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https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis C E R T IF IC A T E T h is p u b lica tio n is issu e d p u rsu a n t to th e p rovision s o f th e su n d ry c iv il a c t (41 S ta ts. 1430) ap p roved M arch 4, 1921. C o n te n ts Special a rtic le s : In te rn a tio n a l cost-of-living in q u iry _________________________________ T he In te rn a tio n a l L ab o r Office, b y P re n tiss B . G ilb e rt_____________ G erm an trad e-u n io n s a n d th e ir 1931 congress, by F ritz K u m m er____ P roductivity of la b o r : P ro d u ctiv ity of lab o r in th e sheet d e p a rtm e n t of th e iron a n d steel in d u s try ________________________________________________________ E m ploym ent conditions an d unem p lo y m en t relief: C alifornia— C ost of filling jobs by S ta te em ploym ent agencies______ C onnecticut— S tabilization m easures in H a rtfo rd C o u n ty ______ ____ M innesota— U nem ploym ent research p ro je c t_______________________ U nem ploym ent in foreign co u n tries________________________________ In d u stria l and lab o r conditions: A nnual re p o rt of th e S ecretary of L abor, 1930-31__________________ H andbook of lab o r statistics, 1931 ed itio n __________________________ 1931 m eeting of Personnel R esearch F e d e ra tio n ____________________ H ealth and in d u stria l h y g ie n e : W ork env iro n m en t as a facto r in th e general h ealth of w orkers, by B ernard J. N ew m an____________________________________________ In d u s tria l accidents an d s a f e ty : S afety code for tra n sp o rta tio n in coal m in es_______________________ S afety code fo r m echanical re frig eratio n ________________ L abor law s an d co u rt d e c isio n s: Decisions of co u rts a n d opinions affecting labor, 1929 a n d 1930_____ A rizona— Prevailing-w age law declared u n c o n stitu tio n a l____________ D istric t of Colum bia-—E m p lo y m en t agency failing to in v estig ate a p p lican t held liable fo r dam ages caused by her d ish o n esty _______ K ansas— N ew spaper d istrib u tio n h eld n o t violation of S unday lab o r law _____________________________________________________________ M assachusetts— R a te of p a y fo r scrub w om en em ployed b y S ta te ___ E sto n ia— W orks councils a n d w orking h o u rs_______________________ Switzerland-—L aw p ro viding for v acatio n s w ith p a y in B asel________ W orkm en’s com p en satio n : W orkm en’s com pensation legislation of 1931_______________________ R ep o rt on s tu d y of Oregon w orkm en’s com pensation law ___________ R ecen t com pensation rep o rts— A rizona______________________________________________________ C alifornia____________________ T_______________________________ K a n sa s_______________________________________________________ N ew Y ork____________________________________________________ P o rto R ico ___________________________________________________ C alifornia— C o u rt holds in ju ry to wooden leg is n o t com pensable____ G eorgia— O peration of tu rp e n tin e business held n o t “ fa rm in g ” u n d er com pensation la w __________________________________________ Econom ic conditions can n o t change em ployee’s com pensation s ta tu s ______________________________________________________ O klahom a— D e a th by ligh tn in g held com pensable__________________ https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis hi p age 1 4 13 19 27 27 28 29 34 40 40 42 47 47 49 49 50 51 52 52 53 54 68 69 70 71 72 73 75 77 78 79 TT CONTENTS W orkers’ educatio n an d tra in in g : V ocational guidance recom m endations of W hite H ouse Conference on C hild H e a lth a n d P ro te c tio n _________________________________ In d u s tria l d is p u te s : S trikes a n d lo ck o u ts in th e U n ited S tates in N ovem ber, 1931_______ C onciliation w ork of th e D e p a rtm e n t of L ab o r in N ovem ber, 1931 __ W ork of U n ited S ta te s B o ard of M ediation, 1930-31_______________ P o rto R ico— In d u s tria l disputes, 1930-31__________________________ C hina— Strikes in G re a te r S hanghai, 1931__________________________ L abor ag reem ents, aw ards, and d ecisions: A greem ents— N atio n al ag reem en t in th e full-fashioned hosiery in d u s try --------A w ards a n d decisions— R ailroad broth erh o o d s— C en tral of G eorgia R ailw ay ----------------S treet-railw ay em ployees— St. Louis, M o______________________ D ecisions of In d u s tria l C om m ission of C olorado_______________ Labor tu rn o v er: L abor tu rn o v e r in A m erican factories, N ovem ber, 1931------------------H ousing: B uilding p erm its in p rin cip al cities of th e U n ited S tates, N ovem ber, 1931____________________________________________________________ E xperim ents in N egro housing in New Y ork a n d C in c in n a ti------------New Y ork— H om e ow nership am ong 789 fam ilies in B uffalo-----------Wages and ho u rs of la b o r: H ours a n d earnings in foundries a n d m achine shops, 1931---------------H ours a n d earnings in sh eet m ills a n d tin -p la te mills, 1931-------------W age-rate changes in m a n u factu rin g in d u stries, N ovem ber, 1931----R ecen t w age changes re p o rte d b y trad e-u n io n s_____________________ C alifornia— Collection of u n p a id wages, 1929-30----------------------------Illinois— R elativ e im p o rtan ce of check a n d cash m eth o d s of wage p a y m e n t________________________________________________________ B elgium — G eneral survey of w ages in 1931_____________________ _ France— G eneral su rv ey of wages in 1930 a n d 1931------------------------L uxem burg— G eneral su rv ey of wages in 1931--------------------------------T rend of em ploym en t: S um m ary fo r N ovem ber, 1931_____________________________________ E m ploym ent in selected m a n u factu rin g in d u stries in N ovem ber, 1931_ E m p lo y m en t in n o n m an u factu rin g in d u stries in N ovem ber, 1931------E m p lo y m en t in building c o n stru ctio n in N ovem ber, 1931----------------E m p lo y m en t on Class I steam railro a d s in th e U n ited S ta te s ----------W holesale and re ta il p ric e s : R etail prices of food in N ovem ber, 1931___________________________ R etail prices of coal in N ovem ber, 1931____________________________ C om parison of retail-p rice changes in th e U n ited S ta te s a n d in foreign co u n tries_______________________________________________________ In d ex nu m b ers of w holesale prices in N ovem ber, 1931______________ Im m igration an d em ig ratio n : S tatistics of im m ig ratio n fo r O ctober, 1931______________________ _ P ublications relatin g to la b o r : Official— U n ited S ta te s____________________________________________ Official— Foreign co u n trie s________________________________________ U nofficial_______ https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis page 80 90 92 96 97 97 99 100 101 103 105 110 124 130 134 144 149 151 152 153 155 169 188 190 192 205 211 212 214 220 221 224 227 229 231 232 T h is I s s u e in B r ie f The international cost-of-living survey just completed by the Inter national Labor Office indicates that the cost of living of workers’ families in several European cities is not very much less than in the United States, and in one city, Stockholm, it is estimated as being sub stantially the same as in Detroit. This inquiry, while subject to many limitations as to complete accuracy, represents the most com prehensive study of the kind ever undertaken. Page 1. Average output per man-hour in the sheet department of the iron and steel industry showed a steady gain from 1925 to 1929, except in the annealing operations, according to a productivity study made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Page 19. Vocational guidance should be extended to boys and girls in all parts of the country, according to the committee on vocational guidance and child labor of the White House Conference on Child Health and Protection, 1930. Such guidance, the committee holds, is necessary in order to reduce the human and financial losses resulting from the failure to aid pupils to make educational adjustments which will prepare them properly for vocations harmonizing with their interests and abilities. Page 80. The working week in foundries and machine shops in 1931 was shorter than in any other year for which the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics has collected data, averaging 50.3 hours in foundries and 49.8 hours in machine shops, according to the latest survey by the bureau of wages and hours in such industries. The highest full-time hours per week were worked in 1923, when they averaged 52.4 in foundries and 50.8 in machine shops. The hourly wage rate of 60 cents in foundries in 1931 was less than in any other year since 1923, when it was 55.8 cents, but in machine shops the rate in 1931 (63.3 cents) was higher than in any preceding year except 1929, when it was 63.8 cents. The low point in full-time weekly earnings in foundries and machine shops occurred in 1923, being $29.24 and $28.40, respectively. In 1931 full-time weekly earnings averaged $30.18 in foundries and $31.52 in machine shops. Page 134. A marked preference among employers for the payment of wages by check was found by the Department of Labor of Illinois in a survey of methods and frequency of wage payment in that State. Of the 1,173 reporting establishments represented in the survey, 86.1 per cent paid their employees by check. The firms included in this 86.1 per cent had 89.3 per cent of the total number of wage earners repre sented, and disbursed 90.5 per cent of the combined wages bill of the reporting firms. A weekly pay period was the rule in 68.3 per cent of the establishments and of these over three-fourths paid by check; 25.3 per cent of the firms paid semimonthly, all but about 1 per cent paying by check. Page 153. Fewer immigrants are now being admitted to the United States than at any time during the past 100 years, only one immigrant being ad mitted now where five were admitted a year ago, the Secretary of Labor states in his annual report for the 12 months ended June 30, https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis VI TH IS ISSU E IN B R IE F 1931. Only 3,534 immigrants were admitted in June, 1931, as com pared to virtually fifty times as many in June, 1913, under the opendoor policy. Furthermore, in 1930-31 over 18,000 aliens were for mally deported, while many thousands of others who might have been expelled were permitted to depart voluntarily. Page 34. The average expenditure per job filled by the California State employ ment agencies was 61 cents during the biennium 1928-1930. If each of the 295,385 jobs filled at this rate, and secured free of charge by the workers through the public employment offices, had been obtained at the rate of $4.17, the reported average cost to the workers per job received through a private employment agency, the total cost to the clients would have been $1,231,755. Page 27. The Employment Stabilization Research Institute of the University of Minnesota is undertaking a study of unemployment by means of three separate projects. The first of these projects will be devoted to the economic aspects of unemployment, the second to individual diag nosis of cases and retraining, and the third to development of public employment agencies. The announcement of the plans of the insti tute states that the work will be carried on as a part of the univer sity’s work, use being made of the various research facilities of the university. Page 28. Housing costs and allied information on housing conditions in Buf falo, N. Y., for a group of families with incomes not exceeding $3,000 form the subject of a special study submitted to the President’s Conference on Home Building and Home Ownership. The study showed that 59 per cent of the home owners were carrying both first and second mortgages in 1930, 48 per cent of the breadwinners were in skilled occupations, and average earnings of the breadwinners amounted to $2,057. Page 130. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis MONTHLY LABOR R E V I E W U. S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS VOL. 34, NO. l W A S H IN G T O N January , 1032 I n t e r n a t io n a l C o s t-o f-L iv in g In q u ir y HE results of the international cost-of-living inquiry, which has been carried on during the past two years by the International Labor Office, have just been made public in a report entitled “ Inter national working-class living costs.” This inquiry was originally undertaken by the International Labor Office at the request of the Ford Motor Co., which desired information regarding the extent to which cost of living varied in certain European cities, where it had established or contemplated establishing plants, in relation to the city of Detroit, in order that it might consider the possibility of fixing its minimum wage rates in its European factories at levels which would secure for the employees in such plants living standards equivalent to those of its Detroit employees. There were two steps necessary to such an inquiry as that proposed. The first was to ascertain just how the Detroit employees lived. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics undertook this part of the inquiry, in a survey made in the early part of 1930. It covered a group of 100 families, in which the husband was employed by the Ford Motor Co. at, or approximately at, the minimum of $7 per day established by that company, and during the preceding year had worked approximately 250 days. Each of these families consisted of a husband, wife, and two or three children. The 100 families were thus quite homogeneous both as regards composition and income. The average expenditure of these families was $1,720 during the year 1929. A report giving the full results of this survey was published in the Monthly Labor Review for June, 1930. This report showed, in very considerable detail, how the total annual expenditure of $1,720 was distributed, giving for each item of food, clothing, etc., the average amount of money spent and also (with a few unavoidable exceptions) the exact quantity of goods or services obtained for the money spent. The next step was to ascertain what the Detroit standard of living, i. e., the quantities of goods and services consumed by the Detroit employees, would cost in the European cities. This phase of the in quiry was carried on by the International Labor Office, which enlisted the cooperation of the national statistical organizations in the several countries. Many difficulties were encountered. In some cases, ar ticles purchased by the Detroit families could not be duplicated ex actly in the foreign city being studied. Again, as in the case of housing, there was difficulty in meeting the Detroit standard. A full discussion of these difficulties and the methods attempted to meet T https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 1 2 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW them is given in the report of the International Labor Office. In general, however, there was involved only one problem of a seriously controversial character. This had to do with the question of sub stituting items, especially certain food items, for those in the Detroit budget in order to meet possible differences in national or racial habits of consumption. To the extent that such differences exist, they should, of course, be taken into account, in such an inquiry as the present one, since the object of the inquiry was to find the cost of a standard of living in the foreign cities equivalent to but not necessarily identical with the Detroit or American standard. The difficulty, however, is in determining whether existing differences in consumption habits are due to real differences in taste or merely to differences in income. To cite a concrete case, various studies show that in the United States wheat is the customary cereal food of workers as well as of other classes of the population, whereas similar studies in Europe show that in certain European countries rye bread is the customary cereal food of the working class. The question then arises whether the use of rye bread by the workers in these countries represents a real preference or whether it is merely the result of a traditional lower liv ing standard, rye bread being cheaper than wheat. If the choice rep resents a bona fide difference in taste, then the inquiry into living costs should recognize the difference, and make the proper substitution of rye for wheat in pricing the Detroit budget. If, however, the choice of rye is due merely to its cheapness, then to substitute rye for wheat would be to perpetuate the traditionally low living standard and there by miss one of the essential purposes of the inquiry. The International Labor Office, in the report giving the results of its European inquiries, states that this problem of “ consumption habits” was thoroughly examined, and that, while local standards were taken into account, this was done in such a way as to obviate the objection that such procedure would bias the results. As regards food, for instance, it is pointed out that in certain countries budget studies showed that the weights used for workers’ families and for high official families produced the same results. Nevertheless the point raised is one of such importance that it deserves further critical analysis, and the International Labor Office promises a more detailed examination of it in a subsequent report. The results of the inquiry by the International Labor Office are shown in Table 1. In it the cost of living in Detroit is taken as a base of 100, and the relative cost of living in each of 14 European cities is shown as percentages of the Detroit base. For certain cities no single figure could be agreed upon, and for these minimum and maximum figures are given. Further, it is to be noted that while the inquiries in the various cities were necessarily made at various periods during 1930 and 1931, the attempt has been made to bring all the figures to a uniform time base (January, 1931) by utilizing the available information as to changes in the cost of living in the several cities, including Detroit. Because of the difficulties involved, the International Labor Office, in submitting the results of its inquiry, emphasizes its limitations and the possibility of error. * * * T he office is aw are th a t th e in fo rm atio n o b tain ed is n o t of eq u al value, a n d it will be ev id e n t to stu d e n ts of th e re p o rt th a t th e “ m argin of e r r o r ” is g reater for som e cities th a n for o th ers; a n d a lth o u g h , as explained in th e fol https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis INTERNATIONAL COST-OF-LIVING INQUIRY 3 lowing chapters, careful a tte m p ts have been m ade to reduce th is m arg in as m uch as possible, it has n o t alw ays been possible to o b ta in stric tly co m p arab le d a ta . I t is prim arily as a stu d y of m eth o d s t h a t th is re p o rt is published. As fa r as th e office is aw are, no sim ilar in q u iry of th is n a tu re h as been u n d e rta k e n before, an d while it is lim ited to a p a rtic u la r categ o ry of em ployee a n d to c e rta in cities in a lim ited n u m b er of E u ro p ean countries, i t is th o u g h t t h a t a fu ll a c co u n t of th e m eth o d s ad o p ted , th e difficulties encountered, a n d th e problem s raised in th e course of th e in q u iry will be of special in te re st to a 1! stu d e n ts of social ques tions. T he experience gained in th e course of th e in q u iry h as been extrem ely valuable, an d it is hoped th a t if an in q u iry of a sim ilar n a tu re is re p eated (w hether by th e In te rn a tio n a l L ab o r Office or by o th ers), th is acco u n t of m eth o d s an d resu lts will be of service. T a b l e 1 .—R E L A T I V E C O S T O F L I V IN G I N D E T R O I T A N D C E R T A I N E U R O P E A N C I T I E S , J A N U A R Y , 1931 > C ity In d ex of cost of liv in g C ity D e tro it, M ic h ___ . . . . S to ck h o lm , S w ed en ___ F ra n k fo rt, G e rm a n y . . . C o rk , Iris h F ree S t a t e .. . C o p en h agen, D e n m a rk . 100 99-104 85-93 85 83-91 B erlin , G e rm a n y _______ H elsin k i, F in la n d . . P a ris , F ra n c e __________ M arseilles, F ra n c e . . M a n c h e s te r, E n g l a n d ... In d ex of cost of living 83-90 83 80-87 75-81 70-74 C ity R o tte rd a m , N e th e rla n d s A n tw erp , B elg iu m _____ W a rsaw , P o la n d _______ Is ta n b u l, T u r k e y . . . . B arcelo n a, S p a in ____ _ In d ex of cost of liv in g 65-68 61-65 67 65 58 1 T h e In te rn a tio n a l L a b o r Office s ta te s t h a t th e figures in th is ta b le are s u b je c t to rev isio n . Minimum Wage Rates of Ford Motor Co. in Detroit and in European Cities As h a s already been noted, the international cost-of-living inquiry here reviewed was undertaken at the request of the Ford Motor Co. in order to secure information which would permit that company to consider the factor of relative living costs in establishing wage scales in its foreign plants. It is thus of interest, now that the results of the international inquiry are available, to compare the wage rates actually being paid by the Ford Co. in European cities with the rates as they would be if they were fixed solely on the basis of relative cost of living, with the Detroit rate as the basis. For the purpose of such comparison, the Ford Motor Co. furnished the Bureau of Labor Statistics the actual hourly rates being paid on August 1, 1931, to unskilled labor in its European plants then in operation. The accompanying table shows these actual wage rates and also shows what the wage rates would be in the several foreign cities if established solely on the basis of relative living costs as computed in the report of the International Labor Office. To the extent that these computed living-cost relatives are accurate, the adjusted wage rates would give the workers in each of the European cities the same general standard of living as that obtained by the Detroit employees who in August, 1931, averaged 86 cents per hour, or $6.88 per day of 8 hours. Owing to changes in the plans of the Ford Co., the cities in which branches are now established are not, in all cases, the same as those in which it was contemplated establishing branches at the time the cost-of-living inquiry was undertaken. For convenience of reference, however, the table includes all cities for which either cost-of-living data or wage rates, or both, are available. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 4 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW T a b l e 2 .— C O M P A R A T I V E C O S T O F L I V I N G A N D W A G E S P E R D A Y A N D P E R H O U R OF U N S K IL L E D W O R K E R S IN F O R D P L A N T S IN S P E C IF IE D C IT IE S W ag e p e r h o u r In d ex of re la tiv e cost of liv in g C ity D e tr o it_______ ____ ____ - --------------- - -----------A n tw e rp . _________ - __ B a rc e lo n a _____________ _______________________ -B erlin ___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ C ologne _ _ __ __ __ C o p e n h a g e n _______ C ork _________ F ra n k fo rt _____ _ G enoa __ ___ __ _ _ H e ls in k i___________ __ ......... Is ta n b u l _____ _ - ___ - ___ M a n c h e ste r __ _ _ _ M arseilles. _ __ ____ __ ____ _ ____ P a ris 1 __ __ . ... _ _ __ ___ R o tte rd a m ____ _ S to ck h o lm .... ........... ................. W a rs a w .. ________ ----___ 100 61-65 58 83-90 83-91 85 85-93 83 65 70-74 75-81 80-87 65-68 99-104 67 A ug. 1, 1931 A d ju ste d to cost of liv in g $0.86 .26 .33 .4 5 .0 9 .44 .27 .3 8 .3 2 .53 .2 9 .41 .43 $0. 86 . 52- 56 .50 . 71- 77 . 71- 78 .73 . 73- 80 .71 .56 . 60-, 64 . 65- 70 . 69-, 75 .5 6 - 58 . 85-, 89 . 58 W age p e r 8-hour d a y A ug. 1, 1931 $6. 88 2.08 2. 64 3. 60 5. 52 3. 52 2.16 3.04 2.56 4.24 2. 32 3.28 3. 44 A d ju sted to cost of liv in g $6.88 4.16-4. 48 4. 00 5. 68-6. 16 5. 68-6. 24 5. 84 5. 84-6. 40 5. 68 4. 48 4.80-5.12 5.20-5. 60 5. 52-6. 00 4.48-4. 64 6. 80-7.12 4. 64 i T h e F o rd C o. p la n t is lo c a te d a t A snieres, n e a r P a ris. T h e I n t e r n a t io n a l L abor O ffice B y P r e n t i s s B. G i l b e r t , A m e r i c a n C o n s u l , G e n e v a , S w i t z e r l a n d HE International Labor Office may, for all practical purposes, be regarded as the vehicle established to carry out the provisions of Part X III (arts. 387 to 437) of the treaty of Versailles. Like the secretariat of the League of Nations, it is continuously in operation and has a direct relationship with Governments. To understand its status and character, it must be kept in view, however, that the “ office” forms a part of what is known as the International Labor Organization, the other part being the “ General Conference,” and that it is controlled by the “ Governing Body.” A glance at the nature of these other bodies and the relationship of the labor office to them is, therefore, essential to an understanding of its legal position. T International Labor Organization T h e constitution of the International Labor Organization is in corporated in Part X IH of the treaty of Versailles. It was drafted in Paris by the Commission on International Labor Legislation, composed of delegates from the following countries: Belgium, the British Empire, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Italy, Japan, Poland, and the United States of America. The objects for which the Inter national Labor Organization was called into being are set forth in the preamble to Part X III of that treaty. The text of this preamble is as follows: W hereas th e League of N atio n s has for its o b ject th e estab lish m en t of universal peace, a n d such a peace can be estab lish ed only if i t is based upo n social ju stice; A nd w hereas conditions of la b o r ex ist in v o lv in g such in ju stice, h ard sh ip , a n d p riv atio n to large n u m b ers of people as to p roduce u n re s t so g re a t t h a t th e peace a n d h arm ony of th e w ork a re im periled; a n d a n im p ro v em en t of th o se conditions is urg en tly req u ired ; as, fo r exam ple, b y th e re g u latio n of th e h o u rs of w ork, in cluding th e estab lish m en t of a m axim um w orking d ay a n d week, th e reg u latio n of th e lab o r supply, th e p rev en tio n of un em p lo y m en t, th e provision of a n ad e q u a te https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR OFFICE 5 living wage, th e p ro tectio n of th e w orker ag a in st sickness, disease, a n d in ju ry arising o u t of his em ploym ent, th e p ro tectio n of children, young persons, a n d w om en, provision for old age a n d in ju ry , p ro tectio n of th e in te re sts of w orkers w hen em ployed in countries o th er th a n th e ir own, recognition of th e principle of freedom of association, th e o rganization of vocatio n al a n d technical education, a n d o th er m easures; W hereas also th e failure of a n y n a tio n to a d o p t h u m an e conditions of lab o r is an obstacle in th e w ay of o th e r n atio n s w hich desire to im prove th e conditions in th e ir own countries: T he high co n tractin g p arties, m oved by sen tim en ts of ju stice a n d h u m a n ity as well as by th e desire to secure th e p e rm a n e n t peace of th e w orld, agree to th e following: [H ere follow th e detailed provisions for th e estab lish m en t of th e In te rn a tio n a l L abor O rganization.] It will be noted that in Part X III of the treaty of Versailles it is provided that the original States, members of the League of Nations, should be the original members of this organization. The number of member States has been increased since the establishment of the organization by new accessions, and the total number of member States is now 55. These States are as follows: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, British Empire, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Estonia, Finland, France, Guatemala, Germany, Greece, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Irish Free State, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liberia, Lithu ania, Luxemburg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Persia, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Rumania, Sal vador, Siam, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Yugoslavia. The permanent organization, as has been stated above, consists of the General Conference of representatives of the members and the International Labor Office, controlled by the Governing Body. The functions of the conference are legislative in character, those of the office are administrative and executive. General Conference T h e meetings of the General Conference of representatives of the member States may, by article 389 of the treaty of Versailles,1be held from time to time as occasion may require, and must be held at least once in every year. The conference is composed of four representatives of each of the member States, of whom two are Government delegates and two are delegates representing, respectively, the employers and the workers of each of the member States. Each delegate may be accompanied by advisers, who may not exceed two in number for each item on the agenda of the meeting. When questions especially affecting women are to be considered by the conference, it is provided that at least one of the advisers should be a woman. These advisers may, under certain conditions, replace the delegates at the conference and exercise the full rights of membership. They may also act for the delegates on commissions and committees set up by the conference. The member States undertake to nominate non-Government dele gates and advisers chosen in agreement with the industrial organiza1 A ll fu tu re references to “ a rticles” refer to th e tr e a ty of V ersailles. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 6 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW lions (if such organizations exist), which are most representative of employers or workers, as the case may be, in their respective countries. The decisions of the conference take the form either of draft con ventions or of recommendations. Both require for final adoption a majority of two-thirds of the votes cast. On any matter a valid vote requires the participation of at least half of the delegates attending the conference. By article 405 of the treaty— Each of the members undertakes that it will, Avithin the period of one year at most from the closing of the session of the conference, or if it is impossible OAving to exceptional circumstances to do so within the period of one year, then at the earliest practicable moment and in no case later than 18 months from the closing of the session of the conference, bring the recommendation or draft convention before the authority or authorities within whose competence the matter lies, for the enactment of legislation or other action. It is also provided in article 405 that in the case of a draft convention the member shall, if it obtains the consent of the authority or authori ties within whose competence the matter lies, communicate the formal ratification of the convention to the secretary general of the League of Nations, and shall take such action as may be necessary to make effective the provisions of such convention. In the case of a recom mendation, the members shall inform the secretary general of the action taken. If no legislative or other action is taken to make a recommendation effective, or if the draft convention fails to obtain the consent of the authority or authorities Avithin whose competence the matter lies, no further obligation rests upon the member. It is specifically provided that in the case of a Federal State, the power of which to enter into conventions on labor matters is subject to limitations, it shall be in the discretion of that Government to treat a draft convention to which such limitations apply as a recommenda tion only, and the provisions of article 405 with respect to recom mendations shall apply in such case. It is further laid down in that article that the provisions of article 405 shall be interpreted in accordance with the following principle : In no case shall any member be asked or required, as a result of the adoption of any recommendation or draft convention by the conference, to lessen the pro tection afforded by its existing legislation to the Avorkers concerned. Article 406 provides that any convention ratified shall be registered by the secretary general of the League of Nations but shall be binding only upon the member States which ratify it. When a State ratifies a convention it undertakes a series of obliga tions. It must take the necessary legislative and administrative action to bring the provisions of the convention into operation within its country. Furthermore, each of the members agrees to make an annual report to the International Labor Office on the measures which it has taken to give effect to the provisions of conventions to Avhich it is a party. The responsibility for securing the effective observance of the convention by all parties within its jurisdiction rests upon the Gov ernment concerned. The due fulfillment by each Government of this responsibility is intended to be secured by a system of sanctions. The procedure to be followed in connection with this system of sanc tions is laid down in detail in articles 409 to 420 of the treaty. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis TH E INTERNATIONAL LABOR OFFICE 7 Special Obligations of Member States It is perhaps of interest, because of the rather peculiar nature of these obligations from the viewpoint of international law, to survey the considerations which apparently led the Commission on International Labor Legislation to reach its decisions with regard to the obligations imposed upon member States, and in particular to the modification of these obligations in the case of countries with a federal form of government. The original draft proposed that any draft convention adopted by the conference by a two-thirds majority must be ratified by every State participating, unless within one year the national legislature should have expressed its disapproval of the draft convention./ This implied an obligation on every State to submit any draft convention approved by the conference to its national legislature within one year, whether its own Government representatives had voted in favor of its adoption or not. This provision was, it would seem, inspired by the belief that, although the time had not yet come when anything in the nature of an international legislature, whose decisions should be binding on the different States, was possible, yet it was essential for the progress of international labor legislation to require the Gov ernments to give their national legislatures the opportunity of expressing their opinion on the measures favored by a two-thirds majority of the labor conference. The records of the proceedings indicate that the French and Italian delegations went so far as to contend that States should be under an obligation to ratify conventions so adopted, whether their legislative authorities approved them or not, subject to a right of appeal to the Executive Council of the League of Nations. The coun cil might invite the conference to reconsider its decision, and in the event of its being reaffirmed there would be no further right of appeal. Other delegations, although expressing themselves as not unsym pathetic to the hope that in course of time the labor conference might, through the growth of an international spirit, acquire the powers of a truly legislative international assembly, felt that the time for such a development was not yet ripe. They took the position that if an attempt were made to deprive States of a large measure of their sovereignty in regard to labor legislation, the result would be that a number of States would probably resign their membership in the League of Nations rather than jeopardize their national economic position by being obliged to carry out the decisions of the Interna tional Labor Conference. The majority of the commission therefore decided in favor of making ratification of a convention subject to the approval of the national legislatures or other competent authorities. It is understood that the American delegation, however, found themselves unable to accept the obligations suggested by the fore going, on account of the limitations imposed on the central executive and legislative powers by the constitutions of certain States and particularly by the Constitution of the United States. They pointed out in particular that the United States Government could not accept an obligation to ratify conventions dealing with matters within the competence of the various States of the Union, with which the power of labor legislation for the most part lay. Further, the United States Government could not guarantee that the various States, even if they https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 8 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW passed the necessary legislation to give effect to a convention, would put it into operation, nor could it provide against the possibility of such ^legislation _being declared unconstitutional by the American judicial authorities. The Government could not therefore engage to do something which was not within its power to perform, and the nonperformance of which would render it liable to complaint. The commission at this juncture appeared to feel that it was faced by a serious dilemma, which threatened to make the establishment of any effective system of international labor legislation relatively impossible. On the one hand, its range and effectiveness would be seriously limited if a country of such industrial importance as the United States did not participate. On the other hand, if the scheme were so weakened as to impose no obligation on States to give effect to, or even to bring before their legislative authorities, the decisions of the labor conference, it was clear that the work of the conference would tend to be confined to the mere passage of resolutions instead of resulting in the promotion of social reforms with the sanction of law behind them. The commission spent a considerable amount of time in attempt ing to devise a way out of this dilemma, and ultimately arrived at a compromise solution. Article 405, as finally drafted, represents a plan formulated by a subcommittee consisting of representatives of the American, British, and Belgian delegations specially appointed to consider the question. It provides that the decisions of the labor conference may take the form either of recommendations or draft conventions. Either must be deposited with the secretary general of the League of Nations, and each State undertakes to bring it within one year before its competent authorities for the enactment of legis lation or for other action. If no legislation or other action to make a recommendation effective follows, or if a draft convention fails to obtain the consent of the competent authorities concerned, no further obligation rests on the State in question. In the case of a Federal State, however, whose power to enter into conventions on labor matters is subject to limitations, its Government may treat a draft convention to which such limitations apply as a recommendation only. The Governing Body T h e Governing Body controls the International Labor Office, appoints its director, determines its expenditure, compiles the agenda of the General Conference, and exercises certain duties in connection with alleged nonobservance of conventions. It meets, as a rule, four times a year. It is composed of 24 members—12 representing Governments, 6 employers, and 6 workers. Its members are appointed for a period of three years. The employers and workers are elected by the delegates, respec tively, of the employers and of the workers present at the session of the conference at which the election is made. The scheme under which Government representatives are appointed is somewhat complicated. It is felt, however, that at least a summary explanation is essential to an understanding of the relationship of the various powers to the entire matter. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR OFFICE 9 Article 303 of the treaty provides that, of the 12 members who sit on the Governing Body as representatives of Governments, 1 shall be nominated by each of the “ 8 States of chief industrial importance,” while the other shall be nominated by 4 States especially chosen for this purpose by all the Government delegates present at the session of the conference at which the election takes place, except the dele gates of the 8 States of chief industrial importance. The question which were the 8 States of chief industrial importance was first examined in 1919 by the “ organizing committee” of the Washington Conference. Certain standards on which to base their decision were adopted by this committee, but these were not accepted by all the States. The records of these proceedings indicate that India, in particular, presented a formal complaint, upon which the Council of the League of Nations was called to give its decision. The council decided, August, 1920, to undertake a careful examination of the proper sense to be attached to the expression “ industrial importance” and of the relative value to be attributed to the various standards adopted at Washington. The secretary general was con sequently instructed to study the whole question in collaboration with the International Labor Office, and to present a report to the council in time for the next election. In conformity with the council’s decision, a mixed committee was constituted, including four members of the Governing Body and ex perts nominated by the secretary general of the League of Nations. The committee’s report of May 31, 1922, is a careful examination of the criteria which had been employed, based upon statistics. The result of this report was that the Council of the League in September, 1922, passed a resolution deciding that the eight members of the International Labor Organization of chief industrial importance at that time were: Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Italy, and Japan. The International Labor Conference in October, 1922, gave effect to this decision. The International Labor Office A r t i c l e 396 provides that the functions of the International Labor Office shall include—• T he collection a n d d istrib u tio n of in fo rm atio n on all su b jects relatin g to th e in te rn a tio n a l ad ju s tm e n t of conditions of in d u stria l life a n d labor, a n d p a r ticu larly th e exam inatio n of su b jects w hich i t is proposed to b ring before th e conference w ith a view to th e conclusion of in te rn a tio n a l conventions, a n d th e conduct of such special in v estig atio n s as m ay be o rdered b y th e conference. I t will p rep are th e ag en d a fo r th e m eetings of th e conference. I t will carry o u t th e d u tie s req u ired of i t b y th e provisions of th is p a r t of th e p resen t tr e a ty in connection w ith in te rn a tio n a l disputes. I t will e d it a n d publish in F ren ch a n d E nglish, a n d in such o th e r languages as th e G overning B ody m ay th in k desirable, a periodical p a p e r dealing w ith problem s of in d u stry a n d em p lo y m en t of in te rn a tio n a l in te re st. G enerally, in ad d itio n to th e fu n ctio n s se t o u t in th is article, it shall h av e such pow ers a n d d u ties as m ay be assigned to i t b y th e conference. From the foregoing the functions of the office are construed as falling into four main groups: 1. I t prepares th e ag en d a of th e G overning B ody an d th e conference, a n d a tte n d s to th e execution of th e ir decisions. _ . . . 2. I t conducts research in to a w ide field of in d u stria l a n d econom ic problem s. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 10 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW 3. I t issues a series of periodical a n d o th e r p u blications co n tain in g in form ation on social an d in d u stria l affairs, including in te rn a tio n a l co m p arativ e studies on various questions. 4. I t m ain tain s relatio n s w ith associations a n d in s titu tio n s concerned w ith in d u strial an d social affairs, collects in fo rm atio n w ith reg ard to c u rre n t ev en ts a n d m ovem ents in th e w orld of labor, an d supplies such in fo rm atio n to inquirers. The International Labor Office is administered by a directorate consisting of a director and a deputy director with their respective staffs. Its work is carried on by four divisions corresponding roughly to the four functions listed under (1), above. These divisions are named, respectively, “ Administrative,” “ Research,” “ Diplomatic,” and “ Intelligence and Liaison.” These are in turn divided into “ sections,” “ services,” “ groups,” etc. External Organization In order to maintain direct and continuous contact with various countries, the International Labor Office has established “ national correspondence offices” in the following countries: China, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Italy, Japan, and the United States. There are also “ official correspondents” in the capitals of eight other countries where no office is maintained: Brussels, Budapest, Bucharest, Madrid, Prague, Rio de Janeiro, Vienna, and Warsaw. Special reference may be made to the fact that, by an agreement made in 1927 between the International Labor Office and the Indus trial Relations Counselors (Inc.), of New York, the latter organiza tion maintains a member of its staff at the labor office in a technical and advisory capacity in connection with subjects falling within the field of industrial relations. International Committees The Governing Body has from time to time set up various commit tees and commissions which, though responsible in theory to the Governing Body, are in their purposes and functions so closely allied to the International Labor Office that they may, in effect, be regarded as part of that organization. A “ finance committee” and a “ stand ing orders committee,” consisting of members of the Governing Body, were established very early, and the Governing Body also created the “ joint maritime commission” to study questions relating to the maritime transport industry. Other committees have been established from time to time. In general these committees have been created in response to a desire to obtain, and to coordinate, the services of experts to study special aspects of various economic and social questions. These committees are of various types. Apart from the committees which form part of the regular machinery of the Governing Body, e. g., the finance committee and the standing orders committee, which have been mentioned, there are committees consisting of members of the Governing Body, assisted, when necessary, by experts, which are intended to prepare the decisions of the Governing Body either as regards the fixing of the agenda of the conference or the carrying out of inquiries, e. g., committee on conditions of work in the textile in dustry, committee on conditions of work in coal mines. There are other committees which provide an opportunity for the interests of employers and workers to be represented, and to explore the possi https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR OFFICE 11 bilities of reaching an agreement even before a decision has been taken by the Governing Body or the conference, e. g., joint maritime com mission, committee on automatic coupling. Other committees, again, exist to provide information on certain questions concerning classes of workers about whose collective activities little is yet known, for example, professional workers and salaried employees. Another type of committee is that composed solely of experts selected for their technical competence. Technical Conference The Governing Body also has the power to call special technical conferences, whose work is also closely allied to that of the Interna tional Labor Office, e. g., the silicosis conference, the conference of labor statisticians, the preparatory technical conference on maritime questions, and the preparatory technical conference on the coal mining industry. Relations with the League of Nations T h e constitution of the International Labor Organization provides for close association with the League of Nations. The records of its proceedings indicate that the majority opinion of the members of the Commission on International Labor Legislation was to the effect that association wdth the league was essential not only to the existence of the International Labor Organization, but also to the success of the league itself. The main idea underlying the scheme embodied in Part X III of the treaty of Versailles is that “ the constitu tion of the League of Nations will not provide a real solution of the troubles that have beset the world in the past and will not even be able to eliminate the seeds of international strife unless it provides a remedy for the industrial evils and injustices wffiich mar the present state of society. In proposing, therefore, to establish a permanent organization in order to adjust labor conditions by international action, the commission felt that it was taking an indispensable step toward the achievement of the objects of the League of Nations.” In detail, the constitution of the organization provides that the International Labor Office shall be established at the seat of the league, as part of the organization of the league (see art. 392); that the meetings of the conference shall be held at the seat of the league (see art. 391); that the office shall be entitled to the assistance of the secretary general of the league in any matter in which it can be given (see art. 393); and that the expenses of the office shall be paid to the director by the secretary general of the league out of the general funds of the league. It is further laid down that a duly authenticated copy of all draft conventions and recommendations of the conference shall be deposited with the secretary general of the league, who shall furnish a certified copy to each of the member States (see art. 405); and that any con vention ratified by a member State shall be registered by the secretary general of the league (see art. 406). The assistance of the League of N ations is also specifically provided for in the determination of the “ eight States of chief industrial import ance ” (see art. 393), and in connection with the procedure of sanctions in cases of nonobservance of ratified conventions (see art. 412, 415, 420). 91909°—32----- 2 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 12 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW It is understood, moreover, that in order to act in accordance with the spirit of the constitution of the International Labor Organization, an effort is made to establish direct relations between the office and the league in all aspects of their work in which cooperation seems useful. Arrangements are made that a copy of the agenda of each meeting of the council of the league should be communicated to the director at the same time as it is communicated to the members of the council, and that the director should inform the secretary general as to the questions which might concern the office. The council invites the director to attend the meeting, and he thus has an opportunity of explaining the point of view of the office on the particular question. Furthermore, the office is represented on all commissions and con ferences of the league whose work is in any way connected with questions with which the office deals. For example, the office cooper ates with the league’s committee on intellectual cooperation, advisory committee for the protection and welfare of children and young per sons, communications and transit committees, mandates commission, preparatory commission for the disarmament conference, health com mittee, and the economic and financial committees. The office was closely associated with the preparation of the World Economic Con ference of 1927 and participated in its proceedings. In certain fields mixed committees have been set up. For example, the joint com mission of experts on health insurance and public health administra tion consists of members representing public health services selected by the health committee of the league and members representing health insurance organizations selected by the Governing Body of the International Labor Office. Financial Relations with the League, and Budget As this is a matter concerning which there exists certain popular confusion, it may be useful to give some further explanation of the financial relations between the International Labor Organization and the league. In accordance with the general principles laid down m the treaty of Versailles, a somewhat complex financial organization has been built up to insure unity among the institutions of the league, and at the same time to respect the administrative autonomy of the International Labor Office. The essential characteristics of this system are as follows: The budget of the International Labor Organization is pre prepared in draft form by the director. The finance committee examines this draft and submits its proposals to the Governing Body. The draft budget, as drawn up by the Governing Body, is submitted to the supervisory committee, which acts for all the institutions of the league. The supervisory committee makes its recommendations and, according as circumstances require, proposes reductions or increases. The Governing Body meets again and gives its opinion on the recom mendations thus made. The budget is presented to the member States by the secretary general of the League of Nations, who central izes all budgetary proposals, and finally it is the assembly which votes the budget, after having referred it to its fourth commission for examination. The budget of the International Labor Organization amounted in 1930 to a net total of 8,558,011 Swiss francs ($1,651,696). https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 13 GERMAN TRADE-UNIONS G e r m a n T r a d e -U n io n s a n d T h e ir 1931 C o n g ress By F r it z K ummbr , B e r l in General Economic Situation in Germany F THE large industrial States, Germany has been hit very hard, perhaps the hardest of all, by the economic depression. Various facts, especially the extent of unemployment, may be mentioned as proof of this. In Germany the unemployed are registered and offici ally counted every two weeks, so that the state of trade can be deter mined continually, and to some extent exactly. The table following shows the number of unemployed in each quarter of each year since 1927. O T able 1 .—N U M B E R O F U N E M P L O Y E D I N G E R M A N Y I N E A C H Q U A R T E R , 1927 T O 1931 M o n th 1927 1928 1929 1930 J a n u a r y __ _______ . _ _ ___ __ _ __ __ A p ril J u ly _ _ _ _ _ _ O ctober _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ..... . 2.536.000 1.643.000 1.041.000 884,000 2,012,000 1.387.000 1.155.000 1.308.000 2.850.000 1.712.000 1.251.000 1.557.000 3.218.000 2, 787,000 2, 765,000 3.252.000 1931 4.887.000 4.389.000 3.956.000 4.622.000 High as the unemployment figures were from 1927 to 1929, they can not be regarded as proof of an economic crisis in the real sense of the word. Assuming that a crisis shows itself in decreased production, there was no crisis during the three years mentioned, because produc tion was high and new masses of workers (between 150,000 and 200,000 during 1929 alone) found employment. The decrease of production really set in during 1930, and to a greater extent than the increase in the number of unemployed would indicate. In that year there was also a considerable increase in the number of part-time workers who are not included in the official figure of unemployed. Evidence of this increase is furnished by the trade-union data on part-time workers; these figures, although limited to the members of the unions, may be taken as indicative of the extent of all part-time work with out being far from reality. The per cent of trade-union members working part time was, at specified dates, as follows: 1927 (October), 4.6; 1928 (June), 6.2; 1929 (June), 8.6; 1930 (May), 19.8; and 1931 (September), 22.2. If the part-time workers are converted into an equivalent number of wholly unemployed and if this number is added to the officially registered unemployed, one can truly say that there were about 6,000,000 unemployed in Germany during the summer of 1931. Effect Upon German Trade-Unions Of course, unemployment of such extraordinary severity and dura tion affects the trade-unions strongly. If hundreds of thousands of members are out of work for a long period, it means that they are exempted from paying dues and that they must get relief from their organization. The consequence is that the income of the organization decreases, while at the same time the expenditure shows an increase, and if the unemployed members have exhausted their benefit their interest in the organization diminishes and often they give up their membership altogether. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 14 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW However, this bad result of extensive unemployment has as yet affected the German trade-unions comparatively little. Although they have sustained a loss in membership which is easy to understand, this loss has been far less than would be expected, considering the extent and duration of the depression. The 31 national trade-unions which form the German Federation of Labor (Allgemeiner Deutscher GewerJcschqftsbund) had a membership of 4,948,209 at the end of 1929, and the year following a membership of 4,717,569. This is a decrease of 230,640, or 4.7 per cent. The loss was chiefly in members who had only recently joined the union and who, on account of this, were entitled either to no benefit or to only a limited benefit. The small loss in membership is all the more remarkable, as the German trade-unions have also been subjected to severe pressure from the communists and fascists. An indication of the inherent strength of the trade-union movement in Germany is shown by the results of the last elections of the industrial councils. Members of these councils are elected every year. Every group nominates its candidates in each establishment or workshop, and there is propor tional representation according to the number of votes cast. The number of representatives shows therefore almost exactly the strength of each group. In the metal industry, for example, of 27,617 industrial councillors elected, 22,714, or 82.25 per cent, represented the tradeunions affiliated to the German Federation of Labor, 1,458, or 5.28 per cent, represented the communists, and 373, or 1.34 per cent, the fascists. The remaining places were divided among the other tradeunion groups. The remarkable resistance shown by the German trade-unions during this crisis is due mainly to the long training of the ^members, the capability and trade-union faith of the officers (numbering several tens of thousands), and finally to the system of benefits. Trade-union benefits paid.—A considerable amount of money has been paid to the members out of the funds of the unions during these times of distress. From 1929 to 1930 the income of the 31 national trade-unions affiliated to the German Federation of Labor fell from 251,381,000 to 231,655,000 marks ($59,828,678 to $55,133,890), a decrease of 19,726,000 marks ($4,694,788). During the same period expenditures rose from 202,944,000 to 241,182,000 marks ($48,300,672 to $57,401,316), an increase of 38,238,000 marks ($9,100,644). The decrease in income and the increase in expenditure in 1930 as compared with 1929 show the effect of the economic situation upon the German trade-unions. This becomes more evident when the figures for bene fits are analyzed. The 31 national trade-unions of the German Federation of Labor paid out in benefits during 1929 the sum of 100,097,000 marks ($23,823,086), and during 1930 the sum of 133,409,000 marks ($31,751,342). The expenditure for the 7 most important classes of benefits was as follows: https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 15 GERMAN TRADE-UNIONS T a b l e 2 . —A M O U N T S D IS B U R S E D F O R E A C H T Y P E O F B E N E F I T S B Y G E R M A N T R A D E U N IO N S , I N 1929 A N D 1930 [C onversions in to U n ite d S ta te s c u rren c y on basis of m a r k =23.8 cents] 1929 T y p e of b en efit G erm an cu rren c y 1930 U n ite d S tates cu rren c y Marks U n e m p lo y m e n t _____ _________ ____ __ __ ____ _ Sickness _ S trik es, e tc __ _______ ____ D e a th __ ___ _ . D is a b ility ______ - __ ___ _______________ E m erg en cy ________ ____________ ______ T ra v e lin g ___ _ _ .................................. __ 45, 231,000 27,274, 000 13,304, 000 4, 309, 0C0 4, 278, 000 3,132, 000 879,000 G erm an cu rren c y U n ite d S tates cu rren c y M arks $10, 764,978 6, 491, 212 3,166, 352 1, 025, 542 1,018,164 745,416 209,202 77, 730, 000 22,847, 000 9,887, 000 4,276, 000 8,001,000 5,189, 000 1,153,000 $18,499,740 5,437, 586 2,353,106 1,017, 688 1,904,238 1,234, 982 274, 414 This table shows that in 1930, when conditions were bad, 34,800,000 marks ($8,282,400) more were expended for unemployment, emer gency, and traveling benefits than during the preceding year, which was by no means a time of prosperity. This increased expenditure is evidence of the financial sacrifice of the German trade-unions. A higher expenditure for disability benefits became necessary because old members who were discharged were compelled to claim the tradeunion benefit to which they were entitled. Educational work oj trade-unions.—The German trade-unions have always paid great attention to the education of their members, and spend much money for this purpose. The opportunities for tradeunion education in Germany are manifold and adapted to the various aims of the movement. The main institution is the trade-union college of the German Federation of Labor at Bernau near Berlin. There the officers receive instruction on labor legislation, social politics, political economy, etc., and also on their duties in the organi zation. Some large unions also have their own schools for their par ticular purposes. In addition, many members are sent by their organizations to colleges, public schools, and similar institutions, sometimes with a special grant of public funds. But these oppor tunities for education are designed more especially for the officers. Far more varied and extensive is the system of education for the rank and file of the members. Each year courses of study for adults and youths, of both sexes, are arranged in all parts of the country by the local trade councils of the federation, by the national unions, and by their locals. Extensive libraries are available to all trade-union members, who get also a trade-union paper once a week. Lately, the educational courses have been made available to the unemployed members, and in many instances separate courses are being arranged for them. Those who participate are brought together in special homes, in order to draw them away from their gloomy surroundings and their home troubles, and to insure that they shall begin their study under favorable conditions. The amount expended gives an approximate idea of the extent of the educational work of the federa tion. The 31 member unions spent for education and literature dur ing 1929 the sum of 13,200,000 marks ($3,141,600), and during 1930 the sum of 13,900,000 marks ($3,308,200). A great part of the trade-union work devolves upon the 1,228 local councils of the federation. These councils include all members of https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 16 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW the unions of the German Federation of Labor in a certain locality or district. The local councils take care of all tasks of the members of their district, such as the preparing of elections for social institu tions, the care for the young workers and the unemployed, and the representation of the workers before the law courts and boards which settle disputes as to wages, State insurance, and benefits. Of the local councils, 82 have permanent offices; 123 labor offices advise and assist the workers in all cases of emergency, write appeals to courts of law, etc. The local councils conduct the libraries, control the protective measures for the building workers, arrange meetings for general objects, theater performances, educational courses, play nights, and. excursions for the young members. The local councils have 167 trade-union halls, including meeting halls, offices, restau rants, and sometimes sleeping quarters for traveling members. 1931 Congress of German Federation of Labor T h e deliberations of the congress, held at Frankfort-on-the-Main from August 31 to September 4, 1931, were naturally shadowed by the economic situation. The general situation also received con siderable attention in the speeches of the fraternal delegates, of whom 14 came from foreign countries, and in the speeches of the representatives of governments and cities who were present. The majority of the 55 propositions before the congress which came from the rank and file of the unions related to the prevailing depression or ameliorative measures. For the consideration of the three most important points on the agenda, the executive board of the federation had appointed recognized experts, in order to afford a proper basis for the discussion and for decision. Every year the executive board makes an extensive report on its activity. As this was also the case this year, it was necessary only to supplement the printed report, and this was done by the president of the federation, Theodor Leipart, who spoke at length on the ques tion of wages. In 1928 the German trade-unions succeeded in gaining an increase in wages for 11,000,000 workers; wage rates were raised 8 per cent, while the cost of living increased only 2 per cent. During 1929 the rates of wages were again increased by from 4 to 5 per cent. During 1930 the unions were able to maintain the rates of wages generally, but those paid in excess of the agreement rate they were not able to maintain against the onslaughts of the employers and official arbitra tors. In the autumn of 1930 the employers started an extensive attack on the rates of wages that had been established by agreement. They began with the metal industry of Berlin, and the official arbitra tors made awards amounting to a reduction of 6 per cent on the average. Repeated wage reductions have, generally speaking, reduced the rates of wages in Germany to the level of 1928. But the weekly earnings have decreased still more on account of parttime work. The most obvious result of the systematic reduction of wages may be seen in the increasing severity of the economic crisis and in the increasing unemployment figures. In the discussion of the report of the president of the federation, much stress was laid on the danger to the social-political institutions. The congress finally adopted a resolution on this subject, as follows: https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis GERMAN TRADE-UNIONS 17 T he congress repudiates decidedly th e a tte m p t m ade to ta k e ad v a n ta g e of th e crisis to outlaw th e w orkers. T he trad e-u n io n s sta n d up as alw ays for th e m ain ten an ce a n d developm ent of social legislation. T hey consider S ta te insurance ag ain st unem ploym ent, sickness, accident, old age, a n d d isability, to -d a y as heretofore, a decisive fa c to r in th e w orking conditions. A t a tim e w hen th e w orkers suffer th e m ost u n d er th e transgression of irresponsible cap ta in s of in d u s try , th e y dem and a w a rra n ty for a stro n g er influence of th e trad e-u n io n s in all social an d economic institu tio n s. The revolutionary changes in the economic system and the 40hour week formed the subject receiving the most attention at the congress. The opinion of the congress on this most important ques tion of the present time was given in a resolution of which we quote the essential points : T he developm ent of th e economic crisis has show n in a n im pressive m an n er th a t th e political organization of th e w orld h as n o t achieved th e degree of perfec tion required by th e econom y. T h e w orld h as th e choice eith er to rem ove all political tension by a sincere ren u n ciatio n of w ar, i. e., by general disarm am en t, and th ereb y to realize th e prelim inaries for a w orld econom y, or to a b an d o n th e w orld-w ide econom ic cooperation a n d to p u t up w ith th e fa ta l consequences deriving therefrom . * * * R ealizing th a t it can n o t be expected th a t th e existing p roductive pow er will be in full o peration very soon, even u n d e r fav o r able developm ents, th e congress em phasizes th e u rg en t necessity to reduce u nem p loym ent by a sy stem atic red u ctio n of th e hours of labor. T his m easure is possible, an d im perativ e for social a n d political reasons. Public and private economy, with which the congress was dealing, has thus become a question of actuality because of the economic depression. Public ownership has reached a position of considerable importance in Germany. Of the 18,000,000 industrial workers, 2,250,000 are employed by public authorities, and 1,000,000 of these in industrial production. The orders for goods, services, etc., given by public institutions to private firms amount to from 8 to 9 billion marks a year. Private employers have never favored public ownership. Their objection is expensive operation and high wages. They now demand the return, to private enterprise, of the public establishments, at least those which yield profits; the other public services, however, like the building and cleaning of streets and canals, fire fighting, carting away dust, school kitchens, homes for the aged, hospitals, theaters, and cemeteries, may remain in the hands of the public authorities. The trade-unions oppose the transfer of public institutions and public services into the hands of private capitalists, on the grounds that public institutions work more cheaply than capitalistic firms, that the consumers must not be left to the mercy of private monopo lists, that in public institutions the workers share in decisions^ on administration and the rates of wages paid, that if public housing, for instance, were to be transferred to private enterprise poor peo ple could no longer expect to get rooms and houses at reasonable rates, and that under private ownership the workers would have to rest content with lower wages and worse working conditions. The opinion of the congress on this matter was summarized in a lengthy resolution whose main point was as follows: “ Common wel fare demands the maintenance of all public institutions and their fur ther development on account of the increasing distress of the popula tion. The main object of all public economic institutions can not be the desire for profits, but the desire to serve the community.” https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 18 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW The last important subject on the agenda of the congress was the development of the labor laws. The collective labor rights in Ger many are very extensive and varied ; they comprise quite a number of laws. The practical application of these laws has revealed their flaws and deficiencies, and these flaws the German trade-unions try constantly to remove. The congress of Frankfort has done its share in this respect. The objections raised and suggestions for correc tions made are, however, too many to be dealt with in detail here. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis PRODUCTIVITY OF LABOR P r o d u c tiv ity o f L ab or in t h e S h e e t D e p a r t m e n t o f t h e Iro n a n d S te e l I n d u s tr y HIS article presents the results of a study made during 1930 of pro ductivity in the sheet department of the iron and steel industry. The data were obtained through personal visits to the offices of the steel companies and cover the principal operations in standard sheet mills for the years, 1925 to 1929. Figures for earlier years were not available. The lack of uniform practice and the arbitrary treatment of account ing items made the classification of the data difficult. It was necessary to be content with data from the companies that could furnish satis factory statistics. In many plants the records from which labor hours may be derived were not available for the earlier years, while in other plants the available data could not be compiled to show a proper distribution of all labor hours. The data for 1929 cover about 10 per cent of the entire production in the United States for that year, and for the years 1925 to 1928 the number of plants studied is considered to be a fair sample of the industry. The information available would not permit the combination of labor hours and output for all departments combined, as the opera tions of cold rolling, sheet annealing, and sheet pickling vary in number and sequence, depending on the kind or grade of sheet produced. The departments covered in this report are those of bar shearing, hot rolling, cold rolling, sheet annealing, and sheet pickling. The unit of output is the net ton and the unit of labor time, the man-hour. A man-hour is an hour’s work by one employee. The labor hours charged against the output of each department include those of all plant labor engaged on the particular process, except the hours spent in repair and maintenance. The hours of plant labor here used include the time of superintendents, foremen, timekeepers, checkers, weighers, cranemen, motor operators, engi neers, electricians, machinists, and other direct labor engaged on the particular process, but do not include the time of accountants, clerks, salesmen, and other employees connected with the general office. Among the factors affecting average productivity are the substi tution of machinery for labor, improvement in management, intro duction of special piecework and bonus systems, installation of continuous pair and sheet furnaces in the hot mills, more efficient cooling of rolls, better-constructed motors, better-designed machinery, improved lighting systems, improved conveyor systems, serialization of machinery, and improved working conditions. It is impossible to measure separately the effect of these and other factors that influence productivity. While these factors have influenced productivity during the period studied, they have been operative in the industry for several years. T https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 19 20 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW Summary T h e study shows a steady gain in average output per man-hour of labor time during the period covered, except in the annealing operations. The bar-shearing department shows the largest gain in output per man-hour, the increase from 1925 to 1929, inclusive, being 16 per cent. The cold-rolling and sheet-pickling operations show an increase of 12 per cent each, while the hot rolling shows a gain of about 10 per cent. In the annealing department the gain in output per man-hour was more than offset by the increased labor time required to meet the increasing demand for full-finished sheets of deep drawing quality. In general the real gain in the industry in labor productivity due to improvement in technology and management was obscured by the increase in labor time required to produce full-finished sheets. The output of loose-rolled sheets of auto-body grade alone increased about 100 per cent from 1927 to 1929, the period for which census data are available. There was also a large increase in the production of high-grade sheets for use in the manufacture of electric refrigerators and metal furniture. Table 1 contains summary data of average labor productivity for all plants, by departments. T a b l e 1 .—S U M M A R Y O F A V E R A G E L A B O R P R O D U C T I V I T Y I N S T A N D A R D S H E E T M IL L S , B Y Y E A R S , 1925 T O 1929 A verage o u tp u t (n e t tons) p er m a n -h o u r Year 1929_______________ 1928_______________ 1927_______________ 1926_______________ 1925_______________ B ar H ot sh ear ro ll ing ing 2.200 0. 077 2.155 .078 2. 123 .076 1.956 .076 1.893 .072 C old ro ll ing 1.480 1. 566 1. 397 1. 199 1.159 M a n -h o u rs p er n e t to n of o u tp u t S heet Sheet A v er B ar age an H ot p ic k gauge sh e a r n ea l ro llin g ling of ing ing sheets 1.346 0. 857 1.335 .853 1.336 .659 1. 394 .681 1.415 .702 23 23 24 24 24 0. 455 .464 .471 . 511 .528 A v er C o ld Sheet S heet age an ro ll p ic k n e a l ling gauge ing of ing sh eets 12. 961 0. 675 0. 743 12.805 .639 .749 13. 235 .716 .748 13. 138 .834 .718 13.817 .863 .707 1.167 1.173 1. 516 1. 469 1.424 23 23 24 24 24 Processes of Manufacture T he sheet industry is a part of the rolling-mill branch of the iron and steel industry. The sequence of processes from ore to finished product in the form of sheets is as follows: From the blast furnace to the mixer, to the steel works, to the blooming mills, to the sheet mills. One net ton (2,000 pounds) of ore will produce about 1,100 pounds of pig iron. When melted and teemed into ingot molds this amount of pig iron will yield about 1,000 pounds of ingots. In the further reduction of this quantity of ingots to sheet bars the output of the latter will weigh slightly more than 900 pounds. This amount of sheet bars will produce about 650 pounds of finished sheets. #The process of making sheets in standard sheet mills may be divided into several distinct operations, depending on the grade of sheet desired. _For the purpose of this study the following operations have been studied: (1) Shearing the sheet bars; (2) hot rolling, includ ing roughing, finishing, opening, and shearing; (3) cold rolling; (4) annealing; and (5) sheet pickling. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis PRODUCTIVITY OF LABOR 21 Hot rolling is the most important of these operations, and requires more labor time than all of the other operations combined. While the sheets are physically complete at the end of the hot-rolling opera tion, they are still unfit for the many uses to which they are to be put. To obtain the desired grade and quality of sheet, some of the opera tions referred to may be varied in number and sequence. If a highgrade sheet is desired, the sheet bars are pickled before being rolled in order to remove the scale and prevent its being rolled into the sheet. This gives a smoother surface for painting and enameling. In standard sheet mills, sheets are made from sheet bars. As the long sheet bars leave the sheet-bar mill, they are usually about 30 feet long, 6 to 12 inches wide, and less than 2 inches thick. The barshearing operation consists in cutting these long, thin bars into the desired lengths for the sheet mills. They are fed into the bar shears three, four, or five at one time. As the steel is never rolled with the grain, the small sheet bars are therefore fed into the sheet mill cross wise. The thickness of the sheet when finished is determined by the width and the gage of the sheet bar. A single mill consists of two stands of 2-high rolls. After being heated in the pair furnace the bars are broken down on one stand (known as the roughing mill) and finished on the other (known as the finishing mill). It is the practice to “ rough down” several bars before putting the “ rough downs” through the finishing rolls. After being heated in the pair furnace for about one hour or until the bars are red, they are removed by the pair heater, who drags them in pairs to the roughing rolls and delivers them to the rougher. The rougher passes the hot bars separately between the rolls to the catcher, who returns the flattened piece. After four or five passes the sheets are ready for the finishing mill. After each pass the space between the rolls of the roughing mill is reduced by turning down the screws at the side of the rolls. The screws are operated by the doubler, who is assisted in some plants by the pair heater. In some plants mechan ical conveyors carry the sheet bars to the roughing mills. The “ rough-down” sheets, as they are now called, are sometimes pickled before being put through the finishing rolls. This is done to remove the scale that has formed during the previous hot rolling. Before the sheets are delivered to the finishing mills the “ roughdown” pieces are placed together in pairs, with the longest on the bottom. This is known as matching, and the work is done by the matcher. The partially rolled sheets are passed through the rolls to hold them together; they are then delivered to the finishing floor and the pair heater’s helper places them in the sheet furnace. When reheated to the desired temperature they are removed from the sheet furnace by the sheet heater and delivered to the roller. _ The sheets are passed two or three times between the rolls to obtain the length and thickness desired. All common grades of standard hot-mill black sheets are produced under “ tight-rolled” practice, i. e., the pack of from two to eight sheets is rolled and the sheets are separated after rolling. To secure a smooth, flat surface suitable for sheets of high grade, it is necessary to roll the sheets separately. These are known as loose-rolled sheets. This practice permits the surface of the sheet to be kept clean. For commercial uses sheets are classified according to the number and kind of treatments. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 22 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW The commercial grades of tight-rolled sheets from standard mills are known as follows: 1. One pass, cold-rolled, box annealed. The treatments are given in the order named. Sheets of this grade are rolled in packs of from two to eight sheets, depending on the gage. When cool, they are opened, given a flattening cold-roll pass, and box annealed. 2. Hot-rolled, pickled, and box annealed. The sheets in this grade are given the same treatments as in the preceding grade, and in addition they are pickled and dried or oiled and limed. 3. Single pickled, full cold-rolled, reannealed. In this grade the treatments are the same as in grade 1, with the extra treatments of pickling, cold rolling (two or three passes), and annealing. This grade is widely used. 4. Full pickled, full cold-rolled, reannealed. Same as grade 3, except that the bars are pickled to remove scale and oxide. This im proves the surface of the sheet. In the class of loose-rolled sheets are included: 1. Auto-body sheets. The bars are pickled to remove oxide scale and cinders. The sheets are loose rolled, the “ rough downs” are pickled, box annealed, pickled, given one or two cold passes, reannealed, and stretcher leveled. For a sheet of extra deep drawing quality the heat treatment is given in a normalizing-annealing furnace instead of box-annealing furnace. Normalizing restores the grain structure required for satisfactory working under certain conditions. The other treatments for this grade of sheet are the same as for the preced ing grade. For hood and fender stock the bars are pickled. Sheets are hot rolled, and the “ rough downs” pickled, annealed, pickled, full cold rolled, reannealed, and stretcher leveled. 2. Steel-furniture sheets. These receive practically the same treat ments as auto-body sheets. Other commercial grades, mostly heavy-gage sheets, are produced on the jobbing mill or the continuous mill. Classification of sheets.—With respect to size, sheets are classified according to weight per square foot and thickness in fractions of an inch. The weight and thickness of sheets of specified gage are shown below. As a rule sheet mills do not roll thinner than No. 30 gage. Sheets thicker than one-eighth inch seldom are rolled on a sheet mill but are reduced on a jobbing mill. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis T a b l e 2 .— C L A S S I F I C A T I O N O F S H E E T S W e ig h t W e ig h t per N u m b e r p e r sq u are sq u are foot, in of gage foot, in pounds ounces 000000 0 9 14 20 26 33 38 44 20.00 12. 50 6. 25 3. 125 1.50 .75 .375 .25 . 1875 320 200 100 50 24 12 6 4 3 T h ic k ness, in fractio n of a n in c h 1/2 5/16 5/32 5/64 3/80 3/160 3/320 1/160 3/640 T h ick n ess, in in ch es 0.5 .3125 .15625 .078125 .0375 .01875 .009375 .00625 .0046875 23 PRODUCTIVITY OF LABOR Analysis of Productivity, by Departments T a b l e 3 gives the detailed data from which the labor productivity averages are derived. The significance of these figures is commented on in the text statements separately for each department. T a b l e 3 .—A V E R A G E L A B O R P R O D U C T I V I T Y , T O T A L H O U R S O F L A B O R , A N D T O T A L P R O D U C T I O N I N S T A N D A R D S H E E T M IL L S , B Y D E P A R T M E N T S , 1925 T O 1929 H o t ro llin g B a r shearing A verage la b o r p r o d u c tiv ity A verage la b o r p ro d u c tiv ity Y ear 1929____________ 1928____________ 1927____________ 1926____________ 1925____________ T o ta l N u m p ro d u c b e r of tio n (n et p la n ts tons) 6 5 3 3 5 436,166 291,128 150;188 145, 326 233, 430 T o ta l m an h o u rs T o ta l N um T o ta l O u tp u t p ro d u c O u tp u t b er of p er M an M a n p la n ts tio n (n et m an -h o u rs per m an h o u rs tons) ho u rs m an hour per net h o u r p er n e t to n (n et to n (n e t tons) tons) 196,877 135, 073 70, 735 74,310 123,312 2. 200 2.155 2.123 1.956 1.893 9 8 6 5 6 0. 455 .464 .471 .511 .528 665,465 529, 548 325, 139 298, 704 350, 284 A verage lab o r p ro d u c tiv ity on b asis of one rolling T o ta l 1929____________ 1928____________ 1927____________ 1926____________ 1925____________ 8 1,435,851. 8 1,073,402 4 366, 648 4 402, 968 4 471, 239 T o ta l m anh o u rs 969, 875 685, 634 262, 540 336,104 406, 744 0.077 .078 .076 .076 .072 12. 961 12. 805 13. 235 13.138 13. 817 S h eet an n e alin g C old rolling N u m - tio n on b er of b asis of p la n ts one rollin g (n et tolls) 8, 624, 744 6, 806, 061 4, 303, 305 3,924,340 4, 839, 721 p u t per M a n m anho u rs hour per n et to n (n e t tons) 1.480 1.566 1.397 1. 199 1.159 T o ta l productio n on N um b e r of one anp la n ts nealing (net tons) 0.675 .639 .716 .834 .863 7 6 4 4 5 777,045 614, 337 288, 711 332,856 371, 907 A verage la b o r p r o d u c tiv ity on b asis of one an n ealin g T o ta l m an -h o u rs p u t per M an m an h o u rs hour per net (n e t to n to n s) 577,165 460,134 216, 058 238, 862 262, 849 1.346 1.335 1.336 1.394 1.415 0. 743 .749 .748 .718 .707 S h eet p ick lin g 1 Y ear 1929 1928. 1927. 1926. 1925. 1 In c lu d in g ro u g h a n d fin ish ed sheets. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis A v erag e la b o r p ro d u c t iv it y , on T o ta l b asis of one p ic k p ro d u c lin g N u m tio n on T o ta l b e r of b asis of m an -h o u rs p la n ts one p ic k M an O u tp u t lin g (n e t h o u rs p er m a n tons) hour p er n e t to n (n e t to n s) 7 5 2 2 3 687,103 547, 496 166, 208 192, 653 215, 863 802,164 641, 982 252, 031 283, 021 303,412 0. 857 .853 . 659 .681 .702 1.167 1.173 1. 516 1.469 1.424 24 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW Bar shearing.—In standard sheet mills sheets are made from sheet bars having a thickness less than 2 inches and a width of from 6 to 12 inches. The bars are sheared from long thin sections, the length of the bar corresponding to the width of the sheet. In cutting the bars into the desired lengths for the hot mills the bars are taken to the bar shears on rolls and fed into the bar shears, three, four, or five at one time. The working crew consists of the foreman, bar unloaders, shearmen, pushers, catchers, crane operators, and cranemen. The data in Table 3 show that for 1929 the average output of sheet bars per man-hour of labor was 2.200 net tons. This compares with 2.155 net tons for 1928, 2.123 net tons for 1927, 1.956 net tons for 1926, and 1.893 net tons for 1925. Expressed in another way, this means that for 1929 the labor time required to cut a net ton of bars was 0.455 man-hour, as against 0.464 man-hour for 1928, 0.471 man-hour for 1927, 0.511 man-hour for 1926, and 0.528 man-hour for 1925. While some improvements were made in bar-shearing equipment during the period, the increase of 16 per cent in average labor pro ductivity was due largely to better management. Hot rolling.—The hot rolling of sheets is still done largely by hand, and this has prevented the increase in productivity so characteristic of many industries. The development of the continuous process in 1923 made possible a reduction of the ingots to sheets approximately 0.06 inch thick without the metal being manipulated by hand. Since the use of this method is confined to a few plants only, figures for companies using this process are not included in the present study. The following figures refer to operations in standard sheet mills for the years 1925 to 1929. Statistics for earlier years were not available. The figures in Table 3 show that for the year 1929 the average out put per man-hour of labor time was 0.077 net ton, as against 0.078 net ton for 1928, 0.076 net ton for 1927, 0.076 net ton for 1926, and 0.072 net ton for 1925. Expressed differently, this means that for the year 1929 the time required to produce 1 net ton of output was 12.961 man-hours. This compares with 12.805 man-hours for 1928, 13.235 man-hours for 1927, 13.138 man-hours for 1926 and 13.817 man-hours for 1925. The gain in output per man-hour from 1925 to 1929 was about 10 per cent. The output for 1929 and 1928 was of an average of 23 gauge, while the output for 1927, 1926, and 1925 was of an average of 24 gauge. The data available were such as to make impossible the separation of data to show production by kind and grade of sheet. The figures for each plant were compiled to show the average gauge for the entire year. The average output for individual plants was combined to show the average gauge for all plants. The labor time charged against the hot-rolling process includes the total hours of all plant labor, except that of repair and maintenance labor. The labor time of clerks, accountants, and salesmen connected with the general office is not included. The total hours of plant labor include the labor time of the follow ing groups: (1) Hot-mill rolling—rollers, roller helpers, heaters, heater helpers, roughers, catchers, pair heaters, matchers, second roughers, https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis PRODUCTIVITY OF LABOR 25 shearmen, leaders, and spell hands (this group is usually paid on a tonnage basis); (2) superintendents, assistant superintendents, fore men, checkers, and weighers; (3) engineers and motor operators; (4) ashmen, furnacemen, firemen, and general labor; (5) scrap labor; (6) mechanical labor; (7) electrical labor; (8) Cranemen and crane followers; (9) other miscellaneous labor. Cold rolling.—In order to smooth out the sheets after they come from the hot mills, they are cold-rolled. In the case of 1-pass boxannealed sheets this is "done principally for the purpose of removing the kinks and other uneven places, preparatory to annealing. This process also permits the sheets to be packed more closely in the anneal ing box. To reduce stiffness and give the sheet a better surface finish, this kind of sheet is again cold-rolled. Sheets receive one or more “ passes/’ depending on the kind or grade of sheet desired. The total output includes the tonnage for all “ passes,” on the unit basis of one “ pass” or rolling. Labor hours include all plant labor engaged on the process, except repair and maintenance labor. The labor time of all employees in the general office has not been included. The average output per man-hour for those plants covered in the report shows a gain of 12 per cent in average productivity, from 1925 to 1929. The output per man-hour for 1929 was 1.480 net tons, while for 1928 it was 1.566 net tons; for 1927, 1.397 net tons; for 1926, 1.199 net tons; and for 1925, 1.159 net tons. The production of 1 net ton required 0.675 man-hour in 1929, 0.639 man-hour in 1928, 0.716 man-hour in 1927. 0.834 man-hour in 1926, and 0.863 man-hour in 1925. Annealing.—The sheets are annealed to remove the strains incident to hot rolling and to permit the grain structure to readjust itself. This is done in suitable furnaces, where the sheets are subjected to different degrees of temperature in different parts of the furnace. The sheets are given one or more annealings, depending on the grade of sheet desired. The total output of the plants in Table 2 is reported on a unit basis of one annealing. The period from 1925 to 1929 was characterized by an increasing demand for loose-rolled, full-finished sheets of deep-drawing quality, which require more labor time per unit of product in the annealing process. The averages of labor productivity in Table 3 show that for 1929 the average output per man-hour was 1.346 net tons, which com pares with 1.335 net tons for 1928, 1.336 net tons for 1927, 1.394 net tons for 1926, and 1.415 net tons for 1925. Expressed in labor time per unit of output, for 1929 it required 0.743 man-hour to anneal 1 net ton. This compares with 0.749 man-hour for 1928, 0.748 man-hour for 1927, 0.718 man-hour for 1926, and 0.707 man-hour for 1925. The labor time charged against the output included that of fore men, firemen, sandmen, ashmen, checkers, floormen, crane operators, and crane followers, but not that of maintenance and repair men in the plant, or of clerks, accountants, salesmen and other labor con nected with the general office. Despite the increase in efficiency during the period, the average labor output per man-hour shows a decrease of about 10 per cent. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 26 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW This was due to the extra labor time required to Ineet the increasing demand for full-finished sheets of special quality and grade. Sheet pickling —To remove the scale or oxide that results from the hot-mill operations, the sheets are given a bath in a dilute solution of sulphuric acid. This is done by an automatic pickling machine, which immerses the sheets in the bath. The sheets are then dipped in water and thoroughly cleaned. The figures in Table 3 include the output for both loose-rolled and tight-rolled sheets. The former class includes furniture, auto-body, and special-quality sheets requiring a smooth finish. The total pro duction is given on a unit basis of one pickling. The labor time includes that of all plant labor, except repair and maintenance labor. None of the time of general office employees has been charged against the production. The data in Table 3 show that for 1929 the output per man-hour was 0.857 net ton. This compares with 0.853 net ton for 1928, 0.659 net ton for 1927, 0.681 net ton for 1926, and 0.702 net ton for 1925. The labor time required to produce 1 net ton of output for 1929 was 1.167 man-hours, as against 1.173 man-hours for 1928, 1.516 man-hours for 1927, 1.469 man-hours for 1926, and 1.424 man hours for 1925. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS AND UNEM PLOYMENT RELIEF C o st o f F illin g J o b s b y C a lifo r n ia S t a t e E m p lo y m e n t A g e n c ie s HE expenditure of the California Division of State Free Employ ment Agencies totaled $180,067.76 in the biennial period ending June 30, 1930. The number of jobs filled by these offices in the two years was 295,385, the average cost per job filled being 61 cents.1 The cost per job filled during the last five biennial periods beginning with 1920-21 and 1921-22 was, for the respective periods, 54 cents, 36 cents, 46 cents, 54 cents, and 61 cents. According to the biennial report of the California Division of Labor Statistics and Law Enforcement for the fiscal years 1928-29 and 1929-30, the average cost to the workers per job received through a private employment office was $4.17. If the 295,385 jobs secured free of charge through State employment agencies had been obtained through private employment bureaus at the above average rate, the cost to the clients would have been $1,231,755. This sum may, therefore, be considered, the report states, as representing the savings to California workers as an outcome of the operation of the free employment agencies of the State. T S t a b iliz a t io n M e a su r e s in H a r tfo r d C o u n ty , C o n n . recently completed by the Manufacturers’ Association of Hartford County, Conn., and summarized in a press release A ofSURVEY November 11, 1931, shows what measures have been taken by member firms to stabilize employment and lessen the harmful effects of unemployment. For 81 factories, both large and small, employing a total of 36,250 persons and thus regarded as a representative sample, it is stated an employment decrease of 27 per cent occurred between January, 1929, and the date of the survey. Had the firms in question not employed 8,871 more persons than the number actually needed for production needs on a full-time basis, the decrease would have amounted to 45 per cent. In order to keep on these extra workers, factories representing 93 per cent of the total workers resorted to some plan for spreading work. It is stated that unemployment has affected skilled labor less than either semiskilled or unskilled labor. Devices for Creating Extra Work I n o r d e r that work might be further stabilized resort has been had to increases in manufacturing for stock. While this has not been practicable for factories manufacturing goods subject to style changes, on direct order, etc., it is stated that only 6 firms reported reduced 1 C alifornia. p . 110. D e p a rtm e n t of In d u s tria l R elatio n s. 91009°—32----- 3 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis F ir s t b ie n n ia l re p o rt, 1927-1930. S acram en to , 1931, 27 28 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW inventories and 23 produced inventories far in excess of their needs. Replacement of equipment has also taken place in a number of fac tories, and the use of workers on jobs other than their regular jobs has been reported. At the same time research activities have been maintained, only 2 firms reporting a curtailment of research work, while 29 had greater expenditures for this purpose. In all, one-half of the plants reported the development of new products. Investigation of Home Conditions T h e summary under review indicates that attempts to alleviate and mitigate actual and probable distress due to unemployment are more far-reaching than was at first anticipated. Factories to the number of 64 and employing 90 per cent of the workers covered by the survey had developed some plan of assisting persons in the greatest need of work. M in n e s o ta U n e m p lo y m e n t R esea rch P r o je c t the medium of the Employment Stabilization Re search Institute of the University of Minnesota a series of studies T HROUGH of the various aspects of unemployment is being undertaken. In a foreword to a pamphlet describing the unemployment program of this institution 1 it is stated that a university is well adapted to carrying through this kind of study, that the various research facilities of the University of Minnesota will be made use of in carrying the work for ward, and that necessary funds supplementing the resources of the university will be made available from grants made by three founda tions. It is proposed to develop three projects, the first of which will be devoted to the economic aspects of unemployment, the second to indi vidual diagnosis of cases and retraining, and the third to development of public employment agencies. Preliminary to undertaking these studies, the report states, such industrial surveys as were in process of being made by different members of the university staff were co ordinated in 1930 into one project. Among these studies was one of employment indexes for the cities of St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Duluth. The indexes were completed in the summer of 1930. Machinery for Carrying on Work A c o m m i t t e e designated as the Tri-City Employment Stabilization Committee has made use of the findings mentioned and it is this body that has been intrusted with the duty of coordinating the activities of the various State and local groups dealing with employment condi tions and unemployment. It is this committee, also, that serves as a contacting agency between the research staff of the Employment Stabilization Research Institute and the business community. The Employment Stabilization Research Institute carries on its research work as a university function. A separate administrative unit has been set up by the board of regents for the institute. The function of the institute is to conduct studies and experiments. 1 U n iv e rs ity of M in n e s o ta . E m p lo y m e n t S tab iliz atio n R esearch I n s titu te . B u lle tin , V ol. I , N o . 1: T h e M in n e s o ta U n e m p lo y m e n t R esearch P ro jec t, b y R u sse ll A. S tev en so n . M in n e a p o lis, T h e U n iv e rs ity of M in n e s o ta P ress, N o v e m b e r, 1931. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis EM PLOYMENT CONDITIONS— UNEM PLOYM ENT R E L IE F 29 The Three Projects E ach of the three projects undertaken is headed by a project chair man and is being carried on largely with an independent staff. Project I, dealing with the economic aspects of unemployment, has as its objectives finding out how industrial changes are affecting the volume and character of employment in the region, revealing the types of vocational training and guidance that are needed under modern conditions, and determining what business changes would help to stabilize conditions of employment. To attain these ends, the staff for Project I is at present engaged primarily with four major surveys, as follows: (1) The individual case histories of 4,000 unemployed, (2) the industrial survey, (3) the job analysis survey, and (4) the sur vey of business migrations. "Project II , dealing with individual diagnosis and retraining, is test ing the various methods of diagnosing the vocational aptitudes of unemployed workers, providing a cross section of the basic reeduca tion problems of the unemployed, and demonstrating methods of re education and industrial rehabilitation of workers unemployed be cause of technological changes. Under Project III the development of public employment agencies is being studied. It is stated that this project constitutes a type of laboratory or testing ground for certain of the technics developed in the first two projects. At present, public employment offices are maintained jointly by the State and city governments in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Duluth. The funds for the support of these offices are supplemented by the Spelman fund, “ with the proviso that for a 2year period the responsibility for the supervision and development of these public employment agencies be assumed by the Tri-City Em ployment Stabilization Committee.” By turning over to the com mittee the advisory control over the public employment agencies the governor and the industrial commission have sought to make more effective the development of the agencies in cooperation with the em ployment stabilization committee. The chief objectives sought are four in number, as follows: 1. T o establish a unified system of lab o r clearance. T his m eans coordinating th e activ ities of all placem en t agencies t h a t seem to be serving a useful com m u n ity function a n d clearing jo b info rm atio n th ro u g h th e public exchanges. I t fu rth e r involves th e m inim izing of th e n u m b er of u n its engaged in em ploym ent work. 2. T o establish in th e public offices a d e q u a te sta tistic a l indexes of occupational a n d in d u strial tre n d s a n d conditions in each c ity , as a b ackground for effective v ocational guidance a n d placem ent. 3. T o in tro d u ce scientific technics for th e in d iv id u al diagnosis of th e a p titu d e s a n d special qualifications of all a p p lican ts for jobs. 4. T o provide ad eq u a te personnel a n d eq u ip m en t in ord er to m a in ta in effective c o n ta c t w ith em ployers of lab o r a n d to ad m in ister scientific selection an d place m en t procedures. U n e m p lo y m e n t in F o r e ig n C o u n tr ie s HE following table gives detailed monthly statistics of unem ployment in foreign countries, as shown in official reports, from T January, 1930, to the latest available date. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 30 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW S T A T E M E N T O F U N E M P L O Y M E N T IN F O R E IG N C O U N T R IE S 1 A u stra lia A u stria B elg iu m T ra d e -u n io n ists u n em p lo y ed C o m p u l sory in su ran ce, num ber unem plo y ed in re ce ip t of b en efit U n e m p lo y m e n t in su ra n c e societies N um ber P er cent 273,197 284,543 239,094 192,477 162,678 150,075 153,188 156,145 163,894 192, 778 237, 745 294,845 22,542 16,085 14,030 13,715 12,119 12, 226 15,302 17,747 23,693 27,322 38,973 63,585 3.5 2.6 2 .2 2 .2 1.9 1.9 2.4 2.8 3.8 4.3 6.1 9 .3 25,782 31,222 28,469 36,605 38,761 41,336 48,580 51,649 61,623 54,804 76,043 117,167 4.0 4.9 4.5 5.8 6.1 6.5 7.7 8 .2 9.9 8.5 12.0 17.0 13.8 17.0 331, 239 334, 041 304, 084 246, 845 208, 852 191, 150 194, 364 196, 321 202, 130 228, 101 273, 658 77,181 81,750 81,305 V0, 377 56,250 62, 642 64,644 70,893 74,175 82, 811 11.1 11.7 11.3 10.0 7.9 8.9 9.1 9.9 10.3 11.3 112,734 121,906 125,972 110,139 97, 755 101,616 116,747 120,669 119,433 122, 773 16.2 19.4 17.7 15.6 13.8 14.4 16.3 16.8 16. 6 16.8 16.0 15.6 15.5 14.9 16.2 16.3 16.2 15.8 18. 1 18.3 D a te (end of m o n th ) N um ber 1930 J a n u a r y ... F e b r u a r y .. M a r c h ____ A p ril_____ M a y _____ J u n e _____ J u l y _____ A u g u st___ S ep te m b er O cto b e r. __ N o v em b e r. D ecem ber. 1931 J a n u a r y ... F e b r u a r y .. M a r c h ___ A p ril_____ M a y _____ J u n e _____ J u l y _____ A u g u st___ S ep te m b er O c to b e r... N o v em b e r. Per cent ( 2) ( 2) 63,144 14.6 ( 2) ( 2) 80,595 18. 5 ( 2) ( 2) 90,379 20.5 ( 2) (2) 104,951 23.4 ( 2) (2) 113,614 25.8 ( 2) ( 2) 118,424 27.6 ( 2) ( 2) 120, 694 28.3 D an zig (F ree C ity of) C zechoslovakia D a te (end of m o n th ) N um ber of u n e m plo y ed on live register T ra d e -u n io n in su ra n c e fu n d s— u n e m p lo y e d in re c e ip t of b en e fit N um ber W h o lly u n e m plo y ed N um ber of u n e m plo y ed registered Per ce n t C anada P a r tia lly u n e m plo y ed N um ber D e n m a rk P e r cen t E s to n ia T ra d e -u n io n u n e m p lo y m e n t fu n d s— u n em p lo y ed N um ber P e r ce n t P e r cen t of trad eu n io n ists unem p loyed 10.8 11.5 10.8 9.0 10.3 10.6 9.2 9.3 9.4 10.8 F in la n d N um ber unem N um ber p lo y e d of u n e m rem ain in g p lo y ed o n liv e registered reg ister 1930 J a n u a ry F e b ru a ry _________ M a rc h ___ A pril M a y ______ ._ _ _ __ J u n e __________ ____ J u ly ________________ A u g u st______________ S e p te m b e r___ ______ O cto b e r. . . N o v em b e r . .... . D e cem b er___________ 73, 891 86,156 88, 005 79, 721 77, 069 73, 464 77, 309 88, 005 104, 534 122, 379 155,203 239, 564 39,199 40, 550 45, 567 42, 664 41, 098 37,853 46, 800 52,694 57, 542 61,213 65,904 93,476 3.6 3.6 4.0 3.7 3.8 3.4 4.1 4.7 5.3 5.5 5.9 8.3 19, 282 21,153 20, 376 18, 371 16, 232 14, 975 15, 330 15, 687 16. 073 17, 307 20, 272 24,429 55,876 59, 363 47, 109 33, 471 27,966 24, 807 26, 200 26, 232 27, 700 32,880 44, 200 71,100 20.3 21. 0 15.6 11.8 9.4 8.7 9.3 9 .0 9 .0 11.4 15.3 24.6 5, 608 4,580 3, 575 2, 227 2, 065 910 762 1,039 1,414 3, 282 5, 675 6,163 12, 696 11.545 10, 062 7, 274 4, 666 3, 553 4, 026 5, 288 7,157 10, 279 10, 740 9, 336 1931 J a n u a r y _____________ F e b ru a ry M a r c h .. . . _ __ A p ril________ __ _ __ M a y ______ . . . . J u n e . ______ _ . J u ly _________________ A u g u st . . . . . . ___ S e p te m b e r__________ O ctober N o v e m b e r__________ 313,511 343, 972 339, 505 296, 756 249, 686 220, 038 209, 233 214, 520 228, 383 253, 518 336, 874 104, 580 117,450 119,350 107, 238 93,941 82, 534 82, 759 86, 261 3 84,671 9.5 10.0 10.0 8.9 7.6 6.6 6. 6 6.9 6.8 27,081 28,192 27, 070 24,186 20, 686 19, 855 20, 420 21, 509 22, 922 24, 932 28, 966 70, 961 73. 427 67, 725 45, 698 37.856 34, 030 36, 369 35, 060 35,871 47 19fi 66’ 526 24.2 26.0 22.1 15.3 12. 3 11.3 11.8 11.8 12.1 5,364 4, 070 2, 765 2, 424 1,368 931 634 933 2,096 5, 425 11,706 11,557 11,491 12, 663 7, 342 6, 320 6, 790 9,160 12,176 14,824 See footnotes a t e n d of ta b le. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 22. 3 31 EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS— UNEMPLOYMENT R E L IE F S T A T E M E N T O F U N E M P L O Y M E N T I N F O R E I G N C O U N T R I E S — C o n tin u e d F ra n c e G e rm an y T ra d e -u n io n ists N um ber u n e m N u m b e r of unem ployed ployed in receipt of benefit registered D a te (end of m o n th ) W h o lly u n e m ployed N um ber P a r tia lly u n e m plo y ed P e r ce n t N u m b e r P e r cent N um ber unem p loyed in rece ip t of ben efit 1930 J a n u a r y - ________ _____ F e b r u a ry _________ ________ M a rc h _____ ____ _____ A p ril. -----M a y ______ ----June - --- J u l y ________________________ --------- A u g u s t.- S e p te m b e r _________ __ - - - O ctober _ __________ ____ N ovem ber - D e c e m b e r____ _ --- --- 1, 484 1,683 1,630 1, 203 859 1,019 856 964 988 1,663 4, 893 11, 952 3, 217. 608 3,365,811 3, 040, 797 2, 786. 912 2, 634, 718 2, 640, 681 2, 765, 258 2,883, 000 3, 004, 000 3, 252, 000 3, 683, 000 4, 384, 000 1, 004, 787 1, 076, 441 995, 972 926, 831 895, 542 896, 465 930. 777 984, 384 1,011,820 1,061,570 1,167, 930 (2) 22. 0 23, 5 21. 7 20.3 19. 5 19.6 20.5 21. 7 22.5 23.6 26.0 31. 7 501, 950 593, 380 576,153 553, 098 552, 318 578,116 631, 903 670, 466 677, 627 693, 379 721, 658 (2) 11.0 13.0 12.6 12.1 12. 0 12.6 13.9 14.8 15. 1 15. 4 16.1 16.9 2, 482, 648 2, 655, 723 2, 347,102 2, 081, 068 1, 889, 240 1,834, 662 1,900, 961 1,947,811 1, 965, 348 2, 071, 730 2, 353, 980 2,822, 598 1931 J a n u a r y -------- -------- --------F e b ru a ry - - - - ------------M a r c h --------------------------------A p ril _ - -M a y ___ _ --- ---------Ju n e J u ly ------------------------------------A u g u st-- ---------- S e p te m b e r-------- ----------------O cto b e r- _____ _____ - N ovem ber _ -. D ecem ber . . 28, 536 40, 766 50,815 49, 958 41, 339 36, 237 35, 916 37, 673 38, 524 51, 654 92,157 147,069 4,887, 000 4, 972, 000 4, 756, 000 4, 358, 000 4,053, 000 3, 954, 000 3,976, 000 4, 215, 000 4, 355, 000 4, 622, 000 5, 057, 000 (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) 34. 2 34.5 33.6 31. 2 29.9 29.7» 31.0 33.6 35. 1 36.6 (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) 19.2 19. 5 18. 9 18.0 17.4 17.7 19.1 21.4 22. 2 22. 0 3, 384, 770 3,496, 979 3, 240, 523 2, 789, 627 2, 507, 732 2, 353, 657 2,231,513 2, 376, 589 2, 483, 364 2, 534, 952 G re a t B rita in a n d N o rth e rn Ire la n d C o m p u lso ry in su ran c e D a te (end of m o n th ) W h o lly u n e m p lo y e d N um ber T e m p o ra ry s to p pages P e r cent N u m b e r P e r cent G re a t B rita in N um ber of persons registered w ith e m p lo y m e n t exchanges H u n g a ry T ra d e -u n io n ists u n em p lo y ed C h ris tia n (B u d a pest) S ocial-D em o c ratic N um b er Per cent 1930 J a n u a r y ________________ F eb ru ary , _ - ____ M a r c h __________ _____ A p r il.- M a y _______ ____ _ _ J u n e . . ____ _____ _ _ J u l y ____ _______________ A u g u s t___ ______________ S e p te m b e r.. __ O ctober N ovem ber D e c e m b e r.. _ . . ------- 1, 183, 974 1, 211, 262 1, 284, 231 1, 309,014 1, 339, 595 1,341,818 1, 405,981 1, 500, 990 1, 579, 708 1, 725, 731 1, 836, 280 1,853, 575 9.8 10.0 10.6 10.8 11.1 11.1 11.6 12.4 13. 1 13. 9 14.8 14.9 336, 474 371,840 409, 785 451, 506 516, 303 569, 931 664, 107 618, 658 608, 692 593, 223 532, 518 646, 205 2.8 3.1 3.4 3.8 4.2 4.7 5.5 5.1 5.0 4.8 4. 3 5.3 1, 491, 519 1, 539, 265 1, 677,473 1, 698, 386 1, 770,051 1, 890, 575 2, 011, 467 2, 039, 702 2,114, 955 2, 200, 413 2, 274, 338 2,392, 738 1,161 1,120 983 906 875 829 920 847 874 999 975 935 21, 533 21, 309 21, 016 20,139 19,875 18, 960 19, 081 21,013 22,252 22, 914 23, 333 24, 648 14. 5 14.8 14.6 13.7 13.6 13.0 13.2 14.5 16.0 16.7 17.0 17. 9 1931 J a n u a r y _______________ F e b ru a ry _______ M a r c h ___ _______ . . A p r il______ ___ — -----M a y , . . _________ _ -J u n e ____________________ J u l y ____________________ A u g u s t--------------------------S ep te m b er O ctober N o v em b e r 2, 044, 209 2, 073, 578 2, 052, 826 2, 027, 896 2, 019, 533 2, 037, 480 2, 073,892 2,142, 821 2, 217, 080 2, 305, 388 2, 294,902 16.5 16.7 16.5 16.3 16.3 16. 4 16.7 17.3 17.9 18.1 18.0 618, 633 623,844 612,821 564, 884 558, 383 669,315 732, 583 670, 342 663,466 487, 591 439, 952 5.0 5.0 5.0 4.6 4.5 5.4 5.9 5.4 5.3 3.8 3.4 2, 613, 749 2, 627, 559 2, 581,030 2, 531,674 2, 596,431 2,629, 215 2, 662,765 2, 732,434 2,879,466 2,755, 559 2,656, 088 953 965 996 1,042 843 751 876 941 932 26,191 27, 089 27,092 27,129 26,131 23,660 26, 329 28, 471 28, 716 19.1 19.8 (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) See footnotes a t e n d of ta b le . https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 32 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW S T A T E M E N T O F U N E M P L O Y M E N T I N F O R E I G N C O U N T R I E S —C o n tin u e d D a te (end of m o n th ) Iris h F re e S ta te I ta ly C o m p u lso ry in s u r ance—u n e m p lo y e d N u m b e r of u n e m p lo y e d registered N um ber W h o lly unem plo y ed P e r cen t 1930 J a n u a r y ----- ------------------ . . F e b ru a ry _________________ . M a rc h __ __ _ ____ ___ A p ril ._ . . . _ ________ M ay ___ _____ _______ Ju n e ___ _ J u l y ________________________ A u g u st . ____ S ep te m b er O ctober . . N o v e m b e r. . ____ D e c e m b e r....... ............. .. 31, 592 (2) (2) 26,027 (2) (2) 23,393 (2) (2) 20,775 22,990 25, 622 (2) (2) (2) 1931 J a n u a r y ____________________ F e b ru a ry _ _____________ M a r c h .. __ ____ . . . ______ _ .. A p ril_____________ . M a y . . . ___ ____________ . . J u n e .. . . . . . . . . ________ J u l y ________________________ A u g u st __ __________________ S e p te m b e r.. ... ______ O ctober 26,167 28, 681 26, 825 25, 413 . 23, 970 23, 016 21,427 21, 647 21,897 23,427 (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) 11.1 9.2 8.2 T ra d e -u n io n is ts u n em p lo y ed N um ber January... Per cent P a r tia lly unem p lo y e d N um ber unem p lo y ed re m a in in g on live reg ister N e th e rla n d s U n e m p lo y m e n t in s u ra n c e socie ties—u n e m p lo y e d N um ber P e r ce n t 466, 231 456, 628 385', 432 372; 236 367,183 322, 291 342,061 375, 548 394, 630 446, 496 534, 356 642,169 23, 185 26, 674 28; 026 24, 305 22,825 21, 887 24, 209 24, 056 22, 734 19, 081 22,125 21, 788 9,263 8,825 6,494 3,683 1,421 779 607 573 1,470 6,058 8,608 10, 022 56, 535 50, 957 34, 996 28, 421 26, 211 23,678 29,075 32,755 35, 532 41, 088 46, 807 72,191 13.9 12.5 8.6 6.9 6.3 5. 5 6.7 7.6 8 .2 9.6 11.8 16.5 722, 612 765, 325 707, 486 670, 353 635,183 573, 593 637, 531 693, 273 747, 764 799, 744 878^ 267 27, 924 27,110 27, 545 28, 780 26, 059 24, 206 25,821 30, 636 29, 822 32,828 9, 207 8, 303 8, 450 6,390 1,871 1, 584 2,169 4,827 7,470 13, 605 103, 728 99, 753 80, 525 68,860 60,189 59, 573 69, 026 70, 479 3 69,458 23.4 22. 2 17.7 14.3 12.2 11.7 13.3 15.3 15.4 N e w Z ealan d D a te (end of m o n th ) L a tv ia P o la n d R u m a n ia N um ber unem plo y ed re m a in in g on liv e reg ister N um ber unem plo y ed reg istered w ith e m p lo y m e n t offices N um ber unem p lo y ed re m a in in g on liv e reg ister 22, 549 22, 974 22, 533 19,829 16, 376 13,939 11, 997 12,923 17, 053 20, 363 24, 544 27,157 241,974 274,708 289,469 271, 225 224, 914 204,982 193, 687 173,627 170, 467 165,154 209,912 299, 797 12, 622 15, 588 13, 045 13,412 25, 096 22, 960 23, 236 24, 209 39,110 36,147 42, 689 36, 212 28, 596 29,107 29, 095 28,477 25, 206 22, 736 20, 869 22,431 27,012 29, 340 32,078 340, 718 358, 925 372, 536 351, 679 313, 104 274, 942 255,179 246, 380 246,426 253, 355 259,676 38, 804 43, 270 48, 226 41,519 33, 484 28, 093 29, 250 22, 708 22, 969 28,800 N orw ay T ra d e -u n io n is ts (10 u n io n s) u n em p lo y ed N um ber Per ce n t 1930 F e b r u a r y .. M a rc h ____ A p ril_____ M a y _____ J u n e ______ J u l y ______ A u g u s t___ S ep te m b er. O c to b e r__ N o v e m b e r. D e c e m b e r. J a n u a r y __ F e b r u a r y .. M a rc h ____ A p ril_____ M a y ______ J u n e ______ J u l y ______ A u g u s t___ S ep te m b er. O c to b e r__ N o v em b e r. See footnotes a t e n d of ta b le. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis ( 2) 4, 348 8.5 ( 2) (2) 5,884 10.9 ( 2) (2) 7,197 13.5 ( 2) (t) 8,119 ( 2) (2) ( 2) ^ 29, 434 * 37, 598 4 36, 921 * 42, 523 4 46, 359 4 48, 396 4 51,018 15.5 7,786 7,851 7, 503 6, 701 5,239 4, 700 4,723 5,897 7, 010 8, 031 9,396 11, 265 19.0 18.9 17.8 15.8 12.2 10.8 10.8 13.4 15.7 18.0 21.4 25. 5 11, 692 ( 2) 11, 213 ( 2) 5 8,415 419. 2 33 EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS— UNEMPLOYMENT R E L IE F S T A T E M E N T O F U N E M P L O Y M E N T I N F O R E I G N C O U N T R I E S - C o n t in u e d S aar T e r rito ry S w itze rlan d S w eden Y ugo slav ia U n e m p lo y m e n t fu n d s D a te (end of m o n th ) N um ber unem ployed registered T ra d e -u n io n ists u n em p lo y ed N um ber Per cent W h o lly u n e m plo y ed N um ber Per ce n t P a r tia lly u n e m p loyed N um ber Per cen t N um ber of u n e m p lo y ed reg istered 1930 J a n u a r y ..-----------------. . . F e b r u a r y .. . . . _______ M a r c h __________________ A p ril__________________ M a y .. . . . . . . . ___ Ju n e . . - - - - - J u ly ____________________ A u g u s t.. . S e p te m b e r.. ___________ O cto b e r___ . . . . ______ N o v e m b e r____ . . . D e c e m b e r... ____ _ __ 11,307 11,949 8,882 7, 522 7. 362 6, 330 7, 095 7,099 7, 527 9,013 12,110 15, 245 45, 636 45, 460 42, 278 38, 347 28,112 28,956 27,170 28, 539 34, 963 43,927 57,070 86,042 14.2 13.2 12.5 11. 1 8.3 8. 1 7.8 8. 1 9.8 12.2 15.3 22.9 10, 523 9,971 7,882 5, 203 5, 356 5, 368 4, 751 5, 703 7, 792 7, 399 11,666 21, 400 4.4 4.1 2.6 2. 1 2.2 1.7 1.9 2.3 2.5 3.0 4.7 6.6 10, 710 11, 445 12,642 12, 755 13, 129 17,688 15,112 19,441 26, 111 23, 309 25, 793 33, 483 4.4 4.7 4.2 5.3 5.4 5.7 6.2 7.9 8.3 9.4 10.5 10.4 8, 508 9, 437 9,739 12, 052 8, 704 6.991 7, 236 6, 111 5, 973 6,609 7,219 9,989 1931 J a n u a r y ___ - ________ . F e b r u a r y .. ___ _______ M a r c h .. .......................... A p ril___ _ . ... M a y ____________________ J u n e . . . . . . __________ J u l y -------------------------------- -_ A u g u st. . - ___ S e p te m b e r______________ O cto b e r_________________ 18, 921 20,139 18,292 18,102 14, 886 15, 413 17,685 20, 205 21,741 24, 685 69, 437 66,923 72,944 64, 534 49,807 45,839 46,180 48, 590 54,405 65, 469 19.8 18.4 19.3 17.5 13.2 12. 1 12.4 12. 7 13. 7 16.4 20, 551 20,081 18,991 10, 389 9,174 12, 577 12, 200 9, 754 15,188 18,000 8.3 7.9 5.4 4.0 3.5 3.6 3.3 3.6 4.0 4.8 30,977 30,879 41,880 27, 726 26, 058 34, 266 39, 000 33, 346 42,998 47, 200 12. 5 12.2 12.4 10.6 9.9 9.7 11.3 12. 4 11.2 13.2 11,903 14, 424 12,029 11,391 6,929 4, 431 6,672 7.466 7, 753 10, 070 1 Sources: L eague of N a tio n s—M o n th ly B u lle tin of S ta tistic s; In te rn a tio n a l L a b o r Office—I n te rn a tio n a l L a b o r R eview ; C a n a d a —L a b o r G azette; G re a t B rita in —M in is try of L a b o r G azette; A u stria — S tatistisc h e N a c h ric h te n ; A u stra lia — Q u a rte rly S u m m a ry of A u stra lia n S ta tistic s; G e rm a n y —R eich sarb eitsb la tt, R eich s A rb e its m a rk t A nzeiger; S w itze rlan d —W irt. u . Social. M itte ilu n g e n , L a V ie E c o n o m iq u e ; P o la n d — W iedom osci S ta ty sty c z n e ; N o rw a y — S ta tis tis k e M eddelelser; N e th e rla n d s —M a a n d sc h rift; S w eden—Sociala M ed d elen d en ; D e n m a rk — S ta tis tis k e E fte rre tn in g e r; F in la n d — B a n k of F in la n d M o n th ly B u lle tin ; F ra n c e — B u lle tin d u M a rc h é d u T ra v a il; H u n g a ry —M a g y a r S ta tis z tik a i Szem le; B elg iu m — R e v u e d u T ra v a il; N e w Z ealand—M o n th ly A b s tra c t of S ta tistic s; U . S. D e p a r tm e n t of C o m m e rc e C o m m erce R e p o rts; a n d U . S. C o n su lar R e p o rts. 2 N o t rep o rted . 3 P ro v isio n al figure. 4 N ew series of sta tis tic s show ing u n e m p lo y e d reg istered b y th e e m p lo y m e n t exchanges. In c lu d e s n o t o n ly w o rk ers w h o lly u n e m p lo y e d b u t also th o se in te rm itte n tly em p lo y ed , 6 S trik e e n d e d . P ro v is io n a l figure. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis INDUSTRIAL AND LABOR CONDITIONS A n n u a l R e p o r t o f t h e S e c r e ta r y o f L ab or, 1930-31 HE Nineteenth Annual Report of the Secretary of Labor, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1931, includes reviews of the work of the various bureaus and other offices of the United States Department of Labor. A brief resume of some of these activities is given below: T United States Employment Service T h e last Congress appropriated the sum of $883,780 for the United States Employment Service, and this has made it possible to effect a reorganization and greatly to widen the scope and effectiveness of its activities. To-day, in addition to the cooperative offices, there is a Federal Employment Service in each State in the Union and in the District of Columbia. The aim also is to make available quickly to every kind of employer the specific type of worker that he needs. The secretary states that with the present Employment Service organization there no longer exists any reason why an employer or employee need apply to a private fee-charging agency. Veterans’ employment service.—The Department of Labor, in con nection with this service, recently has instituted an intensive cam paign to assist in the relief of unemployment conditions obtaining among veterans of our wars. Bureau of Immigration F e w e r immigrants are now being admitted than at any time during the past hundred years. Only one immigrant is admitted now where five were admitted a year ago. Still more striking is the comparison of June, 1931, with June of 1913, when under the open-door policy then prevailing, 176,262 immigrants were admitted, as against 3,534 for June, 1931. Virtually fifty times as many were given entry for June, 1913, as for June, 1931. In the Secretary’s opinion there is no more important work before the Government and the people to-day than the administration of the immigration laws. These laws have a twofold purpose: (1) To protect the social and political structure of American civilization from persons who seek to come here with strange, new doctrines of government which threaten the institutions and practices that we in this country regard as essential to the onward progress of our people, whether native born or natu ralized; and (2) to give economic protection, particularly as to availa ble employment, to those who for both legal and moral reasons should receive first consideration in the blessings of the workaday life. There are in this country many aliens who have come here illegally. No reasonable estimate of this number can be made, but the number of illegal entrants has been materially checked through the activities of the immigration border patrol. 34 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis INDUSTRIAL AND LABOR CONDITIONS 35 During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1931, more than 18,000 aliens were formally deported. Many thousands of others who might have been expelled were permitted to depart voluntarily. Bureau of Naturalization T h e combined declarations of intention and petitions for citizen ship filed during the past fiscal year showed an increase over the number of these papers filed during the preceding year, which was the first year under the amendatory act of March 2, 1929. There were 106,272 declarations of intention made, comprising 83,474 by men and 22,798 by women; 145,474 petitions for citizenship were submitted to the courts, of which 108,642 were made by men and 36,832 by women; certificates of citizenship were issued to the num ber of 143,495, of which 106,715 were issued to men and 36,780 to women. Included in these are 3,224 veterans of the World War who acquired citizenship up to March 4, 1931, at which time the amenda tory legislation expired that had exempted veterans of the World War in the American forces from compliance with many of the general statutory provisions leading to naturalization. There were 7,514 applicants for citizenship denied admission by the courts. During the preceding fiscal year 62,138 declarations of intention and 113,151 petitions for citizenship were filed, and 169,377 certificates of citizenship were issued. The 2,904 new certificates of citizenship and 4,834 new declarations of intention issued made a total of 7,738 new naturalization papers issued by the bureau in lieu of those declared by their owners to be lost or destroyed. , There were 2,427 applications received from persons who believed themselves to have derived citizenship through the naturalization of their parents or through marriage, and of this number 226 certificates of citizenship of the derivative character were issued. Reports received by the department of violations of the naturaliza tion and immigration laws in and around New York City caused an intensive investigation to be undertaken in the latter half of the year. Startling disclosures of illegal and fraudulent naturalizations were the immediate results of these investigations. In certain quarters of New York City it appeared to have become settled m the minds of ignorant and unsuspecting aliens that naturalization could be obtained only through intervention of those posing as political leaders and claiming influence with the administrative and judicial authoiities. Sums varying from $5 to $150 were shown to have been paid to such imposters, grafters, fixers, runners, and other unsciupulous individuals by their dupes. Naturalization would have been con ferred and could have been secured by many of these ahens^ without the payment of more than the statutory fees. The admission of many would have been deferred because of ignorance until they had become qualified according to the standards of the courts m JNew York City. At the close of the fiscal year these investigations were being prosecuted with vigor. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 36 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW Conciliation Service D u r i n g the fiscal year under review 582 specific cases of trade disputes, strikes, threatened strikes, and lockouts were handled by the Conciliation Service. Those cases came from 37 States of the Union and involved 379,585 workers directly and indirectly. There has been a gradual change in the relationship between man agement and men in American industry since the first case was sub mitted to the Department of Labor in 1913. Since that date the service has handled 10,187 labor disputes, involving directly and indirectly 13,418,903 workers. In th e earlier day s of th e w ork of conciliation in lab o r d isp u tes th e service was continually confronted w ith th e long-existing a n d p re tty generally accep ted belief t h a t th e in te re st of em ployers a n d em ployed w ere opposed, a n d t h a t a n y m ovem ent designed to benefit em ployees w as bo u n d to be d e trim e n ta l to th e in te re st of th e m an ag em en t. So it w as t h a t th e m an y efforts p u t forw ard by th e em ployers w ere looked upo n w ith suspicion b y th e em ployees. B u t th e d ay of d is tru s t on th e p a r t of th e w orkers and of casual tre a tm e n t of lab o r relations as a business fa c to r in in d u stry is grad u ally passing in th is cou n try . M anagem ent a n d m en now perceive th e invisible, th o u g h none th e less im p o rta n t, econom ic losses t h a t follow in th e tra in of m isu n d erstan d in g s a n d strife. L abor now appro ach es its problem s w ith a m uch b ro ad er a n d m ore p ractical sense of responsibility to th e real in te re sts of th e w orkers th a n w as th e case even a few years ago. We find now on b o th sides of th e in d u stria l relatio n s ta b le an earn est desire for in d u stria l peace a n d u n in te rru p te d em ploym ent. Since April 3, 1931, the effective date of the Davis-Bacon prevail ing rate law, which was approved by President Hoover on March 3, 1931, the Conciliation Service of the Department of Labor, in coopera tion with other services and bureaus of the Federal Government, has been particularly active in assisting in bringing about the application of this law. This law specifically provides that the rate of wages for laborers and mechanics employed on public buildings of the United States and the District of Columbia shall not be less than the prevailing rate of wages for work of a similar nature in the State, town, village, or other civil division of the State or Territory in which the public buildings are located. Bureau of Labor Statistics T h e disturbed industrial conditions of the past several months have greatly stimulated the interest in and the use made of labor statistics. This interest has been directed primarily to matters of employment and unemployment, but by no means exclusively so, as consideration of employment problems leads ultimately to questions of wage rates, short-time work, prices, cost of living, technological changes in industry, old-age pensions, labor productivity, and similar subjects. The problem confronting the Bureau of Labor Statistics, therefore, was to expand very considerably its work in the immediate field of employment statistics without too seriously curtailing its activities, in other directions. Necessary financial assistance was obtained in the form of a special appropriation by Congress. This additional appropriation permitted the bureau to make plans for extending its work in the field of employment. This extension of work has been mainly along two lines: First, the expansion of the bureau’s monthly statistics on volume of employment, and, second, https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis INDUSTRIAL AND LABOR CONDITIONS 37 more comprehensive studies than had previously been possible of the effects of technological changes in industry upon employment. In addition to building construction the following industries were added to the list covered by the bureau’s monthly employment reports: Beet sugar, beverages, cash registers, typewriters, laundries, and cleaning and dyeing. With these additions the total number of establishments covered in June, 1931, had passed 50,000, the number of employees was close to 5,000,000, and the weekly pay roll more than $110,000,000. For most of the industrial groups it is felt that the coverage is now sufficient, and attention is being directed primarily to the inclusion of new groups. Next to securing the facts regarding the trend of employment on as comprehensive a scale as possible, the most important work wffiich the bureau can undertake at this time undoubtedly lies in the field of so-called technological unemployment. Certain aspects of this subj ect have been covered in the bureau’s reports on labor productivity in the glass, printing, merchant blast furnaces, cargo handling, and other industries. Other studies, dealing specifically with technological unemployment, are now under way for the telephone arid telegraph industry, cigar manufacture, and professional musicians, and still others are planned for the immediate future.1 Also bearing on the subject of employment was an important although brief survey made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as to the practicability of winter work in the construction industry. In connection with the subject of unemployment there should also be noted a study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of unemployment benefit plans in the United States. A study of the operation of State old-age pension systems in the United States, made early in 1931, gives a fairly complete picture of the present status of this important subject in this country. Children’s Bureau D u r i n g the fiscal year 1931, 19 new and revised publications were issued and 4 were in press at the close of the fiscal year. The most important of those issued are as follows: Maternity and infant hygiene.—No. 203, The Promotion of the Welfare and Hygiene of Maternity and Infancy—The Administra tion of the Act of Congress of November 23, 1921, for fiscal year ended June 30, 1929; No. 4, Prenatal Care (revised July, 1930); The Federal Government in Relation to Maternity and Infancy; Present Status of Maternity and Infancy Legislation; The Seven Years of the Maternity and Infancy Act. Child hygiene.—No. 202, Are You Training Your Child To Be Happy? No. 205, Posture and Physical Fitness; Folder No. 9, Keep ing the Well Baby Well (revised July, 1930). Child labor.—No. 199, Child Labor in New Jersey—Part 3, The Working Children of Newark and Paterson; No. 204, Children of Working Mothers in Philadelphia—Part 1, The Working Mothers; First Regular Employment Certificates Issued to Working Children in 1929. i S ince th e p erio d covered b y th is re p o rt, th e re s u lts of th e s tu d ie s of m u sic ian s a n d th e cigar in d u s tr y h a v e b ee n p u b lish e d in th e M o n th ly L a b o r R ev iew (issues of N o v e m b e r, 1931, p p . 1-15, a n d D ecem b er, 1931, p p . 11-17). https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 38 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW D elinquency a n d dependency .—Collection of Social Statistics by United States Children’s Bureau; Cost of Family Belief in 100 Cities, 1929 and 1930. C hild W elfare N ew s S u m m a r y . —The Child Welfare News Sum mary was issued 28 times and sent to a mailing list of approximately 1,000 persons actively engaged in child-welfare work and child-welfare agencies and publications. General increase i n the work o j the bureau. —Demands on the bureau have greatly increased during recent years, especially the past year, because of the cumulative effect of the bureau’s nearly 20 years of service, the depression, and the White House Conference on Child Health and Protection. C hild welfare i n Porto R ico. —At the request of Gov. Theodore Roosevelt the bureau sent a specialist in child care to Porto Kico in January^ to study dependency and neglect of children in the island and advise with him on the organization of such additional or special services as seem called for on the part of the Government to meet the needs of Porto Bico. The bureau’s assistance was requested in working out plans for more adequate administrative organizations for service to children. An advisory committee was organized, con sisting of the commissioners of health and education, the attorney general, and the members of the board of child welfare. The governor was of the greatest assistance to this committee. A preliminary study of the two public asilos was made, and plans were developed for the reorganization of the work of the board of child welfare and for the administration of the boys’ asilo. The governor has requested the continuation of the consultation and advisory service by the bureau for the coming year. Women’s Bureau bureau has recently completed several studies that should prove useful in the Nation’s concerted effort to learn the causes, alleviate the consequences, and prevent a recurrence of the existing stagnation^ business. _One of these reports is on fluctuation of em ployment in the radio industry and the other two studies, still in manuscript form, are: Wage-Earning Women and the Industrial Conditions of 1930, a survey of South Bend, and The Effects on Women of Changing Conditions in the Cigar and Cigarette Industry. I he radio report shows clearly that this new industry is itself so seasonal that it can not be looked to for the permanent absorption of laboi displaced in other lines of manufacture. The second presents the findings of a house-to-house canvass of certain industrial wards m South Bend and Mishawaka, Ind., in the late summer of 1930, when 3,245 women contrasted their employment status earlier in the year and at time of interview. In some 2,700 cases the other wage earners in the family also were reported upon. Corroborative figures were secured from employers’ pay rolls. For a week in September, 19-9, and one m September, 1930, average hours and earnings are contrasted, and for a smaller number of women the fluctuation from month to month during the 12-month period is shown. The third report deals with the eilects on women of the substitution of machine for hand labor in the cigar and cigarette industries. . The bureau has a number of important projects in hand, notably its many-sided study of human waste in industry, involving changes T he https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis IN DU STRIAL AND LABOR CONDITIONS 39 in processes which cause displacement and unemployment, the effects on women of migrations and consolidations of industries, the pre ventable causes of physical deterioration. A report on women’s employment in the spray enameling of stoves will shortly be ready for the press. Approved standards, State laws, and actual conditions in industry are being studied in the cases of drinking facilities (available as Bulletin 87), toilet facilities, lighting, heating and ventilation, the prevention of fire hazards, and other employment conditions. Housing Corporation 23, 1931, Congress passed an act relating to United States Housing Corporation, providing as follows: O n F ebruary th e T h a t th e directors of th e U n ited S ta te s H ousing C orporation of New Y ork a n d th e U n ited S tates H ousing C o rp o ratio n of P en n sy lv an ia m ay, w ith th e ap p ro v al of th e S ecretary of L abor, a p p o in t th e chief clerk, o r o th e r officer of th e D e p a rtm e n t of L abor, to a c t as th e ir p resident, o r as th e ir im m ediate re p resen tativ e in charge of a d m in istra tiv e w ork, such d e p a rtm e n ta l officer to serve w ith o u t com pensation in a d d itio n to th e salary of his official position, an d th e directors of these co rporations m ay in like m an n er designate th e disbursing clerk fo r th e D e p a rtm e n t of L ab o r to a c t in a sim ilar cap acity for th e co rp o ra tions, a n d a fte r such designation h as been m ade all fu n d s com ing in to th e h an d s of said disbursing clerk shall be tre a te d as fu n d s of th e U n ited S ta te s to be accounted for u n d er his official bond. The Secretary of Labor proceeded to carry out all of the pro visions of this act by effecting the reorganization of the corporation. He approved the selection made by the board of directors of the United States Housing Corporation of New York and the United States Housing Corporation of Pennsylvania of the Solicitor of the Depart ment of Labor to serve as president and the disbursing clerk of the department to act in a similar capacity for the corporations. By consolidating positions, by centralizing in the Washington office the major portion of the work previously performed in the field, by cur tailing office space and utilizing existing facilities of the Department of Labor in connection with the work of the corporation, he was able to set up an efficient organization at a cost of approximately 3 per cent of the annual collections of the outstanding balances of purchase moneys due the Government, and thereby effected a reduction of $33,950 in the operating expenses of the corporation for the coming fiscal year. The collections made by the corporation on account of sales of properties in 25 widely scattered housing projects for the last six months of the past fiscal year totaled the sum of $206,216.89, which was covered into the Treasury of the United States, without deduc tion, as miscellaneous receipts of the Government. Conclusion I n c l o s i n g his report the Secretary said, in part: We h av e am ple resources, b u t th e q uestion is how to ap p ly th e sam e to m eet these changing evolutions in o u r economic a n d social life. A t th e sam e tim e we feel sy m p ath etic w ith th e w orld, an d in th ese d ay s of depression it is o u r belief th a t im p ro v em en t in o u r ow n c o u n try will m ake fo r im p ro v em en t in o th e r countries w hich are our neighbors a n d who feel th e effects of m an y of th e sam e circum stances w hich affect us here. As Secretary of L abo r it shall be m y aim to striv e to cope w ith th ese problem s in a broad, liberal w ay, feeling, as a re p resen tativ e of o u r G overnm ent, th a t it is th e will of our people to stead fastly cling to o u r code of peace a n d p ro sp erity for all, an d tolerance an d good will for th e peoples of th e world. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 40 MONTHLY LABOE E E V IEW H a n d b o o k o f L ab or S t a t is t ic s , 1931 E d itio n HE third handbook of labor statistics prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics was issued recently as Bulletin No. 541 of the bureau. This 1931 edition follows the same general lines as the former handbooks and supplements them by presenting a digest of the material published during the two years since the 1929 volume was prepared. References to the former handbooks are given where the earlier material seemed still to be of particular value, but no attempt was made to compile a complete series of cross references, and a reader who is interested in a particular topic should consult all three handbooks. Thus used, the three volumes constitute, it is believed, a convenient abbreviation of most of the published work of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The material published in the present volume, as in the earlier handbooks, represents in large part the original work of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but this is not entirely the case, as the bureau does not attempt to cover certain fields of interest to labor which already are covered adequately by other official agencies. The bureau does, however^ endeavor to follow in the Monthly Labor Review such of the activities of other agencies, both official and nonofficial, as have a labor interest, and in the preparation of the 1931 handbook has drawn upon their work. The scope of, and the limitations upon, the labor statistics available for the United States are indicated quite clearly by the contents of these handbooks. Certain subj ects of primary importance are covered with reasonable adequacy by various official agencies, but other subjects of_ possibly equal interest are covered very inadequately. These deficiencies are due principally to the insufficiency of resources on the part of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other agencies. The collection of satisfactory labor statistics is a difficult and costly matter in a territory as large as the United States and one with such divergent characteristics. Nevertheless, in recent years there has been a marked improvement in all phases of this work, largely due to increased cooperation on the part of employers, employees, and the various public and private organizations. T 1931 M e e tin g o f P e r s o n n e l R e se a rch F e d e r a tio n HE Personnel Research Federation held its tenth annual meeting inNew York City on November 12 and 13,1931. Thefederation is composed of business and manufacturing firms, national associations, labor organizations, Government bureaus, research and social agencies, and educational institutions, for the furtherance of research activities in the personnel field. Employment problems and plans for occupational readjustment of those whose jobs are apparently permanently lost occupied most of the sessions. The effort of New York State to establish a model employment office was outlined by officials of the experimental office in Rochester, who set forth the purpose, plan, and methods of that office. T https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis INDUSTRIAL AND LABOR CONDITIONS 41 Experiments under way in Minnesota, through the University of Minnesota Employment Stabilization Research Institute, were reported upon, showing particularly what the institute is trying to do in the way of guidance and readjustment for unemployed individ uals. While this is a measure of emergency relief, it is primarily a psychological approach to a determination of the basis of selection which operates when workers must be let out. To that end the institute is attempting a similar concurrent psychological study of the workers retained in employment. Papers presented included an interesting report on the experiment which a large industrial establishment is making to rehabilitate and reassign its own employees injured in industrial or public accidents and to retain them within the plant. Comparative records of work, attendance, efficiency, and accidents of the physically fit and the physically impaired, working in teams, were presented, which tended to show that within the fields open to them, handicapped workers make as good work records as their normal colleagues. The director of the Vocational Survey Commission of the New York Board of Education gave a report of progress on the work of adapting vocational training methods to modern processes and manufacturing conditions. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis HEALTH AND INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE W ork E n v ir o n m e n t as a F a c to r in t h e G e n era l H e a lth o f W o r k e r s1 By B ernard J. N ew m an , D ir e c t o r , P h il a d e l p h ia H o u s in g A s s o c ia t io n N DISCUSSING the influence of work environment on the health of industrial workers, we are concerned primarily with the predis posing causes of disease; not with the exciting causes. Adverse work environment, including bad housing, is not, of course, a disease in itself. One can not subject it to microscopic examination and isolate a pathogenic bacillus to which a name may be given. It can not be subjected to laboratory analysis to determine its chemical constit uency, nor can one so label it in the nomenclature of causes of death that the physician may incorporate it on his death certificate. Never theless, this does not minimize the importance of the problem since the predisposing causes of which it is one are often as great a menace as the organisms of disease, or the industrial poisons that destroy cell life and inhibit the normal functioning of the body organs. To the industrial hygienist this may seem trite. Gifted with an inquisitive mind, he seeks and finds causes for industrial diseases not only in the chemical and physical properties of the elements and com pounds handled in industrial processes but also in the faulty hygiene of the worker and of the work place. That he can reduce the frequency and severity of industrial diseases through improved plant practices demonstrates that often the serious aspects of such operations are not the materials themselves so much as the way they are handled. Some processes are always potential hazards, but by means of plant or personal hygiene the danger from them may be reduced or eliminated. If the hygienist limited his research to the demonstration of a specific compound as the exciting cause of an industrial disease, very little progress in the maintenance of industrial health would be made. Because health research in industry recognizes the part played b}^ working conditions and the work habits of the industrial worker, and institutes plant improvement programs directed against them, progress in industrial health has been rapid. Out of such recognition of working conditions as causal factors in industrial sickness have come definite programs to eliminate defects in plant sanitation, faulty illumination, excessive temperatures, insuffi cient or excessive humidity, excessive noise, monotonous or heavy labor responsible for excessive fatigue, overcrowding of workrooms, and faulty employment practices that create irritating human rela tionships and wrong mental attitudes among workers toward plant management. Thus, from the known hazard attendant on the use in the plant of poisonous compounds, designated here as the exciting causes, and the known influence of adverse plant conditions, designated here as con tributing causes, the hygienist is able to develop a preventive program which reduces the incidence of industrial diseases. The question here is, Does he go far enough in determining all the factors that affect the health of the worker and so influence his efficiency as a producer? I 1 R e p rin te d from A m erican J o u rn a l of P u b lic H e a lth , D ecem b er, 1931. 42 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis HEALTH AND INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE 43 The primary function of the hygienist, whether in research or counsel to the plant management, is to evaluate every major factor that has a bearing on the health of the worker or that increases his susceptibility to disease whether of a communicable, degenerative, or industrial nature. Only as his analysis is comprehensive can he state specifically the responsibility of any set of causes. _ This is not an academic judgment, since the comprehensiveness of his knowledge and the programs based upon it affect alike the practicality of the meas ures lie recommends to the plant and the thoroughness of the protec tion he gives to the worker. Moreover, in so far as he tries to ap proach his problem as a scientist, he must include in his research every major field influencing the health of the workers. The line of de marcation of his analysis can not scientifically be the plant boundary; it must necessarily be advanced beyond this to include the home en vironment of the worker and the factors there which have a tendency to lower body resistance or increase susceptibility to any disease. This is conspicuously exemplified in the study of fatigue. _The predisposing causes recognized by the hygienist as being associated with certain plant processes or conditions which induce excessive fa tigue are not always of plant origin. Indeed, much of the so-called “ industrial fatigue” does not arise within the plant, though often so credited, but is a compound of plant activities and home or other en vironmental conditions which deny to the worker adequate rest. Thus, overcrowded neighborhoods, congested sleeping quarters, poor ventilation with excessive temperatures, all tend to prevent normal rest and deny the recuperation which should follow a day’s toil. There is thus produced a cumulative effect from industrial fatigue and disturbed rest which leaves the worker more susceptible to adverse working conditions and processes. Other nonhygienic home conditions produce results similar to those associated with adverse plant conditions. Moreover, the deenergizing effect of depressive environment has many physical and mental compli cations which can not be overlooked. Needless to say, any program for the maintenance of industrial health which concentrates on environment within the plant, and disregards the homes of workers outside, renders the employer a restricted and oftentimes misleading service. It can not but dub the hygienist as a pseudoscientist. To anyone with only a casual knowledge of the housing field these comments may seem unwarranted strictures. It may be alleged that the industrial worker’s home is the same type as the average home of the community, and thus its defects should be the concern of the public health department. It may be claimed that lack of a pure water sup ply, of sanitary equipment or of sanitary sewage and waste disposal, overcrowding, abnormal or subnormal temperatures in certain types of homes, caches of filth and vermin, are the community’s obligation,with industry absolved from all responsibility except as its managers are citizens. The industrial hygienist may likewise believe his responsi bility is only social and not professional—although liis greater knowl edge of the consequences of insanitary conditions should make this in terest somewhat keener—and that his sphere of research is restricted to the determination of plant health hazards. To one who has specialized in both housing and industrial hygiene this attitude seems grossly unscientific. The scientific mind is the 91900°—32----- 1 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 44 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW searching mind. It is looking for causes. It does not limit its field of research, if by so doing it stays its search short of knowing all the factors that may affect the results. This does not mean that in re search into lead poisoning one must initiate a housing program. It does mean that if we ignore the influences of the homes we may mis takenly conclude that certain processes are nonhazardous because we may have a large percentage of employees who live under conditions that help to maintain their physical condition and are therefore less susceptible to special hazards. The reverse may be true. There is a tendency to blame the plant when the substandard home is equally at fault. The high incidence of special diseases in some industrial plants may be due to the low physical resistance of the workers because they are exposed durinononworking hours to slum living conditions. Personal hygiene and certain habits that we associate with predisposing causes are included in our schedules of physical examinations; plant conditions are con sidered, but living conditions have received only cursory attention This seems absurd, but it is true. _ Consequently, the effect of thè work environment outside the plant is not emphasized and any interest displayed in the workers’ living conditions is on an emotional basis rather than because the managers consider it good business to assist their employees to attain wholesome homes. Unfortunately, this is the least satisfactory basis for sustained, constructive interest. Yet to-day in the United States the health hazards to industrial workers which arise from home environment constitute a major problem. The worker is heavily handicapped, his earning capacity reduced, and the employer unnecessarily burdened with added production costs. There is a trend in our cities toward decentralization, in part induced by tax burdens but largely because the labor supply is substandard. 'Fac tories are moving to the country where they can find relief from these cost-increasing factors. Any brief survey of urban conditions is suffi cient to demonstrate the prevalence of substandard housing in areas where wage earners live. Th.e characteristic defects of such areas are conspicuous: Congested buildings, often of the multiple type of occupancy* room overcrowdmg ; a high percentage of families occupying apartments of one and two rooms and often living in basements, cellars, and back-lot houses* insuine ient mitili al liglit and substandard artificial light ^excessive ternperatures; inadequate sanitary equipment; insanitary drainage* wide spread prevalence of filth both within and without the dwellings* un safe structures; insufficient play space for children; street hazards* widespread nuisances in the form of defective plumbing, flooded cel lars, and damp rooms; general drabness and deterioration of whole neighborhoods which exerts a depressing effect upon the population 1 en per cent of the workers of the country are exposed to some or ali ni 16S<l conditions, nor are they limited to large urban centers although they are more conspicuous there due to segregation. Even the smaller cities and villages have their areas of substandard dwellings and subnormal living. I t is not true, as some imagine, that the slums house only the day laborer. They provide quarters for the so-called skilled-trades work ers as well. Throughout the country, these blighted areas are induc ing an 11regular manner of living; they are furnishing a large percent https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis HEALTH AND INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE 45 age of the causes for the spread of communicable diseases; are under mining public health; and in a measure are responsible for the accel erated fatality of the degenerative diseases. The criticism of the existence of such areas can not be refuted on the grounds that the inhabitants are content with their homes. ^ There is no justification for inactivity in the belief that such, persons, if given good housing, would continue in the manner of living from which they had been removed. Even if this statement, which is false in 90 per cent of the cases, were true, it would be no answer to the problem pre sented by these individuals and their homes. Their threat to society alone would justify any amount of attention to housing betterment; but our interest is not in the general menace of existing conditions but rather in their specific handicap to efficient labor, because industry is frequently falsely accused of maintaining hazardous working condi tions producing disease and ill-health, when actually the situation is complicated and accentuated by the insanitary state of the homes the workers occupy. The statistical records prove that occupants of substandard houses and areas show abnormally high morbidity and mortality^ rates, high percentages of physically unfit workers, many lacking the right mental attitude or intelligence to accomplish the work assigned to them in the plant or to stabilize their employment by continuing their jobs under normal conditions. In times of slack employment, the workers with poor environmental conditions are the first to be laid off, but in times of normal business they must be employed because they constitute the only extra labor supply available. When employed, they contribute a high rate of absenteeism on account of sickness, and cause a costly labor turnover which affects production costs. Because of the prevalence of adverse living conditions and their reaction upon the physical and mental health of workers, the industrial hygienist must, if he is to do scientific research, parry his studies be yond the plant boundaries, and furthermore if he is to advise the plant management wisely, he must emphasize the disadvantage of such ad verse living conditions to industrial workers. Housing specialists do not characterize bad housing as an exciting cause of disease, but they do emphatically believe that it is a predisposing cause, which is rela tively as important in the final physical breakdown as many exciting causes more frequently emphasized. The object of this analysis of the health of industrial workers is to assure due valuation of the contributing part played by environmental factors on the one hand, and on the other, to call the attention of plant managers to an aspect of their problem which has been generally neglected. Industry is not to be encouraged to finance housing schemes, but it should formulate a program which will assure the elimination of bad environmental conditions for employees. Industry does not need to build towns or model dwellings for its workers in order to insure adequate standards of living. It can exert its influence on safe, wholesome living conditions by establishing and giving adequate publicity to an employment policy which gives pref erence to those workers who have shown, or will show, an intelligent self-interest in avoiding the occupancy of substandard dwellings or areas. . Where thesupply of sanitary houses is adequate but the business judg ment of the worker poor, industry can promote thrift associations such https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 46 MONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W as building and loan societies to facilitate home ownership; where the supply within the buying or renting ability of its employees is insuffi cient, industry can, by means well within its sphere of interest, encourage builders to erect new houses, and urge owners to recondi tion those old houses which are within a reasonable distance from the plant. If the situation is chronic, as it is in large urban centers, plants can be moved to suburban areas or to smaller towns where more nor mal living conditions will be assured. It is not our purpose here to outline and define industry’s program for adequate housing of employees so much as to indicate that a reasonably selfish interest dictates a recognition of the part played in economic organization by insanitary housing. Good judgment neces sitates the inclusion of housing data in analyses of the hazard of in dustry, and, in the event that a causal relationship is found between environmental conditions and the diseases they are studying, these findings should be emphasized so that plant managers will feel it incumbent upon them to develop a program adequate to meet the situation. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS AND SAFETY S a fe ty C o d e fo r T r a n s p o r ta tio n in C oal M in e s SAFETY code for coal-mine transportation has been developed under the sponsorship of the American Mining Congress by representatives of 11 national organizations and interested bodies, and approved by the American Standards Association. The code has been in preparation since 1924, and during this period five com plete drafts were prepared before a code was obtained which was satisfactory to all interests. Specifications and suggestions are presented covering all phases of coal-mine transportation, underground, above ground at the mine, and on slope or incline into the mine; motor haulage, animal haulage, mechanical haulage, haulage by hand; signals and provisions for safety in construction, trucks, cars, clearances, and loads; and operat ing rules. It is recommended that coal-mine operators post in conspicuous places the rules and regulations, schedules of running, warning, signal codes, and safety requirements, so that locomotive drivers, trip riders, hoistmen, and others, may know them, and that every man connected with haulage shall be required to be familiar with the contents of the code. Many references are made throughout the text to other safety codes and rules for the coal-mining industry, which contain further details on some of the subjects covered. These are: Coal-mine tracks, signals, and switches, American tentative standard; safety rules for installing and using electrical equipment in coal mines, American standard; coal-mine ventilation, American Mining Congress recommended practice; wire rope for mines, American tentative standard; rock dusting of coal mines, American recommended prac tice; and use of explosives in bituminous coal mines, American recommended practice. A S a fe ty C od e fo r M e c h a n ic a l R e fr ig e r a tio n NATIONAL safety code for mechanical refrigeration, both com mercial and domestic, has been prepared by a technical committee under the direction of the American Society of Refrigerating Engineers and has been approved by the American Standards Association. 1 he technical committee, which has been working on the project since 1920, consisted of representatives from 28 national organizations. The regulations cover the installation, operation, and inspection of refrigerating apparatus used in the manufacture or processing of materials, such as ice-making plants, cold-storage warehouses, ice-cream plants, dairy plants, packing houses, and chemical plants; apparatus used in commercial plants, such as meat markets, florist shops, and restaurants; apparatus used in multiple residence build ings; and cooling or air-conditioning systems of theaters and other buildings. A https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 48 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW Refrigerating systems are divided into five classes, according to the amount of refrigerant required for operation, class A consisting of systems containing 1,000 pounds or more, and class E of systems containing 6 pounds or less. The code applies to direct methods of refrigeration, in which the refrigerant is circulated through the system, and to indirect methods, in which brine or water cooled by the refrigerant is circulated through the system. Several sections are devoted to safety devices, which must be provided in all types of refrigerating devices, and one of the provisions, which permits the installation of multiple systems in apartment houses with adequate safeguards to eliminate possible hazards, ends a controversy of long standing on the subject. A multiple system is a refrigerating system employing the direct method in which the refrig erant is delivered by a pressure-imposing element to two or more separate refrigerators or refrigerated spaces located in rooms of separate tenants. According to information from the American Standards Associa tion, the code has been adopted in its entirety by several cities, and others are considering its adoption. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis LABOR LAWS AND COURT DECISIONS D e c is io n s o f C o u r ts a n d O p in io n s A ffe c tin g L abor, 1929 a n d 1930 HE fifteenth bulletin in a series devoted to the presentation of decisions of courts and opinions of the Attorney General con struing and applying labor laws of the United States has_ been published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics and is now in press. This bulletin (No. 548) covers the decisions of courts and opinions during the years 1929 and 1930. In selecting the decisions to be published, cases were taken which were of special interest and importance not only to labor in general but also to students interested in the relation of employer and em ployee. Despite the very general enactment of workmen’s com pensation laws, a considerable number of cases still come before the courts, even in compensation States, involving suits for damages, under either the common law or its statutory modifications. Cases of this nature will be found in the bulletin under the general heading, “ employers’ liability.” The phrase “ injury arising out of and in course of the employ ment,” found in most of the compensation laws of the United States, apparently causes the greatest amount of controversy and the most frequent appeals to the courts. A number of the cases listed under workmen’s compensation involved this question. Various phases of child labor legislation are also involved in cases under employers’ liability and workmen’s compensation as incidental to the redress of accidental injuries. Other cases involving legislation and rules of law as applying to seamen, wages, and contracts of employment are included. ^ Many cases involving the status and power of labor organizations in their different aspects and activities and the constitutionality of a number of statutes relating to labor are also included in the publication. T A r iz o n a P r e v a ilin g -W a g e L aw D e c la r e d U n c o n s t it u t io n a l N A recent decision the Supreme Court of Arizona declared uncon stitutional the Arizona statute requiring the payment of the current daily wage in the locality where the work is performed, because the statute is indefinite and uncertain. (State v. Jay J. Garfield Bldg. Co., 3 Pac. (2d) 983.) ., . , . The Jay J. Garfield Building Co. was charged with violating section 1350 of the Arizona Revised Code, 1928, in failing to pay one of its employees the current rate of wage for work on the construction of a school building in Pima County, Ariz. It was contended that if the statute were enforced the employer would be deprived of liberty and property without due process of law, in violation of the fourteenth amendment to the United States Constitution and section 4 of the Arizona constitution because the statute was too indefinite and uncer tain and because of the fact that whether an act was lawful or unlawful under the statute was left to conjecture, guess, and reasonably different constructions. I https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 49 50 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW In determining the question involved in the case the court said: I t is th e v alid ity of th e c u rre n t w age fe a tu re of th e s ta tu te t h a t is in question. T he rig h t of th e S ta te to lim it th e hours of lab o r u pon public w orks fo r itself or its political subdivisions h as long been settled law (A tkin v . K ansas, 191 U. S. 207), an d it seems th e p revailing rule so declared for a like reason is t h a t th e S ta te an d its political subdivisions m ay estab lish a m inim um ra te of wages fo r laborers upon public w orks (16 R . C. L. 497, sec. 68). I t is n o t, th en , a questio n of th e pow er of th e legislature to prescribe a cu rre n t ra te of w ages for m a n u a l an d m echanical lab o r on p ublic w orks, b u t w h eth er th a t phrase in its co n tex t is sufficiently clear a n d definite to inform th e em ployer of th e p er diem he should p a y to satisfy th e law. If th e em ployer, supposing him to be a person of o rdinary intelligence, is n o t able, as betw een tw o or m ore a lte rn a tiv e w ages t h a t are open to him , to determ in e w hich w ould be a com pliance w ith th e sta tu te , i t can n o t be said th e s ta tu te is definite a n d certain , fo r in such case th e co u rt m ig h t conclude th e a lte rn a tiv e ad o p ted by th e em ployer w as th e w rong one. The court, after reviewing the cases involving criminal statutes of vague and uncertain meaning, adopted and approved a statement of the rule as found in the United States v. Capital Traction Co. (34 App. D. C. 592), as follows: T he dividing line betw een w h a t is law ful a n d unlaw ful can n o t be left to con jecture. T he citizen can n o t be held to answ er charges based upon pen al sta tu te s whose m an d a te s a re so u n c e rta in t h a t th e y will reasonably a d m it of different constructions. A crim inal s ta tu te can n o t re s t upo n a n u n c e rta in fo u n d atio n . T h e crim e, an d th e elem ents co n stitu tin g it, m u s t be so clearly expressed t h a t th e o rd in ary person can intellig en tly choose, in advance, w h a t course i t is law ful for him to pursue. P en al s ta tu te s p ro h ib itin g th e doing of c ertain th in g s, an d providing a p u n ish m e n t fo r th e ir violation, should n o t a d m it of such a double m eaning t h a t th e citizen m ay a c t upo n th e one conception of its req u irem en ts an d th e courts upon an o th er. Applying this rule to the statute in question, the court held that the terms, (‘current rate of wage” and “ locality” were indefinite and uncertain and fatal to the validity of the statute. In conclusion the court cited the case of Connally v. General Construction Co. (269 U. S. 385) and said that “ as it was the last and only direct affirmative expression” of the United States Supreme Court that statutes requir ing the employer to pay the current*wage were invalid, this court was bound to follow it. E m p lo y m e n t A g e n c y F a ilin g t o I n v e s tig a te A p p lic a n t H eld L ia b le fo r D a m a g e C a u se d b y H er D is h o n e s ty HE Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia has held that a licensed employment agency which has registered an applicant without investigating the address or references of such applicant as required by law, is liable in damages for any loss occasioned by the dishonesty of the hired employee (Janof v. Newsom, trading as The Eureka Employment Exchange, 59 Washington Law Reporter, 794). From the facts in the case it appears that one Bertha Janof tele phoned to an employment agency for a servant. The employment agency thereupon sent one in response to the call and the servant was at once hired. On the following day the servant disappeared, together with property valued at approximately $1,000. The employer brought an action against the agency, alleging failure on the part of the agency to perform a duty as required by the statute. The statute involved is the employment agency act of June 19, 1906 (34 Stat. 304, ch. 3438, D. C. Code 1929, title 20, part 9, secs. 941-951). The statute pro- T https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis LABOR LAWS AND COURT DECISIONS 51 vides among other things that it shall be the duty of the licensed agent to make a permanent record of “ the name and address of the applicant to whom employment is promised or offered, the amount of the fee received, and, whenever possible, the name and addresses of former employers or persons to whom such applicant is known.” The statute further requires that wherever possible the licensed agent must orally communicate with, or write, to at least one of the references in the case of work in fiduciary capacities. The employer relied upon the statement of the agency that the servant was a recommended one and accepted her because of such recommendation. The agency defended on the ground of the statements of two former employers of the servant that her services were satisfactory in every respect. The Court of Appeals, however, to which the case was appealed after a judgment by the Municipal Court of the District of Columbia in favor of the agency, stated that no matter how the statements of the former employers were initiated— T h e resu lt of these alleged com m unications w as n o t recorded a n d filed in th e agency, as th e s ta tu te required, an d consequently w as n o t available to th e officers in th e ir search, n o r w as i t m en tio n ed to th e m by th e d e fe n d a n t w hen she could give no info rm atio n a b o u t th e se rv a n t except h er w rong address. In th is connection, th e d e fen d an t testified t h a t while she knew th e law req u ired h er to in v estig ate references, she did n o t know it required h e r to record th e resu lts thereof. The court held that a mere perfunctory compliance with the law was insufficient and that— If in ju ry resu lts from a failure to do th e th in g s w hich it is th e obvious purpose of th e s ta tu te to require, o r from a failure to m ak e a reasonable effort in good fa ith to do th em th e licensed a g e n t is answ erable in dam ages. W hen th e s ta tu te req u ires th e a g e n t to reg ister th e address of a n a p p lic a n t for w ork, th e tru e address m u s t be registered, so fa r as reasonable in v estig atio n can reveal it. A nd th e giving of a false address should p u t th e a g e n t on n otice an d inquiry. B u t here a false address w as accepted, a n d carried in th e reg ister for m ore th a n a year, w hen th e slig h test effort a t verification w ould h av e revealed its falsity. The Court of Appeals reversed the lower court and concluded the opinion by stating that— T h e m ere recording of an y ad d ress offered by an y a p p lic a n t w ith no verifica tio n thereof, w ith no dem an d fo r o r in v estig atio n of references, does n o t com ply w ith th e s ta tu te . If a se rv a n t so registered is se n t to a n em ployer by a licensed agent, a n d dam age th ere b y re su lts to th e em ployer, th e v ery in ju ry h as occurred w hich th e s ta tu te in ten d e d to p rev en t, a n d consequently th e violatio n of th e s ta tu te is th e p roxim ate cause of th e in ju ry . (20 It. C. L. 43; N o rm an v . C oal Co., 68 W . Va. 405; L eonard v . D o h erty , 174 M ass. 565.) W e consider t h a t th e req u irem en ts of th e s ta tu te include a reasonable effort m good fa ith to verify sta te m e n ts m ad e by ap p lic a n ts a n d to in v estig ate a n d record th e ir references in re tu rn for th e m onopoly conferred by th e licenses of th e sta tu te . If th is license is of so little v alue w hen o b tain ed as n o t to com pensate th e a g en t for th e lab o r an d expense of perform ing such s ta tu to ry obligations as th e d efen d an t contends— it need n o t be applied for, an d it can alw ays be surrendered. N ew sp a p e r D is t r ib u t io n H e ld n o t V io la tio n of K a n sa s S u n d a y L ab or L aw HE Supreme Court of Kansas held, in the case of State v. Need ham (4 Pac. (2d) 464), that the work of distributing the metro politan Sunday newspaper was “ work of necessity” and therefore does not violate the provisions of the Kansas Sunday labor law. T https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 52 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW It was alleged that on a certain Sunday Berle Needham exposed for sale and sold the Sunday Kansas City Star, and furthermore, that on the same Sunday he compelled certain persons under his charge and control to work in distributing the papers. This conduct on the part of Needham was alleged to have violated section 21-952 of the Kansas Revised Statutes for 1923, which reads as follows: E v ery person who shall e ith er lab o r him self or com pel his appren tice, serv an t, or any o th er person u n d er his charge or co ntrol to la b o r o r p erform a n y w ork o th er th a n th e household offices of daily necessity, or o th e r w orks of necessity or ch arity , on th e first d a y of th e week, com m only called S unday, shall be deem ed - guilty of a m isdem eanor, a n d fined n o t exceeding $25. The district court, Dickinson County, Kans., sustained the position of tlie^ company on the theory that metropolitan newspapers are a necessity. Thereupon the case was appealed to the Supreme Court of Kansas. In affirming the decision of the lower court, the supreme court said: A t th is stage of th e w orld’s progress, w ith th e m eans of g ath erin g news th a t are available, we have grow n to expect fa r m ore expeditious service on th e p a r t of th e new spapers of th e S ta te th a n w as received du rin g th e d ay s w hen th e s ta tu te in question w as passed. * * * T h is c o u rt will ta k e ju d icial n otice of th e fa c t t h a t these dem an d s are m e t by th e S u n d ay p ap ers of o u r la rg e r cities. F ro m th e sm all boy whose first th o u g h t on arising S u n d ay m orning is th e comic section, to th e son grow n older who tu rn s eagerly to th e sp o rt page, th e young d a u g h te r who peruses th e society colum ns, a n d fa th e r a n d m o th e r w ho tu r n th e ir a tte n tio n to th e m ore serious pages, th e S u n d ay p a p e r is looked upon a n d h as grow n to be a necessity, an d th is c o u rt so holds. R a te o f P a y fo r S c r u b W o m e n E m p lo y e d M a s s a c h u s e tts by S ta te of HE Legislature of Massachusetts during the 1931 session fixed the rate of pay for scrub women employed by the Commonwealth at $18 for 33 hours’ work. Chapter 372 of the Session Laws of 1931 amended section 5 of chapter 8 of the General Laws, 1921 (as subse quently amended) so as to read as follows: T T he p ay of scrub w om en em ployed b y th e C om m onw ealth shall be based upon regular weekly ra te of $18 fo r 33 hours* w ork. W hen tim e is lo st or a g reater n um ber of hours a re w orked b y th e m th a n th e aforesaid 33 hours, th e resu ltin g reductions or ad d itio n s shall be b ased u p o n a n ho u rly ra te of 55 cents, a n d th e y shall be allow ed fo r tim e off on legal h olidays a t th e reg u lar w eekly ra te . Scrub w om en o r cleaners reg u larly em ployed b y th e su p e rin te n d e n t of buildings shall be,P,™ w eekly, a n d w hen so em ployed for a period of a t least six m o n th s shall be e n titled to a v acatio n each y e a r of tw o w eeks’ d u ra tio n w ith p a y . Such p a y shall be based upon th e average w eekly com pensation received by th e m for th e preced ing six m o n th s’ period of em ploym ent. W ork s C o u n c ils a n d W o rk in g H o u rs in E s t o n ia 1 N JULY 10, 1931, the Estonian State Assembly adopted two labor laws, one relating to the establishment and status of works councils and the other to the working hours in the industrial establish ments in Estonia. . U orks councils. The law in effect replaces the Government regula tions of 1919, under which no action could be brought against a manu- O 1931F r0 ln re i,o rl E d w a rd H u n t, clerk of th e U n ite d S ta te s consu late, T a llin n , E s to n ia , d a te d S ep t. 11, https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis LABOR LAWS AND COURT DECISIONS 53 facturer who might have been opposed to the so-called “ shop elders.’’ The new law provides a legal basis both for the election of members of works councils and for the functions of the “ shop elders. It is believed that the new law will have several advantages over the old regulations of 1919. Thus after the enactment of the new law it will be&the duty of works councils to assist manufacturers in the rational ization of the methods of production, in settling disputes with work ers, in protecting the interests of workers, etc. All these functions, as outlined in the new law, are expected to be of considerable impor tance in the operation of different industrial enterprises. The manu facturer, under this law, is required to submit to the “ shop elder” quarterly statements descriptive of the status of his industrial enter prise. The former must not undertake any mass discharges or engage ment of workers without having first consulted the “ shop elder.” Hours 0/ labor.—The law respecting the working hours in industrial enterprises introduces the 8-hour working-day in Estonian indus tries. It also places the limit of overtime working hours at 75 hours per year for each worker, which limit may be supplemented by an additional 100 hours a year, under special authorization from the Minister of Labor. Overtime work, however, is not to exceed 2 hours per day, a 10-hour working-day being the cumulative limit. Workers are scheduled to receive at least 50 per cent additional pay for overtime. L aw P r o v id in g fo r V a c a tio n s w it h P a y , in B a se l, S w itz e r la n d REPORT from Vice Consul Albert W. Scott, Basel, Switzer land, dated September 22, states that, as the result of a favorable referendum vote, a law has been put into effect in Basel which provides that all wage earners must be given annual vacations with pay, the duration of the vacation depending upon the length of service of the individual. The law was passed by the cantonal legislature of Basel City in June but with the provision that it should be submitted to a popular vote before it should become effective. The new law will benefit a relatively small number of persons, as factory workers whose hours are regulated by Federal legislation aie excepted from its provisions. However, all other employees, includ ing domestic servants, are entitled to vacations if they have worked for the same employer at least one year. During the first four years following the first year of employment a vacation of 6 working-days must be* given, from the sixth to the tenth years the employee is entitled to 9 days, and after the tenth year to a vacation of 12 days, not including holidays and Sundays. Vacations may be given at any period of the year but it is recommended that the wishes of employ ees shall be given as much consideration as possible. The regular wages must be paid and if board and lodging form part of the pay, as in the case of domestic servants, an additional sum varying from 2 to 5 francs (38.6 cents to 96.5 cents) per day must be paid, depending upon the nature of the employment. Office employees, the sales force in mercantile establishments, and workers m several other classes were already receiving vacations with pay, so that the new legislation will benefit chiefly domestic servants and workers m the smaller industrial establishments. A https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis WORKMEN’S COMPENSATION W o r k m e n ’s C o m p e n s a tio n L e g is la tio n o f 1931 F THE 44 States having workmen’s compensation laws, the legislatures of all met in regular session during 1931 with the exception of three (Kentucky, Louisiana, and Virginia). Of the 41 States whose legislatures so met, 33 acted on the subject of workmen’s compensation either directly or indirectly. Of the 4 States (Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, and South Carolina) still without the benefits of workmen’s compensation, the legislatures of all but Mississippi met in regular session but took no definite action toward adopting a State workmen’s compensation law. Extra sessions were also held in approximately 20 States, but in none of these special sessions was the subject of compensation acted upon. The third session of the Seventy-first Congress of the United States was also held during the spring of 1931, but made no change in the basic compensation laws applicable to Federal employees, long shoremen and harbor workers, and private employees in the District of Columbia. Four Territorial legislatures met in regular legislative session in 1931. Alaska made no change in its workmen’s compensation law, while Hawaii, Porto Itico, and the 1930 legislature of the Philippine Islands made several changes, mainly of minor importance. Of the eight Canadian Provinces, five (British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan) acted on the subject dur ing the legislative year of 1931. A new law was enacted in Quebec similar in many respects to the Ontario law ; thus, the law provides for a system of collective insurance in a provincial fund and for adminis tration by the workmen’s compensation commission. The Nova Scotia compensation act amended the definition of a uworkman” to include a person who has entered into or works under a contract of service. The workmen’s compensation board was authorized to extend compensation for spinal injuries, and the benefit of a doubt existing in any injured employee’s case has been granted the em ployee. In Ontario, liberalization of compensation to blind workmen was effected, so that the act now provides that $50 of the compensa tion shall be paid by the industry and the entire remaining cost shall be paid from the provincial public fund; jurisdiction is vested exclu sively m the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. The Ontario act was also amended by the removal of miner’s phthisis from the schedule of industrial diseases. A résumé of the amendments to the workmen’s compensation laws made by the 1931 legislatures in the 33 States of the United States which acted upon the subject follows: O Alabama T h e only legislation in Alabama relating to the workmen’s com pensation law was Act No. 357, providing a penalty of double com pensation for all minors illegally employed at the time of the injury. 54 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis W ORKM EN’S COMPENSATION 55 California S e v e r a l amendments were made to the workmen’s compensation law of California by the legislature of 1931. The coverage of the act was amended by chapter 1021, so as to exclude any person engaged in selling, delivering, etc., newspapers, magazines, or periodicals where the title to such article has passed to the person engaged in such enterprise. The compensation act by the provisions of chapter 955 no longer applies to agricultural work, etc., if the pay roll of the employer has not exceeded $500 for the preceding calendar year. By chapter 1120, the failure to give to an employer 30 days’ notice of an injury is no longer a bar to recovery if the employer was not in fact misled or prejudiced by such failure; formerly it was necessary to show that there was no intention to mislead the employer. To meet a court objection in third-party suits, section 26 of the compensation law was amended by chapter 1119, and now a release against a third party is valid only with the consent of both the employer and employee; several other changes, mainly of a procedural nature, were also made by this chapter. To recover against an employer for his misconduct a claim must be filed within 12 months under chapter 1121. Chapter 944 extends the time for the filing of proceedings for compensation where a release or a compromise agreement has not been approved by the industrial commission. Chapter 945 provides that the burden of proof shall be upon the employer to show compliance with the pro visions of the compensation act; formerly the commission was required to furnish proof of noncompliance, but this method proved unsatis factory. Licensed contractors in the future are required (by ch. 771) to report to the registrar of contractors, within 10 days, the name and address of the insurance carrier, and penalties are provided for failure to do so. Under chapter 139, the State, as a political entity, must hereafter insure in the State insurance fund. Colorado T h e coverage of the Colorado workmen’s compensation law was enlarged, by chapter 175, so as to include sheriffs and their deputies regularly employed and any person called to serve upon any posse; the rate of compensation of possemen is based upon $125 a month, or upon the average earnings in their regular employment, whichever rate is higher. Under chapter 174, a grandchild is now considered an actual dependent under the act, grandsons, however, must prove in capacity or actual disability. Several changes were also made in procedure. Thus, a petition for a review of referee’s order must be made within 15 days instead of 10 days (ch. 177), while the court record of a case must be transmitted to the commission within 25 days instead of 20 days (ch. 178). In cases of benefits increased because of the failure of an employer to comply with the provisions of the act, it is now provided (by ch. 176) that a copy of such award may be filed at any time after the order of the referee, but upon a reversal the judgment must be vacated and any execution thereon must be recalled. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 56 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW Connecticut T h e only changes affecting in any way the workmen’s compensation law of Connecticut were of a minor and supplementary nature. To remove any doubt as to whom satisfactory proof must be furnished of an employer’s ability to pay directly to an injured employee, the act now specifies (ch. 9, p. 253) that such must be made to the com pensation commissioner. A supplemental law (ch. 132, p.254) places the liability on the employer for compensation when an employee is lent to or employed by another. Another supplemental law (ch.145 p. 173) provides that information obtained by the State department of health in the investigation of occupational disease cases can not be used as evidence in any action at law or under the workmen’s compensation law. Delaware T h e Legislature of Delaware, at the 193k session, made several changes in the compensation law, the most important of which may be said to be the reduction made (by ch. 239) in the waiting period from two weeks to one week end the paying of compensation on the eighth day after incapacity, instead of on the fifteenth day as formerly. This chapter also increases the medical benefits, etc., from $ 100 to $ 150 and provides that compensation shall be paid for a subsequent injury only where the injury proves to be permanent, but if injuries occur under the same employer and in the same work classification as the first injury, compensation shall then be payable as though “ both such injuries were the result of one accident, less an amount equal to the compensation fixed in this act for the previous injury.” Finally, chap ter 239 provides that in addition to requiring a security from a selfinsurer for the payment of compensation, the industrial board may require such under an3^or all cases. The coverage of the act was enlarged by chapters 100 and 240, giving the city of New Castle and Levy Court of Sussex County the power to place certain officers and employees (nonelective) under the act. The salaries of the members of the indus trial board were increased (by ch. 241) to $3,000. Georgia T h e only act affecting_the workmen’s compensation law of Georgia was that (No. 298) abolishing the industrial commission, and trans ferring its powers, duties, etc., to the directors of the newly created department of industrial relations. Hawaii B y t h e provisions of Act No. 93, an employee is no longer required to make a report of an injury if the employer has already reported the_ same to the board or insurance carrier, within the specified period, namely, three months after the injury or death. Another act (No. 16) was passed providing that a dependent may no longer maintain an action against the employer under the “ death by wrong ful act” statute, if such dependent has a remedy under the compensa tion act. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis W O RK M EN ’S COMPENSATION 57 Idaho S e v e r a l amendments to the Idaho act were made by chapter 222. Employments excluded under the act are enlarged so as to include those not carried on by the employer for pecuniary gain. The periods of compensation are also extended for many of the injuries in the specific indemnity schedule. Hearings may now be held by the full board as well as by a single member, and application for modifica tion of any awards on the ground of change in conditions must be made within four years from the date of the accident causing the injury. Provisions for accident prevention are enlarged and the powers of the industrial board for the extension of safety measures are increased. For violation of any order of the industrial board, penal ties of $1_ a day for each employee are provided; and for failure to comply with an order for 10 days or more, an injunction may be issued against the employer. Illinois One act (pp. 576-596) was adopted by the 1931 Illinois Legislature amending the workmen’s compensation law in several respects. Employers are given the privilege of electing to cover any employees other than those engaged in the usual course of the business. An illegally employed minor may file a rejection of his right to compensa tion within six months of injury and may sue for damages; however, upon approval by the commission of any payment of compensation, the right to reject is barred. The maximum amount in death cases is increased from $3,750 to $4,000, and the minimum from $1,650 to $2,500. The minimum and maximum amounts, in the case of a widow with one or more children under 16 years of age, are increased to the following amounts: One child, minimum $3,000, maximum $4,450; two children, minimum $3,100, maximum $4,800; three or more children, minimum $3,200, maximum $5,500. Benefits to a nonresident alien dependent (not including a Canadian) are now limited to 50 per cent of the compensation. Lump-sum payments may be determined by any member of the industrial commission as well as by the whole commission. Any member of the commission may also grant an extension of time for a review of an arbitrator’s decision. In the prosecution of an employer who fails to secure compensation, jurisdiction is given to the attorney general; this right was formerly vested in the State’s attorneys of the several counties. By senate joint resolution (No. 20, p. 920) the Illinois Depart ment of Labor and the Industrial Commission were delegated by the legislature to investigate the subject of occupational diseases, and submit a report to the next session of the legislature. Iowa C h a p t e r 2 2 provides for the payment of the unpaid part of any compensation to a trustee for the benefit of the dependent offspring in cases in which the surviving spouse remarries, provided the off spring were dependent at the time of the injury. The taking of depositions is authorized by chapter 24, which provides that either party to a case may take the testimony of a witness living within 100 miles of the place of hearing, provided such testimony shows the physi cal condition of the injured party or the cause of the injury. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 58 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW Kansas > T h e two most important changes made in the workmen’s compensa tion law of Kansas (by ch. 217) were the increase in the amount of medical, surgical, and hospital treatment in extreme cases to $500, and the limitation of compensation for the permanent partial loss of the use of a member to an amount not to exceed that payable for the total loss of the member, exclusive of the healing period. Reduced death benefits (limited to $750) are now made applicable only to dependents who are neither citizens nor residents of the United States. Maine T h e Maine workmen’s compensation law was amended by chapter 160. The computation of the “ average wage” for seasonal occupa tions is no longer specially provided, but is to be based presumably upon the methods provided for other part-time labor. Compensation in death cases is now clearly defined to extend from the date of death for a period of 300 weeks from the date of the accident. Hereafter, compensation payable to a dependent child ceases upon reaching the age of 18 years or upon marriage, unless such child is incapacitated. The time limit for the filing of any petition is extended from 7 to 10 years after an accident. The typographical or clerical error inad vertently made in the first sentence of section 4, chapter 55 (1930 Revised Statutes) has been corrected by chapter 225, section 4 (p. 242) and reads as follows: “ The provisions of section 3 shall not apply to employers who employ five or less workmen or operatives regularly in the same business.” Maryland T h e workmen’s compensation law of Maryland was amended in several respects. By chapter 363 the maximum weekly compensa tion for permanent total, temporary total, and temporary partial disability was increased from $18 to $20; an injured employee may now, in the event of a second injury, waive any right to compensation to which he would be entitled because of a preexisting disability; where a disability is due in part to the injury and in part to a pre existing disease, the industrial commission must determine the pro portion attributable to each, and compensation is payable only for the disability caused by the injury; compensation for hernia is now allowed only upon proof satisfactory to the commission. A claim for compensation must now be filed by an employee within one year after d isa b ility (C h . 339.) Upon approval by the State industrial accident commission a claimant or a dependent may agree to com promise^ and settle any and all claims. (Ch. 364.) All questions concerning legal services may now be heard by the commission, and an attorney may be ordered to refund any portion of an excessive charge. (Ch. 404.) Application to modify a final award must be made within one year following such award. (Ch. 342.) In appeal cases the law now provides that^ the appeal shall be based on the record made before the commission, or upon an agreed stipulation of facts by the parties, and questions of fact submitted to a jury are limited to those disclosed by such record or stipulation. (Ch. 406.) The authority https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis w o r k m e n ’s c o m p e n s a t io n 59 of the industrial commission was enlarged in the administration of the State accident fund by chapters 340and 341. The maximum assessment levied upon insurers for administrative expenses has been increased from $100,000 to $110,000, by the provisions of chapter 213. Massachusetts T h e Massachusetts workmen’s compensation act was amended by two chapters (143 and 170). Chapter 143 provides that in cases of controversy, as which of two or more insurers is liable to pay the compensation, the compensation shall be paid by one insurer pending the decision of the industrial board. A person engaged in the usual course of his trade, etc., who is ordered to perform work outside of such trade and is injured thereby, is nevertheless an employee under the act, according to chapter 170. Michigan T h e only change made in the Michigan act was by chapter 58, which extends the coverage of the act to include volunteer firemen. The average wage computation is fixed at $27 per week. Minnesota C h a p t e r s 352, 353, and 392 relate to the insurance features of the Minnesota workmen’s compensation act. The definition of “ insur ance” and the applicability of such is enlarged to include the partial insurance liability of an employer exempted from insuring his liability for compensation under the act. (Chs. 352 and 353.) Before such may become effective, approval by the compensation insurance board must be obtained. (Ch. 392.) Missouri An e m pl o y e r must now furnish medical, etc., aid to an injured employee for a period of 90 days after the injury instead of 60, with the maximum limit increased from $250 to $750. The commission may order additional treatment at any time, instead of being limited to the 1-year period as heretofore (p. 381). An employer may elect to be covered under the act with respect to occupational diseases, provided he has filed notice with the commission and posted notice to that effect. A new employee and an employee remaining in the service 30 days after such posting of notice is conclusively presumed to have elected to accept this coverage unless a written notice to reject has been filed with the commission and the employer (p. 382). Montana O n e act (ch. 1 3 9 ) was passed in Montana amending the compen sation law in several respects. Casual employments and those not in the usual course of the employer’s business are brought under the act, provided the employer has elected to be bound by the workmen’s compensation provisions. Other treatment may be furnished an injured employee in addition to reasonable services by a physician, 91909°—32-----5 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 60 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW surgeon, or hospital, when such service is approved by the board. Costs, etc., arising out of plan No. 3 under the act may now be paid from the industrial accident fund. The Montana Industrial Accident Board now has the power to fix the amount of attorney’s fees. For proofs of insolvency a filing fee of $5 is required to be paid into the industrial administrative fund, and a $3 fee to be credited to the same fund must be paid for all insurance policies, or renewals, filed with the board. Nevada Two acts (chs. 151 and 213) amend the workmen’s compensation law of Nevada. Instead of paying 15 per cent of the wages of a deceased employee to the offspring upon the death of a surviving parent, compensation paid to the surviving child, or children, is increased to the amount theretofore paid to such parent. (Ch. 151.) The State insurance fund may now invest in bonds of Nevada irrigation or drainage districts, and the industrial commission is authorized to provide for such reinsurance as will protect the State insurance fund in case of a catastrophe. In addition to the above-mentioned acts a new law was enacted making original contractors liable for the fulfillment by subcontractors of the requirements of the Nevada industrial insurance act and providing a penalty for any violations. (Ch. 213.) New Hampshire O n e act (ch. 131) was enacted in New Hampshire amending the compensation law by increasing the maximum amount in death cases from $3,000 to $4,500 and the maximum amount for medical atten dance and burial expenses in the case of no dependents was increased from $100 to $200. New Jersey T h e New Jersey workmen’s compensation law was amended by several chapters during the legislative session. The term “ radium necrosis” in the list of occupational diseases has been changed to “ radium poisoning,” by chapter 33. The act now excludes from the coverage pro vision any public employee retired on a pension b}^ reason of disability. (Ch. 355.) This chapter also permits coverage of public employees receiving more than $1,200 a year. Chapter 279 provides that in computing the 24-hour period during which time notice of a hernia must be made known to an employer, all days are excluded in which the business is not in operation. This chapter also amends the compensation act by limiting to two years the time within which an award may be reviewed on the ground of increased disability; by extending to the employer the right to proceed against a third party, when the injured employee or dependent fails, within six months of the accident, to take legal action against a third party or accepts a settlement for less than the employer’s obligation; and by providing that five days shall constitute a minimum week for the purposes of compensation. By chapter 280, the statute of limitations within which time a claim must be filed has been extended from one year to two years. Perhaps the most important change in the work men’s compensation law in this State was that of procedure in appeal cases. Appeals from the awards pf the commission are hereafter, https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis W ORKMEN’S c o m p e n s a t i o n 61 by the provisions of chapter 388, to be taken directly to the State supreme court, and not, as formerly, by appeal first to the court of common pleas; this chapter states that “ any judgment of the work men’s compensation bureau shall be reviewable by certiorari only.” By chapter 172, the securing of compensation for volunteer firemen is now mandatory upon municipalities and fire districts, and for such firemen not otherwise employed at the time of injury compensation is based upon the weekly earnings received in the last employment. By the extension of the period for filing a petition, by chapter 278, from one year to two years, the former provision depriving an employer of certain defenses is now necessarily omitted from para graph^, chapter 187, Acts of 1924. Chapter 192 deals with the insurance features of the compensation act, permitting an employer who is exempted from insuring under the act to insure his liability for the payment of any loss in excess of $5,000 by reason of any single accident and occupational diseases scheduled in the workmen’s compensation act, and empowering the commissioner of banking and insurance to prescribe the form of the notice of compliance. By a supplemental act (ch. 108), the tax of 1 per cent exacted for rehabili tation purposes must now be paid directly to the State tax com missioner instead of to the commissioner of labor as heretofore. New York A p p r o x i m a t e l y seven acts were passed in New York amending the workmen’s compensation law. The coverage of the act was enlarged (by ch. 510) so as to include private chauffeurs employed in cities of 2,000,000 or more (i. e., New York City). The law is novel, in addition to its local application, in that employers are exempted from the penalty of the law. In lumbering operations an exception is made in the coverage provision of the act by permitting a farmer to produce on his farm logs cut to dimension lengths and to transport them to market or point of shipment without taking out workmen’s compensation insurance, provided not more than four persons are engaged by a single employer. (Ch. 385.) Chapter 344 provides that ^ the 12-month time limit between the contraction of an occupational disease and the disablement by it is not to apply if both contraction and disablement occurred while the employee was engaged in the same employment with the same employer. The industrial board is, by chapter 292, given three years instead of one to reclassify a disa bility on account of change in condition or error. Chapter 291 provides that a dependent blind or crippled child must be totally incapacitated in order to partake of any death benefits. Unpaid premiums and judgments are, by chapter 508, given preference over other claims against employers except wages in bankruptcy, etc., proceedings. The boards of supervisors of counties which have adopted mutual self-insurance are now empowered, by chapter 199, either to appropriate the necessary moneys to pay the awards or to authorize the county treasurer to borrow for such purpose instead of the former method in which the county treasurer borrowed upon an order of the committee. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 62 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW North Carolina Two acts (chs. 164 and 274) amended the North Carolina work men’s compensation law. The first of these specifies that disfigure ment shall^ also include any bodily injury not covered in the schedule of specific injuries, and the second makes several changes in the basic law. Thus any county or school district or sheriff and his deputies may now be exempted from the act, but notice of such action must be made to the industrial commission; the commission may also order a change of treatment upon the request of an injured employee; instead of paying compensation to the personal representative of a deceased employee in the case of no dependents, the law as amended specifies that such shall be paid to the next of kin; a second-injury fund is also established; hereafter no review of an award may be considered after 12 months from the date of the last payment; the commission may, in order to protect the interests of minors or incompetents, change the terms of any award with respect to whom compensation shall be paid; in the review of cases instituted by an insurer, the commission may now order the cost of such review, entailed by the employee, to be paid by the insurer; power is extended to the commission to collect any fines, etc., and the same shall be a part of the mainte nance fund; the employer and not the State must hereafter pay all medical examination fees and expenses; the salaries of the indus trial commissioners, instead of being fixed by the terms of the act, are hereafter to be fixed by the governor, and the offices of the com mission are no longer specifically required to be in the capitol build ing or other_building in Raleigh, and hence may be established at any point within the State. Two supplemental acts (chs. 279 and 312) were also enacted; chapter 279 creates a compensation rating and inspection bureau, and chapter 312 provides for the establish ment of a department of labor, and a separate and distinct agency to be known as the division of workmen’s compensation. North Dakota S e v e r a l changes were made by chapters 312, 313, 314, and 315 of the Acts of 1931. In the aggravation of a preexisting disease, compensation is allowable only for the proportion of the disability due to the aggravation of such disease as may be attributed to the injury. _ (Ch. 312.) Extraterritorial effect of the act is given to appointive county peace officers, and the act is made retroactive by chapter 313 to July 1,1930. Chapter 314 provides for the reorgani zation of the workmen’s compensation bureau, so that hereafter the bureau is to consist of three members only, serving for six years each; several minor changes in the administration of the act were also made! The penalty for failure to comply with a safety regulation is increased to $25 and in addition the premium rating of an employer may be penalized. As to the payment of premiums, chapter 315 allows public employers to pay in two equal semiannual installments when in excess of $100; no bond is required, but interest at 5 per cent is assessed upon deferred payments. Other employers have an option of paying in two equal semiannual installments or four equal quarterly installments; a bond is required to be filed in such cases covering a period of from one to five years, and a surety bond for periods of https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis W O RK M EN ’S COMPENSATION 63 more than one year’s duration. For defaults in payment of premiums the penalties are changed, and suits for the collection of same must be instituted within 20 days instead of the former limitation period of 10 days. Ohio F o u r acts were passed by the 1931 legislative session in Ohio. The first act (pp. 26-39) amended several chapters of the law. The occupational disease law was amended by adding potassium cyanide and sulphur dioxide poisoning, and chrome ulceration of the skm or nasal passages. The maximum amount of compensation in partial disability cases is increased from $3,750 to $4,000. The periods of compensation in the schedule for specific injuries have also been in creased in certain cases—for the loss of a hand, 165 weeks; arm, 215 weeks; foot, 140 weeks; leg, 190 weeks; sight of an eye, 125 weeks. Funeral benefits are increased from $150 to $200. The coverage of the act is liberalized in the case of police and firemen already piovided for under a pension fund. Several changes were made in respect to the adoption of rules, etc., for the collection, maintenance, and dis bursement of the State insurance fund; the requiring of additional bond by the State treasurer as the custodian of such fund; and a pro vision for the segregation of the State insurance fund into a public and a private fund. An additional penalty of 90 days’ imprisonment, together with costs of prosecution, is provided for an employer will fully failing to insure. The act also provides assurance of immediate payment of compensation to a claimant from the surplus fund upon recovery of a final judgment against an employer. No modification of an award may be made after 10 years of an injury or last payment of compensation. . . . The second act (pp. I l l , 112) merely authorizes Ohio insurance corporations to write compensation insurance outside the otate, while the third act (pp. 147-150) relates principally to procedure m the computation of and rates to be paid into the public insurance fund, etc. The fourth act (pp. 789-791), among other things, extends the penalty to employees of the department of industrial relations con victed of divulging confidential information; authorizes the com mission to inquire into the amount of fees charged and to settle dis putes relating thereto, and gives it the power to suspend for cause, anyone fraudulently practicing before the commission; a penalty is also imposed, upon anyone falsely claiming the right to represent a claimant before the commission or even soliciting authority to appear. Oklahoma T h e only change in the workmen’s compensation law of Oklahoma was that relating to the appointments, qualifications, etc., of the indus trial commissioners, and the employment of administrative assistants. (Ch 72 ) In order to qualify for appointment a commissioner must be a resident of the State for over two years, a qualified voter, and not less than 30 years of age. The salary of two members of the commission is increased from $3,000 to $3,900, and the chairman hereafter will receive $4,200. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 64 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW Oregon T h e list of hazardous occupations to which the workmen’s com pensation act of Oregon is applicable was extended, by chapter 340, so as to include county surveyors, their deputies and assistants engaged in field work. Pennsylvania D o u b l e compensation is provided by the Legislature of Pennsyl vania (Act No. 29) in the case of injured children illegally employed, the extra compensation being paid by the employer as a penalty; any provision in an insurance policy undertaking to relieve an em ployer from such liability is void. Act No. 205 specifies that in appeal cases the court must, within five days after a judgment has been rendered, give notice of such by registered mail to each attorney appearing in the case or to the parties themselves if not represented by counsel. Act No. 151 merely provides for insurance in the State fund on the basis of a year and not on the basis of a given calendar year. Philippine Islands T h e amendments to the compensation law of the Philippine Islands were made by the legislature during the year of 1930. The annual legislative year begins in the summer and continues for 100 days. Information as to whether any changes were made by the 1931 legislature was not available at the time the present article was compiled. The Philippine compensation act was amended in 1930, by Act No. 3812, and became effective on December 8, 1930. The coverage of the act was extended to mounted messengers in the service of the insular government, and employees engaged in coastwise trade. Employees operating mechanical agricultural implements and public employees receiving annually 2,000 pesos or less are also covered. An injury to be compensable now must “ arise out of and in the course of the employment.” For the loss of an eye the period of compensation is increased from 84 to 100 weeks. The law specifies that any com pensation paid is for the use or benefit of the widow or widower and the dependent children, and the bureau of labor may adjust the compensation between them in the most suitable manner possible. In lump-sum cases the reduction must not be more than 20 per cent of the amount fixed by the law. Attorney’s fees are now fixed for the prosecution of a claim at 5 per cent of the award, and 10 per cent if court action is necessary. Porto Rico S e v e r a l amendments were made to the workmen’s compensation law by Act No. 78, of the regular session of the 1931 Porto Rico Legislature. The principal changes were as follows: Weekly compensation is (under sec. 3) to be paid the injured laborer from the date he presents himself to the physician for treat ment and not from the date of the accident. The industrial commission is to have the initiative in entering into contracts with physicians, hospitals, etc., subject to approval by the commissioner of health; laborers who fail to present themselves to https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis W ORKM EN’S COMPENSATION 65 a physician within a reasonable time after the accident may be deprived of their right to receive compensation; insurers are obliged to bring before the commission, at their own expense, injured laborers affected with any partial permanent or total disability in order that the degree of disability may be established, and the insurer shall pay for this medical service. (Sec. 5.) The fee for attending as a witness before the industrial commission has been reduced from $2 to $1, and traveling expenses by the most economical route are permitted. (Sec. 9.) When agreements entered into between insurers and laborers are not approved by the industrial commission, because in its judgment their terms do not conform to the law, the commission shall decide the matter without further hearing, in accordance with the evidence in the case. (Sec. 10.) .. The time in which to file with the district court a petition for review from a decision of the commission has been changed by section 15 from 10 to 15 days. Agreements entered into between laborers and employers who, m violation of law, have not insured in any of the forms provided by law, are excluded from the provisions of section 21. Employers unduly reporting any labor _accident shall be liable for all the expenses incurred by the_ commission on account of said report. Any employer reporting as his own an accident sustained by a laborer working for an employer who, in violation of law, is uninsured, shall be punished by the industrial commission (under sec. 22) by a fine not exceeding $200. The tax levied on insurance companies to help to support the industrial commission has been raised (sec. 52) from 3 to 5 per cent. South Dakota I n S o u t h D a k o t a the coverage of the workmen’s compensation act was extended by chapter 269, to include the operation of threshing machines, grain combines, corn shellers, corn huskers, shredders, silage cutters, and seed hullers. Chapters 2/0 and 2/1 authorize and regulate associations for exchanging reciprocal or interinsurance contracts. Texas T h e Texas compensation law was amended in 1931, by some 13 acts. The following changes warrant special mention: The placing of illegally employed minors under the act (ch. 154); the increase in funeral benefits from $100 to $250 (ch. 178); the_barring of com pensation under the Texas law of an employee injured outside the State who elects to pursue his remedy and recovers in such other State (ch. 90); the provision that refusal to submit to “ other remedial treatment recognized by the State” may be a cause for a reduction or suspension of compensation by the board, and the empowering of such board to punish for contempt and to bar anyone guilty of uneth ical conduct from practicing before it (ch. 102); the provision that an order of the industrial board attested to by any member is admissible as evidence in all courts of the State (ch. 89); and that an application to review an order denying the payment of compensation must be https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 66 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW made to the board within 12 months (ch. 155). Chapter 179 im poses upon the board the duty of hearing an employee’s case within a reasonable time, but the hearing may be delayed if such employee is receiving medical care or compensation; the decision by the board in the latter case isfinal. As to the right of appeal the compensation law was amended in several instances: The clerk of the court must within 20 days after an appeal is filed, or a judgment rendered, notify the board of such action by mailing a certified copy of such record, and for failure to do so a penalty of $250 is provided (ch. 182); here after upon the filing of a case for review in a county court other than the county in which the injury occurred, such court must transfer it to the court having jurisdiction (ch. 208); in a pending court claim the industrial accident board must, upon request of any interested party, furnish a copy of the employer’s notice of becoming a subscriber under the act (ch. 224); in appeals from an award the district court is limited to the subject matter of the appeal, and may not adjudicate any right as to exemplary damages; and payments of compensation made be fore due must be discounted at 6 per cent compounded annuallv (ch. 248). J ^ By the provisions of chapter 170, an employer of labor under the Federal longshoremen’s and harbor workers’ compensation act may become a subscriber to the Texas employers’ insurance association; and by chapter 171 the industrial commission is given power to establish and promulgate classifications of hazards and rates of premi um applicable to the act. Vermont T h e only compensation legislation passed in Vermont in 1931 was an act (ch. 114) changing the time in which the commissioner must make his award from 6 months to 60 days. Washington I n W a s h i n g t o n several changes were made in the compensation act. By the provisions of chapter 79 a master or member of a crew of any vessel is now excepted from the coverage provisions of the act. A material and detailed change was made in the method of determining the amounts payable into the State fund by chapter 104. Thus, the department of labor and industries must each year make an estimate of the pay-roll percentages to be paid into the fund, based on the average experience cost of each employer per $100 of pay roll in each class during the 2-year period immediately preceding September 1. The actual rate is fixed at 25 per cent of the basic rate plus 75 per cent of the employer’s cost per $100 of pay roll over the 2-year period next preceding the then last September 1, limited, however, to 175 per cent of the basic rate. Coal mines are not affected by the new amend ment. Chapter 116 provides that the costs and expenses in appeal cases shall Hereafter be paid from the medical and accident funds, each bearing one-half of the expense. Wisconsin T h e Wisconsin compensation law was amended in many respects. The principal changes are as follows: The waiting period was reduced from 7 to 3 days, with no waiting period if the disability extends https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis W ORKM EN’S COMPENSATION 67 beyond 10 days. (Ch. 66.) Compensation for permanent disability to a person under 30 years of age is to be based on the probable wages earned at the age of 27. (Ch. 42.) Compensation for partial dis ability is increased (by ch. 101) from 65 per cent to 70 per cent of the average weekly wages. The act now compulsorily applies to private employers usually employing three or more employees, with the ex ception of farmers or farm labor. (Ch. 87.) Chapter 14 liberalizes the death benefit provisions in the case of surviving children of a divorced parent. Chapter 132 provides that, in third-party cases, acceptance of compensation no longer operates as an assignment of a claim against the third party, nor does a settlement with a third party operate as a waiver of a claim for compensation. The principal change made by the provisions of chapter 210 is that the number of weeks now varies according to the severity of the disability, whereas under the former provision the weekly amount of compensation varied, but the number of weeks remained the same for a given age. The indus trial commission is empowered by chapter 413 to direct an injured em ployee in cases of dispute to be examined by an impartial physician at the expense of the employer. An award may be set aside by the com mission within three years, whenever it appears that a mistake has been made in an award of compensation for an injury, when in fact the employee was suffering an occupational disease. (Ch. 414.) Chapter 433 gives the commission the power to divide death benefits among dependents, and also to redistribute the same. An insurance company’s license may be revoked, under chapter 244 whenever it fails to pay claims promptly or fails to submit reports; this may be done by the commissioner of insurance, upon complaint of the indus trial commission. By chapter 327 the Wisconsin Rating and Inspec tion Bureau has the right to assign rejected risks to a member com pany. Chapters 403 and 469 were laws enacted at the request of the reviser of statutes, and merely simplified the language and form of the acts, without changing the substantive provisions of the law. Wyoming C h a p t e r 94 made several changes in the Wyoming workmen’s compensation law. The list of extrahazardous occupations is en larged to include gasoline filling and bulk oil stations, ditch riders of irrigation districts, and “ dude ranching.” The monthly service and policing charge has been greatly reduced and the amount required to be paid by nonresident employers has been doubled. The schedule for specific injuries in permanent partial disability cases has been substantially increased in all cases except toe injuries. The balance of an award, after the payment of $270 upon the remarriage of a sur viving spouse, now reverts to any dependent children instead of to the general fund as heretofore. The dependent children also receive the unpaid balance in the case of the death of the surviving spouse. Only in the case of no dependent children, or upon the death of the last surviving child, does the unpaid balance revert to the general fund. The Commission on Revision of the Wyoming Statutes, by the provisions of chapter 73 (secs. 59, 60, and 61) made several changes in sections 4328, 4330, and 4336 of the workmen’s compensation act. The principal change was the extension of time from 30 to 70 days in https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW the filing of appeal cases in the supreme court. The plaintiff must now file a brief within 15 days and the defendant must do likewise within the same time thereafter, instead of the former period of 30 days allowed both parties. (Sec. 4328.) Sections 4330 and 4336 are merely changed in form. R e p o r t o n S tu d y o f O reg o n W o r k m e n ’s C o m p e n s a tio n Law HE governor’s interim committee on the Oregon workmen’s compensation law, appointed under authority of a joint legisla tive resolution, has submitted a majority report signed by the 15 mem bers, dated January, 1931. To the report is appended a minority report by one of the members, dated February, 1931; reports to the com mittee from an actuary employed to examine the financial condition of the accident funds, premium rate levels, and contemplated admin istrative changes in the law; and a report and recommendations from the State Industrial Accident Commission. The majority report of the committee points out that the actuarial investigation shows that the reserve for pension awards—the segre gated accident fund—is being computed according to the require ments of the law, and is in balance. The examination of the indus trial accident fund shows that the fund is solvent; but in the opinion of the actuary, whose estimate of unsettled claims differs from that of the industrial accident commission, the surplus is too small for the safety of the fund against contingency factors. The actuary advo cates an increase of not less than 10 per cent in average premium rates, as well as the establishment of a statistical bureau to develop actuarial statistics. As the committee does not believe it was charged with the duty of suggesting rates, it merely recommends that it be made obligatory for the industrial accident commission to promulgate adequate rates each year, but it also>recommends that the statutory limit on the surplus, $300,000, be increased to $500,000, and that'the surplus be gradually increased to this amount. The immediate establishment of a statistical department is further recommended. Other principal recommendations by the committee for adminis trative changes are: Right of appeal by an injured worker on both law and fact; elimination of jury trials in appeals, and of contingent fees for attorneys in appeals; penalizing employers who make workers contribute more than the statutory 1 cent per "day to the fund; refus ing benefits of act to employers in default of payments to the fund; reduction of 5 per cent of premium for satisfactory accident-preven tion work; distribution of statistical and accident-prevention informa tion to employers, employees, and the public; reduction of benefits to alien dependents, and limiting of alien dependency; changing compen sation payments from a monthly to a semimonthly basis; authorizing the commission to determine, after a hearing, if any occupation is hazardous under the act; abolition of the automatic feature of coverage under the law, requiring application and fee for coverage, and exclud ing employers with less than four employees; establishing a 5-day waiting period; increase in compensation benefits for permanent dis abilities; and resumption of State contributions, at a rate of not less than 5 per cent of total receipts of the fund in each preceding biennium. T https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis W O RK M EN ’S COMPENSATION 69 The minority report concurs in part, but advocates establishment of compulsory and exclusive State compensation insurance, increase in all compensation benefits, and retention of right to jury trials in appeals. Opposition is expressed to the establishment of any waiting period. The committee was unable to agree with some of the recommenda tions presented by the actuary and the industrial accident commis sion. Among these were: Establishment of an exclusive State fund; compulsory coverage under act; coverage of nonhazardous employ ments; coverage of occupational diseases; restrictions of appeals to questions of law only; provision for safety engineering and accidentprevention work; and increases in funeral benefits, remarriage allow ance, and all compensation benefits. R e c e n t C o m p e n s a tio n R e p o rts A rizo n a HE fifth annual report of the Industrial Commission of Arizona consists principally of a study by a consulting actuary of the conditions and affairs of the State compensation fund. As a result of the examination the fund is declared to be in excellent financial condition, showing a net surplus of $768,265.12, as of December 31, 1930. It is stated that, in the opinion of the actuary, this surplus is not excessive, considering the volume of business transacted, the high scale of benefits under the law, and the statutory provision that the fund shall be administered by the commission without liability to the State. The commission is commended for prompt and fair settlements of claims against the State fund; for reasonable and adequate insurance premium rates (90 per cent of the rates approved for other compensa tion insurance carriers, with a dividend distribution of surplus based on merit rating); for adequate records, kept well and accurately; and for economy and efficiency of management. It is, however, pointed out that, in spite of the fact that 20 per cent of all premiums are credited to the medical and hospital fund (desig nated the accident benefit fund), this portion is not sufficient to cover the liability for estimated future service. It is advised that efforts be made to reduce the high and constantly increasing cost of medical and hospital benefits, without impairment of services to the injured, in order to avoid diverting a larger portion of the total premiums to this fund and reducing the dividends to the policyholders correspondingly. The commission explains that it is issuing dividends amounting to more than $150,000 to policyholders whose cost of accidents was less than their premium payments. It is stated that the overhead is still maintained at less than 7 per cent of the income. Over 12,500 new cases were handled during the calendar year by the commission, which adjudicates all cases of industrial injury, whether the liability is car ried by the State fund or by private insurance carriers. The financial statement for the fund shows that the total earned premiums for the year ending December 31, 1930, were $1,395,782.32 for the compensation fund and $213,945.56 for the medical and hospital fund. Current compensation benefits amounting to $389,- T https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 70 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W 557.72 were paid on cases occurring in 1930, and medical and hospi tal benefits amounting to $216,779.83 were paid or provided during the year, while $1,381,752.30 was transferred to the various reserves. C a lifo rn ia P a r t of the report of the Department of Industrial Relations of California for the period 1927 to 1930 is devoted to the activities of the industrial accident commission, the governing body of the division of industrial accidents and safety. Attention is called to the various amendments to the workmen’s compensation, insurance, and safety laws, enacted by the 1928-29 session of the State legislature. Among the prominent changes are the establishment of a “ subsequent injury” fund, for the payment of special additional compensation in second-injury cases, through contributions from employers or insurance carriers of $300 in each fatal injury case where there are no dependents; an increase from $20.83 to $25 in the maximum weekly compensation; and a 10 per cent increase in maximum compensation payments in case of failure of the employer to secure compensation under the act. Summary reports from the various subdivisions of the industrial commission include a report from the State compensation insurance fund, showing that on June 30, 1930, approximately 30,000 employers were insured by the fund, representing one-tliird of the insurance written by the 60 compensation insurance carriers in the State. An explanation is given of the methods of the fund in furnishing insurance at cost to its policyholders. Workmen’s compensation insurance rates are under the control and supervision of the State insurance commissioner, and the rates promulgated by him must be used by all insurance carriers operating in the State. These rates are so made that 59.4 per cent of the premiums cover the compensation and medical losses, while the balance of 40.6 per cent is intended for payment of expenses of operation. As the operating expenses of the fund have averaged less than 15 per cent of its premium income, the difference between that amount and the 40.6 per cent in the rates, plus interest earnings on reserves and catastrophe surplus, is dis tributed to the policyholders as dividends. The following table, taken from the report, shows the total premiums written by the fund, dividends declared, and total assets, 1914 to 1929, by calendar years. T a ble 1 .— E X P E R IE N C E O F C A L I F O R N I A C O M P E N S A T I O N I N S U R A N C E F U N D , 1914 T O 1929 Y ear P rem iu m s w ritte n D iv id e n d s declared T o ta l assets Y ear P rem iu m s w ritte n D iv id e n d s d eclared 1914_________ 1915__________ 1916__________ 1917__________ 1918__________ 1919__________ 1920_________ 1921_________ $547,161 655, 677 928, 286 1,373, 793 2,459,086 3, 251, 974 4, 417, 761 5,004,881 $74, 476 89,146 146, 734 340, 878 489, 691 919, 367 1,278, 950 $520, 596 849, 980 1, 299, 565 1,839, 988 2, 917, 571 4,135, 856 5, 324,603 6, 038, 704 1922_________ 1923_________ 1924_________ 1925_________ 1926_________ 1927_________ 1928_________ 1929_________ $4,635,014 5,470,100 5, 807, 777 5, 811,317 6,012, 443 6, 471, 635 7, 003, 820 7, 654, 803 $1,683,626 1,784,237 1.649, 260 1, 664, 214 1, 694,172 1,821,278 1, 764, 272 1, 794,126 T o ta l assets $6, 060,881 6,168,026 6, 517, 543 6, 779, 638 6, 900, 494 6,911,830 7, 382, 739 7, 979, 306 Considerable stress is laid on safety prevention, both by the compensation insurance fund to its policyholders and by the safety department of the commission to all employers in the State. Joint https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 71 W ORKM EN’S COMPENSATION committees of employers, employees, engineering societies, and others interested have for some time been engaged in revising the safety rules and safety orders adopted by the commission as minimum standards for the principal hazardous industries of the State. Records compiled by the statistical department show the tabulatable injuries, consisting of fatalities, permanent disabilities, and temporary disabilities lasting longer than the day of injury, by industry, cause, nature of injury, or location of injury, each by extent of disability and year, for the three fiscal years ending June 30, 1930. In the following table, prepared from data in the report, are shown the total injuries, including no-disability cases requiring medical aid, reported to the commission, by extent of disability and by fiscal year, for the 3-year period. T a b l e 2 .—N U M B E R O F I N D U S T R I A L I N J U R I E S R E P O R T E D I N C A L I F O R N I A , E A C H Y E A R 1928 T O 1930, B Y E X T E N T O F D I S A B I L I T Y N u m b e r of cases re p o rte d in fiscal y e a r en d in g J u n e 30— E x te n t of d is a b ility 1928 1929 1930 T a b u la ta b le a c cid en ts: F a ta l ________________________________________________________ P e rm a n e n t__________________ - __ _ - . ___ ____ ______ T e m p o ra ry __________________ _ _ _ _ ____ _ 682 1,107 90,809 625 1,028 95, 095 713 941 88, 295 T o ta l___ ____________ ____ - _ ____ _____ M ed ic al-aid ac cid en ts in v o lv in g n o loss of tim e ____________________ 92, 598 178, 883 96, 748 192,374 89, 949 203, 872 271,481 289,122 293, 821 G ra n d to ta l____________ __ ___ . _ _____ _ ____ _ K ansas T h e annual report of the workmen’s compensation department of the Commission of Labor and Industry of Kansas for the year ending June 30, 1931, calls attention to the experience under the compensa tion act during the four years that it has been administered by a commission. It is estimated in the report that an average of 175,000 workers was covered by the act during that time, while the records show a toll of 352 deaths, 1,744 total or partial permanent injuries, and 41,952 temporary injuries for the four years. The total compensation paid in cases where final and complete settlements have been made amounts to approximately $2,500,000, while reported medical, hospital, and funeral expenses amount to an additional $750,000. Considering that further compensation payments have been made in other cases, not closed at the date of the report, that all medical and hospital expenses are not reported, and that other factors are not included, such as prevention cost and expense resulting from temporary inefficient operation in the loss of a trained worker, the commission assumes that the actual expense to the industry is double the amount reported, and urges the employers to control the cost by greater prevention of accidents and proper care of injuries when sustained. The table following shows the number of injuries reported to the commission, all accidental injuries disabling the worker for more than the day of occurrence, by years, for the four fiscal years, and by industries for the year of the report, all by extent of disability. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 72 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW T a b l e 3 .—N U M B E R O F I N D U S T R I A L A C C I D E N T S R E P O R T E D I N K A N S A S , J U L Y 1, 1927, T O J U N E 30, 1931, B Y E X T E N T O P D I S A B I L I T Y N u m b e r of accid en ts F iscal y e a r a n d in d u s try P e rm a n e n t T e m p o ra ry d is a b ility d is a b ility F a ta l 1927-28 _ . ____ ___ _____ ___ — - _______ - ____ 1928-29 1929-30____ — ___ _______ ____________ ________ ____ ___ 1930-31 * C lerical a n d professional serv ic e. _ .. _ ____ C o n s tru c tio n _ . . . C o u n ty a n d m u n ic ip a l_ _ _ _ _ M a n u fa c tu rin g : F o o d a n d k in d re d p ro d u c ts . _ _ _ __ M e ta l goods, v e h ic le s .. P a p e r a n d p a p e r p ro d u c ts, p rin tin g . . S m elters a n d oil refineries T extiles, le a th e r, la u n d r y . . . . . . W ood a n d o th e r b u ild in g m a te ria ls . M in in g , m e ta llu rg y a n d q u a rry in g : C oal m in in g . __ M e ta l m in in g —le a d a n d zinc . . . . . D rillin g oil a n d gas w ells ____ _____ Q u arry in g , s to n e cru sh in g ___ _ _ __ . ____ . . T ra d e . ._ . T ra n s p o rta tio n a n d p u b lic u tilitie s : S team , in te ru rb a n a n d s tre e t r a ilw a y s .. ____ M o to r tra n s p o rta tio n __ _ _ _ _ L ig h t, pow er, a n d gas co m p an ies. . . E xp re ss c o m p a n ie s ________ ___ T o ta l 73 79 114 86 3 17 2 324 540 396 484 7 97 2 9,313 11, 574 11, 797 9,268 163 2, 678 63 9,710 12,193 12,307 9,838 173 2, 792 67 9 5 2 1 0 4 73 73 8 9 3 26 1,741 1,115 111 125 88 298 1,823 1,193 121 135 91 328 7 6 10 0 2 18 25 78 5 23 344 232 1,057 140 395 369 263 1,145 ' 145 420 3 1 13 1 13 9 15 0 165 159 379 15 181 169 407 16 During the year of the report 4,709 compensation cases were closed and final releases filed with the department. The average compensa tion payment was $135.54 per case. For the year 1929-30 the aver age was $124.54 in 5,726 cases closed, for the year 1928-29 it was $105.48 in 5,531 cases closed, and for the year 1927-28 it was $98.17 in 4,426 cases closed, showing a constant increase in cost. The average medical expense, however, remained fairly constant. The average amount paid per case was $49.26 in 3,667 cases reported for 1930-31, $49.37 in 4,127 cases reported for 1929-30, and $47.18 in 3,628 cases reported for 1928-29. N ew Y o rk A c c o r d in g to the October, 1931, issue of the Industrial Bulletin, published by the industrial commissioner of New York State, the State Department of Labor made closing awards of compensation during the year ending June 30, 1931, amounting to over $36,000,000, for accidental injuries to workers in the course of their employment. This is the highest amount awarded in any one year and nearly $800,000 more than awarded during the previous year. The number of cases closed during the year was 103,046, or 6,800 less than in the year ending June 30, 1930, but greater than in any other preceding year. It is explained that many of these accidents occurred in earlier years, so the figures do not show how much the decrease in employment has reduced the number of compensable acci dents, but that a considerable decrease had taken place in both the number of accidents reported and the number of claims filed. The following table shows the number of cases closed, the number of weeks’ compensation awarded in permanent partial and temporary disability cases, and the amount of compensation awarded. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 73 W ORKM EN’S COMPENSATION TABLE 4 .—N U M B E R O F C O M P E N S A B L E C A S E S C L O S E D I N N E W Y O R K A N D ^C O M N u m b e r of cases E x te n t of d is a b ility N u m b e r of w eek s’ com p en satio n a w a rd e d A m o u n t of co m p en satio n 1,241 61 21, 761 79,983 956,139 547,168 $7,768,024 854,168 17, 506, 744 9, 883,852 103, 046 1, 503, 307 36,012, 788 A lame number of other cases were disallowed because the injuries did not& cause disability extending beyond seven days or because they did not otherwise come under the provisions of the workmen s com pensation law. Compensable cases which were closed m previous years but reopened for further consideration in 1930-31 are also not mchidn(h ie ^ ^ presented a comparison for the current year and the previous year of the number of compensable cases closed, distributed according to the industry in which they occurred. A decided reduc tion is shown for manufacturing industries, attributed to employment conditions. It is pointed out that practically the same number of accidents occurred in construction Work each year, m spite of the widespread decrease in employment during the current year, and that a large increase had taken place in the service industries, presumably caused by increase in employment. T able 5 - N U M B E R O F C O M P E N S A B L E C A S E S C L O S E D IN N E W Y O R K , B Y IN D U S T R Y , lable o. 1929-30 A N D 1930-31 N u m b e r of cases, year en d in g J u n e 30— I n d u s tr y 1930 T r a n s p o rta tio n and. p u b lic u tilitie s _ — ----------- 1931 40,823 24, 576 16, 941 14,124 11,172 2,212 32,641 24,310 16,137 16,050 11, 794 2,114 109,848 103, 046 P e r cen t of change, 1930-31, co m p ared w ith 1929-30 -2 0 —5 + 14 +6 -6 1 Port«? R ico T h e annual report of the Industrial Commission of Porto Rico, for the year ended June 30, 1931, refers briefly to the different methods which have been applied to the problems of workmen s compensation in the island since the first act became effective in 1916: Optional State insurance for the first two years, followed by compulsory and exclusive State insurance, which was replaced m 1928 by a competitive insurance system, requiring coverage by the State workmen’s insurance fund or by private carriers, or sell- in 1928 an industrial commission replaced the workmen’s relief commission, which formerly administered the settlement oi claims https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 74 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW under the compensation act. The commission was attached to the department of agriculture and labor until 1931, when this was changed to the department of agriculture and commerce and the commission was placed under the newly created department of labor. The commission is charged with the settlement of claims and the supeivision of medical and hospital services for injured workers, regai dless of the class of insurance, but collection and disbursement of moneys under the act are statutory duties of the treasurer of Porto Pico, while the fixing of premium rates and determining questions of coverage for employers are statutory duties of the superintendent of insurance of Porto Rico. During 1930— 31 there were 40,595 claims filed, of which 40,021 were for injuries occurring during the year; 20,593 cases were decided by the commission. The latter consisted of 55 fatal cases, 5 permanent total disability cases, 1,254 permanent partial disability cases, 17,965 tempo i ary disability cases, and 1,314 cases in which the claim for compensation was denied. An independent liquidating board was created in 1928 to adjust obligations contracted previously by the workmen’s relief commission under the act, but in 1930 these duties were transferred to the indus trial commission. The report states that from January 1, 1930, to June 30, 1931, the commission has discharged pending obligations amounting to $768,418, including discounts of $189,046, and that a total of $360,066 still remains unpaid. It is, however, believed that adjustments can be made, so that the liquidation can be finished with a sum of $250,000, whenever the money is available for that purpose. I he commission emphasizes that the problem of workmen’s com pensation in the island is a serious one and, summing up the situation, explains that the country is relatively poor, the average wages paid to laborers are low, the principal industry is agriculture, and most of the employers are of the small type. Consequently the pay roll on which compensation insurance premiums are assessed is not very large, and the volume of workmen’s insurance business is limited o a little ov er $1,000,000. The State fund handles 50.9 per cent of tins, and the private insurance companies 24.7 per cent, while the self-insurers cover 24.4 per cent. Against this volume of business it is found that 9,424 employers are insured in the State fund, 766 with private insurance companies, and 18 employers are self-insurers. . commission thinks it doubtful if the field of workmen’s insurance m Rorto i^1C0 is broad enough to admit such competition, and beneves the State fund is placed at a disadvantage. It is pointed out that the difficulty lies in the fact that the large employers are per mitted self-insurance, and the private insurance companies select only the laige, desirable risks, while the host of small employers with meager pay rolls are gathered into the State fund. The commission believes that the only solution, based on its experience of the past three yeais, is either to give the entire business to the insurance com panies, under the control and^ supervision of the industrial commis sion, or to establish an exclusive State insurance fund https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis W O RK M EN ’S COMPENSATION 75 C a lifo r n ia C o u r t H o ld s I n ju r y t o W o o d e n L eg Is N o t C o m p e n s a b le HE Supreme Court of California, on October 30, 1931, rendered an opinion holding that the provision of the California workmen’s compensation law allowing compensation for an injury to an artificial member was unconstitutional. (Pacific Indemnity Co. v. Industrial Accident Commission of California et ah, 5 Pac. (2d) 1.) Several months prior to the decision of the supreme court the Indus trial Accident Commission of California handed down a decision in favor of one John Driscoll, who while working as a teamster lost his balance when the team he was driving shied and an artificial leg which he was wearing broke between the footboard and seat of the vehicle. Driscoll was otherwise uninjured but was unable to con tinue his work without an artificial leg, and he had no funds to pur chase another one. The effect of the industrial commission’s order was to compel the insurer either to buy a new artificial leg or to make indefinite weekly disability payments. The decision of the industrial accident commission was at first upheld by the California Supreme Court by its refusal to review the decision upon appeal by the insurance carrier. Later, by a vote of four to three, the judges of the California Supreme Court reversed its original holding in the case and upon appeal ruled against the claim. The majority of the judges in the first instance considered, in view of their refusal to hear the case upon appeal, that the wooden leg should be mended or a new one purchased by the insurer. In the final appeal the four judges held that compensation could not be allowed for an injury to personal property and that there was no constitutional or other legal provision for such payment, and that a man’s artificial leg is not a part of his natural living organic body. If any other position than this was taken the court would have to consider injuries to eyeglasses, false teeth, crutches, trusses, etc. The appeal to the Supreme Court of California therefore challenged the constitutionality of that provision of the workmen’s compensation law which permitted recovery for injury to artificial members. Section 3, subdivision 4, of the California workmen’s compensation act (Acts of 1917, ch. 586) was amended by chapter 471 in 1919 and reads as follows: “ The term ‘injury’ as used in this act shall include any injury or disease arising out of employment, including injury to artificial members.” The main question presented to the high court of California for consideration was whether the commission had jurisdiction to make an award for an injury to an artificial limb of an employee. The only source of authority in the legislature to confer judicial power upon the industrial accident commission, the court said, was derived from section 21 of Article XX of the consti tution as amended in 1918. The principal parts of this section are as follows: T T he legislature is hereby expressly v ested w ith p len ary pow er * * * to create a n d enforce a com plete system of w orkm en’s com pensation * * * a n d in t h a t behalf to create a n d enforce a liab ility on th e p a r t of a n y or all persons to com pensate an y or all th e ir w orkm en for in ju ry or d isab ility * * * in cu rred or sustained by said w orkm en. 91909°—32-----6 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW 76 Regarding the power of the legislature to confer such authority, the court said that— I t is plain from th e ab o v e provision t h a t th e lim ita tio n of pow er u n d er th e a c t a n d its sole purpose is to com pensate w orkm en for in ju ry o r disab ility incu rred or su stain ed b y th e m — n o t fo r in ju ry su stain ed b y th e ir p ersonal p ro p e rty . T he w ords “ in ju rv or d isa b ility ” a re b o th used in th e sense of in ju ry to o r disab ility of th e person or n a tu ra l b o d y , t h a t is, th e living bod y of th e w o rk m an (see C ity an d C o u n ty of San F rancisco v . I. A. C ., 183 C alif 273), d u e to sustaining or incurring in d u s tria l accid en t or disease. T his is clearly in d ic a te d b y th e histo ry of th e legislation a n d a u th o ritie s bearin g u pon th e su b ject, a n extended review of w hich is n o t essential here. An in te n t t h a t pow er be g ra n te d to com pensate w orkm en for injuries to th e ir personal p ro p e rty is now here to be found. The jurisdiction of the commission would be enlarged to an unwar ranted extent, the court said, “ if under the above provisions of the constitution power were conceded to compensate workmen under the act for injuries to or loss of such property.” So to widen the scope of the act would be a direct violation of said power conferred by the constitution. While section 9 (a) of the compensation act imposes a liability upon the employer to provide such medical and surgical treatment, “ includ ing artificial members as may be reasonably required to cure and relieve from the effects of the injury,” the court said that this is a different matter, for— I t is one th in g to fu rn ish an artificial m em ber in order to cure a n d relieve from th e effects of a n in ju ry to a m a n ’s n a tu ra l b ody a n d a n o th e r th in g to fu rn ish an artificial m em ber to replace a n in ju re d artificial m em ber dam aged b eyond repair, no personal or bodilv in ju ry to th e em ployee being involved. T h e form er liab ility is pro p er (C o u n ty of Los Angeles v . I. A. C., 202 Calif. 439); th e la tte r, fo r th e reasons above se t fo rth , can n o t be im posed und er th e p re se n t c o n stitu tio n a l provisions. Referring to the industrial commission’s contention that the legisla ture is vested with plenary power to create and enforce a complete system of workmen’s compensation, and the plea that to deny relief in this case would render the system of workmen’s compensation incomplete, the court said: T he fa c t is, how ever, t h a t th e w ord “ co m p lete” as used in th e provision in question, is fully defined as including only a com plete system for com pensating w orkm en for in ju ry su stain ed by th e m (not b y th e ir p ro p e rty ). In conclusion the court said that— W e believe t h a t th e above holding is in h arm o n y w ith th e p revailing ru le on th is su b ject. W e know of no ju risd ictio n w herein provision is m ad e to com pen sate w orkm en fo r in ju ries to artificial m em bers. In th e S ta te of C olorado (L ondon G u a ra n ty , etc., v . In d . C om ., 249 Pac. 642), th e issue w as d irectly p resen ted by a n a w ard to a cla im a n t fo r accid en tal in ju ry to his w ooden leg. B y th e follow ing brief b u t positive sta te m e n ts th e c o u rt m ad e quick disposition of th e case: “ C om pensation can be aw ard ed fo r p ersonal inju ries only * * * ” w hich m eans in ju ry to th e p erso n (citing n um erous cases). A w ooden leg is a m a n ’s p ro p erty , n o t p a rt of his person, a n d no com pensation can be aw ard ed for its injury. I t follows t h a t in a tte m p tin g to confer upo n th e com m ission a u th o rity to e n te rta in th is proceeding, said p h rase of section 3, subdivision 4, to w it, “ including injuries to artificial m em b ers,” is void as b ey o n d th e pow er of th e leg isla tu re to e n a c t it, alth o u g h its u n c o n stitu tio n a lity does n o t affect th e v alid ity of a n y of th e rem aining po rtio n s of th e a c t; th erefore, in so ta k in g ju risd ictio n over a n in ju ry to an artificial m em ber, th e com m ission exceeded its jud icial pow er as lim ite d by th e co n stitu tio n , a n d its aw ard in fa v o r of said resp o n d e n t m u st be a n d it is hereby annulled. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis W OKKM EN’S COMPENSATION 77 In the dissenting opinion three judges stated that it was the court’s duty to accept a legislative enactment if it can be brought within a possible meaning of the constitution, but that it is no small matter for one branch of the Government to annul the formal exercise by another and coordinate branch of the power committed to the latter. By the provisions of the State constitution plenary power is given to create and enforce the workmen’s compensation system fully and completely so as to cover both injury and disability, and for “ other remedial treatment” to cure and relieve from the effects of the injury. That a wooden leg is, therefore, an essential part of the body, could be construed as applying to other remedial treatment, as specified in the workmen’s compensation act. O p e r a tio n o f T u r p e n tin e B u s in e s s H eld N o t “ F a r m in g ” U n d er G eo rg ia C o m p e n s a tio n L aw HE Court of Appeals of Georgia in a recent decision (Pridgen v. Murphy, 160 S. E. 701) held that a person employed as a woods rider in the turpentine business was not a “ farm laborer” as that term is generally used in the compensation law, and was therefore covered under the Georgia workmen’s compensation act. The court held that this was true even though the person engaged in such business is sometimes referred to as running a “ turpentine farm” and the trees may be worked in groups described as “ crops.” The facts in the case for which the cause of action arose show that an employee engaged as a woods rider in a turpentine business was in jured while trying out or testing a horse which he was subsequently to use in the business. The Industrial Commission of Georgia made an award to the dependent of the deceased employee. Upon appeal to the State Superior Court of Colquitt County the award was set aside upon the grounds that a woods rider in a turpentine business was a “ farm laborer,” and therefore excluded from the Georgia com pensation act. The State court of appeals, to which court an appeal was taken by the dependent widow, at first agreed with the findings of the lower court, but later a rehearing was granted and the court said that— T A fter continued an d p ain sta k in g research a n d d eliberation, we h av e now reached a co n trary conclusion, an d will hold t h a t th e decedent w as n o t a farm laborer w ithin th e m eaning of th e sta tu te . M an y decisions a n d sta tu te s have been exam ined, b u t th is opinion will be lim ited to a discussion of th e very few au th o rities t h a t we deem to be d irectly in p oint. A Florida case (Griffith v. Hulin, 107 So. 354) which provided for a lien “ in favor of any person performing any labor in, or managing or overseeing, the cultivation or harvesting of crops” was cited as to be directly in point and authoritatively expressive of the principles involved. The court in that case held that— T he chipping, scoring, or streak in g of pine trees, b y w hich th e b a rk is to rn aw ay an d th e fiber of th e tre e exposed, so as to induce th e flow th erefro m of th e sap or crude tu rp en tin e, ra th e r th a n being a process of cu ltiv atio n , is a process d estru c tiv e in its n atu re, how ever beneficial in its re su lts to m a n k in d th e lesion th u s produced on th e tre e m ay be. T h ere is no tilling of th e g ro u n d or fertilizing of th e soil aro u n d th e tree, b u t a d e stru ctio n of a p o rtio n of th e tre e in o rd er to obtain th e an n u al flow of th e v aluable sap w hich n a tu re has alread y pro d u ced in its body. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 78 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW The Georgia Appeals Court was of the opinion that the expression in the Florida case was one of authority, “ since the turpentine busi ness is perhaps more common in the State of Florida than in any other part of the country.” There was no reason, therefore, the court said, for disagreeing with that decision and it would therefore follow the reasoning in the case “ as an authoritative expression as to the essential character of the turpentine business.” The court said: In principle, th e G riffith case answ ers in th e n eg ativ e th e q u estio n of w h eth er a person em ployed as a woods rid e r in a tu rp e n tin e business is a “ farm la b o re r” w ithin th e m eaning of th is language as used in th e co m pensation act. The court also referred to two Federal court cases (United States v. Waters-Pierce Oil Co. (C. C. A.), 196 Fed. 767, and Union Naval Stores Co. v. United States, 240 U. S. 284), which have held that the turpentine business is not “ agriculture.” The judgment of the lower court was therefore reversed. E c o n o m ic C o n d itio n s c a n n o t C h a n g e E m p lo y e e ’s C o m p e n s a tio n S ta tu s EMPLOYEE, receiving compensation for partial disability, who ceased work when the plant shut down, and on account of ANLeconomic conditions was unable to find other work, could not, accord ing to the Georgia Court of Appeals, recover compensation for “ total incapacity.” (General Accident Fire & Life Assurance Corp. et al. v. McDaniel, 160 S. E. 554.) The facts in the case show that the employee had a hernia and underwent an operation for its cure. Before he was able to return to work the hernia recurred and a second operation was not advised. He was awarded compensation for temporary total disability, and later when he secured selected employment for himself the award was changed to compensation for partial disability. He continued in this employment until April, 1930, when the plant shut down, and since that date has been unable to find work suitable to his impaired physical condition. He therefore applied for an increase in com pensation due to a change in conditions and the industrial commission allowed compensation for temporary total incapacity. The Superior Court, Chatham County, Ga., affirmed the award, but upon appeal to the Court of Appeals of Georgia the decision was reversed, “ there being no finding of fact by the commission that the claimant was unable to do any work, or that he was unable, by reason of his injury, to resume his former occupation, or that he was unable, by reason of his injury, to procure remunerative employment at a different occupa tion suitable to his impaired physical condition.” In denying a motion for rehearing, the court said: T he fa c t th a t a n em ployee m ay be p a rtia lly disabled, a n d th e re a fte r is able to find a n d does find re m u n erativ e em p lo y m en t su itab le to his im p aired physical condition, w hich he continues to perform u n til th e w ork itself is s h u t dow n, for reasons in nowise connected w ith his p revious in ju ry , a n d t h a t on a c co u n t of econom ic or o th e r conditions he is u n ab le to find o th e r w ork su itab le to his im paired physical condition, does n o t au th o rize a finding th a t th e original in ju ry rendered him to ta lly in c a p a c ita te d to perform p hysical labor. * * * T he in ju re d em ployee, a fte r successfully w orking a t o th e r a n d dif feren t em ploym en t su itab le to his im p aired physical condition, becam e idle on https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis W ORKM EN’S COMPENSATION 79 account of economic or o th e r causes entirely disconnected w ith his injuries, an d we therefore th in k t h a t th e only com pensation he is en title d to u n d er th e findings of fa c t as m ade by th e com m ission is th e com pensation originally allow ed as com pensation for his p a rtia l im p airm en t. D e a th b y L ig h tn in g H eld C o m p e n s a b le in O k la h o m a EATH by lightning constitutes an “ accidental injury” arising out of and in the course of the employment, if the nature of the employment exposes the workman to risk of such injury, according to the rule laid down by the Supreme Court of Oklahoma in the case of Consolidated Pipe Line Co. v. Mahon (3 Pac. (2d) 844). Mahon was employed by the Consolidated Pipe Line Co., engaged in taking up a pipe line some 8 miles north of Wewoka, Olda. Shortly before noon a rainstorm came up, and Mahon, together with some of his associates, took refuge in an old, dilapidated frame house which had no doors or windows. Mahon was struck by lightning while in the house, resulting in an injury for which compensation was awarded him by the State industrial commission. A petition was later filed in the Supreme Court of Oklahoma to review the award of the industrial commission. The principal ques tion involved was whether the injury sustained by Mahon by reason of the lightning stroke “ arose out of his employment.” The court reviewed the facts and cited a number of cases on the subject, some of which allowed compensation and others held such an accident did not arise out of the employment. The general rule laid down by the court as the test was whether the causative danger was peculiar to the work or common to the neighborhood. Under the facts and circumstances of this case the court held the causative danger was peculiar to the work. The court said: D W ould it be contended th a t his em ploym ent in rem oving a pipe line w ould n o t necessarily accen tu ate th e n a tu ra l h a zard from lightning? If th e claim an t was exposed to in ju ry from ligh tn in g by reason of his em ploym ent, som ething m ore th a n others in th e sam e locality are exposed, if his em plo y m en t necessarily accen tu a te d th e n a tu ra l h aza rd from lightning, a n d th e accid en t w as n a tu ra l to th e em ploym ent, th o u g h unexpected or unusual, th e n a finding is su stain ed t h a t th e accident from lightning w as one “ arising o u t of th e em p lo y m en t.” The court also said that obtaining shelter was not only necessary to the preservation of his health, but was incident to his work and was an act promoting the business of his master, for the master would have been liable for medical expenses had Mahon remained at work and become ill from the exposure to the elements. In holding that the employment exposed Mahon more than the public in general, the court said: W e th in k it is a m a tte r of com m on know ledge th a t, w hen a sudden a n d unex pected rain sto rm occurs in th e locality or neighborhood 8 m iles n o rth of W ewoka, th e persons living an d labo rin g in t h a t locality, in seeking refuge from such a storm , are n o t required to e n te r a n old, d ilap id ated house w ith o u t w indow s or doors w hich no one has occupied fo r q u ite aw hile, b u t, on th e c o n trary , such persons m ay un d er such circum stances seek sh elter in houses w ith doors a n d w indow s a n d con stru c te d so as to m inim ize d an g er from th e elem ents. I t is generally know n t h a t a n old house in th e condition of th e one in w hich M ahon so u g h t sh elter is m uch m ore liable to be stru ck b y ligh tn in g or blow n dow n b y th e w ind th a n th e av erage house in th e sam e locality w hich is h ab ita b le a n d in h ab ited . So we th in k th e S ta te in d u strial com m ission was justified in holding th a t th e em plo y m en t of M ahon exposed him m ore to th e elem ents th a n th e public generally in th e neighborhood are so exposed. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis WORKERS’ EDUCATION AND TRAINING V o c a tio n a l G u id a n c e R e c o m m e n d a tio n s o f W h ite H o u se C o n fe r e n c e o n C h ild H e a lth a n d P r o te c tio n HE subject of vocational guidance was taken up by the White House Conference on Child Health and Protection, held in Washington, D. C., November 19-22, 1930, through its committee on vocational guidance and child labor, of which Anne S. Davis, director, vocational guidance bureau, Chicago Board of Education, was chair man. The vocational-guidance section of this committee, of which Edith Campbell, director of the vocation bureau of the Cincinnati public schools, was chairman, was divided into four subcommittees: (1) Subcommittee on study of the individual; counseling; scholar ships; and curriculum: work in educational and vocational guidance (Edith Campbell, chairman); (2) subcommittee on individualized opportunities for training for an occupation (Dr. Edwin A. Lee, director division of vocational education, University of California, chairman); (3) subcommittee on occupational studies and placement (Dr. Mary Holmes Stevens Hayes, director vocational service for juniors, chairman); and (4) subcommittee on special problems (Dr. W. Carson Ryan, jr., Director of Education, Office of Indian Affairs, United States Department of the Interior, chairman). Following are the recommendations of this section of the committee.1 Its detailed report, which, under the title “ Vocational Guidance,” is to be a part of the complete reports of the White House conference, is now in the hands of the printer, and is scheduled for publication in February, 1932. T R e c o m m e n d a tio n s o f V o c a tio n a l G u id a n c e C o m m itte e Organizing the Educational Program for Guidance A m o d ern vocational guidance program should include— 1. Careful study of the individual, through mental and other tests, and adequate records. 2. A counseling service, staffed by qualified vocational counselors. 3. A curriculum provision in which vocational and educational guidance is emphasized. 4. Adequate opportunities for vocational training, including try-out courses. 5. Publication and distribution of suitable occupational and educational pamphlets. 6. Placement machinery for obtaining positions and supervising employment for young workers. 7. Scholarships and similar aids for retaining boys and girls in school. 8. Cooperation with other agencies in vocational guidance. i A s u m m a ry of th e se reco m m en d a tio n s w as p u b lish e d in th e J u ly , 1931, issue of th e M o n th ly L a b o r R eview . 80 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis W O RK ERS' EDUCATION' AND TRAINING 81 Study of the Individual 1. F or purposes of vocational guidance, knowledge of both the past and present experience and accomplishments of an individual is necessary, and to this end cumulative reports which provide a running record of an individual’s progress through school and into industrial or higher educational institutions should be installed in every school system which attempts a vocational-guidance program. It is felt that such records have value not only for the guidance of the child, but are of great assistance to the teacher or other supervisor in his dealings with the child. It is further felt that such records should not be attempted unless use is to be made of them. . 2. Information obtained from the study of the individual should so far as possible be expressed in terms of uniform and objective measures which are understandable when the pupil moves from one educational or industrial institution to another. 3. The use of psychological tests, as a measure of both mental capacity and educational achievement, is one of the most valuable instruments for educational and vocational guidance. They consti tute, however, only one factor in the study of the individual. 4. For assistance in the giving of vocational-guidance there is need for the further development of objective tests of personality characteristics. 5. The giving of psychological tests and other measures of per sonality and accomplishment should, where the size of the school system permits, be a function of a centralized bureau under the leadership of a trained psychologist; and an adequate staff of psycho logical assistants should be attached thereto and charged with the responsibility of supervising all the testing done by teachers or other school officials in that they should approve the material used, select the persons assigned to such work, and examine and assist in interpreting the results obtained. 6. The giving of psychological tests by untrained persons without this supervision should be discouraged. Counseling 1. C ounseling procedures should be established in ail school system s, in order to reduce th e h um an and financial losses th a t result from failure of individual children to ad ju st to th e school curriculum , and also to assist pupils to m ake th e educational ad justm ents which will equip them for a vocation in harm ony w ith th eir abilities and interests. 2. Counseling should be made available to all pupils in those grades in elementary and secondary schools where educational choices and vocational information are important; it should include pupils of varying abilities and ambitions, from the most gifted to the most retarded child, and both the adjusted and the maladjusted pupils. 3. The counselor, if not allowed full time for counseling and related activities, should be given the necessary freedom from subject teaching and other duties necessary to conduct an effective counseling program. The pupil-load should be limited to that number which makes possible well-organized counseling plans and thorough procedures. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 82 MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW 4. The counselors’ functions should emphasize—• . (a) Individual counseling and individual case study, which recog nize individual differences and needs, and are supplemented where necessary by group counseling. This counseling should involve the closest cooperation with the various school departments, with parents, and with the social agencies of the community. (b) Fundamental rather than superficial problems, utilizing the services of other specialists where necessary. (fi) Broad and flexible plans which will grow to meet the pupil’s needs in later years. (d) Assisting the child to find, develop, and carry a program that shall reflect his own choice and his own method of thinking. 5. Adequate supervision and methods for coordinating the activities of counselors within à community and for improving technics should be established. 6. An effort should be made to standardize the terms relating to counseling and thus make possible a more satisfactory method of studying and comparing procedures in various school systems. /. Counselors should be chosen because of their special personal qualifications, experience, and training, which should include—• (u) College training in the fields of economics, education, psy chology, sociology, and vocational guidance. (p) Practical experience in business or industry, personnel work, social case work, and industrial or social research, as well as teaching. Scholarships 1. P rovision should be m ade in every com m unity for th e giving of scholarships to children who, through necessity, would have to leave school for w ork as soon as th e child labor law perm its. 2. At the present time scholarships can be most effectively admin istered by a private or semipublic office working in close connection with the vocational-guidance bureau and the local board of education. 3. Scholarships might best be administered by a central office to insure against waste and inefficiency in the dispensing of funds by small offices or individual schools of uneven standards. 4. Scholarship work should be directed by one who has an under standing of educational theory and practice, of industrial situations, and of social case work theory and technic. 5. The investigation and supervision of scholarship cases should be based on accepted case-work principles and approved case-work methods, and each case should be treated as an individual matter. The study of each individual should include not only a study of thè social and school situations but a physical and psychological examina tion of the child. Supervision should include study and treatment of social interrelations, health, and recreational and vocational adjust ments. 6. The amount of scholarship grant should be determined on the basis of the accepted minimum budget used by the social agencies in the community._ Children whose families maintain a standard of living slightly higher than that allowed by the accepted minimum budget should be considered, if indications are that the child is being forced to go to work. 7. Follow-up work should be a definite part of a scholarship program. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis WORKERS’ EDUCATION AND TRAINING 83 Curriculum: Work in Educational and Vocational Guidance 1 . As A m easure ac tu a ted by child protection and welfare, curric ulum stu d y of occupational inform ation is required. 2. Classes for such a study should be carefully organized, with approved textbooks and methods, and should be placed at strategic points where educational and vocational decisions are about to be made. 3. Such classes should have less emphasis placed on the learning of facts than on teaching pupils methods of occupational analysis and self-analysis that may develop in them the confirmed habit of analyz ing occupational problems as they arise in their lives. 4. Such classes should also aim to equip pupils with vocational enlightenment usable for solving the larger economic and social prob lems connected with occupational life. 5. Guidance for success in the educational career is likewise re quired—learning how to study, information on opportunities ahead, guidance on choice of studies, curriculum, school, and college. 6. Preview courses are needed for the purpose of enabling the pupil to sample the various studies and to try out his interests and abilities. 7. Try-out courses in occupational samplings are needed for the discovery of ability and interest leading to choice of vocation and vocational preparation. These courses should provide for each pupil the opportunity to explore elementary exercises in the tools, materials, and processes of agriculture, industry, business, and home making, and contacts with professional callings should be provided. 8. Clubs, student government, and student activities generally should be utilized for the discovery and exploration of abilities. 9. Studies of local opportunities and specialties in occupations should be made and published; such studies should be coordinated and collated by a central agency like the National Vocational Guid ance^ Association or the U. S. Children’s Bureau, in order to avoid duplication and to make material available for smaller communities. 10. Those who teach curriculum work in guidance, whether teachers or counselors, should have had special preparation for the work and should possess experience in occupations other than teaching. 11. Curriculum work in guidance should be adequately sponsored and supervised, and should be coordinated with other features of the guidance program, such as counseling, testing, placement, and follow-up. Occupational Studies O ccupational studies are a necessary tool of vocational guidance and serve th e following p u rp o ses: A. To give information to young people regarding the duties, conditions of work, and the preparation necessary for the occupations which they eventually may enter. B. To provide a background of adequate industrial knowledge for vocational counselors, placement workers, teachers of occupations, and all others who serve in an advisory capacity to young people. Occupational studies are of varying value, according to the stan dards which have been employed in their preparation. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 84 MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW The committee therefore makes the following recommendations: 1. Occupational research should be made a part of every vocationalguidance program. 2. Occupational studies should be general in so far as the informa tion is nationally applicable, and specific in regard to the local com munity where, presumably, the majority of young workers will find occupation. 3. The preparation of these studies should be carefully controlled and criticized in order that the result may present a picture of the occupation which shall be accurate, adequate, unprejudiced, and comprehensible to the group for whom it is intended. 4. The direction and final editing of such studies should be in the hands of persons trained in the methods of industrial research, but, because of the educational value contained therein, all counselors, placement workers, social-studies teachers, and others who have occasion to advise with the child in relation to his occupational and educational plans, should be given some practical first-hand experience in the preparation of such studies. 5. A national clearing house for occupational information might well be established in order to— A. Avoid duplication. B. Set up adequate standards for the preparation of such studies. C. Bring out the national similarities and local differences inherent in a given occupation. D. Provide assistance and stimulus for new groups to develop such studies. 6. Occupational studies should be prepared from the educational viewpoint and with the hope that the results of such studies may have an influence on curriculum planning, in that instruction may be more closely related to the problems of the community. Individualized Opportunities for Training Needs and Recommendations T h e m o s t p re ssin g p ro b le m of v o c a tio n a l e d u c a tio n is reco g n itio n of th e u n iv e rsa l n e e d of all bo y s a n d girls fo r v o c a tio n a l p re p a ra tio n . Acknowledgment that this need is as urgent for those who occupy minor positions and render humble service as for those who direct or control large enterprises or serve in high places is the next step in the development of adequate vocational education for all young people. Every individual needs preparation for his vocation as a means of service, a method of exercising his creative abilities, a way of sharing responsibility, and a means of securing income for himself and de pendents. Work, a place of one’s own, is a badge of citizenship and service to the State. The committee recommends that the public or society as a whole assume the responsibility for seeing that adequate vocational preparation is provided for all young people and that society’s established agency—the public-school system—be given the leadership in discharging this obligation. Scope of vocational training.—'The need for vocational preparation exists in every community. It is to be expected, therefore, that provisions will be made in all school systems for this essential feature pf preparation for living. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis WORKERS’ EDUCATION AND TRAINING 85 In assuming the leadership in vocational education it is necessary that administrators of public education take into account the fact that some vocational preparation can best be given in the school before employment begins, some partly in school and partly _in employment, some wholly in employment, and that plans will provide for training suited to the individual’s needs and the occupation he expects to enter. Vocational education is interpreted to include the adjustment of the worker to the social and economic conditions surrounding the occupation for which preparation is provided, as well as the acquisition of manipulative skills and technical knowledge required in the occupation. Plans for vocational education should take into account such important matters as— A. The growing mechanization of processes long established in industrial lines of work and now rapidly invading business and pro fessional occupations as it affects the manner in which work is to be done as well as product to be made or service rendered. B. The effects of new inventions and discoveries on established occupations and on the development of new occupations. C. The changes in legislation delaying entrance to employment and lengthening the period of compulsory school attendance arid the obli gations for a type of education which will compensate for the deferred wage earning which many young people keenly desire. D. The relationship of employers and of labor organizations to the problem of preparation for entrance into occupations and satisfactory pursuit of them after employment begins. E. The demand for labor in the occupations for which the schools are offering vocational courses so as to guard against overcrowding occupations for which a full supply of workers is available. Provisions jor pupils’ needs.—Recognition of individual differences already well established in general education should be made a basic principle in plans for vocational instruction by providing for— A. All levels of ability and, within the group usually designated as average, provisions to be made for at least three levels, viz, low aver age, middle average, and high average. B. Different types of aptitudes and varying vocational interests. C. Maintenance of health standards in occupational activities and attention to such matters as stature, physical development, eyesight, etc., which often affect employment. . . . D. Due consideration of the many occupations from which indi viduals of given aptitudes and abilities may select and for which they may be trained either in the school or in the place of employment. Adequate vocational guidance should be given^ before vocational preparation begins in order that waste involved in preparation for occupations unsuited to individual capacities and needs may be avoided. . Plans for vocational preparation should include adequate provision for experiences closely comparable to those which the individual will have as an employed worker or actual experience in the occupation under supervision. . Proper follow up after employment is essential m order that the young person may obtain the best training possible from his working https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 86 MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW environment and from evening classes and correspondence courses in which he continues his education after entering full-time employment. In training young people for and directing them into occupations for which they are best suited, teachers and counselors should encour age them to assume their responsibilities with a sense of pride in the mastery of skills to be used and the service to be rendered in order that they may be assured of their rightful heritage of joy in work and pride in good workmanship. Extension of courses.—Agricultural courses should be extended for boys and girls in rural areas who expect to enter agricultural pursuits; and adequate vocational information and training also, when possible, should be provided for those who are interested in and ultimately enter types of work not connected with farm life. Attention should be given to the occupational and social needs of the young people entering the highly mechanized occupations in the indus tries, by additional education and vocational preparation which will assist them to advance when they find themselves in types of work that do not provide for advancement in occupational status or give security in earning power. Instruction in the responsibilities of the home should be included in the vocational training of boys and girls as preparation for the impor tant vocation of adult life and a contribution to citizenship. Courses in commercial subjects, industrial subjects, agricultural subjects, and home-making subjects now established in the public schools should be definitely differentiated as to general-education aims and vocational-preparation aims, in order that parents and their children may know the results that should accrue from courses planned specifically for vocational preparation and those intended to supple ment the general-education courses. Women and girls are entering wage-earning occupations in increas ing numbers and finding employment in many more occupations than in former years. More adequate provision should be made in the schools for vocational courses which will fit them for the many wage earning callings in which they render substantial economic service. Wherever possible and practicable, apprenticeship for boys entering the skilled trades should be organized, and adequate w o rk in g relation ships between apprentices, employers, and the schools maintained for the purpose of encouraging the spirit of craftsmanship among young workers and retaining skilled trades for which there is demand. Additional types of schools.—It is taken for granted that the types of vocational education already provided in the colleges, technical schools, high schools, and vocational schools will be enlarged and strengthened as study of the problems of vocational education points the way to improvement and that the vocational offerings in these schools will be materially extended as time goes on. There is need, apparently, for more flexible secondary curriculums and more generous recogni tion of the educative values to be obtained from vocational studies and working experience if these schools are to provide any appreciable amount of vocational preparation for their pupils. There is urgent need for schools for slow and retarded children not completing a secondary-school course. The absence of training which will prepare these young people for the simple types of work in which they will ultimately find employment and safeguard them https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis WORKERS’ EDUCATION AND TRAINING 87 from exploitation, dependency, or delinquency is a dark spot in the program at the present time. Schools for these children should forego the eighth-grade entrance requirement and provide many types of occupational activities in the schools. The more able of these pupils, even though one to two years over age, may be promoted to a trade or technical school if they qualify. Others should be coached^ for the types of work they can do and placed in occupations in which they can render acceptable service. A suitable organization for the continuation schools, to take the place of the traditional organization to which many continuation schools have resorted, is greatly needed. Instruction should take into account the vocational responsibilities and aspirations of the pupils and definitely aim to make the continuation schools serve the imme diate needs of the young workers who attend them and establish relations. Evening schools are patronized increasingly by young men and women seeking advancement in their vocations and additional general education. Provisions should be made for articulating instruction in the day vocational and continuation schools with the courses offered in the evening schools, in order that young people may continue their studies without interruption, when they so desire. Attention should be given to adult education, for the contributions which the increased earnings of the breadwinner and greater efficiency of the home maker make to child health and protection. State and Federal aid for vocational schools throughout the States has done much to increase the number of vocational schools, extend the scope of their work, and improve the quality of vocational instruc tion. During the early years the larger cities having a vocational program and smaller communities ready to undertake such a pro gram, but lacking adequate funds, were immediately benefited by this financial aid. These funds should increasingly serve the more remote and scattered communities and individual pupils when necessary, and thus equalize the opportunities for vocational preparation. Administration 'problems.—An organization and administration of public education which sees vocational education in proper perspec tive and provides for all phases of it without prejudice should be established in each community. Provisions should be made for research in all types of vocational education. Communities which are evidencing high accomplishment in vocational education are continually surveying the occupations, discovering vocational needs and requirements, analyzing specific fields of occupational endeavor, interpreting trends of growth and deterioration, and anticipating new occupations in order that the vocational training offered may be as nearly consonant with facts and tendencies as possible. A more adequate program for the selection and professional training of those who teach and administer vocational education is needed. Since real accomplishment in all levels of vocational education rests largely upon the quality of the instruction, the States should improve their training programs so as to insure a vocational staff fully qualified by richness of personality, breadth of experience, and completeness of professional preparation. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW Supervisors for each of the four types of vocational education— agricultural, commercial, home making, industrial—should be pro vided in the States in order to develop adequately the training offered in each field and continue the work of making vocational preparation available to young people in remote areas. The contributions of nonpublic agencies as philanthropic schools, corporation schools, correspondence schools, and certain private commercial and trade schools to the solution of the problem of voca tional education should be recognized and utilized when they can best serve the needs of young people. State supervision of nonpublic vocational schools should be pro vided in order to prevent exploitation of youth by unscrupulous private vocational schools and to protect schools which are perform ing a real service to vocational education. Placement Recommendations 1. M ore a d e q u a te facilities sh o u ld be p ro v id e d for free ju n io r p la c e m e n t. A. Provision should be made for separate and distinct junior placement departments under the public schools or labor depart ments in all communities where there is need. B. Junior employment departments should be provided with pri vate offices for interviewing applicants. Where this is impossible, separate waiting halls should be provided for juniors, and special placement workers should be assigned to junior placement. #C. Such bureaus should be adequately staffed, definite space pro vided, and definite hours kept. 2. Junior placement offices should place the interest and welfare of the children before all other interests. A. They should aim not merely to fill jobs, but to place young people in suitable^ positions, with intelligent appreciation of opportu nities ahead, taking into account so far as possible their abilities, education, and physical condition. Psychological tests may often be used to advantage. B. They should aim to encourage boys and girls to remain in school and to encourage further education if they must work. Avail able scholarship funds should be made use of where necessary. C. They should interview applicants every time they apply. D. They should refer junior applicants only to those places of em ployment which have first been investigated. E. They should follow up and supervise boys and girls whom they place, giving them the benefit of advice when needed. F. They should serve all young-people regardless of race or creed. G. Special provision should be made for the placement of men tally, physically, or socially handicapped applicants by those familiar with their special problems in cases where this handicap is so marked that it can not be handled through normal employment channels. 3. Junior employment agencies should use all available community resources for their more complete service to boys and girls. A. There should be the closest cooperation with the schools, especially in the use of school reports, including reports on scholarship, https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis WORKERS’ EDUCATION AND TRAINING 89 home conditions, birth and health records, and information from the employment-certification office. B. Social agencies of all types should be used by the junior place ment office for the best possible adjustment of the boy or girl, includ ing the use of the social-service exchange. 4. Adequate records should be kept by all junior employment bureaus. A. The information secured should conform to certain minimum and uniform standards drawn up by public bureaus in cooperation with national organizations or State and Federal departments. B. Every interview should be recorded on the individual record of the applicant and a report be kept of the data secured from each industrial investigation. C. Report information should be collected, at monthly intervals, to include, as a minimum, record of applicants served, number of applications, positions available, persons placed, and total placements made. D . Provision should be made for centralized comparable employ ment information in a community through such devices as uniform monthly reporting, the clearance of labor calls, an information service regarding employment facilities, and a central file of industrial investi gations. 5. Junior placement should be done only by those specifically en gaged for this work, and training requirements should include at least a high-school education, though a college education is more desirable, with special training in economics, sociology, and case work. It is desirable that at least one member of the staff shall have had training in the fundamentals of statistics. It is essential that the placement worker be familiar with labor and education laws and have a knowledge of industrial conditions and opportunities in various fields of work, through visits to industrial and business establishments. Other Vocational Guidance Agencies T h e v o c a tio n a l-g u id a n ce p ro g ra m in a c o m m u n ity should involve ev ery e ffo rt to c o o p erate w ith ex istin g n o n p u b lic o rg an izatio n s in te r e ste d in guid an ce. In order to further this cooperation, private organizations working in the field of guidance should keep informed of modern developments and modify their program of vocational guidance as need arises. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES S tr ik e s a n d L o c k o u ts in t h e U n ite d S ta te s in N o v em b er, 1931 ATA regarding industrial disputes in the United States for November, 1931, with comparable data for preceding months are presented below. Disputes involving fewer than six workers and lasting less than one day have been omitted. Table 1 shows the number of disputes beginning in 1927, 1928, 1929, and 1930, the number of workers involved and man-days lost for these years and for each of the months, January, 1930, to Novem ber, 1931, inclusive, as well as the number of disputes in effect at the end of each month and the number of workers involved. The num ber of man-days lost, as given in the last column of the table, refers to the estimated number of working days lost by workers involved in disputes which were in progress during the month or year specified. D T a b l e 1 .—I N D U S T R I A L D I S P U T E S B E G I N N I N G I N A N D I N E F F E C T A T E N D O F E A C H M O N T H , J A N U A R Y , 1930, T O N O V E M B E R , 1931, A N D T O T A L N U M B E R O F D I S P U T E S W O R K E R S , A N D M A N -D A Y S L O S T I N T H E Y E A R S 1927 T O 1930 N u m b e r of d isp u te s M o n th a n d year B eginning in m o n th or year 1927: 1928: 1929: 1930: T o t a l_______________________________ T o t a l______________________________ T o ta l_______________________________ T o ta l_______________________________ I n effect a t end of m o n th 734 629 903 653 N u m b e r of w o rk ers in N u m b e r of v o lv ed in d isp u te s m a n -d ay s lo st in d isp u te s B eg in n in g I n effect ex istin g in m o n th a t en d of in m o n th or y ea r m o n th or y ear 349, 434 357,145 230,463 158,114 2, 730,368 1930 J a n u a r y -------— - - - - - - - - .. _ F e b ru a ry _____ - - - ------------- . . ------M a rc h ____ ______ ____ ____ ____ A p ril-- - - - - M a y - - ___ _______ -- ------- - ___ •lune____________ _ ---------- ------------------J u ly ---------------------------------------------------------A u g u st - ----------- --- -------- ____ S ep te m b er----- ----------------------O c t o b e r ----- ----------N o v em b e r - -- - - - - -- - - - ---------------D ecem b er..................... .................................... .. 45 52 49 64 66 59 78 51 72 47 44 26 21 40 38 41 29 34 30 33 44 36 29 7 9, 240 37,480 15,017 6,379 9, 329 14, 011 14, 308 15,902 16, 337 10,858 4,390 4,863 5,316 6,683 5,957 5,840 4, 386 8,311 4,815 7,131 13, 778 16, 007 7, 759 5,144 184, 730 438,570 291,127 189,828 185,448 144,117 141,647 142, 738 208,184 335,916 273, 608 194,455 56 52 45 60 106 8L 67 76 110 65 42 20 34 27 39 49 51 54 43 59 43 46 10,147 19,984 26,121 26, 442 27, 588 18, 437 49, 574 10,977 35,859 34, 376 13, 475 2,927 12, 512 28,139 22,604 15, 735 17,071 58,995 17,003 37,164 30, 075 16, 295 181, 031 228,329 422,545 769,720 402,437 506,097 666, 309 1, 213,120 491,024 1,041,917 393,884 1931 J a n u a r y ------------------------- ---------------- - F e b ru a ry -------------------- ---------------------------M arch _ -----------A p ril--- _ - - - - - - - - - M a y ------- -------------- --------------------------------J u n e ___ _ -_ ------------- - _____ J u ly ______________________________________ A u g u s t . , ---------- -_ . - - ______ _ ___ S ep te m b er -_ - _______ ___ . O ctober 1 - - . N o v e m b e r 1____ __________________ , i P re lim in a ry figures s u b je c t to change. 90 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES 91 Occurrence of Industrial Disputes, by Industries T a b l e 2 gives, by industry, the number of strikes beginning in September, October, and November, 1931, and the number of work ers directly involved. T a b l e 2 .—I N D U S T R I A L D I S P U T E S B E G I N N I N G I N S E P T E M B E R , O C T O B E R , A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931 N u m b e r of d is p u te s begin n in g N u m b e r of w o rk ers in v o lv e d in d isp u te s b e g in n in g in —■ S ep te m b er S ep te m b er O cto b er 1,009 6 535 839 840 1,519 725 180 416 122 1,596 In d u s tria l group B a k e rs__________________________________ B a r b e rs ._______ ________________ _____ B ro o m a n d b ru s h w o rk ers_______________ B u ild in g tra d e s _________________________ C h au ffeu rs a n d te a m s te rs __________ ____ C lo th in g ________________________________ F o o d w o rk ers___________ ______ ________ F u r n itu r e _______________________________ G lass w o rk e rs .____ _____________________ H o te l a n d r e s ta u ra n t w o rk e rs ___________ J e w e lry w o rk ers________________________ L e a th e r ___________________________ _____ L o n g sh o rem en a n d freig h t h a n d le rs _____ L u m b e r, tim b e r, a n d m illw o rk __________ M e ta l tra d e s ______ ____ _________ ______ M in e rs ________ _________________________ M o tio n -p ic tu re o p erato rs, ac to rs, a n d th e a tric a l w o rk ers________________________ P a p e r a n d p a p e r goods w o rk ers__________ P r in tin g a n d p u b lish in g _________________ S te a m b o a tm e n ____________________ ______ S to n e ___________________________________ T e le g ra p h a n d te lep h o n e w o rk e rs________ T e x tiles_________________________________ T o b a cco __________ _____ ________________ O th e r o cc u p atio n s_____ ______ ___________ T o ta l. O ctober N ovem b er N ovem b er 22 60 305 150 146 785 22,030 20 1,025 8 26 5,712 50 35 1,612 356 1 1,382 25 356 21 2,654 6 14 50 42 200 26 6, 610 2 23,122 40 746 8, 062 34,376 13,475 105 110 42 35,859 Size and Duration of Industrial Disputes, by Industries T a b l e 3 gives the number of industrial disputes beginning in No vember, 1931, classified by number of workers and by industries. T a ble 3 .—N U M B E R O P I N D U S T R I A L D I S P U T E S B E G I N N I N G I N N O V E M B E R 1931 C L A S S IF IE D B Y N U M B E R O F W O R K E R S A N D B Y IN D U S T R IA L G R O U P S ’ ’ N u m b e r of d is p u te s b eg in n in g in N o v e m b e r, 1931, in v o lv in g — In d u s tria l g ro u p B ak ers . ________________________________ B a rb e rs _________ ____ _ __________ . . . B u ild in g tr a d e s __________________________ C h au ffeu rs a n d te a m ste rs . . . . . . ______ C l o t h i n g . _____ _______ _____ ______ F u r n itu r e ___ ______ ________ G lass w o rk ers . . . . . . . . . . _________ H o te l a n d r e s ta u ra n t w o rk e rs ____________ L u m b e r, tim b e r, a n d m ill w o rk ____ M e ta l tra d e s ______ . __________ . M in e r s .. ______ ________ M o tio n -p ic tu re o p e ra to rs, a c to rs , a n d th e a tric a l w o rk ers. .. ... _ T e le g ra p h a n d te le p h o n e w o rk ers ______ T e x tile s________ ______________ T o b a cco _______________________ _____ T o ta l _________________ ____ 91909°—32----- 7 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 6 an d 20 a n d 100 an d u n d e r 20 u n d e r 100 u n d e r 500 w orkers w orkers w orkers 500 a n d under 1,000 w o rk ers 1,000 a n d 5,000 a n d under under 5,000 10,000 w o rk ers w o rk ers 1 1 5 1 6 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 3 2 1 1 1 1 9 19 3 i 1 9 3 2 1 92 MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW In Table 4 are shown the number of industrial disputes ending in November, 1931, by industries and classified duration. T a b l e 4 —N U M B E R O F I N D U S T R I A L D I S P U T E S E N D I N G I N N O V E M B E R , 1931, B Y I N D U S T R I A L G R O U P S A N D C L A S S IF IE D D U R A T I O N Classified d u ra tio n of strik e s en d in g in N o v em b e r, 1931 In d u s tria l gro u p B akers _______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________ _ B arb e rs __ _ ______ . ___ _ ______ B u ild in g tra d e s _______________________________ C lo th in g . ______ _ ________ ______________ F o o d w orkers_ . ______ _______ _ ... H o te l a n d re s ta u ra n t w o rk ers ____________ _ L u m b e r, tim b e r, a n d m illw o rk ___________ _ _ M e ta l tra d e s ___ - . . . . . . . ________________ M in ers - ____ ____________ . . . . . _____ _ M o tio n -p ic tu re o p erato rs, ac to rs, a n d th e a tric a l w o rk ers___ . . ______ P a p e r a n d p a p e r goods w o rk e rs____ ____ P rin tin g a n d p u b lis h in g . _ _____ ... T e leg rap h a n d te le p h o n e w orkers . _______ _ T e x tile s_______________ . ........... T o b a cco _______________ . . . _ . . . ___ . T o ta l_____ . . _ O ne-half m o n th or less O ver oneh alf an d less th a n 1 m o n th 1 1 5 4 1 2 1 1 m o n th a n d less th a n 2 m o n th s 2 m o n th s a n d less th a n 3 m o n th s 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 m o n th s a n d less th a n 4 m o n th s 3 1 1 1 1 5 1 1 1 9 24 4 1 1 C o n c ilia tio n W ork o f t h e D e p a r tm e n t o f L abor in N o v em b er, 1931 B y H u g h L . K e r w i n , D ir e c t o r of C o n c il ia t io n HE Secretary of Labor, through the Conciliation Service, exer cised his good offices in connection with 55 labor disputes during November, 1931. These disputes affected a known total of 34,679 employees. The table following shows the name and location of the establishment or industry in which the dispute occurred, the nature of the dispute (whether strike or lockout or controversy not having reached the strike or lockout stage), the craft or trade concerned, the cause of the dispute, its present status, the terms of settlement, the date of beginning and ending, and the number of workers directly and indirectly involved. On December 1, 1931, there were 40 strikes before the department for settlement and in addition 33 controversies which had not reached the strike stage. The total number of cases pending was 73. T https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis L A B O R D I S P U T E S H A N D L E D B Y T H E C O N C I L I A T I O N S E R V I C E D U R I N G T H E M O N T H O F N O V E M B E R , 1931 W o rk ers in v o lv ed D u ra tio n C o m p a n y or in d u s try an d location E rie E le c tric Sales & Service C o., E rie , P a . N a tu re of co n tro v ersy S trik e ______ C ra ftsm e n concerned L a b o rers a n d electricia n s. __ d o ______ A ll A m erica C ables (In c .), N e w Y o rk C ity . Post-office b u ild in g , M illersb u rg , C o n tro v e rsy . O hio. Post-office b u ild in g , M ilford, ____ d o ______ C onn. B rass B ros. & F e in ro th Shoe C o., S trik e ______ N e w Y o rk C ity . B leyco P a p e r C o., N e w Y o rk ____ d o ______ C ity . • C ab le o p e r a to rs .. A lleged v io latio n of w o rk in g cond itio n s b y c o n tra c to r o n p u m p in g statio n . W age c u t . _ ___ _ A sk ed 25 p e r ce n t increase, 40-hour w eek a n d u n io n reco g n itio n . W ages an d d iscussion of n e w agreem e n t, in c lu d in g w age c u t. N o n u n io n w o rk ers e m p lo y e d .. . W ages, h o u rs, a n d d ischarge of 125 m en. S hop co n d itio n s a n d reco g n itio n of L e a th e r W o rk ers I n te rn a tio n a l U nion. W ages c u t 10 p e r cent; refu sal to m e et co m m ittee of op erato rs. D iscu ssio n of p rev ailin g w ag e------- B ric k lay ers and m asons. S h eet-m etal w orkers; Ju ris d ic tio n of m e ta l w o rk a n d preroofers. v ailin g w age discussion. Shoe a n d le a th e r A sk ed re e m p lo y m e n t of d isch arg ed w orkers. w orkers. P a p e r w o rk ers ___ A sk ed re e m p lo y m e n t of 2 girls an d reco g n itio n of P . W . I. L . K in g s to n S lip p e r S hop, N ew ____ d o ______ S lip p e r w o rk e rs .. ._ A sk ed g u a ra n ty a g a in st fu tu re Y o rk C ity . w age cu ts. __ d o ___ __do____ do_ _________________________ R e s tfu l S lip p e r Co. (In c .), N ew Y o rk C ity . H o siery w orkers W o rk in g co n d itio n s; w ages . B r illia n t S ilk H o siery Co., do B loom field, N . J . P rev ailin g w age d iscu ssio n . M a rc h F ie ld , R iv e rsid e, C alif___ C o n tro v e rsy . E lectrical w orkers H a p p y H o llo w a n d B lock R idge m in es, D es M oines, Iow a. 1 N o t re p o rte d . https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis S t r i k e ____ M in ers ___________ W age scale a n d u n io n re c o g n itio n . P re s e n t s ta tu s a n d te rm s of S ettlem en t A d ju s te d . A greed to e m p lo y all u n io n m en U nclassified. N o n u n io n w o rk ers em p lo y ed . A d ju s te d . S trik e called off, n o ch an g e in c o n d itio n s. A d ju s te d . W ages c u t 17 p e r ce n t. N o o th e r change. P e n d i n g . ______________________ . B eg in n in g E n d in g 1931 O ct. 28 1931 N ov. 7 O ct. 30 N ov. O ct. 15 D ec. N ov. 1 O ct. 19 A d ju ste d . A ccep ted c u t a n d retu rn e d . P e n d in g . ______________________ N ov. P e n d in g _ . 8 140 5 20 20 5 20 N o v . 12 12,000 15,000 5 A d ju s te d . N o d ischarges; 44-hour w eek. P e n d in g ___ ________________ ____ A d ju s te d . P re v a ilin g w ages p aid ; jo b fin ish ed ; ju risd ic tio n s e ttle d . A d ju s te d . R ee m p lo y e d w o r k e r s p re v io u sly la id off; ag reed on p iecew o rk p rices. A d ju s te d . R ec o g n itio n n o t allow ed; all reem p lo y ed ; $2 p e r w eek in crease; co n d itio n s im p ro v e d . A d ju s te d . A g reed n o t to c u t w ages th is season. A d ju s te d . A llow ed as a s k e d ______ N ov. 2 1,350 1,650 40 5 O ct. 27 2 N ov. 40 9 __do_ __ 0 O ct. 28 N ov. 5 8 34 N ov. 2 N ov. 6 13 67 O ct. 23 N ov. 4 14 8 O ct. 27 O ct. 31 25 5 O ct. 24 O ct. 26 30 S ep t. 15 O ct. 30 6 N ov. N o v . 22 26 400 __ _ ______ ___ _ A d ju s te d . S ettled b y A rm y officers of th e field. A d ju s te d . U n io n a g re e m e n t cone lu d e d fixing w ages a n d cond itio n s. D i I n d i re c tly re c tly INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES B o e h m B ros. (In c .), B uffalo, ____ d o ______ B u ild in g __________ N. Y. __ d o ______ U p h o ls te re rs ___ E . & W . U p h o lsterin g C o., P h ila d e lp h ia , P a . G lass c u tte rs , A rk an sas, O k la ____ d o ______ G lass c u tte rs _______ h o m a, a n d O hio. F u lto n O p era H ouse, L a n caster, L o c k o u t. . O p e ra to rs _______ _ P a. O il w o r k e r s _______ T id e W a te r O il C o., B ay o n n e , T h r e a te n e d strik e . N . J. F re n c h L e a th e r a n d F e lt S lippers S trik e __ S lip p e r w o rk e rs__ (In c .), N e w Y o rk C ity . C ause of d isp u te 3 CO L A B O R D I S P U T E S H A N D L E D B Y T H E C O N C I L I A T I O N S E R V I C E D U R I N G T H E M O N T H O F N O V E M B E R , 1931—C o n tin u e d W o rk ers in v o lv e d D u ra tio n C o m p a n y or in d u s tr y an d location N a tu re of co n tro v ersy C ra ftsm e n concerned C au se of d is p u te A rt C h a ir C o., P h ila d e lp h ia P a ._ G lass c u tte rs , F airc h an ce, P a ___ A tla n tic U p h o lste rin g & F u r n i tu r e C o., P h ila d e lp h ia , P a . L i tt, C h in tx & C o., N e w Y o rk C ity . I n d ia n V a lle y C oal C o., S hicks h in n y , P a . P ost-office b u ild in g A lto o n a , P a_. B . A xel, N e w Y o rk C ity ____ ___ L a b o rers, L a c k a w a n n a , N e w Y o rk . V e te ra n s ’ H o sp ita l, In d ia n a p o lis, In d . M erh ig e S ilk M ill, B ro o k ly n , N. Y. S tev e n -A d am so n M a n u fa c tu rin g C o., S o u th B e n d , In d . L a cled e S to k er C o., S o u th B en d , In d . S te v e n s-A d a m so n M a n u fa c tu rin g C o., S o u th B en d , In d . F o x & W e issm an , N e w Y o rk FRASER C ity . Digitized for https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis S t r i k e _____ U p h o ls te re rs ____ _ C o n tro v e rsy . G lass c u t t e r s ____ P re s e n t s ta tu s a n d te rm s of s e ttle m e n t A d ju s te d . C o n tra c to r agreed on 8h o u r d ay . P e n d in g ___________ A d ju s te d . S trik e called off___ _ A d ju ste d . M en reac h ed a n agreem e n t w ith u n io n . A d ju s te d . In crea se d to 35 cents, 8-hour d a y , a n d c o n d itio n s im p ro v ed . A d ju s te d . S trik e called off__ . B eg in n in g E n d in g 1931 N ov. 5 1931 N ov. 5 N ov. 6 Iro n w o rk e rs ____ _ __do ___ C a rp e n te rs . . . S tr ik e ... . . . F u r w o rk e rs . . . . _ __do __ ___ O b jectio n to n o n u n io n w o rk ers _ do __ do _______ _____ __ _ _ _ W age c u ts a n d w o rk in g c o n d itio n s 30 10 8 48 O ct. 15 D ec. N o v . 18 N o v . 18 9 N o v . 10 N o v . 16 20 A sk ed 40-hour w eek, 25 p e r ce n t O ct. 15 D ec. increase a n d u n io n reco g n itio n . __ _ ____ _ A d ju ste d . A greed to p a y old scale N o v . 7 N o v . W ages, e t c . . p e n d in g fin al se ttle m e n t. S trik e ______ U p h o ls te re rs .. . . . . A sk ed 40-hour w eek , 25 p e r ce n t A d ju s te d . S trik e called off__ O ct. 20 D ec. increase, a n d u n io n reco g n itio n . L o c k o u t____ C lo th in g w o rk e rs___ A lleged v io latio n of a g re e m e n t___ U nclassified. B u sin ess disco n tin - N o v . 9 N o v . ued. S trik e ______ M in e rs .. __________ C o m p a n y refu sed to sign agree A d ju ste d . R e tu r n e d __ ________ N o v . 12 N o v . m e n t. C o n tro v ersy - B u ild in g c r a f t s . ___ P re v a ilin g ra te d iscu ssio n _____ . A d ju ste d . C a rp e n te rs increased N o v . 13 D ec. fro m 60 to 90 ce n ts p e r ho u r; la b o re rs fro m 25 to 40 cents. S trik e . F u r w o rk e rs ___. A sk ed increase . . ___ P e n d in g . . . N o v . 12 C o n tro v e rsy . L a b o re rs . . . . . . . A lleged discharges w ith o u t c a u s e .. U nclassified. C o n d i t i o n s i m - ___do____ N o v . p ro v ed ; som e reem p lo y ed before co m m issio n er’s arriv a l. S trik e ______ E le c tric ia n s ____ . . . O b jectio n to electrical w o rk bein g A d ju s te d . C o m p ro m ise agreem ent. N o v . 6 N o v . d o n e b y m a in te n a n c e m en. ____ d o ______ W e a v e rs __ . . . . W age c u t a n d w o rk in g c o n d itio n s .. P e n d in g _______________________ O ct. 3 T h re a te n e d strik e . ___ d o ______ D i I n d i re c tly re c tly 14 5 5 10 8 40 5 10 11 190 13 140 3 25 17 25 500 9 5 149 20 45 62 11 60 _ _do ____________________ ___ N o v . 16 _ _do ______ _____ ____ N o v . 18 5 66 __do 8 25 _____ _ __do _ __ _ _____________ ___ do __________________________ N o v . 19 « MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW C o n tro v e rsy . S to n e y a rd w o rk e r s .. H o u rs of la b o r___________________ m ore, M d . * T h a tc h e r F u rn a c e C o., N e w a rk , S trik e ______ S tove m o u n te rs __ _ W age c u t 25 p e r cen t N . J. G o ld b erg B ro s., P h ila d e lp h ia P a . ..____do______ U p h o ls te re rs ____ _ A sk ed 40-hour w eek , 25 p er ce n t increase, a n d u n io n reco g n itio n . M c C a rte r Iro n W orks, M ocana- C o n tro v e rsy . C oal a n d iro n w ork- D is p u te b etw e en u n io n s ____ _ qua, P a. ers. W rec k in g c o n tra c to r, B rid g e p o rt, ____ d o ______ L a b o re rs ___________ A lleged lab o rers receiv in g 30 cen ts C onn. p er h o u r. CO S hell O il C o., L o n g B each, C alif. _ C o n tro v e rsy . T ru c k drivers. Shell O il C o., W ilm in g to n , C a lif.. ____ d o ___ F e d e ra l b u ild in g , W ic h ita F alls, ------ d o ----T ex. H . & M . K n ittin g M ills, B ro o k S trike. ly n , N . Y . K nit-goods w ork ers.. A sk ed eq u a l div isio n of w o rk , u n io n reco g n itio n , a n d re in s ta te m e n t of d isch arg ed w orkers. P re v a ilin g w age d iscu ssio n _______ B u ild in g ___ ____ d o ______ _ _ do F re e d m a n B ros., N e w Y o rk C ity - S trik e ______ L e ath er-c o at m a k ers C arol Shoe, N e w Y o rk C ity _____ T u d o r T h e a te r, E v a n s to n , 111___ L o c k o u t. . . Shoe w o rk ers___ . . . C o n tro v e rsy . J a n ito r s .. . .. C o n tro v e rsy . Iro n w o rk ers. A d ju s te d . C o n d itio n s allo w ed as ask ed ; reem p lo y ed as m a n y as p ra c tic a b le a t th e tim e . A d ju s te d . R e tu rn e d ; n eg o tiatio n s co n tin u ed . P e n d in g __________________________ A sk ed increase, sh o rter h o u rs, a n d u n io n reco g n itio n . D iscu ssio n of b o n u s an d c o n d itio n s. ____d o _ . ..................... ........... ................. . 1 4 N o v . 14 0 O ct. 29 N o v . 16 70 8 N o v . 16 N o v . 25 1,000 600 N o v . 19 O ct. 16 67 1 15 15 ___ d o _______ _ __ ____d o ___________________________ N o v . 25 N o v . 27 48 P lu m b e rs __ . . . N o v . 24 ___ do M i n e r s . . _____ _ . A d ju s te d . R a te fixed a t $1.50 p e r h o u r for en su in g b ric k w o rk . A lleged v io latio n of w o rk in g con P e n d in g __________________________ d itio n s b y em p lo y m e n t of n o n u n io n m en. W age c u t of 20 p e r cen t; asked .do. r e in sta te m e n t of d isch arg ed w orkers. W o rk in g c o n d itio n s ______________ ____d o _____________________________ D is p u te re la tiv e to u n io n or n o n A d ju s te d . A m ic a b ly a d ju s te d ____ u n io n w o rk in g co n d itio n s. R efu sed to p a y p rev ailin g ra te —90 A d ju s te d . C o m p a n y agreed to p a y cen ts p e r h o u r. p rev ailin g ra te . J u r is d ic tio n ______________________ A d ju s te d . A g reed o n ju r is d ic tio n .. W age c u t ________________________ A d ju s te d . A llo w ed u n io n h o u rs, w ages, a n d c o n d itio n s. W o rk in g co n d itio n s ___ __________ A d ju s te d . A g reed o n c o n d itio n s . . . P lu m b e rs . . P re v a ilin g w age d iscu ssio n _______ C a rp e n te rs .. B rick lay ers . _ C ooks_____ . _____ ____d o ___ A d ju s te d . 27 5 N o v . 23 N o v . 25 W o rk in g c o n d itio n s ________ N o t p ay in g p rev ailin g w age. ____ S ep t. N ov. 5 N o v . 10 N o v . 14 S atisfa cto ry s e ttle m e n t. N o v . 1 ____d o ______ C a rp e n te rs. ------d o ______ B ricklayers. B erw ic k L u m b e r C o., A llen to w n , S trik e . . . . P a. B ric k lay ers, B o sto n M a s s _______ C o n tro v e rsy . C u rtis H o te l, M in n ea p o lis, M in n . T h re a te n e d s trik e . P eal, P eacock & K e rr, C a m b ria C o n tro v e rsy . C o u n ty , P a. ___ A m es & B ro w n , B a ttle C reek, __ .d o M ich . T o ta l_____________________ F u r w orkers. A d ju s te d . C o m p a n y claim ed la y offs n ecessary . P e n d in g - - ____ ___________________ ____d o . - ______ ___________________ 3 __do_ __ 50 0 _ _do_ __ N o v . 16 N o v . 24 100 2 N o v . 28 D ec. 1 10 N ov. 1 N o v . 23 D ec. 4 N o v . 25 65 7 30 N o v . 21 D ec. 8 60 P e n d in g ___________________________ N o v . 30 5 0 INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES P ublic-school b u ild in g s, G reate r N e w Y o rk . F o x W eiss F u r S hop, P h ila d e l p h ia , P a . T re d e g a r Iro n C o., R ic h m o n d , Y a. V e te ra n s ’ H o sp ita l, A u g u sta , Ga_ V e te ra n s ’ H o sp ita l, F . & Y . Co., C h illic o th e, O hio. V e te ra n s ’ H o sp ita l, C h rism a n C o., C h illic o th e, O hio. N u s s b a u m P lu m b in g C o., E rie, P a. ____ d o ______ L ay-offs__________________ ____d o ______________ D em o tio n of w o rk ers_____ B u ild in g ___________ P re v a ilin g w age discussion 16, 535 18,144 1 N o t re p o rte d . https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis CO Gi 96 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW W ork o f U n it e d S t a t e s B o a rd o f M e d ia tio n , 1930-31 HE United States Board of Mediation was constituted under the terms of the railroad labor act of 1926, to handle cases of dispute which the carriers and their employees have been unable to settle in conference. When disputes between carriers and their employees can not be settled through mediation proceedings, the law directs that the Board of Mediation shall endeavor to induce the parties to submit their controversy to arbitration. The arbitration board shall be composed of three or of six members, as the parties may determine, one-third of whom shall represent the carriers, one-third the employees, and one-third shall be neutral. If the representatives of the carriers and of the employees fail to name the neutral member or members of the board, it becomes the duty of the Board of Mediation to appoint such member or members. As shown by the annual report of the board for the year 1930-31, it began operations in July, 1926, since which time 618 cases involv ing changes in rates of pay, rules, or working conditions have been submitted to the board. Of these 618 cases, 504 had been disposed of by June 30, 1931; 54 of these were acted upon during the fiscal year covered by this report. Of these 54 cases, 24 were settled through mediation, 4 were submitted to arbitration, 12 were withdrawn through mediation, 6 were withdrawn during process of investigation, 2 were withdrawn without mediation consideration, and 6 were retired with out mediation proceedings by action of the board. At the end of the year one of the four cases submitted to arbitration during the year July 1, 1930, to July 1, 1931, had been concluded, and one case was withdrawn before the award was rendered. In the remaining two cases the interested parties had not met in an effort to agree upon the appointment of the remaining arbitrator or arbitrators. Since July, 1926, the board has also received 596 cases involving grievances or differences arising out of the interpretation or applica tion of existing agreements concerning rates of pay, rules, or working conditions which had not been decided by an appropriate adjustment board by which they had been considered. Of these 596 cases, 413 had been disposed of by June 30, 1931; 248 of these were acted upon during the fiscal year covered by this report. Of these 248 cases, 74 were settled through mediation, 113 were submitted to arbitration, 58 were withdrawn through mediation, 1 was withdrawn without media tion consideration, and 2 were closed without mediation proceedings by action of the board. At the end of the year, 10 of the 113 cases submitted to arbitration during the year July 1, 1930, to July 1, 1931, had been concluded with 3 arbitration proceedings. In the remaining 103 cases which involve 3 arbitration proceedings, the interested parties had not met in an effort to agree upon the appointment of the remaining arbitrator or arbitrators, or were making effort to otherwise dispose of their differences. Of the total of 1,214 cases of all characters thus far received and accepted for mediation, 917 cases have been disposed of as follows: By mediation 376 cases, by arbitration 183, by withdrawal through mediation 265, by voluntary withdrawal 32, and by board action 61. Of the 297 unsettled cases, 276 have been assigned for mediation, and practically all of these assigned cases have had the attention of medi ators in initial conferences. There remain 21 cases unassigned to mediators. T https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES 97 During the year covered by this report the board rendered two interpretations of mediation agreements, making a total of three interpretations rendered in the 376 cases disposed of through media tion agreements during the 5-year period. I n d u s tr ia l D is p u te s in P o r to R ico , 1930-31 N THE fiscal year 1930-31 there were 41 industrial disputes in Porto Rico, including strikes and other controversies, according to a typewritten summary prepared by the mediation and conciliation commission of that island. Approximately 12,000 employees were involved in these disputes. The largest strike in the year under review was on the sugar plantation of the United Porto Rican Sugar Co. The conflict involved thousands of laborers in seven towns. The demand of the strikers was for better labor conditions. At the request of the parties to the controversy the commission visited the towns affected by the strike and on March 9, 1931, the dispute was terminated with the signing of an agreement before that body Another strike against the United Porto Rican Sugar Co. was begun on February 5, 1931, on the Island of Vieques. Over 1,300 agricultural laborers were involved. On February 12 the commission went to the island and the controversy was satisfactorily adjusted on February 16. The strike against the Yabucoa Sugar Co., which started on January 10, 1931, involved about 3,000 laborers. Some 10 days later, after the commission had an interview with the company and the workers’ representative, an agreement was signed. The number taking part in the conflicts in the tobacco industry ranged from 50 in the cigar makers’ strike at Gurabo on August 23, 1930, to 400 in the tobacco strippers’ strike at Vega Baja in the middle of July, 1930. Among the other industries in which strikes occurred in the year covered in the commission’s report are: Baking, dock work, hat manufacturing, municipal work, newspaper work, bookbinding, fruit packing, coffee selection, iron-foundry work, and needle work. The most outstanding strike in these industries, as far as numbers of strikers are concerned, was that on January 19, 1931, of 250 fruit packers at Bayamon. The demand was for higher wages and a reduction in working hours. After the commission had gone twice to the place of the controversy the employers, the Porto Rican Con solidated Co., made a proposal which met the favor of the employees, and work was resumed. I S tr ik e s in G rea ter S h a n g h a i, 1931 N 1930 in Greater Shanghai there were 82 strikes and 5 lockouts. which involved 64,130 workers and affected 672 establishments. A report on these industrial conflicts has been compiled by the bureau of social affairs of the above-mentioned municipality. The following data are taken from that publication. I https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 98 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW Of the 87 disputes, 78 or nearly 90 per cent were concerned with collective bargaining. The question of wages constituted the main cause of conflict, 36 controversies having to do with this matter. Other questions in dispute were, in the order of their importance: Engagement or dismissal, 13 cases; collective agreement, 12 cases; and treatment which was the cause of friction, 9 cases. The remaining causes of dispute were comparatively insignificant. The results of the disputes were as follows: Workers’ demands entirely accepted in 21 cases, partially accepted in 38 cases, and rejected in 22 cases. Employers’ demands were partially accepted in 4 cases and rejected in 1 case. The outcome of the controversy was not known in 1 case. J In the 87 strikes and lockouts occurring in 1930 the total number of man-days lost was 810,102, and the total wage loss, Mexican dol lars, was $469,477 (United States currency $141,782)2 The strikes and lockouts are classified in the following table by industrial groups, by nationality of management, by number of workers involved, and by number of man-days lost. C L A S S IF IC A T IO N O F S T R I K E S A N D L O C K O U T S I N G R E A T E R S H A N G H A I 1Q29 ANTI A N D T I M E ’L O S T Y ° R ° U P ’ N A T I 0 N A L 1 T Y 0 F M A N A G E M E N T ,W O R K E R S IN V O L V E D Ite m M a n u fa c tu rin g in d u strie s: W o o d w o rk in g .. ___ ___ F u rn itu re m a n u fa c tu re ______ M a c h in e ry , e tc . ___ V ehicles for tra n s p o rta tio n B ricks, glass, e tc . . . . H o u se a n d ro a d b u ild in g G as, w a te r, a n d ele c tric ity C h em icals, e t c . . ______ . . . T e x tile in d u s tr y ___ ______ W e arin g a p p a re l.______ . . . L e a th e r, ru b b e r, e tc . _ ___ F o o d a n d d rin k s . P a p e r a n d p r in tin g . „ . . . C locks, scientific in s tru m e n ts , e t c . . T ra n s p o rta tio n a n d c o m m u n ic a tio n ___ C om m erce a n d finance: G en eral tra d e s __________ M o n e y a n d b a n k in g ________ H o tels, resorts, e tc . D o m estic a n d p erso n al serv ic es. . N u m b e r of of strik e s a n d lo c k o u ts 1929 1930 3 2 2 3 1 2 1 10 5 2 n 36 3 i 8 13 4 1 - 1 5 4 24 3 7 7 2 6 15 1 1 4 6 1 3 — T o ta l___ ____ ... 111 87 I te m 1929 1930 N a tio n a lity of m a n a g e m e n t: C hinese J apanese B ritish A m erican . F ren ch I t a l i a n ________ T o ta l N u m b e r of w o rk ers in v o lv ed : L ess th a n 10 10 to 100 101 to 1,000 1001 to 10,000. O ver 10,000. . . T o tal 80 13 11 58 7 11 6 111 — 87 = 3 28 36 19 1 43 50 14 1 111 87 — N u m b e r of m a n -d a y s lo st: Less th a n 2 0 .. _ 20 to 1,000 1.001 to 50 000 50,001 to 1,000,000. T o t a l ____ i C onversion in to U n ite d S ta te s c u rren c y on basis of M exican d o llar a t p a r= 3 0 .2 cen ts https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis N um ber of strik e s a n d lock o u ts 60 4 in 43 39 3 87 LABOR AGREEMENTS, AWARDS, AND DECISIONS A g r e e m e n ts N a tio n a l A g r e e m e n t in th e F u ll-F a s h io n e d H osiery In d u s tr y HE third national agreement between the Full-Fashioned Hosiery Manufacturers of America and the American Federation of FullFashioned Hosiery Workers, effective September 21, 1931, to August 31, 1932, contains a number of interesting changes. The committees of the union and the association at conferences held preceding the adoption and signing of this agreement agreed in prin ciple that owing to the present economic conditions existing in the hosiery industry it was necessary for the mutual benefit of the mem bers of the union and the members of the association to effect a reduc tion in labor rates during the period of this agreement. The wage rates agreed to are from 25 per cent to 45 per cent lower than the rates paid prior to the negotiation of this agreement. A minimum rate of $14 for a 48-hour week was established for week workers. For piece work operators a minimum rate for a full 48-hour week for knitters is $20, for boarders $16, and for other piecework operators $12. It is provided that the operator shall receive the difference between the amount earned and the minimum specified for each classification. If, during any week, less than 48 hours’ work is performed a pro rata of the minimum rate shall apply. In the expectation that with the stabilization and improvement in the present economic conditions the labor rates may be raised, the following provision was incorporated in the agreement. T A comm ission com posed of five to be m u tu a lly agreed upon shall be c re a te d to have su b m itted to it a certified sta te m e n t of earnings from such firm s as are listed on a stock exchange w henever such firms, b y th e rules or ag reem en t w ith stock exchange, will furn ish such statem en ts, a n d from such firm s w ho are n o t so listed th e com m ission shall accep t a sta te m e n t of a certified pu b lic a c c o u n ta n t of th e operations of th e business of such firm for each 6-m o n th perio d of th e calen d ar or fiscal y ear of such firm ’s business, show ing th e p rofits o r losses of th e business operations during such period. D ividends on th e com m on stock shall be inclu d ed in profits earned w henever such dividends are p aid o u t of earnings for t h a t period. T his com m ission shall tr e a t a n d keep such sta te m e n ts a n d in fo rm atio n as confi dential, excepting t h a t i t shall re p o rt its findings as to th e p rofits or losses of th e operations of th e m em bers of th e association during said fiscal period, w hich sh all be considered on th e basis of th e group re su lt as a whole a n d n o t on th e o perations of any in dividual m ill or m em ber a n d m ak e recom m endations to a co m m ittee to be know n as th e jo in t neg o tiatin g com m ittee a n d w hich shall consist of 11 nom inees of th e association a n d 11 nom inees of th e union, w hich co m m ittee shall, by a vote of 16 of its m em bers, d eterm ine th e increase or red u ctio n in ra te s to go in to effect during th e period of th is agreem ent. This agreement also provides that all legging machines shall be operated as single jobs until such time as the present unemployed members of the union are employed. Helpers on leggers and on 18, 20, and 22 section type footers are eliminated. No apprentices are to be given jobs as knitters during the first six months of this agreement, During the remainder of the agreement those apprentices who shall https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 99 100 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW have completed their 4-year apprenticeship may be given jobs as knitters at the regular knitters’ pay. The check-off system for the collection of union dues is provided for as follows: T he union agrees th a t i t will deliver to each m em ber of th e association a list show ing th e am o u n t in dollars a n d cen ts (not in percentage) to be p a y a b le by union m em bers in th e em ploy of th e m ill to be d e d u cte d from th e w ages of each class of w orkers, i t being u n d ersto o d t h a t th e union dues p a y ab le by each class of w orkers shall be u n iform ; such list shall be fu rn ish ed b y th e union a t le a s t five days before each p ay day. T h e union also agrees to deliver to each m em b er of th e association a w ritte n o rd er from each em ployee of th e mill, a m em b er of th e union, whose wages shall be su b ject to d eductions u n d e r th is dues-collecting sy s tem , authorizing th e em ployer, th e m em ber of th e association, to d e d u c t from his wages an d p ay over to th e union th e specific am o u n t w hich th e u n io n will require to be so d educted b y th e em ployer a n d p aid to it. E ach m em ber of th e association upon receip t of said list a n d such a u th o rizatio n s will d ed u ct from th e w ages due each p ay d ay to each union em ployee th e a m o u n t of dues p ay ab le b y such em ployee to th e union a n d will p a y over to th e union or its designee such am o u n ts on each p ay day. T he union shall h av e th e rig h t a t a n y tim e to a n ex am in atio n of th e detailed p a y rolls of an y a n d all m an u factu rers, m em bers of th e association. The agreement made August 1, 1930, established an unemployment fund to which each member of the association contributed 1 per cent of the weekly wages paid the members of the union employed in the factory of such member. Contributions of the employing member of the association began August 1, 1930. The agreement provided for a contribution of a like sum from the members of the union beginning September 1, 1931. The present agreement provides for the pay ment of unemployment insurance from the accumulated fund as follows: T he unem ploym en t fu n d , accu m u lated u n d er th e ag reem en t w hich w en t in to effect A ugust 1, 1930, a n d such a rre a rs th ereo f as are now p a y ab le a n d as will be collected, shall be turned_ over b y th e im p a rtia l ch airm an to th e e x te n t of th e am o u n t thereof now in his h an d s to th e tru ste e s of th e fu n d , a n d such a rre a rs thereof as are now u n p a id shall be collected by th e tru ste e s of th e fund. T h e tru stees shall allocate to each m ill w hich h as c o n trib u te d to th e u n em p lo y m en t fund th e am o u n t so co n trib u te d a n d th e sam e, th a t is to say, each p a r t allocated to each m ill, shall be applied u p o n th e recom m endation of th e shop com m ittee of each mill w ith th e a p p ro v al of th e em ployer a n d a d esignated official of th e union, to th e alleviation of distress caused b y unem p lo y m en t from w hich a n y em ployee of such m ill m ay have suffered. T h e ap p licatio n a n d disposition of th e fu n d s shall be solely w ith such tru ste e s a n d n e ith e r th e union nor th e association n o r any m em ber thereo f shall h av e title o r claim th ereto . T h e en tire fu n d shall be fully d istrib u te d before S eptem ber 1, 1932. The powers of the impartial chairman, Dr. George W. Taylor of Philadelphia, who is designated to act throughout the term and con tinuance of this agreement, is as follows: T he im p a rtia l chairm an shall h av e th e d u ty a n d pow er to decide a n d ad ju d ic a te all m a tte r s y n d isp u te betw een th e union a n d th e association a n d /o r m em bers m j A ed arisl?£ u n d er th e term s a n d conditions of th is ag reem en t; a n d th e union an d th e association a n d /o r m em bers agree to be bo u n d b y a n d ab id e b y th e deci sions of th e im p artia l chairm an. A w ard s a n d D e c is io n s R a ilro a d B r o th e r h o o d s — C e n tr a l of G e o r gia R a ilw a y T HE Central of Georgia Railway Co. and representatives of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Brotherhood of Loco motive Firemen and Engineman, Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis LABOR AGREEM ENTS, AWARDS, AND DECISIONS 101 and Order of Railway Conductors agreed on March 26,1931, to submit an unsettled dispute to a board of arbitration composed of three members. The board of arbitration was composed of C. E. Weaver, represent ing the carrier, G. W. Laughlin, representing the employees, and Arthur M. Millard, selected by the United States Board of Mediation as the neutral member. The following joint statement of facts outlines the issues of the dispute submitted to the board. Since 1919, th e C en tra l of G eorgia R ailw ay Co. h as m ain ta in e d a service betw een C olum bus a n d F o rt B enning, G a., a n d h as o p erated b o th freig h t a n d passenger service in m ixed tra in s. T h e n u m b er of crew s assigned h as been reg u lated to correspond w ith th e conditions a n d h as v aried from assig n m en t of from five to one crew a t different tim es. A t a ll tim es a t le a st one crew h as been assigned, a n d in all instances ro a d engineers, firem en, cond u cto rs, a n d tra in m e n h av e m an n ed said services. O n A pril 9, 1929, th e reg u lar assigned ro a d crew s were elim inated a n d th e service placed in th e h an d s of y a rd engineers, firem en, conductors, a n d y a rd sw itchm en. T his w as p ro te ste d b y th e ro a d engine a n d train m en , th e m anag em en t ta k in g th e position t h a t th e y w ere w ith in th e ir rig h ts in converting such service to y ard m en a n d elim in atin g e n tirely th e ro a d crew, d u e-to th e fa c t t h a t th e passenger service heretofore m ain ta in e d h a d been elim in ated , w hile th e freight, m ail, a n d express service rem ain ed u n changed, except t h a t th e y a rd crews are n o t req u ired to load o r u nload less-th an -carlo ad freight. On November 13, 1931, the majority of the board made the follow ing award: (а) S ustain th e co n ten tio n of th e b ro th erh o o d s t h a t th e service m ain tain ed b y th e carrier betw een C olum bus, G a., a n d F o rt B enning, G a., does n o t c o n stitu te a sw itching service as defined b y p a ra g ra p h B of a rticle 41 of th e existing agree m e n t betw een th e carrier a n d th e b ro therhoods, a n d does h ereb y a w ard (б) T h e em ployees com ing u n d er th is ag reem en t to a rb itra te , a n d w ho a re assigned to service betw een C olum bus, G a., a n d F o rt B enning, G a., sh all be resto red to ro ad service a t th e governing ra te s for such service, a n d y ard m en shall n o t be used in ro ad service w hen ro a d crew s a re av ailable, ex cep t in case of em ergency. W here y a rd crew s are used in ro a d service betw een C olum bus, G a., a n d F o rt B enning, G a., u n d er conditions referred to , th e y sh all be p a id a t th e ra te of m iles or hours, w hichever is g reater, w ith a m inim um of one hour, fo r th e class of service perform ed, in a d d itio n to th e reg u lar y a rd p ay a n d w ith o u t an y deduction therefrom for th e tim e consum ed in said service. (c) T h e em ployees com ing u n d er th is ag reem en t to a rb itra te a n d w ho, com m encing w ith A pril 9, 1929, or th e re a fte r, w ere reg u larly assigned to service a n d actu a lly em ployed in service betw een C olum bus, G a., a n d S o rt B enning, G a., shall be p aid in accordance w ith th e req u irem en ts of p a ra g ra p h B, a rticle 41, of th e existing agreem en ts betw een th e carrier a n d th e b ro therhoods, from a n d including A pril 9, 1929, u p to th e effective d a te of th e aw ard. ( d ) T h e provisions of th is a w ard shall becom e effective on th e d a te of th e aw ard, except for th o se em ployees reg u larly assigned to service a n d ac tu a lly em ployed in service betw een C olum bus, G a., a n d F o rt B enning, G a., a n d who shall be p aid as n o ted in section C of th e aw ard, a n d shall con tin u e in force fo r a period of one y ear from th e effective d a te th ereo f a n d th e re a fte r be su b ject to 30 d ay s’ notice by e ith er p a rty to th e other. C. E. Weaver, representing the carrier, dissented from the above award. S tr e e t-R a ilw a y E m p lo y e e s — S t . L o u is, M o . T h e wages of motormen, conductors, bus operators, and shopmen in St. Louis, Mo., were cut 10 per cent by the decision, October 8,1931, of a board of arbitration in the wage controversy between the St. Louis Public Service Co. and Division No. 788 of the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 102 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW The company notified the employees that, effective May 19, 1931, it proposed to make a 10 per cent wage cut, contingent upon the ability of the company to meet its expenses and interest charges. Under the plan proposed by the company, accountants would be employed to determine how much of the proposed 10 per cent would be deducted monthly. The union rejected the proposal of any wage cut, and a strike vote was ordered. On May 16, 1931, an agreement was signed by the parties to the wage controversy to arbitrate the question and also whether the differential in the hourly rate of pay of 2-man and 1-man car operators should be greater than 7 cents an hour. A board of arbitration was created composed of Edward J. Miller, representing the company, former Mayor Henry W. Kiel, representing the employees, and former Circuit Judge Harry E. Sprague, as the neutral member. The board disposed of the second question by agreeing that the differential of 7 cents in favor of the operators of 1-man cars and busses is adequate. At the hearings which began August 10, 1931, the company based its request for a 10 per cent decrease in the wages of its employees on a decrease in the number of revenue-paying passengers, an increase in the cost of operation, and the inadequacy of the present earnings of the company to meet the requirements for operation, taxes, interest on indebtedness, and depreciation. Using the 8-year period, 1923 to 1930, inclusive, as agreed upon by the economists on both sides of the controversy as the usual and proper period for the contracts and comparisons which each relied on to prove their respective points, the company presented exhibits to show the necessity for the 10 per cent cut in wages. The union urged that the financial condition of the company was immaterial unless it were shown that the wages now paid are more than would be necessary to meet the reasonable minimum living requirements, and contended that even if the financial condition of the company were material, the actual condition shown by the evidence did not warrant a wage reduction. t The majority of the board, Judge Harry E. Sprague and Edward J. Miller, granted the 10 per cent reduction in the wages of the employees and justified its award by the financial condition of the company and the necessity for maintaining an uninterrupted trans portation service. _ In the decision the arbitrators called attention to the sharp decline in the number of revenue-paying passengers during the past eight years—from 295,894,000 in 1923 to 215,685,000 m 1930. The gross revenue fell off during the 8-year period from $20,661,000 to $18,705,000. The increase in fares during the same 8-year period was from an average of 6.9 cents per passenger in 1923 to $.64 cents in 1930, an increase of about 25 per cent. While revenuepaying passengers declined about 27% per cent, passenger revenue declined only 9% per cent. The majority opinion declared that it is in “ hearty sympathy with the principle of sustaining high wages for American workingmen,” but added that “ aims and ideals must sometimes yield to compelling necessity, and further, that “ no necessity is greater or more com pelling than lack of funds and with the company facing the deficit https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis LABOR A GREEM ENTS, AWARDS, AND DECISIONS 103 * * * the majority arbitrators who join in this report believe that there in no other solution but the one they have chosen. _ < The minority member of the board filed a minority opinion from which the following extracts are taken: A d m ittin g th e re h as been a g rad u al decline in stre e t-c a r passengers since 1923 due to b u s a n d jitn e y com p etitio n a n d th e increase of p riv a te au tom obiles, a n d ad m ittin g th e re h as been a sh arp decline in passengers in 1931 due to th e econom ic depression a n d consequ en t unem ploym ent, th ese fa c ts are no sufficient excuse, for a n in d u stry w hich h as been g ra n te d a v irtu a l m onopoly by th e public, to p ay less th a n a living wage. ,. , , , . , T h e com pany h as now acq u ired th e com peting busses a n d th e b u s a n d stre e t c a r incom e for 1930 exceeded t h a t of th e stre e t-c a r com pany du rin g its p eak y ear of 1923 before i t h ad th e b u s com petition. F ares h av e increased so t h a t th e y are now higher th a n th e general av erage of stre e t-c a r fares m th e U n ite d b ta te s. < T h e m a jo rity of th e b o ard of a rb itra to rs s ta te in th e ir opinion t h a t it a m ini m u m w age m eans th e sum necessary to keep a w age e a rn e r a n d his fam ily from w an t, from becom ing, th ro u g h in a d e q u a te housing a n d su stenance, charges on society, th e m a jo rity of th is b o ard h e a rtily agree w ith t h a t principle. C o n tra s t th is s ta n d a rd ad o p ted b y th e m a jo rity w ith th e follow ing view of th e In d u s tria l C om m ission of C olorado. “ B y a living w age we m ean a w age sufficient to su p p ly a decen t living for him self a n d fam ily ; enough to e d u cate his children m th e m an n er in w hich every A m erican child should be ed u c a te d ; enough to secure a little pleasure in living, a n d som ething le ft to se t aside w hen old age com es a n d he can to il no longer.” T h e wages t h a t th e m en in th is case receive are still below t h a t s ta n d a rd of living wage. X1 , . , , . If th ere is to be a red u ctio n i t should begin a t th e to p w here th e b ra c k e t contains th e enorm ous expen d itu re fo r a d m in istra tiv e expense of $1,280,850, one t h a t has stead ily increased to in excess of over $400,000 p e r an n u m m ore th a n m 1923 (th e co m p an y ’s p eak y ear in incom e) w ith no satisfacto ry reason th erefo r show n so fa r as I u n d e rs ta n d th e proof. . . T h e m en are receiving a b are m inim um living w age a n d th e com pany is m b e tte r financial condition th a n ever w ith g reatly increased reserves a n d a very su b sta n tia l sum of rea d y cash on h an d . W ith all due re sp ect fo r m y b ro th e r a rb itra to rs a n d th e ir m ore len g th y opinion w hich I h av e carefully an aly z ed in th e lig h t of all th e evidence, I hold th a t a w age c u t can n o t be logically ¡justified a t th is tim e. D e cisio n s o f In d u s tr ia l C o m m iss io n of C o lo rad o Carpenters—Denver, Colo. T h e Industrial Commission of Colorado received notice from Hallack & Howard Lumber Co., October 19, 1931, that at the expira tion of 30 days a reduction would be made in the wages of its em ployees. A protest was filed by the secretary of the Millmen’s Local Union No. 1583, Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, on Novem ber 5, 1931. , i At the hearing held on November 16, 1931, the employer contended that owing to the present conditions in the business world it was necessary for him to make this reduction in the wages of his employees. The union protested that other firms engaged in the same business were not reducing wages. . i0 The decision of the industrial commission, rendered November 18, 1931, disapproved the proposed reduction in wages at this time. Painters—Pueblo, Colo. T h e Industrial Commission of Colorado received notice on October 31, 1931, from eight firms of Pueblo, Colo., of a proposed reduction m the wages of their employees, members of the Brotherhood of Painters, https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 104 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW Decorators, and Paperhangers’ Local No. 302, from $1.12% per hour to a minimum of 75 cents per hour. Later, a protest against the proposed reduction in wages was filed by the local union. At a hearing held November 23, 1931, the employers contended that it was necessary to make this reduction in wages owing to the present business conditions. The union contended that its members are receiving $9 a day and that a reduction at this time is not justified. The decision of the industrial commission, rendered November 28, 1931, approved a reduction to $8 a day, or a scale of $1 an hour. Carpenters’ District Council—Denver, Colo. T h e Denver General Contractors’ Association and the Denver Building Trades Council held several meetings at which the two organizations agreed upon a 12% per cent reduction in the wages of all the crafts connected with the Denver Building Trades Council. At that time an arbitration agreement was signed between the parties for a period of three years. At a hearing held between the Denver General Contractors’ Asso ciation and the carpenters and joiners’ union on November 25, 1931, the carpenters agreed to accept the same reduction as the other’trades connected with the Denver Building Trades Council, but contended that it would be impossible for them to sign the same agreement as the Denver Building Trades Council for the reason that they had a rule in their international organization which prevented their doing so. The decision and award of the industrial commission, under date of November 28, 1931, was to the effect that the carpenters should accept a 12% per cent reduction in their wage scale the same as the other building crafts in Denver. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis LABOR TURNOVER L abor T u rn o v er in A m e r ic a n F a c to r ie s, N o v em b er, 1931 HE Bureau of Labor Statistics presents herewith November labor turnover indexes for manufacturing as a whole and for 10 separate manufacturing industries. The form used for compiling turnover rates by the Bureau of Labor Statistics is the weighted arithmetic mean. The indexes for manufacturing as a whole were compiled from reports made to the bureau from representative estab lishments in over 75 industries, employing approximately 1,250,000 people. In the 10 industries for which separate indexes are presented, reports were received from representative plants employing approxi mately 25 per cent of the employees as shown for such industries by the Census of Manufactures of 1927. In the automobile industry schedules were received from firms employing nearly 250,000 people; plants reporting for boots and shoes employed nearly 100,000 people; for brick, nearly 18,000 people; for cotton, over 150,000 people; for furniture, nearly 30,000 people; for iron and steel, over 200,000 people; for men’s clothing, about 40,000 people; for sawmills, about 40,000 people; and for slaughtering and meat packing, approximately 75,000 people. In addition to the quit, discharge, lay-off, total separation, and accession rates, the bureau presents the net turnover rate. Net turn over means the rate of replacement. It is the number of jobs that are vacated and filled per 100 employees. In a plant that is increas ing its force the net turnover rate is the same as the separation rate, because while more people are hired than are separated from their jobs the number hired above those leaving is due to expansion and can not be justly charged to turnover. On the other hand, in a plant that is reducing its number of employees the net turnover rate is the same as the accession rate, for while more people are separated from the pay roll than hired the excess of separations over accessions is due to a reduction of force, and therefore can not be logically charged as a turnover expense. Previous to September, 1931, the bureau had been presenting turn over rates on both a monthly and an equivalent annual basis. Begin ning with September, 1931, however, monthly rates only will be shown. To determine the equivalent annual rate multiply the monthly rate by the number of times that the days of the current month are contained in the 365 days of the year. That is, in a 31-day month to obtain the equivalent annual rate multiply the monthly rate by 11.77; in a 30-day month multiply the monthly rate by 12.17; and in a 28-day month multiply the monthly rate by 13.04. To obtain the equivalent annual rate for November mul tiply the monthly rates as shown in Tables 1 and 2 by 12.17. Table 1 shows for all industries the total separation rate, subdi vided into the quit, discharge, and lay-off rates, together with the accession rate and the net turnover rate. 105 T https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 106 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW T a b l e 1 .—A V E R A G E LABOR TU RN OV ER RATES IN D U S T R IE S IN SELECTED F A C T O R IE S IN 75 M onthly Rates S e p a ra tio n rates A ccession ra te M o n th Q u it Lay-off D ischarge 1930 1931 1930 1931 1930 J a n u a r y ____ . . F e b ru a ry ______ M a r c h .. . . . _ A p ril___________ M a y ___________ J u n e ___________ J u ly ____________ A u g u st_________ S e p te m b e r_____ O cto b e r_____ __ N o v e m b e r____ D ecem b er . . 1.85 1. 60 1.94 2.11 2. 01 1.85 1.35 1.40 1. 50 1.29 .90 .84 0.74 .74 .94 1.14 1.12 1.02 1.10 1.05 1. 16 1. 00 .72 2. 70 2. 50 2.83 2. 57 2. 68 3. 00 4.17 3. 99 3.14 2.88 2. 77 2. 74 1.95 1.75 1.75 1.96 2. 43 3.84 3. 32 2. 40 4. 22 5. 01 3.03 0. 54 .62 .60 .53 .48 .46 .32 .36 .36 .32 .24 .21 Average.. 1.55 3. 00 .42 1931 0.19 .20 .26 .31 .28 .23 .25 .22 .24 .21 . 17 N e t tu rn over ra te T o ta l 1930 1931 1930 1931 1930 5.09 4.72 5.37 5.21 5.17 5.31 5. 84 5. 75 5.00 4. 49 3. 91 3. 79 2. 88 2.69 2. 95 3. 41 3.83 5.09 4. 67 3. 67 5. 62 6.22 3.92 3.95 3. 94 4.15 3. 55 3. 28 2. 92 2. 51 2. 71 3.27 2. 56 2. 05 2.13 2.97 2.82 3. 67 3.06 2.79 2. 41 3.02 2.60 3.58 2. 75 3.63 3.95 3.94 4.15 3. 55 3.28 2.92 2. 51 2. 71 3.27 2. 56 2. 05 2.13 4. 97 3. 08 1931 2. 88 2. 69 2. 95 3. 06 2. 79 2.41 3.02 2.60 3. 58 2. 75 3.63 3.08 Comparing rates for November, 1931, with those of October, 1931, there was a decrease in the quit, discharge, and lay-off rates. The accession rate, however, showed an increase. The accession rate for November, 1931, was higher than for any month since March, 1931. Comparing November, 1931, rates with the rates for November, 1930, there was a decrease in the quit and discharge rates, but the lay-off rate was slightly higher than for November, 1930. There was an increase in the accession rate, the accession rate for November, 1931, being more than 50 per cent higher than for November, 1930. The charts following show in graphic form the data presented in Table 1. Table 2 shows the quit, discharge, lay-off, accession, and net turnover rates for automobiles, boots and shoes, cotton, iron and steel, foundries and machine shops, furniture, sawmills, and slaugh tering and meat packing for the months of November, 1930, October, 1931, and November, 1931; and for brick and men’s clothing for the months of October, 1931, and November, 1931. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis IN D E X E S OF A V E R A G E M O N TH LY LABO R TU R N O VER R A T E S . SEPARATIO N Q U I T 7.00 LAY-OFF. 1 9 3 0 & 1931. RATES . DISCHARGE:. TOTAL. 7.00 6.00 6.00 f"\ J930. > ' 5.00 5.00 ,N% 4.00 / J\ 193 j 3.00 /\ / /s -V / \ \ \ \ \\ 4.00 ,1931. Kb . 3.00 Y '- y \ 1931 1930. Z.00 y \/ i J 1.00 \ 2.00 J ” T53]7 \ \ \ !.00 1930. 1931», R/ 0 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis J. F. tl. A. M. J. J. A. S. 0. N. D. J. F. NI. A. M. J. J. A. S. 0. N. D. J . F M. A. H. U. J. A. S. 0. N. D. 0 0. F. M. A M. J. J . A. S 0. N. D. o -I 108 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW INDEXES OF AVERAGE MONTHLY LABOR TURNOVER RATES, I9 3 0 & I9 3 I. 0. F M. A. M. J. 0. A. 5. 0. N. D. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis J. F. M. A. PI. d d A. S. 0. N. D. 109 LABOR TURNOVER T a b l e 2 .—A V E R A G E M O N T H L Y T U R N O V E R R A T E S I N S P E C I F I E D I N D U S T R I E S C lass of tu rn o v e r rates N o v e m O cto N o v em N o v e m O cto N o v em N o v em O cto N o v em ber, ber, ber, ber, ber, ber, ber, ber, ber, 1930 1931 1930 1931 1931 1931 1930 1931 1931 A utom obiles Q u it------------------------------------D isc h a rg e __________________ L a y off_____________________ 0.81 .16 3.80 0.85 .29 19.47 T o ta l s e p a r a t io n s - - __ 4. 77 A ccessio n .. _____ _______ N e t tu r n o v e r _______________ 5.95 4. 77 B oots a n d shoes 0.85 .27 6.36 1.00 .27 4. 38 1.20 .22 6.02 0.87 .15 4.13 0. 49 . 14 10.04 0.50 .55 10.17 20. 61 7.48 5. 65 7. 44 5.15 10. 67 11.22 4. 23 4. 23 16.51 7.48 2.41 2.41 1. 01 1.01 2.62 ............... 2. 62 5.06 5.06 6.70 6.70 C o tto n m a n u fa c tu rin g Q u it________________________ D is c h a rg e __________________ L a y o ff___________ ______ 1.22 .35 2.18 B ric k i 1.42 .35 3. 70 F o u n d rie s a n d m a ch in e shops 1.19 .34 3.67 0.66 .22 2. 87 0.56 . 16 4.45 0.39 .19 3.82 F u r n itu r e 0.99 .29 5.92 0.96 .29 3.88 0.49 .38 5.17 T o ta l s e p a ra tio n s_____ 3. 75 5.47 5.20 3. 75 5.17 4. 40 7. 20 5.13 6.04 A ccession_______________ . N e t tu r n o v e r _______________ 2. 93 2. 93 3. 84 3.84 4.15 4.15 1.85 1. 85 2. 36 2. 36 1.89 1.89 2. 48 2. 48 4. 36 4. 36 2. 91 2.91 Iro n a n d steel M e n ’s clo th in g 1 Q u it________________________ D isc h a rg e ________________ L a y off_________ . ______ - 1.11 .13 1.95 0.78 .06 1.41 0.64 .06 1.80 T o ta l s ep aratio n s_____ 3. 19 2. 25 A ccession___________________ N e t tu rn o v e r- _____________ 1.31 1.31 1.51 1. 51 0.95 .13 1.50 0.66 .07 5.38 2.50 2.58 1.78 1.78 2.10 2.10 S aw m ills 1.93 .83 7.23 1.23 .51 7.69 6.11 9.99 9.43 9.85 1.62 1.62 4.96 4.96 7. 43 7. 43 6. 39 6. 39 0.93 .27 8. 65 S la u g h te rin g a n d m e a t pack in g Q u it.......... ............................... .. ______ . . D isch arg e____ L a y off. ______ ________ 1.21 .56 4.80 1.06 .37 4.43 T o ta l s e p a ra tio n s _____ 6.48 5.86 6. 32 A c c e s s io n ..________________ __ _ . N e t tu r n o v e r. . . 7. 30 6.48 7.39 5. 86 8.10 6. 32 1.24 .36 4. 72 1 D a ta n o t collected in 1930. Of the 10 industries for which separate figures are shown, auto mobiles had the highest accession rate, 16.51. The lowest accession rate (1.62) was shown by the men’s clothing industry. (This large increase in hiring in the automobile industry occurred after the 15th of the month. This is the largest hiring rate shown for the automobile industry for any month, either in 1930 or 1931.) The highest quit rate (1.24) occurred in the slaughtering and meat packing industry and the lowest (0.39) in the foundry and machineshop industry. Brick registered the highest discharge rate (0.55); the lowest (0.06) occurred in the iron and steel industry. The highest lay-off rate (10.17) was registered by the brick industry and the lowest (1.80) by the iron and steel industry. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis HOUSING B u ild in g P e r m it s in P r in c ip a l C itie s o f t h e U n ite d S t a te s , N o v e m b e r , 1931 EPORTS of building operations were received by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor from 342 identical cities having a population of 25,000 or over for the months of October, 1931, and November, 1931, and from 294 identical cities for the months of November, 1930, and November, 1931. The cost figures as shown in the following tables apply to the cost of the buildings as estimated by the prospective builder on applying for his permit to build. No land costs are included. Only building projects within the corporate limits of the cities enumerated are shown. The States of Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, through their departments of labor, are cooperating with the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics in the collection of these data. Table 1 shows the estimated cost of new residential buildings^ of new nonresidential buildings, of additions, alterations, and repairs, and of total building operations in 342 identical cities of the United States, by geographic divisions. R T a b l e 1 .—E S T I M A T E D C O S T O F N E W B U I L D I N G S , O F A D D I T I O N S , A L T E R A T I O N S , A N D R E P A I R S , A N D O F T O T A L B U I L D I N G C O N S T R U C T I O N I N 342 I D E N T I C A L C I T I E S , A S S H O W N B Y P E R M I T S IS S U E D I N O C T O B E R A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931, B Y G E O G R A P H IC D IV IS IO N S N e w re s id e n tia l b u ild in g s F am ilie s p ro v id e d for in new d w ellings E s tim a te d cost G eographic division O ctober, 1931 N ew n o n re s id e n tia l b u ild ings, e stim a te d cost Per O cto N o v em P e r O ctober, N ovem b er, ber, c e n t of b e r, 1931 c e n t of 1931 1931 change change 1931 Per N ovem b er, 1931 ce n t of change - 1 3 .7 - 3 4 .8 - 2 6 .2 - 1 5 .6 - 1 6 .0 + 2 5 .5 - 2 1 .4 645 3, 823 695 491 506 528 1, 332 467 2,392 503 389 492 588 995 - 2 7 .6 $3,033, 962 $3,098,105 - 3 7 .4 18,114,951 9, 827,591 - 2 7 .6 4,015, 448 4,819,242 - 2 0 .8 1, 533,172 2,138,149 - 2 . 8 4, 533,866 10, 717, 794 + 1 1 .4 4, 299,135 2,833, 498 - 2 5 . 3 3, 545, 482 3, 237,375 + 2 .1 - 4 5 .7 + 2 0 .0 + 3 9 .5 +136. 4 - 3 4 .1 -8 .7 T o ta l_____ _ _ _ 31, 782,984 23, 725, 325 - 2 5 .4 8,020 5,826 - 2 7 .4 39, 076,016 36, 671, 754 - 6 .2 N ew E n g la n d ____ ____ $2,838,300 $2,449,850 M id d le A tla n tic ____ __ 16, 203, 545 10, 562, 657 E a s t N o r th C e n tra l___ 3,067, 369 2, 263,117 W e st N o rth C e n tra l___ 1,732,350 1,461,827 S o u th A tla n tic ___ ____ 2,173,639 1,826, 312 1,340,469 1, 681, 767 S o u th C e n tra l_____ - M o u n ta in a n d P a c ific .-_ 4,427,312 3, 479,795 A d d itio n s, a lte ra tio n s, a n d re p airs, e s tim a te d cost T o ta l co n stru c tio n , e s tim a te d co st G eographic div isio n O ctober, 1931 N e w E n g la n d ________ M id d le A tla n tic E a s t N o rth C e n tra l W e st N o rth C e n tra l___ S o u th A tla n tic ___ . . S o u th C e n tr a l_________ M o u n ta in a n d P a c ific ... T o ta l. _ 110 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis ____ N o v e m b e r, 1931 Per c e n t of O cto b er, 1931 change N o v e m b e r, 1931 Per c e n t of change N um b er of cities $1,105, 582 5, 900,155 2,638,197 697, 082 1,581, 246 1,039,101 1,666, 728 $1,084, 482 5,442, 989 1, 760, 204 534, 513 1,503, 048 864, 049 1,156, 271 - 1 .9 - 7 .7 - 3 3 .3 - 2 3 .3 -4 .9 - 1 6 .8 - 3 0 .6 $6,977, 844 40, 218, 651 9,721, 014 3,962, 604 8, 288, 751 6,678, 705 9, 639, 522 $6,632,437 25, 833, 237 8,842, 563 4,134, 489 14,047,154 5, 379, 314 7,873, 441 - 5 .0 - 3 5 .8 - 9 .0 + 4 .3 + 6 9 .5 -1 9 . 5 - 1 8 .3 51 69 92 24 37 33 36 14, 628, 091 12, 345, 556 - 1 5 .6 85, 487, 091 72, 742,635 -1 4 . 9 342 111 HOUSING Reports received from these 342 cities indicate that there was a decrease of 14.9 per cent in the indicated expenditures for total building operations, comparing permits issued during November with those issued during October. The cost of buildings for which permits were issued during November was $72,742,635. Expenditures for residential buildings decreased 25.4 per cent com paring November with October. All geographic divisions with the exception of the South Central States showed decreases in this class of building. The decreases ranged from 13.7 per cent in the New England States to 34.8 per cent in the Middle Atlantic States. There was a decrease of 6.2 per cent in indicated expenditures for new nonresidential buildings. However, four geographic divisions showed increases for this class of structure, while only three showed decreases. The increases ranged from 2.1 per cent in the New England States to 136.4 per cent in the South Atlantic States. The decreases extended from a low of 8.7 per cent in the Mountain and Pacific States to a high of 45.7 in the Middle Atlantic States. Projected expenditures for additions, alterations, and repairs decreased 15.6, comparing November permits with October permits. All geographic divisions showed decreases in this class of building operation. The lowest decrease, 1.9 per cent, occurred in the New England States and the highest, 33.3 per cent, in the East North Central States. Two of the seven geographic divisions, the West North Central and the South Atlantic, showed increases in total building operations. The other five divisions registered decreases. The smallest decrease, 5.0 per cent, occurred in the New England States, and the largest, 35.8 per cent, in the Middle Atlantic States. The new residential buildings for which permits were issued during November were to provide for 5,826 families. This is 27.4 per cent fewer family dwelling units than were provided during the month of October. The South Central was the only geographic division show ing an increase in family dwelling units provided. Of the six geo graphic divisions showing decreases in family dwelling units, the South Atlantic States had the smallest decrease, 2. 8 per cent, and the Middle Atlantic States had the largest, 37.4 per cent. Table 2 shows the number of new residential buildings, of new non residential buildings, of additions, alterations, and repairs, and of total building operations in 342 identical cities of the United States, by geographic divisions. T able 2 —N U M B E R O F N E W B U IL D IN G S , O F A D D IT IO N S , A L T E R A T IO N S , A N D R E P A I R S , A N D O F T O T A L B U I L D I N G C O N S T R U C T I O N I N 342 I D E N T I C A L C I T I E S , A S S H O W N B Y P E R M I T S IS S U E D I N O C T O B E R , 1931, A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931, B Y G E O G R A P H I C D IV IS IO N N e w re sid e n tia l b u ild in g s G eo g raphic division N e w E n g la n d ________ M id d le A tla n tic ______ E a s t N o r th C e n t r a l ... W e s t N o r th C e n tr a l... S o u th A t l a n t i c .. -------S o u th C e n tra l________ M o u n ta in a n d PacificT o t a l. ________ N e w n o n re s id e n tia l A d d itio n s, alte ra tio n s, T o ta l co n stru c tio n a n d rep airs b u ild in g s O cto b e r, N o v e m O ctober, 1931 b er, 1931 1931 N ovem b e r, 1931 O ctober, 1931 N ovem b e r, 1931 O cto b er, N o v e m b er, 1931 1931 406 1,455 565 432 436 448 1,036 406 867 442 341 363 395 832 1,142 2,691 2,678 1, 225 884 603 1, 809 923 1,736 1,898 747 702 500 1, 323 2,365 5,161 3,652 1,237 3,275 1, 903 4,324 1, 783 3,827 2,311 898 2,573 1, 580 3,174 3,913 9,307 6,895 2,894 4,595 2,954 7,169 3,112 6,430 4,651 1,986 3, 638 2,475 5,329 4,778 3, 646 - 2 3 .7 11, 032 7,829 - 2 9 .0 21,917 16,146 - 2 6 .3 37, 727 27, 621 - 2 6 .8 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 112 MONTHLY LABOE R EV IEW Permits were issued during November, 1931, for 27,621 building projects. This was a decrease of 26.8 per cent as compared with the building projects for which permits were issued in these cities during October. The number of new residential buildings decreased 23.7 per cent; the number of new nonresidential buildings, 29.0 per cent; and the number of additions, alterations, and repairs, 23.6 per cent, comparing November with October. Table 3 shows the index number of families provided for and the index numbers of indicated expenditures for new residential buildings, for new nonresidential buildings, for additions, alterations, and repairs, and for total building operations. These indexes are worked on the chain system with the monthly average of 1929 equaling 100. T a b l e 3 .—I N D E X N U M B E R S O F F A M I L I E S P R O V I D E D F O R A N D O F T H E E S T I M A T E D C O S T O F B U I L D I N G O P E R A T IO N S AS S H O W N B Y P E R M I T S I S S U E D I N P R I N C I P A L C I T I E S O F T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S , J A N U A R Y , 1930, T O N O V E M B E R , 1931, I N C L U S I V E [M o n th ly average, 1929=100] E s tim a te d cost of— M o n th F am ilies p ro v id e d for N e w resi d e n tia l b u ild in g s N ew non re sid e n tia l b u ild in g s A d d itio n s, alte ra tio n s, a n d rep airs T o ta l b u ild in g o p eratio n s 1930 J a n u a r y _________ ______ _ _ F e b ru a ry ______________ M a rc h _____________________ A p ril______ ____ . ___ M a y .. ____________________ J u n e _______________ ______ _ J u ly -----------------------------------------------------A u g u s t____ _______ ■ ___ _____ S e p te m b e r______ . . . ______ O ctober ___ _______ _ ___ _ N o v e m b e r___ ______ _______ D e c e m b e r._________ _______ _ 34.2 43.0 57. 1 62.0 59.6 54.4 49.9 48.7 51.3 58.3 52.9 45.0 29.4 34.7 47.2 51.0 48.5 45.1 44.1 43.4 44.4 44.9 42.5 37.6 64.3 51.8 87.1 100.1 90.7 82.5 86.7 67.2 73.8 53.5 54.4 64.3 55.1 57.5 77.5 81.8 84. 5 74.6 77.4 58.6 64. 2 58.1 37.8 53.5 46.1 44.1 66.4 73.8 69.3 63.3 64.8 54. 4 58. 2 49 7 46. 3 50.1 1931 J a n u a r y ___ _______________ F eb ru ary . ___________ M a rc h . _____ ___________ _ A p ril______ ___________ . M a y ______________________ _ J u n e ______ ___ _ ______ J u ly -----------------------------------------------------A u g u st. _______ ____ _ . S ep te m b er________ ______ O ctober _______ ____ N o v e m b e r___ _________ 39.1 40.3 53.4 64.6 51.7 43.4 35.8 36.6 30.1 33.7 24.5 30.8 30.3 40.7 48.6 39.8 33.4 27. 6 33.5 24.8 25.4 19.0 43.4 43.8 76.4 73.9 58.5 41.7 53.7 63.9 41.8 34.8 32.7 55.5 48.6 58.0 65.2 53.0 56.5 57.8 48.3 41.0 39.8 33.6 38.9 37.9 57.1 60. 6 48. 8 39.4 41.7 47. 3 33. 5 30 8 26.2 The index number of families provided for and the index numbers of all classes of building construction reached a low point for the 2-year period in November, 1931. The charts on pages 115 and 116 show in graphic form the infor mation contained in this table. Table 4 shows the number and value of contracts awarded for public buildings by the different agencies of the United States Government during the months of October, 1931, and November, 1931, by geo graphic divisions. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 113 HOUSING T a b l e 4 .— C O N T R A C T S L E T F O R P U B L I C B U I L D I N G S B Y D I F F E R E N T A G E N C I E S O F T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S G O V E R N M E N T D U R I N G O C T O B E R A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931, B Y G E O G R A P H I C D IV IS IO N S O ctober, 1931 N o v e m b e r, 1931 G eographic division N um ber N ew E n g la n d _______________ M id d le A t l a n t i c ________ . . . E a s t N o rth C e n t r a l.__ _ - . W e st N o rth C e n t r a l ________ S o u th A tla n tic _____________ S o u th C e n tra l.-- - _ M o u n ta in a n d P acific_______ T o ta l _______ _ C ost N um ber C ost 5 15 13 7 28 22 30 $429,782 1,102,127 690,056 210, 218 4, 401, 280 878, 501 2, 637, 534 4 14 12 4 31 15 28 $84, 648 564, 399 1,076,727 183, 895 10,864, 710 932, 965 730,193 120 10, 349, 498 108 14,437, 537 During November, 1931, the agencies of the Federal Government from which reports were received awarded contracts for 108 building operations to cost $14,437,537. This is $4,000,000 more than the total value of contracts awarded during October. The contracts were issued by the following Federal agencies: United States Capitol Architect; Office of the Quartermaster General, War Department; Bureau of Yards and Docks, Navy Department; Supervising Architect Treasury Department; United States Veterans’ Bureau; and the Office of Public Parks and Public Buildings. Table 5 shows the value of contracts awarded by the different State governments for public buildings during the months of October, 1931, and November, 1931, by geographic divisions. T a b l e 5 .— C O N T R A C T S A W A R D E D F O R P U B L I C B U I L D I N G S B Y T H E D I F F E R E N T S T A T E G O V E R N M E N T S D U R I N G O C T O B E R A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931, B Y G E O G R A P H I C D IV IS IO N S G eographic division N e w E n g la n d -_- ________ . _ M id d le A tla n tic _______________ E a s t N o r th C e n t r a l - . _________ W e st N o r th C e n tra l_____________ S o u th A tla n tic . _________ S o u th C e n tra l________ _________ M o u n ta in a n d P acific__________ T o t a l____ O ctober, 1931 N o v em b e r, 1931 $725,409 2,226,771 281,599 760,849 418,352 419,585 434,605 $131,093 2, 957,380 1,121,920 1, 752,842 203,000 810, 779 508,225 5,270,170 7,485,239 Contracts awarded by the various State governments during November, 1931, totaled $7,485,239, an increase of over $2,000,000 over the contracts awarded by the various States during October, 1931. Whenever a contract is awarded by the Federal Government or by a State government for buildings in cities having a population of 25,000 or over the number or cost of such buildings is included in the number and cost as shown in the several tables presented here with. Table 6 shows the estimated cost of new residential buildings; of new nonresidential buildings; of additions, alterations, and repairs; and of total building operations in 294 identical cities having a population of 25,000 or over for the months of November, 1930, and November, 1931, by geographic divisions. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 114 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW T able 6.—E S T I M A T E D C O S T O F N E W B U I L D I N G S , O F A D D I T I O N S , A L T E R A T I O N S , A N D R E P A I R S , A N D O F T O T A L B U I L D I N G C O N S T R U C T I O N I N 294 I D E N T I C A L C I T I E S , A S S H O W N B Y P E R M I T S I S S U E D I N N O V E M B E R , 1930, A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931, B Y G E O G R A P H I C D IV IS IO N S N e w re s id e n tia l b u ild in g s F am ilie s p ro v id e d for in n ew dw ellings E s tim a te d cost N e w n o n re s id e n tia l b u ild in g s, e s tim a te d cost G eographic division N ovem ber, 1930 N ovem ber, 1931 P er Per ce n t N o v em N o v e m c e n t N o v e m b er, 1930 of ber, 1930 ber, 1931 of ch an g e change - 2 1 .7 - 6 2 .5 - 7 2 .8 - 4 7 .3 - 6 .3 - 4 4 .1 - 4 8 .6 572 5,796 1,020 504 452 813 1,849 T o ta l____________ 52,019,192 22, 904, 245 - 5 6 .0 11,006 N e w E n g la n d _______ . M id d le A t l a n t i c _____ E a s t N o r th C e n tra l____ W e st N o r th C e n tra l___ S o u th A tla n tic ______ S o u th C e n t r a l.. ._ M o u n ta in a n d P a c if ic .. $3,064,750 $2,398,400 27,999,790 10,503,457 7,227, 703 1,966,567 2,774, 810 1,461,827 1,926,415 1, 805,712 2,928,310 1,637,097 6,097,414 3,131,185 A d d itio n s, alte ra tio n s, a n d rep airs, e s tim a te d cost G eo g rap h ic div isio n 456 2,383 438 389 476 561 896 N ovem b er, 1931 - 2 0 .3 $7,193,253 $3,088,245 - 5 8 .9 22,800,908 9,810,172 - 5 7 .1 10,175,937 4,732,722 - 2 2 .8 1.326, 755 2,138,149 + 5 . 3 3.327, 581 11,435, 903 - 3 1 .0 3,973,337 2, 789,338 - 5 1 . 5 5,973,686 2,933,169 Per cen t of ch an g e - 5 7 .1 - 5 7 .0 - 5 3 .5 + 6 1 .2 +243. 7 -2 9 . 8 - 5 0 .9 5,599 - 4 9 .1 54,771,457 36,927,698 - 3 2 .6 T o ta l c o n stru c tio n , e s tim a te d cost Per c e n t of ch an g e N um b er of cities N o v em b e r, 1930 N o v e m b e r, 1931 P er c e n t of change N e w E n g la n d _________ M id d le A tla n tic .. . E a s t N o rth C e n tra l____ W e st N o r th C e n t r a l.._ S o u th A tla n tic ________ S o u th C e n tra l____ M o u n ta in a n d P a c ific .. $1,173, 823 4, 728, 893 2,323, 917 755,026 1,300, 683 716,172 1,691,013 $1,070,696 5,372, 937 1, 706,638 534, 513 1,585,404 713,019 1,110,690 - 8 .8 +13. 6 -2 6 . 6 - 2 9 .2 +21. 9 - 0 .4 - 3 4 .3 $11,431,826 55, 529, 591 19, 727, 557 4, 856,591 6,554,679 7,617, 819 13,762,113 $6,557,341 - 4 2 .6 25, 686, 566 - 5 3 . 7 8,405,927 - 5 7 .4 4,134,489 - 1 4 .9 14,827,019 +126. 2 5,139,454 - 3 2 .5 7,175,044 - 4 7 .9 47 65 73 24 32 25 28 T o ta l____________ 12,689,527 12,093,897 - 4 .7 119,480,176 71,925, 840 -3 9 . 8 294 N o v e m b e r, 1930 N o v em b e r, 1931 Indicated, expenditures for total construction in these 294 cities were 39.8 per cent less in November, 1931, than in November, 1930. Six of the seven geographic divisions registered decreases in expendi tures, comparing these two periods. There was, however, an increase of 126.2 per cent in the South Atlantic States. The decreases extended from a low of 14.9 per cent in the West North Central States to 57.4 per cent in the East North Central States. Indicated expenditures for new residential buildings decreased 56.0 per cent, comparing November, 1931, with November, 1930. All geographic divisions registered decreases in this class of expendi tures, ranging from 6.3 per cent in the South Atlantic States to 72.8 per cent in the East North Central States. There was a decrease of 32.6 per cent in the estimated cost of new nonresidential buildings comparing November of this year with November of last year. Two geographic divisions showed increases in this class of buildings and five divisions showed decreases. The decrease in indicated expenditures for additions, alterations, and repairs was 4.7 per cent. Two of the geographic divisions showed increases in indicated expenditures for repairs and five showed de creases. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 115 HOUSING IN D E X E S OF COST OF BUILDING OPERATIONS. Monthlv AutRAot 1&29 = t oo. NEW R E S ID E N T IA L .. 100 100 75 75 50 50 19: " *~)S 3 l 25 ZS 0 0 NEW 100 / / 75 50 \ ' \ N O N R E S ID E N T IA L . 100 \ N <* ' 19; yo / /1 t / / {I93 l \ y \ \ \ N* 75 \ \ \ ✓ \— 50 Z5 25 0 0 m f t T O T A L - INCLUDING ALTERATIONS & REPAIRS. , 75 75 N. IS 3 0 / 50 N A / / // \ n^ ~- \ N \ v 50 V 1931 ZS 25 R/ 0 o ul a < u i i Q- < § o = > u o o u i - 3 U i ; < E - > - 5 < < 0 O r D https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis O 116 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW The number of family-dwelling units provided decreased 49.1 per cent in this period. Six of the seven geographic divisions showed decreases in the number of dwelling units provided. Table 7 shows the number of new residential buildings, of new nonresidential buildings, of additions, alterations, and repairs, and of total building operations in 294 identical cities having a population of 25,000 or over for November, 1930, and November, 1931. IN D E X E S OF F A M IL IE S PRO VIDED FO R . 100 75 50 ZS o ul a 2r < ul Us ~3 c£ <£ Z a: a < ul V < r z n 0 > o -3 à < I-' a ul <0 V* o o > o z: o ul O T able 7 . -N U M B E R O F N E W B U IL D IN G S , O F A D D IT IO N S , A L T E R A T IO N S , A N D R E P A IR S , A N D O F T O T A L B U I L D I N G C O N S T R U C T I O N I N 294 I D E N T I C A L C I T I E S , A S S H O W N B Y P E R M I T S IS S U E D I N N O V E M B E R , 1930, A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931, B Y G E O G R A P H IC D IV IS IO N S N ew re sid e n tia l b u ild in g s N e w no n resid e n tial b u ild in g s A d d itio n s, a lte ra tio n s, a n d re p a irs T o ta l c o n stru c tio n G eographic div isio n N ovem N ovem N ovem N ovem ber, 1930 b e r, 1931 ber, 1930 ber, 1931 N ovem ber, 1930 N ovem b er, 1931 N o v em N o v e m b er, 1930 b er, 1931 N e w E n g la n d . _____ M id d le A tla n tic E a s t N o r th C e n t r a l.-W e st N o r th C e n tr a l... S o u th A tla n tic - ___ S o u th C e n tra l____ M o u n ta in a n d Pacific- 404 1,238 784 385 274 590 955 397 859 378 341 347 369 743 866 2,311 2,698 719 768 558 1,643 891 1,695 1, 746 747 677 441 1,196 1,611 3, 737 2, 795 906 2, 265 1,411 3, 275 1,744 3, 733 2, 210 898 2,512 1,401 3, 037 2,881 7,286 6, 277 2, 010 3, 307 2,559 5,873. 3,032 6,287 4, 334 1,986 3, 536 2, 211 4, 976 T o ta l .. P e r c e n t of change 4, 630 3, 434 - 2 5 .8 9,563 7,393 -2 2 . 7 16,000 15, 535 -2 .9 30,193 26, 362 -1 2 .7 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis . HOUSING 117 Total construction, new residential buildings, new nonresidential buildings, and additions, alterations, and repairs, all showed decreases in the number of buildings for which permits were issued during November, 1931, as compared with November, 1930. Table 8 shows the estimated cost of new residential buildings, of new nonresidential buildings, of total building operations, together with the number of family-dwelling units provided in new buildings in each of the 342 cities from which reports were received for both October, 1931, and November, 1931. Reports were received from 51 cities in the New England States, 69 cities in the Middle Atlantic States, 92 cities in the East North Central States, 24 cities in the West North Central States, 37 cities in the South Atlantic States, 33 cities in the South Central States, and from 36 cities in the Mountain and Pacific States. Permits were issued for the following important building projects during the month of November, 1931: In Brookline, Mass., for a public-school building to cost over $350,000; in Cambridge, Mass., for an additional building for Radcliffe College to cost $400,000; in Providence, R. I., for a school building to cost $551,000; in the Bor ough of the Bronx, for apartment houses to cost over $1,600,000 and for a school building to cost $4,400,000; in Brooklyn, for a school building to cost $750,000; in the Borough of Queens, for a State hospital to cost nearly $600,000 and for two school buildings to cost $650,000; in Philadelphia, for an apartment house to cost $500,000; in Milwaukee, for a school building to cost over $750,000; in Indian apolis, for the completion of the World War memorial to cost over $1,000,000; and in St. Paul, Minn., for a State office building to cost $1,500,000. Contracts were awarded by the Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department for the United States Supreme Court Building in Washington, D. C., to cost over $8,000,000, and for a post office and Federal courthouse in Greensboro, N. C., to cost nearly $600,000. Contracts were awarded by the Veterans’ Bureau for a hospital in Columbia, S. C., to cost nearly $1,000,000, and for an addition to the veterans’ hospital in West Los Angeles, Calif., to cost nearly $350,000. No reports were received from New London (Conn.), Bangor (Me.), Nanticoke (Pa.), Anderson (Ind.), Port Huron (Mich.), Zanesville (Ohio), Fargo (N. Dak.), Pensacola and West Palm Beach (Fla.), Savannah (Ga.), Lynchburg (Va.), Fort Smith (Ark.), Lexington (Ky.), Enid and Muskogee (Okla.), Corpus Christi, Gal veston and Laredo (Tex.), and Riverside (Calif.). https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 118 MONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W T able 8 .—E S T I M A T E D C O S T O F B U I L D I N G S F O R W H I C H P E R M I T S W E R E IS S U E D I N P R I N C I P A L C I T I E S , O C T O B E R A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931 N ew E n g la n d S ta te s N e w re s id e n tia l b u ild in g s F a m ilie s p ro v id e d for in n e w d w ell ings E s tim a te d cost S ta te a n d c ity T o t a l______ P e r ce n t of change. N o v em ber, 1931 O cto ber, 1931 N o vem ber, 1931 $114,200 14, 000 21,000 29, 000 16, 700 28,200 89,800 96, 600 53, 000 11,500 16,000 $121,700 4.000 133, 000 80, 000 21,400 29 4 5 6 4 6 17 15 34 3,000 40,600 26,000 26,300 1 9 47.300 977, 000 16, 250 97, 000 44.450 471, 000 47, 000 93, 500 19, 700 9, 000 2,000 14.000 0 6,500 10 264 5 6 0 1 0 2 1 2 3 2 0 2 5 8 23 1 16 18 28 1 8 2 14 3 3 5 12 9 79 11 9 4 2 1 4 0 2 0 0 1 5 5 4 24 0 23 20 16 3 12 2 19 0 10 9 15 3 5 108, 200 23,900 26, 000 2,200 44, 600 3.000 2,449,850 - 1 3 .7 0 0 5.000 6.000 3, 500 6, 500 8,300 17, 500 0 45, 050 22.300 33, 500 84,100 4,500 141,500 77, 700 95, 000 1,000 41, 000 12, 000 44, 600 5, 700 17, 700 29,500 77,800 10, 500 17.300 5,000 120,450 31,200 26,350 12, 700 163, 900 0 2,838,300 12, 000 68, 000 92, 200 32, 000 3.000 30, 000 0 0 7.000 15.300 24.300 19.300 101,800 0 205,000 92, 700 80,100 11,800 73.000 11.000 71.450 0 50,350 48.300 67.300 0 6, 500 0 M id d le N e w Jersey : A tla n tic C i t y ___ B a y o n n e _________ B ellev ille. . _____ B loom field_______ C am d en ________ C lif to n .._ ____ _ E a s t O range ___ E liz a b e th ______ _ 1 A p p lic atio n s filed. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 0 $5, 500 4,000 70,000 0 115, 000 8, 500 35,000 0 0 $35, 000 109, 000 8,000 23, 000 14, 500 26, 000 1 13 14 6 2 12 10 17 5 4 4 6 1 T o ta l c o n stru c tio n , in c lu d in g a lte ra tio n s a n d rep airs (estim ated cost) O ctober, 1931 N ovem b e r, 1931 O ctober, 1931 $83, 978 110, 532 21, 500 94, 605 138,370 5,175 97, 576 9, 600 38, 000 925 436, 792 $16,100 2,810 6, 600 40, 909 71,149 41, 005 176,470 12, 950 5, 680 1,750 19, 990 $215,133 130,359 96, 950 221,421 161,440 48, 958 208, 226 122, 280 105, 800 13,435 458, 642 $170, 335 12, 896 166, 700 159,222 94, 359 58, 912 312,840 114,430 44, 655 7,300 52, 240 0 0 N o v em b er, 1931 15, 935 5,065 4,050 74,358 30, 000 51, 095 4,755 400,477 4, 215 7,280 443,625 2,060 5, 550 21, 800 23,554 1,806 3,585 7, 750 45,850 3,885 15, 545 7,080 82,120 5, 550 37,300 31,060 200 13,135 111,440 61,200 1,530 4,035 35, 550 387,125 1.300 513,335 59, 930 368, 520 415, 670 925 2, 900 40, 550 2, 305 850 154,125 10, 750 11, 975 685 4,405 12, 500 86,635 4,450 12, 985 29,389 17,840 1,950 4.300 5,325 22,490 3,598 15,590 8,250 19, 225 97, 605 1,605,355 31, 500 111, 765 462, 576 17, 945 14, 950 29, 525 47, 275 10, 816 19,357 41, 250 63, 000 56, 615 57, 315 51,420 173,160 26, 760 177, 572 125, 950 171, 091 9, 825 68, 039 139, 699 116,425 15, 228 24,235 89, 250 490,100 50, 650 1,277, 072 133,710 465, 090 473,117 20, 959 5,375 55,400 19, 640 8,600 165,410 40, 550 27, 260 28, 045 40, 735 49, 370 192, 810 16, 975 238, 591 136, 796 159, 399 24, 700 105, 730 33, 875 100, 215 15, 393 70,015 67, 575 107, 628 0 2 4,000 4,105 4.000 5,175 14, 500 52, 556 4, 250 23, 540 2 28 6 5 3 34 0 0 25 5 5 1 14 1 3,790 17, 625 35,472 9,050 5,710 104, 860 6, 290 280 14, 910 14, 925 4.300 3.000 815, 535 2, 750 10, 555 143, 590 78,330 40, 550 25,410 396, 978 8, 720 1,720 125, 235 49, 738 33, 210 27,430 953, 960 7, 685 645 467 - 2 7 .6 3,033, 962 3,098,105 + 2 .1 6,977, 844 6,632,437 -5 .0 oO C o n n ec tic u t: B rid g e p o rt-. B ris to l_____ G reenw ich __ H a rtfo rd ___ M e rid e n ____ N e w B rita in . N ew H av en . N o rw a lk ___ S tam fo rd ___ T o r r in g to n ... W a te rb u ry ... M aine: L e w isto n ... P o rtla n d — M assa ch u setts: B ev e rly _____ B oston 1_____ B ro c k to n ____ B ro o k lin e___ C a m b rid g e ... C h else a_____ C hicopee____ E v e r e tt_____ F a ll R iv e r __ F itc h b u rg ___ H a v e rh ill___ H o ly o k e _____ L a w re n c e ___ L o w ell______ L y n n -----------M a ld e n _____ M e d fo rd ____ N e w B edford. N e w to n _____ P itts fie ld ____ Q u in c y ______ R ev e re______ S ale m _______ S o m e rv ille .. . S p ringfield— T a u n to n ____ W a lth a m ____ W a te r to w n ... W o rce ster___ N ew H am p sh ire : C o n c o rd ____ M a n c h e s te r... R h o d e Isla n d : C e n tra l F a lls _____ C ra n s to n _________ E a s t P r o v id e n c e .. N e w p o rt_________ P a w tu c k e t_______ P ro v id e n c e _______ W o o n so ck et______ O ctober, 1931 N ew n o n re sid e n tia l b u ild in g s (e s tim a t ed cost) $45, 278 23, 155 15, 150 81, 000 21, 130 134, 990 89, 453 114, 000 A t la n t ic 0 2 1 14 0 29 1 7 21,010 S ta te s 0 0 4 26 2 7 2 5 $6,150 725 5,100 5,000 9, 275 13, 590 50, 426 79, 000 $6, 27, 300 2, 350 4, 000 52, 285 15, 400 146, 405 17, 500 $39, 37, 38, 113, 93, 42, 171, 43, 637 615 415 000 320 050 645 500 119 H O U S IN G T abi.e 8 - E S T I M A T E D C O S T O F B U I L D I N G S F O R W H I C H P E R M I T S W E R E IS S U E D I N P R I N C I P A L C I T I E S , O C T O B E R A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931— C o n tin u e d M id d le A t la n t ic S ta te s — 'C ontinued N e w re sid e n tia l b u ild in g s E s tim a te d cost S ta te a n d c ity O ctober, 1931 N ew J e rs e y —C o n td . G a rfie ld ... . . . . . H o b o k e n _______ Irv in g to n ______ Jersey C ity ____ K e a rn y __ _______ M o n tc la ir. . . . N e w a rk . ______ N e w B ru n sw ic k _ O ra n g e .. . ____ P assa ic___________ P a t e r s o n . . ______ P e r th A m b o y ____ P la in fie ld ________ T re n to n _____ . . . U n io n C ity . W e st N ew Y o r k .. N ew Y ork: A lb a n y ________ A m s t e r d a m .____ A u b u r n . ----- ------B in g h a m to n ___ _ B u ffalo . . . ___ E l m ir a ... _______ J a m e s to w n .. K in g s to n _______ L o c k p o rt. . . . . M o u n t V ern o n . . N e w b u rg h ----- . . . N ew R ochelle. . . . N ew Y o rk C ity — T h e B ronx A .. B ro o k ly n 1. . M a n h a t t a n '. . Q ueens i . „ . . . R ic h m o n d 1 . . N ia g a ra F a lls ____ P o u g h k e e p s ie ___ R o ch e ster ---------S c h e n e c ta d y _____ S y ra c u se . . . . ----T r o y ____ _ U tic a ____________ W a te r to w n .. . . . . W h ite P la in s _____ Y o n k e rs__________ P e n n s y lv a n ia : A lle n to w n _______ A lto o n a . ________ B e th le h e m .......... B u tle r ___ _______ C h e s te r .. _______ E a s to n . _____ E r ie ____ _______ H a rris b u rg _______ H a z le to n ______ . J o h n s to w n _______ L a n c a s te r. . . . . . M c K e e sp o rt N e w C astle _____ N o rris to w n __ ___ P h ila d e lp h ia _____ P itt s b u r g h .. . . . . R ea d in g _____ S cran to n _______ W ilk es-B arre_____ W ilk in s b u rg . ___ W illia m s p o rt____ Y o rk ................ . T o t a l_________ i A p p lic atio n s filed, N ovem ber, 1931 F am ilie s p ro v id e d for in new d w ell ings O cto ber, 1931 N o vem ber, 1931 N e w n o n resid e n tial b u ild in g s (e s tim a t ed cost) O ctober, 1931 N ovem b er, 1931 T o ta l c o n s tru c tio n 1 in c lu d in g a lte ra tio n s a n d rep airs (estim ated cost) O ctober, 1931 N ovem b er, 1931 0 0 $42,000 ieo, 400 34,000 53, 500 53, 000 0 12,000 0 38, 575 0 47, 000 28, 500 0 30,000 $4, 200 0 28, 600 62, 000 22, 300 41, 000 199, 200 0 0 9, 200 51, 700 12,400 56, 200 125,000 0 0 0 0 11 48 8 5 14 0 2 0 11 0 7 4 0 13 1 0 8 32 10 5 40 0 0 2 14 1 7 16 0 0 $2,385 5,500 8, 525 13, 025 10, 425 4, 550 419,460 4,160 3, 920 45,335 32,427 7,484 22,914 189,815 2,900 12, 200 $9,700 0 7,475 9, 790 2,400 5,506 63,900 5,877 5,322 7,950 13,941 1,075 23, 550 10, 070 900 1,000 $5,785 13,860 56, 245 257,325 45, 500 74,018 597,962 13,994 26, 635 75,050 115,615 10, 264 80, 589 241, 763 32, 700 56,390 $24,050 13, 510 42, 640 95,715 25, 675 53,876 408,025 18, 422 10, 080 40, 714 90, 626 14,475 83, 098 194, 584 10,885 10, 230 241,600 4,000 25, 600 22,100 242, 025 7, 250 25, 700 21, 200 4,000 59,800 6,000 213, 300 245,400 0 32,100 24, 225 69, 800 22,467 14,000 34, 000 0 39,800 0 41, 000 20 1 5 6 95 2 7 6 2 9 1 14 24 0 3 11 26 7 4 8 0 6 0 3 2,141,650 1,700 3,335 10,121 465,802 6, 257 20,975 236,080 1,690 12, 545 4,000 209,899 17,900 500 1, 500 6,984 220,175 3, 325 3,600 8,800 519 57, 500 3,800 36,917 2, 440,446 6,300 39, 755 61,792 801,437 20,178 49, 692 272, 579 10,845 - 96,555 10,900 436,224 326, 279 3,000 37, 085 57, 789 321,489 29, 493 26,980 49, 463 1,769 131, 530 22, 650 89, 637 3,140, 000 4,147, 300 410, 000 4,904, 000 302,450 68,850 28, 000 72, 050 61,900 112,800 54, 390 53, 000 6,000 86, 000 411,100 2,026,300 1, 510, 900 1,215, 000 2, 257, 200 299, 600 70, 540 53, 500 114,000 30, 000 109, 700 59, 600 39, 500 23,800 46, 500 353,450 731 1,023 141 1,182 87 12 4 17 11 23 10 9 2 8 62 479 399 202 595 89 22 9 20 6 22 16 7 4 5 48 1,896,800 373, 371 4,918, 500 800,165 208, 200 15, 512 6,850 43,955 37, 600 847, 869 48,395 30, 350 14,425 10, 200 42, 670 4,643,850 1,184, 230 286,100 1,692,303 12, 655 7, 525 11,925 45,369 8,500 38, 700 421, 210 13,000 1,775 16, 650 155,165 5,287,645 5,612,731 7,178, 740 6,190,885 603,925 136,315 49,125 159, 688 128, 050 1,040, 795 120, 300 83, 950 27,115 108,340 486, 510 6,828,310 3,874,982 2,666,864 4,863, 793 422, 539 97, 415 74,105 241,124 48, 650 159, 060 496,832 54, 000 26,905 69,090 550, 995 0 26,000 3,100 11,150 4, 500 33, 000 5,000 0 5,000 0 2,900 6, 000 75,200 60,100 18,000 21,958 0 11,181 2,000 4, 950 2,800 12,000 23, 500 27, 500 4, 000 11,200 0 12,000 574,900 212, 500 165, 500 257, 700 0 20,000 29, 200 28, 516 3, 575 6; 700 9,000 0 0 5,000 25,000 18, 500 16,203, 545 10, 562,657 —34. 8 4 3 1 0 0 1 24 5 3 1 1 6 1 1 45 52 0 2 2 0 2 2 3,823 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 15, 580 0 349,497 2 3,910 2 3, 750 1 17,025 1 6,415 1 15 19,165 3 221, 006 7,433 0 11, 670 1 3 7, 650 3,300 3 2,065 2 9,376 0 117 2,489, 630 25 1, 515,190 4 11, 590 15,340 9 7,745 1 3,100 2 26, 242 0 5,065 3 2,392 18,114,951 - 3 7 .4 54,052 55 , 370 10, 654 367,657 39,500 9, 460 5, 200 6, 550 209,100 18,825 6,089 17, 009 97,865 325,615 240, 515 451, 064 8, 300 25, 530 22,495 22, 573 20,890 16,810 30,440 44, 242 14, 595 11,340 7,731 23, 536 951,385 2,983,900 572,041 1,911, 577 82,437 29,972 52,175 59, 550 28,971 32,804 15, 200 31,360 14,140 37,238 61,847 48,001 9,827, 591 40, 218,651 25,833,237 - 3 5 .8 -4 5 .7 9,850 2, 302 2,200 200 4,100 1,275 27,250 201,800 5,698 5,720 3, 500 1,875 3,225 5,175 145,990 28,325 4,850 4,435 14,425 3,750 7,303 3, 770 120 T able M ONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W 8.—E S T I M A T E D C O S T O F B U IL D IN G S F O R W H IC H P E R M IT S W E R E I N P R I N C I P A L C I T I E S , O C T O B E R A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931— C o n tin u ed E ast N o rth C e n tra l ISSUED S ta te s N e w re s id e n tia l b u ild in g s E s tim a te d cost S ta te a n d c ity Illinois: A lto n ____________ A uro ra- ________ B elleville________ B e rw y n __________ B lo o m in g to n _____ C h i c a g o .. _______ C icero____________ D a n v ille _________ D e c a tu r_________ E a s t S t. L o u is ___ E lg in ____________ E v a n s to n ________ G ra n ite C ity _____ J o lie t............... ......... M ay w o o d ______ M o lin e ______ . . . O ak P a r k _______ P eo ria____________ Q u in c v ___________ R o ckford _________ R o ck Is la n d ______ S p ringfield _______ W a u k e g a n _____ . In d ia n a : E a s t C hicago____ E l k h a r t _________ E v a n s v ille _______ F o r t W a y n e ______ G a ry -------------------H a m m o n d _______ In d ia n a p o lis ___ K o k o m o _________ L a fa v e tte ________ M ario n _________ M ich ig an C it y ___ M is h a w a k a ______ M u n c ie __________ R ic h m o n d ______ T e rre H a u te ____ M ich ig an : A n n A rb o r_______ B a ttle C re e k _____ B a y C it y ------------D e a rb o rn _______ D e tr o it_________ F l i n t .. _______ G ra n d R a p id s ____ H a m t r a m c k ... _ H ig h la n d P a r k ___ J a c k s o n _________ K ala m azo o _______ L a n sin g . . ______ M u sk e g o n _ . P o n tia c _________ S ag in a w . _____ W y a n d o tte _____ O hio: A k ro n ____. . . A s h ta b u la ________ C a n to n ________ C in c in n a ti_______ C le v ela n d ________ C le v ela n d H eig h ts C o lu m b u s________ D a y to n ______ . . . E a s t C le v e la n d __ E ly ria ____________ H a m ilto n ________ L a k ew o o d ________ L im a _____________ L o ra in ___________ M an sfield ................ https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis F am ilie s p ro v id e d for in new d w ell ings N e w n o n re sid e n tia l b u ild in g s (e s tim a t ed cost) i m a i co n stru c tio n , in c lu d in g a lte ra tio n s a n d rep airs (e stim a te d cost) O ctober, 1931 N ovem ber, 1931 O cto ber, 1931 N o vem ber, 1931 O ctober, 1931 N ovem b er, 1931 O ctober, 1931 N ovem b er, 1931 0 $7,865 9, 300 11,000 12,000 225,100 8,500 2,100 0 16, 700 13,100 8,000 3,000 18,000 0 30, 000 10, 500 85, 900 15, 300 13,000 14, 300 36, 700 9,000 0 $14, 675 11,470 10.000 7,000 187, 550 5,800 0 3,500 28,450 3,500 24, 000 0 7,000 0 3,400 0 86,930 3, 250 10,000 13, 500 25,000 38,000 0 3 2 2 2 32 1 1 0 7 2 1 1 3 0 8 1 19 4 3 6 11 2 0 4 5 2 2 31 1 0 1 10 1 2 0 2 0 1 0 14 2 2 6 6 9 $1,000 8, 615 615 3, 360 0 485, 768 8, 300 15, 300 48, 650 11,835 158,250 109, 750 0 2,225 26, 639 2,840 43,995 7,815 2,640 2.475 1,815 22,798 28,027 $7, 000 318, 437 75,365 2,880 0 595,715 250 24, 400 8,425 8,475 1,215 20, 500 0 6,900 1,045 2,170 10, 170 23, 630 1,730 12, 250 1,587 8,530 3,545 $15, 317 22,094 12,115 16,190 12, 000 1, 235,967 19, 300 64,650 49, 700 34, 635 181,000 142, 250 3,000 43,858 29,100 39, 587 69, 970 158,930 18,040 25, 370 25,173 84, 207 42,742 $13, 873 334, 784 87, 560 12,880 7,000 1, 398,189 12, 925 27,588 27, 575 39, 425 15, 735 62,000 0 86, 959 2,695 7, 280 18,965 140, 548 7, 440 29, 000 21, 906 105, 502 47,705 2, 200 17,000 11,910 44, 200 1,000 0 120, 750 0 3. 300 1,780 14, 500 2, 000 5, 000 7,000 3,000 0 6, 500 6,700 37,160 16, 200 5, 600 102,350 500 0 0 3,500 3,000 0 8, 250 6,600 1 2 5 11 1 0 26 0 2 1 4 1 1 2 1 0 2 2 9 3 2 22 1 0 0 1 2 0 2 2 980 9, 550 16, 600 10, 698 4, 830 2, 371 125, 304 3,400 0 15,098 250 1,480 4, 277 7, 650 1,675 920 63,450 5, 225 18, 235 7,035 72, 489 1,132, 234 2, 420 3, 000 18, 757 1, 350 225 40, 575 800 2,125 5, 630 31, 172 48, 754 99, 527 15,115 10, 090 310, 223 5,835 6, 400 22,138 16, 875 4,180 21, 070 22, 000 31, 281 1, 470 70, 952 83, 737 68, 439 27,985 84,104 1, 275, 513 3,095 4,200 26,156 5,100 3, 375 43, 502 10,150 11,800 48, 700 2,000 9,700 126,300 488,088 19,476 38, 700 4, 500 0 0 1,800 12, 500 0 0 0 12,100 10, 700 10, 300 10, 500 45,900 304, 350 14,182 28, 200 0 0 0 11,800 0 0 0 8, 900 11,400 7 1 3 36 130 4 11 1 0 0 1 4 0 0 0 3 3 3 3 10 56 3 7 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 5 2 1,960 18,470 8, 550 3,635 564, 378 53, 043 34, 730 9, 260 550 820 11, 920 11, 970 2,630 4,140 8,160 3,437 2, 325 16, 900 1,425 1,300 319,195 12, 727 8,940 150 260 51,115 1,170 46, 385 8,025 5, 220 2,215 1,005 75,860 25, 795 26, 250 132, 760 1, 360, 750 84, 514 97, 500 15, 325 2, 075 4, 516 25,497 36, 545 8, 350 6,670 14,124 24,552 23, 775 33, 565 17, 815 49,000 773,423 36, 649 46,410 1, 220 5,380 57, 225 18, 744 65, 620 10, 365 14, 545 14, 963 18, 335 48, 350 3,600 0 359, 400 245, 000 86, 800 83, 400 6,000 0 6,500 0 27, 500 0 3,000 29, 500 18, 050 13,850 0 338, 700 103, 500 90, 800 34,100 40, 000 0 2, 250 4,000 4,500 0 5,400 7,500 8 2 0 76 50 14 16 3 0 2 0 2 0 1 7 3 5 0 71 33 13 6 10 0 1 1 1 0 2 1 114, 678 1, 790 3,360 818, 930 93,325 3,790 35. 250 293,343 1,115 6,745 2,125 6,140 365 1, 606 3,470 17,603 1,705 2,655 113, 605 336, 800 5,160 13, 450 23, 206 130 2,360 4,355 1,315 1,350 5, 300 6,165 208, 368 13, 268 11, 625 1, 244, 555 548, 000 95, 950 177, 500 325,023 3,144 15,755 12,630 38, 740 15, 865 5,586 33,463 41, 368 16, 380 4,405 547, 665 554, 900 99, 600 63,450 69, 704 1,430 6, 845 10, 790 10, 640 1, 735 11,125 15,175 121 H O U S IN G T able 8 - E S T I M A T E D C O S T O F B U IL D IN G S F O R W H I C H P E R M I T S W E R E I S S U E D I N P R I N C I P A L C I T I E S , O C T O B E R A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931—C o n tin u e d E a s t N o rth C e n tra l S ta te s — C ontinued N e w re s id e n tia l b u d d in g s E s tim a te d cost S ta te a n d c ity T o ta l c o n stru c tio n , in c lu d in g a lte ra tio n s a n d rep airs (estim ated cost) N o v em ber, 1931 O cto ber, 1931 N o vem ber, 1931 O ctober, 1931 N ovem b er, 1931 O ctober, 1931 0 $1, 500 0 1,500 0 0 0 0 2,000 0 11,100 0 0 0 $5, 000 26,000 0 10,300 3,000 4,000 11,500 14,400 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 1 5 0 2 1 1 2 4 $250 1,450 2,470 60, 625 8,825 200 1, 550 890 51,887 1,435 2,430 $465 250 270 760 13, 570 5, 230 885 500 11, 585 16,820 3,245 $1, 850 4,513 8, 670 62,125 12,965 3,020 7,460 1, 590 121, 807 8,785 19,661 $465 750 1, 020 5, 760 41, 445 7,296 12, 410 5, 700 24,168 39, 390 54, 065 26, 400 23, 000 7,000 45, 200 3,600 98, 900 313,150 14,200 12, 500 34,100 0 27,300 17, 200 18, 400 19, 500 11,100 15, 000 29,700 225, 350 0 0 42,300 3,000 9,100 6 7 2 15 1 18 67 5 3 7 0 5 6 6 7 3 1 7 53 0 0 9 1 2 2,510 1, 600 2,075 52, 580 3,095 16,131 371, 245 8, 200 66,170 32, 250 2,925 4,095 22,370 3,000 4, 600 4,570 1,950 22,170 935, 577 235,050 10, 745 1, 375 1,715 5,965 124,320 33, 558 11, 525 109, 447 29, 454 154, 071 1, 073,433 28,726 83,770 88,959 8,425 36,840 45, 595 23, 500 27, 262 20,030 44,140 59, 668 1, 229, 578 236,155 13, 315 58, 717 5, 525 17, 251 -------- 3, 067, 369 2,263,117 —26. 2 695 503 - 2 7 .6 4, 015,448 4,819, 242 + 2 0 .0 9,721, 014 8, 842,563 -9 .0 W est N o rth Iow a: B u rlin g to n --------C ed a r R a p id s ____ C o u ncil B lu ffs___ D a v e n p o r t ---------D es M o in es____ _ D u b u q u e -------- -O ttu m w a ________ S ioux C i t y . _____ W a terlo o ________ K an sas: H u tc h in s o n _____ K a n sa s C it y _____ T o p e k a _________ W ic h ita __________ M in n e so ta : D u l u t h . __ __ M in n ea p o lis ___ S t. P a u l__________ M isso u ri: J o p lin ____________ K an sas C ity _____ S p r in g f ie ld _____ S t. J o se p h ________ S t. L o u is...... ......... . N e b ra s k a : L in c o ln __________ O m a h a ............. ....... S o u th D a k o ta : Sioux F a lls ----------T o ta l N ew n o n resid e n tial b u ild in g s (e s tim a t ed cost) O ctober, 1931 O hio— C o n tin u e d . M ario n _______ M a s sillo n _____ M id d le to w n . . . N e w a rk . _____ N o rw o o d .. P o r ts m o u th ______ S p ringfield _______ S teu b e n v ille T o led o ___ ___ W a rre n . ______ Y o u n g sto w n _____ W isconsin: A p p le t o n ____ . . . E a u C la ire_____ F o n d d u L a c ____ G reen B a y _______ K e n o s h a _________ M a d is o n _______ M ilw a u k e e _____ O sh k o sh ___ . . R acin e . . . S h eb o y g an ----S u p erior ___ _ . W e st A l l i s ---------T o t a l— F am ilie s p ro v id e d for in new d w ell ings ________ N ovem b er, 1931 C e n tr a l S ta te s $12,000 27, 050 23, 000 18, 800 42, 950 32, 700 4, 500 56,350 18, 200 $5,000 44,150 3, 500 29,400 58,050 46,900 11, 500 36, 500 9,600 3 9 7 8 17 10 2 19 6 1 6 2 8 13 10 3 11 4 $8, 000 19.458 3,600 4,332 18,965 5,624 4,000 10, 705 14,890 $5,350 6.685 3,800 13,245 34, 090 3,450 300 90,465 7,325 $23,550 71,626 36,600 43,324 70,635 50,924 8, 800 77, 705 37, 230 $11.250 77,430 12,300 74,098 112, 555 58,448 11,800 163,415 21,850 13,600 19,600 15, 700 80,300 0 9,900 22,000 44,000 7 11 9 20 0 4 6 8 7,575 9,545 953,835 12, 785 1,975 0 3,430 11, 255 22,125 35.155 975, 655 137,745 4,105 9, 900 31, 585 65, 212 46, 500 468,825 191,040 17, 300 474,850 190, 740 15 128 31 6 131 35 18,380 63, 715 69,511 6,035 41, 960 1, 563,900 92, 622 638,154 324,447 61,945 589,945 1,799,160 8, 400 81, 500 20. 000 14, 500 376,350 0 70,000 13,600 7,100 246, 500 2 24 4 8 114 0 26 5 3 78 2,200 97,000 5,125 4, 655 86,975 900 62,200 2,160 6, 530 63,038 21,630 297, 200 34,010 24,040 580,055 6, 525 182, 900 20,760 18,705 454,868 27,050 99,250 25,800 53,000 7 22 5 15 9,360 18,497 44,510 54,232 60,445 158,052 72,360 118, 747 34,185 42,437 8 9 104,440 111, 314 140,875 154,626 1, 732,350 1,461, 827 —15. 6 491 389 - 2 0 .8 1, 533,172 2,138,149 + 3 9 .5 3, 962, 604 4,134,489 +4. 3 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis ' 122 M ONTHLY L A B O R R E V IE W T able 8 .—E S T I M A T E D C O S T O P B U I L D I N G S F O R W H I C H P E R M I T S W E R E I S S U E D I N P R I N C I P A L C I T I E S , O C T O B E R A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931— C o n tin u e d S o u th A t la n t ic S ta te s N e w re s id e n tia l b u ild in g s S ta te a n d c ity D elaw are: W ilm in g to n ______ D is tric t of C olu m b ia: W a sh in g to n ______ F lo rid a : Jack so n v ille______ M ia m i. . _ ______ O rlan d o __________ S t. P e te rsb u rg ____ T a m p a __________ G eorgia: A tla n ta _________ A u g u sta __________ C o lu m b u s________ M a c o n _____ ____ M a ry la n d : B a l t i m o r e .____ _ C u m b e r l a n d ___ H a g ersto w n ______ N o rth C arolina: A sheville_________ C h a rlo tte _______ D u r h a m ___ ____ G reensboro______ H ig h P o in t_______ R aleigh _______ W ilm in g to n W in sto n -S a lem ___ S o u th C arolina: C h a r l e s to n ____ C o lu m b ia ________ G reen v ille________ S p a rta n b u rg __ V irginia: N e w p o rt N e w s ___ N o rfo lk ______ _ P e te r s b u r g ______ P o rts m o u th _. R ic h m o n d .. R o a n o k e _____ W e st V irginia: C h a rle sto n ______ C la rk sb u rg _______ H u n tin g to n P a rk e rsb u rg W heeling ............. T o ta l. ________ P e r ce n t of change E s tim a te d cost https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis O cto b e r, 1931 N o vem ber, 1931 N e w n o n re sid e n tia l b u ild in g s (e s tim a t ed cost) T o ta l co n stru c tio n , in c lu d in g a lte ra tio n s a n d re p a irs (estim ated cost) O ctober, 1931 O ctober, 1931 O ctober, 1931 N ovem b er, 1931 $167,200 $69,200 44 15 $39, 531 $24,875 $260,142 $320, 732 883, 700 747,350 176 149 3, 229,201 8,825,657 4, 441, 614 9, 905,058 57, 350 48, 700 3,060 7, 500 5,550 38, 650 43, 550 500 12,700 7,650 14 15 4 2 4 12 16 1 6 8 405,165 61,810 845 3, 300 4,475 34, 565 79,815 565 8, 500 4,525 489,940 188, 919 15, 025 31, 500 36, 972 136, 640 206,814 9, 070 37,100 31,324 109,850 10, 552 13.000 1,800 58, 700 23,292 2,800 16,500 32 8 2 2 25 8 2 1 23,087 25,000 300 24,150 28,923 15,363 2, 059 850 200, 776 64,891 17,980 57,143 198, 609 48, 994 12, 329 37, 765 458,000 4.000 5.000 426, 000 0 0 63 1 2 109 0 0 225,400 3,635 755 595, 600 915 1,155 1,332, 700 8, 735 6,005 1, 476, 700 3,370 6,155 1,400 58,418 22,450 1.000 33, 050 1,200 9,800 6,900 0 31, 530 19,200 3, 500 16.400 2,200 13.800 6.500 1 14 17 1 16 2 4 6 0 13 5 2 12 2 6 3 24, 780 3,335 13,200 10,135 0 1,925 200 39,285 220 72.475 0 662,078 590 234, 540 600 8,310 34, 350 75,878 51,475 27, 390 35, 500 10, 075 16, 600 68, 072 6, 515 115, 383 21, 675 672, 028 17, 490 240, 624 18, 800 21, 353 16,250 30,998 25,500 0 5.500 56.400 16,000 1, 500 3 16 4 0 3 18 4 1 4,973 49,794 125 4,345 0 953,443 0 2,350 26,290 92, 707 36, 265 22,305 16,689 1,022, 610 18, 665 5,425 19,700 62,100 0 10, 500 35, Oil 15.000 23, 700 67.800 400 9, 600 60, 790 8.500 7 17 0 3 8 5 12 24 1 5 12 2 4,000 22,640 0 8,330 170, 236 3,848 2,607 18, 250 30, 568 390 27,177 19,855 36, 609 105, 985 2,400 30,142 240, 466 22, 666 98,855 104, 695 31, 253 23,445 115, 485 37, 390 19.800 4, 000 3,500 0 21.800 14.800 3,000 8,100 0 10, 200 6 2 2 0 3 6 1 4 0 4 5, 250 5, 745 53, 750 51, 623 9, 693 3.475 3, 378 3,325 1,425 6, 950 31,836 11, 585 59, 700 59, 633 38, 480 33, 875 6,378 19, 830 3,870 20, 505 2,173,639 1,826, 312 - 1 6 .0 506 492 - 2 .8 S o u th A lab a m a: B irm in g h a m . M o b ile ______ M o n tg o m ery . A rk an sas: L ittle R o c k .. K e n tu c k y : A s h la n d ......... C o v in g to n ... L o u isv ille___ N e w p o rt____ P a d u c a h ........ L o u isian a: B a to n R ouge N e w O rleans. S h r e v e p o rt... F am ilie s p ro v id e d for in n ew d w ell ings $5,000 14,7ÜU 19,300 $8,260 24,300 20,200 N ovem b e r, 1931 4, 533,866 10, 717, 794 +136. 4 N ovem b e r, 1931 8, 288, 751 14, 047,154 + 69. 5 C e n tr a l S ta te s 3 9 6 9 11 17 $10,025 14,000 5,600 $18,300 11,550 10,825 $53,248 40j 015 43,915 $120,903 43,648 40, 721 0 17,000 0 4 1,830 263,553 10,967 288,929 0 11,500 50,000 0 2,200 0 7,000 12,000 0 0 0 3 9 0 2 0 2 3 0 0 7,400 80,035 260,485 800 750 744 670 40,470 700 2,100 12,950 104,910 490,935 24,000 2,950 744 13, 831 101,420 700 2,100 13,983 69, 900 3,400 25,160 49,400 9,250 8 32 7 5 17 9 3,695 2,415 4,732 835 44,775 13,621 23,493 118,580 35,579 31,303 124, 683 51,268 123 H O U S IN G T able 8.—E S T I M A T E D C O S T O F B U IL D IN G S F O R W H IC H P E R M I T S W E R E IS S U E D I N P R I N C I P A L C I T I E S , O C T O B E R A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931— C o n tin u e d S o u th C o n tin u ed C e n tra l S ta te s— N ew resid e n tial b u ild in g s E s tim a te d cost S ta te a n d c ity O cto ber, 1931 N o vem ber, 1931 N ew n o n resid e n tial b u ild in g s (e s tim a t ed cost) N ovem b er, 1931 $750 0 $26,402 $49,004 726,195 $1,039,715 150 400 124,999 57,405 1,001,464 150 187,269 1,141,025 400 127,503 19,770 1,650 6,420 26,520 409,225 147, 970 224, 581 156,040 681,330 364,134 100, 986 1,650 25,274 151,840 529,619 66,673 67,721 20,154 62, 852 11,515 1,201,950 253,405 16, 835 10, 540 137,414 7,325 600 18,500 256,206 5,192 7,580 2, 646 110,185 148,588 3,710 1,650 218,794 41,750 49,449 92,733 155,154 35,275 245,178 31,926 1,328,580 740,108 25,000 12, 790 250, 888 32,350 2, 841 29, 539 402,021 21,871 310,200 20,004 353,036 854, 623 11,422 4,185 312,103 57,335 55,424 4,299,135 2,833,498 - 3 4 .1 6,678,705 5,379,314 -1 9 .5 N ovem ber, 1931 $12, 630 $11,910 8 9 126, 700 0 35,925 89,500 0 57, 700 44 0 13 24 0 17 15,600 1,000 24,120 20,150 57, 725 20,700 0 6,300 27,950 87,600 6 1 11 9 18 8 0 5 13 14 50, 200 223,181 121.409 540,800 279, 535 24, 850 69,646 2,700 107, 975 10, 600 86,100 445,400 0 2,000 92,965 13,900 500 5,500 68,665 7,250 128,775 12,000 200,550 696,350 0 0 77, 722 10, 725 0 20 44 3 71 3 29 117 0 1 42 8 1 2 39 7 52 5 28 241 0 0 39 8 0 1,340,469 1,681,767 + 2 5 .5 528 588 + 1 1 .4 M o u n t a in and A rizona: $32, 650 P h o en ix __________ 50,450 T u c s o n ____ _____ C alifornia: 7,500 A la m e d a _________ 37,600 A lh a m b ra ____ . . . 6,400 B ak ersfield _______ 39,250 B erk e ley _________ 24, 450 F resn o __________ 172, 550 G len d a le_________ 233,950 L o ng B ea ch ______ Los A ngeles______ 1, 541, 200 170, 650 O a k la n d _________ 80,424 P a s a d e n a ------------90, 450 S a c ra m e n to ............ 23, 500 S an B e r n a rd in o ... 191,140 S an D iego________ 741,077 S an F ran cisc o ____ 92, 400 S an J o se ____ ____ 20, 600 S a n ta A n a _______ S a n ta M o n ic a ____ S to c k to n _________ V allejo___________ C olorado: C olorado S p rin g s.. D e n v e r ____ . . P u e b lo ___________ M o n ta n a : B u tt e _______ ____ G reat F a lls ______ N e w M exico: A lb u q u e rq u e _____ P a c if ic T o ta l eo n s tra c tio n , in c lu d in g a lte ra tio n s a n d rep airs (estim ated cost) O ctober, 1931 O ctober, 1931 M ississippi: J a c k s o n ________ ■_ O k lah o m a: O k lah o m a C i t y . . . O k m u lg e e________ T u ls a ____________ T ennessee: C h a tta n o o g a _____ Jo h n so n C it y . . . K n o x v ille. M e m p h is ____ N a s h v ille ___ Texas: A m a rillo _________ A u s tin _______ . . B e a u m o n t............. D a lla s _____ ___ E l P a s o ____ F o r t W o r t h ______ H o u sto n . . . P o r t A r th u r _____ S an A n g elo ---------S an A n to n io _____ W a c o __ ________ W ic h ita F a lls ____ T o t a l......... ....... ... F am ilies p ro v id e d for in n ew d w ell ings O ctober, 1931 N ovem b er, 1931 S ta te s $52,700 46,415 9 15 10 24 $3,235 62,091 $250 67,685 $44,900 127, 766 $55,346 122,959 3 14 2 11 7 41 92 506 42 21 19 9 41 199 26 6 8,272 30,094 300 5, 510 6, 250 106,680 109,659 10, 640 37, 440 29, 200 1,178,306 181,159 10,833 180, 630 3, 275 37,910 592, 516 188,475 51, 544 2 3,110 73,340 2, 450 3,150 26, 650 62,300 19, 737 274, 259 69,488 206,950 379,835 3,459, 905 340, 217 297,006 156, 769 30, 905 313,015 1,339,438 282, 220 47, 737 14 8 2 5 24 4 12 9 27 46 394 44 8 21 10 24 129 9 13 2 10 12 5 2 2,460 22,100 910 216,605 4, 551 21,850 89,130 1,353, 718 57,157 147,330 29,130 3,825 33,430 456,924 168,495 25,924 54, 600 53, 583 5,150 19, 500 77,300 16, 200 59,959 34,857 125, 050 147, 200 1, 276,064 171, 575 32,050 95,250 29,900 84,100 505,950 35,050 40,300 2 36, 700 30,385 24, 750 10, 400 68,147 120, 476 9,225 33,002 88,150 125,965 203,308 70, 905 170, 920 210, 715 2,879,858 386,404 71, 948 293, 232 36, 500 201,112 1,206, 534 249,100 91, 844 2 57, 720 106, 363 38, 055 16,945 4, 600 235,000 900 8,325 152,800 3,500 2 55 1 3 37 3 76,245 424,116 81,065 1, 550 139,250 2,550 85, 753 733, 691 93,080 20,985 342,115 8,695 0 19, 500 0 10, 250 0 7 0 3 3,025 1,205 3,020 575 3,400 25,170 3, 720 16,052 21, 500 24, 755 8 8 10, 650 10,335 41,853 52,883 * N o t in c lu d ed in to t al 91909°—32 ------9 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 124 M ONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W T able 8.—E S T I M A T E D C O S T O F B U IL D IN G S F O R W H I C H P E R M I T S W E R E IS S U E D I N P R I N C I P A L C I T I E S , O C T O B E R A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931— C o n tin u e d M o u n t a in and P a c if ic S ta te s — C o n tin u ed N e w re s id e n tia l b u ild in g s E s tim a te d cost S ta te a n d c ity O regon: P o rtla n d _________ S alem ____________ U ta h : O gden - - - - - - S alt L a k e C ity ___ W a sh in g to n : B e llin g h a m ______ E v e r e tt__________ S e a ttle ___________ S p o k a n e _________ T a c o m a __________ T o t a l____ - - - . P e r ce n t of c h a n g e ___ F am ilie s p ro v id e d for in new dw ell ings N ew n o n resid e n tial b u ild in g s (e s tim a t ed cost) T o ta l co n stru c tio n , in c lu d in g a lte ra tio n s a n d rep airs (estim ated cost) O ctober, 1931 N ovem ber, 1931 O cto ber, 1931 N o vem ber, 1931 O ctober, 1931 N ovem b er, 1931 O ctober, 1931 $96, 200 14,175 $79,440 4,720 22 3 21 1 $94,090 2,290 $41, 770 15, 342 $276,320 21, 780 $176, 740 25, 772 9,000 122,973 2, 400 43,800 4 54 2 8 1,000 11, 960 0 6, 301 17,100 152,375 2, 500 67,546 0 0 165, 340 40, 550 28, 000 7, 500 0 136, 300 57, 550 33, 500 0 0 66 13 10 3 0 45 15 14 20, 275 780 60, 925 18,020 2,305 3, 475 895 112, 770 16, 500 6,140 23,010 18, 790 343,120 74, 795 52,340 14, 525 2,450 336, 580 89, 555 54,185 4, 427, 312 3,479, 795 - 2 1 .4 1,332 995 - 2 5 .3 3, 545,482 3,237,375 - 8 .7 9, 639, 522 7,873,441 —18 3 $137,006 $8, 915 - 9 3 .5 $329,066 $146,745 - 5 5 .4 N ovem b er, 1931 H a w a ii H o n o l u l u ____ ______ P e r cent of ch a n g e__ $160,925 $112,821 - 2 9 .9 68 65 - 4 .4 E x p e r im e n ts in N eg ro H o u s in g in N ew Y ork a n d C in c in n a ti Paul Laurence Dunbar Apartments HE Labor Keview for September, 1929 (p. 107), contained a description of the Paul Laurence Dunbar Apartments, one of the first experiments in cooperative housing for Negroes on a large scale. Situated in Harlem, it was intended both to help in relieving the im mediate overcrowding and to serve an educational end for tenants and management alike. The buildings were to be occupied, managed, and eventually owned exclusively by Negroes. It was a venture into an entirely new field, and while its backers were confident of success, they admitted that there were problems before them. The Negro in Harlem found himself too often compelled to live in the midst of noise, dirt, overcrowding, ugliness, and delinquency. The Dunbar project offered an escape from such conditions, but those taking it must inevitably give up some of their own liberty of action and submit to unaccustomed regulation; in fact, as the management put it, they must make a sort of self-denying ordinance, and accept a degree of supervision which was needed only by the minority but which inured to the advantage of all. In addition to this, the rents, while low as compared with those of the neighborhood, are high for the income of many of the tenants; taking lodgers as a means of meeting this difficulty is either forbidden or regulated strictly according to the size of the apartment. Also, the Negroes have been harder hit than T https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis H O U S IN G 125 the white citizens by the industrial depression which has prevailed for a considerable part of the time since the houses were put up. Thus it is evident that there were very real hindrances in the way of success. At present, however, approximately four years after the apartments were opened for occupancy, the difficulties seem to have been surmounted, and the experiment has so far proved its value that plans are under way for a similar attempt in a neighboring city. The Buildings The Dunbar group, with six independent buildings, occupies the block bounded by One hundred forty-ninth and One hundred fiftieth Streets and Seventh and Eighth Avenues, New York City. Along these streets the fronts are broken by formal doorways and by arched entrances into the inner courts, through which appear singularly attractive glimpses of the trees, shrubbery, gardens, and playgrounds to which a full half of the area of the block is devoted. Beauty has been kept in mind in designing the buildings, in laying out the grounds, and in arranging that necessary activities may be carried on without interference with the general effect. The fire escapes are inconspicu ously located, clothes are dried on the roof where they are hidden from public view by a parapet which forms part of the design of the whole structure, a basement room, “ the kiddies’ garage,” provides storage space for baby carriages, scooters, velocipedes, and the like when not in use, and the usual arrangements for the disposal of trash and garbage are carried out with unusual attention to detail and effectiveness. The Dunbar contains, in addition to 10 stores on the ground floor, 513 apartments, ranging in size from 3 rooms (with a dining bay) to 7, bathrooms not being counted as rooms. Each room in a suite is substantially like the same type of room in all the other suites, and each apartment is provided with hot and cold water, electricity, set tubs, and gas ranges, refrigerators, and dumb waiters. The build ings are only two rooms deep, so that each apartment has direct sun light and abundant ventilation. There are playgrounds and play rooms for the children, a nursery where for a small fee mothers may leave their babies under the care of an experienced nurse, and a clubroom for the larger boys and young men, with provisions for athletic events, boxing, and the like, as well as for quieter amusements. Terms of Occupancy Only stockholders may occupy apartments, and only occupants may be stockholders. A would-be participator buys an amount of stock proportioned to the size of the apartment he selects, by making a down payment of $50 per room, and thereafter by successive monthly payments which cover the upkeep of the apartment, as well as interest and amortization payments on the cost. On making the down pay ment he receives a 3-year lease of his apartment, and at the end of this period he has the option of renewing the lease or of requesting the corporation to resell his stock at par. The management has the right to terminate the lease at any time if the tenant should prove objection able, a right which it has rarely been necessary to exercise. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 126 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW The monthly payments range, according to the location of the apartment, from $11.50 up to $17.50 a room, the average rate being $14.50 a room. Rather more than half of this amount—$7.69, on the average—goes toward payment of principal and interest, the remainder being devoted to upkeep and taxes, for an interesting feature of the experiment is that no application has been made for the tax ex emption which the New York law permits to low-cost housing. On this point the cooperators indulge in a little excusable self-congratulation: W ith $3,939,000,000 w o rth of real p ro p e rty in th e S ta te of N ew Y ork exem pt from S ta te a n d local ta x a tio n , th e D u n b a r cooperative com m u n ity rejoices t h a t it has n o t been called u pon to sacrifice its own civic self-respect by foisting u pon others its due p ro p o rtio n of th e b u rd en of ta x a tio n . In th is m a tte r we p ull our own w eight in th e boat. Management and Tenants The management is in every respect in the hands of Negroes. A resident Negro superintendent and assistant superintendent are re sponsible for the conduct of the whole enterprise, five Negro police men guard the premises, a force of Negro painters, plumbers, decora tors, etc., keep the buildings in good repair, and Negro janitors, fire men, and watchmen are on duty day and night. The tenants range from unskilled laborers to wealthy and prominent members of the race. There has been a distinct effort to include some of the latter, as an encouragement and inspiration to the less successful, but in the main the desire is to reach those who can not be considered persons of means. An occupational grouping of the tenant owners, excluding pursuits in which fewer than 10 are engaged, showed the following results: C hauffeurs__________________________________________________ 22 C lerk s______________________________________________________ 1 0 0 In p riv a te offices__________________________________ 28 In p o st office______________________________________ 72 D om estic service_____________________________________________ 58 H ousehold m a n a g e m e n t_________________ 15 15 Cooks a n d ste w a rd s_______________________________ O th e r_______________ 28 D ressm akers, e tc _____________________________________________ 15 L aborers, u n sk illed _________________________________________ 10 L e tte r carriers, p o st office____________________________________ 12 M essengers__________________________________________ P o rte rs ______________________________________________________ 5 3 Office b u ild in g s____________________________________ 27 P u llm a n ___________________________________________ 26 S tenographers, ty p ists, e tc ___________________________________ 18 n S up erin ten d en ts, a p a rtm e n t h ouses____ ______________________ T each ers_______________________________________ W aiters, dining car__________________________________________ 10 T o ta l------------------------------------------------------------------------ 336 Of 465 tenant owners who reported the exact amount they were earning at the time of applying for apartments, one-half received less and one-half more than $149 per month. The lowest quartile received $122 or less per month, and the highest quartile $177 or more. In view of these figures the management is satisfied that the apart ments are serving the class of persons for whom they were designed. No requirement is made concerning children, except that there must be no crowding a large family into a small apartment. Since, https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 14 13 H O U S IN G 127 however, the Dunbar community numbers around 2,000 individuals, it is probable that most tenants have children. Tenant turnover is small, and there is usually a waiting list of would-be tenant owners. Most apartment houses have suffered in the present depression, and tenants have been doubling up, moving into cheaper quarters, going to live with relatives, or otherwise seek ing to cut housing expenses. Yet in October, 1931, there were only 15 vacancies among the 513 apartments in the Dunbar group. Other Activities The health work and the placement bureau are important com munity activities, and the Dunbar National Bank, while not strictly a community enterprise, is closely connected with the whole plan. The health work is carried on in a wholly informal manner by the management, which places in the hands of all the adults the literature of the Life Extension Institute, sees that expectant mothers are supplied with the publications, suited to their condition, issued by the Federal bureaus, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., arranges radio addresses on health questions, etc. The assistant resident manager, herself both a mother and a professional woman, is ready at all times to confer with the mothers over problems of the health and management of the children, and the day nursery, in the charge of a practical nurse, gives exceptional opportunities for bringing about such consultations naturally. The placement bureau was a logical development. Tenant owners unfortunately lose their positions from time to time, and it seemed to the management far better to assist them in finding new ones than to dispossess them for failure to keep up their payments. Also, boys and girls are growing up and seeking employment, and for these vocational guidance, as well as help in finding work, is needed. The service began in September, 1928, and has proved itself a community interest as well as a community service. T he first placem ents th a t we m ade cam e d irectly th ro u g h th e cooperation of te n a n t ow ners who re p o rte d such vocatio n al o p p o rtu n ities fo r persons of color as th e y personally knew of. A nd th is has continued. E v ery w eek we a re able to m ake placem ents because m em bers of o u r own com m u n ity who h ear of jobs im m ediately relay th e in fo rm atio n to us. * * * N o t only h av e individuals we have been in stru m e n ta l in placing given satisfactio n , b u t d esp ite th e exceed ingly low wages in m an y cases th e y stick to th e ir jobs. Of course, th e em ployers are very enthusiastic. * * * W e charge no fees of a n y k ind, d irect or indirect. * * * W hile we give every preference to persons living in th e D u n b a r A p a rt m ents, we refer occup atio n al o p p o rtu n ities w hich we can n o t fill ourselves to o th er social agencies w hich are concerned w ith placem ents. The Dunbar National Bank, located on the Eighth Avenue side of the apartments, opened under the direction of a white president, vice president, and cashier, with a board of directors predominantly white and an operating staff composed wholly of colored persons. The purpose of this combination, it is explained, was to enable the Dunbar to start upon a footing of cordial and helpful relations with other banks and financial institutions, and to give the colored oper ating staff a chance to receive the best possible training in the exacting technique of banking under New York City conditions, a training which they would find difficulty in obtaining elsewhere. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 128 M ONTHLY LABOE R E V IE W Finances On the business side, also, the enterprise seems to be carrying itself satisfactorily. The plan originated with John D. Rockefeller, jr., who advanced the money needed, and gave his aid in developing the whole project. The apartments were erected at a cost of $3,330,000; this included the actual cost of land and building, including architect’s fees, insurance and taxes during construction, together with interest on the money advanced. The project as a whole was offered to Negro Harlem at cost, with interest at 5% per cent, and no brokerage. It is calculated that in a period of about 22 years the tenants will have paid for the entire enterprise, including the land. The net operating profits of the project for the three years ending January 31, 1929, 1930, and 1931 were, respectively, $41,104, $40,416, and $17,023. The marked falling off in the latest year is due to an increase in operating expenses, which in turn was “ due principally to the fact that last year the management deemed it advisable to do considerable redecorating, thus not only giving employment to very worthy men but at the same time putting the house in the best possible condition so that when the cost of such work increases, as it undoubtedly will with the return of prosperity, the corporation will not need to do so much of this work. The management is convinced that this is sound policy.” Of course the success of the experiment depends largely upon good management, and careful measures have been taken to insure this. An efficient m an ag e m en t for th e a p a rtm e n ts is p ractically g u a ra n te e d b y th e provisions of th e lease a n d su b scrip tio n ag reem en t fo r a p eriod of m ore th a n 2 0 years. D uring th is tim e th e preferred stock, w hich alone h as a n y vo tin g power, will rem ain in th e h a n d s of M r. R ockefeller. O ur c o m m u n ity of app ro x im ately 2 ,0 0 0 souls will becom e so h a b itu a te d to th e a d v a n ta g e s of good m an ag e m en t th a t th ereafter, we believe, i t will to le ra te n o th in g less. Cincinnati Model Homes A v er y different experiment was tried in Cincinnati b y Jacob Schmidlapp, founder'of the Model Homes Co. Anxious to see how the negro would respond to a chance to secure decent housing at a reasonable rent, he started out with a group of flats of the greatest simplicity of construction and design. T his group h as no cellars, th e sinks w ere of iron w ith a wood fram e; in ste a d of a b a th tu b th e re w as a la u n d ry tr a y w ith a cold show er overhead a n d no h o t-w a te r system . Sim ple enough! B u t th ese flats re n te d a t $9.75 a m o n th fo r a 4-room flat a n d $7.60 for a 3-room flat, a ra te low enough even in 1912, w hen th e group w as com pleted. These were rented before they were completed, and the demand for them proved so keen that other groups were added, until by the end of 1917 accommodations had been provided for 240 colored families. The curtailment of private building which accompanied and followed the war affected the activities of the Model Homes Co. for colored and whites^ alike. In 1930, however, the company found that while the hard times were causing numerous vacancies in the houses occupied by white tenants, the colored people seemed as eager as ever for decent accommodations. Owing to vacancies the company lost heavily on some of the projects built for whites, but there was only one colored unit which made a poor showing, and in its case the losses were directly attributable to the fact that the houses were in an undesirable location. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis HOUSING 129 Considering the whole situation, the company decided to turn over for colored tenants three groups which up to that time had been oc cupied by whites, and which contained a total of seventy-five 3 and 4 room apartments. “ There was a rush for them, and within two days 95 per cent of the accommodations were taken.” The company is now providing housing for 300 colored families, and is considering taking advantage of the present situation to enter again on a construc tion program “ for Negroes of course,” as the report puts it. Rents It is the policy of the company to keep rents within the reach of the lower-paid worker. A 3-room flat w ith b a th re n ts for from $15 to $17 p er m o n th , a n d 4-room flats from $17.50 to $22 p e r m o n th in th e N egro groups. T h e average re n t p er room in th e negro groups is $4.96 p er m o n th , a n d in th e w h ite groups $6.32 p er m on th . T h e ab o v e-q u o ted 3-room fla t * * * t h a t used to re n t a t $7.60 p er m o n th before th e w ar, re n ts a t $15. H ow ever, th e group has been w ired for electricity in 1920 for w hich ad d itio n al convenience th e re n t w as ad v an ced $1 a m o n th . In 1926 th e old sinks a n d la u n d ry tra y s w ere replaced b y 1-piece sinks a n d enam el b a th tu b s a n d h o t-w a te r system s were installed, fo r w hich a n o th e r d ollar a m o n th w as advanced. S u b tra c tin g th ese tw o advances in re n t because of a d d ed con veniences from th e p re se n t ra te of $15, we h av e $13 p er m o n th for th e sam e 3-room flat w hich re n te d in th e p re-w ar period for $7.60, a n increase of $5.40, or 70 p er cent. T his group stood th e larg est increase, because th e original ra te s were th e low est of all o u r holdings, a n d w as necessitated by th e increased taxes, labor, an d m aterial th a t go in to th e m ain ten an ce a n d rep airs an d overhead. Economic Status of Negro Tenants In 1930 the company collected some statistical data concerning the tenants of four groups of buildings, choosing the groups of long standing on the ground that these tenants would be less likely to be suspicious of inquiries than those with less experience of the company. The groups contained 188 families, with a total of 626 men, women, and children, or an average of 3% persons to a family. There were 142 normal families, 28 widows, and 8 deserted wives; retired and pensioned persons made up the remainder. The working heads of families were mainly laborers, chauffeurs, domestic servants, and skilled and semiskilled artisans, with four post-office employees, four clergymen, and a sprinkling of miscellaneous workers. The average earnings of these were $24.17 a week, the average for occupational groups ranging from $18.33 for gardeners to $47 for hod carriers and bricklayers. In only three groups—the cooks, the post-office employ ees, and the bricklayers—did the average earnings reach or pass $30 a week. In 41 per cent of the families the wives worked, earning on an average $10 a week, and in 16 per cent adult children were at work, earning on an average $12 a week. At the time of the inquiry—the latter part of April—only 15 heads of families were wholly or partly unemployed, but 66 individuals in 63 families had lost during 1929 a total of 883% weeks through unemployment, representing a loss in wages of $16,969, or $269.32 per family, or $5.30 per week per family affected. Comparison Between Negro and White Tenants In regard to losses through vacancies and failure to pay rent due the company finds that its colored tenants have a good record. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 130 M ONTHLY L A B O R R E V IE W F rom 1924 to 1928, inclusive, a period of five years, we lo st th ro u g h vacancies in th e colored groups $607.53 a n d in th e w h ite groups, $1,844.11, excluding vacancies in groups of p o stw ar co n stru ctio n ; a n d th e losses th ro u g h d efau lt were $505 in th e colored groups as a g a in st $853 in th e w hite groups. A part of the favorable showing in regard to defaults, it is suggested, is due to the lesser mobility of the colored tenant. There is always a temptation to leave all or part of the last month’s rent unpaid when moving, and since proportionately three times as many white as colored tenants move, it is not surprising that they yield to this temptation more often. The charge is sometimes made that the Negro is a wasteful and expensive tenant. On this subject the secretary of the company, speaking before a woman’s organization of Cincinnati, says “ A survey of disbursements, covering a period of nine years, from 1920 to 1928, inclusive, gives the following answer:” D IS B U R S E M E N T S C O V E R IN G P E R I O D , 1920 T O Ite m W a te r cost, p e r a n n u m . . _ . ___ W a te r cost, p e r m o n th _ . . . . P lu m b in g rep air, p e r a n n u m . . . _ . . . . C a rp e n te r w o rk , in te rio r a n d ex terio r______ I n te rio r d ec o ra tin g . . . . . . . . . . P la ste rin g c o s t ____ _____ _ E lectrical r e p a i r s . ___ ___________ . ____________ 1928, B Y I T E M O F E X P E N D IT U R E P e r w h ite fam ily $8. 27 . 69 3. 46 4. 04 7. 00 . 91 . 16 P e r colored fam ily $7. 73 .64 3.31 2. 96 3. 64 2.00 .29 The cost of water is the one item on the list, it is pointed out, which is absolutely within the control of the tenant, and here it ap pears that the colored tenant is accountable for somewhat less ex pense than the white, possibly, it is suggested, because the colored housewife oftener works away from home, and consequently uses less water. The plumbers’ bills show a difference to the credit of the colored family. Other items are perhaps not fairly comparable. The greater cost for carpenter work among the white tenants, for instance, is due to a difference in the character of the houses, the houses for whites more often having porches, which require frequent repair, while the plasterers’ bills are larger among the colored tenants because of inferior materials and workmanship in their houses. The higher cost for interior decoration in houses for the whites has several causes: We spend on in te rio r decorations $7 p er a n n u m am ong th e w hite a n d $3.64 am ong th e colored. _ T his is n ecessitated by th e g reater tu rn o v e r in th e w hite groups, th e ratio being 3 to 1 as com pared w ith th e n u m b er of colored fam ilies m oving. We are also in d u ty bound to allow m ore for in terio r decoration in th e w hite group because of th e higher ra te s of re n t prevailing. H o m e O w n e r sh ip A m o n g 789 F a m ilie s in B u ffa lo STUD Y of housing costs and allied information on housing con ditions 1 that was recently made in Buffalo, N. Y., shows in detail what is involved in house purchase and house maintenance among a group of 789 families with incomes not exceeding $3,000 a year. In choosing the families to be covered by the survey certain restrictions were set up, as follows: A 1 T h e B uffalo H o m e O w n ersh ip S tu d y , b y M a rtin A . B ru m b a u g h , issu ed as a m im eo g ra p h ed ap p e n d ix b y th e P re s id e n t’s C onference on H o m e B u ild in g a n d H o m e O w nersh ip , C o m m itte e on th e R e la tio n sh ip of In co m e a n d th e H o m e, a n d in s u m m a ry form in th e te n ta tiv e r e p o rt of th e co m m ittee, https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis HOUSING 131 1. Only fam ilies hav in g to ta l incom e n o t exceeding $3,000 in 1930 were included. 2. Only fam ilies com posed of h u sband, wife, a n d a t least one d ep en d en t child w ere included. 3. Only fam ilies in w hich b o th p a re n ts were born in th e U n ited S tates were included. _ . 4. O nly fam ilies who ow ned th e ir hom es in 1930 were included. All ren tin g fam ilies were excluded. 5. O nly fam ilies who were in process of p aying for th e ir hom es in 1930 were included. 6. No fam ilies were included in w hich th ere were m ore th a n tw o room ers or 7. Only fam ilies living in 1 a n d 2 fam ily dwellings were included. No a p a rt m ents w ere included. 8. N o cases w ere included in w hich tw o or m ore fam ilies were occupying q u a rte rs clearly in ten d e d fo r one fam ily. Such cases were considered as over crow ding a n d w ere ta b u la te d on a se p a ra te schedule. The apportionment of families by areas of the city was facilitated by a study of vacant houses made by the Buffalo post office in 1930, which was used as a guide. It is believed by the author of the study that the sample finally chosen, within the limitations here set forth, is a representative cross section for Buffalo and perhaps other north ern urban sections. As developed, the study describes the properties purchased, the financing plans of the present owners, their occupations, earnings, family composition, and consequences of home purchase. A brief summary of the findings follows. Description of Property T a b u l a t io n of the returns discloses that 82 per cent of the houses bought are of the single type and 18 per cent are double, or 2-family. This ratio, it is brought out, is quite different from that shown in the Buffalo post office study that has been mentioned, the latter study showing that 57 per cent of the vacant houses in 1930 were single and 43 per cent double. With the exception of three houses, all were of frame construction. The typical size of lot is 35 feet wide and 115 feet deep. Garages were found on 69 per cent of the properties and 27 per cent were found to be without garage facilities. In all, these house owners have space for 924 automobiles, the surplus space bring ing in extra income, as garages rent for from $5 to $8 per month. The predominating size of houses is 6, 7, and 8 rooms, 83 per cent of the total being of this size. The range in size is from 4 to 11 rooms with one 3-room house included. In addition, all have bathrooms in contrast with the condition obtaining in 1918, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics found in its study of Buffalo that 34 houses had 23 bathrooms and 163 flats or apartments had 113 bathrooms. History and Cost of Property T h e houses purchased are not old, 76 per cent having been built since 1921 and only 2 per cent prior to 1900. _ It is stated that these home owners bought very largely in the building boom which started in 1921 and reached its peak in 1923-24. Tabulating single and^2family houses separately, the average cost prices are $6,131 and $8,530, respectively. Price is concentrated within narrower limits for the single houses than for 2-family houses. Single houses costing $12,000 and over represented 1 per cent of the total, while 2-family houses at $12,000 and over equaled 13 per cent of the total. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 132 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW Financing I t i s stated that the nominal interest rate in Buffalo is 6 per cent. Some agencies write mortgages at 5 and 5% per cent interest. How ever, the costs of financing and refinancing must be added to the nominal rate, and the cost of renewal is as high as 6 per cent every three years in some instances. Analysis of the financing plans for the properties studied shows that 59 per cent of the home owners were carrying both first and second mortgages in 1930 and that the remaining 41 per cent were carrying first mortgages only. In a majority of the latter cases second mortgages had been discharged prior to 1930. I t was further found to be customary for these home owners to amortize one mortgage, usually the second, and pay only the interest on the other. Conditions with respect to amortization and the average monthly payments on mortgages are shown in Table 1. T able 1. — C O N D IT IO N S W I T H R E S P E C T T O A M O R T I Z A T I O N O F P R I N C I P A L O F M O R T G A G ES ON P R O P E R T IE S O W N E D A N D A V E R A G E M O N T H L Y P A Y M E N T S M o rtg ag e con d itio n s F irs t n o t am o rtiz ed , second n o t a m o rtiz e d —_ F ir s t n o t am o rtiz ed , second a m o rtiz e d ___ F ir s t am o rtiz ed , second a m o rtiz e d ___ _____ F ir s t am o rtiz ed , second n o t a m o rtiz e d __ F ir s t am o rtiz ed , n o second F ir s t n o t am o rtiz ed , no second N o first m o rtg a g e .-. ___ _ U n k n o w n .. ______ ... . T o ta l . . ___ ______ _ N um ber of p ro p erties P er cent of to ta l A v erag e m onthlyp a y m e n ts 90 331 27 9 97 225 5 5 11 42 3 1 12 29 1 1 $26. 61 44. 36 b2 78 48. 33 33 76 17. 27 789 100 The greater number of the mortgages, both first and second, are held by private individuals. Savings banks and finance companies are also important holders of first mortgages. Few mortgages, either first or second, are held by savings and loan associations, because these institutions usually require amortization of loans. Occupation, Earnings, and Family Make-Up T h e r e has been very little change in the occupations of the 789 breadwinners covered by the study as between the year of house purchase and 1930. In the year prior to house purchase 48 per cent of the breadwinners were in skilled occupations, and in 1930 the percentage was 46. The next most important group was that of clerical workers, representing 15 per cent of the total the year before home purchase and 14 per cent in 1930. Semiskilled and unskilled represented 9 and 7 per cent of the total, respectively, in both years. The arithmetic-average earnings of breadwinners at the time of house purchase were $2,057 and the median $2,000. In 1930 the average was $1,902 and the median $1,970. Light is thrown on the drop in average earnings by the fact that at the time of home purchase 81 per cent of the breadwinners were employed full time and 90 per cent, 40 weeks or more, while in 1930 full-time employment was had by only 64 per cent of the breadwinners and 40 weeks or more of employment by 75 per cent of the total. It was also found that https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 133 HOUSING 47 breadwinners were unemployed during 1930, contrasted with 10 at the time of home purchase. The statement below shows the income for year prior to house purchase of principal breadwinner in 518 families which own single houses purchased in 1922 or later: N u m b e r of fam ilies N o incom e_________________________________________________ 3 3 $250 to $749_______________________________________________ $750 to $1,249______________________________________________ 32 $1,250 to $1,749____________________________________________ 93 $1,750 to $2,249____________________________________________ 183 $2,250 to $2,749____________________________________________ 114 $2,750 to $3,249____________________________________________ 52 $3,250 to $3,749____________________________________________ 23 $3,750 to $6,749____________________________________________ 15 518 T otal. Another reflection of the economic position of the families surveyed is size of family. The average number of dependents increased from 1.6 in the year prior to home purchase to 2.2 in 1930. The age at which the principal breadwinners bought houses was commonly 28 to 32. Consequences of House Purchase I t i s stated that only a few of the consequences of house purchase were tabulated. However, the study showed general satisfaction in having the kind of house desired, being required to save for payments, etc. At the same time it was realized by the vast majority that house ownership interfered with moving to another community to take work. The down payments on property were derived from a number of sources, of which the principal sources were previous savings (78 per cent); insurance, gifts, and borrowed money (7 per cent); and in herited money (4 per cent). For the houses purchased in 1922 and thereafter, representing 619 properties out of the 789 covered by the study, it was found that the down payment amounted to, roughly, 25 per cent of the total cost; first mortgages, 50 per cent; and second mortgages, 25 per cent. It is apparent that in many cases the average mortgage costs represent a high percentage of the breadwinner’s income. It is further brought out in the study under review that only 39 families of a total of 789 had any income in addition to that of the principal bread winner in the year prior to house purchase. In 20 cases the additional income amounted to less than $500. During 1930 of the total 789 families there were 119 in which the principal breadwinners’ incomes were augmented by other members of the family. In 52 cases the added income was more than $500. In explaining this change the author of the study states that necessity is an important factor as is the fact that more children have reached an age when they are able to secure at least part-time employment. The average amount of income added in the families with auxiliary wage earners was $833 in the year prior to house purchase and $891 in 1930. Prorating this added income for all 789 families the average additions were $42 and $134 in these two years, respectively. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR H o u r s a n d E a r n in g s in F o u n d r ie s a n d M a c h in e S h o p s, 1931 STUDY of wages and hours of labor in 1931 was made by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics in 388 representative foundries and 512 machine shops employing 28,699 and 65,919 wage earners, respectively. Except for a very few plants, the data were taken directly from the records of the plants, for a respresentative pay period in June, July, or August, 1931. This study revealed that the wage earners in foundries earned an average of 60 cents per hour in 1931; this was 2.4 cents per hour, or 3.8 per cent, less than was earned in 1929. Those in machine shops earned an average of 63.3 cents per hour in 1931 as compared with 63.8 cents in 1929. In foundries the average full-time week in 1931 was 50.3 hours, as against 51 hours in 1929; in machine shops the figures were 49.8 and 50.3, respectively. Full-time earnings per week in foundries averaged $30.18 in 1931, which was $1.64 less than in 1929, and in machine shops averaged $31.52, or 57 cents less than in 1929. A Trend of Hours and Earnings Since 1923 S u m m a r y data showing average full-time hours per week, earnings per hour, and full-time earnings per week are given in Table 1, for the odd years beginning with 1923. Data were not collected for the even years. The average full-time hours per week were less in 1931 in both foundries (50.3) and machine shops (49.8) than in any year in which the bureau has collected data. The highest full-time hours were in 1923, being 52.4 in foundries and 50.8 in machine shops. The average hourly earning (60 cents) in foundries was less in 1931 than in any year since 1923 (when it was 55.8 cents). In machine shops, although the 1931 average was lower than that of 1929, it still was higher than in any of the preceding years. As for average full-time earnings per week, the low point in both foundries and machine shops occurred in 1923, being in that year $29.24 and $28.40, respectively. In foundries full-time weekly earn ings rose from 1923 to 1927, then fell slightly in 1929 and still more in 1931. In machine shops, a steady increase took place from 1923 to 1929, but a slight drop occurred in 1931 as compared with 1929. Table 1 also gives index numbers of the averages, with the 1923 average as the base or 100 per cent. The index of average earnings per hour, of average full-time hours per week, or of average full-time earnings per week for any of the years in the table is the per cent that the average for the year is of the 1923 average. Example: The 1927 and 1929 average of 62.4 cents per hour for foundries is 111.8, or 11.8 per cent more than the 1923 average of 55.8 cents per hour. 134 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 135 WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR T able 1 —A V E R A G E H O U R S A N D E A R N IN G S , W I T H I N D E X N U M B E R S T H E R E O F , F O R A L L E M P L O Y E E S , BY IN D U S T R Y A N D Y E A R I n d u s tr y a n d y ea r F o u n d ries: 1923_____________________ 1925_____________________ 1927_____________________ 1929_____________________ 1931_____________________ M a c h in e shops: 1923 1925_____________________ 1927_____________________ 1929_____________________ 1931_______________ N um ber N u m b e r A verage of e sta b of e m full-tim e A verage lish h o u rs earnings ployees p e r ho u r m e n ts p e r w eek In d ex n u m b e rs (1923=100) of— A verage full-tim e earn in g s A verage A verage A verage p er w eek full-tim e earn in g s full-tim e h o u rs earn in g s p e r w eek p er h o u r p e r w eek 351 413 417 399 388 32,166 40, 393 38, 943 40,391 28,699 52.4 51. 5 51.1 51.0 50.3 $0. 558 .610 .624 .624 .600 $29. 24 31.42 31.89 31.82 30.18 100.0 98. 3 97. 5 97. 3 96. 0 100. 0 109. 3 111. 8 111. 8 107. 5 100. 0 107. 5 109.1 108. 8 103.2 429 511 526 508 512 58, 914 86,274 86, 779 91,491 65, 919 50.8 50.4 50.1 50.3 49.8 . 559 .602 . 625 . 638 .633 28.40 30. 34 31. 31 32. 09 31. 52 100. 0 99. 2 98. 6 99. 0 98.0 100. 0 107.7 111. 8 114.1 113.2 100. 0 106. 8 110. 2 113. 0 111.0 Hours and Earnings, 1929 and 1931, by Occupation and. Sex A v e r a g e hours and earnings are shown in Table 2 for 1929 and 1931 for each sex in each of the numerically important occupations in foundries and in machine shops, and also for the group designated in the table under each industry as “ other employees.” The group includes wage earners in occupations in which there was not a suffi cient number of wage earners to warrant separate presentation. Averages are shown in the table for males in all, and for females in 3, of the 12 important occupations in foundries and for males in all, and for females in 17, of the 27 important occupations in machine shops, and also for “ other employees” of each sex in each industry. Foundries.—Average earnings per hour of males in foundries were higher in one occupation (patternmakers, 83.4 cents in 1929 and 83.5 cents in 1931) and lower in 11 occupations in 1931 than in 1929. The range by occupation in 1929 was from 49.0 cents for laborers to 83.4 cents for patternmakers, and in 1931 from 46.0 to 83.5 cents, respec tively, for the same occupations. Averages of females were 49.6 cents in 1931 for chippers and rough grinders; 46.9 cents in 1929 and 43.0 in 1931 for coremakers; 38.6 cents in 1929 and 37.7 cents in 1931 for laborers. “ Other employees,” males, earned an average of 59.2 cents per hour in 1929 and 60.0 cents in 1931, and females, 49.2 cents in 1929 and 34.5 cents in 1931. Machine shops.—Average earnings per hour of males in machine shops were more in 4 and less in 23 occupations in 1931 than in 1929. They ranged by occupation in 1929 from 46.9 cents for laborers to 88.8 cents for hammersmith and in 1931 from 45.5 cents for laborers to 81.2 cents for patternmakers. Hammersmiths earned an average of 77.6 cents per hour in 1931 and patternmakers an average of 84.6 cents in 1929. Averages for females were more in 5 and less in 8 occupations in 1931 than in 1929 and ranged by occupation in 1929 from 34.3 cents per hour for grinding-machine operators to 50.4 cents for milling-machine operators and in 1931 from 32.6 cents for semi automatic screw-machine operators to 52.7 cents for turret-lathe operators. “ Other employees,” males, earned an average of 48.8 cents per hour in 1929 and 50.5 cents in 1931 and females earned an average of 34.5 cents in 1929 and 47.5 cents in 193E https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 136 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW T able 2 .—A V E R A G E H O U R S A N D E A R N I N G S I N F O U N D R I E S A N D M A C H I N E S H O P S 1929 A N D 1931, B Y O C C U P A T IO N A N D S E X ^ ’ F o u n d r ie s A v e r N um age A v er A v e r - . age fu ll b er of N u m fu ll age tim e Y ear e s ta b b er of tim e e a rn em lish h o u rs ings per w eek ly e a rn m e n ts ployees p er hour ings w eek O ccupation C h ip p e rs a n d ro u g h g rin d e rs. M a le ... - . . d o ___ F e m a le . M a le ... . . . d o ___ Fem ale.. . . . d o ___ M a le ___ . . . d o ___ .d o ___ . . . d o ___ .d o ___ . . . d o ___ F em ale.. . —d o ___ M a le ___ .d o ___ -d o ___ C orem akers . C ran e o p e ra to rs. C u p o la te n d e r s .. L a b o re rs. M o ld ers, h a n d , b e n c h . M o ld e rs, h a n d , flo o r... M o ld e rs, m a c h in e ______________________ ______L do M o ld e rs ’ helpers, floor_________________________ - —do’ """ d o ___ P a tte rn m a k e rs ___ d o ___ d o ___ R o u g h c a rp e n te rs . d o ___ d o ___ S an d b la ste rs ____ do___ -__do__ O th e r em p lo y ees. . . d o ___ .. d o ___ F em ale.. —d o ___ A ll o cc u p atio n s. M a le ___ .- - d o ___ F em ale. |— do ___ A ll o cc u p atio n s, m a le a n d fem ale. M a c h in e B lacks m ith sB la c k s m ith s ’ h e lp e rsB oring-m ill o p e ra to rs. C ran e o p e ra to rs ______ C raters a n d p a c k e rs ......... D rill-press o p erato rs____ F itte rs a n d b en c h h a n d s . https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 1929 1931 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 367 367 1 387 374 38 34 237 217 364 344 384 366 7 5 321 300 385 376 249 215 251 231 191 194 270 237 183 157 360 358 5 6 1929 1931 1929 1931 399 388 41 34 1929 1931 4,233 3,048 12 3,370 2, 253 280 179 927 768 500 430 10,980 6,907 74 10 2, 098 1,593 5,453 3,752 3,854 2, 538 1,919 1,234 1,127 1,1.07 509 424 337 266 4,725 4,149 5 29 51.4 50.6 50. 0 49.9 50.0 49.1 48.6 52.2 50.8 51.0 50.8 52.1 50.8 51.6 47.8 49.6 50. 2 50. 0 50.0 £0.4 50.0 51.1 £0.0 50.1 49.3 50.7 50.3 51.9 50.3 51. 2 50.5 50.5 49.6 $0.538 .509 .496 .744 .706 .469 .430 .582 .552 .634 .597 .490 .460 .386 .377 .783 .727 . .828 .782 .734 .661 .502 .492 .834 .835 .622 .599 .£92 .559 .592 .600 .492 .345 $27. 65 25.76 24.80 37.13 35. 30 23.03 20. 90 30. 38 28.04 32.33 30. 33 25. 53 23.37 19. 92 18.02 38. 84 36.50 41.40 39.10 36. 99 33.05 25.65 24.60 41. 73 41.17 31.54 30.13 30.72 28.12 30. 31 30.30 24.85 17.11 40, 032 28,469 359 230 51. 0 50.3 49.7 48.7 .625 .601 .451 .422 31.88 30.23 22.41 20.55 399 388 40, 391 28, 699 51.0 50.3 .624 .600 31. 82 30.18 335 360 7,670 5,446 190 145 857 698 800 481 2, 333 1, 722 980 778 7 2 1,455 1,218 50 32 5,291 3,139 77 47 7,715 5, 528 175 46 50.1 49.9 49.8 50.7 50.1 50. 5 49.9 49.8 51.1 50.0 50.7 50.6 50.7 47.5 50.0 50.1 49.0 49.7 50.3 49.8 49.2 49.3 49.8 48.7 48.6 49.3 $0.657 .656 .441 .426 .742 .728 .534 .533 .750 .733 .555 .537 .425 .422 .547 .540 .371 .343 .628 .612 .410 .446 .677 $32.92 32.73 21.96 21.60 37.17 36.76 26.65 26. 54 38. 33 36.65 28.14 27.17 21.55 20. 05 27. 35 27.05 18.18' 17.05 31.59 30.48 20.17 21.99 33. 71 32.43 21.87 20.26 shops M a le __ . . . d o ___ F e m a le . - - .d o ___ M a le __ —.d o ___ - —d o ___ —.d o ___ . . . d o ___ . . . d o ___ . . . d o ___ . . . d o ____ F e m a le . . ..d o ___ M a le — . ..d o ___ F e m a le . ...d o ____ M a le ___ — d o ____ F e m a le . —d c ____ M a le — -- d o ____ F em a le --d o ........ , 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 20 19 397 373 285 228 372 337 233 221 2 2 239 253 15 9 440 415 17 14 367 341 14 10 .6 6 6 .450 .411 137 WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR T able 2 .—A V E R A G E H O U R S A N D E A R N I N G S I N F O U N D R I E S A N D M A C H I N E S H O P S , 1929 A N D 1931, B Y O C C U P A T I O N A N D S E X — C o n tin u e d M a c h in e sh o p s O ccupation — C ontinued Sex A verage dum N um fullb er of b er of tim e Y ear e s ta b em lish ployees h o u rs p er m e n ts w eek M a le ... ___do____ F em a le _ _do____ H a m m e rs m ith s ------------------------------------------------- M a le .. _do____ H elp e rs n o t o th e rw ise s p e c i f ie d ............................. __ d o ____ _ _do__- F em a le . L a b o rers__________________________ ___________ M a le ... _ _do____ F e m a le . _do -- L a th e op erato rs, en g in e--------- ---------- ---------------- M a le ___ _ _ d o ___ F em ale L a th e op erato rs, t u r r e t . ....................................- - - - - M a le ___ _do___F em a le __do_ M a c h in is ts ------------------------------------------------------- M ale ._ do M a c h in is ts a n d to o lm ak e rs’ h e lp e rs ----------------- _ do_ __ do_ M illin g -m a ch in e o p e ra to rs ......................................... _ _do_ _ __.do_ F e m a le .. __-do P a tte r n m a k e rs ------------------------ ------------------------- M a le .. _ do_ P la n e r o p e ra to rs----------------------------- ---------- ------- __ do_ __ do_ P o lish ers a n d b u ffe rs---------------------------------------- _ d o . _ ___do_ F em ale._ do_ S crew -m achine o p erato rs (h a n d ) ----------------------- M ale _do F em a le. do S crew -m achine o p erators (s e m ia u to m a tic )------ M a le .. . _ do_ F em ale S crew -m achine o p erato rs (a u to m a tic )-------------- M a le . . . _ _do_ d o __ S h eet-m etal-m a ch in e o p e ra to rs............................. - _ do_ F e m a le .. do_ _ T o o lm a k e rs ------------------------------ ------------------------ M ale _ do_ O th e r p recisio n -m ach in e o p e ra to rs-------------------- ___do_ __ do F em a le do_ O th e r sk illed em p lo y ees............... ............................... M ale . . . do_ F em a le do_ O th e r em p lo y ees— ........................................ ............. M ale do_ _ F em a le. ___do___ G rin d in g -m ach in e o p e ra to rs .................... ....... ......... A ll o ccupations. A ll o ccupations, m a le a n d fem ale. i D a ta in c lu d e d in to ta l in 1929. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis M ale . . do_ F em a le ___do___ 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 313 290 7 2 52 50 322 278 1 452 426 3 1 421 407 1 359 333 3 2 379 374 229 210 358 331 5 8 288 282 344 315 115 101 1 4 155 128 2 2 41 37 2 144 122 149 164 9 8 350 355 301 308 10 6 470 478 25 26 467 465 18 25 2,888 2,088 19 3 226 134 3,443 2,262 (>) 8, 506 5,173 9 4 5, 640 3, 550 3 3,855 2,467 13 3 3,036 2, 574 1,006 797 3,440 2, 246 15 18 1,652 1,431 1,963 1,165 587 379 (') 6 966 640 18 37 171 108 9 762 486 1,136 1,072 63 35 2,850 2, 386 1,813 1,490 210 77 10,786 9, 275 407 345 8,108 6,195 298 261 1929 1931 1929 1931 508 512 56 49 89,935 64, 846 1, 556 1,073 1929 1931 508 512 91,491 65,919 A verA v er ige fu ll age tim e e a rn w eek ly ings p er e a rn hour ings 51.0 $0. 701 .669 50.2 .343 50.6 .443 48.0 .888 50.3 .776 49.4 .514 50.2 .481 50.6 0) 0) .469 50.5 .455 50.3 .370 51.0 .391 49.5 50.3 .717 .706 50.2 50.0 .516 .700 50.5 .672 49.8 .432 48.9 .527 50. 0 .739 49.8 .733 49.1 .504 50.3 .513 49.3 .697 50.2 .685 47.9 .504 47. 6 .492 48.9 .846 49.9 .812 50.1 .754 50.7 .738 50.1 .674 50.1 . 656 49.4 (>) (') .377 50.1 .676 50.2 .654 43.9 .426 49.5 .356 49.5 .644 51.5 .705 48.5 .326 49.5 .758 51.4 .694 49.5 .630 49.4 .619 50.2 .440 48.9 .386 49.0 .780 50.0 .758 49.4 .655 51. 0 .657 50.0 .427 48; 8 .399 48.5 .686 50.3 .695 50.0 .375 50.0 .391 49.3 .488 50.3 .505 50.1 .345 49.0 .475 47.8 $35. 75 33. 58 17. 36 21.26 44. 67 38. 33 25.80 24.34 (■) 23. 68 22.89 18. 87 19. 35 36.07 35.37 25.80 35. 35 33.47 21.12 26. 35 36. 80 35.99 25. 35 25.29 34.99 32. 81 23.99 24. 06 42. 22 40.68 38. 23 36. 97 33. 77 32.41 (*) 18.89 33.94 32. 63 21.09 17. 62 33.17 34.19 16.14 38. 96 34.35 31.12 31.07 21.52 18. 91 39.00 37.45 33.41 32. 85 20.84 19. 35 34. 51 34. 75 18. 75 19. 28 24. 55 25. 30 16.91 22. 71 50.3 49.9 49.3 49.1 .641 .637 .399 .419 32.24 31.79 19. 67 20. 57 50.3 49.8 .638 .633 32.09 31. 52 138 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW Hours and Earnings, 1929 and 1931, by Sex and State T a b le 3 presents^ average hours and earnings for all wage earners that were included in the studies of foundries and of machine shops in each State in 1929 and 1931. The averages are for each sex sep arately and also for both sexes combined in each State and industry. The averages for wage earners in foundries are for 40,032 males and 359 females in 1929 and for 28,469 males and 230 females in 1931, and in machine shops are for 89,935 males and 1,556 females in 1929 and 64,846 males and 1,073 females in 1931. The 1929 wage figures in the table are for 399 foundries and 508 machine shops and those for 1931 are for 388 foundries and 512 machine shops. Foundries.—Average full-time hours per week for males in foundries in the various States included in the study ranged in 1931 from 45.4 for the State with the lowest, to 56.0 for the one with the highest average, and in 1929 ranged from 45.9 to 56.4. Those for females ranged in 1931 from 44.5 to 51.4 and in 1929 from 45.7 to 53.0. Averages for males in all States combined, or the industry, decreased from 51.0 in 1929 to 50.3 in 1931 and for females decreased from 49.7 in 1929 to 48.7 in 1931. Average earnings per hour for males in foundries in the various States covered in the report ranged in 1931 from 40.1 to 74.3 cents, and in 1929 from 39.6 to 74.5 cents. Averages for females ranged in 1931 from 31.8 to 47.2 cents and in 1929 from 36.6 to 52.4 cents. Averages for males in all States combined, or the industry, decreased from 62.5 per hour in 1929 to 60.1 cents in 1931 and^for females decreased from 45. 1 in 1929 to 42.2 in 1931. Average full-time earnings per week for males in foundries in the different States ranged in 1931 from $20.51 to $33.73 and in 1929 ranged from $20.95 to $35.11, and for females ranged in 1931 from $15.90 to $23.46 and in 1929 ranged from $17.75 to $23.95. Averages for males in all States^ combined, or the industry, decreased from $31.88 in 1929 to $30.23 in 1931 and for females decreased from $22 41 m 1929 to $20.55 in 1931. Machine shops.—Average full-time hours per week for males in machine shops, all States combined, or the industry, decreased from 50.3 in 1929_to 49.9 in 1931, and for females decreased from 49.3 in 1929 to 49.1 in 1931. _Average earnings per hour for all males included m the study of this industry in all States decreased from 64.1 cents m 1929 to 63.7 cents in 1931, and for females increased from 39.9 cents m 1929 to 41.9 cents in 1931. And average full-time earnings per week for males, all States combined, decreased from $32.24 in 1929 to $31.79 in 1931, and for females increased from $19.67 in 1929 to $20.57 in 1931. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 139 WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR T a b l e 3 . —N U M B E R O F E S T A B L IS H M E N T S A N D O F W A G E E A R N E R S , A N D A V E R A G E H O U R S A N D E A R N IN G S I N F O U N D R I E S A N D M A C H I N E S H O P S , 1929 A N D 1931, B Y SEX A N D STA TE F o u n d r ie s Sex a n d S tate N u m b e r of e sta b lish m e n ts N u m b e r of em ployees A verage full-tim e ho u rs p er w eek A verage e a rn ings p er h o u r A v erag e fu ll tim e w eek ly earn in g s 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 4 19 3 18 9 30 17 9 10 5 5 4 7 21 33 6 14 5 16 26 44 6 39 7 6 6 6 13 190 1,185 307 1,629 427 3,636 2,446 959 260 204 246 248 421 2,408 4, 334 457 764 143 2, 353 3, 392 4, 323 208 5, 285 1, 066 382 278 313 2,165 177 728 177 1,154 305 3, 097 1, 538 561 276 120 178 239 397 1,320 1,916 466 460 127 1, 668 2,828 3, 506 163 3,619 692 253 151 235 2,118 53.5 45.9 49.2 50.8 52.9 50.5 52.6 52.9 55.1 50.6 56.4 50.7 50.9 48.7 51.9 52.0 52. 1 50.9 50.6 50.1 51.8 46.1 51.6 51.5 49. 2 49.8 48.3 51. 2 53.8 45.4 48.0 50.7 50.9 49.6 51.1 53.6 56.0 51.2 52.4 48.3 49.9 47.2 52.1 51.2 51.9 50.7 48.9 49.2 51.0 47.2 51.1 50.4 49.0 49.0 47.9 51.5 $0.456 .745 .596 .611 .396 .665 .590 .614 .480 .512 .436 .555 .558 .681 .644 .555 .610 .599 .636 .647 .625 .677 .608 .612 .461 .488 .727 .644 $0.423 .743 .600 .589 .403 .647 .559 .600 .455 .521 .401 .558 .543 .690 .582 .589 .577 .567 .608 .599 .610 .675 .606 .597 .471 .515 .698 .584 $24.40 34.20 29. 32 31.04 20. 95 33.58 31.03 32.48 26. 45 25.91 24. 59 28.14 28.40 33.16 33.42 28. 86 31.78 30. 49 32. 18 32.41 32. 38 31.21 31.37 31. 52 22. 68 24.30 35.11 32.97 $22.76 33.73 28.80 29.86 20. 51 32.09 28. 56 32. 16 25.48 26.68 21.01 26. 95 27. 10 32. 57 30. 32 30.16 29. 95 28. 75 29. 73 29. 47 31. 11 31.86 30.97 30.03 23.08 25. 24 33.43 30.08 388 40, 032 28,469 51. 0 50.3 .625 .601 31.88 30.23 1929 1931 4 18 3 16 8 28 16 9 9 7 4 4 7 28 37 6 15 6 16 28 44 5 39 9 7 6 7 13 399 Males A la b a m a - ., . ------C alifo rnia ... C o lo rado. _ . _ ___ C o n n e c tic u t__________ _____ G e o rg ia .. ----------- --------Illin o is______ ______ . . . . . I n d ia n a . . . . . . . . ----Io w a ________ . . . . ------K a n s a s __________ K e n tu c k y .. . ______ _____ L o u is ia n a .. . . -------------M a in e ____ _ ___ - ... M a r y la n d ----------- ---------------M a ssa c h u se tts . . . _ . ... M ich ig an . . . . ______ M in n e s o ta .. . . __________ M is so u ri. . . . . . . ... N ew H a m p s h ire . . . ______ . . ... N e w J e rs e y _____ N ew Y o r k . . . ____ _____ . O h io __________ . . . . .. O r e g o n ___ . . . . . . . . . P e n n s y lv a n ia _______ ____ _ R h o d e I s l a n d .. . . T e n n e s s e e ... . . . . _________ T e x a s___ ________ . . ____ W a sh in g to n . _ . W isconsin . . . _ . . . . T o ta l. _ ___________ Females C o n n ec tic u t G eo rg ia. Illin o is_______ _____ ______ I n d ia n a ________ . . . K e n tu c k y .. . -----------ATassaeh n setts M ic h ig a n _____ . . _________ N e w J e rs e y _________________ N e w Y o rk __ _ . . . O h io __________________ ____ P e n n s y lv a n ia ____ _ _. . . R h o d e Is la n d . . . T en n essee W isco n sin _ ____ T o ta l. -------- ------- . . . 1 5 2 2 1 10 4 5 1 2 3 (>) 4 2 0 (') 0 ( 2) 29 39 3 (2) 105 50 54 (2) 19 11 16 46 0 (2) 49.0 50.0 50.0 (2) 51.5 49.8 48.8 (2) 48.5 53.0 50.3 49.7 « 0 (2) .447 .434 .412 (2) .427 .466 .489 (2) .366 .408 .409 .472 0) 0) (2) 21.90 21. 70 20. 60 (2) 21.99 23.21 23. 86 (2) 17. 75 21. 62 20. 57 23.46 (') 5 5 5 6 1 2 3 1 3 37 20 31 54 12 24 4 3 16 45.7 51.4 48.2 46.9 44.5 50.3 50.9 50. 0 48.7 .524 .448 .380 .403 .438 .447 .460 .318 .430 23.95 23.03 18. 32 18. 90 19.49 22.48 23.41 15. 90 20.94 41 34 359 230 49.7 48.7 .451 .422 22.41 20.55 4 19 3 18 9 30 17 9 10 5 5 4 7 21 33 6 190 1,185 307 1,629 429 3,665 2,485 959 260 207 246 248 421 2,410 4,439 457 177 728 177 1,156 305 3,113 1,584 561 276 122 178 239 397 1,320 1,936 466 53.5 45.9 49.2 50.8 52.9 50.5 52.5 52.9 55.1 50.6 56.4 50.7 50.9 48.7 51.9 52.0 53.8 45.4 48.0 50.6 50.9 49.6 51.1 53.6 56.0 51.1 52.4 48.3 49.9 47.2 52.1 51.2 .456 .745 .596 .611 .395 .663 .587 .614 .480 .510 .436 .555 .558 .680 .640 .555 .423 .743 .600 .589 .403 .646 .557 .600 .455 .519 .401 .558 .543 .690 .581 .589 24.40 34. 20 29. 32 31.04 20.90 33.48 30.82 32.48 26.45 25. 81 24. 59 28.14 28.40 33.12 33.22 28.86 22.76 33. 73 28.80 29.80 20.51 32.04 28.46 32.16 25.48 26.52 21.01 26.95 27.10 32.57 30.27 30.16 Males and females 4 A l a b a m a . ------- -------------18 C a lif o r n ia ... ____ . . . ____ C o lo r a d o .______ . . . 3 16 C o n n ec tic u t _. . .. „ 8 G eo rg ia________________ . . . 28 Illin o is______________ . . . . . . 16 I n d ia n a .. . . . _______ 9 Io w a _________ .. ____ 9 K a n s a s ___ . . . _____ 7 K e n tu c k y ______________ ____ 4 L o u isia n a ___ ... . 4 M a in e __ . . . . . 7 M a r y l a n d __ ___ ___ _____ 28 M a s s a c h u s e tts .. . ...... 37 M ic h ig a n . . 6 M in n e s o ta ---------- ------------1 F o r less th a n 3 w age earners in th is 2 In c lu d e d in to ta l in 1929. 91909°—32——10 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis e s ta b lis h m e n t, d a ta in c lu d e d in to ta l. 140 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW T able 3 . —N U M B E R O F E S T A B L I S H M E N T S A N D O F W A G E E A R N E R S , A N D A V E R A G E H O U R S A N D E A R N IN G S I N S E X A N D S T A T E — C o n tin u e d F O U N D R I E S A N D M A C H I N E S H O P S , 1929 A N D 1931, B Y F o u n d r ie s Sex a n d S tate N u m b e r of esta b lish m e n ts -—C o n tin u ed A verage full-tim e ho u rs p er w eek N u m b e r of em ployees A verage e a rn ings p e r h o u r A v erag e fu ll tim e w eek ly earn in g s 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 15 6 16 28 44 5 39 9 7 6 7 13 399 14 5 16 26 44 6 39 7 6 6 6 13 388 764 143 2,403 3,446 4, 331 208 5, 304 1, 077 382 278 316 2, 202 40,391 460 127 1,699 2, 882 3, 518 163 3,643 696 256 151 235 2,134 28,699 52.1 50.9 50.5 50.1 51.8 46.1 51.6 51.5 49.2 49.8 48.3 51.1 51.9 50.7 48.9 49.2 50.9 47.2 51.1 50.4 49.0 49.0 47.9 51.5 50.3 $0. 610 .599 .633 .644 .625 .677 .607 .610 .461 .488 .727 .643 $0. 577 .567 .604 .594 .610 .675 .605 .598 .469 .515 .698 .583 .624 .600 $31.78 30.49 31. 97 32. 26 32. 38 31.21 31.32 31.42 22.68 24.30 35.11 32.86 31.82 $29.95 28. 75 29. 54 29.22 31.05 31.86 30. 92 30.14 22.98 25.24 33.43 30.02 30.18 $0.551 .779 .619 .639 .434 .691 .564 .552 .508 .526 .489 .544 .656 .630 .639 .578 .574 .625 .685 .683 .646 .691 .615 .592 .550 .583 .732 .639 .641 $0.596 .753 .647 .569 .462 .657 .543 .659 .543 .551 .524 .550 .658 .646 .645 .601 .562 .600 .679 .680 .628 .724 .616 .595 .568 .603 .729 .617 $27. 55 35. 76 29.77 32.59 22.70 34. 55 28.76 29. 86 27.48 26.67 26.45 26. 66 32.80 31.06 33.16 29.13 29.50 30.63 33.91 33.26 32.36 32.62 31.80 30.07 27.94 27. 75 34.84 32. 97 .637 32.24 $32.18 34.04 31.06 32.49 23.65 32. 59 27. 75 29. 70 28. 72 26.94 26. 93 26.46 31.85 31.14 33.22 29. 57 28. 83 29.28 33.54 33.46 31.34 33. 45 31.54 29.99 28.00 28.94 34. 70 31.59 31.79 (0 21. 20 19.11 17.85 18.99 23. 55 Males and females — C o n td . M isso u ri ______ N ew H a m p s h ire __ ______ N e w J e rs e y _______________ N e w Y o rk __ O hio ________ _____________ _ O re g o n ... . . . ... P e n n s y lv a n ia __ . R h o d e Is la n d T ennessee T e x a s________ _____ W ash in g to n W is c o n s in .. T o ta l _ _ M a c h in e 51.0 shop s Males A la b a m a _________ C alifo rn ia________ C o lorado _________ C o n n e c tic u t______ G eorgia__________ Illin o is___________ I n d ia n a __________ Io w a_____________ K a n s a s ___________ K e n tu c k y ________ L o u isia n a ________ M a in e ___________ M a ry la n d ________ M a s sa c h u s e tts ___ M ic h ig a n ________ M in n e s o ta ________ M is so u ri_________ N e w H a m p s h ire -. N ew J e rs e y _______ N ew Y o rk ________ O h io _____________ O regon___________ P e n n s y lv a n ia _____ R h o d e Is la n d _____ T e n n essee________ T e x a s ____________ W a sh in g to n ______ W isc o n sin ________ T o ta l_______ 6 23 2 19 8 36 16 6 10 10 5 4 7 38 36 8 19 6 28 32 85 6 48 10 8 10 7 15 508 7 23 3 20 9 36 17 7 11 7 6 4 8 38 35 8 19 5 25 34 85 6 48 11 9 10 7 14 512 284 2,133 654 4,104 332 11,149 2,965 1,032 436 624 217 650 705 7,673 5,580 856 1,153 535 3, 624 8, 958 13,965 396 12,537 3,104 540 742 732 4, 255 89, 935 457 1, 626 282 2,409 396 7,015 1,855 815 272 395 199 492 456 6,452 3, 530 940 712 341 2, 509 7,430 10,316 175 8,198 1,513 323 554 392 4,792 64,846 50.0 45.9 48.1 51.0 52.3 50.0 51.0 54. 1 54.1 50.7 54.1 49.0 50.0 49.3 51.9 50.4 51.4 49.0 49.5 48. 7 50.1 47.2 51.7 50.8 50.8 47.6 47.6 51.6 54.0 45.2 48.0 49.3 51.2 49.6 51.1 52.2 52.9 48.9 51.4 48.1 48.4 48.2 51.5 49.2 51.3 48.8 49.4 49.2 49.9 46.2 51.2 50.4 49.3 48.0 47.6 51.2 50.3 49.9 0 50.0 50.7 50.0 50.9 50.0 Females C o n n e c tic u t______ Illin o is____________ I n d ia n a ___________ K e n tu c k y _________ M a in e ____________ M a s sa c h u s e tts ____ M ic h ig a n _________ N e w H a m p s h ire -. . N e w J e rs e y _______ N e w Y o rk ________ O h io ______________ P e n n s y la n a ia _____ R h o d e Is la n d _____ T e n n essee_________ W isconsin________ T o t a l_______ 2 6 3 1 10 10 1 2 6 7 5 2 1 56 0) 7 56 49 7 1 1 7 7 1 2 6 6 4 4 0 1 49 0 95 261 0 45 411 302 153 111 0 1, 556 56 21 8 87 201 18 22 269 212 94 38 0 45 1,073 0 47. Î 51.6 0 50.0 47.8 49.2 48.4 51.1 0 49.3 0 50.0 47.7 52.3 48.0 50.0 47.9 49.4 45.9 50.8 0 45.5 49.1 .424 .377 .357 .373 .471 0 .397 .408 .382 .423 .417 . 380 .448 .398 .436 .423 .500 .347 .397 .453 0 0 .414 .411 0 .378 .419 .399 — 1 F o r less th a n 3 w age earners in th is e s ta b lis h m e n t, d a ta in c lu d e d in to ta l, 2 In c lu d e d in to ta l in 1929. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 0 19. 50 21.21 0 19.85 19. 50 18.79 20. 47 21.31 0 19. 67 0 19 00 21.37 20.82 20.93 21.15 23.95 17.14 18.22 23. 01 0 17.20 20. 57 141 WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR T a b l e 3 . —N U M B E R O P E S T A B L I S H M E N T S A N D O F W A G E E A R N E R S , A N D A V E R A G E H O U R S A N D E A R N IN G S I N F O U N D R I E S A N D M A C H IN E S H O P S , 1929 A N D 1931, B Y S E X A N D S T A T E —C o n tin u e d M a c h in e Sex a n d S tate N u m b e r of esta b lish m e n ts 1929 1931 6 23 2 19 8 36 16 6 10 10 5 4 7 38 36 8 19 6 28 32 85 6 48 10 8 10 7 15 508 shops — C o n tin u ed N u m b e r of em ployees A verage full-tim e ho u rs per w eek A v erag e e a rn ings p e r h o u r A verage fu ll tim e w eek ly earnings 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 7 23 3 20 9 36 17 7 11 7 6 4 8 38 35 8 19 5 25 34 85 6 48 11 9 10 7 14 284 2,133 654 4,111 332 11, 205 3,014 1,032 436 652 217 650 705 7,768 5,841 856 1,153 572 3,669 9,369 14, 267 396 12.690 3, 215 541 742 732 4,255 457 1, 626 282 2,410 396 7,071 1,876 815 272 395 199 500 456 6, 539 3,731 940 712 359 2, 531 7,699 10, 528 175 8,292 1, 551 324 554 392 4,837 50.0 45.9 48. 1 51.0 52.3 50.0 51.0 54. 1 54. 1 50.9 54.1 49.0 50.0 49. 3 51.8 50.4 51.4 49.0 49. 5 48.6 50.1 47.2 51.7 50.8 50.8 47.6 47.6 51. 6 54.0 45.2 48.0 49.3 51.2 49.6 51.0 52.2 52.9 48.9 51.4 48.1 48.4 48.2 51.5 49.2 51.3 48.7 49.4 49.2 49.9 46.2 51.1 50.4 49.3 48.0 47.6 51.1 $0. 551 .779 .619 .639 .434 .689 .561 .552 .508 .512 .489 .544 .656 .628 .630 .578 .574 .610 .682 .672 .641 .691 .612 .586 .550 .583 .732 .639 $0. 596 .753 .647 .659 .462 .655 .543 .569 .543 .551 .524 .548 .658 .644 .631 .601 .562 .594 .677 .674 .622 .724 .614 .591 . 567 .603 .729 .615 $27. 55 35. 76 29. 77 32.59 22. 70 34. 45 28. 61 29.86 27.48 26.06 26.45 26. 66 32. 80 30.96 32.63 29.13 29. 50 29. 89 33.76 32. 66 32.11 32. 62 31. 64 29. 77 27.94 27. 75 34.84 32.97 $32.18 34.04 31.06 32.49 23.65 32.49 27. 69 29.70 28.72 26.94 26. 93 26. 36 31. 85 31.04 32. 50 29. 57 28. 83 28. 93 33.44 33.16 31.04 33. 45 31.38 29. 79 27. 95 28.94 34. 70 31.43 512 91,491 65,919 50.3 49.8 .638 .633 32. 09 31. 52 Males and females A la b a m a ________ . . _ __ . . . C alifo rnia___________________ Colorado__ _______ . ______ C o n n e c tic u t________________ G eo rg ia____________ _______ I ll in o is ..____ _______________ I n d ia n a . ___________________ .. . Io w a________ ____ . . . K a n s a s _____ . . . ___ K e n tu c k y ___ _ . . . ________ L o u isia n a ___________ _______ M ain e . . _ M a r y la n d . .. . . M a s sa c h u s e tts ______________ M ic h ig a n . . . . . M in n e s o ta __ _____ ... . . M is so u ri________ . . . . . . N e w H a m p s h ire . . . . N e w J e rs e y _____ _ ________ N e w Y o rk . . . . O h io _____________ . . ... O regon. _ ___________________ P e n n s y lv a n ia ___________ R h o d e I s l a n d __ T en n essee . . . T e x a s_______________________ W ash in g to n . _______ . . . W isco n sin_________________ . T o ta l. ._ ________ __ Hours and Earnings, 1931, in Selected Occupations, by Sex and State T able 4 shows average hours and earnings in four representative occupations in foundries and four in machine shops in each State in 1931. It illustrates the variations in average hours and earnings in all occupations in each industry in different States and makes easy the comparison of the averages in each occupation in the table for any one State with those in the same occupation in any other State. Average earnings per hour of hand molders, floor, the second occu pation under foundries, ranged by States from 61.2 cents for the State with the lowest, to 97.8 cents for the State with the highest average, and for all States combined, or for all employees included in this occupation in the study of the industry, averaged 78.2 cents per hour. Average full-time hours per week ranged by States from 44.9 to 55.1 and for all States averaged 50.0 per week. Average full-time earnings per week ranged by States from $29.22 to $45.31, and for all States averaged $39.10. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 142 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW T able 4 . —A V E R A G E H O U R S A N D E A R N I N G S F O R S P E C I F I E D O C C U P A T IO N S F O U N D R I E S A N D M A C H I N E S H O P S , 1931, B Y O C C U P A T I O N , S E X A N D S T A T E IN F o u n d r ie s S ta te N um N um b er of b e r of e sta b em p lo y lish ees m e n ts A v er A v e r age age fu ll tim e e a rn hours ings p er per w eek h o u r A v er age fu ll tim e w eek ly e a rn ings L aborers, m ale A la b a m a ...................................... C alifornia ----------- -----------C o lo ra d o _ -_ ----------------------C o n n e c tic u t-- . - --G e o rg ia -. - . - - - - ------------Illin o is ------------------ ---------In d ia n a ____________________ Io w a _______ -- - - ---------K a n s a s -------------------------------K e n tu c k y _ ---------L o u isia n a ---------------------------M a in e - _ -----M a ry la n d __________ _______ M a s sa c h u s e tts — M ic h ig a n ----- ---------------------M in n e s o ta --------------------------M is so u ri___________________ N e w H a m p s h ire -- N e w J e r s e y .- - ----- --N e w Y o rk . -- - -O h i o . -------- ---------------------O regon_____________________ P e n n s y lv a n ia ---------------- --R hode Is la n d --. — T ennessee _ -------------- ------T e x a s ______ _______ _ -W a sh in g to n . - - - - - W isconsin -------------------- T o ta l _ ____________ A v er A v er A v er N u m N u m age age age b er of b e r of fu ll fu ll e s ta b em tim e e a rn tim e lish p lo y h ours ings w eekly p er m e n ts ees p er e a rn w eek h o u r ings M o ld ers, h a n d , floor, m ale 4 18 3 16 9 30 17 9 8 5 5 2 7 20 32 5 13 3 15 25 43 3 38 7 6 5 5 13 66 143 34 265 116 723 458 148 47 25 58 33 114 242 481 93 92 16 418 829 923 26 809 172 67 39 44 426 53.6 46.3 48. 0 51. 7 51.2 49.9 51. 7 56.3 57. 2 53.8 52.3 49.8 51.4 47.9 52.9 51.7 53.8 50.4 49.3 49.3 51.8 48. 1 50. 3 50. 2 49. 1 49. 3 48.0 51.4 $0. 297 . 553 .469 .461 .244 .495 .436 .522 .352 .385 .284 .460 .391 .487 .470 .463 .407 .409 .447 .485 .460 .513 .483 .479 .310. .341 .521 .460 $15.92 25. 60 22. 51 23. 83 12. 49 24. 70 22. 54 29. 39 20. 13 20. 71 14. 85 22.91 20. 10 23. 33 24. 86 23.94 21.90 20. 61 22.04 23.91 23. 83 24. 68 24. 29 24. 05 15. 22 16. 81 25. 01 23.64 4 19 3 17 9 29 17 9 9 5 5 4 7 20 31 6 13 5 15 25 42 5 39 7 6 6 6 13 28 129 29 180 50 304 175 76 57 31 23 52 71 212 287 58 91 20 194 299 512 24 454 74 38 25 38 221 53.5 44.9 48.0 49.8 50.1 49.1 51.0 50.7 55.1 50. 7 53.6 46.3 47.7 47.3 51.8 51.3 52.2 51.1 49.4 50.2 50.5 46.8 50.3 50.6 48.8 47.9 47.8 50.8 $0. 703 .978 .728 .764 .694 .803 .684 .757 .559 .612 .651 .631 .764 .958 .694 .742 .720 .674 .849 .772 .825 .859 .790 .751 .678 .639 .884 .800 $37. 61 43. 91 34.94 38. 05 34. 77 39.43 34.88 38.38 30. 80 31.03 34. 89 29.22 36.44 45.31 35. 95 38.06 37. 58 34.44 41.94 38. 75 41.66 40.20 39.74 38.00 33. 09 30. 61 42. 26 40.64 366 6, 907 50.8 .460 23. 37 376 3,752 50.0 .782 39.10 M o ld ers, m a ch in e, m ale A la b a m a ___________________ C alifornia ----------- --- ---------C olorado- . ------ - -- C o n n e c tic u t-----------------------G eorgia__ __ Illin o is ----------- -- - - -------In d ia n a ---------------------Io w a _______ - ----K a n s a s ... - K e n tu c k y .. ----L o u isia n a ___ . . ---------M a in e - -------- --- M a ry la n d __________________ M a ssa c h u se tts_____ _____ M ic h ig a n _____ - ------------M in n e s o ta ______ _ _ _ _ _ M i s s o u r i - ___ - - - - - - --N e w H a m p s h ire N e w J e r s e y ... __ . . . N e w Y o rk O h io .. - . - . ____ _ -------Oregon P e n n s y lv a n ia . .. R h o d e I s l a n d . . . . . . ______ T e n n essee__ __________ __ T e x a s ... ______________ W a s h i n g t o n .. ___ _________ W isc o n sin _________________ T o ta l. ______________ P a tte rn m a k e rs , m ale 1 6 1 7 2 18 14 5 4 3 2 1 5 17 21 5 3 2 9 18 26 2 13 6 103 10 377 224 43 10 5 8 24 34 109 179 25 20 12 121 292 360 O) 45. 0 48. 0 52. 2 50.4 50.2 49.8 51.8 58. 2 51. 2 52.5 50. 0 49. 7 42. 9 50.8 51.4 52.8 52.0 48. 8 47. 9 50.0 (>) $0. 773 .624 .605 .613 .680 .583 .624 .459 .675 .385 .667 .600 .704 .543 .703 .652 .565 .724 .655 .733 0) $34. 79 29. 95 31. 58 30. 90 34. 14 29. 03 32. 32 26. 71 34. 56 20. 21 33.35 29. 82 30. 20 27.58 36. 13 34. 43 29. 38 35. 33 31.37 36. 65 24 7 1 2 1 10 311 104 1 4 1 140 51. 7 50.3 0) 48.5 0) 51.9 .683 .656 0) .767 0) .654 215 2,538 50.0 .661 2 7 2 8 2 22 11 7 3 10 14 16 15 3 323 59 20 4 55.0 44. 3 48.0 52. 1 51. 7 48.8 48. 6 52. 2 54.0 $0. 802 1.101 .870 .700 .666 .862 .903 .718 .918 $44.11 48. 77 41.76 36. 47 34. 43 42.07 43. 89 37. 48 49. 57 2 9 11 60 33 26 27 4 82 62 75 15 162 12 9 13 20 21 (>) 45.3 47.5 47.9 49.1 49.6 50.2 50.0 48.4 48. 1 50. 5 47 5 51. 2 49.0 48. 1 47.6 47.8 51.1 (>) .663 .702 .813 .843 .760 .866 .518 .882 .825 .833 0) 30.03 33. 35 38.94 41.39 37. 70 43. 47 25. 90 42.69 39. 68 42.07 35. 31 33.00 (0 37.20 0) 33. 94 1 3 5 14 11 5 10 1 7 8 16 4 23 2 5 5 4 6 .755 .764 .861 .882 .991 .785 38. 66 37. 44 41.41 41.98 47. 37 40. 11 33. 05 194 1,107 49.3 .835 41.17 1 F o r less th a n 3 w age e a rn e rs in th is e s ta b lis h m e n t, d a ta in c lu d ed in to ta l. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 143 WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR T able 4 . —A V E R A G E H O U R S A N D E A R N I N G S F O R S P E C I F I E D O C C U P A T IO N S I N F O U N D R I E S A N D M A C H I N E S H O P S , 1931, B Y O C C U P A T IO N , S E X , A N D S T A T E —C on. M a c h in e sh o p s S ta te N um b er of N u m b e r of e s ta b em p lo y lish ees m e n ts A v er A v er age age fu ll e a rn tim e ings hours p er per hour w eek A v er age fu ll tim e w eekly e a rn ings A v er A v er A v e r N u m N u m age age age b er of b er of fu ll fu ll e s ta b e m tim e e a rn tim e lish p lo y h ours ings w eek ly p er ees m e n ts p er e a rn w eek h o u r ings L ab o rers, m ale F itte rs a n d b en c h h a n d s, m ale A la b a m a _________________ C alifo rn ia- ---------------- C olorado ------------- -C o n n e c tic u t--------- ------------G eo rg ia------------- ---------------Illin o is _ ---------------- I n d ia n a ___ I o w a ____ ____ -- - - - K an sas ---------- ----------K e n tu c k y ..- ----- --L o u i s i a n a ... - . . . M a in e . _ ---------M a r y la n d .. __ M a s sa c h u s e tts ---------- --- ----M ich ig an . M in n e s o ta _______ _ _ _ M is so u ri. _____ ____ _____ N e w H a m p s h ire ----- ----N e w J e r s e y .. ----- --- --------N e w Y o rk ---- ------------------O h i o . ____ _______ --- ----Oregon -------P e n n s y lv a n ia ----R h o d e I s la n d . -------------T e n n essee------ ------------------T e x a s .. _ ____ . . . . . . - W a sh in g to n ____ _ _ _ W isconsin _______ . 3 12 1 20 2 22 13 4 3 4 2 2 4 27 20 7 7 1 14 28 73 2 38 9 1 4 4 14 44 71 8 223 13 307 118 42 15 47 2 20 16 582 164 27 43 35 297 951 1,417 4 473 175 7 37 23 287 55.4 44.9 48.0 49. 7 52. 2 49.9 51.0 52. 5 50.0 47.0 52.0 49. 1 47.8 48.2 51. 1 49.6 52.6 48.0 49. 1 48.8 49.0 46.0 61. 3 50. 3 52.0 47.8 47.7 51.3 $0.675 .851 .587 .638 .514 .659 .575 .613 .678 .662 .353 .567 .719 .672 .620 .657 .523 .604 .717 .733 .644 .647 .621 .586 .666 .690 .704 .643 $37. 40 38. 21 28. 18 31.71 26. 83 32. 88 29. 33 32.18 33. 90 31. 11 18. 36 27. 84 34. 37 32.39 31. 68 32. 59 27. 51 28. 99 35.20 35. 77 31.56 29. 76 31. 86 29. 48 34. 63 32. 98 33. 58 32. 99 6 18 2 18 8 31 16 7 5 5 4 3 6 29 28 7 8 3 20 31 76 4 46 11 8 9 3 14 41 123 12 111 72 607 198 84 6 25 23 29 23 399 224 111 49 13 210 705 843 9 632 106 42 63 16 397 53.3 44.9 48.0 49. 5 51.4 50.0 51.0 51.9 52.3 46. 2 56. 5 46. 5 49. 5 49.4 53.8 49. 2 53.4 48.6 51. 0 49.4 49.9 45.8 51.4 51. 0 48. 9 48. 8 47.7 51.3 $0. 320 .513 .448 .458 .231 .474 .413 .459 .307 .398 .240 .419 .422 .471 .475 .434 .407 .487 .482 .501 .449 .511 .446 .435 .315 .388 .550 .444 $17.06 23.03 21.50 22. 67 11. 87 23. 70 21.06 23. 82 16.06 18. 39 13. 56 19. 48 20.89 23. 27 25.56 21.35 21.73 23. 67 24.58 24. 75 22.41 23. 40 22.92 22. 19 15. 40 18. 93 26.24 22.78 T o t a l. ......................... . 341 5, 528 48.7 .666 32.43 426 5,173 50.3 .455 22.89 T o o l m a k ers, m ale L a th e o p erato rs, engine, m ale A la b a m a ____________ C alifo rn ia C olorado C o n n e c tic u t . . . . . __ G eorgia _ _ _ __ Illinois I n d ia n a . . ________ Io w a _________ K an sas ___ __ __ __ _ _ K e n tu c k y _ ----------- _ M ain e - __ -M a ry la n d - . ______ M a s sa c h u s e tts __ _______ M ic h ig a n . _ M in n e s o ta .. ______ _____ M isso u ri . ___ _ N ew H a m p s h ire ___ _ _ N e w J e r s e y .. _____ ____ N e w Y o rk ___ __ ___ ____ O hio __ - ___ __ Oregon _ ___ __ P e n n s y lv a n ia ___ ___ _ R h o d e I s l a n d .. . . . T en n essee „ __ __ - - - - - T e x a s ____ _____ _ -- __ W a sh in g to n _____ . . . - - - - W isco n sin________ _____ ___ T o ta l ______ _____ https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 5 19 3 17 3 26 12 7 6 5 3 3 5 34 24 8 13 4 20 29 78 6 42 10 1 3 7 14 43 120 11 147 15 392 98 26 33 15 12 48 15 307 181 44 64 16 156 347 602 26 451 52 3 60 30 236 55.7 44.7 48.0 50. 2 50.8 50.0 51. 7 51.4 50.5 47.3 50. 0 46.9 48.9 49. 2 51. 6 49.5 51.1 48.4 49.4 49.3 51.4 46.3 50.7 50.1 49. 5 47.1 47.7 51.4 $0. 718 .880 .731 .668 .488 .724 .597 .666 .633 .633 .633 .566 .661 .708 .670 .667 .584 .636 .742 .748 .698 .838 .708 .599 .856 .709 .788 .703 $39. 99 39. 34 35. 09 33. 53 24. 79 36. 20 30. 86 34. 23 31.97 29.94 31.65 26. 55 32.32 34. 83 34. 57 33.02 29. 84 30. 78 36.65 36. 88 35. 88 38. 80 35.90 30.01 42. 37 33. 39 37. 59 36.13 3 17 1 17 4 25 12 4 3 5 17 52 11 135 5 308 77 30 5 15 51.4 45.4 48.0 49.7 50. 2 49. 8 50.9 52.7 50.4 49.3 $0,700 .909 .536 .768 .658 .797 .673 .672 .614 .699 $35. 98 41.27 25. 73 38.17 33. 03 39. 69 34. 26 35.41 30. 95 34.46 4 3 32 22 8 11 2 15 28 65 2 38 7 4 5 4 14 11 29 266 103 27 23 12 79 390 432 3 156 74 4 11 8 103 49.5 47.7 47.8 52. 2 49.2 50.7 48.2 49.4 48. 6 49. 5 46.7 50.6 50. 5 47. 6 47. 7 47.5 51.0 .666 .784 .640 .821 .738 .684 .775 .785 .802 .759 .789 .750 .768 .810 .729 .831 .761 32. 97 37. 40 30.59 42. 86 36.31 34.68 37. 36 38. 78 38. 98 37. 57 36. 85 37.95 38.78 38. 56 34. 77 39.47 38. 81 407 3, 550 50.2 .706 35. 37 355 2,386 49.4 .758 37.45 144 MONTHLY LA.BOR REVIEW H o u r s a n d E a r n in g s in S h e e t M ills a n d T in - P la t e M ills , 1931 HIS is the last of a series of three articles by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showing summaries of average hours and earnings by departments and occupations for wage earners in the iron and steel industry in the United States in 1931, in comparison with like figures for 1929 and for each of the specified years back to 1913 in which studies of the industry have been made by the bureau. The sum maries in Table 1 of this report are for wage earners in sheet mills and in tin-plate mills separately for the years 1913 to 1931. Index numbers of the averages are also shown in the table, with the 1913 averages the base, or 100 per cent. Wage earners in sheet mills, as shown in Table 1, earned an average of 74.7 cents per hour in 1931 and 79.3 cents in 1929. The average for 1931 was 4.6 cents per hour, or 5.8 per cent, less than the average for 1929. The average of 45.0 cents for 1915 was less, and of $1,039 for 1920 was more, than for any of the other specified years from 1913 to 19.31, inclusive, for which figures are shown in the table. Index numbers of these averages with the 1913 average the base or 100 were 101.0 for 1914; 93.2 for 1915; 215.1 far 1920; 143.7 for 1922; 167.5 for 1924; 157.1 for 1926; 164.2 for 1929; and 154.7 for 1931. The index of 215.1 for 1920 shows that earnings per hour in that year were nearly 2% times the 1913 average; and the index of 154.7 for 1931 shows that average earnings per hour were 54.7 per cent more than in 1913. Earnings in 1931 were 28.1 per cent less than in 1920. Average full-time hours per week in sheet mills were 47.8 in 1931 and 48.9 in 1929. The average for 1931 was 1.1 hours per week, or 2.2 per cent, less than the average for 1929. The average of 52.5 for 1915 was more, and of 47.8 for 1931 was less, than the average for any of the other specified years from 1913 to 1931. The index of 91.4 in 1931 shows that average full-time hours per week were 8.6 per cent less than in 1913. Average full-time earnings per week in sheet mills were $35.71 in 1931 and $38.78 in 1929. The 1931 average was $3.07 per week, or 7.9 per cent, less than the 1929 average. The 1915 average of $23.63 was less, and the 1920 average of $52.26 was more, than the average for any of the other specified years from 1913 to 1931 for which aver ages are shown. Index numbers for 1920 at 206.9 show that average full-time earnings per week were 106.9 per cent more than in 1913 and for 1931 at 141.4 were 41.4 per cent more than in 1913. Full time earnings per week did not increase or decrease in the same pro portion as average earnings per hour, because of the change from year to year in average full-time hours per week. The explanation of the figures for sheet mills above also applies to the averages and index numbers for tin-plate mills. The hours and earnings used in computing the 1931 averages in Table 1 and in other tables in this report were, except for a very few mills, for the half-monthly pay period ending March 31, and were collected directly from the pay rolls of the plants included in the study of the industry. Average hours and earnings and index numbers of the averages for employees in blast furnaces, Bessemer converters, and open-hearth furnaces were published in the November, 1931, issue of the Labor T https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 145 “WAGES AISD HOURS OF LABOR Review and those in puddling mills, blooming mills, plate mills, standard rail mills, and bar mills in the December issue. A bulletin which will be published later will present average hours and earnings and index numbers in much more detail for each of the 10 departments of the industry than could be shown for them in the Labor Review. T able 1. — A V E R A G E H O U R S A N D E A R N I N G S , A N D I N D E X N U M B E R S T H E R E O F , F O R E A C H S P E C I F I E D Y E A R , 1913 T O 1931, F O R A L L W A G E E A R N E R S C O M B I N E D , I N S H E E T A N D T IN -P L A T E M IL L D E P A R T M E N T S T in -p la te m ills S heet m ills Y ear 1913___________ 1914___________ 1915___________ 1920___________ 1922___________ 1924___________ 1926___________ 1929___________ 1931................ A verage fulltim e ho u rs p er w eek In d e x n u m b e rs (1913 = 100) A v er A v e r age fu ll age F u ll e a rn tim e F u ll E a r n e a rn tim e ings tim e e a rn ings ings per h o u rs p er per ings hour per p er w eek w eek h o u r w eek 52.3 $0.483 $25. 26 .488 25. 52 52.3 .450 23. 63 52.5 1.039 52.26 50.3 .694 35.46 51.1 .809 40.61 50.2 48.9 .759 37.12 .793 38. 78 48.9 .747 35.71 47.8 100.0 100.0 100.4 96.2 97.7 96.0 93.5 93.5 91.4 100.0 101.0 93.2 215.1 143.7 167.5 157. 1 164. 2 154.7 100.0 101.0 93.5 206.9 140.4 160.8 147.0 153.5 141.4 A ver- A v e r age age fulle a rn tim e ings h o u rs per p er hour w eek In d e x n u m b e rs A v e r (1913 = 100) age fu ll F u ll tim e F u ll E a r n tim e e a rn tim e e a rn ings h o u rs ings ings per p er er p er w eek wpeek hour w eek 46.1 $0.417 $19. 22 .425 19. 55 46.0 .428 21.57 50.4 .949 48.02 50.6 49.9 .650 32.44 48.8 .795 38.80 48.1 .704 33.86 .732 34. 70 47.4 .714 33.56 47.0 100.0 99.8 109.3 109.8 108.2 105.9 104.3 102.8 102.0 100.0 101.9 102.6 227.6 155.9 190.6 168.8 175.5 171.2 100.0 101.7 112.2 249.8 168.8 201.9 176.2 180.5 174.6 Trend of Hours and Earnings, 1913 to 1931 T h e av erag e h o u rs a n d e a rn in g s a n d in d ex n u m b e rs in T a b le 2 are for th e w age e a rn e rs in all d e p a rtm e n ts co m b in ed , o r th e in d u s try , for each of th e specified y e a rs fro m 1913 to 1931 in w hich stu d ies h a v e been m ad e. Average full-time hours per week for the 10 departments combined, or the industry as a whole, were 2.2 hours or 4.0 per cent less in 1931 than in 1929; average earnings per hour were 1.1 cents or 1.6 per cent less; and average full-time earnings per week were $1.90 or 5.2 per cent less in 1931 than in 1929. Average full-time hours per week at 66.1 in 1913 were more, and at 52.4 in 1931 were less, than for any of the other years in the table. The index number of 79.3 for 1931 shows that average full-time hours per week were 20.7 per cent less than in 1913. Average earnings per hour for the industry at 29.7 cents for 1915 were less, and at 74.5 cents for 1920 were more, than for any of the other years in the table. Index numbers of 247.5 for 1920 show that earnings per hour were 147.5 per cent more than in 1913, and of 220.3 for 1931 that earnings for the latter were 120.3 per cent more than in 1913. Earnings per hour in 1931 were 11.0 per cent less than in 1920. Average full-time earnings per week at $18.60 for 1914 were less, and at $45.65 for 1920 were more, than for any other year in the table. Index numbers show that full-time earnings in 1920 were a little more than 2% times the 1913 average and that the 1931 average was a little more than 1% times the 1913 average. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 146 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW T able 2 — A V E R A G E H O U R S A N D E A R N I N G S , W I T H I N D E X N U M B E R S O F S U C H A V E R A G E S , F O R E A C H S P E C I F I E D Y E A R , 1913 T O 1931, F O R A L L E M P L O Y E E S I N A L L D E P A R T M E N T S C O M B IN E D , O R T H E IN D U S T R Y In d e x lu m b e rs (191 3=100) Year 1913_______ ______ ___________ 1914__________________________ 1915____________ _____________ 1920__________________________ 1922__________________________ 1924__________________________ 1926________________________ 1929__________ .___________ 1 9 3 1 ..._____ _________________ A verage full-tim e ho u rs p er w eek 66.1 64.9 65.5 63.1 63.2 55.2 54.4 54.6 52.4 A verage earnings per hour $0. 301 .301 .297 .745 .513 .644 .637 .674 .663 A verages full-tim e earning s p e r w eek $18. 89 18. 60 18. 65 45. 65 31. 67 35. 22 34. 41 36.48 34. 58 F u ll-tim e h o u rs p er w eek 100.0 98.2 99.1 95.5 95.6 83.5 82.3 82.6 79.3 E a rn in g s per hour F u ll-tim e earn in g s p e r w eek 100.0 100.0 98.7 247.5 170.4 214.0 211.6 223.9 220.3 100.0 98.5 98.7 241. 7 167.7 186.4 182.2 193.1 183.1 Hours and Earnings, 1929 and 1931, by Department and Occupation T able 3 shows average hours and earnings and the per cent of wage earners in each classified group of full-time hours per week in 1929 and 1931 for each of the specified occupations in sheet mills and tin-plate mills. Like figures for each of the occupations in the table for the specified years from 1910 to 1929 appear in Bulletin No. 513. Figures for “ cold roll rollers” and “ cold roll catchers” in sheet mills and “ shearmen’s helpers,” “ openers, female,” and “ assorters, male,” in tin-plate mills are for 1931 only. Sheet mills.—Average full-time hours per week were more in seven and less in seven of the specified occupations in sheet mills in 1931 than in 1929. Hours were the same in four occupations in 1929 and in 1931, and in two are shown for 1931 only. Hours ranged in 1929, by occupation, from an average of 43.1 for rollers, level handed, and sheet heaters’ helpers to 60.7 for laborers, and in 1931 from 42.8 for rollers, level handed, to 57.7 for laborers. The increase from 43.2 to 43.8 for openers was more than for any other occupation. The decrease from 60.7 to 57.7 for laborers was more than for any other occupation. Average earnings per hour were more in 1 and less in 17 occupa tions in sheet mills in 1931 than in 1929. Averages for 1929 ranged, by occupation, from $0,429 for laborers to $1,979 for rollers and in 1931 from $0,428 to $1,811, respectively, for the same occupations. Feeders, the only occupation for which earnings were more in 1931 than in 1929, earned an average of 70.9 cents per hour in 1929 and 75.0 cents in 1931. Rollers, level handed, earned an average of $1,381 in 1929 and $0,971 in 1931. The loss in this occupation was more than that of any other occupation. Average full-time earnings per week were more in 1 and less in 17 occupations in sheet mills in 1931 than in 1929. Averages in the various occupations ranged in 1929 from $26.04 for laborers to $85.89 for rollers and in 1931 from $23.56 for openers, level handed, to $78.78 for rollers. Tin-plate mills.—Average full-time hours per week were the same in 1931 as in 1929 for all hot-mill occupations in tin-plate mills (the first 14 occupations under this department). There was an increase of average hours in one and a decrease in eight of the occupations https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 147 WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR that handle the product after it leaves the hot mill. The average for shearmen increased from 42.9 to 43.6 or 0.7 hour per week. The average for branners decreased from 49.6 in 1929 to 44.7 in 1931, or 4.9 hours per week. The 1929 averages ranged by occupation from 42.7 for those of the hot-mill crew to 57.1 for laborers and in 1931 from 42.7 for the hot-mill crew to 56.9 for assorters, male. Average earnings per hour were more in 5 and less in 18 occupa tions in tin-plate mills in 1931 than in 1929 and ranged in 1929 from $0,369 for assorters, female, to $1,778 for rollers, and in 1931 from $0,380 to $1,737, respectively, for the same occupations. Average earnings for mechanical doublers increased from 67.9 cents per hour in 1929 to 74.9 cents in 1931. The increase for this occupation was more than for any other occupation. Redippers earned an average of $1,158 in 1929 and $1,053 in 1931. The loss by this occupation was more than that of any other occupation. T able 3 .—A V E R A G E H O U R S A N D E A R N I N G S A N D P E R G E N T O F E M P L O Y E E S W O R K I N G E A C H C L A S S IF IE D N U M B E R O F F U L L - T I M E H O U R S P E R W E E K I N S P E C I F I E D O C C U P A T IO N S I N S H E E T A N D T I N - P L A T E M IL L S S h e e t m ills O ccupation P a ir h e a te rs ______ _ R o lle rs____________ - - - - - - R o llers, level h a n d e d ._______ R o llers’ h elp ers a n d finishers R o u g h ers___________________ C a tc h e rs ____________ ____ M a tc h e rs ------ ---------------------D o u b le rs ___________________ S h eet h e a te rs ----------------------S h eet h ea ters, level h a n d e d .. S h eet h e a te rs ’ h elp ers_______ S h earm en -------- --------------- S h e a rm e n ’s h e lp e rs ___ ____ O p en ers------------------------ - - O peners, level h a n d e d ______ P ic k le rs ------------------ ---------- F e e d e rs_____________ C old ro ll r o ll e r s ____________ C old ro ll c a tc h e rs .. ._ _ .. L a b o rers_____________ _ - . - 1 Less th a n 1 p er cent. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis N um N u m ber of Y ear b er of em p la n ts p lo y ees A v er age fu ll tim e hours p er w eek 580 532 546 541 41 112 448 388 581 513 576 619 495 550 524 522 540 484 34 37 525 415 287 321 281 321 370 276 106 107 125 116 90 73 142 174 448 396 43.4 43. 5 43.4 43. 5 43.1 42.8 43.2 43.2 43.4 43.6 43.3 43.5 43.6 43.5 43.6 43.6 43. 3 43. 5 43.6 43. 5 43. 1 43. 1 43. 5 43. 5 43.5 43.7 43. 2 43.8 44. 1 43.3 52.0 50.6 46.6 46.4 53.3 53.0 60. 7 57. 7 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1929 1931 1931 1931 1929 1931 15 15 15 15 8 7 14 13 15 15 15 15 12 15 11 14 15 15 7 8 14 14 14 15 14 14 11 9 5 6 14 13 10 9 15 15 15 15 Per ei A v er w A v er age fu ll age e a rn tim e O ver O ver e a rn 40 44 ings 48 60 p er ings a n d an d and a n d 72 u n u n 48 u n 60 u n a n d p er hour over w eek der d er der der 44 48 72 60 $0. 953 $41. 36 .870 37. 85 1. 979 85.89 1.811 78. 78 1. 381 59. 52 .971 41.56 .826 35.68 .773 33. 39 1.067 46. 31 .952 41. 51 1. 017 44. 04 .915 39.80 .894 38. 98 .772 33. 58 .870 37. 93 .764 33. 31 1. 432 62. 01 1. 287 55. 98 1.054 45. 95 .822 35. 76 .841 36. 25 .758 32. 67 1. 227 53. 37 1.052 45.76 .712 30.97 .627 27. 40 .754 32. 57 .659 28. 86 .686 30.25 . 544 23. 56 .713 37.08 .712 36. 03 .709 33.04 .750 34. 80 .759 40.45 .663 35. 14 .429 26. 04 .428 24. 70 73 64 75 65 83 95 81 77 73 63 78 66 65 65 65 63 76 65 62 73 86 81 70 64 69 62 81 49 52 73 26 9 60 47 10 7 0) — — - (') . . . . 2 33 49 26 42 25 25 2 6 11 11 10 11 23 24 33 36 19 17 6 2 24 20 46 53 6 1 4 3 4 6 5 13 1 148 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW T able 3 .—A V E R A G E H O U R S A N D E A R N I N G S A N D P E R C E N T O P E M P L O Y E E S W O R K I N G E A C H C L A S S IF IE D N U M B E R O P F U L L - T I M E H O U R S P E R W E E K I N S P E C I F I E D O C C U P A T IO N S I N S H E E T A N D T I N - P L A T E M I L L S - C o n t i n u e d T in - p la te O ccupation H e a te rs _____________ N um N u m b e r of Y ear b e r of e m p la n ts p lo y ees 1929 1931 1929 1931 H e a te rs ’ h elp ers_____ _ 1929 1931 P a ir h e a te rs_________ _ 1929 1931 R ollers_________________ 1929 1931 R ollers, level h a n d e d .. . 1929 1931 R o u g h e rs____ ________ 1929 1931 C a tc h e rs ................................. 1929 1931 Screw h o y s ____________ 1929 1931 Single b o y s_________ _ 1929 1931 D o u b lers, h a n d ___ _. 1929 1931 D o u b lers, m e c h a n ic a l.. 1929 1931 D o u b lers, level h a n d e d , h a n d . 1929 1931 D o u b le rs ’ helpers, h a n d 1929 1931 S h e a r m e n ._______ 1929 1931 S h earm en ’s h e lp e rs .. 1931 O peners, m a le___________ 1929 1931 O peners, fe m a le .. . . . 1931 T in n e rs , h a n d ________ 1929 1931 T in n e rs , m a c h in e ___ 1929 1931 R e d ip p e rs _____________ 1929 1931 R is e rs .. ______________ 1929 1931 B ran n o rs_______ ____ ____ 1929 1931 A ssorters, m a l e ______ 1931 A ssorters, fem ale__________ 1929 1931 L ab o rers _______ ___ 1929 1931 H e a te rs, level h a n d e d . _ 8 8 8 9 8 8 5 7 8 9 5 7 8 9 8 9 8 9 5 7 4 3 5 7 3 2 3 1 121 113 604 580 180 164 187 346 378 391 65 84 401 428 382 378 408 395 299 351 193 65 229 380 45 38 156 32 7 110 8 135 60 253 355 4 7 8 1 6 5 4 6 2 2 2 2 4 6 4 5 6 8 9 2 164 125 84 119 20 12 24 21 51 83 12 254 305 251 350 m ills A v er age fu ll tim e ho u rs per w eek P e r c e n t of em p lo y ees w hose A v e r av erag e fu ll-tim e h o u rs p e r A v e r age w eek w ere—• age fu ll e a rn tim e e a rn ings O ver O ver O v er 44, per ings 48, 60, 40, un p er hour 48 u n 60 u n u n d e r d er w eek d er d er 44 48 60 72 42 7 $1 159 $49 49 42. 7 1.102 47.06 .982 41.93 42.7 42. 7 .942 40.22 42. 7 .811 34 63 42. 7 .798 34. 07 42. 7 . 795 33 95 .744 31. 77 42.7 42 7 1 778 75 92 42.7 1. 737 74.17 42. 7 .949 40. 52 42.7 .930 39. 71 42. 7 1. 014 43 30 42.7 .989 42. 23 42. 7 . 926 39 54 42. 7 .902 38. 52 42. 7 . 691 29 51 42.7 .682 29.12 42. 7 .732 31 26 42.7 .737 31.47 42. 7 .912 38. 94 42.7 .883 37. 70 42.7 .679 28. 99 42.7 .749 31.98 42.7 .824 35.18 42.7 .760 32. 45 42.7 .702 29. 98 42.7 .622 26. 56 42. 9 1 076 46 16 43.6 .983 42. 86 46.1 .551 25. 40 48. 3 . 685 33 09 47.5 .748 35. 53 42. 7 .573 24. 47 43. 7 .-907 39. 64 42. 7 .899 38. 39 43. 4 .794 34. 46 42. 7 .834 35. 61 42.9 1.158 49. 68 42.7 1.053 44. 96 43. 0 . 639 27. 48 42.7 .589 25.15 49 6 600 2 Q 76 44.7 .577 25 ! 79 56.9 .541 30. 78 46.1 .369 17 01 45.5 .380 17.29 57 1 . 422 24 10 55.4 .419 23. 21 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 81 84 57 9 34 19 12 3 41 32 25 50 30 4 15 3 100 4 1 96 99 86 100 100 100 100 100 14 65 7Ì 39 29 30 25 30 51 1 1 0) 4 50 30 18 67 50 74 23 2 2 ]L ess th a n 1 p e r ce n t. Average full-time earnings per week were more in 5 and less in 18 occupations in tin-plate mills in 1931 than in 1929. Averages in the various occupations ranged in 1929 from $17.01 for assorters, female, to $75.92 for rollers, and in 1931 from $17.29 to $74.17, respectively, for the same occupations. The increase for mechanical doublers from $28.99 in 1929 to $31.98 in 1931 was more than for any other occupation. The decrease for redippers from $49.68 in 1929 to $44.96 in 1931 was more than that of any other occupation. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 149 WAGES AND HOURS OP LABOR W a g e -R a te C h a n g e s in M a n u fa c tu r in g I n d u s tr ie s in N o v em b er, 1931 THE 16,170 manufacturing establishments from which data wage changes were requested, 15,680 establishments, OForconcerning 97 per cent of the total, reported no wage-rate changes during the month ending November 15, 1931. The 15,680 establishments employed 2,600,649 workers in November, 1931, or 95.1 per cent of the 2,735,017 employees in all establishments from which wage-rate changes were requested. Decreases in rates of wages were reported by 490 establishments, or 3 per cent of the total number of establishments surveyed. These decreases, averaging 10.7 per cent, affected 134,368 employees, or 4.9 per cent of all employees in the establishments reporting. W A G E C H A N G E S R E P O R T E D I N MANUFACTURING I N D U S T R I E S B E T W E E N O C T O B E R 15 A N D N O V E M B E R 15, 1931 N u m b e r of em ployees h av in g — N u m b e r of esta b lish m e n ts re p o rtin g — E s ta b lish m e n ts re p o rt ing T o ta l num ber of em ployees lf i,170 ' 100 2,735,017 15,680 490 2, 600,649 100 97.0 8.0 95.1 4.9 "Raking 212 320 316 414 818 84,675 39,354 10', 839 16,182 62,151 202 316 310 396 802 10 4 6 18 16 80,130 39,220 10,588 15,427 61,454 4,545 134 251 755 697 R ugop rp fin in g oanp C Jnttnn g o o d s H o s ip ry a n d k n i t g o o d s ffilk g o o d s W^olPTl and w n rs tp d g o o d s 14 520 341 249 185 8,159 184,470 84, 816 49,132 46,455 14 473 327 241 173 47 14 8 12 8,159 166,189 82, 362 48, 516 44,077 18, 281 2,454 616 2,378 C la rp p ts and m g s C lln th in g m p.n’s S h i r t s a n d c o lla rs C llo th in g w o m p n ’s 30 122 334 105 360 15, 201 33, 489 51, 687 16, 704 23,913 29 105 325 98 357 1 17 9 7 3 15, 083 28, 707 49, 013 15, 552 23, 775 118 4,782 2,674 1,152 138 M il li n e r y a n d lacp g o o d s Tron a n d stp.pl C last-iro n pipp. R trilP tlH a l-irn n w o rk 137 192 41 175 12, 559 190, 361 8,053 20, 752 133 166 38 166 4 26 3 9 12,409 143,990 7,693 17,956 150 46, 371 360 2,796 1,067 153,595 1,018 49 145,878 7, 717 99 146 24,433 15; 994 95 145 4 1 24,004 15,959 429 35 T q im h p r s a w m ills 99 131 624 22,458 15,477 73,490 97 125 607 2 6 17 22,267 14,219 71, 318 191 1, 258 2,172 T ,n m h o r m ill w o r k F u r n itu r e F e a th e r "Pnot.s a n d sh o e s P a p e r an d p u lp 320 422 139 277 344 19,896 46^ 821 21,868 80, 844 65,367 310 411 127 266 331 10 11 12 11 13 19,091 44,425 19,073 78, 645 63,141 805 2,396 2, 795 2,199 2, 226 p a p e r bo^ps 309 623 23,938 52; 240 304 614 5 9 22, 779 51,978 1,159 262 429 159 204 71, 597 31,828 6,620 425 156 192 4 3 12 71,411 31,481 5,995 347 625 In d u s tr y W age W age No in de w age changes creases creases A ll m a n u fa c tu rin g Industrip s Per cent of total______ S lau g h terin g a n d m e a t p a c k in g . P, nn fp.p.ti nn pr y Tpp , p,rp,am F lo u r D y ein g and. finishing textiles _ F o u n d ry and m achine-shop p r o d n e ts TTard w a r e M a e h in p to o ls S te a m fittin g s a n d s te a m a n d h o t-w a te r h e a tin g a p p a ra tu s .. s to v e s P rin tin g book and jo b P rin tin g , n ew sp ap ers a n d periodieals n h e m i e a ls F e rtiliz e rs ......................................... https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis No w age changes W age W age d e in creases creases 134, 368 150 M ONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W W A G E C H A N G E S R E P O R T E D I N MANUFACTURING I N D U S T R I E S B E T W E E N O C T O B E R 15 A N D N O V E M B E R 15, 1931— C o n tin u e d I n d u s tr y P e tro le u m refin in g ____ _______ C em ent_ _ . _____ B rick, tile, an d te rra c o tta ____ P o tte r y _____ ______ _ ___ G lass _____ _ _ _ _______ S tam p ed a n d enam eled ware___ B rass, bronze, a n d c o p p er produ c ts ___ ________ ______ _ C hew ing a n d sm oking tobacco ____ _ a n d snuff- _ C igars a n d c ig a re tte s ,__ _ _ A u to m o b ile s ..........___ _ _ _ _ _ _ C arriages a n d w agons _ . _ ___ C a r b u ild in g a n d rep airin g , electric-railro ad ____ _______ C a r b u ild in g a n d rep airin g , steam -railro ad - . _ .. _______ A g ricu ltu ral im p le m e n ts ____ _ E lectrical m a c h in e ry , ap p a ra tu s a n d s u p p lie s____________ E s ta b lish m e n ts re p o rt ing 107 T o ta l num ber of em ployees N u m b e r of esta b lish m e n ts rep o rtin g — No W age W age w age in d e changes creases creases No w age changes 106 109 702 190 46, 543 15,987 24; 833 15, 664 39,112 83 13,291 83 155 26,528 154 1 26,484 27 191 214 8,841 51,656 191, 501 26 186 8, 671 212 1 5 2 1 112 714 111 1 3 12 111 183 7 46, 508 15 396 24; 275 15 664 37 845 W age W age in de creases creases • 35 558 1,267 13, 291 44 50, 435 190, 970 1 991 607 13 46 620 45 436 24, 653 436 504 76 78, 625 6,956 504 72 4 78,625 5,935 1,021 215 134,295 206 9 132 257 2 038 3, 702 159 24, 653 P ia n o s a n d o r g a n s ___ _ ____ R u b b e r boots a n d shoes ___ A u to m o b ile tires a n d in n e r tu b e s ___ ___________ _ ___ _ S h ip b u ild in g ____ _ A irc ra ft. _____ 55 9 3.861 12,333 53 9 2 38 84 40 44, 233 33,452 7; 038 37 82 40 1 2 A lu m in u m m a n u fa c tu re s. ___ B e e t s u g a r . . . _______ _ _ ___ B everages_ _ ______ B o lts, n u ts , w ash ers, a n d riv e ts . B u t t e r ___ _ _ ______ _ _ _ 15 48 284 67 218 2, 585 16,820 9,456 8,258 5,138 15 48 279 65 216 50 15,463 24 28 44 7 638 4,346 2,778 8 ,354 C ash registers, a d d in g m achines, a n d ca lc u la tin g m achines_____ _ ______________ C locks, tim e-recording devices, a n d clock m o v e m e n ts. C orsets a n d allied g a rm e n ts ___ C o tto n se ed oil, cake, a n d m e a lC o tto n sm all w a r e s ______ __ N u m b e r of em ployees h av in g — 100 12,333 43 954 33 040 7] 038 412 5 2 2 2, 585 16 820 9 397 7,890 5,107 49 1 15,120 343 23 28 44 95 1 5, 521 4,346 2,778 7,987 2,117 5 896 3,382 5 368 31 367 C u tle ry (n o t in c lu d in g silver a n d p la te d c u tle ry ) a n d edge to o ls___________________ ____ F orgings, iro n a n d steel __ _ G as a n d electric fixtures, la m p s, la n te rn s , a n d reflecto rs, . _. H a ts , fur-felt ___ J e w e lry _____ _______ ______ 39 9,208 A 550 108 39 50 33 159 5,800 5,013 12, 755 49 33 157 M a rb le , g ran ite, slate, an d o th e r stone p ro d u c ts . _______ M e n ’s fu rn ish in g goods_______ P a in t a n d v a rn is h ______ ____ P la te d w are ' _____________ P lu m b e rs ’ su p p lie s____________ 181 67 344 32 71 5,242 4, 957 16, 387 4,855 5,319 179 64 333 32 69 2 3 11 42 20 25, 008 24,428 40 19 105 19,463 104 24 60 7,324 8,551 24 58 52 7,044 51 1 7,009 35 124 25 16 52 8,131 1,228 9,079 4,399 118 24 15 52 6 1 1 7,624 1,204 8 , 479 507 24 600 R a d io _________ _ _ ______ _ R a y o n __ _ _______ _ _____ R u b b e r goods, o th e r th a n boots, shoes, tires, a n d in n e r tu b e s , _ S m eltin g a n d refining copper, lead, a n d z in c _______ _ ____ S o a p _______________________ __ T in cans a n d o th e r tin w a re , _ , T ools (n o t in c lu d in g edge tools, m a ch in e tools, files, or sa w s). T u rp e n tin e a n d rosin T y p e w rite rs a n d s u p p lie s, _ W ire w o rk .. __ _ _____ _ https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 112 4 4,550 1 2 5, 703 5,013 12,729 97 26 225 2 5, 217 4, 741 16,162 4,855 5, 295 2 1 24 128 22; 021 880 2,407 1 19,451 12 2 7,324 7 791 4,399 25 24 151 W A G ES A N D H O U R S OF LABOR R e c e n t W a g e C h a n g e s R e p o r te d b y T r a d e -U n io n s and municipal wage and hour changes reported to the bureau during the past month and occurring during the past U NION four months are shown in the following table. The tabulation covers 7,807 workers, 999 of whom were reported to have gone on the 5-day work week. In addition to those for which changes were reported, the following unions reported renewed wage agreements: Butchers, San Francisco, Calif.; mailers, St. Louis, Mo.; news writers, Scranton, Pa.; stereo typers, Dallas, Tex. R E C E N T W A G E C H A N G E S , B Y I N D U S T R Y , O C C U P A T IO N , A N D L O C A L I T Y , S E P T E M B E R T O D E C E M B E R , 1931 H o u rs p e r w eek R ate.o f w ages I n d u s tr y or o cc u p atio n , a n d lo c a lity D a te of change B efore change Per toeek B ak e rs, L os A ngeles, C alif--------------- -------------B arb e rs, N ew B rita in , C o n n --------------------------B ro o m a n d b ru s h w o rk ers, M in n e a p o lis a n d S t. P a u l, M in n .......................... — ------------------B u ild in g tra d e s : B ric k lay ers— D a y to n a n d X e n ia , O hio--------------------D e n v e r, C olo-------------------- -----------------C a rp e n te rs — D es M oines, Io w a, a n d v ic in ity ---------E llw o o d C ity , P a ., a n d v ic in ity ---------V allejo, C alif--------------------------------------C em en t finishers, D es M o in es, Io w a --------E n g in eers, h o istin g , D es M o in es, Io w a -----H o d carriers, D a y to n , O hio, a n d v ic in it y .L a th e rs — D a y to n , O hio, a n d v ic in ity ----------------D es M o in es, Io w a ____________________ P a in te rs , D e s M o in e s, Io w a ---------------------P laste rers— A bilene, T e x --------------------------------------D allas, T e x ., a n d v ic in ity ------------------D es M o in es, Io w a __________________ -F o rt C ollins, C olo., a n d v ic in ity --------N a sh v ille , T e n n ---------------------------------S alt L a k e C ity , U ta h -------------------------S t. Jo se p h , M o -----------------------------------S tru c tu ra l-iro n w orkers, D es M oines, Io w a . F u rn itu re : U p h o lstere rs, P h ila d e lp h ia , P a -----M e ta l tra d e s : P a tte rn m a k e rs , D e tro it, M i c h . . . O ct. N ov. O ct. 1 $25. Cu~$ i-5. 00 1 25. 00 5 26 (3) (<) Per hour See footnotes at end of table. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Before A fter change change 48 60 40 68 44 44 $1. 62*3 1.50 $1.40 1.31*4 40 40 40 40 ___do_ ...d o . N ov. 2 N ov. 8 f N ov. 9 ( S ept. 2C 1.12*3 1. 25 1.12*3 1. 25 1.25 1.12*4 1.00 1. 00 1.00 1. 12*4 1. 12*4 1.12*4 1. 02*4 .75 40 44 40 40 40 40 40 40 44 30 40 40 40 40 ___do_ N ov. 9 __ do_ 1.37*4 1.37*4 1.12*4 1.10 1.25 1.03*4 4C 40 40 40 40 40 1.62*4 1. 62*4 1.50 1. 50 1.50 1.50 1.37*4 1. 25 1.25 1. 25 1. 37*4 1. 25 1.00 1. 25 1. 12*4 1. 12*4 44 40 40 44 44 44 44 40 49-51 44-60 44 40 40 44 44 44 44 40 40 40 48 48 O ct. N ov. S ep t. S ep t. N ov. O ct. S ep t. O ct. S ep t. N ov. N ov. D ec. 1 1 28 5 8 1 1 1 24 9 1 21 (5) 1.40 N o v . 25 (6) 1.25 Per day $4.00 $4. 25 Per week Per week N ov. 26 $50.00-$125.00 $37. 5C-$93. 75 $8. 75 $6.56 Per day O ct. 26 Per week T u lsa , O k la., o rg an ists......... ................. — R a ilw a y w o rk e rs : A tla n tic C ity a n d Shore R ailro ad C o.— C lerks a n d officers--------------------------P latfo rm em p lo y ees. --------- -— T e x tiles, h o siery w orkers, M ilw au k e e, W is.: T o p p e rs _______________________________ Leggers------------------------------------------------F itte rs ______________________________ _ Per week $25.00-$45. 00 2 22. 00 Per hour Per day M in ers, coal, C adiz, O hio-----------------------------M o tio n -p ic tu re o p erato rs, ac to rs, a n d th e a tr i cal w orkers: K an sas C ity a n d In d e p e n d e n c e , M o., o p e ra to rs_______________________________ Los A ngeles a n d C u lv e r C ity , C alif., stu d io m e c h a n ic s_______________________ A fter change 35-48 (') Per day 48 36 8 5 *3 «5*3 Per week O ct. 24 $67.50 $60.00 1 O ct. O ct. 15 (3) (3) « « O ct. 24 __ do_ . .- d o . (3) (3) (3) P) (10) (») (7) (7) (7) (7) 49 49 49 1 48 48 48 152 M ONTHLY L A B O R R E V IE W R E C E N T W A G E C H A N G E S , B Y IN D U S T R Y , O C C U P A T IO N , A N D L O C A L IT Y , S E P T E M B E R T O D E C E M B E R , 1931—C o n tin u e d R a te of w ages D a te of change I n d u s tr y or o c c u p a tio n , a n d lo c a lity B efore change M u n ic ip a l w orkers: D o n o ra, P a ___ ______________________ . . J a c k s o n ,M is s .— N ov. M o n th ly b asis e m p lo y e e s .. __________ O ct. 1 1 (3) 0 Per month Per month (3) Per day P e r d iem e m p lo y e e s .__ _________ _ _ _ d o ___ (») Per hour M ilw a u k e e , W is., sew erage d e p a r t m e n t .. . R o y a l O ak, M ic h .— D ec. 1 W o rk ers e a rn in g o v er $125 p e r m o n th . __ ___do____ W orkers ea rn in g u n d e r $125 p e r m o n th . ___do____ 1 A n d 50 p e r c e n t of re c e ip ts o v er $33. 2 A n d 50 p e r c e n t of rece ip ts over $32. 3 V arious. 4 10 p e r c e n t re d u c tio n . 6 P iecew ork. A fte r change (3) 12 $15.00 B efore A fter change change 48 48 0 0 0 0 Per day 12 $0. 25 Per hour 48 $0.05-$0. 40 Per month Per month (3) (3) (4) (H) 6 18 to 25 p e r c e n t increase. i N o t re p o rte d . 3 Per day. « 30 p e r c e n t re d u c tio n . io 35 p e r cent re d u c tio n . H o u rs p e r w eek 48 40-42 44 44 40 40 11 45 p e r c e n t re d u c tio n . 12 A m o u n t o f re d u c tio n . 18 A m o u n t of increase. 14 5 p e r c e n t re d u c tio n . C o lle c tio n o f U n p a id W a g es in C a lifo r n ia , 1929-30 of every 100 complaints receivedin the biennial period 1929-30, by the division of labor statistics of the California Department OUT of Industrial Relations, 88 were complaints of violations of the wage-payment laws, for wage claims.1 Of the 60,469 wage claims filed in these two years, 61.8 per cent were settled. The collection of unpaid wages in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1930, totaled $1,082,857.34, which was $30,931.55, or 2.9 per cent, more than in the previous 12 months. In the two fiscal years ending June 30, 1930, the amount of such wages collected was $2,134,783.13. The average amount collected per wage claim settled during these two years was $57.16, or approximately 81.1 per cent of the average amount involved per wage claim. Of the 60,469 wage claimants who filed claims in the biennial period closed June 30, 1930, 41.5 per cent were in the manufacturing and mechanical industries, 13.8 per cent in domestic and personal service, and 12.7 per cent in agricultural industries. It is reported that many of the workers who avail themselves of the division’s service would lose their wages were it not for the efforts of that office on their behalf. Since practically all wage claims are collected without recourse to court actions, the complainants are not obliged to lose their time and earnings through protracted court pro cedures. Probably if it were necessary for wage claimants to employ attorneys in these cases, the legal fees would be from 10 to 25 per cent of the amounts involved in the claims. But since approximately 64 per cent of the wage claims filed are for less than $55 it would seem that a large number of the claimants could not afford the time from their jobs to prosecute, even if they were able to employ attorneys. 1 C alifornia. D e p a rtm e n t of In d u s tria l R elatio n s. F ir s t b ie n n ia l re p o rt, 1927-1930. S acram en to , 1931. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 153 W A G ES. A N D H O U R S OF LABOR It is roughly estimated in the report under review that the division saves the wage claimants from one-fourth to one-third of the collected wages; for example, from $266,848 to $355,797 per annum of the $2,134,783 collected in the biennium ending June 30, 1930. R e la tiv e I m p o r ta n c e o f C h e c k a n d C a sh M e th o d s o f W age P a y m e n t in I llin o is STUDY of methods and frequency of wage payment in Illinois was made in May, 1931, by the division of statistics and research of the Illinois Department of Labor. An article in the October, 1931, Labor Bulletin, issued by the State department of labor, gives data from this study showing, by industry, the relative importance of the check and cash methods of wage payment and the frequency with which payments are made. A marked preference was found among employers for the payment of wages by check, 86.1 per cent of the reporting firms using this method. Of the total number of wage earners, 89.3 per cent were paid by check and 90.5 per cent of the total wages bill was disbursed in this manner. Large firms more frequently pay by check than small ones, the firms which paid in cash (13.9 per cent of the total number reporting) disbursing only 9.5 per cent of the total wages bill. A larger per centage of manufacturing than of nonmanufacturing establishments paid by check. Table 1 shows, by industry, the per cent of reporting establishments paying their employees by check and by cash, respectively, the per cent of wage earners paid by each method, and the per cent of the total wages bill disbursed under each method of payment. A T able 1 . - R E L A T IV E IM P O R T A N C E O F C A SH A N D C H E C K M E T H O D S O F W A G E P A Y M E N T I N IL L I N O I S , B Y IN D U S T R Y R e p o rtin g e s ta b lish m e n ts In d u s tr y N um b er P e r ce n t p a y in g b y — W age earn ers N um b er C ash C heck A ll in d u s trie s ____________________ A ll m a n u fa c tu rin g in d u s trie s ______ S to ne, clav , a n d glass. M eta ls, m a ch in ery , conveyances. W ood p ro d u c ts ____ _________ F u r s a n d le a th e r goods . . . . C hem icals, oils, a n d p a in ts ___ P rin tin g a n d p a p e r goods_____ T ex tiles . . ________ _ C lo th in g a n d m illin e ry __ F o od, beverages, a n d to b a c c o .. . M iscellaneous m a n u fa c tu rin g N o n m a n u fa c tu rin g in d u s trie s ____ T r a d e , w holesale a n d r e ta il____ S ervices___ _ . . ________ . _ P u b lic u tilitie s ______ _______ C o a lm in in g ______ ___________ B u ild in g a n d c o n t r a c t i n g . ____ i L ess th a n o n e-ten th of 1 p e r cen t. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis P e r ce n t p a id b y — P e r c e n t d is b u rse d b y — A m ount C ash C h eck C ash C h eck 1,173 13.9 86.1 294,001 10.7 893 70 326 73 31 66 136 16 40 133 2 280 66 68 55 27 64 11.1 4. 3 7. 1 13.0 12.9 10.6 14. 3 6. 3 28.8 15.8 88.9 95.7 92.9 87.0 87.1 89.4 85.7 93.7 71.2 84.2 100. 0 77.5 50.0 73.5 98.2 96.3 84.4 180,971 9,078 91,011 6, 749 10, 659 10,192 20, 351 2,693 8,187 21, 923 128 113, 030 17, 736 11,816 75, 231 6, 135 2,112 9.7 .8 8.3 7.4 1.9 2.9 18.3 .7 44.6 7.2 22.5 50.0 26.5 1.8 3.7 15.6 P a y roll 12.3 63.5 21.0 0) 1.2 4.0 89.3 $7,602, 310 90.3 99.2 91.7 92.6 98.1 97.1 81.7 99.3 55.4 92.8 100. 0 87.7 36. 5 79.0 100.0 98.8 96.0 4,429, 217 226,697 2, 209. 729 141,910 186,152 261,648 663,134 53,710 117,884 565, 316 3, 037 3,173, 093 493, 778 235,493 2, 259, 730 114,006 70,086 9.5 90.5 9.8 .6 7.7 8.2 2.6 2.5 21.3 .5 47.4 7.0 90.2 99.4 92.3 91.8 97.4 97.5 78.7 99. 5 52.6 93.0 100. 0 90.9 51.2 80.9 100.0 98.8 96.7 9. 1 48.8 19. 1 (') 1.2 3.3 154 M ONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W Table 2 shows the relative importance of the cash and check methods of wage payment, by length of pay period. It will be noted that while more than two-thirds (68.3 per cent) of the establishments had a weekly pay period they employed only 56.0 per cent of the total number of workers and their combined pay rolls formed but 55.2 per cent of the total. The firms which paid semimonthly employed 39.3 per cent of the workers and disbursed 41.3 per cent of the total wages bill. T a b l e 3 .—R E L A T I V E I M P O R T A N C E O F C A S H A N D C H E C K M E T H O D S O F W A G E P A Y M E N T , B Y L E N G T H O F P A Y P E R IO D R e p o rtin g e s ta b lis h m e n ts P a y periods Per ce n t of to ta l W e ek ly p a y p e rio d s___ B iw ee k ly p a y p erio d s_____ S e m im o n th ly p a y p e r io d s .. . O th e r p a y p e r io d s .. . . . . T o ta l___ _ ___ https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis . 68.3 5. L 25.3 1.3 100.0 P er cent p ay ing b y — W ag e earn ers Per ce n t of to ta l P a y roll P e r ce n t p a id by— P er ce n t of to ta l P e r c e n t d is b u rs e d b y — C ash C heck 12.5 .3 .9 .2 55.8 4.8 24.4 1. 1 56.0 2.8 39.3 1.9 10.0 .1 .2 .4 46. 2. 39. 1. 0 7 1 5 55. 2 2. 0 41. 3 1. 5 9. 0 1 .1 .3 13.9 86.1 100.0 10. 7 89.3 100. 0 9.5 C ash C h eck C ash C heck 46 2 1 Q 41 9 1.2 90.5 G e n e r a l S u r v e y o f W a g es in B e lg iu m 1 HE depression which is affecting all of Belgium’s commerce and industry is the cause of such extensive disorganization that at the present no definite wages can be quoted for any of the branches of industry, because the unemployed workers who are receiving un employment-insurance benefits are obliged to accept the work offered to them at the employment exchange, at the wages and under the conditions fixed by the employers, regardless of the basic scale of wages fixed by the commissions and even in some cases by the collective agreement, under penalty of losing all further rights to unemployment benefits. In order to give a concrete idea of the wage situation there is submitted below a schedule of the principal reductions of wages effected in the course of the year 1930. These reductions have been followed by others no less inportant in the course of 1931. Mines: July, 1930, a reduction of 5 per cent; in October, 1930, a further reduction of 4 per cent; and in January, 1931, a further reduction of 5 per cent demanded by the employers. Steel: December, 1930, a reduction of 5 per cent. Iron: November, 1930, a reduction of 5 per cent demanded by the employers. Mechanical construction: December, 1930, a reduction of 10 per cent demanded by the employers. Stone and granite: November, 1930, a reduction the rate of which is not known. The above reductions have been followed by others in almost all branches of industry throughout the country, among which the reductions in the glass, leather, textile, and building industries must be noted. The same applies to all branches of shipping activity, which, in certain centers such as Antwerp, are vital factors in the economic life. T Hours of Labor H o u r s of labor are controlled in Belgium by a law which dates from June 14, 1921. This law fixes the hours of labor at 8 per day and 48 per week. The following industries are subject to the application of this law: (1) Mines, surface workings, quarries, and extractive works of all kinds. (2) Industries occupied in the manufacture of merchandise, the transformation of raw materials or products, their ornamentation or finishing, cleaning, and application with a view to sale. (3) The repair, cleaning, and overhaul of plants and equipment, effects or other used objects, as well as the demolition of plants and equipment. (4) Building industries and industries connected therewith, includ ing work of upkeep, repair, and demolition. (5) Public-works enterprises. l T h is s tu d y of B elgian w ages w as fu rn ish ed b y M ario n L etch er, A m erican consul general, a n d R . G . V an d ersly en , A n tw erp ; M a n so n G ilb e rt, A m erican vice consul, a n d D . R ussell, B russels; a n d C o u rtla n d C h ristia n i, A m erican vice consul, G h en t. 91909°—32----- 11 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 155 156 M ONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W (6) Private-engineering enterprises other than those falling under the heading of building industries. (7) Gas plants and waterworks. (8) The production, transformation, and transmission of electricity and motive power. (9) The construction, transformation, and demolition of ships and boats, and their upkeep and repair by other workers than members of the crew. (10) Overland transport. (11) The work of loading, unloading, and handling of merchandise in ports, wharves, warehouses, and stations. (12) Dairies and creameries. (13) Offices of commercial enterprises. In addition to the above industries and trades affected by this law, the following were afterwards, with some modifications, brought under its application: (1) Retail shops; (2) hotels, restaurants, and drinking places; and (3) workmen and employees, other than office employees, engaged in commercial enterprises. For underground labor such as in mines, the time taken up in the descent of the worker to and ascent from his place of work is included in the 8 hours of labor per day. When the works are accessible by galleries, the time counted begins from the time the worker enters the gallery until the time of his return to the same point. The law provides for certain modifications or variations of the 8-hour day or 48-hour week in stated cases. Thus, an amendment to the law allows the granting of the Saturday half holiday and this has been adopted in many industries. In such cases the law stipu lates that the working limit of 48 hours per week still holds good but that the working hours per day may be extended from 8 to 9 hours on the other days in order to make up for the time lost on Saturday afternoon. An extension of the work week is allowed in unusual situations, as, for instance, in the tailoring trade. The tailors are allowed to work 54 hours a week during certain seasons, while during other periods they are allowed to work only 42 hours weekly. Again, in some circumstances, the working hours may be prolonged from 48 to 56 per week over a period of 3 weeks. This extension applies particularly to works which may not be interrupted owing to their nature, such as in those industries where continuous furnaces are employed. By royal decree this extension of hours may be permitted over a longer period than 3 weeks. The limitations of the legal hours of labor may be suspended by the King (a) in case of war or national danger, or (6) in case of national necessity, to assure the exportation of means of exchange indispensable for the importation of articles of subsistence. Night Work The law also forbids in principle work between 8 p. m. and 6 a. m. This limitation, however, does not apply to the following professions, trades, and industries: (1) Hotel offices and places of entertainment; (2) journalists and newspapers; (3) information bureaus; (4) land transport; (5) loading, unloading, and handling of merchandise in ports, wharves, warehouses, and railway stations; (6) repair and upkeep of ships; (7) gas plants and water works; (8) the production, https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis W A G E S A N D H O U R S OF L A B O R 157 transformation, and transmission of electricity and motive power; (9) enterprises where the materials worked are susceptible to rapid change or loss through too long an interruption in the work; (10) works of which the execution may not, owing to their nature, be interrupted or retarded; and (11) enterprises where the work is organized for successive gangs. The legislation on working hours also provides that women and all workers under a certain age, in some cases 17 and in others 19 years of age for the male workers, are not to be employed at night work. Work done after 8 p. m. is generally considered as night work, but in some cases night work is only that undertaken after 10 p. m. Overtime The law also provides in certain circumstances for overtime. Among these may be cited: (1) Lighting of boiler fires, (2) starting of generators, (3) reassembly of tools and returning same to stores, (4) work undertaken owing to accidents which have occurred or may be imminent, (5) urgent works to be effected on plant or equipment owing to unforeseen circumstances. The hours of work of workmen occupied on such labor must not exceed by more than two hours per day those of workers on regular time. Payment for Overtime and Holidays O v ertim e is paid for as follows: (1) 25 per cent m ore th a n the o rd in ary ra te for the first two horns of overtim e, and (21 50 p er cent m ore th a n th e regular ra te thereafter. Sunday work must be paid for at double the ordinary rates. In all industries in which the workers are paid by the week or month, the legal holidays are counted as workdays, and are paid for as such, although no work is accomplished. Some of these indus tries also give a certain number of paid days of vacation per year; this system has not, however, been applied as yet to the branches of industry in which the workers are paid by the hour or by the piece. There is also what might be termed the “ compensatory holiday.” Thus, the law provides for the granting of paid holidays to workmen working two hours overtime per day. These holidays may not be less than 26 days per year. For those working less than two hours overtime per day, a royal decree decides for what period paid holidays should be accorded. Short-Time Work S i n c e the effects of the world-wide economic depression have spread over Europe, many of the larger industries in Belgium have been obliged to introduce short-time work. This has been done with a view to clearing stocks by decreasing production, and where surplus stocks do not exist production has been diminished, owing to the fact that the demand is insufficient to consume the output of normal times. Hours of labor of normal times have in some cases been reduced by half, and in others by two-thirds. This action has naturally had the effect of increasing the number of unemployed and especially the partially unemployed. The slump in trade and industry has therefore had the effect of nullifying the practice of overtime which, in the period of trade boom, was not uncommon. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 158 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW Payments Supplementary to Wages S o m e industries make certain supplements to wages. Thus in the coal mines married workers receive 8 hundredweights of coal per month and widows of miners who have at least one bachelor son work ing in the mines are also entitled to the same payment in kind. In some industries, as in brick making, houses are provided for certain members of the personnel, in the vicinity of the works, but these are rented by the workers, although the rents paid are naturally lower than those paid for workmen’s cottages in other than the indus trial districts. The providing of land for gardens is uncommon in most industrial areas, as the workmen’s cottages in these districts usually possess a small garden. In a few districts, however, where rough land is avail able, such an allotment of land is made, but the gift of such a garden may be said to be rare. Workers in unhealthful conditions, receive a regular augmentation of wages which amounts to 50 per cent of the normal wages, for the time they have worked under unhealthful conditions. (The unhealth ful conditions are determined by one of the legally instituted com missions.) In dangerous work, such as in the building industry, when a height of 20 meters is reached, the laborers receive a special indem nity which varies according to the height, between 25 and 50 per cent of the normal wages. Some plants also pay a “ production bonus,” i. e., a bonus paid to the laborer in proportion to his efficiency, in the employer’s discretion. Such bonuses are very frequent in some of the branches of industry. Deductions from Wages Wage tax.—Workers’ wages in Belgium are affected by a Govern ment tax which is levied on all salaried classes. This tax is known as the “ taxe professionnelle ” and varies according to the number of inhabitants of the communes in which the workers are engaged. These communes are classified as follows: (1) Communes of 30,000 inhabitants and more; (2) communes of from 5,000 to 30,000 inhabi tants; and (3) communes of less than 5,000 inhabitants. Special rates are calculated for wages paid to workers by the week, fortnight, or by the month, and special deductions are made according to the number of the worker’s dependents. For example, in a com mune with from 5,000 to 30,000 inhabitants, if the average wage of workers in the various industries is taken as 337 Belgian francs, or $9.37 per week,2 the weekly wage-tax deduction would be as follows: No d ep en d e n ts__________________________ 1 d ep en d e n t______________________________ 2 d ep en d en ts_____________________________ 3 d ep en d e n ts____________________________ 4 d ep en d e n ts____________________________ M ore th a n 4 d e p e n d e n ts_________________ 5.25 francs (14.6 cents) 4.50 francs (12.5 cents) 4.00 francs (11.2 cents) 3.00 francs (8.3 cents) 1.50 francs (4.2 cents) No tax The average wage tax paid by workers would therefore appear to be 3.65 Belgian francs or 10.1 cents per week. Social-insurance contributions.—In addition to the “ taxe profes sionnelle” there is another Government levy which affects the wage of the workers, in the form of an insurance against premature death and old age. The average amount paid by workers in Belgium for this insurance is 12.50 francs or 34.8 cents per month. 2 C onversions in to U n ite d S tates c u rren c y on basis of fran c= 2 .7 8 cen ts. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 159 Wa g e s a n d h o u r s o f l a b o r The employer’s contribution is fixed at the same amount, namely, 12.50 francs, or 34.8 cents per month, making a total payment of 25 francs, or 69.5 cents per month. This sum, for each worker, is paid into the retirement exchange (Caisse de Retraite), and thereby each worker is provided for upon reaching the age of 55, or his family, in the case of his premature death. The State also makes its contribu tion to this pension when it becomes applicable. Workers in the coal-mining industry do not pay for this old-age insurance, but 3 per cent is deducted from their salaries to provide for a pension which varies according to the number of years of service. Unemployment insurance is not obligatory in Belgium and there fore can not be considered as a general levy affecting the wages of workers. Vocational Education T h e r e is at present an important movement toward making occupational education compulsory. A considerable number of wellequipped and very efficient vocational schools are operated in Belgium, and the training given in them to young laborers has proved very useful. It is generally held that the effect of this training on the efficiency of the workers has been most salutary. Wages in the Antwerp District T a b l e 1 shows the wage rates in the various industries in th e Antwerp district in August, 1931: T able 1 —W A G E R A T E S I N T H E A N T W E R P D I S T R I C T I N A U G U S T , 1931 [C onversions in to U n ite d S tates c u rren c y on basis of fran c= 2 .7 8 cents] A verage ra te of wages P erio d I n d u s tr y a n d occu p atio n B elgian cu rren cy M e ta l in d u s try : F irem en C o n stru c tio n s m ith s S m ith s L a th e w orkers T o olm akers P olishers F itte rs F o o d a n d d rin k in d u s try : B akers P a s try b akers B rew ers B rew ers (factors) B ean pickers W areh o u se h a n d s P a c k e rs . B ntt.le rinsers F a c to ry h a n d s C igar m a k ers C ig a re tte m a k ers C ig a re tte p ac k ers B u ild in g in d u s try : E x c av ato rs B ricklayers B ric k lay ers' helpers M a rb le w orkers P a in te rs E lectricia n s P laste rers P la s te re rs ' helpers F loor layers P lu m b e rs ------------------------ https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis U n ite d S tates cu rren c y Francs P e r w eek P er h o u r. . . . d o ______ _ _do ____ . _do______ _ _ _ d o ____ ___do______ 322. 00 7. 00 7. 50 7. 00 8. 50 7. 50 7.00 $8. 95 .20 .21 .20 .24 .21 .20 P e r w eek . .__do______ __do____ . . . d o ______ ___do___ __ ___do______ ___do______ _ _do_____ ___do____ _ ___do______ ___do_ — . . . d o _____ 300. 00 310. 00 250. 00 325. 00 120. 00 300. 00 200. 00 125. 00 320. 00 290. 00 230. 00 120. 00 8. 34 8. 62 6. 95 9. 04 3. 34 8. 34 5. 56 3. 48 8. 90 8.06 6. 39 3. 34 P e r h o u r .. _ _do____ _ _ _do____ __do______ _ __ _ _ _ ___do_ . _ ___do___ __ _ _ _ _do_____ _ _ _ _do______ _ . do ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ---------------------------------------------------------- ___do_____ 5. 75 6. 75 5. 75 9.00 7.00 7. 00 7. 00 5. 75 8.00 0. 75 .16 . 19 .16 .25 .20 .20 .20 . 16 .22 .19 __ _ _ --- -- _____________ __ ___ _ ____ ____ __ _ ___ _. - ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____ __ _ ___ ____ __________ 160 m onthly labor r e v ie w T able 1.—W A G E R A T E S I N T H E A N T W E R P D I S T R I C T I N A U G U S T , 1931—Continued A verage r a te of w ages I n d u s tr y a n d o c c u p atio n B elgian cu rren c y W ood a n d fu rn itu re in d u s try : M ach in e h a n d s ____________ C a rp e n te rs _________________ A u to m o b ile-b o d y p a i n te r s ... W ood p o lish ers_____________ C a b in e tm a k e rs .................... .. Jo in e rs_______________ _____ U p h o lstere rs________________ V a rn is h e rs .—________ _______ T r u n k a n d coffin m a k e rs ____ B a s k e t m a k e rs ............................ P rin tin g in d u s tr y : * T y p o g ra p h e rs _______________ P re ssm e n ___________________ M a t m a k e rs _____ ____ ______ L ith o g ra p h e rs _______ _____ _ B o o k b in d e rs________________ C lo th in g in d u s try : L a d ie s’ d re ssm a k e rs_______ _ T a ilo rs ______________________ Iro n e rs ______________________ M iscellaneous: B ag m a k e rs _________________ P ap er-b o x m a k e rs ___________ L e tte r p a in te rs ______________ C h auffeurs (au to m o b ile)_____ D e n tis t’s m e ch an ic s_________ S te v e d o rin g :1 L o ngshorem en— W eek d ay s— O rd in a ry s h ift_______ M o rn in g s h ift_______ A fternoon s h if t______ N ig h t s h ift____ _____ Sundays— O rd in a ry s h ift_______ M o rn in g s h ift_______ A fternoon s h ift______ C o rp o ratio n laborers— W eek d a y s — O rd in a ry s h ift_______ M o rn in g s h if t_______ A fternoon s h if t______ N ig h t s h ift........... ......... Sundays— O rd in a ry s h if t........... M o rn in g s h if t_______ A fternoon s h if t______ D riv e rs, 1 h o rse______________ D riv e rs, 2 horses__________ ..... T ru c k d riv e rs ________________ W a tc h e rs ________________ ____ M in in g in d u s try : V ein w o rk ers_________________ C o n d u c to r s ...________________ L o a d e rs........................... ................. Surface w o rk e rs___________ _ L a b o rers (surface)____________ W a sh ers______________________ H e a v y in d u s try : S m eltin g forem en _____________ F ir s t sm e lte rs________________ F itt e r s ............................. ................. B ellow s h a n d s . . . ____ ________ D r i v e r s ........................................... T ip p e rs ................................... ......... M ech an ical co n stru c tio n in d u s try : S ta m p e rs .......................... ............... C u tt e r s ................................ ......... .. B o rers.................................. ............. M ille rs .............................................. A g ricu ltu re: G a rd e n e rs_________ __________ L a b o rers 2............... ......... ......... .. C ow w a tc h e r s 2_______________ F a rm h a n d s 2_________________ U n ite d S tates cu rre n c y Francs P er hour _ do - _do____ __do__ _ _do -_-do_ _ _ _do__ __do__ _do___ _ - - .d o . 7. 00 6.85 8. 50 6. 95 7. 00 7.00 6. 50 7. 50 6. 25 6.15 $0.19 .19 .24 .19 .2 0 .2 0 .18 .21 .17 .17 P e r w e e k .. _ d o .._ _ -__do___ __ _ _ _ d o ____ _—d o _____ 299.20 293. 20 317. 20 350. 00 320. 00 8. 32 8.15 8. 82 9. 73 8. 90 P er h o u r .. __ do _ _ P e r w eek .. 7. 50 5. 60 120. 00 .21 . 16 3.34 P er d a y ... P e r w eek .. -__do____ _ -__do______ . . . d o ____ _ 24. 00 140. 00 250. 00 450. 00 450. 00 .67 3. 89 6. 95 12. 51 12. 51 Per d a y ... _ d o ______ -_do__ -_do______ 56.00 61.00 66. 00 84.00 1. 56 1. 70 1.83 2.34 - d o ____ . . d o ______ - - d o ______ 100. 00 106. 75 115. 50 2.78 2.97 3. 21 _ d o „ _ -_ _ d o ______ _do - _ __do___ __ 50. 00 55. 00 60. 00 75.00 1.39 1. 53 1.67 2. 09 _ d o ____ __do___ __ __do______ P e r w e e k .. _ d o ______ _ d o ______ P er d a y ... 87.50 96. 25 105. 00 292. 00 297. 00 307. 00 31.00 2.43 2.68 2.92 8.12 8. 26 8. 53 .86 -_do_ ___ __do_ _ _ __do_ _do__ __ __do_____ . . d o --------- 50.00 41.00 41.00 38. 00 31.00 20.00 1.39 1.14 1.14 1. 06 .86 .56 -_ d o . ___ __do. __do._ _ _ __do. __do_ __ - . d o ______ 37.00 34. 00 31.00 31.00 30.00 31.00 1.03 .95 .86 .86 .83 .86 P e r h o u r .. -_do______ __do______ _ _ d o ._ - _ 5.40 6.10 6.80 6. 70 .15 .17 . 19 .19 -_do_ ___ Jer m o n th . . d o _____ -_do ___ 5.00 650. 00 400. 00 300. 00 . 14 18. 07 11.12 8. 34 S pecial su p p le m e n ts to th e se ra te s a re p a id for a n y o v e rtim e , a n d for all special w o rk , su ch as lo ad in g a n d disch arg in g of ores, g rain , coal, a n d all o th e r b u lk cargoes. T h e chief ta lly clerk receives 26 p e r cen t, . « i?* f°remai1 34.5 p e r ce n t, a n d th e forem an 17.25 p e r c e n t ab o v e th e lo n g sh o rem en ’s rate. 2 R a te s in c lu d e b o a rd v a lu e of a n d lodging. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 161 WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR Wages Offered at Official Employment Exchange, Antwerp The wages quoted in Table 2 are those offered at the Employment Exchange of Antwerp, during August, 1931. T able 3 . — W A G E S O F F E R E D A T A N T W E R P E M P L O Y M E N T E X C H A N G E , A U G U S T , 1931 [C onversions in to U n ite d S ta te s cu rre n c y on basis of fran c= 2 .7 8 cents] Wage rate M in im u m In d u s tr y a n d occu p atio n M a x im u m P eriod U n ite d B e lg ia n S tates B elg ian U n ite d S tates c u r c u r c u r c u r ren cy ren cy ren cy ren cy Iro n a n d steel in d u s try : _ . ... F itte r s ----------- -------------------- . . . ___ _ _ M ech an ics ___________ P la te w o rk ers _ ________ M o ld e rs ________ ____ ____ _ _ S m ith s _________________ _________________ . _ ___ B o rers______________ _____ . . __ _ .. . .. L a th e h a n d s _____ ______ - _____ - . . . . . S o ld ere rs_____ _________ ________ _______ _ F o o d a n d d r in k in d u s try : B ak e rs _____ ____ P a s tr y b a k e rs ______ C ig a re tte p a c k e r s _____ B rew ers’ h a n d s B rew ers (facto rs)________ B ea n pickers __ . . . . . . . . . W a rehouse h a n d s . C h au ffeu rs ___ .... C ig a r m a k e rs ____ C ig a re tte m a k e rs . F a c to ry h a n d s ______________ ______ C o n s tru c tio n in d u s try : P a v e rs _________ I r o n pla cers___________. . . . E x c a v a to rs _____________ P lu m b e rs B ric k lay ers ____ _ B ricklayers* helpers P laste rers P la s te re rs ’ h e lp e rs _______ P a i n t e r s ____________ . _____ F lo or la y e rs ______________ __ . . . . . ____ W ood in d u s try : M a c h in e h a n d s _______ _____ J oiners __________ C a rp e n te rs ___ _______ .... A u to m o b ile-b o d y p a in te rs . __ _____ ___ V arn ish ers_______ _ . . _____ _ U p h o lstere rs __ . . . . . . C a b in e tm a k e rs . . . . . T r u n k a n d coffin m a k e rs ____ _ . ___ B a s k e t m a k e rs __ _____ ____ . . . __ C lo th in d u s try : B ag m a k e rs ___________________ - - - - - D ressm akers___________________ . . . . . ----------. . . T a ilo rs ___ ________________________ . . . . . . ---------P rin tin g in d u s try : T y p o g ra p h e rs ------- ---------------------------------------------P ressm en _______________ . . . . . ____ _ _______ Francs P e r h o u r .. 8. 50 ___do___ 8. 70 .d o _____ 9.00 P e r w e e k .. 330. 00 P e r h o u r .. 7.90 P e r w e e k .. 290. 00 P e r h o u r .. 7. 45 P e r w e e k .. 318. 00 Francs $0.24 .24 .25 9.17 .22 8.06 .21 8.84 9.60 9.00 10. 80 336. 00 8. 30 290.00 8.80 318.00 $0.27 . 25 . 30 9. 34 .23 8.06 .25 8.84 _do______ __do_____ __ d o ______ __ d o _____ . . . d o ____ _do__ ___ . . . d o ______ . . d o ____ __do______ __ d o ______ P e r h o u r .. 250. 00 300. 00 150 00 235. 00 300.00 115. 00 275.00 265.00 250. 00 180.00 4.80 6.95 8. 34 4.17 6. 53 8. 34 3. 20 7.65 7.37 6.95 5.00 .13 375.00 307. 00 156. 00 240. 00 325. 00 115. 00 275.00 410. 00 300. 00 200.00 6. 50 10. 43 8. 53 4. 34 6.67 9.04 3. 20 7. 65 11.40 8. 34 5.56 .18 _.d o ______ __do______ _ .d o ______ . . . d o ______ _.d o ______ _ do ______ _ do __ __do______ . . . d o ______ . . . d o ........... 5.75 7. 00 5. 75 6. 70 6. 70 5.70 6. 70 5.75 6. 00 8.00 . 16 .20 .16 . 19 .19 .16 .19 . 16 . 17 .22 5.75 7.05 6.35 7.15 7.35 6.00 7.15 5.90 7.25 8.00 . 16 .20 . 18 .20 .2 0 . 17 . 20 . 16 . 20 .22 __do______ - do . . .d o ______ __ d o . ____ . .d o ______ __do______ .d o _____ __ d o ___ . . . d o ______ 6. 90 6.70 6. 75 8.50 7.50 6. 35 6.50 6. 25 6.15 . 19 . 19 .19 .24 .21 .18 .18 .17 .17 7.00 7.65 7.05 10.50 7. 50 6.80 7.00 6.25 6.15 . 20 . 21 . 20 .29 .21 . 19 .20 . 17 . 17 P e r d a y . . . 26.00 P e r w eek — 310. 00 P e r h o u r .. 5. 50 .72 8. 62 . 15 29.00 425. 00 6. 25 .81 11. 82 .17 P e r w e e k .. 295.00 .d o ______ 305. 00 8.20 8.48 300. 00 330.00 8. 34 9.17 Wages in the Brussels District I n B e l g iu m , the Ministry of Labor and the various other ministries concerned do not compile statistics giving details as to the wages paid in the various industries. However, after exhaustive inquiries in the various labor exchanges and private trade organizations, the following figures concerning the wages and details covering the various https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 162 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW laws in force concerning industry and labor have been collected, and these will give a general idea as to the existing standards in the Brussels district. T a b l e 3 —A V E R A G E WAGE R A T E S I N V A R IO U S D IS T R IC T IN D U S T R IE S IN THE BRU SSELS [C onversions in to U n ite d S tates c u rre n c y on basis of fran c= 2 .7 8 cents] A v erag e w age ra te I n d u s tr y a n d occupation P erio d B elgian cu rren c y M in in g in d u s t r y : 1 S eam w o rk ers (ouvriers de la veine)__________________________________ P e r d a y . . . Loaders,- d raw ers, b ra k e m e n , a n d co n d u c to rs (chargeurs, traîneurs, ___do______ Francs 50.90 41.00 $1. 42 1.14 __ d o ______ - - . d o ______ -_ -d o ______ 38.00 31.00 20.00 1.06 .86 .56 P er h o u r .. d o______ _ _ d o _____ -_do______ 8.00 6.75 6.75 7. 50 .22 . 19 . 19 .21 -d o ______ d o ____ - __do_____ 6.90 7. 40 5. 50 . 19 .21 .15 P er d a y ..d o ______ - d o ______ __ d o _____ - - - d o ____ - - - d o _____ — d o_____ - do__ ___ .--do__ - - - d o ___ _ d o ______ 37.00 33. 50 31.00 30. 00 31.00 31.00 31.00 29. 60 26. 30 28.60 31.00 1.03 .93 .86 .83 .86 .86 .86 .82 .73 .80 .86 P e r h o u r. ---d o ______ -_ -d o ___ _ -_-do___ _ - - - d o _____ - -d o ___ _ - - - d o ______ .- - d o ______ - - - d o ______ 6.40 7. 50 7. 50 7.40 5.60 5.60 7.50 8. 30 5.40 .18 .21 .21 .21 . 16 . 16 .21 .23 .15 P e r m o n th 1,850. 00 P er h o u r .. 8. 50 .--d o ___ _ 7.90 --_ d o ______ 8. 30 -_do_ _ _ 6. 50 -- d o____ 6. 30 _do____ 6. 30 d o ______ 5.60 . -d o _____ 6.20 _._do______ 5. 30 51.43 .24 .22 .23 . 18 .18 .18 . 16 . 17 .15 fraineurs, conducteurs). T ra in e d surface w o rk ers (ouvriers qualifiés de surface)________________ S urface la b o rers (manœuvres de surface) _____________________________ F em a le w o rk ers (ouvrières) __________________________________________ Q u a rry in d u s try : C o b b le s to n e M in e c a p ta in s (chef mineurs) ____________________________________ M in e rs ( mineurs ) _______________________________________________ S ifters (décartelleurs) ____________________________________________ C u tte rs (¿pinceurs) _____________________________________________ L i m e s to n e M in ers (mineurs) _______________________________________________ B rea k ers (casseurs)2_____________________________________________ L a b o rers (manœuvres) _______________________ ___________________ Iro n a n d steel in d u s try : B la st furnaces— F o u n d in g m a ste rs (brigadier fondeurs) ___________________________ F irs t s m elters v1" fondeurs) _____________________________________ S econd sm elters (2ime fondeurs) __________________________________ T h ird s m elters (Sime fondeurs) ___________________________________ F itte r s (appareilleurs) ___________________________________________ V e n tila to r m o to rm e n (wattman de ventilateur) ___________________ B la st en g in e d riv e rs (wattman de soufflantes) _____________________ G rap n el d riv e rs (wattman de grapping)__________________, _______ Scourers o r cleaners (ouvriers de dégraissage)______________________ C a b in m e n (wattman de cabine)_________________________________ T ip p e rs (basculeurs)_________ _________ _________________________ S teel w orks— * S till d riv e rs (machinistes de cornues)_____________________________ L a d le m e n (ouvriers aux poches)_________________________________ S till w orkers (ouvriers aux cornues)______________________________ R eserv o ir w o rk ers (ouvriers du bassin)___________________________ F o u n d ry m e n (ouvriers fondeurs) _________________________________ M ixers (ouvriers aux mélangeurs) ___ _____________________________ P itz -o v en fillers (enfourneurs fours P itz) _________________________ S to k ers (chauffeurs)_______________ _________________________ _ L ab o rers (manœuvres)_________ _____ ____ _______________________ R ollin g m ills— F o rem e n (contremaîtres)_______________________________ _________ S enior rollers (1er lamineurs) _____________________________________ J u n io r rollers (2ime lamineurs) ___________________________________ S enior s to k e rs (/«■ chauffeurs) ____________________________________ J u n io r s to k e rs (2ime chauffeurs)______________ ___________________ S h earm en (cisailleurs)___________________________________________ S crapers (décapeurs)_____________________________________________ B rid g e m en (pontonniers)________________________________________ E n g in e m e n (machinistes) ________________________________________ L a b o rers (manœuvres)___________ _______________________________ M e ta l in d u s trie s : » M ech an ical co n stru c tio n — M ach in e tools for m e ta l w o rk in g — B orers (aléseurs)____ ____ _____ _____ _______________________ C u tte rs (décolleteurs)________________________ _______________ S tam p in g -m a ch in e w o rk ers (estampeurs) _____________________ D rillers (foreurs) ____________________________________________ M e ta l la th e w o rk ers (fraiseurs)______________________ _______ L a th e tool fitte rs (fraiseurs-outilleurs ) _____________ S lotters (moriaiseurs) ________________________________________ U n ite d S tates c u r re n c y -_ d o ____ - - - d o _____ -_ d o ____ _ _ d o __ _- do_ __ -__do____ _ 6. 80 6. 10 5.40 5. 40 6. 70 6. 50 6. 70 .1 9 . 17 . 18 . 15 . 15 . 19 . 19 1 M a rrie d m in ers receive 8 h u n d re d w e ig h ts of coal p e r m o n th free, as do th e w idow s of m in ers w h o h av e a t le a s t o ne b ac h elo r son w o rk in g in th e m ines. R a te s given are su b je c t to a d e d u c tio n of 3 p e r c e n t to p ro v id e for pensions, w h ich v a ry according to th e n u m b e r of y ea rs of service. 2 T h e se w o rk ers g en e ra lly w o rk b y co n tract. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 163 WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR T a b l e 3 —A V E R A G E W AGE R A T E S I N V A R IO U S I N D U S T R I E S D I S T R I C T — C o n tin u e d IN THE BRU SSELS A v erag e w age r a te I n d u s tr y a n d o cc u p atio n P erio d B elgian cu rren c y M e ta l in d u s trie s — C o n tin u e d . M e c h a n ic a l c o n stru c tio n — C o n tin u e d . M a c h in e to o ls for m e ta l w o rk in g — C o n tin u e d . R ectifiers (rectifieurs) ________________________________________ P e r h o u r._ P la n e rs ( raboteurs) __________________________________________ - —d o ............ T a p p in g -m a c h in e w o rk ers (taraudeurs) ______________________ ___do............ T u rn e rs (tourneurs) ____________ _______ _____________________ — d o ............ H a n d w o rk ers— F itt e r m e ch an ic s (ajusteurs mécaniciens) _____________________ _—d o ........... F itte r s (ajusteurs-monteurs ) __________________________________ - _ _ d o ___ F itt e r m e ch an ic s, a u to m o b ile (ajusteurs-metteurs au point— autos) ____ __________________________________________ _____ _ _—d o ______ B oiler fire m en (chauffeurs de chaudière)_______________________ - —d o --------F ire m e n a n d engine d riv e rs (chauffeurs a n d machinistes) _____ -__do______ W ro u g h t-iro n w o rk ers (Jerroniers d’art) ______________________ ___do______ M ech an ical b la c k s m ith s (forgerons de mécanique)_____________ -__do______ A ss is ta n t b la c k s m ith s ( aides-forgerons) . . .....................-__________ -__do......... .. W o rk sh o p la b o rers (manoeuvres d’atelier)_____________________ -_ -d o ............ T o o l m o d elers (outilleurs-matriciers)_____________________ ___ -__do______ Iro n b la c k s m ith s (maréchaux ferrants brocheurs)______________ - . - d o ____ M o to r-tru c k d riv e rs (chauffeurs de camions et camionnettes)___ P e r w eek_. E n g in e m e n ( chauffeurs-mécaniciens) ________________ ____ ___ ___do.......... S m eltin g w orks— C hiselers ( ébarbeurs-burineurs) ___________________________________ P e r h o u r . . F o u n d e rs (fondeurs) _____________________________________________ -__do______ L a b o rers (maneouvres)___________________ ____ __________________ _—d o ______ G rin d ers (meuleurs) ___________ _______ _________________________ __do............ Iro n m o ld ers (mouleurs en fer) ___________________________________ -_ d o ______ M ach in e-to o l m o ld ers (mouleurs au banc)................................................ __ d o ......... .. C ore m a k e rs (noy auteur s) __ ______ _______________ ____ _________ _ _ .d o______ C o ac h -b u ild in g tra d e — S m ith s (forgerons)_______________________________________________ _do............ P la te rs (platineurs) ________ ____ ________________________________ ___do............ S h ap in g -m ach in e w o rk ers (limeurs) ______________________________ _ d o ......... .. S heet-iron m a k e rs (tôliers)__________ ______ ________________ ____ _ _do............ B o ilers, b rid g e s, a n d fram ew o rk in d u s try — F ra m e w o rk fitte rs (ajusteurs en charpentes)_________ ______ _____ - _ .d o _____ In s u la to rs (calorifugeurs)__________________ _____________________ -__do_____ Iro n a n d c o p p e r b o ilerm a k ers (chaudronniers fer et cuivre)________ . . . d o _____ P u n c h e rs a n d saw y ers (découpeurs-scieurs). . . ................................ ....... _ - d o _____ S ta m p e rs (estampeurs) _____ _____________________________________ _ _do_____ Iro n w o rk e rs (ferroniers)_________________________________________ __ d o ............ S h ap in g -m ach in e w o rk ers ( limeurs) . . ______ _____________________ - _ .d o _____ W o rk sh o p la b o rers (manœuvres d'atelier)_________________________ . . . d o _____ F ra m e w o rk erec to rs (monteurs en charpentes)_______ ____ _______ -__do_____ R iv e te rs (riveurs)_____________ ____ _____________ ______ ________ ..- .d o _____ A utogeneous solderers a n d b raze rs (soudeurs autogène et brasseurs)_ ___do_____ In d u s tria l sh eet-iro n w o rk ers (tôliers industriels) __________________ _ - d o _____ W ire d ra w e rs (tréfileurs)________________________________________ _ _do__ __ T re llis w o rk ers (treillageurs)_____________________________________ _ _do_ ___ P ip e fitte rs (tuyauteurs) _________________________________________ __-do_____ E n a m e l a n d tin -p la te w o rk s— P u n c h in g -m a c h in e w o rk ers ( découpeurs) _________________________ - _ .d o _____ E n a m elers (émailleurs)__________________________________________ - - - d o ........... S tam p in g -m a ch in e w o rk ers (estampeurs) _________________________ -__do_____ T in -p la te w o rk ers, la n te rn a n d h e a d lig h t w o rk ers (ferblantiers , - - d o _____ https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Francs $0.15 6. 70 5.50 6.40 $0.17 .19 .15 .18 6.20 6.20 .17 .17 6.70 5.40 5.80 6. 40 6.20 5.00 4. 80 6. 80 6. 80 275.00 312. 00 .19 .15 .16 .18 .17 .14 .13 .19 .19 7.65 8.67 5.30 6. 00 4.50 5. 40 6.20 6. 20 6.20 .15 .17 .13 .15 .17 .17 .17 6.70 6.60 5. 00 7.00 .19 .18 .14 .2 0 5.50 5.30 6. 00 5.00 5.00 5.60 5.00 4. 30 5. 60 5. 50 6.80 5.90 5.90 5.10 5.70 .15 .15 .17 .14 .14 .17 .14 .12 .16 .15 .19 .16 .16 .14 .16 5.10 5.40 5.10 5.90 .14 .15 .14 .16 - - d o _____ _-_ d o_____ - _ .d o ........... . . . d o ____ - . . d o _____ ___do........... 5. 90 5.90 4.30 3.00 5.10 5.90 .16 .16 .12 .08 .14 .16 _ _ .d o ......... . _-_ d o_____ -__do_____ - _ - d o _____ 5.10 3. 25 3. 25 3. 25 .14 ,09 .09 .09 __ do ___ ___do______ . . . d o . __ _ __-do_ _ _ ___do_____ _ _do__ _-__do_____ 5.90 5.25 5. 25 5.90 6. 20 4. 50 6. 50 .16 .15 .15 . 16 . 17 .13 .18 pharistes). M e te r m a k e rs (ferblantiers en compteur) .................................. ................. In d u s tria l tin -p la te w o rk ers (ferblantiers industriels)_________ ____ L a b o rers (manœuvres)___________________________________________ E n a m e l w orkers, fem ale (ouvrières d’émailleries)__________________ P resse rs (presseurs)___________________________________________ M a k e rs of au to m o b ile ra d ia to rs (radiateurs d’autos, fabricants de).. T in -b o x in d u s try — P u n ch in g -m ach in e w o rk ers (découpeurs)_________________________ S ta m p e rs, fem ale (emboutisseuses)_____________________________ S etters, fem ale, (sertisseuses)...................................... ....................... ........... S olderers, fem ale (soudeuses)____________________________________ S to ve, b la c k s m ith , p lu m b in g , a n d electrical in d u s try — Safe m a k e rs (coffres-forts)_____________________ ______________ ___ S to v e m a k e rs (poêliers)______ __________________ ____ ____ ____ B rass fo u n d ers a n d fin ish e rs (robinettiers)________________________ M eta l-w o rk fitte rs (serruriers ajusteurs) __________________________ F itte rs of h e a tin g a p p a ra tu s (monteurs en chauffage)_____________ A ssista n t fitte rs (aides-monteurs)_________________________________ Coil w in d ers, electrician s (bobineurs électriciens)____ _____________ U n ite d S tates c u r re n c y 164 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W T a b l e 3 .—A V E R A G E WAGE R A T E S I N V A R IO U S I N D U S T R I E S I N D I S T R I C T — C o n tin u e d THE B RU SSELS A verage w age ra te I n d u s tr y a n d occu p atio n P erio d B elgian cu rren c y M e ta l in d u s trie s — C o n tin u e d . S tove, b la c k s m ith , p lu m b in g , a n d electrical in d u s try —C o n tin u e d . Coil w in d e rs a n d o th e r fem ale w o rk ers (bobineuses et autres ouvrière, M ech an ics a n d electricia n s (mécaniciens électriciens) ___________ E le c tric a l fitte rs (monteurs électriciens)_____ ______ ____________ W o rk m a n fitte rs (monteurs électriciens—demi ouvriers)__________ A ss is ta n t electrical fitte rs (monteurs électriciens, aides)__________ E le c tric a l fitte r ap p re n tic e s (monteurs électriciens, apprentis) ___ B ro n ze i n d u s tr y — B a th b oiler fitte rs (appareilleurs de chauffe-bains)______________ B ro n ze chiselers (ciseleurs de bronzé)____ ______________________ M e ta l d ec o ra to rs (décorateurs de métaux) ______________ ________ C o p p er sm e lte rs (fondeurs de cuivre)___________________________ B ro n ze f itte rs (monteurs de bronzé)_____________________________ C o p p er m o ld e rs (mouleurs de cuivré)___________________________ P o lish ers (polisseurs) __________________________________________ T u rn e rs (tourneurs) _______ _____ ____________________ ____ ____ T u rn e rs of ta p s , p ip e s, a n d fittin g s (tourneurs en robinetterie)___ C o p p er sm e ltin g w o rk s la b o rers (manœuvres de fonderies de cuivré). F e ttle rs a n d chiselers (ébarbeurs-burineurs) _______ ______________ C o p p er sh a p in g -m ach in e w o rk ers (limeurs de cuivré) ____________ W ood a n d fu rn itu re in d u s try : F ra m e w o rk assem blers (assembleurs de cadres)______________________ C oach b u ild e rs a n d b o d y m a k e rs (carrossiers-caissiers qualifiés)_______ C h a ir m a k e rs (chaisiers)___________ ____ ___________________________ W h e elw rig h ts (charrons)____________________________________________ B evellers (biseauteurs). ______________________________ ______________ W ood gilders (doreurs sur bois)______________________________________ O rn a m e n t w o rk ers a n d dressers (ornemanistes-apprUeurs)___________ C a b in e tm a k e rs (ébénistes)__ _________________________ ____ _________ M a ttre s s m a k e rs (matelassiers)_____ ______________ _______ _________ Jo in ers a n d c a b in e tm a k e rs (menuisiers-ébénistes)____________________ M irro r m a k e rs (miroitiers) ._ _____ __________________________________ F lo o r jo in ers a n d scrap ers (parqueteurs et récleurs de parquets) _______ T rim m e rs (passementiers)___________________________________________ C oach p a in te rs , v arn ish e rs, a n d glazers (peintres d’équipages laqueurs, glaceurs). F u r n itu r e polishers (polisseurs de meubles) . . . ..............._............................ S aw yers, c u tte rs (scieurs-découpeurs)___ ____ _______________________ S aw yers, p la n e rs (scieurs-raboteurs)_________________________________ S aw yers, circu lar saw s (scieurs-scie circulaire)_______________________ S aw yers, b a n d s a w s (scieurs au ruban). ____ _________________ ______ _ W ood ca rv e rs (sculpteurs sur bois)___________ _______ ______ _______ U p h o lstere rs a n d stic k ers (tapissieurs-colleurs)______________________ U p h o lstere rs, fem ale (tapissières)____ ____ _______ __________________ C oopers (tonneliers).......... ........................... .................... ..................... ............... S p in n ers (toupilleurs).. ______________________ ____ ________________ I W ood tu rn e rs (tourneurs sur bois)___ _______ _______ _______________ S lo tte rs (mortaiseurs) _______________________________________________ S urface-planing m a c h in e w o rk ers (dégauchisseurs) ___________________ P a tt e r n m a k e rs (m odeleurs)... ...................__......... ........... ................. .............. F u r n itu r e s ta ffe rs (garnisseurs de meubles)___________________________ C oach p ac k ers a n d sta ffe rs (garnisseurs en équipage)_________________ A rm c h a ir sta ffe rs (garnisseurs de fauteuils “ club” ) __________________ A p p ren tices a n d b eg in n ers (apprentis débutants) _________________ ___ G lass in d u s try : W indow -glass m a k e rs (ouvriers de grand’ place)_______________________ S tem m ed-glass w o rk ers (ouvriers de verre à pied) ______________________ T u m b ler-g lass w o rk ers (ouvriers bogeletier)___________________________ C u tte rs (tailleurs) ___________________________________________________ B ench w o rk e rs (ferrassiers)__________________________________________ S m elters (fondeurs) _________________________________________________ S m ith s (forgerons)___________________________________________________ B ox m a k e rs (caissiers)_______________________________________________ P a c k e rs (emballeurs)________________________________________________ L a b o rers (manoeuvres)_______________________________________________ G irl w o rk e rs (gamines) ______________________________________________ W o m a n w o rk e rs (ouvrières)__________________________________________ R u b b e r in d u s tr y : O rd in a ry la b o rers (manœuvres ordinaries)____________________________ S pecialized w o rk m e n (manœuvres spécialisés)_________________________ W o m an piecew orkers (ourvières à la production)______________________ Francs P e r h o u r .. __ do__ _ _ -_ .d o ______ -__do______ __-do_ _ ._ d o ______ 3. 25 6.50 6. 50 5. 25 3.60 2.10 $0.09 .18 .18 .15 .10 .06 -__do______ -__do_- ___ -__do____ ___do______ -__do_- ___ __ d o ______ ___do______ ___do______ -__do______ -__do______ ___do__ -__do_____ 8 7.00 8 7.00 8 7.00 8 7. 00 8 7.00 8 7. 00 8 7.00 8 7.00 8 7. 00 8 4. 60 8 4. 60 8 4. 60 .20 .20 .20 .20 .20 .20 .20 .20 .20 .13 .13 .13 __do______ . . . d o ______ --_ d o ._ . . . d o . - ___ -__do_ ___ _-_do__ ___ __ d o . _ -__do__ __do__ _ ._do______ ___do_. . . d o ______ ___do______ ___do______ 6. 60 6. 60 6. 60 6. 60 6.60 6.60 6. 60 6. 60 6. 50 6. 60 6. 60 6.60 7. 00 6. 50 .18 .18 .18 .18 . 18 .18 .18 .18 .18 .18 .18 .18 .20 .18 __-do____do_____ ___do. ___ _ d o . ___ __do-_ __do_ ___ _-_do. __do-_ ___ -__do_____ _ _do_ . _ ___do __do_ ___do______ _ _do______ __ do_ -_do__ -_ -d o ______ __do______ 6.60 6. 75 6. 30 6. 30 6. 30 7. 20 6. 60 4.40 6. 50 7.35 6. 70 6. 30 6. 70 8.00 6. 60 6.60 6.60 1.40 .18 .19 .18 .18 .18 .20 .18 .12 .18 .2 0 .19 .18 .19 .22 .18 .18 .18 .04 P e r d a y ___ ___do_ ___do__ __do_ ___ _do______ _do_ _ _do_ „ ___do__ ___ _ _do__ — -__do______ . . . d o ______ .d o _____ 54.00 50.00 49. 00 43.00 40. 00 40.00 40.00 40.00 43.00 34.00 18.00 22.00 1. 50 1.39 1.36 1.20 1.11 1.11 1.11 1. 11 1.20 .95 .50 .61 P er h o u r .. _do_ . . d o . ___ 4. 70 6.00 3.30 .13 .17 .0 9 1P lu s 3 p e r c e n t o n th e to ta l s a la ry of th e m o n th , p a y a b le o n th e la s t S a tu r d a y of each m o n th . https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis U n ite d S tates c u r re n c y 165 WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR T able 3 —A V E R A G E WAGE R A T E S I N V A R IO U S I N D U S T R I E S D I S T R I C T — C o n tin u e d IN THE BRU SSELS A v erag e w age ra te I n d u s tr y a n d o ccu p atio n P erio d B elgian cu rren c y A g ricu ltu re: G ard en ers (jardiniers ) _______________________________________________ A g ric u ltu ra l w o rk ers, fed a n d h o u sed ( ouvriers agricoles, nourris et logés)_____________________________________________________________ C ow m en, fed a n d h o u sed (vachers, nourris et logés)-----------------------------F arm -b o y s, fed a n d h o u sed (garçons defarme, nourris et logés)------------B ee t hoers (sarcleurs de betteraves)_____ ______________________________ B ee t p u lle rs ( arracheuses de betteraves)________________________________ L in g érie m a n u fa c tu re : H a n d em b ro id erers, fem ale ( brodeuses à la m a in )-.- ---------------------------M a c h in e e m b ro id erers, fem ale ( brodeuses à la machine) ----------------------L ingerie m a c h in e w o rk ers, fem ale {lingères à la machine) -------------------H a n d lin g erie w o rk ers, fem ale {lingeres à la m ain) -----------------------------M a c h in e -d ra w n th re a d w o rk m a k e rs, fem ale {point-claireuses à ma chine)____________________________________ ._____ _______ ______ ____ H a n d -d ra w n th re a d w o rk m a k ers, fem ale {point-claireuses à la main )__ L e a th e r m a n u fa c tu re : M a k e rs of le a th e r articles for tra v e lin g {maroquiniers articles, de voyage).. S titch ers, fem ale {piqueuses-maroquinière)_______________________ — S tickers, fem ale {colleuses-maroquiniere) ___________________ _______ G love m a k e rs, fem ale {gantières)__________________________ _______ F in ish e rs a n d po lish e rs, fem ale {déformeuses-ponceuses)-----------------L a th e to o l fitte rs (fraiseurs) ______________________________________ M a c h in e sew ers {couseurs à la machine) _____________ _____________ S titc h e rs a n d sew ers, fem ale {piqueuses-couseuses)_________________ R ollers, fem ale ( meuleuses) _________________________ ________ ____ M a c h in e s k in trim m e rs, fem ale {ébarbeuses de peaux, à la machine)----G love c u tte rs (coupeurs-gantiers ) ___________________ :--------------------S k in b ristlers, fem ale {éjarreuses de peaux) ________________________ 4 H ectare= 2.471 acres. U n ite d S tates c u r re n c y Francs P e r h o u r .. 5.00 $0.14 P e r m o n th . 000. 00 400. 00 350. 00 500. 00 550.00 16.68 P er d a y .. . . d o _____ P er h o u r. _ .d o _____ 3. 50 3. 50 3.10 3. 50 .97 .97 .09 .97 _ .d o ____ .—d o ____ 3. 50 53. 00 .9 7 G 08 _ .d o ____ —d o ____ . . d o ____ . . . d o ____ . . . d o ____ . . . d o _____ . . . d o _____ . . . d o _____ . . . d o ____ . . . d o _____ P e r w eek , — d o _____ 6. 50 4. 70 3. 70 4. 25 4. 50 6. 50 6. 70 3. 60 4. 70 3. 50 450. 00 220. 00 .18 . 13 .10 .1 2 .13 . 18 . 19 .10 . 13 .1 0 12. 51 6.12 — d o _______ . . . d o ______ P e r h e c ta r e 4 d o ______ 11.12 9.73 13.90 15. 29 6 O r 1.50 to 15.00 francs (4.2 to 41.7 cents) p e r m e te r (39.37 in ch es). Wages in Textile Industries in the Ghent District T h e principal industry of the Ghent district is that of textile pro duction. The Ghent district comprises the two Provinces of East and West Flanders, and in this territory are situated practically all of the textile plants and also a great part of the flax fields, especially those fields producing the more desirable classes of the fiber. All branches of the industry are carried on, from flax cultivation to the making of the finest finished linen products. Also, there are important cotton and jute spinning and weaving establishments. There is, however, relatively little manufacturing of wool or of silk products, except where these last two materials are used in mixture with linen and cotton. Normally, Belgian textile exports form an important factor in the -world market, and the wages paid in East and West Flanders are of importance in determining the world prices for these commodities, while, on the other hand, wages in Flanders are influenced in a down ward direction by competition of other exporting countries and up wards by the cost of living in the localities where the industries are carried on. In view of the present situation, and the difficult position that the industry finds itself in, owing to depressed markets and surplus plants, it is logical that only minimum wages are paid in each category, and the agreed minimums become the standard, if, in some instances, even the minimum is not cut. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 166 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW There is a probability that individual plants are able to depart from the terms of the wage agreements set out below, but safe to assume that where this is done it is at the expense of the worker. There is in force a very elaborate classification of workers in the textile industry, the wages being based on the age and experience of the worker, the specific task, the class or number of looms or other device operated, the kind of thread handled, and other technical con siderations that can be apparent only to those skilled in the industry. The agreement fixes a basic wage established on the basis of the cost of living being 380 per cent higher than it would be were the purchasing power of the Belgian franc at its pre-war rate. It assumes that 3.80 francs are necessary to purchase one franc’s worth of neces saries (pre-war, or normal costs), thus this standard applies without alteration when the index of the cost of living is 380. With each increase of 20 points in the index of living costs, the wages are in creased by 5 per cent. Thus, at the present time, the index figure for West Flanders is 792, so the cost of living has risen 412 points over the arbitrary standard, resulting in 20.6 increases of 5 per cent in the wage, or practically doubling it. Thus, in the tables that follow, the basic hourly wages have been increased by 5 per cent of the base for every 20-point increase in the index of the cost of living. Table 4 shows the basic wages in the various categories of the flax and tow spinning and the weaving industries. The 48-hour week is generally in force, but many establishments are operating only half time. T able 4 . —B A S IC H O U R L Y W A G E S I N T H E F L A X A N D T O W S P I N N I N G A N D W E A V IN G I N D U S T R I E S I N T H E G H E N T D I S T R I C T , S E P T E M B E R , 1931 F la x a n d to w s p in n in g [C onversions in to U n ite d S ta te s cu rre n c y on b asis of fran c= 2 .7 8 cents] O ccu p atio n H ack lers, experienced (hekelaars, oud personeel)____________ H ack lers, b eg in n ers (hekelaars, leerlingen) __________________ H ack lers, a fte r 1 m o n th (hekelaars, na 1 maand) ________ H ack lers, a fte r 3 m o n th s (hekelaars, na 3 maanden) H ack lers, a fte r 6 m o n th s (hekelaars, na 6 maanden) _________ H a n d le rs , experienced (opleggers, oud personeel)__________ H a n d le rs , b eg in n ers {opleggers, leerlingen) _ H a n d le rs , a fte r 1 m o n th ( opleggers, na 1 maand) ____________ H a n d le rs , a fte r 3 m o n th s ( opleggers, na 3 maanden) _________ H a n d le rs , a fte r 6 m o n th s ( opleggers, na 6 maanden) _________ F lax to p p e rs, experienced (vlastoppers, oud personeel) _______ F la x to p p e rs, b eg in n ers ( vlastoppers, leerlingen)_____________ F la x to p p e rs, 17 y e a rs of age (vlastoppers, 17 ja a r) ___________ F lax to p p e rs, 18 y e a rs of age ( vlastoppers, 18 ja a r) __________ F la x w ith d raw ers from tro u g h s ( balmithalers) S e p a ra to rs (vlasscheiders) _____________ C arrie rs (vlasdragers) ______________________I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I ! L o c k m ak ers, b eg in n ers (slotmakers, beginnelingen)__________ B ookm akers, a fte r 2 m o n th s (slotmakers, 2 volgende maanden) L a b o rers (arbeiders) __________________________________ C o n tro l oilers (commandesmeerders) https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis B asic h o u rly ra te Francs 2. 05 1. 40 1. 56 1. 73 1. 90 1.81 1.40 1. 46 1. 55 1. 62 1.62 1. 23 1. 32 1.46 1.C0 1.00 1.00 .85 .93 1.72 1. 77 1.81 1.86 1.86 A c tu a l h o u rly w ages (in clu d in g increase for rise in cost of liv in g ) B elgian cu rren c y U n ite d S tates c u rren c y Francs Cents 4. 16 2. 84 3.17 3. 51 3. 86 3. 67 2. 84 2. 96 3.15 3. 29 3.29 2. 50 2. 68 2. 96 2. 03 2.03 2.03 1.73 1.89 3.49 3. 59 3. 67 3. 78 3.78 11.6 7.9 8.8 9.8 10.7 10. 2 7.9 8.2 8.8 9.1 9. 1 7.0 7.5 8 .2 5.6 5.6 5.6 4.8 5.3 9 .7 10.0 10.2 10.5 10.5 167 WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR T . m „ 4 —B A S IC h o u r l y w a g e s i n t h e f l a x a n d t o w s p i n n i n g a n d w e a TABLE I N D U S T R I E S i n T H E G H E N T D I S T R I C T , S E P T E M B E R , 1 9 3 1 -C o n tm u e d F la x a n d to w s p in n in g v in g — C o n tin u ed B asic h o u rly ra te O ccupation A c tu a l h o u rly w ag es (in c lu d in g increase for rise in cost of liv in g ) B elgian cu rren c y U n ite d S tates cu rren c y Francs Cents 3. 05 3. 51 2. 80 2. 56 2. 38 2. 23 1.73 1.89 2.03 3. 67 4.16 4.16 4. 47 2. 64 2. 94 2.94 1.52 1.71 1.89 2. 07 1.52 1.71 2. 68 2.31 S p in n ers, 1 loom (spinsters, 1 molen ) ----------------------------------------S p in n ers, 2 loom s (spinsters, 2 molens) ---------------- ----R eserv e sp in n ers, 1 a n d 2 loom s ( reservespinsters, 1 en 2 molens ). T h re a d m a k ers, largo (garenmaaksters groote)----------------------T h re a d m a k ers, sm all (garenmaaksters kleine) --------------------------P u lle rs (aftreksters) ---------------------------------- -------------------------------P u lle rs, b eg in n ers (aftreksters beginnelmgen)--------------- ----------- P u lle rs, a lte r 1 m o n th (aftreksters, na 1 m a a n d ) --------------------P u lle rs, a fte r 2 m o n th s (aftreksters, na 2 maanden)--------------------C o al ca rriers (kolenvoerders)--------------------------------------------------T h re a d d ry e rs (garendroogers) -------------------------------------------------B ale m a k ers (pressers inpakkers) ---------------------------------- ----------P ack e rs (pakmakers ) ---------------------------------------------------------------C ard e rs ( kamers) ---------------------------------- ---------------------C ard e rs, o n 1 ca rd (kamers op 1 kaarde) ----- -----------------T ro u g h-girl, b eg in n ers (bakmeisjes leerlingen) -------------"Trough-girl, a fte r 3 m o n th s (bakmeisjes, na 3 maanden). T ro u g h -g irl, a fte r 6 m o n th s (bakmeisjes, na 6 maanden) . T ro u g h-girl, afte r 1 y e a r (bakmeisjes, na 1 jaar) ------------C o u n te rs, beg in n ers (toertelsters beginnelingen)------- — C o u n te rs, after 3 m o n th s (toertelsters, na 3 maanden). . . Sw eepers (vaagsters spinnerij) -------------------- ----------------Sw eepers, p re p a ra tio n (vaagsters, preparane) ---------------- 8.5 9.8 7.8 7.1 6.6 6.2 4.8 5.3 5.6 10.2 11.6 11.6 12.4 7.3 8.2 8.2 4.2 4.8 5.3 5.8 4.2 4.8 7.5 6.4 W e a v in g B e a m p rep are rs (bojnstevs) -------- -— W a rp p rep are rs (wdT'pstcrs) -------- A ss is ta n t e x a m in e s _ _ __ t/it/vo#oy __ -- -- liy u r a u iic pat-Keib — — - -- - - — - W a r j j croppers (schccvdcvs kctti'iicj).. _ — X lece Cl OppUIo \OCIiCCI UCI --------------------------------- - -L o o m ClCetile Lb \yciuu¿UJrvU'iocivoi o j -----------------------------_ Y a m p rep are rs (.QdTCTiTiidkcTS)------------------------------------------------------------------o y n n u e r opera luis \Lyuuui curi oj _ -- - - -- - - /"i i« -.V i ato’ iioipcio hnInorQ (riilì'YìfirPll.rR-h.PlTìP.TS) c „1 y im a e r o p eratolo u; ---------------_ _ _ _ _ bizers n eip ers { up pi c Q ilnmmennn ta tc irv s unprM p le ly l c w i --------- ci 70rc (hìì si¿ois v.t,o siÎXRP.rS öv öoc',0 /1- - ------------ -- - -- _ - _ _ - --- 1.37 1.40 1.47 2. 20 1.42 1.72 1.72 2. 12 2. 22 2. 22 2. 11 1. 95 2.04 1.72 2.03 1.83 1.95 1.82 1.89 2. 03 2.03 2. 78 2. 84 2.98 4. 47 2. 88 3. 49 3. 49 4. 30 4.51 4.51 4. 28 3.96 4.14 3. 49 4.12 3.71 3. 96 3. 69 3.84 4.12 4.12 7.7 7.9 8.3 12.4 8.0 9.7 9.7 12.0 12.5 12.5 11.9 lt.O 11.5 9.7 11.5 10.3 11.0 10.3 10.7 11.5 11.5 1. 85 1. 95 2 .0 3 1 .8 5 2 .0 3 1 .9 1 1 .7 2 3 .7 6 3. 96 4 .1 2 3. 76 4 .1 2 3 .8 8 3 .4 9 1 0 .5 1 1 .0 11. 5 10. 5 1 1 .5 1 0 .8 9 .7 Dollars i 2 8 0 .4 6 i 270. 31 i 250. 01 1 i P e r w eek. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 1 7. 80 i 7. 52 i 6. 95 168 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW Cotton Industry There are approximately 200 different categories of labor in the cotton-spinning industry alone. The basic wages in this industry, which, like those in the linen industry, are subject to an increase of 5 per cent with every 20 points of rise in the cost-of-living index over the figure of 380, range from 2.31 francs (6.4 cents) per hour, for machinists, to 2.36 francs (6.6 cents) per hour, and the actual wages from 4.69 to 4.79 francs (13.0 to 13.3 cents). For boiler firemen, the range of basic wages is from 1.80 to 2.35 francs per hour. Actual wages range from 3.65 to 4.77 francs (10.1 to 13.3 cents). For carpenters, fitters, blacksmiths, and other mechanics the basic wage ranges from 2.57 to 2.87 francs per hour, and the actual wages from 5.21 to 5.83 francs (14.5 to 16.2 cents). Carders receive basic wages ranging from 0.92 franc per hour to 2.25 francs, and actual wages ranging from 1.87 to 4.57 francs (5.3 to 12.7 cents). For the work done by girls attending machines the basic wages run from 0.91 franc in the case of beginners to 1.57 francs for the ordinary workers, and the actual wages from 1.84 to 3.19 francs (5.1 to 8.9 cents) per hour. Flax Culture Actual wages in the flax-cultivating industries in the regions of Comines, Wervicq, and Menin are 4 francs (11.1 cents) per hour. At Waereghem, on the Lys River, wages are actually 2.75 francs (7.6 cents) per hour for corresponding work. The workers at Deynze and at Waereghem belong to a syndicate to which they pay 4 francs (11.1 cents) per week for an unemployment fund. When they are unemployed they receive 132 francs ($3.67) per week, which in the case of Waereghem, actually amounts to the wages they would receive for 48 hours at the prevailing rate of 2.75 francs (7.6 cents) per hour. It is stated by certain employers that this situation has brought about some voluntary unemployment. As an example of how the basic wage works out in conjunction with the percentage increase in the index number of the cost of living, the following actual wages now prevailing in the linen industry are given: T a b l e 5 —A C T U A L H O U R L Y W A G E S I N T H E L I N E N I N D U S T R Y I N T H E G H E N T D IS T R IC T [C onversions in to U n ite d S tates c u rren c y o n basis of fran c= 2 .7 8 cents] https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis A c tu a l w age p e r hour O ccu p atio n W eav ers (tisserands). . _________________ B o b b in w in d ers (spoelsters) _____________ D offers (bobijnsters) __ _ ___ ________ C u tte rs (scheersters). . S tarc h ers ( pappers ) . . . D y e rs (verwers) _ _ __________ L ab o rers ( koermannen ) _____________ . S ew ers ( naaisters ) ______________________ B elg ian cu rren c y U n ite d S tates cu rren c y Francs Cents 5. 3. 3. 5. 5. 4. 4. 3. 14. 10. 10. 14. 15. 12. 11. 9. 20 00 80 30 50 50 00 50 5 0 6 7 3 5 1 7 WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR 169 Bonuses on Wages The bonuses for female workers who lose no time through absence in an entire week are as follows: 6 francs (16.7 cents) for spinners and 4.50 francs (12.5 cents) for thread makers (garenmaaksters), 3 francs (8.3 cents) for pullers (aftreksters). , rn One hour’s loss of time per week disqualifies a worker tor 50 per cent of the bonus and two hours’ loss of time disqualifies altogether. Holidays, mechanical breakdowns, etc., up to two days do not affect payment of bonus. Authorized leave or certified illness is de ducted pro rata from the bonus. . Hacklers (hekelaars) under 16 years of age are paid the basic rate only. From 16 to 17 years they receive 10 centimes (0.3 cent) over the basic rate per hour, and from 17 to 18 years of age an additional 10 centimes per hour is paid, making 20 centimes over the basic rate. G e n e r a l S u r v e y o f W a g es in F r a n c e , 1930 a n d 19311 AGE rates in the manufacturing, coal and metal mining, oil production, agriculture and lumber industries m France W given in the following tables are based on reports of official agencies and trade associations. The wages relate in general to 1930 oi 1931 and cover industries the products of which enter into international In cases where one of these industries is definitely concentrated in one or two sections of France, even though it may be carried on to some extent in other portions of the country, the average wage statis tics refer only to the dominantly important area or areas of concen tration. In other instances, where a particular industry is spread m a general way over a large part of the country, the figures refer to all of France, though in such cases where wage differences seem to warrant it, separate wage figures are given for the “ Paris region, a term applying to the important manufacturing area including and reaching out from the city of Paris and its suburbs. Hours of Labor I n A L L of the industries represented, except agriculture, the hours of labor are limited by legislation. The drench Labor Code provides (Vol II Book I, Ch. II, art. 6) that “ in industrial or commercial concerns, or in their dependencies, of whatever nature, public or private, lay or religious, even if they possess the character of pro fessional instruction or charity, the duration of work of the laborers or employees of either sex or of any age, may not exceed 8 hours pei dav or 48 hours per week, or an equivalent limitation based on a period of time other than the week.” 2 Variations of the 8-hour day which are suggested in the law, as well as exceptional oi emergency digressions from it, are arranged by the public authorities, according to a balancing of the interests of employers and laboiers. 2 L aw of A p r. 23, 1919. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 170 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW Unless special mention is made to the contrary in the statements of wage rates for the various industries indicated, it may be assumed that the 48-hour week is in effect, either through a week of six days of 8 hours each, or five days at 9 hours and 3 hours on Saturday, or some other variation. The 8-hour day is not obligatory for agricultural workers and the number of working hours depends entirely upon the agreement between the employer and the worker. Most farm laborers work from sunrise to sunset, depending on the work to be done and the season; those who are employed by the day generally work 8 hours. Child Labor A c c o r d in g to the French labor code “ children may not be employed nor admitted into factories, manufactures, mines, quarries, works, or workshops of any kind, nor in their dependencies, whether they are public or private, lay or religious, even when these establishments possess a professional or charitable character, before the age of 13 years.” There are certain exceptions to this regulation but they are not important for the purpose of this study. Free Housing and Transportation I t c a n n o t be said that free housing for laborers has become the general custom in France. There are, however, many industrial establishments, especially in the mining industry, which have con structed lodgings to be used by their employees without charge, or for a nominal charge. Diversity of practice and lack of published information makes it impossible to give reliable estimates of the extent to which such advantages add to the cash value of wages. In the smaller industrial centers and especially in the mining and textile industries, free transportation is provided "to and from work. Family Allowances T h e custom of supplementing wages with special allotments or allowances to laborer^ according to the size of their families grew up during the war. Beginning with a few industries, it has gradually spread into nearly all fields of industrial endeavor. From its incep tion the system, consisting of contributions solely from employers to funds for distribution to laborers in a particular industry or group of industries, has been entirely voluntary and optional.3 The single exception to this is that employers engaged in public works are required by a law enacted in 1922 to contribute to a fund for distri bution^ according to the size of laborers’ families, based on minimum rates fixed by each Department in France. A central organization called the Comité Central des Allocations Familiales, with officers in Paris, heads the system. A large propor tion of the organizations administering the funds for particular industries or groups of industries are members of this central com mittee. In 1930, the total personnel of the industries adhering to the central committee consisted of 1,880,800 workers. The miningindustry, the railways and a few smaller industries are not affiliated 3 A b ill is now p e n d in g w h ich w o u ld m a k e c o m p u lso ry c o n trib u tio n s b y all em p lo y ers to fam ily allow - https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 171 WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR with the central committee but distribute the family allotments among their workers through their own organizations. It is estimated that at present there are between four and four and a half million persons in France benefiting, in addition to their wages, from family allowances, totaling 1,700,000,000 francs ($66,640,000) 4 annually. This includes beneficiaries of the member organizations of the central committee, independent organizations, and public work organizations. In addition to cash allowances, these organizations allot certain benefits in kind, such as sending children to healthful localities, sup plying visiting nurses, making loans for household goods, free laundry, gifts of linen, subsidies to companies constructing cheap houses, milk allowances for children, birth bonuses, etc. The annual disburse ments made for these purposes from organizations affiliated with the central committee total about 10,000,000 francs ($392,000). As an illustration, the following brief statement of operations is given for one of the important organizations in the Paris region affiliated with the central committee. This Paris organization is made up of employers in the metallurgy, electrical and associated lines and includes 2,165 establishments employing 402,000 workers. Allowances were paid to 102,000 families and 167,000 children in 1930, the total allotments amounting to 75,150,000 francs ($2,945,880). The cash value of the allotments by organizations in several French industrial centers is shown in the following table. Where the particu lar organization is devoted to a special industry instead of to a group of several industries, it is indicated parenthetically. T able 1.—M O N T H L Y R A T E S P A ID AS F A M IL Y A L L O W A N C E S I N F R A N C E I N S P E C I F I E D L O C A L IT IE S A N D I N D U S T R I E S N u m b e r of ch ild ren in fam ily L o c ality a n d in d u s try 1 B o rd e a u x ........................ ......... ........... C alais ___ _ ______ C le rm o n t F e rra n d ___ . . . _______ . G ren o b le (gloves)___________ _____ _ Le H av re. . . . . _______ _ L ille ( te x tile ) ... . _________ L ille (m e ta llu rg y ).. _____ _______ L y o n __________________________________________ ____ _ L y o n (w e a v in g )____ ____ M arseille___ ______ ______ N a n te s _ ___ _ ____ O rlean s______ ____ _ _ ____ P a r is . ___ _ ... _ ._ R e n n e s ______ . . . __i____________ ____ R o u e n (textile) _. . . . R o u e n (clothing) _ ___ ... S a in t E tie n n e (m e ta llu rg y )____ _ ______ S tr a s s b u rg . . ... __ _ .. ___ T ro y e s ______ ______ _________ _____ ____ 2 3 4 5 6 Francs Francs Francs Francs Francs Francs 20. 00 20. 00 20. 00 15. 00 30. 00 30. 00 20. 00 20.00 25. 00 17. 50 20.00 30. 00 12. 50 40. 00 15. 00 20. 00 50. 00 40. 00 50. 00 50.00 50. 00 45. 00 70. 00 100. 00 45. 00 60.00 45.00 60. 00 40. 00 50. 00 70. 00 27. 50 95. 00 45. 00 50. 00 100. 00 100. 00 90. 00 90. 00 90. 00 90. 00 120. 00 180. 00 85 00 105. 00 70. 00 120. 00 67. 50 90. 00 120. 00 50. 00 160. 00 80. 00 100. 00 150. 00 220. 00 130. 00 140. 00 140. 00 150. 00 180. 00 280. 00 120. 00 180. 00 120. 00 210. 00 105. 00 140. 00 200. 00 90. 00 235. 00 120. 00 200. 00 200. 00 340. 00 170. 00 200. 00 200. 00 225. 00 250. 00 400. 00 180 00 250. 00 175. 00 300. 00 122. 50 200. 00 280. 00 140. 00 320. 00 165. 00 300. 00 250. 00 460. 00 210. 00 260. 00 260. 00 300. 00 330. 00 540. 00 250 00 330. 00 240. 00 390. 00 150. 00 260. 00 360. 00 200. 00 415. 00 215. 00 400. 00 300. 00 580. 00 Thus in considering the following wage tables it must be recalled that where the individual worker has a family his income will be substantially greater in almost every case than the mere statement of his wage rate would indicate. 4 C o nversions in to U n ite d S ta te s cu rre n c y on basis of fran c= 3 .9 2 cents. 91909°—32----- 12 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 172 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW Wage Taxes and Income Tax T h e salary tax (impôt sur les traitements) is payable by all persons domiciled in France on January 1, on their total salaries, pensions, annuities, or other remuneration earned or received during the pre ceding year, either in France or abroad. The tax is essentially a personal tax, each member of a family being assessable separately on his own income. The following are among the most important sources of personal income that are assessable : 1. Salaries and remunerations received for services rendered (ex cept family allowances). 2. Remuneration in kind, such as accommodation, food, light, etc. 3. Bonuses or Christmas gifts. 4. Life pensions (except war pensions or those arising out of civil accidents) and pensions for a limited period. 5. Income of artisans and other individuals working for their own account, who would normally be assessable under the commercial profits tax but who are specially exempted therefrom by law. From the income received it is permitted to make certain deduc tions for taxation purposes, among which are the following: 1. Salary tax paid during the preceding year. 2. Contributions to pension-fund schemes, or alternatively, lifeinsurance premiums. 3. Traveling expenses to and from the place of business. 4. Cost of books and periodicals necessitated by the occupation followed. 5. Subscriptions to trade or professional associations. 6. Extra cost of meals necessarily taken at restaurants, owing to distance of place of occupation from home. From the income thus arrived at the following deductions for taxation purposes are allowed : 1. 3,000 francs ($117.60) for the wife, if her income does not exceed this amount. 2. 3,000 francs ($117.60) for each child under 18 years of age, and not in receipt of earned income in excess of this amount (this allowance is increased to 4,000 francs ($156.80) for the third and subsequent children). 3. 2,000 francs ($78.40) for any other person under the taxpayer’s charge. It should be observed that, if the husband and wife are both taxable then only the one who has the greater income is entitled to the deductions. From January 1, 1930, the rate of tax payable is 10 per cent, sub ject to the following relief: (a) When the taxable income arrived at in the manner set out above does not exceed 10,000 francs, it is totally exempted from the tax; (b) on taxable income between 10,000 ($392) and 20,000 francs ($784) only 50 per cent is taxable; between 20,000 ($784) and 40,000 francs ($1,568) only 75 per cent is taxable, and in excess of 40,000 francs it is taxable in full. The many reservations and deductions connected with the appli cation of this tax result in but few persons properly classified as laborers paying it. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 173 W A G E S A N D H O U R S OF L A B O R While employers must submit data on their employees in connection with this, they do not withhold sums from their wages unless re quested to do so in special cases by the authorities. The income tax (impôt général sur le revenu) begins on incomes of 10,000 francs ($392), but exemptions and deductions which are allowed rarely place a laborer in the position of having to pay it. Social Insurance Deductions T h e social insurance law which came into effect on July 1, 1930, provides for the compulsory insurance of all French wage earners whose annual remuneration does not exceed 15,000 francs ($588), or 18,000 francs ($704.60) in cities of more than 200,000 inhabitants and in industrial centers. The risks covered are sickness, inca pacity, old age, and death. For the purpose of contributions and benefits, the insured are divided into five wage classes. The amount of the contribution thus varies in accordance with the wages of the insured, but the average is 4 per cent of the wage. This sum is held back on pay day by the employer, who puts it with an equivalent sum from his own pocket to be turned over to the administrative authorities. Wages in Manufacturing Industries T h e following nine industries have been selected as representative of the French manufacture of products appearing in international commerce: Automobiles, textiles, metallurgy, clothing, furniture, tanning, beauty products, gloves, and beet sugar. Automobile Industry Table 2 shows the average rates per hour for piecework and time work in the automobile industry in the Paris district. T able 2.—A V E R A G E H O U R L Y W A G E S I N T H E AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY O F T H E P A R IS D I S T R I C T , J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y , 1931, B Y O C C U P A T I O N T h e in d u s tr y (e x c e p t b o d y b u ild in g ) [C onversions in to U n ite d S tates cu rren c y on basis of fran c= 3 .9 2 cents] A verage h o u r y w age ra te s 1 T im e w o rk C lass of w orkers, occupation, a n d sex S k illed w o rk ers (professionnels), m ale: T o o l sh arp en ers (affûteurs-outilleurs) __ _____________ F itte rs (ajusteurs)__________ __ __ _________ . . ___ . . . E n g in e fitte rs a n d assem blers (ajusteurs-monteurs et assembleurs) ............. ........ . . . . . T o o l a d ju ste rs, to o l fitte rs (ajusteurs-outilleurs) ______ _____ D rill a d ju ste rs (ajusteurs-traceurs) . _ . D rillers (aléseurs)______ . . . _ ______________ C o p p e rsm ith s (chaudronniers en cuivre au marteau) __ C o p p er-p ip e m a k e rs (chaudronniers en cuivre tuyauteurs) ___ B oiler m a k ers (chaudronniers en fer) ____ ._ _ _______ F ren ch cu rren c y U n ite d S tates cu rren c y F re n c h cu rren c y U n ite d S tates cu rren c y Francs Cents Francs Cents 1 In c lu d in g all p re m iu m s , b o n u ses, e tc ., except fa m ily allow ances. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis P iece w ork 6. 48 5.92 25.4 23.2 6. 22 7.17 24.4 28.1 26. 5 26 25.8 25 24.2 G. 77 6.63 6. 58 6. 38 6.17 6.70 26.3 6. 97 7. 57 27.3 29.7 7.15 7.91 7.13 7.05 28 31 27.9 27.6 174 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW T able 2 .—A V E R A G E H O U R L Y W A G E S I N T H E AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY O F T H E P A R I S D I S T R I C T , J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y , 1931, B Y O C C U P A T I O N —C o n tin u ed T h e in d u s tr y (e x c e p t b o d y b u ild in g )— C o n tin u ed A verage h o u rly w age rates P iece w o rk T im e w o rk C lass of w orkers, o ccupations, a n d sex F ren ch cu rren c y S k illed w o rk ers (professionnels ), m a le —C o n tin u e d . C u tte rs on se m ia u to m a tic or n o n a u to m a tic m achines Francs (.décolleté,urs sur machine demi-automatique ou non auto matique)_______________________________________ __________ 5.94 E lectrical a d ju ste rs (électriciens-ajusteurs). . . ----------------------C. 02 E lectrical fitte rs ( électriciens-monteurs) ____________________ 5. 59 E n a m elers ( émailleurs) ____________________________________ D ie s ta m p e rs (estampeurs à chaud et au mouton ) ----------------- T in s m ith s (ferblantiers) ___________________________________ _ 6.44 H a m m e rs m ith s (forgerons à m ain) _________________________ 6. 98 T o o lsm ith s (forgerons outilleurs) ___________________________ 6. 51 M e ta l la th e w o rk ers (fraiseurs ) -------- ---------------------------------7.14 L a th e tool fitte rs (fraiseurs outilleurs) ______________________ 6. 29 M ech an ical a d ju ste rs (mécaniciens metteurs au point) ---------M a c h in e ry fitte rs a n d assem b lers (monteurs et monteurs 6.01 assembleurs)_____________________________________________ 6.03 E le c tric fitte rs o n cars (monteurs électriciens sur voitures)----6. 54 M o rtisers-p la n ers (mortaiseurs-raboteurs)----------------------------5. 89 N ick e l p la te rs (nickeleurs)_________________________________ 7. 42 D ie m a k e rs (outilleurs en matrice)_________________________ 5.82 P u n c h e rs (perceurs au tracé)_______________________________ P o lish ers a n d p o lish e r g rin d e rs (polisseurs et polisseurs meuleurs) _______________________________________________ 6.4 P la n e rs a n d ro u g h sq u a re rs (raboteurs et dégauchisseurs)-----7.7 T ool p la n e rs (raboteurs et outilleurs)-----------------------------------6. 52 R ectifiers (rectifieurs)______________________________________ 7.12 T ool rectifiers, to o l a d ju ste rs (rectifieurs-outilleurs)------------7. 36 A d ju s te rs (régleurs)_______________________________________ 6.37 A rt-la m p w elders (soudeurs à l’autogène)___________________ 5.83 G ear c u tte rs (tailleurs d’engrenages)________________________ 6.08 S h eet-iro n w o rk ers (tôliers)________________________________ 6.20 T u rn e rs (tourneurs) . ______________________________________ 7. 27 T o o l tu rn e rs (tourneurs-outilleurs)_________________________ 6. 77 T ra c e rs (tracers)___________________ _______________________ 6.36 M easu rers (vérificateurs)__________________________________ S pecialized w o rk ers (ow ners specialises), m ale: 5.71 S h arp en ers (affûteurs) ___ ..________________________________ 5.31 A d ju ste rs, fitte rs (adjusteurs) ______ _______________________ 5. 27 C lip p ers, s ta m p e rs (cisailleurs, poinçonneurs)---------------------5.28 C u rrie r, le a th e r dressers (corroyeurs)_______________________ 5.06 M e ta l scourers (décapeurs)________________________________ C u tte rs o n a u to m a tic m a ch in es (décolleteurs sur machines automatiques)___________________________________________ S etters, b y m a c h in e or b y h a n d , of o rd in a ry articles (dres seurs à la machine et dresseurs à la m ain de produits courants)___________________________ :___________ ______ S heet-iron c u tte rs (ébarbeurs)______________________________ C h asers (emboutisseurs)___________________________________ M e ta l la th e w o rk ers (fraiseurs)____________________________ F ile c u tte rs a n d h o ld ers (frappeurs et teneurs de ta s) _______ F ile rs (limeurs) __________________________________________ G rin d ers (meuleurs) __________________ _______ ____________ D rillers (perceurs au montage) --------------------------------------------P o lish ers (polisseurs) ----------------------------------- ---------------------P la n e rs (raboteurs)..- _____________________________________ R ectifiers (rectifieurs)_________ _____ ______________________ R e s e tte rs (redresseurs)_____________________________________ S p rin g w in d ers on a u to m a tic m a c h in e s (ressortiers sur ma chine automatique)_______________________________________ H a n d riv e te rs (riveurs à la m ain) __________________________ P o lish ers (rôdeurs)________________________________________ S a n d m o ld ers (sableurs)__________ _________ ______________ Screw c u tte rs (taraudeurs)_________________________________ T u rn e rs o n a u to m a tic la th e (tourneurs sur tour automatique). T u rn e rs o n p arallel la th e (tourneurs sur tour parallel) ______ H a rd e n e rs ce m en te rs (trempeurs cimenteurs) ______________ C u tte rs (tronçonneurs)____________________________________ V erifiers (vérificateurs)_____________________________________ O rd in a ry lab o rers (manœuvres) , m a le __________________________ F o u n d ry la b o rers (manoeuvres de fonderie), m a l e . . _____________ https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis U n ite d S tates cu rren c y F re n c h c u rren c y U n ite d S tates cu rren c y Cents Francs Cents 6.74 23.3 23.6 21.9 26.4 6. 63 6. 21 7. 73 6.88 6. 96 7. 52 7.12 7. 67 6.93 26.0 24.3 30.3 27.0 27.3 29.5 27.9 30.1 27.2 23.6 23.6 25.6 23.1 29.1 6.79 6.68 7. 01 6.61 26.6 26.2 27.5 25.9 22.8 6.61 25.9 7.17 6. 97 7. 39 7. 29 7. 49 7. 97 6.93 6. 91 6. 97 7.13 7.64 7. 35 28.1 27.3 29.0 28.6 29.4 31.2 27.2 27. 1 27.3 27.9 29. 9 28.8 6. 33 5.78 5. 84 24.8 22. 7 22.9 5.58 21.9 5.60 22.0 5. 58 6.19 5.82 5. 66 5. 51 6.13 6. 03 5.62 6. 03 5. 81 6.18 21.9 24.3 22.8 22.2 21.6 24.0 23.6 22.0 23.6 22.8 24.2 6. 05 6. 39 6.19 5.96 5. 59 6. 38 5. 62 6.03 5. 73 23.7 25.0 24.3 23.4 21.9 25.0 22.0 23.6 22.5 4.81 4.98 1 18.9 19.5 25.2 27.4 25.5 28.0 24.7 25. 1 30. 2 25.6 27.9 28.9 25.0 22. 9 23.8 24.3 28.5 26.5 24.9 22.4 20.8 20.7 20.7 19.8 5.14 4.91 20.1 19.2 5. 34 5.12 5.08 5.37 5.49 20.9 5. 25 20.6 5.46 21.4 5. 74 22. 5 5.17 20.3 5. 54 4. 96 5.17 5. 19 5. 18 4. 24 4. 55 21.7 19.4 20. 3 20. 3 20.3 16. 6 17.8 20.1 19.9 21.1 21.5 175 WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR T able 2 — A V E R A G E H O U R L Y W A G E S I N T H E AUTOMOBILE IN DUSTRY O F T H E P A R I S D I S T R I C T , J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y , 1931, B Y O C C U P A T I O N —C o n tin u e d T h e in d u s tr y (e x c e p t b o d y b u ild in g )— C o n tin u ed A verage h o u rly w age ra te s T im e w o rk P iece w o rk C lass of w orkers, occupations, a n d sex F re n c h cu rren c y S pecialized a n d o rd in a ry w orkers, fem ale: S h arp en ers ( affuteuses ) _____ ______ __ _________ ____ M a tc h e rs (appareilleuses) __________ _ _ _ _ __ __ __ W in d ers (bobineuses) . ________________ _ - _______ S p in d le rs (bobinières) _____________ _____ - ______ In sp e c to rs (contrôleuses) ______ _ __ ___ - ____ Sew ers (couturières) __ ___ _ _ _ _ C u tte rs k n o w in g h o w to s e t u p (décondenses sachant se monter) _ _ _ C u tte rs w ith o u t k now ledge of s e ttin g u p (décolleteuses ne sachant, pris sp. m.nut.p.r) . __ C u tte rs (découpeuses)___ _ __ _ E n a m e le rs (émailleuses) _ __ ___ _ ___ G augers, a d ju ste rs (étalonneuses) __ __ - -T in s m ith s (ferblantières) M e ta l la th e w o rk ers (fraiseuses) M ech an ics (mécaniciennes) __ _ ___ C o rers (noyauteuses) _ ____ ___ P a in te rs (peintres) __ __ ____ _ D rillers (perceuses) _____ _ P o lish ers on m a ch in es (polissueses de mécanique)___ R ectifiers (rectifieuses) _. _ - __ R eg u lato rs (régleuses) A rc-lam p w elders (soudeuses à Vautogène) _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ S olderers (soudeuses à l’étan) ____ T u rn e rs (tourneuses) ___ _ __ W o rk ers specializing in o th e r tra d e s th a n those^ m e n tio n e d here (ouvrières spécialisées autres que les catégories ci-contre) O rd in a ry laborers, fem ale__ ____ _ _ __ Francs U n ite d F re n c h S tates c u rren c y cu rren c y Cents 3. 79 3. 87 4. 43 3. 60 3.74 U n ite d S tates c u rren c y Francs Cents 14. 9 15.2 17.4 14.1 14.7 4. 34 4. 32 4. 38 5. 02 4. 36 4. 55 17.0 16.9 17.2 19.7 17.1 17.8 4.61 18.1 5.49 21.5 3.84 3. 76 15.1 14.7 3. 59 4. 34 4.02 4. 01 3. 92 3. 59 3.93 4.13 3. 89 4. 68 4. 66 4.03 4.03 14.1 17.0 15.8 15.7 15.4 14.1 15.4 16. 2 15.2 18. 3 18. 3 15.8 15.8 4.34 4. 38 4.50 4.31 5.03 4. 81 4. 77 4. 52 4. 61 4. 70 4.88 4. 97 17.0 17.2 17.6 16. 9 19.7 18.9 18. 7 17. 7 18.1 18.4 19. 1 19.5 4. 95 4. 57 4.78 19.4 17.9 18.7 3. 66 3. 44 14.3 13.5 4. 22 3. 77 16.5 14.8 A u to m o b ile b o d y b u ild in g C u s to m b u ild in g M ass p ro d u ctio n T im e w ork P iece w ork T im e w o rk P iece w o rk F re n c h U n ite d S tates c u r cu r ren cy ren cy F ren ch U n ite d S tates c u r c u r ren cy ren cy F ren ch U n ite d S tates c u r c u r ren cy ren cy F ren ch U n ite d S tates cu r c u r ren cy ren cy O ccu p atio n Francs Cents Francs Cents Francs Cents Francs L o c k sm ith s (¡erreurs) _ _____________ B la ck sm ith s (forgerons à m ain) ___ . Jo in ers (menuisiers ordinaires) . S pecial au to m o b ile joiners (menuisiers traceurs de voitures)............... ............. D eco rato rs (peintres finisseurs-lettres, 7.17 7. 14 7. 04 28.1 28. 0 27.6 7.71 8. 38 7. 71 30. 2 32. 8 30.2 6. 51 6. 45 6.12 25. 5 25.3 24.0 6. 94 7. 38 6.69 27.2 28.9 26.2 7. 59 29.8 8. 34 32.7 6. 56 25.7 7.45 29. 2 finition, rechampissage) O rd in a ry p a in te rs (peintres hommes de pied) __ _____ __ L e a th e r-u p h o lste ry m a k e rs (selliers à l’établi ou confectionneurs) U p h o lstere rs (selliers poseurs et garmisseurs) _____ ___ __________ S h eet-m etal w o rk ers (tôliers) ________ 7. 02 27.5 8. 32 32.6 6. 03 23.6 6.67 26.1 6.29 24.7 7.11 27.9 5.74 22.5 6.53 25.6 6. 73 26.4 7.18 28.1 5.97 23.4 6. 43 25.2 7. 38 7. 13 28.9 27.9 8.14 7. 75 31.9 30.4 6. 27 6.12 24.6 24.0 7. 20 6.89 28.2 27.0 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Cents 176 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W Textile Industry Table 3 shows the average hourly rates in the textile industry in certain districts. In certain branches of the Lille textile industry, such as the weaving of velvets, velveteens, and Jacquard tapestries, piecework pay is almost universal. Such pay, of course, varies greatly, but a considera tion of that prevailing for velvet weaving will give a general idea of its application. It will be seen from the table that the basic wage of the warper is 4.11 francs (16.2 cents) per hour, or 197.28 francs ($7.73) per 48-hour week. This is the lowest wage paid by the hour and, in general, it may be said that the worker earns 15 per cent more at piecework, or 4.72 francs (18.5 cents) per hour. The pay of the velvet worker, however, is considerably higher. It varies greatly according to the skill required. From the minimum of 200 francs ($7.84) this worker earns as much as 500 or 600 francs ($19.60 to $23.52) for a 50-hour week. The average might be placed at 325 francs ($12.74) a week, or 6.50 francs (25.5 cents) an hour. T able 3 .—W A G E S I N T H E TEXTILE INDUSTRY I N S P E C I F I E D D I S T R I C T S I N S E P T E M B E R , 1931, B Y P R O C E S S A N D O C C U P A T I O N C o tto n a n d w ool (L ille d is tr ic t) [C onversions in to U n ite d S tates c u rren c y on basis of fran c= 3 .9 2 cents] A verage h o u rly ra te Process, occu p atio n , a n d sex M in im u m F re n c h cu rren c y C om b in g : G reasers (graisseurs), m a le ......... ............... .......... . C a rd cleaners (nettoyeurs de carde), m a le________ W a sh ers (Laveurs), m a le ________________________ W a sh e rs’ h elp ers (aide laveurs), m a le ___________ P o lish ers (polisseurs), m a le ___ ______ __________ P o lish ers (polisseuses), fe m a le ______ ____ ______ D e o b s tru c to rs (déboucheurs), m a le _____________ C o m b e rs (peigneurs), m a le _____________________ C o m b e rs (peigneuses), fe m a le __________________ D ra w e rs (soigneurs), m a le _____________________ D ra w e rs (soigneuses), fem ale___________________ T a n k e m p tie rs (remplisseurs de bac), m a le ______ T a n k e m p tie rs (remplisseuses de bac), fem ale___ F in is h e rs (appêrteurs), m a le___________________ F in is h e rs (appêrteuses), fem ale_________________ U til ity m e n (hommes de peine) _______ _________ P a c k e rs (emballeurs), m a le _______ _____ _______ B u n d le rs (empaqueteurs), m a le _________________ B u n d le rs (empaqueteuses), fem ale______________ W he elb arro w ers (brouetteurs), m a le ____________ W in d e rs (bobineurs), m a le ___ ; _________________ W in d e rs (bobineuses), fe m a le ____ _____ ________ B e a te rs (batteurs), m a le ________________________ D ry e rs (sécheurs), m a l e . ................................. ........... D ry e rs (sécheuses), fem ale______________________ B u rr rem o v ers (ébarbeurs), m a le ________________ B u r r rem o v ers ( ébarbeuses), fe m a le ......... . _ S p in n in g : S p in n ers (fileurs), m a le ________________ _______ A tta c h e rs (rattacheurs), m a le ___________________ H e lp e rs (aides), u n d e r 18 y e a rs _______ _________ P re p a ra tio n a tte n d a n ts (préparatrices), fe m a le ... R in g fram e a t te n d a n ts (fileuses sur continu), fem ale. H elp e rs (aides), s p in n in g rin g fram es, fem ale_______ T w is tin g r in g fram e a tte n d a n ts (rétordeuses), fem ale https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Francs M a x im u m U n ite d F ren ch S tates cu rren c y cu rren c y Cents 3. 00 3. 24 3.01 3.00 3.09 2. 58 3. 07 3.08 2. 58 3. 00 2. 51 3. 00 2.51 3. 00 2.51 3. 00 3. 00 3. 16 2.51 3. 00 3.00 2. 51 3.00 3.00 2.51 3.00 2.51 11.8 12.7 11.8 11.8 12.1 10.1 12.0 12.1 10.1 11.8 9.8 11.8 9.8 11.8 9.8 11.8 11.8 12.4 9.8 11.8 11.8 9.8 11.8 11.8 9.8 11.8 9.8 4.65 3. 96 1.77 2.79 3.07 1.76 2.90 18.2 15.5 6.9 10.9 12.0 6.9 11.4 Francs 3. 44 3. 42 3. 23 3.18 3.38 2. 73 3.18 3.11 2. 69 3. 07 2. 57 3. 00 2. 57 3.11 2. 57 3. 24 3. 58 U n ite d S tates c u rren c y Cents 13. 5 13.4 12.7 12.5 13.2 10. 7 12.5 12.2 10. 5 12.0 10. 1 11.8 10 1 12.2 10.1 12.7 14.0 2. 64 3.08 10.3 12.1 3.23 12.7 177 WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR T a b l e 3 .—W A G E S I N T H E TEXTILE INDUSTRY I N S P E C I F I E D D I S T R I C T S I N S E P T E M B E R , 1931 B Y P R O C E S S A N D O C C U P A T IO N —C o n tin u e d C o tto n a n d w o o l (L ille d is tr ic t )—C o n tin u e d A verage h o u rly ra te M a x im u m M in im u m P rocess, occ u p atio n , a n d sex F re n c h cu rren c y W in d ers, d o u b le rs, tw is te rs (bobineuses, soigneuses, rétordeuses), fem ale_____________ ______ - ------- ------- ---------- -----------------B rea k ers (casseuses), fe m a le - - _______ _________________________ U tility m e n (hommes de peine) ---- ------- ------------------------------------C a rd e d s p in n in g : S p in n e rs (fileurs ), m a le ........ ............. - ------- ---------------------------A d ju s te rs , (adjusteurs) , m a le ----- ------------- --------------------------A tta c h e rs (rattacheurs), m a le ----------- ---------------------------------A tta c h e rs (raltacheuses), fe m a le .---------------------------------------H e lp e rs (aides), u n d e r 18 y e a rs ------------------------------------- - - - C a rd a t te n d a n t ( cardeurs), m a le ----------------------------------------F ir s t c a rd clean ers (nettoyeurs de l ire carde), m a le --------------S econd c a rd clean ers (nettoyeurs de %ème carde), m a le . . . -----M ix ers (mélangeurs), m a le ............... ........................... ..................... C o llecto rs (collecteurs), m a le ______________________________ C o p a tte n d a n ts (fileuses à pot), fe m a le ..-------- --------------------U tility m e n (hommes de peine) ------------------------------------------W eav in g : W e av ers (tisserands), m a le ------------------- ---------------- ------------W a rp e rs (encodeurs), m ale ---------- ----------------- ---------------------W a rp e rs (encolleuses), fem ale---------------------------------------------R em o v ers o f k n o ts (purgeuses de nœuds), fem ale------------ ----R e p a ire rs of defects (remetteuses de défauts), fem ale------------T e ste rs (vérificateurs), m a le ------------------------------------------------Sizers (colleurs), m a le -------------------- ------------------------------------F o il m a k e rs (repousseuses), fem ale________________________ W a rp m o u n te rs (monteur de chaînes), m a le ------------------------T h re a d e rs (enfileurs), m a le ------------------------------------------------U tility m e n (hommes de peine) ____________________________ D y e in g (in ta n k s) : S to rek e ep ers (magasiniers), m a le __________________________ D y e w o rk ers (teinturiers), m a le ------------------------------------------M a c h in e w o rk ers (mécaniciens), m a le --------------------------------D ry e rs (sécheurs), m a le ___________________________________ W a sh ers (laveurs), m a le ___________________________________ B u n d le rs (empaqueteuses), fem ale--------------------------------------B o y s, 13 to 16 y e a rs (apprentis) ------------------------------------------B o ys, 16 to 18 y e a rs (apprentis) ------------------------------------------U tility m e n (hommes de peine) ------------- ------------------------------- S ilk (L y o n Francs U n ite d F re n c h S tates c u rren c y cu rren c y Francs Cents 2. 73 3. 07 3.00 10.7 12.0 11.8 4. 65 4.18 4.04 3. 26 1.83 3. 44 4. 10 3.91 3. 34 3.05 3.01 3.03 18.2 16.4 15.8 12.8 7.2 13. 5 16.1 15.3 13.1 12.0 11.8 11.9 3. 72 4.11 2.81 2. 78 3.24 3. 81 4.04 3.68 2. 97 4. 08 3.00 14.6 16.1 11.0 10.9 12. 7 14.9 15.8 14.4 11.6 16. 0 11.8 3.00 3.14 3. 24 3.14 3.14 2. 68 1.59 2.16 3.00 11.8 12.3 12.7 12.3 12.3 10. 5 6.2 8.5 11.8 U n ite d S tates cu rren c y Cents d is tr ic t)1 A v erag e h o u r ly ra te P rocess, o cc u p atio n , a n d sex W eav in g : B o b b in w in d e rs (^cgtivp^p'11 fpmalp __ __ _ - ____ _______ __ __ _ _ _ — B eelers (dpvidpvsps) f e m a le _ W a rp e rs (ovTdis^^7isp.s)} fem ale __ __ ________ _ _____ — W e av ers (tisspv t$') m a le _ __ ____ _ _ -------W e av ers (tisstpulps'), fem ale ______ __ ___ Loom fitte rs (Jjnrp.vn?), m a le _ ____ ______ ____ ____ - -- - L o om fitte rs a p p re n tie e ( n'p'prpMtj.R qcitputs') __ ___ _ _______________ D y ein g : D y e rs (colorisfps), m a le -------- -- ---------_ _ ------- -------------P rin te rs (imprimeurs), m a le ______________________________________________ 1 P iecew o rk . 2 P e r m o n th . https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis F re n c h c u r ren cy U n ite d S tates c u rren c y Francs 2.75 2. 75 3.25 4.00 3.25 2 1, 250.00 2 700.00 $0.11 .11 .13 .16 .13 2 49.00 2 27.44 5.50-6.00 5.75-6.00 .22-, 24 .2 3 - 2 4 178 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW T able 3.—W A G E S I N T H E TEXTILE INDUSTRYIN S P E C I F I E D D I S T R I C T S I N S E P T E M B E R , 1931, B Y P R O C E S S A N D O C C U P A T I O N —C o n tin u e d S ilk (L y o n d is tr ic t )— C o n tin u ed A v erag e h o u r ly ra te Process, o c c u p atio n , a n d sex F re n c h c u r ren cy F in ish in g : F in ish e rs {finisseurs), m a le __ . . L a b o rers {manœuvres), m a le ______ __ . __ V elv e t w eaving: B o b b in w in d e rs (canneteuses), fem ale____________________ _______ _ _ K eelers (dévideuses), fem ale. _ __ _ _ W a rp e rs (ourdisseuses), fem ale_________ _ __ _ _ __________ ___ W e av ers (tisseuses), fem ale_______ ____ S to p p ers (stoppeuses), fem ale _ ___ _ _ .................. B u rle rs (pinceiteuses), fe m a le ,.......... ___ _ _ _________ _ V elv e t dyeing: D y ers ( coloristes), m a le .. ________ _ ____ _ _ _ _ _ L a b o rers ( manœuvres), m a l e ... V elv e t finishing: G lazers (tisseurs), m a le _____________ _______________ G lazers ( tisseuses), fem ale________ ______ C o m b ers (cardeurs), m a le _______ _ _____ L u s te r iro n e rs (miroiteurs), m a l e .. __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _____ S h av ers (raseurs) , m a le .............. _ _ _ _ _ _ S h av ers (rasseuses), fe m a le ._ _ _ ___ P lu s h finishers (appr item s peluches) _ _ _ _ _____ _________________ F in ish e rs (finisseurs), m a le __________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ ________ ___ . . . ____________________ F in ish e rs (finisseuses), fem ale__________ F o ld ers (plieuses), fem ale________ ____ ________ ____ _ _____ _ A r tific ia l s ilk W orkers, m a le ___________ _ W orkers, fem ale______. . . H an d ic ra fts, m a le ________ E lectricia n s a n d m a c h in is ts . _ ____ W o rk ers, m a le 5 _____ W o rk ers, fe m a le 5 ________ _ ___ U n ite d S tates c u rren c y Francs 4.00 2 600.00 $0.16 2 23.52 3.00 2.90 2.90 3.30 3.20 2.80 .12 .11 . 11 . 13 . 13 . 11 5.25 3. 50 .21 . 14 4.25 2. 90 3.50 3.60 4.00 2. 75 3.90 3. 75 2.80 2.80 .17 . 11 .14 .14 .16 . 11 . 15 . 15 . 11 . 11 a 32. 00 4 2. 50 4. 50 5.00 $1. 25 . 10 . 18 .20 3 25. 00 3 20. 00-25. 00 $0. 98 . 78-, 98 (S t r a s s b u r g d i s t r i c t ) _ ___ _ ____________ __ __ ______ __________ ____________ J u te (S t r a s s b u r g d i s t r i c t ) _ ____ _ ___ _ ______________ _ ________ _ 2 P e r m o n th . 2 P e r d a y ; n ig h t w o rk 25 p e r c e n t extra. 4 W o m en on piecew ork e a rn from 25 to 30 francs p e r d a y . 5 W o rk ers receive free tra n s p o rta tio n extra. M e ta llu rg y Table 4 shows the wages paid per hour in the metallurgical industry in the Paris district during January and February, 1931. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 179 W A G ES A N D H O U R S OF LABOR T able 4 —H O U R L Y R A T E S I N T H E METALLURGICAL INDUSTRY I N T H E P A R I S D IS T R I C T , J A N U A R Y -F E B R U A R Y , 1931, B Y O C C U P A T I O N [C onversions in to U n ite d S tates cu rre n c y on b asis of fran c= 3 .9 2 cents] H o u rly w age ra te 1 C lass of w orker, occu p atio n , a n d sex S k illed w o rk ers (professionnels), m ale: F itte rs (ajusteurs). _____________________ ___________ ___ Tool a d ju ste rs, tool fitte rs ( ajusteurs outilleurs) __ _________ H a n d a d ju ste rs (dresseurs à la main de profil) ___ _ . D ra w e rs (étireurs au banc de profils réglant leur outillage)___ T u b e d raw ers ( ¿tireurs au banc de tubes réglant leur outillage) F u rn a c e o r s k ille t fo u n d ers (fondeurs au creuset et au fo u r ).. B a n d rollers (lamineurs de bandes). _________ . _ ... H o t ro llers (lamineurs à chaud)__ _____ _______________ ._ C o ld ro llers (lamineurs à froid) _________ _____ ___________ P la n k ro llers (lamineurs de planches) _________ _ . P o in te rs ( poiiitiers) .. _______________________________ _ .... ... W ire d raw ers (tréfi leurs) __ . . . . . S pecial w ire d ra w e rs (tréfileurs rebattant les filières) . ___ W ire d ra w ers, co p p e r (tréfileurs rebattant les filières cuivre). . S p ecialized w o rk ers (ouvriers spécialisés), m ale: B a n d clip p ers (cisailleurs de bandes). _ __________________ P la n k clip p ers (cisailleurs de planches) . . . . . . . . . C lip p ers-p u n ch ers (cisailleurs-poinçonneurs) _. ___ . . . . . . C ran e a n d ro llin g -b rid g e c o n d u c to rs (conducteurs de grues et ponts roulants) ____ ____________________________ ____ Scourers (décapeurs). _________ . . . __________ . . . . M a c h in e s e tte rs (dresseurs à la machine)_____ _______ _ . D ra w e rs (étireurs)_______ _ ._ _ _________ _______ R o lling m ill a s s is ta n ts (manœuvres de laminoirs)____ T e m p e re rs (recuiseurs). . . . . . . . . . ..... ____ M e ta l c u tte rs (scieurs sur m étaux) . _______________________ V erifiers (vérificateurs)____________________________ . . . __ T im e w o rk P iece w o rk F ren ch cu rren c y U n ite d S ta te s c u rren c y F re n c h cu rren c y U n ite d S tates cu rren c y Francs Cents Francs Cents 5. 72 6. 05 5. 32 5.27 4. 83 5. 52 4.72 5. 22 4. 87 4.0,2 5. 36 5. 77 5. 88 5. 66 22. 4 26. 1 20. 9 20.7 18.9 21.6 18.5 20. 5 19. 1 18. 1 21.0 22. 6 23.0 22.1 5.81 6.31 5. 68 6.18 5. 49 6.18 6.08 6. 42 6. 73 6. 58 22.8 24.7 22.3 24.2 21. 5 24.2 23.8 25.2 26.4 25.8 4. 79 4. 53 4.78 18.8 17.8 18.7 5.16 5. 06 5. 26 20.2 19.8 20.6 5.03 4.79 4.95 4. 66 4.61 4.64 4. 73 4. 73 19.7 18.8 19. 4 18.3 18. 1 18.2 18. 5 18. 5 5. 35 21.0 5.18 5.08 4.97 20.3 19.9 19.5 1 In clu d es all p re m iu m s, bonuses, etc., except fam ily allow ances. Clothing Industry The table following shows average rates per hour in the various branches of the clothing industry in the Paris district and in the ready-made clothing industry in the rest of France, in October, 1930. T able 5 —W A G E R A T E S I N T H E CLOTHING INDUSTRY I N T H E P A R I S D I S T R I C T A N D I N T H E R E S T O F F R A N C E I N O C T O B E R , 1930 [C onversions in to U n ite d S tates c u rre n c y on b asis of fran c= 3 .9 2 cents] A v erag e w age A m ount D is tric t, occ u p atio n , a n d sex P erio d F re n c h c u r ren cy U n ite d S tates c u r ren cy Paris district M e n ’s clo th in g , re a d y m ade: C u tte rs (tailleurs d’habits), m a le ________________________ D re ssm a k in g a n d lingerie: S eam stress, firs t class (premières mains) __________________ S eam stresses, second class (deuxièmes m a in s ) _____________ S eam stresses, o rd in a ry (petites m ains) ______________________ H ig h class d ressm ak in g : S k illed finishers (bonnes apprêteuses), fem ale_______________ \v e r a g e finishers ( moyennes apprêteuses) , f e m a l e , _________ O rd in a ry finishers (petites apprêteuses), fem ale _ __ A p p re n tic e s (apprenties), fem ale- _________ _____ _________ Francs P e r h o u r .. 6. 50 $ 0 .2 6 P e r w e e k ._ ____ d o ____ ____ d o ____ 2 1 8 .4 0 163. 20 1 1 5 .2 0 8 .5 6 6. 40 4. 52 P e r m o n th _ .d o ____ _ do_ _ __do______ 936. 00 748. 40 5 2 0 .0 0 2 0 8 .0 0 -2 6 0 . 00 3 6 .6 9 29. 34 2 0 .3 8 8 .1 5 - 1 0 .1 9 C lo th in g , re a d y m a d e: P er h o u r.. C u tte rs (tailleurs d’habits), m a le ----------------------------------------S ew ers (couturières), fem ale ____ ______ ____________ . _do____ U n d e rc lo th in g m a k e rs (¿ingères), fem ale _____ __ ____ _ d o _____ V est m a k e rs (giletières), fem ale . _ _____ ___ ____ ____ __do______ ___do_____ E m b ro id e re rs (brodeuses), fem ale _ _ ___ _____ _ --d o ______ W o m en ’s -h a t m a k e rs (modistes), fe m a le .- ----------------------- 4 .1 0 2. 25 2 .2 9 2. 43 2 .3 9 2 .4 6 .1 6 Pest of France https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis .09 .0 9 .10 .0 9 .10 180 MONTHLY LABOE REV IEW Furniture Industry The statement below shows the hourly rates paid to males in the furniture industry in the Paris district and in the rest of France, in October, 1930. Paris d istrict: W ood tu rn e rs (t o u r n e u r s e n b o i s ) __________________6.70 C abinetm akers ( é b é n i s t e s ) _________________________6.75 Joiners ( m e n u i s i e r s ) ______________________________ 6.25 R est of F rance: W ood tu rn e rs (t o u r n e u r s e n b o i s ) __________________4.20 C abinetm akers ( é b é n i s t e s ) ________________________ 4.50 Joiners (m e n u i s i e r s ) ______________________________ 4.16 P er hour francs (26.3 cents) fran cs (26.5 cents) francs (24.5 cents) francs (16.5 cents) francs (17.6 cents) fran cs (16.3 cents) Tanning Industry The average hourly wage rates paid in various centers of production in the tanning industry, in 1930, are shown in Table 6. table 6.—A V E R A G E H O U R L Y R A T E S I N T H E TANNING INDUSTRY I N S P E C I F I E D L O C A L IT IE S I N 1930, B Y S E X [C on versions in to U n ite d S ta te s cu rre n c y on b asis of fran c= 3 .9 2 cents] A verage h o u rly ra te M ales A verage h o u rly ra te F em ales M ales F em ales D iv isio n of in d u s t r y a n d lo c ality D iv isio n of in d u s tr y a n d lo c a lity F ren ch c u r ren cy H e a v y le a th e r: Francs A n n o n a y -3.50 B o rd e a u x .. . 3. 35 B ellac____ _ 2. 75 C h a te a u re n a u lt _ . 3.50 G renoble 3 00 L/annoy 3. 65 L ille ________ 3. 75 M illa u 3. 75 N a n te s _____ 3. 25 O ullins_ ___ 2. 25 P a ris - ___ _ 5. 00 R en n es ___ 2. 75 U n ite d F re n c h S tates c u r c u r ren cy ren cy U n ite d S ta te s c u r ren cy Cents Francs Cents 13. 7 13.1 10.8 2. 50 2. 50 1. 50 9.8 9.8 5.9 13.7 11. 8 14. 3 14. 7 14. 7 12. 7 8. 8 19.6 10.8 2.00 1. 50 7.8 5. 9 2. 25 1.90 2.00 8.8 7.4 7.8 2. 75 1. 35 10. 8 5.3 F ren ch U n ite d F re n c h U n ite d S tates S ta te s c u r c u r c u r c u r ren cy ren cy ren cy ren cy H e a v y le a th e r— C o n tin u e d : Francs R o m a n s .- - _ 3. 25 S tr a s s b u r g ... 3. 00 S t. A m a n d les E a u x ._ 3. 00 T o u rn o n __ 3. 00 L ig h t le a th e r: 4. 00 A n n o n a y ___ 3. 75 G ra u lh e t___ 3.50 G ren o b le___ 3. 00 L u b ru g u iere 3. 20 M a z a m e t___ Cents Francs 12. 7 11.8 1. 75 1. 75 Cents 6.9 6.9 11.8 11.8 1.90 7.4 15.7 14.7 13.7 11.8 12. 5 3. 50 2. 25 2. 00 1.75 2. 30 13.7 8.8 7.8 6.9 9 .0 Beauty-Products Industry The wage rates per hour paid in the beauty-products industry in the Paris district in September, 1931, are shown in the following state ment. The data relate to the manufacture of the products themselves, as opposed to their containers of various materials. Ordinarily, only women are employed in the making of these products. No special skill or training is required. Overtime in this industry is usually paid for at 25 per cent above the regular wage rate. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 181 WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR U nder 15 years: Per hour O n b eg in n in g _____________________________________ 2.00 francs (7.8 cents) A fter six m o n th s__________________________________ 2.25 francs (8.8 cents) O ver 15 years a n d u n d er 16 years: On beginning_____________________________________ 2.25 francs (8.8 cents) A fter six m o n th s__________________________________ 2.50 fran cs (9.8 cents) O ver 16 years a n d u n d er 17 years: On beginning_______________________ ______________ 2.50 fran cs (9.8 cents) A fter six m o n th s_________________________________ 2.75 francs (10.8 cents) O ver 17 years a n d u n d er 18 years: On beginning ____________________________________ 2.75 francs (10.8 cents) A fter six m o n th s_________________________________ 3.00 francs (11.8 cents) O ver 18 years: On beginning______________________________________ 3.00 fran cs (11.8 cents) (12.3 cents) A fter one y e a r___________________________________ 3.15 fran cs A fter 5 y e a rs_____________________________________ 3.25 fran cs (12.7 cents) (13.7 cents) T able h ead ( p r e m i e r e d e t a b l e ) _________________________ 3.50 francs C arriers of m aterials (m a n u t e n t i o n n a i r e s ) _______________ 3.40 francs (13.3 cents) Glove Industry The statement following shows the average monthly rates paid in the glove industry of the Lyon district in September, 1931. The rates include cash payments of all kinds. Lodging is not furnished. P e r m o n th P arers ( m é g i s s i e r s ) , m ale__________________________________ 700 francs ($27.44) Skin dyers (t e i n t u r i e r s ) ____________________________________ 950 fran cs ($37.24) Skin stak ers ( p a l i s s o n n e u r s ) _______________________________ 950 fran cs ($37.24) G love c u tte rs (c o u p e u r s ) ________________________________ 1, 050 fran cs ($41.16) G love dressers (d r e s s e u r s ) _________________________________ 800 fran cs ($31.36) Seam stresses (c o u t u r i è r e s ) _________________________________ 400 fran cs ($15.68) F a c to ry em ployees ( e m p l o y é s d e f a b r i c a t i o n ) , m a le _______ 1, 100 fran cs ($43.12) F a cto ry em ployees ( e m p l o y é e s d e f a b r i c a t i o n ) , fem ale_______ 700 fran cs ($27.44) W arehouse em ployees ( e m p l o y é e s d e m a g a s i n ) , fem ale______ 600 fran cs ($23.52) Beet-Sugar Industry In th e beet-sugar in d u stry , in 1930, m en received an average daily wage of 31.83 francs ($1.25); wom en, 18.29 francs (71.7 cents); and children, 17.05 francs (66.8 cents). Wages in the Mining Industry Coal Mining T able 7 shows th e average daily wages paid to underground and surface w orkers in various coal-m ining localities in 1930. T able 7 . - A V E R A G E D A IL Y W A G E S I N P R I N C I P A L COAL-MINING C E N T E R S , 1930 [C onversions in to U n ite d S ta te s cu rre n c y o n basis of fran c= 3 .9 2 cents] U n d e rg ro u n d w o rk ers L o c ality F re n c h cu rre n c y U n ite d S tates c u rren c y https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 40.26 40. 05 43.03 41.19 40. 48 38.16 37. 37 35.28 40. 07 F re n c h cu rre n c y U n ite d S ta te s cu rre n c y Francs Francs D o u a i . ______________________________________________ A r r a s __ _ _________________________________________ S tra ssb u rg _______ ___ ___ ________________ _____ S a in t E tie n n e - ________ - __ ________ ____ C h alo n s u r Saône _ __ _____ ____ - ____ Ales _ __ __ ______ - - - ___ - ____ T o u lo u se ____ _________ _ _ ____________________ C le rm o n t__ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ ______ R e s t of F ra n c e . . _ ______________ __________ Surface w o rk ers $1. 58 1.57 1.69 1.61 1.59 1.50 1.46 1.38 1.57 30. 83 30. 09 31. 29 29.61 29.43 27.86 27.54 26.99 29.76 $1.21 1.18 1.23 1.16 1.15 1.09 1.08 1.06 1.17 182 MONTHLY L A B O R R E V IE W Wages in French coal mines were reduced in 1927 because of the unfavorable condition of the coal market, but in the course of 1929 the commercial situation of the coal companies had improved and wages were raised in the Nord and Pas-de-Calais on April 16 and October 1, and in the Loire, October 1. Table 8 shows the average daily wages of underground and surface workers in 1929 and 1930, by quarters. T able 8 —A V E R A G E D A IL Y W A G E S O F U N D E R G R O U N D A N D O F S U R F A C E W O R K E R S I N COAL MINES, 1929 A N D 1930, B Y Q U A R T E R S [C o nversions in to U n ite d S tates c u rren c y on basis of fran c= 3 .9 2 cents] A v erag e d a ily w ages of— Date U n d erg ro u n d w o rk ers F re n c h c u rren c y 1929: F irs t q u a rte r - _____ _ ________ . Second q u a rte r _ _______ _ T h ird q u a rte r ___ _ . __________ F o u rth q u a r te r ________ _____________ 1930: F irs t q u a r te r ______________ ________ Second q u a r t e r . . . ___ _____ _________ T h ird q u a r te r .. . . ________________ _ F o u rth q u a r t e r ... . . . . _ _ . . . _ . S urface w orkers U n ite d F re n c h S tates cu rren c y cu rren c y Francs U n d e rg ro u n d a n d surface w orkers U n ite d U n ite d F re n c h S tates S tates c u rren c y c u rren c y c u rren c y Francs Francs 35. 01 36. 58 37. 34 39. 74 $1.37 1.43 1.46 1.56 25. 83 26. 99 27. 57 29.44 $1.01 1.06 1.08 1.15 32. 32 33. 71 34.43 36. 70 $1.27 1.32 1. 35 1.44 39.85 39. 97 40. 16 40. 32 1.56 1. 57 1.57 1.58 29. 58 29. 71 29.84 29.84 1.16 1.16 1.17 1.17 36. 86 36.94 37.06 37.16 1.44 1.45 1.45 1.46 Below are given wage data as of September, 1931, for the four principal coal-mining regions. Calais region.—In the case of piecework, the men are paid on the amount of coal turned out and are exclusively hewers working on the veins. They usually work in groups of 5 to 50, under the charge of a foreman, who is paid separately by, and largely represents the inter ests of, the mine owners. The earnings of the gang are calculated at the end of a 15-day working period, on the number of “ berimes” (i. e., small wagonettes, capable of holding 500 kilos 6) of coal pro duced. The rate per berline varies according to the obstacles and difficulties encountered in. any particular vein, and is determined by the foreman. In cases of disagreement between foreman and the men as to the rate, a mine engineer is called in for a decision. The rate varies according to the run of the vein, and may be changed several times during a working period or even during a shift. The lowest rate thus far paid per berline is said to have been 4 francs (15.7 cents) and the highest 10 francs (39.2 cents). The total earnings of the pieceworkers are divided among the members of the gang at the end of each “ quinzaine,” or fortnight, each man receiving a share calculated on his grading as a mine worker. For this purpose, four gradings have been instituted, viz, grades, 7, 8, 9, and 10. The grade 10 men are the most proficient and ordinarily the highest paid men, while grades 9 to 7 are usually slightly inferior workmen and juniors qualifying for the higher paid gradings. s K ilogram =2.2046 p o u n d s . https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 183 WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR Following is an example of the way the earnings are divided: A gang of 25 men, comprising 9 grade 10 hewers, 8 grade 9 hewers; 5 grade 8 hewers, and 5 grade 7 hewers, extract, say, 200 berlines of coal in a day, each berline being allowed a rate of 5 francs (19.6 cents). The total earnings of the gang for the day would be 1,000 francs ($39.20), i. e., 200 berlines at 5 francs (19.6 cents). The grade 10 man’s ratio share is 100; that of the grade 9 man, 95; that of the grade 8 man, 90; and that of the grade 7 man, 85._ Thus for this particular example, the total sum earned would be divided into 2365ths (i. e., 9 X 100, plus 8 X 95, plus 5 X 90, plus 3 X 85). The grade 10 men would receive 100/2365, or 42.30 francs ($1.65) each; the grade 9 men, 95/2365 or 40.19 francs ($1.58) each; the grade 8 men, 90/2365, or 38.07 francs ($1.49) each; and the grade 7 men, 85/2365, or 35.95 francs ($1.41) each. The present agreement between the mine owners and workers, however, stipulates that the average daily wage, constituting the “ basic salary,” of a vein worker, according to grade, shall be as follows, plus a bonus of 19 per cent: G rade G rade G rade G rade 10__ 35.00 9 _________ 33.25 8 ___________ 31.50 7 ________ 29.75 francs francs francs francs ($1.37), p lus ($1.30), p lu s ($1.23), p lus ($1.17), plus 19 19 19 19 per p er p er per cent, cen t, cent, cent, or or or or 41.65 39.57 37.49 35.40 francs ($1.63) fran cs ($1.55) fran cs ($1.47) fran cs ($1.39) These sums are average wages, and the actual amounts paid are from 1 to 2 francs (3.9 to 7.8 cents) in excess thereof. Under the agreement, the actual amount paid shall in no case be less than 94 per cent of the average wage. If, during the course of a wage period of 15 days, it is seenby the foreman that his group will not, by the work they are turning out, earn the stipulated sum, he either advises the men to make a greater production effort, or, if he realizes that this is not possible, he increases the sum to be allowed per berline. Long experience enables the foreman, as well as the men themselves, to estimate just what amount should be allowed per berline from the outset. For workers paid by the day, except- boys (gahbots), there is no real agreement wage, although the conventional 19 per cent bonus applies to this class of worker as well as to the piecework miner. Laborers, whether for underground or surface work, other than recog nized pieceworkers, are engaged at a rate based upon what they merit and the work to be done. However, there are more or less recognized extremes for the various categories of these workers, according to sex and age. A starting wage, fixed at the time of hiring, is increased, as indicated, by the conventional bonus, and this bonus applies to all subsequent revisions of the initial wage. The daily wage for boys (qalibots), beginning at the age of 13, is increased by 0.70 francs for every increase of 6 months in age, up to 16 years, as iollows: 13 years I 31/0 years 14 y ears 1414 years 15 “ years 151/y e a r s 16 years __ __ _” _ 13.20francs (51.7 c e n ts ),p lu s 1 9 p e rc e n t, or 1 5 ./0 fra n c s 13.90 fran cs (54.5 c e n ts), p lu s 19 p er cent, o r 16.55 fran cs 14.60 fran cs (57.2 c e n ts), p lu s 19 p er cent, or 17.35 francs 15.30fran cs (60.0 cen ts), plu s 19 p er cent, or 18.20fran cs 16.00 fran cs (62.7 c e n ts), p lu s 19 p er cent, or 19.00 fran cs 16.70 fran cs (65.5 cents), p lu s 19 p er c en t or 19.85 fran cs __ 17.40 francs (68.2 cents), plus 19 p er cent, or 20.70 francs (61.5 cents) (64.9 cents) (68.0 centsj (71.3 cents) (74.5 cents) (77.8 cents) (81.1 cents) While, as indicated, there is no definite or conventional wage schedule for the day workers, other than boys, as shown above, a https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 184 MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW survey reveals that they received in September, 1931, the following wages, per day of 8 hours, including the conventional bonus of 19 per cent of the wage at which engaged. T able 9 —A V E R A G E D A IL Y W A G E S O P D A Y W O R K E R S I N COAL MINES I N T H E C A L A IS R E G I O N , S E P T E M B E R , 1931 [C onversions in to U n ite d S ta te s c u rren c y on basis of fran c= 3 .9 2 cents] A verage d a ily w ages C lass of w o rker, a n d o ccupation F re n c h c u r ren cy U n d erg ro u n d w orkers ( ouvriers de fond): P ic k m e n ( picqueurs , ouvriers d’about) __________________________________ . . . T rim m e rs ( raucheurs) _______ ____ _______________________________________ T im b e rm e n ( raccommodeurs) . . . _________________________________________ F illers-in , tru c k m e n , a n d la b o rers (remblayeurs, herscheurs et manœuvres), o v er 21 y e a rs o f age...................... ........................... ................. ......... ............ ............ Surface w o rk ers ( ouvriers du jour): M a c h in is ts a n d m a c h in ists ’ h elp ers ( machinistes et aide-machinistes)_______ F ire m e n ( chauffeurs) ____ _______________________________________________ S h aft m e n ( moulineurs)__________________________ ______ ________________ L a b o rers {manœuvres), o v er 21 y e a rs of ag e_______________________________ W om en a n d girls {femmes et filles) _______________________ _____ __________ U n ite d S ta te s c u rren c y Francs 41. 65-43. 75 34. 71-38. 45 30.99-37. 30 $1. 63-$l. 72 1. 36- 1. 51 1. 22- 1. 46 29. 52-31.96 1.16- 1. 25 28. 76-45. 60 27.10-33. 55 26. 68-33. 82 26. 68-28. 76 10.45-16.27 1.13- 1. 79 1. 06- 1. 32 1. 05- 1. 33 1 .0 5 -T . 13 .4 1 - .64 Saar region.—The statement below shows the average wages in the Saar coal mines: P er day Pickm en (p i c q u e u r s ) -------------------------------------- 6 36.12-38.70 francs ($1.42-1.52) U nderground w orkers ( o u v r i e r s d e f o n d ): G roup 1----------------------------------------------36.12 francs ($1.42) G roup 2 ------------------------------------------------34.18 francs ($1.34) G roup 3 ------------------------------------------------- 32.25 fran cs ($1.26) Surface w orkers ( o u v r i e r s d u j o u r ) : G roup 1------------------------------------------------34.18 francs ($1.34) G roup 2 ------------------------------------------------32.25 francs ($1.26) G roup 3 ------------------------------------------------30.90 francs ($1.21) Deductions for social insurance of all kinds amount to 98 francs ($3.84) per month. Miners taken by motorbusses must pay their own fare. _Those living at a distance, returning only weekly to their families, either hire sleeping accommodations in private quarters or pay a reduced sum for accommodations in the dormitories maintained by the Direction of the Mines. The family allowance amounts to an average of 1.50 francs (5.9 cents) per day for each member of the family not working. Strassburg and Lyon regions.-—The average daily wages in coal mines of the Strassburg and Lyon regions are shown in Table 10: 6 F o r 6 hours. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 185 WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR T able 10.—A V E R A G E D A IL Y W A G E S I N COAL MINES I N S T R A S S B U R G A N D L Y O N R E G IO N S [C onversions in to U n ite d S tates cu rre n c y on b asis of fran c= 3 .9 2 cents] A v erag e d a ily w ages S trassb u rg region O ccupation F re n c h c u r ren cy U n ite d F re n c h S ta te s c u r cu rren c y re n c y Francs P ic k m e n (picqueurs ) . ___ __ __________ O th e r u n d e rg ro u n d w o rk ers {autres ouvriers de fond) _____ S urface w o rk ers (ouvriers du jo u r) ........................... ................. .. 45.59 36. 06-40. 65 28. 84-36.24 L y o n region (Saôneet-L o ire) 1 U n ite d S tates cu rren c y Francs $1. 78 1. 41-1. 59 1.13-1.42 38.98 28.62 45.86 $1.53 1.22 1.80 1 In c lu d e s fam ily allow ances a n d all o th e r cash p a y m e n ts of e v e ry n a tu re . D oes n o t in c lu d e m a te ria l a d v a n tag es w h ic h are considerable as coal is u s u a lly su p p lie d e ith e r free or a t a n o m in a l figure, a n d h o u sin g ac co m m o d a tio n is fu rn ish e d in m u c h th e sam e w ay. The data for the Lyon region in the above table cover the second quarter of 1931. From April 1 to May 15,1931, a reduction was put in force by which pay of men over 21 was cut 1.40 frs. (5.5 cents) per day and smaller cuts were made for younger employees. On May 16th this cut was carried to 2 francs.(7.8 cents). Miners are paid for the most part on a bonus system, comprising a minimum with subsequent payments for larger output. These conditions vary in different mines and under different conditions. Iron Mines In the iron mines, there is a family allowance of 1 franc (3.9 cents) for the wife, 1.25 francs (4.9 cents) for the first child, 1.50 francs (5.9 cents) for the second and 2 francs (7.8 cents) for each succeeding child, for each working-day. About 51 per cent of the workers occupy lodgings at reduced rentals and receive coal at special rates. An average of 1.74 francs (6.8 cents) per working-day is charged each worker for social insurance, the employer paying 2.09 francs (8.2 cents) as his contribution. The daily rates paid in the iron mines of the Strassburg region in September, 1931, are shown in the following statement: P er day P ick m en ________________________ 744.68 francs ($1.75). O ther u ndergrou n d w o rk ers_____ 36.96-41.95 francs ($1.45-1.64). Surface w orkers_________________ 27.52 fran cs ($1.08). Potash Mines The statement following shows the wage rates paid in the potash mines of the Strassburg region in September, 1931: P er day P ick m en ________________________41.35 fran cs ($1.62). O ther underg ro u n d w o rk ers_____ 35.35-37.44 fran cs ($1.39-1.47). Surface w orkers_________________ 30.05 francs ($1.18). 7F o r 8 h o u rs p e r d a y from m o u th to p it a n d re tu rn . https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 186 M ONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W Family allowances are also paid, tlie rate per working-day being as follows: For For F or For F or For For F or For 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 child ____________________________ ch ild ren __________________________ ch ild ren __________________________ ch ild ren __________________________ ch ild ren _________________________ ch ild ren _________________________ ch ild re n _________________________ ch ild re n __________________________ ch ild ren _________________________ 1.35 fran cs (5.3 cents). 3.00 fran cs (11.8 cen ts). 5.05 fran cs (19.8 cen ts). 7.50 fran cs (29.4 cen ts). 10.35 fran cs (40.6 cents). 13.60 fran cs (53.3 cen ts). 17.25 fran cs (67.6 cen ts). 21.30 fran cs (83.5 cen ts). 23.75 fran cs (93.1 cents). Social insurance is compulsory in the potash mines, as in the iron mines. Excellent lodgings in cottages are furnished to families at very cheap rates. Single men also get reduced prices. Wages in Oil Production T h e average daily wages in the production of oil in the Strassburg district are shown below: Per day P ick m cn ___________________________________ 36.19 fran cs ($1.42). O ther underg ro u n d w o rk ers________________ 27.48 fran cs ($1.08). Surface w o rk ers____________________________ 24.14 fran cs ($0.95). The family allowance amounts to 2 francs (7.8 cents) for each child. Social insurance is compulsory. Wages in the Lumber Industry T a b l e 11 shows the average hourly and daily rates paid in the lumber industry in the Bordeaux district: T able 11.—A V E R A G E R A T E S P E R H O U R A N D P E R D A Y I N T H E L U M B E R I N D U S T R Y OF T H E B O R D E A U X D IS T R IC T [C onversions in to U n ite d S ta te s c u rren c y on basis of fran c= 3 .P 2 cents] A verage w age P er hour P er day C lass of lab o r U n sk ille d l a b o r ..........- . ___________ ______ _ S killed l a b o r .. _. _ __________________ . F ren ch currency U n ite d S tates cu rren c y F ren ch cu rren c y Francs Cents Francs 3. 75 5. 00 14.7 19.6 30.00 45.00 U n ite d S tates c u rren c y $1.18 1.76 The 8-hour day and 48-hour week are worked in sawmills and lumber yards, with double pay for overtime. Boys from 15 to 18 years of age are paid less than the wage scale indicated above, receiv ing from 15 francs (58.8 cents) to 25 francs (98 cents) per day. The wages shown are net, except for a social insurance contribution of 1.25 francs (4.9 cents) per man, per day, the expense of which is borne by the worker. There are no supplementary payments, such as family allowances, payments in kind, paid holidays, free housing and land for garden, etc. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 187 WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR Dock-yard workers receive 40 francs ($1.57) per 8-hour day for handling mine props. Wages in Agriculture I n c o n n e c t i o n with the law of December 15, 1922, extending the workmen’s compensation law to cover agricultural workers, each prefect is required to furnish a table of wages classified by occupations and, when possible, by locality. These reports are made every two years. The average wages of agricultural workers vary greatly in the different departments. The lowest yearly wages reported for day laborers were 3,060 francs ($119.95) in the Department of Alpes (Haute) while the highest 9,750 francs ($382.20) with board and lodging, were paid in the Department of the Seine. The wages of farm hands varied from 4,112 francs ($161.19) in the Department of Loire, Inferieure, to 11,000 francs ($431.20) in the Department of Aveyron, while the annual wages of teamsters ranged from 4,800 francs ($188.16) in the Department of Dordogne to 11,250 francs ($441) in the Department of the Seine, in the latter case board and lodging also being furnished. Among woman farm laborers, the lowest wages, 1,300 francs ($50.96), were found in the Department of Finistère, and the highest, 7,500 ($294), in the Department of Maine-et-Loire, while the wages of farm servants ranged from 2,500 francs ($98) in Ariege to 8,000 francs ($313.60) in Aveyron. In addition to the cash wages, farm workers also receive various pay ments in kind. Table 6 shows the average daily and yearly wages of the different classes of farm workers in 1928 and 1930. T able 1 2 .—A V E R A G E D A IL Y A N D Y E A R L Y W A G E S O F D I F F E R E N T C L A S S E S O F A G R I C U L T U R A L W O R K E R S I N F R A N C E I N 1928 A N D 1930 [C onversion s in to U n ite d S ta te s c u rren c y on b asis of fran c= 3 .9 2 cents] A verage w ages in — 1928 Sex a n d occu p atio n Per day 1930 P e r yea r P er day P e r y ea r U n ite d U n ite d U n ite d F ren ch U n ite d F ren ch S tates F ren ch S tates F ren ch S tates S tates c u r c u r c u r c u r c u r c u r c u r c u r ren cy ren cy ren cy ren cy ren cy ren cy ren cy ren cy Francs M ales: L a b o re rs .- ___ ____ ____ _______ 20.60 18.94 F a r m h a n d s .- . _ - - - - - - - - - - - T e a m s te rs ___________________ _ 21.56 F em ales: L a b o r e r s ... ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 14.20 F a r m s e rv a n ts _________ _ _____ 13.58 91909°— 32----------13 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Francs $0. 81 .74 .85 .56 .53 Francs Francs 5,642 $221. 17 5,993 234.93 6, 699 262. 60 22. 50 20. 85 23.73 $0.88 .82 .93 6,202 6,690 7,437 $243.12 262. 25 291. 53 3,595 4, 324 15.41 14. 74 .60 .58 3,933 4,806 154.17 188. 40 140.92 169. 50 188 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW G e n e r a l S u r v e y o f W a g es in L u x e m b u r g , 1931 T HE principal industries in Luxemburg are iron mining, the iron and steel industry, and agriculture. The wages which were in effect in those industries in September, 1931, are given in this report.1 Iron Mining and Iron and Steel Industry O w i n g to the greatly curtailed production of iron and steel and large stocks of iron ore in storage, miners are to-day being paid from 5 to 7.50 francs (13.9 to 20.9 cents)2 per ton of ore brought out, but each miner is allowed to produce only a certain number of tons of ore in one day or shift. No overtime is allowed and a miner must quit work when he has produced his allotment. As a rule the miner produces his daily allotment of ore in about seven hours, and his average daily earnings vary, according to the mine and quality of ore, from 50 to 86 francs ($1.39 to $2.39) perday. The miners are working, on the average, five days per week, and the total amount of cash received is much less than during the period when work was allowed seven days per week and a miner could, if he chose, work 10 hours a day and produce as much ore as possible, being paid a bonus for every ton over his daily allotment. The wages of unskilled labor in the steel mills range from 7 to 13 francs (19.5 to 36.1 cents) per hour. At present no overtime or Sunday work is permitted; in fact about five days’ work per week is furnished, but during the month workmen are laid off on the average about half of a month’s work for each man. An 8-hour day means a wage of 44 to 56 francs ($1.22 to $1.56) per day for unskilled labor and 56 to 104 francs ($1.56 to $2.89) per day for skilled labor. Insurance.—Both miners and mill workers are subject to the com pulsory insurance laws and must be covered in two classes of insur ance—that against industrial accidents, for which the entire premium is paid by the employer, and that against old age and invalidity, the contribution for which is paid half by the worker and half by the employer. This contribution at present is 4 per cent of the wages paid, 2 per cent being paid by the worker. 1 R e p o rt from F red erick L . W a sh b o u rn e, A m erican vice consul, L u x e m b u rg , L u x e m b u rg . 2 C onversions in to U n ite d S ta te s cu rre n c y on basis of franc= 2.78 cen ts. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR 189 Agriculture I n t h e Grand Duchy of Luxemburg both men and women are employed in agriculture. The table following gives the current rate of wages for the various types of farm labor. In connection with these figures it should be noted that they are in addition to board and lodging, which are fur nished free by the employer. M O N T H L Y R A T E S O F W A G E S IN A G R IC U L T U R E IN L U X E M B U R G [C onversions in to U n ite d S tates c u rren c y on basis of fran c= 2 .7 8 cents] A verage ra te p e r m o n th C lass a n d sex of w orkers Luxem bu rg cu rren c y U n ite d S tates cu rren c y Francs E x p erien ced w orkers, m a l e ____ In ex p erien ced w orkers, m a le ___ E x perienced w orkers, fem ale___ In exp erienced w orkers, fem ale—. 500-600 320-400 380-450 250-350 $13.90-$16.68 18.90- 11.12 10.06- 12.51 6.95- 9.73 Day workers do not receive board and lodging; they are paid in the winter season 15 to 25 francs (41.7 to 69.5 cents) per day and in the busy season from April until after the harvest, 25 to 35 and 40 francs (69.5, 97.3 cents and $1.11) per day. The day of the farm laborer with board and lodging is determined by weather conditions and in pleasant weather may last from sunrise to sunset, with numerous periods for refreshments. Insurance.—Accident insurance is compulsory, and the entire premium is paid by the employer. Farm labor is not subject to any other form of insurance at the present time, so that there are no deduc tions from their wages for insurance contributions. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis TREND OF EMPLOYMENT S u m m a r y fo r N o v e m b e r , 1931 MPLOYMENT decreased 2.4 per cent in November, 1931, as compared with October, 1931, and pay-roll totals decreased 3.7 per cent. The industrial groups surveyed, the number of establishments reporting in each group, the number of employees covered, and the total pay rolls for one week, for both October and November, together with the per cents of change in November, are shown in the following summary: E S U M M A R Y O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S , O C T O B E R A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931 N u m b e r on p a y roll Per E s ta b ce n t of lish m e n ts O ctober, N o v e m change ber, 1931 1931 In d u s tria l group A m o u n t of p a y ro ll (1 week) O ctober, 1931 N ovem ber, 1931 1. M a n u fa ctu rin g s- _________ 16,558 2,868,184 2,800,539 1 - 2 . 8 $60,845,850 $58, 102, 971 -1 .4 7,219, 740 6, 671, 947 320,075 315,451 1,456 2. Coal m in in g _____________ A n t h r a c i t e . ----- ---------------B itu m in o u s .. . . . 160 1,296 254 3. Metalliferous m in in g ___ __ 4. Quarrying and non metallic 803 m in in g _____ _ _ - -------5. Crude petroleum produc278 in g ____________ ________ 6. Publie utilities______ ______ 11,861 T e lep h o n e a n d te le g ra p h . . P ow er, lig h t, a n d w a te r____ E le c tric railro ad o p eratio n a n d m a in te n an ce, exclusive of car shops .._ 7. Trade. 7,988 3, 353 520 __________________ 14, 632 W holesale . . . . . R e ta il_________________ .. 8. Hotels______ _____ 9. Canning and preserving _ 10. Laundries 11. Dyeing and cleaning_____ T otal_______ ______ R 2, 735 11,897 2,281 991 768 318 3, 617, 307 3, 602, 433 3,174, 023 3,497, 924 -1 .8 735,032 689,487 - 1 2 .3 - 2 .9 33,534 27,259 -8 .1 597, 912 531,422 -11.1 24,162 674,177 23,058 666, 493 -4 .6 -1 .1 800,582 20,468, 736 765,230 20. 330,422 298, 044 237,248 295, 922 233, 728 - 0 .7 - 1 .5 8,772, 648 7,442, 453 8, 588, 586 7,449, 253 -4 .4 -0 .7 -2 . 1 + 0 .1 114,648 200, 803 29, 669 34,141 -6 .2 440,554 10,554,514 + 0 .9 +0.8 10,490,117 4, 292, 583 437,144 77, 620 359, 524 76, 623 363,931 - 1 .3 + 1 .2 2, 308, 974 8,181,143 2, 302, 502 8, 252, 012 -0 .3 + 0 .9 138, 885 151,104 62,908 52,611 11,392 136,843 146, 780 35,363 51,489 10,890 50,200 4,665, 597 4,551,410 G - 1 .5 -2 .9 -43.8 4,253,635 +0. 6 3 2,380,480 3 2,302, 921 513, 058 827,299 938, 574 906, 030 249,452 228, 889 -3 .3 -38.0 -3 .5 -8 .2 -2 .4 105,553,774 101,596,891 -3 .7 - 2 .2 -4 .4 e o g r a p h ic D iv is io n s 3 507,159 7,899 525, 772 N e w E n g la n d _____ ____ 8,390 1, 393,806 1,367,925 M id d le A tla n tic ------ ----------------E a s t N o rth C e n tra l__________ __ 10, 342 1,196, 931 1,169,473 289, 798 300, 743 W e st N o rth C e n tra l - _________ 5, 202 500, 899 507, 453 5,138 S o u th A tla n tic ___ - -- - 192, 552 2,597 195, 467 E a s t S o u th C e n tra l____ - - ____ 164,411 3,172 168, 594 W est S o u th C e n tra l. _ 94, 703 1,900 96, 768 M o u n ta i n .. - ------------- _ _ _ _ _ 264,490 5,560 280,063 P a c ific .-_____ ____ ______________ All divisions 1 -5 .0 -7 .6 -3 .4 -0 .3 118, 719 201, 356 e c a p it u l a t io n b y GEOGRAPHIC DIVISION Per ce n t of change __________ 50,200 4,665,597 4,551,410 - 3 .5 - 1 .9 - 2 .3 - 3 .6 - 1 .3 - 1 .5 - 2 .5 $11, 635, 793 $10,974,413 34, 024, 605 32,571, 534 27,920, 397 27,155, 066 6, 642, 572 6, 826, 601 9,054, 074 8, 731, 312 3,095, 449 2,973, 025 3, 791,935 3, 658, 812 - 2 .1 2, 283, 788 2, 274, 621 6,921,132 - 5 .6 6, 615, 536 - 5 .7 - 4 .3 - 2 .7 - 2 .7 - 3 .6 - 4 .0 - 3 .5 - 0 .4 - 4 .4 -2 .4 105,553,774 101, 596,891 -3 .7 1 W e ig h ted p e r cent of change for th e com b in ed 54 m a n u fa c tu rin g in d u stries, re p e a te d fro m T a b le 1, m a n u fa c tu rin g in d u stries; th e rem ain in g p e r cents of change, in c lu d in g to ta l, are u n w eig h ted . 3 C ash p a y m e n ts only; see n o te 3, T a b le 1, n o n m a n u fa c tu rin g in d u strie s. 3 New England: C o n n ec tic u t, M ain e , M a ssa c h u se tts, N e w H a m p sh ire , R h o d e Is la n d , V e rm o n t. Middle Atlantic: N e w Jersey , N e w Y o rk , P e n n s y lv a n ia . East North Central: Illin o is, I n d ia n a , M ich ig an , Ohio, W isconsin. West North Central: Iow a, K an sas, M in n eso ta , M isso u ri, N e b ra sk a , N o r th D a k o ta , S o u th D a k o ta . South Atlantic: D elaw are, D is tric t of C o lu m b ia, F lo rid a , G eorgia, M a ry la n d , N o r th C aro lin a, S o u th C arolina, V irginia, W e st V irginia. East South Central: A lab a m a, K e n tu c k y , M ississip p i, T e n n e s see. West South Central: A rk an sas, L o u isian a, O klahom a, T exas. M ountain: A rizo n a, C olorado, Id a h o , M o n ta n a , N e w M exico, N e v a d a , U ta h , W y o m in g . Pacific: C alifo rn ia, O regon, W ash in g to n . 190 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis TREND OF EMPLOYMENT 191 The per cents of change shown for the total figures represent only the changes in the establishments reporting, as the figures for the several industrial groups are not weighted according to the relative importance of each group. Employment in retail trade establishments increased 1.2 per cent in November as compared with October, and earnings of employees in this industrial group increased 0.9 per cent. Slight gains in pay-roll totals over the month interval coupled with decreases of 1.5 per cent each in employment were reported in electricrailroad operation and in power, light, and water plants. The remaining 12 industrial groups included in the summary table reported decreases in both employment and pay-roll totals in No vember as compared with October. Decreases in employment ranging from 0.3 per cent to 1.8 per cent were reported in bituminous coal mining; telephone and telegraph; wholesale trade; electric-railroad operation; power, light, and water; and metalliferous mining. Laundries reported 2.2 per cent fewer employees, manufacturing industries reported a falling off of 2.8 per cent in number of workers, and employment in hotels decreased 2.9 per cent from October to November. Employment in anthracite mining decreased 3.4 per cent, dyeing and cleaning establishments showed a loss of 4.4 per cent in number of workers, and crude petroleum-producing plants reported 4.6 per cent fewer employees in November than in the preceding month. A seasonal decrease in quarrying and nonmetallic mining of 8.1 per cent was reported in November, while the usual closing of establishments with the com pletion of the vegetable canning season resulted in a loss of 43.8 per cent in number of employees in the canning and preserving in dustry over the month interval. Each of the nine geographic divisions reported decreases in both employment and earnings from October to November, the smallest decrease in employment (1.3 per cent) being reported in the South Atlantic division, while the greatest decline in number of workers (5.6 per cent) was shown in the Pacific geographic division. The decrease in this last-named division was due largely to the seasonal decrease in the canning and preserving industry in that division in November. Per capita earnings for November, 1931, given in the first table on page 192 must not be confused with full-time weekly rates of wages; they are actual per capita weekly earnings computed by dividing the total number of employees reported into the total amount of pay roll in the week reported, and the “ number of employees ” includes all persons who worked any part of the period reported—that is, part-time workers as well as full-time workers. Comparisons are made with per capita earnings in October, 1931, and with November, 1930. For convenient reference the latest data available relating to all employees, excluding executives and officials, on Class I railroads, drawn from Interstate Commerce Commission reports, are shown in the second table on page 192. These reports are for the months of September and October, instead of for October and November, 1931, consequently, the figures can not be combined with those presented in the summary table. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 192 PER MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW C A P IT A W E E K L Y E A R N I N G S I N N O V E M B E R , 1931, A N D C O M P A R I S O N W I T H O C T O B E R , 1931, A N D N O V E M B E R , 1930 P e r ca p ita w eek ly earn in g s in N o v em b e r, 1931 In d u s tria l g roup P e r ce n t of change N o v em b e r, 1931, com p a re d w ith — O ctober, 1931 N o v em b e r, 1930 -2 .3 - 1 2 .7 27.68 17. 42 20. 56 19. 50 33. 19 - 9 .2 - 2 .6 - 4 .3 -3 . 3 + 0 .2 - 5 .5 -2 1 . 3 -2 3 . 7 - 1 4 .4 - 5 .6 29.02 31.87 31. 37 - 1 .4 + 1.7 + 2 .4 + 2 .0 + 1.9 - 0 .4 30. 05 22. 67 15.69 14.51 17. 60 21. 02 + 1. 1 -0 . 3 - 0 .3 + 1 0 .2 - 1 .4 -3 .9 - 3 .6 -4 . 6 - 8 .6 -7 .7 - 6 .8 -5 .7 22. 32 -1 .3 -8 .9 1. M a n u fa c tu rin g (54 in d u s trie s )____ __________ ________ ______ 2. C oal m ining: A n th ra c ite ________________________________________ _______ B itu m in o u s _____ _________ ________ ____________________ 3. M etallifero u s m i n i n g . _____ . . . ___ . . . ___________________ 4. Q u arry in g a n d n o n m e ta llic m in in g ______________________ ____ 5. C ru d e p e tro le u m p ro d u c in g ------ _ __ ----------- . . - ------------6. P u b lic u tilitie s: T e lep h o n e a n d te le g ra p h ----------------------------------------------P ow er, lig h t, a n d w a t e r ________ __ ______________________ E le c tric ra ilro ad s _________ _____ ______ __________________ 7. T ra d e: W h o lesale_________________________________________________ R e ta il _____ ______ __ ___ ___ 8. H o tels (cash p a y m e n ts only) 1------------------------------------------ - - - - 9. C an n in g a n d p re s e rv in g -____ _________________________________ 10. L a u n d rie s . _ _ _____________________________ _______ ___ . 11. D y ein g a n d c lean in g __________ ____ ___________________________ $20.68 T o ta l___________________ _______ ________________________ 1 T h e ad d itio n a l v alu e of b o ard , room , a n d tip s can n o t b e co m p u ted . E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S , C L A S S I R A IL R O A D S N u m b e r on p a y roll In d u s tr y C lass I railro ad s__________________ S ep t. 15, 1931 O ct. 15, 1931 1,239,118 1,210, 426 P er ce n t of change - 2 .3 A m o u n t of p a y roll in en tire m o n th S ep te m b er, 1931 O cto b er, 1931 $163,429, 525 $164,636, 799 Per cen t of change - 0 .7 The total number of employees included in this summary is 5,761, 836, and their combined earnings in one week amount to approxi mately $139,000,000. E m p lo y m e n t in S e le c te d M a n u fa c tu r in g I n d u s tr ie s in N o v e m b er, 1931 C o m p a r is o n o f E m p lo y m e n t a n d P a y -R o ll T o ta ls in M a n u fa c tu r in g In d u s trie s in N o vem b er, 1931, w ith O c to b e r , 1931, a n d N o vem ber, 1930 MPLOYMENT in manufacturing industries decreased 2.8 per cent in November, 1931, as compared with October, 1931, and pay-roll totals decreased 5.0 per cent. In each of the last nine years, with but one exception, employment and pay-toll totals in manufacturing industries have decreased from October to November. This falling off in employment and earnings in November is due largely to decreases in employment in industries connected with building construction, the between-season declines in the clothing and the boot and shoe industries, and the usual shrink age in employment in the automobile industry which regularly reports decreased employment at this time of year due to temporary lay-offs occasioned by changes in automobile models. E https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis TREND OF EMPLOYMENT 193 Measured by changes in indexes of employment and earnings over the year interval, the level of employment in November, 1931, was 14.5 per cent below the corresponding month of the previous year, and pay-roll totals were 25.3 per cent lower than in November, 1930. These per cents of change in employment and earnings from Octo ber to November, 1931, are based upon returns made by 13,958 establishments in 54 of the principal manufacturing industries of the United States, haying in November 2,519,455 employees, whose combined earnings in one week were $52,110,615. The index of employment in November, 1931, is 65.4, as compared with 67.3 for October, 1931, 69.6 for September, 1931, and 76.5 for November, 1930; the index of pay-roll totals for November, 1931, is 51.0, as compared with 53.7 for October, 1931, 55.4 for September, 1931, and 68.3 for November, 1930. The monthly average for 1926 equals 100. . . Each of the 12 groups of manufacturing industries upon which the bureau’s indexes of employment and pay-roll totals are based reported decreases in both employment and earnings from October to Novem ber, with the single exception of the vehicles group, which showed a slight gain in pay-roll totals coupled with a decrease in number of workers. The decreases in employment in the paper, tobacco, and miscellaneous groups of industries were less than 1 per cent. The leather group of industries reported the greatest loss in number of workers over the month (12 per cent) due to the decline in employ ment in the boot and shoe industry, in which a more pronounced decrease than is customarily reported was shown from October to November. The stone, clay, and glass group reported a decrease of 4.6 per cent, due to seasonal fluctuation in industries connected with building construction, while the lumber and the textiles groups re ported decreases in employment of 3.4 per cent and 3.0 per cent, respectively. The remaining 5 groups reported losses ranging from 1.3 per cent in the food group to 2.6 per cent in the chemicals group. The decreases in employment in these 12 groups of manufacturing industries over the year interval, as measured by changes in the index numbers of employment, range from 5.9 per cent in the food group to 23.2 per cent in the vehicles group, and the decreases in pay-roll totals range from 13.5 per cent in the paper group to 39.5 per cent in the iron and steel group. The decline in earnings in each of these groups over the year interval is more pronounced than the decreases in employment. Increased employment was shown in 8 of the 54 manufacturing industries on which the bureau’s indexes of employment and pay-roll totals are based, and increased earnings were reported in 5 industries. The greatest increase in employment from October to November, 6.8 per cent, was shown in the agricultural-implement industry. The rubber boot and shoe industry reported a gain of 4.2 per cent in number of employees over the month interval, and employment in the shipbuilding industry increased 3.9 per cent. The chewing and smoking tobacco industry and the cane-sugar refining industry re ported increases in employment of 3.0 per cent and 2.9 per cent, respectively. The most pronounced decrease in employment from October to November, 13.9 per cent, was reported in the boot and shoe industry, in which a decrease of somewhat more than seasonal proportion was shown. A number of plants in this industry reported https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 194 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW inventory-taking during the November pay period. The ice cream industry reported a seasonal decline in employment of 8.6 per cent, and the men’s clothing and the millinery and lace goods industries reported decreases of 9.5 per cent each in number of workers. The women’s clothing industry reported 8.3 per cent fewer employees; machine tools, 7.7 per cent; cement, 7.4 per cent; carpets and rugs, 6.3 per cent; stoves, 6.7 per cent; glass, 5.7 per cent; and shirts and collars, 5.4 per cent. Comparing the indexes of employment and earnings in November, 1931, with the index numbers of November, 1930, for each of the 54 industries, decreased employment and pay-roll totals are shown in each industry. The chewing and smoking tobacco industry showed practically no change in employment over the year interval, while decreases of 2.5 per cent or less were reported in the confectionery, cotton goods, hosiery and knit goods, men’s clothing, and automo bile-tire industries. The outstanding decrease in both employment and pay-roll totals was shown in the agricultural-implement industry, in which the level of employment in November, 1931, had declined 52 per cent over the year interval, and pay-roll totals were 56.6 per cent below the level of the corresponding month of 1930. Employ ment in the machine-tool industry had decreased 38.2 per cent over the year interval, and the fertilizer and the piano and organ indus tries reported a falling off of slightly less than 37 per cent in number of workers between November, 1930, and November, 1931. The automobile industry reported a loss of 26.5 per cent in employment over the 12-month period; the iron and steel industry reported 18.6 per cent fewer employees in November, 1931, than in November, 1930, and the decline in employment from November, 1930, to November, 1931, in the foundry and machine-shop products industry was 24.5 per cent. In the following table is shown the number of identical establish ments reporting in both October and November, 1931, in the 54 manufacturing industries on which the bureau’s indexes of employ ment and pay-roll totals are based, together with the total number of employees on the pay rolls of these establishments during the pay period ending nearest November 15, and the amount of their weekly earnings in November, the per cents of change over the month and the year interval, and the index numbers of employment and pay roll totals in November, 1931. The monthly per cents of change in employment and earnings for each of the 54 separate industries are computed by direct comparison of the total number of employees and the amount of weekly earnings m identical establishments for the two months considered." The per cents of change over the year interval in the separate industries, the group indexes, and the general indexes are computed f ro m the index numbers of employment and pay-roll totals. The per cents of change over the month interval in the several groups and in the total of the 54 manufacturing industries are computed from the index numbers of these groups, which are obtained by weighting the index numbers of the several industries in the groups by the number of employees or wages paid in the industries. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 195 TREND OF EMPLOYMENT T able 1 —C O M P A R IS O N O P E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S I N I D E N T I C A L MANUFACTURING E S T A B L I S H M E N T S I N O C T O B E R A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931, P E R C E N T O F C H A N G E O V E R A Y E A R IN T E R V A L , A N D IN D E X N U M B E R S O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S , N O V E M B E R , 1931 P ay -ro ll to tals E m p lo y m e n t I n d u s try E s ta b lishm e n ts r e p o r t ing in b o th O ct. an d N o v ., 1931 O ct. N o v ., 1930, to to N o v ., N o v ., 1931 1931 223,999 -1 .3 213 328 320 419 830 14 85,506 39,809 10,966 16,311 63,248 8,159 + 1 .6 - 2 .9 - 8 .6 -0 .7 - 2 .4 + 2 .9 Textiles and their products. 2,409 Food and kindred products. 2,134 S lau g h terin g a n d m e a t p a c k in g ________________ C o n fec tio n ery ------------------Ice c rea m _________________ F lo u r --------------- ---------------B a k in g ----- -----------------------S u gar refining, ca n e_______ C o tto n g oods-------------------H o siery a n d k n it goods___ Silk goods . _________ W oolen a n d w o rsted goods C a rp e ts a n d rugs ------------D y ein g a n d finishing te x t i l e s . . . ________________ C lo th in g , m e n ’s __________ S h irts a n d collars_________ C lo th in g , w o m en ’s . _____ M illin e ry a n d lace g o o d s ... P e r c e n t of change P e r c e n t of change N um ber on p a y roll, N o v em b er, 1931 A m ount of p a y roll (1 w eek), O ct. N o v ., N ovem 1930, to ber, 1931 N o v ., to N o v ., 1931 1931 P ay roll to tals -3 .0 -13.7 87.8 81.1 - 2 .3 - 5 .2 - 8 .0 -0 .8 - 2 .8 - 1 .5 - 1 6 .2 - 9 .7 - 1 5 .9 - 1 1 .0 - 1 3 .0 - 1 4 .7 90.4 90.3 70.1 87.9 88.0 82.2 92.9 79.1 66.1 83.3 82.7 74.3 - 8 .8 - 6 .6 - 0 .4 - 8 .4 - 3 .7 - 5 .6 -18.4 73.7 56.3 - 1 6 .0 - 1 7 .8 - 2 5 .1 - 1 2 .1 - 1 6 .9 73.5 85.8 70.7 67.4 65.1 56.1 70.3 57.2 55.9 48.1 -0 .7 -2 1 .5 - 1 1 .7 -1 6 .0 -1 3 . 5 - 2 0 .1 - 1 5 .2 - 2 3 .1 - 2 5 .6 - 1 5 .2 82.5 69.7 71.8 73.5 68.1 70.4 43.0 50.3 56.6 51.9 525,175 -3 .0 -6 .4 8,022,340 520 350 249 186 30 184,470 89, 573 49,132 46, 593 15,201 - 0 .8 + 1 .5 - 3 .1 - 1 .8 - 6 .3 - 2 .5 - 1 .8 - 1 5 .2 -6 .0 - 9 .1 2,199,084 1,390,108 814, 776 853,816 291,995 122 345 105 365 137 33,489 53,074 16, 704 24, 380 12, 559 - 0 .4 -9 .5 - 5 .4 - 8 .3 - 9 .5 - 1 1 .1 - 1 .7 - 6 .9 - 1 7 .2 - 9 .0 727,275 794,814 202, 265 517,183 231,024 Iron and steel and their products------ ------------------- 1,9S9 Em p lo y m ent 2,022,317 659, 262 348, 374 404, 740 1, 587, 653 217, 538 -5 .9 $5,239,884 - 5 .3 - 2 .4 - 1 0 .0 - 6 .3 -7 .0 -6 .6 In d ex n u m b ers, N o v e m ber, 1931 (av erag e 1926100) 37.6 459,558 -2 .2 -21.8 8, 736,316 -6 .0 -39. 5 59.0 Iro n a n d stee l------- -----------194 C ast-iro n p ip e ____ ______ 41 S tru c tu ra l-iro n w o rk 181 F o u n d ry a n d m achin eshop p ro d u c ts __________ 1,090 H a rd w a re ___________ 100 M a c h in e to o ls____________ 147 S te a m , fittin g s a n d stea m a n d h o t-w a te r h ea tin g 102 a p p a ra tu s ........................ S to v es................ ....................... 134 190, 741 8, 053 21,393 - 1 .6 - 2 .7 - 2 .9 - 1 8 .6 - 1 7 .6 - 2 4 .8 3, 366,678 136, 502 462,813 - 5 .3 - 1 .2 - 6 .0 - 4 2 .8 - 3 4 .5 - 3 9 .3 62.5 49.7 63.7 36.3 36.2 46.1 159,883 24, 453 16,361 - 1 .8 -1 .0 -7 .7 -2 4 . 5 - 1 5 .2 - 3 8 .2 3,200,002 435,853 367,412 - 5 . 7 - 3 8 .1 - 3 . 2 - 3 0 .7 - 8 . 9 - 4 2 .5 57.1 61.2 50.2 37.7 40.8 36.6 22,532 16,142 - 3 .6 -6 .7 - 1 8 .4 - 1 5 .7 - 3 6 .1 - 2 8 .1 51.4 60.0 34.3 41.0 -9 .9 -37.4 48.1 1,434 147,632 L u m b e r, saw m ills _______ L u m b e r, m illw o rk ________ F u r n itu r e . ______________ 653 341 440 76,075 21,863 49,694 Leather and its products. . Lumber and its products.. -3 .4 -21.5 -4 .2 - 0 .5 - 3 .5 429 107,464 -12.0 L e a th e r__________________ B o ots a n d sh o es__________ 142 287 23,064 - 4 . 0 84, 400 - 1 3 .9 Paper and printing_______ - 2 5 .5 - 1 7 .3 - 1 5 .1 -9 .6 - 1 0 .6 - 9 .3 442,952 - 1 0 .4 324,104 - 1 5 .8 2,286,077 1,094, 355 - 9 . 8 381, 476 - 5 . 2 810,246 - 1 1 .9 1,687,803 -16.5 -14.4 486,083 - 8 . 4 1,201, 720 - 1 9 .6 226,470 -0 .4 -7 .4 6,568,407 393 312 631 444 76,849 24,309 52,735 72,577 -1 .4 - 0 .9 + 0 .4 - 0 .2 - 7 .7 - 7 .7 - 1 0 .6 - 3 .9 1,656,895 497,681 1,650,172 2, 763,659 - 2 .7 - 5 .3 + 1 .1 -0 .6 Chemicals and allied produ cts______ _____________ 470 84,991 -2 .6 -16.7 159 204 107 31,828 6, 620 46, 543 - 2 .6 - 4 .6 -2 .0 Stone, clay, and glass produ cts... ______________ . .. 1,129 C e m e n t. ____________ . . B rick , tile , a n d te rra c o tta .. P o tte r y ........................... ......... G la s s ....................................... . Metal products, other than iron or steel. _______ . S ta m p e d a n d enam eled w a re __________________ B rass, bronze, a n d copper p ro d u c ts ................................ https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 2,318,317 -5 .3 -21.7 809, 599 98,306 1,410,412 - 6 .6 - 7 .4 - 3 .6 1,863,583 -6 .5 -32.6 95,615 -4 .6 -20.0 15,987 24,852 15,664 39,112 - 7 .4 -3 .9 - 1 .5 - 5 .7 251 43,156 161 -2 0 . 5 - 1 5 .6 - 1 6 .9 -6 .5 - 1 0 .9 - 3 6 .4 - 1 8 .5 112 716 111 190 90 - 1 9 .4 - 1 2 .3 -0 .8 -13.5 1,780 P a p e r a n d p u lp ................... .. P a p e r boxes---------------------P rin tin g , book a n d jo b ........ P rin tin g , n e w sp a p e rs____ C h em ica ls________________ F e rtiliz e rs ________________ P e tro le u m refin in g ________ - 4 2 .7 - 3 2 .6 - 3 0 .4 - 1 5 .6 -4 5 .0 - 2 4 .6 72.0 67.7 83.3 46.8 67.4 76.8 38.3 64.2 -26.2 64.0 47.5 - 2 3 .3 66.9 50.9 - 2 7 .5 62.6 46.1 - 3 .3 - 9 .3 301,393 - 6 .7 - 1 4 .4 531,994 - 1 .9 1- 1 - 2 84.2 63.6 78.4 80.6 104.4 40.3 833,387 26, 756 88.6 78.4 83.9 85.7 104.9 40.8 25.7 54.2 53.7 -1 .8 -12.7 - 3 .3 45.6 60.1 41.4 54.5 - 3 2 .5 - 4 6 .7 - 2 5 .4 - 2 2 .7 16, 400 68.9 71.6 68.2 33.7 29.9 34.7 40.8 52.7 41.5 72.4 65.3 361, 592 - 1 0 . 0 394,748 - 6 . 7 298,128 - 1 . 7 809,115 - 7 . 4 - 2 3 .0 - 2 9 .2 - 1 1 .8 - 1 2 .6 43.8 47.7 59.4 196 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW T able 1.—C O M P A R IS O N O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S I N I D E N T I C A L MANUFACTURING E S T A B L I S H M E N T S I N O C T O B E R A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931, P E R C E N T O F C H A N G E O V E R A Y E A R IN T E R V A L , A N D IN D E X N U M B E R S O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S , N O V E M B E R , 1 9 3 1 -C o n tin u e d I n d u s try E m p lo y m e n t P ay -ro ll to ta ls In d e x n u m E s ta b b ers, N o v em lishber, 1931 P e r c e n t of m e n ts P e r c e n t of (average 1926= r e p o rt ch a n g e 100) ch an g e ing in N u m b e r A m ount b o th on p a y of p a y roll O ct. roll, N o O ct. N o v ., (1 w eek), O ct. N o v ., E m and vem b er, 1930, N ovem 1930, Pay to to N o v ., 1931 to ber, 1931 p lo y to roll N o v ., N o v ., 1931 N o v ., m e n t to ta ls 1931 N o v ., 1931 1931 1931 Tobacco products _ ______ 224 C hew ing a n d sm oking tobacco a n d sn u ff ____ C igars a n d cig arettes ___ 60,587 -0 .5 -8 .6 $859, 094 27 197 8,841 51, 746 + 3 .0 - 1 .0 - 0 .1 -9 .7 124,898 734,196 Vehicles for land transpor ta tio n _____ _____ 1, 218 299, 808 A u to m o b iles______________ 218 C arriages a n d w agons47 C ar b u ild in g a n d re p a ir ing, electric-railro ad ___ 442 C ar b u ild in g a n d re p a ir ing, ste a m -ra ilro a d ______ 1, 511 Miscellaneous industries__ A g ric u ltu ra l im p le m e n ts .— E le c tric m a c h in e ry , a p p a ra tu s , a n d supplies ___ P ian o s a n d o r g a n s ______ R u b b e r b o o ts a n d sh o es. A u to m o b ile tire s a n d in n e r tu b e s . _____________ . S h ip b u ild in g ____ ________ 194,003 645 -2 .3 -23.2 - 1 .2 -1 .5 - 2 6 .5 - 2 4 .8 -0 .1 -15.9 81.4 68. 4 - 4 .3 + 0 .4 87.4 80.6 74.6 67.6 - 7 .9 - 1 6 .9 7, 942, 270 +0.2 -25.8 51.0 5,110, 390 12,214 + 2 .3 - 7 .9 51.1 33.1 41. 2 30. 6 - 2 6 .3 - 3 4 .2 43. 8 24, 723 -0 .4 - 1 4 .6 733,107 + 1 .6 - 1 6 .5 71.7 68. 6 80, 437 -3 .5 - 2 0 .6 2,086,559 - 2 6 .3 49.6 44.6 -0 . 9 -17.6 5, 753,137 -27. 6 69.3 183, 464 - 2 .1 -2 .8 + 5 .3 - 5 6 .6 34.2 24.8 501 245, 000 83 9,400 227 56 10 138,883 3,877 13, 752 - 3 . 1 - 2 0 .2 - 1 . 6 - 3 6 .7 +4. 2 - 4 .6 3,471,215 87,160 242, 513 - 1 .6 - 8 .0 - 3 .6 - 2 9 .1 - 4 8 .9 - 1 1 .9 73.3 30.9 72.4 61.7 21. 7 54.9 39 86 45,340 33, 748 -0 . 7 - 2 .0 + 3 .9 —10. 5 920,035 848, 750 - 7 .8 - 2 .4 - 1 5 .5 - 2 3 .6 65.1 93.3 43. 5 80.0 65. 4 51. 0 T o ta l—54 in d u s tr ie s used in com puting index num bers of em p lo y m en t and pay roll___________ 13, 958 2, 519, 455 + 6 .8 - 2 .8 - 5 2 .0 -14. 5 52,110, 615 —5. 0 -25. 3 55. 7 The trend of employment and earnings in 31 additional manufac turing industries, surveyed but not yet included in the bureau’s weighted indexes of employment and pay-roll totals, is shown in Table 2 following. The combined total of these industries shows a decrease of 1.4 per cent in number of employees from October to November and a loss of 4.7 per cent in pay-roll totals. The per cents of change for the combined total of these industries are un weighted and represent only the changes in the total number of es tablishments reported. These 31 industries have been added to the bureau’s employment survey at various times since February, 1929. Information for the index base year (1926), however, is not avail able, and therefore these industries can not be combined with the 54 manufacturing industries upon which the bureau’s indexes of em ployment and earnings are based. Nine of the thirty-one industries in this group reported gains in number of employees in November, as compared with October, and six industries showed increased weekly pay-roll totals. The beetsugar and cottonseed products industries, which reported the out standing increases in employment last month, again reported the largest gains in employment from October to November, due to the seasonal expansion at this time of year in these industries. The iron and steel forgings industry reported an increase of 6.6 per cent in employment over the month interval, and the typewriters and supplies industry reported a gain of 3.0 per cent. The greatest de https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 197 TREND OF EMPLOYMENT crease in employment was reported in the fur-felt hat industry in which employment declined 10.6 per cent from October to Novem ber. Seasonal decreases in number of workers in the beverage and the marble and other stone products industries of 8.3 per cent and 7.9 per cent, respectively, were reported in November, as compared with October, and decreases ranging from 6.7 per cent to 5.4 per cent were reported in radio, men’s furnishing goods, jewelry, and aluminum manufactures. The decreases in employment in the re maining 15 industries were 3.7 per cent or less. A comparison of employment and pay-roll totals over the year period is available for 9 of these 31 industries. Decreases in both employment and earnings are shown in this yearly comparison in each of these 9 industries, the rayon industry reporting the smallest loss in employment from November, 1930, to November, 1931, 1.3 per cent, while the greatest decrease in employment over the year interval, 41.7 per cent, was shown in the radio industry. T able 2 — C O M P A R IS O N O P E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S I N N O V E M B E R , 1931, W I T H O C T O B E R , 1931, A N D N O V E M B E R , 1930, I N SPECIFIED MANUFACTURING I N D U S T R I E S , F O R W H IC H D A T A F O R T H E I N D E X A V A IL A B L E In d u s tr y A ircraft . . . ___ ____ _________________ . . A lu m in u m m a n u fa c tu re s ________________ B ee t su g a r______________________________ B ev e rag es. ____________________________ B o lts, n u ts , w ash ers, a n d riv e ts __________ B u tt e r __________________________________ C ash registers, ad d in g m achines, a n d calc u la tin g m a c h in e s ______ ______ . _ C locks, tim e-rec o rd in g devices, a n d clock m o v e m e n ts _____________________ ______ C orsets a n d allied g a rm e n ts ______ . . . . . . C o tto n se ed oil, cake, a n d m e a l___________ C o tto n , sm all w a re s ___ _____ _______ C u tle ry (n o t in c lu d in g silver a n d p la te d c u tle ry ) a n d edge to o ls___ . . . . ___ F orgings, iro n a n d stee l____ . . . _ ... G as a n d electric fixtures, la m p s, la n te rn s a n d reflectors__________________ ____ J e w e lry _____________________________ . . . H a ts , fu r-felt. ___________ _____________ M arb le , g ran ite, slate, a n d o th e r sto n e p ro d u c ts ______________________ _______ M e n ’s fu rn ish in g goods__________________ P a in t a n d v a rn is h _______________________ P la te d w are _ ___ ______________________ P lu m b e rs ’ su p p lie s ---------------------------------R ad io . __________________ ____________ R a y o n ____ . . . ------- . . . -------- . . . . . . R u b b e r goods o th e r th a n boots, shoes, tires, a n d in n e r tu b e s . . . . . . S m eltin g a n d refining copper, lead, an d z in c ___________________________________ S o ap ------------ ------- ----------------------------T ools (n o t in c lu d in g edge tools, m a ch in e tools, files, or s a w s). ____________ ____ T in cans a n d o th e r tin w a re _____________ T u rp e n tin e an d ro s in ___________ _______ T y p e w rite rs a n d s u p p lie s ... . -------. . . W ire w o rk . . ----------- ------- --------------------- Total__________________ _____ 1 D a ta n o t available. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis B A S E Y E A R (1926) ARE NOT E m p lo y m e n t P ay -ro ll to tals E s ta b lish m e n ts P e r ce n t of P e r ce n t of re p o rt change change ing in N u m b e r A m o u n t of b o th p a y roll O ct. (1 w eek), roll, N o v ., an d N o v em O ct. to N o v ., N o v e m O ct. to N o v ., ber, 1931 N o v ., 1930, to b er, 1931 N o v ., 1930,to N o v ., N o v ., 1931 1931 1931 1931 1931 41 18 49 304 68 218 7,058 2,857 16, 820 10,700 8, 262 5,138 + 2 .2 - 5 .4 + 1 4 .3 - 8 .3 - 2 .2 - 1 .7 - 2 7 .1 ( ') - 1 9 .6 - 8 .4 0 0 $240, 685 57, 816 385, 955 292,462 151, 039 126, 261 + 8 .2 - 3 .7 + 3 6 .8 - 1 0 .0 - 3 .4 _ (2) - 2 2 .7 (0 - 1 8 .5 - 1 4 .4 0 0 50 15,463 + 0 .2 - 1 3 .7 396, 773 + 0 .3 - 2 3 .6 -2 .2 - 4 .9 + 3 0 .8 - 7 .3 (0 (0 (0 0 (') 0 24 28 44 100 7,638 4,346 2,778 8, 354 + 2 .1 - 2 .4 + 4 0 .2 -1 . 1 0 0 0 0 143, 387 71, 202 37, 804 139, 616 112 40 9,208 4,654 - 0 .2 + 6 .6 0 0 179, 981 82, 726 - 1 .3 + 7 .4 51 159 33 5, 912 12, 755 5,013 + 0 .5 -5 . 7 - 1 0 .6 (0 -2 0 . 1 0 139, 710 271, 549 88,278 - 3 .4 - 7 .9 - 1 5 .7 0) - 2 6 .6 0 197 74 353 33 71 43 20 5, 577 5,448 16. 891 4, 873 5, 319 25, 672 24,428 - 7 .9 - 6 .3 -3 .0 -0 .7 - 2 .6 - 6 .7 - 2 .6 (0 (') - 9 .5 (>) (>) - 4 1 .7 -1 .3 148,608 92, 262 421, 332 108, 785 96. 399 518, 310 426, 991 - 1 2 .4 - 2 .4 - 4 .7 - 1 5 .8 - 1 1 .6 - 1 8 .9 -1 3 . 1 0 0 - 1 6 .5 0) (>) - 4 6 .5 -1 3 . 1 105 19, 463 - 1 .0 - 6 .1 402, 770 - 5 .3 - 1 5 .1 24 65 7,324 8, 860 - 1 .3 - 2 .6 (0 0 156, 034 212, 273 - 4 .5 - 9 .5 0 0 124 52 25 16 59 2,600 8,131 7,044 1, 228 9,079 4, 791 281,084 -1 .8 -3 .7 - 0 .2 + 3 .0 + 1 .4 - 1 .4 0 0 0 (>) (>) 0 153,351 154,126 17, 925 175,317 102, 629 5,992,356 - 3 .0 - 4 .7 - 1 0 .3 + 1.0 - 3 .4 - 4 .7 0) 0 0 (’) (0 0 2 L ess th a n o n e -te n th of 1 p e r ce n t. 198 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW The total number of employees and amount of earnings in the 31 industries shown in the foregoing table have been combined with the totals of the 54 manufacturing industries shown in Table 1 in present ing the total of all manufacturing industries in the summary table. In the following table is presented a recapitulation of the data by geographic divisions for the combined 85 manufacturing industries. Employment and pay-roll totals in the Mountain geographic division showed an increase from October to November due to the seasonal expansion in the beet-sugar industry. The remaining geographic divisions reported decreases in both employment and earnings over the month interval, the South Atlantic division reporting the smallest decline in employment, 0.9 per cent, and the West North Central division reporting the greatest falling off in number of workers, 4.7 per cent. The level of employment and earnings in each of these nine divisions in November, 1931, as compared with November, 1930, shows a considerable decrease over the year interval, the decrease in earnings in each instance being more pronounced than the decline in employment. T able 3.—T R E N D O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S I N MANUFACTURING E S T A B L I S H M E N T S B Y G E O G R A P H IC D IV IS IO N S , E S T A B L I S H M E N T S R E P O R T I N G F O R O C T O B E R A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931, N U M B E R O F E M P L O Y E E S A N D W E E K L Y E A R N IN G S I N N O V E M B E R , 1931, A N D P E R C E N T S O F C H A N G E O V E R T H E M O N T H A N D Y E A R IN T E R V A L G eographic division E s ta b lish m en ts N um ber rep o rtin g in b o th on p a y roll N o v em b e r, O ct. a n d 1931 N o v ., 1931 N e w E n g la n d ____ M id d le A tla n tic ___ E a s t N o rth C en traL W e st N o rth C en tral S o u th A tla n tic ____ E a s t S o u th C e n tra L W e st S o u th C en tral. M o u n ta in __________ P acific_____________ 2,029 3, 910 3, 974 1, 722 1,964 709 833 417 1, 000 All divisions. 16,558 P e r ce n t of change O ct., to N o v ., 1931 N o v ., 1930, to N o v ., 1931 - 4 .1 -2 .2 - 2 .1 - 4 .7 - 0 .9 - 1 .2 - 1 .5 + 2 .4 - 4 .2 - 1 2 .9 - 1 5 .3 - 1 9 .0 - 1 5 .0 - 5 .9 - 8 .9 - 1 7 .0 - 2 1 .4 - 1 7 .8 2,800,539 i -2 .8 -14. 5 347, 627 825, 886 815,359 151,451 340,103 104, 668 76, 586 35, 302 103, 557 A m ount of p a y roll (1 w eek), N o v em b e r, 1931 P e r c e n t of change O ct., to N o v ., 1931 N o v ., 1930, to N o v ., 1931 - 7 .9 - 4 .7 - 3 .3 - 3 .9 - 3 .8 - 6 .3 - 4 .2 + 5 .0 - 6 .4 - 2 2 .4 - 2 6 .5 - 2 7 .7 - 2 1 .4 - 1 8 .3 - 2 2 .0 - 2 6 .3 - 2 2 .8 - 2 8 .8 58,102,971 i -5 .0 -25.3 ' $6,675,072 18,254, 638 18,266, 258 3, 304,961 5, 357, 807 1, 516, 332 1, 538, 367 821, 166 2,368,370 1 W e ig h ted p e r ce n t of change for th e co m b in ed 54 m a n u fa c tu rin g in d u s trie s , re p e a te d from T a b le 1, m a n u fa c tu rin g in d u stries. Per C a p ita E a r n in g s in M a n u fa c tu r in g In d u stries per capita weekly earnings in November, 1931, for each of the 85_ manufacturing industries surveyed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, together with per cents of change in November, 1931, as compared with October, 1931, and November, 1930, are shown in Table 4. Per capita earnings in November, 1931, for the combined 54 manufacturing industries of the United States, upon which the bureau’s indexes of employment and pay rolls are based, were 2.3 per cent lower than for October, 1931, and 12.7 per cent less than for November, 1930. The actual average per capita weekly earnings in November, 1931, for the 54 manufacturing industries were $20.68; the average per capita earnings for all of the 85 manufacturing industries surveyed were $20.75. A ctual https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 199 TREND OF EM PLOYMENT Per capita earnings given in Table 4 must not be confused with full-time weekly rates of wages. They are actual per capita weekly earnings, computed by dividing the total number of employees re ported into the total amount of pay roll in the week reported, and the “ number of employees” includes all persons who worked any part of the period reported—that is, part-time workers as well as full-time workers. T able 4.—P E R C A P IT A W E E K L Y E A R N I N G S I N MANUFACTURING I N D U S T R I E S I N N O V E M B E R , 1931, A N D C O M P A R IS O N W I T H O C T O B E R , 1931, A N D N O V E M B E R , 1930 I n d u s try F o o d a n d k in d re d p ro d u cts: S lau g h terin g a n d m e a t p ac k in g ----------------------------------------C o n fec tio n ery ---------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------Ice crea m --------- ------- --------------------------------------------------------F lo u r --------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------B a k in g -----------------------------------------------------------------------------S u g ar refining, c a n e ---------------------------------------------------------T ex tiles a n d th e ir p ro d u cts: C o tto n g oods_____________________________________________ H o siery a n d k n it goods______________________________ ____ Silk goods________________________________________________ W oolen a n d w o rsted goods-----------------------------------------------C a rp e ts a n d ru g s --------------------------------------------------------------D y ein g a n d finishing te x tile s ------------------------------------------- C lo th in g , m e n ’s __________________________________________ S h irts a n d collars_________________________ ________________ C lo th in g , w o m en ’s -----------------------------------------------------------M illin e ry a n d lace goods--------------------------------------------------Iro n a n d steel a n d th e ir p ro d u cts: Iro n a n d ste e l_____________________________ _____ ------- — C ast-iron p i p e . , ----------------------------------------------------------—— S tru c tu ra l-iro n w o rk --------------------------------------------------------F o u n d ry a n d m ach in e-sh o p p r o d u c t s ..,----- --------------------H a rd w a re ------------------- . . . ---------------------------------------- -------M ach in e to o ls----------------------------------------— ----------------S team fittin g s a n d stea m a n d h o t-w a te r h ea tin g a p p a ra tu s . S to v es___________________________________________________ L u m b e r an d its p ro d u cts: L u m b e r, s a w m ills .----------------------------------------------------------L u m b e r, m ill w o rk -------------------------- --------------------------------F u r n itu r e ------------------------------------------------------------------------L e a th e r a n d its p ro d u c ts: L e a th e r--------------------------- ------- ----------------------------- ■*--------B oots a n d shoes--------------------------------------------------- -----------P a p e r a n d p rin tin g : P a p e r a n d p u lp __________________________________________ P a p e r b o x e s ..----------. . . -------------------- -------------------------- — P rin tin g , book a n d jo b ----------------------------------------------------P rin tin g , n ew sp ap ers a n d periodicals;------------------------------C hem icals: C h e m ic a ls ...------------------------------ ------------- ---------------------F e rtiliz e rs ....... ............. ........ ----- -----------------------------------------P e tro le u m re fin in g ---------- -----------------------------------------------S tone, clay, a n d glass p ro d u cts: C e m e n t------------- ------------------------------------------------------------B ric k , tile, a n d te rra c o tta -------------------------------------------- P o t t e r y ... -------...---------------- --------------------------------- —-------M e ta l p ro d u c ts, o th e r th a n iro n a n d steel: S tam p ed a n d enam eled w a re ---------------------B rass, bronze, a n d copper p ro d u c ts ------------T o b acco p ro d u cts: C hew ing a n d sm oking tobacco a n d sn u ff— C igars and cig a re tte s---------------------------------V ehicles for la n d tra n sp o rta tio n : A u to m o b iles______________________________ C arriages and w agons------------------------ - - - - - C a r b u ild in g an d rep airin g , electric-railroad. C a r b u ild in g an d rep airin g , s te a m -ra ilro a d .. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis P e r c a p ita w eekly earn in g s in N o v em b er, 1931 P e r cent of change co m p ared w ith — O cto b er, 1931 $23.65 16. 56 31.77 24.81 25.10 26.66 -3 .8 - 2 .4 + 0 .7 11. 92 15. 52 16. 58 18. 32 19.21 21. 72 14.98 12.11 - 5 .8 - 1 .9 - 5 .5 - 2.0 + 0.8 21.21 18.40 N o v em b e r, 1930 11.6 - 7 .4 - 6.6 -5 .3 - 6.6 - 8 .4 - 0.1 - -0 .4 - 4 .3 0.2 - -1 3 .3 -6 .7 - 8 .4 - 4 .4 - 1 3 .6 - 1 6 .0 - 1 1 .9 - 6 .7 - 8 .7 - 10.2 - 1 3 .9 - 1 7 .2 - 1 0 .5 - 6.6 17.65 16.95 21.63 20. 01 17. 82 22. 46 19. 66 20.08 - 3 .8 + 1 .5 - 3 .2 - 4 .0 - 2 .3 -7 .0 -9 .8 - 2 9 .7 - 2 0 .7 - 1 9 .4 - 1 8 .2 -1 8 .4 -7 .0 - 2 1 .7 - 1 4 .6 14.39 17.45 16. 30 - 5 .8 - 4 .7 -8 .7 -2 3 .0 -1 9 .0 -1 8 .0 21.08 14.24 -4 .6 - 6.6 - 3 .6 21. 56 20.47 31.29 38.08 - 1 .4 - 1 3 .9 - 8.2 - 6 .9 - 2 .5 25.44 14. 85 30. 30 - 4 .1 -3 .0 - 1.6 - 5 .3 - 1 3 .8 -7 .4 22.62 15.88 19.03 20.69 -2 .7 -3 .0 -1 .9 - 1 2 .3 -2 4 . 7 -1 5 .2 - 11.8 18.38 19.88 - 3 .5 - 0 .7 - 1 5 .4 —15.6 14.13 14.19 - 7 .0 + 1.4 - 7 .8 - 7 .9 26. 34 18.94 29. 65 25.94 1.2 - - - 0.2 + 3 .5 - 6 .5 + 2 .0 + 1 .4 10.1 - 0. 1 - 1 2 .7 - 2 .4 - 7 .2 200 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW T able 4.—P E R C A P IT A W E E K L Y E A R N IN G S I N MANUFACTURING I N D U S T R I E S I N N O V E M B E R , 1931, A N D C O M P A R IS O N W I T H O C T O B E R , 1931, A N D N O V E M B E R , 1930— C o n tin u e d . P e r c a p ita w eekly earn in g s in N o v em b er, 1931 I n d u s try M iscellaneous in d u stries: A g ricu ltu ral im p le m e n ts _________________ _____ ______________ E lectrical m a c h in e ry , a p p a ra tu s , a n d su p p lie s__________ ____ P ian o s a n d o rg a n s_____________________________________________ R u b b e r boots a n d shoes_____________ _________________________ A u to m o b ile tires a n d in n e r tu b e s _____ ____ ________ ____ _____ S h ip b u ild in g __________________________________________________ In d u s trie s added since F e b ru a ry , 1929, for w h ich d a ta for th e index base yea r (1926) are n o t available: A ircraft________________ ____ ______ ___ __________ _____ _____ A lu m in u m m a n u fa c tu re s _____ _______ ________________________ B ee t su g ar____ ______________________________________ B e v e ra g e s .______ ______________ _____ ________ ____ __________ B olts, n u ts , w ash ers, a n d r iv e ts ..____ ____ ____ ______________ B u tte r __________________ _____________________________________ C ash registers, ad d in g m achines, and c a lcu la tin g m a ch in es_____ C locks, tim e-reco rd in g devices, a n d clock m o v e m e n t s ....______ C orsets an d allied g a rm e n ts ___________________________________ C o tto n se ed oil, cake, a n d m e a l.._____ _________________________ C o tto n sm all w ares____________________________________________ C u tle ry (n o t in c lu d in g silver a n d p la te d cu tlery ) a n d edge tools. F orgings, iro n a n d stee l___ ______ ________________ ______ _____ G as a n d electric fixtures, la m p s, la n te rn s , a n d reflectors________ H a ts , fur-felt________ ____ ________ ___________________________ Je w e lry _____ _______ __________________________________________ M arb le , g ran ite, slate, a n d o th e r sto n e p ro d u c ts _______________ M e n ’s furn ish in g s goods__ ____ __________ ____________________ P a in t a n d v a rn is h _____________________________________________ P la te d w a re ____ ___ _______ __________________________________ P lu m b e rs ’ su p p lie s______ _____________________________________ R a d io .______ ______ _________ ________________________________ R a y o n ..________ ____ ______ ________ _____ ___________________ R u b b e r goods, o th e r th a n boots, shoes, tires, a n d in n e r t u b e s . . . S m eltin g a n d refining, copper, lead, a n d zinc__________________ S oap________________________________________________ ________ T ools (n o t in c lu d in g edge tools, m a ch in e tools, flies, or sa w s)___ T in cans a n d o th e r tin w a re _________ _____ ____________________ T u rp e n tin e a n d ro sin __________________________________________ T y p e w rite rs a n d s u p p lie s _____________________________________ W irew o rk _________________________________________________ 1 D a ta n o t available. P e r cen t of change co m p ared w ith — O ctober, 1931 $19. 52 24.99 22.48 17.63 20.29 25.15 - 1 .4 + 1 .5 - 6 .5 - 7 .6 - 7 .2 -6 .1 34.10 20.24 22.95 27. 33 18.28 24. 57 25. 66 18. 77 16. 38 13. 61 16. 71 19. 55 17.78 23. 63 17.61 21.29 26. 65 16.94 24. 94 22.32 18.12 20.19 17. 48 20.69 21.30 23.96 18.86 21.88 14. 60 19.31 21.42 + 5 .9 + 1 .8 + 1 9 .7 - 1 .9 - 1 .2 +1. 7 + (2) - 4 .2 - 2 .6 - 6 .7 -6 .3 - 1 .1 + 0 .7 -3 .9 -5 .6 - 2 .3 - 4 .9 + 4 .2 - 1 .8 - 1 5 .2 - 9 .2 -1 3 . 1 - 1 0 .7 - 4 .4 - 3 .2 - 7 .1 - 1 .3 - 1 .1 - 1 0 .0 - 1 .9 - 4 .7 N o v em b er, 1930 -9 .7 - 1 1 .1 - 1 9 .3 - 7 .6 - 1 4 .1 -1 4 . 6 + 6 .1 (>) + 1.5 - 6 .6 0) (>) - 1 1 .7 (fl (>) (!) (>) (>) G) (!) « - 8 .1 (!) (>) - 7 .5 (0 (!) - 8 .2 - 1 1 .8 - 9 .4 (0 (0 (>) (>) (!) (B (') 2 Less th a n o n e-ten th of 1 p e r cen t. In d e x N u m b e r s o f E m p lo y m e n t a n d P a y -R o ll T o ta ls in In d u stries M a n u fa c tu r in g T able 5 shows the general indexes of employment and pay-roll totals in manufacturing industries, by months, from January, 1923, to November, 1931, together^ with the average indexes for each of the years 1923 to 1930, inclusive, and for the period January to No vember, 1931, inclusive. In computing these general indexes of employment and earnings the index numbers of the separate industries are weighted according to the relative importance of the 54 industries included. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 201 TREND OF EMPLOYMENT T able 5 —G E N E R A L I N D E X E S O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y - R O L L T O T A L S I N MAN UFACTURING I N D U S T R I E S , J A N U A R Y , 1923, T O N O V E M B E R , 1931 [M o n th ly average, 1920= 100] P ay -ro ll to tals E m p lo y m e n t M o n th 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 J a n __ 106. 6 103.8 97.9 100.4 Feb.__ 108.4 105. 1 99.7 101.5 M a r ... 110.8 104.9 100.4 102.0 Apr___ 110.8 102.8 100.2 101.0 M a y . . 110.8 98.8 98.9 99.8 J u n e . . 110.9 95.6 98. C 99.3 J u ly — 109.2 92.3 97.2 97.7 A u g ... 108.5 92.5 97.8 98.7 S e p t- - 108.6 94.3 98.9 100.3 O c t - . . 108. 1 95.6 100.4 100. 7 N o v .— 107.4 95.5 100.7 99. 5 D e c .- - 105.4 97.3 100.8 98.9 97.3 99.0 99.5 98.6 97.6 97.0 95.0 95.1 95.8 95.3 93.5 92.6 91.6 93.0 93.7 93.3 93.0 93.1 92.2 93.6 95. C 95.9 95.4 95.5 95.2 97.4 98.6 99. 1 99.2 98.8 98.2 98. 6 99.3 98.3 94.8 91.9 90.2 90.3 89.8 89.1 87.7 85.5 81.6 79.9 79.7 78.6 76.5 75.1 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 73.1 95.8 98.6 74.1 99.4 103.8 74.8 104.7 103.3 74. 5 105.7 101.1 74. 1 109.4 96.5 72.2 109.3 90.8 70.4 104.3 84.3 70.0 103. 7 87.2 69.6 104.4 89.8 67.3 106. 8 92.4 65.4 105.4 91.4 103.2 95.7 93.9 98.0 99.3 102.2 100. 8 103.4 98.3 101.5 98.5 99.8 95. 7 99.7 93.5 95.2 95.4 98.7 94.4 99.3 100.4 102.9 100.4 99.6 101.6 99.8 94.9 100. 6 102.0 100.8 99.8 97.4 93.0 95.0 94. 1 95.2 91.6 93.2 89.6 93.9 95.2 93.8 94.1 94.2 91.2 94.2 95.4 99.0 96.1 97.7 95.5 101.8 103.9 104.6 104.8 102.8 98.2 102. 1 102.6 102.3 95.1 92.0 87.6 90.7 90.8 89.8 87.6 84.1 75.9 73.9 74.2 72.7 68.3 67.4 62.3 67.0 68.5 67.4 66.6 62.5 59. 1 58.5 55.4 53.7 51.0 Av__ 108.8 98.2 99.2 100. 0 90.4 93.8 97.5 83.7 '71.4 104.3 94.0 97.7 100.0 90.5 94.5 100.4 80.3 '61.1 'A v e ra g e fo r 11 m o n th s. T im e W orked in M a n u fa c tu r in g In d u str ie s in N o vem ber, 1931 R e p o r t s as to working time of employees in November were received from 12,587 establishments in 64 manufacturing industries. Two per cent of the establishments were idle, while employees in 49 per cent were working full time and employees in 49 per cent were working part time. Employees in the establishments in operation in November were working an average of 87 per cent of full time, this percentage show ing a decrease of 1 per cent from the percentage reported in October. Employees in the 49 per cent of the establishments working part time in November were averaging 73 per cent of full-time operation. The following two charts represent the 54 separate industries com bined and show the course of pay-roll totals as well as the course of employment for each month of the years 1926 to 1930, and January to November, 1931, inclusive. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 202 MONTHLY LABOR REVTEW MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES MONTHLY INDEXES 1926 -1931. M ONTHLY AVERAGE. 192.6=100. EMPLOYMENT 105 100 95 90 65 80 75 70 65 60 55 SO JA N . FE B. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis M AR. APR. M AY JU N E JU L Y AUG. SEPT OCT. NOV. DE C . 203 TREND OF EMPLOYMENT MANUFACTURING M O NTHLY INDUSTRIES. IN D E X E S M O N THLY 1 9 2 6 -1 9 3 1 . AVERAGE 1 9 2 .6 = 1 0 0 . PAY-ROLL TOTALS. 105 /* _ \ 192.7' :i r i 100 105 "x 'Ì 9 2 < — \ . ' \ x .* \ •. ___ i_ / /’ v A 9Z & / A 100 \ V \. 95 r ' / 19 28" S ” N\ \ \y — 90 / " \ 95 \ / ^\ \ \ \ \ 90 "1930 \ V \ 65 8S \ __ \ \ 60 ao \ V T5 Xv 75 . ---- \ 70 70 \ 193 J i'* s .t / 65 \ \— _ A , ------- Y / 65 \ V \ \ 60 60 V ., "N \ \ 55 *‘S_ 55 *x% *\ s, . 50 JA N . FE B. M AR. 91909° — 32— — 14 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis APR. M AY JU N E JU LY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. R/ 50 DEC. 204 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW T able 6 .—P R O P O R T I O N O F F U L L T I M E W O R K E D I N MANUFACTURING I N D U S T R I E S B Y E S T A B L I S H M E N T S R E P O R T I N G I N N O V E M B E R , 1931 E s ta b lis h m e n ts rep o rtin g P e r ce n t of e s ta b l i s h m e n t s in w h ich em p lo y ees w o rk ed — A verage p er ce n t of full tim e rep o rted by— Industry T o ta l P e r cent num ber idle Food and kindred products_________ S lau g h terin g a n d m e a t p a c k in g _______ C onfectionery . _____ ________ Ice cre a m ---------------------------------_ F lo u r _____________ _ _____________ _ B ak in g _ ____ _ S ugar refining, cane __ __ _ _ 1, 757 175 275 228 393 674 12 0) f1) 1 1 F u ll tim e A ll o p eratin g e s ta b lish m en ts P art tim e 77 75 59 66 72 91 58 23 25 41 33 26 9 42 E s ta b lish m en ts o p eratin g p a r t tim e 96 81 97 91 94 94 98 93 89 78 82 78 81 83 Textiles and their products__ _ ____ 1,984 4 56 40 90 C o tto n goods______________ - - - - - - - - H o siery a n d k n it goods___ - - - - - - - - _ - ________ Silk goods___ ______ _ W oolen a n d w o rsted goods___________ C a rp e ts a n d rugs _ __ D y ein g a n d finishing textiles - ... C lo th in g , m e n ’s________ -------S h irts a n d collars___ - - - - - - C lo th in g , w o m en ’s ________ M illin e ry a n d lace goods____________ 487 296 228 175 25 117 260 77 224 95 3 2 2 7 47 59 65 51 44 43 60 62 68 49 49 38 33 42 56 56 33 36 26 46 76 87 92 93 89 86 87 92 94 93 87 74 80 78 76 75 76 76 84 75 72 Iron and steel and their products____ 1, 696 143 39 168 935 64 131 77 68 82 73 76 84 81 73 Iro n a n d ste e l________ _____ C ast-iron p ip e .- - _________ _______ S tru c tu ra l-iro n w o rk . . _________ F o u n d ry a n d m achine-shop p ro d u c ts.H a rd w a re M a c h in e to o ls.. - _ ______ S tea m fittin g s a n d stea m a n d hotw a te r h e a tin g a p p a ra tu s . __ .... ---------- -------S to v es___________ 76 62 81 72 71 72 66 67 58 75 64 1 7 1 6 4 2 7 10 1 1 3 22 25 8 26 23 16 16 96 120 1 14 19 86 80 69 74 Lumber and its products _____________ 1,150 1 486 300 364 2 67 80 L u m b e r, saw m ills _____ __________ L u m b e r, m illw o rk . . . ... F u r n itu r e ------ --------------------- 32 30 27 38 68 73 60 C1) 1 79 79 82 Leather and its products____________ 376 L e a th e r. _________ _ . B oots a n d shoes____________ ________ 2 31 66 79 125 251 3 46 24 54 73 88 74 Paper and printing ____________________ 1,542 P aper and p u lp .-. . _ . . . ___ ____ P a p e r boxes. _ __ . . . P rin tin g , book a n d j o b ___ . ____ P rin tin g , n e w s p a p e rs . ______ 321 265 568 388 Chemicals and allied products_______ C h e m ic a ls .- . _______ ____ F e rtiliz e rs . _ ________ P e tro le u m refining _ __________ Stone, clay and glass products ________ C e m e n t - - - -- - _ ______ B rick , tile, a n d te rra c o tta ....... .............. P o tte r y ____________ __ _ _____ _ __ G la ss_________________ _____________ Metal products, other th an iron and steel 67 68 70 69 72 70 69 66 56 43 91 2 38 43 51 89 60 57 49 83 89 91 99 362 3 130 157 69 28 94 1 7 68 67 57 96 32 36 4 94 91 99 81 77 87 74 66 71 77 (0 ii 79 73 81 81 90 79 745 13 48 87 418 97 143 39 15 17 3 9 76 39 33 71 9 45 64 20 86 97 82 81 95 28 30 27 72 70 73 80 83 79 3 34 63 85 77 50 65 90 85 79 88 81 83 71 75 S ta m p e d a n d en a m ele d w are B rass, bronze, a n d copper p ro d u c ts __ 218 80 138 Tobacco products__________________ 201 69 73 76 71 C h ew in g a n d sm oking tobacco an d sn u ff ___ _____ _______ C igars a n d c i g a r e tt e s ________________ 26 175 3 50 31 Vehicles for land transportation_____ 1, 090 A u to m o b ile s . . . . ______ _____ C arriages a n d w agons C ar b u ild in g a n d rep airin g , electricr a i lr o a d .. ________ ___ C a r b u ild in g a n d rep airin g , steam ra ilro a d _______________________ 1 174 41 48 2 33 32 51 66 61 394 72 28 96 84 481 37 63 86 77 1 Less th a n one-half of 1 p e r ce n t. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 7 (0 77 77 205 TREND OF EMPLOYMENT T able 6 —P R O P O R T I O N O F F U L L T I M E W O R K E D I N MANUFACTURING I N D U S T R I E S B Y E S T A B L I S H M E N T S R E P O R T I N G I N N O V E M B E R , 1931—C o n tin u e d P e r ce n t of e s ta b l i s h m e n t s in w h ich em p lo y ees w ork ed — E s ta b lis h m e n ts rep o rtin g A v erag e p er ce n t of full tim e rep o rted by— I n d u s try T o ta l P e r cent num ber idle Miscellaneous industries . . ______ Ag rip u ltn ral im p le m e n ts _______ E lectrical m a c h in e ry , a p p a ra tu s , a n d ___ ___ sn p plies P ian n s an d organs _____ ______ R u b b e r boots a n d shoes Automobile, fires an d in n e r tu b e s S h ip b u ild in g _________________ - ____ I n d u s t r i e s added in 1929 and 1930. _ R ad io __________________ -R ay o n _ _______ _____ A ircraft ______________ __ Jew elry ______ _ P a in t a n d v a rn ish __ __________ R u b b e r goods, o th e r th a n boots, shoes, tire s and in n e r tu b e s B eet sugar _ _ _ _ _ _ B everages _ _ _______ ___ C ash registers __ _______ ____ T y p e w rite rs _ _ ------------------------- Total 1 7 417 76 172 46 9 35 79 1,049 36 12 38 150 341 92 42 278 46 14 12,587 1 (') 8 2 A ll o p eratin g e s ta b lish m en ts P art tim e F u ll tim e E s ta b lish m en ts o p eratin g p a r t tim e 29 26 69 67 83 80 76 72 15 30 33 11 71 59 69 58 71 40 62 85 70 67 89 28 40 31 42 21 60 38 82 81 87 72 94 89 94 91 95 83 91 78 73 80 68 80 74 82 78 80 72 76 86 99 90 86 84 76 80 70 72 65 87 73 43 95 66 50 50 49 57 5 34 50 50 49 __________ 1 L ess th a n one-half of 1 p er c e n t. E m p lo y m e n t in N o n m a n u f a c t u r in g I n d u s tr ie s in N o v em b er, 1931 N THE following table are presented, by geographic divisions, data for 14 groups of nonmanufacturing industries, the totals for which also appear in the summary of employment and pay-roll totals, page 1. The retail trade group reported increased employment and pay-roll totals in November, as compared with October, in continuation of the seasonal expansion which began in September. The remaining 13 industrial groups reported decreases in both employment and earn ings, with the exception of the electric-railroad and the power, light, and water groups, in which a small gain in pay-roll totals was reported, coupled with a falling off in number of workers. The bituminous coal-mining industry reported the smallest decrease in employment from October to November, 0.3 per cent, and the telephone and tele graph group reported a loss of 0.7 per cent. Decreases in^ employ ment ranging from 1.3 per cent to 2.9 per cent were reported in whole sale trade, power, light, and water, electric railroads, metalliferous mining, laundries, and hotels. Anthracite mining reported 3.4 per cent fewer employees in November than in the preceding month and the dyeing and cleaning and the crude petroleum producing industries reported declines of 4.4 per cent and 4.6 per cent in employment, respectively. The two largest decreases over the month interval were seasonal declines and were reported in quarrying and nonmetallic mining and in canning and preserving, quarrying reporting a loss of 8.1 per cent in employment and the canning industry showing a drop of 43.8 per cent, due to the closing of establishments upon the com pletion of the vegetable canning season. Following this monthly comparison of employment and earnings in these nonmanufacturing industries will be found a tabulation showing the per cent of change in these groups over a year interval. I https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 206 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW T able 1.—C O M P A R IS O N O P E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S I N I D E N T I C A L NONMANUFACTURING E S T A B L I S H M E N T S I N O C T O B E R A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931, B Y IN D U S T R IE S A m o u n t of p a y roll (1 w eek) N u m b e r on p a y roll G eographic division E s ta b lish m e n ts O ctober, 1931 P e r cen t of change N o v em b er, 1931 O ctober, 1931 A n t h r a c it e Middle Atlantic. 160 118, 719 114, 648 -3 .4 B it u m in o u s M id d le A tla n tic ____ E a s t N o rth C e n tra l, W est N o rth C en tral. S o u th A tla n tic _____ E a s t S o u th C e n tra l,. W e st S o u th C e n tra l. M o u n t a i n . . . ............ P acific_____________ All divisions P e r cen t of change N o v em b er, 1931 m in in g $3, 617, 307 $3,174, 023 -12.3 c o a l m in in g 389 166 51 311 228 25 117 9 55,915 30,239 4, 851 49,928 42,324 1,557 15,074 1,468 56,400 29,617 4, 752 49, 663 42,062 1,302 15,477 1, 530 + 0 .9 - 2 .1 - 2 .0 - 0 .5 - 0 .6 - 1 6 .4 + 2 .7 + 4 .2 $921, 111 596,482 94, 702 914, 504 610, 794 29,464 398, 367 37, 009 $903, 079 586,258 95, 370 848,889 613, 532 22,858 387,886 40,052 - 2 .0 - 1 .7 + 0 .7 - 7 .2 + 0 .4 - 2 2 .4 -2 .6 + 8 .2 1, 296 201, 356 200, 803 -0 .3 3, 602, 433 3, 497, 924 -2 .9 M e t a llif e r o u s m in in g M id d le A tla n tic ____ E a s t N o rth C e n tra lW est N o rth C en tral E a s t S o u th C en tral W e st S o u th C e n tra l. M o u n ta in __________ P acific______ ____ _ 7 44 55 10 32 85 21 643 9,198 5,882 1,709 1,243 13, 502 1,964 583 9,461 5,656 1,695 1,143 12,962 2,034 -9 .3 + 2 .9 -3 .8 - 0 .8 - 8 .0 - 4 .0 + 3 .6 $13,272 146,445 138,391 20,755 22,443 337,715 56, Oil $12,091 138,003 122,605 20,171 20,301 319,659 56,657 - 8 .9 - 5 .8 —11. 4 —2.8 - 9 .5 - 5 .3 + 1 .2 All divisions.. 254 34,141 33, 534 -1 .8 735, 032 689,487 -6 .2 Q u a r r y in g a n d n o n m e t a llic m in in g N ew E n g la n d ........... . M id d le A tla n tic ____ E a s t N o r th C e n tra lW e st N o rth C en tral. S o u th A tla n tic _____ E a s t S o u th C e n tra l.. W e st S o u th C e n tra l. M o u n ta in __________ P acific_____________ 100 120 222 107 93 64 49 9 39 3,740 6,399 6, 563 1,960 4,695 2,982 2,162 106 1,062 3,627 5,708 5,820 1,589 4,464 3, 019 1,929 97 1,006 - 3 .0 - 1 0 .8 - 1 1 .3 - 1 8 .9 - 4 .9 + 1 .2 - 1 0 .8 - 8 .5 - 5 .3 $87,153 135,169 140, 982 41, 687 74,255 43,037 43, 694 3,452 28,483 $81, 573 112, 941 126, 894 34, 610 65, 664 43, 515 37,262 2,664 26,299 - 6 .4 - 1 6 .4 - 1 0 .0 - 1 7 .0 - 1 1 .6 + 1 .1 - 1 4 .7 -2 2 .8 - 7 .7 All divisions.. 803 29, 669 27,259 -8 .1 597, 912 531, 422 -11.1 + 3 .9 -0 .6 + 0 .1 -5 .9 + 4 .9 - 7 .0 - 3 .5 C ru d e 'p e t r o le u m p r o d u c in g M id d le A tla n tic ____ E a s t N o rth C e n tra l. W est N o rth C en tral. S o u th A tla n tic _____ E a s t S o u th C e n tra l.. W est S o u th C e n tra l. M o u n ta in __________ P a c ific .......................... 25 18 31 7 8 137 15 37 492 284 979 428 182 16,046 301 5,450 538 298 976 403 204 15,206 273 5,160 + 9 .3 + 4 .9 -0 .3 -5 .8 + 1 2 .1 -5 .2 - 9 .3 - 5 .3 $13,462 5,757 24, 308 10,739 3,834 547,460 9,449 185,573 $13,986 5,722 24,321 10,102 4, 023 508, 983 9,121 188,972 +1.8 All divisions.. 278 24,162 23,058 -4 .6 800,582 765,230 -4 .4 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 207 TREND OF EMPLOYMENT T able 1.—C O M P A R IS O N O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S I N I D E N T I C A L NONMANUFACTURING E S T A B L I S H M E N T S IN O C T O B E R A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931, B Y I N D U S T R I E S — C o n tin u e d A m o u n t of p a y roll (1 w eek) N u m b e r on p a y roll G eographic division E s ta b lish m e n ts O ctober, 1931 N o v em b e r, 1931 O ctober, 1931 T e le p h o n e a n d N e w E n g la n d _________ M id d le A t l a n t i c __________ E a s t N o rth C e n tra l______ W est N o rth C e n tra l . S o u th A tla n tic ____________ E a s t S o u th C e n tra l___ ____ W e st S o u th C e n tra l_______ M o u n ta in _______ ________ P a c i f ic ____ ___________ _ All divisions_____ - P e r ce n t of change P e r ce n t of change N o v em b e r, 1931 te le g r a p h 734 1,264 1,374 1,300 566 654 708 510 878 27,189 95, 560 66,281 27, 272 19,423 9, 526 16,900 6, 884 29,009 26,812 95, 303 65, 782 27, 003 19, 404 9, 373 16, 738 6,728 28,779 - 1 .4 -0 .3 - 0 .8 -1 .0 - 0 .1 - 1 .6 - 1 .0 -2 .3 - 0 .8 $865,767 3,154,165 1,828,949 695, 264 540,062 212,126 394,961 173,221 908,133 $850,566 3,130, 295 1, 785, 970 678, 522 524,800 204,838 379,472 164,627 869,496 -1 .8 -0 .8 -2 .3 - 2 .4 - 2 .8 -3 .4 - 3 .9 -5 .0 -4 .3 7,988 298,044 295,922 -0 .7 8,772,648 8,588,586 -2 .1 P o w e r , lig h t, a n d w a te r N ew E n g la n d _____________ M id d le A tla n tic _________ E a s t N o rth C e n tra l -W e st N o rth C e n tra l_______ S o u th A tla n tic -----------E a s t S o u th C e n tra l-- ___ W e st S o u th C e n tra l-- ----M o u n t a i n . . ______ _ ------P acific------ ---------------------- 244 408 343 421 286 196 540 137 778 21,360 64, 280 54,159 26, 709 21,014 6,198 15,546 5,872 22,110 21,123 63, 583 53,397 25,775 20, 592 6,048 14,932 6, 398 21,880 - l.i - l.i - 1 .4 - 3 .5 - 2 .0 - 2 .4 - 3 .9 + 9 .0 -1 .0 $687,345 2,126,633 1,742,833 777,631 641, 291 158, 779 418,907 180,672 708, 362 $677,566 2,094,638 1,761,141 785,404 632,649 154,629 422,699 199,964 720,563 - 1 .4 -1 .5 + 1 .1 + 1 .0 -1 .3 -2 .6 + 0 .9 + 1 0 .7 + 1 .7 All divisions_______ 3,353 237,248 233,728 -1 .5 7,442,453 7,449,253 + 0 .1 E le c tr ic r a ilr o a d s 1 -1 .2 + 0 .5 N ew E n g la n d _______ _____ M id d le A t l a n t i c __________ E a s t N o rth C e n tra l_______ W est N o rth C e n t r a l ___ _ S o u th A tla n tic ___ ________ E a s t S o u th C e n tra l_____ W est S o u th C e n tra l___ M o u n ta in __________ ______ P acific . . . . . ----- --- . . 42 149 113 65 56 12 29 16 38 13,450 36,424 - 40,194 13,243 11, 396 2,545 4,389 2,105 15,139 13, 263 35,862 39,629 13,144 11, 260 2, 501 4,324 2, 014 14,846 - 1 .4 - 1 .5 - 1 .4 - 0 .7 -1 .2 - 1 .7 -1 .5 - 4 .3 - 1 .9 $477, 756 1,112,146 1,245,357 398,498 316,430 66,801 113,945 55, 598 467,104 $471,843 1, 118,134 1,271, 016 405, 095 316, 239 66,913 119, 503 55,433 468,407 All divisions ______ 520 138,885 136,843 -1 .5 4,253,635 4,292,583 +0.9 W h o le s a le +2.1 + 1 .7 -0 .1 + 0 .2 + 4 .9 -0 .3 + 0 .3 tr a d e N e w E n g la n d -------------------M id d le A tla n tic ------ ------E a s t N o rth C e n tra l ------W est N o rth C e n tra l ---------_______ S o u th A tla n tic E a s t S o u th C e n tra l_______ W e st S o u th C e n tra l_______ M o u n ta in ................ ............. .. P acific____________________ 709 364 399 251 255 91 310 93 263 16,007 10,406 13,355 13,691 5,199 2,159 6,070 2, 055 8,677 15, 737 10,424 13,049 13, 620 5,103 2,098 6,021 2,036 8,535 - 1 .7 + 0 .2 - 2 .3 - 0 .5 - 1 .8 -2 .8 - 0 .8 - 0 .9 - 1 .6 $480,610 326, 651 397, 847 396,411 137, 918 53,425 172, 713 62,033 281, 366 $471,790 327,231 391,653 402,456 135,133 51, 372 174,805 62, 531 285, 531 -1 .8 + 0 .2 -1 .6 + 1 .5 - 2 .0 -3 .8 + 1 .2 + 0 .8 + 1 .5 All divisions ______ 2,735 77,620 76,623 -1 .3 2,308,974 2,302,502 -0 .3 See footnotes a t e n d of ta b le. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 208 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW T able 1.—C O M P A R IS O N O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S I N I D E N T I C A L NONMANUFACTURING E S T A B L I S H M E N T S I N O C T O B E R A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931, B Y I N D U S T R I E S —C o n tin u e d A m o u n t of p a y roll (1 wreek) N u m b e r on p a y roll G eographic divisio n E s ta b lish m e n ts O ctober, 1931 P er cen t of change N o v em b e r, 1931 O ctober, 1931 P e r cen t of change N o v em b e r, 1931 R e ta il tr a d e ________ . . N ew E n g la n d M id d le A t l a n t i c ________ E a s t N o rth C e n tra l_____ W e st N o rth C e n tra l. __ S o u th A tla n tic __________ E a s t S o u th C e n tra l ____ W e st S o u th C e n tra l_______ M o u n ta in _______ _____ P a c ific ... . . . ____________ 3,674 883 2,778 714 1,107 405 269 262 1, 805 63,293 85, 336 86,079 22,953 24,129 9,451 14,503 6,546 47,234 63,117 88,189 86, 850 24,254 24,478 9,626 14,978 6,288 46,151 - 0 .3 + 3 .3 + 0 .9 + 5 .7 + 1 .4 + 1 .9 + 3 .3 - 3 .9 - 2 .3 $1,489, 276 2,114, 634 1,987, 682 466, 751 489, 495 167, 925 293, 547 129,168 1,042, 665 $1, 481,970 2,180,848 1,976, 675 475,035 503,257 168, 857 294, 260 128, 357 1,042, 753 - 0 .5 + 3 .1 - 0 .6 + 1.8 + 2 .8 + 0 .6 + 0 .2 - 0 .6 + ( 2) All d iv is io n s ________ 11,897 359,524 363,931 + 1 .3 8,181,143 8,252,012 + 0 .9 H o te ls 3 N ew E n g la n d ____ _____ _ M id d le A tla n tic . ______ E a s t N o rth C e n tra l _____ W e st N o rth C e n tra l______ S o u th A t l a n t i c .. _______ _ E a s t S o u th C e n tra l.. W e st S o u th C e n tra l_____ M o u n ta in ________ _ . . . P acific____ . . ___________ 151 439 439 291 209 113 154 123 362 8,980 49,268 32,483 14,274 12, 320 6,361 8,392 3,457 15, 569 8, 312 46,917 32,130 14,085 12,130 6,289 8,321 3, 368 15,228 - 7 .4 - 4 .8 - 1 .1 - 1 .3 - 1 .5 - 1 .1 - 0 .8 - 2 .6 - 2 .2 $141,363 828,846 536,020 194, 090 169, 379 70, 709 102, 997 56, 991 280, 085 $129, 477 792,068 528,452 187, 718 167, 333 68, 671 102,194 54,404 272, 604 -8 .4 - 4 .4 - 1 .4 -3 .3 - 1 .2 - 2 .9 - 0 .8 - 4 .5 - 2 .7 All d iv is io n s _______ 2,281 151,104 146,780 —2.9 2,380,480 2,302,921 - 3 .3 C a n n in g a n d 'p r e s e r v i n g N ew E n g la n d ___________ M id d le A tla n tic _____ E a s t N o rth C en tral W est N o rth C en tral S o u th A tla n tic ___ E a s t S o u th C e n tra ]______ W est S o u th C e n tra l_____ _ M o u n ta in ______________ P a c i f ic ____________ _______ 78 95 272 77 135 45 34 55 200 3, 721 9,897 13, 599 3,602 6, 530 2,375 1,812 3, 854 17,518 2,112 8,434 6,558 1,295 4,463 1, 355 782 1,285 9,079 -4 3 .2 -1 4 .8 -5 1 .8 -6 4 .0 - 3 1 .7 - 4 2 .9 - 5 6 .8 - 6 6 .7 - 4 8 .2 $46, 751 178, 639 172, 793 46, 553 54,929 17, 841 10, 580 50,138 249, 075 $28,070 147, 788 103,767 19, 895 37,262 12, 369 5,411 25,464 133, 032 - 4 0 .0 - 1 7 .3 - 3 9 .9 - 5 7 .3 - 3 2 .2 - 3 0 .7 - 4 8 .9 - 4 9 .2 - 4 6 .6 Ail divisions_______ < 991 62,908 35,363 - 4 3 .8 837,299 513,058 - 3 8 .0 L a u n d r ie s N ew E n g la n d ____ _ ____ M id d le A tla n tic .. . ____ E a s t N o rth C e n tra l____ W e st N o rth C e n tra l _ . _ S o u th A t l a n t i c ___ ____ E a s t S o u th C e n t r a l... ___ W e st S o u th C e n tr a l______ M o u n ta in ______ . . . . _ P acific_____________________ Ail divisions........... 101 129 141 84 96 45 26 43 103 4,220 13,616 9,046 5,418 7,723 3,033 1,444 2,272 5,869 4,129 13,348 8,833 5,227 7,572 2,914 1,411 2,228 5,827 - 2 .2 - 2 .0 - 2 .4 - 3 .5 - 2 .0 - 3 .9 - 2 .3 - 1 .9 - 0 .7 $80, 848 271, 774 159, 783 91,670 112,668 38,038 20,598 38, 828 124,367 $77,617 260,846 154,250 86, 887 110,693 35,668 19,287 37,910 122, 872 -4 .0 -4 .0 -3 .5 -5 .2 - 1 .8 - 6 .2 - 6 .4 - 2 .4 - 1 .2 768 52,641 51,489 -2 .3 938, 574 906, 030 -3 .5 See footnotes a t end of table. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 209 TREIS D OF EMPLOYMENT T able 1.—C O M P A R IS O N O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S I N I D E N T I C A L NONMANUFACTURING E S T A B L I S H M E N T S I N O C T O B E R A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931, B Y I N D U S T R I E S — C o n tin u e d A m o u n t of p a y roll (1 w eek) N u m b e r on p a y roll G eo graphic division E s ta b lish m e n ts P e r cent of change O ctober, 1931 N ovem ber, 1931 D y e in g P e r cen t of change O ctober, 1931 N o v em b er, 1931 a n d c le a n in g N e w E n g la n d ........................ M id d le A tla n tic ___________ E a s t N o rth C e n tra l___ W e st N o rth C e n tra l_____ S o u th A tla n tic _______ . . . E a s t S o u th C e n tra l______ W e st S o u th C e n t r a l.. _ . . . M o u n t a i n . . . ___ ______ . P acific______________ . . . . 37 48 59 33 53 17 26 18 27 1,347 2,187 2,816 1,005 1,356 731 760 272 918 1,300 2,102 2,690 971 1,264 700 738 247 878 - 3 .5 - 3 .9 - 4 .5 - 3 .4 -6 .8 - 4 .2 - 2 .9 - 9 .2 - 4 .4 $31,769 53,413 64,628 21,294 23,542 12,524 14,422 5,953 21,907 $28,869 48,928 59,007 19, 693 21,484 12,135 13,410 5,435 19,928 -9 .1 - 8 .4 - 8 .7 - 7 .5 - 8 .7 -3 .1 - 7 .0 -8 .7 - 9 .0 All divisions ________ 318 11,392 10,890 - 4 .4 249,452 228,889 - 8 .2 1 N o t in c lu d in g electric car b u ild in g a n d rep airin g ; see m a n u fa c tu rin g in d u s trie s , T a b le 1, e t seq. 2 Less th a n o n e -te n th of 1 p e r cent. 3 T h e a m o u n t of p a y roll giv e n re p re se n ts cash p a y m e n ts o n ly ; th e a d d itio n a l v a lu e of b o a rd , ro o m , a n d tip s ca n n o t b e c o m p u ted . 4 In c lu d e d in th e to ta l of 991 e sta b lish m e n ts rep o rtin g in N o v e m b e r w ere 2 e s ta b lis h m e n ts w h ic h w ere closed in O ctober b u t h a d resu m e d o p eratio n in N o v e m b e r, a n d 112 e s ta b lis h m e n ts w h ich w ere o p eratin g in O cto b er a n d rep o rte d a seasonal closing in N o v e m b e r, 1931. T h e re w ere also 73 a d d itio n a l c a n n in g es ta b lis h m e n ts , w hose re p o rts w ere n o t in c lu d e d in th e to ta l n u m b e r of rep o rtin g e s ta b lis h m e n ts , as th e p la n ts h a d b een seasonally closed for a perio d of 2 or m o re m o n th s. T able 2 — C O M P A R IS O N O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S I N NON MANUFACTURING I N D U S T R I E S , N O V E M B E R , 1931, W I T H N O V E M B E R , 1930 P e r cen t of change N o v em b e r, 1931, c o m p a r e d w ith N o v em b e r, 1930 P e r ce n t of change N o v em b e r, 1931, c o m p a re d w ith N o v em b e r, 1930 In d u s try In d u s tr y A n th ra c ite m in in g B itu m in o u s coal m in in g .. . . . M eta llifero u s m in in g Q u arry in g a n d n o n m e tallic m in in g ________________ C ru d e p e tro le u m p ro d u c in g . _ T e lep h o n e a n d te leg rap h . _ P ow er, lig h t, a n d w ate r N um ber on p a y roll A m ount of p ay roll - 1 3 .8 - 1 2 .3 —27.5 —18. 5 - 3 1 .0 —44. 6 - 2 4 .3 - 3 1 .1 - 1 0 .2 - 1 1 .7 - 3 5 .2 - 3 5 .0 -8 .4 - 1 0 .0 In dexes o f E m p lo y m e n t a n d N um ber on p a y roll E lectric railro ad s____ _____ W holesale tr a d e _________ . . . R etail tr a d e __________ ___ H o te l s ..-------------- -----------------C a n n in g a n d preserv in g . . . . L a u n d r i e s . . -------. . . D y ein g a n d c le a n in g . . . - 8 .7 -9 .2 - 7 .6 -9 .8 - 3 7 .1 -4 .8 - 7 .9 A m ount of p a y roll - 9 .1 - 1 2 .4 - 1 1 .8 - 1 7 .6 - 4 2 .0 - 1 1 .2 - 1 3 .1 P a y -R o ll T o ta ls for N o n m a n u fa c tu r in g In d u str ie s T a b l e 3 shows the index numbers of employment and pay-roll totals for anthracite, bituminous coal, and metalliferous mining, quarrying, crude petroleum producing, telephone and telegraph, power, light, and water, electric railroads, wholesale and retail trade, hotels, and canning and preserving, by months, from January, 1930, to November, 1931, with the monthly average for 1929 as 100. Index numbers for the laundering and the dyeing and cleaning groups are not presented, as data for the base year, 1929, are not available. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis T able 3.—I N D E X E S O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S F O R NONMANUFACTURING I N D U S T R I E S , J A N U A R Y , 1930, T O N O V E M B E R , 1931 to [M o n th ly average, 1929=100] o A n th ra c ite B itu m in o u s M eta llife r m in in g coal m in in g ous m in in g Q u arry in g a n d nonm etallic m in in g C ru d e p etro leu m p ro d u cin g T elep h o n e a n d tele g rap h P ow er, lig h t, a n d w ate r Y ear an d m o n th !— I O p eratio n a n d m a in ten an ce of electric railro ad s 1 W holesale tra d e R etail tra d e H otels C a n n in g a n d p re serv in g E m P ay E m P ay E m P ay Em P ay E m P ay E m P ay E m P ay E m P ay E m P ay E m P ay E m P ay E m P ay p lo y roll p lo y roll p lo y roll p lo y roll p lo y roll p lo y roll p lo y roll p lo y roll p lo y roll p lo y roll p lo y ro ll p lo y m e n t to t a ls m e n t to t a ls m e n t to t a ls m e n t to t a ls m e n t to t a ls m e n t to t a ls m e n t to t a ls m e n t to ta ls m e n t to t a ls m e n t to t a ls m e n t to t a ls m e n t t orot alll s 102.1 105.8 102.5 101.4 106. 9 121. 5 102.4 102.1 82. 6 78. 5 98.6 86.4 A p ril__________________ 84.1 75.0 94.4 81.7 M a y ______________ 93. 8 98.8 90.4 77.5 J u n e ______________ 90. 8 94.3 88.4 75.6 J u ly -------------------------91.6 84.0 88.0 68.9 _______ A u g u st. 80. 2 78.8 89. 2 71.1 S e p te m b e r____________ 93.8 91.6 90. 5 74.9 O cto b er______ 99.0 117.2 91.8 79.4 N o v e m b e r____ 97.2 98.0 92.5 79.1 D ecem b er____ 99.1 100.0 92.5 77.7 Average_________ 93.4 95.7 92.3 90.9 89.3 87.5 84.6 80.5 79.0 78.1 77.2 72.8 70. 1 92.7 92.5 90.8 88.3 85.6 81.6 71.9 71.0 69.9 68.6 63.4 59.9 79.6 79.8 83.0 87.4 90.8 90.3 89.9 89.3 87.7 84.7 78.3 70.2 71.9 73.5 80.0 85.4 90.2 90.9 85.5 85.8 82.5 79.3 66.8 59.9 92.7 90.8 89.3 86.8 89.8 90.2 89.9 87.7 85.0 85.2 83.6 77.4 94.0 101.6 105.1 99.6 99.7 88.6 100.2 101.9 98.8 100.4 91.3 99.4 105.8 99.7 102.1 86.6 98.9 103.4 100.7 102.6 85.4 99.7 103. 2 103.4 104.5 87.1 99.8 103.4 104.6 107.8 88.5 100.0 106.6 105.9 106.7 86.0 98.8 102.5 106.4 106.6 84.0 96.8 102.2 105.2 106.1 82.6 94.5 100. e 104.8 105. 6 80.0 93.0 97.9 103.4 103.7 77.2 91.6 101.3 103.2 106.3 97.1 95.1 94.4 95.2 95.2 94.8 95.3 92.9 91.8 91.0 89.3 88.8 97.8 100.0 100.0 98.9 99. 7 95.7 98.5 98.3 94.4 96.0 95.4 97.7 99.7 93.9 95.5 97.1 97.3 97.9 97.3 97.5 96.0 96.8 97.4 96.7 97.3 97.0 96.5 98.6 93.9 96.8 95.6 96.0 96.0 89.0 91.7 92.1 95.0 93.6 85.6 87.6 90.5 94.8 93.6 92.0 92.4 88.9 94.2 92.9 95: 5 95.1 87.7 92.6 91.0 98.4 96.8 88.6 92.0 91.3 115.1 107.7 100. 4 102.4 102.4 100.1 98. 0 98.0 101.3 101.5 100.1 97. 5 95. 2 93.5 100. 3 103.8 104.4 100.3 98.4 98.1 99.8 98.6 97.1 95. 5 93. 6 91.5 46.1 45.7 49.7 50. 3 51. 5 50.8 74.8 72.6 65. 7 83.0 126.3 185. 7 246.6 164. 7 96. 7 61.6 66. 9 81.5 172. 0 214.8 140. 0 82. 9 57.4 96.1 95.3 93.4 81.3 83.2 78.0 84.3 79.3 87.4 85.9 97.9 102.9 103.0 104.3 93.4 93.5 96.0 95.9 95.9 96.2 99.2 98.5 103.9 90.6 89.3 89. 5 101.9 82. 0 71.3 85.2 75.2 80. 3 76.1 76.1 66. 7 65. 1 53.7 67.3 56.4 80.0 64.9 86.8 91.1 83.8 79.9 93.9 91.5 88.8 85.9 82.4 78.4 76.4 77.0 80.4 81.3 81.1 73.3 68.3 65.2 68.3 65.3 63.5 63.9 62.4 60.0 56.2 55.8 55.5 53.8 52.8 55.0 54.6 52.8 64.4 66.6 70.0 76.1 75.0 72.3 71.0 68.9 66.6 64.5 59.3 50.4 54.4 58.2 74.8 73.2 72.2 69.8 67.8 65.0 65.3 62.4 61.2 60.4 57.6 71.5 70.0 73.2 90.5 89.2 88.6 88.1 87.4 86.9 86.6 85.9 85.0 84.1 83.5 86.9 86.6 86.4 86.8 85.9 85.3 85.6 84.8 84.0 82.7 81.5 85.6 87.1 88.1 86.6 85.1 84.8 83.3 81.9 81.2 79.0 79.7 89.5 88.2 87.4 87.4 87.1 87.1 86.8 86.5 86.1 85.2 84.1 87.5 88.4 89.1 90.0 87.1 87.8 90.1 89.9 89.1 83.9 81.8 86.6 89.8 90.9 89.4 86.7 87.5 88.3 88.0 87.6 83.3 80.3 83.5 84.6 85.4 95.0 96.8 96.8 95.9 92. 5 91.6 93. 3 92.8 90.6 88.5 85.9 91. 0 93.7 93.4 89.9 87.7 85.4 85. 2 83.8 81.9 79.7 77.1 112. 7 1931 J a n u a r y ___ . _ F e b ru a ry _____________ M a rc h ____________ A p ril . . . . . . M a y _________ J u n e __________ . . J u ly _________________ A u g u s t_____________ S e p te m b e r__________ O c t o b e r . . _____ N o v e m b e r________ 58.6 54. 4 52.4 50.4 50.6 53.6 56.2 54.6 51.4 49.3 46.1 41.3 40.2 40.0 37.4 35.1 62.6 62.3 60.1 57.3 55.1 51.2 48.7 43.3 66.3 64.7 62.7 59.2 56.3 55.2 54.4 52.0 96.3 94.8 97.9 95.0 94. 1 95.0 93.3 92.3 92.1 91.6 89.7 99.2 98.6 97.8 99.7 96.7 102.4 97.1 97.6 97.6 98.7 97.2 98.3 96.7 97.4 95.9 96.2 94.7 94.3 92.7 93.2 91.3 93.3 1 N o t in c lu d in g electric-railro ad car b u ild in g a n d rep airin g ; see vehicles gro u p , m a n u fa c tu rin g in d u strie s, T a b le 1, e t seq. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 85.2 84.7 84.1 83.3 82.1 81.4 79.9 79.7 48.9 46.1 48.3 48.6 53.0 50.3 59.6 57.1 56.0 56.0 70.6 58.6 102.2 74.2 142.9 104. 7 180.1 129.4 108.1 77.6 60.8 48.1 MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW 1930 J a n u a r y ., . . . ___ F e b ru a ry _________ _ M a rc h . _ _ ___ TREND OF EMPLOYMENT 211 E m p lo y m e n t in B u ild in g C o n s tr u c tio n in N o v e m b e r , 1931 NFORMATION as to changes in volume of employment and pay roll totals in building construction for each of the 38 cities covered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics appears in the following table. Similar data, furnished by 4 cooperating State bureaus, covering 5 cities in Pennsylvania—Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading, Scranton, and Erie; Baltimore (Md.), and the States of Massachusetts and Wisconsin are also presented. The table shows the number of identical firms reporting for both months, the number of employees, and the amount of earnings in one week in October and November, 1931, together with the per cents of change over the month period. In the 38 cities covered by the Federal bureau, reports were re ceived from 6,186 identical contractors who had a total employment for a week ending near November 15 of 61,139 as compared with 67,970 for a similar period in October. While this is a decrease of 10.1 per cent, 8 cities showed increased employment in November over that of October. These increases ranged from 1.8 for Fort Wayne to 18.8 per cent for Salt Lake City. The combined pay roll of all reporting firms for a week ending near November 15 was $1,741,484. This is a decrease of 11.7 per cent when compared with $1,973,158, the amount of pay roll for a similar period ending near October 15. Increased pay rolls are shown in 3 cities. The information for the 5 cities in Pennsylvania covers 1,189 firms whose employment for the week ending nearest November 15 was 9,311 as compared with 10,373 in October. This is a decrease of 10.2 per cent. Combined pay rolls in these 5 cities decreased about the same percentage. When all the information supplied by cooperating State bureaus is combined with that of the Federal bureau, the number of identical firms reporting is increased to 8,214. These firms had a combined total of 83,287 employees for a week ending near November 15 as compared with 92,067 for a similar period in October. This is a decrease of 9.5 per cent. These same firms had a combined pay roll of $2,418,546 for a week ending near November 15, which was 10.5 per cent less than the $2,703,495 reported for a similar period in October. Data concerning the building-construction industry appearing in the following table have not been included in the summary table shown at the beginning of this trend of employment section. The several industrial groups in the summary table are not weighted according to their relative importance, and the bureau’s monthly em ployment survey of the building-construction industry, while being steadily expanded, has not yet attained sufficient volume to repre sent its proper proportion in comparison with the other 15 industrial groups in the summary table. I https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 212 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW C O M P A R IS O N O P E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S I N T H E BUILDING-CON STRUCTION IN D U S T R Y I N I D E N T I C A L F I R M S , O C T O B E R A N D N O V E M B E R , 1931 L o c ality A k ro n ______ ____ _________ A tla n ta . _______________ B irm in g h a m ______________ C h a rlo tte . _____________ C in c in n a ti 1. _ ___________ C le v e la n d _____________ D a lla s . ___________________ D enver _____________ D es M o in e s ______________ D e tro it___ _______ ____ . . . D u lu th ____________________ F o rt W a y n e .. __________ G ra n d R a p id s ___________ H a rtfo rd ___________ . . . H o u sto n _ . ____________ In d ia n a p o lis ______________ Ja c k so n v ille -------------------- . K an sas C ity 2....... ............. L ouisville . . ____________ M e m p h is. ___ ____ ______ M in n e a p o lis ______________ N a s h v ille __________________ N e w H a v e n ______ ____ ___ N e w O rleans . . _______ N o rfo lk -P o rts m o u th . _. . . . O k lah o m a C ity ___________ O m aha. _ _ _________ P o rtla n d , M e ______________ P o rtla n d , O reg ____________ P ro v id e n c e ___________ ____ R ic h m o n d ______ ________ S t. L o u i s .. _______ ______ S alt L a k e C i t y . . ________ S e a ttle ___ . _________ W ash in g to n , D . C ___ _ _ W h e elin g . _ . . . ___ . . . W ic h ita . _________________ W ilm in g to n .. ____________ N um ber of firm s re p o rt ing N u m b e r on p a y roll w eek e n d in g near— O ct. 15 P er cen t of change A m o u n t of p a y roll w eek e n d in g n e a r— O ct. 15 N o v . 15 P er ce n t of change N o v . 15 72 123 71 34 490 436 109 189 67 472 45 101 73 237 92 171 49 218 119 89 225 61 187 124 69 99 109 76 178 224 144 458 83 187 496 52 60 99 867 1,502 719 355 3,651 5,097 990 1,026 682 5,436 203 555 348 2,037 878 1,786 276 2,479 1, 030 1,187 2,593 805 2, 701 2, 649 506 1,576 1,186 669 1,316 2, 521 1,478 4, 010 468 1,748 10,146 300 495 1,699 627 1,342 627 345 3,384 4,074 776 960 705 5,353 209 565 333 2, 025 687 1,509 290 2,151 987 807 2,198 928 2,632 2,073 492 1,320 860 603 1,151 2,586 1,247 3,429 556 1,350 9, 595 324 434 1,605 - 2 7 .7 - 1 0 .7 - 1 2 .8 - 2 .8 - 7 .3 - 2 0 .1 - 2 1 .6 - 6 .4 + 3 .4 - 1 .5 + 3 .0 + 1 .8 - 4 .3 - 0 .6 - 2 1 .8 - 1 5 .5 + 5 .1 - 1 3 .2 - 4 .2 - 3 2 .0 - 1 5 .2 +15. 3 - 2 .6 - 2 1 .7 - 2 .8 - 1 6 .2 - 2 7 .5 - 9 .9 - 1 2 .5 + 2 .6 - 1 5 .6 - 1 4 .5 + 1 8 .8 - 2 2 .8 - 5 .4 + 8 .0 - 1 2 .3 - 5 .5 $22,161 25,804 13,241 7,063 113, 293 179,907 22,901 30,843 18, 335 166,300 4,680 13, 327 8,768 67, 649 19,124 54,837 5,155 SO, 980 22, 667 20,143 72,723 15,804 96,676 55,424 11, 308 39,009 31, 865 20,168 39, 598 71,385 36,060 133,912 11, 548 50, 590 324, 756 7,711 11,719 45, 724 $16,341 23,879 11,994 6,014 104, 206 137,850 17, 305 26,487 17, 086 153, 046 3,854 12, 211 7,742 65,775 15, 397 47,455 5,142 67, 036 20, 450 18, 951 61,452 15, 239 97, 377 41, 985 10,849 30,040 22,174 16, 932 31, 082 70,152 29, 377 117,060 13, 539 38, 625 304,494 7,849 9, 700 45, 337 - 2 6 .3 - 7 .5 - 9 .4 - 1 4 .9 -8 .0 - 2 3 .1 - 2 4 .8 - 1 4 .4 - 6 .0 - 8 .4 - 1 7 .6 - 8 .4 - 1 1 .7 -2 .8 - 1 9 .5 - 1 3 .5 - 0 .3 - 1 7 .2 - 9 .8 - 5 .9 - 1 5 .5 - 3 .6 + 0 .7 - 2 4 .2 - 4 .1 - 2 3 .0 - 3 0 .4 - 1 6 .0 - 2 1 .5 - 1 .7 -1 8 . 5 - 1 2 .6 + 1 7 .2 - 2 3 .7 - 6 .2 + 1 .8 - 1 7 .2 - 0 .8 T o ta l, 38 cities_______ 6,186 67,970 61,139 - 1 0 .1 1,973,158 1, 741, 484 - 1 1 .7 P h ila d e lp h ia 3................ ......... P itts b u rg h 3...................... ....... R ea d in g 3 ...... .............. ....... S cran to n 3................................ . E rie 3___________ ____ _____ 717 313 77 53 29 6, 077 2,967 754 351 224 5,644 2, 502 627 332 206 - 7 .1 - 1 5 .7 - 1 6 .8 - 5 .4 - 8 .0 182,255 101, 083 19,081 10,328 5,683 163,535 89, 301 15,460 8,618 5,103 - 1 0 .3 - 1 1 .7 - 1 9 .0 - 1 6 .6 - 1 0 .2 T o ta l, 5 cities________ 1,189 10, 373 9,311 - 1 0 .2 318,430 282, 017 - 1 1 .4 B a ltim o re , M d .3___________ M a ssa c h u se tts 3............... ....... W isconsin 3 . _____________ 72 700 67 1,416 9,602 2,706 1,478 9,100 2, 259 + 4 .4 - 5 .2 - 1 6 .5 32, 509 312,068 67,330 34,439 306,845 53, 761 + 5 .9 - 1 .7 - 2 0 .2 T o ta l. ______________ 839 13, 724 12,837 - 6 .5 411,907 395, 045 - 4 .1 T o ta l, all lo calities___ 8, 214 92, 067 83, 287 - 9 .5 2,703,495 2,418,546 - 1 0 .5 1 In clu d es C o v in g to n a n d N e w p o rt, K y . 2 In c lu d e s b o th K an sas C ity , K a n s., a n d K an sas C ity , M o. 3 D a ta s u p p lie d b y coo p eratin g S ta te b u reau s. E m p lo y m e n t o n C la ss I S te a m R a ilr o a d s in t h e U n ite d S ta te s HE monthly trend of employment from January, 1923, to October 1931, on Class I railroads—that is, all roads having operating revenues of $1,000,000 or over-—is shown by the index numbers published in Table 1. These index numbers are constructed from monthly reports of the Interstate Commerce Commission, using the monthly average for 1926 as 100. T https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 213 TREND OF EMPLOYMENT T able 1 .— IN D E X O P E M P L O Y M E N T O N C LA SS I S T E A M R A IL R O A D S IN T H E U N IT E D S T A T E S , J A N U A R Y , 1923, T O O C T O B E R , 1931 [M o n th ly average, 1926=100] 1929 1931 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 J a n u a r y ____ _. . . --------------F e b r u a r y .________ ______ . M a rc h ...... ......... . . . . A p r il... . . . . ... ... . M a y ______ . . . ___ __ J u n e _______________________ J u ly ________________________ A u g u s t . ------- . . S e p te m b e r. ----O cto b er __________________ N ovem ber ___ D e c e m b e r-------- ----------- _ _ 98.3 98. 6 100. 5 102.0 105.0 107.1 108.2 109.4 107.8 107.3 105. 2 99.4 96.9 97.0 97.4 98.9 99.2 98.0 98. 1 99.0 99.7 100.8 99. 0 96.0 95.6 95.4 95.2 96.6 97.8 98.6 99.4 99.7 99.9 100.7 99. 1 97.1 95.8 96.0 96.7 98.9 100.2 101,6 102. 9 102. 7 102.8 103.4 101.2 98.2 95.5 95.3 95.8 97.4 99.4 100.9 101. 0 99.5 99. 1 98.9 95. 7 91.9 89. 3 89. 0 89.9 91.7 94.5 95.9 95.6 95.7 95.3 95.3 92. 9 89.7 88.2 88.9 90.1 92.2 94.9 96.1 96.6 97.4 96.8 96.9 93.0 88.8 86.3 85.4 85.5 87.0 88.6 86.5 84.7 83.7 82.2 80.4 77.0 74.9 73.7 72.7 72.9 73.5 73.9 72.8 72.4 71.2 69,3 67.7 104.1 98.3 97.9 100.0 97.5 92.9 93.3 83.5 172.0 A v erag e. . _____ 1928 1930 M o n th i A v erage for 10 m o n th s. Table 2 shows the total number of employees on the 15th day each of October, 1930, and September and October, 1931, and pay-roll totals for the entire months. In these tabulations data for the occupational group reported as “ executives, officials, and staff assistants” are omitted. T a b l e 3 .—E M P L O Y M E N T A N D E A R N I N G S O P R A IL R O A D E M P L O Y E E S , O C T O B E R , 1930, A N D S E P T E M B E R A N D O C T O B E R , 1931 [F ro m m o n th ly re p o rts of I n te rs ta te C om m erce C om m ission. A s d a ta for o n ly th e m ore im p o rta n t occu p a tio n s a re sh o w n se p a ra te ly , t h e g ro u p to ta ls are n o t th e s u m of th e ite m s u n d e r th e resp ectiv e groups! N u m b e r of em ployees a t m id d le of m o n th T o ta l earn in g s O ccupation S ep te m b er, 1931 O ctober, 1931 S etp . 15, 1931 P rofessional, clerical, a n d g e n e ra l.. C le rk s ______ . ____ ___ S ten o g ra p h ers a n d ty p is ts _____ _ 245,494 136, 315 22,676 216,936 117,522 20,267 213, 562 $36, 779,737 $31,555,178 $31, 554,435 115,455 19, 364,157 16, 052, 521 16,187, 748 2,617, 660 19,911 3, 018,560 2,628,693 M a in te n a n c e of w a y a n d s tr u c tu r e s .. L ab o rers, e x tra g ang a n d w o rk tr a in . . . ----------- . . . . . . . _ L a b o rers, tra c k a n d ro a d w a y se c tio n . ---------------------------- . . 337, 056 282,946 264,289 32,438,959 24,754, 216 40,172 28,119 23, 649 3, 085,104 1,817,905 1, 535, 791 177,721 153,824 143,141 12,888,869 9, 735,198 9, 225,986 M a in te n a n c e o fe q u ip m e n t a n d sto res. C arm en . . . . -------------- --- . M a c h in ists______________________ ---------------S killed tra d e s -------L a b o rers (shops, engine houses, p o w er p la n ts , a n d stores) . . . C o m m o n la b o rers (shops, engine h ouses, po w er p la n ts , a n d stores) _____________ ______ 378, 794 79,837 47,960 83,159 326,679 67,628 43,605 71, 268 322,984 67,191 43, 334 70,213 50, 689,803 12,109, 023 7, 568, 749 9,430,801 38,893, 055 9, 008, 210 5, 963, 904 7, 015,639 39,195, 506 9,152, 923 6, 042,693 7,083, 088 31,955 26,908 26,769 3,103, 577 2,403,203 2,459,281 41,123 34,911 34,381 3,227,648 2,412,130 2,432, 201 176, 772 28,471 157,411 27,369 153, 712 27,249 22,872,298 4,658,003 19, 536,232 4, 274,650 19, 560, 726 4, 371,294 21,230 19,117 18, 709 3, 381,008 2,913,544 2,960,458 28,266 23,080 22, 743 2,721, 366 2,077,407 2,116,001 T ra n s p o rta tio n , o th e r th a n tra in , engine, a n d y a r d . . . -------------------S ta tio n a g e n ts .. . ---------- . T e leg rap h e rs, te le p h o n e rs , a n d to w erm en . . . . ------ . . T ru c k e rs (s ta tio n s , w arehouses, a n d p la tfo rm s )____________ . . . C rossing a n d b rid g e flagm en a n d g a te m e n ____________ _________ T ra n s p o rta tio n (y ard m a s te rs ,s w itc h te n d e rs , a n d h o s tle rs)_____________ O ct. 15, 1931 O cto b er, 1930 O ct. 15, 1930 23, 525, 799 19,523 18,885 18,710 1,530,320 1,452,551 1, 442,819 19,625 17,118 16,751 3,883,912 3,205,503 3,192,146 239,128 59,401, 272 45,485,341 47, 608,187 238,028 281,003 T ra n s p o rta tio n , tra in a n d en g in e____ 6, 557, 793 6, 325,606 7, 989,179 27,190 27,196 31,644 R o a d c o n d u c to rs. . ----9, 069, 307 8,632,082 52, 204 52, 466 11,419,115 R o ad b ra k e m e n a n d flagm en___ 61,962 6, 749,894 41, 076 40, 616 8,623,134 6, 379,903 Y a rd b ra k e m e n a n d y a rd helpers 47, 758 8, 753,469 32,087 10, 732,101 8, 385,782 32,013 R o a d engineers a n d m o to r m e n ._ 37,656 6, 325, 617 32, 723 6, 055,605 7, 830,631 38, 239 32, 746 R o a d firem en a n d h e lp e rs _______ A ll em p lo y ees-------- ------------------ 1,438,744 1,239,118 1, 210,426 206,065,981 163,429, 525 164,636, 799 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis WHOLESALE AND RETAIL PRICES R e ta il P r ic e s o f F o o d in N o v em b er, 1931 HE following tables are compiled from simple averages of the actual selling prices1 received monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from retail dealers. Table 1 shows for the United States retail prices of food November 15, 1930, and October 15 and November 15, 1931, as well as the per centage changes in the year and in the month. For example, the retail price per pound of sliced ham was 52.1 cents on November 15, 1930; 44.2 cents on October 15, 1931; and 41.9 cents on November 15, 1931. These figures show decreases of 20 per cent in the year and 5 per cent in the month. The cost of various articles of food combined shows a decrease of 17.5 per cent November 15, 1931, as compared with November 15, 1930, and a decrease of 2.0 per cent November 15,1931, as compared with October 15, 1931. T T 1 .— A V E R A G E R E T A IL P R IC E S O F S P E C IF IE D F O O D A R T IC L E S A N D P E R C E N T O F I N C R E A S E O R D E C R E A S E N O V E M B E R 15, 1931, C O M P A R E D W I T H O C T O B E R 15. 1931, A N D N O V E M B E R 15, 1930 able [P ercen tag e changes of fiv e -ten th s of 1 p e r ce n t a n d over are g iven in w hole n u m b ers] A verage re ta il price on— A rtic le P e r ce n t of increase ( + ) or decrease ( - ) N o v . 15,1931, c o m p ared w ith — U n it N o v . 15, 1930 O ct. 15, 1931 N o v . 15, 1931 Cents Cents Cents N o v . 15, 1930 O ct. 15, 1931 Pound ____do_ ____do. ____do. 43.3 38.1 31.8 24.7 38.6 33.6 28.0 20.7 37.3 32.3 27.3 20.2 -1 4 -1 5 -1 4 -1 8 do. do. do. do. 16.9 32.8 42.1 52.1 13.5 29.3 34.3 44.2 13.3 25.0 32.1 41.9 -2 1 -2 4 -2 4 -2 0 -1 5 -6 -5 L a m b , leg of_______ H e n s _______________ S alm on, red , canned. M ilk , fresh _________ ___ do. ___ do. ___ do. Q u a rt. 31.4 32.6 34.3 14.0 27.5 29.9 30.3 12.0 26.1 29.2 29.9 12.0 -1 7 -5 -1 0 -2 M ilk , e v a p o ra te d __________________ B u t t e r ................................................ ......... O leom argarine (all b u tt e r s u b sti tu te s ). C heese___ ______ ________________ _ L a r d _____ ____ ____ ____ __________ V egetable la rd s u b s titu te __________ E ggs, s tric tly fre s h ................................. B re a d .......................................................... . 16-oz. c a n ____ P o u n d _______ ____d o ________ 9.9 45.4 24.6 8.8 39.9 18.8 8.8 37.4 18.9 -1 1 -1 8 -2 3 +1 ____d o . ____d o . ____d o . D o zen . Pound 33.8 17.5 24.0 48.4 8.5 27.1 12.4 22.7 37.9 7.3 26.8 12.2 22.4 39.7 7.3 -2 1 -1 Sirloin stea k . R o u n d stea k R ib ro a s t___ C h u c k ro a s t. P la te beef___ P o rk chops. B acon, sliced. H a m , slic e d .. -1 3 -1 4 -3 0 -7 -1 8 -1 4 -3 -4 -3 -2 -1 -1 0 0 -6 -2 -1 0 +5 1 I n a d d itio n to m o n th ly re ta il prices of food a n d coal, th e b u re a u p u b lish e s p erio d ically th e prices of gas a n d e le c tric ity for h o u seh o ld u se in each of 51 cities. A t p re s e n t th is in fo rm atio n is bein g collected in J u n e a n d D ecem b er of each year. 214 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 215 WHOLESALE AND R ETA IL PRICES T a b le 1 .—A V E R A G E R E T A I L P R I C E S O F S P E C I F I E D F O O D A R T I C L E S A N D P E R C E N T O F I N C R E A S E O R D E C R E A S E N O V E M B E R 15, 1931, C O M P A R E D W I T H O C T O B E R 15, 1931, A N D N O V E M B E R 15, 1930—C o n tin u e d [P ercen tag e changes of fiv e -ten th s of 1 p er ce n t a n d over are given in w hole num b ers] A verage re ta il price on— A rticle U n it N o v . 15, 1930 O ct. 15, 1931 N o v . 15, 1931 Cents Cents Cents P e r cen t of increase ( + ) or decrease ( - ) N o v . 15,1931, co m p ared w ith — N o v . 15, 1930 O ct. 15, 1931 F lo u r __ _____________ _____ _____ P o u n d ___ C o rn m eal _ . __________ ______ ____ d o ______ R o lled oats —. ____________________ _ _do____ C o rn flakes______ - -_- _ 8-oz. package. W h e a t cereal - - _________________ 28-oz. package. 4.2 5. 2 8.6 9.3 25.3 3.3 4.4 7.9 8.9 23.3 3.3 4.2 7.9 8.8 23.1 -2 1 -1 9 -8 -5 -9 0 -5 0 -1 -1 Pound _ _ . ____ d o ____ _ ____ do_______ ___ _do____ __ d o _____ _ _ 18.9 9.3 10.2 2.9 3.9 16.2 7.8 6.7 1.8 4.3 16.1 7.5 6.4 1.7 4.4 -1 5 -1 9 -3 7 -4 1 +13 -1 -4 -4 -6 +2 C ab b a g e__ _______ _________ . d o _____ P o rk a n d b eans _ . . ..... N o. 2 can C o rn , canned ____ . . ______ _ __do____ _ P eas, ca n n ed ...................... ....... . . . _ _ _ d o ____ 3.4 10. 7 15. 1 15.9 3.2 10.3 12.6 13.7 3.0 10.2 12.1 13.6 -1 2 -5 -2 0 -1 4 -6 -1 -4 -1 T o m ato e s, canned . ___________ S u g ar _ .............. Tea _ _ Coffee_ . . _______ 11.7 5.9 76.9 38.7 9.8 5.6 75.6 32.1 9.7 5.6 75.1 31.8 -1 7 -5 -2 -1 8 -1 0 -1 -1 13. 6 11.5 29. 3 51. 1 11.1 11.4 24. 0 37.2 10. 7 11. 4 -2 1 -1 -1 7 -3 1 M a c a ro n i- _____ _____ . . R ice ____ ________ _____ B ean s, n a v y - ___ ___ . . P o ta to e s - O n io n s _ . . d o . ______ Pound . ____ do __ _ __do___ P ru n e s _________ _____________ _ _ d o . _ ___ ___ d o _____ _ R aisin s - _____ _____ B a n a n a s _________________________ _ D o z e n ______ __ _ d o _______ O ranges . _ ----- . . . _ W eig h ted food index 24 . 4 35.3 —17. 5 -4 0 +2 -5 -2 Table 2 shows for the United States average retail prices of specified food articles on November 15, 1913, and on November 15 of each year from 1925 to 1931, together with percentage changes in November of each of these specified years compared with November, 1913. For example, the retail price per pound of sliced bacon was 27.2 cents in November, 1913; 49.2 cents in November, 1925; 51.0 cents in Novem ber, 1926; 46.3 cents in November, 1927; 44.5 cents in November, 1928; 43.0 cents in November, 1929; 42.1 cents in November, 1930; and 32.1 cents in November, 1931. As compared with November, 1913, these figures show increases of 81 per cent in November, 1925; 88 per cent in November, 1926; 70 per cent in November, 1927; 64 per cent in November, 1928; 58 per cent in November, 1929; 55 per cent in November, 1930; and 18 per cent in November, 1931. The cost of the various articles of food combined showed an increase of 11.3 per cent in November, 1931, as compared with November, 1913. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 216 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW T able 2 .—A V E R A G E R E T A I L P R I C E S O F S P E C I F I E D F O O D A R T I C L E S A N D P E R C E N T O F I N C R E A S E N O V E M B E R 15 O F C E R T A I N S P E C I F I E D Y E A R S C O M P A R E D W I T H N O V E M B E R 15, 1913 [P ercen tag e changes of fiv e -ten th s of 1 p e r c e n t a n d o v er are giv en in w hole n u m b ers] P e r c e n t of increase N o v . 15 of each specified y e a r co m p ared w ith N o v . 15,1913 A verage re ta il prices on N o v . 15— A rticle 1913 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 Cts. Cts. Cts. as. as. as. Cts. Cts. 25.1 22.8 19.8 16.3 12.4 21.5 27.2 26.9 18.5 20. 6 43.3 38.1 31.8 24. 7 16.9 32.8 42. 1 52. 1 31.4 32.6 40.3 34.4 29. 5 21.6 14.1 37.5 49. 2 53.5 38.4 35.8 40. t 35.5 30.2 22. 7 14.7 39.3 51. t 58.4 37.9 37.1 43.5 37.8 31. S 24.5 16.2 36.3 46.3 53. C 37.6 35.6 49.1 43.4 36. S 29. 7 20.8 35.7 44.5 54.6 38. t 38. C 49.3 43.8 36.3 29.4 20.7 35.8 43. C 53. 9 37.9 37.7 37.3 32.3 27.3 20. 2 13.3 25.0 32. 1 41.9 26. ! 29.2 59 51 49 33 14 74 81 99 108 74 61 56 53 39 19 83 88 117 105 80 71 66 61 50 31 69 70 97 103 73 93 90 83 82 68 66 64 103 105 84 94 92 83 80 67 67 58 100 105 83 70 67 61 52 36 53 55 94 70 58 47 42 38 24 7 16 18 56 41 42 36.4 34.7 34.8 32.3 31.9 34.3 29. 9 9.1 14.3 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.0 12.0 57 55 56 57 58 54 32 11.6 11.4 11.5 11.4 10.5 9.9 8.8 38.7 59.7 55.7 56.4 58.3 53.5 45.4 37.4 54 44 46 51 38 17 13 31.2 30.1 27.9 27.6 26.9 24. 6 18.9 22. 5 37.4 36.9 38.6 38. 5 37.8 33.8 26.8 15.9 23.3 21.1 19.5 19. 1 18.0 17.5 12.2 66 47 64 33 72 23 71 20 68 13 50 10 19 1 23 40 68 82 71 33 68 73 65 24 66 64 68 19 63 55 71 27 59 58 71 i3 52 27 68 i 20 30 0 35 31 30 20 13 11 7 i 14 189 122 67 22 111 61 16 22 39 72 31 41 70 33 42 60 26 42 67 24 42 62 9 41 30 4 38 7 25.8 25.6 25.1 24.8 24. 6 24.0 22.4 49.7 69.4 66.0 61.7 59.3 63.3 48. 4 39.7 5.6 9.4 9.4 9.3 9. 1 8.9 8.5 7.3 3.3 6.0 5.7 5.4 5.1 5.2 4.2 3.3 3.1 5.3 5. 1 5.2 5.3 5.3 5.2 4.2 9.2 9.1 9.0 8.9 8.8 8.6 7.9 11.0 10.9 9.7 9.5 9.5 9.3 00 oo S irloin s te a k _ _ p o u n d .R o u n d s te a k ___ d o ___ R ib ro a s t_______d o ___ C h u c k ro a s t____d o ___ P la te beef______ d o ___ F o rk c h o p s_____ d o ___ B acon, sliced ___ d o ___ H a m , slic ed ____ d o ___ L a m b , leg o f___ d o ___ H e n s ___________ d o ___ S alm on, red, ca n n ed --------- -----p o u n d .. M ilk , fresh. . . . q u a r t . . M ilk , e v a p o ra te d . ___ 16-ounce can B u tt e r ----- _ .p o u n d __ O l e o m a r g a r i n e ( a ll b u tte r s u b stitu te s ) .. . ___ p o u n d .. C heese_________ d o ___ L a r d ___________ d o . . . V egetable la rd su b stitu te ... _ pound Eggs, s tric tly fresh — . . ..d o z e n B re a d ________ p o u n d .. F lo u r __________ d o ___ C orn m e a l______d o ___ R olled o a ts ____do._ _ C o rn flakes ,8-ouncc p a c k a g e .. W h e a t cereal 28-ounce pa c k a g e . _ M a c a ro n i. . . . p o u n d . . R ic e ___________ d o ___ B eans, n a v y . . . d o ___ P o ta to e s _______ d o ___ O nions_________ d o ___ C a b b a g e _______ d o ___ P o rk a n d b ean s . . ..N o . 2 c a n .. C orn, c a n n e d __ d o ___ P eas, c a n n e d ., d o . . . T o m ato es, ca n n ed . . ______ N o. 2 c a n .. S ugar, g ra n u la te d -------------------p o u n d .. T e a . . . .............. . . d o ___ Coffee__________d o ___ P ru n e s .................. d o ___ R aisin s ________do__ _ B a n a n a s . ____ d o z e n .O ranges________ d o . . . A ll articles c o m b in e d 2 25. 2 25.4 25.5 25.5 25. 5 25.3 23.1 20.5 20.1 20.0 19.7 19.7 18.9 16. 1 8.7 11. 4 11.3 10.4 9.8 9. 7 9.3 7.5 9.9 9.3 9.5 12.5 13.7 10.2 6. 4 1.8 5.2 4.0 3.0 2.2 3.8 2.9 1.7 5.7 5.0 4.8 6. 5 5.0 3.9 4.4 4. 2 4.0 3.7 4.3 4.2 3.4 3.0 12.3 11.7 11.5 11.7 11.7 10. 7 10.2 17. 1 16.3 15.7 15.9 15.7 15. 1 12.1 18.1 17.3 16.6 16.7 16.6 15.9 13.6 12.9 12.1 11.8 11.9 12.6 11.7 5.4 6.6 7.1 54.5 75.7 77. 1 29.8 51.2 50.8 17.2 16.5 14.2 14.6 34.7 34.9 65.5 55. 1 7.2 77. 5 47.8 14.1 13.8 34.4 53.2 6.8 77.4 49.7 14.0 12.0 33.7 56.5 6.7 77.4 48.3 17.9 12.4 32.7 43.0 5.9 76.9 38. 7 13.6 11.5 29.3 51.1 9.7 5.6 75. 1 31.8 10.7 11.4 24. 4 35.3 59.3 54.2 49. 1 50.0 52.3 34.9 11.3 'D ecrease. 2 B eg in n in g w ith J a n u a ry , 1921, index n u m b e rs show ing th e tre n d in th e re ta il cost of food h a v e b een com posed of th e articles sh o w n in T a b les 1 a n d 2, w eig h ted according to th e c o n su m p tio n of th e average fam ily . F ro m J a n u a ry , 1913, to D ecem ber, 1920, th e index n u m b e rs in c lu d ed th e follow ing articles: Sirloin stea k , ro u n d stea k , rib ro ast, ch u c k roast, p la te beef, po rk chops, bacon, h am , la rd , hens, flour, co rn m eal, eggs, b u tte r, m ilk , b read , p o ta to es, sugar, cheese, rice, coffee, a n d tea. Table 3 shows the trend in the retail cost of three important groups of food commodities, viz, cereals, meats, and dairy products, by years, from 1913 to 1930, and by months for 1929, 1930, and 1931. The articles within these groups are as follows: Cereals: Bread, flour, corn meal, rice, rolled oats, corn flakes, wheat cereal, and macaroni. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 217 W HOLESALE AND RETA IL PRICES Meats: Sirloin steak, round steak, rib roast, chuck roast, plate beef, pork chops, bacon, ham, hens, and leg of lamb. Dairy products: Butter, cheese, fresh milk, and evaporated milk. T able 3 .—I N D E X N U M B E R S O F R E T A I L C O S T O F C E R E A L S , M E A T S , A N D D A IR Y P R O D U C T S F O R T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S , 1913 T O N O V E M B E R , 1931 % [A verage cost in 1913=100.0] Y ear a n d m o n th Cereals M eats 1913: A verage for y e a r . . . . 1914: A verage for y e a r___ 1915: A verage for y e a r___ 1916: A verage for y e a r___ 1917: A verage for y e a r___ 1918: A verage for y e a r___ 1919: A verage for y e a r___ 1920: A verage for y e a r___ 1921: A verage for y e a r___ 1922: A verage for y e a r___ 1923: A verage for y e a r___ 1924: A verage for y e a r___ 1925: A verage for y e a r___ 1926: A v erage for y e a r___ 1927: A v erage for y e a r___ 1928: A v erage for y e a r___ 1929: A v erage for y e a r___ J a n u a r y .. . . . _. _. F e b ru a ry ____ ____ M a r c h .. ___ _ . . _ A p r i l _______________ M a y ... J u n e __ . . . . _____ J u l y ______________ _ A u g u s t_____ . . . S e p te m b e r.. . _ O cto b e r. N o v em b e r ... D ecem b er . _ ____ 100.0 106. 7 121.6 126. 8 186. 5 194. 3 198.0 232. 1 178.8 159. 3 156. 9 160.4 176. 2 175. 5 170.7 167. 2 164.1 164. 1 164.1 164.1 164. 1 163. 5 163. 0 163. 5 164. 7 165.2 163. 5 163. 6 162.9 100.0 103.4 99. 6 108.2 137.0 172.8 184.2 185.7 158.1 150.3 149.0 150. 2 163.0 171.3 169. 9 179.2 188.4 180.9 180.3 182.8 187. 5 191. 2 192. 4 195. 9 196. 0 194. 2 189.2 184.1 181.8 D a iry p ro d u c ts 100. 0 97.1 96.1 103. 2 127.6 153.4 176.6 185.1 149.5 135. 9 147.6 142.8 147.1 145.5 148.7 150.0 148.6 151. 9 152. 6 152. 4 148. 9 147. 5 146. 8 146.8 147.1 148.1 149.3 147.0 144. 9 D a iry p ro d u cts Y ear a n d m o n th C ereals M eats 1930: A verage for y ear J a n u a ry . F e b ru a ry ________ . M a rc h ___ ______ A p ril_______________ M ay_ - - - - J u n e - - _____ - _ . J u ly ------------------------A u g u st-- - ___ S e p te m b e r____ ___ O c to b e r._ __________ N o v e m b e r ____ ____ D e cem b er___ ______ 1931: J a n u a r y ___ ____ .. F e b ru a ry ____ M a r c h .. _______ . . . A p ril M ay Ju n e J u ly A u g u st S ep te m b er O ctober N o v em b e r 158.0 162.9 161.6 160.9 160. 3 159.8 160.1 158. 6 156.9 156.4 154. 4 152.4 151.6 175.8 183.6 183.1 183. 0 183.3 181.5 179.9 175.2 169. 9 173.3 171.1 164.0 161.6 136. 5 138.9 138.5 137.6 138. 9 137.0 133.7 133.9 137.4 138.8 137.8 135.3 129.8 147.1 144. 6 142. 4 138 9 137 7 136 3 134 3 159.5 153.4 152. 5 151 4 149 3 145 7 147 8 149 1 147 7 123.6 120.2 120. 5 lift 5 110 3 108 3 109 0 132 D 130 2 129 8 129.2 111 9 114 3 142 7 117 0 135.4 114.5 In dex N u m b e r s of R e ta il P rices of Food in th e U n ite d S ta te s I n T able 4 index numbers are given which show the changes in the retail prices of specified food articles, by years, for 1913 and 1920 to 1930,2 by months for 1930 and 1931. These index numbers, or relative prices, are based on the year 1913 as 100.0 and are computed by dividing the average price of each commodity for each month and each year by the average price of that commodity for 1913. These figures must be used with caution. For example, the relative price of sirloin steak for the year 1930 was 182.7, which means that the average money price for the year 1930 was 82.7 per cent higher than the average money price for the year 1913. As compared with the relative price, 196.9 in 1929, the figures for 1930 show a decrease of 14.2 points, but a decrease of 7.2 per cent in the year. In the last column of Table 4 are given index numbers showing changes in the retail cost of all articles of food combined. Since January, 1921, these index numbers have been computed from the average prices of the articles of food shown in Tables 1 and 2, weighted according to the average family consumption in 1918. (See March, 1921, issue, p. 25.) Although previous to January, 1921, the number of food articles varied, these index numbers have been so computed as to be strictly comparable for the entire period. The index num bers based on the average for the year 1913 as 100.0 are 119.1 for October, 1931, and 116.7 for November, 1931. 2 F o r in d e x n u m b e rs of each m o n th , J a n u a ry , 1913, to D ecem b er, 1928, see B u lle tin N o . 396, p p . 44 to 61; a n d B u lle tin N o. 495, p p . 32 to 45. In d e x n u m b e rs for 1929 are p u b lish e d in each L a b o r R ev iew , F e b r u a r y , 1930, to F e b ru a ry , 1931. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 218 T able M ONTHLY L A B O R R E V IE W 4 .—I N D E X N U M B E R S O F R E T A I L P R I C E S O F P R I N C I P A L A R T I C L E S O F F O O D B Y Y E A R S , 1913, 1920 T O 1930, A N D B Y M O N T H S F O R 1930 A N D 1931 [A verage for y e a r 1913=100.0] Y e a r an d m o n th 1913___________ 1920___________ 1921___________ 1922___________ 1923___________ 1924___________ 1925___________ 1926___________ 1927___________ 1928___________ 1929___________ 1930___________ J a n u a r y ___ F e b r u a r y ._ M a rc h ____ A p ril______ M a y . ___ J u n e .. . _ J u l y ---------A u g u s t____ S e p te m b e r. O c to b e r___ N o v em b e r. D e c e m b e r. _ 1Q21 • J a n u a r y ___ F e b ru a ry . _ M a rc h ____ A p ril______ M a y . ____ J u n e ______ J u l y ---------A u g u s t____ S e p te m b e r. O c to b e r___ N o v e m b e r. Y e a r an d m o n th 1913___________ 1920__________ 1921 ________ 1922___________ 1923___________ 1924___________ 1925.. __ 1926___________ 1927___________ 1928___________ 1929__________ 1930___ J a n u a r y ___ F e b r u a r y .. M a r c h .. . A p ril______ M a y _____ J u n e ____ _ J u ly ----------A u g u s t____ S e p te m b e r. O cto b e r___ N o v e m b e r. D ecem b er. _ 1031J a n u a r y ___ F e b r u a r y .. M a r c h ____ A p ril______ M a y ______ J u n e ___ _ J u ly ---------A u g u s t ..... S e p te m b e r. O c to b e r___ N o v e m b e r. S irlo in R o u n d R ib C h u c k P la te stea k stea k ro a st ro ast beef P o rk B acon chops H am Lam b, leg of H en s M ilk B u tte r 100.0 172.1 152. 8 147.2 153.9 155.9 159.8 162.6 167.7 188.2 196.9 182.7 192.9 191.3 190.6 190.2 190.2 188.6 182.3 175.6 177.2 175.2 170.5 168.9 100.0 177.1 154.3 144.8 150.2 151.6 155.6 159.6 166.4 188.3 199.1 184.8 195.5 194.2 192.8 193.3 192.8 191.5 184.3 176.7 178.0 176.2 170.9 169.1 100.0 167.7 147.0 139.4 143.4 145.5 149.5 153. 0 158.1 176.8 185.4 172.7 183.3 181.8 181.3 181.3 179.8 177.3 171.7 163.1 166.7 164.1 160.6 159.6 100.0 163.8 132.5 123.1 126.3 130.0 135.0 140.6 148.1 174.4 186.9 *70.0 184.4 184.4 182.5 182.5 179.4 175.6 166.3 155.6 160.0 158.7 154.4 153.8 100.0 151.2 118.2 105.8 106.6 109.1 114.1 120.7 127.3 157.0 172. 7 155.4 172.7 171.9 170.2 168.6 164.5 160.3 149.6 138.8 142.1 142.1 139. 7 139.7 100.0 201.4 166.2 157.1 144.8 146.7 174.3 188.1 175.2 165.7 175.7 171.0 168.1 167.6 171.9 176.7 171.9 174.3 173.8 174.8 186.2 180.5 156.2 149.5 100.0 193.7 158.2 147.4 144.8 139.6 173.0 186.3 174.8 163.0 161.1 156. 7 157.0 157.8 157.8 157.4 156.7 156.7 156.7 155.6 158.1 157.8 155.9 153.0 100.0 206.3 181.4 181.4 169.1 168.4 195.5 213.4 204.5 196. 7 204.1 198.5 199.3 200.7 201.1 200.4 200.7 200.7 200.0 198.1 198.9 197.4 193.7 191.4 100.0 207.9 178.3 193.7 194.2 196.3 204.2 206.3 205.8 208.5 212.2 185. 7 206.9 201.6 193. 7 189.4 189.9 193.7 188.9 178.3 179.9 173.5 166.1 164.6 100.0 209.9 186.4 169.0 164.3 165.7 171.8 182.2 173.2 175.6 186.4 166.7 178.4 179.3 179.8 179.3 175.6 167.6 161.5 158.7 159.6 158.7 153.1 150.2 100.0 187.6 164.0 147.2 155.1 155.1 157.3 157.3 158.4 159.6 160.7 157.3 159.6 158.4 157.3 157.3 157.3 157.3 157.3 157.3 157.3 173.3 157.3 151.7 100.0 183.0 135.0 *25.1 144.7 135.0 143.1 138.6 145.2 147.5 143.9 120.4 121.9 122.7 121.9 125.6 120.9 113.1 114.1 123.8 127.2 124.8 118.5 111.0 167.3 161.4 158.7 157.5 155.5 *52.4 154. 3 155.5 155.1 152.0 ±46.9 168.2 161.0 157.8 156.5 154.7 151.1 154.3 155.2 154. 3 150. 7 144.8 159.1 154.0 153.0 150.0 147.0 142.9 142.9 143.9 142.9 141.4 137.9 152.5 145.6 141.9 139.4 135.6 130.6 130.0 130.0 130.6 129.4 126.3 138.0 131.4 128.1 124.8 119.8 112.4 110.7 109.9 111.6 111.6 109.9 141.9 131.4 140.0 141.4 143.3 140.0 151.4 158.6 153.3 139. 5 119.1 148.9 145.2 143.0 141.1 139.3 136.7 137.0 135.6 134.1 127.0 118.9 188.1 183.3 178.4 175.5 172.9 170.6 171.4 171.4 169.5 164. 3 155. 8 166.1 164.6 164.0 165.6 165.1 161.9 158.7 156.6 152.4 145.5 138.1 153.5 148.8 150.2 153.1 148.8 146.0 144.6 145.1 145.1 140.4 137.1 149.4 ±46.1 144.9 141.6 138.2 ±34.8 136.0 136.0 136.0 134.8 134.8 98.4 94.8 97.4 91.9 81.5 80.7 82.8 89.8 96.1 104.2 97.7 Cheese L a rd E ggs B read F lo u r C orn m eal R ice P o ta S ugar toes 100.0 205.4 176.8 155.4 155.4 157.1 167.9 167.9 166.1 162.5 160.7 155.4 158.9 157.1 157.1 157.1 157.1 157.1 157.1 155.4 155.4 153.6 151.8 151.8 100.0 245.5 175.8 154.5 142.4 148.5 184.8 181.8 166.7 163.6 154.5 142.4 154.5 154.5 151.5 148.5 145.5 145.5 139.4 136.4 133.3 130.3 127.3 124.2 100.0 216.7 150.0 130.0 136.7 156. 7 ±80.0 170.0 173.3 176.7 176.7 176.7 180.0 176.7 176.7 176.7 176.7 176.7 176.7 176.7 176.7 176.7 173.3 173.3 100.0 200.0 109.2 109.2 109. 2 116.1 127.6 133.3 123.0 114.9 111.5 109.2 110.3 110.3 109.2 110. 3 109.2 109.2 109.2 109.2 110.3 109.2 106.9 105.8 100.0 370.6 182.4 164.7 170.6 158.8 211.8 288.2 223.5 158.8 188.2 211.8 229.4 229.4 229.4 241.2 252.9 247.1 194.1 182.4 188.2 182.4 170.6 170.6 100.0 352.7 145.5 132.7 183.6 167.3 130.9 125.5 132.7 129.1 120. 0 112.7 120.0 118.2 116.4 114.5 114.5 110.9 110.9 110.9 107. 3 105.5 107.3 107.3 100.0 134.7 128.1 125.2 127.8 131.4 138.8 141.0 142.5 142.3 142.6 142.5 143.4 143.2 142.8 142.5 142.5 143.0 142.6 142.3 142.1 141.9 141.4 141.4 100.0 157.7 121.8 121.1 126.5 145.3 172.8 171.1 162.1 165.1 164.8 136.2 147.0 143.3 140.6 138.9 137.2 136.2 135.6 134.6 132.6 131.2 129.9 129.2 100.0 203.4 153.3 141.6 146.2 145.9 157.4 160.6 155.4 154.3 156.7 147.1 155.4 153.0 150.1 151.2 150.1 147.9 144.0 143.7 145.6 144.4 141.4 137.2 146.4 142.9 141.1 137.5 137.5 135.7 133.9 132.1 130.4 130.4 130.4 121.2 121.2 118.2 115.2 112.1 112.1 109.1 103.0 170.0 166.7 166.7 163.3 153.3 150.0 150.0 150.0 150.0 146.7 140.0 102.3 102.3 98.9 96.6 95.4 94.3 93.1 93.1 92.0 89.7 86.2 170.6 158.8 158.8 164.7 164.7 141.2 135.3 129.4 117.6 105.9 100.0 107.3 107.3 105.5 103.6 IO1 .8 101.8 101.8 103.6 103.6 101.8 101.8 141.0 140.6 139.7 138.2 136.9 136.8 137.3 138.6 139.3 139.0 138.1 126.8 125.2 121.8 116.1 112.4 111.1 109.1 108.7 108.7 107.7 106.7 132.8 127.0 126.4 124.0 121.0 118.3 119.0 119.7 119.4 119. 1 116.7 100.0 188. 2 153. 9 148.9 167.0 159.7 166.1 165.6 170.1 174.2 171.9 158.8 169.2 167.0 164.7 162.9 162.0 157.9 155.2 153.4 154.8 154.8 152.9 150.2 117.7 115.8 107.6 108.9 108.2 107.0 106.3 105.7 105.1 103.2 104.4 110.8 112.0 110.8 105.7 100.0 197.4 147.5 128.7 134.8 138.6 151.0 140.6 131.0 134.5 142.0 118.8 160.6 136.8 102.3 100.0 97.7 97.4 101.7 112.5 124.9 129.9 140.3 120.6 145.2 141.2 137.1 132.6 124.0 119.9 118.6 119.9 122.2 122.6 121.3 99.4 91.8 89.9 89.9 85.4 82.3 82.3 81.0 79.8 74.5 77.2 104.6 78.8 82.6 79.4 71.9 74.8 82.9 92.5 98.0 109.9 115.1 100.0 186.7 113.9 107.6 112.0 120.3 147.5 138.6 122.2 100.0 100.0 100.0 1 22 articles in 1913-1920; 42 articles in 1921-1931. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Tea A ll a r Coffee ticles 1 219 W HOLESALE AND R ETA IL PRICES The curve shown in the chart below pictures more readily to the eye the changes in the cost of the food budget than do the index numbers given in the table. C o m p a riso n o f R e ta il F o o d C o sts in 51 C itie s T a b l e 5 shows for 39 cities the percentage of increase or decrease in the retail cost of food 3 in November, 1931, compared with the average cost in the year 1913, in November, 1930, and October, 1931. For 12 other cities comparisons are given for the 1-year and the 1-month periods; these cities have been scheduled by the bureau at different dates since 1913. The percentage changes are based on actual retail prices secured each month from retail dealers and on the average consumption of these articles in each city.4 Effort has been made by the bureau each month to have all sched ules for each city included in the average prices. For the month of J A N , FEB. MAR, APR, MAY J U N . J U L , AUG S E P , OCT NOV. DEC, November schedules were received from 99.0 per cent of the firms in the 51 cities from which retail priees of food are collected. Out of about 1,230 food reports 16 were not received—1 each in Boston, Buffalo, Butte, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Peoria, Pittsburgh, Portland (Oreg.), St. Louis, San Francisco, Savannah, and Washing ton, and 2 each in New Orleans and Seattle. Out of about 350 bread reports 3 were missing—1 each in Cincin nati, Columbus, and Jacksonville. A perfect record is shown for the following named cities: Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Bridgeport, Charleston (S. C.), Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fall River, Houston, Indian3 F o r lis t of articles see n o te 2, p . 216. . < T h e co n su m p tio n figures u s e d for J a n u a ry , 1913, to D ecem b er, 1920, for each article m each c ity a re g iv e n in th e L a b o r R ev iew for N o v e m b e r, 1918, p p . 94 a n d 95. T h e c o n su m p tio n figures w h ich h a v e b een u sed for each m o n th b eg in n in g w ith J a n u a ry , 1921, are given in th e L a b o r R ev iew for M a rc h , 1921, p . 26. 91909°—32----- 15 https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 220 MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW apolis, Kansas City, Little Rock, Louisville, Manchester, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Mobile, Newark, New Haven, New York, Norfolk, Omaha, Philadelphia, Portland (Me.), Providence, Rich mond, Rochester, St. Paul, Salt Lake City, Scranton, and Springfield ( 111.). T 5 .—P E R C E N T A G E C H A N G E I N T H E R E T A I L C O S T O P P O O D I N N O V E M B E R , 1931, C O M P A R E D W I T H T H E C O S T I N O C T O B E R , 1931, N O V E M B E R , 1930, A N D W I T H T H E A V E R A G E C O S T I N T H E Y E A R 1913, B Y C I T I E S A N D I N T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S able C ity P e r cent- P ercen tag e decrease N o v e m b e r, 1931, age in c o m p ared w ith — crease N o veinher, 1931, c o m p ared N o v e m O ctober, 1931 w ith 1913 b e r, 1930 U n ite d S ta te s _____ 16.7 17. 5 2.0 A tla n ta B altim o re B irm in g h a m _____ B o s t o n ____ _____ B rid g e p o rt ... . 15. 3 20. 5 13.2 23.9 18.5 17.5 21.2 15.9 15.3 0.0 3. 0 1.2 1.0 2.4 B u ffa lo . _ B u tt e __ - ___ C h a rle s to n , S. C C hicago _ C i n c i n n a t i . . -------- 20. 7 17.5 10.0 18. 1 15. 2 17.8 2. 1 0.7 3.6 1.5 1.9 C le v e la n d _______ C o lu m b u s D a lla s . —. D e n v e r __ D e tro it- —_ -------- 9.0 20.5 19.4 22.4 14. 8 19.2 2.5 2.0 1.2 1.8 4.6 1.3 3.2 3. 1 2.3 2.8 3.4 1 0 .2 2.4 2.0 2.8 19. 1 29. 3 23. 2 10. 5 7. 6 12.6 F a ll R iv e r . ______ H o u sto n . In d ia n a p o lis . Ja c k so n v ille —K an sas C it y ______ 16.0 10. 2 8.4 14.2 18.1 20.9 20.7 19.6 16.7 L ittle R o c k _______ L os A ngeles L o u isv ille . . . M a n c h e s te r _ .. M e m p h is 5.4 8.9 8.2 18.2 6.9 22.5 15. 2 20. 5 15. 9 20. 1 C ity ■M ilw aukee -M in n ea p o lis _ M obile . N e w a rk - ______ N ew H a v e n _______ P e r cent- P ercen tag e decrease N o v e m b e r, 1931, age in c o m p ared w ith — crease N o v em b er, 1931, c o m p ared N o v e m O cto b er, w ith 1913 b e r, 1930 1931 19.3 17.0 18.7 24. 1 N e w O rlean s______ N ew Y o rk ________ N orfolk __ O m a h a ______ ____ P e o r i a ____ - __ 13.2 24.6 P h ila d e lp h ia ---------P itts b u rg h -_ P o rtla n d , M e __ P ortland^ O reg----P ro v id e n c e - -- 24.8 15.8 R ic h m o n d _______ R o ch e ster- __ S t. L o u is __________ S t. P a u l___________ S a lt L a k e C it y ------ 20.2 S an F ran cisc o _____ S a v a n n a h . ......... S c ra n to n __________ S e a ttle ____________ S pringfield , 111____ W ash in g to n ___ _ _ 18.9 8.5 7. 1 24.0 16.5 2.9 25. 5 14.4 25. 1 16.6 18.4 19. 6 15.1 16.0 2.3 2.3 1.8 4.6 1.5 18.8 15.3 18.6 19.4 20. 6 1.3 2.8 1. 5 2.9 1.4 14.3 18.2 14. 6 13.8 14.8 2. 1 1.5 0.3 0 .3 0.4 17.9 18.3 18.1 18.8 15.2 1. 1 1.9 2.7 2.7 1.7 16.9 19.4 15.3 14.5 24.5 16.6 1.2 2.7 1.6 0.9 1.6 2. 5 1 Increase. R e ta il P r ic e s o f C oal in N o v em b er, 19311 ETAIL prices of coal are secured in each of the 51 cities in which retail food prices are obtained. The prices quoted are for coal delivered to consumers but do not include charges for storing the coal in cellar or bins where an extra handling is necessary. Average prices for the United States for bituminous coal and for stove and chestnut sizes of Pennsylvania anthracite are computed from the quotations received from retail dealers in all cities where these coals are sold for household use. The table shows the average prices of coal per ton of 2,000 pounds for the United States on November 15, 1931, in comparison with the average prices on October 15, 1931, and November 15, 1930, together with the percentage change in the year and in the month. R 1 P rices of coal w ere form erly secured se m ia n n u a lly a n d p u b lish e d in th e M a rc h a n d S ep te m b er issues o f t h e L a b o r R ev iew , S ince J u n e , 1920, th e se prices h a v e been secured a n d p u b lish e d m o n th ly . https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 221 WHOLESALE AND RETA IL PRICES A V E R A G E R E T A I L P R I C E S P E R 2,000 P O U N D S O E C O A L E O R T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S A N D P E R C E N T O F C H A N G E O N N O V E M B E R 15, 1931, C O M P A R E D W I T H N O V E M B E R 15, 1930, A N D O C T O B E R 15, 1931 A verage re ta il price on— A rticle P e n n s y lv a n ia a n th ra c ite : S to v e— A verage price p er 2,000 p o u n d s ___ In d e x (1913=100.0)_______ C h e s tn u t— A verage price p er 2,000 p o u n d s ___ In d e x (1913 = 100.0)_____________ B itu m in o u s : A v erage price p er 2,000 p o u n d s ___ In d ex (1913=100.0)_______ P e r ce n t of increase ( + ) or decrease ( —) N o v e m b e r, 1931, c o m p a re d w ith — N o v . 15, 1930 O ct. 15, 1931 N o v . 15, 1931 $15.14 196. 0 $15.00 194. 2 $15. 00 194 2 - 0 .9 0 .0 $14. 90 188. 2 $14. 97 189.1 $14. 96 189.1 + 0 .4 - 0 .1 $8.94 164.6 $8. 22 151. 3 $8.23 151.4 -7 .9 + 0 .1 N o v . 15, 1930 O ct. 15, 1931 C o m p a r is o n o f R e ta il-P r ic e C h a n g e s in t h e U n ite d S t a t e s a n d in F o r e ig n C o u n tr ie s HE principal index numbers of retail prices published by foreign countries have been brought together with those of this bureau in the subjoined table, the base years in all cases being as given in the original reports. As stated in the table, the number of articles in cluded in the index numbers for the different countries differs widely. These results, which are designed merely to show price trends and not actual differences in the several countries, should not, therefore, be considered as closely comparable with one another. In certain instances, also, the figures are not absolutely comparable from month to month over the entire period, owing to slight changes in the list of commodities and the localities included on successive dates. T https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 222 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW IN D E X N U M B E R S O F R E T A IL P R IC E S IN T H E U N IT E D C O U N T R IE S STA TES A N D IN OTHER C o u n try ____ U n ite d S tates C anada B elgium C zecho slovakia D en m a rk F in la n d F ra n c e (except P aris) F ra n c e (P aris) G e rm a n y N u m b e r of lo calities, 51 69 59 E n tire co u n try 100 21 320 1 72 C o m m o d i ties i n c lu d e d ____ 42 foods 29 foods 53 foods 36 foods 13 (11 foods) 13 (11 foods) Foods 56 (foods, 29 foods etc.) G o v ern C en tral M in is try Office of m ent B u re a u D e p a rt B u rea u M in is tr y M in is tr y C o m p u t in g of L a b o r m e n t of of I n d u s S ta tis S ta tis of of L a b o r of L a b o r tr y an d agency ------ S tatistic s L a b o r tics tical D e S tatistic s Labor p a rtm e n t B ase= 1 0 0 ___ 1913 1924 J a n u a r y ____ April J u l y ________ 1913 A p ril, 1914 J u ly , 1914 J u ly , 1914 401 395 401 428 376 380 360 383 127 123 126 134 1130 1137 1145 1165 1 442 i 435 i 451 i 471 408 409 421 433 137 144 154 151 1090 1085 1105 1126 i i i i 503 523 610 647 480 503 574 624 143 142 145 145 156 152 153 152 1092 1069 1102 1156 1 586 i 572 i 553 2 526 592 580 557 520 151 150 157 152 913 905 943 907 152 152 153 146 1126 1119 1155 1183 1 522 2 530 1 536 i 562 530 532 2 ill 2 115 152 151 154 152 856 860 874 894 900 901 925 879 147 150 149 146 1156 1118 1116 1137 2 117 s 118 2 118 2 120 2 122 2 125 2 123 2 124 153 154 156 154 162 161 159 153 152 151 149 145 141 141 140 138 895 890 879 870 867 866 869 872 874 875 872 859 872 865 853 851 852 865 886 857 839 830 818 810 145 1048 1022 1006 975 945 937 969 995 976 944 934 903 2 124 2 121 2 120 2 119 2 120 2 120 2 122 2 127 2 129 2 129 2 131 2 132 150 148 145 143 142 143 146 145 142 140 138 135 134 129 124 121 116 111 110 112 109 846 825 811 808 803 798 789 787 786 798 789 779 780 784 811 798 771 761 127 2 132 2 132 2 131 2 130 2 129 2 128 2 125 2 121 2 119 134 131 130 129 130 131 130 126 125 480 498 493 513 836 829 837 877 154 151 160 162 147 144 143 148 521 506 509 533 899 901 916 875 215 1926 J a n u a r y ____ April J u l y ________ O otobor 164 162 157 160 158 155 151 149 527 529 637 705 854 832 876 888 177 1927 J a n u a r y ------A p r i l -------J u ly ________ O ctober . 159 154 153 156 155 147 149 150 755 774 790 804 914 923 962 907 1928 J a n u a r y ____ A p r il.. ----J u ly ________ O c t o b e r ----- 155 152 153 157 152 148 147 154 813 807 811 834 1929 J a n u a r y ......... A p ril_______ J u ly _______ O c to b e r. — 155 152 158 160 154 150 150 159 155 153 150 151 150 148 144 144 146 144 141 137 133 127 126 124 121 118 119 120 119 1930 J u ly S e p te m b e r—. N o v e m b e r. 1931 M ay Tnly S e p te m b e r.. i F o r succeeding m o n th . https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis O ctober, 1913J u ly , 1914 i i i i 147 138 135 140 F e b ru a ry ___ J u ly , 1914 1089 1035 1052 1156 194 149 141 143 149 1925 Ja n u a ry . April J u ly ________ Jan u ary A u g u st, June, 1914 1914 F ed eral S ta tis tical B u rea u 2 I n gold. 200 210 159 140 137 133 123 119 893 883 879 870 849 842 846 870 844 2 118 2 116 2 127 2 132 2 131 2 128 2 124 2 I n gold; for su cceed in g m o n th . 223 W HOLESALE AND RETA IL PRICES IN D E X N U M B E R S O F R E T A IL P R IC E S IN T H E U N IT E D C O U N T R IE S —C o n tin u e d N e th e r la n d s N o rw a y S w eden (T h e H ague) S w itzer la n d U n ite d K in g dom S o u th A frica I n d ia (B o m b ay ) 49 34 630 9 1 Foods 50 (43 foods, 7 fuel an d light) F oods C en tral B u re a u of S ta tistics C e n tra l B u re a u of S ta tistics Social B o ard Labor Office (revised) M in is t r y of L abor 1921 J u ly , 1914 J u ly , 1914 June, 1914 J u ly , 1914 C o u n tr y ... I ta ly N u m b e r of lo c a litie s. 47 1 C om m od ities in c l u d e d ... 20 foods and c h a r coal Foods C om put in g agen cy— M in is try of N a tio n al E con om y B ase= 1 00_- 1913 1924 J a n u a r y ... A p r il... . . . J u ly _______ O cto b e r___ 1925 J a n u a r y ___ A p ril . . . . J u ly _______ O cto b e r___ 1926 J a n u a r y ___ A p ril ___ J u ly . ----O c to b e r___ 1927 J a n u a r y ___ A p r il... . . . J u ly _______ O c to b e r___ 1928 J a n u a r y ___ A p r i l _____ J u l y _______ O cto b e r___ 1929 J a n u a r y ___ A p ril______ J u l y . . ----O cto b e r___ 1930 J a n u a r y .. _ F e b ru a ry . _ M a r c h ____ A p ril ___ M ay _ J u n e ______ J u ly ___ A u g u st S e p te m b e r. O c to b e r.. . N ovem ber D e c e m b e r.. 1931 J a n u a r y .. . F eb ru ary . M a r c h .. _. A p ril ___ M a y ______ J u n e . . ___ J u ly A ugust S e p te m b e r. ST A T E S A N D IN O T H E R 31 21 foods 24 foods A u s tr a N ew lia Z e alan d 30 17 foods 25 46 foods and 59 foods groceries B u rea u Office of C e n L a b o r of C en Office su s a n d sus an d S ta tis (revised) S ta tis tics tics C en su s an d S ta tis tics Office J u ly , 1914 J u ly , 1914 1914 J u ly , 1914 527 527 538 556 4 82. 5 4 81. 7 4 80.8 4 82.3 230 240 248 264 163 159 159 172 173 169 170 174 175 167 162 172 120 122 117 120 154 143 151 156 155 150 148 146 150 150 148 145 609 606 605 645 4 80.2 4 86.7 4 81.3 4 79.3 277 276 260 228 170 170 169 166 172 169 169 168 178 170 167 172 120 124 120 119 152 153 152 148 148 152 156 157 147 149 151 155 658 633 645 662 4 76.6 4 80. 1 4 73. 5 4 75.7 216 198 198 191 162 158 156 157 165 161 159 160 171 159 161 163 116 119 117 120 151 150 155 153 155 163 159 153 154 151 149 147 629 606 540 530 4 76.3 4 77.0 4 76.5 4 79.5 180 169 175 173 156 151 151 155 158 156 157 159 167 155 159 161 116 119 119 119 155 151 154 148 158 151 152 159 148 145 144 143 531 522 516 536 4 81. 6 4 79. 4 4 76.2 4 75.2 170 171 173 163 153 154 157 153 159 156 157 158 162 155 157 157 119 119 116 115 151 140 143 142 154 154 152 150 147 144 147 149 565 566 558 546 4 76.0 4 72.3 4 74. 5 4 73.1 158 156 157 160 150 150 151 150 157 154 155 158 159 150 149 156 115 119 116 113 146 145 145 147 161 162 160 165 149 147 146 147 156 154 152 152 151 151 151 151 151 150 149 147 145 144 142 140 140 140 140 139 139 137 136 134 155 154 153 152 150 151 152 152 152 152 151 149 157 154 150 143 140 138 141 144 144 143 144 141 112 111 111 113 113 112 109 108 107 108 108 108 145 143 139 138 137 137 136 133 134 127 123 116 153 151 151 151 150 149 147 146 141 138 135 134 146 145 144 144 144 143 143 141 140 139 139 137 145 143 142 141 138 137 138 138 136 133 132 133 132 130 130 130 129 130 148 146 144 142 141 141 140 139 139 138 136 134 129 129 127 130 128 128 108 107 107 107 108 106 104 103 102 111 106 103 104 102 101 100 100 100 135 133 131 131 129 128 125 124 124 135 130 126 125 125 124 548 536 525 522 510 509 507 506 508 513 512 482 463 450 446 446 449 448 142 438 438 69.7 68.8 71.6 69.0 66.8 68.7 62.6 4 F o r second m o n th following. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 224 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW In d ex N u m b e r s o f W h o le s a le P r ic e s in N o v em b er, 1931 HE index number of wholesale prices as computed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor shows a minor decrease for November. This index number, which includes 550 commodities or price series weighted according to the importance of each article and based on the average prices for 1926 as 100.0, was 68.3 for November as compared with 68.4 for October, showing only a fractional per cent of decrease between the two months. When compared with November, 1930, with an index number of 80.4, a decrease of 15 per cent has been recorded. In the group of farm products decreases in the average price of calves, hogs, lambs, live poultry, lemons, oranges, hay, and tobacco T Among foods price decreases were reported for butter, cheese, lamb, fresh pork, bacon, ham, veal, canned salmon, lard, raw and granulated sugar, and canned corn, peas, peaches, and pineapple, resulting in a net decrease of about 2% per cent for the group as a whole. Fresh and cured beef, coffee, oleomargarine, rye and wheat flour, prunes, and corn meal averaged higher than in October. Decreases in the average prices for goatskins and sheepskins, sole leather, and several types of shoes caused the hides and leather products group to decline 1 per cent. No change occurred in other leather products. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis W H O L E S A L E A N D B E T A IL P B IC E S 225 In the group of textile products, cotton goods and woolen and worsted goods recorded further price decreases from October to November. Silk and rayon show no general change, while there was an upward tendency in other textile products. The textile group as a whole declined about 1% per cent. Advancing prices of mid-continent crude petroleum, gasoline, and kerosene forced the index for the fuel and lighting group to advance per cent. Anthracite and bituminous coal and coke showed little or no change between October and November. Up and down fluctuations in the prices of the items composing the metals and metal products group produced little change on the group as a whole, but with a downward tendency. Iron and steel products showed slight change and nonferrous metals, agricultural implements, and automobiles decreased, while other metal products showed no change. Lumber, brick, cement, and other building materials continued their downward movement in November. No change was shown for structural steel while a minor increase was reported for paint materials. The group as a whole showed a decrease of less than one-half of 1 per cent. Minor price recessions during November occurred in drugs and pharmaceuticals and fertilizer materials, while chemicals and mixed fertilizers advanced slightly. An increase of nearly 1 per cent was shown for the chemicals and drug group. Both furniture and furnish ings in the group of house-furnishing goods continued to decline in the month. Prices of cattle feed rose sharply during the month and paper and pulp advanced slightly. Crude rubber and other miscellaneous articles showed minor decreases, with no change reported in the price of automobile tires. The group as a whole showed an increase of over 1 per cent. Raw materials as a whole averaged higher than in October while semimanufactured articles and finished products averaged lower. In the large group of nonagricultural commodities, including all articles other than farm products, the November prices showed a downward movement from those of the month before, while the group of all commodities other than farm products and foods showed an upward tendency. Between October and November decreases took place in 119 in stances, increases in 151 instances, while in 280 instances no change occurred. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 226 MONTHLY LAB OK REV IEW IN D E X N U M B E R S O F W H O L E S A L E P R IC E S B Y G R O U P S A N D S U B G R O U P S O E C O M M O D I T I E S (1926=100.0) G ro u p s a n d sub g ro u p s N ovem ber, 1930 O cto b er, 1931 P u rch asin g N o v em b e r, p o w er of th e d o llar 1931 N o v em b er, 1931 All commodities_________ _________ 80.4 68.4 68.3 $1.464 Farm products__________ _____ ________ Grains_____ _____________ _________ Livestock and poultry_______________ Other farm products............. .................. . 79.3 64.0 77.7 85.4 58.8 44.3 57.6 64.2 58.7 51.3 55.7 63.1 1.704 1.949 1.795 1.585 Foods......... ...................................................... Butter, cheese, and milk_____________ M eats_____________________________ Other foods________________________ 85.7 95.8 91.4 78.4 72.6 86.4 71.1 67.7 70.9 80.9 67.7 68.5 1.410 1.236 1.477 1.460 Hides and leather products......... .............. . Hides and skins_____________________ Leather____________________________ Boots and shoes_____________________ Other leather products_______________ 94.0 75.1 93.3 100.3 104.2 82.2 50.0 80.7 93.1 101.0 81.3 49.0 78.8 92.5 101.0 1.230 2.041 1.269 1.081 .990 Textile products____________ ___________ Cotton goods.____ ____ ______________ Silk and rayon______________________ Woolen and worsted goods____________ Other textile products............... ........ ....... 73.3 81.9 50.7 83.2 57.9 61.5 66.2 43.9 72.4 47.3 60.7 64.7 43.9 71.9 47.4 1.647 1. 546 2. 278 1.391 2.110 Fuel and lighting materials______________ Anthracite coal.____________________ Bituminous coal________ ____________ C o k e..____________________________ Gas_______________________________ Petroleum products____________ _____ 71.8 89.6 89.1 83.9 97.0 53.3 63.4 94.2 83.6 81.5 100.8 39.2 65.0 94.2 83.7 81.4 (>) 42.5 1.538 1.062 1.195 1.229 2.353 Metals and metal products.._____________ Iron and steel______________________ Nonferrous metals___________________ Agricultural implements______________ Automobiles________________________ Other metal products________________ 90.2 88.3 68.4 94.9 99.8 98.0 86.5 86.2 53.7 92.3 99.7 90.5 86.2 86.0 53.5 92.1 99.4 90.5 1.160 1.163 1.869 1.086 1.006 1.105 Building materials______________________ L um ber.___________________________ Brick______________________________ Cement____________________________ Structural steel______________________ Paint materials_____________________ Other building materials_____________ 85.6 80.1 81.8 91.1 81.7 74.4 97.8 74.3 64.5 79.9 75.1 81.7 63.8 88.6 74.0 64.2 79.5 74.6 81.7 64.6 88.1 1.351 1.558 1. 258 1.340 1.224 1.548 1.135 Chemicals and drugs____________________ Chemicals__________________________ Drugs and pharmaceuticals___________ Fertilizer materials____________ ______ Mixed fertilizers_____________________ 85.2 89.2 66.3 82.1 91.1 74.1 77.7 61.1 70.2 77.2 74.7 78.8 60.7 70. 1 77.7 1.339 1. 269 1.647 1.427 1.287 House-furnishing goods__________________ Furniture__________________________ Furnishings_____________________ 95.2 96.5 94.0 83.2 84.7 82.0 83.1 84.5 81.8 1.203 1.183 1. 222 Miscellaneous__________________________ Cattle feed_________________________ Paper and pulp_____________________ Rubber____________________________ Automobile tires____________________ Other miscellaneous__________________ 67.8 83.0 83.5 18.6 51.3 88.9 59.0 49.4 80.4 10.2 45.7 77.9 59.7 59.8 80.8 9.6 45.7 77.7 1.675 1. 672 1.238 10. 417 2.188 1.287 Raw; materials__________________________ Semimanufactured articles_______________ Finished products_______________________ Nonagricultural commodities_____________ All commodities less farm products and foods. 76.8 75.6 83.7 80.9 80.1 61.5 64.7 73.7 71.2 71.4 62.0 64.4 73.2 71.0 71.8 1. 613 1. 553 1.366 1.408 1.393 1 D a ta n o t y e t available. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis IMMIGRATION AND EMIGRATION S t a t is t ic s o f I m m ig r a t io n fo r O c to b e r , 1931 B y J. J. K u n n a , C h i e f S t a t is t ic ia n , U n it e d S t a t e s B u r e a u of I m m ig r a t io n URING October 3,913 immigrant aliens were admitted to the United States. This was a decrease of 1,104, or 22 per cent, as compared with the preceding month, and of 10,029, or 71.9 per cent, as compared with the number for October, 1930. The nonimmigrant aliens admitted also showed a decline since a year ago, the number for this class dropping from 23,304 to 17,096, or 26.6 per cent. Most of the decrease is accounted for by a falling off, for the immigrants, in the number of arriving quota aliens from 9,075 to 1,462; and for the nonimmigrants, in the number of returning residents, from 14,053 to 9,601, and of manifested visitors from 5,802 to 4,101. Immigration during the first four months of the current fiscal year (July to October) showed a decline of 43,679, or 73 per cent, from that for the same months of last year, the number dropping from 59,873 to 16,194. The decrease for Europe was 28,164, or 76.3 per cent, while that from Canada was 10,904, or 72.4 per cent, and from Mexico 1,008, or 57.4 per cent. In direct contrast to last year, seven alien residents of the United States are now leaving for intended future permanent residence in Europe for every three newcomers from that continent coming here for permanent residence, whereas a year ago the departures and arri vals were in the ratio of 3 to 7. From July to October last, 19,194 emigrant aliens departed to and 8,741 immigrants were admitted from Europe, as against 12,978 departures and 36,905 admissions in the same period last year. The women continue to outnumber the men among the new arrivals, about eight females now entering the country for every five males. In the four months from July to October, 1931, the female immigrant aliens admitted numbered 9,839 and the male 6,355. The admitted immigrants of the most productive years, from 16 to 44 years, were in the majority, as has long been the case, with a total of 10,416. There were 2,715 in the group ranging in age from 16 to 21; 4,103 ranging from 22 to 29; 2,460 from 30 to 37; and 1,138 from 38 to 44; while the remainder included 3,172 under 16 years of age and 2,606 over 44 years. The single immigrants numbered 8,153 and the mar ried 7,049, while 932 were widowed and 60 divorced. During the corresponding months a year ago, 33,758 of the immigrants were females and 26,115 males, a ratio of 9 to 7; 43,244 ranged in age from 16 to 44 years, 9,811 were under 16, and 6,818 were 45 years of age and over; 38,032 were single, 19,308 married, and 2,533 widowed or divorced. The vast majority of immigrants were admitted at Atlantic seaports, the number totaling 10,099 for the four months from July to October, 1931. New York accounts for 9,201 of this total, mostly arrivals from. Europe, and, with the exception of 425 arriving at Boston and 204 D https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 227 228 MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW at Providence, the various other Atlantic ports show nominal figures. At Gulf of Mexico ports only 308 immigrants were admitted; at San Francisco and other Pacific ports the respective figures were 561 and 458. Over the Canadian border 4,087 immigrants were admitted, and over the southern land border the number was 681. Of the 16,194 immigrants admitted in the four months ended Octo ber 31 last, 2,434 were English, 2,228 were Italian, 1,779 were German, 134 were French, 1,020 were Scotch, and 1,006 were Hebrews. These six groups comprised about three-fifths of the total. I N W A R D A N D O U T W A R D P A S S E N G E R M O V E M E N T , J U L Y T O O C T O B E R , 1931 O u tw a rd In w a rd P erio d 1931 J u l y _________ A u g u s t... _ S e p te m b e r.. O ctober - _ __ A liens A liens d e d e U n ite d A lien s d e p a rte d A liens a d m itte d p o rte d b a rred S tates U n ite d after from c iti T o ta l e n te r S tates e n te r zens citizens T o ta l ing 1 E m i N o n N on ing 2 Im m i im m i T o ta l arriv ed e m i T o ta l d e g ra n t g ra n t g ra n t p a rte d g ra n t 3,174 4,090 5, 017 3,913 12,361 16, 580 20,940 17, 096 15,535 20,670 25,957 21, 009 30, 944 59, 372 62,581 32,427 46,479 80, 042 88, 538 53,436 T o ta l___ 16,194 66,977 83,171 185, 324 268,495 74,839 98,445 71, 373 62, 398 1,681 1,584 1,446 1, 663 2,908 36,559 80,377 116,936 190,119 307, 055 6, 374 761 7,428 657 9, 541 684 8, 733 806 10,857 20,450 23,009 20, 393 16, 525 27,878 32, 550 29,126 27,382 46, 961 65,895 42, 247 35, 016 1 T h e se aliens are n o t in c lu d e d am ong arriv als, as th e y w ere n o t p e rm itte d to e n te r th e U n ite d S tates. 2 T h e se aliens are in c lu d e d am ong aliens d e p a rte d , th e y h a v in g e n te re d th e U n ite d S tates, leg ally o r illegally, a n d la te r b ein g d e p o rte d . https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis PUBLICATIONS RELATING TO LABOR O fficia l— U n ite d S t a te s A r iz o n a 31 .— In d u stria l Com m ission. F ift h a n n u al [P h o e n i x , re p o rt. 1 9 3 1 .] pp. R eview ed in th is issue. Ca l if o r n ia 1930. .— D e p a rtm e n t of In d u s tria l R elations. S a c ra m e n to , 1 9 3 1 . F ir s t b ie n n ia l re p o rt, 1927- 2 0 J+ p p . , c h a r t s . C ertain d a ta from th is rep o rt, relatin g to th e collection of u n p aid wages, th e cost of filling jobs by th e S ta te em p lo y m en t agencies, a n d to w o rk m en ’s com pensation are given in th is issue of th e L ab o r Review. -------------- S p e c i a l and 1930, B u lle t in to g e th e r S a c ra m e n to , 1 9 3 1 . K N o. w it h 4a U n io n s c a le s o f w a g e s a n d d ir e c t o r y of C a lif o r n ia 1929 t r a d e - u n io n s . 72 pp. — Com m ission of L abor a n d In d u stry . p a rtm e n t. A n n u a l r e p o r t , f o r f i s c a l y e a r W orkm en’s C om pensation D e a n sa s. 1931. h o t ir s o f la b o r , r e p o r tin g e n d in g Ju n e 30, 1931. Topeka, 28 pp. R eview ed in th is issue. N J ew ersey . — D e p a rtm e n t o f C o m m is s io n e r o f B a n k in g B anking a n d Insurance. and A n n u a l I n s u r a n c e , r e la t iv e to s a v in g s p a n ie s , a n d S t a t e b a n k s o f d is c o u n t a n d re p o rt banks, of tru st th e com d e p o s it , p r iv a t e b a n k e r s , c r e d it u n io n s , p r o v id e n t lo a n a s s o c ia t io n s , a n d s m a ll lo a n b r o k e r s , f o r th e y e a r e n d in g D e c e m b e r 31, 1930. T re n to n , 1 9 3 1 . I f9 pp. T he re p o rt on cred it unions covers 14 such organizations, w hich m ade loans d u rin g 1930 am o u n tin g to $151,594, to 1,523 borrow ers. T he am o u n t of th e larg est loan w as $500 an d of th e sm allest $100. N Y ew in ork a . — B oard of H ousing. m o d e l h o u s in g R e p o r t o n th e s t a n d a r d p ro je c t, th e A m a lg a m a t e d H o u s in g o f liv in g of 400f a m C o r p o r a t io n , by ilie s A sh er A c h in s t e in . [ A l b a n y ?] 1 9 3 1 . 93 pp. R eview ed in th e D ecem ber, 1931, issue of th e L ab o r Review from a n adv an ce su m m ary of th e rep o rt. ------ G overnor’s Com m ission on U n em ploym ent Problem s for th e S ta te of New Y ork. L e s s u n e m p l o y m e n t t h r o u g h s t a b i l i z a t i o n o f o p e r a t i o n s . [A l b a n y ?] 1 9 3 1 . 1 3 0 p p ., c h a rts . R e v is e d e d it io n . (D is t r ib u t e d b y N e w Y o r k I n d u s t r ia l C o m m is s io n e r , 8 0 C e n tr e S tre e t, N e w Y o rk C it y . ) R ep o rt to th e G overnor of New Y ork, review ing th e causes of u n em p lo y m en t a n d th e m easures ad o p te d to co m b at it, a n d including detailed in fo rm atio n on th e experience of som e p ro m in e n t business firm s in estab lish in g stab ilizatio n a n d em ploym ent benefit policies. O regon . — G overnor’s jo r it y and m in o r it y In te rim C o m m ittee on W orkm en’s C om pensation. re p o rts . [ S a le m ! ] 1 9 3 1 . M a 2 3 a n d 2 7 p p ., c h a rts . B ound w ith th is re p o rt are th e a c tu a ry ’s re p o rt to th e com m ittee ap p o in te d to in v estig ate affairs of th e Oregon In d u s tria l A ccident C om m ission a n d th e re p o rt a n d recom m endations of th e S ta te in d u stria l accid en t com m ission to th e govern o r’s com m ittee on w orkm en ’s com pensation law. R eview ed in th is issue. P orto R 1931. ic o .— In d u s tria l 40 C om m ission. A n n u a l re p o rt, 1 9 3 0 -3 1 . S a n pp. R eview ed in th is issue. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 229 Ju a n 230 U MONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W n it e d Sta Ju n e tes. 30, — B oard of M ediation. 1931. W a s h in g to n , R eview ed in th is issue. ------- Congress. S enate. o f c o a l in d u s t r y . D ocum ent to in q u ir e 36 N o. E x tra c ts fro m W a le s , a p p o in t e d A n n u a l re p o rt, f o r 1931. in t o (7 1 s t 323 re p o rt th e D o m e s tic C o m m e rce . c o a l in d u s t r y , W a s h in g to n , -------D e p a rtm e n t of C om m erce. D o m e s tic C o m m e rce G u lf S o u th w e s t, by S e r ie s E lm a C o n g ., S d s e s s . ) : o f th e r o y a l c o m m is s io n to g e th e r [ U n ite d s p e c ia l c ir c u la r N o . 7 4 4 , m in e r a ls d iv is io n , and th e f is c a l y e a r ended pp. 1931. S ta te s] 43 S t a b iliz a t io n o f N ew w it h S o u th e x tra c t fr o m B u re a u o f F o r e ig n PP- B u reau of F oreign a n d D om estic C om m erce. N o. S. 49: C o tto n M o u lt o n . p r o d u c t io n and W a s h in g to n , d is t r ib u t io n 1931. 311 in p p ., th e m aps, c h a rts . C ontains sections on cooperative c o tto n ginning, w ages a n d hours of la b o r in gins, cooperative m ark etin g , a n d la b o r supply. -------------- B ureau of M ines. C o a l i n 1 9 2 9 , b y F . G . T r y o n a n d L . M a n n . W a s h in g t o n , 1931. 6 7 3 -8 5 8 .) ( M in e r a l R e so u rce s o f th e U n ite d S ta te s, 1929, P a rt I I , pp. C h a rts . Includes d a ta on n u m b er of m en em ployed, d ay s w orked b y th e m ines, le n g th of w orking-day, o u tp u t p er m an, lab o r disputes, a n d prices of coal. ------ D e p artm en t of L abor. N i n e t e e n t h a n n u a l r e p o r t o f t h e S e c r e t a r y o f L a b o r , f o r th e f is c a l y e a r e n d e d J u n e 30, 1931. R eview ed in th is issue. -------------- B ureau of Im m ig ratio n . 1931. W a s h in g to n , 1 9 3 1 . A n n u a l 286 W a s h in g to n , 1 9 3 1 . ---------------------- B u lle t in W a s h in g to n , 1 9 3 1 . ---------------------- B 59 u lle t in N o. 25 f is c a l year pp. ended Ju n e 30, A n n u a l re p o rt, f is c a l y e a r e n d e d J u n e 30, pp. 541: 923 re p o rt, 148 pp. -------------- B ureau of L ab o r S tatistic s. 1931. W a s h in g to n , 1 9 3 1 . H andbook of la b o r s t a t is t ic s , 1931 e d it io n . pp. N o. 552: Lab o r le g is la t io n , 1930. W a s h in g t o n , 1931. pp. T his bulletin con tain s th e F ed eral a n d S ta te lab o r legislation e n acted in 1930, a n d is linked u p w ith th e com pilations for previous y ears th ro u g h th e cu m u lativ e index w hich is a p a rt of th e bulletin. --------------------- Bulletin No. 554: Labor legislation of Paraguay. 1931. ------------------------B u lle t in Ja p a n , by A sa N o. 558: M a ts u o k a . Lab o r W a s h in g to n , 1 9 3 1 . -------------- C hildren ’s B ureau. 30, 1931. 30, 1931. T h ir t e e n t h o f e d u c a t io n e d u c a t io n , n u a l by w om en and c h ild r e n in of E cu a d o r. re p o rt, f is c a l year W a s h in g t o n , ended Ju n e 30, J . a n n u a l re p o rt, f is c a l year ended Ju n e ended Ju n e 68 pp. a n n u al re p o rt, f is c a l year 30 pp. ------ D e p a rtm e n t of th e In te rio r. C o m m e r c ia l of 102 pp. le g is la t io n N in e t e e n t h W a s h in g to n , 1 9 3 1 . B ie n n ia l s u rv e y 1931. 40 pp- W a s h in g to n , 1 9 3 1 . -------------- W om en’s B ureau. c o n d it io n s W a s h in g t o n , ---------------------- B u l l e t i n N o . 5 5 9 : L a b o r 1931. 36 pp. --------------B ureau of N a tu ra liz a tio n . A n 1931. Washington, 19 pp. Office of E d u catio n . in th e O. U n ite d M a lo t t . S ta te s, B u lle t in , 1 9 2 8 —1 9 3 0 . W a s h in g to n , 1931. 1931, N o. C h a p te r 48 p p • 20: V (A .— d v a n c e p a g e s o f V o l. I .) T he enrollm en t in business courses o u tstrip s th a t in a n y o th e r vocatio n al train in g field, exceeding 1,000,000. F u rth e r im p ro v em en t of th e com m ercial tra in in g program depends, th e b u lletin p o in ts o u t, on cooperation b etw een b u si ness leaders a n d o u tsta n d in g business educators. -------F ederal B oard fo r V ocational E d u catio n . B u l l e t i n N o . 1 5 9 , G e n e r a l S e r i e s N o . 4 : V o c a t io n a l t r a in in g a n d u n e m p lo y m e n t . A d i s c u s s i o n o f t h e q u e s t i o n —• W hat s e r v ic e u n e m p lo y e d https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis ? can th e p u b lic p ro g ra m W a s h in g to n , 1 9 3 1 . 29 o f pp. v o c a t io n a l e d u c a t io n re n d e r to th e 231 PUBLICATIONS RELATING TO LABOR O fficia l— F o r e ig n C o u n tr ie s A (N m sterdam . — A fdeeling eth erla n d s) Algemeene Secretarie en A rbeidszaken. V e r s la g o m ir e n t d e b e m o e iin g e n d e r g e m e e n te A m s t e r d a m in a r b e id s z a k e n en de [A m s t e r d a m , 1 9 3 1 1 ] 1 2 0 p p . C o n tain s in fo rm atio n in reg ard to th e relief given to u nem ployed w orkers by th e c ity of A m sterdam in 1930, including ordinances a n d regulations, relief organization, an d financial statem en ts. v e r z e k e r in g te g e n w e r k lo o s h e id i n B (G rem en F r e ie n erm any ) 1930. .— S tatistisch es L an d esam t. H a n s e s ta d t B re m e n , 1 9 3 1 . B re m e n , S t a t is t is c h e s 1931. 158 p p ., Ja h rb u ch der m aps. T he sta tistic a l in fo rm atio n given in th is yearbook for th e city of B rem en, G erm any, includes d a ta on housing a n d la n d ow nership, prices a n d consum ption, cooperation, social insurance, em p lo y m en t a n d unem ploym ent, w elfare w ork, etc., for 1930 an d earlier years. C h in a .-—M in istry of F inance. p r ic e in d e x n u m b e r s , b y { S t a t is t ic a l S e r ie s N o. N atio n al T ariff Com m ission. T. Sheng. V I.) In S h a n g h a i, 1 9 3 1 . C h in e s e a n d T h e r e v is io n o f th e V a r io u s p a g in g , c h a r t s . E n g lis h . P a r t 1 covers w holesale prices a n d p a r t 2, im p o rt a n d ex p o rt prices, in S hanghai. F r a n c e .— M inistère du T ra v a il e t de la P révoyance Sociale. L e s a c c id e n t s d u t r a v a il, 1 9 2 8 . P a r is , 1931. S3 pp. T he re p o rt of th e F ren ch M in istry of L ab o r on in d u stria l accidents a n d th e o p eration of th e w orkm en’s com pensation law , in 1928. —— ------ T e x t e o f f i c i e l e t c o m p l e t d e l a l o i s u r l e s a s s u r a n c e s s o c i a l e s . P a r i s [ 1 9 3 0 ] 4 -1 p p - T h e official te x t of th e F ren ch social insurance law of April 5, 1928, as modified or am ended b y th e law of A pril 30, 1930. G e r m a n y .— R eichsarb eitsm in isteriu m . J a h r e s b e r ic h t e d e r G e w e r b e a u fs ic h t s b e a m te n u n d B e rg b e h ö rd e n f ü r d a s J a h r 1 9 3 0 . B e r lin , 1 9 3 1 . 3 v o ls . A nnual re p o rts of fa c to ry a n d m ine insp ecto rs in th e v ario u s G erm an S tates for 1930, including info rm atio n on accid en t p rev en tio n , h o u rs of labor, condition of w ork places, activ ities of com m ittees on hom e work, etc. G r e a t B r i t a i n .— M in istry of L abor. R e p o r t o f t h e a d v i s o r y c o m m i t t e e o n d r a f t r e g u la t io n s , r e q u ir e d a c t, 1 9 3 1 , to be l a i d -------------- T h e an by s e c t io n u n e m p lo y m e n t a d v is o r y {6) p r o b le m c o m m is s io n Lon don , 1931. 1 o f th e b e fo re P a r lia m e n t . 101 in u n e m p lo y m e n t London, G e rm a n y . a p p o in t e d by th e 1931. in s u r a n c e 12 T r a n s la t io n F e d e ra l {N o. 3) pp. o f th e [G e rm a n ] re p o rt of G o v e rn m e n t. pp. T h e first p a r t of th e re p o rt of th e com m ission (G utachterkom m ission zur A rbeitslosenfrage) w as review ed briefly in th e L abor R eview for A ugust, 1931 (p. 20). ------ — —C o m m itte e of In q u iry on P o rt L abor. R e p o r t . L o n d o n , 1 9 3 1 . 92 pp. G reater S G re a te r S h a n g h a i, C h in e s e a n d I (C hanghai h in a ) . — B ureau 1930. G re a te r of Social Affairs. S h a n g h a i, 1931. S t r ik e s [ V a r io u s and lo c k o u t s , p a g in g . ] In E n g lis h . S tatistics from th is re p o rt are given in th is issue of th e L ab o r Review . .— B ureau de S tatistiq u e. A n n u a ir e s t a t is t iq u e d e V is la n d e , 1930. celand k ja v ik , 1 9 3 1 . Rey 150 pp. Includes statistic s of p o p u latio n , prices, cooperative societies, social insurance, etc. T he ta b le of co n ten ts a n d th e ta b le h ead s are in b o th Icelandic a n d F rench. L eague of N a t i o n s .— P r o c e e d in g s o f th e v ie w to c o n c e r t e d e c o n o m ic a c t io n . 1 7 to 2 8 , 1 9 3 0 . M a rch 16 to G eneva, 1931. 18, B o s to n , A m e r ic a n https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 1931. a g e n t.) secon d in t e r n a t io n a l c o n fe re n c e F i r s t s e s s io n , h e ld a t G e n e v a f r o m 275 pp. G eneva, 1931. w it h a N ovem ber S e c o n d s e s s io n , h e ld a t G e n e v a f r o m 38 pp. ( W o r ld Peace F o u n d a t io n , 232 L MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW eague N of a t io n s . d e p r e s s io n . A m e r ic a n — Com m ission of E n q u iry for E u ro p ean U nion. G eneva, 1931. 16 p p ., c h a r ts . (W o r ld E c o n o m ic P e a c e F o u n d a tio n , B o s to n , a g e n t.) S t r a it s S e t t l e m S in g a p o r e , en ts .— L abor 1931. 3 4 D e p a rtm e n t. A n n u a l rep o rt fo r th e year 1930. pp. Includes d a ta on w ages a n d lab o r conditions in th e S tra its S ettlem ents. S w it z e r l a n d s u is s e e n .— D é p a rte m e n t V année 1930. m iq u e , F éd éral de l ’É conom ie Publique. m a tiè r e d e r é g le m e n ta tio n d u B e rn e , A u g u s t, 1 9 3 1 . A o û t, tr a v a il et d ’a s s u r a n c e s L a lé g is la tio n so c ia le s 1 3 2 p p . (1 2 e s u p p lé m e n t a u L a p endant V ie É c o n o 1 9 3 1 .) T his volum e co n tain s th e Swiss F ed eral a n d can to n a l legislative e n actm en ts during 1930 relativ e to th e reg u latio n of labor an d to social insurance. Unofficial Am S o c ie t y e r ic a n r e fr ig e r a tio n . R of N ew E e f r ig e r a t in g Y o rk, 37 n g in e e r s . S a fe ty W e s t 3 9 th S tr e e t, 1 9 3 0 . code fo r m e c h a n ic a l 29 pp. R eview ed in th is issue. A Standards m e r ic a n A m e r ic a n 17 A s s o c ia t io n recom m ended . S a fe ty p r a c tic e . N ew code fo r Y o rk, coal 29 m in e W est tr a n s p o r ta tio n , 3 9 th S tr e e t, 1931. pp. R eview ed in th is issue. B leg en , T fie ld , B ogart, E C. heodore M in n ., rn est N o r w e g ia n m ig r a tio n to A m e r ic a , 1 8 2 5 -1 8 6 0 . N o r w e g ia n - A m e r ic a n H is to r ic a l A s s o c ia tio n , L h is to r y th e udlow Y o rk, L o n g m a n s, . G reen E c o n o m ic & C o ., 1 9 3 1 . 797 o f N o r th - 1931. A m e r ic a n 413 p p . p e o p le . N ew p p ., m a p s , c h a r ts . T h e th re e p a rts in to w hich th e volum e is divided cover, respectively, colonial developm ent, 1492-1783; th e w estw ard m ovem ent, 1783-1860; a n d in d u stria li zation, 1860-1930. B u eh ler H . C h en , , W . E. C., C om piler. W ils o n T a. m e n t: S tu d y A C o m p u ls o r y C o ., 1 9 3 1 . o f th e p r e lim in a r y tu te o f S c ie n tific 295 p p . u n e m p lo y m e n t (T h e a p p lic a b ility o f su rvey S h a n g h a i o f th e M a n a g e m e n t, 1 9 3 1 . th e fa c to r y 91 in s u r a n c e . R e fe r e n c e S h e lf, act a rea . o f N ew V o l. th e Y o rk, V II , N o . 6 .) C h in e s e G overn S h a n g h a i, C h in a In s ti p p . An effort to discover th e general situ a tio n in reg ard to th e m a tte rs w ith which th e facto ry law deals, for exam ple, th e hours now w orked, th e q uestion of th e p resen t feasibility of abolishing m id n ig h t labor, a n d th e a m o u n t of ad d itio n al cost in d u stry in C hina can c arry w ith o u t losing its m ark ets. F ang, F u-an. C h in e s e la b o r: A n e c o n o m ic c o n d itio n s a n d la b o r m o v e m e n ts i n 1931. C h in a . a n d s ta tis tic a l L o n d o n , P . S . survey K in g o f & th e S o n la b o r ( L td .) , 1 8 5 p p ., U lu s . T he nine ch ap te rs of th is volum e deal, respectively, w ith th e follow ing su b jects: T he fu n d am en tals of th e C hinese la b o r m ovem ent, th e C hinese la b o r pop u latio n , w orking conditions, wages a n d cost of living, lab o r organizations, strik es, th e labor surplus, in d u stria l w elfare in stitu tio n s, a n d lab o r legislation. An ap pendix contains recen t la b o r law s p ro m u lg ated by th e C hinese N atio n al G ov ern m en t. F l a n d e r s , R a l p h E. T a m in g o u r m a c h in e s : T h e a tta in m e n t o f h u m a n v a lu e s in F ord a m e c h a n iz e d s o c ie ty . , A d elbert H ill B o o k . C o. A N ew Y o r k , R ic h a r d R . S m ith s c ie n tific a p p r o a c h to la b o r p r o b le m s . ( I n c .), 1931. 446 ( I n c .), 1 9 3 1 . N ew Y o rk, 244 PP- M cG raw - p p ., d ia g r a m s , U lu s . T h e volum e deals w ith th e ap p licatio n of physiological a n d psychological law s to lab o r m an ag em en t. P o in tin g o u t t h a t th e recen t g row th of science h as been accom panied b y a n increase of th e co o p erativ e a ttitu d e , th e a u th o r em phasizes th e necessity of rip p in g a p a rt all stru c tu re s fo u n d opposing such .a ttitu d e individually, n atio n ally , a n d in tern atio n ally . https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 233 PUBLICATIONS RELATING TO LABOR G R eneva I esea rch N o . 8: C n f o r m a t io n o m m it t e e I n t e r n a t i o n a l la b o r s ta n d a r d s a n d 4 G eneva, R u e d e M o n th o u x , 1931. . G en eva S p e c ia l S tu d ie s , A m e r ic a n 6 2 le g is la tio n V o l. I I , (a c o m p a r is o n ). p p ., m a p s . Includes a series of m aps in d icatin g th e sta tu s of th e lab o r law s of th e in d iv id u a l S ta te s of th e U n ited S ta te s in com parison w ith th e in te rn a tio n a l la b or conventions of th e L eague of N ations. H obson & L , J. A. U n w in o u ck s, th e W P o v e r ty N. il l ia m lo n g -r a n g e U n iv e r s ity X V , in p le n ty : (L td .), 1 9 3 1 . 92 T h e e th ic s s ta b iliz a tio n p la n n in g o f o f o f in c o m e . e m p lo y m e n t m u n ic ip a l o f P e n n s y lv a n ia In d u s tr ia l T h e L o n d o n , G eorge A lle n pp. P ress, R esearch in im p r o v e m e n t 1931. 3J)1 D e p a r tm e n t, p p ., P h ila d e lp h ia p r o je c ts . c h a r ts . W h a r to n th r o u g h P h ila d e lp h ia , (R e se a rc h School o f S tu d ie s F in a n c e and C o m m e r c e .) In th is volum e are given a h isto ry of P h ila d e lp h ia ’s e x p en d itu res for p e rm an en t public im provem ents, 1919 to 1928, plan s for fu tu re im p ro v em en ts, procedure for carry in g th ro u g h such pro jects, th e possibility of stab iliz in g em plo y m en t by longran g e planning, an d a suggested p lan for p a rtia l sta b iliz a tio n of em ploym ent by long-range planning. M L e t r o p o l it a n C o. Insurance if e e c o n o m ic r e p o r ts . N ew Policyholders Service B u reau . Y o rk, 1931. 72 In d e x o f pp . C ontains references to p rin te d re p o rts of th e P olicyholders Service B ureau, articles w hich h av e been published in th e E xecutives Service B ulletin, an d addresses delivered a t conferences sponsored by th e Service B ureau, classified b y m ajo r divisions of m an ag e m en t such as personnel m an ag e m en t a n d in d u stria l relations, in d u strial h ealth , etc., a n d by ty p e of business or in d u stry . M in n e s o t a , U B u lle tin , n iv e r s it y V o l. I, o f N o . R u s s e ll A . S te v e n s o n . E m p lo y m en t S tab ilizatio n R esearch In s titu te . . 1: T h e M in n e s o ta M in n e a p o lis , u n e m p lo y m e n t 1931. 26 research p r o je c t, by pp. R eview ed in th is issue. M oulton , H arold to n , I n s titu te c h a r ts . G. o f J a p a n — E c o n o m ic s a n e c o n o m ic a n d o f B r o o k in g s fin a n c ia l In s titu tio n , a p p r a is a l. 1931. W a s h in g 6Jf 5 p p ., m a p , In C h a p te r X IX , on th e social consequence of econom ic expansion, th e au th o rs discuss th e changing social stru c tu re , p ro tectiv e lab o r legislation, unionism , w orking hours an d wages, unem p lo y m en t, living conditions, social w elfare agencies, an d social u n rest. N a t io n a l A C d v is o r y e d u c a tio n . P a rt 2— P a rt o m m it t e e 1— B a s ic fa c ts . E on C o m m itte e W a s h in g to n , . d u c a t io n fin d in g s 744 R e p o r t. a n d F e d e r a l r e l a t i o n s to r e c o m m e n d a tio n s . Ja ckso n P la c e , 1931. 448 140 pp. p p . T he com prehensiveness of th is re p o rt is in d icated by a resum e of th e v ariety of su b jects ta k e n up, am ong w hich are th e follow ing: T h e e d u catio n al situ atio n in th e F ederal G overnm ent, fields of F ed eral responsibility fo r education, F ed eral relatio n s to education in th e S ta te s, ed u catio n in special F ed eral areas, th e train in g of G overnm ent personnel, a n d in te rn a tio n a l in te lle c tu al relations. N a t io n a l C o m m it t e e a n n u a l 1931. N a t io n a l m e e tin g , 31 p p .' U n io n s E ig h te e n th 36 P on A p r il of r is o n s 30, th e in te r n a tio n a l P P and 1931. a in t e r s r e p o r t, L r is o n N ew Y o rk, and K abor 250 . R eport W est T in d r e d 1 9 2 8 -1 9 3 0 . p r e s e n te d F ifty -s e v e n th rad es. H am burg, to th e S tr e e t, Secretariat. G erm any [1 9 3 1 ]. p p . C ontains inform atio n in reg ard to th e activ ities of th e unions of th e p a in te rs an d allied tra d e s in various countries fo r th e period 1928-1930, including d a ta on strik es a n d lockouts, unem ploym ent, wages, a n d o th e r lab o r conditions. N etherlands p r ic e s i n p a r ts . E c o n o m ic H o lla n d a n d V a r io u s E n g lis h .) https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis I n s t it u t e (R otterdam B e lg iu m , b y A . J . p a g in g . M a p s, ). N o. 1 : W . R en a u d . c h a r ts . (In W h o le s a le a n d H a a r le m , 1 9 3 1 . D u tc h , w ith b r ie f r e ta il In a b s tr a c t tw o in 234 N MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW ew sholm e a n d , S ir A rth u r o ffic ia l p r a c tic e ease. V o l. s lo v a k ia . 2: . I n te r n a tio n a l s tu d ie s o n th e r e la tio n o f m e d ic in e B e lg iu m , B a ltim o r e , w ith s p e c ia l r e fe r e n c e to F ra n ce , Ita ly , W illia m s & J u g o s la v ia , W ilk in s b e tw e e n th e p r iv a te th e p r e v e n tio n H u n g a ry, C o ., 1 9 3 1 . 2 4 9 P o la n d , o f d is C zecho p p . T he purpose of th is stu d y is to b rin g to g e th e r in fo rm a tio n as to th e resu lts of p u blic-health w ork in th e different countries a n d to show how th e cooperative services of p riv a te physicians m ay be b est utilized b y p ublic au th o rities. P U n iv e r s it y . D e p a rtm e n t of E conom ics a n d Social In s titu tio n s. In d u stria l R elatio n s Section. S e l e c t e d b i b l i o g r a p h y : U n e m p l o y m e n t p r e v e n r in c e t o n tio n , c o m p e n s a tio n , a n d r e lie f; P r in c e to n , S e p te m b e r , 1 9 3 1 . R o b in s o n in th e 353 , L N. o u is U n ite d S h o u ld S ta te s . co m p a n y, 31 p p . p r is o n e r s w o r k C h ic a g o a n d tr a d e -u n io n , S u p p le m e n t, ? A a n d p u b lic N ovem ber, s tu d y o f th e p r is o n P h ila d e lp h ia , J o h n C. p rogram s. 1931. 3 p p . la b o r p r o b le m W in s to n C o ., 1 9 3 1 . p p . T he topics covered are: S hould prisoners w ork; e x te n t of em p lo y m en t a n d u nem ploym ent in prisons; th e causes of u n em p lo y m en t in prisons; sy stem s of em ploying prisoners; problem s of prison in d u stria l m an ag e m en t; costs, w ages, an d profits of prison lab o r; a n d w h a t w ork h as been fo u n d for prisoners. R F o ck efeller 1931. 380 o u n d a t io n . A n n u a l r e p o r t, 1930. N ew Y o rk, 61 B ro a d w a y, p p ., illu s . T h e re p o rt contains a section on th e w ork of th e fo u n d a tio n in th e field of social sciences. V erband D der M aler , L eu tsch la n d s. b is zu m a c k ie r e r 22. 26. J u n i , A n s t r e ic h e r O r d e n tlic h e 1931. , T u n ch er G e n e r a lv e r s a m m lu n g P r o to k o ll. H am b u rg , 1931. , und in 2 8 5 W e is s b in d e r B r e s la u vom 22. p p . C ontains proceedings a n d m in u tes of th e 22d convention of th e unions of p ain ters a n d allied tra d e s in G erm any, held Ju n e 22 to J u n e 26, 1931, a t B reslau. Includes rep o rts of locals, addresses, a n d resolutions reflecting th e activ itie s a n d condition of these trad e-u n io n s, including in fo rm atio n on la b o r conditions, u n em ploym ent, wages, disputes, etc. Y ang , S im in on , and S h a n g h a i. T ao , L. K. P e ip in g , A s tu d y o f th e s ta n d a r d o f liv in g o f w o r k in g f a m i l ie s In s titu te o f S o c ia l { S o c ia l R e s e a r c h P u b lic a tio n s , M o n o g r a p h R esearch, 1931. 86, Iv i p p . N o . I I I .) An analysis of th e acco u n t books of 230 fam ilies from N ovem ber 1, 1927, to O ctober 31, 1928. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis o