disability.
The table following shows the number of employees, the number
of fatalities and injuries, and the fatal and nonfatal accident rates,
by kind of mines, during 1916 and 1917.
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
NUM BER EM PLOYED, NUM BER K ILLED AN D IN JU R E D , A N D FATAL AN D NONFA TA L
ACCIDENT R ATES IN MINES D U R IN G THE Y E A R S E N D IN G DEC. 31, 1916 A N D 1917.
Kind of mine.
Killed Injured
Number
per
A ctive Number Aver Num injured Number per
1,000
1.000
of
men
age
opera
ber (time lost of 300- 300-day
em
days killed.
300-day
tors. ployed.
more than
day
worked.
work
1 day). workers. work
ers.
ers.
1916.
604
Conner.....................................................
Gold, silver, and miscellaneous metal 3,921
Iron..........................................................
199
Lead and zinc (Mississippi V alley)..
285
N onmetallie mineral............................
249
61,228
60,107
53,488
20,615
9,247
309
268
278
264
260
230
217
169
57
24
20,168
10,234
11,904
4,773
1,158
63,107
53,639
49,564
18,142
8,003
3.64
4.05
3.41
3.14
3.00
319.58
190.79
240.17
263.09
114.70
T otal............................................. 5,258
204,685
282
697
48,237
192,455
3.62
250.64
1917.
Copper.....................................................
649
Gold, silver, and miscellaneous metal 3,166
Iron..........................................................
205
Lead and zinc (Mississippi V alley)..
369
Nonmetallic mineral............................
248
61,275
51,892
57,230
20,269
9,913
312
281
283
246
280
374
196
191
68
23
19,935
8,385
12,278
4,544
1,144
63,619 i 5.88
48,606
4.03
53,960
3.54
16,644
4.09
2.48
9,256
313.35
172.51
227.54
272.99
123.58
T otal............................................. 4,637
200,579
287
852
46,286
192,085 i 4.44
240.97
1 Includes 161 fatalities due to the North Butte mine fire, Butte, Mont.
As shown by the preceding table, the average number of days
worked in 1917 was 287; in 1916 it was 282. In the various States
the number varied from 181 in Ohio to 338 in California. As a mine
can be operated only about 300 days in a year, unless work con
tinues on Sundays and holidays, the comparison of the number of
fatalities and injuries per 1,000 workers in the various kinds of mines
is made on a 300-day basis, to insure uniformity.
The causes of accidents are shown in considerable detail, and should
serve as a guide to the safety engineer in determining where effort
for accident reduction could be made to the best advantage.
Comparative data for accidents at metal mines, coal mines, and
quarries are shown.
Meeting of Industrial Physicians and Surgeons
at Atlantic City, June 8, 1919.
HE great advance that has been made in industrial medicine
T
and surgery in recent years; the increasing recognition of the
importance of physical examinations of employees; the need for
real statistics based on physical examinations in order to facilitate
definite conclusions regrading industrial conditions; and uniformity
in workmen’s compensation legislation, including the appointment
of a medical adviser to every compensation commission, were some
of the more important and significant questions considered at the
fourth annual convention of the American Association of Indus
trial Physicians and Surgeons, held at Atlantic City on June 8,
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M O N T H L Y LABOE EE V IE W .
217
1919. This association was organized in 1916, by Col. Harry E.
Mock, of the Surgeon General’s Office, who became its first secretary
and who at the recent convention was reelected president of the
organization.
The secretary reported a membership of 600, approximately
27 per cent of the estimated number of industrial physicians and
surgeons in the United States. A committee, with Dr. Otto F.
Geier, of Cincinnati, Ohio, as chairman, was appointed to outline
courses of study in industrial medicine to be introduced in the
medical colleges. A legislative committee was- also appointed with
Dr. J. W. Schereschewsky, of the United States Public Health
Service, as chairman.
The president of the association, in his annual address, noted
some new developments in industrial medicine and surgery, dwelling
particularly upon the great advancement that has been made since
the organization of the association in 1916, and calling attention
to the opportunity offered to industrial physicians to prevent indus
trial losses by the rehabilitation of injured workmen. The possi
bility of reclaiming men for industry was demonstrated, he pointed
out, by the reclaiming of defectives, for military service - during
the war. The interest manifested by medical schools in industrial
medicine is shown by the fact that eight such schools have intro
duced some branch of industrial medicine into their courses.
Dr. Royal Meeker, Commissioner of the United States Bureau of
Labor Statistics, was present and took occasion to refer to the very
great need for reliable statistics based on physical examinations of
workers in order better to determine the real industrial conditions.
Dr. Meeker declared that a medical adviser should be attached to
every industrial commission, since lawyers are manifestly incom
petent to pass upon medical questions.
An interesting feature of the convention was the discussion of
hernia, a condition which has presented very difficult problems to
employers, industrial physicians, and compensation boards. A reso
lution was offered asking industrial boards, in passing on cases of
hernia, to treat the injury as a disease rather than as an accident if
the hernia is of long standing. The resolution, however, was not
adopted.
At the afternoon session a paper was read by Capt. E. A. Oliver,
formerly physician at the Sears-Roebuck Co. of Chicago, on “ Syphilis,
an inestimable factor in industrial inefficiency,” in which it was
shown that this disease greatly reduces efficiency and that its presence
serves to prolong the period of disability resulting from disease or
accident. Emphasis was laid by a number of speakers upon the
importance of physical examinations of workers, in order that they
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
might be placed in work for which they are suited. C. B. Selby, of
Toledo, Ohio, and B. J. Curry, of the American Thread Co., Holyoke,
Mass., brought out this point.
Col. A. J. Lanza, of the United States Public Health Service and
the Working Conditions Service of the Department of Labor, told
of the work that has been done by the Division of Industrial Hygiene
and Medicine of the latter Service, addressing himself to the subject
“ National program for industrial hygiene and medicine.”
“ Strains of back an accident or disease” was the subject of a
paper read by Lt. Col. R. B. Osgood, United States Army. Dr. Wil
liam D. Blair, of Pittsburgh, spoke on “ Conservation of the vision
of industrial workers,” calling attention to the fact that most cases
of blindness could be prevented by proper protective measures, such
as the use of goggles, etc.; and Col. James Boardley, jr., of Baltimore,
spoke on the importance of proper lighting conditions in factories.
Resolutions presented to the convention on the subject of com
pensation laws, health insurance, industrial clinics, artificial respira
tion, and hernia were, with the exception of that on hernia, referred
to the board of directors with power to act. As already noted, the
hernia.resolution was tabled.
Medical and Surgical Service for Employees in
Industrial Establishments.1
the first six months of 1918 a study was made by the
DURING
United States Public Health Service of the provisions for the
medical and surgical care of employees in 170 industrial establish
ments in the Eastern and Middle Western States. One hundred and
fifty-five of these establishments were found to be on a comparable
basis and are used in the report in the analysis of equipment, con
ditions, and services rendered.
The relation of medical service to industry, from the employer’s
viewpoint in its effects upon time lost, labor turnover, workmen’s
compensation, etc., and from the employee’s standpoint in the im
provement in health and earning power and in general working con
ditions, is discussed. In this connection it is considered important
that the plant physicians should cooperate with the safety men in the
removal of insanitary and unhealthful conditions. However, of the
118 establishments employing whole or part-time physicians but 17
were found in which the physicians make regular inspections. Ten
others inspect at irregular intervals or upon request, while 28 meet
with safety committees. The opportunities for constructive work
‘Studies of theM edical and Surgical Care of Industrial Workers, by C. D. Selby, consulting hygienist,
United States Public Health Service. Public Health Bulletin No. 99, Washington, 1919. 115 pp.
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
219
on the part of the physicians are believed by the author to be very
great, although the point is made that the training of physicians
is such that it is more common to find those who are trained in de
tails than those who have administrative ability. To a man of the
latter type there is opportunity to expand his service from the mere
dressing of injuries to assistance in accident prevention through care
ful analysis of and recording of accidents; placing employees with
regard to their physical limitations; supervision of the health of those
engaged in dangerous processes; observation of the capacities and
limitations of operatives; determination from physical examinations
of the adaptation of employees to their work; physical reexaminations
of sufficient frequency to enable the physician at all times to bo
familiar with the conditions of health of the employees: protection
from communicable diseases through compulsory reporting of sick
employees; general medical and surgical treatment and special treat
ment such as dental prophylaxis; supervision of the sanitation of
lunch rooms and advice as to the preparation of nourishing and wellbalanced menus; securing needed rest or sanitarium treatment for
employees; education through talks, lectures, bulletins, etc., of means
of prevention of sickness; and finally, through sympathetic consulta
tion and assistance in adjusting social and financial difficulties. Cases
are noted where doctors have expanded their activities to include
employment departments and service or welfare departments.
Of the 155 establishments reported upon, 137 maintained dispen
saries; 68 had whole-time, 50 part-time, and 20 consulting physicians;
while in 37 cases physicians were on call. Whole-time medical serv
ice is found to be practicable for small establishments and entirely
desirable for large ones; and greater demand is found for trained
female nurses than for any other class of attendants, 81 establish
ments reporting such assistants. Thirteen establishments employed
dentists.
An attempt was made to find out the pay the doctors received for
their services, and while this information was difficult to secure there
were enough reports to justify these conclusions: “ (a) That the remu
neration of industrial physicians is very evidently a matter of in
dividual bargaining; (b) that physicians who render service only on
request are better paid proportionately than part-time doctors; (c)
and'that part-time doctors are better paid in proportion to the time
they give than whole-time doctors/’
Descriptions are given of the rooms of medical departments, with
suggestions as to location, equipment, and size; and considerable
space is devoted to examples of record and report cards.
In view of the special needs brought to light in the course of the
investigation the recommendations following are made.
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
1. That standards be formulated and promulgated relative to—■
(a) Vocational requirements.
( b } Physical examination of workers.
(c) Vocational placement of workers.
(d) Working conditions.
(e) Maintenance of health among workers.
(/) Medical and surgical practices in industry.
(g) Systems for recording and reporting morbidity statistics among workers, con
ditions of sanitation in plants and volume and variety of work of industrial medical
departments.
2. That medical colleges be induced to provide courses of instruction in industrial
sanitation and medicine, and that affiliations he arranged between the colleges and
well-organized industrial medical departments for post-graduate training in actual
practice.
3. That a comprehensive educational campaign be organized for the continuous
instruction of (a) the general medical profession, (6) industrial physicians, (c) em
ployers, and (d) industrial workers, in order that the benefits of industrial hygiene
and medicine may be more generally recognized and made more available.
4. That provisions be made whereby industrial managements may be more readily
able to procure industrially trained physicians, sanitarians, and nurses for service in
their medical departments.
• Fatal Industrial Accidents in Canada During
1918
RECENT report of the Canadian D epartm ent of Labor 1 shows
that a total of 1;222 fatal industrial accidents occurred in 1918,
as compared with 1,195 during 1917 and 950 during 1916. Of the
1,222 fatalities, 263 deaths, or 21.5 per cent, occurred in mining,
smelting, and quarrying operations; 255, or 20.9 per cent, in the
steam railway service; 155, or 12.7 per cent, in lumbering operations;
and 122, or 10 per cent, in the metals, machinery, and conveyances
group. It is stated that these percentages vary but little from those
recorded for the same groups in 1917, the figures for 1918 in mining
being slightly higher and for steam railway service slightly lower
than in the previous year.
In the steam railway service 153 fatal accidents were caused
through the victims being run over by, or caught between, cars. Of
the 104 fatalities caused by explosions in mines, smelters, and quar
ries, 88 were due to the disaster at the Stellerton coal mines.
1The Labour Gazette, Ottawa, May, 1919, pp. 639, 640.
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The fatalities in the various industrial groups are shown in the
following table:
FATA L IN D U STR IA L ACCIDENTS IN CANADA IN 1918.
Industry or occupation.
Agriculture..........................................
Fishing and hunting..............................
Lumbering............................................
Mines, smelters, and quarries.................
Railway, canal, and harbor construction.
Building and construction....................
Metals, machinery, and conveyances......
Woodworking trades..............................
Pulp and paper mills.............................
Clothing..............................................
Textile..................................................
Food, tobacco, and liquor......................
Chemicals and explosives.......................
Leather.........................................
Steam railway service............................
Electric railway service..........................
Miscellaneous transport.........................
Navigation......................................
Public utilities......................................
Municipal employment..........................
Miscellaneous.....................................
Total...........................................
127971°—19----- 15
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Num
ber.
Per
cent.
36
5
155
263
7
76
122
5
25
2
4
41
52
3
255
2.9
.4
12.7
21.5
8
39
7
29
13
75
1,222
.6
6.2
10.0
.4
2.0
.2
3
3.4
4.3
.9
20.9
.6
3.2
.6
2.4
1.1
6.1
100.0
WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION.
Reports of Workmen's Compensation Boards
in Canada.
Alberta.
HE Workmen’s Compensation Board of Alberta has issued a report covering the first five months’ operations of the new pro
vincial law.1
The law creating the board was enacted last year, superseding a
somewhat limited act of 1908, and took effect as to schedule 1 (mines,
coke ovens, and briquetting plants) on August 1, 1918. I t became
operative as to other industries on January 1 of the current year, so
that the report is limited to proceedings affecting schedule 1.
The act provides strictly for a state insurance system, the board
being charged with full powers in the administration of the fund as
well as of the law in all its aspects. The report shows 264 employers
under the act, with 10,259 employees, and a pay roll of $5,540,512.
A preliminary assessment of 3 per cent was made on July 17, 1918,
using as a basis the average monthly pay roll for the 12 months
ending May 31, 1918. Subsequent assessments were made every 2
months at the rate of 3 per cent on the average monthly pay rolls.
The assessments amounted to $96,323, of which $94,638 was col
lected. Coal mines constitute practically the entire coverage of
schedule 1, the assessments from the other industries included
amounting to but $576.
During the 5 months of initial operation, 943 accidents were
reported, of which 5 were fatal and 7 caused permanent partial disa
bility; no claim was made in 281 cases, and in 284 others no compen
sation was found to be payable. A loan of $5,000, made by the
Government to assist in creating a fund, was repaid with interest,
and compensation amounting to $13,442, medical aid to $270, and
administrative expenses and equipment to $10,379 were paid.
Reserves for existing liabilities are estimated at $15,920, leaving
$54,985 to the credit of the various groups in schedule 1.
1 First annual report of the Workmen’s Compensation Board of the Province of Alberta, 1918. Edmon
ton, 1919. 19 pp.
222
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223
Manitoba.
HIS report covers the first full year’s operations of the Manitoba
T
compensation act of 1916/ the first report covering but 10 months’
operations, up to December 31, 1917. The law is administered by a
commissioner and two directors, their expenses being provided for
by a levy of 7.5 per cent of the premiums paid by employers to
insurance companies, and an equivalent contribution from selfinsurers, the total amounting in 1917 to $33,702. This statutory
amount was found to be in excess of the actual administrative ex
penses by a margin of 0.6 per cent. In 1918, however, the expenses
exceeded the income by $4,830. I t is stated that this deficit will be
more than covered by contributions to be made by the Canadian
Northern Railway and allied companies, which had refused to pay
the prescribed amounts, but which, at the time of the report, had
practically completed arrangements to comply with the act.
While the law provides for no insurance fund as usually understood,
it does require insurance in an approved company or acceptable
proof of financial ability to act as self-insurers. In addition to this,
insurance companies and self-insurers must contribute to an accident
fund to be available for immediate payments to injured workers,
and must also make deposits or give bonds to secure future payments
in cases of permanent disability or death. The accident fund reports
compensation payments amounting to $116,247 during 1918, and a
balance at the end of the year amounting to $70,793.
Of the 1,756 compensable accidents reported during 1918, 42 were
fatal, 2 caused permanent total disability, 69 permanent partial
disability, and 1,643 temporary disability. Payments on account
of these accidents are not reported.
In 1917 there were 1,323 compensable accidents reported, of which
28 were fatal, 1 caused permanent total disability, 65 permanent
partial disability, and 1,229 temporary disability. The amount of
compensation on account of these injuries, including estimates in a
few cases not finally dealt with, was $88,280; besides this, $23,002 was
paid out in medical benefits.
The board suggests amendments, one to meet the situation devel
oped by a decision of the courts that procedure before the board
should be in the same form as court procedure, which the board
regards as too formal and calculated to defeat the purposes of the
act; and one to enable the board to requiio establishments in which
more than a certain number of men are employed to procure a firstaid kit and employ a competent person to render first aid in case of
injury. The board is also endeavoring to interest employers in the
subject of the reemployment of injured men, but with only indifferent
success thus far.
1 Report for 1918 of the Workmen’s Compensation Board, Manitoba.
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Winnipeg, 1919.
13 pp,
SOCIAL INSURANCE,
Report of Connecticut Social Insurance Com
mission.
HE Commission of Public Welfare of Connecticut, appointed in
1917 under legislative authority, has made its report.1 Of the
dozen or so general social subjects which the creating act specifically
authorized the commission to study, only five were investigated:
Health insurance, hours of labor and minimum wage, old-age pen
sions, mother’s pensions, and occupational disease.
The report contains a resume of arguments for and against health
insurance; general data on the extent of sickness and disability,
including an analysis of Connecticut health statistics by Dr. F. L.
Hoffman; several drafts of standard health insurance bills, including
a draft of a proposed law presented by the opponents of health
insurance; and a draft of the minimum wage law recommended by
the commission.
Health Insurance.
The commission reports that health insurance has aroused but
little interest in the State. The Connecticut Federation of Labor
went on record in 1918 as favoring health insurance, old-age pen
sions, and a minimum wage, but the commission was “ unable to
determine whether or not this somewhat vague expression of favor
implies a support of the compulsory principle in connection with
health insurance or whether or not the minimum wage is favored
for all industrial workers or only for women and children.” All of
the employers of labor who appeared before the commission were
unanimous in the opinion that it would be unwise for the legislature
at this time to consider legislation relating to compulsory health
insurance, old-age pensions, or the minimum wage.
Representatives of the medical profession in the State strongly deprecated any
action on health insurance at the present time, declaring that it was a matter to
which a great deal more thought and study should be given, and that those of their
number who were best informed were either in the military service or so much
absorbed in additional duties incident to the war that they could not give us the
benefit of their knowledge.
A questionnaire was sent out by the commission to the physicians not absent from
the State, to which only about 30 per cent responded. To the last interrogatory in
1 Report of the Commission on Public Welfare of Connecticut. Hartford, 1919,136 pp.
224
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225
the questionnaire, “ What suggestions have you to make as to how the problem of
adequate medical service can best be handled to serve the interest of the State, the
physicians, and the sick of limited means,” nearly half of those who did respond
either had no suggestion to offer, or expressed the opinion that things were all right
as they were. The replies of not a few indicated that they did not look beyond
their own immediate practice; a small number favored a better medical organization
and suggested an extension of hospital service. Not more than a dozen took sides
for or against compulsory health insurance. * * *
Until recently the opponents of compulsory health insurance have used the argu
ments already indicated, but without anything concrete in the way of a counter
proposition to meet the claim that something must be done for the improvement of
living conditions of industrial workers and the prevention of communicable diseases.
It now appears that some of these opponents have prepared a measure for legislative
consideration which in their opinion will do all that the State may properly do in
connection with health and sanitation and without the necessity of establishing as
an adjunct any form of compulsory insurance.
This new measure offers a very elaborate plan for the organization and adminis
tration of a department of health, with the establishment of divisions of administra
tion and finance, sanitary engineering, laboratories and research, statistics, commu
nicable diseases, publicity and education, child hygiene, public health nursing,
tuberculosis, and hospitals. It may be urged that such a plan might be less social
istic than the measures proposed for compulsory health insurance, which include
many of the alleviatory features included in this latest scheme, but it certainly is
not less paternalistic. It may also be that the operation of such a plan would prove
less expensive to the State than a compulsory health insurance law; but, in our
opinion, either would prove more of a burden than the State of Connecticut would
care to assume at this time.
The commission admitted that some of the arguments in favor of
a compulsory measure appeal strongly to humane sentiment and are
convincing to the extent that more should be done by the State to
improve living conditions and prevent disease, but it is not con
vinced that any of the measures thus far presented should be enacted
in Connecticut. After a careful study of the evidence the commis
sion feels that—
Our State should not be the first in the United States to experiment with a plan
or system which has not operated effectively and satisfactorily in other countries
and which must of necessity involve the expenditure of a large amount of money—
too large a burden to be imposed at the present time. It may well be that this State
should now improve and extend the code under which the department of public
health and safety operates, so that health and sanitation may be more efficiently
safeguarded. So may the compensation law be amended to cover occupational
disease and thus aid in reducing the loss resulting from sickness. These changes
can be made in harmony with our principles of government, and the correctional
and curative features of the social insurance scheme may be incorporated in our
laws without placing the State in any way in the field of social insurance. It may also
be that some plan can be devised by which the insurance features of the social
insurance scheme, which after all are only palliative, may be economically admin
istered under rigid State supervision and control. In our opinion this time has not
arrived, and, for the reasons hereinbefore given, the General Assembly may with entire
propriety postpone further legislative consideration of this phase of social insurance
until the changes in out national, State, and personal relations resulting from the war
have been fully readjusted.
[527]
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,
226
Hours of Labor and Minimum Wage.
No testimony was presented to the commission which, in their
opinion, justified a recommendation for any change in the present
statutes concerning the employment of women and minors, hours of
labor, or legal day’s work. With regard to a minumum wage the
commission believed that the general assembly might properly follow
the example of other States by establishing a minimum wage or
living wage for women and minors. It was recommended that such
a law should be limited in its operation to women and minors, but
should exclude those engaged in domestic service. Nor should the
minimum wage in an occupation necessarily operate throughout the
whole State when differences hi cost of living warrant restriction to
certain areas.
Old-Age Pensions.
The subject of old-age pensions, whether considered from the
standpoint of an insurance under which the individual shall be required
to insure and bear a part of the cost, or the out and out pension
where the Government bears the entire cost, was found, by reason
of the actuarial and financial problems involved, exceedingly diffi
cult and complex.
Among the objections to the free or noncontributory system the
commission enumerated the following: It is the foe of individual
thrift and enterprise; it has practically the effect of deferred pay;
the cost increases very rapidly; obtaining something for nothing, or
seeming to do so, has always proved demoralizing.
Against the contributory system, which obtains a more general approval, it is
urged that those whose need is the greatest are the least likely to apply for the pro
tection and bear a share of the cost.
We may criticise the ineffectiveness and the cost of existing forms of voluntary
insurance against the disabilities of age, just as we may realize that a considerable
burden is imposed on the State for the maintenance of those who, for one cause
or another, are unable either to work or to find work and so become wholly depend
ent on the State or on private charity. Notwithstanding this, it is doubtful if the
situation in Connecticut, with regard to the extent of the disabilities or the necessi
ties of those who become so disabled, is so acute as to call for the initial experiment
in this respect to be made by the general assembly.
Mothers’ Pensions.
In view of the fact that mothers’ pension laws have been enacted
in 36 States, the commission recommended that Connecticut
might well follow their example and either make provision directly
for allowances of this kind at the cost of the State, or confer upon
the towns the necessary power and authority to make such allow
ances in lieu of the relief which may be furnished under the
general statutes.
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
227
Occupational Disease.
The commission believed that any disease arising out of and in
the course of employment should be included within the provisions
of the compensation law. It was recommended that the—
British method of incorporating a limited schedule with authority to extend such
schedule from time to time should not be followed, hut an amendment should be so
phrased that it will not be necessary to include an elaborate schedule of diseases to
be extended from time to time by further legislation or by the finding or order of
some official. Such a change would naturally be brought about by a definition of
“ personal injury,” which will include a disease contracted during employment and
arising out of and in the course of such employment. Under such an amendment
the compensation commissioners will have to determine the fact just as the fact is
determined as to traumatic injuries accidentally sustained arising out of and in the
course of employment. The data reported to the commissioner of the bureau of
labor statistics [State bureau] * * * indicate that in the great majority of cases
it will be no more difficult to establish the right to benefits under the act in cases of
occupational disease than in cases of traumatic personal injury.
An amendment to the compensation law embodying the above
provision was enacted by the State legislature in 1919.1
Ministry of Health Act of Great Britain.
fT^HE recent approval of the Ministry of Health Act by the King
brings into effect an act that establishes a new office under the
British Government, the incumbent being entitled “ Minister of
Health.” Dr. Christopher Addison, who has been active in promot
ing the movement for such a law, has been appointed as the first min
ister, and by an order in council the act came into operation on July
1 of the current year.
In its original effect the act takes over for the new ministry the
powers and duties of the Local Government Board and of the insurance
commissioners of England and Wales. It also transfers to the
ministry all the powers of the Board of Education with respect to
attending to the health of expectant and nursing mothers and of
children who have not reached the age of five years and are not
in attendance in schools recognized by the board of education;
also the subject of midwives under acts of 1902 and 1918, and
powers exercised by the Secretary of State with regard to infant
life protection under Part I of the Children Act, 1908. Further
transfers are authorized of the powers of the board of education
with respect to the medical inspection and treatment of children
and young persons, powers of the Minister of Pensions with regard
to the health of disabled officers and men after they have left the
i See M on th ly L a b o e R e v ie w for July, 1919, p. 186.
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M O N T H L Y LABOR REVIEW ,
service, powers of the Secretary of State with regard to persons
insane or mentally deficient, and other powers that seem to relate to
the health of the people, either directly or indirectly.
It will be noted that this last group of powers is merely authorized
and not accomplished, while in the first group the transfer is actually
made. In order to limit the functions of the Ministry of Health
strictly to the duties properly incumbent upon it, any powers and
duties transferred under this blanket provision which are not strictly
in line with the purposes of the ministry may be taken away from
it and placed elsewhere. The effect of the order is to clarify the
whole situation with regard to provisions for health for women,
children both in and out of school, pensioners from the Army and
Navy, and persons mentally deficient. Thus far the act is only a
consolidation of existing powers. An added feature is the authority
given the King by an order, in council to establish “ consultative
councils” whose duty shall be to give advice and assistance in
connection with matters affecting the health of the people; these
councils are to include persons of both sexes who have had practical
experience in the matters to be considered. The act contains
provisions for its operation in Scotland and Ireland as well as in
England and Wales.
A provisional order issued for the purpose of enlarging upon the
plan for consultative councils directs that they shall consist of any
number of persons not exceeding 20 as the ministry may determine,
who shall be appointed for terms of three years, with an annual
appointment of one-third of the membership, no member to serve
continuously for more than six years. This draft order indicates
the purposes of not only giving these councils consultative powers
but of authorizing them to make suggestions on their own initiative.
Belgian Unemployment Benefits.1
EW regulations governing unemployment benefits, worked out by
the special committee on unemployment (la C om m ission spéciale
d u Chômage), named April 1, 1919, by the Minister of Industry, Labor
and Supply ( M inistre de V Industrie, d u T ravail et du R a vitaillem ent),
became effective May 4, 1919.
The benefits are to be paid in cash, the sum to be determined in
each case by the degree of need. Seventy-five per cent of the expense
is borne by the Government and 25 per cent by the local authorities,
i. e., commune, Province, charitable institutions, and private dona
tions. Any supplementary assistance must come from local authori
ties and must be in food and clothing.
* Revue du Travail, (Belgium), May 15, 1919,
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M O N T H L Y LABOR
REVIEW.
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The amount of money benefits to be granted to a household is
determined by the difference between its needs and its resources.
The needs of a household are fixed in accordance with the following
table:
INCOME N E E D E D PE R W E EK B Y BELGIAN HOUSEHOLD, B Y SIZE OF FAMILY.
Size of household.
1 person...........................................................
2 persons............................................
3 persons.............................................
4 persons.........................................
5 persons.............................................
6 persons...........................................
7 persons.......................................
8 persons..................................................
9 persons.............................................
1 0 persons'..........................................
Increase for each person after the ten th . . .
pc-----------------------Basic income per
week.
Francs.
10.50
15. 75
21. 00
26.25
31.50
36. 75
42.00
47.25
52.50
57:75
4.50
(■$ 2. 03)
( 3.04)
( 4.05)
( 5.07)
( 6.08)
( 7.09)
( 8.11)
( 9.12)
( 10.13)
( 11.15)
( .87)
To avoid granting benefits in excess of actual need, declarations
of resources must be made out and handed in to local authorities.
These are then rigidly checked over by committees representing the
district and the Province.
Rules for calculating these resources are set forth in the regula
tions, in order to determine accurately the degree of need. Certain
items which in reality are resources are exempted from calculation
as such. For instance, 50 per cent of wages are exempted, and like
wise all of the first month’s wages, in order to encourage the workers
in getting a fresh start. Moreover, if a worker can show a certificate
proving that he has obtained regular employment amounting to 90
hours per half-month, he may receive one month’s unemplovment
benefits in advance to enable him to buy clothing and other neces
sities.
In the same way, exemptions from calculation as resources are
allowed as follows: On a house acquired by a worker before August 1,
1914, and still occupied by him; on property which has been mort
gaged up to two-thirds of its value to the Auxiliary Cooperative
Society of the Societies of Workers’ Dwellings 0Société Coopérative
A u x ilia ire des Sociétés d'habitations Ouvrières)] on a single sheep or
goat, providing the owner has no other animals.
Some persons are excluded from unemployment benefits. Among
them are: Agents, employees, and workmen of public offices; pro
fessional persons, such as teachers, artists, actors, authors, engineers,
doctors, etc.; persons owning a horse and two cows; households
whose gross monthly income exceeds 120 francs ($23.16) for the
head of the family and 40 francs ($7.72) for each other member
thereof; workmen—including their families—who refuse suitable
»
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W , i
woik at current wages or, refusing conciliation or arbitration, take
part in a strike or lockout.
Certain rules based on an arbitrary standard are laid down for
computing family income derived from rent of land, from garden
and farm products, and from livestock.
Benefits are not payable when suitable work has been refused.
This term shall be construed to mean such work as does not exceed
9 hours per day at the following minimum wages: Male, adult, 1
franc (19.3 cents) per hour in industrial districts and 0.85 franc (1G.4
cents) per hour in semiurban districts; female, adult, 0.75 franc (14.5
cents) per hour in industrial districts and 0.65 franc (12.5 cents) per
hour in semiurban districts; minors, 0.50 franc (9.7 cents) per hour
in industrial districts and 0.40 franc (7.7 cents) per hour in semiurban districts; agricultural workers, 5 francs (96.5 cents) per day.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[532]
LABOR LAWS AND DECISIONS.
Labor Organizations Held Liable for Acts of
Members.
DECISION of far-reaching influence was handed down in the
Circuit Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, on April 28 of the
current year. The point in question was the liability of the United
Mine Workers of America for destructive acts done by members of
the union in 1914 in the Prairie Creek district of Arkansas. The
case is entitled United Mine Workers of America et al. v. Coronado
Coal Company et al., and is a continuation of a case that was before
the court in 1916 under the title Dowd v. United Mine Workers of
America (235 Fed. 1). The action was originally brought by Dowd
as a receiver for the Coronado Coal Co. and eight other companies to
recover damages resulting from conspiracy and combination in re
straint of interstate trade and commerce. The district court enter
tained demurrers and dismissed the case, but on appeal to the Circuit
Court of Appeals it was held that there were sufficient grounds for
proceeding with the trial on the complaints made.
In accordance with this decision the district court heard the case
and found that the defendant organization with its local branches
and officials had been guilty of the acts charged, and damages were
assessed in the amount of $200,000. Inasmuch as the proceedings
were had under the provisions of the Sherman antitrust law, this
judgment was trebled; and, following a subsequent request, the court
below taxed the defendants with interest from the date of the destruc
tion of the property on which the action was based to the date of the
judgment.
The defendant union appealed, submitting 184 assignments of
error, but the decision of the court below was affirmed with the
exception of the taxing of interest, which was held to have been
improperly done, and the judgment was ordered reduced in this
amount. Failure to reduce the judgment in this amount would
result, the court held, in a new trial being granted.
It appears that the United Mine Workers of America is an unin
corporated labor union, embracing mine workers in the United States,
Canada, and Mexico; that there are some 30 districts with numerous
local unions; and that each district union has jurisdiction over the
local unions in its area, while the national organization has super
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
visory jurisdiction over all. The fact that 28 local unions named as
defendants and the district union, as well as the national organiza
tion, are unincorporated bodies was offered as a reason why no action
could be instituted against them as entities and therefore no process
or judgment could bind them.
The court held that this had been decided in the Dowd case men
tioned above, and declined to consider the matter further. Other
matters of practice were discussed, as the joinder of parties, the pro
duction of evidence, etc. Reccfrds and correspondence showing the
scope and purpose of the organization were held to have been properly
admitted as evidence and all technical matters were decided adversely
to the contentions of the union. The liability of the executive board
for the acts of the district officials and local unions was shown from
publications of the union as well as from the constitution of the
national organization, and the court concluded that “ the national
organization has undoubtedly, under the constitution, supreme au
thority. The judgment, discretion, wisdom, and power of the entire
organization are vested in the national organization; every member
of a local union is a member of the national organization and a con
tributor to its funds.”
The evidence disclosed the purchase of arms and ammunition by
officers of the United Mine Workers of America, payment therefor
by union funds, and their distribution to union members in the
affected districts. Indictments and pleas of guilty of individual
defendants, members of the local unions, were brought in as evidence,
showing that unlawful acts had been approved and encouraged, and
that the national organization and its officers had ratified various
torts committed in the course of the strike. The whole purpose of
the strike to destroy competition by men in union mines was shown,
and reference was made to the decision of the district judge in another
case involving the same organization (Ilitchman Coal and Coke Com
pany v. Mitchell*), the purpose being to show the object of the mine
workers to gain control of the coal mines of the country.
The facts revealed showed threats, personal violence, and murder;
also the destruction of large amounts of property, including loaded
cars, mine buildings and equipments, and residences occupied by
workers who refused to join the union; and other acts of violence.
Injunctions were disregarded and no effort was made by the national
organization to prevent the unlawful acts committed locally. “ On
the other hand, strike benefits were paid, pensions allowed, court
costs assumed, and every act committed by those members of the
district and local organizations approved by the entire organization.”
1 202 Fed. 512; noted in U . S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin No. 152, p. 137. The decision of the
United States Supreme Court in the same case is reviewed in the M o n th ly R e v ie w for January, 1918,
p. 146.
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233
These facts were held by the court of appeals to be a sufficient
ground for the finding of the court below that the organization as a
whole was responsible, applying the principles of the law relating to
conspiracy, and since the evidence was sufficient to show interference
with interstate commerce, 75 per cent of the coal mined being shipped
to customers outside of the State of Arkansas, the application of the
Sherman Act was held to be approved.
Other complaints related to a refusal of the court below to direct
a verdict in behalf of the defendants and the nature of the remarks
made to the jury by the presiding judge during the period of its
deliberations. Neither objection was found by the court to be well
grounded, though Circuit Judge Hook dissented with regard to the
latter point, holding that the judge had exceeded the proper bounds
in his remarks. The opinion of the court, however, was to the
effect that the treble judgment, amounting to $600,000, was properly
assessed against the national organization, in view of its relation to
its subordinate units and the membership generally. It was held
also that the ratification of the tortious acts of the members fixed
this liability, regardless of the question of whether or not the acts
committed were beyond the authority intended to be given by the
constitution and by-laws of the union.
This case differs from that of Loewe v. Lawlor (208 U. S. 274,
28 Sup. Ct. 301), known as “ The Hatters’ Case,” inasmuch as in
that case individual members of unions were held responsible for
the acts of the union because of their support of the union during
the commission of the acts complained of, as well as subsequently.
The present case corresponds to the famous Taff-Vale decision in
which the British courts held union funds subject to process for the
recovery of damages due to acts of the members of the union. The
Taff-Vale decision led to the enactment of a law declaring labor
organizations not responsible in their collective capacity for the acts
of their members. An attempt to secure the enactment of a similar
provision of law by the Legislature of Massachusetts was abandoned
because of an adverse decision by the supreme judicial court of the
State, to which the measure was referred for an opinion as to its
constitutionality (In Re Opinion of Justices, 98 N. E. 337).
The doctrine laid down in this decision is not novel, as a number
of earlier cases had held that damages, not only actual but punitive,
may be awarded where either a workman or an employer has been
maliciously prevented from carrying on his work or business, with
resulting loss; however, no case of equal importance has come before
the courts of this country relating to this particular phase of the
subject of the rights and liabilities of labor organizations. The fact
that the union was unincorporated adds to the interest in the case,
since it has been a frequent complaint that the refusal of unions
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
to incorporate was for the purpose of evading their legal responsi
bilities for their own acts and those of their constituent membership.
An appeal is said to have been taken in this case to the Supreme
Court of the United States, so that the final decision can not be
said to have been reached. The case transcends in importance that
of Hitchman Coal & Coke Co., already mentioned, and its final
determination will be awaited with interest.
Labor Legislation of Chile.
HE annual bulletin recently issued by the labor office of Chile1
reproduces several laws relating to labor. The following is a
T
summary of the more important provisions of these laws:
N urseries fo r children. —By the law of January 8, 1917, every fac
tory, shop, or industrial establishment employing 50 or more women
over 18 years of age is required to provide a room especially furnished
for the care of children under 1 year of age whose mothers are
employed in the establishment.
Mothers may leave their work for periods aggregating one hour
per day for the purpose of nursing their children, and, whatever may
be the system of wage payment, no deduction from wages or earnings
may be made for this absence.
Seats fo r em ployees. —Stores, bazaars, shops, mercantile ware
houses, and all similar establishments are required, by the law of
November 25, 1914, to provide a sufficient number of chairs or seats
for the use of clerks and employees.
In all such establishments clerks and employees must be given a
lunch period of at least one hour and a half. The lunch hour may
be staggered.
S u n d a y rest. —The law of November 5, 1917, requires employers
to allow their employees one full day’s rest in seven. This day shall
be Sunday, excepting in certain industries and occupations in which
a cessation of work would work injury to the public or the establish
ment. When the day of rest is on a day other than Sunday, all
employees may or may not be given the same day off. In the latter
case, the schedule must be posted in the workrooms and office of
each establishment, and may not be changed without a month’s
notice.
Employees may not be required to work from 9 p. m. on the day
preceding, nor before 6 a. m. on the day following, a religious or
national holiday.
Labor in S ta te railroad shops. —A law effective December 27, 1917,
provides that all State-operated railroad workshops must be kept
* Boletín de la Oficina del Trabajo.
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
235
clean, well-ventilated, well-lighted, and well-floored, and in a condi
tion assuring the safety of life and health of the employees.
Injurious and toxic gases and dust must be immediately and
directly conveyed to the exterior and not permitted to mix with the
air in the shops. A ll working places must be made free from emana
tions proceeding from water-closets, drains, pits, and other sources
of infection. The maintenance of bath and washrooms is obligatory.
Guards are required for all wheels, belts, gearings, and other dan
gerous apparatus. Dangerous and moving and revolving parts of
machinery and apparatus must be provided with safety devices.
Steam, gas, and electric motors must be so placed as to be accessible
only to those having charge of them. Stairways, platforms, and
scaffolding, and overhead ways and bridges must be provided with
guardrails, and pools, vats, and tanks containing corrosive or hot
liquids must be inclosed by railings.
Persons employed in running telegraph or telephone wire at an
elevation greater than 6 meters (19.7 feet) must be provided with
safety belts with rope or chain to support or suspend them in case of
accident.
Water gauges on locomotive boilers must be inclosed in heavy
transparent glass tubes. On freight trains, equipped with automatic
brakes, shelters inclosed by guardrails to prevent the falling of train
men must be provided.
In each railroad zone an ambulance car must be provided, equipped
with all articles necessary for the treatment and transportation of
persons injured in accidents. Hospitals must be established for the
care and treatment of injured employees.
Ordinary hours of labor shall not exceed 10 per day, including
2 hours of rest at noon. Night work shall not exceed 10 out of 24
hours. All employees must be given 24 consecutive hours of rest
once each week.
Engineers, firemen, and brakemen shall not ordinarily be permitted
to work more than 10 hours per day, except in cases of accident or
of delay in schedules. Double wages shall be paid for overtime.
The employment of boys under 12 years of age in railroad shops is
prohibited. Young persons between the ages of 12 and 16 years
may be employed subject to the following provisions: (a) Hours of
work must not exceed eight per day, including two hours’ rest period;
(b) night work is prohibited; (c) Sunday and holiday work is pro
hibited; (d ) such persons must not be employed in the operation of
dangerous machinery (the oiling of moving machinery is especially
prohibited), in the operation of saws, or in the manufacture of explo
sives; (e) if they are less than 15 years of age they must have in their
possession a certificate showing that they have completed their
primary schooling.
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M O N T H L Y LABOR REV IEW .
The employment of females between the ages of 16 and 20 years on
night, Sunday, or holiday work, or in dangerous or unhealthful work
is prohibited. Eight hours constitute a day’s work. Women may
not be employed after midnight. They may not be employed during
the four weeks preceding or the four weeks following childbirth, nor
placed in charge of motors in operation, power-transmission appara
tus, or dangerous machinery.
State railroad retirem ent and benefit f u n d .—As provided by the law
of May 10, 1918, the savings fund is reorganized as the State railroad
retirement fund, the purpose of which is: (a) The general administra
tion of funds provided under existing laws,1and all funds created by
the voluntary deposits of State railroad employees ; (b) the encourage
ment of voluntary savings; (c) the provision of a pension system,
life and accident insurance, and employees’ mutual societies; (d ) the
development of institutions for moral, social, and economic better
ment of employees and their families; and (e) the provision of a
railroad sanitary service.
Generally speaking, all persons regularly employed as clerks, skilled
workmen, or laborers are required to. become contributors to the fund.
Those not so required may become voluntary contributors. The
general fund shall, by annual appropriations, maintain a medical,
pharmaceutical, and hospital service for employees and passengers.
Full retirement benefits are granted after 20 years of service, and
proportional benefits to those who have been in the service over 5
years ; those who have served 1 year but less than 5 years are entitled
to the return of the amounts contributed plus the interest; those
who have served less than 1 year, their contributions only.
Voluntary contributions to the benefit fund may be made, subject
to withdrawal on sight, for a term or under special conditions. No
interest is allowed on any sum under 1 peso (36.5 cents) or on sums
on deposit less than 30 days. Interest shall not be less than 5 per
cent per annum. Savings certificates, payable in full on date of
issue or in installments, may be issued as a basis of constituting
annuities of definite maturity values.
Voluntary contributions may be made, under certain conditions,
for the purchase of annuities, on current accounts for the purchase of
real estate, for the constitution of a retirement fund, and in any
other way considered an incentive to economy and saving.
Married women and minors shall be considered as free administra
tors of their own affairs, as regards their deposits and payments in
the benefit fund.
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i See M o n th ly R e v ie w , F ebruary, 1918, p. 435.
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
237
E x tra benefits m ay be granted to voluntary contributors who
become incapacitated for work through industrial accidents or
occupational diseases.
The amount of funeral expenses allowable is to be fixed each year
at an amount not less than 150 pesos ($54.75) nor more than 300
pesos ($109.50). Claim for such expenses must be made within one
year from the date of death. In case funeral expenses become pajTable to a hospital or mutual association, only the actual expenses
may be paid.
Supplementary annuities may be granted to widows or widowers
and their dependent children under 18 years of age, the supplementary
annuity not to exceed 25 per cent of the regular annuity, and the
total amount not to exceed 360 pesos ($131.40).
Special allowances may be made to persons under 18 years of age
while attending school. Such allowances may not exceed 120 pesos
($43.80) per year for each minor, nor 360 pesos ($131.40) per year for
one family, whatever the number of minors. Families receiving
annuities amounting to over 2,200 pesos ($803), either from the fund
or directly from the railroad, are not included in this provision.
The fund is under no obligation to continue such grants.
The fund is to provide for the voluntary retirement of contributors
at 55, 60, and 65 years of age. These annuities may be acquired by
one payment or by periodical payments which may be either as
alienated or reserved capital. In the latter case the contributions,
without interest or bonus, are payable to the dependents at the
death of the purchaser. No immediate annuity may be purchased
which yields less than 120 pesos ($43.80) per annum or more than
1,200 pesos ($438).
The benefit fund may contract for life insurance, subject to the
rigid application of the insurance regulations, and, until a national
mortality table is calculated, the rates and values are to be based
upon tables in use by the national life insurance companies. Collec
tive insurance may be effected with employees’ mutual companies,
or reinsurance of a portion of their risk may be assumed by the fund.
1 2 7 9 7 1 ° — 1 9 ------1 6
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1539]
HOUSING.
Report of the United States Housing Corporation.
PREVIOUS report of the United States Housing Corporation
A
of the Department of Labor which appeared December 3,
1918, outlined the preliminary work, the organization, the purpose,
and the methods of the corporation.1 A recent report, which has
been specially prepared for Congress and will not be printed, briefly
reviews the field covered by the first report and describes the work
of the corporation subsequent to November, 1918, that is, up to May,
1919. A more complete report in two volumes is in preparation,
Volume II of which has appeared.
The Housing Corporation provided living accommodations in
26 localities. In 24 of these localities houses for 5,899 workers’
families were erected. Dormitories or residence halls for 8,109
persons were also provided in some of these localities. These opera
tions of the corporation covered a period of four months, July to
November, 1918. Eighty-nine per cent of the families will be cared
for in individual houses against 11 per cent in apartments. The
approximate final cost of these aceommodations will be $35,000,000,
making a per capita gross cost of $1,104, assuming that a worker’s
family represents on the average at least four persons. Hence the
cost per family may be roughly set down as a trifle over $4,400.
Of the houses and apartments, 2,094 were occupied on May 15,
and 2,479 persons were occupying the hotels and dormitories con
structed by the corporation.
The number of families provided for, and the character of the
accommodations provided by the corporation, are set forth in the
following table.
i Summarized in the M o n th ly L abor R e v ie w of February, 1919, pp. 24S to 251.
238
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
SUMMARY TABLE OF FAM ILY ACCOMMODATIONS PR O V ID ED B Y THE U N IT E D STATES
HOUSING CORPORATION.!
Location.
Type of house.
Total
num
ber
of
fami
lies
pro
vided One-family. Two-family.
for.
T
3
©
Ao I ?
c3
©
P m
||
Aberdeen, Md.......
Alliance, Ohio.........
Bath, Me.........
Bremerton, Wash. (Puget
Sound)............
Bridgeport, Conn.......
Charlestown, W. Va...
Erie, Pa..........
Hammond, Ind.......
Indianhead, Md__
New Brunswick. N. ,T
New London, Conn..
N ew London, Conn.
(Groton)..........
Newport, R. I__
Niagara Falls, N. Y. .
Niles, Ohio......
Philadelphia, Pa .
Portsmouth (Craddock),Va.
Portsmouth (Truxton), Va.
Pompton Lakes........
Quincy, Mass.........
Rock Island District...
Vallejo (Mare Island), Calif.
Waterbury, Conn.
Watertown. N. Y.......
Total......................
68 65
89 89
90 74
290 245
5
8S9
85 45
317 56
185 79
100 100
192 28
116 12
25
7
48
196
75 75
650
759 417
250 200
15 15
414 90
649 551
227 83
55 29
115 85
25899 2350
Number of
families
Number of families occupying
occupying houses apartments
having each class having each
ified number of classified
rooms(each house number of
has also a bath rooms (each
room).
apartment
has also a
bathroom).
'd
I 3
©
a
©
|o3 Y
csJ^§ £ +ä3
o »
P GQ ** «
£o
Pf
4
5
6 78 23 4 5 3
3
1 2 65
52 37
16
20 54
16
45 25 145 75
19
164 250 40 106
324 40 201 198 122 4
30 9^9 49 *•
40
35 10
20
92 148
104 102 90.
21
52 22
32
79
70 14
14
100
68
96
36 60
36 32 28
104
70 46
18
17 8
48
36 12
46 150
20 48 68 60
5 40 30
650
643 7
144 94
60 70 481 32 12
104
104
50
250
114
210
146 153 112 3
98
115 427 107
24
120
40 114 56 17
26
18 37
30
59 56
10581295 250 226 52 668 125 1018174922575032 1963 421 122 43
1Does not include stores, cafeterias, restaurants, heating plants, and other special structures.
2Does not include 267 houses constructed and abandoned at three different locations.
The report of the corporation to Congress makes the following
observations:
R en ta l p o lic y .—All houses of the corporation are being rented. Kental prices have
been fixed after careful study, both of the cost of construction, the prevailing rentals
of the city in which they fall, and the ability of the workingmen to pay. An attempt
has been made to fix a price which will be fair to the workingman and to the Federal
Government, and a price which will not discourage private building enterprise within
that same community, for it is recognized that as the Federal Government has built
houses for emergency purposes only that it would be poor policy for the Government
in managing its properties to charge rents so low that private builders could no longer
afford to build. The American workingman does not want to be subsidized, and in
our experience has proved willing to pay a just price.
R ed u c tio n i n p e rso n n e l .—Coincident with the termination of all projects not suffi
ciently far advanced to justify completion, the corporation has been cutting down its
personnel. On November 15, 1918, four days after the signing of the armistice, there
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
were 848 persons on the rolls of the corporation; on May 16, 1919, the number was 387.
Further reductions are being made every two weeks.
D isp o sa l o f records o f c o rporation .—The large number of daily inquiries received by
the United States Housing Corporation for information on varied aspects of this com
prehensive subject have convinced members of this corporation that some permanent
provision should be made by the Federal Government for the utilization of the mate
rials and the information which have been collected by the Housing Corporation and
other branches of the Government which have been charged w ith work in this field.
The almost universal shortage of housing accommodations has led to an exceptional
amount of interest in this field and has brought the subj ect intim ately home to every
chamber of commerce, manufacturer’s association, or real estate board. It is apparent
that they do not want the Federal Government to continue to build houses, or in any
way to subsidize house building, but they do desire that the materials on this subject
gathered for an emergency purpose shall not be stored in some out of the way place,
but that they shall be rendered available for the service of the home builders of
America.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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[542]
LABOR ORGANIZATIONS.
Thirty-ninth Annual Convention of the Ameri
can Federation of Labor.
'T H E thirty-ninth annual convention of the American Federation
of Labor met at Atlantic City, N. J., on Monday, June 9, 1919,
and remained in session until Monday, June 23. The president,
Samuel Gompers, presided over the sessions.
The reports of the secretary and of the executive council for the
year just passed were submitted to the convention on the first day of
its sessions.
As to finances, the secretary’s report recorded a total balance
on hand, April 30, 1919, of $217,490.16, after all expenses had been
met. The receipts for the year were $780,008.55. With respect
to the 884 directly chartered local trade and Federal labor unions
(not affiliated with any international unions), the secretary’s report
showed total receipts of $54,308.19 for the defense fund for these
organizations. The sum of $7,654.50 was paid out in strike benefits
for these bodies during the year, and the balance in the defense fund
was $179,725.89.
The secretary’s report further showed that during the year ending
April 30, a total of 555 charters were issued to national and inter
national, State central, local trade, and Federal labor unions; and
that charters were revoked or surrendered, and unions disbanded,
suspended, or amalgamated in 471 instances.
The reports of international and national organizations carried
the information that they issued during the year a total of 6,743
charters; and that 1,719 lapsed or were surrendered. The gain in
individual membership as reported by the secretaries of 66 inter
national organizations was 826,449. Reports from a like number of
internationals show a total of 1,515 strikes, in which 234,446 workers
were directly involved. Of this number 203,876 secured improved
conditions. The total cost of the controversies to the internationals
involved was $1,391,833.30. In addition, $82,547.48 was donated
by unions for financial assistance of unions on strike.
According to the report, the total membership of all unions,
international, national, Federal, and local, affiliated with the Amer
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
ican Federation of Labor, increased during the year to 3,260,068, or
19.6 per cent more than the number reported at the convention
of 1918. There are now 111 national and international unions,
884 local trade and Federal labor unions, 816 city central bodies,
572 local department councils, 46 State federations, and (included
in the above figures) 33,852 local unions, in the American Federation
of Labor.
Proceedings of the Convention.
The convention received a greeting from President Wilson in Paris.
Addresses of welcome were delivered by Gov. Runyon, of New Jersey,
Mayor Bacharach, of Atlantic City, and President Arthur A. Quinn,
of the New Jersey State Federation of Labor, to which President
Gompers replied with a speech in which he enunciated the new con
ception of industrial justice that has risen in the minds of the workers
during the war. He said:
The day of tyranny and autocracy, whether it be in the political or the industrial
life of our people, has gone, and if any employer believes that industrial autocracy or
despotism is going to prevail in the United States of America, he has counted and is
counting without his host. The principles for which this labor movement has con
tended and is contending must come to full fruition. We are making no unjust or
unwarranted demands upon society or upon employers as such, but for the service
which men and women of labor give to society, a service without which civilization
itself would perish—for that service we insist upon a return that shall give us the
opportunity to live full-rounded lives, ourselves, our wives, our children, our depend
ents, and to make of this country of ours and this world of ours a place worthy of the
civilization of our time.
The first day’s session was largely occupied by the reading of
the report of the American Federation of Labor delegation to the
Peace Conference.
On the second day of the convention, the report of the American
Federation of Labor delegation to Italy was read, and Mr. Glenn E.
Plumb, counsellor for the Railroad Brotherhoods, delivered an address
describing the brotherhoods’ plan for Government acquisition and
ownership of the railroad systems and their operation by a corpora
tion to be controlled by a board of directors representative equally
of the public, the managers of the railroads, and the workers on the
railroads.
On the third day, the report of the fraternal delegates to the
British Trades-Union Congress was read to the convention, as well as
the report of the American Federation of Labor delegation to Great
Britain, France, and Italy.
After considerable debate, the convention voted, by 26,476 to
3,997, in favor of a resolution disapproving of wartime prohibition
and expressing the conviction that the prohibition amendment to
the Constitution should be amended so as to permit the brewing
of 2.75 per cent beer.
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
243
Mrs. Rena Mooney, wife of Thomas J. Mooney, undergoing life
imprisonment after conviction on the charge of complicity in the
Preparedness Day bomb outrages in San Francisco in 1916, addressed
the convention in behalf of her husband’s plea of innocence.
Miss M argaret Bondfield, fraternal delegate from the British
Trades-Union Congress, addressed the convention on the fourth day,
as did also her colleague, S. Finney. Other fraternal delegates who
addressed the convention were J. M. Walsh, representing the Canadian
trades and Labor Congress, and B. Suzuki, president of the W ork
m en’s Friendly Society of Japan. On the fifth day, Hon. William
B. Wilson, Secretary of Labor, made an address. The Secretary
referred to the great p a rt labor had taken in the war, to the agita
tions of Bolshevism, to the activities of the I. W. W. as seen by the
President’s Mediation Commission of which Secretary Wilson was
chairman, to the necessity for m aintaining the American standard
of living for wage workers, and then continued:
The employers and the employees have a mutual interest in securing the largest
possible production with a given amount of labor, having due regard to the health,
the safety, the opportunities for rest, recreation, and improvement of the workers.
These being safeguarded, the larger the amount that is produced the larger will be
the amount that there is to divide. If there is nothing produced there will be nothing
to divide. If there is a large amount produced there will be a large amount to divide.
Their interests diverge only when it comes to a division of what has been mutually
produced, and if they are wise in their generation in these modern times, with labor
realizing its importance in the defense of the country and the maintenance of the
country, instead of solving the problem by the use of the economic power on the part
of the employer, imposing his will upon the worker, or the use of collective power on
the part of the employees'imposing their will upon the employers, they will sit around
the council table and endeavor to work out the problem on a democratic basis that
will secure to each all that he is entitled to receive.
Summary of Resolutions Adopted.
Among the resolutions adopted and actions taken were the fol
lowing :
Urging immediate provision by Congress of funds with which to
continue the United States Em ploym ent Service and legislation
making th at service a perm anent branch of the Government.
Condemning the so-called “ Rockefeller plan of industrial repre
sentation” and all so-called “ company unions,” and demanding the
right to bargain collectively through trades unions.
Instructing the executive council to cooperate with organizations
of Federal employees in efforts to secure upward revisions of salaries,
and condemning low-wage standards in the Federal service.
Urging upon Congress passage of legislation establishing minimum
salaries of $1,000 for grade teachers and $1,200 for high-school
teachers in the schools of the D istrict of Columbia.
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
Favoring the passage of H. J. Resolution 32, pending in Congress,
enfranchising the citizens of the District of Columbia and the Canal
Zone.
Declaring in favor of civil service for workers in public libraries;
denouncing control exercised over public libraries by private wealth
and urging public ownership, control, and administration of these
institutions, and representation of union labor on all boards of
trustees of public libraries; instructing the executive council to give
assistance to efforts to organize library workers.
Expressing support of governmental activities in scientific and
technical research and urging its extension.
Condemning mob rule and lynch law.
Protesting against massacres of Jewish residents of Poland, the
Ukraine, and other countries of eastern Europe.
Indorsing efforts of the United States Public Health Service in
combating the spread of venereal diseases; and calling upon all
affiliated organizations to acquaint their members with the program
of the Public Health Service in this regard.
Commending the work of the United States Bureau of Labor
Statistics “ for great good accomplished in establishing figures which
furnish a fair basis to be used in making desired readjustments” of
wage rates.
Urging extension of the jurisdiction of the reclassification com
mission, reclassifying Federal civil service in the District of Columbia,
to empower it to investigate and make recommendations with respect
to duties, wages, salaries, hours, and titles of Federal employees
throughout the country.
Calling attention of Congress to extension of the control of meat
packers over preparation and sale of unrelated food products, and
supporting the Federal Trade Commission program of remedial legis
lation with respect to the meat-packing industry.
Affirming the belief of the convention that the people of Iieland
should be accorded right of self-determination; asking the United
States Senate to request the American Peace Mission to secure a
hearing before the Peace Conference for representatives of the
“ Irish Republic” and urging Congress to give recognition to the
government of the “ Republic of Ireland.”
Declaring in favor of public ownership and control of the rail
roads and instructing the executive council to cooperate with the
railroad brotherhoods in their effort to reorganize railroad industry
along lines of the so-called “ Plum plan.”
Urging withdrawal at the earliest possible moment of all United
States troops from Russian soil; refusing indorsement of the soviet
government of Russia “ or any other form of government in that
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
245
country until the peoples of Russia, through a constituent or other
form of national assembly, representing all of the people, through
popular elections, shall have reestablished a truly democratic form
of government.”
Opposing the movement for a general strike in protest against
delay in according a new trial to Thomas J. Mooney, San Francisco
labor leader; hut instructing the executive council to give early
attention to devising practical ways and means to secure a new
trial.
Requesting the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries of
the House of Representatives to investigate alleged failures by the
Department of Commerce to properly enforce the seamen’s act;
denouncing hills introduced by Senator Calder and Representative
Gould of New York, repealing important clauses of the seamen’s
act.
Indorsing the McKellar-Keating civil service retirement bilk
Indorsing effort toward the establishment of a minimum wage
for Government employees.
Approving effort for establishment of a Federal budget system.
Approving proposed legislation prohibiting immigration to the
United States for a fixed period of years.
Expressing "insistent demand that immediately following the
signing of the peace treaty all laws in any way limiting or infringing
upon the right of free speech, of a free press, and freedom of assembly,
which wrere enacted as war measures, shall be repealed.”
After some debate the convention indorsed the League of Nations
covenant and the draft convention of the International Labor Con
ference, the vote being 29,909 for indorsement and 420 against.
An amendment, however, wras adopted, stipulating that the action
could not be construed as denying the right of self-determination
to Ireland.
Reports of Committees.
The report of the committee appointed to consider the question
of the shorter work day wTas adopted. The committee in its report
dwelt upon the high cost of living and the unemployment problem
as causes of present unrest among workingmen, noted instances
where the 44-hour week has already been introduced, and expressed
the belief that " it will be but a short time till the 8-hour day, with
half holiday on Saturday, meaning a 44-hour wTeek, will be the uni
versal hours of labor and adopted in all industries.” The com
mittee, however, went further than this and stated, in conclusion:
There is no doubt but that in the near future many organizations will determine that
in order to take care of all of their members gaining a livelihood by employment at
their trade it will be necessary to inaugurate a six-hour day.
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
Your committee therefore recommends further that the executive council lend its
assistance in the fullest degree to any organization seeking to establish a shorter work
day that will provide for the employment of all its members. The organization itself
must necessarily be the judge of what should be the length of the work in the industry
over which it has jurisdiction. When it has decided and established its claim to
shorter hours, no matter what they may be, then the American Federation of Labor
should lend its fullest assistance and your committee so recommends.
The recommendations of the committee on education as adopted
by the convention include the i oh owing:1
Simplification of courses of study so as to afford in the upper years of the elementary
school diversified training for children who can not go to higher schools. These
diversified courses should be flexible, so that pupils will be able to transfer from one
to another. “ We must not compel the child to pay the penalty throughout life for
a mistaken decision made in childhood. Organized labor should demand and help to
secure an expansion and diversification of both elementary and secondary education
so that a democratic equality of opportunity for preparations for the callings of their
choice may be offered the children of the people.”
Hearty support of the demand for well-considered methods of vocational guidance
in our schools.
Vigorous and effective teaching of the privileges and obligations of intelligent citi
zenship, particularly in industrial and vocational courses; and the teaching of English
to non-English-speaking people.
The establishment of complete systems of modern physical education under specially
trained instructors.
Better enforcement of compulsory educational laws and the universal establishment
of a minimum school-leaving age at 16 years.
A thoroughgoing revision upward of the salary schedule of all teachers.
Teachers should have tenure of position during efficiency with no dismissals without
full public hearings before a commission on which the teachers are fairly represented.
Election of Officers.
The officers elected for the ensuing year are: President, Samuel
Gompers; first vice president, James Duncan; second vice president,
Joseph P. Valentine; third vice president, Frank Duffy; fourth vice
president, William Green; fifth vice president, William B. Mahon;
sixth vice president, Thomas A. Rickert; seventh vice president,
Jacob Fischer; eighth vice president, Matthew Wolf; secretary,
Frank Morrison; treasurer, Daniel J. Tobin; fraternal delegates to
the British Trades-Union Congress, William L. Hutcheson, John J.
Hynes; delegate to the Canadian Trades and Labor Congress, Sam
Griggs. The location of next year’s contention was left to the ex
ecutive council.
* These resolutions are given In full on pages 253 to 255 of this issue.
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[548]
The American Federation of Teachers.
By Mrs. V. B. T urner .
NIONISM among teachers, long since an effective force in Great
Britain, is a movement of recent and comparatively rapid
development in the United States. Teachers’ unions, it is true,
have for more than a decade existed in various parts of the country
and a number of them have been affiliated with the American
h ederation of Labor. But this early unionizing of teachers was
purely a local matter and only in exceptional cases, as for instance,
that of the Chicago unions, did the activity of the local organizations
become generally known.
Gradually a knowledge of the struggle for improvement in salaries
and in working conditions spread beyond local limits, and this fact,
together with the utter inability of the existing teachers’ organiza
tions to meet the pressing need for similar changes throughout the
profession, forced the teachers to a decision that the usual type of
teachers’ organization is not strong enough either in itself or in its
affiliations effectively to meet present-day requirements, and finally
resulted in the fusing of the scattered unions into a national body
affiliated with the American Federation of Labor.
Organization and Growth of American Federation of
Teachers.
The American Federation of Teachers was organized in Chicago,
April 15, 1916, through the initial efforts of the Chicago teachers who
are pioneers in the union movement among teachers, and who, from
their struggles with forces inimical to educational welfare in that
city, were convinced of the immediate necessity for stronger and
more concerted action. The call for the formation of the national
federation was made by the Chicago Teachers’ Federation, the Chicago
Federation of Men Teachers, and the Federation of Women High
School Teachers of Chicago. Similar organizations in New York,
Washington, Scranton, Oklahoma City, and Gary responded by
sending delegates to meet those from the Chicago federations. A
constitution was adopted and officers were elected, thus effecting
an organization of 2,800 members from eight locals, six of which
were at that time affiliated with the American Federation of Labor.
According to reports from the organizers and officials of the
various unions this number has increased during the brief existence
of the federation to 90 locals with about 8,000 members, the greatest
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
activity in organization manifesting itself since January 1, 1919.
In a few cities the teachers are 100 per cent organized. Five unions
in Washington, D. C., represent about 75 per cent of the teaching
force. Teachers’ unions have also invaded the far west. Sixtyseven out of 69 high-school teachers in Sacramento, Calif., are
members of the high-school teachers’ union recently organized in
that city. The San Francisco union has passed the 150 mark and a
State federation was formed May 31, 1919. The Chicago Federation
of Men Teachers has 200 members—a majority of the male teachers
in the Chicago high schools. The Federation of Women High School
Teachers is younger and smaller, having only 60 members. One of
the New York locals numbers 1,000 members, while the teachers of
Memphis, Tenn., are about 90 per cent organized. Three normal
schools have locals, the Milwaukee Normal being the pioneer. How
ard University, of Washington, D. C., organized the first university
local and now has a membership of 38 cooperating with the university
organization in bringing about desirable changes. The University of
Illinois and the College of the City of New York have followed its
example, and according to press reports several of the Harvard
professors are members of a teachers’ union in Boston.
Object of the American Federation of Teachers.
The slogan of the federation is: “ Democracy in education.
Education for democracy,” and its object, as stated in the constitut
ion,1 “ shall be to bring associations of teachers into relations of
mutual assistance and cooperation; to obtain for them all the rights
and benefits to which they are entitled; to raise the standard of the
teaching profession by securing the conditions essential to the best
professional service, and to promote such a democratization of the
schools as will enable them better to equip their pupils to take their
place in the industrial, social, and political life of the community.”
Membership.
Prior to July, 1918, the membership of the unions consisted only
of public-school teachers who had class-room work. Principals or
school officials having disciplinary or rating power over other teachers
were not admitted to membership, the idea being that teachers
would act more freely and independently apart from the usual
restraint of schoolroom supervision.
During the annual convention held at Pittsburg, Pa., July 4-6,
1918, the constitution was amended to “ admit to membership
associations of public-school principals in their capacity as teachers
1 American Federation of Teachers’ Constitution, 1918, Art. II, p. 3.
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M O N T H L Y LABOE BEV IEW .
249
or as public-school employees under such rules and regulations as
may be fixed by the executive council of the American Federation
of Teachers” and in accordance with the provisions of the constitution
limiting such membership. In communities where there are fewer
than 15 principals, individual principals may be admitted to mem
bership in teachers’ locals after the locals have been established
and actively working for two years and provided that their consti
tutions do not forbid the admission of principals. An amendment
making college and university professors eligible to membership in
the federation was also adopted by the same convention. Since
that time organization has taken place among principals and to some
extent in universities, as previously noted.
National Officials.
The officers of the federation, consisting of a president, a secretarytreasurer, and nine vice presidents, constitute the executive council,
which carries out the instructions of the national conventions. A
list of the officers elected at the last convention follows:
President, Charles B. Stillman, Wilmette, 111.; secretary-treasurer,
F. G. Stecker, Chicago, 111.; national organizer, first vice president,
L. V. Lampson, Washington, D. C.; editor of the American Teacher,
sixth vice president, Henry V. Linville, New York City; second
vice president, Mabel L. Rees, Brooklyn, N. Y .; third vice presi
dent, Anita Bailey, Gary, Ind.; fourth vice president, Judith R.
Riddick, Norfolk, Va.; fifth vice president, S. E. Compton, Wash
ington, D. C.; seventh vice president, Clara K. Stutz, Washington,
D. C.; eighth vice president, Carrie L. Colburn, Olean, N. Y.; ninth
vice president, Isabel Williams, St. Paul, Minn.
General Constitutional Provisions.
The constitution also provides that the convention of the federa
tion shall meet annually during the Christmas vacation or at such
other time as the executive council may set, the place of meeting to
be determined by the delegates at each annual convention. Each
local with a membership of 100 or less is entitled to two delegates to
the national convention and for every “ additional hundred members
or major fraction thereof, one additional delegate.” The finances
of the federation are met by a monthly per capita tax of from 10 to
25 cents, graduated according to the amount of annual salary of
members, 5 cents a month being reserved in every case to cover sub
scription to the “ American Teacher,” the official organ of the federa
tion. Charters for new locals may be obtained from the executive
council upon the application of seven or more public-school teachers
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M O N T H L Y LAB Oil R E V IE W .
and the payment of a fee of $10. Since July, 1918, this provision
has also been applicable to teachers in private institutions except
such institutions as are maintained primarily for religious purposes
or as private financial enterprises.
Affiliations.
On May 9, 1916, the American Federation of Teachers was affili
ated with the American Federation of Labor, and, according to
Article XII of the constitution, “ shall permanently maintain that
affiliation.” It is also affiliated with the Women’s National Trade
Union League of America. Each union is or may be affiliated with
its local central labor organization and with the State federation of
labor, as well as with other clubs or federations nonunion in
character.
It is apparently the affiliation of teachers’ unions with labor
rather than the fact of the existence of such unions which has
created opposition to them. Critics of this policy advance the idoa
that teachers are public employees and should not, therefore, ally
themselves with particular social groups. Such action, they con
tend, stimulates class consciousness and thus controverts the
teachers’ stand for democracy.
To this objection it is urged that the majority of children in the
public school come from working-class homes, and that the teachers,
by emerging from their traditional isolation and casting in their lot
with organizations fundamentally and unselfishly interested in
public education, are practically demonstrating their slogan of
democracy in education. Furthermore, it is believed that this
alignment, instead of fostering class feeling, will tend eventually to
break down existing barriers between so-called labor and other
classes, due frequently to misunderstandings or a different point of
view.
The imputation is made that teachers are adopting unionization
merely to increase their salaries. The advocates of the unions con
sider that any improvement in the status of the teachers will equally
benefit children who can not afford any but public education, and
that concerted action for such purposes is legitimate and needs no
defense.
Their defense, however, is that long before the war great dis
content prevailed among the teachers of the LTnited States regard
ing the conditions of their employment—unskilled laborers being in
many instances paid as well; their tenure of position was insecure;
autocratic supervisory methods prevailed; and there was little or
no provision for sickness and old age. With the war and its ac
companying rise in cost of living and increased opportunities for
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251
other lines of work, an economic crisis so far as teachers are con
cerned became imminent. While some were undoubtedly attracted
by industrial opportunities, others were inexorably forced out of the
profession in the interests of self-preservation.
According to an official source,1 the average salary for all public
school teachers in the United States in 1915 was $543.31; that is,
$1.73 per working-day throughout the year or $1.48 per living-day
throughout the year.” The statistics upon which this statement is
based show that a large number of positions paid $400 and $300 a year
and some less. Since that time an effort has been made in different
States to raise the level of teachers’ salaries, but the report con
tinues: ' ‘ddie most roseate optimist we have heard of says salaries
have advanced 10 per cent within the last three years. If that is
true, the average daily wage of the teachers in the United States is
now (1918) $1.63 instead of $1.48.” According to reports2 received
by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics the average increase
in the cost of living in 18 shipbuilding centers from December, 1914,
to December, 1918, was 73.4 per cent. It is apparent from a com
parison of these statistics that a very substantial increase in teachers’
salaries must be had if an educational breakdown is to be averted.
The teachers have no desire to leave the profession, and those who
have joined the unions have come to believe, as previously stated, that
the quickest and most effective way of attracting public attention to
this vital matter of salaries is to organize in such manner as will enable
them to secure a living wage. The material, and incidentally the
spiritual, independence thus attained will, they think, better prepare
them adequately to satisfy the demands of an exacting public.
The American Federation of Labor offered such an alliance. Its
attitude toward the Towner Bill,3 and the educational programs ad
vocated by various State labor federations, notably New York and
Illinois, indicate that labor not only is awake to the needs of the public
schools but is ready to assist in securing, through more complete
equipment and a better trained, better paid force, adequate educa
tional facilities for children of all classes.
To meet the objection that teachers’ unions might be ordered out
on strike, the unions maintain that they are completely autonomous
bodies, their constitution having no provision regarding strikes;
that they depend rather upon “ organization, publicity, and politi
cal action” to safeguard teachers’ interests. The authors of the
1National Education Association of the Unites States. Teachers’ salaries and cost of living. Washington
1918, p. 25.
2 M o nth ly L abor R e v ie w , May, 1919, pp. 166-168.
3 B ill (H. R. 15400) introduced by Representative Towner, of Iowa, at the instance of the American
Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, and the American Federation of Labor for
the creation of a Federal department of education.
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
National Education Association salary report for 1918 have the follow
ing to say in this connection ■}
The literature of the unionist organizations is conservative in tone. One need not
be disturbed by the fear that they will resort to undignified and violent measures.
Unions formed of American teachers may be depended upon to pursue a wise, patient,
and purely democratic policy. Moreover, what the teachers of the country are asking
of the people—their ultimate employers—is not asked in selfishness but in the widest
interest of the people themselves. Public schools are the chief bulwark of liberty.
If the teachers of the country are ruined economically, the schools will fail and de
mocracy itself will be imperiled.
Activities of Individual Unions.
While the necessity of increases in salary is the immediate impelling
motive in the unionizing of teachers, and reports from various locals
indicate that encouraging results are being obtained through such
organization, the activities of the unions are not confined to efforts
in this direction. In one city it is claimed that an organized attack
made by the teachers’ federations upon violators of the tax law has
added $1,250,000 annually to the school revenue. Campaigns for
the protection of teachers’ tenure, for the investigation and publicity
of school-fund expenditures, for a limitation of the hours of labor for
women and children, and against the unreasonable punishment of
teachers, have been successfully carried on.
One of the smaller unions which, so it states, is affiliated with its
local trades council, and which has the recognition of the school
board and the backing of a strong public sentiment, including the
support of the local press, has secured the early hiring of teachers,
together with the correction of an unjust contract, higher salaries,
longer school term, and the cooperation of the school board on
school problems.
Legislation has been urged to increase the State and county
appropriation for educational purposes. Classes in citizenship and in
subjects of direct practical benefit to the workers are being arranged
for the summer months, teachers’ councils have been elected to
cooperate with the superintendents and boards of education on
administrative problems. The ordinary citizen is being brought to a
more intelligent understanding of school problems, and is therefore
developing a more active interest in the personnel of boards of
education.
It is evident from an examination of the various activities of
teachers’ unions that a not unimportant factor of these organizations
is the placing of responsibility upon the teacher to participate ac
tively in civic and national affairs. “ Federation teachers,” says the
1 National Education Association of the United States.
ton, 19X8, p. 20.
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M O N T H L Y LABOR REV IEW .
253
president of one large union, “ are no longer buried in any sort of
monastic or scholastic calm. They have struck out into the great
life current of the Nation, State, and city. They have developed a
broader conception of the functions and relations of the teacher, and
an identification of his fundamental interests as a worker with those
of other workers. * * * There is evident in the federations the
growth of a whole new body of ideals for teachers and a new spirit
of independence and self-respect in their ranks.”
Activities of the American Federation of Teachers.
The federation has held three annual conventions. The first one
met in Chicago, December 29 and 30, 1916, and adopted a program
which constitutes the charter of educational principles of the federa
tion, and at the third convention, which was held in Pittsburg, Pa.,
July; 1918, the constitution was revised and adopted in its present
form and a restatement made of educational needs as they have
developed since the adoption of the original program.
The work of the national federation has largely been along two
lines: Organization and educational propaganda. Two members of
the executive council, the president and the first vice president,
devote practically their entire time to the formation of new locals.
Representatives of the federation appearing before the various labor
conventions and the meetings of educational and other bodies not
only have kept educational needs prominently before the public but
have secured the endorsement of these bodies to educational pro
grams and to proposed local or national legislation regarding the
status of teachers. Delegates from the American Federation of
Teachers as members of committees on education have assisted in
formulating educational programs for State and national labor organi
zations. The St. Paul convention of the American Federation of
Labor held July 10-20, 1918, adopted as a whole the report upon
labor’s educational program written and presented by the present
president of the American Federation of Teachers, and a similarly
prepared report adopted at the recent meeting of the American Fed
eration of Labor at Atlantic City is a statement of the educational
policy of the American Federation of Teachers as well as of organ
ized labor. The report follows: 1
With regard to vocational education, the model laws recommended by the execu
tive council to the St. Paul convention, and the principles adopted by that conven
tion, including the indorsement of the unit as opposed to the dual system of adminis
tration, should be reindorsed. In this connection commendation should be given to
the various States which have enacted continuation-school laws, and to the labor
movement of those States for the part they played in securing such legislation.
1 Report of proceedings of the American Federation of Labor. Eleventh day session, Atlantic City N J
June, 1919. Pp. 14,15.
1 2 7 9 7 1 ° — 19---- 17
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MONTHLY LABOE EEVIEW.
Hearty support should, be given the increasing demand for well considered methods
of vocational guidance in our schools.
Careful consideration should be given to the simplification of courses of study,
especially in the lower grades; but in connection with any movement toward simpli
fication, the committee believes that—
The upper years of the elementary school should be reorganized to afford diversified
training, so that boys and girls who can not go on to higher schools will receive train
ing specifically designed for their needs, and not be compelled as at present to prepare
for a r61e they will never play. These diversified courses should be flexible so that a
pupil will be able to transfer from one to another. We must not compel the child to
pay the penalty throughout life for a mistaken decision made in childhood. Organized
labor should demand and help to secure an expansion and diversification of both
elementary and secondary education so that a democratic equality of opportunity
for preparations for the callings of their choice may be offered the children of the
people.
In all courses of study, and particularly ip. industrial and vocational courses, the
privileges and obligations of intelligent citizenship must be taught vigorously and
effectively; and at least in all vocational and industrial courses an unbiased indus
trial history must be taught, which shall include accurate account of the organiza
tion of the workers and the results thereof, and shall also include a summary of all
legislation, both State and Federal, affecting the industries taught.
The basic language of instruction in all schools, both public and private, should be
the English language, foreign languages to be taught only as subjects in the curriculum.
The provision of adequate facilities for the teaching of English to non-Englishspeaking people.
The establishment of complete systems of modem physical education under spe
cially trained instructors.
The provision of ample playground facilities as a part of the public school system.
Continuous medical and dental inspection throughout the schools.
Better enforcement of compulsory education laws, and the universal establishment
of a minimum school-leaving age of 16 years.
The extension of a free-textbook system to the District of Columbia and such States
and communities as have not adopted it.
Wider use of the school plant, securing increased returns to the community through
additional civic, social, and educational services to both adults and children.
Public forums should be established in every school where there is sufficient de
mand, under the direction of the superintendent of schools, working in cooperation
with advisory committees, representing the various elements in the community.
The educational interests of the children and the future welfare of the State demand
a drastic reduction in the prevailing size of classes.
In view of the demonstration by war conditions of the industrial and educational
value of the metric system, the committee recommends that the executive council
cause an investigation to be made of the advantages of the introduction of the metric
system into this country with a view to determine what further steps, such as congres
sional action, may be advisable.
A thoroughgoing revision upward of the salary schedule of teachers in the public
schools, normal schools and universities, to meet the increased cost of living and the
growing appreciation of the value to the community and the nation of the teachers’
services.
The liberal ungrudging reorganization and increase of school revenues as the only
means of maintaining and developing the efficiency of our public schools.
In order to secure a more democratic administration of our schools, to develop a
spirit of cooperation, and to gain for the community the benefit of the experience
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MONTHLY
LABOE
REV IEW .
255
and initiative of the teaching body, boards of education and superintendents of schools
should confer with committees representing organizations of the teachers’ choice in all
cases of controversy between school authorities and teachers, and should consider
and make official public record of suggestions dealing with the conduct of the schools
submitted by the teachers through such committees.
Teachers should have tenure of position during efficiency. There should be no
dismissals without full public hearings before a commission on which the teachers are
fairly represented.
In a democracy the primary requirement is citizenship educated to straightforward
logical thinking, based on facts established by carefully sifted evidence. The schools
can not develop this essential mental fiber if the pupils are carefully shielded from
knowledge of the topics men and women think about. Secondary only to a citizen’s
ability to do his own thinking, is his ability to make his influence felt in his group and
community by effectively presenting his views to his fellows, and meeting opposition
in a spirit of tolerance. This power of effective self-expression and the habits of tol
erance, and of intellectual fairness toward opponents, can not be formed without
the discussion of topics that give opportunity for their exercise. Therefore in order
to enable the schools to perform one of their chief functions—preparation for active
citizenship—pupils should be encouraged to discuss under intelligent supervision
current events and the problems of citizenship.
.
It is unquestionable that teachers have no right to impose their personal views on
pupils. But it is necessary in some quarters to emphasize that neither do school
authorities have that right. And it is further necessary to ask this convention to
indorse with all its power the principle that men and women in becoming teachers
do not thereby surrender their rights as American citizens, and that inquisitions by
school authorities into the personal, religious, political, and economic views of
teachers is intolerable in a free country, strikes at the very basis of our public-school
system, and can only result in the development of mental and moral servility and the
stultification of teachers and pupils alike.
The right of teachers to affiliate with organized labor is beyond question. And in
that connection, the right of teachers to hold meetings in school buildings outside of
school hours, for the purpose of discussing organization, or of conducting the business
of their organization, should not be questioned. Boards of education have no pro
prietory right in the schools, but are simply trustees for the public, of which the
teachers are a part.
The committee recommends that this convention urge all State and local central
bodies to make a committee on education one of their standing committees, where it
has not yet been done, and to make vigorous effort to secure adequate representation
of organized labor on all boards of education.
The achievements of the American Federation of Teachers, in cooperation with the
labor movement, during the past year, lead the committee to repeat with greater
emphasis the declaration of the St. Paul convention that the most effective guaranty
of democracy and of progress in our schools is the affiliation of the teachers of the
country with the great democratic force of organized labor, and to again urge the
recommendation that the executive council of the American Federation of Labor
and all State and local central bodies give every support to the American Federation
of Teachers in the work of organizing the teachers.
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
Convention of Association of Governmental
Labor Officials, June 2-4, 1919.
MONG recent conventions and conferences dealing with social
and labor problems is that of the Association of Governmental
Labor Officials of the United States and Canada, which was held in
Madison, Wis., Juno 2-4, 1919. The membership of this association
includes employees of Federal, State, provincial, county, and munici
pal departments having to do with the enforcement and supervision
of labor laws. Most of the delegates were State labor commissioners,
factory inspectors, and representatives of the United States Depart
ment of Labor. Twenty-one States, the District of Columbia,
Alaska, and one Canadian Province (Alberta), were represented.
The addresses and papers included such topics as factory inspection,
industrial hazards, women in industry, workmen’s compensation, the
problems of reconstruction, the rehabilitation of soldiers, child labor
tax laws, industrial relations, and the employment problem.
At the business session the following officers were elected for the
ensuing year:
President, George P. Hambrecht, Madison, Wis.; first vice presi
dent, J. W. McLeod, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; second vice presi
dent, S. C. Groeschel, Columbia, S. C.; third vice president, F. E.
Wood, New Orleans, La.; fourth vice president, Miss Ethel Elliott,
Tulsa, Okla.; fifth vice president, J. P. Summers, Juneau, Alaska;
secretary-treasurer, Miss Linn a E. Bresette, Topeka, Ivans.
Among the important resolutions adopted by the association were
those dealing with questions of land settlement, child labor, and the
Woman in Industry Service of the United States Department of
Labor. The text of these resolutions follows:
Resolved, That it is the sense of this convention that land settlement by State and
Government credit aid is immediately necessary to save this country from the neces
sity of importing foodstuffs, and to relieve the distress of underhousing conditions in
our cities.
R esolved, That the United States Department of Labor plan of a rotary fund to es
tablish men on the land, pay them for developing it, and then helping them by long
time credit to buy it on a community farming plan is the most feasible and will bring
quickest results.
R esolved, That we indorse Secretary Wilson’s idea that the land itself should be held
in title of sale by the Government so that the farms improved under Government
credits can not be bought up by large tracts, creating again a new tenantry system.
R esolved, That States should adopt this system wherever land settlements are con
templated.
R esolved, That it is the sense of this convention that the poverty of aged, crippled,
and indigent parents or relatives should be carried by society and not be shifted to
the backs of little children; therefore the poverty clause should be abolished or re
pealed from all child labor laws, and the authority to issue employment certificates
be delegated to one department.
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,
Whereas a Federal division for women in industry in the United States Department
of Labor has been of valuable assistance in helping to solve problems arising out of the
employment of women in new occupations; and
Whereas it is a recognized fact that women will remain in many of these occupations;
and
Whereas the woman in industry service of the United States Department of Labor
can be of valuable assistance to the various States in helping to formulate and estab
lish standards of employment for women: Therefore be it
Resolved, That Congress be urged to continue the woman in industry service in the
United States Department of Labor and appropriate sufficient funds for this work.
Convention of Danish Cooperative Trade-Unions.
HE United States minister at Copenhagen, Denmark, reports 1
that on April 25, 26, and 27, 1919, there was held in that city
T
a general meeting of the Danish cooperative trade-unions, which
embrace about 255,000 organized laborers. The gathering was
attended by 456 representatives from the various Danish industries
and also by delegates from German, Swedish, and Norwegian labor
unions.
The chairman reported that the period 1916 to 1918, inclusive, had
been one of phenomenal growth in the movement, the number of
organizations increasing from 51 to 54, the number of local unions
from 1,315 to 2,367, and the number of members from 132,000 to
255,150, the last figure representing an increase of 93.3 per cent.
Classified by trade a large part of the increased membership is as
follows:
MEMBERS OF D ANISH COOPERATIVE TR ADE UNIONS IN SPECIFIED TR ADES, 1915
AND 1918, AN D P E R CENT OF INCREASE IN 1918.
Number of mem
bers in—
Trade.
1915
1918
4,200
44.000
14.000
7^000
5'000
3 ; 000
3.000
4.000
30.000
81.000
19 ; 000
9,000
13,000
9 ; 000
5,000
10,000
1 Dispatch of May 10, 1919, transmitted to this Bureau by the State Department.
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Per cent
ofincrease.
614.3
84.1
35.7
28. 6
160.0
200.0
66.7
150.0
258
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
Resolutions Adopted.
A deputation was appointed to place before the Danish Parliam ent
the following resolutions, adopted a t the meeting:
1. The immediate introduction of a maximum working day of 8 hours is demanded.
2. Young persons between 14 and 18 years of age should not be employed more
than 6 hours a day and should have the same lunch hour as adult laborers. They
should not be employed between 8 p .m . and 6 a .m ., nor on Sundays or other holidays.
Nor should they be employed in industries dangerous to the health. Vocational and
continuation training should be established in the interest of such young workers,
regardless of sex. The training should not be neglected because given during working
hours. In such cases the necessary freedom should be granted.
8. The maximum working time of adult women should be fixed at 44 hours per
week, or 8 hours on each of five days and 4 hours, concluding at noon, on Saturdays.
As a general rule women should not be employed on Sundays.
4. The working time of adult men should be fixed at 48 hours per week.
5. In addition, the following rules should be established with regard to adult men
and women laborers:
No work should be allowed between 8 p . m. and 6 a. m. unless in the public interest
or on technical grounds.
Industries dangerous to the health should be subject to special examination.
Laborers, as well as employers, should be forbidden to carry out, or to arrange for
the carrying out, of work belonging to their own undertaking after the conclusion of
the working hours.
A further resolution was adopted calling for the introduction, in
1920, of summer vacations in the various industries.
—
---------------------------------------
Scandinavian-Finnish Sociopolitical Conference.
CCORDING to a dispatch from the United States minister at
A
Copenhagen, transmitted to this Bureau by the State Depart
ment, there was held in that city on April 25 to 29, 1919, simul
taneously with the meeting of Danish trade-unions,1 a ScandinavianFinnish Sociopolitical Conference, which was attended by representa
tives of social organizations and by Government officials of Denmark,
Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
Some of the principal social topics which were discussed at the
conference were sickness insurance, accident insurance, old-age
pensions, unemployment insurance, lim itation of working hours,
protection of children and young people, exchange of information
concerning legislation for the purpose of establishing uniform prin
ciples as well as of creating an understanding among the Scandi
navian countries, including Finland and Iceland, with regard to
international negotiations.
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MONTHLY LABOE EEVIEW.
259
At a plenary meeting which was held on April 28 it was concluded
to create a permanent Scandinavian commission, to include repre
sentatives of employers and laborers in an equal number, as well as
representatives of other parties whose interests may fall within the
scope of the functions of this commission. In this connection the
dispatch says:
The commission should be summoned at least once a year and it may form sub
committees, consisting of members from the main commission, to discuss certain
questions. It may also request the governments to appoint experts to enter the
commission or to form special commissions to discuss and examine particular questions.
In case a vote is to be taken within the commission each country possesses one vote
and a majority decides.
The five delegations should each establish a secretariat which should cooperate with
each other.
The object of such a collaboration shall first, of all be that of carrying on a reciprocal
work of enlightenment. With this idea in mind the commission recommended to the
Governments that the social authorities in the individual countries be empowered to
negotiate directly with each other to the greatest possible extent and that each of the
five Governments cause uniform social statistics to be established in their countries,
and that the task of considering the question of issuing a mutual sociopolitical period
ical be assigned to the commission.
Independent of the permanent commission, it was decided to form as soon as pos
sible a “ special commission,” consisting of five representatives from each of the
countries. The purpose of this commission w ill be that of vindicating the socio
political interest of the Scandinavian countries, especially at the contemplated con
ference in Washington.
While all of the aforenamed questions were dealt with by one committee, another
committee was concerned with the question of working hours.
The committee taking up the question of working hours decided
to make the following recommendations to the authorities in the
Scandinavian countries, including Finland and Iceland:
To recognize in principle that eight hours per day or 48 hours per week are the
highest effective working hours in the industries, and minor industries, as well as
in the economic enterprises of the State or community.
That the question of night work and work on Sundays be made the subject of a close
examination with the purpose of limiting such working hours to industries where it is
required on technical grounds.
That rules be laid down that children under 14 years of age should not be employed
in the industries in question and that young men and women between 14 and 18 years
should only be engaged in work which does not constitute a menace to their physical
development, and on the condition that their school training and other training may
be continued in a satisfactory manner.
A third committee, which was charged with the questions of
employment, assignment of work and insurance against accidents,
recommended:
That steps be taken on the part of the community, by planning and organizing work,
to counteract unemployment and that support from the side of the Government or
municipalities to unemployed laborers in the shape of money—whether this be effected
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MONTHLY LABQE EE VIEW.
through insurance or in any other way—should only be rendered to persons unem
ployed against their will.
That in so far as contributions are made by the Government or by the municipali
ties, the insurance against unemployment should be organized in such a manner that
the public may exercise an effective control with the insurance, especially by estab
lishing a close collaboration between the latter and the public bureau for the assign
ment of work.
That the assignment of work should take place, to the greatest possible extent,
through public offices or offices controlled by the public and which do not carry on the
assignment of work as a trade.
The dispatch notes that in a report which was made by the com
mittee in connection with the insurance question it was suggested
that laborers who are citizens of one of the five countries be placed
on equal footing, with regard to indemnities, with the laborers of any
of these five countries in which they may reside.
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LABOR BUREAUS.
Department of Labor in Brazil.1
compliance with an act of the National Congress of
ItoNreorganize
conferring specific authority on the President of the
the public service bureau under the title of the national
Brazil
Republic
department of labor, a decree was issued on October 16, 1918, pro
viding as follows:
Among the duties of this branch of the Government service are
the following: (a) To prepare and execute all rules and regulations
relative to labor in general; (b ) to supervise immigration; (c ) to
supervise colonization, both native and foreign; and (d) to regulate
and inspect all matters relating to agricultural interests.
The department is composed of three bureaus: (1) Labor legisla
tion, inspection, and statistics; (2) bureau of colonization and public
lands; and (3) bureau of immigration, emigration, administration,
agriculture, and accounting for the department. Each bureau is
composed of two sections.
The office of superintendent of immigration of the port of Rio de
Janeiro is abolished and the duties formerly belonging to that office
are transferred to the third bureau of the new department, and the
supervision and lodging of immigrants at the Island of Flores shall
hereafter be exercised by the chief of that bureau.
The present chiefs of sections in the public service bureau shall be
transferred to positions as chiefs of divisions in the new department.
Including the administrative officials, 69 positions are provided.
This number may be increased from time to time as the executive
may consider it necessary for the good of the service.
All employees receiving a salary exceeding 7,200 milreis2 ($1,980)
are appointed by the President of the Republic. Those receiv
ing a salary exceeding 2,400 milreis ($616) and up to and including
7,200 milreis are certified by the minister, and those receiving 2,400
milreis or less are designated by the director of the department.
The appointment of the director shall be approved by the Minister
of Agriculture, Industry, and Commerce and also by the Minister of
Internal Affairs.
The appropriation for the first year’s operation is limited to 508,920
milreis ($139,953). It is proposed that the department shall
publish a quarterly bulletin.3
1 Diario Official, Rio de Janeiro, Oct. 29,1918.
2 The figures given are in Brazilian money, the exchange value of which, according to United States
Treasury Department Circular No. 1, was 27.5 cents in July 1,1919, and conversions are made on this
basis.
3 See M o n th ly L a b o r R e v ie w for August, 1918, p. 241.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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261
CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION.
Work of National War Labor Board for Year
Ending May 31, 1919.1
HE National War Labor Board was created as part of the war
machinery of the country and it is passing out of existence as
the need for war machinery is passing. Its existence has covered a
term of barely 13 months, only one-half of which was a period of
active hostilities. During that period the board developed by the
force of circumstances into a supreme court of industry. As to its
success in such a role there can be no reasonable doubt. Over and
over again it has demonstrated its effectiveness in adjusting industrial
disputes and thereby securing maximum production, when such dis
putes menaced the success of the war. By the nature of its organiza
tion and the character of the principles followed, it has also almost
invariably been able to secure adjustment on a basis of right and
justice that appealed as such to the judgment of all fair-minded men.
Disposition of‘Cases.
From April 30, 1918, to May 31, 1919, the date of this report, the
board has received 1,270 cases, 25 of which were consolidated with
other cases, leaving 1,245 separate controversies which had to be
passed upon by the board. Of these 1,245 cases, 706 (57 per cent)
have been referred to other agencies having primary jurisdiction or
have been dismissed because of voluntary settlement, lack of juris
diction, or for other reasons; 77 (6 per cent) are pending or remain on
the docket as undisposed of because of divided vote or suspension;
while in the remaining 462 cases (37 por cent) awards or findings have
been handed down. In addition the board made 58 supplementary
decisions in cases where action had already been taken, making a total
of 520 formal awards or findings. This record within a period of
less than 13 months is one which unquestionably has never been ap
proached by any similar agency in the history of industry.
t National War Labor Board. Memorandum Report of the Secretary as to the work of the Board for
the 12 months ending May 31,1919. Washington, 1919. 16 p p .
262
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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263
M O N T H L Y LABOR REV IEW .
Jin analysis of the disposition of the 1,245 cases referred to is given
in the following table:
Statement showing disposition of cases before the National War Labor Board to M ay 31,
1919.
Complaints received:
Joint submissions...............................................................................
193
E x parte.
................................................................................. 1,052
Total.................................................................................................. 1, 245
Disposition of cases:
Awards and findings made............................................................... 2 462
Dismissed.............................................................................................
391
Referred................................................................................................
315
Pending................................................................................................
23
Remaining on docket because board unable to agree................ 3 53
Suspended............................................................................................
1
Total.................................................................................................. 1, 245
* Not Including 58 supplementary awards, etc., in cases in which action had already been taken.
8 These 53 cases represent actually only 3 case groups, as c ne of the case groups involves 51 docket
numbers.
As to the 315 cases which were received by the board and referred
to other boards and agencies having original jurisdiction, the follow
ing table shows the number referred to each specified agency:
Number of cases referred to each specified agency.
Department of Labor, Division of Conciliation..................................
Department of Labor, Employment Service.......................................
Railroad Administration, Division of Labor........................................
Navy Department......................................................................................
Treasury Department................................................................................
Post Office Department............................................................................
Emergency Fleet Corporation, Industrial Relations D ivision.........
Emergency Fleet Corporation, Labor Adjustment Board.................
War Industries Board................................................................................
War Labor Policies Board........................................................................
Fuel Administration..................................................................................
Federal Oil Inspection Board.................................................................
War Department, various divisions.......................................................
War Department, Quartermaster General.....................................
Army Ordnance, Industrial Relations Section...................................
Signal Corps and Aircraft Production Board.......................................
Board members...........................................................................................
Officers of international unions..............................................................
164
1
13
6
1
8
4
6
3
1
6
1
24
8
29
20
10
10
Total..................................................................................................
315
I t will bo seen from the foregoing analysis that more than one-half
of the complaints referred were sent to the Division of Conciliation
of the Department of Labor with the object in view of having the
differences adjusted, if possible, without recourse to formal proceed
ings before the board.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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264
M O N T H L Y LABOR REV IEW .
Of the cases removed from the docket of the board without action
by formal award or finding, the greater number were dismissed with
out prejudice because of lack of prosecution or because the board was
advised that the parties involved had entered into a formal agreement
and no further action by the board was necessary. The following
table shows in detail the number of cases removed for each reason
specified:
Cases rem oved f r o m docket f o r reasons specified.
Lack of jurisdiction....................................................................................
Lack of agreement.....................................................................................
Lack of prosecution...................................................................................
Voluntary settlement between parties..................................................
Withdrawal..................................................................................................
93
11
159
116
12
Total......................................................................................................
391
I t should be noted that cases removed from the docket required in
many instances as careful consideration by the board or its staff as
those cases in which formal awards or findings were made.
Analysis of the Work of the Board by Months, May, 1918, to
May, 1919.
An interesting insight into the volume of work which might have
been developed by the board had not the armistice been signed, is set
forth in the following table, which furnishes a review of the work of
the board by months during the 13 months ending with May 31, 1919:
Cases placed on docket.
Month.
Joint
submis Exsions. parte.
Total.
Awards and findings made.
Indus Public
utili
trial.
ties.
Total.
Supple
ment Total
ary ac actions.
tions.
May to July..............................................
A ugust. . . ..............................................
September................................................
October......................................................
November.................................................
December..................................................
January......................................................
February...................................................
March.........................................................
April..........................................................
M ay............................................................
39
18
24
13
9
3
15
1
4
208
96
180
133
251
55
78
70
1
4
1
246
125
219
151
275
68
87
73
16
5
5
13
4
8
14
17
17
43
35
114
79
15
12
21
8
12
12
7
9
1
26
38
25
55
47
121
88
16
3
3
9
10
6
11
11
3
53
132
99
19
T otal...............................................
193
a , 077
U, 270
359
103
462
58
520
38
21
29
41
34
1 Including 25 docket numbers consolidated.
The rapid expansion of the work of the board during the period
of actual hostilities is at once apparent from an examination of the
foregoing table. At the time of the signing of the armistice the board
had acted on 455 cases but had made only about 72 formal awards and
findings, due to the fact that special attention had been given to
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[566]
M O N T H L Y LABOE REV IEW .
265
important cases involving the production of large quantities of
munitions, ordnance, and essential war materials. After the signing
of the armistice a resolution of the board provided that no' new cases
except joint submissions would be received by the board after
December 5, 1918. Altogether there have been received during
the six months since the armistice only 423 new cases, as compared
with 847 cases entered on the docket during the six months prior to
the armistice. During the six months period since the armistice the
board has acted bn the 375 cases which were pending when the
armistice was signed as well as approximately 400 new cases which
have been docketed.
Scope of the Board's Awards.
A careful tabulation of the data in the files shows that up to
May 22 the awards and findings of the board (excluding 11 for which
the information is lacking) directly affected 1,084 establishments
employing 669,496 persons, of whom 80,271 were employees of street
railways. These numbers, it is to be emphasized, include only those
persons who were specified directly in the terms of the decisions.
In very many cases the decision was applied in practice to other
employees of a plant than those in whose names the controversy was
filed.
Of still more importance is the fact that very frequently a decision
in regard to one company was accepted by other companies similarly
situated. The information on this point is very limited, but it is
known that in very many instances controversies were settled volun
tarily or by other adjustment agencies on, the lines laid down by
existing decisions of the board. Thus it is known that the decision
of the board in the Bridgeport case was accepted and applied in the
plants of the Remington Arms Co. in other places; and that the
street railway decisions have been the basis of voluntary adjustment
in Philadelphia, Washington, and many other cities.
Indeed, the “ principles ” of the National War Labor Board as laid
down by the conference board and as interpreted by the War
Labor Board had a vastly wider influence and acceptance than
indicated by any mere numerical statement of the persons directly
affected by the decisions of the board. Other governmental adjust
ment agencies—such as the industrial service section of the Ordnance
and other branches of the War Department, as well as the labor
adjustment divisions and boards of other procurement divisions of
tire Government—have used these principles and precedents as a
manual in their own adjustment work. Moreover, the conciliators
of the Department of Labor, whose work during the war has been
of far-reaching importance, averted many difficulties by citing the
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[567]
266
M O N T H L Y LABOR REV IEW .
principles and precedents of the board to the parties in controversy
and working out an adjustment thereunder.
Of special interest, also, is the large number of strikes and lock
outs averted or called off as a direct result of the board’s interven
tion. The exact number is unknown, but the records show at least
138 instances of this character.
Origin of Cases.
<0
The proclamation of the President creating the National War
Labor Board conferred upon it jurisdiction in all controversies “ in
fields of production necessary for the effective conduct of the war,
or in other fields of national activity, delays and obstructions in
which might, in the opinion of the National Board, affect detrimen
tally such production.”
The jurisdiction, as regards subject matter, thus conferred upon
the board was extremely broad, inasmuch as in the reorganization
of industry on a war basis there existed very few business activities
which did not affect, directly or indirectly, the effective conduct of
the war. This is indicated by the fact that the board dismissed
fewer than 50 complaints on the ground that war production was
not involved.
In practice, however, the jurisdiction of the board was greatly and
desirably limited by the further provision of the proclamation that
the board should refuse to take cognizance of a controversy “ in any
field of industrial or other activity where there is by agreement or
Federal law a means of settlement which has not been invoked.”
This provision excluded from the consideration of the board, ex
cept by way of appeal, large groups of cases where the parties con
cerned had provided by voluntary agreement for other means of
arbitration or 'where Federal law had provided other arbitration
agencies. Thus the vast shipbuilding industry had set up by agree
ment its own Labor Adjustment Board; the Ordnance Department
and other producing departments of the Government had provided
special industrial service sections to consider the complaints of their
employees; and the coal mining industry had its labor conditions
controlled by agreement of all parties with the Fuel Administration.
In this way, in a number of the most important industries, means of
adjustment of disputes had been arranged for, and controversies
therein could reach the board only on appeal. The procedure of the
board provided, moreover, that appeals would be heard only on the
ground that the principles of the President’s proclamation had been
violated, or that either party to an award had violated it, or to
determine questions of jurisdiction as between Government boards.
In no case was an appeal permissible on question of fact.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[5681
M O N T H L Y LABOR REV IEW .
267
The cases which came to the board on appeal from decisions of
other boards were very few. Perhaps the most important of these
was the New York Harbor case, which came up on appeal from the
New York Harbor Wage Adjustment Board.
A very large number of cases, however, came to the board by way
of reference from conciliation agencies—such as the Department of
Labor which had been unable to adjust the matters in controversy.
Thus of the 462 cases in which the board made awards and findings
almost exactly one-third came by way of reference from other agen
cies and two-thirds by way of direct complaints to the board. Most
of the cases coming by reference were from the Department of Labor,
but some of the most important were referred by the War and Navy
Departments and had been previously handled by the Industrial
Service Sections of these departments. Such were the St. Louis
cases, the Bridgeport cases, the Worthington Pump case, the Smith
& Wesson case, and the Newark, N. J., machinists’ cases.
It is also of interest to note that of the complaints brought directly
to the National War Labor Board about 12 per cent were made by
employers or employers’ associations; the remainder were made
either by groups of employees or, in the case of union shops, by their
union representatives.
Execution of Awards.
The board was given no legal authority to enforce its decisions.
In cases of joint submission the parties had, of course, the right of
legal redress as in all cases of violation of contract. Otherwise the
execution of the board’s decisions depended on the support of public
opinion, the support of other governmental agencies, and the obliga
tion laid upon employers and employees by their chosen representa
tives in the formation of the board and the drafting of its principles.
Particularly during the period of active hostilities the powers of
the procurement departments of the Government—such as the War
and Navy Departments—were very great, and these powers, as well
as the influence of the President himself, were consistently used in
support of the awards of this board. The most striking cases of this
kind were the Bridgeport and Smith & Wesson cases. In the former
the President told the striking employees he would use the Federal
Employment Service and other branches of the Government to their
disadvantage if they did not accept the board’s award. In the Smith
& Wesson case the War Department immediately took over the plant
of that company when it refused to abide by the board’s decision.
The outstanding fact, however, is that, as long as active war was
on, the decisions of the board were accepted almost without excep
tion, both in ex parte cases and in cases of joint submission. Since
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[5 6 9 ]
268
M O N T H L Y LABOE KEVIEW .
the armistice, and more particularly since the first of the year, the
changed industrial conditions, the questioning in some quarters as to
the board’s authority in the intermediate period between the armi
stice and the proclamation of peace, and the uncertainty in some
minds as to the continued existence of the board, have combined to
create a condition when the board’s decisions have been less spon
taneously accepted.
Hearings by Board and Examiners.
When the number of submissions to the board became so great as
to render hearings by examiners necessary, such hearings almost
entirely supplanted hearings before board members. In addition to
the heavy requirement of considering the testimony secured by exam
iners the board heard only cases of peculiar difficulty or listened to
oral argument in cases in which the testimony had previously been
submitted to examiners. In total there have been 488 hearings held
by the board members and by examiners, hearings by examiners
being 321, or 66 per cent of the total.
The hearings were distributed as follows:
Hearings held before—
Umpires................................................................................................
Full National War Labor Board.....................................................
Recess or standing committee.........................................................
Joint chairmen....................................................................................
Joint chairmen and section..............................................................
Double section.............................................. .....................................
Board and section..............................................................................
Sections................................................................................................
Examiners............................................................................................
20
59
6
46
2
1
1
82
821
Total..................................................................................................
488
During the months of greatest activity examiners’ hearings aver
aged about 15 per week, and in view of the length of many hearings
and their wide separation geographically, this involved the need of
some 30 examiners. Usually the hearings were held at the place of
controversy. This was done primarily for reasons of economy, as it
was much less expensive to send an examiner with necessary assistants
to another point than it was to pay the expenses of representatives
and witnesses to Washington. The policy adopted was to assign
only one examiner to a hearing, except in cases of particular difficulty
or complexity; but this policy could not always be observed, owing
to the need of breaking in new examiners, a process which could be
best accomplished by sending a new man with a more experienced
examiner, in order that he might get practical training.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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M O N T H L Y LABOE REV IEW .
269
Special Field Representatives.
At the outset of the board’s work it was thought that beneficial
results might be obtained by having representatives, designated by
the employers’ and employees’ groups, make preliminary investiga
tions of complaints which were brought before the board. It was
expected that these special field representatives might be successful
in mediating or adjusting differences, or could prepare special reports
as to the facts involved for the consideration of the board. Later
these special field representatives were instructed to assist the
parties to a controversy in preparing their cases for hearings. This
procedure, while sound in theory, did not work out satisfactorily in
actual practice for the reason that it tended to extend or accentuate
the original differences as to which complaints were made. As a
consequence, in the procedure as finally adopted by the board the
use of special field representatives was discontinued.
Administration of Awards.
The policy of the board has been always to encourage to the great
est possible extent the self-administration of its decisions. In prac
tice, however, even the best drawn awards almost always left room
for divergent interpretations. If the differences were small, adjust
ment could be made by correspondence, but in case of major differ
ences the sending of an examiner as an interpreter and administrator
proved to be the only alternative to having the parties bring their
difficulties direct to the board. The demand for such service was
particularly acute in cases where an award provided for collective
bargaining in a plant where collective bargaining had not previously
existed. Often the parties in such cases were completely at a loss
as to how to begin such a system and imperatively needed counsel
with some one familiar with the processes of installing shopcommittee systems.
A large number of awards specifically provided that an examiner—
or administrator, as he came to be called—should be sent to interpret
the award. In addition, a great number of requests for adminis
trators have been received in cases where the award did not specifi
cally provide for the sending of an administrator or where such action
was contingent upon a request made by one or both parties. The
number of administrators available has never been sufficient to meet
all of the requests made. Moreover, the demand for the services of
administrators has steadily increased as more and more decisions
were rendered by the board, and at present there is a greater demand
for such services than at any previous time.
127971°— 19------ IS
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
In total, 180 awards and findings have been administered by the
Department of Administration of Awards. Administrators have
been present in person in 128 cases. The maximum number of
administrators at the time of greatest activity was about 25.
The administration of the street railway awards was susceptible
of a* high degree of standardization. They had a common author
ship—all of them were written by the joint chairmen; they related to
a single industry of remarkably homogeneous character; and, usually,
the employees were highly organized and both parties had been
accustomed to collective bargaining.
The industrial awards, on the other hand, presented a bewildering
variety of conditions, and have, in many cases, necessitated the
installation of elaborate machinery for collective bargaining. A not
able instance of this is the Bridgeport case, where over 60 establish
ments, employing 60,000 persons, were involved. It is of much
interest to note that the system of department and works committees
established under this award has been accepted by both parties as a
permanent institution.
Another striking item in the history of the administrative work was
the statement of officials of the Corn Products Refining Co. (Docket
No. 130) to the administrator of the board, that the expense of the
award to the company, amounting to a million dollars or more, was
more than compensated for by the improved classification of occu
pations worked out by the board and its examiners and by the greater
security of industrial relations secured by the award.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS.
Strikes and Lockouts in the United States, Jan
uary to March, 1919.
to information received by tlie United States
ACCORDING
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 608 strikes and lockouts occurred
in this country during the first quarter of the year 1919.
Inasmuch as many reports do not reach the bureau until several
months after the strikes occur, the number of strikes occurring
during the quarter was probably somewhat larger than the above
figure would indicate. Complete data relative to these strikes have
not been received by the bureau and it has not been possible as yet
to verify what have been received. The figures in the following
tables should therefore be understood to be only an advance state
ment and not to be accepted as final.
NUM BER OF STRIK ES AN D LOCKOUTS BEG INNING IN EACH MONTH, JAN U A RY TO
MARCH, INCLUSIVE, 1918 AN D 1919.
Kind of dispute.
Strikes:
1918................................................................
1919................................................................
Lockouts:
1918................................................................
1919................................................................
Total:
1918.....................................................
1919....................................................
January.
February.
March.
Month not
stated.
Total.
180
172
208
193
293
176
56
43
737
584
8
8
11
8
11
4
4
4
34
24
188
180
219
201
304
180
60
47
771
608
The figures in the above table indicate a diminution in strike
activity each month in 1919 as compared with the corresponding
month in 1918.
Probably the strike that attracted the greatest amount of atten
tion during the quarter was that of the marine workers in New York
City in January, although the general strike in Tacoma and Seattle
in February, involving some 60,000 workers, was the largest. Note
worthy strikes in New York City were those of the furriers in January
and rag pickers in March, each involving 10,000 persons; the 35,000
clothing workers in January; the harbor workers in March; and the
longshoremen during the same month. Other large strikes were
those of the street car men in Milwaukee in January, and in Newark
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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271
272
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
in March; the textile employees in Passaic in March, and in Philadel
phia in January; clothing workers in Philadelphia and Cleveland;
fur workers in Chicago and Brooklyn; the fishermen in California;
railway clerks in the South; the m etal trades in New Orleans; the
cigar makers in Porto Rico; and the miners in Pennsylvania and
W est Virginia.
The data in the following tables relate to the 584 strikes and 24
lockouts reported to have occurred in the three months under con
sideration. A few strikes that occurred during the quarter but in
which the exact month was not stated appear in a group by them
selves.
STATES IN WHICH 10 OR MORE STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS WERE REPORTED AS OCCUR
RING DURING THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1919.
Month not
stated.
March.
February.
January.
Total.
State.
Lock
Lock
Lock
Lock
Strikes. Lock
outs. Strikes. outs. Strikes. outs. Strikes. outs. Strikes. outs.
34
21
6
1
13
12
11
1
g
8
2
2
3
5
1
5
5
1
2
1
1
27 other States and
Territories...............
Total................
35
172
34
17
28
17
1
1
2
8
6
10
11
10
8
12
7
3
5
5
5
7
2
3
43
17
14
5
9
7
5
1
2
1
32
8
193
2
3
3
176
4
119
54
48
43
39
39
23
20
15
12
12
1
120
3
3
55
49
44
43
39
23
20
16
15
14
13
1
1
1
4
1
2
1
10
12
2
12
12
1
11
1
10
10
10
108
584
4
24
1
2
35
8
1
1
4
3
8
2
2
2
3
2
1
1
3
3
Gr.nd
Total.
6
2
43
4
10
112
608
Of these disputes 434 strikes and 13 lockouts occurred east of the
Mississippi and north of the Ohio and Potomac Rivers; 98 strikes and
7 lockouts occurred west of the Mississippi, and the remaining 52
strikes and 4 lockouts south of the Ohio and Potomac Rivers and
east of the Mississippi.
As to cities, New York City had the largest number of disturb
ances—85; followed by Chicago with 20; Philadelphia with 18;
Seattle with 13; Boston with 12; and Cleveland with 11.
As to sex, the distribution was as follows: Males, 406 strikes and
19 lockouts; females, 47 strikes and 1 lockout; both sexes, 69 strikes;
sex not reported, 62 strikes and 4 lockouts.
The industries in which nine or more strikes and lockouts were
reported are shown in the table which follows:
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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273
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
N U M B E R OF STRIK ES AND LOCKOUTS IN SPECIFIED IND U STR IES R E PO R T ED AS
OCCURRING DURING THE FIR ST QUARTER OF 1919.
January.
Industry or occupa
tion.
Month not
stated.
March.
Total.
Grand
Lock
Lock
Lock
Lock
Strikes. Lock
outs. Strikes. outs. Strikes. outs. Strikes. outs. Strikes. outs.
Metal trades...............
( lot hing.....................
Building trades..........
Textiles.....................
Shipbuilding..............
Miners.......................
Food handlers............
Paper makers.............
Streetrailways...........
Railroads...................
Teamsters..................
Longshoremen............
Iron and steel.............
Printing and publish-
45
21
16
4
3
2
1
ii
12
2
1
37
15
3
6
6
2
1
2
2
35
33
15
4
13
3
5
6
4
1
7
1
3
5
3
13
4
1
1
2
4
1
4
2
8
2
8
4
1
9
4
27
1
31
8
193
8
176
1
9
9
9
29
93
2
9
29
95
584
24
608
11
30
1
13
10
1
2
10
1
5
4
43
4
total.
121
87
66
60
30
22
14
13
12
11
10
10
10
110
14
2
1
2
1
3
2
3
2
3
30
172
25
27
IS
8
3
2
5
5
in:?................................
Waiters, cooks, and
bartenders...............
Miscellaneous.............
Not reported..............
Total................
February.
9
Included in the above are 13 strikes and 1 lockout of carpenters,
7 strikes and 1 lockout of painters, 8 strikes and 2 lockouts of black
smiths, 40 strikes and 4 lockouts of machinists, 47 strikes and 3 lock
outs of molders, and 14 strikes and 1 lockout of shoemakers.
In 328 strikes and 13 lockouts the employees were reported as con
nected with unions; in 20 strikes they were not so connected; in 236
strikes and 11 lockouts the question of union affiliation was not
reported.
In 383 strikes and 16 lockouts only one employer was concerned in
each disturbance; in 15 strikes, 2 employers; in 12 strikes, 3 employ
ers; in 5 strikes, 4 employers; in 3 strikes and 1 lockout, 5 employers;
in 102 strikes and 5 lockouts, more than 5; in 64 strikes and 2 lock
outs the number was not reported.
In the 313 strikes for which the number of persons on strike was
reported there were 809,882 strikers, an average of 2,587 per strike.
In 75 strikes, in each of which the num ber involved was 1,000 or
more, the strikers numbered 761,151, thus leaving 48,731 involved
in the remaining 238 strikes, or an average of 205 each. By months,
the figures are as follows: January, 182,846 strikers in 99 strikes,
average 1,847, of whom 13,215 were in 79 strikes of less than 1,000
persons each, average 167; February, 510,498 strikers in 108 strikes,
average 4,727, of whom 17,278 were in 74 strikes of less than 1,000
persons each, average 233; March, 111,621 strikers, in 89 strikes,
average 1,254, of whom 13,321 were in 69 strikes of less than 1,000
persons each, average 193. In 13 lockouts the num ber reported to
have been involved was 4,429, averaging 341 persons each.
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[5 7 5 ]
274
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
The following table shows the causes of the strikes and lockouts
in so far as reported. In about two-thirds of the disturbances the
question of wages or hours was prom inent and in fully one-fourth the
question of union recognition or existence was involved.
For increase in wages..................
Because of decrease in wages.......
Nonpayment of wages................
Increase of hours........................
For decrease of hours..................
For increase of wages and decrease
of hours........................... .•__
Recognition...............................
Recognition and wages...............
Recognition and hours................
Recognition, wages and hours__
Recognition and conditions.........
General conditions......................
Conditions and wages.................
Conditions, wages and hours.......
Employees discharged................
For discharge of objectionable
persons...................................
Nonunion men..........................
Relative to agreement......... .......
For a new agreement..................
Sympathy..................................
Jurisdiction..............................
Miscellaneous............................
Not reported...........................
Total................................
41
1
10
1
1
13
3
2
4
4
1
3
39
8
1
12
18
26
1
7
1
1
6
1
7
2
5
3
5
6
1
2
11
1
2
8
193
129
Lockouts.
37
2
1
35
1
33
2
2
68
1
10
5
16
2
9
68
L,
11
5
19
2
29
1
12
7
6
3
4
36
4
2
1
2
1
9
5
1
8
2
125
37
1
20
19
11
Total
Strikes.
Lockouts.
Strikes.
Lockouts.
Strikes.
Lockouts.
2
2
1
7
9
40
172
37
14
Month not
reported.
March.
1
7
20
February.
Strikes.
Strikes.
Cause.
Lockouts.
January.
Grand total.
PRINCIPAL CAUSES OF STR IK ES AND LOCKOUTS R E PO R T ED AS OCCURRING D U R IN G
THE FIR ST QUA R TER OF 1919.
29
19,
2
21
21
3
5
5
22
2
8
176
4
27
43
3
4
125
584
12
24
137
608
It is frequently difficult to state exactly when a strike terminates,
since many strikes end without any formal vote on the part of the
strikers. The following figures relate to such strikes and lockouts as
the bureau has been advised actually terminated during the quarter,
254 in number; 74 strikes and 1 lockout in January, 94 strikes and 3
lockouts in February, 75 strikes and 5 lockouts in March, and 2
strikes in a month not stated. Disputes terminating in favor of the
employers numbered 64: 13 strikes in January, 22 strikes in February,
and 29 strikes in March. Disputes terminating in favor of the em
ployees numbered 37: 16 strikes in January, 12 strikes in February,
and 7 strikes and 2 lockouts in March. Disputes compromised
numbered 55: 20 strikes in January, 16 strikes in February, 17
strikes and 1 lockout in March, and 1 strike in a month not stated.
In 26 strikes and 2 lockouts, the employees returned to work under
promise of the employer to arbitrate the matter in dispute: 14
strikes in January, 7 strikes and 1 lockout in February, 4 strikes
and 1 lockout in March, and 1 strike in a month not stated. In the
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£576 ]
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
275
remaining 66 strikes and 4 lockouts the result was not reported.
In 6 strikes the positions of the strikers were filled with practically
no interruption in the work. In 7 strikes, union officials repudiated
the action of the men in striking.
In the table which follows the duration of 153 strikes and 4 lock
outs is given. Besides these there were.45 strikes for which the state
ment was made that the duration was short, and 47 strikes and
5 lockouts for which the duration was not reported.
D U R A TIO N OF STRIK ES AND LOCKOUTS R EPO R T ED
FIR ST QUA R TER OF 1919.
January.
Period.
1 day or less.............................................
2 days........................................................
3 d a y s .. .. ................................................
4 days........................................................
February.
March,
Total.
Grand
Lock
Lock
Lock total.
Strikes. Lock
outs. Strikes. outs. Strikes. outs. Strikes. outs .
7
1
4
2
6
Over 3 months........................................
3
1
4
5
3
14
6
2
11
4
1
16
2
T otal..............................................
49
48
1 to 2 weeks.............................................
2 to 3 weeks..............................................
3 to 4 weeks.............................................
AS E N D IN G D U R IN G THE
1
I
3
2
2
4
1
4
1
9
25
5
56
14
13
7
1
2
3
55
13
153
57
4
157
The number of days lost in strikes ending during the quarter was
5,696. The average duration of these strikes was about 37 days.
The average duration of strikes lasting less than 90 days was 26 days.
By months the record is as follows: January, days lost, 1,889,
average 39 days; February, days lost, 1,559, average 32 days;
March, days lost, 2,248, average 40 days. In the case of strikes
lasting less than 90 days, the average duration was 24 days in Janu
ary, 23 in February, and 29 in March. In the 4 lockouts 113 days
were lost.
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[5771
IMMIGRATION..
Immigration in May, 1919.
following tables, prepared by the Bureau of Immigration of
the Department of Labor, show the total number of immigrant
aliens admitted into the United States in each month from January,
1913, to May, 1919, and the numbers admitted in each fiscal year,
1915 to 1918, and in May, 1919, by nationality. The total departures
of emigrant aliens in May, 1919, numbered 17,800.
h e
T
IMMIGRANT A L IE N S ADM ITTED INTO THE U N IT E D STATES IN SPEC IFIED MONTHS
JA N U A RY , 1913, TO MAY, 1919.
1919
Month.
January........................
February......................
March............................
April.............................
M ay...............................
1913
46,441
59,156
96,958
136,371
137,262
176,261
138', 244
126' 180
136,247
134,440
104,671
95,387
1914
44,708
46,873
92,621
119,885
107,796
71,728
60,377
37,706
29,143
30^ 416
26; 298
20,944
1915
15,481
13,873
19,263
24,532
26,069
22,598
2 i;504
21,949
24,513
25,450
24,545
18,901
1916
17,293
24,710
27,586
30,560
31,021
30,764
25;035
29; 975
36', 398
37,056
34,437
30,902
1917
24,745
19,238
15,512
20,523
10,487
11,095
9,367
10,047
9,228
9,284
6,446
6,987
Number.
Per cent
increase
over.
preceding
month.
9,852
10,586
14,105
16,860
15,093
>8.3
7.5
33.2
19.5
>10.5
1918
6,356
7,388
6; 510
9,541
15,217
14,247
7j 780
7; 862
9', 997
li; 771
8,499
10,748
1 Decrease.
Classified by nationality, the number of immigrant aliens admitted
into the United States during specified periods and in May, 1919,
was as follows;
276
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1578]
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
277
IMMIGRANT ALIEN S ADMITTED INTO THE U N IT E D STATES DURING
PERIODS AND IN MAY, 1919, BY NATIONALITY.
SPECIFIED
Year ending June 30—
Nationality.
Irish
................... ............................................................
1915
1916
1917
1918
5,660
932
1,651
3,500
2,469
1,912
3,402
305
6,675
82
38,662
3,472
12,636
20,729
15,187
26,497
23,503
8,609
146
2,638
3,604
10,993
6
9,065
4,376
1,200
4 ,459
2^933
24,263
14,310
2,069
5,705
1667
L767
273
1,390
823
1,877
4,576
964
642
3,140
2,239
791
3,442
114
6,433
80
36,168
5,049
19,518
11,555
26,792
15,108
20,036
4,905
33', 9C9
8,711
154
.599
981
17,198
5
4,502
12,208
953
4,858
1,365
19', 172
13,515
577
9,259
1,881
'676
216
983
948
3,388
7,971
1,221
327
1,134
1,843
305
3,428
94
5,393
69
32,246
5,900
24,405
9,682
25,919
17,342
17,462
3,796
35,154
8,925
194
479
434
16,438
10
3,109
10,194
522
3,711
1,211
19,596
13,350
244
15,019
2,587
976
454
793
1,369
2; 097
5,706
221
74
150
1,576
33
1,179
15
2,200
61
12,980
1,867
6,840
1,992
2,002
3,672
4,057
1,074
5,234
10,168
149
135
32
17,602
17
668
2,319
155
1,513
49
8,741
5,204
35
7,909
2,231
210
24
278
732
314
326,700
298,826
295,403
110,618
lo '.e o o
4 6 ;5 5 7
May,
1919.
587
53
14
14
86
2
154
251
4
2,927
86
1,440
246
62
280
848
145
196
1,138
7
14
3
3,276
1
93
71
5
133
18
789
1,176
5
333
352
27
71
158
23
15,093
Italian Emigration during 1914 and 1915.
statistics of Italian emigration Lave been published
DETAILED
by the Italian Central Statistical Office
( Ujjicio Centrale di
since 1876. The data for these statistics are fur
nished to the statistical office by the district police authorities, who
compile them from the register of passports kept by them. The
latest statistics published1deal with the emigration movement during
1914 and 1915. A brief digest of the most important data for these
two years is given below. The following table shows the general
movement of Italian emigration since 1900.
Statistical
i Italy. Ufflcio Centrale di-Statistica. Statistica della emigrazione Italiana per l ’Estero negli anni
1914 e 1915. Rome, 1918. X X V III, 213 pp.
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[5 7 9 ]
278
M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
ITALIAN EMIGRATION D U R IN G THE Y EA R S, 1900, 1905, AND 1910 TO 1915.
Number of emigrants to—
Year.
1900..............................................................................................
1905.............................................................................................
1910............................................................................................
1911..............................................................................................
1912..........................................................................................
1913...............................................................................
1914............................................................
1915...........................................................................
European and
Mediterranean Transatlantic
countries.
countries.
186,279
279,248
248,696
271.065
308; 140
313,032
245,938
79,502
166,503
447,083
402,779
262’, 779
403,306
559,566
233, 214
66,517
Total.
352,782
726,331
651 475
533,844
711,446
872 593
479,152
146,019
According to the foregoing table Italian emigration reached its
highest point in 1913, with a total of 872,598 emigrants. Owing to
the outbreak of the war, it fell in 1914 to 479,152 little more than half
the total of 1913, and in 1915 it fell to 146,019, the lowest total since
1881 (135,832). As in precedmg years, so also in 1914 and 1915, the
majority of the emigrants from the northern provinces of Italy
went to European and Mediterranean countries, while about 90 per
cent of the emigrants from the southern provinces went to transat
lantic countries. In 1914 the emigrants going to European and Medi
terranean countries formed 0.686 per cent of the total estimated popu
lation (35,858,951) of the Italian Kingdom, those going to transatlan
tic countries formed 0.65 per cent, and the total number of emigrants
1.336 per cent. The corresponding percentages for 1915 were 0.219,
0.183, and 0.402.
As is the case in all other countries, the male emigrants greatly
outnumber the female emigrants. In 1914 of every 100 Italian emi•grants 80.38 were males and 19.62 females, the corresponding figures
for 1915 being 62.71 and 37.29, respectively. The falling off in 1915
of the percentage of male emigrants is, of course, due to the war.
Of the total number of emigrants in 1914, 57,781 (12.06 per cent)
were children under 15 years of age, while in 1915 the number of child
emigrants was 27,956 (19.15 per cent). In the following table the
Italian emigrants of 1914 and 1915 are classified according to their
occupations:
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
279
ITA LIA N EMIGRANTS OVER 15 Y E A R S OF AGE CLASSIFIED B Y OCCUPATION, 1914 AND
1915.
Emigrants.
Occupation.
Number
1914
Agriculturists, woodsmen, herders.....................................................
Brick and stone masons and helpers, kiln workers, etc................
Day laborers on construction and excavation work......... ............
Other industrial workers....................................................... .............
Workers in restaurants, cafés, hotels, bakers, fruit vendors, e tc ..
Commerce and transportation.............................................................
Physicians, pharmacists, midwives, lawyers, engineers, teachers.
Painters, sculptors, draftsmen, engravers, photographers...........
Actors, singers, musicians, etc............................................................
Domestic servants.............................................................................. ].
Housewives.....................................................................................!. ! ! !
Miscellaneous....... .............................................. .........
Not specified......... ...........................................................................
Total.
1915
Per cent.
1914
1915
119,137
61,140
124,155
58,489
4,783
8,119
2,301
1,073
1,607
11,856
19,403
6,662
2,646
22,152
8,952
18,098
31,587
1,091
8,380
1,567
558
949
1,776
19,322
1,946
1,685
28.27
14.51
29.46
13.88
1.14
1.93
.55
.25
.38
2.81
4.61
1.58
.63
18.76
7.58
15.33
26.76
.92
7.10
1.33
.47
.80
1.50
16.37
1.65
1.43
421,371
118,063
100.00
100.00
The foregoing table shows that owing to the war there was a veryconsiderable decrease in the proportion of emigrants who by occupa
tion were agriculturists, woodsmen, masons, and building and con
struction -workers, and who once formed the bulk of the emigrants,
while other occupations, especially that of housewife, are represented
in a greatly increased proportion.
The data relating to the destination of the emigrants show that
in 1914 a total of 167,481, or 34.95 per cent of the entire Italian
emigration, came to the United States and that in 1915 the corre
sponding figures were 51,720, or 35.42 per cent.
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PUBLICATIONS RELATING TO LABOR
Official—United States.
California.— I n d u s tr ia l A ccid en t C o m m issio n .
R e p o r t o n special in ve stig a tio n s of
serious p e rm a n e n t in ju r ie s , f r o m J a n u a ry 1 ,1 9 1 4 , to J u n e SO, 1918. Sacram ento,
1919. 15 p p .
This report was reviewed or pages 247 to 253 of the Monthly Labor R eview for
June, 1919.
Colorado.— B u re a u o f M ines. F iftee n th B ie n n ia l R e p o r t f o r the years 1917 a n d 1918.
D enver, 1919.
206 p p .
Charts.
The report notes that in 1918 there were 1,384 accidents, 47 of which were fatal,
628 serious (time lost over 14 days), and 709 slight (time lost 1 to 14 days), with a total
of 35,708 days lost. In 1917 there occurred a total of 1,780 accidents, 56 of which were
fatal, 703 serious (time lost over 14 days), and 1,021 slight (time Tost 1 to 14 days), with
a total of 37,436 days lost. Considering the great number of inexperienced men em
ployed in 1918 the accident record for that year is said to be a good one. The decrease
in the number of slight accidents reported is said to be due to the growing disposition
of employers to take advantage of the 10-day period allowed for the reporting of acci
dents. If the injured man makes a complete recovery during the time allowed the
accident is not reported to the industrial commission.
The tables show that the chief hazards in mining are falls of ground and falls of
persons. At mills, placers, and quarries falls of persons and falling objects cause most
of the accidents. At smelters the haulage system and falls of persons are the causes
of the most serious accidents.
Connecticut.— C o m m ission on P u b lic W elfare. R ep o rt. H artford, 1919. 136 p p .
This report is noted on pages 224 to 227 of this issue of the Monthly Labor R eview .
I ndiana .— In d u s tr ia l B oard.
R ep o rt f o r year e n d in g S e p t. 30, 1918.
In d ia n a p o lis,
1919, 64 p p .
The report of the Industrial Board includes the report of the Department of Mines
and Mining, which shows a coal production for the year ending September 30, 1918, of
28,795,682 short tons. This coal was secured from 239 mines employing 27,932 work
men whose average annual earnings were $1,424.06. During the year there were 114
fatal accidents, 106 to persons employed in the mines, and 8 to persons employed on
the surface; this gives a rate of 4.08 persons killed per 1,000 employed. These figures
show a big increase over 1917, when the fatalities numbered 66 and the death rate was
2.75. There was one fatality for each 292,067 tons of coal mined. This high fatality
in 1918 is attributed to the increased tonnage and the increased number of days the
miners were exposed to dangers in the mines, and also to the inexperience of a large
number of the men employed. Besides the fatal accidents there were 391 accidents
causing serious, 1,085 causing minor, and 1 causing permanent injuries. The depart
ment recommends the enactment of a number of measures that would secure greater
safety for the workmen.
The report gives a list of industrial accidents classified as to industry, cause of
injury, nature of injury, wage, age, and duration of disability. The number of such
accidents shows a decrease of 12.8 per cent from the previous year. Of t'he accidents
reported 373 were fatal. Classified as to industry the largest number of accidents were:
280
[5S2]
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
Automobile manufacturing, 2,196; iron and steel industry, 3,446; machinery and
machine shops, 2,831; steam railroads, 3,734. The principal causes of injury were:
Caught between objects, 3,572; hot substances, 1,382; hit by fall of objects, 6,875;
dropping and handling, 3,114; striking against sharp edges, 2,436; flying objects, 3,221.
M a s s a c h u s e t t s .- - -B oard o f E d u ca tio n .
D e p a rtm e n t o f U n iversity E x te n s io n . E n g
lish f o r A m e rica n citizenship. S u g gested p la n s through w hich in d u stry can assist
in p ro m o tin g good citizenship.
B o sto n , J u ly , 1918. 12 p p .
B u lle tin .
Vol
3, N o . 4. W hole N o . 16.
--------------------- The F ederal-State program f o r im m ig ra n t education.
to n , Ja n u a ry , 1919.
20 p p .
B u lle tin .
V ol. 4, N o . 1.
(R e p r in t.)
W hole N o . 19.
B o s
----- B u re a u o f S ta tistics.
S ta tistics o f labor o rganization s i n M assachusetts, 1916 a n d
1917. N ovem ber 1 ,1 9 1 8 . B o sto n , 1919. 54 p p . L abor B u lle tin N o . 126. (B e in g
P a rt 4 o f the a n n u a l report o n the statistics o f labor f o r 1918.)
Contains data on the number and the membership of labor organizations in Massa
chusetts at the close of 1916 and 1917, and on the unemployment of organized work
men. According to the report there were 1,460 local unions in the State in 1917, as
compared with 1,416 in 1916. Of these, 308 were in Boston, an increase of 15 over
1916. The total membership in the State is given as 277,720, an increase of 20,713,
or 8.1 per cent, over 1916. Of the total membership, 238,846 were males and 38,874
females. The male membership shows an increase of 13,151, or 5.8 per cent, and the
female membership an increase of 7,562, or 24.2 per cent, over 1916. The member
ship in Boston is given as 105,779, an increase of 5,257 over 1916.
The report states that the number of unemployed at the close of 1917 was 14,900
or 7 .4 per cent of the membership of the unions reporting, as compared with 10,313,
or 6 per cent, at the close of 1916. Of this number 7,131 were idle owing to lack of
Work. The percentages unemployed for all causes in the six leading industries were
as follows: Building trades, 18.5; boot and shoe manufacturing, 4.4; textiles, 3.1;
transportation, steam and electric, 3.4; iron and steel manufacturing, 3.6; printing
and allied trades, 3. 0.
----- S ta te B o a rd o f C o n cilia tio n a n d A rb itr a tio n .
December 31, 1918.
B o sto n , 1919.
98 p p .
A n n u a l report f o r the year en d in g
P u b lic do cu m en t N o .4 0 .
In 1918 this board made 119 arbitration awards in response to 163 joint applications
of employers and employees for its services. Thirty-nine of the cases jointly sub
mitted were settled by the parties through the board’s advice; two applications were
withdrawn and three remained pending at the end of the year. Fifty-nine applica
tions were made for normality certificates (determining as normal the condition of
business concerns having a history of labor trouble); 3 of these were withdrawn, 2
were dismissed, and 54 certificates were issued. The board assisted in bringing
about a settlement by mediation in 163 cases not jointly submitted. The total num
ber of cases receiving the attention of the board during the year was 385.
N e v a d a .—Laivs, sta tutes, etc. S ta tu te s, passed at the tw e n ty -n in th session o f the legis
lature, 1919. Carson C ity, 1919.
637 p p .
N e w J e r s e y .— D e p a rtm en t o f L abor.
B u re a u o f I n d u s tr ia l S ta tistics. The in d u stria l
directory o f N ew Jersey. Cities, tow ns, a n d villages h a v in g a p o p u la tio n o f 100
a n d over, w ith their respective p o p u la tio n s, railroads, b a n kin g , express a n d p o sta l
fa c ilitie s ; also a lphabetically arranged list o f articles m a n u fa c tu red i n N e w Jersey,
w ith n am es o f fir m s a n d location o f factories, cities a n d to w n s o fferin g special
in d u stria l o p p o rtu n itie s. (R evised every third year; n e x t issue, 1921.) T renton,
1918. 882 p p . M ap.
N e w Y o r k .— R eco n struction C om m ission.
P re lim in a ry report o n dem obilization, W ar
D e p a rtm e n t regulations, a n d u n e m p lo y m e n t i n N e w Y o rk C ity. A p r i l 7, 1919.
A lb a n y , 1919. 6 p p . ^
A preliminary report on the relation of demobilization to unemployment in New
York State, the study of which had its origin in the published estimates of employ
ment workers in New York C itv that 25 V 9Q per cent of the soldiers applying for
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
15S3]
282
M O N T H L Y LABOR REV IEW .
jobs had never before lived or worked in that city. Figures gathered in February
by placement agencies indicate that this is true of less than 2 per cent of all discharged
soldiers registered for work. It is suggested, however, that the passage through the
city of men resident up-State or in Connecticut or Rhode Island may result in an
undue proportion remaining in the metropolis, so current watch will be kept of the
situation and requests will be made to the War Department for the establishment
of sub demobilization points if the unemployment situation warrants.
N e w Y o r k .— R e c o n stru c tio n C o m m issio n .
e m p lo ym en t.
A p r i l 14, 1919.
R ep o rt on business rea djustm ent a n d u n
A lb a n y , 1919. 21 p p .
A summary of the replies to various questionnaires sent out by the commission in
order to substantiate estimates of the trend of business. The report deals principally
with the building trades and public improvements, but to some extent with industry
in general which would be favorably affected by a stimulation of public works. The
rise in the prevailing rates of wages in the several building trades in New York City
is indicated in the following table taken from the report:
PR E V A IL IN G R A T E S OF W AGES 2 IN THE B U IL D IN G T R A D E S, NEW YO R K CITY, 1915
TO 1919.
Occupation.
1915
1916
1917
1918
$6.00
5.00
5.50
5.50
5.50
5.00
5.00
5.50
5.00
5.30
5.30
4.50
5. 20
4.80
$6.00
5.00
5.50
5.50
$6.00
5.50
5.00
5.00
5.50
5.00
5.50
5.30
4. 50
5.28
4.80
5.00
5.00
26.00 2$7.00
6.00
6.00
6.00 6.00
6.00
6.00 7.50
5.50
27.00
6.00
6.00
6.00
6.00
6.00
5.60
5.50
5.80
4.50
5 52
5.20
1919
$7.00
5.60
6.25
5.60
5.60
6.50
5.60
6.40
4.50
6.80
7.00
5.00
6.80
6.00
6.00
6.00
6.00
1This does not take into consideration the high rates, overtime, and piece rates paid on war construction
work.
2Independent builders, $6.50.
------------- R ep o rt o n p u b lic im p ro vem en ts i n progress, n o t started, a n d contem plated,
co u n ty roads a n d to w n highw ays.
A p r i l 14, 1919, 23 p p .
1919, 28 p p . A lb a n y , 1919. 2 pa m p h lets.
C ities.
A p r i l 14,
Tabulations of the figures of city and of road and highway improvements in New
York State, in progress or contemplated, by location, character, finances, date, and
nature of contract.
—— ----- R ep o rt o n the h o u sin g emergency i n N e w Y o rk C ity, M ay 10, 1919.
w ritte n pages.
pages.
R ep o rt i n re re lie f f o r h o u sin g shrotage.
4 typ e
J u n e 2 ,1 9 1 9 .2 typ e w ritte n
The first of these reports gives briefly the results of the commission’s investigation
of housing conditions in New York City, which consisted of the detailed examination
of 34 square blocks in various sections of Manhattan, Bronx, and Brooklyn, covering
approximately 35,000 apartments, which house at least 175,000 persons. Rents in
a certain block containing over 850 apartments were found to have increased from
15 to 25 per cent. In innumerable cases rents under lessees were higher than under
owners.
The rising rents are said to be only a symptom, the disease being actual shortage
of houses. The only way to meet the situation, the confhiittee states, is to begin
building at once, as the scarcity of houses next winter probably will result in labor
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
being turned away from the city, to the injury of business, industry, and prestige.
Furth ermore, the cost of building is not likely to decrease greatly for some years.
The second report recommends immediate Congressional legislation exempting
from Federal income tax, mortgage securities upon real property not used in the
operation of public utilities and bonds of the State land banks, investments now less
attractive than are Government, State, and municipal securities free from taxation.
N e w Y o r k .— R e c o n stru c tio n C o m m issio n .
m atter o f A m erica n iza tio n , M ay 14, 1919.
C om m ittee o n education.
A lb a n y , 1919. 7 p p .
R ep o rt i n the
Recommends the increase, as far as the financial condition of the State will permit,
of the funds of the New York State Department for Americanization; the enactment
of a bill establishing continuation schools for boys and girls at work under 18 years
of age, whether illiterate or not; and the authorization and development of lectures
and stated courses in American institutions and ideals, the use therein of the foreign
tongue to be allowed and even encouraged in order to reach the non-English-speaking.
The executive committee substituted the following recommendation for one sub
mitted by the committee on education: As for persons over 18 years of age who are
unable to read and write the English language, some form of compulsion to acquire
the language should be provided.
O h i o .— C o u n cil o f N a tio n a l Defense.
C onstructive program f o r A m e rica n iza tio n i n
Ohio. R ep o rt, prepared at request o f the J o in t C om m ittee o n G erm an P rop a g a n d a
o f the 8Sd General A sse m b ly . C olum bus, 1919. 24 pp -
Among other things the committee recommends, in order to eliminate the con
ditions responsible for German propaganda during the war, that all non-Englishspeaking and illiterate minors be required to attend school, and that instruction in
citizenship and American Government be given.
R h o d e I s l a n d .— F actory inspector.
1919.
T w e n ty-fifth a n n u a l report, 1918.
Providence,
78 p p .
During 1918, 6,782 establishments were inspected, of which 2,705 employed five
or more persons. The whole number of employees was 187,259, of whom 8,313, or
4.4 per cent, were children under 16 years of age. The report shows a decrease of
5,143, or 4.2 per cent, in the number of men employed, an increase of 4,171, or 7.2
per cent, in the number of women employed, and an increase of 1,066, or 14.7 per
cent, in the number of children employed. Of the 2,933 accidents reported during
the year, 38 were fatal. Of these accidents, 922, including 12 which were fatal,
were caused by machinery.
U n i t e d S t a t e s — Congress. S ta tu te s o f the U nited S ta tes o f A m erica, passed at the
third session o f the s ix ty -fifth Congress, 1918-1919, a n d concurrent resolutions o f the
two houses o f Congress, recent treaties, a n d E xecutive proclam ations. A m e n d m e n t
to the C o n stitu tio n . I n two parts. P a r t I : P u b lic acts a n d resolutions. W ashing
ton, 1919. 1051-1353, Ix xix p p .
----------—- H ouse.
C om m ittee o n E d u ca tio n . E x te n d in g use o f special f u n d f o r voca
tio n a l education. H earing o n S . 5038, J a n u a ry 24, 1919. W ashington, 1919.
10 p p . 65th Congress, 3d session.
———-------------------- To prom ote the education o f n a tiv e illiterates, o f persons unable to
u n d e rsta n d a n d use the E n g lish language, a n d o f other resident persons o f fo re ig n
birth. H ea rin g o n H . R . 15402. T w o parts, F ebruary 14, 15, 1919. W ashing
ton, 1919. 7 2 p p . 65th Congress, 3d session.
------------- Sen a te.
C om m ittee o n the Ju d icia ry.
B o lsh evik propaganda.
H earings
p u r s u a n t to S . R es. 439 a n d 469, F ebruary 11, 1919, to M arch 10, 1919. W ashing
ton, 1919. 1265 p p . 65th Congress, 3d session.
----- D e p a rtm e n t o f A g ricu ltu re . Yearbook, 1918. W a shington, 1919. 760 p p .
A practical article on housing the worker on the farm is found on pages 347-356 of
this issue of the agricultural yearbook. There are pictures and plans and two exam
ples of model arrangements of cottage grounds.
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
S t a t e s — D ep a rtm e n t o f Commerce. B u re a u o f F o reig n a n d D om estic Com
merce. S ta tistic a l abstract, 1918. F o rty-first n u m b er. W a shington, 1919. 881 p p .
P rice, 50 cents.
U n it e d
The section on ‘‘Occupations, labor,and wages ” contains tables showing the following:
Population 10 years of age and upward engaged in gainful occupations, census year
1910, by sex and specified occupations; Strikes in coal mines; Wage earners in manu
factures, 1914, by months, industries, and geographical divisions; Wages and hours
of labor, relative hours per week, relative rates of wages per hour, and relative rates
of wages per week, computed from union scales, 1913 to 1918, by industries; Wages of
hired farm labor; and the number of men employed in mining and metallurgical
industries, 1915 to 1917, and in anthracite and bituminous coal mines.
------D ep a rtm e n t o f the In terio r. B u re a u o f E d u ca tio n . The A m e rica n s p ir it i n education,
by C. R . M a n n .
W ashington, 1919.
63 p p .
B u lle tin N o . 30.
This publication traces briefly from Colonial times through the European war period
the gradual adaptation of American education to the needs of American life. The
subject is treated under the following chapter headings: Benjamin Franklin, the
prophet of American education; The apprentice days; Journeyman’s estate; Indus
trial reorganization; The foundation of technical education; The development of
technical education; and The future of American education.
■
-------------------- A h a lf-tim e m ill school, by I I . W . F oght, specialist o n ru ra l school
practice.
W a sh in g ton, 1919.
23 p p .
B u lle tin , N o . 6.
The report states that “ there are now about 1,025 textile mills scattered over 12
Southern States. These mills employ many thousands of operatives, and around
them have sprung up villages or city suburbs, as the case may be, where the wives
and children and relatives of these operatives dwell. All together this comprises the
population of hundreds of thousands of persons.” The report considers the southern
mill problem in general, and then outlines the work of the T extile Industrial Insti
tute, which was founded in 1911, in the environs of Spartanburg, S. C., the purpose of
which is “ to find, train, Christianize, and prepare leaders for the 500,000 cotton-mill
population in the South.” The school is on a half-time basis, one week being devoted
entirely to work in the mills and the next to study and recitation. The report finds that
“ the average mill school at its best can do little more than provide a fair degree of
instruction in the rudiments of an elementary school education for the youngest
children,” and concludes that the mill-town schools require special treatment for the
following reasons:
(1) Because of people’s general illiteracy and their want of education traditions;
(2) because their poverty requires them to get to work in the mills as early as the law
will permit; and (3) because most of them have recently been transplanted from
agricultural to industrial life. These people need an education preparing them spe
cifically for the broadest social efficiency and for the industrial occupations peculiar
to southern cotton spinning. To this end it would be well to recommend: (1) Special
State legislation in each of the Southern States where this problem is acute, with
provisions for the careful organization, administration, and supervision of the mill
schools in charge of special State officers working under the several State departments;
(2) encouragement of the part-time school, which has already been successfully
demonstrated in the Textile Industrial Institute at Spartanburg; (3) provision for
the establishment of such part-time schools as public schools, considered as part of
the public-school system; (4) organization of these schools to meet the require
ments of the Smith-Hughes Act for Federal aid to schools of this type; (5) special
provision for the establishment of continuation-school classes for the adult operatives
under State and Federal cooperation.
-------------------- V ocational education, by W illia m
T. B a w d en . W ashington, 1919.
30 p p . B u lle tin N o . 25. (A dva n ce sheets f r o m the b ien n ia l survey o f education in
the U nited S ta tes, 1916-1918.)
A review of the progress in vocational education in the United States during the
last two years.
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M O N T H L Y LABOR REV IEW .
U nited States- D e p a rtm e n t o f the In te r io r .
B u re a u o f M ines. B ib lio q ra p h y o f
p etro leu m a n d allied substances i n 1916, by E . H . B u rroughs. W a sh in g to n 1919
159 p p . B u lle tin 165.
’
12 p p .
~ V itia tio n o f garage air by au to m o b ile exhaust gases.
Technical p a p e r 216.
W a sh in g to n
1919 .
Sets forth the harmful effects of the expulsion of carbon monoxide gas from the
exhaust of automobile engines in poorly ventilated garages, and explains the method
of resuscitating a person who has been overcome by the gas.
D e p a rtm e n t o f Labor. R e p o r t o f the Secretary o f L abor a n d reports o f bureaus
1918. W ash in g ton, 1919. 745 p p .
’
The report of the Secretary of Labor was noted in the Monthly L abor R eview
for February, 1919 (pp. 280, 281).
,
C hildren s B u re a u .
M a ternity care a n d the w elfare o f yo u n g children i n a
hom esteading c o u n ty i n M ontana, by V io la I . P aradise. W a sh in g to n 1919
p p . B u re a u p u b lic a tio n N o . 34. R u r a l child w elfare series N o . 3.
’
98
The Montana survey, made in 1917, was the fourth of a series of rural surveys.
Most of the information was obtained by the agents through personal interviews with
the mothers of the county.
~
H o u s in g C orporation. B u re a u o f I n d u s tr ia l H o u s in g a n d T ra n sp o rta tio n
u elected bibliography o f in d u stria l h o u sin g i n A m erica a n d Great B r ita in d u rin g
a n d after the war. W ashington, 1919. x ix p p . (R e p r in t f r o m R e p o r t o f B u re a u
o f I n d u s tr ia l H o u s in g a n d T ra n sp o rta tio n , U nited S ta te s H o u s in g C orporation.)
Represents primarily published material in the reference library of the Housing
Corporation, the library of the Department of Labor, the Library of Congress, and
the Library School of the University of Wisconsin. About 250 references have been
selected from a thousand or more articles which appeared prior to April 15, 1919.
Does not include references on rural housing.
Federal B o a rd f o r V ocational E d u ca tio n . Bee keeping. W ashington, A p r i l ,
1919. 31 p p . O p p o r tu n ity m onograph, vocational rehabilitation series ’N o . 37.
----------— F a rm mechanics, fr o m ta n k or truck to tractor. W ashington, M ay 1919
20 p p . O p p o r tu n ity m onograph, vocational rehabilitation series N o . 36.
’
The Federal civil service as a career. W ashington, A p r i l 1919
27 p p
O p p o r tu n ity m o nograph, vocational rehabilitation series N o . 39.
The g arm ent trades: T a ilo rin g , desig n in g , sam ple m a k in g , c u ttin g , m achine
o perating, h a n d sew ing, exam inin'], W ashington, M ay, 1919. l ’t p p . O ppor
tu n ity m onograph, vocational rehabilitation series N o . 35.
------------- P u b lic a tio n s. W ashington, F ebruary, 1919. 23 p p .
An annotated list of the publications of the board since its organization in July, 1917,
T S h o w card w ritin g . W ashington, M ay, 1919. 11 p p . O p p o r tu n ity m o n o
graph, vocational reh a bilitation series N o . 38.
—
Interstate Commerce C om m ission. B u re a u o f S ta tistic s. C o llisio n s, derailm ents,
a n d other accidents re su ltin g i n i n ju r y to persons, e q u ip m e n t or roadbed, arisin g fr o m
the o p era tio n o f railw ays used i n interstate commerce. J u ly , A u g u s t, a n d S e p te m
ber, 1918. W a sh ington, 1919. 32 p p . A ccid en t b u lle tin N o . 69.
------ Treasury D ep a rtm en t. P u b lic H ealth Service. P u b lic H ealth R ep o rts, vol. 34
N o . 22. W a sh in g ton, M ay SO, 1919. P p . 1171-1241.
Contains an article (pp. 1171-1187) on The dust hazard in the abrasive industry,
by C. E. A. Winslow, consultant in industrial hygiene, and Leonard Greenburg and
David Greenberg, scientific assistants, United States Public Health Service, which
gives the results of careful studies of conditions in two large factories where abrasive
materials are manufactured. In the first factory studied, carborundum wheels and
aloxite wheels are made and shaved on smooth-on lathes. In the m ixing of materials
and in shaving and lathing, considerable dust is produced. An examination of the
exhaust system in use showed it to be defective in many respects, and the analyses
of sam ples of air taken in various positions near the operators showed that large quan
tities of dust were being inhaled, little attempt being made to protect the workers.
In the second factory, which made and shipped crude abrasive material (alundum),
127971°—19----- 19
[5S7]
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MONTHLY LABOE REVIEW.
analyses of samples of air taken from different parts of the factory showed that great
quantities of dust were caused by the operations of crushing, grinding, and handling
materials. Tables are given showing the effect of dust exposure on the tuberculous
death rate, and other tables show in considerable detail the quantity and nature of
the dust in the factories studied, as shown by the analyses made. Suggestions are
made for protecting the workers from the dust hazard.
U nited States— T rea su ry D e p a rtm e n t.
P u b lic H ea lth Service. S tu d ie s o f the m edi
cal a n d surgical care o f in d u stria l workers, by C. D . S elb y, c o n su ltin g hyg ien ist.
W a sh in g to n , 1919. 115 p p . P u b lic H ealth B u lle tin N o . 99.
This report is reviewed on pages 218 to 220 of this issue of the Monthly L abor
R e v ie w .
------ W ar In d u strie s B oard.
H isto ry o f prices d u rin g the w ar. In te r n a tio n a l price
com parisons, by W esley C. M itchell. P u b lish e d by the D e p a rtm e n t o f Commerce in
cooperation w ith the W ar In d u strie s B oard. W a shington, 1919. 395 p p . Price
B u lle tin N o . 2. P rice, 25 cents.
This bulletin, which forms part of the history of prices during the war, planned
by the War Industries Board, aims to show as fully as permitted by the materials
available how the rise of prices from 1913 to 1918 in the United States compares with
the rise in other countries. Comparisons are made between the United States and
13 other countries for a total of 491 commodities, as follows: Argentina, 21 commod
ities; Australia, 66; Austria, 14; Denmark, 17; England, 150; France, 44; Germany
30; India, 24; Italy, 36; Japan, 36; Norway, 18; Russia, 23; and Sweden, 12.
Official—Foreign Countries.
A ustria .—•A rbeitsstatistisches A m t.
A rbeitszeitverlängerungen ( Ü berstunden) i n fa b riksm ässigen B etrieben Österreichs im Jahre 1914-15.
V ienna, 1916-17. 28 p p . each.
Two bulletins of the Austrian Bureau of Labor Statistics containing data as to over
time worked in Austrian factories in 1914 and 1915, respectively. The most important
of these data are presented in the following table:
STATISTICS OF OVERTIME I W O RKED IN AUSTR IA N FACTORIES, 1914 AND 1915.
Item.
1914
Number of factories reporting overtime work..................................................
Number of workers employed in these factories..............................................
Total hours of overtime worked by them ..........................................................
Average hours of overtime worked per worker................................................
Total hours of overtime worked in—
Munitions ana ordnance factories...............................................................
Textile factories.'..............................................................................................
1915
568
115,443
47' 293
4,220' 091
89
398
90,245
48,839
7,315,113
150
1,221,096
1,408,266
3,645,027
1,872,846
1 The legal maximum hours of labor in Austrian factories are 11 per day. Work carried on in excess of 11
hours is considered overtime and m ust be reported to the industrial authorities. A permit is required if the
work extends over a period in excess of three days.
-----------—- B ericht über die T ä tig k e it des K . K . A rbeitsstatistischen A m te s im H andels
m in is te r iu m w ährend des Jahres 1914■
V ien n a , 1915. 20 p p .
The annual report of the Austrian Bureau of Labor Statistics for the year 1914. The
activities of the bureau during that year included the compilation of household
budgets of families of moderate means, unemployment statistics of trade unions, sta
tistics of strikes and lockouts, employment offices, collective agreements, investiga
tions on the shutdown and the reduced operation of industrial establishments, and on
the prevention of lead poisoning in smelters and industrial establishments, and the
publication of the monthly bulletin “ Soziale Rundschau.u
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
A ustria— M in is te riu m des I n n e r n .
D ie G ebarung u n d die E rgebnisse der K r a n k
h eitssta tistik der K ra n ken ka ssen i n den Jahren 1912 u n d 1913. V ien n a , 1916. iv ,
135 p p .
This report, published by the Ministry of the Interior of the former Austrian Empire,
presents morbidity and financial statistics of the Austrian workmen’s sick funds for the
years 1912 and 1913. The report states that the data for 1913 are incomplete, because
79 sick funds located in districts occupied or blockaded by the enemy did not send in
reports. The most important data contained in the report are given in the following
table:
FINANCIAL AND MORBIDITY STATISTICS OF AUSTRIAN SICK FUNDS, 1912 AND 1913.
Item.
1912
Number of sick funds............................................................................................
Total average qiembership................... ...............................................................
Cases of sickness and confinement compensated through sick benefits or
hospital treatm ent..............................................................................................
Days of sickness....................................................................................................
Cases of death compensated.................................................................................
Cases of sickness (exclusive of confinements) per 100 members..................
Cases of confinement per 100 female members.................................................
Average duration of one case of sickness in days (exclusive of confine
m ents)....................................................................................................................
Average days of sickness (inclusive of confinements) per member............
Deaths per 100 members.......................................................................................
Total receipts...........................................................................................................
Receipts from contributions1............................................... .......................
Total expenditures..................................................... ( .........................................
Expenditures for insurance benefits..................................................................
Total assets..............................................................................................................
Average contribution per member.................................................................. "
Average contribution of m em bers.....................................................................
Average contribution of employers....................................................................
Expenditures per member for—
Sick benefit.......................................................................................................
Medical treatment................................................................................” *] "
Medicines........... ............ .......................................................................
Hospital treatment
............................................................................. "
Funeral...............................................................................................................
Costs of administration........................................................................... j ! ”
Miscellaneous....................................................................................................
1913
3,386
3,694,114
1,905,708
32,885,695
30,304
50.1
6.42
1,803,411
31,985,800
27,370
51.8
6.35
16.9
8.90
.82
$19,977,433
18,634,3S5
18,959,591
16,229,647
16,059,127
5.04
! 3.30
»1.67
17.4
9.45
.81
$18,839,212
17,496,976
18,215,393
15,787,716
15,840,293
5.17
3.46
1.71
2.40
.91
.57
.40
.11
.49
.49
2.57
.97
.59
.43
.11
.49
8. 43
3,169
3,383,408
1Includes contributions from both employers and employees.
2This amount, taken from original table, is evidently ah error, as the sum of the average contribution
of members and the average contribution of employers is but $4.97. The correct total is $5.04.
8The original table gives this amount as 1.12 crowns (23 cents), which is evidently an error. Basod on
other data in the table it should read 2.12 crowns (43 cents).
According to the foregoing table the average contribution of each member was $3.30
in 1912 and $3.46 in 1913, while the average expenditure per member for sick and for
death benefits was $4.39 and $4.67, respectively. The excess of benefits over con
tributions of members was met by contributions of the employers.
----- ------- D ie P riva te n V ersicherungsunternehm ungen i n den i m Peichsrate vertretenen
K ö n ig reich en u n d L ä n d ern im Jahre 1912-1913.
a n d 121 p p .
V ien n a , 1916-1917.
2 vols.
242
Two bulletins published by the Austrian Ministry of the Interior giving financial
and actuarial data of private insurance institutes doing business in Austria in 1912
and 1913.
----- S ta tistisch e Z e n tra lko m m issio n .
Österreichisches S tatistisches H andbuch.
Vols.
S3, 34, 35. 1914, 1915, 1916-1917.
V ienna, 1916, 1917, 1918, xiii, 472 p p .; xi,
367 p p .; xiii, 363 p p .
Three volumes of the Austrian official statistical yearbook covering the years 1914
to 1917, inclusive. The contents of these volumes are essentially the same as of
those issued during preceding years.
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288
B e l g iu m .— M inistère de l'In d u s tr ie et d u T ra va il.
la L é g isla tio n d u T ra vail.
17e A n n é e — 1913.
Office d u T ravail.
A n n u a ir e de
B russels, 1919. 853 p p .
As indicated by the title, this volume is a collection of the texts of laws relative
to labor enacted during the year 1913 by various countries.
B r a z il .— L a w s, sta tu tes, etc. Decreto N o . 3724, N o . 13493, a n d N o . 13498. R egula
as abrigaçôes resultantes dos accidentes n o trabalho.
R io de Janeiro, 1919.
24 p p .
This pamphlet contains the text of the regulations concerning the application of
the law of January 15, 1919, on accident compensation in Brazil.
C a n a d a .— B u re a u
M ap .
o f S ta tistics.
Illu stra te d .
Canada yearbook, 1918.
O ttaw a,
1919.
686 p p .
The section on labor deals with Labor legislation; Labor organization; Industrial
disputes; Proceedings under the Industrial Disputes Investigation Act; Fair wages
branch; and Prices. The total trade-union membership reported at the end of 1917
was 204,630, in 1,974 local branches of trade-union organizations of all types. The
increase in membership over 1916 was 44,223, or 27.6 per cent, and the increase in
the number of local branches was 132, or 7.2 per cent. The number of strikes and
lockouts reported during 1917 was 148, as compared with 75 in 1916. The strikes
in 1917 involved 714 employers and 48,329 workpeople, with resultant time losses
to the latter estimated at 1,134,970 working days. There was an increase in 1917
over 1916 of 443 in the number of employers and 27,172 in the number of employees
involved. The increase in time losses was 926,693 working days. The fair wages
branch of the department of labor, which is charged with the preparation of schedules
of minimum wage rates which are inserted in Dominion Government contracts, and
must be adhered to by contractors in the execution of their respective works, reported
the number of fair-wage schedules prepared since the adoption of the fair-wages
resolution in 1900 up to the end of the year 1917 as 3,602, of which 41 were prepared
during the calendar year 1917.
------ F u e l C ontroller. F in a l report. O ttawa, March, 1919. 107 p p . Charts. M ap.
------- ("Al b e r t a ) . — M in ister o f P u b lic W orks.
M ines branch. A n n u a l report, 1918.
E d m o n to n , 1919.
137 p p .
This report states that during the year 1918 there were 317 coal mines, 2 copper-ore,
and 2 shale mines in operation. Of this total 70 were newly opened, 9 reopened,
and 71 abandoned. The total output of coal for the year was 6,148,620 tons, exceeding
by 1,285,208 tons the putput for 1917. The average number of persons employed in
mine work during 1918 was 8,774. During December, 1918, 10,209 persons were
employed, an increase of 397 over the number employed in December, 1917. Twentytwo lost their lives by accidents, as compared with 24 in 1917. Of the 22 deaths,
3 occurred in accidents above ground and 19 below ground. There was one death
for each 279,483 tons of coal mined. There were 16 persons seriously injured above
ground and 44 below ground, and 21 slightly injured above ground and 56 below
ground. Training in connection with mine-rescue work was carried on throughout
the year, there being three mine-rescue cars and six stations in operation at the time
of the report.
— — (M a n i t o b a ) . — W o rkm en's C o m pensation B oard. R ep o rt f o r 1918. W in n ip e g , 1919.
13 p p .
This report is summarized on page 223 of this issue of the M o n t h l y L a b o r R e
v ie w
.
C h i l e . — C entral S ta tistic s B u re a u .
S a n tia g o , 1918.
S ta tistic a l abstract o f the R ep u b lic o f Chile, 1917
146 p p .
——* M in iste rio de H acienda.
E m p lea d o s P ú b lic o s.
P royecto de L ey sobre Creación de la Caja de R etiros de
S a n tia g o , 1918. 170 p p .
This volume contains the reports of various heads of departments and the text of
the proposed law relative to the retirement of civil employees; the text of the law as
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
289
passed by the Chamber of Deputies; the creation of a civil pension fund introduced
in the Senate; law of August 20, 1857, civil employees’ pension, amended September
3, 1863, December 28, 1898; law of September 9 and December 22, 1915, retirement
of soldiers and marines; law for retirement of employees on State railroads, Feb
ruary 1, 1911, and March 29, 1916, amended May 10, 1918.
C h i l e .— O ficina del Trabajo.
B o le tin N o . 11, A n o 8.
S a n tia g o , 1918.
317 p p .
A large part of this volume is devoted to a discussion of the industrial accident
compensation law and the regulations for its application.
The text of the following recently enacted laws is also reproduced: Nurseries for
children of working women; seats in industrial and commercial establishments; sale
of alcoholic liquors; settlement of labor disputes; working regulations in State rail
road shops; mine labor; retirement of public employees; retirement of State railroad
employees; and Sunday rest. A digest of these laws appears on pages 234 to 237
of this issue of the R e v i e w . The final chapter is a study of the cost of l i v i n g ,
----- -—— L e jisla c io n sobre A ccidentes del Trabajo. S a n tia g o , 1917. Ixx, '339 p p .
This volume is a report prepared by the director of the Labor Office of Chile rela
tive to the application of the law on accident compensation. It contains the text of
the industrial accident compensation law, and the regulations issued for its execution.
F r a n c e .— M in istère d u
T ravail et de la Prévoyance Sociale. C onseil supérieur d u
tra va il. C om pte rendu. V in gt-Q uatrièm e S e ssio n — October, 1917. P a ris, 1918.
x x, 36 p p .
This report reproduces the decrees issued between March, 1903, and July, 1913,
' relative to the composition of the Superior Council of Labor, and gives a list of the
members in July, 1917. It contains the minutes of the session held October 8-13,
1917, and also the resolution adopted at this session relative to the resumption of labor
contracts, interrupted by the war, of employees and laborers released from military
duty.
G e r m a n y (W ü r t t e m b e r g . —V ersich eru n g sa n sta lt,-B era tu n g sstelle f ü r K rie g A n va lid en
i n S tu ttg a r t. E i n Jahr K riegsin va lid en -fü rso rg e u n ter besonderer B erü cksich tig u n g
der K rieg sb lin d en . S tu ttg a r t, 1916. 70 p p . 6 tables, 67 illu stra tio n s.
A report of the vocational guidance office for war invalids maintained by the State
Invalidity Insurance Institute, Württemberg, on the résulta of its activities during
the first year of its existence. In addition to statistical data it contains detailed
information as to the methods used by the office in selecting a vocation for the dis
abled man and in placing him in employment. A special chapter is devoted to
vocational guidance for the blind. In an appendix is described a training shop for
armless soldiers in a factory of electrical supplies, and the latest inventions in artifi
cial limbs.
G r e a t B r i t a i n . —Board
of Agriculture and Fisheries. Land Settlement ( Facilities) Bill.
Estimate of probable expenditure. London, 1919. 4 pp. C m d. 132. Price, Id. net.
-------- Board of Trade.
Railway working during the war. Statement showing the cost of
r u n n in g the raihvays in Great B r ita in d u rin g the period o f G overnm ent control o f
railw ays (1914-18). L o n d o n , 1919. 3 p p . C m d. 147. P rice, Id . net.
------------------- Report
upon the accidents that have occurred on the railways of the United
K in g d o m d u rin g the year 1918.
L o n d o n , 1919.
23 p p .
C m d. 166.
This report gives the numbers of persons killed and injured by accidents in connec
tion with the working of railways in the United Kingdom in 1918. In the following
table these figures are compared to those for 1917, derived from an earlier report of
the same board, noted in the Monthly L abor R eview for August, 1918 (pp. 247, 248).
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
NUM BER OF PERSONS K ILLED OR IN JU R E D ON THE RAILW AYS OF THE U N ITED
KINGDOM IN 1918, COMPARED W ITH 1917, SHOW ING PE R CENT OF INCREASE OR
DECREASE.
1917
Per cent of de
crease. 1918 from
1917.
1918
Group.
Killed.
Train accidents:
Passengers.............................................................
Servants of companies and contractors.. ___
Other persons........................................................
Accidents caused by the movement of trains and
railway vehicles, exclusive of train accidents:
Passengers.............................................................
Servants of companies and contractors. .•___
Other persons......................................................
Accidents on railway premises not included in
the two groups above:
Passengers.............................................................
Servants of companies and contractors...........
Other persons............... .......................................
Injured. Killed.
Injured.
260
144
2
8
5
6
463
146
25
850
2,689
263
120
293
367
755
2,570
225
12
0
110
331
368
Total....................................................................
3
46
24
(3 )
5
(3 )
(3)
(3)
39
(3 )
27
(3)
899
‘ 4,208
870
<4,184
1 Increase.
2 No fatalities in 1917; 6 in 1918.
Killed. Injured.
33.3
.0
(2)
1 9 .I
11.5
.3
1
1
1 78.1
1 1.4
1 1150.0
1 1 .2
4 .4
14.4
66.7
15.2
12.5
3.2
1.6
> Data not given.
* Incomplete; see note 3.
B r i t a i n . — C ovim ittee
on P ro d u ctio n a n d Sp ecia l A rb itra tio n T rib u n a l
(Section 1 (2) M u n itio n s o f War A c t, 1917). M em orandum on proceedings o f the
com m ittee on pro d u ctio n , M ay, 1918-N ovem ber, 1918. L o n d o n , 1919, 8 p p .
Cmd. 70. P rice, Id . net.
G reat
------- Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.
R ep o rt f o r the year 1918.
L o n d o n , 1919.
Food investigation board.
20 p p . P rice, Sd. net.
—— E xchequer a n d A u d it D ep a rtm en t.
N a tio n a l In su ra n ce A c t, 1911 to 1915 ( N a tio n a l
health in su ra n ce). N a tio n a l health insurance f u n d accounts f o r the year ended
December 8 1 1 9 1 6 . A cco u n ts o f the n a tio n a l health insurance f u n d (E n g la n d ),
the Welsh n a tio n a l health insurance f u n d , the S co ttish n a tio n a l health insurance f u n d ,
a n d the Irish n a tio n a l health insurance f u n d established p u r s u a n t to S ectio n 54 (1),
82 (2), 80 (2), a n d 81 (2), respectively, o f the N a tio n a l In su ra n ce A c t, 1911 (1 a n d 2
Geo. 5. c. 55), show ing the receipts a n d p a ym en ts d u rin g the year ended December 31st,
1916, together w ith the report o f the com ptroller a n d auditor general thereon. L o n d o n ,
1919. 87 p p . P rice, 4d. net.
— ------ — National Insurance Acts, 1911 to 1916 (Part I I . — Unemployment insurance).
Unemployment fund account, 1916-17. An account of the unemployment fund es
tablished pursuant to Section 92 (1) of the National Insurance Act, 1911 (Pt. I I , )
1 and 2 Geo. 5. c. 55, showing the receipts and payments during the period July 16th,
1916, to July 14th, 1917; together with the report of the comptroller and auditor general
thereon. London, 1919. 4 pp. Price, 1 d. net.
-------- Dome
——
Office. Disabled, men (facilities for employment) bill. Proposed expenditure.
Memorandum on expenditure likely to be incurred under the disabled men (facilities
f o r employment) bill. London, 1919. 2 pp. Cmd. 154. Price, Id. net.
Laws, statutes, etc. Statutory rules and orders other than those of a local, personal,
or temporary character, issued in the year 191 7 with a list of statutory orders of a local
character arranged in classes, an appendix of certain orders in council, etc., issued
under the Royal prerogative, and index. London, 1918. 1249 p p . Price, 20s. net.
•----- L ocal G overn m en t B oard. H o u sin g , to w n p la n n in g , etc., bill, 1919. E stim a te o f
probable expenditure. L o n d o n , 1919. 2 p p . C m d. 125. P rice, Id . net.
—
— --------------- Financial
assistance to local authorities.
o f circular issu ed by the L ocal G overnm ent B oard.
P rice, Id . net.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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I . Draft regulations; I I . Copy
L o n d o n , 1919 - 1 4 p p . Cmd. 127.
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
291
G r e a t B r i t a i n . —L o c a l G o v ern m e n t B o a rd .
H o u s in g , to w n p la n n in g , etc., b ill,
1919. S ta te m e n t show ing existin g procedure (1) under P a rt I a n d P a rt I I o f the
H o u s in g o f the W orking Classes A c t, 1890; (2) f o r co m pulsory a cq u isitio n o f la n d
f o r p u rp o ses o f P a rt I I I o f the H o u sin g o f the W orking Classes A c t, 1890; (3) in the
case o f to w n p la n n in g ; a n d the effect o f proposed am endm ents. L o n d o n , 1919.
8 p p . Cmd. 126. P rice, Id . net.
—
------- ------- S ta tu to r y enactm ents proposed to be repealed, amended, or extended by
the h o u sin g , to w n p la n n in g , etc., bill, 1919. L o n d o n , 1919. 23 p p . Cmd. 124.
P rice, 3d. net.
■----- -------- In tellig ence D ep a rtm en t. The w elfare o f the children o f w om en em ployed
in fa cto ries i n F rance a n d G erm any. R ep o rt. L o n d o n , 1919. 58 p p . P rice
6d. net.
This report was prepared for the Welfare Advisory Committee of the Ministry of
Munitions, but as the committee has suspended its operations it was decided to issue
it for general information. It deals principally with the provision of crèches and
similar institutions in France and Germany for the children of women in industrial
employment, but contains information respecting other measures for the welfare of
women and their children.
----- M in istry o f P en sio n s.
L is t o f w ar p e n sio n s com m ittees.
L o n d o n , 1919. 39 p p .
L is t 2.
R evised to 10th M ay, 1919.
----- M in is tr y o f R ec o n stru c tio n .
L o n d o n , 1919.
16 p p .
R eco n stru ctio n problem s 24.
Price, 2d.
--------- -— R eco n stru ctio n problem s 25.
Tow n
p la n n in g .
E lectrical developm ent.
London,
1919.
20
pp.
P rice, 2d.
—---------- R eco n struction problem s 26.
1919.
16 p p .
------------- R eco n stru ctio n problem s 27.
64 p p .
N a tu ra l science in B ritish education.
Officers' guide to civil careers.
—
L o n d o n , 1919.
Price, 2d.
------------- R eco n struction problem s 2 8 .
1919.
London
Price, 2d.
16 p p .
S c ie n tific
business
m a n a g em en t.
London
Price 2d.
------- ------------- — A c q u is itio n a n d V a lu a tio n o f L a n d C om m ittee.
T h ird report o n the a
sitio n f o r p u b lic purposes o f rights a n d powers i n connection w ith m in es a n d m in era ls.
L o n d o n , 1919. 37 p p . C m d. 136. P rice, 4d. n et.
— ------- ------------- A d u lt E d u c a tio n C om m ittee.
L o n d o n , 1919.
19 p p .
Cd. 9237.
T h ird in te rim report.
P rice, 3d. net.
— ------- ------------- C om m ittee o n T r u sts.
R e p o r t.
L o n d o n , 1919.
L ibraries a n d m u s e u m s
43 p p .
Cd. 9236.
6d.
-------—■
— W o m en ’s A d viso ry C om m ittee.
R ep o rt o f the subcom m ittee a p p o in te d to
consider the p o sitio n after the w a r o f w o m en h o ld in g tem p o ra ry a p p o in tm e n ts i n
G o vern m en t d ep a rtm en ts. L o n d o n , 1919. 8 p p . C m d. 199. P rice, Id . net.
—-— N a tio n a l H ealth In su ra n ce C o m m issio n (E n g la n d ).
R ep o rts o f decisions on
a p p e a ls a n d a p p lic a tio n s under section 67 o f the N a tio n a l In su ra n ce A c t, 1911, a n d
section 27 o f the N a tio n a l In su ra n ce A ct, 1913. P a r t V . L o n d o n , 1919. P p .
251-342. C m d. 134. P rice, 6d. net.
----- N a tio n a l In su ra n ce A u d it D ep a rtm en t.
(H e a lth ) A c ts , 1911 to 1918.
-------- Office
F if t h report, 1918. N a tio n a l In su ra n ce
L o n d o n , 1919. 16 p p . C m d. 63. P rice, Id . net.
of Umpire (Unemployment Insurance), National Insurance (Unemployment)
A c ts, 1911 to 1918. U n e m p lo ym en t in su ra n c e . D ecisio n s g iven by the u m p ire
respecting cla im s to benefit. V ol. 3. N o s. 1001-1500. (G iven u p to 25th J u ly ,
1918, together w ith in d ex f o r all decisions 1 -1 ,5 0 0 .) L o n d o n , 1919. 364 p p .
U. I .
440 A . P rice, S s .n e t .
— -P a rlia m en t.
A lie n s . D r a ft o f a n older i n co u n cil to regulate the a d m issio n o f
alien s to the U nited K in g d o m a n d the su p e rv isio n o f a liens i n the U nited K in g d o m .
L o n d o n , 1919. 19 p p . C m d. 172. P rice, 2d. net.
----- Select C om m ittee o n N a tio n a l E x p e n d itu r e .
P rice, Id . n et.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[593]
F ir s t report.
L o n d o n , 1919.
6 pp.
P rice
292
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,
G r e a t B r i t a i n — Trade B oards A c t, 1918.
5.
Ch. 32).
L o n d o n [1918~\.
14 p p
. (8
a n d 9 Geo.
P rice, 2d. net.
Sections deal with the application of the principal act, provisions as to special
orders, various amendments, and other matters.
-------- ( I r e l a n d ).
Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction.
sta tistics, w ith detailed report f o r the year 1916.
P rice, 9d. n et.
D u b lin , 1919.
111pp.
Agriculture
C m d. 112.
Contains, among other data, tables showing the number of holdings, their size in
statute acres, the number of holdings owned and tenanted, and the division of land.
------ L o ca l G o vern m en t B o a rd. A n n u a l report f o r the year ended 31st M arch, 1918,
being the fo r ty -s ix th re-port un d er “ The L o cal G o vern m en t B o a rd ( Ire la n d ) A c t,
1872,” 35 a n d 36 V ic., c. 69.
L o n d o n , 1919.
I n d i a .— C om m ercial In tellig en ce D ep a rtm en t.
1861 to 1911, expressed i n in d ex num b ers.
I s ., or 12 a n n a s.
70 p p .
C m d. 65.
P rice, 4d. net.
V ariations i n I n d ia n price levels f r o m
C alcutta, 1912. 16 p p . 5 charts. P rice
I t a l y .— C o m m issio n s R eale per il personals delle ferro v ie dello S ta to .
P ro p o ste e v o ti a
su a Eccellenza i l M in istro dei T ra sp o rti M a r ittim i e F erroviari.
V ol. 1, p a rt 1,
x x i x p p . , p a rt 2, 199 p p ., p a rt 3, 221 p p .; V ol. 2, p a rt 1, 104 p p ., p a rt 2, 85 p p .,
p a rt 3, 37 p p ., p a rt 4, 52 p p .; V ol. 3, p a rt 1, 11 p p ., p a rt 2, 81 p p .; Vol. 4, part
1, 132 p p ., p a rt 2, 32 p p . R o m e, 1916.
The employees of the Italian State railroads having for years petitioned the Gov
ernment to improve their working, wage, and disciplinary conditions, a commission
was appointed by royal decree of May 3, 1914, for the purpose of examining into the
conditions of employment of the personnel of the State railroads and of proposing
such improvements and reforms as it might consider necessary for the suitable economic
systematization of the service. The commission was composed of a number of sena
tors and members of the Lower House of Parliament, high railroad officials, and rep
resentatives of various ministries.
These four volumes contain the proposals and resolutions of the commission sub
mitted to the Minister of Maritime and Railroad Transportation. The work of the
commission included the working out of general service regulations for the personnel
of the State railroads and of regulations for special classes of the personnel and the
adoption of resolutions on a number of subjects such as pensions, housing, accidents,
hygiene, vocational training, competitive examinations, etc. In volume 4, part 2,
the commission publishes dissenting minority reports on various subjects.
Ferrovie dello Stato. Disposizioni sulle competenze accessorie annesse al regolamento del personate. Decreto Luogotenenziale 13 agosto 1917, n. 1393. Rome, 1917.
- — -
116 p p .
The text of the regulations relating to special allowances of employees of the Italian
State Railroads.
--------------------Ferrovie
secondarie della Sicilia.
su lle com petenze accessorie.
R o m e , 1917. 96 p p .
Regolamento del personate.
Disposizioni
Decreto L uog o ten en zia le 28 ottobre 1917, n .
1918.
The text of the service regulations for employees of the secondary railroads of Sicily
operated by the Italian State railroads.
— ---------R eg o la m en to del P ersonate.
R o m e , 1917.
Decreto L u o g o ten en zia le 13 agosto 1917-, n . 1393.
311 p p .
The text of the general service regulations for the employees of the Italian State
railroads.
------------- R eg o la m en to del p ersonate na vig a n te.
1917, n . 1393.
R o m e, 1917.
Decreto L u o g o ten en zia le 13 agosto
125 p p .
The text of the service regulations for the personnel of mail and ferryboats operated
by the Italian State railroads.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[504]
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
293
I t a l y — Ferrovie dello Stato.
Rcgolamento del personale provvisorio ed aggiunto.
Decreto Luogotenenziale 13 agosto 1917, n. 1393. Rome, 1917. 12 pp.
The text of the service regulation for temporary and auxiliary employees of th e
Italian State railroads.
------- Laws, statutes, etc. Decreto Luogotenenziale No. 1393 del 13 agosto 1917, die
a p p ro va i regolam enti per i va ri p erso n a li delle ferro v ie dello S ta to . R o m e, 1917.
10 pp.
The text of the vice-regal decree of August 13 , 1 9 1 7 , approving the service regula
tions for the various classes of employees of the Italian State railroads.
Ministero per l’ Industrie, il Commerdo e il Lavoro. Uffido Centrale di Statistica.
Statistica della emigrazione Italiana per Vestero negli anni 1914 e 1915. Rome, 1918.
xxviii, 213 pp.
-----------
T h is v o lu m e p u b lis h e d b y th e Ita lia n C e n tra l S ta tis tic a l O ffic e co n tain s d e ta ile d
statistics of It a lia n e m ig ra tio n d u rin g 19 14 a n d 19 15 . A b rie f digest of th e m ost
im p o rta n t o f these statistica l d a ta is g iv e n on p p . 227 to 229 o f th is issue o f th e M o n t h l y
L a b o r R e v ie w .
N e t h e r l a n d s .— D ep a rtem ent va n A rbeid.
Verslag over bet haventoezicht uitgeoefend in
1917. [T he Hague], 1919. v iii, 109 p p . chart.
R e p o r t of th e h a rb o r in sp e ctio n service u n d e r th e lo n g sho rem e n’s p ro te c tiv e la w .
---------------- .
Arbeidersbudgets gedurende de Crisis ( Tweede bundeV).
Uitgegeven voor
Leyden, 1919. vi, 125, [5] pp. Uitgaven
rekening van het Departement van Arbeid.
N o . 22 bis.
A n account of a b u d g e ta ry s tu d y of 36 fam ilies for th e m o n th s of F e b r u a r y a nd M a rc h ,
1 9 1 7 a nd 19 18 . A n earlier s t u d y , m ad e in 1 9 1 7 w ith com parisons for 19 14 , was no te d
in the M o nthly R e v ie w for A p r i l , 19 18 , p . 3 12. Id e n tic a l fam ilies fu rn ish ed th e
d a ta a t b o th periods in 1 9 1 7 a n d 19 18 . C om p arison is m ad e w ith co n d itio n s p re v a ilin g
in 1 9 1 0 -1 1 . D u r in g th e 8-year period in q u e stio n , i . e ., from 19 10 to 19 18 , th e food
b u d g e t increased 45 per c e n t; fu e l, 140 p e r c e n t; c lo th in g , 185 per c e n t; re n t, 10 p er
c e n t. T h e average increase is stated as 4 5 .1 p er c e n t.
------- (A m st e r d a m ).— B u re a u va n S ta tistiek . S ta tistisc h Jaarboek der Gemeente A m ste r
dam , 14 de Jaargang 1917. A m sterd a m , 1919. x x x ii, 332 p p .
Statistical yearbook for the city of Amsterdam containing matter usually found in
such publications. Contains data of interest to labor, such as municipal works, indus
trial accidents, harbor employment, minimum wages, trade-union membership, strikes
and lockouts, prices and the cost of living.
N o rw ay (C h r is t ia n ia ).— A rbeidskontor, 1918. 21de aarsberetning. C hristiania, 1919.
35 p p .
R e p o r t for the ye a r 19 18 of th e C h ris tia n ia e m p lo y m e n t e xc han ge w h ic h is also th e
ce ntral e xc han ge for the n a tio n a l e m p lo y m e n t service . T h e office p la ced 33,867 p er
sons in position? in 19 18 , as co m pare d w ith 38,965 in 1 9 1 7 . T h e n e t expenses of th e
office in 19 18 w ere p ra c tic a lly 2 crow ns (53.6 cents) per person p la c e d .
S w e d e n .— P en sio n sstyrelsen dr 1917. S to ckh o lm , 1919. 150 p p . Sveriges O ffidclla
S ta tistik .
S w e d e n has h a d a general pension la w in o pe ratio n since Ja n u a r y 1 , 19 14 . T h is la w
p ro vid e s th a t e v e ry c itize n of S w e d e n shall be e n title d to a p ension on a rriv in g a t th e
age of 67 years, p ro v id e d he has p a id a basic a n n u a l p re m iu m of 3 crow ns ($0,804),
b e g in n in g a t th e age of 15 years. T o th e basic p re m iu m are a d d e d s u p p le m e n ta ry
p re m iu m s v a ry in g w ith the in com e of the person. I n general th e a n n u a l a m o u n t of
the pension is fix e d a t 30 p e r cent in th e case of m ales a n d 24 p er ce n t in th e case of
fem ales, of th e total a m o u n t of th e p re m iu m s fix e d .
T h e n u m b e r of persons co ve red b y this syste m of p ension in su rance was 3,265,000 in
19 16 . T h e a m o u n t collected in p re m iu m s in 19 1 7 was a p p ro x im a te ly 16 ,159 ,00 0
crow ns ($4,330,612'). D u r in g 1 9 1 7 , th e P e n s io n B u re a u p a id claim s a m o u n tin g to
2,253,833 crow ns ($604,027) to 34,068 persons.
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MONTHLY LABOE REVIEW.
S w e d e n — Socialstgrelsen. S jô m a n sy rk et i Sverige. D el. I . S to ck h o lm , 1915. 309
p p . Sveriges 0 ffieiella S ta tis tik , S o d a ls ta tis tik .
P a r t one of a co m p re h e n sive s u rv e y of w o rk in g c o n d itio n s , hours a n d wages of sea
m e n in S w e d is h s h ip p in g . T h e in q u i r y describes c o n d itio n s p re v a ilin g in A u g u s t
a n d S e p te m b e r, 1 9 1 1 , w ith s u p p le m e n ta ry d a ta to b rin g i t to 19 15 . T h e v o lu m e carries
a s u m m a ry in F r e n c h .
Unofficial.
A l d r id g e , H e n r y R . H o u sin g at the d ose o f the war. L o n d o n , C hristian S o cia l
U n io n , 1918. 15 p p . L o n d o n C hristian S o cia l U n io n P apers N o . 6.
P o in ts discussed in c lu d e : E x t e n t of ho u sin g shortage ; G o v e rn m e n t term s of fina ncia l
a id ; E le m e n ts of a good h o usin g sche m e ; P u b lic u t i l i t y societies; S e le c tin g te n a n ts ;
E c o n o m ic or p ro fita b le rents.
A m er ic a n J o u r n a l of Ca r e fo r C r ip p l e s . V ol. 8. N os. 1 to 4. P p . 1-332. N ew
Y o rk, 1919. Illu stra ted . Official organ o f the F ederation o f A ssociations f o r C ripples
a n d the W elfare C o m m ission f o r C ripples. E d ited by D o u g la s C. M cM urtrie.
C o n ta in s articles d e v o te d to a co nsid e ratio n of th e o p p o rtu n itie s for re tra in in g dis
a b le d soldiers for n e w occup ations. I n th e first n u m b e r are articles on T r a in in g dis
a b le d soldiers in d ia m o n d c u ttin g , b y George R . »Sims; C h ic a g o ’s re co n stru ction
la b o ra to ry , b y D r . Jo h n D i l l R o b e rts o n ; a n a rticle on th e B a n k h e a d -S m ith b ill to
p ro m o te th e vo c a tio n a l re h a b ilita tio n of d isa bled c iv ilia n s ; a n d one of a series of
articles b y C a p t. H . H . C . B a ir d on T h e p ro b le m of th e discharged d isa bled m a n .
N u m b e r 2 contains a n a rticle sh o w in g th e results of in d u s tria l s u rve y s of th e le ath e r
in d u strie s w ith special reference to th e e m p lo y m e n t of th e d is a b le d , b y G e ra ld A .
B o a te . T h e th ir d n u m b e r of th e v o lu m e is a n in d e x -c a ta lo g u e of a lib r a r y o n re h a b ili
ta tio n of th e d is a b le d , w h ile th e fo u rth n u m b e r is d e v o te d to th e s u b je ct of th e b lin d .
I n th e la tte r are articles o n G o v e rn m e n ta l p ro v is io n for th e b lin d e d A m e ric a n sold ier,
b y L i e u t . C o l. B o r d le y , a nd E d u c a t in g th e p u b lic in th e in te re st of th e b lin d e d
sold ier, b y E u g e n e B r ie u x .
A m erican R e d C r o ss in I t a ly . C om m ission f o r tuberculosis. General report; s u p
p lem en ta ry report o n n u rs in g ; su p p le m e n ta ry report on statistics. A n a tte m p t to
establish a m ethod o f in te rn a tio n a l cooperation i n p u b lic health a n d welfare w ork.
R om e, 14, V ia Sardegna, 1919. 124 p p . M ap. Charts.
T h e general re p o rt considers A c t iv e w o rk , in c lu d in g c o m m u n a l o rg a n iza tio n , p u b lic
h e a lth n u rs in g , school h y g ie n e , a n d c h ild w e lfa re , a n d P o te n tia l w o rk , c o ve rin g e d u
c a tio n , h o u s in g , c h ild la b o r, e m ig ra tio n , laboratories, a n d associated diseases.
A sso ciatio n of B r it ish C h a m b e r s of C om m erce . R ep o rt o f proceedings a n d reso
lu tio n s adopted at the 59th a n n u a l m eeting, A p r i l 15 a n d 16, 1919. L o n d o n , 1919.
166 p p .
B anca C om m erciale I t a l ia n a . C enni statistics s u l m o v im en to economico dell’Ita lia .
Vols. 11 a n d 12. M ilan, 1917 a n d 1918. 1,083 a n d 619 p p .
T w o vo lu m e s of th e econom ic y e a rb o o k p u b lis h e d b y th e Ita lia n C om m e rcia l B a n k
of M ila n . I n a d d itio n to statistical d a ta on th e econom ic m o v e m e n t of I t a l y , th e
vo lu m e s c o n ta in a c o m p ila tio n of a ll econom ic w a r le g isla tion . A m o n g th e legisla
tio n re p ro d u ce d is also th a t re la tin g to G o v e rn m e n t subsidies to p u b lic e m p lo y m e n t
offices.
B â t ie , N o ël D e je a n d e l a . Des m odifications apportées par la guerre â la législa
tio n des accidents d u travail. P aris, U niversité de P a ris, 1918. 174 pp .
T h e w a r has p ro d u c e d e n tire ly n e w situa tions in econom ic p ro b le m s, e sp e cia lly
th ro u g h its effects u p o n laborers, n o t o n ly in th e n u m b e r of d eaths b u t also in th e
n u m b e r of c rip p le d a n d w o u n d e d . T h is v o lu m e is d e vo te d to a s tu d y of th e social
a n d econom ic h is to ry of le g isla tio n , a d m in is tra tiv e m easures, orders, a n d la w s, in
so far as t h e y re la te to in d u s tria l accid e n ts, a n d p a rtic u la rly th e la w of N o v e m b e r 25,
19 16 , w h ic h was e nacte d for th e purpose o f re lie v in g th e e m p lo y e r of th e responsi-
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295
b ili t y for in d u s tria l a c c id e n t co m pe nsa tion in cases in w h ic h th e e m p lo y e e ha d
a lre a d y b ee n c rip p le d in m ilit a r y service . T h is la tte r la w was n o te d in th e M onthly
L a b o r R e v ie w for J u l y , 19 19 , pages 214 to 2 19 .
B e e r , M . A h isto ry o f B ritish socialism .
1919. S S I p p .
V ol. I .
L o n d o n , G. B e ll a n d S o n s ( L td .).
T h is b o o k was in te n d e d b y th e a u th o r to b e the first o f tw o vo lu m e s , th e second
of w h ic h w o u ld c a rry th e sto ry of B ritis h socialism in to th e o p e n in g decade o f th e
present c e n tu ry . T h e w o rk , h o w e v e r, was in te rfe re d w it h b y th e w ar a nd th e first
v o lu m e is therefore p u b lis h e d s e p a ra te ly. T h e su b je c t of th is v o lu m e is th e g ro w th
of B ritis h socialism as fa r as th e rise o f C h a rtis m . I t is a s tu d y of p o litic a l th o u g h t
u p o n th e g roup of p rob le m s created b y the rise of c a p ita list a g ric u ltu re a n d c a p ita lis t
in d u s tr y , th e m a in th e m e b e in g th e d e v e lo p m e n t of p o litic a l th o u g h t u n d e r th e stress
o f in d u s tria l re v o lu tio n . T h e first 91 pages, w h ic h are ¿n th e n a tu re of a n in tro d u c
tio n to this th e m e , c o n ta in a d escrip tion of th e c o m m u n is tic elem ents in E n g lis h
th o u g h t from th e M id d le Ag es to th e b e g in n in g o f th e E ig h t e e n t h C e n tu r y . T h e
greater p a rt o f th e b o o k is th e n d e v o te d to w h a t is c a lle d , in a n in tro d u c tio n b y R . I I .
T a w n e y , “ a c u rre n t of th o u g h t w h ic h offered th e w o rk in g classes w h a t in th e tw e n tie s
a n d th irtie s t h e y n e e d e d m ost— a p h ilo s o p h y in te rp re tin g th e causes of th e ir d egrada
tio n , a n d a b o d y o f a rtic u la te d o c trin e w h ic h co u ld fuse in to en erg y th e ir m is e ry ,
th e ir passion, a i d th e r h o p e . * * * Its m e a n in g was n o t c o lle c tiv is m , b u t
co o p e ratio n ; a n d cooperation n o t in the sp e cia lize d sense w h ic h i t has since assum ed
of a p a rtic u la r m e th o d of c o n d u c tin g tra d e , b u t w ith th e larger significance o f a social
order based o n fr a te rn ity , n o t c o m p e titio n .”
B em n, E rnest J . P .
The in d u stria l a w akening. L o n d o n , In d u stria l R eco n stru ctio n
C ou n cil, 1919. 11 p p .
A general discussion of th e in d u s tria l p ro b le m , in w h ic h th e co nclusio n is reached
th a t i t is n o t a p ro b le m w h ic h can be solve d b y a s im p le s o lu tio n . I t is h e ld th a t au
e ffo rt m u s t b e m a d e b y e v e ry class o f soc ie ty to fin d o u t w h a t is fa ir in in d u s tria l
life a nd th e n , so far as possible, to t r y to m a k e i t so.
B loom field , D a n ie l , E d it o r . E m p lo y m e n t m a n agem ent. Selected articles, w ith a n
in tr o d u c tio n by Meyer B loom field. N ew Y o r k , The H . W . W i k o n C o ., 1919.
S07 p p . The H a ndbook Series.
A rtic le s o n e m p lo y m e n t m a n a g e m e n t w h ic h h a v e a pp e a re d i n boo ks, p a m p h le ts ,
p e rio d ic a ls , a n d re p o rts, c o ve rin g e v e ry phase o f th e s u b je c t, so arranged in d ivis io n s
as to fa c ilita te th e fin d in g b y th e in v e s tig a to r of w h a t is re pre sen te d o n th e p a rtic u la r
aspect of th e s u b je c t in w h ic h he is in te re s te d . T h e p u rp o se is to p rese nt th e best
m a te ria l a v a ila b le o n th e su b je c t in th e fo rm o f a h a n d b o o k fo r re a d y re fe ren ce, w h ic h
is in te n d e d to b e of special se rvic e to s tu d e n ts o f e m p lo y m e n t m a n a g e m e n t courses
in th e colleges. F e a tu re s of special v a lu e are re p rin ts of th e W h i t l e y re p o rt o n in d u s
tr ia l co u n cils , a n d articles o n M o tiv e s i n econom ic life , b y C a rle to n H . P a r k e r ;
M a k in g th e boss e fficie n t a n d M a k in g th e jo b w o rth w h ile , b y J o h n A . F i t c h ; T h e
n e w profession of h a n d lin g m e n . A ne w profession in A m e ric a n in d u s tr y , a n d R e la tio n
of fore m en to th e w o rk in g force, b y M e y e r B lo o m fie ld ; C o m p u tin g la b o r tu rn o v e r ,
b y D a n ie l B lo o m fie ld ; T h e scie ntific selection of salesm en, b y W a lte r D i l l S c o tt;
A p p o in tm e n ts a n d dism issals, b y S id n e y W e b b ; A p la n fo r c o o p e ra tive m a n a g e m e n t,
b y C h a rle s W . E l i o t ; D e te r m in in g th e cost of tu r n o v e r of la b o r a n d H o w to re du ce la b or
tu r n o v e r , b y B o y d F is h e r ; a n d a n a p p e n d ix c o n ta in in g a n u m b e r of form s used b y
e m p lo y m e n t d e p a rtm e n ts of firm s. S p e c ia l p ro m in e n c e is g iv e n to la b or tu rn o v e r
from va rio u s p o in ts o f v ie w , a n d th e re is a su b je c t b ib lio g ra p h y a n d a lis t of e m
p lo y m e n t m anagers’ associations arranged b y S ta te s .
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
M anagem ent a n d m e n . A record of new steps in in d u stria l
rela tio n s. N ew Y o rk, The C entury Co., 1919. 591 p p .
T h e m a in t e x t of th is b o o k is m ad e u p of article s w r itte n for th e S a tu rd a y E v e n in g
P o s t, based u p o n d ata co nce rning la b or c o n d itio n s g athe red b y th e a u th o r d u rin g a
v is it in th e fa ll of 19 18 to th e in d u s tria l centers of G re a t B r i t a in , in th e b e lie f th a t
A m e ric a n in d u s tr y faces in d u s tria l p rob le m s s im ila r to those of G re a t B r ita in a n d
t h a t w e can p ro fit fro m “ an in fo rm e d in te re s t in w h a t in d u s tria l B r i t a in is t h in k in g
a n d d o in g .’ * T o th is t e x t h a v e b e e n a d d e d 13 a p p e n d ix e s c o n ta in in g illu s tra tiv e
m ate ria l in th e fo rm of B r itis h o fficial d o c u m e n ts a n d e xtra c ts fro m d o c u m e n ts w h ic h
sho w in d e ta il th e n e w arran ge m ents th a t are a t w o rk in B r itis h in d u s tria l re la tion s.
T h is m a te ria l is g ro u p e d u n d e r th e he ad ings o f: L a b o r ’ s s ta te m e n t o n th e ho usin g
p ro b le m a fte r th e w a r; R e p o r t b y M in is t r y of R e c o n s tru c tio n o n ho u sin g in E n g la n d
a n d W a le s ; R e p o r t b y M in is t r y of R e c o n s tru c tio n o n ra w m a te ria ls a n d e m p lo y m e n t;
T h e e m p lo y m e n t e xc han ge fro m w it h in — a d a y w it h th e m a n a g e r; R e p o r t of a con
ference b e tw e e n o rganizers of tra d e u n io n s , B ris to l e m p loyers a n d others concerned
w it h th e in d u s tria l e m p lo y m e n t of w o m e n , c o n ve n e d b y th e B ris to l A s s o c ia tio n for
In d u s t r ia l R e c o n s tru c tio n , o n th e 1 6 th a n d 1 7 t h of M a rc h , 19 18 , o n th e p o s itio n of
w o m e n i n in d u s tr y a fte r th e w a r; L a b o r ’ s p ro n o u n c e m e n t o n th e re sto ratio n of trad e
u n io n custom s a fte r th e w a r; T h e L a b o r P a r t y ’ s sta te m e n t o n th e la b or p rob le m s a fte r
th e w a r; In d u s tr ia l re p o rts, N o s . 1 a n d 2— In d u s tr ia l co u n cils, a n d W o rk s co m m itte e s;
T h e predecessor of th e W h i t l e y schem e—a m e m o ra n d u m on in d u s tria l self-go vern
m e n t to g ethe r w it h a d ra ft schem e for a b u ild e rs ’ n a tio n a l in d u s tria l p a rlia m e n t,
p re p a re d b y M a lc o lm S p a rk e s ; N a tio n a l c o u n c il of th e p o t t e r y in d u s try — re p o rt of
th e in d u s tria l re c o n s tru c tio n c o u n c il; T r a d e p a rlia m e n ts ; R u le s for w o rk in g th e H a n s
R e n o ld shop stew ards’ c o m m itte e ; W o rk s h o p co m m itte e s— suggested lines of d e v e lo p
m e n t b y C . G . R e n o ld ; a n d L a b o r P a r t y c o n s titu tio n .
B l o o m f ie l d , M e y e r .
B o h n y , E . — D er A rb eitsm a rkt i n
der Schw eiz W a hrend der K riegsjahre 1914-1918.
(R ep rin ted fr o m “ Schweizerisches Z e n tra lb la tt f ü r S ta a ts -u n d G em eindeverw altung.”
V o l. 20, iVo. 5 .) Z ü rich , 1919. 12 p p .
A s u rv e y of th e Sw iss la b or m a rk e t d u rin g th e w a r b y th e d ire c to r of th e Swiss
e m p lo y m e n t offices, sh o w in g for each y e a r th e state of th e la b or m a rk e t in th e in d i v id
u a l tra d e a n d in d u s tr y groups a n d g iv in g th e reasons for th e flu c tu a tio n s in th e s u p p ly
o f, a n d d e m a n d fo r, la b o r. T w o tables fro m th is s u rv e y are re p rin te d b e lo w . T h e y
in d ic a te p la in ly th e great stag natio n of th e la b o r m a rk e t, p a rtic u la rly w it h respect to
m a le la b o r, d u rin g th e last h a lf of 19 14 a n d of 19 15 . T h e d ata fo r 19 16 show a g rad u a l
increase in th e d e m a n d fo r la b or a n d those fo r 19 1 7 a p ro n o u n c e d u n d e rs u p p ly . I n
19 18 th e re c o n tin u e d a n u n d e rs u p p ly of fe m a le la b o r b u t th e m ale la b or m a rk e t once
m ore becam e g lu tte d a fter th e co nclusion of th e a rm istice .
NUM BER OF APPLICANTS FOR W ORK IN SWISS EMPLOYMENT OFFICES PE R 100
VACANT POSITIONS, 1914 TO 1918.
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
MALE APPLICANTS.
First quarter.........................................................................
Second quarter.....................................................................
Third quarter.......................................................................
Fourth quarter.................................................................... '
152.3
122.8
167.6
180.9
147.1
108.8
112.2
122.2
116.2
89.1
97.9
107.5
83.1
81.4
90.3
108.9
106.6
91.3
105.1
126.3
78.6
70.4
118.8
143.6
125.3
118.0
112.6
121.9
94.8
88.5
92.1
104.5
84.6
74.2
75.0
89.1
65.7
65.4
64.3
66.1
FEM ALE APPLICANTS.
First quarter.........................................................................
Second quarter....................................................................
Third quarter.......................................................................
Fourth quarter...................................................................
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS OF SWISS PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OFFICES, 1913 TO 1918.
Vacant situations.
Applicants.
Male. Female. Total.
Male. Female. Total.
53,755
58^000
65,790
73;049
75; 283
7i; 997
76 989
89,060
79,308
74,260
70,964
76,349
Year.
1913..............................
1914..............................
1915..............................
1916..............................
1917..............................
1918..............................
30,606 84,361
29,797 87,797
23,768 89,558
29,588 102,637
30,361 105 644
31,821 103,818
22 501 99 490
28,459 117^519
28,170 107,478
27 342 101 602
26 344 97,308
20;989 97,338
Num
ber of
appli
cants
per 100
vacant
Male. Female. Total.
situa
tions.
Situations filled.
40,060
45,682
49,025
51,640
50,173
51,509
14,808
17,270
15,830
16,511
16,173
15,311
54,868
62,952
64,855
68,151
66,346
66,820
117.9
133.7
120.0
98.9
92.1
93.7
B r a n d , R . H . The fin a n c ia l a n d econom ic f u tu r e . L o n d o n , N a tio n a l W ar S a v in g s
C om m ittee, S a lis b u ry Square, E . C. 4, 1919. 23 p p . N a tio n a l econom y senes
N o . 2. R ep rin te d , w ith revision, f r o m the “ R o u n d T a b le ” (D ec., 1918). Price, 2d.
T h e first p a rt of th is p a m p h le t aim s to b rin g in to p ro m in e n c e ce rtain p rin c ip le s
w h ic h th e a u th o r th in k s m u s t g u id e th e fin a n c ia l p o lic y of th e c o u n try a fter th e
w a r, ra th e r th a n to la y d o w n e x a c t m easures to b e ta k e n . I n th e la tte r p a rt h e deals
morei s p e cifica lly w it h th e fin a n c ia l p ro b le m w h ic h co nfronts th e c o u n tr y , a n d w it h
theories for its s o lu tio n . H e does n o t, h o w e v e r, b e lie v e th a t th e e n tire so lu tio n lies
in th e a d o p tio n of a sound fin a n c ia l p o lic y , b u t says—
W h ile a b a d fin a n c ia l p o lic y m a y e asily ru in th e m ost in d u s trio u s a n d t h r if t y
n a tio n , a sound one w ill n o t of itse lf a c h ie ve a n y th in g w ith o u t e ffort a n d sacrifice o n
th e p a rt of a ll. * * * T h e efforts of m o st reform ers, ra d ic a l a n d o th e rw ise , are
b e n t a t p rese nt o n th e b e tte r d is trib u tio n of w e a lth , an a im w h ic h w ill h a v e e v e ry o n e ’ s
s y m p a th y . I t is essential th a t w e sh o u ld secure a fa ir stan d a rd of life to e ve ry o n e
w h o w ill w o rk . B u t th e re is a d ang e r th a t th e m o v e m e n t against c a p ita l a n d e n te r
p ris e , against interests a n d p ro fits, w h ic h is so w id esp re ad a m o n g th e w orke rs to -d a y ,
w ill lead th e m in to courses fa ta l to th e m se lve s a n d th e w h o le c o m m u n ity . * * * It
m a y b e urg ed w it h great force th a t th e d is trib u tio n p ro b le m can o n ly b e successfully
ta c k le d th ro u g h th a t of p ro d u c tio n , a n d th a t i f la b o r th in k s o n ly of d is trib u tio n a n d
forgets p ro d u c tio n w e shall h a v e litt le chance o f re c o v e ry .
H e b elie ves th a t th e co ro lla ry of b e tte r p ro d u c tio n is increased s a v in g , a n d th in k s
th a t th e G o v e r n m e n t sho uld c o n tin u e p e rm a n e n tly its m a c h in e ry fo r encouraging
s a vin g a n d in v e s tm e n t in G o v e r n m e n t securities.
Ca r t e r , H tjntly , E d it o r . The lim its o f S ta te in d u stria l control. A sy m p o s iu m on
the presen t situ a tio n a n d how to m eet it. L o n d o n , T. F isher U n w in (L td .), 1919.
292 p p .
T h is b o o k is th e o utc om e of a n a tte m p t to le arn th e v ie w s of a n u m b e r of repre
s e n ta tiv e p u b lic persons in E n g la n d on th e p ro b le m of S ta te c o n tro l. T h e fo llo w in g
q uestions w ere s u b m itte d to these persons, w h o re pre sen t va rio u s d e p a rtm e n ts of
p u b lic a c t i v it y : (1 ) “ W h a t in y o u r o p in io n w ill b e th e s itu a tio n im m e d ia te ly a fter
th e w a r as regards S ta te control? (2) W h a t in y o u r v ie w is th e lim ita tio n o f S ta te
c o n tro l to b e m a in ta in e d ? (3) W h a t in y o u r v ie w is th e best p o lic y of co n tro l to be
p u rs u e d in th e h ig h e st interests of c o m m erc e, tra d e , a n d in d u s t r y ? ” T h e answers
are g rou p e d in classes w h ic h are arranged a cco rding to th e special interests of th e
w rite rs . So m e of th e m are m e re ly b rie f replies to th e questions a sk e d , w h ile others
ta k e th e fo rm of articles on special phases of th e p ro b le m . T h e classes a re: T h e S ta te
v ie w s , in c lu d in g th e v ie w s o f leaders of th e G o v e r n m e n t— L l o y d G e o rg e , B o n a r
L a w , a n d G e n . S m u ts — a n d of re p re se n ta tive peers, legislators, a n d a d m in istra to rs;
th e view s of c a p ita l, expressed b y re p re sen ta tive s of s h ip p in g , s h ip b u ild in g , e ngi
n e e rin g , m in in g , co tto n in d u s t r y , a lk a li in d u s tr y , p u b lis h in g a n d p r in tin g tra d e ,
b a n k in g , fin a n c e , a n d a g ric u ltu re ; P o litic a l v ie w s ; Sociological v ie w s ; So cialistic
v i e w ; L a b o r a n d in d u s tria l v ie w s ; a n d T ra d e -u n io n v i e w .
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
C o g h l a n , T . A . L a b o r a n d in d u stry i n A u s tr a lia , f r o m the fir s t settlem en t i n 1788 to
the esta b lish m en t o f the C om m onw ealth in 1901. L o n d o n , 1918. 4 vols. 2449 p p .
A co m p re h e n s ive h is to ric a l s tu d y of th e la n d sy ste m , la b o r a n d im m ig ra tio n p o l
icies, fin a n c ia l s y s te m , in d u s trie s , a n d in d u s tria l le g isla tion in A u s tra lia from 1788
to 19 0 1.
C om ité N a t io n a l d e l ’ É d u c a tio n P h y s iq u e et S po rt iv e e t l ’ H y g iè n e S o c ia l e .
Congrès In te r n a llié d ’ H ygiène Sociale p o u r la R e c o n stitu tio n des R ég io n s Dévastées
par la Guerre, re u n i à P a ris, à la Sorb o n n e, d u 22 a u 26 A v r il 1919. P aris, 1919.
C ollection o f p a m p h lets.
T h is is a series of special studies p re p a re d for th e In te ra llie d Congress on H y g ie n e
a p p lic a b le to d e va s ta te d re g io n , h e ld in P a ris , A p r i l 2 2 -2 6 , 19 19 . T h e s e studies w ere
d is trib u te d a m o n g 12 sections as fo llo w s: 1 . L e Sol et l ’ E a u ( T h e soil a n d w a te r );
2. L ’ H a b it a tio n H y g ié n iq u e ( T h e H y g ie n ic D w e llin g ) ; 3. H y g iè n e R u r a le ( R u r a l
H y g ie n e ) ; 4 . H y g iè n e U r b a in e ( C i t y H y g ie n e ) ; 5. L a M è re e t l ’ E n f a n t ( T h e m o th e r
a n d th e c h ild ) ; 6. H y g iè n e Scolaire (S c h o o l H y g ie n e ) ; 7 . E d u c a t io n P h y s iq u e ( P h y s
ic a l T r a in in g ) ; 8 a n d 9. P r o p h y la x ie S a n ita ire et Assistan ce ( P ro p h y la c tic S a n ita tio n
a n d C a re ); 10 . H y g iè n e In d u s trie lle ( In d u s tr ia l H y g ie n e ) ; 1 1 . H y g iè n e Post-scolaire
e t P r o p h y la x ie M o ra le (A fte r-s c h o o l h y g ie n e a n d M o ra l P r o p h y l a x y ) ; 12 . H y g iè n e
des V o y a g e u rs (H y g ie n e fo r T ra v e le rs ).
C o m m o nw ealth Cl u b op Ca l if o r n ia . E m p lo y e r a n d em ployee. S a n F rancisco,
J u n e , 1919. P p . 165-264- T ransactions.
Voi. 14, N o . 5.
C o n ta in s th e p re lim in a ry re p o rt o f th e S e c tio n o n In d u s tr ia l R e la tio n s . T h e to p ic
-was p resented a n d discussed before th e c lu b u n d e r th e su b je c t, “ T h e c o n flic t b e tw e e n
e m p lo y e r a n d e m p lo y e e — can th e re b e a c o m m o n p la tfo rm b e tw e e n t h e m ? ” T h e
s ta te m e n t fo r th e e m p lo y e r w as m a d e b y M in e r C h ip m a n , fo r th e e m p lo y e e b y H a r r y
R y a n , a n d fo r th e p u b lic b y F r e d e r ic k W h itt o n . A n a p p e n d ix co ntains a re p o rt
p rep a red for th e C o m m o n w e a lth C lu b ’ s section o n In d u s tria l R e la tio n s b y M in e r
C h ip m a n a n d Ja m e s D . A d a m s , u n d e r th e h e a d in g of “ D e m a n d s of o rg a n ize d la b o r .”
T h e r e is a b ib lio g ra p h y of m a te ria l in th e c lu b lib r a r y .
C o m pe n sa t o r S e r vic e A id B u r e a u . The C om pensator, vol. 1, N o . 1, J u ly , 1919.
4 p p . 206 E a s t 128th S t , N ew Y o rk. $1 a year.
T h e C o m p e n s a to r for J u l y is th e in it ia l n u m b e r o f a. m o n th ly p u b lic a tio n issued b y
T h e C o m p e n s a to r S e rvic e B u r e a u , w h ic h has b e e n o rg a n ize d to fu rn is h th e necessary
legal a d v ic e a n d assistance to cla im a n ts a n d o th ers in te re ste d in th e su b je ct of w o r k
m e n ’ s c o m pe n sa tion in th e S ta te of N e w Y o r k , a n d to p u t an end to th e business of
“ ru n n e rs ,” th a t is, persons w h o in d u c e th e c la im a n t ig n o ra n t of th e co m pe nsa tion
la w to place his c la im in th e ir h a n d s fo r a d ju s tm e n t, for w h ic h d o u b tfu l service th e
v i c t i m parts w it h from o n e -th ird to o n e -h a lf of his a w a rd . T h e n e w b u re a u w ill
e n d e a vo r to re n d e r g e n u in e service for a charge o n ly su ffic ie n t to m e e t its expenses.
T h e C o m p e n s a to r is designed to d issem in a te k n o w le d g e as to th e p rin c ip le s a n d
p ro c e d u re in v o lv e d in w o rk m e n ’ s c o m p e n sa tio n . I t is to h a v e résum és of va rio u s
S ta te co m pe nsa tion la w s, special articles b y e xp e rts , an in q u i r y d e p a rtm e n t, a n d
o th e r fe a ture s. T h e p rese nt issue s u m m a rize s th e N e w Y o r k a c t, w h ile in A u g u s t
a n d S e p te m b e r th e law s of N e w Je rs e y a n d C o n n e c tic u t, re s p e c tiv e ly , are to be
discussed.
Co o p e r , W . R .
The cla im s o f labor a n d o f capital. W ith a prefatory note by the R t.
H o n . G. H . R oberts, M. P . L o n d o n , C onstable a n d Co. ( L td .), 1919. 84 p p .
A concise discussion of p rese nt la b o r p rob le m s w it h special a tte n tio n to th e rew ards
o f c a p ita l a n d of la b o r a n d th e m e th o d s of in c re a sin g th e la tte r, s e c u rity of te n u re ,
hours of w o r k , w e lfa re , h o u s in g , in d u s tria l u n re s t, a n d w o rk s c o m m itte e s, c o n c lu d in g
w i t h th e o u tlin e of a schem e o n w h ic h th e a u th o r th in k s “ th e e m p lo y e r, la b o r, a n d
th e S ta te sh o u ld e m b a rk w it h o u t d e la y if in d u s tria l d iffic u ltie s are to be a v o id e d
w h e n th e p rese nt re s tric tio n s are r e m o v e d .” T h is schem e in v o lv e s c e rta in steps
to be ta k e n a n d a c e rta in p o lic y to be fo llo w e d b y each of th e thre e p artie s to th e
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M O N T H L Y LABOR REV IEW .
problem, the main points to be emphasized being the following: “ A . —B y the em
ployer. 1. Effect a closer relationship with labor, so as to avoid misunderstandings
and secure a better appreciation of mutual difficulties. An important step in this
direction is the formation of joint industrial councils, which deal with the broad
questions affecting each particular industry. But at the moment, works committees
are of even greater importance, because they would be more numerous. * * *
2. Give labor a say in the conditions of work. This again would be effected through
the works committees. 3. Shorter hours. * * * 4. Share in prosperity. * * *
5. Security of tenure. * * * B .—B y labor. 1. Cooperation in regard to griev
ances. * * * 2. Unrestricted output. 3. Security of capital. Loyal adherence
to agreements made by the representatives of labor with those of the employer.
4. Avoidance of strikes. The strike to be used only as a last resort, when all other
means of settlement have failed. C.—B y the State. 1. Security of tenure. The
Government should take steps to inquire whether the various industries can provide
against unemployment; and, if necessary, should give financial assistance to a scheme
for this purpose. 2. Housing. The Government should compel local authorities
to exert their powers to provide adequate and suitable housing accommodations for
the working classes.”
C o o p e r a t iv e L e a g u e op A m e r ic a . R ep o rt o f the proceedings o f the fir s t A m e rica n co
operative co n ve n tio n h e ld a t S p rin g fie ld , I I I ., S ep tem ber 25, 26, a n d 27, 1918. N ew
Y o rk C ity, 2 W est T hirteenth Street, 1919. 264 p p .
An account of the proceedings of this convention appeared in the M on t h l y L a b o r
R e v ie w for November, 1918 (pp. 130-132).
C r a w f o r d , A n d r e w W r ig h t . S ta n d a rd s set by the new Federal w ar suburbs a n d w ar
cities. W ash in g to n, October, 1918. 24 p p - A m e rica n C ivic A sso c ia tio n . Series
11, N o . 12.
A brief account of the housing work which had been undertaken by the United
States Government up to October 1, 1918.
D e s h a y e s , L o u is . L e co n tra t de tra v a il des m obilises.
M in istre d u T ra vail. P a ris, 1919. 72 p p . P rice, 1 f r .
P reface
by M . C olliard
This volume is devoted to a discussion of the effects of the war on labor contracts
in France, and of the laws enacted in France concerning such contracts, with a short
review of the measures taken by the State and employers in the matter of the reem
ployment of demobilized soldiers in Italy, Austria, Hungary and Germany. The
preface says:
All French responded to the decree of mobilization, abandoning their industry,
commerce, and employment. The State, on August 5, 1914, passed an act guarantee
ing to all its officials, civil employees, agents, subagents, and laborers, the payment
of their salaries or wages while absent in the military or naval service of the State.
The important private enterprises and commercial establishments followed its
example, while others agreed to pay a portion of wages to their employees called to
the service.
In a general way it may be said that the agreements between employers and em
ployees were not broken because of such service. The establishments which have
not encouraged their mobilized employees during the long years of the war by effec
tive and substantial evidences of their solicitude for them are few. Cases are
extremely rare in which the former employer has refused to reemploy invalided
soldiers.
The discussion reproduces the texts of the various proposed laws relative to this
subject, and to some extent the debates in the two chambers, and the law as passed
on November 24, 1918.
F a r ie s , J o h n Cu l b e r t . A stu d y i n reh a b ilitation o f the disabled soldier. N e w Y o rk,
W illia m W ood a n d Co., 1919. 7 p p . R ep rin te d f r o m the M edical Record, M ay 24,
1919.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.
F a r q u h a r , H e n r y H . P o sitiv e c o n trib u tio n s o f scientific m anagem ent. R ep rin te d
f r o m the Q uarterly J o u rn a l o f E co n o m ics, V ol. 33, M ay, 1919. Cambridge, 1919
pp. 466-503.
The subject is considered in three parts: The elimination of some losses charac
teristic of present-day manufacture; the mechanical or impersonal aspects; and the
human factor. The conclusion is reached that the most important of all the posi
tive products of advanced management are the spirit of cooperation and confidence
and a feeling of security, “ for without these, although a certain efficiency may be
obtained, true scientific management is impossible.”
F l in t , E s t h e r M. H ealth conditions a n d health service in S t . P a u l.
W ritten w ith
the cooperation o f Carol A ro n o v ic i. S t . P a u l, A m h e rst H . W ilder C harity 1919
103 pp.
The result of a study undertaken “ in consequence of the rather serious conditions
of insanitation revealed by the housing survey which pointed to certain defects in
sanitary legislation, and a lack of adequate and efficient municipal machinery for
the enforcement of existing laws,” in the hope that “ the suggestions and criticisms
offered w ill be made the subject of free discussion among the people of this city and
that prompt and constructive action w ill resuk.” Sections are devoted to housing;
city water supply; sewage, garbage, and refuse disposal; inspection of food; con
trol of tuberculosis; and other matters of interest to labor.
F r o is , M arcel et B. Ca u b e t . L e rendem ent de la m a in -d 'œ u vre et la fa tig u e
p rofessionnelle (le travail f é m in i n a u bottelage des poudres). P a ris, 1919. 104 p p .
P rice, 4 fra n c s.
This report gives the results of the preliminary studies of the relation of fatigue
to output and of the investigations made by the writers. The authors state that
this is the first report of its nature ever presented; it is based on investigation made
in the packing of powder in the establishment of Ripault. In order to direct reforms
already introduced and to suggest new ones, and also as a means of directing the
thought of employers and employees toward the conditions under which industrial
production and the well being of the laborer may both be improved, other investiga
tions should be conducted.
G e n e r a l F e d e r a t io n
sheet.
op
London, 1919.
T r a d e U n io n s .
Twentieth annual report and balance
52 pp.
G l a ss B ottle B l o w e r s ’ A sso ciatio n op t h e U n it e d S t a te s a n d Ca n a d a . Wage
scale a n d w o rkin g rules. Sea so n o f 1917-1918. 4 booklets. Covered p o t; machine;
stopper g rin d in g ; ta n k. Cam den, N . J., M agrath P r in tin g H ouse [1918]. 53, 54,
14, 93 p p ., respectively.
H o ffm a n , F r e d e r ic k L.
A plan for a more effective Federal and State health ad
ministration. Newark, N. J., 1919. 87 pp.
This pamphlet is a consolidation of papers read before the Commonwealth Club of
San Francisco, October, 1918, and the American Public Health Association, Decem
ber, 1918. The plan calls for standardized methods of physical examination, well
worked out limited State medical service, sanitary and social surveys, adequate
compensation of health officers, and national and local health centers.
H olm e , J. B.
British scheme for self-government of industry; and its counterpart in
New South Wales. No. 2. Sydney, January 15, 1919. 35 pp.
This pamphlet continues the account, given under a similar title and in a like
form in August, 1918, of the work of the Whitley committee on relations between
employers and employed, summarizing the later reports of that committee and the
pamphlet on works committees published by the Ministry of Labor. The author ia
deputy president of the New South Wales Board of Trade and special commissioner
for conciliation in that state.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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M O N T H L Y LABOR REV IEW .
L a b o r O p in io n . A m o n th ly digest o f contem porary labor a n d in d u stria l thought.
Vol1, N o s. 2, 3, 4, M ay, J u n e , J u ly , 1919. P o rtla n d , Oregon, S m ith a n d V an D ercook,
1919. 28, 28, 31 p p . Illu s tr a te d . P rice, 20 cents a copy. $2.00 a year.
The name of this publication aptly describes its character, it being concerned largely
with current thought on industrial subjects, in the form of special articles; digests of
articles, addresses, and reports; editorial comment; and reviews. Articles of special
interest are: United States employers’ industrial commission report, with brief
editorial comment on special passages; The six-hour day—summary of action taken
and contemplated in this country concerning the adoption of it; The Mooney strike—
for and against; The growing industrial unrest; Meat prices and profits; and Labor and
politics, in the May issue; Inland Steel Company’s plan; The world’s war debt; and
The railroad problem, in the June issue; and Shall national industrial congress be
called?, and A new national problem—the street railways, in the July issue.
L a b o r P arty (B r it is h ). M em oranda o n in te rn a tio n a l labor legislation.
The econom ic
structure o f the L eague o f N a tio n s . L o n d o n , 33, Eccleston Square, S . W. I . , 1919.
46 p p . P rice, I s .
This pamphlet presents not so much a definite program of proposals as convenient
summaries of the facts and the position with regard to the subjects dealt with. The
memoranda were prepared with the help of the labor research department by the vari
ous advisory committees, which now form part of the organization of the Labor Party,
and are reprinted in this form for the information of the labor movement.
L a u ch h etm er , M alcolm H . The labor law of Maryland. Baltimore, 1919. 166 pp
Johns Hopkins University Studies, series xxxvii, no. 2.
An interesting and valuable study of the development of one of the older and more
conservative commonwealths of the Union, considered by the author to be an average
State as regards the development of the labor law in effect. “ The study begins with
the law of the labor union, which has been almost entirely left to the common law.
Then follows a consideration of the law of workmen’s compensation, which marks the
only complete abandonment of any principles of the common law referring to labor.
The three succeeding chapters deal with the new social legislation, demonstrating
how far the laissez-faire theory has been abandoned; and the study ends with chapters
on the administrative system and the relation of the State to labor.”
L a v e l l , C ecil F a ir f ie l d . R eco n stru ctio n a n d n a tio n a l life.
M illa n Co., 1919. 193 p p .
N ew
Y o rk
The Mac
A study of the reconstruction problems of the French, German, Russian, and
British peoples. The author believes that the basis of reconstruction in these coun
tries “ is not to be found in documents or institutions, for it is a living and dynamic
basis, and the structure will not be one that may be completed in a yrear; its founda
tions have been shaping for centuries, and none of us will live to see the work receive
its final touch. But in the meantime we may aid in the building by knowledge, sym
pathy, and good will. And our first step must be the study of the foundations on
which the anxious and wearied peoples of Europe are to build, the solid and yet ever
changing foundations of human life in its struggle toward a social ideal.” Chapters
treat The problem: Europe’s unsettled questions; Revolution and readjustment in
France; The French Revolution and national life: The basis of reconstruction in Ger
many; Idealism in German politics; The Russians and the dawn of Russian freedom;
The Russian problem and the Revolution; British liberty and the Empire; The new
idealism in England: and Afterword: Nationalism and internationalism.
L in g l e , M r s . T h o m as W. A course o n A m erica n iza tio n . S tu d ie s o f the peoples a n d
the m o vem en ts that are b u ild in g u p the A m e rica n n a tio n . Chapel H ill, U niversity o f
N o rth C arolina, A p r i l , 1919. 62 p p . A fler-the-ivar in fo r m a tio n series N o . 3. E x
ten sio n leaflets, Vol. 2, N o . 8.
1 2 7 9 7 1 ° — 1 9 ------- 2 0
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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
M oM u r t r ie , D o u g l a s C. A graphic exhibit o n rehabilitation o f the crip p le d a n d the
blinded. N e w Y o rk, 311 F o u rth A ve n u e, 1919. 20 p p . Illu stra te d .
Contains illustrations of 18 sheets designed to cover in an elementary way the
work of rehabilitation of disabled men—civilians as well as soldiers—which exhibit
is issued jointly by the Red Cross Institute for Crippled and Disabled Men and the
Red Cross Institute for the Blind, to be used in libraries, schools, institutions, con
ferences, county fairs, etc., in a campaign of public education relating to the subject.
M etro po litan L ife I n s u r a n c e C o m pa n y . M ortality statistics o f in su re d wage
earners a n d their fa m ilie s. E xperience o f the M etropolitan L ife In su ra n ce C o m p a n y
In d u s tr ia l D ep a rtm en t, 1911 to 1916, i n the U nited S ta tes a n d Canada, by L o u is 1.
D u b lin , w ith the collaboration o f E d w in W . K o p f a n d George I I . V an B u re n . N eiv
Y o rk, 1919. 397 p p .
This report is intended to serve as a contribution to the public health and social
welfare movements of recent years. The period covered by it is coincident with the
period during which a wide program of life conservation has been developed by the
company for its policyholders, and during which nearly 54,000 years of life and more
than 635.000 deaths are represented. Of special interest is a section devoted to acci
dent fatalities arising out of or in course of employment.
N a t io n a l A sso c ia t io n for t h e A d v a n c e m e n t of C olo red P e o p l e . R ep o rt f o r the
years 1917 a n d 1918. E ig h th a n d n in th a n n u a l reports: A su m m a ry o f w ork a n d an
accounting. N ew Y o rk, 70 F ifth A v e n u e , J a n u a ry , 1919. P rice, 15 cents.
N a t io n a l Catholic W a r Co u n c il . C om m ittee o n special w ar activities. F o r soldiers
a n d sailors a n d those dependent u p o n them . W ashington, 930 F ourteenth Street,
N W ., 1919. 15 p p . (R eco nstruction pa m p h lets N o . 4-)
The purpose of this pamphlet is to set forth such features of the war risk insurance act
and its amendments as will enable the returning soldier to understand clearly the
rights that have accrued to him as a result of his service to his country. Benefits pro
vided in the form of compensation for death or disability, insurance, allotments and
family allowances, and the provision made for the vocational training of disabled
soldiers and sailors are briefly explained.
N a t io n a l G u il d s L e a g u e . Tow ards a m in e rs’ g u ild . L o n d o n , V ictoria H ouse P r in t
in g Co. (L td .), 1919. 15 p p . P a m p h le t N o . 3. P rice, Id .
This pamphlet outlines the defects in the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain which
prevent its gaining control of the mining industry, suggests remedies therefor, and ex
plains briefly the operation of a miners’ guild.
——
Tow ards a n a tio n a l ra ilw a y g u ild . L o n d o n , Victoria H o u se P r in tin g Co. (L td .),
1919. 16 p p . P a m p h le t N o . 4• P rice, 2d.
The British railway workers hope to substitute a “self-governing community of
railwaymen” for the present system of railway control. This pamphlet “ defines this
ideal and the steps to be taken for its realization.”
N a t io n a l L a b o r D ig e s t . V ol. 1, N o . 1. S a n F rancisco, L abor P ress A sso cia tio n ,
J u ly , 1919. 48 p p . Illu s tr a te d . P rice, 15 cents a copy, $1.50 per year.
An account of the national convention of the American Federation of Labor, held
at Atlantic City in June, is the opening article of this first issue. Various subjects
concerning labor are presented in the form of press comment grouped under special
headings, of which particular interest attaches to those headed “ Principles” and
“ policies” ; The League of Nations; The new political labor party; Summing up the
Seattle revolt; Cost of living and wages; Bolshevism not for workers; and The world
of women.
N a t io n a l S a f e t y C o u n c il . The prin cip les a n d practice o f safety. A handbook f o r
technical schools a n d u n iversities. Chicago, 1919. B ib lio g ra p h y . 72 p p .
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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4
303
M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .
N ew S chool fo r S ocial R e s e a r c h . Announcement o f courses o f study, October, 1919~
May, 1920. New Y o rk City, 465 West Twenty-third Street, 1919. 23 p p .
Prospectus of a new school for social research which purposes “ to seek an unbiased
understanding of the existing order, its genesis, growth, and present working, as well
as of those exigent circumstances which are making for its revision.”
P a rry, E dw ard A bbo tt,
Past and present.
and
C o d r in g t o n , S ir A l fr e d E d w a r d .
180 p p .
W ar pensions:
London, 1918.
Deals with th« history, and especially the present system, of war pensions in Great
Britain.
•
P e a r s o n , S ir A r t h u r . V ictory over blindness.
D u n s ta n ’s a n d how others m a y w in it. N ew
265 p p .
H o w it was w o n by the m e n o f S t .
Y o rk, George H . H o ra n Co., 1919.
A record of the life and work at St. Dunstan’s, the British hostel for blinded soldiers
and sailors.
P olitical S cience Q u a r t e r l y . V ol. 34, N o . 2. J u n e , 1919. N ew Y o rk, 1919.
P p . 193—368. E d ite d f o r the A cadem y o f P o litic a l Science i n the C ity o f N e w Y o rk
by the fa c u lty o f p o litica l science o f C olum bia U niversity.
This number contains the second of a series of articles by Lewis H. Haney on Price
fixing in the United States during the war. The first article having dealt with the
subject with regard to its scope, its agencies, and its methods, the present article is a
critical and analytical study of the activities of the principal price-fixing agencies,
intended to classify and analyze the various cases of price fixing in such a way as to
make clear the nature of the problems that were involved and to suggest principles.
R u sse l l S ag e F o u n d a t io n L ib r a r y . In d u s tr ia l relations: A selected bibliography.
N ew Y o rk, 130 E a st T w enty-second Street, J u n e , 1919. 4 p p . B u lle tin N o . 35.
R y a n , W. P. The Ir is h labor m o vem en t f r o m the ’tw enties to o u r o w n day.
The T a lb o t P ress ( L td .), 1919. 266 p p .
D u b lin ,
A history of the Irish labor movement to 1919, based upon a close study of books,
parliamentary reports, pamphlets, trade-union documents, newspapers, etc. The
facts concerning Irish trade-unionism revealed before the select committees of 1824,
1825, and 1838 are dealt with rather fully, and chapters of special interest are devoted
to the work and teachings of some of the later labor leaders—Davitt, Connolly, and
Larkin. The last chapter, entitled “ Toward the Commonwealth”, sums up the
present situation and gives the text of the “ objects and methods, the Declaration of
Rights and the way to their realization” decided upon by the special congress held
in Dublin in November, 1918. Regarding the strength of trade-unionism of all
kinds in Ireland, the author says “ the estimates have varied, but leaders set the
number toward the close of 1918—a year of record and rally and progress—at a quarter
of a million. This included unaffiliated unionists as well as those affiliated to the
Irish. Trade-Union Congress—the latter varied element including purely Irish unions,
Irish bodies in ‘United Kingdom’ federations, and Irish branches of British unions
(affiliated of course on the Irish membership). Of the 40,000 unionists in the Belfast
area—of whom engineers are necessarily a goodly proportion—some 20,000 are in
affiliation with the Irish Trade-Union Congress. The tendency of the newer unions,
like those of the clerks, etc., is to be entirely Irish organizations, even as the Irish
Transport and General Workers’ Union. ”
S im o n s , A. M. The v is io n f o r w hich we fo u g h t. A stu d y i n reconstruction.
The M a c M illa n Co., 1919. 197 p p .
The C itize n ’s L ibrary.
N ew Y o rk,
This book is a study of the application to existing social and industrial conditions
of the lessons taught by the war. The special points of such application are considered
in chapters dealing with The industrial foundation, Growing power of labor, The new
State, The social surplus, Women and the war, The farm in war, What war taught the
schools, Saving life in war, The new internationalism, A positive league of nations,
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M O N T H L Y LABOR REV IEW .
and Conscious continuance of reconstruction. The author thinks that the point to
be made is “ not any particular program. It is that the entire people in democratic
nations should realize the problem before them and the opportunity in sight and
should grasp the fact that conscious direction of the destinies of peoples is now
possible. ”
S o u t h e r n R a il w a y E m pl o y e es I m m ediate R e l ie f A sso c ia t io n .
In d u stria l and
sh ip p ers’ directory, c o n ta in in g classified lists o f industries, m anufacturers, dealers,
hanks, a n d com m ercial clubs located at tow ns u p o n the system . W ashington,
December 30,%1916. 177 p p .
T o d d , A l b e r t M. P u b lic ow nership o f railroads. S ta te m e n t o f l io n . A lb e rt M. Todd,
president o f the P u b lic O w nership L eaque o f A m erica, i n the hearings before the
C om m ittee o n In tersta te Commerce, U nited S ta te s Senate, F ebruary 21, 1919.
W a shington, 1919. 44 p p U n io n I n d u st r ia l A r g e n t in a .
A ires, 1919. 66 p p .
B o le tín . M ay 15, 1919.
Vol. 33, N o . 605.
B u en o s
The official organ of the Industrial Union of Argentina. This number contains:
Strikes and industries; The four factors in industry; Industrial development in
Argentina (continued); Catalogue of accident prevention devices; and History of
labor legislation in Argentina.
The ten companies authorized to contract accident insurance issued 12,544 policies
in 1918. These covered 269,861 employees whose wages amounted to 176,923,869
pesos ($79,173,431). The premium collected amounted to 3,923,102 pesos ($1,755,588).
The following amounts were paid as compensation: For deaths, 221,661 pesos ($99,193);
total incapacity, 8,600 pesos ($3,849); permanent partial incapacity, 373,961 pesos
($167,348); and temporary incapacity, 856,936 pesos ($383,479). The total compen
sation amounted to 1,461,258 pesos ($653,913).1
*
A recent regulation provides that in all establishments required to provide seats
for employees there shall be at least two-thirds as many chairs provided in each
establishment as there are female employees, exclusive of those provided for the
use of the public.
V a n K l e e c k , M a r y A. The neiv sp irit i n in d u stry . A ddress delivered before the
Toledo C onsum ers League, M ay 3, 1919.
sum ers L eague, P a m p h le t N o . 26.
T oledo, 1919.
15 p p .
Toledo C on
The author believes that there are certain encouraging signs of a new spirit in
industry, and a “ realization on the part of the management in industry of the
importance of devising new methods of expressing human relations.”
V e a l , R o nald T u t t l e ,
ized w ork w ith boys.
a n d o th ers.
N ew
C lassified bibliography o f boy life a n d organ
Y o rk, A sso c ia tio n P ress, 1919. 198 p p .
V e r b a n d Sch w e iz K o n s u m v e r e in . Rechenschaftsbericht über die T ätig keit der Ver
bandsbehörden f ü r das Jahr 1918. B asel, 1919. 136 p p .
The annual report of the Federation of Swiss Cooperative Stores on its activities
during the year 1918. The report shows how greatly the federation has prospered
during the Avar. In 1914 the number of cooperative stores and societies affiliated
with the federation was 396 and the total amount of its sales 45,717,077 francs
($8,823,396). In 1918 the corresponding figures were 461 and 129,719,746 francs
($25,035,911), the increase in sales being equivalent to 183.7 per cent. During the
same four-year period the net profits of the federation increased from 351,279 francs
($67,797) to 1,053,472 francs ($203,320). The large increase in sales is of course
largely due to the increase of prices during the war, but on the other hand it should
be kept in mind that this factor was in part offset by the smaller consumption of
foodstuffs and other commodities owing to rationing. The report states that begin1 Figures given as in original. Conversions into United States money are made at 44.75 cents, the pre
vailing rate of exchange in 1918.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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M O N T H L Y LABOR REV IEW .
305
ning with January 1, 1919, the federation will introduce the 48-hour week in all its
shops and factories, the 42^-hour week in its general office at Basel, and the 46Jhour week in its printing establishment at Basel.
W e t h e r e d , E. H. C. T he place o f co n ciliation a n d a rbitration i n the “ W h itle y ”
scheme o f in d u s tr ia l self-g o vern m en t. L o n d o n , In d u s tr ia l R eco n stru ctio n C ouncil,
1919. 11 p p .
This is a lecture by the chairman of the Bristol Local Munitions Tribunal, deliv
ered before the Industrial Reconstruction Council on November 5, 1918.
WoRSFOLD, W. B a s il . The w ar a n d social reform . A n endeavor to trace the in flu en ce
o f the w a r as a refo rm in g agency, w ith special reference to m atters p r im a r ily affecting
the w age-earning classes. L o n d o n , J o h n M urray, 1919. 248 p p .
This book is the outcome of a visit paid in the spring of 1918 to the lines of com
munication in France. It was written before the conclusion of the war, and was
intended to focus attention upon some of the more obvious problems which the
author foresaw would be involved in reconstruction, particularly those relating to
industry. Chapters consider The revival of agriculture; The extension and improve
ment of the system of public education; The participation of labor in the profits and
administration of industry; Progress in social reform; and The increase in the pro
ductive capacity of the nation. An appendix is devoted to the ideas contained
in a pamphlet entitled “ Cosmos: A scheme for industrial cooperation between capital
and labor.” This pamphlet was written by an employer of labor and was edited,
with an introduction, by Douglas Sladen.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
SERIES OF BULLETINS PUBLISHED BY THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.
[The publication of the annual and special reports and of the bimonthly bulletin was dis
continued ih July, 1912, and since that time a bulletin has been published at irregular intervals.
Each number contains matter devoted to one of a series of general subjects. 1 hese bulletins
are numbered consecutively beginning with No. 101, and up to No. 23S they also carry con
secutive numbers under each series. Beginning with No. 237 the serial numbering has been
discontinued. A list of the series is given below. Under each is grouped all the bulletins
which contain material relating to the subject matter of that series. A list of the reports and
bulletins of the bureau issued prior to July 1, 1912, will be furnished on application.]
W h olesale Prices.
B ui. 114. W h olesale prices, 1890 to 1912.
Bui. 149. W holesale prices, 1890 to 1913.
Bui. 173. Index num bers o f w h o le sa le prices
countries.
B ui. 181. W holesale prices, 1890 to 1914.
B ui. 200. W h olesale prices, 1890 to 1915.
B ui. 226. W h olesale prices, 1890 to 1910.
in
th e
U n ited
S ta te s
an d
foreign
R eta il P rices and Cost of Living'.
B ui. 105. R eta il prices, 1890 to 1911 : P a r t 1.
R e ta il prices, 1890 to 1911 : P a r t II—-General tables.
B ui. 106. R eta il prices, 1890 to June, 1912 : P a r t I.
R eta il prices, 1890 to Ju n e, 1 9 1 2 : P a r t II— G eneral tab les.
Bui. 108. R eta il prices, 1890. to A ugust, 1912.
B ui. 110. R e ta il prices, 1890 to October. 1912.
B ui. 113. R eta il prices, 1890 to Decem ber, 1912.
B ui. 115. R e ta il prices, 1890 to F ebruary, 1913.
B ui. 121. Sugar prices, from refiner to consum er.
B ui. 125. R e ta il prices, 1890 to A pril, 1913.
B ui. 130. W heat and flour prices, from -farmer to consum er.
B ui. 132. R eta il prices, 1890 to Jun e, 1913.
B ui. 136. R e ta il prices, 1890 to A u gu st, 1913.
Bui. 138. R eta il prices, 1890 to October, 1913.
B ui. 140. R e ta il prices, 1890 to D ecem ber, 1 9 13.
B ui. 156. R e ta il prices, 1907 to D ecem ber, 1914.
B ui. 164. B u tter prices, from producer to consum er.
B ui. 170. F oreign food prices as affected by th e w ar.
B ui. 184. R e ta il prices, 1907 to Jun e, 1915.
B ui. 197. R eta il prices, 1907 to D ecem ber, 1915.
B ui. 228. R eta il prices, 1907 to Decem ber, 1916.
W ages and Hours of Labor.
B ul. 116. H ours, earn ings, and d u ration o f em ploym en t o f w age-earn ing w om en in
selected in d u str ies iu th e D is tr ic t o f Colum bia.
B ul. 118. T en-hour m axim um w orking day fo r w om en and you n g persons.
B ul. 119. W orking hours o f w om en in th e pea canneries o f W isconsin.
B ul. 128. W ages and hou rs of labor in th e cotton , w oolen, and silk in d u str ies. 1890
to 1912.
B ul. 129. W ages and hours o f labor in th e lum ber, m illw ork , and fu rn itu re in d u s
tr ie s, 1890 to 1912.
B ui. 131. U n ion sca le o f w a g es and hou rs o f labor, 1907 to 1912.
B ul. 134. W ages and hours o f labor in th e boot and shoe and hosiery and k n it goods
in d u stries, 1890 to 1912.
B ul. 135. W ages and hou rs o f labor in th e cigar and c lo th in g in d u str ies, 1911 and
1912.
B ul. 137. W ages and hou rs o f labor in th e bu ild in g and r ep airin g o f steam railroad
cars, 1890 to 1912.
B ul. 143. U n io n sca le o f w ages a nd h o u rs o f labor, M ay 15, 1913.
B ul. 146. W ages and reg u la rity o f em ploym en t in th e dress and w a is t in d u stry of
N ew York C ity.
B ul. 147. W ages and reg u la r ity o f em ploym en t in th e cloak, s u it, and sk ir t in d u stry.
B ul. 150. W ages and hours o f labor in th e co tto n , w oolen, and silk in d u stries, 1907
to 1913.
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Hi
W ages and Hours of Labor— Concluded.
B ui. 151. W ages and hours o f labor in th e iron and s te el in d u stry in th e U n ited
S ta tes, 1907 to 1912.
B ui. 153. W ages and hours o f labor in th e lum ber, m illw ork, and fu rn itu r e in d u s
tr ie s, 1907 to 1913.
B ui. 154. W ages and hou rs o f labor in th e boot and shoe and h osiery and underw ear
in d u stries, 1907 to 1913.
B ui. 160. H ours, earn ings, and co n d itio n s o f labor o f w om en in In d ian a m ercan tile
esta b lish m en ts and garm ent fa cto ries.
B ui. 161. W ages and hours o f labor in th e clo th in g and cigar in d u stries, 1911 ’to
1913.
B ui. 163. W ages and hours o f labor in th e bu ildin g an d rep airin g of steam railroad
cars, 190 7 to 1913.
B ui. 168. W ages and hours o f labor in th e iron and s te el in d u stry in th e U n ited
S ta tes, 1907 to 1913.
B ui. 171. U n ion sca le o f w a g es and hours o f labor, M ay 1, 1914.
B ui. 177. W ages and hours o f labor in th e hosiery an d underw ear in d u stry, 1907 to
1914.
B ui. 178. W ages and hou rs o f labor in th e boot and shoe in d u stry, 1907 to 1914.
B ui. 187. W ages and hours o f labor in th e m en’s c lo th in g in d u stry, 1911 to 1914.
B ui, 190. W ages and hou rs o f labor in th e cotton , w oolen, and silk in d u stries, 1907
to 1914.
B ui. 194. U nion sca le o f w a g es and hours o f labor, M ay 1, 1915.
B ui. 204. S treet r a ilw a y em ploym en t in th e U n ited S ta te s.
B u i. 214. U nion sca le o f w ages and hours o f labor, M ay 15, 1916.
B ui. 218. W ages and hours o f labor in th e iron and ste el in d u stry, 1907 to 1915.
B ui. 225. W ages and hours of labor in th e lum ber, m illw ork, and fu rn itu re in d u s
tries, 1915.
B ui. 232. W ages and hou rs o f labor in th e boot and shoe in d u stry, 1907 to 1916.
B ui. 238. W ages and hou rs o f labor in w oolen and w o rsted goods m an u factu rin g,
1916.
B ui. 239. W ages and hours o f labor in c o tto n goods m a n u factu rin g and fin ish ing,
1916.
B ui. 245. U n ion sca le o f w a g es and hou rs o f labor, M ay 15, 1917.
B ui. 252. W ages
and hours o f labor in sla u g h ter in g
and m eat-packing
in d u stry. [In
p r e ss.]
B ui. 259. U nion sca le o f w ages and hours o f labor, M ay 15, 1918. [In press.]
B ui. 260. W ages
and hours o f labor in th e boot and shoe
in d u stry , 1907 to 1918.
[In press.]
B ui. 261. W ages and hours o f labor in w oolen and w orsted goods m an u factu rin g, 1918.
[In press.]
B ui. 262. W ages and hours o f labor in co tto n goods m a n u fa ctu rin g and fin ish ing,
1918. [In press.]
B ui. 265. In d u str ia l survey in selected in d u stries in th e U n ited S ta te s, 1919. P re
lim in a ry R eport. [In p ress.]
Em ploym ent and U nem ploym ent.
B ui. 109. S ta tis tic s o f un em ploym ent and th e w ork o f em ploym en t offices in the
U n ited S ta tes.
B ui. 172. U nem ploym ent in N ew York C ity, N. Y.
B ui. 182. U nem ploym ent am ong w om en in d ep artm en t and oth er r eta il sto res of
B o sto n , M ass.
B ui. 183. R eg u la rity o f em ploym en t in th e w om en’s read y-to-w ear garm en t in d u stries.
B ui. 192. P ro ceed in g s o f th e A m erican A sso c ia tio n o f P u b lic E m ploym en t Offices.
B ui. 195. U nem ploym ent in th e U n ited S ta tes.
B ui. 196. P roceed in gs of th e E m ploym en t M anagers’ C onference held a t M inneapolis,
J a n u a ry , 1916.
B ui. 202. P ro ceed in g s o f th e conferen ce o f th e E m p lo y m en t M anagers’ A sso cia tio n of
B o sto n , M ass., held M ay 10, 1916.
B ui. 206. T he B r itish sy stem o f labor exch anges.
B ui. 220. P ro ceed in g s o f th e F o u rth A n n u al M eeting o f th e A m erican A sso cia tio n of
P u b lic E m ploym en t Offices, B uffalo, N. Y., J u ly 20, and 21, 1916.
B ui. 223. E m ploym en t o f w om en and ju v en ile s in G reat B rita in du rin g th e w ar.
B ui. 227. P roceed in gs o f th e E m ploym en t M anagers’ C onference, P h ilad elp h ia, P a
A pril 2 and 3, 1917.
B ui. 235. E m ploym en t sy ste m o f th e Lake C arriers’ A sso cia tion .
B ui. 241. P u b lic em ploym en t offices in th e U n ited S ta tes.
B ui. 247. P ro ceed in g s o f E m ploym en t M anagers’ C onference, R ochester, N . Y., May
9 -1 1 . 1918.
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W om en in Industry.
B ui. 116. H ours, earn ings, and du ration o f em ploym ent o f w age-earn in g w om en in
selected in d u stries in th e D is tr ic t o f Colum bia.
B ui. 117. P ro h ib itio n o f n ig h t work o f you n g persons.
Bui. 11&. T en-hour m axim um w orking-day for w om en and you n g persons.
Bui. 119. W orking hours o f w om en in th e pea canneries o f W iscon sin .
Bui, '122. E m ploym en t of w om en in pow er la u n d ries in M ilw aukee.
Bui. 160. H ours, earn ings, and con d ition s o f labor o f w om en in Indian a m ercan tile
esta b lish m en ts and g arm en t fa cto ries.
Bui. 167. M inim um -w age le g isla tio n in th e U n ited S ta te s and foreign countries.
B ui 175. Sum m ary o f th e rep ort on condition o f w om an and child w age earners in
th e U n ited S ta tes.
Bui. 176. E ffect o f m inim um -w age d eterm in a tio n s in Oregon.
B u i 180. T he boot and shoe in d u stry in M a ssa ch u setts as a v ocation for w om en.
B u i 182. U nem ploym ent am ong w om en in departm en t and other r eta il sto res of
B o sto n , M ass.
B u i 193. D ressm a k in g as a trade for w om en in M a ssa ch u setts.
Bui, 215. In d u str ia l experien ce o f trade-school g irls in M a ssach u setts.
Bui. 223. E m ploym en t o f w om en and ju v en iles in G reat B rita in du rin g th e w ar.
B ui 253. W omen in th e lead in d u stry.
Insurance and C om pensation (in clu d in g la w s r e la tin g tiie r e to ).
Care o f tu berculou s w age earners in G erm any.
B ritish N a tio n a l Insu ran ce A ct, 1911.
Sickn ess and a ccid en t insurance la w o f Sw itzerland.
L aw r ela tin g to insurance o f sa la ried em ployees in G erm any.
W orkm en’s com pensation la w s o f th e. U n ited S ta te s and foreign countries.
C om pensation for a ccid en ts to em ployees of th e U n ited S tates.
C om pensation le g isla tio n o f 1914 and 1915.
W orkm en’s com pensation la w s o f the U n ited S ta te s and foreign countries.
P roceed in gs o f th e T hird A nnu al M eeting of th e In te r n a tio n a l A ssociation
of In d u str ia l A ccid en t B oards and C om m issions.
P
212. roceed ings o f th e conferen ce on so cia l in su ran ce called by th e In ter
n a tio n a l A sso cia tio n o f In d u stria l A ccid en t B oards and C om m issions.
217. E ffect o f w orkm en’s com pensation la w s in d im in ish in g th e n e c essity o f
in d u str ia l em ploym en t o f w om en and children.
240. C om parison o f w orkm en’s com pensation la w s o f th e U n ited S tates.
243. W orkm en’s com pensation le g isla tio n in the U n ited S ta te s and foreign
countries.
248. P roceed in gs o f th e F o u rth A nnu al M eeting o f th e In te r n a tio n a l A ssociation
o f In d u stria l A ccid en t B oard s and C om m issions.
264 . P roceed ings of th e F ifth A nnual M eeting of th e In te r n a tio n a l A ssociation
o f In d u stria l A ccid en t B oards and C om m issions. [In press.]
W orkm en’s
Bui. 101.
B ui. 102.
B ui. 103.
B ui. 107.
B ui. 126.
B ui. 155.
B ui. 185.
B ui. 203.
B ui. 210.
B ui.
B ui.
B ui.
B ui.
B ui.
B ui.
In d u strial A ccidents and H ygien e.
B ui. 104. L ead p oison in g in p o tteries, tile w orks, and porcelain enam eled san itary
w are fa cto ries.
B ui. 120. H ygiene o f th e p a in te rs’ trade.
B ui. 127. D angers to w orkers from d u sts and fum es, and m eth ods o f protection.
B ui. 141. L ead p oison in g in th e sm e ltin g and refining o f lead.
B ui. 157. In d u str ia l a ccid en t s ta tis tic s .
B u i.-165. Lead p oison in g in th e m a n u fa ctu re o f storage b atteries.
B ui. 179. In d u stria l poisons used in th e rubber in d u stry .
B ui. 188. R eport o f B r itish dep artm en tal com m ittee on dan ger in th e u se of lead in
th e p a in tin g o f bu ildin gs.
B ui. 201. R eport of com m ittee on s ta tis tic s and com pensation insu ran ce cost of the
In te r n a tio n a l A sso cia tio n o f In d u str ia l A ccid en t B oard s and Commis
sions. [L im ited ed itio n .]
B ui. 205. A nth rax as an o ccu p ation al disease.
B ui. 207. C auses o f death by occupation.
B ui. 209. H ygiene o f th e p rin tin g trades.
Bui. 216. A ccid en ts and a ccid en t preven tion in m achin e building.
B ui. 219. In d u stria l poisons used or produced in th e m a n u factu re of exp losives.
B ui. 221. H ours, fa tig u e, and h e a lth in B ritish m u n ition factories.
B ui. 230. In d u stria l efficiency and fa tig u e in B r itish m u n ition fa cto ries.
B ui. 231. M o rta lity from respiratory d isea ses in d u sty trades.
B ui. 234. S a fety m ovem ent in th e iron and # teel in d u stry , 1907 to 1917.
B ui. 236. E ffect o f th e a ir ham m er on the hands o f sto n ecu tters.
B ui. 251. P rev en ta b le death in th e cotton m an u fa ctu rin g in d u stry.
[In p ress.]
B ui. 256. A ccid en ts and a ccid en t preven tion in m achine building.
(R evised .)
[In
press.]
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[m ]
C onciliation and A rbitration (including; strik es and lo c k o u ts).
B ul. 124. C o n cilia tio n and arb itra tio n in th e bu ildin g trad es o f G reater N ew York.
B ui. 133. R eport o f th e in d u str ia l co u n cil o f th e B ritish B oard o f T rade on its in
quiry in to in d u str ia l a greem en ts.
B ul. 139. M ichigan copper d is tr ic t strike.
B ul. 144. In d u str ia l court o f th e cloak, su it, and sk irt in d u stry of N ew York C ity.
Bul. 145. C on ciliation , a rb itra tio n , an d s a n ita tio n in th e dress and w a is t in d u stry of
. N ew York City.
B ul. 191. C o llectiv e barg a in in g in th e a n th r a cite coal in d u stry.
B ul. 198. C ollective agreem en ts in th e m en’s c lo th in g in d u stry.
B ul. 233. O peration o f th e In d u str ia l D isp u tes I n v e stig a tio n A ct o f Canada.
Labor Laws of th e U nited States (in clu d in g d ecision s of courts re la tin g to
lab or).
B ul. 111. Labor le g isla tio n o f 1912.
B ul. 112. D ecisio n s of courts and op in io n s a ffectin g labor, 1912.
B ul. 148. Labor la w s o f th e U n ited S ta tes, w ith d ecisio n s of cou rts r ela tin g th ereto.
B ul. 152. D ecisio n s o f co u rts and opin ions a ffectin g labor, 1913.
B ul. 166. Labor le g is la tio n o f 1914.
B u l 169. D ecisio n s o f co u rts a ffectin g labor, 1914.
B ul. 186. Labor le g isla tio n o f 1915.
Bul. 189. D ecisio n s o f courts a ffectin g labor, 1915.
B ul. 211. L abor la w s and th eir a d m in istr a tio n in th e P acific S ta te s.
B ul. 213. L abor le g isla tio n o f 1916.
B ul. 224. D ecisio n s o f courts a ffectin g labor, 1916.
B ul. 229. W age-paym ent le g isla tio n in the U n ited S ta tes.
B ul. 244. Labor le g is la tio n o f 1917.
B ul. 246. D ecisio n s o f courts affectin g labor, 1917.
B ul. 257. Labor le g isla tio n o f 1918.
B ul. 258. D ecision s o f courts and opin ions a ffectin g labor, 1918. [In p ress.]
F oreign Labor Laws.
B ul. 142. A d m in istra tio n o f labor la w s and fa c to r y in sp ectio n in certain E uropean
countries.
A^oeational E ducation.
B ul. 145. C on ciliation , arb itra tio n , and sa n ita tio n in th e d ress and w a is t in d u stry of
N ew York C ity.
Bul. 147. W ages and r eg u la rity o f em ploym en t in th e cloak, su it, and sk ir t in d u stry.
B ul. 159. S h o rt-u n it courses fo r w age earners, and a fa c to r y sch ool exp erim en t.
B ul. 162. V o ca tio n a l ed u cation survey o f R ichm ond, Va.
B ul. 199. V o ca tio n a l ed u ca tio n su rv ey o f M inneapolis.
Labor as A ffected by th e War.
B ul. 170. F o reig n food p rices a s affected by th e war.
B ul. 219. In d u str ia l poison s used or produced in th e m an u factu re o f exp losives.
B ul. 221. H ours, fa tig u e , and h e a lth in B ritish m u n ition factories.
B ul. 222. W elfare w ork in B ritish m u n ition fa c to r ie s.
B ul. 223. E m ploym en t o f w om en and ju v en ile s in G reat B rita in du rin g th e war.
B ul. 230. In d u str ia l efficiency and fa tig u e in B ritish m u n ition fa c to r ie s.
B ul. 237. In d u str ia l u n rest in G reat B rita in .
B ul. 249. In d u str ia l h ea lth and efficiency. F in a l rep ort o f B ritish H ealth o f M uni
tio n W orkers Com m ittee.
Bul. 255. J o in t sta n d in g in d u str ia l co u n cils in G reat B ritain . [In p ress.]
M iscellan eou s Series.
Bul. 117. P ro h ib itio n o f n ig h t work o f y o u n g persons.
B ul. 118. Ten-hour m axim um w orking-day fo r w om en and you n g persons.
B ul. 123. E m p lo y ers’ w e lfa r e work.
Bul. 158. G overnm ent aid to hom e ow n in g and h o u sin g o f w orking people in foreign
countries.
B ul. 159. S h ort-u n it courses fo r w age earners, and a fa c to r y sch ool experim ent.
B ul. 167. M inim um -w age le g isla tio n in th e U n ited S ta te s and foreign countries.
B ul. 170. F oreign food prices as affected by th e war.
B ul. 174. Su bject ind ex o f th e p u b lica tio n s o f th e U n ited S ta te s B ureau o f Labor
S t a tis tic s up to M ay 1, 1915.
B ul. 208. P rofit sh a rin g in th e U n ited S ta te s.
B ul. 222. W elfare w ork in B ritish m u n ition fa c to r ie s.
B ul. 242. Food s itu a tio n in C entral Europe, 1917.
Bul. 250. W elfare work fo r em ployees in in d u str ia l esta b lish m en ts in th e U. S.
B ul. 254. In tern a tio n a l labor le g isla tio n and th e so ciety of n ation s.
B ul. 263. H ou sin g by em ployers in th e U n ited S ta te s. [In p ress.]
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