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U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
JAMES J. DAVIS, Secretary

BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
ETHELBERT STEWART, Commissioner

MONTHLY

LABOR REVIEW
VOLUME XII


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NUMBER 5

MAY, 1921

WASHINGTON
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
1921


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A D D IT IO N A L C O PIE S
OF THIS PU B LIC A TIO N M AY B E PR O C U R E D FROM
T H E S U P E R IN T E N D E N T O F D OCUM EN TS
G O V E R N M E N T F E IN T IN G OFFICE
W A SH IN G T O N , D . C.
AT

15 C EN TS P E R C O PY
S u b s c r ip t io n P r ic e , §1.50 P e r Y e a r

Contents.
Special articles:
p ag0.
Legal aspects of the housing problem.............................................................
]_9
Prices and cost of living:
Retail prices of food in the United States..................................................... 10-32
Retail prices of coal in the United States...................................................... 32-35
Wholesale prices in March.............................................................................. 36-38
Changes in wholesale prices in the United States......................................... 39-43
Retail distribution and marketing of foods................................................... 44, 45
Cost of living in Cincinnati...... ......................................................................
45
Cost of family budget in Denmark in specified months, July, 1914, to
January, 1921................................................................................................
46
Retail prices in Denmark in January, 1921, compared with October, 1920.. 46, 47
Cost of living in France................................................................................... 48, 49
Wages and hours of labor:
Wages and hours of labor in the petroleum industry.................................... 50-52
Wage changes of railroad employees in recent years.................................... 53-57
Union wage rates per hour of street railway motormen and conductors on
December 31, 1920.................
58-64
Changes in rates of. wages July 1, 1920, to March 31,1921............................. 65-71
Renewal of wage agreements between United States Shipping Board and
longshoremen.................................................................................................... 72,73
Union wage rates and hours of labor in building trades in Massachusetts...
73
Index numbers of physical volume of production........................................ 73, 74
Wages and earnings of women in food and confectionery manufacture in
Massachusetts.................................................................................................... 75,76
Wages and hours of labor in Canada............................................................... 77-79
Wages of woman workers in Mexico........................................................ ....... 79, 80
Wages on Government railroad in Ecuador....................................................
80
Wages and cost of living in Austria................................................................ 81-83
Trend of wages in Denmark, 1914 to 1920...................................................... 83, 84
Wages in France................................................................................................... 84,85
Agricultural wage scales in France based on price of wheat......................... 85, 86
Wages in various industries in Germany in 1920........................................... 86-91
Payment-in-kind scheme jrroposed by German economist........................... 92, 93
Sliding -wage scales in Great Britain based on cost of living........................
93
Wages in the dye industry in England.......................................................... 94, 95
Wages for repairing and dry-docking ships in Belgium and England.........
95
Minimum wage:
Injunction restraining North Dakota Minimum Wage Department................. 96,97
Minimum rates of wages for agricultural labor in England and Wales........ 97, 98
New minimum wage rates fixed in certain industries in South Australia... 98, 99
Employment and unemployment:
Employment in selected industries in March, 1921.................................. 100-103
Conditions of employment in Arkansas............................................
103-105
Employment and earnings in New York State in March......................... 106,107
Records of employment of bricklayers and slate and tile roofers in Phila­
delphia..........................................................................
Wisconsin labor market in February.......................................................... 110, 111

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C O N T E N T S.

Employment and unemployment—Concluded.
Page.
Work of British employment exchanges in 1920........................................ Ill, 112
Employment in industrial and commercial establishments in France— 112-114
Extent of unemployment in foreign countries—
Algiers........................................................................................................
114
Denmark....................................................................................................
115
Finland.....................................................................................................
115
France (Paris)...........................................................................................
115
Great Britain and Ireland.......................................
115-117
Italy (Turin).............................................................................................
117
Netherlands........................................................................................... 117,118
Norway......................................................................................................
118
Switzerland............................................................................................ 118-120
Women in industry, and child labor:
121
Employment of women as street car conductors and ticket agents..............
Colored women in industry in Philadelphia.............................................. 122-124
Child labor in Wisconsin outside of Milwaukee......................................... 124,125
Industrial accidents and hygiene:
Industrial establishment disability records as a source of morbidity statis­
tics............................................................................................................. 123,127
Quarry accidentsin the United States in 1919.......................................... 127,128
The conquest of tuberculosis....................................................................... 128,129
Accident experience of the Ohio State Industrial Commission................ 129,130
Fatal industrial accidents in Canada in 1920................................................. 130
German decree for the protection of workers in compressed air............... 130,131
Workmen’s compensation and social insurance:
Proposed death benefit schedule of California........................................... 132,133
Recent workmen’s compensation reports—
Nebraska................................................................................................ 133,134
Oregon.................................................................................................... 184,135
Pennsylvania......................................................................................... 135-138
Texas.........................................................................................................
189
Washington............................................................................................ 139,140
New Brunswick........................................................................................
141
Great Britain......................................................................................... 141,142
Increase in weekly payments and benefits under British unemployment
insurance act................................................................................................
142
Sickness insurance law of Poland...................................................................
143
Labor laws and decisions:
Relation of compensation and liability statutes................. ...................... 144,145
Rights of unions and employers to contract............................................... 145-147
Reorganization of labor offices of New York and Minnesota..................... 147,148
Court decision upholding individual rights of members of unions in Switzer­
land...............................................................................................................
148
New labor legislation in New South Wales................................................ 148-150
Roumanian law on obligatory conciliation of labor disputes.................... 150,151
Industrial relations and labor conditions:
Abrogation of railroad working agreements ordered by United States Rail­
road Labor Board...................................................................................... 152,153
Labor conditions in Japan...............................................................................
153
Labor unrest in Spain.................................................................................. 154—165
Housing:
Housing notes from Canada and England.......................................- ............
166


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V

Labor organizations:
Page_
Growth of trade-unionism, 1910 to 1919...................................................... 167-169
Institution of a disablement branch in the International Labor Office.......
169
Amalgamation of transport and general workers’ unions in Great Britain. 169,170
Strikes and lockouts:
Strikes and lockouts in Netherlands............................................................... 171
What State labor bureaus are doing:
Florida..............................................................................................................
172
Massachusetts............................................................................................... 172; 173
North Carolina.................................................................................................
173
Philippine Islands, ..........................................................................................
174
Texas................................................................................................................
175
Current notes of interest to labor:
Order admitting Chinese industrial students cancelled by Department of
L abor............................................................................................................ 176
Personnel Research Federation................................................................... 176,177
Conference on coordination of social work.....................................................
177
Vocational education projects in Massachusetts............................................. 178
Instruction in agriculture in the schools of the Philippine Islands..........
178
Labor recommendations of Governor General of Philippine Islands...................... 179
Emigration from Germany in 1919 and 1920..................................................
179
Industrial training of ex-service men in Great Britain.................................
180
Publications relating to labor:
Official—United States................................................................................ 181-183
Official—foreign countries........................................................................... 183-187
Unofficial...................................................................................................... 187-192


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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
xn—n o .

vol.

WASHINGTON

5

MAY, 1921

Legal Aspects of the Housing Problem.

HORTAGE of houses seems likely to play an important part in
extending the list of matters which the Government is called
upon to regulate. In several States legislation has been
passed restricting the landlord’s right to charge what rent he pleases,
and in some cases his right to evict a tenant is expressly limited.
New York affords perhaps the most conspicuous example of such
legislation. In New York City the building of houses and apart­
ments to be let at moderate rents has by no means kept up with the
demand, and since the war matters have gone from bad to worse.
As the shortage grew more acute, rents were advanced, in some cases
beyond all reason. In the spring of 1920 the legislature passed a
series of laws which, it was hoped, would remedy the worst features
of the situation. These, however, proved to be unsatisfactory to all
concerned, and the legislature, meeting in special session, during the
week of September 20, 1920, passed a new set of landlord and tenant
laws. (Chapters 130-139; 942-945; 947-953.)
These fall into four classes. The first class permits exemption
from local taxes for the purpose of encouraging the building of new
dwellings. The second makes certain changes in minor details of
court procedure in rent cases, designed to facilitate the handling of
such cases. The third aims to prevent landlords from getting rid of
tenants indirectly by failing to furnish heat, light, elevator service,
or the like. The fourth class deals with the right of eviction for
nonpayment of the rent demanded, sanctions the defense that the
rent is unreasonable and oppressive, and puts upon the landlord the
burden of disproving this charge; this measure is to remain in force
for two years.

S

.

Legal Regulation of Rent.

State regulation of private property. The right of a landlord to fix
what rent he chose for his property was formerly held to be a normal
and indisputable consequence of his ownership of that property, and
the same was true of his right to dispossess a tenant who failed or
refused to pay the rent he fixed. That the State has a right to limit
his prerogative in both particulars is a new doctrine, and one that is
now before the courts for decision as to its constitutionality. So far,
the verdicts are not unanimous. In the District of Columbia legisla­
tion of a similar nature was passed in 1919, the power to decide upon
the fairness of a rent being vested in a commission, instead of in the


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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .

courts. Here, the decision of the lower court was in favor of the con­
stitutionality of the act, but was reversed by the Court of Appeals
of the District. In New York the constitutionality of the main
features of the rent laws has been upheld. The first decision was
given in October, 1920, less than a month after the passage of the
new laws, in the case of Guttag v. Shatzkin, the question at issue
being the right of the plaintiff to evict the defendant, a tenant whose
lease had expired but who refused to vacate the plaintiff’s apartment.
The lease under which the tenant occupied the apartment had
expired October 1, and the landlord was unwilling to renew it. The
only question argued was the constitutionality of the new laws for­
bidding, under these circumstances, the eviction of the tenant, who
was ready and willing to pay a “ fair and reasonable” rent. The
decision, given by Mr. Justice Finch, was against the landlord, the
judge basing his opinion squarely upon the police power of the State.1
Protection of homes and housing is certainly within the police powers of the State,
providing a public emergency exists which threatens the same. In enacting the
statute in question the legislature has declared in express terms that such a public
emergency exists, and it is within its province to so determine. (Matter of applica­
tion of Jacobs, 98 N. Y. 98; McLean v. Arkansas, 211 U. S. 539, at p. 547; Matter of
Viemeister, 179 N. Y. 235, p. 241.) It remains for the court to consider whether the
means adopted bv the legislature are reasonably adapted to the end sought. (Matter
of Jacobs, supra;'Lawton v. Steele, 152 U. S. 133, pp. 136, 137.) Until the expira­
tion of a two-year period the legislature has prohibited the ousting of a tenant from
his dwelling except in certain prescribed instances, provided the tenant is not obj ectionable and pays the reasonable rental value of the premises, which reasonable rental
value may be determined by the court. It would appear that the means which the
legislature lias adopted are appropriate to the end sought.

This case was carried up to the court of appeals, where, on March
8, 1921, the decision of the lower court was sustained. At the same
time a number of other rent cases, all hinging upon the constitu­
tionality of the 1920 rent laws, were decided, the laws being upheld
in every case. A decision handed down by Mr. Justice Pound dis­
cusses at considerable length the points at issue. The rent laws
involve, he holds, three separate questions on which the issue of
constitutionality may be raised. Of these, the question of whether
“ the landlords who rent dwellings are denied the protection of the
law” is disposed of summarily in the negative, but the other two,
involving the right of the State to regulate rents and to prevent the
eviction of tenants except for specified causes, and to set aside con­
tracts of lease in which an unfair and unreasonable rent is agreed
upon, are dealt with quite fully. A portion of the discussion on the
first point is as follows:
May the legislative power, in a season of exigency, consistently with the due process
clauses of the State and Federal Constitutions designed to protect property rights, so
invade the domain of private contract as to interfere with and regulate the right of a
landlord to exact what he will for his own in the way of rent for private property?
The landlord is the purveyor of a commodity; the vendor of space in which to
shelter one’s self and family. He has heretofore been permitted to make his own
terms with his tenants, but that consideration is not conclusive. Unquestionably
some taking of private property for the benefit of a class of individuals is the result of
the housing laws. The free choice of tenants; the unlimited right to bargain; these
are property rights which may not be affected unless a public advantage over and
beyond such rights justifies legislative interference, but “ an ulterior public advantage
may justify a comparatively insignificant taking of private property for what, in its
i
New Y ork S upplem ent, vol. 185, p. 71.
136, 1920.


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The p a rticu lar a ct involved is Chap. 910, am ending Chap.

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LEGAL ASPECTS OF T H E H O U S IN G PR O B LE M .

3

immediate purpose, is a private use.” (Noble State Bank v. Haskell, 219 U. S. 104,
110, 580.) While in theory it may be said that the building of houses is not a monop­
olistic privilege; that houses are not public utilities like railroads and that if the
landlord turns one off another may take him in; that rents are fixed by economic
rules and the market value is the reasonable value; that people often move from one
city to another to secure better advantages; that no one is compelled to have a home
in New York; that no crisis exists; that to call the legislation an exercise of the police
power when it is plainly a taking of private property for private use and without
compensation is a mere transfer of labels which does not affect the nature of the legis­
lation, yet the legislature has found that in practice the state of demand and supply is
at present abnormal; that no one builds because it is unprofitable to build; that those
who own seek the uttermost farthing from those who choose to live in New York and
pay for the privilege rather than go elsewhere; and that profiteering and oppression
have become general. It is with this condition and not with economic theory that
the State has to deal in the existing emergency. The distinction between the power
of eminent domain and the police power is often fine. In the main it depends on
whether the thing is destroyed or is taken over for the public use. If property rights
are here invaded, in a degree, compensation therefor has been provided and possession
is to be regained when such compensation remains unpaid. What is taken is the right
to use one’s property oppressively and it is the destruction of that right that is contem­
plated and not the transfer thereof to the public use. The taking is, therefore, analo­
gous to the abatement of a nuisance or to the establishment of building restrictions,
and it is within the police power.

Taking up the matter of regulating prices, the decision points out
that while this power is not often used, except in the case of public
utilities, there seem no definite limits upon its field of operation.
“ It may embrace al] cases of public interest and the question is
whether the subject has become important enough for the public to
justify public action.” A number of cases are cited, and the con­
clusion is reached that in temporarily fixing reasonableness as the
standard of rent in order to prevent oppression, the law can not be
held to deprive landlords of property without due course of law.
The legality of the rent laws as affecting contracts already made is
then taken up.
The next question is whether such laws impair the obligation of contracts, as applied
to existing leases and tenancies which contain an express or implied obligation to sur­
render possession at the end of the term or as applied to a case where it is claimed that
the parties had contracted or stipulated between themselves in dispossess proceedings
that the warrant should be issued on October 1. The provision of the Federal Consti­
tution that no State shall pass any law impairing the obligation of contracts puts no
limit on any lawful exercise of legitimate governmental power. (Legal Tender Cases,
12 Wall. 457, 551.) * * *
Laws directly nullifying some essential part of private contracts are rare and are not
lightly to be upheld by hasty and sweeping generalizations on the common good
(Barnitz v. Beverly, 163 U. S. 118, 125; Bradley v. Lightcap, 195 U. S. 1), but no
decision upholds the extreme view that the obligation of private contracts may never
be directly impaired in the exercise of legislative power. No vital distinction may
be drawn between the exercise in times of emergency of the police power upon the
property right and upon the contract obligations for the promotion of the public weal.
* * *
The conclusion is, in the light of present theories of the police power, that the State
may regulate a business, however honest in itself, if it is or may become an instrument
of wide-spread oppression (People v. Beakes Dairy Co., supra, and cases cited; Payne
v. Kansas, 248 U. S. 112); that the business of renting homes in the city of New York
is now such an instrument and has, therefore, become subject to control by the public
for the common good; that the regulation of rents and the suspension of possessory
remedies so far tend to accomplish the purpose as to supervene the constitutional
inhibitions relied upon to defeat the laws before us.

This decision settled the question of the constitutionality of the laws
under consideration, so far as the laws of the State are concerned.
On April 18, 1921, the Supreme Court of the United States passed
upon the validity of the laws of New York and District of Columbia

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M O N T H L Y LABOE EE V IE W .

on appeals from the jurisdictional courts of last resort. In both
cases the laws under consideration were declared constitutional.
The New York case (Marcus Brown Holding Co. v. Feldman et al.)
involved the right of the manager of an apartment house to evict
tenants holding over after their lease had expired, claiming the right
to do so under chapters 942 and 947 of the laws of New York of 1920.
Included also was the constitutionality of chapters 131 and 951 of
the same year, which penalize the failure of lessors or their agents to
furnish water, heat, light, elevator, telephone, or other service as
provided in the lease and necessary to the proper and customary use
of the building. The first two chapters named seek to prevent the
dispossession of a tenant occupying a dwelling, with certain exceptions.
These were emergency laws, to he in effect only until November 1,
1922.
The Supreme Court disposed of this matter briefly, referring for its
views to its opinion in a case of the District of Columbia (Block v.
Hirsh) decided the same day. The points involved in the rendering
of service as heat, light, etc., did not appear in the Block case. The
objection was made that the compulsory rendition of such service
was in violation of the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution
of the United States. As to this the court said:
It is true that the traditions of our law are opposed to compelling a man to perform
strictly personal services against his will even when he has contracted to render them.
But the services in question although involving some activities are so far from personal
that they constitute the universal and necessary incidents of modern apartment
houses. They are analogous to the services that in they Id law might issue out of or be
attached to land. We perceive no additional difficulties in this statute, if applicable
as assumed. The whole case was well discussed below and we are of opinion that the
decree should be affirmed.

As indicated, the decision of the statute of the District of Columbia
was more extended, there being also a strong dissenting opinion
presented by four of the nine justices. The act here in question is
known as the Ball Kent Act, approved October 22, 1919 (41 Slat.
297). This act was of general application not confined to residences,
being based on the emergencies growing out of the war which were
said to be productive of conditions dangerous to health and burden­
some to public officers and employees, thereby embarrassing the
Federal Government in the transaction of the public business. The
property actually in question was purely commercial, in nowise
connected with The governmental activities, but falls within the
broad inclusiveness of the law. The Supreme Court of the District
had upheld the claim of the occupant, Block, to hold the premises
after the expiration of his lease under the provisions of the law.
On appeal, however, the Court of Appeals of the District reversed
this decision, declaring the act unconstitutional and void on the
ground that there 'was an interference with private property without
regard to public use; nor was the legislative fiat able to make the
renting of property in the District of Columbia other than a private
business. “A public interest can not be thus created or property
rights divested by an arbitrary exercise of the police power.” (48
Washington Law Rep., pp. 378, 380.) A lengthy dissent was filed
by the chief justice of this court, in which he argued for the validity
of the act.


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As stated, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the law
in its decision of April 18, 1921, saying that—
The general proposition to be maintained is that circumstances have clothed the
letting of buildings in the District of Columbia with a public interest so great as to
justify regulation by law. Plainly circumstances may so change in time or so differ
in space as to clothe with such an interest what at other times or in other places would
be a matter of purely private concern.

Various interferences with the use of private property were then
noted, as the limitations on the height of buildings in cities, the
leaving of pillars in coal mines, the regulation of billboards, etc.
Continuing, the court said:
But if to answer one need the legislature may limit height to answer another, it
may limit rent. We do not perceive any reason for denying the justification held
good in the foregoing cases to a law limiting the property rights now in question if the
public exigency requires that. The reasons are of a different nature, hut they cer­
tainly are not less pressing. Congress has stated the unquestionable embarrassment of
Government and danger to the public health in tire existing condition of tilings. The
space in Washington is necessarily monopolized in comparatively few hands, and
letting portions of it is as much a business as any other. Housing is a necessary of life.
All the elements of a public interest justifying some degree of public control are
present. The only matter that seems to us open to debate is whether the statute
goes too far. For just as there comes a point at which the police power ceases and
leaves only that of eminent domain, it may be conceded .that regulations of the present
sort pressed to a certain height might amount to a taking without due process of law.

Like the New York law this was emergency legislation to end in
two years unless sooner repealed. It was recognized that the mere
declaration of an emergency was not conclusive upon the courts, but—•
is entitled at least to great respect. In this instance Congress stated a publicly noto­
rious and almost world-wide fact. That the emergency declared by the statute did
exist must be assumed, and the question is whether Congress was incompetent to meet
it in the way in which it has been met by most of the civilized countries of the world.

After discussing briefly the provisions for administration and
enforcement, and announcing that “ we have no concern, of course,
with the question whether those means were the wisest, whether
they may not cost more than they com© to, or will effect the result
desired,” the act was declared valid and the judgment of the court
of appeals reversed.
As stated above, four of the nine justices dissented from this de­
cision. The dissent was based on the provisions of the fifth and four­
teenth amendments to the Constitution forbidding the National and
State Governments to deprive any person of life, liberty, or property
without due process of law; also on the prohibition upon States against
passing laws impairing the obligations of contracts—provisions that
were regarded as so explicit and the specifications furnishing such
irresistible deductions as not to “ require any expression but for the
opposition of those whose judgments challenge attention.” The
same four justices dissented in the case relating to the New York
laws, which they regarded as still more unjustifiably offending the
constitutional provisions. However, the decisions validate the laws
of both jurisdictions, and will go far to aid in the enforcement of
existing laws of the same type, perhaps also encouraging additional
legislation.
I t is of interest to note that prior to these decisions discussions had
appeared in two of the legal journals of the country, hi which the
validity of this type of legislation was argued on the exact basis of
the reasoning of the Supreme Court. Both referred to the decision

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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .

in the case, Munn v. Illinois (94 U. S. 113), in which the business of
grain warehousing was held to be impressed with a public interest on
account of the practical monopoly held in the situation. Judge
Wigmore 2 found that every house owner offering a house for lease
is in the business of rendering housing service, the present conditions
being such that there is a practical monopoly, so that the service is,
even more than that of grain warehousing, subject to be impressed
with a public interest.
In the second article 3 it was held that a public interest is created
and that the police power may properly be invoked whenever cir­
cumstances give one portion of the community undue power over
another, so that—
it is idle to talk about freedom of contract and the right of a man to use his property as
he pleases. There is no freedom of contract, and the use of the property is not being
made by the owner of it. It is the others who must use it. And the permanent needs
of society as a whole require that they use it.

Though the validity of this type of legislation has thus been sustained,
this fact has no bearing upon the economic soundness of such laws, and
on this latter ground they are vigorously attacked by many upholders
of the old order. Supply and demand, we are told, must regulate the
price of housing, as of all other services and commodities, and any at­
tempt to interfere with the working of this law is bound to result in harm.
The natural effect of the New York rent laws of 1920, it is said, will be
to put a stop to house building in that State and to intensify the crisis
they were intended to relieve. Perhaps this prospect would be more
alarming if the building of houses or apartments within the reach of
eople of moderate means had not practically come to a standstill
efore these laws were passed, so that the people had some reason to
doubt the danger of interfering with the law of supply and demand in
a situation where demand was intense, but supply remained unaf­
fected. At least, they have elected to risk such interference for a
period of two years, a time which is probably long enough to demon­
strate whether or not the legal regulation of rents is a socially desirable
measure.

E

Other Housing Legislation.

ANWHILE, a number of measures have been proposed or
adopted with a view to increasing the supply of housing through
governmental action. New York and New Jersey have authorized
the remission of local taxes to a limited extent upon capital put into
housing. The measures providing for this were passed in the fall of
1920. No reports are available as to what effect, if any, followed this
action in New Jersey. In New York the act was permissive, not
mandatory, and it was not until February, 1921, that the New York
City authorities availed themselves of the permission. Then they
passed an ordinance of which the essential provisions are that until
January, 1932, new buildings in the city of New York, planned for
dwelling purposes exclusively, shall be exempt from taxation for local
purposes, excepting assessments for local improvements during con­
struction. To secure this exemption a building must have been com2 Illinois Law Review , Vol. X V , No. 6, Jan u ary , 1921, p . 364: A constitutional w ay to reach the housing
profiteer, b y John H . W igmore.
3 V irginia Law Review , U n iv ersity , October, 1920, p. 30: T he regulation of rents, b y H enry H . Glassie.


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7

pleted since April 1, 1920, or shall be started before April 1, 1922.
The land upon which the building stands is not exempt, and the limits
of exemption are $5,000 for single houses and $10,000 for two-family
houses. It is said that even in the short time which has elapsed since
this ordinance went into effect there has been a marked increase of
house building in New York, particularly in the sections where land is
relatively less expensive, but it is yet too soon to estimate how far this
is due to the tax exemption and how far it is simply the revival which
might be expected as the building season opens, especially in view of
the fall in the prices of building materials.
A more pronounced form of State aid is provided for in a bill recently
introduced at Albany by Senator Cotillo, which provides for the crea­
tion of a bureau of loans in the State banking department, and
authorizes loans aggregating $100,000,000 to be applied to housing.
The land loan bureau would be empowered to lend to persons or corporations, loans
to run between $500 and $100,000, secured by bond and mortgage on real property
and not exceeding 75 per cent of the appraised valuation of the "property. The in­
terest would be 4 per cent payable semiannually and the mortgage would not be for
more than 25 years.
The bureau would have the power to issue 4 per cent certificates up to $100,000,000
in the same manner as bonds issued for highway improvement, exempt from State
and local taxes, and to be invested by the bureau in such securities as savings banks
must invest in.4

Another bill recently introduced would give municipalities the
right to acquire land and houses by purchase or condemnation, and
to build houses and rent them to the public at cost, and it also pro­
vides that the State should finance municipal housing projects. In
this, it follows the recommendations of the State housing commit­
tee, which advised, among other things, the passage of a constitu­
tional amendment permitting extension of State credit on a large
scale and at low rates to aid in the construction of moderate-priced
homes, and the passage of an enabling act permitting cities to ac­
quire and hold or let adjoining vacant lands, and if necessary to
carry on housing.5
A precedent for such legislation is found in North Dakota, where
in 1919 the legislature passed laws authorizing the State to undertake
building, to buy real estate, and to carry on such activities as might
be necessary to execute the purpose of helping its citizens to secure
homes.6 The would-be home owner must provide 20 per cent of
the cost of the house, whereupon, under proper securities, the State
would advance the remainder of the cost and build the house with
lumber and other materials bought by the State in wholesale lots.
This legislation was pronounced constitutional in 1920, but owing
to the stormy political situation in North Dakota the State has as
yet done but little under the terms of this law.
Within a few weeks past, South Dakota has adopted a plan of very
similar character. The text of the law is not yet available, but ac­
cording to newspaper summaries, it gives the use of State credit to
would-be home owners almost as freely as does the North Dakota
legislation. The law, which is to become effective in June, 1921,
4 Sum m arized in C hristian Science M onitor, B oston, M ar. 28, 1921.
6 R eport of th e housing com m ittee of th e reconstruction commission of th e S ta te of New Y ork, p. 5.
A lbany.
6 A cts of N orth D akota, 1919, chapter 150.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[931]

M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .

creates a home building department, and provides for the sale of
State bonds for the purpose of furnishing capital to owners of lots
who may wish to build comparatively modest houses. Each loan is
to be secured by a first mortgage on the entire property it covers,
and the applicant must furnish at least 20 per cent of the cost of the
projected home.
The Legislature of California is considering a somewhat similar
plan. Senate bill 101, known as the “ Dwelling-house construction
a c t/’ is intended to provide assistance in home building through the
commission of immigration and housing, to which specific authori­
zation is given:
To loan to any and all persons out of the revolving fund provided for in section 10
of the act, for the purpose of constructing dwelling houses as provided for herein,
amounts not to exceed in any case one-third of the total value of any construction
project. For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of the act the sum of $2,000,000
is appropriated out of any moneys in the State treasury, which shall constitute a re­
volving fund to be known as the dwelling-house construction fund, and which is
calculated to be returned to the State with interest at the rate of 4 per cent per annum
within a period of 50 years from the date of the passage of the act.'

This State has liad since 1917 (eb. 755) a system of land improve­
ment and sale, addressed particularly to the encouragement of the
ownership of homes for farmers and farm laborers. Also, town sites
may be established and lots therein sold or leased. Annual reports
of the board in charge describe the system as successful and of large
promise of usefulness.
The most important proposals for legislation now before the public
are found in the recommendations of the Senate Committee on
Reconstruction and Production, which seek to standardize building
operations, to attract capital to building, and to make credit easier
for housing projects. The establishment of a Federal housing
bureau is recommended, the idea being that it shall be used to collect
and disseminate information upon building methods, costs, city
planning, building codes, and the like. Remission of taxes in aid
of housing is recommended, the taxes in this case being, of course,
Federal. For five years, it is advised, all profits from the sale of
dwelling houses should be exempt from income and excess profits
taxes, provided that such profits, plus an equal amount, are rein­
vested in dwelling-house construction. Interest on loans up to
$40,000 on improved real estate should also be exempt from taxation
when such loans are held by individuals. Another recommendation
deals with providing for the use of savings and time deposits of
national banks for long-time loans, thus giving such deposits greater
security and supplying a source of long-term money for building.
Still another provides for the establishment of district home loan
banks, which should raise money for building loans by selling under
Federal supervision bonds based upon the securities for loans already
made deposited by the member banks. I t is believed that the recom­
mendation for the establishment of the Federal housing bureau will
meet with little opposition, but the fate of the other measures is
wholly doubtful.
7

From su m m ary given in Tri-City L abor Review , O ak lan d , Calif., Mar. 18,1921.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[932]

LEGAL ASPECTS OF T H E H O U S IN G PR O B LE M .

Present 1 rend of Housing Legislation.

{ V SURVEYING the legal developments thus hastily sketched, it
is impossible not to be impressed by the increasing tendency to
.invoke Governmental aid in respect to housing. Before the war,
housing and the Government had little to do with each other. Those
wishing to build must conform to certain regulations as to sanitation
and safety, and if, having built and let their houses, they wished to
dispossess a given tenant, there were certain recognized forms in
accordance with which they must act. Beyond this, their right to do
as they would with their own was unquestioned. As for direct Gov­
ernment assistance in providing houses, it was scarcely so much as
thought of. Such help, it was admitted, might be proper and neces­
sary enough abroad, but in this country wo could depend upon private
initiative. But under the pressure of the housing shortage our
attitude has changed so rapidly that there is now hardly a feature of
governmental activities connected with housing abroad which is not
reproduced here in one or more States. Take, for instance, the
housing program of Czechoslovakia, described in the M o n t h l y
L a b o r R e v i e w for April (pp. 130-133).
It would be generally
admitted that this program represents rather extreme views of the
right and duty of the Government to regulate private business, and
yet it contains few measures which are not already either in force
here or under serious consideration. Czechoslovakia regulates rents;
so do New York, Maine, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.
Czechoslovakia forbids the eviction of tenants, except under specified
conditions; so do New York and the District of Columbia. Czecho­
slovakia remits taxes upon dwellings constructed under certain con­
ditions and within specified periods; so do New York and New Jersey.
Czechoslovakia makes loans to those willing to build; so do North and
South Dakota, while New York and California are considering adopt­
ing this measure. It is true that nowhere in this country does either
State or National Government claim the right, as yet, to comman­
deer unoccupied dwellings or rooms for the use of those who can not
find homes, except in time of actual war, nor has any attempt yet been
made to fix the prices of building material by law.8'
s Such regulation has however, been seriously proposed b y a t least one w ell-known housing authority.
Vei!lerChlteCtUral Reeor^ D ecember, 1920, p . 531: The housing situation a nd the w ay out, b y Law rence


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

PRICES AND COST OF LIVING.
Retail Prices of Food in the United States.

HE following tables are based on figures which have been re­
ceived by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from retail dealers
through monthly reports of actual selling prices.1
Table 1 shows for the United States retail prices of food on March
15, 1920, and on February 15 and March 15, 1921, as well as the per­
centage changes in the month and in the year. For example, the
price of pork chops on March 15, 1920, was 39.1 cents; on February
15, 1921, 32.7 cents; and on March 15, 1921, 35.3 cents. These figures
show a decrease in the retail price of pork chops of 10 per cent in the
year, but an increase of 8 per cent in the month.
The cost of the various articles of food,2 combined, showed a de­
crease of 22 per cent in March, 1921, as compared with March, 1920,
and a decrease of 1 per cent in March, 1921, as compared with Febru­
ary, 1921.

T

T able

1 .— a v e r a g e

r e t a il

p r ic e s

oe

s p e c if ie d

fo o d

a r t ic l e s

and per

C E N T O F IN C R E A S E O R D E C R E A S E M AR. 15, 1921, C O M PA R E D W IT H F E B . 15, 1921,
A N D M AR. 15, 1920.
[Percentage changes of fiv e-ten th s of 1 p er cen t a n d over are given in w hole num bers.]

A v erag e r e t a il p ric e on—
A rtic le.

U n it.

P o u n d ...............
........ d o ................
........ d o ................
........ d o ................
........ d o ................
........ d o ................
........ d o ................
.........d o ................
........ d o ................
........ d o ................
........ d o ................
Q u a r t................
15-16 oz. c a n . .
P o u n d ...............
........ d o ................
........ d o ................
........ d o ................
........ d o ................
C risco............................................................. ........ d o ................

S irloin s te a k ................................................
R o u n d s t e a k ..............................................
R ib roast,......................................................
C h u c k r o a s t................................................
P la te b ee f....................................................
P o rk ch o p s ..................................................
B a c o n ............................................................
TTam
........................................................
Tifimh
............................................
H ens
T
..........................................
S alm on c a n n e d ........................................
M ilk, f r e s h ...................................................
M ilk , e v a p o ra te d ......................................
B u tte r
............................................
O leo m arg arin e
....................................
U[yi t m arg ari n e
..........................
Cheese
..........................................

M ar. 15,
1920.

F e b . 15,
1921.

M ar. 15,
1921.

Cents.
40.8
37.5
31.9
25.1
18.2
39.1
50.2
51.2
39.8
45.7
37.6
16.6
15.1
75.2
43.1
36.1
42.8
30.4
37.5

Cents.
38.3
34.2
29.3
22.0
15.6
32.7
44.7
48.2
34.2
42.9
37.7
15. 4
14.7
56.5
35.4
32.3
38.4
20.7
25.9

Cents.
39.1
34.9
30.0
22.5
15.7
35.3
41.9
48.8
34. 4
43.2
37.3
15.2
14.6
57. 6
34.0
31.0
39.0
19.6
24.6

P e r c e n t of in c rease
( + ) o r decrease
( - ) M ar. 15,1921,
c o m p ared w ith —
M ar. 15,
1920.

- 4
- 7
- 6
-1 0
-1 4
-1 0
-1 7
- 5
-1 4
—5
- 1
- 8
- 3
-2 3
-2 1
-1 4
- 9
-3 6
-3 4

F e b . 15,
1921.

+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
-

2
2
2
2
1
8
6
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
4
4
2
5
5

1I n a d d itio n to m o n th ly re ta il prices of food an d coal, th e b u reau secures prices of gas a n d d ry goods
from each of 51 cities a n d publishes th e se p rices as follows: Gas in th e June issue an d d ry goods in th e
A pril, Ju ly , O ctober, a n d D ecem ber issues of th e M o n th ly L a b o r R e v ie w .
2 T h e following 22 articles, w eighted according to th e consum ption of th e average fam ily, h av e been used
from Jan u a ry , 1913, to D ecem ber, 1920: Sirloin stea k , ro u n d stea k , rib roast, chuck roast, plate beef, pork
chops, bacon, h am , lard, hens, flour, corn m eal, eggs, b u tte r,m ilk , b read ,p o tato es,su g ar, cheese,rice,coffee,
tea. T he rem ainder of th e 43 articles show n in Tables 1 an d 2, have been included in th e w eighted aggre­
gates for each m o n th , beginning w ith Jan u ary , 1921.

10

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[034]

11

R E TA IL PR IC E S OF FOOD I N T H E U N IT E D STATES.
T a b l e 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 FO O D A R T IC L E S A N D P E R
C E N T O F IN C R E A S E OR D E C R E A S E M AR. 15, 1921, C O M PA R E D W IT H F E B . 15 1921
A N D M A R . 15, 1920—Concluded.
’
’

Average retail price on—
A rticle.

U nit.

Eggs, strictly fresh ___
B read...............................
F lo u r...............................
Corn m eal.......................
Rolled oats.....................
Corn flakes....................
Cream of 'W heat...........
M acaroni........................
R ic e .................................
Beans, n a v y ..................
P o ta to e s.........................
O nions.............................
C abbage..........................
Beans, b a k e d ................
Com, cann ed.................
Peas, cann ed .................
Tom atoes, canned........
Sugar, g ra n u la te d ........
T e a ..................................
Coffee..............................
P ru n es.............................
R aisins............................
B an a n a s.........................
O ranges...........................

P e r cent of increase
(. + ) or decrease
( —) Mar. 15,1921,
com pared w ith—

Mar. 15,
1920.

Feb. 15,
1921.

Mar. 15,
1921.

Mar. 15,
1920.

Cents.
55.6
11.2
8.0
6. 5
10.3
14.1
29. 7
20.2
18.4
11.9
6.8
9.4
8.7
16.8
18.5
19.0
15.1
18.7
73.2
49.1
28.7
26.4
41.4
62.0

Cents.
47.9
10.6
6.5
5.0
10.4
14.0
30.0
21.3
10.5
8.6
2.6
3.9
3.6
15.3
17.1
18.2
12.2
8.9
71.5
37.5
22.5
31.9
41.0
45.3

Cents.
41.7
10.5
6.4
4.8
10.2
13.2
29.9
21.0
9.8
8.4
2.5
3.8
4.2
15.1
16. 7
18.0
11.8
9.7
71.1
37.1
20.9
31. 7
41.6
43.7

-2 5
- 6
-2 0
-2 6
- 1
- 6
+ 1
+ 4
-4 7
-2 9
-6 3
-6 0
-5 2
-1 0
-1 0
- 5
-2 2
-4 8
- 3
-2 4
-2 7
+20
+ 0.4
-3 0

- 6
- 0.3
- 1
- 7
- 2
- 4
- 3
+17
- 1
- 2
- 1
- 3
+ 9
- 1
- 1
- 7
- 1
+ 1
- 4

-2 2

- 1

Dozen...............
P o u n d ___• . . .
........do...............
........do...............
........do...............
8-oz. pack ag e..
28-oz. package.
P o u n d ..............
....... do...............
....... do...............
....... do...............
........do...............
........do...............
No. 2 can .........
....... do...............
....... do...............
....... do...............
P o u n d ..............
....... do...............
....... do...............
....... do...............
....... do...............
Dozen...............
___ do...............

All articles com bined 1

Feb. 15,
1921.

-1 3
- 1
-

2

- 4
-

2

!See note 2, page 10.

Table 2 shows for the United States average retail prices of speci­
fied food articles on March 15 of each year; 1913 and 1914, and for
each year from 1917 to 1921, together with the percentage changes
in March of each of these specified years compared with March, 1913.
For example, the price of lard in March, 1913, and in March, 1914,
was 15.6 cents; in March, 1917, 23.9 cents; in March, 1918, 33.2
cents; in March, 1919, 33.4 cents; in March, 1920, 30.4 cents, and
in March, 1921, 19.6 cents. As compared with the average price in
March, 1913, these figures show that the price was the same in March,
1914, but for the other periods the following percentage increases
are shown: Fifty-three per cent in 1917, 113 per cent in 1918, 114
per cent in 1919, 95 per cent in 1920, and 26 per cent in 1921.
The cost of the various articles of food, combined, showed an
increase of 61 per cent in March, 1921, as compared with March, 1913.

44130°—21-

-2


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[935]

12

M O N T H L Y LABOR REVIEW ,

T aBLF 2 __ 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 FO O D A R T IC L E S AND P E R C EN T
O F IN C R E A SE OR D E C R E A S E M AR. 15 O F C E R T A IN S P E C IF IE D Y E A R S CO M PA R ED
W IT H M AR, 15, 1913.
[Percentage changes of five-tenths of 1 per cent a n d over are given in whole num bers.]
P e r c e n t of in c re a s e ( + ) or d e ­
crea se ( —) M ar. 15 of each
sp ecified
year
co m p ared
w ith M ar. 15,1913.

A verage re ta il p ric e s M ar. 15—
U n it.

A rtic le .

1913 1914 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1914 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921

C'ts. Cts.
S irlo in s t e a k ............. P o u n d ..........
R o u n d s t e a k ............ ........ d o ...........
R i b r o a s t.................... ........ d o ...........
C h u ck r o a s t .............. ........ d o ...........
P la te b e e f.................. ........ d o ...........
P o rk rib o p s................ ........ d o ...........
B a c o n .......................... . . . . d o ..........
H a m ......................... ........ d o ...........
L a m b ........................ ........ d o ...........
. . .d o ..........
TTp/ns . ...................
do
S alm o n (oam iP ii)
Mi l k ; f r e s h ................ Q u a r t ...........
M ilk
ev a p o ra te d 1 5 -lfi oz.can.
(u n s w e e te n e d ).
B u t t e r ......................... P o u n d ..........
O le o m a rg a rin e . . . d o ..........
. d o ..........
N n t m a r g a r in e ........
. . .d o ..........
C heese ....................
L a r d ............................. ___ d o ...........
C risoo
........
.d o ..........
E g g s, s tr ic tly f r e s h . D o z e n ..........
B re a d ........................ P o u n d ..........
F l o u r ............. ............ ____ d o ...........
C o rn m e a l.................. ........d o ......... .
R o lle d o ats
___
.d o ..........
C oro flakes _
8-oz. p k g ___
C ream of W h e a t___ 28-oz. p k g . .
M a c a ro n i.................... P o u n d ..........
R ic e ............................. ___d o ...........
. . . d o ..........
B e a n s, n a v y .............
. . .d o ..........
P o ta t o e s .....................
On io n s ........................ ........ d o ...........
C a b b a g e ...................... ........ d o ...........
B e a n s , b a k e d ........... No. 2 c a n . . .
C o rn , c a n n e d ............ ........ d o ...........
P e a s , c a n n e d ............ ........ d o ...........
T o m a to e s, c a n n e d .. ........ d o ...........
S u g a r, g r a n u l a te d . P o u n d .........
T e a ............................... ........ d o ; .........
C o iiee........................... .........d o ...........
P r u n e s ........................ ........ d o ...........
R a i s i n s ....................... ........ d o ...........
B a n a n a s ..................... D ozen...........
Oranges....................... ........ d o ...........

A ll a rtic le s

24.7
21.3
19. 4
15.6
11.8
20.3
26. 1
26.0
19.1
21.4
8.9
41.4
22.1
15.6
26.4
5.6
3.3
2.9

8.6
1.5

5.4
54.3
29.8

Cts. Cts. Cts.

Cts.

40.8
37.5
31.9
25.1
18.2
39.1
50.2
51. 2
39.8
45.7
37.6
16.6
15.1

39.1
34.9
30.0
22.5
15.7
35.3
41.9
48.8
34.4
43.2
37.3
15.2
14.6

+
4+
+
+
+

46.2 55.2 66.5
39.0
35.5
23.1 32.3 35. i 40.5
23.9 33.2 33.4
33.2
30.9 34.7 44.3 48.3
6.2 8.1 9.6 9 .8
3.3 5.8 6.6 6 .8
3.1 4.1 7.2 5.9
8.3
14.1
25.1
19.3
8.7 9.1 12.0 13.4
18.1 12.5
1.8 5.0 2 .5 2.9
12.5 4.0 6.0
5.3
18.1
19.3
19.0
16.4
5.1 8.8 9 .2 10.6
54.5 54.7 61.5 70.4
29.7 30.0 30.4 37.6
14.1 16.5 20.9
14. 1 15.1 16.4
36.6
|
53.2

75.2
43.1
36.1
42.8
30.4
37.5
55.6
11.2
8.0
6.5
10. 3
14.1
29.7
20.2
18.4
11.9
6.8
9.4
8.7
16.8
18.5
19.0
15.1
18.7
73.2
49.1
28.7
26.4
41.4
62.0

57.6
34.0
31.0
39.0
19.6
24.6
41.7
10.5
6 .4
4.8
10.2
13.2
29.9
21.0
9 .8
8.4
2 .5
3.8
4.2
15.1
16.7
18.0
11.8
9 .7
71. ]
37.1
20.9
31.7
41. t
43.7

33.8
31.8
26. 8
23.2
18.2
33.9
48.8
44.1
31.7
(!)
29.5
13.4

i

com-

b in e d .2

Cts.

41.8
39.4
33.4
28. 4
22.1
38.6
54.9
51.4
38.0
41.1
32.1
15.3
15.3

29. 5
26.6
23.3
20. 4
14.6
28.0
33.3
33.6
26.2
27.5
22.2
9.0 10.0

25.3
22. y
20. 0
16.3
12.4
20.9
26.6
26.5
18.9
22.4

|

1

|

2
8
3
4
5
3

19 +
25 +
20 +
31 +
24 +
38 +
28 +
29 +
37 +
29

37 +
49 +
38 +
49 +
54 +
67 +
87 +
70 +
66 +
+

69 + 65 +
85 + 76 +
72 + 64 +
82 + 61 +
87 + 54 +
90 + 93 +
110 + 92 +
98 + 97 +
99 +108 +
92 + 114 +

58
64
55
44
33
74
61
88
80
102

+
+

+
+
+
+
+
+
+
2+
1+
5+

+

1 + 12 + 51 + 72 + 87 + 71

-

15 + 12 + 33 + 61 + 82 + 39

+

5 + 46 + 59 + 83 + 94 + 76
0 + 53 + 113 + 114 + 95 + 26

+ 17 +
+ H +
0+
+ 7+

+

1+

31
45
76
41

+ 68
+ 71
+100
+148

+
+
+
+

83
75
105
103

+ 111 +
+ 100 +
+ 1 12 +
+ 124 +

6 + 40 + 56 + U4

58
88
94
60

+ U

+ 20 +233 + 67 + 93 -{-353 + 07

!'
-

6 + 63 + 70 + 96 +246 + 80

+ 0 .4
- 0 .3

!+
J

+
+

1+
1+

I? +
9+

2 + 37 + 59

+

3C -f 35 + 31
26 + 65 + 24

81 + 108 + 61

1 No hens sold in M arch, 1918, by order o itk e U . S. Food A dm inistration.
2 See note 2, p . 10.

Table 3 shows the changes in the retail prices of each of 22 articles
of food 3 as well as the changes in the amounts of these articles that
could he purchased for $1, each year, 1913 to 1920, and in March,
1921.
3
A lthough m o n th ly prices have been secured on 43 food articles since Jan u a ry , 1919, prices on only 22
of these articles have been secured each m onth since 1913.


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[93G]

R E TA IL PR IC E S OF FOOD IK T H E

U N ITE D STATES.

13

T able 3 .—A V E R A G E R E T A IL P R IC E S O P S P E C IF IE D A R T IC L E S O F FO O D A N D A M O U N T
P U R C H A S A B L E FO R $1, B Y Y E A R S , 1913 TO 1920, A N D F O R M ARCH , 1921.
Sirloin steak. R ound steak.
Year.

R ib roast.

Chuck roast.

P la te beef.

P ork chops.

A ver­
A ver­
A ver­
A ver­
A ver­
A ver­
age
A m t.
age
A m t.
A m t.
age
age
A m t.
age
A m t.
A m t.
age
retail for $1. retail for $1. re ta il for $1. retail for $1. retail for $1. re ta il for $1.
price.
price.
price.
price.
price.
price.

Per lb.
1913..................... •SO. 254
1914..................... .259
1915..................... . 257
1916..................... .273
1917.....................
. 315
1918.....................
.389
1919..................... .417
1920..................... .437
1921: M a rc h .... .391

Lbs. Per lb.
3.9 $0,223
3.9
.236
3.9
.230
3.7
.245
3.2
.290
2.6
.369
2.4
.389
2.3
.395
2.6
.349

Bacon.
Per lb.
$0.270
1913.
.....
1914
. 2/5
.26,9
1915
.....
1916
.....
.237
.410
1917
.....
19]8...................
.529
1919
.....
.554
.523
1920
.....
.419
1921: M arch ...

H am .

Lbs. Per lb.
3.7 $0,269
3.6
.273
3.7
.261
3.5
.294
2.4
.382
1.9
.479
1.8
.534
1.9
. 555
2.4
.488

Cheese.

Per lb.
1913
.
$0,017
1914
......................
.018
1915
....
.015
1916
....
.027
1917
....
. 043
1918
...
.032
1919
.....
. 038
1920
....
.063
1921: M arch__
.025

Lbs. Per lb.
58.8 $0.055
55.6
.059
66.7
.066
37.0
.080
23.3
.093
31.3
.097
20.3
.113
15.9
.194
40.0
.097


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H ens.

i

Lbs. Per dz.
4.7 $0.345
4.6
.353
4.8
.341
4.2
.375
3.5
.481
2.7
.569
2.4
.628
2.2
.681
2.3
.417

Flour.

Tea.

Lbs. Per lb.
3.4 $0,544
3.4
.546
3.3
.545
3.3
.546
.582
3.3
.648
3.3
2.3
.701
2.1
.733
2.7
.711

Lbs.
l.S
1.8
1.8
l.S
1.7
1.5
1.4
1.4
1.4

Lbs. Per lb.
8.3 $0.210
7.9
.220
8.3
.203
7.8
.227
6.4
.319
4.9
.390
5.0
.423
5.5
.423
6.4
.353

Eggs.

Lbs.
4.8
4.5
4.9
4.4
3.1
2.6
2.4
2.4
2.8

B u tte r.

Doz.
2.9 $0,383
2.8
.362
2.9
.358
2.7
.394
2.1
.487
1.8
.577
1.6
.678
1.5
.701
2.4
.576

Corn meal.

Lbs. Per lb. Lbs. Per lb.
17.9 $0.033
30.3 $0.030
15.9
.034
29.4 . .032
.042
23.8
14.3
.033
.044
13.7
22,. 7
.034
.070
10.9
14.3
.058
.067
10.2
14.9
.068
10.0
.072
13.9
.064
.081
8.7
12.3
.065
9.5
.064
15.6
.048

Coffee.

Lbs. Per lb.
IS. 2 $0.298
16.9
.297
15.2
.300
12.5
.299
10.8
.302
10.3
.305
8.8
.433
5.2
.470
10.3
.37,

Lbs. Per lb.
6.3 $0.121
6.0
.126
6.2
.121
5.8
.128
4.8
.157
3.8
.206
3.7
.202
3.8
.183
4.4
.157

Lbs. Per lb.
6.3 $0,213
6.4
.218
6.8
.208
5.7
.236
3.6
.286
3.0
.377
2.7
.111
3.4
.447
5.1
.432

B read.

Qts. Per lb.
11.2 $0.056
11.2
.063
11.4
.070
11.0
.073
.092
9.0
7.2
.098
6.5
.100
6.0
.115
6.6
.105

Sugar.

Lbs. Per lb.
5.1 $0,160
4.9
.167
5.0
.161
4.7
.171
4.0
.209
3.3
.266
3. 1
.270
3.0
.262
3.3
.225

L ard.

Lbs. Per lb.
3.7 $0.158
3.7
.156
3.8
. 148
3.4
.175
2.6
.276
2.1
.333
.369
1.9
1.8
.295
2.0
.196

Milk.

Per lb. Lbs. Perqt.
4.5 «0. 089
1913
.... $0. 221
.229
4.4
.089
1914
....
.232
4.3
1915
....
.088
3.9
1916
.....
.258
.091
3.0
1917
....
.332
.112
1918
...
.359
2.8
.139
1919
......................
.426
2.3
• 155
1920
.....
.416
2.4
.167
1921 : M arch. . .
.390
. 152
2.6
Potatoes.

Lbs. Per lb.
4.5 $0.198
4.2
.204
4.3
.201
4.1
.212
3.4
.249
2.7
.307
2.6
.325
2.5
.332
2.9
.300

2.6
2.8
2.8
2.5
2.1
1.7
L5
1.4
1.7

Rice.

Lbs. Per lb.
33.3 $0,087
.088
31.3
30.3
.091
29.4
.091
17.2
.104
.129
14.7
.151
15.6
.174
15.4
20.8
.098

Lbs.
11.5
11.4
11.0
11.0
9.6
7.8
6.6
5.7
10.2

M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .

14

Index Numbers of Retail Prices of Food in the United States.

Table 4 index numbers are given which show the changes in the
F retail
prices of each of 22 food articles,4 by years from 1907 to
1920, and by months for 1920 and 1921.5 These index numbers, or
relative prices, are based on the year 1913 as 100, 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 rib roast for the year 1920 was 168, which means that the average
money price for the year 1920 was 68 per cent higher than the average
money price for the year 1913. The relative price of bacon for the
year 1919 was 205 and for the year 1920, 194, which figures show
a drop of 11 points but a decrease of only 5 per cent in the year.
In the last column of Table 4 are given index numbers showing the
changes in the retail cost of all articles of food, combined. From
January, 1913, to December, 1920, 22 articles have been included in
the index, and beginning with January, 1921, 43 articles will be
used.5 For an explanation of the method used in making the link
between the cost of the market basket of 22 articles, weighted accord­
ing to the average family consumption in 1901, and the cost of the
market basket based on 43 articles and weighted according to the
consumption in 1918, see M o n t h l y L a b o r R e v ie w for March, 1921
(p. 25).
The curve shown in the chart on page 16 pictures more readily
to the eye the changes in the cost of the family market basket and
the trend in the cost of the food budget than do the index numbers
given in the table. The retail cost of the food articles included in
the index has decreased since July, 1920, until the curve is brought
down in March, 1921, to approximately where it was in April, 1918.
The chart has been drawn on the logarithmic scale,e because the
percentages of increase or decrease are more accurately shown than
on the arithmetic scale.
&For in d ex n u m b ers of each m o n th , Jan u ary , 1913, to D ecem ber, 1920, see Monthly L abor R eview
for F eb ru ary , 1921, p p . 19-21.
.
„
„
s For a discussion of th e logarithm ic c h art, see artic le on “ C om parison of arith m e tic an d ra tio charts,
bv L ucian W . Chaney, Monthly L abor R eview for M arch, 1919, pp. 20-34. Also, ‘ T he ra tio chart,
h y Prof. Irv in g F is h e r, rep rin ted from Q uarterly P u b lica tio n s of th e A m erican S tatistical A ssociation,
Ju n e, 1917,24 pp.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[938]

T able 4 .—IN D E X N U M B ER S SH O W IN G C H A N G E S IN T H E R E T A IL P R IC E S O F T H E P R IN C IP A L A R T IC L E S O F FO O D IN T H E U N IT E D S T A T F S r y
Y E A R S , 1907 TO 1920, AND B Y M ON TH S F O R 1920 A N D 1921.
’
[Average for year 1913=100.]

[939]

1907............................
1908.....................
1909............................
1910............................
1911............................
1912............................
1913............................
1914............................
1915............................
1916............................
1917............................
1918............................
1919............................
1920: Av. fo r y e a r .
J a n u a ry .............
F e b ru a ry ..........
M arch................
A p ril..................
M ay....................
J u n e ...................
J u ly ....................
A u g u st..............
Septem ber........
O ctober.............
N ovem ber........
D ecem ber.........
1921:
J a n u a ry .............
F e b ru a ry ..........
M arch................


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Sirloin Round R ib C h u ck P la te Pork Ba­
B u t­
Corn
steak. steak. roast. roast. beef. chops. con. H am . L a rd . H ens. Eggs. ter. Cheese. Milk. B read. F lour. meai. Rice. P o ta ­ Su­
toes. gar.

71
73
77
80
81
91
100
102
101
108
124
153
164
172
159
160
161
170
171
182
192
186
185
177
171
156

68
71
74
78
79
89
100
106
103
110
130
165
174
177
166
167
168
179
179
191
202
196
193
188
178
160

76
78
81
85
85
94
100
103
101
107
126
155
164
168
159
159
161
169
169
176
181
176
175
168
165
152

100
104
101
107
131
166
169
164
158
157
157
166
166
174
179
172
170
162
158
145

159
151
154

163
153
157

157
148
152

148
138
141

100
104
100
106
130
170
167
151
152
152
150
157
155
157
158
154
152
147
146
136

74
76
83
92
85
Q1
100
105
96
108
152
186
201
201
178
180
186
206
202
194
208
219
238
238
210
157

74
77
83
95
91
91
100
102
100
106
152
196
205
194
186
186
186
191
195
200
203
203
202
202
196
176

91
100
102
97
109
142
178
209
206
187
188
190
199
206
215
222
223
225
222
212
186

140
129
130

171
156
168

171
166
155

180
179
181

76

211
134
137
215
204
192
191
189
185
184
177
177
185
183
162

81
83
89
94
91
93
100
102
97
111
134
177
193
210
197
210
215
224
221
216
211
212
214
207
201
189

84
86
93
98
93
99
100
102
99
109
139
165
182
197
240
199
161
153
153
155
166
184
206
234
250
268

85
86
90
94
88
98
100
94
93
103
127
151
177
183
194
190
196
199
187
175
177
175
179
ISO
181
162

141
131
124

200
201
203

229
139
121

159
148
150

91
100
99
93
111

100
104
105
117
150
162
193
188
196
196
194
194
194
189
186
183
184
184
180
176

87
90
.91
95
96
97
100
100
99
102
125
156
174
188
187
188
187
183
182
182
188
191
193
194
194
189

175
174
176

183
173
171

100
112
124
130
164
175
179
2C5
195
198
200
200
205
211
213
213
213
211
207
193

95
102
109
108
103
115
100
104
126
135
211
203
218
245
245
245
242
245
264
267
■264
255
252
236
221
200

88
92
94
95
94
102
100
205
198
113
192
227
213
217
220
217
217
217
223
230
233
230
227
213
197
183

193
189
188

203
197
194

173
167
160

208
210
211
214
215
215
214
210
202
185
163
152

Ill
112
101
130
132
100
108
89
159
253
188
224
371
318
353
400
535
565
606
524
294
229
200
194
188

105
108
107
109
111
115
100
108
120
146
169
176
205
353
324
342
340
367
462
485
482
416
333
253
235
191

137
121
113

176
153
147

176
162
176

100
101
104
105
119
148
174
200

Cof­
fe e.

Tea.

A ll
articles
com ­
bined.

93
09

100
100
101
100
101
102
145
158
165
165
165
165
165
165
162
153
146
139
133

100
100
100
100
107
110
129
135
132
131
135
135
136
136
137
137
137
133
135
133

100
102
101
114
146
167
186
203
201
200
200
211
215
219
219
207
203
198
193
178

129
126
125

133
131
131

172
158
156

R E TA IL PR IC E S OF FOOD I FT T H E U N IT E D STATES.

Y ear an d m onth.

Cn

T R E N D OF R E T A IL COST OF 22 FO O D A R T IC L E S , C O M B IN ED , F O R T H E U N IT E D S T A T E S , B Y M O N T H S, JA N U A R Y , 1913, TO M ARCH , 1921.

16
M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[940]

R E T A IL PR IC E S OF FOOD I N T H E U N IT E D STATES,

17

Retail Prices of Food in 51 Cities on Specified Dates.

A VE.RAGE retail food prices are shown, in Table 5 for 39 cities for
March 15, 1913, for March 15, 1920, and for Februaiy 15 and
March 15, 1921. For 12 other cities prices are shown for the same
dates with the exception of March, 1913, as these cities were not
scheduled by the bureau until after 1913.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[9413

18

M O N T H L Y LABOE REVIEW .
T able 5 .—A V E R A G E R E T A IL P R IC E S O F T H E P R IN C IP A L A R T I
[T he prices shown in th is tab le are com puted from reports sent m o nthly to th e bureau b y retail deal

A tlan ta, Ga.

B altim ore, Md.

B irm ingham , Ala.

A rticle.

U n it.

Sirloin s te a k ......................
R ound s te a k .....................
R ib ro a st............................
Chuck ro a st.......................
Plato boot...........................

P o u n d ..........
........do............
........do............
........do ............
___do............

Cts.
22.6
20.5
18. 4
13.0
11.1

Cts.
38.9
36. 0
30. 7
24.6
19.5

Cts.
36.0
33.1
26.4
21.0
15.0

Cts.
36.2
33.5
28.6
21.9
15.2

Cts.
22.0
20.7
18.0
15.3
12.4

Cts.
39.2
37.1
31.2
24.6
17.6

Cts.
37.3
34.5
30.2
22.9
16.2

Cts.
38.2
35.5
30. 7
23.1
16.4

Cts.
24.9
21.3
19.3
16.1
10.5

Cts.
40.8
37.8
31.1
26.5
18.0

Cts.
40.3
36.2
29.9
24.3
15. 7

Cts.
40.4
36.7
30.2
24.8
15.3

Pork c h o p s .......................
B a c o n ................................
H a m ....................................
L a m b ..................................
H ens....................................

___do............
........do............
........do............
........do............
........do............

21.5
31.0
29.0
20.6
19.3

39.4
54.4
52.7
41.2
44.3

33.5
46.2
48.6
34.4
34.4

33.6
46.4
47.8
32. 9
34.8

19.3
22.0
30.0
18.3
21.8

36.8
42.8
53.8
41.4
48.0

30.7
37.7
50.8
33.1
45.6

33.6
38.5
52.5
33.1
45. 4

20.0
31.3
30.0
21.3
18.7

38.0
55.7
51.7
41.4
41.6

32.2
49.8
50.2
40.8
38.8

34.4
50.2
49.6
39.0
37.7

Sal m on (can nod').............
Milk, fresh .........................
Milk, ev ap o rated .............
B u tte r................................
O leom argarine..................

........do............
33.3 26.0 25.7
Q u a rt............ 10.0 25.0 21.3 20.0 8.8
16.7 15.4 15.4
15-16 oz. can.
P o u n d .......... 42.4 78.8 63.1 65. 8 42. i
45.4 40.5 39.4
___d o ...........

35.3
16.0
14.2
77.8
42.9

34.0
15.0
14.5
62.3
34.7

34.2
37.6 39.4 39.6
14.0 10.3 25.0 25.0 22.5
14.3
15.9 15.7 15.8
63.0 45. Ó 78.6 63.3 65.1
35.1
44.8 40.9 39.9

N ut m argarino.................
Cheese.................................
L a rd ....................................
Crisco..................................
Fggs, stric tly fresh ........

__do............
39.6 35.8
........do............ 25.0 42.1 37.9
........do............ 14.8 30.4 21.6
........do............
35.6 23. 8
D ozen........... 20.9 52.9 42.8

B read..................................
F lo u r...................................
Corn m eal..........................
Rolled oats___
Corn flakes.........................

P o u n d ..........
........do............
........do............
. .d o ...........
8-oz. p k g ___

6.0 12.2 12.2 11.9
3. 6 7.9 7.0 7.0
2.4 5.6 3.9 3. 7
11.6 11.7 11.6
14.2 14.5 14.3

5.4 10.2 10.8 10.4
3.2 8.2 6.4 6.3
2.5 5.4 4.2 3.9
9.3 9. 7 9. 7
13.1 13.4 12.3

5.0 10.7 11.1 10.7
3.8 7.9 7.5 7.5
2.1 5.2 3.6 3.7
11.4 11.9 11.8
14.5 14.8 14.6

Cream of W h eat...............
M acaroni............................
R ic e .....................................
Beans, n a v y . . .
P o ta to e s.............................

28-oz. p k g ...
P o u n d ..........
........do ...........
.d o ...........
........do............

29.7 31.2 31.8
21. 7 22.3 22. (.
8.6 17.5 8.6 8.3
14.5 10. 4 10. 5
2.0 7. 7 3.4 3.4

28.5 28.7 28.5
19.3 21.5 21.2
9.0 18.1 11.4 10.2
11.2 8. 4 8.2
1.5 6.0 2.6 2. 4

30.6
20.2
8.2 18.3
13.8
1.9 7.5

O nions................................ ........do............
Cabbage.............................. . ..d o ...........
Beans, b a k e d .................. No. 2 can__
Corn, canned........
. .d o ...........
Peas, can n ed..................... ___do...........

10.1 5.0 4.9
8. 4 4.9 5.0
16.8 14.9 14.5
19. 6 17.0 16. 6
20.8 19.0 18.1

9.0 3.8 3. 4
9.5 3.1 5.6
15.2 14.2 13.7
18.2 16.8 16.3
18.8 17.0

Mar. 15—
Mar. 15—
Feb. Mar.
Feb. Mar.
Feb. Mar.
15, 15,
15, 15,
15, 15,
1921.
1921.
1921.
1921.
1921.
1921.
1913 j 1920
1913 1920
1913 j 1920
Mar. 15—

39.0 37.8 36.9
34.4
35.6 32.0 30.6
38. 7 23.3 43.1 39.3 39.7 21.8 42.2 38.9 39.3
20.9 14.0 29.0 18.8 17.8 15.4 29.8 20.2 19.6
36. 7 28.8 28.0
24.2
35.1 23.0 22.4
38.0 21.7 56.8 47.5 40.7 25.5 48.1 45.3 40.1

Tom atoes, can n ed...........
Sugar, g ra n u la te d ............
Tea ....................................
Coifee..................................

........do............
14. 6 10.8 11.6
P o u n d ..........
19.5 9.2 9. 8
........do............ 60.0 90.2 90.0 90.0 56.0
........do............ 32.0 51. 7 35.5 35.0 25.2

P runes..............
R aisins................................
B an a n a s.............................
Oranges..............................

........do............
........do............
Dozen...........
........do...........

26.9 23.6 21.9
23.8 32.9 32.5
31. 4 29.3 31.3
38.1 37.8

32.0 32.4
24.6 23.6
10.0 9.8
10.3 10.0
3.5 3.5

9.8 5.1 5.2
8.4 5.3 5.3
18.1 16.7 17.0
18.3 17.9 17.5
20.7 21.3 21.5

14.1
17.7
71. C
45.0

10.2 10.1
14.3 10.5 10.6
8.3 9.1 5.2 20.2 9.3 10.5
68.0 68.0 61.3 87.1 90.7 88.9
33.8 32.9 28.8 49.0 40.2 40.0

27.5
26.3
32.5
60.0

21.2
30.4
35.0
43.8

20.0
29.6
33. 2
42.8

29.0
23.5
42.4
58.6

28.5
32.1
43.0
40.0

25.9
33.9
43.5
41.0

1 The steak for w hich prices are here quoted is know n as “ porterhouse’’in m ost of th e cities included in
th is report, b u t in th is city it is called “ sirlo in ” steak.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[942]

R E TA IL PR IC E S OF FOOD I N T H E

U N IT E D STATES.

19

C L E S O F FO O D F O R 51 C IT IE S ON C E R T A IN S P E C IF IE D D A T E S.
ers. As some dealers occasionally fail to report, th e num ber of quotations varies from m onth to m onth.]
Bridgeport,
Conn.

B oston, Mass.

Buffalo, N. Y .

B u tte, Mont.

Charleston, S. C.

Mar. 15^1913

Mar. 15—
Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. 15- Feb.
. Mar. Feb. Mar.
Feb. Mar.
15,
15,
15, 15, 15,
15, 15,
15,
15,
15,
15, 15,
1921.
1921.
1920.
1921.
1921.
1920
1913 1920 1921. 1921.. 1920. 1921. 1921. 1913 1920 1921. 1921.

Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts.
1 34.6 1 58.8 1 56. < 1 58. ( 49.0 42.8 43.4 22.0
33.1 55.3 49.6 51.5 46.3 38.9 40.4 19.0
23.4 39.8 34.8 37.1 36.8 32.6 33.6 17.3
17.7 30.1 23.9 26.1 28.4 25.0 24.9 15.3
16.9 17.6 14.5 11.8 11.6 11.5
22.2
25.4
28.8
21.8
24.2
8.9
41.4

22.4
15.7
32.8
5.9
3.7
3.5

9.2
1.6

5.3
58.6
33.0

41.6
47.2
55.8
42.2
47.8

35.3
41.7
52.4
36.0
47.6

38.6
41.0
53.8
36.4
47.3

36.5
17.0
16.2
73.3
45.2

37.9
16.5
15.4
56.6
38.9

37.9
16.0
15.2
57.0
38.7

17.0
15.7
69.5
42.8

40.5
16.0
14.8
55.0
35.3

40.5
15.0 8.0!
14.7 . . . .
55.6 40.61
33.6 . . . . !

36.4
43.4
30.7
36.7
73.5

33.5
39.0
20.3
25. 6
67.3

32.7
38.8
19.8
24.2
56.2

35.4
43.1
29.1
35.6
71.9

32.2
38.2
19.2
25.3
64.4

31.0
39.2
17.
23.6
54.6

11.2
8.8
7.4
9.3
14.0

10.5
7.0
6.2
9.6
13.9

10.5 12.1 11.0
6.8 8.4 6.4
6.0 8.5 8.7
9.5 9.9 10.3
13.5 14.0 13.8

29.7
23.7
19.0
11.3
6.9

29.7
25.2
12.4
8.4
2.4

29.5
24.7
11.6
8.1
2.2

9.8
9.9
17.9
21.1
21.9

4.0
4.2
16.6
19.9
21.1

16.4
17.6
69.7
53.4
28.3
26.1
53.5
72.6

39.5
56.6
60.3
39. 6
4 7 .4

32.1
48.2
54.9
32.6
46.1

Cts.
36.3
33.0
30.3
24.4
16.9

Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts.
34.3
9 37.0 31.4 31.6 21.0
30.6
1 31.3 28.2 27.8 20.0
27.3
8 29.8 24.4 25.4 19. 3
21.4
5 23.0 18.7 19. C 15.0
13.5
9 16.7 13.0 13.1 11.4

19.3 39.5 32.6
21.0 41.9 35.7
25.0 49.9 46.5
17.3 33.3 27.1
21.7 44.4 42.6

Cts.
39.1
39.1
32.8
26.5
20.2

Cts.
40.0
38.9
32.3
25.7
19.7

Cts.
39.1
38.1
33.1
25.9
19.2

9
3
6
8

38.0
59.2
58.9
33.1
45.9

35.3
53.0
53.9
30.6
42.3

36.4
54.0
53.3
31.3
41.8

23.0
24. 3
26.7
21. c
21.8

39.4
50.7
50.8
46.5
46.8

40.3
44. 5
47.5
45.9
44.8

39.3
44.3
47.6
41.3
44.3

)

43.4
15. 6
15.5
73. 3
45.0

43.3
15.8
15.0
54.2
40.0

43.1
15.8 Ü .7
15.2
58.0 40.4
37.5

36.6
23.7
15.0
75.1
46.0

35.5
23.3
14.8
56.9
37.4

34.3
23.3
13.6
56.7
32.3

34.7
46.0 35. 6 31.6
40.6 21.0 42.8 37.0 36.9
26.5 15.0 32.5 22.6 20.7
32.1
38.5 25.7 22.7
44.6 26.3 61.8 47.1 38.6

35.2
16.0
14.0
73.3
42.

36.0
15.0
14.1
54.2
35.2

. .. .! 34.8
2 1 . 5 : 41.4
14.1 28.0
. . . . 35.5
24.7! 59.0

31.6
37.2
18.5
23.9
49.1

43. 8
43.2
37.2
44.1
59.6

37.9
40.2
27.7
33.1
48.6

11.1 10.9
7.6 5.5
6.1 4.2
8.4 8.0
13.0 12.6

11.9
8.6
7.7
9.5
14.3

9.9
6.8
6.0
9.2
14.7

14.5

28.5 28.8
24.6 24.3
18.0 11.4
11.8 9.5
6.7 2.5

32.4
22.6
18.6
12.6
6.3

33.6
22.5
11.2
9.3
1.5

33.6
22.5
10.2
9.4
1.4

3.8
5.7
16.6
19.6
20.8

9.7 3.9
10.5 3.4
15.9 13.7
19.8 20.2
19.9 20.4

8.2
8.6
21.4
18.4
18.4

4.1
5.2
21.2
18.0
18.9

3.8
5.5
21.0
17.8
18.7

13.7
8.6
66.8
41.7

13.6
9.5
65.8
41.4

15.9 12.2
19.2 8.4
63.7 58.0
47.4 35.6

16.4
17.0
77.5
59.2

13.4
10.6
77.7
51.7

13.4
15.0 10.5 10.6
11.6 5.0 18.8 8.1 9.1
77.0 50.0 79.9 77.3 74.6
50.7 26.0 48.2 35.2 33.3

20.9
32.2
52.5
47.6

20.1
32.2
50.7
45.7

28.2
26.0
45. 0
64.3

3 7 .4

5.6
2.9!
2.5
....
....

20.4
31.4
41.9
47.9

9.7
6.7
5.7
9 .0

27.7 23.4 22.1
27.2 32.5 32.1
215. 3 2 17.6 2 18.0
58.5 42.3 39.1

! Per pound.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

i

[943]

6.2 11.5
3.7 8,4
2.3 5.1
11.3
14.9
........
29.7
22.3
5.6 16.5
14.5
2.Ò 8.2

....

11.6 11.6
7.5 7.4
3.4 3.2
11.7 11.3
14.8 13.9
30.4 30.4
23.2 22.6
7.3 6.7
11.2 10.4
2.8 2.7

11.1 4. 8 4.7
9.6 4 . 1 3.8
14.9 13.2 12.7
19.7 16.9 16.4
21.8 19.6 19.1

28.6
23.8
44.4
55.0

23.5
33.8
45.7
39.0

22.0
32.9
45.0
36.3

20

M O N T H L Y LABOR RE V IE W
T able 5 .—A V E R A G E R E T A IL P R IC E S O F T H E P R IN C IP A L A R T IC L E S

C incinnati, Ohio.

Chicago, 111.
A rticle.

U n it.

Mar. 15—

Feb. Mar.
15, 15,
1921. 1921.

1913 1920

Cleveland, Ohio.

Mar. 15—
Feb. Mar.
Feb. Mar.
-15, 15,
15, 15.
1921.
1921.
1921.
1921.
1913 1920
1913 1920

Mar. 15—

Cts.
39.0
33.3
34.1
24.5
11. 2 17.3

Cts.
36.2
29.3
29.3
20.6
14.5

Cts.
38.6
30.7
31.5
21.9
14.7

Cts.
22.4
19.9
19.0
14.9
12. 1

Cts.
34.1
32.4
28.6
20.7
18.9

Cts.
32.8
30.7
29.0
20.0
16.9

Cts.
33. 4
31. 3
29,7
20.3
17.2

Cts.
23.7
21.0
19.2
16.2
11.8

Cts.
40.3
36.1
30.9
25.8
IS. 1

Cts.
36.4
31.6
27.3
22.7
15.6

Cts.
36.9
31.9
27.6
22.6
15.6

38.1
54. 4
52. 0
40.0
44.1

28.2
50.4
51.0
32.2
39.7

35.2
51.6
51.8
33.7
40.8

20.6
25.0
26.8
17.4
23.3

37.7
42.2
50.0
37.1
47.9

30.7
38.4
48.6
34.1
46.9

34.4
38.4
49.9
33. 4
47.4

19.8
25.6
33.5
20.3
22.7

41.6
50.3
56.5
39.5
48.9

30.8
45.3
52. 8
32.7
43.9

35.5
48.1
54.7
32.6
44.4

Salmon (can n ed ).............
M ilk, fresh .........................
Milk, evaporated
B u t t e r . . ...........................
Ol eom argari n e

37.3
........d o ...........
Q u a rt............ 8. 0 14.0
14.3
15-16 oz. can.
P o u n d .......... 40.4 73.7
40.3
.d o ..........

37.8
14.0
13.9
52.3
29.5

35.9
37.7
14.0 8.0 15.0
14.2
14.0
53.8 42.9 76.9
40.1
28.7

35.8
14.0
14.3
56.8
33.1

36.0
37.3
14.0 8.8 16.0
14.3
15.0
57.3 43.4 78.5
32.1
44. 5

38.4
14.0
14.5
57.5
34.4

37.7
14.0
14.9
58.0
32.9

N u t m arg a rin e .................
Cheese
L ard
..........
Crisco..................................
Eggs, stric tly fresh ..

35.2 31.8
34.8 31.4 29.3
33.9 27.8 26. 5
........d o ...........
.d o .......... 25.0 44.3 39.7 39.2 21.6 43. £ 39. 7 40.0 23.0 42.7 37.7
. . . . d o .......... 14.6 29.2 19.8 18.8 14.0 25.7 16.9 16.4 16.1 30.7 21.5
37.5 26. 8
35.6 25.9 24.7
35. 3 24.7 23. 4
........d o ...........
45. C 40.2 20.5 51.7 41. 8 39.1 27.2 57.1 48.6
D ozen........... 23.4

29.4
37.3
20.3
25.7
40.9

B read
.............
F lo u r. . .
..........
Corn m eal ..
Rolled o a ts ........................
Corn flakes.........................

P o u n d ..........
........d o ...........
. .d o ..........
........d o ...........
8-oz. p k g ----

6. 1 11.6 11.3 11.3
2.7 7.7 5.5 5. 6
2.9 6.9 6.1 6.0
9.1 9.6 9.8
13.2 13.0 12.5

4.8 10.1
3.4 7. E
2.5 5. 4
9.5
13.8

Cream of W h e a t.............. 28-oz. p k g ...
P o u n d ..........
M acaroni.............
. . . .d o ..........
Rice .
........d o ...........
B eans, n a v y __ _
___d o ...........
P o ta to e s........

28.8 28.6 28.3
18.8 19.3 19.5
9.0 18.4 9.8 9.0
11.7 8.1 7.5
1.3 6.6 2. 1 2.1

29.8 29.7 29.6
17.5 19.5 19. 3
8.8 17.9 10.3 10.1
10.2 7.0 6.8
1.4 6. 5 3.0 2.8

28.5
19. E
8.5 18.6
11.1
i . i 6.5

30.3 29.8
22.5 21.9
11.5 9.6
7.1 7.2
2.1 2.3

.d o ..........
O n io n s..
C abbage............................. ........d o ...........
No. 2 c an __
B eans, b a k e d ..............
. .d o ..........
Corn, canned
Peas, canned
.d o ..........

8.7 3.3 3.2
8.9 3.5 5.0
16.2 14.8 15.1
17.4 15.7 15.4
17.8 15.8 15.2

8.9 3.0 3.5
9.1 3.4 4.5
15.3 14.1 13.7
17.8 15.3 16.0
17.1 17.2 17.0

9.3
9.7
16.2
19. E
20.3

3.3 3.2
3.3 3.1
14. S 14.1
18.6 18.0
19.5 18.6

15.3 11.5 10.8
18. 5 8.8 9.7 5. 5
74. 8 72.4 71.4 50.0
43.5 32.6 31.9 26.5

15.8 13.3 12.9
18.5 8. £ 10.1
76.1 73.2 71.0
51.8 40.2 39.6

Sirloin s te a k ......................
R ou n d s te a k .....................
R ib ro a s t...........................
Chuck ro a s t............. ........
P la te beef..........................

P o u n d ..........
........d o ...........
. . .d o ..........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........

P ork c h o p s........................
"Bacon.................................
H a m ....................................
L a m b ..................................
H ens

........d o ...........
........ d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
.d o ..........

Cts.
22.0
18.9
19.4

17.9
29. 8
31.3
19.7
19.9

15.0 11.9 11.8
Tom atoes, can n ed ........... ........d o ...........
Sugar, g ra n u la te d ........... P o u n d .......... 4.9 18.7 8.4 9. i 5. 1
........d o ........... 53.3 68.5 65.0 64.8 60.0
T ea...
........d o ........... 30. 0 45.9 33.6! 33. 8 25.6
Coffee.
Prunes
Raisins
Ran an as
Oranges

d o ___
.d o .......... ..........
D ozen...........1
.d o ........ ■...........
1

29.2
28.2
40.2
62.1

23.0
31.6!
40.0
45.2!

21.6
31.5
40.9
41.5

29.5
27.9
41.1
53.7

10.0 10.0
6.4 6.3
3.8 3.8
10.7 10.5
13,6 12.2

26.4
32.4
44.4
40.4

24.3
32.3
42.9
42.5

5. 5 10.8 10.4 8.8
3.2 8.0 6.6 6.5
2.7 6.8 5.0 5.0
10.7 10.3 10.3
14.4 15.0 14.0

29.5
27.9
49.9
67.8

21.8
30.2
53. 3
47.6

18.8
30.3
53.0
45.3

i T h e ste ak for w hich prices are here q uoted is kn o w n as “ p o rterh o u se” in m ost of th e cities included in
this rep o rt, b u t in th is c ity i t is called “ r u m p ” steak .


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[944]

21

R E T A IL PR IC E S OF FOOD I N T H E U N IT E D STATES.
O F F O O D F O R 51 C IT IE S O N C E R T A IN S P E C IF IE D D A T E S —C ontinued.
Columbus,
O hio.

Mar Feb Mar.
15, 15, 15,
1920. 1921. 1921.

D allas, Tex.

M ar. 15-

D enver, Colo.

Mar.
15,
192Î.

1913 1920

D etro it, Mich.

F a ll R iver, Mass.

Mar. 15—

Mar. 15—
M ar 15—
Feb Mar.
Feb Mar
Feb. Mar.
15, 15,
15, 15,
15,
15,
1913 1920 1921. 1921. 1913 1920 1921. 1921. 1913 1920 1921. 1921.

Cts.
37.1
34.1
29.8
25.7
17.7

Cts.
35.2
31.5
28.6
23.0
15.8

Cts.
35.8
31.7
28.5
23.2
15.6

Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cis. Cts. Cts.

35.1
46.0
50.9
43. C
42.7

27.4
41.2
47.5
36.2
41.5

31.0
41.1
47.2
38.0
41.6

21.2 39.5 33.
37.0 54.3 51.6
3 1 3 57.0 51.7
22 .0 42.5 43.0
19.6 42.2 35.7!

34.8
14.0
14.7
75.9
42.6

37.1
14.1
14.9
56. 6
32.0

35.2
41.8
26. 5
36.5
50.8

29.1
36.6
17.2
35. 7
40.4

21.8 39. 5 37.1 37.9 22.

20.3
18. 8
15.6
12.5

38.2
32.5
27. 9
23.6

35.3 31. (
35. 2 35. 7 19.6 31.3 27.1
31.2 31.1 16.8 27. s 23.6
25. 8 ‘¿rl. 7 14. ( 21. 1 18.3
20.
20.3 9.4 14.6 12.0

31.
26.8
23.9
18.2
11.6

24.1
19. <
19. 8
1Ô.4
11.0

38. 9
34. 1
31. 0
23. 7
17. 4

36.0
30. 3
28. 1
20. 3
13.5

36. 0 *32.0
30.2 25.0
28.3 22.1
21.2 17.0
14.1

Cts.
‘59.2 *53.3
47.5 41.3
34.9 27.9
27.2 20.9
15.0

17.6
27.0
28.3
16.9
20.7

36.3
52.2
53.8
35.8
41.5

30.5
46.3
52.0
30.3
39.3

32.6
49.1
53.2
30.3
37. 9

18.6
23.0
25.5
17.2
21.6

39.6
49.4
57. 6
41.8
47.0

31.7
43.0
52.8
31.8
41.6

34.4
42.7
52.9
32.3
43. 4

38.3
47.4
52.3
37.1
47.8

30.7
43.0
51. S
35.3
48.9

37.1
39.9 34. 9:
14.0
21.0 15. 7
14.9
17.1 15.4
57.0 39.0 74.0 57.5:
31.2
37.5 32.0

34.8 .......
15.5 8.4
i5 ,5 .....
57.4 39.0
29.0

38.6
13. 0
13. 7
(ò» 2
43.6

40.2
12.8
13.4
49.5
38.4

39.9
12.8 8.0
13.3
52. 3 40. 6
38.7

38.2
16.0
15.2
76.3
43.3

38.5
13. 0
14.5
54.4
36.1

38.1
38.4
13,0 9.0 16.8
16.5
14.6
58.0 39.9 70.7
33.7
41.2

38.8
15.0
16.0
54.9
36.2

28.1
38.1 20 .0
16.6 17.0
24.4
33.5

33.8
38.5 à>. i
22.9 16.3
23.6
33.5 26. Ì

36.5
44. 8
33.4
39.0
50.9

32.8
41. 1
22. V
25.8
44.7

30.9
35. 0 30. S 30.1
37.2
40.6 21.3 43.4 36. 7 37.0 24.0 42.6
22.0 16.2 30.6 20.0 18.5 15.0 28.9
24.9
37.1 23.9 22.9
35.9
37.7 25.2 60.3 47'. 9 40.0 32.9 85.8

39.6
IS. 8
27.7,
74.6

37.3
44.3
34.3
3-7.9
44.0

34.6
38.5
23.6
24.4!
35.8

35.0
50. 7
52.1
41.7
35.0

10.3 10.7 10.5
7.5 6.6 6.5
6.1 4.1 4.1
10.4 11.4 10.9
14.3 13.8 12.0

5.6 12.1 10.2 10.2
3.3 7.9 6.
6.6
2.6 6.5 4 .8 4.4
11.9 12.1 11.7
13.9 14.3 14.1

29.9 30.1 30.1
19.9 21.0 20.5
18. 7 11.2 10.3
10.3 7.0 7.1
6.8 2.1 2.3

31.3 31.1 31. i'
29.5 29.9 29.6
19.6 22.2 21. 8:
19.2 20.4 21.0; _
9.3 18.1 11.0 9,7 8.6 18.7 9.9 9.21 8.4
12.5 9.4 9.2
13.1 9.8 9.4
7.8 3.8 3.7; LÓ 7.1 2.1 2.2: Ì.2

9.9 4.3 4,1
9.9 3.8 3.9
16.3 15.1 14.6
15.3 13. 7 13.5
16.0 15.3 15.4
14.8 11.5 11.2
18.7 8.8 10.0
85.0 85.9 85.6
49.1 37.1 36.9
29.3
26.9
41.3
60.0

24.6
32.0
42.7
47. 2

20.2
32.0
43.1 .
44. 2!.
1

5.3 11.8 10. S 10.8
2.6 6.8 5.1 5.0
2.4 5.9 4.0 3.8
9.9 9.9 10.0
14.7 14.4 14.0

5.4 5 .2 !
7.8 5.1 4,9, .... .
19.3 18.0 17.6
19.6 20.3 19.6 .....
22.8 22.0 21.7!
j
15.0 12.9 12.5!
5.7 20. 7 9.5: 10. ll 5.4
66.7 88. 8 89.5 89.2 52.8
36.7 55.1 42.6 42. 1 29.4
29.0
24.6
41.7
59.3

26.3 24.1
33.7 3 3 . o;
38.6 38.6
50.5 49. 9;


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

....
....

5.6 11.2 11.0 11.0
3.1 7.9 6.1 6.1
2.7 6.9 5.3 5.2
10.0 10.8 10.6
13.9 13.6 12.4

19.5
25.0
29. 7
19.3
24.5

6.2 12.0
3.2 8.5
3.4 9.0
10.7
14.6

10.9
6.5
8.2
11.1
14.8

29.7 29.8 29.8
28.4
20. 4 20.0 19.7
25.7
18.6 10.5 9.6 10.0 18.4
11.1 6.9 6.7
11.7
6.2 1.6 1.7 1.7 7.3

29.9
25.3
12.3
8.5,
2.4

9.6 3.0 3.0
10.4 3.2 3.8
15.9 13.6 13.5
19 2 17.6 17.5
18.4 18.5 18.2

9.9
10.4
36.6
18.9
19.8

4.2
3.6
15.3
18.0,
19.5

15.2 13.4 12.9
15.3!
15.0 9.3 io. o: 5.0 17.0)
71.7 71.6 71.6! 43.3 68.0!
49.7 37.3 37. 7 29.3 50.6

12.0 11.4
15.2
8.2 9.5 5.2 19.5
65. 2 6-5. 2 44.2 59.2
36.4 36.2 33.0 51.1

12.3
8.9:
56.5
41.8

30.1
25.5
46.9
58.8

23.0
30.0
35. S
48.6

20.4
31.6
40.0
44.8

8.5 3.6 3.2!
8.3 2.7 2.5; __
17.9 17.0 16.51 ... .
18.1 16.9 16.2
19.1 17.9 17.8

23.5
32.2
48.1
44.6

1

[945]

21.5
32. 3!
47. 9:
41.9!

]

29.9
26.8
36. 2
63.0!

21.4
30.0
35.9
48.2

26.6
27.6
38.3
64.9

22

M O N T H L Y LABOE REVIEW ,
.

T a b l e 5 .—A V E R A G E R E T A IL P R IC E S O F T H E P R IN C IP A L A R T IC L E S

H ouston, Tex.

Indianapolis, In d .

Jacksonville, Fla.

M ar. 15—
M ar. 15—
!
Feb. Mar.
Mar. Feb. Mar.
Feb. Mar.
15, 15,
15, 15,
15, 15, 15,
1920. 1921. 1921. 1913 1920 1921. 1921. 1913 1920 1921. 1921.

A rticle.

U n it.

Sirloin ste a k ................................
R ound s te a k ...............................
R ib ro a s t......................................
Chuck ro a s t.................................
P la te beef....................................

Pound... .. .
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........ d o ...........

Cts.
38.8
38. 4
31. 8
28.4
23.7

Cts.
34.6
34.3
29.6
25.4
20.0

Cts.
34.6
33.9
29.2
25.2
19.8

Cts.
24.8
23. 2
17.2

P o rk c h o p s.................................
B aco n ...........................................
H a m ..............
L a m b ............................................
H e n s .............................................

........d o ...........
........d o ...........
. . . .d o ..........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........

38.9
61.0
53.1
40.0
44.3

34.3
54.4
51. 1
37.0
37.3

33.9
54.4
53.2
36.8
36.4

20.0
28.0
29.5
18.7
21.8

Salmon (c a n n e d )....................... ........d o . .........
M ilk, fresh......... ......................... Q u a rt...........
Milk, ev ap o ra te d ....................... 15-16 oz. can
B u tte r........................................... P o u n d ..........
O leo m arg arin e.......................... ........ d o ...........

37.5
20.0
14. 8
74.9
43.8

N u t m a rg a rin e ...........................
Cheese...........................................
L a rd ..............................................
Crisco............................................
Eggs, stric tly fresh ...................

........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
. . . .d o ..........
Dozen...........

37.4
41.2
30.7
36.3
45.9

B re a d ..........
F lo u r.............................................
Corn m e a l....................................
R olled o a ts ..................................
Corn flakes..................................

P o u n d .......... 10.2 9.1 9.0
........d o ........... 8.1 7.1 7.0
........d o ........... 5.9 4.4 4.1
........d o ........... 11.4 11.5 11.4
8-oz. p k g ___ 14.3 14. 5 13.6

5.1 10.7 10.1 9.8
3. 3 7.8 6.4 6.4
2.6 5.6 3.5 3.5
10.9 11.0 10.3
14.4 14.4 13.0

6.5 11.0 11.5 11.3
3.8 8.8 7.3 7.2
2.6 5.4 3.6 3.4
11.7 12.0 11.7
14.9 14.8 14.7

C ream of W h e a t........................
M acaroni......................................
R ice. .
Beans, n a v y ................................
P o tato es.......................................

28-oz. p k g ...
P o u n d ..........
.. . d o . ..
........d o ...........
........d o ...........

29.6 29.9 30.0
19.7 21.6 21.2
16.7 8. 2 7.5
11.8 9.3 8.8
7.6 3.9 3.9

30.7 32.4 31.7
20.3 20.9 20.9
9. 2 19. 4 10.6 9.9
10.7 7.2 7.1
1.3
1.9 2.1

30.0 30. 1
21.5 22.3
6.6 17.0 8.4
13.3 9.7
2.3 7.5 3.5

O nions..........................................
C abbage...........
Beans, b a k ed ..............................
Corn, can n ed ..............................
Peas' c a n n e d ..............................

........d o ........... 9.2 4.6 4.5
........ d o ........... 7.1 4.3 3.8
N o. 2 c a n . . . 16.3 15.4 14.5
........d o ........... 17.0 14. 5 14.1
........d o ........... 18.7 19.2 18.7

9.4 3.5 3.4
8.6 3.6 3.8
16. 8 15.0 14.6
17.1 14.0 13.7
16.9 14.9 14.6

Tom atoes, c a n n e d .....................
Sugar, g ra n u la te d .....................
T ea................................................
Coffee............................................

........d o ...........
P o u n d ..........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........

P r u n e s .. . . .
d o ..........
. .do ..
Raisins
B an an as....................................... D ozen...........
O ranges........................................ ........d o ...........

Cts.
35. 8
35.5
27.8
24.5
12.3 18.4

Cts.
34.9
33.4
26.7
22.4
16.8

Cts.
35.7
33.5
27.6
23.2
16.7

Cts.
25.8
20.3
25.0
15.8
10.3

Cts.
38.8
36.4
29.2
23.1
16.9

Cts.
36.1
32.7
28.5
22.5
13.8

Cts.
36.1
33.2
28.8
21.8
13.5

36.8
47. 2
53.4
46.1
43.3

29.7
43.6
51. 2
32.5
40.7

31.6
43.3
52. 2
35.0
42.5

23.0
26.0
26.8
20.8
22.0

38.6
49.1
49.7
36.7
43.7

35.0
42.1
48.1
35.0
42.0

3G. 1
41.8
48.5
31.0
41.3

36.2
20.0
15.0
53.1
36. 5

31.5
35. 2
IS. 2 8.0 14.0
14.9
15.1
53.7 42.3 75.7
36.5
43.5

30.2
14.0
14. 8
55.5
33.8

29.4
34.6 30.1 30.3
13.0 12.5 20.7 22.7 22.7
14,5
15.0 14.8 14.8
57.5 43.8 79.1 61.4 63.8
32.2
44.2 36.6 35.4

32.8
36.3
23.0
25.2
31.9

35.2 31.2 30.3
32.3
37.2 20.5 44.5 40.0 39.6 22.5
21.7 15.2 27.8 17.9 16.8 15.3
36.9 24.7 2 2 . 8 1 ____
24.6
31.6 20.0 46.8 41.2 34.4 30.0

15. 5 12.3
14.6 11.5 11.3
19.1 8.2 9.6 5.8 19.5 9.2
68.4 70. 1 70. 1 60. C 87.2 80.9
46.4 31. £ 31.7 si. a 50.7 39.8
27.4
25. 3
36.3
55.6

21. C
33. 7
36.0
46.6

19.3
32.4
35.3
44.9

30.5
29. 0
31.4
58.2

25.4
34. 8
31.3
39.6

39.7
42.6
31.9
39.0
58.7

33.9
36.9
22.4
26.1
48.2

32.6
38.1
21.0
24.7
40.3

30.0
21.8
8.1
9.6
3.4

10.3 5.1
5.6 4.3 4.0
17.4 13.9 14.0
19.9 17.7 17.5
22.2 20.8 20.9

12.1
10.0 5.9
81.8 60. C
39.7 34.5

15.0 10.4 10.6
19.5 9.3 9.8
90.0 89.5 89.1
55.2 39.5 38.8

22.1
34.8
32.0
43. 1

27.4
27.9
37.0
48.8

20.8
33. 1
33. (
31. 8

20.9
33.9
28.8
29.6

1 T he steak for w hich prices a re here quoted is know n as “ p o rterhouse” in m ost of th e cities included
in th is rep o rt, b u t in th is city i t is called “ sirlo in ” steak.
2 No. 2J can.
3 N o. 3 can.
* P er pound.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[946]

23

R E TA IL PR IC E S OE FOOD I N T H E U N IT E D STATES.
O F FO O D F O R 51 C IT IE S ON C E R T A IN S P E C IF IE D D A T E S—C ontinued.
K ansas City, Mo.

L ittle Rock, A rk.

Los Angeles, Calif.

Louisville, K y.

M anchester, N. II.

Mar. 15-

Ma.r.15—
Mar. 15Mar. 15—
Mar . 15—
Feb. Mar,
Feb Mar
Feb
Feb Mar
Feb. Mar.
15, 15,
15, 15,
15, 15,
15, 15,
15, 15,
1913 1920 1921. 1921. 1913 1920 1921. 1921 1913 1920 1921. 1921 1913 1920 1921 1921 1913 1920 1921. 1921.
Cts Cts. Cts

Cts

Cts. Cts. Cts.

Cts. Cts.

Cts

Cts

Cts.

17. 7 27.
14. 7 21.
11. 4 16.

25.8 27.2 18.4 32.3 28.5 28.8 19.0 30.4 30.
19.2 19.9 15.3 25.2 22.4 22.5 16.0 22.9 22.3
13.2 14.2 12.0 19.9 17.0 16.9 12.7 18.3 18.4

Cts.
21.8
18.9
17.9
15.3
11.9

19. 2 35.
28. 4 51.
27. 9 53.
17. 3 33.
17. 4 41. 9

25.
49.
49.6
31.3
38.5

33. 4 20. 38.8
50. 6 34. 55. 0
50.0 28. 8 52.2
45.0
31.
38.
41.5

19.6
27.8
27.9
IS. 1
23.1

.. 36.3
. 7 16. 0
.. 15. 6
40. 6 75. 3
. 41.

34.1
14.7
14.9
53.0
32.7

34.
14. 3 10.
15.00 ..
57. 1 43.
32.0

. 35.2
21..5 43.
16.2Ì 31.1
40.1
23.1 51. 2

30.5 29.9
37.7
39.0 40.4 21. 7 43.1
20.8 20.
.0 31.5
IQ 7
27.4 26.8
42.0 36.3 20. 5 50.' 3

Cts.
33.8
32.0
27.7
23.6
20. 4

Cts.
31. ‘
29.9
24.9
20.
17.7

Cts.
31.1
30.1
25. 5
20.7
17.2

Cts. Cts.
<35. <55. 2
28. ( 47. g
19. C 32.0
16.8 26.9

Cts.
<51.4
44.1
26.0
22.0
18.1

36.0
47.2
49.0
40.0
42.7

26.0
37.6
46.2
35.0
39. 2

33.5
38.4
46.2
35.0
40.4

19.2
22.6
27.8
18.6
23.2

30.9
29.0
43.8
32.8
48.8

41.1
44.7 48.8
31.6
15.0 10.0 16.0 16.0
8. 8 16.0
15.9
13.4 12.
15.6
60.2 43.'5 68. 1 56.7 49.2 43.6 75.2
33.3
45.7 37.7 35.4
42.6

28.8
11.0
14.7
55.3
34. 5

28.6
39.3
11.0 8.0 15.0
14.9
17.1
59. 1 42.2 78.2
31.7
41.0

22. 8 38.; . e 35.3 36.4 24.4 38.0 35.6 36.0 22.8 36.8 35.8
20.2 34.1 29.4 32.1 19.4 35.9 33.4 33.4 20.4 32.6 31.8

33.1
51.3
51.3
37.2
35.7

36.8 41.2
20.0 16.0
16.0 16.0
75.3 59.9
44.3 33.7

5.9 12.1 11.4 11.4 6.0 10. 5
3.0 7.4 6.2 6.1
8.0
2.5 7.2 5. 5 5.3
5.6

34.1
50.9
52.3
38.1
36.6

24.4
33.8
34.2
19.2
26

45.3
60.9
61.6
36.8
52.2

43.2
55.2
61.6
36.5
51.1

31.9 31.7
36.9 32.
38.3 38.7 19.5 44.4 43.0
33.4 24.7
25. 7 23.1
36.9 22.6
36.6 36.0
45.0 44.7
22 .6 20. 1 17.

9.5
7.2
3.2

6.2
3.6
3.1

30.8
35.4 33.8 30.6
43.1 21. 7 41.6 36.2 37.2 21. 5
15.3 28.0 16.8 16.2 16.2
34.0 27. 1 25.0
38.6 20. 4 46.5 37.2 35.4 29.6
21.
22.2

9.6 9.7 9.7
7.7 6.7 6.6
7.1 5.9 5. 6
9.7 10.6 10. 5
13.1 13.5 13.2

11.8 11.2 10.8

14.7 14.7 13.9

7.2
3.1
11.8 12.1 11.9
14.7 14. 14.0

30.1 30.2 30.4
19.5 23.5 22.6
8.7 18.
10.0 9.1
1 2.2
8.7 8.8
i. 5 7.0 2 . 6 , 2.7 1.7

28.2 30.9 31.1
18.5 22.6 23.3
18.1 7.
7.7
12.4 9.1 9.3
6.6 2.
2.9

29.1 29.1 29.0
17. 18.4 18.2
7.7 18.2 11.1 9.7
10.4 8.2 7.
7.5 2.9 2.

9.9 4.
4.
7.8 3.8 4.4
17.1 15.3 15.0
16.0 14.1 14.1
16.3 15.4 14.7

9.9 5.1 5.0
7.9 5.0 5.0
16.4 15.5 15.6
17.7 16. 2 16.1
18.7 18.6 18.5

8.7 3.2 3.1
5.1 2.
2.3
18.0 17.4 17.3
18.1 18. 18.6
19.9 18.9 18.2

39.0
47.1
49. 1
40.4
47.6

34.5
42.5
30.5
37.9
74.3

39.4
15.0
16.6
62.5
37.8
32.7
37.6
20.1
26.6
63.3

5.7 10.1 10. 1 10.1
3.7 7.7 6.8 6.8
2.2 5.0 2.9 2.8
10.6 10.9 10.8
14.1 14. 2 12.8

5.9 10.5 9.2
3.4 8.5 6.8
3.6 7.4 6.3
10. 6 10.1
14.9 14.9

28.4 30.1 29.9
20.3 20.4 20. 2
19.1 9.9 9.6
11.3 6.6 6.6
1.4 5.9 1.7 l.S

28.6 30.0
25.2 26.2
8.5 18. 4 10. 0
12.0 8.2
1.4 • 6.0 2.1

9.8 3.2 3.3
8.1 5.2 5.0
15.6 13.5 13.3
17.6 16.3 16.3
17.1 17.6 17.5

9.8 3.6
8.4 2.9
17.2 17.1
21.4 19.8
21. 5 21.1

8.

i

15.3 11.6 10.9
14. 12.2 12.4
215.1 2 14. 7 213,6
13
14.1 11.4 11.1
323.8 3 20.1 3
5. 19.6 9. 1 9.8 5.7 19.8 9.9 10.4 5.2 16.3
9.5 5.1 19.5 8.6 9.6 5.6 19.4 8.9 9.8
54.0 81.9 83.2 82.8 50.0 89.8 93.0 93.0 54.5 72. 71.7 71.2 62.5 84.5 83.4 83.4 45.0 62.2 60.2
60.2
27.
6 38.1 37. 8 30. 53.9 38. 7 38.3 36.3 47.3 39.5 39.2 27.5 48.9 37.0 37.0 32.0 51.4 39. 6
39.6
29.8 21.6 20.9
27.0 27.1 25.9
27.8 20.1 18.4
27.8 25.8 24.2
28.4 20.9 20.5
29.5 34.2 33.8
25. 2 33.2 33.1
24.4 30.8 30.6
25. 1 32.0 31.4
28.4 32.5 32.7
50.5 49.5 51.3
37.4 43.3 45.0
< 1 2.2 <13.3 <13. 4
40.5 36.0 38.6
12. 4 <11.9<
66.7 49.4 48.4
50.7 49.6
45.7 31.7 27.4 . ..] 54.0 37.7 37.81 _ 74.7 45.7


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

8.6

[947]

MONTHLY LABOE REVIEW

24

T able 5 .—A V E R A G E R E T A IL P R IC E S O F T H E P R IN C IP A L A R T IC L E S
Milwaukee, Wis.

Memphis , T enn.
U nit.

Article.

M inneapolis, Minn.

Mar. 15—
Mar. 15—
Feb.! Mar.
Feb. Mar.
Feb. Mar.
15, 15,
15, 15,
15, 15,
—
.921. 1913 1920 1921. L921.
1921.
L921.
1921.
1913 1920
1913 1920 |

Mar. 15—

Cts.
38.0
35.6
31.7
24.5
19.3

Cts.
31.5
28.9
25.5
18.2
14.9

Cts.
33.6
30.6
26.4
19.6
15.4

Cts.
21.5
20.0
17.8
15.5
11.3

Cts.
36.6
34.3
30.5
26.0
17.6

Cts.
36.4
32.9
28.4
23.9
15.0

Cts.
37.0
33.1
29.3
24. 5
15. 5

1
Cts. Cts.
20.0 34.3
18.5 31.0
18.2 29.2
15. 0 22.7
9.7 14.7

36.0
54.0
55.0
42. O'
42.8

27.7
44.6
45.3
35.0
35.8

32.1
44.9
47.4
34.0
35.3

18.8
27.3
26.8
20.0
21. 8

36.5
51.7
50.9
40.4
44. 1

28. 2
46.6
47. 1
35.8
40.1

35.1
47.2
47.9
35. 5
40.9

17. 8
25.0
27.5
15. 7
19.5

35. 4
Milk, fresh ......................... Q u a rt............ 10.0 19.0
15. 4
15 10 oz. can.
\Iilk PvapOTatpd
B u tte r ................................ P o u n d .......... 42.1 77.8
41.4
........d
o
...........
O leom argarine.................

38.5
17.5
15.9
54.4
34.6

39.3
37. 8
17.3 7. 0 12.0
16.2
15. 8
58.0 39.6 74.0
40.9
31.3

40. 7
10.0
15. 0
51.9
31.2

44.4
39.9
10.0 7.0 13.0
15. 5
15. 2
53. 9 39.0 70.1
41.5
29.5

44.1
12.3
15. I
49.1
35.6

43.1
12.0
15. 0
53. 0
33.5

33.5
34.2 29.5 28. G
38.9 32.2 31.6
N llt m argarine
.d o ..........
('yhpp.^p,
.................
. . . d o .......... 21.3 42.9 36.6 38.1 22.0 39.5 34.7 34.9 20.3 41.0
15.3
29. 7
20.0
15.
3
30.3
21.3
29.4
15.4
18.8
18.3
........d
o
...........
L ard ................................
37.3
37.2 24.7 23.2
36.7 26.3 25. 1
f!ri son
. .d o ..........
22.4
49.0
36.6
40.
8
23.2
49.8
48.3
38.1
37.6
21.9
D
ozen...........
Eggs, strictly fresh ..........

28.5
36.1
19.4
27.0
40.2

27.8
36.8
17.9
25.3
38.2

10.3
5.7
4.8
8.0!
14.3

10.3
5.7
4.8
7. 8
13. 4

£irl nj n stea k
...............
R oun d s te a k .....................
p ih roast
Chuck r o a s t.......................
P lato hop,f

P o u n d ..........
........d o ...........
. .d o ..........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........

Cts.
22.1
18.4
18.7
14.4
11.4

Porlr oh ops ...................
Bacon
...............
Rn.rn
...............
r>amb
Rons
.........................

........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........

20.7
29.3
26.4
20.4
19.6

36.0
5o. 'à
52.2
35.3
40.1

Cts. Cts.
30.41 32.1
26. 7 28.0
23.6 25.3
19. 0i 19. 4
11. 8! 12. 2
j
28. 4 32.1
46.4 47.1
47.8 48.8
28.9 30.6
35.9 37.6

Bread
..................... P o u n d ..........
PI onr
.d o ..........
___d o ...........
Porn in pal
.d o ..........
Rolled oats
flopi flakes
8-oz. p k g ___

6. 0 12.1 11.3 11.3
3.6 8.2 7.3 7.2
2.0 5.2 3.0 3.0
11.2 11.5 11.5
14. 3 14.1 13.4

5. 6 10.4 10.1 10.0
3.1 8.0 6.1 5.2
3.3 7.0 5.1 5.3
8.6 7.7 7.9
14. 1 13.7 13.0

5.6 10.4
2.2 8. C
2.4 6. 5
8.7
14.7

Ofoam of W hpat
28-oz. p k g __
ATaoaroni
P o u n d ..........
........d
o ...........
Rice
.......................
Roans nav y
.d o ..........
. . .d o ..........
Potatoes
*

29.8 29.3 29.3
19.2 18. 8 18.5
17.7 8.
6.8
12.7 8. 0 8.1
1.6 7. ! 2.8 2.8

29.4 29.8 29.8
18.6 20.4 20.7
9.0 18.9 11. i 11.0
11.0 7.8 7.7
1.2 6.2 2.1 2.0

31. 1 30.8 30.8
18. 1 17.7 17.8
9. 1 19.5 10. 1 9.7
11.7 9. C 8.7
1.0 6.2 1.9 1.9

8.7 3.6 3.4
3.6
9.5 3.
9.7 2.7 4.4
6.8 3.
3.7
15. 8 13.9 14.1
17.1 16.5 15.9
17.1 15.6 15.3
18.4 16.5 16. 4
15.4
19. 8 18. 18. 5 ........ 17.0

9.9 4.5 4.3
8.6 4. 1 3.9
18.8 16.9 16.7
17. 15.6 15.1
17.3 15.9 15.3

. .d o ..........
.d o ..........
........ No. 2 c a n . . .
.d o . . . .
.d o ..........

On ions
Cabbage
Beans, baked
Porn panned
Peas panned

15. 13. 8 12.7
.d o ..........
14.9 11. : 11.
5. C
9.8 5.4 20.1 8.4 9.
P o u n d .......... 5.5 19.7 9.
71. 71.7 45.
92.1
93.
50.0
70.8
63.
93.1
........d o ...........
36.5 36.5 27.5 47.2 34.: 33.8 30.8
........d o ........... 27.

Tom atoes, canned
Sugar, g ra n u la te d .
T ea...
Coffee
P runes
Raisins
B an a n a s. . .
Oranges

.d o . __
. . . d o ..........
D ozen...........
.. .d o ..........
i

Whole,


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

31.3
24.4
4L*
60. (

23.
33.
38.
40. :

2No. 3 can.

[948]

22.;
32.9'........
38. 4!........
40. 9Î........
1
'

29.:
29.2
3 12.
62.

23.2
31.
3 13.2
45.2

99.
30.2
3 13.
45.

3 P er pound.

16.5 14.7 14.5
20.
9. 1 9.9
65.; 66.8 68.0
51.8 40. 3 39.8
31
26.2
3 13.1
65.

22.7 20.1
31. 3 31.1
* 14.8 •i 14.6
52.7 47.6

RETAIL PRICES OF FOOD I FT THE UFTITED STATES,

25

O F FO O D F O R 51 C IT IE S ON C E R T A IN S P E C IF IE D D A T E S —C ontinued.
Mobile, Ala.

N ew ark, N . J.

New H aven, Conn.

New Orleans, La.

New Y ork, N Y.

Mar. Feb. Mar. M ar. 15— Feb. Mar. Mai . 15— Feb Mar. M ar. 15— Feb. Mar. Mar. 15— Feb. Mar.
15, ; 15, 15,
15, 15
15, 15,
1920. ¡1921. 1921.
1921.
1921. 1921.
1921. 1921
192Ì. 1921.
1913 1920 1921.
1913 1920
1913 1920
1913 1920
1
Cts. Cts.
35. : 33. 6
»5. uj 33. 3
ay. b| 28. 6
25. 2 23.6
20.
18. (

Cts.
33.5
32. 8
28.1
23.2
17.4

Cts.
43.0
42.2
34.
23.4
13.9

Cts.
30.4
26.0
23.0
18.0

Cts.
51. S
46.3
37.9
30.7

Cts.
47. ]
40.8
34.2
25.3
15.7

Cts.
48.9
42.4
35.2
26. 7
15.7

Cts.
20. (
17.5
19.6
13.0
11.1

Cts.
35.6
32.3
31.8
23.8
20.4

Cts.
32.8
30.1
29.0
21. (
18.1

Cts.
33.6
30.6
28.8
21.8
18.1

Cts.
25.4
23.8
21.7
15.8
14.5

42.4
43.1
38.0
27.4
23.8

40. 3 41. 7
39. £ 40. 7
36.4
23. f 24.5
20.
20.5

43.7 36.6
ù’S. & 48. 6
52. 4 48. 8
39. 8 36. 5
45.5 43.1

38.0 21.2 40.2 33.6 35.9
48. 8 23. 4 45.4 38.1 38.4
48. 8 119.8 '37.3 1 30.9 1 32.5
36.1 21. 2 41.6 34.6 36.2
44.0 23.2 45. 7 45.5 45.8

21.2
26. 7
30.0
19.0
23.0

40.5
52.6
57. 1
42.5
47.3

29.0
47.3
53.2
33.8
47.4

34.5
47.3
52.7
34.5
47.7

21.1
29.3
26.0
20.5
23.2

43.5
51. 7
48.4
41.9
47. 8

41.0
48.0
48.8
38.8
44.3

41. (
48.3
49.9
37. 4
43.7

21.3
23.6
28.5
17.3
21.1

41.2
48.0
57.5
34.0
43.5

35.4
42. 7
52.4
30.5
44.2

36.6
42.6
52.8
32.5
44.4

37.9
23.5
16.1
75.5
43. 9

35.8
21.0
15.4
61.6
36.6

35.9
38.9
20.0 9.Ò 17.3
15.4
13.5
64.8 43.8 77.3
33.5
42.3

38.3
17.0
14.0
56.1
34.9

37.4
16.0 9.0
14.0
58.2 39. Ò
33.6

40.3
16.0
16.0
70.7
44.1

40.0
16.0
14.4
54.5
35.1

39.3
16.0 10. Ò
14.1
54.6 4Ì.9
32.8

37.4
18.5
15.1
75.6
45.2

42.2
17.5
14.8
59.0
35.2

42.0
42.2
16.8 9.0 16.7
14.7
13.7
60.7 41.2 75.1
44.1
33.7

41.5
16.0
14.0
54.7
35.6

41.3
15.0
13.8
56.8
33.9

41.5
43. /
30. 9
38. 7
51.2

34.8
37.7
20.4
26.9
45. 0

33.7
39.1 24. 5
20.0 15.7
25.5
40.0 35. Ö

31.1
40.7
20.2
24.3
58.1

29.1
40.1 22. Ò
19.8 15.3
22.7
53.0 32. Ò

35.8
42.9
30.2
35.4
76.9

32.4
37.5
19.4
25.4
69.4

30.5
36.5 32.8 31.4
35.5
37.3 2Ü.4 41. 8 38.1 39.8 19.8 42.9
18.9 14.6 28.3 19.6 18.8 16.0 31. 2
24.4
37.3 24.8 24.6
36.2
57.3 23.4 50.1 40.3 36.3 31.8 64.0

30.8
38.9
20. 9
25.5
58.8

29.6
38.2
19.9
23. 3
49.9

Cts.
26.2
25.6
20. C
16. 8
12. C

Cts.
44.6
44. 8
36.3
26.4
15.3

35.5
43.1
30.5
35.7
66.1

Cts.
40.9
40.5
32.4
22.8
14.3

10.2 10.1 9.9
8.4 7.0 7.0
5. 9 3.6 3.5
11. 6 11. 0 11.5
14.5 14.6 13.8

5.6 10.7 10.4 10.4
3.6
.x 6.4 6.3
3.6 7.8 6.9 6.8
9.2 9.2 9.2
12.6 12.7 12.0

6.0 12.0 11.1 10.7
3.1 8.2 6.3 6.3
3.2 8.0 6.7 6.6
10.2 10.4 10.2
14.3 13.4 12.6

5.1 10.1 9.7 9.5
3.8 8.3 7.6 7.5
2.6 5.2 3.6 3.3
10.0 10. 7 10.4
13.8 13.5 12.5

6.0 11.1
3.2 8.6
3.4 7.6
8. 9
12.2

10. 7 10.8
6.4 6.0
7.0 6.7
8.9 8.7
12.5 11.7

30.1 30.8 29.9
20. 8 21.0 20.0
17. 7 8.5
.4
13.3 9. 8 9.3
7.1 3.1 3.2

27.7 27. 7 27.7
23.0 22.5 22.6
9.Ó 18.2 9.9 9.1
11.6 8.5 8.1
2.4 6.9 3.1 3.0

29.0 28.9 28.8
30.0 29.8 29.8
21.8 22.5 22.3!
J1.6 10.2 9.9
9.3 18.5 11.6 10.91 7.4 16.2 7.9 7.6
12.0 8.5 8.5
10.7 7.6 7.3
i. 6 7.2 2.5 2.4 i. 9 7.6 3.4 3.3

28.4
22.8
8.0 17.8
12.3
2.3 7.6

28.6 28.6
22.4 22.3
10.3 9.5
9.4 &9
3.4 3.1

9.7 3.9 3.9
7. 2 3.5 3.4
16.1 14. 9 15.1
19.3 17. 0 17.0
18. 9 18.1 18.3

9.0 4.7 5.1
8.7 3.8 3.8
14.2 12.4 12.3
18.8 17.3 16.6
18.5 17.7 17.6

9.9

15.2
18.2
17.9

4.1 3.9
3.3 2.9
13.5 13.5
16.6 16.0
17.0 17.0

15.5 11.2 10.6
19. 9 9.4 10. 7 5.2
81. 7 79. 9 79. 8 53. 8
46.3 35.6 35.6 29.3

14.3 10.6 10.1
17.5 S. 4 9.2 5. i
55.5 49.1 49.4 55. 0
45.8 31.9 31.2 33.8

222.9 2 21.9 22.1
19.1 8.6 9.3 5.2
63.4 56. 5 57.7 62.1
52.1 40.1 39.2 26.3

15.0 12.8 12.2
17.6 8.6 9.1 4. 8 17.3
73.5 72.0 71.8 43.3 57.7
41.5 31.0 30.5 27.5 46.4

10.5 10.5
8. 2 9.0
54.0 53.6
32.6 32.7

27.6
26. 5
31. 1
58. 9

20.6
25.6
45. 4
61.3

29.3
27. 5
38.9
59.3

28.0 22.7 20.9
27.0 32.7 32.1
23.3 22.9
02.0 46.5 40.5

21.0
31.0
44. 3
55.1

8

24.1
32. 7
29.1
42. 7

23.3
32.3
25.5
39.6

8

19.6
30.5
47.7
49.0


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

18.5
30.2
48.1
47.7

9.9 3.9 3.8
10.1 4.0 3.7
17.3 15.7 15. 4
21.4 20. 7 20.4
22.4 22.0 22.3

18.6
31.3
38.8
44.6

[Md]

18.3
30.6
38.7
44.21

9.2 3.5 3.5
5.7 3.9 3.2
16.5 15. 8 15.3
17.0 15.3 14.9
17.4 17.4 17.5

10.1

28.0
27.1
43.2
63.8

19.3
30.7
42.8
49.0

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,

26

T able 5 .—A V E R A G E R E T A IL P R IC E S OF T H E P R IN C IP A L A R T IC L E S
|

A rticle.

U nit.

Mar. Feb. Mar.
15,
15,
15,
1920. 1921. 1921.

Mar. 15—
1913

1920

Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.
15,
15,
15,
15,
15,
1921. 1921. 1920. 1921. 1921.

Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts.
42.9 42.3 43.1 24.5 38.5 35.0 36.1 33.9 32.4 34.3
37.9 37.4 36.4 20.8 35.0 29.8 31.9 32.8 31.1 33.2
35.2 35.4 34.8 17.9 28.2 24.8 26.4 25.3 25.2 26.1
26.3 26.5 24.8 15. 5 22.3 18.4 19.5 22.4 21.3 22.7
17.8 17.1 17.3 10.3 15.6 11.9 12.3 16.6 14.8 15.3

Sirloin s te a k ........
R ound s te a k .
R ib roast
Oh nek roast
Plate beef

P o u n d ..........
........d o ...........
. .d o ...........
. .d o ...........
........d o ...........

P ork eh o p s..........................
Bacon _
H am
...................
Ra/mb.
H en s.....................................

........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........

37.3
49.9
49.8
40.6
48.2

33. 5
44. 5
43.3
37.1
45.5

33.6
44.0
43.3
36.3
45.5

Salmon (Vanned)
Afilk, fresh .._
Milk, evaporated.
B u tte r ..................................
Ol pom arga.ri n e,

d o ...........
Q u a rt...........
15-16 oz. c a n .
P o u n d ..........
.d o ...........

36.2
21.3
14.6
75.9
48.4

30.6
19.3
14.8
61.9
42.6

30.0
19.3
15.0
62.5
39.8

N u t m a rg a rin e ................. .
Oh eese .
B ard
.....................
Priseo
Rggs strietly fresh

........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
D ozen...........

37.3
40.9
32.6
37.5
52.0

33.5
37.8
21.3
24.9
46.7

32.5
38.1
19.2
23.5
38.4

B read.
......................... P o u n d ..........
Flour
................. ........d o ...........
........d o ...........
Oorn meal
___d o ...........
Rolled oats
Oorn flakes
8-oz. p k g ----

11.3
8.0
5.9
11.0
14.4

9.8
6.7
4.5
10.2
13.9

10.0
6.7
4.4
10.1
13.3

Orea.m of W heat
Aiaea.roni .
Rice . .
B eans n av y
P ot a,to e s...............................

28-oz. p k g . ..
P o u n d ..........
........d o ...........
___d o ...........
........d o ...........

28.2
21.1
20.0
13.0
6.2

28.4
20.2
13.1
8.8
3.4

28.5
20.2
11.6
8.8
3.1

Onions
Oa.bha.pfi . .
Beans, baked
Oorn canned
Peas canned

........d o ...........
........d o ...........
No. 2 c a n . . .
........d o ...........
........d o ...........

9.3
9.2
14.3
20.6
21.4

5.2
4.3
11.8
18.0
21.2

4.7
4.8
11.6
17.1
21.2

Tom atoes, can n ed ...........
Rnsrar, g ra n u la te d ...........
Tea
Ooffee

........d o ...........
P o u n d ..........
........d o .........
........d o .........

15.2
19.3
89.6
53.3

12.1
8.0
85.8
41.

12.7
9.0
84.3
40.8

Prunes
R aisins .
B ananas

........d o .........
........d o .........
D ozen.........
. . .d o .........

29.
25.1
41.
60.

23.1
32.
41.
45.

21. ( ........
32. ......
41.
46.

O ra n g e s

Peoria, 111.

O m aha, N ebr

Norfolk, V a.

18.2
27.0
29.0
18.0
18.5
8.1
39.6

22.9
17.3
20.5
5.2
2.9
2.3

8.5
1.3

0.
56.1
30.

35.7
53.9
55.3
38.6
43.1

26.9
47.9
50.6
31.2
36.9

34.0
49.4
51.2
31.4
36.2

35.5
49.6
52.7
36.2
42.0

29.5
46.7
49.0
33.8
37.6

34.7
47.5
50.0
34.6
38.3

39.4
15.9
15.1
75.0
44.2

38.9
14.1
15.1
52.1
37.3

38.7
13.4
15.1
53.9
37.3

34.9
14.3
15.4
73.8
43.2

37.8
13.5
14.6
50.5
34.3

37.4
13.3
14.7
54.0
33.7

35.8
42.4
32.0
37.4
48.5

33.3
37.7
22.6
27.2
39.5

31.9
37.8
21.9
26.3
35.0

35.7
43.8
30.3
39.3
49.3

31.6
37.6
20.5
26.1
39.1

31.3
37.9
19.9
25.8
34.8

12.1
7.4
6.1
11.1
15.0

11.5 11.8
5.0
5.7
5. C 4.6
11.5 11.1
14. £ 14.7

11.9
8.4
6.4
11.9
14.9

10.8
6.3
4.6
11.8
14.8

10.8
6.2
4.5
11.6
14.3

30.6
20.7
18.8
12.3
6.7

31.6
21.1
n .4
8. (
2.5

31.6
20.9
10.4
8.0
2.4

31.4
19.0
19.1
11.8
6.4

31.5
19.6
10.7
7.8
2.0

31.1
19.6
10.1
7.9
2.1

10. 1
8.3
20.1
17.9
18.5

3.7
3.7
4.1
3.7
17. S 17.0
15. C 14.9
15.7 15. (

10.1
8.8
17.8
16. £
18.2

4.1
3.8
15.7
15.5
16.9

4.2
4.7
15.7
15.7
17.3

15.7
19.0
78.0
52.7

13.2
9.0
76.¿
39.2

12.5
9.8
74.;
38.6

15.0
18. £
73.1
48.1

12.5
9.3
68.9
35.1

12.9
9.7
68.4
34.8

22.0 32.1 28.1 26.6
29.7 24.
32.
32.4
26.8 34.8 33. Í 27.
312.8 3 14.: 3 14. ( 3 11. 3 12. 312.2
44.4
47.
42.
39.8 57.
65.
1

1 The steak for w hich prices are here quoted is kn o w n as “ porterhouse!’ in m ost of th e cities included
in th is report, b u t in th is city it is called “ sirloin’/ steak.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[950]

RETAIL PRICES OF FOOD IN THE UNITED STATES,

27

O F FO O D F O R 51 C IT IE S ON C E R T A IN S P E C IF IE D D A T E S —C ontinued.
P hiladelphia, Pa.

P ittsb u rg h , P a.

Po rtlan d , Me.

P o rtlan d , Oreg.

Providence, R . I.

Mar. 15—

Mar. 15—
Mar. 15—
Mar. 15—
Feb. Mar.
Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.
Feb. Mar.
Feb. Mar.
15, 15,
15, 15, 15, 15, 15,
15, 15,
15,
15,
1921.
1921.
1913 1920
1913 1920 1921. 1921. 1920. 1921. 1921. 1913 1920 1921. 1921. 1913 1920 1921. 1921.
Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts.
i 28.6 1 49.4 I 45.8 1 47.7
23. 44. 4: 38. 9 40.3
21. 4 38.1 34.1 35.0
16.«■ 27. 4 22. 0 22.4
11. 4 16. 3 12. 9 13.4
20.3
23. 8
29. 7
18.6
21. 8

Cts.
26. C
22.0
21.8
16.2
11.6

Cts.
43.7
38.7
32.9
26.5
17. 1

Cts.
42.5
36.3
33. 1
24. 1
13.8

Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts.
43.9 i 55.1 152.1 1 56.]
37.3 46.7 42. 44.5
38.6 31. 2 29. i 30. 7
24.7 23.9 19. 8 20.5
14. C
13.8 15. 6

Cts. Cts.
22. i 32.4
20. 30.8
18.7 29.9
15. 22.4
13. C 17.2

Cts.
30.4
28.9
27.1
19.9
15.6

Cts.
30.5 139.2
28.3 29.8
27.0 24.4
20. 1 18.4
15.1

21.3
28.1
28.8
22.5
26.4

38.7
52.6
57.2
42.2
50.7

20.2
28.1
29.7
17.6
21.5

1

66.5
51.9
41.0
32.9

1

63.6 *65.5
49.
50.7
35. 8 3 7 4
28.3 29.1
Of) 9

39.9
46. 0
56. 0
43.9
46. 7

33.6
41.3
53.4
37. 0
46.0

36.6
40.8
53.3
37.3
47.1

32.7
47.6
55.2
37.1
48.3

35.1
47.8
55.7
37.9
49.1

38.4
48. 4
50.8
40. 5
48.0

31.5
42. 1
47.7
31.2
49.3

35.7
44.2
49.2
33.8
49.3

40.3
53.4
52.9
40.2
45.0

36.2
49.0
49.2
33.9
40.7

35.3
48.6
47.7
32.5
40.6

35.3
' '¿.'6 14.0
14. 7
47."5 81.7
45. 7

34.9
13. 0
14. 8
61.7
35. 7

33.8
39.0 37.7
13.0 8.8 16.0 15.0
14. 7
14.5 14.7
64.6 43.4 77.7 56.0
33.7
40.6 33.0

37.0
14. 0
14.7
59.2
31.1

37.8
15. 0
16.5
77.3
43.8

37.5
16.1
14. S
60.7
39.5

37.2
42.5
15.5 9.2 15.9
15.1
14.6
62.5 44.5 74.6
38.7
41.3

44.4
14.8
14.0
56.9
37.6

44.4
41.6
14. 8 9.0 17.0
14.0
15.6
54.0 42.2 73.2
36.0
42.0

41.1
16. 5
15. 5
55. 0
36.8

40.6
15. 5
15. 5
55. 5
36.4

30.8
34. 9 30. 9 30.1
41.4 24.5 43.9 39.0 39.1
17.7 15.1 28.6 18.8 17.8
22.4
36.1 25.5 24. 3
44.4 25.4 58.4 49.1 40.7

35. 6
44.3
29.2
37.0
70.8

33. 3
39.1
19.5
26.2
63.1

31 5
38.4 20.5 44.2 41.4 43.2 22.3 42.1
18.5 17.9 36.9 26.6 25.5 15.2 29.5
25.3
42.0 27.3 26.5
36.5
53.3 24.5 43.5 37.4 35.1 31.8 73.8

39. 5
19.8
26.6
67.8

39.1
19.1
25.3
56.9

37.5 31.4
25.0 45.6 41.0
15.0 29.4 19.2
35.1 23. 8
25. 4 60.6 52.1
4.8
3.2
2.8

9.8 9.6 9.6
8.0 6.3 6.2
6.1 4.7 4.5
9.0 9.4 9.2
12.4 12.6 12.3

5.4 11.1 10.4 10.4 12.0 11.0 11.0
3.1 7.8 6.4 6.3 8.3 6.5 6.5
2.7 7.4 o. 7 5.2 6.8 5.1 4.8
10.5 11.2 11.1 8.3 8.2 7.9
13.7 13.8 13.3 14.3 14.4 13.6

28.5 28.1 28.4
21.1 22.1 21.8 ........
9.8 19.1 12.3 10.7 9.2
11.6 9.0 8.8
" z i 7.0 2.7 2.6 1. 5

27.5
24.9
39.3
61.5

20. 9
29.2
38.8
44. 2

19.5
30.1 23.7
28.8
28. 8 32. 3
39.0
47.4 46.0
41.4 . . . . 66.0 46.0

........

11.6
10. 0
77. 3
38.6!

17. o|
IS. 9
63.2!
50.6

11.5 11.5
6. 8 6. 8
5.2 4.9
11.0 10.9
14.2 13.7

34.2 32.1 32.5
18.2 17.2 16.6
8.6 19.6 11.8 10.6
10.8 7.6 7.6
.7 5.9 1.9 1.8

29.4
22.6
9.3 18.4
11. 4
1.0 6.8

30.4 30.2
23.9 23.9
11. 4 10.9
8.6 8. 4
2.2 2.3

7.6 2.9 2.8
7.6 2.9 3.4
21.4 19.8 19.5
21.8 19.9 19.7
22.3 19.1 19.2

9.7
10.6
16.6
19.9
21.2

3.9 3.7
3.4 5.3
15.1 15.0
19.6 19.1
20.5 20.6

13.0 13.6
2 17.3 14.7 13.6
16.2
8.6 9.7 6.3 17.1 9.4 10. 1 5.0 20. 4
57.1 57.1 55.0 63.1 65.3 65.3 48.3 61.4
40.1 40. 2 35.0 51.9 39.1 38.8 30.0 53.1

13.6 13.5
9.2 9.6
59.6 59.4
39.9 40.0

21.3 27.0 18.8 18.3
32. 5, 27.4, 31.4 31.0;
47.8: 11.813 l l.OP 13.8!
47.5 70. 5| 45.1 43.4
1
1

2 No. 2-J can.

44130°—21

https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

34. 8 3 9 . 5
41. 6 41.3
55.3 55.8
36.5 88.9
50.6 4 9 . 6

6.0 11.8
3.4 8.8
2.9 6.3
10.6
14.1

3.7 3.9 9.6 3.3 3.1
3.7 5.0 7.3 2.1 2.0
14.8 14.6 19.1 18.5 18.1
16.0 15.5 19.4 17.7 17.8
17.0 16.3; 20.6 19.7 19.5
11.2
9.21
77.1
38. 8

43.7
49.2
58.6
44.8
50.1

5.6 10.5 9.7 9.5
2.9 7.2 5.9 5.9
3.4 7.4 5.4 5.2
11.2 10.3 9.8
15.0 14.2 13.8

29.6 29.9 30.0 29.2 29.3 29.2
19.1 22.2 21.6 22.9 23.9 24.0
19.2 12.2 11.2 18.1 12.0 11.0
11.4 8.0 7.9 11.9 8.4 8.2
6.8 2.3 2.3 6.6 2.0 2.0

9.2 3.2 3.2
9.5
10.0 3.0 2.8 ........
9.4
14.9 13.6 13.2
16.3
17.6 16. 2 16.1
17.9
17.9
........ 18.3 16. 9] 16.5
15.2 1 1 . o' 11.0
14.6
4.9 17.5 a i l 8.8 5.6 19.4
54.0 63.8 62.0 61.7 58.0 79.1
25.0 44.7 31.4 31.7 30.0 48.9

20.0
21.8
28.5
19.3
23.0

26.1
27.5
15.0
65. 4

12.0
31.1
16.9
45.6

11.4
30.9
15.2
46.7

3 P er pound.

[951]

27.8
27.1
40.0
67.6

23.3
30.7
43.1
52.5

22.1
30.1
43.1
51.3

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,

28

T able 5 .—A V E R A G E R E T A IL P R IC E S O F T H E P R IN C IP A L A R T IC L E S
Rochester,
N. Y.

R ichm ond, Va.
U nit.

A rticle.

St Louis, Mo.

Mar. 15— Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. 15— Feb. Mar.
15, 15,
15, 15, 15, 15, 15,
1921. 1921. 1920. 1921. 1921. 1913 j 1920 1921. 1921.
1913 1920
|
Cts.
41.1
36.4
32.3
25.2
19.0

Cts.
38.4
35. 3
30.9
26.7
18.2

Cts.\
37. 21
33.3
28.0
23.5
14.8

Cts.
37.3
32.8
28.4
23. 7
15.0

Cts.
22.8
20.2
18.4
15. 4
10.7

Cts.
38, 5
37.0
30. 8
23.3
18.9

Cts.
34.7
32.9
29.7
20.0
15.2

Cts.
35.0
33.4
29.1
20.2
15.4

34.4
3S.5
43.9
41.3
43.3

38.5
42.2
50.5
39. 1
47.4

32.7
36.2
46.7
32.8
46.5

33.5
35.8
47.6
35.0
46. 8

18.0
23.8
26.7
17.1
18.6

35.2
46.3
51.8
39.2
44.4

27. 2
38.3
47.0
32.4
38.7

31.3
38.9
47.8
32.7
39.5

__do..........
Salmon (oannod)
27.5 23.4 23. 5
Milk, fresh
....................... Q u a rt............ 10.0 16.0 16.0 14.0
17.0 14.9 15.1
Milk evaporated .................... 15-16 oz. can.
B u tte r
....................... P o u n d _____ 44.2 80.2 63.9 64.8
Ole.om argari n e
........do ...........
44.5 37.9 36.3

39.0
15.0
15.8
72.6
44.0

37.5
13.5
15.1
55. 5
36.6

35.2
.37. I
12.5 8.0 16.0
14. 1
14.9
56.8 41.2 78.7
41.2
34.8

36.3
15.0
13. 9
55.9
33.7

36.1
14.0
13.9
57.9
31.6

33.2
39.1
19.8
24.0
35.5

35.2
41.2
29.8
35.4
65.2

31.8
37.5
19.9
24.7
55. 9

30.3
34.7 30.1 28.9
37.4 20.3 40. 8 35.7 36.8
18.8 13.6 24.6 14.3 13.8
35.9 25.7 23.4
24.0
43.7 22. 0 49.8 39.7 36.8

Cts. Cts. Cts.
Sirloin steak ............................ P o u n d .......... 22.2 42. 7 40.5
........do............
19.6 39.4 36.3
R oun d ste a k ................................;
........d o ........... 18. 9 33.2 31.3
R ib roost
15.3 28. 1 25.2
Plato beef
............. ........d o ........... 11.4 22.5 19.7
Poflr eh ops
.................
Bacon
.............
TTam
.....................
L a m b ............................................
TTon s
.................

........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........do ...........
____ do............
........do...........

19.4
23.6
24.0
19.3
22.0

37.8
43.6
47.0
43.0
47.5

33.9
39.8
44.3
40.5
43.6

N u t m argarine
C h e e se ..........................................
1ja.rd
Criseo
Fggs, strictly fresh....................

37.4
........do ............
........d o ........... 22.3 44.1
........d o ........... 15.0 32. 1
........d o ...........
38.7
Dozen........... 21. 8 52.4

B re ad ............................................
Flour
.
.....................
Corn meal
Rolled oats ................. ............
Corn flakes...................................

P o u n d ..........
........d o ...........
........do ...........
........d o ...........
8-oz. p k g ___

5.3 12.7 11.1 11.1 11.2 10.8 10.0
3.3 8.6 6.7 6.6 8.4 6. 21 6. 2
2.0 6.1 4. 4 4.2 7.0 5.7 5.7
11.5 11.7 11.4 7.7 8.0 7.9
14.7 14.2 13.7 13.8 14. 1 13. 5

11.7 11.2 11.2
3.0 7.3 5.8 5.7
2. 1 5.2 3.6 3.4
9.1 9.8 9.6
13.2 12.4 11.5

Cream of W h e a t.........................
M acaroni......................................
Rice ............................................
Bean s n a'vy
Potatoes........................................

28-oz. p k g __
P o u n d ..........
........do...........
. . . .d o ...........
........d o ...........

28.9
19.5
9.8 19. C
13.5
1.7 6.6;

31.2 30.5 29.3 29. 1 29.0
22.0 21.7 21.0 20.6 20.5
12.3 12.0 18.6 10.6 9.9
9.2 9.0 12.0 a s 8.5
3. 4 2.9 5.9 1.6 1.4

30.5 30.6 30.5
16.8 21.1 21.0
8.6 17.4 9.3 8.5
11. 1 7.7 7.4
1.3 6.7 2.4 2.5

Onions
.... ...................... .........
Cabbage ......................................
Beans, baked .........................
Corn, eann ed
Peas, c an n ed ...............................

........do............
........do ...........
No. 2 c an __
........do ...........
........do ............

8.8 3.3 3.2
9. 9 4. 7 4.7 9.4 2.0 2.6
6.9 3.5 3.6
9.7 4.1 4.2 8.4 2.1 1 2.2
15.8 12.7 12.3
14.5 12.2 12. 14.5 13.01 12.5
19.0 16.9 16.5 19.6 17.2 ! 16. S ...... 15.8 15.8 15.2
21.4 20.8 20.7 18.8 18.7 19. C ........ 15.9 16.5 16.5

Tom atoes, c a n n e d .....................
Sugar, g ra n u lated......................
T ea.................................................
Coffee...........................................

........do ...........
P o u n d .......... 5. :
........ do........... 56.
........do........... 27.4

14.5 11.5 11.2
15.0 11.9 12.1 15.6 12. l! 12.1
19.
8. i 9.7 19.5
: 9.: 5.1 20.7 8.2 9.3
55.0
85.0 88.8 86.8 64.4 62.6 61.
73.7 70.6 69.0
49. 37.8 37. 47.5 35. 35.5 24.3 45. ( 34.; 34.0

P ru n e s......................................... ........do ...........
R aisin s......................................- ........do ...........
B an an as...................................... Dozen...........
O ranees________ ___ ____ ____do _____


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

29. >
25
45
53.,

34.2
38.9
21.1
25.5
46.6

25.7
32.5
46.2
41.6

24.2
31.
44.;
40.

29.
28.
43.
63.1

22.1
29.2
26.1
30.
46. ........ 36. C
46.1 ...... 62.1

21.4
30.5
46,
46.5
1

1 No. 2J can.

P er pound.

22.7
32. C
37.2
44.

21.3
31.2
37.9
43.9

R E TA IL PR IC E S OF FOOD EST T H E U N IT E D STATES

DATES-Coatinued,

O F F O O D F O R 51 C IT IE S ON C E R T A IN S P E C IF IE D
S alt Lake C ity,
U tah.

S t. P au l, Minn.

Mar. Feb. Mar.
15,
15,
15,
1920. 1921. 1921.

Mar. 15—
1913

1920

29

San Francisco,
Calif.

Savannah,
Ga.

Scranton, Pa.

Feb. Mar. Mar. 15—• Feb. Mar, Mar. Feb. Mar. Alar, lo— Feb. Mar.
15,
15,
15,
15, 15, 15,
15, 15,
1921. 1921.
1913 1920 1921. 1921. 1920. 1921. 1921. 1913 1920 1921. 1921.
1

Cts.
36.8
31.9
30.7
24.0
16.4

Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts.
34.7 35.9 22.1 33.9
29.2 29.6 19.3 31.0
28.9 30.5 18.5 26.7
21.7 22.9 15.0 22.8
13:3 13.9 11.4 16.1

Cts. Cts.
31.0 30.6
28.3 27.9
25.2 24.4
20.6 20.1
14.3 13.8

Cts.
20.3
19.0
20.7
14.6
12.9

Cts.
32.6
31.5
31.2
22.0
19.1

Cts.
32.4
30.
30.5
21.0
18.0

Cts.
31.5
23.3
30.2
20.6
17.1

Cts.
37.1
34.9
29.5
23.2
20.5

Cts.
33.2
29.5
26. 5
20.2
16.3

Cts.
33.6
28. 7
26. 2
19.5
16.0

Cts.
22.3
18.5
18.8
14.9
10.5

Cts.
44.9
39.4
34.6
27.7
17.7

Cts.
44.8
35.7
33.9
24.9
13.6

Cts.
46.6
38.8
35.2
26.9
14.4

34.9
50.0
50.5
34.6
39.4

27.1
44.4
48.0
29.3
36.2

32.6
45.0
48.3
31.3
37.6

21.7
31.7
29.3
18.2
24. 7

38. (
50.4
51.5
34.1
40.1

35.2
46.2
45. 4
31.7
40.0

34.1
46.2
46.5
28.7
40.6

24.0
32.8
30.0
17.3
23.8

44.0
61.2
55.6
35.9
52.9

41.6
58.7
56.8
35.9
50.7

40.3
57.5
55.4
34.5
50.1

38.6
50. 7
48.5
41.7
44.2

32.5
40.2
43.0
41.3
36.9

32.2
40.7
43.0
41.0
36.1

19.5
24.2
27.0
20.7
22.5

41.0
52.6
53.6
44.8
49.1

35.6
45.1
54.1
41.6
49.6

37.5
44.2
52.9
43.1
50.9

39.9
13.0
15.9
72.7
42.4

40.8
12.0
14.5
47.4
35.2

40.0
12.0 " ¿ 7
14.5
51.1 40.6
33.8

37.9
12.5
14.2
72.6
41.9

40.4
12.5
14.5
52.5
37.5

39.2
35.1 33.5 33.6
12.5 "ió.’ó 15.8 15.4 14.8
14.5
12.9 13.1 13.1
54.0 liTö 69.6 57.0 49.6
39.0
40.2 33.3 31.0

43.1
24.3
14.9
78.5
4c. 2

36.4
22.0
14.5
60.7

36.1
21.3 “ 8."8
14.3
61.8 '4Ó."è
39.5

41.2
15.0
15.3
71.4
44.7

42.9
13.7
14.6
57.0
35.6

43.1
13.0
14.5
56.0
33.7

35.1
41.8
30.3
40.8
49.8

30.0
35.7
20.1
29.5
40.1

29.1
36.8 ' 24."2
19.5 18.7
29.0
38.1 ’ 23. i

38.2
37.9
35.0
43.2
43.4

35.2
34.8
24.3
31.5
41.0

34.0
35.5 32.8
37.5 2 0 . ó 42.0 39.2
23.0 16.9 35.6 25.5
31.0
39.1 25.7
38.7 23.5 47.4 41.4

40.5
44. 2
30.5
38.6
50.8

34.0
37.5
21.5
25.7
39.0

32.2
36.8 31. 0
37.9 "Ì8.8 41.6 36.5
19.3 15.8 31.5 20.9
24.3
37.9 26. 6
38.1 28."3 66.1 57.0

32.0
36.7
20.1
25.5
45.3

10.4
8.2
6.9
9.5
14.7

10.4
5.8
4.9
9.8
14.8

10.4
5.9
4.7
9.6
14.6

12.2
6.6
7.3
9.9
14.6

11.8
4.6
5.0
9.7
15.2

11.8
4.4
4.9
9.4
15.2

30.9
19.6
19.2
11.8
5.7

30.0,
20.0
10.2
9. 2
2.0|

30.0
19.6
9.8
9.1
1.9

33.4
20.2
18.3
12.5
6.1

33.4
23.1
9.8
9.8
1.9

33.4
21.8
9.3
9.7
1.6

9.2
9.2
19.1
18.9
17.9

3.4
3.8
18.2
17.6
16.5

3.3
4.0
18.0
17.1
17.3

8.0
9.3
20.0
18.1
17.5

3.1
3.2
18.5
18.5
17.3

3.1 ........ 7.3 2.5 2.3 10.4 4.7 4.5
3.2
8.9 4.9 4.8
17.5
"Is.’Ó"1 7 . 8 ”Ì8.*4 17.8 15.4 14.5
17.8
18.5 18.7 18.6 18.9 16.7 15.6j
16.5
18.3 19.3 19.1
18.9

15.4
21.3
70.6
51.5,

13.5
9.2
72.7
42.5

13.6
10.0
72.5
41.6

16.8
15.9
80.6
58.7

14.4
10.0
82.5
50.0

13.2
10.3 ’ "i.’é
83.3 50.0
49.6 32.0

30.8 23. & 22.1
27.1 32.5 32.3
2 13.0 2 14.5 2 14.2
70. 9 52.3 53.9
1

5.9
2.5
3.4

"&2
.9

’¿."3
65.7
35.8

27.5 23.1 19.8
25.5 30.2 30.0
2 15. 2 2 18. 6 2 17.8
61.1 43.5 39.2


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

30.8
37.6
24.0
24.8
39.4

5.7 10.9 9.6 9.6 11.5 11.2 11.2 5.6
3.3 7.8 6.8 6.8 8.4 7.1 6.9 3.4
3.4 6.7 5.9 5. 7 5.2 3.3 3.0
10.3 10.6 11.0 11.9 11.9 11.3
..... 14.1 14.4 14.0 14.7 13.8 13.5
28.1 29.1 28.9 30.4 29.8 29.8
14.9 13.3 13.7 22.1
22.2
" 8."5 18.1 10.5 10.0 17.2 23.2
9.0 8.3 " ’é."5
9.5 7.4 7.4 14.8 10.5 10.1
1.2 6.9 3.0 2.9 7.0 3.2 3.1 1.5

113.6 112.3 11.6 15.4
16. li 9.2 9.9 18.3
58.7 59.6 59.8 76.8
45.8 38.2 37.2 46.5
22.6
23.4
43. 7
56.3

[953]

19.4
29.3
44.3
44. 7

17.9
29.0
44.3
43.9

29.1
24.2
43.3
56.1

12.9 12.3 12.3
8.7 7.2 7.0
8.6 7.8 7.8
11.0 11.5 11.6
14.2 13.9 13.3
29.1
23.7
19.5
14.0
5.9

29.1
24.9
11.0
10. 8
2. 5

29.1
24.6
10.4
10.5
2.1

9.8 4.4 3.9
9.6 2.7 6.1
15.9 14.4: 13.7
19.2 16.9 17.0
18.3 17.1! 17A
i
1 1 . 7 11.1
15.6 12.8 1 2 . 5
9 .0
9.3
19.8 9. l| 9 . 7
7 4 . 2 74.2 52.5 68.8 64.» 64.3
33.8 32.8 31.3 51.5 40. S| 40.4

24.9
31. S
43.9
37. Si
t

21.6
31.6
45.0
38.7

28.3 2 O.5 ! 18.8
27.4 31, 2f 31.4
38.1 37.5f 36.3
61. 2 49. Si 47.2

M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .

30

T able 5 .— A V ER A G E R E T A TL P R IC E S OF T H E P R IN C IP A L A R T IC L E S OF FO O D F O R
51 C IT IE S ON C E R T A IN S P E C IF IE D D A T E S —C oncluded.
|
Seattle, W ash.

Springfielc , 111.

W ashington, D. C.

Mar. 15—
Mar. 15— j
Feb. Mar.
Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.
—
15, 15,
15, 15, 15, 15, —
15,
—
1921. 1921. 1920. 1921. 1921. 1913 1920 1921. 1921.
1920
1913 j

A rticle.

U nit.

Sirloin s te a k .................................
R ound steak .
R ib ro a st.......................................
Chunk roast
.....................
Plato hoof

P o u n d ..........
........do...........
........do............
........do............
........do............

Cts.
21.8
20.0
18.2
15.0
11.2

Cts.
36.4
34.0
30.0
23.3
18.9

Cts.
33.6
30.0
26.9
19.6
16.1

Cts.
32.9
29.6
27.2
19.8
16.1

Cts.
36.9
35.5
26.7
22.7
17.9

Cts.
35.0
33.1
24.6
19.7
14.2

Cts.
36.8
35.2
24. 8
20.3
15.0

Cts.
26.4
23.1
21.0
16.6
11.7

Cts.
48.4
43.3
37.3
28.3
17.2

Cts.
44.5
38.2
35.4
25.1
15.0

Cts.
46.0
40.0
35.9
26.6
15.0

P o rk chops....................................
Ran on.............................................
H a m ...............................................
Tiftmb
.........................
H ons...............................................

........do............
........do ...........
........do ...........
........do............
........do............

23.4
30.0
30.0
18.2
24.0

43.2
58.8
57.3
37.6
49.0

38.4
55.0
53.5
33.3
41.0

38.4
54.0
52.6
32.5
41.9

36.5
45.3
49.3
42.6
45.5

30.2
42.7
46.8
35.0
35.5

33.8
42.7
48.9
35.0
36.0

21.9
25.4
28.6
21.4
22.1

42.8
47.4
57.1
45. 5
49.7

36.0
42.6
54.7
38.1
47.5

38.6
41.5
55.8
40.2
47.8

Salmon (canned).........................
Milk, fresh ....................................
Milk, evaporated.........................
B u tte r ............................................
Ole.om ar earin e

........do ............
Q u a rt............ 8.6
15-16 oz. can.
P o u n d .......... 44. 0
___do ............

36.3
12.8
13.7
71.6
44.6

37.2
12.0
12.7
57.0
37.2

36.7
12.8
12.4
53.4
36.0

37.9
16.7
16.9
77.5
43.9

39.9
13.4
15.7
56. 5
34.5

30.8
39.8
13.4 9.0 17.7
15.9
15.7
58.9 44.1 78.4
44.3
32.8

36.7
16.0
14.6
60.3
37.2

37.1
16.0
14.9
62.5
35.8

37.6
N u t m argarine .
___do...........
Cheese ........................................ ........do............ 21.6 41.0
L a r d .............................................. ........do............ 17.3 33.0
41. 4
Criseo
........do...........
Fgms, strictly fresh ..................... D ozen........... 23.5 46.5

33.9
40. 1
25.9
26.5
41.3

33.0
40. 5
23.7
26.1
38.2

35.8
44.8
30.4
39.2
50.5

32.1
40.4
20.6
28. 0
43.9

30.4
35.7 33.6 32.3
40.8 23.5 43.4 39.5 40.2
19.4 14.6 30.7 19.5 IS. 5
24.9
37.9 25.9 24.5
36.8 22.6 55.2 49.9 40.0

B read.............................................
F lo u r.............................................
Corn m eal.....................................
R olled oats__
Corn flakes....................................

P o u n d ..........
........do ...........
........do...........
........do............
8-oz. p k g __ _

3.0
3.0

11.6 10.0 10.0 11.6 11. 7 11.7
7.3 5.8 5.7 8.6 6.4 6.3
7.3 5.2 5.2 6.5 5.1 5.1
10.3 8. 8 8. 8 11.3 11. 9 11.4
14.7 14.2 14.0 15.0 15.2 14.8

5. 5 10.6 10.5 10.6
3.6 8.4 6.8 6.8
2.5 5.4 4.2 4.2
11.4 11.6 11.3
14.3 13.7 12.5

Cream of W h ea t.........
M acaroni.......................................
R ic e ................................................
Beans, n a v y .................................
P o ta to e s........................................

28-oz. p k g . . .
P ound. A ...
........do...........
........do............
........do ...........

31.5 30.9 30.6 30.9 30.3 30.3
18.0 18.0 18.4 19.2 23.2 22.7
7.7 19.5 11.9 11.4 19.9 10. 5 10.2
10. 8 7.3 7.4 12.3 8. 5 8.0
.9 6.7 2.3 2.0 7.1 2.6 2.8

29.8 28.9 29.2
23.4 22.8 22.9
9.4 19.0 10.9 10.8
12. 5 8.6 8.1
6.2 2,5 2.3

O nions............................................
Cabbage..................
Beans, b a k e d .............................
Corn, can n ed ................................
Peas, can n ed ................................

........do............
___do ...........
No. 2 can __
........do...........
........do ...........

9.1 3.3 3. 1 9.7 4.5 4.3
7. 8 3. 1 4.7 8.1 3. 8 3.8
21. 2 18.5 18. 5 17.7 16.7 16.3
19.6 19. 1 18. ( 17.2 16. 7 15.7
20.3 18.9 17.8 18. 8 17.8 17.8

9.2 4.3 4.1
9.3 3.7 5.6
15.2 13.0 12.7
18.4 15.2 14.6
18.7 16.7 15.9

Tom atoes, can n ed ......................
Sugar, g ra n u la te d .......................
T e a .................................................
Coflee.............................................

........do ...........
116.6 U 3.6 i]4. 8
P o u n d .......... 6.1 17. 8 9. 7 10. 0
........do............ 50.0 66. 4 66. 5 66. 4
........do........... 28. 0 49.0 39.9 39.3

P ru n es...........................................
R aisins...........................................
B an an as........................................
Oranges..........................................

........do............
___do...........
D ozen...........
........do............


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

27.9
25.4
214.9
63.5

i No. 2 | can.

16.5 13. 5
21.4 9.7
86.3 84.7
50.8 37.5

20.4 18.0 30.5 25. 4 24,2
30.4 .30. 6
35. 9 35. 8
217.4 217.3 211.5 M2. ( 212, (
42.
9
73.3
48. 39. 7
46.5
2 P e r pound.

[954]

13. 1
10.5
10. 1 5.0 18.9 8. 8
82. 8 57. 5 77.5 75.8
38.0 28.8 48.0 35. 1

.

29.7
25.4
46. 1
59.6

22.7
31.6
45.6
43.1

11.0
9.6
75.6
34.2
21.8
31.4
45.3
43.7

R E TA IL PR IC E S OF FOOD I F

T H E U N IT E D STATES.

31

Comparison of Retail Food Costs in 51 Cities.

T A B L E 6 shows for 39 ciiies the percentage of increase or decrease
m the retail cost of food 7 in March, 1921, compared with the
average cost in the year 1913, in March, 1920, and in February, 1921.
For 12 other cities comparisons are given for the one-year and onemonth periods. These cities have been scheduled by the bureau at
different dates since 1913. These percentage changes are based on
actual retail prices secured each month from retail dealers and on
the average family consumption of these articles in each city.8
Effort has been made by the bureau each month to have perfect
reporting cities. For the month of March, 99 per cent of all the
firms reporting in the 51 cities sent in a report promptly. The
following were perfect reporting cities; that is, every merchant in
the following-named 37 cities who is cooperating with the bureau
sent m his report in time for his prices to be included in the city
averages: Boston, Bridgeport, Buffalo, Butte, Charleston, S. C.,
Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fall River, Houston
Indianapolis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Louisville, Manchester, Mil­
waukee, Minneapolis, Newark, New Haven, New York, Norfolk,
Omaha, Peoria, Philadelphia, Portland, Me., Portland, Oreg., Provi­
dence, Richmond, Rochester, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, Savannah
Scranton, Seattle, and Washington, D. C.
The following summary shows the promptness with which the
merchants responded in March:
R E T A IL P R IC E R E P O R T S R E C E IV E D D U R IN G MARCH.
Geographical division.
Item .

Percentage of reports received..........
N um ber of cities in each section from
which every report was received.......

States.

N orth
South
A tlantic. A tlantic.

N orth • South
Central. Central.

W estern.

99

99

9S

99

97

99

37

13

5

10

3

6

7 For list of articles, see note 2, p.10.
« The consum ption figure used from Jan u ary , 1913, to December, 1920, for each article in each citv is
f T P , T th e M o n t h l y L a b o r R ev iew for N ovem ber, 1918, p p . 94 a nd 9o. The consum ption fib r e s
R e v ie w for March m i 0p 626h m o n th begm n m S w ith Jan u ary , 1921, are given in th e Monthly L abor


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[9551

M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .

32

[Percentage charges of five-tenths of 1 per cent an d over are given in whole num bers.]

City.

Percent­ P e r c e n t a g e d e .
c re a s e , M a rc h ,
age
1921, compared
increase,
w ith—
March,
1921,
compared
F eb ru ­
w ith year March,
ary, 1921.
1920.
1913.

A tla n ta ....................
B altim o re .___ . . . . .

56
61

Boston
B tirjpeport,
Ryiffqlo
B u tte
Oliar! o^ten
Chicago
Ciucino fi ti
q ]pvpI rn
Uol n Tritili s
D allas
D enver
D etroit
Hi
rTa'allii a
v iver
vci . . . . . . . . .
H on stori

57
57
58
57
51
54
44
58
56
50

Taejrqon ville
K ansas C ity, M o. . .
L ittle Rock
T yos Ari gel es
Tyon i *svi 11e.
M anchester
M em phis...................
M ilw aukee...............

58
50
43
46
51
56

22
20
18
20
22
23
25
21
23
2Í
26
23
22
26
25
23
22
24
20
23
22
21
23
21
25
25

1
1
2
2
2
1
.1

3
11
0
3
1
]

.4
1.2
2
1
1
2
11
1
4
12
1
11
11

City.

M inneapolis.............
M obile.......................
N ew ark .....................
New H a v e n .............
New O rleans...........
New Y o rk ................
N orfolk.....................
O m aha......................
Peoria........................
P h ilad e lp h ia ...........
P ittsb u rg h ...............
P o rtlan d , Me...........
P o rtlan d , Oreg........
Providence...............
R ic h m o n d ................
R ochester.................
St. L ouis...................
St. P a u l....................
Salt Lake C ity ........
San Francisco..........
S a v a n n ah .................
S cran to n ...................
S e a ttle .......................
Springfield, 111____
W ashington, D. C ..

de­
P ercent­ P e r c e n ta g e
c re a s e , M arch ,
age
1921,
compared
increase,
w ith—
March,
1921,
compared
F eb ru ­
w ith year March,
ary, 1921.
1920.
1913.
54
50

55
58
56
56
55
56
42
62
65
56
41
48
62
44
63

23
21
21
22
20
21
20
25
24
21
21
20
24
20
2t
25
26
24
23
21
22
20
24
24
19

il

1
1
2
2
2
2
1.3
i1
1
1
1
2
1
3
4
.4
i1
1
O

2
2
1
hi
.3

1 Increase.

Retail Prices of Coal in the United States.1
following table shows the average retail prices of coal on
T HEJanuary
15, 1920, and on February 15 and March 15, 1921,

for the United States and for each of the cities included in
the total for the United States. Prices for coal are secured from
the cities from which monthly retail prices of food are received.
In addition to the prices for Pennsylvania anthracite, prices are
shown for Colorado, Arkansas, and New Mexico anthracite in those
cities where these coals form any considerable portion of the sales for
household use.
The prices shown for bituminous coal are averages of prices of the
several kinds used. The coal dealers in each city are asked to quote
prices on the kinds of bituminous coal usually sold for household use.
The prices quoted are for coal delivered to consumers, but do not
include charges for storing the coal in cellar or coal bin where an extra
handling is necessary.
1 Prices of coal were formerly secured sem iannually a n d published in th e March a n d Septem ber
issues of th e Monthly L abor R e v ie w . Since June, 1920, these prices have been secured a n d published
m onthly.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[95G]

RETAIL PRICES OF COAL IK THE UNITED STATES.

33

A V E R A G E R E T A IL P R IC E S O F COAL, P E R TO N O F 2,000 PO U N D S, F O R H O U S E H O L D
U SE , ON JA N . 15, 1920, A N D F E B . 15 A N D M A R . 15, 1921.

C ity, a n d kind of coal.
U n ite d S ta te s :
Pennsylvania anthracite—
Stove.............................................................................
C h estn u t............................................................ .
B itu m in o u s, ....................... .....................................
A tlanta, G a .:
B itum in o u s...............................................................
B altim ore, M d .:
Pennsylvania an thracite—
Stove...........................................................................
C h estn u t.....................................................
B itu m in o u s....................................................... .................
Birm ingham , Ala.:
B itu m in o u s...........................................................
Boston, M ass.:
Pennsylvania an thracite—
Stove................................................................. .
C h estn u t.........................................................
Bridgeport, C onn.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
Stove.......................................................................
C h estn u t..............................................
Buffalo, N . Y .:
...................
Pennsylvania an thracite—
Stove...........................................................................
C h estn u t................................................................ ' ’ "
B utte, M ont.:
B itum in o u s.............................................................
Charleston, S. C.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
Stove.......................... .................................................
C h estn u t..........................................................
B itu m in o u s...........................................................
Chicago, 111.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
Stove..............................................................................
C h estn u t.............................................................’.
B itum in o u s....................................................
C incinnati, Ohio:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
Stove..............................................................................
C h estn u t....................................................................
B itum in o u s.............................................................
Cleveland, Ohio:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
Stove......................................... ....................................
C h estn u t.................................................................... ”
B itu m in o u s...........................................................
Columbus, Ohio:
Pennsylvania an thracite—
C h estn u t........................................................................
B itum in o u s..................................................................
Dallas, T e x .:
A rkansas an thracite—
E g g .................................................................................
B itum in o u s..........................................................................
Denver, Colo.:
Colorado an thracite—
Stove, 3 and 5 m ix e d .................................................
Furnace, 1 and 2 m ix ed .............................................
B itum in o u s.................................................................. ’ . ’ ’
D etroit, Mich.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
Stove .............................................................................
C h estn u t.................................................................. .
B itum in o u s..........................................................................
F all R iver, Mass.:
Pennsylvania anth racite—
Stove...............................................................................
C h estn u t........................................................................
B itum in o u s..........................................................................
H ouston, Tex.:
B itu m in o u s...................................................................... .
Indianapolis, Ind.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
Stove...............................................................................
C h estn u t........................................................................
B itum in o u s..........................................................................
1

Per ton of 2,240 pounds.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[957]

J a n . 15,
1920.

1921
Feb. 15.

Mar. 15.

$12. 588
IS. 788
8. 808

$15.795
15. 884
11. 409

$15,631
15.661
11.147

9.050

8.958

8.917

i 12. 500
i 12.600
i 7.500

i 15. 500
i 15.500
>■9.972

i 15.500
i 15.500
i 9.583

7.496

10.381

9.920

12. 750
12.750

16.000
16.000

16.000
16.000

12.500
12.500

16.000
16.000

16.000
16.000

10.890
10.990

13.250
13.250

13.120
13.120

10.381

12.512

12.492

i 13.400
i 13.500
8.500

i 17.875
i 17.725
13.250

i 17.875
i 17.725
13.250

12.590
12.690
8.020

15.280
15.520
9.107

15. 280
15.520
8.988

12.500
12.667
6.739

15.980
16.125
8.143

15.980
16.125
7.714

12.300
12.233
7.911

14.663
14.813
8.619

14.463
14.525
8.404

12.000
6.513

15.750
9.000

15.000
8.429

18.500
14.583

20.000
15.500

20.334
15.500

14.000
13.500
8.908

17.600
17.600
11.676

17.167
17.167
11.456

12.650
12. 750
8. 781

15.550
15.550
10.972

15.550
15.550
10.444

13.000
12.750
10.000

16.000
16.000
13.250

16.000
16.000
13.000

12.000

15.286

15.000

13.000
13.1G7
8.188

15.875
15.875
9.461

15. 875
15.875
9.213

MONTHLY LABOE REVIEW.

34

A V ER A G E R E T A IL P R IC E S O F COAL, P E R TO N O F 2,000 PO U N D S, F O R H O U SEH O L D
U SE , ON JA N . 15, 1920, AN D F E B . 15 AN D M AR. 15, 1921—C ontinued.
1921
Jan . 15,
1920.

City, a n d k in d of coal.

Jacksonville, F la .:
Pennsylvania a n th racite—
Stove..................................
C h estn u t...........................
B itu m in o u s ............................
K ansas City, Mo.:
A rkansas an th racite—
F u rn ac e ............................
Stove, or No. 4 ................
B itum inous.............................
L ittle Rock, A rk .:
A rkansas an th racite—
E g g ....................................
B itum inous.............................
Los Angeles, Calif.:
B itu m in o u s.............................
Louisville, K y .:
Pennsylvania a n th racite—
Stove................................
C h estn u t.........................
B itu m in o u s...... .................... .
M anchester, N. II.:
Pennsylvania an th racite—
Stove................................
C h estn u t.........................
B itu m in o u s...........................
M emphis, T e n n .:
Pennsylvania an th racite—
Stove........... ...................
C h estn u t. . . ■..................
B itum inous............................
Milwaukee, Wis.:
Pennsylvania an th racite—
Sto v e................................
C h estn u t.........................
B itum inous............................
M inneapolis, M in n .:
Pennsylvania an th racite—
Stove................................
C h estn u t.........................
B itu m in o u s...........................
Mobile, A la.:
B itu m in o u s...........................
N ew ark, N. J.:
Pennsylvania an th racite—
Stove................................
C h estn u t.........................
New H aven, Conn.:
Pennsylvania an th racite—
Stove........... ...................
C h estn u t.........................
New Orleans, La.:
Pennsylvania anth racite—
Stove................................
C h estn u t.........................
B itu m in o u s...........................
New Y ork, N . Y .:
Pennsylvania an th racite—
Stove................................
C h estn u t.........................
Norfolk, V a .:
Pennsylvania an th racite—
Stove................................
C h estn u t.........................
B itu m in o u s...........................
Om aha, N e b r.:
Pennsylvania an th racite—
Stove................................
C h estn u t.......... .............
B itu m in o u s............ .............
Peoria, 111.:
Pennsylvania an th racite—
Stove................................
C h estn u t.........................
B itum inous...................................


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Mar. 15.

$17. 000
17. 000
11.000

$24. 000
23.000
15. 500

$21.500

15.950
16.583
8. 625

18. 250
18.500
9.950

18.083
18. 750
10.017

10. 375

17.000
14.176

16.000
13.412

16.000

19.333

19.333

13.750
13.750
6. 836

16.000
17. 500
8.538

16.000
17.000
8.404

13. 417
13.417

18.000
18.000
13.333

17.500
17.500
12.667

8.000

18.000
18.000
9.500

18.000
18.000
9.500

12.600
12.700
8.960

16. 200
10.260
11.469

16.200
16.260
10.827

14.000
14.100
10. 425

18.250
18. 330
13.222

18.210
18.310
12.456

10.333

12.688

12.375

10.483
10.483

13.000
13.000

13.000
13.000

12.250
12.250

15. 833
15. 833

15.250
15.250

17.500
17. 500
9.269

22. 500
22.500
12.545

22.500
22.500
12.236

11.536
11.600

14.225
14. 225

13.883
13.900

13.000
13.000
9. 750

16.000
16.000
13.143

16.000
16.000
13.143

17. 275
17. 450
10.108

22.000
22.000

22.000
22.000

13.094

13.094

13.000
13.0C0

16.000
16.000
7.063

16.000
16.000
7.188

10.000

16.000
16.000

6.000

1^58]

Feb. 15.

21.000

13. 667

RETAIL PRICES OF COAL IN THE UNITED STATES.

35

A V E R A G E R E T A IL P R IC E S O F COAL, P E R TO N O F 2,000 PO U N D S FO R TTOTTqETrnT n
U SE , ON JA N . 15, 1920, A N D F E B . 15 A N D M AR l l l9 2 1 -C o n c lu d e L

1921
City, a n d k in d of coal.

Jan . 15,
1920.
Feb. 15.

M ar. 15.

P hiladelphia, Pa.:
Penn sy lv an ia a n th racite—
Stove..........
1 $<R11 11. ool
OQ1 I1 $14.
©1 a ru7ft
y / 0 1 $14. 469
C hestnut.............
.....................
111
QOA 1 14.975
u . yuo
1 14.481
P ittsb u rg h , P a.:
.............................
Penn sy lv an ia an th racite—
Stove...............
l 1 q 7 nn lxilo.
e U
xnn
UU
1 16.000
C h estn u t.............
................
l 1-Lax. nor*
io 0 0 /
uuu lx lo.
1 16. 500
B itu m in o u s...........
.........................
6 179
8 .0 0 0
8.031
P o rtlan d , Me.:
....................................
Penn sy lv an ia a n th racite—
Stove...............
1ID.olU
a oin
13 440
16.320
..........
C h estn u t............
1 a olU
om
13 440
lo.
16. 320
B itu m in o u s.........
.................
11
nr*
9 370
11. 7/OU
10.860
P o rtlan d , Oreg.:
.........................
B itum inous.............
i q nm
j 1 018
iu.
yyi
13. 871
Providence, R . I.:
...........................
P ennsylvania an th racite—
Stove.............
2
Q5Q 2 io 500
2 16. 0 0 0
C h estn u t............
.............. 213 ooo 2 i a ouu
xnn
2 16. 0 0 0
................... 2 in nnn 2* 1IO.
B itu m in o u s...........
0 O
Knn
±z.
U
U
2
11.333
R ichm ond, Va.:
'
..............................
P ennsylvania an th racite—
Stove.................
110.
“O
xnn
1? 125
UU
14. 500
C h estn u t............
...................
12 125
15. 500
14. 500
B itu m in o u s...........
...........................
19
nQ
O
8 931
uoy
11.645
Rochester, N . Y .:
...........................................
Penn sy lv an ia a n th racite—
Stove...........
1IO.OOU
Q XXn
1 0 800
13.550
...................
C h estn u t............
1Q O
XXn
10 9 0 0
lo.
OU
13. 550
S t. Louis, Mo.:
...........................
Pennsylvania a n th racite—
Stove.................
Q
13 100
117/. 1A
lOo
17.125
C h estn u t..................
13 P‘45
17 163
17.125
B itum inous...........
...........................
7 7xn
n Q70
7. 566
St. P aul, M inn.:
.............
Pennsylvania a n th racite—
Stove...................
1lo.
q oxn
14 onn
18 250
Zou
C h estn u t............
1Q ouU
QUA
14 1 0 0
18 300
lo.
B itum inous.............
1Q
7CA
11
531
14 383
lo ./cy
S alt Lake City, U tah :
............
Colorado an th racite—
Furnace, 1 a n d 2 m ix ed ........
17
enn
16.313
17. 700
1 /. ouu
Stove, 3 a n d 5 m ix e d ...
18 Q
nr*
18 40Q
16.583
±o.
yuu
B itum in o u s...............
s 286
9 964
9.
857
San Francisco, Calif.:
.................
New Mexico a n th racite—
Cerillos egg............
O
QA
cn
98
fin
9q 0 0 0
^o. A
UO
U
Zo,
t)O
U
Colorado a n th racite—
Egg...................................................................
91 75Q
OK
A). 7rcn
26
750
Z
/OU
B itum inous...........
If*
A
X
X
IQ AXX
15 100
iy.
iy. 4oo
S avannah , Ga.:
.......................
P ennsylvania an th racite—
Stove______
3° 1iy.
0 iiuu
nn
3 15 100 3 io ioo
C h estn u t..............
«° iy.
i n iiuu
nn
315 100 3 io ioo
B itum in o u s...........
3 ii inn
3 i*i ioo
3 J-T
i at. 7nn
°
/UU
Scranton, Pa.:
Penn sy lv an ia a n th racite—
Stove...........
9 §33
8 9.^3
C h estn u t..............
8 qnr)
9 833
9 ' CG"
Seattle, W ash.:
B itum inous........... .
4 j i 595
-1 Q 5 8 «
Springfield, III.:
B itum inous........... .
A oO
ortn
3 950
4 950
^t.
U
W ashington, D. C.:
Pennsy lv an ia an th racite—
Stove........................
1 io.
1<i oooA
1 15
19 4 4 7
C hestnut................
11,7
l Id.
ix O
nnn
1 12 538
UU
x 1 0 . 11 01
Z1
B itum in o u s....................
l § 207 1 1 1 5 5 5
Tin
x iu. r*oo
yoz
_____________
1 Per to n of 2,240 pounds.
2 F ifty cents p er to n ad d itio n al is charged for “ bin n in g .”
Most custom ers require binning or basketing
th e coal in to th e cellar.
j
A
j
?
S avannak is weighed b y th e city . A charge of 10 cents per to n or half to n is m ade,
additio n al charge has been included m th e above prices.
4r ricei in zon.e 4:,'
cartage charge in zone A is SI. 85, w hich has been included in th e average. The
cartage charges m Seattle range from SI.85 to $3.15, according to distance.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[950]

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,

36

Wholesale Prices in March.

SLOWING down of the general decline in wholesale prices
which began in the spring of 1920 is evident from information
gathered in representative markets of the country by the
United States Department of Labor through the Bureau of Labor
Statistics. Of 32G commodities, or series of quotations, for which
comparable data for February and March were obtained, decreases
were found to have occurred for 173 commodities and increases for
64 commodities. In 89 cases no change in price was reported.
Comparing January and February, of 327 price quotations 207
showed a decrease, 33 showed an increase, and 87 showed no change
in price.
The weighted index number of wholesale prices compiled by the
department through the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and in computing
which due allowance is made for the relative importance of the
different commodities, stands at 162 for March, compared with 167
for February and 177 for January of the present year. The March
figure is 36 per cent below that of March, 1920, and over 40 per cent
below the high peak of last May.
Fuel and lighting materials declined on an average about o per
cent in March, as compared with the previous month, followed by
metals and metal products with a decline of 4f per cent and building
materials with a decline of 44 per cent. In the groups of farm
products, cloths and clothing, and chemicals and drugs, the decrease
was over 3 per cent. Articles in the group of miscellaneous com­
modities, including, among others, such important products as bran,
cottonseed meal and oil, lubricating oil, jute, rubber, newsprint and
wrapping paper, soap, tobacco, and wood pulp, decreased on an
average over 7 per cent in price. Food showed practically no change
in the general price level, while a very slight decrease was registered
for the group of house-furnishing goods.
Some of the more important price changes occurring between
February and March, as measured by average prices in each month,
are as follows:

A

IM P O R T A N T A R T IC L E S IN C R E A SIN G OR D E C R E A S IN G IN A V E R A G E P R IC E IN M ARCH,
AS C O M PA R ED W IT H F E B R U A R Y , 1921, B Y G R O U P S O F CO M M O D ITIES.

Increases.
Commodity.

Per
cent.

Commodity.

3.7

Apples, B aldw in, Chicago..
B ananas, Jam aica 9s, New
Y ork.....................................
Meat:
Bacon, short clear sides,
Chicago..........................
Beef, fresh, good n ativ e
steers, Chicago...............
H am s, sm oked, Chicago..
Lam b, dressed, Chicago..
P o u ltry , dressed, Chicago
Sugar, New York:
R a w ......................................
G ran u lated .........................
Potatoes, w hite, C h icag o ...

1.2
4.6
2.7
6.3
5.7

Food, etc.
B u tte r, cream ery, extra,
New Y o rk ...... ................
Cheese, New Y o rk ................


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1

Food, etc.—Concluded.

Farm -products.
B arley, m alting, C hicago...
H ay:
Alfalfa, No. 1, K ansas
C ity ...................................
T im othy, No. 1, Chicago.
L ive stock, Chicago:
Steers, good to c h o ic e.. . .
Hogs, lig h t..........................
Sheep, lam b s......................
P oultry , live, Chicago..........

Per ;
cent. j.

4.0
7.6

[960]

16.9
11.3 j
7.1
1.6 ;
4. 8 1
12,7
11.6
'
15.2 i
10.6
7.3 j

C om m odity.

Cloths and clothing.
Silk, Jap an , New York:
K ansai, No. 1 ....................
W orsted y a rn , Boston:
Crossbred stock, 2/32s___
L eather, sole, oak, B oston.
Building materials.
Ivath, eastern spruce, New
Y orle.....................................
P u tty , New Y ork .................
Chemicals and drugs.
Sulphuric acid, New Y ork.
Miscellaneous.
R ubber. New Y o rk ..............
Sisal, Mexican, New Y ork .

Per
cent.

2.6
4.3
4.5

6.1
2.3
2.0
7.1
4.4

WHOLESALE PRICES IK MARCH.

37

IM P O R T A N T A R T IC L E S IN C R E A S IN G OR D E C R E A S IN G IN A V E R A G E P R IC E IN M ARCH
AS C O M P A R E D W IT H F E B R U A R Y , 1921, B Y G R O U P S O F C O M M O D ITIES—C oncluded.

Decreases.
C om m odity.

j P er

C om m odity.

Per
: cent.

Farm products.
Cloths and clothing—Con.
Metal and metal products—
Concluded.
Cotton, m iddling, New Or­
Ticking, Amoskeag, A. C.
lean s.................................... 16.4
A ,, New Y ork.............
10.0 Steel, structural, Chicago. .
Corn, No. 2, m ixed, Chicago 2.4 C otton y a rn , B o sto n :
Tin, pig, New Y ork............. 11.9
R ye, No. 2, Chicago...........
2. S
Carded, 10/1-.................
11.8 Zinc, pig, New Y o rk ............ 3.7
W h eat:
Carded, 22/1...................
12.0
No. 2 hard w inter, K an ­
i
T w isted, 20/2..............
15. 4 i
Building materials.
sas C ity ...........................
4.6
T w isted, 40/2...................
11.5 1
No. 1 n o rth e rn spring,
L eather:
B rick, building, C incinnati. 9.2
M inneapolis.................... 3.5 1 H arn ess, Oak, N o .l, ChiHemlock, Chicago...........
1.4
No. 1 h a rd w hite, P o rt­
cago................................... 3. 1 Maple, New Y ork...........
22.9
land, O reg..................... . 7.3
Side, black, B o sto n........ 10.7
Oak, w hite:
H ides, Chicago:
Sole, hemlock, B o sto n ..
2.6
P lain, C incinnati.........
9.6
Calfskins, No. 1 ............... . 6.6 Suitings: Clay w orsted. 16
Q uartered, St. L o u is____ 3.4
Packers, h eav y n ativ e
ounces, m ill...............
9.9 P in e, yellow , siding, N orfolk 9.2
stee rs................................
Wool, Ohio, scoured fleece:
Poplar', C in c in n ati................ 9.6
H ops, prim e to choice,
F in e clothing, B o sto n___ 3.1
T u rpentine, New Y ork....... 4.2
P o rtland, Oreg................... 20.5
F in e delaine, B o sto n___
4. 5 Shingles, cypress, New Or­
P eanuts, No. 1, N orfolk___ 4.0
H alf blood, B osto n........... 11.9
leans....................................
3.4
i a n d J grades, B o s to n ... 3.3
Food, etc.
W orsted yarn, Philadelphia:
Chemicals and drugs.
H alf blood, 2/40s................ 2.8
B u tte r, cream ery, extra:
F in e dom estic, 2/50s......... 6.8 Acetic acid, New Y o rk ........ 6.9
Chicago.............................. . 3.3
M uriatic acid, New Y o rk ... 3.5
San Francisco.................... 18.4
F uel and lighting.
Alcohol, wood, New Y ork . 29.7
Coffee, Bio, New Y o rk .......
4.9
A m m onia, anhydrous, New
Eggs, fresh:
Alcohol, denatured, New
Y ork............. ....................... 5.8
F irsts, Chicago................... 23.0
Y ork.................
10.5 ! Borax, N ew Y o rk ............... 10.7
F irsts, N ew 'Y o rk ............. 26.3 Coal, bitum inous:
Copper sulphate, New Y ork 7.7
Flour:
Mine ru n , Chicago___
2.8
Glycerin, New Y o rk . . . . . . . 7.6
Rye, w hite, M inneapolis. 7.3
Prepared sizes, C hicago.. 5.4
O pium , natural, New Y ork. 13.6
W heat—
R u n of m ine, C in c in n ati.. 4.9 Caustic soda, New Y ork__
5.7
P a te n t, K ansas C ity . _.
Prepared sizes,Pittsburgh 3.5
N itra te of soda, New Y o rk .. 4.4
Standard p a te n t, M in­
Coal, sem ibitum inous:
Sulphur, crude, New Y ork. 5.9
neapolis........................
New R iyer, C in c in n ati... 8.1 F ruit:
Pocahontas, N orfolk........ 7.7 !
II(mse-furnishing goods.
Lem ons, Chicago............... 10.3 ; Coke, Connellsville,furnace. 3.6
Oranges, Chicago............... 8.5
Gasoline, m otor, New Y ork. 7.8 : K itchen tables, Chicago___ S. 3
P ru n es, New Y o rk........... 18.6 Petroleum , crude, a t wells:
Pails, galvanized iron, fac­
L ard, prim e, con tract, New
K ansas-Q klahom a............ 9.7
to ry ................................. . . .
S.0
Y ork .....................................
2.4
P eim syl v a n ia ..................... 28.4 T ubs, galvanized iron, fac­
Corn m eal, w hite, D ecatur. 3.5
Petroleum , refined, New
t o r y . . . . . .............................. 6.5
P o rk , salt m ess, New Y ork. 4.4
York; w ater w hite, 150°.. 4.5
Milk, fresh. N ew Y o rk ........ 16.2
Miscellaneous.
Rice, H onduras, head, New
| Metals and metal products.
O rleans................................
5.1
Cottonseed oil, New Y ork. 11. 9
Onions, fresh, Chicago......... 21.9 B ar iron, P ittsb u rg h ........... 14.2 Ju te, raw , New Y o rk _____ | 8.7
Copper, in g o t, New Y o r k .. 5.0 L ubricating oil, paraffin, |
Cloths and clothing.
Lead, pig, New Y o rk .......... 13.5
New Y o rk ............................1 16.1
N ails, wire, P ittsb u rg h ___
5. 8 Paper:
B lankets, cotton, New Y ork 12.8 P ig iron:
N ew sprint, rolls, contract,;
D rilling, New York:
i
Basic, valley fu rn ace........ 12.0
f. o. b. m ills.....................! 3.3
B row n, P e p p e re ll...........
6.7
Bessemer, P ittsb u rg h ___ 10.5
W ra p p in g ,m a n ila ,N o .l, I
C otton flannel, colored,
F o undry No. 2 n o rth ern ,
ju te , New Y ork...............) 9.2
New Y o rk ......................... 19.7
P ittsb u rg h ....................... 7.7
P hosphate roek, f. o. b. mine! 12.5
H osiery, New Y ork:
F o u n d ry No. 2 southern,
Tobacco, plug, New Y ork. .1 18.4
M en’s com bed y a r n ........
9.6
C in cin n ati....................... 8.7 W ood pulp, sulphite, un - |
W om en’s silk m ercerized. - 16.7
......
Silver, b a r , fine, New Y o rk . 6.3
bleached. New Y o rk ........ j 12.5
Prin t cloths, 27-inch, B estoni 14. 8 Steel billets, Bessemer,
Sheeting, brow n, New
P ittsb u rg h .......................... 10.1
York:
Steel p lates, tan k , P ittsCoconut, Pacific co ast..
4.7
W are Shoals, L. L. 4 /4 ... \ 5.9
b u rg h ..............................
12.4
Soya bean, New Y ork..
4.7

Comparing prices in March with those of a year ago, as measured
by changes in the index numbers, it is seen that food has declined 39
per cent, cloths and clothing 46 per cent, and farm products nearly
48 per cent. In the remaining groups, except fuel and lighting,
smaller decreases have taken place, ranging from 164 per cent in the
case of house furnishings and chemicals to 27-J per cent in the case of
metals and 34| per cent in the case of building materials. Fuel and
lighting materials, on the contrary, were about 7f per cent higher than

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[ 961]

M O N T H L Y LABOR REV IEW

38

a year ago. All commodities, taken in the aggregate, were nearly 36
per cent cheaper than in the corresponding month of last year.
TNT',FT N U M B E R S O F W H O L E S A L E P R IC E S IN S P E C IF IE D Y E A R S AN D M O N TH S, 1913 TO
IN D E X N U M JJL
M ARCH ; 1921) b y G R O U P S O F C O M M O D ITIES.
[1913=100.]

Food,
etc.

Y ear and m o n th .

1913 ..............
J a n u a ry ----A p ril...........
J u ly .............
O cto b er___
1914 .............
Ja n u a ry ---A p ril...........
J u ly .............
O cto b er---1915 .............
J a n u a ry ---A p ril...........
J u ly .............
O cto b er___
1916 .............
Ja n u a ry ---A p ril...........
J u ly .............
O cto b er___
1917 .............
Ja n u a ry ---A p ril...........
J u ly .............
O cto b er___
1818.................
J a n u a ry —
F e b r u a r y ..
M arch.........
A p ril...........
M ay.........
J u n e ............
J u ly .............
A u g u st.......
S eptem ber.
O cto b er__
N ovem ber.
D ecem b er..
1919 .............
J a n u a ry —
F e b r u a r y ..
M arch.........
A p ril......... .
M ay............
J u n e ...........
J u ly ............
A u g u st___
Septem ber.
O ctober__
N ovem ber.
D ecem ber..
1920 ............
J a n u a ry __
F e b r u a r y ..
M arch.......
A p ril.........
M ay.
J u n e ..........
J u ly ...........
A u g u s t.. .
Septem ber
O c to b er...
N ovem ber.
Decem ber.
1921:
J a n u a r y ...
F e b ru a ry .
M arch 1. . .

100
97
97

101

103
103
101
103
104
103
105
102

107
108
105
122
108
114
118
136
189
148
181
199
208
220

207
208
212
217
214
217
224
230
237
224
221
222
234
222
218
228
231
246
243

244

Cloths
and
cloth­
ing.

Fuel
and
lig h t­
ing.

:
M etals B uild­ Chemi­ H ouse
All
and
fu r­ Miscel­ com­
cals
ing
m etal m ate­
m
odi­
nishing lane­
and
ous.
pro d ­
ties.
rials. drugs. goods.
ucts.

100
99
96
102
102
103
102
95
104
107
104
106
105
104
103
126
113
117
121
140
176
150
182
181
183
189
187
186
177
178
177
179
184
191
199
201
206
210
210
207
196
203
211
214
204
216
227
211
211
219
234
236
253
244
246
270
287
279
268
235
223
204
195
172

100
100
100
100
100
98
98
99
99
97
100
96
99
99
103
128
110
119
126
138
181
161
169
187
193
239
211
216
223
232
237
245
249
252
255
257
256
250
261
234
223
216
217
228
258
282
304
306
313
325
335
302
350
356
356
353
347
335
317
299
278
257
234
220

100
103
98
99
100
96
99
98
95
93
93
93
89
90
96
119
105
108
108
133
175
176
184
192
146
163
157
157
158
157
160
159
166
166
167
187
171
171
173
170
169
168
167
167
170
171
175
181
181
179
181
238
184
187
192
213
235
246
252
268
284
282
258
236

100
107
102
98
99
87
92
91
85
83
97
83
91
102
100
148
126
147
145
151
208
183
208
257
182
181
174
176
176
177
178
178
184
185
184
187
188
184
161
172
168
162
152
152
154
158
165
160
161
164
169
186
177
189
192
195
193
190
191
193
192
184
170
157

100
100
101
101
98
97
98
99
97
96
94
94
94
93
93
101
99
101
99
101
124
106
114
132
134
151
136
138
144
146
148
150
154
157
159
158
164
164
192
161
163
165
162
164
175
1S6
208
227
231
236
253
308
268
300
325
341
341
337
333
328
318
313
274
266

100
101
101
99
100
101
100
100
99
105
114
103
102
108
124
159
150
172
156
150
198
159
170
198
252
221
232
232
232
229
223
219
216
222
220
218
215
195
179
191
185
183
178
179
174
171
172
173
174
176
179
210
189
197
205
212
215
218
217
216
222
216
207
188

100
100
too
100
100
99
99
99
99
99
99
99
99
99
99
115
105
108
121
124
144
132
139
152
152
196
161
161
165
172
173
198
199
221
226
226
226
227
236
218
218
218
217
217
233
245
259
262
264
299
303
337
324
329
329
331
339
362
362
363
371
371
369
346

100
100
98
101
100
99
99
101
97
96
99
100
99
98
99
120
107
no
120
132
155
. 188
149
153
163
193
178
181
184
191
194
196
190
191
194
196
203
204
217
212
208
217
216
213
212
221
225
217
220
220
220
236
227
227
230
238
246
247
243
240
239
229
220
205

100
100
98
100
101
100
100
98
100
99
101
99
100
101
101
124
110
117
119
134
176
151
172
186
181
196
185
186
187
190
190
193
198
202
207
204
206
206
212
203
197
201
203
207
207
218
226
220
223
230
238
243
248
249
253
265
272
269
262
250
242
225
207
189

162
150
150

208
198
192

228
218
207

152
146
139

239
221
208

182
178
171

283
277
275

190
180
167

177
107
162

i P relim inary.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[ 062 ]

C H A N G ES IN W H O L ESA L E PR IC E S.

39

Changes in Wholesale Prices in the United States.

the first three months of 1921 wholesale prices of com­
D URING
modities continued to move downward, in strong contrast

with the upward movement in the same months of 1920.
Among the articles showing decided price decreases during the
quarter were wheat, rye, flour, eggs, milk, lard, hides, cotton and
cotton goods, coke, pig iron, steel billets, tin, lead, spelter, crude
and refined petroleum, gasoline, Douglas fir and oak lumber, linseed
oil, and turpentine.
Smaller but very perceptible declines in price were recorded for
cattle,_beef, butter, corn, oats, barley, potatoes, wool, woolen goods,
bituminous coal, copper, nails, and structural steel. In the case of
hogs, mutton, granulated sugar, and oak sole leather, prices de­
clined m the second month of the quarter, but advanced again in
March.
Slight increases occurred in the prices of sheep, bacon, hams, mess
pork, and corn meal, while practically no change took place for upper
leather, shoes, anthracite coal, tin plate, brick, lime, cement, plate
and window glass, and cast-iron pipe.
Comparing prices in March with those of a year ago, the bureau’s
records show that gasoline, cast-iron pipe, hams, rye, and rye
flour, hemlock lumber, white lead, fresh beef, women’s shoes, struc­
tural steel and nails decreased less than 25 per cent. Decreases
ranging from 25 to 50 per cent are shown for cattle, hogs, bacon, lard,
salt pork, mutton, butter, eggs, milk, wheat and wheat flour, sugar,
worsted yarns, storm serge dress goods, sole leather, men’s shoes,
cone, electrolytic copper, copper wire, pig iron, steel billets, spelter,
1Cansas-Oklahorna crude petroleum, common building brick, and lath.
In the 12-month period barley and clay worsted suitings decreased
53 per cent, pig tin 54 per cent, pig lead 55 per cent, wool 57 per cent
and corn and chrome calf leather 59 per cent. A decrease of 60 per
cent is shown for corn meal; 61 per cent for Pennsylvania crude
petioleum and plain oak lumber; 62 per cent for oats; 64 per cent for
rice bleached muslin, and linseed oil; 67 per cent for Douglas fir
lumber; and 68 per cent for cotton yarns and hides, respectively.
Sheep decreased 70 per cent, cotton and print cloths 71 per cent,
turpentine 74 per cent, and potatoes 78 per cent.
In the case of yellow pine flooring, for which no average price for
1913 was obtainable, no relative prices have been computed for in­
clusion in the second part of the table which follows.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[963]

W H O L E S A L E P R IC E S IN JU L Y , 1917 TO 1919, AN D IN C E R T A IN M O N TH S O F 1920 AND 1921, AS C O M PA R ED W IT H A V E R A G E P R IC E S IN 1913.1

O

Average money prices.

Article.

U nit.

1921

1920

July—
1913

Mar.

Jan ,

Feb.

$14. 575 $12.094
100 l b s . . $8,507 812. 560 $17.625 $16. 869 «15,938 $14.969 «14.400 $15.381 $15.350 $15.250 $14.68$
. 240
.222
.252
. 260
255
.255
.205
.213
.208
.232
.240
. 164
.130
L b ..........
19.500 18. 250
B b l........ 18.923 30. 500 34. 875 34.3Q0 IS. 625 17.000 17.000 18.125 18. 500 19. 250 19.500
12.120
9.
538
14.
775
16.
544
15.130
17. 720 22. 225 15.094 14.513 14. 435 14.856
100l b s . . 8,365
. 164
.191
.217
.202
. 200
.207
.220
.221
.211
,337
.276
.248
.127
L b ..........
.258
.307
.358
,363
.
373
.316
.377
.306
.294
. 303
.384
.240
.166
L b ..........
.143
.191
.206
.201
. 189
. 191
.210
.210
.241
.264
.351
.201
.110
L b ..........
30.800 29. 750
B b l........ 22.471 42.250 48. 500 58.900 44.875 43. 438 42. 300 36.250 32.900 31. 000 30. 500
5.150
3.563
5.
219
5.
544
6.
575
6.
594
13.525
13.063
10.
875
8.125
8,600
10.975
4,687
100l b s . .
.108
. 124
.114
.118
. 139
.170
.196
.206
. 158
.159
.206
. 145
.103
L b ..........
,590
.§08
.568
, 568
. 540
.622
.553
.663
.512
,432
.631
.376
.310
L b ..........
.710
.675
.570
.527
.471
.423
.450
. 515
. 052
.416
.374
.318
.226
D oz........
,084
.075
.084
! 084
.078
.070
.081
.079
.085
.054
.071
.050
.035
Q t..........

$9.840
. 174
17.000
9.305
. 143
.249
.136
29.750
3. 450
. 113
.483
.598
.075

$9,313
.100
17.000
9.156
, 144
.260
. 125
31,500
3.688
,094
.476
.352
.062

$9. 563
. 163
17. 000
9. 463
. 154
.273
. 122
30.100
4. 031
. 116
. 460
.271
.052

1917

1918

1919

Jan ,

Feb,

Mar.

July.

Aug.

Sept.

Oet.

Nov.

Dec,

(o) A nim al.
C attle, good to choice steers.........
Beef, fresh, good n a tiv e steers—
Beef, s a lt, ex tra m ess....................
Hogs, h e a v y .....................................
B acon, sh o rt, clear sides...............
H am s, sm oked, loose.....................
L ard , p rim e, co n tract....................
P o rk , sa lt, m ess...............................
Sheep, ew es......................................
M utton, d ressed..............................
B u tte r, cream ery, e x tra ................
Eggs, fresh, firsts............................
M ilk................................... ...............
(b) Vegetable.
W heat, N o. 1, n o rth ern ...................
W heat flour, stan d ard , p a te n t....
Corn, N o. 2, m ix e d ...........................
Corn m e a l.........................................
Oats, stan d ard , in sto re..................
R ye, N o. 2 ........................................
R y e flour...........................................
B arley, fair to good, m a ltin g ........
Rice, H onduras, h e a d .....................
Potatoes, w h ite...............................
Sugar, g ra n u la te d ...........................

B u ...
B b l..
B u ...
100 lbs
B u ...
B u ...
B b l..
B u ...
L b ...
B u ...
L b ...

.874
4,584
,625
1.601
.376
.636
3.123
.625
.051
.614
.043

2, 582
2.170
12, 750 HO, 702
2.044
1.665
4. 880
4.825
.765
.764
2.226
1.705
11.620 10.440
1.125
1.391
.004
.071
1.035
2,375
.074
.075

1.945
9.988
1,006
.095
1.395
,143

2.106
11.206
.888
2.150
.530
1.696
9. 813
.923
.079
1.069
.108

1.753
9. 295
.807
1. 738
,516
1,577
8.940
.867
.068
1.197
.096

1.681
8.944
.755
1.538
.494
1.598
9. 269
.779
.066
.911
.081

1.788
9, 625
.682
1.350
.454
1,648
9.756
.750
.046
.780
.076

1.671
9.181
. 665
1.425
. 431
1.488
8. 794
.689
.048
.683
.071

1.614
8. 730
.649
1.375
.432
1. 447
8.150
.714
. 045
.732
. 0 <S

,301
.543
.100
.238
.304
. 836
1.600
4. 499
1.267

.226
.082
.201
.239
.727
1.500
4.163
1.150

.190
.370
.065
.163
.186
.691
1.300
4.163
1.150

. 155
.311
.059
.143
.186
. 546
1.100
4.163
1.150

. 167
.288
.058
. 121
. 154
.546
1,150
3. 363
1.047

.139
.278
.053
.118
. 152
.546
1.150
2.858
.885

.118
.245
. 045
.113
.152
.527
1.200
2. 575
. 885

2.680
12.155
1.920
4. 488
.764
1.555
8. 050
1.268
.117
1.683
.088

2. 931
14, 444
1.503
3. 080
,836
1. 766
9.538
1.494
.127
2.621
.154

2, 688
13. 538
1.450
3. 01S
.833
1,568
8. 513
1.390
.128
2,678
.150

2. 755
13.165
1. 579
3.450
.901
1.744
9.510
1.518
.125
3. 291
.137

2.831
13. 669
1.549
3. 590
,935
2.232
11.650
1.214
. 125
3. 570
3. 191

2. 550
12.235
1.541
3.400
.669
1.963
10.250
1. 085
. 102
2.097
.167

2,490
12, 594
1,315
2. S63

,351
.591
.116
.219
. 274
1.236
1. 600
(4)
1.223

.393
,727
.149
.285
.323
1. 236
2. 250
(*)
1.421

.388
.747
.154
(4)
.333
1. 236
2. 250
5. 423
1,421

.414
.755
.153
(4)
.333
1.236
2. 200
5. 423
1.421

. 110
.701
. 142
(4)
.333
.009
1.75Ü
5. 423
1, 421

.360
.631
.117
.277
.305
. 873
1.750
5. 423
1.421

T E X T IL E S AND LEA TH ER GOODS.

C otton, up lan d , m iddling.............
C otton yarn, carded, 10/1...............
P r in t cloth, 27-inch............. ..........
Sheeting, brow n, P ep p ereli..........
Bleached m uslin, Eonsdale..........
Wool, \ a n d § grades, scoured___
W orsted y arn, 2-32s.......................
Clay w orsted suitings, 16-ounce.. j
Storm serge, all-wool, 50-inch---- 1


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

L b ..........
L b ..........
Y d .........
Y d .........
Y d .........
L b .........
L b ..........
Y d .........
Y d .........

.128
.221

.035
.073
.081
.471
.777
1.382
. 563

.261
.450
.073
.140
1.200
1.600
3.250
1.176

.312
. 641
.113
(*)
, 245
1.437
2. 150
4, 450
1.470

M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W ,

L*9G'J

FOODSTUFFS.

H ides, packers’ heavy native
steers...............................................
L eather, chrome calf......................
Leather, sole, o ak .............................
Shoes, m en’s, Goodyear welt,
vici calf, blucher..........................
Shoes, w om en’s, Goodyear welt,
kid, 9-inch la c e 5........ .................

L b ........
Sq. f t...
L b ........

.184
.270
.449

P a ir__

3.113

P a ir.......

2.175

.330
.540
.815

.324
.640
.830

. 486
1.100
.950

.400
1.275
.915

.403
1.275
.915

.364
1.275
.915

.294
.875
.900

.285
.875
.875

284
.800
.875

.255
.750
.800

.233
.625
.725

.190
.575
.625

.168
. 525
.600

.136
.525
.550

4.750

5.645

7. 476

9.282

9.500

9.600

9.100

9.100

9.100

7.94-4

7. 750

7.750

7.250

7.250

7 250

3.500

5.000

7.250

8.000

8.250

8.250

7. 750

7.218

7.000

7.000

7.000

7.000

7. 000

7.000

6.871

2,240 lbs. 5.313
5.933
6.693
2,0001bs. 2.200
5. 000
4.100
2,000 lbs. 2.538 15.000
6.000
L b .........
.157
.318
. 255
L b ..........
.167
.338 __ .285
2,240ibs. 17.133 57. 450 36. 600
2,240 lbs. 25.789 100. 000 47. 500
100 l b s . . 3.558 12.000
7. 750
L b ..........
.620
.932
.449
L b ..........
.044
.114
.080
L b ..........
.093
.058
.087
B b l........ 2.450
3.100
4.000

8.304
4.000
4.172
.215
.244
29. 350
38. 500
7.000
.702
.056
.079
4.000

8. 518
4.100

8.513
4.100

8. 514
4.100

6 . 000

.193
.228
40. 400
48.000
7.000
.637
.087
.097
5.063

6. 000 j 6.000

. 191
.230
42. 900
55. 250
7. 000
.603
.088
.092
5. 513

. 186
.230
j 43.400
| 60. 000
7.000
.621
i .092
I . 089

9.711
6. 000
17.600
. 190
.230
49.112
61. 000
9. 000
.472
.090
.083
6.100

10. 541
7.100
16.625
. 187
.229
50. 460
58. 750
9. 000
.444
.082
.078
6.100

10. 536
7.100
15.125
. 168
.209
49. 210
55. 000
8. 625
.406
.073
.075
6.100

10. 543
7. 100
8.100
.146
.183
41. 260
49. 700
7. 500
.368
.063
.068
6.100

10. 548
7.100
5. 875
. 137
.170
36. 960
43. 500
7.000
.339
.048
.060
6.100

10.637
5. 600
5. 063
.129
.159
33, 960
43. 500
7. 000
. 355
.050
.059
5. 775

10, 637
5.100
4. 500
. 129
. 157
31. 460
42. 250
7.000
.326
.047
.054
4.188

10.642
4. 850
4.350

6.100

9.551
6.000
17. 250
. 190
.230
47.150
62. 500
7. 500
.491
.086
.082
G. 100

. 151
28. 160
38, 400
7. 000
.288
.041
.052
3. 000

3.000
.240
.265

3.500
.250
.280

3.500
.260
.300

3.500
.260
.300

3.500
.275
.310

3. 500
.290
.310

3.500
.290
.310

3.500
.290
.310

3.400
.290
.310

1.938
.275
.290

1. 750
.263
.268

25. 000 | 25.000
1.650
1. 650
3.800
3. 875

25. 000
1.800
4.600

22.484
1.887
4.600

15. 767
1.950
4.600

16.500
1.950
4.800

16, 500
1.950
4,800

17. 000
1.950
4.800

16.500
1.931
4.800

16. 500
1.718
4.800

16. 250
1.700
4.800

.400
.460
.580
.750
.780
. 800
.820
.820
.820
3. 420
5. 700
6 . 200
6 555
6. 555
6.555
0. 555
6.555
6. 555
5. 625
5.125
5. 750 17. 000 17. 000 17. 000 16.000 10. 000 10. 500
18. 500 19. 500 28. 500 37. 500 37. 500 37.500 29. 500 29.500 25. 500
«28. 000 334. 500 39.150 50.150 54.833 58. 000 51. 750 51. 750 51.063
89.000 75.500 70.000 127. 500 148. 125 155. 000 142. 500 127. 500 119. 500
33. 420 34.030 61. 630 94.410 104. 880 104.730 65.320 06.200 60.220
3. 000 3. 080
4. 820 6. 570
6. 820
5. 570
6. 080
4. 960
3. 880
4.100 3. 600
3. 350 4. 600
4. 600
4. 100
4.100
4.350
4.350
65. 525 61. 750 50. 920 67. 300 70. 300 71.500 76. 300 76. 484 77. 220
.062
.033
.027
.027
.029
.032
.033
.031
.032
. 128
. 136
.146
.130
. 151
. 155
.155
.155
.1551.120
1.770
1.770
2.115
1.770
1.520
1.803
1.413
1.215
.420
.700
1.176
1.885
1.985
2. 238
1.599
1.624
1.473

. 820
0. 555
10. 500
24. 500
40.900
108. 750
52.990
3. 220
4. 350
77. 220
.032
. 155
1. 076
1.230

.820
6. 555
9.125
16. 500
43.500
82. 500
46. 600
3. 090
4. 150
77. 220
.031
. 149
.893
1.098

.820
6.555
9.125
16. 500
42. 300
77. 500
42.210
2.590
3. 350
66. 780
.028
. 141
,820
.790

.820
6.555
8. 750
15. 500
40. 750
75. 000
36.890
2. 490
3. 350
63. 300
.028
. 132
.782
.724

. 820
8. 250
12. 500
36. 000
67. 500
33.990
2, 560
3.313
63. 300
.028
. 130
. 655
.609

.820
0. 555
S. 750
12. 500
35. 5G0
61. 000
31.920
2.400
3.120
63. 300
. 020
. 130
.658
. 584

.115
.525
. 575

M IN E R A L AND M ETAL PRODUCTS.

B b l........
G al........
G al.........

.934
.123
.168

1.700
.120
.240

2.250
.171
.241

2.250
.205
.245

2.900
.224
.257

B rick, red, domestic, bu ild in g ___j 1 ,0 0 0 .... 6.563
Cem ent, Portland, dom estic.......... B b l........
.971
L im e, com m on, lu m p .................... B b l........ 1.078
Glass, p la te , polished, 5 to 10
square feet..................................... S q . f t . . .
.318
Glass, window, single, B ................. 50sq. ft.. 2.221
L ath , lj-m ch slab............................ 1 ,0 0 0 .... 4. 284
D ouglas fir, No. 1............................ 1,000 f t . . 9.208
H em lock........................................... 1,000ft.. 824.227
Oak, w hite, p la in ............................ 1,000ft.. 760.591
P in e, yellow , flooring..................... 1,000 f t . .
Shingles, red cedar......................... 1 ,0 0 0 .... i. 987
Nails, wire, 8-penny....................... 100 l b s . . 1. 819
P ip e, cast-iro n , 6-inch.................... 2,0001bs. 23. 371
Steel, s tru c tu ra l.............................. L b ..........
.016
Lead, carb o n ate of (w h ite)........... L b ..........
.068
Linseed oil, r a w ............... ............. G al.........
.462
T u rp en tin e, spirits of..................... G al........
.428

8.875
1. 650
1.900

12. 750
1. 700
2.500

15.000
1.650
2.700

24. 000
1.650
3. 525

.122

BUILD IN G M ATERIALS.

1 This ta b le is published quarterly, in th e February, May, August, a nd November
issues of th e Monthly L abor R e v ie w .
2 S ta n d a rd w ar flour.
3 E stim ated price. No m arket quotation.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

4 N o quotation.
5 P rio r to Jan u a ry , 1918, prices are for gun m etal, b u tto n .
e P rice a t N ew Y ork; prices in su b sequent m onths are a t Chicago.
7 Price a t New Y ork; prices in subsequent m onths are a t C incinnati.

Q
K
*
o
Cfi

I1ST WHOLESALE PRICES.

[965]

Coal, anthracite, c h e stn u t.............
Coal, bitum inous, ru n of m in e ___
Coke, furnace, p ro m p t shipm ent.
Copper, electrolytic........................
Copper wire, bare, No. 8...............
Pig iron, B essem e r.........................
Steel billets.......................................
T in p late, domestic, coke.............
Pig t i n ................................................
P ig le a d ............................................
S p e lte r...............................................
Petroleum , crude, Pennsylvania .
Petroleum , crude, K ansas - Okla­
hom a. .............................................
Petroleum , refined, w a ter-w h ite..
Gasoline, m o to r................................

W H O L E S A L E P R IC E S IN JU L Y , 1917 TO 1919, A N D IN C E R T A IN M O N TH S O F 1920 AN D 1921, AS C O M PA R ED W IT H A V E R A G E P R IC E S IN 1913-C o n c lu d e d .

g

Relative prices.
1921

1920

Ju ly Article.

Mar.

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Jan.

Feb.

180.8
196.2
95. 8
177.6
163. 0
227. 1
173.6
161.3
140.7
165.0
178. 4
187.2
200.0

180.4
196.2
97.8
180.9
157. 5
224. 7
171. 8
146. 4
140. 3
135. 0
174. 2
208. 4
222.9

179. 3
200.0
101. 7
197. 8
159. 1
218. 7
182.7
138. 0
118.3
114. 6
183. 2
233. 2
240.0

172.7
193. 8
103.0
176.6
170.9
215.7
187.3
135. 7
111. 4
110. 7
183.2
252. 2
240.0

171.3
184. 6
103. 0
144. 9
150. 4
184. 9
173. 6
137. 1
109. 9
120. 4
190. 3
298. 7
240. 0

142.2
170. 8
96. 4
114. 0
129. 1
155. 4
130. 0
132. 4
76. 0
104. 6
163. 9
314. 2
214. 3

115.7
133. 8
89. 8
111. 2
112. 6
150. 0
123. 6
132. 4
73. 6
109. 7
155. 8
264. 6
214. 3

109.5
123. 1
89. 8
109. 5
113. 4
156. 6
113. 6
140. 2
78. 7
91. 3
153. 5
155. 8
177.1

112.4
125.4
89.8
113.1
121.3
164.5
110.9
134.0

307. 6
295. 3
232.0
188. 2
221.5
246. 5
272. 6
222. 4
251. 0
436. 2
348.8

323.9
315.2
298.2
287.2
252.6
247. 8
224.2
215.5
248. 7
239.6
274. 2 350. 9
373. 0
304.5
194. 2
242.9
245. 1
245.1
536.0
581. 4
318.6 3 444. 2

291. 8
266.9
246. 6
212. 4
185.9
308. 6
328. 2
173.6
200. 0
341.5
388.4

284.9
274.7
210. 4
178.8
155. 6
305.8
319. 8
161. 0
186. 3
227. 2
332. 6

241. 0
244.5
142. 1
134. 3
141. 0
266.7
314. 2
147. 7
154. 9
174. 1
251. 2

200.6
202. 8
129. 1
108. 6
137. 2
248. 0
286.3
138. 7
133. 3
195. 0
223. 3

192.3
195.1
120. 8
96. 1
131. 4
251. 3
296. 8
124. 6
129. 4
148. 4
188. 4

204.6
210. 0
109.1
84. 3
120. 7
259. 1
312. 4
120. 0
90. 2
127. 0
176. 7

191.2
200. 3
106. 4
89. 0
114. 6
234. 0
281. 6
110. 2
94.1
111. 2
165.1

184.7
190. 4
103.8
85.9
114.9
227.5
261. 0
114.2

303. 1
338. 0
440. 0
(4)
411. 1
262.4

323.4
341.6
437. 1
(4)
411. 1
262.4

281.3
285.5
334.3
379.5
376.6
185.3

235.2
245.7
285. 7
326. 0
375.3
177.5

170.0
196. 4
234. 3
275. 3
295. 1
154.3

148.4
167.4
185. 7
223. 3
229.6
146.7

121. 1
146. 7
168. 6
195. 9
229. 6
115. 9

130. 5
130. 3
165. 7
165. 8
190. 1
115. 9

108.6
125. 8
151. 4
161. 6
187.7
115. 9

92.2
110.9
128.6
154.8
187.7
111.9

1918

1919

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

207. 2
184. 6
184. 8
211. 8
217. 3
182. 5
240. 0
215. 8
234. 2
200. 0
130 4
165. 6
154.3

198. 3
160. 0
181. 3
265. 7
265. 4
231. 3
319. 1
262. 1
173. 4
154. 4
165. 2
184.1
202.9

187. 4
178. 5
98. 4
180. 4
174. 0
177.1
219. 1
199. 7
232. 0
153. 4
203. 5
288. 5
242.9

176.0
163. 8
89. 8
173. 5
173. 2
184. 3
190. 9
193. 3
278. 7
200. 0
200. 6
227.9
231.4

169.3
157.7
89.8
172.6
166. 1
190. 4
190. 9
188. 2
288.6
190.3
213.9
199.1
225.7

248 3
295.4
278.1 2 233. 5
327. 0 266. 4
304. .8 301 4
203. 5
203.2
268. 1
350.0
372. 1 334. 3
180. 0
222.6
184. 3
139.2
168 6
386. 8
172.1
174.4

308. 6
265. 2
307. 2
280. 3
203. 2
244. 5
257. 8
202. 9
229. 4
274.1
204.7

335. 4
315.1
240. 5
192. 4
222. 3
277. 7
305. 4
239. 0
249. 0
426. 9
358.1

243 8
280. 6
322 0
0)
302 5
305.1

274. 2
267. 4
331. 4
300. 0
338 3
262.4

307. 0
329. 0
425. 7
390. 4
398. 8
262.4

July.

FOODSTUFFS.

(a) Anim al.
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

100
100
100
100

100

147.6
126.2
161. 2
184.8
195.3
144.6
182. 7
188.0
183. 5
140. 8
121.3
140.7
142.9 1

86.0
112.6

148.4
119.9
148.6

(6) Vegetable.
W heat, No. 1, n o rth ern ........................
W heat flour, stan d a rd , p a te n t...........
Corn, N o. 2, m ix ed................................
Corn m eal................................................
O ats, s tan d a rd , in sto re .......................
R ye, N o 2................................................
R ye flour.................................................
B arley, fair to good, m a ltin g .............
Rice, H onduras, h e a d ..........................
Potatoes, w h ite ......................................
Sugar, g ra n u la te d .................................

100
100
100
100

100
100
100
100

100
100
100

88.2

119.2
181.4

TEX TILES AND L E A TH ER GOODS.

Cotton, u p land, m id d lin g........
C otton yarn, carded, 10/1..........
P rin t cloth, 27-inch....................
Sheeting, brow n, Pepperell—

Bleached m uslin, Lonsdale—
Wool, i a n d f grades, scoured.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

100
100
100

100
100
100

203. 9
203.6
208. 6
191. 8
193.
254.

320.3
317.2
405.7
(4)
411.1
193.0 I

M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .

[ 066]

C attle, good to choice s te e rs ...
'Beef, fresh, good n a tiv e steers.
Beef, salt, e x tra m ess................
Hogs, h eav y .................................
Bacon, short, clear sides...........
H am s, sm oked, loose.................
L ard , prim e, c o n tra c t...............
P ork, salt, m ess..........................
Sheep, ew es.................................
M utton, dressed........................
B u tte r, cream ery, e x tra ..........
Eggs, fresh, firsts......................
M ilk.............................................

44130°—21----- 1

W orsted y arn , 2-32s...............................................
Clay w orsted suitings, 16-ounce...........................
Storm serge, all wool, 50-inch..............................
H ides, packers’ heavy n a tiv e steers..................
Leather, chrome calf..............................................
L eath er, sole, o a k ...................................................
Shoes, m en’s, Goodyear w elt, vici calf, blucher.
Shoes, wom en’s, Goodyear w elt, kid, 8-inch
lace5.......................................................................

205.9
235.2
208.9
179.3
200.0
181. 5
152.6

276.7
322.0
261.1
176.1
237. 0
184. 9
181. 3

205.9
(4)
217.2
264.1
407.4
211.6
240.2

289.6
(')
252.4
217.4
472.2
203.8
298.2

289.6
392.4
252.4
219.0
472.2
203.8
305.2

283.1
392.4
252.4
197. 8
472.2
203.8
308.4

225. 2
392.4
252.4
159.8
324.1
200.4
292.3

225.2
392.4
252.4
154.9
324.1
194.9
292.3

205.9
325. 5
225.0
154.3
296.3
194.9
292.3

193.1
301.2
204.3
138.6
277.8
178.2
255.2

167.3
301.2
204.3
126.6
231.5
161.5
249.0

141.6
301.2
204.3
103.3
213.0
139.2
249.0

148.0
243.3
186.0
91.3
194.4
133.6
232.9

148.0
206.8
157.2
73.9
194.4
122. 5
232.9

154.4
186.3
157.2
62. 5
194. 4
128.1
232.9

100

160.9

189.2

274.5

302.8

312.3

312.3

293.3

273.2

265.0

265.0

265.0

265.0

265.0

265.0

260.2

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

111.7
227. 3
591. 0
282. 5
202. 4
335. 3
387. 8
337.3
138.1
259.1
160.3
126.5
182. 0
97.6
142.9

126.0
186. 4
236.4
162. 4
170.7
213.6
184. 2
217. 8
207.6
181.8
150.0
163. 3
240. 9
139.0
143. 5

156.3
181. 8
164.4
136.9
146.1
171.3
149.3
196.7
156.3
124.7
136.2
163.3
240.9
166.7
145.8

160.3
186.4
236.4
122.9
136.5
235.8
186.1
196.7
141.9
197.7
167.2
206.7
310.5
182.1
153.0

160.2
186.4
236.4
121. 7
137.7
250.4
214.2
196.7
134.3
200.0
158.6
225.0
321.2
195.1
157.7

160.3
186.4
236.4
118. 5
137.7
253.3
232.7
196. 7
138.3
209. 1
153.4
249. 0
374.7
203.3
166.7

179.8
272.7
679.7
121.0
137.7
275.2
242.4
210.8
109.4
195.5
141.4
249.0
374.7
211.4
178.6

182.8
272.7
693.5
121. 0
137.7
286.7
236. 5
253.0
105.1
204. 5
143.1
249. 0
374.7
211.4
178.6

198.4
322.7
655.0
119. 1
137. 1
294. 5
227. 8
253.0
98.9
186.4
134.5
249.0
374.7
223.6
184.5

198.3
322.7
595.9
107.0
123.4
287.2
213.3
242.4
90.4
165.9
129.3
249. 0
374.7
235. 8
184.5

198.4
322.7
319.1
93.0
109.6
240.8
192.7
210.8
82.0
143. 2
117.2
249.0
374.7
235. 8
184.5

198.5
322. 7
231.5
87.3
101.8
215.7
168.7
196.7
75.5
109.1
103.4
249. 0
374.7
235.8
184.5

200.2
254. 5
199. 5
82. 2
95. 2
198. 2
168.7
196.7
79.1
113.6
101.7
235.7
364.0
235. 8
184.5

200.2
231. 8
177. 3
82.2
94.0
183.6
163. 8
196.7
72. 6
106. 8
93.1
170.9
207.5
223.6
172.6

200.3
220. 5
171.4
77. 7
90.4
164.4
148. 9
196.7
64.1
93. 2
89. 7
122. 4
187. 4
213. 8
159.5

100
135.2
194.3
228.6
100
169.9
175.0
169.9
100
165. 8 218.1
235.6
100
125. 8
144.7
182.4
100
154.0
256. 6 279.2
100
131.3
119.6
134.2
100
211. 8 309.5
200.9
100 6115.6 8 142. 4 e 169. 2
100 7 113. 9 7124.6 7 160. 9
100
100
152.5
156.6
245.0
100
225.4
197.9
184. 2
100
280.4
264.2
217.9
100
387.5
206.3
168.8
100
188.2
200.0
191.2
100
242.4
383.1
457.8
100
98.1
163.5
274.8

365.7
169.9
307.6
235.9
295.1
396.8
407. 3
319.5
221.5

380.9
169. 9
331. 6
245.3
295. 1
396.8
407.3
371.2
242.2

380.9
169.9
338.1
251.6
295.1
396.8
407.3
388.4
256.2

380.9
185.3
401.4
257. 9
295.1
373.5
320.4
357.1
278.6

342.6
194.3
401.4
257.9
295.1
373.5
320.4
319. 5
228.6

240.2
200.8
401.4
257.9
295.1
245.1
276.9
299.4
225.5

251.4
200.8
418. 8
257.9
295. 1
245.1
266.1
272.5
207.1

251.4
200.8
418.8
257.9
295.1
213.0
179.2
206. 7
192.2

259.0
200.8
418.8
257.9
295.1
213.0
179.2
194.3
186.9

251.4
198.8
418. 8
257.9
295.1
204.3
168. 3
187.9
180.0

251.4
176.9
418. 8
257.9
295.1
192.6
135.8
169.2
159.0

247.6
175.0
418. 8
257. 9
295 1
204. 3
135. 8
152 8
156.7

334.0
252.9
288.0
168.8
214. 7
383.1
440.4

346.7
252.9
300.8
181.3
222.1
383.1
■463. 8

309.1
225.4
305.9
206.3
227.9
390.3
522.9

232. 3
225.4
326.5
200. 0
227.9
329. 0
373.6

252.2
239.1
327.3
193. 8
227. 9
305. 8
379.4

197.3
239.1
330. 4
200.0
227. 9
263. 0
344.2

163.7
239.1
330.4
200.0
227.9
232.9
287.4

157.1
228.1
330.4
193.8
219.1
193.3
256.5

131.7
184.2
285. 7
175.0
207.4
177.5
184.6

126.6
184.2
270.8
175.0
194.1
169. 3
169.2

130.1
182.1
270. 8
175.0
191.2
141.8
142.3

122.0
171. 5
270. 8
162. 5
191. 2
142. 4
136.4

M IN E RA L AND M ETAL PRODUCTS.

j

BUILD ING M ATERIALS.

B rick, red, domestic, b u ild in g........................
Cem ent, P o rtlan d , dom estic................................
Lim e, com m on, lu m p ...........................................
Glass, p late, polished, 5 to 10 square feet........
Glass, w indow ,’single, B ....................................
L a th , lj-in c h s la b ..................................................
D ouglas fir, No. 1 ...................................................
H em lock............................................. ......................
Oak, w hite, p la in ...................................................
Pine, yellow, flooring............................................
Shingles, red c ed a r.................................................
Nails, wire, 8-penny...............................................
Pipe, cast-iron, 6-inch...........................................
Steel, stru c tu ra l......................................................
Lead, carbonate of (w h ite )..................................
Linseed oil, ra w ......................................................
T u rp en tin e, spirits of............................................


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

2 Stan d ard w ar flour.
3 E stim ated prices. No m arket quotation.
4 No quotation.

WHOLESALE PBICES,

Coal, anthracite, c h e s tn u t....................................
Coal, bitum inous, ru n of m in e............................
Coke, furnace, p ro m p t s h ip m e n t.......................
Copper, electrolytic................................................
Copper wire, bare, No. 8.......................................
Pig iron, B essem er.............................................
Steel b ille ts ..............................................................
T in p la te , domestic, coke.....................................
Pig t i n ........................................................................
Pig le a d .....................................................................
S pelter.......................................................... ; ...........
Petroleum , crude, P en n sy lv an ia .......................
Petroleum , crude, K ansas-O klahom a...............
Petroleum , refined, w ater-w hite........................
Gasoline, m o to r......................................................

m

[967]

100
100
100
100
100
lOU
100

5 Prior to Jan u a ry , 1918, prices are for gun m etal, b u tto n ,
s Price a t N ew Y ork; prices in su b seq u en t m o n th s are a t Chicago.
7 Price a t N ew Y ork; prices in su b se q u e n t m onths are a t C incinnati.
05

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

44

Retail Distribution and Marketing of Foods.1

HE report of the American Public Health Association committee
on retail distribution and marketing of foods, presented at
the association’s annual meeting in San Francisco, in September,
1920, touches at various points on the cost of living. The following
excerpt is discouragingly significant:

T

Investigation has shown that the scarcity and high price of certain staple foods
have resulted in many instances in changes in the diet which are not conducive to
maintaining the body at its normal efficiency. This tendency is very marked in the
industrial centers, while the statistics from school authorities show that malnutrition
in children of the medium and well-to-do classes is greatly on the increase, this being
due not to insufficient food, but improper diet.

The Brookline (Massachusetts) plan for meeting this situation is
commended by the committee, which states that the office of munici­
pal dietitian has been created in the town and a food center estab­
lished which is well equipped for demonstration. Instructions are
given in the selection and purchase of foods and in school children s
diets. Assistance is also given in prescribing dietary correctives in
disease and malnutrition.
The committee is of the opinion that in the case of some food com­
modities there has been too great a centralization of manufactories
and too high a specialization of products. The report declares that
it is time for constructive action when there are large dairying dis­
tricts where nearly all the producers buy their butter at local groceries
and when farmers are found shipping their hogs 400 to 600 miles to
market and buying their dressed pork from local dealers.
Federal control"of speculation is suggested as a more effectual
way of coping with the profiteer than Federal control of food supply.
Attention is called to the nonutilization of nutritious by-products,
the practice in some dairying territories of daily consigning thousands
of quarts of skimmed milk to the sewers being cited as a striking
illustration.
“ Rigid medical examination of food handlers under supervision
of health officials should be insisted upon.” More attention should
be given to the inspection of the smaller manufactories, the sanitary
conditions of which are not generally looked into so thoroughly as
those of large establishments. The committee feels that valuable
work could be done in this connection by women’s organizations in
aiding overburdened health departments or in making food inspec­
tions in towns where boards of health are dormant or where no food
inspection system has been established.
Existing insanitary conditions in railway transportation of milk
and cream are scored by the committee. I t is announced that:
This matter was brought to the attention of the American Public Health Associa­
tion last year. The International Association of Dairy and Milk Inspectors has done
some constructive work, and has a representative at Washington whose business it
is to present specific cases of insanitary conditions and spoilage to the Interstate Com­
merce Commission. We should go further than this and demand regulations that
will adequately protect the product, with provisions for indorsement, though it be
necessary for us to carry our case to the President, Congress, to the American people.

According to the findings of the committee, the chain store systems
are “ based upon sound business principles.” The methods of manu1 American. Jo u rn al of P u b lic H ealth , Chicago, 111., A p ril, 1921, p p . 375-3,8.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

RETA IL D IS T R IB U T IO N AISTD M A RK ETIN 'G OF FOODS.

45

factoring, buying, and reducing overhead expenses through such
systems enable these stores to undersell their competitors. The
committee thinks, however, that the “ charge and deliver stores’’
are necessary for a large number of consumers who are willing to pay
for the service such stores render.
Reference is made in the report to a recent comprehensive investi­
gation conducted by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment
Station into 50 large stores in Fargo, which study showed “ a range
in operating expenses from 9 to 52 per cent and implied that 20 wellmanaged stores were ample to handle the business of 50 and could
operate with an expense of not more than 7.66 per cent for the charge
and deliver, and 5 per cent for the cash and carry stores.” These
investigators make the following statement:
V\ e are firmly convinced that one of the main factors in the present widespread
difference between prices received by the producer and what the consumer is forced
to pay is lack of proper supervision by the Government of the middlemen and the
retailers.

The American Public Health Association committee concludes its
report by urging that association “ to take concerted action toward
remedying the conditions” therein outlined.
-- --- -----------

Cost of Living in Cincinnati.

HE industrial expansion department of the Cincinnati Chamber
of Commerce recently made a study of the cost of living,
showing the decrease from June 15, 1920, to March 1, 1921.
The information which was secured in Cincinnati and surrounding
territory shows a general decrease of 20.1 per cent for this period.
Food prices were secured from seven retail stores, three of them
belonging to chain store systems; the sources of other items of the
budget are not given. All items in the budget show a decrease
except rent, which increased 5 per cent, due to the housing shortage,
although it is claimed that the general level of rentals in Cincinnati
is below that of other cities.
The following table shows the percentage distribution of family
expenditures, decrease in cost of different budget items since June 15,
1920, and decrease as related to total budget:

T

D IS T R IB U T IO N O F FA M IL Y E X P E N D IT U R E S A N D P E R C E N T A G E D E C R E A S E IN COST
O F L IV IN G .

D istribu­
Decrease
tion of
in cost
fam ily ex­ since June
penditures. 15, 1920.

Article.

F o o d ...................................................
Clothing..............................................
R e n t.......... ........................................
Fuel.....................................................
F u rn itu re a n d furn ish in g s___ . . .
Miscellaneous....................................


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

40.6
15. 2
15.4
4.1
5.2
20.3

32. 6
35. 0
15.0
2.7
25. 0
5.0

Percentage
decrease
as related
to to ta l
budget.
13.2
5.3
i .8
.1
1.3
1.0
20.1

1 Increase.
I'DRiVi

M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .

46

Cost of Family Budget in Denmark in Specified Months, July, 1914,
to January, 1921

TATISTICAL Report No. 19, August 17, 1920, issued by the
Danish Statistical Department, contains figures on the cost
of living in that country in July, 1914 to 1920, and in January,
1919 to 1921, which show that whereas the normal annual household
budget of the average family of five persons was 2,000 kronen ($536,
par) in 1914, it had in January, 1921, risen to 5,289 kronen ($1,417.45,
par) or an increase of 164.5 per cent.' The following table shows the
changes in the budget of a laborer’s family of five persons in July of
each year, 1914 to 1920, and in January, 1921:

S

C H A N G E S IN COST O F LIV IN G O F A L A B O R E R ’S FA M IL Y O F F IV E P E R S O N S , 1914 TO 1921.
[1 krone a t par=26.8 cents.]
In d e x num ber (based on Index
Cost
July, 1914=100) in num ­
in
J u ly -i
ber in
Jan u ­
Jan u ­
ary,
ary,
1921. 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 192U
1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920
Cost in Ju ly —

Item .

Kr. K r. K r. K r. K r. K r. K r. K r.
758 140 179 158 206 243 292
234 328 420 370 483 569 684
2 358 2 437
364 130 146 171 172 211 120
349
612
496
499
424
377
290
M argarine, bu tter, fat, e tc . .
56 100 126 140 140 200 167
50
42
42
60
38
30
30
Fish (fresh a n d s a lt) ...........
384 130 127 186 173 176 207
153 199 194 284 264 269 317
126 170 179 242 248 258 352
82
85 116
80
59
33
Flour, m eal, etc....................
147 120 120 152 222 265 339
82 120 143 183
65
54
65
Potatoes, vegetables, fru its .
353 105 119 145 184 178 225
Sugar, spices, beer, etc........ 156 164 186 226 287 277 351
T otal, foodstuffs........ 950 1,219 1,386 1,580 1,777 2,015 2,408 2,625 128 146 " 168 187 212 253
Pork, beef, e tc .......................

324
126
187
251
382
272
226
276

355
130
563
227
247

292
130
578
244
224

T o ta l............................. 1,050 1,107 1,332 1, 514 1,858 2,206 2, 826 2,664 105 127 144 177 210 269

254

G rand to ta l................. 2,000 2,326 2,718 3, 094 3,635 4, 221 5,234 5,289 116 136 155 182 211 262

264

Clothes, shoes, la u n d ry ___
R e n t........................................
Ouel a n d lig h t.......................
Taxes, subscriptions, e t c ...
O ther expenses........ ............

270
285
100
210
185

297
285
130
210
185

432
292
175
210
223

513
300
220
21C
271

702
307
275
210
364

837
322
292
340
415

959
371
563
476
457

789
371
578
512
414

110
100
130
100
100

160
102
175
100
121

190
105
220
100
146

260
108
275
100
197

310
113
292
162
224

1 In d ex num bers for food were com puted, as th ey do no t appear in the report as forwarded by the Amer­
ican m inister a t Copenhagen.
2 These item s are com bined w ith m argarine, b u tte r, fat, etc., 1914 to 1919, inclusive.

Retail Prices in Denmark in January, 1921, Compared with October,
1920.

VERAGE retail prices of certain commodities in Denmark in
January, 1921, compared with October, 1920, have been
published by the Danish Statistical Department in the form
of the following table which was forwarded to this bureau by the
Department of State, having been received from the American
minister at Copenhagen under date of March 7, 1921:

A

1 D ata furnished b y th e A m erican m inister a t Copenhagen, through th e D e p artm e n t of State, under date
of Mar. 5, 1921.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[97Q]

RETAIL PRICES 11ST DENMARK.

47

A V E R A G E R E T A IL P R IC E S IN D E N M A R K IN JA N U A R Y , 1921, C O M PA R E D W IT H P R IC E S
IN O C T O B E R , 1920.
[100 o r e = l krone=26.8 cents, a t par.]

Capital.
Article.

Unit.1

C ountry
towns.'

100 country
districts.

Average,
entire
country.

Oct., Jan ., Oct., Jan., Oct., Jan., Oct., Jan.,
1920. 1921. 1920. 1921. 1920. 1921. 1920. 1921.

Rye b re a d ....................................
Sifted rye b re a d .........................
W heat b re a d ...............................
E ine flo u r.....................................
B arley (D a n ish ).........................
O ats (D a n is h ).............................
Sem olina......................................
P o ta to flo u r.................................
R ice................................................
Sago...............................................
Yellow shelled p eas...................
Loaf sugar, No. 1.......................
B row n sugar, N o . l .............
Coffee............................................
Tea (com m on Congo)...............
A m erican dried apples.............
D ried ap ric o ts.............................
P ru n es w ith sto n es...................
R aisins (V alencia).....................
F ish balls (F aroe Is la n d s)___
C anned peas (coarse). . ........
N onalcoholic b eer......................
R egular beer................................
B u tte r...........................................
M argarine (a n im a l)...............
P la n t fa ts................................
Vegetable m arg arin e.................
Skim m ed m ilk cheese...............
Eggs (new -laid D an ish )...........
Eggs (sto rag e).............................
Sweet m ilk ..................................
Slam m ed m ilk ............................
B u tte rm ilk ..................................
Beef (fore q u a rte r).....................
Beef (boneless)...........................
V eal (fore q u a rte r).....................
F resh pork b u tts .........................
P o rk b a c k s ..................................
T enderloin ....................................
Salt p o rk ......................................
M utton (fore q u arter, Iceland).
Smoked boneless h a m .............. .
Seasoned pork f a t...................... .
Sum m er sausage........................ .
F resh herring.............................. .
Codfish...........................................
F lo u n d e rs.................................... .
Split c o d ........................................
C abbage.........................................
C arrots............................................
Potatoes (large q u a n titie s).......
Potatoes (sm all q u a n titie s)___
K itchen s a lt..................................
A m erican w ashing soda.............
B row n soap, b e s t.................
Petroleum (w ater w h ite)..........
Scotch n u t co al............................
C rushed coke................................
E lec tric ity .....................................
Gas...................................................
W ood sh av in g s. - .........................
Men’s shoes (box calf, sew e d ),.
Half-soling of above....................

Ore.
4 kilogram s__
109
1 k ilo g ram ___
62
........do................ 153
........do...............
95
........do...............
86
........do...............
156
........do ...............
100
........do...............
128
........do ...............
235
........do ...............
151
........do...............
126
........do...............
74
........do ...............
63
........do...............
599
........do ...............
960
........do............... 367
........do ............... 463
........do ............... 369
........do............... 370
J- k ilogram ___ 120
........do...............
112
1 b o ttle ............
27
J b o ttle ............
31
1 k ilogram ___ 795
........do ............... 382
........do............... 352
........do...............
321
........do...............
Score................. 920
........do ............... 689
1 lite r................
71
........do ...............
31
........do............%.
42
1 kilo g ram ...*. 363
........do ............... 552
........do ............... 386
........do ...............
433
........do ...............
........do ...............
806
........do ...............
573
........do ...............
........do...............
690
........do ............... 307
........do...............
927
........do ...............
123
........do ...............
127
....... do...............
299
....... d o ...............
263
....... do...............
17
....... do...............
33
50 kilogram s .. 1,240
1 kilo g ram . . .
29
___ d o .............
27
___ do ..............
38
....... do..............
235
1 lite r ..............
72
1 h e cto lite r... 1, 897
___ do .............. 1,502
1 k ilo w a tt___
71
1 cubic m e te r.
59
1 k ilo g ram . . .
18
P a ir................. 4,300
___do .............. 1, 200

Ore.
109
62
153
95
86
152
101
121
212
139
119
74
63
570
928
340
455
353
408
124
111
27
31
669
390
341
318
288
1,054
694
59
28
38
325
518
342
404
130
704
531
300
686
482
912
131
117
267
257
21
31
1,102
26
27
24
196
82
1,242
813
71
59
20
3,950
1,186

Ore. Ore. Ore. Ore. Ore.
98
101
102
98
102
57
58
59
59
59
140
141
139
140
144
96
95
94
95
95
50
63
79
62
82
145
141
139
137
147
102
108
100
108
101
120
110
116
106
121
207
182
201
130
214
145
124
139
124
145
119
112
119
115
121
77
76
75
75
75
66
65
64
64
64
551
518
540
497
563
898
858
870
878
912
353
321
344
322
351
461
452
446
444
457
334
308
316
387
340
351
373
333
365
351
124
120
124
122
123
113
112
120
115
115
27
28
26
28
27
33
33
33
33
32
781
658
736
645
771
348
344
356
338
362
365
362
350
353
360
328
317
326
317
325
276
878
872
863
796
887
689
677
711
677
696
55
49
50
45
59
21
16
18
16
23
23
20
20
18
26
333
305
334
305
343
461
462
433
430
492
345
315
324
301
352
475
426
468
423
459
110
118
114
108
117
745
707
608
593
753
521
511
479
475
535
841
337
307
344
305
778
705
746
723
738
452
454
427
436
471
756
699
702
732
805
119
111
127
105
123
97
104
95
101
109
219
227
200
207
239
251
243
245
237
253
21
23
19
19
19
27
28
21
23
28
846
853
749
775
945
23
20
23
20
24
25
24
25
24
26
38
28
38
30
38 '
228
199
226
198
230
72
79
74
78
73
1,959 1,229 !. 866 1,132 L, 914
1,456
845 1,516
824 1,592
94
99 | 95
101
87
67
65
68 1 67
64
16
16 : 14
14
16
4, 407 4,092 14,453 4.046 4, 397
1,159 1,137 .1, 111 1, 105 1,157

Óre.
104
60
145
95
84
143
106
112
191
129
115
75
64
526
556
328
450
316
382
122
113
28
32
657
357
348
317
907
683
51
21
25
312
460
319
416
635
495
304
705
448
771
116
104
240
246
21
27
910
23
25
27
198
80
1,201
627
90
64
17
4,029
1,143

R kilogram =2.2 pounds; 1 liter=1.06 q u arts; 1 hectoliter= 2.8 bushels; 1 cubic m eter=35.3 cubic feet.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[9711

M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .

48

Cost of Living in France.1

HE General Statistical Bureau of France makes a study every
three months of prices of certain articles of food in cities of
more than 10,000 inhabitants. Index numbers are calculated
on 13 articles—bread, meat, lard, butter, eggs, milk, cheese, potatoes,
beans, sugar, oil, petroleum, and alcohol for burning—and the quan­
tities which are consumed annually by a worker’s family of four
persons living in Paris are taken as the basis for the calculation of
the index numbers. The index number for France as a whole for
the last quarter of 1920 is 4519 as against 1004 for the third quarter
of 1914, an increase of 350 per cent in the cost of these basic food
items.
The following table shows the variations in the prices of these 13
articles in Paris at different periods from July, 1914, to December,
1920:

T

V A R IA T IO N S IN IN D E X N U M B E R S O F 13 A R T IC L E S , S P E C IF IE D M ON TH S C O M PA R ED
W IT H JU L Y , 1914.

Per eent
In d e x
. of
n um ber. increase.

D ate.

1914: J u ly ..........
1915: J u ly ..........
1916: J u ly -........
1917: J u l y . . . . . .
1918: J u ly ..........
1919:
J a n u a ry —
J u ly ............
A u g u s t---Septem ber.
O ctober —
N ovem ber.
D ecem ber..

1075
1288
1387
1971
2210

0
20
29
S3
106

2665
2811
2558
2781
3042
3015
3065

148
161
138
158
183
180
185

P e r eent
In d e x
of
num ber. increase

D ate.

1920:
J a n u a ry ..................................
F e b ru a ry ...............................
M arch.....................................
A p ril.......................................
M ay.........................................
J u n e ........................................
J u ly ................................----A u g u st....................................
S ep tem b er............................
O cto b er..................................
N o v em b er.............................
D ecem ber..............................

3119
3195
3646
3852
4069
3967
4006
4014
4373
4517
4577
4557

190
197
239
258
278
269
273
273
307
320
326
324

In February, 1920, a central commission under the direction of
the minister of labor was appointed to make a general study of the
cost of living, and regional committees were appointed to collect
and transmit information from various centers. The budget for a
worker’s family of four persons showing the average percentage
distribution of expenditures for food, heat and light, rent, clothing,
and miscellaneous expenses for 1914 and 1919 is as follows:
P E R C EN T O F F A M IL Y B U D G E T E X P E N D E D F O R S P E C IF IE D IT E M S IN 1914 A N D 1919.
Per cent of to ta l in —
Ite m of ex p enditure.
1914

1919

F o o d ................................................ .........
H e at a n d lig h t........................................
C lo th in g ................................................- - R e n t............................................................
M iscellaneous............................................

60
5
15
12
8

60
5
20
5
10

T o ta l................................................

100

100

1 France. M inistère d u T rav a il. B u lletin , N ov.-D ee., 1920: Les commissions d ’étude d u coût de la
vie, p p . 525-536.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[1*72] •

49

COST OF L IV IN G IN FR A N C E .

There is a noticeable difference between the expenditures for dif­
ferent items in the Paris budget and in that of the United States
Bureau of Labor Statistics 2 as determined b}T the 1910 and 1918
cost of living surveys. The greatest differences are in food and rent,
which occupy for food 43 (1910) and 38 (1918) per cent, respectively,
of the American budget and 60 per cent of the French, and rent, 18
and 13 per cent in the United States and only 5 per cent in the French
budget.
The proportional expenditures varied greatly from the 1914 dis­
tribution following the war, especially in the first few months of
1919. The wages had about tripled while rents had remained prac­
tically the same and clothing, on the contrary, had greatly increased
so that while the relative expenditure remained the same for food
and heat and light there was considerable variation in the other
items. These two tables were used, therefore, according as com­
parison was made with one or the other of the two periods.
The regional commission for the city of Paris has published a
statement of the variations of the cost of living in that city in 1919
and 1920 in comparison with each other and with the first half of
1914. The cost of living was found to have increased 218.2 per cent
in the first half of 1920 over the same period in 1914, and 35.1 per
cent in the first half of 1920 over the first half of 1919. There was
an increase of 16.4 per cent in the second quarter of 1920 as compared
with the first quarter of the same year, 8.1 per cent increase between
the second and third quarters, and 2.3 per cent increase between
the third and fourth quarters of the year. The following table gives
the index numbers for 1919 and 1920 for the five budget items with
1914 and 1919, respectively, taken as the base:
IN D E X N U M B E R S O F E X P E N D IT U R E S .IN C E R T A IN P E R IO D S F O R V A R IO U S IT E M S
OF FA M IL Y B U D G E T , B A SED ON 1914 AN D ON 1919.

Ite m of expen­
ditu re.

F o o d .......................
H e at an d lig h t___
R e n t.....................
Clothing.................
M iscellaneous........
T o tal a .......

1920
Per
cent
of
to ta l 1914, 1919,
of
1st 1st
2d
3d
4th
ex­ half. half. 1st
q u a r­ q u a r­ qu ar­ qu ar­
pertter.
ter.
ter,
ter.
ditu re.

1920
Per
cent
of
to ta l 1914, 1919,
of
1st 1st
1st
4th
2d
3d
ex- half. half. quar­
quar­ q u a r­ q u a r­
penter.
ter.
ter.
ter.
diture.

60
5
12
15
8

100
100
100
100
100

260
164
100
296
228

306
200
100
405
356

344
296
100
405
444

360
349
100
563
516

391
349
100
483
545

60
5
5
20
10

100

100

238

295

341

376

385

100

38
61
100
34
44

100
100
100
100
100

118
122
100
137
156

132
180
100
164
195

138
213
100
190
226

150
213
100
163
226

42 : 100

125

146

159

163

a The ind ex for th e com bined ite m is calculated according to th e proportional division of expenses be­
tw een th e live item s of ex p enditure, as shown in th e first column.
2 See Monthly L abor R e v ie w , Ju ly , 1920, p . 2.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[973]

W AGES A N D H O U R S O F LA BO R.
Wages and Hours oí Labor in the Petroleum Industry.

N NOVEMBER, 1920, the Bureau of Labor Statistics undertook a
study of wages and hours of labor of employees in the petroleum
industry along the same lines it has heretofore pursued in regard
to other large industries. The study was confined to three general
subdivisions of the industry, namely, drilling and operation of wells,
construction and operation of pipe lines, and operation of refineries.
The marketing and marine operations and original construction work
at refineries have been omitted.
This study was not intended to be a census of the petroleum
industry, but every possible effort was made so to apportion the
work as to obtain'a fair representation of the industry in each sec­
tion of the country in which it has been developed to any consider­
able extent. Representative establishments were selected, atten­
tion being given to both large and small plants as well as to general
location, that is, whether in industrial centers or in isolated sections,
because all these conditions influence to some degree the wages paid
and the hours worked.
Schedules were obtained from crude oil producing companies in
16 States covering 35,250 males, from pipe line companies in 17
States covering 19,643 males, and from refineries in 15 States cover­
ing 42,699 males and 306 females. In each instance the pay roll
period covered was for a date prior to any general reduction in rates
of wages or increase in hours per day or week, a period in November,
1920, having been selected in very nearly all cases.
Data were obtained by special agents of the bureau, hours and
earnings being copied directly from the pay rolls. All bonuses
were included, with exception of a special case involving two com­
panies in California, each of which furnished data covering wells,
pipe lines, and refineries. These two companies, among others which
were not scheduled, entered into an agreement with their employees,
(said agreement to run for a period of 14 months ending August 31
1921) providing that each regular employee, excepting certain
classes of common labor, shall receive an additional compensation
of 25 cents a day, payable on August 31, 1921, conditioned upon
the faithful fulfillment of the agreement.
This preliminary summary is limited to the presentation of the
average earnings per hour and the average full time hours per
week made in certain selected occupations, with the number of
employees in each and the number of establishments represented,
the remaining employees being thrown into one or more groups and
the averages for those groups being shown. The averages are_ for
the United States as a whole. In the refineries the occupations
have been grouped under the principal departments. In many
instances it was not possible to segregate employees in the paraffin
department,but so far as can be observed from data at hand, the wages
paid do not differ materially from those in other departments of the
refineries. It should be stated, also, that all laborers in the re-

I

50

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1974]

51

WAGES AND H O U E S OF LABOR.

fineries have been classed under the department designated as
“ Miscellaneous labor, maintenance, and repair.”
In classifying by occupation the employees at the wells the follow­
ing were grouped under “ Other employees” : Line walkers, road­
men, oilers, tool dressers’ helpers, truck drivers’ helpers, warehouse­
men, watchmen, casers, tractor drivers, clean-out men, and various
other miscellaneous occupations, one or two employees in each being
found here and there.
On the pipe lines under “ Laborers” are included roustabouts,
yardmen, boiler cleaners and tongsmen, while “ Other mechanics”
include auto mechanics, blacksmiths, boilermakers (including tank
builders), calkers, tank riveters, and tank repairers, bricklayers,
cement finishers, cement workers, connection men, electricians,
painters, pipe fitters, pipe machinists, pipe machine operators,
plasterers, plumbers, stabbers, and welders. “ Mechanics’ helpers”
include all helpers of each of the above mechanics, and “ Other
employees ” include the following: Chauffeurs, construction men,
ditching machine operators, drivers, field scouts, firemen’s assist­
ants, gaugers’ assistants, pipe laying machine operators, strappers,
tank car loaders, telephone operators, tractor drivers, tractor drivers’
helpers, truck drivers’ helpers, and watchmen.
The bureau expects at a later date to issue a bulletin setting forth
in detail the information collected. These figures are presented in
advance of completion of the final tables, and are therefore subject
to minor corrections.
I he following table shows the average full-time hours per week
and the average earnings per hour, by industry subdivision and
occupation. All employees are males, except where noted by (F.).
A V E R A G E F U L L -T IM E H O U R S P E R W E E K A N D A V E R A G E E A R N IN G S P E R H O U R IN
T H E PE T R O L E U M : IN D U S T R Y IN T H E U N IT E D ST A TES, B Y O C CU PA TIO N S, 1920.

Wells.

Occupation.

N um ­
ber of
estab­
lish­
m ents.

D rillers..............................
G augers.............................
Laborers, roustabouts,
a nd connection m e n ..
D rillers’ helpers, and
clean-out helpers........
Tool dressers....................
Pum pers a n d engineers.
F irem en.............................
R ig b u ild e rs.....................

A v e r­
N u m ­ age
ber of full­
em- tim e
P a y ­ h o u rs
ees.
per
week.
2,600
123

A ver­
age
earn­
ings.
per
hour.

73.5 SI. 137
61.3 .657

11,913
2,598
2,038
7,203
1,128
132

60.0
76. 7
62.5
57.7
55. 2

.911
.576
.612
.907

O ccupation.

D errick m en ......................
T eam sters.........................
T ruck drivers...................
Repairers (mechanics):
C arpenters.....................
M achinists.....................
O ther rep airers............
R epairers’ h elp ers..........
O ther em ployees.............

N um ­
ber of
estab­
lish­
m ents.

12
30
38

A ver­
N um ­ age A ver­
ber of full­ age
em ­ tim e earn­
ploy- h o u rs ings
per
ees.
per
week. hour.
891
498
793

38
987
25
274
36 1,198
28
541
18 2,030

56. 6 $0.752
59.8 .571
59.6 .627
57.4
55.6
56.4
55. 9
61.6

.820
.865
.772
.675
.659

Pipe lines.
Engineers a n d pum pers.
F irem en.............................
Gaugers, delivery m en,
a nd oil receivers___
Laborers............................
L in em e n .......................
Line w alk ers....................
Oilers..................................
Telegraph o p erato rs___

10 1,734
32 1,074

57.2 $0. 748
55. 7 .597

39 1,303
41 11,174
22
237
39
555
12
296
642
26

58.9
54. 7
59. 5
62.5
51.1
56.0


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

.774
.531
.652
.582
.711
.676

T eam sters.........................
T ruck d riv ers..................
Repairers (mechanics):
C arpenters.....................
M achinists.....................
O ther m echanics.........
R ep airers’ helpers..........
O ther em ployees.............

L975]

14
24

132
263

60.1 10.541
57.0 .635

29
24
.30
18
29

427
173
930
236
467

56. 4
54.9
53.5
57. 7

.852
.838
.726
.711
.684

M ONTHLY

52

LABOR

R E V IE W .

*
Ar11? t?ttt t TTTVTV TTOURS P E E W E E K A N D A V E R A G E E A R N IN G S P E R B O U R IN
A T H E APEETR 0LEU M ^ m D U S T R Y I N T H E U N IT E D S T A T E S , B Y O C C U PA T IO N S, 1920Concluded.

Refineries.

O ocupation.

N u m ­ '■Jum­
b e r of Îper of
e s ta b ­ em lis h ­ ploym ents. ees.

iv e rage
fu ll­
tim e
lours
per
week.

I
Aver­
age
earn­
ings
p er
hour.

O ccupation.

26
11

145
C61

55.6 50.671
54. 7 .617

43
18

432
84

57.7
56.1

.806
.784

80 3,532
234
53
150
14
8
2
55
9
384
31
70 1,087
19
4
447
30
36
11

53.5
55.2
52.8
52.5
51.9
53.1
53.5
56.0
54.0
48.9

.753
.692
.728
.606
.744
.790
.782
.689
.742
.774


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

A ver­
age
earn­
ings
per
hour.

85
14
25
6
80 1,205

54.9 .819
55.8 1.007
54.2 . S99

60 1,331
123
25
13«
29
5
1
35
9
74
234
191
36
293
28
24
6

53.7
53.5
52. 9
49.0
53.0
55.3
52.2
52.7
53.9

.793
.799
.621
. 560
.573
.824
.756
.864
.688

14

96

48.4

.677

3-'

238
5S
68
1

49.0
49.2
44. C
49.
50.3
44. (
48.
47.4
52.
48.
50.

. 528
.660
.383
.780
.673
.502
.662
.419
.627
. 613
.705

2
1
63
2
1

11(
17
26
1
5

47.9 $0. 911
50.8 .698
59.4 1. 055
54.0 1.012
60.2 .833
51.1 .629
52.0 .590

Engineers, ra ilro a d . . . .
F irem en ...........................
Team sters a n d d riv e rs.
T rac k m e n .........................
Miscellaneous labor,
maintenance, and repair.

Filling, packing, and
shipping.

( F .) .............................
F illers.............................
Fillers ( F .) ................... ..
In sp ecto rs.....................
N ailers........................... ..
Nailers ( F .) ...................
Packers..........................
Packers ( F .) .................
Tank-car loaders.........
T esters.....................
W eighers.......................

A ver­
age
full­
tim e
hours
per
week.

Transportation, railroad,
motor, and team.

Refining.
Clay roasters.......
Coal passers a n d a
Engineers an d chillerm e n ...................
E iiterers...............
Firem en a n d assistant
engineers...............
G augers.....................
H olders......................
Molders ( F .) .............
Oilers..........................
Pressm en...................
P u m p m e n ...............
Press ru n n ers...........
P u m p m en ’s helpers
R ep a irm en ................
R eto rt, a c id ,a n d kei
m e n . - .....................
S till inspectors.........
Stillm en.....................
A ssistant s t i l l m e n ,
chargers, a n d hea '
u p .........................
Sw eaterm en...........
T esters.....................
Testers ( F .) ............
T esters’ a ssistan ts.
T rea te rs...................
T reaters’ h elp ers...
W ater te n d e rs----W ater purifiers—

N u m ­ N um ­
b e r of ber of
estab­ em­
lish­ p loy­
m ents. ees.

B lacksm iths.....................
B oilerm akers...................
B oilerm akers’ h elpers...
B ricklayers a nd m asons.
C arpenters............... .........
Coopers..............................
Crane operators a nd
conductors....................
Crane riggers.................. .
D riving-m achine oper­
a to rs..............................
E lectricians....................
H elpers.............................
L aborers..........................
Laborers (E .).................
Lead b u rn e rs.................
M achinists........... ..........
P a in te rs...... ....................
P ip e-fitters.....................
Pipe fitters’ helpers—
Pro p erty keepers..........
P ro p erty keepers ( F .) .
T in sm ith s .......................
W e ld e rs '.........................
O ther m echanics...........

179
1,154
2,536
59&
997
239
87
204
251
2,272
11,243
29
50
813
409
1,025
3,220
87

47.9 .866
48.1 .996
47.6 .741
47.9 1.119
47.8 .897
49.0 .791
53.6
48.4

49.6

.652
.917
.665
.577
.500
1.028
.906
.713
.857
.689
.694
.519
.874
.897
. 770

54.6
46. 5
48.0
57.6
52. 0
44.4

. 624
.408
.880
.628
.704
.431

45.7
48.7
48.2
49.0
48.5
48.0
49.4
48.8
50. 7
49.0
47.2
47.3

60

.866

.761

Guarding, etc.
J a n ito rs .......................
Jan ito rs ( F .) ...................
R o u n d sm e n ...................
W atch m e n .....................
O ther em ployees...........
O ther employees (F .)..

[976]

WAGES AND H O U R S OF LABOR,

53

Wage Changes of Railroad Employees in Recent Years.
WO tables are here presented. The figures of Table 1 are all
drawn from reports issued by the Interstate Commerce Com­
mission and apply to Class I railroads. The wage compilation
made by the commission for years prior to 1915 were on a daily basis
with no accompanying figures as to hours worked. It will be noted
that some of the classes are reported on an hourly basis in 1915 and
on a daily basis thereafter. This should be borne in mind in any
use of the averages at the bottom of the table.
The figures presented in Table 2 apply to railroads of Class I and
were obtained from the following sources:
Columns 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, and 9 were copied from figures furnished
by the Bureau of Railway Economics. All of the other col­
umns were taken from reports of the Interstate Commerce
Commission, columns 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, and 18 beinocopies oi figures as published by the commission.
Columns 5, 6, and 7 were computed by dividing the average
number of employees reported by the commission into the
total compensation for the year as reported by the com mission, thus obtaining the average compensation per employee.
Column 14 was computed by dividing one-twelfth of the aggregate
hours or days worked during the year by the average number
of employees, thus obtaining the monthly average of days
or hours worked per employee. It will be noted that this
fast computation discloses some excessive average days which
Posslbly may be accounted for by overtime credited,
lh e average annual compensation is shown for 1915, 1916, 1917,
1918, 1919, the first quarter of 1920 before the wTage increase awarded
m July, and for the last quarter of 1920, which includes the abovementioned increase.
b or the year 1915, 20 large carriers did not report data for em­
ployees, lienee the number of employees for that year is not shown
J bf table shows employees in 1916, 1918, and for the four quarters
of 1920. JNo data are available for average number of days or hours
worked per month for years prior to 1918.
Column 6 shows what the average annual compensation would be
under the wage rates of the first quarter. It is obtained by multiplying the average quarterly eornpeiisatioii by 4. Tlie same explanation applies to column 7.

T


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

tW T ]

Cu
14^

T a b l e 1 . —A V E R A G E H O U R L Y C O M PE N SA TIO N O F R A IL R O A D E M PL O Y E E S , 1915-1920.

r
f.

Occupation.

Y ear
I ending
June 30,
I 1915.

C alendar year 1920.2

Calendar year—

1917

1916

1918

1919

F irst
quarter.

Second
quarter.

T hird
quarter.

F ourth
quarter.

$2,517
.691
1.197
.523
.416

1 $20.841
1 5.679
H I. 190
1 5.023
.428

1 $20.452
I 5. 618
1 11.074
1 5.138
.428

! $18,017
I 6. 203
1 11. 315
1 6.296
.505

1 $16.093
1 6. 652
1 10. 765
1 7.026
.536

1 $17. 263
1 6. 767
1 10. 656
1 7.033
.567

1 $18. 987
1 6.734
1 10. 771
1 7.005
.573

1 $19.113
1 7. 088
1 11. 502
1 7. 683
.697

1 $18. 577
1 6. 725
1 11. 343
1 7. 612
.701

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Clerks, below $900 per annum (except No. 37)............
Messengers and a tte n d a n ts............................................. A ssistant engineers an d d raftsm en .................................
M. W . & S. foremen (excluding Nos. 10 an d 28).........
Section forem en....................................................................

.224
.140
.404
.329
.233

.235
1 1.381
1 3. 487
. 335
.237

.241
1 1.502
1 3. 698
i 3. 552
1 2.592

.284
1 2.213
1 4. 593
1 4. 782
1 3.569

.303
1 2.595
1 5. 500
i 5.680
1 3. 935

.322
1 2.718
1 5.991
1 6.028
1 4. 258

.325
1 2.750
1 5.980
1 6.130
1 4.537

.358
1 3.332
I 6. 958
1 7. 385
1 5. 837

. 355
1 3. 357
1 7. 148
I 7. 206
1 5. 444

11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

General foremen, M. E. d ep artm en t...............................
Gang a n d other foremen, M. E. d ep artm e n t................
M achinists................................................................- ...........
B o ilerm ak ers........................................................................
B lack sm ith s..........................................................................

.429
.347
. 387
.386
.372

1 4.480
.358
.410
.409
.393

1 4.274
1 3. 661
.462
.462
.4-16

1 7.313
1 6. 471
.728
.724
.712

1 8. 634
1 7.083
.745
.752
.737

1 8. 645
1 7. 278
.783
.792
.769

1 8. 556
i 7.167
.764
.776
.761

1 9. 941
1 8. 429
.895
.910
.882

1 9.965
1 8. 474
.898
.910
.883

16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Masons an d b ricklay ers.....................................................
Structural-iron w orkers.....................................................
C arpenters............................................................................
P ainters and upholsterers.................................................
Electricians...........................................................................

.279
. 322
.276
.297
.285

.315
.327
.290
.309
.288

.327
.357
.322
.347
1 3.073

.486
.511
.509
.558
1 5.109

.610
.722
.618
.667
1 5.945

.624
.719
.642
.693
1 6.211

.627
. 711
.643
.682
1 6.068

.756
.861
.775
.802
1 7.094

.762
.846
.775
.812
1 7.150

21.
22.
23.
24.
25.

A ir-brake m e n ........................................................'.............
Car inspectors.......................................................................
Car repairers..........................................................................
O ther skilled laborers.........................................................
M echanics’ helpers and apprentices...............................

.266
.232
.265
.283
.227

.286
.247
.284
.305
.238

.327
.289
.338
.345
.276

.580
.572
. 555
.561
.453

.698
.695
.682
.698
.490

.749
.732
.719
.724
.515

.724
.722
.704
.712
.511

.852
.854
.839
.838
.635

.858
.864
.835
.843
.640

26.
27.
28.
29.
30.

Section m e n ........ ................................................ : ...............
O ther unskilled laborers...............................- ...................
Forem en of construction gangs a n d w ork train s — .
O ther m en in construction gangs an d w ork tr a in s . . .
Traveling agents and solicitors........................................

.150
. 182
.275
. 168
.567

.164
. 194
.283
.181
1 4. 974

. 192
.224
.309
.206
1 5.188

.288
.336
.451
.310
1 5. 871

.383
.426
.576
.405
1 6. 800

.382
.445
.621
.421
1 6. 952

.401
.450
.622
.430
1 7. 224

.485
.537
.770
.518
1 8.096

.472
.541
.763
.506
1 8.117

31. Em ployees in outside agencies........................................
32. O ther traffic em ployees.................................................... 33. T rain dispatchers a n d directors......................................
34. Telegraphers, telephoners, and block operators..........
FRASER
35. Telegraphers and telephoners operating interlockers.

.387
.423
.528
.264
.287

.398
.480
.556
.282
.302

1 3. 490
1 4.391
.594
.310
.323

1 4.744
1 4.960
.791
.430
.444

1 5.556
1 6.645
.960
.578
.597

1 5. 722
1 7.178
1.019
.583
.609

1 6.047
1 7. 235
1.031
.579
.585

1 7.193
1 7. 811
1.162
.673
.683

1 7.468
1 7.968
1.161
.677
.684

Digitized for
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .

General officers, $3,000 per annum a n d u p w ard ..........
General officers, below $3,000 per a n n u m .....................
Division officers, $3,000 per annum a n d u p w a rd ........
Division officers, below $3,000 per a n n u m ....................
Clerks, $900 per an n u m a n d upw ard (except No. 37).

[978]

1.
2.
3.
45.

Leverm en (nontelegraphers)........
Telegrapher-clerks. . .
A gent-telegraphers..........
Statio n agents (nontelegraphers).
Statio n m asters a n d assistan ts. . .

41.
42.
43.
44.
45.

Statio n service employees (except Nos. 5, 6 , 37, 38,
Y ardm asters___
Y ardm asters' assistants (not y ard clerks).
Y ard engineers and m o to rm e n ...
Y ard firem en an d h elp ers..

46.
47.
48.
49.
50.

Y ard conductors (o rforem en)..
Y ard brakem en (sw itchm en or helpers) .
Y ard sw itch te n d e rs........
O ther y ard employees__
H o stlers. . . .

51.
52.
53.
54.
55.

Engine-house m e n . . . . .
R oad freight engineers and m o to rm en ..
R oad freight firem en and helpers.
R oad freight conductors.........
R oad freight brakem en and flagmen .

56.
57.
58.
59.
60.

R oad
R oad
R oad
R oad
R oad

61.
62.
63.
64.
65.

213

. nr.
zo4A
ooo
. zoo
1 Z.
9 O
AK
OO
Z
IO
Q. óìtó
QQ9

. Z44
. 276
• 260
1 2. 799
1 3. 486

.203
4. 440
267
AQA
• 404
979
. Z/Z

A 400
Ada
11 4.
. 535
. 338

gSfi
.349
1§8
lfi7

• OOt)
353
. 197
. lOi
9KG
. zoy

176
.598
2K9
4Q8
'.336

294.
9^3
Sflfi
39,

40, and

66)

.187

.357
.398
. 383
1 3. 629
1 4. 636

.226

.328

1 4 .7 9 4

1 6 . 578
1 6 . 074

.542
. 569
. 607
1 5. 052
1 5. 524

.543
.577
.594
■ 5.229
1 5. 713

.543
.564
.586
1 5. 198
i 5.783

. 634
.664
.689
‘ 5. 978
1 6 . 791

.641
.670
.691
1 6.034
1 6 . 829

.464
i 8. 317
7. 400
.777
.575

.570
1 9. 625
i 8. 745
.939
.734

1
1

.670
. 462

.427
8.161
7.199
. 744
. 547

. 474
. 433
. 223
. 176
. 311

.628
.584
. 324
.286
. 484

. 681
.637
. 509
.389
.571

.690
. 651
.513
.437
.576

.706
.666
.530
.445
.581

.901
.845
.653
.552
.731

.903
.838
.642
.557
.742

CQ
. 1loo
610
qqi
. OaI
. «JUU
335

. 218
. Am
oyi
147
. 44/
. o64
qqi
. ooi

.328
. 812
. 595
. 694
. 530

. 434
.922
.677
.763
.584

.443
1.029
.752
.844
. 649

.452
1.017
.743
.830
.641

.551
1.173
.895
.968
.780

.556
1.181
.906
.989
.796

.824
.506
fifiQ
.364
.381

.899
560
710
409
.401

. Oli
c7±4
KAO
. coy
. 7Q7
tot
419
. 41Z
4.91
. ttZl

. 992
. 705
. 848
. 549
. 564

1.164
.855
. 966
.672
.671

1.184
.898
. 975
.688
. 675

1.193
.881
.975
.689
.672

1.330
1.036
1.122
.840
.829

O ther road tra in em ployees..
Crossing flagmen a n d g atem en . . .
D raw bridge operators..
F loating equipm ent em ployees...
Express service em ployees. . .

1.349
1.047
1.132
.855
.836

.291
.115
ms
! 214
.176

286
120
173
931
.096

1 | ^93
1 1. 738
9K9
. zoz
. 145

. 400
1 2. 299
1 2. 801
. 346
.197

1
1

.533
2. 655
3. 303
.499

. 560
1 2.654
1 3. 328
. 487
.674

1
1

.562
2. 683
3.424
.548

1
1

66. Policem en and watchm en
67. O th er transportation em ployees..
68. A ll other employees..
A ll classes for which h o urly p a y is shown
A ll classes for which d aily p ay is shown

.191
.203
ma
.270

2 140
.207
188
.275
1 4. 411

* 2. 377
11K
x19Z. HO
1 1. 960
.318
1* Q
QQ/1
O.OOT

1

1 3.155
1 3. 342
2. 489

1
1
1

4. 097
3. 748
3. 000
.553
! 5.124

1 4.049
1 3. 971
1 3.133
(3)
(3)

i 4. 361
1 4.179
i 3.332
(3)
(3)

1

passenger engineers and m otorm en
passenger firem en and helpers__
passenger conductors.......
passenger baggagem en.
passenger brakem en a n d flagmen

.

1

.368
42a
261

i

1

4

1
1

1
1

.452
8. 261
7.158
.770
.570

1

.669
3. 203
4.046
.609

1 5.087
i 4.943
3. 675
(3)
(3)

1
1

.560
9. 573
8.665
.948
.743

.659
3.256
4.167
.610

t 5. 023
4. 983
3. 805
(3)
(s)
1
1

WAGES AND H O U R S OF LABOR.

[9791

36.
37.
38.
39.
40.

i Average compensation per day for employees renorted on d aily basis.
a 5 “ 1eom nutedWarded Ju ly 1 retroaetive 't o Ma^ 1 is no t included in the figures for the second quarter.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

cn
O ’!

T able 2 .—A V E R A G E A N N U A L C O M PE N SA T IO N O F R A IL R O A D E M P L O Y E E S , A V E R A G E N U M B ER E M P L O Y E D , AND A V E R A G E N U M B ER O F D A Y S
OR H O U R S W O R K E D P E R M ONTH.
Average an n u a l compensation.

Class of employees.

C alendar year-

Y ear
end-

lu n e
30,
1915.2 1916

Í 066 J

General officers,® ,000 per an num aftd upw ard.
G eneral officers, below $3,000 per a n n u m .......
Division officers, $3,000 p er a n n u m an d upw a rd .....................................................................
D ivision officers, below $3,000 p e t a n n u m __
^ Clerks, 8900 p e r a n n u m an d u p w a rd ...............
§ Clerks, below $900 per a n n u m ...........................
" Messengers a n d a tte n d a n ts .................................
A ssistant engineers and. d raftsm en ..................
M. W . & S. forem en.............................. ..............
Section forem en.......................................... .........
G eneral forem en, M. E . d e p a rtm e n t...............
Gang a n d otherforem en, M, E . d e p a rtm e n t..
M achinists..............................................................
B o ilerm ak ers........................................................
B lacksm iths...........................................................
Masons an d b rièk iav ëfs......................................
S tructural-iron w orkers......................................
C a rp e n te rs.............................................................
P ain ters an d U pholsterers..................................
E lectricians...................... ...................................
A ir-brakem eii,___, ..............................................
Car in sp ecto rs.......................................................
Car re p a ire rs.........................................................
O ther skilled lab o rers..........................................
M echanics’ helpers a n d ap p ren tices.................
Section m e n ............................................. .■...........
O ther Unskilled laborers.....................................
Forem en of construction gangs a n d 'work
FRASER
tra in s ..................................................................

Digitized for
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

2

1918

3

4

6

1,016

Calen­
dar
vear,
1918.

1st
quar­
ter.

2d
q u a r­
ter.

3d
q u a r­
ter.

4th
q u a r­
ter.

10

11

13

13

8

9

3,988
3,366

4,895
3,359

6,045
2,256

6,774
2,022

7,237
1,809

3,994
2,654
1,758
830
1,096
2, 295
2, 335
1,767
3,515
2,883
2,297
2,369
2,166
1,773
1,966
1,885
1,911
2,310
2,218
2,442
2,070
2,173
1,629
1,182
1,371

1,144
8,926
65,700
100,800
8,304
10,432
7,549
40,242
1,476
16,651
37,947
12,201
7,833
1,261
759
50,670
10,940
8,677
5,699
18,298
65,624
48,504
79,948
253,577
102,636

1,903
9,777
147,404
58,734
9,200
10,776
8,417
41,018
1,556
19,347
46,365
14,302
8,891
1,541
797
54,725
11,166
10,980
6,385
21,735
72,777
56,86C
98,132
261,701
116,887

6,050
7,449
231,244
3,654
11,052
10,217
8,148
41,522
1,859
25,488
64,861
20,504
10,807
1,040
586
51,998
12,223
14,460
8,064
26,349
89,239
59,733
129,757
255,526
120,460

6,499
7,113
234,768
3,716
11,219
10,335
8,436
42,189
1,876
25,573
63,944
20,396
10,951
1,133
636
52,009
13,632
14,706
7,977
26,769
87,944
60,279
129,290
292,343
117,733

7,935
5,892
244,854
2,703
11,735
11,008
8,784
42,776
1,930
25,909
65,364
20,888
11,241
1,253
791
55,727
15,572
15,469
8,160
27,041
93,478
61,850
138,153
341,560
129,093

930 1,032 1,442 1,539 1,807 2,137

2,501

2,521

1,497

1,761

1,927

7

$6,481 $6,775 $6,754 $6,363 $5,359 $5,702 $6,403
1,730 1,823 1,797 1,920 2,058 2,117 2,242
3,788
1,767
1,136
650
434
1,121
1,107
772
1,533
1,167
1,030
1,076
927
789
89S
768
758
941
812
887
751
855
607
454
560

Calendar year, 1920

Calen­
dar
vear,
1st
4th
1916.
1919 quar­ quar­
ter.
ter.
5

3,765
1,772
1,190
682
471
1,125
1,132
816
1,574
1,232
1,205
1,230
1,083
930
1,031
858
857
957
942
973
826
936
676
509
609

3,842
1,858
1,227
681
514
1,145
1,197
885
1,061
1,352
1,394
1,425
1,258
933
1,014
939
950
1,030
1,086
1,141
993
1,065
822
601
695

4,059
2,220
1,445
689
759
1,473
1,676
1,255
2,659
2,308
2,358
2,395
2,100
1,300
1,424
1,492
1,573
1,728
1,837
2,204
1,718
1,737
1,406
864
1,040

3,897
2,399
1,379
693
861
1,719
1,859
1,320
3,016
2,415
1,878
1,950
1,759
1,384
1.720
1,482
1,551
1,922
1,821
1,959
1,699
1,764
1,240
944
1,085

3,695
2,357
1,427
749
886
1,882
1,960
1,409
3,039
2,453
2,077
2,148
1,941
1,463
1,744
1,558
1,672
2,004
2,007
2,088
1,809
1,908
1,345
954
1,135

A verage num ber of hours
worked per m onth.

Average num ber of employees—

A

Calendar year, 1920.
Cal­
end ar
4th
year, 1st
2d
3d
1918. quar­ q u a r­ q u a r­ q u a r­
ter.
ter.
ter.
ter.
14

15

16

17

18

7,674 127.8 i 27.5 i 27.9 128.0 i 28.7
1,482 126.4 i 26.1 127.5 i 27. 4 i 27. 8
9,250
4,834
243,965
1,879
11,533
10,804
8,449
42,164
1,914
26,091
66,127
20,887
10,997
1,210
715
52,459
13,201
15,247
8,194
26,923
90,127
60,526
159,298
276,829
121,197

130.2
i 29. 4
239.0
202.0
128.7
i 26.7
129.2
129.3
130.3
i 29.7
270.0
276.0
246.0
223.0
232.0
244.0
235.0
i 28.2
264.0
321.0
258.0
258.0
258.0
250.0
258.0

128.9
127.9
210.0
194. 0
127.2
126.2
127.1
127.6
129.3
128.1
221.0
226.0
210.0
196.0
202.0
2Ü2.0
201.0
i 26.9
223.0
238.0
210.0
220.0
218.0
208.0
212.0

129.0
i 29.0
210.0
188.0
i 27.7
126.5
127.7
128.1
i 29.5
i 28.7
218.0
223.0
210.0
206.0
210.0
213.0
205.0
i 26.8
219.0
235.0
211.0
218.0
217.0
224.0
215'. 0

129.2
i 29. 2
210.0
192.0
127.3
126.6
127.8
i 28. 8
129.1
i 28. 6
218.0
222.0
211.0
214.0
203.0
218.0
208.0
i 26.9
224.0
238.0
219.0
221.0
219.0
232.0
220.0

i 29. 3
129.1
209.0
195. 0
i 27. 2
i 26.8
i 27.0
i 27.0
i 29.4
i 28.4
213.0
217.0
204.0
194.0
194.0
203.0
196.0
i 26.9
215.0
235.0
206.0
215.0
212.0
209.0
211.0

1,701 267.0 243.0 247.0 255.0 233.0

■

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

1

1917

E q u iv a­
len t
average
a n n u al
com pensa­
tion, 1920,
based on—

Policem en and W atchmen.................................
O ther tran sp o rtatio n em ployees......................
A ll oth er employees.............................................
Averages and to ta ls ..................................
i D ays.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

2

516
1,495
980
960
1,606

556
1,567
1,042
1,195
1,721

800

859

822
731
797
828
937
1,095
605
1,584
1,428
1,528
916
1,358
1,169
720
622
976
684
1,846
1,136
1,589
1,036
2,141
1,287
1,850
1.049
1,026
840
476
666
775

870
777
831
860
952
1,184
657
1,624
1,551
1,613
988
1,423
1,198
756
561
1,055
722
1,852
1,126
1,617
1,052
2,124
1,297
1,877
1,098
1,031
789
491
703
892

713
634
610
830

625
1,640
1,065
1,330
1,801

1,367
2,714
2,331
2,533
3,134

37,604
5,914
1,846
628
4,807

33,264
3,083
1,293
667
5,406

20,598
1,811
1,020
405
5,944

24,191
3,556
1,185
402
6,041

32,184
3,865
1,272
440
6,256

25,623
4,304
1,360
396
6,144

917 1,223 1,594 1,619 1,879

19,499

21,896

21,917

22,005

22,380

22,206 237.0 232.0 230.0 231.0 231.0

956
851
892
948
1,039
1,292
710
1,802
1,705
1,791
1,094
1,585
1,327
846
667
1,244
835
2,108
1,275
1,855
1,202
2,233
1,354
i;966
1,175
1,094
817
535
761
928

915
1,562
1,487
1, 555
2,389

1,314
1,214
1,238
1,319
1,334
1,619
996
2,451
2,307
2,050
1,368
1,911
1,673
1,151
985
1,837
1,258
2 ,49'4
1,686
2,269
1,646
2,527
1,737
2,273
1,577
1,512
1,083
893
1,116
1,268

969
2,134
1,695
2^ 143
2,745

1,659
1,538
1,591
1,754
1,752
1,253
1,138
2,922
2,497
2,108
1,510
1,902
1,686
1,488
1,120
1,685
1,314
2,658
1,840
2,314
1,727
2,999
2,154
2,648
1,881
1,789
1,437
966
1,204
1,607

1,132
2.212
1,782
2,226
2,777

1,711
1,557
1,611
1,693
1,803
1,992
1,180
2,936
2,582
2,329
1,694
2,056
1,853
1,457
1,243
1,724
1,317
3,161
2,183
2, 696
2,027
3,043
2,222
2,669
1,92S
1,790
1,570
948
1,194
1,612

1,947
1,856
1,893
1.978
2,073
2,471
1,438
3,436
3,078
2,750
2,107
2,604
2,319
1,824
1,567
2,172
1,624
3,564
2 ,56C
3,156
2,458
3,427
2 ,60C
3,098
2,359
2,212
1,854
1,173
1,521
1,825

807
896 1,134 1,496 1,441 1,822
676
846 1,-130 1,240 1,312 1,649
622
870 1,006 1,053 1,276
663
892 1,004 1,419 1,482 1,596 1,908

7,743
7,607
8,264
8,149
8,246
8,339
3,542
3,367
3,916
3,995
3,665
3,901
10,712
11.411
12,314
12,686
12,628
12,193
19,493
19,512
19,634
19,866
19,730
19,591
14,367
14,722
13,882
13,923
13,844
13,806
577
645
635
618
636
631
108,851 113,549 125,566 121,282 126,963 116,968
3,502
4,036
4,481
4,464
4,279
4,258
2,164
3,217
3,606
3.466
3,867
3,847
15,878
21,310
21,684
23,226
23,242
23,545
21,979
16,190
23,821
21,758
23,608
23,577
22,535
15,362
20,823
22,831
19,247
23,146
40,175
46,862
56,523
53,790
57,380
56,767
4,872
6,804
5,119
6,401
5,597
6,661
4,060
5,051
4,277
4,952
4,982
5,071
7,213
9,229
12,299
12,282
12,295
12,050
63,652
72,904
75,640
76,972
50,313
77,402
34,542
31, 675
34,990
35,280
32,131
33,625
36,914
38,102
37,962
33,637
33,845
35,953
27,679
28,165
28,411
25,430
26,180
27,603
63,285
69,048
64,229
69,491
71,093
67,757
12,750
12,942
13,439
13,219
13,429
12,801
12,973
12,41S
13,131
12,396
12,578
12,816
10,484
10,633
10,654
11,169
11,073
10,747
5,371
5,618
5,574
5,919
5,883
5,598
14,423
16,547
14,800
15,382
15,665
16,300
3,637
3,512
3,611
3,710
3,329
3,656
23,635
16,936
23,531
15,956
23,156
23,123
1,424
1,742
1,313
1,652
1,587
1,691
10,385
11,407
10,318
11,513
9,430
11,729
12
1
13,145
8,372
13,506
12,565
12,164
13,809
6,057
5,562
6,243
5,147
5,504
5,489
26,282
18,297
19,131
19,881
21,782
21,601
1,647,097 1,841,575 1,993,524 2,004,760 2,157,989 2,060,368

D ata for 1915 excludes 20 large carriers not reporting d a ta in regard to employees.

246.0
122.2
i 26.1
i 26.1
252.0

224.0
126.5
126.0
125.8
227.0

235.0
127.6
126.1
i 26.1
226.0

246.0
283.0
259.0
287.0
130.6
129,1
258.0
131.0
i 31.7
255.0
247.0
254.0
239.0
298.0
287.0
316.0
320.0
256.0
236.0
272.0
259. 0
213.0
205.0
224.0
239.0
223.0
225.0
i 32. 4
i 33.2
306.0
136.0
i 30.0
i 28.2
129.2

234.0
239.0
233.0
238.0
128.7
129.0
217.0
129.6
130.0
252.0
248.0
248.0
237. 0
237.0
237.0
250.0
248.0
256.0
242.0
266.0
260.0
214.0
211.0
228.0
234.0
221.0
233.0
i 29.8
i 30.0
275.0
224.0
129.6
i 27.5
12S.0

234.0
238. 0
233.0
238,0
128.5
129.1
21S.0
129.8
i 29.5
244.0
239.0
245.0
239.0
242.0
232.0
244.0
247.0
243.0
232,0
257.0
250.0
210.0
206.0
227.0
233.0
220.0
234.0
i 29. 7
i 31.2
270.0

(3)

(3)

(3)

3 N ot com puted.

239.0
127.2
125.5
126.7
229.0

237.0
241.0
235.0
239.0
128.8
130.1
223.0
130.3
129.5
253.0
217.0
254.0
243.0
241.0
236.0
249.0
250.0
259.0
245.0
275.0
269. 0
217.0
211.0
233.0
235.0
225.0
239.0
1 30.3
i 30.2
262.0

225.0
127.9
126.0
128.5
225.0

237.0
241.0
236.0
239.0
128.6
130.2
214.0
1 29.9
1 29.6
242.0
236.0
240.0
230.0
237.0
234.0
244. 0
243.0
252.0
235.0
266.0
258.0
212.0
207.0
228.0
230.0
221.0
234.0
130.0
1 30.4
249.0

i 30.3 1 30.3 1 30.2
i 27.8 1 2 8 .6 127.6
>28.2 128.1 1 2 8 . 0
(3)

C3)

WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR.

[981]

O ther m en in construction gangs and work
tra m s ...................................................................
Traveling agents and solicitors.........................
Em ployées in outside agencies.........................
O ther traffic em ployees......................................
T rain dispatchers a n d directors.......................
Telegraphers, te le p h o n es, a n d block operato rs .......................................................................
Telegraphers an d te le p h o n e s operating interloekers............................................................
Leverm en (nontelegraphers)..................... .
Telegrapher-clerks................................................
Agent-telegraphers..............................................
Station agents (nontelegraphers).....................
S tatio n m asters and a ssistan ts..........................
S tatio n service em ployees..................................
y a rd m a sters.........................................................
Y ard m aster’s assistants......................................
Y ard engineers an d m otorm en.........................
Y ard firem en an d h elp ers..................................
Y a rd conductors (or forem en)..........................
Y ard b rak em en (sw itchm en or h elp ers)........
Y a rd sw itch ten d ers............................................
O ther y a rd em ployees........................................
H ostlers..................................................................
E n g in e house m e n ...............................................
R oad freight engineers a n d m otorm en...........
R oad freight firem en a n d helpers.....................
R oad freig h t conductors.....................................
R oad freight brakem en an d flagm en...............
R oad passenger engineers and m otorm en___
R oad passenger firem en a n d helpers...............
R oad passenger conductors.___t .....................
R oad passenger baggagem en.............................
R oad passenger brakem en and flagm en.........
O ther road tra in em ployees...............................
Crossing flagmen and g àtem en..........................
D raw bridge o perators.........................................
Floating equipm ent employees........................

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

58

Union Wage Rates per Hour of Street Railway Motormen and Con­
ductors on December 31,1920.

HE following table shows the union rates of wages per hour as of
December 31, 1920, for motormen and conductors on street and
interurban railways in the United States having agreements
with the union.
.
The information is taken from the wage survey of 1920, published
in The Motorman and Conductor, the official journal of the Amal­
gamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees of
America. The rates given are for both motormen and conductors
unless otherwise specified and apply during the full periods stated
except as noted. The highest rate reported is continued during all
succeeding years of service.

T

U N IO N W A G E R A T E S P E R H O U R O F S T R E E T R A IL W A Y M O T O R M EN A N D CONDUC­
T O R S, D EC. 31, 1920.
R ate a t beginning of-

C ity a n d State.

Second year.

F irst year.
F irst Second T hird Fo u rth
3 nr os. 3 mos. 3 mos. 3 mos.

Cts.
Cts.
50
48
A berdeen, W ash.1.......................
A kron, Ohio:
59
59
C ity lines................................
60
60
K en t-R av en n a division__
58
56
A lbany, N . Y ...............................
65
65
Albion, M ich................................
Alliance, Ohio:
52
52
City lin e s ...............................
55
55
In te ru r b a n .............................
Alton, 111.:
5S
City lin e s ...............................
60
In te ru rb a n .............................
57.5
55
A ltoona, P a.2................................
50
50
A m esbury, Mass....... •.................
71
68
A nn A rbor, M ich.........................
<45
45
A shtabula, Ohio..........................
46
44
A tlan ta, G a ...................................
A tlan tic C ity, N . J.:
50
50
C ity lines................................
52
52
Ocean C ity d iv isio n............
48
A sheville, N . C.2..........................
48
A uburn, Me.5................................
A uburn, N . Y.:
56
C ity lines................................
62
In te ru rb an lin e s...................
65
Freight a n d express service
A u b u rn a n d P o rt B yron
58
56
division.............................
50.5
48
A ugusta, Me.6.............................
B artonville, 111.:
85
68
M otormen, passenger........
87.5
68
Conductors, passenger----88
68
M otormen, freig h t..............
60
60
B attle Creek, M ich....................
50
50
B ay C ity, Mich.2........................
67
63
B eaver Falls, P a ........................
70
Belleville, 111.6.............................
52
52
B ellingham , W ash.1..................
45.25
45.25
B ennington, V t ................ ........
48
48
Bloomington, 111.........................
40
40
Boise, Id a h o ................................
1 4 cents per hour added for one-m an cars.
2 5 cents per hour added for one-m an cars.
3 60 cents for six th year.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Cts.
50

Cts.
50

59
60
58
70

59
60
58

52
55

52

57.5
52
71
47
46

57.5
52
71
47
46

53
55
49
50.5

53
55
49
50. 5

58

58

58
50.5

58
50.5

F irst : Second
half. I half.
Cts.
52

Cts.
52

T hird
year.

Cts.
54

F ourth Fifth
year. year.

Cts.

54

69
56
45.25
48
42

[982]

60
56
56
56
50.87
47.32
47.32
45.25
54
50
50
48
47
44
44
42
<47 cents after fourth m onth.
6 7 cents per hour added for one-man car.
6 7J cents per hour added for one-m an car.

Cts.

3 58

59

WAGES AiSTD HOURS OF LABOR.

U N IO N W A G E R A T E S P E R H O U R O F S T R E E T R A IL W A Y M O T O R M EN AN D CONDUC­
T O R S, D EC . 31, 1920—C ontinued.
R ate a t beginning of—

C ity an d State.

F irst year.
F irst Second T h ird F o u rth
3 mos. 3 mos. 3 mos. 3 mos.

Second year.
F irst
half.

Second
half.

T hird
year.

F ourth Fifth
year. year.

Boston, Mass.:
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Surface lines 7........................
58
64
64
64
70
R apid -tran sit lines, m otorm e n ......................................
66
66
66
72
R apid -tran sit lines, gu ard s.
62
63
63
63
65
Bowling Green, O h io.................
47
49.5
49.5
49.5
53
Bridgeport, Conn.........................
54
54
54
54
57
57
60
B rockton, Mass............................
56
59
59
59
62
Buffalo, N . Y .:
In tern atio n al R y . Co.2........
55
58
58
58
60
Buffal o S outhern R y . C o ..
40
N iagara Gorge R . R . C o .. .
52
(8)
(8)
(8)
(8)
D ivision No. 624...................
50
55
55
55
60
B utler, P a .1...................................
62
64
64
64
66
B u tte, M ont..................................
65
65
68
68
73
Canton, 111...................................
40
C anton, Ohio:
Division No. 696...................
64
64
64
64
67
67
70
D ivision No. 702...................
59
59
62
59
59
62
Cedar R ap id s, Io w a ....................
46
45
48
48
50
C entralia, III..................................
62.5
Cham paign, 111.2..........................
46
48
48
48
50
Charleroi, P a .................................
64
67
67
67
69
1
Charleston, S. C.2.........................
51
53
53
53
C harlotte, N . C.2..........................
43
44
45
46.5
C hattanooga, T e n n ..................... 9 38
42
42
42
46
Chelsea, Mass................................
56
59
62
59
59
Chicago, 111.:
D ivision No. 24110............
75
78
78
78
80
Division No. 308—
R egular m o to rm en___
82
!
E x tra m o to rm en..........
76
78
78
78
82
1
R egular conductors___
77
1
E x tra conductors..........
75
C incinnati, Ohio:
Division No. 627...................
54
57
57
57
59
Division No. 634...................
1
51
54
54
54
56
C larksburg, W . Va.:
C ity lines 2.............................
51
51
52
52
53
11 58
62
54
In te ru rb an lin e s ...................
51
52
52
51
03
53
12 57
C leveland, Ohio:
Cleveland R y . Co.................
70
73
73
73
75
C. P . & E .a n d C . P . & A.
b ra n c h es.............................
57
57
57
60
A kron, B edford, an d Clevela n d b ra n c h .......................
64
64
64
64
67
67
70
C linton, Io w a................................
60
60
61
61
63
64
63
Colorado Springs, Colo.5............
48
51
51
51
53
C olum bia, S. C ..................... .......
44
52
......
48
Columbus, Ohio:
Division No. 543, cond u c to rs...............................
53
Division N o .543,m otorm en
58
D ivision N o. 817...................
1
45
48
48
48
50
1
Concord, N . H .2...........................
50
55
55
60
Covington, K y .............................
54
56.6
56.6
56.6
60
C um berland, "Md.........................
52
1
D alton, P a .....................................
58
58
58
60
i
D anbury, C onn.2.........................
50
50
55
D anville,”111.:
Division No. 722...................
45
49
49
49
D ivision N o. 905...................
V erm illion H eights lin e___
60
D avenport, Io w a .........................
60
60
65
65
70
D ayton, O h io...............................
58
60
60
62
60
1
3
41
14
43
43
43
44
D ecatur, A la .................................
44
44
44
45
1 4 cents per hour added for one-man cars.
10 2 cents per hour added for n ight cars.
2 5 cents per hour added for one-man cars.
11 62 cents after 30 m onths.
5 7 cents per hour ad d ed for one-m an cars.
12 63 cents after 30 m onths.
13 42 cents for second m o n th ; 43 cents for th ird
715 cents per hour added for one-man cars,
m o n th .
s $100 per m onth,
s 42 cents after second m onth.
14 44 cents for tw e lfth m onth.

44130°—21---- 5

https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[0S3]

60

MOlsTTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

U N IO N W A G E R A T E S P E R H O U R O F S T R E E T R A IL W A Y M O T O R M EN AN D CONDUC­
T O R S, D EC . 31, 1920—C ontinued.
R ate a t beginning of—
Second year.

F irst year.

C ity a n d State.

F irst Second T h ird Fo u rth
3 mos. 3 mos. 3 mos. 3 mos.
D ecatur, 111.:
T)ivision No
T)ivision No. 90fi_
Dor by Oon n
D over, 1ST. H .._ ............................

D<i pfAva.t,p.r2 N . .T
Fili^abeth, N . J .
"Filyria, Ohio
E rie, P a .:
B uffalo & L ak e E rie T ransport,at,ion Co
Olpvpla/nd Ar Drip I t y ..
E van sv ille, In d .:
D ivision N o. 840...................
D ivision No. 8781................
F v e ro tt, W ash J
F a irm o n t, W . V a.:
C ity linos 2
In te ru rb an lin e s...................
Dali R iver, M ass.........
Fitohbnrg, M ass..
F lin t, Mieh
F o rt Dodge, Io w a ........
F o rt S m ith, Ark.i«......................
F o rt W ayne, I n d __
F ram ingham , Mass.:
C ity lin e s ..
Concord, M aynard & H udson S t. R v __
F ranld in a n d Oil City, P a .2___
F red on ia, N . Y ............................
F rost burg, M d.:
Passenger service.................
Freight service....................
G alesburg, 111......... .....................
G alveston, Tex.:
C ity lines................................
G alveston & H ouston In teru rb an 2...........................
G ary, In d .2...................................
G ates, N . Y ...................................
G irard ville, P a ............................
Glens F alls, N . Y ........................
G loucester, M ass..........................
G rand Forks, N . D a k ................
G rand H av en , M ich...................
G rand Ju n ctio n , Colo.:
C ity service............................
In te ru r b a n .............................
G rand R apids, Mich.2................
G reat Falls, M o n t........................
Green B ay , W is...........................
Greenville, S . C ...........................
G ulfport. Miss.2. ..........................
H am ilton, O h io ..........................
H a n n ib al j M o...............................
H artfo rd , C onn.............................

F irst
half.

Second
half.

Cts.
50

Cts.

Cts.
48

Cts.
48

Cts.
48

54
67
73
44
52. 5
38
53
51
49

54
67
73
44
52. 5
44
53
51
49

54
67
73
44
52.5
44
53
51
49

57
70
75
45
54. 5
50
55
54
53

53
53
54.4

53
53
54.4

53
53
54.4

55
55
55.2

50
46

55
48

55
48

55
48

60
50

47
45
55

47
45
55

48
46
57

48
46
57

51
51
56
55
70
50
39
46 '

51
51
59
55
73
50
39
46

52
52
59
60
73
52
40
48

Cts.
65
5-1
64
70
44
50 5
38
50
51
49
60
50
50
54. 4

56

60

55. 2

60

49
47
57

49
47
57

50
48
59

51
49

52
52
59
60
73
52
40
48

53
53
62

54
55

ii 56
12 57

62
63

41
51

42
53

43

46

50

48
46. 5

50

52

52

52

55

43
53
55

43
53
55

46
55
60

52
54. 5
46

48

48

48

50

46

48

48

48

50

68
56
50
56
59
42
60

68
59
53
58
59
43
60

68
59
53
58
59
44
60

71
62

35
37.5
58
65
45
43
40
48
35
54

35
37. 5
58
65
46
44
43
48
40
54

35
37. 5
58
46
44
43
48
40
54

60
62
45
65
37. 5
40
60
68
48
45
45
50
45
57

60
57
1 4 cents p e r h o u r added for one-m an cars.
2 5 cents p e r h o u r ad d ed for one-m an cars.
1162 cents after 30 m o n th s.
12 63 cents after 30 m o n th s.
15 Six th year, 49 cents; sev en th y ear, 60 cents; eighth year, 51 cents; n in th year, 52 cents,
is 2 cents p er h o u r ad d ed for one-m an cars.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

47

46

75
55
41
51

Cts.

60

60

43
51
55

[984]

Cts.

50

50

35
37.5
56
62
45
43
40
46
35
54

Cts.

45

43
51
50

54
65
50
50
56
56
40

57

T hird Fourth Fifth
year. year.
year.

1548

52
50

45

WAGES AND HOUES OF LABOR.

61

U N IO N W A G E R A T E S P E R H O U R O F S T R E E T R A IL W A Y M O T O R M E N A N D CONDUC­
T O R S, D EC . 31, 1920—C ontinued.
R ate a t beginning of—
F irst year.

C ity a n d State.

F irst Second
3 mos. 3 mos.

1 Tart wick, N . Y ..........
H averhill, M ass.........
H elena, M ont...............
H oboken, N . J .............
H olland, M ich.............
H olyoke, M ass.............
H o t Springs, A rk ........
H u b b a rd , O hio........
H udson, N . Y .:
C ity se n d e e .....................
In te ru rb a n , passenger serv­
ice............................
In te ru rb a n , freight service.
H utchinson, I-Cans.....................
H yde P a rk , Mass..........
Ith a c a , N . Y . ........
Jackson, Mich.:
C ity lines.......................
In te ru r b a n .......................
Jersey City, N . J ...........
Joliet, 111 .:
C ity lines...............
Dellwood P a rk , Lockport,
a nd L yons b ra n c h ............
Chicago b ra n c h ............
K alam azoo, Mich............
K ankakee. Ill...............
K eyport, N . J ........
L a Crosse, W is .2 ..........
L a F a y e tte , I n d .................
Lansford, P a .18............
Lansing, M ich..........
Law rence, M ass.........
L eetonia, Ohio:
F reight service................
Passenger service............
Lew iston, Me .5 ..............
Lexington, K y.:
C ity lines...........................
In te ru r b a n ....................
L im a, Ohio:
C ity lines................................
In te ru rb a n .........................
Division No. 852.............
L ittle Lock, A rk . 18___
Lowell, M ass................
L y n n , M ass..........................
Macon, G a......... ...................
M adison, W is . 1 ................
Manchester, N. 11__
Mansfield, Ohio:
City lin e s 6 ..........................
Shelby l i n e .......................
Marengo, 111............................
M arietta, Ohio:
C ity lines............................
In te ru rb a n ....................
M arinette, W is.................
M ars, Pa.:
Passenger service..............
Freight service............
M arshalltow n, Io w a ..............
McAlester, O kla.....................
M eadville, P a .......................
Memphis, ’T erm ..................

Cts.
38
56
52
50
65
53
45
59. 5

Cts.
38
59
52
53
65
58
45
62.5

T h ird Fo u rth
3 mos 3 mos.
Cts.
40
59
52
53
70
58
45
62.5

F irst
half.

Second
half.

Cts.
40
59
52
53

Cts.
42
62

Cts.

58
45
62.5

63
47
67.5

55

T hird
year.

Cts.
45

54

57

47

50

55
54.5
42
56
43

45
59
43

46
59
44

46
59
44

60
65
50

60
65
53

60
70
53

60

62

53

55

62
65
60
35
46
51
34
48
60
56

60
35
48
51
34
48
60
59

60
37
48
52
36
48
60
59

60
37
48
52
36
48
60
59

62
40
50
54
37
50

60
48
48

4S
50.5

48
50.5

48
50. 5

50
53

52

55

44
43

44
43

45
44

45
44

46
45

4n
45

47
48

44
46
46
47
58
56
40
50
50

49
52
52
47
59
59
18 40
50
55

49
52
52
47
59
59

49
52
52

57
60
60
48
62
62
53
54
60

48
55
45

50
55
45

52
57
46

52
57

45
46
40

45
40
40

47
47
42

47
47
42

48
49
45

45
42
47

45
42
47

47
46
52

17

F o u rth Fifth
year. year.

Cts.

■

43.5

48
62
45

50
45

46

60

71
73
45
47
43
43
42
42
47
47
1 4 cents per hour added for one-m an cars.
2 5 cents per ho u r added for ono-m an cars.
6 7 cents p e r ho u r ad d ed for one-m an cars
16 2 cents per hour added for one-m an cars.
17 45 cents after first m o n th .


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Second year.

59
59
48
52

20 4 4

52
55

18 6J cents
18 44 cents
20 48 cents
21 55 cents

[985]

39

02

62

49

51

50

oZ

45

47.5

54
55

56

62
48

per
per
per
p er

hour
hour
horn
ho u r

50
55
57
added for one-m an cars.
after fourth m onth.
after eig h th m onth.
after 30 m onths.
52

Cts.

62

M O N T H L Y LABOE E E V IE W .

U N IO N W A G E R A T E S P E R H O U R O F S T R E E T R A IL W A Y M O T O R M E N A N D CO N D U C ­
T O R S , D EC . 31, 1920—C ontinued.
R ate a t beginning of—

C ity a n d State.

Second year.

F irst year.
F o u rth
3 mos.

First
half.

Second
half.

Cts.
42
54
39
54
32
56
43
73
37
43

Cts.
42
54
39
54
33
56
43
73
37
43

Cts.
45
57
40
57
35
58
45
75
40
45

Cts.
45
57
41

71
73
55
49
53

71
73
55
49
53

58.5

58.5

62

49
52
53

49
52
53

57
60
55

63
51
54
52
53.2
63
50
53
46
54

63
51
54
52
63
50
53
46
54

51
58
47
57

55
57

55
57

59
61

40
48

40
48

42.5
50

55
46
46

57
46
46

48
57.5

47
48
53

47
48
53

53

53

56

45
53
68
51
47
44
54

45
53
68
51
47
44
54

47.25
55
70
54.5
50
46
57

71
73
52

71
73
52

73
75
55

F irst Second T h ird
3 mos. 3 mos. 3 mos.
Cts.
Cts.
40
40
M enominee, M ich...................
54
54
M eriden, C o n n........................
38
38
M eridian, M iss........................
54
54
M iddletow n, C o n n .................
31
30
M iddletow n, N . Y .................
54
56
Missoula, M o n t.......................
43
43
Mobile, A la.1...........................
73
70
Monroe, M ich..........................
36
36
M ontpelier, V t ........................
43
40
M orristow n, N. J.2 .................
¿1
M t. C arm el, P a .......................
M t. Clemens, Mich :
68
71
C ity lin e s ..........................
70
73
In te ru r b a n .......................
55
55
M uskegon, M ich.....................
48
48
N ashua, N . H .2.......................
53
50
N ew ark, N . J ...........................
N ew ark, N . Y .:
56.5
56.5
Passenger service............
66
F reig h t service................
N ew ark, Ohio:
44
49
C ity lin e s...........................
52
46
In te ru r b a n .......................
50
53
N ew B runsw ick, N . J ...........
48
N ew burgh, N. Y .2. ................
63
60
N ew Castle, P a.2....................
51
51
Newell, W . V a ........................
54
54
N ew H av en , C onn.................
49
49
N ew O rleans, L a.2.................
50. 8
N ew port, R . I .........................
60
63
Niles; O hio.............................
49
49
N orristow n, P a ......................
48
53
N o rth am p to n , M ass..............
45
45
N orton, M ass..........................
54
54
N orw alk, C o n n .......................
O akland, Calif.:
55
52
C ity lin es 2........................
54
57
In te ru r b a n .......................
Ogden, U tah:
40
40
C ity lin e s 2........................
48
48
In te ru rb a n , passenger lines
Olean, N . Y .:
43
M in im u m .......................
M axim um ....................... .
55
53
O m aha, N e b r....... ............... .
46
44
Oswego, N. Y ........................
46
46
O ttaw a, 111.............................
Parkersburg, W . Va.:
45
45
C ity lin e s.........................
46
46
In te ru r b a n .....................
53
50
Paterson, N . J .......................
Peoria, 111.:
53
53
D ivision N o. 416..........
D ivision No. 908...........
45
43
P etersburg, V a .....................
53
51
P ittsb u rg , K a n s ...................
68
64
P ittsb u rg h , P a ......................
51
51
P ittsfield, Mass.23.................
45
47
Plainfield., I'll.........................
44
41
Pom eroy, O hio.....................
54
54
P o rt C hester, N . Y ...............
P o rt H u ro n , Mich.:
71
68
r
C ity lin e s .........................
73
70
In te ru r b a n .....................
52
50
P o rtla n d , Me.2......................
P o rtsm o u th , Ohio:
48
48
C ity lin e s.........................
51
51
In te ru rb a n service........
1 4 cents p er h o u r ad d ed for one-m an cars.
2 5 cents per h o u r added for one-m an cars.
3 60 cents"for six th year.
6 7 cents per h o u r added for one-m an cars.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

49
52

68

T hird
year.

Cts.
47.5
60
42
60

F o u rth Fifth
year. year.

Cts.

21 53
” ’48’
60

42.5
50

50
51

60

i 22 52
I 21 53

54.5 j 58
57

I 6Ò

50
49
53
52
21 55 cents per ho u r after 30 m onths.
22 54 cents per h o u r a fte r 30 m onths.
2310 cents per ho u r added for one-m an cars.

[986]

Cts.

WAGES AND H O U R S OF LABOR.

63

U N IO N W A G E R A T E S P E R H O U R O F S T R E E T R A IL W A Y M O T O R M EN A N D CONDUC­
T O R S, D EC . 31, 1920—C ontinued.
R a te a t beginning of—
F irst year.

C ity a n d State.

Second year.

F irst Second T hird F o u rth
3 mos. 3 mos. 3 mos. 3 mos.

P ottsville, P a.18............................
P u n x su ta w n ey , P a.2..................
Q uincy , III....................................
Q uincy, M ass................................
R eading, M ass..............................
R eno, N e v .....................................
R ichm ond, V a .............................
Rochester, N . Y .:
C ity lin e s................................
In te ru rb a n .............................
W est Shore R . R .................
R ock Isla n d , III......................... .
Sacram ento, Calif.2......................
Saginaw , M ich.18..........................
Salem, M ass..................................
Salem, N . H ..................................
Salt Lake C ity, U ta h .................
San A ntonio, T e x .......................
Sand Springs, O kla.....................
San Jose, Calif.:
C ity lin e s 1.............................
In te ru rb an lin es...................
Saratoga, N. Y ..............................
Schenectady, N . Y .:
Division No. 553...................
Division No. 576...................
In te ru rb an service...............
Scranton, P a .................................
Sedalia, M o....................................
Sham okin, Pa.:
R egular m e n .........................
E x tra m e n .............................
Sharon, P a ....................................
Shreveport, L a .............................
Sioux C ity,- Io w a 5.......................
Springfield, 111..............................
Springfield] M ass.........................
Springfield, Mo.1..........................
Springfield-, Ohio:
D ivision No. 845...................
D iv isio n No. 851 (city lines)
Stam ford, Conn............................
S ta te n Is la n d , N. Y ....................
S teubenville, Ohio......................
St. Joseph, Mo.1...........................
St. Louis, Mo.:
D ivision "No. 788...................
D ivision No. 909...................
Stockton, C alif.............................
Syracuse] N . Y .:
C ity l i n e s ..............................
E m p ire S tate R y .................
T aro m a; W ash.25.........................
T aunton M ass.............................
Thom psonvi lie, Conn.................
Topp.lca, TCa ns-2G...........................
Trov, N . Y .:

Cts.
48
46
40
56
56
50
43

Cts.
48
46
44
59
59
50
45

Cts.
48
46
44
59
59
55
45

Cts.
48
46
44
59
59
55
45

Cts. *
50
48
48
62
62
60
47. 25

56
62
65.5
60
47
50
56
50
57
49
45

58

58

58

GO

60
49
50
59
50
57
49
47

65
49
53
59
52
57
49
49

65
49
53
59
52
57
49
51

70
51
62
54
64
51
21 53

51
52
56

51
52
56

51
52
58

51
52
58

60

77
56
61.5

58

58

58

60

43

44

55
45

47
42
59.5
50
50
65
55
42

62. 5
52.5
50

62.5
55
50

46
53
54
50
51
49

60
42
52
55
54
51
51

55

Cts.
48

T hird
year.

Cts.

F ourth Fifth
year. year.

Cts.

Cts.

50

51

56
56

58
58
59
59
49
56
45

54

55

52
53

53
54

GO
46

46

47

48

67.5
60
52.5

52.5

55

57.5

44

45

45

52

62. 5
57.5
50

42

42

44

52
55
54
55
51
53

52
55
54
55

60
57

.

60

50

57

60 .............

56

00

53
55

60

60

65

51

52

52

53

58
58
59
59
49
56
46

58
58
59
59
49
56
46

60
62
63
62
52
60
47

52

55

48

52

58

58

60

55

51

56
49
54
45

Second
half.

..........

56
58
56
48
46
T ulsa, O k la ...................................
1 4 cents per hour added for one-m an cars.
2 5 cents p er ho u r ad d ed for one-m an cars.
3 60 cen ts for s ix th y ear.
8 7 cents per hour ad d ed for one-mancars.
16 2 cents per hour added for one-m an cars.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

F irst
half.

52
55
..............| .............. | ..............
50
is 6J cents p er h o u r a dded for one-m an cars
24 55 cents per h o ur after 15 m onths.
251 cen t per h o u r added for one-m an cars.
26 3 cents per hour added for one-m an cars.

[987]

..........
358

00

64

M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .

U N IO N W A G E R A T E S P E R H O U R O F S T R E E T R A IL W A Y M O T O R M E N A N D CONDUC­
T O R S , D EC . 31, 1920—Concluded.
R ate of b eginning of—

F irst Second
3 mos. 3 mos.
U tica, N . Y .:
C ity lin es................................
In te ru r b a n .............................
W est Shore R . R .................
V icksburg, M iss...........................
W alth am , M ass............................
W apokaneta, O hio.....................
W ashington, D . C .......................
W ashington, P a ...........................
W aterb u ry , C onn......... ..............
W aterloo, N. Y ............................
W est H oboken, N . J ...................
W heaton, 111.:
A urora a n d E lg in city linesF ox R iver d iv is io n .............
A urora a n d E lg in In te r­
u rb a n ...................................
A urora, E lg in & Chicago
(th ird ra il)..........................
W heeling, W . V a.........................
W hite P la in s, N . Y .....................
W ichita, K ans.:
D ivision No. 794 26...............
D ivision No. 829 10...............
W ilkes-Barre, P a .........................
W illiam sport, P a .........................
W illiam s tow n. P a .......................
W ilm ington, D e l.........................
W ilm ington, N . Ç.2.....................
W inston-Salem , N . C.2...............
W oburn, Mass..............................
W orcester, M ass...........................
Y oungstow n, O h io ......................
Y p silan ti, M ich............................
Zanesville, Ohio:
D ivision No. 781, passenger
service...
D ivision No. 781, freight
service..................................
D ivision No. 809...................

Second year.

F irst year.

C ity a n d State.

Cts.

T hird F o u rth
3 mos. 3 mos.

Cts.
58

Cts.
58

Cts58

Cts.
60

34
50
45
51
63
54
40
50

34
55
45
54
67
54
40
53

35
55
45
54
67
54
40
53

35
55
45
54
67
54
40
53

38
60
50
56
69
57
43
55

52
58

52

52

52

60
48
54

60
53
54

60
53
54

45
44
41
42
37
56
42
43
56
55
60
70

45
44
41
42
37
58
42
43
59
60
63
73

46
46
41
42
37
58
46
44
59
60
63
73

46

46

49
46

49
52

Second
half.

T hird
year.

Cts.

Cts.

0.2

50

55

57
43

60
45

54

54

56

60
53
54

64
58
57

64

67

57

60

46
40
41
44
37
58
46
44
59
60
63
73

47
48
43
44
39
60
47
45
62
65
68
75

49
43
46
39

50
45

48

48

50

51
52

51
52

53
60

60

2 5 cents p er h o u r a d d ed for one-m an cars.
16 2 cents p er h o u r a d d ed for one-m an cars.
26 3 cents p e r hour a d d ed for one-m an cars.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

F irst
half.

[988]

53

52

40
47. 5

F o u rth F ifth
year. year.

Cts.

Cts.

W AGES AND H O U R S OF LABOR.

65

Changes in Rates of Wages, July 1, 1920, to March 31, 1921.

HE following three tables show the number of changes in rates of
wages during the nine-month period from July 1, 1920, to
March 31, 1921. in so far as information has come to the
bureau. These tables are based on data from reports made to the
bureau direct, supplemented by statements made m the daily press
and in official journals published by labor unions. A complete
enumeration of wage changes is of course practically unobtainable
as many changes may not be reported anywhere. The wage trend,
however, is well shown by these figures.
The number of changes recorded is 2,714, of which 1,689, nearly
two-thirds, are increases, and 1,025, or over one-third, decreases.
The largest number of increases is in the printing and publishing
industry, which includes two-thirds of the increases in Jthe three
months of 1921. The largest number of decreases is in the textile
industry.
By divisions of the country, as might be expected, the largest
number of changes occurred in the industrial belt, especially in the
North Atlantic States. In 19 States, or a little over one-third, the
number of changes was less than 25 each. In 17 States, or about
one-third, the number was over 50 each. The 12 States in which the
largest number of changes occurred, with the number of changes in
each, were as follows: Pennsylvania, 252; New York, 216; Massa­
chusetts, 206; Ohio, 192; Illinois, 172; California, 122; New Jersey,
115; Texas, 104; Michigan, 99; Missouri, 79; Indiana, 77; and Rhode
Island, 68. No changes were recorded from Hawaii or Porto Rico.
Each wage rate change as recorded is a single notice by an employer,
or by a group of employers, independent of the number or location
of plants involved. Changes in wage rates that applied only to
individual persons were not counted. Minimum wage orders are
omitted. The statement by establishments at the bottom of the
tables counts different firms or companies, irrespective of the num­
ber of plants each operates.

T


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[989]

N U M B E R O F R E P O R T S O F C H A N G E S IN R A T E S O F W A G E S , JU L Y 1, 1920, TO MAR. 31, 1921, B Y M ONTHS O F C H A N G E .
N um ber of changes—Decreases.

N u m b er of changes—Increases.

July. Aug. Sept.
Automobile, carriage, and wagon w orkers
F ak ers
P a r h ers
■ R re w e ry a r i d s o f t - d r i n k w o r k e r s ___
P rie k a n d t i le w o rk e rs
P ro e m a n d b ru s h w o rk e rs
P r i e k ] a .y e r s
P a rp e n te rs
C e m e n t w o rk e rs
Tn s i d e w i r e m p,n

L aborers and hod oarriers

[090 J

O a r building
O h a n f f e n r s and' t e a m s t e r s _
O h p,m i ea,l a n d oi 1 w o rk ers.
O J e rk s a n d sa le s m e n

Ooopers
C lothing in d u s trie s :
P o n t a n d sh o e w o rk e rs

F u r w orkers an d h a t a n d cap m akers
A Ten’s e 1o t h i n p m akers. _
S h irt m a k e rs__
Tailors _.
W om en\s e l oth in g m aker s
P l e e t r i e a l and gas su p p ly w o rk e rs ..
Farm, la b o re rs .
Fjre.fi eh te rs and polieemen
F ish e rm e n . . .
Food w orkers (n o t m eat)
Freight han d lers and longshoremen
F u rn itu re w orkers.
0-1 asswor ker s
JJntej and re stau ran t employees
Tron and steel workers
Jew elry workers
L au n d ry w orkers.........................................
FRASER

A

6
27

2
9
41
6
4
6
5
13
4
1
7
32
5
7

_

P a in te rs a n d p a p e r h an g e rs
P la s te re rs
Pli i rn h e r s a n d s t e a r n fi t t e r s .
S h e e t r n e ta l w o rk e rs
f ttm e tn r a l j ro n w o rk e rs
O th e r a n d n o ts p e e if ie d

Digitized for
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

5
i

10
6
4
11
13
5
4
11
8
1
2
2
1
i
1
i
i
6
i
5
23
1

2
i

Oct.
3
2
1

i
6
15
3
2
9
6
12
2
2
4
3
4

2
3
1
i
2
1
i
i
1
1
i
3
5
4

2
2
3
3

Nov. Dec.
2
1

Jan .

Feb. Mar. Total. July. Aug. Sept. Oct.
1
1

2
1

1

1
1

1
1

3

2
3

3
2
2
1
i

9
1
2
1
6
4
3
3
1
2
i
2

2
2
Ï

3

1
1

2
1
1
1
1
1

4
7

1

1
1
1
4
1
2
1
41

1
1
1
1
1
1

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

i

1

1
1

1

2

1
i
1

2
1
i
2
17
3

1

1

8
11

2
1
1
1

22
7
2
8
12
2
9
1
4
8
3
2
7

1

1

8

A

1

Nov. Dec.

Jan.

4

8

Feb. Mar. Total.
3

2

22

2

2
3
2

1
1

9
60
11
31
19
30
32
54
14
8
27

3
9
2
7
28
58
2

i
1
1
3
2
1
2

17
6
5
4
4

G rand
total.

1921

1
1

3

7
4

1

3
3

1
2

2
1
1
7
2
1
3

1

1
1
1

1

1

1
1

1
..........

1

1
1
1

1
..........
1 ____ 1...........
2

4

1

1

1
1

2

2

2

1
7
2
4
1
4
4
4
2

5
10
1
5
3
13
1
1
S
2
2
2
6
1
2
1
3
1

1

1
1
1

2
17

1
2
3
19
1

2
32

7
3
1
2
2
3
5
1
12
2
1
5
2
4

20
21
1
1
6
12
8
6
3
34
6
4
18
5
6

1
1
5
1
1
5

19
8
7
4
12
8
8
15

i

2

i
i
2

1
2
5
8
121
1

52

39
6
7
6
7
29
87
12
32
25
42
32
62
20
11
61
51
26
25
7
14
31
10
16
5
16
16
11
17
7
2
3
10
4
12
179
3
8

M O N T H L Y LABOR REVIEW ,

B uilding tra d e s:

2
i
3
1
2

1920

1921

1920

In d u stry .

O
<C>

9


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1

1

8

16
5
5
13
29
16
28
3
9

1
1

100
1

1

3

14
i

5

8

h

4

2

1

i

2

6
1

1

47

1

8

1
43

295
69
185

1
2

13

9
Ï
3
15

1
2

4
i
7

3
4
1
2
2
2

1
6

32
9
6

7
7

1
1

1
1

5
31
3

105
32
47
36

6

11

10

28

2

2

1

5

1
1

5

7

13
7
13
4

1

1

2
6

2

1

A
3

3
13

1

2

3

1
7

18

13

1,689

7
7

9
93

522
1,025

5
601
3,151 955,583

4

2

6

4
1

1

9
3
4
3
3
5
17
3

60

2

1

4

1

6

19
(H
25
34
ID
16

1

2

8
8

111

1

39
21

34

3

21

300
69
185
21

3
3

2

2

1

21
10

1

1

1,618

21

5
29

21

1

2
1

1

4
2

14

2
1
1

8

4
3

1

1

6
6
2
11

25
7
6

i
1
i

2

6

4
11
1
1
2

19
18

8

6

9

4

20

4
6
6

13
19
129

2

6

153
49
43
59

162
52
47
62
9

1

6

1
1

7

17
19

4

12
8
6

22

1

36
4

8

40

77

152

309

218

218

1,025

2,714

6

31
34

46

127
270

280
481

168
187

121

779
1,288

1,301
2,313

28
1
59

2

57

12

10
IB
7
16

86

202

WAGES AND H O U R S OF LABOR.

[991]

1
1
3
2
L eather w o rk ers...........................................
L ig h t, h e a t a n d pow er (gas a n d electric).
6
4
1
2
1
2
L um ber a n d tim b e r w orkers....................
2
1
2
M etal tra d e s:
B lack sm ith s...........................................
4
1
B oiler m a k e rs........................................
8
M ach in ists..............................................
13
1
1
5
6
3
1
M etal p o lis h e rs.....................................
7
4
4
10
8
1
1
5
3
M olders...................................................
2
1
Stove m o u n te rs....................................
O ther an d n o t specified......................
7
I
1
Miners :
1
29
1
1
1
12
C oal..........................................................
1
O re............................................................
M usical in s tru m e n t w o rk ers.....................
10
M usicians a n d th e a tric al em ployees.......
6
18
5
4
3
2
3
2
i
P ap er a n d p a p er goods m a k e rs................
P rin tin g a n d publishing:
3
3
10
3
1
B indery w o rk ers...................................
44
26
34
27
C om positors...........................................
36
26
58
12
7
1
36
6
2
5
P ress fe e d ers..........................................
5
89
10
P ressm en ................................................
26
15
13
8
3
1
1
2
5
S te re o ty p e rs..........................................
2
3
2
2
O ther o ccu p atio n s................................
2
R ailroad em p lo y ees....................................
R u b b er w o rk e rs............. ............................
1
1
1
S h ip b u ild ers..................................................
1
2
2
2
Slaughtering an d m e a t c u ttin g ................
1
2
S tatio n ary engineers an d firem en ...........
3
1
S team boat m e n ............................................
2
1
7
3
2
S tonew orkers................................................
1
1
4
Street a n d sew er em ployees......................
14
18
2
2
24
31
19
Street a n d railw ay em ployees..................
1
1
2
Telegraph a n d telephone em plo 3rees.......
T ex tile in d u s try :
1
1
1
4
2
C otton w o rk ers.....................................
1
1
H osiery a n d k n it goods w orkers___
1
1
1
2
Silk w orkers...........................................
1
1
W ool w o rk ers........................................
1
2
O ther an d no t specified......................
1
3
Tobacco w o rk ers..........................................
1
6
2
3
2
2
O ther occu p atio n s.......................................
1
2
Occupations n o t rep o rted ..........................
All in d u stries com bined :
85
381
193
131
107
324
N u m b er of rep o rts received............... 395
N u m b er of reports showing estab­
12
94
50
16
168
53
lishm ents ........................................... 113
28
22
179
107
138
N u m b er of establishm ents rep o rted . 152
296
N um ber of reports showing em­
30
15
12
118
43
200
176
ployees................................................
N um ber of employees rep o rted ........ 111,590 259,286 425,566 117,058 14,585 13,155 9,574

1

4
15
47
88
201
93
84
533
1,134
3,913 12,327 30,255 152,633 554,092 188,462 300,760 1,242,492 2,198,075

a

31, 1921, B Y G E O G R A PH IC A L D IV ISIO N S, F O R T H E 9 M O N T H S
N U M B E R O F R E P O R T S O F C H A N G ES IN R A T E S O F W A G E S, JU L Y 1, 1920, TO MAR.
CO M B IN ED .

[992J

A utom obile, carriage an d wagon workers—
B akers.....................................................................
B arbers...................................................................
B rew ery a n d soft-drink w orkers.....................
B rick a n d tile w orkers........................................
B room a n d b ru s h w orkers...............................
B u ild in g tra d e s: B rick lay ers..........................
C arpenters.................................................... C em ent w orkers...................................*----In s id e w irem en .............................................
Laborers a n d h o d e a rn e rs..........................
P a in te rs a n d p a p e r hangers.......................
P la s te re rs......................................................
P lu m b ers a n d stea m fitters.......................
Sheet m e ta l w orkers....................................
S tru c tu ra liro n w orkers..............................
O th er a n d n o t specified..............................
Car b u ild in g ..........................................................
Chauffeurs a n d te a m ste rs ..................................
C hem ical a n d o il w orkers..................................
Clerks a n d salesm en............................................
Coopers...................................................................
C lothingindustri.es: B oot a n d shoe workers.
H a t a n d c ap m a k e rs....................................
M en’s clothing m ak ers................................
S h irt m ak ers..................................................
Tailors............................................................
W om en's clothing m akers.........................
E lectrical a n d gas su p p ly w orkers..................
F a rm lab o r............................................................
F ire fighters a n d policem en.............................
Fish erm en ..............................................................
Foodw orkers (n o t m e a t)....................................
F reig h t h an d lers a n d longshorem en...............
F u rn itu re w orkers...........................................
Glass w orkers........................................................
H o tel a n d re s ta u ra n t em ployees.....................
Iro n a n d steel w orkers.......................................
FRASER
Jew elry w orkers...................................................

Digitized for
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

N orth
Centrai.

South
A tlantic.

N orth
Atlantic.
r
1
1
2
1
1
4
19
8
6
2
5
9
3
5
6
5

1
2
7
1
3
2
2
6
3
1
4
2
1
t

4
U
1
3
1
3
5
1

3

11
2
2
1
3
5
16
4
12
5
7
14
19
6
4
12
27
9
1
1
1
1
6

1

1
3
14
6
8
4
4
7
6
1
2

W est-

i
2
2

10

8
1
5

4
5
4
4
î
i
6
2
6
2

2

1

1
1
4

1
5
1
2
6
20
i

1
4
1
4
5
34
i

1
1
1

17

3

18

1

1
2
1

6

5
4
4
7
9
66

11
31
19
30
32
54
14
8

27
45
22

7
2

8

8

3
2

6
2

1
1
3
4

2
2

5
6
5
i

7

2

1
1
2

1
1

3
2

5

7
4
1
3
3
2
J
]
3
1
5
1
3
5

4
4
i
1
14
2
2
6
1
2
17
7
4

'

3
1

2

South
Cen­
tral.

o
9
7
28
58
2

1
2
3
2
53
1

10

2
5
44

G rand
total.

W est­
ern.

T otal.

22

i

2
3
2
5
7
1
1
3

3
3

2

20
21
1
1
6
12

1
1

1

3

4

8
6
3
34
6
4
18
5
6
19
8
7
4
12
8
8
15

2

2

2
5

3
1

6
1
2

7

2

1
10

N orth
Cen­
tral.

Total.

9
1
4

2

South
A t­
lantic.

N orth
A t­
lantic.

12
2

1

i

i
2

South
Central.

00

N um ber of changes—Decreases.

N um ber of changes—Increases.
In d u stry .

03

10

1
4

1
2
5
8
121
1

39
6
7
7
6
7
29
87
12
32
25
42
32
62
20
11
61
51
26
25
7
14
31
10
16
5
16
16
11
17
7
2
3
10
4
12
36
179
3

o
%

a
F
Ki
F
>
F
O
F
F
F
<!

S
3

1 Including
2 Including
3 Including
4 Including

8 reports covering 2 or more divisions.
5 reports covering 2 or more divisions.
5 establishm ents covering 2 or more divisons.
2 reports covering 2 or more divisions.


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1
7
3
1
9
7

1
2
4
1
4

1
18
7
2
7
89
25
57
11
2
2

2
2
3
4
30
2
6
3
4
3
3
2
5
1
497
170
311
165
198,116

1
9
2
1
1
24
7
16
1

2
1
12

6
2
2
3
11
8
11
1
3
31
1

1
1

7
3

4
6
6
23

2
2
1
2
1
19

16

12

10

9
97
IS

2
39

2
46
12
27
2
3

6
3

29
2
2

3
2

3
2
2

6
2
40
2

2
1
19

3
1
1
10

3

1

3
4
1

3

134
37
52
48
16,592

576
199
246
247
306,409

249
66
221
86
33,790

4
1

8
8
16
5
5
13
29
16
28
3
9
100
1
47
8
21
295
69
185
21
10
3
3
8
8
3
13
7
111
4
9
3
4
3
3
5
17
3

225 1 1,689
2 522
45
190 3 1,025
63
4 601
36,763 5955,533

9 Including 366,000 employees in 2 or m ore divisions.
6 Including 6 reports covering 2 or m ore divisions.
i Including 5 reports covering 2 or m ore divisions.

23
i
i
i
4
22
2
4
4
2
3
2
16

3
4
3
1

2

2
i
i

1
1

9
9
4
3
3
5
1

2
i
3

13
7
13
4

4
2

3
2

2

i

12
18
2
153
49
43
59
0
17
19
1

S2
6 1,025
44
U 79
53
8 1,288
9 533
19
53,248 i»l,242,492

2,714
1,301
2,313
1,134
2,198,075

1
1
21
1
1

1

1
3

1
19

31
5
29
1
6
32
9
6
7
7
5
31
3

2

9

1

28

1

2

2

5

2

1
2
1
3

5

2

1

2
3
1
87
29
43
56
6
7
11

3
10
1

501
4C8
664
297
637,225

1

8
39
21
34
6
19
61
25
34
10
16
105
32
3
47
36
21
300
69
185
21
10
16
7
16
12
8
6
13
19
129
6
162
52
47
62
9
22
36
4

3
2
1

1
63
10

3

1

2

2
3

8
4
1

131
110
290
87
71,623

225
164
201
102
238,150

1
80
48
60
24
17,246

W AGES AND H O U R S O E LABOR.

[993]

L a u n d ry w orkers............... ........................................................
L eath er w orkers...........................................................................
Light, h e a t, a n d pow er (gas an d electric).............................
L u m b er a n d tim b e r w orkers....................................................
M etal trad es: B lacksm iths........................................................
B o ile rm a k ers........................................................................
M achinists....... .....................................................................
M etal polishers......................................................................
M olders...................................................................................
Stove m o u n ters....................................................................
O th er a n d n o t sp e c ifie d .....................................................
M iners: C oal........... ' ....................................................................
O re......................................................
.............
M u sic a lin stru m e n t w orkers.....................................................
M usicians a n d th eatricalem p lo y ees.......................................
P a p e r a n d p a p e r goods m ak ers..................
P rin tin g a n d publishing: B in d ery w orkers.........................
C om positors......................................
P ress feeders.......................................
P ressm en ................................................................................
S tereo ty p ers..........................................................................
O th e r o c cu p atio n s..........................
.........................
R ailro a d em ployees..............
R u b b e r w o rk ers...........................
S h ip b u ild ers.......................
Slaughtering a n d m e a t c u ttin g ..............................................
S ta tio n a ry engineers an d firem en . .
S team b o at m e n ...............
Stone w o rk ers.......................
Street a n d sew er em ployees...........
S treet ra ilw a y em ployees..........................................................
T elegraph a n d teleo h o n e employees
T ex tile in d u s try ! C otton workers .
H osiery and" k n it w orkers. .
Silk w orkers.................
W ool w o rk ers............
O th e r a n d n o t specified...
Tobacco w orkers.........................
O ther occupations.....................................
O ccupation n o t re p o rte d .. .
A ll in d u strie s com bined:
N u m b e r of re p o rts received...............................................
N u m b e r of rep o rts showing estab lish m en ts..................
N u m b e r of estab lish m en ts rep o rted................................
N u m b e r o frep o rts showing em ployees..........................
N u m b e r of employees re p o rte d ........................................

8 Including 20 establishm ents covering 2 or more divisions.
9 Including 4 reports covering 2 or m ore divisions.
10 Including 165,000 employees in 2 or m ore divisions.
Ci

N U M B E R O F C H A N G ES IN R A T E S O F W A G E S, JU L Y 1, 1920, TO M AR. 31, 1921, B Y C L A S S IF IE D P E R C E N T O F G R A N G E F O R T H E 9 M O N TH S CO M B IN ED .
N u m b e r of changes b y classified per cent of increases.
In d u stry .

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

1
1

i

2
4

U nder
10.

10 and 20 and 30 and 40 a nd N c t re­
under under under over. ported.
30.
40.
20.
11

17
6
5
4
4

6

3
46
2
12
9
9
14
21
1
2
4
3
15
3
1
5

9
66
11
31
19
30
32
54
14
8
27
45
22
7
2
8

3
1

11
11

1

2
6

2
2
1
3
2
5
2
1
4

12
2
1
9
4
8
3
2
7

1
3

1
3

2
Q

1

3
22

3
9
2
7
28
58
2

1
1
1
S
2
3
1
6
2
6
2
4
G
21
3
1

1
1
4
1
1
1
1

2
6
1
2
1
1

1
2

1
]
1
1

1 .............

3

1

1

2
1
1
1

1
2
2
7
1
1
13
1
3
10

2

2
2
5
2
3
1

5
6
1
1
3
2
6
3
18
3
1
2
2
1

13

2
2
i

2
3
2

i
3

20
21
1
1
6
12

1
3
1
1
1
1

8
1
2
1
2

7
7
2

2
1

1
4

3
4
2
1

3

1

1

2
1
66
1

2^

i

1

2
2
5
37

1
1

G rand
total.

Total.

5

8
6
3
34
6
4
IS
5
6
19
8
4
7
12
8
8
15

1

2

1

i
2

1
1
4

8
121
1

39
0
7
7
6
7
29
87
12
32
25
42
32
62
20
11
61
51
26
25
7
14
31
10
5
16
16
16
11
17
7
2
3
10
4
12
36
179
3

M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .

[994]

Autom obile, carriage, a n d wagon workers.
B ak e rs.................................................................
B arbers...............................................................
B rew ery a n d soft-drink w orkers..................
B rick a n d tile w orkers....................................
Broom an d bru sh w orkers...... .....................
B uilding trades:
B ricklayers.................................................
C arp en ters..................................................
C em ent w orkers........................................
In sid e w irem en.........................................
Laborers an d hod carriers...................... .
P ain ters a n d paper hangers...................
Plasterers.....................................................
Plu m b ers a n d steam fitters....................
Sheet m etal w orkers.................................
S tru ctu ra l iron w orkers.......................... .
O ther an d n o t specified............................
Car building...................................................... .
Chauffeurs an d team sters.............................. .
Chemical an d oil w orkers...............................
Clerks a n d salesm en.........................................
Coopers............................................................... .
Clothing industries:
Boot a n d shoe workers.............................
H a t an d cap m akers.................................
Shirt m a k e rs...............................................
Men’s clothing m akers............................ .
T ailors..........................................................
W om en’s clothing m ak ers.......................
Electrical a n d gas supply w orkers................
F arm laborers....................................................
Fire fighters an d policem en............................
Fisherm en...........................................................
Foodw orkers (not m e a t).................................
Freight handlers an d longshoremen.............
F u rn itu re workers............................................
Glass w orkers.....................................................
H otel an d re stau ran t em ployees...................

Iro n a n d steel w orkers.....................................
Jewelry w orkers................................................
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and 20 and 30 and
U nder 10
and N ot re­
un d er under under 40
10.
over. ported. Total.
20.
30.
40.

N um ber of changes b y classified p er c en t of decreases.

All industries combined:
N u m b er of reports received............................
N u m b er of reports showing establishm ents.
N u m b er of establishm ents reported.............
N u m b er of reports showing employees........
N u m b er of employees rep o rted .....................


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

39

16
5

21

5
13
29
16
28
3
9

6
19
61
25
34

100

105
32
3
47
36

34

10

16

1
9

10

2

8
139
19
75
3
3
2

47
8
21

21

295
69
185

300
69
185

21

21

10

10

3

16
7
16
12

233
89
80
137
313,215

390
112

144
173
111,181

262
107
200

138
102 , 799

65
0
5
15
7,626

52
11

12

12

5,086

687
197
578
125
415,676

3
13
7

12

111

18

8
6
13
19
129

4

2

6

9
3
4
3
3
5
17
3

153
49
43
59

162
52
47
62
9

17
19
1

22

1,025
779
1, 288
533
1, 242,492

2,714
1, 301
2,313
1, 134
2 , 198,075

1,689
522
1, 025
601
955,583

6

60
49
62
40
29,151

436
345
510
228
503,435

350
268
407
189
479,405

10

146
104
295

9
12,063

121,434

22

9

66

36
4

WAGES AND HOURS OE LABOR.

[995]

L a u n d ry w orkers............................................
L eather w orkers............................................. .
Light, h e at, a n d power (gas an d electric).
L um ber a n d tim b er w orkers...................... .
M etal trades:
B lacksm iths.............................................
Boiler m a k e rs..........................................
M achinists................................................
M etal polishers........................................
M olders......................................................
Stove m o u n ters.......................................
O ther a n d no t specified.........................
Miners:
C oal............................................................
Ore..............................................................
Musical in stru m e n t w orkers. . - .................
M usicians a n d theatrical employees..........
P ap er a n d p ap er goods m ak ers..................
P rin tin g an d publishing:
B in d ery w orkers.....................................
C om positors.............................................
Press feeders.............................................
Pressm en..................................................
Stereotypers.............................................
O ther occupations..................................
R ailroad employees.......................................
R u b b er w o rk ers.............................................
Shipbuilders....................................................
Slaughtering an d m eat cu ttin g ...................
S tatio n ary engineers a n d firem en..............
S team boat m e n ..............................................
Stonew orkers..................................................
Street a n d sewer employees........................
Street railw ay em ployees............................
Telegraph an d telephone em ployees.. —
Textile in d u stry :
C otton w orkers.......................................
H osiery a n d k n it goods workers.........
Silk w orkers.............................................
W ool w orkers..........................................
O ther a n d n o t specified........................
Tobacco w orkers............................................
O ther occupations.........................................
O ccupation no t specified..............................

72

M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .

Renewal of Wage Agreements Between United States Shipping Board
and Longshoremen.
working agreements have been recently signed by the United
N EWStates
Shipping Board and the deep-water steamship lines and

contracting stevedores on the one hand and the International
Longshoremen’s Association and its affiliated locals on the other,
extending to September 30, 1921, the wage rates and working condi­
tions which have prevailed for the past year. These agreements
affect general cargo workers at Baltimore, Boston, Hampton Loads,
and New York, cargo repairmen at New York, checkers and tallymen
at Baltimore and Boston, checkers at Hampton Roads and New York,
grain handlers at Baltimore, and weighers at Hampton Roads. An
account of the strikes of the longshoremen during the year 1920,
including that beginning in October as a result of which certain wage
increases were awarded, was published in the December, 1920, issue
of the M o n t h l y L a b o r R e v i e w , pages 95 to 115.
Under the new agreements, all of which provide for a work day of
8 hours, general cargo workers in each port are to receive 80 cents an
hour with $1.20 for overtime work. Men employed on bulk cargo,
ballast, or coal cargo, including loading and trimming of coal for the
steamer’s own bunker purposes, are to receive 85 cents an hour with
$1.25 for overtime work. At Baltimore, however, winchmen, deckmen, and leaders shall receive 85 cents an hour with $1.25 for over­
time, and when employed on bulk cargo they shall receive 95 cents
an hour instead of 85 cents as at other ports and $1.30 for overtime.
Men handling wet hides shall be paid 95 cents an hour and $1.35 an
hour for overtime work at all ports. Those handling sugar, molasses,
fruits, etc., at Boston shall be paid 90 cents an hour and $1.30 for
overtime work. Special rates apply for the handling of specified
cargoes at the port of New York.
Cargo repairmen at New York are awarded a wage rate of 80 cents
an hour and $1.20 for overtime. Foremen shall receive 90 cents an
hour and $1.50 for overtime work.
The wage scales for checkers and tallymen at Baltimore and Boston
and for checkers at New York and Hampton Roads is $6 a day with
an overtime rate of $1.20 an hour.
At Hampton Roads weighers shall receive $8 a day and $1.50 for
overtime work, including Sundays and holidays.
Grain handlers at Baltimore are to be paid, if foremen, $1.05 an
hour and if deckmen $1 an hour. Those who carry and stow bagged
grain are to receive 80 cents an hour.
Provision is made in each agreement, with the exception of those
affecting the cargo repairmen at New York and general cargo workers
at Boston, for the settlement of disputes that may arise during the
life of the agreement. This provision, substantially the same in
each case, as embodied in the New York cargo workers’ agreement,
is as follows:
In the event of any dispute or controversy arising during the life of this agreement
as to the interpretation of same, the men will continue to work pending an adjustment
of the trouble as follows: Matter in dispute to be submitted to a committee of four,
two of whom would be representatives of the employers (one of these being a managing
agent of Shipping Board vessels) and two being representatives of the employees; a
decision of tire majority of this committee to be final and binding. In the event of

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[9961

73

WAGES AFTD H O U R S OF LABOR.

failure on the part of this committee of four to reach a satisfactory decision, then the
committee of four shall proceed to select the fifth man as chairman, which man must
be satisfactory to both sides and to the Shipping Board, and the decision of a majority
of the committee so augmented shall be final and binding upon the parties signatory
to this agreement.

Union Wage Rates and Hours of Labor in Building Trades in
Massachusetts.

HE Massachusetts Industrial Review for October, 1920, just
issued, devotes one section to union rates of wages and hours of
labor in the building trades of that State in the years 1914 and
1920, from which the following table is taken:

T

A V E R A G E U N IO N R A T E S O F W A G ES AND H O U R S O F L A B O R IN T H E B U IL D IN G T R A D E S
IN M ASSA C H U SETTS, JU L Y 1, 1914, A N D 1920.
N u m b er of—

O ccupation.

R ates of wages

H ours of
labor
per week.

P er cent of
increase
in rates,
1914 to 1920.

45.1
44.4
44.6
44.5
45.2
44.3

44.0
42.2
43.2
42.9
44.0
45.0

68.5
109.4
104.6
97.0
101.4
107.2

64.4
98.9
98.1
90.1
96.0
110.7

P er hour.
P e r week.
R e­ Munieipaliports. ties. Ju ly 1, Ju ly 1, Ju ly 1, J u ly 1, Ju ly 1, Ju ly 1, H our­ W eek­
1914. 1920. 1914. 1920. 1914. 1920.
ly.
ly.

B ricklayers...................................
C arpenters (forem en).................
C arpenters (house).....................
D ecorators....................................
Gas fitte rs .....................................
H od carriers a n d lab o rers........
L a th e rs (wood, wire, an d
m e ta l) .......... .............................
P a in te rs .........................................
P a p e r h a n g e rs .............................
P la ste re rs......................................
P lu m b e rs ......................................
Sheet m etal w orkers..................
S team fitte rs................................
Stonem asons................................
W irem en (in sid e ).......................

29
9
64
15
10
14

29 10.619 81.043 827.92 845.90
8
.540 1.131 24. 01 47. 76
62
.474
.970 21.15 41.90
.462
15
.910 20. 56 39. 07
10
.493
.993 22.29 43.67
.802 17.13 36.08
11
.387

9
40
14
27
24
11
19
20
11

7
40
14
27
24
11
19
20
11

.538
.424
.439
.608
.515
.464
.491
.589
.454

1.009
.883
.874
1.031
.978
.970
.988
1.035
.959

23.69
19. 01
19. 81
27. 29
23.01
21.27
21. 94
26.64
20. 31

43. 03
38.06
38. 44
44.61
43.04
42.70
43. 48
45. .54
42.20

44.0
44.8
45.1
44.9
44.7
45.8
44.6
45.2
44.7

42.7
43.1
44.0
43.3
44.0
44.0
44.0
44.0
44.0

87.5
108. 2
99.1
69.6
89.9
108.9
101. 2
75.7
111.2

81.6
100.2
94.1
63.4
87.0
100.8
98.2
70.9
107.8

All occupations rep resen ted .

316

i 72

.501

.968

22.46

42.17

44.8

43.6

93.2

87.8

1In a large n u m b er of m unicipalities rates a n d hours were reported for more th a n one of th e occupations,
specified.

Index Numbers of Physical Volume of Production.

N A paper read at the eighty-second annual meeting of the American
Statistical Association held at Atlantic City in December, 1920,1
Mr. Edmund E. Day describes an attempt to employ index numbers
in the “ measurement of variations in the national real income.” He
suggests that these variations may be determined “ by the process of
direct summation of goods and services.” Since goods and services
can not, of course, be combined in physical terms, “ relative variations
in the national real income may be ascertained by combining relatives
indicative of the volume of consumption of different goods and serv­
ices that constitute real income,” and these variations may be ex­
pressed by index numbers. Such index numbers have been devel­
oped (the process of this development not being given) and are set
forth in the following table, which shows variations in the physical

I

1 P rin te d in th e q u arterly p u b licatio n of th e A m erican S tatistical A ssociation, Concord, N . H ., M arch,
1921, under th e title “ The m easurem ent of v ariatio n s in th e n a tio n a l real in com e.”


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[997]

74

M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .

volume of production for manufacture, agriculture, and mining and
for 10 specified branches of manufacture.
IN D E X N U M B E R S O F T H E G R O W T H O F P O P U L A T IO N A N D T H E PH Y S IC A L VOLU M E
O F PR O D U C T IO N O F M A N U F A C T U R E D PR O D U C T S AN D O F M IN IN G A N D A G R I­
C U L T U R E , 1899 TO 1919.
[1899=100.]
M anufactured products.

Year.

1899...........
1900...........
1901...........
1902...........
1903...........
1904...........
1905...........
1906...........
1907...........
1908...........
1909...........
1910...........
1911...........
1912...........
1913...........
1914...........
1915...........
1916
1917...........
1918...........
1919...........

Growth
of
Stone,
popu­
um ­ Food. Tex­ To­ Liq- clay, Iron
lation. Lber.
and
tiles. bacco. uors. and
glass. steel.

100.0
101.8
103. 8
106.0
108.1
110.3
112.4
114.5
116.7
118.9
121.0
123.1
125. 3
127.4
129.6
131.6
133.2
134. 8
136.5
138.1
139.7

100.0
98.1
96.2
94.3
92.4
90.7
97.4
109.1
115. 8
112.4
126.2
123.2
116.1
118.7
113.4
101.8
95.6
100. 6
90.5
80.4
85.5

100.0
100.7
123.1
117.3
124.5
125. 0
141.3
142.1
132. 2
136.2
144.3
134.3
140. 4
149.5
151.0
152.7
169.7
150. 8
159. 5
194.2
191.1

100.0
100. 6
101.5
116.0
116.1
115. 8
129.2
130.4
131.9
121. 5
149.2
141.2
130. 3
148. 4
155. 8
157. 3
167. 8
207. 6
201.4
202.7
190.7

100.0
106.5
112.9
118.1
126. 0
124.8
128.4
138.2
141. 8
136.3
143.6
153.7
153. 7
158. 6
169.1
165. 0
158.8
173. 4
188.8
183.0
176. 0

100.0
105.7
112.9
120.9
125. 6
129.4
137.6
149.4
153. 6
149.3
151.5
161.6
165.6
168.5
173.4
164.5
158.3
163. 8
151.2
105. 0

100.0
105.4
125. 2
142.0
143. 1
146.8
165. 3
178.4
177.4
1.55. 3
192. 6
200. 7
193. 2
204.0
211.2
193.8
208.6
238.1
227.5
209. 5
178.8

100.0
95. 5
117.5
133.3
130. 2
120. 4
164.2
178.7
179.7
107. 7
171. 8
1S3. 2
159. 6
201.0
211. 2
161.3
205. 3
268. 9
262. 7
267. 9
212.7

Chem­
icals
an d
allied
prod­
ucts.

100.0
102. 6
115. 5
130.2
138. 6
146. 6
165. 5
180.4
184.4
182. 0
199.2
189.6
208. 3
233. 4
240. 6
238.8
247. 8
294. 8
299.0
353. 8
282.2

Metal
prod­
M in­ Agri­
ucts
cul­
other V ehi­ A ll ing. ture.
th a n cles. prod­
ucts.
iron
and
steel.
100 0 100. 0
102. 3 117.4
113.1 147.2
145. 8 183. 3
142.4 210. 3
141.4 186.5
163. 9 284.4
184.7 356.7
161. 8 430.5
148. 5 285. 8
192. 6 354. 5
198. 4 522.2
199. 0 377. 6
216.3 650. 6
223. 9 769. 8
200. 3 657. 8
248.1 747.4
319. 0 1304.6
305.0 1483.3
343.5 1019.5
296.1 1373. 8

100.0
101.0
112.4
123.5
125.5
123.2
144. 4
155.0
156. 3
132.7
163.4
168.0
181.4
187.1
171.4
187.2
218. 6
215.2
214.0
195.3

100.0
105. 7
114.6
122.7
135.0
136. 3
161.6
169.9
185.9
154.2
189.4
201. 6
194.4
216.7
227.2
202.6
227. 6
267 0
277.2
279.6
228.4

100.0
100.6
89.3
113.7
105.0
116.0
117.5
125.0
112.4
118.8
118.1
123.2
117.0
138.1
122.1
135.0
141.0
124 9
135.0
133. 2
137.6

Careful examination of the various group indices for the full period 1899 to 1919
yields a number of interesting tentative conclusions. In the first place, the produc­
tion of producers’ goods has increased at a much more rapid rate than the production
of consumers’ goods. Presumably those portions of the national real income which
consist of sendees derived from large-scale plants, such as railroads and telephone
systems, share in the very rapid increase of volume which distinguishes the indices of
this class. In the second place, it may be concluded that the rapidly increasing output
of producers’ goods, used partly to maintain, partly to enlarge, existing industrial
plant and equipment, has the indirect consequence of increasing the domestic manu­
facture of consumers’ goods. I t is not surprising, therefore, to find the production of
consumers’ goods apparently increasing more rapidly than the population. In the
third place, the group indices confirm the conclusion, previously drawn, that the
manufacture of goods made from mineral raw materials has increased more rapidly
than the manufacture of goods made from agricultural raw materials. In the fourth
place, the fluctuations of manufacturing output which mark the business cycle,
though conspicuously greater in the industries producing capital goods than in those
producing consumption goods, appear to he so considerable even in the latter industries
as inevitably to involve year-to-year variations in the volume of goods passing to the
consumer. These conclusions, general and tentative as they are, make a beginning in
the analysis of changes in the national real income during the past 21 years.
Taken as a whole, the results of the study of the physical volume of manufacture are
intended to suggest a practical mode of analysis rather than definitive conclusions. For
the reliable measurement of the national real income, investigation must be extended
to include: (a) Fluctuations in the stocks held by manufacturers, jobbers, and
retailers; (6) changes in the physical volume of exports and imports; (c) variations in
real income in the form of personal services. Reasonable approximations, if not full
measurements, of these elements are becoming more and more feasible. With these
elements included, the analysis should produce highly significant results. Direct
measurement of the variations of the national real income is one of the lines to be most
carefully cultivated by current statistical investigation.

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[998]

WAGES AND HOUES OF LABOE.

75

Wages and Earnings of Women in Food and Confectionery Manufacture
in Massachusetts.1

Massachusetts Legislature decided upon a reorganization
IN of1919thetheState
Department of Labor and Industries, under which

the Minimum Wage Commission, among other bodies, went out
of existence, and its place was taken by three associate commissioners
who constituted the Board of Conciliation and Arbitration and the
Division of Minimum Wage. This latter body has recently issued a
report upon the wages of women employed in the minor confectionery
and food products industries. ffhe minor confectionery 'industries
studied include the preparation of blanched and salted nuts, nut
brittle, stuffed fruits, pop-corn balls, chewing gum, and similar
products. ^ff he classification food products includes the manufacture
of such miscellaneous products as flavoring extracts, soda-fountain
supplies, macaroni, potato chips, peanut butter, maple sirup, prepared
flour, gelatine, and confectioners’ supplies.
I he time covered by the investigation was the four months from
June through September, 1919, in the case of the minor confectionery
industries, and irom July through October in the case of the food
products industries. Pay-roll records were obtained from 35 firms,
from which individual wage records were secured for 601 women and
girls. The data obtained included weekly wage payments, rates of
wages for those on a time basis, occupations, ana, where records of
hours were available, the actual number of hours worked each week.
It was found that practically all the occupations were unskilled, and
that the women shifted from one to another so freely that it was
useless to attempt to connect wages and occupations. The rates and
the weekly earnings, however, were secured in full detail.
In the summer and fall of 1919, it will be remembered, business was
good, there was a shortage of labor, and it was generally believed that
wages were high—disproportionately high, it was believed by some.
I he earnings of these women are, therefore, of special interest. Dis­
regarding the girls, and dealing only with adult women, their distri­
bution by weekly earnings was as follows:
IN ™

W eekly earnings.

U nder $5.....................................
$5 b u t under $8.......................
$6 b u t under $7....................
$7 b u t under $8......................
$8 b u t under $9......................
$9 b u t u nder $10....................
$10 b u t under $11................

Minor
confec­
tionery
in d u s­
tries.

Food
products
in d u s­
tries.

2.8
7.8
5.7
10.9
20.1
11.0
13.8

2 5
1. 7
4.2
6.4
11.4
8. 4
10.5

* a n u fa c t DKe V

W eekly earnings.

$11 Lilt
$12 b u t
$13 b u t
$14 b u t
$15 and

Minor
confec­
tionery
in d u s­
tries.

Food
products
indus­
tries.

8.5
8.4
5.7
1.1
4.2

12.3
10.5
4.2
13.1

100.0

100.0

rjnrlpp $12
nridftr $ 1 3
u nder $14
yjndftr $1.5
over

1 Massachusetts. D epartm ent of Labor and Industries. Division of M inimum Waf
wages of women employed in th e m anufacture of food preparations and m inor lines <
M assachusetts. Boston, 1920. 41 pp.

44130°—21-----0

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[999]

Ä

Report on the
confectionery in

76

MONTHLY LABOE REVIEW.

In considering these figures it must be remembered that they cover
a period of four months, so that they are probably not affected by any
merely temporary fluctuations. Moreover, they are taken from the
records of 11 establishments engaged in the manufacture of minor
confectionery products, and 23 manufacturing food products, so
that they cover a fairly wide field and may reasonably be looked upon
as representative. The low level of earnings shown is impressive in
view of these things.
In 1919 the Massachusetts Minimum Wage Board either issued or
revised awards in four industries—canning and preserving, candy
making, men’s clothing and raincoats, and corset making—the minimums set ranging from Sll to $15 weekly. The above table shows
that nearly three-fourths (72.1 per cent) of the women studied in the
minor confectionery trades, and not far from one-half (45.1 per cent)
of those in the manufacture of food products were earning less than
the $11 weekly, which was the lowest of these minimums. Only onetwenty-fifth of those in minor confectionery and a little over oneeighth of those in the manufacture of food products reached or passed
the $15 which was set as the minimum for women in the men’s cloth­
ing and raincoats industry. It is very evident that “ war wages”
had not made much headway in the industries included in this report.
Weekly rates of wages were a little better than weekly earnings,
but were not obtained in such numbers as the earnings. Weekly
rates were secured for 78 adult women engaged in making confec­
tionery products and for 187 in food products. In the confectionery
group, 60.3 per cent had weekly rates under $11, 66.7 per cent under
$12, and 7.7 per cent $15 or over. In the food products group, onethird had rates of less than $11 a week, 40.1 per cent less than $12,
and nearly one-third (28.9 per cent) $15 a week or over.
There was the usual lack of uniformity in earnings in different es­
tablishments. In 4 of the 11 confectionery establishments no
adult woman earned under $9 a week, while in the others from 15.4
per cent up to 100 per cent of such workers fell below that weekly
sum. In 2 none of the women earned less than $11 a week, while in
3 none of them earned as much as that. In 6 establishments none
earned as much as $15 a week, while in another none earned less.
In 8 of the food products factories a proportion of the women vary­
ing from 5.3 up to 100 per cent earned less than $7 weekly; in i5
none failed to earn more than this. In 11 of the establishments no
woman earned as much as $13 a week, but in 4 others 21.4 per cent,
26.1 per cent, 69.2 per cent, and 100 per cent, respectively, earned
$15 or over weekly.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[1 0 0 0 1

WAGES AND HOUliS OF LABOR,

77

Wages and Hours of Labor in Canada.

following figures are taken from “ Wages and hours of labor
Canada, 1901-1920,” issued as a supplement to the Labour
T HEinGazette,
March, 1921.
IN D E X N U M B E R S OF R A T E S O F W A G E S IN CANADA.
[1913 = 100.]
Building trades,
7 classes.

Year.

1901..............
1902..............
1903..............
1904..............
1905..............
1906..............
1907..............
1908..............
1909..............
1910..............
1911..............
1912..............
1913..............
1914..............
1915.............
1916..............
1917..............
1918..............
1919..............
1920..............

M etal trades,
5 classes.

Printing trades, Street railw ays,
Average for 21
Steam
2 classes.
1 class.
classes.
railw ay
rates,'
6
W eekly H ourly Weekly H ourly W eekly H ourly W eeldy H ourly
Weekly H ourly
rates. rates. rates. rates. rates.' rates. rates. rates. classes.1 rates. rates.2
69.3
73.2
74.6
76.3
78.6
81.7
84.8
85.9
87.3
90.0
92.6
97.4
100.0
100.3
100.5
101.5
108.8
123.8
142.9
171.9

60.3
64.2
67.4
69.7
73.0
76.9
80.2
81.5
83.1
86.9
90.2
96.0
100.0
100.8
101.5
102.4
109.9
125.9
148.2
180.9

Common labor
in factories.

72.8
74.2
76.2
78.9
81.3
82.4
85.0
87.3
88.6
89.5
92.2
95.9
100.0
100.4
101.2
110.4
124.0
146.7
165.3
1S9.3

68.6
70.2
73.3
75.9
78.6
79.8
82.4
84.7
86.2
88.8
91.0
95.3
100.0
100.5
101.5
106.9
128.0
155.2
180.1
209.4

Miscellaneous
factory trades.

66.6
68.3
69.0
72.3
74.2
75.8
79.3
81.5
83.8
88.2
91.8
96.0
100.0
102.4
103.6
105.8
111.3
123.7
145.5
181.7

60.0
61.6
62.6
66.1
68.5
72.2
78.4
80.5
83.4
87.8
91.6
96.0
100.0
102.4
103.6
105.8
111.3
123.7
145.9
184.0

65.7
70.0
72.1
74.0
74.4
76.7
82.2
82.5
81.5
86.5
88.1

92.3
100.0
100.6
97.4
102.5
115.1
130.3
150.5
179.1

Lum bering.

Year.
H ourly ¥7eekly H our y W eekly H ourly W eekly
rates. rates. ra te s. rates. rates. rates.
1911..............
1912..............
1913..............
1914..............
1915..............
1916..............
1917..............
1918..............
1919..............
1920..............

94.9
98.1
100.0
101.0
101.0
110.4
129.2
152.3
180.2
215.3

99.8
98.9
100.0
100.3
100.0
108.3
126.6
145.6
167.9
198.3

95.4
97.1
100.0
103.2
106.2
115.1
128.0
146.8
ISO. 2
216.8

94.9
99.3
100.0
102.9
105.8
114.3
126.7
142.6
164.5
192.9

96.3
98.8
100.0
94.7
89.1
109.5
130.2
150.5
169.8
202.7

96.3
98.8
100.0
94.7
89.0
109.5
130.3
149.6
165.3
191.4

1 Per mile, day, etc.
* Includes index num bers of mileage rates, etc., on steam railw ays.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[1001]

64.0
68.0

71.1
73.1
73.5
75.7
81.4
81.8
81.1
85.7
88.1

92.3
100.0
101.0

97.8
102.2

114.6
142.9
163.3
194.2

70.8
73.6
76.7
78.6
78.9
80.2
85.5
86.7
86.7
91.2
96.4
98.3
100.0

101.7
101.7
104.9
110.1

133.2
154. 2
186.6

69.8
72.7
74.2
76.4
78.6
80.8
83.9
85.5
86.9
89.4
92.1
96.4
100.0
100.6
101.0
110.3
114.5
131.6
151.0
179.3

64.9
67.8
70.7
73.1
75.3
77.9
81.9
83.3
84.5
88.4
91.2
96.2
100.0
101.1
101.6
105.2
114. 8
135.1
158.0
190. 3

R A T E S OF W A G ES AN D H O U R S O F L A B O R IN 1920 IN SE L E C T E D T R A D E S A N D C IT IE S IN CANADA.

—I
CO

St. John.
Trades.

W ages
per
hour.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

$0.80
$0.60- . 65
.50
.75
. 65
. 75- . 80
.45

H ours
per
week.

Wages
per
hour.

48
$0. 75
48 $0. 50- . 60
48
. 50- . 65
44
. 50- . 60
. 50- . 60
48
.65- . 70
4S
.45
48-54

Hours
per
week.

Wages
per
hour.

50
81. 00
54
.76
54 $0.65- . 80
. 65
54
54
. 72- . 75
48-54
. 75
54
.45

.60- . 65

48-54

. 55- . 60
.55- . 70
.60

54
50
48

.60- . 70
.60
.60- .65
.55- . 65
. 50- . 55

54
54
55-60
54
54

.55

54

. 45

60

1 30. 00
1 30. 00

48
48

125.50
121.00

48
48

. 70. 70.85. 70-

Hours
per
week.

Wages
per
hour.

$1.00
44
.85
48
.80
54
50-54
. 75
44
.80
44 $0.87J-1. 00
.60
50

. 80
50
. 80 47-50
.87*
48
. SO
50
.65
48
. 55

i 35.00
/ 1 o5.00-1
\
44.00/

Toronto.

O ttaw a.

.52 - . 70

Hours
per
week.

Wages
per
hour.

Hours
per
week.

Wages
per
hour.

.60

48

45
45

i 40. 50
i 40. 50

45
48

54

.60

48

.60

48

. 671- . 72*

48
48

i 38.00
435.00

48
48

145.00
144.00

46
48

i 38.00
135.00
2 6. 44
2 5.12

2 6. 44
2 5.12

26. 44
2 5.12

2 6.44
2 5.12

2 6. 44
2 5.12

27.12-9.04

2 7.12-9.04

2 7.12-9.04

27 .12-9.04

27.12-9.04 ......... . 2 7.12-9.04

2 5.28-6.79
2 5.28-6.79
a $130. 00
48 3 $130. 00
4 3. 88
4 3. 88
48
j 118. 00 49*-54
V 20. 00/

25.28-6.79
48
31130.00
••3.88
48
1 21.18
118. 90
122.50
123.00
.40
.45

2 5.28-6.79
3 $130.00
4 3.88
.45
.41
.35

2 5.28-6.79
3 $130.00
4 3. 88
i 27. 75
120. 25
4 4. 50
.39
.40

2 Cents per mile.

48

44
44
44
44
44

48
48

48
48
50
50
50

s P er m onth.

48
48
50
44
55
55
50

2 5.28-6.79
3 $141.00
4 3.88
4 5. 00
i 25.00
• 24.00
i 22.50

i 45.00
i 45.00

44
44
44
44
44
44
44
44
44
44
44
44

.85- . 88
.85
.85
.85
.95

.55

H ours
per
week.

. 90
.90
. 90
. 90
1. 00

50
50
50
50
44

60

Wages
per
hour.

44
$1.124
44
.90*
1.00
48
.87*
44-49
44
1.00
44 $0.871-1.064
44
.60 - . 65

. 70- . 80
. 65- . 82
.80
.65- .80
.90

. 65.71. 80. 75-

2 6. 44
2 5.12

1P er week.

Hours
per
week.

48
48
44-48
44-48
44

48-50
48-50
50
50
44

49*
55
48
54
54

Wages
per
hour.

. 80
.84
. 95
. 85
.90

.70
.60 - . 70
.75

48
48

Hours
per
week.

$1.25
44
$1.25
44
1.00
44
1.00
44
44 $0. 85-1.00
44 $0. 85- . 95
44
.87*
. 75- . 80
44
1.05
44
1.00
44
44
1.00
44
1.00
44
.60 50-60
.60

44
$1.00
.90
44
44
.87*
.75
44
44
.90
1.00
44
44 $0.55- . 65

Vancouver.

Calgary.

W innipeg.

.78
.78
.75
. 80

-

26.44
2 5.18

2 6. 44
2 5.12

2 7.12-9.04 ........... 2 7. 25-9.17
2 5.28-6.79
48 ? $141.00
4 3. 8S
4S
.66
60
53
44
45

4 Per day.

48
48
52*

2 5.35-6. 86
8 $142.00
4 3.88
. 45

48
48
48

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,

[ 1002]

Building:
B ricklayers......................
Carpenters.......................
Electrical w orkers.........
P ain ters...........................
Plum bers.........................
Stonecutters....................
B uilders’ laborers..........
Metal:
B lacksm iths...................
B oilermakers..................
Iro n jnolders...................
M achinists.......................
Sheet m etal w orkers__
Electric street railways:
Conductors and motorm en (m ax im u m )___
Printing:
Compositors, h a n d,
new spaper...................
Pressm en, cylinder, j o b .
Steam railways:
Conductors, freight........
B rakem en, freight.........
Locomotive engineers,
fre ig h t...........................
Locomotive firemen,
freight...........................
Telegraphers...................
Sectionmen.....................
Common laborinfactories.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.................................

Montreal.

Quebec.

WAGES AND HOUES OF LABOE.

79

R A T E S O F W A GES AND H O U RS O F LA B O R IN 1920 IN SE L E C T E D TR A D E S AND PROVIN C ES IN CANADA.

Quebec.

New
Brunswick.

Ontario.

B ritish
Columbia.

Trades.
Wages
per
week.
Cotton:
Loom fixers (m ale)....................
Mule spinners (m ale)...................
Ring spinners (fem ale)...............
W arpers (fem ale).........................
Furniture:
Cabinet m akers.............................
Carriage m anufacturing:
Body m ak ers.............................

Hour
per
week

Wages
per
week.

$24.69
25.35
15.52
18.86

55
55
55
55

$31. 85

50

16.20
25.05

50
50

14.20
1 3 .30

60
57J

1 4 .0 5
1 4 . SO

45
50

21.00

54

19. 50
24.75
24.00
19. 50
22.00

60
55
59]
60
55

24.00

50

22.50

50

4. 50
50
35. 00
48
30.00 L 49|
1 5 .00
50
28. 50
48
35. 00
49.]
M. 50
50
24. 75
48

T rim m ers...................................
Boots and shoes:
C u tters.....................................

%
Finish p,rs

2

Packers. . .
D r iv e rs . . .

Pulp and paper:
Grinder m e n ............................
Machi n e op orators
B eater m e n __ _
Screen m e n ..........
Lum bering and sawmilling:
Choppers.................................
F alters.......................................
B and saw yers..........................
Edgers.........................................
Filers........................
1 Per day.

25. 20
2. 40
19. 50
2. 63
2.48
2. 56-, 57
Cio

1 7 .0 0
1 4 .0 0
2.47

30.00
.65-, 67
36.10
29.00
27.50
26.60
23.00
25.18
2.47

72
72
72
48
48
48
48
72

3 75.00

Hour;
per
week

$2 2 . 7 7

Wages
per
week.

Hours
per
week

50
50
50

1 5 .2 0

14.23

✓

2.58

50
50
47] . . .
50
50
47]
50
47]
50"

....

......

.

1
..........

48
... 1
........1

.....
3 75.00

60
60
53

Wages
per
week.

1

Last.ers

Meat packing:
Slaughterers.................................

Hour
per
week

18.00
1 4 . 50

3 Per hour.

' 1......................
........j.......................

3 7 5 .0 0

60
60

1........

................. 1
1

3.5CP3.75 J

8 $145.00
i$5. 50-8.50
1 10.00-11.00
1 7.00-8.00
54
1 4. 0 0

54-60
54-60
54

* Per m onth.

Wag es of Woman Workers in Mexico.

N THE December, 1920, issue of “ Gaceta Mensual,” published by
the Mexican Department of Labor, is an account of an investiga­
tion undertaken to show the need of a minimum wage for woman
workers.
It was found that in the clothing and allied industries the mini­
mum weekly wages range from 2 to 10 pesos ($1 to $4.99, par) and
the maximum from 6 to 30 pesos ($2.99 to $14.96, par). The higher
figures are for masters or very skilled journeywomen who work by
the job and have helpers under them. The average wage is said to
be between 5 and 6 pesos ($2.49 and $2.99, par). The factories mak­
ing army clothing pay from 3.£0 to 6 pesos ($1.74 to $2.99, par),

I


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[1003]

MONTHLY LABOIi REVIEW.

80

the average being 4 pesos (11.99, par). Factories making wax tapers
pay the lowest wages—from 1.20 to 12 pesos (SO.60 to $5.98, par),
although practically the same situation prevails in the mattress,
hosiery, and confectionery industries. A daily wage of 1.38 to 2.26
pesos (10.69 to $1.13, par) prevails in the cigar industry. In home
work because of the greater competition the wages are said to be
lower and the fatigue greater.
Recommendation is made for a minimum weekly wage of 12.56
pesos ($6.26, par) for woman workers, based on a budget including
only absolute necessities, such as food, clothing, rent, medical care
and medicine, light, and savings.
Wages on Government Railroad in Ecuador.

/C U R R E N T wage rates in force on the railroad now being conI ^ structed by the Ecuadorian Government from Quito to Esmeraldas, taken from the report of the Minister of Public Works,
are presented in the following table, which has been forwarded to
the bureau, through the Department of State, by the United States
consul general at Guayaquil:
M O N T H L Y W A G ES C U R R E N T ON G O V ER N M E N T R A IL R O A D IN E C U A D O R IN 1921.
[1 sucre at p a r =48.67 cents.]

O ccupation.

Superintendent-auditors............................
Storekeeper-assistants to superintendent
A ssistants to su perintendent (in th e
n o rth )..........................................................
P o rte rs............................................................
A ssistan t au d ito rs.......................................
A m anuenses.................................................
Treasurer-collectors....................................
A uditor-secretaries.....................................
T ax collectors...............................................
Inspectors of beer t a x ................................
Subinspectors..............................................
W atchm en....................................................
A ssistants to cen tral board s e c re ta ry .. .
Surgeons........................................................
T im ekeepers................................................
A ssistant tim ekeepers................................
Inspectors of m aterials..............................
Paym aster-storekeepers (northern sec­
tion) ...........................................................

R ate of
pay.Sucres.
400
100
120
30
100
60
300
150
C1)

60
40-50
40
70
170
100
70
90-100
130

Occupation.

R ate of
pay.

Sucres.
50
Telegraph operators.....................................
Chief engineers............................................... 1,300
500
Section chief engineers.................................
A ssistant engineers....................................... 325-330
200
D raftsm en ......................................................
82
Supervisors.....................................................
24
Subbosses of m asonry..................................
2 2.50
Subsupervisors..............................................
22
Section forem en.............................................
2 1
A ssistant section forem en...........................
2
.80-1.00
Peons...............................................................
2 1
Masons ..........................................................
2 1.90
B lacksm iths...................................................
2 1.80
C arp en ters............. ........................................
21
Camp h elp ers.................................................
2 .8 O
F lag m en ..........................................................
2.90
D rillers ..........................................................
2 .8 O
Shovelers ......................................................
2 2.00
C hain an d tra n s it m e n ................................
2 1.00
Surveyors’ peon helpers..............................

1 T ax collectors are paid a percentage (from 5 to 6 per cent) of th e ir collections.
2 P er day.

Wages are calculated on the basis of 26 actual working days;
night work and holidays are paid at the same rate.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[10041

WAGES AND HOUES OF LABOE.

81

Wag es and Cost of Living in Austria.

presented by the Austrian Trade-Union Commission
IN toA memorial
the International Trade-Union Congress in London in Novem­

b e r / with the object of informing the labor world of the eco­
nomic distress of Austria, figures were given showing that the wage
increases granted to Austrian workers since the outbreak of the war
are wholly insufficient to meet the enormously increased cost of living.
According to the memorial the average weekly wage rates of skilled
and unskilled workers of both sexes before the outbreak of the war
and in October, 1920, were the following:
average

w eekly

w age

rates

of

s k il l e d

and

u n s k il l e d

w orkers

at

S P E C IF IE D D A TES.
[1 krone a t par=20.3 cents.]

K in d of worker.
Males:
H ighly skilled........................
Skilled...............
Semiskiiled............
U nskilled........
Females:
H ighly skilled........................
Skilled..........................
U nskilled.....................

July,
1914.

October,
1920.

Kronen.
50
36
26
20

Kronen.
1,100
850
650
550

30
20
12

600
400
300

Thus wages have on an average increased 20 to 25 times since
July, 1914. Measured in kronen each worker receives a large sum
on pay day. The purchasing power of Austrian money has, however,
fallen immensely. While in 1914 a skilled worker could purchase
with his weekly wage of 36 kronen ($7.31 par) 120 liters (31.7 gallons)
of milk or 18.5 kilograms (40.8 pounds) of meat, his weekly wage
of 850 kronen ($172.55, par) in October, 1920, was only equivalent
to^the cost of 81 liters (21.4 gallons) of milk or of 7.08 kilograms
(15.6 pounds) of meat. These data demonstrate more clearly than
any lengthy argument the insufficiency of present day wages in
Austria._ Thu prices of rationed foodstuffs were on an average 44
times higher in Austria in October, 1920, than in October, 1913,
and this in spite of the fact that the Government sells nearly all
rationed foods below cost.
1 Die Gewerkschaft. V ienna, Mar. 15,1921.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[1005]

82

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

In. the following table are shown the average retail prices in
Vienna of various foodstuffs and of fuel in 1914, 1916, and 1920:
R E T A IL P R IC E S O F F O O D S T U F F S AN D F U E L IN V IE N N A , A U ST R IA , JU L Y , 1914 AND
1916, AN D O C TO B ER , 1920.
[O nekroneat p a r= 20.3 cents; 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds; l lite r = 1.06 q u arts; 1 cubic m eter=1.3 cubic yards.]

Article.

U nit.

Hoof forequarter wifh tinner
............................
Salt pork
..........................................
M utton hint!quarter
...........................................
IInrwp. m o a t...........................................................................................

K ilogram ........
........do...............
....... do................
....... do...............
........do...............
L iter.................
K ilogram ........
E ach .................
K ilogram ........
Loaf of 1] kilogram.
K ilogram ........
....... do...............
....... do...............
....... do...............
....... do ...............
........do...............
........do...............
L ite r.................
K ilogram .........
....... d o .-i..........
L iter.................
Cubic m e te r...
100 kilogram s..
........do...............

Mil hr
.........................................................
"Rutter eating, o r d in a r y ...................................................................
pi ergq fresh
...............................................................
W heat flour .
.................................................................
B r e a d ....................................................................................................
P otato es................................................................................................
Onions
_. .
.......................................................................
Dentils B. . . , __T_r ....................... ...................................... .............
Peas
..................................................... .
Su ear, loaf
.- „ - t.................................................................
Mai 7.0.
. . ,...................T............................................
Coffee ro a ste d ......................................................................................
Beer
.............................................................
Cheese h a r d ....
.............................................................
Sauerkraut - .............................................................
Petroleum T....
.............................................................
H ard wo id r T .
....................................................................
H ard co al..............................................................................................
Lign ite
........................ . . . __ . . . . . . . . . .

July,
1914.

July,
1916.

O ctober,
1920.

Kronen. Kronen. Kronen.
120.00
9. 20
1.95
160.00
2.00
9.40
95.00
1.92
85.00
1.05
180.00
10.00
1.90
.52
10. 50
.30
8.00
240.00
3.20
.29
12.00
.07
.44
11.00
6.00
.32
.56
.24
.40
.64
.48
.84
.16
5.00
.32
2.50
.25
.26
4.16
2. 56

.18
1.32
1.02

.48
26.00
5.60
4.20

7.20
11.00
56.00
56.00
46.00
11.00
200. 00
8.40
210.00
6. 00
20.00
300.00

The metal workers claimed in November, 1920, that the minimum
living wage for a married worker was 2,000 kronen ($406, par) a
week. On December 9 they secured a revision of time and piece­
work rates, raising the former by 450 to 750 kronen ($91.35 to $152.25,
par) per week, the probable aggregate earnings of skilled workers
being 1,500 to 2,000 kronen ($304.50 to $406, par) per week, as com­
pared with 40 or 50 kronen ($8.12 or $10.15, par) in 1914.2
Miners, according to the Neue Freie Presse in a review of the
year 1920, are earning 150 to 300 kronen ($30.45 to $60.90, par) a
day, as against 4.32 kronen (88 cents, par) in 1914.
Other rates, recently fixed, include the following:
H O U R L Y AND W E E K L Y W A G E R A T E S IN S P E C IF IE D O CCU PA TIO N S IN A U STR IA .
[One k ro n e a t par=20.3 cents.]

Occupation.

C arp en ters’ h e lp e rs..........................
Cap m akers, women, m achine
sew ers...............................................
C ap m ak ers, women, h a n d sew ers.
F u r w o rk ers,m en ..............................
F u r w orkers, w om en........................
B akers..................................................
B akery laborers.................................
B read deliverers.................................
Pian o m akers (for 48 h o u rs)..........

W eekly wage
rates.
Kronen.
1,200
880
572 to 1,295

O ccupation.

Electric fitters, skilled......................
Electric fitte rs ’ unskilled.................
Glass c u tte rs .......................................
Sign p a in te rs .....................................

488 to 996
290 to 765
428 to 1,224
261 to 540
1,519 to 1,602
620 to 650
760 to 890
1,600

2 Labor Overseas, London, Oetober-D ecem ber, 1920, p. 57.


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[1006]

H ourly wage
rates.
Kronen.
21.10 to 29. 40
23. 40 to 27.10
19. 00 to 29.00
15. 00 to 22.00

83

WAGES AND HOUES OF LABOR.

At the beginning of December, 1920, mercantile clerks in Vienna
obtained a 60 per cent increase in wages, with a minimum of 1,280
kronen ($259.84, par) a month; it was stated that 3,342 adult clerks
had been receiving less than 800 kronen ($162.40, par) a month.
In ladies' tailoring, after having been granted a 60 per cent wage
increase in October, men were being paid 914 kronen ($185.54, par)
a week, and women 245 to 694 kronen ($49.74 to $140.88, par);
in men’s tailoring piece rates have risen 17 to 19^ fold since 1911;
in both branches of tailoring further advances of 40 to 60 per cent
were granted in December.

Trend of Wages in Denmark, 1914 to 1920.1

HE following tables, prepared by the statistical division of the
Danish Employers’ Association and published in Arbejdsgivern, the organ of the association, for January 14, 1921
(pp. 9, 10), shows average hourly wages in Copenhagen and the
Provinces for the seven-year period 1914 to 1920, and the percentage
increases over 1914 in each year, 1915 to 1920.

T

H O U R L Y W A GES IN D E N M A R K , 1914 TO 1920.
[1 ore a t p a r= 0.268 cent.]
Average h o urly wages i n Locality, a n d k in d of worker.
1914

1915

1916

1917

1918

1919

1920

Skilled workers, m ale............................................
Unskilled workers, m ale.......................................
W om an workers......................................................

Ore.
67.1
47.5
32.3

Ore.
73.5
57.0
34.6

Ore.
80.7
63.3
37.9

Ore.
87.9
69.5
41.2

Ore.
115.3
92.3
56.7

Ore.
191. 3
158.2
90.8

Ore.
255.3
206.3
125.8

Average, all w orkers...................................

54.4

61.4

67.5

73.7

99.8

157.7

209.3

Skilled workers, m ale............................................
U nskilled workers, m ale.......................................
W om an workers......................................................

54.8
40.8
25.7

59.5
48.0
30.1

64.6
52.3
34.2

69.8
56.7
38.3

91.8
73.1
49.1

156.3
134.4
81.7

207.3
172.8
115.0

Average, all w orkers...................................

44.9

51.3

56.2

61.1

80.0

137.5

180.7

Skilled w ork ers,m ale............................................
U nskilled workers, m ale.................................
W om an w orkers......................................................

61.3
45.5
29.6

66.7
51.5
32.7

72.9
56.6
36.4

79.1
61.7
40.1

105.3
80.8
54.4

174.3
142.8
87.7

231.8
186.5
122.8

Average, all workers...................................

50.2

56.2

61.8

67.9

91.0

147.3

195.5

Copenhagen.

Provinces.

Entire country.

1 R ecent wage scales in D enm ark, by occupation, w ere published in th e Monthly L abor R eview for
December, 1920 (pp. 86-89).


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[1007]

84

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

Percentage increases over 1914 in each year, 1915 to 1920, are
shown in the next table for the whole country:
P E R C EN T O F IN C R E A SE IN H O U R L Y W A GES IN EA C H Y E A R . 1915 TO 1929, O V ER 1914,
IN D EN M A R K .
K in d of worker.

1916

1915

1917

1919

1918

1920

Skilled workers, m ale.....................................
U nskilled workers, m a le ................................
W om an w o rk ers...............................................

8.8
13.2
10.5

18.9
24.4
23.0

29.0
35.6
35.5

71.8
77.6
83.8

184.3
213.8
196.3

278.1
309.9
314.9

Average, a ll workers.............................

12.0

23.1

34.7

81.3

193.4

289.4

The report states that the increase has been granted for women
and unskilled laborers because of the fact that their wages in 1914
were small compared with wages for skilled workers.

Wages in France.1

1 ¥ /AGES of building workers in Paris show a considerable increase
\ ./ y
in 1920 over the wTages prevailing in 1913, and in addition to
the large increase in the hourly rate a monthly bonus of 20
francs (S3.86, par) is allowed to heads of families for each child under
14 years of age and beginning with the third child 30 francs ($5.79, par)
is allowed. The following table shows the basic rates of wages of
building workers in different occupations in 1913 and 1920 and the
per cent of increase. The basic rates are in most cases minimum rates.
BASIC H O U R L Y R A T E S OP W A GES OF B U IL D IN G W O R K E R S IN PA R IS IN 1913 AND
IN 1920.
[1 franc a t par=19.3 cents; 1 centim e a t par=0.193 eent.'l
O ccupation.

N avvies.............................................
Journeym en m asons......................
Structural-iron workers.................
P a in te rs............................................
B ricklayers.......................................

Per cent
of increase.

1913

1920

Centimes.
80
95
80
85
SO to 100

Francs.
3
3
3

275
215
275

3

215

The salaries of Government employees as exemplified in the salary
scale for employees of the Ministry of Justice also show large increases
over the 1914 rates, especially for the lower paid workers. In addition
to salaries a uniform cost-of-living bonus of 720 francs ($138.96, par)
is given, and to heads of families a rent bonus of 1,200 francs
($231.60, par) as well as a monthly bonus of 30 francs ($5.79, par)
for each child under the age of 16 years and of 40 francs ($7.72, par)
beginning with the fourth child.
The following table shows the salaries of different grades of em­
ployees in 1914, 1918, and 1920, and the percentage of increase in
1920 over 1914:
1 Le Musée Social, Paris. Mémoires et docum ents, I er Janvier 1921, No. 1, pp. 33, 31.


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[10081

WAGES AND HOUES OF LABOR.

85

SA L A R IE S O F E M P L O Y E E S OF T H E M IN IST R Y O F JU STIC E , 1914, 1918, AN D 1920.
[1 franc a t par=19.3 cents.]

Grade of employees.

Directors.
B ureau chiefs:
Special class.
F irst c la ss...
Second class.
Third class..
F ourth class.
Subchiefs:
Special class.
F irst class. . .
Second class.
T hird class..
Principalclerks:
Special class.
F irst class__
Second class.
Third class..
Clerks:
F irst class__
Second class.
T hird class...
A ssistants............

1918

July 1,
1914.

Francs.
30,000
27,500
25,000

Francs.
0)
G)
0)

Francs.
15,000
13,500
13,500

18,000
17,000
16,000
15,000
14,000

12,000
11,000
10,000
9,000
8,000

10,000
9,000
8,000
7,000

so
88
100
114
2 75

14,000
13,000
12,000
11,000

8,000
7,000
6,500
6,000

6,500
5,000
5,500
5,000

115
116
118
120

(3)
11,000
10,000
9,000

6,000
5,500
5,000
4,500

5,000
4,500
4,000

8,000
7,000

4,000
3.500
3,000
2.500

3, .500
3,000

128
133

1,500

300

6,000

1 No change.

2 191S taken as base.

Per cent
of in ­
crease in
1920 over
.1914.

1920

100
10S
85

144
150
2 100

3 Special class abolished.

Agricultural Wage Scales in France Based on Price of Wheat.1

A

Is UN USUAL method of fixing a wage scale is that adopted by

a French agricultural society at the beginning of last summer’s
harvest when the proprietors were threatened by a strike
among the workers, which was checked as a result of this action.
The scale for farm laborers not receiving board and lodging or
other compensation was fixed at 15 francs ($2.90, par) a day if the
selling price of wheat was 100 francs ($19.30, par) per hundredweight,
increasing or decreasing by 0.50 franc (9.7 cents, par) per day for
each 5 francs (96.5 cents, par) that the price of wheat was raised or
lowered, the minimum pay being 12 francs ($2.32, par) ner day.
The monthly rate was fixed at 440 francs ($84.92, par) with wheat
at 100 francs, increasing or diminishing by 15 francs ($2.90, par) for
each 5-franc change in the price. Following is the daily and monthly
scale agreed upon:
D A IL Y AN D M O N T H LY R A T E S O F W A GES O F FA RM L A B O R E R S , B A SED ON PR IC E OF
W HEAT.
[1 fran c a t par=19.3 cents.]
Price of w heat per
hundredw eight.
Francs.
70 to 74
75 to 79
80 to 84
85 to 89
90 to 94
95 to 99
100 to 104
le coure du bfe^11


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

D aily ra te of M onthly ra te
wages.
of wages.
Francs.
12.00
12.50
13.00
13.50
14.00
14.50
15.00

B u lletin ’ N ov-'J)cc-> 192°-

[1009]

Francs.
350
365
380
395
410
425
440
F ix atio n d ’une échelle de salaires d ’après

86

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,

For all kinds of woman labor the rate without board and lodging
or other compensation was fixed at 0.80 franc (15.4 cents, par) per
hour. Monthly laborers in addition to their wages are given a
garden of 500 square meters (5,382 sq. ft.) plowed and fertilized by
the employer and a bonus of 100 francs ($19.30, par) is given for a
year’s continuous work to those employees not receiving board.
Extra compensation is given for the harvest season and the bonuses
for cutting and other harvest bonuses are continued.
Wages in Various industries in Germany in 1920.
Iron and Metal Industry.1

HE following table, giving average wages in the iron and metal
industry in Germany in February, 1920, was prepared by the
Statistische Reichsamt and covers the wages of 783,940 work­
men in 3,185 establishments:

T

A V ER A G E TIM E AND P IE C E W O R K W A GES A N I) E A R N IN G S IN T H E IR O N AND M ETA L
IN D U S T R Y IN G ER M A N Y IN F E B R U A R Y , 1920, B Y CITY .
[1 m ark a t par=23.8 cents.]
Turners.

Borers.

City.

Average
wage per
hour.

Average
earnings
d uring 4
weeks.

A verage
wage per
hour.

Average
earnings
during 4
weeks.

E ngine fitters.

A verage
wage per
hour.

Average
earnings
during 4
weeks.

Time Piece Tim e Piece Tim e Piece Tim e Piece Tim e Piece Tim e Piece
work. work. work. work. work. work. work. work. work. work. work. work.
Mks.
3.45
3.27
3. 82
3.26
2.83
3.29
2.76
3.76
3.53
3.94
3.54
3.16
3.48
3.38
3.56
2.71
2.06
3.13
4.14
3.16
M annheim .............................. 4.53
Kiftl ....................................... 3.44
R em scheid.............................. 3.39

B erlin......................................
H am b u rg ................................
Cologne...................................
M unich....................................
Leipzig.....................................
D resden...................................
B reslau ....................................
E ssen .......................................
Frankfort on th e M ain........
Düsseldorf..............................
‘Mnrp.mhp.rg... ....................
H an o v er.................................
S tu ttg art.................................
C hem nitz................................
D o rtm u n d ..............................
M agdeburg.............................
Königsberg.............................
B rem en...................................
D uisburg.................................

M ks. Mks. Mks. Mks.
696 3.79
3.81
627
653 3.39
3.50
589
774 3.84
4.14
718
4.05
713 3.57
568
617 3.00
3.50
492
4.02
707 3.49
564
3.24
521
611 2. 68
796 3.74
710
4.22
3.73
644 3.25
631
4.33
736
821 4.11
735 3.87
4.23
636
3.65
588
664 3.50
4,12
615
728 3.85
595
755 3.39
4.40
761 3.45
4.10
666
3.09
510
583 2.91
504 2.42
2.64
458
3.42
623 3.24
583
4.35
772
829 4.25
3.54
603
684 3.16
980 4.68
5.18
857
632
683 3.50
3.61
779 3.42
640
4.09

Mks. Mks. Mks. M ks.
697
703 3.47
3.89
4.02
746 3.48
633
4.29
717
808 3.89
4.19
612
718 3.78
3.70
527
647 3.18
4.38
611
762 3.85
3.30
503
623 2.83
4.15
783 4.04
701
596
685 3.57
4.04
767
821 4.18
4.44
675
762 4.03
4.50
644
723 3.36
3.94
752 3.82
4.26
081
582
779 3.78
4.48
775 4.16
4.14
668
551
630 3.04
3.34
466 2.37
2.57
482
606 3.29
3.38
568
802
864 4.21
4.60
585
743 3.19
3.96
5.41
877
988 3.91
700 3.51
643
3.78
809 3.64
4.34
638

Mks. Mks. M ks.
722
3.97
658
707
669
3.70
762
4.18
769
704
728
4.28
702
3.89
585
790
705
4.31
687
3.74
580
845
776
4.40
660
4.14
653
893
836
4.49
805
4.34
772
657
3.55
631
761
696
4.25
4.85
682
860
829
4.02
869
587
580
3.17
475
564
2. 79
606
606
3.32
751
853
4.23
676
3.61
607
801 1,043
5.53
652
661
3.67
851
713
4.50

1 D ata from th e A m erican econom ist consul a t B erlin, dated M ar. 3, 1921, forwarded to this bureau by
th e D epartm ent of S tate.


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[1010]

WAGES AND HOUES OF LABOR.

87

A V E R A G E T IM E AND P IE C E W O R K W A G E S AN D E A R N IN G S IN T H E IR O N 4N D MFTAT
IN D U S T R Y IN G ER M A N Y IN F E B R U A R Y , 1920, B Y C ITY —Concluded.
‘ " ‘

Locksmiths'.
Average
wages per
hour.

Average
earnings
during 4
weeks.

Toolmakers.
Average
wage per
hour.

Average
earnings
during 4
weeks.

Time Piece Time Piece Time Piece Time
work work. work work work work. work. work.
B erlin.............................
H am b u rg ......................
Cologne..........................
M unich..........................
Leipsic............................
D resden.............
B reslau..........................
E ssen .............................
Frankfort on th e "Main
Düsseldorf.....................
N urem berg....................
H anover.....................
S tu ttg a rt.............. . " ”
C hem nitz.......................
D o rtm u n d .....................
Magdeburg....................
Königsberg.....................
B rem en...........................
D uisburg....................... '
S te ttin .............................
M annheim .....................
K iel..................................
Rem scheid......................

M s.
3. 61
3.37
3. 85
3.63
3.02
3.66
2. 69
3.78
3.64
4.08
3.91
3.17
3.99
3.31
3.62
2.94
2.26
3.20
4.24
3.37
4.50
3.52
3.72

M ks.
4.02
3.73
4.24
4.41
3.58
4.18
3.49
4 .14,
4.16
4.69
4.50
3.89
4.17
4.52
4.07
3.31
2.79
3.35
3.97
3.73
5.38
3.71
4.85

Mks. Mks. Mks. Mks. M ks.
675
733 3.81 3.96
694
723
652
709 3.49 3.74
654
729
731
792 4.05 4.56
766
856
634
755 3.72 4.12
665
703
531
630 2.98 3.15
520
553
648
730 4.06 4.51
696
821
519
649 2.92 3.24
582
606
717
779 3.93 4.28
738
809
648
725 3.67 4.41
592
759
766
874 4.37 4.73
815
889
666
770 3.86 4.45
695
770
588
710 3.38 3.76
618
693
704
743 4.00 4.07
712
723
580
789 3.73 4.55
643
797
698
794 3. 79 4.16
723
797
545
622 3.05 3.32
577
Oil
445
519 2.39 2.57
374
490
579
606 3.10 3.80
570
706
818
728 3.71 4.12
737
790
642
699 4.24 3.51
782
672
847 L, 007 4.94 5.55
926 1,047
651
698 3.55 3.73
665
'691
712
898 3.76 4.87
715
897

A c o m p a r is o n o f th e s e fig u r e s w it h th e c o s t o f liv in g in F e b r u a r y ,

1920, m a y b e h a d b y r e fe r e n c e to a ta b le s h o w in g c h a n g e s in c o s t o f
liv in g fo r a f a m ily o f fiv e p e r so n s in m o s t o f th e c it ie s n o te d h e r e ,
p u b lis h e d in theM oN TH LY L a b o r R e v ie w fo r A p r il, 1921 (p p . 55 to 57.

The Statistische Reichsamt has summed up the comparison between
these wage statistics and the figures on the cost of living in the follow­
ing words:
The official figures on the cost of living for the month of February, exclusive of
clothing, amounts in Mannheim for a family of five people to 580 marks [$138.04 pari.
Lhe average earnings in Mannheim in comparison with the cost of living were more
than sufficient. It must be remembered that these wage earners include male workers
over 18, many of whom were unmarried or married with families of less than five. Tn
addition to Mannheim the average earnings were higher than the cost of livinv in
Cologne, Düsseldorf, Remscheid, Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart, and Berlin (with
the exception m Berlin of the wages for borers for time-work). The wages in com­
parison with the cost of living in Königsberg were much less favorable. In that city
the cost of living (558 marks [$132.80, par]) was slightly exceeded only by the engine
litters m piecework. In other groups, especially in the case of the toolmakers, the
average earnings both for time and piece work were considerably below the cost of
average earnings were below the cost of living in Hamburg, Frankfort on
the Mam, and Bremen (except for the toolmakers in piecework in Bremen) * * *t
On the whole wages in the iron and metal industry appear to be sufficient, especially
in bouth Germany and in the Rhenish Westphalian industrial region, while in North
Germany and the Hansa towns they are less favorable.
Textile industry.

W A G E S in the textile industry of Germany in February, 1920,
have been secured by the Statistische Reichsamt from 1,327
establishments hiring 222,820 employees, and have been communi
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[1011J

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

cated to this bureau through the Department of State by the Ameri­
can economist consul at Berlin under date of March 10, 1921. Of the
total number of employees only 16,144 are covered in the reports
obtained, 42 per cent being males and 58 per cent females.
Fiftyseven per cent of the males and 53 per cent of the females were piece­
workers. Detail statistics show that the wages and earnings varied
greatly from place to place. The following table shows the average
hourly wages and the earnings for a single month for male and female
time and piece workers in specified occupations:
A V ER A G E H O U R L Y W AGES AND EA R N IN G S F O R A M ON TH O F M ALE AND FEM A LE
T E X T IL E W O R K E R S IN G ER M A N Y IN F E B R U A R Y , 1920.
[1 m ark a t par=23.8 cents.]
E arnings for a m onth.

H ourly wages.

Finishers.......
C arders..........
Shearers.........
Spinners........
W eavers........

Females.

Males.

Females.

Males.

Occupation.
Time­
work.

Piece­
work.

Time­
work.

Piece­
work.

Tim e­
work.

Piece­
work.

Time­
work.

Piece­
work.

Marks.
2.08 to 4.00
1.96 to 3.61
2.00 to 3.77
2.23 to 3.91
1.98 to 3.87

Marks.
2.67 to 3.85
3.10 to 3.37
2.77 to 4.47
2.15 to 3.80
2.60 to 5.14

Marks.
1.34 to 2.42
1.50 to 2,57
2.00 to 2.70
1.36 to 2.49
1.38 to 3.00

Marks.
1.66 to 3.02
1.98 to 2.89
1.74 to 3.63
1.45 to 2.59
1.34 to 3.52

Marks.
390 to 667
347 to 661
368 to 672
429 to 706
343 to 614

Marks.
465 to 708
584 to 621
479 to 773
360 to 662
471 to 944

Marks.
256 to 416
250 to 454
345 to 492
229 to 448
241 to 544

Marks.
193 to 512
352 to 463
296 to 613
253 to 459
227 to 585

Miscellaneous Industries.

on “ the industrial and economic situation in Germany
A REPORT
in December, 1920,” made by the commercial secretary of the
British embassy in Berlin to the British Department of Overseas
Trade, contains among other things data on wages in various indus­
tries in Germany, based on collective agreements concluded during
1920.
It is stated that the following hourly wage rates 1 in machinery
industries, in foundries, in locomotive and car works and allied indus­
tries, and in enameling works have been in force in the Dusseldorf
district since April, 1920, and that they can be taken as representing
the average, although, if anything, they may be slightly higher than
those paid in other districts.
Class 1.—Skilled workers having a certificate of proficiency, who pan
prove to have had a long and varied experience and practical training,
capable of working independently in their trade (doubtful cases are
decided by a commission of experts):
Marks.

Males over 25 years of age...................................................................
Males 21 to 25 years of age...................................... ............... - ..........
Males up to 21 years of age who have finished their apprentice­
ship...................................................................................................
Class 2.—Skilled workers without a certificate of proficiency :
Males over 25 years of age..................................................................
Males over 21 to 25 years of age......................................................
Males over IS to 21 years of age......................................................
Males o ver 17 to 19 years of age.................................. ..................
i All wage rates are quoted in m arks (1 m ark a t par=23.8 cents).


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tl0 1 2 ]

4.30 to 4.50
3. 70 to 4.30
2. 90 to 3.20
4.10 to 4.30
3.60 to 4.10
2.80 to 3.10
2.50 to 2.80

WAGES AUD HOURS OE LABOR.
Class 3 .—Semiskilled workers:

Males over 25 years of age...........................................................................
Males over 21 to 25 years of age.................................................................
Males over 19 to 21 years of age..................................................................
Males over 17 to 19 years of age.................................................................
Class 4 -—Unskilled workers (helpers):
Males over 21 years of age............................................................................
Males over 18 to 21 jeara of age..................................................................
Males over 16 to 18 years of age..................................................................
Males over 14 to 16 years of age..................................................................

89
Marks.
3. 85 to 4. 05
3. 55 to 3.85
2.70 to 3.00
2.40 to 2. 70
3. 55 to
2.70 to
2.40 to
1.90 to

3.85
3.00
2. 70
2.20

F em a le workers doing men’s work receive 20 per cent less than do male

workers of the same class.
S p ecia l fe m a le workers, including japanners, edgers, electro-oxyacetylene

welders, assemblers, printers, machine workers, cleaners in pickling
shops (plus 10 pfennigs [2.4 cents, par] per hour bonus, apron, and
clogs), and sprayers:
Females over 21 years of age....................................................................... 2.50 to 2. 70
Females over 18 to 21 years of age............................................................. 1.90 to 2.10
Females over 16 to 18 years of age............................................................. 1.70 to 1.90
Females over 14 to 16 years of age........................................................." 1.40 to 1 .60
F em a le u n s k ille d workers (helpers ).—To these belong cleaners, washers,
packers, and other helpers:
Females over 21 years of age...................................................................... 2.40 to 2.61
Females over 18 to 21 years of age............................................................. 1.80 to 2 .00
Females over 16 to 18 years of age............................................................. 1.60 to l . 80
Females over 14 to 16 years of age............................................................. 1.30 to l! 60
S p e c i a l p r o v i s i o n s .— A c h ild a llo w a n c e o f 1 m a r k p e r s h if t is p a y a b le
fo r a ll c h ild r e n u p to th e a g e o f 14 y e a r s, in c lu s iv e , or to th e a g e o f
16 y e a r s , in c lu s iv e , if s t ill a t s c h o o l.
F o r e m e n r e c e iv e a n h o u r ly b o n u s o f n o t le s s th a n 2 0 p fe n n ig s (4 .8
c e n ts , p ar) if w o r k in g o n p ie c e w o r k , a n d o f n o t le s s t h a n 4 0 p fe n n ig s ,
(9 .5 c e n ts ) if n o t w o r k in g o n p ie c e w o r k .
T h e c o s t - o f - liv in g b o n u s w a s in c r e a s e d b e g in n in g w it h A p r il 16,
1 9 2 0 . T h e h o u r ly b o n u s r a te s in fo r c e are:
Mark.

Males over 14 to 16 years of age....................................................................... 0.20
Males over 16 to 18 years of age.............................................................................. 30
Males over 18 years of age........................................................................................ 40
Males over 19 years of age........................................................................................ 60
Males over 20 years of age........................................................................................ 80
Males over 21 years of age.................................................................................. 1.00
Females over 25 years
of age....................................................................... 80
Females over 21 to 25
years of age......................................................... 50
Females over 18 to 21
years of age......................................................... 30
Females over 14 to 18
years of age......................................................... 20
A ll w o r k e r s a b o v e th e a g e o f 23 w h o are th e s o le s u p p o r te r s o f th e ir
f a m ily r e c e iv e a b o n u s o f 1 m a r k p e r h o u r .
W h e r e p ie c e w o r k r a te s a re r e s o r te d to , w h ic h is g e n e r a lly th e c a se ,
i t is s t a t e d t h a t t h e y a re s o fix e d t h a t a n a v e r a g e w o r k e r c a n e a rn
a t le a s t 15 p e r c e n t a b o v e h o u r ly r a te s .
G e n e r a lly i t is u n d e r s t o o d
t h a t p ie c e w o r k e a r n in g s m a y b e ta k e n to b e a b o u t 4 0 p e r c e n t h ig h e r
t h a n t h e b a s ic r a te s .
Ceramic Industry.
|N

T H I S in d u s t r y a c o lle c t iv e a g r e e m e n t c o v e r in g a ll o f G e r m a n y
h a s r e c e n t ly b e e n c o n c lu d e d . T h e v a r io u s lo c a lit ie s h a v e b e e n
g r o u p e d in t o fo u r c la s s e s a c c o r d in g to c o s t - o f - liv in g c o n d it io n s . A
s p e c ia l w a g e s c h e d u le h a s b e e n fix e d fo r e s t a b lis h m e n ts in G r e a te r
B e r lin . T h e w a g e r a te s fix e d in t h e a g r e e m e n t r e p r e s e n t m in im u m


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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW,

90

rates. Good workmen receive correspondingly higher wages. The
agreement is subject to abrogation after a fortnight’s notice, expir­
ing at the end of the month. The rates fixed are the following:
H O U R L Y MINIMUM W AGE R A TES IN T H E CERAMIC IN D U S T R Y IN GERM ANY, 1920.
[1 m ark a t par=23.8 cents.]
Localities of—
G reater
Bei lin.

K in d of workers and age group.

Skilled workers, male:
F irst year after term ination of apprenticeship —
XJp t o
y ears...............................................................
550fto 24 yp.ars.................................................................
O v e r 24 yp.ars.................................................................
Job r^t,Ps
................................- .....................
Skilled workers, female:
10 to IX yp.ars ...............................................................
IK t o 20 ypars.................................................................
O v p r 20 yp.ars.................................................................
Job rato .................................. - .................................
Unskilled workers, male:
1 0 to 1X yp.ars ...............................................................
IK to 2 0 ypars ...................................................................................
20 t o 24 yp.ars.................................................................
Over 24 y p .ars...............................................................
Job rato
.................................................................
Unskilled workers, female:
1 0 to IK yp.ars.................................................................
18 to 20 y ears.................................................................
Over 20 yp.ars . ...... ............................................................
Job r a te ..........................................................................

Class
I.

Class
II A.

Class
IIB .

Class
III.
Marks.

Marks.

Marks.

Marks.

3 .1 1
3. 72
4. 21
4 .5 1
5 .6 8

2 .5 9
3 .1 0
3 .5 1
3 .7 8
4 .7 5

2 .1 7
2 .7 0
3 .1 0
3 .3 5
4 .1 9

1 .9 6
2 .5 0
2 .9 0
3 .1 3
3 .9 1

1 .81
2 .3 0
2 .7 0
2 .9 2
3 .6 5

2 .4 5
2 .8 6
3 .2 6
4 .0 8

2 .0 1
2 .3 8
2 .7 2
3 .4 0

1 .7 0
2 .0 4
2 .3 8
2 .9 8

1 .6 2
1 .9 6
2 .3 1
2 .8 9

1 .5 3
1 .8 7
2 .1 8
2 .7 3

Marks.

2 .9 8
3 .3 4

2 .4 8
2 .7 8

2 .1 0
2 .4 0

1 .9 5
2 .2 5

1 .8 0
2 .1 0

3.70
4.03
5.04

3.08
3.36
4.20

2.70
3.00
3. 75

2.55
2.75
3.45

2.33
2.52
3.15

2.22
2.66
3. 01
3.78

1.85
2.22
2.52
3.15

1.48
1.85
2.22
2.79

1.39
1.76
2.07
2.59

1.30
1.67
1.92
2.40

Bonuses amounting to from 15 to 25 per cent of the minimum
wage rates are paid according to age, number of dependent children,
and kind of work.
Cigar Industry.

scale of pay for foremen was introduced on November 1,
A NEW
1920. The scale is a national scale. The various localities
are arranged in four classes according to population, with four groups
in each class. The minimum monthly earnings include wages and
cost-of-living bonuses.
MINIMUM M ON TH LY E A R N IN G S OF FO R EM EN IN T H E GERM AN CIGAR IN D U STRY ,
N O V EM BER 1, 1920.
[1 m ark a t par=23.8 cents.]
Group.
.

Class of towns.

Class A (over 50,000 in h a b ita n ts)........................................................
Class B (over 10,000 to 50,000 in h a b ita n ts).......................................
Class C (over 2,000 to 10,000 in h a b ita n ts)..........................................
Class D (2,000 in h ab itan ts or u n d er)..................................................


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[1014]

I

II

II I

Marks.
965
890
775
750

Marks.
1,140
1,050
915
885

Marks.
1,225
1,135
985
955

IV
Marks.
1,400
1,295
1,125
1,090

;

WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR.

91

Chocolate and Confectionery Industry.

NEW national wage agreement was concluded in this industry
on September 28, 1920. It provides minimum hourly rates
plus local allowances up to 25 per cent. In Berlin the rates per hour
are :
r
A

Skilled workers over 23 years of age___
Skilled workers 20 to 23 years of age___
Skilled workers under 20 years of a g e...
Unskilled workers over 23 years of age..
Unskilled workers 20 to 23 years of age..
Unskilled workers 18 to 20 years of age.,
Unskilled workers 16 to 18 years of age..
Unskilled workers under 16 years of age
Female workers over 20 years of a g e .. . .
Female workers 18 to 20 years of age___
Female workers 16 to 18 years of age___
Female workers under 16 years of a g e ...

Marks.

5.62
5.25
4.62
5.31
5.00
4.05
3.37
2.50
2.94
2.62
2.37
2.00

Clothing Industry, and Municipal Workers.

P

clothing industry the award of an arbitration board intro­
duced a new grouping and new wage rates. It is remarkable
how wide the discrepancy m pay is, the wage differing according to
the locality m which the worker lives. Thus the hourly wage in the
highest wage class of men’s tailors is 6.30 marks ($1.50, par) in Berlin
6 marks ($1.43, par) in Cologne, and 3.60 marks (85.7 cents, par) in
the towns in which the cost of living is considered the lowest.
An official notice as to the wages of municipal workmen in Berlin
which was published in the press at the beginning of November of last
year, shows that the following hourly rates are being paid:
Marks.

Unskilled workers, unmarried..
Unskilled workers, married__
Skilled workmen, unmarried...
Skilled workmen, married.......
Specialist workmen, unmarried
Specialist workmen, married...

4. 69
4. 93
4. 88
5.12
5.17
5. 44

The last rate on the basis of a 48-hour week equals 12,533.76 marks
($2,983.03, par) per annum. “ Heavy” workers (those performing
particularly arduous duties) receive 10 pfennigs (2.4 cents, par) per
hour more. For night work (i. e., any work done between 6 p. m. and
6 a. m.) the above rates are increased by 25 per-cent; for Sunday work
the increase is 50 per cent.
The municipal workmen enjoy certain privileges. They receive
sick pay in full for the first 26 weeks, and if treated in a home they
receive sick pay in full for an unlimited period. They are granted
annual leave the duration of which increases with each year of em­
ployment and in the fourth year amounts to four weeks. They are
entitled to a pension.

44130°—21------7

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[1015]

M O N T H L Y LABOE EE V IE W .

92

Payment-in-Kind Scheme Proposed by German Economist.1

D

URING the last two years there has been a phenomenal increase
in Germany in the prices of all necessaries of life. This increase
is chiefly due to the depreciation of German money, which in
turn has its cause in the issuance of masses of paper currency without
a corresponding increase in the production of goods. The steady
upward trend of prices as a matter of course forced workers to make
continuous demands for wage increases. But no sooner had the
workers obtained an increase of wages than all the gain made by
them was entirely wiped out by a further increase of prices, for every
increase of wages was accompanied by a threefold increase of prices.
Thus, the purchasing power of wages decreased with every increase
of wages.
This state of things has suggested to Dr. H. Potthoff of Munich a
scheme which involves réintroduction of the old system of payment
of wages in kind. In “ Arbeitsrecht,” a periodical published by him,
he says that in Russia, where money to-day has hardly any purchasing
power, payment of wages in kind is now being resorted to universally.
The Russian system rests, however, upon different bases than those
upon which the capitalistic economic system is built. Dr. Potthoff’s
scheme differs from the system of former times, and, of course, also
from the Russian system, in that it presupposes a community of
interests of employers and workers which should act as an incentive
for both to make energetic efforts to stabilize prices and thus insure
to wages a stable purchasing power.
Dr. Potthoff proposes that in the future collective agreements shall
not only fix wages for a rather long period, but that at the same time
they shall also fix the prices at which the more important necessaries
of life shall be sold. In other words, the employer shall assure to the
workers not only a fixed nominal wage, but a real wage, by guarantee­
ing the purchasing value of the wages and assuming the risk of future
price increases.
According to Dr. Potthoff’s scheme the employers would jointly
buy, through their trade organizations, all the necessaries required by
their workers. The various employers’ trade organizations conclude
mutual agreements that they will furnish to each other their own
products at fixed prices or under conditions fixed in advance. Thus the
shoe manufacturers’ association would obligate itself to furnish under
fixed conditions, to all other employers’ trade organizations a certain
quantity of boots and shoes of specified quality for their salaried
employees and manual workers. The shoe manufacturers’ associa­
tion would in turn be entitled to delivery by the brewers’ association
of a fixed quantity of beer at fixed prices, to delivery by the white
goods manufacturers’ association of a fixed quantity of bed sheets,
and so on. Delivery of and settlement for the goods would be effected
through a central clearing house in order to save transportation
as much as possible, and to avoid cash settlement of accounts. The
workers would be represented in the management of the clearing
house. If this scheme were adopted the wage system would gradually
undergo a change. Ultimately wage agreements would no longer
i K orrespondenzBlatt.


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B erlin, Oct. 30,1920.

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WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR.

93

provide fixed wages and guarantee the prices of necessaries, but
would stipulate direct compensation in kind. Dr. Potthoff also
suggests that there is nothing to prevent employers from using the
large consumers* cooperative societies as agencies for the provision
and distribution of the necessaries required by the workers.
Tne adoption of the scheme would also lessen circulation of inflated
paper currency and thus remove one of the main causes of present
excessive prices.
Dr. Potthoff s scheme has many fervent advocates, but organized la­
bor is strongly opposed to its adoption. The Korrespondenzblatt, the
organ of the German Federation of Labor, claims that the adoption
of the scheme would lead to the same results which the price fixing
and rationing systems of the war had, that such a system would require
a very large staff, and, owing to its bureaucratic character, would not
work satisfactorily. The scheme, moreover, would do away with the
free choice of necessaries. Allotment of the same goods and possibly
aiso m the same quantity to each individual worker is a very easy
matter, but, as has been demonstrated during the war, it does not
make men happy and satisfied, and can not be kept up for any length

Sliding Wage Scales in Great Britain Based on Cost of Living.

HE London Daily Mail for February 18, 1921, contains the fol­
lowing list of trades the wage scales of which are automatically
affected by changes in the cost of living as determined by the
Ministry of Labor and expressed as a percentage of the cost of living
m July, 1914:
s

T

Railways.■ Decrease of Is. (24.3 rente, par) a week for every fall of 5 points Rates
to be revised m March.
Enginemen and firemen, wod-lexlde industry.—R eelaction of 3s. 7Id. (&8.2 cents par)
a week far each drop of 10 points.
Bleaching, dyeing, and 'printing (.Lancashire, Derby, Cheshire, and Scotland).—Fall of
1 per cent for every 1-point fall in cost of living.
Packers and makm-up, Manchester..—Fall of 3.28d. (6,7 cents, par) for men and 1.68d.
(3.4 cents, par) for women for every 1-point drop.
Carpet makers..—Drop of 10 per cent when figure falls 10 points.
Silk manufacture.—Reduction of 2s. (48.7 cents, par) a week for men, Is. 6d. C36.5
cents, par) for women, and Is. for juniors for every 10-point drop.
Silver and allied trades (Condon).—Reduction of Id. (2.03 cents, par) per hour for
every fall of 10 points.
Bedstead making.—-Fall of 2s. (48.7 cents, par) a week for every 10 points.
. Government employees—Rates revised every four months until March 1, then every
six months, the average index figure far the period being the basis of new rates.
Police. Sonus to be assessed on April 1, the averagelndex figure for previous six
months forming the new basis.

It is stated that in many trades not affected by this sliding scale
conferences have been held and some trades have already decided
upon reductions.
The cost of living on February 1, 1921, was 151 per cent higher
than in July, 1914, being ¡a drop of 14 points from the January 1
figure.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

Wages in the Dye industry in England.

CCORDING to a report from the United States consul at Brad­
ford, England, transmitted through the Department of State,
an award covering wages of approximately 100,000 operative
dyers in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cheshire, and Derbyshire has recently
been made by an independent chairman and umpire to whom the
matters in dispute between the employers and employees were referred
after representatives of the parties concerned had been unable to
reach a satisfactory agreement. The employees submitted the
following demands:

A

(a)
That an advance of 40 per cent be granted on the current rates for all operatives
dealt with under previous agreements.
(b)
That a minimum rate of £5 ($24.33, par) for 48 hours per week be granted to
males 21 years of age and over.
(c)
That a minimum rate of £3 ($14.60, par) per week be granted to females 18 years
of age and over.
(d)
That pieceworkers be guaranteed 25 per cent higher earnings over the day
workers.
(e)
That consideration be given to the agreement for the shorter working week, with
a view to limiting the hours to 48.
(/) The payment for all holidays, including a full week’s holiday.

The award reads:
1. I find and award that, having regard to the protection afforded to the workmen

in regard to the increased cost of living by the sliding scale, they have not made out
a case for a present advance on the current rates for all operatives dealt with under
the agreements laid before us under head (a), nor for a present minimum rate of £5
($24.33, par) for 48 hours for adult males or £3 ($14.60, par) for adult females under
heads (b) and (c) in the said agreement respectively specified.
2.
I find and award that piece-workers are entitled to 25 per cent higher earnings
over the day workers (head d).
3. I find and award that consideration can not now be given to an agreement for a
shorter working week with a view to limiting the hours of work to 48 under head (e)
without at th e same time entering into the larger question of unemployment and under­
employment, referred to in the concluding paragraph of the statement of contentions
laid before us by Mr. Shaw on behalf of the workmen, and this larger question is not
referred to us for decision.
4.
I find and award that payment for holidays ought not now to be imposed upon
the employers under head (J), since it also is an element in the same larger question.
5.
In so far as it is permissible for me to make any recommendation to the employers,
and as an expression of opinion rather than of decision, I urge upon them the desira­
bility of settling with the workmen, without delay, a scheme which will embrace the
matter referred to in paragraphs 3 and 4 of this award, together with all other matters
affecting unemployment and underemploy ment.
Dated this 5th day of February, 1921.

The representative who appeared for the workmen is quoted as
saying that the base rate for dyers, finishers, scourers, and millers is
33s. 3d. ($8.09, par), or a full wage of 88s. Id. ($21.43, par) for 48
hours. lie states that the wages for dyers and finishers in Yorkshire
on the day rates covered by the present award are 30s. 3d. ($7.36,
par) base wage for a 48-hour week, which, together with the cost-ofliving allowance, totals 80s. 2d. ($19.51, par), or 7s. lid . ($1.93, par)
less than the present total wage. In Lancashire, he stated, the base
rates are 28s. ($6.81, par), with a cost-of-living wage of 49s. lid .
($12.14, par), making a total for male adults for a 48-hour week of
77s. lid . ($18.96, par), as against the 88s. Id. ($21.43, par).
The question arose as to whether the 25 per cent allowed piece­
workers over day workers meant that the increase was to be applied


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[1018]

95

WAGES AND HOURS OE LABOR.

before or after the addition of the cost-of-living wages. This question
was submitted to the umpire for interpretation, and he has decided
as follows:
I have referred again to the several agreements in which the excess of payment to
pieceworkers over day workers, which it is now asked should be made universal,
had already been acceded to in the case of the Yorkshire dyers, the bleaching, dyeing,
and other industries in Lancashire, Cheshire, and Derbyshire, and the British cotton
and wool dyers and other associations, and I find that in all cases the 25 per cent addi­
tion is clearly expressed to have effect before the addition of the cost-of-living wage.
I have, therefore, to report that the meaning of my finding is that the 25 per cent
higher earnings to pieceworkers over day workers in the cases in which such increase
has not hitherto been received is to be ascertained in the same manner.

Wages for Repairing and Dry-docking Ships in Belgium and England.

R

ATES of wages paid certain workers employed in repairing ships
in dry docks at Antwerp (Belgium) and Newcastle-on-Tyne
(England) have been furnished by the American consul at the
latter place under date of March 9, 1921. They are as follows:
H O U R L Y W A GES PA ID F O R R E P A IR IN G SH IP S IN D R Y DO CK A T A N T W E R P AND
N EW C A STL E-O N -T Y N E, B Y O CCUPATION.
[1 franc a t par=19.3 cents; 1 shilling=24.3 cents; 1 pcnny=2.03 cents.]

Occupation.

Pimit.p.rs
flqrpp/nt.prs _____ ____
Fit.tors
Rra.vip.rs
"Ri vo tors

Wages a t
A ntw erp.

Francs.
i 25.00 to 27. 50
2.95
2.95
2.95

Wages at
New­
castle-onTyne.
s. d.
7|
0
0
0
3 61

1
2
2
2

Occupation.

Electricians....................
Riggers............................
B lacksm iths...................
Coppersm iths................
F irers...............................

1 Per day.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[1019]

Wages at
A ntw erp.

Francs.
2. 95
3.05
3.00 to 3.20
3.10
3.20

Wages at
New­
castle-onTyne.
s. d.
0
1 9|
11}
0
3 6i

2
1
2

MINIMUM WAGE.
Injunction Restraining North Dakota Minimum Wage Department.
HE Legislature of North Dakota at its session of 1919 enacted a
minimum wage law (ch. 174) authorizing the workmen’s com­
pensation bureau of the State to establish minimum wages in
occupations in which women and minors (under 18 years of age) are
employed. A minimum wage department of the bureau was accord­
ingly established and rates were fixed in a number of employments.
The Northwestern Telephone Exchange Co. and the Grand Forks
Steam Laundry Co. and other employers associated with it in the
proceedings secured an injunction on August 13, 1920, temporarily
restraining the enforcement of the orders affecting them, this injunc­
tion being continued on change of venue on a hearing on December 2,
1920, the injunction to continue in effect until a determination of
the cases upon their merits.
The complaints do not challenge the validity of the workmen’s
compensation act, but do raise questions as to the regularity and
reasonableness of certain orders and proceedings of the minimum
wage department. The charge is made that the orders, or some of
them, are violative of the fourteenth amendment of the Federal
Constitution, and further that certain of the orders are an unreason­
able restriction of and violate plaintiff’s right of contract for service.
These cases were brought to the supreme court of the State on appeal
from the order granting the temporary restraining orders. Each has
been brought for the purpose of obtaining a permanent injunction
against the department. Inasmuch as the proceedings with regard
to a permanent injunction had not passed through the trial court,
the only question before the supreme court was as to the propriety
of the action of the courts below in granting the temporary injunction.
The case was decided March 21, 1921, the court taking the view that
the injunction had been properly issued and should be continued
until the cases should be decided on their merits. The charges that
the rates are unnecessarily high or were improperly fixed or that the
action of the department unlawfully interferes with the rights of the
employers are not put in issue in these proceedings and therefore
could not be decided. “ All of those matters and points involved
would be for consideration and decision when the case is tried upon
its merits in a trial court.”
When Judge Nuessle of the fourth judicial district continued the
restraining order in December, he ordered that, pending final deter­
mination, the Northwestern Telephone Exchange Co. should file an
approved bond in the sum of $20,000 to cover the payments that
would accrue to its employees over and above wages currently paid,
in case the minimum wage rates should be sustained. Bonds in
similar amounts were to be executed from time to time as might be

T

93

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[10201

MINIMUM WAGE.

97

necessary to cover such excesses as might accrue in the lapse of time
intervening between the dates set for the rates to become effective and
the final determination of the case.
. In f^e laundry case several distinct persons, firms, and corpora­
tions were involved and the court ordered each of them to give prop­
erly secured bonds in the sum of $1,000, conditioned on the same
terms as in the case of the telephone company; additional bonds may
be demanded from the laundry companies also.
. The court finding itself unable properly to consider the subject on
its merits, that not being before it, could only approve the precautions
taken in the restraining orders to protect the interested parties. The
only question properly before the court was said to be “ Did the lower
court abuse its discretion in continuing. in force the temporary
restraining orders until the final disposition of the cases upon their
merits in the trial court?” The court answered in the negative,
affirming the order appealed from. The whole question of minimum
wages in North Dakota therefore remains unsettled until the decisions
on the merits of the cases are rendered.

Minimum Rates of Wages for Agricultural Labor in England and Wales.

M

INIMUM rates of wages fixed by the Agricultural Wages Board
for England and Wales were published in the M o n th ly L abor
R e v ie w for July (p. Ill) a n d August (pp. 84 and 85 ), 1920.
These rates have since been revised so far as affects male workers
under 21 years of age and women and girls, the new scales being
published in the Labor Gazette (London) "for February, 1921 (p. 62),
from which the following table is taken:
M INIM UM R A T E S O F W A GES F O R M ALE A G R IC U L T U R A L W O R K E R S ' U N D E R 21 Y EA R S
O F A G E IN C E R T A IN C O U N T IE S IN EN G L A N D .
[1 shilling at par=24.3 cents; 1 penny =2.03 cents.]
M inim um w eekly rates in —

Age.

20 a n d
19 and
18 and
17 a nd

under
under
und er
under

K ent, L an­
N orthum ­
cashire,
berland, Middlesex,
Surrey,
D urham ,
Lincoln,
Other
C
um ber­
Glamorgan, and Y ork­
counties!
land,
and
and Mon­
shire.
W
estmore­
m outh.
land.
s.
46
43
41

21 years........................................
20 y ears........................................
19 y ears...........................
18 y ears...............................

d.
6
6
0

s.
45
42
40

d.
6
6
0

s.
44
42
39

d.
6
0
0

s.
43
40
38
30

d.
0
6
6
6

1 E xcept Cheshire, where rates of 49s., 46s. -6d., 44s. 6d., and 35s. 6d. are fixed for the four age groups
payable in respect of a week of 54 hours all th e year round.

The hours of work per week remain the same—48 in winter and 50
in summer—and the rates include the value of board, lodging, milk,
and potatoes when these are supplied by the farmer.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[1021]

98

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

For women and girls the minimum rates payable in all districts
except Yorkshire and Somerset have been increased, the new rates
ranging from 3d. (6.08 cents, par) an hour for workers under 14 years
of age to 8d. (16.2 cents, par) an hour for those 18 years and over. A
workday of 8 and 8f> hours is required, while for overtime women
18 vears of age and over are paid lOd. (20.3 cents, par) an hour on
week days and Is. (24.3 cents, par) an hour on Sundays, except in
Yorkshire, where the rates for overtime are _ls. -|d. (25.3 cents, par)
and Is. 3d. (30.4 cents, par) an hour, respectively.
New Minimum Wage Rates Fixed in Certain Industries in South
Australia.

WO wage awards of South Australia have recently been received,
one by the industrial court, fixing minimum wages in the
cardboard box and paper bag making industry, and the other
bv the stove, oven, range, and safe makers’ board, affecting certain
workers in that industry. The former award provides a minimum
scale of wages for a 48-hour week, as follows:

T

MTNTMUM w a g e s f i x e d f o r e m p l o y e e s i n t h e c a r d b o a r d b o x a n d p a p e r b a g
A
r l AKING
T /T M /l T
T .TD
T 'lT
fi'T 'TR? Y
V .
' iM
IN
UTST
[£1 a t p a r= $4.87; 1 shilling=24.3 cents.]

O ccupation.

A dult females.

W eekly
m ini­
m um
rate.

£

s.

2

2

2

2

W om en m aking hand-m ade envelopes........................................................................................................
W omen m aking m achine-made envelopes......................................................................... v ...........{ ----Grade A. H andm ade carton makers, handm ade packet makers, handm ade paper hag m akers.
Grade B. Machine-made paper bag m ak ers...............................................................................................
All others.............................................................................................................................................................
A dull m ales.

Guillotine cu tters.....................................................................................
Cloth or paper c u tters.............................................................................
Ccirton setters
.......................................................................... ..........
Carton cutters' and benders, whose work includes m aking ready.
Feeders on carton cutting and bending m achines...........................
All others....................... ...........................................................................

An overtime rate of time and one-third, or of rate and a third in
case of pieceworkers, shall be paid. The wages paid for piece­
workers “ shall be not less in any one week than 5 per cent above
what the particular employee would be entitled to if engaged at time
rates.”


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[1022]

MINIMUM WAGE,

99

The following table gives the rates of wages fixed for employees
in the stove, oven, range, and safe making industry:
MINIMUM R A T E S OF PA Y F O R E M PL O Y E E S IN STO V E, O V EN , R A N G E , AND SA FE
M AK IN G IN D U S T R Y .
[£1 a t par= |4.87; 1 shilling=24.3 cents; 1 penny=2.03 cents.]

Class oi employee.

Persons (not otherwise provided for) employed m aking or repairing cooking or heating stoves,
ovens, and ranges of 3 feet 6 inches or under in length, and all grates and la undry stoves, or
m aking or repairing any other articles used in connection w ith heating or cooking appliances.
Persons (not otherwise provided for) employed m aking or repairing cooking stoves or ranges
over 3 feet 6 inches in le n g th ..............................................................1.......................... . ..............
Persons engaged in m aking or repairing fire-resisting safes, strong-room doors, tabernacles,
and strong-room fittin g s.........................................................................................................................
Persons employed fetthng or dressing......................................................................................................
G rinders or polishers, except those employed a t fettling or dressing................................................
Persons engaged in working—
(а) Drilling and other m achines........................................................................................................
(б) Safe-planing m achines............................................................................................... ..............
Jobbing molders (i. e., employees working on loose p a tte rn s)....................................................—
Journeym an coremakers..............................................................................................................................
P late m olders................................................................................................................................................
M achine m olders........................................................................................................................................
Furnacem en....................................................................................................................................................
Furnacem en’s assistants (assisting daubing ladles, charging, mixing, daubing, and breaking
pig iron) and tapping furnace.................................................................................................................
Juvenile laborers and dressers, on molding work only—
17 to 18 years of age..................................................................................... - ........................................
18 to 19 years of ag e......................................................................................................................
19 to 20 years of age................................................................................................................................
20 to 21 years of age................................................................................................................................
Persons employed in filing p a tte rn s and fitting m olding b oxes........................................................
Laborers, truckers, and blackers.........................................- ....................................................................
Blacksm iths engaged in m aking or altering stoves, ovens, or ranges, or p arts thereof.................
Oxyacetylene w elders............................................................................. - .................................................
Persons employed painting fireproof safes—
(а) O ther th a n prim ing......................................................................................................................
(б) Prim ing.............................................................................................................................................


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[1023]

W cekly
m inim um
rate.

£
4

s. d.
7 0

4 12 0
4 15 0
4 1 0
4 2 0
4 4
4 6
5 2
5 2
4 8
4 8
4 11
4
1
1
2
2
4
3
4
4

0
0
0
0
6
6
0

1 0
12
IS
8
18
9
IS
7
10

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

4 5 0
3 18 0

E M PLO Y M EN T A ND U N EM PLO Y M EN T.

Employment in Selected Industries in March, 1921.

HE Bureau of Labor Statistics received and tabulated reports
concerning the volume of employment in March, 1921, from
representative establishments in 13 manufacturing industries
and in bituminous coal mining. Comparing the figures of March,
1921, with those of identical establishments for March, 1920, it
appears that in all industries there were decreases in the number of
persons employed. The largest decrease, 53.5 per cent, is shown in
the automobile industry. Leather shows a decrease of 35.8 per cent
and hosiery and underwear a decrease of 34.1 per cent.
All of the 14 industries show decreases in the total amount of the
pay roll in March, 1921, as compared with March, 1920. The most
important percentage decrease, 64, appears in automobiles. Leather
shows a decrease of 46.9 per cent, hosiery and underwear a decrease
of 45.8 per cent, and iron and steel a decrease of 44.2 per eent.

T

CO M PARISON O F E M PL O Y M EN T IN ID E N T IC A L E STA B LISH M E N T S IN
A N D 1921.

In d u stry .

Iron and steel.........................
Automobile m anufacturing..
Car building an d rep airin g ..
Cotton m anufacturing...........
Cotton finishing......................
H osiery an d underw ear........
W oolen......................................
Silk.............................................
Men’s ready-m ade clothing..
Leather m anufacturing.........
Boots a n d shoes......................
P ap er m aking..........................
Cigar m an u factu rin g ..............
Cohl m ining (b itu m in o u s)...

N um b er on p ay roil.
E stab ­
lish­
m ents
Per
report­ Period
cent of
ing for p ayofroll. March, March, increase
March,
1921. (+ ) or
1920.
both
decrease
years.
(-)•
Ill
45
58
62
16
63
52
44
45
34
85
57
56
103

h m onth.
1 w eek..
J m onth.
i w e e k ..
1 w eek..
1 w e e k ..
1 w eek..
2 weeks.
1 w eek..
1 w e ek ..
1 w e e k ..
.1 w eek..
1 w eek..
J m onth.

188,007 133,738
152,692 70,947
57,245 48,728
60,92S 59,494
12,46S 11,401
32,71.8 21,574
52,234 38,831
15,414 12,735
31,570 23,881
15,779 10,124
74,685 55,525
32,828 27,786
17,252 14,539
28,510 25,899

MARCH, 1920

A m ount of pay roll.

March,
1920.

March,
1921.

-2 8 .9 $14,655,671 $8,173,095
5,148,279 1,853,904
-5 3 .5
-1 4 .9
3,638,501 3,227,251
1,266,624 1,010,912
- 2.4
288,605
252,296
- 8.6
352, 883
-3 4 .1
051,079
-2 5 .7
1,312,600
871,666
-1 7 .4
727,960
548,594
792,844
-2 4 .4
1,119,382
408,208
216,729
-3 5 .8
-2 5 .7
1,841,707 1,321,274
-1 5 .4
877,021
685,349
-1 5 .7
375,573
289,200
- 9.2
1,885,86S 1,549,286

Per
cent of
increase
(+ ) or
decrease
(-)•
-4 4 .2
-6 4 . 0
-1 1 .3
-2 0 .2
-1 2 .6
-4 5 .8
-3 3 .6
-2 4 .6
-2 9 .2
-4 6 .9
-2 8 .3
-2 1 .9
-2 3 .0
-1 7 .8

Comparative data for March, 1921, and February, 1921, appear in
the following table. The figures show that in 8 industries there was
an increase in the number of persons on the pay roll in March as
compared with February, and in 6 a decrease. The largest increases
in the number of persons employed are 32 per cent in the automobile
industry, 17 per cent in the woolen industry, and 12.8 per cent in
hosiery and underwear. Decreases of 6.8 per cent, 5.4 per cent,
and 4.4 per cent are shown in car building and repairing, coal min­
ing, and iron and steel, respectively.
100

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[1024]

EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT.

101

. In comparing March with February, 7 industries show an increase
m the amount of money paid to employees, while 7 show a decrease.
The most important increase, 44.7 per cent, appears in the
automobile industry. Woolen shows an increase of 25.7 per cent,
and men’s ready-made clothing an increase of 17.1 per cent. A de­
crease of 10.3 per cent appears in both iron and steel, and coal mining.
COM PA RISO N O F EM PL O Y M E N T IN ID E N T IC A L E STA B LISH M E N T S IN F E B R U A R Y AND
MARCH, 1921.
N um ber on p ay roll.
E stab ­
A m ount of pay roil.
lish­
m ents
report­ Period
Per
Per
ing for
of
cent of
cent of
Febru­ pay roll. Febru­ March, increase February,
March,
increase
ary,
ary
1921. (+ ) or
1921.
1921.
(+ ) or
1921.
and
decrease
decrease
March.
(-)•
(-)•

In d u stry .

Iron a nd stee l.................
Automobile m anufacturing..
Car building a n d re p a irin g ..
Cotton m an u factu rin g ...
Cotton finishing........2 . .
H osiery an d u nderw ear___
W oolen...........................
Silk..........................
Men’s ready-m ade clothing..
Leather m anufacturing.......
Boots a n d shoes...............
P aper m aking......................
Cigar m an u factu rin g ............
Coal m ining (bitu m in o u s)...

116 1 m onth.
46 I w e ek ..
55 J m onth.
60 1 w e ek ..
15 1 w eek..
64 1 w e e k ..
52 1 w eek ..
43 2 w eek s.
48 1 w e e k ..
35 1 w e e k ..
84 1 w e e k ..
59 1 w eek..
57 1 w eek..
97 J m onth.

142,977 136,695
54,121 71,559
52,127 48,557
59,743 58,014
10,289 11,148
18,860 21,269
33,189 38,831
11,553 12,631
23,07S 24,026
10,175 10,653
54,610 54,990
29,893 28,801
15,150 14,645
26,439 25,006

- 4.4
+ 32.2
- 6.8
- 2.9
+ 8.3
+ 12.8
+17.0
+ 9.3
+ 4.1
+ 4.7
+ .7
- 3.7
- 3.3
- 5.4

$9,290,388 S8,334,036
1.293.298 1, 870,828
3,456,000 3,250,838
1,012,840
981,308
224,970
245,729
303,242
345,975
693,199
871,666
486,403
544,736
681,701
798,325
226,567
225,771
1,312,187 1,309,995
' 746,814
714,558
286,162
289,927
1.688.299 1,513,916

-1 0 .3
+44. 7
- 5.9
- 3.1
+ 9.2
+14.1
+25.7
+ 12.0
+ 1.7.1
- .4
- .2
- 4.3
+ 1.3
-1 0 .3

In addition to the data presented in these two tables as to the
number of employees on the pay roll, 90 plants in the iron and steel
industry reported 102,270 employees as actually working on the last
full day of the pay-roll period in March, 1921, as against 151,905 for
the reported payroll period in March, 1920, a decrease of 32.7 per­
cent. Figures given by 91 establishments in the iron and steel in­
dustry show that 103,553 employees were actually working on the
last full day of the pay period reported for in March, 1921, as against
109,902 for the period in February, 1921, a decrease of 5.8 per cent.
Changes in Wage Raies and Per Capita Earnings.

rjURING the period February 15 to March 15, 1921, establish­
ments in 12 of the 14 industries reported changes in wage ratesOne firm in men’s ready-made clothing and another in silk reported
an increase. All other wage rate changes were decreases.
. iron and steel. The largest reduction reported by any plant in the
non and steel industry was 35 per cent, which affected 40 per cent of
the force. In nine establishments all of the employees were decreased
approximately 20 per cent. Ninety-eight per cent of the force in
one firm and 95 per cent of the force in another firm had a wage rate
reduction of 20 per cent, while still another firm reported a 20 per
cent cut, but did not state the number of employees affected. One
concern reported a reduction ranging from 3 to 20 per cent, affecting
all employees, while another concern reported decreases ranging from
10 per cent to IS per cent, affecting all employees. A reduction


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[1025]

102

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

ranging from 4 per cent to 15 per cent was reported by one mill,
affecting 71 per cent of the force employed. _ Thirty per cent of the
men in one plant were decreased 17 per cent in wages and in another
plant 25 per cent of the employees were reduced 15 per cent. _A
wage rate reduction of 13 per cent was reported by Gplants, affecting
all of the force in three plants, 98 per cent in a fourth, 85 per cent in
a fifth, and 65 per cent in a sixth. Eighty per cent of the men in
one plant were decreased 10 per cent in wages and 50 per cent of the
force in another plant were reduced 7 per cent in wages. In one
mill the laborers, or 90 per cent of the force, had a wage reduction
of 10 cents an hour. Business depression, caused by lack of orders,
and irregular operations, is reported for this industry. The per
capita earnings show a decrease of 6.2 per cent, when comparing the
February and March figures.
Automobiles.—Comparing the per capita earnings of employees for
March over February, an increase of 9.4 per cent is shown. A large
majority of the plants are gradually resuming operations.
Gar building and repairing.—A wage rate decrease of 2 per cent to
90 per cent of the force was reported by one shop. Many shops
report a small reduction in force, but the per capita earnings show
an increase of 1 per cent, wdien comparing the March with the Feb­
ruary pay-roll periods.
Cotton manufacturing.—Reductions of 20 per cent, 17£ per cent,
and 10 per cent were reported by three firms, affecting practically the
entire force in two firms and about 50 per cent of the force in the
third firm. The volume of employment for the period reported for
in March shows little change from that reported for in February.
While a large percentage of the plants were working full time, slight
curtailment in production was reported, causing the per capita earn­
ings to be 0.2 per cent less for March than for the previous month.
Cotton finishing .—The per capita earnings for March are 0.8 per
cent higher than for February, due to full-time employment in this
industry.
Hosiery and underwear.—All the employees in one concern had a
25 per cent reduction in wages, and in another concern the entire
force was reduced 12 per cent in wages. Two firms reported a 10
per cent decrease, but did not state the number of people affected.
This industry reports improved business conditions after a period of
depression due to wage rate decreases and part-time employment.
The increase in per capita earnings in March over February is 1.2
per cent.
Woolen.—One establishment reported a wage rate decrease of 22\
per cent, which affected all of the force. Many woolen mills are
steadily approaching normalcy. An increase of 7.5 per cent in per
capita earnings is shown for this pay-roll period over that of last
month.
S ilk .—An increase of 11 per cent was given to 1.5 per cent of the
employees in one establishment. A reduction of 10 per cent, affect­
ing all the employees in one concern and 7\ per cent in another con­
cern, was made by two firms. An increase of 2.4 per cent in per
capita earnings is shown in comparing the March with the February
figures.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[1026 ]

EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT.

103

?{Cy f rea<^y~made clothing.—Fifty per cent of the employees in one
establishment were granted an increase of 7\ per cent. A general
wage reduction of 12 per cent was made by another firm. Improved
conditions are reported throughout this industry. Several establish­
ments have reopened after a long period of idleness. The per capita
earnings are 12.5 per cent higher for the pay-roll period in March
than lor the corresponding period in February.
Leather.—Decreases of 10 per cent were made in the wages of 80
pei cent of the force m one tannery and of the entire force in another
tannery, Ihe per capita earnings reported for this pay-roll period
of 4 8mpPerrc e n r ^ p a j' ro11 period for Februar.y, show a decreas^
Loots and shoes.—-In one factory pieceworkers were paid a 10 ner
cent bonus instead of a 20 per cent bonus and time-workers were
pam a o per cent bonus instead of a 10 per cent bonus. This change
affected all employees. Several factories reported part-time operation out employment throughout the industry as a whole remained
much the same as during the last month. Comparing per capita
=
s of March with tnose of February, a decrease of 0.9 per cent
Payer. One plant reduced all the force 15 per cent in wao-es
Iwo mms niade 10 per cent reductions in the wages of their em­
ployees, which affected 90 per cent of the employees in the first firm
and ail employees m the second firm. Another plant reduced about
87 per cent of the employees approximately 10 per cent in wages and
stnl another made a general wage reduction of 6 per cent. Twentv
per cent of the men in one concern were cut 5 per cent in wa«-es. A
general reduction of 50 cents a day was made by one firm. ^ Slight
business depression, causing part-time employment, was reported in
this industry The per capita earnings are 0.7 per cent less for the
pay-roll period m March than for the pay-roll period in February
twars. -Three firms made a 10 per cent decrease, affecting all the
employees in the first two plants and 60 per cent in the third plant.
Une-naif of the force in one concern were reduced 35 per cent in
wages while another firm reduced 45 per cent of their employees 15
per cent m wages. A reduction of 7f per cent was made to 80 per
cent of the force in one factory, and of 84 per cent to 70 per cent of the
iorce in another factory. More time was worked throughout the
industry during March than during the preceding month, and the
per capita earnings show an increase of 4.8 per cent.
BititrmnoiLs coal. A reduction in wages to all employees was re­
ported by one mine. The per capita earnings for the March pav-roll
period were 5.2 per cent less than for the February pay-roll period, as
many mines were partially closed, due to a poor demand for coal.

Conditions of Employment in Arkansas.

HE Federal-State Employment Service operating under the
Eureau of Statistics and Labor of Arkansas has issued its
Ernie tin ho. 3. The following table drawn from the bulletin
shows the total pay roll and persons employed for 293 firms each
month, September 15, 1920, to March 15, 1921.

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204

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

N U M B ER EM PL O Y E D A N D AM
OUNT O F P A Y R O L L R E P O R T E D BY 293 FIRM S IN
ti- r > E 'n T T T T T ? TN J iT ? T? T A T» S

AN UiLL-U-A^AU AJAtA.4. o - i v a.

N um ber on A m ount of payroll.
p a y roll.

M onth ending—

18,147
17,304
15,484
12,592
13,;315
11,233

October 15,1920............... — , — ..........
N ovem ber 15,1920.................................. 1
December 15,1920---- -----------------—Jan u ary 15,1921.....................................
Feb ru ary 15,1921.----- ------------------March 15,1921....... ..................................

$1,796,099.19
1,667,469.65
1,453,620,04
1,101,295.27
093,482.85
827,761.29

The changes between February and March are shown in the next
table.
C H ANGES IN PA Y R O LLS AND N U M B ER O F E M PL O Y E E S O F 29c¡ESTA B LISH M ENTS
B E T W E E N PA Y P E R IO D S EN D IN G F E B . 15 AND MAR. 15,1921, B Y IN D U ST R Y .

N um ber
oiestablish- '
m ents.

TndjisfTV

13rs

V
fflPt
TT
(TIP' dd-LU. •AAvA
-A.m
AliC(mil
Lii.Ltia.V
yuw
-j.U-^*¿3

o n c i L.rx

Coffin vn fin nfftbtu ring
ftnHrm_or>rwd T0mr3

_____

. . . . . . .

____ _____ ______ ____
______ __

Fertilizer p la n t---------: --------- ---- - .......................:
F u rn itu re m m u fb n tn r in f............... .......................
Grift0c- m-rnufaffinviny
. . . . . . ___ ___ . . . . . . . .
l i f u r i l o m anufdft7’5v *w y
* _____ ___ . . . . . . . . . . . .
.
d L la l LltybiJ H I a l l U i a i U L L i i i i i t , - ----- - .............................
^ lu l)
in
r
.................
T o n /-»T-oam
T in tfT tn P __________ __ . . . . . . . . . .

«nd spoke
oru]

a .u u

¡Tir1, ....

.

M q rtV ! o
rru fì TÌ i f/P,
___
M attress m anufacturing — ---------------------------------------—
M ercantile. ...........................................................................................................
M etal trades:
Foundry Bud n r ^ ^ b i r k p . s h o p ___ _ _ _________ ____
Plum bing su d beniing............................................................
Scissors IDftfTVUlfaefn ri ng .................................
_____ _____ _
g^ove m anufacturing

Pip® lines <gas)----- ------- - ------ -------- ------ - ........
Printing and p u b lish in g ..........- ..............- ..............

____ . . . . . . .
Transfer com pany--------------- — ..........................
Q+o-vryiO
liOF)
ÌJ
L a v c o ao ltv
i vr \i H
U aH
v lilllll gCT iTT»
l l cHT111
u i u ifua i.fytfe iT
u iT Ì n P *

'Total__________________ ______________

P a y roll far m onth
ending—
Feb. 15.

Mar. 15.

$11,048.88 -$14,065.84
6
12,000.13 , 12,29150
6
51,268.4'D : 31,253. 40 .
1
2,-652. .19 :
2,609.50
1
2,669.60
2,956.77
1
48,230.44
55,010.94
12 ^
5,321.77
6,023.01
3
3,322.60
4,675.05
3
'è, ibb. 8y
4,183.50
1
16,283. 28
14,034.90
7
5,667.83
3 i 11,590.56
11,464,07 : 10,628.74
14
543.64
687.54
1
10,884.60
12,885.89
8
21,66.7.80
20,687. 41
31
503,302.08 425,437. 54
36
6,874.78
7,202.29
2
1,918.58
3,302.71
13
3,2S9.08
4,276.04
4
17,583.39
17,913.87
29

N um ber on p ay
roil.
Feb. 15.
194
16.1
488
25
32 ;
470 :
83
46
49
235
66
193
7
204
272
7,462 :
107:
26
SI
160

Mar. 15.
249
199
270
25
32
282
83
33
48
244
47
152
6
207
245
6,291
105
21
34
154

1

13,456. $2
639.35
4,-930,76
1,101.77
56,444.54
1,092.00
50,088.17
19,803.99
2,973.50
i 2,151. 43
22,95104
56,484.90
3,576.10

13,029.20
5S5.05
4,743.41
811.80
19,201.16
1,092.00
44,476.76
■21,422.20
724.95
4,822.42
21,258.71
46,749.95
3,372.25

61
18
375
14
740
307
30
120
206
959
.41

120
6
55
13
185
14
647
307
8
120
233
758
40

2-283

995,482.83

827,761.20

13,315

11,238

8
2
1
1
2

1
19
24
1
1
4
21

126
7

1 H alf m onth; p la n t d o se d 15 d a y s m Jan u a ry .
_
2 Ten industrial plants, included in reports in previous bulletins, closed tem porarily. These te n plants
norm ally employ 593 people w ith a m onthly p ay roll of $54,519.90. in clu d ed in this num ber of plains are.
One wagon factory, one handle factory, .one brick m anufacturing p lant, six lum ber mills, and one zinc
smelter.

Notes arc given concerning each industry from which the following
summary is taken:
„
Baskets and box factories.—The increase is due to the approach ©i
the Ferry and fruit season. One firm, however, reports that pro­
hibitive freight rates forced a reduction in output and two report


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EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT.

105

business not satisfactory. Prices are down 10 to 15 per cent com­
pared with two months ago.
Brick plants.—The plants report unusually dull business. One
plant states it will cease operations. Reductions in price are
reported.
Cottonseed products— Reports indicate a gradual decline in price
of production but anticipate better price levels.
Coal mines— Very little coal has been mined due to lack of orders
and there is little prospect of better conditions before July.
Contractors {building).—One contractor states all contracts com­
pleted with prospects bright for new contracts. Another reports
contracts for a number of small dwellings.
Furniture plants.—Reports indicate a decline in price of 124 to
25 per cent.
Glass plants.—The price of the product is reported reduced from
5 to 15 per cent.
Handle plants.—The condition of the trade is reported very dis­
couraging, freight rates prohibitive, a decrease in price of 20 per cent,
foreign orders canceled, and unable to sell sufficient orders to keep
running.
Hub and spoke plants.—Report a decrease in selling price from 10
to 25 per cent.
Lumber mills.—Reports show prices dropping and little demand for
lumber. Some concerns report freight rates as a bar to profitable
selling. Several firms anticipate closing down until conditions are
more encouraging. Many mills are operating only part time. Wage
reductions are reported from 15 to 25 per cent.
Mattress factories.—Business is reported slow and indications point
to lower price of raw material and corresponding reductions in price of
product.
Mercantile.—Dealers in farm machinery report business 40 per
cent below the same period in 1920. Furniture dealers report
business not up to normal, with reductions in price from 15 to 25 per
cent. General merchandise dealers report sweeping reductions in
price, special sales and energetic advertising to keep business near
normal. Some reduction in the sales force has been necessary.
Metal industries.—One zinc smelter has stopped operations, due
to lack of demand and high freight rates. Slight wage reductions are
reported on some lines of the metal trade. Part time has been worked
in most foundry and machine shops.
Staves and beading manufacturing.—According to the reports this
industry is suffering for lack of business to a greater extent than any
other reporting. Business has practically ceased and orders are being
canceled. Mills are engaged in working raw material into stock to
prevent deterioration. Six mills indicate closing down in the near
future, while all others quote reductions in price from 40 to 50 per
cent. Few of the mills have operated on full time during the period
covered by the report.


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106

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

Employment and Earnings in New York State in March.
HE New York State Industrial Commission issues each month a
statement concerning employment conditions in the factories
of that State. The statement for March is here summarized.
The number of factory workers in March was 1 per cent greater
than in February. This is the second recent month showing
an increase, as in February there was an increase of 2 per cent.
Compared with March of last year, the last month before the de­
pression in industry began, there was a decrease of 24 per cent. The
present small increase is largely seasonal. The increases are mainly
in the industries manufacturing building materials, wood products,
wearing apparel, and food articles. In most of the metal industries
and in printing and publishing employment continues to decline. A
considerable number of factories resumed operations in March after
a shutdown of one or more months, and some increases are due to
the termination of strikes.
In the textile and wearing apparel industries there was an increase
from February to March of 24 per cent in knit goods, 15 per cent
in woolen goods, 6.9 per cent in millinery, 12 per cent in leather,
9 per cent in women’s furnishings, 9 per cent in men’s clothing,
and 7 per cent in men’s furnishings. There were minor increases
in fur goods, boots and shoes, rubber goods, silk goods, and cotton
goods.
The March increase in the cement and plaster industry was 26 per
cent. Minor gains were also reported in plants manufacturing
bottles, brick, lumber and planing-mill products, furniture, and
paints and dyes.
Increases m the food products industries during the month were
in canning, sugar, cocoa and coffee, dairy products, bakery goods,
and confectionery. The main gains in the metal industries were in
structural and architectural iron, sheet metal, and hardware.
The most notable reductions in March below February are in the
following industries: Shipbuilding, 13 per cent; paper manufacture,
6 per cent; iron and steel and railway equipment, 8 per cent; and
tobacco products, 6 per cent. The reductions in these industries
from the month of highest employment are: 30 per cent in railway
equipment and 21 per cent in shipbuilding. Decreases also occurred
in March in several other industries, the decrease from the highest
month being 53 per cent in automobiles and 30 per cent in machinery
and electrical goods.
The average per capita weekly earnings of employees increased
20 cents from February to March, the average for 1,648 factories
being $26.97. This, the first increase since October, is chiefly due
to increases in working time in establishments which had been on a
part-time basis. Seasonal demands were responsible in some indus­
tries, particularly clothing. A large number of plants, however,
continued to show part-time work. The principal gains in per capita
earnings from February to March appear in the following industries:
Structural and architectural iron, automobiles, shipbuilding, fur
goods, miscellaneous leather goods, and men’s and women’s clothing.

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EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT.

107

Each of^these gains exceeds $1 and is the result of increased working
time. The March increase in men’s clothing was $2.77.
Decreases of $1 to $2 from February to March appear in the brick,
brass and copper, shoe, and canning industries. The largest reduc­
tions in average per capita weekly earnings in March, as compared with
March a year ago, are in the following industries: Steel, $9.07; brass
and copper, $4.06; cotton goods, $3.36; knit goods, $3.03; firearms
and cutlery, $1.92. For all industries combined the reduction is
90 cents.
Reductions in wage rates were reported by a number of factories,
notably in the brass and copper, sheet-metal work and hardware,
machinery, railway equipment, oil products, paper, and felt goods
industries.

Records of Employment of Bricklayers and Slate and Tile Roofers in
Philadelphia.
HE question of the number of days’ work which it is possible for
workers in the building trades to secure during a year has always
been a bone of contention in every attempt to adjust wage rates
in the building trades. The offhand statement that bricklayers get
200 days’ work in a year in Chicago, made on the part of the men, is
usually contradicted by the employers, who give offhand a figure
somewhat higher, and add that any bricklayer who works fewer days
than this is simply idle because he wants to be. Such discussions in
wage conferences could be best decided by dependable statistics com­
piled for each city, which would give a basis for estimating the prob­
able earning power which could be expected from any given rate of
wages per hour. It is to be hoped that between the combined efforts
of the organized contractors and the organized workmen such a sta­
tistical basis may be made available. The United States Bureau
of Labor Statistics is exceedingly anxious to secure all available
records showing the actual working time in the building trades in the
various cities.
It is just as well to admit at the outset that nobody knows how
many days’ work bricklayers, carpenters, or plasterers can secure
this year or next year or have secured on the average during any
year in the past. Even scrappy information has been practically
unobtainable. It is therefore exceedingly interesting to know that
the Structural Service Bureau of Philadelphia, as the result of a very
intensive drive among the workers in the building trades of that city,
has secured a number of daybooks or accounts of bricklayers which
show days actually worked over a considerable period of time. The
number of bricklayers found who had kept records is, of course, too
small to permit of drawing any definite conclusion as to the possibili­
ties of the trade of bricklaying in Philadelphia or anywhere else.
Nevertheless, the information, individual and scrappy as it is, is
given as it was found and is here presented for what it is worth.
Four men, for instance, were found who had records reaching back
to 1909, in which year the number of days worked varied from 132
to 156, only one man recording the higher number. The average for

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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

108

the four was 138 days. It is, of course, impossible to say whether or
not 1909 was an exceptionally had year for bricklayers or whether
or not the four men were exceptionally unfortunate in securing
continuous work.
In the next year, 1910, there is a range from 121 to 202 days of
work, giving an average of 182. In the accompanying table we have
arranged the information as submitted by the Structural Service
Bureau for the various years, showing the number of workers found
who had complete books for each year, the hourly rate, and the
average days worked, as shown from their books, and the average
earnings at the Philadelphia rate for the year named.
A V ER A G E
A

DAYS W O R K E D AND A V E R A G E E A R N IN G S O F T IIE P H IL A D E L P H IA
B R IC K L A Y E R S F O U N D W H O K E P T R EC O R D S, 1909 TO 1920.

Year.

1909.....................................
1910.....................................
1911.....................................
1912.....................................
1913.....................................
1914.....................................
1915.....................................
1916.....................................
1917.....................................
1918.....................................
1919.....................................
1920.....................................

N um ber
of
workers.

4
4
4
4
4
7
7
7
9
7
0
4

H ourly
rate of
wages
(cents).

Average
days
worked.

02.5
62.5
62.5
02.5
62.5
162.5
65.0
2 65.0
70.0
3 70.0
4 80.0
3 110.0

138
182
178
174
197
181
197
198
222
235
162
231

Average
annual
earnings.

$789.29
908.35
889.17
869.58
997.93
941.01
1,041.02
1,109.11
1,126.14
1,480.91
1, 584.44
2, 403.52

1 To May 1; 65 cents thereafter.
2 To May 1; 70 cents thereafter,
s To May 1; 80 cents thereafter.
4 To May 1; 87.5 cents to June 10; $1.10 thereafter,
s To May 1; $1.30 thereafter.

It is exceedingly interesting to note that the Structural Service
Bureau has also secured the records of average days worked by four
different men, one of these records extending over a period of 17
years, a second over a period of 12 years, and two others over periods
of 5 years each, though not the same years. One of these men secured
an average of 237 days per year for 5 years, another 265 days per
year for 5 years, whereas the man whose record extends over 17
years shows an average of but 184 days per year for that entire time.
This material is deemed of sufficient interest to reproduce here.
Number of Days Worked by Each of Four Men D uring Each Specified Year and Average
per Yearfor the Period Specified.
Man No. 1 (5 years).—1915 (224); 1916 (236); 1917 (240); 1918 (271); 1919 (213).
Average, 237 days.
Man No. 2 (5 years).—1914 (227); 1915 (255); 1916 (278); 1917 (283); 1918 (281).
Average, 265 days.
Man Nofs (12 years).—1902 (175); 1903 (190); 1905 (192); 1906 (180); 1907 (187); 1908
(175); 1909 (132); 1910 (202); 1911 (186); 1912 (183); 1913 (224); 1914 (176). Average,
Man No Y4 (17 years).—1902 (175); 1903 (191); 1905 (192); 1906 (180); 1907 (187); 1908
(175) ; 1909 (132); 1910 (202); 1911 (186); 1912 (183); 1913 (224); 1914 (176); 1915
(176) ; 1916 (176); 1917 (177); 1918 (203); 1919 (200). Average, 184 days.

Another man who had kept his time by hours shows 1,9384 hours
of work during the year 1917, 2,015 hours during 1918, 1,674 hours


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E M P L O Y M E N T AND U N E M P L O Y M E N T .

109

during 1919, 2,084 hours in 1920, an average of 1,928 hours for the
four years (241 days of 8 hours).
The greatest difficulty in determining the number of days worked
by bricklayers or anyone else in the building trades arises from the
fact that so few workers in these trades work continuously for the
same man for an entire season. A most interesting illustration of
this is furnished by the record of one man covering a period of 54
years which shows that during that time he worked for 76 different
contractors and was hired 107 times. The details of this record by
years are given below:
Turnover Data—One Man.
191o (9 months)- Worked for 9 different contractors; hired 12 times.
1914— Worked for 11 different contractors; hired 18 times.
1915— Worked for 18 different contractors; hired 28 times.
1916— Worked for 19 different contractors; hired 22 times.
1917 (9 months)'—Worked for 11 different contractors; hired 14 times
1920—Worked for 8 different contractors; hired 13 times.
5| years—76 different contractors; hired 107 times.

. Of less interest than these facts obtained from individual records
is the theoretical table of possible days’ work obtainable in Phila­
delphia by the bricklayers, as worked out by the Structural Service
Bureau. The method of arriving at this theoretical average number
ol possible days’ work is given in the following table:
Theoretical Average Number of Days' Work Obtainable in a Year.
Total number of days in the vear.................................... •
Number of Sundays............."........................................hi.'.*.'.".".'.".".".".'."."...............

59

313
7

Number of holidays (by agreement)

Number of full Saturday holidays in summer (by agreement)............................... °10
Number of days represented by Saturday half holidays......................................... ^21
Average number of rainy days (average for 15-year period during working hours)
Average number of cold days (average for 40-year period; below freezing)...........

275
32
243
19

Average number of possible days of outside work (unless weather protection tar­
Average number of days consumed in "looidng for work...... k k k k k k k k k k
Average number of days of sickness and absenteeism.............................................
Average number of days lost on account of waiting for material, delays in work, etc.

22
209

9

193
11

Average possible days’ work in year...........................................................

It should bo noted that the ordinance of Philadelphia regardin'-?
laying bncu in mortar while the temperature is at freezing or below
is much more rigid than in most cities, and it is probable that the
lost time would do greater.


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110

M O N T H L Y LABOE K EV IEW .

Whatever may be thought of this theoretical table of possible
maximum days’ work, the best answer to questions regarding it
would be found in the compilation through the assistance of the
building trade contractors and the workmen of the actual facts,
and the Bureau of Labor Statistics would be exceedingly glad to
receive copies of actual records along this line.
The following table shows the average number of days worked in
1920 by 20 mechanics in the slate and tile rolling industry who kept
accurate records. These workers constitute 25 per cent of the total
number employed in that trade in Philadelphia.
A V ER A G E D AYS W O R K E D IN 1920 B Y 20 SL A TE AND T IL E R O O F E R S IN P H IL A D E L P H IA .

W orkm an—

No 1
No 2
No 3
No
No
No.
No.
No.
No.

5
6
7
8
9
10

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

Days
worked
during
1920.1
125
259
208
200
152
200
142
250
100
200

W orkm an—

No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.

11...............................................................
12...............................................................
13...............................................................
14...............................................................
15...............................................................
16...............................................................
17...............................................................
18........... ...................................................
19...............................................................
20...............................................................

Days
worked
during
1920.1
100
150
150
105
125
250
200
150
150
250

1Average days worked, 17&J. N um bers 2,8,16, a n d 20 are foremen who work nearly every possible day.

Wisconsin Labor Market in February.

ABOR Market Bulletin No. 6 of the Industrial Commission of
Wisconsin shows an analysis of reports from 211 establishments
in that State having 62,500 employees, or about one-third of the
factory workers of the State. According to the bulletin the number of
factory workers increased 1.6 per cent in February as compared with
January. This is the first month showing an increase for manufac­
turing as a whole since July, 1920. It seems to indicate that the
readjustment process which has been taking place is about completed.
The total decline since July, 1920, in the number of employees is 29.2
per cent. The number now employed is the same as in the first
quarter of 1915.
The wood working industries show the greatest gain in employment.
Stamped metal goods and automobiles and motor cycles are the only
metal industries to show an increase in number employed. Milk
products (condensarles) show a fair-sized increase and the clothing
industry shows greatly increased activity. Mining continues to show
a considerable reduction in working force. Pig iron and rolling-mill
products and foundries show the greatest decreases of any of the
metal industries. Baking and confectionery and light and power also
show decreased activity.

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[1034]

EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT.

Ill

Comparing February with July, 1920, lead and zinc mining show
the greatest decrease m number of employees but is followed closely by
automobiles and motor cycles and boots and shoes. The most staple
industries in this period of readjustment have been pulp and paper
light and power, printing and publishing, and laundering, cleaning, and
dyeing. Meat packing alone shows an increase in number employed
when compared with July, 1920.
/P 1®
weekly earnings for all industries in February was
¡$24.16, which is $0.82 less than the previous month and $5.65 less than
the peak, which was reached in August, 1920. The decline in earnings
m February reflects to a greater extent than in previous months wage
cuts that have been made. However, a 1arge part of the decrease is a
result ot shortened hours and part-time work. Average weekly earn­
ings are now about the same as they were in the last quarter of 1919.

Work oí British Employment Exchanges in 1920.

URING the year 1920 the British employment exchanges
placed 784,169 individuals in positions, filling 941,708 vacan­
cies, both figures showing a decline from 1919, the former 31
per cent and the latter 27 per cent. The British Labor Gazette
which givess in its February, 1921, issue (pp. 66 and 67) a review of
the work^of the exchanges during 1920, calls attention to the fact
that to their regular duties was added the work in connection with
the unemployment insurance act of 1920 and the coal strike, which
steadily increased the number of persons claiming benefits under
the old insurance acts and under the out-of-work donation scheme
for ex-service men. The number of persons on the live registers of
enn
at the begini)ing of the year, it is stated, was about
600,000._ t his was gradually reduced until at the beginning of
August it was approximately half that figure. Early in November
however, following the coal strike, the number had increased to over
500,000 and at the end of the year it was over 750,000.
Of the total number of individuals registered in 1920, 1,699 924
were ntien, 767,037 (26.4 per cent) were women, and
439,337 (15.1 per cent) wore boys and girls. The following table
summarizes the work of the exchanges during the war and after:

D

A C T IV IT IE S O F B R IT IS H E M PL O Y M E N T EX C H A N G ES D U R IN G T H E Y E A R S 1914 TO 1920.

Persons placed.
Year.

1914
1915
1916
1917
1918.
1919.
1920.


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N um ber of N um ber of N um ber of N um ber of
individ­
registra­
uals regis­ vacancies vacancies.
tions.
notified.
filled.
tered.

3,442,452
3,186,137
3,658,689
3,575,380
3,739,064
6,197,653
3,984,600

2,164,023
2,323,803
2,843,784
2,837,650
3,045,263
5,003,786
2,906,298

[1035]

1,479,024
1,797,646
2,049,018
1,999,442
2,067,217
1,951,364
1,312,133

1,116,909
1,308,137
1,557,235
1,555,223
1,514,712
1,289,963
941,708

N um ber.

Per cent
of num ­
ber regis­
tered.

814,071
1,058,336
1,351,400
1,375,198
1,324,743
1,137,875
784,169

37.6
45.5
47.5
48.5
43.5
22.7
27.0

112

MONTHLY LABOE REVIEW.

By industries or trades, the highest number of registrations of
men was recorded in engineering and iron founding (498,797, or 20.8
per cent), followed by general laborers (430,586, or 18 per cent),
the transport trades (283,215, or 11.8 per cent), and the building
trades (262,606, or 11 per cent). In the case of women, domestic
occupations accounted for over one-third of the total (419,500)
followed by the textile trades (122,166, or 12 per cent), the dress
and boot and shoe trades (102,366, or 10.1 per cent), and commer­
cial and clerical occupations (61,771, or 6.1 per cent). Considering
the total vacancies filled by men, 77,714 (17.1 per cent) were in the
building trades, 73,808 (16.2 per cent) were for general laborers,
66,945 "(14.7 per cent) were in engineering and iron founding, 32,548
(7.2 per cent) were in transport trades, and 30,479 (6.7 per cent)
were m construction of works. In the women’s department, 195,600
(68.8 per cent) of the total vacancies filled were in domestic occupa­
tions, while the dress and boot and shoe trades accounted for 13,247
(4.7 per cent), textile trades for 11,661 (4.1 per cent), and commercial
and clerical occupations for 11,514 (4.0 per cent). Employment
exchanges advanced railroad fares in 19,100 cases, the total amount
so paid out being £15,600 ($75,917.40, par).
— --------------—

— ------------ -

Employment in Industrial and Commercial Establishments in France.1

STUD Y was made by factory inspectors in October, 1920, of the
employment situation in industrial and commercial estab­
lishments in France. A similar inquiry before the war
covered 37,386 establishments employing 1,313,377 persons and sub­
sequent studies in August, 1914, and in January of each succeeding
year showed that the number of these establishments fell to 20,861
immediately after the outbreak of the war but increased gradually
each year until in October, 1920, there were 35,516 in operation.
The report states that the individual plants are not in every case
identical in the different investigations but that the differences are so
unimportant as to have no effect in showing the magnitude of the
variations during the war period. The following table gives the num­
ber and per cent employed in different industries at different periods
from August, 1914, to October, 1920, as compared with the number
of workers employed before mobilization, and shows that in October,
1920, the personnel exceeded the normal by 5 per cent. On this date
94 per cent of the prewar establishments were functioning.

A

1 France. M inistère du Travail. B ulletin, N ov.-D ee., 1920. E nquête sur -’activité des établisse­
m ents industriels et commerciaux en Octobre 1920. p p . 477-48S.


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EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT.

113

N U M B E R AN D P E R C E N T O F E M P L O Y E E S IN D IF F E R E N T IN D U S T R IE S D U R IN G t t t e
P E R IO D A U G U ST, 1914, TO O CTO B ER , 1920, C O M PA R ED W IT H P R E W A R P E R S O N N E L

In d u stry .

F o o d .....................
Chemical products.........
R ubber, paper, c ard b o ard ...
P rin tin g an d publishing........
T e x tile s .. ...............
Clothing...................
H ides an d sk in s..............
W ood w orking. . .
M etallurgical
(ordinary
m e ta ls).................
M etallurgical (fine m etals). . .
G utting precious sto n es..........
C utting a n d m arking stones
for construction w ork___
Stone works, potteries, e tc ...
T ransportation an d storage..
Commercial enterprises..
T o tal...................

N um ber
of em­
ployees in
establish­
m ents in
operation
before
mobiliza­
tion.

N um ber of employees (men
and women.

A u­
gust,
1914.

P er cent of prew ar
personnel.

Jan u ­
ary,
1916.

Jan u ­
ary,
19i8.

82,828 44,464
55,192 25,070
41,909 19,107
32,520 13,637
244,526 103,984
116,360 48,836
60,167 22,361
63,089 16,772

58,259
53,535
32,822
16,796
176,382
74,763
41,557
34; 143

57,580
63,182
38,552
20,435
197,588
79,339
49,886
51,505

67,731
61,331
47,365
26,777
254,262
97,579
56,676
61,977

53
45
45
41
42
40
37
26

70
97
78
51
72
04
69
54

69
114
92

82
81

81
111
113
82
103
83
94
98

379,656
5,525
1,545

111, 806
519
292

335,062
2,015
804

500,519
3,551
989

454,983
6,055
1,231

39
9
18

36
52

86

134
64
64

119
109
79

56,636
70,603
29,189
73,232

10,779
14,248
14,449
35,677

15,342
30,744
25,157
46,000

23,150
35,071
25,488
51,035

85,924
65,994
27,623
64,865

49
48

86

27
45

62

40
49
87
69

151
93
94
S8

U, 313,377 ¡482,001 *933,384 1,197,870 1,380,373

37

71

91

105

October, A u­ Jan u ­ Jan u ­ Octo­
gust, ary, ary, ber,
1920.
1914. 1916. 1918. 1920.

19

20

02
80
68

1 This is th e num ber as shown in the report, b u t is not the sum of th e item s.

The difficulty of converting war-time into peace-time industries
and the lack of raw materials and of coal as well'as the withdrawal of
many loreign and colonial workers from industry resulted in a drop
in the number employed in 1919 as compared with the figures for
the previous year, the number employed in January, 1918, beine- 91
per cent of the prewar personnel and in January, 1919, 89 per cent,
this situation rapidly changed, however, so that in January, 1920,
the total extent of employment in the establishments scheduled was 1
per cent greater than before the war. In October, 1920, in all industry
groups except rubber, paper, cardboard, hides and skins, and storage
and transportation there was an increase of employment over January,
1920, and in six industries it surpassed the prewar figures, the per­
centages being as follows: Chemical products, 111; rubber, paper, and
cardboard, 113; textiles, 103; metallurgy (ordinary metals), 119;
metallurgy (fine metals), 109; cutting and marking stones for con­
struction work, 151.
Employment of Woman Labor.

A T THE outbreak of the war there were 392,399 women employed
111 thes? establishments. In August, 1914, this number fell to
183,173, but increased rapidly thereafter until the maximum, 444,470,
was reached in January, 1918, and in October, 1920, almost 50,000
more were employed than before the war. The following table shows
the proportion of women employed in the different industries before
mobilization, and from August, 1914, to October, 1920:


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114

P R O P O R T IO N , B Y IN D U S T R Y G R O U PS, O P W OM EN IN R E L A T IO N TO T H E TO T A L
N U M B E R O F E M P L O Y E E S , A U GUST, 1914, TO O C TO B ER , 1920.
Percentage of w omen employed—
In d u stry .

Before Au­
mobi­ gust,
liza­ 1914.
tion.

Jan u ­ Jan u ­ Jan u ­ Ja n u ­ Jan u ­ Jan u ­ Octo­
ber,
ary,
ary,
ary,
ary,
ary,
ary,
1915. 1916. 1917. 1918. 1919. 1920. 1920.

77.5
34.1
12.3
6.5
44.4
42.3

31.2
21.1
47.5
41.2
65. 5
80.9
36.7
16.7
8.1
40.4
71.2

34.2
19.4
48.1
38.6
66.5
85.3
38.5
11.2
14.2
51.5
76.1

35.1
19.3
46.0
40.2
67.6
86.1
39.6
20.6
18.3
47.7
71.0

42.8
20.3
46.9
42.9
69.1
88.1
41.5
17.3
21.2
50.3
68.5

34.6
22.9
50.0
43.2
66.4
86.0
43.2
20.9
22.3
39.9
71.7

34.0
22.5
49.1
43.4
65.1
83.9
42.8
17.9
J7.5
44.1
65.7

34.4
20. 0
44.6
41.0
61.3
81.7
41.0
16.1
14.2
44.6
61.4

35.3
19.0
44.6
40.2
61.2
82.1
39. 4
14.5
12.9
43.5
57.5

.3
19.3
1.4
36.5

.6
22.6
1.0
49.3

.8
23.8
.9
49.5

.9
24.5
1.3
52.7

.9
23.1
3.1
52.6

1.3
24.8
3.2
51.9

.8
24.7
4.8
51.4

.5
23.6
3.5
47.8

.4
24.8
2.9
46.7

29.8

38.0

38.2

38.0

37.2

37.1

35.5

33.1

32.0

...........................................
"Food.
Chemical products...................................
R ubber paper, card b o ard .....................
P rintin g and publishing........................
T extiles......................................................
Clothing
....................................... ..
"Hides and sk in s.................................. .
W ood w orking...........................................
Metallurgical fordinary m etals)............
Metallurgical ffinc m etals).....................
C utting precious sto n es..........................
C utting an d m arking stones for eonstruct! on w ork.......................................
Stone works, potteries, etc.....................
T ransportation and storage...................
Commercial enterprises..........................

36.8
16.4
41.6
32.3

T o tal.................................................

Before the war women constituted 29.8 per cent of the total per­
sonnel. In August, 1914, in spite of the fact that the total number
of workers had diminished 63 per cent, the number of women em­
ployed formed 38 per cent of the total number employed. This pro­
portion was maintained at approximately this point until 1917, but
from that time it declined until in October, 1920, the proportion of
women employed in these establishments was 32 per cent of the total
number of employees.
Extent of Unemployment in Foreign Countries.
Algiers.1

LGIERS is suffering from unemployment to such an extent that
the mayor has made a public appeal for funds to aid the poor
and finance an employment-seeking campaign, for which the
city council has already appropriated 100,000 francs ($19,300, par).
The number out of work is estimated at about 10,000, among a popu­
lation of between 230,000 and 250,000, while those in need of imme­
diate relief number about 3,000.
Wages have decreased m some lines, notably among bakers, who
are receiving 4 or 5 francs [77.2 or 96.5 cents, par] per day, as com­
pared with 7 francs [$1.35, par] paid subsequent to the armistice.
In spite of this reduction in wages, however, the price of bread has
remained the same, 1.5 francs per kilogram, or about 13 cents a pound,
owing to the increased cost of wheat.

A

; E x tra c t from December report on commerce a n d industries, Algiers, Algeria, Feb. 28, 1921, for­
w arded to th e bureau by th e D epartm ent of State.


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115

Denmark.

| HERE is no indication that unemployment, which generally
1 culminates in January or the beginning of February, has yet
reached a peak, declares a dispatch from the American minister at
Copenhagen, dated February 21, 1921. The latest figures mark a
continued increase, the number of unemployed being now 28,958 in
Copenhagen and 41,953 in the Provinces, or altogether 70,911. At
the corresponding time last year the number of unemployed was
only 35,000. The considerable increase which has occurred in the
course of the past week is chiefly due to important closings in the
shoe and tobacco industries, it is stated.
Finland.2

’" ¡'HERE has been very little unemployment during the last two
years, accounted for, no doubt, to a great extent by the fact that
work has hardly been disturbed at all by strikes and lockouts. Ac­
cording to reports received from the official labor exchanges of the
country, work was asked for at the end of September, 1919, by 522
men and 739 women; on September 25, 1920, by 343 men and 491
women. On December 11, 1920, 623 men and 569 women had
applied for work—a very low figure, indeed, for a country of 3,300,000
inhabitants.
France (Paris).

REPORT is given in the Bulletin du Ministère du Travail,
November-December, 1920 (pp. 537-538), of the operation of
the national unemployment funds in the city of Paris from October
20 to December 31. The number of unemployed receiving unem­
ployment insurance during the week of October 20 was 444. ° Unem­
ployment increased slowly during November and rapidly in Decem­
ber, the number receiving assistance in the last 10 days of the year
being 26,079, of whom 16,003 were men and 10,076 were women.
During this 10-week period more than 68,000 persons received relief
at a total expense of 1,648,816 francs ($318,221.49, par), about
one-fourth of which was paid by the State. The greatest amount of
unemployment among men was in the building, woodworking, hides
and skins, electrical and metal industries; and among women unem­
ployment was most severe in the textile industry, with a considerable
amount in the same trades in which unemployment among men was
greatest.
A

Great Britain3 and Ireland.

number of unemployed in the London district increased greatly
uuring January. Exclusive of short-time workers, there were
158,764 unemployed on the live registers of the employment exchanges
in the London County Council area on January 28, 1921. Many
factories and small workshops have closed or are working short hours.
2E xcerpt irom financial and business report of the Fin n ish Central Cham ber of Commerce, Helsing­
fors, Dec. 21, 1920.
s D ata from th e Am erican consul a t London (Feb. 20, 1921), and, as respects Birm ingham , from the
A merican consul a t th a t place (Feb. 17,1921), forwarded to th e bureau by th e D epartm ent of State.


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M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .

In the districts near the docks the situation is especially acute, as the
movement of vessels and freight has fallen off greatly.
The Lord Mayor of London aiid the mayors of the 28 metropolitan
boroughs are making a joint appeal for the unemployed, especially
for the ex-service men, and many boroughs are, in addition, making
separate collections of money, food, and clothing. In practically all
sections of the city relief work has been undertaken, particularly road
repair. In some cases part of the cost of this is met by grants from
the Ministry of Transport; in others the whole cost is met from local
taxes.
The Government has for some time been urging the building trades
to absorb at least 50,000 ex-service men in the industry, but the
trades have finally and definitely refused to do this. In expectation
of such refusal the Government has prepared a plan for the employ­
ment of these men on house-building. It is stated that this plan is
to build houses of concrete blocks, and that comparatively unskilled
labor can be used in such building. The cooperation of the master
builders must, however, be secured, and this is now being requested.
A joint committee appointed by the parliamentary committee of
the Trades-Union Congress and the Labor Party executive, has issued
a report recommending:
That persons for whom no work is available shall be entitled to maintenance, which,
including benefits under the unemployment insurance act, shall be at least 40s.
[$9.73, par] per week for each householder and 24s. [$5.84, par] for each single man or
woman over the age of 18, with additional allowances for dependents.

The slump in the price of tin has caused the closing down of the
tin mines in Cornwall. The last of these to continue operations
finally suspended on February 12, 1921.
The decrease in coal output during January will result in the
reduction of miners’ wages from February 1 by 2s. [48.7 cents, par]
per shift in the case of adults, Is. [24.3 cents, par] for youths, and 9d.
[18.3 cents, par] per shift for boys.
The Dundee employers in the jute trade have intimated to the jute
trade board that they will present a proposal to reduce wages by
25 per cent. The majority of the jute mills are working only three
days in each week.
Birmingham.

The figures issued by the Central Labor Exchange indicate that
Birmingham’s army of unemployed is still growing, and show a total
of 52,379 as against 51,361 in the previous week. In addition there
are 19,000 working on short time, so that the grand total is 71,379,
as against 67,556 in the previous week. It is said that the registry
offices for domestic servants are busy enrolling applicants for working
in that capacity, many of them being girls who were formerly
employed in factories. The wages asked by domestic servants are
also lower than they have been for years.
The total cost of the relief works which the Birmingham corpora­
tion is undertaking on behalf of the unemployed men is nearly
£300,000 [$1,459,950, par]; of this money £120,000 [$583,980, par] is
being expended on road improvements, and the city council recently
voted £100,000 [$486,650, par] for other works. The total amount
available for relief work is said to be £175,000 [$851,637.50, par],


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E M PL O Y M E N T AND U N E M P L O Y M E N T .

117

The work contemplates an expenditure of £20,000 [$97,330, par] on
parks, £10,000 [$48,665, par] on housing, £72,000 [$350,388, par]
on tramways, and £73,000 [$355,254.50, par] on public works.
Ireland.4

The unemployment problem is less widespread in Ireland than in
England, but according to the Irish Times of January 29, 1921, there
are 50,000 unemployed in Dublin, of whom 8,000 are former British
soldiers of Irish blood. The British Government has allotted
£270,000 [$1,313,955, par] for the relief of unemployment in Ireland,
but few Irish claims have been filed. It is necessary that Irish local
relief schemes provide 40 per cent of the funds which they propose to
disburse instead of the 60 per cent as was originally planned.
Italy (Turin).5

’T H E number of unemployed in Turin during the month of Decem­
ber, 1920, reached 32,975, while only 10,631 unemployed were
recorded in December, 1919. The following arc the groups of un­
employed for December, 1920:
U nemployed.

Metallurgical workmen.......................................................................... 13 953
Construction and woodworking industries............................................ 2,304
Dressmakers and tailors......................................................................... l ' 876
Chemical industries, rubber factories, printers, and shoemakers........ 11 ’ 557
Office employees.................................................................................... 1 114
Textile industries.................................................................................. l ’ 595
Waiters, hotel employees, etc...............................................................
’ 5gi
Total............................................................................................ 32,975

The city employment bureau gave the following sums to the un­
employed registered at the office during 1920 (1 lira at par = 19.3
cents):
Lire.

To workmen................................................................................ 1,065, 546.15
To 528 office employees..............................................................
43, 264. 35
Total.................................................................................. 1,108,810.50
Netherlands.6

IN A statement made by the minister of labor in the Second Chamber
1 of The Netherlands during the past week [ending February 26,
1921] it was indicated that about 75 per cent of the workers in the
diamond industry, which usually numbers something like 13,000, are
at present unemployed. The tobacco working industry is one of
the largest in Holland and the minister reports that 45 per cent of
the tobacco workers are without employment. Among cotton
spinners in the Province of Twente the hours of work have been cut
down to 36 and in some of the mills to 22 per week, while in the
weaving mills a very large proportion of the looms have been stopped.
Workers in the men’s clothing industry, which numbered 14,200
1 E xcerp t from January, 1923, report on commerce and in d u stries, D ublin, Feb. 14,1921, forwarded to
this bureau b y th e D epartm ent of State.
5 E xcerpt from report b y the A merican consul, dated Jan . 31, 1921.
6D ata from the American consul general a t R otterdam , Feb. 28, 1921.


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M O N T H L Y LABOR REV IEW .

two years ago, at present number 10,400 and the working hours
have been reduced. Thirty per cent of the brick makers are without
employment, about 20 per cent of the workers in the glass industry
have been discharged, 38 per cent of the workers in the leather indus­
try are reported as unemployed and about 40 per cent of the workers
in the paper industry are also without employment. The situation
in the chemical industry, which has been very favorable so far, is
taking an unfavorable course, while unemployment is also on the
increase in the printing trades. Competition from Germany is
ascribed as the reason for a considerable portion of this unemploy­
ment but the situation in the diamond industry is more or less of
an international character, the chief reason being the fact that
Eastern Europe is no longer buying diamonds. In nearly every
other line the situation has been caused chiefly by the indisposition
of people to buy products at present prices.
Norway.7

DEPORTS received at the central office in Christiania from the
Av public employment bureaus throughout the country as of
January 25, 1921, show that on that date there were in Norway
12,725 unemployed men and only 262 vacancies, a surplus therefore
of 12,463 unemployed. A month ago the surplus amounted to
6,361, and on January 25, 1920, it was 3,276. From the point of
view of numbers, unemployment is greatest in the building trades
(2,359), unskilled labor (2,209), seamen (1,901), and metal workers
(1,778). There is, however, unemployment in practically all branches.
With regard to woman workers the total number of unemployed
women on January 25, 1921, was 1,544 and the vacancies 877.
The surplus of unemployed was therefore 667. A month ago the
surplus was 72, and on January 25, 1920, there was a deficit of female
help amounting to 1,021. Of the 877 vacancies, 783 represent places
as servants in the country and in cities, and in this branch the requests
for work are too few, amounting to only 227.
By eliminating these groups, there remain 1,317 women seeking
employment and only 94 vacancies; that is, a surplus of 1,223.
The greatest unemployment among women is found in the food­
stuff, trade, business, clothing, and textile industries.
An approximate estimate of the cases of unemployment which
have not been reported to the employment bureaus indicates that
the total unemployment in Norway as of January 25, 1921, was
about 20,000 men and 2,000 women.
Switzerland.

A CCORDING to the labor market report of the Swiss Federal Labor
Office (Eidgenössisches Arbeitsamt) for February, 1921, unem­
ployment greatly increased throughout Switzerland during that
month and the first two weeks in March. During the week February
7 to 14 the number of totally and partially unemployed increased by
about 10,000. During the second half of February there was no
7
D ata from the American consul general a t Christiania, Feb. 5, 1921, forwarded by the D epartm ent of
State.


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E M PL O Y M E N T AND U N E M P L O Y M E N T .

119

further increase in the number of unemployed. This fact led to the
general belief that unemployment had reached its high level. Durinof
llet,ruary 28 to March 7 the number of totally unemployed
fell from 42,705 to 40,730, but during the same period the number of
partially unemployed persons rose from 82,930 to 87,132. It should
moreover, be noteci ^that the enumeration of unemployed persons
rnaGe by the Schweizer Arbeitsmarkt;; does not include those unernployed persons who have been given employment at emergency
public works, and their number is very large. During the "week
March 7 to 14 there was a further increase in both the number of
totally and partially unemployed. On March 14 the totally unem­
ployed numbered 43,554 and the partially unemployed 90,455. Thus
the total number of persons affected by the economic crisis was
134,009 as against 106,574 on January 31.
The present economic crisis is chiefly ascribed to the flooding of the
Swiss markets with foreign goods. Import restrictions and an
increase oi custom duties on certain articles are among the protective
measures proposed by the Government and their speedy enactment is
impatiently awaited by Swiss industry and labor.
The following table, reproduced from the “ Schweizer Arbeitsmarkt ”
s^w s. the number of totally unemployed of both sexes, of vacant
situations, and of partially unemployed persons on various dates
failing between December 20, 1920, and March 7, 1921:
U N E M P L O Y M E N T IN S W IT Z E R L A N D , DEC. 20, 1920, TO MAR. 7, 1921.
—
Totally unem ployed.
D ate of enum eration.

Males.

Females.

Em ployed
p a rt tim e.

N um ber of N um ber of N um ber of N um ber of
vacancies. applicants. vacancies. applicants.
Dec. 20, 1920............
Jan. 31,1921..........
Feb. 7,1921.........
Feb. 14, 1921........
Feb. 21, 1921........
Feb. 28, 1921..........
Mar. 7,1921...........

449
209
257
255
290
333
337

1
yyo
628
231
160
957
1 9Q
i-L
o

1/1
J-TCj 1 ¿9 il7
*)A
¿-i t y QOQ

26
30
31
31
91ly
O

684
760
759
836
803
907
898

3,565
9,659
10,414
10.388
10.389
10,748
9,602

47,636
71,922
76.236
82,392
84,633
82,930
87,132

The monthly reports of the Swiss public employment offices show
tlidt in -bebruary, 1921, there were 392.7 male and 270.4 female appli­
cants ioi every 100 vacant positions. The corresponding figures for
January, 1921, were 387.1 and 270.4, and for February; 1920, thev
were 109.9 and 67.9.
J
Transatlantic emigration from Switzerland has also increased
owing to the present unfavorable industrial situation. In February \
1921, a total of 680 emigrants left Switzerland for transatlantic
countries as against 351 in February, 1920, 39 in February, 1919, and
370 m February, 1914.
The American consul at Bern reports, under date of February 24
1921, that the Federal Assembly of the Swiss Confederation has
resolved to open a credit of 15,000,000 francs ($2,895,000, par) with
the I edoral Council, to be used to relieve the present unemployment
situation. There will be three classes of subsidies, as follows:

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120

M O N T H L Y LABOR REV IEW .

1. Those equal to 20 per cent of the maximum cost of work exe­
cuted for the general welfare, including in certain cases reparation
and reconstruction, but excepting dwelling houses.
2. Those of a less per cent to cover the expenses of employing un­
skilled workmen.
3. Those equal to 10 per cent of the maximum cost of budding
dwelling houses.
No subsidy will be granted, it is stated, where the cost of work is
not above 2,000 francs ($386, par). In the construction of dwelling
houses there may be accorded, in addition to the 10 per cent subsidies,
loans from the credits which are still available under the Federal
Council’s decree of July 15, 1919. The Confederation grants these
subsidies only in case the Canton pays an equal amount. The com­
munes are to be approached by the Cantons as to the amount they
can pay.
For works falling in the first category above, preference will be
given to those employing the largest number of workmen as com­
pared to the cost of the work. In the construction of dwelling
houses, “ preference will be given to those destined soonest to relieve
the lodging crisis without prejudice to the esthetic or hygienic condi­
tions of the buildings.”


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{10141

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY, AND CHILD LABOR.

Employment oi Women as Street Car Conductors and Ticket Agents.

NE of the vexed questions during the war was the desirability
or propriety of employing women in street-car work, more
especially as conductors. At the time, the matter was settled
rather superficially, such employment being permitted in one place
and forbidden in another, according to the attitude of the men’s
unions, of the societies concerned with the welfare and protection of
working women, and of public sentiment. No comprehensive
attempt was made to study the matter dispassionately in order to
ascertain whether undesirable conditions which might accompany
their employment in a given place were inherent in the work or
merely duo to local carelessness and indifference.
The Women’s Bureau of the United States Department of Labor
has striven to supply this lack of information by a careful study of the
conditions of employment for women in four cities in which they were
retained in street-car work after the war emergency had passed—De­
troit, Kansas City, Boston, and Chicago. The study was made in June,
July, and September, 1919, and January, 1920. In Detroit and Kansas
City women were employed as conductors, and in Boston and Chicago
as ticket agents and collectors. The report takes up conditions of
work, hours, wages, the attitude of the women toward their employ­
ment, their success in meeting its requirements, and the probable
permanency of their tenure as industrial conditions return to normal.
Of special interest are the discussions of the reasons for the popu­
larity of street-car work among women, and of the feasibility of
adapting such work to the limitations which public sentiment
imposes upon the employment of women. Throughout the study
emphasis is placed upon the need of careful study of local conditions
before framing any regulations to govern the work of women in
transportation. The general conclusion as to the suitability of
employing women as conductors (their employment as ticket agents
does not seem to meet opposition) is as follows:

O

Although conditions were not ideal, however, no particular reason was disclosed,
either through a careful study of hours and wages, or through investigation of actual
working conditions, or through interviews with the women themselves, to prove that
the work of a street-car conductor was unfit for women. On the contrary, it seemed
to combine many advantages not always found in the traditional occupations for
women.
Street-car conductors do not have to stand continuously, they get plenty of fresh
air and variety of employment, there is no heavy work to be done, their wages are
good, and their hours are no longer than in many other occupations in which women
have worked for years. Forty-six women conductors in Detroit told the investigators
of the Women’s Bureau that they preferred the work of a conductor to any work they
had ever done before. Only one woman, who used to drive a rural free delivery
wagon, liked her previous occupation better. No evidence was found to show that
the work on the street cars involved exposure to risks or dangers which women are
not facing and coping with successfully in other forms of work.


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121

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

122

Colored Women in Industry in Philadelphia.1

HE Consumers’ League of Eastern Pennsylvania has recently
published the results of a study made in the period December,
1919, to June, 1920, which was undertaken ‘‘with a view to
ascertaining how far colored women in Philadelphia have entered
the industrial field and with what results.”
The investigators found little evidence that before the war colored
women had been employed in Philadelphia to any extent outside of
domestic service and of what might be called public housekeeping.
The war had brought about a demand for their services, which still,
more than a year after the armistice, seemed fairly strong, since they
were found at work in 28 industries and 74 processes. They were
employed in garment-making factories, in department stores, in
glass factories, in file making, in bakeries, in the United States
Arsenal, in the manufacture of paper novelties, of embroideries, of
candy and jellies and preserves, and millinery trimmings and over­
gaiters, in laundries, restaurants, and hotels, on the railroads, and in
private dressmaking establishments.
Almost invariably they entered industry through the least skilled
occupations and whether or not they progressed beyond these seemed
to be largely a matter of the opportunity the individual employer
was willing to give. In some cases advancement was made easy to
them; in others, either they were not allowed to enter the more
skilled occupations, or they were admitted to them with reluctance
and forced out as soon as opportunity offered. Oddly enough, this
kind of discrimination was apparent in laundries.

T

With the coming of the war and the extensive adjustments in industries, oppor­
tunities to do the more skilled work were given; from mangling they advanced to
machine ironing, sorting, marking, and hand ironing. There they have remained to
a limited extent, although some of the better laundries either discharged them or so
reduced their wages that they were forced to go back to their less skilled work or
to seek employment elsewhere.

In the garment-making industry, however, some factories were found
which employed only colored women, and others which admitted them
freely to any position they were able to fill. In glass factories and
file-making establishments they had proved specially satisfactory,
owing partly to their ability to stand the heat without suffering. On
the railroads, where they had long been employed as car cleaners,
they had recently been advanced to the position of linen clerk, which
involves both accuracy and responsibility, and in other places a few
were found working as typists, stenographers, clerks, and bookkeepers.
In general, wages were low. Reports on this subject were received
from 177, who were thus distributed:
Percentage in Specified Weekly Wage Group.
Under $10...........................................................................................
$10 and und er $12 ..............................................................................
$12 and under $15..............................................................................
$15 and under $20...............................................................................
$20 and over.......................................................................................

27.1
28. 2
19. 2
15. 3
10. 2

i Colored women as ind u strial workers in Philadelphia. Consumers’ League of E astern Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia, 1919-20. 49 pp.


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[1046]

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY, AND CHILD LABOR.

123

At the time these figures were collected the District of Columbia
Minimum Wage Board was setting $16.50 per week as the lowest sum
on which a woman could support herself in health and decency, and
the lowest minimum it had ever set was $15.50. More than half of
these women received less than $12 a week, and 74.5 per cent fell
below $15. Only one-tenth reached or passed $20 a week.
On the whole, the best wages were found among the women work­
ing in the arsenal, on the railroads, and in the garment-making
trades. In the arsenal, where they were salvaging cots, they had
standard conditions—an eight-hour day and an initial wage of $2.50
a day, with regular increases. In the railroad work the car cleaners
were paid 45 cents an hour and averaged $20 to $22 a week, while
the linen clerks received about $95 a month. In the garment-making
trades_ wages ranged from $7 to $39 a week, 35 per cent of those
reporting receiving less than $12 a week, and 57 per cent falling
below $15.
The opinions of employers as to the desirability of colored workers
varied widely. The most common complaint concerned their irreg­
ularity of attendance. The report raises the question of whether
this may be connected with the fact that the industries in which they
are most generally employed are largely seasonal, and that therefore
their whole experience tends to irregularity. In factory work it
was commonly said that colored workers needed more training than
white workers, and were less habituated to the factory routine. How­
ever, where they had been in a line of work long enough to become
wonted to it, they seemed to give satisfaction.
On the railroads, where the colored have been employed for many years, very few
white women are employed; the garment industry is anxious to have experienced
workers or people whom it can train; in certain processes in cleaning and dyeing and
in making cigars colored women are employed exclusively; and many establishments
which employed them as an experiment are retaining them as a permanent force.

The report discusses at some length the treatment accorded the
colored women and the alleged difficulty of having white and colored
workers in the same shop. In many cases the colored were un­
questionably discriminated against in wages and in conditions of
work, but this was not universal. Where they are unfairly treated,
there is apt to be trouble between the two races, partly due to the
suspicion of the white workers that the colored, because they will
accept the lower wages and worse treatment, ma}^ be used to supplant
them. On their part, the colored workers naturally would be irri­
tated at seeing white women getting considerably higher wages for
identical work, or receiving preferential treatment. Many diversities
of attitude were found.
Some firms which have had colored, or which now employ only one or two to do
the least skilled work, or to do cleaning, reported that they would not employ colored
again, or that they would not employ more, because it was impossible to secure the
best class of white girls if they had colored. * * *
“ When the colored girls first came I had to be continually on the job to settle dis­
putes,” said one man; “ now I have no trouble.” He said he had taken pains to
prevent friction from the very first. * * *
Not only are the colored and white working side by side, but in a small candy
factory white girls were found working under the direction of a colored forelady.
The manager said the white girls rather objected at first, until he explained that she
was the only one who knew all the processes, and it was necessary to have some one
who could teach the others. No trouble was experienced after that. * * *
44130°—21-----9
[10471

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

124

The fact that colored and white girls are working side by side is proof conclusive
that thev can do it. A great deal depends upon the manner in which they are intro­
duced, whether they are brought in as equal workers or whether, as the girls suspect,
they come as possible undercutters, and upon the attitude of the employers toward
them. Discrimination on the part of the employers means antagonism on the part of
the employees.

Child Labor in Wisconsin Outside ol Milwaukee.

THE M o n t h l y L abo r R e v ie w for March, 1921 (p. 157), it was
reported that 25,507 child labor permits were issued in Milwau­
kee in the year 1919-20. According to recent statistical tables
received from the Wisconsin Industrial Commission, there were
13,412* child labor permits issued in all the counties of that
State outside of the city of Milwaukee from July 1, 1919, to July 1,
1920; 8,246 were issued to males and 5,166 to females. The United
States was the birthplace of 12,825 of the children; Italy of 30,
Russia of 133, Austria of 101, and Germany of 63. Two hundred and
sixty of the children were born in other countries. Two thousand
nine hundred and fifty-four of the children had passed the sixth
grade; 636 had passed what was equivalent to the sixth grade; and
350 had attended school seven years. There were no educational
requirements in 9,472 cases, no school records being necessary for
children to secure permission to work in vacation, on Saturday and
after school, or for regular permits when the children are 16-17 years
of age. ,
The following figures show the number and ages of children granted
different kinds of permits :
N

I

Total regular permits.............................
To children 16-17 years of age........
To children 14-16 years of age........
Total vacation permits...........................
To children 16-17 years of age........
To children 14-16 years of age........
To children 12-14 years of age........
Total after school and Saturday permits
To children 16-17 years of age........
To children 14—16 years of age........

6,381
2,499
3,882
5, 836
1, 603
4, 044
189
1,195
259
936

Of the 9,956 permits issued in vocational school cities of the State,
exclusive of Milwaukee, 2,871 were for children 16-17 years of age,
1,706 being regular permits, 947 for vacation, and 218 for after school
and Saturday. For children from 14-16, 6,923 permits were granted,
3,232 being regular, 2,877 for vacation, and 814 for after school and
Saturday. All the permits granted to the 162 children 12-14 years
of age were for vacation work.
The following table shows the numbers of children in the different
industries of Wisconsin, except in Milwaukee.
1 In addition to this num ber of original perm its, 4,410 perm its were reissued to children to work for new
employers or to work for different periods of tim e for th e same employer.


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[1048]

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY, AND CHILD LABOR.

125

Distribution of Child Labor in the Various Industries of the State Outside of the City of
Milwaukee, July 1, 1919, to July 1, 1929.
Manufacturing, including food, textiles, metal, woodwork and lumber, paper
matches,2 shoes and gloves, and rubber.......................................................... 9; 586
Mercantile, including dry goods and groceries, drug stores" and bakeries......... l ’ 756
Hotels and restaurants4......
62
Logging5...............................................................................................................
59
Messenger service...... ..........................................................................................
490
Laundry...............................................................................................................
156
Domestic service8..........
284
Office.....................
158
Railroad.............
43
Miscellaneous...................................................................
818
Total in all industries................. ..................... ............ ........................... 13 412
2 In view of the fast th a t investigation by th e In d u strial Commission shows th a t poisonous phosphorus
is not used in th e m anufacture of matches, tne em ploym ent of minors under 18 in m atch factories is perm itted
a Resolution adopted by th e In d u strial Commission March 11, 1918, prohibits the granting of perm its
to all minors under 14 years of age in any drug store and all minors un d er 16 years of age in any drug store
which has a Governm ent perm it to fill physicians' prescriptions for the use of strong, spirituous, or m alt
liquors.
1Resolution adopted by the In d u strial Commission March 11, 1918, prohibits em ploym ent of female
children under 17 years of age in any hotel, restaurant, boarding house, or rooming house and prohibits
male children under 16 years of age in any hotel. Boys from 16-17 m ay secure perm its to work in hotels
providing no liquor is sold or served in connection w ith th e hotel. Boys over 14 years of age m ay work in
restaurants if th e y have labor perm its.
6 Resolution of th e In d u strial Commission of Mareh 3,1919, prohibits the granting of p erm its to children
under 16 years of age in lum bering a n d logging operations.
6 Ferm its are required for domestic service in vocational cities only.


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ri049]

INDU STRIA L A CCIDENTS A ND HYGIENE.

Industrial Establishment Disability Records as a Source of Morbidity
Statistics.

CCIDENT and mortality statistics, while far from satisfactory
in completeness, are at least available as a measure of the inci­
dence of accident and of death in industry, but morbidity
statistics are lacking. Accurate and complete statistics of disease
incidence do not exist. Illness is seldom made a matter of record.
In an effort to offer some suggestion as to the collection of morbidity
statistics a paper by Edgar Sydenstricker and Dean K. Brundage, of
the United States Public Health Service, was read at the eightysecond annual meeting of the American Statistical Association, held
in Atlantic City in December, 1920, and printed in the quarterly
publication of the association for March, 1921. In this paper the
authors propose as a source of morbidity statistics the use of indus­
trial establishment disability records, that is, “ disability or sickness
records for persons associated into insured groups, for persons em­
ployed in certain industrial establishments maintaining fairly de­
tailed supervision of the health of their employees, for persons living
in various institutions, and in the armed forces of the United States.”
The collection of such disability records is being attempted by the
United States Public Health Service, and a compilation of partial
results is presented by the authors in the form of two tables, one of
which shows the monthly variation in the average number of cases
of sickness, per 1,000 members of sick benefit associations, which
caused disability of 7 days or longer in a group of plants during the
first 8 months of 1920, while the other table gives the incidence of
various diseases causing disability of more than one day during a
12-month period in a large industrial plant. It is believed that these
tables are of sufficient interest in connection with the study of mor­
bidity statistics to be reproduced without further comment.

A

A N N U A L N U M B E R O F CASES O F SICK N ESS CAUSING D IS A B IL IT Y F O R O N E W E E K OR
L O N G E R , P E R 1,000 M EM B E R S O F S IC K -B E N E F IT ASSOCIA TIO N S, IN C E R T A IN IN D U S­
T R IA L E S T A B L IS H M E N T S R E P O R T IN G TO T H E P U B L IC H E A L T H SE R V IC E : B Y
M ON TH O F O N SET, JA N U A R Y TO A U G U ST, 1920, A N D B Y D IS E A S E CA U SIN G D IS A B IL ­
IT Y .
General grouping of diseases or conditions caus­ Jan ­ Feb­ March. April. May. June. July. Au­
gust.
uary. ruary.
ing disability.
Ail diseases a n d co n d itio n s1.................................... 275.0
General diseases........................................................... 163.7
7.5
Diseases of th e nervous sy ste m ................................
2.5
Diseases of th e circulatory sy ste m ..........................
Diseases of th e respiratory sy stem .......................... 49.9
Diseases of th e digestive sy ste m .............................. 24.1
2.5
Diseases of th e genito-urinary s y s te m ,.................
5.8
Diseases of th e skin a n d cellular tissu e ..................
4.2
Diseases of th e bones an d organs of locom otion..
3.3
E x tern al causes...........................................................
Ill-defined diseases an d conditions.......................... 11.6

326.7
218.9
8.5
5.1
40.8
22.7
3.4
7.4
1.7
10.8
7.4

126.0
54.2
8.0
4.5
21.1
24.1
.5
2.5
3.0
2.5
5.5

103.4
29.8
8.0
3.3
19.4
15.6
1.4
6.2
2.4
13.2
5.2

76.7
16.8
5.9
4.8
16.8
15.3
1. /
2.2
3.7
6.1
3.3

67.1
18.1
5.0
2.9
9.2
14.1
1.1
2.7
1.7
7.6
4.6

67.3
9.5
3.8
4.0
8.1
15. 2
1. 4
4.9
2.4
12.1
5.7

54.4
10.5
3.8
2.1
9.1
13.9
.6
2.5
2.3
6.3
3.2

1 Twelve of th e 27 associations specify definite age lim its for eligibility to m em bership, th e average lim its
being from 17 to 55 years of age. In some other respects, too, in d u strial employees are a distinctly selected

126

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[1050]

INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS AND HYGIENE.

127

P R E V A L E N C E O F D ISA B L IN G D ISE A SES AMONG E M P L O Y E E S O F A L A R G E R U B B E R
CO M PANY D U R IN G T H E Y E A R E N D IN G O C TO B ER 31, 1920.
[Based on reported cases which caused absence from work for one day or longer and which term inated
w ithin th e year.]

Cases p er 1,000.
General grouping of diseases or conditions caus­
ing disability.
Males.
All diseases and conditions. ■
1,933.0
General diseases........... .
275.1
Diseases of th e nervous system .
36.2
Diseases of th e circulatory sy stem .. ..
12.2
Diseases of th e respiratory system .
279.2
Diseases of th e digestive sy ste m .. ..
394.3
Diseases of genito-urninary sy ste m ........
5.4
The puerperal s ta te ...............
Diseases of th e s k in ___
51.5
Diseases of th e bones an d organs of locomotion.
41.1
S enility...............
E x tern al causes........
45.6
Ill-defined............
792.4

D ays lost per
case.

Females. Males.
2,565.3
297.2
40.0
9.1
314.4
422.2
190.1
16.6
25.8
22.7
48.6
1,178.6

4.81
9.79
7.67
9.05
4.59
4. 51
14.35
5.62
5.10
147.00
7.52
2.82

D ays lost per
person.

Females. Males.
5.38
12.16
7.06
26.47
6.17
5.68
5.71
24.93
6.38
6.24
6. 81
2.71

9.30
2.69
.28
.11
1.28
1.78
.08
.29
.21
.01
.34
2.23

Females.
13.80
3.61
.28
.24
1.94
2.40
1.09
.42
.16
.14
.33
3.19

Quarry Accidents in the United States in 1919.

NITED States Bureau of Mines Technical Paper 275 is a report
on quarry accidents in the United States during the calendar
year 1919. The data are based on reports from 1,724 oper­
ators employing 75,505 workers and operating an average of 253 clays
or a period of time equivalent to 19,138,308-man days for all employ­
ees. During the year 1919 there were 1.93 men killed and 144 2
men injured out of each 1,000 300-day workers, these figures beino
somewhat lower than during 1918 when the fatality rate was 2.11
and the injury rate was 147.07. The actual numbers of killed and
injured m 1919 were 123 and 9,199, respectively. The following
table shows for the different kinds of quarries the number of men
employed and the number killed and injured, together with the
fatality and injury rates for the years 1918 and 1919.

U

vgroup,
cv T em porary or casual laborers are seldom ad m itted to mem bership, a nd some m ay be too poor
affo: the cost of insurance. NVomen have no t th e privilege of belonging to some of the reporting asso­
to afford
ciations, and in those reporting associations which do have female members their num ber is relatively
small, so th a t th e sickness rates presented could no t be affected to a n y appreciable extent b y the greater
frequency of illness among women Furtherm ore, no t all diseases are included in the tabulations, as sick
benefits are denied for th e venereal diseases, a n d 6 of the 27 reporting associations in this group refuse to
p ay benefits for chronic diseases contracted prior to th e d ate of joining th e association. Sixteen of the
assw iations do no t p ay for disabilities brought on by th e use of intoxicating liquors; 11 decline to pay
for disabilitiesi resulting from th e violation of an y civil law; a n d 8 for th e results of willful or gross negligence.
Ju st how rigidly these rules are enforced is not know n, b u t, considering these restrictions, the statistics
or longer re^ar^ e(^ as a nuniinum statem en t of th e disabilities actually occurring and lasting seven days


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[1051]

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

128

M EN E M PL O Y E D A N D N U M B E R K IL L E D AN D IN JU R E D , B Y K IN D O F Q U A R R Y ,
D U R IN G T H E Y E A R S E N D E D D E C . 31, 1919 AN D 1918.
M en employed.

A ctive
operators.

K in d of quarry.

A ctual
num ber.

In ju red .

K illed.

E q u iv a ­
len t in
P e r 1,000
P er 1,000
300-day N um ber. 300-day N um ber. 300-day
workers
workers.
workers.
(calcu­
lated ).

1919.
r,omp.nt, roftk......... ........ . . . . . . . . . .
Omni to,.................... .......................
T,im p.qtnn ft___________ ______
M arble ...........................................
Santlst^n^and b b ie sto n ft.. . . . . .
a t ft ............................... .....................
T rap rock........................................

76
301
952
37
183
78
97

9,446
10,466
39,854
4,006
3,630
3,373
4,730

9,038
8,829
33,055
3,920
2,622
2,812
3,518

24
16
65
2
2
5
9

2.66
1.81
1.97
.51
.76
1.78
2.56

2,093
1,101
4,431
295
346
277
656

231.58
124.70
134.0o
75.28
131.96
98.51
186.47

T o tal.....................................

1,724

75,505

63,794

123

1.93

9,199

144.20

o m u it f t ...... .................................
J /i rp p,st onft................. ......................
Mfvrfalfi ............................. ............
Pan li st,on p, and blu esto n e............
Slate .............................................
T rap ro ck ........................................

64
248
832
42
255
76
103

7,904
7,909
34,873
3,414
8,536
2,690
3,006

7,467
6,200
30,127
3,275
7,991
2,212
2,013

16
13
54
7
19
7
9

2.14
2.10
1.79
2.14
2.38
3.16
4.47

1,782
680
4,258
190
1,183
213
413

238.65
109.68
141.34
58. 02
148.04
96.29
2U5.1/

T o tal.....................................

1,620

68,332

59,285

125

2.11

8,719

147.07

1918.

The report gives detailed tables showing the number of accidents
due to each specified cause in the various kinds of quarries and by
State.
The Conquest of Tuberculosis.

HE Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. has published in its Statis­
tical Bulletin, March, 1921, a statement which shows a remark­
able decline in the death rate from tuberculosis among wage
earners insured in that company. The greatest relative decline in
the death rate is in those age groups which cover the main working
period of life. The death rate from pulmonary tuberculosis for
white men between the ages of 25 and 40 for the years 1919 and 1920
combined was one-half the rate for 1911 and 1912, the rate in the
earlier period being 4 to 6 deaths per 1,000 persons annually, while
in the past two years it varied from 2 to 3 deaths per 1,000. There
was a decline in different age groups between 40 and 65 of from 44
per cent to 27.5 per cent and from 65 on of about 12 per cent. Prac­
tically the same relative decline is shown for groups of white women
and colored men and women although there was an increase of
about 3 per cent in the death rate from pulmonary tuberculosis in
white girls between the ages of 15 and 19.
The following table gives the percentage reductions in the pulmon­
ary tuberculosis death rate in 1919-1920 as compared with 1911-1912:

T


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129

IN D U S T R IA L A C C ID E N T S A N D H Y G IE N E .

P/
T V / T WN IN PU L M O N A R Y TU B E R C U L O SIS D E A T H R A T E S IN 1919-1920
IN SU R A N C E CO.
1911- 1912' AS D E T E R M IN E D B Y T H E M E T R O P O L IT A N L I F E

P er cent
Age periods.

** .........................
..................................

Id 4
?9 5
7 4
5
4^ 0
AQ 5
4Q ^

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

•

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

e o t o 0 4 ...........................................
65 to 69......................

70 to 74........................
75 and over................

reduction in death rates

W hite.
Males.

1 t o 4..................
5 t o 9............................
10 t o 14..........................
15 t o 19..........................
20 t o 24..................
25 t o 29..... ...................
30 t o 34...............................
35 t o 39..........................
40 t o 44.............................
45 t o 49......................
50 t o 54............................
55 t o 59..........................

of

All ages.......................................

Colored.

Females.
22 2
in O
»
AU.

Î o
13 1
{ o
X).

11. o

55. 0
28.0
11.9
9. 0
15.9

9
9 . 1A
oZ

11 A
11.
u
19.7

09
1
Où. 1

30.8

30.7

2 1 .3

28 0
9Q
ZÔ» 0Q
22 0

42.4

4n 00
4U.

2 2 .2

30 1
32 8
117
18 4
12.0

Females.

36.7
10.2
30.0
131.9
11.0
35.0

39 1

27 5

Males.

QQ
O
Ö. n1
33.6
o9.1
31.2
24.7
32.4
38.2
35.0
24.6
17.2
49.4

24 9
aa
U
:0 . n
O
Q
0071 . y

r>0 9
4? 7
33 §

fo r —

9 _l Q
Zi‘±
, O
94 Q
*39 A

2 2 .0

27.2
29.3
25.5
1 9 .5

1 Percentage increase.

Accident: Experience of the Ohio State industrial Commission.

Bulletin No. 4, April 1, 1921, of the safety division of
S AFETY
the Industrial Commission of Ohio states that the premium re­

ceipts of the commission to December 30, 1920, “ totaled
$60,000,000 (all of which, excepting a surplus of $2,000,000, had al­
ready been paid out or was being and still is being paid out for disa­
bilities and deaths incurred up to that tim e)/’ The amount paid out
by self-insurers in medical and compensation costs raises the total to
$80,000,000 or $85,000,000. To get some approximation of the total
cost of accidents, however, $40,000,000 or $50,000,000 more must be
added to cover part of the cost of operating the Industrial Commission,
but more particularly the loss to the workers in wages over and above
the amount of compensation received. Account should also be taken
of the additional loss to employers arising from the greater labor turn­
over occasioned by accidents, spoiled material, damaged machinery,
and numerous other losses.
The following table is an appalling argument for the need of more
intensive and extensive accident prevention work:
N U M B ER O F A C CID EN TS R E P O R T E D TO T H E IN D U S T R IA L COMMISSION O F OHIO AND
N U M B E R O F D E A T H S FR O M SUCH A C CIDEN TS, B Y Y E A R S , 1912 TO 1920.

Calendar year.

1912.............................................
1913.............................................
1914.............................................
1915.............................................
1916............................................
1917............................................


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Total
accidents.
1,278
15,354
65,383
86,916
169,541
180,134

D eaths.

3
60
521
578
753
855

Calendar year.

T otal
accidents.

D eaths.

1918......... .............................
1919...........................................
1920...........................................

175,479
159,113
194,190

956
832
881

T o ta l.............................

1,047,388

5,439

¡[1053]

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

130

The augmenting totals, as shown in the table, are not quite so dis­
couraging when correlated with the number of employees in Ohio,
which figures are available for the years 1914 to 1919, the number in
1914 being 834,825 and in 1919, 1,285,396.
Tn the year 1916 there were 138 accidents per 1,000 employees; in 1917,140; in 1918,
133; and in 1919, 123. In 1915 there were 6 deaths per 1,000 employees; in 1916, 6.2;
in 1917, 6.6; in 1918, 7.3; and in 1919 the number dropped to 6.5 deaths per 1,000
employees. Unfortunately the figures for the different industrial groups are not
available. It is believed that if these figures were available we would have definite
proof that the large amount of guarding which the manufacturers of this State have
carried on in the past few years has been productive of beneficent results in reducing
deaths and serious disabilities in the factories. Unfortunately these figures must wait
until such a time as a sufficient appropriation is available for making the necessary
tabulations.

Fatal industrial Accidents in Canada in 1920.

CCORDING to the Canada Labor Gazette for March, 1921 (pp.
440-444), there were 1,170 fatal industrial accidents in 1920,
as compared with 1,068 in 1919, or an increase of 9.6 per cent.
This record, however, is admittedly incomplete. It is based on
reports received from correspondents of the Department of Labor
and from various official and unofficial organizations throughout the
Dominion. The lumber industry had the highest number of fatali­
ties, amounting to 187, or 16 per cent of the total. The following
table shows the total number of fatal accidents and the percentage
distribution by industry group:

A

N U M B ER O F F A T A L IN D U S T R IA L A C CID EN TS AN D P E R C E N T A G E D IS T R IB U T IO N , BY
IN D U S T R Y G R O U P, IN CANADA IN 1920.

In d u stry group.

A griculture..............................................
B uilding a n d construction...................
Clay, glass, an d stone............................
Clothing and laundering......................
Electric railw ay service........................
Fishing and h u n tin g .............................
Food, tobacco, a n d liq u o r....................
Leather, boots, shoes, a n d ru b b er___
Lum bering...............................................
Metals, machinery, a n d conveyances.
Mines, sm elters, and q u arries.............
Miscellaneous........... ...............................

N um ­
ber of Per
acci­ cent.
dents.
32

2.7
9.4

110

1.2
.3
.6
3.7
2.6

14
3
7
43
31

6

187
77

100

123

.5
16.0
6.5
13.7

In d u stry group.

Miscellaneous tra n s p o rt........................
N avigation...............................................
P aints, oils, chemicals, a nd explosives
Prin tin g a n d publishing ......................
Public an d m unicipal em ploym ent. .
Public u tilities........................................
P u lp , paper, a n d fiber..........................
Steam railw ay service...........................
Textiles, carpets, and cordage............
W oodworking a nd fu rn itu re ...............

10.'6

N um ­
ber of Per
acci­ cent.
dents.
28
23

2.4

4
28
39
31
178
5

.3
2.4
3.3

2.0
1.8

21

2.6

15.3
.4
1.7

20

T o ta l............................................... 1,170

100.0

German Decree for the Protection of Workers in Compressed Air.

NTIL recently protective legislation for workers in compressed
air has been enacted only in a few of the Federal States of
Germany. On June 28, 1920, however, a decree, effective
October 1, 1920, was issued by the national minister of labor regulat­
ing work in compressed air uniformly for the whole of Germany.1
The decree in question is so lengthy—it is composed of 55 sections—
that only a summary of its principal provisions can be given here.

U

* Soziale Praxis, Berlin, Sept. 15, 1920, p. 1187.


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IN D U ST R IA L ACCIDENTS AND H Y G IE N E .

131

The decree applies to all work carried on in tanks, caissons, diving
bells, tunnels, sewers, etc., where the air pressure is higher than that
of the outside air by at least 0.1 kilogram to the square centimeter
(1.4 pounds to ^the square inch). Men who undertake such work
must first notify the factory inspectors or other State authorities.
Employers must see to it that the working place and all persons
employed there are under medical supervision. Applicants for em­
ployment must produce a medical certificate of health. Only healthy
workers between 20 and 50 years of age are permitted to work in
compressed air. Workers over 40 years of age may be employed only
where the extra air pressure is less than 1.3 kilograms per square
centimeter (18.5 pounds to the square inch). No person is permit­
ted to pass from any working place where he has been working in
compressed air to atmosphere of normal pressure without passin0,
through an intermediate lock or stage of decompression. Up to 1.3
kilograms extra pressure per square centimeter the time of decom­
pression must be one minute for each 0.1 kilogram extra pressure.
In 1.3 kilograms the decree manifestly sees the critical limit of extra
pressure, for in the case of higher extra pressure it increases pro­
gressively the time of decompression, which at 3 kilograms extra
pressure (42.7 pounds to the square inch) must amount to 90 minutes.
Hours of work must not exceed eight per day, inclusive of rest
periods, and must be reduced in proportion to air pressure, the mini­
mum being two hours per day where the extra pressure exceeds 3.5
kilograms per square centimeter (49.8 pounds to the square inch).
New workers may work only half the full time allowed on the first
day and two-thirds on the second day. In shifts of more than four
hours’ duration rest periods must be allowed amounting to half an
hour when added together.
The provisions of the decree are in many points similar to those of
the Pennsylvania act of July 19, 1917, regulating work in compressed
air.2
s For Pennsylvania law, see B ulletin 241, U. S. B ureau of Labor Statistics, pp. 281-283.


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[1055]

WORKMEN’S COMPENSATION AND SOCIAL
INSURANCE.
Proposed Death Benefit Schedule of California.1
HE Industrial Accident Commission of California lias submitted
to the legislature a new death benefit schedule which it believes
will meet the reasonable needs of dependents of workmen
killed in industry and thus adequately and permanently solve the
problem of industrial dependency in that State. This schedule is
based on a careful study of 674 families, involving 1,686 dependent
individuals, showing the result of seven years’ experience_in the
administration of the workmen’s compensation act, and a wide and
most intensive study of the problem with due reference to what is
being done in other States and countries.
The workmen’s compensation law now provides that where a
workman killed in industry leaves dependents, the death benefit
shall be equal to three times the workman’s average annual earnings,
the total to be not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000. It was
found that this death benefit was just adequate in only 260 cases, or
38.6 per cent of the 674 cases, and seriously insufficient in 298 cases,
or 44.2 per cent; in 49 cases it was not possible to tell whether the com­
pensation would last long enough to meet the requirements, and in
67 cases only was the compensation more than adequate.
Among the serious consequences of this inadequacy of compensa­
tion, as ahown by the study, was a marked deterioration of the health
of the dependents, due to worry and the lowered standard of living
necessitated, the breaking up of families, the children being sent to
orphanages or to live among relatives or strangers, or being adopted
into families of strangers, an increase in homes where the mother
works out during the daytime and the children run the streets, con­
ducive to juvenile delinquency and criminality, and a doubling of the
number of children of school age taken out of school and put to work.
Also both State and private charity had had to be given to many of
the families.
Under the new schedule a widow, without children and without
any incurable disease, under 60 years of age is to receive 40 per cent
of the wages of her deceased husband for two years and also may^be
given such aid as to education and industrial training as will enable
her to become self-supporting. Because of the difficulty of any
woman of 60 or over to find remunerative employment and of the
improbability of widows, whose average age is_ 37, while supporting
themselves, being able to save enough to provide for the time after
they are 60, it is proposed that all widows who upon attaining the
age of 60 have not remarried shall be entitled to a life pension of
40 per cent of the wages of their deceased husbands. A widow with
an incurable disease which incapacitates her from earning is to receive

T

i Summ arized from a m em orandum toy th e In d u stria l Accident Commission of California entitled “ A
rational death benefit s c h e d u le /’ dated Feb. 14,1921.

132

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w o r k m e n ’s c o m p e n s a t io n AND SOCIAL IN S U R A N C E .

133

40 per cent of the wages of her husband as long as such incapacity
continues.
For widows with children the new schedule provides that the
widow is to receive for herself 40 per cent of the earnings of her hus­
band, to be paid until two years after her youngest child has ceased
to be dependent, provision being made for a life pension after reach­
ing the age of 60. For one child there is to be paid to her 15 per cent
of the wages of her husband and for each additional child 10 per cent,
with a maximum of 100 per cent.
If the widow remarries the payment of one year’s compensation
in a lump sum is to close her case, but the children’s compensation
will continue until they severally reach the age of 16. The neces­
sary aid to enable the children, where possible, to develop earning
capacities above the rank of unskilled labor is to be furnished, and
where such children, on reaching the age limit, are attending a voca­
tional or high school, or are serving an apprenticeship, tlwcompensation will continue until they are 18.
To meet these reasonable needs the new schedule provides that the
death benefit shall equal four times the average annual earnings
of the deceased employee, to be paid by the employer or insurance
carrier for each employee killed, whether or not there*' are dependents.
Security of the payments to widows and children is provided through
the creation of a special trust fund, into which the employer or insur­
ance carrier shall pay the death benefit, in reasonable installments.
This fund shall be administered by the State compensation insur­
ance fund, which shall pay therefrom the benefits awarded by the
commission. The fund shall be invested and reinvested as other
funds of the State compensation insurance fund are, the only cost
to be the reasonable expense of administration, any lapses or interest
to go into the death benefit fund.
The principle applied in this “ rational” death benefit schedule is
“ As much as is reasonably needed, while it is needed, and no more.”

Recent Workmen’s Compensation Reports.
Nebraska.

HE Seventeenth Biennial Report of the Department of Labor
of Nebraska, 1919-1920, contains an account of the operations
of the workmen’s compensation law of the State, the secretary
of labor being also compensation commissioner. The commission
reports as “ the most important event of the two years’ work in this
department” the supreme court decision in the case of Perry v. Huff­
man Automobile Co., in which the supervisory power of the com­
mission was completely upheld, so as to give it authority to make a
different award from that agreed upon by the injured man or his
attorney and an employer or his insurance adjuster.
During the two years covered by this report the commissioner heard
244 contested cases, more than double the number heard during the
incumbency of his predecessor. The total number of accidents re­
ported was 24,949, an increase of 4,590 over the preceding biennium.

T


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134

M O N T H L Y LABOE REV IEW .

Following is a comparative statement showing the principal statis­
tics of the operation of the law from its inception:
O P E R A T IO N O F N E B R A SK A W O R K M E N ’S CO M PEN SA TIO N LA W , 1915 TO 1920.
Item .
N um ber of accidents.................
N um ber of cases closed.............

1915
4,082
2,222

Compensation p a id .................... $24,923.62
26,243.75
Medical expense...........
T o tal..................................

51,167. 37

1917

1916

1918

1920

11,273
8,791

13,676
9,729

$76,143.50 $101,204. 51 $102,540.48 $255,313.36
50,814. 84
39,231.99
90,162.88
51,827.22

$402,780.94
137,432.14

345,476.24

540,213.08

10,822
5,411

116,958.34

13,293
13,298

153,031. 73

7,066
6,463

1919

141,777. 47

This table shows a rapid increase in costs with the exception of the
year 1918, when the number of accidents and the amount of medical
expense fell below corresponding figures for 1917. No explanation is
suggested for either the increases or the fluctuations. The number
of fatal accidents during 1917-1918 was 28, this number being equaled
in the year 1919 alone, while in 1920 there were 50 fatal accidents,
making a total of 78 for the two years.
Oregon.

HTHE Fourth Report of the State Industrial Accident Commission
of Oregon covers the year ending June 30, 1919. Oregon is the
only State in which the employee contributes to the accident fund,
the amount being 1 cent for each day or part of the day worked.
The law is an elective one, but employers under the law must insure
in the State fund, no other method of insurance being allowed. Dur­
ing the year covered the receipts from employers were $1,601,992.10
and from workmen $117,142.53. The State appropriated an amount
equal to one-seventh of the sum of the contributions by employers
and employees; this was $161,322.33 for the year. Total receipts
were $1,915,096.31. Reserves were set aside from this amount for
permanent partial disabilities amounting to $155,690.55, for per­
manent total disabilities $79,607.05, and for fatal injuries $460,932.10.
Temporary disability cases cost $701,557.01, medical aid $331,744.80,
and burial expenses $15,957.95. Administrative expenses amounted
to $138,902.31, leaving a balance for the year of $30,704.54. This
added to the balance on hand July 1, 1918, makes a total of
$1,057,489.66. The segregated fund shows a balance of $1,820,994.56,
or a total balance on June 30, 1919, of $2,878,484.22.
The total receipts for the accident fund, November 5, 1913, to
June 30, 1919, are $6,346,718.88, and the total disbursements
$1,475,535.06. Administrative expenses amounted to $418,045.40,
or 7.35 per cent of the receipts from employers and employees,
which totaled $5,684,757.45. The State appropriation to the acci­
dent fund during the period totaled $606,867.78.
During the five years of the law final settlements have been made
in 39,885 cases of temporary total disability and 1,918 cases of per­
manent partial disability. Permanent total awards number 30 and
fatal cases 266.
Tables show receipts and disbursements by industries during the
four-yearperiod ending June 30,1919, frequency of accidents and sever­
ity of injuries for the same time, compensation and medical aid by

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w o r k m e n ’s c o m p e n s a t io n an d so cia l in s u r a n c e .

135

extent of disability for the year ending June 30, 1919, and for the
four-year experience, duration of total disability in permanent partialdisability cases for the year, causes of accidents by extent of disa­
bility for the year, and remarriage experience of widows receiving
compensation.
The highest number of days lost per thousand full-time workers is
shown for division "C ”—''other extractive industries”—which is
made up of logging and wood cutting, the number being 65,147.35
during the four years. Mining and quarrying come next, with
50,705.69 days lost per thousand full-time workers; then follows
transportation and public utilities, with 36,270.45. I t is interesting
to note that agriculture, so often classed as nonhazardous, shows
15,570.29 days lost per 1,000 full-time workers, or two-thirds of the
amount shown from the generally recognized "hazardous” manufac­
turing industries, where the rate is 22,040.02.
The average cost per case of the 147 death cases compensated in
1919 was $3,570.33; the average cost for four years was $3,773.18,
the average medical cost per case being $45.49. Sixteen cases of
permanent total disability received an average of $6,696.74, the medi­
cal costs averaging $833.46. The four-year experience shows an aver­
age compensation cost of $7,220.69 and an average medical cost of
$350.49.
Pennsylvania.

'“TWO recent pamphlets present the experience of Pennsylvania in
1 workmen’s compensation. One, a bulletin of the department of
labor and industry, No. 1 of the series of 1921, is entitled "Five Years
of Compensation in Pennsylvania,” prepared by Harry A. Mackey,
chairman of the workmen’s compensation board. This is a brief text
account of the principles, methods, and results of the workmen’s com­
pensation law of the State. During the period covered, 995,863 acci­
dents were reported to the department of labor and industry, and
compensation has been paid on account of 320,436 injured workers
either killed or disabled for longer or shorter periods as the result of
industrial exposure. "Without delay, cost, or quibble, and with no
economic waste in misunderstandings, disputes, or delays,” the par­
ties concerned have "executed compensation agreements out of which
have come awards in fatal cases amounting to $27,502,098.” Of this
sum, $7,436,189 has been paid, the remainder standing as continuing
payments. Disability payments have amounted to $17,264,161.
The transition from the principle of liability to that of compensa­
tion is discussed, and a comparison is made between the relatively
small number of recoveries under suits for damages and the almost
universal system of benefits under compensation. Occasional large
verdicts were indeed returned, but the average amount for loss of life
in three States intensively studied was less than $1,000 for the five
years covered. The social and economic benefits flowing from such
general relief are pointed out as being of the utmost importance for
the welfare of the community and the continuing life of the Nation.
The second pamphlet is a "Statistical Analysis of the Workmen’s
Compensation Insurance in Pennsylvania from January 1, 1916, to
December 31, 1919,” a period of four calendar years. The tables
show premiums, losses, and expenses for the four years and for 1919;
pay rolls, premiums, and losses for the four years; compensation costs

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[1059]

M O N T H L Y LABOR R E V IE W .

136

by severity of injury for tiro same period; pure premium expenses,
bv industry, classified for 1916, 1917, and 1918; accident rates;
dependency distribution; fatalities; interval between accident and
death; ages of dependent children, remarriage of widows; permanent
total disability, etc.
.
,,
,
Pennsylvania is one of the States that recpnre insurance, thougn
permitting approved self-insurers to carry their own risks. There is
a State fund, but competition is open to all classes of approved insur­
ance carriers. The mining industry of the State is of such importance
and of such special hazards that figures are shown for it separately,
a number of the tables showing all business, all business except coal
mining, and coal mining. Others make a subdivision of the latter
class, showing anthracite and bituminous mining separately. Com­
pensation premiums, losses, and expenses for four years, 1916-1919,
and for 1919 alone, are shown in the following table:
C O M PEN SA TIO N PR EM IU M S, LO SSES, A N D E X P E N S E S , 1916-1919, AN D 1919 O N LY.
Insurer.

E arned
premiums.

Incurred
losses.

Incurred
expenses.

Loss Expen:e
ratio.
ratio.

A ll business.
1916-1919.
All carriers..............................
P articip atin g ..........................
N o n participating...................

$60, 659,207
16,682,218
43, 876,989

$26, 977,262
7,264,169
19, 713,093

$19,231, 321
3,073, 864
16,157,457

44.5
43.6
44.9

31.8
18.4
36.8

43.0
41.7
43.5

32.6
15.8
38.3

48.3
46.9
49.1

29.5
23.2
32.7

35.7
40.9
32.9

30.5
18.4
37.1

35.1
37.4
33.9

30.4
16.0
37.8

37.4
29.7
59.6
47.8
48.7

30.8
34.9
33.7
32.6
19.1

A ll business except coal mining.
All carriers............
P articip atin g .......
N onparticipating

43,256,144
10, 848, 312
32,409,832

18,614, 614
4,528,295
14, 086,319

14,121,554
1,718,562
12,402,992

Coal mining.

All carriers............
P articip atin g .......
N onparticipating

17,303,063
5, 835,906
11,467,157

8, 362,648
2,735, 874
5,626,774

5,109,767
1,355, 302
3,754,465

A ll business.
1919.
All carriers.........................
P articip atin g .....................
N onparticipating.............

19,816,134
6,991,053
12,825,081

7,079,468
2, 860,148
4,219,320

6,046,336
1,288,067
4, 758,269

A l l business except coal mining.
All carriers...........
P articip atin g .......
N onparticipating

14,613,396
4, 967,058
9,646, 340

5,131,320
1,857,537
3,273,783

4,443, 869
794,482
3,649,407

Coal mining.
All insurers..........................................
Associated companies........................
E u rek a C asualty............................... .
Pennsylvania B itum inous M utual.
State fund 2.........................................

5,202,738
3,178,741
209,487
567,766
1,246,744

1,948,148
945,537
124,844
269,778
607,989

1,602,467
1,108, 862
i 70, 579
1 185,125
1237,901

1 Includes prem ium s paid for catastrophe reinsurance.
j
'
,
2 T he S tate F u n d wrote a t 90 per cent of m an u al. A t stock com pany rates the loss ratio of the fund for
1919 would have been 44 per cent a n d th e expense ratio 17 per cent of prem ium s.


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187

It will be noted that while the loss ratio for participating and nonparticipating carriers differs but little, the expense ratio for nonpar­
ticipating insurers is exactly double that of the participating in the
case of “All business” during the four years. A considerably greater
difference is shown in regard to “All business except coal mining,”
while of course the difference is less in “ Coal mining.”
The table for 1919 alone is detailed in the report, showing the
items separately for each company or group. The loss ratio for the
various companies in “All business except coal mining” in 1919 va­
ries widely with the different companies, due to different exposures
and experiences, being as low as 10.5 in one company and as high
as 100 in another. The expense ratio likewise showed considerable
differences, but not to these extremes. With an average of 30.4 per
cent for all carriers and 16 per cent for all participating carriers it is
clear that nonparticipating carriers absorb a much larger proportion
for expenses. The table shows 37 companies, including the1“ asso­
ciated companies” as one, and the State fund. Of this number, 14,
inducting the State fund, are participating. The expense ratio for
participating companies ranges from 41 for the laundry owners to
12.8 for the Pennsylvania manufacturers, and 12.5 per cent for the
State fund, the last named showing the lowest expense ratio of any
carrier, and standing third in the amount of earned premiums. The
experience in coal mining as shown in the table indicates a corre­
spondingly low expense ratio for the State fund in that line.
The distribution of expenses in 1919 shows for all major stock
companies in “All business except coal mining” a total of 36.6 per
cent of premiums, of which 16.7 per cent went for acquisition, 9.1
per cent for the home office, 5.8 per cent for adjustments, 4.4 per
cent for investment earnings, 3.4 per cent for taxes, and 1.6 per
cent for inspection. This is limited to nonparticipating stock com­
panies, which had at least $250,000 of compensation premiums dur­
ing the year. The 11 companies coming within this class had 88 per
cent of the total premiums of all stock companies.
In coal mining all expenses of all insurers averaged 29.5 per cent
of premiums, of which the home office absorbed 11.7 per cent, acqui­
sition 7 per cent, adjustment 5 per cent, inspection 3.6 per cent, and
taxes 2.2 per cent. For the State fund all expenses totaled 17.7
per cent, including premiums paid for catastrophe reinsurance.
The bulk of this expense was for home office, 13.5 per cent, this
amount including the insurance cost noted; inspection (2.2 percent)
and adjustment (2 per cent) made up the balance.
Benefits have been increased by recent legislation, so that in tables
showing compensation cost by severity of injury the average and
total costs are computed on the basis of 1916 benefits and 1920
benefits, the ratio of the latter to the earlier rate being 1.14. During
the four years 122,851 accidents gave rise to an aggregate cost of
$23,105,998 on the 1916 basis or $26,394,323 at the 1920 rates.
Deaths, 3,831 in number, showed an average cost of benefits of
$2,276 under the earlier schedule and $2,404 under the latter. Cases
of permanent total disability number 439, averaging $3,736 on the
1916 basis and $4,627 on the 1920 rates. Temporary disability (over
2 weeks) occurred in 115,901 cases, the average compensation being
$42 on the 1916 basis and $43 at the later rates. The average in


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coal mining for the period covered is somewhat higher than the aver­
age for all industries both for death and for permanent total disability,
the cost in bituminous mining also exceeding that in anthracite.
Pure premium in all industries during the three years 1916-1918
was 60 cents on $100, the pay roll for all industries aggregating
$4,403,081,000 and total losses on the basis of 1920 benefits amount­
ing to $26,394,323. The distribution of the premium was 26 cents for
death and permanent total disability, 15 cents for medical treatment,
11 cents for temporary disability, and 8 cents for permanent partial
disability. The highest cost is in mining and quarrying, $1.60, the
average for all except coal mining being 45 cents.
Of 2,195 widows, 207 remarried, the average age of the total being
38 years. The rate was 4.16 per cent, which contrasts with the
experience of the Dutch Royal Insurance Institute which gives a
rate of 3.46. The rate in coal mining was 6.76, as against 2.70 in all
industries except coal mining. The time elapsed from the death of
the husband to remarriage was under 3 months in 5 cases, of which
4 were in coal mining; 3 and under 6 months in 18 cases, of which 14
were in coal mining; 6 and under 9 months in 19 cases, of which 13
were in coal mining; 9 and under 12 months in 25 cases, of which 17
were in coal mining; 12 and under 18 months in 50 cases, of which
26 were in coal mining; 18 and under 24 months in 46 cases, of which
28 were in coal mining; 24 and under 30 months in 20 cases, of which
10 were in coal mining; and 30 months and over in 24 cases, of which
9 were in coal mining, this being the only classification in which the
number in other industries exceeded the number in coal mining. It
may be noted in this connection that a widow’s benefits range from
40 to 60 per cent of the wages of the deceased for 300 weeks, depend­
ing on the number of children, and that upon remarriage one-third
of the balance of compensation payable at the time becomes due
immediately, but not exceeding 100 weeks’ benefits.
The average weekly wage in all compensable accidents except in
coal mining during the four years is given in 1916 as $15.30; 1917,
$18.87; 1918, $22.16; 1919, $24.38. The original law allowed com­
pensation on the basis of 50 per cent of the earnings, no weekly pay­
ment to be greater than $10. This was amended in 1919 so as to
allow 60 per cent of the wages, with a weekly maximum of $12. In
practice this has worked out so that in 1916 the average compensation
was 48 per cent of the weekly wage; in 1917, 44.6 per cent; in 1918,
40.9 per cent; and in 1919, 38.6 per cent.
Average wages in anthracite mining were $14.80 in 1916, $15.76 in
1917, $20.94 in 1918, and $26.55 in 1919. The ratio of weekly com­
pensation to wages was for each year 0.482, 0.471, 0.429, and 0.377,
respectively. In bituminous mining the average annual wages were
$17.62, $22.38, $28.32, and $29.55, respectively, for the years covered,
the compensation ratios being 0.472, 0.414, 0.347, and 0.336.
It is obvious that since the increased wages have been regarded as
essential to meet the increased cost of living the compensation ratio
is too low to carry expenses of the family during the enforced idleness
of the wage earner.


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Texas.

T H E report of the Industrial Accident Board of Texas for the fiscal
1 _year September 1, 1919, to August 31, 1920, is brief. The.
statistics presented are estimates, failure to state with mathematical
exactness the facts involved being due to “ inadequate office assist­
ance which has prevented the keeping for the full period of accurate
statistical data.” The correct figures for three months are used as a.
basis for an estimate for the year; they “ ought, therefore, to be
substantially correct.”
The number of subscribers to the act is estimated to average for
the year 7,500 with 350,000 employees. About 66,000 accidents,
were reported, of which 400 were fatal. The estimated number of
claims was 20,000, on which payment in death cases amounted to>
$440,000, the total amount paid in injury claims being $1,700,000...
Medical service, medicines, and hospital benefits added $1,100,000,..
making a total of $3,240,000 expended under the act during the year..
Disputed claims passed upon by the board numbered 609—526 decis­
ions being in favor of the claimants and 83 in favor of the insurance,
carrier.
This volume of business is regarded as witness to the expansion
of the law “ from an experimental trial into a well-defined field of
usefulness and service to the industrial life of the State.” It is,
recommended that the law be amended so that the waiting time shall
not be in effect 8 days as at present, but for 7 days only, as was;
intended. A simpler provision affecting hospital attention is alsodesired, as the present rule sometimes debars an injured man from
the full measure of his rights. The two weeks’ limitation on medical
attendance should be removed and the appointment of a guardian
to receive benefits of orphaned minor children done away with. Thepower of the accident board to make authoritative settlements should
be made clearer and insurance companies required to make complete
reports. Other provisions tending to greater security of insurance*
payments were also recommended.
Washington.

'T H E Ninth Annual Report of the Industrial Insurance Department
A of Washington covers the year ending September 20, 1920. I t
opens by expressing the necessity of increased benefits, in view
of the “ tremendously increasing cost of living” ; rehabilitation of in­
jured workmen is also dwelt upon as of primary importance. Sev­
eral pages of the report are taken up with an account of the hearings
granted the commission of the House of Representatives of Minne­
sota which visited Washington for the purpose of gaining informa­
tion as to the operations of the compulsory insurance plan of the.
State, this occupying practically one-half of the report.
Receipts are shown for the entire period of the operation of the law,.
June 7, 1911, to September 30, 1920, the total being $17,246,804.23,*:
administration expenses were $1,190,958.61. Receipts were highest,
in 1919, the amount in 1920, $2,818,635.17, falling some $280,000'
below the previous year. Administrative expense for 1920 was
$203,595.10, or about $30,000 in excess of the preceding year. The
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L A B O R R E V IE W .

ratio of administrative expense to the total receipts for the entire
period was 6.9 per cent; for 1919 the rate was somewhat higher,
being 7.22 per cent, or if medical aid contributions are included in
receipts, the ratio was 6.28 per cent. The accident fund balance at
the close of the year was $1,159,411.12, and the reserve fund balance
SI,198,786.10.
The insurance system is based on 37 classes or risk groups, and the
statements show pensions paid, transactions, and balances for each
of these groups. From the reserve fund $472,454.06 was paid out
as “ pensions” while from the accident fund payments during the
year aggregated $1,618,231.57. Every class shows a balance in the
reserve fund, though in the accident fund there are a few classes in
which temporary overdrafts have been made. The medical aid fund
paid first aid payments during the year amounting to $265,514.23,
the administrative expense of medical aid and safety boards being
$129,157.50, of which the greater part ($100,054.23) was for the
safety board.
Accident statistics are shown in detail by nature of injury (fatal,
permanent total, permanent partial, and temporary), giving the num­
ber injured, time loss, awards, etc., for each; causes of death; nativ­
ity, dependents, cause and cost of injuries, mechanical and nonme­
chanical, wages, conjugal condition, wage loss, etc.
Three hundred and eighty-seven claims on account of death gave
rise to 222 monthly pensions, the average amount being $30.37. A
burial award was made in each case, the total cost being $34,724.75.
In 15 cases lost time was compensated before death, aggregating
$2,370.75. Twenty-eight cases of permanent total disability received
an average monthly pension of $34.56. Cases of temporary total
disability numbered 9,830 with an average time loss of 21.6 days;
the average award being $30.95. Amputations (760) caused an aver­
age time loss of 48.3 days, ranging from 304.5 days for loss of leg at
the thigh (2 cases) and 202.8 days for loss of leg (11 cases) to 26.8
days for loss of ring finger (76 cases). Time lost on account of 2,430
fractures averaged 63 days, the highest being 254 days in the case
of fracture of both legs (4 cases); fracture of the femur (63 cases)
averaging 212 days. The shortest time was fracture of thumb, 24.2
days (77 cases), upper jaw, 23.5 days (4 cases), 1 toe, 23.2 days (38
cases), nose, 9.8 days (20 cases), and 2 toes, 3 days (12 cases). In­
fections followed amputations in 31 out of 760 cases, fractures in
46 out of 2,430 cases; dislocations, 1 out of 152 cases; cuts, 350 out
of 2,533 cases; sprains, 3 out of 1,111 cases; bruises, 402 out of 3,595
cases; scalds and burns, 48 out of 345 cases; punctures, 464 out of
719 cases (more than 50 per cent); and miscellaneous, 57 out of 704
cases; in all, 1,402 infections following 12,349 injuries of all kinds.
The average wage of injured employees in 1919 was $4.95, and in
1920, $5.55. The total time loss due to compensated injuries in 1920
was 405,533 days, entailing a wage loss of $2,291,261.45 for the 12,349
injuries. The total time award set off against this wage loss was
$577,641.95, just above one-fourth of the wage loss.


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New Brunswick.

rT H E sec°nd annual report of the Workmen’s Compensation Board
of New Brunswick covers the calendar year 1920. Legislative
changes m 1920 largely increased the benefits payable under °the act
disorganizing to a considerable extent the insurance basis. Benefits
to widows were increased from $20 to $30 per month, payable during
widowhood, and payments to children were raised from $5 to $7.50
per month; the limit of $3,500 in case of death was also repealed.
Permanent total disability indemnities were advanced from $1,500
to $2,500, and funeral expenses increased from $75 to $100, medical
ojd and Hospital maintenance being likewise added. Tlie increase
in benefits to widows was made retroactive as from the inception
of the act.
1
these important increases, and especially the retroactive provision,
Jou to a reduction in the provisional balance of the provincial fund
from $145,339.70 to $76,145.54, two classes showing deficits. Steps
weie taken to wipe out these deficits, but the work was not completed
at the end of the year, a large deficit remaining in class 2, which in­
cludes the hazardous work of lumbering and logging. It was found
that the rate of 11 per cent on logging and stream driving was
altogether too low, and the rate was advanced in 1920 to
per cent;
even this amount has not yet cleared the deficit and a slight increase
is contemplated for 1921.
Including balances carried over from 1919, receipts for the year
totaled $556,424.75, disbursements amounting to $520,815.86, leav­
ing a net balance of $35,608.89—“ a, sure in d ic a tio n , we think, that
tne board is endeavoring to give safe insurance at as near cost price
as is practicable.
I he net cost of administration was 7.77 per cent.
Accidents in 1920 numbered 5,012, as against 2,746 reported during
the previous year, the first of the act. Of the total in 1920, 2,263
occurred in Class 2, which includes logging, etc., industries, in which
many unskilled men were employed and it would seem that not
sufficient attention is being paid to the safety of the employees in
these industries, so that both casualties and the assessment rate
must he high until this condition is remedied. Of the total number
of accidents for the year, 3,723 were finally disposed of; 3,419 were
for temporary total disability; 225 permanent partial disability; and
49 deaths^ Remaining claims were either in process of disposition
or were minor accidents not giving rise to claims. Cases of'tempo­
rary total disability caused an average time loss of 25.05 days and of
permanent partial disability 67.98 days. The tables show cost in
each industry, month of occurrence, time loss, average age, and wage,
duration of disability, nature of injury, cause of accidents, etc.
Great Britain1.

’W ORKM EN’S compensation proceedings in Great Britain for the
year 1919 show 3,293 fatal accidents and 365,176 nonfatal.
The average payment in case of death was £209 ($1,017.10, par) and
in case of disablement £10 15s. ($52.31, par). In 19Î4 corresponding
1Great Britain, Home Office, Statistics of Compensation and proceedings under the workmen’s comCmd 1185aCt' 19°8, and the employers’ liability act, 1830, during the year 1919. London, 1920, IS pp.


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LA B O R R E V IE W .

amounts were £161 ($783.51, par) and £6 7s. ($30.90, par). The in­
creases are due both to the rise in wages and to additions to weekly
payments provided for by the amendment of 1917.
The total number of persons employed in industries under the act
was 8,359,183 and the total compensation paid was £4,616,723
($22,467,282, par); the charge per person employed was therefore 10s.
6d. ($2,555, par). This compares with the charge of 1914 of 9s. 9d.
($2,372, par). In the coalmining industry, one of the most hazard­
ous, the charge works out at about 1.82d. (3.69 cents, par) per ton of
coal raised.
Applications for arbitration numbered 5,625, while settlements
were registered in 24,556 cases. But 77 actions were brought under
the employees’ liability act of 1880 and but 78 appeals were taken
to higher courts under the workmen’s compensation act, thus showing
a practical disappearance of litigation in this field.

Increase in Weekly Payments and Benefits under British Unemploy­
ment Insurance Act.1
MENDMENTS to the British unemployment insurance act,
1920, have been made by which an increase in the weekly
rates of benefit and in the payments by employers, em­
ployees, and the Government are inaugurated as of March 3, 1921.
These changes, together with the old rates, which were published in
the Monthly Labor Review for January, 1921 (pp. 185, 186), are in­
dicated in the following table:

A

ST A N D A R D W E E K L Y PA Y M EN TS AND B E N E F IT S U N D E R T H E B R IT IS H U N E M PL O Y ­
M E N T IN SU R A N C E ACT.
[1 shilling a t par=24.3 cents; 1 p en n y a t par=2.03 cents.]
C ontributions b y Benefits paid.
Item .

M en.................. ' .................................
W om en...............................................
Boys (over 16 and u nder IS )........
Girls (over 16 a n d under 18)..........

G overnm ent.

Em ployee.

Em ployer.
Old
rate.

New
rate.

Old
rate.

New
rate.

Old
rate.

New
rate.

d.

d.

d.

d.

d.

d.

4
31
2
2

6
5
3
21

4
3
2
11

5
4
21
2

2
11
11
1

2

}
21
if
1»

Old rate.

s.
15
12
7
6

d.
0
0
6
0

Now
rate.
.9.
20
16
10
8

These increases will be inoperative from July 1, 1923. The maxi­
mum period for which benefits may be drawn has also been increased
as follows:
Up to July, 1922, a maximum of 16 weeks’ benefit may be drawn in each of two
“ special periods,’’ the first of which runs from March 3 until November 2, 1921, and
the second from November 3, 1921, until July 2, 1922. After July, 1922, the maxi­
mum will be 26 weeks in any insurance year (instead of 15 weeks).
* The L abor Gazette, London, for March, 1921, p . 120.


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Sickness Insurance Law of Poland.2
SICKNESS insurance law was enacted in Poland on May 19
192°. In those districts of Poland which before the termination of the war were under German rule the law came into
force on October 1, 1920. In all other parts of the Polish Republic
m which hitherto compulsory sickness insurance did not exist the
Jaw comes into force, at the latest, three years after its promufration. In many respects the provisions of the law are similar&to
those of the German sickness insurance law. They differ however
m the following points: In Poland district sick funds are the carriers
Of ,slckn9ss insurance. Local sick funds may be established only in
cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants. The general local sick
lunds in existence in ceded territories are to be converted into distnct sick funds. All other sick funds, such as establishment and
guild sick funds, are considered as dissolved subsequent to October
1, 1920. New creations of such funds may not take place The
existence of any kind of substitute funds is not permissible
The insurance is compulsory for all workers, without regard to
then“income. Only statutory Government officials are exempt from
the obligation to insure. Salaried employees in managing positions
(directors, managers, etc.) with an annual income in excess of 30 000
marks ($7,140, par) may, on request, be exempted.
. Insured persons are entitled to the following benefits in case of
sickness : Medical treatment, medicines, therapeutical appliances end
a pecuniary sick benefit. These benefits must be granted for a dura­
tion of 26 weeeks, and in the case of funds which have been in ex­
istence three years or longer, for a duration of at least 39 weeks. The
by-laws of a fund may extend this period up to 52 weeks.
The pecuniary sick benefit must be equivalent to at least 60 per
cent ot the basic wage and may be increased voluntarily to 75 per
cent. All female insured members who, during the year preceding
their confinement, have been compulsorily insured for four months
or voluntarily insured for eight months are entitled to a maternity
benefit. This consists of medical treatment before, durino- and after
confinement, a pecuniary benefit in the amount of the full basic wage
lor a period of eight weeks, and a nursing benefit of from 2 to 5
marks ($0.48 to $1.19) per week for at least 12 additional weeks.
Une-half of the costs of the maternity benefit is borne by the State
I he death benefit consists of 20 times the basic wage. "Family in­
surance is also provided for by the law. The contributions vary
between 4 and 50 marks ($0.95 and $11.90, par) per week, according
to 14 basic wage classes.


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[1067]

LABOR LAWS AND DECISIONS.
Relation of Compensation and Liability Statutes.
J—^OK the second time the Supreme Court of Oregon recently had
jO before it a case involving not only the relationship of com­
pensation and liability statutes, but the liability of third parties,
the relations of the laws of one State to those of another, and the
question of land or maritime torts.
Capt. C. P. Rorvik was in charge of a steamboat owned and operated
by a California corporation and was working under a California
contract. The boat was taking on a load of lumber at a wharf on
the Willamette River at Portland, Greg. Capt. Rorvik was superin­
tending the loading of the ship, in the interests of his employer,
receiving the lumber from the North Pacific Lumber Co. Through
negligence of this company Capt. Rorvik was thrown from the wharf,
suffering fatal injuries. His widow thereupon presented a claim to
the Pndustrial Accident Commission of California and was given an
award against the steamboat company in the amount of $5,000. The
company then took the case to the supreme court, where the award
was affirmed, but no payment was made pending proceedings to carry
the case to the Supreme Court of the United States. In the meantime
Mrs. Rorvik sued in the Circuit Court of Multnomah County, Oreg.,
to recover damages against the lumber company for the negligent
killing of her husband, relying upon the employers’ liability act of the
State. It was first decided that though Rorvik was not strictly an
employee of the lumber company, the scope of the statute (Laws of
1911, p. 16) was such as to include not only employees of a particular
person engaged in hazardous employments, but also “ other persons or
employees of other corporations whose lawful duties require them to
be or work about such hazardous machinery or expose themselves to
the hazards of the machinery or appliances in use by the owner
thereof.” The circuit court gave judgment in favor of the plaintiff,
Mrs. Rorvik, in the amount of $12,500, whereupon the lumber com­
pany appealed, the judgment of the lower court being affirmed by the
supreme court on June 8, 1920. (Rorvik v. North Pacific Lumber
Co., 190 Pac., 331.) The contention was made that Mrs. Rorvik had
no right to sue in view of the fact that the California compensation
law provides that where an award is made against an employer he is
subrogated to the claimant’s rights against any third party who may
have been immediately responsible for the injury. The court held
that the plaintiff, who was a resident of California, had no power to
assign her right of action to any other party in the State so as to
authorize it to sue in the courts of Oregon to recover damages under
the laws of the latter State. Further, the California award was
limited, not professing to make full compensation for the injury, while
the Oregon statute contained no limitation; so that in any case the
144

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145

plaintiff would retain an interest that would warrant her bringing
action in her own name even if the subrogation could be regarded as
valid. It was pointed out also that no recovery had actually been
had as yet, and that in view of the decisions of the Supreme Court of
the United States in the Jensen and Knickerbocker cases, there was
no power in the Industrial Commission of California to make an award
for the injury in this case, which was a marine tort.
The lumber company moved for a rehearing, which was granted,
the court sitting en banc giving its opinion on January 25, 1921
(195 Pac., 163), sustaining its conclusions arrived at on the previous
hearing. However, it withdrew from the position that the injury
was a maritime tort, since, from all that appeared, the fatal hurt
mignt have been due to the blow received by falling lumber while
Capt. Rorvik was standing on the dock, though possibly the injury
(a broken back) may have been due to his striking upon the side of
the vessel or on floating logs in the river into which he fell. The
nature of the tort therefore did not render inoperative either the
California compensation act or the Oregon employers’ liability act.
Reconsidering the question of conflicting claims under the two
laws, the Oregon court found nothing in the records to show that
any settlement had been made under the California law, nor would
such a settlement be a bar to the action of the plaintiff in seeking
relief under the Oregon statute; the only abatement, if any, being
the offsetting of her recovery against the lumber company in an
amount equal to any payment made to her by the steamship company.
The insistence was sustained that Mrs. Royvik could not assign her
right to the steamship company as against the lumber company bv
virtue of any California statute. However, since the Oregon com­
pensation law contained a provision of corresponding effect where
awards are made from the State fund to a person injured by the
negligence of a third party, it was conceded that the steamship
company might become owner of the right of action against the
lumber company to the extent of the amount of its interest, i. e.,
$5,000, which would leave to Mrs. Rorvik a clear interest in the
balance of the judgment for $12,500. It was assumed that Mrs.
Rorvik could not recover two satisfactions, one in California and
one in Oregon, so that if she took the Oregon judgment in full it
would be a satisfaction of the California award. It was also in
evidence that she had made an agreement with the steamship com­
pany to that effect.
The essential conclusions reached in the first hearing were therefore
adhered to, and the award for $12,500 was sustained.

Rights of Unions and Employers to Contract,
HE Supreme Court of Massachusetts recently had before it a
case involving the attempt of a local lodge of machinists to
compel the acceptance of collective agreements in a factory
in which individual contracts were largely in use. (United Shoe
Machinery Corporation v. Fitzgerald, 130 N. E. 86.) It appeared
that the company had undertaken to secure a stable corps of skilled
workmen by requesting individual machinists as they were hired
[1069] .

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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

to sign a contract to continue in service for at least one year from the
date of employment. The reason given was that the work was
technical, requiring training at considerable expense, and the com­
pany wished to know what force of workmen it might be able to
depend upon in undertaking to enter into and perform contracts for
the manufacture and delivery of its products. In absence of notice
to the contrary, at the end of the year, the agreement was understood
to be renewed for the further period of one year.
The court declared this system of contracting lawful, not m viola­
tion of any law of the land. The condition of one year’s service
was a legitimate precedent to employment, nor was this fact modified
in any way by the suggestion that the existence of such contracts
would tend to weaken the influence of the unions and impair the
power to strike, “the means being legitimate, the company could
protect itself from the interruption of its business and consequent
damage from the action of discontented employees hired in the mass
and controlled at all times in their contractual relations by the
union of which they were members.” On the other hand, the union
was under no obligation to recognize the ‘individual contracts, and
such members as had not thus obligated themselves were at liberty
to leave the service at any time, leaving the company to take its
chances in securing competent workmen in the labor market.
These two rights stand over against each other as the equivalent
rights and privileges of the employer and of the union. Further­
more, it is entirely legitimate for the union to contract with an
employer or a group ol emplovers for a preference of union men and
for recourse to shop committees to consider all disputes ^or claims
arising between members of the union and the company. “ It would
seem almost unnecessary to say that the parties could have mutually
agreed to this proposed form of contract.”
However, it was found that the union was not satisfied either to
withdraw its own members who had not signed the individual contracts or to abide by the results of efforts to arrive at a mutual
agreement for entering into a collective contract. Therefore, a strike
was voted on February l, 1920, and sanctioned by the grand lodge,
March 3, the strike to take effect on March 5. The employer was
given no notice of the intention to strike until the last date named.
The court investigator, a master in chancery, found that the purpose
of the strike was declared by the union to be in defense of collective
bargaining, while the employer contended that it was for the purpose
of compelling the abandonment of the individual contracts. The
court found the two propositions so closely correlated as not to
require discussion. “ If the company surrendered to the union it
must of necessity give up in the future the ‘individual contracts as
applied to employees of the machine department, and the demands
even in modified form were not limited to ‘collective bargaining/
but included an irrevocable abandonment of the individual contracts.
It was expressly found that there was no dispute as to wages,
hours, or general conditions of labor, so that the decree that had been
issued was practically directed to the merits of the contention as to
“ collective bargaining.” Hitchman Coal & Coke Co. v. Mitchell
was cited to the efiect that whatever advantages may attach to


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collective bargaining, “ it is not bargaining at all, in any just sense,
unless it is voluntary on both sides.
The right of the employee to
refrain from entering service in a nonunion shop and the right of an
employer to refuse to employ a member of a union are equal and
indisputable rights, and neither can deprive the other of this right,
even by “ legislation unless through some proper exercise of the
paramount public power.” A strike to compel a collective agree­
ment was therefore illegal, and the maintenance of pickets in fur­
therance of the strike, subject to injunction; while the use of epithets
shown to have been applied to the workers, while not sufficient, as
the master finds, to frighten or coerce other employees, was unjus­
tifiable.
The injunction granted by the court below was, therefore, sustained.

Reorganization of Labor Offices of New York and Minnesota.
New York.

OR a number of years past New York has been one of the small
group of important States in which the administration of labor
laws has been in the hands of a commission. This consisted of
five persons besides deputy commissioners. The five members of the
industrial commission constituted the head of the department of
labor, which contained a number of bureaus. The commissioners
were of equal rank except that one was designated by the governor
as chairman, but there was no difference in salary. There was also
an unsalaried industrial council composed of 10 members generally
representative of employees and employers. Members of the com­
mission and of the industrial council were appointed by the governor,
the former for six year periods and the latter for indefinite periods.
The legislature of 1921 abolished this entire system of administra­
tion, continuing the department of labor, but putting at its head a
single person known as the industrial commissioner, to be appointed
by the governor for a term of four years. Henry D. Sawyer, formerly
member of the industrial commission, is the newly appointed indus­
trial commissioner under this act. The commissioner may appoint
a deputy to serve during his pleasure. Besides the commissioner and
deputy there is an industrial board consisting of three members
appointed by the governor by and with the advice and consent of
the senate for terms of six years, with a provision for the retirement
of one member every two years. Officers, deputies, and employees
of the department of labor are continued in office subject to removal
or appointment as provided in the law. Consolidations, transfers,
and the abolition of positions are in the power of the commissioner.
The administration of the compensation law is in the hands of the
commissioner working through referees appointed by him to hear and
determine claims, the decision to be final unless modified or rescinded
by the board on its own motion or on application duly made. In
general the duties of the industrial commission are continued under
the organization, including factory inspection, the adjustment of
labor disputes, establishment of rules, the maintenance of public
employment offices, statistics of industries, etc.

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Minnesota.

IN CONTRAST with the foregoing is the action of the Legislature
* of Minnesota this year in establishing an industrial commission
of three members to have charge of the administration of all labor
laws, including the workmen’s compensation act, which had hereto­
fore been administered chiefly by the courts. The commissioners
are to be appointed by the governor by and with the advice and
consent of the senate for terms of six years, one retiring each two years.
This commission supersedes in duty and authority the old depart­
ment of labor and industry which is continued under the same title
but under the control and management of the industrial commission.
Its functions are practically the same as those announced under the
former New York law; in fact, the bill for a commission was drawn
up after an investigation by a legislative committee which visited a
number of the more important industrial States, including New York.

Court Decision Upholding Individual Rights of Members of Unions in
Switzerland.1

IN JULY, 1919, the Federation of Locomotive Engineers and Fire! men of Switzerland decided by a vote of 1,432 to 698 to
A affiliate with the General Federation of Trade-Unions. One of
the members objected to the decision and petitioned the Bern Can­
tonal Court to annul it, on the ground that the affiliation would
encroach upon the liberty of individual members by forcing them to
take part in any strike called by the General Federation. Their own
federation, according to its by-laws, had no power to force members
to strike against their will. Further, the principle of political neu­
trality maintained by the Locomotive Engineers’ Federation would
be violated. The petition vas dismissed in May, 1920, on the ground
that the General Federation of Trade-Unions was not a political
party, but on appeal this decision has been reversed by the Federal
Court, which decided that the obligation to participate in a strike
is a restriction on individual liberty, by which members of a tradeunion can not be bound, unless it is so provided in its by-laws.
New Labor Legislation in New South Wales.

R

EPRODUCTIONS of ‘‘New Legislation of Industrial Import,”
in New South Wales, are contained in the December, 1920,
‘ issue of The Industrial Gazette (Sydney).
Included are an amendment to the industrial arbitration act of
1912; a new law on workmen’s compensation for fibroid phthisis or
silicosis of the lungs or similar diseases; an amendment to the work­
men’s compensation act; a special workmen’s compensation act for
workmen in the metalliferous mines at Broken Hill suffering from
pneumoconiosis or tuberculosis; an amendment to the eight-hour
i Labor O verseas, London, O ctober-D ecem ber, 1S20, p. 71.


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law; and an act to prevent profiteering. Tlie workmen’s compensa­
tion (silicosis) act authorizes the establishment by the minister of a
scheme lor the compensation of workers employed in industries or
processes involving exposure to silica or other dust. The amounts
that may be paid are not indicated in the act, but certain qualifica­
tions are prescribed forclaimants, as length of residence in the State
term of employment, etc.
The amendment to the general compensation act of 1916 extends
the coverage of the act, which formerly included no person whose
remuneration exceeded £312 ($1,518.35', par), so as now to include
those receiving as much as £525 ($2,554.91, par). Benefits are to
oe two-thirds of the average weekly earnings instead of one-half and
may be as much as £3 ($14.60, par) weekly instead of £2 ($9.73, par)
as formerly. A new method is also prescribed for computing Tie
average weekly earnings of casual workers, the amount to be not less
than the weekly living wages established by the New South Wales
Hoard of liade ior the State or for the area in which the injurv was
received.
J
. 4 lie amendment to the 8-hour act prescribes the method of an
inquiry into the desirability and consequences of establishing the 44hour week in any industry or division or group of industries.
i lie profiteering act establishes a ‘' profiteering prevention court ” to
be appointed by the governor and consisting of a judge of the supreme
court, or the court of industrial arbitration or the district court who
snall.be president; one or more judges from the same classes may be
appointed as additional judges. The president may himself make an
in vestigation or inquiry or may recommend to the governor a bar­
rister or public accountant to conduct such investigation. Experts
known as assessors may also be associated in the inquiry to sit in an
aovisory capacity. I he operations of trusts, etc., of every kind con­
nected with manufacturing, mining, commerce, trade, finance,
carriage, or transportation may be inquired into to discover to what
extent they tend to create monopolies or to restrain trade or use their
power to control trade. The inquiry is not limited by reason of the
fact that maximum prices or rates of profits or charges have been
.fixed under the act. Ihe president may take steps necessary to pre­
sent cornering and unfair methods of trade competition and discrimi­
nation, and di&obedicnce of orders entails a penalty not exceeding
£2°0 ($973.30, par), with a further penalty of not more than £50
($243.33, par) for each day that the noncompliance continues, or im­
prisonment for a term not exceeding six months. The penalties for
corporations may be as high as £500 ($2,433.25, par), and £100
($486.65, par) for each day of continuing noncompliance. The en­
couragement and promotion of cooperative enterprise for distribution
or banking purposes and credit unions is specifically committed to the
board of trade. Power is given to the president of the court to in­
vestigate complaints, fix maximum prices and maximum rates of
profit on commodities, and maximum charges and maximum rates of
profit on necessary services. On recommendations of the president
the governor may acquire commodities for sale at prices fixed by the
court, may secure supplies sufficient for home consumption, and may
require reports on specified forms as to the commodities or service in
the possession of or under the control of any person. Details are


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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

prescribed for procedure and enforcement, with penalties and for­
feitures for violations of the act.
Roumanian Law on Obligatory Conciliation of Labor Disputes.1
FTER animated and heated discussions a bill for settling indus­
trial disputes, introduced by the minister of labor, was passed
by the Roumanian Chamber of Deputies on August 12,1920, by
the Senate on August 21, and after having received the signature of the
King was promulgated in the Official Gazette on September 5, 1920.
In a memorandum submitted with the bill the minister stated that
there had been during the second quarter of the j^ear 130 strikes and
18 lockouts; in most cases the disputes were caused by wage demands,
wffiile in a few the question of works councils had been raised.
The law, which is to be regarded as an installment of a labor code
now in preparation, in chapter 1 guarantees to all persons the right
to work and provides heavy penalties for using or threatening violence
for the purpose of forcing anyone to work or to abstain from working
during or on the occasion of a collective stoppage of work.
Chapter 2 deals with conciliation and arbitration. Strikes and
lockouts on account of working conditions are prohibited in all indus­
trial and commercial establishments emplojdng 10 or more persons,
unless recourse has been previously had to conciliation. Strikes and
lockouts for other reasons are absolutely prohibited. If a dispute on
account of working conditions arises the workers are required by the
law to appoint from two to five representatives (over 25 years of age),
furnished with a written authorization to act for them. These rep­
resentatives of the workers, in concert with the employer or the latter’s
representative, and in the presence of an official from the Ministry of
Labor, are to endeavor to effect a settlement of the dispute. The
subject of the dispute and the choice of representatives must be com­
municated by the interested parties to each other in writing and the
employer must inform the district inspector of the Ministry of Labor
of the occurrence of a dispute. The Ministry of Labor may also, on
its own initiative, intervene in a labor dispute. If a labor dispute
arises simultaneously in several establishments of the same industry
the representative of the Ministry of Labor is to request the workers’
and employers’ representatives chosen by each establishment to elect
delegates for a joint settlement of the dispute. In such a case the
number of workers’ delegates may not exceed 10 and that of the
employers’ delegates may not be in excess of 3.
Should the conciliation proceedings result in an agreement, its
terms become binding in all the establishments affected by the dis­
pute upon both the employer and the employees of those occupa­
tional groups which took part in the dispute. " If the parties to the
agreement have not fixed a term for its duration, the agreement shall
be valid for at least six months, and on the expiration of this term it
shall remain in force until abrogated by the parties concerned.
Arbitration may be resorted to where conciliation fails. Arbitra­
tion is made obligatory by the law and any collective stoppage of

A

iB u le tin u l M u n eiisia l O crotirilor Sociale. A ugust-N ov em ber, 1920, pp. 320-327. B ucharest.


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151

work is prohibited in the case of all establishments and institutions of
the State, districts, or communes, and in that of all public utility
establishments, such as transport services by land, sea, or air, oil wells,
coal mines, gas and electricity works, waterworks, flour mills, baker­
ies, slaughterhouses, hotels, restaurants, road maintenance, scaveng­
ing, and public-health services.
The settlement of the dispute in such cases devolves upon an arbi­
tration board composed of four members and two alternates, half of
whom are to be elected by the employers and the other half by the
workers. The four members of the board elect a chairman. If they
fail to agree on the choice of a chairman, a chairman (selected from
specified categories of public officials) is to be appointed by the minis­
ter of labor. In case of disagreement among members of the board the
chairman is to dissolve the board and request the interested parties
to name delegates for a new board. An award of the board may be
rendered only by a majority of the full board. If a majority vote can
not be obtained, or if one or both parties refuse to appoint members to
the board, an award shall be made by the chairman. The award of
the arbitration board is binding for all the parties to the dispute and
its provisions are valid for six months at least, and thereafter unless
and until the parties decide otherwise.
Sabotage is defined in comprehensive terms bj^ the law—“ passive
resistance paralyzing production ” being included, and severe penalties
are provided, especially if sabotage is committed in public establish­
ments or public utilities.
The penalties provided for infringements of the law consist of fines
of from 50 to 20,000 leu ($9.65 to $3,860, par) and of imprisonment
for a period of from three months to two years.
The law also provides that workers’ representatives on the con­
ciliation or arbitration board shall receive full pay from their em­
ployer for the time they serve on the board. A worker may not be
discharged by his employer for serving as a member of such a board


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Abrogation of Railroad Working Agreements Ordered by United
States Railroad Labor Board.

long awaited decision the United States Railroad Labor Board
ÎN onAagreements
April 14 ordered the abrogation, effective July 1, 1921, of all
defining working conditions for employees on the
railroads of the country. The officers of the railroads and represen­
tatives of the employees are directed to confer and to decide as to new
conditions which shall prevail on their respective roads after that
date. All disputes now in process of settlement are automatically
referred to the individual lines to be adjusted with their employees.
This decision is in accord with the position taken by the railroad
companies, namely, that all questions arising between each company
and its employees should be settled without reference to conditions
on other lines. The workers had contended for a national joint con­
ference between representatives of all roads and all labor unions
affected, by which means all questions in dispute could be settled.
In its decision the board laid down 16 governing principles to be
considered in the conferences that will be held to formulate new
working rules. These rules as approved by the board will be pro­
mulgated as soon as practicable after July 1. The 16 principles out­
lined by the board are as follows :
1.
An obligation rests upon management, upon each organization ci employees and
upon each employee to render honest, efficient, and economical service to the carrier
serving the public.
2.
The spirit of cooperation between management and employees being essential to
efficient operation, both parties will so conduct themselves as to promote this spirit.
3.
Management having the responsibility for safe, efficient, and economical opera­
tion, the rules will not be subversive of necessary discipline.
4.
The right of railway employees to organize for lawful objects shall not be denied,
interfered with, or obstructed.
5.
The right of such lawful organization to act toward lawful objects through repre­
sentatives of its own choice, whether employees of a particular carrier or otherwise,
shall be agreed to by management.
6.
No discrimination shall be practiced by management as between members and
nonmembers of organizations or as between members of different organizations, nor
shall members of organizations discriminate against nonmembers or use other methods
than lawful persuasion to secure their membership. Espionage by carriers on the
legitimate activities of labor organizations or by labor organizations on the legitimate
activities of carriers should not be practiced.
7.
The right of employees to be consulted prior to a decision of management
adversely affecting their wages or working conditions shall be agreed to by manage­
ment. This right of participation shall be deemed adequately complied with, if and
when, the representatives of a majority of the employees of each of the several classes
directly affected shall have conferred with the management.
8.
No employee should be disciplined without a fair hearing by a designated officer
of the carrier. Suspension in proper cases pending a hearing, which shall be prompt,
shall not be deemed a violation of this principle. At a reasonable time prior to the
hearing he is entitled to be apprised of the precise charge against him. He shall have
a reasonable opportunity to secure the presence of necessary witnesses and shall have
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the right to be there represented by counsel of his choosing. If the judgment shall be
in his favor, he shall be compensated for the wage loss, if any, suffered by him.
9. Proper classification of employees and a reasonable definition of the Work to be
done by each class for which just and reasonable wages are to be paid is necessary, but
shall not unduly impose uneconomical conditions upon the carriers.
10. Regularity of hours or days during which the employee is to serve or hold him­
self in readiness to serve is desirable.
11. The principle of seniority, long applied to the railroad service, is sound and
should be adhered to. It should be so applied as not to cause undue impairment of the
service.
12. The board approves the principle of the eight-hour day, but believes it should
be limited to Work requiring practically continuous application during eight hours.
For eight hours’ pay, eight hours’ work should be performed by all railroad employees
except engine and train service employees, regulated by the Adamson Act, who are
paid generally on a mileage basis as well as an hourly basis.
13. The health and safety of employees should be reasonably protected.
14. The carriers and the several crafts and classes of railroad employees have a
substantial interest in the competency of apprentices or persons under training.
Opportunity to learn any craft or occupation shall not be unduly restricted.
15. The majority of any craft or class of employees shall have the right to determine
what organization shall represent members of such craft or class. Such organization
shall have the right to make an agreement which shall apply to all employees in such
craft or class. No such agreement shall infringe, however, upon the right of employees
not members of the organization representing the majority to present grievances either
in person or by representatives of their own choice.
i 16. Employees called or required to report for work and reporting but not used
should be paid reasonable compensation therefor.
------------------ — — -------------------------------

Labor Conditions in japan.

R

ECENT advices from a representative of the United States De­
partment of Labor give the following information regarding
labor conditions in Japan: Workers are organizing for the
purpose of raising wages and shortening hours of labor. The Govern­
ment is keeping a close watch on meetings of all kinds and no meeting
of more than 12 persons can be held without permission of the police
department, which has the power to close any meeting if in its opinion
anything occurs antagonistic to the Government. There is consider­
able industrial unrest. In 1919 there were about 500 strikes involvino65,000 employees and 200,000 days of lost time.
In Japan there is no such thing as standardization of scales of
wages and hours of work. In many places men, women, and children
work from 10 to 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. The maximum
working time in printing and binding establishments is 14 hours a
day, 7 days a week, including meal time; the minimum is 8 hours a
day excluding meal time. Two holidays a month are allowed. In
1919 a wage rate to printers of $35 a month, payable semimonthly,
was established. In the building occupations such as carpenters,
plasterers, tile roofers, and stone cutters, the average wages are about
40 per cent more than those of printers but the number of days of
employment per year is considerably less. In the spinning and
weaving districts dormitories are used largely, in one factory 3,000
girls out of a total of 5,000 employees being housed in this way. The
cost of living in the dormotories differs in the various factories. Many
factories furnish board free while others charge much less than ordin­
ary boarding houses or restaurants. The basis of nearly all the food
is rice and fish, and meat is a rarity. Sanitary conditions are poor.


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Labor Unrest in Spain.1
By

A n ic e

L.

W h it n e y .

HE comparative isolation of Spain in the World War failed to
serve as a protection from the after effects of the war which
have been evident everywhere in increased living costs, general
industrial depression, and unsettled labor conditions. There is
perhaps no other country outside of Russia where the radical ideas
of the communists have taken stronger hold or where there have been
more violent or more continuous demonstrations by the extremist
elements of the population. This is true in spite of the fact that
labor organization up to the period of the war had not progressed to
a point where it was an effective part of the social and economic
organization of the country nor had the Socialist Party anything
like the political power which this party exerts in most of the European
countries. Control in Spanish politics has been vested in a mon­
archical conservative party and a monarchical liberal party, alter­
nating according as the party in power saw fit to yield its control, but
differing little in policies, being chiefly concerned in preserving party
integrity. Two or three years ago Count de Romanones, leader of
the Liberal Party announced his abandonment of the system, stating
that it was out of date, a position in which most of the sectional
leaders agreed, but Sr. Dato, the leader of the Conservative Party
stoutly defended the “ partidos turnantes” (alternating parties),
maintaining that they were essential to the well being of the country.
The main efforts of the Dato ministry from the time of his taking
office about the 1st of July, 1920, to his assassination in March, 1921,
were directed toward strengthening and maintaining the party
majority in the Cortes, his policy toward the more disturbing in­
dustrial' manifestations being apparently to let matters drift while
professing the most optimistic sentiments in regard to the condition
of the country generally.
In spite of almost medieval conditions of land tenure and lack of
modern farm machinery, Spain is essentially an agrarian country.
The Province of Catalonia is the principal industrial section of Spain
and it is that locality and particularly the city of Barcelona which
have been the centers of the terrorist activities. From January,
1920, to March of this year it is stated there had been 197 terrorist
attempts in Barcelona alone with 101 persons killed and 167 wounded
and yet so well were plans made and so perfect the organization that
only 48 syndicalists have been prosecuted and 34 of these have been
acquitted.

T

Union Organization.

ORGANIZED labor in Spain is ranged in three principal groups,
U
the General Union of Workers ( Union General de Trabaja­
dores), socialistic and moderate in policy, the General Con­
federation of Labor (Confederación General del Trabajo), revolution­
ary and syndicalist, and the independent, mainly Catholic, unions.
1

In preparing this article th e current num bers of th e following publications have been used: Boletín
del In stitu to de Reformas Sociales, B ulletins of th e In tern atio n al Labor Office, Christian Science Monitor,
The Economic Review, Journal des Economistes, Labor Overseas, L a R épublique Française, La France
Libre, M onthly Labor Review, and L ’Inform ation Sociale.


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Labor organization in Spain was checked in 1874 by a law pro­
hibiting all organization but was soon revived through the activities
of Pablo Iglesias_ who is still chief of the Socialist Party. Trade
unionism and socialism have developed jointly and have been practi­
cally identical. In 1883 the 88 unions then in existence decided to
form a national labor union with both political and economic aims,
which became the Union General de Trabajadores (U. G. T.) in 1888
at which time the Spanish Socialist Party was also formally constitu­
ted as a separate party. El Socialista, the official organ of the two
parties was first published in 1886. From the time of the separation
of the two parties in 1888 the congresses were held separately but the
president and secretary were the same for the two organizations.
In 1902 the union declared at its annual congress that it belonged to
no political party, though as a matter of fact it has always been
closely allied with the socialists.
The policy of the U. G. T. has in the past been reformist rather than
revolutionary, and the association has been willing to collaborate
with the Government in securing social reforms. It is strongest
in Madrid and generally among agricultural workers, but its in­
fluence is much less than that of the Confederación General del
Trabajo (C. G. T.). At a congress last summer the U. G. T. voted
by a large majority not to join the Moscow International, but to
remain in the Amsterdam Trade-Union International, although
at the same time the delegates voted by 5 to 1 in favor of amalga­
mation with the C. G. T., which luid indorsed the Third Inter­
national. The present membership is over 241,000 as against only
90,000 in 1918.
The General Confederation of Labor, the more powerful of these
two labor bodies, having headquarters at Barcelona, was founded
in 1900 in opposition to the U. G. T. It represents the anarchical
revolutionary element which has been strong in Spain since the
beginning of the labor movement, and is under the influence of the
ideas of Bakunin and more directly under those of Kropotkin,
whose disciple, Anselmo Lorenzo, has been active in disseminating
these ideas. The affiliated unions are completely independent,
though loosely bound together in the general federation. The aim
of the organization is the uncompromising class struggle and the
method is through the general strike. As this is better achieved
by a general union, the workers in Barcelona and other cities are
grouped together in each place in a “ sindicato único” covering all
trades, and trade federations generally are not favored by the union,
since industrial unionism is not the purpose of the organization.
The membership is over 500,000.
The Catholic unions (Sindicatos Católicos) have been in the process
of organization for some years. They have been formed largely
for the purpose of combating socialism and have been particularly
successful among the rural population. Casos sociales (community
centers) with recreation rooms, cooperative stores, and theaters
have been started in a few cities only, as the cities are mainly socialist.
These organizations have been largely under the influence of em­
ployers, it is stated, though lately there have been some signs of
their supporting the other unions. The exact membership is not
known.
44130°—21

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Spanish Socialist Party.

"THE Socialist Party has not been strong except in Catalonia
A and has had little influence politically. The party, founded
on Marxist principles, at first declared itself sharply opposed to
bourgeois cooperation, hut in 1899, about 11 years after its founding,
decided that such cooperation was in some cases not only admis­
sible but desirable. The general tendency of the party has been
opportunist, with the ‘‘moderates” in control, though opposition
gradually developed so that at its congress in December, 1919, the
party decided against any union with bourgeois parties, though
condemning extreme methods, dhe general strike as a political
weapon has not been used by the party. According to a state­
ment given out last September, the membership of the Socialist
Partv had increased from 14,000 in 1917 to 52,000 in 1920.
General Labor and Industrial Conditions.

war created an industrial opportunity for Spain through
the lowering of production in the belligerent countries, which
resulted in the creation of a great number of Spanish industries,
particularly in Catalonia. The textile industry, which had been
manufacturing only for the home trade, has been greatly developed
in Barcelona in all its branches, and about a dozen tanneries were
started in the Province of Catalonia. This section had formerly
been famous for its hides, but had nearly lost its market through
failure to follow developments in the trade and also from lack of
raw material. These new factories, however, have only attempted
to fill the temporary need and have not tried to manufacture hoc
leather. Various factories for food products were established and
a large number of industries, such as paper boxes, artificial flowers,
buttons, antiseptic products, furniture, pianos, etc., were created,
though the development of many other industries was hindered by
the lack of raw materials and the difficulty of importing them.
Although Spain is an agricultural rather than an industrial coun­
try, it does not raise sufficient cereals or leguminous vegetables to
supply the national needs. Spanish agriculture suffers from the
ignorance of the cultivators, undercapitalization, and an uneven
distribution of capital, and unequal distribution of the land, there
being on one hand large numbers of holdings too extensive to allow
the owners to scientifically cultivate and improve the land and on
the other hand in some sections too much subdivision. Conditions
for making a living have, therefore, been so difficult that emigra­
tion from Spain, chiefly to Mexico and South American countries,
has become one of the problems with which the country has to
deal. A land settlement decree was issued in 1918, the aim of which
was to lessen emigration, populate the Spanish countryside, and
brine into cultivation lands which are uncultivated or underf armed.
In the year 1920 the total imports for the country greatly exceeded
exports, although in the previous year imports and exports were
about equal. The purchase of manufactured products nearly
doubled in 1920 over 1919 buying, and this increase of imported
goods and the reduction of exports has affected manufactures


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severely. The value of the peseta has fallen about 27 per cent.
At the end of September, as a result of the failure of foreign markets
for the stocks on hand, an industrial crisis was threatened, manu­
facturers and merchants not being able to sell even at less than
cost price. This, coupled with the serious strike situation, made
the general and industrial situation of the country present a very
serious aspect, particularly in view of the procrastinating policy
of the ministry then in power.
Manifestations of Labor Unrest.

of the most troublesome of the general questions affecting the
country has been the railway situation, which has been the
principal cause of the various cabinet crises and which has been
echoed in strikes among railway employees. Part of the country was
demanding Government control of the railways, which it was alleged
were in a critical condition because of mismanagement, while the
consei vatives under Sr. Dato, the premier, favored a Government
subsidy. In the latter part of April, 1920, the railway workers
threatened to strike on the 1st of May if their wage claims were not
settled. The cabinet resigned the following day, leaving this question
unsettled, but the ex-premier countersigned a royal decree ex ten din«'
indefinitely the provisional subsidy which the Government had
gianted the railroads for the month oi April. As the railroads were
operating with a large deficit each month this question was one of
great importance. A general railway strike was declared the first
week m May. Promptly at a certain hour on the day set for the
strike all railroad activities throughout the country canie to a stand­
still. There was no attempt by the companies to run trains, and
offers of assistance from about 6,000 ex-railway employees who had
been dismissed following the 1917 strike were refused, thereby
strengthening the suspicion that the companies and their employees
were in collusion. The “ Sol,” one of the influential papers, but not
linked with the railway interests, characterized the strike as one of
the most revolutionary of all that had been started in Spain during
the social agitation of recent years. Mr. La Cierva, one of the Con­
servative leaders, introduced a resolution in the Chamber of Deputies
calling upon Parliament to proceed at once to take possession of the
lines and to impose the severest penalties upon the guilty persons, a
resolution which was received with astonishment by the Datist Con­
sei vatives and with approval by tne extreme left. The railwaymen
asked increased "wages and the companies a 35 per cent increase in
transportation rates if wages were increased. The second day of the
strike the Government issued a decree stating that the necessity of
raising wages was unavoidable but that the resources of the companies
did not allow it, so that the Government offered to advance a sum
equal to one month s advance in wages, the problem to be examined
and settled in the meantime. Considerable opposition was voiced,
the companies wishing a six-months’ guaranty, but the offer was
accepted and the strike ended as suddenly as it began.
In November two of the principal railwaymen’s unions (the Alianza
Nacional Ferroviaria and the Sindicato Católico) presented demands
to the companies for various reforms in working conditions. These


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included for the National Alliance: Reinstatement of 6,000 men dis­
missed after 1917 strike, institution of 8-hour day, weekly rest with
pay, retirement at 60 years of age, increase of wages, 20 days’ annual
leave with pay, and three months’ pay in case of sickness. The
Catholic Union asked the 8-hour day, weekly day of rest (Sunday
when possible), 15 days’ annual leave with pay, and representation
of the union on all committees or other bodies on which the working
class is represented.
May Day was generally celebrated throughout the country by a
cessation of work but without serious disorder except in Valencia,
where 65 arrests were made. A general strike broke out on May 3,
as a protest against the imprisonment of these people. This was
believed to be part of the revolutionary movement in support of the
general strike in Saragossa where the headquarters of a “ red com­
mittee” were raided and evidence of the connection of members with
the recent bombing outrages was secured. The strike in Saragossa
terminated on May 5, after labor leaders not connected with the
bombing affairs were liberated. The strike which started at the same
time at Barcelona, however, continued with practically complete
stoppage of all city activities until May 10, when 24 prisoners were
released. At Valencia 27 prisoners who had been arrested for of­
fenses against the social order began a hunger strike and a general
strike began shortly after which finally resulted in the closing of the
port and the practically complete suspension of work. Bombing
outrages occurred here and a quantity of powder and explosives for
the manufacture of bombs was discovered by the police. This strike
collapsed after about 11 days’ duration.
A serious strike lasting more than two months occurred in April at
the Penarroya mines, where about 15,000 miners were employed.
There was much distress among the miners and many left the dis­
trict in search of other work. Meetings of workers were prohibited
by the governor and all trade-union institutes closed. The General
Union of Workers sent a deputation to report on these repressive
measures to the minister of the interior, who promised to intervene.
Early in June a settlement was reached by which, for the period of a
year, one hour overtime could be worked when considered necessary
by the management, wages were increased, bread furnished the
workers by the company at the same price as before the strike, and
all workers were reinstated. A general strike also took place in Sala­
manca in May, starting in a demand for increased wages among tan­
ners and bakers and spreading to all branches of industry.
A very serious ’strike among bakers occurred in Madrid in April,
lasting more than a month. The trouble rose in a biscuit factory over
the employment of nonunion workmen. The dispute was taken up
by workers in other establishments and a general strike declared
among bakers, confectioners, and cooks. There were about 3,700
strikers whose places so far as possible were filled by volunteers,
about half of whom were soldiers. With this help and with the
baking that was done in the homes there was no real bread shortage
after the first day or two, although the situation was complicated by
the scarcity of flour and the poor quality of the bread. There were
numerous demonstrations by women, who showed a tendency to be


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unruly and do damage to property. A citizens’ union had been
formed in the fall of 1919 for the purpose of insuring the uninter­
rupted working of the public services. During the bakers’ strike a
number of the members of this union attacked a procession of striking
biscuit workers and shots were fired. It was discovered that the
attacking party was well provided with pistols and ammunition and
the question of suppressing the union was taken up in Parliament
the next day, though no action was taken against it. The public,
however, was deeply incensed against the strikers, probably account­
ing somewhat for the extreme actions of the citizens’ union.
General unrest was reported in the summer among agricultural
laborers, especially in Andalusia, which is always a center of labor
trouble. Everywhere men refused to work on the farms and the
burning of crops became frequent. Large tracts of ripening grain
were destroyed by striking farm hands, and olive groves, orchards,
and vineyards also were burned. A curious strike occurred at Cadiz,
where the agricultural workers demanded the withdrawal of all agri­
cultural machinery.
A strike of a different character from the others taking place all
over Spain was the one in the Rio Tinto copper mines, affecting about
10,000 workers, which was generally conceded to be purely industrial
and not allied in any way with the revolutionary movement. The
Kio Tinto mines are operated by a British company which acquired
them from the Spanish Government in 1872, and there seems to be
no question that the fact that a foreign company was involved
created much sympathy for the strikers among all classes of people.
The strike was such a serious one that for a time it held possibilities
of international complications, and because of this fact and also
because prominent Spanish political leaders are stockholders and the
Government receives a considerable sum yearly for the protection of
the property, there was strong prejudice against governmental inter­
ference in the matter. The strike began on July 7 through the
refusal of the company to grant a new wage scale involving a general
increase of from 30 to 57 per cent to the clerical staff and foremen of
the company, numbering about 550 employees at the mines and at
Huelva, the company’s port. A 20 to 30 per cent increase for all
overtime, yearly leave of absence of 21 days plus 19 days for sick
leave, and institution of a pension system were also asked. The strike
of the general workers was at first purely sympathetic, but subse­
quently an amalgamated committee of both classes of employees
formulated a similar set of demands for the miners, though asking
wage advances of from 50 to 76 per cent. There are seven villages
in the Rio Tinto district with about 50,000 inhabitants largely de­
pendent on the mines for their living. Negotiations were held at
intervals during the summer between the company and the workers,
but later for a long period these attempts at a settlement entirely
ceased. The company maintained that because of the decrease in
the market price of copper and a slackening in the demand for pyrite
it was unable to meet the increases asked by the workers. The
workers refused to accept anything except the full amount asked for,
and as the average wages in the mine were only 6 pesetas ($1.16, par)
per day and some workers were earning less than 3 pesetas (58 cents,
par) the demands did not seem unreasonable. The strikers corn-


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plained also of the company stores, charging that they were useo as
a means of keeping down wages and also prevented other stores from
coming into the district so that in case of strikes there were no means
of purchasing supplies. The refusal of the management to recognize
the union also embittered the men. The struggle was so long drawn
out that there was a great deal of suffering as there are no other
industries in the district and most of the strikers were too poor even
to emigrate. Several thousand children were taken by trade-union
organizations and private individuals in different parts of _the
country to be cared for and a brilliant benefit performance was given
in Madrid which was attended by the King and Queen. A remarkable
feature of the strike was the absence of violence, there being but one
instance of disorder, when a bomb was exploded in one of the com­
pany’s sheds, injuring two workmen. In January, after the strike
had lasted about six months, negotiations were resumed and it was
finally ended. The company established a wage scale varying from
to 91 pesetas ($1.06 to $1.79, par) per day. The company also
assisted in bringing back the strikers’ children and promised other
concessions when the output and improved trade conditions war­
ranted it. All workmen returning to work were required to sign a
document repudiating the labor union and promising to abstain
from joining any similar organization in the future.
At Bilbao the metal, building, and harbor workers all went on
strike in July, the total number of strikers being about 40,000. The
strike of the metal workers was settled in about a week, though it
was necessary to call out the troops to maintain order. The dock
workers remained out more than a month, causing serious congestion
in the port, and building operations were at a standstill for about
three and one-half months. After these strikes were settled the
laborers in two of the largest shipbuilding plants began to show
signs of unrest which culminated in a disastrous fire to a newly
launched 14,000-ton passenger vessel, which was almost entirely
destroyed. As it was proved the fire was of incendiary origin the
plant was closed, throwing about 3,000 workmen out of employment.
In Saragossa a strike of the metal and electrical workers for higher
wages rapidly spread to include nearly all workers in public services,
and the municipal council found it necessary to dismiss the city
police force because most of them refused to obey the mayor. The
citizens’ league attempted to perform the work of the public services,
but its membership was not large enough to do all that was needed.
A large public meeting called by the chamber of commerce considered
the question of the legality of the “ sindicato único’’ and decided
that organizations which make use not only of intimidation and
threat, but of murderous crimes are illegal and asked the Govern­
ment to make a declaration to this effect. It was also decided that
it was necessary to form associations of citizens to take over essential
work. The trade-unions of the city then issued a statement denying
all connection with the outrages and protested against the usurpation
of power by a section of the population and against its arbitrary
action against the trade-unions. The trouble continued over some
months with occasional short periods of partial or complete resump­
tion of work varied by violent outbreaks. The latter part of Decem­
ber the employers’ federation declared a general lockout and 24,000


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men were thrown out of work. The lockout collapsed on the third
day, although in the meantime there had been many acts of terrorism,
and following the settlement the civil governor announced that
syndicates of every description and the employers’ federation were
to be dissolved at once and books of all societies with their lists of
members were to be surrendered. The presidents of all the sectional
syndicates were arrested. As a result a general strike was called,
which became so disorderly that extra forces were brought into the
city. This condition continued until the city was in a serious con­
dition, and evidently both sides were worn out with the struggle,
for finally a conciliatory manifesto of the workers was met by the
employers with an invitation to return to work and discuss their
demands peaceably.
In Barcelona there has been an almost continual condition of
violent unrest, new strikes beginning as fast as the old ones were
settled. In December a strike of metal workers for increased wages
included over 20,000 men. During a previous strike shortly before
it was claimed that 50 per cent of the metal workers received only
6 to 7 pesetas ($1.16 to $1.35, par) a day, 25 per cent, 7 to 8 pesetas
($1.35 to $1.54, par), and the rest 8 to 9 pesetas ($1.54 to $1.74,
par), tinplate workers earned 3 to 4^ pesetas ($0.58 to $0.87, par)
and women 2\ pesetas ($0.48, par). A general strike being threatened
the civil governor secured from the minister of the interior the
promise of as many millions of pesetas as were necessary for the
proper defense of Barcelona. The metal workers’ strike was settled
by a compromise in which the employers came off rather better than
the workers, and the tramwaymen went back to work, thus settling
the most acute difficulties. This settlement was followed by the
resignation of the civil governor, however, because he had been
criticized for his method of handling the strike. The military
governor of the district was appointed as civil governor to succeed
the one who resigned, which was generally taken to moan that the
Government would adopt severe repressive measures. The new
governor instituted immediately a censorship of the press, public
meetings were forbidden, and wholesale arrests were made. Thirtysix syndicalist leaders were deported to the Balearic Islands and im­
prisoned in a fortress there—among them being the syndicalist
chief, Salvador Segui. Angel Pestaña, the other of the two “red”
leaders, had gone to Moscow in the summer and on his return through
Italy was arrested and held in that country for some time. Later
when he was released and returned to Barcelona he was at once
arrested and imprisoned. The trouble in Barcelona was aggravated
by the formation of the Sindicato libre (free union) opposed to the
Sindicato único and by the assassination, November 30, of Señor
Layret, socialist and ex-deputy to the Cortes, whose murder was
attributed to the antisyndicalist bands which had been formed to
oppose the Sindicato único.
The C. G. T. attempted to organize a general strike all over Spain
on December 2, as a protest against “ Government oppression” in
Barcelona, Saragossa, and other places. Trouble between the
General Union of Workers and the C. G. T., however, resulted in the
refusal of its support by the former organization. The movement
reached its height on December 6, when many outrages both to


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employers and workers were reported. Lack of unity among workers
and of effective leadership prevented the movement from becoming
dangerous, however, and order was gradually restored by the civil
guard.
In January a strike of Government employees was the cause of a
ministerial crisis which resulted in the resignation of the cabinet.
About 100 extra inspectors were appointed by the minister of finance.
This act which was considered by the staff of the department as an
infringement of their rights, resulted in a “folded-arms” strike, that
is they were all at their seats every day during working hours but
did no work. The minister resigned and the cabinet was reconsti­
tuted under Sr. Dato with a new minister of finance, after which the
clerks went back to work.
General conditions throughout the country continued to be turbu­
lent and filled with the terrorist activities of the syndicalists, which
were met with repressive measures by civil and military authorities
and by organized opposition on the part of employers. The Govern­
ment was in the main inactive, several cabinet crises having resulted
the first of the year in the general election for which the premier,
Sr. Dato, had been striving for some months, it was charged that
the governmental machinery was manipulated to return him the
majority in the Cortes, which he desired, and the working people
and socialists generally throughout the country abstained from voting.
The elections resulted in a large conservative majority in the Senate
but a much smaller majority in the Chamber of Deputies than had
been expected. The Socialists, however, won only three seats where
they had previously held six, and the Republican Democratic Party
but 16 out of a total of about 400 in the Chamber. The Dato
ministry came to an abrupt end by the assassination of Sr. Dato
on the evening of March 9, 1921, when he was returning to his home
from the Cortes.
The Socialist Party and the Third International.

rTTIE Socialist Party voted adherence to the Second International
A in its 1919 congress but in June, 1920, the party voted to join
the Third International, a minority voting for unconditional entry,
the others agreeing to membership only on the condition that the
party should retain its autonomy and the right to cooperate with the
Government. A commission of four prominent members of the
party was sent to Moscow to negotiate the entry of the party into
the Third International. This proposal was rejected, however, by
the Russian Communists, acceptance of the “21 points” and un­
conditional allegiance to the International being the price of admission.
The Young Socialists broke away from the party in April, 1920,
and formed the Spanish Communist Party. Their manifesto recog­
nizes the Third Communist International as the center of revolu­
tionary organization, declaring that the Second International be­
trayed the workers, who have no concern with wars waged by the
nation but are only concerned with the defense of the Communist
fatherland. Social revolution was stated to be the sole aim of the
party and a Soviet organization was to be set up within the party
and the dictatorship of the proletariat recognized.


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The fourth congress of independent Catholic trade unions, held in
September, passed among other resolutions one favoring temporary
alliance with other workers’ societies when the welfare of the prole­
tariat demands it and another pledging themselves to work for the
speedy disappearance of the present capitalist government.

Fusion of Labor Organizations.
THE June congress oi the U. G. T. a proposal to amalgamate
with the C. G. T. was voted by a very large majority. In
September the C. G. T. refused to consider the formation of one
national organization on the ground that since it belonged to the
fluid International and the Union to the Amsterdam Trade Union
International no real fusion was possible. However, they offered
to appoint a committee to arrange for a national congress of the two
organizations. In September the difficulties were apparently over­
come and an agreement was signed after which the alliance was conTm?c tY a manifesto which gave as reasons for the amalgamation
° ^ parties the repressive policy oi Senor Dato’s government
which had suspended constitutional guaranties, imprisoned or
banished hundreds of workers, dissolved trade-unions, and abandoned
trial by jury. Socialists and syndicalists were urged to be reconciled
and to combine against the bourgeois and the employers. It was
planned to form a council of action similar to the one which was
attracting so much attention in England at that time.
The ministerial council replied to these charges a few days after
the manifesto was issued, stating that in regard to the alleged banishirieiit of workers to Fernando xo these workers were foreigners and
that no obstacle would be put in the way of their return to the
countries to which they belonged. It was acknowledged that
juries had been suppressed in Barcelona, but it was claimed that
threats and coercion had made it impossible for jurvmen to exercise
their functions freely. In regard to the other twoLndictments the
Government claimed to have made very sparing use of its powers.
The fusion of the two labor bodies was only a temporary one. how­
ever, there being differences of opinion in regard to matters of policy
particularly in regard to the general strike which was called in
December and which the U. G. T. did not indorse. At an assembly
oi delegates oi the U. G. T., held in Madrid the first week in January
the action which the executive committee had taken following thé
general strike in December, severing their connection with the
U. G. T., was approved, and it was stated that in view of the violent
and unjust hostility shown by the C. G. T. toward the union it was
impossible that new negotiations for cooperative action of the two
organizations should be instituted. In this way a movement which
had been viewed with alarm by some elements of the population
and which had been considered by the workers to promise much in
the way of solidarity and unity of purpose came to an end.
Economic Gains of Labor.
W A G E S in Spain have not increased in the same proportion as in
most other countries. In 1918 printers in Salamanca were re­
ceiving daily wages ranging from 80.29 to $1.06, the majority of work­
ers m the various trades receiving less than a dollar a day and in only

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a few instances did the wages exceed $2. In Vigo in i919 maximum
wages ranged from $0.58 tor miners and farm laborers to $2.32 for
ship carpenters, workers in the majority of the trades receiving
between $1 and $1.50, while in Barcelona in August, 1920, the
lowest wage per day for skilled labor was $1.3o and the average vas
a little less than $2. In Bilbao in January, 1921, wages ranged from
a minimum of $1.06 to $1.26 up to a maximum of $1.54 to $1.93
in different trades, farm - laborers receiving from $0.72 to $1.16.
Women’s wages varied from $0.29 to $0.77 per day. In the Asturian
coal mines wages were decreased 3.75 pesetas ($0.72, par) a day and
the highest wages paid after the reduction were 7.20 pesetas ($1.39,
par). This reduction was vigorously opposed by labor members of
the coal commission composed of representatives of operators and
employees but the owners claimed that owing to the low price (less
than $8 a ton) at which English and American coal was selling in
Asturian ports the Spanish mines would be obliged to close unless
the wage reduction went into effect.
The cost of living seems to have increased more rapidly than wages,
the index number of 12 articles of food being 168 for September,
1920, over prices in 1914. The general cost of living index in the
capitals of Spain, averaged for the period from April to September,
1920, was 202.6, the average for the 5-year period from 1909 to 1914
being taken as 100. Cost of living was higher in the towns than in
the cities, for the index for the same period in the towns throughout
the country was 220.3.
In March, 1919, the Institute of Social Reform approved of the
establishment of the 8-hour day or 48-hour week. An opportunity
was given for occupational committees formed of equal numbers of
representatives of employers and workers to report on industries or
special branches of industries which it was thought should be excepted
from the general law, all not having done so by a certain day being
considered to have approved the 8-hour day. Regulations issued
later provided for minimum rates for overtime. The Sunday rest
law was made applicable to the printing trades so that no periodical
or newspaper can be published on the afternoon or night of Sunday
or on Monday morning, and none distributed between 7 a. m. and
the same hour on Monday. The provisions of the law are very
complete, as even the use of telegraph and telephone during those
hours for notices for publication is prohibited as well as the use of
transparencies or bulletin boards.
A Ministry of Labor was established by royal decree May 8, 1920,
which took over the functions of the Institutes of Social Reform and
National Insurance, the Social Reform Department of the Ministry
of the Interior, the Bureau of Labor of the General Board of Com­
merce, Industry, and Labor, and the Emigration Commission.
In October a royal decree providing for the establishment of labor
exchanges was issued. The chief objects were the registration of
supply and demand in the various districts, recording unemploy­
ment," and coordination of the various organizations engaged in
finding employment. In order to benefit by the State subsidies all
organizations operating employment offices have to insure impar­
tiality in working and abstention from all preference or exclusion on
political grounds and are obliged to appoint a governing board of


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equal numbers of employers and workmen advised by experts on
' social questions.
Obligatory old-age pensions subsidized by the State were also
established by a royal decree in March, 1919, for all workers between
the ages of 16 and 65 whose income did not exceed 4,000 pesetas
($772, par) yearly.
Mixed committees of employers and employees were established
for conciliation in labor disputes by governmental decree in Barcelona
in April, 1920, for each branch of industrial activity. These mixed
committees elect a mixed commission from among their members
which has the power to fix minimum wages, supervise the enforce­
ment of social laws, and can recommend to the public authorities
such reforms and measures as it considers appropriate.
Some of the demands of the workers were formulated by the
Socialists last summer. They included restoration of civil rights,
completion of proposed labor legislation, reduction of the high cost
of living, a 50 per cent reduction of the army, and recognition of the
Soviet Government in Russia.
Conclusion.

rT'HE Spanish labor problem seems to present serious and even men­
acing possibilities because of the revolutionary tendencies of such
a large part of the organized labor movement. There seems to be
no doubt that many of the demands put forward in the various
strikes were justified and that the attitude of the employers has
been largely an uncompromising one calculated to foster the dis­
content of the working classes. But granting that there is much
justification for the dissatisfaction of the workers in the intransigence
of the employers and the lack of a definite and well-considered labor
program bv the Government, the fact remains that the constant
outbreak of large and small strikes, the professed aims of the socialist
and labor_ leaders, and the terrorist tactics of strikers and sympa­
thizers point to a definite plan for revolutionary control. The Em­
ployers ’ Confederation recently addressed a protest to the premier
against foreign criticism of Spanish “ reaction” which resulted from
a statement by Sr. Besteiro, a professor in the Central University, at
an international trade-union congress that Spain was living under a
medieval régime in which the only “ terror” which existed was that
of Government and police agents who encouraged strikes and crime.
“ The Employers’ Confederation,” the statement says, “ desires to
point out that the authors of the foreign protest took care to conceal
the fact that for three years the extremists have disorganized our
industrial life; that about 1,000 employers and as many workers have
been assassinated by the terrorist bands of the unions; that many of
the militants acknowledged their guilt, but obtained their freedom
through the ‘terror;’ that at their congress, in their press, and at
their meetings the unions have continually encouraged crime, sabot­
age, and reduction of output.”
There is evidence to show that this program of terrorism was
assisted and, in some measure at least, inspired by revolutionary
leaders outside of Spain and that events there are but a part of the
plan of these leaders for world domination under the system of the
Russian Communists.

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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[1089]

HOUSING.

Housing Notes from Canada and England.
Canada (St. John, N. B.).1

HILE conditions indicate a revival of activity in the building
trade, yet it is conceded that unless the scale of wages is
materially reduced, building activity must fall far short of
what was anticipated earlier in the winter. Contractors claim,
however, that there is a large increase in efficiency; some placing it at
50 per cent in production per man hour; this, if true, would mean a
reduction in cost of 331 per cent, but this manner of lowering wages
is not satisfactory and is too illusive to attract builders.
The housing problem in this city is even more acute than ever and
rents are higher than at any time during the past three years.

W

Vancouver.2

’"THAT there was nearly twice as much building in Vancouver in
A 1920 as in the previous 12 months is an encouraging sign of the
city’s progress, though the aggregate value of the permits issued,
$3,"709,673 (which includes the value of the 337 dwellings erected in
the city during 1920), is relatively small when compared with such
years as 1911, when the total amount was $17,653,642, or the '‘peak”
year, when in 1912 it reached $19,388,322. The total assessed value
of land and improvements, within the boúndaries of the city, is
placed at $210,593,969, while the total for 1919, after being carefully
revised, was $207,606,930, showing an increase of $2,993,039 in 1920.
While considerable money has been spent in resurfacing and re­
grading many of the city’s roads the past year, by far the most
important piece of road construction in this district has been the
completion, in December, of another section of the Pacific Highway,
south of New Westminster, at a cost to the Province of approxi­
mately $350,000.
England (Nottingham).11

rT H E municipal authorities of Nottingham have acquired for the
construction of working class houses approximately 231 acres,
and bids have already been accepted for the building of 1,410
houses. It is estimated that the capital outlay for the erection of
these houses will amount to $7,036,865, which is equivalent to
$4,990 for each house. During the year 104 of these houses were
completed and are now occupied, and it is anticipated that two or
three hundred more will be completed in the coming year. Ihe
sites acquired are all within the city limits and the streets and grounds
have been laid out on garden city lines.
1 E xcerpt from R eport on commerce and industries for th e Province of New Brunsw ick for February,
1921 St. John, N. B., Mar. 10, 1921, forwarded to th e b ureau by th e U. S. D epartm ent of State.
2 Excerpt from Supplem ent to a n n u al report of commerce an d industries for 1920, Vancouver, B. O.,
Mar. 5, 1921, forwarded to the bureau by th e U. S. D ep artm en t of S tate.
lT7Q, r,
? Excerpt from an n u al report on commerce an d industries, N ottingham , Í eb. IS, 1921, forwarded to the
bureau by the U. S. D epartm ent of State.

166

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[1090]

LA BO R O RGANIZATIONS.

Growth of Trade-Unionism, 1910 to 1919.

N A recently issued brochure the International Labor Office at
Geneva has made an attempt to illustrate by statistics the growth
oi trade-unionism in the different countries of the world during the
decade ending in 1919.1 In nearly every case the statistics used are
based on returns voluntarily made by the trade-unions to the Gov­
ernment of their country. They therefore vary both in complete­
ness and accuracy. For some countries, it is explained, especially
those m which the trade-unions have central organizations, the re­
turns are almost complete, while for other countries, in which the
ti ade-unions consist of numerous small local bodies, the returns are
much less complete. The returns usually become more nearly complete
from year to year, and part of the increases in trade-unions mem­
bership shown in the following tables is due to the greater complete­
ness oi the returns, and not to an increase in trade-unionism. It
should be borne in mind that the definition of a trade-union differs
from country to country, and associations which in one country are
termed trade-unions are not so termed in another country. In the
case of Germany, for instance, the Free Trade-Unions ( Freie Gewerkschaften), the Christian Trade-Unions (Christliche Gewerkvereine),
the Hirsch-Duncker Unions, etc., have been included, but not the sec­
tarian unions ( Konfessionelle Arheitervereine). In certain cases, where
data for a particular year were unobtainable, they have been roughly
estimated from the figures of the preceding and following years.
During the war statistics of trade-unionsim were not published for
certain countries (e. g., France and Belgium) and for other countries
statistics were difficult to obtain owing to the absence of members
on military service. In some cases these are counted as members,
m other cases not.
^I he alterations of boundaries of certain countries after the war
also affected the comparability of prewar and postwar figures for
these countries, but, where possible, allowance for this has been
made.
Bearing these qualifications in mind, the following table is given,
which it is believed gives as good an estimate as possible of the
growth of trade-unionism in the different countries. This table
covers all the important countries of the world with the exception of
Kussia, for which no figures are available, and China, Japan, and
India, where trade-unionism is little developed. As far as possible
the figures given relate to the end of the year though in some cases
they relate to the beginning of the following year.

I

L,abor ° Jk e' T ie growth oi trade-unionism during the
ieb. 16,1921. Studies and Reports, Series A, No. 17.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[ 1001 ]

10

years,

1910-1919.

Geneva,
>

1G7

M O N T H L Y LABOE R E V IE W .

168

M E M B E R S H IP O F T R A D E -U N IO N S IN V A R IO U S C O U N T R IE S, 1910-1919.
[Numbers are given in thousands.]

Country.

1910

302
A ustralia......................................
200
A ustria..........................................
139
B elgium ...................................... 120
C anada..........................................
100
Czechoslovakia....... ....... ............
124
D enm ark......................................
15
F in lan d .........................................
977
F rance...........................................
2,960
G erm any......................................
Great B rita in .............................. 2,400
86
H ung ary .......................................
817
Ita ly ..............................................
154
N etherlands.................................
57
New Zealand...............................
47
N orw ay.........................................
8
R oum ania....................................
7
Serbia (Jugoslavia)....................
41
S p a in .............................................
115
S w ed en ........................................
75
Sw itzerland.................................
U nited States of America......... 2,100

1911

1912

1913

1914

523
498
433
365
147
253
257
200
203
203
231
189
166
176
160
133
55
107
107
100
156
154
139
128
31
28
24
20
1,029 1,064 1,027 1,026
3,336 3,566 3,572 2,271
2,970 3,226 4,192 4,199
107
107
102
95
962
972
861
847
227
220
189
169
74
71
61
56
64
68
61
53
10
6
0
0
14
9
8
5
121
128
80
190
141
136
111
120
50
89
86
78
2,282 2,539 2,722 2,672

1915
528
112

0143
40
173
30
(l)
1,524
4,417
43
806
251
68
78
17
12
76
151
65
2,860

1916
546
109
0
160
24
189
42
(l)
1,496
4,677
55
701
304
71

si

16
12
99
189
89
3,000

1917
564
211

«

205
43
224
161
1,500
1,937
5,547
215
740
369
0
94
16
12
90
244
149
3,451

1918
582
295
450
249
161
316
21
2,000
3,801
6,645
500

0456
0180
0

15
150
302
177
4,000

1919
628
772
750
378
657
360
41
2,500
9,000
8,024
500
1,800
625
100
144

0 20
211
339
224
5,607

1 Figures not available.

In comparing the combined trade-union membership of the coun­
tries included in the preceding table, it is necessary for reasons
mentioned to omit the years 1915, 1916, 1917, and 1918. For the
remaining years what appear to be reliable estimates have been
obtained for all of the countries included in the table, with the ex­
ception of Roumania. The total trade-union membership in these
20 countries in the years specified has been the following:
T R A D E -U N IO N M E M B E R S H IP IN 20 C O U N T R IE S IN S P E C IF IE D Y E A R S.
M embership in 20
countries.

E n d of year.

1910...............................................
1911 ............................................
1912...............................................
1913..............................................
1914...............................................
1919..............................................

10,835,000
12,249,000
13,341,000
14,728,000
13,222,000
32,680,000

From this table it will be seen that the trade-union membership
in the 20 countries at the end of 1919 was three times as large as that
at the end of 1910 and more than twice as large as that at the end of
1913, just before the war. A small part of the increase is due to the
greater completeness of the returns and another small part (prob­
ably about 10 per cent) to the natural growth of population, but
even allowing for these two factors there has been an enormous
growth in trade-unionism among the workers. The growth is com­
mon to all countries.
,
.
During the war unionism received a check, especially m tne bel­
ligerent countries. The decline was especially great in Germany,
Austria, Hungary, Italy, and Czechoslovakia, but in all these coun­
tries trade-union membership began to increase in 1917. The end
of the year 1919 saw a phenomenal increase, especially in the cen-


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[1092]

LABOR ORGANIZATION'S.

189

tral European States. For European countries only the membership
at the end of 1919 may be put at 26,000,000 at least, as compared
with about 8,500,000 at the end of 1910.
. °{
total membership of 32,680,000 showii above, it is interestmg to note that for 5 of the 20 countries included, namely Great
Britain, Germany, the United States, France, and Italy, the total
trade-union membership in 1919 amounted to nearly 27 million
leaving about 51 million for the remaining 15 countries.

Institution of a Disablement Branch in the International Labor Office.

T

aT °unced by the International Labor Office at Geneva
U ep. ^8, 1921) that a branch has been formed in the social
r 1n1slF’ance section for the study of all questions connected with
disabled men and more especially with those who were disabled in
the recent war. It seems that the International Labor Office is
studying the problem of disablement because it is recognized as
permanently and closely bound up with the general conditions of
abor. Many disabled men, and especially ex-service men, must of
necessity earn their living and to this end must recover their positions
m the world of labor. Ihe International Labor Office has already
begun the collection from all countries of data concerning the position
ot disabled men, especially their conditions of employment, and it is
now m position to supply information of this kind in response to
mqumes. Cooperation with Governments and with associations of
disabled men is assured in the endeavor to solve the various problems
winch have arisen or may call for consideration in the future.

Amalgamation of Transport and General Workers’ Unions in Great
Britain.

PLAN initiated m 1920 for the amalgamation of the separate
trade-unions m the road and waterside industries in Great
Britain was submitted to referendum vote late in the year, and
according to the Manchester Guardian (London), for March 5 “ the
returns at hand indicate that the big scheme * * * will })Q
carried through successfully.” The new union will be known as the
transport and general workers’ union and will include the complete
organization of dock, waterside, clerical, waterways, road, and aerial
transport workers, and such general workers as are now members of
the amalgamating unions and such others as from to time may be
accepted. It will consider the regulation of salaries, wages, hours of
\\ ork, general conditions of employment; provision of strike, lockout,
and victimization pay; legal protection and other benefits; promoi and support of parliamentary action through the labor party
and labor representation m Parliament, on local authorities 'etc
educational work, research, publicity, etc. The following separate


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ri093]

170

M O N T H L Y LABOE EE V IE W .

trades-unions, with membership said to be about half a million, as
indicated in September, 1920/ are included in the scheme:
_
,
...
Nam e of organization.

M embership in
Septem ber, 1920.

National Union of Dock, Riverside, and General Workers in Great Britain
and Ireland..................................................................................................... 53; 000
Dock, Wharf, Riverside, and General Workers’ Union of Great Britain and
Ireland............................................................................................................ 119,819
Scottish Union of Dock Laborers......................................................................
9, 000
Amalgamated Society of Watermen, Lightermen, and Bargemen...................
6, 653
6,000
Amalgamated Stevedores’ Labor Protection League.. . . . ...............................

Shipping Clerical Staffs’ Guild.......... ..............................................................
(2)
National Union of Docks, Wharves, and Shipping Staffs................................. (2)
National Union of Ships’ Clerks, Grain Weighers, and Coal Meters................
(2)
The Labor Protection League............................................................................
2,500
United Vehicle Workers’ Union........................................................................ 100,000
National Union of Vehicle Workers.................................................................. 30, 000
North of Scotland Horse and Motormen’s Association.....................................
2, 000
Associated Horsemen’s Union..............- - - ........................................................ (2)
National Amalgamated Coal Workers’ Union................................................. 10, 000

It is provided that the British Isles shall be divided into 11 areas,
with central office in London, each area having its district office with
suboffices within its jurisdiction.
1 Published in th e B ritish Trades-U nion Review , London, F eb ru ary, 1921, p. 11.
2 N ot reported.


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[10941

STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS.

Strikes and Lockouts in Netherlands.

RECORD of strikes and lockouts in Netherlands during the
past 10 years has been issued by the Government Bureau of
Statistics, and forwarded to this bureau through the Depart­
ment of State by the consul general at Rotterdam. It is stated
that during 1920 the 8-hour law went into effect, as a result of which
no more than 45 hours’ work a week is allowed in any trade, with
the exception of certain engineering trades in which the operation
of the law is postponed for three 3rears. This new act affected
the strike record materially.

A

S T R IK E S A N D LO CK O U TS IN N E T H E R L A N D S IN S P E C IF IE D Y EA R S, 1901 TO 1920.
Strikes.

Lockouts.

Year.
Num ber.
1901-1905.....................
1906-1910.................
1911-1915.................
1916..........................
1917..........................
1918............................
1919............................
1920..............................

Workers
involved.

121
137
276
300
324
305
622
497

11,882
7,841
18,212
17,146
25,879
38,977
55, 857
49,208

N um ber.

18
21
20
20
27
18

W orkers
involved.

2,325
'981
5,438
3,861
5,810
11,385

Of the 419 strikes in 1920 for which the cause was reported, 330
were begun for higher wages. The largest number (95) occurred in
the building trades. Nearly 15 per cent of the strikes ended in favor
of the workers; 44.42 per cent were arranged amicably, and 31.12
per cent ended to the disadvantage of the workers.
In 1920 the greatest number of lockouts (5) was in the building
trades. The employers won 31.25 per cent of all lockouts, while 17
per cent went against them. The balance were partially favorable
or had not been settled at the end of the year. In half of the cases
the workmen were locked out in order to maintain former wages.
44130°—21----- 12


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171

[1095]

WHAT STATE LABOR BUREAUS ARE DOING.
Florida.

Florida inspector of labor states in his sixth and seventh
annual reports, January 1, 1919, to December 31, 1920, that
there are much higher standards of cleanliness in cigar factories than
formerly. The matter of the prevention of spitting on floors has
received special attention. Employers are showing a readiness to
cooperate when the question is taken up with them. A workman is
reprimanded at once when he is found expectorating on the floor and
if he is found doing so a second time he is dismissed. The inspector
feels that the enforcement of this regulation, especially in establish­
ments employing many people in somewhat crowded quarters, has
considerably decreased tuberculosis and other communicable diseases.
The workmen themselves are manifesting a tendency to take part in
the movement for cleaner floors^ toilets, and wash rooms. The
managers have increased the cleaning-up force and are having the
floors and cuspidors cleaned every day.
The State board of health has been carrying on an educational
campaign for better ventilation in cigar factories. During the last
year joint inspections have been made with the board’s sanitary
officers at Tampa, and managers and employers are acknowledging
great improvement.
The need for a bureau or department of labor statistics for Florida
is set forth by the labor inspector, who reports that the State has no
information as to wage earners, although manufacturing is rapidly
increasing.
The State-wide compulsory education law, which was passed at
the last session of the legislature, is proving to be “ the best com: n measure that could have been enacted to aid the child labor

Massachusetts.

TpHE recent reports of the Massachusetts Industrial Accident Board
show an increase in the number of cases of incapacity resulting
from infected injuries, according to data received from the State
department of labor and industries. Of the total tabulatable
injuries for 1919, 7.7 per cent were cases of infection due to injuries.
In 1920 there was one such case in every 12 tabulatable injuries.
The department of labor and industries is at present making a
special inquiry into these cases. In this connection the kind of firstaid treatment now given will be looked into and it will be ascertained
whether or not the law requires medical chests and first-aid treatment
in the establishments where the accidents are occurring.
A revision of first-aid outfit requirements is under way, and a new
list giving specifications will soon be published.
172


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[1096]

WHAT STATE LABOR BUREAUS ARE DOING.

173

The department of labor and industries council for the preven­
tion of accidents to street and steam railway employees is working
in two sections, considering how uniformity may be brought about
in the present safety work of different railway companies; arrange­
ments for a safety campaign week in the State; methods by which the
council can aid the department in the education of employees in
safety work; and the matter of drawing up suggestions embodying
safety principles for employees on hazardous railroad work.
Three recommendations made by the department have been
enacted into laws providing, respectively, for (1) extension of the
requirements for first-aid equipment to mechanical establishments;
(2) construction of hoods on grinding wheels; and (3) extension of
the law regarding weekly payments of wages to include employees
of transportation cbmpanies.
During February, 1921, the board of conciliation and arbitration
held 33 conciliation conferences and 2 conferences regarding arbi­
tration.
Data on the value represented by applications for building permits
in different cities in the Commonwealth are being collected by the
department.
North Carolina.

Q N March 5, 1921, an act (Public Laws, session 1921) was ratified
to establish and maintain a free employment service in the
State of North Carolina/ ’ for which service $10,000 was appropriated.
To carry out the plan a free employment bureau has been created in
the department of labor and printing, which is to be in charge of the
commissioner of that department, who will appoint an assistant to
supervise the work of the bureau and its branch offices. The salary
of such assistant is to be fixed by the commissioner, the governor, and
the Director General of the United States Employment Service.
Other assistants and employees will be appointed as required.
It is especially stipulated in the law that the employment bureau
shall cooperate with the division for rehabilitation of crippled soldiers
and sailors of the Federal Board for Vocational Education.
Among other activities, the bureau is expected—
To aid in inducing minors over 16, who can not or do not, for various reasons, attend
day school, to undertake promising skilled employment; to aid in influencing minors
who do not come within the purview of compulsory education laws and who do not
attend day school to avail themselves of continuation or special courses in existing
night schools, vocational schools, part-time schools, trade schools, business schools,
library schools, university extension courses, etc.; * * * to aid in securing voca­
tional employment on farms for town and city boys who are interested in agricultural
work;_ * * * to cooperate with various social agencies, schools, etc., in group
organization of employed minors, particularly those of foreign parentage, in order to
promote the development of real, practical Americanism through a broader knowledge
of the duties of citizenship; to investigate methods of vocational rehabilitation of
boys and girls who are maimed or crippled, and devise wmys and means for minimizing
such handicap.

The bureau is also authorized “ to investigate economic develop­
ments and the extent and cause of unemployment and remedies
therefor within and without the State/'


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[1097]

MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

174

Philippine Islands.1

rT ,IIE collection of wage claims in the Philippine Islands is accomplished by the bureau of labor under authorization of section 2059
of law No. 2711, which gives the bureau power—
To secure the settlement of the differences between employer and laborer and
master and servant and to avert strikes and lockouts, acting as arbitrator between
the parties interested, summoning them to appear before it, and advising and bringing
about, after hearing their respective allegations and evidence, such arrangement as
these may, in his judgment, show to be just and fair.

In a wage-claim case the bureau of labor hears the complainant,
and if, in the judgment of the director, there is adequate cause for
complaint, such complaint is made in writing and sent to the defend­
ant with the request that he inform the office of the facts as he knows
them and of his decision thereon. If the defendant does not pay
proper attention to the matter, he may be subpoenaed in accordance
with law.
The allegations and testimony of the complainant having been pre­
sented, the bureau’s attorney issues a report as to the merits of the
complaint. If it is found to be just, in accordance with Philippine
law the director requests the employer to pay the wages claimed by
the laborer. If the employer ignores the matter, the case is referred
to the attorney in order that he may bring civil action if, in his judg­
ment, the merits of the case warrant such action.
The principal cause leading up to these controversies over the col­
lection of wage claims is that employees quit their jobs without giving
sufficient advance notice of their intention to leave and fail to provide
substitute workers. There is no legal provision, however, stipulating
that an advance notice shall be given or that a substitute shall be
provided, although clerks or sellers in commercial houses are obliged
by law to give notice one month before leaving service.
The following table reproduces some of the statistical data from the
records of the Philippine Islands Bureau of Labor with reference to
the collection of wage claims:
N U M B ER OF W A G E CLAIMS A N D AM OUNTS C O LLE C TED F O R T H E Y E A R S E N D IN G
DEC. 31, 1919 A N D 1920.
1919

Item .
T otal num ber of claim s...............................................
Claims settled:
Favorable to w orker.............................................
Unfavorable to w orker.........................................
Per cent favorable to w orker..............................
A m ount collected (in pesos)3......................................
Average am ount collected (in pesos)3.......................

1920

i 412

2 538

198
139
59
8,610. 22
43.49

307
145
68
36,679. 03
119.48

1 Seventy-five claims, involving th e sum of n , 357.26 ($1,678.63, par), were pending a t th e close of 1919,
b u t were subsequently settled a n d included in th e rep o rt for 1920.
2 Up to Dece. 31, 1920, 86 claim s were still pending for settlem en t.
51 peso a t p a r = ’50 cents.

It will be noted that there is not only a considerable increase in the
percentage of claims settled in favor of employees in 1920 compared
with 1919, but that the average amount collected in each of these
cases in 1919 was nearly tripled in 1920.
1 Based on inform ation contained in a letter of Feb. 19 from the assistant director of the bureau of
labor, which was received too late to be embodied in the article on Collection of wage claims by S tate labor
offices published in th e March, 1921, R eview (pp. 72-81).


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[1098]

WHAT STATE LABOR BUREAUS ARE DOIHG.

175'

Texas.

"THE commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of Texas reports
under date of March 29, 1921, that since taking charge of that
office on February 1 of this year he has kept three deputies on field
inspection work, with special reference to woman and child wage
earners, and that the woman’s division of the bureau is making prep­
arations to carry out an important program relating to women and
children in industry.
It is also announced that employment work will be taken up by
the bureau on April 1 and that the needs of farmers for cotton chop­
pers and harvest hands will be given first consideration. This work
will be in charge of a former employee of the United States Employ­
ment Service.


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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

[1099J

CURRENT NOTES OF INTEREST TO LABOR.
Order Admitting Chinese Industrial Students Cancelled by Department of Labor.

T T IE ruling of the United States Department of Labor under date
of July 6, 1920, permitting Chinese industrial students to enter
the United States under certain specified conditions was cancelled by
the Assistant Secretary of Labor on April 26, 1921. The provisions
of the ruling and the facts leading up to it were considered in an
article on “ Attitude of the Department of Labor toward admission of
Chinese industrial students’' published on pages 191 to 197 of the
December, 1920, issue of the M o n t h l y L a b o r R e v i e w . •
Personnel Research Federation.

HTHE organization of the Personnel Research Federation in Washington, D. C., on March 15, 1921, constitutes the first coopera­
tive effort to bring about an exchange of research information regard­
ing the personal element in industry. The federation, which was
formed under the auspices of the National Research Council and the
Engineering Foundation, includes in its membership scientific, engi­
neering, labor, management, and educational bodies. The temporary
officers are:
Chairman: Robert M. Yerkes, representing National Research Council.
Vice chairman: Samuel Gompers, representing American Federation of
Labor.
Treasurer: Robert W. Bruere, representing Bureau of Industrial Research.
Secretary: Alfred D. Flinn, representing Engineering Foundation.
Acting director: Beardsley Ruml, assistant to the president of Carnegie Cor­
poration of New York.

The aim of the newly formed organization is the promotion of
increased efficiency of all the personnel elements of industry from
employers and management to unskilled labor, through a study of
improved safety, health, comfort, and relationships.
To this end the immediate work of the federation will be to ascer­
tain what organizations are studying the various problems of per­
sonnel and to what extent, and to determine the advisability of
harmonizing these independent efforts with a view to reducing
duplication, considering neglected phases of the question, and
advancing work already begun. The importance of cooperation
of this sort was emphasized by a report prepared in the United
States Bureau of Labor Statistics showing that 250 organizations
are now doing personnel research work.
The federation, beginning its work on a limited scale, will extend
its efforts as its membership and finances increase. That it in­
tends to be a clearing house for existing research agencies rather
176

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CURRENT NOTES OF INTEREST TO LABOR.

177

than an additional agency of this kind is evident from the state­
ment of its ultimate functions and scope of work, which follows:
Functions and Scope of the Federation.
1. Collection and dissemination of information through:
(a) Registration of researches contemplated, in progress, or completed.
(0) Collection of research information.
(c) Cataloguing and analyzing the research information.
(d) Collecting and analyzing of methods of instruction and training for per­
sonnel work.
(e) Publication.
(/) Publicity.
(fj) Consultation and advice, when requested.
2. Stimulation and initiation of research through individuals, organizations, and
governmental agencies, by:
(a) Publicity and correspondence.
(h) Personal contact with research agencies.
(c) Advice and encouragement in the formation of necessary new agencies.
(d) Aiding governmental agencies to secure appropriations necessary for them
adequately to carry on personnel and employment work.
(e) Calling special conferences.
(/) Definition of problems needing investigation.

Conference on Coordination of Social Work.

A CONFERENCE of National Social Agencies on the Coordination
^ of National Social Work was held in Washington, D. C., on April
14, 1921, which was attended by approximately 150 persons repre­
senting various national bodies engaged in the promotion of social
welfare, including a number of Federal departments.
In accordance with recommendations made by the executive com­
mittee of the National Information Bureau, the delegates ranged
themselves into the following functional groups for the consideration
of plans looking to greater efficiency, economy, and better coordi­
nation of national social work: Health; general child welfare;
family welfare; delinquency and correction; community organiza­
tion; rural social life; racial advance; problems relating to the
immigrant; industrial and economic problems.
After the chairmen of the functional groups had reported back to
the conference a general committee was organized consisting of
Mr. Raymond B. Fosdick, chairman, Mr. Gustavus D. Pope, presi­
dent of the National Information Bureau, Miss Josephine Schain,
of the Federation of Settlements, and representatives of the func­
tional groups. This committee was authorized to “ institute an
intensive study of the work of national agencies in selected local
communities to determine what opportunities for joint action exist
in those communities, among themselves and with local organiza­
tions. ” It was agreed that this investigation should be made by
the National Information Bureau.
1


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Vocational Education Projects in Massachusetts.
'T’HE Industrial Arts Magazine (Milwaukee) for March, 1921, reports
that the vocational division of the Massachusetts Department of
Education has instituted a training course for foremen. Representa­
tives from a number of different industries are now being trained for
conference leaders. Later on these men and women will return to their
respective plants to take charge of conferences and classes for fore­
men. There are 16 men and women, representing eight industrial
concerns, following the course in Boston. Employment managers,
industrial relations managers, personnel managers, production man­
agers, training instructors, and superintendents are included in this
group. Springfield has already taken up this line of training, and it
is planned to establish similar classes in Pittsfield, Worcester, and
other important industrial cities of the State.
The same issue of the Industrial Arts Magazine also reports that
the North Adams, Mass., schools have agreed upon a vocational guid­
ance program which includes—Vocational books for reference and reading; vocational talks to be given by outside
speakers once each month; a study of vocations in connection with subfreshman work
in civics; a study of three different vocations in each of the upper grades; debates
in upper grades and high school as to vocations, industries, etc.; prepared vocational
talks by students in assembly; vocational talks by seventh and eighth grade pupils
as part of special programs; vocational talks by the teachers to pupils of the third,
fourth, and fifth grades; motion-picture films of vocations and industries; prize
essays on vocation in junior and senior classes as part of the English work; high-school
teachers explain the vocational bearings of their high-school courses to upper grade
pupils and to high-school students; a vocational bulletin board in each school build­
ing; vocational counseling by high-school advisers; a vocational conference between
students of the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades and the teachers; assigned vocations
to be reported in writing by high-school graduate; factory, office, and shop visits by
pupils under the teacher’s direction; one big parent-teacher vocational meeting each
year; public library references with regard to vocations; a vocational guidance com­
mittee from the teachers to suggest additional activities and to promote the existing
program.

Instruction in Agriculture in the Schools of the Philippine Islands.1

nPHERE were 16,000 boys and 7,000 girls in the 250 Philippine
agricultural schools in 1920, who cultivated approximately 4,000
acres. The Bureau of Education maintains more than 5,000 school
gardens, 160,000 home gardens, and 23,462 boys’ and girls’ agricul­
tural projects. Last year 12,000 hogs and 310,000 chickens were
raised and disposed of by the schoolboys, exclusive of their home
projects, which at present include 6,500 hogs and 165,000 chickens.
The growing of bananas, pineapples, mangoes, chicos, and other
tropical fruits is given much attention as home project work for the
agricultural school pupils. As a result of these home-project activi­
ties some 500,000 trees have been planted in about 7,000 acres of
small orchards.
i Source: A rticle on “ Filipino pupils learn to farm b y farm in g " in “ The T rans-P acific" (New Y ork
an d Tokyo) for M arch, 1921, pp. 70-72.


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Labor Recommendations of Governor General of Philippine Islands.

TITsage
EGovernor
General of the Philippine Islands, in his annual mes­
to the legislature of the islands last October, urged that body

to consider immediately “ the enactment of an eight-hour law for
laborers, an absolute prohibition of child labor, the passage of a mini­
mum-wage law, and the establishment of an insurance fund to afford
protection against old age, illness, and accidents to the laboring
classes.
I he message also urged “ unqualified recognition by law
ot the right of collective bargaining by the laboring people and the
creation ox a court of industrial relations similar to that recently es­
tablished m Kansas,” the suggestion being made that the jurisdiction
and powers of the public utility commission be merged with this
proposed court.
°
Emigration from Germany in 1919 and 1920.

JN AN article discussing emigration from Germany the " Arbeitsnachweis 1 states that complete statistics on this subject are not avail­
able, as only emigrants to oversea countries are being enumerated,
while no count is being kept of those going to European continental
countries. •During the period since the termination of the war and up
to October, 1920, a total of 9,154 Germans emigrated to oversea
countries.
During 1919 the number was only 3,144, while in the 10 months
ending October, 1920, it was 6,010. The German Emigration Office
(Heychswande rungs am t) estimates the total number of Germans who
emigrated during 1920 at 12,000. Inclination to emigrate is on the
increase m Germany. The number of inquiries received at the emi­
gration office from prospective emigrants was 33,465 in 1919. During
the eight months, April to November, 1920, the number of such
inquiries was 60,500.
Owing to the prevailing high rate of unemployment in Germany the
activities of Jewish charitable organizations in establishing numerous
employment offices throughout the country and in placing a con­
siderable number of eastern Jews in positions in the mining districts in
western Germany are not viewed with favor, as every placement of
an eastern Jew means a diminution of the very few vacant situations
open to German citizens. The Prussian minister of the interior on
November 17, 1920, therefore, issued a decree prohibiting any further
immigration of Jews from the east into Germany. The decree pro­
vides that such Jews, in so far as they are already in Germany, may be
emPl°ymenb if they are specially suited for certain kinds of
skilled woik, and suitable native workers are not available. Jews
that come to Germany in transit for other countries are to be assigned
to concentration camps and be kept there until transportation is pro­
vided for them by American relations or by Jewish charitable organi­
zations. The decree is not intended as a measure discriminating
against Jews, but merely as a protective measure.
1 D er A rbeitsnachw eis in D eutschland, B erlin, Feb. 5,1921.


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LABOR R EV IE W .

Industrial Training of ex-Service Men in Great Britain.

A CCORDING to a statement in the March issue of the British Labor Gazette (p. 121), there were on February 22,1921, a total of
25,144 ex-service men being industrially trained in Government in­
structional factories, other instructional training centers, and in em­
ployers’ workshops, this number being a decrease of 37 from the
number in training on January 25. Of the total number of men m
training 4,507, or 17.9 per cent, were credited to the building trades.
These data are set forth in the following table:
N U M B E R O F B R IT IS H E X -SE R V IC E M EN IN T R A IN IN G IN ¡G O V E R N M E N T AND O T H E R
IN ST R U C T IO N A L IN S T IT U T IO N S IN JA N U A R Y AND F E B R L A R Y , 1921.
Jan. 25,
1921.

In stitu tio n .

Feb. 22,
1921.

9.945
6,006
9,230

10,372
5,992
, 7S0

25,1S1

25,144

8

D IS T R IB U T IO N O F N U M B E R O F E X -SE R V IC E M EN IN T R A IN IN G IN JA N U A R Y , 1921, B Y
T R AD E.

Trade.

D istributive trades (including hairdressing).......................................................................


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Num ber
in
training,
Jan . 25,
1921.
4,507
2,767
1.980
1,972
1,527
1,438
1,424
1,319
1,109
781
763
417
5,177
25,181

[1104]

PUBLICATIONS RELATING TO LABOR.
Official—United States.
Ca lifo r n ia (L os A n g e l e s ). —Department

of Health. Annual report for year ended
June 30, 1920. Los Angeles [1920]. 81pp.
Contains the report of the bureau of housing, in which is described the work of the
housing commissioners in improving housing conditions in the city of Los Angeles.
C olorado .—Bureau of Mines. Annual report, 1919. Denver, 1920. 67 pp.
Plie tables giving accident data show that 38 fatal accidents occurred in the mining
industry in 1919 as compared with 47 in 1918. Of the 38 fatalities, 28, or 0.1171 per
10,000 days of employment, occurred underground. There were 414 cases of serious
injury—that is, those in which time lost was more than 14 days—and 549 cases of
slight injury. The corresponding figures for 1918 were 628 and 709, respectively.
Other tables classify the accidents in 1918 and 1919 by cause, occupation, and industry.
------------Mine safety standards. Denver, 1920. 20 pp. Bulletin No. 9.
F lo r id a .—State Labor Lnspector. Sixth and seventh annual reports, January 1, 1919,
to December 31, 1920. Jacksonville, 1921. 61 pp.
Sections of this report are noted on pages 172 of this issue of the R e v ie w .
M a ssa c h u sett s .—Department of Labor and Industries. Division of Minimum Wage.
Report on the wages of women employed in the manufacture offood preparations and
minor lines of confectionery in Massachusetts. Boston, November, 1920. 41 vv.
Bulletin No. 23.
T his re p o rt is sum m arized on pages 75 a n d 76 of th is issue of th e R e v ie w .
—— Special Commission to Investigate Maternity Benefits. Report. Boston, 1920.
92 pp. House No. 1835.
In past 3 ears several bills have been before the Massachusetts Legislature,.intended
to secure suitable care for mothers and babies in confinement cases. These usually
provided for nursing and medical care, and sometimes included cash benefits. The
present report gives the methods and conclusions of an investigation into the need for
such provisions. The commission made a first-hand study of all maternal deaths in
Massachusetts for the first half of 1920, and “along with it a field study of the facts in
relation to infant deaths in a group of cities and towns fairly representative of the
various communities of the Commonwealth.” In the cases in which it was possible
to gather sufficient data to justify conclusions, the commission found that approxi­
mately two-fifths of the deaths, both of mothers and of infants, were preventable.
They also found that these unnecessary deaths “are due not to the poverty of the
afflicted families nor to their social status, but rather to their ignorance of hygiene. ”
Consequently the commission concludes that no sufficient relief would result from
the distribution of maternity benefits in cash, no matter what the amounts or methods
of distribution, but that ways must be found of securing proper care for both mothers
and children. Recommendations along this line are submitted.
Min n e so t a (S t . P a u l ).-—Bureau of Civil Service. Seventh annual report, 1920. Public
employment. St. Paul \1921\. 59 pp.
N e b r a s k a .—Department of Labor. Seventeenth biennial report, 1919-1920. Labor and
compensation. Lincoln [1921]. 96 pp.
Most of this pamphlet is devoted to a report on workmen’s compensation and com­
pensation cases heard by the commissioner, a brief summary of which appears on
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M O N T H L Y LABOR REV IEW .

pages 133 and 134 of this issue of the R e v ie w . The report includes details of certain
strikes which occurred in 1919, gives wage scales paid in the building trades of Omaha
in 1920, and includes a table showing by industry in 1918 and 1919 the number of
wage earners, wages per day, hours of labor, and number of children over 14 and under
16 years employed. In 1918 there were 149 children between the ages of 14 and 16
employed; in 1919 there were 312. The total number of wage earners reported by
422 employers in 1918 was 20,465, while in 1919, 562 employers reported 25,652 workers.
N e w Y ork (C ity ).—Department of Health. Bureau of Public Health Education.
First aid to the industrial worker. New York [1921]. 43 pp.
A study designed to show how proper application of first aid would materially reduce
the losses due to industrial accidents.
N orth D a k o ta .-—Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor. Biennial report for the
term ending June 30, 1920. [Bismarck, 1920.] 100 pp.
The average monthly wages paid to farm labor in 1919 was $59.22 for males and
$32.08 for females. The corresponding figures for 1918 were $52.24 and $27.79.
O h io .—Industrial Commission. Department of Investigation and Statistics. Union
scale of wages and hours of labor in Ohio on May 15, 1920. Columbus, October,
1920. 38 pp. Report No. 39.
The wage data included in this report are for 16 Ohio cities in those occupations
in which any considerable number of employees are members of unions. The member­
ship of the unions represented is estimated at 115,000.
O r e g o n .—Board of Inspectors of Child Labor. Ninth biennial report, 1919-1920.
Salem, 1921. 18 pp.
Contains discussion of work of the board, especially in regard to granting permits
for children to begin work, with data as to number granted, etc. Permits are issued
in accordance with the regulations established by the United States Internal Reve­
nue Department. Documentary proof of age is required and definite standards of
physical development have been established, to which the child must measure up
before a permit will be given. The attitude of the board toward the limitations placed
upon their power of granting permits is worth quoting, for its contrast to the laxity
found in some other States.
Neither in the Federal law nor the Oregon child-labor law is there the slightest hint
of discretionary power—any elasticity of action. The requirement must be met by
the applicant; if not, the permit must be refused. We have no choice in the matter,
and the longer we are in the work the less is discretionary power desired. We have
found that when an officer is given discretion in the enforcement of the law he would
be more than human did he not yield at some time during his experience, either to
his prejudices or his sympathies, and a sense of justice can not be so abnormally de­
veloped as to cut true to line in every case. The safety of the children can not be
sacrificed to any need, fancied or real, and when parent, school, or probation officer
advocates setting aside the child-labor law to meet any plan which has been formu­
lated we invariably find that the child’s interests are secondary.
—— Industrial Accident Commission. Fourth report, for the year ending June 30,
1919. Salem, 1921. 39 pp.
This report is noted on pages 134 and 135 of this issue of the R eview .
P e n n sy lv a n ia .—Department

of labor and Industry. Five years of compensation in
Pennsylvania. Harrisburg, 1921. 14 pp. Bulletin, Vol. VIII, series of 1921, No. 1.
This bulletin is noted on page 135 of this issue of the R e v ie w .
----- Insurance Department. Statistical analysis of workmen's compensation insurance
in Pennsylvania from January 1, 1916, to December 31, 1919. {Harrisburg, 1921.]
48 pp.
Compiled jointly with the statistical department of the Pennsylvania compensation
rating and inspection bureau. A brief review of this report appears on pages 135 to
138 of this issue of the R e v ie w .


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PU B LIC A TIO N S R ELA TIN G TO LABOR.

183

P hilippine I slands.—Governor General. Eighth annual message to the fifth legis­

lature. Manilar 1920. 16 pp.
The labor recommendations in this message appear on page 179 of this issue of the
R eview .
T exas.—Industrial Accident Board. Report for the fiscal year September 1, 1919, to

August SI, 1920. Austin, 1921. 7 pp.
A summary of this report is given on page 139 of this issue of the R eview .
Washington.-—Industrial Insurance Department. Ninth annual report for the 12
months ending September SO, 1920. The Industrial Insurance Act. Olympia, 1920.
75 pp.
A digest of this report is given on pages 139 and 140 of this issue of the R eview .
U nited States .—Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Housing by
employers in the United States. Washington, 1920. 283 pp. Miscellaneous series.
Bulletin No. 263.
---------------- Proceedings of the seventh annual convention of the Association of Govern­
mental Labor'Officials of the United States and Canada held at Seattle, Wash., July
12-15,1920. Washington, 1921. 168 pp. Miscellaneous series. Bulletin No. 266.
The resolutions adopted and the names of the officers elected at this convention
are published in the Monthly Labor R eview for September, 1920, pages 201, 202.
----------------- Retail prices, 1913, to December, 1919. Washington, 1921. 498 pp.
Charts. Retail prices and cost of living series. Bulletin No. 270.
■---- -------------- Standardization of industrial accident statistics. Reports of the com­
mittee on statistics and compensation insurance cost of the International Association
of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions, 1915-1919. Washington, 1920.
103 pp. Industrial accidents and hygiene series. Bulletin No. 276.
----------- - -—•—- Workmen’s compensation legislation of the United States and Canada.
Washington, 1921. 1,211 pp. Workmen’s insurance and compensation series.
Bulletin No. 272.
------------Women’s Bureau. Women street car conductors and ticket agents. Wash­
ington, 1921. 90 pp. Bulletin No. 11.
A summary of this bulletin is given on page 121 of this issue of the R eview .
-----Department of the Interior. Bureau of Mines. Quarry accidents in the United
States during the calendar year 1919. Washington, 1921. 66 -pp. Technical
paper 275.
A brief summary of this report appears on pages 127 and 128 of this issue of the
R eview .

--------— -—— Ventilation in metal mines. A preliminary report. Washington, 1921.
44 pp- Technical paper 251.
This paper deals with the second of a series of related investigations in metal mines
regarding primarily the health of miners.
---------— Geological Survey. Coal in 1918. Part B. Distribution and consumption.
Washington, 1920. Mineral resources of the UnitedStates, 1918—Part I I {pp. 18151392).
----- War Industries Board. Report. American industry in the war. Washington,
1921. 421 pp.
One chapter each is devoted to Price-fixing and Labor problems.

Official— Foreign Countries.
A msterdam .—Gemeente-arbeidsbeurs.

Verslag, 1919. [Amsterdam] 1920. 60 pp.
Plates. Verslagen van Bedrijven, diensten en Commission der gemeente Amsterdam
No. 2.
Report of the municipal labor exchange of Amsterdam for 1919. •


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Australia (N ew S outh Wales) .—Bureau of Statistics.

The official yearbook, 1919.
Sydney, 1920. 665 pp.
—— (Queensland) .—Department of Labor. Report of the director of labor and chief
inspector of factories and shops for the year ended 30th June, 1920. Brisbane, 1920.
44 ppThe report of the operations of the labor exchanges shows that during the fiscal y ear
the number of registrations was 45,216, the requests for workers 15,024, and the number
of placements 13,632. For Brisbane 1 fatal and 5o nonfatal factory accidents weie
reported, and for the other districts 145 slight and 51 serious factory accidents. The
total number of employees in factories was 32,714, and in shops 21,821. During the
year, 1,896 females in Brisbane factories worked 37,858 hours of overtime, 1,582 males
in Brisbane shops worked 20,305} hours overtime, and 945 females worked 12,497
hours overtime. There is also a list of the trade-unions registered under the tradeunion act of 1915,” as of June 30, 1920.
Canada.— Department of Labor. Report of a conference on industrial relations held at
Ottawa, February 21 and 22, 1921. Issued as a supplement to the Labor Gazette,
March, 1921. Ottawa, 1921. pp. 485-545. Industrial relations series. Bulletin
No. 2.
This conference was attended by representatives of a number of the larger employing
companies in Canada which have established joint councils with their employees.
The addresses dealt principally with the experiences of the companies having such
councils.
----- (N ew B runswick).—Workmen's Compensation Board. Second annual report,
1920. St. John, 1921. 40 pp.
This report is summarized on page 141 of this issue of the R eview .
------ (Nova Scotia).—Department of Public Works and Mines. Annual report on the
mines, 1920. Halifax, 1921. 103 pp. Illustrated.
Contains a table showing the number of fatal accidents, together with accident
rates, in coal mines from 1908 to 1920. In 1920 there were 26 fatalities, with a rate of
2.30 per 1,000 men employed.
C z e c h o s l o v a k i a .—Assemblée Nationale. Expose sommaire des travaux législatifs dans
sa première période après la révolution {28 octobre 1918-26 mai 1920). [Prague,
1920.] 128 pp.
A summary of the laws passed by the Czechoslovakian assembly from the establish­
ment of the republic in October, 1918, to the last of May, 1920.
D enmark.—ArbejdsanvisningsaireJct0ren. Indberetning til Indenrigsministeriet for
Finansaaret 1919-1920. Copenhagen, 1921. 11 pp.
Report of the director of the Danish employment exchanges for the fiscal year
1919-20. The number of cases of unemployment during 1919-20 was one-fifth less
than in 1918-19. On an average 54.2 per cent of the applicants were given work
within a month; in 1918-19, only 38.8 per cent.
-----Statistiske Departement. Det Statistiske Departement, 1896-1920. Copenhagen,
1920. 200 pp.
A survey of the development of Danish statistics during the past 25 years. Gives
an account of the organization and changes of the different branches of statistics in the
department during 1896-1920. One section is devoted to activities of the department
in connection with rationing during the war period. Includes a list of publications
issued by the department during the last 20 years and a summary in French.
F rance.— Ministère du Travail et de la Prévoyance Sociale. Direction_du travail.
Bulletin de l’inspection du travail et de Vhygiene industrielle. Vingt-sixième année
{1918). Numéros 1 à 6. Paris, 1918. 259 pp.
This volume contains the decrees and circulars issued in 1918 relative to factory
inspection and industrial hygiene—cases which have come before the courts, docu­
ments and information regarding proposed laws and reports of factory inspectors on


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various hazards, new factory methods, and other matters of interest met with in their
work.
¿ T Z f
Ileft X L

L
29

- LaJ ldesJ telle/ f r. Gemeinwirtschaft. Zum KommunaUsünmgsErIai£ e™ie UZ JcTltlsche Bemerkungen von Max Schippe!. DresPP' ' ero-Penthchun9en der sächs- Landestelle für Gemeinuirtschaff

A critical discussion of the two bills on communalization drafted by the German
Socialization Commission and by the Federal Ministry of the Interior. "
G reat B ritain.—Board of Trade. Report on a scheme for maximum retail prices for
^ %n London. Ire,Pcard bV a subcommittee appointed by the standing committees
on the investigation of prices and trusts. London, 1921. 12 pp. Cruel. 1161.
This subcommittee was appointed to examine a scheme put forward by the London
coal committee for maximum retail prices of coal in London, and, after investigating
the various factors which enter into the price of coal to the consumer, formally approved
t le scheme, which provides the following schedule of prices (1 shilling at par ==24 33
cents):
Kind of coal.

t>„.

Best selected house...........................................
Silkstone or seconds house.............. . ..................................................
Derby bright or bright house..................................................................
Best kitchen, best cobbles or best nuts..................................................
Hard cobbles or kitchen nuts.................................. ...............................

LA'
LL'
58S"

'

J i eA rA nie-rdr A 0versfas Trade. General report on the industrial and economic
situation m Germany m December, 1920. London, 1921. 79 pp. Cmd. I l l 4 .
A joint report by the commercial secretary to the British embassy at Berlin and
by the British commercial secretary in the occupied territories on the German Govern­
ment, public finances, trade and industry, foreign trade, the labor situation, social­
ization, etm The section of the report dealing with wages is in part reproduced in
the present issue of the R e v ie w , pages 88 to 91.
Bffhequer and Audit Department. National Insurance (Health) Acts 1911 to
19W. Rational health insurance fund accounts for 1918. London, 1921. 89 pp.
----- Government Actuary National health insurance. Interim report upon the valua­
tion oj the assets and liabilities of approved societies as at 31st December 1918 sho w­
ing the summarized results of the valuations completed up to 2 4 th December 1920
London, 1921. 8 pp. Cmd. 1130.
’
Home Office. Statistics of compensation and of proceedings under the Workmen’s

f m H S n mo

ü fp

c f l f s t LiMUty

A

m

o

'

darins th‘ ymr

th is report is summarized on pages 141 and 142 of this issue of the R eview .

----- ? \ A f r A Decisions. Nos. 492 to 588, 1 st October, 1920, to 31st December,
1920. Vol. I ll, Part II. London, 1921. 202 pp.
industrial Fatigue Research Board. Report No. 11. Preliminary notes on atmos­
pheric conditions m boot and shoe factories. London, 1921. 69 pp. Boot and shoe
seines _/Vo.

~

Ministry of Labor. International labor (seamen’s) conference, 1920. Draft con­
ventions and recommendations. London, 1921. 23 pp.
J
~
Finance Department. National Insurance ( Unemployment) Acts 1911 to
1918. Unemployment fund account, 1918-19. London, 1921. 6 pp. 32.
• 7 Industrial Relations Department. Report on conciliation and arbitration
including particulars of proceedings under the Conciliation Act, 1896, the Coal Mines
(Minimum Wage) Act, 1912, the Wages ( Temporary Regulation) Acts, 1918 and
A A ’fhe Restoration of Pre-War Practices Act, 1919, and the Industrial Courts
Act, 1919. London, 1921. iv, 4 6 2 pp.

----- A Pensions. Third annual report, from 1st April, 1919, to 31st March
1920. London, 1921. 58 pp. 35.


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G rea t B r it a in .—Privy

Council. Medical Research Council. T. N. T. poisoning
and the fate of T. N. T. in the animal body. London, 1921. 88 pp. Special
report series, No. 58.
The Ministry of Munitions appointed a scientific committee, following the fairly
successful measures of control which were developed after the first serious outbreak of
T. N. T. poisoning among munition workers, to gather such information as woukl seem
to have a permanent scientific value in establishing a knowledge of the poisonous
action of trinitrotoluene. The results of many experiments are recorded, and while
there are many questions concerning the poisonous action of T. N. T. left unsolved—
and in fact the object for which this study was undertaken is now not of practical
importance—it is believed, the report states, that the findings are of value in the study
of similar conditions produced by a much wider class of poisons.
------- ( S c o t l a n d ) . —Board of Agriculture. Committee on women in agriculture in Scot­
land. Report. Edinburgh, 1920. 115 pp.
This committee was appointed in 1919 to consider what economic part women could
take in the development of agriculture, its appointment being due to a growing sense
of the importance of so changing the conditions of agricultural life that children grow­
ing up in the country would remain there, instead of going into the towns as soon as
they were old enough to shift for themselves. The committee took evidence con­
cerning the work actually done by women in agriculture throughout Scotland, and
found much diversity in their employment.
The committee feels that the important thing is not to urge city women to take up
farming, but to induce the women born and bred on farms to remain in the work for
which they have special qualifications. To this end, it stresses the need of education
and housing. It is urged that steps should be taken to put the wages of women on
a more satisfactory basis, and to encourage cottage hand industries. Also, opportu­
nities should be provided for social life.
I n d ia .— Department of Statistics. Prices and wages in India. Calcutta, 1920. 244
pp. No. 1263.
Entirely statistical. Reports wholesale prices of 50 articles from 111 separate marts.
Retail prices are reported for the years 1873 and 1895 to 1919, by article and by province
or district. Wages are reported by occupations, in some cases going back to 1873 and
in many cases including each year from 1895 to 1919.
I n tern a tio n a l L abor O e p ic e .— The eight-hour day in agriculture before the French
Chamber of Deputies. Geneva, February 10, 1921. 40 pp. Studies and Reports,
Series K, No. 5.
Contains a bill for the regulation of hours of labor in agriculture, presented to the
French Chamber of Deputies by the Socialist group, and the report on the same by
one of the deputies proposing the rejection of the bill. The bill provides for a work­
day of 8 hours or 48 hours a week, or, calculated on an annual basis, not to exceed
2,496 hours a year, always provided that the working day shall never exceed 10 effec­
tive hours whatever the season. The rejection of the bill is asked on the claim that
it is not justified on humanitarian but only on economic grounds and that put in this
way the question does not appear urgent. The bill would not, it is believed, be a
specific remedy for the rural exodus, but “would involve a diminution of production,
a correlated diminution in wages and in consequence an aggravation of the crisis
which always weighs more or less heavily on the agricultural economy.”
----- First special international trade-union congress. Geneva, March 15, 1921. 30 pp.
Studies and Reports, Series A, No. 18.
■The congress considered the following subjects: (1) The international situation,
and the relation of the international trade-union movement thereto; (2) the distribu­
tion of raw materials for industrial purposes; (3) the question of the rate of exchange;
(4) socialization of the means of production; and (5) report of the Commission on
Conditions in the Ruhr Basin.


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I n t e r n a t io n a l L abor O f f ic e .—Institution

of a disablement branch at the Interna­
tional Labor Office. Geneva, February 28, 1921. 3 pp.
A brief notice of this is given on page 169 of this issue of the R e v ie w .
----- International Labor Conference. Draft conventions and recommendations adopted
by the conference during its second meeting, 15 June-10 July, 1920. London, His
Majesty's Stationery Office, 1921. 18 pp. Cmd. 1174.
An account of this conference appeared in the M onthly L abor R e v ie w for October,
1920, pages 209 to 211.
----- International Labor Conference, third session. Geneva, October, 1921. Item I I I (b)
of the agenda. Prohibition of the use of white lead in painting. Geneva, 1921.
33 pp. Questionnaire I I I (b).
—— The organization of unemployment insurance and employment exchanges in France.
Geneva, February 21, 1921. 22 pp. Studies and Reports, Series C, No. 5.
This pamphlet gives an account of unemployment insurance as it has developed
in France during and subsequent to the war. The details of the system are given
in the report but the results are lacking, due to the fact that the Government has not
as yet published a report of the actual working of the funds. The report on the
organization of employment exchanges covers the same period—1914 to 1920—and
includes departmental exchanges, vocational specialization in employment exchanges,
interregional exchange operations, and recruiting of foreign labor. The history of
labor exchanges in France was reviewed in the M onthly L abor R e v ie w , October,
1919, pages 192-206.
N e t h e r l a n d s .—Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek. Jaardjfers voor het koninkrijk
der Nederlanden. Rijk in Europa 1919. ’s-Gravenhage, 1921■ 356 pp.
The annual statistical yearbook of the kingdom of the Netherlands for 1919 includes
statistics of occupations, labor inspection, unemployment, employment offices, wages
and hours of labor, strikes and lockouts, collective agreements, labor organizations,
and social insurance.
----------- Werkstakingen en uitsluitingen in Nederland gedurende 1918-1919.
(Grèves
et lock-outs dans les Pays-Bas pendant 1918-1919.) s’Gravenhage, 1919-1921. 49,
60 pp. Bijdragen n. volgreeks. 283, 311.
Statistics on strikes and lockouts in the Netherlands during 1918 and 1919.
—— Departement van Arbeid. Centraal verslag der arbeidsinspectie, 1919. [s’-Gravenhage] 1920. xxxvi, 441, xxiii pp.
Report of the factory inspection service for the year 1919.
N o r w a y .— Riksforsikringsanstalten. Industristatistikk for âret 1918. (Omfattende
Opgaver over Ulykkesforsikringspliktige Bedrifter og Arbeidere.) Christiana, 1921.
61 pp. Norges Offisielle Statistikk. V II 5.
Report of the State Insurance Office regarding establishments and workers subject
to the workmen’s accident insurance law.
S w e d e n .—Riksforsakringsanslalten. [Beràttelse] âr 1919. Stockholm, 1921. 39 pp.
Sveriges Officiella Statistik.
Report of the State Insurance Institute for 1919, showing that about 907,000 workers
were insured during that year.
----- Socialstyrelsen. Yrkesinspektionens verksamhet âr 1919. Stockholm, 1920.
125 pp.
Report of factory inspection in Sweden for the year 1919.

Unofficial.
and o t h e r s . Labor and industry.
A series of lectures. London,
Longmans, Green & Co., 1920. 294 pp.
The subjects covered in these lectures include: Works committees and industrial
councils, unemployment, industrial unrest, the human element in industry, accident
44130°—21-----13
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prevention and “ safety first,” the international regulation of labor under the Peace
Treaty, finance and industry, and organized labor in relation to industrial develop­
ment.
A ll e n , F r ed er ic k J. A guide to the study of occupations. A selected critical bibli­
ography of the common occupations with specific referencesfor their study. Cambridge,
Harvard University Press, 1921. 18S pp.
In this volume the author aims “ to present the latest and most authoritative
material now available for educational and vocational guidance.”
A m erican A ssociation fo r L abor L eg isla tio n . The American labor legislation
review. New York, March, 1921. 119 pp.
The two main subjects of this volume are unemployment and health legislation for
wage-earners’ families. Under the former are included the following contributions:
The job and Utopia; Federal employment service needed; Views of an American
worker; Continuity of production in the clothing industry; Steady work; The first
step in sound industrial relations; An American employer’s experience with unem­
ployment insurance; Preventing periods of unemployment by expanding public
works; Canada’s program for meeting unemployment; Plan in use by an American
ndustry for combating unemployment; and American legislation on unemployment
icompensation. Under the second subject the topics discussed are: Health and
maternity legislation; A national program for maternity aid; Progress toward mater­
nity benefits in Massachusetts; Need for protecting maternity and infancy; State
legislation for maternity; How night work is menacing maternity; Fact, and opinion
as to the British national health insurance act; A personal view of health insurance in
England; and Representative opinion of health insurance in Great Britain.
A m erican R ed Cr o s s . Southern Division. Bureau of Education and Research.
Social laws and agencies of North Carolina. A handbook of information. \Atlanta]
1920. [288 pp.]'
The first of a series of peace-time handbooks of information covering the social
resources of the various States to be issued by the Red Cross. One chapter consists of
the labor laws and regulations. Others have to do with Americanization and child
welfare.
B em a n , L amar T. Selected articles on the dosed shop. New York, H. W. Wilson Co.,
1921. xlvii, 197 pp. The Handbook Series.
This volume consists of debaters’ briefs on both sides of the closed shop question
and a series of articles representing the most authoritative opinions both for and
against the closed shop. A bibliography of affirmative and negative references is
included.
B o w ley , A rth u r L. Elements of statistics. London, P. S. King & Son, Ltd., 1920.
xi, 459 pp.
This book is “intended to form a general introduction to the theory and practice of
Btatistics.”
B ru m by , G. Mieterschutz und Hochstmieten. Berlin, 1920. xv, 340 pp.
A compilation of recent German legislation for the protection of renters. The com­
pilation is preceded by a summary of all rent legislation now in force in Germany and
by extensive commentaries on recent legislation.
B u rea u of M u nicipal R esea rch of P h ila d e lph ia . The cost of a workingmen1s
standard of living in Philadelphia at March, 1921, prices. Philadelphia, April 7,
1921. 11 pp. Citizens’ Business No. 463.
This budget of a workingman’s family of five giving March, 1921, prices is the
fourth survey of living costs made by the Bureau of Municipal Research of Philadel­
phia, the first being in the fall of 1918. In the present study the total annual budget
is given as $1,742.68, a decrease of 12.5 per cent as compared with the last survey, that
of August, 1920. The price level is, however, still 6.5 per cent above that of the first


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survey. The classes under the specified standard that show an increase since last
August are housing, fuel and light, and car fare, and those showing a decrease are
food, clothing, and cleaning supplies and services. The cost of food decreased 15.7
per cent as compared with the cost at the time of the first survey. The percentages
of increase over 1918 for the other items of the budget are as follows: Housing, 50; fuel
and light, 38.3; clothing, 9; car fare, 25; and cleaning supplies and services, 15.6.
B u r n e tt -H u r st , A. It. Suggestions for labor legislation in India. Summary of a
paper read at the conference of the Indian Economic Association, Allahabad, Decem­
ber, 1920. Allahabad, The Leader Press, Jan. 5, 1921. 7 pp.
Submits suggestions as to proposed amendments to the factories act.
Ca liforn ia U n iv e r s it y . Division of Vocational Education. Research and service
centerfor part-time schools. Coordination in part-time education. Berkeley, March,
1921. 44 pp- Part-time education series, No. 4- Bulletin No. S.
Ch apm an , J . Cr o sb y . Trade tests. The scientific measurement of trade proficiency.
New York, Henry Holt & Co., 1921. 485 pp.
This is a compilation of trade tests developed by the committee on classification of
personnel, associated with the army trade test division, with the cooperation of a
large number of employees and tradesmen. These tests were devised to make it
possible for a trained examiner, unskilled in any particular trade, to determine the
ability of recruits in different trades, and are offered now to the public as an aid to
more scientific selection, placement, and training of employees.
Chicag o , B u rlington & Q uincy R ailroad Co . Relief Department. Thirty-second
annual report, 1920. Chicago, 1921. 6 pp.
Reports a total membership in 1920 of 29,236, or an increase of 1,530 over 1919, and
benefits paid amounting to a total of $627,148.96, of which amount $337,101.70 were
paid on account of sickness and $290,047.26 on account of accidents. The member­
ship in 1920 was 54.51 per cent of the total number of employees. During the year
6,157 cases of sickness and 5,318 cases of accident were reported, or, counting those of
record at the beginning of the year, a total of 6,792 cases of sickness and 5,943 cases of
accident. There was a total of 252 deaths. The death rate per 1,000 members was 6.5
on account of sickness and 2.7 on account of accident.
Chicago Council of S ocial A g e n c ie s . The Chicago standard budget for dependent
families, by Florence Nesbitt. Chicago, 17 North State Street, September, 1920.
46 pp. Bulletin No. 5 (revised edition).
Clevela nd H ospital C o un cil . Industrial medical service. Women and industry.
Children and industry. Cleveland, 1920. pp. 525-639. Part 7. Cleveland hos­
pital and health survey.
The industrial division of the hospital and health survey divided this part of the
report into three sections: Medical, surgical, and nursing service in industry; employ­
ment of women; and employment of children. As a result of the study of the hospital
and medical services offered by industries to employees numerous recommendations
for the betterment of these services are offered.
C om m issio n e Co n fed éra le in R u s s ia . Russia Sindacole. Rapporto dell'on,
Giuseppe Bianchi al Congresso confederate di Livorno. Milan, 1921. xi, 407 pp.
In 1920 several Italian socialist organizations (Socialist Party, General Federation
of Labor, National League of Cooperative Societies) sent a joint mission to Russia to
study conditions under the soviet régime. The mission could not agree upon a joint
report and merely issued a brief joint statement to the press. The present volume is a
report of a subcommittee of the mission and contains the preliminary report of the
committee on Russian labor unions as submitted by it to the Fifth Congress of the
General Federation of Labor. The report, which is based on personal investigations
and on a multitude of Russian official documents, upholds the Soviet Government,
but at the same time expresses doubts whether its methods would be applicable to
western European countries.


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Trade-unionism and labor problems. Second series.
Boston, Ginn & Co. [1921]. 838 pp.
This compilation of articles on problems connected with labor is divided into five
sections as follows: Part I. Security—covering general industrial conditions, social
insurance, and health programs; Part II. The labor market—discussion of conditions
surrounding floating laborers, the Negro migration, and the disorganization of the
labor market; Part III. Labor management—includes various articles on scientific
management, profit sharing, workshop committees; Part IV. Labor unions—develop­
ment of trade-unionism and discussion of different trade agreements; and Part V. The
law—contains articles covering different legal questions and decisions, minimum
wages, and 8-hour laws.
Co n s u m e r s ’ L ea g u e of E a st er n P en n sy lv a n ia . Colored women as industrial
workers in Philadelphia. Philadelphia, 814 Otis Building [1920]. 49 pp.
This report is summarized on pages 122 to 124 of this issue of the R e v ie w .
E gglesto n , D e W itt Ca rl , and R o b in so n , F r ed er ic k B. Business costs. New
York, D. Appleton <fc Co., 1921. 587 pp. Illustrated.
Part IV consists of a study of labor costs, including systems of wage payment and
pay rolls.
F r a n ç o i s - P o n c e t , A n d r é . Une formule nouvelle: Le contrôle syndical. Paris,
Société d'Études et d’Informations Économiques, 282, Boulevard Saint-Germain,
1921. 18 pp.
This pamphlet discusses the question of labor control of industry in connection with
the demand of the metal workers’ union for establishment of workers’ control in the
factories. The author cites the stand of the leaders of the unions on the question of
nationalization and states that this demand of the metal workers opens an important
chapter in the history of the social movement in France, since it leads, he believes,
to the same experiment in revolutionary control which has been so disastrous in
Russia.
G erm a n (A id ) S ociety of Ch icag o . Sixty-sixth annual report, 1920. Chicago [1921].
12 pp.
The report shows that in 1920 the society disbursed $8,318.19 in cash and otherwise
in granting aid to 651 families and 344 single persons, and supplied 1,265 persons with
work through its employment department. The report states that up to August the
employment department had on an average three vacant situations for each applicant
for work, but that at the end of the year the situation of the labor market had so changed
that there were 20 applicants for work for each vacant situation.
I n du stria l D em ocracy . The John Leitch Co. New York, 1920 . 42 pp.
A collection of indorsements from executives, workers, and the press of the John
Leitch plan of industrial democracy.
I w a sa k i , U ic h i . The working forces in Japanese politics. A brief account of political
conflicts, 1867-1920. New York, 1921. 141 PP- Columbia University Studies in
History, Economics, and. Public Law, Vol. X C V II, No. 1. Whole No. 220.
The chapter on the workers serves to show how the laboring masses of Japan are
breaking the bonds of feudal tradition and are learning their power. Furthermore, it
is stated, the Government is taking an increasing interest in labor matters.
J a n ic k i , S. Industrial reconstruction in Poland. [London] Polish Press Bureau, 1920.
32 pp.
It is stated that the reconstruction of Polish industry depends on currency stability,
improved transport conditions, and a sufficiency of coal. A table shows 124,805 work­
men employed in nine principal industries on January 1, 1920, or 34 per cent of the
prewar force of 365,051. Only mining showed an increase over the prewar figures,
amounting to 30 per cent.
C ommons , J ohn R . ( ed ito r ).


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W 6Jp ™ WICK'

Why PriCeS riSC andf (dl

191

London, Oxford University

The principles of exchange and money standards, the effects of increases of wages
on prices and of prices on wages and profits, taxation, monopoly, public control under
competitive conditions, and public ownership are all discussed briefly, the conclusion
being that unnecessary expenditure by Government and by individuals must be cur­
tailed whether industry is carried on by free competition, under a measure of public
control, or by public ownership.
^opm
an,of the United States. New York,
Part IV deals with the expansion of national industries from 1860 to 1914, including
a c lapter on labor problems. Part V covers the war period, 1914 to 1920.
^ T o ^ T e fp ASHLEIGH- Wages and emPire- London, Longmans, Green & Co.,
This is largely a study of agricultural and natural resources in the British Empire
and the effect which these resources have upon wages.
M<"

r
N; VAN Li-EW' Employee training. A study of education and training
f £ T xxiii ™nVpp0U* COrp0ratlons- New York’ McGraw-Hill Booh Co., Inc.,

is study of the training activities of various large corporations covers programs
emphasizing special training and progress of primarily technical instruction. Under
the latter are included training of apprentices, of technical men, and technical and
general instruction for employee improvement.
^Z rc^T and™
a? d T r l \k Thl psychological factors in industry and com­
merce. London, University of London Press, Ltd., 1920. vi, 204 pp.
I he importance of the psychological factor in determining industrial efficiency is
the subject of this book. The psychological element is considered in its relation to
movement study, fatigue study, selection study, incentives study, and industrial
unrest. The other factors- mechanical, physiological, and social and economic-are
also taken into account.

v~

r

i

° r shop maJdopedia

Housing problems in America. Proceedings,
Bridgeport, Conn., December 9-11, 1920. New York 105 East Twenty-second
Street [1921]. 886 pp.

N a t io n a l

H o u s in g

A s s o c ia t io n .

. J af exemPtlons as offering an inducement to private investors to put their money
into housing, and different schemes for providing credit for housing work on easier
erms are discussed at length. The use of new building materials and the increased
standardization of parts as methods of reducing costs are favorably considered.
Various aspects of the present situation are discussed, but no fundamental remedies
for its evils are put forth.
N a t i o n S a f e t y C o u n c i l . Safe practices. No. 42. Industrial safety organization.
Chicago, 168 North Michigan Avenue, 1921. 16 pp.
”

0 h a r it ik !

and

Cobeections .

mo.

One session of the conference was devoted to discussion of industrial problems.
P u r s e , B e n . A minimum income for all blind workers. London, The National
League for the Blind, 1920. 22 pp.
‘
. A.Plea for a minimum wage of £3 5s. ($15.82, par) per week for blind workers in
institutions for the blind.


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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW.

The consumers’ place in society. Manchester, Cooperative Union,
1920. 107 pp.
This book gives a general survey of the accomplishments of the cooperative move­
ment, the possibilities of its further development, and the author’s views as to the
failure of capitalism.
S u n d t , E i n a r . Imagination, labor, civilization. London, William Heinemann, 1920.
xi, 4-17 pp.
This is a study of the economic forces which go to make up our present-day civiliza­
tion and the manner in which it has evolved. It was the author s idea in the prepaiation of this book to develop clearly defined theories out of which might grow a “ com­
plete system of political economy.”
T r a d e s -U n io n C o n g r e s s .
Unemployment: A labor policy. Being the report of the
joint committee on unemployment appointed by the parliamentary committee of the
'Trades-Union Congress and'The Labor Party executive, together with the resolutions
unanimously adopted by the special trade-union and labor conference in the Kingsway
Hall, London, W. C., on Thursday, January 27, 1921. London, January, 1921.
48 pp.
Considers the responsibility for the unemployment situation in Great Britain,
laying the blame primarily upon the Government; and presents a policy to meet the
emergency, proposing that the unemployed be maintained by substantial increases
in unemployment benefits and that the Government should assist in the provision
of “ socially necessary work.” It is suggested that juvenile labor should be with­
drawn; that regular work hours should be reduced to 44 a week; that housing projects
should be inaugurated by the Government; that railroad and waterway construction
and repair work should be undertaken at once, and that the Government should
encourage the building and equipment of educational institutions. The restoration
of foreign commerce is also urged as a means of improving the employment situation.
A copy of the Labor Farty’s prevention of unemployment bill is included in the
report.
U n i v e r s i t y D e b a t e r s ’ A n n u a l . Constructive and rebuttal speeches delivered in
debates of American colleges and universities during the college year, 1919-20. Edited
by Edith M. Phelps. New York, The H. W. Wilson Co., 1920. 372 pp.
Includes briefs, speeches, and bibliographies on various labor subjects, among them
being Compulsory arbitration of railway labor disputes, Compulsory arbitration of
labor disputes, The closed shop, and Government ownership and operation of coal
mines.
R ed fern , P ercy.


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