Full text of Monthly Labor Review : August 1943, Vol. 57, No. 2
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
F rances P e r k in s , Secretary
♦
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
I sador L ubin , Commissioner (on leave)
A. F. H inrichs, Acting Commissioner
D onald D avenport, Chief, Employ
ment and Occupational Outlook
Branch
A ryness J oy, Chief, Prices and Cost
of Living Branch
H enry J. F itzgerald, Chief, Business
Management Branch
N. Arnold T ollés, Chief, Working
Conditions and Industrial Relations
Branch
H ugh S. H anna, Chief, Editorial and
Research
S idney W. Wilcox, Chief Statistician
DIVISIONS
Construction and Public Employment,
Herman B. Byer
Occupational Outlook, Charles Stewart
(acting chief)
Cost of Living, Faith M. Williams
Post-War Labor Problems, John H .G .
Pierson
Employment Statistics, Lewis E. Tal
bert
Historical Studies of Wartime Prob
lems, Stella Stewart
Industrial Injuries, Max D. Kossoris
Price Analysis, Walter G. Keim
Productivity and Technological De
velopment, W. Duane Evans
Industrial Relations, Florence Peter
son
Retail Prices, Ethel D. Hoover
Labor Information Service, Boris Stern
Wage Analysis, Robert J. Myers
Machine Tabulation, Joseph Drager
Wholesale Prices, J. M. Cutts
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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR • BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
*#######*##*#
-f
HUGH
S- H A N N A ,
C O N T E N T S
EDITOR
+
AUGUST 1943, Vol. 57, No. 2
Special articles:
Page
E m p lo y m en t of w om en in petro leu m refineries--------- ^------------- j.-----M anpow er req u irem en ts for 1943-44________________________ ._ 'i----Sources of lab o r supply for th e w a r________________________________
L ab o r conditions in G reece----------------------------------------------------- ------G overnm ent m easures fo r im p ro v em en t of living sta n d a rd s in E l
S a lv a d o r___________________________________________ _____________
197
204
212
215
233
Wartime policies:
R egulations for o p eratio n of coal m ines u n d er G overn m en t c o n tro l.237
R eplacem ent schedules for m en of d ra ft a g e------------------------------------238
E m p lo y m en t of v e te ra n s_____________________________________________
239
C om pensation of salaried em ployees for o v ertim e-------------------------------239
R ules for adm ission of M exican laborers as ra ilro a d tra c k la b o re rs-----240
C om pulsory-tran sfer orders covering lab o r in C a n a d a ------------------------241
Wage and price stabilization:
C ost of living an d price reg u latio n in M exico------------- --------------------W age an d price stabilization in N ew Z ealand-----------------------------------
244
250
Productivity of labor and industry:
W artim e p ro d u c tiv ity in m ining in d u s trie s.---------------------------------------R ecent p ro d u c tiv ity changes in copper m ining______________________
255
258
Social security:
F am ily allow ances in various co u n tries_______________________________
E stab lish m en t of Social Security B ureau in H a iti___________________
265
277
Cooperation:
W ork of reconstru ctio n cooperatives in F rance a fte r first W orld W a r—
278
Recreation:
C om m unity recreatio n in 1942_______________________________________
284
Industrial accidents:
In d u s tria l injuries in A pril 1943------------------------------------------------------
287
Industrial disputes:
S trikes in Ju n e 1943____________________________________ ___________
T he coal disputes of 1943--------------------------------------------------------------A ctivities of th e U n ited S tates C onciliation Service, Ju n e 1943---------
290
290
295
Cost of living:
C ost of living in large cities, Ju n e 1943--------------------------------------------
298
Labor laws and decisions:
W ar L ab o r D isp u tes A c t--------------------------- ------ -----------------------------Law p ro tectin g post-w ar job rights of m erchant-m arine personnel----R ecen t decisions of in te re st to la b o r------------------------------------------------
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i
305
307
307
Contents
II
Wage and hour statistics:
-
E arn in g s in sh ip -co n stru ctio n yards, fall of 1942___________ ________
H ours an d earnings in th e fertilizer in d u stry , Ja n u a ry 1943_________
Salaries of clerical w orkers in 20 cities, A pril 1943__________________
B razil— M inim um m o n th ly w age rates, 1943________ _______________
G reat B ritain — W eekly earnings in various industries, Ja n u a ry 1943_ _
Page
315
337
348
349
351
Labor turnover:
L abor tu rn o v e r in m a n u factu rin g a n d m ining, M ay 1943____________
353
Building operations:
E stim a te d co n stru ctio n a c tiv ity in c o n tin en tal U n ited S tates, 1939-43 _
B uilding co n stru ctio n in u rb a n areas of th e U n ited S tates, Ju n e 1943_
357
359
Retail prices:
F ood prices in M ay a n d Ju n e 1943_________________________________
E lectricity a n d gas: Price changes betw een M arch an d Ju n e 1943___
363
372
Wholesale prices:
W holesale prices in Ju n e 1943______________________________________
374
Trend of employment and unemployment:
S um m ary of re p o rts for Ju n e 1943_________________________________
D etailed rep o rts fo r in d u stria l an d business em ploym ent, M ay 1 9 4 3 -.
C ivilian lab o r force, Ju n e 1943_____________________________________
379
383
397
Labor chronology:
C hronology of lab o r events, A pril to Ju n e 1943_____________________
399
Labor conditions in Latin America.................................. 233, 244, 277, 349
Recent publications of labor interest.........................................................
411
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This Issue in Brief
V
*
Wage and price stabilization in New Zealand.
N ew Z ealand has ac te d to stabilize wages, prices, a n d re n ts to avoid w artim e
inflation a n d has secured th e cooperation of organized lab o r in carry in g o u t its
program . T h e stab iliz a tio n reg u latio n s were issued la te in 1942 a n d th e p lan
p rovided for ex tending price ceilings on essential com m odities a n d services. A
special w artim e price index w as in tro d u ced w hich ad eq u a te ly records changes in
prices of th e com m odities in general use. I t form s th e basis for a n y a d ju s tm e n t
in wages a n d salaries to conform w ith a lte ra tio n s in living costs. A d m in istratio n
w as placed u n d er th e M in ister of In d u strie s a n d C om m erce assisted b y an E co
nom ic S tabilization Com m ission. Page 250.
Recent productivity changes in copper mining.
w
T h e 1942 record o u tp u t of recoverable copper was achieved w ith few er th a n
h alf th e n u m b er of em ployees req u ired to produce th e previous m axim um , in 1916.
P ro d u c tiv ity has th u s fa r been m a in ta in e d a t p eak p re-w ar levels, b u t it m ay de
cline as th e q u a lity of accessible ore d e terio rates fu rth e r a n d as m anpow er
difficulties m u ltip ly . P age 258.
Employment of women in petroleum refineries.
►
T he m anpow er shortag e m akes it necessary for p etro leu m refineries to consider
th e em p lo y m en t of w om en in jobs w hich th e y n o rm ally do n o t hold. A t th e
p resen t tim e, w om en com prise a b o u t 10 p ercen t of to ta l em p lo y m en t in petro leu m
refining a n d 5 p ercen t of th e to ta l n u m b er of w age earners. In 1939, th e corre
sponding figures w ere less th a n 2 p ercen t an d less th a n 0.4 p ercen t. P age 197.
Community recreation, 1942.
C o m m unity recreatio n services c o n tin u ed to serve th e n o rm al needs of th e
general p o p u latio n in 1942. I n m an y cities, p rogram s were a d ju s te d or expanded
to m eet th e needs of th e m en in th e arm ed forces a n d w orkers in w ar in d u stries,
or special services w ere p ro v id ed for th e m . T h e to ta l ex p en d itu res fo r recreatio n
b y co m m u n ity agencies w as $31,372,700, w hich was only slig h tly less th a n th e
ex p en d itu re in 1941, according to th e a n n u a l re p o rt of th e N a tio n a l R ecreation
A ssociation. In ad d itio n to th e recreatio n al facilities p ro v id ed b y th e organized
com m unity services, special services for th e m en in service, b o th a t hom e an d
ab road, h av e been p rov id ed b y th e Special Services D ivision of th e U n ited S ta te s
A rm y a n d th e W elfare D ivision, B ureau of N av y P ersonnel of th e U n ited S tates
N av y , while o th er agencies, b o th gov ern m en tal an d p riv a te , h av e assisted in
providing special recreatio n facilities. P age 284.
Sources of labor supply for the war.
V
In A pril 1943 th e N a tio n ’s to ta l lab o r force— including th e arm ed forces—
exceeded th e norm al peacetim e level by over 4 m illion. P re m a tu re w ithdraw al
of boys an d girls from school was a g reater fa c to r in th e expansion th a n th e
increased n u m b er of a d u lt women w orking. T he lab o r force exceeded peacetim e
expectations by 1,300,000 teen-age boys a n d 450,000 teen-age girls as com pared
w ith 1,200,000 w om en over 20. Because a large p ro p o rtio n of th e m arrie d w om en
betw een 20 and 35 have young children a n d m ost single w om en of th ese ages have
alw ays w orked, m ost of th e expansion am ong a d u lt w om en occurred in th e groups
over age 35. Such w om en should be th e chief source of ad d itio n al w orkers in th e
com ing year— young persons now in school being needed largely as rep lacem en ts
in in d u stry and th e arm ed forces, and v irtu ally all able-bodied m en alread y being
a t w ork. Page 212.
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hi
IV
This Issue in Brief
Hours and earnings in fertilizer industry, 1943.
In Ja n u a ry 1943 th e wage earners in th e fertilizer in d u stry h ad hourly earnings
averaging 55.0 cents, exclusive of o vertim e p ay m en ts. T h e average in th e N o rth
was 76.5 cents an d th a t in th e S outh was 45.2 cents. Office w orkers averaged
70.7 cents an hour. W orking hours p er w eek averaged 40.6— 41.0 in th e N o rth
an d 40.4 in th e South. Page 337.
Labor conditions in Greece.
Greece is p rim arily a n ag ric u ltu ra l co u n try w ith m ore th a n h alf of th e gainfully occupied p o p u latio n engaged in a g ricu ltu ral a n d rela te d o ccu p atio n s. Sm allscale enterprise pred o m in ates b o th in ag ricu ltu re w here la n d holdings are sm all
an d in in d u stry ; a large p ro p o rtio n of th e gainfully em ployed are eith er selfem ployed or are w orking only w ith m em bers of th e ir fam ilies. T he p osition of
la b o r has been affected adversely by fre q u e n t changes in g overnm ent. In some
periods lab o r benefited tem p o rarily , only to lose these ad v a n ta g e s w hen a less
liberal governm ent succeeded. W ages were very low before th e p resen t w ar.
H ow ever, th e 8-hour day h a d gained wide acceptance in in d u stry , w ith p rem iu m p ay
for overtim e. T he social-insurance sy stem w as developed in rec e n t years. I n
flation a n d m ass sta rv a tio n followed th e conquest a n d p a rtitio n of Greece by th e
Axis. Page 215.
Government measures for improvement of living standards in El Salvador.
T ak in g a d v an ta g e of th e fav o rab le tra d e situ atio n , th e G overn m en t of E l
S alvador has been p u ttin g in to effect m easures designed to raise living sta n d a rd s
in th a t country. P rovision of sa n ita ry housing, d istrib u tio n of lan d on long
te rm credit, a n d assistance to sm all in d u stry are som e of th e m easures ad o p ted .
Page 233.
Earn ings in ship-construction yards, 1942.
S traig h t-tim e hou rly earnings in N ovem ber 1942 averaged $1,044 for first-sh ift
w orkers in p riv a te y ard s engaged w holly or p rim arily in new ship construction.
T he highest level of earnings, $1,135, w as found on th e Pacific C oast, a n d th e
low est, 90.7 cents, on th e G ulf C oast. T he average for th e A tlan tic C oast region
w as $1,048, for th e G reat L akes region 99.4 cents, a n d for th e In la n d a rea 97.4 cents.
P age 315.
Manpower requirements, 1943-44.
I t is estim ated th a t betw een Ju ly 1943 a n d Ju ly 1944 a m inim um of 4,000,000
persons m u st be ad d ed to th e arm ed forces a n d m u n itio n s in d u stries— 2,000,000
in th e arm ed forces a n d 2,000,000 in th e m unitions industries. To m eet these
needs, 2,600,000 persons m ay be available because of declining lab o r req u irem en ts
in civilian industries, leaving 1,400,000 to be draw n in to th e a rm e d forces
and n o n ag ricu ltu ral em p lo y m en t. Page 204.
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
FOR AUGUST 1943
E m p lo y m e n t of W o m en in P e tro le u m R e f in e r ie s 1
Summary
TRADITIONALLY, the petroleum-refining industry has employed
very few women. According to the 1939 Census of Manufactures,
women comprised less than 2 percent of all persons engaged in the
industry and fewer than 0.4 percent of all the wage earners. During
wartime, however, it has become necessary for this industry like
others to consider the substitution of women for men as the latter
enter the armed forces or other industries. Although the reorienta
tion in hiring policy is slow at first, women are eventually employed in
production and other jobs for which they would not normally be
considered. In the first World War, women constituted about 5 per
cent of the total number of wage earners in petroleum refineries after
the second draft.2 At the present time, the percentage of woman
wage earners is approximately the same, but this figure will certainly
be exceeded as the war continues. Including laboratory, office and
other jobs as well as production jobs, women now comprise about 10
percent of total employment in petroleum refineries. In one region,
however, the proportion of women averages 18 percent, and in indi
vidual refineries it approaches 25 percent.
Positions in Which Women are Employed
In the course of a survey of labor requirements in the manufacture
of synthetic rubber, aviation gasoline, and other petroleum products,
some information has been gathered on the extent of utilization of
women and on the possibilities of further substitution for males. The
data were obtained from Selective Service System Replacement
Schedules prepared by refineries, from other personnel records, and
from interviews with company officials. The total employment in
the 74 companies on whose experience this article is based accounts
for about one-fourth of the total for the entire industiy.
An analysis of replacement schedules and other personnel informa
tion indicates that women are now being considered for a wide range
of jobs in the laboratory and the refinery proper, as well as in the office
(table 1). The largest numbers are employed as stenographers,
general clerks, general laborers, and laboratory testers.
1 Prepared in the Bureau’s Division of Productivity and Technological Development by James M.
Silberman and Carolyn Gonyo Bernhard under the supervision of Irving H. Siegel.
2 U . S. W omen’s Bureau, Bulletin No. 12: The N ew Position of Women in American Industry, Wash
ington, 1920 (p. 46).
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198
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
T able
1. Positions Occupied by Women in Petroleum Refineries
Division of plant, and
job title
N um
ber of
wom
en
All positions_____
2,627
Office_____
Stenographer___
General clerk.
Typist or clerk-typist______
Machine operator___
Accounting clerk__
Secretary. .
File clerk.. .
Switchboard (telephone) operator
Bookkeeper
Shipping clerk___ ..
Checker.
Messenger. __
Office g irl...
Senior clerk
Mail clerk
Order clerk.
Pay-roll clerk
Stock clerk_________
Timekeeper, timeclerk
\ ield clerk
Billing clerk___
Cashier___
Cost clerk_______
Personnel clerk
Purchasing clerk___
Accountant__ ___
Credit clerk
Receptionist . . ____
Supervisor.. __
Switchboard supervisor____
Chart girl__
Credit wom an_____
Distribution clerk .
Pipeline and products clerk..
Production clerk___
Supplies clerk
N ot specified.
1. 156
273
228
Refinery operations____
General labor .
Gaugftr
Paekagihg assistant. _
Train fie
Operator (filter press,
centrifuge, etc.)___
Brander, sprayer,
stenciler..
Candle packer_____
856
173
81
67
46
103
89
82
49
40
37
28
21
11
10
10
8
7
7
7
6
6
6
5
5
5
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
i
i
i
i
■ i
91
46
40
39
Division of plant, and
job title
Refinery operations—Con.
Control-board operator
Still operator
Package h a n d ler___
Treater________
U tility helper____
Pumper___ __ .
Control tester... _
Barrel filler, helper
Wax packer. ___
Stillman helper
Barrel filler____
Can filler .
Can manufacturer.
Fireman_____
Nailing-machine operator
. ___
W eigher... ___
W iekknotter. . . . _
Inspector...... .......
Stenciler helper. ..
Apprentice gauger.
Compressor operator
Machine
operator
(cooper shop)___
Package-preparation
girl________
Stock girl (packaging
division).
Barrel inspector
Candle dipper _
Forewoman
Spray painter... . .
Stabilizer operator.
helper_____
Tank car and truck
loader_____
Assistant forewoman
Assistant storekeeper
Grease compounder .
M atron.. ____
Oil-compounder apprentice________
Specialty maker . .
Stencil cutter . .
Wick sewer
Laboratory______
Tester, first and sec
ond class_____
Laboratory trainee or
assist an t
C hem ist...
Tester, third and
fourth class, and
helpers.. ______
N um
ber of
wom
en
35
35
34
28
25
19
18
17
17
13
12
11
11
h
10
10
7
0
0
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
i
i
1
i
i
i
i
477
173
86
57
45
Division of plant, and
job title
N um
ber of
wom-
Laboratory—Con.
Laboratory techni
cian_____________
Laboratory inspector.
Pilot-process plant
operator_________
Can and bottle washer
Draftsman________
Sample delivery girl.
Test-engine operator
Photographer______
Glass blower____
Patent technologist-.
Maintenance__________
Mechanic’s helper
(field repairs)_____
Tool stockman and
binman__________
Electrician’s helper.
Assistant research
mechanic_____
Boiler-shop learner..
Forewoman________
M achinist’s helper. .
Tool repairman..
Valve repairman___
Boiler-shop crane op
erator_________
Canvas girl________
Carpenter’s helper.
Helper, safety in
spector___________
Instrument repair
m an_________
Instrum ent-s h o p
learner__________
Machine-shop learner
Pipe fitter’s helper
Research mechanic .
Tool delivery girl
(truck driver)___
Other_________________
Jani tress___________
Nurse_____________
Cook_____ ________
Counter girl______
Cafeteria helper......
Reproduction oper
ator_____________
Librarian__________
Service-station oper
ator . __________
Salesgirl__________
Waitress___________
Elevator operator .
ij® cu u u icijia ra u em scueuujes anu otner personnel records ol 74 companies accounting for about onequarter of the total employment in the petroleum-refining industry. Some of the job titles in this table
have been modified to reflect the substitution of females for males.
In table 2, the number and percentage of women in different parts
of the refinery industry are shown. Although office workers represent
a large proportion of the women employed (44 percent), almost onethird of the women are in production jobs. Relatively few (1.5 per
cent) are engaged in maintenance work.
Distributions are also presented in table 2 for the companies in
each of the five regions into which the Petroleum Administration for
War has divided the country:
I.
M aine, M assach u setts, V erm ont, C onnecticut, N ew H am p sh ire, R hode
Islan d , N ew Y ork, P e n n sy lv an ia, N ew Jersey, M ary lan d , V irginia, D elaw are,
W est V irginia, N o rth C arolina, S o u th C arolina, Georgia, F lorida.
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199
Employment of Women in Petroleum Refineries
I I . N o rth D a k o ta , S o u th D ak o ta , M innesota, M ichigan, W isconsin, N eb rask a,
Iow a, Illinois, In d ia n a , Ohio, K ansas, M issouri, K en tu ck y , Tennessee, O klahom a.
I I I . N ew M exico, T exas, A rkansas, L ouisiana, M ississippi, A labam a.
IV . M o n tan a, Id ah o , W yom ing, U ta h , Colorado.
V. W ashington, Oregon, C alifornia, N ev ad a, Arizona.
The highest proportion of women in the labor force, 18 percent, is
found in District V. Here 57 percent are engaged in refinery opera
tions and only 15 percent in office work. In all other regions, woman
office workers account for 50 percent or more of the total number of
females employed. In districts II and IV, more than four-fifths of the
women are engaged in office work.
T a b l e 2 . — Distribution of Women Employed in Petroleum Refineries, by Region and
Type of W ork 1
Women employed in—
, All
com
panies
in
survey
Type of work
All types
_
_
.............
Refining operations_________________________
Maintenance ____________________________ -Laboratory___________________________ _____
Office
__ - __
Other
_
Petroleum Administration for War District
II
I
III
V
IV
2,627
831
332
422
87
955
866
39
477
1,156
99
190
4
187
416
34
10
3
16
278
25
110
1
40
248
24
9
72
5
545
32
225
142
11
Percentage distribution
____
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Refining operations__________________________
Maintenance _ _____________ ____ ____
Laboratory --------------- --------------------------Office_____________________________________
Other__________________ :___________________
32.6
1.5
18. 2
44.0
3.7
22.9
.5
22.5
50.0
4.1
3.0
.9
4.8
83.7
7.5
26.1
1.1
9.5
58.8
5.7
10.3
82.8
5.8
57.1
3.3
23.6
14.9
1.1
All types .. _____ ___________________
1 This table is based on data for 74 companies employing 27,646 persons. The distribution by regions
(see text for boundaries of the Districts) is as follows: District I, 11,001; District II, 3,810; District III, 6,468;
District IV, 1,196; and District V, 6,171.
Designing Jobs for If omen
The employment of women in refining operations has been made
possible in part by job dilution and the reorganization of job functions.
Some companies have analyzed each job into unitary skills and recom
bined these elements into complete jobs which can be performed most
satisfactorily by women. Usually, top operating men supervise the
women and additional skilled men are placed on the same units to
handle emergencies.
When refinery jobs are reorganized for women, it is common to
group fewer duties into individual jobs, so that more women are
required in proportion to men. In many cases women have replaced
men on an equal basis, but in others the ratio of women to men on
similar jobs ranges from 3:2 to 2:1. Some company officials consider
women particularly suitable for refinery operations which character
istically require a sense of timing and an ability to keep track of
several continuous duties. They are of the opinion that these
qualities are carried over from the women’s household experience in
cooking and cleaning, enabling them to handle controls and keep
records efficiently.
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
In designing jobs for women, it is necessary to take account of their
limited physical strength._ A few States have laws prohibiting the
employment of women in jobs requiring heavy weight lifting. When
refineries in these States employ women, they either reorganize the
work so that the heavier tasks are assigned to men or install me
chanical aids such as counterbalances, rollers, and conveyor belts. In
some cases, the introduction of such labor-saving machinery may
reduce labor cost. One company reported that when a short stretch
of conveyor track was installed, it became possible to use 18 women
to do the work formerly performed by 24 men.
Experience indicates that women may be employed in most refinery
work other than that requiring considerable physical strength. In
the offices, laboratories, and research departments of many refineries,
women are replacing men on an equal basis. Often as many as half
of the employees in these departments are women, most of them
having been hired in the last year. At one plant, women make up
35 percent of the operating force, and it is expected that eventually
they may constitute 65 percent of total personnel. Women have not
been utilized so effectively in maintenance, engineering, and heavy
general labor. They generally lack the physical qualifications, have
insufficient education and experience in handling machinery and
complicated equipment, and, of course, have no background in refinery
work.
Recruitment of Women
Various methods have been used in recruiting women for refinery
work. To ease the way, some plants have called general meetings
of all male employees beforehand in order to explain the necessity of
hiring women and the importance of utilizing them successfully.
The employees were informed that they could contribute to the
success of the program by voluntarily assuming some of the heavier
duties.
For the most part, recruitment has been carried on through com
pany personnel offices and the U. S. Employment Service. Many
companies, however, have had success in requesting applications
from the wives, daughters, and relatives of employees. Women
from employees’ families are likely to have acquired some previous
knowledge of refinery operations through conversation in the home.
Then, too, the greater utilization of local labor places less of a strain
on local housing and transportation facilities.
Women with high-school and college training in chemistry and
mathematics are sought for work as research assistants in the labora
tories. To date, most of the women in refinery work are under 35
years of age, but the tendency to hire only young women is being
relaxed somewhat. One refinery reported that a number of women
between the ages of 55 and 60 years have proved to be satisfactory
laboratory workers.
Training and Placement of Women
The policy of employing women has been determined largely by the
labor situation confronting each refinery. Some companies antici
pating a labor shortage have gradually added small numbers of women,
giving them training on the job. In other cases, refineries have
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Employment of Women in Petroleum Refineries
201
suffered heavy losses of personnel in short periods of time to Selective
Service and to nearby war plants. In such cases, it has been apparent
that the only alternatives were to hire women immediately or to close
down the refineries. The rapid introduction of large numbers of
women has been accomplished successfully by laying careful advance
plans for absorbing and training them.
One refinery, which has substantially increased its employment of
women, has adopted an extensive training program. An expected
manpower shortage necessitated the immediate hiring of women on
a large scale. A woman personnel director was selected for inter
viewing, hiring, and supervising the training of new employees. On
the basis of job descriptions prepared by the company, a number of
tests were designed and basic job specifications were drawn up for
the selection of woman applicants. The training program in this
company is divided into three distinct parts—‘‘induction,” “training,”
and “provisional.” This program, originally extending over a period
of from 11 to 16 weeks, has been recently shortened considerably.
These periods are described as follows:
Induction period: This period, during which women become
acquainted with the facilities, layout, and general work routine of the
refinery, was originally planned to last up to 4 weeks. As a result of
improved teaching procedures, however, it is now completed by most
women in 10 days or less. The equipment and organization of the
refinery are explained by experienced operators who demonstrate the
operation of the equipment and give instruction in general safety
precautions. In both this period and the training period the classes
are composed of from 8 to 10 girls. It has been found that, in groups
of this size, the women are inclined to ask questions and participate
more fully in discussion. During this period, women are paid the
prevailing rates for common labor at the refinery.
Training period: This period, during which slightly higher rates are
paid, extends from 6 to 8 weeks, according to the work. The women
are grouped by the jobs they will eventually do and are put to work on
dummy or obsolete equipment. They are instructed by practical
operators and technical men who had earlier proved themselves
patient and capable of teaching others. A manual of rules and
procedures for refinery operations is given to each woman; the jobs
are performed on the basis of the manual. During the training period,
it is possible to determine which jobs the women are best qualified to
perform successfully. Those most likely to adjust themselves to shift
operations are segregated for this type of work. This group usually
consists of married women in their late twenties or early thirties.
Among other duties, the women are taught to open and close valves,
to fire stills and boilers, to start and stop pumps, to gauge tanks, to
handle laboratory equipment, and to perform various other duties
connected with refinery operations. They are trained to control fires
and handle other emergencies which may arise in a refinery. Small
fires are started, and women are taught to extinguish them with the
proper equipment.
Provisional employment period: During this period, women are
assigned to their permanent refinery jobs. These are the new jobs
created especially for women by the regrouping of job functions. In
the beginning, the reasonableness of the groupings had not been tested
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by actual experience; therefore, the period was called “provisional.”
The company allows the women to set their own pace and encourages
them to suggest adjustments as experience is gained. Usually the
women are able to handle their jobs after 1 month’s experience. The
jobs are generally of a helper status. The women are paid the same
rate as men for comparable work. When jobs are dissimilar, wage
rates commensurate with responsibilities are established.
Another company, which was not faced with an immediate labor
shortage, has taken a different approach to the employment of women.
Here, women are hired in small numbers and gradually assimilated into
the organization. New employees are first taken through the refinery
and are given a rudimentary picture of the equipment and jobs. Three
or four women are hired at one time for each department and generally
are given manual tasks such as are required on operating jobs and in
labor gangs. After this break-in period, which extends from 1 to 7
days, according to the job, women are usually able to do the work. In
some cases, this company places women directly into men’s jobs and
pays them at the same rate. When they are unable to perform all of
the functions of the heavier manual jobs, the jobs are broken down and
the heavier tasks transferred to male employees. The men have
generally been found cooperative. During the course of employment,
the women acquire experience and skill on the job, and are graduated
into more responsible operating and service positions as seniority is
gained and vacancies occur. By careful selection and placement,
women have been utilized successfully in this refinery, and the turn
over rate has been low.
A 4-day training course has been adopted by another company.
The course consists principally of conducted tours, during which
refinery equipment is pointed out and the duties of the jobs explained.
Explanatory signs placed on the equipment have proved useful.
Daily classes are conducted with a view to giving the women a verv
elementary knowledge of chemistry and refining processes. The new
employees also receive instructions in safety rules and regulations,
including the importance of wearing appropriate clothing.
Several company officials have stressed the desirability of having
women become accustomed during the training period to coming to
work in appropriate clothing. Standard work uniforms generally are
not required. For most operations, however, women wear denim
coveralls or slacks, with a bandanna or cap for head covering. Gloves
also are usually necessary.
Male employees taken from the refinery labor pool for upgrading
into operative jobs are usually much better acquainted with refinery
problems than are newly recruited women. From their experience in
the labor gang, men know the refinery layout, where the tools are
kept, how things are done, and to whom to go for direction and infor
mation. Since newty recruited women have not had time to acquire
this basic information, they have to do so during their early training.
They are given comprehensive and detailed instruction in the funda
mentals of handling tools and tending equipment. For instance, all
aspects of refinery technique, even though of an elementary nature,
must be carefully pointed out. Training for unfamiliar duties, such
as climbing tanks and towers, must be given gradually; the women are
taught to climb lower equipment first and in the company of other
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203
women so that they may gain confidence. Duties such as turning
valves, without straining, and firing furnaces also require careful
introduction.
Officials of several refineries report that they have found it necessary
to place women on work where they act mainly as observers alongside
male operators. This partial duplication of jobs is often the only
answer to seniority rights already established in refineries operating
under union contracts with well-defined seniority provisions. In
general, refinery jobs progress according to seniority, from low unskilled
jobs requiring considerable physical effort to more skilled positions.
Although it would be easier to train women for intermediate jobs requir
ing less physical effort, doing so would violate seniority rights. It is,
therefore, necessary to hire a number of women as extras, although
there may be no immediate need for them. This practice permits
women to acquire sufficient experience and seniority rights to step
into higher jobs as openings occur. During times like the present,
when turnover in lower jobs is rapid and when companies are expand
ing, women are often able to acquire significant seniority rights
within relatively short periods.
The experience of the refineries points to the necessity of not only
fitting the women into the jobs, but also adapting the refinery environ
ment to the new working force. Special rest and change rooms should
be provided close to the areas of work rather than outside the refinery
gates. It is helpful to set up tables and benches right on the job in
order that women may eat together if they prefer. Other aspects of the
psychology and the needs of the women hired must be taken into
account. Several refineries retain woman personnel advisers to facil
itate adjustments and to forestall various difficulties. Supervisors
who have effectively handled men may not be able to deal success
fully with women. It is always necessary for supervisors to avoid any
semblance of favoritism. Most company officials report that women
respond better when directly supervised by men than when supervised
by women.
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M an p o w e r R e q u ire m e n ts fo r 1 9 4 3 -4 4 1
Summary
A MINIMUM of 4,000,000 persons must be added to the armed
forces and to the munitions industries between July 1943 and July
1944, according to estimates prepared jointly by the War Manpower
Commission and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The armed forces
are expected to increase by at least 2,000,000 in this period, and
another 2,000,000 workers will be required in the munitions industries.2
Two sources of labor will have to be drawn upon to meet these
needs. One of these is an estimated 2,600,000 persons now employed
in civilian industries whose labor will not be required by those indus
tries next year because of shortages of materials and reductions in
services. Even if all of these 2,600,000 find places in munitions
industries or the armed forces—which is by no means assured—-it will
still be necessary to bring an additional 1,400,000 persons into nonfarm employment and the armed forces to meet the total war labor
requirements, plus whatever replacements may be necessary to
maintain the strength of the armed forces under combat conditions.
The increases in munitions labor requirements are centered in local
areas where critical manpower shortages already exist. Although the
estimated additional requirements are smaller than the gains made
in the past year, the problem of recruitment of labor is becoming
increasingly difficult now that the more readily available persons
have already been absorbed into the munitions industries.
Basis of Estimates of Labor Requirements
The estimates of labor requirements are not intended as forecasts
of employment. They are based, as far as possible, on the war
production program and on civilian needs for goods and services,
and indicate the number of workers that will be required if these
levels of output are to be attained. If new facilities are delayed, if
supplies of materials prove inadequate, or if efforts to mobilize the
necessary workers are not fully successful, actual employment may
fall short of the estimated requirements.
Estimates of this type are useful in evaluating the feasibility of the
production program in terms of available labor supply and in assessing
the magnitude of the manpower-recruitment task. In comparing
total labor requirements with available labor supply estimated for
the Nation as a whole, however, it must be remembered that the jobs
to be filled may be thousands of miles from the available workers,
and perhaps in cities where housing, transit, and other community
facilities are such as to discourage the influx of workers.
1 Prepared in the Bureau’s Occupational Outlook Division on the basis of a joint statement of the Bureau
of Labor Statistics and the War Manpower Commission.
2 These figures differ from those presented in the original statement because actual employment in the
munitions industries in July 1943 was lower than was anticipated at the time the estimate was prepared,
reflecting the failure of munitions production to meet schedules. Since labor requirements estimates for
January and July 1944 were not aSected, the indicated net addition to munitions industries employment
over the coming year is increased. In other instances, more recently available data were substituted for
July 1943 figures in the original statement.
204
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205
A program which may seem feasible, when viewed in broad terms,
may therefore require specific action to provide housing in certain
areas or to move production into less-congested cities in order to
bring workers and jobs together.
A general difficulty in making estimates of the labor requirements
of production programs at the present time is the fact that such pro
grams do not exist for many industries. This is particularly true of
many civilian goods. It is, therefore, necessary to use such estimates
of the probable output as are available.
A R M E D FO R C E S
The increase of 2,000,000 in the net strength of the armed forces
between July 1943 and July 1944 includes official estimates, as pre
sented in appropriations hearings, of an expansion of the military
services by 400,000 above the now-authorized level of 10,900,000.
It does not take account of the number of men who will have to be
withdrawn from the civilian population for replacements if the net
strength of the armed forces is maintained at 11,300,000. In this
sense, the above estimated requirements must be viewed as a minimum.
M U N IT IO N S IN D U S T R IE S
The estimated increase of 2,000,000 workers in the munitions in
dustries—which include the metal-using industries, metal mining,
and selected chemicals and rubber industries—is based on a realistic
program of munitions production and war construction for the period
July 1943 to July 1944. The production rate assumed for July
1944 is virtually identical with the rate implied in the May 1, 1943,
official munitions and war construction schedule of the War Produc
tion Board, but was obtained as a result of three changes in that
schedule. These changes, which were made at the suggestion of
members of the staff of the War Production Board were as follows:
(1) Certain program components not then completely scheduled were
increased to allow for expected expansion of the program; (2) known
cut-backs in program were taken into account in reducing certain
components; and (3) the monthly forecast schedule of munitions
output was revised to bring the early months of the fiscal year into
line with the current level of output. The first two modifications
of the program bring it substantially into line with revisions subse
quently incorporated by the War Production Board in its production
statement of June 1, 1943. It is believed, therefore, that the muni
tions production program underlying the labor-requirements esti
mates represents a realistic approximation of military production
needs as summarized by the War Production Board.
It was assumed that output per man-hour would increase 10 percent
in the calendar year 1943 and 2 percent in the first half of 1944. There
are two reasons for this assumption: (1) The expectation that the
utilization of labor in war plants will become more efficient when past
difficulties in the flow of materials are eliminated, when the training
of new workers is completed, and when the volume of work increases
sufficiently to utilize the labor of workers hired in many plants in
anticipation of expanded operations; and (2) the fact that the total
output of the munitions industries includes both munitions and civilian
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goods, which are not entirely comparable in value. Civilian goods are
valued under more or less competitive market conditions. Munitions,
on the other hand, are made for the Government alone; they are pro
duced under wartime circumstances in which speed in delivery is
frequently more important than price; they are made to a large extent
m newly constructed facilities upon which higher annual amortization
charges are permitted; and they are produced by workers who in many
cases had to be drawn from other employment by the incentive of
higher wages. Because of factors such as these, munitions are valued
at a level somewhat higher than civilian goods. Even though the
output is adjusted to eliminate price changes on both types of goods,
the shift during the last 3 years from civilian to munitions production
in these industries lias resulted in an increase in dollar output some
what greater proportionately than the increase in man-hours worked.
This accounts for part of the increase in output per man-hour, as
shown by the output measures used, of about 14 percent from the
fourth quarter of 1941 to the fourth quarter of 1942. Since the muni
tions production of these industries will form an increasingly greater
proportion of the total tlirougn 1943, there should be a further increase
m the output per man-hour as measured in tin's manner, independent
of any improvement in the utilization or efficiency of labor.
An increase in the workweek in the munitions industries from an
average of 46.8 hours in January 1943 to 48 hours in July 1944 was
also assumed. By April 1943 the average was 47.3 hours.
C IV IL IA N A N 1) O TH ER L A BO R R E Q U IR E M E N T S
In the nonmunitions industries predominantly serving our civilian
economy, employment is expected to decline about 2y2 millions
¿^ween July ^ is year and July 1944, owing principally to limitations
of facilities and raw materials. This decrease in employment of about
8 percent in the coming year, to a level approximately 13 percent
below July 1942, will be the result of diverse trends in civilian activi
ties. Thus, labor requirements will, it is anticipated, be little changed
m agriculture, the food industries, textiles, clothing and leather
products, fuel production, and public utilities. Moderately increased
needs for workers in such industries as transportation, lumber, and
production of containers, however, will be more than offset by declines
in others. The declines will occur largely in trade and services, in
construction and some building materials, in a miscellaneous group
of manufacturing industries, in nonwar governmental activities, and
in the self-employed group.
Despite prospects for increased agricultural production in the
summer of 1944, the present estimates assume that farm manpower
requirements in July 1944 probably will not exceed the estimated
12.100.000 employed in agriculture in July 1943. An increase of
100.000 workers in food manufacturing, however, may be necessary
next July, depending in part upon the yield of the early crops for proc
essing. In the belief that combined military and civilian needs for
clothing, textiles, and shoes will be at least as large in 1944 as this vear,
no change nas been anticipated in the level of manpower requirements
for this group of industries. Labor requirements in the trade and
service industries, on the other hand, are expected to fall off by per
haps 700,000, as the result of reduced consumer-goods output and a
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Manpower Requirements for 1943-44
substantial depletion in inventories which, to date, have cushioned the
decline of employment in this field. Although urgent nonconstruction
requirements continue to call for large volumes of lumber and wood
products, the curtailment in wartime construction will cut labor
requirements in the construction and other nonmetallic buildingmaterials industries by about 800,000.
The net effect of such changes in nonagriculture employment and
the armed forces is shown in the accompanying statement.
E stim ated num ber (m illions )
Change
J u ly 1948 J u ly 1944
A rm ed forces__________________
M unitions in d u strie s---------------O ther n o n ag ricu ltu ral in d u stries
- 9. 3
_ 9. 6
- 32. 6
11. 3
11. 6
30. 0
+ 2. 0
+ 2. 0
-2 . 6
T o ta l___________________
_ 51. 5
52. 9
+ 1. 4
The above increase of 1,400,000 represents the net increase in re
quirements for the armed forces and nonfarm employment, hence ex
cludes two types of additional requirements. If the armed forces are
maintained at authorized strength, considerably more than 2,000,000
persons will be inducted in the coming year in order to replace men
who die or are taken prisoner and also a much larger number of men
returned to civilian life. Many of the latter group will be available
for employment. The former will represent a drain upon the labor
resources of the country which is not reflected in the net change in
manpower requirements. A comparable problem on the civilian side
is the fact that the indicated change in employment represents only
the net increase over and above replacements necessary to make up
for mortality of persons in the labor force and for retirements.
From other points of view the net changes in manpower require
ments that have been presented do not fully indicate the extent of
the manpower mobilization that will be necessary to meet those
requirements. In the first place, the gross number of workers that
will have to be placed in jobs is much larger because of turnover.
In the second place, the increases in labor requirements are largely
concentrated in a few industries that are in turn centered in local
labor markets where manpower shortages already exist. The de
creases in labor requirements, on the other hand, are in industries
that are widely dispersed throughout the country, with the result
that a considerable number of released workers will not be available
for transfer to the expanding industries.
Sources of Manpower
The sources of labor supply for meeting the estimated minimum
additional labor requirements of munitions industries and the armed
forces from July 1943 to July 1944 may be summarized as follows:
T ransfers from o th e r in d u strie s---------------------- 2, 600, 000
N e t increase in n onfarm em p lo y m en t an d th e
arm ed forces______________________________ b 400, 000
Total - _ ___________ ______ „------ 4 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0
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As indicated above, the net decline in employment in industries
other than the munitions industries may approximate 2,600,000
workers in the coming fiscal year. These workers will be available to
meet the expanding manpower needs of the armed forces and the
munitions industries, either directly or by replacing other workers.
The construction workers who will be released by the general decline
in construction requirements represent the largest single group of
workers who can be readily absorbed in the munitions industries.
If 2,600,000 persons can be drawn from nonagricultural industries
other than munitions for the armed forces and the munitions indus
tries, as indicated above, it will therefore be necessary to effect a net
increase of 1,400,000 in nonfarm employment and the armed forces.
With the reservoir of unemployed already down to approximately
1.000. 000 persons, the unemployed can no longer be considered as a
source for meeting the expanding labor needs of the war economy.
Because of between-job shifts resulting from changes in production
schedules and other causes, it is assumed that unemployment will
continue to fluctuate around 1,000,000. The estimates of unemploy
ment and agricultural employment in July 1944 allow for a some
what lower seasonal peak than in July 1943. If this occurs, the net
increase required in the total labor force between July 1943 and July
1944 will be approximately 1,100,000.
More than half, or about 700,000, of this increase will be pro
vided by the normal increment to the labor force resulting -from
population growth. The remaining half must be composed of persons
who would not normally be in the labor force.
The principal remaining source of additional workers at the present
time consists of women who are now occupied as homemakers or who
are unoccupied. No other group in the population can provide any
substantial number of new entrants. It is not possible, however, to
count to any appreciable extent on older women or those responsible
for the care of young children. The most available group consists of
the 6,400,000 nonfarm housewives under the age of 55 who are not
responsible for the care of children under 14 years of age.
Changes in Manpower Problems
The task of mobilizing manpower so as to obtain a net increase of
4.000. 000 for the armed forces and the munitions industries in the
coming fiscal year does not appear large when compared with the
task now almost completed for the year ending July 1943, even if the
stated requirements are viewed as minimum manpower needs. Dur
ing the year July 1942-July 1943, 7,700,000 persons wnll have been
added to the armed forces, munitions industries, and agriculture.
Actually, the task of mobilizing 4,000,000 in the next 12 months will
be more difficult than the comparison indicates.
It is obvious that, in the process of adjustment to wartime labor
demands to date, those most readily available have been mobilized.
Unemployment has been reduced by more than 8,000,000 in the past
3 years. The workers added to the armed forces were mostly younger
men with the least family responsibilities, and those who had less
opportunity to acquire necessary industrial skills. The nonworkers
added to the labor force have been those who were most readv to seek
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Manpower Requirements for 1943-44
209
work, those living in areas where jobs were open or those most ready
to migrate to such areas, and those who were best able to qualify for
employment. As the most available workers are absorbed there
remains a residuum of less-adaptable persons, whose mobilization
involves increasing difficulty.
LOCAL CHA R A C TER OF M A N P O W E R PR O B L E M S
The labor resources of the Nation as a whole appear more than
adequate for all essential needs to mid-1944, but very serious local
problems of labor supply exist.
The expanding labor requirements of war industries are largely
concentrated in critically stringent local labor markets—centers of
war production like Buffalo, Seattle, or Detroit. In July 1943, over
half of the employees in the final assembly of aircraft, aero-engines
and propellers, and more than two-thirds of the employees in ship
yards worked in areas of current acute labor shortage or areas in which
labor shortage is anticipated within several months. By January 1944,
the aircraft plants in these areas will have to find 130,000 additional
workers, and the shipyards will have to find another 50,000 persons.
A large part of our war production program is thus seriously affected
by local labor shortages.
The adequacy of labor resources elsewhere in the country does not
help materially, because the further influx of population into these
areas is limited by the amount of housing and other community
facilities which can be provided. The problem is complicated by
the fact that in critical labor-market areas it will be necessary to
expand employment in civilian industries, which are declining
nationally, in order to maintain civilian services at the minimum
required to support expanding war industry. A large part of the
necessary increase in labor supply must be recruited, therefore, from
relatively restricted areas—in large part from homemakers represent
ing only a fraction of the 6,400,000 nonfarm housewives under the
age of 55 who are not responsible for the care of young children.
Full production can be achieved in the year ahead only by mobiliz
ing to the utmost the labor resources of these local areas and by
diverting as much war and civilian production as possible to areas
with more adequate labor supply.
Manpower Task for 1943 -44
The foregoing analysis shows that a total of 4,000,000 additional
persons must be added to employment in the munitions industries
and to the armed forces from July 1943 to July 1944. Moreover, this
must be accomplished despite the greatest stringency in the manpower
market yet faced by the'Nation. Previously it has been possible to
draw heavily upon reserves of unemployed who could be readily
absorbed into employment in areas near their homes. In the coming
year, with no reserve of available unemployed, we face an intensive
task of transferring workers from industry to the armed forces, from
industry to industry, and from area to area.
Even in critical areas and industries, young men will be withdrawn
from industry for the armed forces; replacements by older workers or
541188— 43------ 2
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
women will be necessary for such workers, and these replacements
will be additional to the 4,000,000 estimated net needs. Further, in
critical areas, employment in civilian trades and services must in
many cases be expanded rather than contracted.
Declining employment in civilian industries will yield workers to
meet new demands only if such workers, who for the most part are not
m critical labor markets, can be physically transferred to the localities
where they are needed. The recruitment of additional women not
now in the labor force will be more difficult in the coming year in view
of the fact that those most able to take employment have already
been recruited.
J
A manpower program to meet next year’s problem must emphasize
intensive and selective measures. Full utilization of workers and
elimination of labor hoarding have been assumed in the estimates; if
these objectives are not achieved, the labor need will be increased.
Replacement of younger industrial workers entering the armed
forces requires an intensification of training and upgrading activities
on a broad scale. Turnover must be kept at a minimum in order to
avoid loss of time and efficiency.
Intensive recruitment measures are necessary to assure full utiliza
tion of women, Negroes, and other available labor reserves in shortage
areas. While transfer of workers from area to area should be made
only after full utilization of local reserves, such transfers will be
required in many areas. In such cases, every effort should be made
to transfer as much production as possible out of areas to which it is
necessary to transfer workers. The stringency of the present man
power situation requires that these objectives be attained with a
minimum of disruption in employment and production. Positive
measures are required to reduce undesirable migration, to channel
hiring, to train workers, and to improve utilization of the present
labor force.
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Estimated Manpower Requirements, J u ly 1942 to J u ly 1944
Estimated requirements (in millions)
Item
July
1942
January
1943
July
19433
January
1944 7
July
1944 2
__ _ _
60.6
59.4
64.8
62. 3
65.9
Armed forces3
. _
_ _
__ ___ .
Civilian labor force _
________________ ______
_________ __ _________ . . _
Unemployed.
Em ployed____ ______ _
. . . ________ _
Agriculture______ . . . __________________
Nonagricultural employm ent___________
M unitions and munitions materials
___
industries4_______________
Transportation, fuel, and utilities 5_____
Federal war agencies 9____________ . _
Construction and building materials 7___
Food 8_______ ________ ____ ___ _
Textiles, clothing, and leather 9_____ _ .
Trade and service 10. . .
_ ...
All other 11_________ ______ . . ____
3.8
56.8
2.8
54.0
11.7
42.3
7.0
52.4
1.4
51.0
8.7
42.3
9.3
55.5
1.2
54. 3
12.1
42.2
10.8
51.5
1.0
50.5
8.7
41.8
11.3
54.6
1.0
53.6
12.0
41.6
7.8
4.3
1.0
3. 1
1.4
2.8
10.9
11.0
9.1
4.2
1. 5
2.3
1.3
2.8
10.6
10. 5
9.6
4.4
1.7
2.1
1.4
2.7
10.6
9.7
il.3
4.4
2.0
1.3
1.3
2.8
10.1
8.6
11.6
4. 5
2.0
1.3
1.5
2.8
9.9
8. 0
Total manpower requirements_____________
1 Sources: July 1942 and January and July 1943 data for civilian labor force, unemployed, employed,
agricultural and nonagricultural employment, from M onthly Report on the Labor Force, Bureau of the
Census. July 1942 and January and July 1943 data for components of nonagricultural employment from
Bureau of Labor Statistics. July 1943 data are preliminary. Data on armed forces from published state
ments. Estimates for July 1943, January and July 1944, except armed forces, by Bureau of Labor Statis
tics and War Manpower Commission, Bureau of Program Requirements. All data apply to approximately
the tenth day of the month, except the armed-forces figures which relate to the first day of the month.
2 Estimated.
3 N et strength. Excludes net attrition resulting from battle casualties or other causes.
4 Includes all metal-using industries, metal mining, coke-oven products, abrasives, selected chemicals
and rubber industries.
6 Includes transportation and public utilities, coal mining, and petroleum production, drilling and refining.
6 Excludes navy yards and manufacturing arsenals included in munitions group, as well as off-continent
and force-account construction employment of war agencies.
7 Includes contract construction, Federal force-account construction, lumber, quarrying, asphalt products,
paints and varnishes, and building materials in the stone, clay and glass group.
8 Includes food manufacturing and tin cans.
9 Includes textiles, apparel, leather, rayon and allied products, and rubber boots and shoes.
10 Includes the Bureau of Labor Statistics trade and finance, service, and miscellaneous groups.
11 Includes all other manufacturing, all other Government, and self-employed and domestic servants after
adjustment for statistical differences in Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics series.
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S o u rce s of L a b o r S u p p ly fo r th e W a r 1
UNDER the impact of war, the Nation’s labor force has increased
considerably over normal peacetime expectations. In April 1943
there were over 4,000,000 more persons in the labor force or in the
armed forces than would have been expected on the basis of propor
tions found in 1940.
Contrary to general belief, the early withdrawal of boys and girls
from school was a greater factor in the expansion of the labor force
than was the increase in the number of women working. In April
1943 there were about 1,800,000 more teen-age persons in the labor
market than would be expected on the basis of the school-attendance
habits of 1940. The enlistment and induction of youths of 17, 18,
and 19 years in the armed forces account in part for the fact that
more than 1,300,000 of the young people who left school were males
and that the labor-market participation of boys under 20 is at least
50 percent greater than it was in 1940. Girls withdrawing from school
were less numerous but numbered nearly 450,000 and involved
employment of at least a quarter again as many girls as would have
been in the labor market on the basis of 1940 ratios.
Withdrawals from school can no longer be counted upon as a
primary source of labor supply to meet the requirements of the next
year. Over the decades there has been a continuous increase in the
proportion of young persons in school. Industry has come to rely
upon this higher educational level in filling the responsible production
jobs. Young persons now in school will be required for the most part
to serve as replacements in industry and in the armed forces.
During the past 3 years 1,200,000 males 20 years of age or over
have also been recruited. Of these, about 750,000 are in the age
groups between 20 and 54 years, where the proportion in the labor
market has always been high. About 97 percent of the men in these
age groups are now in the labor force and, since there is always a
small percentage in institutions or unable to work, it may be assumed
that there will be no significant increase in the labor force from men
in these age brackets for the duration of the war.
The social-security program would normally have led to a larger
proportion of retirements at 65 years of age than occurred before
old-age insurance became effective. Instead, larger proportions of
the men over 65 years of age are working now than were working in
1940. While some further increase in the employment of older men
may be expected, the number will most certainly not exceed a few
hundred thousand; and from the point of view of a conservative plan
with reference to labor supply, it will be wise to assume no further
increase in this age group.
The number of women 20 years of age or over who have entered
the labor force has exceeded normal expectations by about 1,200,000.
Almost all of the excess has occurred among women over 35 years of
age. With respect to women 20 to 24 years of age there has been no
significant increase in the proportion in the labor force. This is not
altogether surprising, for among single women in this age group
1 Prepared in the Bureau’s Occupational Outlook Division.
212
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Sources of Labor Supply for War
213
labor-market participation normally has been high. Moreover, sub
stantial proportions of the single women in their early twenties are
responsible for the operation of a home; and many married women
have infant children and should not be expected to be available for
paid employment. There has been a very moderate increase over
normal expectations in the number of women 25 to 34 years of age
in the labor market, but by no means so large a gain as would have
taken place had all married women without children sought jobs
(certainly not more than one-tenth of those who were not already
working have come into the labor force). It seems probable that
throughout these younger age groups the liability of husbands to the
draft may have acted as a check upon entrance into the labor force.
This would be especially true in those localities where draft boards
have differentiated between the draft status of a man whose wife is
working and that of a man whose wife is not working but whose
family responsibilities and health would permit her to work.
Thus far, in most parts of the country, the recruitment of women
has centered in the ages from 35 to 54. In these groups about onesixth more women were working or seeking work in April 1943 than
would have been expected in the labor force at that time on the basis
of the 1940 pattern. At present there are about 5,500,000 women of
these ages in the labor force and about 12,000,000 not in the labor
force. A large number of the latter have family responsibilities which
would make it impossible for them to take jobs and others are in
areas where there is no exceptional demand for labor. It is to this
group, however, that we must look primarily for additional workers
in the coming year. During the past 3 years less than 800,000 have
been recruited. This rate of recruitment would be inadequate during
the coming year.
These estimates are shown in greater detail in the accompanying
table and chart. In the case of males and the total labor force it has
been necessary to omit from the table estimates of the normal labor
force and of the number actually in the labor force because to show
the figures would make it possible to determine the number and age
distribution of the men in the armed services. The estimates for
females, however, are shown in detail.
Excess of A p ril 1943 Labor Force 1 over Normal, by Age and Sex
Total labor
force
Age
Males
Excess of
Excess of
actual over actual over
normal
normal
number
number
Females
Normal
number
Actual
number
Excess of actual
over normal
Number
Percent
Total, 14 years of age and over__
4,166,000
2, 532,000
14,119,000
15, 753,000
1,634,000
11.6
14-19 years_____________________
20-24 years_____________________
25-34 years_____________________
35-44 years_____________________
45-54 years_____________________
55-64 years........................ .............. .
65 years and over________ ______
1, 801,000
202,000
291,000
530,000
581,000
345,000
416,000
1, 352,000
199, 000
177,000
74,000
254,000
115,000
361,000
1,647,000
2, 852,000
3, 773,000
2, 757,000
1, 875,000
947,000
268,000
2,096,000
2, 855,000
3,887,000
3, 213,000
2,202,000
1,177,000
323,000
449,000
3,000
114,000
456,000
327,000
230; 000
55,000
27.3
.1
3.0
16.5
17.4
24.3
20.5
1 Unofficial estimates of the number of persons in the armed forces classified by age were added to estimates
of civilian labor force from the Bureau of the Census to obtain estimates of the total labor force in April 1943.
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214
ESTIMATED EXCESS OF APRIL 1943 LABOR FORCE OVER NORMAL
CLASSIFIED BY AGE AND SEX
Monthly Labor*Review—August 1943
THOUSANDS
MALE
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
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FEMALE
L a b o r C o n d itio n s in G re e c e 1
GREECE is primarily an agricultural country, with more than half
of the gainfully employed population engaged in agricultural and
related pursuits and only about 16 percent in industry. Nevertheless,
Greece is the most industrialized country in the Balkans, producing
various food products, textiles, tobacco products, chemical goods, and
building materials.
The country underwent a progressive, though not uninterrupted,
process of territorial expansion between the establishment of the
Kingdom in 1830 and 1923 when the Treaty of Lausanne made new
changes in the frontiers. The economic condition of the country was
profoundly affected by vast migrations which, beginning with the
Balkan wars, culminated in the period 1922-24 when more than a
million Greeks were ejected from Asia Minor and had to find homes
within the Greek State. This influx of Greek refugees, most of whom
were rural workers, presented the difficult problem of finding a means
of livelihood for them. The refugee problem still had not been settled by
1937, when thousands were still homeless, but a plan was adopted in
that year which provided for a continuing program for the construc
tion and repair of houses in rural settlements, for the supply of
livestock and farm implements, and for the construction of minor
waterworks. The expenditure was to be met out of the sums refunded
to the Agricultural Bank by refugees settling in rural districts and
by a loan from that bank. Urban settlement was to be carried out on
similar lines.
During the past 30 years there have been frequent political changes
both under the monarchy and during the life of the Republic. These
changes have naturally affected the position of labor, which in some
periods was benefited temporarily, only to lose such advantages when a
less liberal government succeeded. During the period covered by this
article, members of the same ruling house have been on the throne
with the exception of the period 1924 to 1935, when the country had a
republican form of government. The restoration of the monarchy in
1935 brought back George II to the throne, but less than a year later
Prime Minister Metaxas became head of the State and remained in
power until the outbreak of war in Greece. Since the occupation of
Greece by Germany in April 1941, the Greek people have been subject
to a three-way control. Those Greeks—particularly seamen—who are
outside their native country are governed by the Greek Governmentin-exile, which first maintained headquarters in London and later
moved to Cairo, Egypt; the population remaining in Greece is subject
both to the orders of the army of occupation and to those of the puppet
Greek government, acting under Axis pressure.
The area of Greece in 1923, after the territorial changes brought
about by the Treaty of Lausanne, was 129,976 square kilometers and
the density of the population 47.74 per square kilometer. After the
fall of Greece in April 1941 Bulgaria annexed eastern Macedonia and
Thrace, with an area of 16,682 square kilometers and a population of
■Prepared in the Bureau’s Editorial and Research Division by Anice L. W hitney and Margaret H.
Schoenfeld. The authors wish to acknowledge the assistance of the International Labor Office, which sup
plied the data on which the section on social insurance is based.
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215
216
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
590,000. These areas were the richest tobacco-proclucing lands in
Greece. Other areas were seized by Fascist Albanians and by Italy;
Germany occupied the Aegean Islands, with the exception of Samos,
and all of Crete except its eastern tip which the Italians were allowed
to hold. All that remains of Greece at present, which is under the
army of occupation, is the mainland, Thessaly, and the Peloponnesus,
with an area of 60,263 square kilometers and a population of 3,546,185.
At the end of the last century the population of Greece was approx
imately two and one-half million; at the time of the general census in
1928 the population, largely as a result of territorial changes and mi
grations, had increased to 6,204,684, of whom 1,233,576 were inhabi
tants of the islands. A census was taken in 1940 but the results have
not been published, except the figure for the total population, which
numbered 7,336,000.
Conditions in Agriculture
Although a high percentage of the gainfully employed population
was engaged in agriculture, the arable land in Greece was relatively
restricted because of the mountainous character of the country, only
about one-fifth of the total area being productive. Under pre-war
conditions a large proportion of the land under cultivation was de
voted to cereals but the amount produced was not enough to meet the
consumption requirements of the population. In fact, the country
generally was not self-sufficient in foodstuffs, even fresh and preserved
fish being imported, although Greece has one of the longest coast lines
in the world in proportion to its area.
Land holdings in Greece are generally small. At the time of the
1928 census the holdings of 565,783 cultivators, out of a total of 653,397,
ranged from 1 to 20 stremmas (0.2461 to 4.922 acres). The prevalence
of small holdings dates from the year 1917 when large landed properties
were expropriated by the Government and divided into small plots
which were distributed to the peasants. The expropriations were first
applied in Old Greece (particularly in Thessaly) and were later ex
tended to Macedonia and Thrace, the measure affecting most of the
properties exceeding 246 acres. The farmers who were allotted land
were not supplied with cattle or modern agricultural machinery, so that
primitive methods of land cultivation were continued, and this, to
gether with the requisitioning of practically all the cattle in 1920-22
during the war with Turkey, resulted in still further depressing the
industry.
In 1928, the Government took various measures to improve the
agricultural situation, including the provision of seeds suitable to the
Greek soil and the authorization of an Agricultural Bank to assist
farmers by granting them loans at a low rate of interest. An act,
passed in 1939, to settle the question of land ownership arising out of
the expropriations of more than 20 years previously provided that
persons who had been settled imder the plan of agrarian reform should
receive the freehold of the land. As soon as the law went into effect,
title was given to the land in all cases where the transfer had been
completed, even if the price had not been paid in full or the deed of
transfer published, with the result that it would no longer be possible
to dispossess proprietors of such holdings. The subdivision of holdings
was prohibited by the law, which also prevented any return to the
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217
Labor Conditions in Greece
system of large estates, the abolition of which was the first step in
agrarian reform. Outright sale of such holdings was prohibited by the
law in order to check the flight from the land which had been a marked
feature of Greek life for 3 decades. The law was cited by Premier
Metaxas as constituting not only a step toward the future agricultural
development of Greece but also towards its economic and social
progress.
Occupations of the Labor Force
Of the total population of 6,204,684 in Greece in 1928, 2,745,508 or
about 45 percent were gainfully occupied. Of this number 1,460,700
were engaged in agriculture including stock raising, 429,831 in indus
trial enterprises, 14,941 in fishing, and 6,340 in mines and quarries.
Males represented 71.8 percent of the total gainfully occupied workers,
and females 28.2 percent. The prevalence of small-scale industry is
shown by the fact that more than one million persons were selfemployed or working only with members of their own family, while
only about 25 percent of the total number of gainfully employed were
wage earners.
Industrial development in Greece was hampered by the lack of a
native coal supply and only a small hydroelectric development and by
the necessity for importing many raw materials. During 1937, the
latest year for which information on industrial activity is available,
the greatest activity as measured by the increase in production was in
the mechanical industry, followed by the textile, chemical, building
material, and tobacco industries. The textile industry at that time
was said to be the most important in Greece. Only about one-third
of the country’s needs in industrial goods were covered by home
production before the war.
The following table shows the distribution of the gainfully occupied
population in 1928, by industry or profession and by industrial status.
T able
1.— Gainfully Occupied Population in Greece, by Branch of Activity
and by Industrial Status, 1928
Industry or profession
Persons
Persons
working
working
Em only with Self- with the Salaried
em
ploy members em
families
ers
of their ployed of their ployees
employ
own fam
ers
ily
Wage earners
Total
Male
Female
_
147. 949
430,847 610,122
562, 330 165, 773 686, 532 520,107
166, 425
Agriculture __
....
........
Stock raising, hunting_______ . .
Fishing.. _ .
___ _______
Mines and quarries
. . .
Manufacturing _
Transportation and communica
tion
..
Finance . . . . . . .
Commerce.. . ________ ____ . . .
Personal service and domestic
service._
_ __
Liberal professions
____ ..
Public services
Not reported
75, 644
5,991
1,217
107
29, 060
376,715 263, 637
26,701 63,918
683
7,037
151
19
12, 741 121, 970
480, 293
43,979
1,070
75
19, 535
1,491 95, 618 72, 471
12 26, 701 23; 068
4, 925
4,918
9
204
5,784
5,430
4, 310 242, 215 184,046
23,147
3,633
7
354
58,169
All industries
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3,818
1,913
25,499
1,410
316
11,468
30, 234
6,061
85,415
2,540
452
13, 311
2,023
2,677
467
327
6,284
25,415
631
444
50,878
832
32,411
268
39
968
98 48, 067 10, 755
4,463
52,643
1,917
41, 029
3,443
3,237
18, 555 169,920 130,144
37, 312
2,546
206
39, 776
17, 610
13, 324
16, 488
51,146
871
33,379
218
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
Governmental Administrative Agencies
The general administration of labor laws and other questions relat
ing to labor was in the Department of Labor and Social Welfare of the
Ministry of National Economy until 1936 when an Under-Secretariat
for Labor was established as an autonomous body. The following
year a labor council was created in the General Labor Directorate
of the Under-Secretariat, to act as an advisory committee on bills and
draft decrees relating to the regulation of labor and on measures to
be adopted to improve working and living conditions, as well as to
make such investigations as the Minister should direct. This council
apparently superseded a similar council established in the former
Department of Labor and Social Welfare in 1934. Systematic re
search on labor questions was not provided for until a Bureau of Labor
Statistics was created in September 1940, shortly before the invasion
of the country.
In pre-war years Greece had a National Economic Council. In
1936 the legislation was amended to provide for a council of 30 mem
bers under the presidency of the Prime Minister. The council was
required to give its opinion on any question of an economic, financial,
or social character submitted to it by the Government, to prepare
legislation, and to carry out inquiries. The membership was divided
into 5 committees: Industry, commerce and transport, public
economy, currency and credit, and social and labor policy.
A Ministry of National Welfare was created by a decree of October
1940, which merged the Public Health Service and the Social Welfare
Service. The new ministry was made responsible for the institution
of measures to protect demobilized men and their families. It was to
provide for housing of necessitous refugees and for low-cost housing
of workers. A technical council of nine members was to supervise
various inquiries undertaken by the Ministry or other social hygiene
and assistance institutions.
After the invasion of the country and before Athens fell, King
George II had withdrawn to England and a Government-in-exile was
established there, performing the functions of government to the extent
possible under the circumstances, including promulgation of laws.
In Greece the Germans formed a puppet government under Gen.
George Tsolakoglu. The Prime Minister of Greece (in exile) took
over the portfolio of the Minister of Labor and informed the Inter
national Labor Office that one of his tasks would be to form a special
agency of the Greek Government for the study of the measures to be
taken to deal with problems that would arise immediately after the
cessation of hostilities and with problems of post-war reconstruction.
The agency was to include representatives of employers and em
ployees.
Labor inspection.—The labor inspection service was organized under
the Ministry of National Economy (Directorate of Labor and Social
Welfare) in 1922. The law establishing this service provided that the
labor inspectors and the police authorities, in default of officials of the
labor inspectorate, should be responsible for the supervision and en
forcement of provisions regarding the safety and hygiene of the workers
with the exception* of the acts regulating work in mines, quarries,
and earthworks, and on railways. An*amendment to the law passed
in 1934 provided for the establishmenUof a Labor Inspection Council
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Labor Conditions in Greece
219
which had general supervision of the work of the inspectorate and
could recommend measures for the better application of the acts and
ministerial orders, settle disputes of a general nature arising between
wage earners and employers, and supervise the work of inspectors
and other officials of the inspectorate. The number of inspectors
was increased in 1935 and three posts for woman inspectors were
created; in 1937 the inspection service was again reorganized, the
country being divided into four departments for inspection purposes
with divisional inspectors as the heads of these departments.
Employment agencies.—Employment exchanges for the placement
of wage-earning and salaried employees and servants of all kinds in
enterprises and establishments were established by a decree of Sep
tember 22, 1922. The offices, under the Ministry of National
Economy (Directorate of Labor and Social Welfare), were established
in 7 of the principal cities. Kepresentatives of the chamber of com
merce and industry and of the workers’ organization were appointed
to the managing committee of each office. The number of employ
ment offices was increased by a decree of October 8, 1932, which
provided that employment exchanges might be opened in towns of
more than 20,000 inhabitants and in exceptional cases in smaller
towns. No fee could be charged by the offices, and the law provided
that within 1 year all fee-charging employment offices within the
district of a public employment office should be closed. Employment
offices were prohibited from giving their services in cases of strikes
and lockouts, if the parties to a dispute had refused to submit the
dispute to a public authority or a conciliation committee or to accept
the settlement or decision rendered by such a body. In 1935, a law
provided that an employment exchange could be created under each
factory inspector or assistant labor inspector but that the number of
exchanges might not exceed 30 for the whole country. This law also
provided that advisory committees were to be appointed for each
employment exchange and a central advisory council for the allocation
of labor could be established in the Ministry of National Economy
if it did not entail further charge on the budget—otherwise duties in
this connection could be carried out by the Labor Inspection Council.
A special employment office for seamen was established in 1926 in
Piraeus, and in 1933 such offices were opened in four other ports;
the managing committees of these offices had equal representation of
shipowners’ and seamen’s organizations, in addition to the director.
Wages, Hours, and Working Conditions
Little official information was issued in Greece, prior to the war,
showing the average wages and hours. Owing to this lack, presenta
tion of the facts regarding the status of the working people is hampered.
W AGES
In 1938, the general minimum daily wage was 55 drachmas. On
the international exchange the drachma was worth slightly less than
1 cent in United States currency. Therefore in terms of United States
money the minimum daily pay of the Greek worker was slightly higher
than the hourly pay of American common labor.
Owing to differences in the purchasing power of money in the two
countries, however, it should not be inferred that the Greek worker
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220
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
could buy only one-eiglith as much with his minimum daily wage as
the American worker could obtain with a day’s pay. Unfortunately
there is not sufficient information on relative costs to make a scientific
comparison as to how much better off the American worker was,
but it is an established fact that living standards were always quite
low in Greece as measured by American standards.
Cost of living.—The absence of data showing year-to-year changes
m average earnings of Greek workers also makes it impossible to
calculate the changes in real wages within Greece, notwithstanding
that a cost-of-living index was computed before the present war,
as shown in table 2 for 1931-40.
T a b l e 2 . — Index Numbers of Cost of Living in Greece, 1931-40
1
Index numbers (1931 ==100) of—
Year
All com
modities 1
1931______
1932____ ______
1933_ ____
1934______
1935_______
1936__________
1937__________
1938__________
1939_______
1940______
100
106
114
116
117
121
131
130
130
2 142
Food
100
108
118
120
122
129
141
138
137
2 154
Fuel and
light
inn
1UU
1U4
i in
HU
11
110^
117
11/
121
1loo
98
1loo
98
199
loo
2 118
Clothing
Rent
100
112
120
119
118
123
129
131
2 144
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
2 100
1 From 1931 onward the index covered food, fuel and light, clothing, rent, and miscellaneous items.
2 Data are for the period, January through November 1940.
The cost of living increased steadily from 1931 (the base period)
to 1935. Between 1936 and 1937 the rate of increase was accelerated—a 10-pomt advance. From 1937 up to the outbreak of the
war in Europe the index was stable, but in 1940 for Athens only it
K)se 12 points to 142. It is unlikely that the economic position of
Greek labor deteriorated in the middle 1930’s to the extent suggested
by the cost-of-living index alone, as the wage position of workers was
being ameliorated in the pre-war years through the establishment of
minimum standards under collective agreements.
. ^ ages in industry. As already stated, Greece did not issue statis
tics of average earnings. Table 3 shows the range in daily wages, by
industry, in Athens and Piraeus in 1938. In a few instances the
minimum daily wage was higher than the general minimum of 55
drachmas. For example, in quarries the minimum rates were 85
drachmas daily in Athens and 67 drachmas in Piraeus, and in barrel
factories 72 drachmas in Athens and 90 drachmas in Piraeus. The
upper limit in daily wages varied widely, ranges of from 55 to approxi
mately 100 drachmas being common and the highest being 55 to 575
drachmas in wool-spinning mills in Athens.
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Labor Conditions in Greece
T a b l e 3 . — D aily i f ages, by Industry, in Athens and Piraeus, 1938
Industry
D aily wages (in
drachmas ') in—
Industry
A thens Piraeus
Quarries______________________ .
Foodstuffs:
Bakeries___________________
Flour m ills_________________
Alimentary paste___________
Confectioneries_____________
Dairies____________________
Olive-oil mills______________
Breweries and ice making___
Aerated water_________ ____
Raisin preparing___________
Chemicals:
Sulphur-oil plants__________
Pharmaceutical products____
D yestu ffs--....................... .........
Perfumery_________________
P lastics-_____ _____________
Rubber____________________
Tanning materials__________
Fertilizers_________________
Building materials:
Marble working____________
Brick making______________
Cement___________________
Building workers________
Tile making_______________
Electric-power plants 2_________
Metalware:
Crude-metal workshops..........
Foundries_________________
Blacksmiths_______________
Copper shops______________
Cooking app liances...-_____
B eds_______________ _______
Safes and scales___ _________
Tinplate shops_____________
Nickel plating______________
Pewter plating_____________
Gold plating_______________
Machine repairing__________
Shipyards___________ ______
85-135
67-134
55-125
67-136
71-142
55-125
55-120
65- 94
67-136
70-120
55- 75
55-256
55- 80
55-116
60-115
55- 80
55-134
55-138
55-108
55-154
55- 97
55-173
55-200
55-154
55-140
55-120
55-150
55-120
55-177
55-105
55-100
55-100
55-110
55-165
55-120
3 64
55-110
55-100
55- 66
55-133
55-185
55-138
60-115
55-120
55-130
55-150
55-120
55- 80
55-105
55-163
55-120
64-125
55- 81
55-120
55- 87
55-125
55-135
D aily wages (in
drachmas2) in—
A thens Piraeus
Metal ware—Continued.
Carriage and wagon shops___
Electric lamps_________
Machine shops. _ ... . ___
Electric-machine shops. ___
Woodworking:
Woodworking and saw m ills..
Furniture__________________
Boxes ___ _ .
. .
B arrels...
______________
Brushes___________________
Leather:
Boots and shoes _____ __ .
Tanneries__________________
Leather goods______________
Gloves. _________ _ ______
Textiles:
Silk spinning . . . .
Silk w e a v in g ... _______ . . .
Wool spinning __
. . .
Wool weaving. . . ______ . . .
Cotton ginning.
. .
Cotton spinning____ ____ _ _
Cotton weaving______ _____
Quilt and mattress m aking...
Knit goods:
Hosiery. _________________
Flannel _________________
Cleaning and dyeing shops____ .
Clothing:
M en’s tailors_________ . . . ..
Women’s tailors____________
M en’s hatters.. . ________
Women’s hatters_______ . . .
Shirt makers_______________
Paper:
Paper making___________ .
Paper-box making__________
Envelopes . . .
Printing .
Bookbinding
Tobacco________ _____ _________
55-167
55-115
55-215
55-132
5,5-208
55-176
55- 85
72-100
60-100
55-133
55-100
58-124
55-261
55- 88
55-120
55- 92
55-120
90-100
55- 70
55-150
55-100
58-124
55- 92
55-140
55-575
55-135
55-200
55-100
55-100
60-154
55-140
55-104
55-100
55-445
55-308
55-100
55-155
55-308
55-100
55-130
55-231
55- 80
55-115
55-150
55-120
55-231
55- 80
55-115
55-150
60-105
55-100
55-100
55-130
55-120
55-190
55-105
55-100
55-100
55-105
55-100
55-190
1 Average exchange rate of drachma in 1938=0.896 cent.
2 Excludes power and traction company.
3 Minimum; maximum not reported.
Wages in agriculture.-—Before the present war most farming was
done in small units by the proprietors and their families. Where
ordinary agricultural workers were employed, the pay was from 55
to 100 drachmas daily.
Transportation.—Most classes of employees engaged on the State
and other railroads of Greece and by the Electric Transport Co.,
Ltd., had their wages and salaries fixed on a monthly basis. The
range in wages and salaries of transportation workers is given in table
4, covering conditions existing in 1938.
In transportation, overtime pay for the first 2 hours was at normal
hourly rates; after 2 hours the rate was raised by 45 percent, except
for track workmen whose rates were raised by 20 percent after the
first 2 hours of overtime and by 45 percent after 4 hours of overtime
work.
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Monthly Laboi• Review—August 1943
T a b l e 4.-—Monthly Wages and Salaries in the Transportation Industries of Greece, 1938
M onthly wages
or salaries (in
drachmas 0
Occupation
State and other railw ays —Con.
. State and other railw ays
Doorkeepers___________________
M pssp.ngprs
OhiPf mp.py5P.ngp.rs
Telephone operators
T ypists
Cierks:
Class 1 ____________________
Class 2____________________
Class 3 ____________________
Class 4 --------- ---------- ---Class 5
Class 6
Engineers:
Class 1
___ ___
Class 2 ____________________
Class 3
___
Class 4
Chief engineers
Assistant ehief engineers
Workmen:
___
- .
Class 1
Class 2
- __ ___
Class 3
Class 4____________________
Technicians:
Class 1
_____
Class 2_____________________
Class 3
_ _ - __ . _
Class 4
._
_
__
Stationmasters:
Class 1
Class 2____________________
Class 3. ________ __________
Class 4_____________________
M onthly wages
or salaries (in
drachmas 0
Occupation
1,680-2,830
1, 950-2, 830
]; 950-3, 510
2 , 145-4^ 095
2, 535-4; 875
2,830-4,387
3,060-5,010
3, 354-5, 714
3,705-6,435
4,192-6, 712
4, 680-8,190
6, 825-11, 602
7, 410-13,260
8,190-15,015
9,165-16, 965
2 13, 650
2 11, 700
3 55-70
2,240-3,705
2,390-4, 240
2,486-5; 411
3 66-86
3 58-113
3 101-128
5, 655-8,385
2, 632-4, 582
2, 876-5, 313
3,169-6,094
3, 510-6, 922
Superintendents:
Class 1............................. - _ Class 2_____ _____ _. _____
Collectors . . . _ ____ Firemen_________
Engine drivers__ ______ - -------
3, 998-7, 898
4,485-8,872
1,755-5,411
4, 875-7,800
5,850-10,725
Electric Tran sport Co.. L td.
Office personnel:
Clerks____________ - . . . . . .
........
Chiefs of department
Tramway traffic personnel:
Conductors (temporary)____
Conductors (permanent)____
Drivers (temporary). . . .
_
Drivers (permanent)___ ____
Inspectors
. ___ ______
Chief inspectors____
Workshop car-shed personnel:
Technicians. _______
___
Chief mechanics____________
W atchm en_________________
Track personnel:
Cleaners, w orkm en..................
Foremen___________ ____
Bus personnel:
Drivers _____ __________ .
Conductors____________ ____
Conductors, when promoted..
Inspectors_______________ .
2, 973-4,613
5, 330-11,890
4 2,050
3 2, 460-3,690
4 2, 204
3 2, 614-3, 844
3, 280-4, 920
5,125-7,175
1, 743-3, 280
2,973-4,613
1,845-3,690
1, 743-3, 383
2,870-3,998
5 2, 973-4, 203
« 2, 460-3, 690
3, 588-5,228
3, 998-6,048
1 Average exchange rate of drachma in 1938=0.896 cent.
2 Minimum; maximum not reported.
3 Daily rate of pay.
4 Minimum; maximum not reported. In addition, 10.25 drachmas per day was paid for work on the
vehicle.
5 In addition, 10.25 drachmas per day was paid for work on the vehicle.
Salaried workers.—The range in the monthly rate of pay for salaried
employees in Athens and Piraeus is shown in table 5 as of 1938.
T a b l e 5. — M onthly P ay of Salaried Employees in Athens and Piraeus, 1938
Occupation
M onthly salaries (in drach
mas 0 in—
Athens
Managers ________ 5, 500-24,000
Chiefs of departments. 3,000-8, 500
Technical directors...
2 5,000
Engineers.............. ...
Designers___________
2 9, 600
Assistant designers..
2, 200-2, 550
Chemists______ ____
2,500-4,500
M illers__ . . _____
2, 600-8,000
C ashiers... ________
Chief accountants___ 3, 500-8, 500
1,500-6,500
Accountants, A -l class.
Accountants, B -l class. 1, 500-2, 700
C ontrollers___
Collectors__________
1,800-5,000
Salesmen___________ 2,910-3,200
Piraeus
Monthly salaries (in drach
mas 0 in—
Athens
Piraeus
Correspondents____
3.000- 3,200
1.600- 5,500
Office employees____
2, 500-6, 500
1,900-3,800
Chauffeurs_________
3.0005,000
3,000-5,000
5.00014,000
Truck drivers____ _
2 3, 750
1.200-2,340
4, 000-5, 200
Storekeepers________
948-3, 500
2, 650-4,000
Superintendents____
3.000- 4,250 2, 000-6, 000
2, 500-12, 000
Distributors________ .. 1,500-1,800
1, 500-1,800
2 15, 500
Barmen______ _ . . .
2. 580-4, 500
2, 580-4, 500
Weighers___________
2,000-7,000
3, 000-3, 500
3, 000-3, 500
4.00012,000
Assistants in general.. 1, 600-1,800
1.600- 1,800
2, 500-5,000
W atchmen____ _____
1, 740-3,460
1, 200-3, 250
1,900-2, 750
Doorkeepers... . . . . . .
1,950-2, 250
1,834-3,300
2 6,000
M essengers________
1, 730-2,400
800-2,250
2,200-3, 500
Cooks______________ 2, 910-4,000
1.2002,350
1, 500-3, 500
7,852-20,000
5, 375-7, 000
1 Average exchange rate of drachma in 1938=0.896 cent.
2 Minimum; maximum not reported.
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Labor Conditions in Greece
223
Factors affecting wages.—Greece maintained no system of family
allowances and did not have a law providing for vacations with pay for
workers generally. However, provisions of this kind were made a
part of the benefits accruing to employees under the terms of certain
collective agreements. For example, a collective agreement signed
on June 29, 1937, covering bank clerks, included a scale of salaries
based on length of service for the various classes of employees and
rates of family allowances as well. A law of December 23, 1936,
standardizing the conditions of employment for hotel employees,
prescribed an annual vacation with pay after 1 year of service amount
ing to 15 days for salaried employees and 1 week for wage-earning
and subordinate workers.
HOURS OF LABOR
Before the present war, the basic 8-hour day and 6-day week were
standard in industry. Greece had been in process of applying the
8-hour-day law to industries since shortly after the first World War.
The textile industry was the last major industry to which the 8-hour
limitation was applied in 1937. In that year a trend toward an
even shorter workday appeared, with the introduction of a basic 7-hour
day for salaried employees of joint-stock companies and banks (act
of March 15, 1937).
Greece was among the first countries to pass an act, on June 24,1920,
providing for the ratification of the Convention adopted by the Wash
ington International Labor Conference the previous autumn, con
cerning the limitation of basic hours in industrial enterprises to 8 per
day and 48 per week. In the years following, numerous decrees
were adopted applying the maximum-hours provisions to individual
industries. At the same time the decrees permitted necessary adjust
ments to allow for peculiar circumstances and to take care of peak
production periods, etc.
On June 27, 1932, a decree was promulgated consolidating and sup
plementing the provisions of law relating to the 8-hour day. The
enterprises subject to coverage were enumerated in 13 broad classes:
(1) Mining; (2) iron and steel; (3) lime, brick works, etc.; (4) dyeing
and bleaching; (5) roller mills [grain] with a daily output of more than 10
tons, bakeries; (6) miscellaneous products; (7) leather, except boots and
shoes; (8) paper products; (9) mattress factories, laundries, etc.;
(10) brush and broom factories; (11) electric power; (12) motor
transportation; and (13) tobacco warehouses and factories.
Extension of maximum hours was permissible for various reasons.
For example, to allow for a half day off on Saturdays, more than 8
hours could be worked on other days. In case of emergency, permits
might be issued to make up hours lost. In Athens and Piraeus the
chief labor inspectors were empowered to grant such permits; else
where they were to be granted by the labor inspector or, in default of
such an official, by the competent police authority.
Owners and managers were obliged to keep registers showing the
names of employees and the hours worked, the permits granted for
overtime work, and the extra remuneration paid for overtime.
On June 3, 1935, the 1932 legislation on hours was amended and
consolidated to alter the periods allowed employees for midday meals
to 2 hours in winter and 3 hours in summer.
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OVERTIME HOURS AND RATES OF PAY
Overtime work was ordinarily compensated for at time and one
quarter the normal hourly rate of pay, prior to the present war. For
work done on holidays the rate was time and one-lialf or double time.
Under certain early legislation (March 5, 1930) governing overtime
in commercial establishments, it was provided that the prefect would
fix the overtime remuneration. However, the time and one-quarter
rate was specified by decree as early as December 17, 1924, for workers
in tobacco factories. When the consolidated hours decree was issued
in 1932 it also established overtime pay at time and one-quarter.
Probably because of unemployment, higher overtime rates of pay
were fixed in 1937 and labor inspectors were instructed to limit over
time as strictly as possible. When the hours of employees of jointstock companies were reduced from 8 to 7 daily (act of March 15),
the premium pay for overtime was placed at 30 percent and the
amount of permissible overtime was limited. In tanneries, gut works,
and similar establishments double time was the overtime rate (decree
of September 3) for 2 hours a day in 30 periods a year.
WAGES AND HOURS DURING ENEMY OCCUPATION
Greece participated in the war for only 6 months, from October
1940 to April 1941, and data are lacking on wages and hours of civil
ians during that period. With the occupation of the country by Axis
forces, internal conditions deteriorated rapidly. The enemy requi
sitioned everything of value—food, clothing, luxury goods, and art
objects. What the occupation forces could not utilize themselves,
they sold on the black market.
Inflation and mass starvation resulted and even though wage in
creases were made, the gap between wages and prices widened. Be
tween September 1940 and May 1942, the official price of an egg rose
from 2 to 55 drachmas; on the black market the price of an egg was
200 drachmas on the latter date. Thus, officially, prices of some
goods mounted to 27 times, and on the black market to 100 times, the
normal rate.
The first general wage and salary increase occurred in November
1941, when Government employees received their monthly pay every
20 days and workers paid by the day received a 50-percent increase.
Subsequent additions to pay did not improve the situation and in
January 1942 food was promised to workers in addition to wages.
Varying degrees of starvation were reported from different areas,
depending upon the success of mass-feeding efforts by different
agencies.
The subsequent record of the measures taken by the puppet gov
ernment in Athens to keep wages in balance with prices is incomplete,
but on October 15, 1942, a wage increase was ordered by the Ministry
of Labor (retroactive to September 30). Fifty percent was to be
added to wages and cost-of-living allowances for a broad range of
private industrial, commercial, professional, and domestic employees,
regardless of sex. The base for calculating the increases was the July
1942 wage level. All wage increases granted voluntarily subsequent
to July 16, 1942, were to be considered a part of the required increase.
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Labor Conditions in Greece
225
Increases that had been authorized by arbitration award were exempt.
By decree of January 1943 employers were ordered to furnish meals
to their employees as a part of wages.
Early in 1943, it was stated that a middle-class family would re
quire 100,000 drachmas a month per person to buy food that would
normally cost 3,000 drachmas. Therefore, payment of wages in kind
became general for wage earners and barter increased in importance.
No data are available showing the hours being worked by Greek
labor but it is certain that workers are being forced to carry on to the
limit of their endurance, which has been impaired by lack of food.
Labor Organizations
RIGHTS OF ORGANIZATION AND DIRECT ACTION
Periodic changes in the limitations placed on the right of labor to
organize and to strike reflect the political tensions in Greece during
the last few decades.
Before and after the first World War, legislation was enacted (June
21/July 4, 1914; March 11, and March 21/April 3, 1920) whereby the
right of labor to organize was accepted, the provisions of the penal
code declaring strikes to be criminal offenses were repealed, and the
administration of unions was made subject to certain checks. Al
though these laws gave recognition to organized labor, the Govern
ment retained its powers to supervise and dissolve labor organizations.
In the closing months of the Monarchy under King George II
(1923), before the Republic was established by plebiscite (April 13,
1924), all trade-unions or trade-union federations recognized under
previously existing legislation were deemed to be nonexistent by a
decree issued on August 20, 1923. Three months later, the dissolu
tion order was repealed and trade-unions regained their legal existence.
Under the Republic, rights of trade-union organizations were the
subject of action in 1927 when the constitution was adopted (June 3).
It stated that Greek citizens had the right of peaceful assembly and that
the police would not be entitled to attend their meetings other than
public meetings. Citizens were guaranteed the right to form associa
tions, without securing the approval of the State, as long as they
were formed in accordance with the laws. No association could be dis
solved for contravention of a law, except by court order.
During the life of the Republic considerable legislative emphasis
was placed on the control of the organizational activities of civil serv
ants. For example, on October 11, 1926, there was an official
declaration that public employees who incited public officials or
employees to strike or who abetted such action would be dismissed.
By act of March 12, 1928, any public servant who failed to perform
his duties owing to a strike was deemed to have resigned and was
liable to detention.
Although the right of civil servants to organize was recognized by
law of March 6, 1931, the same statute strictly prohibited strikes,
including stay-in strikes, and established penalties for participation
in stoppages. The strike ban was extended to the domestic staff of Gov
ernment departments, irrespective of grade or class, under a law of
May 7, 1932. In April 1935 civil servants were forbidden to organize.
Shortly afterwards the Republic fell.
541188— 43----- 3
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
When Prime Minister Metaxas assumed control of the country,
the position of trade-unions was altered greatly and they were brought
under immediate Government direction and control.
By act of August 2, 1937, officials and other State employees were
forbidden to form associations or to become members of any existing
association. If any official or employee already maintained such
membership, he was required to notify his superior officer and apply
for a permit within 1 month of the effective date of the legislation.
Numerous changes in the legal status of trade-unions were made
by the terms of the decree dated October 21, 1938. The main purpose
was to establish a single union organization. The National General
Confederation of Labor was named the only representative tradeunion in Greece. Unions which did not affiliate were not recognized.
In this way membership was encouraged in order to form a convenient
unit for direction by the Government. From a union membership of
272,100 on January 1, 1938, the total rose to 356,240 a year later
and to 780,000 on January 1, 1940.
After the Axis forces occupied the country, the German command
decreed (on April 28, 1942) that workers employed for the direct or
indirect purposes of the occupation forces in Greece were forbidden
to strike. A strike is defined as any interruption of the service or
terms of contract or any willful expression which disturbs the regular
progress of work, if more than three persons participate. The
penalties are severe and the leaders are subject to a death sentence.
Although pronouncements of the Government-in-exile headed by
King George II affect only Greek workers outside Greece, such as
seamen, the government, by law of October 31, 1942, disavowed
the legislation on trade-unions enacted under Prime Minister Metaxas.
The law declares that in future trade-unions of all kinds and federa
tions of trade-unions are to be subject to the laws of 1914 and 1920,
as they were in operation before 1938.
COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS
Employers and employees were encouraged to fix conditions of
employment by collective agreements under the terms of the 1914
legislation on trade-unions. However, the first law dealing specific
ally with the negotiation of collective agreements was enacted on
November 16, 1935, after the people voted to return to the Monarchy.
Collective agreements entered into by particular employers and ernployees could be made a common rule, that is, binding on employers and
employees throughout a district, an industry, or the entire country.
The principle of the common rule was applied by legislation of
August 26, 1936, when two collective agreements—one covering sala
ried workers and the other wage earners—were given the force of law.
Upon expiration, the effectiveness of these agreements was extended
by act of August 25, 1938. The agreements for salaried workers and
wage earners, respectively, were to supersede every other collective
agreement when its particular term expired. Thus the common rule
was applied, but apparently labor lost its right to negotiate freely
as to changes in the terms of collective agreements.
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227
CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION
One of the early acts of the restored Monarchy was the passage of
a law on November 16, 1935, for the settlement of collective labor
disputes, in general, respecting conditions of employment. Previously,
such machinery was limited to the settlement of disputes affecting
salaried workers only (by law of April 21, 1926). Administration of
the 1935 legislation was placed under the jurisdiction of the Minister
of Labor. The law itself became effective by decree of June 18, 1936.
Settlement was made compulsory in a dispute involving two or
more employers or an employers’ association or a single employer with
more than 10 employees in his service on the one hand and an associa
tion of employees or a group of employees including more than 10
persons on the other hand. If conciliation failed or the dispute was
referred directly for settlement by arbitration, any attempt to settle
the difference by recourse to a strike or lock-out was prohibited.
As soon as a dispute arose the Labor Directorate could proceed to
hold an inquiry into the causes on the request of either party, with a
view to securing a voluntary settlement. If conciliation succeeded,
a report containing the terms of agreement was signed by the two
parties and the Government representative and filed with the clerk
of the court having jurisdiction. A copy was sent to the Labor
Directorate of the Ministry of Labor and the settlement took effect
at once.
If conciliation failed and more than 25 employees were involved,
the dispute was referred for arbitration. An official of the Labor
Directorate was obliged to draw up a report on the points at issue
and to submit it to the chairman of the court of first instance in the
appropriate district, who was required to establish an arbitral body at
once. Such a board consisted of five members. Employers, employ
ees, and the public were given representation on arbitration boards.
The arbitration board was obliged to meet within 3 days, reckoned
from the submission of the report on the collective dispute. No par
ticular form of procedure was prescribed. After full consideration,
the board made an award in the case by majority vote. If a tie re
sulted, the chairman was entitled to a casting vote. It was within
the power of the board to declare by an absolute majority that a
dispute was not one of general interest and should therefore be
settled by direct negotiation. However, if a case was acted upon
by the board, the award was binding on the parties concerned,
under penalty. The enforcement order was required to be made
by the Minister of Labor within 15 days of the date of promulgation
by the board.
Appeals were permitted in cases involving enterprises of a public
character where more than 200 persons were employed, and in excep
tional circumstances, for example, when a dispute constituted a danger
to public order. Under these conditions provision was made for
referral of the differences to permanent superior arbitration boards
which were to be formed in Athens, Piraeus, Salonika, and Patras,
consisting of representative employee, employer, and public members.
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
Cooperative Movement
The cooperative movement in Greece—largely agricultural—dates
only from 1914 when the first legal authorization for cooperative
associations was passed. With Government encouragement, the
movement grew rapidly. Cooperative settlement associations were
favored as a means of distributing land to the people during the agrar
ian reforms. General-purpose cooperatives helped to solve the prob
lems of persons who fled into Greece from Turkey and southern
Russia after the first World W7ar, as well as those involved in the
population exchanges with Bulgaria and Turkey—in all, some
2,000,000 persons. The movement continued to grow throughout the
span of the Republic.
In Greece, the movement has been predominantly rural, with the
rural credit associations forming by far the largest single group. Of
9,611 associations in 1936, 6,270 were rural and 3,341 urban. Credit
associations numbered 4,476 (4,401 rural), followed by 1,684 workers’
productive and labor associations (all urban).
By the end of 1938, the membership of cooperative associations was
about 300,000. Taking into account the families of members, about
one-fifth of the population was served by the movement. Approxi
mately 65 percent of the agricultural population were members of or
served by the cooperatives. The movement was strongest in the
Peloponnesus and Macedonia; next in importance were Thessaly and
the xlegean Islands.
Urban associations varied more in type than the rural organizations.
They included workers’ productives, and the housing, insurance, and
fishery associations for which there were no counterparts in rural
areas. The credit associations constituted over two-thirds of the
farmers’ cooperatives. About one-tliird of these associations, it is
reported, carried on side-line activities such as the purchase of farm
and household supplies, processing and sale of farm products, and
warehousing.
A g r ic u ltu r a l c o o p e ra tiv e s a n d th e G o v e rn m e n t .—The Government has
utilized the cooperatives in connection with handling credit for farmers
since 1914. Beginning in 1929, with the establishment of the Agri
cultural Bank, the agricultural cooperatives performed services for
the bank which brought them under a considerable measure of State
intervention and control. The Minister of Agriculture had general
supervision over the associations, and they were required to submit
their constitutions to him for approval.
In 1930, the cooperative law was amended to prevent political
activities on the part of members of cooperatives. Any candidate for
office in either House of Parliament or for mayor was barred from
membership on a cooperative committee or board for 3 years there
after.
Further amendments to the agricultural cooperative law in 1931
prevented any warehousing or stocking of goods by the associations;
limited membership in an association to residents or property holders
in the area of operation; required that all reserve funds should be
deposited with the Agricultural Bank; and gave the bank’s auditors
the right to attend all cooperative meetings and the power to act as
public prosecutors under criminal law in certain cases.
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Labor Conditions in Greece
These legislative changes coupled with the effects of the economic
depression in the early 1930’s brought the agricultural cooperative
movement to a standstill, and its survival was reported as due only to
“the faith of its leaders.” However, by 1936, the latest year for which
information is available, the movement was expanding. Under the
dictatorship established in August 1936, the associations were being
utilized by the State in handling different crops. In 1939, a law was
passed placing all cooperatives under the supervision of a new office—
the Under-Secretariat of Cooperative Societies, which was responsible
to Prime Minister Metaxas.
Social Insurance
SICK NESS,
MATERNITY,
ACCIDENT,
INVALIDITY,
OLD
AGE,
AND
DEATH
Commercial and industrial workers.—A compulsory insurance system
covering sickness, maternity, invalidity, old age, and death was insti
tuted by a law of September 24, 1934, as amended, for all employees in
the urban areas designated as insurance centers, with the exception of
members of existing insurance funds, and persons employed in agri
culture, forestry, and stock raising unless they were employed in or
within the immediate vicinity of the cities of Athens, Piraeus, Salonika,
or Patras. The system, which is administered by the Social Insurance
Institution in Athens, was not put in effect until 1938, but by 1940 the
scheme was in operation in all the urban centers. The law was
apparently not abrogated after the country was occupied by the
Germans and the puppet government formed.
The system is financed by contributions from insured persons and
employers, the State merely granting tax exemption to the Institution.
The joint contribution was fixed at 7.7 percent of the basic wage—4.1
percent for sickness insurance and 3.6 percent for pension insurance.
The insured person pays 40 percent of the joint contribution and the
employer (because industrial accidents are covered by the scheme), 60'
percent. Insured persons are grouped in wage classes for the assess
ment of the contribution. A German newspaper (Donauzeitung, De
cember 8,1942) stated that the new contribution for social insurance was
fixed at 53.10 drachmas per 1,000 drachmas of wage or salary for
sickness and 31.70 drachmas for pensions, the employer still paying
60 percent of the contribution.
Insured persons or pensioners and their dependents are entitled to
medical, pharmaceutical, and hospital care. At the discretion of the
Institution, and subject to payment by the patient of a share of the
cost (not more than one-fourth), sanatorium treatment, various forms
of physical treatment, artificial limbs, etc., may be granted to insured
persons or pensioners. Medical benefit continues as long as needed.
Medical supervision is provided during pregnancy, and confinements
are attended by a midwife or doctor.
In case of incapacity for work because of sickness, an insured person
receives a cash benefit equal to 40 percent of his basic daily wage,
from the sixth day of incapacity, for a maximum of 180 days; the
allowance is increased to 60 percent when the incapacity is due to
industrial accident or disease. Insured women receive, during the
6 weeks before and the 6 weeks after childbirth, an allowance equal to
one-third of their daily basic wage.
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Invalidity and old-age pensions consist of a basic sum of 3,000
drachmas a year, plus increments proportional to the number and
rate of the contributions paid. Old-age pensions are payable at age
65 years for men and 60 for women. Payment of pensions had not
begun, however, in 1939.
On the death of an insured person or pensioner, his family receives
a funeral benefit of 1,250 drachmas. The widow or invalid widower
of an insured person or pensioner receives 40 percent of the pension
to which the deceased was or would have been entitled as an invalid,
and the pension for each dependent child is 20 percent of the deceased
person’s pension. The total of the survivors’ pensions may not exceed
the pension to which the deceased person was entitled.
The right to medical, sickness, and maternity cash benefits, and
funeral benefit is dependent upon the payment by the insured person
of contributions for 50 days during the 12 months preceding the claim;
and the right to pension is dependent upon the payment of contribu
tions for 750 days, of which at least 300 must have been within the
4 years preceding the claim.
Seamen.—There are three main branches of social insurance for
seamen—pensions, unemployment and sickness relief, and insurance
against tuberculosis. All are administered by the Seamen’s Invalidity
Fund, the headquarters of which was moved to London after the
conquest of Greece by the Axis. Seamen who were outside their
native country when the occupation took place form the only group
of workers over which the Greek Government-in-exile has direct
control. In addition to the insurance legislation mentioned, which is
described in the present article, a law was passed in 1939 granting
war-risk insurance to seamen.
The Seamen’s Invalidity Fund is maintained by joint and equal
contributions of seamen and shipowners, and from various other
sources—a 4-percent tax on passenger fares and freights, stamp duties,
fines, etc. The contributions made by seamen and shipowners vary
according to the employee’s rating. Contributions are varied
periodically according to the value of the currency and the experience
of the Fund.
In general, seamen who are permanently incapacitated for every
occupation and who have served for 120 months are entitled to
pensions. No qualifying period is required if the incapacity results
from accident arising out of employment, and in such cases a pro
portional pension is paid if the incapacity is partial.
For old age the pension is granted at age 55 years after 300 months
of service. The retirement age is lowered by 1 year (maximum 5 years)
for every additional 12 months of service; and the qualifying period of
service is reduced by 12 months (maximum 180 months) for every
year the claimant exceeds age 55 years.
Survivors’ pensions are payable to the widow, children, or other
dependents of deceased pensioners or seamen who served 120 months.
For the widow the pension equals 55 percent of the pension to which
the deceased was or would have been entitled and for a child, 15 per
cent. The total of the survivors’ pensions may not exceed the amount
to which the deceased would have been entitled.
The amount of invalidity and old-age pensions is proportional to the
total amount of the joint contributions and is approximately equal to
one-fifth of the contributions paid, together with a small fixed pension.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Labor Conditions in Greece
231
UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION AND RELIEF FOR SEAMEN
Greece has not maintained regular systems either for unemploy
ment compensation or relief. However, relief of an announced kind
was undertaken by the puppet government in November 1942 when
aid was given through professional chambers to artisans and pro
fessional persons who suffered from the depression.
In contrast, a fund for the relief of unemployment and sickness
among seamen was provided for, by decree of November 1926, in
connection with the Seamen’s Invalidity Fund. The law, as amended,
provides for unemployment and sickness relief for Greek registered
seamen and their families.
Contributions for these payments consist of one-tenth of the joint
contributions by seamen and shipowners to the Seamen’s Invalidity
Fund and one-quarter of the tax on passenger fares and freights
collected by the latter fund.
Cash or loans are granted to indigent unemployed seamen for their
maintenance or for meeting their own or their families’ hospital
expenses. Medical attendance may be provided, as well as traveling
expenses of seamen to join a ship, grants for retraining, and any other
measures for the relief of seamen and their families.
INSURANCE AGAINST TUBERCULOSIS
Commercial and industrial employees.—'Ey act of November 19,
1935, insurance against tuberculosis was provided for all employees
subject to the invalidity, old-age and death insurance, and sickness
systems, and for persons working independently who were insured
against these risks if the insuring organization applied for inclusion.
The purpose of the Tuberculosis Insurance Organization (created by
the act and under the supervision of the Ministry of Labor) was to
insure the risk of low-paid workers and to take preventive measures
against the disease.
The insured person’s contribution might not exceed 1 percent of
pay, to be matched by the employer. An initial contribution was
required from the public or private bodies operating in the tuber
culosis field in an amount not to exceed expenditures in the preceding
3 years. For independent workers the contribution was not to exceed
one-fourth of the contribution for invalidity, old-age, and death
insurance.
The amount of the contributions was to be established by decree
and regulations were to fix the benefits and other details of operation.
Seamen.—Special relief for seamen incapacitated from tuberculosis,
adenopathy, and organic heart disease was prescribed by law of October
31, 1936. A special account was opened in the Seamen’s Unemploy
ment and Sickness Fund, and the system is administered by the
Seamen’s Home in Piraeus. Benefits were made payable to registered
seamen who had fulfilled their military duty, who held diplomas or
special certificates of competency, or who after registration had
served 2 years on Greek merchant ships (including 1 year in the 3
years preceding disablement).
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w o r k m e n ’s c o m p e n s a t i o n
Under the basic workmen’s compensation law of December 31, 1914,
as amended, Greek employers are liable for payment of compensation
for injuries to their employees lasting over 4 days. Wage-earning or
salaried employees who are injured in the course of their employment
are covered, if employed in building and other technical trades,
manufacturing, and industrial establishments; where mechanical
tools are used; in water transport, loading, unloading, and ware
housing; in mines and quarries, not covered in previous legislation; and
where explosive or poisonous substances are manufactured or utilized
or in which power-driven machinery is used. Accidents to railway
employees may be compensated for under the pension systems of the
railroads, if the compensation is at least equal to that payable under
the workmen’s compensation law.
For total and permanent disablement the compensation payable is
a sum equal to 6 years’ wages or salary but not less than 55,000
drachmas. If the total 6 years’ income is over 110,000 drachmas, the
compensation is 110,000 drachmas plus one-quarter of the excess.
When permanent partial disablement results from injury, the com
pensation is 6 times the amount by which the annual income of the
injured person is reduced, but not less than 16,500 drachmas. If 6
times the reduction in annual income exceeds 55,000 drachmas, the
compensation is 55,000 drachmas plus one-fourth of the excess.
If death results from injury the payment is 5 years’ wages or salary
hut not less than 66,000 drachmas. In case the total calculated by
this formula exceeds 110,000 drachmas, the payment is 110,000
drachmas plus one-fourth of the excess. The entire amount is payable
to the husband or wife of the victim if there are no other relatives;
otherwise the relatives in the descending or ascending line receive part
of the compensation.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
♦ G o v e rn m e n t M easu res fo r Im p ro v e m e n t of L iv in g
S ta n d a rd s in E l S a lv a d o r1
A GREAT deal of progress toward raising the standard of living and
increasing the productivity of the workers in El Salvador has been
made recently. Among the measures adopted have been the provision
of credit through rural credit cooperatives, a central cooperative bank,
and the establishment of a Government company the purpose of
which is to assure the small coffee producer an adequate return on
his product. Although the Government has had a housing and landdistribution program since 1932, it was hampered by lack of sufficient
funds. The latest measure adopted was the creation of a Social
Development Corporation which will be a combination publicconservation, economic-development, banking, and marketing agency.
It is expected that this body will give new impetus to the housing and
land program and will centralize the activities for improving the
living standards.
As a result of the war, El Salvador is, for the first time since 1926,
selling abroad more than twice as much as it is able to buy. There
is, therefore, considerable private money which is idle and available,
and the position of the principal banking institutions, which did not
even exist in 1926, is very strong.
Efforts to raise the standard of living and increase the productivity
of the peon or “ campesino” have hitherto been directed primarily to
the small landholder and only secondarily to the unpropertied day
laborer. Both types of campesinos live a hand-to-mouth existence.
Those who actually own land are few in number, but many cultivate
small properties without title, growing corn and beans for their own
needs and spending about one-third to one-half of the year as migra
tory farm laborers. In the Salvadoran agricultural community, crops
of coffee, sugar, and cotton are all harvested more or less simultane
ously in the period November through February, and the fact that
considerable additional labor is needed during this period complicates
the problem.
The solution adopted by the interested Government institutions
has been to take the man who is actually producing or is capable of
producing, assist him to acquire or to hold on to his own land, finance
him when necessary at fair rates of interest, and assure him a stable
market and a fair price for his product. Apart from the general aim
of increased national productivity, it is desired to make the small
producer more self-sufficient and, particularly, financially independent.
Regarding the ordinary day laborer, the Government’s immediate
problem is to improve his living conditions by supplying at least the
minimum sanitary housing conditions, public-health facilities, medical
care, and education. It has been realized, however, that even those
who are slightly better off, and may be classed as actual or potential
producers, have faced almost insurmountable financial barriers.
i Report oí H. Gardner Ainsworth, United States vice'consul at San Salvador.
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Social-Welfare Activities of Mortgage Bank
Notable among the banking institutions of El Salvador is the Mort
gage Bank, efficient, progressive, and social-minded. Its most recent
contribution to the Salvadoran economic structure has been the crea
tion of a series of independent rural credit cooperatives in various
regions of the Republic. These cooperatives are being federated on
a national scale, under an autonomous Central Credit Cooperative.
In order to assist the small coffee growers, the Salvador Coffee Co,
Inc., was formed. It works with the rural credit cooperatives to
assure a fair price to the growers. These small producers (some
10,000 in number), who form over 80 percent of all coffee producers
in El Salvador, raise less than 20 percent of the total output. As they
were dependent upon the large growers for financing, on terms set by
the latter, they were sinking more and more deeply into debt. Under
the auspices of the Mortgage Bank and the Salvador Coffee Co., the
small coffee growers now sell to the cooperatives. The same procedure
is being extended to other crops and to small manufactures of various
articles.
Many of the bank’s recent projects have been undertaken not only
because funds have been available to some extent from the Govern
ment, but also because no other institution has existed in the Republic
capable of undertaking the necessary operations. The following
examples of current projects of the bank illustrate the kind of opera
tions which may be expected to be undertaken by the Social Develop
ment Corporation in the near future.
The bank has developed a small industry—making cotton sacks for
sugar—by coordinating the efforts of several hand industries, placing
orders for the bags, and financing the manufacture by extending credit
against the finished products, which are stored in the bank’s ware
houses until harvest of the sugar crop. The same procedure is followed
with respect to the manufacture of baskets for coffee pickers and
henequen bags for shipping coffee, both important domestic industries.
The production of gray sheeting on hand looms is also given
assistance.
At the suggestion of the rural credit cooperatives, the bank now
buys quinine in bulk, has it processed in pill form in cooperation with
Government health authorities, and distributes it at cost through the
cooperatives in malarial districts of the Republic.
In order to stimulate a domestic art-handicraft industry in small
articles of wood, iron, leather, clay, and cotton, the bank has placed
orders and opened a merchandising display room. It is expected
that this activity will have expanded considerably by the time the
tourist trade begins again.
Considerable aid has been given to the hat industry by the purchase
of hand-made hats at an established minimum price, thus assuring a
market to the numerous sweated handier afters.
Kerosene is scarce, but necessary for lighting purposes in rural
areas. In order to prevent speculation in this commodity, the bank
has been selling it through the credit cooperatives at the ceiling set
by the price-control authorities.
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Living Standards in El Salvador
235
Government Housing and Land-Distribution Program
The Government of El Salvador enacted legislation in 1926 author
izing the construction of inexpensive houses and the purchase of
suitable lands for distribution to unpropertied farm labor, but poor
financial conditions during the early depression years delayed the
undertaking of any actual steps in this direction. The present
Government assumed administration in 1931, and one of its earliest
acts was the passage of a new law on October 28, 1932, establishing a
special commission, the National Board of Social Defense (Junta de
Dejensa Social), primarily to undertake land distribution and low-cost
housing projects. Its activities originally were limited to a maximum
of $1,500,000, to be obtained through the sale of 8-percent bonds and
repaid through certain taxes, principally on beer and cigarettes. In
the 10 years of the Commission’s existence, $1,724,415 was actually
spent on the acquisition of properties.
During this period fewer than 300 houses were constructed (princi
pally in urban areas), and some 53,800 manzanas (91,473 acres) of land
were purchased by the Government and distributed to landless peons
on a long-term credit plan. Thirty-two large rural properties were
subdivided into 5,915 lots, of which 4,854 were actually occupied on
December 31, 1942. In addition, 2,441 solares (urban lots for housing
development) were made available. During the same period, however,
the urban population of El Salvador increased by about 80,000 persons
(roughly 13 percent), and although statistical evidence is not available,
it is estimated that fewer small holdings of land were created by the
Commission than were absorbed by large landowners in the formation
of extensive haciendas (for raising cattle, cotton, sugar, and grains),
and fincas (coffee plantations).
About 54 percent of the Commission’s income from taxes on beer,
sugar, cigarettes, and wines, during the ;years 1933-42, went into the
purchase of properties and the construction of houses. In addition,
12 percent was lent to the Government in connection with the con
struction of a large bridge over the Lempa River in 1942. A balance
of $360,000 was very recently turned over by the Government to the
new Social Development Corporation.
Most of the houses constructed were acquired by people in the
artisan class rather than those in the lowest economic class.
The fact that comparatively little was accomplished by the Com
mission during its 10 years of existence is attributed to (1) poor
management, which did not always choose the most suitable recipient
for the land it distributed, and (2) lack of funds and organization to
extend short-term credit to the new farmers. It appeared that the
Government’s responsibility ended when the farmer obtained his
parcel of land, and consequently those farmers who did not fail
for lack of financial assistance have contributed little to national
production.
Social Development Corporation: Powers and Program
The Social Development Corporation was authorized by decrees
Nos. 115 and 116 of December 22, 1942. This Pew body, known as
“ Mejoramiento Social, S. A.,” supersedes the National Board of Social
Defense (established in 1932) but is given greater resources and broader
powers. It is chartered for 75 years, as a private corporation.
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The Social Development Corporation is provided with an original
capital of 800,000 colones ($320,000). This is in the form of stock, of
which two-fifths is to be subscribed by the Mortgage Bank of El
Salvador, two-fifths by the rural credit cooperatives, and one-fifth by
private stockholders (temporarily this amount will be advanced by
the Mortgage Bank). _ The Corporation will also receive the funds and
property of the National Board of Social Defense, which is to be
liquidated.
The Corporation is to be controlled through the stock ownership by
the Mortgage Bank of El Salvador and the Central Credit Cooperative
of the rural cooperatives. In credit practice, however, administration
will rest largely with the Mortgage Bank, at least until such time as
the cooperative credit system has matured and is self-controlled, and
the administration will reflect considerable Government influence.
The Government has no representation in the stockholders’ general
assembly, but its single member on the board of directors, who is
appointed by the Ministry of Finance, will act as president of the
board of directors.
The general assembly of stockholders’ representatives is to consist
of the president and seven members of the board of directors of the
Mortgage Bank, eight members from the board of directors of the
Central Credit Cooperative, and four representatives elected by the
private shareholders. The board of directors of the corporation is
to consist of a president, a vice president and four directors, one direc
tor each being chosen by the Ministry of Finance, the Mortgage Bank,
the Central Credit Cooperative, and the private shareholders.
The Social Development Corporation is given the following powers
and objectives: To acquire all classes of property; to construct and to
distribute adequate houses among persons of modest economic
position; to transfer parcels of land by means of cash payment, lease,
or contracted loan to persons in the small-income bracket; to establish
and administer pawn shops for the purpose of making small loans on
good security; to take steps for the efficient conservation and exploita
tion of the lands owned by or entrusted to it, including the protection
of water sites, water places, the construction of canals for transporta
tion, reforestation, and other services for the betterment of the popu
lace; to issue bonds and other obligations, and to collect fees and
commissions from its operations or the services it performs; and to
enter into all classes of operations, civil or commercial, compatible
with its objectives and nature.
The probable activities of the Corporation in the near future will be
limited by its small initial capital and by the amount which it can
obtain from the Mortgage Bank, or other similar banking institutions,
for ventures which should be financially sound. It is expected to take
over certain activities heretofore carried on by the Mortgage Bank.
One possible activity, already being studied, is the colonization of
neglected areas. Recently officials of the Mortgage Bank visited the
western coastal plain, with a view to ascertaining its possibilities for
colonization. The area is hot and low but fertile and thinly populated.
As El Salvador has the largest population per square mile of all the
Central American countries, and most of its arable land is already
under cultivation, the opening of uncultivated areas will offer a
significant means of increasing productivity and raising living stand
ards. Coupled with the colonization scheme is consideration of the
linking of the lagoons and waterways into a barge-canal system which
would provide an inexpensive outlet for the produce of the area.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wartime Policies
R e g u la tio n s F o r O p e ra tio n of C oal M in es U n d e r
G o v e rn m e n t C o n tro l
ON MAY 19, 1943, the Secretary of the Interior issued further regu
lations for the Government operation of coal mines.1
Organization jor operation.—Subject to the supervision of the Solid
Fuels Administrator or Deputy Administrator, the mines are to be
operated,under regional managers.
Managers of the field offices of the Bituminous Coal Division, or
such other persons as the Administrator may appoint, are designated
as the regional bituminous-coal managers. For the anthracite region,
the chief of the Mineral Production Security Division in the Bureau of
Mines, or a person selected by the Administrator, is to serve as regional
anthracite coal manager. A regional advisory council, consisting
of the chairman and the labor representatives of the bituminous-coal
district board, is to assist each regional manager.
Under ordinary circumstances, operation of the mines of a mining
company is to be entrusted to an officer of the company, who shall
have the title of operating manager for the United States; if the com
pany does not cooperate, the Administrator may designate some per
son other than an officer or employee of the company. For a company
in receivership or trusteeship, the receiver or trustee will ordinarily be
designated as operating manager.
Operation oj the mines.—The operating manager of each mine is
required to submit to the regional manager property and financial
records. The property records shall consist of statements defining
and enumerating the properties coming under the jurisdiction of the
Government. In the matter of financial accounts, the operating man
ager shall keep separate, or separable, the fiscal records of the company
for the period of Government control.
Ordinary financial and commercial transactions are to be carried on,
as far as possible, in accordance with the customary procedures and
policies of the mining company. Major disbursements of an extraor
dinary nature can be made only with the approval of the regional
manager.
Customary working conditions are to be maintained in all mines.
Workers are to have the right of collective bargaining and the right
to engage in any collective activities the purpose of which is to aid or
to protect the employees, provided such activities do not interfere
with the operation of the mine. All employment benefits and all
arrangements governing the payment of wages are to be continued.
i Federal Kegister, Washington, D . C., M ay 21, 1943.
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
Mineis are to be encouraged to work under present wage and working
conditions, with the understanding that any eventual wage adjust
ment is to be made retroactive. The personnel of the mines is con
sidered as serving the Government of the United States but do not
come within the scope of the statutes relating to Federal employment.
Federal and State laws continue to apply to the mines under Gov
ernment control. The companies are expected to meet all Federal,
State and local levies in the customary manner, and they remain
subject to suit as heretofore. However, no operating manager or
regional manager is authorized to institute any legal proceedings on
behalf of the United States, without specific direction of the
Administrator.
Enjorcement oj regulations and orders.—In a case where the mining
company does not cooperate, the regional manager is authorized to
issue appropriate instructions for the operation of the mines of such
company. Also, the regional manager may deny access to the prem
ises to persons not contributing to the operation of the enterprise.
If an operating manager fails to comply with the regulations or
orders of the regional manager, or of the Administrator, the regional
manager is empowered to report to the Administrator the desirability
of the removal of the'operating manager.
Provision is made for use of armed forces if the need arises. Re
quest for troops is to be made to the regional manager by the operat
ing manager in charge of the affected mine. The regional manager
shall send the request, together with his recommendation and that of
the liaison officer designated by the Secretary of War for the district
in question, to the Administrator. The latter decides whether the
request for protection shall be submitted to the Secretary of War for
proper action.
Termination oj control.—Government control may be relinquished
upon fulfillment of the following conditions: (1) The Administrator
must be assured that under restored private control full operation of
the coal mines will be continued. (2) The mining company must
adopt and ratify all acts performed by the operating manager during
the period of Federal control. In addition, the company is to release
the Government and its officials from all claims by or on behalf of the
company by reason of Federal control of the mines.
In the event that the mining company declines to adopt the acts of
management performed during the period of governmental control,
the Administrator may, nevertheless, return the property to the company, retaining, however, such assets and rights as may be necessary
to meet obligations incurred or claims that might arise in connection
with the Federal operation of the mines of the company.
w w
R e p la c e m e n t S c h e d u le s fo r M en o f D ra ft A ge
1HH Bureau of Selective Service of the War Manpower Commission,
on June 15, 1943, issued revised instructions to employers for the prep
aration of replacement schedules.1 For the first time, employers
were directed to include fathers on those schedules—this to apply to
schedules filed on or after July 1. However, no such employee is to
1 United States War Manpower Commission, pressrelease PM-4399 (Washington), June 15,1943.
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Wartime Policies
239
be released before October 1, 1943. The instructions also limited to 6
months the occupational deferment of men between 18 and 25 who are
not fathers, unless the position occupied by such an employee requires
the highest skills or qualifications, and no replacement is available.
In listing men for release to the armed forces, employers were told
to consider the following factors: “Generally, those who will be re
placed first will be those in occupations having the shortest training
and replacement time” ; and “single men who are equally replaceable
should be listed ahead of married men who are equally replaceable, and,
likewise, men from these groups should be listed ahead of men with
children.”
The main effect of these instructions, it was stated, is that fathers in
“key” positions listed on replacement schedules will have to justify
their continued deferment after October 1 on the basis of occupation
rather than on their family status.
E m p lo y m e n t of V e te ra n s 1
IN A circular letter of May 15, 1943, the War Department stated
that the U. S. Employment Service, which maintains a Veteran’s
Employment Service, would supervise the reemployment of men
discharged from the military forces. Local representatives of the
Employment Service are to be notified of any impending discharge,
and whenever possible are to be permitted to interview the enlisted
men about to be discharged, for employment purposes. Particular
attention is to be paid to obtaining employment for such men in
positions contributing to the war effort.
C o m p e n sa tio n of S a la rie d E m p lo y ee s fo r O v e rtim e
THE Commissioner of Internal Revenue, on July 1, 1943, issued a
statement for the guidance of employers who find it necessary to pay
their salaried employees additional compensation to maintain pro
ductive efficiency on account of the extension of the normal workweek.
Employers are not legally required to compensate the supervisory
personnel on the same basis as the wage earners—time and a half for
all hours worked in excess of 40 in any 1 calendar week. However,
it is customary for employers to maintain reasonable pay differentials
between the wage earners and their supervisors and among the several
levels of supervision. Payment for overtime to the wage earners with
out any additional compensation to the salaried personnel in many cases
has resulted in the wage earners’ receiving more than their immediate
supervisors and in some instances more than the second and third
levels of supervision.
To aid in handling such cases, the Commissioner stated that he had
issued instructions to the regional offices of the Salary Stabilization
Unit as to the methods under which payments of additional compeni War Department, Army Service Forces, Office of the Surgeon General, Washington. (Circular letter
No. 101.)
8 Treasury DeparG..ent. Bureau of Internal Revenue. Press release No. 37-31, July 1, 1943.
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
sation to salaried personnel may be determined. In general, the
maximum amounts which will be allowed will be those necessary to
keep such minimum differentials between the interrelated job classi
fications as are required for the maintenance of productive efficiency.
Salaried employees who earn less or no more for a 40-hour week than
the highest hourly paid employee may be compensated for overtime
at the same rate as the hourly paid employee. However, the amount
allowed will be progressively less as salaries become higher.
The Commissioner’s jurisdiction extends to salaried employees
receiving more than $5,000 a year, and to executive, administrative,
and professional employees receiving less than $5,000 a year, who are
not represented by a recognized labor organization.
R u le s fo r A d m is sio n o f M ex ican W o rk e rs as R a ilro a d
T ra c k L a b o re rs 1
THE chairman of the U. S. War Manpower Commission, on June 17,
1943, issued a regulation governing the bringing into the United States
of Mexican workers for employment in railroad-track labor. This regu
lation was pursuant to the terms of the April 29, 1943, agreement
between the Republic of Mexico and the United States, covering the
temporary migration of Mexican nonagricultural workers.
Under this regulation, officials of the War Manpower Commission
were authorized to make all necessary arrangements for and to supervise
the selection of workers in the Republic of Mexico for employment by
employers in the United States in railroad-track labor, and to enter
into necessary contracts with workers on behalf of the United States.
In addition, these officials were to enter into necessary contracts and
transportation agreements with employers on behalf of the United
States.
Such laborers cannot be obtained for any employer engaged in rail
road activities unless the supply of workers available within the
United States is inadequate and efforts to recruit such workers have
been unsuccessful. The employer must enter into a contract with the
United States to provide transportation for the workers (with adequate
subsistence during travel) and to give them employment. These
laborers are to be selected from the pool of workers made available
by the War Manpower Commission. Each of the migrants is required
to enter into an individual work agreement with the United States
Government.
R ig h ts a n d d u tie s o f e m p lo y e r s a n d w o r k e r s .—Contracts of the em
ployers or of the workers with the United States neither limit nor
supplant the laborers’ rights and duties under the collective-bargaining
agreement which exists between their employer and the craft or class
of employees to which they may belong.
The regulation pays particular attention to the rights and duties of
employers and of workers. Complaints of either employer or em
ployee concerning noncompliance with contract entered into with the
United States are to be reported to the local employment office of the
War Manpower Commission or to an appropriate representative of
i
War Manpower Commission, Regulation No. 6, 8 F. R.-8592 (Washington), June 17, 1943.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wartime Policies
241
the Railroad Retirement Board. No decision with respect to termi
nation of the employment of a worker at the request of an employer
shall be made until the manager of the appropriate War Manpower
Commission local employment office shall have heard the defense of
the worker. This official is empowered to make a decision in the case.
Appeals from this decision, by either party, may be made within a
specified period to the area director or to the State director of the
War Manpower Commission for the State in which the place of em
ployment is situated.
Such an appeal calls for action upon the part of the area or State
director. That official must arrange promptly for a hearing, at which
the workers and the employer are to afforded an opportunity to pre
sent evidence. Such hearing shall be before a hearing panel, appointed
by the area or State director and composed of an equal number of
representatives of management and of labor chosen from a roster of
panel members nominated by the members of the area managementlabor war manpower committee, or if there be no such organization,
by the members of the regional management-labor war manpower
committee for the region in which the place of employment is situated.
This panel shall make appropriate recommendations to the area or
State director, who shall notify the worker and the employer of his
decision.
Appeals from this decision may be taken within a specified period
to the regional director of the War Manpower Commission for the
region in which the place of employment is situated, who may affirm,
modify, or reverse the decision or may certify any question involved
to the Chairman of the War Manpower Commission. Finally, the
Chairman of the War Manpower Commission may himself make the
ultimate determination of the case.
Employment of Mexicans in other work.—Under certain conditions
these Mexican workers may be employed in railroad work other than
track labor. Such employment must meet with the approval of the
Chairman of the War Manpower Commission or his representative,
given after consultation with the employer and with the representative
of the craft or class of employees involved. Approval may be granted
if such employment is found necessary to meet an emergency situation
or if the use of such labor in other than track work is found necessary
because of special circumstances.
C o m p u ls o ry -T ra n s fe r O rd e rs C o v erin g L a b o r in C an ad a
IN Canada employees in a number of industries and trades have been
ordered to transfer to essential employment, under provisions of the
National Selective Service Civilian Regulations authorizing the
Minister of Labor to forbid the retention of workers in unessential
employment without &permit and to direct such persons (in writing)
to apply at once for suitable employment.2
1 Data are from Canadian War Orders and Regulations, 1943 (Ottawa),issues of April 12, M ay 10 and 17,
and Tune 28• and Canadian Congress Journal, issue of June 1943.
. . .
,
,__ _
2 See M onthly Labor Review, issue of June 1943 (p. 1095) for summary of basic order on compulsory
transfer between civilian employments.
541188— 43------ 4
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Oiiginally the regulations did not apply to the transfer of younopersons below 19 years of age but were extended by order-in-council
of June 17, 1943 (P. C. 4860), to males 16, 17, and 18 years of age,
m order to make possible their direction into high-priority employ
ment. Section 210 subsection (1), of the regulations as amended
was revoked, and the following provisions were substituted:
. The M inister m ay by o rd er forbid an y em ployer, or group, or class of em ployers
to re ta in in em ploy m en t a fte r a specified d a te a n y person, or group or class of
h° iWh01? th e N a tlf>n a l Selective Service M obilization R egulations ap p ly
fnrdin h bel° ng V a §e. f ass> or P a rt of an age class, w hich has been designated
for th e purpose of th e said regulations, a n d a n y m ale person who has a tta in e d
his six teen th b irth d a y a n d has n o t a tta in e d his n in e te e n th b irth d a v w ith o u t
ob tain in g a p erm it in p rescribed form from a selective service officer- or m ay
require an y em ployer, or group, or class of em ployers, to te rm in a te a t ¿uch t?m e
g?odu £ s
t e
c
f j s
i r specify th e em p io ym en t of an y SUCh PerSOn
The Minister of Labor has stated that the transfer orders cover men
employed in the restricted occupations who are in four age and marital
classes, as follows: (1) Every male born in any year from 1917 to 1924
fromUlSqf)9^tn
16 (formeriy 19); (2) every male born
from 1902 to 1916 (inclusive) who, at July 15, 1940, was unmarried, or
divorced or judicially separated, or a widower without child or chil
dren; (3) every male born from 1902 to 1916 (inclusive) who has
since July 15, 1940, become a widower without child or children now
living; and (4) every male born from 1902 to 1916 (inclusive) who
since July 15, 1940, has been divorced or judicially separated
Like other men m the designated pursuits and of the specified age
classes, married men and those discharged from the armed forces
a ter active service m the present war, will be required to register if
they are of the ages covered by a transfer order, but they will not be
directed into alternative employment for the present/' Men were
assured by the Minister of Labor that they will not be directed to
employment where vacancies arise out of industrial disputes Meas
ures will be taken to insure fair minimum earnings for the respective
classes of work to which men are directed. Men are to have the right
to appeal to a court of referees from a direction for transfer.
Occupations and Industries Covered
J
a
ue^ rSt
employment order by -the Minister of Labor
dated May 4, 1943, pursuant to Section 210 of the National Selective
Service Civilian Regulations as amended, specified that no emplover
might retam m empioyment after May 19, 1943, persons subject to
tRe National Selective Service Mobilization Regulations in the
lollowmg industries and occupations, without a permit:
industries: Taverns, liquor, wine and beer stores; retail sale of
confectionery, candy, tobacco, books, stationery, news; barber shops
and beauty parlors; retail and wholesale florists; service stations
(gasolme-fillmg stations); retail sale of motor vehicles or accessoriesretail sale of sporting goods or musical instruments.
Occupations (whether in above industries or not): Waiter taxi
river, elevator operator, hotel bellboy, domestic servant; any occupa
tion in or directly associated with entertainment, including but not
restricted to theaters, film agencies, motion-picture companies, clubs,
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bowling alleys, pool rooms; any occupation in or directly associated
with dyeing, cleaning and pressing; baths; guide service; shoe shining.
On May 15, 1943, a similar order, becoming effective on June 15,
1943, was issued for the following additional industries and trades:
Any occupation in or associated with retail stores; any occupation
in or associated with the manufacturing of feathers, plumes, and
artificial flowers; chewing gum; wine; lace goods; greeting cards;
jewelry; any occupation in or associated with distilling alcohol for
beverage; any occupation in or associated with the factory production
of statuary and art goods; any occupation in the operation of ice
cream parlors and soda fountains; any of the following occupations:
bus boys; charmen and cleaners; custom furriers; dancing teachers;
dishwashers; doormen and starters; greens keepers; grounds keepers;
porters (other than in railway train service); private chauffeurs.
The orders place obligations on both employers and employees,
according to the Minister of Labor. Employers may not retain or
employ men of the designated classes without permits. The men af
fected must register with the employment offices by the date specified.
If farm or other essential work is not immediately available for the
registrants, permits are to be issued to allow them to remain in their
present employment. However, such permits may be canceled at
any time when the men’s services are needed for high-priority jobs.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wage and Price Stabilization
C ost of L iv in g a n d P ric e R e g u la tio n in M exico 1
Changes in Cost of Living
COMPILATIONS by the Statistical Division of the Department of
National Economy of Mexico show that Mexico has been undergoing
a great increase in the cost of living and in the general price structure.
Although this rise was noticeable after December 1941, it has been
much greater in recent months.
This increase is quite apparent in a series of indexes prepared by the
Division. The indexes showing the cost of living in Mexico City,
based on 1934=100, indicate that the general cost-of-living index,
which stood at 179 in December 1941, rose 5 percent in the first
8 months of 1942 in August, 6 percent in December, and 16 percent
in the first 4 months of 1943 (table 1). The index of 231 in April
1943 represents an increase in that month alone of 5 percent.
T a b l e 1. — Indexes of Cost of Living in Mexico City
Indexes (monthly average
1934=100) of—
Indexes (monthly average
1934=100) of—
Period
Period
All
items
1934___________
1935___________
1936___________
1937___________
1938___________
1939___________
1940_............. .
1941___________
1942___________
1942:
August____
Septem ber..
1
House
hold
Food 2 Cloth
ing 3 articles4
100
108
114
139
153
155
157
164
188
100
107
114
137
158
156
154
158
179
100
102
118
125
146
168
186
209
244
100
114
116
130
133
138
152
174
194
188
195
178
186
246
252
197
201
All
items
1942:
October.. ..
N ovem ber..
D ecem ber.._
1943:
January___
F eb ru a ry ...
M arch_____
April______
House
Food 2 Cloth
hold
ing 3 articles4
195
199
199
186
188
187
247
261
263
207
216
213
204
213
219
231
192
201
206
216
270
286
283
298
219
223
241
262
1 Data are from Revista de Estadística, monthly publication of Mexican Department of National
Economy.
2 White bread, pasteurized milk, meat (beef, pork and lamb), corn dough, tortillas, lard (pork), beans,
sugar (granulated, second grade), pulque, eggs, coffee (second grade), pastes (white, for soup).
3 Women’s shoes, children’s shoes, men’s shoes, light-weight cotton dresses, work clothing, wool sweaters,
cotton underwear, cotton stockings.
4 Coal, soap, candles.
There were similar rises in the cost of food, clothing, and household
articles. The food index, which stood at 170 in December 1941, rose
5 percent in August 1942, another 5 percent in December, and 16
percent in April 1943—or a total rise of 27 percent from the December
1941 figure. Clothing advanced 12 percent (from 219 in December
1 Summary of Report No. 234 (of M ay 14, 1943) from A. W. Patterson, United States Embassy, Mexico
City, D . F.
244
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Wage and Price Stabilization
1941) to August 1942, 7 percent to December, and 11 percent to
April 1943—or a total increase of 36 percent from December 1941.
Household articles, which had fallen from 199 in December 1941, to
197 the following August, rebounded 8 percent by December, and
advanced another 23 percent by April 1943—or a total increase of
32 percent after December 1941.
Table 2 gives indexes of wholesale food prices in Mexico City,
based on 1929 = 100, and table 3 contains indexes of certain retail,
principally food, prices in that city, based on 1930=100. Certain of
these indexes are said to be somewhat volatile, partly because of
seasonal factors and partly because of the failure to include sufficient
components, but it is considered that they reflect in general the
growing upward pressure on the price level.
T a b l e 2 . — Indexes of Wholesale Food Prices in Mexico C ity 1
Indexes (monthly average 1929=100) of—
Period
All
items
1929__________________________________
1930____ ____________________________
1931__________________________________
1932__________________________________
1933__________________________________
1934__________________________________
1935_______________ ____ ______________
1936__________________________________
1937__________________________________
1938__________________________________
1939__________________________________
1940__________________ _____ __________
1941__________________________________
1942_____ ____ _______________ ________
1942:
August_______ ___________________
September_________________________
O ctober... ______
__________ ____
November_________________________
December__________________ ______
1943:
Janu ary..__________ __ . . . ______
February_________________________
Vegetable Meat
Processed
products 2 products 3 foods4
Fresh
fruits, Livestock
feed 8
vege
tables 5
100
99
89
81
82
82
88
98
117
123
124
124
133
153
100
118
109
91
86
88
94
117
137
147
146
137
150
173
100
94
88
77
74
72
83
95
111
119
120
122
130
158
100
96
81
82
96
100
95
95
116
129
120
123
127
132
100
92
67
80
79
82
90
82
99
90
95
113
116
127
100
105
82
72
82
81
94
96
130
148
137
123
139
163
155
156
157
162
165
175
174
170
166
168
164
165
169
174
178
132
132
134
137
140
105
123
99
140
134
172
172
175
170
173
153
162
166
170
175
167
140
148
132
133
182
207
1 Data are from Revista de Estadística, monthly publication of Mexican Department of National
Economy.
2 Rice, coffee, dried chiles, beans, chick peas, corn, lima beans, potatoes.
3 Beef, pork, lard, eggs, store cheese.
4 Sugar, brown sugar, vegetable lard, starches, salt, flour.
6 Onions, green chiles, tomatoes, oranges, bananas.
6 Alfalfa, barley corn, beans, barley straw.
The acceleration of the rise in food prices in early 1943 is evident
from the indexes shown. Briefly, the price of food staples seemed
fairly well in hand until February 1943, when prices of vegetable oils
soared; this was due to the greatly increased industrial demand re
sulting from the virtual cessation of imports of copra in 1942, to
speculation, and to other factors. Early in March, rice, corn, wheat,
beans, and other products followed suit. Bice, officially pegged at
38 centavos a kilo, for a time sold at over a peso in Mexico City (when
available for any price). And corn, used to make the dough for the
tortillas which are the daily diet of the mass of the people, was either
unavailable or sold at exorbitant prices.
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Monthly Labor Revieiv—August 1943
T a b l e 3. — Indexes of Certain Retail Prices in Mexico City
1
Indexes (monthly average 1930=100) of—
Period
Cloth « and
Fresh
Processed
Meat
Cereal
products 2 vegetables3 vegetables4 products 6 clothing
1930__________________________ _________
1931___________________________________
1932__________ ____ ____________________
1933____ _______________________________
1934____________ ______________________
1935________________ ____ _____ _________
1936___________________________________
1937___________________________________
1938___________________________________
1939___________________________________
1940^__________________________________
1941___________________________________
1942____ _______________________________
1942:
August________ ______ _____________
September_____ ____________________
October____________________________
November___________ _______ _______
December______________ ____ _______
1943:
January___________________________
February.__________________________
March______________ _ _________ _
April__________________________ . . .
100
100
89
78
87
83
85
102
112
115
109
135
169
100
117
77
78
77
113
93
101
96
107
151
136
180
100
91
83
101
98
96
100
120
126
129
125
137
155
100
88
76
72
65
77
87
105
114
115
115
123
151
100
90
65
72
86
84
91
93
103
119
130
136
167
176
176
174
170
169
144
159
204
208
227
158
157
158
159
157
157
157
155
160
164
159
187
164
157
178
173
176
189
197
7 160
7 134
136
147
160
172
183
193
165
177
182
200
182
188
195
205
’I
1 Data are from Revista De Estadística, m onthly (publication of Mexican Department of Nationa
Economy.
2 Rice of 2 grades, coffee of 3 grades, beans of 3 grades, chick peas, lima beans, lentils, corn, yellow and
white potatoes.
2 Onions, small green chiles, tomatoes.
< Sesame seed oil, sugar (granulated, second grade), brown sugar, flour (second grade), white bread, pastes
for soup, tortillas.
5 Beef (two grades), pork, lamb, pasteurized milk, lard, store cheese.
6 Flannel, coarse muslin, common shawls, cotton shirts, domestic felt hats, straw hats, men’s shoes.
7 The index of fresh vegetables is made up of only three components. The sharp decline in this index
from December 1942 to February 1943 is due mostly to a decline in the price of green chiles.
Measures for Price Control
Price ceilings.—The Government bases its price control primarily
on official decrees and resolutions establishing price ceilings for a
limited number of articles. This control is administered by the Min
istry of National Economy, except in the case of drugs and medicinal
products, which are controlled by the Department of Health.
The Ministry has established ceiling prices, effective throughout
the Republic, for the following articles, in accordance with decrees
and resolutions published in the Diario Oficial: Rice, salt, sugar,
gasoline, crude rubber, hides, tinplate, glacial acetic acid, soda ash,
caustic soda, horseshoe nails, black sheet, galvanized sheet, and black
and galvanized steel pipe. Ceilings were likewise fixed for the Federal
District, for beans, corn, corn dough, tortillas, white bread, beef,
pasteurized milk, charcoal, cement, and identification photographs.
The Ministry has likewise fixed ceilings for a number of articles, ap
plicable in other parts of Mexico, by decrees in the official publications
of the States concerned.
Table 4 gives a comparison of the official ceiling prices for certain
articles (principally food) and retail prices quoted in 11 representa
tive markets in Mexico City, on or about April 29, 1943. Actual re
tail prices in Mexico City, expressed as percentages of the ceiling
prices, were approximately as follows: Rice, 129 to 173 percent, accord
ing to quality; beans, 148 to 186 percent; corn, 200 percent; corn
dough, 133 percent; tortillas, 114 percent; white bread, 170 percent;
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Wage and Price Stabilization
pasteurized milk, 161 percent; beef, 109 to 184 percent; charcoal, 100
percent; cement, 200 percent; identification photographs, 150 percent;
salt, 143 to 187 percent; sugar, 106 to 142 percent; gasoline, 100 per
cent; tinplate, 138 to 146 percent; soda ash, 75 percent; caustic soda,
71 percent; horseshoe nails, 154 percent; black sheet, 157 to 243
percent; galvanized sheet, 250 percent; black steel pipe, 112 to 236
percent; galvanized steel pipe, 154 to 231 percent.
T a b l e 4 . — Ceiling Prices and Retail Prices in 11 Representative Markets in Mexico City,
A pril 1943
Price per kilogram
Price per kilogram
Article
Article
Aver
Ceil age
of Range of
ing
prices
price quoted
prices
Rice:
P e so s 1 P e so s 1 Pesos 1
Extra_______ _____ 0.45
0. 78 0. 45-1.00
First grade_________
.49
.36
. 40- . 70
Second grade_______
.44
.34
. 38- . 50
Black beans, second
.35- .45
grade uncleaned______
.41
.22
Bayo beans:
.32- . 45
First grade................ .
.22
.40
. 24- . 45
Second grade..............
.31
.21
Corn__________________
.24
. 20- . 40
.12
Corn dough____ _______
.09
.12
.10- .15
.25
.22- . 26
Tortillas___________ __
.22
Pasteurized milk (per
.40- . 75
lit e r )...... ............ ............
.31
.50
.10- . 12
Charcoal. . ...... ................
.10
.10
Dressed beef:
1.75 1.00-2. 50
First grade_________ 1.00
. 80-2. 50
.85
1.56
Second grade_______
. 25-2. 00
1.26
Third grade________
.70
Aver
Ceil age
of Range of
ing quoted
prices
price prices
P e so s 1 P e so s 1
Beef trimmings:
1.38
With bone_________ 1.00
1.69
Without bone__......... 1.20
2.13
B eefstea k ......................... 1.60
2.08
1.90
Rump steak___________
.91
.55
Scraps........ ............ ............
.14
.20
Table salt....... ....................
.28
. 15
Ground salt____________
Sugar:
.34
.40
Granulated, standard
.38
.36
Loaf, standard_____
.52
.37
Cube, standard____
.51
.36
Granulated, refined..
.43
.38
Loaf, refined_______
.51
.39
Cube, refined______
.41
.48
Domino and lu m p ...
Pesos 1
1.00-1.80
1. 20-2. 50
1.80-2. 40
1. QO-2. 50
.55-1.00
. 10- . 28
. 20- . 40
.35.35. 45. 38. 36. 42. 42-
.50
. 40
. 60
. 60
. 50
. 60
. 60
1 Average exchange rate of peso in April 1943=20.8 cents.
Control oj exports.—Another form of price control exercised by the
Ministry of National Economy is the control of exports of certain
scarce commodities. By this means the Government can prevent
such articles from being exported, and thus forestall a further tighten
ing in the supply situation with consequent upward pressure on
prices. Permits for the export of controlled articles, as specified by
various official decrees, must be obtained from the Ministry’s Depart
ment of Commerce. Businessmen’s committees aid this department
in the grafting of permits for export of many of these articles. These
committees approve or disapprove the applications, although the
actual permits are granted by the Ministry.
A measure of control over the export of such agricultural products
as bananas, chicle, coffee, pineapples, and certain fibers is exercised
by Government-subsidized “companies of limited liability, public
interest, and variable capital.” These companies have been formed
in the interests of the producers of these products (as well as of the
public) and to conserve their production.
Reporting oj stocks.—By decree of March 31, 1942, all farmers,
merchants, and industrialists with capital of over 500 pesos were
required to make monthly reports on their stocks of the following
articles: Corn, wheat, beans, rice, flour, salt, sugar, coffee, untanned
hides, leather, tanned hides, medicines, corrugated iron for reenforcing
concrete, iron and steel for the manufacture of tools and farm imple
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
ments, cement and building materials, tinplate, and rayon. By
subsequent decrees, monthly reports were required on stocks of scrap
iron, corrugated iron, glycerine, tires, and tubes.
G o vern m en t in te r v e n tio n in the m a r k e t. —A decree of May 3, 1941,
established an agency, under the control of the Ministry of National
Economy, to intervene in the market for the purpose of regulating the
prices of commodities of prime necessity. This agency buys from
15 to 20 percent of a given crop from the producers, and warehouses it,
letting the market work freely unless the price of the commodity
becomes too high, in which case it intervenes in the market by under
selling private dealers. If intervention has not been necessary by the
end of the crop year, the agency may export its accumulated stock.
To May 14, 1943, the Government had intervened directly in the
market, by purchase and sale, in the case of four commodities: Bayo
beans (medium-sized pink beans which are the most widely consumed
type of “frijoles” and one of the staples of Mexican diet), rice, lard,
and corn. The Government has also intervened indirectly in both
the wheat market and the salt market.
Furthering the policy of Government intervention in the market,
a cortsortium, composed of the governmental agency described above
and three Government-controlled banking institutions, was created
by a decree of March 2, 1943. This consortium is authorized to
purchase rice, beans, corn, wheat, and any other product determined
by the Ministries of National Economy and Agriculture. Penalties
named in this decree, for evading the price ceilings for these products,
include a fine of up to 30,000 pesos, imprisonment up to 15 days, and
in recurrent cases, revocation of the offender’s license to do business
and closing of his firm.
Rationing of Commodities
Mexico has not resorted to rationing except in the case of rubber,
rubber products, and cement. Decrees of February 24 and March
13, 1942, restricted the manufacture of rubber tires and tubes to firms
which had been producing these articles previously. In addition, the
decrees provided that sales by these manufacturers should not exceed
in any month one-twelfth of the company’s total 1941 sales.
According to an agreement between the United States and Mexico
in the autumn of 1942, the United States agreed to supply Mexico
with sufficient rubber to bring its total available for domestic manu
facture up to a fixed amount per annum. Subsequent to this agree
ment, a decree was issued (under date of November 17, 1942), which
stipulated that all rubber produced in Mexico or imported should be
apportioned by the Ministry of National Economy to the rubber
manufacturing industry. This industry was divided into three groups,
depending on whether the articles manufactured were “indispensable,”
“necessary,” or “nonessential.” The decree also made further
provision for reports to the Ministry by the manufacturers, on stocks,
capacity, and monthly sales.
Another decree, dated March 13, 1943, limited 1943 production
and sales of passenger-car tires and tubes by manufacturers to 75
percent of 1941 sales, and of truck tires and tubes to 110 percent of
1941 sales.
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Wage and Price Stabilization
249
A further rubber-conservation measure was enacted in a decree of
April 17, 1943. This measure provided that in cities of over 30,000
inhabitants, all passenger cars, with certain exceptions, were to be
laid up one day in each week.
Rationing of cement was provided for in a decree of October 13,
1942. This decree established a Regulating Commission for the
Cement Business, composed of representatives of cement manu
facturers, with the Minister of National Economy as chairman.
One of the duties of this commission is the allocation and filling of
orders in accordance with the relative importance of the purchaser’s
needs.
In the rayon industry, the Ministry of National Economy is
authorized to exercise a minor form of rationing control over pro
duction, through a provision whereby no mill may operate more
looms than the number which it has registered with the Ministry.
Rent Control
Control of rents in the Federal District was provided for by decree
of July 10, 1942. The purpose of this decree was to freeze rents in
the Federal District at July 10, 1942, levels. Administration of the
decree was entrusted to the Office of Government of the Central
Department, the governing agency of the Federal District.
This agency exercises its supervision in the following manner:
All rental contracts for sums of over 50 pesos a month must be regis
tered with the Treasury of the Central Department. If the Central
Department receives a complaint from a tenant that he is being
charged a rent higher than that in effect on the ceiling date, and if the
charge is borne out by the previous contract, the Central Department
may force the owner to make adjustments satisfactory to the tenant,
under penalty of fine.
Apparently this measure has not checked the increase in rents, pri
marily because of the general failure or inability of tenants to take
advantage of the law. The rise in rents in turn is due primarily to the
continuing increase in the population of Mexico City and to the accen
tuation of the housing shortage because of the difficulty of obtaining
building materials and supplies for residential construction purposes.
Public Reaction to Rising Prices
Since the effects of the war first made themselves felt in Mexico in
the form of increased prices for certain articles, the Mexican press from
time to time has devoted space to the subject of rising prices. It was
not, however, until the general public (particularly the working
class) was seriously affected by sharp rises in the prices of many food
staples in February and March of this year, that public opinion awoke
to the situation and expressed itself vociferously on the subject through
the medium of the press, public meetings, parades, and letters to
governmental officials.
** j
The Mexican Government and the Mexican people are face to face
with a very serious situation. There is no doubt that a large seg
ment of the population with low incomes is suffering from the rapid
rise in prices of food and other articles of necessity.
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
Many possible solutions have been suggested by observers. These
solutions include a more comprehensive and rigorous system of price
control, heavier taxes, more active stimulation of savings and purchase
of Government bonds, revision and extension of the price-ceiling
system, more general restriction of consumer purchasing power by
rationing, severe and enforced penalties for speculators and other vio
lators of the controls, and the enlistment of public opinion to sup
port enforcement.
A temporarily lower wartime standard of living in the immediate
future for certain classes is probably inevitable. Whether this lower
standard will come through voluntary acceptance of enforced controls,
or through further uncontrolled price inflation, remains to be seen.
W age a n d P ric e S ta b iliz a tio n in N ew Z e a la n d 1
REGULATIONS 2 for the purpose of checking inflation and promot
ing economic stability in New Zealand were issued on December 15,
1942, and amended on March 17 and March 30, 1943. The stabiliza
tion plan was formulated by the Economic Stabilization Committee
which was apppointed in 1940 to study recommendations regarding
stabilization of prices, wages, and costs, that had been made by the
Economic Stabilization Conference held in that year.
The stabilization plan adopted on December 15, 1942, provided for
the extension of price ceilings to additional essential commodities and
services, the freezing of rents on additional classes of premises, and
stabilization of wages and salaries. Another important provision of
the Economic Stabilization Emergency Regulations required that a
special wartime price index should be compiled, which would ade
quately record changes in prices, and thus form a suitable basis for the
adjustment of wages and salaries in accordance with alterations in
the cost of living.
Terms of Regulations
Administration.—Responsibility for general administration of the
program was given to the Minister of Industries and Commerce, under
the terms of the regulations as originally promulgated. An economic
Stabilization Commission was to be established to assist the Minister.
It is to make recommendations (after investigation) in relation to
economic stabilization, and may also exercise administrative functions,
if so required by the Minister.
The Minister appointed the following members to the Commission:
the chairman of the Bank of New Zealand, the secretary of the Federa
tion of Labor, the Minister of Industrial Manpower, the chairman of
directors of the New Zealand Cooperative Dairy Co., the president
of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Association, and the national
president of the Federated Seaman’s Union of New Zealand. The
secretary to the Treasury of New Zealand was appointed Director
of Stabilization.
1 Data are from reports from the United States Legation at Wellington, Nos. 16 (February 9, 1943), 32
(March 25), 38 (April 7), 46 (April 20), 51 (M ay 11), and 69 (June 9, 1943); and International Labor Review
(Montreal), March'd943.
2 Economic Stabilization Emergency Regulations1 1942.
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Stabilization of rents.—Rent stabilization applies to all land, build
ings, and chattels which are or may be rented, except dwelling houses, to
which the Fair Rents Act of 1936 (as amended) applies. Rents were
frozen at the September 1, 1942, level. Basic rent is defined as the
rent paid on that date, except where an agreement to pay a higher or
lower rent was made before the base date for any subsequent period.
In such cases the agreed rent is the basic rent, subject to certain rights
of the Supreme Court and magistrates to determine fair rents for
property.
.
Landlords may not require premium payments in addition to rent.
They must keep registers giving particulars of each tenancy and make
them available to authorized agents.
The Minister of Justice was empowered to form as many rent commis
sions as he might deem necessary. On reference from the court, these
commissions might investigate applications for fixing a fair rent and
approve any agreement made in writing by a landlord and tenant
fixing the fair rent of any property (whether or not an application was
made to the court to fix a fair rent).
Under the December 15 regulations, the Supreme Court was em
powered to determine a fair rental for property generally and the
magistrates were permitted to review only those cases in which the
rent did not exceed £520 a year, or in which the parties agreed in
writing that a magistrate or any specified magistrate should have
jurisdiction. When the regulations were amended on March 17,1943,
the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction was limited to cases in which the
basic rent exceeded £525 a year, and the magistrates were given
jurisdiction in all other cases. However, regardless of the annual
rental, the landlord and the tenant might, by an agreement in writing,
select either the court or the magistrates to hear their case.
Stabilization of pay.—Wages, salaries, directors’ fees, etc., were
frozen at the rates prevailing on November 15, 1942. Wages com
missioners were empowered to set basic rates of remuneration for new
positions and to settle any disputes arising in connection with basic
rates, when an employee shifts from one position to another. Con
ciliation commissioners were named as the officials to settle such dis
putes under the terms of the original regulations, but in the regula
tions, as amended, the term “wages commissioners” was substituted
for “conciliation commissioners,” enabling the Minister to appoint
either conciliation commissioners or other specially qualified persons.
The Court of Arbitration may revise rates downwards if they are
above the level on the base date. Bonuses paid during the year are
included in determining basic rates of pay.
Advances in pay may be made under certain conditions as, for
example, when a person does additional work. However, for the
duration of the war, no awards of the Court of Arbitration, appren
ticeship orders, or industrial agreements may alter the established
minimum rates of pay or the principal conditions of employment,
except to remove anomalies.
When changes in pay to conform with movements in the price
level were authorized, the list of stabilized commodities was increased
from 38 to 110 items. This freeze in prices became effective on
December 15, 1942, the base period for calculation of the wartime
price index. In accordance with changes in the wartime price in d e x computed quarterly—the Court of Arbitration is to make a general
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
order increasing or reducing rates of pay, whenever the index rises or
falls by not less than 5 percent. The first general order is required
to vary the rates of pay when the wartime price index increases by
not less than 2% percent.
Any general order varying the rates of pay is to apply only to the
first £6 per week earned by a worker. The Court of Arbitration may
reduce the weekly earnings figure as it thinks fit for female workers,
junior workers, and apprentices.
As a safeguard against decisions that may not conform with the
general plan of stabilization, the Director of Stabilization may appeal
any decision of a wages commissioner.
Every person or authority with emergency jurisdiction in fixing
rates of pay is required to exercise his authority in conformity with
the stabilization plan.
Stabilization oj prices.—As already stated, prices of 110 items were
stabilized. In addition, penalties were provided for selling goods at
“unreasonably high” prices. A price will be so designated if it
produces more than a reasonable commercial profit, provided that a
price fixed by the Price Tribunal shall not be deemed to be unrea
sonably high. Replacement costs may not be considered in determin
ing whether prices are unreasonably high. To stamp out blackmarket operations and profiteering, buyers were made subject
to penalties for participating in a sale in contravention of these
regulations.
Authority was granted to the Price. Tribunal to order price reduc
tions in an amount or percentage or in the normal mark-up over cost
prices. Installment sales will be deemed to have occurred when the
buyer takes possession of the goods, instead of when the final install
ment is paid. The Price Tribunal may also prohibit the sale of goods,
pending the fixation of prices.
W iartime Price Index
The base period for calculation of the wartime index of prices is
December 15, 1942. Essential commodities and services, covering a
wide range, including rents, are given weights in the index. However,
according to the Prime Minister, it is intended to cover only “the
goods and services really needed for the average family in time of war.”
Those administering the stabilization plan, and particularly the
Minister in Charge of Stabilization, attach importance to having
everyone understand and cooperate with the plan. An essential
factor in stabilization is the wartime price index. The Government’s
purpose is to keep prices and wages constant, so that money will buy
the same quantities of essential goods as in the recent past.
It is not possible to compare the wartime price index with the
ordinary price index, which is now withdrawn, for earlier periods, as
the composition of the two series differs in several respects. Numer
ous alterations were made in the schedule of commodities covered by
the various groups and subgroups in the wartime index.
Weights were revised generally to allow for present-day consumption
of the various commodities covered by the index. A new group of
products was added, consisting of fresh fruit and vegetables other
than potatoes and onions, which (under the stabilization plan, as in
the previous index) were included in the groceries group. The
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Wage and Price Stabilization
253
dwellings for which rents entered into the index were subdivided to
give the relative weights to private and Government houses. Clothing
and footwear items were divided to give correct relative weights to
the requirements of men, women, and children, respectively. The
indexes for the clothing, footwear, and household-drapery group, and
for most subgroups of the miscellaneous group, were arrived at by
the aggregate-expenditure method, thus bringing them into line with
the remaining groups in the index.
In view of the purpose for which the wartime price index was to be
computed, prices of milk, eggs, meat, potatoes, onions, and fresh
fruits and vegetables were to be adj usted according to normal seasonal
variations in their respective prices.
The composite wartime price index for the base period, December
15, 1942, was 1000. On March 15, 1943, the first quarter for which
the index was calculated, it stood at 1011, or 1.1 percent higher than
on December 15, 1942. Advances in the prices of fresh fruit and
vegetables and milk and eggs—after the necessary adjustments were
made for normal seasonal movements—were primarily responsible
for the December to March rise in the index. However, the increase
during the quarter was insufficient to require an adjustment in wages
and salaries.
Government Justification of Subsidies
Speaking on stabilization, the Prime Minister called the policy
absolutely necessary, and mentioned that a part of the program was
to keep the price of bread, butter, cheese, sugar, tea, coal, electricity,
and other commodities in the worker’s budget at a minimum. He
stated that this was being done by an expenditure of thousands of
pounds in subsidy payments, and that it was better for the State and
people collectively to pay subsidies—each contributing according to
his or her ability—than to have the burden fall on the poor, and
depress their living standards still lower.
The Prime Minister added that New Zealand had succeeded in re
tarding the increase in cost of living better than any other country
and that the income going into homes had more than doubled in a few
years. Those who have criticized by saying that the Government
should have “ introduced stabilization 2 years ago are now seeing the
tremendous complexities of any stabilization scheme.”
Need for Reducing Purchasing Power
In March 1943, members of the Farmers Federation unanimously
agreed to a resolution in which it was stated that the stabilization of
prices and wages dealt with only one side of the inflation problem.
This program could be effective only in part in achieving economic
stabilization, as long asThe surplus purchasing power in the hands of
the public was not siphoned off. i,It was therefore recommended that,
excess purchasing power should be absorbed by appropriate taxation
and compulsory savings, as a complement to wage and price fixation,
in order to avoid the inflationary tendency.
A statement made by the Minister of Finance placed the increase in
purchasing power at £45,000,000 in 4 years, during which the amount
of consumer goods had declined by £54,000,000.
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
Labor Acceptance of Policy
From the point of view of the New Zealand Federation of Labor,
the fact that changes in rates of pay are to be automatic, when jus
tified by variations in the cost of living, stands out as a fundamental
gain. Heretofore workers have endeavored, without complete success,
to secure adjustments in wages by argument before the Court of
Arbitration. The last 5-percent wage increase was ordered by the
court in August 1940. Efforts made by the federation, late in 1941,
to obtain a general wage increase to compensate for the rise in cost
of living were unsuccessful. Thus, the automatic method of adjust
ment “ represents a considerable advance in the endeavors being made
to protect, in a time of war, the standard of living of the workers.”
Under the terms of the economic stabilization plan, the Arbitration
Court has one concern, namely the level of retail prices as shown by
the wartime price index. If that index records a 5-percent rise, the
court must increase all rates of wages. Moreover, the Federation
pointed out, the order will relate to the actual rates of wages being
paid, and not to arbitration-award wages, and it must grant as nearly
as possible the full increase recorded by the index.
As to the wartime price index itself, organized labor stated that
it “ overcomes practically all of the objections made to the retailprice index by the federation during the hearing on the application
made by it in November 1941 to the court for a general increase in
wage rates.”
At the sixth annual conference held by the New Zealand Federation
of Labor, in April 1943, stabilization of wages and prices was accepted
as a wartime necessity. Both the president of the federation (who
is a member of the Stabilization Commission) and the New Zealand
Minister of Finance urged the adoption of the stabilization policy
as the safe course for the working people during wartime, on the
ground that it protected their interests and offered them a safe founda
tion for post-war development.
The president of the federation stated that the wartime index of
prices was an improvement over the earlier index, as it records the
movement of prices more accurately. Inclusion of such commodities
as fruit and vegetables makes the index much more sensitive in record
ing the movement than the old index in which it was taken for granted
that items not listed were subject to the same variations in price as
those which were listed.
The successful handling of the rise in potato prices by application
of the subsidy principle on two occasions was cited as evidence that
the Government was adhering to the spirit of the stabilization agree
ment. As planning of the annual food crop becomes a reality, the
president of the federation foresaw normal retail prices ancl not
shortage prices (which necessitate subsidy).
Delegates at the conference expressed different views on the stabi
lization policy, one member stating that although a policy of wage
increases might be more popular, the workers would be worse off
without stabilization. In summing up, the president of the organi
zation stated that nothing said during the discussion had shaken the
case for stabilization and that it could not be assailed.
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Productivity o f Labor and Industry
W a rtim e P ro d u c tiv ity in M in in g I n d u s t r i e s 1
Productivity, 1939-42
PRODUCTIVITY in most of the important mining industries during
1942 was as high as or higher than it was in 1939, despite the consider
able expansion of production and the many obstacles to efficient
operation encountered in wartime. Only in lead and zinc mining has
productivity declined significantly since the outbreak of war in
Europe. Output of recoverable lead and zinc per man-hour fell 12
percent between 1939 and 1942, although output of ore per man-hour
increased nearly 5 percent between the same years. In coal mining,
production of crude petroleum and natural gas, iron mining, and
copper mining, productivity in 1942 was higher than in 1939.
In iron mining, output of ore per man-hour decreased between 1941
and 1942, but remained about 11 percent above the 1939 level. A
small reduction in productivity also occurred in anthracite mining in
1942. The extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas per man
hour, on the other hand, rose substantially between 1941 and 1942,
largely because of the sharp curtailment of well drilling. In the latter
year, output per man-hour was 18 percent greater than in 1939 (see
table) .2
/
Indexes of Production and Output Per M an-Hour fo r Selected M ining Industries, 1939-42
Indexes (1939=100) of —
Bituminous c o a l_______ .
----------------A n th r a c it e ,..................
- ----------------Crude petroleum, natural gas, and natural
gasoline.................. .............................................
Iron ore..................- .................................- ...........Copper:
Recoverable m etal-------- -----------------Ore_________________________________
Lead and zinc:
Recoverable m etal__ . . . .
... - Ore------------ --------------------------------------
Output per man-hour
Production
Industry
1942
1939
1940
1941
1942
1939
1940
1941
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
1 1 6 .7
1 0 0 .0
1 3 0 .2
1 0 5 .8
1 4 6 .9
1 1 1 .9
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .4
1 0 1 .1
1 0 3 .4
1 0 5 .7
1 0 3 .0
1 0 0 .3
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
1 0 7 .1
1 4 2 .5
1 1 1 .9
1 7 8 .6
1 1 1 .6
2 0 2 .7
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
9 8 .8
1 1 8 .8
1 0 4 .5
1 1 9 .7
1 1 8 .0
1 1 0 .7
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
1 2 0 .8
1 2 5 .4
1 3 1 .8
1 4 2 .0
1 4 7 .9
1 7 2 .0
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
1 0 4 .2
1 0 8 .2
1 0 0 .3
1 0 8 .1
1 0 1 .8
1 1 8 .4
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
1 1 3 .4
1 1 6 .3
1 1 7 .7
133. 7 .
1 2 3 .3
1 4 6 .2
1 0 0 .0
1 0 0 .0
9 7 .8
1 0 0 .3
9 5 .7
1 0 8 .7
8 8 .2
1 0 4 .6
1 Prepared in the Bureau’s Division of Productivity and Technological Development by Celia Star Gody.
2 The indexes of production and output per man-hour shown in the table are from a mimeographed report
of the Bureau of Labor Statistics—Productivity and Unit Labor Cost in Selected Mining Industries, 19351942—which may be obtained on request. The report also includes indexes of employment, man-hours,
pay rolls, and unit labor cost.
.
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256
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
The maintenance of pre-war productivity levels represents no
mean achievement, since the difficulties of wartime operation are
probably more serious in mining than in manufacturing industries.
Various difficulties encountered in the mining industries are illustrated
in the article on productivity in copper mining, which appears on
page 258 of this issue. The experience of most countries indicates
that productivity in the mineral extractive industries is likely to be
impaired during periods of war or preparation for war. The loss of
skilled miners to the armed forces and to competing industries is
usually severe; labor turnover, absenteeism, and, in some cases, labor
disputes, also handicap operations seriously. In metal mining, more
over, the expansion of production necessitates the mining of ores of
lower metal content. Thus, the 23-percent rise in the output of
recoverable lead and zinc between 1939 and 1942 was made possible
only by a 46-percent increase in ore production. The 48-percent
increase in recoverable-copper production during the same period was
accompanied by an increase in ore production of 72 percent.
Productivity in United States and Foreign Countries, First and
Second World Wars
Fragmentary statistics available for the first World War and for
European war economies in recent years indicate that declines in
man-hour output may be expected in metal mining and may occur in
other extractive industries as well. Indexes published by the WPA
National Research Project 3 show that productivity increased about
8 percent in bituminous-coal mining in the United States and about
25 percent in anthracite mining between 1914 and 1918. Iron-ore
output per man-hour, on the other hand, dropped 11 percent between
1915 and 1918; the extraction of nonferrous metals per man-hour de
clined about 10 percent during the same interval. Unpublished data
collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for a portion of the copper
mining industry indicate that declines in output per man-shift between
1915 and 1919 were as high as 30 percent. The declines were attrib
uted by the operators to slowdowns on the job and to radical propa
ganda, but labor spokesmen contended that management’s “rustling
card” employment policy had driven the most experienced and
efficient men out of the mines.
Coal output per man employed underground apparently increased
in most other warring countries from 1914 to 1915 and in some
countries to 1916, but declined thereafter. In Great Britain, for
example, output per man rose 15 percent between 1914 and 1915
and fell 14 percent from 1915 to 1918. An advance in productivity
of 1<3 percent between 1914 and 1916 in Prussia was followed by a
decline of 11 percent during the years 1916 to 1918. In Austria, be
tween 1916 and 1918, output per man dropped 26 percent.4
Only scanty reports are, of course, available for output and employ
ment during the present conflict, but experience seems to parallel
‘ Report N o. S-2: Production, Employment, and Productivity in the Mineral Extractive Industries.
Io80—1938.
1 u . S. Bureau of Mines, Bulletin No. 2145: A Miner’s Yearly and D aily Output of Coal.
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Productivity of Labor and Industry
257
that of World War I. Since the German economy has operated under
wartime conditions since 1933, tendencies toward decreased produc
tivity were already apparent by 1937. Output per employee in
coal mining rose steadily from 1933 to 1937. The output of re
coverable copper per employee, however, declined about 21 percent
between 1933 and 1937 as the metal content of the ores fell from 2.9
percent to 2.1 percent. Output of recoverable iron per employee
increased 30 percent from 1933 to 1936, but declined 13 percent be
tween 1936 and 1937. Lead-and-zinc-ore production per employee
in 1937 was 19 percent lower than in 1933. A gain of 10 percent in
the output of crude petroleum per employee between 1933 and 1935
was eliminated by a loss of 19 percent between 1935 and 1937. All
these figures refer to output per employee, not to output per man-hour.
Although no statistics are available for man-hours worked in the
individual mining industries, data for all mining combined show that
average hours per wage earner increased about 15 percent in Germany
during the period considered. Losses in output per man-hour,
therefore, were doubtless greater than the declines in output per
employee.5 More recently, there have been reports, even prior to
the intensified bombing of the Ruhr, that productivity and produc
tion in the German coal mines was declining. The decline was generally
attributed to the shortage of skilled, physically fit miners.
Japan’s war on China began in 1937, and difficulties of obtaining
adequate supplies of coal arose shortly thereafter. Output per man
hour in coal mining apparently declined between 1936 and 1938, and
a severe coal shortage occurred during the winter of 1939-40. The
Japanese press stated that the shortage developed because the coal
mines had already achieved capacity in 1937 and the development of
new mines had been hampered by the shortage of labor and material.
It was also reported that labor productivity in the coal mines had
declined. In order to stimulate increased production, the govern
ment arranged to grant subsidies to coal operators.6
The problems faced by Great Britain in obtaining adequate supplies
of coal were discussed in the November 1942 issue of the Monthly
Labor Review. Output per man per day dropped 8 percent between
the outbreak of the war and June 1942. Reports for 1943 reveal that
the output rate is lower than it was last year, despite an increase in
employment and despite the special measures taken by the Govern
ment to increase production.7 The decrease in productivity has been
variously attributed to the increasing average age of the labor force,
losses to the armed forces, the miners’ dissatisfaction with their
working conditions, and inadequate Government planning.
If the war continues for several years, American mining industries
may also experience a general decline in productivity. The record
thus far has been creditable. Maintenance of output per man-hour
at or near recent levels would compensate to some extent for the
difficulty of expanding the work force and would help sustain produc
tion at peak levels.
s Computed from data in various issues of Statistisches Jahrbuch fur das Deutsche Reich; Vierteljahreshefte zur Statistik des Deutschen Reichs; Statistical Yearbook of the League of Nations; and Inter
national Labor Office, Year-Book of Labor Statistics.
« Oriental Economist (Tokyo), English edition, various issues.
7 The Economist (London), various issues.
541188— 43------5
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
R e c e n t P r o d u c tiv ity C h an g es in C o p p e r M in in g 1
Summary
THOUGH copper is one of the most strategic of war materials,
fewer than 35,000 wage earners in the United States are engaged in
the mining and milling of the ore. It is hardly possible to produce
as much of this metal as can advantageously be used in manufacturing
the weapons of war for the United Nations. During the past few
years, great efforts have been made to expand output, and pro
duction has risen to unprecedented levels. The chief obstacle which
lies in the path of further expansion is not the limited natural supply
of the ore but the shortage of manpower. To alleviate this shortage,
the Government has been obliged to take drastic measures, including
the furloughing of miners from the Army.
Despite the many wartime problems besetting the copper-mining
industry, output was higher in 1942 than ever before, exceeding
slightly the output of the previous peak year, 1916. It is also note
worthy that more copper was produced in 1942 than in 1929, with
only about 60 percent as many workers. It is unlikely, however, that
the high productivity levels of recent years will be maintained. A
decline in the near future is probable, as the quality of ore mined
deteriorates further and as manpower difficulties multiply. In that
event, further increases in copper output could not be achieved with
out substantial increases in the number of workers in the mines.
Effect of the War on Copper Mining
The total supply of copper in 1942—from domestic ores, imports,
and salvage—has been estimated at more than 2,500,000 tons.2 This
record total will be applied almost entirely to the production of war
goods; less than 1 percent will be used for civilian purposes. Large
quantities will be used in aircraft, ships, tanks, and other military
vehicles, and electrical manufactures for war purposes. A large
amount will also be used for ammunition shell cases, though steel is
being substituted to some extent.
Expansion of facilities for mining and refining copper, in some
instances with Government aid, has helped to meet our tremendous
war needs. One of the most notable developments was the bringing
into production of a large open-cut mine at Morenci, Ariz., early in
1942. Quotas have been assigned to the various mining properties,
and a premium (currently 5 cents per pound of recoverable copper
above the ceiling price of 12 cents) is paid by the Metals Reserve
Corporation for production in excess of the quota. Import-price
regulations have been liberalized, and the copper-salvage program
has been intensified.
The production program has been endangered by the drain of
workers to the armed forces and to higher-wage industries. Between
1 Prepared in the Bureau’s Division of Productivity and Technological Development by Maynard C.
Heins and Kenneth A. Middleton. For description of conditions in the mining industries in general, see
article on p. 255 of this issue.
3 Engineering and Mining Journal (N ew York), February 1943 (p. 64).
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Productivity of Labor and Industry
259
March and September 1942, employment was reduced by 3,100, or 9
percent. In the latter month, the War Manpower Commission
issued a “freeze” order applying to all nonferrous-metal mining in 12
western States; a certificate of separation had to be obtained from
the U. S. Employment Service before a worker could accept employ
ment elsewhere. It has not been possible to enforce this regulation
rigorously. In October 1942, the War Production Board ordered the
shutdown of all but the very small gold mines or those producing
essential war metals as byproducts. Temporary permits have since
been granted for reopening some gold mines on a restricted basis.
On October 16, 1942, the War Labor Board granted increases in
wages of $1 per day to more than 10,000 nonferrous-metal workers;
other increases have since been awarded to employees of many mining
and smelting establishments. In the emergency, the Selective
Service System has made it easier for copper miners to obtain defer
ment. Toward the end of 1942, more than 4,000 miners were fur
loughed by the Army, for work in nonferrous-metal mines. By
December, employment was 3,200 above the October level. Although
employment is now somewhat higher than it has been in the past few
years, the situation is still critical. On the one hand, the military
needs for copper are insatiable; on the other, there are increasing
difficulties in keeping the labor force intact, and there is a tendency
for the grade of accessible ore to decline.
Productivity and the Mining Process
In view of the limited size of the labor force and the difficulty of
maintaining it, the course of productivity becomes significant as an
indicator of the effectiveness with which available labor has been
utilized. In the interest of obtaining the greatest possible production
in the short run, it is possible to vary the proportion of labor allocated
to the blocking out of additional ore bodies for mining operations.
Among the other factors which determine the level of productivity at
any time are the grade of ore, the proportion of output contributed
by mines and mining methods of different efficiency, the experience
of the work force, and the state of technology. Before discussion of
the changes in productivity in recent years and the influence of these
factors, the copper-mining process will be described briefly.
Copper mining has in recent years been almost entirely confined to
6 States, which, in order of importance, are Arizona, Utah, Montana,
Nevada, New Mexico, and Michigan. Together, these States ac
counted for nearly 98 percent of all the copper mined in 1942. The
remainder came from widely scattered States—California, Washing
ton, Idaho, Colorado, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
Open-cut mining, negligible at the turn of the century, accounted
for more than half of all recoverable copper in 1942. Developments
in ore-dressing technique made it profitable to work the vast western
deposits of low-metallic-content porphyry ores, which are close
enough to the surface to permit excavation by the open-cut method.
Despite the inferior metallic content of these ores, the use of massproduction methods and high-capacity machinery makes possible
about twice |as largelan output of recoverable copper per man-hour
in the open-cut mines as is obtained in underground mines.
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Underground mining is practiced in all producing States. Shafts
or adits3 are driven from the surface to the ore body, and the ore is
removed by tramming or hoisting to the surface. Several methods are
employed in mining the ore, including the following: Open-stope
mining, where little support or filling is used; square-set mining, which
requires heavy timbering and filling; and block-caving, in which
large bodies of ore are completely removed and the covering material
settles in its place. Mining operations in each case consist in opening
passageways to the ore, blasting, and removal of the ore from the
mine. Output of ore and output of recoverable copper per man-hour
vary widely from mine to mine, depending upon the method of mining,
the extent of mechanization, the quality of ore, and other factors.
In underground mines, blocks and veins of ore must be prepared for
removal by development work. Where such work has been done
sufficiently in advance of mining operations, production and pro
ductivity may be increased for a time by concentrating on m ining
operations proper and neglecting further development, as was done,
for example, in block-caving mines in the summer of 1942. This
expedient can be only temporary, of course, as a stage will be reached
when labor must be reallocated to development, with a consequent
decline of ore output and current productivity. A corresponding
situation prevails in open-cut mines, where the proportion of labor
devoted to advance stripping of overburden may be similarly varied
in the short run.
Trend of Productivity
The output of recoverable copper per wage earner in recent years
has been very high as compared with the level prevailing during the
first World War. The 1942 record output of recoverable copper was
achieved with fewer than half the number of employees required to
produce the previous maximum, in 1916.
In the accompanying table, indexes of production, employment, and
productivity are presented for each of the years 1935 to 1942, on the
base 1939 = 100. The employment and man-hour indexes refer to
wage earners in copper mines and mills. Two indexes of production
are presented, one for the quantity of copper ore worked (including
tailings and precipitates), and the other for the quantity of recover
able copper.4 All but a minor part of the copper produced in the
United States is derived from “copper ores,” which “include not
only those that contain 2.5 percent or more copper but also those that
contain less than this percentage if they are valuable chiefly for
copper.” 5 From the standpoint of ultimate use, of course, output
in terms of recoverable copper is more significant than in terms
of ore, but the measures based on ore production are also of interest
because they exclude the effect of changes in the grade of ore mined.
3 An “adit” is a horizontal or nearly horizontal passage; a “shaft” is vertical or almost vertical.
4 The output figures include a small amount of ore and recoverable metal obtained in Other than copper
mines and are therefore not precisely comparable with the employment data. The discrepancy is practically
negligible.
‘ The definition of copper ore employed by the United States Bureau of Mines (Minerals Yearbook.
Review of 1940, p. 93).
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Productivity and Other Indexes fo r the Copper-Mining Industry, 1935-421
Indexes (1939=100)
Recoverable copper
Year
1935______________
1936.................... .......
1937______________
1938---......................
1939-_____________
1 9 4 0 ____________
1941______________
19422_____________
Pro
duction
of re
cover
able
copper
51.7
84.3
116.1
76.5
100.0
120.8
131.8
147.9
Copper ore
Output per—
Em
ploy
ment
Man
hours
100.0
116.5
130.2
134.8
53.0
82.9
123.5
82.3
100.0
115.9
131.4
145.3
Wage
earner
Man
hour
100.0
103.7
101.2
109.7
97.5
110.2
101.0
80.2
100.0
104.2
100.3
101.8
Pay
rolls
100.0
122.6
150.4
191.1
Unit
labor
cost
100.0
101.5
114.1
129.2
Output per—
Pro
duction
of ore Wage
Man
earner
hour
34. 6
69.7
111.4
68.4
100.0
125.4
142.0
172.0
100.0
107.6
109.1
127.6
65.3
84.1
90.2
83.1
100.0
108.2
108.1
118.4
1 The indexes of production and the index of man-hours prior to 1939 are based on Bureau of Mines data.
The employment and pay-rolls index and the extension of the man-hours index are based on Bureau of
Labor Statistics figures.
2 The 1942 indexes of production, productivity, and unit labor cost are preliminary.
Output of recoverable copper per man-hour fluctuated widely be
tween 1935 and 1939, but the changes since the latter year have not
been decisive. The lowest point was reached in 1938, which was
also the year of lowest production for the period. The highest point
attained since then was in 1940, when the index reached 104.2; al
though this was below the figure for 1936, it was 75 percent above the
1929 level. In 1941 and 1942, as production continued to expand,
productivity in terms of recoverable copper was slightly below the
1940 level. Productivity as measured by ore extracted per man-hour,
on the other hand, increased steadily over the entire period, except for
minor setbacks in 1938 and 1941, and was higher in 1942 than in any
preceding year. The differences in movement between productivity
in terms of ore and productivity in terms of recoverable metal reflect
the change from extraction of relatively rich ores in 1935 and 1936 to
mining of leaner ores in recent years. Output per wage earner, accord
ing to either measure, increased much more between 1941 and 1942
than did output per man-hour, as a result of longer working hours
and steadier operation in the latter year.
In view of the decline in average grade of ore mined and the advance
in wage and price levels, it is not surprising to find that the labor cost
of a pound of recoverable copper rose by about 29 percent between
1939 and 1942. The increase in labor cost per ton of ore, however,
was less than 9 percent, for the rise in productivity in terms of ore
was much greater than the rise in terms of recoverable copper.
Factors Affecting Productivity
As already indicated, differences in the behavior of the two produc
tivity measures depend upon the proportion of recoverable copper in
the ore mined. The yield of recoverable metal in all ore mined tends
to rise in years of low total production because operations in the opencut mines, which contain lower-grade ores, are curtailed more than
in the underground mines, and because selective mining of the richer
ore deposits is practiced in the latter. In times like the present, on
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the other hand, when pressure is exerted for maximum output of
copper, the lower-grade ores are worked, and open-cut operations are
expanded. In addition, the premium-price plan tends to encourage
the working of ore of lower metallic content and of tailings not previ
ously profitable to exploit. As a result, there has been a decline in the
percentage of recoverable copper in total ore and tailings to 1.14 by
weight in 1941 as compared with 1.44 in 1938 and 1.43 in 1939. In
any case, there is also a long-run tendency for copper content to de
cline on account of the near-exhaustion of the richer veins and deposits
and the improvements in extractive and ore-dressing techniques,
permitting lower-content ores to be worked profitably at a given price
for copper.
Changes in the proportion of output contributed by each mining
method affect industry-wide productivity, not only because of differ
ences in the average metallic content of the ore mined, but also because
of differences in the respective efficiencies of the various methods.. As
has already been noted, productivity in terms of ore and recoverable
copper is much higher in the open-cut mines than in the underground
mines. Consequently, in slack years, when the proportion of produc
tion coming from the open-cut mines is usually reduced, productivity
for the industry as a whole tends to fall. This factor is in large part
responsible for the drop that occurred in 1938. In such years, the
greater restriction of production is made in the open-cut mines. When
a mine of this type is shut down, it is practicable to remove much of
the heavy equipment; less labor is required for maintenance, and the
mine itself is not likely to deterioiate so rapidly or so seriously as a
closed underground mine. Over a period of years, however, the pro
portion of total ore and copper contributed by the open-cut mines has
increased, and this fact is to some extent responsible for the long-run
increase in productivity for the industry. Among underground
methods, the highly productive block-caving method has also increased
in relative importance during the past 10 or 15 years.
Technological change is another factor which has influenced the
course of productivity, particularly in terms of ore. Technical prog
ress since 1935 has taken the form of wider diffusion of improved
methods already in use at the beginning of the period. There have
been few, if any, fundamental new developments.
In open-cut mines, the years following 1935 saw the virtual com
pletion of the shift from steam-powered, rail-mounted shovels for
loading ore and waste, to shovels powered by electricity and mounted
on caterpillar treads. Buckets having capacities of 4 to 5 cubic yards
became standard for ore-loading shovels, and small shovels of %to \}{
cubic yards capacity were introduced for clean-up and odd jobs about
the mine. The trend toward larger transportation equipment in
open-cut operations continued. Locomotives used in the new Morenci
mine in Arizona weigh 125 tons,6 whereas the heaviest locomotives in
use in 1935 were of 80 to 90 tons.7
It may be pertinent to mention here some other technical features
of the Morenci mine, because they typify the most up-to-date methods
employed in the open-cut mining of copper. At this mine, which
went into operation early in 1942, Diesel-electric locomotives are
used for stripping operations, and trolley-battery locomotives for
6 Data for the Morenci mine are from Mining and Metallurgy (New York), M ay 1942 (pp. 250-261).
i U . S. Bureau of M ines, Bulletin 405: Copper Mining in North America, Washington, 1938 (pp. 137-40).
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Productivity of Labor and Industry
263
hauling ore to the mill. Electrification is not carried to the benches
where the ore is mined; the ore-hauling locomotives are operated on
storage-battery power when not on the main hauling lines. Greater
flexibility can thus be obtained than if cable reels or overhead
trolleys were extended to the point of mining operations. Cars used
for stripping ore have been standardized at a capacity of 30 cubic yards
and cars for hauling ore to the mill at 40 cubic yards. In preparing
the Morenci mine for operation, end-dump trucks of 22.5 cubic yards
capacity were used to move some 30,000,000 tons of material. These
trucks were first powered by gasoline engines, which later were re
placed by Diesel engines. A few trucks were successfully operated
on butane gas. The use of 9-inch electric churn drills at the Morenci
and other mines for drilling primary holes for blasting the ore exempli
fies a shift since 1935 away from steam- and air-hammer drills. The
large electric-churn drills have the advantages of greater speed,
elimination of chambering,8 and lower operating cost.
In underground copper mines, developments in drilling equipment
include the application of the calyx or shot drill to the driving of
ventilation or hoisting shafts. The cutting is accomplished by sharp
edges of chilled steel shot, crushed against the rock by a steel cylinder
bit. In underground drilling, the piston drill with the reciprocating
bit has been practically replaced by the air-hammer drill. Use of
detachable drill bits has made possible the employment of harder steels
and has speeded up the sharpening process. In the underground
mines, more power loading equipment has been introduced. Mechan
ical loaders were placed in service in one Arizona mine at a deep level
where hand loading would be impossible because of the heat;9 in other
applications they have made larger drifts and faster drilling equip
ment feasible.10 The use of conveyor belts is a recent development in
the underground transportation of ore, and shaker-conveyors in increas
ing number have been placed in service. Greater use has been made
of scrapers for moving ore from the face to chutes or to mine cars.
The tendency to increase the capacity of locomotives and cars has
persisted. As mines have become deeper, forced ventilation and, in
recent years, air conditioning have been introduced.11
Progress in copper metallurgy has been made simultaneously with
progress in the techniques of mining copper ore. As a consequence,
smelting and refining plants have been enabled to handle the expanded
ore output, and it has become commercially feasible to work ores so
low in metallic content that they would have been ignored a decade
or so ago. Improvements have been made at a number of copper
milling, smelting, and refining plants since the outbreak of war to
increase their effective capacity and to permit the recovery of more
copper from given grades of ore. For example, additional dust
collectors have been installed to recover metal from converter gases.
s Chambering is the enlargement of drill holes by the use of light charges of explosives to provide room for
the main charge.
, , , ,,
, , ,.
»M ining Congress Journal (Washington), March 1939 (pp. 13-15): Mucking Machines at the Magma
Mine, by Darrell Gardner.
,
,,, ,
10 xj . S. Bureau of Mines, Bulletin 423: Mechanical Shoveling in Underground M etal Mines, by M . Mosier
and J. H. Steinmesch, Washington, 1940 (p. 57).
. . „ , .
. .
n The first underground-mine refrigerating plant in the United States was installed in a copper mine in
1937. See Ventilation and Air-Conditioning of the Magma Mine, by C. B. Forester, in Transactions of the
American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, Inc., vol. 141; M etal Mining, 1940, p. 259.
See also Technical Paper 1348: Progress in Air-Conditioning for the Ventilation of the Butte Mines, by
A . S, Richardson, A, I. M . M , E., Inc., July 1941.
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
The industry has had to contend with greatly increased labor turn
over and absenteeism since the war began, and in the summer of 1942
it suffered a substantial loss of personnel. These factors would of
themselves tend to reduce productivity and production; but some
monthly data for underground and open-cut mines show that output
of ore, total and per man-hour, increased in each division with no
important interruptions during the first three quarters of 1942. Part of
the explanation may be that the expedient of temporarily neglecting
development work was adopted by several underground mines. It is
also likely that the proportion of labor devoted to the advance strip
ping of overburden was reduced in open-cut mines, although employ
ment in these mines declined by a smaller percentage than in the
underground properties. At the end of 1942 employment in the copper
mines recovered sharply as a result of Government action, particularly
the furloughing of miners from the Army, and there are indications
that development work was again pushed.
Outlook for the Industry
For the duration of the war, the copper-mining industry will con
tinue to strain for maximum output, and the manpower problem will
persist in the form of competition with other essential industries for
available labor. No great increases in production of recoverable
copper can be anticipated. Some expansion of output may be ex
pected from new mines and from the reopening of abandoned workings.
Some increase in production of existing mines may also be possible if
additional labor can be obtained, but most of these mines are near
their potential maximum rates of output under current methods.
Early in July, Donald M. Nelson, Chairman of the War Production
Board, reported that, for the rest of the year, it would be necessary
to draw from accumulated supplies of copper to meet production sched
ules, since current output was insufficient. Later in the same month,
Under Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson announced that about
4,500 more miners will be furloughed from the Army for work in
copper, zinc, and molybdenum mines. He indicated that only “mines
of highest productivity located in areas of critical labor shortage”
will be permitted to employ the men released.
Productivity, in terms of recoverable metal, may decline as the war
progresses. An important factor will be the difficulty of maintaining
an experienced work force. Other factors are the probable continued
decline in the grade of ore mined and the increasingly unfavorable
conditions under which additional output will be obtained from recon
ditioned mines. Restriction of development work can be of but
little value in increasing the output of the limited labor force. The
wisdom of postponing development is dependent upon estimates of
the war’s length.
Any opinions as to the post-war situation in copper mining are
necessarily tentative, but it seems clear that the domestic industry
will have to adjust to smaller peacetime demands, to more extensive
competition with foreign mines, and to competition in the domestic
market with materials developed under the stress of wartime condi
tions as substitutes for copper in some applications.
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Social Security
F a m ily A llo w a n ce s in V a rio u s C o u n tr ie s 1
IN PRACTICALLY all industrialized countries serious consideration
has been given for a number of years to the problem of adequately
providing for large families in the case of wage earners and lowersalaried employees. It is now generally agreed that the remuneration
of such workers should be sufficient to provide for the maintenance of
a family at a minimum standard of health and decency. However,
an income which will provide such a standard for a married man with
a small family may well be insufficient in the case of a large number of
dependents.
It is only in recent years that there has been any widespread dis
cussion of this problem in the United States, but in various foreign
countries concrete proposals for meeting it have been made in re
sponsible quarters and in a considerable number such proposals have
been put into practice.
In France and Belgium, for instance, long before the present war
there was in effect an extensive system of “family allowances” by
which extra payments to wage earners with dependents were made
from a “pool” supported by the employers in a particular group. In
New Zealand and Australia a different approach was taken, payments
to families with more than a specified number of children being made
directly by the State. This system is referred to as one of “child endow
ment.” Moreover, in the case of many foreign countries, the salaries
of civil servants were increased in the case of larger families. The
same principle is also recognized in many social-insurance schemes,
where the benefits are adjusted to the number of dependents.
Certain other factors have entered the situation. One is the desire
of various countries, both as a military and as an industrial measure,
to encourage an increase in population, or at least a maintenance of
the present population. Another factor is the fear that in a post-war
devastated world, wages and living levels may be forced down; under
such conditions a system of family allowances or child endowment may
permit a more equitable distribution of a limited national income.
Experiments with family-allowances schemes, exclusive of those for
mobilized men, have been made in at least 35 countries, including
practically all the countries of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, 4 of
the South American countries, and the United States. The schemes
vary greatly in importance, some being simple local ventures, as in
this country; others compulsory nation-wide systems. Their common
function, however, is the granting of allowances usually in cash to
families to supplement their regular income from wages, salaries, or
1 Prepared in the Bureau’s Editorial and Research Division by Mary T. Waggamanj
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266
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
other sources, to enable breadwinners to meet more adequately
expenses incurred in the maintenance of dependents. Despite the
difficulty of holding family allowances within the boundary lines of
definition, it would seem that, in general, such allocations are considered
a right or privilege and not a dole.
In this article the attempt is made to give a brief review of the latest
available information on family allowances other than those for armed
forces, with such references to earlier history as are necessary to give
a reasonably clear picture of the existing situation.
Types of Family-Allowance Systems
Family-allowance schemes are of 3 major types:
(1) Those confined to public services, including the armed forces.
(2) Those financed by private industry; jointly by the State and
private industry; or by the State, private industry, and the workers.
These may be either voluntary or compulsory.
(3) Those involving direct family endowment by the State.
Methods of Paying Family Allowances
In provisions for allocations for family responsibilities, the word
‘'children” is frequently interpreted to mean not only legitimate
children but also legitimized and illegitimate, adopted and foster
children, and stepchildren. Wives also may be included in benefits,
and in some instances even common-law wives and divorced wives.
The number of children for whom benefits may be paid varies as to
their ages for eligibility. Even children in the higher age groups are
included under specified circumstances. In some instances only
workers m the lower income brackets are covered, but other schemes
extend these benefits to all with the family responsibilities, regardless
of income level.
Payment may be made on an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly or
annual basis. The grant may be a percentage of salary or may take
the form of a higher wage. In some cases the allowance has no con
nection with the wage or salary.
Family-Allowance Funds
The cost of benefits naturally varies considerably from company to
company and group to group, according to the relative number of
dependents for whom grants must be made. To meet this situation
"compensation funds” have been created in some countries, notably
Belgium and France. These funds, operating over a considerably
wider field than that presented by the industrial firm, serve to spread
the risk and to equalize the cost of benefits among the employers.
The membership of these funds may include all employers in the
area, or may be confined to specified industries or trades. The em
ployers affiliate with the appropriate fund, making their contributions
to it. Such contributions are calculated in various ways—on the basis
of number of days worked, total number of workers employed, total
wage bill, etc. The contributions of some agricultural funds have been
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Social Security
267
based on the amount of ground under cultivation by affiliated members.
In some cases employers with large numbers of young workers without
dependents pay smaller contributions.
The advantage of the compensation funds is that by spreading the
cost over a larger group of employers, they prevent the penalizing of
those who have hired workers with large numbers of dependents, and
thus also forestall the discrimination against such workers that would
result if an individual employer had to be responsible personally for
the payments of benefits to his force.
Developments, 1939-43
During the period 1939-43 there were developments of more or less
importance in the family-allowance field in at least 24 countries.
The Australian Child Endowment Act, assented to April 7, 1941,
provides that 5s. per week be paid for each child under 16 years of
age in excess of 1 child in each family, regardless of the income of
the parents.
The family-allowance provisions in the New Zealand Security Act
were liberalized by 1941 and 1942 legislation.
In Great Britain the growing interest in child endowment has been
manifested by increasing discussions on the subject and numerous
recommendations for the inauguration of such endowment from British
churchmen, members of Parliament, industrialists, and other influen
tial groups. In March 1942, after years of opposition to family
allowances, the British Trades Union Congress, through its general
council, reversed its attitude and agreed with the Labor Party on the
need for a national scheme of child endowment which should be a
charge on|the State. Inf JuneM 942, the British Chancellor of the
Exchequer issued a memorandum, published as a “ white paper/’
estimating the cost of a national system of child endowment under
different types of schemes. Late in the same year the British econo
mist, Sir William Beveridge, recommended children’s allowances in his
report on social security.
A Canadian report, proposing children’s allowances for the Domin
ion of Canada, was also submitted in March 1943 to the Canadian
House of Commons Committee on Social Security.
In the United States, the publication by the National Education
Association, in the latter part of 1941, of the results of an examination
of public-school salary schedules disclosed provisions for financial
supplements for family responsibilities for teachers in public-school
systems in 75 cities and towns.
#
. .
The Federal Social Security Board, after referring to the existing
scheme of Federal grants to States under the Social Security Act for
dependent children, makes the following statement in its seventh
annual report (1942):
C onsideration should be given also to extending th e scope of th e p ro g ram by
including children w hose need is due to causes o th er th a n th o se now specified,
i. e., th e p a re n t’s d eath , in c a p a c ity or absence from hom e. I t has been suggested,
for exam ple, th a t F ed eral m atch in g g ra n ts should be av ailab le for ap p ro v ed S ta te
plan s w hich fu rn ish aid to a n y child whose fam ily resources are insufficient to
insure h ealth fu l grow th a n d developm ent.
In Latin America several acts have been passed and legislative
proposals made concerning family allowances, since the adoption of a
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
resolution on such allowances at the Eighth International Conference
of American States held at Lima, Peru, toward the close of 1938.
In Hungary, an act establishing a new family-allowance system
became operative on January 1, 1939, covering manual workers in the
larger mining, industrial, and commercial enterprises.
Under the nation-wide family allowance system instituted in Spain
in 1938, the amounts of allowances were doubled in 1939.
On July 29, 1939, the Family Code, which provided for unifying into
one general system the French family-allowance schemes, was adopted
in the form of a decree, the provisions of which were to become effec
tive by degress in 1940. The French Labor Charter promulgated
October 4, 1941, gave family allowances a prominent place in the
sections dealing with wage determination.
The act providing for a general family-allowance scheme in the
Netherlands, to be financed entirely by employers, was promulgated
December 23, 1939. No data are available as to the fate of the system
since the Nazi invasion.
By an act of August 6, 1940, the Italian Government announced the
discontinuance of its contribution to the family-allowance system and
gave legal confirmation to the previous abrogation of the workers’
obligation to contribute.
In 1942, family-allowance laws were enacted in both Bulgaria and
Portugal.
Family Allou ances in Private Employment
In the field of family allowances in private industry the most
important countries are Belgium, France, and Italy. In the first two
of these the_ progress of the family-allowance movement has been
notable. Initiated by private employers, the systems in both coun
tries have since been made>compulsory and nation-wide. A signal
recent development is the inclusion in these systems of employers
and independent workers.
The trend in the French movement has been toward more and more
Governmental management and financing. The family-allowance
system was made general in Italy by a decree of June 17, 1937, which
effected very important changes in the internal organization' of the
previous restricted scheme; later measures expanded the coverage of
the system, raised the amount of the allowances, and placed the cost
of these benefits wholly upon the employer.
SCOPE OF FAMILY-ALLOWANCE PLANS
B e lg iu m . As early as 1915 family allowances were being paid in the
coal-mining industry in Belgium.
A law making family allowances compulsory in private industry in
that country was passed August 4, 1930. An act of June 10, 1937,
extending the scope of family allowances to the children of employers
and independent workers, became effective by degrees from January 1,
1938. At least 2 years after the German invasion these grants were
still being paid.
B u lg a r i a .—-A family-allowance scheme was established in Bulgaria
under regulations issued by the Council of Ministers on August 4, 1942.
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The system was made retroactive from the first of the preceding
month. All workers of Bulgaria, who are covered by social insurance
and are employed in private industry, are included in the scheme.
France.—It was not until 1932 that a law was enacted in France
making the payment of family allowances compuls
'
’l employers, although allowances had been granted
and
extensively by private employers years before, and by certain mine
operators even before the first World War. Two decrees in 1938 so
extended the system of family allowances in agriculture as to benefit
practically all the rural population.
The numerous schemes for family allowances established in France
under the act of 1932 varied appreciably in form and advantages.
This was also true of arrangements for these grants for officials and
employees of the Government, the personnel of local communities, and
public services under State, departmental, communal and other
concessions.
These schemes were absorbed and unified in a new nation-wide
system by a decree of the President of the French Republic, July 29,
1939. This so-called “Family Code” provided family allowances for
the heads of families throughout the country not only in the wage
earning and salaried groups but also for employers and independent
workers. The essential purpose of the code was “to provide legislative
foundation for a social reform, the application of which, it is hoped,
may bring about an increase in the country’s birth rate, and in general
ameliorate the material well-being of French family units to such an
extent as to make the raising of large families possible.”
As already stated, family allowances were provided for in the French
Labor Charter that was promulgated October 4, 1941. Whether and
in what way the established family-allowance system has been affected
by the Charter is not known.
Great Britain.—It has long been a practice of the Methodist,
Presbyterian, and Baptist churches in England to grant family allow
ances to their ministers, and limited family-allowance schemes are in
operation in some of the dioceses of the English Established Church.
The London School of Economics has for many years been paying such
benefits to its staff.
According to reports published in 1940, 1941, and 1942, there are at
least 35 industrial establishments paying family allowances in Great
Britain. Two or more of these adopted the practice in 1917, but the
great majority of the schemes were started in the period 1938-42.
Germany.—In Germany during the past few years there has been a
revival of interest in the subject of family allowances. In 1941, allow
ances paid by private enterprises were provided for in certain collective
agreements. Also, supplements for children were still being granted
by insurance funds for medical, dental, and pharmaceutical care.
Hungary.—A new family-allowance scheme was instituted in
Hungary under an act promulgated on December 28, 1938, which
became operative January 1, 1939.
The act is applicable to all mining, industrial, and commercial
enterprises which employ on an average over 20 workers. Only
manual workers are covered.
Italy.—In Italy a royal decree-law of August 21, 1936, made the
family-allowance system obligatory for all industrial workers with
dependent children, regardless of the number of hours worked per
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
week. Under this law collective contracts have also been made in
other branches of business (as in finance and commerce) which are
extending the coverage of the system. Under the act of June 17, 1937,
and the decree of July 21, 1937, the family-allowance system was still
further extended, the payment of family allowances being made
compulsory as to wage-earner heads of families, regardless of age, sex,
or nationality.
Recent legal regulations provide that family allowances in agricul
ture shall be restricted to persons registered on the list of agricultural
workers.
L a tv ia . The Latvian law instituting family allowances in agri
culture was amended on May 4, 1939, to expand the coverage of the
system. A decree of the Ministry of Social Welfare, of December 30,
1939, provided for additional subsidies for rural workers with
dependents.
N e th e r la n d s . —Family allowances were quite. commonfinThe Nether
lands even before December 23, 1939, when the act providing for a
compulsory family-allowance scheme covering the wage earners on
the pay rolls of all employers was promulgated.
P o r tu g a l. A family-allowance scheme was introduced by the
Portuguese Government by a legislative decree of August 13, 1942, in
accordance with the principles set forth in Articles 11 and 15 of the
constitution of March 9, 1933. The decree is applicable to family
wage earners of Portuguese nationality working for an employer in
industry, commerce, the liberal professions, or corporative bodies or
organizations for economic coordination, provided such wage earners
are domiciled in Portugal. Brazilian and Spanish workers, and
nationals of other countries which grant reciprocal treatment to
Portuguese wage earners, are also covered.
S p a i n — In 1938 a law was enacted in Spain instituting a compulsory
centralized system of family allowances for wage and salaried workers
m private employment.
h Application to agriculture - of£ thefi compulsory family-allowance
system provided for in Spain under the act of July 18, 1938, and a
decree of October 20,1938, was so difficult that it became necessary to
issue special regulations. These were included in an act of September 1,
1939, in regulations issued the following month, and in an order of
January 17, 1940.
S o u th A m e r ic a . —An Argentine act of September 4, 1940, provides
that banks shall pay family allowances. Among other private
establishments and organizations listed as making these grants in
that country in 1942 were Argentine Electric Co., Flandria Cotton
Mill Co., Michelin Tire Co., Noel & Co. Candy Manufacturers;
Printing Office of Louis Gotelli, Argentine Model School, Central
Board of Catholic Action of Argentina, Federation of Catholic
Workers’ Clubs, and Workers’ Club of Rosario.
In Chile, in accordance with an act of February 5, 1937, and later
decrees, and an amending act of September 12, 1941, salaried em
ployees of private establishments and semiofficial institutions have
been granted family allowances.
U n ite d S ta te s . —Family-allowance schemes in private employment
in the United States at present are so few in number as to be negligible.
The Salvation Army makes such grants to its officers. The principles
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of the basic wage and dependency allotments have been used as a
guide in certain higher educational institutions in fixing salaries and
determining increases in pay.
Other countries.—In view of the increase in the cost of living the
institution of a system of family allowances for low-paid workers
was decided upon by the Japanese Cabinet on February 16, 1940.
Manual workers, salaried employees, and public and municipal
officials were included in the scheme. The purpose of the measure
was to cushion the effects of the imperial orders of October 16, 1939,
concerning the regulation of wages. On February 16, 1940, the
Minister of Social Welfare sent a circular to the prefects and chiefs of
the mines-inspection offices, which defined the methods of application
of the new plan.
Prior to May 1937 a large number of factories in Japan had raised
their wage rates, because of the upward trend in prices, and labor
organizations had started a campaign for pay increases. In this
connection several companies in the textile industry introduced a new
system of family allowances.
Shortly before the outbreak of the present war, family allowances
were being paid in private industry to some extent in Czechoslovakia,
Estonia, Greece, Luxemburg, the Principality of Monaco, Poland,
and Yugoslavia.
DEPEN D EN T BENEFICIARIES AND ALLOWANCE RATES
Provisions concerning dependents show extreme variation in regard
to the number and relationship of the beneficiaries, and allowance
rates. Among the more common regulations were the restriction of
the allowances to children below the 14-16 age group, unless they
were continuing their education or training, and the granting of
allowances for an indefinite period to children physically or mentally
incapable of earning their living.
Belgium.—In Belgium in 1938 allowances were being paid for
children up to 18 years of ago, except in the case of children going to
work after reaching 14 years of age. Children mentally or phvsically
defective were eligible for allowances indefinitely. The minimum
allowances as reported in April 1938, ranged from 20.64 francs per
month for the first child to 124.00 francs per month for the fifth and
each subsequent child.
Bulgaria.—The dependent children of mothers, fathers, sisters or
brothers in Bulgaria are granted allowances up to 21 years of age,
provided these children are not at work. The monthly allowance
rate is 100 leva for the first child and 200 leva for the other children.
France.—Instead of the previous allowance for the first child, the
Family Code provided that a sum ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 francs
was to be paid for a first-born legitimate child under specified condi
tions.
All workers, including employers, in agriculture, industry, com
merce, and the professions, with two or more children, were declared
eligible for family allowances for children under 14 years of age (or
under 17 years of age if they were continuing their education or were
apprenticed).
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
It was provided that the rate of the allocation for the second child
should be at least 10 percent of the average salary common to the
locality in which the allocatee resided, and 20 percent for the third
and each subsequent child. Moreover, an additional allocation of 10
percent was to be granted as an assistance to the mother, when the
family depended upon a single income which was not paid during
holidays or for other reasons.
A decree of December 16, 1939, laid down the manner in which the
Family Code was to be applied under war conditions.
G reat B r i t a i n .—The London School of Economics, according to a
report published in 1940, was paying £30 per annum for each child
under 13 years of age and £60 per annum for each child between 13
and 23 years of age receiving a full-time education. The Association
of University Teachers approved the extension of this experiment,
but without practical results.
In the industrial establishments which have adopted family-allow
ance schemes, the weekly allowance per child ranges from Is. to as
high as 5s. The wage limit for receiving allowances also varies, for
example, being only £5 per week in the establishment of N. Kilvert &
Sons, Ltd., and as much as £400 per annum for the staff of Pilkington
Brothers, Ltd. Cadbury Brothers, Ltd., grants a weekly supplement
of 5s. for each child after the second, regardless of the father’s salary.
J. Bibby & Sons, Ltd., pays allowances when the total income going
into the home is below a certain base which varies, however, with the
number of children under 16 years of age in the family. Brittain,
Ltd., pays £10 a year for a child until it leaves school, for members
of the staff whose income is not over £400 per annum.
H u n g a ry.
Legitimate, adopted, or recognized illegitimate children,
under 14 years of age, dependent on a manual worker, are eligible for
family allowances. The rate of allowance is set at 5 pengos per month,
and the grants are paid through equalization funds.
At the close of 1939, an allowance of from 70 to 80 pengos was
granted to each large family having children under 12 years of age
among the agricultural workers of the County of Hejer employed by
the members of the National Union of Agricultural Employers.
I t a l y . —In 1940, increases were granted in the family-allowance
rates for the dependent children of workers in industry, commerce,
and agriculture. As established in that year the allowances for the
first child ranged from 0.45 lira per day for agricultural wage earners
to 100.00 lire for employees in banks; for the fourth and subsequent
children the allowances ranged from 0.90 lira per day to 135.00 lire
per month in the same classifications. Allowances were also provided
for the wives and parents of these workers and for the wives and
parents of ship’s officers and seamen.
L a tv ia .
An amendment of May 9, 1939, to the law instituting
family allowances in agriculture in Latvia extended the age limit for
children’s allowances up to 11 years. The previous law specified 10
years as the age limit and 5 children as the maximum number to
receive allowances.
N e th e r la n d s — The Netherlands act of December 23, 1939, made
every wage earner employed by a private enterprise or by a community
eligible for a family allowance for each child under 15 years of age,
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beginning with the third. The allowance varied according to the
wage, the minimum being 10 cents and the maximum being 25 cents
per day.
Portugal.—In 1942 the breadwinners’ dependents included those
whose individual means were not sufficient to maintain them and who
relied for their support, clothing, and education on the family bread
winner. The amount of the allowance is computed on the number of
days worked, in accordance with the rates published in a schedule to
the decree.
Spain.—More substantial family allowances, together with mar
riage loans and prizes, were provided for by a Spanish decree of
February 22, 1941. The new family-allowance rates, which were
100 percent above those provided for in the compulsory family-allow
ance act of July 18, 1938, ranged from 30 pesetas per month for 2
children to 290 pesetas per month for 12 children.
South America.—An act of September 4, 1940, provided that the
employees in Argentine banks must be paid an allowance of 5 pesos
per month for each dependent child under 16 years of age. The
Central Bank of the Republic of Argentina has been paying family
allowances of 10 pesos per month per child under 15 years of age to all
staff members earning salaries up to 350 pesos per month.
A law of September 12, 1941 (No. 7064), of Chile amended the law
of February 5, 1937 (No. 6020), which provided for family allowances
for salaried employees in private establishments and semiofficial
institutions. These amendments included certain regulations relative
to fixing the amounts of family allowances.
According to the Foreign Commerce Weekly of February 6, 1943
(U. S. Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce), the dependents
of workers jointly contributing with employers to a Public Assistance
Fund established by the Chilean Government were receiving 50 pesos
for each child under 16 years of age or dependent relative.
Japan.—Under regulations issued in 1940, by the Japanese Govern
ment, all workers whose earnings per month were not over 70 yen
and who had one or more dependent children under 14 years of age
were to be eligible for family allowances. The average monthly
allowance rate was set at 2 yen per worker. Each establishment was
to be permitted to determine the conditions under which the allow
ances were to be granted and to increase the amount according to the
number of the worker’s dependents.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND EQUALIZATION FUNDS
The tendency in many countries in which family-allowance schemes
have been established in private industry is to organize central funds
from which the payments are made. This equalizes the cost for
employers and prevents discrimination against workers with heavy
family responsibilities, as the contributions of individual employing
companies are assessed in such way as to make it a matter of indifference
to them how many dependents their workers have. In England, how
ever, the industrial establishments that have adopted family-allowance
schemes make the payments directly to their workers.
In France and Belgium the equalization funds have been multiplied
and elaborated. As already noted, the purpose of the French Family
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Monthly Lahor Review—August 1943
Code of 1939 was to unify a highly complex system. In Italy four
separate funds were replaced by a single one. The Bulgarian law of
August 4, 1942 provided for one autonomous fund. Various funds
were provided however, by the 1939 family-allowance legislation in
Hungary and the Portuguese decree of August 13, 1942
Belgium.—In 1938 all employers were required to become members
ol a family-allowance fund. The funds are of several types, based on
the period at which the members were affiliated, the character of the
industry carried on, etc. A National Equalization Fund has also
been established.
Belgian employers’ contributions to the funds vary according to the
cost-of-hvmg index and have been increased or decreased by roval
decree. In April 1938 the daily rates were 1.10 francs for each man
and 0.60 franc for each woman employed. If at least 23 days are
worked m the month, the employer makes a monthly lump-sum con
tribution which is also based on the cost-of-living index. The monthlv
contributions m April 1938 were at the rate of 27.50 francs for a man
and 15 francs for a woman, this difference, it was explained, being due
to the fact that few women were supporting families and that in
practically all cases they gave up work when they acquired a family,
the funds may also claim a small additional contribution for adminis
trative expenses.
Bulgaria— The Family Allowance Act of 1942 required private
enterprises to contribute 10 percent of their wage and salary bills
to an autonomous fund attached to the Directorate of Labor which
administers the system.
France. In 1940 it was compulsory for employers to become
affiliated personally with the equalization fund to which their person
nel was already affiliated. Independent workers were to affiliate
with a special family-allowance fund or with a special section estab
lished m an ordinary equalization fund as an independent financial
unit, this system has since been changed with a view to improving its
operation. Under an act of November 18, 1940, provision was made
for the financing of these funds.
The Family Code called for a State expenditure of 1,450,000 000
francs, to be raised by contributions from employers and the taxation
of citizens according to the family responsibilities of the taxpayers.
Netherlands. Family allowances and their administration are
financed entirely by the employers. Their contributions are fixed
each year for the following 12 months, on the basis of, and in propor
tion to, each employer’s total wage bill. It is estimated that the
affowances represent approximately 1 percent of the combined wages
paid, or approximately 18,000,000 florins per annum.
Hungary Except for the expenses of administration of the central
fund, which the Government meets, employers are responsible for all
expenditures connected with the payment of family allowances,
mcfuamg the organization and administration of the various equaliza
tion funds. For the first year the contribution was 48 pengôs per
inaie worker and 32 pengôs per female worker. Organization and
administration costs are fixed at 5 percent of the income resulting
from the assessments levied upon employers.
Eight equalization funds have been established for the various
branches of miffing, industry, and commerce, each fund having
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country-wide jurisdiction. The central fund is under the general
direction of the Ministry of Industry, and its operations are super
vised by a committee on which both workers and employers have
representation.
,
.
,
Italy.—From the financial viewpoint, the present organization ol
family allowances is based principally upon the creation of a single
fund which replaces the four separate funds previously existing.
By a law of August 6, 1940, the Italian Government announced the
discontinuance of its contribution to the family-allowance system and
gave legal confirmation to the previous abrogation of the workers’
obligation to contribute. It also extended the system to employees
of State administrations and public establishments insofar as they
were not already receiving family aid.
Portugal.—Family-allowance funds collect the money for the system
and distribute them to the allocatees. It is compulsory for every
worker and every enterprise to become a member of a family-allowance
fund as soon as one has been established for the occupation or industry.
The finances of the funds are furnished through contributions from
both the workers and the establishments concerned, payments by
the National Family Allowances Fund, interest and other revenue,
grants, gifts, and legacies.
.
The Legislative Decree of August 13, 1942, also created a National
Fund attached to the National Labor and Welfare Institute to balance
the receipts and expenditures of the regional funds, and to assist them
in carrying out their functions.
Spain.—Under 1939 and 1940 legislation, agricultural employers m
Spain must bear the entire cost of financing the allowances, fFeir
contributions being based in part on the assessed land value and in
part on their wages bill. In case of land held on lease or cultivated
on shares, landlords may require their leaseholders or tenants to
refund the contributions paid. The amount of the allowance is based
on a monthly schedule, regardless of the number of days the recipient
has been employed.
Family Allowances in Public Employment
Based on information for 1937 or 1938, family allowances were
being paid in the State civil service of at least 19 foreign countries—
Australia, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, Germany, Hungary, Irish Free State, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Rumania, Switzerland, and
Yugoslavia. Furthermore, grants of this kind were being made in
certain State mines in Hungary, in the public service of the munici
pality of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in certain communal agencies m
Chile, and to the Peruvian police force.
Later reports indicate that many of these public services are still
paying family allowances and that such benefits are now, or were,
just preceding the war, granted more or less in public employment in
Bohemia-Moravia, Bulgaria, French Equatorial Africa, Poland, and
South America—in Argentina, in various public administrations ;
in Chile; and in Peru to teachers. As previously stated, in 1941,
salary differentials for family responsibilities were reported for the
school systems of 75 communities in the United States.
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
South America.—An order of December 23, 1937, provided that
beginning with May 1, 1938, the municipality of Buenos Aires should
add to the monthly remuneration of its salaried and wage-earning
employees receiving up to 300 pesos per month, an allowance of 5
pesos for each child under 15 years of age wholly dependent upon the
head of the family.
Family allowances were being voluntarily granted in various public
administrative and official and mixed institutions in Argentina,
according to the February 1943 issue of Re vista de Economia Argentina.
Among the public administrations are those of the Provinces of
Catamarca, Cordoba, and Santa Fe, and the municipalities of Leones
and General Pico.
Family Endowment by the State
Although the term “ family endowment” isrsometimes used inter
changeably for “ family allowances,” as used in this section it refers
to a grant for family responsibilities made directly by the State, not as
an emergency relief measure but as a regular cash supplement based
on the fact that the budgets of larger families call for greater expendi
tures. The inclusion and liberalizing of the long-existing system of
child endowment under the provisions of the New Zealand Social
Security Act, which became effective April 1, 1939, and the Australian
Commonwealth Child Endowment Act of April 1941, are conspicuous
evidences of an accelerated trend towards greater economic security
for the family. Both these systems are country-wide in their scope,
as is also the German child-endowment system under the ordinance of
December 9, 1940, which became operative January 1, 1941. The
New Zealand Act fixes an income limit for benefiting families, but the
Australian and German schemes disregard the matter of income.
The age limit for child beneficiaries except in specified circum
stances is under 16 in the New Zealand and Australian Acts.
The Finance Act of New Zealand, effective September 1, 1941,
provided that a family allowance of 4s. be payable for the first child,
the rate being adjusted so that the average weekly income of the
parents and children under 16 years of age, exclusive of the allowance,
should not exceed £5. In 1942, in accordance with an amendment
to the Social Security Act, family allowances were increased 50 per
cent and the family-income limit was raised to £5, 5s.
In Australia the sum of 5s. per week is provided for all children under
16 years of age, in excess of one per family.
The German legislation provides that an allowance be granted to
a family for children under 21 years of age if there are 3 or more
children under that age in the family.
Under the new constitution of the United States of Brazil, large
families are entitled to allowances according to the number of thendependent children. Needy parents have the right to apply to the
State for assistance and protection in order to secure the maintenance
and education of their children.
The Public Health Act of Turkey gives an important place to the
assistance of large families—always with the objective of reducing
infant mortality but with the further purpose of assisting mothers
and giving needed help in homes where there are many children.
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E s ta b lis h m e n t of S ocial S e c u rity B u re a u in H a iti
A BUREAU of Social Security was established in Haiti as an independ
ent organization, under the management of a board of six directors,
by a decree-law of May 15, 1943.1 The directors, appointed by the
President of Haiti, are the Secretaries of State for Finance and for
Agriculture and Labor, an official of the National Bank, the Director
of the Public Health Service, and an American and a British resident.
The purposes of the new bureau are to provide for the payment of
supplementary indemnities to laborers injured in the course of their
work, or to members of their families, in cases specifically covered by
labor legislation; to establish hospitals or homes for workers in
capacitated either from age or as a result of accidents; and to estab
lish any project of an agricultural, industrial, or social nature designed
to promote the well-being of agricultural laborers, especially those
who have been displaced as a result of the Governmental program for
the cultivation of strategic materials for export, or of food.
Apparently the whole cost of the measure is to be borne by the
workers. The decree provides that the social-insurance fund is to be
financed by compulsory deductions of 1 gourde (20 cents) every 2
weeks, from the pay of all laborers engaged in agricultural enterprises
of any kind which employ at least 50 workers. The contributions
will be deducted by the employer and deposited in the national bank,
to the credit of the Bureau for Social Security, with the exception of
10 percent which will be credited to the Fund for Public Relief estab
lished under decree laws of 1938 and 1939. The law does not affect
the obligations of employers in case of industrial accidents.
R e p o r t from J. C. White, United.States minister, Port-au-Prince,maiti.
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W o rk of R e c o n s tru c tio n C o o p e ra tiv e s in F ra n c e A fte r
F ir s t W o rld W a r 1
«
\
Summary
AFTER the end of the war of 1914-18, France faced an enormous
problem in the rebuilding of the districts laid waste during the hos
tilities. In the historic city of Rheims, for instance, it was said that
of a total of 14,000 houses before the war only 15 were left intact
at its conclusion. In over 90 percent of all the communes there was
some war damage and over a fifth were destroyed completely. One
of the means adopted to hasten the restoration process was a new
form of cooperative association, the “reconstruction cooperative.”
These associations acted as intermediaries between the owners of
damaged or destroyed properties and the State or its various agencies,
or organizations involved in the work of reconstruction. The coopera
tives did not undertake actual construction or repair. They presented
damage claims of their members to the Government, prepared a plan
of work to be done in each case, chose from the Government panel the
architects and contractors, undertook supervision of the job, attended
to the financial and legal details, and were responsible for the disbursal
of the damage money granted by the State.
The first reconstruction cooperative was organized in 1919. Four
years later there were 2,262 cooperatives, with a total membership
of 162,000 persons, federated into 35 regional unions. It was
estimated that about 27 percent of all the repair work and 58 percent
of all the construction work in the devastated areas was done by the
reconstruction cooperatives, but ranged in some regions as high as 76
percent.
After the present war there will be a problem of reconstruction
that will dwarf into insignificance that which was faced by France.
The widespread bombing has laid waste not only industrial areas but
residential districts all over Europe. All of these people will have
to be provided with dwellings and their claims for damages will mount
into a total that will overtax all governmental machinery. For
that period a revival of the reconstruction cooperative may offer a
partial solution. Furthermore, in most of the countries throughout
Europe the people are already accustomed to the cooperative idea,
having developed nation-wide networks of cooperatives for the retail
distribution of food and household needs and the marketing of farm
products. The introduction of reconstruction on a cooperative basis
should therefore not be difficult.
The present article describes how the French reconstruction coopera
tives worked and what they accomplished.
1 Prepared by Valery J. Tereshtenko, Program Appraisal Branch, Food Distribution Administration,
U . S. Department of Agriculture.
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Beginnings of Cooperation in Reconstruction
The idea of using cooperative enterprise as a tool for reconstruction
of devastated regions in France, rebuilding and repairing material
damages caused by the last war, was actually not new; an experiment
of the same nature was made after the disastrous inundation in the
Marne in 1910. The method brought good results and a great number
of damaged buildings were restored cooperatively. The pioneers of
reconstruction cooperatives (sociétés coopératives de reconstruction)
after the war were two priests—Fathers Thouvenin and Fiel. The
movement started in the Department of Meurthe-et-Moselle, where
the first genuine reconstruction cooperative was organized in Feb
ruary 1919 (attempts along the same lines, however, had begun in
1918). By March 23, there were 17 cooperatives organized in the
Department; by May 1 there were 60; and by the end of the winter of
1920 there were 200.
In the Department of Aisne the first cooperative was organized in
Blérancourt, also in February of 1919. It was followed in May by a
cooperative in Soissons, and by September Aisne had 73 reconstruction
cooperatives.
Membership and Functions of Reconstruction Cooperatives
Any owner of property damaged or destroyed in the war was eligible
for membership in a reconstruction cooperative. Although member
ship was voluntary, once admitted to membership, no person had the
right to withdraw.2
As already noted, the reconstruction cooperatives did not carry
on any actual construction or repair work. They were “ middlemen”
between the owners of destroyed and damaged properties (eligible,
according to the laws, for governmental aid), on the one hand, and the
State and various organizations (such as unions of architects or build
ing contractors) involved in the actual work of reconstruction, on
the other. The reconstruction cooperative was the representative for
any claims by its members against the State ; it adjudicated these claims,
prepared a plan of work to be done, and then organized its execution
and supervision, chose the architects, and attended to the financial
and legal aspects of the work of reconstruction, etc.
Legal Organization
Many of the reconstruction associations were organized under
the law of July 24, 1867, pertaining to commercial associations, as
then- field of operations did not fall within the scope of the laws
authorizing either consumers’ distributive associations or the agricul
tural marketing associations. Later, however, specific legal recogni
tion of this type of cooperatives was given by the law of April 17, 1919.
Additional laws and a number of ordinances were passed at later
dates to regulate their activities.
2
Law of August 15, 1920, art. 7, par. 2.
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
The law of August 15, 1920, defined the purposes of reconstruction
cooperatives as follows:
T he associations h av e for th e ir purpose to a c t fo r th e ir m em bers in all tra n s
actions re lated to re c o n stru ctio n of real e sta te , especially in reg ard to a d ju d ic a tin g
claim s; execution a n d supervision of an d p ay m e n ts for rep airs a n d reco n stru ctio n
a n d rein v estm en ts of ad v an ces a n d p ay m e n ts for w hich provision is m ad e in th e
law referred to above.
This law required that the bylaws of reconstruction cooperatives
should be in harmony with those drawn up by the Government. It
provided that no community could have more than one reconstruction
cooperative, unless the total amount of membership claims against
the State exceeded 1,000,000 francs.
Panels of architects, technicians, and building contractors were
drawn up for each Department in accordance with special rules, and
the cooperatives’ choice was limited to those on the panel. ’ The
accounts of reconstruction cooperatives were subject to Government
audit.
Finances of Cooperatives
Reconstruction cooperatives had no share capital of their own.
Their funds and assets consisted of (1) payments received from members for the expenses of the organization; (2) subventions and reim
bursable advances for expenses, received from the State; and (3)
pioperties entrusted to them by the members. The legal ownership
of such properties remained with the individual owners, and only
their management and disposition were entrusted to the cooperatives.
The latter were also responsible for the disposition of the funds re
ceived from the State against the members’ claims.
The governmental authorities on reconstruction anticipated that
considerable difficulties would be encountered not only in reconstruc
tion work itself, but also in preliminary organizational work which was
supposed to precede it, such as adjudicating claims, planning pro
grams of work, securing advisory services of legal and technical ex
perts, etc. Accordingly, the ordinance of the Ministry of Liberated
Kegions of April 25, 1919, ruled that Government advances not exceed
ing 1 percent of the total assignable payments (as determined by the
law) could be made in the case of individual applicants, and not ex
ceeding 4 percent in the case of reconstruction cooperatives. The
money advanced could be used even for certain preparatory phases of
construction work (for instance, erecting a warehouse for building
materials) but not for the work itself. Twenty percent of the money
assignable as an advance could be received by beneficiaries upon appli
cation; the next 55 percent could be obtained after some justification
of claim; and the remaining 25 percent could be advanced only after
final estimate of the damages sustained.
Advances for actual construction were limited by the law of October
12, 1918, to 75 percent of the amount of damage as estimated by the
special committee established by the Government under the law of July
30, 1915. In the case of cooperatives, however, this limitation was
raised to 90 percent, in recognition of their lower expense ratio, their
efficiency, and their simplicity of control.
Each reconstruction cooperative was expected to draw up an annual
program of work. It was customary (although this was not required)
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Cooperation
281
to give preference to repairs of damaged buildings over new construc
tion; agricultural establishments had priority over private dwellings;
and widows of soldiers killed in the war were usually served first.
After the total financial requirements for a year were established, the
cooperative could obtain 25 percent of this total. Each month every
cooperative had to submit its report on expenditures to the Service
de Contrôle des Coopératives, in order to justify requests for further
advances. To secure continuity of construction works the Service de
Contrôle des Coopératives was entitled to advance up to 80 percent of
the yearly total without waiting for the completion of final checking
and approval of the reports previously submitted.
Although direct financing by the Government was the backbone of
the whole program, it was recognized that certain special projects (such
as the rebuilding of churches) would appeal rather strongly to the local
population, and the local financial market would be able to provide the
necessary resources. The cooperatives were therefore authorized by
the laws of July 12,1921, and December 31, 1922, to float public loans.
Subscription could be arranged either through a bank or on the finan
cial market. In issuing loans, cooperatives might choose one of the
five following methods: (1) To act individually and under their own
names; (2) to unite with other cooperatives, for the purpose of the
issue: (3) to join some other body, such as the municipality or commune
having the right to make public loans; (4) to make arrangements
through an emission agency; and (5) to participate, in issuing the loans,
with the Confédération Générale des Sociétés Coopératives de
Reconstruction (see below).
Central Organizations
For the coordination of their work, the organization of the auditing
and legal services, educational activities, publication of bulletins,
improvement in the methods of contracts with the Government, etc.,
reconstruction cooperatives organized into cooperative unions. The
first such union was established in the Department of Meurthe-etMoselle on June 9, 1919, although the organization of such unions was
not authorized by law until 1920. The law of July 12, 1921, covered the
unions in detail and empowered them in certain cases to intervene in
the yearly plans of construction work as worked out by their mem
ber cooperatives. By January 1, 1923, there were 35 unions. A further
step toward the coordination of the activities of reconstruction coop
eratives was the grouping of their unions into federations of unions.
These were an important organizational link in dealing with the Pro
vincial governments.
The organization at the top of the whole cooperative reconstruction •
system was the Confédération Générale des Sociétiés Coopératives de
Reconstruction. It was organized at a conference in Paris, called on
the initiative of one of the cooperative unions on January 26, 1921. It
came into existence on March 1 of the same year, and was recognized
by the law of March 31, 1922. The organization had for its tasks the
coordination of the activities of the unions and their federations; work
ing out standard forms of architectural and engineering contracts, as
well as negotiating with the central organizations of the architects and
engineers; organizing training courses for cooperative employees; and
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
282
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
acting as a liaison agency with the central Government. The general
federation organized periodic meetings with governmental representa
tives (the first of such conferences on August 30, 1921, was attended by
the Prime Minister) and representatives of various professional
groups. It was very active in floating cooperative loan issues. On
May 1 , 1923, the federation had in affiliation 35 cooperative unions
with 2,262 member cooperatives. These local cooperatives had a com
bined membership of 162,000 individuals.
Accomplishments of Reconstruction Cooperatives
Of 4,808 communes in the battle area in France, it was estimated
that 1,030 were destroyed completely during the first World War, 1,235
were half destroyed, and 2,169 suffered some damage. Reconstruction
cooperatives were active in 2,762 of these 4,434 communes. In the
Department of the Marne, reconstruction cooperatives functioned in
258 of the 268 communes. The accompanying table shows the extent
of the reconstruction cooperatives on May 1, 1923, in 10 Departments
of France.
Reconstruction Cooperatives in 10 Departments in France, as of M a y 1, 1923
Department
All D ep a rtm en ts-......................................- Aisne___________________ _______
Ardennes . _ ___________ M arn e-., ____
______
Meurthe-et-M oselle_______
M euse__
_____
Nord_ - _ - _ ___
Oise._ _ _ _ _
Pas-de-Calais ______________ ______ _________
Somme_________ __________ - - - - - ____
Vosges____________ - - - - -
of
Number of Number
cooper
cooper
ative
atives
unions
Member
ship
Funds of
cooperatives
Francs
2,170
35
156, 756
3, 568,000,000
443
158
140
203
237
260
94
296
316
23
6
3
2
3
5
8
2
i
4
1
34, 335
9,150
11,626
11,697
11,314
29,435
4,146
32,052
11, 774
1,227
919.000.
250.000.
374.000.
200.000.
218,000,000
460.000.
150.000.
671.000.
305.000.
21,000.000
It is estimated that about 27 percent of all repair work and 58
percent of new construction were done in the devastated regions of
France through reconstruction cooperatives. In the case of repairs
the proportions ranged from 3 percent in the Department of Vosges
to 79 percent in Meurthe-et-Moselle. In the case of new construc
tion, the percentages were higher, and ranged from 35 percent (Nord)
to 76 percent (Meurthe-et-Moselle). An estimated 50 percent of all
reconstruction work in the devastated regions of France was done
by cooperatives. It is stated that the city of Rheims, where there
were only 15 houses left intact by the end of 1918 (out of 14,000
standing in 1914), was rebuilt mainly by cooperatives.
The total damage sustained by the members of cooperatives was
estimated at 13 billion francs. The total value of the work done by
reconstruction cooperatives had reached 5,800,372,000 francs by June
1, 1923.
Reconstruction cooperatives also participated in the program of ob
taining reparations in kind from Germany. The applications of
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
000
000
000
000
000
000
000
000
Cooperation
283
individual cooperatives in such cases were submitted through the
cooperative unions to the Commercial Service of the Confédération
Générale. The latter was expected to find a trader in Germany and
then the transaction was carried out through the regular channels of
the Commission on Reparations. These operations did not develop
to any considerable degree, however. The total value of commodities
so obtained amounted to 738 million marks by June 1922, of which
amount 534 million marks represented the value of coal delivered.
Attitude of public authorities toward reconstruction cooperatives.—
There was no lack of expressions of appreciation of the accomplish
ments of the reconstruction cooperatives by French authorities.
On December 29, 1919, M. Tardieu, Minister of Liberated Regions,
in outlining to the Senate the conditions under which the recon
struction program could be accomplished, referred to the organ
ization of cooperatives as one of the necessary conditions. Two
days earlier he had said that “each time when there was an oppor
tunity to substitute a cooperative or agricultural syndicated program
of work for efforts of the State,” he was ready “to render them all
possible facilities, help, personnel, and, if necessary, even subsidies.”
In April 1921, when a budget for liberated regions was discussed in the
French Parliament, the following statement was made by Desjardins:
“In the most seriously devastated regions, those communities which
have been glorified by the whole splendor of victory * * * can
be referred to today, thanks to cooperatives, as models for the work
of reconstruction.” 3
On February 7, 1922, Minister Reibel stated in the Chamber of
Deputies: “I have said that it was a duty of the Government to en
courage private initiative. In all Provinces this manifested itself, to
varying degrees of intensity, in an especially interesting form: through
cooperatives.” Minister Reibel, in his report to the Senate, in March
1922, stated: “Savings in terms of time and money were the results of
using cooperatives in matters pertaining to reconstruction. The
State considers it an advantage to be faced with a few hundred organ
ized societies, instead of hundreds of thousands of individual claim
ants. The majority of the houses repaired were repaired by cooper
atives; the same is the case with the agricultural business buildings.” 3
Reviewing the work of reconstruction cooperatives as a whole,
Senator Marquis G. de Lubersac wrote:
T hese are th e cooperatives to w hich num erous villages are obliged for having
risen from th e dead. T h a n k s to cooperatives a n d th e ir unions, th e S ta te was
able w ith relativ ely sm all personnel to exercise control of p a y m e n ts of com pen
sations g ran ted to ow ners who suffered because of th e w ar. T his is an acconap lish m en t of cooperatives: t h a t th e m eth o d preceded th e action. * * * I w ish
t h a t those outsiders who are so re ad y to criticize us for lack of o rg anizational
sp irit w ould get acq u ain te d a t its source w ith th a t o rgan izatio n al o rd er w hich
prevails in som e of o u r cooperative unions.
s Data are from L ’Oeuvre des Sociétés coopératives de Reconstruction dans les Régions dévastées, by
Pierre Caraud (pp. 171, 172).
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Recreation
C o m m u n ity R e c re a tio n in 1 9 4 2
THE effect of the war was felt in the organized community-recreation
service in 1942 as in every other aspect of life in the United States.
The annual report of the National Recreation Association1shows that
community-recreation services continued to provide for the normal
needs of the people, and in many cities programs were adjusted or
expanded to meet the needs of the men in the armed forces and work
ers in war industries, or special services were provided for them. The
regular recreation agencies also assumed a large share in the programs
sponsored by the local civilian-defense authorities. Recreation serv
ices for men in the armed forces were reported by 261 cities, and 271
cities had instituted such services for war workers. In 314 cities, the
recreation authorities had the major responsibility for the civiliandefense recreation program, and in 252 cities for the physical-fitness
activities.
Reports for 1942 cover the recreation services furnished to 1,075
communities, and the work of 1,167 agencies. More than 300 munici
palities included in the report for the preceding year failed to provide
information regarding their services, although it is known that in most
cases recreation work was carried on during the year. As a result the
summary figures are somewhat smaller than in 1941, but if the report
were complete, it is believed a general expansion of most services would
have been shown.
The total number of leaders paid from regular funds—26,244-—was
higher than in any previous year, in spite of heavy losses in leadership
personnel to the armed forces and other war agencies. The increase
in leadership, together with the higher amount paid in leaders’ salaries,
is explained in part by the need for replacing WPA leaders and also by
the turnover in recreation personnel during the year, requiring the
employment of additional workers. The humber of full-time yearround workers was slightly smaller than in 1941, but there was a rec
ord number of volunteer leaders enrolled in response to the widespread
demand for men and women to help with recreation programs. Near
ly 15,000 persons were serving in this capacity, while almost 17,000
volunteers were enrolled in training courses.
The same general types of activities were reported as in previous
years, active games and sports such as softball, baseball, tennis, horse
shoes, and swimming predominating, but the wartime influence was
noted in the expanding programs of gardening, first-aid classes, and
athletic and swimming badge tests.
1 Recreation (N ew York), June 1943, yearbook number.
284
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Recreation
285
Community-recreation programs are largely built around the play
grounds and indoor centers, which offer large numbers of people regu1ar opportunities for participation in recreational activities. There were
8,739 playgrounds and 4,449 buildings and centers reported in opera
tion in 1942, the total attendance of participants and spectators at
8,005 playgrounds being reported as nearly 300 million, while the
yearly attendance of participants at 3,481 buildings was more than
80 million.
The total expenditures for recreation from regular funds was
$31,372,700, which was slightly less than the expenditure in 1941. Of
this amount $20,587,895 was spent for salaries and wages, by 853
cities, the remainder being spent for land, buildings, and permanent
improvements, and for upkeep, supplies, and incidentals. For sev
eral years local recreation leaders and funds have received assistance
through emergency agencies, primarily the Works Progress Adminis
tration. The assistance from WPA was gradually withdrawn, how
ever, and by the end of 1942 few cities were receiving such assistance.
The yearbook figures show, it is stated, that on the whole, in spite
of wartime difficulties, the community-recreation movement held its
own during the first year of American participation in the war.
Special War Recreation Services
Recreation services for the armed forces are provided by the Spe
cial Services Division, A. S. F., of the United States Army, and by
the Welfare Division, Bureau of Naval Personnel, of the United States
Navy. The service for the Army formulates policies, plans, and pro
cedures for providing recreational and athletic programs, amateur and
professional dramatics, moving pictures, libraries, and other recrea
tional activities for units of the Army. This service also develops
plans for the operation and the construction of service clubs, libraries,
guest houses, theaters, and other recreation buildings. It operates
both the Army and the Overseas Motion Picture Services, and super
vises the organization, equipment, and training of officer personnel of
Special Services units for service with overseas forces. The Division
also publishes the Army newspaper, provides other news services for
camps, and operates a radio and transcription service for troops, both
in this country and overseas. Special Services units have been formed
as mobile units to service overseas troops. They are infantry units,
armed and ready for combat, but they carry their own motion-picture
equipment, a loudspeaker system for broadcasting [music, athletic
equipment, games, etc., and organize various entertainment and
educational programs.
Much the same kind of services are provided for all naval personnel,
both ashore and afloat, by the Welfare Division of the Bureau of
Naval Personnel. The Navy has drawn heavily on the communityrecreation field for its recreation officers. The staff of the recreation
office is made up of enlisted men who possess the necessary skill,
from a variety of naval ratings, and they are assigned as needed.
About half of the recreation officers serving with the naval forces
have been specially selected from the recreation field by the Bureau
of Naval Personnel. The Navy feels that the greatest need for
recreation and morale-building activities is in connection with those
forces far away from their homes and in foreign lands.
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286
Monthly Labor Review—-August 1943
Special emphasis is placed on the development and maintenance
of swimming skills—primarily to prepare for the hazards that may
lie ahead at sea. The large number of swimming pools already built
or planned for the future are not only for the recreational enjoyment
of the men but are also for definite training in the techniques involved
in survival at sea. This is particularly true in the training schools,
training stations, and other naval activities through which personnel
pass in transit to sea duty.
Other services provided for naval personnel are the library service
and the motion-picture exchange. The latter contracts with the
motion-picture industry for the best entertainment films it can
produce. These services are provided both for ships and for shore
stations.
Other Recreation Agencies
Assistance has been given in expanding and strengthening com
munity-recreation services in approximately 2,500 war-industry
localities during the past 2 years, by the Division of Recreation of
the Office of Community War Services, Federal Security Agency.
This Division is the central agency for the coordination of recre
ation services made available by the Federal Government and other
public and private agencies, to meet the needs of States and local
communities arising from the war program. A field staff of 80
representatives assists by organizing war-recreation committees in
communities where there is a military or a war-industrial impact.
During 1942, 632 new war recreation committees were established,
bringing the total number of active committees to 1,173.
Other agencies providing special recreation facilities for members
of the armed services are the American Red Cross, the United Service
Organizations, and the United Seamen’s Service, which cooperates
closely with the War Shipping Administration.
The Federal Public Housing Authority has assumed responsibility
for providing facilities where satisfactory recreation facilities are not
available or are inadequate, in connection with war housing projects,
and the Federal Works Agency has contributed substantially to the
provision of recreational facilities for men in the armed services
through the allocation of Lanham Act funds for the construction,
maintenance, and operation of recreation centers. As of April 30,
1943, total allocations of $28,884,510 of Lanham Act funds for rec
reational facilities had been approved by the President. The larger
part of this money was used for construction, but some was spent
for leasing and renovating existing buildings, and for the purchase
of equipment.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Industrial Accidents
I n d u s tr ia l I n ju r ie s in A p ril 1 9 4 3
APRIL reports from 11,546 manufacturing plants listed 26,999 dis
abling work injuries experienced by employees during the month.
The reporting plants employed nearly 6,511,300 workers, or nearly 41
percent of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ estimate of total manu
facturing employment during the month. Assuming that the report
ing establishments constitute a representative sample, the total
number of disabling injuries experienced by workers in all manufactur
ing plants of the United States during April, therefore, may be esti
mated as about 66,000.
The actual record of days lost from work because of occupational
injuries is not available. On the average, however, each disabling
injury conservatively may be expected to result in the loss of about 20
days from work. The disabling industrial injuries experienced by
manufacturing workers in April, therefore, represent the direct loss
of 1,320,000 man-days of production, without any allowance for the
continuing economic loss resulting from the many deaths included in
the totals or from the reduced productivity of those workers who
suffered permanent physical impairments. This direct loss is equiv
alent to the complete withdrawal of over 50,000 workers from their
manufacturing activities for the full month of April.
The number of fatal industrial injuries reported in April amounted
to 0.3 percent of all the disabling injuries, proportionately the same as
in March. The proportionate number of cases reported as resulting
in permanent impairments rose slightly in April to 3.1 percent of all
disabling cases, compared with 2.9 percent in March.
In general, the April industrial injury-frequency rates for particular
industries showed little change from those for March. Eleven in
dustries, however, had April frequency rates that were 5 or more
points higher than their corresponding March rates, and 10 industries
had April rates that were 5 or more points lower than their March
rates. Wide fluctuations in the monthly injury-frequency rates
cannot be considered highly indicative in evaluating safety conditions
within particular industries. The general level maintained by suc
cessive monthly rates, on the other hand, is a very pertinent measure
of the true conditions existing within an industry. The cumulative
frequency rates shown in the accompanying table reflect this level as an
average for the first 4 months of 1943.
Cumulative injury-frequency rates for the first 4 months of 1943
ranged from an average of 4.8 disabling injuries for every million
employee-hours worked in the women’s clothing industry to 70.7 in
the planing-mill industry. In two other woodworking industries,
287
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
288
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
sawmills and wooden container manufacturing, there were more than
50 disabling injuries for every million employee-hours worked. Con
crete, gypsum, and plaster products plants, enameling and galvanizing
plants, and foundries also had 4-month averages of over 40 dis
abling injuries for each million hours worked. At the other end of the
scale, there were seven industries with 4-month frequency rates indi
cating less than 10 disabling injuries per million employee-hours
worked. In the order of their frequency rates, the manufacturing
industries reporting the best records for the 4-month period were
women’s clothing, 4.8; sighting and fire-control equipment, 7.3;
rayon and allied products (chemical),7.4; radios and phonographs, 7.9;
•soap, 8.3; men’s clothing, 8.4; and cement, 8.8.
Industrial Injury-Frequency 1 Rates fo r Selected Manufacturing Industries, A p ril 1943
Compared With March 1943, With Cumulative Rates fo r 1943
April
Industry
2
Agricultural machinery and tractors _
Aircraft____________________________
Aircraft parts____ _____ ___________
Ammunition, 20 mm. and over_________
Ammunition, small arms____________
Baking_________________ _____________
Book and job printing________________
Boots and shoes, not rubber_____
Canning and preserving.. . . ____________
Carpets and rugs_______________
Cement______________________________
Chemicals, industrial_______________ """
Clothing, men’s ______________________ '
Clothing, women’s . ____ ________
Coke ovens_________________________ '*
Concrete, gypsum, and plaster products
Confectionery_______ •_________________
Construction and mining machinery
Corrugated boxes___________________
Cotton goods_______________________
Cutlery and edge tools_________
Druggist preparations_______________ I...
Dyeing and finishing___________________
Electrical equipment and supplies______
Enameling, galvanizing, etc_______
Explosives__________________________"
Fabricated structural steel____________
Fiber boxes.________ ____________
Folding boxes_______________
Food-products machinery___________
Forgings, iron and steel_____
Foundries, iron and steel_____________
Furniture, except metal____________
Furniture, metal___________________ ; ^
General industrial m achinery..
Glass_______________________________ “
Guns and related equipment_____
Hardware__________________
Iron and steel______________
Knit g o o d s...______ __________
I
Leather___________ _________________
Metalworking machinery_________
Motor veh icles..___________________
Motor-vehicle parts_______________""
Nonferrous-metal products_________
Paints and varnishes__________
Paper...... .....................................
Paper and pulp (integrated)........ . ’ ” 1
Petroleum refining________________
Planing mills___ _____ __________” 111111
Plate fabrication and boiler-shop products
Plumbers’ supplies______ ______________
See fo o tn o tes a t end of table.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Number
of estab
lishments
Frequency
rate 3
54
32
151
325
18
15
30
314
58
10
90
231
518
362
21
135
9
102
95
126
30
47
51
578
16
36
107
39
102
24
144
601
65
24
738
29
148
43
247
58
21
712
129
55
386
69
220
76
207
30
52
24
10
22
16.8
9.9
24.7
26.9
14.1
19.1
15.2
16.7
24.3
11.0
7.3
17.9
7.9
5.2
24.6
39.6
18.8
34.1
38.5
15.1
23.8
27.1
23. 1
10.2
50.7
5.4
37.9
34.7
25.3
32.0
40.6
44.5
30.3
37.7
23.3
19.6
18.4
24.1
9.9
10.9
25.2
20.0
16.1
22.9
24.3
26.2
32.4
24.6
11.6
57.4
41.8
19.1
23.5
37.8
March
frequency
rate 3
15.8
8.4
15.9
33.1
27.3
20.3
12.7
12.9
13.2
11.0
7.5
23.8
9.3
3.6
11.6
40.5
22.9
32.9
48.9
16.6
23.2
23.3
18.9
11.1
43.3
8.2
28.0
23.5
24.6
25.3
37.6
43.1
26.1
(‘)
25.7
18.1
19.2
21.3
9.7
12.3
27.3
20.8
17.3
26.4
23.0
24.1
35.4
25.3
11.8
80.5
«
18.2
24.8
«
1943 cu
mulative
frequency
rate
15.9
10.8
20.1
29.2
20.2
18.2
13.7
14.0
18.9
14.3
8.8
17.4
8.4
4.8
20.5
47.7
17.8
31.5
39.7
14.6
20.9
21.9
20.3
10.9
47.2
10.3
31.8
28.2
22.4
32.1
37.9
42.9
28.5
33.5
24.1
17.6
17.5
22.9
10.2
11.9
24.3
20.2
15.5
23.9
24.5
23.1
31.8
24.8
12.3
70.7
«
17.9
21.5
31.3
Industrial Accidents
289
Industrial Injury-Frequency 1Rates fo r Selected Manufacturing Industries, A p ril 1943
Compared With March 1943, With Cumulative Rates fo r 1943—Continued
April
Industry 2
Radios and phonographs______
Railroad equipment______ _____
Rayon and allied products (chem ical)-Rubber boots and shoes_______ ____
Rubber tires_________________ _____
Sawmills__________________
Set-up boxes___________________
S h ip b u ild in g .________________
Sighting and fire-control equipment____„ _______
Slaughtering and meat packing_______
_____
Small arms__________ _____ _____
Smelting and refining (nonferrous). _ _____ ______
S o a p .._______ _________________ ______
Stamped and pressed metal products________________
Steam fittings and apparatus_________ ______
Stovas and furnaces, not electric____ ______ _____
Tanks, military____________ _ _____ . _
Tank parts, military______ ________ _
.
Textile machinery_______________ . .
Tin cans and other tinware,_____ __ _______
Tools, except edge tools_________ ________
Wire and wire products_____
_____ _
Wooden containers_______ _________ .
Woolen goods________ . ____________
Number
of estab
lishments
Frequency
rate 3
192
35
14
11
28
33
259
183
33
210
49
162
14
305
67
58
23
45
15
43
64
147
43
151
7.1
15.6
6.6
12.3
15.1
65.6
18.2
30.9
6.0
31.6
10.8
25.6
9.9
30.2
29.0
38.4
16.1
28.7
18.7
19.2
19.3
25.3
47.7
17.5
March
frequency
rate 3
7.5
20.7
8.3
18.0
14.9
67.3
17.2
30.2
6.1
35.6
11.1
25.9
6.6
30.8
38.0
33.2
10.1
21.4
12.5
24.9
16.8
22.8
53.7
18.4
1943 cu
mulative
frequency
rate
7.9
19.9
7.4
14.2
13.4
64.3
16.5
30.2
7.3
37.0
10.1
26.9
8.3
32.5
33.5
35.4
10.6
21.6
13.7
19.6
20.0
22.8
53.1
18.3
1 The frequency rate represents the average number of disabling industrial injuries for each million
employee-hours worked.
2 A few industries have been omitted from this table because the coverage for the month did not amount
to 1,000,000 or more employee-hours worked.
3 Computed from all reports received for each month. N ot based on identical plants in the 2 months.
4 N ot available.
541188- 43-
-7
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Industrial Disputes
S trik e s in J u n e 1 9 4 3
PRELIMINARY strike estimates for June 1943 show that about
950,000 workers were involved in new strikes, with 4,750,000 mandays of idleness during all strikes. This idleness is approximately 0.6
percent of the available working time throughout industry.
About 85 percent of the total workers involved and about 90 percent
of total June idleness was due to the two general coal-mining stoppages.
A detailed account of these stoppages appears in the article following.
Idleness during all except coal strikes amounted to about 0.06 percent
of available working time, or about the same ratio as in 1942 and the
early months of 1943.
Strikes in First 6 Months of 1943, With Comparative Figures fo r June in EarlierYears 1
Strikes beginning in month
Man-days idle during
month (all strikes)
M onth and year
Number
Workers
involved
Number
19439
January.-, _______ ___________________
February_______________________________
March-- __________ - ______ . _______
April________ _________________________
M ay___________________________________
June___________________________________
195
210
260
395
395
400
90,000
42,000
72,000
200,000
620,000
950,000
450,000
170,000
230,000
675,000
1,275,000
4, 750.000
June 1942____________________________ __
June 1941______________ _______________ _
June average, 1935-39______ _________ . _____
345
357
290
109, 611
142, 689
101,832
!
586,408
1, 504,056
1,893,299
Percent of
available
working time
0.06
.02
.03
.08
. 16
.60
.09
.24
(2)
1 Figures for 1943 are not final but subject to change as later information is received. All figures exclude
strikes lasting less than 1 working day (or shift) and those involving fewer than 6 workers.
2 Not available.
T h e C oal D is p u te s o f 1 9 4 3
THE 2-year employer-union contracts in the bituminous-coal mining
industry expired March 31, 1943, and in the anthracite industry,
April 30, 1943. The work stoppages which occurred in connection
with negotiating new agreements presented some extremely perplexing
problems to a nation at war and resulted in some far-reaching effects
on industry and on the status of organized labor in general.
290
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Industrial Disputes
291
Recent Collective Bargaining
Since the latter part of 1933, the United Mine Workers of America
has had almost industry-wide collective bargaining in the country’s
coal mines. The basis for the various district union contracts in the
bituminous industry has been the Appalachian Agreement,1 a master
contract embodying certain basic terms which are adopted with minor
variations in the various districts. The first Appalachian Agreement,
signed in September 1933, gave the miners a 5-day, 40-hour week
with basic day rates of $4.60 in the Northern territory and $4.20 in the
Southern territory. In April 1934 a new contract provided for a
7-hour day, 35-hour week and raised basic wages to $5.00 a day in the
North and $4.60 in the South. The next agreement signed in the fall
of 1935 provided a basic rate of $5.50 in the North and $5.10 in the
South. The agreement signed in April 1937 retained the 35-hour
week, established payment of time and a half for overtime and raised
basic wages to $6.00 a day in the North and $5.60 in the South.
After a strike in the spring of 1939 an agreement was signed in May
establishing union-shop conditions in most of the independent mines.
Another strike in the spring of 1941 resulted in a 2-year agreement
which eliminated the North-South differentials in wages and increased
the basic wage to $7.00 a day. A strike in the fall of 1941 in the
captive mines (those owned by steel companies) resulted in the
extension of the union shop to these mines.2
The union agreement in the anthracite industry is based on the
award of the Anthracite Coal Strike Commission in 1903 and subse
quent agreements which modify or supplement the award, and rulings
and decisions of the Anthracite Board of Conciliation. In 1936 a
7- hour day and 5-day week was established in place of the previous
8- hour day and 6-day week, although no change was made in the
daily wage. The 1939 agreement provided for the union shop.
Although no general wage rate changes were made between 1923 and
1941, the Board of Conciliation had made adjustments from time to
time in individual rates at the different collieries. The 1941 agree
ment provided an immediate increase of 7K percent and an additional
10 percent on October 1, 1941. In 1941 both the anthracite and
bitummous-coal workers were granted a paid vacation for the first time
The 1943 Negotiations
Negotiations for a new agreement in the bituminous-coal industry
were started on March 10. They were carried on with two different
groups, the Operators Negotiating Committee, Appalachian Joint
Conference, representing the Northern operators, and the Southern
Appalachian Joint Conference, representing coal operators in southern
West Virginia, Virginia, eastern Kentucky, and Tennessee. The
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Maryland, West Virginia, eastern
rr „
new ooara ana m e ODjeenon oi tne Uniti
disnnte^°r^erS
presldent toward appearing before this Board was a major factor in the recent coal-mini:
l-mining
dispute.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
292
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
union presented a number of demands, the most important of which
were a basic wage increase of $2.00 per day; an annual 6-day work
week guaranty; portal-to-portal pay, that is, pay for all time spent
in the mines, going to and from the actual place of work; contract
coverage for foremen and other supervisory employees except mine
superintendents;3 double time for Sunday work; increase in the
vacation bonus; and shift of the cost of equipment and tools to the
employer.
As the expiration date of the contract approached and there was no
agreement on any of the issues, the President requested, and the parties
agreed that the terms of the existing contract be extended for 30 days
with the understanding that any future adjustment would be retroactive
to April 1. After several weeks’ efforts to obtain a settlement, the
Secretary of Labor, on the recommendation of the Director of the
United States Conciliation Service, certified the dispute to the War
Labor Board, which called a meeting on April 24. The representatives
of the operators appeared but none from the United Mine Workers.
During the month of April there had been a number of scattered
strikes in the industry and on April 26 the War Labor Board called
upon the union to terminate these strikes so that negotiations could
proceed without interruption.r On the same day the Board appointed
a tripartite panel to conduct hearings and make recommendations.
When the United Mine Workers refused to make nominations for their
representatives on this panel, the Board appointed the President of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen. The United
Mine Workers’ officials failed to appear at the panel hearings. As
strikes continued, the War Labor Board referred the case to the
President in line with its policy of refusing to continue considera
tion of a case while any workers or companies involved are inter
fering with war production.
During the month of April negotiations had been in progress, also,
between the union and operators of anthracite mines, the principal
issues being about the 'same as in the bituminous-coal case. After a
month of unsuccessful negotiations, the Secretary of Labor, on April
30, certified the anthracite dispute to the War Labor Board.
On April 29 President Roosevelt ordered all striking miners to be
back to work by 10 a. m. May 1, pointing out the vital need for
uninterrupted production and asserted that upon failure of the miners
to resume work he would use his powers as Commander-in-Chief of the
Armed Forces to prevent further interruptions. On the morning of
May 1, mine operations in the anthracite and Appalachian areas and
in some of the Middle Western States came to a virtual halt with more
than 325,000 bituminous-coal miners and about 75,000 anthracite
miners stopping work. By agreement between the companies and
union, maintenance workers continued on duty to take care of the
machinery and guard against floods, fires, and other hazards in the pits.
In the Western States the district officers had agreed not to stop pro
duction without a 5-day notice, and production continued in these dis
tricts except in a few scattered mines.
When the 10 a. m. deadline passed onTMay 1, with”the miners still
idle, the President ordered the Secretary of the Interior, who was also
Administrator of Solid Fuels, to take over and operate all coal mines
3
This was later dropped after the National Labor Relations Board in another case (Maryland Dry-Dock
Co., M ay 21, 1943) declined to recognize units of supervisory employees as appropriate for collective bar
gaining.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Industrial Disputes
293
in the name of the United States Government. The Secretary imme
diately appointed the existing managers of the mines as operating
managers for the Government and issued orders to hoist the United
States flag at each mine, thus signifying that the mine was under
Government control.
On the evening of Sunday, May 2, the President in a Nation-wide
radio address explained the Government action and appealed to the
idle miners to resume work the next morning. The same evening
John L. Lewis, president of the United Mine Workers, announced a
15-day “truce” and ordered the miners back to work. Full production
under Government operation of the mines was resumed by May 4th
and the National War Labor Board panel proceeded with its hearing
on both the bituminous-coal and anthracite cases. The union
officials, however, attended none of the hearings. The Board there
upon instructed the operators not to continue with collective bargain
ing until both parties were ready to proceed under the auspices and
instructions of the Board. The day before the expiration of the
“truce” union officials, in response to a request of the Secretary of
Interior, agreed to have the miners continue work through May 31.
On May 25 the War Labor Board announced that under the wagestabilization policy of the Government it could not grant the $2-a-day
increase. The order also denied the 52-week, 6-day work-week
guaranty, double time for Sunday, and some other demands. The
order granted an increase in the vacation bonus from $20 to $50, and
specified that safety equipment and working tools should be furnished
by the operators. With respect to portal-to-portal pay, the Board
directed the parties to undertake to reach a settlement themselves
and to report back to the Board within 15 days. Labor members
of the Board dissented from that part of the order denying the $2-aday increase.
The miners refused to accept these terms and on June 1 the Labor
Board’s order to continue operations was again ignored and coal pro
duction was again halted. On June 3, President Roosevelt instructed
the Secretary of Interior to reopen the mines and order the miners to
return to work on Monday, June 7. Union officials thereupon
authorized resumption of work but for a temporary period only—
until June 20.
During this interval there were additional threats of stoppages
following the announcement by the Secretary of Interior that a fine
of $1 per day, as provided in the old contracts as a penalty for strik
ing, would be levied on the bituminous-coal miners who had refused
to work on May 1 and 3. There was immediate objection from the
miners and union leaders who claimed that the agreements had expired
and hence there was no authority for the Secretary’s levying of fines.
The Secretary maintained that all actions taken by the Federal Govern
ment had been predicated on the agreements’ being in force, since they
had been extended by Governmental authority. The next day, how
ever, the Secretary announced that the question of fines should be
settled in each locality through the regular grievance machinery pro
vided in the agreements.
Hearings were begun by the War Labor Board on June 11 on the
portal-to-portal issue and again the United Mine Workers’ representa
tives failed to appear. On June 18 the War Labor Board (labor
members dissenting) issued its decision denying the portal-to
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
294
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
portal pay but stating that the miners were “free to press their de
mand before the Administrator of the Fair Labor Standards Act and in
the Federal Courts, and the operators retain their rights to seek per
tinent administrative and court rulings.” The Board’s decision
reaffirmed its order of May 25 and further outlined provisions of
contracts to be executed by the parties, effective until March 31,
1945, including the clause “For the duration of the war no strike shall
either be called or maintained hereunder.”
tt VP°nATlease °f the Board’s decision, the policy committee of the
United Mine Workers issued a statement that there had been “bad
faith and political maneuvering” throughout the negotiations and
that the union would refuse to sign the 2-year, no-strike agreement.
Most of the miners, for the third time, ceased work. However, on
June 23 the union issued a back-to-work order to its members* to
continue in effect until October 31, 1943. The union stated that the
order was predicated on operation of the mines by the United States
Government and would automatically terminate should the mines be
turned back to the operators.
The order of the union officials to go back to work at the old rates
of pay was not fully accepted by the miners, many locals rejecting the
order and remaining on strike. On June 24 President Roosevelt
issued a statement that although the large proportion of American
workers had kept their no-strike pledge, the United Mine Workers
and its leaders were creating an intolerable situation for a nation at
J ar- He said that the Government did not accept the October 31
deadline, that the Government was making no promise to alter the
War Labor Board’s decision, and that “for the present” the mines
would continue to be operated by the Government.
Meanwhile the continued stoppages in the mines were having their
effect in Congress where an “anti-strike” bill was passed on June 14.4
The President vetoed the bill on June 25, but within a few hours both
Houses of Congress passed the bill over his veto.
A majority of the mines gradually resumed work during the last
week of June but a number of mines remained idle as late as the middle
04
The various stoppages, which occurred during April, May,
and June and continued into July, caused approximately 6,000,000
man-days of idleness in the coal industry. About 700,000 man-days
of idleness resulted from the general stoppage on May 1 and 3; over
2 000,000 from the 5-day general stoppage beginning June 1; and
about 2,500,000 during the prolonged stoppage beginning June 21.
The numerous scattered stoppages caused a total idleness of nearly
one-half million man-days.
The effect of these stoppages of work on coal production was
considerable. Normally, about 1,350,000 tons of anthracite and
12,000,000 tons of bituminous coal would have been mined each week
during this period. As a result of the various stoppages, there was
a total loss in production of about 3,500,000 tons of anthracite and
21,750,000 tons of bituminous coal.
4 For the terms of this act, the Connally-Smith “War Labor Disputes A ct,” see p. 305 of this issue.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Industrial Disputes
295
A c tiv itie s o f th e U n ite d S tates C o n c ilia tio n S erv ice,
Ju n e 1943
THE United States Conciliation Service, during June, disposed of
2,200 situations involving 1,309,253 workers (table 1). The services
of this agency were requested by the employers, employees, and other
interested parties. Of these situations 253 were strikes and lock
outs involving 107,002 workers; 1,125 were threatened strikes and
controversies involving 418,554 workers. During the month 437
disputes were certified to the National War Labor Board, and in 62
cases other agencies assumed jurisdiction. The remaining 323 situa
tions included investigations, arbitrations, requests for information,
consultations, etc.
T a b l e 1 .— Situations Disposed of by United States Conciliation Service, June 1943, by
Type of Situation
Type of situation
Number
Workers
involved
All situations handled__________________ ___________
» 2,200
1,309, 253
D isputes....................................................................................
Strikes_______ _____ _____________________ _____
Threatened strikes.__________ __________________
Lockouts______________________________ _______
C ontroversies...________ _______ _______________ ___
1,378
245
176
8
949
525,556
101,844
66,097
5,158
352,457
Other situ a tio n s_________ ____ ____________________
Investigations___ ________ _____________________
Technical services________:______ ______ _________
Arbitrations_________ ___________ _____________
Requests to conduct consent elections___________
Requests for verification of union membership____
Requests for information___ ____ _______________
Consultations_________________________________
Special services of Commissioners____ ____ ______
Complaints___________________________________
323
56
22
135
6
1
10
52
29
12
70,688
5, 272
28,036
34,028
619
522
21
1.58
1,987
45
Disputes referred to other agencies during negotiations.
To National War Labor Board_____________ ____
To National Labor Relations B o a rd ................. .......
To other Federal agencies............. ............................
To Wage Adjustment Board____________________
To nongovernmental agencies....................... ............
To State agencies__________ ____ ______________
499
437
32
9
5
10
6
713,009
689,688
6,566
2, 793
5,271
7,002
1,689
’i During’the month 115 cases involving 71,336 workers were adjusted subject to hearings 'officer or arbi
tration? procedure with the hearings officer or arbiter to be selected by the National War Labor Board.
The facilities of the Service were used in 28 major industrial fields,
such as building trades, and the manufacture of foods, iron and steel,
textiles, etc. (table 2), and were utilized by employees and employers
in 48 States, Alaska, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, and Puerto
Rico (table 3).
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
296
Monthly Labor Review—-August 1943
T a b l e 2 . — Situations Disposed of by United States Conciliation Service, June 1943, by
Industries
Disputes
Other situations
Total
Industry
N um
ber
Workers
involved
All industries................... ................ ................
1,877
1,238, 565
Agriculture. _________ _____________
Building trades________________________
Chemicals_____________________ .
Communications_________ _______ ______
Domestic and personal ________________
Electrical equipment___________________
4
59
69
10
73
35
3,456
35i 295
31, 328
4, 227
14,278
21,193
Food___________ _____________ ___ ___
Furniture and finished lumber_________
Iron and steel____ ___________________
Leather____ _______________ ____
Lumber___ _ ______________
Machinery___________ _______
200
105
279
45
69
103
54,743
31, 206
140, 537
15, 238
15, 312
79,023
Maritime______________
M ining_________________________
Motion pictures. _____________________
Nonferrous m etals_______________ ____
Paper_______________________ .
Petroleum_________________ __________
8
9
2
59
25
36
3,019
lj 618
345
28, 294
3, 752
9,478
Printing______________________________
Professional___________________ ____ .
Rubber.
________ ____
Stone, clay, and glass__________________
Textile________ ________________ _____
Tobacco________________________
48
7
19
69
87
8
T ra d e _______________________________
Transportation_________________
Transportation equipment______________
U tilities___________________ ____
Unclassified_________________ ____ _____
104
114
141
21
69
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
N um
ber
323
Workers
involved
70,688
N um
ber
Workers
involved
2,200
1,309,253
4
8 450
44’ 805
31,680
4, 227
15,153
23,028
17
8
9,510
352
10
11
875
1,835
76
77
10
83
46
29
5
42
20
6
15
3,131
367
9,693
1,337
1,079
665
229
110
321
65
75
118
57,874
31, 573
150,230
16,575
16,391
79,688
8
1
200
10
14
6
8
684
204
1, 518
31
44
2 019
L8i8
245
28,978
3,956
10,996
6,660
1,762
8,265
25,520
38, 314
11,363
4
1
7
14
29
242
1
3, 224
895
1,064
52
8
26
83
116
8
6,902
1,763
11,489
26,415
39,378
11 302
7,567
112, 571
488, 738
12,334
33,129
12
14
26
4
20
1,701
2,240
27,906
67
1,898
116
128
167
25
89
9,268
114,811
516,644
12,401
35,027
2
73
Industrial Disputes
297
T a b l e 3 . — Situations Disposed of by United States Conciliation Service, June 1943, by
States
Disputes
States
N um
ber
Workers
involved
Other situations
N um
ber
Workers
involved
Total
N um
ber
Workers
involved
1,877
1,238,565
323
70,688
2,200
1,309,253
Alabama___________ ____ _ - , ---------.................................. -Alaska_______
Arizona
_______________
Arkansas______________________________
California______ , ---------------------------Colorado
- _________________
Connecticut------ ------ -- ------------- ------Delaware______— , , --------- ------- -
31
3
10
7
124
12
26
4
4,952
393
2,666
1,735
101,132
771
21,114
5,137
4
1
229
54
4
13
265
1, 001
5
1
278
15
35
4
10
11
137
12
31
5
5,181
447
2,666
2,000
102,133
771
21,392
5,152
District of Columbia___________________
Florida--------------------- — ----------------Georgia----------------------------------------------Hawaii
. .. .
.
__
Idaho________ , ____________________
Illinois----- ---------------- -------------------------Indiana___ , --------- ------ --------------Iowa_____ ___________________________
13
13
15
1
3
215
62
39
2,779
10,173
3,083
117
1,058
123,355
15,421
8,024
3
2
11
413
60
761
1
23
15
4
5
2,187
2,600
134
16
15
26
1
4
238
77
43
3.192
10,233
3, 844
117
1.063
125, 542
18,021
8,158
Kansas--------------------- -----------------------K entucky___ _
----- - - ------------Louisiana----------- --------- ---------------------M aine________ - . __________
______
M a ry la n d ___ - - _________ - ------------M a s s a c h u s e tts -._____________________
M ichigan.-- ______ - ---------- ----------Minnesota - ________________ - ---------M ississip p i___ ___________ ________
14
10
22
4
17
47
147
42
2
6,125
2,209
17,604
1,965
91,592
49,112
301,340
8,280
75
3
5
7
1
2
19
42
2
1
256
291
170
2
6
3,907
3,885
260
2
17
15
29
5
19
66
189
44
3
6,381
2,500
17,774
1,967
91,598
53,019
305,225
8. 540
77
Missouri_________________________ ____
M ontana____ _ _ ___ _______ _________
Nebraska___________________ _______
Nevada
___________ _________
N ew Hampshire_______________________
N ew Jersey____________________________
N ew Mexico
_______________
N ew York___________ . - - - - ___
North Carolina__________ ______ - ...........-
92
13
14
4
6
77
2
158
20
31, 735
2,299
3,611
2,742
735
57,873
430
60, 593
- 13,883
5
132
4
11
526
24,651
16
3
1,160
710
97
13
14
4
10
88
2
174
23
31,867
2,299
611
2,742
1, 261
82.524
430
61,753
14, 593
North Dakota ________ _
_______ Ohio________________ ________________
Oklahoma__________ - _______________
Oregon_______________________________
Pennsylvania..- __________ ___________
Puerto Rico_________________ ____
Rhode Island_________ ________- - South Carolina.. ____________ _ ______
South Dakota____________ ___ _______
2
150
9
46
137
6
8
5
1
76
77,591
762
13,829
78, 533
3,399
7,349
1,127
18
33
6
1
27
1
2,869
204
4
17,385
1
5
23
2
183
15
47
164
7
8
10
1
76
80,460
966
13,833
95,918
3,400
7,349
1)150
18
Tennessee______________________ - - Texas_________ _______________________
U ta h ., _____________ ___________
Vermont_________ ____ __ ___ ___ __
Virginia_____________ ________________
W a s h in g t o n .________________________
West Virginia_________________________
Wisconsin------------------------------------------Wyoming—
__________ ___________
31
35
5
1
16
50
28
76
2
5,594
42,193
900
234
6,832
18, 296
7,559
20, 111
49
7
8
302
941
5
7
5
10
95
939
652
3, 313
38
43
5
1
21
57
33
86
2
5,896
43,134
900
234
6,927
19,235
8, 211
23,424
49
Ail S tates,.___________________________
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Cost o f Living
C ost o f L iv in g in L a rg e C itie s, J u n e 1 9 4 3
WITH other living costs relatively stable, a drop in fresh vegetable
and butter prices cut the cost of living for city workers by 0.2 percent
m the month ending June 15—the first reduction since a year before
Pearl Harbor. This small decrease compares with increases of 0.8
percent for the month ending May 15, 1.1 percent in the month ending
April 15, and 1.5 percent for the month ending March 15.
Potatoes dropped 9 percent in price, as contrasted with a usual slight
rise at this time of the year. Fresh vegetables as a group showed morethan-seasonal declines of 8 to 13 percent from their previous abnormal
levels, as new crops came onto the market and as victory gardens
began to produce. Butter dropped about 5 cents a pound to a
national average of 50.5 cents a pound, under the subsidy program.
Butter and potatoes together make up about 9 percent of the cost of
food and about 4 percent of the total cost of living in the monthly
index compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Victory gardens will affect the level of the cost-of-living index onlv
as they lower commercial prices; the index can take no account of the
drop m food costs during the summer for many millions of families
who grow their own vegetables, nor can it reflect the added effort and
inconvenience of wartime living. It is designed simply to measure
changes in retail prices of goods and services currently purchased by
families of city wage earners and clerical workers.
Food prices as a whole, making up over 40 percent of the index
declined 0.8 percent because of lower prices for fresh vegetables and
butter Prices of canned fruits and vegetables declined 0.5 percent
as a/t^ established local dollar-and-cent ceilings in many large cities
in May. Eggs, apples, and oranges showed the chief increases,
because of seasonal reductions in supply. Prices of meats were
generally unchanged, slight increases for beef, lamb, and fish being
balanced by slight decreases 1for# pork and chickens. Most costs,
making up the other 60 percent of the index, remained fairly stable.
Declines ranging from less than 1 percent to almost 12 percent were
reported for rayon hose; and there were increases in the cost of cotton
underwear and pajamas because of the disappearance of lower-priced
lines. Prices of summer clothing were higher than in June 1942.
Men s shirts made in accordance with WPB limitation orders came
onto the market at slightly below the May 1943 price.
The cost of miscellaneous goods and services, such as medical care,
movies, and beauty- and barber-shop services, continued to increase.
Automobile collision-insurance premiums were reduced because of the
increasing age of cars on the road.
298
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
299
Cost of Living
Housefurnishings, fuel prices, and utility rates were generally stable,
and rents were reported practically unchanged from the March levels.
In mid-June the whole cost-of-living index stood at 124.8 percent
of the 1935-39 average, 23.8 percent above January 1941 (base date
of the “Little Steel” formula) and 7.6 percent above May 1942 when
the OPA initiated retail-price control. Food prices, however, were
45 percent above January 1941 and more than 16 percent above
May 1942.
T a b l e 1. — Indexes oj Cost of Living in Large Cities on June 15, 1943, and Previous Dates
Indexes 1 (1935-39=100) of cost of—
Date
All items
98.6
100.8
116.0
116.4
117.8
125.1
124.8
1939: August 15___________ _ 1941: January 15.............. ............
1942: M ay 15________________
June 15________________
September 15_____ ____
1943: M ay 15.______ _________
June 15_____________ . . .
Clothing
Food
Rent
100.3
100.7
126.2
125.3
125.8
127.9
127.9
93.5
97.8
121.6
123.2
126.6
143.0
141.9
HouseFuel,
electricity furnish
ings
and ice
104.3
105.0
109.9
108.5
108.0
108.0
108.0
97.5
100.8
104.9
105.0
106.2
107.6
107.7
M is
cella
neous
100.4
101.9
110.9
110.9
111.4
115.3
115.7
100.6
100.1
122.2
122.3
123.6
125.1
125.4
1 Based on changes in cost of goods purchased by wage earners and lower-salaried workers in large cities.
T a b l e 2 . — Percent o f Change 1in Cost of Living in Large Cities in Specified Periods
All
items
Food
Cloth
ing
Rent
Fuel,
electric
ity, and
ice
Housefurnish
ings
-0 .2
M ay 15, 1943, to June 15, 1943 _________
+ 5 .9
Sept. 15, 1942, to June 15, 1943_____
June 15, 1942, to June 15, 1943-*_______ _ + 7 .2
+ 7 .6
M ay 15', 1942, to June 15, 1943__________
Jan.” 15,1941, to June 15, 1943___________ +23.8
Aug. 15, 1939, to June 15, 1943_____ ____ +26.6
-0 .8
+12.1
+15.2
+16.7
+45.1
+51.8
0
+ 1 .7
+ 2.1
+ 1 .3
+27.0
+27.5
0
0
- 0 .5
- 1 .7
+ 2 .9
+ 3 .5
+ 0.1
+ 1.4
+ 2 .6
+ 2 .7
+ 6 .8
+10.5
+ 0 .2
+ 1 .5
+ 2.5
+ 2 .6
+25.3
+24.7
Period
M is
cella
neous
+ 0 .3
+ 3 .?
+ 4 .3
+ 4 .3
+13. 5
+15.2
i Based on changes in the cost of goods purchased by wage earners and lower-salaried workers in large cities.
T a b l e 3 . — Percent of Change 1 in Cost of Limng Between M ay 15, 1943, and June 15,
1943, by Cities
City
All items
Average: Large cities-------------N ew England:
Boston......................... ...........
M anchester____
______
Portland, M aine_________
M iddle Atlantic:
Buffalo.------------------- -- New York_____________ Philadelphia_____________
Pittsburgh_______________
Scranton________ _____
East North Central:
C hicago.................................
Cincinnati...............................
Cleveland-----------------------Detroit_________________
Indianapolis-------------------M ilw aukee--------------------W est North Central:
Kansas C ity-------------------Minneapolis_____ ________
St. Louis................. ...............
See fo o tn o tes a t end of tab le.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Food
Clothing
Fuel, elec Housefurnish
tricity,
ings
and ice
Miscel
laneous
+0.
0
+ 0.1
+ 0 .2
0
0
0
- .1
+ .3
0
0
0
+ .1
0
0
+ .1
+ .3
+ .4
+ .4
0
0
-.2
+ .3
-.1
0
0
+ .2
-.2
-.2
+ .1
0
0
0
0
+ .1
+• 1
0
0
0
-.1
-.2
-. 1
+ 1 .9
-.1
+ .2
+ .5
+ .1
+ .1
+ .1
-.1
0
+ .4
0
0
-0 .2
2 - 0 .8
-.4
-.9
+ .8
+ .2
- 0 .2
0
0
-.8
-.3
-.8
0
0
- 1 .8
- 1 .3
-1 .7
- .1
- 2 .6
+ 0.1
+ .2
-.2
+• 2
-.3
+ .4
+ .9
- .4
0
0
-.8
+ .7
+ 2 .2
-1 .3
+ •1
-2 .3
-.5
+ .1
-.3
- 1 .4
-.6
- 1 .0
0
0
Rent
0
0
+•
0
0
+1.
0
0
0
+■
+.
+•
+•
+ .i
+ .2
+• 1
+• 2
0
0
Ö
0
+ .9
+ .2
+ .1
0
+.
+.
300
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
T a b l e 3 . — Percent of Change 1 in Cost o f Living Between M a y 15, 1943, and June 15,
1943, by Cities—Continced
City
All items
South Atlantic:
A tlanta__________
Baltimore________
Jacksonville______
N o r fo lk ................
R ichm ond........... .
Savannah________
Washington, D . C_
East South Central:
Birmingham...........
M em phis________
M obile___________
W est South Central:
H ouston ......... .........
N ew Orleans_____
Mountain:
Denver.....................
Pacific:
Los Angeles______
Portland, Oreg........
San Francisco_____
Seattle___________
Food
Clothing
Rent
Fuel, elec House,
tricity, furnish
and ice
ings
(3)
-0 .1
(3)
(3)
(3)
+• 3
+ .i
+ 0 .7
- .1
+ .1
- 1 .0
- 1 .3
0
+ .1
(3)
0
(3)
(3)
«
+0.1
+ .6
(3)
- 0 .1
(3)
(3)
(3)
0
0
0
-0 .1
0
-.2
0
0
-.4
(3)
+0.1
(3)
(3)
(3)
+ .1
+ .2
+ .5
(3)
(3)
+ .9
-1 .2
- .1
+• 1
(3)
(3)
0
(3)
(3)
+ .7
-.2
+ 8 .8
+ .4
(3)
(3)
- 1 .0
(3)
- 2 .6
-.2
-.6
(3)
- .1
(3)
+ .7
-.3
+ .2
(3)
-.7
-1 .9
+ .2
-.1
-.4
+ .1
+• 4
«
+ .5
- 1 .1
+ .4
- 1 .0
+ 1 .2
-2 .5
+. 2
(3)
+ .2
-.5
Miscel
laneous
(3)
0.1
-
(3)
(3)
(3+)1 .7
-.1
+.3
')
)
+.5
(3))
+.5
+.9
(3))
-.4
0
+ .1
0
(3)
(3)
0
0
0
+ .4
0
+ .3
-.2
’ Based on changes in cipst of goods purchased by wage earners and lower-salaried workers in large cities.
2 Based on data for 56 cities.
^M onthly data not available.
T a b l e 4 . — Percent o f Change 1 in Cost o f Living in Specified Periods, by Cities
Percent of change from—
June 15,
1942, to
June 15,
1943
City
Average: Large cities______
. _
N ew England:
Boston______ _____ .
M anchester.. _
Portland, M aine____________
M iddle Atlantic:
Buffalo____ ________ .
N ew York___
Philadelphia
____
Pittsburgh________ .
Scranton____________
East North Central:
Chicago___________ ____
Cincinnati___ ______
Cleveland_________ ____ _
Detroit______________ .
Indianapolis.... ...............
M ilwaukee__________
West North Central:
Kansas C ity_____ ______
Minneapolis________ ____ .
St. Louis___________
South Atlantic:
A tlanta__ _
Baltimore. _. . .
Jacksonville___________
Norfolk________________
Richmond______________
Savannah______________
Washington, D . C ____ ____
East South Central:
Birmingham_____ _________
M em phis_______________
M obile___________ _____
W est South Central:
Houston______________
..
N ew Orleans__________
Mountain:
Denver____________________
Pacific:
Los Angeles______________________
Portland, Oreg____ ________
San Francisco___________ .
Seattle__________________ _
Aug. 15,
1939, to
June 15,
1943
Jan. 1,
1941, to
June 15,
1943
Sept. 15,
1942, to
June 15,
1943
+ 7 .2
+26.6
+23.8
+ 7 .6
+ 6 .9
+ 7 .9
+ 6 .7
+25.4
+31.4
+28.2
+22.9
+28.2
+26.4
+ 7 .4
(2)
(2)
+ 4 .8
+ 6 .9
+ 5 .5
+ 5 .7
+ 8 .4
+ 7 .7
+ 6 .8
+ 8 .1
+29.7
+25.1
+26.6
+26.9
+28.8
+25.4
+22.6
+24.8
+23.4
+24.6
+ 6.1
+ 9 .3
+ 7 .9
+ 7 .9
(2)
+ 6.1
+ 6 .4
+ 5 .9
+ 6 .3
+ 7 .3
+ 6 .7
+ 6 .4
+ 8 .1
+ 7 .0
+ 5 .9
+ 6 .1
+25.7
+27.7
+29.2
+28.7
+28.8
+26.5
+22.6
+24.8
+26.7
+25.5
+23.7
+23.7
+ 6 .5
+ 7 .2
+ 8 .8
+ 6 .7
(2)
(2)
+ 5 .8
+ 5.3
+ 8.0
+ 7.1
+ 6 .0
+ 6 .4
+ 6 .8
+ 5 .2
+ 6 .0
+23.6
+22.3
+26.0
+23.9
+19.7
+22.4
+ 6 .8
+ 5 .2
+ 6 .9
+ 6 .3
+ 4.4
+ 6 .0
+ 8 .4
+ 7 .5
+ 9 .0
+ 9 .2
+ 5 .9
+10.1
+ 7 .2
+27.8
+29.8
+32.7
+34.4
+25.1
+33.2
+25.6
+25.5
+27.2
+28.3
+30.6
+23.1
+30.5
+23.9
(2)
+ 8 .4
(3)
(2)
(2)
+ 9 .4
+ 7 .9
+ 6 .7
+ 6 .9
+ 7 .6
+ 7 .6
+ 4 .6
+ 8 .4
+ 5 .7
+ 7 .9
+ 8 .2
+ 8 .2
+28.3
+29.9
+30.1
+24.3
+27.3
+27.8
+ 6 .5
(2)
(2)
+ 6 .4
+ 6 .5
+ 6.1
+ 6 .5
+ 9 .6
+22.3
+30.0
+20.8
+27.4
+ 6 .0
(2)
+ 4 .4
+ 6 .6
+ 6 .7
+25.3
+23.5
+ 6 .8
+ 6 .5
+ 7 .0
+ 9 .2
+ 7 .5
+25.7
+30.6
+29.6
+27.7
1 Based on cost of goods purchased by wage earners and lower-salaried
1 Data not available.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
M ay 15,
1942, to
June 15,
1943
+23.2
+ 6 .9
+28.1
(2)
+26.4
+ 9 .4
+25.5
+ 5 .7
workers in large cities.
+ 5 .9
+ 5 .4
+ 3 .8
+ 4 .6
+ 6 .5
+ 4 .4
Cost of Living
301
T a b l e 5 . — Percent of Change 1 in Cost of Living Between Mar. 15, 1943, and June 15,
1943, by Cities
City
Average: Large cities _______
New England:
Boston_____________
Manchester. _. ........
......
Portland, M aine_________
M iddle Atlantic:
___________
Buffalo .
New York__ ____________
Philadelphia_______ . . . . .
Pittsburgh... __________
Scranton_________________
East North Central:
Chicago_____
. _______
Cincinnati__________ . . .
C leveland_____________ .
Detroit_______
___ __
Indianapolis_________ . . .
Milwaukee__________ . .
W est North Central:
Kansas City ___________
Minneapolis___ ______ . . .
St. Louis_______________ .
South Atlantic:
A tlanta______________ . . .
Baltim ore.. .
__ . . .
Jacksonville___________ .
N orfolk.. ___ . . . . . ____
Richmond_____________ _
Savannah._ ________ ____
Washington, D . C ________
East South Central:
Birmingham
__ _
M emphis______________ .
Mobile______ __________
W est South Central:
Houston_________________
N ew Orleans. .
______
Mountain:
Denver ________________
Pacific:
Los Angeles . .
.
____
Portland, Oreg----------------San Francisco.
.
. ..
Seattle________________ .
All items
Food
Clothing
Rent
Fuel, elec Housetricity,
furnish
and ice
ings '
Miscel
laneous
+ 1 .6
2 + 3 .3
+ 0 .2
0
+ 0.3
+ 0 .7
+ 1 .0
+ 1 .0
+ 1 .8
+ 2 .0
+ 2 .0
+ 4.1
+ 4 .6
0
0
-.2
0
0
+ 0 .2
+ .2
+ .1
0
+ •1
+ 1 .0
+ .2
+ .8
-.3
+ .9
+ 1 .1
+ 1 .5
+ 2 .0
+ 1 .9
+ 2 .6
+ 2 .8
+ 2 .5
+ 4 .3
+ 3 .7
+ 5 .5
-.2
+ .8
+• 2
+ 1 .2
+ .2
0
+ .1
0
0
-.2
-.2
+ .1
-. 1
+ .2
0
+ .1
+. 6
+ 1.0
+ 1.2
+ .8
+• 2
+ 1.6
+ .3
+ .4
+ .5
+ 1 .5
+ 1 .9
+ 2 .9
+ 2 .3
+ 2 .2
3 + 1 .7
+ 3 .0
+ 3 .0
+ 7 .2
+ 4 .3
+ 4 .1
3 + 3 .4
0
+ .2
0
0
-.2
+ .2
+ .1
0
+ .1
+ .1
+ .3
0
0
- .1
0
-.1
+ 4 .1
+ 2 .4
+ .2
+ 2.1
+ .4
+• 7
+ 1.3
+ .1
+. 6
+ 2.6
+• 3
+ 2.6
+ .9
+ .8
+ 1 .0
+ .7
+ 1 .5
+ 1 .7
+• 8
+ 3 .2
+ .7
+ .2
+ .1
+ .3
+ .2
0
0
+ 1 .9
0
+ 2.1
~K 6
+ 1 .0
+ .9
+ .8
+ .6
+ 1 .8
+ 2 .6
+ 2 .9
+ 2 .2
+ 1 .2
+ 3 .2
+2.1
+ 4 .5
+ 5 .9
+ 3 .9
+ 5 .0
+ 2 .8
+ 6 .0
+ 4 .2
+ .9
-. 1
+ 1 .0
+ .4
- .6
+ .4
+ .7
-.1
- .1
- .1
- .3
0
0
0
-.2
- .1
+ .1
-.2
0
0
4 - .3
+ .3
+ .1
+ .1
+ .5
+ .3
+ .1
+ .1
-.2
+ .5
+5.1
+ .2
+ .6
+ 3 .3
+ 2 .0
+ 2 .9
+ 1.1
+ 1 .8
+ 5 .3
+ 2 .4
+ 2 .9
+ 1 .0
+ .9
-.2
+ .5
+ .1
- .8
+ 2.0
-.2
+ 8 .8
+ 1 .5
+ .3
0
+ 2 .2
+ .3
+ .9
- .2
-.4
-1 .9
- .7
0
- .4
0
-. 1
+ .7
-.3
+ .3
0
+ 2 .2
+ .2
+ 1.4
+ 2 .8
- .4
-. 1
-.4
+ .1
+1-4
+ 1 .4
+ 1 .6
+2.1
+ .9
+ 2 .8
+ 2 .4
+ 4 .2
+ 1 .3
-. 1
+ .5
- .5
-.3
+ •1
+ .2
0
+ .5
0
+ .1
0
+ .5
+ .3
+ .9
0
+ .8
+• 9
+ 2 .0
+1.1
+ .9
1 Based on changes in cost of goods purchased by wage earners and lower-salaried workers in large cities.
2 Based on data for 56 cities.
3 Indexes for March revised: All items 120.7; food 134.2.
4 Index for March revised: 105.6.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
302
T a b l e 6. — Indexes of Cost of Living in Large Cities, by Groups, A pril, M ay, and June
1943
[Some indexes for April and M ay revised]
Indexes 1 (1935-39=100) of cost ofCity and date
All items
Average: Large cities:
Apr. 15______________
M ay 15_____________ . . .
June 15___ _____ _____ ___
Atlanta:
Apr. 15___ ___
___ _
M ay 15_________________
June 15........ - ___________
Baltimore:
Apr. 15_____________ __ .
M ay 15___________
...
June 1 5 .....
___________
Birmingham:
Apr. 15____ _____
. .
M ay 15___
. . __ _
June 15____
.
. .
Boston:
Apr. 15 ______ _
M ay 15............ ......... .
June 15____ . ............. .
Buffalo:
Apr. 15 . . .
M ay 15_____
._
____
June 15___
..
___
Chicago:
Apr. 15............. . . . _____
M ay 15____ _
. . ____
June 15______ ___ .
Cincinnati:
Apr. 15 __________ _ . . .
M ay 15______
_______ _
.
__
June 15___
Cleveland:
Apr. 15__________________
M ay 15______ _______ __
June 15_____ . _ . . .
Denver:
Apr. 15_____ . ____ ___
M ay 15______ ___________
June 15_______ . ______
Detroit:
Apr. 15__________________
M ay 15__________
_____
June 15_____
Houston:
Apr. 15___
M ay 15____ _
______
June 15___
Indianapolis:
Apr. 15_____
. ____ .
M ay 15. _______ _ ____
June 15 ........... _ ____ ___
Jacksonville:
Apr. 15________ _________
M ay 1 5 ..._______ ________
June 15_____ ________
Kansas City:
Apr. 1 5 ____________ . .
M ay 1 5 . . . ______ ___
June 15.. . . ______
. ..
Los Angeles:
Apr. 1 5 _________________
M ay 15_____________ ____
June 15 r______________
Manchester:
Apr. 1 5 _________________
M ay 15 ._ ______________
June 15_________ ______ __
Memphis:
Apr. 15_________________
M ay 15
_____________
June 15............................... .
See fo o tn o tes a t end of table.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Food
Clothing
Bent
HouseFuel,
electricity, furnish
and ice
ings
M is
cella
neous
140.6
143.0
2141.9
127.9
127.9
127.9
108.0
108.0
108.0
107.5
107.6
107.7
124.8
125.1
125.4
114.9
115.3
115.7
(3)
(»)
125.2
140.3
142.9
143.9
(3)
(3)
128.5
(?)
(3)
106.4
113.1
112.5
112.5
(3)
(3)
120.3
(3)
(3)
117.1
126.7
128.2
128.1
148.6
152.6
152.5
127.8
127.4
127.4
106.8
106.8
106.7
106.8
106.8
106.7
128.9
128.9
129.0
114.4
114.4
114.3
125.5
125.8
126.4
141.0
140.7
141.9
128.3
129.2
129.3
121.6
121.8
121.8
101.1
101.7
102.4
120.8
121.3
121.8
114.8
115.5
115.9
121.8
122.3
121.8
137.1
138.1
136.8
123.5
123.6
123.3
104.9
104.9
104.9
118.3
118.4
118.4
119.8
119.5
119.8
111.4
111.8
112.2
127.4
128.8
127.8
144.0
147.8
145.2
128.0
127.5
127.6
114.6
114.6
114.6
105.0
105.0
104.8
126.5
126.5
126.6
121.4
121.8
121.6
123.5
124.5
124.1
138.6
141.1
140.0
123.7
123.5
123.7
114.5
114.5
114.5
103.2
103.2
103.2
120.2
120.3
120.4
113.6
113.7
113.8
123.4
123.8
124.3
138.2
138.3
139.2
132.8
132.9
132.6
105.1
105.1
105.1
103.9
103.9
103.8
126.9
128.4
128.6
114.5
116.1
116.8
126.2
128.0
129.2
141.4
146.3
149.5
131.0
131.0
130.8
115.3
115.3
115.4
113.7
113.7
113.5
125.0
125.0
125.1
114.9
115.0
115.3
122.5
124.4
123.5
139.0
143.8
141.0
124.7
124.0
124.2
109.1
109.1
109.0
100.1
100.1
99.7
121.8
121.8
121.9
114.5
115.5
116.1
125.0
127.3
126.8
137.4
143.4
141.6
129.3
129.2
129.3
114.3
114.3
114.4
108.9
108.9
108.8
122.4
122.7
123.0
120.7
121.3
122.0
124.0
124.4
123.2
143.4
143.7
140.0
129.7
130.2
129.4
109.0
109.1
109.0
92.2
92.2
92.8
122.4
122.6
122.8
116.5
117.4
118.0
(3)
(3)
126.2
138.0
140.2
140.3
(3)
(3)
128.5
(8)
(3)
115.6
108.3
108.3
110.4
(3)
(3)
129.4
(3)
(3)
118.2
(3)
(3)
130.7
153.4
151.5
151.7
(3)
(3)
(3)
(3)
112.1
112.1
112.1
112.1
(3)
(3)
125.8
(3)
(3)
122.6
122.2
122.5
121.9
137.4
137.9
136.0
125.4
125.2
125.4
108.5
108.6
108.7
107.9
107.9
107.9
118.5
119.2
120.3
116.1
116.7
116.7
125.9
125.8
126.3
146.2
146.2
146.8
129.8
129.3
129.6
109.9
109.9
110.0
94.2
94.2
94.2
119.1
119.2
119.3
116.2
116.2
117.2
(3)
(3)
128.5
139.2
142.3
143.4
(3)
(3)
130.4
(3)
(8)
107.6
123.5
123.5
123.5
(3)
(3)
122.6
(3)
(3)
114.0
(3)
(3)
149.2
150.1
148.3
(3)
(3)
(3)
(3)
104.4
104.4
104.2
(3)
(3)
(3)
(3)
111.0
124.1
125.1
124.8
127.0
2
2
127.8
136.5
115.6
124.7
303
Cost of Living
T
able
6 . — Indexes of Cost of Living in Large Cities, by Groups, A pril, M ay, and June
1943—Continued
[Some indexes for April and M ay revised]
Indexes » (1935-39=100) of cost of—
City and date
All items
Milwaukee:
Apr. 15.. _______________
M ay 15
__ ____________
June 15____ . _________
Minneapolis:
Apr. 1 5 _________________
M ay 15_____ ____ _______
June 15
____________
Mobile:
Apr. 1 5 ______________ .
M ay 15. ________________
Juno 15 __________________
New Orleans:
Apr. 15 _______________
M ay 15 . _______________
June 15
- ______ _____
New York:
Apr. 15___________ ______
M ay 1 5 .. _______________
June 1 5 _________________
Norfolk:
Apr. 15 . . ____________
___________
M ay 15
June 15 ______________
Philadelphia:
Apr. 15 . _____ . ____
M ay 15_____ ____________
June 15 _____ _ ______
Pittsburgh:
Apr. 15 ________________
M ay 1 5 _________________
June 15
______________
Portland, Maine:
Apr. 15
______________
M ay 15
_____________
___________
June 15
Portland, Oreg.:
Apr. 15
_____________
M ay 15
_____________
June 15_______________ _
Richmond:
Apr. 15
- - _____
__________
M ay 15
June 15__ ._ ___________
St. Louis:
Apr. 15
______________
M ay 15 _ ___ ____ - ___
June 15 ___ ___________
San Francisco:
Apr. 15
______________
M ay 15 _____________ -June 15____________ - ___
Savannah:
Apr. 15
. _________
M ay 15 _________________
June 15 _______ _________
Scranton:
Apr. 15 . _______________
M ay 15______ ___________
.Tune 15 _________________
Seattle:
Apr. 1 5 ........... .............. .........
M ay 15
_______________
June 15 _______________
Washington, D. C.:
Apr. 15 _______________
M ay 15 ________________
June 1 5 _________________
Food
Clothing
Rent
HouseFuel,
electricity furnish
ings
and ice
M is
cella
neous
0
0
0
0
137.4
141.9
138.7
0
0
0
0
108.2
104.6
106.7
106.6
0
0
122.7
121.0
121.8
121.9
133.5
134.9
134.1
127.7
127.1
127.7
109.9
109.9
110.0
100.0
101.5
101.9
125.2
125.5
125.8
(3)
(3)
128.3
150.5
149.9
149.8
0
0
0
0
103.4
103.4
112.5
0
0
0
0
(3)
(3)
129.6
160.7
152.5
152.2
0
0
0
0
107.0
96.3
96.3
96.0
0
0
0
0
122.8
124.2
123.8
139.9
143.3
141.4
127.5
127.8
128.0
103.2
103.2
103.3
110.6
110.4
110.7
118.5
118.6
119.0
(3)
(3)
131.4
152.0
153.3
151.7
0
0
0
0
108.6
116.2
116.2
116.0
0
0
124.3
124.8
123.8
140.5
141.6
139.2
127.6
127.7
127.5
106.7
106.7
106.7
105.9
105.9
105.8
123.0
123.4
123.9
114.7
114.8
114.8
123.7
124.9
124.9
139.4
142.4
142.3
130.8
131.2
131.5
107.3
107.3
107.3
110.3
110.3
110.3
122.8
123.1
123.6
114.2
114.3
114.2
0
0
137.3
140.3
140.6
0
0
0
0
117.0
117.0
116.9
0
0
0
0
0
0
150.3
153.6
152.1
0
0
0
0
116.5
116.5
116.5
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
103.9
106.5
106.5
106.5
0
0
0
0
122.6
142.4
141.5
139.6
123.1
124.0
123.6
142.4
144.7
143.3
128.8
128.8
128.9
106.1
106.2
106.1
106.2
106.2
106.2
116.6
117.5
117.6
111.7
111.8
112.3
128.5
128.1
128.7
149.-7
148.0
149.8
128.1
127.3
127.5
106.0
106.0
106.0
92.2
92.2
92.2
119.0
119.0
119.0
122.4
123.7
123.2
131.2
131.9
132.3
152.5
153.8
153.8
130.3
130.5
130.6
114.9
114.9
114.9
113.1
113.1
113.1
121.4
121.4
121.5
119.7
120.6
122.6
0
0
143.3
148.3
144.4
0
0
0
0
97.3
103.9
103.9
103.9
0
0
101.9
101.9
101.9
120.1
120.4
120.8
123.1
123.1
122.8
105.6
105.7
105.3
131.4
131.3
131.5
118.6
120.3
120.2
124.5
130.7
123.6
124.6
127.7
132.7
132.6
125.7
129.5
132.0
128.6
113.6
106.4
115.4
127.9
129.5
128.1
145.9
150.3
146.6
131.0
131.0
130.4
110.2
110.2
110.6
122.5
123.7
123.8
139.9
142.5
142.7
135.0
134.7
135.5
100.3
100.3
100.3
124.6
121.4
127.4
129.1
121.1
122.9
127.7
123.9
115.0
116.2
117.2
118.2
115.5
114.0
113.3
113.6
115.0
0
0
123.7
117.4
118.7
113.1
0
0
110.2
1 Based on changes in cost of goods purchased by wage earners and lower-salaried workers in large cities.
2 Based on data for 56 cities.
* M onthly data not available.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
3^4
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
T a b l e 7 . —Indexes
of Cost of Living1 in Large Cities, 1935 to June 1943
Indexes 1 (1935-39=100) of cost of—
Year
All items
1935_______________
1936 ^ . ____
.
1937 . . .
__ . . .
. _ .
1938_____
1939 . ________
1940 _ ____
1941 . . .
1942.. ___ __
1943:
J a n .15_______
__
Feb. 15 _
__
Mar. 15
Apr. 15________ ..
M ay 15_________
June 15___ _______
Food
Clothing
Rent
Fuel,
electric
ity, and
ice
Housefurnish
ings
Miscel
laneous
98.1
99.1
102.7
100.8
99.4
100.2
105.2
116.5
100.4
101.3
105.3
97.8
95.2
96.6
105.5
123.9
96.8
97.6
102.8
102.2
100.5
101.7
106. 3
124.2
94.2
96.4
100.9
104.1
104.3
104.6
106.2
108.5
100.7
100.2
100.2
99.9
99.0
99.7
102.2
105.4
94.8
96.3
104.3
103.3
101.3
100.5
107.3
122. 2
98 1
98 7
101 0
101. 5
100 7
101.1
104 0
110.9
120.7
121.0
122.8
124.1
125.1
124.8
133.0
133.6
137.4
140.6
143.0
141.9
126.0
126.2
127.6
127.9
127.9
127.9
108.0
108.0
108.0
108.0
108.0
108.0
107.3
107.2
107.4
107.5
107.6
107.7
123.8
124.1
124.5
124.8
125.1
125.4
113 2
113 fi
114 5
114 9
115 3
115.7
i Based on changes in cost of goods purchased by wage earners and lower-salaried workers in large cities.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Lahor Laws and Decisions
W ar L a b o r D isp u te s A ct
THE Smith-Connally Act,1or War Labor Disputes Act, became a law
on June 25, 1943, when the House of Representatives and the Senate
passed the bill over the President’s veto. The act will have far-reach
ing effects in the fields of labor relations and war production. This
article gives a general survey and digest of its principal features.
The act amends the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 so
as to give the President specific power to take possession of and to
use and operate plants, mines, and facilities when he finds and pro
claims that there is a threatened or actual interruption of the opera
tion of such plant, mine, or facility because of a strike or other labor
disturbance, as a result of which the war effort will be unduly impeded
or delayed. It is specifically provided that such plants, mines, or
facilities so taken over shall be returned to their owners “as soou as
practicable” but in no event more than 60 days after the restoration
of the productive efficiency which prevailed before seizure. The
authority to take over plants, mines, and facilities is not to be exer
cised after the termination of hostilities or of the War Labor Disputes
Act, and the authority to operate such establishments and facilities
is to end 6 months after the termination of hostilities.
Establishments and facilities taken over by the President are to
be operated under the terms and conditions of employment in effect
at the time such action was taken. The Government agency oper
ating any such establishment, or a majority of the employees or their
representatives, may apply to the National War Labor Board for a
change in wages or conditions of employment. That Board is
authorized to order any changes in wages or other terms or conditions
of employment which it deems to be fair and reasonable and not
in conflict with law.
It is an offense punishable by fine of not more than $5,000, or
imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both, to “coerce, insti
gate, induce, conspire with, or encourage any person, to interfere, by
lockout, strike, slowdown, or other interruption, with the operation
of such plant, mine, or facility” taken over by the President, or to
aid any such action interfering with the operation of such an establish
ment or facility “by giving direction or guidance in the conduct of
such interruption, or by providing funds for the conduct or direction
thereof or for the payment of strike, unemployment, or other benefits
to those participating therein.”
The National War Labor Board is given statutory status. When
the United States Conciliation Service certifies that a labor dispute
“mav lead to substantial interference with the war effort, and cannot
Public Law 89, ch. 144, 78th Cong., 1st sess.
541188— 43------ 8
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
305
306
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
be settled by collective bargaining or conciliation,” the Board shall
have the power to summon both parties to the dispute before it and
conduct a public hearing on its merits. The Board may also take
action on its own motion. The failure of the parties to appear at a
Board hearing shall not deprive it of jurisdiction to proceed to a
hearing and to issue an order. The Board is specifically authorized
to decide such labor disputes and to provide by order the wages and
hours and all other terms and conditions governing the relations
between the parties. In making such decisions the Board is required
to conform to the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the
JNational Labor Relations Act, the Emergency Price Control Act of
1942, as amended, and the act of October 2, 1942, as amended. The
Board is authorized to issue subpenas, to require the attendance of
witnesses, and the production of papers, documents, and records
which may be material to its investigation of facts in any labor dispute
and to apply to any Federal district court for an order requiring obedi
ence to such subpenas. No member of the Board shall be permitted
to participate in any decision in which he has a direct interest as an
official, employee, or representative of either party to the dispute.
In order that the President may be apprised of labor disputes which
threaten seriously to interrupt war production and in order “that
employees may have an opportunity to express themselves, free from
restraint or coercion, as to whether they will permit such interruption
m wartime,” the representatives of the employees of a war con
tractor 2 shall give the Secretary of Labor, the National Labor Rela
tions Board, and the National War Labor Board notice of any such
labor dispute involving the contractor and the employees, together
with a statement of the issues giving rise to the dispute. For not less
than 30 days after such notice is given the contractor and his employees
shall continue production under all the conditions which prevailed
wnen sucli dispute Rrose. On tiie thirtieth, d&y after notice is given
by the representatives of the employees, unless the dispute has been
settled, the National Labor Relations Board shall forthwith take a
secret ballot of the employees on the question of whether they shall
permit any such interruption of war production. The results of the
balloting are to be open to public inspection. (The above pro
cedure does not apply to a plant, mine, or facility of which possession
has been taken by the United States.) Violation subjects a person to
liability for damages to any person injured and to the United States,
it injured. Jurisdiction is conferred upon the district courts of the
United States to hear and determine proceedings instituted under this
section.
The Federal Corrupt Practices Act is amended to make it unlawful for
any labor organization to make a contribution in connection with any
election at which Presidential and Vice Presidential electors or a
Senator or Representative in, or a Delegate or Resident Commissioner
to Congress are to be voted for. Organizations which violate this
law are subject to fine in a sum of not more than $5,000, and every
2 (el of. the act as.a “ Per?°P Producing, manufacturing, constructing, reconstructing,
in^2 fh ïïn r ^ n lr ^ n iDh’ st0Iiing,.’ rePairiDS. mining, or transporting under a war contract [defined by sec.
a Person w hose plant, mine, or facility is equipped for the manufacture, production, or mining of
ennm.plinnSfhr
m5y be re(lmr,ed In tl]e Prosecution of the war or which may be useful’in
la b o r A c t)the
lth (the term does not mclude carriers defined in Title I and Title II of the Railway
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Labor Laws and Decisions
307
officer of a labor organization who consents to any contribution by
the organization in violation of the section shall be fined not more
than $1,000, or imprisoned for not more than 1 year, or both.
The act shall cease to be effective 6 months following the termina
tion of hostilities, as proclaimed by the President, or upon the date of
the passage of a concurrent resolution, to that effect, of the two
Houses of Congress.
L aw P r o te c tin g P o st-W a r J o b R ig h ts o f M e rc h a n tM a rin e P e rs o n n e l
AN ACT of Congress approved June 23, 1943, provided reemploy
ment rights for persons who have left their civilian positions to serve
in the merchant marine.1 The law states that such individuals are
entitled to reemployment in their former civilian positions after the
termination of the present emergency. They are to be considered as
having been on furlough or leave of absence during their period of
service, and are to be restored to their previous positions (or ones of
like seniority, status, and pay) without loss of seniority. Likewise,
such a person shall be entitled to participate in insurance or other
benefits offered by the employer pursuant to established rules and
practices relating to employees on furlough or leave of absence in effect
with the employer at the time the worker entered such service. The
employee returning from service with the merchant marine is not to
be discharged from such civilian position without reasonable cause
within 1 year after such restoration.
The War Shipping Administrator is_ authorized to make rules and
regulations for carrying out the provisions of the act.
R e c e n t D ecisio n s o f In te r e s t to L a b o r 2
Fair Labor Standards Act
S U A B IL IT Y oj union as “employer” under Wage-Hour Act.—In
Williams v. United Mine Workers of America, etc.,3 an employee seek
ing to recover unpaid overtime compensation, liquidated damages,
and attorney’s fees under section 16 (b) of the act, sought to review,
in the Kentucky Court of Appeals, an unfavorable decision by a lower
court. The defendant labor union contended that it was not the
employer of the plaintiff, that as a voluntary association it was not
suable under Kentucky law, and that the defendant had no cause of
action. The lower court sustained this position and the petition was
dismissed.
i Public Law 87, cb. 142, 78th Cong., 1st sess.
. . . . . . . .
,
s Prepared in the Office of the Solicitor, Department of Labor. The cases covered in this article represent
a selection of significant decisions believed to be of special interest. N o attempt has been made to reflect
all recent judicial and administrative developments in the field of labor law nor to indicate the effect of part'cular decisions in jurisdictions in which contrarv results may be reached based upon local statutory pro
visions, the existence of local precedents, or a different approach by the courts to the issue presented.
3
W. (2 d )------(June 1, 1943). Complete citations not available.
---s.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
308
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
The appellate court in reversing the lower court found that the
plaintiff, as a check weighman paid from union funds, was employed
by the union and that a labor organization could be sued as an “em
ployer” within the meaning of section 3 (d) of the act.3
It was recognized that in many jurisdictions it had been held that
an unincorporated labor organization could not be sued in its own
name in the absence of a statute so providing, because such organi
zations lack many of the characteristics of a legal entity. The court’s
decision that the union was suable was based upon the language of
the Fair Labor Standards Act,4 the Federal rule permitting unin
corporated labor unions to be sued in their own names when a statute
dealing with the rights and privileges of a union or its members is
concerned,5 and rule 17(b) of the Federal Fules of Civil Procedure.6
Defense of estoppel operative against employee-plaintiff who falsified
records.—Suit was brought under section 16 (b) of the act by an em
ployee, for himself and others similarly situated, to recover unpaid
overtime and liquidated damages.7 One of the defenses of the com
pany was that the employee in whose name the action was brought
had submitted to it false time sheets of the hours worked bv the
employees. Since the employee who was guilty of falsifying the
records was suing as representative of other claimants, the company
contended that his lack of “clean hands” disqualified, in turn, the other
employees. The court ruled that the falsification of the records was
unknown to the other employees, and although the doctrine of estoppel
operated against the guilty party, it did not apply to those who had
no knowledge of his acts.
It was also held, with reference to another employee, that the fact
that he was an enemy alien did not preclude him from sharing in the
benefits of the act.
Employee suit in State court not removable to Federal District Court.—
It was held in Fredman v. Foley Bros., Inc.,8 that an employee suit
to recover more than $3,000 in unpaid wages and liquidated damages
under section 16 (b) of the Fair Labor Standard A ct9 could not be
removed from a State to a Federal court.
The district court relied on Booth v. Montgomery Ward <& Co. (44
Fed. Supp. 451), holding that the language of the act, that a suit
“may be maintained in any court of competent jurisdiction,” meant
that a suit may be instituted and carried through to final judgment.
» Section 3 (d) of the act reads:!“ ‘Employer’ includes any person acting directly or indirectly in the
interest of an employer in relation to an employee but shall not Include the United States or any State or
political subdivision of a State, or any labor organization (other than when acting as an employer), or a n y
one acting in the capacity of officer or agent of such labor organization.’’
4 Section 3 (a) defines “person” as “an individual, partnership, association, corporation, business trust,
legal representative, or any organized group of persons.” See also Bowe v. Judson ------Fed. (2d )------ (M ay
6,1943), discussed in M onthly Labor Review, June 1943, and M eek et al. v. United S ta te s, ----- Fed. (2d)-----f.T n n o 9 9
IQAQ'l
5United M in e
v
'
Workers of Am erica v. Coronado Coal Co., 259 U . S. 344.
6 28 U. S. C. A., following section 723 (c), “a partnership or other unincorporated association,’which has
no such capacity by the law of such State, may sue or be sued in its common name for the purpose of enforcmg for or against it a substantative right existing under the Constitution or laws of the United States.”
7 Deutsch, etc. v. Heywood-W akefield C o ., ----- Fed. S u p p .------ (U. S. D . C„ S. D . N . Y , M av 7 1943)
8 ---Fed. S u p p .------ (U. S. D . C., W. M o., M ay 28.1943).
* Section 16j(b) provides as follows: “A ny employer who violates the provisions of section 6 or section 7
of tnis act shall be liable to the employee or employees affected in the amount of their unpaid minimum
wages, or their unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, and in an additional equal amount as
liquidated damages. Action to recover such liability may be maintained in any court of competent juris
diction by any one or more employees for and in behalf of himself or themselves and other employees
similarly situated, or such employee or employees may designate an agent or representative to maintain
such action for and in behalf of all employees similarly situated. The court in such action shall, in addition
to any judgment awarded to the plaintiff or plaintifls, allow a reasonable attorney’s fee to be paid by the
defendant, and costs of the action.”
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It rejected the defendant’s contention that such an interpretation
would necessarily mean that a judgment could never be appealed.
The court took the position that “maintained in any court of com
petent jurisdiction” means Federal courts and State courts. Further,
the provision was intended to protect the interests of employees, and
the interests of the employees are best served, in this instance, if they
may begin suit in a State court and “maintain it there until judgment.”
Application oj Victory Tax to wage and salary payments received
after January 1, 1943.—The Bureau of Internal Revenue ruled that
back wages received as restitution under the Fair Labor Standards
Act for work performed prior to January 1, 1943, are subject to the
Victory Tax deduction. This is true despite the fact that the wages
may be payments which were due for pay-roll periods previous to
that date.10 However, exceptions are made where the restitution
was authorized “by the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Divi
sion * * * and accepted by the employer, or under a final
decision of a court, prior to January 1, 1943.” This reverses the
Bureau’s earlier ruling with reference to delayed payments.11
The Bureau takes the position, however, that back payments due
under the National Labor Relations Act do not constitute “wages”
within the meaning of the revenue statute and they are, therefore, not
subject to the withholding tax.
National Labor Relations Act
Insurance company subject to National Labor Relations Act.—The
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals held that a fraternal benefit non
profit corporation which issued insurance benefits to its members
was engaged in interstate commerce and was, therefore, subject to
the National Labor Relations Act. {Polish National Alliance of U. S.
of North America v. National Labor Relations Board----- Fed. (2d)-----(June 5, 1943).)
The court distinguished cases holding that the issuance of a policy
of insurance does not constitute a transaction in commerce,12 on the
ground that they involved the power of the State to tax or regulate
and not the scope of Federal power under the commerce clause of the
Federal Constitution. Quoting from Binderup v. Bathe Exchange (263
U. S. 291, 311), the court stated, “It does not follow that because a
thing is subject to State taxation, it is also immune from Federal
regulation under the commerce clause.” 13 The activities of the fra
ternal benefit association were compared to those of the Associated
Press in Associated Press v. National Labor Relations Board (301 U. S.
103), and the conclusion was reached that since the business was car
ried on through the channels of interstate communication, it consti
tuted interstate commerce and was within The power of Congress to
regulate. The court observed that since the National Labor Rela
tions Act applied to practices^“affecting commerce,” 14 even if the
10 i t :TM (IT-Mimeograph: Coll. No. 5530; R. A. No. 1292) (June 21, 1943).
11 Pfggg r6lG5S0 No 35-11 (Jehi 23 1943)*
12 P a u l v. Virginia, 75 U. S. 168; Hooper v. California, 155 U . S. 648; N ew York Life Insurance Co. v. Cravens,
178 U . S. 389; N e w York Life Insurance Co. v. Deer Lodge County, 231 U . S. 495.
13 Accord S w ift & Co. v. United States, 196 U . S. 375,400; Chicago Board of Trade v. Olsen, 262 U . S. 1, 33;
W ickard v. Filburn, 317 U. S. 111.
14 Section 2 (7) defining “affecting commerce” as “commerce, or burdening or obstructing commerce or
the free flow of commerce, or having led or tendency to lead to a labor dispute burdening or obstructing
commerce or the free flow of commerce.”
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business of the company did not constitute interstate commerce, a
labor dispute between it and its employees would meet the coverage
standards of the act.
With respect to the interests of one employee, the court modified
the Board’s order requiring that the employees’ reinstatement should
run from the date of their application for reinstatement. The facts
showed that the union was on strike from October 7, 1941, to January
27, 1942. An employee, one Ziolkowski, had applied for a return to
work on October 10, 1941, and was told that he must apply “as a
new applicant for work.” The employee refused to accept this condi
tion, believing it would mean the loss of his seniority rights. The
Board found that this conditional offer of employment constituted
discrimination against the employee and the court accepted this
finding. The Board then ordered reinstatement and back pay for all
employees, including Ziolkowski, as of January 27, 1942, the date the
other strikers reapplied for work. With reference to Ziolkowski the
Board reasoned (one Board member dissenting) that it would be in
equitable to treat him differently from the other employees and that
when his October 10 application for work was refused he was in the
same position as the other strikers.
however, ordered that Ziolkowski should be reinstated
as of October 10, 1941, and quoted the following language from the
opinion of the dissenting Board member: “The policy of the act
would, m my opinion, be best served by encouraging those who have
gone out on strike because of their employer’s unfair labor practices
toreturn to work and to avail themselves of the administrative remedy
which the act affords them and we should do nothing to deter anv
individual striker from such action. The effect of the majority’s
decision would, it seems to me, be to prolong unfair-labor-practice
strikes and to discourage employees from recourse to the adequate
relief available to them under the act.”
newsVaVers not employees oj newspaper company.—The
JNmth Circuit Court of Appeals (one judge dissenting) applied the
common-law tests for the employer-employee relationship to set aside
an order of the Board in Hearst Publications, Inc. v. National Labor
Relations Board,.15
The newspaper companies contended that they need not bargain
with the news vendors’ union because the vendors were not “em
ployees” within the meaning of the National Labor Relations Act.
the court determined that since the act did not define “employee,16
that term should be given “its conventional meaning as developed
under the common law and statutory enactments.” It refused to
ar C6^
administrative interpretation of the term promulgated by
the Board on the ground that the construction of “employee” is a
judicial rather than an administrative function. The court proceeded
to analyze the facts in the light of the “control test.” It noted that
if some papers were lost or stolen, the news vendor took the loss “like
The Times^Mirror Co
also ^°ckholders P u b. Co. v. Same) H earst Publications, Inc., v. Same]
•Li\b° r Relations Act, section 2 (3) (29 U. S. C. A ., section 152 (3)) states: “The term ‘emnniPSQ t
m<?ude any employee, and shall not be limited to the employees of a particular employer
a cOTseauenc^o^L^iFmnriopt a^6S ?lberwise- and sli a1’ “ elude any individual whose work has ceased as
In d w h o h £?n ot o b tab w i«n v
Wlth’ f ny e ^ e n t labor dispute or because of any unfair labor practice,
anv hidLtdfmi im rivSS? y t h ^ ro,?lla i ?nd substantially equivalent employment, but shall not include
home orm vInT & rtnSf
laborer, or in the domestic service of any family or person at his
nome, or any individual employed by his parent or spouse.”
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311
any independent merchant.” Further, the vendors also sold other
and competing newspapers. They often bought and sold valuable
corners without the knowledge of the newspaper publishers. The
court did not consider as strong evidence of control the fact that
wholesale and retail prices of the newspapers were fixed by the pub
lishers and that the news vendors’ profits consisted of the difference
between the price paid to the publisher and the price paid by the
public. This price fixing by the publisher was compared to the price
fixing of a manufacturer who consigns merchandise to a storekeeper
for retail sale.
Appropriate bargaining unit composed of instructors.—Distinguishing
the limits of its decision in Maryland Drydock Co.,17 which held
that supervisory employees did not constitute appropriate bargaining
units under the Wagner Act, the Board held that instructors in the
plant receiving 15 to 20 percent higher wages than other production
employees were not in a supervisory category. The instructors did
not have authority to hire or fire or recommend such action, nor
would any other indicia of the employment relationship set them
apart as supervisors.18
A similar result was reached in respect of armed guards who, among
their other duties, prepared reports on the activities of employees.19
Itfwas found that although these reports might furnish the basis for
the discharge of employees, the guards did not truly exercise discre
tionary and supervisory functions.
Back pay awarded employees discriminatorily transferred.—In the
case, In re Waples-Platter Co., 20 the National Labor Relations Board
held that the transfer to new positions of two active union organizers
constituted an unfair labor practice under section 8(3) of the National
Labor Relations Act.21 The transfers were found to have been
ordered for the purpose of segregating union leaders and preventing
further union activity. As the union members had left their employ
ment and had not accepted the proffered jobs, the Board (one member
dissenting) ordered their reinstatement and back pay from the date
of their refusal to work.
War Labor Board
Injunctive relief against War Labor Board order denied.—A streetrailway company sued in the United States District Court for the
District of Maryland, naming the United States Attorney and the
district manager of the Office of Defense Transportation in their
official capacities as defendants, to prevent their enforcement against
it of two War Labor Board orders.22 The first order of the Board
directed the company to recognize a certain union as the bargaining
representative for its employees, directed the establishment of grievn 1 2 Labor Relations Reporter 439, 49 N . L. R. B. No. 105. Discussed in M onthly Labor Review, July
1943
18 United Wall Paper Factories, Inc., 49 N . L. R. B. No. 199, 12 Labor Relations Reporter 644.
i* Federal Motor Truck Co., 50 N . L. R. B. No. 36,12 Labor Relations Reporter 645. See also Aluminum
Co. of America, 50 N. L. R. B. No. 40,12 Labor Relations Reporter 645.
20 In re Waples-Platter Co. (Fort Worth, Tex.) and Warehouse and Distribution Workers Union, Local
No. 220 (CIO); In re Same and District 50, United Mine Workers of America; In re Same and Warehouse
and Distribution Workers Union, Local No. 220 (CIO). Cases Nos. C-2509-10, R-4358 (M ay 21, 1943),
49 N. L. R. B. No. 169.
,
* , ,
..
21 29 U. S. C. A., sec. 158, “It shall be an unfair labor practice for an employer
(3) B y dis
crimination in regard to hire or tenure of employment or any term or condition of employment to encourage
or discourage membership in any labor organization * *
22 Baltim ore Transit Co. v . F lynn and K n e ll , ----- Fed. S u p p .------ (M ay 17, 1943).
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
ance procedures, and provided for the appointment of a permanent
arbitrator to hear and determine grievances. The second order of
the Board directed compliance with an award of an arbitrator.
The court held that the action could not be maintained against the
two Government officials, since only the President of the United
States has authority to enforce orders of the Board. Although the
President, acting through the Office of Defense Transportation, could
seize the property of the company, he has not authorized such action.
The court concluded that “equitable relief can never lie against per
sons to prevent them from doing that which they have never threat
ened to do and have no power to do.”
The court, in defining its powers, pointed out that the relief sought
by the company was outside its jurisdiction. The bill of complaint
had asked that a temporary restraining order and, ultimately, a per
manent injunction “be made applicable to all who may be, or come
into this district for the purpose of attempting to enforce” the
Board’s orders, or to “penalize plaintiff for refusal to comply there
with.” It was stated that the court could not enjoin the world at
large, since its jurisdiction was limited to those over whom it obtains
personal service. It was added that if the bill were intended as a suit
against any Government officer who came into the district to enforce
the Board’s orders, it must be construed as a suit against the United
States, and that such action would not lie because the United States
could not be sued without its consent.
The court also refused to grant a declaratory judgment holding the
order of the War Labor Board void, on the ground that there was no
case or controversy between the parties.
Railway Labor Act
Award oj Railroad Adjustment Board incontestable by employer jor
2 years.—In Washington Terminal Co. v. Boswell, 23 the United
States Supreme Court, by an equally^; divided vote, affirmed a judg
ment of a Circuit Court of Appeals 24 dismissing an employer’s suit
for a declaratory judgment interpreting its contract with its employees.
The circuit court held that awards of the Railroad Adjustment Board
under the Railway Labor Act25 could not be attacked by anemployer
for 2 years. The purpose of Congress in enacting the legislation, it
was observed, was to benefit employees by extending to them a period
of 2 years in which to bring suit to enforce the Board’s awards. Per
mitting the employer to take the initiative within that period was
viewed as inconsistent with that purpose.
Social Security Act
I he Bureau of Internal Revenue has ruled that services performed
by an employee on a farm, in the employ oj any person, in connection
with the cultivation of the soil, raising and harvesting of crops, or
the raising, feeding, or management of livestock, bees, and poultry,
constitute “agricultural labor” exempt from the coverage of titles
VIII and IX of the Social Security Act, which levy taxes in cormac
tion with the old-age insurance and unemployment-compensation
23
Sup. Ct. —— (June 14, 1943).
24124 Fed. (2d) 234.
25 45 U. S. C. A., sec. 151, et seq., and 153, First (p), (q).
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313
programs, respectively.26 The Board had previously ruled that this
exemption applied only where the services were performed on a farm
by an employee “of the tenant thereof, or of the owner of such
farm.” 27 That ruling was reversed in the light of Federal court
decisions which held that the controlling factor was the nature of
the work performed on the farm and not the status of the individual
for whom the services were performed.28
Decisions of State Courts
Noninterjerence by court in internal administration oj union affairs.—
The Supreme Court of Florida, in Harper et al. v. Hoecherl, reversed
a decree of a lower court granting an injunction at the request of a
Government contractor, prohibiting a union from imposing fines on
members using spray guns instead of paint brushes.29
The plaintiff had filed a bid and received a contract to paint certain
United States buildings on an Army project. After filing the bid he
entered into an agreement with a union with which he had had deal
ings for several years. In the union contract was a stipulation that
spray guns could be used on the work only with the consent of the
union. The union?bylaws, enforceable by a fine levied on the offend
ing members, prohibited members from using spray-painting apparatus.
Prior to the filing of his bid, the contractor had received notice
from the Government that brush bristles were scarce and that, wher
ever practicable, spray guns should be used. The Government con
tract provided that either method of painting was acceptable. The
bid, however, was submitted on the basis of the cost of spray-gun
labor. After the work on the Government project had been begun,
the Army officer in charge of construction directed the use of spray
guns. The union, when requested by the contractor to permit its
members to use spray equipment, voted contrary to his request.
Conferences between the parties involved failed to bring about any
settlement of the issue. The contractor then made separate agree
ments with two union members to perform the work with spray
guns, promising to pay any fines which the union levied against them.
Before the union assessed any fines, he sought a temporary injunction,
which was later made permanent, restraining the union from levying
fines against its members.
The contractor charged that the union was delaying production
by refusing to comply with the directions of the Army officer. The
court, however, was unable to find evidence that the work was being
impeded, and it also noted that no action had as yet been taken by
the union which would so impair the plaintiff’s rights as to give him
a basis for equitable relief. It indicated also that if the contractor
desired to use spray guns, he could avail himself of nonunion labor.
The principal point decided was that the internal administration
of union affairs rested with the union and its members, and that, in
the ordinary case, the courts will not intervene in such disputes.
Membership in a union is not compulsory, and since a member agrees
26 Em. T. 443; I. R. B. 1943-10-11436 (M ay 25, 1943).
2? S. S. T. 125 (C. B. 1937-1, 397).
28 Stuart v. Kleck (1942), 129 Fed. (2d) 400; Chester C. Fosgate Co. v . United States (1942), 125 Fed (2d)
775, certiorari denied, 63 Sup. Ot. 31 (Oct. 12, 1942).
?»14 S. (2d) 179 (M ay 21, 1943).
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to the rules when accepting membership, the courts have usually
refrained from entering into internal disputes “unless such rules and
bylaws, or the methods resorted to for enforcement, are unreason
able, immoral, contrary to public policy, or in contravention of the
law of the land.” Likewise, a third party who may be injured by
punitive action which a union may wish to take against a member
for violation of union rules normally has no standing in court to
seek an injunction against sanctions which the union is authorized
to impose.
Effect of subsequent court decisions on continuing injunction.—
A union in New Jersey filed a petition in equity to terminate an
injunction which had been issued to restrain peaceful picketing,30
at a time when it was lawful to enjoin such activity. Vacation of
the decree was sought on the ground that since its issuance the United
States Supreme Court had ruled that peaceful picketing may not
be restrained.31 Further, New Jersey had since passed a law (Acts
of 1941, ch. 15) prohibiting such injunctions.
In dismissing the petition, the court pointed out that the pro
ceeding was in effect a bill of review and brought after the expiration
of the period in which an appeal could be taken. Only the pre
sentation of newly discovered evidence or some special equity will
give the court power to review the original proceeding. The court
stated that newly discovered evidence had not been presented so
as to authorize it to exercise its discretion to vacate the decree.32
It also held that it did not consider new matter to have been presented
by the judicial decisions which changed the state of the law.
30 Hersh & H ershkowitz v. U nited Retail Em ployees of N ew ark, N . J ., Local N o. 1 0 8 , ----- N . J. Ch. C t.-----(M ay 10, 1943).
si Carlson v. California, 310 TJ. S. 106; C antw ell v. Connecticut, 310 U. S. 296; Thornhill v. A labam a, 310
TJ. S. 88; A . F. of L . v. Swing, 312 U. S. 321.
32 Cf. United States v. Swift & Co., 286 U. S. 106; John Sim m on Co. v. Grier Bros. Co., 258 TJ. S. 82; ^46ercrombie & Fitch Co. v. B aldw in, 245 TJ. S. 198; Utah Power & Light Co. v. United States, 242 Fed. 924.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wage and Hour Statistics
E a rn in g s in S h ip -C o n s tru c tio n Y ard s, F a ll o f 1 9 4 2 1
Summary
THE level of earnings of shipbuilding workers, partly because of the
nature of shipbuilding employment, is among the highest found in
American industry. In November 1942, first-shift workers in private
yards engaged wholly or primarily in new ship construction had
average hourly earnings of $1,044, exclusive of premium pay for
overtime. Within the industry, the highest level of earnings, $1,135,
was found on the Pacific Coast, the next highest, $1,048, on the
Atlantic Coast, and the lowest, 90.7 cents on the Gulf Coast. The
averages for the Great Lakes and Inland regions were but 2 cents
apart, 99.4 and 97.4 cents, respectively.
Straight-time hourly earnings, on the basis of data from identical
yards, increased by an average of 11 cents between the spring and fall
of 1942. Most of this increase was due to the wage adjustments made
in the four wage-stabilization agreements concluded at the National
Shipbuilding Conference in May 1942. In addition to establishing a
uniform minimum rate of $1.20 for first-class skilled mechanics in all
four regions, thereby eliminating the 5-cent differential formerly
existing in the Gulf region, the conference also granted a general
increase ot 8 cents an hour to all other workers in the Atlantic, Great
Lakes, and Pacific regions, together with increases in the Gulf Coast
region ranging from 9 cents an hour for workers with rates up to 69.5
cents an hour to 13 cents an hour for workers with rates of $1.07 an
hour and over. These increases became effective between April 1
and August 1 in the various regions. The conference also deleted
from the original zone agreements the provision for adjusting wages in
accordance with changes in cost of living. Provision was also made
for periodic wage reviews, the] first of which was to be made about
June 1, 1943. Similar reviews are to be made annually thereafter.
Increases in earnings in identical yards over and above those pro
vided for in the stabilization agreements may be attributed largely to
the upgrading of workers, and in part to the acceptance of the stabili
zation program by a greater number of yards.
A sharp increase of more than 16 cents in average hourly earnings
between the spring and fall of 1942 in identical yards in the Inland
region, which is not subject to the wage-stabilization program, was
due largely to general advances in wage rates in this region to levels
broadly comparable with those found in the stabilized areas.
1
Prepared in the Bureau’s Division of Wage Analysis by Willis C. Quant under the direction of Victor
S. Baril.
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316
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
Scope and Method of Survey
The present comprehensive study of shipbuilding wages represents
the continuation of a series of such studies inaugurated by the Bureau
of Labor Statistics in 1936.2 The last detailed study of the industry
was made during the spring of 1942, shortly before the National
Shipbuilding Conference in May of that year, which resulted in broad
wage adjustments in the industry. The present survey was made
during the fall of 1942 and reflects, therefore, the wage changes pro
vided for under the stabilization agreements which went into effect
during the summer of 1942. This study was designed to provide
basic data for the appraisal of these wage changes, and to serve the
needs of governmental agencies charged with the responsibility of
developing the shipbuilding program and stabilizing wages in the
industry.
The current survey was limited to privately operated shipyards
engaged wholly or primarily in the construction of new vessels of 5
gross tons and over. Yards engaged in the construction of smaller
vessels, commonly referred to as boats, and ship-repair yards were
excluded from the survey. Some construction yards also do repair
work and boat building. Data relating to such activities, however,
were excluded, whenever possible, from the scope of the present survejr.
The wage data presented in this report are based on pay-roll in
formation for the pay period ending nearest November 15, 1942. Full
utilization was made of the pay-roll data submitted semiannually to
the Secretary of Labor under the Copeland Act. These data were
very carefully analyzed and, where necessary, supplemented by
information obtained at the yards by experienced representatives of
the Bureau. The field investigations were concerned very largely
with the clarifying of occupational classifications and class designa
tions within occupations, indicating first-shift workers, and, in the
case of yards having incentive-wage systems, prorating incentive
earnings so that these earnings could be reflected in the average
straight-time hourly earnings of the workers covered in the survey.
Altogether 86 privately operated shipyards engaged wholly or pri
marily in the construction of new ships (5 gross tons and over) were
surveyed. In the selection of these yards full consideration was given
to such factors as type and size of yard, type of craft under construction,
geographical location, and corporate affiliation. The sample is be
lieved to be fully representative of private ship-construction yards.
The wage data presented in this report relate only to first (day)
shift workers.3 The data for such workers reveal accurately the basic
occupational and wage structure of the industry, since practically all
occupations are fully represented on the first shift. Furthermore,
data for first-shift workers are not distorted by shift differentials.
Extra earnings from premium pay for overtime were also eliminated.
2 Earnings and Hours in Private Shipyards, 1936 and 1937 (Serial No. R. 788); Earnings and Hours in
United States N avy Yards, 1936 (Serial No. R. 809); Earnings and Hours in Private Shipyards and N avy
Yards, 1936 and 1937 (Serial No. R. 845); and Hourly Earnings in Private Shipyards, 1942 (Bulletin No.
727). The results of the semiannual surveys made by the Bureau between M ay 1937 and M ay 1941 for the
use of the United States Maritime Commission have not been published.
3 In a few instances, workers found in important occupations occurring only on the second or third shifts
were included in the study. In such cases, however, extra earnings resulting from shift-differential pay
ments were eliminated so that the figures presented for these workers are average straight-time hourly
first- or day-shift earnings.
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As a result, the average earnings presented in this report are straighttime hourly earnings exclusive of premium overtime and shift-differ
ential earnings.
No attempt was made to cover all occupations found in the ship
building industry. Two basic factors were considered in selecting
occupations for coverage: (1) The importance of an occupation in
terms of number of workers employed, and (2) the strategic importance
of an occupation in the occupational^ structure. The occupational
coverage actually obtained is comprehensive in scope, as approximately
90 percent of all first-shift workers in the yards surveyed were em
ployed in the 60 occupations for which data are presented in this
report.
Definition of Regions
Shipyards must of necessity be situated either on the coast or
along some navigable stream or body of water, because of launching
and delivery requirements. The industry today is widely scattered
along the three coasts, the Great Lakes, and the inland waterways of
the country. Any analysis of wages in as widely scattered an industry
as shipbuilding must necessarily be made on a regional rather than an
industry-wide basis. For purposes of this study, the regions used are
those of the shipbuilding wage-stabilization program, namely, the
Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific Coasts, and the Great Lakes. The
remainder of the country, where shipyards do not come within the
scope of the stabilization program, will be referred to as the ‘‘Inland”
region.
The areas covered by the four regions, as defined under the stabili
zation program, are—Atlantic Coast: The tidewater ports of the eastern part of the United States
from the eastern tip of Maine to, but not including, the northern border of Florida;
and also, specifically, the Hudson River inland, to and including the industrial
area of Albany, New York, and the Delaware River inland, to and including the
industrial areas of Philadelphia, Pa., and Camden, N. J.; the Chesapeake Bay; and
the James River inland to and including Richmond, Va.
Gulf Coast: The tidewater ports of the eastern coast of Florida and of the
Gulf of Mexico, bounded on the west by the Rio Grande, and also, specifically,
the Mississippi River inland, to and including the industrial area of New Orleans,
including Lake Pontchartrain; the Houston Ship Channel inland, to and including
the industrial area of Houston; and the ship channels of the Neches and Sabine
Rivers.
Pacific Coast: The tidewater ports of the western part of the United States
from the Mexican border to the Canadian border, and also, specifically, the
Sacramento River inland, to and including Sacramento, Calif.; the San
Joaquin River, tributary to the Sacramento River, inland to and including
Stockton, Calif.; the Columbia River inland, to and including the industrial
areas of Portland, Oreg., and Vancouver, Wash.; and the Willamette River,
tributary to the Columbia River, inland to and including the industrial area
of Portland, Oreg.; and the Puget Sound area.
Great Lakes: The industrial areas of the American lake ports on Lake Superior,
Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario; and the connecting
waters between the Great Lakes.
The fifth region, referred to in this report as the “ Inland” region,
includes yards situated primarily on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers
and their tributaries, excluding those in Southern Louisiana and
Mississippi. These yards, as previously stated, are not covered by
the wage-stabilization program.
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
Labor Force
The building of ships requires a high degree of skill. In many
occupations the work is both arduous and hazardous. Although the la
bor force in a shipyard still consists mainly of male workers, as a result
of the tremendous expansion of the industry and the serious manpower
shortage, women have been hired in increasing numbers. They are
now found in many capacities, even as welders, an occupation which
until recently was limited to men. Even at the present time, however,
women constitute only a small proportion of all shipyard workers.
When performing the same work as men, they receive equal pay, and
therefore no attempt was made in this report to present data separately
for men and women.
Craftsmen account for over one-half of the labor force in all regions
except the Gulf Coast. In the latter region, craftsmen represent only
about two-fifths of all workers. Classes or gradations of workers are
generally found within each craft, ranging from handymen up to firstclass workers and specialists. In this report, specialists are combined
with first-class workers. The number of classes below the first class
varies with yards and regions. On the West Coast, only one broad group
is found. Within this group or class, which is known as the “ trainee”
group, and which combines all of the classes below first class found
in other regions, workers advance within a specified period of time
(from 2 to 6 months) to first class. In other regions, workers start as
handymen and advance successively through the third and second
class up to the first class; the rate of advance varies widely, depending
largely on the proficiency of the worker and openings in the higher
classes.
The separate figures for first-class workers (including specialists)
and other classes of craftsmen reveal rather wide variations by region.
In the fall of 1942, the greatest proportion of first-class workers
(48.2 percent) was found on the Pacific Coast, while the lowest (15.4
percent) was found in the Atlantic Coast yards (table 1). The Great
Lakes region ranked third, 31.4 percent of all workers being designated
as first class. The Gulf Coast and Inland regions each had about
the same proportion of first-class workers, 23.6 and 23.3 percent,
respectively. Because of wide variations between regions and even
within regions in the number of classes of craftsmen below first class,
it is not possible to refine this group in order to make regional com
parisons. It may be noted, however, that the proportion of craftsmen
other than first class in the total labor force varied from 10.6 percent
on the Pacific Coast to 41.4 percent on the Atlantic Coast.
Craftsmen’s helpers form a very substantial proportion of the work
ers in any shipyard. The proportion does not vary greatly among
regions, ranging from a low of 17.6 percent in the Atlantic Coast yards
to a high of 25.5 percent in the Great Lakes area.
The greatest proportion of apprentices and learners, 13.8 percent,
was found in the Gulf Coast area. This compares with 8.1 percent
on the Atlantic Coast, 5.8 percent on the Great Lakes, 2.8 percent in
the Inland region, and 0.6 percent on the Pacific Coast.
Another important occupation from, the standpoint of number of
workers is that of laborers. The Gulf and Inland regions had a
substantially higher proportion of such workers than the other three
regions.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wage and Hour Statistics
T able
319
\
1.— Percent of D ay-Shift Workers in Ship-Construction Yards, by Class of Worker
and Region, Spring and Fall of 1942
Atlantic Coast
Gulf Coast
Pacific Coast
Great Lakes
Inland
Class of worker
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
Fall
1942
Craftsmen, first class_______ 15.4
Craftsmen, other classes____ 41.4
Helpers____ _______________ 17.6
7.6
Laborers__________________
Apprentices and learners___ 8.1
Supervisors__________ ____ _ 5.9
Other workers......................... - 4.0
15.2
38.5
16.3
8.2
10.8
5.3
5.7
23.6
18.0
21.0
14.4
13.8
5.5
3.7
24.6
17.4
24.0
13.9
12.7
4.2
3.2
48.2
10.6
20.4
4.6
.6
11.6
4.0
52.1
5.5
22.7
5.8
.4
7.3
6.2
31.4
21.1
25.5
4.8
5.8
7.0
4.4
27.1
28.9
23.0
6.5
3.7
4.7
6.1
23.3
30.8
17,7
14.2
2.8
7.5
3.7
20.9
32.5
16.7
18.9
3.4
3.1
4.5
100.0 100.0
100.0
All workers studied___ 100.0
100.0 100.0
100.0 100.0
100.0 100.0
Spring
1942
The constitution of the labor force in private ship-construction
yards does not appear to have changed materially between the spring
and fall of 1942, as an examination of table 1 indicates. It should be
mentioned, however, that the yard coverage in the fall survey was
somewhat broader than that in the spring survey. This difference
in coverage may tend to obscure some of the changes which actually
did take place. On the basis of the data in table 1, the most out
standing change occurred in the Great Lakes region, where the
number of craftsmen other than first class decreased from 28.9 per
cent in the spring to 21.1 percent in the fall of 1942. Part of this
decline is accounted for by the increase in the proportion of first-class
craftsmen from 27.1 to 31.4 percent. Other significant changes were
a decline of about 4 percentage points in the proportion of first-class
workers on the Pacific Coast and general increases in the relative
number of supervisory workers (foremen, assistant foremen, quartermen, and leaders) in each of the five regions.
Wage-Stabilization Program
A wage-stabilization program in the shipbuilding industry was
sponsored early in 1941 by the Shipbuilding Stabilization Committee
of the National Defense Advisory Commission, to secure greater
uniformity in rates of pay and to provide for a systematic and periodic
review of general wage levels in the industry. Four agreements 4
were voluntarily entered into by representatives of both the ship
builders and the labor organizations and were approved by the Navy,
the Maritime Commission, and the Office of Production Management.
The agreements became effective on the following dates: West Coast,
April 1; Great Lakes, June 2; Atlantic Coast, June 23; and Gulf
Coast, August 1, 1941.
Under the 1941 wage-stabilization agreements, a minimum wage
was set for “first-class skilled mechanics.”5 This rate was set at $1.12
in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Great Lakes regions and at $1.07 in the
Gulf Coast region. The determination of the occupations to be
included in the “first-class skilled mechanic” group and the rates to
be paid to other workers were left to local bargaining between manage
ment and labor. The agreements also made provision for the stand4
For further detail on these agreements, see M onthly Labor R eview, issues of M ay 1941 (p.1162) and
October 1941 (p. 880).
8 The Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and the Great Lakes agreements designated the workers entitled to the
minimum rate as “first-class skilled mechanics,” but in the Pacific Coast agreement, they were referred to
as “skilled mechanics.” In actual practice, however, the minimum in each of the regions has been applied
to “first-class skilled mechanics” only.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
320
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
ardization of shifts, overtime pay, shift differentials, prohibition
against strikes and lockouts, and periodic wage adjustments based on
increases in cost of living. The first wage adjustment was to take
place at the end of the first year of the respective agreements.
The effective dates of the wage agreements, it will be recalled, varied
from April 1 to August 1. Since living costs mounted rapidly and
unevenly in the months following the effective dates of the agreements,
there was danger that the wage structure of the industry would be
upset if cost-of-living adjustments were made at different times for
each region. Consequently, a National Shipbuilding Conference,
composed of representatives of the War Production Board, the Navy
Department, the Maritime Commission, labor, and management, was
held in May 1942 to consider methods of adjusting wages in all four
regions. This conference, acting on an appeal from the President,
agreed to delete from the zone agreements the provision for adjusting
wages in proportion to changes in the cost of living. Instead, specific
wage increases, which were generally lower than the workers would
have obtained by application of the cost-of-living formula, were
agreed upon. The new minimum for “first-class skilled mechanics”
was set at $1.20 for each of the four regions, thus eliminating the differ
ential that had existed for the Gulf Coast region under the terms of the
first agreements. For other than first-class skilled mechanics, the
amended agreements provided for an increase of 8 cents an hour
except on the Gulf Coast where a sliding scale was effected. This
scale provided for increases ranging from 9 cents an hour for workers
with rates up to 69.5 cents to 13 cents an hour for workers with rates
of $1.07 and above. Parties to the conference agreed that all wage
increases in each of the regions were to be paid in United States Sav
ings Bonds. Methods of applying this provision were left to local
bargaining between labor and management.
The new agreements further provided for elimination of double
time rates for Saturday and Sunday work as such, and prescribed
instead for the payment of time and a half for the sixth consecutive
day and double time for the seventh consecutive day in a worker’s
regularly established week. The agreements also provided for the
payment of time and a half for all work on holidays recognized by
local agreements and authorized the acceptance of extra pay in lieu of
vacations.
The amended agreements became effective in each of the regions at
the expiration of the first year of the original agreement and are to
remain in effect for the duration of the war. Periodic wage reviews
were provided for, with the first scheduled to be made about June 1,
1943. Annual reviews are to be made thereafter.
Hourly Earnings, Fall of 1942
The hourly straight-time earnings of shipbuilding workers on the
first shift averaged $1,044 in November 1942. The highest earnings
in any of the five regions were found on the Pacific Coast, where the
workers averaged $1,135 an hour. Gulf Coast shipyards reported
the lowest earnings, the average being 90.7 cents an hour. The
averages in the remaining regions were $1,048 in the Atlantic Coast
area, 99.4 cents in the Great Lakes area, and 97.4 cents in the Inland
area. These averages indicate the existence of substantially different
wage or employment structures in the different areas.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wage and Hour Statistics
321
T a b l e 2 . — Average Hourly Straight-Time Earnings of D ay-Shift Ship-Construction
W orkers, by Region, Occupation, and Class, Spring and Fall of 1942
Atlantic Coast
Gulf Coast
Pacific Coast
Great Lakes
Inland
Occupation and class
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
Spring
1942
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
All occupations studied_____ $1.048 $0.966 $0. 907 $0. 776 $1.135 $1. 034 $0. 994 $0.861 $0. 974
$0. 795
Fall
1942
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
Average hourly straight-time earnings1
Anglesmiths____ ______ . _
First class______________
Other classes.- _______
Anglesmiths’ helpers_______
Apprentices_______________
Blacksm iths. . . . _________
First class_____ _______
Other c la sse s__________
Blacksm iths’ helpers_______
Boilermakers _____
. . _.
First class___
Other classes. .
. .. ..
Boilermakers’ helpers. ____
Bolters, hand
_ _ _______
First class______________
Other classes.. ____. . .
Burners, acetylene (includmg gas)--------------------------First class______________
Other classes.. . . . ____
Burners’ helpers, acetylene
(including g a s )... ___ _.
Carpenters (shipwrights) . . .
First class________ ___
Other classes _________
Carpenters’ helpers ___ _ _
Chippers and caulkers (ineluding foundry chippers)..
First class______________
Other classes______ . _
C oppersm iths_______ . . .
First class. ____________
Other classes. _________
Coppersmiths’ helpers___ .
Crane operators (all ty p e s )...
First class______________
Other classes.. ________
Draftsmen
(senior
and
junior) ____
. . .
Drillers (including reamers
and countersinkers)_______
First class_____ _______
Other classes______ ___
Electricians.. _______ . .
First class___ ______ __
Other classes.. _____. . .
Electricians’ helpers________
Erectors____ . . ______ . ..
First class________ _____
Other classes_____ __
Erectors’ h e lp e r s ..____ ___
Foremen (including assistant
foremen and quartermen) _.
Furnacemen (plate and forge
shops)___________________
First class________ _____
Other classes.. _.
Handymen, not elsewhere
classified.. _______ _ _. ..
Helpers, not elsewhere classifted____ _____ _____ __
Joiners (including woodw orking-m achine operators)______
______
First c la s s .____
Other classes. . . .
Joiners’ helpers
Laborers (excluding tank
cleaners and janitors)___ .
1.165
1.428
1.074
.968
.824
1.141
1. 222
1.073
.880
1. 124
1.360
1.096
.929
.986
1.063
.918
1.142
1.296
.952
.724
.691
1.086
1.153
1.034
.849
1.047
1. 239
1.012
. 757
1. 257
1. 290
1. 208
1. 227
1.334
1.065
.798
.815
1.156
1.214
.941
.751
1.093
1. 200
1. 009
. 706
(2)
(2)
(2)
1.123
1.222
1.077
1.064
1.151
1.012
.862
1.035
1.142
.963
.802
1.219
1.396
1.132
1. 229
1.488
1.085
.853
1.154
1.193
1.119
-9
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
.954
(2)
.939
(2)
.672
1.147
1. 193
1.050
.871
1. 150
1. 200
(2)
.835
. 916
.919
(2)
.900
(2)
.875
.707
(2)
.969
1.035
.902
.751
(2)
(2)
(2)
1.116
1.123
1.001
1.093
1.162
1.047
.950
1.197
1. 203
1.042
.943
(4)
1.121
1.128
.941
.870
.797
1.094
1.186
.955
.811
.983
1.085
.863
.711
1.180
1.204
1.089
1.195
1. 200
(2)
.972
1.286
1.290
1.091
1.100
1.123
1.001
1.091
1.167
.992
.870
1.191
1.191
1.121
1.180
1.025
1.183
1.183
.724
1. 051
1.061
(2)
.617
. 974
1. 075
.862
. 612
. 950
. 950
1.273
1.331
1.194
1.080
1.019
1.165
1.205
1.057
.967
1.173
1. 200
1. 070
. 950
.955
. 955
1.267
1.267
1. 000
.717
1.132
1.151
(2)
.873
1. Ill
1.121
1.037
.866
. 872
. 872
1.100
1.209
1.010
.978
1.070
.843
1.179
1.200
1.067
«
.988
1.100
.948
.731
. 702
1.135
1. 196
.959
.680
W
.949
1.063
.783
.615
1.218
1.360
1.176
1. 217
1. 422
1. 047
. 766
1.056
1.137
. 942
1.124
1. 200
1.032
1.133
1. 203
. 974
. 694
1.177
1.185
1.034
.948
1.070
.826
. 980
(2)
(2)
. 624
1.068
1.068
1.116
1.177
1.058
1.284
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
.795
.983
1.100
.820
.660
1.121
1.194
.977
.928
.646
.960
1.012
(2)
.609
.968
1.069
.829
1.093
1.198
1.004
.854
(2)
.844
(*)
.879
1.074
1.162
.836
.812
0)
.926
1.004
.817
.702
.975
1.091
.792
(2)
(2)
(2)
. 778
1.000
.991
1.010
1.116
1.186
1.013
(2)
<2)
.901
.925
.890
(2)
1.161
1.224
1.090
.957
.925
.983
1.301
1. 360
1.013
1.177
.984
.819
.966
.931
.996
.913
1.015
.876
.669
1.176
.741
.780
.730
1.382
1.323
1.163
.711
1.321
1.116
1.121
.933
1. 249
1.354
1.176
1.107
1. 266
1.064
.853
1.024
1.198
.965
.772
1. I ll
1. 242
. 922
1.047
1.224
.987
.744
1. Oil
1.148
. 961
. 684
1. 067
1. 070
c)
1.154
1. 198
.933
.682
1.081
1.124
.994
.697
(2)
(2)
1.012
1.124
.780
.597
1. 079
1. 080
1. 050
1.191
1.206
1.079
.955
1.147
1. 206
1.116
. 950
1.000
1.000
(2)
1.133
1. 140
1.007
.871
.936
(2)
.932
1.126
1. 180
1.026
.796
.976
1.122
.942
.769
.810
.850
.783
.985
1.119
.912
.734
.810
1.010
.781
.645
1.640
1.503
1.428
1.234
1.537
1.421
1.372
1.282
1.363
1.072
1.348
1.023
1. 086
1.133
1. 039
(2)
(2)
.943
1.150
. 685
(2)
(2)
1.232
1.232
(2)
(2)
(2)
.829
.850
«
(2)
(2)
.786
.575
.743
.583
(2)
(2)
.995
.861
.813
.733
.740
.669
(2)
.941
.860
.718
.709
1.129
1.301
1.032
.825
1.007
1.133
.957
. 725
1.046
1.149
1.003
.789
.933
1. 041
.805
.550
1.200
1.201
(2)
.950
1.123
1.123
(2)
.836
1.124
1.183
1.014
.685
1.033
1.091
.875
.670
.718
.637
.611
.499
.880
.797
.707
.575
See footnotes at end of table.
541188— 43
1.050
1.050
322
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
T a b l e 2 . — Average Hourly Straight-Time Earnings of D ay-Shift Ship-Construction
Workers, by Region, Occupation, and Class, Spring and Fall of 1942—Con.
Atlantic Coast
Gulf Coast
Pacific Coast
Great Lakes
Inland
Occupation and class
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
$. 930 $1.138
1. 261
(2)
m
\/
1.173 1.279
$0. 984
1.162
.980
1.052
(2)
. 968
1.089
.898
1.224
1. 303
(2)
1.052
1.186
. 992
1.123
1.175
(2)
. 997
1. 073
921
Average hourly straight-time earnings1
L a y er s-o u t.___ _ . . . _ _ $1. 219
First class-.. . . . . . . .. 1.400
Other classes_______
_ 1.125
Leaders______________
1.357
Learners.. . . . __________
.891
Loftsmen_______________
1.218
First class______ . . . .
1. 402
Other classes... . . . . . . 1.086
Machinists, shop and outside. 1. 138
First class __________
1.291
Other classes___________ 1.076
M achinists’ helpers, shop
and outside__ _ _ . .
.840
Molders, foundry..
1.308
First class_______ . _. 1.555
Other classes_____ ____ 1.145
Painters, brush and spray__ 1.176
First class_____ ______ 1.293
Other classes___________ 1.085
Patternmakers . . . . . .
.
1.409
First class.............i______ 1.423
Other classes___________ 1.358
Pipe fitters (including plumbers)___ __________________ 1.092
First class_____ _ . . . _. 1. 251
Other classes___
1.040
Pipe fitters’ helpers (including plumbers’ helpers)____
.864
Plate-shop machine operators. 1.108
First class__________ _
1.363
Other classes.. . . . . .
1.045
Plate-shop machine operators’ helpers___ _. ______ .867
R egulators... . . . _____ _. 1.062
First class__________ _. 1.169
Other classes________
.973
Riggers, ship. . . . . . . .
1.138
First class_______ . . . . 1.224
Other classes . .
___
1.099
Riggers, yard and crane_____ .901
First class..
....
1.025
Other classes.. .
___ .844
Rivet heaters____________
1.021
R ivet holders-on_______ .
1.244
Rivet passers___ _. . .
.833
R iveters_____________
1.441
First class____ . . .
1. 768
Other classes._____ _ . . . 1.267
Sheet-metal workers, (including tinsm iths)____
1.146
First class_____ . . .
1.385
Other classes______ .
1.084
Sheet-metal workers’ helpers. .882
Ship fitters__ _
1.100
First class________
1.255
Other classes__________
1.076
Ship fitters’ h elp ers............
.848
Stage builders... _ .
.987
Tank cleaners______ .
.673
Tool and die makers . .
1.181
First class...
...
1.371
Other classes. . . .
1.010
Tracers_________
. 754
Watchmen and guards.
.760
Welders, acetylene and electrie__________
1.231
First class______
1. 516
Other classes
1.172
Welders’ helpers, acetylene
and electric____
.827
See footnotes at end of table.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
I
$1.128 $1.129 $1,014 $1. 326 $1. 235
(2)
1. 278 1.192 1.079 1.328 1. 235
(2)
(2)
(2)
.996 1. 014
. 866
1. 307 1.322 1.137 1. 335 1.263 $1. 264
.790
. 740
.500
1. 200 1.153 1.079 1.313 1.229 1. 120
1. 348 1.406 1. 253 1.325 1. 254 1.197
1.084 1. 104
.978 1.090 1.049
.901
1.060 1.123
.987 1.187 1.121 1. 109
1.235 1.200 1. 056 1.203 1.128 1.175
.987
.978
.859 1.081 1.014 1.032
.993
.733
1.136
1.265
1.048
1.074
1. 204
1.012
1.318
1.327
1.297
.695
1.200
1.200
.620
.951
(2)
(2)
.868
1.145
1.145
.791
. 719
.824
. 601
1.143
1.192
.870
1.410
1.410
.837
1.017
674
(2)
(2)
(2)
1.119
1.202
1 095
1. 327
1. 327
1.123
1.123
1.070
1.142
.762
. 984
1.489
1.489
1. 452
1.469
(2)
1 317
1.317
1. 050
1.128
.980
. 816
. 810
.819
1.050
1.201
.999
1. 112
1. 198
.998
.983
1.066
.868
1.183
1.200
1.082
1.118
1.122
.973
1.119
1.168
.980
1.066
1.124
. 917
1. 077
1.171
. 999
.939
. 989
914
.754
1.044
1.160
1.005
.702
1.077
1. 177
1.009
.615
.915
1.056
.788
.949
1.149
1.206
1.094
. 870
1. 061
1.118
.974
.798
1.068
(2)
1.055
. 687
.885
.870
.900
. 807
1.110
1. 228
1. 035
651
. 916
.858
. 991
.754
1. 029
1.148
.935
1.049
1.161
1.002
.882
.978
.858
.973
1.196
.909
1.348
1.498
1. 261
.713
.634
. 950
.950
.950
1.130
1.130
. 877
1 053
1.053
.834
(2)
(2)
. 640
8fi0
.860
.830
. 612
1.119
1.195
1.011
.736
1.080
.713
. 886
.893
(2)
1. 305
1 317
(2)
.975
1 067
.910
.839
.997
.798
(2)
.660
1.130
1.130
.947
.943
.943
1.065
1.065
. 830
.967
1.075
.900
. 794
.796
.788
1. 056
1 070
(2)
1.177
1 900
1.122
1.109
1.118
1. 074
1 080
1.080
. 963
1.197
1.006
. 896
1.122
1.122
L 061
764
1. 205
.920
653
1.115
1.115
1.077
1.302
1.013
.779
1.015
1.169
.988
.743
.877
1.121
1.199
1.009
.671
1.079
1.203
1.008
.682
.956
1.038
.850
.620
.947
1.061
.834
.587
1.105
1.255
1.030
. 691
.660
(2)
(2)
.837
.665
(2)
.507
1.149
1.426
1.079
1.106
1. 260
.988
.713
.748
1.087
1.194
1.204
1.075
.956
1.172
1.203
1.091
.960
1.080
. 930
(2)
(2)
(2)
V£)
1.071
1.081
1. 037
. 750
.831
. 668
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)'
1.163
1.198
1.041
.811
1.097
1.177
1.006
. 799
. 886
.902
.901
1.080
1.129
.993
.872
1.090
1. 121
1.002
.870
1. 000
850
1.174
1 195
(2)
.831
.808
. 759
. 767
.737
. 561
1. 017
. 713
(2)
613
.969
1.061
.814
1.165
1.200
1.071
1.122
1.127
1.020
1.093
1.184
.889
.983
1.088
.898
1.072
1.174
.987
.874
1.038
. 763
.625
.967
.869
.777
.668
.782
.914
.935
.893
.690
.945
1.110
.838
.683
1.022
1. 225
. 991
.848
1.028
1.189
. 969
. 742
1.016
(2)
963
(2)
.882
1.042
. 834
. 572
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
323
Wage and Hour Statistics
T a b l e 2 . — Average Hourly Straight-Time Earnings of Day-Shift Ship-Construction
Workers, by Region, Occupation, and Class, Spring and Fall of 1942—Con.
Atlantic Coast
Occupation and class
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
Gulf Coast
Fall
1942
Pacific Coast
Spring
1942
Fall Spring
1942
1942
Great Lakes
Inland
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
.3
.3
.1
.2
.3
.1
.6
.3
.3
.7
.1
.1
.1
.1
.2
.1
.1
Percent of workers
100.0
All occupations studied_____
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
A nclesm iths___ . .
First class_______ _ . . .
Other classes
Anglcsmiths’ helpers
Apprentices . . .
Blacksm iths.. _ _ _______
First class_____________
Other classes___________
Blacksmiths’ helpers_______
Boilermakers . . . ____
First class
Other classes... . _ ____
Boilermakers’ helpers.. ____
Bolters, hand 3
First class
Other classes
Burners, acetylene (including
gas)_______________ ______
First class_____ __ ____
Other classes____ ______
Burners’ helpers, acetylene
(including gas)____ ___ ..
Carpenters (shipwrights)___
First class
Other classes___________
Carpenters’ h e lp e r s__
Chippers and caulkers (ineluding foundry chippers)..
First class______________
Other classes_____ _____
Coppersmiths.. ___________
First class______ _______
Other classes
Coppersmiths’ helpers
Crane operators (all ty p e s )...
First class______ . ___
Other classes
Draftsmen (senior and junior)
Drillers (including reamers
and countersinkers). . . _
First class... . _____. . .
Other classes
Electricians.. . . ______ . . .
First class____________ .
Other classes______ _ .
Electricians’ helpers. ..
F rectors
First class
Other classes
F rectors’ helpers
Foremen (including assistant
foremen and quartermen). .
Furnacemen (plate and forge
shops)________ ___________
First class._____ _______
.2
(')
.2
.1
.1
(5)
.2
9.5
.2
.1
.1
.4
.3
.1
.2
.3
(5)
(5)
.1
.1
1.4
.3
.1
.2
.2
.6
.1
.5
.3
.3
.1
.2
.1
.1
(5)
.1
2.7
.2
.1
.1
.3
.7
.1
.6
.7
.5
.3
.2
12.6
.3
.3
0)
.2
.3
.2
.1
.7
.2
.2
.2
.1
.1
.2
.5
.1
.1
(5)
(s)
.7
.6
.1
2.0
.6
.6
2. 1
.7
1.4
1.7
.7
1.0
3.0
1.3
1.7
2.0
1.2
.8
3.8
3.2
.6
3.5
3.3
.2
11.4
6. 7
4. 7
4. 1
.2
5.2
5.0
G)
9
G)
4.0
1.0
3.0
.8
.5
6.6
4. 9
1.7
1.9
2 .2
2.0
.8
1. 2
.4
.2
1.1
.6
.5
.1
.1
.3
.1
. 2
. 2
.4
.8
.3
1.0
.4
.4
.6
1.2
2 .2
1.0
.4
.6
4.5
1.0
3.5
2.1
1. 0
.3
.7
.2
.6
.6
.8
.5
.2
.3
.2
.1
. 6
.2
.2
.1
.1
1.3
G)
G)
.3
1.0
.3
1. 4
1.6
.5
.5
.1
.4
7.6
See footnotes at end of table.
1.1
6
8.2
.1
.4
.1
.1
G)
.1
.3
.3
G)
.6
2.4
2.4
G)
1.2
.6
.6
.1
(5)
.1
.1
.5
.5
1.2
G)
G)
3.7
2.5
1.2
3.7
1.1
.2
.1
.1
1.7
3.8
3. 7
.1
1.5
2.6
2.0
.6
3.7
3.0
.7
.2
.2
.2
G)
.2
.5
.5
(5)
.5
1A
1.1
(5)
4.3
3.8
.5
1.6
.4
.3
.1
.2
3.1
G)
G)
.2
.1
.1
G)
.9
.9
G)
.3
G)
.6
.4
.3
.1
.4
.2
.1
.1
.2
.9
.9
G)
1.0
.K
2.0
.9
1. 1
1.4
.2
1.2
G)
1.1
.4
.7
1.8
1.0
.8
.4
12.0
7.1
4.9
3. 1
14.7
7.9
6.8
6.3
G)
.2
4. 4
3.2
1.2
.5
2.0
1. 2
.8
.1
.1
2.3
1.4
.9
.1
.1
(5)
1.8
1.1
.7
.1
.1
. 2
.8
.4
.9
.3
.3
.9
.4
3.0
1.0
1.0
.6
G)
. 2
.6
3.9
2.6
1.3
1.6
.3
1.5
2.5
1.2
3.9
2. 3
.3
.3
.1
.3
.2
1 .8
G)
G)
.4
.2
.7
G)
3.9
2.3
1.6
.5
1. 5
.5
1.0
.9
.5
1.4
.4
.8
2.0
.8
.6
.5
.3
2.9
1.0
1.9
1.4
1.9
.2
1.7
2.9
2.7
2.6
.1
.9
.5
.3
.2
.1
.3
1.5
1.0
.5
1. 1
3.0
.7
2.3
.6
G)
G)
.l
.1
2.6
.4
2.2
1.1
.5
.2
.3
2.7
.7
2.0
1.3
5.0
.9
G)
G)
.1
.1
.3
8
1.8
.5
.9
2
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
. 2
.9
.9
(5)
.8
1.1
3.3
2.0
.1
G)
(5)
(»)
2.7
2.2
.5
2.1
2.5
Handymen, not elsewhere
Laborers (excluding tank
cleaners and janitors)_____
.9
.5
.4
4.4
3.2
.1
Helpers, not elsewhere classifled__________ _________
Joiners (including woodworking-machine o p e r a -
.4
G)
G)
.2
6.0
2. 4
3.6
1. 2
.7
1. 5
0)
G)
14.4
( 5)
1.3
.7
. 6
.3
.3
.5
1.5
.9
.9
1.2
1.2
1.3
.9
.7
.4
.1
G)
.2
13.9
4.6
1.6
14.2
18.9
.5
.3
.2
.2
.2
5.8
4.8
6.5
G)
1.9
324
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
T a b l e 2 . — Average Hourly Straight-Time Earnings of D ay-Shift Ship-Construction
Workers, by Region, Occupation, and Class, Spring and Fall of 1942—Con.
Atlantic Coast
Gulf Coast
Pacific Coast
Great Lakes
Inland
Occupation and class
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
Fall
1942
Spring
1942
Percent of workers
Layers-out_________________
First class.__ . . . . . . ___
Other classes.. . . . ____
Leaders. ______ ... . . ___
Learners _ .
. .
L o fts m e n .__ ___________ .
First class... ___ . . . .
Other classes. _ _____
Machinists, shop and outside.
First class____ . . . . _.
Other classes._ _ ______
Machinists’ helpers, shop
and outside___ . . . _____
Molders, foundry____ ______
First class___________ . .
Other classes___________
Painters, brush and spray___
First class_______ ______
Other classes_____ _____
Patternmakers.. . ______ _
First class_____ ______
Other classes.__________
Pipe fitters (including plumbers)_________________ ____
First class...........................
Other classes___________
Pipe fitters’ helpers (including plumbers’ helpers)____
Plate-shop machine operators.
First class___________ ._
Other classes. .
. ____
Plate-shop machine operators’ helpers___ . . . _____
Regulators_____ _ . . . ___
First class.. _ _ ______
Other classes.. ________
Riggers, ship_______ _
First class___ _
Other classes__ . . . . . .
Riggers, yard and crane.. . . .
First class____ . . . _____
Other classes _. .
Rivet heaters___ .
Rivet holders-on . . . . _____
Rivet passers__ _ ______
R iveters.____ ________
First class___ _________
___
Other classes. . .
Sheet-metal workers (including tinsm iths)________ . . .
First class_______ _____
Other classes. _ ________
Sheet-metal workers’ helpers.
Ship fitters______________ „
First class_________ _
Other classes___________
Ship fitters’ helpers________
Stage builders_________
Tank cleaners____ . . .
Tool and die makers . .
First class__________ .
Other classes.. ______ _
Tracers_____ ____
Watchmen and guards. __ .
Welders, acetylene and electrie________________ _ .
First class_____ . . _ . . .
Other classes.. . . _____
Welders’ helpers, acetylene
and electric______________
0.5
.2
.2
0.7
.5
.3
2.7
6. 7
.4
.3
.2
.2
.2
6.5
1.9
4.6
2.2
.2
.1
.1
2.6
1.1
1. 5
.1
.1
(5)
0.5
2.8
8.1
.5
4.2
4. 3
.4
.1
.3
3.4
1.2
.6
2.6
1.6
.1
.1
2.1
2.4
(s)
(5)
1.7
1.4
.3
(')
(5)
2.1
1.0
1.1
.3
.1
.2
3.1
1.0
2.1
.2
.I
2.2
1.2
.1
2.7
1.5
2.3
.4
2.5
3.1
.6
.2
.1
1.2
.2
.3
.4
.1
.2
.2
.1
.1
1.2
.2
.1
.1
1.2
.2
.6
.2
.4
.3
.3
.2
.4
.8
.8
.2
.6
.4
.4
.3
.5
.1
.2
3.6
2.4
.6
1.7
.3
.3
1.7
.3
.3
1.2
.2
.2
1.8
.4
1.4
(5)
.1
.4
.4
.4
1.0
.7
1.5
3.9
1.4
2.5
5.6
.2
.2
.2
( 5)
.1
.1
1.3
8.2
1.4
6.8
.5
.3
.3
(5)
(l)
3.6
1.8
1.8
6.1
.5
.7
.6
.]
.1
.1
.1
.2
.2
1.4
1.3
.1
1.8
7. 2
5.2
2.0
4. 6
1.2
.1
( 5)
(5)
(5)
(5)
2.1
(5)
1.9
.1
1.3
7. 1
1.4
5.7
7.6
3.3
4.3
4.0
2.5
1.5
.2
3.0
2.6
.2
.2
1.0
2.5
1.4
2.8
3.0
1.4
2.4
2.0
2.0
.3
.4
( 5)
.3
.3
.8
1.6
.8
3.0
.3
(5)
.3
1.4
2.7
.6
.6
.3
.3
.3
.3
.9
1.3
.7
1.0
.1
.1
.6
.2
.2
.5
.5
.3
.2
.7
.8
1.0
.7
.2
.7
.3
.2
.3
.3
.2
.6
.7
.7
iZ
.5
.2
.5
.1
1.2
.9
.3
.7
3.0
1.4
.1
.1
(5)
1.6
2.7
. .9
.8
8.1
6.0
2.1
10.1
2.1
.9
19
.8
5.2
2.3
2.9
1.3
.5
.9
2.2
1.9
1.4
.5
1.1
.4
.2
.2
.9
.7
2
1.8
.6
1.3
.2
.1
.1
1.1
.5
.6
.1
.i
,i
1.1
.i
1.0
1.1
.2
.9
.'7
.5
3.1
8.8
7.7
2.4
6.4
4.9
6.8
1.6
1.2
1.4
5.3
.5
1.9
3.9
.2
1.8
5.9
.1
.1
.1
.2
.3
.9
2.0
11.8
8.6
12.2
11.6
3.2
4.7
.6
2.1
1.5
1.5
1.7
1 Excluding earnings resulting from extra pay for overtime work.
’ Number of workers too small to .justify computation of average.
3 Includes a small number of machine bolters.
* Occupation not included in spring 1942 study.
* Less than a tenth of 1 percent.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
.7
.7
(5)
.6
(5)
3.3
1.1
1.2
.6
( 5)
2.6
.1
1.2
.2
6.7
3.4
3.3
1.9
3.1
2
.2
.1
6.1
2.2
2 4
.9
.7
3.7
3.2
2.3
1.6
1.0
.6
.2
.1
5.9
2.2
.7
1 5
2.8
1 1
(5)
2.4
3. 6
.3
0.5
.3
.2
2.5
2 3
.3
4.9
3. 9
■3
2.8
2.8
0.2
.2
(5)
1.9
4.2
4.3
3.2
1.7
.1
(»)
(5)
3.2
3.4
3.3
.1
.6
.1
2.1
.1
6.0
4.7
4.0
#7
2.7
2.4
1.4
5.8
.9
4.9
2.4
.9
.6
.1
.4
.3
1.6
1.1
3.0
( 5)
.5
3.8
3.5
.3
.3
.9
.9
.3
.3
3.1
5. 2
.6
(5)
2.7
1.4
6.3
.9
5.4
4.2
6.1
.2
.2
.2
.1
1.6
0.1
.1
(5)
.5
.5
(5)
(5)
(5)
(')
.3
.2
(5)
4.2
3.6
0.4
.4
2.5
2.5
(5)
(5)
(5)
.4
.1
.3
.6
2.1
.2
.2
.2
3.4
.9
2.5
1.3
.4
.9
0.4
.4
(5)
8.5
.1
.3
7.9
2.4
5.5
4.7
1.2
3.5
.1
0.7
.5
.2
3.1
.1
.3
6.8
.8
1.6
.3
2.6
.2
2.1
7.4
3.3
4.1
13.1
15.2
6.0
6.1
7.1
9.1
1.0
1.4
.1
Wage and Hour Statistics
325
ATLANTIC COAST
The Atlantic Coast region, despite extensive expansion of the indus
try in other parts of the country, continues to play a leading role in the
building of ships. At the time of the wage survey, a wide variety of
ships, ranging from the larger naval and commercial deep-sea vessels
to the smaller harbor craft, was being constructed in the yards in this
region. Yards in the Atlantic area vary greatly in size,
Atlantic Coast shipyards reported first-shift workers in each of the
60 occupational groups covered by the study. Although considerations
of national safety prevent disclosure of the number of workers in these
occupations, the relationship of the various occupations to the labor
pattern as a whole can be ascertained from the ratio of the number of
workers in each occupation to the total number of workers in the 60
occupations studied.
About nine-tenths (89.8 percent) of all the workers studied were
found in 28 of the 60 selected occupations, the major concentrations
being among acetylene and electric welders (8.2 percent), laborers
(7.6 percent), learners (6.7 percent), machinists (6.5 percent), ship
fitters (6.3 percent), and carpenters (6.0 percent). Three other occu
pations—electricians, pipe fitters, and ship fitters’ helpers—-had between
4 and 6 percent of all workers.
Any discussion of occupational wage rates in the shipbuilding indus
try should take into consideration the classes or gradations of workers
within crafts. As previously pointed out, each craft is divided into a
number of classes based on skill requirements. There is, however, no
uniformity among regions or even within regions in the classes found
within crafts. Only first-class workers and specialists are comparable
from yard to yard and between regions. The various classes below
first class were therefore combined into one broad group—‘‘other
classes.”
First-shift workers in the selected occupations in Atlantic Coast
yards, as table 2 shows, had hourly straight-time average earnings of
$1,048 in November 1942. Occupational averages ranged from 67.3
cents an hour for tank cleaners to $1,768 an hour for first-class
riveters.
Nearly one-fiftli (19.6 percent) of the workers, most of whom were
first-class craftsmen, were in occupations in which earnings averaged
more than $1.20 an hour, and another two-fifths (39.1 percent) were in
occupations with average earnings of between $1.00 and $1.20 an hour.
The latter workers, for the most part, belonged to the “other classes”
of craftsmen, i. e., from handymen up to but not including first-class
workers. Nearly a third of the workers were in occupations with
average earnings ranging from 75 cents to $1.00 an hour. Most of
these workers were helpers in the various crafts.
First-class craftsmen generally earned more than the $1.20 minimum
established for such workers under the 1942 stabilization agreement.
Because of special circumstances, earnings lower than $1.20 were found
for 5 “first-class” groups of workers—erectors ($1,198), crane operators
($1,193), regulators ($1,169), carpenters ($1,142), and bolters ($1,063).
Regulators and bolters are not generally considered by Atlantic Coast
yards as “first-class skilled mechanics.” The relatively low average for
carpenters is due to lower wages paid in a few small yards engaged in
wooden-boat building and employing a large number of such workers.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
326
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
These yards, as a rule, have not subscribed to the stabilization pro
gram. In the larger yards, however, the rates paid to carpenters ap
proach the minimum of $1.20 set forth in the zone agreement. The
occupation of crane operators as used in this report covers workers
operating a wide variety of cranes, not all of which command the $1.20
rate. Generally, $1.20 or more an hour was paid for operators of
cranes other than bridge cranes, while lower rates prevailed for opera
tors of the bridge type. The payment of rates slightly below the mini
mum to first-class erectors in a few yards caused the average for the
occupation to fäll slightly short of $1.20.
The average earnings for craftsmen designated as “other classes”
differed widely among crafts, largely because of variations in the com
position of these groups. There was little uniformity in the number
of second- and third-class workers and handymen reported by the
various yards.
Earnings of shipyard workers, in general, were also influenced to
some extent by size of yard and type of construction. Workers in the
larger yards averaged about 10 cents more per hour than those in the
smaller yards. The latter group includes a number of wooden-boat
building operations which, as stated, do not generally subscribe to the
stabilization program and generally have a lower wage level.
The occupational structure in these yards also differs materially from
that in yards building metal ships.
Incentive methods of pay are quite prevalent among Atlantic Coast
yards. More than a third (35.7 percent) of the workers surveyed par
ticipated in incentive-payment plans and were thus able to increase
their basic rates of pay by about 19 percent above the base rate.
The net effect of incentive payments was to raise by almost 7
percent the average earnings of the workers in the region as a whole.
Some idea of the variations in earnings between yards may be ob
tained from the following tabulation which presents the lowest and the
highest averages paid to first-class workers in 5 representative crafts.
The lowest rates were invariably found in small yards engaged in the
construction of wooden ships, while the highest rates were generally
found in yards having incentive methods of wage payment.
L ow est
yard
average
C arpenters (sh ip w rig h ts)------------------------------C hippers and cau lk ers_______________________
E lectrician s__________________________________
M achinists, shop a n d o u tsid e ________________
W elders, acetylene an d elec tric___ __________
$0.750
. 750
. 750
. 750
. 727
Highest
yard
average
$1.661
2.576
1.570
1.554
2.169
GULF COAST
Shipbuilding in yards on the Gulf of Mexico and the East Coast of
Florida, the area comprising the Gulf Coast region under the stabili
zation program, plays an important part in the wartime program.
Although not so large in terms of number of yards, employment, or
production as the Atlantic and Pacific Coast areas, the industry in the
Gulf region is contributing materially to the Nation’s fast-growing
fleet of large deep-sea and coastwise vessels and smaller harbor craft.
First-shift workers in the Gulf Coast yards were reported in all but
4 of 60 occupational groups studied, and nine-tenths (90.7 percent)
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327
were in 24 of these groups (table 2). Approximately 14 percent of the
workers were classified as laborers. Other occupations containing
more than 5 percent of the workers studied were apprentices (9.5 per
cent), welders (7.6 percent), carpenters (6.6 percent), and ship fitters’
helpers (5.6 percent).
The average hourly straight-time earnings of first-shift workers in
the Gulf Coast region amounted to 90.7 cents in November 1942.
Individual occupational averages ranged from 61.1 cents for laborers
to $1,428 for foremen.
Somewhat more than one-fourth of the workers studied (28.8 per
cent) were found in occupations in which hourly earnings averaged
more than $1.16 an hour. These occupational groups were very
largely made up of first-class workers who were generally paid the
minimum rate of $1.20 an hour in yards subscribing to the stabiliza
tion agreement. In 9 occupations, first-class workers averaged from
0.1 to 2.3 cents less than the first-class minimum rate of $1.20, owing to
the lower wages in a few small yards (generally the wooden-ship yards)
which did not subscribe to the stabilization agreement. In 4 other
occupations, namely, joiners, erectors, yard and crane riggers, and
drillers, average earnings were substantially below the $1.20 rate
(from $1.07 to $1,149). In the Gulf Coast region first-class workers
in these 4 occupations were not generally considered as being subject
to the wage-stabilization minimum.
Another 17 percent of the workers were in occupations in which
earnings averaged between 93 cents and $1.15. This group was made
up mostly of second- and third-class craftsmen and handymen, desig
nated as “other classes” in their respective occupations. Only two
groups of “other classes” of workers averaged less than 93 cents an
hour—painters (87 cents) and yard and crane riggers (71.3 cents).
Average hourly earnings of less than 90 cents were found in occupa
tions employing more than half (54 percent) of the workers in the
region. Of these workers, nearly two-fifths were helpers in the vari
ous crafts, all of whom had occupational averages of less than 80 cents
an hour.
The variations in occupational averages in the Gulf Coast shipconstruction yards were influenced by the different wage levels pre
vailing among the various yards. Typical examples of these differ
ences are individual yard averages ranging from $1.00 to $1,526 for
first-class welders, from 85 cents to $1.21 for first-class painters, from
99 cents to $1.20 for first-class electricians, and from 40 to 63 cents
for laborers. Hourly averages by yard for “other classes” of crafts
men as well as nonclassified occupations present similar variations.
Although wide variations in earnings exist among yards, considerable
uniformity was found in the earnings of workers within the same occu
pation in the same yard.
PACIFIC COAST
With an average of $1,135 an hour, the straight-time earnings of
first-shift workers in Pacific Coast ship-construction yards were higher
than in any of the other 4 regions (table 2). Occupational averages
in this region ranged from 88 cents an hour for laborers to $1,537 an
hour for foremen.
Of the 60 broad occupational groups studied, no workers were re
ported for the “miscellaneous handymen” category. Such workers,
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
328
Mojithly Labor Review—August 1943
who cannot be identified with any craft, were not found in West Coast
yards. About nine-tenths (90.3 percent) of all first-shift workers
covered on the West Coast were found in 26 occupational groups.
The outstanding occupation from the standpoint of number of workers
was that of welders who comprised 11.8 percent of the workers surveyed.
Only three other occupational groups had more than 5 percent of the
workers studied. These were leaders (8.5 percent), ship fitters (7.2
percent), and carpenters (5.2 percent).
Nearly three-fifths (57.1 percent) of the workers were in occupations
with average earnings of $1.20 or more an hour. This group, except
for the foremen, leaders, and draftsmen who are generally recognized
as higher-paid supervisory and technical employees, was made up of
first-class craftsmen. The minimum wage rate ($1.20) for firstclass skilled workers established under the amended stabilization
agreement clearly has been applied broadly in the Pacific Coast yards.
Eighteen of the first-class occupations, containing more than twofifths (43.8 percent) of all workers studied, had average earnings of
not less than $1.20 and in some cases only slightly more than $1.21 an
hour. First-class craftsmen in 5 other occupations—anglesmiths,
patternmakers, loftsmen, layers-out, and crane operators—had aver
age earnings considerably higher than the stabilization minimum.
These higher averages are the result of special rates agreed upon by
labor and management for occupations requiring unusual skills or
involving heavy work.
Only 4 groups of firSt-class workers averaged less than $1.20 an
hour, namely, regulators ($1.13), yard and crane riggers ($1,118),
drillers ($1.08), and bolters (95.5 cents). None of the workers in
these jobs were considered to be within the scope of the term “firstclass skilled mechanics” for which the $1.20 minimum was established.
Another concentration of workers (21 percent) was found in occu
pations with average eainings of between 94 and 98 cents an hour.
This group includes all of the craftsmen’s helpers except anglesmiths’
helpers. The latter averaged $1.08 an hour. The most common
rate paid to helpers on the West Coast was 95.0 cents an hour.
On the West Coast, “trainees” correspond to handymen and to
the second- and third-class workers (“other classes”) found in the
other regions. In 14 of the 21 occupations for which data are shown
for such workers (trainees), the averages ranged from $1.06 to $1.10
an hour.
Locality, size of yard, and type of vessel under construction appear
to have little bearing on wages in West Coast shipyards. In general,
the averages conform closely to the wage scale set forth in an agree
ment entered into by the West Coast operators and the Metal Trades
Department of the American Federation of Labor. Any variations
from these rates are attributable primarily to premium rates paid to
specialists or for work performed under less desirable conditions.
GREAT LAKES REGION
Although smaller both in number of yards and workers than the
industry in the seacoast regions, the Great Lakes shipbuilding opera
tions nevertheless contribute measurably to the production of smaller
commercial vessels and war craft.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wage and Hour Statistics
329
Exactly 88 percent of all the workers studied in this region were
found in 25 of the 60 occupational groups covered in the survey and
more than a fifth of these were in the carpenter and welder crafts.
The other 12 percent of the labor force was spread among 31 occupa
tions. No workers were reported in only 4 occupations—copper
smiths’ helpers, foundry molders, unclassified handymen, and tank
cleaners.
Day-shift workers had average straight-time hourly earnings of
99.4 cents (table 2). The range in the averages of individual occu
pations was from 67.2 cents an hour for apprentices to $1,469 for
first-class patternmakers. Exactly three-eighths of the workers sur
veyed were in occupations with average earnings of more than $1.12
an hour. This group was made up very largely of first-class crafts
men. Groups designated as “other classes” formed a major part
of another 25 percent of the workers in occupations with average
earnings ranging from 90 cents to slightly less than $1.08 an hour.
Occupations in which earnings averaged less than 90 cents an hour
included all of the helper groups and accounted for the remaining twofifths of those workers included in this study.
First-class workers in only three of the occupations generally recog
nized as being subject to the stabilization minimum had average
earnings either equal to or in excess of $1.20 an hour. This fact is
not to be construed, however, as indicating a general disregard for
the shipbuilding wage-stabilization program. On the contrary, the
minimum rate of $1.20 was quite generally paid to first-class skilled
mechanics in yards subscribing to the wage-stabilization agreement.
There were a few yards, however, that did not subscribe to the agree
ment and, therefore, did not pay the $1.20 minimum to first-class
skilled mechanics, while other yards accepted the agreement with
some rate modifications. Despite this fact, variations in the average
rates from yard to yard for the same occupation were not so pro
nounced as in most of the other regions. For example, yard
averages for first-class carpenters fell in the narrow range of from
$1.12 to $1.20 an hour, and the range for first-class welders was
from $1.12 to $1,278. Among the occupations showing the greatest
differences among yards was that of laborers, with average earnings
ranging from 58.5 to 81.3 cents.
INLAND REGION
Shipbuilding activities in the broad area designated as the Inland
region for purposes of this analysis have forged ahead rapidly since
May 1942, and now play an important part in both the commercial
and naval wartime shipbuilding program. Decided increases have
occurred not only in the number of workers employed but also in the
number of yards. Most of the yards in this region are situated on
the Mississippi and Ohio rivers and their tributaries.
The occupational pattern in this area was less complex than in the
other areas, all of the workers reported being found in 43 of the 60
occupational groups studied. About two-fifths of the workers were
found to be laborers (14.2 percent), welders (13.1 percent), ship fitters
(8.8 percent), and machinists (6.1 percent). Another fifth of the
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
330
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
workers were in 4 occupations—carpenters, foremen, pipe fitters, and
ship fitters’ helpers—each having between 4 and 6 percent of the
workers surveyed.
The straight-time earnings of the day-shift workers in the Inland
area averaged 97.4 cents an hour (table 2), 2.0 cents an hour less than
workers in the Great Lakes area. Among the individual occupations
foremen were paid the highest ($1,363) and blacksmiths’ helpers thé
lowest (66 cents) average wages.
Occupations with average hourly earnings of more than $1.00 in
cluded about one-third (34.2 percent) of the first-shift workers.
In addition, a fourth of the workers (27.8 percent) had occupational
average earnings of between 90 cents and $1.00. First-class crafts
men comprised the major part of the former group, and “other classes”
of workers (second- and third-class craftsmen and handymen) ac
counted for the greater part of the latter group. The occupations of
craftsmen’s helpers and laborers were numerically the most impor
tant of the occupations with average hourly earnings ranging from
66.0 cents to 89.0 cents. Occupational averages falling within this
range included about two-fifths of the workers covered in this report.
Wages in this region are influenced to a considerable extent by such
factors as size and type of yard and method of wage payment. On the
average, the larger yards pay about 17 cents more per hour than the
smaller operations. Of all the workers studied, about one-third
(32.2 percent) received additional compensation under various forms
of incentive-wage plans. As a result, the income of these workers
was approximately 5 percent (4.9 cents) more than it would have been
if they had received only their basic wage rates. These incentive
payments raised the regional average by about 1.5 cents.
There was considerable variation among yards in rates paid for the
same job. Yard averages, for example, ranged from 72.5 cents to
$1.206 for first-class carpenters, from 82.5 cents to $1.306 for firstclass machinists, from 80 cents to $1.276 for first-class welders, and
from 42.9 to 94.5 cents for laborers.
Although shipbuilding operations in this region do not come within
the scope of the industry’s wage-stabilization program, several of the
yards have adopted wage scales similar to those in the other areas.
Average hourly earnings approaching $1.20 or higher than this amount
were found in 10 of the 18 occupations for which data are shown for
first-class workers.
Interregional Comparisons
The straight-time earnings of day-shift workers in private ship
construction varied considerably from region to region in November
1942. The highest general wage level was found in the Pacific Coast
region, where workers earned an average of $1.135 an hour (table 2)
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wage and Hour Statistics
331
The Atlantic Coast region ranked second with a general average of
$1,048 an hour. In this region the earnings of the workers were in
fluenced to a considerable extent by incentive-wage payments. As
previously pointed out, approximately one-third of the workers in
this region participated in incentive-earnings plans. In the other
areas, incentive earnings were found to have comparatively little
effect on the general level of earnings. The lowest wages prevailed
among Gulf Coast yards, where workers averaged 90.7 cents an hour.
Average earnings in the Great Lakes and Inland areas were only 2
cents apart, the respective averages being 99.4 and 97.4 cents an hour.
The distribution of yard average hourly earnings provides a useful
indication of intraregional variations in plant wage levels and, in addi
tion, sheds light on regional differences. Table 3 shows the percent
age of yards in each region with specified wage levels, and the propor
tions of each regional labor force employed in yards with the designated
levels of earnings. The least variation in plant averages was found in
the Pacific Coast region, where over nine-tenths of the yards, employ
ing more than 99 percent of the workers, had averages ranging from
$1.05 to $1.20 an hour. Furthermore, 71.1 percent of all workers were
in yards having averages falling within the narrow limits of $1.10
to $1.15 an hour. On the other hand, the greatest dispersion in yard
averages was found in the Atlantic Coast region, where the range was
from slightly more than 60 cents to just under $1.25 an hour. How
ever, over three-fifths of the Atlantic Coast yards, employing 71.0
percent of the workers, had averages ranging from 95 cents to $1.15
an hour.
In the Gulf Coast region, most of the yards, with 92.3 percent of
the workers, had averages ranging between 75 and 95 cents an hour.
Within this group, however, the relationship between the distribution
of yards and that of workers is somewhat different. Thus, yardaverage earnings in one-seventh of the yards with 51.1 percent of all
the workers fell between 90 and 95 cents, while three-fifths of the yards
with but two-fifths of all the workers had average wage levels of less
than 90 cents an hour.
In neither the Great Lakes nor the Inland regions were the yard
averages concentrated at any single level. Most of the workers in
the former area were employed in yards paying between 90 cents
and $1.05 an hour. Although over three-fourths of the workers m
the Inland area were in yards in which hourly earnings averaged be
tween 95 cents and $1.10, there was a fairly heavy concentration in
the interval from 75 to 80 cents.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
T a b l e 3 .— Distribution of Shipyards and Workers by Average Hourly Yard Earnings
and Region, Fall of 1942
Yard-average earnings group
United Atlantic
States
Coast
Gulf
Coast
Pacific
Coast
Great
Lakes
Inland
Percent of yards w ith specified yard-average earnings
60.0 to 64.9 cents_________
65.0 to 69.9 cents______
70.0 to 74.9 cen ts.__ _
75.0 to 79.9 cents_____
80.0 to 84.9 cents_______
85.0 to 89.9 cents___ .
90.0 to 94.9 cents_____
95.0 to 99.9 cents_____
$1,000 to $1.049_______
$1,050 to $1.099_____
$1,100 to $1.149_______
$1,150 to $1.199_______
$1,200 to $1.249_____
$1,250 to $1.299___
$1,300 to $1.349_____
All earnings___ __ . . .
2.3
2.3
2.3
8.1
3.5
8.1
5. 8
11. 6
11. 6
12.8
19.9
7.0
2.3
1. 2
1.2
3. 2
3. 2
3. 2
6.5
12.9
3 2
22. 6
12 9
12.9
12. 9
100.0
100.0
11 1
11.1
7. 7
23 0
15. 4
23.1
15.4
7 7
7.7
6.5
22.2
21.8
47 8
21.8
10 0
in o
20 0
20 0
10.0
20 0
10.0
11 1
22 3
11 1
100.0
100.0
4. 3
4.3
100.0
100.0
Percent of workers in yards with specified yard-average
earnings
60.0 to 64.9 cents__ .
65.0 to 69.9 cents...... ... ..................
70.0 to 74.9 cents. . . _____
75.0 to 79.9 cen ts.__ . . . .
80.0 to 84.9 cents____
85.0 to 89.9 c en ts.. .
90.0 to 94.9 cents .
95.0 to 99.9 cents. . . . .
$1,000 to $1.049_______
$1,050 to $1.099______
$1,100 to $1.149______
$1,150 to $1,199...........
$1,200 to $1.249____
$1,250 to $1.299..
$1,300 to $1.349_______ ____
All earnings______ ______ ___
0. 6
.2
.2
2.1
1.7
8.9
10. 9
11. 7
11. 5
7.5
29.8
8.1
6.7
.1
(>)
100.0
1. 4
.4
.2
1.4
8.3
.3
24.3
20 3
11.1
15. 3
4 0
3.0
17.0
100.0
0 5
1.5
0. 7
5.0
8. 8
27. 4
51.1
15.7
4.2
71 1
24.4
0 Q
17 4
22 R
26 7
9. 3
fi 7
4
A a
17 7
/
18 3
Tbl.
.2
.l
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
> Less than a tenth of 1 percent.
A more satisfactory method of measuring the extent of regional
differences involves a comparison of average earnings for a selected
group of individual occupations. Comparative wage data are pre
sented by region in table 4 for workers of all classes or grades in 38
crafts and for first-class workers in 16 crafts. Among the broad
occupational groups, covering all classes of workers, the highest wages
for 30 of the 38 occupations were paid in Pacific Coast yards. The
Atlantic Coast ranked first in only 6 occupations and the Inland region
in only 2 occupations. The high level of earnings on the West Coast,
as indicated by general occupational averages covering craftsmen of
all classes, was very largely due to the greater proportion of first-class
workers in this region. Of the craftsmen in the 38 occupations, 82
percent on the West Coast werO classified as first class. This com
pares with 27 percent in the Atlantic region, 57 percent in the Gulf
region, 60 percent in the Great Lakes region, and 43 percent in the
Inland region.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
333
Wage and Hour Statistics
With respect to first-class workers only, the Atlantic Coast region
had the highest average earnings in 11 of the 16 occupations for which
data are shown in table 4. In the 5 remaining occupations, Pacific
Coast yards were highest in 4, and the Gulf Coast yards were highest
in 1 occupation. The high level of earnings in the Atlantic Coast
region was due primarily to the influence of incentive methods of
wage payment.
T a b l e 4.'— Average H ourly Straight-Time Earnings of Day-Shift W orkers in Selected
Occupations in Ship-Construction Yards, by Region, Fall of 1942
Occupation and class
A ll classes
Angle-smiths
____________ ___ _________
Apprentl CCS
_
_________________ Blacksmiths
___________ ____________
Blacksmiths’ helper«?
__________________
B oilcrm akers
______________________
___________________
Boilermakers’ helpers
Burners acetylene (including1gas)
__ _____ ______
Burners’ helpers acetylene (including gas)
__
Carpenters (shipwrights)
_________________
Carpenters’ helpers
____ __ - -- -- --------Chippers and caulkers (including foundry chippers)____
Crane operators (all types)
______ _ ____________
Draftsmen (senior and junior)
_
_______________ -Electricians
- ___ - - ______________
Electricians’ helper.«?
_____________________
______ _____ ___
____— Erectors
Foremen (including assistant foremen and quartermen)__
Helpers not elsewhere, classified
___ _________
Laborers (excluding tank cleaners and janitors) _ ______
Traders
______ _________ ______ _
T,earners
- ___________ ____________ -- Loftsmen
______ ___ _ _ __— Machinists shop and outside
-- _______
M achinists’ helpers shop and outside
____ ______
Painters brush and $pra.y
_____________
Pipe fitters (including plumbers)
_________
Pipe fitters’ helpers (including plumbers’ helpers)_______
Plate-shop machine operators
_____________ ______
Plate-shop machine operators’ helpers
____________ Biglers yard and crane
______ _______________
Sheet-metalworkers (including tinsmiths)
Sheet-mefal worker«?’ helpers
_______________ Ship fitters
- ___________ - ----------- _____ __ ____ ______ - —
Ship fitters’ helpers
Tracers
_ _______ ________ ____ _
~Wafehmen and guards
___________________
Welders acetylene and electric
____________
Welders’ helpers acetylene a,nd electric
____________
First class
Blacksmiths
_____________________________
Boilermakers
_ _____________________
Burners acetylene (including gas)
_________
Carpenters (shipwrights)
____ __ ______ _____
Chippers and caulkers (including foundry chippers)------Crane operators (all types)
___________
Electricians
________________________
Erectors
__________________________
TiOftsmen
__ ____________________ Machinists shop and outside
___________
"Painters brush and spray
-- ________ ______
Pipe fitters (including plumbers)
_______
Biggers yard and crane
_____ _____- — -Sheet-me*tal workers (including tinsmiths)
_ ..
_ __
Ship fitters
- ________ _____ — -----Welders acetylene and electric
_____ ___ ________
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Atlantic
Coast
Gulf
Coast
Pacific
Coast
Great
Lakes
Inland
$1.165
.824
1.141
.880
1.124
.929
1.123
.862
1.035
.802
1. 219
1.154
1. 382
1.107
.853
1.024
1.640
.733
.718
1. 357.891
1.218
1.138
.840
1.176
1.092
.864
1.108
.867
.901
1.146
.882
1.100
.848
.754
.760
1.231
.827
$1. 227
.815
1.156
.751
1.093
.706
1.100
.702
1.135
.680
1.124
1.177
1.163
1.154
.682
1.081
1.428
.669
.611
1.322
.740
1.153
1.123
.695
1.143
1.112
.702
1.077
.713
.736
1.121
.671
1.079
.682
.837
.665
1.106
.748
$1. 273
1.019
1.165
.967
1.173
.950
1.179
.950
1.197
.943
1.180
1.286
1.321
1. 191
.955
1.147
1.537
.941
.880
1. 335
.950
1.313
1.187
.951
1.119
1.183
.949
1.149
.950
1.109
1.194
.956
1.172
.960
.902
.901
1.165
.967
$0.954
.672
1.147
.871
1.150
.835
1. 093
.797
1.094
.811
1.121
1.116
1.121
1.126
.796
.976
1.372
.718
.707
1.264
.906
1.120
1.109
.791
1.070
1.119
.798
1.068
.834
.967
1.163
.811
1.097
.799
.759
.767
1.093
.777
$1. 284
.795
.983
.660
1.121
.928
1.093
.879
1.074
.812
1.116
1.161
1.301
1.013
.819
.966
1. 363
.786
.743
1.279
.697
1.224
1.052
.824
1.050
1.077
.807
1.110
.830
1.071
1.022
.848
1.028
.742
1.017
.713
1.072
.782
1.222
1.360
1.222
1.142
1.396
1.193
1.266
1.198
1.402
1. 291
1.293
1. 251
1.214
1. 200
1.209
1. 196
1. 200
1.185
1.198
1.124
1.406
1. 200
1. 192
1.198
1.205
1.200
1.200
1.203
1.204
1.290
1.206
1. 206
1. 325
1.203
1.202
1. 200
1.193
1. 200
1.162
1.186
1.180
1.177
1.180
1.122
1.197
1.175
1.142
1.168
1.100
1.194
1.198
1.162
1.186
1.224
1.177
.931
1. 303
1.186
1.128
1.171
1 .0 2 5
1 .3 8 5
1 .2 5 5
1. 516
1 .0 8 0
1 .1 9 9
1 .2 0 3
1 .2 6 0
1 .1 1 8
1 .2 0 4
1. 2 0 3
1 .2 0 0
1 .0 7 5
1 .1 9 8
1 .1 7 7
1 .1 8 4
1 .0 8 1
1. 225
1 .1 8 9
1 .1 7 4
334
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
Application of Stabilization Program
Occupational averages for first-class workers presented earlier in
this analysis tend to show that the minimum wage of $1.20 provided
by the zone standard agreements for the Atlantic, Gulf, Pacific, and
Great Lakes shipbuilding areas has been widely applied. There is
also evidence of the payment of this rate in the Inland area, although
the stabilization program does not extend to this area.
In the four regions subject to the stabilization program, the wage
data for November 1942 indicate that first-class workers in 25 crafts
were considered “standard skilled mechanics” and received the mini
mum stabilization rate of $1.20. These crafts are as followsA nglesm iths
B lacksm iths
B oilerm akers
B urners, acetylene
C arpenters (shipw rights)
C hippers an d caulkers
C oppersm iths
C rane operators
E lectricians
F urnacem en
Joiners
L ayers-out
L oftsm en
M achinists, shop a n d outside
M olders, fo u ndry
P ain ters, b ru sh a n d spray
P a tte rn m a k e rs
P ipe fitters
P late-sh op m achine o p erato rs
Riggers, ship
R iv eters
S h eet-m etal w orkers
Ship fitters
Tool a n d die m akers
W elders, acetylene a n d electric
Supervisory and specialized workers, such as draftsmen, have been
excluded from the above list, as their rates generally are not closely
related to the application of any regulatory measures. Drillers have
also been eliminated from the list, as rates considerably below $1 20
were very often paid to first-class workers in this craft. The higher
earnings for drillers in the Atlantic Coast region result from incentivewage methods rather than from application of the zone minimum.
In the Pacific Coast region the average earnings for first-class
workers in each of the listed occupations for which figures can be
shown equal or exceed $1.20 an hour. In addition, first-class erectors
are also subject to the $1.20 minimum in this area.
All but 1 of the 25 occupations enumerated above show average
earnings for first-class workers approaching or exceeding $1.20 an
houi in the Atlantic Coast region. Carpenters, however, averaged
only $1,142 an hour. Despite this relatively low figure, most yards
paid the zone minimum to these craftsmen. The lower figure shown
for this occupation is the result of low rates paid to large numbers of
carpenters employed in a few yards engaged in building wooden boats.
Generally these yards do not subscribe to the zone standard agreement.
•
Gulf Coast yards, the average earnings of first-class workers
m all but 2 of the 25 occupations were either relatively close to or
exceeded, the stabilization minimum. Joiners and plate-shop ma
chine operators averaged $1,149 and $1,177, respectively. Sub
standard rates in a few yards accounted for these lower average
earnings.
In only three occupations—boilermakers, patternmakers, and riv
eters did first-class workers in the Great Lakes region average as much
as or more than $1.20 an hour. In 14 other occupations, however,
first-class workers received average wages within 4 cents of the mini
mum. These differences can be attributed, in most cases, to the
lower rates paid in a few of the yards and to the practice in some yards
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Wage and Hour Statistics
of hiring first-class workers at less than $1.20 an hour for a short
period of time. The low earnings of ship riggers ($1,016) resulted
from employment of most of these workers in a few yards at sub
standard rates. In general, however, it is reasonable to conclude that
the zone agreement minimum for this region was applied, at least in a
modified form, in most of the yards.
Earnings Trend Between Spring and Fall, 1942
In the fall of 1942, as table 5 indicates, the average hourly straighttime earnings of day-shift workers in ship-construction yards for the
country as a whole, $1,044, were 8.8 percent (8.4 cents) higher than
the average of 96.0 cents an hour reported in the spring of 1942. These
figures are based on data for all of the yards covered in the two periods.
T a b l e 5 . — Average Hourly Straight-Time Earnings of D ay-Shift Ship-Construction
Workers in Selected Occupations, A ll Yards and Identical Yards, by Region
Identical yards
All yards
Region
United States_________ _______ ____ ___ ____
Atlantic- _________ _____________________
G u lf ______________________________________
____________ ____
Pacific-- _______
Great Lakes____ - - - ------ ------------------------ Inland----------- ---------------- --------- .........- ..............
Average hourly
earnings
Fall
Spring
$1,044
$0.960
1.048
.907
1.135
.994
.974
.966
.776
1.034
.861
.795
Increase
(cents)
8.4
8.2
13.1
10.1
13.3
17.9
Average hourly
earnings
Increase
(cents)
Fall
Spring
$1,069
$0. 959
11.0
1.070
.892
1.138
1.001
.958
.969
.761
1.035
.863
.795
10.1
13.1
10.3
13.8
16.3
As table 5 shows, the largest increase in earnings among the regions
occurred in the Inland area, where the average rose from 79.5 cents
in the spring to 97.4 cents in the fall of 1942. This area employs a
relatively small proportion of the workers in the industry. In the
two major ship-construction areas, Atlantic and Pacific Coast regions,
comparison of the earnings data relating to all plants for the two
periods reveals the smallest increases, 8.2 and 10.1 cents an hour,
respectively. Changes in the Gulf Coast and Great Lakes areas were
practically identical, amounting to 13.1 cents in the former and to
13.3 cents in the latter region.
It should be pointed out that the above figures for the two periods
are based on somewhat different samples, and may not precisely
measure the changes that did take place between the spring and fall of
1942. Because-of the rapid expansion of the industry, the sample
used in the survey made in the fall was considerably larger than that
used in the spring of 1942.
Wage data for identical plants probably provide the most accurate
measure of wage changes in the industry since the spring of 1942.
Figures for identical yards, presented in table 5, are based upon a
substantial proportion of the total number of yards in each region.
It will be seen that the increases shown for identical yards reporting
in both the spring and fall of 1942 in the Gulf, Pacific, and Great Lakes
regions closely approximate the increases shown for all yards reporting
in the respective regions in the two periods. In the Atlantic Coast
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
area, however, the increase for identical yards was higher by 1.9
cents than that shown for all yards in this region. On the other hand,
data for the identical yards in the Inland area show an increase of 16.3
cents or 1.6 cents less than that for all yards. The general increase
for the identical yards combined was 2.6 cents greater than the
increase shown for all yards.
A more extensive application of incentive-wage methods accounts
in a large part for the higher absolute change based on identical yards
in the Atlantic Coast area. In general, incentive-wage payment
plans were not found in the additional yards covered in the fall survey.
The inclusion of these yards in the fall sample naturally tended to
lower the general average for the region. In the Great Lakes region,
a number of the yards added to the sample in the fall of 1942 had
higher wage structures than those covered in the spring survey.
This tended to raise somewhat the average for that region.
In the four regions the absolute increases were greater than those
provided for under the zone stabilization agreements (8 cents in all
regions except on the Gulf Coast where a sliding scale of from 9 cents
for the lowest to 13 cents for the highest paid workers was adopted).
Increases over and above those provided for in the stabilization agree
ments may be attributed in part to the upgrading of workers and in
part to the acceptance of the stabilization program by a greater num
ber of yards. The sharp increase in average earnings in the Inland
region, which, as previously stated, does not come within the scope
of the wage-stabilization program, has resulted from a general raising
of the rates in this region to levels relatively comparable to those
found in other areas.
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Wage and Hour Statistics
337
H o u rs a n d E a rn in g s in th e F e r tiliz e r I n d u s tr y ,
J a n u a ry 1 9 4 3 1
Summary
WAGE earners in the fertilizer industry earned, on an average, 55.0
cents an hour, exclusive of premium pay for overtime, in January
1943. There was a marked regional difference in wage levels, average
hourly earnings being 76.5 cents in the North and 45.2 cents in the
South. Negroes, who make up a large part of the working force in
the industry and are usually found in jobs with lower skill require
ments, averaged 45.9 cents an hour as compared with 72.5 cents for
white employees. Office workers averaged 70.7 cents an hour.
That the wage level in the fertilizer industry is relatively low is
indicated by the fact that 2.0 percent of the wage earners in January
1943 were paid less than 30 cents an hour, 21 percent earned from 30
to 40 cents, inclusive, while approximately one-half of the employees
received less than 47.5 cents an hour.
Characteristics of the Industry
The fertilizer industry is made up of “establishments primarily
engaged in the manufacture of commercial fertilizer and super
phosphates or mixing of fertilizer materials.” 2 Among the establish
ments excluded from the industry are those engaged in the merchan
dising of fertilizer materials in the natural state or of tankage from
meat-packing establishments used without further processing, and in
the mining and grinding of phosphate rock for sale to fertilizer plants.
The industry in 1939 consisted of 764 establishments, according to
the Census of Manufactures, but the average number of wage earners
employed during the year was only 18,744. The plants were scattered
among 39 States, with a marked concentration, however, in the
Southern area. Fifty-four percent of the total number of wage
earners were employed in plants situated in Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.2
The majority of fertilizer plants have few employees. Of the 764
plants in the industry in 1939, 226 had fewer than 5 wage earners;
274 had from 6 to 20 wage earners; 173 had from 21 to 50 wage earners;
and 91 had 51 or more wage earners. Although most of the plants
are relatively small, concentration of ownership is an important
factor in the industry. A few companies, each operating a number of
plants, account for a very appreciable segment of total output and
play an important role in the determination of industrial policy. A
larger group of companies, operating two plants or more, may be
considered intermediate in size.
An integrated fertilizer plant consists of three manufacturing units—
an acid department, a superphosphate department, and a mixing
department. Sulphuric acid is manufactured in the acid department
1 Prepared in the Bureau’s Division of Wage Analysis by Edward B. Morris.
2 Census of Manufactures, 1939.
541188— 43------ 10
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
for use of the superphosphate department. In the superphosphate,
wet-mixing, or acidulation department, phosphate rock is ground
and mixed with the sulphuric acid. The mixture is dumped into a
concrete ‘den” and left there until the chemical reaction is completed.
In the dry-mixing department, the superphosphate is combined with
other purchased fertilizer materials in accordance with the desired
formulas. The various ingredients are mixed thoroughly to secure
uniformity and the resulting product is bagged and then tagged for
shipment.
The principal kinds of fertilizer plants may be described in terms
of these departments. Acid-making plants have all three depart
ments. Superphosphate plants, which purchase their acid require
ments, ordinarily have superphosphate and dry-mixing departments
although superphosphate production is included in the fertilizer
industry whether or not the plant produces mixed fertilizers. Drymixmg plants purchase their superphosphate and conduct only the
dry-mixing operations. Tabulated with this latter group are a few
plants that process ammoniates (nitrogen-bearing materials) in
addition to mixing fertilizers.
The fertilizer industry exhibits wide seasonal variations in produc
tion and employment. Farmers generally buy their fertilizers only a
short time before applying them to the soil. The more common for
mulas are usually mixed in advance, but much of the mixing is done to the
order of the user. Consequently, there is a marked peak of activity
m the spring and a somewhat lesser peak in the fall. The spring
peak starts early in the year in the deep South and moves northward
thereafter. While the spring peak may be delayed or advanced by
the weather, it occurs usually during March or April. The usual fall
peak is in September or October. This seasonal variation is clearly
indicated by the Bureau’s index of emplovment in the fertilizer in
dustry for the years 1939 to 1943 (table l)f During these years the
index numbers for March and April have been substantially higher,
except in 1942, than those for either February or May, and, except
m one year, the index numbers for September and October have been
somewhat higher than those for either August or November.
T able 1
—Indexes of Employment in the Fertilizer Industry, hy Months, 1939-43
[1939=100]
Month
January. . .
February,.
March___
April_____
M a y _____
June_____
July______
August___
September.
O ctober...
November.
December.
Preliminary.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1939
96.8
100.9
137.6
166.6
116.7
74.4
69.3
69.8
92.7
92.7
86.1
96.3
1940
98.9
102.9
143.2
164.6
121.3
83.6
75.4
76.4
90.2
91.2
86.6
89.7
1941
97.8
106.5
133.0
168.7
119.7
86.6
85.1
84.6
103.9
97.8
95.3
100.4
1942
1943
113.2
144.6
156.7
147.1
118.8
96.2
88.5
91.8
103.0
102.6
103.9
109.4
114.5
138.2
158.6
» 154.8
339
Wage and Hour Statistics
Seasonal fluctuation in employment has been accompanied by an
interesting variation in the level of average hourly earnings. Hourly
earnings for the spring peak tend to fall below earnings for earlier and
later months. For example, in each of the years shown, the level of
hourly earnings for March was from 1.7 to 4.4 cents below the level
for January of the same year, and from 4.6 to 6.0 cents below the
average hourly earnings for May (table 2). This phenomenon may
be explained by the hiring of additional workers at minimum rates
during the busy season, and by the fact that increased activity occurs
earlier in the South, where wage rates are generally lower than else
where. The fall peak is less pronounced in terms of the employment
index, and has a less consistent effect on the level of hourly earnings.
T a b l e 2 . — Average Hourly Earnings
M onth
Janu ary-..
February..
March___
April_____
M ay_____
June_____
July_____
August___
September.
October. __
November.
December.
1 in the Fertilizer Industry, by Months, 1939 43
1939
1940
1941
1942
$0. 393
.379
.349
.349
.409
.429
.444
.446
.442
.420
.451
.428
$0.420
.404
.384
.379
.430
.443
449
.466
.459
.442
.451
.435
$0. 429
.421
.408
.417
.468
.486
.494
.517
.514
.501
.507
.501
$0.495
.470
.478
.498
.529
.549
.591
.601
.593
.589
.583
.579
1943
$0. 573
.551
.552
2.586
' Including additional earnings from penalty rates for overtime.
2 Preliminary.
Union Organization in the Fertilizer Industry
Slightly over one-fourth of the workers in the fertilizer industry
work under the terms of union agreements. The greater proportion
of workers under agreement are found in California, Florida, Illinois,
Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee
and Virginia. Little or no union organization prevails in Alabama,
Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, and
South Carolina.
The principal unions in this industry are the National Council
of Chemical and Allied Industries Unions (composed of federal labor
unions directly affiliated with the A. F. of L.), and District 50, United
Mine Workers of America, which is not affiliated with either the A. F.
of L. or the C. I. O. The former union represents slightly over half
of the workers under agreement; the latter approximately one-third.
A number of other unions have some representation in the industry
Methods of Wage Payment
Wage payment on a time basis predominates in the fertilizer in
dustry. In January 1943, all but 1.5 percent of the plant workers
were paid on an hourly, weekly, or monthly basis. One percent of
the workers were paid piece rates, while the earnings of the remain
ing one-half of 1 percent of the workers were determined by some other
form of incentive wage system.
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
Practices with respect to payment for overtime work cannot be
determined precisely from the information secured during the course
of the survey. On the basis of the wage data collected, however,
certain inferences can be drawn.3 Thus, 61 percent of the plants in
which overtime hours were worked during the pay-roll period, and
m which overtime pay practice could be determined, paid time and
one-half after 40 hours; in 16 percent of the plants slightly different
practices with respect to overtime premium pay prevailed. Straighttime rates for overtime hours were paid in 23 percent of the plants.
Only straight-time hourly earnings are shown in this report. Weekly
earnings, however, include the additional compensation derived from
extra rates for overtime.
Nature and Scope of Survey
Phis survey of wages and hours in the fertilizer industry was
undertaken by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as part of its established
program of securing basic information on the wage structure of
American industries. A previous survey of wages in this industry
was made by the Bureau in 1938.4 The present survey was specifi
cally requested by the Wage and Hour and Public Contracts Division
of the U. S. Department of Labor, for use in a minimum-wage de
termination under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Because of the urgent need for current data, a pay-roll period during
January 1943 was selected for study. It will be recalled that by
comparison with the peak spring and fall seasons, employment in
January is substantially lower and the general level of wages somewhat
higher.
The basic data for the present survey were obtained very largely
by means of mail questionnaires which were sent to practically all
of the firms in the industry. A few of the larger firms were visited by
representatives of the Bureau for the purpose of obtaining their
assistance in the compilation of the data desired. Over 700 reports
were received. Many of the returns, however, were from firms that
had ceased business, employed no wage earners, or were improperly
classified as being in the fertilizer industry. A relatively small num
ber of usable returns were received too late for inclusion in the tabu
lation, or were omitted for other reasons. The data presented in this
report are based on returns from 308 plants with 10,226 factory
workers and 679 office employees.
The information requested on the questionnaire for individual
workers included such items as race, sex, job title, shift, total hours
worked, rate of pay, earnings at the regular rate of pay, and total
earnings including extra or premium overtime earnings. Information
as to the type of plant and whether the plant shipped goods outside
of the State was also requested.
! T he data collected for each worker included total hours actually worked, rate of pay, earnings at regular
rates for total hours shown, and total earnings including premium pay for overtime. It was thus possible
to determine the rate of premium pay in most of the plants in which overtime hours were worked.
4 Serial N o. R. 864: Wages and Hours in the Fertilizer Industry, 1938.
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/
341
Wage and Hour Statistics
Average Hourly Earnings of Plant Employees
The average straight-time hourly earnings of plant workers in the
308 establishments covered in the survey amounted to 55.0 cents 5 in
January 1943 (table 3). Considerable light is thrown on the composi
tion of this average by the distribution of individual earnings shown in
table 4. Thus, 23.2 percent of the workers earned less than 40.0 cents
an hour and almost as large a proportion of workers had earnings
within the 2.5 cent interval from 40.0 to 42.5 cents. Although 55.5
percent of the workers received 42.5 cents or more an hour, only 13.7
percent earned as much as 77.5 cents.
T a b l e 3 . — Number of Plants, Number of Workers, and Average Hourly Earnings oj
Plant Workers in Fertilizer Industry, by Region, State, and Race, January 1943
Negro
W hite
Total
N um
ber of Number Average Number Average Number Average
plants of work hourly of work hourly of work hourly
earnings
earnings
ers
ers
earnings
ers
Region and State
308
10, 226
$0. 550
3, 279
$0. 725
6,947
$0.459
North . ______
California. .............................. ..... Connecticut .
. . .
-- ---- -................. Illinois______ .
Indiana_____ _____ -- . . . —
___ ______ _
M aine. ____ _
M aryland... . ----------- ------ ---M assachusetts___________ — —
N ew Jersey_____________________
N ew York......................... ...
........
Ohio.
- _________ __________
Pennsylvania
------- -------- -- -Other States 2-----------------------------
113
16
4
4
4
5
11
6
9
9
13
15
17
3,166
174
82
175
80
105
694
148
485
182
330
271
440
.765
.787
.630
.771
.549
.562
.778
.805
.749
.756
.709
.702
.935
2,073
157
24
121
45
104
203
141
369
155
196
143
415
.806
.778
.580
.786
.530
.561
.929
.808
.797
.777
.737
.708
. 954
1,093
17
58
54
35
1
491
7
116
27
134
128
25
.679
(>)
.652
.733
.578
(>)
. 712
0)
. 583
.626
. 665
.694
.443
South
_ __________________ ______
Alabama____________ ___ ___ - -Arkansas______ _______________
Florida ..........................................-Georgia-------------------------------------M ississippi__ . . . .
- - -----North C a ro lin a--- ------- ------South C arolina____ __________
Tennessee
..
. . . - -Texas
__ ________________
Virginia____- .........................
--Other States 3______ ____ _ _____
195
16
4
30
42
7
33
25
5
9
20
4
7,060
603
94
1,306
1,266
348
948
964
198
108
1,131
94
.452
.378
.383
.513
.369
.372
.428
.413
.449
.340
.599
.335
1,206
82
11
335
199
51
108
80
101
35
201
3
.595
.479
(')
.717
.454
.432
. 543
.612
.472
.369
.709
0)
5,854
521
83
971
1,067
297
840
884
97
73
930
91
418
.360
.377
.438
.353
.362
. 410
.391
. 425
. 325
.570
.334
U nited S t a t e s . . . ---- ----------------
...
1 Number of workers too small to justify presentation of an average.
.
. .
2 Includes 1 plant in Arizona, 2 in Delaware, 1 in District of Columbia, 1 in Iowa, 2 m Michigan, 1 m
Minnesota, 1 in Missouri, 1 in Montana, 1 in Nevada, 1 in Oregon, 1 in Rhode Island, 1 in Vermont, and 3 m
Washington.
. ,
a Includes 1 plant in Kentucky, and 3 m Louisiana.
Wide regional variations in hourly earnings exist in the industry.
Wage earners in the North earned an average of 76.5 cents an hour in
January 1943, as against an average of 45.2 cents for workers in the
South. In the North, 70.1 percent of the workers received 67.5 cents
an hour or more, and 96.7 percent earned at least 42.5 cents an hour.
The corresponding percentages in the South were 6.2 and 30.6.
To some extent, the regional difference in hourly earnings was due
to the lower earnings of Negro workers, who accounted for 83 percent
of the labor force in the South as against approximately one-third of
the labor force in the North. These differences were also strongly
a The inclusion of the extra earnings resulting from premium overtime pay would increase this average
by 3.7 cents.
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342
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
influenced by the fact that Negro workers tend to be employed in the
lower-paid occupations, whereas white workers are generally found in
the supervisory and higher-paid occupations. White workers en
joyed an advantage in earnings over Negroes of 12.7 cents in the
North and 17.7 cents in the South. The general difference in hourly
earnings in favor of Northern workers amounted to 21.1 cents for
white workers and to 26.1 cents for colored.
Although the general North-South wage difference is very marked,
intraregional variations in levels of earnings are also relatively wide.
Thus, as table 3 shows, average hourly earnings by State in the North
ranged from 54.9 cents in Indiana to 80.5 cents in Massachusetts.
The range in the South was from 34 cents in Texas to 59.9 cents in
Virginia.
T a b l e 4.- —Percentage Distribution of P lant Workers in Fertilizer Industry, by Average
Hourly Earnings, Region, and Race, January 1943
United States
North
South
Average hourly earnings
Total
Under 30.0 cents__________ ______
Exactly 30.0 cents________ ______
30.1 and under 32.5 cents______
32.5 and under 35.0 cents_______
35.0 and under 37.5 cents______
37.5 and under 40.0 c e n ts ___
40.0 and under 42.5 cents __
42.5 and under 47.5 cents_____ _
47.5 and under 52.5 cents_____ .
52.5 and under 57.5 cents_____
57.5 and under 62.5 c e n ts _____
62.5 and under 67.5 c en ts...
67.5 and under 72.5 cents.
72.5 and under 77.5 c e n t s .. ___ _
77.5 and under 82.5 c en ts...
82.5 and under 87.5 c e n t s .. ___
87.5 and under 92.5 cents_____
92.5 and under 97.5 cents .
97.5 and under 102.5 c e n t s ._____ _
102.5 and under 107.5 cents_____
107.5 cents and over.. __ . _.
T otal___ ___________________
Number of workers.
Average hourly earnings_________
2.0
8.3
.1
White Negro
1.2
3. 6
(!)
1.4
9.9
1.5
21.3
6.9
6.2
6.6
3.8
5.9
4.4
8.0
3.2
1.6
2.2
1.6
1.2
2.3
1.6
.3
5.3
3.7
5.9
4.9
5.2
6.7
7.3
14.0
8.1
3.7
6.2
4.8
3.7
7.2
4.9
100.0
100.0
2.4
10. 5
.i
.5
1.8
2.8
13.3
2.0
29.0
8.3
6.4
7.4
3.1
5.5
3.1
5.2
1.0
.6
.2
.1
(0
Total White Negro Total White Negro
(i)
(0
(9
0.1
2 9
19 1
1
2 9
Q7
1
1 2
9 1
1 5 !4
,i
19
13.9
2 1
30. 2
9.2
6.5
7.7
2.6
4.6
1.5
1.1
1.1
.4
.6
.4
.3
.4
.4
6.7
7
12.6
7.3
6.3
5.1
4.6
8.3
7.5
6.0
5.7
2.5
3.4
2 fi
16
2 5
2.4
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
10, 226 3,279 6,947 3,166 2,073 1,093 7,060 1.206
$0. 550 $0. 725 $0. 459 $0. 765 $0.806 $0.679 $0.452 $0. 595
5,854
$0. 418
0
)
100.0
0.1
1.2
0.1
.5
2.6
2.0
1.6
5.7
4.3
6.3
8.7
11.0
23.3
7.9
4.2
5.5
4. 2
3.3
6.5
4.2
1.1
1.6
5.6
4.9
5.6
5.8
7.2
18.5
9.3
4.4
7.9
6. 2
4.9
10.0
6.4
3.7
1.6
5.8
3.1
7.7
14.1
18.1
32.4
5.2
3.8
1.1
.5
.1
100.0
100.0
24
33.8
9.6
6.5
8.2
2.2
3.9
.2
.1
(i)
.2
.1
(>)
1 Less than a tenth of 1 percent.
Because the minimum-wage levels prescribed by the Fair Labor
Standards A ct6 affect only those plants engaged in interstate
commerce, plants not so engaged might be expected to have somewhat
lower average hourly earnings. To test this assumption, the plants
included in the survey were classified on the basis of whether or not
they make shipments in interstate commerce. Table 5 shows a dis
tribution of employees by average hourly earnings in these two plant
groups. A marked difference in hourly earnings is evident, amounting
to 17.2 cents in the North and 10.7 cents in the South. It will be
observed that more than 11 percent of the workers in the intrastate
plants in the South earned less than 30 cents an hour in January 1943.
6 At the time of the wage survey, the fertilizer industry was subject to the statutory minimum wage of 30
cents an hour under the Pair Labor Standards Act. In addition, minima of 30 cents in the South, 50 cents
in the Far West, and 40 cents in the remainder of the country had been established under the Public Con
tracts Act for production on Government contracts amounting to $10,000 or more.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
343
Wage and Hour Statistics
T
5 . — Percentage Distribution of Fertilizer-Plant Workers by Average Hourly
Earnings, Region, and Whether Products Are Shipped Outside State, January 1943
able
North
South
Plants
Plants
not
ship
ship
ping T otal2 ping
out
out
side
side
State
State
Plants
Plants
not
ship
ship
ping T otal3 ping
out
out
side
side
State
State
United States
Average hourly earnings
T otal1
Under 30.0 cents
"Exactly 30.0 cents.
3ft 1 and under 32.5 cents
32.5 and under 35.0 c e n t s . ____
35 0 and under 37.5 cents
37 5 and under 40.0 cents 40.0 and under 42.5 cent®-_____
42.5 and under 47.5 c e n ts ... . . .
47.5 and under 52.5 cents. ___
52.5 and under 57.5 cents.. _ _
57.5 and under 62.5 cen ts.____
62.5 and under 67.5 cen ts.___ _
67.5 and under 72.5 cents.___ .
72.5 and under 77.5 c en ts..____
77.5 and under 82.5 cen ts.__ _ .
82.5 and under 87.5 cents--------87 5 and under 92 5 cents
92.5 and under 97.5 cents______
97.5 and under 102.5 cents____
102.5 and under 107.5 cents____
107.5 cents and over__________
2.0
8.3
.1
1.4
9.9
15
21.3
6.9
6.2
6.6
3.8
5.9
4.4
8.0
3.2
1.6
2 2
1.6
1.2
2.3
1.6
Plants
ship
ping
out
side
State
(4)
5.3
f4)
1.6
8.8
1. 4
20.7
6.8
5.6
7.5
4.0
7.0
5.0
9.6
3.9
1.9
26
2.0
1.4
2.9
2.0
T otal__________________ 100.0
100.0
Number of w orkers.. . _____ 10,226
Average houily earnings______ $0. 550
8,021
$0. 584
9.3
19. 5
.1
.4
13. 8
1. 5
24.3
7.2
8.9
3.3
3.1
1.8
2.3
2.2
.9
.4
.4
.1
.4
.1
(4)
100.0
Plants
not
ship
ping
out
side
State
11.4
23.9
.1
.5
17.0
1.9
29.0
8.2
5.7
.5
.5
.2
.2
.3
.2
.2
3.2
2.5
23.0
15.5
14.7
8.5
11.2
10.2
4.0
1.5
2.3
.5
1.5
.5
.3
2.9
12.0
.1
1.9
14.0
2.1
30.2
9.2
6.5
7.7
2.6
4.6
1.5
1.1
1.1
.4
.6
.4
.3
.4
.4
0.1
8.0
.1
2.5
12.5
2.2
30.3
9.6
6.8
10.1
3.4
6.1
1.9
1.4
1. 5
.5
.9
.6
.3
.6
.6
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
400 7,060
$0.615 $0.452
5, 261
$0.478
1,767
$0.371
0.3
(4)
(4)
(4)
o. 1
1. 2
(4)
1.4
.3
2.0
1.6
5.7
4.3
6.3
8.7
11.0
23.3
7.9
4.2
5.5
4.2
3.3
6.5
4.2
1.8
1.4
3.2
2.6
5.1
8.7
11.1
25.2
8.4
4.6
6.0
4.8
3.5
7.4
4.8
100.0
100.0
2,167 3,166
$0.419 $0. 765
2, 760
$9. 787
.1
.1
1 Includes 38 workers in 3 plants which did not report whether they shipped outside the State.
Includes 6 workers in 1 plant which did not report whether they shipped outside the State.
a Includes 32 workers in 2 plants which did not report whether they shipped outside the State.
4 Less than a tenth of 1 percent.
2
Average Hourly Earnings as Related to Community Size•>
Company Affiliation, and Type of Product
Levels of hourly earnings in the fertilizer industry differed con
siderably by size of community in January 1943. In the industry as
a whole, the average hourly earnings of workers in plants in communi
ties with a population of less than 10,000 amounted to 42.1 cents, as
compared with an average of 45.1 cents for plants in communities of
10,000 and under 100,000 population, and 66.6 cents in communities
of 100,000 and over. In the North, the range in level of earnings
between the smallest and largest community size was from 60.6 cents
to 80.1 cents, or a difference of 19.5 cents, while in the South the range
was from 36.5 cents to 54.8 cents, a difference of 18.3 cents an hour
(table 6).
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
\
344
T
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
able
6 . — Number
of Plants, Number of Workers, and Average Hourly Earnings in
Fertilizer Industry, by Region and Size of Community, January 1943
Region and size of community (population)
Number of
plants
Number of
workers
Average hourly
earnings
United States.. ___________ . . .
Under 10,000. . _ _____
10,000 and under 100,000...
100,000 and over___ ___________
308
123
83
102
10, 226
2,319
2,983
4, 924
$0. 550
.421
.451
.666
N orth___ _______ _____ ___ _
Under 10,000___________
10,000 and under 100,000___ . . . . .
100,000 and over______________
113
34
15
64
3,166
513
320
2,333
. 765
. 606
. 761
.801
South.. ___ _
. .
Under 10,000________________
.. _
10,000 and under 100,000____ _.
100,000 and over_______
______ .
195
89
68
38
7,060
1,806
2, 663
2,591
.452
.365
.411
.548
In terms of company affiliation, average hourly earnings in the
large and intermediate companies 7 were considerably higher than
earnings in single-plant companies. In the North, the large com
panies led with average hourly earnings of 83.3 cents, while in the
South the intermediate companies had the highest average, 53.7 cents
(table 7).
From the standpoint of type of manufacture, acid-mixing plants
had higher average hourly earnings than either superphosphate or
dry-mixing plants in both regions. In the industry as a whole, acid
mixing plants paid an average of 61.0 cents per hour, superphosphate
plants an average of 54.2 cents, and dry-mixing plants an average of
47.7 cents.
T
1.— Number of Plants, Number of Workers and Average Hourly Earnings in
Fertilizer Industry, by Region, Size of Company, and Type of Plant, January 1943
able
United States
North
Size of company and type of
plant
N um
ber
of
plants
N um
ber
of
work
ers
Aver
age
hourly
earn
ings
N um
ber
of
plants
Large com panies.._ _ ____
Intermediate companies___
Small companies
_. _ .
74
75
159
3,813
3,070
3, 343
$0. 591
.601
.457
20
40
53
1,291
1,030
845
Acid-mixing plants___
Superphosphate plants__ .
Dry-mixing plants
...
42
38
228
4, 560
1,597
4,069
.610
.542
.477
12
14
87
1,387
614
1,165
South
N um Aver
ber
age
of
hourly
work earn
ers
ings
N um
ber
of
plants
N um
ber
of
work
ers
Aver
age
hourly
earn
ings
$0. 833
.735
.694
54
35
106
2, 522
2,040
2,498
$0.462
.537
.374
.862
.742
.649
30
24
141
3,173
983
2,904
.499
.416
.406
It should be pointed out that the differences in plant average wage
levels by size of community, company affiliation, and type of plant
do not necessarily reflect accurately the differences in wage rates.
For example, acid-mixing plants have a more complex occupational
structure than either of the other two types of plants, and the higher
wage levels in these plants mirror, at least in part, the somewhat
larger employment of relatively higher-skilled workers. Moreover,
to take another instance, the wage advantage apparently enjoyed by
workers in communities of more than 10,000 inhabitants probably is
due, in some measure, to the fact that acid-mixing plants are found
mainly in the larger communities.
7 As previously pointed out, the term “large companies” refers to a small group of multiplant firms that
exert a dominant influence on the industry; the term “intermediate companies” refers to a iarger group of
firms with two or more plants each, but not comparable in size with the large companies.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wage and Hour Statistics
345
Hourly and W eekly Earnings and Hours of Labor, by Occupation
Table 8 provides a detailed picture, by region and race, of average
hourly earnings in the principal occupations found in the fertilizer
industry. This same table also shows average hours worked in each
occupation as well as average weekly earnings. It is important to
notice that the data on average weekly earnings include premium
overtime compensation.
T
able
8 . — Average
H ourly Earnings, Weekly Hours, and Weekly Earnings in
Fertilizer Industry, by Region, Occupation, and Race, January 1943
Number of workers
Region and occupation
United States_______
A c id - c h a m b e r
m e n ........... .........
Baggers_________
Bag printers.........
Bag sewers______
Bag stowers_____
Car runners and
conveyor opera
tors___________
Carpenters______
D en diggers..........
Dry-mixer opera
tors___________
Foremen________
Laborers________
Maintenance
workers, miscel
laneous_______
Maintenance
m en’s helpers...
Mechanics______
Rock grinders___
Scalemen________
Shovelers, h a n d ...
Superphosphate
mixers________
Truckers, h a n d ...
Truck and tractor
drivers________
W atchm en______
M is c e lla n e o u s
plant workers...
N orth------ -------------A c id -c h a m b e r
m en__________
Baggers_________
Bag printers____
Bag sewers______
Bag stowers_____
Car runners and
conveyor opera
tors__________
Carpenters-------Den diggers____
Dry-mixer opera
tors___________
Foremen________
Laborers________
Maintenance
workers, miscel
laneous________
Maintenance
men’s helpers.. .
Mechanics---------Rock grinders___
Scalemen________
Shovelers, hand—
Su perp hosp hate
mixers_________
See fo o tn o te s a t end o f tab le.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
36.32
346
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
Average Hourly Earnings, Weekly Hours, and M eekly Earnings in
fertilizer Industry, by Region, Occupation, and Race, January 1943—Continued
T able : 8.
Number of workers
Region and occupation
Average hourly
earnings
Average weekly
hours
Average weekly
earnings
Total White Negro Tota White Negro Tota White Negro Total White
Negro
North—Continued.
Truckers, h an d-_
Truck and tractor
drivers________
W atchm en______
Miscellaneous
plant w orkers...
168
67
71
102
46
94
25
8
152
122
.848
.921
.750
43.2
44.4
41.7 39.05
44.09 32.78
1,206 5,854
.452
.595
.418
40.4
45.2
39.5 19. 62
29.07 17. 67
29.69
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
274
South______________ 7,060
A c i d - ch a m b er
m en_________
113
Baggers_________
135
Bag printers____
59
Bag sewers_____
156
Bag stowers_____
122
Car runners and
conveyor opera
tors___________
88
Carpenters______
68
Den diggers_____
198
Dry-mixer opera
tors___________
97
Foremen________
287
Laborers________ 3,107
Maintenance
workers, miscel
laneous_______
87
Maintenance
men’s h elpers...
58
Mechanics______
58
Rock grinders___
56
Scalemen________
171
Shovelers, h a n d ...
635
Superphosphate
mixers________
77
Truckers, h a n d ...
729
Truck and tractor
drivers.................
196
W atchmen______
206
M is c e lla n e o u s
plant w orkers...
357
102 $0. 596 $0. 650 $0. 559
.707
.648
.716
.649
.690
(2)
37.4
37.9
37.0 $23.08 $25. 77 $21.31
44.3
45.7
44.4
45.9
44.1 33.25
31.12
(2)
33. 50 32. 78
31.34 (2)
28
10
15
6
9
85
125
44
150
113
.466
.411
.453
.420
.397
.543
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
.442
.413
.442
.420
.403
50.8
42.1
43.1
43.1
37.7
49.4
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
51.3
42.5
43.1
43.1
38.4
3
57
1
85
11
197
.380
.701
.374
(2)
.727
(2)
00
.381
46.9
48.4
42.6
(9
.374
49.3
(2)
46.7 19.64
37.48
(2)
42.7 17.03
19. 66
(2)
39.85 (2)
17.08
(2)
16
81
252
35
113 2,994
.418
.680
.431
(2)
705
.406
.418
.537
.431
47.7
51.3
38.9
(2)
50.1
34.5
47.9 21.55
59.5 37.51
39.1 17.90
21. 63
(2)
37.64 36. 55
14. 69 18.02
26.41
18. 37
20. 71
19.23
15.81
25.33
18. 63
20. 38
19. 23
16. 36
75
12
.834
.875
(2)
48.8
49.2
(2)
45.90
48.53
(2)
30
50
13
53
15
28
8
43
118
620
! 549
.749
.472
.416
.399
.654
.797
(2)
.480
(2)
.441
(2)
.407
.388
.400
48.4
50.8
52.1
42.1
34.4
47.5
50.8
(2)
41.0
(2)
49.4
(2)
52.6
42.6
34.5
29.55
42.61
27.79
18.84
14.44
34.59
45.41
(2)
20.97
(2)
24.15
(2)
24.11
17.88
14.53
31
52
46
677
.502
.363
.633
.370
.430
.362
46.7
32.5
41.0
33.0
50.5 25.46
32.5 12. 21
27.44 24.12
12.70 12.17
68
180
128
26
.476
.391
.491
.400
.467
.322
49.8
45.7
50.1
46.2
49.6 25. 99
42.1 19.16
27. 02 25.44
19.84 14.44
129
228
.518
.685
.425
44.0
43.5
44.3 24. 47
31.66 20.41
1 Includes extra earnings from overtime.
2 Number of workers too small to justify the presentation of an average.
A ll examination of table 8 indicates that the average of 55 cents an
hour for all plant workers in January 1943 was composed of a wide
range of occupational averages, varying from 41.2 cents an hour for
hand truckers to 93.7 cents an hour for maintenance workers (other
than carpenters and mechanics). Carpenters averaged 81.4 cents
and mechanics 83.9 cents an hour. Laborers, the most important
occupational group in terms of number of workers, were paid an
average of 52.9 cents an hour.8
In the North, hand truckers, with an average of 59.6 cents an hour,
earned less than any other occupational group, while miscellaneous
maintenance men earned $1.07 an hour. Carpenters also received
slightly over $1.00 an hour. Laborers were paid 74.0 cents an hour.
Occupational averages in the South were at a substantially lower
level than in the North, ranging from 36.3 cents an hour for hand
truckers to 83.4 cents an hour for miscellaneous maintenance men.
Carpenters ^averaged 70.1 cents an hour, while mechanics earned an
average of 74.9 cents. Laborers were paid 43.1 cents an hour.
+V.1T?3? relatively high rate for laborers, compared with other unskilled occupations, is partly explained by
u s e d Ct
many plants rePorted workers as ‘laborers” when perhaps more specific titles could have been
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wage and Hour Statistics
347
In every occupation shown for the country as a whole, Negro
workers received lower hourly earnings than white workers. The
difference ranged from 7.6 cents an hour for truck and tractor drivers
to 28.7 cents for rock grinders. In the North, white workers received
higher average hourly wage rates than Negroes in 7 of the 9 occupa
tions for which comparisons can be made. In the Southern region,
white workers had a wage advantage over the Negro employees in
most occupations. The advantage ranged from 0.8 cents to 26.0
cents in the 10 occupations which permit a racial comparison. Only
in the case of laborers did Negro workers have higher hourly earnings.
For this occupation, the difference amounted to 2.5 cents.
Wage earners in the fertilizer industry as a whole worked an average
of 40 6 hours a week in January 1943, as table 8 shows. Average
hours were 41 in the North and 40.4 in the South. White workers had
longer average hours than Negro employees, with the average differ
ence amounting to 3.9 hours in the industry as a whole, 3.5 hours in
the North, and 5.7 hours in the South.
Average hours in the industry were measurably lowered by the
relatively short average hours of laborers, hand shovelers, and hand
truckers, the three largest occupational groups. Workers in 12 of the
22 occupational categories shown in table 8 had average hours of more
than 45 a week; these groups were, in general, composed of the more
skilled employees. The tendency for average hours to be relatively
low among workers in the essentially unskilled occupations can be
observed in both regions.
The average plant worker in the fertilizer mdustry had weekfy
earnings of $23.82 in January 1943, including amounts received as
premium pay for overtime. Table 8 shows that the average white
worker earned $33.63 and the average Negro worker $19.20. Average
weekly earnings in the North were $33.20 ($36.28 for white workers
and $27.38 for Negroes) and in the South $19.62 ($29.07 for white
employees and $17.67 for Negroes). The average difference between
white and Negro workers in average weekly earnings in the industry
and in both regions was greater than the difference in average hourly
earnings. This was due primarily to the fact that white workers had
longer average hours.
In the industry as a whole, miscellaneous maintenance workers
received the highest average weekly earnings ($48.37) and hand truck
ers the lowest ($14.26). Laborers averaged $22.12. The average
for mechanics was $45.98, about $5 above the average for working
foremen. The same general pattern of occupational weekly earnings
was found in both the North and the South, but on a somewhat lowei
level in the latter region.
Earnings and Hours of Office Employees
In addition to plant employees, data were secured on the hours and
earnings of 679 clerical workers employed by 184 of the 308 establish
ments covered by the survey. Summary information for these em
ployees is shown in table 9.
Clerical employees in the industry as a whole earned an average of
70.7 cents an hour in January 1943. The average for male workers
was 76.1 cents, as compared with 64.7 cents for female employees.
It is interesting to observe that the level of earnings of clerical workers
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
348
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
in tlie Noith (73 cents) exceeded the level in the South by only slightly
more than 4 cents an hour. This difference, of course, is much smaller'
than the differential previously shown for plant employees.
The average office employee, as table 9 reveals, worked 42.3 hours
a week at the time of the wage survey. The average in the South was
appreciably greater than in the North—-43.9 hours as against 40.5
hours. Average hours for men in both regions were greater than for
women.
The average weekly earnings of office workers, including any
amounts derived from premium overtime pay, amounted to $30.73—
i
ior i11611 anc* $26-59 for women. The "average weekly earnings
ol both male and female office employees in the South were somewhat
lghor than m the North because of the longer average hours worked.
Clerical workers
m.
Earnings
1
ert.1h.x0r Truhiet™- L+r
Number of
workers
W eekly Hours, and
_____ ?
Average hourly
earnings
o
^
Weekly Earnings of
A
t
Average weekly
hours
Region and occupation
Average weekly
earnings 1
To
Fe
Fe
Fe
tal Male male Total Male male Total Male male Total Male Fe
male
United States____
Bookkeepers...
Clerks ___
Stenographers and typi s t s . . . ___
Miscellaneous office workers____________
679
117
332
347
60
238
332 $0. 707 $0. 761 $0.647
57 .749 .852 .626
94 .707 .741 .616
42.3
43.7
41.9
43.9
46.3
42.5
40.6 $30. 73 $34. 69 $26. 59
40.9 33.11 40. 03 25.83
40.4 30. 73 32.85 25. 35
133
7
126
.670
(2)
.664
40.5
(2)
40.3 27.42
97
42
55
.706
.732
.682
44.3
48.1
41.5 32.40 37.51 28.51
North
Bookkeepers . .
Clerks______
Stenographers and typis ts .. . . . . .
Miscellaneous office workers............... . _
320
55
140
140
21
99
180
34
41
.730
.735
.757
.823
.873
.806
.655
.640
.640
40.5
41.9
39.9
41.0
44.8
40.0
40.0 29.82 34.33 26.30
40.0 30. 91 39.24 25.76
39.5 30.64 32.79 25.46
77
4
73
.672
(2)
.669
40.2
(2)
40.1 27. 02
48
16
32
.735
.883
.658
41.1
42.0
40.7 30. 66 38. 47 26.76
Sou th...
B ookkeepers.___
C lerks.. _
Stenographers and typists________
Miscellaneous office workers__..............
359
62
192
207
39
139
152
23
53
.689
.760
.673
.723
.842
.699
.638
.607
.599
43.9
45.3
43.4
45.8
47.1
44.3
41.4 31.55 34. 93 26.93
42.2 35.07 40.45 25.94
41.1 30. 79 32. 90 25. 27
(2)
(2)
27.02
26.82
56
3
53
.668
(2)
.657
41.0
(2)
40.6 27. 98
49
26
23
.681
.656
.714
47.5
51.8
42.7 34.11 36.91 30.94
(2)
27.29
\ Includes extra earnings resulting from penalty rates for overtime
* -Number of workers too small to justify the presentation of an average.
WWW
S a la rie s o f C le ric a l W o rk e rs in 2 0 C itie s, A p ril 1 9 4 3
WEEKLY salaries in April 1943 of clerical workers employed by
representative companies in 20 cities selected from different sections
of the United States ranged from a low of $12 (high $34) for office
boys or girls to a high of $58 (low $15) for receptionists. The mode
or rate occurring most frequently, ranged from $18 for file clerks
to $38 for senior dictating-machine transcribers. These figures
are from a survey by the National Industrial Conference Board 1
covering salaries of 35,611 full-time clerical workers employed bv 351
companies in industrial and commercial fields, including both large
and small firms, those engaged largely in war production, those pro
o
f
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
^
StUdi6S“ PerSonnel Policy- N o‘ 57: Clerical Salary Survey
Wage and Hour Statistics
349
ducing civilian goods and services, those whose clerical employees are
represented by unions, and those whose employees are not represented
by unions. Data on the range and mode of the weekly salaries of
employees in each of the 13 occupations covered by the survey, and
the low, median, and high salaries of the middle 50 percent, are shown
in the accompanying table, together with the number of companies
and number of employees represented. The figures do not include
pay for overtime, but do include incentive-wage payments and pro
duction bonuses earned during the regular working hours.
W eekly Salaries of Clerical Employees, A p ril 1943
Wee kly salaries
Position
Billing-machine operators_____
__ _______ ....
Bookkeeping-machine operators- _ _ _ _____ ____
Calculating-machine or comptometer operators__
Key-punch operators-.- -- - .....................................
File clerks_______ __________________ _____ _
Stenographers-- _______ _______ ______ _____Junior copy typists____________________________
Senior copy ty p ists__ _____________ ___________
Junior dictating-machine transcribers . . _ ___
Senior dictating-machine transcribers _. _ . .
Receptionists______ ______ _____ . _ _____. . .
Telephone-switchboard operators___
_____
Office boy or girl. _
____________________ _ „
N um N um
ber of ber of All employees
com
em
panies ployees
173
211
244
155
291
311
186
193
95
152
133
276
249
M iddle 50 percent of
employees
Range Mode
Low
M e
dian
$25
21
30
30
18
30
25
29
21
38
25
28
20
$22
22
24
23
18
25
20
25
21
23
23
25
17
$25
25
28
27
22
30
23
29
23
28
27
28
19
1,123 $15—$51
2,995 16- 49
4, 238 13- 50
1,542 15- 43
4,153 14- 52
8, 546 16- 50
2, 631 14- 37
3, 670 16- 46
372 16- 39
979 16- 52
349 15- 58
1, 396 15- 48
3, 616 12- 34
High
$30
30
32
30
25
33
25
30
26
33
32
32
21
M in im u m M o n th ly W age R ates in B ra z il, 1 9 4 3 1
NEW minimum wage rates for Brazil, effective for the next 3 years,
but which may be modified at any time or confirmed for an additional
3 years, were established by decree law No. 5473 of May 11, 1943, and
published in the Diario Oficial for May 13, 1943. The rates assigned
for industrial workers are in the form of additions to the increases
made by an order of January 8, 1943.2 Industrial workers are defined
as persons performing work directly connected with manufacturing
or in the conversion of utilities in an establishment devoted exclusively
or preponderantly to such activities. The legislation also includes
services performed outside the manufacturing plant. In the case of
a minor (a person under 18 years), only 50 percent of the specified
additional rate is payable.
1 Data are from report of Rudolf M . Cahn, United States vice consul at Rio de Janeiro, M ay 15, 1943.
For rates fixed in 1940, see Labor Conditions in Latin America No. 5 ("Serial N o. R. 1139).
2 See Labor Conditions in Latin America N o. 14 (Serial N o. R. 1523).
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
350
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
Additions to M inim um M onthly Wage Rates, Granted to Industrial Workers in B razi
by Law of M ay 11, 1943
M onthly wage (in
cruzeiros ])
State and locality
M ini
mum
under
order of
January
8, 1943
Alagoas:
Maceio (capital)___
156. 25
Other districts_____ 117.00
Amazonas:
Manaos (capital)__
200.00
Other districts_____ 156.00
Baia:
Salvador (capital),
and 7 other munic
ipalities_________
187.50
Other districts (spec f 156.00
ified)_______ ____ 1143.00
1117.00
Ceara:
Fortaleza (capital)... 187.50
Other districts_____ 143.00
Espfrito Santo:
Vitoria (capital)____
Other districts..........
Federal D istrict._______
Goiaz:
Goifinia (capital) and
cities bordering the
Goiaz Railroad___
Other districts______
Maranhao:
Sao Luiz (capital). . .
Other districts______
Mato Grosso:
Cuiaba (capital)____
A qu id u an a, B ela
Vista, and 13 other
municipalities____
Nioac and 13 other
municipalities____
Minas Gerais:
Belo Horizonte (cap
ital) and 4 other
municipalities.........
Other districts............
Para:
Belem (capital)_____
Other districts............
Paraiba:
Joao Pessoa (capital).
Other districts-..........
i
200.00
Addi Total to
tional be effec
by law
tive
of M ay
until
11,1943
1946
33.75
33.00
20.00
24.00
190. 00
150.00
220.00
180.00
22. 50
24.00
27.00
33.00
210.00
22.50
27.00
210.00
170.00
180.00
170.00
150.00
143. 00
300.00
20.00
220.00
27.00
10.00
170. 00
310.00
187.50
130. 00
22. 50
30.00
210.00
160.00
150.00
117.00
30.00
33.00
180.00
150.00
187.50
22.50
210.00
234.00
6.00
240.00
130.00
30.00
160.00
212.50
156.00
17.50
24.00
230.00
180. 00
187.50
143.00
22.50
27.00
210.00
162.50
117.00
27.50
33.00
190.00
150.00
170.00
M onthly wage (in
cruzeiros 0
State and locality
M ini
mum
under
order of
January
8, 1943
Paraná:
Curitiba (capital)___
Other districts..........
Pernambuco:
Recife (capital) and
Olinda__________
Other districts_____
Piaui:
Terezina (capital)....
Other districts_____
Rio Grande do Norte:
Natal (capital)_____
Other districts_____
Rio Grande do Sul:
Porto Algere (cap
ital) _____________
Other districts_____
Rio de Janeiro:
Niteroi (capital), and
2 other munic
ipalities__________
Headquarters of mu
n ic ip a litie s and
districts__________
Other remaining dis
tr ic ts .......................
Santa Catarina:
Florianopolis (cap
ital), and 6 other
municipalities____
Other districts_____
Sao Paulo:
Sao Paulo (capital),
and 4 other munic
ipalities........... .........
Campinas....................
Other districts______
Sergipe:
Aracajfi (capital). . .
Other districts______
Acre Territory........ ...........
Addi Total to
tional be effec
by law
tive
of M ay until
11,1943
1946
225.00
(208.00
(156.00
24.00
187. 50
130.00
22.50
30.00
210.00
150.00
117. 00
30.00
33.00
180.00
150.00
162.50
117. 00
27.50
33.00
190.00
150.00
250.00
208.00
10.00
12.00
260.00
250.00
10.00
260.00
15.00
240.00
12.00
220.00
180.00
160.00
220.00
195.00
15.00
210.00
130.00
30.00
160.00
212. 50
(195.00
(182.00
17.50
15.00
18.00
210.00
275.00
260.00
J221.00
(195.00
10.00
5.00
9.00
15.00
285.00
265.00
230.00
210.00
156. 25
117.00
212.50
33. 75
33.00
17.50
190.00
150.00
230.00
230.00
200.00
B y decree-law No. 4791 of October 5,1942, the monetary unit of Brazil was changed from the milreis to
f e S h T s A S S b S ' f & o lhe
” lue <offlc“
r‘te- “
¿K SK
From the_ table it will be seen that the highest minimum monthly
rate of pay in industry (310.00 cruzeiros) is to be paid in the Federal
D is tr ic te d the lowest (150.00 cruzeiros), in parts of Alagoas, Baia,
Maranhao, Paraiba, Piaui, Rio Grande do Norte, and Sergipe. Also
in the rates fixed in 1940, the highest and lowest were found in the
above States._ However, the highest monthly rate fixed in 1940 was
240.000 milreis and the lowest was 90.000 milreis. Thus the increase
fixed in 1943 for the highest rate was 29.2 percent, but for the lowest
66.7 percent.
«
’
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wage and Hour Statistics
351
W e e k ly E a rn in g s in B r itis h I n d u s tr y , J a n u a ry 1 9 4 3
EARNINGS in British industries, excluding coal mining and rail
ways, increased between July 1942 and January 1943, as shown in
the following table, which gives the unweighted weekly earnings by
age class of workers.1 The computations were made by the Ministry
of Labor, and average earnings include overtime and piece-work
bonuses, etc., of all manual workers, skilled and unskilled. Such sur
veys are made at 6-month intervals; the one made in January 1943
covered 54,700 firms employing 6,250,000 workers.
Average Weekly Earnings in Great Britain in Specified Months, by Class of Workers
Average weekly earnings of—
M onth (weekly pay)
All workers
October 1938 .. _ ____________ ______
January 1942. _ _ ______________________
July 1942___ ___ _______ _ . . . _______
January 1943___ ____________ . . .
___
s.
53
77
85
d.
3
9
2
0)
Men 21
years of
age and
over
Y ouths 20
years of
age and
under
s.
d.
s.
d.
69
102
111
114
Ü
0
5
5
26
42
46
45
1
6
2
0
Women 18
years of
age and
over
s.
32
47
54
59
Girls 17
years of
age and
under
d.
s.
6
6
2
3
18 6
26 10
30 3
32 3
d.
1 N ot issued, as the industries represented by the firms consulted were different in proportion from the
relative employment roll of the whole industries.
Although an average-earnings figure for all workers in January 1943
is omitted for the reason stated in the footnote to the table, the report
under review states that average earnings for all workers increased
65.1 percent between October 1938 (when the first survey was under
taken) and January 1943. The rise was greatest for women 18 years
of age and over (80 percent), followed by girls (73.4 percent) and
youths (72.8 percent). For men 21 years of age and over the per
centage increase was smallest (64.9).
With the exception of youths, all classes showed higher average
weekly earnings in January 1943 than in July 1942. For youths the
decline from the average of July was Is. 2d., to 45s. weekly in January.
The average earnings for women are for those in full-time employ
ment. Part-time woman workers earned an average of 27s. 3d. a
week.
The Ministry of Labor estimates that the increase in rates of wages
was 26 to 27 percent in the industries covered between October 1938
and January 1943. Earnings of workers rose by more than this pro
portion owing to longer hours, more payment by results, and increased
earnings of women employed on men’s jobs at or near men’s rates of
pay. To supplement the unweighted averages, the Ministry has
worked out weighted average earnings for January 1943. The weights
were established according to the estimated total number of persons
employed in each industry. If the earnings data are weighted to
eliminate the effects of changes in the proportion of men, women,
i Released by British Information Services (New York), Information Division, L-89 July 2, 1943.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
352
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
youths, and girls in various industries, the weighted weekly earnings
and the percentage increases in earnings from October 1938 to January
1943 are as shown in the accompanying statement.
Weighted
Percent of
w eekly earn- increase, Oe
ings, J a n u - tober 1938 to
ary 19f 3 J a n u a ry 191$
All w orkers
M en 21 years of age a n d o v e r___
Y ouths 20 years of age a n d under.
W omen 18 years of age a n d over_
Girls 17 years of age a n d u n d e r.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
s.
d.
87
11
____
113
45
58
32
9
1
6
1
54
65
58-59
66
Labor Turnover
L a b o r T u r n o v e r in M a n u fa c tu rin g a n d M in in g ,
M ay 1 9 4 3
THE total separation rate in May 1943 for all manufacturing indus
tries was 6.57 per hundred employees, about the same as in May 1942.
This year, however, 73 percent of all separations were quits, while a
year before only 58 percent were quits. Lay-offs represented only 7
percent of the separations in May of this year as compared with 22
percent in May of last year. Discharges and military and miscel
laneous separations together represented 20 percent of the total in
both periods.
The quit rate in all manufacturing for May 1943 was 4.81 per
hundred employees, about 11 percent lower than in April but 28 per
cent higher than in May 1942. During the preceding 12 months the
quit rate for May was exceeded only in March and April. The
decline from April to May was quite general, quits being lower in
all of the major durable groups and in all but two of the nondurable
groups. While the rate was higher in the tobacco manufactures and
miscellaneous industries groups, the increase was negligible.
In mining, separation rates were from 20 to 30 percent lower in
May than in April, reflecting fewer quits. Separation rates in coal
mining were lower than in most manufacturing industries, the rate in
bituminous-coal mining being 4.35 and in anthracite, 2.71. Metallif
erous mining had a rate of 6.02 per hundred employees.
Of the 19 selected war industries only small-arms ammunition had
a higher quit rate in May than in April. The quit rate for this
industry was nevertheless below that for manufacturing as a whole.
Four of the war industries had higher quit rates than all manufacturing:
firearms, 4.85; aluminum and magnesium products, 5.02; shipbuilding,
6.20; and aluminum and magnesium smelting and refining, 8.82.
353
541188— 43-
11
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
354
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
T
able
1.— M onthly Labor Turnover Rates in Manufacturing Industries
Jan Feb March
Class of turnover and year uary
A pril M ay June July
ruary
Separations:
___
1942
1943
____
Q uits:
1942
____
1943
____
Discharges:
1942
____
1943
____
L ay-offs:2
1942
____
1943
____
M ilitary and miscel
laneous:
1942
____
1943
____
Accessions:
1942
____
1943
____
Au
gust
Sep Oc N o D e
tem tob
er vem cem
ber
ber
ber
5.10
7.11
4.82
7. 04
5. 36
7. 69
6.12 6.54
7. 54 36. 57
6. 46
6.73
7.06
8.10
7.91
7.09
6. 37
2.36
4.45
2. 41
4.65
3.02
5. 36
3.59 3. 77
5.41 34. 81
3.85
4.02
4. 31
5.19
4. 65
4.21
3. 71
.30
.52
.29
.50
.33
.57
.35
.53
.38
3. 55
.38
.43
.42
.44
.45
.43
.46
1.61
.74
1.39
.54
1.19
.52
1.31
.64
1.43
3. 45
1. 21
1.05
.87
.68
.78
.65
.70
.83
1.40
.73
1.35
.82
1.24
.87
.96
.96
3. 76
1.02
1.23
1.46
1. 79
2.03
1.80
1. 50
6. 87
8.28
6.02
7. 87
6. 99
8. 32
7.12 7.29
7.43 37.18
8. 25
8.28
7.90
9.15
8. 69
8.14
6.92
1 Turnover rates are not comparable to the employment and pay-roll reports issued monthly by the Eureau
of Labor Statistics as the former are based on data for the entire month, while the latter refer only to pay
periods ending nearest the middle of the month. In addition, labor turnover data refer to all employees
whereas the employment and pay-roll reports relate only to wage earners. Certain seasonal industries, such
as canning and preserving, are not covered by the labor turnover survey and the sample is not as extensive
as that of the employment survey which includes a larger number of small plants.
2 Including temporary, indeterminate, and permanent lay-offs.
3 Preliminary.
T
able
2 . — M onthly
Labor Turnover Rates, by Major Industry Groups, M ay 1943
Separations
Industry group
Total
Quits
D is
charges
Lay
offs
Military
and mis
cellaneous
Total
accessions
M ay Apr. M ay Apr. M ay Apr. M ay Apr. M ay Apr. M av Apr.
19431 1943 19431 1943 19431 1943 19431 1943 19431 1943 19431 1943
Durable goods
Iron and steel and their products . . . ____________ ____
Machinery, except electrical___
A utom obiles.-.,.______________
Nonferrous metals and their
products_____ .
Lumber and timber products. __
Furniture and finished lumber
products____________ ______
Stone, clay, and glass products..
Electrical machinery__________
Ordnance.. . .
Transportation equipment (except automobiles)___________
5.17
5. 00
5.43
5.51
5. 98
6.18
3. 54
3.45
3.34
3. 77 0.37 0.31 0. 36 0.28 0. 90 1.15
4.09 .54 .58 . 19 .22 .82 1.09
4.17 .64 .59 .39 .32 1.06 1.10
5.12
5.15
8.03
5.33
5.89
9.00
6 96
7. 57
8. 04
8. 86
5.10
5. 74
5.85
6. 71
.63
.42
.61
.40
.86 1.21
.71 .69
7 39
7.85
7 fifí
8.80
10. 39 11. 54
6. 72 7.10
4.38 5.15
6. 69 7.62
8.20
4.50
3. 27
3. 88
9. 35
5.35
3. 66
4. 26
.71
.40
.35
.77
.73 .78 .52
.33 1.08 .48
.40 . 15 .22
.71 1.25 1.66
. 70
.74
.61
.79
.94
.94
.87
.99
9.99
6. 37
5. 37
7. 50
9. 94
6. 89
5. 90
7.11
7.04
7.65
4. 88
5.07
.92
.93
.92 1.20
8.85
9.50
7.41
8.34
6.04
6. 97
.37
.58
6. 75
7. 60
5. 67
5. 48
7.14
5.88
3. 71,
1. 77*
5.01
6.81
2.89
6.46
6.48
9.06
6. 42
3. 77
1.98
5.16
6. 55
2.84
.20
.33
.56
.58
.45
.20
.30
.23
.42
.22 .30 5. 60
.52 . 76 5.13
.95 1.08 11. 02
.84 .84 8. 40
.64 .92 7. 05
.67 .66 3. 35
.76 .85 7.12
.46 .47 6. 50
.71 .98 5.09
6. 36
5. 58
8. 89
8. 06
7.30
3. 59
6 08
6 31
5.79
.37 .37
.70 1.06
.32
.45
.32
.42
.33
.23
.34
.57
.35
.45
.23
.29
.23
.38
.46 .95
.33 .62
.76 2.37
.45 .54
.50 .47
.21 .23
. 16 .09
.58 .22
.09 .11
N ondurable goods
Textile-mill products__________
Apparel and other finished
products.._ _____ _ .
Leather and leather products__
Food and kindred products.. .
Paper and allied p r o d u cts.____
Chemicals and allied products. _
Petroleum and coal products__
Rubber products___________
Tobacco manufacturers____
Miscellaneous industries______
1 Preliminary.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
6. 55 7.94
6. 66 8. 20
9.41 13.08
7. 75 8. 15
5. 30 5.61
2.85 3.10
6. 23 6.39
8. 08 7.46
4.11 4.31
.72
355
Labor Turnover
T a b l e 3 . — Quit Rates fo r Selected War Industries, M a y 1943
Quit rates
Quit rates
Industry group
Industry group
Aircraft ______________ _
--Aircraft parts and engines
- Aluminum and magnesium products
..........
......
Aluminum and magnesium smelting and refining— ______ _____
Ammunition, (except small arm s)..
Communication equipment (except
radios)
_ _ _ .........
Electrical equipment for industrial
use_________________ ______ _
Engines and turbines _
Explosives ______
Firearms (60 caliber and under)___
Guns, howitzers, mortars, and related equipment
M ay
1943 1
April
1943
4. 23
2.98
4.62
3.02
5.02
5.58
8.82
4.72
10.05
5.41
2.46
2.71
2. 73
3.04
2.75
4.85
2.98
4. 38
2. 84
4.91
3. 55
3.82
Industrial chemicals (except explosives____________ ___ ____ _____
Iron and steel foundry products___
Machine tools . . _____ . . .
___
Machine-tool accessories_______ . .
Metalworking
machinery
and
equipment, not elsewhere classifled___________________________
Primary smelting and refining (except aluminum) _. _ --------- . . . .
Radios, radio equipment and pho__
nographs . . . .
Rolling^ drawing, alloying of nonferrous metal (except aluminum).
Shipbuilding and repairs____ _____
Small-arms am m unition_________
Tanks_______________ . . . -----. . .
May
1943 1
April
1943
2.68
5. 77
3. 35
3.11
3.00
5. 96
3.59
4.29
2.71
3. 39
2.88
2.98
4. 71
5.50
4.13
6.20
3.86
3. 57
5.63
6. 30
3.70
3.86
1 Preliminary.
T a b l e 4 . — Monthly Turnover Rates in Selected M anufacturing Industries, M a y 1943
Total
separations
Total
accessions
Quits
Industry group
Iron and steel and their products:
Blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling m ills.. . . .
Gray-iron castings_____________________________
Steel castings... ____ _________________________
Cast-iron pipe and fittings_____________________
Tin cans and other tinware_______________ ____
Wire products________________________ ______
. .
Cutlery and edge tools________ . _____ .
Tools (excent edge tools, machine tools, files, and
saws)________________ ______ ______________
Hardware____ _ . . __________ _____________
Plumbers’ supplies.. . _ . . . _ . . _________
Stoves, oil burners, and heating equipment______
Steam and hot-water heating apparatus and steam
fittings______________________ ______________
Stamped and enameled ware and galvanizing___
Fabricated structural metal products . . ____ _
Bolts, nuts, washers, and rivets___________ . . .
Forgings, iron and steel________________________
Machinery, except electrical:
Agricultural machinery and tractors ......................
Textile m achinery.____________________________
General industrial machinery (except pumps)___
Pumps and pumping equipment_______________
Automobiles:
Motor vehicles, bodies, and trailers. _ __________
Motor-vehicle parts and accessories__________ ..
Nonferrous metals and their products:
Primary smelting and refining_________________
Lighting equipment_____________ _________ ___
Lumber and timber basic products:
Sawmills_______________ _____________________
Planing and plywood m ills ........................................
Furniture and finished lumber products:
Furniture, including mattresses and bedsprings...
Stone, clay, and glass products:
Glass and glass products_______ ✓ ------------- -------Cement___________________ ___________________
Brick, tile, and terra cotta_____________________
Pottery and related products---------------------------‘ Preliminary.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
M ay
1943 1
April
1943
M ay
1943 1
April
1943
M ay
1943 1
3. 59
7. 87
8. 37
5.67
11.42
5.07
7. 41
4.13
8. 41
8. 01
6.20
10.94
4. 93
8.14
2. 35
5.94
6. 34
3. 53
9.53
3.14
5. 23
2.59
6. 35
6.20
3.81
8. 95
3.30
5. 51
3.46
7. 05
7. 96
6.57
17. 69
2. 52
8.68
3.93
7.69
8. 57
5. 25
15.00
3.81
7. S9
6.03
5.33
4.78
12.73
7.30
6. 56
4. 29
10.94
4.92
3. 97
3. 27
6.00
5.75
4. 72
2. 83
6. 74
6. 63
6.14
4.17
7.73
7.11
5.89
4. 57
8. 70
5.84
9. 66
8. 39
5. 42
4.93
7. 33
8.93
9. 33
6.08
6.22
4.43
6.28
5.11
4.04
3.48
5. 07
6. 72
6. 38
4. 65
4. 56
5. 55
10. 74
9.19
6. 31
6. 75
6. 48
7.97
9. 97
7.09
7.10
3.42
2 87
5.71
5.05
5.19
4 90
6. 64
7. 66
2. 29
2.12
4. 23
3. 38
3. 56
3.28
4. 74
5.36
3.96
3.4C
6. 41
4. 71
5.73
4.18
7.42
5.34
4. 31
6. 36
5.61
6. 82
2.80
3.78
3.96
4.40
8.19
7.89
9.73
8.22
8. 09
4. 75
8. 36
6.22
6.15
3.61
6.59
4.79
10.82
6.42
9.65
10.58
7. 23
7. 87
8. 34
9.67
5.57
5. 50
6. 23
7.50
7.58
7.14
8.82
8. 51
10.82
12.18
8.49
9.87
9.98
10.14
6. 90
7.42
7. 78
7.17
7.03
5.09
8. 41
7.61
4. 57
3.12
, 5.62
5.49
4.97
3. 80
6.66
6.24
7.43
3.93
6. 87
5. 96
7. 72
5 SO
7.12
6.17
April
1943
356
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
T a b l e 4 . — Monthly Turnover Rates in Selected Manufacturing Industries,
M a y 1943—Continued
Total
separations
Total
accessions
Quits
Industry group
M ay
1943
Textile-mill products:
Cotton_______ __________
Silk and rayon goods ____
Woolen and worsted (except dyeing and finishing')
Hosiery, full-fashioned______
Hosiery, seamless____________
Knitted underw ear...
.. ___
Dyeing and finishing textiles, including woolen
and worsted______ _____ _ . . .
Apparel and other finished textile products:
M en’s and boys’ suits, coats, and overcoats
M en’s and boys’ furnishings, work clothing and
allied garments_______ . .
W omen’s clothing (except corsets) _.
Leather and leather products:
Leather.. __ _____ ____
Boots and shoes____
Pood and kindred products:
Meat products__ ____ __________
Grain-mill produ cts_______
Paper and allied products:
Paper and pulp___ _ ___ ______
Paper boxes____ ___ ________
Chemicals and allied products:
Paints, varnishes, and colors________
Rayon and allied products_________
Industrial chemicals (except explosives)
Products of petroleum and coal:
Petroleum refining _______ ________
Rubber products:
Rubber tires and inner tubes_____
Rubber footwear and related products. .
Miscellaneous rubber industries... ______
April
1943
M ay
1943
April
1943
7.96
8.26
5. 78
5. 47
8. 74
7.93
9.28
9.41
6.02
5. 63
7.80
8.13
6.01
8.38
4. 89
7.04
6.91
7. 63
7. 58
10. 30
6.41
6. 25
6.93
8. 92
5.08
6.87
6.87
8.44
3.76
5.74
9. 26
8. 54
13.16
9.71
6. 47
9.32
6. 59
6.88
4.18
4. 67
7.49
6.85
M ay
1943
April
1943
7.86
8. 25
4.53
4. 78
6. 71
7.33
7. 30
7. 53
4. 66
4.14
7.11
7.29
8. 58
S 47
5 71
4 IQ
7 72
7 04
4. 47
6.28
5. 29
« 1.5
3.66
4. 05
3.97
3 9«
6.14
6. fin
7 03
Q 01
5. 36
6.67
3.37
.5. 34
3 79
5 3Q
6. 52
6. 93
9. 32
7.85
li.n
9. 52
7 59
9 14
7.00
10. 49
4.87
6.89
5. 57
7.92
6.74
10. 37
6. 77
10 60
5.54
4. 82
3.90
7. 27
5. 71
4. 51
4.01
3.29
2.68
5.43
3.71
3. 00
5. 73
4. 66
4. 96
6 53
4 75
4 34
2.67
2.93
1.62
1.87
3 26
3 44
4.10
7.85
6.91
3.90
8. 27
7.19
2.87
6.77
5.68
2.87
7.13
5.84
6. 62
6 99
7. 40
5 65
7 33
5.88
T a b l e 5 . — M onthly Labor Turnover Rates in M ining Industries, M a y 1943
Total
separations
Total
accessions
Quits
Mining industry
Bituminous coal_________
A n th ra cite..______
Metalliferous_________
1 Preliminary.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
M ay
1943 1
April
1943
M ay
19434
April
1943
M av
1943 1
4. 35
2.71
6.02
6. 25
3.54
7.22
3. 31
1.88
4.43
5. 21
2.54
5.62
3. 32
2. 77
6.13
April
1943
4. 32
3.07
6.31
Building Operations
E s tim a te d C o n s tru c tio n A c tiv ity in C o n tin e n ta l
U n ite d S tates 1 9 3 9 - 4 3 1
Summary
WITH the industrial facilities and war construction programs well on
the way to completion, the construction industry finished, in the first
6 months of 1943, work valued at 4.3 billion dollars. The Bureau of
Labor Statistics estimates that about 2.5 billion dollars of construction
will be completed during the last 6 months of the year, making a
total of 6.8 billion for the year.
Privately financed construction, restricted by stringent controls and
confronted with shortages in many lines of materials, amounted to
only 753 million dollars in the first 6 months. No longer following
the normal seasonal pattern, private construction is expected, to
decline from 389 million dollars in the second quarter to 382 millions
in the third and 310 millions in the fourth quarter. At this level
private construction will be approaching the irreducible minimum
necessary for the maintenance of essential civilian supplies and
services in time of war.
Public construction, largely because of diminishing activity on the
military and naval and industrial facilities programs, totaled only 3.5
billion dollars in the first 6 months of the year. Expenditures of
approximately 1.8 billion dollars are expected on public construction
in the second half of the year.
Comparison of 1943 W ith 1942
PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION
Private construction continued the decline that started in the last
half of 1941. The total for the first quarter of 1943 was 364 million
dollars, a decline of 60 percent from the first quarter of 1942, while
second-quarter expenditures of 389 million dollars were 59 percent
under the figure for the corresponding period of 1942.
Expenditures for nonfarm residential construction, declining rapidly
after the full effect of Conservation Order L-41 became apparent in
the third quarter of 1942, reached a low of 143 million dollars in the
first quarter of 1943. This represents a decrease of 69 percent from
the first quarter of 1942. Stabilized at a much lower level in 1943,
nonfarm residential-construction expenditures of 191 million dollars
in the second quarter showed almost a normal seasonal gain over the
i
Prepared in the Bureau’s Division of Construction and Public Employm ent.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
357
358
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
first quarter but were 59 percent under the amount for the second
quarter of 1942. Expenditures on nonfarm residential construction
are expected to total about 340 million dollars in the last half of the
year. The decline in nonrcsidential construction was even more
severe than that shown by residential construction. Expenditures
for nonresidential structures, including privately financed war plants,
were 45 million dollars during the first 3 months of 1943, which
represents a reduction of 78 percent from the first quarter of 1942.
Second-quarter expenditures of 28 million dollars were 82 percent
under those for the second quarter of 1942.
. I*1 spite of the heavy demands on farmers for greater food produc
tion, farm construction expenditures were lower in both the first and
second quarters of 1943 than in the corresponding periods in 1942.
First-quarter expenditures were 15 percent lower and second-quarter
expenditures 55 percent lower than in 1942. Expenditures for con
struction of public utilities, amounting to 104 million dollars in each
of the first two quarters of 1943 were 31 and 42 percent lower than
in the first and second quarters of 1942.
PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION
Public-construction activity in the first quarter of 1943, although
declining rapidly from the peak reached in the third quarter of 1942,
was still 20 percent above the level of the first quarter of 1942. Public
expenditures of 1.6 billion dollars in the second quarter of 1943 were
35 percent less than outlays in the corresponding period in 1942.
Public housing expenditures during the first quarter of 1943, after
decreasing 17 percent from the fourth quarter in 1942, rose to the
highest level in history in the second quarter of the current year.
The 213 million dollars of work placed in the second quarter was more
than twice the amount for the comparable period of 1942. Public
nonresidential construction, exclusive of industrial facilities and mili
tary and naval construction, has fallen to insignificant levels and in
the second quarter of this year amounted to only 9 million dollars.
As noted above, the industrial facilities program is nearing com
pletion and expenditures of 664 million dollars in the first 3 months
of the year represented a decline of 41 percent from the peak of this
program which came in the third quarter of 1942. These expenditures
declined to 458 million dollars in the second quarter and for the
remainder of the year are expected to total approximately 389 million
dollars. Military and naval construction likewise reached a peak in
the third quarter of 1942 and has declined rapidly since then. Expen
ditures of 883 million dollars in the first quarter were 28 percent greater
than in the first quarter of 1942. However, in the second quarter,
activity on this program was 40 percent less than in the second quarter
of 1942. Outlays for military and naval construction will probably
not decline so rapidly as those for industrial facilities and in the last
6 months of the year should amount to slightly more than 700 million
dollars.
Highway construction, restricted like many other types in order to
conserve critical materials, is going ahead at a considerably slower
rate than in 1942. Expenditures in the first and second quarter of
1943 were 40 and 43 percent mider those for the respective quarters
of the preceding year. Other public construction, including river,
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Building Operations
359
harbor, and flood-control works, TYA projects and public service
enterprises such as water and sewage, rapid transit, electric light and
power, and pipe lines increased from 264 million dollars in the first
half of 1942 to 271 million in the first half of 1943. This rise was
largely the result of increased activity in the construction of Federally
financed pipe lines.
Estimated New Construction Activity in Continental United States, 1939 through 1943 1
[Millions of dollars]
1943
1942
Function and ownership
1939 1940 1941
First Sec Last 6
First Sec
ond Last 6 Total quar ond
Total quar quar
months 8
months
ter quar
ter
ter 2
ter
)tal new construction_____ 6,460 7,271 10,943 13,496 2, 515 3,433
7,548 6,763 2,296 2,013
ivate construction________ 3,833 4,609 5, 650 3,114
Residential (nonfarm)___ 2,046 2,359 2,894 1,451
Nonresidential (includ
ing privately financed
542
768 1,015 1,244
war plants)--____ _____
Farm:
300
185
Residential...... ............
235 250
415
315
Service buildings____ 295 320
621
797
Public u tility ___________ 489 665
1,265 1,445
674
517
364
143
389
191
2,454
692
340
899
463
950
471
201
153
188
121
45
28
48
34
51
150
59
89
178
92
175
293
90
160
400
26
46
104
24
42
104
40
72
192
6,283 5, 318 1,932 1,624
1,762
iblic construction. ______ 2,627 2,662 5,293 10, 382 1,616 2,483
Residential
(including
542
77
429
97
war housing)_________
65 199
Nonresidential (excludes
42
814 365
264
135
47
industrial facilities) .
552
849
20 154 1,287 3, 513
Industrial facilities______
689 1,152
M ilitary and naval.128 385 1,614 4,967
664
131
199
999
Highway_______________ 872 932
Other public:
421
95
401
77
329 346
Federal4___________
43
49
160
399 281
279
State and local 5_._ -
640
162
213
265
35
46
2,112 1, 511
3,126 2, 298
334
372
8
664
883
78
9
458
696
114
18
389
719
180
363
99
106
31
108
26
149
42
368
229
68
1 The estimates include expenditures for new construction in the continental United States. They do
not include work-relief construction expenditures or maintenance expenditures. The estimates do include
expenditures for major additions and alterations.
2 Preliminary.
3 Bureau of Labor Statistics forecast.
4 Includes conservation and development, TVA, and public pipe-line construction.
3 Includes water supply, sewage disposal, and miscellaneous public-service enterprises.
B u ild in g C o n s tru c tio n in U rb a n A re a s o f th e
U n ite d S ta te s, J u n e 1 9 4 3
THE value of building construction started in urban areas during
June 1943 exceeded $100,000,000, the largest monthly total since
March 1943. The value of Federal building construction contracts
awarded during June was 9 percent greater than in May 1943, and
more than offset the slight decline in permit valuations for privately
financed building construction. Valuations of new nonresidential
buildings started during June were 37 percent higher than in May.
Similarly, valuations for additions and repairs rose 23 percent. In
contrast, valuations for new residential structures dropped 23 percent
from May to June, principally as a result of the 63-percent decrease
in the value of public housing projects put under construction con
tract. Both new residential and nonresidential privately financed
building declined from the May total, while additions, alterations,
and repairs increased.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
360
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
The dollar volume of building construction started during June 1943
was 55 percent less than during June 1942. Privately financed
construction alone was only 20 percent less than in June 1942, while
the value of Federally financed construction contracts was reduced by
almost three-fourths. Although all classes of building construction,
botn Federal and private, snared in the decline, privately financed
new residential construction and additions, alterations, and repairs
suffered relatively little, with declines of 4 and 8 percent, respectively.
Comparison of June 1943 with M ay 1943 and June 1942
The volume of Federally financed and other building construction
in urban areas of the United States in May and June 1943 and June
1942 is summarized in table 1.
T
able
1 .—
Sum mary of Building Construction in A ll Urban Areas, June 1943
Number of buildings
Valuation
Percent of change
from—
Class of construction
June 1943
M ay
1943
June
1942
June 1943 (in
thousands)
Percent of change
from—
M ay
1943
June
1942
All building construction
60,176
- 3 .8
- 5 .1
$100,198
+ 2 .2
-5 4 .7
N ew residential.._ _______
N ew nonresidential___ _
Additions, alterations, and repairs.
11,217
7,522
41, 437
-3 7 .1
- 9 .5
+13.7
-2 3 .6
-1 9 .5
+ 5 .1
41,140
34, 459
21, 599
-2 2 .5
+37.1
+27.2
-3 9 .0
-7 0 .6
-1 6 .9
The number of new dwelling units in urban areas for which permits
were issued or contracts awarded during June 1943 and the estimated
valuation of such new housekeeping residential construction are pre
sented in table 2.
T
able
2 . — Number
and Valuation of New Dwelling Units in A ll Urban Areas, by Type
oj Dwelling, June 1943
Number of dwelling units
Valuation
Percent of change
from—
Source of funds and type of dwelling
June 1943
June 1943
(in thousands)
Percent of change
from—
M ay
1943
June
1942
13, 930
-3 2 .7
-3 6 .1
$40, 812
-2 2 .4
-3 8 .1
Privately financed. _ ____ .
11, 422
1family_____
7,440
2family i . _ . . _______ ___________
1, 686
Multifamily 2________
2,296
Federally financed______ .
2,508
- 7 .5
-1 0 .6
+ 2 .4
- 3 .3
—69. 9
+ .5
-1 1 .3
+57.0
+20.8
-7 6 .0
35, 449
25, 299
4, 426
5, 724
5,363
- 6 .7
- 7 .3
+ 6 .8
-1 2 .7
-6 3 .3
-4 .4
-1 1 .9
+47.1
+ 6 .6
-8 1 .4
All dwellings___ . . . . . .
1 Includes 1- and 2-family dwellings with stores.
2 Includes multifamily dwellings with stores.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
M ay
1943
June
1942
Building Operations
361
Comparisons of First 6 Months of 1942 and 1943
Permit valuations and contract values reported for each of the first
6 months of 1942 and 1943 are shown in table 3.
T a b l e 3 . — Valuation of Various Classes of Building Construction in A ll Urban Areas,
First 6 Months of 1942 and 1943
[In thousands of dollars]
A ll C o n s t r u c tio n
Month
All classes 1
1943
1942
Total, 6 m onths..
Percent of change.
636, 571 1,668, 987
-6 1 .9
January________
February_______
M a rc h ..............
A p r il.....................
M ay..................... .
June........................
122,115
116,006
105,101
95,150
89,001
100,198
197,097
334,318
281.327
308,859
326.328
221,058
N ew residential
buildings
N ew nonresidential
buildings
1942
1943
1942
1943
290,527
-4 9 .6
576, 289
249,101
-7 3 .2
929,138
51,469
53, 490
49, 369
41, 990
53,069
41,140
73,070
129, 511
110, 292
109,376
86,587
67,453
58, 920
49,059
40,623
35,712
27,328
37, 459
96,931
180,502
139, 496
169, 682
214,928
127, 599
124,006
-3 3 .6
186,656
210, 729
-7 2 .2
34,117
35,912
21, 990
11, 445
15,007
5, 535
15,684
56,602
9,685
27,771
46,589
30,325
F e d e ra l
Total, 6 m onths..
Percent of change.
344,082
-6 4 .3
963,231
January------------February..............
March__________
April___________
M ay___________
June____________
89, 481
82, 534
59,276
41,815
33,984
36,992
86, 575
209,074
112,876
168,965
243, 701
142,040
758,108
_____
53,382
44,450
35,802
28,684
18,068
30,343
67,489
149,037
100,597
139, 887
193,123
107,975
1 Includes additions, alterations, and repairs.
The number and valuation of new dwelling units for which permits
were issued and contracts awarded during the first 6 months of 1943
are compared with similar data for 1942 in table 4.
T a b l e 4 . — Number and Valuation of New Dwelling Units in A ll Urban Areas, by
Source of Funds and Type of Dwelling, First 6 Months of 1942 and 1943
Number of dwelling units
Source of funds and type of dwelling
First 6 months of— Percent
of
change
1942
1943
Valuation (in thousands)
First 6 months of—
1943
1942
Percent
of
change
$5Ìi9,884
-4 9 .9
395, 878
-5 2 .9
165, 961
54,921
116,690
Privately financed................... .......... .........
314,072
-5 8 .2
119,
509
88,807
37,153 ......................
1fam ily................................ ......................
......................
......................
24, 789
19, 417
7,253
9,340
-2 2 .3
2-family 2...............................................
57,017
-4 3 .3
27,035
10, 515
18,543
M ultifamily 2____________________
174,006
119,
686
53,
642
+
6
.7
57,231
Federal..................... .....................................
-5 8 .1
-6 1 .9
-2 1 .7
-5 2 .6
-3 1 .2
All dwellings.—---------------------------------
112,152
1 Includes 1- and 2-family dwellings with stores.
2 Includes multifamily dwellings with stores.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
170, 332
-3 4 .2
$285, 647
362
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
Construction From Public Funds, June 1943
The value of contracts awarded and force-account work started
during May and June 1943 and June 1942 on all construction projects
and shipbuilding financed wholly or partially from Federal funds and
reported to the Bureau is shown in table 5. This table includes all
other types of construction as well as building construction, both
inside and outside urban areas of the United States.
T a b l e 5. — Value of Contracts Awarded and Force-Account Work Started on Construction
Projects Financed from Federal Funds, M ay and June 1943, and June 1942
Source of funds
Contracts awarded and force-account work
started (in thousands)
June 1943 1
M ay 1943 2
June 1942 2
T otal-_________________________
$2, 269,115
$231, 316
$1,870, 657
War public works--____ _________
Regular Federal appropriations___
Federal Public Housing Authority.
4,582
2, 254,136
10, 397
4,173
200,465
26,678
394
1, 799, 841
70,422
1 Preliminary, subject to revision.
2 Revised.
Coverage and Method
Figures on building construction shown in this report cover the
entire urban area of the United States, which, by Census definition,
includes all incorporated places with a 1940 population of 2,500 or more
and, by special rule, a small number of unincorporated civil divisions.
The volume of privately financed construction is estimated from the
building permit data received from a large majority of all urban places
and these estimates are combined with data on building construction
contracts awarded as furnished by Federal and State agencies. The
contracts awarded for Federally financed building construction in
urban areas were valued at $36,992,000 in June 1943, $33,984,000 in
May 1943, and $142,040,000 in June 1942.
The valuation figures represent estimates of construction costs
made by prospective private builders when applying for permits to
build, and the value of contracts awarded by Federal and State gov
ernments. No land costs are included. Unless otherwise indicated,
only building construction within the corporate limits of cities in the
urban areas is included in the tabulations.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Retail Prices
F o o d P ric e s in M ay a n d J u n e 1 9 4 3
RETAIL costs of food declined 0.8 percent between May 18 and
June 15, after an advance of 1.7 percent between April 20 and May 18.
The rapid rise and subsequent seasonal declines in prices of fresh vege
tables were largely responsible for these price movements. The de
cline from May to June was the first decline since November 1940,
when there was a decrease of 0.3 percent.
The all-foods index for May reached 143.0 percent of the 1935-39
average, 17.6 percent above May 1942, 46 percent above January
1941, and 53 percent above August 1939 (the period preceding the
outbreak of war in Europe). The 0.8 percent decline between May
and June brought the index down to 141.9, which was 15 percent
above June 1942, 45 percent above January 1941, and 12 percent
above September 1942.
The prices of most of the important groups of foods rose to some
extent between mid-April and mid-May. The rise was greatest for
fresh fruits and vegetables, lamb, and chickens. There were minor
declines in dairy products, beverages, fats and oils, and sugar. Be
tween May and June only eggs and fats and oils showed increases;
declines were reported for dairy products, fresh vegetables, and
sugar and sweets. Average costs for meats and beverages remained
unchanged from May to June. Of the 78 foods priced, 33 showed
increases between mid-April and mid-May, as compared with 25
increases between May 18 and June 15.
The June 10 roll-back of retail butter prices by the Office of Price
Administration, through the use of subsidies, resulted in a decrease of
5 cents (9.2 percent) per pound in the average price. This, together
with the decline in the prices of fresh vegetables, was largely respon
sible for the decrease in the June all-foods index. The declines in
fresh-vegetable prices were seasonal, as increased supplies became
available in nearly all markets.
Percentage changes in retail costs of food on June 15 compared
with several preceding periods are shown in table 1.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
363
364
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
T a b l e 1.
Changes in Retail Costs of Food m 56 Large Cities C o m b in e d b y Commodity
Groups
Percent of change, June 15, 1943, compared
with—
Commodity group
1943
1942
M ay
18
All foods_________
Cereals and bakery productsM eats. __ _____________
Beef and veal________
Pork__________________
Lamb__________
Chickens________
Pish, fresh and canned..
Dairy products______________
Eggs---------------------------------------------Fruits and vegetables___________
Fresh________________ _
Canned___________
D r ie d ... . . . _____
Beverages_______ ______
Fats and o ils ... . . _____
Sugar and sweets_____ ____ ______ ..
Percent of change,
M ay 18, 1943,
compared with—
1941
1939
1943
1942
Jan.
14
Aug.
15
Apr.
20
M ay
12
Sept.
15
June
16
-0 .8
+12.1
+15.2
+45.1
+51.8
+ 1 .7
+17.6
-.1
+ 2 .0
+ 5 .9
+ 4 .3
+ 1 .1
+ 6 .7
+10.1
+19.6
+ 4 .6
- 5 .8
+44.7
+55.0
+ 5 .3
+10.5
+ .6
+ 4 .7
- .4
+ 2 .3
+ 9 .2
.-1-6.6
+ 2 .9
+9 2
+19.4
+27.0
+ 9 .4
+22.1
+40.3
+47.8
+6. 7
+19.5
+ 1 .5
+ 5 .3
-.2
+13.3
+36.8
+20.1
+45.6
+44.6
+51.4
+69.4
+27.1
+50.1
+101.1
+116.3
+42.7
+59.0
+37.0
+57. 4
+32.7
+15.1
+44.5
+31.9
+42.5
+44.4
+55.6
+101. 9
+43.5
+61.2
+103.1
+ 117.7
+42.4
+75.4
+31.2
+49.6
+32.3
+ .1
+ .2
+ .5
-.4
+ 2.1
+. 8
-2 .6
-. 1
+. 6
+ 6 .4
+ 7 .6
-.9
+ .2
-.3
_ 3
+ 2 .3
+11.3
+ 5 .6
+1 9
+19 8
+30.2
+33.7
+11.0
+23. 1
+48.3
+58.3
+ 6 .9
+20.4
-.1
+ 3.1
+ .3
0
+ .2
-.1
+ .8
-.3
+ .3
- 2 .4
+ 2 .9
- 1 .6
- 1 .8
-.5
+ .3
0
+ .1
-.9
1 Indexes based on 51 cities combined prior to March 1943.
Details by Commodity Groups
Indexes of retail food costs by commodity groups are shown in
table 2 for eight monthly pricing periods. The accompanying charts
show the trends in the cost of all foods for January 1913 to June 1943,
and for each major group for January 1929 to June 1943.
T a b l e 2 . — Indexes of Retail Costs of Food in 5 6 1Large Cities Combined,2 by Commodity
Groups, in Specified Months
[1935-39=100]
1943
1942
1941
1939
Jan.
14
Aug.
15
Commodity group
June
15 3
All fo o d s_________________
141.9
Cereals and bakery products
M eats______________
Beef and veal___
_______
Pork____________
Lamb _________
____
Chickens_____
Fish, fresh and canned_____ __
Dairy products___________ _ - .
Eggs-------------------------------------------Fruits and vegetables__________
F r e s h __________ ____
Canned______________
Dried___ ____________ .
Beverages__________________
Fats and oils__________________
Sugar and sweets______ ____
107.5
138.3
131.4
125.4
142.7
147.2
201.1
133.6
146.2
187.7
202.0
130.4
158.4
124.5
126.4
126.5
M ay
18
Apr.
20
143.0
140.6
126.6
123.2
121.6
97.8
93.5
107.6 4 107. 5
138.3
138.0
4 131. 2
130.5
125.5
126.0
141.6
138.7
147.6
146.4
4 200.5 4 207.0
136.9
137.1
142.1
141.3
4 190.8 4 179. 5
205.8 4 191.2
4 131.1
132.4
158.0
157.7
124.5
124.9
4 126. 3
126.6
4 127. 6
128.4
105.4
130.6
126.0
124.0
133.7
133.7
168.2
127.7
155.2
129.7
130. 3
123.8
143.4
123.8
120.7
127.0
105.1
126.6
123.3
121.9
130.7
123.3
158.3
122.1
119.7
133.8
136.7
122.2
132.6
122.6
120.0
126.7
105.2
124.3
124.1
123.2
118.2
113.4
150.9
123.3
115.4
128.7
130.0
122.7
131. 2
124.6
122.4
127.1
94.9
101.1
109.4
86.1
98.7
97. 2
118.7
105.1
97.4
93.3
93.4
91. 4
99 6
90.9
80.3
95.3
93. 4
95. 7
99.6
88, 0
98 8
94 fi
99 fi
93.1
90 7
92.4
92.8
91.6
90 3
94 9
84 5
95.6
Sept.
15
June
16
M ay
12
I i Indexes based on 51 cities combined prior to March 1943.
2 Aggregate costs of 61 foods (54 prior to March 1943) in each city, weighted to represent total purchases of
families of wage earners and lower-salaried workers, have been combined with the use of population weights.
" rrenminary «
4 Revised.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
R E T A IL
COST OF A L L
FOODS
AVERAGE FOR 51 LARGE C IT IES
1 9 3 5 - 3 9 = 100
£6
à
UNITED STATES BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
w
atn
366
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
R E T A I L COST OF FOOD
■
no«
1935-39
F =?un’S
AtND
=
100
VE( 3 E T A B L
200
180
¿ '¿ V
ES
200
-A
180
160
160
p
140
j / ~
120
L V ,
100
r
t
V
140
120
100
I ^
80
80
''A L L FOODS
I
60
i
60
160
CE REA^ L S ANC BA KEF Y F>R0[)UC
160
rs
140
140
120
jy ^ A L L FOC)DS
i
____
l.
100
IE
120
;
100
i
,
80
80
|
60
60
160
M E /\T S
140
120
140
A L L FOOD >
—
120
A
'
100
p
/\
100
V
80
80
S
60
/ ! ____
60
160
140
120
/
PF
Q
O
d
JCT
160
3
140
i
' ^ A L L F(30DS
A A ___
100
120
S -A .
80
60
1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1 94 0 1941 1942 1943 1944
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
100
80
60
¡
Retail Prices
367
Cereals and bakery products.—The index for this group rose by 0.1
percent between April 20 and May 18 and declined by the same
amount between mid-May and mid-June. The increase from April
to May was due to slight advances for macaroni, corn meal, rye bread
and whole-wheat bread, vanilla cookies, and soda crackers. Between
May and June there were declines for corn flakes, rolled oats, and
soda crackers—foods which were included in the community dollarand-cent ceiling program. The group as a whole has been the most
stable in the index, with only a 2.3-percent advance above June
1942 and a 15-percent advance above August 1939. This stability is
largely due to the fact that the prices of bread have remained relatively
unchanged during the past year.
Meats.—Meat prices edged up slightly between April 20 and May
18, but remained unchanged on the average for the country as a
whole in the following 4 weeks. Pork prices declined somewhat in the
2-month interval following the establishment of dollar-and-cent ceil
ings on April 1. Prices of beef and veal moved up less than 1 percent
for the 2 months, with most of the rise occurring between April and
May. The new beef ceiling prices established on May 17 were not
fully reflected in the index until the June 15 pricing period. Prices
of chickens declined during this period; supplies available through
regular retail channels were greatly decreased and there were wide
spread reports of black-market dealings.
Dairy products.—The roll-back of rctailThutter prices on June 10
resulted in a decrease of over 5 cents per pound between May 18
and June 15, or a 9.2-percent decrease as compared with a decline
of one-half of 1 percent between mid-April and mid-May. This
decrease, accompanied by a 0.7-percent drop in the average price of
fresh milk, brought dairy products as a whole down 2.4 percent
between May and June. The index for the group on June 15 was
27 percent above January 1941 and 9.4 percent above June 1942.
Eggs.—Prices of eggs rose 0.6 percent between April and May and
2.9 percent between mid-May and mid-June. The aggregate advance
was less than the usual seasonal change. By June 15, egg prices were
50 percent above January 1941 and 22 percent higher than in June
1942.
Fruits and vegetables.—Prices of fruits and vegetables increased
very sharply throughout the winter and spring. There was an
increase of 6.4 percent for the group between April 20 and May 18.
Prices declined 1.6 percent between mid-May and mid-June with the
seasonal increase in supplies. The change in each month was princi
pally due to prices of fresh vegetables, the largest April-to-May
increases being reported for sweetpotatoes (41 percent), apples (21.7
percent), and potatoes (16 percent). Prices for June 15 showed
decreases of 9 percent for potatoes and green beans, 12 percent for
spinach, and 13 percent for cabbage. Apples, not under direct control
by OPA, continued to advance and registered an increase of 15:5
percent during this period, and grapefruit and oranges advanced
seasonally by 11 percent and 4 percent, respectively. Widespread
reports of shortages of onions accompanied increases in prices for the
2-month period.
Retail costs of canned fruits and vegetables declined, following the
establishment of dollar-and-cent ceilings by the OPA in many? com
munities for a large number of brands. Prices of dried fruits^and
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
368
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
vegetables moved up slightly during the two months, as higher prices
for navy beans were reported on May 18 and higher prices for dried
prunes on June 15.
Prices of fruits and vegetables, including fresh, canned and dried,
have shown the greatest advance of any food group during the war
period. In June prices for the group as a whole averaged twice as
high as in January 1941, while fresh produce advanced 116 percent
for the same period.
Beverages.—The index for beverages decreased 0.3 percent from
April 20 to May 18 as the result of a decline in coffee prices, offset
to a limited extent by rising tea prices. The average remained sub
stantially unchanged for June 15. The decrease in coffee prices was
accompanied by announcements that the OPA planned a more liberal
coffee ration as a result of increased supplies. According to reports,
shortages of tea are general, and there has been a change from packaged
or bulk tea to large sales of tea bags.
Fats and oils.—The cost of fats and oils declined slightly from
April 20 to May 18 and then rose by approximately the same amount
between May and June. The decreases during the first period were
for lard in cartons and hydrogenated shortening sold in containers.
However, in June, shortening prices again increased, and there were
advances for oleomargarine and peanut butter. There was a con
tinued decrease in the price of lard in cartons.
Sugar and sweets.—The index for this group declined steadily from
mid-April to mid-June. Sugar prices were lower as mandatory retail
margins were established by the OPA, accompanied by published
dollar-and-cent community ceiling prices. Prices of "corn sirup
remained relatively unchanged.
Average prices of 78 foods in 56 cities combined are given for
several periods in table 3.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
369
Retail Prices
T able 3.— Average Retail Prices of 78 Foods in 56 Large Cities Combined,1 A pril, M ay,
and June 1943, M ay, June, and September 1942, and January 1941
1941
1942
1943
Commodity
Junel52 M ay 18 Apr. 20 Sept. 15 June 16 M ay 12 Jan. 14
Cereals and bakery products:
Cents
Cereals:
61.1
Flour, w heat................. -.-10 pounds..
15.5
M acaroni............................ .pound. .
23.2
Wheat cereal3___________________28ounces..
6.7
Corn flakes_______
-.8 ounces..
5.6
Corn m eal............................ ..pound ..
12.6
Rice 3-._.....................................--d o—
8.6
Rolled oats_____ _____ ______ -do—
10.5
Flour, pancake 3_________20 ounces..
Bakery products:
8.9
Bread, w hite....................
pound..
9.8
Bread, whole-wheat------ --------do—
9.9
Bread, rye___________________do—
29.2
Vanilla cookies_______ ____ . .. d o —
17.7
Soda crackers.------ ----------------do—
Meats:
Beef:
47.0
Round steak________________ do—
37.6
Rib roast____________________do—
31.7
Chuck roast_________________ do—
34.9
Stew m e a t3_________________ do—
37.6
L iver.______________________ do—
32.1
Hamburger------- -------------------do—
Veal:
50.7
Cutlets_____________________ do—
38.0
Roast, boned and rolled 3_____ do—
Pork:
41.9
Chops______________________ do—
45.7
Bacon, sliced________________ do—
58.8
Ham, sliced_________________ do—
39.8
Ham, w hole_________________ do—
24.7
Salt pork____________________ do—
23.5
Liver 3__________________ ^ ...d o —
38.1
Sausage 3____________________ do—
34.1
Bologna, big 3_______________ do—
Lamb:
41.8
Leg________ ____ ___________ do—
49.3
Rib chops___________________ do—
Poultry:
44.4
Roasting chickens____________do—
Fish:
Fish (fresh, frozen)---------------- do—
(6)
24.1
Salmon, p in k __________ 16-oz. can.
4 1.6
Salmon, red 3_____________ . . . d o . . .
Dairy products:
5 0 .5
Butter_________
pound.
3 8.5
Cheese___ ______________________ d o ...
1 5.5
Milk, fresh (delivered)--------------- quart.
1 4.4
M ilk, fresh (grocery)------------------- d o ...
1 5.1
M ilk, fresh (delivered and store)3. -d o .-.
10.1
Milk, evaporated_________ 14H-oz. can.
5 1.7
Eggs, fresh__________________
dozen.
Fruits and vegetables:
Fresh fruits and vegetables:
Fruits:
14.9
Apples________________ pound.
11.7
Bananas_________________d o ...
4 3.7
Oranges________________ dozen.
8 .7
Grapefruit3______________each.
Vegetables:
1 5.8
Beans, green___________ pound.
1 0.0
Cabbage-------- -----------------d o ...
8 .3
Carrots________________ bunch.
15.2
Lettuce_________________ head.
9 .0
Onions________________ pound.
84.2
Potatoes............ ...........15 pounds.
1 0 .2
Spinach------ ------pound.
1 8.1
Sweetpotatoes___________ d o ...
1 1.6
Beets 3______
bunch.
See fo o tn o te s a t end o f ta b le.
541188- 43-
12
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Cents
Cents
Cents
Cents
Cents
60.8
15.3
23.7
6.8
5.6
12.7
8.7
10.6
61.1
15.0
24.1
7.0
5.5
12.8
8.9
10.7
54.3
14.1
24.0
7.0
5.0
12.5
8.7
(4)
51.2
14.2
24.1
7.2
4.7
12.2
8.6
(4)
51.6
14.2
24.1
7.2
4.7
12.3
8.6
8.9
9.8
9.9
29.1
17.8
«8.9
9.7
9.8
29.0
17.7
8.7
9.5
9.7
27.0
16.6
8.7
9.6
9.7
27.8
16.4
8.7
9.5
9.7
27.7
16.4
7.8
8.7
9.0
25.1
15.0
46.8
37.7
31.8
35.0
37.5
32.2
45.8
36.5
31.9
35.9
37.4
32.9
44.2
34.7
30.0
(4)
(4)
(4)
43.4
33.8
29.1
(4)
(4)
44.2
34.0
28.9
(4)
(4)
( 4)
( 4)
38.6
31.5
25.2
(4)
(4)
(4)
51.3
37.7
55.4
37.2
54.9
(4)
53.8
(4)
53.6
(4)
45.2
(4)
41.9
45.7
3 59.3
39.8
24.7
23.6
38.3
33.8
42.1
45.1
60.2
39.8
24.9
23.6
38.3
33.7
43.1
40.9
59.6
38.3
23.8
(4)
(4)
(4)
42.3
39.1
58.9
37.7
23.7
(4)
(4)
(4)
43.2
39.3
58.8
37.8
24.0
(4)
(4)
(4)
29.1
30.1
45.1
26.2
16.7
(4)
(4)
(4)
41.8
48.6
39.9
48.7
37.9
47.1
37.0
46.1
33.8
41.3
27.8
35.0
45.4
»46.2
42.5
39.3
36.1
24.0
(»)
23.3
(8)
21.8
(8)
21.6
(6)
21.8
4 1.4
3 4 1 .4
4 0.6
4 0.1
40.0
1 5 .7
26.4
55.6
38.4
1 5.6
1 4.4
1 5 .2
10.1
5 0.2
5 5.9
38.4
1 5 .6
1 4.4
15.2
10.1
4 9.9
5 0.6
3 4 .3
15.0
13.5
14.5
8 .9
5 5.2
4 4.3
3 3 .9
1 4.9
1 3.5
1 4.4
8 .7
4 2.4
4 5.7
3 4.0
14.9
1 3.5
1 4.4
8 .7
4 0.9
3 8.0
27.0
13.0
11.9
1 2 .7
7 .1
3 4 .9
1 2.9
1 1.7
4 2.2
7 .8
10.6
3 1 1.8
3 9 .9
3 6 .7
6 .2
10 .3
39. 1
9 .4
9.4
1 0.5
3 6 .2
7 .5
7 .5
12.0
3 1 .4
6 .3
5 .2
6 .6
2 7 .3
17 .4
1 1.5
8 .2
1 6.5
8 .6
92.5
1 1.6
1 7.9
3 1 1.6
2 6 .8
1 1.5
7 .9
1 6.0
8 .5
79.7
1 2.7
1 2.7
1 1.5
11.6
3 .9
6 .9
1 2.5
4 .5
4 8.3
1 0 .7
6 .4
10.2
5 .2
6 .9
1 0.4
5 .0
57.9
7 .4
5 .9
1 3.4
4 .5
6 .6
9.2
6.8
5 3.0
7 .4
5 .4
(4)
(4)
(4)
m
( 4)
Cents
41.4
13.8
23.5
7.1
4.2
7.9
7.1
(4)
31.1
(6)
(7)
1 4 .0
3 .4
6.0
8.4
3 .6
2 9.2
7 .3
5 .0
(4)
370
T
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
3 -— Average Retail Prices of 78 Foods in 56 Large Cities Combined, A pril, M ay,
and June 1943. iWav. Tune_nnd Sif>nto™Tu>r 10A.9
r»***.^™.* i hai
__ i
able
1943
1942
Commodity
June 15 M ay 18 Apr. 20 Sept. 15 June 16 ¡May 12
I
Fruits and vegetables—Continued.
Canned fruits and vegetables:
Fruits:
Pineapple_______________ do.
Grapefruit juice_____ No. 2 can
Vegetables:
Corn----------------------------- do
Peas------------------------------ do.
Tomatoes____________
do
Cents
Cents
26.5
28.3
14.1
Cents
26.5
28.7
14.0
Cents
26.4
29.5
« 14.0
24.0
28.3
12.4
14.8
14.0
15.1
12.6
13.1
15.0
14.0
15.5
12.8
13.1
15.3
14. 2
15.6
12.9
13.0
Dried fruits and vegetables:
Fruits:
Prunes-------------------- - ..p o u n d ..
16.5
Vegetables:
N avy beans_____________ do
10.0
Soup,
d eh y d ra ted ,
chicken noodle 2 _______ounce
3.7
Beverages:
Coffee----------------- --------------- - .p ou n d ..
30.0
T ea .. ---------------------14 pound..
21.6
Cocoas .................................. —-Impound-.
9.4
Fats and oils:
J'.P'd-- - - - ------- ------------- --------- pound..
19.0
Shortening other than lard:
In cartons___________ _______do___
20.0
In other containers................. do
24.6
Salad dressing__________________ pint
25.2
Oleomargarine________
_
pound"
23.6
Peanut butter_________________ do
33.1
Oil, cooking or salad 3______
pint "
30.4
Sugar and sweets:
Sugar-------------pound..
6.8
24 ounces..
Corn sir u p ..................
15.6
Molasses 3 ---------------------------------------- 18ounces..
15.5
Apple butter 3---------------------- 1 6 ounces
13.0
Cents
Cents
23.3
27.0
10.2
23.3
27.1
9.8
13.7
13.3
14.6
11.6
(4)
13.9
13.0
15.7
12.0
(4)
14.0
13.0
15.8
12.1
(4)
Cents
16.5
20.9
o
10.0
10.7
13.2
8.4
(4)
16.4
16.5
14.8
12.5
12.3
9.6
10.0
9.9
9.1
8.9
9.0
6.5
3.7
3.8
30.0
21.5
9.2
30.1
21.2
8.9
(4)
(4)
(4)
28.7
22.4
10.2
28.4
22.1
10.3
28.9
24.4
10.2
(4)
20.7
17.6
9.1
19.1
19.3
17.3
17.0
17.9
9.3
20.2
24.3
«25.2
23.5
32.5
30.5
20.1
24.4
25.1
23.5
32.2
30.4
19.5
24.4
25.2
22.4
27.8
(4)
19.5
25.6
25.2
22.4
26.0
(4)
19.8
25.8
25.4
22.4
26.9
(4)
11.3
18.3
( 4)
6.8
15.6
15.6
« 12.9
6.9
15.5
15.6
« 13.4
6.9
15.1
14.9
(4)
6.8
14.7
14.7
(4)
6.9
14.8
14.5
(4)
5.1
13.6
13.4
(4)
20.1
15.6
17.9
“ “ “ “■ c u ib c u uu 01 u iu e s c o in o i
2 Preliminary.
3 N ot included in index.
4 First priced February 1943.
5 Revised.
* Composite prices not computed.
7 First priced October 1941.
Details by Cities
Between April 20 and May 18 food prices rose in 45 of the 56 cities
surveyed. The largest increases occurred in New Haven, Detroit,
Bridgeport, Scranton, Cleveland, and Denver, where the rise in the
prices of all foods was 3.5 percent or more, primarily as a result of the
Jatge advances for fresh fruits and vegetables. For this same period
early supplies of produce resulted in declines in price in New Orleans*
Jackson, Miss.; Wichita; Jacksonville; and San Francisco.
For the period from May 18 to June 20 food prices decreased in
41 cities. Declines of from 2.3 percent to 2.6 percent, resulting from
the substantial seasonal decreases in the prices of fresh vegetables
were reported for Scranton, Houston, Seattle, Jackson, and Mil
waukee. Meat prices also declined in Jackson, Houston, and Scran
ton. There was a general decrease in most foods in Jackson. Average
increases of more than 1 percent for all foods were reported for Cleve
land, Butte, Knoxville, and San Francisco, where prices for fresh
fruits and vegetables advanced. Meat prices were also somewhat
higher m Cleveland, Butte, and Knoxville.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
371
Retail Prices
Indexes of food costs by cities are shown in table 4.
T a b l e 4 . — Indexes of Average Retail Cost of A ll Foods by Cities,1A pril, M ay, and June
1943, M ay, June, and September 1942, and January 1941
[1935-39=100]
1941
1942
1943
City
June 152 M ay 18 Apr. 20 Sept. 15 June 16 M ay 12 Jan. 14
United States ____ ______________ _
N ew England:
Boston
____________________
Bridgeport __________________
Fall River
____________ -Manchester ___________________
N ew Haven __
___________
Portland, Maine _ ____________
Providence
_________________
Middle Atlantic:
_______ __________
Buffalo
Newark _______ _____ - -- ____
New York _ __ ______ _____ Philadelphia _____________ ___
Pittsburgh
__________________
Rochester
______ _____ ____ ________ ____
Scranton
East North Central:
Chicago
__________ _____
Cincinnati
_ _ ______________
Cleveland
- _________ ___
Columbus, Ohio- ___ __________
Detroit
__- ____________
Indian apolis_______ __________
Milwaukee
______ ________
Peoria
___________ - ______
Springfield, TIL. ______________
West "North Central:
Cedar Rapids4 ___
___ __
Kansas City
- _______ _____
____ ___________
Minneapolis
Omaha
____________ _______
_____ _____ _____
St. Louis
St. Paul
_ - __- _____
W ichita4
__
- - __
South Atlantic:
Atlanta
_
__ _____
______ - _____
Baltimore
Charleston, S. C __ ___ _________
Jacksonville
_________ _______
__- - _________
Norfolk 5
Richmond
________ Savannah
__
_ _ __ ____ _
Washington, D . C _ ___________
Winston-Salem 4 _ ___________
East South Central:
Birmingham
______________
Jackson 4
_________ _______
Knoxville 4
- ____________
Louisville
________ ______
Memphis
__________________
Mobile
____ ____________
West South Central:
___ _______ ______
Dallas
Houston
__ ____________
Little Rock
■ ___ ___________
New Orleans _____ - _____ -- Mountain:
Butte
______________________
Denver
- ______________
Ra.lt, Lake City _ _____________
Pacific:
Los Angeles
_____________
Portland, Oreg __ ___________
R an Francisco
_ _ ___________
Seattle
____________ - ___
141.9
143.0
140.6
126.6
123.2
121.6
97.3
136.8
143.8
140.8
143.4
143.1
140.6
139.7
138.1
144.7
140.5
142.3
145.7
140.3
141.0
137.1
139.6
139.3
139.2
138.4
M37.3
137.0
124.4
127.1
125.7
126. 8
126.2
125.8
126.3
119.9
124.0
122.6
125.3
122.3
122.9
122.8
118.3
121.3
120.8
124.0
120.6
121.7
122.1
95.2
96.5
97.5
96.6
95.7
95.3
96.3
145.2
142.1
141.4
139.2
142.3
138.6
144.4
147.8
142.4
143.3
141.6
142.4
139.6
148.3
144.0
3 140. 7
139.9
3 140. 5
139.4
3139. 3
143.3
127.6
128.0
125.2
123.9
125.9
125.2
125. 6
127.3
122.3
120.4
119.7
124.7
126.2
123.0
125.2
120.9
118.0
119.4
121.4
122.3
121.0
100.2
98.8
99.5
95.0
98.0
99.9
97.5
140.0
139.2
149.5
134.5
141.6
140.3
138.7
146.9
146.4
141.1
138.3
146.3
136.3
143.4
140.2
141.9
148.7
148.5
138.6
138.2
141.4
134.8
137.4
138.0
137.4
144.0
144.8
124.9
126.9
127.3
119.6
124.7
127.1
121.0
130.7
130.2
122.1
124.3
127.4
120.3
124.5
125. 7
122.0
129.6
128.4
121.7
122.4
124.1
118.6
122.4
125.0
119.8
129.0
128.0
98.2
96.5
99.2
93.4
97.0
98.2
95.9
99.0
96.2
143.3
136.0
134.1
137.7
143.3
133.7
149.7
144.3
137.9
134.9
137.9
144.7
134.8
150. 7
141.1
137.4
133.5
135.2
142.4
133.6
152.7
121.2
120.7
123.3
123.2
126.7
120.8
132.0
129.9
119.0
121.4
120.8
125.9
119.2
130.1
123.9
118.8
120.9
119. 9
123.8
118.7
129.0
95 9
92.4
99.0
97.9
99.2
98.6
97-2
143.9
152.5
139.0
151.7
151.7
139.6
153.8
142.7
139.7
142.9
152.6
140.3
151.5
153.3
141.5
153.8
142.5
140.0
140.3
3 148. 6
140.4
153.4
152.0
142.4
3 152. 5
139.9
138. 2
125.9
131.2
126.6
134.2
131.9
126.2
133.3
128.1
119.8
121.8
127.1
122.9
129.3
128.5
122.9
129.4
123.2
120.1
120.4
125.8
123.2
127 4
126.1
120.9
130. 3
120. 7
119.3
94.3
97 9
95.9
98 8
95,8
93.7
100 5
97. 7
93.7
141.9
149.3
158.5
139.5
148.3
149.8
140.7
153.0
156.6
141.5
150.1
149.9
141.0
155.9
156.7
138.4
3 149.2
3150. 5
125.3
141.0
134.2
124.2
129.7
133.9
120.9
130.3
134.4
123.2
124.1
128.4
120.5
128.3
131.0
122.6
123.5
126.8
96.0
105.3
97.1
95.5
94.2
97.8
136.6
140.0
140.1
152.2
138.2
143.7
141.8
152.5
3137.0
3143.4
140.8
160.7
123. 7
130.8
129.2
135.9
117.6
124.9
123.3
128.9
116.8
125.9
123.2
129.0
92.6
102.6
95.6
101.9
140.6
141.0
144.1
138.3
143.8
144.7
134.7
139.0
142.2
124.6
126.8
130.1
123.5
123.7
126.8
121.5
122.9
124.2
98.7
94.8
97.5
146.8
152.1
149.8
146.6
146.2
153.6
148.0
150.3
146.2
150.3
149.7
3145.9
137.9
141.2
133.5
137.3
129.8
134.6
126.1
129.4
128.1
134.5
125.5
129.9
101.8
101,7
99.6
101.0
1
i Aggregate costs of 61 foods (54 foods prior to March 1943) in each city, weighted to represent total pur
chases of f a m ilies of wage earners and lower-salaried workers, have been combined for the United States
with the use of population weights. Primary use is for time-to-time comparisons rather than place-to2
3
Preliminary.
Revised.
'
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
4 Indexes based on June 1940=100.0.
6 Includes Portsmouth and Newport News.
372
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
Annual Average Indexes, 1913 to June 1943
Annual average indexes of food costs for the years 1913-42, and
monthly indexes for January 1942 through June 1943, are presented
m table.5.
T able 5.
Indexes of Retail Food Costs in 56 Large Cities Combinedf 1913 to June 1943
[1935-39 = 100]
Year
1913 ______
1914______
1915_______
1916____
1917 ___
1918____
1919._ .
1920______
1921______
1922______
1923. ____
1924_____
1925____
1926_______
All-foods
index
79.9
81.8
80.9
90.8
116.9
134.4
149.8
168.8
128.3
119.9
124.0
122.8
132.9
137.4
1
Year
1927____
1928______
1929 ____
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934____
1935. . . .
1936____
1937______
1938______
1939 ____
1940________
All-foods
index
132.3
130.8
132 5
126.0
103.9
86.5
84.1
93.7
100.4
101.3
105.3
97.8
95.2
96.6
Year and
month
1941
1942
All-foods
index
105.5
123.9
1Q16)
January____
February___
Juno,
August_____
September...
116.2
116.8
118.6
119.6
121.6
123.2
124.6
126.1
126.6
Year and
month
1942— Con.
r\
i
uctober____
N ovem ber...
D ecem b er...
All-foods
index
129.6
131.1
132.7
1943
January____
February___
April______
June---------
133.0
133.6
137.4
140.6
143.0
141.9
i Indexes based on 51 cities combined prior to March 1943.
*******
E le c tric ity a n d G as: P r ic e C hanges B etw e e n M arch an d
June 19431
Prices of Electricity
CHANGES in costs of electricity between March and June 1943 were
reported in 3 of the 51 cities covered in the Bureau’s regular survey.
In Richmond Borough, New York City, an adjustment for fuel
costs brought the cost of electricity for June to a point 0.7 percent
aY?ve that for March. In Memphis the surcharge of 15 percent
which had been applicable to electricity bills for several years was
discontinued in April 1943. A decrease of slightly less than 2 percent
m yvashington, D. C., resulted from a rate change which was retro
active to March 1, 1943.
Prices of Gas
Changes in costs of gas were reported in June for 4 cities serving
manufactured gas and 3 serving natural gas. No changes occurred
m cities supplying mixed manufactured and natural gas. The chano’e
which took place in each of the 7 cities, classified by kinds of gas
is shown below:
'
’
R ate change_________________
Adjustm ent for fuel costs_____
Change in heating value of gas
M anufactured gas
N a tu ra l gas
N ew York (seasonal)
Atlanta
Boston
M anchester
Portland, Maine
--------------------------------- Houston
N ew Orlean
1 Quarterly reports covering 51 cities for electricity and 50 cities for gas published for March Tune and
| 10W c£ anses for the preceding 3 months. The December report presents pri^ s eflectfve on
the 15th of December and a summary of all changes during the year.
1
1
enecnve on
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Retail Prices
373
The adjustment for increased fuel costs in the 3 New England
cities affected monthly bills by less than 1 percent. In New York
City the usual summer reductions to consumers in the Bronx, Man
hattan, and Queens Boroughs became effective in April. The de
creases amounted to 6.2 percent for 19.6 therms, with greater reduc
tions for the use of larger quantities of gas. A new rate schedule
in Atlanta lowered the cost of gas 4.5 percent for 10.6 therms, with
lesser reductions for a greater use of gas. Changes in heating value
of the natural gas served resulted in a slight increase in costs for
the majority of consumers in Houston and a slight decrease for
consumers in New Orleans.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wholesale Prices
W h o le sa le P ric e s in J u n e 1 9 4 3
FOLLOWING an uninterrupted advance extending over the past 12
months, the Bureau of Labor Statistics comprehensive index of com
modity prices in primary markets 1 reacted in June and dropped 0.3
percent. Weakening prices for livestock and its products, particu
larly meat and butter, largely accounted for the decline. The all
commodity index fell to 103.8 percent of the 1926 average from the
peak of 104.1 reached in May.
Prices for foods in primary markets averaged 0.8 percent lower in
June than in May. Chemicals and allied products declined 0.2
percent, and miscellaneous commodities, 0.1 percent. Farm product
prices continued to rise and advanced 0.4 percent. Fuel and lighting
materials rose 0.2 percent, and building materials and housefurnishing
goods, 0.1 percent. The indexes for three groups—hides and leather
products, textile products, and metals and metal products—remained
unchanged at the May level.
Further increases in prices for agricultural commodities resulted in
an advance of 0.3 percent in the raw materials group index. Manu
factured commodities, on the other hand, declined 0.6 percent, and
semimanufactured commodities were 0.2 percent lower.
Continued sharp advances in primary market prices for most fresh
fruits and vegetables in June, together with higher prices for barley,
oats, and rye, were largely responsible for the increase of 0.4 percent
in the farm products group index, which in June had reached its
highest point from late in 1920. Quotations for livestock averaged
1.5 percent lower because of a substantial decline in prices for sheep,
together with a decrease of 3 percent for hogs and nearly 1 percent for
steers. Average prices for corn, wheat, cotton, flaxseed, and hay
were somewhat lower than in May.
Lower prices for staple foods, such as meats, potatoes, and white
flour, accounted for a decline of 0.8 percent in average prices for foods
at wholesale in June. Higher prices were reported for bread in some
markets, and for oatmeal, corn meal, and rye flour. In addition,
prices advanced for citrus fruits, apples, onions, eggs, codfish, and
peanut butter.
1 The Bureau of Labor Statistics wholesale price data for the most part represent prices prevailing in the
“first commercial transaction.” They are prices quoted in primary markets, at principal distribution
points.
374
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Wholesale Prices
375
The hides and leather products and textile markets continued
steady.
Average prices for fuel and lighting materials rose slightly as a
result of increased prices for bituminous coal in some areas, for kero
sene, and for higher realized values for gas and electricity.
The metals and metal products markets remained firm.
An upward revision in ceiling prices for soft woods and higher prices
for rosin and turpentine were mainly responsible for an increase of
0.1 percent in the building materials group index. Lower prices were
reported for cement, certain paint materials, and plaster and plaster
board.
A substantial decline in prices for potash contributed to a minor
decrease in the chemicals and allied products group index. Quota
tions for stearic acid and ergot advanced.
In the miscellaneous group, higher prices were reported for cylinder
oil and cigar boxes.
From June 1942 to June 1943, average prices for the nearly 900
commodities included in the Bureau of Labor Statistics index of com
modity prices advanced 5.3 percent. This rise was almost entirely
due to higher prices for farm commodities. The farm products group
index rose nearly 21 percent during the year period and foods increased
over 10 percent. Smaller increases were reported for fuel and lighting
materials, 3.3 percent; for chemicals and allied products, 2.9 percent;
for miscellaneous commodities, 1.8 percent; and for building materials,
0.5 percent. Hides and leather products, textile products, metals
and metal products, and housefurnishing goods were fractionally
lower in June 1943 than in June 1942.
Most commodities have registered broad price increases since the
outbreak of the war in August 1939. Farm products led the rise with
a gain of nearly 107 percent. In this period of approximately 4
years, food prices advanced 63 percent; textile products, almost 44
percent; chemicals and allied products, 35 percent; hides and leather
products, building materials, and miscellaneous commodities, about
25 percent; housefurnishing goods, 20 percent; arid fuel and lighting
materials and metals and metal products, 11 percent.
Percentage comparisons of the June 1943 level of wholesale prices
with May 1943, June 1942, and August 1939, with corresponding
index numbers, are given in table 1.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
376
T able
1.— Index Numbers of Wholesale Prices by Croups and Subgroups of Commodities,
June 1943, W ith Comparisons fo r M ay 1943, June 1942, and August 1939
[1926 = 100]
Percent
of
change
M ay
1943
All commodities____ ____ _________________
103.8
104.1
-0 .3
98.6
+ 5 .3
Farm products____________________________
G r a in s ........ ........................
Livestock and poultry_____ . . . . _______
Other farm products___ . ____ _
126.2
113.8
128.6
127.2
125.7
113.1
130.5
125.2
+ .4
+ .6
-1 .5
+ 1 .6
104.4
88.8
116.9
100.5
+20.9
+28.2
+10.0
+26.6
61.0
51.5
66.0 ‘
60.1
106.9
121.0
94.8
111.6
Foods_____ . . ____ ________ _____ ______
Dairy products___
_______ ____ _
Cereal products . . .
______ . ._
Fruits and vegetables_____ . . . . _____
M eats. . . . ._ _______ _
Other foods ________________________
109.6
109.5
93.6
143.6
111.6
97.0
110.5
113.1
93.6
137. 7
115.9
96.4
-.8
-3 .2
0
+ 4 .3
-3 .7
+ .6
99.3
92.0
87.2
105.4
113.9
91.0
+10.4
+19.0
+ 7.3
+36.2
-2 .0
+ 6 .6
67.2
67.9
71.9
58.5
73.7
60.3
63.1
61.3
30.2
145.5
51.4
60.9
Hides and leather products_____ . . . . . .
Shoes.. . ____________________________
Hides and skins_____________ . . ____
Leather.. _______________ ___________
Other leather products_____ __________
117.8
126.4
116.0
101.3
115.2
117.8
126.4
116.0
101.3
115.2
0
0
0
0
0
118.2
126.4
118.5
101.3
115.2
-.3
0
-2 .1
0
0
92.7
100.8
77.2
84.0
97.1
27.1
25.4
50.3
20.6
18.6
Textile products________________________ .
Clothing____ __ ______ ______________
. . . . ______________ _
! 'Hosiery and underwear.. . . . . _. . ____
jr , R ayon___
_____ _____ . . . _____ . . .
Silk__________________________________
( j Woolen and worsted goods_______ ._ __
; ;Other textile produ cts_____ . ______
97.4
107.0
112.6
70.5
30.3
(i)
112.5
98.7
97.4
107.0
112.6
70.5
30.3
(i)
112.5
98.7
0
0
0
0
0
97.6
109.1
112.7
70.0
30.3
(!)
111.0
98.2
-.2
- 1 .9
-.1
+ .7
0
67.8
81.5
65.5
61.5
28.5
44.3
75.5
63.7
43.7
31.3
71.9
14.6
6.3
Fuel and lighting materials _______________
Anthracite. . _____________ . . _____
Bituminous coal. . . . ________________
Coke___________ _ ______ ______ . . .
Electricity__ ___ _
...
___ . . .
Gas . .
....
Petroleum and products ___________ ..
81.0
89.5
116.4
122.4
(i)
(i)
62.6
80.8
89.7
116.1
122.4
(i)
77.5
62.5
+ .2
-.2
+ .3
0
11.6
24.1
21.3
17.5
M etals and metal produ cts_____ ____ . . . .
Agricultural im plem ents.. .
_ ......
Farm machinery .
_____ __ ____
Iron and steel. _. _ . . . . . . . . . _ ._
Motor vehicles _______ _ _________ _
Nonferrous m etals.. _____ _ _ ________
Plumbing and heating____________ ____
103.8
96.9
98.0
97.3
112.8
86.0
90.4
103.8
96.9
98.0
97.2
112.8
86.0
90.4
Building materials. . . __________ _ . . .
Brick and tile_____________ . _ ______
Cement. . . . . .
. . .. __ _ _ .
Lumber _
. . . _________
______
Paint and paint materials_________ ____
Plumbing and heating__ ____________ _
Structural steel. .
_______ __ _____
Other building m aterials... _ _ _____ _
110.6
99.0
93.6
136.3
102.0
90.4
107.3
101.7
Chemicals and allied products. . _ _______
Chemicals___ _______
._ .
______
Drugs and pharmaceuticals _____ . . .
Fertilizer materials___
....
Mixed fertilizers____
.._ . . . . . . . . . .
Oils and fats__
. . . ____
Housefurnishing goods____
Furnishings . . .
._
Furniture . .
____ .
\ ; 'Cotton goods . .
0
0
June
1942
Percent August Percent
of
of
1939 increase
change
June
1943
Group and subgroup
+ 1 .4
+ .5
75.0
38.4
49.0
54.9
+ 3 .3
+ 4 .4
+ 6 .6
+ .2
+ .2
78.4
85.7
109.2
122.1
63.3
81.2
59.8
+ 4 .7
72.6
72.1
96.0
104.2
75.8
86. 7
51.7
0
0
0
+ .1
0
0
0
103.9
96.9
98.0
97.2
112.8
85.6
98.5
-. 1
0
0
+ .1
0
+ .5
-8 .2
93.2
93.5
94.7
95.1
92.5
74.6
79.3
11.4
3.6
3.5
2.3
21.9
15.3
14.0
110.5
98.9
93.9
135.6
102.2
90.4
107.3
101.6
+ .1
+ .1
- .3
+ .5
-.2
0
0
+ .1
110.1
98.1
94.2
131.7
100.3
98.5
107.3
103.8
+ .5
+ .9
-.6
+ 3 .5
+ 1 .7
-8 .2
0
-2 .0
89.6
90.5
91.3
90.1
82.1
79.3
107.3
89.5
23.4
9.4
2.5
51.3
24.2
14.0
0
13.6
100.0
96.4
165.2
78.6
85.8
102.0
100.2
96.4
165.1
80.0
85.8
102.0
-.2
0
+ 2 .9
-.1
+28.0
-1 .8
0
0
97.2
96.5
129.1
78.4
82.8
108.5
+ 3.6
-6 .0
74.2
83.8
77.1
65.5
73.1
40.6
34.8
15.0
114.3
20.0
17.4
151.2
102.8
107.3
98.1
102.7
107.3
98.0
+ .1
0
+ .1
102.9
108.1
97.4
- .1
-.7
+ .7
85.6
90.0
81.1
20.1
19.2
21.0
Miscellaneous . . . ._
____. . .
Automobile.tires and tubes______ ____
Cattle feed ________ ._ _______ . .
Paper and pulp___ ______ ____ _________
Rubber, crude__ _____ ____ . . .
Other miscellaneous
_____
_____ .
91.8
73.0
150.6
104.3
46.2
94.9
91.9
73.0
150.6
104.3
46.2
95.2
-.1
0
0
0
0
-.3
90.2
73.0
140.0
101.6
46.3
93.3
+ 1.8
0
+ 7 .6
+ 2 .7
-.2
+ 1 .7
73.3
60.5
68.4
80.0
34.9
81.3
25.2
20.7
120.2
30.4
32.4
16.7
Raw materials__ . . . ___. _____
_____
Semimanufactured articles. _______________
Manufactured products. _ _ .
______
All commodities other than farm products___
All commodities other than^farm products
and foods..............
. . . . . . . ___
114.3
92.8
100.1
98.7
114.0
93.0
100.7
99.2
+ .3
- .2
-.6
-.5
99.8
92.8
98.6
97.1
+14.5
0
+ 1 .5
+ 1 .6
66.5
74.5
79.1
77.9
71.9
24.6
26.5
26.7
96.8
96.7
+ .1
95.6
+ 1 .3
80.1
20.8
i Data not available.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
_
. ______
_ ______
_______ . . .
21.1
Wholesale Prices
377
Index Numbers by Commodity Groups, 1926 to June 1943
Index numbers of wholesale prices by commodity groups for selected
years from 1926 to 1942, inclusive, and by months from June 1942 to
June 1943, inclusive, are shown in table 2.
T a b l e 2 . — Index Numbers of Wholesale Prices, by Groups of Commodities
[1926=100]
Year and month
Chem HouseHides Tex Fuel
All
and Metals
icals
Farm
and Build
furand
M is com
light
ing
and
tile
nish- cella modi
prod Foods leather prod
metal mate allied
ing
ucts
prod ucts mate prod rials prod
neous ties
ing
ucts
ucts
ucts goods
rials
1926________________
1929_______________ :
1932________________
1933________________
1936________________
100.0
104.9
48.2
51.4
80.9
100.0
99.9
61.0
60.5
82.1
100.0
109.1
72.9
80.9
95.4
100.0
90.4
54.9
64.8
71.5
100.0
83.0
70.3
66.3
76.2
100.0
100.5
80.2
79.8
87.0
100.0
95.4
71.4
77.0
86.7
100.0
94.0
73.9
72.1
78.7
100.0
94.3
75.1
75.8
81.7
100.0
82.6
64.4
62.5
70.5
100.0
95.3
64.8
65.9
80.8
1937________________
1938________________
1939________________
1940____ . _______
1941________________
1942________________
1942:
June___________
July____________
August. _______
September__
October.
___
November____ _
December___ . . .
1943:
January.. _____
February_______
March ________
A p r il___ _______
M ay___________
June____________
86.4
68.5
65.3
67.7
82.4
105.9
85.5
73.6
70.4
71.3
82.7
99.6
104.6
92.8
95.6
100.8
108.3
117.7
76.3
66.7
69.7
73.8
84.8
96.9
77.6
76.5
73.1
71.7
76.2
78.5
95.7
95.7
94.4
95.8
99.4
103.8
95.2
90.3
90.5
94.8
103.2
110.2
82.6
77.0
76.0
77.0
84.6
97.1
89.7
86.8
86.3
88.5
94.3
102.4
77.8
73.3
74.8
77.3
82.0
89.7
86.3
78.6
77.1
78.6
87.3
98.8
104.4
105.3
106.1
107.8
109.0
110.5
113.8
99.3
99.2
100.8
102.4
103.4
103.5
104.3
118.2
118.2
118.2
118.1
117.8
117.8
117.8
97.6
97.1
97.3
97.1
97.1
97.1
97.2
78.4
79.0
79.0
79.0
79.0
79.1
79.2
103.9
103.8
103.8
103.8
103.8
103.8
103.8
110.1
110.3
110.3
110.4
110.4
110.1
110.0
97.2
96.7
96.2
96.2
96.2
99.5
99.5
102.9
102.8
102.7
102.5
102.5
102.5
102.5
90.2
89.8
88.9
88.8
88.6
90.1
90.5
98.6
98.7
99.2
99.6
100.0
100.3
101.0
117.0
119.0
122.8
123.9
125.7
126.2
105.2
105. 8
107.4
108.4
110.5
109.6
117.8
117.8
117.8
117.8
117.8
117.8
97.3
97.3
97.3
97.4
97.4
97.4
79.3
79.8
80.3
80.6
80.8
81.0
103.8
103.8
103.8
103.8
103. 8
103.8
109.8
110.2
110.4
110.3
110.5
110.6
100.2
100.3
100.0
100.1
100.2
100.0
102.5
102.6
102.6
102.6
102.7
102.8
90.7
90.9
91.4
91.6
91.9
91.8
101.9
102.5
103.4
103.7
104.1
103.8
The price trend for specified years and months since 1926 is shown
in table 3 for the following groups of commodities: Raw materials,
semimanufactured articles, manufactured products, commodities
other than farm products, and commodities other than farm products
and foods. The list of commodities included under the classifications
“Raw materials,” “Semimanufactured articles,” and “Manufactured
products” was shown on pages 10 to 12 of Wholesale Prices, Decem
ber and Year 1941 (Serial No. R. 1434).
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
378
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
T a b l e 3 . — Index Numbers of Wholesale Prices, by Special Groups of Commodities
[1926=100]
Year and
month
Raw
mate
rials
Semimanufactured
arti
cles
All
com
mod
ities
other
than
farm
prod
ucts
and
foods
All
com
M an mod
ufac ities
tured other
prod than
farm
ucts
prod
ucts
1926_________ 100.0 100.0 100.0
1929_________ 97.5 93.9 94.5
1932
55.1 59.3 70.3
1933_________ 56.5 65.4 70.5
1936_________ 79.9 75.9 82.0
100.0
93.3
68.3
69.0
80.7
100.0
91.6
70.2
71.2
79.6
87.2
82.2
80.4
81.6
89.1
98.6
86.2
80.6
79.5
80.8
88.3
97.0
85.3
81.7
81.3
83.0
89.0
95.5
1937_________ 84.8
1938_________ 72.0
1939_________ 70.2
1940_________ 71.9
1941_________ 83.5
1942_________ 100.6
85.3
75.4
77.0
79.1
86.9
92.6
Year and
month
1942:
June_____
July_____
August___
September
October^ __
November
December.
1943:
January.
February..
M arch___
April____
M ay_____
June_____
All
com
mod
ities
other
than
farm
prod
ucts
and
foods
Raw
mate
rials
Semimanufactured
arti
cles
All
com
M an mod
ufac ities
tured other
prod than
farm
ucts
prod
ucts
99.8
100.1
101.2
102.2
103.0
103.9
106.1
92.8
92.8
92.7
92.9
92.7
92.6
92.5
98.6
98.6
98.9
99.2
99.4
99.4
99.6
97.1
97.0
97.5
97.7
97.9
97.9
98.1
95.6
95.7
95.6
95.5
95.5
95.8
95.9
108.2
109.6
112.0
112.8
114.0
114.3
92.8
92.9
93.0
93.1
93.0
92.8
100.1
100.3
100.5
100.6
100.7
100.1
98.5
98.7
99.0
99.1
99.2
98.7
96.0
96.2
96.5
96.6
96.7
96.8
Weekly Fluctuations
Weekly changes in wholesale prices by groups of commodities during
May and June 1943 are shown by the index numbers in table 4.
These indexes are not averaged to obtain an index for the month but
are computed only to indicate the fluctuations from week to week.
T a b l e 4 . — Weekly Index Numbers of Wholesale Prices, by Commodity Groups, M ay
and June 1943
[1926=100]
Commodity group
June
26
June
19
June
12
All commodities__________________
103.1
103.5
104.0
M ay
29
M ay
22
103.9
104.0
103.8
103.8
103.7
103.5
126.7
110.7
118. 4
96.9
81.3
125.8
110.3
118.4
96.9
81.3
125. 7
110. 2
118.4
96.9
81.5
124.8
109.4
118.4
96.9
81.6
124.3
108.7
118.4
96.9
81.5
June
5
May
15
M ay
8
M ay
1'
Farm products______ _____ ______
126. 2
Foods______________ ______________ 108.0
Hides and leather products________ 118.4
Textile products________ . . . _____ 96.9
81.4
Fuel and lighting materials________
127.0
109.0
118.4
96.9
81.4
127.6
110.9
118.4
96.9
81.4
126.3
110.6
118.4
96.9
81.4
M etals and metal products_________
Building materials____ . . . _____
Chemicals and allied products______
Housefurnishing goods________ ____
M iscellaneous______________ _____
103.9
110.4
100. 2
104.3
91.6
103.9
110.4
100.2
104.3
91.8
103.9
110.4
100. 2
104.3
91.7
103.9
110.4
100. 2
104.2
91.7
103.9
110.3
100.2
104.2
91.7
103.9
110.3
100.2
104.2
91.7
103.9
110.4
100.2
104.2
91.4
103.9
110.4
100.2
104.2
91.4
103.9
110.3
100.1
104.2
91.4
Raw m aterials.. . . . _____________
Semimanufactured articles_________
Manufactured products___ . . . ____
All commodities other than farm pro
ducts_____ ____________________
All commodities other than farm pro
ducts and foods. . . _________ ____
114.2
92.7
99.7
114.5
92.9
100.0
114.8
92.9
100.7
114.1
92.9
100.9
114.3
92.9
100.9
113.8
92.9
100.9
113.7
92.9
101.0
113. 2
92.9
101.0
112.7
92.9
100.9
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
98.1
98.4
98.9
99.1
99.1
99.1
99.1
99.1
99.1
96.9
96.9
96.9
96.9
96.9
96.9
96.9
96.9
96.9
Trend o f Employment and Unemployment
S u m m a ry o f R e p o rts fo r J u n e 1 9 4 3
THE total number of workers in nonagricultural establishments in
June 1943 was 38,328,000, which was 1,663,000 more than a year
ago, and about 66,000 more than in May. The gain over the month
reflects the addition of almost 100,000 workers to the manufacturing
division and 62,000 to the transportation and public-utilities division.
The only sizable decline (99,000 employees) was in construction
and was" brought about by the completion of many Federal con
struction contracts.
Industrial and Business Employment
There were 13,778,000 wage earners employed in all manufactur
ing industries. Nearly 8 million of these, or 58 percent, were in
industries closely associated with the production of munitions—
generally the metalworking, chemical, and rubber industries. A
year ago, 51 percent of manufacturing wage earners were in these
industries; and in June 1939, the ratio was 36 percent.
Among the nine durable-goods groups, only iron and steel and
furniture showed declines over the month. The largest increase
was in the transportation-equipment group, as a result of continued
expansion in aircraft and shipbuilding. Employment in this group
was 2,270,000, an increase of 29,000 over May 1943 and of 827,000
from June 1942.
Among the nondurable groups, only the food group showed a
sizable increase in employment over the month. Seasonal increases
in canning, the beverage industries, baking, and slaughtering and
meat packing raised empolyment in the food group to 951,000, a
little more than 4 percent above May.
Both the anthracite and bituminous-coal mining industries reported
declines in employment in June, owing to the strike situation. Em
ployment in both these industries was below the June 1942 level.
The anthracite industry employed 3,300 fewer wage earners, and
the bituminous-coal mining industry, 56,000 fewer workers than in
June 1942. The total number of wage earners employed in both
coal-mining industries in June was almost 453,000.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
379
380
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
T able L —
Estimated Number of Wage Earners and Indexes of Wage-Earner Em ploy
ment in Manufacturing Industries, by Major Industry Group 1
[Subject to revision]
Estimated number of wage earners (in
thousands)
Wage-earner
indexes (1939=100)
Industry group
June
1943
May
1943
April
1943
June
1942
All manufacturing_____________________
Durable goods_____________________
Nondurable goods_________________
13,778
8, 212
5,566
13, 694
8,159
5,535
13,733
8,145
5,588
12,282
6,823
5,459
168.2
227.4
121.5
167.2
225.9
120.8
Iron and steel and’their products_______
Electrical machinery___ ______ ________
Machinery, except electrical____________
Transportation equipment, except auto
mobiles_____________________________
Automobiles__________________________
Nonferrous metals and their products___
Lumber and timber basic products______
Furniture and finished lumber products..
Stone, clay, and glass products_______
Textile-mill products and other fiber
manufactures________________________
Apparel and other finished textile prod
ucts________________________________
Leather and leather products..
Food____________________________
Tobacco manufactures________ I________
Paper and allied products______________
Printing, publishing, and allied industries.
Chemicals and allied products________. . .
Products of petroleum and coal_________
Rubber products________________
Miscellaneous industries__________
1,715
699
1, 250
1,718
695
1,243
1,729
695
1,237
1,599
528
1,078
173.0
269.8
236.6
173.2
268.3
235.2
2,270
667
414
481
355
361
2,241
660
410
479
356
357
2,221
653
411
480
360
359
1,443
485
378
555
381
376
1, 430.4
165.7
180.6
114.5
108.3
122.8
1,412.0
164.0
178.8
114.0
108.6
121.5
1,229
1,239
1,254
1,298
107.4
108.3
853
333
951
89
315
333
742
125
188
408
863
337
914
89
312
329
737
124
186
405
889
346
910
92
312
330
744
123
186
402
873
377
947
92
312
325
600
128
146
361
108.1
96.0
111.3
95.2
118.6
101.5
257.5
117.8
155.8
166.6
109.3
97.0
106.9
95.1
117.7
100.4
255.8
117.3
153.9
165.6
June
1943
M ay
1943
i The estimates and indexes presented in this table have been adjusted to final data for 1941 and prenminary data for the second quarter of 1942 made available by the Bureau of Employment Security of the
Tnef v raI
-u n ty Agt ncy and are not comparable with data shown in mimeographed releases for December
1942 and prior months. Estimates and indexes for the period January 1939 to November 1942 comparable
with the data m the above table are available upon request.
Public Employment
The increase of 16,000 employees during June 1943 brought employ
ment in the three Federal services—executive, legislative, and judi
cial—to a total of 3,116,000. The gain, not considering post-Christmas declines occasioned by the release of temporary postal employees,
was the smallest since April 1940 and clearly reflected the influence of
employment ceilings imposed by the Bureau of the Budget on all regu
lar Federal positions.
The War and Navy Departments and other war agencies employed
2,315,000 persons, or 74 percent of all Federal employees, in June 1943.
This was an increase of 892,000 from June a year ago when war-agency
employment constituted 62 percent of the total.
Women in full-time jobs in the Federal executive service in May
1943 accounted for 999,500, or 35 percent, of all full-time employees.
In June 1941, the last date prior to the war that data were available,
women numbered 266,000, or 20 percent of all employees, in the Fed
eral executive service. In May 1943, 54 percent of the women were
in the War Department, 15 percent in the Navy Department, 11 per
cent in war-emergency agencies (WPB, OPA, etc.) and 20 percent in
other agencies. Over three-fifths of the full-time employees in waremergency agencies, two-fifths of those in the War Department, and
approximately a fourth of those in the Navy Department and other
agencies were women.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Trend of Employment and Unemployment
381
Almost all of the 42,400 project workers of the Work Projects Admin
istration in June 1943 were working on projects in Puerto Rico and the
Virgin Islands. Over half the workers in Puerto Rico were engaged
on the construction of Island-wide and strategic roads, and on sanita
tion, water, and sewer projects. The other workers were engaged
mainly on the feeding program, raising and canning vegetables and
fruit, and providing school lunches when schools were in session.
In July 1935 the Work Projects Administration, then called the
Works Progress Administration, first started its program of providing
useful work for the unemployed. Previous work programs to which
the WPA was successor had given work to as high as 4,021,000 persons
at one time (January 1934). The number of project workers under the
WPA program reached a peak of 3,406,000 in March 1936 and there
after fluctuated with the seasons until in the spring of 1939, a gradual
but irregular decline set in. From June 1941 to June 1943, the decline
in number of project workers has been rapid, dropping from 1,419,000
at the earlier date to 698,000 in June 1942 and to 42,400 in June 1943.
Although all WPA projects in continental United States were liquidated
as of June 30, 1943, provision was made for the continuation until
November of 40,000 project workers in Puerto Rico and 1,000 in the
Virgin Islands, because of the extremely poor economic conditions on
these islands.
The Civilian Conservation Corps, which in May 1933 began its
conservation of the country’s natural resources, utilized the services of
as many as 591,000 youths in August 1935. The National Youth
Administration inaugurated its aid to needy students in September
1935 and its vocational training of other youths in January 1936, and
in February 1941 included 949,000 persons in these two programs.
In July 1942 the out-of-school work program was converted into a war
production training program, but personnel did not reach the levels of
prior years because of the draining off of the youth into industrial
employment and the armed forces, as well as because of reduced appro
priations. In May 1943, personnel of 169,000 was reported for the
NYA and of 139 for the CCC. No reports were received for June
1943, however, because of the liquidation of the programs and the
closing of all offices as of June 30.
On construction projects financed wholly or partially from Federal
funds, more workers were added on the construction of naval and other
vessels and on public housing projects during June 1943; but other
types of projects, including nonresidential building, public roads, air
port construction, and river, harbor, and flood control, required fewer
workers and brought the employment on all Federally financed con
struction projects to 2,444,000 or 7,000 lower than in May 1943.
Personnel on these projects, however, was 407,000 higher than in June
a year ago. The slight contraseasonal decline in construction workers,
which has been evident since March 1943, was mainly the result of
project completions. Only 17 percent of all workers on these construc
tion projects were employees of the Federal Government. The others
were employees of contractors and subcontractors.
For the regular Federal services, data for the legislative and judicial
services and for force-account employees in the executive service are
reported to the Bureau of Labor Statistics; data for other executiveservice employees are reported through the Civil Service Commission.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
382
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
The Bureau of Labor Statistics receives monthly reports on employ
ment and pay rolls for the various construction projects financed wholly
or partially by Federal funds directly from the contractors and sub
contractors; and for the NYA, WPA, and CCC programs, from the
respective agencies.
A summary of employment and pay-roll data for the regular Federal
services, for construction projects financed wholly or partially from
Federal funds, and for other Federal programs is given in table 2.
T a b l e 2 . — Employment and P a y Rolls in Regular Federal Services and on Projects
Financed Wholly or Partially from Federal Funds
[Subject to revision]
Employment
Pay rolls
Service or program
Regular Federal serv
ices:
Executive 1________
War agencies
Other agencies..
Judicial____ _____ _
Legislative________
Construction projects:
Financed from reg
ular Federal ap
propriations 3____
W ar__________
Other_________
Public housing____
War public works...
Financed by R F C ..
War__________
Other_________
Other programs:
N a t io n a l Y o u th
Administration 4__
Student work
program_____
War production
training pro
gram 6_______
Work Projects Ad
ministration proj
ects_____________
War__________
Other_________
Civilian Conserva
tion Corps______
June 1943
M ay 1943
June 1942
June 1943
M ay 1943
3,106,757
2,315,402
791,355
2,624
6,152
3, 091,136
2,301,602
789, 534
2,622
6,146
2, 275,440
1, 423,398
852,042
2,653
6,539
$572,807,600
415,114,000
157, 693,600
753,344
1,499,697
$569,993,703
412,658,418
157,335.285
749, 640
1,500,619
$362,114,961
227,878,114
134, 236, 847
639, 382
1,377,155
2,131, 207
2, 078,807
52,400
91,319
11,500
209,700
209,350
350
2,142,127
2,085,385
56,742
86,573
12,160
210,028
209,628
400
1,883,689
1,770,692
112,997
33, 257
13, 053
106,547
104,807
1,740
493,095,860
482, 209, 760
10,886,100
15,283, 200
1,643, 400
40,409, 200
40,341, 700
67,500
492, 818,856
481,003,400
11,815,456
14,489,061
1,737, 664
40,471,850
40,394, 701
77,149
352, 896,483
334,067,832
18,828, 651
5,042,561
1, 529, 284
19,075, 965
18,680, 800
395,165
.
June 1942
(5)
168,640
322, 606
0)
3, 651,196
5, 946, 280
(5)
88,509
135,977
(5)
758,267
960, 214
(5)
80,131
186,629
M
2,892,929
4,986,066
42,437
25,688
16,749
45,981
26,733
19, 248
697, 819
285,146
412,673
(5)
(s)
({)
3,060,911
47,923,771
19,869,656
28, 054,115
139
943
(5)
36, 753
(5)
8
143, 586
i Includes employees in United States navy yards and on force-account construction who are also included
under construction projects, and supervisory and technical employees included under N Y A and CCC.
Covers War and N avy Departments, Maritime Commission, National Advisory Committee for Aero
nautics, Panama Canal, Office for Emergency Management, Office of Censorship, Office of Price AdminWar ° n’ ^™ce
®*;ra*:eSlc Services, Office of Economic Warfare, and the Petroleum Coordinator for
3 Includes ship construction and repair in U. S. navy yards and the Federally financed part thereof in
private shipyards.
* Beginning July 1942 the National Youth Administration was considered a training program for war
work rather than a work-relief program. Value of maintenance is included in the pay-roll data for June
1942, but excluded from those for M ay 1943.
3 Data not available because of liquidation of program.
6 Called the out-of-school work program prior to July 1942.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
383
Trend of Employment and Unemployment
D e ta ile d R e p o rts fo r I n d u s tr ia l a n d B u sin e ss
E m p lo y m e n t, M ay 1 9 4 3
Estimates of Nonagricultural Employment
ESTIMATES of civil employees in nonagricultural establishments
by major groups are given in table 1. With the exception of the trade
and finance-service-miscellaneous groups, they are not comparable
with estimates published in the September 1942 or earlier issues of the
Monthly Labor Review. Comparable figures for the months from
January 1939 to July 1942 are given in the October 1942 issue of the
Monthly Labor Review.
The estimates are based on reports of employers to the United
States Bureau of Labor Statistics, on data made available by the
Bureau of Employment Security and the Bureau of Old-Age and
Survivors Insurance of the Social Security Board, and on information
supplied by other Government agencies, such as the Interstate Com
merce Commission, Civil Service Commission, and the Bureau of
the Census. They do not include military personnel, emergency
employment (such as WPA, NYA, and CCC), proprietors or selfemployed persons, unpaid family workers, and domestics.
Estimates of employees in nonagricultural establishments, by
States, are given each month in the Bureau of Labor Statistics mimeo
graphed release on employment and pay rolls.
T a b l e
1.— Estimated Number of Employees in Nonagricultural Establishments, by
Industry Divisions
Estimated number of employees
(In thousands)
Industry division
March
1943
M ay
1942
M ay
1943
April
1943
Total estimated em ploym ent1------------------------------------------------------------------
38, 262
38, 336
38,115
36,346
TVTa n n f a . n t . n r i n g
15,911
837
1,299
3,587
6, 331
4,349
5,948
15,956
850
1, 328
3, 552
6,423
4, 337
5,890
15,958
861
1,357
3, 475
6, 328
4, 281
5,855
14,133
928
1,909
3, 442
6, 667
4,309
4,958
__
__ ________
_______________ ____ __________
___
-_____ __
___
_
TVfining
Contract construction and Federal force-account construction._
Transportation and public utilities---- -------------------------------------------------Trade
_
____
__ ___________
_______
Finance, service, and miscellaneous -------------------------------------------------------Federal, State, and local government.. . . . --------------- - ---------------
1 Estimates exclude proprietors of unincorporated businesses, self-employed persons, domestics employed
in private homes, public emergency employees, and personnel in the armed forces.
Industrial and Business Employment
Monthly reports on employment and pay rolls are available for 152
manufacturing industries and for 16 nonmanufacturing industries,
including private building construction, water transportation, and
class I steam railroads. The reports for the first 2 of these groups—
manufacturing and nonmanufacturing—are based on sample surveys
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The figures on water transporta
tion are based on estimates prepared by the Maritime Commission,
and those on class I steam railroads are compiled by the Interstate
Commerce Commission.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
384
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
The employment, pay-roll, hours, and earnings figures for manu
facturing, mining, laundries, and dyeing and cleaning cover wage
earners only, but the figures for public utilities, brokerage, insurance,
and hotels relate to all employees except corporation officers and
executives, and for trade they relate to all employees except corpora
tion officers, executives, and other employees whose duties are mainly
supervisory. For crude-petroleum production they cover wage
earners and clerical field force. The coverage of the reporting samples
for the various nonmanufacturing industries ranges from approx
imately 25 percent for wholesale and retail trade, dyeing and cleaning,
and insurance, to approximately 80 percent for public utilities and 90
percent for mining.
The general manufacturing indexes are computed from reports
supplied by representative establishments in the 152 manufacturing
industries surveyed. These reports cover more than 65 percent of
the total wage earners in all manufacturing industries of the country
and about 80 percent of the wage earners in the 152 industries covered.
Data for both manufacturing and nonmanufacturing industries
are based on reports of the number of employees and the amount of
pay rolls for the pay period ending nearest the 15th of the month.
The average weekly earnings for individual industries shown in
table 6 are computed by dividing the weekly pay rolls in the reporting
establishments by the total number of full- and part-time employees
reported. As not all reporting establishments supply information on
man-hours, the average hours worked per week and average hourly
earnings shown in that table are necessarily based on data furnished
by a slightly smaller number of reporting firms. Because of variation
in the size and composition of the reporting sample, the average hours
per week, average hourly earnings, and average weeldy earnings shown
may not be strictly comparable from month to month. The sample,
however, is believed to be sufficiently adequate in virtually all instances
to indicate the general movement of earnings and hours over the period
shown. The average weekly hours and hourly earnings for the manu
facturing groups are weighted arithmetic means of the averages for the
individual industries, estimated employment being used as weights for
weekly hours and estimated aggregate hours as weights for hourly
earnings. The average weekly earnings for these groups are now com
puted by multiplying the average weekly hours by the corresponding
average hourly earnings, and are not comparable with figures published
in the November 1942 or earlier issues of the Monthly Labor Review.
Formerly, weekly earnings for the groups were computed by dividing
total weekly pay roll by total employment, without any formal
weighting of figures for the component industries.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Trend of Employment and
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
co
cn
03
386
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
EMPLOYMENT AND PAY-ROLL IN D E X E S, AVERAGE HOURS, AND EARNINGS
Employment and pay-roll indexes, as well as average hours worked
per week, average hourly earnings, and average weekly earnings for
March, April, and May 1943, where available, are presented in
tables 3, 5, and 6.
The revised manufacturing indexes and aggregates in tables 2 and 3
are not comparable with the indexes published in the November 1942
or earlier issues of the Monthly Labor Review, as a result of changes in
definitions, a change in the index base period, and adjustments in
levels. Revised figures for the major manufacturing groups are
available in mimeographed form by months from January 1939
through October 1942 and for individual manufacturing industries
from January 1939 through August 1942.
The figures relating to all manufacturing industries combined, to
the durable- and nondurable-goods divisions, and to the major industry
groups, have been adjusted to conform to levels indicated by final
1941 and preliminary data for the second quarter of 1942 released by
the Bureau of Employment Security. These data are (a) employ
ment totals reported by employers under State unemploymentcompensation programs, and (b) estimates of the number of employees
not reported under the programs of some of these States, which do not
cover small establishments. The latter estimates were obtained from
tabulations prepared by the Bureau of Old-Age and Survivors Insur
ance, which obtains reports from all employers regardless of size of
establishment.
Not all industries in each major industry group are represented in
the tables, since minor industries are not canvassed by the Bureau,
and others cannot be shown because of their close relationship to the
war program. Furthermore, no attempt has been made to allocate
among the separate industries the adjustment to unemployment
compensation data. Hence, the estimates for individual industries
within a group will not in general add to the total group estimate.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Trend oj Employment and Unemployment
T
able
387
2.— Estimated Number of Wage Earners in M anufacturing Industries 1
Estimated number of wage earners
(in thousands)
i
Industry
M ay
1943
April
1943
All manufacturing-------------------------------------------------------------- 13,694
Durable goods----- . ------------------------------------------------------- 8,159
Nondurable goods... ---------------------------- ----------------------- 5, 535
13, 733
8,145
5,588
March
1943
M ay
1942
13, 727
8,099
5,628
12,127
6,649
5, 478
Durable goods
Iron and steel and their products___________________________
Blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling mills_____________
Gray-iron and semisteel castings___ _____________________
Malleable-iron castings_________________________________
Steel castings__________________________________________
Cast-iron pipe and fittings--------------------------------------------Tin cans and other tinware_____________ _______________
Wire drawn from purchased rods---- ------------------------------Wirework. ____________________ ___ ______ ____________
Cutlery and edge tools-------------------------------------------------Tools (except edge tools, machine tools, files, and saws)----Hardware_____________________________________________
Plumbers’ supplies_____________________________________
Stoves, oil burners, and heating equipment, not elsewhere
classified..--------------------- -----------------------------------------Steam and hot-water heating apparatus and steam fittings..
Stamped and enameled ware and galvanizing------------------Fabricated structural and ornamental m etalw ork...______
M etal doors, sash, frames, molding, and trim ______ ____
Bolts, nuts, washers, and rivets_________________________
Forgings, iron and ste el.- . ------------------------------------------Wrought pipe, welded and heavy riveted---- -----------------Screw-machine products and wood screws. --------------------Steel barrels, kegs, and drums------- --------------- ----------------
1,718
522.4
82. 2
26.9
84.1
16.8
30.4
36.9
32.3
21.5
28.0
44.6
23.5
1,729
522.8
83.2
27.2
85.5
18.0
29.4
37.0
32.5
21.7
28.2
44. 5
23.6
1,726
523.2
84.4
27.3
84.5
17.8
28.9
36.9
32.8
21.8
28.2
44.3
23.6
1, 579
547.9
86.9
29.6
72. 2
21.8
35.6
30.8
31.2
20.9
27.3
45.1
24. 7
53.1
59.4
88.9
69.4
12.2
28.7
40.3
25.5
49. 1
7.3
52.6
59.4
87. 5
70.2
12.1
28.6
40.5
25.3
49.1
6.9
53.2
59. 1
85.7
70.3
11.9
28.6
40.5
24.6
49.3
6.6
47.2
48.2
75.1
59.3
10.9
24.6
34.2
15.0
44.0
7.9
Electrical machinery_______________________________________
695
695
693
523
Machinery, except electrical... ----------------------------- ------ -----Machinery and machine-shop products--------------------------Tractors.. ___________________________________________
Agricultural machinery, excluding tractors----------------------Textile machinery 3____________________________________
Pumps and pumping equipment _______________________
Typewriters---------------------- -------- ---------------------------------Cash registers, adding and calculating machines__________
Washing machines, wringers, and driers, domestic-----------Sewing machines, domestic and industrial... ____________
Refrigerators and refrigeration equipment________________
1,243
490.8
49.6
35.9
28.2
76.2
12.1
34.6
12. 5
10. 5
52.9
1,237
487.3
49.3
35.1
28.0
75.6
12.3
34.0
11.7
10.6
52.8
1,233
483.0
49.0
34.4
28.6
74.5
11.9
33.5
12.1
10.8
52.4
1,058
409. 1
43.5
37.5
31.0
63.8
14.9
27.8
7.9
10.6
32.2
Transportation equipment, except automobiles---------------------Motorcycles, bicycles, and parts___________________ _____
2, 241
9.8
2,221
9.9
2,187
10.0
1,345
9.3
Automobiles______________________________________________
660
653
649
460
Nonferrous metals and their products_______________________
Smelting and refining, primary, of nonferrous m etals---------Clocks and watches____________________________________
Jewelry (precious metals) and jewelers’ findings--------------Silverware and plated ware-------------------------------------------Lighting equipment___________________ ________________
Sheet-metal work, not elsewhere classified. ______________
410
45.0
24.5
16.3
11.8
23.5
29.4
411
44. 1
24.9
16.6
11.8
23.1
29.9
410
43.2
25.1
16.6
11.7
23.0
28.9
373
35.3
27.2
17.4
11.5
21.6
27.9
Lumber and timber basic products--------------------------------------Sawmills and logging cam ps... _________________________
Planing and plywood m ills.—. ---------------------------------------
479
262.5
81.1
480
262.3
81.8
479
261.6
82.2
551
309.2
86.3
Furniture and finished lumber products... ________________
Mattresses and bedsprings_____________________________
Furniture________________________________________ ____
Wooden boxes, other than cigar_________________________
Caskets and other morticians’ goods... _________________
Wood preserving______________________________________
Wood, turned and shaped_________________ ____________
356
17.9
166.9
29.5
11.7
10.7
21.7
360
17.9
168.2
30.2
12. 2
10.6
22.1
364
17.7
170.5
30.7
12.4
10.4
22.2
384
20.9
177.2
31.9
12.0
13.2
24.8
Stone, clay and glass products______________________________
Glass and glassware____________________________________
Glass products made from purchased glass----------------------Cement------------------------------ --------------------------------------Brick, tile, and terra cotta______________________________
Pottery and related products___________________________
357
86.9
11.1
24.5
51.2
43.7
359
86.9
11.4
24.8
52.2
44.4
358
85.6
11.8
25.1
52.5
44.9
376
86.1
12.3
29.3
67.6
45.0
See footnotes at end of table.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
388
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
T a b l e 2 . — Estimated Number of Wage Earners in Manufacturing Industries —Continued
Estimated number of wage earners
(in thousands)
Industry
M ay
1943
April
1943
March
1943
M ay
1942
D urable goods—Continued
Stone, clay, and glass products—Continued.
Gypsum- ______ . . .
_________________ ________ . . .
Wallboard, plaster (except gypsum), and mineral wool____
Lime___ _
.. - . ..
. _______ . . .
Marble, granite, slate, and other products. ___________ _
_______ ___________ ____ _
____ .
A brasives... .
Asbestos products__________ . _______ __ . . . _______
4.5
11.3
9.4
12.1
23.2
22.1
4.5
11.5
9.6
12.3
22.8
22.0
4.4
11.4
9.4
12.5
22.2
22.2
5.3
10.4
11. 2
12.3
15.7
22.2
1, 239
489.9
17.2
96.0
1, 254
497.0
17.2
96.8
1, 270
502.4
17.1
98.1
1,298
508.2
17.6
105.4
Nondurable goods
Textile-mill products and other fiber manufactures___________
Cotton manufactures, except smallwares________
___
Cotton smallwares_______________________________
Silk and rayon goods_____
_____
____________ ..
Woolen and worsted manufactures, except dyeing and finishing__________ ____ _______ ______ ________________
H o siery ... ______ _______ _______ __ _ __________ _
Knitted cloth______ ________ _ . . . _ _ ______ . . . . _
Knitted outerwear and knitted gloves___________________
Knitted underwear_____ _
___ ______ _____ ________
Dyeing and finishing textiles, including wooien and worsted.
Carpets and rugs, wool____ _________ _ ______________
Hats, fu r-felt... __ _
________ _ . _
_____. . . .
Jute goods, except felts. _________
_____ . . . . . . ._ . .
Cordage and tw in e____________________ _______________
169.8
171.0
174.4
182.9
1 1 7 .6
1 1 .9
3 2 .4
4 2 .6
6 8 .7
2 3 .4
1 0 .2
4 .0
1 7 .4
1 1 9 .6
1 1 .7
3 2 .6
4 3 .2
6 9 .5
2 3 .8
1 0 .3
4 .0
1 7 .3
1 2 1 .7
1 2 .1
3 2 .6
4 3 .8
7 1 .3
2 4 .0
1 0 .2
4 .1
1 7 .2
1 2 8 .5
1 2 .4
3 2 .2
4 5 .6
7 0 .3
2 1 .9
9 .6
3 .9
1 7 .1
Apparel and other finished textile products. _______________ _
M en’s clothing, not elsewhere classified____ _ _ _ ______
Shirts, collars, and nightwear_____ . . . .
_______
Underwear and neckwear, men’s . ___________________ .
Work shirts________ . ______ __________ . . . _______
Women’s clothing, not elsewhere classified_____________ .
Corsets and allied garments____________________ _____ _
Millinery
_____________________
Handkerchiefs___________ ______________ __________
Curtains, draperies, and bedspreads___________ ________
Housefurnishings, other than curtains, etc___ . . . ___
Textile bags_____________________ _____ _____ . . . ___
863
2 3 3 .7
6 0 .9
1 2 .8
1 8 .2
2 4 0 .9
1 6 .5
1 9 .5
3 .6
1 7 .7
1 3 .9
1 4 .7
889
2 3 9 .9
6 2 .5
1 2 .9
1 8 .4
2 4 8 .7
1 6 .9
2 2 .0
3 .7
1 8 .3
1 4 .3
1 5 .6
903
2 4 1 .8
6 3 .1
1 3 .1
1 8 .6
2 5 3 .3
1 7 .0
2 3 .3
3 .9
1 8 .4
1 5 .2
1 6 .0
934
2 5 6 .3
7 0 .0
1 4 .2
1 8 .4
2 6 3 .1
1 8 .9
2 0 .1
4 .6
1 6 .8
1 3 .4
1 4 .2
Leather and leather products..._______________
________
Leather. ______ _____________ _______ .
______
Boot and shoe cut stock and findings_______ . . . . ____ _
Boots and shoes______ . ___________________________ .
Leather gloves and mittens______________ ____________
Trunks and suitcases__________________
337
4 6 .9
1 7 .6
1 8 7 .3
1 4 .6
1 3 .5
346
4 7 .4
1 8 .1
1 9 2 .9
1 5 .1
1 4 .3
354
4 8 .7
1 8 .7
1 9 7 .3
1 4 .9
1 4 .4
381
5 1 .3
1 8 .5
2 1 7 .9
1 4 .7
1 4 .7
Food__________________
___
____
Slaughtering and meat packing________________________
Butter_______________ . . _____________
_ ____
Condensed and evaporated milk . _ „ _
________
Ice cream________________________ . _________________
Flour____ _ ____________
Feeds, prepared_______________________________________
Cereal preparations____________________________________
B a k in g _______________________________________________
Sugar refining, c a n e ..______ ______ _________ ________
Sugar, beet_______ _________ ._ ___ __________ ____ __
Confectionery__________ _ ._ ______ ___________ _____
Beverages, nonalcoholic_______________________________
Malt liquors_______ ____________ _______ ___________
Canning and preserving______ _______ ________________
914
1 5 4 .0
2 2 .9
1 3 .5
1 5 .5
2 7 .6
2 2 .3
9 .9
2 4 7 .2
1 3 .2
4 .2
5 3 .2
2 6 .6
4 4 .6
9 1 .7
910
1 5 5 .8
2 1 .6
1 2 .9
1 4 .3
2 8 .0
2 1 .9
9 .6
2 4 7 .0
1 3 .2
4 .1
5 4 .9
2 5 .4
4 3 .6
8 9 .9
921
1 6 6 .7
2 0 .6
1 2 .2
1 3 .3
28. 3
2 1 .8
9 .9
2 5 4 .0
1 3 .6
4 .0
5 8 .1
2 4 .4
4 2 .6
8 0 .0
906
1 6 4 .9
2 2 .2
1 4 .1
1 7 .5
2 4 .1
1 7 .8
8 .4
2 3 9 .4
1 3 .9
4 .6
4 9 .4
2 3 .6
4 2 .3
9 5 .0
Tobacco manufactures__________________________ __________
Cigarettes__________________ _________________________
Cigars_____ ____________ _______ __________________
Tobacco (chewing and smoking) and snuff_______________
89
3 1 .3
4 3 .9
8 .0
92
3 2 .8
4 5 .2
8 .2
93
3 2 .8
4 6 .2
8 .4
91
2 7 .5
4 9 .9
7 .6
Paper and allied products__________________________________
Paper and p u lp ...________ ____________________________
Paper goods, other_____________________________________
Envelopes_______ ____ ________________________________
Paper bags________________________________ ______ _____
Paper boxes___________ ___________________ ___________
312
1 4 9 .0
4 8 .2
1 0 .4
1 2 .1
8 3 .4
312
1 4 9 .0
4 8 .4
1 0 .4
1 2 .2
8 2 .8
313
1 4 9 .6
4 9 .3
1 0 .4
1 2 .3
8 2 .1
320
1 6 3 .4
4 6 .4
1 0 .2
1 3 .7
7 6 .4
See footnotes at end of table.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Trend of Employment and Unemployment
389
T a b l e 2 . — Estimated Number of Wage Earners in Manufacturing Industries —Continued
Estimated number of wage earners
(in thousands)
Industry
M ay
1943
April
1943
March
1943
M ay
1942
N ondurable goods—Continued
Printing, publishing, and allied industries
_______ __
Newspapers and periodicals_________ _ _ __
____
Printing, book and job ___ __
_______ _______
_________ _____ __
Lithographing _
Bookbinding
_ _ _ _ ____
___ _____________ -
329
113.5
127.1
24.4
29.0
330
113.7
127.6
24.5
29.0
334
112.6
132.2
24.3
29.0
328
117.1
124.2
24.5
27.6
Chemicals and allied products
_
_ _______ ______
Paints, varnishes, and colors
_ _ __ _
Drugs, medicines, and insecticides______
__ _ _ ___
Perfumes and cosmetics
__ _________ __ __
Soap
_ ____
_ __ _
_________
__
Rayon and allied products __
____
____ _
Chemicals, not elsewhere classified_________ _ __ ____
Compressed and liquefied gases _
_ ________ _ _
Cottonseed oil _ _
_ ____
____________
Fertilizers________ _____ _ __ _ _ ____ _____
__
737
28.9
44.2
11.0
13.1
51.1
113.5
6.4
14.1
24.4
744
28.8
' 43.8
11.1
13.4
51.6
113.0
6.4
16.4
29.1
734
28.9
43.5
11.1
13.6
51.5
112.5
6.4
17.8
29.8
588
31.3
36.5
10.4
14.2
51.9
110.4
6.3
11. 1
22.3
Products of petroleum and coal
______ ____ _____ ______
Petroleum refining
_ __ ____________ ____
Coke and byproducts___ _____ __
_____ __
Paving materials
_ ______ __
______
Roofing materials____ ______________ ____ _______ ____
124
79.9
25.0
1.6
9.4
123
79.0
25.1
1.3
9.1
122
78.1
25.3
1.3
9.5
126
79.2
26.3
1.9
10.2
Rubber products__ ______ ____________________ _______
Rubber tires and inner tubes_____ __________ __
__ _
Rubber boots and shoes
_ __________ _
____
________
Rubber goods, other____
186
83.3
21.7
72.1
186
83.0
21.7
72.2
186
82.8
21.7
72.4
141
58.9
17.8
58.4
Miscellaneous industries
_
........ ........
...... ................
Photographic apparatus
__ _ . ___
--Pianos, organs, and parts ________ ____ __________
Games, toys, and dolls- _______
__ __________ ____
Buttons
__
______
_
_
________
405
28.2
9.9
15.6
10.7
402
27.9
9.5
15.3
11.1
398
27.9
9.5
15.0
11.3
365
22.9
7.3
22.7
13.6
_
1 Estimates for the major industry groups have been adjusted to final data for 1941 and preliminary
data for the second quarter of 1942 made available by the Bureau of Employment Security of the Federal
Security Agency, and are not comparable with data in issues of the M onthly Labor Review prior to March
1943. Comparable series for earlier months are available upon request. Estimates for individual industries
have been adjusted to levels indicated by the 1939 Census of Manufactures, but not to Federal Security
Agency data. For this reason, together with the fact that this Bureau has not prepared estimates for cer
tain industries, and does not publish wage-earner data for war industries, the sum of the individual
industry estimates will not agree with totals shown for the major industry groups.
2 Unpublished information concerning the following war industries may be obtained by authorized
agencies upon request: Aircraft engines; aircraft and parts, excluding engines; alloying; aluminum manu
factures; ammunition; cars, electric- and steam-railróad; communication equipment; electrical equip
ment; engines and turbines; explosives and safety fuses; fire extinguishers; firearms; fireworks; locomo
tives; machine-tool accessories; machine tools; optical instruments and ophthalmic goods; professional
and scientific instruments and fire-control equipment; radios and phonographs; and shipbuilding.
3 Number of wage earners for February 1943 revised to 28.7.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
390
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
T a b l e 3 . — Indexes of Wage-Earner Employment and of Wage-Earner P ay Roll in
Manufacturing Industries 1
[1939 average=100]
Wage earner employment
Wage-earner pay roll
Industry*
M ay Apr. Mar. M ay M ay Apr. Mar.
1943 1943 1943 1942 1943 1943 1943
All manufacturing__________________________ ____
Durable goods_______________________________
Nondurable goods___________________________
M ay
1942
167.2 167.6 167.6 148.0 313.4 309.6 304. 5 228.7
225.9 225. 6 224.3 184.1 437.0 430.4 421.0 300.0
120.8 122.0 122.9 119.6 192.5 191.5 190.7 159.0
D urable goods
Iron and steel and their products_____________ ____
Blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling m ills___
Gray-iron and semisteel eastings_______________
Malleable-iron castings_______________________
Steel castings________________________________
Cast-iron pipe and fittings____________________
T in cans and other tinware___________________
Wire drawn from purchased rods______________
Wire work___________________________________
Cutlery and edge tools_______________________
Tools (except edge tools, machine tools, files,
and saws)____________ _____________________
Hardware___________________________________
Plumbers’ supplies___________________________
Stoves, oil burners, and heating equipment, not
elsewhere classified_________________________
Steam and hot-water heating apparatus and
steam fittings_____________________ ___ _____
Stamped and enameled ware and galvanizing___
Fabricated structural and ornamental metal
work______________________________________
Metal doors, sash, frames, molding, and trim___
Bolts, nuts, washers, and rivets_______________
Forgings, iron and steel_______________________
Wrought pipe, welded and heavy riveted______
Screw-machine products and wrood screws______
Steel barrels, kegs, and d r u m s .______
i
173.2
134.5
140.7
148.9
279. 4
101.7
95.7
168. 1
106.4
139.4
174.4
134.6
142.3
151.0
284.3
108.7
92. 7
168. 3
107.1
141.0
174.1
134.7
144. 1
151.4
281. C
108.0
90.9
167.8
107.9
141.7
159. 3
141.0
148.8
163.9
240.0
132.0
112.1
140.1
102.7
135. 8
303.5
222.2
264.8
274.0
503 0
176.0
150.1
254.9
196. 4
267.6
301. 7
217.4
263.1
278.0
499.9
185.0
143.2
258.5
199.9
277.9
297.6
215. 3
263.3
274.3
491.9
186.1
138.3
259.1
195. 6
272. 8
236.3
191.7
230.6
242.1
375.1
204.3
140.1
190.7
156.1
217.1
182.9 184.3 184.0 178.3 337.2 339. 5 336.9 288.7
125.2 125. C 124.4 126. 6 242.1 238.7 232. 3 203. 5
95.2 95.8 95.8 100.3 161.8 162.0 160.7 131.1
115.1 113.9 115.4 102.3 194.1 188.7 189.8 135.8
196.0 195.9 195.0 158.9 358. 9 359.5 340.6 262.4
160.0 157. 5 154. 3 135,2 299.0 292. 5 278.2 202. 5
195. 5
157.9
200 4
266.2
304.6
290.2
120.6
197.6
155.7
200.0
263.7
302 1
289.9
114.4
198.0
153.5
199.7
263.4
294.4
291.6
107.9
167.1
140. 7
171.8
222.6
179.0
260. 0
130. 7
356.1
277. 3
370.4
501.1
609. 2
553. 2
222.2
355. 3
263.9
358. 7
504.8
602.1
544.4
214. 7
350.2
258.1
355. 4
502.8
586.9
545.0
197.5
248.1
197.1
268.6
372.1
274.9
424.3
196.0
Electrical machinery_____________________________
268.3 268. 4 267. 4 201.7 458.9 454. 7 453.7 310.0
Machinery, except electrical______________ _______ _
Machinery and machine-shop products________
Tractors._____________________________________
Agricultural machinery, excluding tractors_____
Textile machinery 3___ _____________________ ...
Pumps and pumping equipment______________
Typewriters_________________________________
Cash registers, adding and calculating machines.
Washing machines, wringers, and driers, domes
tic_________________________________ ____ _
Sewing machines, domestic and industrial_____
Refrigerators and refrigeration equipment______
235.2
242. 6
158. 5
129.1
128. 5
314.6
74.4
175.6
234.1
240. 9
157.5
126.2
127.7
311.8
75.6
172.8
233.3
238.7
156.6
123.9
130.5
307.4
73.5
170.0
200.2
202. 2
139. 2
134.9
141. 3
263.2
92.0
141.2
427.2
434.2
243.9
248 4
225. 2
645.3
144.7
338.1
422. 3
429.3
241.6
238.0
228.9
632.8
145.3
327. 7
417.7
421. 5
238.7
228.0
230. 2
614.2
139.9
317.6
325.8
321.4
189. 6
198.5
218.7
496. 9
131.7
238.2
167.4 156. 6 162.6 105.2 292.6 267.1 267.5 157.8
134.4 135.1 137.6 135.1 278.1 274.0 272.1 230.0
150.5 150.2 149.0 91.6 250. 3 243.8 249.8 128.1
Transportation equipment, except automobiles____ 1412.0 1399. 3 1378.1 847.1 2736. 7 2692.9 2583. 3 1481.3
Motorcycles, bicycles, and parts_______________ 139.9 141.7 143.1 132.8 255.0 252.8 254.0 202.7
Automobiles____________________________________
164.0 162.3 161.4 114.3 297.1 286.7 283. 9 ' 183. 2
Nonferrous metals and their products_____________
Smelting and refining, primary, of nonferrous
metals______ ____ _________________________
Clocks and w atches__________________________
.Tewelry (precious metals) and jewelers’ findings ..
Silverware and plated ware___________
Lighting equipment_________ . . . . .l ___________
Sheet-metal work, not elsewhere classified______
162.9
120.7
113. 2
96,9
114.7
157.0
Lumber and timber basic products________________
Sawmills and logging camps__________________
Planing and plywood m ills___________________
114.0 114.1 114.0 131.0 196.1 186.2 179.4 177.8
91.2 91.1 90.8 107.4 160.4 151.4 143.5 147.9
111.7 112.6 113.2 118.8 175. 5 169.9 171.4 152.1
Furniture and finished lumber products___________
Mattresses and bedsprings____________________
Furniture___________________________________
Wooden boxes, other than cigar_______________
Caskets and other morticians’ goods___________
Wood preserving________*____________________
Wood, turned and shaped____________________
108.6
97.6
104.9
116. 4
94.1
95.1
98.6
See fo o tn o te s a t end o f tab le.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
178.8 179.2 178.8 162.9 322.0 318.5 312.1 245.9
159.7
122.6
114.8
97.1
112.6
159.2
109.8
97.7
105.6
119.1
98.1
94.0
100.7
156. 3
123.7
115.0
96.8
112.3
154. 0
127.9
134.0
120. 5
94.9
105.6
149.0
271.7
233. 9
170.6
167.1
204.6
285.9
267.7
235.7
174.2
166.6
198.2
277. 5
252.0
237.7
171.7
159.7
191. 7
274.2
174. 7
221.4
155.7
130.1
154. 3
216.5
111.0 117.2 178.7 177.8 175.2 162.7
96.4
107.1
121.1
99.5
92.6
101.0
113.7
111.3
125.8
96.7
117.0
112.9
152.9
171.5
204. 9
144.8
183.4
163.7
147,8
171.5
197.2
152.7
178.2
162.0
143.8
169. 5
198.5
143.2
159.7
162.0
142. 2
156. 6
185.3
123.4
175.2
153.6
391
Trend of Employment and Unemployment
T a b l e 3 . — Indexes of Wage-Earner Employment and of Wage-Earner P ay Roll in
Manufacturing Industries 1—Continued
Wage-earner employment
Industry 2
Wage-earner pay roll
M ay Apr. Mar. M ay May Apr. Mar.
1943 1943 1943 1942 1943 1943 1943
M ay
1942
Durable goods—Continued
Stone, clay, and glass products----------.... ------------Glass and glassware . _
----------------Glass products made from purchased glass-------Cement _
..
- ------Brick, tile, and terra cotta. _. _ -------- ------------Pottery and related products.- . . . . - ----------Gypsum---------------- ------------------------------_-----Wallboard, plaster (except gypsum), and mineral
wool
Lime ............
. .
Marble, granite, slate, and other products---- -Abrasives _
...
. . . .
Asbestos products---------- ---------- -----------------
121.5
124.5
110.8
102.8
90.3
131.9
91.9
122.3
124.4
114.3
104.0
91.9
134.1
90.4
185.3
180.6
160.0
141.4
137.6
192.6
147.2
181.9
175.6
163.8
137.4
136.0
189.4
139.8
168.9
160.7
149.6
152.3
153.9
174.1
143.8
139.6
99.9
65.5
300. 5
138.8
141.5 140.6 128.8 231.3 225.8
101.8 99.2 118.6 173.4 179.2
66.3 67.2 66.3 92.1 88.3
294.2 286. 9 203. 5 474.5 461.6
138.7 139.8 139.5 257.0 253.6
221.7
166.5
84.0
459.0
252.0
167.5
169.8
73.3
312.3
211.7
108.3 109.6 111.1 113.5 180.7
123.7 125.5 126.9 128.3 216.0
128.9 128.8 128.1 132.0 223.3
80.1 80.8 81.8 87.9 134.2
181.2
217.1
223.6
133.9
182.4
217.4
219.9
133.5
160.6
196.1
201.6
127.8
122.6
80.8
113.8
114.3
118.4
205.0
108.2
173.8
203.4
184.1
205.4
108.3
168.0
198.0
184.9
208.3
110.7
173.2
194.4
184.2
184.0
93.7
152.7
152.4
165.9
102.8 104.0 106.7 105.1
91.3 93.2 93.9 85.5
70.3 70.6 70.2 66.0
111.9 111.8 113.6 110.1
143.5 142.9 141.8 141.0
158.8
146.9
118.9
199.1
237.9
161.7
147.3
120.9
193.2
234.4
165.2
150.1
119.0
195.7
231.5
136.8
117.4
81.0
161.4
210.7
122.0
122.5
117.8
105.6
92.5
135.7
88.8
128.2
123.4
122.8
123. 0
119.1
136.0
107.4
187.7
182.8
160.5
145.3
137.9
191.2
154.6
N ondurable goods
Textile-mill products and other fiber manufactures..
Cotton manufactures, except small wares.. . . . .
Cotton smallwares---------------------------------Silk and rayon goods_______1-------------------------Woolen and worsted manufactures, except dyeing and finishing___________________________
Hosiery
.
. . .
Knitted cloth. . . . . . .
. . . ---- - Knitted outerwear and knitted gloves.. ---------Knitted underwear__________________________
Dyeing and finishing textiles, including woolen
and worsted __ ___
.. . - - - ---------Carpets and rugs, wool. -------------------------------Hats, fur-felt_____________________________ -Jute goods, except fe lts .. ----------------------------Cordage and tw ine__________________________
113.8
73.9
108.8
115.3
110.6
114.6
75.2
106.9
115.9
112.1
116.9
76.5
111.2
115.8
113.8
112.6
109.7
88.7
79.9
137.1
91.6
89.8
90.7
77.1
108. 5
134.5
129.9
114.4
110.6
89.6
81.0
138.3
93.2
90.4
95.8
79.8
108.7
143.3
133.3
118.3
117.2
99.4
87.9
137.1
96.9
100.9
82.8
94.2
99.6
126.2
118.1
164.3
162.8
136.0
137.9
233.0
131.0
137.3
96.7
119.1
168.0
219.6
182.6
174.8
169.7
138.7
136.2
236.8
143. 8
137.1
122.8
122.1
167.8
228.4
194.1
177.5
168.5
136.1
135.4
231.8
148.0
137.0
144.0
123.1
170.0
231.1
191.8
150.9
156.6
142.4
120.0
208.0
118.2
129.4
71.0
129.5
135.6
161.9
143.9
97.0 99.8
Leather and leather products.. . -------------------------Leather . _ . . . . ---- ------- -------------------- 99.2 100.4
93.2 96.2
Boot and shoe cut stock and findings--------------85.9 88.5
Boots and shoes. --------------- ------ ----------------Leather gloves and m it te n s .------- ------ -------- -- 146.0 151.1
162.5 171.7
Trunks and suitcases ................................
101.9
103. 0
99.4
90.5
149.2
173.2
109.8
108. 6
98.0
99.9
146.7
177.1
153.0
150.3
138.2
137.3
222.4
256.1
155.9
151.4
140.9
141.0
228.2
248.2
158.1
152.1
146.3
143.7
226.9
242.4
151.7
145. 5
129.9
141.2
194.1
210.8
106.5
129.3
120.5
132.9
91. 1
112.9
142.4
129.2
107.1
92.9
39.7
110.3
119.4
120.9
66.9
107.7
138.4
114.5
125.8
84.9
114.3
141.7
132.4
110.1
95.9
38.2
116.9
114.7
117.9
59.5
106.0
136.9
123.9
145.7
111.2
97.4
115.3
112.0
103.8
98.4
44.5
99.4
110.9
117. 2
70.6
158.5
190.5
174.3
202.7
127.1
163.0
235.7
218.1
147.8
124.6
58.3
158.0
148.9
165.3
117.0
150.3
170.4
163.2
188.9
117.7
165.1
227.3
214.5
143.4
119.5
59.2
161.4
140.4
155.9
114.1
151.3
180.4
153.1
173.8
109.4
172.2
216.6
212.6
145.8
130.0
57.2
166.8
131.3
147.2
98.9
131.5
158.3
147.4
188.4
124.6
116.1
152.0
144.9
123.6
111.8
62.0
120.9
125.5
144.5
94.7
Apparel and other finished textile products------------ 109. 3
106.9
M en’s clothing, not elsewhere classified ..
86.4
Shirts, collars, and nightwear-------------------------79.4
Underwear and neckwear, men’s.
. ---Work shirts_________________________________ 135.4
Women’s clothing, not elsewhere classified-------- 88.7
88.2
Corsets and allied garments-----. ---------- ------80.2
Millinery___ . . . ----------------------------- ---------Handkerchiefs------ ------------- ------------------------ 75.0
104.9
Curtains, draperies, and bedspreads
Housefurnishings, other than curtains, etc-------- 130.6
Textile bags_________________________________ 122.6
Food
.
..
- ----------------Slaughtering and meat packing----------------- . . .
Butter______________________________________
Condensed and evaporated milk.
...
. .
Ice cream___________________________________
Flour_______________________________________
Feeds, prepared_____________________________
Cereal preparations--------------------------- ---------Baking_____________________________________
Sugar refining, ca n e.. ._ . . .
...
. . Sugar, beet_______________________________ -Confectionery_______________________________
Beverages, nonalcoholic ................
...
Malt liquors----- --------------------- . --------------Canning and preserving--------------- . . . ------ -
See footnotes at end of table.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
106.9
127.8
127.3
139.1
98.9
111.2
144.8
132.2
107.1
92.9
40. C
106.9
124.9
123. 6
68.2
392
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
T a b l e 3 . — Indexes of Wage-Earner Employment and of Wage-Earner P ay Roll in
Manufacturing Industries 1—Continued
Wage-earner employment
Wage-earner pay roll
Industry 2
M ay Apr. Mar. M ay M ay Apr. Mar. M ay
1943 1943 1943 1942 1943 1943 1943 1942
N ondurable goods—Continued
Tobacco manufactures______________________
Cigarettes 3____________________________
Cigars_________________________________
Tobacco (chewing and smoking) and snuff.
95.1 98.6 99.9 97.2 144.3
114.1 119.8 119.5 100.2 155.3
86.2 88.7 90.7 98.0 141. C
87.0 89.3 91.4 83.0 121.7
146.5
156.7
144.3
124.1
143.3
148.8
143.0
127.5
124.6
129.0
125.3
107.0
Paper and allied products__________________
Paper and pulp________________________
Paper goods, other_____________________
Envelopes_____________________________
Paper bags____ _______ _________________
Paper boxes____________________________
117.7
108.4
128.0
119.4
109.3
120.6
120.5
118. £
123. f
117.3
123.4
110.5
178.0
170.3
181.4
169.5
166. £
178.5
175.5
167.2
182.0
167.6
165.6
175.6
173.1
165.6
179.4
162.1
. 164.4
171.8
152.7
154.8
147.5
134.2
163.5
134.5
Printing, publishing, and allied industries____
Newspapers and periodicals_____________
Printing, book and job__________________
Lithographing_________________ ________
Bookbinding___________________________
100.4 100.6 101.8 100.0
95.7 95.8 94.9 98.6
100.6 101.0 104.6 98.3
93.7 94.3 93.6 94.1
112.6 112.4 112.6 107.2
123.1
110.7
126.1
117.9
172.2
121.8
109.8
123.9
119.7
169.2
122.3
108.2
127.7
117.8
167.6
111.0
106.6
109.5
104. 9
139.3
Chemicals and allied products_______________
Paints, varnishes, and colors____________
Drugs, medicines, and insecticides_______
Perfumes and cosmetics_________________
Soap__________________________________
Rayon and allied products______________
Chemicals, not elsewhere classified_______
Compressed and liquefied gases__ !'______
Cottonseed oil_________________________
Fertilizers____________ ____ ____________
255.8
102.8
161.4
105.8
96.6
105.8
163.2
160. 4
93.1
129.8
258.3
102.4
159.9
106.9
99.1
106. 8
162.4
160.7
108.0
154.8
254.8
102.7
158.8
107.2
99.9
106.8
161.7
162.4
116.9
158.6
204.1
111.3
133.0
100.5
104.7
107.5
158.8
158. 2
72.9
118.8
424.2
154.9
227.8
141.9
138.2
160.3
262.3
265.7
151.2
243.8
422.0
147.1
225.2
141.3
140.1
157.3
258.6
262.9
176.7
291.8
409.7
141.4
220.4
138.6
142.1
154.1
255.4
258.0
180.9
265.3
295.6
139.5
161.3
118.2
130.4
140.8
217.5
222.8
89.3
176.1
Products of petroleum and coal______________
Petroleum refining_____________________
Coke and byproducts___________________
Paving materials____ ___________________
Roofing materials______________________
117.3
109.7
115.2
66.2
117.1
116.0
108.4
115.7
55.3
113.1
115.6
107.2
116.7
53.3
118.1
118.7
108.7
121.3
79.5
126.3
182.3
170.5
177.7
107.0
184.5
173.9
162.8
169.2
94.3
181.0
166.8
154.2
169.0
81.6
175.1
147.1
132.7
153.8
113.7
175.2
Rubber products____________________
Rubber tires and inner tubes____________
Rubber boots and shoes_________________
Rubber goods, other____________________
153.9
153.9
146.5
139.2
153.8
153.3
146.5
139.5
153.8
153.0
146.3
139.9
116.9
108.9
120.1
112.8
250.9
243.9
247.9
228.7
248.1
240.2
243.8
228.0
246.2
239.7
239.2
224.9
157.6
143.3
169.7
157.7
Miscellaneous industries____________________
Photographic apparatus_________________
Pianos, organs, and parts________________
Games, toys, and dolls________________
B u tto n s....._______________________
165. 6
163.1
130.5
83.7
97.6
164.5
161.8
124.8
81.8
101.0
162.8
161.7
125.3
80.5
103.1
149.0
132.9
96.3
121.5
123.6
295.1
256.6
261.8
148.6
171.5
289.3
252.1
235.8
140.5
173.5
283.3
250.3
229.0
139.7
172.3
213.2
186.0
126.5
161.4
178.3
117.7
108.4
128.6
119.4
110.3
119.7
118.0
108.9
131.1
119.4
110.8
118.8
T n d e x ^S fo r t]? e m M ° ri n d u *t r y g r ° u P,s h
,avebeen adjusted to final data for 1941 and preliminary data for
the second quarter of 1942 made available by the Bureau of Employment Security of the Federal Security
Agency, and are not comparable with data in issues of the M onthly Labor Review prior to March 1943
Comparable series for earlier months are available upon request. Indexes for individual industries have
data adjusted t0 levels mdlcated by the 1939 Census of Manufactures, but not to Federal Security Agency
2 Unpublished information concerning the following war industries may be obtained by authorized
agencies upon request: Aircraft engines; aircraft and parts, excluding engines; alloying; aluminum manu
factures; ammunition; cars, electric- and steam-railroad; communication equipment; electrical equipmentengines and turbines; explosives and safety fuses; fire extinguishers; firearms; fireworks; locomotives- ma
chine-tool accessories; machine tools; optical instruments and ophthalmic goods; professional and scientific
instruments and fire control equipment; radios and phonographs; and shipbuilding.
^Revisions have been made in the data for the following industries as indicated:
Textile machinery —September 1942 pay-roll index to 221.1; February 1943 employment index to 131 1.
Cigarettes—February 1943 pay-roll index to 145.7.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Trend of Employment and Unemployment
393
T a b l e 4.-—Estimated Number of Wage Earners in Selected Nonmanufacturing
Industries
E s t i m a t e d n u m b e r o f w a g e e a r n e r s ( in t h o u s a n d s )
in d u str y
M a y 1943
A p r i l 1943
7 2 .3
383
9 7 .8
3 3 .4
3 1 .4
1 8 .9
7 .5
6 .6
341
267
8 5 .2
1 ,3 4 9
7 3 .5
394
9 9 .3
3 3 .1
3 2 .0
1 9 .2
8 .1
6 .9
339
267
8 4 .4
1 ,3 4 5
A n th r a c ite m in in g
________________________________________
B i t u m i n o u s - c o a l m i n i n g _________________________________ M e t a l m i n i n g ______________
___________ - ---------------------I r o n __________________________ - - - ----------------- ------------C o p p e r ____________________________ _______ _____ ________
L e a d a n d z i n c _______ - --------------------------------------G o ld a n d s i l v e r _______________
- -------------------- - - M i s c e l l a n e o u s m e t a l m i n i n g _______________
______
H o t e l s L ------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------P o w e r l a u n d r i e s . ---------------- -------------------- -----------------------D y e i n g a n d c l e a n i n g _____________________________________ _
C l a s s I s t e a m r a il r o a d s 2_____________________________________
1 D a t a i n c l u d e s a la r i e d p e r s o n n e l.
2 S o u r c e : I n t e r s t a t e C o m m e r c e C o m m is s io n .
M a r c h 1943
M a y 1942
7 4 .0
404
100
3 2 .0
3 3 .0
1 9 .5
• 8 .4
7 .1
338
265
7 8 .4
1 ,3 2 4
7 9 .2
438
111
3 1 .4
3 2 .5
1 9 .7
2 0 .9
6 .4
337
268
8 5 .5
1 ,2 7 0
D a t a i n c l u d e s a la r ie d p e r s o n n e l.
T a b l e 5 . — Indexes of Employment and P ay Rolls in Selected Nonmanufacturing
Industries 1
[1939 a v e r a g e = 1 0 0 ]
Employment indexes
Industry
1J
Coal mining:
Anthracite _ _ _ _ _ _
___Bituminous_____ ______________ ____
Metal m in in g ______- _________ _______
Iron
_______ - ________ -- ___
Copper _________________ - - -- -Bead and zinc
________________ ___
Gold and silver______________________
Miscellaneous ________ _______ _____
Quarrying and nonmetallic mining - . . ---Omde-petroleum production 2
____
Public utilities:
Telephone and te le e ra p h ___ ______ ___
Electric light and power _ ______
Street, railways and busses_____________
Wholesale trade _________ _____________
Retail trade _______________ ___________
Food
________ ___________________
General merchandising -- ____________
Apparel -- __
-- __
Furniture and honsefnrnishings_ _____
Automotive
___
_____
Lumber and building materials ___ -Hotels (year-round) 3 _ ____ ______ ___ _
Power laundries _______________________
"Dyeing and cleaning ___________________
Class I steam railroads 4__ _____ ___ _ Water transportation 6________________ ___
Pay-roll indexes
M ay
1943
April March M ay
1943
1942
1943
M ay
1943
April March M ay
1943
1943
1942
87.3
103.4
110.9
166.2
131.9
121.7
30.1
166.1
98.2
81.6
88.8
106.2
112.6
164.7
134.7
124.0
32.6
171.2
98.2
82.1
89.4
109.1
113.4
159.1
138.6
126.0
33.9
178.2
96.3
82.3
95.7
118.3
125.7
156.1
136.7
127.1
84.2
159.4
116.7
88.3
126.4
176.4
170.2
261.5
213.2
202.6
38.4
263.6
166.3
111.5
149.5
189.9
167.5
247.7
210.3
206.7
39.7
268.5
162.8
109.6
152.7
202.1
165.5
228.5
214.4
207.6
41.5
274.9
150.2
107.0
131.6
175.2
168.8
229.9
186.9
193.0
90.9
215.2
163.8
101.7
123.2
85.7
117.5
95.1
98.5
105.3
112.7
110.7
68.1
62.5
91.3
105.6
118.4
126.2
136.6
131.8
122.8
86.6
117.1
96.5
100.8
106.3
116.4
120.6
68.6
62.0
91.2
105.1
118.4
125.1
136.1
124.9
122.0
87.4
115.5
97.3
98.3
106.1
111.0
108.0
69.1
61.4
89.1
104.9
117.4
116.1 134.0
117.0
121.1
98.8
105.6
102.3
103.7
112.3
110.0
108.9
86.5
71.3
101.7
104.5
118.7
126.6
128.6
90.1
143.2
106.4
153.8
124.3
117.7
128.1
128.7
129.2
86.2
84.1
119.8
134.8
153.8
178.1
139.4
106.4
152.0
125.1
119.0
126.4
133.0
139.8
85.8
82.9
118.0
132.1
150.7
176.2
136.7
105.8
150.7
124.0
115.7
125.3
128.0
127.1
83.7
79.7
112.4
130.4
145.2
150.3
130.7
113.1
124.9
119.8
114.9
124.7
120.9
119.2
101.8
82.9
121.4
117.5
137.0
154. 3
(5)
307.7
(«)
288.0
00
271.9
( s)
172.5
1 M i m e o g r a p h e d r e p o r t s h o w i n g r e v i s e d d a t a ( 1 9 3 9 = 1 0 0 ) J a n u a r y 1 9 3 9 - N o v e m b e r 1942 fo r e a c h i n d u s t r y
a v a ila b le o n r e q u e s t.
2 D o e s n o t i n c l u d e w e l l d r i ll in g o r r ig b u i l d i n g .
2 C a s h p a y m e n t s o n l y ; a d d i t i o n a l v a l u e o f b o a r d , r o o m , t i p s n o t i n c l u d e d . D a t a i n c l u d e s a la r i e d p e r
s o n n e l.
* S o u r c e : I n t e r s t a t e C o m m e r c e C o m m is s io n .
D a t a i n c l u d e s a la r ie d p e r s o n n e l.
8 N o t a v a ila b le .
« B a s e d o n e s t i m a t e s p r e p a r e d b y t h e IT. S . M a r i t i m e C o m m is s io n c o v e r i n g e m p l o y m e n t o n s t e a m a n d
m o t o r m e r c h a n t v e s s e l s o f 1,000 g r o s s t o n s o r o v e r i n d e e p - s e a t r a d e o n l y .
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
394
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
T able 6. — Hours and Earnings in Specified Months
MANUFACTURING
Average weekly
earnings 1
Average weekly
hours 1
M ay Apr. Mar. M ay
1943 1943 1943 1943
All m anufacturing... _ _ _____________ _ _ $43.08 $42. 48 $41. 75
Durable goods..- _____________________ 49. 35 48. 63 47. 79
Nondurable goods__________
___ 33. 99 33. 50 33.08
45.2
47.0
42.7
Average hourly
earnings 1
Apr. Mar. M ay Apr. Mar.
1943 1943 1943 1943 1943
Cents Cents
Cents
45.0
46. S
42.4
44.7 95.3 94.4 93.4
46.4 105.0 103.9 103.0
42.3 79.6 79.0 78.2
Durable goods
Iron and steel and their products
■ . .
Blast furnaces, steel works, and rolling
mills.- _
___
_ ................. __
Steel castings . . .. ____
____ _
Cast-iron pipe and fittinsrs______________
Tin cans and other tinware________ _ __
Wirework- __________________________
Cutlery and edge tools.-- ______ ______
Tools (except edge tools, machine tools,
flies, and saws)... ___ . ___________ ..
Hardware___ ___ . ___ _ _ _______
Plumbers’ supplies____________________
Stoves, oil burners, and heating equipment, not elsewhere classified 2________
Steam and hot-water heating apparatus
and steam fittin g s.. _______ .
Stamped and enameled ware and galvanizini?__ _____ _ ______ _ ________ __
Fabricated structural and ornamental
metalwork__________________________
Bolts, nuts, washers, and rivets 2. ____
Forgings, iron and ste el2_______________
Firearms________________________ ____ _
47. 76 46.98 46.47
46.5
46.1
46.1 102.7 101. 9 100.8
49.12
50. Of
37. If
36. 74
46. 36
40. 36
47.24
48. 49
36.85
35. 4f
45.14
40. 54
44.1
47.6
43.4
44.6
47.8
46.2
43.5
47.1
43.9
44.1
48.1
47.3
43.2 112.0 111.0 109.9
47.0 104.8 103.7 103. 2
44.7 84. 5 83.0 82.4
43.8 82.3 81. 7 81.2
47.9 95.9 95.6 93. 7
46.9 87.6 87.7 86.4
44. 26 44. 20 44.11
42.65 42.01 40. 81
43.87 43.49 43. 20
48.1
48.1
47.5
48.7
48. 2
47.2
48.6
47.9
47.0
47. 95
48.82
36. 52
35.96
46.49
41.46
91.9
88.7
92.4
90.9
87.2
92.2
91.0
85. 2
91.8
90.0
42.11 41.74 41.62
46.2
46.2
46.3
91.2
90.4
47.14 47.17 44. 94
48.5
48.6
47.7
97.4
97.2
94.3
44. 48 44. 21 42. 92
47.0
47.1
46.6
94.6
93.4
91.7
51.43
46.62
56. 87
56.45
50. 32
45. 22
57.08
57. 36
49. 45
45.15
56. 93
57. 07
49.4
47.5
48. 6
48.4
48.9
46.7
48.9
48.4
48.4 103.3 103.0 102.1
46. 7 99.4 98.0 97. 3
49.0 117.1 116. 5 116.1
48.3 116.5 118.6 118.1
Electrical machinery_______________________
Electrical equipm ent___________________
Radios and phonographs ___ . . . . . . . .
Communications equipment_______ _ __
45. 60
47. 99
39. 42
41.43
45.12
47. 55
39. 03
41.05
44. 93
47. 77
38. 02
40.48
47.3
47.8
46.3
46.4
47.0
47.4
46.1
46.1
47.1 96.4 96.0
47.6 100. 5 100.1
45.8 85.1 84.6
46.3 89.3 89.0
Machinery, except electrical________________
Machinery and machine-shop products.
Engines and turbines___________ ___ .
Agricultural machinery, excluding tractors__________________ _____________
Tractors______________________________
Machine tools _________ ____ ____
Textile machinerv2 _ _______
. _
Typew riters.. _ ____ _ ________
_
Cash registers, adding and calculating
machines. __ _
_ ________ . . . .
52. 54 52.14 51.59
51.34 51.01 50. 37
58. 52 57. 32 56. 83
49.8
49.5
50.9
49.8
49.7
50.3
49.7 105. 5 104.7 103.8
49.5 103. 7 103.0 102.1
50.1 115.8 114.3 114.0
50.90
51.93
54. 76
45. 71
46.78
49.01
51.10
54.10
45. 89
45. 75
48. 6
47.2
51.8
50.3
49.4
47.7
47.0
52.0
51.3
49.8
46.9 104.8 104. 5 103.9
47.0 110.1 109.6 108.8
52.0 105. 7 105.1 104.0
50.8 90.9 91.4 90.4
50.5 94.7 92.9 90.5
58. 41 57. 64 56. SI
50.1
49.7
49.3 117.5 117.0 116. 2
55.88 54.48
56. 85 58. 36
48. 54 46.78
47.5
48.0
45.6
47.6
47.2
44.4
46.8 118.5 117.4 116.4
48.1 123.5 120. 5 121.4
43.7 111.5 108.9 106.8
49.69 47. 29
60. 02 60.82
59. 50 58.46
46.8
48.7
47.8
47.3
48.3
47.7
46.2 106.3 105.2 102.5
48.8 125.2 124.3 124.7
46.9 125.5 124.6 124.6
Transportation equipment, except automobiles______________ ________________ . . 56. 29
Locomotives..
... . .
59. 34
Cars, electric- and steam-railroad _____ 50.99
Aircraft and parts, excluding aircraft
engines____________ _________________ 49. 67
Aircraft engines________________________ 61.27
Shipbuilding and boatbuilding. _______ 60.04
Automobiles.
. ________
49.83
51.40
54. 69
46.86
46. 26
95.4
99. 5
84. 3
87.5
________ _
57.00 55. 77 55.62
46.3
45.9
45.7 123.1 121.5 121.7
Nonferrous metals and their products
Smelting and refining, primary, of nonferrous metals ____
Alloying and rolling and drawing of nonferrous metals, except a lu m in u m ...___
Clocks and w atches.. ______ . . . ..
Jewelry (precious metals) and jewlers’
findings___________ ..
Silverware and plated ware_______
Lighting equipment . _ . . .
Aluminum manufactures_______________
47. 77 46.91 46.13
47.2
47.0
46.6 101.2
99.8
99.0
45. 51 44. 42 43.18
44.7
44.2
43.5 102.9 100.7
99.3
52.12 51.78 50.82
39. 96 39.62 39. 67
48.1
46.3
48.0
46.1
47.5 109.2 108.5 107.0
46.6 86.6 86.1 85.3
38.96
45.09
46. 06
49. 74
38.59
43.04
44. 42
47.83
45.5
46.8
46.0
47.6
45.9
47.2
46.1
47.2
45.8 84.3 84. 4 83.5
46.3 96.4 95.1 93.1
45. 5 100.6 99.4 97. 7
46. 5 104.7 102.6 102.9
Lumber and timber basic products ________
Sawmills and logging camps________
Planing and plywood mills 2 _____
32. 24 30.82 29. 68
31.51 29. 75 28.31
34. 44 33.05 33. 47
43.8
43.4
45.1
43.1
42.5
43.9
42.4
41.6
44. 5
73. 6
72. 5
77.1
71. 5
69.9
75.5
70. 0
68.1
75.3
Furniture and finished lumber products_____
Furniture______ . . .
32. 66 32. 06 31.39
33.14 32.86 32. 22
44.5
44.3
44.4
44.6
43.9
44.1
73.4
75.2|
72.2
74.0
71. 5
73.3
See fo o tn o te s a t end o f table.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
39. 21
44.80
45.83
48.44
395
Trend of Employment and Unemployment
T able 6.— Hours and Earnings in Specified Months—Continued
M A N U F A C T U R IN G -C o n tin u e d
Average weekly
earnings 1
,
Average weekly
hours 1
Average hourly
— earnings 1
Industry
M ay Apr. Mar. M ay Apr. Mar. May Apr. Mar.
1943 1943 1943 1943 1943 1943 1943 1943 1943
D urable goods— Continued
Stone, clay, and glass products. -------- -----Glass and glassware------------- ----------------Cement_____________ ______
- --------Brick, tile, and terra cotta 2 . . . - - ...
Potterv and related products . . ---- ---Marble, granite, slate, and other products.
Asbestos products - . . . ------ ----------- . . .
Cents Cents
Cents
$36. 21 $35. 57 $34.86
37. 04 36. 54 35. 92
37. 81 36.19 34.81
30. 99 30.17 29. 89
33. 27 32. 74 31.80
37. 08 35.19 33. 26
44. 25 43. 93 43. 57
42.9
41.5
42.7
40.6
40.9
43.1
48.2
42.7
41.4
41.6
40.4
40.8
42.4
48.2
42.1
40.8
40.7
39.9
40.5
39.8
48.1
84.4
89.3
88.2
75.6
81.5
84.5
92.9
83.3
88.3
87.1
74.7
80.4
81.8
91.7
82.8
88.1
85.5
74.6
79.4
82.1
90.6
Nondurable goods
Textile-mill products and other fiber manu
factures____________ _____ . . ------ --- Cotton manufactures, except smallwares..
Cotton sm allwarcs.. _____ .
Silk and rayon goods---- ----------------- ....
Woolen and worsted manufactures, ex
cept dyeing and finishing_____________
H osiery2
...
..
...
Knitted cloth _ _____ ______ . ----------Knitted outerwear and knitted gloves----Knitted underwear____________________
Dyeing and finishing textiles, including
woolen and worsted__________________
Carpets and rues, w o o l.
. . . -------------Hats, fur-felt_________________________
27. 76
24. 78
32. 24
27.12
27. 52
24. 54
32. 28
26. 75
27. 36
24. 36
32. 03
26. 26
41.8
41.9
44.2
42.1
41.7
41.8
44.8
41.9
41.6
41.6
44.5
41.7
6(5.4
59.1
72.9
64.0
66.0
58.8
72.2
63.5
65.7
58.6
72.0
63.0
33. 56
26. 77
31.73
29.07
24. 74
33. 39
26. 45
31. 21
28.16
24.48
33.15
26. 68
30. 93
27. 66
23.91
41.7
38.9
43.6
41.2
41.8
41.7
38.8
43.3
40.5
41. 5
41.5
39.3
43.2
40. 2
41.2
80.4
68.9
72. 5
68. 5
58.6
80.1
68. 4
71.7
67.3
5S.0
79.9
68.1
71.0
66.6
57.9
32.03 32.19 32.08
36. 89 36. 36 36.68
38.86 39. 47 38.90
44.4
43.2
41.6
44.5
43.1
42.0
44.7
43. 5
42.2
72.0
85.6
93.5
72.2
84.6
93.3
71.7
84.6
92. 5
27.16
29. 03
20. 94
22. 77
. 18. 55
38.1
37.9
37.4
37.9
38.4
38.7
38.5
37. 5
37.7
39.1
38.8
38.1
37.1
38.0
38.8
69.2
75.9
57.6
62.2
48.1
70.3
75.7
57. 5
61.8
47.7
70.0
75.4
06. 2
60.0
46.7
31.40 33.31 33. 65
27. OS 26.60 26. 46
29.31 32. 94 36. 57
38.1
41.6
31.6
39.0
41.6
34.4
39.5
41.3
37.2
80.7
65.3
80.9
83.7
64.1
84.2
83.4
64.2
85.4
Leather and leather products. _ ------- -- -------- 30. 03 29.69 29.49
Leather . _
.....
.
. . . . 37.41 37. 24 36.46
Boots and shoes_____ _ . ------- . ------ 28.24 28.15 28. 07
40.2
42.9
39.3
40.2
42.8
39.5
40.4
42.5
39.8
74.7
87.5
71.7
73.9
87.3
70.9
72.9
86.0
70.2
Apparel and other finished textile products.M en’s clothing, not elsewhere classified.._
Shirts, collars, and nightwear. . _______
Underwear and neckwear, m en’s 3 --------Work shirts________________________ . . .
Women’s clothing, not elsewhere classi
fied 1 _. __________________________
Corsets and allied garments 2 --------------Millinery
____ _
- -
26. 37
29. 09
21.63
23.60
19.02
27. 22
29. 58
21. 58
23. 28
19. 09
Food ___
_ ---------- --------- --------------Slaughtering and meat packing-------------Butter_____ . . . ---------- . -----------------..........
.. .
....
Ice cream
Flour_____ ___________________________
Baking. ___________________________
Sugar refining, cane____________________
Sugar, beet. ____ . . . ---------- . . . ---Confectionery________________ . . . -----Beverages, nonalcoholic 2 . .. .. ______
Malt liquors________ . ------------- -----Canning and preserving------------------------
35.63
41.09
30.18
35.11
36.94
35. 40
32.08
36.17
27. 34
31.84
46. 70
27. 45
34.12
36.40
29. 85
35. 56
37. 07
34. 42
30. 78
37. 20
27. 04
31.34
45. 34
27. 23
33. 72
36.04
29. 63
35. 41
38.41
34. 20
32. 42
37. 29
26. 37
30. 39
43.81
26.42
44.7
47.3
46.6
46.3
47.7
44.7
40.1
38.0
41.4
43.3
44.7
39.9
43.3
43.0
46.5
46.8
47.3
43.8
39.3
39.6
41.7
43.2
43.4
39.3
43.4 79.7 78. 8 77.7
43.0 87.1 84.8 83.6
46.5 65.0 64.3 63.7
46.5 73.4 73.0 73.0
48. 6 78.2 78.4 79.2
44.2 79.3 78.7 77.5
40.9 80.0 78.2 79.2
39.4 95.2 93.9 94.7
41.7 66.6 65.2 63.8
41.9 73.6 72.6 71.8
42.7 105.1 104.4 102.4
39.3 69.7 70.6 68.1
Tobacco manufactures.. _ . ------- -------------Cigarettes 2-----. . . . . . . ------------ ------Cigars______________ . ---------- ---------Tobacco (chewing and smoking) and snuff.
25. 60
28.88
23.49
24. 64
25.11
27. 77
23. 35
24. 60
24.21
26. 44
22. 66
24.50
40.7
41.4
40.5
39.2
40.5
40.5
40.8
39.1
39.5
38.6
40.1
39.4
62.9
69.8
57.9
62.9
62.0
68.6
57.1
62.9
61.3
68.5
56.2
62.2
Paper and allied products______ ____ _____ 36. 21 35. 79 35.11
Paper and pulp_____ ____ . . ------ . 39.58 38. 87 38. 41
Paper boxes . .
------- - 32. 49 32.28 31.67
45.6
46.8
44.6
45.3
46.2
44.5
44.9
45.8
44.3
79.4
84.5
73.1
79.0
84.2
72.8
78.2
83.8
71.8
Printing, publishing, and allied industries---Newspapers and periodicals _______
Printing, book arid job 5. . ------------------
39.78 39.20 39.08
44.29 43. 79 43. 52
37.63 36. SI 36.71
39.7
36.4
41.3
39.6
36.4
41.0
39.8 100.2 99.0 98.2
36.6 118.6 117.4 116.3
41.0 91.2 89.8 89.6
Chemicals and allied products___
Paints, varnishes, and colors. - - - - - - - - Drugs, medicines, and insecticides____ .
Soap.. _ _______________
. ------------Rayon and allied products______________
Chemicals, not elsewhere classified---------Explosives and safety fuses. . . . ---------Ammunition, small-arms_______________
Fireworks _____ ____ ______________
Cottonseed o il.. _______ . _ _ . --------Fertilizers______________ . ----------------
41.36
43. 5C
33.63
40.81
36. 78
48. 35
47.74
42.07
34. 5C
22.0C
26. 61
40.14
39. 61
33.04
40.58
35.01
47.15
46. 94
41.91
33.1C
20.87
23.64
45.5
47.0
44.0
43.8
41.9
45.5
47.2
46.5
43.1
47.1
44.0
45.4
45.7
44.0
43.5
41.4
45.2
47.1
46.5
43.4
47.9
44.8
45.0 90.9 90.0 89.2
44.0 92.8 91.3 90.2
43.9 76.3 76.8 75.6
43.9 93.2 92.7 92.5
41.3 87.7 86.3 84.8
45.0 105.1 105.1 104.7
46.6 101.1 100.8 100.6
46.4 90.4 90.5 90.3
42.9 80.0 77.3 77.1
47.7 46.4 45.9 43.7
42.9 60.5 58.6 55.2
See footnotes at end of table.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
40.86
41.63
33. 58
40. 34
35. 72
47. 52
47. 44
42. 07
33.4£
22. 08
26.23
396
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
T able 6.— Hours and Earnings in Specified Months —Continued
M A N U F A C T U R IN G -C o n tin u e d
Average weekly
earnings 1
Average weekly
hours 1
Average hourly
earnings 1
Industry
M ay Apr. Mar. M ay Apr. Mar. M ay Apr.
1943 1943 1943 1943 1943 1943 1943 1943
Mar.
1943
Cents Cents
Cents
N ondurable goods—Continued
Products of petroleum and coal___
Petroleum refining...
Rubber products ___
Rubber tires and inner tubes
Rubber boots and shoes . .
Rubber goods, other
$49. 93 $48. 33 $46.48
53.42 51.58 49.36
44.5
44.6
43.5
43.5
42.6 112.2 111.1 109.1
42.6 119.6 118.3 116.1
44.74
52. 68
36.96
38.01
45.4
45.6
45.4
45.1
45.1
45.2
45.1
45.1
45.1 100.5 99.8 99.2
45.5 116. 7 116. 2 115. 9
44.6 84.1 83.3 82.9
44.9 86.4 85.8 84.8
40.65 40.18 39.84
46.4
46.4
46.6
87.6
86.6
85. 5
51.44 50.74 50. 59
51.1
51.3
51.6 100.6
99.0
98.2
$43. 22 $43.84
41.39 43.13
42. 57 41.61
35. 62 33. 21
45. 27 44.12
36.1
35.6
44.3
46.3
41.0
41.2
36.9
43.9
46.0
41.2
41.3 103.0 105.4 106.0
38.6 111.9 112.8 111.9
43.7 98.4 96.2 94.9
43.8 78.1 77.6 76.6
40.8 109.7 106.9 106.8
34.99
42.17
43.14
38.41
24. 23
29.42
20.39
25.01
34. 31
36. 52
33.40
19.46
23.48
28.87
51.74
40. 26
47.00
42.1
40.8
49.0
41.7
40.9
42.0
36.6
36.9
44.1
47.5
43.3
44.4
44.4
45.0
(fi
(fi
38.1
41.3
40.8
48.9
41.8
40.7
41.9
36.8
36.5
44.1
47.5
43.3
44.6
44.4
45.7
(fi
(fi
38.1
41.1 85.5 85.0 84.5
40.8 105.1 103.4 102.3
49.4 87.0 87.0 85.7
41.7 93.4 92.3 90.9
41.1 66.3 65.7 65.0
41.2 67.6 66.7 65.5
37.2 54.6 54.3 54.3
37.1 68.4 68.3 67.6
43.7 80.9 79.5 78.1
47.6 77.5 77.0 75.3
42.5 81.2 80.4 79.4
44.7 44.8 44.0 43.1
43.8 54.5 53.6 52.3
43.5 64.9 64.1 61.9
(fi
(fi
(fi
(fi
(fi
(fi
(fi
(fi
37.4 124.0 123.5 124.2
45.63
53.15
38. 25
38. 88
.
Miscellaneous industries
Professional and scientific instruments
and fire-control equipm ent2.
45.01
52. 54
37. 59
38. 77
N O N M A N U F A C T U R IN G
Coal mining:
Anthracite_____________________
Bitum inous____________________
M etal mining______________________
Quarrying and nonmetallic mining__
Crude-petroleum production________
Public utilities:
Telephone and telegraph 2_______
Electric light and power________
Street railways and busses 2_____
Wholesale trade____________________
Retail t r a d e .._____________________
Food__________________________
General merchandising__________
Apparel________________________
Furniture and housefurnishings__
A utom otive____________________
Lumber and building materials__
Hotels (year-round)2________________
Laundries________________________
Dyeing and cleaning 2____ __________
Brokerage 2_________ _______________
Insurance 2_________________________
Building construction_______________
$37.39
39. 51
43.43
36.12
46.28
35.53
42.98
43. 52
38.86
24.42
30.13
20.12
25.19
34.63
36.78
34.09
19. 75
23.87
28. 93
50.89
41.35
47.46
34. 56
41.93
43.14
37.90
24. 55
28. 37
20. 58
25.61
33. 21
35.46
32.64
19. 35
22.70
26. 56
49. 90
40.37
46.49
Cents Cents Cents
1 These figures are based on reports from cooperating establishments covering both full- and part-time
employees who worked during any part of one pay period ending nearest the 15th of the month. As not
ail reporting firms furnished man-hour data, average hours and average hourly earnings are based on a
smaller sample than are weekly earnings. Data for the current and immediately preceding months are
subject to revision.
2 Revisions in the data for the following industries have been made as indicated:
^ - O c t o b e r 1942 through February 1943, average weekly earnings to $39.34, $38.85, $39.96, $40.45,
oD u «p4U.yi.
n uts, washers, and rivets —November 1942 average w eekly earnings and average w eekly hours to
$42.25 and 45.7 hours.
Forgings, iron and steel January 1943 average w eekly earnings and average hourly earnings to $56.06
?n
„?’ February 1943 average weekly earnings, average weekly hours, and average hourly earnings
to $57.02, 49.0 hours, and 116.5 cents.
«m achinery—M a y 1942 through January 1943, average weekly earnings to $40.49, $40.78, $40.85,
$41.66, $43.22, $44.42, $43.03, $45.04, and $44.85; average weekly hours to 49.4, 49.3, 49.3, 49.5, 49.8, 50.7, 49.0,
50.7 and 50.3; average hourly earnings to 81.7, 82.8, 82.9, 84.2, 86.8, 87.7, 87.9, 89.0, and 89.4 cents.
P lan in g and plyw ood miffs—January and February 1943 average weekly earnings to $32.07 and $32.24,
respectively; average weekly hours to 43.1 and 43.5.
Brick, tile, and terra cofia—January and February 1943 average weekly earnings to $28.17 and $29.35,
respectively; average weekly hours to 38.4 and 39.1.
H osiery—} anuary 1943 average weekly earnings and average hourly earnings to $25.28 and 66.4 cents,
respectively; February 1943 average hourly earnings to 66.7 cents.
W om en’s clothing, not elsewhere classified —Average weekly earnings; M ay, June, July (1942), January
and February (1943) to $24.68, $22.35, $24.14, $28.75, and $31.10, respectively; average weekly hours, October,
November, and December 1942 to 36.7, 36.4, and 37.0; average hourly earnings, M ay 1942 through February
1943 to 64.0, 61.5, 65.2, 70.7, 72.4, 74.7, 73.4, 73.3, 75.8, and 79.8 cents. Hourly earnings for August 1942 and
later months not comparable w ith averages for July 1942 and prior months. Strictly comparable July
hourly earnings, 69.0 cents.
Corsets and allied garments—December 1942 average weekly hours to 40.6.
nonalcoholic—July 1942 through February 1943 average weekly earnings to $30.57, $30.40, $29.87,
$30.12, $29.54, $29.80, $29.53, and $29.96; January and February 1943 average hourly earnings to 71.2 cents
and 71.8 cents.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Trend of Employment and Unemployment
397
C iv ilia n L a b o r F o rc e , J u n e 1 9 4 3
A SEASONAL increase of 1,600,000 over the May level brought the
civilian labor force to a total of 54,600,000 in June 1943, according to
the Bureau of the Census Monthly Report on the Labor Force.
Employment increased by 1,300,000 between the two months, while
unemployment went up by 300,000.
T able
1.— Estimated Civilian Labor Force by Employment Status and Sex, in Selected
Months, June 1940-June 1943 1
[Source: II. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census]
Estimated number (millions of persons)
Sex and employment status
June
1943
M ay
1943
June
1942
June
1941
June
1940
Both sexes............. .......- ____ ______
- _____
Unemployed!2 ........_.............. .............
Employed___
_ - - _ . . . _________
_ _
’N onagriculture__________________________
Agriculture ___ _ . . . . .
54.6
1.2
53.4
41.5
11.9
53.0
.9
52.1
41.3
10.8
56.1
2.8
53.3
41.8
11.5
56.2
6.0
50.2
39.3
10.9
56.2
8.6
47.6
36.6
11.0
Males _______ . . . .
__
____ .
. . ___
Unemployed 2__
. _______ _ ___.
___
Employed____ _______ _ . .
................. . .
"Nonagriculture._______ ___ _____ _ ______
Agriculture_____ . . . .
Females. T ..................................... . . . . . . . .
U nem ployed2 . . . . .
. .......
. ___
........................................................
Employed
Nonagriculture____________________ _____
A griculture___ _
.......
37.3
.6
36.7
27.1
9. 6
17.3
.6
16.7
14.4
2.3
36.7
.5
36.2
27.2
9. 0
16.3
.4
15.9
14.1
1.8
41.1
1.7
39.4
30.0
9. 4
15.0
1.1
13.9
11.8
2.1
42.3
4.0
38.3
28.9
9. 4
13.9
2. 0
11.9
10. 4
1.5
42.3
5.9
36.4
26.9
9. 5
13.9
2. 7
11.2
9.7
1.5
1 All data exclude persons in institutions.
2 Includes persons on public emergency projects.
The influx of teen-age^boys and girls'intoThe’J abor market following
the close of the school term accounted for the entire increase in the
labor force between May and June. Employment among persons
under 20 years of age increased by 1,400,000 and unemployment by
300,000 (table 2). However, labor-market participation in this age
group was lower by 500,000 in June of this year than in June of last
year. Although the number of teen-age girls in the labor force
actually increased by 500,000 over the year period, the number of boys
in the same age group declined by 1,000,000 largely as a result of
inductions into the armed forces.
Footnotes to table 6 (continued).
Cigarettes —February 1943 average weekly earnings, average weekly hours, and average hourly earnings
to $25.53, 37.4 hours, and 68.0 cents. Revised averages not strictly comparable w ith previously published
data for earlier months. Comparable January 1943 figures are $29.14, 41.5 hours, and 70.1 cents.
Professional and scientific instrum ents and fire control equipm ent—February 1943 average weekly earnings
to $49.25.
Telephone and telegraph —January 1943 average weekly earnings, average weekly hours, and average
hourly earnings to $34.49, 41.1 hours, and 84.2 cents, respectively.
Street railw ays and busses—January 1943 average Weekly hours and average hourly earnings to 49.2 hours
and 85.6 cents, respectively.
H otels —January 1943 average weekly earnings, average weekly hours and average hourly earnings to
$19.35, 44.7 hours, and 42.2 cents, respectively.
D yeing and cleaning —February 1943 average weekly hours and average hourly earnings to 43.0 hours and
61.8 cents, respectively.
Brokerage —January 1943, and February 1943 average w eekly earnings to $45.91 and $47.64, respectively.
Insurance—January 1943 average weekly earnings to $39.77.
3 Underwear and neckwear, m en’s —Average hourly earnings not comparable w ith previously published
data. Comparable series for earlier months available upon request.
4 N ot available.
1 Average hourly earnings for February 1943 as shown in table 2, page 6, of the release dated June 13,
1943, should have been 88.2 instead of 86.2 cents.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
398
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
The majority of the new workers were absorbed by the seasonal
upswing in farm employment which accounted for 1,100,000 of the
1,300,000 gain in the number of jobs. This brought employment in
agriculture to a total of 11,900,000—the highest figure recorded since
the inception of the series in April 1940.
T able 2. — Estimated Civilian Labor Force, Employment and Unemployment, by Age
and Sex, in M ay and June 1943 and June 1942 1
[Source: U . S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census]
Estimated number (millions of persons)
Total
Employment status and age
Male
Female
June
1943
M ay
1943
June
1942
June
1943
M ay
1943
June
1942
June
1943
M ay
1943
Total civilian labor force___
14-19 years_ .- _ __ ___
20-24 years-__ . . . .
25-34 years-- _________
35-44 years____ ______
45-54 years-- 55-64 years-. _ _
65 years and over
- -
54.6
6.9
5.1
11.5
11.9
9.9
6.5
2.8
53.0
5.2
5.2
11.5
11.9
10.1
6.3
2.8
56.1
7.4
6.5
12.4
11.7
9.5
6.2
2.4
37.3
3.8
2.2
7.5
8.4
7.7
5.3
2.4
36.7
3.0
2.3
7.6
8.4
7.9
5,1
2.4
41.1
4.8
3.7
8.9
8.9
7.6
5.1
2.1
17.3
3.1
2.9
4.0
3.5
2.2
1.2
.4
16.3
2.2
2.9
3.9
3.5
2.g
1.2
.4
15.0
2.6
2.8
3.5
2.8
1.9
1.1
.3
Total persons employed___
14-19 years20-24 years-- _ _ _____
25-34 years - . . ___
35-44 years- .....................
45-54 years--_ ___ .
55-64 years_ 65 years and over
Total persons unemployed 2_.
14-19 years____
____
20-24 years- _ . . _____
25-34 years. - . . _____
35-44 years____
45-54 years____________
55-64 years-_____ 65 years and over - -
53.4
6.4
5.0
11.4
11.8
9.8
6.3
2.7
1.2
.5
52.1
5.0
5.1
11.4
11.8
9.9
6.2
2.7
.9
.2
.1
53.3
6.6
6.2
12.0
11.3
9.1
5.8
2.3
2.8
.8
.3
.4
.4
.4
.4
.1
36.7
3.6
2.1
7.5
8.4
7.6
5.1
2.4
.6
.2
.1
(3)
(3)
36.2
2.9
2.3
7.6
8.3
7.8
5.0
2.3
.5
.1
(3)
(3)
.1
39.4
4.4
3.6
8.7
8.6
7.3
4.8
2.0
1.7
.4
16.7
2.8
2.9
3.9
3.4
2.2
1.2
.3
.6
.3
(3)
15.9
2.1
2.8
3.8
3.5
2.1
1.2
.4
.4
.1
.1
.1
(3)
13.9
2.2
2.6
3.3
2.7
1.8
1.0
.3
1.1
.4
.1
.1
.1
.1
.1
.1
.2
.2
.1
.1
.1
(3)
.1
.1
.2
.1
.1
.1
.2
.3
.3
.3
.1
1 All data exclude persons in institutions.
2 Persons on public emergency work projects are included with the unemployed.
!Less than 50,000.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
.1
.1
(3)
(3)
.1
June
1942
.2
.2
.1
.1
(3)
(3)
.1
.1
(3)
Labor Chronology
C h ro n o lo g y of L a b o r E v e n ts, A p ril to J u n e 1 9 4 3 1
A P R IL
1943
Apr. 1. T he C om bined L ab o r W ar B oard, com posed of rep resen tativ es of th e
A m erican F ed eratio n of L abor, of th e Congress of In d u stria l O rgani
zations, and of th e R ailw ay B rotherhoods, held a conference w ith th e
P resident a t w hich th e y to ld him th a t th e y were n o t renew ing th e ir
req u est for w age increases b u t were asking, instead, for reductions in
food prices to th e level of S eptem ber 15, 1942. T hey urged him to
veto th e B an k h ead Bill (see C hron. item for A pril 2, th is issue) an d
asked for lab o r rep resen tatio n in th e Office of Price A dm inistration,
th e W ar P ro d u ctio n B oard, a n d th e new food a d m in istra tio n (see
C hron. item , M ar. 26, M. L. R. M ay 1943). (Sources: A m erican
F ed eratio n of L abor W eekly News Service, Apr. 6, 1943; T he CIO
News, Apr. 5, 1943, p. 8; N ew Y ork Tim es, Apr. 2, p. 14.)
On Ju n e 2 th e C om bined L abor W ar B oard p resen ted to th e P resid en t
a program calling for (1) a roll-back of prices of foods a n d o th e r costof-living item s to th e levels of M ay 15, 1942; (2) subsidies of as m uch
as tw o billion dollars to producers a n d d istrib u to rs in order to roll
prices back; (3) rem oval of certain officials “who have failed to carry
o u t” th e price-stab ilizatio n directives; a n d (4) th e a p p o in tm e n t of
d ep u ty directo rs representing lab o r to th e Office of Econom ic S tabiliza
tion, th e Office of Price A dm inistration, a n d th e W ar Food A dm inis
tra tio n . (Sources: T he W hite H ouse; A m erican F ed eratio n of L abor
W eekly News Service, Ju n e 8, 1943; N ew Y ork Tim es, Ju n e 4, p. 1.)
A pr 1 T he N atio n al W ar L abor B oard, in a form al w ritte n opinion su p p o rtin g
its decision of N ovem ber 25, 1942, w hich denied th e p e titio n of four
plyw ood com panies in Oregon a n d W ashington for a review of a
decision of th e W est C oast L um ber Com m ission, s ta te d th e four
bases on w hich it w ould review th e decisions of its low er bodies.
(Source: Office of W ar In fo rm atio n , N a tio n a l W ar L ab o r B oard,
B -581. F o r sum m ary, see M o n th ly L abor Review, Ju n e 1943, p.
1203.)
Apr. 2. T he P resid en t v eto ed th e B an k h ead Bill whose purpose w as to “ exclude
in th e d eterm in atio n of p a rity price an y d eduction for an y subsidy
p ay m en t, p a rity p ay m en t, incentive p ay m en t, or o th e r p a y m e n t
m ade w ith respect to an y a g ricu ltu ral com m o d ity .” Price A dm inis
tr a to r P ren tiss M. B row n h ad w arned S enate leaders th a t en a c tm e n t
of th e bill w ould raise re ta il prices 7 p ercen t a n d cost th e G overn m en t
an ad d itio n a l 500 m illion dollars every y ear to feed th e arm ed forces
an d to supply our Allies. (Sources: W hite House, Press release of
Apr. 2, 1943; O PA-2079.)
On A pril 9 th e recen tly organized N atio n al A gricultural M obilization
C om m ittee (D es M oines, Iow a), claim ing to rep resen t th e views of
th e m a jo rity of A m erican farm ers, an d rep resen tin g farm ers, p rin ci
pally from th e M idw est, n o t belonging to th e “ big fo u r” farm o rgani
zations (the N atio n al G range, th e N a tio n a l F arm ers U nion, th e
A m erican F a rm B ureau F ed eratio n , a n d th e N a tio n a l C ooperative
Council) conferred w ith th e Price A d m in istrato r an d pledged th e ir
su p p o rt to keeping farm prices stable. (Source: O PA -2252.)
i Prepared in the Bureau’s Division of Historical Studies of Wartime Problems.
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Apr. 2. T he N atio n al W ar L ab o r B oard, in order to im prove labor relations a t th e
A llis-C halm ers M an u factu rin g Co., g ra n te d th e M arsh all F ield ty p e
of “ union se c u rity ” clause (first g ra n te d M ar. 5, 1942) to m em bers of
3 C. I. O. unions a t 4 A llis-C halm ers p la n ts, em ploying a b o u t 23,000
w orkers— 18,000 of th e m a t th e p la n t in W est Allis, Wis. (U nder th is
clause an em ployee is o bligated to m a in ta in his union m em bership
for th e d u ra tio n of th e c o n tra c t only if he v o lu n tarily certifies in w rit
ing th a t he au th o rizes th e com pany to d e d u c t union dues from his
p ay a n d th a t he will, as a condition of em ploym ent, co ntinue as a
union m em ber for th e life of th e co n tract.) (Source: Office of W ar
In fo rm atio n , N a tio n a l W ar L ab o r B oard, B -539.)
Apr. 5. T he Office of P rice A d m in istratio n issued specific cents-p er-p o u n d re ta il
ceihfig prices on beef, veal, lam b, a n d m u tto n , to go in to effect on
A pril 25, pro v id in g uniform m axim um prices in re ta il stores of th e
sam e class (four classes alto g eth er) in each of th e 10 zones in to w hich
th e co u n try was divided for th is purpose. P o rk h a d a lread y been
placed u n d er such controls. (Source: Office of W ar In fo rm a tio n
Office of Price A dm in istratio n , O PA -2122, O PA -2123.) B ecause of
th e .P re s id e n t’s “ h old-the-line” o rd er of A pril 8, th e ab ove-m entioned
ceiling prices w ere revised dow nw ard a n d did n o t go in to effect u n til
M ay 17. (Source: O PA -2479.) (See C hron. item for M ay 4, th is
issue.)
A pr. 5. 4 he S ta te D e p a rtm e n t a n d th e D e p a rtm e n t of A griculture announced
th a t an ag reem en t h a d been signed w ith th e G o v ern m en t of Ja m aica
for th e im p o rta tio n of up to 10,000 Jam a ic a n ag ric u ltu ra l w orkers
in to th e U n ited S tates to relieve farm -lab o r shortages in critical
areas. (See C hron. item for M arch 20, M. L. R . M ay 1943.) (SourceD e p a rtm e n t of S ta te B ulletin, Apr. 10, 1943, p. 312.)
Apr. 6. T he Interstate^ Com m erce Comm ission, in response to th e p e titio n of th e
Price A d m in istrato r a n d th e D irecto r of Econom ic S tabilization,
suspended, effective M ay 15, 1943, th e increase in freig h t ra te s a n d
charges (averaging 4.7 percent) th a t becam e effective M arch 18,
1942, an d th e increase in passenger fares (averaging 9 percent) th a t
becam e effective F e b ru a ry 10, 1942. T hese increases h ad been
o b tain ed by th e railro ad s to offset wage increases g ra n te d la te in
1941. (Source: Office of W ar In fo rm atio n , Office of P rice A dm inis
tra tio n , O PA -2493.)
Apr. 8. T he P resid en t issued his “ h o ld-the-line” o rd er p ro h ib itin g “fu rth e r in
creases in prices affecting th e cost of living or fu rth e r increases in
general wage or salary ra te s except w here clearlv necessarv to p.nrrApf.
Apr. 8. T he P resid en t a p p ro v ed an a c t creatin g tw o selective-service com m ittees,
n n o in
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ov
ern m en t, to pass on th e o ccupational deferm en t of F ed eral em ployees
m these b ranches. T hese co m m ittees will, in th e m ain, follow th e
procedures a n d sta n d a rd s prescrib ed by E xecutive O rder No. 9309
for em ployees in th e E xecutive b ran ch of th e G o v ern m en t (see C hron
item for M ar. 6, M. L. R. M ay 1943).
1 he a c t also in stru c te d th e D irecto r of Selective Service to m ake
m o n th ly re p o rts to th e Congress, show ing th e nam es a n d positions of
F ederal em ployees h av in g occup atio n al d eferm ent. (Source: P ublic
Law 23.)
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A pr. 9. N atio n al W ar L ab o r B o ard C hairm an, W illiam H . D avis, an n o u n ced th a t
G eneral O rder No. 4 a n d G eneral O rder No. 5 of th e B oard (see C hron.
ite m for O ct. 9, 1942, M. L. R. F eb ru a ry 1943) h a d been m odified.
R egional boards w ere a u th o riz e d to co ntrol wage increases in p la n ts
em ploying eig h t or few er w orkers w here such increases w ould have a n
unstabilizing effect. Likew ise a u to m a tic w age a d ju stm e n ts resu ltin g
from prom otions, reclassifications, an d m e rit rew ards w ould be su b ject
to review in cases w here th e re w ould be an appreciable rise in p ro d u c
tio n costs leading to an increase in prices. (Source: N a tio n a l W ar
L ab o r B oard, B -567.)
T h e B oard expressed itself as n o t opposed to incentive-bonus plans,
p rovided such plans do n o t increase u n it lab o r cost a n d a re su b je c t to
periodic review by th e w age stab ilizatio n division of th e B oard.
(Source: N a tio n a l W ar L ab o r B oard, B -632.)
A pr. 10. T h e P ublic D e b t A ct of 1943 w ent in to effect w ith o u t th e P re sid e n t’s
signature. A rid er in th e a c t to w hich th e P resid en t o b jected rem oved
th e existing $25,000 lim itatio n on in d iv id u al n e t salary incom es (see
C hron. item for Oct. 27, 1942, M. L. R . F e b ru a ry 1943), by providing
th a t no wages or salaries for an y p a rtic u la r w ork shall be reduced
u n d er th e a c t of O ctober 2, 1942, “ below th e h ighest wages or salaries
p aid th erefo r betw een Ja n u a ry 1, 1942, a n d S ep tem b er 15, 1942.”
(Source: P ub lic L aw 34.)
A pr. 10. P resid en t P hillip M u rray of th e C. I. O. anno u n ced th a t im p lem en tatio n
of th e no-raid ag reem en t executed by th e C. I. O .-A . F. of L. laboru n ity com m ittee (see C hron. ite m for Dec. 2, 1942, M. L. R . F e b ru a ry
1943, an d for Ja n . 22, 1943, M. L. R . M ay 1943) h a d stru c k a snag in
th e dem and m ade by th e A. F. of L. rep resen tativ es a t th e la b o r-u n ity
conference w hich m e t in W ashington on A pril 1 “ for a n ag reem en t to
th e effect t h a t th e prohib itio n ag ain st raid in g m u st em brace all situ a
tions w here collective-bargaining c o n tracts are o u tsta n d in g for th e
d u ratio n of th e w a r.” (Source: T he C IO News, Apr. 12, 1943, p. 3.)
A pril 10. T he N atio n al W ar L ab o r B oard u nanim ously upheld th e a u th o rity of
its regional boards to con d u ct elections to determ ine lab o r bargaining
agents in w ar p la n ts w henever such p la n ts are n o t engaged in in te r
s ta te com m erce a n d th u s n o t u n d er th e ju risd ictio n of th e W agner
A ct. T he decision was m ade a fte r th e A ustin Co., a co n stru ctio n
engineering firm of Chicago, 111., h ad appealed from a d irective of th e
S ixth R egional W ar L ab o r B oard ordering it to b arg ain collectively
w ith th ree A. F. of L. unions designated as barg ain in g ag en ts a fte r
elections conducted by th e regional board.
(Source: Office of W ar
In fo rm atio n , N a tio n a l W ar L ab o r B oard, B -633.)
A pr. 12. T he W ar M anpow er Com m ission anno u n ced th a t it h a d elim in ated de
pendency as a reason for d ra ft deferm en t of m en w ith co llateral d epend
e n ts a n d wives only, except for necessary farm ers an d in cases w here
extrem e h ard sh ip a n d p riv a tio n w ould resu lt. A revised list of classi
fications for selective-service re g istra n ts w as issued w ith th e following
principal revisions: Class I I I - B , co ntaining m en h aving d ep en d en ts
a n d engaged in activ ities essential to th e w ar effort, w as elim inated.
Class I I I - A w as revised to contain re g istra n ts in deferrable activ ities
or occupations (see C hron. ite m for Feb. 2, M. L. R . M ay 1943) m a in
tain in g bona fide relatio n sh ip from p rio r to D ecem ber 8, 1941, w ith
a t least one child b orn before S ep tem b er 15, 1942. Class I I I - D was
created for h ard sh ip cases. (See also C hron. item for M arch 7, M.
L. R. M ay 1943.) (Source: Office of W ar In fo rm atio n , W ar M an
pow er Com m ission, P M -4357.)
541188— 43------ 14
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19 AS
Apr. 12. T he O PA au th o riz e d its regional offices to se t m axim um prices for food
a n d beverages served by public e atin g a n d drin k in g estab lish m en ts.
T his actio n h ad becom e practicab le as a re su lt of th e E xecutive order
of A pril 8. T h e w eek of A pril 4 -10 was chosen as th e base-price pe
riod, a n d every eatin g a n d d rinking place in th e c o u n try was d irected
to file, by M ay 1, w ith its local b o ard “ a copy of each m enu or price
list it used during th e base perio d .” (Source: Office of W ar In fo rm a
tion, Office of P rice A dm in istratio n , O PA -2266.)
On M ay 24 th e O PA an n o u n ced th e creatio n of a re sta u ra n t-in d u stry
advisory co m m ittee, com posed of 19 leaders in th is field from all
p a rts of th e cou n try , for th e purpose of (1) developing m eth o d s of
low ering ab n o rm ally high prices, especially in defense centers, a n d
(2) review ing th e specific provisions of regu latio n s alread y issued.
(Source: O PA -2573.)
Apr. 14. In conform ity w ith th e E xecutive o rd er of A pril 8, th e N a tio n a l W ar
L ab o r B o ard in stru c te d its reg io n al b o ard s “ to deny a t once a ll p ro
posed w age a n d salary a d ju s tm e n ts w hich involve only in te rp la n t in
eq ualities a n d w hich c an n o t be decided on th e basis of th e L ittle Steel
form ula or su b sta n d a rd s of living.” A pproxim ately 10,000 req u ests
for w age or salary increases w ere th u s affected. T h e B oard also a n
nounced t h a t referees’ or a rb itra to rs ’ aw ards g ra n tin g w age increases
n o t in conform ity w ith th e E xecu tiv e o rd er of A pril 8 w ould n o t be
ap p ro v ed even if g ra n te d before th a t d a te . Also rejected w ould be
applicatio n s from canners a n d o th e r seasonal p roducers for increases
in wages over th e previous season. (Source: Office of W ar In fo rm a
tio n , N a tio n a l W ar L ab o r B oard, B -576.)
On M ay 10 D irecto r of E conom ic S tab ilizatio n Jam es F. B yrnes
issued a policy directiv e allow ing canners a n d o th e r food processors to
increase wages to th e level of w ages of com m on a g ric u ltu ra l lab o r in th e
p a rtic u la r lab o r m a rk e t a rea “plus th e differential (b u t n o t m ore th a n
8 cen ts a n hour) w hich existed du rin g th e 1940 a n d 1941 processing
season b etw een farm a n d food processing com m on lab o r ra te s .”
(Source: Office of E conom ic S tabilization, O ES-15.)
Apr. 14. F o r th e first tim e since a g ricu ltu ral w orkers earn in g less th a n $2,400
yearly were exem pted from th e provisions of th e P resid en tial order of
O ctober 3, stabilizing all wages a n d salaries (see C hron. item for N ov.
30, 1942, M. L. R. F e b ru a ry 1943), m axim um ra te s w ere established
for ag ric u ltu ra l w ork by th e W ar F ood A d m in istratio n (see C hron.
item for M ar. 26, M. L. R. M ay 1943). M axim um w age ra te s were
specified “for w ork in connection w ith th e h arv estin g of asp arag u s
for canning a n d freezing in five C alifornia co u n ties” (S acram ento,
San Joaq u in , Yolo, Solano, a n d C o n tra C osta). (Source: Office of
W ar In fo rm atio n , D e p a rtm e n t of A griculture, A G -312.)
Apr. 16. T he W ar M anpow er Com m ission, in conform ity w ith th e E xecutive
ord er of A pril 8 a n d w ith th e ap p ro v a l of th e E conom ic S tabilization
D irector, issued R eg u latio n N o. 4 re s tric tin g th e tra n sfe r of w orkers,
effective A pril 18, 1943. T ran sfers to high er-p aid jobs were fo r
bidden to em ployees who du rin g th e preceding 30-day p eriod were
engaged in essential activ itie s; such tra n sfe rs w ere n o t o u t of th e
question b u t w ould be “ su b ject to a n d p e rm itte d u n d er an em ploy
m en t-stab iliz a tio n pro g ram ap p ro v ed by th e W ar M anpow er C om
m ission.” T ran sfers to sim ilar-paying jobs were n o t forbidden
except w here em ployees w ere in essential jobs covered by em p lo y m en tstab ilizatio n plans. P rovision w as m ad e for th e tra n sfe r to b e tte rp aid jobs of w orkers n o t fully u tilizing th e ir skills. (Source: Office
of W ar In fo rm a tio n , W ar M anpow er Com m ission, P M -4 3 6 2 ; P M 4364.)
On A pril 17, th e W ar M anpow er C om m ission issued a revised list
of 35 essential in d u stries a n d activ ities (for su m m ary , see M o n th ly
L ab o r Review , Ju n e 1943, p. 1092). (Source: P M -4 3 6 3 .)
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1943
A pr. 16— T he C hairm an of th e W ar M anpow er Com m ission, P a u l V. M c N u tt,
C on.
on M ay 1 ap p ro v ed R egulation No. 5, pro v id in g “ m ach in ery for
appeals by em ployees an d em ployers from a n y W ar M anpow er Com
m ission, actio n u n d er em plo y m en t stab ilizatio n plans, th e 48-hourweek policy, a n d o th e r m anpow er reg u latio n s.” (Source: P M -4390.)
T he C hairm an anno u n ced on M ay 21 th a t school teac h ers w ould
n o t be b arred , u n d er R egu latio n No. 4, from leaving for h igher-paid
teach in g positions in th e a u tu m n . (Source: P M -4392.)
Apr. 19. T he P resid en t, by E xecutive order, estab lish ed w ith in th e D e p a rtm e n t
of th e In te rio r a Solid Fuels A d m in istratio n for W ar, w ith th e Secre
ta r y of th e In te rio r serving ex officio as a d m in istra to r. T h e te rm
“solid fuels” includes “ all form s of a n th ra c ite , bitu m in o u s, subbitum inous, a n d lignitic coals.” T h e Office of Solid F uels C oordi
n atio n for N a tio n a l D efense (established on N ov. 5, 1941, a n d changed
to th e Office of Solid Fuels C o o rd in ato r for W ar on M ay 25, 1942)
was abolished a n d its personnel, records, p ro p e rty , a n d funds tr a n s
ferred to th e new A d m in istratio n . (Source: T h e W h ite H ouse,
Press release of Apr. 19, 1943.)
Apr. 19. T he P resid en t by E xecutive order changed th e nam e of th e A dm inis
tra tio n of F o o d P ro d u ctio n a n d D istrib u tio n (see C hron. item for
M ar. 26, M. L. R . M ay 1943) to W ar Food A d m in istratio n , a n d in
th is connection defined th e pow ers, fun ctio n s, a n d d u ties of th e W ar
F ood A d m in istra to r a n d of th e S ecretary of A griculture. (Source:
T he W hite H ouse, Press release of A pr. 19, 1943.)
Apr. 20. T he OPA ann o u n ced th a t W ar R a tio n Book 3, p ro viding new stam p s
to replace those ru n n in g o u t in existing books, w ould be d istrib u te d
th ro u g h th e m ails in Ju n e a n d Ju ly . (Source: Office of W ar In fo r
m ation, Office of Price A d m in istratio n , O PA -2334.) A pproxim ately
131.600.000 copies of W ar R a tio n Book 1 h ad been issued a n d
126.331.000 of W ar R a tio n Book 2. (Source: O P A -T -8 0 0 .)
Apr. 21. T he N atio n al W ar L abor B oard u nanim ously a u th o rized th e C urtissW right C orporation to reduce its w orkw eek from 7 to 6 days a t its
C aldw ell an d C lifton, N. J., p lan ts, em ploying a b o u t 7,500 w orkers.
A lthough th e w orkers were on a 56-hour w eek th e re was an excessive
degree of absenteeism , so th a t th e y av erag ed only a b o u t 52 hours a
week. (Source: Office of W ar In fo rm atio n , N a tio n a l W ar L ab o r
B oard, B -601.)
A pr. 26. T he W ar D e p a rtm e n t an n o u n ced th a t th e re w ould soon be d istrib u te d
to all high schools, cards on w hich to list th e school a n d job h isto ry
of each pupil. Such records will prove useful in classifying stu d e n ts
for A rm y service or w ar w ork a fte r th e y leave school. (Source:
Office of W ar In fo rm atio n , W ar D e p a rtm e n t, O W I-1688.)
On M ay 18 th e W ar M anpow er Com m ission an n o u n ced th a t S ta te
ap p ren ticesh ip directors from nine S ta te s a n d th e te rrito ry of H aw aii,
a fte r a 5-day conference in W ashington (the first of its k in d ), h ad
recom m ended th e estab lish m en t of com bination ap p ren ticesh ip a n d
high-school system s in every w ar p ro d u ctio n area, to p erm it a p p re n
tices 16 a n d 17 years old to com plete th e ir high-school studies while
receiving th e ir tra in in g on th e job. (Source: Office of W ar In fo rm a
tion, W ar M anpow er Com m ission, PM -4389.)
Apr. 27. T he W ar M anpow er Com m ission excluded from th e 48-hour w artim e
w orkw eek order (See C hron. item for F eb. 9, M . L. R . M ay 1943)
“ persons in th e em ploy of th e D istric t of C olum bia, a n y foreign gov
ern m en t, an d th e legislative a n d judicial branches of th e F ederal
G overnm ent, a n d a n y in stru m e n ta lity of these agencies.” (Source:
Office of W ar In fo rm atio n , W ar M anpow er Com m ission, P M -4372.)
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1943
Apr. 29. T he P resid e n t a p p ro v ed an a c t a p p ro p ria tin g $26,100,000 " to assist
in provid in g a su p p ly a n d d istrib u tio n of farm lab o r for th e calendar
y e a r 1943.” (Source: P ublic Law 45.)
On Ju n e 23, th e W ar F o o d A d m in istratio n an n o u n ced th e e sta b
lish m en t of a n Office of L ab o r -which ab so rb ed a n in terim o rganization
created on A pril 30 u n d e r th e act, a n d assum ed "fu ll respo n sib ility
for carry in g o u t all labor, m anpow er, a n d w age-stab ilizatio n p ro
gram s of th e W ar F ood A d m in istratio n hereto fo re carried o u t by
various agencies of th e A d m in istratio n , in cluding th e F o o d D istri
b u tio n A d m in istratio n , th e F ood P ro d u ctio n A d m in istratio n , a n d th e
F a rm Secu rity A d m in istra tio n .” Col. P h ilip G. B ru to n w as a p
p o in ted D e p u ty W ar F ood A d m in istra to r in charge of th e Office.
(F o r m ain a g ric u ltu ra l objectives, see C hron. item s fo r M ar. 1 a n d
M ar. 7, M. L. R . M ay 1943.) On A pril 15, as one re su lt of th e farm lab o r pro g ram , a g ric u ltu ra l d ra ft deferm en ts n u m b ered 1,012,302.
(Sources: Office of W ar In fo rm atio n , D e p a rtm e n t of A griculture,
AG—373, A G -552; Office of L abor, D e p a rtm e n t of A griculture.)
A pr. 30. S ecretary of L ab o r F ran ces P erk in s re p o rte d to th e P lan n in g P anel,
m ade up of leaders of lab o r a n d m an ag e m en t a n d of G o v ern m en t
officials, on th e w ork of th e w ar sa fe ty -tra in in g p ro g ram of th e U n ited
S tates D e p a rtm e n t of L abor. She said th a t "ap p ro x im a te ly 38,000
key supervisors h av e been tra in e d to c arry resp o n sib ility fo r th e
safety an d h e a lth of w ar w orkers a n d 17,000 a d d itio n a l will be
tra in e d to m eet ex pected dem ands b y J u ly 1944.” T h e S ecretary
also said th a t "P la n s now being developed will enable selected
g rad u ates in tu r n in th e ir own p la n ts to in s tru c t in basic safety
tech n iq u es forem en, a ss ista n t forem en, a n d leadm en, w ho will th e n
give o n -th e-jo b safety in stru c tio n to som e 12,500,000 w orkers.”
(Source: Office of W ar In fo rm a tio n , U. S. D e p a rtm e n t of L ab o r,
O W I-1723.)
A pr. 30. T h e F ed eral P rice A d m in istra to r a n n o u n ced a 4-p o in t p ro g ram " to
control a n d in m a n y in stan ces to roll back th e cost of living' an d th e n
hold i t ” : (1) to ex ten d price co n tro l to ev ery im p o rta n t co m m odity;
(2) to roll back prices th a t g et o u t of h a n d ; for exam ple, those
of m eats a n d fresh an d canned v egetables; (3) to estab lish specific
dollar-and -cen t prices for foods, av ailab le in sm all p rin te d booklets
to every housew ife; a n d (4) to elim in ate illeg itim ate m a rk e ts by
bringing th e "chiseler, th e rack eteer, th e b lack -m a rk e t o p e ra to r to
ju stic e .” (Source: Office of Price A d m in istratio n , te x t of ad d ress
by P ren tiss M. B row n, A pr. 30, 1943.)
Apr. 30. T he G overn m en ts of th e U n ite d S ta te s a n d M exico concluded an
ag reem en t p ro v id in g for te m p o ra ry m ig ratio n of unskilled nonagric u ltu ral M exican w orkers to th e U n ite d S tates. T h e first w orkers
to come in to th e U n ited S ta te s u n d e r th e ag reem en t w ould be 6,000
m aintenance-of-w ay w orkers for railro a d s in th e S o u th w estern a n d
Pacific C oast S ta te s (see p. 240 of th is issue).* T h is ag reem en t like
th e one of A ugust 4, 1942, for a g ric u ltu ra l w orkers, of w hom th e re
were alread y a b o u t 15,000 in C alifornia, A rizona, a n d W ashington,
provides g u aran tees as to wage rates, living conditions, a n d re p a tria
tio n in case of un em p lo y m en t. (Source: D e p a rtm e n t of S ta te
B ulletin, M ay 1, 1943, p. 376; Office of W ar In fo rm a tio n , W ar M an
pow er Com m ission, P M -4 3 7 6 .)
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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405
M AY
1948
M ay 1. T he P resid en t by E xecu tiv e o rd er au th o rized a n d d irected th e Secre
ta r y of th e In te rio r to ta k e over a n d o p erate coal m ines w h erein
strik es existed or th re a te n e d to occur. (Source: E x ecu tiv e .Order
9340. F o r su m m ary of order, see M. L. R . Ju n e 1943, p. 1093.)
T he S ecretary of th e In te rio r, as Solid Fuels A d m in istrato r, im
m ediately se n t directions to 3,400 b itum inous-coal m ining com panies
ta k in g over th e ir m ines in th e nam e of th e U n ited S tates. (Source:
Office of W ar In fo rm atio n , office of th e Solid Fuels A d m in istratio n
for W ar, a n d O W I-1741, O W I-1745.) On M ay 4 th e 6-day week
w as ordered for all G o v ern m en t-o p erated bitu m in o u s-co al a n d
a n th ra c ite m ines (see p. 237 of th is issue for la te r re g u la tio n s). (Source :
O W I-1774.)
F o r issues involved in th e strik e, a n d la te r ev en ts, see page 290 of
th is issue.
M ay 1. T he C hairm an of th e W ar M anpow er C om m ission issued an order
placing m ore th a n 525,000 w orkers in th e steel in d u stry on a m ini
m um 48-hour week basis (see C hron. item for F e b ru a ry 9, M . L. R .
M ay 1943). A t th is tim e th e steel in d u stry w as averaging 41.5
hours a w eek. T he order applied specifically to “b la st furnaces,
steel w orks, a n d rolling m ills,” a n d w as in te n d e d to reduce lab o r
tu rn o v e r w hich w as stim u la te d by o p p o rtu n itie s for ov ertim e p ay
in o th er ind u stries. U nder provisions of th e o rd er no e stab lish m en t
w orking less th a n 48 hours a week a fte r Ju n e 1, 1943, m ig h t hire
an y new w orkers. E stab lish m en ts req u iring th e release of w orkers
because of th e longer w eek w ould have to su b m it schedules on or
a fte r Ju ly 1, 1943, in d icatin g th e tim e o f's u c h release to th e a rea
or regional d irecto r of th e W ar M anpow er Com m ission or his desig
n a te d rep resen tativ e. U pon a p p ro v al of th e schedule th e m inim um
48-hour w eek w ould be established. (Source: Office of W ar In fo r
m atio n , W ar M anpow er Com m ission, P M -4377.)
On M ay 31, th e W ar M anpow er Com m ission issued in stru c tio n s to
all regional w ar m anpow er directors, prov id in g for th e 48-hour
w eek in th e whole steel in d u stry by A u gust 1. I t was e stim a te d
t h a t th e eq u iv a le n t of 50,000 w orkers w ould be a d d e d to th e lab o r
force by th e in tro d u c tio n of th e 48-hour w eek in th e steel in d u stry .
(Source: P M -4396.)
M ay 4. T he O PA ann o u n ced th a t th e d o llar-an d -cen t re ta il ceiling prices
w ould be ex ten d e d to all m a jo r foods. (See C hron. ite m for A pr. 5,
th is issue.) B eginning M ay 10, a group of ceilings w ould go in to
effect each week (perishable fru its, vegetables, a n d luxuries n o t
included). T h e foods an n o u n ced on M ay 9 inclu d ed coffee, sugar,
bread, fluid m ilk, b u tte r, eggs, p o u ltry , frozen fish, e v a p o ra te d an d
condensed m ilk, m acaroni a n d noodle p ro d u cts, shortenings, an d
cooking an d salad oils. In th e su b seq u en t w eek ceilings were a n
nounced for nine canned foods—-peas, corn, to m ato es, to m a to juice,
green beans, peaches, pears, pineapple, a n d fru it cocktail. (Source:
Office of W ar In fo rm atio n , Office of Price A d m in istratio n , O P A 2437, O PA -2520.) (See also C hron. item for M ay 7, th is issue.)
Local ratio n in g b o ard s w ere in stru c te d to a p p o in t price panels to
ad m in ister th e price ceilings a n d to help b u y ers u n d e rs ta n d th em .
(Source: O P A -T -8 6 7 .) On M ay 18 th e Office of P rice A dm inis
tra tio n in stru c te d its regional a n d d istric t officers im m ed iately to
form adviso ry co m m ittees to assist in carry in g o u t th e new ceilings.
(Source: O PA -2528.)
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19 US
M ay 7. T he Price A d m in istra to r anno u n ced th a t th e first roll-back in prices
to w ard th e level of S ep tem b er 15, 1942, w ould be ap p lied to ra tio n e d
foods on Ju n e 1, w hen th e re ta il prices of beef, veal, pork, lam b,
m u tto n , coffee, a n d b u tte r w ould be red u ced ap p ro x im ately 10 p ercent.
(See also C hron. ite m for Apr. 5, th is issue.) H e h ad recom m ended
to th e S ecretary of C om m erce th a t su b sid y p ay m e n ts be m ad e to
processors of th ese foods in ord er to assure p ro d u ctio n . (Source:
Office of W ar In fo rm atio n , Office of P rice A d m in istratio n , O PA -2466.)
On Ju n e 10 th e price of b u tte r was rolled back 10 p ercen t, or 5 to 6
cents p er pou n d . (Source: O PA -2658, O PA -T -1Ô 16.) T h e prices
for all m eats except cured a n d processed p o rk w ere rolled back a b o u t
10 percen t, or 3 cents p er pound, on Ju n e 21; th e roll-back on th e
excepted p o rk w ould be effective Ju ly 5. (Source: O PA -2614,
O PA -2715.)
T he O PA h a d previously an n o u n ced o th e r roll-backs: on M ay 12 it
rolled back th e price of w id e-m outh glass con tain ers used b y com
m ercial p ack ers to th e Ju ly 1, 1941, price level, or 5 to 7.5 p ercen t,
w ith an anno u n ced a n n u a l saving to consum ers of a t least $4,000,000.
(Source: O PA -2435) ; on M ay 25 ceiling prices of p o ta to e s were rolled
back a b o u t 7 p ercen t b y c u ttin g in half th e n u m b er of m ark -u p s m ade
by w holesalers a n d sim ilar d istrib u to rs. (Source: O PA -2579.)
M ay 7. T he P resid en t ap p ro v ed th e “ W ar O vertim e A ct of 1943,” continuing, as
from M ay 1, 1943, th e o vertim e ra te s of com pensation for F ed eral
em ployees, a u th o rized to th a t d a te by th e law of D ecem ber 22, 1942
(see C hron. item for Dec. 22, 1942, M. L. R . F e b ru a ry 1943). T he
new law co n tin u ed m o st of th e provisions of th e old one, b u t w ith
som e im p o rta n t changes a n d ad d itio n s. (Source: P u b lic L aw 49;
for sum m ary , see M o n th ly L ab o r Review , Ju n e 1943, p. 1203.) On
A pril 9 th e P resid en t h a d ap p ro v ed an a c t g ra n tin g te m p o ra ry a d d i
tio n al com pensation a t th e ra te of $300 p er an n u m to em ployees in th e
P o stal Service. (Source: P ublic Law 25.)
M ay 8. T he Office of W ar In fo rm atio n , a fte r a 2-week survey, re p o rte d on B a lti
m ore’s experience in creatin g th e first v o lu n ta ry jo b -co n tro l program .
T he “ B altim o re p la n ” w as m ade public in A ugust 1942 a fte r being
draw n up b y th e W ar M anpow er C om m ission’s a rea ad v iso ry com
m itte e com posed of p ro m in en t in d u stria lists a n d lab o r leaders, w ith
th e purpose of a tta c k in g tra n sp o rta tio n , housing, h ealth , a n d m a n
pow er difficulties. ■A fter 8 m o n th s’ experience u n d er th e plan, B a lti
m ore h ad elim in ated lab o r p iracy in its area, stim u la te d th e re c ru it
m en t of w om an w orkers, expanded tra in in g program s, an d overcom e
prejudice a g ain st th e em p lo y m en t of N egroes. T h e plan, how ever,
pro v id ed little co ntrol over lab o r tu rn o v e r an d m ig ratio n in to th e
city.
Since th e B altim o re p la n was launched, 67 o th e r com m unities have
a d o p ted jo b -co n tro l agreem ents, a n d W ar M anpow er C om m ission
area directo rs are lay in g fo u n d atio n s for sim ilar agreem ents in 105
o th er in d u stria l areas. (Source: Office of W ar In fo rm atio n , O W I1714.)
M ay 11. T h e W ar P ro d u c tio n B o ard an n o u n ced th a t th e conversion of prison
in d u stries to w ar w ork, begun in M ay 1942, has involved 160,000
prisoners in over 100 S ta te prisons. Since th e P re sid e n t h a d by
E xecutive o rd er rem oved th e legal obstacles to th e sale of prisonm ade goods, th e prison w ar co n tra c ts have to ta le d alm o st $8,000,000
to d ate, a n d cover such p ro d u cts as textiles, g arm en ts, shoes, soap,
ju te bags, b u rlap , a n d p ro d u c ts from various m achine shops, foundries,
an d w oodw orking a n d m etal p la n ts. (Source: Office of W ar I n
form ation , W ar P ro d u ctio n B oard, W P B -3503.)
M ay 12. T he D irecto r of E conom ic S tab ilizatio n issued a directiv e clarifying
a n d defining th e E x ecu tiv e o rd er of A pril 8, a n d o u tlin in g th e a u
th o rity of th e N a tio n a l W ar L ab o r B o ard to a d ju s t w ages (for te x t
of order a n d discussion, see M o n th lv L ab o r R eview , Ju n e 1943, p.
1090).
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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407
1943
M ay 12— In order to have wage standards on which to act, the Board was
Con.
authorized “to establish as rapidly as possible, by occupational
groups and labor-market areas, the wage-rate brackets embracing
all those various rates found to be sound and tested going rates. All
the rates w ithin these brackets are to be regarded as stabilized rates
* * * .” In the establishm ent of wage brackets the Board is aided
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Wage and Hour D ivision of the
D epartm ent of Labor, and the tripartite panels of the regional
boards. (Sources: Office of Economic Stabilization, Press Release
of M ay 12, 1943; Office of War Information, N ational War Labor
Board, B -763.)
On M ay 19 the N ational War Labor Board instructed its regional
boards to deal w ith the following cases at their discretion, subject
to the E xecutive order of April 8 and its clarification on M ay 12 by
the Director of Economic Stabilization: (1) Intraplant adjustm ents
necessary to do equity but not m entioned by the M ay 12 directive;
(2) “applications by employers not under the Fair Labor Standards
Act to pay tim e and one-half for hours over 40, or to change from a
fluctuating to a fixed workweek for the purpose of com puting over
tim e * * *” ; (3) “adjustm ents incident to the im provem ent of
working conditions fe. g., night-shift bonuses, vacation pay, sick
leave] which do not involve increasing basic wage rates, and which
do not exceed the sound prevailing practice in the industry or area.”
(Source: Office of War Information, N ational War Labor Board,
B -674.)
M ay 15. The War Manpower Commission issued a regional em ploym ent-stabili
zation plan for region IV (the D istrict of Columbia, Virginia, M ary
land, W est Virginia, N orth Carolina), effective M ay 15. (See also
Chron. item for N ov. 22, 1942, M. L. R. February 1943.) (Source:
Office of War Information, War Manpower Commission, P M -4385.)
M ay 17. The War Food Administration and the Office of Price Administration
announced the establishm ent of a 9-member War M eat Board in
Chicago, to represent the m eat industry and civilian and military
branches of the Government in the allocation and distribution of the
national m eat supply among the armed forces, the civilians, and the
Lend-Lease agencies. (Source: Office of War Information, D epart
m ent of Agriculture, A G -426.)
M ay 18. The War Manpower Commission announced th at about 5,500 employers
had filed replacement schedules w ith State directors of Selective Ser
vice, “providing for the orderly induction of approxim ately 3,000,000
industrial workers now deferred from m ilitary service as ‘necessary
m en’ in essential civilian activities.” (Source: Office of War In
formation, War Manpower Commission, P M -4388, PM -4395.)
On June 1, the Chairman of the War Manpower Commission an
nounced that m ilitary manpower requirements would permit only
about 1,500,000 industrial deferments by December 31, 1943. (Source :
PM -4395.)
On June 15, occupational deferment of men 18 to 24 on July 1 who are
not fathers was limited, by instructions from the Commission, to 6
m onths. Fathers were not to be scheduled for release by employers
before October 1, 1943. (Source: PM -4399.)
May 24. The War Production Board announced the results of its first survey
of labor-management production committees, after a year of opera
tion. On the basis of reports from 800 of the 2,000 com m ittees being
canvassed, the Board reported that the principal activities of the com
m ittees are information and morale-building programs, suggestions
system s, conservation of materials, safety, transportation, absenteeism,
care of tools and equipment, production problems, quality control,
training, and nutrition and health. (Source: Office of War Informa
tion, War Production Board, W PB-3576.)
B y July 10, 1943, there were in existence some 2,250 labor-manage
m ent production comm ittees, representing about 4,800,000 workers.
(Source: War Production Board, War Production Drive Headquar
ters.)
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1943
May 24. The N ational War Labor Board extended the life of the advisory D aily
Newspaper Printing and Publishing Panel (see Chron. item for Feb. 24,
M. L. R. M ay 1943), “pending a review by the Board of the work
of the panel, and the Board’s determ ination as to what finally should
be done.” (Source: Office of War Information, N ational War Labor
Board, B -662.) On June 16 the panel was authorized, subject to the
Board’s review, “to make final decisions on all unanim ously passed
voluntary wage or salary adjustm ent cases where the increase falls
within the Board’s 15-percent cost-of-living m aladjustm ent form ula.”
(Source: B -733.) However, on July 3, indirectly because of a pro
vision in the War Labor D isputes Law of June 25, the panel was
returned to its advisory status. (Source: B -780.)
May 26. The N ational War Labor Board adopted a general order forbidding the
granting w ithout its approval, of wage increases in individual cases,
based on merit, promotion or reclassification, apprentice or trainee
system s, or on length of service. N ot requiring Board approval are
cases conforming to (1) a collective-bargaining agreement in existence
on M ay 31, 1943, (2) the em ployer’s practice before October 27, 1942,
(3) a schedule specifically approved by the Board, and (4) methods
and standards established by the Board. (See Chron. item for Oct. 9,
1942, M. L. R. February 1943.) (Source: Office of War Information,
N ational War Labor Board, B -680; General Order No. 31.)
May 27. The President by E xecutive order created the Office of War M obiliza
tion, under the direction of Justice James F. Byrnes, to be assisted by a
War M obilization Committee composed of the Secretary of War, the
Secretary of the N avy, the Chairman of the M unitions Assignment
Board, the Chairman of the War Production Board, and the Economic
Stabilization Director. Heads of departm ents and agencies will sit
with the Committee when questions relating to their departments or
agencies come up for consideration.
The Office of War M obilization, with the advice of the Com m ittee and
subject to the direction and control of the President, shall (1) develop
unified programs and establish policies for the maximum use of the
N ation’s resources and manpower, and (2) unify and harmonize
Government activities concerned with the production and distribution
of m ilitary or civilian goods. (For text of E xecutive order, see
M onthly Labor Review, June 1943, p. 1089.) (Source: W hite House,
Press release of May 28, 1943, E xecutive Order N o. 9347.)
May 27. The President by E xecutive order created a new Com m ittee on Fair
Em ploym ent Practice, empowering it to “conduct hearings, make find
ings of fact, and take appropriate steps to obtain elim ination” of “dis
crimination in the em ploym ent of any person in war industries or in
Government by reason of race, creed, color, or national origin.”
(Source: W hite House, Executive Order No. 9346. For summary, see
M onthly Labor Review, July 1943, p. 32.)
Monsignor Francis J. Haas was appointed chairman of the com m ittee.
The six other members of the com m ittee were appointed to represent
labor and industry equally. (Source: W hite House, Press release of
July 1, 1943.)
JU N E
June 4. The N ational War Labor Board announced th at the E xecutive order
of April 8 did not prevent adjustm ents in wage rates w ithout the
Board’s {approval “to equalize wage or salary rates paid to females
with the rates paid to males for comparable quantity and quality of
work on the same or similar operations in the same plant.” (See
Chron. item for N ov. 24, 1942, M. L. R. February 1943.) (Source:
Office of War Information, N ational War Labor Board, B -693.)
June 5. The ¡National War Labor Board, in a unanimous decision, in a case
concerning the Southport Petroleum Co., ordered the abolition of
pay differentials between white and Negro workers performing the
same ty p e of work. (Source: Office of War Information, N ational
War Labor Board, B -702. For summary, see M onthly Labor Review,
July 1943, p. 31.)
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409
1943
June 9. The President approved the Current Tax Paym ent Act of 1943.
This act put income tax paying on a current basis by canceling $50
of the 1942 or 1943— whichever is smaller—yearly income tax owed
up to $66.67, and 75 percent of the tax over $66.67. The remaining
25 percent was made payable, half on March 15, 1944, and half on
March 15, 1945. The larger tax, either for 1942 or 1943, will be paid
from the am ount accumulating to the taxpayer’s credit from his two
quarterly tax paym ents in 1943, part of his Victory Tax (see Chron.
item for Oct. 21, 1942, M. L. R. February 1943), and from the de
ductions to be made from his pay checks by his employer after June
30, 1943. Employers were instructed to withhold 20 percent of each
em ployee’s pay, after proper exemptions. N ot subject to the w ith
holding tax are farm and domestic workers, members of the armed
forces, clergymen, and certain others.
Self-employers and others with taxable incomes will have to file esti
m ates of their yearly earnings by March 15 of the taxable year and
make quarterly tax paym ents. Farmers, however, were given time
until the fifteenth day of the last m onth of the taxable year to file
estim ates of their tax.
All taxpayers will file their final returns for the preceding year on
or before March 15, as has been done heretofore. The difference
between the estim ated tax and the withheld tax will then be adjusted.
(Source: Public Law 68.)
June 9. The Office of Price Administration announced that it had created m a
chinery for the formation of advisory com m ittees to cover all industries
affected by OPA price regulations. Hitherto, the 92 existing industry
advisory comm ittees had been formed at the request of industries
exercising their right under the Emergency Price Control Act.
The OPA also announced that in this connection “opportunity would
be given for consultation with representatives of organized labor
through the OPA Labor Policy Committee, established more than a
year ago, and through subcom mittees to be set up by the Labor Policy
Committee. The subcom mittees are be to composed of representatives
of particular unions interested in particular price regulations.”
(Source: Office of War Information, Office of Price Administration,
OPA-2654.)
June 15. War Production Board Chairman Donald M. Nelson, at the conclusion
of a meeting of the W PB Labor-M anagement Council (see Chron.
item for Mar. 30, M. L. R. M ay 1943), announced the creation of
two new offices within the War Production Board— Manpower Liaison
and Labor Production— in order to enable the active participation of
men from labor’s ranks in W PB policy making. The heads or vice
chairmen of the two new offices (Clinton S. Golden, C. I. O., and Joseph
D. Keenan, A. F. of L.) report directly to E xecutive Vice Chairman
Charles E. Wilson on matters pertaining to the determination of labor
requirements and increasing labor productivity. (Source: Office of
War Information, War Production Board, W PB-3896.)
On June 16 the Chairman of the War Manpower Commission an
nounced the appointment of Mr. Golden as Vice Chairman of the
Commission, as a further step to coordinate the operations with respect
to labor relations of the two organizations. (Source: Office of War
Information, War Manpower Commission, P M -4402.)
June 23. The President approved an act to protect the reemployment rights of
persons entering the merchant marine. (For summary of act, see
page 307, this issue). (Source: Public Law 87.)
June 23. The War Manpower Commission announced the completion of plans
for the establishm ent and operation of the first U. S. E m ploym ent
Service office in Puerto Rico. (Source: Office of War Information,
War Manpower Commission, PM -4403.)
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Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
19^3
June 25. Congress by a two-thirds vote passed the War Labor Disputes Act
over the President’s veto of the same day. (For summary of act, see
page 305, this issue.) (Sources: Public Law 89; W hite House, Press
Release of June 25, 1943.
June 27. T he N ational War Labor Board announced th at it had accepted juris
diction over the formal review of wages in shipyards. Under the
President’s E xecutive Order No. 9250, of October 3, 1942, the Ship
building Stabilization Committee has no authority to approve changes
in prevailing wage rates. Approximately a million workers in 188
shipyards are covered by the stabilization agreements.
(Source:
Office of War Information, N ational War Labor Board, B -670.)
June 29. The N ational War Labor Board announced th at nonprofit organiza
tions operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, literary, or
educational purposes m ay obtain exemption, upon application, “from
the necessity of filing applications for approval of wage and salary
adjustm ents of em ployees within the jurisdiction of the Board.” All
wage adjustments, however, will have to comply with the national
wage and salary stabilization program. (Source: Office of War Infor
mation, N ational War Labor Board, B -762.)
June 30. The War Manpower Commission authorized its regional directors to
classify laundries as “locally needed,” and hence “eligible for the same
preferential treatm ent now accorded essential war industries under
stabilization plans now in operation throughout the country.” In order
to qualify for preferential treatm ent— which includes referral of workers
by the U. S. E m ploym ent Service, protection from labor piracy, and
the stabilization of their labor force— laundries would have to comply
with the Commission’s standards, aimed at the discontinuance of
luxury services. (Source: Office of War Information, War Manpower
Commission, P M -4410.)
June 30. The N ational War Labor Board, by a vote of 8 to 4 (the labor members
dissenting), reaffirmed its decision of M ay 21, 1943, which granted a
general wage increase of 3 cents per hour— to correct maladjustm ents
and provide a differential increase for night-shift workers— to approxi
m ately 76,000 employees in the Akron, Ohio, plants of the “big four”
rubber companies (United States Rubber Co., B. F. Goodrich Co.,
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., and Firestone Tire & Rubber Co.).
The Board reversed its panel’s recommendations of a m aladjustm ent
allowance of 8 cents per hour, holding th at the panel had erred in con
sidering the Akron companies as separate cases. The Board decided
th at “the industry approach to these cases is not only practical and
equitable but the only approach which will provide for the stabiliza
tion of wages required under the N ational Economic Stabilization
policy.” (Source: Office of War Information, N ational War Labor
Board, B -770, D irective Order of M ay 21, 1943.)
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Recent Publications o f Labor Interest
AUGUST 1943
Agriculture and Agricultural Labor
B y Paul S. Taylor.
(In Rural Sociology, Raleigh, N . C., June 1943, pp. 139-148. 75 cents.)
E ff e c ts o f w a r on th e s o c ia l a n d e c o n o m ic s ta tu s o f f a r m la b o r e r s .
By Charles M. Smith. (In Agricultural Situation,
U. S. Bureau of Agricultural Economics, W ashington, June 1943, pp. 12-14.
5 cents, Superintendent of D ocum ents, W ashington.)
Brief account of the program for recruitment and transportation of Mexican
farm laborers for work in the United States, under the 1942 international agree
m e n t between the two nations. Includes information on number of workers
recruited, selection and transportation procedures, distribution by States, and
grower-worker relations.
F a r m w o r k e r s f r o m M e x ic o .
Ottawa, Dominion D epartm ent of
Agriculture, Agricultural Supplies Board, 1943. 44 pp.
Statistics of proposed production are given for individual crops.
O b je c tiv e s f o r C a n a d ia n a g r ic u ltu r e i n 1 9 4 3 .
Child Labor and Child Welfare
B y Ella Arvilla Merritt, U. S. Children’s
Bureau. W ashington, U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1943. 20 pp. (Serial
No. R 1520; reprinted from March 1943 M onthly Labor Review w ith addi
tional data.) Free.
T r e n d o f c h ild la b o r , 1 9 3 9 to 1 9 4 2 .
Albany,
D epartm ent of Labor, Division of Women in Industry and Minimum Wage,
June 1943. 26 pp.; mimeographed.
A n a b s tr a c t o f la w s g o v e r n in g th e e m p lo y m e n t o f m in o r s i n N e w Y o r k S ta te .
Ottawa, Canadian Welfare Council, 1942. 22
pp., bibliography; mimeographed.
Outlines the basic functions of child-welfare services, the framework of daynursery organization, and plans for such an agency. Includes also provisions for
children of school age and suggestions for foster-home day care.
D a y c a r e o f c h ild r e n i n w a r tim e .
Consumer Problems
B y Brooks Spivey Creedy. N ew York, W oman’s
Press, 1942. 72 pp. 35 cents.
Covers such subjects as food, clothing, housing, health, personal care, recrea
tion, savings, credit, and insurance, with suggested projects designed to arouse
com m unity interest and study.
C o n s u m e r p r o b le m s a n d p r o je c ts .
B y Leland J.
Gordon. N ew York, Harper & Bros., 1943. 154 pp. $1.75.
The stated purpose of this book is to offer helpful suggestions to consumers on
how to spend their money wisely in these days of abnormal conditions. T itles
of the five chapters are: You are always a consumer; W hat war does to you as a
consumer; W hat do you really want?; Getting your m oney’s worth; Making the
m ost of it.
C o n s u m e r s i n w a r tim e : A g u id e to f a m i l y e c o n o m y i n th e e m e r g e n c y .
E d it o r ’s N o t e .—Correspondence regarding the publications to which reference is made in this list
should be addressed to the respective publishing agencies mentioned. Where data on prices were readily
available, they have been shown with the title entries. The amounts do not include postage, and also
they are subject to change.
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411
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
412
B y W illiam Trufant Foster. N ew ton,
Mass., Poliak Foundation, 1942. 22 pp. (Poliak pam phlet No. 45.) 10
cents.
Argues against further Government control of credit (loans, installm ent buying,
etc.) and contends th at inflation should be controlled, rather, by controlling
“the main streams of purchasing power.”
D a m m i n g a n d d iv e r s io n o f c o n s u m e r c r e d it.
Cooperative Movement
c o o p e r a tiv e m o v e m e n t a n d p o s t- w a r r e c o n s tr u c tio n .
By James M cFadyen.
Montreal, International Labor Office, 1943. 6 pp.; mimeographed. (Co
operative Information, No. 4, 1943.)
Points out the great possibilities of use, in post-war reconstruction, of the co
operative network in collection and distribution of food and other supplies, in
connection with medical care, etc.
The
W ashington, U. S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics, 1943. 17 pp. (Bull. No. 738; reprinted from March 1943
» - M onthly Labor Review.) 5 cents, Superintendent of D ocum ents, Wash
ington.
D e v e lo p m e n ts i n c o n s u m e r s ’ c o o p e r a tio n i n 1 9 4 2 .
By L. S. Hulbert. W ashington, U. S.
Farm Credit Administration, 1942. 456 pp. (Bull. No. 50.) 55 cents,
Superintendent of D ocum ents, W ashington.
Gives the legal provisions and relevant court decisions on the various points
cooperative associations need to know: Matters relating to organization, incor
poration, boards of directors, officers and employees, meetings of associations,
marketing contracts, taxes, etc. D ata relate to agricultural-cooperative laws and
decisions regarding them , but much of the information is also helpful to consumers’
cooperatives. Revision of previous bulletins.
L e g a l p h a s e s o f c o o p e r a tiv e a s s o c ia tio n s .
R e s e a r c h g u id e o n c o o p e r a tiv e g r o u p f a r m i n g : A re s e a r c h b ib lio g r a p h y o n r u r a l c o o p
e r a tiv e p r o d u c tio n a n d c o o p e r a tiv e c o m m u n itie s . B y Joseph W. Eaton and Saul
M. Katz.
N ew York, H. W. Wilson Co., 1942. 86 pp. $1.
U n ite d S t a te s , 194-1.
W ashington, U. S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics, 1943. 42 pp. (Bull. No. 740; reprinted from April 1943
M onthly Labor Review, with additional data.) 10 cents, Superintendent
of D ocum ents, W ashington.
S t u d e n t c o o p e r a tiv e s i n th e
By James D. Lecron. (In Foreign
Commerce W eekly, U. S. D epartm ent of Commerce, W ashington, M ay 22,
1943, pp. 14, 15, 37.) 10 cents, Superintendent of D ocum ents, W ashington.
C o o p e r a tiv e m o v e m e n ts i n S o u th A m e r ic a .
Education and Training
D ig e s t o f a n n u a l r e p o r ts o f S ta te B o a r d s f o r V o c a tio n a l E d u c a tio n to th e U . S . O ffice
o f E d u c a tio n , V o c a tio n a l D i v i s io n , f is c a l y e a r e n d e d J u n e 3 0 , 1 9 4 2 . Washing
ton, U. S. Office of Education, 1943. 59 pp., charts.
Contains summaries of reports of the war-production vocational-education
program, and on the agricultural, trade and industrial, home economics, and
business education programs.
T r a in in g a n d A d ju s tm e n t.
N ew York,
Columbia U niversity, Teachers College, Institute of Adult Education, 1942.
54 pp. Free.
Statem ent of principles, relating to the educational problems of returning
soldiers, sailors, and displaced war-industry workers, which will have to be met
after the close of the war.
R e p o r t o f ‘th e C o m m is s io n o n P o s t - W a r
New York, N ational Industrial Conference Board,
Inc., 1943. 16 pp. (Studies in personnel policy, No. 55.)
Tabulation of estim ates of the number of minimum training hours required
for alm ost 600 jobs, based on reports from 31 companies.
T im e s c h e d u le s i n jo b t r a in in g .
London, M inistry of Works and
Planning, Central Council for Works and Buildings, Education Committee,
1942. 56 pp. Is.
Describes existing schemes for training building craftsmen in Great Britain
and makes recommendations as to the training of both youths and men to meet
the labor needs of a rapidly expanding building industry after the war.
R e p o r t o n t r a i n i n g f o r th e b u ild in g i n d u s t r y .
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
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Recent Publications of Labor Interest
413
Health and Industrial Hygiene
W ashington, U. S. Office of Civilian
Defense, 1943. 12 pp., bibliography. (M edical D ivision Bull. No. 7; OCD
publication 3061.)
Outline of the organization by the Office of Civilian D efense of medical serv
ices in industrial plants to assure adequate medical care in the event of a wartime
disaster.
E m e r g e n c y m e d ic a l s e r v ic e i n i n d u s t r i a l p l a n t s .
By Leonard Greenburg,
M. D ., Adelaide Ross Smith, M. D ., M ay R. Mayers, M. D . Albany,
N ew York D epartm ent of Labor, 1942. 64 pp., plans, illus. (Special bull.
No. 213.) 35 cents.
E s s e n t i a l s o f i n d u s t r i a l h e a lth .
By C. 0 . Sappington, M. D. Philadelphia,
J. B. Lippincott Co., 1943. 626 pp., illus. $6.50.
This volum e is divided into three parts. Part I, on industrial health adminis
tration, discusses the extent of occupational morbidity and m ortality and indus
trial medical services. Part II, on industrial hygiene and toxicology, covers the
various industrial health hazards and methods of control. Part III, on industrial
medicine and traum atic surgery, deals with the adaptation of the worker to his
job; the incidence, costs, and prevention of industrial accidents, occupational
diseases, nonoccupational disabilities; and workmen’s compensation and re
habilitation.
E s s e n t i a l s o f h e a lth m a in te n a n c e i n i n d u s t r i a l p l a n t s .
o f a n i n d u s t r i a l h y g ie n e p r o g r a m .
W ashington, U. S. Public H ealth
Service, 1943. 13 pp. (Supplement No. 171 to Public H ealth Reports.)
5 cents, Superintendent of D ocum ents, W ashington.
The outline presents the basic structure of an effective hygiene program for
industrial plants.
O u tlin e
B y Yandell Henderson and Howard W. Haggard. N ew York, Reinhold Publishing
Corp., 1943. 294 pp. (American Chemical Society monograph series.)
2d and revised ed. $3.50.
N o x io u s g a s e s a n d th e p r i n c i p l e s o f r e s p i r a t i o n i n f lu e n c in g th e ir a c tio n .
B y M ay R.
Albany, New York D epartm ent of Labor, 1943. 14 pp.
S t u d y o f f u n d a m e n t a l s i n p r e v e n tio n o f le a d p o is o n in g i n i n d u s t r y .
Mayers, M. D .
5 cents.
B y Leonard Green
burg, M. D ., and others. (In Industrial Bulletin, N ew York State D epart
m ent of Labor, Albany, March 1943, pp. 122-125; April 1943, pp. 169, 170.
10 cents each.)
D eals with the toxicity of toluene as shown by physical exam inations of 106
painters in an airplane factory in N ew York State. N o severe illness was found
among these workers but some abnormalities were found which were regarded
as evidence of mild intoxication.
E f f e c ts o f e x p o s u r e to to lu e n e u s e d a s c o m p o n e n t o f p a i n t s .
Industrial Accidents and Workmen’s Compensation
C h an ges in
i n j u r y f r e q u e n c y r a te s a n d e m p lo y m e n t i n
m a n u f a c tu r in g ,
1 9 3 6 -4 1 .
Washington, U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1943. 6 pp. (Serial N o. R.
1528; reprinted from May 1943 M onthly Labor Review.) Free.
S a f e t y g u id e f o r th e f a r m a n d h o m e f r o n t .
Minneapolis, Minn., General Mills,
Inc., D epartm ent of Public Services, [1942?]. 24 pp. Free.
By Roy S. Bonsib. (In Indus
trial Safety Survey, International Labor Office, M ontreal, April-June 1943,
pp. 41-66; illus. 50 cents.)
S a f e g u a r d in g p e tr o le u m r e fin e r ie s a n d th e ir w o r k e r s .
S p e c if ic a tio n s f o r p r o te c tiv e o c c u p a tio n a l f o o tw e a r :
W o m e n ’s s a f e ty - to e (o x fo r d ) sh o e s.
N ew York,
tion, 1943.
respectively.
M e n ’s
s a f e ty - to e
sh o e s ,
e tc .,
American Standards Associa
2 pamphlets, 23 and 12 pp., diagrams, illus. 40 and 25 cents,
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
414
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
By W arren
L. H an n a. B erkeley, Calif., W orkm en’s C o m pensation R ep o rter, 1943.
619 pp. $10.
D iscusses th e background of w orkm en’s com pensation, general principles of
com pensation law, a n d questions related to th e a d m in istra tio n of th e C alifornia
law.
I n d u s t r i a l A c c id e n t C o m m is s io n p r a c tic e a n d p r o c e d u r e , w ith f o r m s .
W o r k m e n 's c o m p e n s a tio n — a n o u tlin e o f le g is la tio n i n th e U n ite d S ta te s a n d T e r r i
to r ie s , a s o f J a n u a r y 1 , 1 9 4 3 .
W ashington, U. S. D e p a rtm e n t of L abor,
D ivision of L ab o r S tan d ard s, 1943.
d istrib u tio n .
33 pp.
(Bull. No. 56.)
L im ited free
Negro in Industry
T h e N e g r o 's s h a r e — a s t u d y o f in c o m e , c o n s u m p tio n , h o u s in g , a n d p u b lic a s s is ta n c e .
B y R ichard S terner. N ew Y ork, H a rp e r & Bros., 1943. 433 pp. $4.50.
One of a series of special studies on th e A m erican N egro, sponsored an d financed
by th e C arnegie C orp o ratio n of N ew Y ork. T he m ajo r su b jects of discussion are
occupational a n d em plo y m en t tren d s, fam ily com position, fam ily incom es an d
expenditures, ru ra l an d u rb a n housing conditions, an d social w elfare, including
th e share of th e N egro in subsidized housing an d th e a d v an ta g es of th e W ork
P ro jects A dm inistratio n , th e Civilian C onservation Corps, th e N a tio n a l Y o u th
A d m inistration, an d th e F a rm Security A dm in istratio n .
R e p o r t o f th e M a s s a c h u s e tts C o m m is s io n o n th e E m p l o y m e n t P r o b le m s o f N e g r o e s .
B oston, 1942. 38 pp.
R ecom m ends th e a p p o in tm e n t of a legislative com m ission to in v estig ate th e
condition of th e colored u rb a n p o p u latio n of M assach u setts, including housing,
h ealth , em ploym ent, edu catio n , delinquency, an d crime.
Occupations
i n c h e m is tr y .
By V. F. K im ball an d M. R. B hagw at. Chicago,
Science R esearch Associates, 1943. 48 p p ., illus. (A m erican job series,
O ccupational m o nograph No. 37.) 60 cents.
T he various ty p es of w ork done by chem ists are described an d in form ation is
given on educational requirem ents, salaries, etc.
Y o u r fu tu r e
B y E dw ard Schm id a n d M ichael B rand. Chicago, Science
R esearch A ssociates, 1943. 48 p p ., bibliography, illus. (A m erican job
series, O ccupational m onograph No. 34.) 60 cents.
L ists th e ty p es of p ro d u cts m an u factu red an d describes briefly w h a t in stru m e n t
w orkers do, job requirem ents, train in g , wages, a n d w orking conditions.
I n s tr u m e n t m a k e r s .
w a n t to be a n u r s e ? B y D o ro th y S u th erlan d .
G arden C ity, N. Y.,
D oubleday, D oran & Co., Inc., 1942. 186 p p ., bibliography. $2.'
D o you
B y E sth e r Lucile Brow n. N ew Y ork, R ussell Sage
F o u n d atio n , 1942. 232 p p ., 4 th ed. $1.
T he a u th o r discusses changing concepts of social w ork an d its scope, schools
an d colleges offering courses in social w ork, a n d n a tio n al associations. T he
dem and for social w orkers, salaries, a n d cu rre n t tren d s in social w ork are also
discussed.
S o c ia l w o r k a s a p r o f e s s io n .
n a c io n a l d e o c u p a c io n e s , 1 9 4 0 [M é x ic o ],
México, D. F., Secre
ta ría de la E conom ía N acional, D irección G eneral de E stad ística, 1941.
1062 pp.
D etailed classification of o ccupations by in d u stries in Mexico, conform ing to
th e occu p atio n al n o m en clatu re used in th e M exican census of 1940; w ith a dis
cussion of th e changes in n o m en clatu re w hich have ta k e n place from one to
a n o th e r of th e various censuses since 1895.
N o m e n c la tu r a
Post-War Reconstruction
E d ite d by Seym our E. H arris. N ew Y ork and
London, M cG raw -H ill Book Co., Inc., 1943. 417 pp. $3.50.
Sym posium of articles on p o st-w ar problem s, p re p a re d by G o v ern m en t a n d nonG overnm ent econom ists. T he sta te m e n ts of th e c o n trib u to rs are th e ir personal
views, b u t, according to th e editor, in general th e y ap pro v e th e p o st-w ar objectives
of full em ploym ent, high p ro d u c tiv ity , eq u itab le d istrib u tio n of incom e, a n d re
m oval of tra d e barriers. T he a'uthors also agree, alm o st unanim ously, t h a t "if
p riv a te enterprise does n o t p rovide a high level of em p lo y m en t a n d a reasonably
high sta n d a rd of living, G overn m en t in te rv e n tio n is im p e ra tiv e .”
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
P o s t - w a r e c o n o m ic p r o b le m s .
Recent Publications of Labor Interest
415
F o rm u la te d by th e In te rA m erican Ju rid ical C om m ittee a n d su b m itte d to th e G overnm ents of th e
A m erican republics by th e governing b o ard of th e P a n A m erican U nion.
W ashington, P an A m erican U nion, 1942. V arious p aging; m im eographed.
P r e l i m i n a r y r e c o m m e n d a tio n o n p o s t- w a r p r o b le m s .
N ew Y ork, T extile W orkers U nion of A m erica, C IO , [1943?].
14 pp. 15 cents.
P o st-w ar p rogram of th e T extile W orkers U nion of A m erica dealing w ith lab o r
a n d econom ic phases of p o st-w ar reco n stru ctio n .
T ow a rd a n ew d a y.
N ew Y ork, N a tio n a l In d u s tria l Conference B oard,
Inc., 1943. 71 pp.
T he info rm atio n is divided in to sep a ra te sections, show ing th e p o st-w ar p lan n in g
activ ities of different groups.
B r itis h p o s t-w a r p la n n in g .
G r e a t B r i t a i n i n th e p o s t- w a r w o r ld .
L td ., 1942.
168 pp.
B y G. D. H . Cole.
L ondon, V ictor Gollancz,
6s.
B y A rth u r G reenwood. L ondon, L ab o r P a rty , 1943. 11 pp. 2d.
A plea for p o st-w ar p lan n in g while th e w ar is still in progress, to avoid being
u n p rep a red w hen th e tim e comes for action.
N e v e r a g a in .
Prices and Price Control
W e s te r n p r ic e s b e fo re 1 8 6 1 — a s t u d y o f th e C i n c i n n a t i m a r k e t.
B y T hom as Senior
B erry. C am bridge, M ass., H a rv a rd U n iv ersity Press, 1943. 645 pp.,
bibliography, charts. (H a rv a rd econom ic studies, L X X IV .) $5.
T his volum e is m uch m ore th a n a sta tistic a l com pilation or analysis of prices.
P a rt I gives th e general back g ro u n d of th e C in cin n ati m a rk e t a n d discusses tra n s
p o rta tio n ra te s an d costs. P a rt I I ta k e s up com m odity prices a n d gives acco u n ts
of th e m ajo r in d u stries a n d p ro d u cts. P a rt I I I discusses cyclical m o v em en ts in
prices in relatio n to currency a n d b an k in g a n d to specu latio n a n d in v e stm e n t.
M uch in form ation is also given regarding prices a n d re la te d su b jects in various
o th e r cities.
R a t i o n i n g a n d p r ic e c o n tr o l i n G r e a t B r i t a i n .
B y Jules B ack m an . W ashington,
B rookings In s titu tio n , 1943. 68 pp. (P am p h let N o. 50.)
D iscusses th e m ethods a n d resu lts of ratio n in g , a n d co ntrol of prices of food a n d
nonfood p ro d u cts an d services a n d re n t in G reat B ritain . T he relatio n sh ip of
th e G o v ern m en t’s fiscal policy to price co ntrol is also discussed a n d th e highlights
of B ritish experience, p a rt of w hich can be usefully ap p lied to th e U n ited S ta te s,
are sum m arized.
W a r t i m e c o n tr o l o f p r ic e s i n S o u th A f r i c a .
By R . H . S m ith. (In S o u th A frican
Jo u rn a l of Econom ics, Jo h an n esb u rg , M arch 1943, pp. 11-23; ch a rt. 6s.)
Production and Productivity of Labor
L e a r n in g p e r io d s o f s e le c te d o c c u p a tio n s i n th e m a c h in e b ra n c h o f th e c ig a r i n d u s t r y .
N ew Y ork, U. S. D e p a rtm e n t of L abor, W age an d H o u r a n d P ublic C o n tracts
D ivisions, 1943. 27 p p ., c h a rts; m im eographed. Free.
T he re p o rt is concerned p rim arily w ith p ro d u ctio n of learners in relatio n to
th a t of experienced w orkers, b u t d a ta on average hourly earnings of learners are
included.
P r o d u c t i v i t y o f a p p r e n tic e p o lis h e r s , a t v a r io u s s ta g e s o f a p p r e n t i c e s h i p , i n th e
d ia m o n d c u ttin g i n d u s t r y o n th e m a i n l a n d ( U . S .) a n d i n P u e r to R ic o .
New
Y ork, U. S. D e p a rtm e n t of L abor, W age a n d H o u r a n d P ublic C o n tracts
D ivisions, 1943. 27 p p ., c h a rts; m im eographed. Free.
P r i n c i p l e s o f p r o d u c tio n c o n tr o l— office a i d \to th e f a c t o r y .
L ondon, B ritish
S tan d ard s In s titu tio n , 1943. 16 pp. 6d.
T his p a m p h let w as p rep ared w ith th e a p p ro v al of th e B ritish M in ister of P ro
duction and deals w ith p ro d u ctio n -co n tro l m ethods to be used by engineering
firms.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
416
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
Sickness Insurance and Medical Care
B y Joseph W.
M o u n tin an d E v ely n F look. W ashington, U. S. P u b lic H e a lth Service,
1943. V arious paging. (P ublic H e a lth Bull. No. 184. 3d ed.)
D i s t r i b u t io n o f h e a lth s e r v ic e s i n th e s tr u c tu r e o f S t a t e G o v e r n m e n t.
[C a n a d a ]
O ttaw a,
558 p p ., m ap.
H e a lth in s u r a n c e : R e p o r t o f th e A d v is o r y C o m m itte e o n H e a lth I n s u r a n c e
a p p o i n t e d b y O r d e r i n C o u n c il P . C . 8 3 6 d a te d F e b r u a r y 5 , 1 9 4 3 .
[D e p a rtm e n t of Pensions a n d N a tio n a l H ealth?], 1943.
$1.50 (C anadian currency).
C ontains th e te x t of a d ra ft bill for h e a lth insurance on a com pulsory a n d
c o n trib u to ry basis, a historical survey of social secu rity , a com prehensive re p o rt
on v o lu n ta ry an d com pulsory h ealth -in su ran ce schem es in o p eratio n in different
countries, an d a sta tistic a l survey of public h e a lth in C anada.
E f ic a c ia y e c o n o m ía d e la s p r e s ta c io n e s m é d ic a s y f a r m a c é u t i c s d e l S e g u r o d e E n
fe rm e d a d [E cu a d o r].
By A. Lopéz Sáa. (In B oletín de Inform aciones y de
E stu d io s Sociales y Económ icos, In s titu to N acional de P revisión, Q uito,
S eptem ber 1942, pp. 11-21.)
E x am in atio n of th e a d m in istra tio n of m edical a n d p h arm aceu tical benefits to
w orkers in E c u ad o r since 1938 u n d er th e sickness-insurance system , w ith sug
gestions for im proving th e system .
Social Security
J o b in s u r a n c e f o r th e r e tu r n in g s o ld ie r — a p r o g r a m f o r th e ir d e m o b i l i z a t i o n a n d r e
tu r n to g a in f u l e m p lo y m e n t.
N ew Y ork, A m erican A ssociation for th e P re
vention of U nem ploym ent, 1943.
8 pp.
E d ite d by R o b e rt H . Skilton. P h ila
delphia, A m erican A cadem y of P olitical a n d Social Science, M ay 1943.
213 pp. (T he A nnals, Vol. 227.) $2.
Subjects covered by th e articles in th is issue of T h e A nnals include allow ances
for servicem en’s dependents, provisions for ta k in g care of civil liabilities of service
m en th ro u g h th e Soldiers’ a n d S ailors’ Civil Relief Act, reem p lo y m en t of v eterans,
an d governm ent aid in th e form of reed u catio n , pensions, u n em p lo y m en t insurance,
etc.
S m a l l b u s in e s s w a n ts o ld -a g e s e c u r ity .
B y F re d Safier. W ashington, 1943.
36 pp. (Senate com m ittee p rin t N o. 17, 7 8th Cong., 1st sess.)
T his s tu d y was m ade in connection w ith th e w ork of th e Special C om m ittee to
S tu d y P roblem s of A m erican Sm all B usiness of th e U. S. S enate. T h e re p o rt
quotes extensively from le tte rs of sm all businessm en, a n d explains how th e y cam e
to be excluded from th e social-security pro g ram , w hy sm all businessm en need oldage security, a n d how old-age insurance could be ad m in istered for th em .
S o c ia l S e c u r i t y B u l l e t i n s , N o s . 1 to 1 3 .
W ashington, A m erican F ed e ra tio n of
L abor, C om m ittee on Social Security, [1943?].
T h e bulletins deal w ith th e need for w ider social-insurance coverage, a n d w ith
different phases of th e insurance problem .
O u r s e r v ic e m e n a n d e c o n o m ic s e c u r ity .
B y S. E ckler. T o ro n to , L ab o r R esearch In s titu te , 1943
18 p p .; m im eographed. (P ublications of In d u stria l L aw R esearch Council
Vol. 5, No. 4.)
D iscusses th e recom m endations of th e B everidge re p o rt on social security.
T h e B r i t i s h s o c ia l s e r v ic e s .
B y A. D . K. Owen. N ew Y ork, etc., L ongm ans,
G reen & Co. (for B ritish In fo rm atio n Services), [1943]. 63 pp., ch a rts, illus.
2d edition, revised a n d enlarged.
T h e B e v e r id g e r e p o r t.
Wages and Hours of Labor
W ashington, U. S. B ureau of
L abor S tatistics, 1943. 9 pp. (Bull. N o. 742.) 5 cents, S u p erin ten d en t of
D ocum ents, W ashington.
I n c e n tiv e w a g e p a y m e n t s .
B y K endrick Lee. W ashington, E d ito ria l R esearch
R eports, 1013 T h irte e n th S tre e t N W ., 1943. 14 pp. (Vol. 1, 1943, N o. 18.)
$ 1.
D evelopm ent of incentive-w age system s, th e ir possibilities as m eans of increasing
production, a n d th e tra d e -u n io n a ttitu d e to w ard th em , are briefly discussed.
E ffe c t o f in c e n tiv e p a y m e n t s o n h o u r ly e a r n in g s .
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Recent Publications of Labor Interest
417
M argins fo r skill. (In E conom ic News, Q ueensland B ureau of In d u stry , B risbane,
F eb ru a ry 1943, pp. 1, 2.)
W ages of skilled w orkers are com puted as a percen tag e of wages of unskilled
w orkers for a n u m b er of countries, including th e U n ited S tates. D ifferences
betw een th e wages of th e tw o groups te n d to be g reater in countries w here in d u s
tr ia l developm ent is in an early stage th a n in th o se w ith long in d u stria l experience
a n d education,
a.
Wages in rubber m anufacturing industry, A ugust 194%. W ashington, U. S.
B ureau of L ab o r S tatistics, 1943. 38 pp. (Bull. N o. 737; re p rin te d from
M onthly L ab o r R eview , F e b ru a ry a n d M arch 1943.) 10 cents, S uperin
te n d e n t of D ocum ents, W ashington.
C ompany problems of wage and salary control. B y R ay W arren a n d others.
N ew Y ork, A m erican M an ag em en t A ssociation, 1943. 31 p p . (Personnel
series No. 65.)
Wage stabilization and inflation. C om piled by Ju lia E . Jo h n sen . N ew Y ork,
H . W. W ilson Co., 1943. 187 p p ., bibliography. » (R eference Shelf, Vol.
16, No. 4.) $1.25.
W artim e wage control. B y E lb e rt J. Sheffield. (In George W ash in g to n L aw
Review , W ashington, D . C., Ju n e 1943, pp. 399-427.) $1.
Wartime Conditions and Policies
A list of bibliographies on questions relating to national defense. C om piled by
G race H ad ley F uller. W ashington, L ib rary of C ongress, D ivision of Bibliog
rap h y , 1942. 59 p p .; m im eographed. L im ited free d istrib u tio n .
B ibliographies on lab o r sub jects are included.
Public policy. A yearbook of th e G ra d u a te School of P u b lic A d m in istratio n ,
H a rv a rd U niversity, 1942, ed ited by C. J. F ried rich a n d E d w a rd S. M ason.
C am bridge, M ass., 1942. 275 pp. $3.
C ontains critical studies of public policy by public officials a n d o th e r a u th o rities.
S tudies p resen ted in p a rt I of th e volum e deal w ith w ar m orale an d civil liberties;
those in p a rt I I consider th e su b ject of lab o r a n d th e w ar, dealing w ith th e supply,
m obilization, a n d grievances of lab o r du rin g hostilities; a n d those in p a rt I I I
exam ine som e problem s of w ar finance a n d g overnm ent, p a rtic u la r a tte n tio n
being d evoted to planning, in d u stria l m obilization, a n d changes in th e econom ic
s tru c tu re arising o u t of th e w ar.
The use of part-time workers in the war effort. B y H elen B ak er a n d R ita B. F rie d
m an. Princeton, N . J., P rin ceto n U niversity, In d u stria l R elations Section,
1943. 48 pp., bibliography. (R esearch re p o rt series No. 67.)
S um m ary of experience in th e U n ited S tates a n d G reat B rita in w ith em ploy
m en t of p a rt-tim e w orkers, th e ir recru itm en t, hours of w ork, w age rates, benefits,
etc.
W artim e facts and postwar problems— a study and discussion m anual. E d ite d
by E v an s C lark. N ew Y ork, T w e n tie th C en tu ry F u n d , 1943. 136 pp.,
bibliography. 50 cents.
T he object of th is sm all guidebook is n o t so m uch to give answ er - to th e problem s
of th e w ar a n d th e post-w ar period, b u t ra th e r “to tell th e average citizen w h at
has h ap pened to our econom y in w ar a n d w h a t th e chief issues of th e com ing
peace are likely to be— a n d w h y .” S ubjects discussed include in te rn a tio n a l
relations, in d u stry a n d business, tra n sp o rta tio n , finance, ag riculture, labor, public
w orks a n d u rb a n redevelopm ent, housing, h ealth , education, a n d economic
security.
Facing realities. B y E llio tt M. L ittle. O ttaw a, D e p a rtm e n t of L abor, [1942],
15 pp.
A ddress delivered before th e C an ad ian Congress of L ab o r by th e d irecto r of
N atio n al Selective Service in C anada.
Labor responsibilities in wartime. B y E llio tt M . L ittle. [O ttaw a, D irecto r of
P ublic In form ation, 1942.] 15 pp.
A ddress delivered before th e T rad es a n d L ab o r C ongress of C anada.
Transport goes to war: The official story of B ritish transport, 1939-194%. L ondon,
M inistry of In fo rm atio n (for M in istry of W ar T ra n sp o rt), 1942. 79 pp.,
illus. Is.
Shows th e im p o rtan ce of ro ad a n d w a te r tra n s p o rt in th e w ar a n d th e w ay in
w hich th e lab o r force has carried on.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
541188— 43-------15
Monthly Labor Review—August 1943
418
Women in Industry
By E rn a M agnus. (In Social S ecurity
B ulletin, U. S. Social Security B oard, W ashington, A pril 1943, pp. 3-17.)
20 cents, S u p erin ten d en t of D ocum ents, W ashington.
Two im p o rta n t factors in connection w ith p resen t lab o r-m a rk et developm ents
are disclosed in th is re p o rt: (1) T he e x te n t to w hich young w om en ih th e dom estic
sam ple shifted betw een dom estic service an d em ploym ents covered by th e Social
Security A ct; an d (2) th e e x te n t of th e m ovem ent in a n d o u t of th e lab o r m a rk e t
of m arried w om en in th e various o ccupational groups, w hich indicates th e m obile
boundaries betw een th e activ e a n d reserve lab o r supply a t an y given period.
P r o b le m s o f w o m e n w o r k in g .
(In M odern In d u stry , N ew Y ork, A pril 15, 1943,
pp. 38-41 e t se q .; illus. 25 cents.)
C lear p a tte rn s helpful to m an ag e m en t in securing m axim um efficiency from
w om an lab o r are now em erging. In th e la st 2 years g re a t steps forw ard h av e been
m ade along th is line. T h e article listed here tells a b o u t th is progress.
R e c r u itin g , s e le c tin g , tr a i n i n g w o m e n f o r a u to m o tiv e m a in te n a n c e se r v ic e .
D etro it,
S tu d eb ak er C orp., 1943. 66 pp.
G a i n f u l l y e m p lo y e d w o m e n i n C h ic a g o .
W o m a n p o w e r : A d ig e s t o f f a c t s p e r t a in i n g to th e e m p lo y m e n t o f w o m e n i n w a r i n
d u s tr ie s .
C hicago, G eorge S. M ay B usiness F o u n d atio n , [1942?]. 12 pp.,
illus.
(R ep o rt N o. 136.)
th e su b jects ta k e n up in th is p am p h le t are p o te n tia l sources of in d u strial
w om anpow er, facto ry re-engineering to accom m odate w om an w orkers, train in g ,
in d u stria l hygiene, child-care problem s, a n d ra tin g w om en’s w ork o u tp u t.
Among
B y R ussell Birdw ell. N ew Y ork, F ine E d itio n s Press,
1942. 198 pp., illus. $2.
T ells of w om en’s w ar activ ities, m ain ly in G reat B rita in . Two c h ap te rs deal
w ith such activ ities in th e U n ited S tates, a n d th e final c h a p te r refers briefly to th e
heroic w ork of th e C hinese, R ussian, a n d Serbian w om en.
C a n a d ia n w o m e n i n th e w a r e ffo r t. B y C h a rlo tte W h itto n . T o ro n to , M acm illan
Co. of C anada, L td ., 1942. 57 pp., illus. 50 cents (C an ad ia n cu rren cy ).
D escribes th e official a n d p riv a te w ar organizations for w om en a n d th e services
perform ed, an d gives in fo rm atio n on conditions of em p lo y m en t in certain of th e
organizations.
W o m e n i n s h i p b u i l d i n g . L ondon, M in istry of L ab or a n d N a tio n a l Service, 1943.
33 pp., illus.
Shows th e various ty p e s of skilled a n d sem iskilled w ork on w hich w om en have
been successfully em ployed in B ritish sh ip y ard s, a n d calls a tte n tio n to th e possi
bilities of using th e m in m an y o th e r o ccupations for w hich th e y were previously
considered u nfitted.
W o m e n i n b a ttle d r e s s .
General Reports
R e p o r t o f th e N e w Y o r k S ta te J o i n t L e g is la tiv e C o m m itte e o n i n d u s t r i a l a n d L a b o r
C o n d itio n s . A lbany, 1943. 265 pp.
(L egislative d ocum ent, 1943, No. 39.)
In continuing th e com m ittee for its fifth year, th e N ew Y o rk L egislature in 1942
ad ded to th e co m m ittee’s p revious d u ties consideration of “ th e role of G overn
m en t in N ew Y ork S ta te . . . in a n tic ip a tio n of th e p o st-w ar re c o n stru ctio n p erio d .”
T he re p o rt contain s a c h a p te r discussing th e problem s w hich are likely to follow
th e w ar a n d m akes recom m endations as to how N ew Y o rk [S tate m ay cope w ith
th em . F ull em ploym ent, w om en in in d u stry , a n d org an izatio n for p o st-w ar p la n
ning are am ong th e m a tte rs considered.
Handbook of L atin A m erican studies, 1941: A selective guide to the material published
in 194-1 on anthropology, archives, art, economics, etc. E d ite d b y M iron
B urgin. C am bridge, M ass., H a rv a rd U n iv ersity Press, 1942. 649 pp. (No. 7.)
A n n o ta te d record of p u b licatio n s in th e L a tin A m erican field in 1941. T h e sec
tio n of th e volum e d ev o ted to lab o r a n d social w elfare, p re p a re d by G u stav o Adolfo R ohen y Galvez, includes references to m a te ria l on lab o r conditions, in
d u stria l relations, social secu rity , w elfare sta n d a rd s, etc.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
419
Recent Publications of Labor Interest
E n g lis h te x t o f r e p o r t s u b m itte d o n M a r c h I f , 1 9 4 3 , to th e B o l i v i a n G o v e r n m e n t b y th e
J o i n t U n ite d S t a t e s - B o l i v i a n C o m m is s io n o f L a b o r E x p e r ts . [W ashington,
U. S. D e p a rtm e n t of S ta te , 1943.] 51 pp.; m im eographed. Free.
T he com m ission visited mining, a g ricu ltu ral, ru b b er, a n d fa cto ry areas of Bolivia,
w ith em phasis on th e m ining in d u stry . T h e re p o rt gives th e findings a n d recom
m endations of th e com m ission concerning collective bargaining, m inim um wages,
hours of w ork, social insurance, placem en t of w orkers, housing, a n d h ealth .
L a b o r c o n d itio n s i n F r e n c h N o r th A f r i c a .
W ashington, U. S. B ureau of L ab o r
S tatistics, 1943. 18 pp. (Serial No. It. 1530; re p rin te d from M ay 1943
M o n th ly L ab o r Review .) Free.
O ffic ia l p u b l i c a t i o n s o f p r e s e n t- d a y G e r m a n y — G o v e r n m e n t, c o r p o r a te o r g a n iz a tio n s ,
a n d N a t i o n a l S o c i a l i s t P a r t y — w ith a n o u tlin e o f th e g o v e r n m e n ta l s tr u c tu r e
of G erm an y.
B y O tto N euberger, D ivision of D ocum ents, L ib rary of C on
gress. W ashington, U. S. G overnm ent P rin tin g Office, 1942. 130 pp. 20
cents.
N am es of issuing offices a n d organizations are given in b o th G erm an a n d E nglish,
as are also m any of th e p u b licatio n titles.
R e p o r ts o f e x e c u tiv e c o m m itte e , g o ld p r o d u c e r s ’ c o m m itte e , a n d c o llie r ie s c o m m itte e
o f T r a n s v a a l C h a m b e r o f M i n e s f o r y e a r 194-3.
Jo h an n esb u rg , T ran sv aal
C ham ber of M ines, 1943. 31 pp.
C ontains sections on n ativ e labor, th e m ining unions, a n d m in ers’ ph th isis.
S u m m a r i z e d d e p a r tm e n ta l r e p o r t o f D e p a r tm e n t o f L a b o r o f U n io n o f S o u th A f r i c a ,
194-1.
P reto ria, [1942], 12 pp. (In D u tc h a n d English.)
C overs th e activ ities of th e D e p a rtm e n t of L ab o r in ad m in isterin g th e lab o r
law s, w ith p a rtic u la r reference to control of in d u stria l m anpow er in w artim e.
L a b o r c o n d itio n s i n H u n g a r y .
W ashington, U. S. B u reau of L ab o r S tatistics, 1943
20 pp. (Serial No. R . 1541; re p rin te d from Ju n e 1943 M o n th ly L abor
Review.) Free.
N e w Z e a la n d : A s e le c te d l i s t o f re fe r e n c e s .
C om piled by H elen F . C onover.
W ashington, L ib rary of Congress, D ivision of B ibliography, 1942. 68 p p .;
m im eographed. L im ited free d istrib u tio n .
R eferences to publicatio n s on lab o r su b jects are included.
D e v e lo p m e n t a n d w e lf a r e i n th e W e s t I n d i e s , 1 9 4 0 - 1 9 4 3 .
B y Sir F ra n k S to ck d ale.
L ondon, C olonial Office, 1943. 93 pp. (Colonial N o. 184.) Is. 6d.
R e p o rt of th e C om p tro ller for D evelopm ent a n d W elfare in th e W est Indies
dealing w ith th e work accom plished, th e m ost pressing needs in th e different
colonies, a n d w ays of m eeting these needs. Includes ch ap te rs on p ublic h ealth ,
agriculture, labor, social welfare, a n d education.
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