Full text of Monthly Labor Review : January 1932, Volume 34, Number 1

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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__________________


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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_______


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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,

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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.


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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


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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
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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.


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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

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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.


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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.

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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

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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.


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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.


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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
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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

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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).

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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.

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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:


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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

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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:

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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.”

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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.


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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


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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.

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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.

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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.


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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.


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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,

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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.

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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.


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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

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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.


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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.


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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

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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.


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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,

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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).


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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


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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.

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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


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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.


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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

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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

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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
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HEALTH AND INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE

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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

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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.


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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.

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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.

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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.


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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.

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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.

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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-

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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.

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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:

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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-

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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,


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LABOR LAWS AND COURT DECISIONS

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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


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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

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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.


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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.


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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.

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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

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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

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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,

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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.


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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

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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.


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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

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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


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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

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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


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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.

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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,-

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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


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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


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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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


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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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,

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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.


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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

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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


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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


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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 .


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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


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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


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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


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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

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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


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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.

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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

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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,

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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.


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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

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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.


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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


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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.


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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.

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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


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____

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


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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.


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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.

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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.


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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


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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

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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


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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.

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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,

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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,


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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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

______ _____


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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


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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.

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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

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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.


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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.

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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 .........................................


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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___

_ ___


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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

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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,

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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.


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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.


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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 ------------------------


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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.


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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

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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.


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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 _____


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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 .


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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.

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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)


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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.


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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]


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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.


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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 -


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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

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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.

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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.


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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 . . _____________


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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


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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


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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.


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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


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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.


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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


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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 .


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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

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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.


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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 .


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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.

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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


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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.


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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.


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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

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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.


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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


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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

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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.


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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 ................................


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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
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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.


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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


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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 ..


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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


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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


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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


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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


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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


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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

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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.


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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.

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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.


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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.


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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

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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 .


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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


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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 .


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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.


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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.

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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.


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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.


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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


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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 .


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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.


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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


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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 .


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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 .)


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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.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

o