Full text of Monthly Labor Review : May 1929, Volume 28, Number 5
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
C E R T IF IC A T E
This publication is issued pursuant to the
provisions o f the sundry civil act (41 Stats.
1430) approved M arch 4, 1921.
A D D IT IO N A L C O P IE S
OF THIS PUBLICATION MAT B E PROCURED FROM
THE SUPERINTEN DEN T OF DOCUMENTS
U .S.G O V ER NM ENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON, D . C.
AT
15 C E N T S P E R C O PY
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U n it e d S t a t e s , C a n a d a , M e x ic o , $1.50; O t h e r C o u n t r ie s , $2.25
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C o n te n ts
Special a rtic le s :.
Page
S p ray -p ain tin g p ractices a n d h a z a rd s_______________________________ 1-30
S ta te reg u latio n s reg ard in g sp ra y p a in tin g __________________________ 30-43
P ro d u c tiv ity of la b o r in n ew spaper p rin tin g ____________ 1___________ 44-58
U nem ploym ent conditions an d r e lie f :
S urvey of u n em p lo y m en t in B altim ore, F e b ru a ry -M a rc h , 1929_____ 59-65
R e p o rt of S en ate co m m ittee on causes a n d relief of u n e m p lo y m e n t.. 65-78
U n em p lo y m en t in E u ro p e in D ecem ber, 1928_______________________
78
Stability of em p lo y m en t:
P rovisions in tra d e ag reem en ts for stabilizing e m p lo y m e n t__________ 79-86
S ta b ility of em p lo y m en t in th e silk in d u s try _________________________ 87 -8 9
S urvey of em p lo y m en t stab ilizatio n in N ew E n g la n d _______________ 89-91
Care of th e aged:
C hurch pension a n d relief plan s for m in iste rs______________________ 92-109
109
R ecen t old-age pension leg islatio n __________________________________
In d u s tria l re latio n s an d lab o r c o n d itio n s:
Age lim its on em p lo y m en t by A m erican m a n u fa c tu re rs___________ 110, 111
G reat B ritain a n d th e eig h t-h o u rs c o n v en tio n ___________________ 111,112
M exico— C reation of B ureau of Social W elfare_________ ;____________
112
Child la b o r:
S ta te law s reg u latin g children in s tre e t tra d e s as of J a n u a ry 1, 1929. 113-119
C hild w orkers in O k lah o m a________________________ _____________ 120, 121
H ealth an d in d u stria l h y g ie n e :
C hrom e poisoning____________________ ___________________________ 122, 123
In d u s tria l a c c id e n ts :
N eed of m ore far-reach in g sta tistic s for accid en t p rev en tio n , by E th e lb e rt S tew art, U n ite d S ta te s C om m issioner of L ab o r S ta tis tic s ____
124
C oal-m ine fata litie s in th e U n ite d S tates, 1927___________________ 124-127
M etal-m ine accid en ts in th e U n ited S tates in 1926_______________ 127-129
S afety specifications in New Y ork building c o n s tru c tio n ..________ 129-132
C an ad a— F a ta l in d u stria l accidents, 1928___________________________
133
W orkm en’s co m pensatio n an d social in su ra n c e :
A dditional com pensation for m inors illegally em ployed in Illin o is .. 134, 135
N o rth C arolina passes w o rk m en ’scom pensation a c t______________ 135, 136
R ecen t w orkm en’s com pensation rep o rts—
C olorado____________________________________________________ 136, 137
M in n eso ta____________________________________________________
137
M issouri____________________________________________________ 137, 138
W yom ing____________________________________________ ____ , ___
138
G reat B ritain — A m en d m en t to E nglish u n em p lo y m en t in su ran ce a c t. 139, 140
H ousing:
B uilding p erm its in th e p rin cip al cities of th e U n ited S ta te s in 1928. 141-159
C o o p eratio n :
M em bership a n d sales of consum ers’ cooperative societies___________
160
D evelopm ent of th e cred it-u n io n m o v em en t in 1928________________
161
hi
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IV
CONTENTS
la b o r co n g resses:
C o n v en tio n of W o rk ers’ E d u c a tio n B ureau, 1929________________ 162-167
167
Q ueensland— P ro g ram of T rad e-U n io n C ongress_______________ .____
In d u s tria l d isp u te s:
Strikes a n d locko u ts in th e U n ited S ta te s in M arch , 1929_________ 168-173
C onciliation w ork of th e D e p a rtm e n t of L ab o r in M arch , 1929___ 173-176
P resid en tial em ergency b o a rd for d isp u te on T exas a n d Pacific R ail
ro a d _____________________________________________________________
l^ y
C an ad a— S trikes a n d lo ck o u ts in 1928___________________________ 177 178
Wages and h o u rs of la b o r:
W ages a n d hours in th e m otor-vehicle in d u stry , 1928_____________ 179-187
E n tra n c e w age ra te s fo r com m on labor, J a n u a ry 1, 1929______ -__ 188-190
AYage increases as estab lish ed b y re c e n t ag reem en ts a n d a w a r d s .- _ 190-193
AA’ages in in d u strie s u n d e r w o rk m en ’s co m pensation in M in n e so ta . 193, 194
Salaries in Chicago m u n icip al service, 1915 to 1929_______________ 194, 195
C an ad a— A g ricu ltu ra l w ages, 1927 a n d 1928________________________
196
E n g lan d — AYagesin ro a d m o to r tr a n s p o rt________________________ 196, 197
T ren d of em ploym ent:
S um m ary for M arch, 1929______ _____ __________________________ 198 199
E m p lo y m en t in selected m a n u fa c tu rin g in d u stries, M arch, 1929. __ 199-210
E m p lo y m en t in coal m in in g in M arch, 1929______________________ 210, 211
E m p lo y m en t in m etallifero u s m in in g in M arch, 1929_____________ 211, 212
E m p lo y m en t in p ublic u tilitie s in M arch, 1929. . 1 __________________
212
E m p lo y m en t in w holesale a n d re ta il tra d e in M arch, 1929________ 212, 213
214
E m p lo y m en t in hotels in M arch, 1929______ _____________________
E m p lo y m en t on C lass I steam railro a d s in th e U n ited S ta te s _____214, 215
C hanges in em p lo y m en t a n d p a y rolls in various S ta te s __________ 216-220
W holesale and re ta il p ric e s :
R etail prices of food in th e U n ited S ta te s ________________________ 221-238
R etail prices of coal in th e U n ited S ta te s_________________________ 239, 240
Index n um bers of w holesale prices in M arch, 1929________________ 241, 242
Cost of liv in g :
H om e ow nership a n d th e fam ily b u d g e t__________________________ 242, 244
Im m igration and em ig ratio n :
S tatistics of im m ig ratio n for F e b ru a ry , 1929______________________ 245, 246
B ib lio g rap h y :
Public old-age pensions in th e U n ited S ta te s: A list of references com
piled by E d n a L. Stone, of th e U n ited S ta te s D e p a rtm e n t of L abor
L ib ra ry ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 247-261
P ublications relatin g to la b o r:
Official— U n ited S ta te s ___________________ _______________________ 262 263
Official— Foreign c o u n tries_________________________________________
263
U nofficial------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 263-265
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T h is Issu e in B rie f
Present practices regarding spray painting in American industry have
recently been investigated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The
investigation showed th a t spray painting hazards can be largely over
come by using nonpoisonous m aterials or by adhering to the best
practices in the use of toxic materials. W hether or n o t the spray
m aterials employed actually contain poisonous or toxic ingredients is
unknown to the officials in a large percentage of the plants using the
process. M ost of the leading users of the process have installed the
best equipm ent available and aim to take every precaution possible
to protect the workers from any deleterious effects. Some small
plants have taken no protective steps whatever. For m ost purposes
nonpoisonous m aterials have been developed which m ake the use of
toxic m aterials in m any cases unnecessary. Page 1. Several States
have adopted or have inaugurated definite m ovem ents to adopt special
rules and regulations for the protection of workers employed in con
nection w ith spray painting. Such rules and regulations are usually
based on the best practices found in industry. Page 30.
The productivity oj labor in newspaper printing shows a very consid
erable increase in recent years, according to a study recently completed
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The changes, however, were by
no means uniform for the several processes, and there has been con
stantly in operation a factor which tends to check the cheapening
of time and labor costs, namely, the emphasis placed by modern
newspapers upon rapidity of issuing the completed papers. Page 44.
Average earnings in the motor-vehicle industry were 75 cents per hour
in 1928, compared w ith 72.3 cents in 1925 and 65.7 cents in 1922.
The average full-time earnings per week were $37.05 in 1928, $36.37
in 1925, and $32.92 in 1922. The figures are from a survey recently
made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Page 179.
The entrance wage rate fo r common labor on January 1, 1929, aver
aged lf.5 cents per hour, according to the semiannual report of the
Bureau of Labor Statistics. This report is based on returns from
plants employing 139,644 common laborers. The highest average
rate per hour for any industry was 55.9 cents in the automobile
industry, and the lowest was 30.8 cents in the sawmill industry.
Page 188.
The report on the causes and relief of unemployment m ade by the
Senate Com m ittee on Education and Labor urges, among other things,
th a t private industry recognize its responsibility to stabilize employ
m ent, th a t the States and municipalities be responsible for the crea
tion and m aintenance of efficient employment exchanges, th a t the
census of 1930 include inquiries on the subject of unemployment,
th a t public works be planned as a reserve against unemployment,
and th a t further consideration be given to the question of old-age
pensions. Page 65,
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v
VI
MONTHLY LAJBOR REVIEW
The number of unemployed persons in Baltimore City was 13,177 in
February-March, 1929, according to a report of the M aryland Com
missioner of Labor and Statistics, based on a house-to-house canvass
by the Police D epartm ent of Baltimore City. This num ber repre
sented approxim ately 1.6 per cent of the total population of the city
and approxim ately 3.4 per cent of the total num ber of persons who
usually are gainfully employed. Page 59.
Age limits fo r new employees are set by 30 per cent of the plants
covered in a recent survey by the N ational Association of M anufac
turers. the m ost frequent lim its being 45 years for unskilled and semi
skilled workers and 50 years for skilled workers. The other 70 per cent
of the plants covered reported th a t they set no age limits. Page 110.
In 1927 the loss of life per ton of coal mined in the United States was
lower than in any other year excep>t 1920, and the to tal num ber of men
killed was smaller than in any other year since 1922, according to the
annual report on coal-mine fatalities published by the U nited States
Bureau of Mines. The estim ated death rate per million tons of coal
produced in 1927 was 3.70 as compared w ith a rate of 3.83 in 1926.
The rate for bitum inous mines, considered separately, decreased from
3.60 in 1926 to 3.34 (estim ated) in 1927, b u t in anthracite mines it
increased from 5.36 in 1926 to 6.06 (estim ated) in 1927. Page 124.
The credit-union movement is increasing rapidly, 368 new unions
having been established in 1928. M uch of this growth is due to the
activities of the C redit Union National Extension Bureau, the creditunion organization in the U nited States Post Office D epartm ent, and
to the encouragem ent of some of the larger labor unions, such as the
Brotherhood of Railway Clerks. Page 161.
The latest developments in workers' education were reported to the
sixth national convention of the W orkers’ E ducation Bureau, held
at W ashington, D. C., April 5-7, 1929. Since the last convention
over 30 week-end labor conferences have been held, 7 of them beingcalled specifically for the discussion of unemployment. A brief sum
m ary of the proceedings of the convention, including am account
of labor classes, institutes, forums, and summ er schools, is given on
page 162.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
MONTHLY
LABOR REVI EW
OF U. S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
WASHINGTON
VOL. 28, N O . 5
M AY , 1929
S p r a y - P a in tin g P r a c tic e s a n d H a z a r d s
N 1915 the hazards to the health of persons engaged in the process
of spray painting first attracted attention, and, with the adop
tion of the process in nearly every industry since th a t time, the
hazards have become all the more evident.
In 1925 the State of Pennsylvania, recognizing the possible results
of the use of im proper equipm ent or of lack of understanding of the
dangers among those using the spray-painting process, instituted an
investigation to obtain more definite d a ta than was then available on
the health hazards, and particularly on the risk of benzol poisoning,
from the spraying of lacquers. Following the Pennsylvania study
the N ational Safety Council m ade a supplem entary study, both these
studies being executed by a staff of medical and technical authorities.
The results of the two studies dem onstrated the following: (1) T h at
relatively small am ounts of benzol in lacquers m ay give rise to benzol
concentrations in the air breathed by the spray operator well above
the danger lim it (set a t 100 parts per million for continuous exposure
by the benzol com m ittee of the N ational Safety C ouncil); (2) T h a t so
m any variable and uncontrollable conditions obtain in the spraying
of m aterials containing various lead compounds th a t exhaust venti
lation can n o t always be depended upon properly to protect the opera
tor or other workers in the vicinity of the operation; (3) T h a t the
hazard from spraying siliceous m aterials can be largely overcome by
exhaust ventilation of from 150 to 200 feet per m inute past the spray
operator; and (4) T h a t workers employed to spray-coat objects within
buildings, booths, rooms, or any inclosed space with either paints or
lacquers containing benzol or lead compounds or siliceous m aterials,
as vitreous enamels or similar m aterials, regardless of the type of
ventilation or the use or nonuse of respirators or masks, should be
examined, both before beginning the work and periodically thereafter,
for the early detection of any symptom s of poisoning or effects of
breathing silica.
I
Purpose and Result of Present Report
T h e p r e s e n t report is the result of an investigation m ade by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics in 71 m anufacturing and m ercantile estab
lishm ents and 8 Governm ent posts to determ ine (1) w hat has been
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[915]
1
2
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
done to overcome the hazards of the process during its further devel
opm ent, and (2) w hat can be done further to protect the worker or
to elim inate the inherent dangers of the process
The results of the investigation indicate th a t: (1) The best prac
tices largely overcome the hazards of the process; (2) M ost large and
some small plants have installed high-grade ecpiipment, while some
small plants have taken no steps w hatever tow ard protection; (3)
The developm ent of nonpoisonous substitutes for lead and benzol has
for m ost purposes reached a point where it is no t necessary to spray
m aterials containing harm ful ingredients; (4) W here m aterials con
taining benzol or lead compounds are used, stringent regulation should
be m aintained; and (5) Several S tates have already adopted, or have
inaugurated a definite m ovem ent to adopt, special regulations or have
worked o u t a definite means of controlling the process and protecting
the spray operators.
The d a ta in the study were secured from establishm ent records,
hospital records, physicians, spray operators, and various em
ployees and officials of the establishm ents visited. The bureau em
ployed no medical adviser nor technical aid, as it was assumed th a t
previous studies had covered th e scientific aspects of the problem
rather thoroughly and th a t there was no further need of proof th a t
a definite and serious hazard exists wherever m aterials containing
benzol, silica, or lead compounds are applied by the spray process.
In the course of the survey 39 cases of poisoning were found in
which the disability appeared to have resulted from practices or con
ditions connected w ith the process. Each was thoroughly investi
gated to determ ine w hether the occupation of spray painting was
responsible, and w hether there had been any previous exposure
which m ight have contributed to the disability. (See Table 2 for
general facts in each case.) The m ajority of these cases were found
to have been caused by the absorption of lead, only two cases being
diagnosed as benzol poisoning, while one case was called “ turpentine
poisoning” by the doctor in attendance.
Extent of Establishment Information
T h e d a t a secured concerning spray equipm ent and m aterials in
the establishm ents covered represent only such inform ation as the
m anufacturer or employer could give, and indicate in m any cases
th a t the employer is poorly informed as to the possible hazards in
his organization. Only 20 of the 71 establishm ents were aware
of the velocity of exhaust air m aintained a t the work places by
their equipm ent. The other plants relied on the m anufacturer of
the booths or equipm ent, or on the local engineers who had supplied
and installed the equipm ent, to provide such equipm ent as, in their
best judgm ent, would m eet the particular problem. Usually, no
steps were taken, to check up on the equipm ent after the installa
tion to determine if it was of sufficient capacity or was efficiently
removing the fumes and spray cloud from the workroom or booth.
Eighteen of the 71 plants furnished definite inform ation as to
harmful content in the m aterials th a t were being used in spray
coating. Of the 18 plants, 3 had been definitely informed th a t the
m aterials used contained no harm ful ingredients, while 13 furnished
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[916]
SPRAY-PAINTING PRACTICES AND HAZARDS
3
the exact percentage of the ingredients of the m aterials which were
known to be harm ful; in the other 2 plants, the exact percentage of
harm ful elements had been learned only by analysis as a result of the
occurrence of one or more cases of poisoning in the plants.
Thirty-five plants could give no inform ation w hatever as to
whether or not the m aterials used in spray coating contained any
toxic ingredients, while in the remaining 18 plants the coating m a
terials were known to contain either lead or benzol, b u t the per cent
or am ount was not available.
Experience of the 71 plants in the use of spray apparatus ranged from
2 m onths to 20 years. As far as could be determ ined from the records
or the officials of the plants visited, in each of 36 plants visited one
case of poisoning had occurred during the experience of the particular
plants with the process. In 6 establishm ents there had been 2 cases;
in 2 plants, 3 cases; in 2 plants, 5 cases; and in 1 plant, 6 cases; while
in the other 24 plants no trouble had been experienced w ith the
process during the entire period of use in each respective plant.
In Table 1 are shown not only the various m aterials used in each
plant, b u t also the num ber of operators working w ith each of the m a
terials reported and the am ount or content of any harm ful ingredient
in such m aterials. For example, there were 11 operators employed
by P lan t No. 9. The m aterial used included a stain which consisted
of 40 per cent benzol. However, only 1 of the 11 operators was
actually exposed to the possible effects of the benzol, since only
about one gallon of stain per week was used on an average and th a t
by the same operator.
The nozzle distance shown in the table is an approxim ation obtained
from observing the operators when actually spraying. The velocity
of the exhaust air a t the working surface was obtained in two ways—
first, from the records of the plant engineers indicating w hat velocity
the equipm ent m aintained; and second, in a few plants the plant
engineer measured the flow of air by the use of a vane anemometer.
In m ost cases, however, the plants visited did not have instrum ents
for m easuring air velocity.
Tw enty-four of the 71 plants did not furnish any sort of a respira
tor to the spray operators. Two plants reported th a t respirators
were issued for any work th a t was considered hazardous, while four
plants supplied respirators on certain kinds of work. All of the other
41 establishm ents supplied the operators w ith respirators. In 15 of
these plants the operators always wore the devices during spray oper
ations, while in 3 plants the operators on certain work always did so;
in 17 plants, although respirators were supplied, the operators made
a practice of not wearing them ; in 1 plant, respirators were worn m ost
of the time and in 3, p a rt of the tim e; and in the other 2 plants they
were regularly worn by some operators, while others m ade a practice
of spraying w ithout respirators.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[917]
T able 1 — SU M M A R Y
Establishm ent
No.
Product
Cases
poi
Years ofson
process ing
was in d u r
use
ing
use
H ours
per
week
spray
gun
was
used
O F D A T A R E L A T IN G TO U SE O F S P R A Y G U N IN 71 E S T A B L IS H M E N T S
N um
b er of
oper
ators Q u an tity per
operator in
1 week
K ind
K ind of
ventilation
B ooths. _
Exhaust fan.
H arm ful
content
[918]
1
27
173^ gals.
[P ain t__
<V arnish.
I Lacquer.
A uto bodies_______
Stoves, refrigerators,
tables.
7
14
2
0
32
34
55 gals.3.
1,650 lbs.
lFiller.
25% lead.. j- .d o ___
Vitreous enamel. 66% silica. ..d o ___
4
B aby carriages. . .
20
5
38
5
6
P a te n t leather. .
B uildings_________
2
8
1
1
24
25
138 gals....
50 gals___
60-72 gals.
35 gals___
f P a in t________
[B aking enam el.
Lacquer______
___ d o ________
P a in t________
M achinery.
2
3
1
33
25 gals.
8
Stoves.........................
9
2
33
600 lbs.
9
F u rn itu re .. ______
10
1
38
7
D o .................... .
M
75 gals.
1 gal.
10
11
Stoves.
R ailroad cars _____
10
5
1
1
49K
38
12 fW indow cases, sash,l 12
\ cabinets.
j
0 < 44
13
0
14
A ir compressors____
R adio cabinets_____
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
6
Vi
12
( 45
0 ] 45
1 25
1,200-1,500 lbs
50-75 gals........
Varies______
50-110 g als. _
____ do______
____ do______
/2—4 gals_____
\12-15 gals___
80 gals______
100 gals_____
20 gals.............
(*)—
(*)-—
0 —-
0 ---
-..d o _____
____do_____
_ do_____
_do__
_
_do
. .. d o _____
N a tu ra l... _
Rooms
Lead.
a n d
open air.
_do_
T u r p e n R oom s___ ____do_____
tine.
Vitreous enamel. (*)----B ooths___ E xhaust fan.
V arnish_______ 0 ----Lacquer_______ 0----Shellac................. 0 ----- ..d o .
_do_____
Sub. shellac____ 0 ----Stain__________ 40% ben
zol.
Vitreous enamel. 0----- . .. d o _____ ___d o _____
L a c q u e r............ 0 ----- j-Rooms___
_do_____
P a in t_________ Lead___
B ooths___ ____do___ _
___ d o . ________ ...d o ___
Lacquer_______ 0 ----- . .. d o _____ ___ do_____
B aking enam el.. L ead___ ...d o . ___ ____do_____
hs
P a in t_________ ...d o ___ {Ba nodo pt la
t 1___do_____
Lacquer_______
form.3 )
V arnish_______
Booths___ ____do_____
__do__ ... _
L acquer_______
..d o _____
V arnish..............
Platform _ ____do_____
12
«
12 15-20
20-24
8-10
10-12
10 15-35
10-16
65
60-70
0
Y es___ No.
60
90
0
Y es___ Seldom.
60 N o____ No.
65
0
0
0
N o ____ No.
60
40-75
65
0
Y es___ Yes.
10-18
85
15
60-70
12-20
10-12
16
12
16
7-8
15
10
15
12
40
6
12
6
2-5
2-5
Veloc
Respirators
ity of
air at
work
ing
surface F u r
W orn
(ft. per nished
min.)
55-60
40-50
60 1
40 \
60 J
N o____ No.
Y es___ Yes.
130 N o ___ No.
40 Y es___
B y some.
150 Y es___ No.
lead60 \(On
work. )Yes.
J
0
Y es___ U sually.
30 80-175 Y es___ Yes.
85 ]
85
85
B
Y es___ P a rt time.
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
Where
operation is
performed
7
1
Air pressure
(lbs. per sq.
in.)
Aver
age
nozzle
In
dis
tance paint
On
(inches) con gun
tain
er 1
M aterials used
15
A u to bodies.
IX
D o.
3lA
__do_ __ __
27
j__do_____ ____do______
f Guns,
\ etc.
3%
38
55
flashlights,
A irplane engines__
3
50
T ypew riters___ __
ns
38
50
17
Clock c ase s...____
B uildings. ________
____do.
30 gals.
/25 gals.
\ ___do.
12 gals.
.15 gals.
'90 gals.
I___do.
24 gals.
Seldom.
N o ....
No.
40
( 2)
6-8
6 -8 .
8.
85
75 }
75
( 2)
Y es___ No.
No.
N o ..
(2) . ----- j__do_____ ____ do_____ i
\
(»)-——■
(2)------ J__do_____ Induced. . . .
8-106 6
40
60 }
40-60
( 2)
Y es___
Yes.
No.
(2)
Yes_ —
On enam el
work.
100 N o ___
(2)
N o___
No.
( 2)
N o ___
Y e s ...
No.
No.
40
47
35
44
(2)
(2)
-----------
J._do_____
E xhaust fan.
6-18
) . .d o _____
__-do_____
___do_____
( 2)
j__do_____
Lead___ Rooms and
open air.
........do............
___ _do_____
____do_____
____do______
N a tu ra l____
6-18
18
18
8
12
Silica___
(2)----( 2) -----(2)----------( 2) -----................-
(2)
(2)
20
( 2)
( 2)
60
40
70
30
40-60
(2)
Yes.
No.
( 2) ----[Lacquer______
N o ____ No.
8
( 2)
6% lead . [•Booths___ E xhaust fan.
/M oorish paste.
(2) -------[Bronze_______
(2) -------- |- . d o _____ ____do______
TO gals______ V arnish--------Y es___ Yes.
45 (2)
8-10
32
30 M etal depositories.
( 2) ----L___do______ Lacquer_____
Y e s .... Seldom.
60 ( 2)
18-24
R oom s___ N atural
48 gals........ ... P a in t________
( 2) .......
B uildings_________ 16
1 25
Y es__ Seldom.
60 ( 2)
12
N one .. .
do_ .
120 gals_____ C lay a nd asphalt N one__
Cold storage room s.. 16
1
33
( e)
80-100 ( 2)
12-24
( 9)
___do_____ N a tu ra l. _
60-180 gals.... Cold-w ater paint
B uildings_________ 16
0 35-40
80-120
(9)
12-24
(9)
___do______
(2
)
.
...
do—
.
___ do______ ___do______
50-60 60-80 Y es___ I No.
8-12
Lacquer____
A uto bodies_______
5
1
32
4 30 gals______
gals
L
acquer
1 (2) ----------_|_.._do........... E xhaust fan
6 One m an uses spray gun only 18 hours per week.
1 In th is column th e use of leaders indicates th a t the gravity system or cup guns were used.
i Spraying lacquer 3 years.
2 D a ta no t reported.
8 Shown as case No. 8 in T able 2.
.
3 Proportion no t reported.
* C om pany has m asks w hich are issued on request for hazardous jobs.
* One m an spraying baking enam el uses gun only 22 hours per week.
3 Five-sixths of tim e in spray booth, one-sixth on platform.
Book covers.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
>M2
48
10 gals.3.
SPRAY-PAINTING PRACTICES AND HAZARDS
E lev ato rs_________
No.
Y e s ...
8-10.
___do___ _ ____do_____
___do_____ ____do_____
____do_____
do
____do_________
Baking enam el.
/L acquer_______
/F ille r_________
L acquer...............
Vitreous enamel.
Baking enam el..
P a in t-------------L acquer_______
Baking enam el..
V arnish_______
L acquer_______
P a in t...................
N o .. ..
[ ..d o _____ ____do_____
1
38
14
No.
80
80
3M
(2)
No-
7-9
617 _
17
8
D o.
f C abinets and speak\ ers.
Electrical
in stru
m ents.
Electric equipm ent
No.
____do_____
____do_____
____ d o ...........
____do_____
jB o o th s___
___<lo_____
___do_____
do
F u rn itu re .
Damp shades______
n
( 2)
Oi
Oi
T able 1 .—S U M M A R Y O F D A T A D E L A T IN G T O U SE O F S P R A Y G U N IN 71 E S T A B L IS H M E N T S —C ontinued
Establishment
No.
Product
Cases
poi
Y ears ofson
process ing
was in d u r
use
ing
use
Radiators.
4
C am eras__________
0
38
A uto bodies.
m
M aterials used
N um
b e r of
oper
ators Q u an tity per
operator in
1 week
44
5 gals___
39 . . . . . d o ____
1
15
[920]
39
40
41
42
M achine p a rts_____
%
Lighting fixtures___ 10
4
N ovelties_________
18
Glassware.
0
50
1 28-34
0 32
6 50 [
43
44
45
46
47
A uto generators____ 4
( 10 )
B uildings_________
Stoves____ ________ 9
P o tte ry __________
2
Electrical supplies, __ 20
1
1
1
0
6
0
40
48
M etal depositories. __ 10
1
50
49
Do.
12
50 gals.
1
5 gals.
30
17
42 [
45
82 gals.3
66 gals.3.
1,650 lbs.
50
Stoves____________
9
1
50
51
52
53
W ashing m achines..
Auto bodies_______
Stoves____________
8
10
1
1
0
38
15
44
54
D o____________
10
3 50-55
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9
Where
operation is
performed
Kind
H arm ful
content
P aint.
Lead.
Lacquer_______
Ja p a n _________
Lacquer_______
0 -----0 ------
E nam el_______
Filler_________
Lacquer_______
____do_________
____do_________
P a in t_________
Lacquer_______
/ ___ do_________
[F iller_________
P a in t_________
V itreous enamel.
Jap a n _________
Colors in oil___
V itreous enamel.
[P a in t_________
<E nam el_______
[Bronzing liquid.
[P a in t_________
•jE nam el----------[Bronzing liq u id .
Vitreous enamel.
___ do______ ____do_________
28 gals______ L a c q u e r...........
I P a in t_________
10 gals.3____ [L
acquer_______
11 gals______ A l u m i n u m
bronze.
14 1,500-1,800 lbs. Vitreous enamel .
K ind of
ventilation
Platform . _ N one. _____
10-12
6
60
6-8
70
0
12 0
14
6-8
12 12-15
60
30-40
110
12-40
0
0
0
12 12-15
12 12-15
50
15-30
0
(-)
N one. .. . .
0 ------ 1
0 ------ Booths. . E xhaust fan.
0 ------0 -------
_-_do__ __ ___do______
___do__ __ _ _ do__ _
l-40%lead )._do__
____ do___ __
i
} ..d o __
___do______
Rooms___ N atural . ._
60% silica
[Booths___ E xhaust fan.
0 —- __
do_
do
0— 60% silica __ do__ _ . __ do__
Lead____
0------ |_ .d o _____ ____do_____
0—
-
0 ------
30
9
8-10
0
80
55
50
45
12-36 15-20
25-40
12-36 15-20
40-60
15 15-20
40
L ead___
0 ...—. |- . d o _____
0 ------
____do_____
Silica and 1
15% lead [ ..d o _____ ____do___ __
50% silica 1
0 —~ __do ___ _ __ do __
0— [ ..d o __
___do___ .
0— ___ do _
_
__do
0— -
0 .....
Veloc
R espirators
ity of
air at
w ork
ing
surface F u r
W orn
(ft. per nished
min.)
j-Booths___ E xhaust fan.
0. 025%
lead.
0 ------ [Rooms ..
0 —0 —0 —-
Air pressure
(lbs. per sq.
Aver
in.)
age
nozzle
dis
In
tance paint
On
(inches) con gun
tain
er
. .. d o _____ ___ _do_____
8-10
8-10
12 15-20
15-24
0
On lead
work.
400 Y es___
N o.
No.
ICO N o ...
Yes _ _
N o___
N o____
No.
No.
No.
No.
N o____
Y es___
100 Yes___
0 Yes
0 N o ... .
No.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
No.
0
Yes.
Y es___
125 Y e s .... No.
[On cast100 < iron
[ w ork.
15 145-168 Y es___
60 0 ' Yes. . .
18 0
Y e s .. .
40-50
No.
No.
0
1
[Yes.
1
No.
Yes.
No.
N o____ No.
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
36
37
H ours
per
week
spray
gun
was
used
55
5
1
32
T ru ck s____
11
5
50
A uto bodies.
12
1
32
10
9
1
2
50
47Ji
ru c k s, cars, furni60 /T
/ ture.
S to v e s .___________
/A dvertising special/ ties.
R ad iato rs_________
A uto body frames.
A utom obiles______
Stoves____________
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}5
1 10-15
/L acq u er_______
8 27 gals.3.......... /F ille r_________
Ì110 gals-------- P a in t...................
12
127 gals______ L acquer_____ _
/L acq u er_______
2 27-44 gals___ 1Filler_________
/L acquer_______
14 220 gals.3____ /F ille r_________
250 220 gals_____ Lacquer_______
fP a in t_________
IV arnish_______
1 V aries____ _ 1 Lacquer_______
l Filler_________
5 3,000 lbs____ Vitreous enamel.
/P
a in t_________
11 6-27 gals____ /L acquer..............
1 10 gals______ P a in t_________
1 (2)--------- V arnish_______
5 66-97 gals___ Lacquer_______
6 110-165 gals__ Vitreous enamel.
1
2
1
0
0
2
38
9
9
44
48
(2)
3
1
53
47LÌ
(2)
2
1
1
54
40
9 65-80 gals___ ___ d o ...
12 38 gals______ Lacquer.
4
0
47
1 27 gals______ ___ d o ...
2
}15
3
5
8
2
6
33
3 135-145 gals...
3 135-145 g als...
2 D ata not reported.
3 Proportion no t reported.
¡Booths
■___do_____
and
Lead........ i. rooms.
20-55%
•Booths___ ___ do_____
lead.
(2)........
(2)-----(2)-----Lead____
(2)-----Lead____
(2)--.....
( 2) -----(2)-----« -----( 2) ____
■Rooms___ E xhaust fan.
15-20
15-20
jB o o th s___
...d o _____
L .d o _____
..d o ___
8-10
B ooths.
R oom s.
/23% lead. iB ooths.
\76% silica
/2 3 % lead .
/76% silica
(2) ~ ..........
N o n e______
E xhaust fan.
____do_____
........ do_____
( 2)
(2
)
12 14
No.
(2)
Y es___
Yes.
(2)
Y es___
Yes.
Yes.
100 N o____
Y es___
N o ____
(2)
N o____
(2)
10 15 Y e s ....
Y es___
(2)
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
(2)
( 2)
12-15
(2)
(2)
15
10-12
( 2)
75-80
75-90
.do.
10 Spray operator hired only when walls are to be sprayed.
Yes.
B y some.
Y es___
(2)
6-12
-----40% lead.
0 -----0)-----( 2)
N o____
Yes___
60-90 r2)
50 160-190 Y es___
10-18
66% silica
Lead____
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
«
Yes.
Some
times.
Y es___ No.
Y es___ Some
times.
Y es___ No.
Y es___
Y es___
SPRAY-PAINTING PRACTICES AND HAZARDS
A uto bodies.
-<r
8
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
Cases of Poisoning
T a b l e 2 shows the im portant facts for the 39 cases of poisoning
found in the investigation. In 10 additional cases either no definite
inform ation was available as to the cause of disability or the cause
was found to be other th an spray painting.
The table shows the duration of the disability, the years in the
occupation, the product sprayed, the m aterials used in the process,
the nature and the am ount of the harm ful ingredients in the m aterials,
any possible previous exposure in other employment, and the diag
nosis of the illness or incapacity.
Six of the cases resulted in death, while in the rem aining 33 cases
the disability, a t the tim e of the agent’s visit, had lasted one year or
less, the slightest being a case in which the person suffered cramps
while at his work. He was sent to a doctor, who made a thorough
examination including a blood count which revealed m any stippled
cells. Thereafter he worked a t the same job by exercising great care,
according to the doctor’s instructions, in the performance of his work.
A review of the occupations shows th a t four of the persons were
not spray painters, b u t were exposed to the effects of spray m aterials
because of the nature of their employment. Investigation showed
th a t their disability was due to the toxic ingredients of the spray
m aterials used in the plants where they were employed.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[922]
T
able
3 .— R E S U L T O F P O IS O N IN G , N A T U R E A N D L E N G T H O F E M P L O Y M E N T , M A T E R IA L S U S E D , P R E V IO U S E X P O S U R E , A N D D IA G N O SIS
Y ears
at
Object sprayed
occu
pa
tion
Sprayer_________
4
F u rn itu re . _
D u ratio n of
Case disability or
result of
No.
poisoning
D e a th ..
Do
1 yr. 5 mos.;
death.
5 mos.; death
10 wks.; death
D e a th ..
1 yr. to date
8 m os.2. ____
7 m os__
4 mos
13 w k s ..
12 w k s. .
10 w k s __
9 w k s__
8 w k s.
7 w k s.
D o.
Do
Do
D o.
...
6 w k s__
Do
D o_____
D o.
...
Do
D o.
. .
5 w ks
D o.
4 w k s ..
D o.
Do
3 w k s__
D o_____
15 day s_____
14 days.
D o _____
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
W atchm an____
Sprayer_________
13
do__ ___
_ _ do _ ______
___do________ ___
___do__ _________
_ __ do_ _____ _
__ do _ ______
___ do __ _
___do_ _ _ _____
_ _ do __ ______
__ _ do__ ______
_ _ do _ __ ___
__ d o ___
___ do
___ do ___
__ _ do _
Helper
S p ray er____ . . . _
M aintenance m an
Sprayer
_____
___ do___ _____ _
__ _ do _ ____ _
do___ _
____do___ _______
____d o ___
___ do__ _ ___ __
___ do__
____do______ ___
____do_ _
___d o . . . _______
B ooth cleaner. . . .
S prayer. _____
____do__________
........ do................. .
4
T ypew riters___
5/l2 M etal containers
2
6
X
2
1
X
6
x
Vl2
6
1
3
7
1
2
14
2
%
1
2
2
u
%
X
4
6
3
3
1
X
11JÎ2
4
7 day s_____ . . _ do________
X
3 days___ . . M aintenance m a n 3 6
6
N o lost tim e. Sprayer_________
_
A utomobile bodies
R adiators .
A utomobile bodies . .
Stoves ._
___ do__ __ _____
. . ..d o _ ____
Glass objects
A utomobile bodies
Stoves ___
A utomobile bodies.
____do____
Stoves. _ __
A utomobile p a rts ___
Glass objects
___do _
____do
M etal containers.
B u ild in g s... . . .
Glass objects. .
Automobile bodies ,
___do____ ________
___do_________ _
S to v es_____ _. ____
____do____ ___
___do___ _________
. . do
Autom obile p a rts ___
_ __do__ _
Stoves
Automobile bodies.
Glass objects______
Buildings ______
M etal and glass ob
jects.
S to v e s .......... ..............
Interior w alls______
A utomobile bo d ies.. .
V arnish; shellac; substitute
shellac; stain; lacquer.
Baking enamel; lacquer
P aint; enamel; bronze
Prim er; lacquer
P a in t_____ *
Prim er; lacquer.
Vitreous enamel
____do_____________
____do. _ _ ___ __
P aint; lacquer.
Lead and oil; lacquer
Vitreous enamel
Prim er; lacquer. ___
do____ _ ______
Vitreous enam el___
P ain t _.
Paint; lacquer_.
_ do _
. . .do _
P aint; enam el bronze
Lead and oil.
P aint; lacquer
Prim er; lacquer.
Lacquer
P ain t; varnish; filler; lacquer.
V itreous enamel
_ ___do__
_ do __
___ _do__
P a in t; lacquer
P a in t; turpentine; lacquer__
Vitreous enam el.
L acquer.
_ ....
P aint; lacquer _______
P a in t.. _______________
Paint; lacquer______________
Possible previous
exposure
Stain, 40% benzol.. B rush pa in te r.
B en z o l:.. _______ N one . ..
____do___
L ead________
Diagnosis
Benzol poisoning.
Do.
__ _____ __ Lead poisoning, endocarditis.
Prim er, 25% lead . ___ do__ _ ______
40% lead _ _______
do _
___ ___
L e a d .. _ ______ N o t reported. .
. _
Silica, lead_______ N one . . .
___ ____
60% silica; lead____ V arnish sprayer, 10 y rs.
60% silica; 15% lead. N one
_. _______ .
P ain t, 10-40% lead. ___ do_____ ._ . . . _ .
Lead . . . . . .
V arnisher, 17 y rs.
N o t reported
N o n e __ _____ _
__
Lacquer,0,025% lead. N o t reported. . .
Prim er, 25% le a d .. _ N one ._
___
76% silica; 23% lead. E nam el mixer, I X y rs.
L e a d ..
B rush p ainter, 3 m o s ...
P ain t, 10-40% lead. N one . . . ._ . ____
___do _
Spray helper, 2 y r s . __
_ _ _do_ ___ _
N one
Lead. ._ _ ___
_ do ._
_______
____do_____ .
B rush painter, 12 y r s ...
N one . .. _ ____
P a in t, 10-40% lead.
L ead.
_______ _ B ru sh p ain ter, 6 y rs___
. . __ _.
N one . . . .
___ N one . . .
N ot reported
V arnisher, l y r ______
Silica; lead 28%___ E nam el sprayer . _ _
76% silica; 23% lead. E nam el sprayer, 20 mos.
____d o .. ..
E nam el mixer, 2 y rs ___
60% silica; 15% lead. N o n e ..
.. . _
P a in t, 20-55% lead. S pray p a in te r
Lead.
N one. .
_
do
_
__ _
60% silica; lead
_ __ d o ______
_ ___
.N o n e .
P a in t, 10-40% lead . ____do...... .............. ...........
L ead_____________ ____do_____________ __
____do.__............ ....... ____do________________
B rush p ainter, 3 y rs ___
Vitreous enam el____________ Silica; lead___
Lithopone paint; turp en tin e. _ T u r p e n tin e .. . . . N o n e ____ _ ____.
Prim er, la c q u e r ____ _ .
Lead _
. _____ ____do___ _ ____ . _
1 Spent considerable tim e in th e drying room where freshly sprayed objects were placed.
2 Including disability from appendicitis operation.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
H arm ful contents
of m aterials
M aterials used
3 Used spray in term itten tly for only a b out 4 weeks.
N ephritis.
Lead poisoning,heart disease.
Lead poisoning, pneum onia.
Lead poisoning.
Do.
Toxemia.
Lead poisoning.
Do.
Do.
Lead colic.
Lead poisoning.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Lacquer poisoning.
Do.
Lead poisoning.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
N o t reported.
T urp en tin e poisoning.
Lead poisoning.
L acquer poisoning.
Lead poisoning.
Do.
Do.
SPRAY-PAINTING PRACTICES AND HAZARDS
1
2
Occupation
Do.
Do.
Do.
co
10
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
Coating Materials
T h e t e r m “ p a in t” usually means an oil and pigm ent which will
form a film over any surface, protecting it from the normal processes
of oxidation. There are numerous compounds used for the purpose,
such as paints, enamels, varnishes, lacquers, stains, and wax.
Paints are m ade up of a base, a vehicle, a solvent, and driers, with
the addition of either metallic, earthy, or animal pigments for decora
tive effect. The base in paints now in use usually consists of white
or red lead, zinc oxide, titanium oxide, or iron oxide; the vehicle
generally consists of raw or boiled linseed oil and, for a few delicate
colors, poppy-seed oil. The solvents used are usually turpentine or
petroleum distillates. The driers are m any and of diverse character,
turpentine probably being used more widely th an others. The term
“ enam el” is commonly applied to any color paint giving a hard,
glossy surface.
Varnishes are m ade from gums dissolved in linseed oil, turpentine,
spirits, or water. Lacquers are much like varnishes, consisting of a
gum and thinners, or of gums, cellulose, and a suitable solvent. The
latte r are the modern lacquers commonly known as pyroxylin lacquers.
Stains are used m ainly to change color of work w ithout hiding the
surface aspects. Various vehicles are used. W ax is prim arily a
preservative, b u t because of the gloss or luster obtainable m ay also
be considered in a measure as decorative.
Commercial Method of Applying Paint
I t h a s n o t been long since the commercial processes of applying
finish took more tim e th an the process of m anufacturing the object.
C oat after coat of paint or varnish was applied. E ach coat had to dry
and be rubbed down before the next could be applied. The drying proc
ess was slow and dust was ever present. M anufacturers resorted to the
use of drying ovens to hasten drying. Changing the air in the ovens
increased the dust problem. W ashing machines were installed to
wash the dust out of the air before it entered the ovens. W orkmen
were required to wear clothing of special goods to minimize the dust
from the clothing fabric. Brushing was gradually eliminated, as
m anufacturers, in their effort to m eet com petition, resorted to dipping
such parts as could be conveniently dipped in a tan k of paint, while in
other cases, where the article was too large or of such a nature th a t
dipping was impossible, the paint was flowed on through fan-shaped
i nozzles in the hands of experienced men, the excess paint running
down into drip troughs and back into a recuperator tank.
The above processes were lim ited m ainly to the application of
paints and varnishes which were cut w ith turpentine or thinned with
linseed oil or other thinners in common usage before the World W ar.
Pyroxylin lacquers were next developed and rapidly gained in favor.
Because of the highly volatile solvents and diluents necessary these
m aterials will quickly stiffen a paintbrush w ith gum. Tliey are
very adaptable to the process of spraying, however, because the vola
tile m aterials have little chance to vaporize from the tim e they
leave the container until they are actually applied. These solvents
and diluents then vaporize so readily and the surface sets so quickly
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11
th a t additional coats are often applied at intervals of not more than
half an hour.
Spray Guns
T h e f i r s t attem p t to spray paints or other coating m aterials in a
large way was on the buildings and equipm ent for the W orld’s Fair
a t Chicago in 1892. The apparatus used a t th a t time was not of the
commercial type in use to-day, but was on the order of the spray
apparatus now used in the application of fungicides and similar
m aterials. The action was much like th a t of w ater leaving a spray
nozzle, except in the case of the small apparatus used by artists
which resembled the ordinary atomizer in action. From this latter
instrum ent the spray guns now used in industry have been de
veloped. The term “ g u n ” is used because the air valve is operated
by a trigger and in general the apparatus, especially the pressure
type, resembles a revolver in shape and size. The cup-type suction
gun commonly used consists of a cup in which the coating m aterial
is placed. A small tube extends down nearly to the bottom of the
container and the upper end, which goes through the cover, is situated
ju st below and a t right angles to the orifice from which a jet of com
pressed air is blown. The velocity of the compressed air so reduces
the atmospheric pressure at the top end of the tube th a t a vacuum is
formed which sucks the m aterial from the container through the tube
directly into the jet of air which breaks it up into fine particles and
blows it against the object to be coated. This type of gun is very
advantageous in th a t any one of several cups containing different
colors m ay be readily attached and used as necessity demands.
The type of apparatus next to appear was one using compressed
air to break up the m aterial but in which the m aterial is supplied to
the gun through a rubber hose either from a container suspended
overhead or from a container in which air pressure is used to force
the m aterial to the gun. In such apparatus the trigger of the gun
has a double function. By pulling it p art way, the valve which
releases the compressed air is opened, while pulling it the rest of the
way opens the valve allowing the paint or other m aterial to escape.
In m ost standard guns converging jets of air are used to atomize or
nebulize the m aterial and to blow it onto the surface to be coated.
There are guns now being m arketed in which the atom ization is per
formed before leaving the gun. These guns as a rule do not require
as high pressure to accomplish atom ization and consequently are
generally spoken of as low-pressure guns. The pressure gun has
been followed by the pressure cup gun which has all of the advantages
of the suction cup but which is said to give more satisfactory nebulization of the spray materials.
In the developm ent of these guns engineers have striven to produce
a gun which would efficiently spray m aterials of varying viscosity and
also would be light enough and operate easily enough for a workman
to handle continuously for a full day w ithout fatigue from the
trigger action. The fact th a t the trigger has a double action has
presented the problem of securing a double tension so th a t the operator
can use the je t of air for blowing dust from the surface w ithout
danger of opening the paint valve, and a t the same tim e the pull of
the trigger on the paint valve will be sufficiently light to perm it him
46658"—29
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MONTHLY LA.BOR REVIEW
to use the gun throughout the workday w ithout unnecessary fatigue.
The trigger is usually pulled a t the beginning and released a t the end
of each to and fro m ovem ent by the operator, thus preventing the
use of an excessive am ount of paint or excessive application to any
p art of the area being coated.
Growth and Extent of Spray Painting
T h e r e is no possible way of definitely m easuring the growth of spray
painting, nor is there any way of measuring the extent to which the
process is being used. A few establishm ents in some industries were
using spray apparatus to apply m aterials a t least 20 years ago, but
the real advances in the use of the process came w ith the advent of the
W orld W ar (with its trem endous camouflaging and painting program)
and the adaptation of pyroxylin lacquers which could not well be ap
plied with a brush or by dipping. M anufacturers are now putting
on the m arket spray-painting apparatus of all kinds and sizes, with
prices ranging from two dollars for hand sprays to thousands of dollars
for complete equipm ent for m anufacturing establishments. The
various models are usually designed for specific purposes.
Such equipm ent has found its way into practically every industry.
The Federal Governm ent employs the process in the production of
aircraft, amm unition, and various equipm ent, as well as in the m ain
tenance of buildings, furniture, ships, naval craft, and arm y equip
m ent. In the autom otive field the finishing of chassis, motors,
wheels, and bodies, and the refinishing of old cars depends upon the
spray process. Autom otive accessories are finished by the process.
Airplane fabrics are “ doped.” The furniture industry has m ade such
use of paint-spray equipm ent th a t furniture m anufacturers and even
merchandising houses have to resort to its use in order to be able to
compete. M anufacturers of farm implem ents, lighting fixtures, office
partitions, telephone booths, window cases, door casings—in fact, of
alm ost every line in which millwork is performed— use spray equip
ment. In th e <leather industry various finishes can be effected th a t
are obtainable in no other way. This applies, n o t alone to leather, but
also to the varicolored household articles, including all sorts of kitchen
equipm ent, decorated to m atch the room, m any of which are pictured in
present-day advertisem ents. The spray gun is used in the textile
industry, not alone for m aintenance, bu t also in the coloring of awn
ing m aterials, rugs, cottons, and other fabrics, and in the m anufac
ture of straw hats, paper, willow reed, glassware, and other m erchan
dise. In the m aintenance of houses and buildings, interiors are coat
ed, usually with lithopone paint, enamels, varnish, shellac, alum inum
paints, and even inside waterproofing m aterials. The exteriors are
coated with lead paints, varnishes, lacquers, graphites, alum inum ,
and asphaltum paints. Some peculiar uses to which the apparatus
is p u t is^ to apply the egg and milk solution to pies, to obtain the
batik effect on silks, and the sheen on silk stockings. In short,
there is practically no industry in the U nited States in which the spray
process does not find a place.
The above m ay give some idea of the wide use of the spray process
in industry. The growth of the use of the process can be indicated
in a small way by a review of the production of one of the principal
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SPRAY-PAINTING PRACTICES AND HAZARDS
m aterials used; i. e., pyroxylin lacquers. The United States census
in 1924 began showing the am ount of pyroxylin lacquers produced.
The figures show th a t in the first six m onths of 1924 1,430,700 gallons
were produced, while in the same period in 1928 8,900,644 gallons
were produced. The figures by 6-month periods for the years 1924
to 1928 are as follows’
Gallons
Gallons
1924— F irst h a lf__________ 1, 430, 700
Second h a lf________ 2, 160, 300
1925— F irst h a lf__________ 4, 880, 200
Second h a lf________ 6, 223, 200
1926— F irs t h a lf__________ 7, 040, 800
Second h a lf________ 7, 621, 000
1927— F irst h a lf__________ 8, 644, 300
Second h a lf________ 8, 038, 290
1928— F irst h a lf__________ 8, 900, 644
The above figures which apply only to pyroxylin lacquers, in no way
indicate the increase in the use of the spray gun in applying paints,
varnishes, stains, and various other m aterials which are the principal
m aterials sprayed in the m aintenance of buildings and the finishing of
m any m anufactured products.
Harmful Materials Used in Spray Painting
P y r o x y l i n lacquers were developed as one result of the tendency
toward high-speed production. They are all “ high-speed” driers.
To get the quick-drying quality demanded for rapid production of
finish, it was necessary, of course, to use m aterials which are highly
volatile. M any of these volatile m aterials are nontoxic. Some
m aterials, like lead and benzol, when used w ithout sufficient relief
from exposure, are unfailing in their ultim ate action.
Benzol especially constitutes one of the m ost insidious hazards of
the present day. I t is used in m any stains, some lacquers, and some
thinners, and is usually one of the basic m aterials in paint and varnish
removers. I t is a by-product in the m anufacture of coal gas and in
several other processes. I t is described in the report of the N ational
Safety Council (May, 1926) as “ * * * a colorless limpid, highly
refractive liquid having a pleasant characteristic odor. * * * I t
has a specific gravity of 0.899 a t 0° C .”
While harm ful diluents such as benzol have characteristic odors it
is impossible, even by experienced chemists, to detect the presence
of benzol when mixed with acetates and other m aterials in lacquer or
thinner. The use of harmless lacquers purchased from one source and
low-priced thinners from another source m ay often unnecessarily
inject the benzol hazard in the process of spray painting as benzol is a
constituent of m any cheap lacquers.
As a causative factor in industrial poisoning lead is considered the
m ost im portant of all metals. I t is used in the form of white lead,
as a base for m ost outside paints and in other chemical combinations,
especially in m any yellow, orange, and green pigments, in m any inside
paints and lacquers. I t is also a constituent of m any prim ers or fillers
and of vitreous enamels used on cast iron. Such m aterials are usually
applied with spray guns.
Another dangerous element which is generally found in enameling
is silica, although in the course of this study no cases were found
where an operator was seriously affected by the m aterial, or where the
disability was diagnosed as silicosis. An occupation such as sand
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
blasting offers, perhaps, a greater exposure to silica than does th a t of
spraying vitreous enamels.
Several other harm ful substances are used in connection with
lacquers, varnishes, paints, and enamels, such as m ethyl or wood
alcohol, denatured alcohol, tetrachlorethane, which is used in some
“ dopes,” and turpentine, which is often used in paints.
Hazard of Poisoning
P o is o n in g o r d is a b ility fro m th e use of p a in t o r c o a tin g s arises
m a in ly fro m th re e so u rc e s; n a m e ly , fro m th e use of lead a n d its
co m p o u n d s, fro m benzol, a n d fro m siliceous m a t e r i a l s .
The lead compounds are used in the form of lead chrom ates in pig
m ents^ and carbonates, sulphates, and sulphides as paint bases.
Poisoning from lead compounds in paints m ay occur from:
(a) Inhalation of dust from sandpapering one coat of paint prepar
atory to applying another.
(b) E n try of dust into either the respiratory or digestive system
from mixing dry white lead w ith oil.
(c) Inhaling fumes from burning off old paint.
(d) Inhaling dust arising from lead paint dried on overalls and drip
cloths.
(e)
B reathing of lead paints .nebulized by spraying and suspended
in the air, which m ay find their way into both the alim entary canal
and the respiratory system.
( /) Using glazing p u tty containing lead compounds.
Of these six possibilities the result m ay be either contam ination of
food by unwashed hands, entrance of lead into the alim entary canal
by placing objects in the m outh while working w ith lead compounds,
or the direct inhalation of lead in dust form into the lungs where it
can be directly absorbed into the blood. In spray painting the last named
type of absorption is the m ost likely, and authorities state th a t this
type produces the greatest toxic effect because the lead is absorbed
directly by the blood w ithout having to go through the liver, while
lead which passes through the alim entary canal does go to the liver
and much of it is throw n off through the excretory system.
Benzol poisoning results from the continual breathing of benzol
fumes. These fumes can not be removed from the air by any m ethod
not involving chemical means. I t has been stated th a t a worker
Continually breathing_air containing 100 parts or more of benzol in
1,000,000 parts of air is working under a substantial hazard. This is
due to the fact th a t benzol taken into the system forms a chemical
combination with the body tissues, especially the marrow of the
bones, where it affects the form ation of red blood corpuscles. The
N ational Safety Council’s report on benzol (May, 1926) states th a t
“ generally cases of acute poisoning from inhalation are either rapidly
fatal or respond favorably to treatm ent with more or less complete
recovery within a short period * * *. In chronic benzol poison
ing we find a wholly different picture. The onset is insidious, the
early sym ptom s are generally overlooked, and it is not until the con
dition becomes relatively grave th a t it receives medical a tten tio n .”
Silica, as used in various enamels and glazes, also presents certain
dangers. B reathing sufficient siliceous m aterial causes w hat is known
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15
as silicosis, an ailm ent resulting from the accumulation of consider
able quantities of insoluble dust m aterial in the lungs. This dust is
n o t absorbed by the blood and its presence causes irritation and later
w hat is term ed “ fibrosis.”
Substitutes for Toxic Materials
M a n u f a c t u r e r s of paints, varnishes, and lacquers appear to have
reduced hazards of paint spraying considerably by the substitution in
m any products of less harm ful m aterials for those which cause dis
ability. Paints for finishing the interiors of buildings are usually
lithopone paints, the base consisting of zinc and barium compounds,
which are harmless, instead of lead compounds. The use of lead
paints on- m etal structures has been supplanted by iron oxide
paints, and for other outside work considerable success has been
achieved in substituting titanium oxide for lead, especially for white
outside paints. According to an article in the June, 1928, num ber
of the Journal of Industrial Hygiene, experiments with titanium oxide
have shown th a t it has no deleterious effects. During the experi
m ents it was fed in large doses to various animals regularly for a
period of 16 m onths w ithout effect.
The U nited States Navy has experimented w ith titanium paints
for several years. Concerted efforts have been made to eliminate the
hazard in the use of lead paints as well as to improve the quality of
the paints. The first action was the reduction of the red lead in red
lead paints. As a result of substitution of other m aterials, none of
which are harmful, the am ount of red lead was reduced from 20
pounds to 1.66 pounds per gallon.
The N avy standard outside white paint contains 5.33 pounds of
white lead carbonate per gallon, while the standard inside white
contains 7.7 pounds of white lead per gallon. During the last five
years experiments substituting titanium oxide for the lead have been
made which indicate th a t lead can be eliminated entirely. I t is
estim ated th a t the quantities of red lead and white lead carbonate
used in N avy paints will be reduced at least 70 per cent as the ulti
m ate result of these experiments.
N ot only does this pioneering move on the p a rt of the N avy tend
to eliminate the hazards offered by lead paints, bu t the substitutes,
which are entirely harmless, are found to be equal to the present
standards as to stowage, brushing, and spreading qualities, and are
proving superior to such standards in hiding power, general appear
ance, and durability.
In lacquers, m aterials less toxic than benzol are being substituted,
and some m anufacturers describe their principal products as con
taining no harm ful ingredients. The substitutes consist of toluol,
xylol, and similar m aterials, which are not as volatile as benzol and
m ost of which have no serious toxic effect on the worker. N ot only
does this substitution reduce hazards in spraying lacquers, b u t it also
lessens the possibility of “ blushing” in damp weather. (See p. 17.)
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
Ventilating Equipment
T h e p k o c e s s of spraying paints, lacquers, enamels, or other coatings,
when performed within any building or inclosed space, should be done
only where proper ventilation obtains regardless of the toxic or
nontoxic character of the m aterials used.
D uring this study some small plants were visited where lacquers
and primers were being sprayed and sanded in a closed room provided
with absolutely no ventilation except small natural ventilators in the
roof, which could by no stretch of the im agination begin to remove
dust or fumes from the m aterials. Among the other plants visited
ventilating equipm ent of m any types were observed. M ost fre
quently ventilation was procured by exhaust systems, w ith open
windows or ventilators serving as the source of supply. A few plants
were supplied with plenum fans as well as an exhaust system. The
capacity of exhaust equipm ent, as a rule, exceeded th a t of the plenum
fans by 10 to 20 per cent. This excess insures a positive direction of
air m ovem ent toward the exhaust equipment.
E xhaust equipm ent of m any types were used by the various plants
visited, ranging from fans in the exhaust duct driven from line shafts
to the indirect exhaust system in which the exhaust m ovem ent is
induced. In a few cases a fan driven directly by a m otor was ob
served, the whole u nit being centered in the exhaust duct. M ost
frequently, however, exhaust ventilation was secured by 16 to 18 inch
fans of various types driven by a belt from a ^-horsepow er m otor
located outside of the duct and operating usually at 1,725 revolutions
or more per minute.
Large booths were generally equipped with from two to six of the
small fans, which in m any cases could be operated independent of
each other. Where a booth is supplied with baffle plates to secure
equalization of air m ovem ent into the booth, such fans under norm al
conditions will exhaust about 2,000 cubic feet of air per minute.
W ithout baffle plates the fan’s capacity ranges up to about 2,500
cubic feet per m inute. Larger equipm ent, with 22 or 24 inch fans,
usually exhausts from 4,500 cubic feet w ith baffles to 6,000 cubic feet
w ithout baffles a t 1,200 revolutions per m inute, while still larger fans
of 40-inch diam eter driven a t 900 revolutions per m inute will exhaust
about 14,000 cubic feet per m inute and a t 1,200 revolutions per
m inute about 18,000 cubic feet per m inute through baffles. The
figures quoted are based on the capacities of the different types and
sizes of fans found in use.
The blades of plenum fans were in several cases found to be of
pressed steel, while in the exhaust systems the blades were usually of
brass, aluminum, or other nonsparking m etal, the “ propeller” design
being highly favored. Six-blade fans, commonly m ade of brass, were
found in use more often than the other types, due to the fact th a t they
were p a rt of the original equipm ent which had been installed prior to
the general introduction of the propeller type.
Indirect exhaust, which is the latest and m ost favored exhaust
ventilating system, consists usually of the injection of a high-velocity
current of air into an exhaust duct through a small opening either
around the wall of the duct or a V enturi opening projecting to the
center, either m ethod of introduction causing the injected current of air
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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17
to blow outward. The velocity of the introduced current of air reduces
the atm ospheric pressure a t the point of introduction. An equaliz
ing current of air is thus induced, moving from the booth or spray
room outw ard in the same direction as the introduced current of
air. Such an arrangem ent perm its the location of fans and source
of power to be entirely outside the booth and exhaust duct. The
possibility of m aterials collecting on the fan and its supports is thus
eliminated, minimizing the task of keeping the duct clean. The use
of highly volatile solvents sometimes necessitates the reduction of
exhaust velocity. If the velocity is too great, the liquid m aterials
are volatilized to a considerable extent before the particles of spray
h it the object to which they are applied, resulting in a slightly sandy
looking finish. The remedy is the reduction of the velocity to a
point where the m aterials have little chance to evaporate before
reaching the surface.
W hat is commonly term ed “ blooming ” or “ blushing” m ay some
times result from too high a velocity, especially during dam p weather.
Blushing results from the refrigerative effect of the volatile m aterials
and the consequent condensation of m oisture on the film before it
sets. The result is partial precipitation of the cellulose, so th a t it
makes the surface appear white in spots. This effect can be elim
inated by the use of thinners, consisting of less volatile m aterials,
known as “ reta rd e rs” or “ fortifiers,” and to some extent by either
the reduction of the pressure on the gun or the velocity of the exhaust.
Respirators
I n t h e u s e of respirators there seems to be a belief among work
men th a t the ordinary felt disk or sponge type respirators are ade
quate protection against dust and also, in m any cases, against the
fumes from volatile m aterial. A respirator highly effective in rem ov
ing fine d u st would be so difficult to breathe through th a t the work
m an could not wear it for any extended period of tim e; in other words,
if it is easy to breathe through, it is not a safe protection as a fine dust
catcher.
Records of tests, made during the study of spray coating by the
N ational Safety Council, with various respirators using filters in
silica dust spray, indicate th a t “ commercial respirators of the pigsnout type ranged in efficiency from 24 per cent for one w ith a sponge
filter to 73 per cent for a respirator w ith two plies of a cotton paper
filter. N ot all of the pig-snout respirators are efficient in restrain
ing very fine silica dust under spray-coating conditions; the better
ones can restrain about half or a little more of the dust in air as
breathed, and so can be of real benefit.”
T ests m ade at the same time with the various types of filters, for
efficiency in filtering the m ist of lead paint from the air, showed th a t
filters remove lead m ist more efficiently than they remove dust. In
both cases the sponge type of filter ranked very low. In the case of
lead, the sponge was 84 per cent efficient, outranking only a filter
consisting of one ply of silk and three plies of cheesecloth, which was
74 per cent efficient. The next filter more efficient than the sponge,
was one of four plies of paper which was 92 per cent efficient; all other
filters tested rated even higher. This would indicate th a t m ost respi-
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
rators are of considerable benefit in preventing inhalation of lead
dust, b u t should not be understood as furnishing complete protection.
So far as fumes of volatile m aterials are concerned, the above types,
except one w ith a canister containing a considerable am ount of acti
vated charcoal, are of no value a t all. The report of the N ational
Safety Council on the efficiency of respirators in the case of benzol
fumes, shows th a t “ activated charcoal filters can reduce the am ount
of benzol in air from 2,000 to 75 parts per million or less. A suffi
cient quan tity m ust be provided; 60 cubic centim eters of the charcoal
was found adequate for a period of 19 m inutes; under test conditions,
600 cubic centim eters lasted 250 minutes. Under conditions prevail
ing in painting practice, considerably longer life m ay usually be
expected.” Probably the m ost convenient respirators which prove
effective in the case of volatile m aterials are either of the type which
has a canister or of the hose type designed to bring fresh air to the
operator from an unpolluted source. The latte r usually connects
directly w ith the compressed air line a t the gun. The air hose is
equipped with a filter to remove oil and m oisture from the air before
it is breathed by the operator. A small valve regulates the am ount
of air which is supplied into the respirator. Expiration is through
a small flap or flutter valve, much the same as in the felt disc and
sponge types.
The various types of pig-snout respirators usually have a roll edge
of soft rubber. These types, when used while spraying in rather close
quarters w ith light paint, not only clog quickly with the paint, but
accum ulate m aterial on the face of the operator along the roll edge
of the respirator and eventually the paint will run down the operator’s
face inside of the m ask, often directly into the m outh. If tight enough
to prevent such an occurrence, the pressure soon tires the face and
the operator is required to remove the respirator for rest. This con
dition, it would seem, m ight possibly obtain under the conditions
m entioned, with any type of mask which only partiallv covers the
face.
Respirators for regular use m ust be of a type th a t can be con
veniently worn under all conditions. For instance, the hose type
mentioned above, m ay prove inconvenient a t times. If the operator
has to move about beyond the range of the hose attached to the gun,
this necessitates the removal of the mask, b u t if he wears any of the
other types, it can be slipped from his face to hang about his neck and
he can move freely whenever necessary. The inconvenience of
removing the m ask m ay seem only slight, b u t instances have been
found where the operator was required to leave his place of work
m any times during the day and the removal of the m ask each time
became so tiresome as to tem pt him to leave it off entirely.
One of the general faults of respirators is th a t they do not always
fit perfectly the contour of the operator’s face. Unless perfectly
fitted, the air entering by any other source than the filter device
renders the respirator ineffective for the service it was designed to
perform. In the case of the hose type, in which there is a positive
air pressure, if the fit is not perfect the air will escape, especially
around the nose, blowing into the eyes and causing the operator
considerable annoyance. In one plant visited such condition was
overcome by the use of goggles. The operator said th a t the goggles
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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not only protected his eyes from the air currents blowing around his
nose, b u t also helped to keep his eyes free from turpentine fumes
from the paint, as some fresh air was continually forced into the
goggles from the respirator.
The use of masks which cover the entire head is not looked upon
w ith favor. Such a mask is held to be too inconvenient, causing
inefficiency on the p a rt of the operator and also tem pting him to
leave it off whenever he is not being observed by officials in charge of
the work. Operators provided w ith such masks, and m any times
even w ith masks of the respirator type, are usually instructed to wear
the equipm ent whenever spraying, b u t officials in m any plants have
adm itted th a t it is impossible to compel the men to follow the instruc
tions, saying th a t it is often brought to their attention that^ careless
operators don the m ask only when they see officials approaching.
As a rule neither the worker nor the person directly responsible
for the m anner in which the work is done, is conversant with the
relative value of such safety devices, and consequently only in the
m ost efficient shops are the workmen protected by devices on the basis
of their relative efficiency. In other shops it is a m atter of supplying,
either because the law or the workman calls for it, anything which
can be easily obtained and does not involve considerable expenditure.
In every case an effective respirator should be supplied and worn,
and the fact should be emphasized th a t a respirator effective for
one purpose is often of little or no value if worn for another purpose.
The Mist or Spray Cloud
I n t h e c o u r s e of this investigation particular attention was given
to the action of the cloud of spray relative to the various objects
being sprayed. The rebound of this m ist was particularly noticeable
where objects presented large unbroken areas a t right angles to the
direction of the exhaust air. If the distance from the nozzle of the
gun to the surface being sprayed was too close, the rebound seemed to
be farther, while if the distance was too great, there was an exception
ally heavy m ist although not so m uch rebound. The proper distance
for the gun nozzle from the work seemed to depend on the pressure
used and the m aterial sprayed. The distances for ordinary work,
varied from 6 inches, which for m ost guns is too close, to 24 inches,
which is probably too great. Where large_ unbroken areas were
sprayed while standing a t an angle to the direction of the exhaust
ventilation, the spray cloud seemed to be drawn rather effectively
tow ard the exhaust opening.
In several cases, some in rooms and others in booths, the inside
surface of hollow articles were sprayed. Where there was no escape
for the air bearing paint m ist except the opening through which the
operator worked, the problem of ventilation was difficult. While
sprajung the inside of a very deep object the rebound was especially
pronounced, because the spraying was done in some instances a t a
distance of 36 inches from the inside surface, a large am ount of m ist
thus accum ulating which poured out of the object in heavy clouds,
being displaced by 8 to 12 cubic feet of air per m inute from the gun.
In one case where the objects were from 10 to 16 inches deep they were
laid in a booth with the open end outward. The m ist would shoot
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
out of the object, opposite to the direction of the exhaust-air current
as much as 4 or 5 feet. The m ost efficient m ethod observed for
removing the excess spray from hollow articles was to place them
where a high-velocity exhaust current would pass across the open
ing through which the operator m anipulated the gun. The air moving
at right angles to the rebound would capture the fumes and carry them
into the exhaust duct.
For small objects or those with open surfaces the problem seemed
simple, as the spray operator could easily place them in the best
possible position to take advantage of the air currents moving toward
the exhaust opening by directing the spray as nearly as possible in
the direction of the air movement.
Spraying of p ain t on the outside of buildings did not seem to present
a particularly serious problem. The superfluous m ist from a spray
gun used in the open seemed to be rapidly disseminated even where
there was no noticeable m ovem ent of air. This rapid dissemination,
however, can not be depended on sufficiently to protect the workman.
An operator should be instructed when the air is moving noticeably
always to work w ith the wind, as the spray otherwise would drift
back into his face, thus presenting an unnecessary hazard.
Spraying the interiors of buildings presents, perhaps, one of the
m ost serious ventilating problems for the spray painter. Even though
lithopone paints or other m aterials which contain no recognized toxic
substance m ay be used, the cloud of spray m ay become so dense as
to cover entirely the exposed parts of the w orkm an’s body as well as
his clothing. U nder such conditions the use of some device to pre
vent breathing the m aterials suspended in the air is essential. If the
m aterials used contain such toxic substances as benzol or tetrachlorethane, the use of a well-fitting canister m ask or respirator employ
ing activated charcoal, or a well-fitting hose mask or respirator, is
the only m eans of assuring the health of the worker.
I t is no t uncommon for spray m aterials to adhere to the operator’s
hands b u t this is more often from handling freshly sprayed objects
than from the spray cloud or m ist surrounding the work. Spray
m aterial on an operator’s face, however, is not so common and usually
results from a pronounced am ount of m ist either rebounding from
large surfaces or accum ulating because of insufficient ventilation, or
both.
Observations seem to indicate th at, as a rule, spray operators hold
the gun farther from their work than is usually specified for best
results, probably on the theory th a t the cone or fan of spray will cover
more surface a t a greater distance. Some instances of this practice
m ay be ascribed to the high pressure used. However, an equal film
m ay be applied a t the greater distance only by slower movement
and hence the practice does not necessarily result in any speeding up
of production.
Faulty Equipment
I n m a n u f a c t u r i n g establishm ents where large am ounts of spray
m aterials are being used continually, efforts are generally made to
remove the danger in the use of m aterials which m ight be harmful,
by the use of spray booths or spray rooms equipped for constant
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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SPRAY-PAINTING PRACTICES AND HAZARDS
21
ventilation, by the use of masks, and in some places by enforcement
of rigid safety rules.
.
.
., , n •
Faults found in the use of spray rooms and booths are the following:
(a) Good booth supplied with inefficient exhaust ; (6) a good exhaust
bu t the booth too shallow for the work; (c) the exhaust poorly located
in the booth; (d) the exhaust fan too far from the booth;_ (e) the
exhaust opening too small; ( J ) the booth of improper shape w ith nonuniform m ovem ent of air; (g) booth too small for the work, th a t is,
placing large objects in front'of or in a booth where the object projects
out of range of the exhaust draft; (h) moving the stand upon which
the object is placed out of the booth so far th a t the ventilation is
ineffective, especially in cases of piecework; (i) poor light.
.
In some plants, booths and ventilation systems, ordinarily efficient,
were in operation, b u t because of bad weather the employees had
closed the windows, ventilators, doors, and other means by^ which
air could enter the shop. The exhaust fans were thus decreasing the
air pressure in the room in an effort to draw air out through the
exhaust ducts, and the fan’s capacity was of little value because there
was no adequate supply of air to be drawn through the booths.
Fans used in exhaust systems often become coated w ith an accumu
lation of spray m aterial. The accumulation of any m aterial on the
fan blades, which destroys the characteristic smooth surface of the
blades increases the friction of the blade. This increase of friction
decreases the am ount of air th a t will be throw n by the fan in operation.
Allowing the inner surface of the booth and exhaust duct to become
coated w ith m aterials also impedes the free m ovement of the exhaust
air and helps to reduce the efficiency of the equipm ent. ^ Such residue
also presents, in the case of pyroxylin lacquers, the serious hazard of
explosion. An accumulation of lacquer dust m ay be, and has been,
exploded either by friction, by static, or by spontaneous combustion.
Such an explosion occurred in an establishm ent the^ day before the
bureau’s agent visited the plant. Two booths were side by side, the
working openings facing the wundowTs. E xhaust was m aintained by
a 16-inch 6-blade brass fan in each booth. These were each operated
by a ^-horsepow er, 1,725 revolutions per m inute, m otor m ounted
outside the exhaust duct and belted to the fans. The exhaust ducts
curved upw ard in the rear and outward over the tops of the booths,
where they converged into a single larger duct. The larger duct
projected through the windows, thus discharging the fumes from both
booths outside. The explosion, which had its origin somewhere over
the booths in the exhaust duct, was of sufficient force to blow several
of the fan blades off from the hubs of the fans. The two spray oper
ators working a t the booths, and two truckers working between the
booths and the windows, were badly burned and all four were removed
to a hospital. Frequent cleaning of the duct would probably have
prevented the occurrence.
Some exhausts opening directly to the outside, although of suffi
cient capacity, were at times exposed to the direct pressure of the
winds, which counteracted the efficiency of the fans. Operators in
m any cases open wdndowTs directly by the booth or exhaust outlet,
so th a t the entrance of air through the w indow s either interferes w ith
the normal m ovem ent of air out through the booths, or carries dust
from the exhaust opening outside back into the room from w hich it
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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MONTHLY LAB OK REVIEW
had been blown. This condition in one plant was overcome by the
installation of recuperators outside and increase of the fan capacity.
While the relative velocity of exhaust air moving through a booth
or spray room would apparency be a definite controlling factor of
the prevalence of excess spray dust or cloud from the gun, observa
tions m ade during this study indicate otherwise. E xhaust velocities
in plants visited, as shown by the various records, ranged from 40 to
190 feet per m inute. The am ount of spray in some plants where the
velocity was relatively high was apparently ^worse than in other
plants doing similar spraying where the velocities were lower, even
where the same model equipm ent was in use. The difference appar
ently was due to both a slight difference in the shape and size of
object sprayed and the shape and size of the exhaust outlet. In
general, the observations would indicate th a t the problem of giving
the workm an good air to breathe involves not only the theoretical
capacity of the ventilating system b u t also the nature of the object
being sprayed, the nature of the building, the location of the exhaust
discharge, the type of vent on the exhaust, the location of near-by
buildings which m ay deflect normal winds, and, above all, the avail
ability of openings of sufficient size to allow the entrance of a positive
supply of fresh air. Engineers advise a t least 10 per cent excess
exhaust capacity over the supply of fresh air to insure exhaust cur
rents toward the proper outlets.
Measures for Overcoming Dangerous Practices
O f t e n the lack of safety rules or the loose enforcement of them
gives rise to dangerous practices. The spray gun is often used in a
m anner causing the spray unnecessarily to roll back out of the booth.
In other cases, especially where the operator is paid by the piece, he
may pull the turntable or other stand out too near the opening of the
booth in order to save tim e in removing the finished piece, and replac
ing it w ith one to be worked upon. In a few plants there was evidence
of the gun having been used promiscuously about the spray room.
One of the commonest of dangerous practices is the negligent m anner
in which a respirator is used, even though it m ay afford only partial
protection.
G ranting th a t a spray room or booth is provided with sufficient
ventilation to expel dust or fumes imm ediately and prevent inhalation
by the operator, precautions which m ay provide additional protection
a re :
(a) Greasing unprotected portions of the body, to make any
m aterial collecting thereon easily removable.
(b ) Thorough washing and the brushing of the finger nails, as well
as avoiding the habit of placing anything in the m outh during work
hours.
(c) Protection of food and of street clothing from dust and spray.
(d) Cleanliness of working clothes.
(e) Teaching employees the proper use of the gun.
(/) E qual protection of all employees who are working within 30
feet of the spray gun where no direct exhaust is available.
(g) W et sanding instead of dry sanding wherever possible.
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23
(h) Reduction of the pressure on pressure containers to the lowest
point consistent w ith speed of application required.
(i) Reduction of the pressure used to break up the m aterial t the
lowest point consistent with the nebifikation required.
( j ) ■Careful use of the gun a t the proper distance from the work.
(k) Use of nontoxic m aterials of nonirritating character wherever
possible.
Some m anufacturers question the value of greasing, as they have
had employees suffer from epidemics of boils which they attributed
to the grease used on the arms. Thus it would appear th a t only
specially prepared greases or solutions should be used for the protec
tion of the skin.
Other Safety Measures
I n a d d i t i o n to installing efficient equipm ent, further steps have
been taken bjr some m anufacturers to forestall any disability from
the process of spraying. In m any instances m aterials which con
tain no harm ful ingredients have been substituted for m aterials which
m ay cause ill effects.
When there is need for a spray painter, some plants do not hire
former sanders, brush painters, brass foundry workers, b a tte ry work
ers, glaziers, paint factory workers, or other workers who m ay have
absorbed toxic m aterials, especially lead or benzol, a t a previous occu
pation. Again, a thorough physical examination, including a blood
count, followed by periodic examinations serves to indicate the possi
ble toxic effect of m aterials used. Such blood counts are usually
made a t three or six m onths’ intervals. A t one plant operated by
the Government, where considerable benzol is used, they are made
m onthly.
Some m anufacturers have instituted periodic relief of such workers
as m ay by continuous employment be affected by spray. This m ay
be either by a daily relief period or by the rotation of employees.
By the la tte r plan, as practiced in plants visited, a double spray force
is employed; th a t is, one crew will spray for a specified period (in
some plants one week and in some two weeks), and then exchange
jobs w ith another crew which has been at work away from the spray
materials. In one plant visited this rotation was applied to three
jobs, each employee working a t spraying b u t one week in three. The
m atter of adequate washing facilities is also im portant. Plants were
visited where washing facilities were good, b u t not adequate. In
one plant, for example, hot and cold running water, soap, and towels
were furnished, b u t though a large force was employed there was pro
vision for only three or four employees to wash a t a time. A t the end
of a work period, the first to reach the wash room were accommodated,
while the rest, rather than wait, would eat or go home unwashed.
The cleaning of booths and exhaust ducts in one case studied was
the cause of poisoning to the person doing, the work. The precau
tions heretofore specified could, therefore, well be applied to all peo
ple working in or around the space where spray painting is being
done.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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MONTHLY LABOE BEVIEW
Attitude of Employees Toward Safety Measures
W o r k e r s who are susceptible m ay often suffer tem porary or per
m anent effects w ithout knowledge of the real cause of their disability.
As a rule, workers are reluctant to m ake known th a t they are feeling
ill, reasoning th a t such acts jeopardize chances of prom otion or their
general standing w ith the employer, knowing th a t the habitual fault
finder is considered undesirable. They do not often recognize the
cause as occupational and so lose tim e and are inconvenienced
while the family physician treats them for some ailm ent based on the
outstanding symptoms. Such ailments are sometimes diagnosed as
stom ach trouble, appendicitis, or various other disabling diseases of
a similar nature, while a blood test or other tests would show the
presence of an occupational cause. A case resulting in death (Case
No. 1, p. 9), illustrates how serious the situation m ay become where
facts are not prom ptly reported. The fatal aspects of the case m ight
have been avoided if precautions had been taken after the first attack.
The facts in the case were as follows:
The spray operator was 35 years of age at the time of his death.
The cause of death was held to be benzol poisoning. The m an had
been a spray operator and decorator for approxim ately four years,
previous to which he had been a brush painter a t different periods.
According to the doctor who attended him, he had an attack of
benzol poisoning about two years before his death, involving two
dorsal and the first lum bar nerves. This attack confined him to his
home for 10 days. Before his death the employee m ade a statem ent
th a t he did not report th a t attack to the industrial commission be
cause his employer was good to him. F or the next four or five m onths
he was employed as a house painter working on the outside, and
during this time he suffered a fall which injured his back.
Seven m onths after the illness m entioned above, he was reemployed
in the establishm ent where he had suffered his first attack. I t was
said th a t he m ade a practice of washing his hands with benzol to
remove lacquer which had adhered to them , and two m onths after
his reem ploym ent he began to have increasing pains in the lum bar
region. The nerves which had first been affected slowly ceased to
function and lim itation of m otion increased. Ten days after the
reoccurrence the doctor was again called in and found him suffering
from severe pain, which required hypodermics to relieve. The doctor
called in consultation another doctor, who diagnosed the case as neu
ritis from benzol poisoning. The condition grew steadily worse,
resulting in total paralysis in both legs, loss of sphincteric control,
and inability to em pty the bladder, requiring catheterization. He
was removed to a hospital, where a third doctor diagnosed the case as
neuritis from benzol poisoning. Two weeks later he had total paraly
sis of both legs w ith anesthesia of inner anterior surface of both
tibias; no reflexes; cram ps of lower abdomen; m arked blood haemol
ysis; and slight elevation of tem perature; the heart, lungs, liver,
spleen, and urine were normal. After eight weeks confinement in the
hospital the m an died.
The product of the plant in which the m an worked was wooden
furniture. I t employed 150 men, 11 of whom were spray operators.
The factory worked 10 hours per day on M onday to Friday, and 5 on
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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SPRAY-PAINTING PRACTICES AND HAZARDS
25
Saturday. The spray operators averaged 7 hours a day actually
m anipulating the spray gun, making a total actual exposure of about
38 hours per week.
The company had been spraying furniture for about 10 years and
in the process used varnish, lacquer, shellac, substitute shellac, thin
ner, and stains. I t used a m aterial to form the outer coat or glazing
consisting of 40 per cent benzol, 20 per cent ethylate, 20 per cent
butylate, and 20 per cent acetylate. The m aterials were applied
w ith a standard pressure spraying system, using a pressure of 10 to
15 pounds in the container and 60 to 70 pounds to break up the
m aterial as it left the gun, and having a nozzle distance of approxi
m ately 15 inches.
The work was performed in booths equipped with separate ex
hausts, from which air was drawn by an exhaust fan. The velocity
of the air a t the working surface was estim ated, from the size of the
booth and the capacity of fan, to be 80 feet per m inute. The agent
was informed th a t the company furnished masks of the ordinary
respirator type which were worn by some operators b u t not by others.
I t was also stated th a t a t the time of the investigation 10 per cent of
all spray m aterial used consisted of a stain in which there was 40
per cent benzol. I t is not known how effective the equipm ent m ay
have been in clearing the spray room of fumes or of preventing m ate
rials from adhering to the person of the operator. W ashing facilities
with cold w ater only were furnished, a few taking advantage of these
facilities.
Sometimes workers m isinterpret regulations designed for their
protection. In some plants visited printed regulations regarding
the use of spray equipm ent had been posted. These were designed
to keep continually before the worker the necessity of precautions
in the use of equipm ent and handling of m aterials. These rules or
regulations when first displayed were interpreted to m ean th a t the work
was extremely hazardous and spray operators prom ptly quit their jobs.
The hiring of new spray operators proved a difficult problem in these
plants because of the hysteria or m ental stam pede among employees
a t the time. In other plants regulations were posted, w ith no resulting
trouble. This would seem to indicate th a t the workers in the la tte r
plants were already educated to the possible hazards of the occupation
and had a full realization of the necessity of care in the work.
Conditions which apparently were responsible for cases of poisoning
in plants studied have in m any cases been improved to such an
extent as to indicate the probable prevention of further trouble in
such plants. In a few plants, however, where cases of poisoning had
also occurred no definite steps have been taken in any direction,
although various State agencies have pointed out to the plant officials
th a t hazardous conditions have existed for some time.
In one plant where an employee had been affected by the m aterials
sprayed, ventilation had not yet been provided a t the tim e of this
study, which was approxim ately a year after the poisoning. This
plant had been engaged in doing touch-up body and fender work
by spraying for only two m onths when the case occurred. Four
men had been engaged on th a t particular p a rt of the work, which
was done in the rear of the establishm ent, in a room which was
separated from the automobile repair shop only by a series of
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
stock racks. The operations of filing, grinding, applying the prime
coat, sanding, and spraying were all performed within this room.
The ceiling was about 15 feet high and the space for refinishing
was about 60 feet square. There were no booths, nor was there
any special provision for ventilation. The end of the building was
practically all windows. There was a door in one corner for ingress
and egress of cars, b u t the door was closed because of cold weather.
During the agent’s interview the door was opened to perm it the
entrance of a car, a t which tim e the fresh air coming in was very
noticeable. There were no windows open a t the m oment, b u t it is
possible th a t they would be opened in warm er weather.
The air compressor, which furnished pressure for spraying, was
electrically driven and drew air from the center of the working
space. I t was a small portable outfit of a size sufficient to operate
b u t a single gun. The odors of the m aterials were very noticeable
and, together with the dust from sanding, m ake conditions for all
the employees in the room very poor.
The employees who worked in the finishing departm ent were of the
opinion th a t the products used were absolutely harmless, The fact
th a t there was no provision for their safety did not appeal to them
as having any serious consequences, and they took no precuations
to prevent accumulation of m aterial on their persons. The only
washing facility was a spigot and trough, where cold w ater.w as
available.
No safety rules were issued by the employer nor was a physical
examination required. The employer said th a t if a mask was de
sired by any employee, he would furnish one of any type the man
m ight ask for.
In a few very large plants covered in the study employing as many
as 200 or 300 spray operators, there have been only 1 or 2 inconse
quential cases of disability in the course of several years’ experience.
These examples indicate th a t m any of the large m anufacturers have
worked out rath er highly efficient and protective systems. In a few
smaller plants covered several cases of disability have resulted from
the operation of spray painting. Some of these cases, however, m ay
be ascribed as much to the carelessness of the spray operators in using
the safety equipm ent provided as to anything particularly wrong with
the system itself. In fact, several examples were found where spray
operators were actually antagonistic toward certain rules or safety
equipm ent furnished for their protection, and other cases where
operators imbued with a false sense of security were indifferent to the
use of safety devices.
There were other plants visited where the conditions seemed very
unsafe. The workmen in these plants, as a rule, were assured th a t
the m aterial used could have no harm ful effects. The only guaranty,
however, in m any such cases was inform ation furnished by salesmen
who m ight or m ight not have known the formula or ingredients used
in the m anufacture of the m aterials.
Economies of Spray Painting
A few years ago m an u factu rers in general devoted a generous
am o u n t of w orking space to th e finishing process necessary to m ake the
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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SPRAY-PAINTING PRACTICES AND HAZARDS
27
product m arketable. In some industries a large per cent of the total
space was devoted to finishing, because of the great am ount of
time required to obtain the desired finish with the m ethods and m ate
rials then in use. One example illustrating the evolution of finishing
is th a t of the automobile body. In one plant m anufacturing bodies
ju st after the war 42,240 square feet of space was necessary to produce
one body per hour. The minimum finish on m any cars consisted of
six rough coats, three coats of varnish, and two coats of color varnish,
requiring about six weeks for the process. The paint alone on a car
weighed 75 pounds. A t th a t time, the high percentage of the space
devoted to the building of a body was largely for the finishing depart
m ent. Increasing demands for bodies brought about the adoption
of other processes and finishing m aterials, which cut the space neces
sary for the production of one body per hour from 42,240 square feet
to 16,000 square feet. This was previous to the adoption of pyroxylin
lacquers. No record could be obtained of the space necessary since
their adoption, bu t it is safe to say th a t it is far below the figures
given above.
The real economies of spraying, however, can be shown by other
examples. In considering the figures hereafter presented, one should
bear in mind th a t paint brushed on seldom dries w ithout brush marks,
which are in fact alternate thick and thin streaks of paint. These
inequalities often appear in the film of paint covering wood which
has weathered ridges and grooves. In such cases, where the ridge
of the wood and the thin portion of the brushed paint are in con
j u n c t i o n , the film is reduced to a minimum thickness and is bound
to wear through much more quickly than where the thick p art of
the film crosses the groove in the wood. Also, where there is insuf
ficient brushing small bubbles of air are often imprisoned by the
paint film and the expansion and the contraction thereof by the
heat and the cold in the weather, causes such a film to deteriorate
rapidly. W ith such possibilities in mind, it is obvious th a t paint
applied as a very fine m ist by an experienced operator would not only
cover the wood more evenly regardless of its surface characteristics,
b u t also would prevent the form ation of air bubbles beneath the film.
Thus the skill of the painter and the quality of the film applied m ust
be given due weight in making comparisons between brushing and
spraying. An unskilled brush m an may fail to apply paint evenly or
to brush it out thoroughly, and an unskilled spray painter m ay apply
the m aterial either insufficiently or excessively.
The saving effected by a school board by spray painting 1 is shown
in the following:
W e re n te d a m achine from a local b a n k e r and, a fte r a sh o rt tria l, p u rch ased
a com plete o n e-u n it o u tfit. W e c o n tin u ed du rin g th e su m m er to use b o th
m achines. W ith th e h elp of tw o m en to o p erate th e spray guns an d th re e helpers,
we com pletely d eco rated th e in terio rs of th ese six large buildings, including our
senior high school.
,
B efore w e began th e w ork w ith sp ray guns, we h a d specifications p re p a re d a n a
req u ested th e p a in tin g c o n tra c to rs in tow n to bid on th e w ork. W e received
som e 9 or 10 bids for th e w ork on th e six buildings, ranging from $8,375 to $9,bb7
for th e w ork com plete, th e p a in te r to fu rn ish labor, m aterials, a n d eq u ip m en t.
A t th e com pletion of th e jo b we found o u r to ta l expense, w hich included re n t for
each of th e tw o m achines a n d all labor, m aterials, a n d eq u ip m en t, including
l From th e Spray P ainting M achine, by G. B. Heckel.
46658"— 29----- 3
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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MONTHLY LAJBOR REVIEW
elec tricity an d all o th e r item s, to be only $5,521.55, m ak in g a saving of $2,848.95,
figured on th e price of th e low est bidder.
W e fou n d th e sp ra y gun used a b o u t 50 p e r c en t m ore p a in t on one co at th a n
p u ttin g on b y brush, b u t we fo u n d also t h a t th e one c o a t will cover as well as tw o
co ats w ith th e b ru sh , th u s resu ltin g in a n e t saving of 25 p e r c e n t of th e p a in t.
E v ery o n e (even p a in te rs w ho were n o t friendly w ith th e sp ra y gun) who h as seen
th e d eco ratio n agrees t h a t th e p a in t is m ore evenly ap p lied a n d looks b e tte r th a n
i t w ould if p u t on by b ru sh . O ur experience p roves t h a t one m an w ith a sp ray
gun, on a n average, can do as m uch w ork as fo u r to five skilled p a in te rs w ith
brushes.
Another example of the economy of spray painting is found in the
spraying of a previously painted m etal roof. The facts are analyzed
as follows:
A c t u a l a r e a o f s u r fa c e ( 5 7 8 s q u a r e fe e t)
P ain t,
Time,
gallons m an-hours
S p ra y in g -------------------------------------------------------------------B ru sh in g --------------------------------------------------------------------
1. 49
1. 35
0. 5
l. 5
1 0 ,0 0 0 s q u a r e f e e t
S p ray in g -------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 5 .8
B ru sh in g -------------------------------------------------------------------- 23. 3
8 .6
25. 9
C o m p a r a tiv e c o s t o f 1 0 ,0 0 0 s q u a r e f e e t o f w o r k
S p ra y in g :
P a in t (25.8 gallons a t $4 p er g allo n )____________________ $103. 20
L abor (8.6 h o u rs a t 90 cen ts p er h o u r)__________________
7. 74
T o ta l-------------------------------------------------------------------------
110.94
B rushing:
P a in t (23.3 gallons a t $4 p er g allo n )____________________
L ab o r (25.9 ho u rs a t 90 cen ts p er h o u r)_________________
93. 20
23. 31
T o ta l-------------------------------------------------------------------------
116.51
Spraying required approxim ately 10 per cent more paint than brush
ing. Brushing required approxim ately 200 per cent more labor than
spraying.
Still another example is the spraying of a previously painted brick
wall w ith stone cornices:
A c t u a l a r e a o f s u r fa c e
P aint,
gallons
Spraying (8,364 sq u are f e e t) __________________________ 10.8
B rushing (8,188 sq u are fe e t)_________________________
9. 87
Time,
man-hours
20
41
1 0 ,0 0 0 s q u a r e f e e t
S p ray in g -------------------------------------------------------------------- 12. 90
B rushing---------------------------------------------------------------------- 12.05
23. 9
50. 0
C o m p a r a t i v e c o st o f 1 0 ,0 0 0 s q u a r e f e e t o f w o r k
S praying:
P a in t (12.90 gallons a t $4 p e r g allo n )____________________ $51. go
21. 51
L abor (23.9 hours a t 90 cents p er h o u r)__________________
T o ta l---------------------------------------------------------------------------
73 n
B rushing:
P a in t (12.05 gallons a t $4 p er g allo n )__________ __________
L ab o r (50 ho u rs a t 90 cents p er h o u r)____________________
48. 20
45. 00
T o ta l------- -------------------------------------------------------------------
93 20
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SPRAY-PAINTING PRACTICES AND HAZARDS
29
Spraying required approxim ately 7 per cent more paint than
brushing. Brushing required approximately 109 per cent more
labor than spraying.
An example of interior work on the ceiling and walls of a plastered
room is shown below:
A c t u a l a r e a o f s u r fa c e
P aint,
gallons
Tim e,
man-hours
6. 39
1. 75
5. 33
5. 33
S praying (2,600 sq u are fe e t)__________________________
B rushing (1,000 sq u are fe e t)__________________________
1 0 ,0 0 0 s q u a r e f e e t
S p ray in g _____________________________________________ 24. 5
B rushing_____________________________________________ 17. 5
20. 5
53. 3
C o m p a r a t i v e c o s t o f 1 0 ,0 0 0 s q u a r e f e e t o f w o r k
S praying:
P a in t (24.5 gallons a t $4 per g allo n )______________________ $98. 00
L abor (20.5 hours a t 90 cents p er h o u r)__________________
18. 45
T o tal
116. 45
B rushing:
P a in t (17.5 gallons a t $4 per g a llo n )______________________
L abor (53.3 hours a t 90 cents p er h o u r)__________________
70. 00
47. 97
T o t a l . . ________________________________________________ 117.97
Spraying required approximately 40 per cent more paint than
brushing b u t gave quite good “ hiding” in one coat. Brushing
required approximately 160 per cent more labor than spraying and
gave poor “ hiding” in one coat.
A test by the United States N avy between handwork and spray
painting on the U. S. S. Neptune was made on the inside of the midship
tank, using a red-lead paint. Stages had to be rigged for the hand
work, while all parts could be reached with the gun w ithout staging.
The results were as follows:
T he p a in t was sprayed a t th e ra te of 1,024 square feet per h our by th e sp ray
equipm ent, using 2.73 gallons of p a in t p er th o u sa n d square feet. In th e sam e
tan k , u n d er sim ilar conditions, 82.5 square feet per h our were p ain ted by h and,
using 2.02 gallons of p a in t p er th o u san d square feet of surface.
Another example shows th a t:
A co n tra c tin g p a in te r m ade a bid of 65 cents p er sq u are y a rd for p a in tin g a
stucco house, an d was low b id d er a t a to ta l of a b o u t $650. H e b o u g h t a sm all
sp ray p a in tin g ou tfit an d did th e w ork a t a cost of slightly over $350.
Spray Equipment in the Government Service
S pray painting was also observed at three arsenals, two air depots,
two navy yards, and a proving ground. Steps were being taken at
one of the arsenals at the time of the bureau agent’s visit to install
efficient equipm ent and to establish regulations which would guar
antee the protection of the spray operators. A t the other seven
posts efficient equipm ent was already in operation. Such equip
ment had been installed in most cases to eliminate possible hazards
rather than to correct conditions which had been in any way con
ducive to poisoning from the process. In comparison with the con
ditions observed at the different m anufacturing plants the conditions
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
at the Governm ent posts m aintained by the equipm ent in use were
of a high standard.
Spray m aterials in the Government include m ost of the kind of
paints used in industry and also coatings for special purposes. Some
of these special-purpose m aterials contain benzol, while m any con
tain lead m different compounds. The dopes used in the m anufac
ture of airplanes are usually thinned with acetone (CH3 COCH3).
The specifications for the dopes usually provide “ th a t the vapors of
the dope shall not cause serious discomfort or injury to the workers
engaged in the application of the dope. ”
S t a t e R e g u l a t i o n s R e g a r d in g S p r a y P a i n t i n g
ASSACHUSETTS, M ichigan, and Wisconsin control the pro
cess of spray coating by a code of special rules and regulations,
while California, New York, and Pennsylvania have tentative codes of
rules and regulations. In New York the code is still in the hands of
an advisory com m ittee; in California and Pennsylvania the codes have
been subm itted to the public bu t have not yet been approved bv
proper authority and therefore do not now have the force of law.
Illinois, New Jersey, and Ohio have comprehensive laws dealing in
considerable detail w ith means of protecting the health and welfare of
workmen, and which apply generally to any hazardous process or con
dition m m anufacturing plants. These laws guide inspection of spray
ing equipm ent and conditions in the three States.
In M aryland and Wyoming, and in the U nited States Congress, bills
are pending to regulate the process of spray painting.
The Colorado D epartm ent of Labor has form ulated a set of rules
and requirem ents as a guide for factory inspectors in certifying spraypainting equipm ent in the State.
Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, M aine, M innesota, Missouri, New
H am pshire, Rhode Island, W ashington, and W est Virginia’ have
general statutes concerning ventilation or sanitation which would
probably apply to any spray painting where the m aterials used con
tained lead, benzol, or other toxic m aterial.
In Ohio the industrial commission is empowered to supervise the
life, health, safety, and welfare of employees. Under this authority
the commission has issued supplem entary rules for the guidance of
factory inspectors in m aking or issuing specific orders when inspecting
spray-coating equipm ent. These rules for the inspectors operate
only as a guide to the inspector and do not in any sense apply as law
to spray operations in establishments in the State. W hen the in
spector issues a specific order to the employer, however, the order has
the effect of law. In Tennessee the general law covering ventilation
is pointed out by the State departm ent of labor as its only recourse
at present in dealing with the problems of spraying paint. The State
has made some efforts toward the form ulation of special rules and
regulations applying to spray painting, but no definite results have
been obtained up to this time. In U tah a similar condition exists.
I he industrial commission of th a t State points out th a t the provision
M
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STATE REGULATIONS— SPRAY PAINTING
31
of their workm en’s compensation act which obligates the employer
to do w hat is reasonably necessary to protect the life, health, safety,
and welfare of workmen is the only provision at present covering in
any way the subject of spray painting.
All of the statutes mentioned above appear in Bulletin No. 370 of
the U nited States Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bulletin, however,
does not contain special rules and regulations which have the force of
law.
The following compilation includes the codes or special rules and
regulations for the three States where such codes are in force and also
the tentative codes for California and Pennsylvania. All of the rules
in the codes which were primarily for the prevention of fire where the
spray process is used were om itted. In addition to the above codes
the compilation shows the rules issued by the Colorado D epartm ent of
Labor and the supplem entary rules of the Ohio Industrial Commission.
C A L IF O R N IA
T e n t a t iv e S p r a y C o a t in g S a f e t y O r d e r s I s s u e d b y t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f
I n d u s t r ia l R e l a t io n s , D iv is io n o f I n d u s t r ia l A c c id e n t s a n d S a f e t y
S e c t io n
I . — D e fin itio n s
F o r th e a p p licatio n of th ese orders:
(a ) T h e te rm “ a p p ro v e d ” shall m ean a p p ro v ed by th e d e p a rtm e n t of in d u s
tr ia l relations, division of in d u stria l accid en ts a n d safety .
(b ) T h e te rm “ spray c o a tin g ” sh a ll m ean th e a p p licatio n of p a in ts, stains,
varnishes, lacquers, enam els, or sim ilar m a te ria ls b y th e sp ray m ethod.
(c) T h e term, “ sp ray m e th o d ” sh all m ean th e a p p lic a tio n of ato m ized p a in ts,
stains, varnishes, lacquers, enam els, o r sim ilar m a te ria ls delivered th ro u g h or
ap p lied by a sp ray gu n o r sim ilar device b y com pressed a ir o r o th e r m eans.
(d ) T h e te rm “ cab in e t b o o th ” shall m ean a c o m p a rtm e n t w ith in a room or
section of an e sta b lish m e n t w hich c o m p a rtm e n t shall be eq u ip p ed fo r th e coating
of o b jects b y th e sp ra y m ethod.
(e) T h e te rm “ room b o o th ” shall m ean a room w hich is b u ilt o r se t a p a rt for
sp ray coating a n d eq u ip p ed w ith e x h a u st v en tila tio n , a n d w hich can be closed
off en tirely from th e re s t of th e building.
(/) T he te rm “ s tr u c tu r e ” shall include buildings, walls, bridges, ships (when
n o t u n d e r m aritim e ju risd ic tio n ), o r o th e r fa b ric a te d u n its.
(,g ) T h e te rm “ air h e lm e t” o r “ hose m a s k ” shall m ean a device so designed
a n d equipped as to enable th e w earer to b re a th e a ir o b tain ed from a n u n p o llu ted
source.
(h ) T he te rm “ re s p ira to r” shall m ean a device designed to be w orn over th e
nose a n d m o u th a n d so eq u ip p ed as to p re v e n t th e w earer from inhalin g solid
p articles co n tain ed in th e su rro u n d in g air.
(i) T h e te rm “ gas m a s k ” shall m ean a device to be w orn over th e nose an d
m o u th (and m ay include th e eyes) a n d be eq u ip p ed w ith m a te ria ls w hich will
absorb o r n eu tralize th e fum es, gases, o r v ap o rs co n tain ed in th e a ir being
b re a th e d b y th e w earer.
(k ) T he p h rase “ place of e m p lo y m e n t” shall m ean a n d include a n y a n d every
place, w h eth er indoors or o u t o r u n d erg ro u n d , or elsew here, a n d th e prem ises
a p p u rte n a n t th e re to w here, e ith e r te m p o ra rily or p e rm a n e n tly , a n y en terp rise,
p ro ject, in d u s try , tra d e , w ork or business is carried on, o r w here a n y process or
o p eratio n d irectly or in d ire c tly re la te d to a n y en terp rise, p ro je c t, in d u s try , tra d e ,
w ork or business is carried on, in cluding all ex cav atio n , d em olition, a n d co n stru c
tio n w ork, a n d w here a n y p erso n is em ployed b y a n o th e r, o r suffered o r p e r
m itte d to w ork for hire b u t shall n o t include a n y place w here p erso n s a re em ployed
solely in household dom estic service o r a n y place of e m p lo y m en t, concerning th e
safety of w hich ju risd ic tio n m ay h av e been v ested by law h ereto fo re o r h e re a fte r
in a n y o th e r S ta te com m ission o r officer, o r a n y offices or d e p a rtm e n t of th e
F ed e ral G o vernm ent. (W o rk m en ’s co m p en satio n a c t, sec. 33, ch. 586, L aw s of
1917; a s am en d ed , ch. 471, Law s of 1919; ch. 90, L aw s of 1923.)
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
S ec tio n I I .— O r d e r s
O rd er 2200. S c o p e .— T hese ord ers shall govern th e use a n d co n tro l of all
spray co atin g a p p a ra tu s, in ev ery place of e m p lo y m en t: P r o v id e d , h o w e v e r ,
T h a t th e y shall n o t p ro h ib it o r re g u late a n y fa rm er, h o rtic u ltu rist, fr u it grow er,
o r o th e r person engaged in farm in g , o r fr u it o r v eg eta b le grow ing, fro m using a
sp ray m ach in e fo r th e p u rp o se of sp ray in g trees, sh ru b s, a n d vines w ith chem icals
to p ro te c t th e sam e fro m disease; o r p ro h ib it o r re g u la te a n y d a iry m a n , cream ery
ow ner, o r o p e ra to r o r o th e r p erso n from using a n y sp ray in g m ach in e to sp ray
a n y b uilding o r p a r t th ereo f w ith solutions com posed of w a te r a n d chem icals of
recognized m edical valu e, w hen used fo r th e p u rpose of keeping said b u ild in g in
a s a n ita ry condition.
O rd er 2201. A p p l i c a t i o n .— (a) U nless o therw ise stip u la te d , sp ra y co atin g
shall be p erform ed in c a b in e t booths. O rders a p p ly in g to c a b in e t b o o th s o r room
boo th s shall n o t a p p ly to th e use of th e sp ra y m e th o d fo r co atin g in te rio rs or
exteriors of buildings o r o th e r stru c tu re s, o r fo r th e co atin g of o b jects in th e open
a ir o r in sheds open a t le a st on tw o opp o site sides.
(6) On in terio r a n d exterio r sp ra y co atin g of buildings or o th e r stru ctu res,
each o p e ra to r m u s t be p ro v id ed w ith a n d shall w ear w hile sp ray in g is being done,
an ap p ro v ed ty p e of resp irato r, gas m ask or air h elm et a n d hood, ja c k e t a n d
g a u n tle ts m ad e of ru b b e r o r o th e r m a te ria l im p erv io u s to p a in t o r o th e r sp ray
solutions a n d in ad d itio n , on in te rio r w ork, w here th e re is n o t sufficient n a tu ra l
v en tilatio n , ex h a u st sy stem s shall be in stalled a n d o p e ra te d con tin u o u sly while
spraying o p eratio n s are bein g carried on. T hese ex h a u st sy stem s sh all be so
designed as to m a in ta in sufficient velocity a n d a ir circu latio n to a d e q u a te ly
rem ove th e vapors an d to p re v e n t all possibility of explosive m ix tu res form ing
in th e room . Sufficient fresh air m u st e n te r th e room to p e rm it th e fan s to a c t
efficiently. T h e discharge from such ex h au st sy stem s m u s t n o t en d an g er th e
h e a lth of a n y em ployee.' T h e sp ra y coating of in terio rs shall be so perform ed
th a t n e ith e r th e spray o p erato r, n o r a n y o th e r w orker, shall come betw een th e
sp ray gun a n d ex h au st openings d u rin g sp ray in g operations.
(c) T h e sp ray coatin g of large objects o r large p a rts need n o t be accom plished
in c ab in e t bo o th s o r room b o o th s if n o t reaso n ab ly su b jected to such tre a tm e n t.
T he sp ra y co atin g of large o b jects or large p a rts shall n o t be carried on by an y
in d iv id u al unless he w ears a n a p p ro v ed ty p e of resp irato r, gas m ask, hose m ask,
or a ir helm et, a n d ap p ro v ed hood, ja c k e t a n d g a u n tle ts. S p ray co atin g shall
n o t be done w ithin 30 feet of a n o th e r w orker unless th a t w orker is p ro v id ed w ith
th e p ro tectio n equal to t h a t fu rn ish ed th e sprayer.
(d ) O n in terio r a n d ex terio r sp ray in g of buildings a n d o th e r stru c tu re s, an y
ty p e of e q u ip m en t m ay be used except th e suction or tru e ejec to r ty p e of m ore
th a n 1 q u a rt cap acity . D u rin g o p eratio n th e nozzle of th e sp ray gun shall n o t
a t a n y tim e be m ore th a n 13 inches from th e surface being sp ray coated. W hen
necessary, scaffolding or o th e r a p p ro v ed su p p o rt shall be used so t h a t th e m axi
m um allow able d istan ce b etw een th e gun nozzle a n d surface being sp ray co ated
is n o t exceeded.
(e) T h e sp ray in g of v itreo u s enam el or o th e r siliceous m aterials in places o th e r
th a n w here th e sp ray e r sta n d s in fro n t of a cab in e t b o o th w ith e x h a u st v e n tila
tion equal to th a t specified in O rder 2203 (a ) is p ro h ib ite d unless th e o p e ra to r is
p rovided w ith an ap p ro v ed resp irato r, gas m ask, or a ir h elm et a n d ap p ro v ed
hood, ja c k e t an d g au n tlets, w ith a positive su p p ly of a ir from a n u n p o llu ted
source.
(/) All orders, except those in w hich locations are otherw ise specifically m en
tio n ed in th ese orders, shall be co n stru ed as ap p ly in g equally to sp ray in g o p era
tions co n d u cted inside a n d o u tsid e of c a b in e t b o o th s a n d room booths.
(g) T h e use of benzol as a sp ray la cq u e r th in n e r is p ro h ib ited .
(h ) In cases w here, in th e opinion of th e d e p a rtm e n t of in d u stria l relations,
division of in d u stria l accid en ts a n d safety , th e enfo rcem en t of a n y o rd er w ould n o t
m aterially increase th e safety to em ployees in th e use of an y eq u ip m e n t an d
w ould w ork und u e h ard sh ip on th e em ployer, exem ptions m ay be m ad e a t th e
discretion of said division on w ritte n req u est, b u t such exem ptions m u st be in
w riting to be effective, a n d can be revoked a fte r reasonable n otice has been
given in w riting.
O r d e r 2 2 0 2 . S p e c i f i c a t i o n s f o r c a b in e t b o o th s . — (a) E x cep t as h e rein after noted,
all cab in e t booths shall be larg e enough com pletely to co n ta in all objects to be
spray coated therein. O bjects th a t are to o large for a n y one c a b in e t b o o th m ay be
sp ray coated by first placing one en d in a b o o th a n d th e n th e o th e r end.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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STATE REGULATIONS— SPRAY PAINTING
33
O r d e r 2203. E x h a u s t s y s t e m s . — (a) All c a b in e t b o oths a n d room b o o th s shall
be equipped w ith a n e x h au st fa n or fan s of sufficient c a p acity to m ove th e air
p a st th e w orking face of th e b o o th (or p o in t of o p eration) to w a rd th e fan a t a
velocity to in su re u n d e r all o p eratin g conditions th e p ro te c tio n of o p e ra to rs an d
helpers a n d o th er persons in th e v icin ity from d ep o sit or in h a la tio n of th e
m aterials discharged from th e sp ray a p p a ra tu s. T his velocity shall be m a in
ta in e d ap p ro x im ately un ifo rm over n o t less th a n 75 p er c e n t of th e wmrking area.
F ans shall be of such size a n d ra te d ca p a c ity as to p e rfo rm th e req u ire d d u ty w ith
o u t th e necessity of overspeeding. T h e a ir in th e b re a th in g zone fu rn ish ed a n d
m ain tain ed shall be reaso n ab ly pure, fresh, a n d clean. A ir shall n o t be recircu lated
unless i t has been passed th ro u g h a n effective a ir cleansing a p p a ra tu s.
(5) All sp ray o p erato rs in c a b in e t b o o th s shall exercise care n o t to com e b etw een
th e ex h au st o u tle t a n d a n y sp ray g u n in operation.
(c) In room booths used for th e sp ra y coating of objects by m ore th a n one
sp ray o p erato r w orking a t th e sam e tim e, e x h au st v e n tila tio n shall be p ro v id ed
so t h a t i t will be unnecessary fo r an y o n e to come betw een th e sp ra y gun a n d th e
n earest opening of th e ex h a u st system .
(d ) E x h a u s t d u c t s . — (1) All e x h au st d u cts shall be as sh o rt as possible. T h ey
shall te rm in a te a t a p o in t w here th e discharge will n o t en d an g er th e h e a lth of
a n y em ployee.
(2) If horizontal d u c ts are used, th e discharge ends of such d u c ts shall be
p ro te c te d from w ind p ressu re or p re c ip ita tio n b y one of th e follow ing m eth o d s:
(A) T he p ro jectin g end shall be tu rn e d dow n;
(B) T he p ro jectin g end shall be tu rn e d up an d p ro je c te d w ith a shield or cowl
above;
(C) A shield or baffle shall be in stalled in fro n t of th e discharge end.
(3) T he p ro jectin g end of a v ertic a l d u c t d ischarging u p w ard shall be p ro
te c te d w ith a shield o r cowl.
(4) All ex h au st d u c ts shall be so co n stru c te d as to be easily in sp ected a n d
cleaned. All d u c ts longer th a n 10 feet an d less th a n 60° from th e h o rizo n tal
shall h av e clean-out doors a t 10-foot in terv als, o r shall be so c o n stru c te d as to be
easily ta k e n a p a rt fo r cleaning in len g th s of n o t m ore th a n 10 feet. All d u c ts
over 10 feet in len g th shall h av e clean-out doors 10 feet from co n n ectio n w ith
b ooth.
(/) E x h a u st v e n tila tio n shall be m a in ta in e d in every case a t such ra te t h a t no
visible sp ra y is seen to com e ou tsid e th e face of th e ca b in e t b o o th .
{g ) To m a in ta in a d e q u a te v en tila tio n , cross c u rre n ts of a ir sh all be avoided.
( h ) All cab in e t bo o th s a n d room b o o th s shall be so lo cated a n d o p e ra te d as to
insure an a d e q u a te a m o u n t of reaso n ab ly pure, clean air, of co m fo rta b le te m
p e ra tu re o r eq u al to n o rm al o u tsid e atm o sp h ere , to replace th e a ir rem o v ed b y
th e ex h au st system .
( i) All e x h a u st system s shall be of such ty p e a n d a rra n g e m e n t t h a t o p e ra tin g
efficiency can be m a in ta in e d in d e p e n d e n t of w e ath er a n d a d ja c e n t w orking con
ditions inside o r outsid e th e p la n t.
O r d e r 2209. S e p a r a t i o n o f s p r a y o p e r a to r s .— {a ) W here w orkers are engaged
in th e sp ra y coating of autom obiles, tru c k s, ra ilro a d cars, a n d sim ilar larg e objects
placed ap p ro x im ately p arallel to each o th e r in sheds, o r in th e open, a space of
a t le a st 6 feet shall in te rv e n e betw een each tw o vehicles o r o b jects being so coated.
(5) O p erato rs using th e sp ra y m eth o d shall be p ro h ib ite d fro m sp ra y in g to
w ard each o th e r w here th e re is a n y p o ssibility of sp ra y strik in g th e h ead or face
of a n o th e r o perator.
O r d e r 2210. A d d i t i o n a l r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r h e a lth a n d s a n i t a t i o n . — (a) All sp ra y
o p erato rs w orking inside of room b o o th s w here c a b in e t b o o th s a re n o t p ro v id ed ,
or in th e open air, shall w ear an ap p ro v e d hood, ja c k e t, a n d g au n tlets.
(b ) W here re s p irato rs o r o th e r sim ilar devices of th e filter ty p e are used, th e y
shall be cleaned, o r th e filtering m a te ria l renew ed n o t less th a n tw ice each w o rk
ing day , a n d as o ften in a d d itio n th e re to as necessary. In th e case of in te rm it
te n t use, such re sp ira to rs shall be cleaned, o r th e filtering m a te ria l renew ed a t
least once each five h o u rs of use. If th e filtering, n eu tralizin g , or ab so rb in g m a te
rial is of such c h a ra c te r t h a t i t m ay be used w ith sa fe ty fo r a longer tim e th a n
t h a t ju s t specified, th e d irections of th e m a n u fa c tu re r of th e device fo r th e renew al
of such m a te ria l shall b e follow ed.
(c) In a d d itio n to a p p ro v e d w ashing or b a th in g facilities, a d e q u a te supplies
of soap an d nail brush es shall be p ro v id ed for sp ra y o p e ra to rs a n d th e ir helpers.
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34
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
(<7) N o person or perso n s shall be p e rm itte d to e a t or to b rin g food in sid e a n v
room b o o th
No person o r p ersons shall be p e rm itte d to e a t th e ir m eals w here
sp ray in g is being done w ith in a ra d iu s of 25 fe e t of such sp ray in g
P erS° ? Un<Jer l 8 7 ears of a Se sha11 be re q u ire d or p e rm itte d to sp ray
c o at o b jects or to a c t a,s h elpers on sa n d p ap erin g jobs.
1 y
(j)
W hen san d p ap erin g is c o n tin u o u sly done in c o n ju n ctio n w ith sp ray co atin g
th e w et process shall be used to elim in ate th e d u st. W hen d ry san d in g is done
on eith e r in te rio r or exterio r w ork, an ap p ro v e d ty p e of re sp ira to r, gas m ask or
air h e lm et m u st b e pro v id ed a n d shall be w orn by th e o p erato r.
’
p ro te c tiv e clo th in g shall be fu rn ish ed a n d m a in ta in e d in a sa n ita rv
condition by th e em ployer. A co m p lete change shall be fu rn ish e d a t le a st
once each w eek or oftener if necessary.
O r d e r 2211. R e p o r t i n g o f p a i n t p o t s . — W hoever owns, uses, or causes to be
yised, a n y pressu re p a in t ta n k or p o t, carry in g 15 p o u n d s p ressu re p e r sq u are
inch or m ore shall re p o rt th e d a ta a n d n u m b e r th ereo f to th e d e p a rtm e n t of
in d u stria l relations, division of in d u stria l accid en ts a n d safety , w ith in 90 d av s
a fte r th e effective d a te of th e se orders.
y
O r d e r 2212. I n s p e c t i o n o f p a i n t p o t s . — (a) N o person, persons, firm, com pany,
or co rporation, shall use o r cause to be used, a n y p ressu re p a in t ta n k or p o t
s u b je c t to th e se orders, unless such p ressu re ta n k o r p o t shall h a v e been in sp e c te d
a n d ap p ro v ed by an in sp ecto r a u th o rized b y th e d e p a rtm e n t of in d u s tria l re la
tions, division of in d u s tria l accid en ts a n d safety, as h e re in a fte r re q u ire d or a
req u est for such in spectio n h a s been m ad e in w riting.
qoq f -^1?sP?c^ rs m u st hold certificate of co m petency as p ro v id ed fo r in o rd er
803 of th e boiler safety orders.
i <4 aD? R
R e p o r t s ° f p a i n t p o t s . — (a) A copy of all in sp ectio n re p o rts shall
be filed w ith th e d e p a rtm e n t of in d u s tria l relatio n s, division of in d u stria l acci
d en ts an d safety, w ith in 21 d a y s a fte r su ch in sp ectio n h as been m ade, on form s
provided, o uch re p o rts shall se t fo rth th e necessary changes or a d d itio n s or
rep airs to m ak e such a p p a ra tu s conform to th e re q u ire m e n ts of th o se orders.
u . -insurance com panies w hose in sp ecto rs h o ld certificates of co m p eten cv
a s boiler in sp ecto rs o r d e p u ty b oiler in sp ecto rs sh all re p o rt to th e d e p a rtm e n t o‘f
in d u s tria l relatio n s, division of in d u s tria l a c cid en ts a n d safetv , th e n am e of th e
ow ner o r u ser a n d th e locatio n of ev ery p ressu re p a in t ta n k or p o t on w hich in s u r
ance h a s been refused, canceled, o r disco n tin u ed , giving th e reaso n s th e re fo r
(c) Upon re q u e st of th e d e p a rtm e n t of in d u stria l relatio n s, division of in d u stria l
accid en ts a n d safety, o r of a n y in sp e c to r o r d e p u ty in sp e c to r of boilers ho ld in g a
certificate of com peten cy from th e d e p a rtm e n t of in d u s tria l relatio n s, division of
in d u stria l accid en ts an d safety , th e ow ner o r u ser of a n y p ressu re p a in t ta n k or
p o t shall p rep are sam e fo r inspection. T h e a p p lic a tio n of h v d ro s ta tic p ressu re
te s t shall re s t in th e discretio n of th e in sp e c to r a n d if so o rdered th e ow ner or u ser
shall m ak e th e necessary p re p a ra tio n s fo r such te st.
(d) In no case shall th e h y d ro s ta tic te s t exceed one a n d one-half tim es th e
m ax im u m safe w orking pressure.
O r d e r 2214. C o n s t r u c t i o n o f p a i n t p o t s . — T h e a ir p ressu re ta n k safety o rd ers
shall govern th e co n stru c tio n of all p ressu re p a in t ta n k s a n d p o ts carry in g a
p ressu re of 15_pounds p e r sq u a re in ch o r m ore.
O r d e r 2215. D e s i g n o f s p r a y e q u i p m e n t . — (a ) All p ressu re p a in t ta n k s an d
p o ts shall e ith e r be b u ilt to safely c a rry th e full p ressu re of th e com pressor system ,
o r be p ro te c te d from oy er-p ressu re by a safety valve. T h e sa fe ty valv e shall be
lo cated betw een th e red u cin g v alv e a n d th e p ressu re p a in t ta n k o r p o t, a n d w here
it w ill n o t be affected b y collections of sp ra y m ate ria l. T h e sa fe ty valv e being
a p ro te c tiv e device shall n o t be used to re g u la te th e p ressu re a n d n iay be sealed
a t th e d iscretion of th e d e p a rtm e n t of in d u stria l relatio n s, division of in d u s tria l
accid en ts a n d safety.
(5) S afety valv es w ith e ith e r th e se a t o r disk of iron a re p ro h ib ited .
O r d e r 2218. H a n d l i n g o f p a i n t p o ts . — (a ) W h en ev er a p ressu re p a in t ta n k or
p o t is placed on a stag in g o r p latfo rm , i t shall be securely fa sten ed o r tie d to stag in g
o r p la tfo rm w hen m use.
(5) T h e h o istin g of p ressu re p a in t ta n k s or p o ts by th e p a in t hose o r w hen
p ressu re is on th e ta n k o r p o t is p ro h ib ite d .
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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STATE REGULATIONS----SPRAY PAINTING
35
COLORADO
R u les and
R e q u ir e m e n t s
(P ublished in th e tw en ty -first bien n ial re p o rt of th e C olorado B u reau of L ab o r
S tatistics)
1. All indoor sp raju n g of m a n u fa c tu re d o b jects should be done in a p ro p erly
co n stru cte d b o o th w here size p erm its. T h e b est ty p e of b o o th is au to m a tic ,
w ith a sm all opening fo r th e p lace m en t a n d th e rem o v al of objects, th e se being
carried by tra c k or w heel to th e a u to m a tic a lly co ntrolled sp ray gun lo cated as fa r
as possible from th e feed opening.
2. F or n o n a u to m a tic sp ray in g th e 3-sided b o o th should be used. T h is b o o th
should b e larg e enough to com pletely cover th e o b ject being c o ate d a n d w ith
a d e q u a te v e n tila tio n fro m th e rear, or from slit ex h au sts on th e sides a n d th e to p .
W ide b o o th s should h av e m u ltip le fan in sta lla tio n s or a larg e e x h au st fa n well
baffled to d is trib u te a ir cu rren ts. T h e face a rea of th e b o o th should be from
four to eig h t tim e s th e a re a of th e o b je c t sprayed, n o t to o large o r to o sm all. T he
b o o th should be cleaned periodically, p re v e n tin g a n y ap p reciab le accu m u latio n
on th e walls, a n d no litte r should b e allow ed to a c cu m u late on th e floor. W alls
a n d ceilings of th e b o o th should be greased or p apered, or both.
3. O pen w indow s n ea r th e b o o th face should n o t be p e rm itte d as th e y often
m a te ria lly d istu rb th e air c u rre n ts a n d p re v e n t p ro p er e x h au st th ro u g h th e
booth. A t tim es th e y m ay even reverse th e a ir flow an d a c tu a lly increase th e
w orkers’ exposure.
4. F an s a re b est lo cated on th e re a r or sides, a n d b e tte r low th a n high, as
m o st of th e h arm fu l in g red ien ts used in sp ray coating give e ith e r h e a v y v a p o rs or
a re h eav y solids. In d ire c t v e n tila tio n is seldom efficient.
5. I t is im p o rta n t t h a t th e re is sufficient fresh a ir to su p p ly th e fan pull, a n d
supply a ir from special d u c ts ra th e r th a n d raw fro m a room alre a d y fu ll of fum es
from o th e r processes. In no case should air b e d raw n from th e d ry in g room ,
w here th e a ir is a lread y h eav ily charged w ith lacq u e r fum e.
6. F a n s an d d u c ts m u s t be k e p t clean. T h e fan m u st b e p ro p erly a d ju sted .
N o fa n will give its claim ed ra tin g of air flow if caked w ith d irt o r if im p ro p erly
balanced.
7. E x h a u st d u cts should be s tra ig h t a n d av o id sharp angles. W here solids
in suspension are spray ed as v itreo u s enam el, d u c ts should n o t be h o rizo n tal. B u t
if ab solutely necessary to be h o rizo n tal th e y should be larg e a n d fre q u e n tly
cleaned.
8. D u c ts should be ap p reciab ly larg er th a n th e fan a re a to av o id friction.
T h ey should discharge a t a p o in t w here th e ex h au st fu m es w ill n o t be a m enace
to others, a n d w here th e y will n o t re e n te r th e room .
9. D ischarge openings should be p ro te c te d from w ind back p ressu re b y baffles
or cowls or by n o t to o a b ru p t bends.
10. O ne essential to good ex h au st v e n tila tio n is a ir m o v em en t p a s t th e sp ra y e r’s
face to w a rd th e ex h au st fa n s a t a ra te of a t le a st 150 feet, or b e tte r, 200 fe e t p er
m in u te, regardless of b o o th a re a o r cubic co n ten ts.
11. O bjects being sp ray ed in b o o th s should be p laced en tirely w ith in th e
b o o th . S p ray should be d irected aw ay fro m th e w orker to w a rd th e exhausts,
a n d larg e flat surfaces should be sp ray ed a t o th e r th a n a rig h t angle a n d placed a t
a n angle in relatio n to th e fan. D eep boxes should b e p laced side on to w ard s
th e fa n w hen being sp ray ed inside. W hen sm all o b jects a re being sp ray ed in a
large b ooth, th e y should be on low sta n d s or tu r n ta b le s so th a t sp ray is directed
dow n ra th e r th a n up.
12. G un pressure should alw ays b e as low as is co n sisten t w ith good w o rk m an
ship. T ests show t h a t high pressures in crease m a te ria lly th e dispersion of toxic
su b stan ces in th e air.
13. N o lacq u er sp ray in g should be done w ith o u t ex h au st v en tilatio n , regardless
of benzol co n ten t, a n d benzol lacq u e rs or p a in ts should n o t be sp ray ed unless th e
sp ray er is equipped w ith a p o sitiv e p ressu re a ir m ask o r helm et.
14. Q uick d ry in g p a in ts co n tain in g benzine, m in eral spirits, tu rp e n tin e , etc.,
should n o t be spray ed ind o o rs w ith o u t e x h au st v en tilatio n , or p o sitiv e p ressu re
a ir m asks or helm ets.
15. In te rio r d e co rato r’s eq u ip m e n t should include p o rta b le e x h a u st fan s
to be in stalled in w indow s w here o th e r th a n benzol or lead -co n tain in g m ate ria ls
a re being sprayed, a n d w ith th ese m a te ria ls a m ask should be w orn. L ead
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[949]
36
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
p a in ts or enam els should n o t be sp ray ed w ith o u t a d e q u a te ex h au st v e n tila tio n or
a ir m asks, a n d th e lead c o n te n t should be know n.
16.
L arge objects, to o larg e fo r booths, m ay be sp ray ed b eh in d c u rta in s or
p a rtitio n s to confine sp ray , a n d ex h au st fa n s m ay be used h ere also.
M A SSA CH U SETTS
(F rom R evised R ules a n d R eg u latio n s p e rta in in g to th e P a in tin g B usiness.
D ecem ber, 1925.)
R ule 6. Health requirements.— (1) Reasonable ventilation shall be provided
at all times.
(2) W hen san d p a p e rin g le a d -p a in te d surfaces, w et sa n d p a p e r shall be used.
(3) W hen exposed to in ju ry , th e o p e ra to r of sp ra y co atin g a p p a ra tu s sh all be
p ro te c te d b y a re sp ira to r or o th e r effective device, su b je c t to ap p ro v a l b y th e
d e p a rtm e n t.
(4) E xposed p a rts of th e b o d y shall be an n o in te d w ith a harm less, n o n d ry in g
oil, grease, or cream d u rin g th e sp ray in g o perations.
(5) R esp irato rs or devices shall be fu rn ish ed b y th e em ployer a n d k e p t in a
sa n ita ry condition by th e em ployee or p erson using th em .
M IC H IG A N
R u l e s a n d S t a n d a r d s o n S p r a y C o a t in g o f M a n u f a c t u r e d o r F a b r ic a t e d
A r t ic l e s — P a in t s , V a r n is h e s , L a c q u e r s , E n a m e l s , S t a in s , a n d S im il a r
S u r f a c e C o a t i n g s — b y M e a n s o f C o m p r e s s e d A i r , e t c ., 1927
R u l e 3. All sp ra y co atin g e q u ip m e n t shall be com plete in all d etails essential
to effective o p eratio n a n d p re v e n tio n of excessive m ist or vapors.
R u l e 4. *
* * (d ) B ooths shall be so designed t h a t th e p o sitio n of th e
o p e ra to r shall be betw een th e source of th e fresh air su p p ly a n d th e surface
being sp ray coated.
R ule 6. (a) E v e ry b o o th shall be eq u ip p ed w ith a m echanical ex h au st
sy stem w hich shall be c o n stru c te d a n d m a in ta in e d so as to o p e ra te effectively
in d ep en d e n t of w eath er or a d ja c e n t b u ild in g conditions.
(b)
E x h a u st sy stem s shall be so designed as to m a in ta in a n av erag e air velocity
of n o t less th a n 90 lin ear fe e t p er m in u te (as d ete rm in e d b y th e v an e a n em o m eter
o r th e k a ta th erm o m e te r) a t th e face of th e b o o th to a d e q u a te ly rem ove v apors
and to p re v e n t com bustible m ix tu res fo rm in g in th e room or th e b o o th . T h e direc
tio n of th e a ir flow shall be from th e o p e ra to r to w a rd th e o b jects or w ork being
sp ray ed a n d th en ce to th e discharge orifices of th e b o o th or room .
R u l e 7. (a) E x cep t as h e re in a fte r p ro v id ed , b o o th s shall be large enough
com pletely to co n ta in all o b jects to be c o ate d th e re in . O bjects such as a u to
m obile or tr u c k chassis a n d o th e r articles of u n u su al len g th s m ay be c o ate d as
fa r as possible in such b o o th a n d th e en d p ro je c tin g ou tsid e of b o o th m ay be
co ate d w ith o u t rem o v in g th e o b je c t; p ro v id ed v e n tila tio n is of such v elocity as
to c a rry vap o rs or residue in to th e b o o th . W here b o o th s are used th e discharge
of a n y sp ray ed m a te ria l in to th e atm o sp h e re o u tsid e of th e b o o th is p ro h ib ited ,
ex cep t as pro v id ed above for articles slig h tly p ro je c tin g b e y o n d th e face of th e
booth.
R ule 11. (a) Respirators or other equally efficient protective devices shall be
supplied by the employer and used and maintained in clean and efficient working
condition by the employee or person using them when the material being sprayed
is known to contain any ingredient which when taken into the system in excessive
quantities is injurious to health, where such mist or fumes may be present.
O H IO
R u les for
P a in t S p r a y in g
(U sed by th e inspecto rs of th e d e p a rtm e n t of in d u stria l relatio n s as a guide
in issuing specific orders w hen m ak in g insp ectio n s; such orders h av in g th e
effect of law.)
T he principal hazards of paint spraying, whether of large or small objects, arise
from the toxic and explosive or inflammable quality of the material used for
spraying.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[9501
STATE REGULATIONS— SPRAY PAINTING
37
T o o b v iate these h azard s, th e follow ing p recau tio n s a re n ecessary:
P r o v i s io n s w h i c h th e e m p l o y e r m u s t m a k e to p r o te c t th e w o r k e r
1. P rovisions should be m ad e so t h a t th e sp ray in g room will be lig h ted b y as
m uch n a tu ra l light* as possible. W here possible it is desirable to h a v e e ith e r a
so u th e a st or so u th w est exposure w ith a saw -to o th roof. P ro p e r lig h t is im
p o rta n t as i t enables th e w orker w ith n o rm al vision to w ork as fa r from th e p isto l
p o in t as is practicable.
2. E x h a u st fans of a d e q u a te size should be pro v id ed a n d so lo cated th a t th e
fum es will be effectively d raw n aw ay from th e w orker to th e o u te r air. In new
in sta lla tio n s th e back w all a n d ceiling of th e room can be designed to fa c ilita te
th e rem oval of th e air.
3. P rovisions m u st be m ad e for a place o u tside of th e sp ray in g room for th e
w orker to ta k e his lunch.
4. Provisions m u s t be m ad e for a w ash room e n tirely a p a rt from th e sp ray in g
room , p rovided w ith ru n n in g h o t a n d cold w ater, soap, a n d tow el.
5. Tw o resp irato rs or a su ita b le hoo d m u s t be fu rn ish ed each em ployee engaged
in th is w ork a n d sam e m u s t be k e p t in w orking order.
6. T w o p airs of overalls a n d ju m p e rs shall be p ro v id ed for each em ployee.
T h e em ployer shall keep th ese in re p a ir a n d h a v e sam e w ashed once each week.
7. T h ere should be a n ex am in atio n of em ployees in te n d e d for th is w ork, a n d
unless th e y are sound p h ysically a n d h av e n o rm al eyesig h t th e y should be re
jected. T hose a c tu a lly engaged in th is w ork should be reexam ined once every
six m o n th s, or oftener if signs of sickness ap p ear.
8. N ew w orkers should h av e th e h a z a rd s of th e w ork fully explained to th e m
a n d im pressed on them .
9. T h e forem an in charge of sp ray in g should be in s tru c te d to see t h a t th e p ro
visions m ade for th e safety of th e em ployees are p ro p erly m a in ta in e d a n d th e
safety rules for w orkers obeyed.
R u le s f o r w o r k e r s
1. W orkers m u st w ear th e re sp ira to r or hood p ro v id ed w hen engaged in
spraying.
2. T h e p istol should be d irected a t th e w ork, n o t a t rig h t angles, b u t a t such
a n angle as will deflect th e sp ray in th e d irection of th e e x h a u st fan.
3. T h e w orker m u s t use th e g a rm en ts a n d gloves p ro v id ed b y th e em ployer.
4. T h e w orker m u s t n o t e a t his lu n ch in th e sp ra y room .
5. T h e w orker m u s t w ash his h a n d s th o ro u g h ly before placing a n y food o r
tobacco in his m o u th .
6. In so fa r as con sisten t w ith th e w ork being done th e w orker m u st a v o id
g e ttin g covered w ith th e spray.
7. T h e w orker m u s t th o ro u g h ly w ash his h ands, arm s, face, a n d o th e r p a rts of
his body w hich m ay h av e sp ray on th e m before leaving th e w ork.
8. In ad ju stin g th e p isto l th e sp ray should be d irected in to th e ex h a u st fan
an d n o t in to th e air of th e room .
P E N N S Y L V A N IA
T e n t a t iv e
D raft
(1928) R
e g u l a t io n s
for
S p r a y C o a t in g
F o r e w o r d . — T hese reg u la tio n s shall be u n d e rsto o d —To p e rta in to all sp ray -co atin g o p eratio n s, as h e re in a fte r defined, w ith in th e
C om m onw ealth of P enn sy lv an ia. T h e se cretary of la b o r a n d in d u s try m ay
req u ire ad d itio n a l p ro tec tio n n o t called fo r in th e se reg u la tio n s if, in his opinion
or t h a t of his au th o rized re p re se n ta tiv e , sufficient h a z a rd exists to w a rra n t su ch
action.
T o se t fo rth th e rules to safeg u ard th e lives, lim bs, a n d h e a lth of w orkers in
sp ray -co atin g operations.
To place th e resp o n sib ility of com plying w ith th e ru les u p o n b o th th e em ployer
a n d th e em ployee.
I t shall be u n d ersto o d fu rth e r t h a t th e provisions of all o th e r reg u la tio n s of
th e d e p a rtm e n t shall ap p ly in all m a tte rs n o t specifically covered b y th e se re g u
latio n s w hich involve th e lives, lim bs, a n d h e a lth of w orkers.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[951]
38
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
P e t i t i o n .— A ny em ployer, em ployee, or o th e r person in te re ste d or affected by
such rules m ay p e titio n for a h earin g on th e reasonableness of such rules by
filing a p e titio n w ith th e se cretary of th e in d u s tria l b o ard a t H arrisb u rg , P a.,
settin g fo rth th e ru le or rules upon w hich a change is desired a n d th e reason for
said change.
U pon receip t of a p e titio n th e in d u s tria l b o ard will d eterm in e its m erits, and
if a hearing is necessary n o tice of tim e a n d place will be given to th e p e titio n e r
a n d to such o th e r persons as th e in d u s tria l b o ard m a y find d irectly in tere ste d .
Section 1.— (a) No person or persons shall remove or make ineffective any
safeguard, safety appliance, or device attached to machinery except for the pur
pose of immediately making repairs or adjustments; and any person or persons
who remove or make ineffective any such safeguard, safety appliance, or device
for repairs or adj ustments shall replace the same immediately upon the comple
tion of such repairs or adjustments.
(6)
E v e ry em ployer o r person exercising d irectio n or co n tro l over a n y person
or perso n s w ho rem ove such safeguard, safety ap pliance, or device, or over any
person or persons fo r w hose p ro te c tio n i t is designed, shall h a v e th e safeguard,
safety appliance, or device so rem oved p ro m p tly a n d p ro p erly replaced.
_ (c) E v ery em ployee sh all use all safeguards, safety appliances, or devices fu r
n ished for his p ro te c tio n a n d shall c arry o u t all reg u latio n s w hich m ay concern
o r affect h is conduct.
Sec. 3. R ule 1.— (a) U nless o therw ise stip u la te d , sp ray co atin g shall be p er
form ed in booths. B ooths m ay be lo cated in b asem en ts or below th e grade
floor of an y building u n d e r th e follow ing co nditions:
(1) If th e b asem en t h as a t le a st tw o m eans of egress for em ployees (elevators
n o t included).
(2) If th e b o o th s a re lo cated n o t less th a n 30 feet from th e openings fo r egress.
(3) T h ere shall be eith er one e x h au st d u c t w ith in 1 fo o t of th e floor level a t
th e back of th e b o o th eq u ip p ed w ith an ex h au st fan, or th e b o o th s shall be
equipped w ith baffles so as to in su re c o m p arativ ely u niform ex h au st from all
p o rtio n s of th e fro n t of th e booth.
(b ) No regulation s a p p ly in g to th e b o oths or room b o o th s shall a p p ly to th e
use of th e sp ray m eth o d for co atin g in terio rs or exteriors of buildings or oth er
stru ctu res, or for th e co atin g of objects in th e open a ir or in sheds open a t least
on tw o opposite sides. If m aterials co n tain in g benzol or lead are used in th e
sp ray coating of build in g or o th e r stru c tu ra l in terio rs, each o p e ra to r shall w ear
a n ap p ro v ed ty p e resp irato r, gas m ask, o r a ir helm et; o r a n e x h au st fan or fans
of sufficient c a p acity shall be in stalled in a n ear-b y w all opening. Such fan or
fan s shall be_ o p erate d c o n sta n tly w hile sp ray in g o p eratio n s are being carried on
in such interiors, an d shall effect n o t less th a n 10 changes of a ir p er hour. T he
sp ray co atin g of in terio rs shall be so p erform ed th a t n e ith e r th e sp ray o p erato r
nor a n y o th e r w orker shall co n tin u o u sly come b etw een th e o u tle t of th e spray
gun in o p eratio n a n d such fan.
(c) T h e sp ray co atin g o f large objects or large p a rts need n o t be accom plished
in bo o th s or room b o o th s if n o t read ily su b jected to such tre a tm e n t. T h e sp ra y
ing of large ob jects o r large p a rts w ith m aterials co n tain in g benzol or lead shall n o t
be carried on by a n y in d iv id u al unless he w ears a n a p p ro v e d ty p e of resp irato r,
gas m ask, hose m ask, or a ir h elm et. Such sp ray in g sh all n o t be done w ith in 30
feet of a n o th e r w orker unless t h a t w orker is p ro v id ed w ith p ro te c tio n e q u al to
t h a t furnished th e sp ray er.
(d ) T he sp ray in g of v itreo u s enam el or o th e r siliceous m aterials in places o th e r
th a n w here th e sp ra y e r sta n d s in fro n t of a b o o th w ith an ex h au st v e n tila tio n equal
to t h a t specified in ru le 3 (a) is p ro h ib ite d unless th e o p e ra to r is p ro v id ed w ith
a n ap p ro v ed re sp ira to r or a ir h elm et w ith a positive supply of a ir from a n u n p o l
lu te d source.
(e) All rules, except th o se in w hich locations are specifically m en tio n ed , shall
be co n stru ed as ap p ly in g equally to sp ray in g o p eratio n s co n d u cte d inside of an d
o u tsid e of bo o th s a n d room booths.
R ule 2.— (a) E x c e p t as h ere in a fte r noted , all b o o th s shall be large enough
com pletely to co n tain all o b jects to be co ated therein . O bjects th a t are too large for
a n y one b o o th m ay be c o ate d by placing first one end in a b o o th an d th e n th e o th e r
end. I f th e o u te r en d of such o b ject does n o t ex ten d m ore th a n 6 feet from th e
face of th e b ooth, i t shall be perm issible to ex ten d one side of th e b o o th a n d th e
roof as fa r as th e o b je c t extends. M a teria ls used fo r th e extension of sides or
roof shall be of th e sam e general c h a ra c te r as t h a t used for th e c o n stru c tio n of
th e original booth.
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STATE REGULATIONS— SPRAY PAINTING
39
R ule 3.— (a) All b o o th s a n d room b o o th s shall be eq u ip p ed w ith a n ex h au st
fan or fan s capable of m oving th e a ir p a s t th e w orking face of th e b o o th (or p o in t
of operation) to w ard th e fan, a t a speed of n o t less th a n 125 lin ear fe e t p e r m in u te
as m easured by a vane anem o m eter. T his ra te shall be m a in ta in e d ap p ro x im ately
uniform over n o t less th a n 75 p e r c en t of th e w orking area. F an s shall be of
such size a n d ra te d cap acity as to p erfo rm th e req u ired d u ty w ith o u t th e necessity
of overspeeding.
(b ) All sp ray o p erato rs in b o o th s shall exercise care n o t to come betw een th e
e x h a u st o u tle t a n d a n y sp ra y created .
(c) I n room booths, w here th e sp ray co atin g of objects is done by m ore th a n
one sp ray o p erato r w orking a t th e sam e tim e, e x h au st v e n tila tio n shall be p ro
vided so t h a t i t will be u nnecessary fo r an y o n e to com e betw een th e sp ray and
th e n earest opening of th e e x h a u st system .
(d ) (1) All ex h au st d u c ts shall be as sh o rt as possible. T hey shall te rm in a te
a t a p o in t w here th e discharge will least en d an g er h e a lth o r p ro p e rty . N on
com bustible a n d readily cleanable screens o r baffles a n d d rip p an s shall be p ro
vided w here necessary. All o u tle ts shall be p ro te c te d w here th e b u ild in g is
exposed to th e h azard of fire o r sp ark s en terin g th e ex h au st d u c ts an d se ttin g fire
to th e sp ray in g o r o th e r eq uipm ent.
(2) If horizontal d u c ts a re used, th e discharge ends of such d u c ts shall be
p ro tected from w ind pressu re or p re c ip ita tio n by one of th e follow ing m eth o d s.
(A) T h e p ro jectin g end shall be tu rn e d down.
(B) T he pro jectin g end shall be tu rn e d up an d p ro te c te d w ith a shield or cowl
above.
(C) A shield or baffle shall be in stalled in fro n t of th e discharge end.
(3) T h e p ro jectin g end of a v ertical d u c t discharging u p w ard shall be p ro te c te d
w ith a shield or cowl.
(4) All ex h au st d u c ts shall be so c o n stru cte d as to be easily in sp ected a n d
cleaned. All d u cts longer th a n 10 feet shall h av e clean-out doors a t 10-foot
in terv als or shall be so c o n stru cte d as to be easily ta k e n a p a rt fo r cleaning.
( / ) (1) E x cep t as h erein after n o ted , n o th in g in th ese reg u latio n s p e rta in in g to
th e ex h au st sy stem shall be co n stru ed as ap p ly in g to th e sp ray in g of m aterials,
o th e r th a n lacquer, in b o o th s w ith a face a re a of n o t m ore th a n 4 sq u are feet,
except w here 1 gallon or m ore of such m a te ria l is sp ray ed a t one boo th , or b y one
o p erato r in th e course of one d a y ’s work.
(2)
W here a m o u n ts u n d er 1 gallon p er d ay p er b o o th or p er p erso n are sp ray ed ,
ex h au st v en tilatio n shall be m ain ta in e d a t such ra te th a t no visible sp ray is
seen to come outside th e face of th e booth.
(g) T o m ain ta in ad eq u a te v en tilatio n , cross c u rren ts of air shall be avoided.
W hile spraying is being carried on, w indow s shall n o t be opened on eith er side of
th e sp ray er w ith in an a rea extending 15 feet to th e rig h t or left from th e face of
th e booth.
(h ) All boo th s an d room b o oths shall be so lo cated a n d o p erated as to insure
a n a d e q u a te a m o u n t of p u re, clean air of com fortable te m p e ra tu re or equal to
no rm al ou tsid e atm o sp h ere to replace th e air rem oved b y th e ex h au st system .
( i ) All ex h au st system s shall be of such ty p e a n d a rra n g e m e n t t h a t o p eratin g
efficiency can be m a in ta in e d in d ep en d e n t of w eath er a n d a d ja c e n t w orking con
d itio n s inside or outside th e p la n t.
R ule 9.— (a) W here w orkers are engaged for m ore th a n o n e-q u a rte r of th e ir
w orking d ay in using th e sp ray m e th o d for th e a p p licatio n of m a te ria ls co n tain in g
lead or benzol to autom obiles, tru ck s, ra ilro a d cars, a n d sim ilar large vehicles
placed ap p ro x im ately parallel to each o th e r in sheds o r in th e open, a space of
13 feet (or th e eq u iv a le n t of a stan d a rd -g a u g e railro a d or trolley tra c k plus
clearances) shall in terv en e betw een each tw o vehicles being so coated.
(b ) O perators using th e sp ray m e th o d shall n o t sp ray to w a rd each o th e r w here
th e re is an y possibility of sp ray strik in g th e h ead or face of a n o th e r o p erato r.
R ule 10.— (a) All sp ra y o p erato rs w orking w ith o u t booths, inside of room
booths, or in th e open air shall w ear caps or o th e r h ead coverings to p ro te c t th e
hair. N o th in g in th is reg u latio n shall be co n stru ed to req u ire a sp ray o p erato r,
statio n ed outside a b o oth a n d sp ray in g in to a booth, to w ear a cap or o th e r head
covering.
(b) W here resp irato rs or o th e r sim ilar devices of th e filter ty p e are used, th e y
shall be cleaned, or th e filtering m a te ria l renew ed n o t less th a n tw ice each w orking
d a y , a n d as often in ad d itio n th e re to as necessary. In th e case of in te rm itte n t
use, such re sp ira to r shall be cleaned, or th e filtering m a te ria l renew ed a t least
once each five hours of use. If th e filtering, neutralizin g , absorbing, or ad sorbing
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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40
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
m a te ria l is of such c h a ra c te r t h a t it m ay be used w ith safety for a longer tim e
th a n ju s t specified, th e d irections of th e m a n u fa c tu re r of th e device fo r th e renew al
of such m a terial shall be followed.
(c) In a d d itio n to th e w ashing or b a th in g facilities re q u ired b y th e reg u latio n s
for in d u stria l sa n ita tio n issued b y th e d e p a rtm e n t of lab o r a n d in d u stry , a d e q u a te
supplies of soap an d nailb ru sh es shall be p ro v id ed for sp ray o p erato rs a n d th e ir
helpers.
(d ) N o person or persons shall be p e rm itte d to e a t or to b rin g food inside a n y
room b o o th . N o person or persons shall be p e rm itte d to e a t th e ir m eals w here
spraying is being done w ith in a rad iu s of 25 fe e t of such sp ray in g . T h e distan ce
of 25 feet m ay be red u ced to 15 feet, p ro v id ed th e e x h a u st sy stem h as been k ep t
in o p eratio n for a t lea st five m in u te s a fte r sp ray in g h as been stopped.
(e) N o person u n d e r 18 y ears of age shall be re q u ired or p e rm itte d to sp ray -co at
objects w ith a n y su b stan ce co n tain in g lead, benzol, or g ro u n d siliceous m aterial.
(/) W here v itreo u s enam el or o th e r siliceous m ate ria ls a re being sprayed,
bru sh in g off of excess enam el shall be carried on a t such a p o in t t h a t th e d u st
produced by th e o p eratio n will n o t g et in to th e fresh -air su p p ly of th e sp ray er.
T his should be done p referab ly in connection w ith an ex h a u st v e n tila tin g d u c t.
W IS C O N S IN
GENERAL
ORDERS
ON
SPRAY
PA IN TIN G
Order 2050. S c o p e . — T hese orders shall govern th e use a n d co n tro l of all
spray -co atin g a p p a ra tu s, in every p lace of e m p lo y m en t: P r o v i d e d , h o w e v e r , T h a t
th e y shall n o t p ro h ib it or re g u la te a n y farm er, h o rtic u ltu rist, fru it grow er, or o th e r
person engaged in farm ing o r fru it o r v eg eta b le grow ing, from using a sp ra y m a
chine for th e purp o se of sp ray in g trees, sh ru b s, a n d vines w ith chem icals to p ro
te c t th e sam e from disease; or p ro h ib it or re g u la te a n y d a iry m a n , cream ery ow ner
or o p erato r, or o th e r person from using a n y sp ray in g m ach in e to sp ra y a n y b u ild
ing or p a r t th ereo f w ith solutions com posed of w a te r a n d chem icals of recognized
m edical value, w hen used for th e pu rp o se of keeping said buildings in a sa n ita ry
condition.
Order 2055. (1) T y p e o f e q u i p m e n t . — A ny ty p e of e q u ip m e n t m ay be used
except th e su ctio n or tru e ejec to r ty p e of m ore th a n 1 p in t cap acity .
(2)
C h a r a c te r o f e q u i p m e n t . — All sp ray in g e q u ip m e n t shall be com plete in all
d etails essential to effective o p eratio n a n d p rev e n tio n of excessive m ist.
Order 2056. (1) N o z z l e d i s t a n c e f r o m s u r f a c e . — D u rin g o p eratio n th e nozzle of
th e sp ray gun shall n o t a t a n y tim e be m ore th a n 13 inches from th e surface being
sp ray coated.
(2) S c a f f o l d i n g . — W hen necessary, scaffolding or o th e r ap p ro v ed su p p o rt shall
be used so t h a t th e m ax im u m allow able d istan ce b etw een gun nozzle a n d th e su r
face being sp ray coate d is n o t exceeded.
(3) M a x i m u m a llo w a b le p a i n t p r e s s u r e .- —T he p a in t p ressure shall a t no tim e
exceed t h a t necessary to pro d u ce a free flow of p a in t, n o t a sp u rt, a t gun nozzle
w hen gun is o p erated in d e p e n d e n t of ato m izin g pressure.
(4) O p e r a t i o n a t d i f f e r e n t le v e ls . — A t no tim e shall tw o o r m ore o p erato rs w o rk
ing a t elevations differing m ore th a n 8 feet, use p a in t from th e sam e supply ta n k ,
unless sp ray guns are eq u ip p ed w ith a p a in t p ressu re reg u lato r.
(5) E x c l u s i o n o f o th e r s . — N one o th e r th a n sp ra y o p erato rs a n d th e ir helpers
shall be p e rm itte d w ith in a zone w here a m ist or d ep o sit is a p p a re n t, unless such
person is p ro te c te d th e sam e as o p e ra to r a n d helper.
(6) C o n t a m i n a t i o n o f a d j a c e n t a r e a s . — P ro p er p re c a u tio n a ry m easures shall be
ta k e n to p re v e n t co n ta m in a tio n of atm o sp h e re in a d ja c e n t occupied areas.
Order 2057. (1) N o s e a n d m o u t h p r o te c tio n . — N ose a n d m o u th shall be p ro
te c te d w ith a re sp ira to r o r o th e r device of a n effective ty p e w hich m u s t be fu r
nished an d m a in tain e d in a clean a n d efficient w orking co ndition by th e em ployer
an d used b y th e operator.
(2) C l e a n s i n g o f r e s p i r a t o r s . — R esp irato rs or o th e r such devices of th e filter ty p e
shall be cleansed or rep laced n o t less th a n tw ice each w orking d ay or o ften er if
necessary. In case of in te rm itte n t use of resp irato rs, th e y shall be cleansed or
replaced a t least once each cale n d ar d ay of use.
(3) A p p r o v a l o f r e s p i r a t o r s . — R esp irato rs o r o th e r such devices used shall be
such as to m eet th e a p p ro v a l of th e in d u stria l com m ission.
(4) H e a d p r o te c tio n . — H ead shall be covered w ith a low fittin g cap w ith visor.
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STATE REGULATIONS----SPRAY PAINTING
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(5) B o d y p r o te c tio n . — B ody shall be covered w ith clothing as close fittin g as
possible co n sisten t w ith com fort, p ay in g p a rtic u la r a tte n tio n to fit a t neck a n d
w rists.
(6) H a n d p r o te c tio n . — H a n d s shall be p ro te c te d by su ita b le gloves, p referab ly
of th e g au n let ty p e.
(7) R e s p o n s i b i l i t y a n d m a i n t e n a n c e . — All p ro te c tiv e clothing shall be fu rn ish ed
a n d m a in tain ed in a sa n ita ry con d itio n b y th e em ployer. A com plete change
shall be fu rn ish ed a t le a st once each w eek or o ften er if necessary.
(8) F a c e a n d n e c k a n o i n t e d . — All exposed p a rts of th e body shall be k e p t
a n o in ted w ith a non d ry in g oil, grease, or cream du rin g sp ray o perations.
W ashing facilities shall be in com pliance w ith O rder 2214 of th e g eneral orders
on sa n ita tio n , except t h a t u p o n sh iftin g em p lo y m en t, such as house p ain tin g ,
clean rags shall be furn ish ed by th e em ployer.
Order 2060. (1) C a b in e t b o o th s . — One o r m ore b o oths or cab in e ts su itab le for
th e class or classes of w ork to be done th erein , shall be p ro v id ed , m ain ta in e d ,
and used for all p a in ts, v arn ish , or o th e r sim ilar sp ray coating of o b jects o th e r
th a n buildings, ships, a n d stru ctu res.
(2) R o o m b o o th s . — W here th e size a n d n a tu re of th e o b jects to be sp ray co ated
are such as to m ak e th e use of cab in e t b o o th s im p racticab le, a su ita b ly c o n stru c te d
an d secluded p o rtio n of a b uilding m ay be e q u ip p ed a n d used as a b o o th fo r sp ra y
operations of large m ovable objects, such as assem bled autom obiles, tru c k s, a n d
railw ay cars.
(3) M i s c e l l a n e o u s o b je c ts . — M iscellaneous objects, such as h eav y m ach in ery ,
castings, stru c tu ra l m em bers, n o t a d a p ta b le to b o o th sp ra y in g shall be governed
by O rders 2055 to 2057, inclusive, of th ese regulations.
(12) P r o te c tiv e c lo th in g r e q u ir e d . — T h e e n tire person, except face a n d neck of
th e sp ray o p e ra to r a n d of his helper, shall be p ro te c te d b y su itab le cloth in g an d
eq u ip m en t d u rin g sp ra y w ork operatio n . T his re q u ire m e n t shall n o t a p p ly
w hen ceram ics or pyrox y lin coatings only a re applied.
Order 2062. (6) D is c h a r g e o r ific e s . — T h e discharge orifices a n d o u tle ts th ro u g h
w hich spray -lad en or c o n ta m in a te d a ir is to be rem oved from a n y ty p e of b o o th
shall be of such size, effectiveness, d istrib u tio n , a n d a rra n g e m e n t as to p ro m o te
an d resonably assure uniform d istrib u tio n of a ir flow th ro u g h w orking zone an d
a ro u n d th e w ork.
(8) V e n t i l a t i o n s y s t e m r e q u ir e d . — E v ery cab in e t or room b o o th shall be su itab ly
equipped a n d o p erated w ith an e x h au st or v en tila tio n sy stem w hich shall p ro te c t
th e o p erato rs a n d helpers a n d o th e r persons in th e vicinity, from d ep o sit or
in h a la tio n of th e m aterials discharged from th e sp ra y a p p a ra tu s.
(9) I n d e p e n d e n t o f w e a th e r c o n d i t i o n s .— All p ro te c tiv e system s shall be of such
ty p e a n d a rran g em en t t h a t efficacy of o p eratio n is m a in ta in e d in d e p e n d e n t of
w eath er an d ad ja c e n t w orking conditions.
Order 2063. (1) T h e air in th e b re a th in g zone fu rnished an d m ain tain ed
shall be p u re, fresh, an d clean.
(2) Q u a n t i t y . — P roperly tem p ered fresh a ir shall be p ositively supplied by
g ra v ity o r m echanical m eans to room s co n tain in g o r c o n stitu tin g an y b o oth,
in a m o u n ts n o t less th a n th e am o u n ts rem oved from such inclosures a n d room
booths, respectively, by th e b o o th o r o th e r v e n tila tio n system s.
(3) D i r e c t i o n o f a i r f l o w i n b o o th s . — T h e directio n of a ir flow in all e x h au st an d
v e n tilatio n system s in all b o o th s shall be from th e o p e rato rs a n d helpers, to w a rd
th e ob jects or w ork being sp ray co ated a n d th en ce to th e discharge orifices of th e
booths.
Order 2064. (1) L o c a t i o n o f w o r k . — All p o rtio n s of o b jects being sp ra y coated
shall be well inside th e b o o th s a t all tim es d u rin g sp ray o p eratio n s a n d shall be
arran g ed so as to p e rm it easy access an d m an ip u latio n , a n d so th e directio n of
sp ray will be effectively to w a rd th e b o o th discharge orifice, p referab ly inclined
dow nw ard.
(2) P o s i t i o n o f o p e r a to r . — All b o o th in sta lla tio n s shall be so a rran g ed an d
o p erated , t h a t th e o p erato rs will be effectively betw een th e source of air supply
an d th e p o in ts of ap p licatio n of spray.
(3) E x c l u s i o n o f o th e r s . — N o em ployees, o th e r th a n sp ray o p erato rs a n d helpers,
shall be p e rm itte d inside of a n y b o o th s d u rin g sp ra y co atin g operatio n s, o r subse
q u e n t th e re to , w hile th e b re a th in g zone th e re in rem ain s p e rcep tib ly c o n tam in ated .
(4) C o n t a m i n a t i o n o f a d j a c e n t a r e a s . —-T he size, d e p th , co n stru ctio n , a rra n g e
m ent, o p eratio n an d control of b o o th in sta lla tio n s an d all services p e rtin e n t
th e re to shall be such as to effectively p re v e n t c o n ta m in a tio n of b re a th in g zone
a n d persons in a d ja c e n t areas.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[955]
42
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
O r d e r 2065. (1) C l e a n l i n e s s . — All b o o th in s ta lla tio n shall be k e p t reaso n ab ly
clean th ro u g h o u t a t all tim es.
(2) E ff e c ti v e n e s s . — All b o o th in sta lla tio n shall be m a in ta in e d in good effective
w orking ord er th ro u g h o u t d u rin g all periods of op eratio n s.
(3) C lo th in g 'p e r io d ic a lly c le a n e d . —-The p ro te c tiv e clo th in g w orn d u rin g sp ray
operations shall be th o ro u g h ly a n d reg u larly cleaned a t reaso n ab ly fre q u e n t
intervals.
O r d e r 2066. A p p r o v a l . — All b o o th in s ta lla tio n s shall be com plete in all d etails
essential to effective o p e ra tio n a n d shall be of such c h a ra c te r th ro u g h o u t, as
will m eet th e ap p ro v al of th e in d u stria l com m ission.
United States Government
T h e Army Air Corps, having recognized the inherent hazards of
spraying airplane dopes and other m aterials, recently issued, technical
orders for the promotion of the comfort and the health of the spray
operators in th a t service. The orders were as follows:
1. P u r p o s e . — T he in s tru c tio n s co n tain ed h erein are issued fo r th e in fo rm atio n
a n d com pliance of all concerned, to p ro m o te th e com fort a n d h e a lth of personnel
engaged in sp ray p ain tin g , doping, etc.
2. P a i n t i n g b o o th . — (a ) A b o o th of th e dim ensions re q u ired by th e size an d
q u a n tity of w ork perfo rm ed b y th e a c tiv ity , will be in stalled in th e m o st p ra c tic a l
lo catio n w ith in th e dope room o r building. T h e b o o th will be c o n stru c te d of
su itab le sh eet-m e tal m a te ria ls to form a n inclosure h av in g a to p , tw o ends, an d
a back, a n d so sh ap ed as to in d u ce com plete a n d u n in te rru p te d a ir flow, in duced
b y ex h au st fans, from all p o in ts of th e open fro n t th ro u g h th e b ack to th e outside
air.
(fe) All doping a n d sp ray p a in tin g Avill be p erform ed w ith in th e lim its of th e
booth.
(c) T he ends, ceiling, back, a n d floor of th e b o oth, a n d all b o o th e q u ip m en t
w ill be k e p t free from excessive deposits of dope, p a in t, a n d o th e r foreign su b
stances.
(d) The exhaust fans may be installed in a Avail of the dope room or building
to eliminate the necessity of exhaust air ducts. In such eArent, that portion of
the Avail will serve as part of the back of the booth, and the remaining part of the
back will be shaped to induce complete, free flow of air.
3. E x h a u s t f a n s . — (a ) E x h a u st fan s of th e req u ired n u m b e r a n d size will be
in stalled in or connected b y su itab le sized air d u c ts to th e back of th e booth.
T h e fan s will be o p e ra te d a t a speed pro d u cin g a t le a st one com plete a ir change
w ith in th e b o o th ev ery tw o m in u te s d u rin g all sp ra y -p a in tin g a n d doping o p era
tions, a n d d u ring th e presence of fum es or ato m ized p a in ts, dopes, etc.
(b) T h e fan s will force th e a ir from th e b o o th in to th e open a ir ou tsid e of th e
dope room o r building, a n d will be k e p t Avell lu b ric a te d a n d cleaned. All ex
posed surfaces will be k e p t Avell greased to fa c ilita te rem o v al of excessive deposits
of foreign substances.
_4. E x h a u s t a i r d u c t s . —Exhaust air ducts, if used, will connect the booth
directly Avith the outside air, and will be sealed at all points to prevent leakage
and to add to the air change efficiency of the installation. They will be free
from obstructions and unnecessary bends, provided AArith suitable Aveather pro
tection covers at their exhaust ends, and will be kept free from excessive de
posits of foreign substances.
5. H e a t i n g e q u i p m e n t . — T h e h eatin g eq u ip m e n t will m a in ta in a m inim um
te m p e ra tu re of 65° F . w ith in th e dope room or building d u rin g cold w eath er,
a n d a te m p e ra tu re as m u ch h ig h er as is necessary to p re v e n t blushing of th e dope
d u e to excessive h u m id ity .
6. M a s k s . — E ach person engaged in th e w ork of doping o r sp ra y p a in tin g will
w ear a m ask to p re v e n t th e b re a th in g of disagreeable or h a rm fu l fum es a n d
ato m ized dopes, p ain ts, etc. T h e m ask s will be o b tain ed by requisition.
7. R e l a ti v e p o s i t i o n o f p e r s o n n e l . — Personnel while within the limits of the
booth will aAToid positions betAveen the work and the exhaust fans Avhen fumes
or atomized paints, dopes, etc., are present. The articles being doped or painted
will be so placed and turned during the operation as to be kept betAAeen the
personnel and the exhaust fans.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[956]
STATE REGULATIONS— SPRAY PAINTING
43
S.
Fresh-air periods.— A 15-m inute period in fresh air w ill be sp en t b j each
in dividual a t th e conclusion of each h our he is required to sta y w ith in th e lim its
of th e b o o th during th e presence of fum es or atom ized p ain ts, dopes, etc.
A t one of the arsenals visited by a bureau agent, where new equip
m ent was being installed, the necessity for adequate protection had
been brought to the attention of the commanding officer. He
appointed a comm ittee to consider the operations of spray painting
and to recommend provisions for im provem ents and adequate safe
guards for operators. The recommendations were in p a rt as fol
lows:
T h a t all p a in t sprayin g be done in so fa r as possible by th e p a in t shop.
T h a t w henever it be fo u n d im p racticab le to have p a in t sp ray in g done by th e
p a in t shop, such w ork be su b je c t to th e supervision of th e p a in t-sh o p forem an.
T h a t a te s t be m ad e of * * * p a in t, a n d if it be fo u n d to co n tain benzol,
th e o th e r p a in ts m entio n ed bv th e * * * specifications for shell in terio rs be
likewise te sted , an d th a t only nonbenzol p a in ts be used for sp ray in g shell interiors.
T h a t if all th e * * * specification p a in ts co n tain benzol, th e * * *
d e p a rtm e n t be req u ested to specify a nonbenzol p a in t.
T h a t no benzol p a in ts be considered for spray in g on an y k in d of w ork, th a t
benzol p a in ts be dropp ed from s ta n d a rd stock, a n d t h a t no benzol p a in ts be
pu rch ased w ith o u t th e a p p ro v al of th e d irecto r of laborato ries.
T h a t th e use of benzol for a n y a n d all purposes be d isco n tin u ed a fte r satisfacto ry su b s titu te s are developed, th a t benzol be dro p p ed as an article of sta n d a rd
stock, an d th a t no benzol be p urchased, except w ith th e a p p ro v al of th e directoi
of laboratories.
T h a t no siliceous m a te ria l be sprayed.
T h a t th e use of lead p a in ts for spray in g be d iscontinued in so far as possible,
a n d w here n o t possible, t h a t th e lead c o n te n t be reduced to a m inim um .
T h a t no p o rtab le articles be sp ray ed except in v e n tila te d booths, or m th e
au tom obile p a in tin g room in th e p a in t shop.
T h a t in terio rs of buildings, p a rtitio n s, etc., be b ru sh p ain ted , except when
cold-w ater p ain ts, p a in ts contain in g only a sm all percen tag e of lead, or no lead,
a re used.
.
,
T h a t m edical supervision of all em ployees engaged on p a m t sp ray in g be
conducted. E x am in atio n to be m ade a t th e tim e of app licatio n for em p lo y m en t
a n d a t least once every th re e m o n th s th e re a fte r. T he ex am in atio n of p resen t
em ployees should be s ta rte d p ro m p tly .
.
T h a t p lan n in g room s m a in ta in tick ler files of em ployees engaged on p a m tsp ray in g operations to in su re periodic ex am ination.
T h a t em ployees be req u ired to clean u p th o ro u g h ly a t th e end of each w orking
period, so th a t th ere will be no chance of food becom ing c o n ta m in a te d w ith
lead p ain ts, an d to e a t th e ir lunch a t a place aw ay from all p ain ts.
46658°—29
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
4
[957]
P r o d u c tiv ity of L a b o r in N ew sp ap e r P r in tin g
H E present study of productivity in newspaper printing deals
with composition, stereotyping, and presswork, the three prim ary
mechanical processes in modern newspaper printing.1 The relative
importance of these processes varies considerably. In a newspaper
of small circulation composition is by far the largest item in both
time cost and labor cost and m ay represent more than 90 per cent
of the total cost of the three processes. As the circulation increases,
however, the composition cost, which does not vary w ith the num ber
of copies printed, declines in comparison to presswork cost, which
does vary directly with the num ber of impressions. Stereotyping
usually represents less than 10 per cent of the total cost when the
circulation is small and decreases relatively as the circulation increases.
Newspaper printing has for m any years been dom inated by the
daily newspapers. These have only a limited time for the production
of a single issue. In addition, competition in the speed with which
the buying public is reached is keen, especially in the large cities.
Clock-time production thus becomes the im portant factor, to which
both time cost and labor cost are constantly sacrificed.
The data presented in the present study are based on a recent
survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, supplem ented by certain
valuable, though limited, information contained in an earlier report
by the bureau, then called the D epartm ent of Labor, on productivity
for the year 1896.2 D uring the recent survey detailed production
and cost data were obtained for the years 1916 and 1926. Therefore
a sum m ary view of productivity and labor costs in the industry may
be had for a period of 30 years, the data being for 1896, 1916, and
1926.
I t m ust be emphasized th a t such a sum m ary can not produce
entirely satisfactory results. In the first place, the basic data for
the years prior to 1926 are extremely limited in scope. In the sec
ond place, the o utput of the newspaper industry is not measurable
in a simple invariable unit. N ot only do newspapers vary among
themselves in size and style, b u t the same paper m ay undergo great
changes in these respects over a period of time. Also, the num ber of
impressions seriously influences both time costs and money costs.
I t was necessary, therefore, in the present study to adopt a rather
arbitrary unit of m easurem ent in order to m ake comparisons for the
combined processes, and the unit selected is an issue of 10,000 copies
of a 4-page paper, containing 59,200 ems of 53^-point type or their
equivalent in larger sizes.
T
Trend in Labor Productivity and Labor Cost, 1896 to 1926
A n um ber of inventions have speeded up the mechanical produc
tion of newspapers since 1896. While the m ajority of these were
intended mainly to reduce the clock time for the operations, so as to
1 Sum m ary of a forthcoming b ulletin by th e U. S. B ureau of L abor Statistics.
2 U. S. Commissioner of Labor. T h irte en th A nnual R eport, 1898. H and a n d M achine Labor.
W ashington, 1899.
44
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[9581
2 vols.
LABOR PRODUCTIVITY IN N EW SPA PER PR IN TIN G
45
shorten the interval between receipt of the news and the distribution
of the printed papers to the public, the improvements have also
affected labor productivity. N aturally, the adoption of even the
m ost im portant inventions was gradual, depending on the individual
requirem ents of each establishm ent and on the existing competition.
In consequence, all sorts of conditions existed a t the same time
throughout the country, and even at the present time some of the
older m ethods are still being used.
Composition, Stereotyping, and Presswork, Combined
Productivity.—As no data for stereotyping in 1896 are available,
the trend over the 30-year period for unit production by machine
methods in the three processes combined can not be determined.
A comparison can, however, be m ade of the unit production in 1896
by the hand m ethod, which included composition and presswork only,
and in 1926 by the machine m ethod, which required all three proc
esses. In 1896 composition by the hand m ethod, presswork on hand
presses, and folding the printed papers by hand of 10,000 copies of
a 4-page newspaper involved an average of 635 m an-hours. In 1926,
the same num ber of copies of a printed and folded 4-page newspaper,
requiring the combined processes of composition, stereotyping, and
presswork, was produced on an average in 174.4 man-hours, an
increase in m an-hour ou tp u t of 264 per cent. This m eant thab where
71 employees were required for 9 hours by the hand m ethod in 1896,
only 25 employees for 7 hours were necessary by the machine m ethod
in 1926.
The trend for the three processes combined, from 1916 to 1926, is
indicated fairly well by the experience of a representative newspaper
establishm ent for which all the necessary d a ta were available. In
this establishm ent it required in 1916, 215 m an-hours to turn out
10,000 copies of a 4-page newspaper, while in 1926 the same pro
duction required only 158 man-hours, an increase^ for the 10-year
period of 36.5 per cent in m an-hour output. Consequently, ‘¿t
employees working 8 hours were required in 1916, while 23 employees
working 7 hours were necessary in 1926.
The above figures, however, apply only if no more than 10,000 copies
are produced from the same four pages. The num ber of m an-hours
per unit of production does not expand in the same ratio as the
num ber of units. The tim e cost for composition remains stationary,
regardless of how m any copies of the paper are printed. This is im
portant, as composition is by far the largest factor in total tim e cost.
The time cost for stereotyping also remains practically the same, being
affected only in a m inor degree by the num ber of presses operated.
The time cost for presswork, however, advances in the same ratio as
the num ber of units. Under the hand m ethod of 1896 each additional
unit involved 250 additional m an-hours, or about two-fifths of the
total man-hours for one unit. By the machine m ethod the tim e cost
for presswork is onlv 1 per cent of the total tim e cost for the unit, so
th a t duplications of units can be made at com paratively slight increase
in tim e costs.
,
,
In 1916 each additional u nit from the same four pages was produced
in the representative establishm ent a t a time cost of 1.8 m an-hours,
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[959]
46
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW
and in 1926 of 1.7 man-hours. M an-hour output was consequently
determined by the multiples of units produced, as follows:
T a b l e 1 . - M A N - H 0 Ï Ï R O U T P U T O F S P E C I F I E D N U M B E R S O F C O P I E S OF A 4-P A G E
S E C T I O N I N A R E P R E S E N T A T I V E E S T A B L I S H M E N T , 1916 A N D 1926
N um ber of m an
hours worked in—N u m b er of copies of a 4-page section p rin ted
1916
10,000______
50,000__________
100,000_________
500,000______
1,000.000______
215.1
222.3
231. 2
303.0
392.6
1926
157.5
164.1
172. 5
239.0
322. 2
N um ber of copies
p ro d u c e d
per
m an-hour in—
1916
46. 5
225.0
432.5
1, 650. 3
2, 546. 8
1926
63.5
304.6
579.9
2, 092. 0
3,103. 9
The actual trend of time cost was affected by the production of a
larger num ber of 4-page sections in 1926 than in 1916, caused by in
creases in the circulation and also in the page contents of the issues,
In this establishm ent the circulation had advanced 25 per cent and
the bulk of the issues approxim ately 108 per cent, resulting in an in
crease of 150 per cent in the num ber of units turned out, as against an
increase of 93 per cent in the num ber of man-hours. This was equal
to an actual increase of nearly 30 per cent in m an-hour output of
4-page sections for the combined processes in the establishment.
Labor cost —Actual m an-hour labor costs are partially regulated by
the wage rates; b u t they are also affected by the am ount of overtime
involved in the work, as the hourly rate for overtim e in newspaper
printing is custom arily 50 per cent higher than the regular rate. In
addition the labor costs per unit are influenced by increases or reduc
tions in m an-hour output, so th a t the trend of labor costs per unit
m ay differ widely from the trend in m an-hour labor cost or in basic
wage rates.
The absence of data in the 1896 survey for the entire personnel in
composing rooms using the machine m ethod, and the omission of the
stereotyping process for th a t period, restricted the use of labor costs
for u n it production in 1896. Only for composing rooms using the
hand m ethod solely, for hand compositors, for line-casting machine
operators, and for presswork, were data available for comparison with
later years.
U nder the hand methods used in 1896 composition and presswork
were the only processes required for unit production. The labor
cost am ounted to $82.74 for composition and $33.33 for presswork, a
total of $116.07 for the first unit of 10,000 copies of a 4-page section.
Each additional unit was produced a t a total cost of $33.33, so th a t
the average cost per unit declined with the increase in u nit output.
In 1926 the stereotyping process was included. The labor cost for
unit production was $215.04 for composition, $11.36 for stereotyping,
and $2.76 for presswork, a total of $229.16. The cost for each suc
ceeding u n it was $2.76, the cost of the presswork. So, while the labor
cost for the first unit was 98 per cent higher in 1926 by the machine
m ethod than in 1896 by the hand m ethod, the production of five
units in 1896 cost alm ost $1 more than the production of eight units
in 1926.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
I960]
LABOR PRODUCTIVITY IN N EW SPA PER PR IN TIN G
47
Like the trend in production, the trend in labor cost for the three
m ethods combined can be determined only for the last 10-year period
and through labor costs for 1916 and 1926 in a representative news
paper establishm ent. The labor cost for the first unit of production
in 1916 was $135.77. By 1926 it had advanced to $200, an increase
of 47 per cent. Additional units from the same four pages carried
labor costs of $1.19 in 1916 and $2.06 in 1926. Actual labor cost per
unit was, therefore, like m an-hour output, regulated by the num ber
of units produced, as follows:
T a ble 2 .—LA B O R C O ST OF S P E C IF IE D N U M B E R S O F C O P IE S OF A 4-PA G E S E C T IO N
IN A R E P R E S E N T A T IV E E S T A B L IS H M E N T , 1916 A N D 1926
T otal labor cost
in—
N um ber of copies of a 4-page section printed
10,000
50,000
100,000
500,000
1, 000,000 .
______________________________
- - ____________________________
______________________________
__________________________________
- ________________________________
L a b o r cost per
10,000 copies of a
4 -p a g e s e c tio n
in—
1916
1926
1916
$135. 77
140. 55
146. 52
194. 25
253. 92
$200. 00
208.23
218. 52
300. 85
403. 76
$135. 77
28.11
14. 65
3. 89
2.54
1926
$200. 00
41.65
21.85
6. 02
4.04
The actual trend in labor cost in this establishm ent was regulated
by the proportionate increase in the num ber of units turned out in
1926, as compared with the o u tput in 1916. The increase was almost
150 per cent, due both to growth of circulation and to increase in
the num ber of pages printed per issue. The actual labor cost per
unit for the establishm ent was $4.81 in 1916, in 1926 it was $7.27,
an increase of 51.1 per cent.
Composition
Productivity.—By 1896 the evolution from hand composition to
machine composition had made some progress, but a num ber of estab
lishments still existed in which all of the type was set by hand. In
1916 the bulk of the news composition was on machines, and by 1926
a relatively larger portion of it was by th a t method. P a rt of the
type, however, was still set by hand, so th a t in a modern composing
room both machine and hand methods are in use.
In 1896 the actual type setting by the hand m ethod for the 4-page
unit required an average of 350 man-hours in five composing rooms;
by the machine m ethod in five other composing rooms an average of
about 57 m an-hours was necessary, an increase of more than 500 per
cent in m an-hour output by the machine m ethod over the hand
m ethod. Some increase in output of line-casting machine operators
has taken place since then, as shown by the trend for this labor
group in a typical composing room. In i 896 the specified u nit pro
duction in tiiis establishm ent required about 66 m an-hours; in 1916
it required 71 man-hours, through the employment of a proportion
ately larger num ber of operators to m eet the demands of clock-time
production speed created by competition. In 1926 the u nit was pro
duced in a little over 64 man-hours, an increase in m an-hour produc
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48
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW
tion of more than 10 per cent over 1916 and of about 3 per cent over
1896.
In another representative establishm ent there was a wider varia
tion. In 1896 the type setting on a unit of production on line-casting
machines took a little over 52 m an-hours; in 1926 it took less than 44
m an-hours, an increase in m an-hour o u tput of 19 per cent.
O ther operations were also necessary in composing rooms, such
as assembling the type, proof reading, and machine adjustm ents.
These did not add to the output. Consequently m an-hour production
for the entire^ composing room depended partly on the proportion
of nonproductive labor employed therein, and the trend for the entire
personnel m ight vary considerably from the trend for compositors
alone.
According to data of the 1896 survey an average of 385 m an-hours
were required for the composing rooms employing the hand m ethod
to turn out four pages of an average modern newspaper. Figures
secured during the survey for this study show th a t in 1916 the same
result was attained in a representative composing room in 204 hours
by combined machine and hand m ethods, an increase in man-hours
o utput of nearly 90 per cent. In 1926 only 145 m an-hours were neces
sary in the same establishm ent for the total composing-room work on
four pages, an increase of over 40 per cent in m an-hour ou tp u t during
the 10-year interval 1916 to 1926. In other words, it required 40
employees 10 hours by the hand m ethod in 1896 for production equal
to four present-day newspaper pages. Using both machine and hand
m ethods the same ou tp u t was reached in 1916 by 26 employees in 8
hours, and in 1926 by 21 employees in 7 hours.
Labor cost.—According to wage studies by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics the average hourly basic wage rates for hand compositors
advanced approxim ately 200 per cent from 1896 to 1926. The increase
for machine operators during the same period was about 180 per cent.
H and compositors and machine operators constituted the principal
labor groups in composing rooms, b u t other groups existed w ith lower
or higher hourly rates. These, together w ith the varying proportion
of overtime in the different establishments, affected the actual hourly
cost for composition as a whole, resulting in an increase of approxi
m ately 350 per cent in the m an-hour labor cost between 1896 and
1926.
Labor cost per unit of production is determined by the actual
m an-hour labor cost and m an-hour output. In 1896 the weighted
average labor cost for the composing-room work per unit, in the
establishments using the hand m ethod, was $82.74. In 1916 it was
$126.75, or 53 per cent more, in a representative establishm ent,
using both machine and hand m ethods, and in 1926 it had risen to
$182.71, equal to 44 per cent above the 1916 unit cost; but the
weighted average labor cost for several establishm ents in 1926 was
higher than for the single establishm ent, reaching $215.04. Figured
on the average basis, the advance in the labor cost per unit for the 30
years was only 160 per cent, in spite of the 190 per cent increase in
basic hourly rates and the 350 per cent increase in actual m an-hour
labor cost.
The weighted average labor cost in 1896 for setting sufficient type
by hand for four pages was $72.16; by the machine m ethod in the same
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[962]
LABOR PRODUCTIVITY IN NEWSPAPER PRINTING
49
period it was $33.64. As the average labor cost for news operators in
1926 could not be separated from th a t for hand compositors, the trend
of labor cost for unit production by machine operators can be deter
mined only for two individual establishments. In one of them the
average labor cost for four pages of news composition was $44.05 in
1896; in 1926 it had advanced to $92.57, an increase of 110 per cent.
In the other establishm ent the labor cost rose from $33.15 in 1896 to
$47.04 in 1926, an increase of only 42 per cent. These extreme dif
ferences were caused by the v ariatio n 'in wage rates because of the
different geographical location of the establishments, and by the
variation in the relative increases in m an-hour output.
Stereotyping
Productivity.—The survey of 1896 did not cover stereotyping, in
which comparatively old style methods were then used. In the
survey for this study, however, d a ta were obtained for 1916 and 1926
in a representative establishm ent using modern m ethods during both
periods. In this establishm ent 8.9 man-hours were sufficient in 1916
for the stereotyping of four average pages of the newspaper, whereas
in 1926 it required 10.6 man-hours, a decrease in page o utput per
m an-hour for all employees of nearly 16 per cent.
Stereotyping consists of two separate operations, the molding of
m atrices and the casting of plates. One m atrix is ordinarily molded
from each type form, so th a t four pages require four m atrices, b u t the
num ber of plates cast from each m atrix varies according to the num ber
of presses operated for printing the required num ber of newspapers
in the time allotted for th a t purpose. In the establishm ent for which
the above d a ta on productivity in stereotyping were obtained changes
in molding methods, to facilitate clock-time production of matrices,
had been made between 1916 and 1926. Increases in page contents
and in circulation had raised the num ber of pages molded daily 115
per cent and the num ber of plates cast daily 140 per cent, b u t it was
necessary to tu rn out the increased quantities in practically the same
num ber of clock hours each day as for the previous, smaller produc
tion. The change in molding m ethods had reduced the clock time
for the molding operation more than 50 per cent, bu t it had also re
duced the m an-hour production of m atrices over 29 per cent for the
portion of labor actually engaged in th a t operation.
In 1926 an average of 56.7 plates was necessary for each four pages
molded, while an average of 50.8 plates per four pages was sufficient
in 1916, as the circulation was smaller and fewer presses were used.
M an-hour ou tp u t of plates for the portion of labor actually engaged in
th a t operation had increased over 10 per cent, b u t the additional
m an-hours for the molding operation and for other labor were reflected
in a decrease of 6 per cent in m an-hour o u tp u t of all employees. The
main object of the changes had, however, been achieved, though at
the expense of m an-hour production. In 1916 it took eight m inutes
to deliver the first plate to the pressroom after the form had been
received from the composing room; by 1926 the clock time had been
reduced to four minutes.
Labor cost.—The hourly wage rates for stereo typers between 1896
and 1926 advanced about 140 per cent, according to wage studies by
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MONTHLY L VBOR REVIEW
the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The increase between 1916 and 1926
was around 84 per cent. While the m ajority of the workers received
the basic rates, some were paid more or less per hour. In a representa
tive establishm ent such differences in hourly rates, together with
variations in relative overtime, were reflected in the actual m an-hour
labor cost, which advanced only 64 per cent in the 10-year period
1916 to 1926. In this case, however, the labor cost for the unit was
further increased through the decrease in m an-hour production during
the interval. In 1916 the labor cost per unit was $7.83. By 1926 it
had risen to $15.23, an advance of nearly 95 per cent, though the
increase for the m an-hour labor cost was only 64 per cent. The
decrease in m an-hour output was caused by the change in working
methods for the purpose of speeding up clock-time production.
Presswork
Productivity.-—In 1896 the rotary press had displaced other presses
in the larger newspaper establishments, bu t in some of the smaller
plants the hand press was still used and the newspapers were folded
by hand after printing. According to figures for the 1896 survey an
average of 250 m an-hours were necessary for printing and folding
10,000 copies of a 4-page newspaper in pressrooms using the hand
m ethod. The rotary presses of th a t period advanced m an-hour
ou tp u t greatly, reducing the time cost of u nit production. The
weighted average tim e cost in 1896 for the unit production in the
pressrooms surveyed, in which the machine m ethod was used, was
about three man-hours, on the basis of all employees, an increase over
the m an-hour o u tp u t by the hand m ethod of more th an 8,000 per
cent. This m eant th a t while it required 25 employees for 10 hours to
produce the unit by the hand m ethod, 3 employees for 1 hour were
sufficient by the machine method.
The trend of labor productivity in modern newspaper presswork
between 1896 and 1926 is shown by a comparison for a typical press
room, on the basis of operating tim e for the machines. In 1896 it
required 1.53 m an-hours to produce 10,000 copies of a 4-page section
of the newspaper, while in 1926 the same num ber was turned out in
1.32 m an-hours, an increase in m an-hour ou tp u t of more than 70 per
cent. The large rotary presses are ordinarily operated interm ittently,
depending on the tim e allotm ent for printing the required num ber of
newspapers. Time is necessary for preparing the presses for opera
tion, and. the proportion of actual productive m an-hours on a machine
to to tal m an-hours worked vary considerably. Figures for the 1926
survey give a range of 46.3 to 70.3 per cent. In this pressroom the
productive tim e for the workers presum ably m aintained nearly the
same relation to the total working time during both periods, so it is
reasonable to assume th a t the 13 per cent decrease in m an-hours
between 1896 and 1926 also applied to the total hours.
The trend between 1916 and 1926 can be more definitely determined
through d a ta for another representative establishm ent, surveyed for
this study. In this establishm ent it required 1.79 m an-hours in 1916
to produce 10,000 copies of a 4-page section, while in 1926 the same
result was accomplished in 1.66 man-hours. This represented an
increase of nearly 8 per cent in ou tp u t per man-hour.
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LABOR PRODUCTIVITY IN N EW SPA PER PR IN TIN G
51
Labor cost.—The hourly wage rate for pressmen increased about 190
per cent between 1896 and 1926, according to wage studies by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, and approxim ately 90 per cent between
1916 and 1926. The average labor cost per m an-hour during 1896
was 266 per cent more in pressrooms using the machine m ethod than
in those where the hand m ethod was used. The average m an-hour
labor cost in machine-m ethod pressrooms rose 136 per cent during
the 30 years from 1896 to 1926, a smaller advance than th a t for the
basic wage rate, caused by a relative increase in lower priced labor
and variations in relative am ount of overtime.
The average labor cost for unit production in hand-m ethod press
rooms during 1896 was $33.33; in machine-m ethod pressrooms during
the same period it was only about $1.33, or, due to the tremendous
increase in output, 4 per cent of the cost for the hand method. The
average unit cost in 1926 by the machine m ethod was $2.76, an
increase of 108 per cent over the cost for the machine m ethod in
1896, as compared with an increase in wage rates for pressmen of
190 per cent and an increase in m an-hour labor cost of 136 per cent.
The labor cost per u nit between 1896 and 1926 in modern news
paper presswork, based on actual operative time for the machines in
one representative pressroom, was nearly twice as high as the average
labor cost. The unit cost in 1896 was 51.7 cents; by 1926 it had
reached $1,615, an advance of more than 210 per cent. The labor
cost for the idle-machine time was not included in either case. I t
would probably have made the complete labor cost from 33 to 50
per cent higher for both periods, but would not have changed the
percentage of increase greatly.
A more definite trend of complete unit labor cost for presswork
can be determined for the 10 years from 1916 to 1926 from data for
another representative pressroom. In 1916 the labor cost per unit
in this establishm ent was $1.19; by 1926 it had advanced to $2.06,
an increase of over 72 per cent. The rise in m an-hour labor cost for
this pressroom during the 10-year interval was about 86 per cent,
but the unit cost was modified through an 8 per cent increase in
m an-hour output.
Variations in Productivity and Labor Cost Between Establishments
T h e f i g u r e s cited previously to indicate trend of production are
for individual establishments, and while probably quite accurate for
th a t purpose are not representative of average conditions in differ
ent plants. A wide variation is created through differences in fac
tory and sales conditions. Labor costs per unit of production also
vary greatly in the different establishments, so figures quoted for
the trend of a process in a single establishm ent can not be regarded
as representative for the entire process. The num ber of m an-hours
required for the production differs, and even where these correspond
the prevailing wage rates m ay be twice as high in one locality as in
another.
Composition
Productivity.—In 1896 hand composition was used exclusively in
some newspaper establishments. Unit production (10,000 copies of a
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MONTHLY LAJBOR REV IEW
4-page paper) in those surveyed at th a t time required from 250 to 500
m an-hours, giving a weighted average of 385 m an-hours. In other
establishm ents machines were used for m ost of the typesetting, but
the data did not cover the total employees in the process. In 1926
the average tim e for unit production, by combined machine and hand
m ethods and for the entire personnel of each composing room, ranged
from 144 to 205 man-hours, w ith a weighted average of 163 man-hours.
Production on line-casting machines depends considerably ôn per
sonal ability of the operators, b u t varies also according to the class of
the product, w hether news or advertising composition. In 1896
practically only news composition was produced on machines, and the
time required for turning o u t enough to fill 4 pages ranged from 52 to
66 man-hours, w ith a weighted average of 57 man-hours.
A tabulation of weekly production records for operators on news
composition during 1926 in one establishm ent showed a range of 46.6
to 50.3 m an-hours per unit. The lowest average by one operator for
the full five weeks in the tabulation was 40.3 m an-hours, b u t a
weekly average as low as 38.5 man-hours was reached by the same
individual. The highest average for one operator was 61.6 m an
hours.
In another establishm ent, where unit production in 1896 required
an average of 52.3 m an-hours, this had been lowered to 43.9 m an
hours in 1926, an increase of 19 per cent in m an-hour production
during the 30 years. These averages for 1896 and 1926 were con
siderably lower than the general average for 1896, or th a t shown in
the above-mentioned establishm ent for 1926, respectively. The
variations were caused partly by driving the machines in this com
posing room a t a higher speed, b u t also were probably influenced by
the operators there being paid on a production basis. In 1926 the
average time requirem ents for production of the unit for the indi
vidual news operators in this establishm ent for a 2-week period ranged
from 39 to 59 man-hours, b u t some exceptional records existed, such
as 18 m an-hours, the minimum, and 106 m an-hours, the maximum.
In a third establishm ent the production of a 4-page unit by machine
operators in 1926 required an average of 62.1 man-hours. This was
nearly 30 per cent more than in the first composing room and 40 per
cent more than in the second composing room. One of the im portant
factors in the extended time was the inclusion of advertising composi
tion, from which the news composition could not be separated, and
which ordinarily requires more time.
Labor cost.—The labor cost for unit production by the hand
m ethod in 1896 ranged from $60.19 to $113.24, m aking a weighted
average of $82.74. The cost in 1926, by combined hand and machine
methods, ranged from $182.71 to $270.99, with a weighted average of
$215.04, or about 160 per cent more than by the hand m ethod in
1896.
The labor cost per unit for the entire composing room personnel
by the machine m ethod in 1896 can not be determ ined from the
data, only the labor cost per unit for machine operators on news
composition being separable. This ranged from $23.55 to $44.04,
with a weighted average cost of $33.64, a reduction of 53 per cent
from the cost for the hand compositors in the same period, which
ranged from $52.10 to $105.24 with a weighted average of $72.16.
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LABOR PRODUCTIVITY IN N EW SPA PER PR IN TIN G
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Stereotyping
Productivity.-—The time cost for production of the unit varied
greatly in the five selected stereotyping rooms of the 1926 survey,
depending on the num ber of presses operated in each establishment.
This was principally regulated by the circulation of the respective
newspaper, as it required more presses to turn out a large num ber of
copies than a small num ber in the same clock time. M ore presses
m eant more plates per page. The tim e cost ranged from 3.9 to 13.7
m an-hours, w ith a weighted average of 9.1 man-hours.
Labor cost.—Decided differences existed in the num ber of m an
hours required in the various establishm ents of 1926 for unit produc
tion. These resulted in a proportionately wider range of labor costs
for stereotyping than for the other two processes—from $4.34 to
$16.42, with a weighted average labor cost of $11.36.
Presswork
Productivity.—Printing on hand presses and folding the newspapers
by hand, in establishm ents surveyed in 1896, required from 240 to
270 man-hours per unit of 10,000 copies of a 4-page paper, giving a
weighted average of 250 man-hours. U nit production by the m a
chine m ethod in the same period required approxim ately from 2.3 to
3.2 m an-hours, with a weighted average of about 3 man-hours. In
1926 the necessary m an-hours ranged from 1.66 to 3.68, with a
weighted average of 2.55 m an-hours for each unit turned out. As
previously pointed out, presswork differs from composition and
stereotyping in th a t it expands with increased output.
Labor cost.—The labor cost per unit for printing on hand presses
and folding the printed papers by hand in 1896 ranged from $25.77
to $50.33, giving a weighted average cost of $33.33. By the machine
m ethod in the same period it was reduced to an approxim ate range
of from 69 cents to $2.76, with a weighted average of about $1.33,
or 4 per cent of the cost for the hand m ethod. In 1926 the labor
cost for the machine m ethod ranged from $1.96 to $4.16, resulting in
a weighted average of $2.76, or 108 per cent above the average in
1896 for the machine method.
Trend of Employment
A n e w s p a p e r has only a certain am ount of time for the mechanical
production of each issue, regardless of whether it contains 4 or 60
pages, so the production of a larger num ber of pages naturally requires
more workers. Census figures for the U nited States do not segregate
wage earners employed on newspapers from those employed on peri
odicals, and accurate comparison for the trend of employment for
1896 can be m ade only for the total num ber employed on newspapers
and periodicals combined. Between 1889 and 1919 the wage earners
employed in m anufacturing newspapers and periodicals increased
40 per cent. Between 1919 and 1923 a 4 per cent reduction took
place, b u t the num ber employed in 1925 exceeded th a t for 1923 by
1.2 per cent.
Composition.—From an employment standpoint composition is the
m ost im portant process in the mechanical production of newspapers.
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MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW
Approximately 60 to 70 per cent of the total m an-hours for the
three processes are taken by it under normal conditions, though in
the production of only 10,000 copies of a 4-page newspaper the
relation is 95 per cent.
Before the introduction of the linotype it required 16 compositors
for approxim ately seven hours to set sufficient type for four pages of
a representative newspaper at th a t time. D istribution of the type
required about one-half th a t num ber for the same length of time,
while other hands necessary in composing-room work would probably
bring the personnel on a 4-page daily newspaper to about 40.
A decided change was created by the evolution from hand composi
tion to machine composition. One machine operator could set
approxim ately four times as much type as one hand compositor.
The time previously devoted to distribution of type, about one-fifth
of the total time, was reduced to a very small fraction. Three or
four hands were eliminated, out of every five formerly engaged in
setting and distributing type. Consequently the adoption of the
machine m ethod displaced a great num ber of typesetters. Others
engaged in assembling the products, in proof reading, or other duties
were still necessary and were not affected m aterially, while some new
vocations were created.
The application of machine methods to composition, however,
stim ulated the growth of the industry, which soon expanded suffi
ciently to absorb the dispaced workers. In a com paratively short
time more compositors were employed than formerly, and the num
ber continued to increase until after the W orld W ar. Suspensions
and mergers of publications since th a t time have reduced the number
of newspapers and created more or less unemployment, though p art
of this has in tu rn been eliminated through further growth in the
industry.
The principal reasons for the larger num ber of composing-room
employees, in spite of the increased m an-hour output, were the
establishm ent of new publications and, especially, the constantly
increasing num ber of pages in the daily issues. In one typical estab
lishment, for example, the average daily issues consisted of 12 pages
in 1896, 24 pages in 1916, and 36 pages in 1926. The Sunday issues
contained an average of 48 pages in 1896_, of 54 pages in 1916, and
of 60 pages in 1926. The num ber of different editions published
daily had also increased through the years. Consequently, 115 per
cent more pages were turned out in 1926 than in 1916, and these
contained approxim ately 122 per cent more new type than the 1916
pages. B ut as the clock time alloted for the composing-room work
was no longer in 1926 than in 1916, the demand for larger production
was m et by the installation of more machines and by the employment
of more operators, as well as of other labor, resulting in an increase of
73.5 per cent in total man-hours.
Stereotyping.—From an employment standpoint stereotyping is
relatively the least im portant of the three processes. The ordinary
proportion of the m an-hours for the three processes devoted to
stereotyping does not exceed 10 per cent, and for the production of
10,000 copies of a 4-page newspaper it is only 4 per cent.
The invention in 1900 of the A utopíate equipm ent, which was
rapidly adopted by the larger daily newspapers, revolutionized the
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LABOR PRODUCTIVITY IN N EW SPA PE R PR IN TIN G
55
casting of stereotype plates. Only 4 employees were required to
tu rn out the same num ber of plates as 12 formerly produced by the
band m ethod. I t served, however, especially to reduce the clock
time for plate production, and the facilities afforded through it
increased em ploym ent of stereotypers.
The two main factors in employment of additional stereotypers,
in face of increased m an-hour production, were the same as those for
composing-room employees, b u t to these was added the constant
growth in circulation. D ata for 1896 are not available, b u t the
trend between 1916 and 1926 in a representative establishm ent
reveals the employment of additional men to speed up the clocktime production. The average num ber of pages per issue advanced
approxim ately 45 per cent during the interval. Together w ith the
additional num ber of editions published daily in 1926, it resulted
in 115 per cent more pages being stereotyped than in 1916. A 15
per cent rise in circulation necessitated the use of more presses to
produce sufficient newspapers in the allotted time. Consequently
140 per cent more plates were needed in 1926 than in 1916, and to
accomplish this in the required clock time, more equipm ent had been
installed and the working force increased 155 per cent.
Pressworlc.—In modern newspaper production the proportion for
presswork of the total man-hours for the three processes ranges
from 20 to 30 per cent. While it represents only 1 per cent in the
production of a single u n it (10,000 copies of a 4-page paper), the
m an-hours for the process expand directly with m ultiple production
from the same four pages, while the m an-hours for the other two
processes rem ain stationary.
The transition from the hand press to the rotary press perm itted
3 hands to accomplish w hat it had required 250 hands to do. The
subsequent expansion of the industry, however, provided a steady
growth in pressroom employment, as in the other two processes,
though a drop has been experienced in recent years. Presswork was
m ainly affected by the same issues as stereotyping—new publications,
more pages per issue, and increase in circulation. Comparison of
similar periods in 1916 and 1926 for a representative establishm ent
shows th a t the increase in circulation and in bulk of the newspaper
had raised the o u tput of pages 150 per cent, which had been accom
plished through an increase in employment of 131 per cent.
Development of Processes
T h e f i r s t newspaper which continued publication for an extended
period in this country was established in 1704, with an equipm ent
of a few fonts of type and a slow, cumbersome hand press. The
large modern newspapers of 1926 were turned out in plants equipped
with numerous machines for casting and setting of type, for produc
tion of stereotype plates, for printing and folding of the papers, and
for other auxiliary processes.
A hundred years after the establishm ent of the first newspaper the
publications were still produced mechanically in the same m anner as
the first one. Printing was done directly from hand-set type on hand
presses, and the printed papers were folded by hand. All of the
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MONTHLY LA.BOR R EV IE W
radical changes which have assisted in creating the modern news
paper have taken place since the beginning of the nineteenth century.
The possibilities of steam for m otive power influenced the inventions
of autom atic or sem iautom atic machines for direct use in the printingindustry, or to produce m aterial for its development, such as the
paper-making machine which perm itted m anufacture of an unlim ited
supply of cheap paper. The developm ent of the printing press, in
the beginning a cylinder press and later a rotary press, with gradually
increased speed and the addition of folding and assembling mech
anisms, perm itted printing of larger and more newspapers per hour.
The perfecting of curved stereotype plates as a substitute for type
perm itted faster production and, through duplication of pages, the
installation of sufficient presses to insure printing the required
num ber of copies of the paper in the allotted time. Sem iautom atic
production for the composing room was effected through line-casting
machines, which perm itted printing a greater num ber of pages in the
newspaper and reduced the distribution of type. D istribution was
later entirely eliminated through the introduction of other composingroom machines.
While m any of the inventions or im provem ents have reduced the
operating cost for the publishers, another feature has become even
more prom inent. Speed, and more speed, is demanded first of all.
The vast im portance of m odern events, their sudden and frequent
occurrence, and the desire of the public for im m ediate knowledge of
such transactions, together with competition and the aim of each
newspaper to publish the events in advance of its contemporaries,
have resulted in making speed the param ount issue. The shortest
possible time between receipt of the news and its publication is an
im portant sales factor. I t is often not only a question of minutes
bu t of seconds. Newspaper publishers naturally try to keep their
mechanical production a t the lowest possible cost, b u t on the larger
newspapers often sacrifice all for speed. Consequently developm ent
of the various processes has been principally along the line of reduc
tion in clock time, rather than in m an time or in money cost.
By 1896 line-casting machines had been installed in the composing
rooms and rotary presses in the pressrooms of the larger daily news
papers. _The closing year of the century saw the introduction of
autom atic machines for the stereotyping process, completing mecha
nization of the three processes. By 1916 improvem ents had taken
place in the machines used and other machines had been added,
notably type-casting machines, which practically eliminated distribu
tion in the composing room.
Between 1916 and 1926 the machines were further improved
through time-saving and labor-saving devices, though no startling
innovation was brought out. The m ost notable im provem ent was
the adoption in recent years of dry molding in the stereotyping
process, which reduced clock tim e greatly. A ttention was directed
strongly toward layout of establishments, cooperation between d epart
ments, factory m anagement, and building facilities, subjects which
were n o t included in the surveys b u t which exert immense influence
on production. As a result m any newspaper publishers have recently
established up-to-date and model plants for their products and applied
efficiency m ethods to the printing processes.
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LABOR PRODUCTIVITY IN N EW SPA PER PR IN TIN G
57
Development of the Industry
O n l y a few newspapers were published in the early days, and they
were m ostly weekly issues. They rendered no practical assistance
to business, as the inadequacy of transportation confined the influ
ence of each newspaper to a very limited area. There were not
m any stirring events in any individual community. News from other
places arrived infrequently and interested the people only in a general
way. The m ajority of the settlers had lived long w ithout news
papers and continued to do so after they were obtainable.
By 1850 the num ber of newspapers in the United States had risen
to 2,302, w ith an average aggregate circulation for th a t year of
3,832,306 copies per issue. The population of the country had passed
the 23,000,000 m ark, b u t towns were widely separated and travel to
and fro was difficult. Less than 10,000 miles of railway existed.
While about 11,000 miles of telegraph lines had been erected, the
capacity of the wires was limited and the bulk of the news was
received by mail. A t least 10 days were required for news to reach
New York from Europe and three times as long from San Francisco.
Newspapers increased in value as advertising mediums with the
growth of the towns, their importance as commercial centers, and
their accessibility. Before 1810 the circulation of the m ost widely
read daily did not exceed 900 copies, and only a few of the weekly
or semiweekly newspapers had a circulation of over 600 copies per
issue. In 1871 there existed 548 newspapers w ith a circulation of
more than 5,000 copies per issue and 11 newspapers w ith a circulation
of over 10,000 copies per issue.
Expansion of railway and telegraph systems, laying of the transA tlantic cable, and the invention of the telephone rendered com
m unication w ith both surrounding territory and d istant parts easy
and created an abundant supply of news. The desire of the people
for inform ation, the continual growth in population, and the everincreasing dem and for advertising space made it difficult for pub
lishers to print sufficient copies and sufficient pages in each copy to
satisfy the public. The difficulties were solved through the intro
duction and use of m achinery in the various departm ents during the
latter p a rt of the nineteenth century, which transform ed newspaper
publication into an industry requiring elaborate factory processes
and was instrum ental in creating the great publications of the present
day. I t was assisted by further developments in facilities for news
gathering and for distribution of the printed papers, such as the wire
less, the automobile, and finally the airplane.
Number of publications.—By 1896 newspaper publishing had made
considerable progress. Figures from the U nited States census show
th a t 12,658 newspapers were being published in 1889, of which over
10,000 were weekly issues and only about 1,600 were issued daily.
The to tal num ber of newspaper publications increased 26 per cent
during the following 10 years, and around 12 per cent between 1899
and 1909, reaching nearly 18,000, of which 2,600 were daily, 520
were Sunday, and almost 14,000 were weekly issues. A drop of over
11 per cent took place between 1909 and 1919 and another reduction
of about 37 per cent between 1919 and 1925. R eturns for 1925 show
only 9,869 publications, including 2,116 dailies, 597 Sunday editions,
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MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW
and 6,435 weeklies. The num ber of daily newspapers thus increased
about 31 per cent between 1889 and 1925, while the num ber of weekly
newspapers decreased 40 per cent.
Growth in circulation.-—In 1889 the aggregate circulation per issue
was nearly 38,000,000 copies, more than 8,000,000 of which were for
the daily newspapers. Ten years later it had risen to over 58,000,000
copies, w ith more than 15,000,000 of these for the daily publications.
By 1909 it was above 61,000,000 copies, over 24,000,000 of which
were for the dailies. By 1919 it had grown to over 75,000,000, with
more than 33,000,000 of these for the daily publications. In 1925
it had reached nearly 81,000,000, over 37,000,000 of which were for
the daily newspapers. The aggregate circulation per issue of the
daily papers had thus increased 346 per cent between 1889 and 1925,
though the increase for the to tal publications was only 113 per cent.
Increase in bulk oj issue.—The increases in bulk affected m ainly the
daily and Sunday newspapers. In 1896 the daily issues contained
on an average 12 pages while the average Sunday issues consisted of
48 pages. By 1916 the average size of the daily issues had risen to
24 pages and of the Sunday issues to 54 pages. In 1926 increases had
been made to 36 pages for the daily issues and to 60 pages for the Sun
day issues, equal to an increase of 200 per cent over the 1896 size for
the daily newspapers and of 25 per cent for the Sunday newspapers.
The m ajority of the newspapers had also changed the w idth of the
pages during the interval, adding one extra column of type, thus
increasing the type content per page about 10 per cent.
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UNEMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS AND
RELIEF
S u rv e y of U n e m p lo y m e n t in B a ltim o r e , F e b r u a r y - M a r c h , 1929
H E report of the unem ploym ent survey of Baltim ore C ity m ade in
February-M arch, 1929, by the State commissioner of labor and
statistics, in full, is as follows:
In February, 1928, the office of the commissioner of labor and
statistics of M aryland conducted a survey into the actual am ount of
total unem ploym ent in Baltim ore C ity a t th a t time. This survey was
repeated in February and M arch, 1929. In both cases the required
data were secured by the members of the Baltim ore Police D epartm ent,
through the courtesy of their commissioner, in a house-to-house
canvass.
In February, 1928, the facts revealed by the census indicated th a t at
th a t time there were 15,473 men and women who were usually gain
fully employed w ithout employment of any kind and seeking work.
A t approxim ately the same time of the year in 1929 there were found
to be 13,177 such persons in the city of Baltimore.
No effort was made, in m aking either canvass, to secure inform ation
for those persons who were working p a rt time, and every possible
means was taken to eliminate those persons who could not or would not
work if employment were available for them.
Based then on the estim ated population of Baltim ore (830,400, esti
m ate of the U nited States Census Bureau, as of July 1,1928),in February
and M arch, 1929, approxim ately 1.6 per cent of the to tal num ber of
persons residing in the city were w ithout gainful em ploym ent of any
kind and seeking work. If, again, we m ay assume th a t the num ber
of persons who usually work for wages or on their own account in
some business has increased in the same proportion as the estim ated
population, approxim ately 3.4 per cent of these men and women were
entirely w ithout work of any kind.
Of the 13,177 persons found unemployed in 1929, 11,244 were men
and 1,933 were women; 9,190 were white and 3,987 were colored.
Although more than 22 per cent of these unemployed persons had
been engaged in m anufacturing industries, the largest num ber of
persons charged to an individual industry was reported for the building
industry. About one-third of the total num ber of persons who had
been connected with m anufacturing industries had worked in estab
lishments engaged in the production of textiles and their products
and food products, the num ber divided almost equally between the
two industries. The clothing industry was by far the m ost severely
affected of the textile industries.
While more than one-fourth of the total num ber of persons were
unskilled laborers, the second largest group had been factory workers.
Of the building and hand trades, the largest num ber were carpenters.
T
4665S0—295
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[973]
59
60
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
According to the reports, there were involved through the unemploy
m ent of the 13,177 persons, 11,315 of the approxim ate num ber of
175,000 families who reside in Baltim ore; and at least 56,006 persons
were either directly or indirectly affected. These figures m ay be
compared favorably w ith the 12,739 families in which unem ploym ent
was reported in February, 1928. The removal of 1,424 families with
their constituent members from the ranks of the unemployed and
therefore from the ranks of the potential, if not actual, objects of
public or charitable assistance, represents, we believe, a decided
im provem ent over the situation of last year.
An analysis of the reports indicates, however, th a t each of the eight
police districts into which the city is divided has felt the effects of
unemployment, in varying degrees of intensity, of course. The
following list presents the relative num ber of families in which one
or more cases of unem ploym ent were found residing in each district:
P E R C E N T OF F A M IL IE S H A V IN G O N E OR M O R E C A SES OF U N E M P L O Y M E N T
D istrict
N ortheastern
_
_________
N"or t.hw estern
Southw estern _ _ _ _____________ _
E a s t e r n __________ ___ - - -----------N o rth e rn ____________ ___________ -
P er cent
of total
num ber of
families in
district
29.0
16.2
13.6
13.3
10.2
D istrict
_________ _ __ _
Southern ___
W estern _______
__ __________
C en tral........................... .................. . __
All districts (11,315 families)- . .
Per cent
of total
num ber of
families in
district
10.0
4.4
3.3
100.0
These figures are stated, of course, w ithout consideration for the
relative population of the various districts.
In addition to the fact th a t the actual num ber of totally unem
ployed persons was found to be less in 1929 than in 1928, the situation
in regard to the length of time during which the persons included
had been w ithout gainful employment of any kind, while still severe,
showed im provem ent, nevertheless. In 1928 a little more than threefourths of the total num ber of persons had been w ithout work for
periods of time varying between one m onth and six m onths; in 1929
slightly more than two-thirds were included in the same class.
I t has been stated previously th a t no effort was m ade to secure
information in either canvass in regard to the num ber of persons who
were employed only p a rt tim e, and this office realizes th at, in present
ing only the findings of the census itself, only a p a rt of the actual
progress during the past year is indicated. In the absence of definite
information covering all lines of industry and all occupations, it is
w ith some difficulty th a t a definite statem ent in regard to part-tim e
employment can be made. There is, however, reason to believe
th a t this situation, too, has been relieved to some degree. Since
July, 1928, this office has been including in its published monthly
reports covering changes in employment in industries throughout
M aryland statem ents in regard to the operating time of various
m anufacturing establishm ents covered by the reports. The following
is quoted from the February statem ent:
“ Of the 258 establishm ents for which operating time was reported,
two plants were shut down, one probably perm anently. Of the
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[974]
61
UNEM PLOYM ENT CONDITIONS AND R E L IE F
remaining 256, 186 were running on a normal full-time basis, 30 were
working overtime, and 42 were operating on a part-tim e schedule.
In other words, 89.6 per cent of the total num ber of persons were em
ployed in establishm ents working full time or more. In the establish
m ents operating on a part-tim e basis, 10.4 per cent of the total num
ber of persons were employed.
In the 256 establishm ents there were
employed in February, 1929, 42,403 persons who were working on an
average of 100.5 per cent of normal full tim e.” (In computing the
per cent of normal full time, due weight is given to the size of each
establishm ent reporting.)
The following list indicates the average per cent of normal full
operating time for selected m anufacturing industries in M aryland for
each m onth since July, 1928:
A V E R A G E P E R C E N T O F N O R M A L F U L L O P E R A T IN G T IM E F O R S E L E C T E D M A N U
F A C T U R IN G IN D U S T R IE S , JU L Y , 1928, TO M A R C H , 1929, BY M O N T H S
M onth
J u ly ________________________________
A ugust___________ _________________
Septem ber_____ . . . ______________
O ctober.............................................. ...........
N ovem ber. ................. ....................... .
Average
per cent
of norm al
full oper
ating tim e
97.4
98. 3
99. 5
99.8
98.2
Average
per cent
of norm al
full oper
ating tim e
M onth
December
Jan u ary
F eb ru ary ________________ ___
M arch ____________________________
99.6
98. 9
100.6
100.4
In 1929 about 1,000 persons only had been able to secure even
pick-up work during the time since they had left their regular em
ployment.
The following statem ent indicates the time during which the 13,177
unemployed persons had been entirely w ithout work of any k in d :
Less th a n 1 m o n th _______________________________________
1 m o n th a n d ]ess th a n 2 m o n th s _________________________
2 m o n th s a n d less th a n 3 m o n th s________________________
3 m o n th s a n d less th a n 4 m o n th s________________________
4 m o n th s a n d less th a n 5 m o n th s________________________
5 m o n th s a n d less th a n 6 m o n th s________________________
6 m o n th s a n d less th a n 7 m o n th s________________________
7 m o n th s a n d less th a n 8 m o n th s_________________________
8 m o n th s a n d less th a n 9 m o n th s_________________________
9 m o n th s an d less th a n 10 m o n th s_______________________
10 m o n th s a n d less th a n 11 m o n th s______________________
11 m o n th s an d less th a n 12 m o n th s______________________
12 m o n th s an d o v e r____^_______________________ ,________
T im e n o t re p o rte d _______________________________________
T o ta l_____________________________________________
2,
1,
2,
1,
1,
054
671
343
981
289
574
1, 124
192
247
172
87
31
1.321
91
13, 177
The accompanying facts and tables present in detail the distribu
tion of the 13,177 unemployed men and women in Baltimore, accord
ing to sex, color, regular occupation, and regular industry.
The total num ber of families in which one or more cases of total
unem ploym ent were found was 11,315, distributed as follows:
P riv a te fam ilies__________________________________________ 10, 704
B o a rd in g h o u s e s___________________1______ _______________
138
L odging h o u ses__________________________________________
158
U nclassified fam ily g ro u p s_________ ______________________
315
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[975]
62
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW
The total num ber of persons included in the 11,315 families was a t
least 57,006, and the total num ber of persons who are usually engaged
in gainful occupations was at least 26,749.
T a b l e 1.— N U M B E R O F P E R S O N S IN B A L T IM O R E W H O A R E U S U A L L Y E N G A G E D IN
G A IN F U L O C C U P A T IO N S A N D W H O A R E E N T IR E L Y W IT H O U T E M P L O Y M E N T ,
C L A S S IF IE D A C C O R D IN G TO S E X , C O L O R , A N D R E G U L A R O C C U P A T IO N
M ale
Total
num
ber
T otal W hite
R egular occupation
.411 o c c u p a tio n s
__ _______________ . . . . . .
All m a n u f a c t u r i n g a n d m e c h a n ic a l o c c u p a tio n s ___________ _________ _________ ____
A pprentices in building and h an d trades . .
Bakers
........
_.
_.
....
B lacksm iths . . . . .
.
. . .
Boiler m akers___
_ _______ _________
B rick and stone m asons
. . . ______________
B uilding in d u stry .
C ontractors
___
B uilders and building contractors
C a b in e tm a k e rs___ . . . . .
___________ . .
C arpenters . .
. . . __
B uilding in d u s try ____
_ _ _______
O ther industries . . . .
C o n tra c to rs _____ ____
_ ___________
Compositors
_____
_
____ . . .
Coopers. ____ _. ___
_ _ _______ . .
D ressm akers a n d seamstresses ____________
D yers .
_____ _ _________
Electricians
■
. ____________ _
Building in d u stry
_______. . . . .
O ther industries ____________________ . . .
C o n tra c to rs _____
...
____________ __
Electrotypers ______
._
_ _____
Engineers’ (stationary a n d cranem en)
_ .
Building in d u stry
____. . .
_____ _
O ther industries
Contractors
________
E ngravers.
. . .
F actory workers (not otherw ise classified).
Food a n d k in d red products . . _ . _
Textiles a n d th eir p ro d u cts.
...
.. .
Iron and steel a n d th eir products, n o t ineluding m achinery . .
_
L um ber a n d allied p ro d u c ts..
Leather and its m anufacture
___
R ubber p ro d u cts________ _ .
Paper and printing ______
Chemicals a n d allied p roducts___________
Stone, clay, an d glass pro d u cts___ _ _
M etal and m etal products, other th a n iron
and steel - - - - - Tobacco m anufactures
____ _ _
M achinery, n o t including transportation
equipm ent _
__
.
_ ...
M usical in stru m en ts . .
____________
T ransportation equipm ent . . .
R ailroad repair shops _______
... _
O ther industries, and unclassified
Filers, buffers, a n d polishers.. ................ __
Firem en (not locomotive or fire departm ent)
Forem en and overseers, m anufacturing and
m echanical.
.
_ _ _ _ _
Glassblowers.
________ ________
Jewelers (not in factory)___
_________ . . .
Laborers (not otherw ise classified) ________ _
Building in d u stry _ _.
______
O ther la b o re rs __________ . . _ _ ___
L ith o g rap h ers..
. _____________
M achinists __
_ _.
__
____ _
M echanics (not otherw ise classified) __ _ _______
M olders. . _ _
_
...
_________
Oilers of m achinery
Painters
.
________________
Building in d u stry __ _ _____ __________
O ther industries ____________________
C o n tra c to rs ................................................... _
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
13,177 11,344
Fem ale
T otal W hite
7,956
3,388
1,933
1,334
699
3,599
20
535
459
?6
27
25
2
541
76
26
212
50
41
172
48
31
40
2
10
100
29
13
11
4
1
3
8
3
3
8,966
121
16
27
24
180
125
55
14
29
699
491
34
174
7
5
27
1
147
54
21
72
1
70
10
25
35
3
1, 604
238
120
8,431
121
16
27
24
180
125
55
14
29
699
491
34
174
7
5
5,833
101
16
27
24
177
123
54
14
29
688
486
33
169
7
5
1
147
1
147
21
72
1
70
10
25
35
3
1,392
188
79
21
72
1
65
9
25
31
3
851
112
53
252
100
13
8
34
174
102
236
89
9
30
164
97
136
60
4
4
25
36
42
3
5
128
55
16
11
4
1
4
10
5
46
14
46
8
29
5
17
3
6
6
25
1
71
12
394
8
63
25
1
71
12
330
8
63
22
1
64
11
247
8
41
3
64
44
40
9
4
3, 370
1,012
2,358
34
128
111
52
10
439
249
47
143
37
9
4
3, 327
1, 009
2,318
34
128
111
52
10
438
249
46
143
34
9
3
1,482
355
1,127
34
126
100
44
10
424
244
46
134
3
3
3
1
1,845
654
1,191
43
3
40
29
1
1
1
Ì
[976]
Col
ored
Col
ored
3
2
1
11
5
1
5
5
1
4
7
1
83
1
2
2
20
22
29
2
11
8
14
5
9
14
3
11
63
UNEM PLOYM ENT CONDITIONS AND R E L IE F
T a b l e 1 . — N U M B E R O F P E R S O N S IN B A L T IM O R E W H O A R E U S U A L L Y E N G A G E D IN
G A IN F U L O C C U P A T IO N S A N D W H O A R E E N T IR E L Y W IT H O U T E M P L O Y M E N T ,
C L A S S IF IE D A C C O R D IN G T O S E X , C O L O R , A N D R E G U L A R O C C U P A T IO N —Con,
M ale
T otal
num
ber
T otal W hite
Regular occupation
All m a n u f a c t u r i n g a n d m e c h a n ic a l o c c u p a
tio n s —C ontinued.
62
Paper hangers-----------------------------------------------23
B uilding in d u s try __________________ ____ . .
39
C ontractors--------- -----------------------------------163
Plasterers and cem ent finishers-----------------------91
B uilding in d u s try ------------- ------------ ----------72
C ontractors------------------- --------- ----- -----------256
Plum bers, gas and steam fitters........... ............ .......
95
B uilding in d u stry ------------------------------------25
O ther industries------------- -------------------------136
C ontractors_______________ _____ _________
69
P rinters (not otherwise classified)______________
24
Roofers and slaters----------------------------------------839
Semiskilled operatives (not otherw ise classified).
157
Food and kindred p roducts________________
275
Textiles and th e ir p ro d u cts________________
Iro n and steel a n d th e ir products, n o t in
62
cluding m achinery - _ ____________________
43
L um ber a n d allied p ro d u c ts ---...................... .
26
L eather a n d its m anufacture________ _____ _
9
R u b b er p ro d u c ts .________________________
33
P ap er a n d p rin tin g _______________________
10
Chem icals a n d allied p roducts_____________
15
Stone, clay, and glass p ro d u cts____________
M etal a n d m etal products, oth er th a n iron
23
an d steel_______________________________
49
Tobacco m an u fa c tu re s.-.____ _____________
M achinery, n o t including transportation
11
e q u ip m en t_____________________________
5
M usical in stru m e n ts______________________
21
T ransportation e q u ip m e n t---------------- ------ 9
R ailroad repair shops_____________________
91
O ther industries a n d unclassified---------------9
Shoemakers, no t in facto ry ____________________
28
Stonecutters a n d m arble w orkers---------------------57
Structural-iron workers----------------------------------78
Tailors and tailoresses_________________ ____
80
T insm iths and sheet-m etal w orkers------------------24
U pholsterers---------------------- --------------------------34
O thers_______________________________________
835
All p u b lic u ti l i t i e s .________ _____________________
133
W ater tra n s p o rta tio n .-..-_________ ____ ______
41
Sailors and deckhands------ ----- ------------------65
Stevedores----------------------------------------------27
O thers___________________________________
621
R oad and street tra n sp o rta tio n -----------------------4S4
Chauffeurs__________________________ ____
133
D raym en and team sters___________ _____
4
O thers________________________________. . .
41
R ailroad tra n sp o rta tio n ------------------- -------------40
Express, post, telegraph, telephone------------32
Telephone o p erato rs......... ............................... ..........
8
O thers________________________ ____ _________
820
All m e r c a n tile tr a d e s ___________________________
7
R etail dealers______________________ ________
707
Salesm en____________________________________
106
O thers_____________________________ _____ ___
1
P u b lic serv ice__________________________________
73
P ro fe s s io n a l serv ice .________________________ ___
D o m e stic a n d p e rs o n a l serv ice-------------------------- 1,213
705
Servants__________________________ _____ ____
508
O thers_____________________ ____ ___ _____ —
715
C le ric al o c c u p a tio n s ________ ____ ____ ______ ___
88
Cashiers, accountants, bookkeepers-----------------444
Clerks (office)................................................................
120
Stenographers and ty p is ts ---------------- --------------63
O thers______________________________________
554
O th e r o c c u p a tio n s ___________ ________ ________
71
Clerks (unclassified)1---------- -------- ------------------483
O ther occupations-------------------------------- - -1—
* Unclassified as to w hether sales or office clerks.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[977]
Fem ale
Col
ored
T otal W hite
Col
ored
4
62
23
39
163
91
72
256
95
25
136
69
24
596
141
141
58
23
35
116
73
43
251
94
25
132
69
21
558
126
134
53
38
24
7
24
10
12
50
35
24
6
22
10
11
3
3
22
28
21
28
10
5
21
9
51
9
28
57
74
80
24
32
10
18
8
50
6
27
53
71
79
23
29
3
805
517
288
133
41
65
27
620
483
133
4
41
11
3
8
62
30
9
23
409
325
83
1
35
11
3
8
71
11
56
4
211
158
50
3
6
572
554
4
47
18
29
5
1
4
3
38
15
7
243
16
134
223
15
125
20
6
5
2
2
9
3
1
2
9
5
2
2
9
1
3
1
2
1
1
21
1
18
3
1
1
40
38
4
4
1
9
5
1
i
3
2
i
4
3
1
1
3
2
2
30
29
1
1
1
1
1
29
29
29
29
18
248
244
4
7
454
93
13
5
240
8
238
6
2
2
53
472
1
48
144
5
328
20
741
19
131
106
366
16
128
599
142
62
69
423
417
90
238
6
292
288
1
610
537
73
4
52
307
14
50
52
303
14
48
4
36
137
106
13
36
136
103
13
487
443
44
07
64
62
425
59
384
3
41
9
58
8
56
7
467
98
1
2
1
3
3
1
2
64
T
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
2.—N U M B E R O F P E R S O N S IN B A L T IM O R E W H O A R E U SU A L L Y E N G A G E D IN
G A IN F U L O C C U P A T IO N S A N D W H O A R E E N T IR E L Y W IT H O U T E M P L O Y M E N T
C L A S S IF IE D A C C O R D IN G TO S E X , C O L O R , A N D R E G U L A R IN D U S T R Y
’
able
M ale
T otal
num
ber
R egular in d u stry
All in d u s tr ie s _______________ ____________
13,177
T o tal W hite
11,244
7, 956
All m a n u f a c t u r i n g in d u s tr ie s ___________ ______ 2,917 2,489 1,911
Food and kindred p ro d u c ts .._________________
508
433
326
Beverages__ _______ _____________________
21
21
18
B akery p ro d u cts________________________I.
131
121
113
Canning a n d preserving (fruits a n d vege
tables)_____ ________ ___________________
56
40
28
C anning and preserving (sea food)_____I HI!
21
19
4
Confectionery____ _____ __________________
64
33
30
D airy products__________ ___________
21
20
14
Ic e crea m _____ _____ _________________ ~_I
7
5
3
Ice (m anufacturing)_____________ II IIII III !
69
69
48
Slaughtering and m eat packing____________
66
59
45
O ther food pro d u cts______________________
52
46
23
Textiles and th eir p ro d u cts______________
527
315
273
C lothing_________
II IIII III !
450
271
231
H im "
C otton g o o d s .........................
55
32
32
O ther te x tile s ........... ...............
IIIIIII!
22
12
10
Iron and steel a n d th e ir products, n o t including
m achinery______ ________ ________________
395
368
257
P lum bers’ supplies_________________ H ill"
27
25
23
Steel works a n d rolling m ills_________
114
113
45
T inw are_______________________________
139
116
113
O ther iron an d steel p ro d u cts_______
115
114
76
L um ber an d allied p ro d ucts_________________
214
191
153
Boxes 1_____________
II IIII I
56
45
39
F u rn itu re _______________________ I I I I I I I I I
70
67
59
Lum ber, planing m ill p ro d u cts___ III I
52
50
31
O ther lum ber p ro d u cts_______________
36
29
24
L eather and its m anufacture.... ...........
_
55
47
39
Boots a n d shoes__ __________ : _______ m i l l
48
41
35
O ther leather p ro d u cts______________ I I .I I .
7
6
4
R ub b er p ro d u cts__________________m i l l
22
19
14
Paper an d p rin tin g __________________ 111111111"
171
155
141
Boxes 2____________
15
8
5
P rin tin g an d publishing, book and jo b llH III
89
85
83
P rin tin g and publishing, newspapers
35
33
30
O ther paper products and p rin tin g _______
32
29
23
Chemicals and allied p ro d u cts________________
226
215
83
Fertilizers_____________________
103
101
1
o ils _________________________ i i i m m i i i i i
57
57
48
O ther chem icals___________________ II IIIII"
66
57
34
Stone, clay, and glass p ro d u cts_____ H ill
70
65
45
C lay p ro d u cts___ ________________________ "
34
34
8
Glass p ro d u cts__________
"~II
70
65
45
M arble, slate and stone______________
38
38
21
O ther p ro d u cts__________________ I I I I I I I I I I
9
6
5
M etal and m etal products, other th a n iron and
s te e l..__________________________________
96
95
76
Brass, bronze and c o p p e r ..................
"
51
50
34
Stam ped a n d enam eled w are....... .............
25
25
25
O ther m etal products_____________ H H
20
20
17
Tobacco m anufacture__________
"’ I
65
38
35
M achinery, n o t including tra n sp o rtatio n equip-"
m e n t____________________________________
117
114
109
M usical in stru m e n ts....... .............
II IIIII"
11
11
10
T ransportation e q u ip m e n t__________ I I I I I I I I I I I
259
259
237
M otor vehicles (including rep airs)_____
128
128
113
Shipbuilding a n d repairing________________
125
125
118
O ther tran sp o rtatio n e q u ip m e n t...
6
6
6
Railroad repair shops (steam an d e le c tric )...
30
30
28
O ther m anufacturing in d u stries_______
70
56
51
Brooms an d brushes____________
22
22
21
U m brellas___________________
11
5
5
O ther_______________________ "]
37
29
25
All m e c h a n ic a l in d u s tr ie s _____
I
2,441
2, 390
1,681
B uilding___________ _____ _________ m i .............. 2, 373 2,369 1, 670
L aundries.................................m !
68
21
11
1 M ay include some p ap er boxes.
2 Some of these m a y be included u n d er wooden boxes.
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Fem ale
Col
ored
T otal W hite
3,288
1,933
1,234
699
578
428
107
3
8
386
75
71
42
4
10
8
2
12
15
3
6
2
21
14
23
42
40
16
2
31
1
2
16
1
31
1
1
1
7
6
212
179
23
10
7
6
191
161
23
7
21
18
111
2
68
3
38
38
6
8
19
5
. 8
6
2
5
14
3
2
3
6
132
100
9
23
20
26
20
17
1
27
2
1
23
1
23
11
3
2
7
8
7
1
3
16
7
4
2
3
11
2
21
2
6
18
1
22
11
2
2
7
8
7
1
3
15
7
4
2
2
9
5
19
16
3
3
27
24
3
3
2
5
1
14
14
6
8
2
5
1
22
15
7
Col
ored
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
9
5
9
1
4
5
1
4
3
3
1
1
1
1
4
6
8
709
51
9
699
10
4
47
9
3
42
4
38
65
UNEM PLOY M ENT CONDITIONS AND R E L IE F
T a b l e 2 — N U M B E R O F P E R S O N S IN B A L T IM O R E W H O A R E U S U A L L Y E N G A G E D IN
G A IN F U L O C C U P A T IO N S A N D W H O A R E E N T IR E L Y W IT H O U T E M P L O Y M E N T ,
C L A S S IF IE D A C C O R D IN G TO SE X , C O L O R , A N D R E G U L A R IN D U S T R Y —C ontd.
M ale
T otal
num
ber
T otal W hite
Regular occupation
AH m e r c a n t i l e i n d u s t r i e s ----------------
Puses anti taxi nabs
Gas anti el ftetrie supply
R ailw ays, ftleetrift
R ailw ays, steam 3
Telegraph
Telephone
W ater transportation
Col
ored
T otal W hite
Col
ored
1,264
892
636
256
52
642
170
472
198
39
406
125
281
191
13
236
45
191
7
372
1
325
1
47
53
967
380
587
244
325
210
115
46
278
204
74
46
47
6
41
_ _____
590
572
333
239
18
18
17
45
29
244
10
8
219
16
31
1
14
8
111
1
1
______________
17
46
29
245
10
24
219
5,965
4,901
----------------------
W holesale establishm ents
R etail establishm ents_________________________
D ep artm en t stores________________________
O ther retail stores------------------ ---------------Unclassified as to wholesale or retail
/111 p u h l i e u t i l i t i e s
Female
_______________
U n c l a s s i f i e d b y i n d u s t r y 4__________________________
21
1
1
16
16
119
4
100
3 ,395
1,506
1,064
496
133
9
4
1
568
3 P ro b ab ly includes some who m ight be included u n d er “ Railroad repair shops.”
4 Includes laborers, contractors, professional, domestic, and personal service, etc., not classified according
to ind u stry .
R e p o r t o f S e n a t e C o m m itte e on C a u s e s a n d R e lie f of U n
e m p lo y m e n t
H E U nited States Senate on M ay 3, 1928, provided th a t the
Senate Com m ittee on Education and Labor should m ake an in
vestigation of the causes of unem ploym ent and possible m ethods of
relief. After extended hearings, Senator Couzens subm itted the re
port of the com m ittee on February 25, 1929. The general findings of*
the comm ittee were summarized in its report as follows:
1.
Private industry should recognize the responsibility it has to
stabilize employment within the industry. The Governm ent should
encourage this effort in every way, through sponsoring national^ con
ferences, through publishing inform ation concerning the experience
had by industries in this work, and through watching every oppor
tu n ity to keep the thought of stability upperm ost in the minds of
employers.
2.
Insurance plans against unemployment should be confined to
the industry itself as much as possible. There is no necessity and no
place for Federal interference in such efforts at this time. If any
public insurance scheme is considered, it should be left to the State
legislatures to study th a t problem.
3.
The States and municipalities should be responsible for building
efficient unem ploym ent exchanges. The Government should be re
sponsible for coordinating the work of the States so as to give a
national understanding of any condition which m ay arise and so as
to be able to assist in any national functioning of the unem ploym ent
exchanges.
4.
The existing United States Em ploym ent Service should be re
organized, and every employee should be placed under civil service.
5.
Efforts should be made to provide an efficient system for obtain
ing statistics of unemployment. The first step should be taken by
the Bureau of the Census in 1930, when the bureau should ascertain
T
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MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW
how m any were unemployed as of a certain date and liow m any were
n o t seeking employment and y e t were unemployed as of th a t date.
6. The Governm ent should adopt legislation w ithout delay which
would provide a system of planning public works so th a t they would
form a reserve against unem ploym ent in times of depression. States
and municipalities and other public agencies should do likewise.
7. F u rth er consideration m ight well be given to two questions,
the effect had on unem ploym ent by industrial developments such as
consolidation of capital, and the necessity and advisability of provid
ing either through private industry, through the States, or through
the Federal Government, a system of old-age pensions.
The full text of the report other than the conclusions, which have
been printed above, is as follows:
Text of the Report
U n d e r d a t e of M ay 3, 1928, the Senate adopted Senate Resolution
219 of the Seventieth Congress, first session. The resolution was as
follows:
W hereas m an y in v estig atio n s of u n e m p lo y m e n t h av e been m ad e du rin g recen t
y ears b y public a n d p riv a te agencies; a n d
W hereas m an y sy stem s fo r th e p re v e n tio n a n d relief of u n em p lo y m en t have
been estab lish ed in foreign co u n tries, a n d a few in th is c o u n try ; a n d
W hereas in fo rm atio n reg ard in g th e re su lts of these sy stem s of u n em p lo y m en t,
p rev en tio n , a n d relief is now a v a ila b le ; a n d
W hereas i t is desirable t h a t th e se in v estig atio n s a n d sy stem s be an aly z ed a n d
ap p ra ise d a n d m ad e av a ila b le to th e C ongress: T herefore be it
R e s o l v e d , T h a t th e C o m m itte e on E d u c a tio n a n d L ab o r of th e S enate, o r a
d u ly a u th o riz e d su b co m m itte e th ereo f, is au th o riz e d a n d d irected to m ak e a n
in v estig atio n concerning th e causes of u n em p lo y m e n t a n d th e rela tio n to its
relief of (a) th e co n tin u o u s collection a n d in te rp re ta tio n of a d e q u a te s ta tistic s of
em p lo y m en t a n d u n em p lo y m e n t; (b) th e o rg an izatio n a n d ex ten sio n of system s
of p ublic em p lo y m en t agencies, F e d e ra l a n d S ta te ; (c) th e e sta b lish m e n t of
sy stem s of u n em p lo y m e n t in su ran ce o r o th e r u n e m p lo y m e n t reserve funds,
F ed eral a n d S tate, o r p riv a te ; (d) cu rta ile d p ro d u ctio n , co nsolidation, a n d eco
nom ic reco n stru ctio n ; (e) th e p lan n in g of pu b lic w orks w ith reg ard to sta b iliz a
tio n of em p lo y m en t; a n d (/) th e feasib ility of co o p eratio n betw een F ederal,
S tate, a n d p riv a te agencies w ith reference to ( a ) , ( b ), (c), a n d (e). F o r th e p u r
poses of th is resolution such c o m m ittee o r su b co m m ittee is a u th o riz e d to hold
hearin g s a n d to sit a n d a c t a t such tim es a n d places; to em ploy such ex p erts
a n d clerical, sten o g rap h ic , a n d o th e r a ssista n ts; to req u ire, b y su b p o en a o r o th erwise, th e a tte n d a n c e of such w itnesses a n d th e p ro d u c tio n of such books, p ap ers,
a n d d o cu m en ts; to a d m in iste r such o a th s a n d to ta k e such te stim o n y a n d m ake
such ex p en d itu res as i t deem s ad v isab le. T h e co st of sten o g rap h ic services to
re p o rt such hearin g s shall n o t be in excess of 25 cen ts p e r h u n d re d w ords. T he
expenses of such co m m ittee, w hich sh all n o t be in excess of $15,000, shall be p aid
from th e c o n tin g e n t fu n d of th e S en ate u p o n v o u ch ers a p p ro v e d by th e ch airm an .
T h e co m m ittee o r su b co m m ittee shall m ak e a final re p o rt to th e S en ate as to its
findings, to g e th e r w ith such reco m m en d atio n s fo r legislation as i t deem s ad v isab le,
on o r before F e b ru a ry 15, 1929.
Shortly after the Senate had adopted the resolution your comm ittee
m et to consider plans for m aking the survey. The assistance of the
In stitu te of Economics of the Brookings In stitution of W ashington,
a nonpartisan, private organization, was sought, and the institute
assigned Dr. Isador Lubin, of its staff of economists, to assist in
directing the work. The work of the institute has been voluntary,
and, as a result, the expense of the survey to the Governm ent has been
slight.
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67
The comm ittee and the Senate owe the In stitu te of Economics a
debt of gratitude, and the com m ittee herew ith expresses it and also
compliments the institute upon the work it has done.
The report of Doctor Lubin, which summarizes the evidence sub
m itted to the comm ittee and comments upon it, is printed a t the
conclusion of the printed hearings. Anyone who has followed this
work or is interested in this subject should read this report.
The com m ittee is likewise indebted to the Industrial Relations
Counsellors of New York, another endowed organization which has
been interested in the subject of unemployment. This organization
contributed to the comm ittee three volumes of a report it has m ade
on the subject of unemployment-insurance plans. Although this
report touches on some subjects which had also been reviewed by
your comm ittee, we feel th a t the whole ls of such value th a t it should
be printed as a p a rt of the evidence of your comm ittee and this has
been done.
Likewise, the comm ittee is indebted to any num ber of business
men who gave, unstintingly and willingly, of their time and services.
Your comm ittee was interested, primarily, in the worker who
desires to work, who is seeking an opportunity for gainful employ
m ent, and who is unable to find it. There are others who m ight be
listed as “ among the unem ployed” b u t those who are n o t employed
because they do not choose to be employed, hardly constitute a prob
lem for this committee.
The evidence taken shows the causes or the types of unem ploym ent
m ight be divided into three classes, cyclical, seasonal, and technologi
cal.
L ittle necessity exists for describing these three classifications.
Cyclical unem ploym ent has been like the plague; it has come and
gone a t regular intervals until it has been accepted as a necessary
evil by some who should know otherwise. We do no t believe, any
more, th a t it is necessary for the baby to have the diphtheria and
rickets and other “ diseases of childhood.” We have found and are
finding m ethods of preventing these diseases. We should recognize
also th a t there is an obligation on all society to attack, unceasingly,
the problem of unemployment.
C y c lic a l unem ploym ent can be best attacked through the control
of credit, according to the experts who testified before your com
m ittee. I t was the expressed view of these students th a t the Federal
reserve system has done and is doing a great deal toward this end.
We all know the story of progression and retrogression in industry
as told in the history of all cyclical unemployment. Although there
m ay be different causes and although, no student seems to be able to
lay down a dogma as to causes which is universally accepted, the
results are m uch the same. We have the first evidence of increased
business, developm ent of “ better tim es” psychology, increased orders
and increased production, plant extensions, increased stocks on
shelves, extensions of credit, and then the swing downward, a swing
which is merely accelerated.
.
And for labor, we have the inculcation of the practices of inef
ficiency which are definite m arks of every period of overdevelopment
and overexpansion and then—unemployment.
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MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
As D r. John R, Commons p u t it in his testim ony before your
committee, “ We first demoralize labor and then we pauperize i t . ”
We desire to call the reader’s attention to the statem ent of Doctor
Lubin in the report of the In stitu te of Economics, which reviews the
incidents of cyclical unemployment at greater length and with more
pointed facts.
Seasonal unem ploym ent is of more im m ediate interest because
here we have a daily problem, year in and year out, which confronts
the industrial leader and society in general. If the business men of
the country will solve this problem to the extent it is possible of solu
tion, will eliminate this waste, the saving to industry will be two
billions of dollars a year, according to the testim ony of M r. Sam O.
Lewisohn, a leader in m any industries, who appeared before your
committee. Seasonal unem ploym ent can be attacked in m any ways.
I t is being successfully attacked in m any industries as the evidence
will show. Discussion of these methods of attack will be found in
other sections of this report.
Technological unem ploym ent covers th a t vast field where, through
one device or another, and chiefly through a machine supplanting a
hum an, skilled workers have found th a t their trades no longer exist
and th a t their skill is no longer needed. W hat becomes of these men?
W hat can be done about these thousands of individual tragedies?
W hat do these individual tragedies mean to society as a whole?
I t is an imponderable thing. Some of the experienced witnesses
who appeared before your comm ittee stated th a t new industries
absorb the labor turned adrift by machine development. The auto
mobile, the airplane, the radio, and related industries were suggested
as examples. U ndoubtedly there is much tru th in these statem ents,
b u t nevertheless we are n o t relieved of the individual problem. I t
offers little to the skilled musician to say th a t he, who has devoted
his life to his art, m ay find a job in a factory where radio equipm ent
is m anufactured. Then there is the delay, th a t inevitable period of
idleness when readjustm ents are being effected, the suffering, the loss,
the enforced change in environm ent. True, this m ay all be “ the price
of progress” b u t society has an obligation to try, a t least, to see th a t
all this “ price” does not become the burden of the worker.
This subject also will be discussed more fully under other chapters
of this report.
There is one other field of unemployment, the field wherein we
find the crippled, the superannuated, the infirm. This field consti
tutes a problem for industry and for society. I t is a growing field,
we believe. The m an of m ature years is not so successful when com
peting w ith a machine as is a younger m an. T he problem of these
men will also be touched upon in other chapters of this report.
Your comm ittee is required by Senate Resolution 219 to m ake a
report on the causes of unemployment. So m any inquiries have been
m ade on this subject, so m any conferences have been held, so m any
reports made, so m any volumes w ritten, th a t it would seem impos
sible to contribute anything additional of great value.
However, your comm ittee feels th a t it has accomplished something.
We have striven to obtain an understanding of some of the conditions
which cause unemployment, of the m achinery now had to detect
when and where unem ploym ent exists, and of the existing facilities
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UNEM PLOYM ENT CONDITIONS AND R E L IE F
69
for the treatm ent and the relief of the condition, once it is known to
exist.
I t is probable the survey could have been more comprehensive
and th a t the report of your committee m ight be more dogmatic, but
we emphasize th a t this is a so-called short session of Congress, and
th a t it is m ost difficult to accomplish a great work like this at a short
session. Senators are beset with two or more conflicting committee
meetings and they m ust choose between them. Because of this con
dition, it was impossible to obtain the constant attendance of all
members of the comm ittee a t all meetings.
N otw ithstanding, your comm ittee feels th a t it has contributed toward an aroused interest in the subject, th a t another effort has been
m ade to interest leaders in industry in the problem of stabilizing
employment, th a t the evidence collected and printed in the hearings
will provide an opportunity for a better understanding of the whole
situation, and th a t as a result of this survey another advance has
been made in the effort to solve the difficult problem of unemployment.
Regardless of w hat m ay be said in derogation of conferences and
investigations, this survey shows conclusively th a t the unemploy
m ent conference, which was convened in 1921 under the leadership of
H erbert Hoover, did accomplish something. T h a t conference aroused
the interest of some employers in the subject of stabilization. They
returned to their plants and began an effort to stabilize employment
in their industries. They attained some success and then more, and
as they succeeded and realized w hat they had gained, they became
missionaries in the field. Now, they have appeared before your com
m ittee and their testim ony speaks for itself.
Before proceeding w ith a detailed discussion of the evidence, your
com m ittee wishes to voice the opinion th a t the unem ploym ent prob
lem can only be solved through constant struggle on the p a rt of all
members of society. W hen your comm ittee uses the word solved,
it merely means th a t an opportunity will have been given to every
one who really desires work. No one will question th a t every m an is
entitled to the opportunity to provide for himself and his family.
T h a t is a fundam ental right and society can not consider itself suc
cessfully organized until every m an is assured of the opportunity to
preserve himself and his family from suffering and want.
If we consider the question from the viewpoint of d uty alone, every
mem ber of society has an obligation to assist in solving it. The em
ployer, undoubtedly, has the greatest duty and the greatest responsi
bility. H e is using labor to make a profit for himself and if he is
going to take the advantages of this system of society, he m ust
assume the obligations likewise. The laborer, or worker, or employee
has a d u ty to assist also because there is nothing more certain than
th at, as every step forward is m ade in the solution of this problem, the
individual laborer or worker will gain tremendously.
I t is an interesting thing in this connection th a t the m an who
m ust labor inevitably thinks m ost of steady employment, as the
evidence presented by the Industrial Relations Counsellors shows.
The fear of being “ out of a job ” is one of the m ost demoralizing factors
in all the relations of m an to his job and employee to his employer.
And it m ay as well be remembered th a t society is going to solve
this problem, is going to provide an opportunity for m an to sustain
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MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
himself, or is going to sustain m an. Society is going to provide an
opportunity for m an to pay his own way or is going to pay for him.
Society m ay as well m ake every effort to do the job constructively,
because no society can be strong in which its m embers are encouraged
or forced to adopt the position and the place of those seeking charity,
and secondly, because when society pays the bill through charity or
through the cost of crime, the paym ents offer little possibility of any
advance for m ankind.
M r. Daniel W illard, president of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Co., p u t the whole story rather pithily. In the first place, he de
scribed the old days of intensive individualism where goods were
produced, largely, in individual shops and by hand labor. Now we
have the trem endous factories, the mass production, and the wealth
pouring from machines and moving on for the benefit of society. If
society is going to take this benefit, then society m ust also accept
the burdens, M r. W illard suggested. A m an out of work, discon
tented, and suffering, constituted a danger for society, he added. As
he p u t it, a m an is going to steal before he starves, and the word
“ ste a l” m ay cover a m ultitude of other crimes—crimes perhaps of
the m an who steals b u t crimes of far greater m agnitude for th a t
society which perm its a condition which induces or invites men to
steal.
Your comm ittee will now proceed w ith the detailed demands of
the resolution and will discuss the subjects in the order in which they
are presented in the resolution.
(A) The Relation Had by the Continuous Collection and Interpretation of Adequate Statistics of
Employment and Unemployment to the Relief of Unemployment
The testim ony of Commissioner E thelbert Stew art, of the Bureau
of Labor Statistics of the D epartm ent of Labor; the testim ony of
D r. John R . Commons; of M r. Bryce M . Stew art; of Air. M orris E.
Leeds, and of a num ber of other witnesses, shows the necessity of
having adequate statistics of employment and unemployment. To
know there is a problem, th a t there is unemployment, and how severe
it is, is necessar}?- before a successful attack on it can be m ade. T h at
seems so obvious it is hardly w orth stating.
e have absolutely no figures as to the num ber of persons unem
ployed a t any definite time. Commissioner Stew art explains th a t
situation in his testim ony. He has m ade estim ates on the “ shrink
ag e” of employment. The unem ploym ent conference of 1921, after
deploring the fact th a t there were absolutely no d a ta obtainable on
the subject m ade its “ best guess.” Ju st last year, one dispute after
another arose in Congress over the num ber of men out of work. True,
the discussion was open to the charge of being largely political, but
political or otherwise, it should have served to have driven home the
point th a t here was a governm ent w ithout any m achinery for knowing
w hether it was afflicted w ith a disease to which m ight be added the
cancer th a t destroys governm ent.
If we do n o t have accurate inform ation on this subject, we m ay
rest assured we are going to have plenty of inaccurate information.
The subject is one which is very articulate in itself. Our experience
should be convincing th a t all this is so. And in this connection it
m ight be well to reflect on the tru th th a t facts will perm it sound
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71
thinking and th a t an absence of facts produces a condition of fear
and panic which m ay be far more costly to the country than would
be the cost of m aintaining a system of obtaining these statistics.
As to the m ethod of gathering inform ation, and as to w hat should
be gathered, there is cause for question and study. Statistics, to be of
any im m ediate value, m ust be gathered quickly, m ust give a true
picture and m ust perm it of proper and correct appraisem ent. In
accurate statistics are of no value, and statistics which are m onths
and years old are of about the same value as is the result of a post
m ortem to a physician and no more so. They m ay have value_ in
dealing w ith the problem as a whole, b u t have no use in relieving
im m ediate necessity.
Commissioner Stew art proposes to develop statistics as to unem
ploym ent by measuring the shrinkage and the increase of employment
and unem ploym ent in a considerable num ber of industries and by
applying to the norm the factors thus obtained. This should perm it
a fairly accurate m easurem ent of conditions to be obtained with
sufficient rapidity to m eet any demand. B u t the norm m ust be
first established and Commissioner Stew art proposes to have it
established by an accurate census.
The Bureau of the Census should obtain the inform ation th a t
Commissioner Stew art desires and should obtain it a t the next
census in 1930. The Bureau of the Census m ay say its other duties
would be delayed in this effort, b u t this work of building an efficient
system of m easuring unem ploym ent is far more im portant, in the
opinion of your committee, than a great deal of other inform ation
obtained through the census.
As to supplem entary statistics, these m ight and perhaps should be
obtained in any num ber of ways. However, it is the testim ony of
witnesses before your comm ittee th a t until we get a system of unem
ploym ent exchanges established in the various cities and States, it is
doubtful th a t we shall get a report more valuable than th a t proposed
to be obtained by Commissioner Stewart.
(B) The Organization and Extension of Systems of Public Employment Agencies, Federal and
State
The Governm ent now appropriates $200,000 for the work of the
U nited States Em ploym ent Service. The director of th a t service,
M r. Francis 1. Jones, appeared before your committee, and his testi
mony will be found in the hearings.
Your com m ittee also directs attention to the testim ony of Air.
Bryce M . Stew art, to th a t of D r. John it. Commons, and to the
report of D octor Lubin, of the In stitu te of Economics.
As is shown by D octor Lubin, the Em ploym ent Service is a result
of w ar experiences. When the country was mobilized for w ar pur
poses and the necessity existed to find a m an for every place more
than a place for every m an, a w ar unem ploym ent machine was
developed. And, being regarded as an instrum ent of war, the m a
chinery was scrapped in time of peace. Funds were n o t appropriated,
offices were abandoned, personnel dismissed, and of even more im
portance, the employers in private fife who had m aintained an active
interest in the unemployment exchanges perm itted th a t interest to
wane.
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The result is we have an unemployment service which functions as
a Federal organization only in the m atter of placing farm labor and
which endeavors to function through grants of money, out of the
Federal appropriation, to assist in the m anitenance of S tate or city
employment exchanges. The situation is one no t conducive to build
ing interest in the organization as it now exists.
As is shown by Doctor Lubin in his report, recom mendations for
the establishm ent of public employment exchanges have been made
for two decades whenever a program for relieving conditions of un
em ploym ent was given consideration. As far back as 1916 recom
m endations were made th a t the country m ust first organize a national
system of labor exchanges in order to deal w ith the unemployment
problem, as Doctor Lubin shows. In 1921 the President’s confer
ence on unem ploym ent recommended the form ation of a national
system of employment exchanges and later this recom mendation was
indorsed by the comm ittee which prepared for M r. Hoover a special
report on business cycles and unemployment. The conclusion of the
comm ittee was th a t “ the greatest promise seems to be in the develop
m ent and raising to a high standard of efficiency of a national system
of employment bureaus.”
T he “ p in ch ” of unem ploym ent is rarely appreciated until it be
comes personal. Epidemics of disease m ay afflict one section of the
country and arouse trem endous interest and even concern in the other
sections, b u t until unem ploym ent becomes local and personal it
seems to arouse little fear. The m an a t work appears to have little
realization of how he is affected by the fact th a t his fellow man is out
of a job. The organization to handle the disease in this form should
be local also, it seems to your committee. I t should be one which
would be responsible to local conditions and one which is responsible
also to local officials, to local employers, and to local employees.
. Doctor Commons advised your comm ittee th a t the States and
cities should establish and operate the unem ploym ent exchanges
and th a t the Federal Governm ent should merely establish an organiza
tion of experts to coordinate the work of the local exchanges and
“ to bring up the sta n d a rd ” of those offices. Your committee is in
accord with the idea th a t the Federal Governm ent should remain as
far away from the operation of those local offices as is possible. The
em ploym ent exchanges should be local, we repeat.
To be successful, in fact to be of any great value, public employ
m ent agencies or exchanges m ust have th6 confidence of those for
whom the exchanges are established, in other words for the employer
and the employee imm ediately interested. This confidence can only
be established through efficient operation of such offices. The per
sonnel m ust have the ability to invite and induce and then to as
semble inform ation as to the needs of the employer and, having done
this, m ust perform the next function of making the contact between
the employer and the m an who wants a job. If the office is efficiently
operated and deserving of the confidence needed for success, the en
deavor will not only be to find a job for the m an and a m an for the job,
bu t will be to find the right m an for the right job, to effect a placem ent
where both the employer and the employee will be pleased and likely
to remain so.
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As D octor Commons said in his testim ony, “ the best employment
agencies in the U nited States are not the public employment agencies
b u t they are the employers themselves. ” He added th a t he “ did not
believe th a t we can have public employment offices in this country
until the employers are willing to support those offices. ”
In other words, the employers who have the m ost intim ate touch
w ith the opportunities for labor, m ust have sufficient confidence and
interest in the employment exchanges to make use of them . The
labor or unem ploym ent exchange m ust become to the employer for
labor purposes ju st w hat his bank is for purposes of obtaining capital.
Discussing the organization of employment exchanges, D octor
Commons offers the example of the M ilwaukee office, which is con
ducted and m aintained by the local governments, State and city.
There, he testified, we had for years the experience connected with
an em ploym ent exchange which existed for itself and for jobs for the
personnel. Then the personnel was placed under civil service rules,
candidates for positions were graded in accordance with educational
qualifications and experience and then an advisory committee, repre
senting organized employers and organized labor, selected the best
candidate for director of the office. This inan was appointed. To
the criticism th a t the unorganized worker is not represented in this
plan, D octor Commons replies th a t the organized employer always
takes care of the unorganized worker and adds th a t “ the plan has
w orked.”
Aside from the Wisconsin offices, there are efficient exchanges m
some other States, although the num ber is so small th a t it does not
even offer the skeleton of a national system. Thirteen States, as
D octor Lubin shows, have no employment offices whatsoever. In
11 States there is only one office and in other States the num ber of
offices vary up to the point where 17 offices are found in the State of
Illinois. The amounts appropriated by the States also vary tre
mendously. In Wyoming, for example, $900 is granted for the work,
and from th a t point the State expenditures for this purpose increase
to the point where $231,360 is spent in Illinois. The total appro
priations of all the State governm ents aggregate only $1,203,906.
Aside from these general services on the p a rt of the Governm ent of
the U nited States and upon the p art of State governments, the
U nited States Em ploym ent Service conducts a farm -labor division
which has tem porary offices at im portant points in the agricultural
States. Critics who have studied the work of the service concede th a t
this is an im portant task and th a t it is well done.
In Hew of this very lim ited service throughout the country, in
view of the few offices conducted and the apparent lack of interest,
is there any cause for amazement in the fact th a t private employment
exchanges thrive in m any cities, and thrive despite the m anner in
which some of the private exchanges are conducted—not always to
cast credit on the business?
The burden of assisting the unemployed to find work should be
borne by organized society through the m aintenance of efficient
public employment exchanges. Efficient public em ploym ent ex
changes should replace private exchanges. Private employment
exchanges which merely attem p t to make contact between a woiker
and a job, which are operated for profit and solely for profit, present
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a situation where there are conditions conducive to p etty graft. Such
practice a t the expense of the unemployed is a crime which should not
be tolerated.
Your comm ittee m ight summarize its views on this subject in this
m an n er:
1. The existing United States Em ploym ent Service should be
reorganized.
2. The director and every employee of the service should be selected
and appointed after a rigid civil-service examination.
3. The adm inistrative features of the civil-service examination
should perm it the cooperation of organized industry and organized
labor in weeding out the candidates for these places, a t'le a s t the
place of the executives.
i 4. The service should become an organization of experts whose
duties would be to coordinate the work of the States.
5. Aside from compiling statistics and endeavoring to arrange a
plan which would perm it the Governm ent to be advised prom ptly and
accurately of conditions throughout the various State exchanges, the
Federal service should not be active. In other words, the Govern
m ent should rem ain as completely detached from the operation of
exchanges throughout the States as it is possible for it to be.
There has been some question of the plan now in vogue whereby
the G overnm ent contributes financial assistance to the State offices.
W itnesses before your comm ittee insisted unem ploym ent anywhere in
the country was of national concern and therefore should be treated
to some extent w ith the aid of the Government. B u t it is certain th at
some definite system or plan should be devised under which the
Governm ent should grant this money to the States if the Governm ent
assistance is to continue. The Governm ent expert should make certain
th a t the Governm ent was not contributing to inefficiency in the service.
(C) The Establishment of Systems of Unemployment Insurance or Other Unemployment Reserve
Funds, Federal, State, or Private
In connection w ith this subject your comm ittee recommends the
reading of the testim ony of D r. John R. Commons, of the In stitu te
of Economics, and the Industrial Relations Counselors, a^ well as
the testim ony of the business men who discussed conditions in their
own industries.
. We think it is generally agreed by the witnesses th a t at the present
tim e the following conclusions would be draw n from the evidence:
1. Governm ent interference in the establishm ent and direction of
unem ploym ent insurance is not necessary and not advisable a t this
time.
2. N either the tim e nor the condition has arrived in this country
where the system s of unem ploym ent insurance now in vogue under
foreign governm ents should be adopted by this Government.
3. Private employers should adopt a system of unem ploym ent in
surance and should be perm itted and encouraged to adopt the system
which is best suited to the particular industry.
U ntil an opportunity or some cause such as this survey is had to
focus attention on the industrial developments in this country, little
consideration is given to the accomplishments such as we find in the
field of stabilizing employment.
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U ndoubtedly there are not sufficient industrial leaders who are
interested as yet, b u t there is cause to believe they will be, and simply
because of economic pressure. I t seems reasonable to assert, from
the testim ony taken during this survey, th a t the employer who does
not stabilize his employment and thus retain his experienced work
men is the employer who is going to fail.
Ju st as the efficient business m an is stabilizing the return for
capital invested, by building up reserves for dividends, so shall he
establish a reserve for return to labor in the hours of adversity,
according to the well-founded argum ents advanced by business
men. And why? The testim ony from witness after witness stresses
the point th a t there is no suggestion of charity in this effort, no idea
of being philanthropic, no desire to have industry to become paternal
istic. True, in m ost cases the plans were started because an indus
trial -leader became conscious of some of his obligations to society.
B ut there is general accord on the proposition th a t the plan is “ good
business,” th a t it has increased profits.
One witness asked, “ Shall the business m an who expands his
business w ithout consideration for future requirem ents escape his
responsibility?”
M r. M orris E. Leeds, of Leeds & N orthrup, described his theory as
follows:
I w as convinced a good m an y years ago of th e ele m e n t of u n fairn ess a n d social
w rong t h a t m odern in d u s try h a d g o tte n in to by freely hirin g people a n d w ith
ecpial freedom , firing th em .
M r. Daniel W illard said:
I t seem s to m e t h a t th o se w ho m an ag e o u r larg e in d u strie s, w h a te v e r th e
c h a ra c te r of th e ir o u tp u t m ay be, w h e th e r i t be shoes, steel, o r tra n sp o rta tio n ,
should recognize th e im p o rta n c e a n d ev en th e n ecessity of p la n n in g th e ir w ork so
as to fu rn ish a s ste a d y e m p lo y m en t a s possible to th o se in th e ir service. N o t
only sh ould t h a t course, in m y opinion, be follow ed because it is a n o b lig atio n
connected w ith o u r econom ic sy stem , b u t I fully believe t h a t such a course is
ju stifiab le fro m th e s ta n d p o in t of th e em p lo y er b ecause i t wrnuld te n d to develop
a satisfied a n d co n te n te d b o d y of w orkm en w hich of itself w ould im p ro v e efficiency
a n d reduce costs.
The testim ony speaks for itself and everyone interested should read
it. A t this time there is nothing th a t can be recommended on this
score in the way of legislation. However, your comm ittee can express
the hope th a t organizations of capital and of labor and th a t officials
of the Federal and S tate Governments shall never lose an opportunity
to inspire thought and discussion on this question of the necessity
and the advisability of stabilizing employment within the industries
themselves.
Stabilization has been sought and obtained in various ways._ One
employer has placed practically all his workers on a salary basis, has
assured them of a continuous wage throughout the year, and has place
upon them the responsibility of m aking the industry succeed. O thers
have established reserve funds and have so arranged them th a t execu
tives and workers strive to prevent them from being drained. O thers
have so ordered their production th a t it is spread throughout the year.
Others have begun the production of articles which are related to the
general business plan b u t which can be produced in periods which
formerly were m arked by idleness.
46658°— 29-
6
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76
The testim ony is fairly convincing th a t stabilization can be accom
plished in industries which were once regarded as being seasonal in
their every aspect.
Fifteen bills dealing with unem ploym ent insurance have been intro
duced in six State legislative bodies since 1915, and none of them has
been successful. Probably the so-called H uber bill, introduced in
the Wisconsin Legislature, came nearest to adoption, and its author,
Doctor Commons, advised your committee th a t it “ was as dead as
anything could be.”
In m any industries, as the evidence will show, a reserve fund for
unem ploym ent which offers protection in the form of insurance has
been adopted. The testim ony of D octor Commons as to the prac
tice in the Chicago clothing industries is im portant as well as the
reports of the Industrial Relations Counselors.
W hatever legislation is considered on this subject, your comm ittee
is convinced, should be considered by the States. "The States can
deal w ith this subject much better th an can the Federal Government.
B ut in any discussion of legislation, your comm ittee thinks consider
ation should be given to the argum ents of Doctor Commons— th a t
the plan of reserve funds or insurance confined to one company or
plant rather than to all industries, should be adopted.
D octor Commons stresses the fact th a t the insurance idea as prac
ticed in the Chicago m arket follows the experiences gained from the
adoption of disability compensation plans in various States. Em ploy
ers were moved to adopt every precaution against accidents when they
realized th a t accidents were costly under the plans for disability com
pensation. In the same way, employers and employees will be more
likely to fight the causes of unem ploym ent within their industries
when they have seen tangible evidence of the cost of unemployment,
according to the argum ents advanced in this evidence. On the other
hand, Doctor Commons insists th at, “ the paternalistic and socialis
tic ” schemes adopted in foreign countries, penalize success in th a t
the employer who stabilizes his employment does not escape the
burden of paying for unem ploym ent in other industries.
Your committee can not leave this subject w ithout suggesting th a t
consideration be given to the benefits of stabilized production—the
finer morale of the workers, the better workmanship, the increased
production, the lowered costs of production, and the elimination of
the cost of training the unskilled recruits. The testim ony proves
conclusively th a t the workers who cooperate with their employers
and who are given a chance and encouraged, contribute trem endously
to the success of the enterprise.
(D) Curtailed Production, Consolidation, and Economic Reconstruction
This subject covers so vast a field th a t it also im m ediately becomes
imponderable. To exhaust it seems impossible. A comm ittee of
Congress could proceed with a study on this one phase of the unem
ploym ent problem and could continue indefinitely.
The general opinion _given your comm ittee on this score is th a t
undoubtedly ju st at this time we are experiencing a program and a
problem which are no different from those occurring since the advent of
machines in industry. The difference is, however, th a t undoubtedly
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at this time the developments are far more extensive and far more
intensive than they have ever been in our history.
Of course there" is going to be individual suffering, for example,
the suffering of the musician who discovers th a t a machine is forcing
him to forego his life work and to seek employment in new fields.
How to answer the m any questions which arise with every m inute
of consideration for this topic, is w hat makes the subject imponder
able. The printed evidence contains suggestions of the shortened
working day and the reduced working week, has contentions th a t
new industries are arising constantly out of the graves of departed
trades and the workers are thus absorbed. Your comm ittee is con
vinced, however, th a t it is the duty of society to provide for these
workers during the period of readjustm ent, as m any employers are
now doing.
Conflicting opinions are offered as to the effect of the vast consoli
dations of wealth. One side contends th a t the day of the small
business m an is passing, th a t the individual m erchant can no longer
compete with the national chain, while another will contend th a t no
nationally organized chain can overcome the personal effort p u t into
a business by the individual business man.
However, in the time your comm ittee had for this subject no
opportunity presented itself for the consideration of legislation on
this subject, and your committee has nothing to suggest at this time.
(E) The Planning of Public Works with Regard to Stabilization
A nother comm ittee of Congress, the Com m ittee on Commerce, has
considered this subject and has reported legislation which is now
before the Senate. The legislation is commonly referred to as the
“ Jones prosperity reserve bill.” Your committee would suggest th a t
the evidence subm itted with reference to th a t bill should be read in
connection w ith this study.
There is some testim ony of interest on this subject in these hear
ings, b u t your comm ittee did not devote a great deal of time to this
topic, because no one disagreed with the suggestion th a t the Govern
m ent and all other public agencies should so order their public works
th a t they would offer a buffer in time of unemployment.
The evidence is very clear th a t the Federal Governm ent m ay set
a valuable example to the States in the adoption of a practical scheme
for the planning of public works. Of course, the States and the other
divisions of Governm ent will have the greatest opportunity to provide
this buffer because the expenditures by the Federal Government
for public works are not large as compared with the expenditures
by the States and other civil divisions. There should be no delay
upon the p a rt of the various Governments, Federal, State, city, and
other m inor subdivisions in the adoption of such plans.
There are m inor objections to this scheme b u t your committee is
convinced they can be overcome w ithout difficulty.
(F) The Feasibility of Cooperation of Federal, State, and Private Agencies with Respect to all
These Subjects Related to the Unemployment Problem
Your comm ittee has discussed this phase of the survey as it has
proceeded with this report and there is little to add. In general,
it is the opinion of your comm ittee th a t the responsibility should be
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kept as “ close to home ” as is possible. Private agencies should make
the first effort and should do everything they can for themselves.
The States should contribute only th a t service th a t private agencies
would find impossible and the Governm ent should merely coordinate
the work of the States and supply any effort which is entirely and
purely of national character.
U n e m p lo y m e n t in E u ro p e in D e c e m b e r, 1928
T
H E following table on unem ploym ent in 18 countries in Europe
in December, 1927 and 1928, has been compiled from the Febru
ary, 1929, issue of the M onthly Bulletin of Statistics of the League
of N ations (pp. 76-77).
I t will be noted th a t in 8 out of the 18 countries listed below the
unem ploym ent figures are higher for December, 1928, than for Decem
ber, 1927, and in 4 of these countries very much higher. For example,
in Germ any the percentage of trade-unionists reported is 16.7 in
December, 1928, as compared to 12.9 in the same m onth in 1927,
while the unemployed persons reported in receipt of benefit is
1,702,342 or over half a million more than a t the earlier date. In
the U nited Kingdom (Great B ritain and N orthern Ireland) the
num ber of persons compulsorily insured reported unemployed in
December, 1928, is 1,333,611, or over 139,000 more than in the
corresponding period in the preceding year. In the Scandinavian
countries where the num bers of trade-unionists reported unemployed
were not so great in December, 1928, as in December, 1927, the per
centages of the unemployed among these trade-unionists were still
very large a t the later period—25 per cent in Denm ark, and over 17
per cent, respectively, in Norway and Sweden.
U N E M P L O Y M E N T IN E U R O P E IN D E C E M B E R , 1927, A N D D E C E M B E R , 1928
1927
1928
C ou n try and class of unem ployed
N um ber
Per
cent
N um ber
A ustria: Persons registered____________ ____ ____ ____ ____ _________
238, 075
237, 661
Belgium: W holly unem ployed m em bers of unem ploym ent insurance
societies__________________________________________________ ___
22, 526
3.6
11,912
Czechoslovakia: Persons in receipt of benefit_________________ II IIII .!
14, 334
1.3
19, 698
D enm ark: T rade-unionists1____________________________________
87,116 31. 6 2 67, 900
Estonia: Persons registered___________________ ____________
4,437
7, 770
Finland: Persons registered____________________________ 111111111""!’
2, 152
2, 868
France: Persons in receipt of benefit_________ ______
_
13,221
895
G erm any:
Trade-unionists w holly u n em p lo y ed 1______________________
519, 573 12.9
748, 760
Persons in receipt of benefit_____________________________
1,188, 274
1, 702, 342
H u n g a ry : Trade-unionists__________________________________ ” ] ] ] ] ’ "
14, 368
15,187
Irish Free State: C om pulsorily insured persons____________
3 28, 586 311. 6 3 27' 724
Italy : Persons registered as w holly unem ployed_______________
414, 283
363, 551
L atvia: Persons registered_______________________________
6,399
14,030
N etherlands: M em bers of unem ploym ent insurance societies
4 44, 848 114. 9 4 42', 472
N orw ay:
Trade-unionists (10 unions) 1____________________
9,285 28.0
3 6,171
Persons registered________________________________
28, 532
24, 223
Poland: Persons registered___________________________ I I I I I I I I I I
s 165, 268
5126, 429
Sweden: T rade-unionists_____________________________ !
50, 655 18. 6
49, 663
Sw itzerland: Persons registered—wholly unem ployed4. 5
U nited K ingdom :6 Compulsorily insured persons_________________
1,194, 305
9.8 1, 333,611
1Includes only unions paying unem ploym ent benefits.
2 Provisional figtire.
3November.
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Per
cent
1.2
225.0
16.7
3 9.9
4 13.0
317.4
4 C alculated from weekly average.
5 F irst of following m onth.
6 G reat B ritain and N orthern Ireland.
17.2
a
n
11.2
STABILITY OF EMPLOYMENT
P ro v isio n s in T r a d e A g r e e m e n ts fo r S t a b iliz in g E m p lo y m e n t
ANY labor unions seek, through the medium of trade agree
m ents w ith their employers, to stabilize or equalize employ
m ent for their members. No such arrangem ents can, of course,
increase the am ount of work to be done, b u t there are m any ways in
which a given am ount of work can be so distributed as to improve
greatly the regularity of employment.
One of the m ost common provisions directed to this end is the pro
hibition of all overtime work during slack seasons or when members
of the trade are idle. Also in a num ber of cases overtime work is
prohibited if there is available space in the shop or factory for an ad
ditional worker, and in some of the trades overtime is lim ited to a
certain num ber of hours a day or a week.
Another m ethod of stabilizing employment is the provision, which
occurs in several agreements, for equal distribution of the work avail
able among all employees during the slack seasons. A num ber of
agreements also provide th a t during the dull season there shall be no
discharge of an employee who worked during the busy season, bu t
such employees shall be given an equal share of w hatever work is
available.
Lay-offs during slack seasons are arranged for in a num ber of the
agreements, it being provided th a t lay-offs are to be in rotation so
th a t all employees shall share equally in the work, and in some cases
are lim ited to one day a week, while in others each employee m ay be
laid off for a week a t a time.
Provision for a reduction in the num ber of hours to be worked in
a day or a week before any employee shall be laid off or discharged
constitutes another m ethod for equalizing such work as is available.
A guaranteed period of employment for regular employees is pro
vided for in a num ber of agreements. In some cases employment for
a certain num ber of weeks during the year is guaranteed, while in
others a full week’s work is guaranteed if the employee works any
p a rt of the week.
Unem ploym ent insurance is provided for in certain of the clothingtrade agreements. According to provisions in some of these agree
m ents the unem ploym ent fund is contributed to by both employers
and employees, while in others the employees are not required to
contribute to the fund.
A more detailed discussion of these trade-agreem ent provisions for
stabilizing em ploym ent is given below. I t is based on an analysis of
trade agreements, covering 229 locals, received by the bureau from
1926 to 1928.
M
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Regulation of Overtime
T h ir t e e n locals of b a k e ry w o rk ers e ith e r p ro h ib it o r lim it o v e r
tim e w o rk ; tw o of th e se p e rm it no o v e rtim e w o rk b y re g u la r e m
ploy ees a t a n y tim e ; fo u r p e r m it o v e rtim e w o rk o n ly w h en s u b s titu te s
a re u n a v a ila b le ; o n e lim its th e o v e rtim e w o rk to tw o h o u rs p e r d a y
if s u b s titu te s a re u n a v a ila b le ; six w ill p e r m it n o t m o re th a n tw o h o u rs
p e r w eek o v e rtim e b y re g u la r em p lo y ees if e x tra m en are av ailab le.
Two locals of brewery workers prohibit all overtime work while
employees are on p a rt time or when m em bers are unemployed.
One local of broom m akers perm its overtime work only when the
factory is working full time-—44 hours per week; one perm its over
time work when the union can not furnish extra help.
In the building trades one local of bricklayers and masons provides:
“ W hen 50 per cent of the trade is unemployed no overtime work
shall be perm itted where it is possible to employ more men during
regular working hours.” One local of carpenters provides: “ M em
bers not to work more than 8 hours in 24 hours when local can furnish
carpenters, except in case of emergency and then not more than one
week in any one m o n th ” ; another provides: “ No mem ber shall
work overtime except when the district council is unable to supply
the required num ber of men, or to save life or property.” One local
of lathers provides: “ On all overtime work unemployed members
shall have the preference if qualified.” Three locals of operative
plasterers prohibit overtime work when members are out of employ
m ent. Two locals have the following provision: “ W hen continuous
overtime is worked on any building, such overtime, as far as is possible,
shall be given to unemployed m em bers.” One local of plumbers
provides: “ Overtime on new work shall not be perm itted while
members of local are out of w ork.” One local of sign painters pro
vides: “ The union reserves the right to prohibit members working
overtim e during the slack seasons.”
Cloth H at, Cap, and M illinery W orkers’ Union in one agreement
provides:
No o v ertim e w ork shall be p erfo rm ed d u rin g a n y p a r t of th e m o n th s of Ju n e,
Ju ly , a n d A ugust. D u rin g th e re s t of th e y ear o v ertim e w ork m ay b e p erform ed
only w ith th e consent of Jthe union.
The International Ladies’ G arm ent W orkers’ Union, in agreements
covering eight locals, has the following provision:
N o o v ertim e shall be p e rm itte d so long as th e re are v a c a n t acco m m o d atio n s
in th e shop for ad d itio n a l w orkers, a n d w orkers can be supplied b y th e union
w ithin a reasonable tim e.
Six locals provide: “ No overtim e perm itted unless union is unable
to furnish sufficient help to do the required work in regular ho u rs” ;
and eight locals provide: “ No overtim e work shall be exacted or per
m itted between Novem ber 15 and December 31, nor between M ay 1
and July 15.”
F ur workers’ agreements covering four locals prohibit overtim e ex
cept in four m onths of the year—August, Septem ber, October, and N o
vember-—when overtim e n o t to exceed two hours daily five days a
week is perm itted; and two locals provide: “ Overtime work not
exceeding three hours a day shall be perm itted between the second
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M onday of Septem ber and second M onday of December on the first
five working days of the week, and four hours on S aturday.” One
local provides as follows: “ No overtime shall be perm itted while
there are any members of the union unemployed and who can be
furnished to the firm by the union.”
The Typographical Union in one agreement has the following
provision:
If em ployee accu m u lates a full d a y ’s o v ertim e in 30 d ay s h e shall ta k e a d ay
off w ith in th e n ex t financial week a n d p u t on a su b stitu te .
Equal Distribution of Work
T r a d e - a g r e e m e n t provisions for the protection of the regular em
ployees during the dull periods or slack seasons are m any and varied.
The one calling for equal distribution of work is the one m ost generally
used.
Three locals of broom makers stipulate th a t sufficient m aterial
shall be furnished to all employees to work steadily during the time
shops are running; one of these provides th a t no new help shall be
hired until all old employees are working full time. One local pro
vides th a t if one journeym an waits for m aterial all the journeym en in
the shop shall stop work until all are furnished w ith m aterial.
One local of sign painters provides th a t during slack periods all
work shall be distributed equally among regular employees.
T he agreements of 13 locals of cigar m akers stipulate th a t in dull
seasons all employees s h a l l be placed on e q u a l lim it, and th a t no new
help shall be hired until th a t lim it is removed. Two of these also
provide: “ W hen men are lim ited to a stipulated num ber each week
they shall not be required to report every day provided the stipulated
am ount can be m ade in less tim e.”
The following is the provision of one local of cleaners, dyers, and
pressers: “ D uring dull periods employer agrees to divide as m uch as
possible the work equally amongst all employees. New employees
w ith less than six m onths’ service shall be laid off before the division
of w ork.”
Three locals of boot and shoe workers provide for an equal distribu
tion of work during the slack season; two of these also provide th a t
there shall be no lay-off during the slack season.
Four locals of cloth h a t and cap m akers provide for an equal dis
tribution of work among all the workers during slack seasons.
Am algam ated Clothing W orkers’ agreements covering seven locals
have a provision for an equal distribution of work during slack sea
sons, and th a t all workers shall be given an equal opportunity for
a share of w hatever am ount of work there m ay be, w ithout discrim
ination.
The International Ladies’ G arm ent W orkers’ agreements, covering
26 locals, provide for an equal distribution of work during slack sea
sons; 7 of these locals also provide th a t workers shall not be required
to report for work every day during the slack season and remain
in the shop when there is no work for them ; 19 locals also stipulate
th a t workers required to come into the shop during the dull season
shall be given a t least one-half day’s work.
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T he U nited G arm ent W orkers’ agreements provide: “ D uring slack
seasons no new employees will be hired and no work will be divided with
any employee who has been a member of the local union for less
than nine m onths.”
The F u r W orkers’ agreements, covering 11 locals, provide for an
equal division of work during the slack season; eight of these locals
provide as follows:
E q u ita b le division of w ork shall be carried o u t w herever possible d u rin g th e
m o n th s of Ju n e, N ovem ber, a n d D ecem ber for th o se who h av e w orked w ith th e
firm n o t less th a n seven consecutive w eeks p rio r to th e p eriod w hen eq u al division
of w ork is begun in each estab lish m en t.
In th e e v e n t of th e u n io n claim ing t h a t a n em ergency affecting un em p lo y
m e n t p revails in th e in d u stry , th e m a tte r shall be referred to th e conference
co m m ittee to estab lish w h e th e r o r n o t such alleged em ergency exists a n d upon
finding th e existence of such a n em ergency, w ays a n d m ean s fo r m itig a tin g th is
condition shall be devised. In th e co n sid eratio n a n d a c tio n of su ch m a tte r th e
ch airm an of th e conference shall a c t only in th e c a p a c ity of m ed iato r.
The journeym en tailors’ agreements, covering 11 locals, provide
for equal distribution of work during slack seasons and th a t no em
ployee who worked during the busy season shall be discharged during
the dull season.
The Glass B ottle Blowers’ Association agreement covering stopper
griqders provides: “ W hen work becomes slack in any shop, each
m an, including apprentices, shall receive an equal share of work.
Two locals of m achinists stipulate th a t in case of depression there
shall be an equal division of work in order th a t all men shall have a
share of the work; one of these also stipulates th a t the company shall
not discharge regular employees during the depression.
The International Pocketbook W orkers’ agreement has the follow
ing provision:
I t is agreed t h a t d u rin g th e slack season all w ork shall be d is trib u te d a n d
divided equally am ong th e w orkers in th e facto ry . In case w hen a n d w here it
is ab so lu tely necessary fo r an em p lo y er to reorganize his w orking force he shall
b rin g such m a tte r for a d ju s tm e n t before th e asso ciatio n a n d th e union. T he
union will be given a reaso n ab le tim e to p lace in o th e r em p lo y m en t such w orkers
as are affected by th e reo rg an izatio n . E q u ita b le d istrib u tio n of w ork shall be
p racticed d u rin g th e p erio d of reo rg an izatio n .
The N ational Brotherhood
provides as follows:
of O perative
P o tters’ agreement
M a n u fa c tu re rs are re q u e ste d w hen w ork is sh o rt to in s tru c t forem en to divide
w ork as equally as possible, a n d n o t to p re fe r som e m an over o th e rs in th e dis
trib u tio n .
Five locals of upholsterers stipulate: “ When there is not sufficient
work for all employed to p u t in full time, the work shall be divided
equally among those em ployed.” One of these also provides for equal
distribution among the apprentices a t the same time.
Lay-offs During Dull Season
Six
shall
th a t
n ex t
shall
locals of b ak e ry w orkers provide th a t during dull seasons m en
be laid off for one to th re e d ay s in ro ta tio n ; one of these provides
if th e em ployee is n o t notified on evening before of lay-off the
d ay he shall be p a id for th e d a y ; one also provides th a t there
be no discharge of regular w orkers during th e dull season.
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Thirteen locals of brewery workers stipulate th a t during the dull
season the employees shall be laid off in rotation; five of these stipu
late th a t the lay-off shall be for one week and never by the day or
hour; two, th a t the lay-off shall be not more than one week nor less
than one day a t a tim e; three, t h a t the lay-off shall be for one day
per week for each employee; and one, th a t if the employee is off sick
such time shall be considered as his lay-off time.
One local of coopers stipulates th a t “ Men shall not be discharged
on account of slack work; they shall be laid off in rotation for not
longer th an one week nor less than one day.”
In the agreements of two locals of bookbinders is the following
provision:
W hen th ro u g h lack of w ork i t is necessary to lay off a n y of th e reg u lar force,
p halanxes shall b e form ed so t h a t every em ployee shall ta k e a d ay off in tu rn .
Two locals of stereotypers and electrotypers stipulate th a t if men
are to be laid off on account of a depression a definite schedule m ust
provide an equal time off for journeym en and apprentices.
Two locals of typographical workers have the following provisions:
If necessary to la y off a n y reg u lars th ro u g h lack of w ork, p h alan x e s m u st be
m ade so t h a t every em ployee (except forem an) shall ta k e a d ay off in tu rn .
If ow ner o r stockholder is a m em ber of th e u n io n a n d em ployed as w orking
m an , o th e r em ployees m u st n o t be laid off d u rin g slack season.
The agreem ent of one local of team sters and chauffeurs provides
th a t in dull seasons each member shall lay off for one week, and if
necessary m ay lay off another week in the same order. The pro
vision by one local is as follows:
D u rin g th e w in ter m o n th s w hen w ork becom es slack no reg u lar union m an
shall be discharged, b u t m ay be laid off; lay-off to ta k e place im p a rtia lly a n d no
m a n to be laid off for less th a n one day.
Reduction of Hours
T he a g r e e m e n t of one local of structural-iron workers provides
as follows:
In case of depression, w ork shall be reduced to seven h o u rs a d ay a n d five d a y s
a week. Should a fu rth e r red u ctio n becom e necessary, th e force shall be red u ced
a n d sen io rity shall govern.
One local of hotel and restaurant workers provides: “ This local m ay
for reason of unem ploym ent institute a 5-day week, with wages to be
paid pro ra ta .”
One local of leather workers stipulates th a t in case there is not
enough work, the hours of work shall be cut in order to give work to all
employees.
The following provisions are found in the agreements of three locals
of m achinists:
If business falls off th e re shall be no lay-off u n til w orking h o u rs h av e been
reduced to seven h o u rs a d ay a n d th e n th o se la s t em ployed shall be th e first
laid off.
In case of depression in tra d e , h o u rs shall be sh o rten ed all th a t is necessary
to keep n o rm al force em ployed.
I n case of depression in tra d e th e h o u rs shall be sh o rten ed on S a tu rd a y before
red u c tio n in force ta k e s place.
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Two locals of photo-engravers stipulate as follows:
Should i t becom e necessary to reduce th e w orking h ours, th e em p lo y er shall
d esignate th e h ours of w ork, p ro v id ed such red u c tio n shall be eq u al on each d ay
of th e w eek a n d sh all affect th e e n tire w orking force. Such red u ced schedule
shall be o p erativ e fo r n o t less th a n one com plete week.
The M aintenance of W ay Em ployees’ agreement with the Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy Railroad Co. has the following provision:
W hen it is necessary to m ak e a red u ctio n , a fu ll force m ay be re ta in e d a n d th e
h o u rs of service reduced to 40 h o u rs p e r w eek before th e force is reduced, w hen
m u tu a lly agreed u p o n w ith th e m a jo rity of th e m en d irectly affected.
Three locals of upholsterers provide: “ W hen work is scarce the hours
shall be reduced to 40 hours per week from M ay 1 to Labor D ay in
order to provide employment for a larger num ber of workers.”
Guaranteed Employment
T h e a g r e e m e n t of one local of brewery workers guarantees a t least
one-half time employment to all employees during the winter m onths;
th a t of three locals provides th a t the average num ber of employees
in April and M ay shall be the m inimum num ber of employees for
the succeeding year and th a t extra men m ay be employed during
July, August, and September.
Two locals of sign painters stipulate in their agreement as follows:
“ All regular employees shall be guaranteed 40 hours’ employment
for each successive week. Regular employees whose services will
not be needed m ust be notified one week previous.” The agreement
of one local of scenic and pictorial painters provides: “ All regular
employees shall be guaranteed 44 hours’ em ploym ent for each suc
cessive week. W hen services are not required the following week,
they shall be notified not later than the preceding S aturday.”
The agreement of one local of the International Ladies’ G arm ent
W orkers’ Union guarantees designers 26 full and consecutive weeks’
work, after a trial period of two weeks.
One week’s work to all old employees except when they lose time
of their own volition is guaranteed by the agreement of one local of
laundry workers.
One local of typographical workers has the following provision:
In an office w here only one jo u rn e y m a n is em ployed, such jo u rn e y m a n m u s t
be em ployed for five d ay s in th e week. If n o t enough w ork, he m u st be p aid
fo r five days.
The agreement of one local of street-railw ay employees provides
th a t extra men who answer the roll call shall be guaranteed a rate of
$20 per week; another guarantees all extra men an average of 7 hours
each day for 26 days if they are available for work; a third guarantees
welder and grinder helpers, bridge and building carpenters, and truck
drivers 42 hours per week, provided they report for work.
Two locals of team sters and chauffeurs provide th a t steady drivers
and helpers shall be paid a full week’s wages, unless they are dis
charged for cause.
Three locals stipulate th a t week workers shall be guaranteed a full
week’s pay whether work is provided or not, except for a week with a
holiday on which they do not work.
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The agreement of the U nited Wall Paper Crafts, covering machine
printers, color mixers, and print cutters, contains the following
provision:
T he m a n u fa c tu re r g u ara n te e s to th e m achine p rin te rs, color m ixers, a n d p rin t
c u tte rs subscribers h ere to 50 w eeks’ em p lo y m en t, 45 w eeks a t full p a y , a n d h alf
p a y fo r an y tim e subscrib ers h ereto shall be idle up to 50 weeks.
Unemployment Insurance
O ne
agreement
of dyers, cleaners, and pressers contains the fol
lowing provision:
E m ployer agrees to p a y in a d d itio n to wages agreed upo n a n a d d itio n a l sum
eq u al to 1 p e r c en t of th e to ta l p ay roll of th e union em ployees fo r th e first year,
l p 2 p e r c e n t fo r th e second y ear, an d 1 ^ p e r c en t fo r th e th ird y e a r of th is
agreem ent, said sum to be re m itte d w eekly to th e office of th e union to be used
for no n em p lo y m en t fund.
Agreements of cloth hat, cap, and millinery workefs, covering nine
locals, provide for unemployment insurance. Agreements for eight
locals provide as follows:
T he em ployer agrees t h a t he will p ay to Local No. -—■of th e C loth H a t, C ap,
a n d M illinery W orkers’ U nion on each a n d ev ery p ay d a y d u rin g th e life of th is
ag reem en t a sum eq u al to 3 p e r c e n t of th e p a y roll of t h a t p a rtic u la r week,
covering all th e w orkers com ing u n d e r th e te rm s of th is ag reem en t. T hese p a y
m en ts shall be b y check p a y a b le to th e o rd er of Local N o. — of th e C lo th H a t,
C ap, an d M illinery W o rk ers’ U nion, shall be fo rw ard ed to th e said local, an d
shall be accom panied b y a sta te m e n t on a form sup p lied b y th e u n io n se ttin g
fo rth a list of th e w orkers, th e a m o u n t of w ages p a id to each, a n d th e to ta l sum
of w ages p a id for t h a t w eek, th e re b y su p p ly in g th e d a ta on w hich th e 3 p e r c en t
p a y m e n t for th e w eek in questio n is being m ade.
T h e sum s of m oney th u s received b y Local No. — shall becom e its ab so lu te
p ro p e rty , to be used* a t its d iscretio n in such w ays o r form s as it m ay deem
necessary for th e p a y m e n t of u n em p lo y m en t benefit to th e m em bers of Local
No. — of th e C loth H a t, C ap, a n d M illinery W orkers’ U nion.
The agreement covering one local has the following provision:
E m ployers an d em ployees engaged in th e cap tra d e a n d business in large
in d u stria l centers realize th e d u ty a n d corelative rig h t of w orkers to p ro te c tio n
ag ain st periods of econom ic stress a n d u n em p lo y m en t; t h a t th e em ployees are
n o t responsible fo r slack seasons a n d depressions in th e tra d e ; t h a t th e tra d e
owes th e em ployee a livelihood in slack as well as in b u sy seasons. T herefore
it is agreed an d u n d ersto o d t h a t in th e e v e n t t h a t p a rty of th e first p a r t fail to
em ploy p a rty of th e second p a r t or m em bers of p a rty of th e second p a rt, fo r a
full period of 48 w eeks, th e n a n d in t h a t e v e n t p a rty of th e first p a r t shall be
liable for a n d p a y to p a rty of th e second p a r t fo r th e use a n d benefit of its m em
bers em ployed b y p a rty “ of th e first p a r t a sum of m oney e q u al to 5 p er cen t
of th e to ta l wages p a id to said em ployees d u rin g th e c u rre n t y e a r in th e follow
ing m an n er: In th e e v e n t t h a t said e m p lo y m en t is less th a n 48 w eeks a n d m ore
th a n 43 full weeks, 1 p er c e n t of th e su m eq u al to 5 p e r c e n t as herein sta te d
shall be p aid to p a rty of th e second p a r t fo r each w eek less th a n said 48 w eeks;
in th e e v e n t t h a t said em p lo y m en t is e q u a l to 43 full weeks o r less fo r th e c u rre n t
year, th e w hole of said 5 p e r c e n t as h erein ab o v e d escribed shall be p a id b y th e
p a rty of th e first p a r t to p a rty of th e second p a rt, w hich la tte r p a r ty shall eq u i
ta b ly div id e a n d d is trib u te sam e am o n g th o se of its m em bers em ployed b y p a rty
of th e first p a r t as a n d fo r a n u n em p lo y m en t in su ran ce. Said 5 p er c e n t to be
p aid in cash eq u al to w eekly p a y roll w ith verified sta te m e n t to c h a irm a n of p a rty
of second p a r t; a n d in th e e v e n t m em bers of p a rty of th e second p a r t sh all be
em ployed 48 w eeks o r m ore d u rin g th e c u rre n t y ear, said to ta l in su ran ce will
be re tu rn e d to p a rty of th e first p a rt, a n d fo r each w eek less th a n 48 weeks 1
p er cen t will be d ed u cte d a n d b alan ce re tu rn e d .
Three agreements of the Am algam ated Clothing W orkers provide
for unem ploym ent insurance. In one agreement the employer con
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tributes 3 per cent of the weekly pay roll and the employees contrib
ute
per cent. One agreement provides for equal contributions
from employer and employee— 1 ^ per cent of the weekly pay roll.
U nder the term s of this agreement the contribution of 1 Y per cent
by the employers begins M ay 1, 1928, the date the agreem ent became
effective, while the employees do not begin contributing to the fund
until M ay 1, 1929. In the other agreement the employees are not
required to contribute to the unem ploym ent insurance fund, b u t it
is to be m aintained by a weekly contribution by the employers
amounting to 1 ^ per cent of the total labor cost of all clothing
m anufactured for the employers, whether in their own inside shops
or in contract shops m aking up work for them.
Three agreements of the International Ladies’ G arm ent W orkers’
Union provide for an unem ploym ent insurance fund. One of these
agreements provides th a t the employer, while m aking no actual cash
paym ent to the fund, shall give a surety bond for an am ount equal to
7 per cent of his direct labor pay roll. The workers are guaranteed
40 weeks’ employm ent; those workers having more than 12 weeks’
unem ploym ent during the year are entitled to benefits, from this
amount, to one-half their weekly wage for each week in excess of the
12 weeks. The two other agreements have the following provisions:
T h e em ployer agrees to cooperate w ith th e union in m a in ta in in g a n u n em
p lo y m en t in surance fu n d fo r th e benefit of th e m em bers of th e union. T h e fu n d
shall be m ade u p of co n trib u tio n s fro m th e em ployer a n d th e in d iv id u a l m em bers
of th e union. T h e co n trib u tio n of th e em ployer shall be e q u al to 2 p e r c en t of
th e w eekly p a y roll a n d t h a t of th e w orkers to 1 p e r c e n t of th e ir w eekly wages.
T h e em ployer agrees a t th e end of each a n d ev ery w eek to fo rw ard to th e union
th e to ta l co n trib u tio n s of b o th th e to ta l p a y roll a n d t h a t of th e in d iv id u al
w orker.
T h e em ployer hereto h ereb y agrees to estab lish a fu n d to be know n as th e
u n em p lo y m en t insuran ce fund, to w hich b o th th e em ployer a n d th e em ployees
are to p a y a stip u la te d a m o u n t. T h e em ployer is to p a y
p er c e n t of his to ta l
w eekly p a y roll, a n d th e em ployees to p a y th re e -q u a rte rs p e r c e n t of th e ir to ta l
w eekly w ages; said fu n d is to be a d m in istered b y a b o a rd of tru ste e s c o n stitu te d
a n d elected as h erein a fte r p rovided, a n d w hich said fu n d is to be m a in ta in e d for
th e purpose of renderin g relief to w orkers in th e in d u stry , who are unem ployed
a n d w ho are m em bers of th e union.
Miscellaneous
T h e follow ing provisions are n o t included in th e foregoing classi
fication, b u t seem to h av e th e sam e end in view — a m ore equal dis
trib u tio n of w ork am ong union em ployees.
Two agreements of waiters, members of the H otel and R estaurant
Employees’ Union provide: ‘‘M embers working steady shall no t be
perm itted to accept extra work under any consideration.” One agree
m ent of street railway employees provides: “ Regular employees not
allowed to perform extra work when extra men are available.”
Two agreements of paving cutters have the following provisions:
T h e com pany shall n o t em ploy a n y m ore m en th a n th e y can keep going w ith
ste a d y w ork.
In periods of depression th e em ployer shall confer w ith a co m m ittee of p aving
c u tte rs to discuss conditions before lay in g off m en.
One agreement of lathers provides: “ No employer shall hire men
from another shop while there are members idle.”
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1000]
s t a b il it y
of
em ploym ent
87
S t a b ilit y o f E m p lo y m e n t in t h e S ilk In d u str y
H E present study of the silk industry was made by the Bureau
of Labor Statistics for the purpose of measuring the degree of
regularity of employment and to ascertain w hether regularity of
employment has improved during recent years. The plan of analysis
is the same as th a t employed in similar studies of various industries
previously published in the Labor Review, as follows: Railroad
industry, in August, 1928; iron and steel industry, in November,
1928; m en’s clothing industry, in January, 1929; automobile industry,
in February, 1929; leather industry, in M arch, 1929; boot and shoe
industry, in M arch, 1929; slaughtering and m eat-packing industry,
in April, 1929; paper and pulp industry, in April, 1929.
The basic d a ta for the study are derived from the m onthly reports
m ade to the Bureau of Labor Statistics by m ost of the im portant
silk mills as p a rt of the general employment survey m ade m onthly
by the bureau and covering alm ost 12,000 m anufacturing plants in
various lines of industry. As these reports give only the num ber
of employees of all kinds w ithout separation by occupational groups,
the present analysis m ust disregard occupational differences and
tre a t the employees of a plant as a unit.
The m ethod here employed for the m easurem ent of stability is
th a t of the relationship of average m onthly employment during the
year to the num ber of employees in the m onth of m aximum employ
ment. Thus, if during 1927 a particular plant had a m onthly aver
age of 90 employees and the maximum num ber in any m onth was
100, then the stability of employment m ay be fairly said to be 90
per cent. In other words, if the 100 men needed to fill the posi
tions a t the busiest season had no other opportunity for work, then
each m an would have an opportunity of 90 per cent of full-time
employment. Of course, this is rarely quite true, b u t it is often sub
stantially true; and, in any case, the m ethod offers a fairly accurate
measure of the degree in which a particular establishm ent has a t
tained a condition of stable employment. On the other hand, failure
of an establishm ent to obtain a good level of stability in one or all
occupations m ust n o t necessarily be attributed to faulty management.
M any factors oyer which the m anagem ent has little or no control
m ay affect the stability of employment. Nevertheless, an employ
m ent stability of or very near to 100 per cent is the desirable goal.
T
Results of the Study
T h e percen tag es of full-time employment (computed as described
above) are presented for each of the years 1923 to 1928 for 104 silk
mills whose m ain products are silk thread and woven materials.
The study indicates th a t employment in the silk industry as a
whole is rather unstable and has shown no im provem ent in recent
years, b u t th a t a few plants m aintained a very good rate of stability
for the six years (Nos. 6, 8, 19, 30, and 38).
The establishm ents are arranged in the table in descending order
according to the favorableness of their showing in 1928.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[ 1001]
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW
P E R C E N T O P F U L L -T IM E E M P L O Y M E N T IN T H E S IL K IN D U S T R
m-
er
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
Location 1
1923
Paterson, N . J ________________
P en n sy lv an ia_________________
W atertow n, Conn . . __ . . . ____
W ilkes-Barre, P a ______________
Paterson, N . J ____ _________ _.
B ethlehem , P a _________________
P en n sy lv an ia__________________
N ew Y ork. __________ _____
M assachusetts___ _ __________
E aston, P a _ _ _______ _ ____
P en n sy lv an ia. ______. ______
W ilkes-Barre, P a ___
_______
N orw ich, C o n n . . .
. ________
Paterson, N . J ________ . . . . . .
P en n sy lv an ia_____________
N ew Jersey _________ . . ______
. . . d o .. _____________________
W ilkes-Barre, P a . __________
M assachusetts_________________
N ew Y ork . . . ______ . . . . . .
B ingham ton, N . Y ___
______
M a s s a c h u s e tts ____ _ ________
K ingston, P a __________________
Paterson, N . J .
....
N orw ich, C o n n........ ................
M assachusetts_________________
H azleton, P a _______ . . . ______
P en n sy lv an ia. ________________
Scranton, P a . . ____________ ___
C onnecticut. . . . . ___________
R hode Isla n d .
. ___________
P en n sy lv an ia__________________
V irginia________ ______________
Paterson, N . J ____ _____ _______
N ew York
_________________
M assachusetts____ _____ _______
N ew Jersey ___________________
___do______________ ___________
C onnecticut— __________ . . .
Norw ich, C o n n .. _________ . .
W ilkes-Barre, P a . . ________
M ichigan__ ___________________
M ary lan d
_______ . . .
C onnecticut „ ________________
N ew Y ork C ity ________________
____do_________ ______________
N ew Jersey............ .................. .........
W ilkes-Barre, P a . . . __________
Allentow n, P a
______________
R hode Islan d - . . ________ . . .
B ethlehem , P a . ________________
C onnecticut _______________ . .
M assachusetts________ _____ ___
K ingston, Pa_. ______________
H azleton, P a ................................. .
____ ____
N ew Y ork ______
M assachusetts..................................
W atertow n, C o n n . . . ___ _______
P en n sy lv an ia__________________
B ethlehem , P a . _______________
Paterson, N . J ________ _______
P e n n sy lv an ia.._ ____________ _
N ew Y o rk ___ ___________ _____
P en n sy lv an ia______________ ___
Scranton, P a ______________ ____
Paterson, N . J ____ _ _______
N ew Y ork C ity ________________
R hode Island . . ______________
N ew Y o rk _____________________
P e n n sy lv an ia-. . . . . _________
B ethlehem , P a _________________
Pennsylvania ________________
C onnecticut— _ _ ___________
W ilkes-Barre, P a _______ ______
P e n n s y lv a n ia ____ _
________
Paterson, N . J _____________ . .
N ew Y ork C ity ________________
76.1
94.2
97.8
95.7
89.0
99.3
91.4
98.3
85. 7
88.8
94.9
88.4
93.9
84.8
95. 5
91.7
94.0
83.6
94.0
96.7
83.9
95.8
88.1
92.5
82.4
90.0
95.3
90.3
98.0
97.4
90.7
96.8
92.3
95.4
89.4
87.5
97.5
96.9
95. 2
96. 5
91.8
93.4
90.0
92.4
87.8
95.2
89.3
82.7
80.4
99.8
77.2
89.3
82. 7
95. 2
87.3
93.4
88. 9
79.6
91.8
88.6
90. 2
86.8
90.8
87.7
79.3
87.0
87.9
93. 1
80.4
88.0
79.3
85.1
90.0
69.0
89.3
85. 5
92.6
where th e nam e of th e city m ight identify th e
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[ 1002 ]
1924
1925
1926
1927
73.0
81.6
85.7
97.6
94.4
85.0
95.0
100.0
83.8
95.7
90.4
94.6
98. 2
96.5
93.9
89.4
83.8
90.5
93.2
86.6
93.9
96. 7
96.4
96.4
94. 7
85.5
81. 1
90.5
96. 1
90.4
95.8
95.6
96.7
96.6
93.3
93.5
92.6
80. 9
80. 9
94. 5
90.3
93.0
92.2
77.4
80.2
82.8
96.9
85.6
93.1
93.6
91.0
95.0
59.6
79.4
64.6
90.4
95.5
97.2
96.4
80.0
92.7
90.6
75.7
86.3
85.7
94. 2
92.5
92.3
81.8
76.3
82.0
77.6
91.4
97.7
97.1
99. 1
92. 2
93.2
86.3
87.1
93.2
88.6
83. 1
77.6
67.9
88.5
91.4
96.0
94.6
96.3
91.5
91.9
76.1
81.8
82.8
90.4
67. 1
95.2
100.0
86.7
75.5
76.8
94.9
96.8
92.6
98.6
89.7
97.5
91.2
94.9
87.3
91.9
88.5
92.4
72.6
86.9
94.8
97.9
94.0
94.6
87.8
95.6
91.8
93.8
88.9
93.0
88.5
85. 7
95.7
85.3
93. 1
93. 5
70.9
87. 1
98. 2
94.3
95. 1
89.6
77.9
91.4
88.6
90.2
94.8
94.9
91.4
95.9
90.8
94.7
93. 2
96. 1
94.3
95.6
81. 1
83.7
80.8
85. 7
94.8
91.8
97.4
93.3
94.0
73.9
90.0
94.3
94.3
96.4
86.8
93.9
62.6
90. 5
72.9
69.9
93.3
67.9
96.0
96.0
84.3
92.8
87.9
95. 1
88.0
89. 1
89.2
91.0
90.9
80.5
92.8
90.5
87.9
89.4
95.1
93. 5
77.4
91.4
80. 3
87.4
95.3
96.6
96. 7
85. 6
84. 1
61.7
76.6
92.2
84. 7
92. 1
95. 2
95. 7
91. 6
93.9
88.3
95. 1
84. 5
89.3
78.8
95.3
94. 1
86. 6
93. 1
92.9
83. 6
92.6
90. 4
86.6
83. 0
91.4
78.3
85.3
89. 1
91.5
82.9
91.1
94.2
88. 1
95.6
79.0
90.4
92. 1
79.9
87.4
82.4
84.0
84.6
85. 1
82.4
89. 1
88.2
87.8
93.7
89.5
84.8
91.4
90. 1
87.4
92.7
84.9
83. 1
87.4
83.2
90. 7
89.1
90.6
91.4
78. 5
85. 5
89.0
83.8
82.6
97.1
94.2
96.0
88.3
87. 7
94. 5
91. 7
89. 7
86.0
90.2
92. 5
77.4
71.2
91.4
80.9
89.0
80.5
85.4
88.0
82.0
89. 1
92. 7
86.0
96. 1
66.4
81.0
85.7
86.3
88.2
90. 5
88.7
81.0
89.8
96.2
87.8
85.6
77.7
78.6
80.1
87.0
p lan t, only the S tate is given.
STABILITY OF EMPLOYMENT
89
PER CENT OE FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT IN THE SILK INDUSTRY—Continued
P lan t
num
ber
Location
78 Easton, P a . ___________________
79 Pennsylvania _________________
80 Paterson, N . J ____ ____________
81 Scranton, P a __________________
82 Paterson, N . J . .. _ ____ _ _____
83 P en n sy lv an ia___ - - ___________
84 ____do. _______ _____ _________
85 C onnecticut. .
______ _____
86 W atertow n, Conn
________
87 C entral Falls, R. I . . . ______ . . .
88 P e n n sy lv a n ia .. .
___________
89 C entral Falls, R . I . _____ . . . . . .
90 M assachusetts . . . _________
91 N ew Y ork C ity . _____________
92 Allentown, P a .
____ ______
93 C onnecticut. _
94 Pennsylvania . . . . . ________
95 Paterson, N . J __ ___________
96 Virginia _________ ___________
97 New Y ork. __________________
98 Pennsylvania _______________
99 Paterson, N . J __________ * ___
100 Pen n sy lv an ia________________
101 M assach u setts.. _______. . . . . .
102 P en n sy lv an ia___ ______________
103 B ingham ton, N . Y._ _____
104 R hode Islan d . _____ _________
Average ___ .
H ighest.
___ _ .
Low est........................ .........
Per cent of plan ts w ith em ploy
m en t stab ility of—
95 per cent and o v e r ............
90 to 94.9 per c en t. ______
85 to 89.9 per c e n t. . _.
80 to 84.9 per c en t_________
U nder 80 per c e n t___ _
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
96.8
91.9
85. 2
94. 8
83.0
91.4
91.3
87.9
93.0
94.2
93.8
88.8
64. 3
93.9
91.0
89.9
75.9
78.3
85. 7
91. 2
81.2
74.0
94. 5
83.3
83. 5
78.9
88. 8
94.1
94. 1
79.4
95.3
91.8
90.8
86.5
94.5
95.9
82.3
90.7
72.5
91.8
78.9
86.2
84.7
68. 1
67.3
64.7
73.0
88.5
93.8
81.3
78. 5
74.7
68.8
89.0
95.3
86.3
90.5
98.0
87.9
64.8
93.9
93.2
95.8
95.3
97.7
81.2
69.5
75.6
89.5
88. 1
82.2
81.4
65.1
83.4
91. 1
83.6
85. 1
75.3
85.1
88. 4
89.5
93.5
88.6
90.3
96.9
82.5
91.5
85.6
93.9
86.6
96.9
91.0
95.7
86.0
74.4
81.8
81.5
77.6
81.4
76.7
83.8
80.8
83.3
85.3
81.1
89.1
85. 3
82.1
86.0
93.0
81. 2
80.6
90. 1
88.8
83.3
84.7
93.5
80.5
95.7
81.8
97.4
90. 7
84.9
70.9
69.7
88.7
75. 1
90.5
61.4
63.8
87. 1
65.3
89.1
84. 5
79.0
84.3
84.0
83.6
83.4
82.5
82.4
81.8
81.7
81.1
81.0
80.9
78.9
77.7
76.9
76.4
76.4
75.8
75.4
74.6
70.9
70.9
69.0
68.9
68.9
68.8
65. 7
65.7
89.1
99. 8
64.3
85.6
97.2
59.6
88.6
98.6
64.8
87.9
100.0
64.6
88. 0
100.0
61.4
87.8
98.1
65.7
19. 2
32. 7
26. 0
11. 5
10.6
9. 6
30. 8
22.1
15.4
22.1
20.2
31. 7
23.1
13. 5
11.5
17.3
28. 8
20. 2
22.1
11.5
17.3
31. 7
25.0
12.5
13.5
16.3
32.7
23.1
12.5
15.4
S u rv e y of E m p lo y m e n t S t a b iliz a t io n in New E n g la n d
H E E X T E N T to which research is applied by industrial estab
lishments in the effort to stabilize em ploym ent was the subject
of a recent study 1 by the M etropolitan Life Insurance Co. The in
vestigation was m ade for the New England C ouncil2 for the purpose
of dem onstrating the extent to which research has served to stim ulate
the adoption of improved m anagem ent, m anufacturing, and m arket
ing methods. The products m anufactured in the plants studied
included shoes, textiles, m achinery, toys, paper, silverware, etc., and
the num ber of employees in these plants ranged from 100 to 8,000.
P lan t conditions such as location, remoteness from raw m aterial or a
dependable labor supply, business competition, and other difficulties
were such th a t real handicaps had to be overcome by these companies
in stabilizing employment, so th a t the fact th a t research was em
ployed by them in their efforts a t stabilization is considered to be
especially significant.
The study deals with the m ethods followed by individual companies
and recounts the results attained by these companies in securing more
stable em ploym ent conditions as a result of system atic research
studies designed to show the weak places in their operating policies.
T
1 M etropolitan Life Insurance Co. Policyholders Service Bureau.
m ent Stabilization. N ew Y ork [1929?]. 32 pp.
2 See L abor R eview , Septem ber, 1927, p p. 45, 46.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1003]
T h e Use of Research in E m ploy
90
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW
A company m anufacturing paper products with a highly seasonal
demand employs a research staff which, by m eans of m arket, produc
tion, and economic studies, worked out several ways of regularizing
employment, bu t as these did not entirely m eet the situation the
company established an unem ploym ent fund from which perm anent
employees are paid a percentage of their regular wages during periods
when the company is unable to furnish employment. The fund,
which is administered by a small comm ittee on which the firm and
the employees have equal representation, was created ou t of the
profits of the business accum ulated over a 5-year period. The fund
is not regarded as a charity nor does it constitute an unlim ited guar
anty either of employment or of the m aintenance of the regular wage
rate, b u t up to the present time it has operated successfully in con
nection w ith the other measures of stabilization. The six stability
measures inaugurated by the company include the reduction of
seasonal orders by persuading customers to order a t least a p art of
their needs well in advance of the season; increase in the proportion
of nonseasonal orders with a long delivery tim e; planning for holiday
and other stock items more than a year in advance, as well as planning
ahead for interdepartm ental needs, m anufacturing of products of
securely staple nature for stock during dull seasons; and the distribu
tion of the long-time orders and out-of-season item s through the
calendar year in such a way as to fill the periods when work on quick
delivery products is normally slow.
A firm m anufacturing textile m achinery established a research
laboratory 10 years ago which deals with m aterials and m anufactur
ing methods, using its own technicians as well as experts from outside
the company called in for advice and council. As p a rt of the work,
labor turnover and working conditions are studied, and great stress
is laid upon training of the foremen so th a t they m ay be qualified to
contribute toward m aintaining the earnings and the quality of the
working force on a level to insure both efficiency and stability.
Production control and elimination of waste are achieved by cer
tain of the companies through comprehensive fact-finding investiga
tions carried on by their research departm ents, and the policies of
other companies which contribute toward steady em ploym ent and a
stable force include job analysis, the careful selection and placement
of employees, and the carrying out of various personnel policies which
m ake for a healthful and contented working force.
Selling Research Results to Employees
To s e c u r e the best effects from any system of stabilization, how
ever, the results of the research which involve any change in system
m ust be sold to the employees. In one case where it was essential th a t
production costs should be cut the reorganized production m ethods
were explained to the workers a t a mass m eeting and they were as
sured th a t the new m ethods were experimental and th a t the employees
would be kept informed of the progress being made. As a result the
system was successfully installed, the effects brought about by the
use of research and cooperation being full-time operation during the
dull summ er m onths, greater o u tp u t per employee, an improved
product, and an increase in the earnings of the skilled employees.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1004]
STABILITY OF EM PLOYMENT
91
A m etal m anufacturing company keeps its employees informed of
the operation of the business through the agency of a joint plant
committee. Through this body the executives “ keep in touch w ith
the men, answer all interrogations and take up questions involved
in the conduct of a successful business. There is practically no lim it
to the range of pertinent facts discussed. The representatives of the
men bring up such m atters as p lan t working conditions and their
effect on the success of the com pany; transportation to and from
work; the elimination of w aste; factory schedules and a great variety
of other conditions which affect the workm an a t home or in the shop.
The representatives of the executives in their tu rn have an oppor
tunity to present the attitu d e of the m anagem ent on any question
which arises.”
Labor Turnover Control Through Research
W h i l e the problem of industrial stabilization in its broadest
aspects is beyond the control of the individual employer the problem
as it affects the individual company can be m et to a certain extent
by m eans of economic research which reveals the weak places in the
m anagem ent and organization policies. The m easurem ent of labor
stability by m eans of labor turnover indexes reflects the influence of
economic conditions on stability. Thus the comparison of labor
turnover indexes constructed by several organizations for different
New England m anufacturers w ith th a t for the U nited S tates as a
whole shows th a t while the q u it rate for New England was consist
ently lower th an the national average, the same underlying forces are
a t work everywhere in the country and “ th a t a thoroughgoing pro
gram for the stabilization of labor involves the economic problem
of stabilizing business as a whole. ”
A case is cited of a steel m anufacturer who found th a t his quit-rate
experience showed m uch more violent fluctuations than the national
index up to 1925, b u t th a t from th a t year, when a new sales policy
was inaugurated which resulted in a more even flow of orders, the
rate showed greater stability even than the average for the country.
In this case, therefore, business stabilization had apparently resulted
in labor stabilization.
46658°—29-
-7
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1005]
CARE OF THE AGED
C h u rc h P e n sio n a n d R e lie f P la n s fo r M in is te r s
[This article forms p a rt of a stu d y recently m ade b y th e B ureau of L abor Statistics on the general subject
of t h e p r o v isio n for t h e care o f t h e a g e d in t h e U n it e d S ta te s .
A r tic le s o n h o m e s for t h e a g ed m a in ta in e d
b y fraternal and by religious organizations and on th e present statu s of old-age pension system s appeared
in th e M arch, 1929, L abor Review, and articles on homes for th e aged m aintained by various nation
ality groups and on p riv ate benevolent homes appeared in th e April, 1929, L abor Review]
N Q U IR Y was made of 31 national churches as to whether or not
provision is m ade by them either for aged m inisters or for aged
members of the church. Replies were received from 26. Of these,
16 reported having a pension or relief plan for aged m inisters, and
d a ta were secured concerning 11 of these. The 11 organizations
from which d a ta were obtained were the Seventh-D ay A dventists;
N orthern B aptists; Congregational]sts; M ethodists, N orth and South;
M oravian Church (N orthern Province); Presbyterians, N o r th 1 and
S o u th ;2 Episcopalians; Reformed Church of the U nited States; and
the U nitarians. Three other organizations (the U nited Brethren,
the Anglican Universal, and Universalist Churches) have adopted
pension schemes, b u t these are not y et in operation. The Reorgan
ized Church of Jesus C hrist of L atter-D ay Saints has no regular pen
sion system , b u t continues the salary of its m inisters as long as they
live.
The N orthern B aptists, Congregationalists, N orthern Presbyterians,
Reformed Church, and U nitarians have both a pension fund and a
system of relief for cases of special need.
T he system in the Rom an Catholic churches is different from th a t
of the P ro testan t churches. The Church has no general retirem ent
system ; the care of the aged priest is left to the particular diocese
in which he has served. In case of absolute incapacity he is cared for
in one of the Catholic hospitals or he m ay receive an allowance from
the general diocesan funds. In general, the aged priests continue in
service until death, being usually assigned to light duties in the parish
or to an easy position (such as chaplain) in one of the church institu
tions. In about tw o-thirds of the dioceses from which the bureau
received d a ta there is a “ clergy relief fund,” to which the priests
belong and from which retirem ent or disability allowances are paid.
These funds m ay be supported entirely by the priests, jointly by the
parishes of the diocese and the priests, or entirely by the dioceses.
The basis upon which pensions of the P ro testan t churches are
granted varies. In those cases in which the system is contributory,
the an nuitant receives his allowance as a m atter of right, and in
at least one case (Congregational) retirem ent is n o t required, the
I
1 P resbyterian C hurch in th e U n ited States of America.
2 P resbyterian C h u rch in th e U nited States.
92
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93
annuity beginning on reaching a specified age. Where the allow
ance is paid for entirely by the church or where the whole system is
one of “ relief/’ the need and means of the applicant are more likely
to be taken into consideration. Thus, the Adventists, the Southern
Presbyterians, and the Reformed Church (relief plan) take into con
sideration the need of the pensioner and whether or not he has private
means. T he Adventists, however, state th a t the pension is not to
be regarded as charity, b u t as a ju st rew ard for service. The M ora
vian C hurch states th a t need is not a prerequisite for the receipt of
the pension, and the U nitarian Church th a t the pensions “ are not
a charity; those qualified receive them as a right.
Age and service requirements.—Sixty-five years is the m ost usual
age set for the retirem ent of ministers, the Baptists, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, and U nitarians having this provision. The age
of retirem ent is set by the Episcopalians a t 68 and by the Reformed
Church a t 70.
Service requirem ents vary rather widely. For ordinary retirem ent
the M oravian Church requires 10 years’ service, the annuity increasing
in am ount w ith additional years of service and the maximum being
reached after 30 years’ employment. The U nitarians set the years
of service a t 20; and the N orthern B aptists, the Congregationalists,
and the N orthern Presbyterians require th a t the clergymen shall have
been in the employ of the church for 35 years (though in the latte r
case retirem ent a t a proportionally reduced rate m ay be allowed for
fewer years of service).
F or perm anent total disablement while in. the service of the church,
the Congregationalists and N orthern Presbyterians allow retirem ent
a t any tim e, and the Reformed Church after five years’ service, the
allowance in all three cases being proportioned upon the num ber of
years of active service a t the tim e of disablement. _ If, however, the
disablem ent proves to be only tem porary, the m inister m ay resume
his membership in the pension fund. The Seventh-D ay Adventists
allow retirem ent for disability after 10 years’ service. _
Am ount oj age annuity or 'pension.— The sustentation allowances
of the A dventist Church vary with the m arital status of the pensioner
and his state of health, a greater am ount being granted where con
tinuous medical treatm ent is necessary. The allowances vary from
$10 per week for single persons no t requiring medical treatm en t to
$17.50 for m an and wife, one of whom is undergoing constant tre a t
m ent. These are m aximum rates and m ay be decreased if the bene
ficiary has means of his own.
The N orthern B aptists set the annuity a t one-half the average
salary during the years of membership.
In the “ expanded” pension plan of the Congregational Church it
is calculated th a t the pension for a m an retiring a t 65 after 35 years’
service will be equal to half his average salary for the 35 years.
U nder the system now in force in the M ethodist Episcopal Church
(N orth), the rate of pension varies from conference to conference b u t
m ay n o t fall below 1 per cent of the average rem uneration for every
year of “ effective” service.
The N orthern Presbyterian Church fixes the pension a t lM per cent
of the salary for each year of contribution, using $1,200 as a minimum
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MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW
annual salary. The pension m ay not fall below $600 per year nor
exceed $2,000 per year, after 35 years of service.
Under the pension plan of the Episcopal Church the annuity is
fixed a t 1. \ i per cent of the average salary for each year for which
contributions have been paid, subject to a m inimum of $600 and a
maximum of 50 per cent of the average income.
The maximum pension in the Reformed Church is $500 per year;
in the U nitarian Church it is $700 per year, receivable a t 65 after 20
years’ service.
A m o u n t o j d is a b ility p e n s io n .—Under the pension plan of the Con
gregational Church a disabled m inister receives as annuity the
am ount purchasable by the accumulations to his credit in the fund
a t the tim e of disablement. The N orthern Presbyterians and the
Episcopalians allow 40 per cent of the average annual salary for the
previous five years, b u t the allowance m ay n o t be less than $600 nor
more th an $2,000 per year. _ The Reformed Church allows $100 a
y e a rif the m inister becomes disabled after five years’ service, increas
ing this am ount $10 for every additional year of service.
P r o v is io n f o r widows^ a n d c h ild r e n .—The am ount in the fund to the
credit of a deceased m inister of the Congregational Church is used to
pay an annuity to his widow, or if there is no widow, to the minor
children or other dependents.
Widows of M oravian m inisters (Northern Province) receive up to
$430 per year, and those of N orthern Presbyterian and Episcopalian
m inisters one-half the service pension, subject in the latte r case to a
m inimum of $300 per year.
In the A dventist and Presbyterian Churches a widow’s pension
ceases upon remarriage.
The M oravian and Presbyterian Churches of the north pay to
children of deceased m inisters $100 per year, and the Episcopal
Church from $100 to $300 per year, according to the age of the child.
The plans of the Presbyterian (North) and Episcopal Churches
provide th a t the sum of the grants to widow and m inor children m ay
not exceed the am ount of the fath er’s service pension.
In the Reform ed Church a widow receives from the sustentation
fund three-fifths of the am ount to which her husband would have been
entitled, and this goes to the m inor children in case of her death.
( The A dventist, M ethodist (N orth and South), and U nitarian
Churches also m ake some provision for widows or children or both,
b u t the reports do n o t state upon w hat basis this is done.
Since the priests of the Rom an Catholic Church are celebate, the
problem of the care of the family does no t arise there.
T he table below shows the experience of the churches under the
various plans. As is seen, the relief plans are uniformly noncontrib
utory, while the pension plans for which this point is known are
about evenly divided between contributory and noncontributory.
The contributory plans are generally on an actuarial basis. Two of
the churches having noncontributory pension plans are now consider
ing the_ adoption of actuarial contributory plans. Although the
system in the Rom an Catholic Church is different from th a t of the
P ro testan t churches, it is included for the sake of completeness.
As the table shows, the various religious denominations are spend
ing several millions of dollars every year for the care of their aged
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CARE OF THE AGED
m inisters. Of those which do this through the medium of a pension
or retirem ent system , the m ost liberal in its allowances is the Protes
ta n t Episcopal Church, while of those which m ake “ relief” allowances,
the Southern Presbyterian Church is the m ost liberal. For those
denominations which reported both num ber of beneficiaries and
am ounts disbursed in benefits the average pension allowance is
$373 and the average relief allowance is $225.
P E N S IO N S A N D A L L O W A N C E S P A ID TO M IN IS T E R S OF S P E C IF IE D
R E L IG IO U S D E N O M IN A T IO N S
t _______________________________________
Year
estab
lished
Religious denom ination
A dventist, Seventh-D ay: Susten tatio n —
B ap tist (N orth):
R e l i e f - .. - ________ ______________
Congregational:
P en sio n ............................ ............................
Relief
_____- ______________
L a tte r-D ay Saints: Pension-------- ----------M ethod ist (N orth) :
Pensions, regular s e r v ic e ------- - - - - Pensions, sup p ly service------------------Relief______________________________
M ethodist, South: Pension.
. . ---- .
M oravian (N o rth ern Province): Pension..
P resbyterian (N orth):
Pension
P resbyterian (South): Relief-----------------P ro testa n t Episcopal:
R etiring fu n d . . . ____
. . ------Pension fu n d __________ ___ _____ _
Reformed:
P e n s io n _____ _ _ _______ -- Relief
_ --- _____________
R om an Catholic: R e lie f...--------------------U nitarian: Pensions-------------------------------
A m ounts paid
Average
S y ste m N um ber
allowance
con in receipt
for age,
Whole
trib u of benefit L ast fiscal
period of per year
tory
year
operation
1911
Y e s ...
1 840
1913
1913
Y e s ...
N o .. ..
0
1 $575
1 $470, 689 i $3, 953,992
74, 946
326, 963
2,268
a 129,458
300, 000
« 29,145
0
0
i 385, 900
144
f
4 487
Y e s ...
N o .. ..
(2)
3 373
1,044
45
N o .. ..
N o___
N o—
1 8, 530
1 400
1 2, 050
1 472
1 176, 000
i 176, 000
1867
Yes—
N o ....
N o—
1 188,319
i 1, 988,925
560
1874
1917
Yes—
N o—
1 297
1 1, 503
1 29, 026
0
1 678, 642 i 4, 749, 764
i 99
736
1917
1753
Y es—
N o___
N o—
t 3,132
1 54, 659
H 90, 980
43,400
12, 598
8 359, 856
1907
14
74
io 287
62
0
0
89
1 267
ii 827
700
14,806
6,195
5, 594,862
1,132,187
47, 516, 656
1, 988,925
12 373
I2 225
1914
0
(2)
1908
0
(2)
(2)
1734
1927
(2)-
0
0
0
0
Total:
Relief-------------------------------------
0
0
1 3, 069, 343 i 38, 251,000
10, 505
0
171, 266
0
0
857,128
2,573
0
23,448
49
0
120
0
0
1
Mi
287
6 648
0
554
88
428
570
i 440
1 Includes children.
2 No data.
s Includes 3 orphans.
4 Age; original plan.
.
1 Age; expanded plan.
6 C ontinued salary.
1 1ncludes 917 orphans.
8 Since Ju n e 11, 1920; earlier records no t available.
« Varies from diocese to diocese.
1° 40 dioceses.
11 11 dioceses.
12 C om puted on basis of those reporting both beneficiaries and benefits.
Seventh-Day Adventists
T h e g e n e r a l conference of Seventh-Day Adventists established a
“ su ste n tatio n ” fund January 13, 1911.
Those eligible to the allowances include “ all laborers under the
direction of conferences and mission fields, including colporteurs,
nurses, and church school-teachers, who have devoted their lives to
continuous service in the w ork,” and employees in the church insti
tutions. Sustentation allowances m ay also be paid to workers of
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the above classes who become perm anently disabled after having
been employed for a t least 10 years. Persons entering the employ
of the church after reaching their fortieth year of age are not eligible
to benefit until they have served 15 years. Widows and orphans of
deceased workers are also eligible to allowances from the fund. Only
members of the im m ediate family and children under 16 are “ ordi
n arily ” considered as dependents.
The sustentation cases are reviewed annually to determine “ whether
support should be continued and whether the rate paid in each case
is proper in view of all the circumstances and concluions of the
beneficiary.” In the case of widows and single women the benefits
cease upon their marriage.
Cases of tem porary sickness or disability are not eligible to benefits
from the sustentation fund. The local conferences and church in
stitutions provide care in such cases for a period of six m onths. After
the expiration of th a t period application m ay be m ade to the sustenta
tion fund.
Rates of allowance.—The maximum allowances payable from the
sustentation fund are as follows :
1. To m an and wife one of whom is sick and undergoing medical
treatm ent, $17.50 per week.
2. To m an and wife not undergoing treatm ent, $14.50 per week.
3. To single persons undergoing treatm ent, $12 per week.
4. To single persons not undergoing treatm ent, $10 per week.
The above are maximum rates which are correspondingly reduced
in cases where the beneficiary has private means.
The average am ount of pension per week paid in 1927 am ounted to
$11.06. Paym ents are made direct to the beneficiary by the central •
comm ittee every four weeks.
Adm inistration.—The fund is administered by a central sustentation
comm ittee a t the denominational headquarters in W ashington, D . C.
Application is m ade to the local or S tate conference which passes upon
the m erits of the case. If its decision is favorable to the applicant,
the case is referred to the central committee.
e Source of fu n d s .—The funds consist of a certain proportion of the
tithes paid into the local and union conference treasuries. Union
and local conferences pay into the fund 7 per cent of the tith e; pub
lishing houses and sanitarium s 3 per cent of the tithe, and tract
societies \ x/i per cent on their n et sales.
The pension plan is a contributory one in the sense th a t a p a rt of
each church m em ber’s tithe goes to the fund. Also beneficiaries
of the fund m ust continue the paym ent of their tithes.
Em phasis is placed upon the fact th a t “ in no case is the person re
ceiving such allowance a subject of charity, bu t th a t this arrangem ent
has been m ade for the definite purpose of providing a ju st and neces
sary support for those laborers who have given their lives and means
for the building up of this cause, b u t have m ade no provision for sick
ness or age, and to supplem ent such private incomes of our laborers
as prove insufficient for their needs.”
Payments from the fu n d .—D uring the year ending December 27,
1927, the paym ents from the sustentation fund am ounted to $470,689,
and during the whole period since 1911 to $3,953,992.
On A ugust 23, 1928, there were 840 persons in receipt of the pension.
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Northern Baptist Convention
T h e N orthern B aptist Convention established its M inisters and
M issionaries’ Benefit Board in 1913. The board has two lines of
activity: I t makes grants on the basis of need, and "cooperates in the
preparation of a pension for men who are now in active service upon
which they m ay draw after attaining age 65.”
On April 30, 1928, there were 2,268 persons receiving "relief,”
and the am ount so disbursed during the year ending on th a t date
am ounted to $326,963.
Under the pension plan the pastors, or their churches on their be
half, contribute 6'per cent of their salaries the first year. The second
year the board undertakes to pay 70 per cent of the pastor’s contribu
tion, the latte r therefore being required to contribute only the rem ain
ing 30 per cent, or 1.8 per cent of his salary.
Pastors entering a t the age of 30 years and rem aining in the fund for
35 years become entitled to an annual pension of one-half the average
salary during the years of membership.
On April 30, 1928, there were 2,241 members of the pension plan.
Contributions by the board on behalf of members am ounted to
$172 501 during the year, and disbursements for pensions to $74,946.
Congregational Church
Pension Plan
T h e a n n u i t y fund for Congregational ministers was p u t into
operation in M ay, 1914, and operated until December 31, 1921. A t
th a t time the basis of the scheme was changed, persons who had taken
an annuity under the original plan being allowed the option of con
tinuing it or of transferring to the new plan. B oth plans are con
tributory, the dues in the original plan being based upon age and in
the so-called "expanded p la n ” being based upon salary.
O perated in conjunction w ith the annuity plan is the Pilgrim
M emorial Fund, am ounting in 1927 to nearly $5,000,000, the income
from which is used to help defray the paym ents under the original plan
and to assist the members of the "expanded p la n ” to m eet their
dues after the first year. The credit from this fund in 1928 is $90
per m ember, "w hich takes care of a very considerable portion of the
dues of the mem ber after the first year of membership. During the
first year the full dues m ust be settled for by, or on the account of,
the m em ber.”
Those eligible for membership in the annuity fund include (1) pastors
of Congregational churches; (2) secretaries of church organizations, and
missionaries; (3) editors of denominational literature; (4) professors
in theological seminaries; (5) teachers in school and college whose
work could be considered parallel to th a t of a Congregational m inister;
and (6) pastors of com m unity or federated churches. Others engaged
in undenom inational work m ay also be adm itted, each case being
determ ined on its own merits.
Kinds of annuities.—Under the original plan annuities were paid
a t age 65, 68, or 70, w ithout requiring retirem ent. The premium
paym ents were m et by the m inister himself and the Congregational
churches, he paying one-fifth and the church four-fifths. The
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
prem ium rates were set a t an am ount sufficient to produce an annuity
of $500 after 30 years’ service. The maximum annuity payable to
the widow or m inor children under the plan was $300.
The annuity was also payable for total disability to perform the
m inisterial duties. If the disability proved to be only tem porary, the
member could begin the paym ent of premiums and resume his
standing in the fund.
Under the “ expanded p la n ” the rates are fixed a t 6 per cent of the
salary of the mem ber (the free ren t of a parsonage, where furnished,
being regarded as 15 per cent of the salary). I t is intended th a t the
local church shall contribute to the paym ent of the dues, on a 50-50
basis. Up to December 31, 1927, however, only 624 had done so, a
num ber which the 1927 report of the fund characterizes as “ far below
w hat it ought to be.”
I t is calculated th a t the above dues for a m an entering the plan at
30 years of age will be sufficient to provide a single-life annuity at
age 65 equivalent to one-half the average salary for the 35 years, or
a joint life and survivorship annuity of approxim ately 80 per cent
of the single-life annuity.
R etirem ent is n o t a requisite for the receipt of the annuity.
If the mem ber becomes perm anently and totally disabled before
beginning to receive the annuity, he m ay use the entire am ount
accum ulated to his credit to purchase a disability annuity to con
tinue for the rest of his life. As in the original plan, if he becomes
able to assume his duties, he m ay resume his membership in the fund
w ithout prejudice.
If the member dies before receiving the annuity, the entire am ount
to his credit is used to pay an annuity to his widow, or if there is no
widow, to his minor children until they become of age, or failing
these, to other dependents.
In case of w ithdraw al from the fund the am ount to the m em ber’s
credit, including the supplem ent from the Pilgrim M emorial Fund,
remains a t interest until he reaches the annuity age, when it becomes
payable on the basis of the am ount available. Interest on credits is
computed a t the rate of 4 per cent, b u t is adjusted each year to the
earnings of the investm ents.
The fund will also receive from members additional paym ents
which it places to their credit to receive interest a t the same rate as
the prem ium paym ents. In this way the m inister m ay increase his
final annuity considerably. All such deposits are subject to the rules
of the fund and are not withdrawable.
Adm inistration.—The fund is administered by a board of nine
trustees elected by the membership of the fund from a list of eligibles
approved by the national council of the church. They m ay be
either clergymen or laymen, b u t m ust be male citizens, over 21 years,
and in ecclesiastical relationship with the Congregational churches
in the U nited States. A m ajority m ust be citizens of New Jersey,
the State under whose laws the fund is incorporated.
Statistics of the plan.—A t the end of 1927 there were in the original
plan 1,383 members, of whom 350 were receiving annuities. Of
these, 234 were receiving the age annuity, 17 were receiving the dis
ability annuity, 96 were widows receiving their husband’s benefits,
and 3 were orphans.
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99
The average annuity paid in 1927 for age amounted to $487.24 per
person, and th a t for disability to $331.63. The widows received an
average annuity of $205.54. The total am ount paid in annuities
during the year was $129,336, of which $119,834 was for age. Total
paym ents m ade under this plan since its inauguration am ount to
$385,707.
The expanded plan had a membership a t the end of 1927 of 997.
Of these, 23 were in receipt of the annuity—3 for age, 2 for disability,
and 18 because of widowhood.
Paym ents for annuities under this plan in 1927 am ounted to
$121.76, an average of $40.59 per annuitant. So far, $193.46 has
been paid in annuities under the expanded plan.
The am ount in the annuity fund—both classes of plan— at the end
of 1927 was as follows:
P ilgrim M em orial F u n d ___________________________________________ $4, 926, 910
P ro fit re se rv e _____________________________________________________
132, 980
A ssets— a n n u ity fu n d _____________________________________________ 3, 132, 841
T o ta l_____________________________________________________ -
8 ,1 9 2 ,7 3 1
Incom e from P ilgrim M em orial F u n d ___________________________ 231, 213
S u p p lem en tary fu n d ------------------- -------------------------------------------------3 7 ,105
Relief Allowances
Along with the annuity fund is operated a relief fund, administered
by the Congregational Board for M inisterial Relief. From this
fund provision is made for sick or aged ministers, their widows, and
orphans, who are known to be in need and for whom no other provi
sion has been made.
Amounts paid in relief average up to $500 per year. In 1927
there were 1,044 such grants made, the total so expended aggregating
about $300,000.
In addition to the annuities and relief for ministers, it is stated
th a t “ practically all Congregational churches of any size have small
funds for the relief of the needy, varying in am ount according to the
local situation.”
Latter-Day Saints
As a l r e a d y noted, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of
L atter-D ay Saints has no regular pension system. The report from
th a t organization states th a t the church pays its m inistry “ on the
basis of lifetime service.” W hen a m inister becomes too old foiservice, he is retired and his salary is continued until death, if he
“ continues w orthy.” The family of a m inister dying in active service
is provided for until the children are able to care for themselves.
There are now 45 superannuated ministers on the retired list.
Their salaries last year amounted to $29,145.
Methodist Episcopal Church (North)
T h e p e n s i o n plan of the M ethodist Episcopal Church (North) was
p u t into operation in 1908. M inisters, their widows and orphans,
and other persons in the employ of the church or its institutions are
eligible to the benefit.
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Statistics of the System
The report of the secretary of the board for the year ending Decem
ber 31, 4927, showed th a t there were in receipt of the pension 8,530
persons, of whom 3,516 were ministers, 4,097 were the widows of
ministers, and 917 were m inisters’ orphan children. A total of
$3,069,343 was disbursed in pensions during the year.
Under the present system the rate of pension m ay not be less than
1 per cent of the average salary (including free house ren t as 15 per
cent of the salary) for every year of “ effective” service. The local
conference m ay increase the above rate if it pleases. The average
salary paid to ministers varies from conference to conference, falling
below $500 per year in 2 conferences and exceeding $2,000 in 18 con
ferences. The pensions therefore vary ju st as widely. In 1927 there
were 20 conferences where the average annual pension was $50 or less,
while 27_conferences paid pensions of more th an $1,000. The average
pension in all conferences combined is about $14.50 per year of service.
In 1927 the average pension paid to ministers was $554, to widows
$297, and to children $67.
Since_1908, when the plan was started, $38,251,000 has been dis
bursed in pensions. The statem ent below shows the growth of the
pension plan, by 4-year periods since 1900:
Pensions paid
1900-1903.
1904-1907
1908-1911.
1912-1915
1916-1919.
1920-1923.
1924-1927.
$1,
1,
3,
4,
5,
9,
12,
T o ta l-------------------------------------------------------------
183,
473,
171,
431,
497,
849,
647,
000
000
000
000
000
000
000
38, 251, 000
In some cases where the pension is inadequate it is supplemented
by additional grants. Such grants amounted to $171,266 in 1927.
The am ounts so disbursed are decreasing year by year as the regular
annuities increase.
A special comm ittee deals with the retirem ent of supply pastors.
A yearly appropriation of $10,000 is m ade for this purpose, but, ac
cording to the report, “ five times th a t am ount is needed.” The
num ber of beneficiaries from this fund in 1927 was 120 and the total
distribution $10,505.
Basis of Plan and Substitute Proposed
A t present the fund operates largely on a current revenue basis.
There are no actuarial reserves, though approxim ately $20,000,000 is
held in perm anent funds.
The actuarial stability of the fund has been causing some concern,
and the General Conference of 1924 directed th a t the whole m atter
be referred for study to a special committee. T h a t comm ittee has
recently recommended a plan which, if adopted, will place the whole
scheme on an actuarial basis, and m ake the fund a contributory one.
Under the plan each conference will contribute to the fund an
am ount equal to 8 per cent of the m inister’s salary, and each m inister
will contribute 23^ per cent of his salary (subject to a m aximum an
nual paym ent by him of $200).
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The claim ant will have the right of retirem ent at 68 years, bu t the
conference m ay, a t its option, retire him three years earlier.
Service r e t i r e m e n t The annual benefits are to consist of a “ service
annuity,” payable out of the funds contributed by the annual con
ference, and an “ income annuity ’’ payable out of the contributions
of the annuitant, the whole to be term ed the “ pension.”
In case the m inister dies while still in service his widow shall be
entitled to the annuity provided by her husband’s contributions plus
tw o-thirds of his accum ulated service annuity. If this falls below
$300 per year, the am ount m ay be increased to th a t amount, in the
discretion of the board. In case of her rem arriage her annuity ceases,
b u t she is to receive any sums remaining from her husband’s contri
butions to the fund. E ach m inor child of a deceased member is en
titled to an annuity of $75 until reaching age 16, unless schooling
continues beyond th a t age, in which case the annuity m ay be increased
$150 to continue until age 21.
The to tal annuities to the widow and minor children of a deceased
annuitant m ay no t exceed the pension received by him. If a mem
ber dies before retirem ent the combined pension m ay no t exceed his
average annual salary for the three preceding years.
Disability benefit m ay be granted to members less than 65 years of
age if disability “ has been plainly ev id en t” for not less than 180 days,
if it is certified by a physician’s report, and if it is such as to incapaci
tate him perm anently and totally from performing his duties. This
benefit m ay be equivalent to 40 per cent of his average annual salary,
subject to a m aximum of $800 per year. In case of a member dis
abled between 60 and 65 years of age, the total disability paym ent
shall not exceed the pension which his income and service annuities
would purchase a t age 65, assuming the same rate of contribution as
th a t prior to the disablement.
Paym ent of benefits for the waiting period of 180 days is left to the
discretion of the board.
If the disabled pensioner recovers his health he m ay return to the
employ of the church and reenter the fund.
Methodist Episcopal Church, South
Pension Plan
T h e 48 annual conferences of the M ethodist Episcopal Church,
South, levy an annual assessment upon the local churches of the con
ference for the support of retired m inisters and their widows. The
church a t large has a superannuate endowm ent fund the interest of
which is used as annuities, and m any of the annual conferences also
have funds raised for the purpose. D uring the p ast four years a
special effort has been m ade to reach a goal of $10,000,000 in the
endowm ent fund. The 1927—28 report of the church board of finance
shows th a t on M arch 31, 1928, the general endowm ent fund am ounted
to $3,110,584 and the conference funds on deposit with the board to
$1,790,795.
D uring the year 1926-27 there were on the pension rolls of the
church 2,573 persons, of whom 1,090 were superannuated m inisters
and 1,483 were widows of ministers. A total of $857,128 was paid
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for their support, of which 1718,014 came from the conference boards
and $139,114 from the general board. In m any cases the superannu
ated m inister is given the use of a house, rent free.
Poor Relief
All the well-organized congregations of the church, it is stated, have
a m onthly collection called the “ social service offering,” which is used
for the relief of the poor in the comm unity.
Moravian Church (Northern Province)
Pension Plan
F rom the very beginning of the M oravian Church in Am erica—
about 1734— the church has made provision for its superannuated
ministers.
All who have served the church in its m inistry, in either the home
field or foreign field, are eligible for the retirem ent annuity after 10
years’ service. The am ount of the annuity is graduated w ith the
years of service, the maximum, $700 per year, becoming payable
after 30 years of service. Need is not a prerequisite for the receipt of
the pension. The treasurer of the sustentation fund states th a t the
pension “ goes into effect autom atically upon retirem ent w ithout
application having to be m ade.”
In addition to the pension certain pensioners also are allowed the
use of a dwelling, ren t free.
The widow of a m inister m ay also receive a pension, the maximum
am ount being $430 per year. The rules of the fund provide th a t
children between the ages of 13 and 17 shall receive an allowance of
not to exceed $100 per 37ear when the condition of the fund will allow
it. Such allowances were paid for the first time in 1927-28, to 28
children.
D uring the year ending April 30, 1928, pensions were paid to 22
retired m inisters and 27 widows, the am ounts paid totaling $23,448.
The allowances to the children am ounted to $2,600.
A t the end of the fiscal year the sustentation fund of the church
am ounted to $370,658.
Relief Work
M any of the older congregations have “ poor fu n d s” from which
aid is given to aged and needy members.
Presbyterian Church (North)
Annuity Plan
T h e an nu ity system of the Presbyterian Church in the U nited
States of America was established April 1, 1927.
The plan allows retirem ent a t the age of 65 (or earlier if disabled)
after 35 years of service. R etirem ent is also allowed after a shorter
period of service, b u t a t a proportionally reduced rate.
In calculating the pension $1,200 is taken as the m inim um salary.
(If a manse is furnished, its rental is calculated as 15 per cent of the
salary.) The pension equals 1)4 per cent of the salary for each year
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of contribution) The minimum pension is $600 per year and the
m aximum $2,000 per year, after 35 years of service.
T he disability pension equals 40 per cent of the average salary
for the previous five years, subject to the same m inimum and maxi
m um as above. If granted before the age of 60, th e allowance m ay
n o t exceed the earned service annuity (subject to a m inimum of $600).
Pensions paid to widows of m inisters who were retired members
of the fund m ay no t exceed half the service pension. A pension to
a widow of a m inister who was still in service m ay not exceed one-half
the service credits earned by him. H er pension ceases upon rem ar
riage. M inor children are entitled to an annuity of not to exceed
$100 per year during their m inority, b u t the sum of the grants to
widow and the m inor children m ay not exceed the am ount of the
fath er’s service pension.
Funds are secured by a contribution of 2)^ per cent of the salary
by the m inister himself and Ty2 per cent by the employing church.
On M arch 31, 1928, the fund had to its credit $5,473,064.
On th a t date it had 7,500 contributing members and 400 pensioners.
The am ount paid in annuities during the year ending M arch 31,
1928, was $176,000.
„
Relief Department
The board of pensions also administers a relief departm ent. In
1927-28 there were 2,050 persons assisted through this departm ent.
No data are available as to the am ount available.
Presbyterian Church (South)
S i n c e 1867 the Presbyterian Church in the U nited States has been
m aking provision for its aged and infirm m inisters and their widows.
In th a t year the home missions comm ittee of sustentation was author
ized to appropriate 5 per cent of all contributions for this purpose.
Several other schemes of relief were tried as years went by, bu t did not
prove satisfactory
In 1902 the endowm ent fund of ministerial relief was started, the
income of which has been used for relief purposes. In granting relief
“ service to the church, age, need, num ber of dependents, and other
sources of supply are all taken into consideration.”
D uring the year 1927-28 those on the rolls of the fund included 165
ministers, 251 widows, 52 orphans, and 4 unordained missionaries—
a total of 472. The average am ount paid to each of the retired m in
isters was $559.55, to the widows $338.89, to the orphans $190.25, and
to the missionaries $259.50. The to tal am ount expended in pensions
during the year was $188,319. Since 1903 the church has spent a total
of $1,988,925 for the relief of aged ministers and their widows and
orphans.
The endowment fund now amounts to $1,564,381.
The church has a reciprocity agreement with the Presbyterian
Church in the U nited States of America by which each gives credit for
the time spent by a m inister in the service of the other.
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New Plan
Since the present arrangem ent is not sound from an actuarial stand
point, an annuity plan is to be p u t into effect. This fund will pro
vide, for each mem ber retiring a t the age of 65 years, an annuity of
one-seventieth of his salary for each year of service during which con
tributions have been made. For perm anent total disability after one
year’s membership in the fund, an annuity will be paid amounting
to 40 per cent of the average salary of the member for the five years
previous.
T he m inimum retirem ent allowance will be fixed a t $600 a year.
Provision will also be made for the widow and m inor children of a
deceased minister.
Funds will be provided by joint contributions from churches and
ministers. A sum will be raised from the whole membership of the
church sufficient to cover the accrued liability for service rendered
prior to the inauguration of the plan, each local church or agency
employing a m inister will contribute an am ount equal to 7 3^2 per cent
of his salary, and the m inister himself will contribute 2 ^ per cent of
his salary.
I t is estim ated th a t approxim ately $3,000,000 will be needed to
cover the accrued liability, and it is hoped to accum ulate this am ount
by 1930.
Protestant Episcopal Church
Retiring Fund Society
I n 1874 the Clergymen’s R etiring Fund Society of the P rotestant
Episcopal Church was organized. Its membership was open to all
clergymen of the church. R ates were $12 per year per share taken,
payable until reaching 60 years of age. Funds so accum ulated were
also increased by income from investm ents, legacies and gifts, offerings
from the parishes, etc.
The annuity purchased began at 60; its am ount was left to the
discretion of the trustees b u t usually amounted to 25 per cent of the
m em ber’s paym ents.
In 1917, however, a general pension system for the whole church
was adopted. Since th a t time no new members have been adm itted
to the society and former members have been forbidden to increase
their holdings. The society is therefore declining and gradually going
out of business.
On October 31, 1927, there were 119 contributing members and 297
annuitants. The average annuity paid to these amounted to about
$99. D uring the year ending with the above date $29,026 was dis
bursed in annuities.
Church Pension Fund
The Church Pension F und started operations on M arch 1, 1917.
Its plan covers all clergy ordained and in the active service of the
church after th a t date. U nder the scheme four classes of provision
are m ade:
(1)
For age, l){ per cent of the average salary for each year of paid
assessments, subject to a minimum pension of $600. The retirem ent
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age is fixed a t 68 years. No pension m ay exceed 50 per cent of the
average salary.
(2) For disability, 40 per cent of the average salary for the previous
five years, subject to a minimum of $600 and a maximum of $2,000.
(3) F or widows, one-half of the pension to which the husband
would have been entitled a t the time of his death, subject to a mini
mum of $300 per year.
(4) F or minor children, fixed amounts graduated according to age,
ranging from $100 for children below seven to $300 for children from
14 to m ajority.
The combined allowance to widow and m inor children m ay not
exceed the annuity to which the husband would have been entitled.
The funds are secured by contributions from each employing
church of a sum equal to 7% per cent of the pastor’s salary. The
m inister himself contributes nothing.
As noted above, the scheme contem plated pensions for only clergy
entering the service of the church on or after M arch 1, 1917. B ut
there were m any who had been in its service long before th a t date
and who had to be taken care of. The pension fund, upon its form a
tion, took over liability for all of the grants of the general clergy
relief fund and the various diocesan relief funds. On December 31,
1926, the fund was carrying, on these accounts, an annual expendi
ture of $51,993 not provided for under the rules of the pension system.
Permission was obtained from the general convention to use a fund
of $450,000 which had been raised previously for the general relief
fund. W hen this fund was exhausted the trustees began to use the
surplus income in the pension fund to pay assessments for these priorservice ministers and to grant pensions on the basis of these assess
ments.
T his actio n , w hich m ean s a n a tte m p t com pletely to w ipe o u t th e accru ed
liabilities, w as to be done in th e o rd er of th e o rd in a tio n of th e clergy who were
in a c tiv e service w hen th e pensiop sy stem s ta rte d . In o rd e r t h a t all m ig h t h av e
a n eq u al chance of sh arin g in th is im p ro v e m e n t in th e pension system , such back
assessm ents were n o t to be p aid all a t once for a n y given clergym an, b u t only a t
one tim e sufficient to p ro d u ce th e n e x t ste p in th e a m o u n t of th e p ension; a n d
th e clergy w ere to be grouped, by o rd er of o rd in atio n , in h u n d red s, w ith one
m ore h u n d re d alw ays in each step in th e pensions th a n in th e ste p im m ed iately
higher.
On Septem ber 1, 1927, the pension fund had by this means been able
to pension 319 of these prior-service ministers.
The condition of the funds proving to w arrant such action, the
trustees took a further step in adding to the widows’ pension of $300
a year, a lump sum of $1,000 payable imm ediately upon the death
of the husband.
On December 31, 1927, there were 1,503 persons on the pension roll,
to whom a total of $678,642 was paid during the year. The average
allowances per year for the four classes of pensioners are as follows:
Age annuitants, $735.68; disability annuitants, $603.22; widows,
$369.52; and orphans, $137.95.
Since the inception of the pension plan a total of $4,749,764 has
been disbursed.
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Reformed Church in the United States
T h e Reformed Church in the U nited States has two funds from
which provision is m ade for retired m inisters and their widows—
the relief fund and the sustentation fund. The first grants for minis
terial relief were m ade in 1752. T he first organization for ministerial
relief was known as the “ Widows’ F u n d ,” and was established in
1755. O ut of this society grew the “ Society of G uardians for the
Relief of Widows of the German Reformed Clergymen Being M em
bers of the Society,” chartered on M arch 26, 1810, and the “ Society
for the Relief of M inisters and their Widows,” established February
28, 1865. The present Board of M inisterial Relief was created by
the General Synod of the Reformed Church in the U nited S tates in
M ay, 1905. The sustentation fund was established in 1917.
Benefits from the relief departm ent vary, according to the need,
from $50 to $700.
The sustentation fund is a contributory one. The maximum
benefit payable for superannuation (at 70 years of age) is $500 a year.
For disability the allowance varies according to the years of service,
beginning w ith $100 a year for five years’ service, $10 being added for
each additional year. A widow receives three-fifths of the am ount
to which her husband would have been entitled, and this am ount
goes to any m inor children in case of her death. Since the sustenta
tion fund has not y e t been completed, a t present only 40 per cent of
the m aximum rates are being paid; these range from $24 to $164 per
year.
A t the end of 1927 there were 205 annuitants on the roll of the relief
fund, of whom 74 were m inisters and 131 were m inisters’ widows. A
total of $54,659 was expended for relief during the year, an average of
$266.63 per person. M any of the early records of the church have
been lost, and therefore no data are available as to the to tal am ount
of m inisterial relief paid by this church. Since June 1, 1920, how
ever, $359,856 has been disbursed.
Pensioners on the sustentation roll a t the end of 1927 num bered 35,
of whom 14 were m inisters and 21 were widows. Sustentation pay
m ents amounted to $3,132, an average of $89.48 per person. Since
1922, when the fund began the paym ent of benefits, these have
totaled $12,598.
Roman Catholic Church
T h e p r o b l e m of the care of aged and infirm priests in the Catholic
Church is much simpler than th a t faced by the P ro testan t churches.
In the first place, the Catholic clergy being celibate, there are no
families to care for. Again, in the Rom an Catholic Church the
priests who are members of religious orders or communities are cared
for m their old age by the order. The m atte r of the care of aged
priests m charge of parishes, however, is left to the various dioceses,
and the provision m ade varies from diocese to diocese. In the attem p t
to ascertain ju st w hat is done for superannuates, the B ureau of Labor
Statistics addressed an inquiry to each of the more than 100 dioceses
ol the chuich in the U nited States. Replies have been received from
71 of these.
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In general these indicate th a t the great m ajority of the parish
priests continue “ in harness” to the end of their days. As one
diocesan chancellor expresses i t :
T he n a tu re of a p arish p rie st’s w ork is such t h a t he can go on w ith it a t a n y
age, p ro v id ed h is h e a lth is fairly good. E v en w hen h is h e a lth fails, if it does n o t
u tte rly fail, som e of th e lig h te r fo rm s of a p rie s t’s w ork in th e diocese a re fo u n d
for hiin. In th e e v e n t t h a t h is h e a lth fails in a degree t h a t in c a p a c ita te s him ,
he is looked a fte r in o u r h o sp itals su ite d to th e illness fro m w hich he suffers.
However, all bu t five of the dioceses reporting make some pro
vision for the care of the aged priests, though 18 report th a t no cases
are being cared for a t present.
A num ber of dioceses report th a t their practice, when a priest
becomes too old or too infirm for active parish work, is to secure for
him a position w ith very light duties, such as th a t of chaplain in a
religious institution. In such cases he receives board and lodging in
the institution and often an allowance from the diocese in addition.
In about tw o-thirds of the dioceses reporting there is a special relief
or pension fund from which allowances are made to superannuated
priests. In some instances the clergy relief fund, as it is usually
called, is m aintained entirely by an assessment upon the priests who
are members of the fund; this is the situation in 13 of the dioceses
reporting, although in 2 of these if the funds so collected are not
sufficient the difference is made up by the diocese from the general
funds. In these cases the contribution of the priest varies from 85 to
830 per year. In 7 cases the relief fund is formed from the dues of the
priests plus a certain contribution from the parishes; the la tte r m ay
be raised by an assessment upon the parish of a certain am ount per
priest or through an annual church collection taken for the purpose,
or through appropriation of a certain proportion of the general income
of the diocese. In 19 cases the cost of the fund is m et altogether from
the diocesan funds or by the parishes. Eleven other dioceses report
having a clergy retiring fund b u t do not state how it is supported.
The allowances m ade vary considerably from diocese to diocese.
One diocese pays an allowance of 840-845 per m onth, one of 840-850,
one of 845, one of 840-870 per m onth, one of 840-875, four of 850, and
one of 8100 per m onth. In one diocese the pensioner receives 820 per
m onth from the funds raised by a levy upon the parishes plus 825 per
m onth from the fund of the priests themselves, while in another the
allowance is 850 from each of these sources. One diocese each pays
8400 per year, 8400-8600, 8400-8800, and “ 8600 and u p ,” and two pay
81.000 per year. Several others have no specified pension amounts,
b u t allow w hatever am ount the circumstances require.
Some of the provisions m ade are m ost liberal. One diocese reports
th a t a retired priest is generally assigned to a chaplaincy in a religious
institution which gives him his living expenses; in addition he receives
81.000 per year from the parish. Another reports as follows:
T h e policy in th is diocese fo r su p e ra n n u a te d a n d sickly m em bers of th e clergy
is to deal w ith each case in d iv id u ally . In o th e r w ords, i t is o u r desire to have
each p rie st w rite his ow n tic k e t. W hen his desires are m ad e know n to us, th e n
we m ak e every effort to m e e t th e m .
T h u s fa r we h av e h a d no tro u b le in giving satisfactio n .
46658"—29-
-8
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A t th is tim e we h a v e fo u r m em bers of th e clergy who a re receiving an an n u al
pension. W e corresp o n d w ith th e m reg u larly in o rd e r to see if a n y new situ a tio n
h a s developed t h a t w ould suggest a change one w ay o r th e o th e r.
O n several occasions i t h as been discussed as to th e a d v isa b ility of building
hom es. A fter m a tu re d elib e ra tio n i t w as generally ag reed t h a t th e clergy
w ould p refer to be free a n d sp en d th e ir declining d a y s as th e y th em selv es choose.
O rdinarily th e y pick a sa n ita riu m , a h o sp ital, one of o u r m a n y hom es fo r th e
aged, a n d h av e even been in v ite d to sh are th e h o sp ita lity in th e b ish o p ’s house.
In o th e r w ords, th e re a re so m an y d ifferen t angles to th e solution of th e in d iv id u al
case t h a t we prefer to leav e th e m free to m ak e th e ir ow n decision.
In some instances the aged priest rem ains as " pastor em eritus,”
in the parish where he has served, being supported by the parish and
living in the local clerical residence. In one diocese the aged priest
remains as before, b u t is given an assistant.
The bishop of one diocese takes the stand th a t "priests should
provide for themselves by saving some money for days of sickness
and old age; b u t if they can not do it or have neglected to do so, the
diocese will help when it becomes necessary.” Another, however,
states th a t "F ro m their rath er meager salary during their producing
years the priests of our diocese can save very little. * * * We
have a fund for infirm and indigent priests. This represents a small
am ount of money contributed annually by each parish. The fund
is woefully small and far from meeting the m any demands on it.”
The priests have therefore formed a relief fund of their own which
pays a disability or old-age allowance after the third m onth of
disability or after reaching 65 years of age.
Altogether, 40 dioceses reporting are paying retirem ent allowances
to 287 superannuated pastors, in addition to those who are being
cared for in hospitals or other institutions of the church or who have
been assigned to some light duties. D ata as to the annual amounts
spent for retirem ent allowances are available in only 11 cases; these
are expending $90,980 per year for the care of 110 priests, m aking an
annual average pension of $827.
Of those which m ake no provision for the aged pastors, one reports
th a t the priests are urged to carry health insurance b u t otherwise the
m atter is "le ft to the charity of the people,” and another th a t a plan
is under advisement.
Unitarian Church
T h e r e are several aid and relief associations in the U nitarian
Church. These include tem porary aid in case of pressing financial
emergency, special continued relief for unusual cases of necessity
among ministers not yet retired, relief funds for clergymen’s widows,
and a service pension (in operation since 1907) for ministers of
retiring age.
The service pension of $700 per year is payable to U nitarian min
isters, 65 years of age or over, who have served at least 20 years.
"These pensions are not a charity; those qualified receive them as a
right.”
On April 30, 1928, there were 62 ministers in receipt of the pension.
The am ount paid in pensions during the year ending w ith this date
was $43,400.
The am ount in the perm anent pension fund in 1926 was $440,096.
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Church of United Brethren in Christ
A m i n i s t e r i a l pension plan has been adopted by the church of the
U nited Brethren in Christ, bu t its operation is postponed until a suffi
ciently large endowment ($1,000,000 is estim ated as necessary) is
obtained. I t is hoped th a t this can be had by 1930.
Several of the annual conferences of the church have endowments
for the relief of their ministers and their widows.
Other Churches Having Pension Plans
T h e Congregational M ethodist Church reports th a t it has a super
annuation fund from which small annual amounts are paid to minis
ters, and the Universalist and Anglican Universal Churches report
th a t they are ju st starting a pension plan. No details are available
for any of these plans.
A num ber of other church organizations reported having pension
plans, b u t the Bureau of Labor Statistics has been unable to obtain
any data concerning these plans. These include:
A frican Zion M e th o d ist E piscopal C hurch.
A frican M e th o d ist E piscopal C hurch.
U n ite d P re s b y te ria n C hurch.
U n ite d L u th e ra n C hurches in A m erica.
C h ris tia n R eform ed C hurch.
E v an g elical Syno d of N o rth A m erica.
The General Conference of Seventh-D ay B aptists has no pension
plan, b u t has a m inisterial relief fund, the interest on which is used in
aiding aged ministers. Some of the regional conferences of this
church have similar funds.
R e c e n t O ld-A ge P e n sio n L e g isla tio n 1
IN C E the beginning of the current year three States—Wyoming,
M innesota, and U tah—have enacted old-age pension laws, closely
similar in terms. In M innesota the pensionable age is 70, in U tah
and Wyoming, 65; in M innesota and Wyoming the maximum pension
payable is $30 a m onth, in U tah, $25. All three States^ require 15
years’ residence before a claim ant m ay be considered eligible. All
three plans are on a county basis, b u t in W yoming and U tah adoption
is m andatory on the counties, while in M innesota it is optional.
The addition of these three States brings the num ber having oldage pension laws up to nine, in addition to the T erritory of Alaska.
Pension legislation is pending in a num ber of other States, and in
several favorable action before the adjournm ent of the legislatures is
confidently expected.
S
iB u lle tin of th e A m erican Association for Old Age Security, A pril, 1929.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AND LABOR
CONDITIONS
A ge L im it s on E m p lo y m e n t b y A m e ric a n M a n u fa c tu r e r s
H E N ational Association of M anufacturers recently completed
a survey of the extent to which m anufacturing establishm ents of
the U nited S tates have set maximum age lim its for employment.
The tex t of the findings as given out on M arch 31 is in full as follows:
“ Seventy per cent of the m anufacturing plants of the United
States have no set maximum age hiring limits, the great m ajority
statin g th a t they disregard age and hire only on a basis of physical
fitness of the applicant and ability to perform work satisfactorily.
A considerable num ber declare th a t they prefer older employees
because they are steadier and have acquired valuable skill which
younger employees lack. We know of no companies which dis
charge employees when they reach a given age.
“ T hirty per cent of the m anufacturing plants do have maximum
hiring-age limits, because they refuse to hire new employees beyond
certain fixed ages, b u t m any of them m ake exceptions in the case of
former employees. Among this 30 per cent of the plants with a
hiring lim it the lim its range from 25 years to 70 years for unskilled
and semiskilled workers and from 35 years to 70 years for skilled
workers.
“ The m ost frequent limits are 45 for the unskilled and semiskilled
and 50 for skilled. In employing semiskilled and unskilled workers
about 25 per cent of the companies with hiring-age lim its (or about 8
per cent of the total) use the 45-year limit, with 50 per cent setting
the m aximum age higher and 25 per cent p utting it lower than 45.
The benefit of skill and craftsm anship is seen by the fact th a t in
companies having m aximum hiring limits for skilled employees only
18 per cent place the lim it below 45; 63 per cent use either 45 or 50
years, and 19 per cent p u t the lim it somewhere about 50 years.
“ The m ajority of companies having m aximum hiring-age lim its
set such lim its for a num ber of different reasons. An analysis of the
reasons given for the establishm ent of such lim its reveal th a t 22 per
cent relate to physical condition of the workers or the work, such
m atters, for example, as sickness, irregular attendance, eyesight
requirem ents, steadiness of hand, and the heavy type of work in the
foundries and some other m anufacturing operations. The efforts
of industry to take care of aging employees in plan t pension plans,
which usually lim it benefits to those in the com pany employ 15 to 20
years, and a feeling th a t industrial concerns have a special obligation
to provide steady em ploym ent to individuals already in their employ
for m any years, is given as the cause for 21 per cent of the estab
lishm ent of maximum age limits. The cause of third im portance—
19 per cent—responsible for m aximum hiring lim its is given as the
T
110
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IN D U STRIA L RELA TION S AND LABOR CONDITIONS
111
tendency of older employees to slow up a t their tasks. The heavy
cost of workm en’s compensation insurance, the liability of older
employees to injuries, and added danger to other employees when
working w ith older men is given as the cause in 14 per cent of the cases
where such lim its exist. The existence of group life-insurance plans
is the cause for 11 per cent of the maximum age hiring limits, since the
addition of large num bers of aged employees would heavily increase
the cost of insurance prem ium s.”
G r e a t B r it a in a n d th e E ig h t-H o u r s C o n v e n tio n
T T H E recent session of the governing body of the International
Labor Office, held in Geneva during M arch, Sir A rthur SteelM aitland, British M inister of Labor, urged a revision of the eighthours convention, and gave an explanation of B ritain ’s objections to
its present form considerably more definite th an has y e t been m ade
public. A t the session in February, 1928, the B ritish delegate had
asked for revision, and had stated th a t the “ B ritish G overnm ent no
longer considers ratification of the convention in its present form as
a possibility.” (See Labor Review, April, 1928, p. 126.) H e did
not, however, define the changes his Governm ent wished to see
made, and Sir A rth u r’s statem ent was expected to clear up this
m atter.
The basis of G reat B ritain’s objection, according to Sir A rthur, is
th a t the convention in its present form is ambiguous, th a t each
nation will naturally interpret dubious term s according to its own
ideas, and th a t therefore the several signatories would be pledging
themselves to varying degrees of strictness in the m atter of hours, a
situation which would be very likely to lead to charges of bad faith
and create friction. In the interests of all concerned revision before
adoption was desirable. He cited 15 points in regard to which amend
m ent was needed. Prom inent among these were the need of precise
definitions for such term s as “ hours of work,” “ week,” and similar
expressions; clearer definition of the processes in which a 56-hour
week is perm itted, and of conditions under which overtim e m ay be
required; provision for more elasticity in the daily hours so long as
the weekly hours are n o t exceeded ; a closer consideration of the posi
tion of the transport industries, and of the treatm ent to be accorded
mixed establishments, partly industrial and partly commercial. If
the points m entioned were cleared up, G reat B ritain would be ready
and glad to ratify.
There was a sharp division of opinion over the British proposal.
The employers’ delegates as a group supported it, the workers’ dele
gates as a group opposed it, and the Governm ent delegates were
divided. The Belgian and Italian Governments were opposed to
any revision, the French and German Governm ents were willing to
incorporate the conclusions of the London Conference b u t no t to go
further, the Spanish Governm ent opposed a total revision b u t was
willing to consider a partial revision on definite points, while the
Swedish Governm ent spoke in favor of revision and stated th a t the
other Scandinavian Governments took the same position. The
A
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112
MONTHLY LAJBOR R EV IE W
delegate of the Polish Governm ent suggested a compromise, pre
senting a resolution for the appointm ent of a mixed com m ittee of
nine mem bers to examine further the B ritish proposals for revision;
with this, he coupled an express declaration th a t the passage of this
resolution should no t be taken as indicating, directly or indirectly,
any undertaking whatsoever as to revision.
The m atte r was hotly debated, and several other amendm ents were
proposed and rejected. F in a lly th e Polish compromise was p u t to
the vote b u t failed of passage, six of the workers’ delegates and the
Belgian and Italian Governm ent delegates voting against it, while
eight other G overnm ent delegates voted in its favor. The French
Governm ent abstained from voting, and the Argentine Government
delegate was absent. The result of the whole debate was therefore
entirely negative, the British proposal having been neither accepted
nor rejected nor held for further consideration.
In view of th is resu lt, M . T hom as, D irecto r of th e L a b o r Office, s ta te d t h a t
th e revision of th e co n v e n tio n w ould ta k e p lace a u to m a tic a lly on th e ex p iratio n
of th e 10 years— n am ely , in O cto b er n ex t— b u t t h a t h e w ould n o t w a it till th e n
b u t w ould su b m it p ro p o sals to th e G o v ern m en ts fo r a so lu tio n of th e difficulty.
C r e a tio n o f B u r e a u o f S o c ia l W elfare in M exico
CO M M U N IC A TIO N from the American ambassador to
Mexico, Dw ight W. Morrow, dated F ebruary 15, 1929, con
tains the text of a presidential resolution organizing a bureau of social
welfare under the Mexican D epartm ent of Labor.
The bureau shall have jurisdiction throughout the country and
shall endeavor by every possible means to obtain for all classes of
unemployed, work in industrial, commercial, agricultural, and mining
enterprises. The personnel of the bureau shall consist of a chief,two inspectors, two stenographers, and two clerks who shall be selected
from various branches of the M inistry of Industry, Commerce, and
Labor.
The executive will establish new industries to aid the employment
situation.
According to the report it is expected th a t the bureau will have been
organized by M arch 1 of this year.
A
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1026]
CHILD LABOR
S t a t e L a w s R e g u la t in g C h ild re n in S tr e e t T r a d e s a s o f J a n u a r y
1, 1929
H E C hildren’s Bureau of the U nited States D epartm ent of
Labor has published C hart No. 15 presenting the “ State laws
and local ordinances regulating the street work of children.” In a
foreword it is pointed out th a t street work of children in the U nited
States is regulated by means of a num ber of types of legal provisions
which m ay be classified as follows:
T
1. R egulations, eith e r S ta te law s or m u nicipal ordinances, t h a t a p p ly specifi
cally to children engaged on th e ir ow n a c co u n t in new spaper selling or o th e r stre e t
w ork; and
2. R egulations, eith er S ta te law s or local ordinances, t h a t h av e a n in d ire c t
effect u pon s tre e t w ork or t h a t a p p ly only to certa in g ro u p s of s tre e t w orkers.
T hese include (a) S ta te child-labor law s reg u latin g g eneral e m p lo y m en t w hich
cover em p lo y m en t in c ertain stre e t occupations, such as bootb lack in g ; (6) S ta te
law s p ro h ib itin g th e em plo y m en t o r use of children in c e rta in m e n d ic a n t or
“ w an d e rin g ” occupations, including p eddling; (c) S ta te law s re stric tin g th e sale
or d is trib u tio n of new spapers or m agazines d ev o ted to crim inal or obscene su b
jects; (d ) S ta te ju v enile-co u rt law s t h a t class as d ep en d en ts or d elin q u en ts chil
dren u n d e r certain ages found selling articles on th e s tre e t; a n d (e ) m u nicipal
curfew ordinances.
T h e regulations generally reg ard ed as m o st effective a re th o se w hich a p p ly
specifically to w ork done by children on th e ir ow n account. I t h as been found
t h a t m o st s tre e t w ork can n o t be reg u lated by a general child-labor law , w hich
usually applies only to “ e m p lo y m e n t” of lab o r u n d e r c e rta in conditions, as m ost
stre e t w orkers are n o t w orking for a n em ployer a n d th e w ord “ em p lo y ” in th e
la tte r ty p e of law is o rd in arily co n stru ed to m ean th e p u rch asin g of th e services
of one person by anoth er.
R E G U L A T IO N O F C H IL D R E N E N G A G E D
ON T H E IR O W N A C C O U N T IN
STREET TRADES
S t a t e l a w s .— T h e S ta te law s t h a t m o st effectively re g u la te stre e t w ork b y
children a re usually b ro ad enough in ap p lic a tio n to cover a ll kinds of such w ork—
a t le a st a ll th o se in w hich a n y considerable n u m b e r of children engage— a n d
pro v id e a m inim um age fo r w ork, a p ro h ib itio n of n ig h t w ork, a n d som e sy stem
of enforcem ent. In th e a d m in istra tio n of a n y ch ild -lab o r reg u la tio n som e so rt
of w o rk -p erm it sy stem h as b e e n fo u n d necessary to keep children fro m going to
w ork w ith o u t fulfilling th e age a n d o th e r re q u ire m e n ts of th e law a n d to m ak e
possible supervision of th e child w hile a t w ork; in stre e t-tra d e s reg u la tio n a
badge is usu ally s u b s titu te d fo r th e p e rm it or is used in a d d itio n to it. A dm inis
tr a tiv e provisions usu ally fo u n d in good lawTs include a req u ire m e n t t h a t before
he receives a badge a child should p re se n t reliable ev idence t h a t he is of th e legal
age for such w ork, is in good p h y sical cond itio n , a n d is u n d e rta k in g th e w ork
w ith th e know ledge a n d ap p ro v a l of his p a re n t a n d his school prin cip al. Such
law s req u ire th e s tre e t w o rk er to a tte n d school reg u larly , p ro v id e fo r rev o catio n
of th e badge if he fails to com ply w ith th e law , a n d m a k e pro v isio n fo r enforce
m e n t th ro u g h s tre e t insp ectio n s a n d th ro u g h th e im p o sitio n of p e n a ltie s a p
plicable n o t only to th e em ployer a n d th e p a re n t b u t also to th e child a n d som e
tim es to th e person w ho furnishes him w ith th e p a p e rs or o th e r m erch an d ise to
be sold. B adges u n d e r m o st of th e law s are issued b y som e school a u th o rity —
u sually th e officer issuing em p lo y m en t certificates fo r w ork in in d u stria l e sta b
lish m en ts— a n d enforcem en t is p laced m o st often in th e h a n d s of th e sam e
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113
114
MONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W
officials, w ith general su p erv iso ry pow ers given in som e in stan ces to th e S ta te
d e p a rtm e n t responsible fo r th e e n fo rcem en t of la b o r law s. U n d er som e laws,
how ever, police officers, tr u a n t officers, or p ro b a tio n officers are given coord in ate
a u th o rity .
M u n i c i p a l o r d i n a n c e s — M u n icip al stre e t-tra d e s ord in an ces follow th e sam e
general lines as th e S ta te law s; b u t th e ir sta n d a rd s on th e w hole are low er, a n d
th e ir ap p licatio n is o ften confined to th e w ork of new sboys, n o t covering new s
p a p e r carriers a n d o th e r s tre e t w orkers. T h o u g h obviously th e sam e ty p e of
ad m in istra tiv e m ach in ery is needed fo r th e effective carry in g o u t of a n o rdinance
as fo r th e en forcem en t of a S ta te law , th e provisions fo r th is pu rp o se in local
ordinances as a rule a re w orked o u t m u ch less carefully th a n in th e b e tte r S ta te
law s.
OTHER
R E G U L A T IO N
OF
STREET
T R A D IN G
S t a t e c h ild - la b o r la w s o f g e n e r a l a p p l i c a t i o n — In m an y S ta te s th e child-labor
law s re g u la tin g general in d u s tria l e m p lo y m en t a p p ly to c e rta in specific k in d s of
w ork done in th e s tre e t or are so b ro a d in ap p lic a tio n a s to include all such kinds
of em p lo y m en t. T hese law s a re generally in te rp re te d , how ever, to a p p ly only
to th e child w ho receives w ages o r o th e r re tu rn from a n em p lo y er.1
S t a t e l a w s p e n a l i z i n g e m p l o y m e n t i n p e d d l i n g . — Law s so m ew h at d ifferent in
scope a re th o se w hich penalize a n em p lo y er o r o th e r p erson w ho em ploys or
ex h ib its a child u n d e r a specified age in c e rta in v o catio n s or ex h ib itio n s su ch as
rope o r w ire w alking, begging, p ed d lin g , or o th e r “ w an d erin g o c c u p a tio n s,” a n d
w hich penalize also th e p a re n t w ho “ sells or o therw ise disposes o f ” th e ch ild to
engage in th e se vocations.
S t a t e l a w s p r o h i b i t i n g s a le o f c r i m i n a l n e w s . — A ty p e of leg islatio n w hich because
of its n arro w scope a n d lack of en fo rcem en t m ac h in e ry does n o t b e a r effectively
upon th e stre e t-tra d e s p roblem , th o u g h i t deals w ith a c e rta in p h ase of stre e t
selling, is fo u n d in th e law s of 12 S ta te s w hich p ro h ib it th e d istrib u tio n o r sale
b y m in o rs u n d e r 16, 18, o r 21 years of age of p am p h lets, new spapers, a n d m ag a
zines p rin cip ally m ad e u p of crim inal news, police rep o rts, .pictures a n d sto ries of
deeds of crim e, bloodshed, etc.
S t a t e l a w s r e l a ti n g to d e p e n d e n c y a n d d e l i n q u e n c y . — T h irte e n S ta te s a n d th e
D istric t of C o lu m b ia h a v e ju v e n ile -c o u rt or o th e r law s p ro v id in g fo r th e care
a n d c o m m itm en t of dep en d en t, neglected, a n d d e lin q u e n t children, w hich include
in th e ir definitions of such ch ild ren a n y child u n d e r a specified age w ho is fo u n d
ped d lin g o r selling a rticles— som e of th e m specifying selling new spapers— or
acco m p an y in g or assistin g a n y p erso n so doing.
L o c a l c u r f e w o r d i n a n c e s .— C urfew o rdinances, d eclaring it un law fu l fo r a n y
child u n d e r a given age (usually u n d e r 14 o r u n d e r 16) to be on th e stre e ts a t
n ig h t unless accom pan ied b y his p a re n t o r h a v in g his p a r e n t’s w ritte n p erm is
sion, h av e som etim es been u sed w ith a degree of success to p re v e n t children from
selling on th e stre e ts a fte r a c e rta in h o u r in th e even in g . Such o rdinances, on
th e o th e r h a n d , h av e been h e ld in som e places n o t to a p p ly to th e s tre e t w orker,
as he h as been considered a “ m e r c h a n t” p u rsu in g h is ow n business, w ith a rig h t
to be on th e stre e t. Som e ord in an ces of th is ty p e , m oreover, a p p ly o nly to
children “ lo ite rin g ” on th e stre e ts o r ex em p t specifically a m in o r w hose “ em
p lo y m e n t” m akes it necessary fo r h im to be upo n th e s tre e t a fte r th e p ro h ib ite d
hour.
The pam phlet contains two large tables, one giving the State laws
and legal regulations affecting child labor in street trades and the
second giving city ordinances regulating child labor in street trades.
There is reproduced below a sum m ary based on the first table and
containing a few of the m ost im portant facts found therein.
1 C hild-labor law s applicable to th e em ploym ent of children in all gainful occupations or in all gainful
occupations d u rin g schoolhours are sum m arized in Stan d ard s of C hild Labor, C hildren’s B ureau, C hart
N o. 1.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1028]
SU M M A R Y OF S T A T E LA W S R E G U L A T IN G C H IL D L A B O R IN S T R E E T T R A D E S 1
Age of child 2
Locality
S tate
M.
State-
A labam a-
10-16
Arizona.
10
Any city .
Cities of 23,000 or over.
State.
Colorado.
Prohibited hours
C itation
A ny tow n or city .
D istributing, selling, exposing, or offer 8 p. m .-5 a. m .
ing for sale newspapers, magazines,
periodicals, handbills, or circulars;
any other trade or occupation per
formed in a ny street or public place.
D istributing newspapers and period
icals on fixed routes in residential
districts.
Selling, exposing, or offering for sale
newspapers, magazines, periodicals,
or other merchandise in any street or
public place; work as bootblack in
any street or public place.
Selling papers or engaging in other
work outside school hours.
Selling or distributing newspapers,
magazines, periodicals, or circulars;
peddling; bootblacking; any other
occupation pursued in a ny street or
public place.
Vending or selling goods, or engaging
in or conducting any business.
(Unlawful for m inor to perform
these acts.)
Selling or distributing new spapers,
periodicals, or other publications, or
any article of merchandise in street
or alley. Engaging in a ny other
business or occupation in street or
alley.
Code 1923, voi. 2, C rim
inal, ch. 99, secs. 3503,
3506, 3512, 3513, 35153519, 3524.
Do.
Rev. S tat. 1913, Civil
Code, T itle 14, ch. 2,
pars. 3110, 3133-3135;
Rev. S tat. 1913, Civil
Code,
par.
2697
(amended b y 1925,
ch. 69); Stat. 1925, ch.
83, sec. 12.
Do.
Stat. 1919, ch. 259, secs.
3 H , 7 (am ended by
1925, ch. 123), 8; 1911
ch. 688.
10 p. m .-5 a. m ., for all minors under 18.
CHILD LABOR
[1029]
StateCalifornia.
Oecupation
F.
Do.
Comp. Law s 1921, secs.
4200, 4210, 4221, 42213,
4224.
1 States whose laws have no special sections on street trades and consequently do not appear in this sum m ary are: A rkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana,
Kansas, Louisiana, M aine, M ichigan, Mississippi, M issouri, M ontana, N ebraska, N evada, New Jersey, N ew Mexico, N o rth D akota, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, South D akota,
Tennessee, Texas, V erm ont, W ashington, W est Virginia, and W yoming.
.
. .
2 W here a single age is given it indicates prohibition of street trading u nder th a t age m the localities a nd occupations specified. W here a m inim um and a m axim um age are
given th e y indicate p rohibition u n d er th e m inim um age and regulation betw een th e ages specified.
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Cn
SUMMARY OF STATE LAWS REGULATING CHILD LABOR IN STREET TRADES-Continued
""
05
Age of child
State
Locality
F.
12-16
14-16
D istrict of Columbia
12-16
F lorida___ - _____
Delaware
.
Occupation
Prohibited hours
C itation
7 p. m .-6 a. m.
D uring school hours. (A pparently
child 14 or over satisfying require
m ents for regular em ploym ent cer
tificate m ay engage in such work
during school hours.)
7 p. m .-6 a. m. D uring school hours
(unless child is 14 or over and has
em ploym ent certificate).
R ev. Code 1915, ch. 90,
sec. 3160A, sec. 60A
(added b y 1923, ch.
204),
sec.
3168
(am ended b y 1917,
ch. 232).
A ct of M ay 29, 1928,
45 Stat. 998, ch. 908,
in effect Ju ly 1, 1928.
Delivering, selling, exposing, or offerin g fo r sale new spapers, magazines,
periodicals, or any other articles or
m erchandise of any description in
any street or public place.
18
D istrict of C olum bia_______
10
16
Cities of 6,000 or over___ . .
Iow a-...........
11-16
18
Cities of 10,000 or over
Selling, exposing, or offering for sale'
new spapers, magazines, or periodi
cals, or other articles of merchandise
of any description, or distributing
handbills or circulars, or exercising
trade of bootblack or any other
trade, in any street or public place.
D istributing, selling, exposing, or
offering for sale newspapers, maga
zines, or periodicals in street or
public place.
E xem p tio n s: M ale children employed
in delivery of newspapers to regular
subscribers outside school hours.
Street occupations of peddling, boot 7.30 p. m .-4 a. m. (8.30 p. m .-4 a. m.
blacking, distribution or sale of
during school vacation.)
newspapers, magazines, periodicals, D uring school hours (but it w ould ap
or circulars, or any other trade
pear th a t boy 14-16 m ight work d u r
carried on in any street or public
ing school hours upon satisfying re
place.
quirem ents for regular em ploym ent
certificate).
K entucky_________
14-16
18
Cities of first, second, an d th ird class- Peddling, bootblacking, distributing
or selling new spapers, magazines,
periodicals, or circulars, or a ny other
occupation pursued in a ny street or
public place.
[The word “ new spapers” is not in
cluded in section of law requiring
badges and prohibiting night work.
These provisions of th e law have
been interpreted by C ourt of Appeals
of K entucky not to apply to news
paper selling or distributing (Com
m onw ealth v. Lipginski, 279 S. W.
339).]
[1030]
Cities w ith population of over 20,000
according to 1920 census (W ilm ing
ton only).
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
.
8 p. in.-6 a. in
(See note under “ Occupation. ”)
R ev. Gen. S tat. 1920,
secs. 4018, 4029, 4035,
4037, 4040, 5751.
Code 1924, ch. 76, secs.
1531-1535, 1537, 1538,
1540, 1541.
Carroll’s S tat. 1922,
secs. 331a.3, 331a.4
(am ended by 1920,
ch. 152), 331a.15,
331a.l6.
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW
M.
Cities of 20,000 or over (Baltim ore,
Cum berland, Hagerstown).
12-16
M aryland.
do.
10-12
14-16
M assachusetts.
M innesota
16
do.
16
18
S tate_______________
Cities of 50,000 or over.
12-16
18
Cities of first, second, or th ird class
(i. e., cities of 10,000 population cr
over).
12-16
[1031]
>
New H am p sh ire___
10-16
New York.
12-17
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
16
State.
Cities of 20,000 or over.
Carrying, delivering, selling, exposing,
or offering for sale newspapers or
periodicals or work as bootblack.
8 p. m .-6 a. m ______________________
D uring school hours (unless child has
em ploym ent certificate, not issued
to child under 14).
___ do_____________________________
___ do_____________________________
A nnotated Code 1924,
art. 100, secs. 13, 14,
18, 28-32, 34, 36, 40,
41, 49, 51.
Do.
Do.
8 p. m .-6 a. m. (boy under 14)----------9 p. m .-5 a. m . (boy 14-16)__________
D uring school hours (boy 12-14, or boy
14-16 w ithout em ploym ent certifi
cate) .
Gen. Law s 1921, ch.
149, secs. 69 (as
am ended b y 1921, ch.
410), 70 (am ended b y
1921, ch. 410), 71-73,
76, 77, 78, 80-83, 87.
8 p .m .-5 a .m ., except th a t boy having
p erm it a nd badge m ay sell extra edi
tions of daily new spapers after 8 p.
m ., provided th is shall not violate
curfew ordinance of any city.
D uring school hours, unless child is 14
or over a nd has complied w ith all
requirem ents for em ploym ent certi
ficate.
Gen. S tat. 1923, secs.
4096, 4097, 4106, 4107,
4109-4111.
[F or general prohibition of night w ork,
betw een 7 p. m . a nd 6.30 a. m ., for
children u n d e r 16 w hich w ould apply
to street trades, w ith an exem ption
providing th a t boy 12 or over m ay
deliver new spapers betw een 4 p . m.
and 8 p. m . and th a t boy 14 or over
m ay deliver new spapers after 5 a .m .,
see Public Law s 1926, ch. 118, sec.
23.]
7 p. m .-6 a. m --------------------------------D uring hours w hen child is required to
atten d school. (C hild 14 or over
m ay be exem pted from school a t
tendance if he has regular em ploy
m ent certificate and is actually at
work.)
P u b . Law s 1926, ch.
118, secs. 21, 23, 3540, 48.
Law s 1921, ch. 386
(am ended b y 1922,
ch. 464, a nd 1928,
ch. 646). (E duca
tion law, secs. 627,
630-643.)
CHILD LABOR
\12-16
/
D istributing, selling, exposing, offer
ing for sale newspapers, magazines,
or periodicals in any street or p u b
lic place.
D istributing newspapers on regular
routes between 3.30 and 5 p .m .
T rade of bootblack or a ny other trade
or occupation performed in any
street or public place or distribution
of handbills or circulars or a ny other
articles except newspapers, m aga
zines, or periodicals.
Selling, exposing, or offering for sale
newspapers, magazines, or period
icals or a ny other articles of m er
chandise of any description or exer
cising th e trade of bootblack or scav
enger, . or a ny other tra d e in any
street or public place.
Peddling, bootblacking, distributing
or selling newspapers, magazines,
periodicals, or circulars, upon streets
or in public places.
Exem ptions:
Regularly em ployed
newspaper carriers or persons dis
tributing newspapers, magazines or
periodicals to regular subscribers at
residences or established places of
business.
Selling, exposing, or offering for sale
newspapers, magazines, periodicals,
or other m erchandise in street or
public place, or w orking as bootblack in any street or public place.
S U M M A R Y O F S T A T E LA W S R E G U L A T IN G C H IL D LA B O R IN S T R E E T T R A D E S —C ontinued
00
Age of child
Locality
State
M.
E n tire State. (Law has been p u t
into effect in eight of larger cities,
according to inform ation received
from S tate child welfare commis
sion, February, 1928.)
A ny form of street trades.
16
A ny city.
12-16
21
State.
14-16
21
- c - - d 0 -
R hode Island_____
12-16
16
Cities of over 40,000 population
(i. e., Providence, P aw tu ck et, and
W oonsocket).
U t a h . ____________
12-16
16
Cities of first or second class (i. e.,
cities of over 5,000 po p u lation).
Selling, exposing, or offering for sale
new spapers, magazines, or period
icals in any street or out-of door
public place.
D istributing, selling, exposing or offer
ing for sale a ny newspaper, maga
zine, periodical, or other publica
tion, or any article of m erchandise of
a ny sort in any street or public place.
Scavenger, bootblack, a ny other trade
or occupation performed in any
street or public place except those
listed above.
Selling or offering for sale newspapers,
magazines, periodicals, or any other
articles; trade of bootblack or scav
enger.
Selling, exposing, or offering for sale
newspapers, magazines, periodicals,
or other m erchandise, or bootblack
ing, in a ny street or public place.
12-16
O klahom a.-_______
[1032]
Pennsylvania_____
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
C itation
7 p. m .-6 a. m ______________________
W ork for more th a n 8 hours per day,
48 hours per week, or 6 days per
week prohibited for all children
under 16 except those betw een 14
and 16 who have completed 4th
grade.
C onsolidated S t a t.
1919, vol. 2, ch. 90,
s e c s . 5 0 3 1-50 38
(am ended b y 1923,
ch. 136; 1924, extra
session, ch. 74, 1927,
ch. 251.)
Rulings of S tate child
welfare commission,
M ay 27, 1925.
Comp. S tat. 1921, secs.
7210, 7221, 7226.
8 p. m .-6 a. m.
1915, P a m p h le t Law s
286, act 177, secs. 1,
7, 23, 24.
do.
9 p. m .-5 a. m ______________________
D uring school hours, unless child is 14
or over and has em ploym ent certifi
cate.
After 9 p. m ._ ._____________________
Do.
Code 1923, ch. 143, sec.
1-5, 1928, ch. 1231.
Comp.
1868,
1874
1919,
3027.
Law s 1917, secs.
1869, 1871, 1873,
(am ended by
ch. 35), sec.
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
16
N o rth Carolina
Prohibited hours
Occupation
F.
Virginia.
14
IS
14-17
18
12-17 ...
State.
.do
E n tire State. (Law applies to cities
of first class, i. e., M ilwaukee, and
same provisions apply also to all
other p arts of State u n til indus
trial commission makes other reg
ulations.)
In districts other th a n cities of first
class, industrial commission has
pow er b y general or special orders :
(1) T o fix term s and conditions of
perm its of minors engaged in
street trades; (2) to provide for
th eir issuance b y board of educa
tio n or school board of place where
he resides; (3) to provide for revo
cation of perm its; (4) to m ake any
other reasonable regulations.
______ do.--------- -------------------------------
Bootblacking; distributing a nd selling 7 p. m .-6 a. m . D uring school hours S tat. 1922, ch. 489,
(boy 14 w ith em ploym ent certificate
secs. 4-6, 7,15-18.
newspapers, magazines, periodicals,
m ay w ork during school hours).
or circulars (which are p e rm itted by
law to be sold) ; running errands and W ork for m ore th a n 8 hours per day,
44 hours per week, or 6 days per week
delivering parcels.
prohibited.
E xem ptions: Boy 12 or over m ay dis
trib u te newspapers, magazines, or Act shall no t perm it violation of cur
few ordinance of any city.
periodicals to regular subscribers a t
th eir residences or places of business
w ithout obtaining badge. (This
work, however, is held to be subject
to general provisions of child labor
law, requiring em ploym ent certifi
cates for all children under 16 em
ployed, perm itted, or suffered to
work in a ny gainful occupation; re
quirem ents for th is certificate and
person issuing are sam e as in case of
street-trades badge.
Do.
Peddling or engaging in any gainful
occupation in a street or public place
except as specified above. (This
work is held to be subject to general
provisions of child labor law apply
ing to all children under 16 em
ployed, perm itted, or suffered to
work in a ny gainful occupation.
A ny business or occupation of d istrib 7.30 p. m .-5 a. m. (Boy 14-17 who has S tat. 1923, ch. 103, secs.
103.21-103.26, 103.28perm it a nd badge, a nd is m entally
uting, soliciting, selling, displaying,
103.34, 103.36.
and physically able to do so in addi
or offering for sale of a ny articles,
tion to school w ork m ay deliver
goods, or m erchandise, handbills,
newspapers 4 a. m .-6 a. m.)
circulars, newspapers, magazines, or
periodicals, or em ploym ent as boot- D uring school hours. (G hild 14 or
over having regular em ploym ent
black, in any street, alley, court,
certificate m a y engage in such work
square, or other public place, or
during school hours.)
any other street or public trade.
D istribution or sale of newspapers and
periodicals.
do.
Do.
119
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
18
CHILD LABOR
[1033]
W isconsin.
12-16
120
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
C h ild W orkers in O k la h o m a
STU D Y recently published under this title by the N ational
Child Labor Com m ittee brings out the apparently paradoxical
fact th a t the m ost serious child labor problem in Oklahoma is the
labor of school children—children who are attending school regularly
b u t who work before or after school hours.
A
A ccording to th e law of O klahom a, 14 y ears is th e earliest age a t w hich a child
m ay w ork in factories, b u t th e re are m a n y o th e r ty p e s of em p lo y m en t, equally
harm fu l, w here th e y m a y w ork a t a n y age, a n d th e se are p ra c tic a lly u n reg u lated
by law . T h e w ork of ch ild ren , even as yo u n g as 8 a n d 10 years, before a n d
a fte r school hours, often_ a t n ig h t, o ften fo r several h o u rs a d ay , is a p h ase of
child em p lo y m en t to w hich little a tte n tio n h as been p aid . N o t only th e fac ts
discovered in O klahom a, b u t in all th e S ta te s stu d ie d , besp eak th e need fo r m ore
s trin g e n t reg u latio n to p ro te c t such children.
The study covered the three largest cities of Oklahoma—Enid,
Lawton, and Oklahoma City. M ore than three-fourths (77.9 per
cent) of the children between 14 and 17, as given in the school census,
were found in the schools, 7.3 per cent could n o t be located, 8.7 per
cent were n o t attending school for various reasons—m arriage, death,
rem oval from the locality, physical or m ental incapacity, and so on—2.5 per cent were out of school b u t n o t working, and only 3.5 per cent
were a t work. As far as these full-tim e workers were concerned, the
situation was not unsatisfactory. Kelatively few children were at
work, and while some violations of law were found, they were for the
m ost p a rt in the small types of business where there is the greatest
difficulty in locating illegal employment, and which, owing to the
limited num ber of inspectors, can n o t easily be kept under observa
tion. In the larger and more im portant places of em ploym ent there
were practically no violations of the child labor law.
Where part-tim e em ploym ent was concerned, the conditions were
much less satisfactory. In the three cities 2,313 children were en
gaged in working before or after school, on Saturdays and other
holidays, as against 355 whole-time workers. A large num ber of
these were in occupations for which the law provides no regulation
except th a t the children m ay not work more th an 8 hours a day or
48 hours a week. Among these occupations were selling and dis
tributing newspapers and magazines, which employed 812 part-tim e
children; selling goods in stores, with 409 part-tim e children; caddy
ing, w ith 130; work around yards and gardens, w ith 67, and various
forms of office work, w ith 108.
A p p aren tly none of th ese jobs are re g u lated except w ith resp ect to th e daily
an d w eekly hours. T h ere is no age lim it; th e children m ay w ork a t n ig h t;
an d no age a n d schooling certificate is required.
As a consequence of this lack of law, the children were often em
ployed under conditions which though unfortunate were not illegal.
M any of them were n o t yet old enough to be employed in the more
protected occupations, m any were employed a t night, and m any of
them were working for periods which, added to their school a tten d
ance, gave them too long a day.
M ore th a n tw o-fifths of th e p a rt-tim e children were 13 y ears of age or less,
an d th is figure rep resen ts o ver 1,000 children in th e th re e places. T hese children
average 13.5 hours a week, w ith o n e-fo u rth of th e m w orking m ore th a n 18 hours,
a week, in a d d itio n to th e ir a tte n d a n c e a t school. M ore th a n o n e-fo u rth of th e ir
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1034]
CHILD LABOR
121
w ork, m easured in tim e, w as done a t n ig h t. T hese facts can n o t be p assed over
lig h tly ; th e ir im p o rt is to o g reat. T hese ch ild ren a re young a n d m a n y of th e m are
p u ttin g m ore tim e a t w ork a n d school com bined th a n is ex pected of a n a d u lt;
m uch of th e ir w ork is done a t a tim e w hen i t could h a rd ly be said to be con
ducive to th e ir b est in te re sts from th e v iew p o in t of h e a lth a n d m orals.
As a result of the study several changes in the child-labor law are
recommended. The age lim it m ight well be extended to cover all
employment, m aking it illegal to employ a child under 14 a t any gain
ful occupation. A possible exception m ight be m ade to allow children
over 12 years of age to deliver newspapers on regular routes after
school, the work not to exceed two hours. A second recom mendation
is th a t the regulations concerning work perm its should be applied to
part-tim e as well as to whole-time work. N ight work should be
prohibited for all children under 16, and part-tim e work should be so
restricted th a t the total time of school and em ploym ent should not
exceed eight hours in any one day. Also, attendance should be made
compulsory for the entire school term instead of, as at present, for
only tw o-thirds of the time.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1035]
HEALTH AND INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
C h ro m e P o iso n in g
H R O M IU M plating has largely displaced plating w ith nickel on
account of the relative hardness and nontarnishing qualities of
the surface of articles plated by this process. Its use, however,
has resulted in an increase in the num ber of cases of poisoning from
chromium compounds, and as a result a great deal of attention has been
directed recently to the use of these compounds in industrial processes.
An investigation 1 was m ade by the U nited States Public H ealth
Service in 1928 of the extent of the hazard in six plants in which the
process of chromium plating was used, and the N ational Safety
Council has recently published a sum m ary 2 of the available inform a
tion regarding the hazard. The report lists the following 10 industries
or processes in which chrom ates are u sed : M anufacture of chromium
preparations and chrome colors; color photography; m atch m anufac
ture; the tar-color industry; m anufacture of w et batteries; bleaching
of fats, wax, and oils; textile printing; chrome tanning; staining of
wood; and chrome plating.
The_ following statem ent is given in the report as to the effect of
chromium compounds on health, the remedial measures recom
m ended, and the measures to be taken for the prevention of poisoning:
C
T h e e ffe c t o f c h r o m i u m c o m p o u n d s o n h e a lth
T he in ju rio u s effects of ch ro m iu m exposure m ay be su m m arized as follows:
1.
T h e occurrence of large, ra p id ly sp read in g ulcers of th e skin of th e h an d s an d
of th e m ucous m em b ran e of th e nose a n d th r o a t. N o t uncom m only th e re is a
p erfo ratio n of th e n asa l sep tu m . T hese ulcers a re difficult to heal a n d are som e
tim es r a th e r painful.
2. Skin irrita tio n m an ifested by e ru p tio n .
3.
Irrita tio n of th e co n ju n c tiv a , th e o u te r m em b ran e of th e eye, show n by
definite congestion of th is stru c tu re .
4. O ccasionally th e re is seen a slig h t bro n ch ial c a ta rrh ; th is is a ra re r effect.
5. I t is d o u b tfu l t h a t system ic poisoning occurs.
R e m e d ia l m e a su re s
V arious m ethods h av e been reco m m en d ed for th e tre a tm e n t of chrom e ulcers:
1.
Use of zinc o r bo rax o in tm e n t on a gauze dressing. O ver th is is placed a
sufficient a m o u n t of ad h esiv e ta p e to k eep th e b a n d ag e firm.
2.
W ashing th e ulcer w ith a 5 p e r c e n t so lu tio n of sodium b isu lp h ite on th e
g ro u n d t h a t th is tr e a tm e n t re n d ers th e chrom ic a cid ra d ic a l in e rt.
3. F re q u e n t checking u p to see t h a t th e lesions a re h ealing; or
4. R em oval of affected w o rk m an fro m exposure to ch ro m ates.
5.
T he tre a tm e n t of severe skin irrita tio n w ith eq u al p a rts of calam ine a n d
boracic acid lotions.
6. Secure th e advice of a c o m p eten t p hysician.
1 See M o n th ly L abor R eview , N ovem ber, 1928, p p . 61-33.
2 N ational Safety Council. Chicago. C hrom ium , H ealth Practices P a m p h le t N o. 1, Series II.
122
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
110361
HEALTH AND INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
123
P r e v e n tiv e p r o c e d u r e s
P a s t experience w ith chrom e com pounds in d ifferent in d u stries h as suggested
th e follow ing ty p e s of p re v e n tiv e p ro c e d u re s:
1. T he use of inclosed m achines for grin d in g raw m aterial.
2. Efficient local ex h au st v en tilatio n .
3. W here such m eans of h an d lin g d u st a n d fum es are n o t av ailable, th e use of
th e efficient resp irato rs.
4. Im p erm eab le ru b b e r gloves.
5. T he an o in tm e n t of face, han d s, a n d arm s w ith a m ix tu re of p e tro la tu m ,
th re e p a rts, a n d lanolin, one p a rt. T his should be done a fte r cleansing hands,
arm s, a n d face w ith soap a n d w arm w ater, ru b b in g in th e o in tm e n t w hile th e skin
is still m oist.
6. P ro p er change of w orking clothes a n d caps.
7. A d eq u ate w ashing a n d b a th in g facilities.
8. M ost im p o rta n t of all is fre q u e n t m edical in spection w hich will accom plish
(a) th e p ro m p t tr e a tm e n t of th e slig h test skin affections, (b ) th e exclusion of p er
sons hav in g abrasions on th e h an d s or arm s, a n d (c) change of w ork for th o se
in dividuals w ho possess ulcers w hich are extrem ely slow in healing.
46658°—29----- 9
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1037]
INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS
N eed of M ore F a r - R e a c h in g S t a t is t ic s fo r A c cid en t P rev en tio n
By
E
thelbert
Stew
art
, U
n it e d
States C
o m m is s io n e r
of
L
abor
S t a t is t ic s
H E more we analyze our accident statistics in relation to their
use or applicability to accident prevention the more we be
come impressed w ith the fact th a t until such statistics go one step
farther their utility for accident prevention purposes is very greatly
curtailed.
In our study of causes of accidents w hat we really get is the cause
of the injury. We do not, except in rare cases, get the cause of the
accident a t all. In nearly 50 per cent of both industrial and home
accidents the cause of the injury is accredited to slips and falls.
W hat the accident prevention m an w ants to know is w hat caused
the slip, w hat caused the fall. In a very few of our reports we get,
let us say, such a report as this: Broken hip; cause, slipped and fell.
Then follow the words “ greasy floor,” or “ wet floor.” Here we
have not only the cause of the injury b u t the cause of the accident;
we have the m aterial th a t the safety m an needs—greasy floor, wet
floor.
B u t in 99 per cent of the cases we simply get: Broken hip; cause,
slipped and fell. Here we have the cause of the injury b u t not the
cause of the accident. A m an has an eye p u t out; the report states:
“ Flying o b ject.” T h a t is entirely satisfactory as a cause of the
injury, b u t why a flying object? New York State reports 478
accidents, ranging all the way from broken arm to death, in which
the cause is given as “ ladder slipped.” For a safety m an this is
entirely too vague. He w ants to know why the latter slipped or the
cause of the ladder slipping.
To render the greatest service to accident prevention and to safety
men, statistics of accidents will necessarily have to go one step
farther than they are now going, and the questionnaires of the
States, insurance companies, and all people to whom accidents are
reported should include one more question, one which will bring out
the ultim ate cause of the accident rather than merely the cause of the
injury.
T
C o a l-M in e F a t a lit ie s in th e U n ited S t a t e s , 1927
N 1927 the loss of life per ton of coal mined in the United States
was lower than in any other year except 1920, and the total
num ber of men killed in the coal-mining industry in 1927 (2,224)
was smaller than in any other year since 1922, when there were
1,984 fatalities, according to the annual report on coal-mine fatalities
in the U nited States published by the United States Bureau of
M ines.1 I t was not known a t the time the report was prepared whether
the fatality rate per thousand men employed had also declined,
I
1 U n ited States. D ep artm en t of Com m erce,
th e U n ited States, 1927. W ashington, 1928.
124
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
B ureau of M ines.
[1038]
B u lle tin 293: C oal-M ine F a ta lities in
INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS
125
owing to the lack of complete returns from operators showing the
num ber of employees.
The estim ated death rate per million tons of coal mined in 1927
was 3.70, as compared with a rate of 3.83 in 1926. The Bureau of
M ines points out, however, th a t the 1927 figure m ight be slightly
increased later due to some of the more serious injuries resulting
fatally, although it was believed th a t later returns would n o t increase
the rate beyond 3.73. Considering the fatality rates in bitum inous
and anthracite mines separately, the rate in bitum inous mines per
million tons of coal mined decreased from 3.60 in 1926 to 3.34 (esti
m ated) in 1927, b u t in anthracite mines it increased from 5.36 in
1926 to 6.06 (estimated) in 1927.
The lowering of the cost in lives for coal production in the mines
as a whole has been brought about not only by the adoption of safety
measures b u t also by the mechanization of the mines, which allows
a larger average ou tp u t per m an employed and consequently lowers
the fatality rate per ton. Im provem ents in haulage and other equip
m ent and in working methods, which followed the increased use of
coal-cutting machines, have also had their effect in reducing the
death rate per ton and increasing the o u tput of coal per m an. There
fore the reduction in the cost of coal in lives, the Bureau of Mines
comments, “ does not imply th a t persons employed in the mines are
finding their work less hazardous than before. * * * The indi
vidual workm an measures his personal safety more by the num ber
of chances he has of doing a y e a r’s work w ithout being injured or
killed than by the num ber of tons of coal represented if he is killed.
These chances are usually m easured by figures showing the num ber
of injuries or deaths during a year among each thousand employees.”
Table 1 shows the num ber of workers, average days of operation,
num ber of men killed, fatality rates per thousand 300-day workers,
and production in coal mines, by 5-year periods from 1906 to 1925,
and by years from 1921 to 1927, with certain omissions for 1927.
T a ble 1 .—C O A L -M IN E F A T A L IT IE S A N D P R O D U C T IO N O F C O A L, 1906 TO 1927
Y ear or period
A ctual
num ber
E q u iv
alent in
300-day
workers
675, 067
1906-1910 i (average)- 739,169
1911-1915 (average)___
760, 381
1916-1920 (average)___
1921-1925 (average) - _ 811, 803
823, 253
1921_________________
1922_________________
844, 807
862, 536
1923_________________
1924_________________
779, 613
1925_________________
748,805
1926_________________
759, 033
1927,_ __________
2 757, 000
484,454
541,489
599, 781
484, 071
474, 529
405, 056
560, 646
499, 896
480, 227
559,426
Average produc
tion per m an
M en killed
M en em ployed
A ver
age
days
active
215
220
237
179
173
144
195
192
192
221
R ate
per
N u m 1,000
ber
300-day
workers
2, 658
2, 517
2,419
2, 215
1,995
1,984
2, 462
2,402
2, 234
2, 518
2,224
5. 49
4. 65
4. 03
4. 58
4. 20
4. 90
4. 39
4. 80
4. 65
4. 50
Produc
tion per
death
(short
tons)
169, 719
210, 253
258, 944
252, 346
253, 832
240, 399
267, 223
237, 974
260, 461
261, 241
8 269,989
Tons
per
year
668
716
824
689
615
565
763
733
777
867
793
Tons
per
day
3.10
3. 26
3. 48
3. 85
3. 56
3. 92
3.91
3.81
4.04
3. 92
D eaths
per
million
tons
5. 89
4. 76
3.86
3. 96
3.94
4. 16
3. 74
4.20
3.84
3. 83
3.70
1 Figures for 1906-1909 included in the average relate only to States under inspection service, and figures
for 1909 as to average days active were estim ated b y the B ureau of M ines.
2 Based on estim ates of S tate m ine inspectors.
8 E stim ated.
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126
MONTHLY LVBOR R EV IE W
Table 2 shows the total num ber killed and the death rate per
million tons of coal produced, in 1926 and 1927, by cause of accident.
T a b l e 2 .— N U M B E R K IL L E D A N D D E A T H R A T E P E R M IL L IO N T O N S O F C O A L P R O
D U C E D , 1926 A N D 1927, B Y C A U SE
N um ber killed
D eath rate per
million tons
1926
1926
Cause
U nderground:
Falls of roof or face-- _________
______ _ _ ________
M ine ears an d locomotives
_____
. ________ _ _ _
Explosions of gas or coal du st—
Local explosions ____________ _____________________
M ajor explosions___________ .
___ __ _______ .
Explosives .
_______ . . .
_ _ __ ________
E le c tric ity .. _______ __ . . .
_ ____________
M ining m achines. _________________________ _ _______
M ine fires.. . . . . . . . ____. . . .
M iscellaneous_________________________ ____________
T otal
. . . _________ . . . . __ _________________ . . .
1927
1927
1, 214
433
1,145
352
1. 84
.66
1. 91
.58
74
348
96
96
26
1
77
92
155
110
100
28
4
87
.11
.53
.15
.15
.04
(1)
.12
.15
.26
.18
.17
.05
.01
.14
2,365
2,073
3.60
3. 45
Shaft_____________________________________________ _____
35
29
.05
.05
Surface:
H aulage___________
_. ______________ ______ ______ .
M achinery_____ _ _ ___________
. . . . . . _____
M isc e lla n eo u s._______________ . . . _____ : ________ _
50
9
59
46
10
66
.08
.01
09
.07
.02
11
T otal _______
G rand to ta l.
____________________________________
. ______________
_____________________
118
122
. 18
.20
2,518
2,224
3. 83
3.70
1 Less th a n 0.005.
D eath rates (per million m an-hours worked) for 1921 to 1926, by
cause of accident, are shown in Table 3. The figures for 1927 were
not available.
T a b l e 3 . —D E A T H
R A T E S IN C O A L M IN E S (P E R M IL L IO N M A N -H O U R S W O R K E D ),
1921 TO 1926, B Y C A U SE O F IN J U R Y
Cause of in ju ry
U nderground:
Falls of roof or coal _______
H aulage. ________ _______
Gas or d u st explosion. __ _.
E x p lo siv e s____ _________
E lectricity . . _ _ _______
All other underground ___
Average, Average,
1921-1925 1922-1926
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1.078
.372
.347
.113
.081
.108
1.076
.377
.393
.100
.081
.100
1.123
.422
.385
.115
.092
.096
1.038
.367
.331
. 102
.067
.103
1.053
.351
.531
.098
.079
.103
1. I l l
.372
.355
. 105
.086
.104
1.069
.381
.372
.085
.085
.091
T o tal_________ _______
2. 099
2.127
2.233
2.008
2.215
2.133
2.083
S haft___________________
Surface___________________ . . .
.038
.692
.036
.673
.051
.803
.041
.681
.029
.694
.035
.673
.031
.543
G rand to ta l. __________
1.894
1.915
2.025
1.816
1. 989
1.925
1.861
Table 4 gives death rates for bitum inous and anthracite mines
separately and for both types of mines combined, by 5-year periods
from 1891 to 1925 and by years from 1921 to 1927. The figures for
1927 are subject to revision.
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[1040]
IN DU STRIAL ACCIDENTS
127
T a b l e 4 .—D E A T H R A T E S IN C O AL M IN E S B Y 5-Y EA R P E R IO D S , 1891 TO 1925, A N D B Y
Y E A R S , 1921-1927, B Y K IN D O F M IN E 1
D eath rates in—
B oth types of m ines
A nthracite mines
B itum inous mines
Per
Per
Per
Per 1,000 Per 1,000 million Per 1,000 Per 1,000 million Per 1,000 Per 1,000 m illion
em
300-day
300-day
em
300-day
em
tons
tons
tons
ployed
w
orkers
workers
ployed
ployed workers m ined
m ined
m ined
1891-1895__________
1896-1900 ________
1901-1905__________
1906-1910-............ .
1911-1915____ ____ 1916-1920___ ______
1921-1925....................
1921
_______
1922
________
1923 . . ________
1924______________
1925.............................
1926______________
1927 2
2.69
2.90
3. 49
4. 01
3. 37
3.05
2. 70
2.18
2. 45
2. 77
3. 08
3.12
3. 48
2.91
4. 02
4.06
4. 81
5. 57
4. 75
4. 03
4. 87
4. 38
5.16
4.65
5. 39
4. 79
4. 86
4. 84
4.46
5.17
5. 50
4.31
3.48
3. 67
3.48
3. 99
3. 46
3.94
3. 53
3.60
3. 34
3. 27
3.03
3. 36
3. 70
3. 52
3. 70
2. 83
3. 43
1.91
3. 23
3.10
2. 50
2. 74
3. 05
4. 99
5.58
5. 38
5. 25
4. 37
4. 06
3.71
3. 80
3.81
3. 62
3. 39
4.12
3. 37
8.12
7. 94
7. 69
7. 67
6. 95
6. 07
5. 80
6.05
5. 49
5. 45
5. 64
6. 47
5. 36
6.06
2. 91
2.95
3.45
3. 94
3. 40
3. 18
2. 73
2. 42
2. 35
2. 85
3. 08
2.98
3. 32
2. 94
4. 38
4. 50
4. 95
5. 48
4. 65
4. 03
4. 58
4. 20
4. 90
4. 39
4. 80
4. 65
4. 50
5. 87
5. 34
5. 67
5. 89
4. 76
3.86
3.96
3. 94
4.16
3. 74
4.20
3.84
3. 83
3. 70
1 Prior to 1910 certain States did no t m ain tain records of accidents. T h e above rates are based exclusively
on tonnage and m en em ployed in States for w hich accident records are available.
2 Subject to revision.
Nine m ajor coal-mine disasters occurred in 1927, the num ber of
lives lost in the individual occurrences ranging from 6 to 97. All
b u t one of these disasters were due to explosions, and all b u t two
of the 49 which occurred from January, 1924, to December, 1927,
inclusive, were due to this cause.
M e ta l-M in e A c cid e n ts in th e U n ite d S t a t e s in 1926
H E report of the United States Bureau of M ines on metal-mine
accidents in the United States during the calendar year 1926
(Bulletin No. 292, published in 1928) showed an increase over 1925
in the num ber of such accidents resulting in death. The num ber of
fatalities in 1926 was 430 as compared with 371 in 1925, and the fatality
rate per thousand 300-day workers was 3.47 as compared w ith 2.99
in 1925. The 1926 death rate would have been only 3.06 had it not
been for a single disaster— a cave-in—which killed 51 men.
The nonfatal injury rate per thousand 300-day workers showed a
decrease from 283.53 in 1925 to 245.01 in 1926. Of the 30,350 non
fatal injuries which occurred during 1926, 20 resulted in perm anent
total d is a b ilit y , 557 in perm anent partial disability, 7,681 in tem porary
disability lasting more than 14 days, and 22,092 in tem porary dis
ability lasting more than the rem ainder of the day on which the
accident occurred b u t not more than 14 days.
The principal causes of death were falls of rock or ore, explosives,
falls of persons, haulage, and skips or cages. The leading causes of
nonfatal injuries were falls of rock or ore, loading of rock or ore, haul
age, tim ber or hand tools, and drilling.
The total num ber of men employed in m etal mines in 1926 was
127,823 and the average num ber of days worked per m an was 291, as
T
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128
MONTHLY LYBOR REVIEW
compared with 126,713 men employed and 293 days worked per m an
in 1925.
The am ount of time lost in m etal mines in 1926 due to accidents
which involved a loss of time beyond the day or shift on which the
injury occurred was estim ated by the Bureau of M ines a t 9.5 per
cent of the aggregate num ber of days worked by all employees a t the
mines.
The report also includes data on accidents in nonmetallic mineral
mines in 1926. The mines included in this group are those th a t
produce asbestos, asphalt, gypsum, mica, phosphate rock, or any other
minerals of a nonmetallic nature except coal. The total num ber of
men employed in these mines in 1926 was 13,523 and the average
num ber of days worked per m an was 279. T hirty-three men were
killed in the nonmetallic m ineral mines in 1926 and 2,403 injured, the
fatality rate being 2.62 and the injury rate 191, per thousand 300-day
workers, as compared with a fatality rate of 1.71 and an injury rate
of 165 in 1925.
Table 1 shows the num ber of men employed, days of work per
formed, num ber of men killed and injured, and fatal and nonfatal
accident rates per thousand 300-day workers in m etal mines for the
years 1911 to 1926. Table 2 gives similar figures for the different
types of m etal mines and for nonmetallic m ineral mines for the years
1925 and 1926.
T a b l e 1.—E M P L O Y M E N T , N U M B E R K IL L E D A N D IN J U R E D , A N D F A T A L A N D N O N
F A T A L A C C ID E N T R A T E S IN M E T A L M IN E S IN T H E U N IT E D ST A T E S , 1911-1926
M en employed
Year
1911_____________________
1912, _________________ _
1913 _ _
_______
1914______ _______
1915_______ _ ____
Average, 1911-1915
1916_______________
1917__ __
1918
_ _
1919________ ____
1920_ __________ ____
Aver
age
days
ac
A ctual
tive num ber
282
287
288
271
280
165, 979
169,199
191, 276
158,115
152,118
E q u iv
alent in
300-day
workers
(calcu
lated)
N um ber killed N um ber injured
T otal shifts
156, 088
161, 663
183, 594
142, 620
141, 997
46, 826, 573
48, 498, 510
55,077, 855
42,785, 840
42, 599, 015
Per
Per
1,000
1,000
300-day
300-day
T otal workers T otal
workers
(calcu
(calcu
lated)
lated)
695
661
683
559
553
4. 45
4.09
3. 72
3. 92
3.89
26, 577
30, 734
32, 971
30, 216
35, 295
170. 27
190.11
179.59
211. 87
248. 56
282
167, 337
157,192
47,157, 559
630
4. 01
31,159
198. 22
282
287
297
279
296
204,685
200, 579
182, 606
145, 262
136, 583
192, 455
192, 085
181,006
134, 871
134, 540
57, 736, 425
57, 625,811
54,301, 748
40,461, 350
40, 361, 893
697
852
646
468
425
3. 62
4. 44
3. 57
3. 47
3.16
48, 237
46, 286
42,915
31, 506
32, 562
250. 64
240. 97
237. 09
233. 60
242. 02
Average, 1916-1920
288
173,943
166, 991
50,097,445
618
3. 70
40, 301
241. 34
Average, 1911-1920
285
170, 640
162, 091
48, 627, 502
624
3. 85
35, 730
220. 43
238
276
297
290
293
93, 929
105, 697
123, 279
123,128
126, 713
74, 509
97,138
121,866
119,113
123,908
22, 352, 702
29,141, 293
36, 559,805
35, 734, 008
37,172, 359
230
344
367
418
371
3.09
3. 54
3.01
3. 51
2.99
18, 604
26, 080
33, 563
33,118
35,132
249. 69
268. 48
275. 41
278. 04
283. 53
1921___________
1922_____________ _
1923__ _________
1924__ ______
1925______ ____ _
Average, 1921-1925. __
281
114,549
107, 307
32,192, 033
346
3.23
29, 299
273. 04
Average, 1911-1925.
284
151, 943
143,830
43,149,112
531
3. 69
33, 586
233. 51
291
127, 823
123, 870
37,160, 978
430
3. 47
30, 350
245.01
1926____________
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS
T , m F 2 E M P L O Y M E N T . N U M B E R K IL L E D A N D IN J U R E D , A N D F A T A L A N D N O N F A T A L A C C ID E N T R A T E S IN D I F F E R E N T T Y P E S O F M E T A L M IN E S A N D IN N O N M E T A L L IC M IN E R A L M IN E S , 1925 A N D 1926
M en employed
Aver
age
days
work
ed
K in d of m ine and year
Copper:
1925
__________________
___________________ 1926
Gold, silver, and miscellaneous metal:
1925
_____________________
1926
_ _____________ ______
Iron:
1925
.
_______________________
1926
_____________________
Lead and zinc (M ississippi V a lle y ):1
1925
_ _____ __________
1926
_________________
N onm etallic mineral:
______ ______ _________
1925
1926__________________________________
Total:
1925
1926
_____________________
_____________________
A ctual
num ber
In ju red (tim e
lost, 1 day or
more)
Killed
R ate
R ate
E q u iv a
per
per
lent
1,000 N u m 1,000
N
u
m
num ber
300300-day
ber
ber
of 300day
w ork
day
w ork
ers
workers
ers
313
321
33, 266
32, 723
34, 736
35,040
102
121
2. 94
3. 45
12,179
10,102
350. 62
288.30
302
292
33, 230
33,940
33, 427
32, 982
128
108
3. 83
3. 27
10, 276
9,878
307.42
299.50
275
276
34, 339
33,158
31,443
30,479
80
129
2.54
4. 23
5,013
4,082
159. 43
133.93
280
265
12, 913
14,479
12,041
12, 771
40
39
3. 32
3. 05
5,636
¿, 885
468.07
304.20
284
279
12,965
13, 523
12, 261
12, 598
21
33
1. 71
2. 62
2,028
2,403
165.40
190. 74
293
291
126, 713
127,823
123,908
123, 870
371
430
2.99
3. 47
35,132
30,350
283.53
245.01
1
1 Includes fluorspar mines in Illinois and K entucky.
S a fe ty S p e c ific a tio n s in New Y o rk B u ild in g C o n str u c tio n
H E specifications for safety in building construction prepared
by the comm ittee on accident prevention, Building Trades
Em ployers’ Association of the C ity of New T ork, are given below.
In a preliminary statem ent the comm ittee urges th a t these safety
provisions should be included in all building co n tracts:
The entire specification should be included in the specifications for
all building construction work. In the specifications for work let
separately either by the owner or by the architect or engineer acting
for the owner, or, in the specifications for work which is sublet by the
contractor the following clause should be inserted in addition to the
safety specifications:
11Protection and safety woric.—The contractor for the
work
shall comply w ith the requirem ents of th a t section of the general
specifications entitled ‘Protection and safety w ork’ in so far as the
provisions of any article or articles thereof are properly applicable
to his work.”
.
T
Safety Specifications in Full
T h e o w n e r and/or contractor shall install and m aintain all of the
safeguards enum erated in articles 1 to 15, inclusive, of this specification and shall comply w ith the requirem ents of all laws and ordinances
in force in the locality where the work is situated relative to the safe
guarding of the work to prevent injury to persons. All safeguards
shall be constructed in accordance with the requirem ents of such laws
and ordinances. Sizes and other details specified shall be considered
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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130
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
as the minimum requirem ents and shall be modified and extended to
comply with any existing law or ordinance. W hen a situation arises
where two or more of these safety rules m ay apply, and there is a
doubt as to which one should be used, the rule which is the more
practicable and which affords adequate protection m ay be followed.
The following rules describe safety measures to be employed for the
prevention of accidents:
A r t ic l e 1 . First aid.—Provide and m aintain an ample supply of
iodine or mercurochrome and aseptic gauze bandages in a suitable
cabinet.
A r t . 2. Ladders and temporary stairs.— Install and m aintain ladders
or tem porary stairs of ample strength to give access from one floor to
another after the structural flooring is in place and until th s perm anent
stairs are available. Such ladders or tem porary stairs shall be of such
size and so located as to give proper facilities to all workmen engaged
on the work. The side rails of each ladder shall extend a t least 34
inches above the platform or floor it serves and when required, ladders
should be m ade a t least 4 feet wide, w ith three stringers. Tem porary
stairways, if installed, shall be provided w ith substantial hand rails.
All interm ediate landings shall be substantially constructed w ithout
openings between the planks and all interm ediate landings and ladder
openings in the floors shall be inclosed by a railing and a toe board as
described below under heading “ Floor openings” so th a t a person
can n o t step into the ladder shaft except a t the openings provided for
the ladders.
Also provide similar ladders before the structural floors are started
and above the top floor on which the structural flooring has been
placed. Each ladder shall be secured against slipping and shall
extend a t least 34 inches above the floor or platform it serves. A t
top and bottom of each ladder provide solid wood platform s at
least 2 feet longer than the w idth of the ladder and w ith an approxi
m ate w idth of 3 feet.
A r t . 3. Permanent stairways.— Stair wells for perm anent stairways
shall be guarded on all open sides w ith railings and toe boards as
described below under “ Floor openings” and all perm anent stairways
shall be provided on open sides w ith substantial tem porary planed
wood handrails, 36 inches in height, m easured from the center of the
tread.
Stairways on which treads and landings have to be filled in later
w ith cement or other filling m aterial shall have tem porary wooden
treads and landings, or other equally suitable m aterial, to the height
of the nosing, full w idth of the tread and landing, firmly fitted in
place and replaced when worn below the level of the m etal nosing.
Where skeleton iron stairs are installed, they shall have wooden
treads and landings not less than 2 inches thick. All treads and
landings shall be free from protruding nails and splinters.
A r t . 4. Permanent or temporary elevator car used jo r carrying work
men.—W here a perm anent or tem porary elevator car has been in
stalled and is used during construction for carrying passengers, the
hoistway shall be completely inclosed in partitions not less th an 8
feet high, and all openings therein fitted w ith doors locked on the
hoistway side. The car shall be fully and substantially inclosed on
all sides, including the top, except as required for entrances.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1044]
INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS
131
A r t . 5. Floor openings.—All openings in floors (except such as are
necessary to be opened for imm ediate use) shall be protected by
guard rails approxim ately 42 inches high w ith uprights not less than
2 by 4 inches, spaced not more than 8 feet apart. The top rail shall
be not less than 2 by 4 inches or equivalent section and the mid-rail
not less than % inch by 4 inches. Each guard rail shall be provided
with a toe board, not less than % inch by 6 inches, placed on edge
As an alternate, small openings m ay be planked over in a substantial
m anner.
A r t . 6. Guarding material hoist shaftway s.—Two sides of all m ate
rial hoist shaftways shall be inclosed a t each floor to a height of not
less than 8 feet, w ith wire netting of not less than No. 10 United States
standard gauge and not more than l3di inch mesh, or expanded m etal
of equivalent strength, secured to uprights so spaced as to afford a
strong and substantial guard. Wood slats laid preferably horizon
tally m ay be used instead of wire netting w ith openings_ between
slats not to exceed 13^2 inches, th e guard shall extend, if practi
cable, 2 feet beyond the sides of the shaftway. A t two sides of the
hoistway used for handling m aterial there shall be bars 3 feet high
bolted or otherwise secured at one end to the guard and placed,
where possible, not less than 2 feet from the edge of the shaft open
ing. Such bars shall be not less than 2 inches by 3 inches made of
spruce or other approved m aterial of equal strength. A toe board at
least ]/8 inch by 6 inches shall be installed on open sides when not
being used for handling material.
A r t . 7. Concrete bucket shafts.—When a concrete bucket tower
is located within the building, it shall be inclosed on all the sides
which are less than 3 feet from the edge of the shaftway or opening m
which it is installed, or on the sides where scaffolds m ay be erected,
by attaching boards, wire netting, or expanded m etal to the fram ew ork'
of the hoist tower, or to other suitable supports, leaving suitable
openings for the bucket to dump. If wire netting is used, it shall not
be lighter than No. 10 U nited States standard gage with not more
than 13^-inch mesh. If expanded m etal is used, it shall be of equiv
alent strength and mesh. If wood slats are used, they m ay be laid
vertically or horizontally, b u t the spaces between slats shall not
exceed 13^ inches.
. , ,
,
W hen shaft is outside of the building, guard rails and_ toe boards
shall be placed on sides of runways to hoist shaft, and side of shaft
which faces the building shall be guarded as specified above, except
space where bucket dumps.
A r t . 8. Swinging scaffolds.— Every scaffold, swung from an over
head support, which is 10 feet or more above the ground 01 floor, shall
be of ample strength, not less than 27 inches in w idth and provided
with a substantial railing and toe board along the outer edge All
ropes, cables, and blocks supporting scaffold shall be capable of
sustaining a t least four times the maximum weight of the m aterial
and men to be placed on the scaffold, and means shall be piovided to
prevent the scaffold from swaying.
,,
A r t . 9. Suspended scaffolds.—Platform s suspended by steel cables
and operated by hoisting machines for the use of bricklayers and for
similar use shall be supported by outriggers or other form of support
equal in strength to 7-inch I beams having a weight of 15.3 pounds
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MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
per foot. Outriggers shall be not more than 9 feet apart. The
platform shall be made of sound plank not less than 2 inches thick,
properly secured and laid close.
The outside of the platform shall be provided with a substantial
railing of iron or wood not less than 42 inches high, and provided with
a toe board not less than 9 inches high. The space between the toe
board and the railing shall be filled in with wire netting of not more
than ^ -in c h mesh. An overhead protective covering shall be m ain
tained a t such time as the platform is in use, a t a height of not more
than 9 feet above the working platform .
A r t . 10. Built-up scaffolds.—All scaffolds shall be of ample strength
to support the maximum num ber of men to be placed on same plus
the weight of the m aterial. Scaffolds more than 14 feet in height
shall be provided with substantial railings 34 inches high and toe
boards 9 inches high on all edges which are not close to the walls.
When a scaffold crosses a window or other opening which extends
5 feet or more above the platform of the scaffold, a similar guard and
toe board shall be placed across the opening.
A r t . 11 . Outrigger scaffolds.—Outriggers where projecting not more
than 6 feet from the face of the wall or building shall be of sound
yellow pine or spruce not less than 3 by 10 inches or other approved
m aterial of equal strength, and shall be well braced and secured
to prevent tipping or turning. The platform shall be of sound
yellow pine, spruce, or other approved m aterial of equal strength,
not less than 2 inches thick, laid close. The outside of the platform
shall be provided with a substantial railing of iron or wood, not less
than 42 inches high and provided with a toe board not less than 9
inches high. The space between the railing and the toe board shall
be filled in with wire netting of not more than ^f-inch mesh.
A r t . _ 12. Special scaffolds.—C onstruct and m aintain suitable
scaffolding of sufficient strength as m ay be required for exterior work
on towers, spires, etc., and interior work in churches, theaters,
auditorium s, and the like.
A r t . 13. Artificial lighting.—Install and m aintain lighting for the
under side of the protection over sidewalk, also for tem porary illumi
nation _of the building. Suitable feeder lines should be installed
extending from the bottom to the top of the building, and of ample
capacity to properly provide for all spaces requiring light, and a t the
same time, service for all motors contem plated to be used. Install
and m aintain one light a t each floor landing in fire tower and stairways
and a t such other places as m ay be necessary to properly light the
stairway, also in exits to streets, and on all elevator cars used for
carrying passengers.
A r t . 14. Planking derrick floor.—Where structural steel is being
erected, the derrick floor shall be entirely planked over.
A r t . 15. Sidewalk and overhead protection.—M aintain safe side
walks for the use of pedestrians, including overhead protection for
same with its outside columns secured against lateral displacement
as required by laws and ordinances in force in the locality. Where an
overhead sidewalk bridge is used for the storage of m aterial, it shall
not be overloaded.
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IN DU STRIAL ACCIDENTS
F a t a l In d u str ia l A c cid e n ts in C a n a d a , 1928
S
TA T IST IC S on fatal industrial accidents in C anada in 1928 as
compared w ith those in 1927, taken from the M arch, 1929, issue
of the Canadian Labor Gazette, are given below:
A g ricu ltu re--------------- -------------------------------L ogging---------------------------------------------------Fishing a n d tr a p p in g ----------------------------M ining, nonferrous sm elting, a n d q u arry in g
M a n u fa c tu rin g ____________________________
C o n stru c tio n ______________________________
T ra n sp o rta tio n a n d p u b lic u tilitie s------------T ra d e ____________________________________
F in an ce___________________________________
S ervice___________________________________
T o tal
1 R evised figures.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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19271
1928
162
164
125
168
153
189
322
27
1
104
193
166
43
250
192
246
381
62
1, 415
1, 632
99
WORKMEN’S COMPENSATION AND
SOCIAL INSURANCE
A d d itio n a l C o m p e n sa tio n fo r M in o rs Ille g a lly E m p lo y e d in
Illin o is
T
H E December, 1928, issue of the Labor Bulletin published by the
Illinois D epartm ent of Labor contains an article showing the
experience of the State of Illinois in allowing additional compensation
to minors injured while illegally employed. The compensation act
(p. 497 of Acts of 1927) provides th a t 50 per cent additional compensa
tion shall be paid to minors injured while illegally employed. The
article covered the first year in which this law was in effect, July 1
1927, to June 30, 1928.
The report indicates th a t industrial accidents occurred to 83
children under 16 years of age. Of this num ber 76 lost more than a
week’s tim e from work or suffered some serious injury and 7 lost less
than one week, the waiting period allowed under the compensation
act. Of the 76, 46 children were illegally employed, 27 were legally
employed, and concerning 3 the legality of the employment had not
been determined. Of the 7 children slightly injured 6 were illegally
employed, while 1 was legally employed.
Only 28, or 33.7 per cent, of all the 83 accidents to children (com
pensable and noncompensable) which occurred in the year discussed
are known to have taken place in legal employment.
Of the 28 accidents to children which occurred in legal employment
(both compensable and noncompensable) 17 were engaged in occupa
tions regulated by the child labor law and all of the requirem ents of
th a t law had been m et, while 11 were engaged in occupations not
regulated by the child labor law and were legal because of the absence
of restrictions. Of these 11 children legally employed because not
regulated by the child labor law, 5 were newsboys, 3 were golf caddies,
2 were boys on farms, and 1 was a girl engaged in housework, and 2
of these (newsboys) suffered perm anent partial injuries.
Educational Effects of Penalty Compensation
C o ncerning th e educational effects of th e p en a lty th e article con
tain ed the following:
J u s t how fa r th e provision for 50 p e r c en t a d d itio n a l com p en satio n h as d eterred
em ployers from em ploying children illegally or has m ad e th e m ta k e m ore seriously
th e responsibility of in v estig atin g age is h a rd to say. T h a t it h as h a d som e effect
is beyond dispute, b u t th is h as n o t been d eterm in ed sta tistic a lly . In d iv id u a l
em ployers w ho h av e nev er tro u b le d them selves p a rtic u la rly to find o u t a b o u t th e
child lab o r law h av e done so since th e y h av e realized th a t neglect m ig h t cost th em
m oney. O ne em ployer said cheerfully, a fte r i t h a d been explained w h y th e a d d i
tio n al com pensation h a d been assessed, “ W ell, we th o u g h t he w as u n d e r 16 b u t
d id n ’t p a y a n y a tte n tio n to it. N ex t tim e w e’ll k n o w .”
134
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W O RK M EN ’S COM PENSATION AND SOCIAL INSURANCE
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One of th e b e st educatio n al uses to w hich th e 50 p er cent provision h as been p u t
is in ta lk in g w ith em ployers who in q u ire a b o u t th e a p p licatio n of th e child lab o r
law to th e ir estab lish m en ts. M an y a n em ployer rem ain s u nim pressed w ith th e
necessity of securing em p lo y m en t certificates u n til he is to ld t h a t in case of an
accid en t he will be liable for one a n d one-half tim es th e reg u lar ra te of co m p en sa
tio n . A t th is p o in t he u sually sees th e light.
Besides its aid in uph olding th e child lab o r law , th e provision for ad d itio n al
com pensation, to g e th e r w ith th e inclusion u n d er th e com p en satio n law of all
m inors, m akes for fa r m ore a c cu rate a n d m ore com plete know ledge of accidents
to m inors. * * * As stu d y p o in ts o u t th e need for legislation, so th e enforce
m e n t of th e legislation develops b o th th e necessity a n d o p p o rtu n ity for fu rth e r
stu d y in th e child lab o r field.
N o rth C a r o lin a P a ss e s W o rk m en ’s C o m p e n sa tio n A ct
H E Legislature of N orth Carolina a t its 1929 session passed an act
to provide a system of workm en’s compensation for th a t State.
This act, ratified on M arch 11, 1929, will become effective on July 1,
1929. This is the forty-fourth State which has enacted workm en’s
compensation legislation. The only States now w ithout compensa
tion laws are Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, and South Carolina.
The act is analyzed below, following the m ethod used in previous
articles and reports and thus perm itting an easy comparison with
other acts as well as presenting the substance of the law in convenient
form.
T
D a te o f e n a c t m e n t . —
M arch 11, 1929; in effect Ju ly 1, 1929.
System .— E lection presu m ed unless e ith e r p a rty rejects.
I n j u r i e s c o m p e n s a te d . — In ju ry b y a c cid en t arising o u t of a n d in th e course of
th e em ploym ent, a n d shall n o t include a disease in an y form , except w here it resu lts
n a tu ra lly a n d u n av o id ab ly from th e accident. N o com p en satio n in case of in to x
icatio n or w here th e re is w illful in te n tio n to in ju re self or a n o th er.
I n d u s t r i e s c o v e r e d . — All p ublic a n d quasi-public co rp o ratio n s a n d all p riv a te
em p lo y m en t in w hich five o r m ore em ployees are reg u larly em ployed in th e sam e
business or estab lish m en t, except ag ricu ltu re, dom estic service, railro a d em ploy
ees, F ed eral em ployees, convicts, a n d certa in fa rm -p ro d u c t m e rch an ts. V o lu n tary
coverage for certain ex cepted em ploym ents p ro v id ed for.
P e r s o n s c o m p e n s a te d . — P riv a te em p lo y m en t: All em ployees or ap p ren tices
except persons whose em p lo y m en t is b o th casual a n d n o t in th e u su al course of
th e em ployer’s tra d e , business profession, or o ccu p atio n ; m inors illegally em
ployed. Public em p lo y m en t: All S ta te em ployees n o t elected o r a p p o in te d by
th e governor a n d all o th e r p ublic em ployees n o t elected b y th e people or council
or o th e r governing body, w ho a c t in p u rely a d m in istra tiv e c a p acity a n d serve for
a definite te rm of office.
C o m p e n s a t i o n f o r d e a th . — (a) B urial expenses n o t to exceed $200.
(5) T o persons w holly d ep en d en t, 60 p er cent of th e average w eekly earnings
of th e deceased w orkm an ; n o t to exceed $18 w eekly n o r less th a n $7, for 350
weeks
(c) If only p a rtia l dependents, th e sam e p ro p o rtio n of th e w eekly p a y m e n ts as
th e a m o u n t c o n trib u ted by th e em ployee to such p a rtia l d ep en d en ts bears to th e
an n u a l earnings of th e deceased.
.
(d ) If no dependents, a com m uted sum less fu n eral expenses. C laim m u s t be
filed w ith in one y ear afte r d e a th . M axim um com pensation $6,000.
C o m p e n s a t i o n f o r d i s a b i l i t y . — (a) Such m edical, surgical, ho sp ital, a n d o th e r
tre a tm e n t, including supplies, as m ay reaso n ab ly be req u ired to effect a cure, n o t
exceeding 10 weeks, an d such ad d itio n a l tim e as in ju d g m e n t of com m ission will
lessen period of disability. O riginal artificial m em bers to be supplied.
(b)
F o r to ta l disab ility , a w eekly p a y m e n t of 60 p e r c en t of av erage w eekly
w ages; period, 400 w eeks; m axim um com pensation, $6,000.
(c)
F o r p a rtia l disability, a weekly p a y m e n t of 60 p er cen t of th e difference
betw een average weekly wages before a n d a fte r th e in ju ry ; period, 300 weeks
including period of to ta l disab ility .
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MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
(■d ) F o r certain specified p e rm a n e n t p a rtia l disabilities, a w eekly p a y m e n t of
60 p e r cen t for fixed p eriods; m axim um , 400 weeks an d $6,000. Special provision
for disfigurem ent. P a y m e n ts m ay n o t be m ore th a n $18 n o r less th a n $7. W aiting
period 7 days except for m edical aid, b u t if d isab ility is m ore th a n 28 days com
p ensation from d a te of d isability. C laim m u st be filed w ith in one y ear a fte r th e
accident.
R e v i s i o n o f b e n e fits .— So long as in ju red em ployee claim s com pensation, if
requested by em ployer or ordered by com m ission he shall su b m it to ex am ination.
I n s u r a n c e .— E m ployer m u st insure in p riv a te com pany or m u tu a l association
or furnish to com m ission satisfacto ry proof of financial ab ility to becom e a
self-insurer.
S e c u r i t y o f 'p a y m e n ts .— C laim s are n o t assignable, a n d are ex em p t from all
claim s of creditors an d from taxes, com pensation to h av e sam e preference or
p rio rity ag ain st assets of em ployer as is allow ed u n p aid wages. N o ag reem en t by
a n em ployee to w aive his rig h t to com pensation shall be valid.
_ S e t t l e m e n t o f d i s p u t e s .-—In d u stria l com m ission h ears a n d d eterm ines cases, w ith
rig h t of appeal to th e superior co u rt of th e co u n ty on q uestions of law.
R e c e n t W o rk m en ’s C o m p e n sa tio n R e p o rts
C o lo rad o
H E ten th report of the Industrial Commission of Colorado, for
the 2-year period, December 1, 1926, to Novem ber 30, 1928,
contains several tables comparing the Colorado compensation law
with the laws of other States and presenting the experience of Colo
rado for the 2-year period. The following table gives statistics for
the two years:
T
S T A T IS T IC S OP A C C ID E N T S A N D C L A IM S U N D E R C O L O R A D O C O M P E N S A T IO N LA W ,
1926-27 A N D 1927-28
Dec. 1,1926, Dec. 1, 1927,
to N ov.
to N ov.
30, 1927
30, 1928
N um b er of accidents________ _______
T otal n um ber of claim s____________
N u m b er of fatal claims (deaths)____
N um b er of nonfatal claim s_________
A w ards b y commission____________
A w ards b y referee_________________
Com pensation agreem ents ap p ro v ed .
A m p u tatio n s______________________
Loss of u se________________________
P erm an en t to ta l___________________
P erm an en t p a rtia l_________________
Tem porary to ta l....................................
T em porary p a rtia l.________________
Facial disfigurem ent_______________
Blood poison______________________
W holly dependent—fatal claims____
P artial dependent—fatal claims_____
N o dependent—fatal claim s________
Foreign dependent—fatal claim s____
Com pensation d en ied ______________
F a ta l (d e a th )__________________
N o n fatal______________________
C om pensation reduced_____________
Average weekly wage______________
Average w eekly ra te of com pensation
19, 571
5, 751
180
5, 571
431
1,866
4,448
187
98
18
147
5,406
42
29
45
98
24
50
8
427
30
397
9
$25. 49
$10. 77
19, 773
5,312
147
5,165
519
1,982
4,418
151
76
23
171
4, 971
39
24
61
90
19
31
7
462
39
423
7
$24.93
$10.79
The claims represented 29.38 per cent of the accidents in 1926-27
and 26.86 per cent in 1927-28. The coal and m etal industries were
responsible for a large percentage of the claims, accounting for 51.67
per cent of the fatal claims (deaths) in 1926-27 and 38.10 per cent
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W O R K M E N ’S COM PENSATION AND SOCIAL IN SU R A N C E
137
in 1927-28, and 37.52 per cent of the nonfatal claims in 1926-27
and 30.51 per cent in 1927-28.
Minnesota
T h e I n d u s t r i a l C o m m i s s i o n of M innesota in its fourth biennial
report, for the years July 1, 1926, to June 30, 1928, gives a detailed
statistical analysis of workmen’s compensation cases closed during
the biennial period.
During the 2-year period 50,665 cases were closed, representing a
loss in time to industry of 5,093,352 m an-days and a combined total
of $9,824,073 in compensation benefits, medical benefits, and net
wage losses to the injured workmen.
Of th e n u m b er of cases closed 318 (or less th a n 1 p er cent) were fatals, 17 p er
m a n e n t to ta l disabilities, 2,879 (or 6 p er cent) p e rm a n e n t p a rtia l disabilities,
29,197 (or 58 p er cent) te m p o ra ry to ta l d isab ility cases in w hich th e d isab ility
continued beyond one week, 8,594 (or 17 per cent) te m p o ra ry to ta l d isab ility
cases in w hich th e d isab ility te rm in a te d w ith in th e 1-week w aiting period, a n d
9,660 (or 19 per cent) were nondisabling cases in w hich th e re w as m edical expense
only.
A stu d y of these figures shows t h a t 30 p er cen t of all accidents were caused by
han d lin g of m aterials, 15 p er cen t by falls of persons, 14 p er c e n t by h a n d tools,
9 p er cen t b y m achinery, 7 p er c en t b y vehicles, 8 p er c e n t by step p in g on or
strik in g ag ain st objects, a n d 17 p er cen t by o th e r causes. In ju rie s in th e n a tu re
of cuts, p u n c tu re s an d lace ratio n s c o n stitu te d 31 p er c en t of all in ju ries; bruises,
contusions an d abrasions, 31 p er cen t; sprains a n d strain s, 16 p er cen t; fractu res,
11 p e r c en t; an d all o th e r injuries, 11 p e r cent.
F a ta l accidents: 318 cases— 23 p e r c en t caused by vehicles; 16 p er c en t by
falling o bjects; 14 p e r c e n t b y m ach in ery ; 9 p er c en t b y falls of persons; 8 p er
ce n t b y electricity, explosions a n d fires; 8 p er c en t b y h an d lin g of m aterials;
an d 22 p e r c en t by o th e r causes. In ju rie s in th e n a tu re of fractu res c o n stitu te d
63 p e r cen t of all accid en ts resu ltin g in death .
P e rm a n e n t p a rtia l d isabilities: 2,879 cases— 32 p er cen t caused by m achinery,
21 p er c e n t by h andlin g of m aterials, 15 p er c en t by h a n d tools, 12 p er c en t by
falls of persons, a n d 20 p e r c en t by o th e r causes. In ju rie s in th e n a tu re -of cuts,
p u n ctu res, a n d laceratio n s c o n stitu te d 38 p er c en t of th e p e rm a n e n t p a rtia l
disabilities; fractures, 24 p er cen t; bruises, contusions a n d abrasions, 18 p e r cen t;
tra u m a tic a m p u tatio n s, 13 p er cen t; a n d all o th e r injuries, 7 p e r cent.
T em p o ra ry to ta l disabilities (beyond one w eek): 29,197 cases 31 p er cen t
caused b y handling of m aterials; 18 p er cen t by falls of persons; 12 p er cen t by
h an d tools; a n d 39 p er c en t by o th e r causes. In ju ries in th e n a tu re of bruises,
contusions, a n d abrasio n s c o n stitu te d 31 p er c en t of th ese d isabilities; cuts,
p u n c tu re s a n d lacerations, 24 p er cen t; sprains a n d strain s, 20 p er cen t; fractu res,
15 p er cent; a n d all o th e r injuries, 10 p e r cent.
T em p o rary to ta l disabilities (one week o r less): 8,594 cases. T h e sam e
percentages prev ail as in d icated in preceding p ara g ra p h .
N ondisabling: 9,660 cases. Sam e as above.
P e rm an en t to ta l disabilities: 17 cases.
Missouri
T h e f i r s t annual report of the Missouri W orkm en’s Compensa
tion Commission, covering the period from January 9 to December
31, 1927, contains statistics of all accidents, both those under and
those not under the act.
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MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
The causes of the accidents, by machine, object, or agency, are
given as follows :
C A U SE OF A C C ID E N T S
N um ber of accidents
M achine, object, or agency
U nder act
M iscellaneous
H andling objects __
H and tools_____
Stepping on or striking against objects. _
Falling objects. _ . . . . . . . . . .
Falls of persons. . . .
A nim als.. . . .
. . . ___
Vehicles (operation, n o t construction of)
E lectricity _______ . .
Explosions, fires, and ho t substances.
Poisonous a n d corrosive substances___
Boiler a n d pressure a p p a r a tu s ___
Prim e movers and power-transm ission ap p aratu s. .
Cranes, elevators, and hoisting a p p aratu s. ._
W orking m achines....................... ................
T otal
_____ . . .
T otal
1,636
7,545
3, 331
2,586
3, 528
4,914
301
3,025
269
1,-146
571
139
186
641
3, 520
7,427
20,942
10, 577
8,426
7,454
10,171
709
4,906
1, 594
3,040
1, 540
491
707
1,291
10, 302
33, 338
89, 577
Wyoming
T h e t h i r t e e n t h report of the W orkm en’s Compensation D epart
m ent of the State of Wyoming, covering the calendar year 1928, is
devoted principally to a detailed report of the accounts of individual
employers with the industrial accident fund. The report contains,
however, several tables presenting the experience of the State during
the year under the w orkm en’s compensation law.
Of the $490,569.04 received during the year 1928 on account
of premiums on pay rolls and services and for policing charges,
$350,136.06 was awarded in 5,267 claims, of which $60,472.10, or
17.27 per cent, was awarded for death claims; $22,707.92, or 6.49
per cent, for perm anent total disability; $76,639.96, or 21.89 per cent,
for perm anent partial disability; $119,426.24, or 34.11 per cent, for
tem porary total disability; $64,034.69, or 18.29 per cent, for medical
and hospital services; $6,277.75, or 1.79 per cent, for investigations;
and $577.40, or 0.16 per cent, for witness fees.
A total of 2,375 new accidents was reported during 1928, of which
25 were fatal, 1 was perm anent total disability, 63 were perm anent
partial, 1,208 were tem porary total, and 1,078 required medical
services only. Coal mining showed the greatest num ber of accidents,
16 fatal, 25 perm anent partial, and 615 tem porary total cases being
reported in addition to 35 accidents requiring medical services only.
Building work had a total of 251 accidents, in which medical services
only were required for 188 cases. Oil drilling and oil refining had
213 and 173 accidents, respectively, of which 3 in oil refming°were
fatal. Steel structural construction 'showed only 19 accidents, in
which medical services alone were rendered.
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A m e n d m e n t to E n g lish U n e m p lo y m e n t In su ra n c e A ct
N M A R C H 13, 1929, the Governm ent brought in an act to
amend the unem ploym ent insurance act of 1927 by continuing
for another year the so-called “ uncovenanted benefits.” The act
had provided th a t after a transitional period, ending in April, 1929,
no insured person could claim unem ploym ent benefit unless he had
paid 30 contributions, or, in the case of disabled ex-service men,
15 contributions, to the insurance fund within two years preceding
the date of application. (See Labor Review, February, 1928, p. 101.)
The provision was adopted in the belief th a t by the end of the transi
tional period unem ploym ent would have sunk to w hat is regarded as
a normal figure, 6 per cent of the insured population, and th a t it
would consequently be possible to reestablish the insurance fund
on sound principles.
Unemployment, however, grew worse in 1928 than it had been
in 1927, and by the early p a rt of this year it had become apparent
th a t the enforcement of the 30-contributions rule would be im prac
ticable. On M arch 12, in response to an inquiry in the House as to
the probable effect of enforcing the provision, the m inister in charge
stated th a t in January a sample analysis had been m ade of the
persons aged 18 and over, numbering in all 1,092,000, with claims
for benefit authorized on January 29.
O
F ro m th is analysis i t is e stim a te d t h a t th e n u m b e r of such persons who h ad
p aid less th a n 30 co n trib u tio n s in th e tw o y ears preceding t h a t d a te w as a b o u t
120,000. T his rep resen ts ap p ro x im ately th e n u m b e r w ho w ould h av e been
disqualified by th e 3 0-co n trib u tio n s ru le if it h a d been fully in o p eratio n w hen
th e analysis w as m ade. (P a rlia m e n ta ry D eb ates, M arch 12, 1929, p. 973.)
In view of the situation, there was no objection to the bill, which
passed its second reading on M arch 18, and it is presumed will
become law as soon as the necessary stages can be passed through.
Incidence of Prolonged Unemployment
I n c o n n e c t i o n with the proposed amendm ent, the Government
presented the following table, based on the analysis referred to,
giving the num ber who, on January 28, 1929, had approved claims
for benefit, and showing how m any of these would be disqualified
if the 30-contributions rule were in effect. The figures which are
taken from Parliam entary Debates, House of Commons, M arch 12,
1929, relate only to G reat B ritain and deal w ith insured persons
aged 18 to 64 .
46658°—29----- 10
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MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
N U M B E R O F IN S U R E D P E R S O N S H A V IN G A P P R O V E D C L A IM S F O R B E N E F IT ON
JA N U A R Y 28, 1929, A N D N U M B E R T H E R E O F W H O H A D P A ID LE SS T H A N 30 C O N T R I
B U T IO N S IN P R E V IO U S TW O Y E A R S
Cases where
Claims
less th a n 30
authorized contributions
for benefit,
had been
current
paid in pre
Jan. 28, 1929
vious two
years 1
In d u stry
M en:
Coal m ining___ ____ _________ _______________ ___________
P o ttery _________________
Pig iron. _ _____ .
__________ _
__________ . . .
Steel-melting and iron-puddling furnaces, iron an d steel rolling mills,
and fo rg es_____ _____________
General engineering_____
M arine engineering.
C onstruction a n d repair of m otor vehicles, cycles, and aircraft
__________
Shipbuilding and ship repairing_________ . . .
C otton_______________
Woolen and w orsted . .
_________ ._
Boot and shoe m an u factu re_____ ______
Building _ __________________
Public-works contracting __ __________________
Canal, river, dock, and harbor service________ _
All other in d u stries. ................. ...............................
Total, all industries____ ____ ______________ . .
W omen:
P o tte ry ____________________________
C otton. . ___________________ .
Woolen and w orsted__ ____
O ther textile trades _ _____ ________ . . . _
Clothing trades . _
_ ______
Boot and shoe m anufacture____________________
D istributive _______________
All other industries_____________ ___________________
Total, all in d u stries.
_____________
171, 290
4,700
2, 980
46,980
310
380
28,330
45, 620
4,880
12,130
37,860
17, 700
13,020
11,940
132, 340
33,450
47, 760
356, 300
3,200
4,920
540
800
4,230
1,440
500
450
8, 210
5,080
1,430
33,180
920, 300
111,650
5, 780
33, 320
16, 410
19, 250
19, 870
5,450
20, 250
51, 290
140
1,970
420
660
320
90
940
2,630
171, 620
7,170
1 Estim ated.
The figures in the second column are a fairly good indication of the
relative length of depression in a given industry, and these present
some interesting contrasts. Coal mining and building, for instance,
show the largest num bers having approved claims for benefit, and in
these industries the percentage of unem ploym ent in G reat B ritain
on January 21 was very similar— 19.1 in coal mining and 19.8 in
building. (M inistry of Labor G azette, February, 1929, pp. 64, 65.)
The proportion which would be disqualified under the 30-contributions
rule, however, differs widely, being 27.4 per cent in coal mining and
only 6.2 per cent in building. In other words, in the coal industry
the severe depression has been so long continued th a t more than onefourth of those drawing benefit a t the given date had not had as much
as 30 weeks of em ploym ent in two years past, while in the building
industry this was true of only one-sixteenth. In fact, among the
industries showing 25,000 or over in the first column of the foregoing
table, only one—canal, river, etc., service—shows a smaller propor
tion in the second column than building. Among those with approved
claims engaged in public-works contracting the proportion in the
second column is 15.2 per cent; among those in the heavy m etal
trades, 11.3 per cent; in shipbuilding and ship repairing, 11.2 per cent;
and in general engineering, 10.8 per cent.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[10541
HOUSING
B u ild in g P e r m its in th e P rin c ip a l C itie s o f th e U n ite d S t a t e s
in 19281
Introduction and Summary
H IS article presents a summ ary of a study of building perm its
issued in cities of the United States having a population of
25,000 and over. According to the estim ate of the Census Bureau
as of July 1, 1928, there were 319 cities in the United States in this
population group.
On January 1 of this year schedule forms were mailed by the bureau
to all of these cities except those in States where local bureaus are
collecting like information. In these States the inform ation is
collected by the State and mailed to the Federal bureau. Schedules
were received from 310 cities and data for these cities are shown
herein. The States of Illinois, M assachusetts, New Jersey, New
York, and Pennsylvania are now cooperating with the bureau in this
work.
The city building officials are also heartily cooperating with the
work of the bureau. In 1922 it was necessary to send agents to 3 3 ^
per cent of the cities from which data were collected. In 1927 only
7 Yi per cent of the cities were visited by the bureau’s agents and in
collecting the 1928 inform ation it was necessary to send to only 6.1
per cent of the cities.
The costs shown in the following tables refer to the cost of the
building only, land costs not being included. The costs are estim ated
by the builder a t the time of applying for his perm it to build and are
recorded on the application. There is probably a tendency in m any
cases to underestim ate. Some cities are stricter than others in
making applicants state a true cost.
Table 1 shows the total num ber of new buildings and the estim ated
cost of each of the different kinds of new buildings for which permits
were issued in the 310 cities from which schedules were received for
the year 1928, the per cent th a t each kind forms of the total num ber,
the per cent th a t the cost of each kind forms of the total cost, and the
average cost per building.
T
i Earlier reports concerning building perm its issued in the U nited States are published in B ulletins
Nos 295 318 347, 368, 397, 424, 449, and 469 of th e B ureau of Labor Statistics; also in issues of the Labor
Review for July, 1921; A pril, 1922; Ju ly and October, 1923; June a n d October, 1924; June, Septem ber, and
October, 1925; June, Ju ly , and October, 1926; M ay, June, Ju ly , October, a nd N ovem ber, 1927; M ay, June,
October, and N ovem ber, 1928.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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142
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
T a b l e 1 .— N U M B E R A N D C O ST O F N E W B U IL D IN G S AS S T A T E D B Y P E R M IT S IS S U E D
_______ IN 310 C IT IE S D U R IN G C A L E N D A R Y E A R 1928, B Y K IN D O F B U IL D IN G
N ew buildings for w hich perm its were issued
K in d of buildings
Residential buildings
1- fam ily d w ellings________________ __________
2- fam ily d w ellings____________ _____________
1-fam ily and 2-fam ily d w ellin gs w ith stores
com b in ed ___________ ________________________
M u ltifa m ily d w ellin gs________________________
M u ltifa m ily d w ellin gs w ith stores c o m b in e d ,.H o te ls____ ____________________________________
L odging houses_______ _______________________
AH others.......... ...............................................................
T o t a l . . . ............................................................
N onresidential buildings
A m u sem en t b u ild in g s____ ___________________
C hurches____ _______________________________ _
Factories and w ork sh op s______________________
P u b lic garages__________ _____________________
P riv a te garages__________ ____________________
Service station s........ .......... ......................................... .
In s titu tio n s .. . . .................................. ............................
Office b u ild in gs_______________ ________________
P u b lic b u ild in gs________________ ______________
P u b lic w orks and u tilitie s_____________________
Schools and libraries................. .................................
S h ed s.............. ............. ....................................................
S tables and barns____________________________
Stores and w arehouses________________________
A ll others...... ......... .........................................................
T o ta l..................................................................... .
Grand to ta l............. ....... ...................................
E stim ated cost
N um ber
of
buildings
Per
cent of
total
145, 322
19,963
37.7
5.2
$715,317,535
153,157, 386
23.1
4.9
$4,922
7,672
2,625
12,070
1,528
235
37
209
181, 989
.7
3.1
.4
.1
(>)
.1
47.2
26, 702,412
776, 520, 458
90, 754,524
114, 928,650
780, 576
35,559,169
1, 913, 720, 710
.9
25.1
2.9
3.7
(>)
1.1
61.8
10,172
64, 335
59, 394
489,058
21,097
170,140
10, 516
950
1,009
3, 973
3,839
156,457
4, 520
304
1,353
243
517
852
11, 787
367
13,111
4,158
203, 440
385,429
.2
.3
1.0
1.0
40.6
1.2
.1
.4
.1
.1
.2
3.1
.1
3.4
1.1
52.8
100.0
84, 914, 600
49,059, 444
152, 649,534
70,690, 699
55,140,483
14, 913, 812
65, 080,263
256,101,159
29, 378, 349
38, 690, 950
143, 519,854
4,895,029
583, 553
211,890,765
7, 710, 836
1,185, 219, 330
3,098, 940,040
2.7
1.6
4.9
2.3
1.8
.5
2.1
8.3
.9
1.2
4.6
.2
0)
6.8
.2
38.2
100.0
89,384
48, 622
38, 422
18, 414
352
3,300
214,080
189, 284
120, 899
74,837
168,451
415
1,590
16,161
1,854
5,826
8,040
A m ount
Per
cent of
total
Average
per
building
1 Less th a n one-tenth of 1 per cent.
In the 310 cities for which reports were received for the year 1928
perm its were issued for 385,429 buildings. Of this num ber, 181,989
buildings, or 47.2 per cent, were for residential purposes and 203,440,
or 52.8 per cent, for nonresidential use.
Of the residential buildings 145,322 were 1-family dwellings; this
is 37.7 per cent of the total num ber of new buildings for which per
m its were issued or 79.8 per cent of the to tal num ber of residential
buildings. Two-family dwellings, the next m ost num erous group of
residential buildings, comprised only 5.2 per cent of the to tal num ber
of buildings; W ith the exception of private garages no other kind
of building in either the residential or nonresidential group consti
tuted as m uch as 5 per cent of the total num ber of buildings for which
perm its were issued.
In the nonresidential group private garages were far the m ost
numerous kind of building. Of all buildings for which perm its were
issued in these 310 cities during the calendar year 1928, over 40 per
cent were private garages, over 7 per cent more private garages being
erected than 1-family dwellings.
Stores and warehouses ranked next after private garages in the
nonresidential group and formed only 3.4 per cent of the total num ber
of new buildings.
I t will be seen from the above th a t out of every 100 buildings for
which perm its were issued in cities having a population of 25,000
or over, 78 were either 1-family dwellings or private garages.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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HOUSING
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The total estim ated expenditure for new buildings in these 310
cities was $3,098,940,040 of which $1,913,720,710, or 61.8 per cent,
was for residential buildings and $1,185,219,330, or 38.2 per cent,
for nonresideritial buildings.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has been collecting figures concern
ing building perm its issued for every year since 1920, and in each
of these years up to 1928, 1-family dwellings accounted for the greatest
expenditure of any kind of buildings. In 1928, however, the perm its
issued for m ultifam ily dwellings (apartm ent houses) show a larger
estim ated expenditure than those issued for 1-family dwellings.
The estim ated cost of apartm ent houses for which perm its were
issued in these 310 cities during 1928 was $776,520,458, or 25.1 per
cent of the expenditure for all new buildings, as compared with
$715,317,535, or 23.1 per cent, for 1-family dwellings.
If we group apartm ent houses and apartm ent houses w ith stores
we find th a t the expenditure for both kinds of apartm ent houses
equaled the expenditure for 1-family dwellings and 2-family dwell
ings combined. E ach combination comprised approxim ately 28 per
cent of the total estim ated expenditure for all buildings.
In the nonresidential group, office buildings accounted for the
largest expenditure of money, $256,101,159 being expended for this
class of structure. Stores and warehouses rated next in expenditures
in this group, followed by factories, and schools and libraries in order.
P rivate garages which comprise 40.6 per cent of the num ber of new
buildings account for only 1.8 per cent of the cost.
The average cost per building of all new buildings in these 310 cities
was $8,040. In residential buildings the average cost was $10,516 and
in nonresidential buildings, $5,826. The average cost of nonresidential
buildings, however, is “ pulled dow n” by the inclusion of a large num
ber of private garages and sheds. If we exclude these two classes of
buildings the average cost of the remaining nonresidential buildings is
$13,992 per building.
Families Provided For
T able 2 shows th e n um ber and per cent of families provided for by
each of th e different kinds of dwellings for w hich perm its were issued
in 302 identical cities during the calendar years 1927 and 1928, by kind
of dwelling.
T a b l e 3 .—N U M B E R A N D P E R C E N T OF F A M IL IE S TO B E H O U S E D IN N E W D W E L L IN G S
F O R W H IC H P E R M IT S W E R E IS S U E D IN 302 ID E N T IC A L C IT IE S D U R IN G T H E C A L
E N D A R Y E A R S 1927 A N D 1928, B Y K IN D OF D W E L L IN G
K ind of dwelling
1-family d w e llin g s---------_ ------------------------2-family dw ellings_______
----------------1-family and 2-family dwellings w ith stores
com bined____ ____ . ______
- - M ultifam ily dwellings-----_ - — - _______
M ultifam ily dwellings w ith stores com bined—
T o tal_________ -
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
- -------------- -
N u m b er of new
buildings for which
perm its were issued
Fam ilies provided for
N um ber
Per cent
1927
1928
1927
1928
164,268
25,227
143, 889
19, 956
164, 268
50,454
143,889
39, 912
39.2
12.0
36.1
10.0
3,329
13, 663
1,768
2, 620
12, 063
1,528
5,399
179,177
19, 580
4,276
190,282
19, 780
1.3
42.8
4.7
47.8
5.0
208, 255
180, 056
418, 878
398,139
100.0
100.0
L10571
1927
1928
1.1
144
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
D a ta were received from 302 cities for both 1927 and 1928. In
these_302 cities 398,139 families were provided with dwellings in new
buildings in 1928, as compared w ith 418,878 in 1927, a decrease of
20,739 dwelling units or 5.0 per cent in 1928 as compared w ith 1927.
There were 164,268 families accommodated in the new 1-family
dwellings for which perm its were issued in 1927 in these 302 cities.
This is 39.2 per cent of the total num ber of families provided for
during th a t year. In 1928, 1-family dwellings provided for 143,889
families, which was 36.1 per cent of the total num ber of families
supplied with new dwelling places. In contrast, the num ber of
families provided for in apartm ent houses increased from 179,177 in
1927 to 190,282 in 1928. In 1927, 42.8 p e r cent of the total num ber
of family dwelling places for which perm its were issued were in ap art
m ent houses, while in 1928 this percentage had risen to 47.8. The
percentage of families supplied w ith residences in new 2-family dwell
ings decreased from 12 in 1927 to 10 in 1928.
Table 3 shows the num ber and percentage distribution of families
provided for in the different kinds of dwellings in the 257 identical
cities from which reports were received each year from 1921 to 1928,
inclusive.
T able 3 .—N U M B E R A N D P E R C E N T O F F A M IL IE S P R O V ID E D F O R IN T H E D IF F E R E N T
K IN D S O F D W E L L IN G S IN 257 ID E N T IC A L C IT IE S , 1921 TO 1928, IN C L U S IV E
N u m b er of families provided for in—
Year
1-family
dwellings
1921____________
1922____________
1923
.............
1924____________
1925. __________
1926____________
1927. ...... ............
1928.....................
130, 873
179, 364
207, 632
210, 818
226, 159
188, 074
155, 512
136,907
M u lti
2-family
All classes
family
dwellings 1 dwellings
2 of dwellings
38, 858
80,252
96, 344
95, 019
86,145
64, 298
54, 320
43, 098
54, 814
117, 689
149, 697
137, 082
178, 918
209, 842
196, 263
208, 673
224, 545
377, 305
453, 673
442, 919
491, 222
462, 214
406, 095
388, 678
Per cent of families provided for in—
1-family
dwellings
2-family
dwellings i
M u lti
fam ily
dwellings 2
58.3
47. 5
45.8
47. 6
46.0
40. 7
38. 3
35.2
17.3
21.3
21.2
21.5
17.5
13.9
13.4
11. 1
24.4
31.2
33.0
30.9
36.4
45.4
48.3
53.7
1Includes 1-family and 2-family dwellings w ith stores com bined,
in c lu d e s m ultifam ily dwellings w ith stores combined.
The trend toward apartm ent-house dwelling continues in full
swing. This fact is amply shown by the above table. In 1921 accom
m odations were provided for 224,545 families in the new buildings
for which perm its were issued during th a t year. Of this num ber
58.3 per cent were sheltered in 1-family dwellings, 17.3 per cent in
2-family dwellings, and 24.4 per cent in apartm ent houses.
Seven years later, in 1928, it is found th a t 53.7 per cent of the
388,678 new family dwelling units were in apartm ent houses and only
35.2 per cent in 1-family dwellings and 11.1 per cent in 2-family
dwellings.
The total num ber of families provided for in 1928 increased 73.1
per cent in 1928 over 1921. One-family dwellings, however, increased
only 4.6 per cent in num ber in 1928 over 1921, while the family units
provided in apartm ent houses in 1928 increased 280.7 per cent over
those provided during 1921.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1 0 5 8 ]
HOUSING
145
The per cent of families housed in 1-family dwellings has decreased
each year from th a t of the preceding year, except th a t 1924 showed a
slight increase over 1923. A partm ent units have shown exactly the
opposite trend; 1924 was the only year th a t the percentage of families
housed in apartm ent houses was less than th a t of the preceding year.
The percentage of families housed in 2-family dwellings reached a peak
in 1924; since th a t year there has been a steady decline in the per
centage of families housed in this class of dwelling.
Building Trend 1927 and 1928
T able 4 shows the number and cost of the different kinds of build
ings for the 302 identical cities from which reports were received in
1927 and 1928 and the per cent of increase or decrease in the number
and in the cost in 1928 as compared with 1927.
T a b l e 4 .— N U M B E R A N D C O ST O F N E W B U IL D IN G S F O R W H IC H P E R M IT S W E R E
IS S U E D IN 302 ID E N T IC A L C IT IE S D U R IN G T H E C A L E N D A R Y E A R S 1927 A N D 1928,
B Y K IN D O F B U IL D IN G
New buildings for w hich perm its were issued
1928
1927
K ind of building
Per cent of
increase (+ ) or
decrease ( —) in
1928 compared
w ith 1927
Cost
N um ber
Cost
N um ber
1-family d w e llin g s-________________ 164, 268
2-family dwellings _______ _______ 25, 227
1-family an d 2-family dwellings w ith
3, 329
stores com bined.-- --------M ultifam ily d w e llin g s ........ ................ 13, 663
M ultifam ily dwellings w ith stores
1,783
com bined ___
___
201
Hotels _ ____________
________
79
Lodging houses ___________________
213
O ther, ................................ ............... .
$789, 382,883
208, 578,118
143,889
19,956
$710,900, 837
153,128, 386
-1 2 .4
-2 0 .9
- 9 .9
-2 6 .6
34,978, 625
736,830,499
2,620
12, 063
26,678,912
776,419,458
-2 1 .3
-1 1 .7
-2 3 .7
+ 5 .4
90, 666, 916
69, 393, 263
1, 305, 302
30, 763,923
1, 528
234
37
207
90, 754, 524
114, 289, 650
780, 576
35,369, 533
-1 4 .3
+16.4
-5 3 .2
- 2 .8
+■ 1
+64.7
-4 0 .2
+15.0
208, 763
1, 961, 899, 529
180, 534
1, 908, 321,876
-1 3 .5
- 2 .7
943
A m usem ent buildings.......... .............. .
1,118
C hurches- __ . .
____________
4,181
Factories and workshops __________
4,192
Public garages_________________ ___
P rivate garages.................................... . 181, 859
4,919
Service stations ----------------------------332
Institutio n s ____________ _____ ___
1,271
Office buildings ................................ .
339
Public bu ild in g s___________________
593
Public works and u tilitie s.. .................
837
Schools and lib raries_______________
13, 608
Sheds________ ________ ____ _____
358
Stables a n d b arn s........ .............. .........
13, 280
Stores a n d warehouses
__________
4,283
All o t h e r . .. __________ ____________
128, 208,773
58,890,438
141,307, 499
74,395,804
65,449,178
15, 022,065
75,132, 340
242,853, 223
47,450,619
45, 389,033
155, 542,100
5,091, 261
823, 018
215, 747,108
7, 239,146
947
1,002
3,932
3,836
155,478
4,462
303
1, 352
243
516
843
11, 658
356
12,925
4,127
94,676, 800
48,852,444
152,410, 564
70,656,199
54,921,052
14, 768,932
65, 001,863
255,801,159
29, 378, 349
38,670,950
142,154,423
4,869, 737
581, 478
210,305, 687
7, 703,679
+• 4
-1 0 .4
- 6 .0
—8. 5
-1 4 .5
- 9 .3
- 8 .7
+ 6.4
-2 8 .3
-1 3 .0
+ •i
-1 4 .3
- .6
- 2 .7
- 3 .6
-3 4 .0
-1 7 .0
+ 7 .9
—5.0
-1 6 .1
- 1 .7
-1 3 .5
+ 5 .3
-3 8 .1
-1 4 .8
- 8 .6
—4.4
-2 9 .3
- 2 .5
+ 6 .4
-1 3 .0
-7 .6
-1 3 .2
- 4 .7
N um ber
Cost
Residential buildings
Total
_____________________
N onresidential buildings
Total
___________________
G rand to t a l . . ................................
232,113
1, 278, 541, 605
201, 980
1,180, 753,316
440, 876
3, 240, 441, 134
382, 514
3,089,075,192
j
In the 302 cities from which reports were received for both 1927
and 1928 perm its were issued for 382,514 new buildings during the
calendar year 1928 as compared w ith 440,876 during the calendar
year 1927. This is a decrease, in the num ber of buildings, of 13.2
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MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW
per cent. The estim ated am ount spent for the erection of the build
ings for which perm its were issued in 1928 was $3,089,075,192, a
decrease of 4.7 per cent from the $3,240,441,134 spent during 1927.
Residential buildings decreased more in num ber b u t less in esti
m ated expenditure than nonresidential buildings in 1928 as com
pared w ith 1927. The decrease in the num ber of residential buildings
for which perm its were issued during 1928, in these 302 cities, being
13.5 per cent over 1927, while _nonresidential buildings decreased
in num ber 13.0 per cent. In estim ated costs, however, the decrease
in residential buildings was only 2.7 per cent as compared w ith 7.6
per cent in nonresidential buildings.
All classes of residential buildings except hotels showed a decrease
in the num ber of buildings, comparing 1928 w ith 1927. Hotels
increased 16.4 per cent in num ber. The greatest decrease was in
1-family and 2-family dwellings w ith stores where there was a falling
off of 21.3 per cent.
In estim ated expenditure four classes of structures in the residential
group showed a decrease and four showed an increase. The decreases
ranged from 9.9 per cent in the case of 1-family dwellings to 40.2 per
cent in lodging houses. The increases in estim ated expenditure in
this group ranged from one-tenth of 1 per cent for m ultifam ily
dwellings w ith stores combined to 64.7 per cent for hotels.
In the nonresidential group all classes of buildings showed a
decrease in num ber except am usem ent buildings, office buildings, and
schools and libraries, office buildings showing the largest increase
w ith a gain of 6.4 per cent over 1927. The decreases ranged from
six-tenths of 1 per cent for stables and barns to 28.3 per cent in the
case of public buildings.
In am ounts expended factory buildings, office buildings, and
miscellaneous buildings showed an increase in 1928 as compared
w ith 1927. All other nonresidential buildings showed a decrease in
expenditures ranging from 1.7 per cent for service stations to 38.1 per
cent for public buildings.
Per Capita Expenditure for Buildings
T able 5 shows the total and the per capita expenditures for new
buildings, new housekeeping dwellings, repairs and additions, and for
all lands of buildings in each of the 310 cities for which reports were
received for the calendar year 1928; the total num ber of families
provided for and the ratio of families provided for to each 10,000 of
population in these 310 cities; and the total expenditure for all
classes of buildings in 302 cities in 1927.
In the 310 cities which reported for 1928 there was an expenditure
oi $3,423,584,461 for building operations of all kinds. Of this amount,
$3,098,940,040 was for new buildings and $324,644,421 for repairs to
old buildings. Of the am ount spent for new buildings, $1,762,452,315
was for housekeeping dwellings. The expenditure for all buildings
for the 302 cities which reported for 1927 was $3,593,839,405.
The per capita expenditure for the cities from which reports were
received for 1928 was $76.18 for all building operations, divided as
lollows: $68.96 for new buildings and $7.22 for repairs; $39.22 of
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[ 1060 ]
147
HOUSING
the am ount expended for new buildings was for housekeeping dwell
ings. The population of these 310 cities, as estim ated by the Bureau
of the Census for July 1, 1928, was 44,940,049.
The five leading cities in per capita expenditure were W hite Plains,
N . Y., $440.15; Yonkers, N. Y., $293.64; E vanston, 111., $276.85;
M ount Vernon, N . Y., $260.74; and New Rochelle, N . Y., $230.19.
All of these cities are suburban cities, four being suburbs of New
York and one of Chicago. In all of these cities residential buildings
accounted for the large per capita expenditure.
Following is a list of the five leading cities in total expenditure
for the years 1920 to 1928, inclusive. I t will be noted th a t the cities
of New York, Chicago, D etroit, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia m ake
up this list each year except for 1920 and 1921 when Cleveland was
included and Philadelphia slumped below the leading five.
1924— C o n tin u e d
$150, 147, 516
141, 402, 655
A 920
N ew Y ork_.
C h icag o . _ __
D e tro it__ A
C leveland - _
Los Angeles.
$277,
84,
77,
64,
60,
695,
602,
737,
198,
023,
337
650
215
600
600
442,
133,
86,
82,
58,
285,
027,
680,
761,
086,
248
910
023
386
053
645,
229,
121,
114,
93,
176,
853,
206,
190,
614,
481
125
787
525
593
789,
334,
200,
129,
128,
265,
164,
133,
719,
227,
335
404
181
831
405
1921
N ew Y o rk -.
C h icag o ___
C leveland _ _
Los Angeles.
D e tro it____
1922
N ew Y ork__
C hicago ____
Los AngelesP hilad elp h ia
D e tro it_____
1923
N ew Y ork__
C h icag o ____
Los AngelesD e tro it_____
P h ilad elp h ia
1924
N ew Y ork
C hicago - _
D e tro it__
836, 043, 604
308, 911, 159
160, 547, 723
Los A ngeles.
Philadelphia.
1925
1,020,604,713
373, 803, 571
180, 132, 528
171, 034, 280
152, 646, 436
N ew Y o rk - _
C hicago____
D e tro it____
P h ilad elp h ia
Los A ngeles.
1926
1,039,670,572
376, 808, 480
183, 721, 443
140, 093, 075
123, 006, 215
N ew Y ork__
C hicago____
D e tro it____
P hiladelphia
Los Angeles1927
N ew Y o rk - _
C hicag o ____
D e tro it____
Los AngelesP h ilad elp h ia
880,
365,
145,
123,
117,
333,
065,
555,
027,
590,
455
042
647
139
650
916,
323,
129,
112,
101,
671,
509,
260,
225,
678,
855
048
285
865
768
1928
N ew Y ork__
C hicago____
D e tro it____
P h ilad elp h ia
Los Angeles-
D uring 1928 accommodations were provided in the new dwellings
for which perm its were issued for 399,657 families, or a t the rate of
88.9 families to each 10,000 of population in these 310 cities.
Following is a list of the five leading builders of homes for each
year since 1921. This list shows the num ber of families provided
with homes in new buildings, for each 10,000 of the c ity ’s population.
Four of the five for 1928 are contiguous to the great m etropolitan
center of New York City.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1061]
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
148
1925
1921
L ong B each _________________
Los A ngeles_________________
P a sa d e n a ___________________
S h rev ep o rt__________________
L ak ew o o d ___________________
631.
320.
251.
249.
191.
9
9
7
8
3
1922
L ong B each_________________ 1, 081. 0
Los A ngeles_________________
441. 6
L akew ood___________________
358. 9
M iam i______________________
268. 1
E a s t C leveland______________
267. 6
1923
Long B each _________________ 1, 038. 1
657. 4
Los A ngeles_________________
M iam i______________________
611. 1
Irv in g to n ___________________
432. 1
L akew ood___________________
381. 5
M ia m i1_____________________ 1, 342. 0
San D iego__________________
392. 0
T a m p a _____________________
379. 3
Irv in g to n ___________________
374. 6
Los Angeles 2_______________
331. 0
1926
St. P e te rsb u rg ______________
M o u n t V ern o n ______________
Irv in g to n ___________________
W hite P la in s_______ •________
San D iego__________________
700.
644.
398.
367.
339.
3
7
6
2
5
1927
Irv in g to n ___________________
W hite P lain s________________
M o u n t V ern o n ______________
Y o n k ers___________ __________
E a s t O range________________
740.
419.
414.
349.
338.
5
5
8
0
1
347.
299.
298.
297.
295.
6
1
3
4
4
1928
1924
M iam i 1_____________________ 2, 248. 9
Irv in g to n ___________________
501. 2
448. 3
Los A ngeles 2_______________
San D iego__________________
378. 0
Long B each_________________
347. 6
Y o n k ers____________________
M t. V ern o n_________________
W h ite P la in s________________
Long B each_________________
Irv in g to n ___________________
1 T h e ratio of families provided for in M iam i in 1924 was based on th e population as estim ated b y th e
Census B ureau for th a t year. In th e light of th e actual census taken by S tate enum eration in 1925, it w ould
seem th a t th e estim ate for 1924 was below th e actual population for th a t year, hence th e ratio here show n
for 1924 is probably higher th a n th e actual population in th a t year w ould w arrant.
2 P opulation no t estim ated in 1924 or 1925; 1923 estim ate used.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[ 1062]
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
150
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
T a ble 5 .— T O T A L A N D P E R C A P IT A E X P E N D I T U R E S F O R N E W B U I L D I N G S A N D F O R
T o tal expenditures
E xpenditure
for new
housekeeping
dwellings
only,
1928
Expenditure
for new
buildings,
1928
E xpenditure
for repairs
and addi
tions,
1928
Akron, Ohio . . . . _________
A lam eda, C alif____________
A lbany, N . Y ________ ._ ..
A llentow n, P a ______________
A ltoona, P a _____ _ _. ____
A m sterdam , N . Y . ______ .
Alton, 111_________ ________
Anderson, I n d ______________
Asheville, N . C_ . . . . . ___
A shtabula, Ohio______ _____
A tlanta, G a ________________
A tlantic C ity , N . J ______
A uburn, N . Y ______ _____
A ugusta, G a ________ ____
A urora, 111. _______________
$17,837,500
1,994, 724
12,503, 715
5,484, 715
2,898,276
677,675
816,115
2,169, 014
2,832, 362
395,093
25,119,931
5, 786,810
356,870
1,165, 846
2, 650, 700
$1,647, 596
136,672
2,389,810
450,325
462, 631
6,000
228,340
283,819
262, 748
118, 779
2, 274,848
1,624,032
158, 726
385,098
299, 772
$19,485,096
2,131,396
14,893,525
5,935,040
3,360, 907
683,675
1,044,455
2,452,833
3,095,110
513,872
27, 394, 779
7,410, 842
515, 596
1, 550, 944
2,950,472
$20,196,088
1, 536, 930
16,188, 743
6,588,169
3, 041, 304
607, 530
(3)
2, 213, 382
5,987,153
496, 780
11, 860, 907
5,822, 864
843,194
1,459, 090
2, 791, 528
$12,164,148
1,429,224
7,460, 200
3,165,000
930, 090
242, 600
567, 724
881, 550
1, 749, 300
150, 250
9,968,489
259, 265
159,125
815, 644
1, 561, 549
B altim ore, M d . __________
Bangor, M e . . .
_____ ._
B attle C reek, M ich ____
B ay C ity, M ich ___________
Bayonne, N . J ___________ ..
B eaum ont, T ex____________
Belleville, 111 _ ________ ___
Bellingham , W ash__________
Berkeley, C alif_____________
Bethlehem , P a . . ____ _____
B ingham ton, N . Y ___ ._ _
B irm ingham , A la ................
Bloomfield, N . J _________
Bloomington, H I . . . ___ _
Boston, M ass_____________
Bridgeport, C onn_______
Brockton, M ass_________ _
Brookline, M ass____________
Buffalo, N . Y ____________ .
B urlington, Iow a_________ .
B utler, P a _________
B utte, M o n t..... .................. .......
26,478,200
469,260
2, 686, 505
1,490, 201
1,807, 300
3, 615,913
1,014, 881
1, 608,105
5, 517, 950
3,479, 390
2, 762,317
12,820, 664
3, 932,100
1, 319, 300
47, 961,432
3,070, 524
1, 448,908
5, 738. 345
23, 279, 259
402,871
302, 740
215,050
7,467,150
156, 350
184, 807
354, 695
188,065
710,856
6, 740
264,213
558, 676
363, 616
694,076
1,403,913
608, 500
63, 500
7, 737,125
456, 098
276, 950
553,077
1,122, 724
40, 900
86, 096
151,390
33,945, 350
625,610
2,871,312
1, 844,896
1,995, 365
4,326, 769
1, 021, 621
1, 872,318
6, 076, 626
3, 843,006
3,456, 393
14, 224, 577
4, 540, 600
1, 382, 800
55,698, 557
3, 526, 622
1, 725,858
6,291,422
24,401, 983
443, 771
388, 836
366,440
28,437, 790
851, 355
4, 751, 866
775, 209
1, 949, 950
(3)
(3)
1,787,110
6,683,068
2,476, 621
4,290, 909
21, 786, 696
6, 880,077
924,200
60, 987, 468
5,186, 712
1,433, 359
5,902, 440
33,073,453
721,140
(3)
68,249
12, 660, 000
136, 550
752,750
229,200
968, 500
1,486, 841
666, 000
674, 000
4,107, 551
1,421, 000
1,264,421
7,130, 335
3,370, 000
601, 000
26, 867, 550
1, 945,000
732, 950
5, 065,100
10, 750,950
178,100
258, 300
11, 500
C am bridge, M ass____ . . . . . .
Cam den, N . J . _______
C anton, Ohio___
_____
Cedar R apids, I o w a _______
C entral Falls, R. i ___ . . . .
C harleston, S. C __ . . . .
C harleston, W. V a....... ............
C harlotte, N . C ____________
Chattanooga, T e n n ________
Chelsea, M ass___________ _
Chester, P a ________________
Chicago, 111__
_______ _ _
Chicopee, M a s s ____________
C icero, 111 ___________ ____
C incinnati, Ohio . . _______
Clarksburg, W . V a._ ______
Cleveland, Ohio____________
Clifton, N . J _____ _______
Colorado Springs, C o lo _____
C olum bia, S. C ____ _______
C olum bus, G a . . . ____ ______
C olum bus, Ohio____________
Council Bluffs, Iowa ............
Covington, K y ___ __________
C ranston, R. I
C um berland, M d ________ .
7,146,113
6, 762,090
3, 083,147
1,856, 631
230, 345
383, 228
2, 613, 790
7,048, 994
3,978, 069
898, 540
1, 537,867
315, 208,908
1,161,265
3, 560,114
30,679,990
1, 075,450
47, 017,150
3,437, 510
614,466
1, 347, 695
984,848
14,857, 790
701,450
1,299,400
3,607,224
924,421
937,610
665,965
579,171
581, 599
73, 000
177,407
259, 390
409, 270
725,417
265,175
208, 675
8,300,140
114, 300
299, 966
4, 778, 740
113, 935
9,141, 375
104, 545
198, 029
262,080
169,154
1,379,460
108, 800
292, 350
103,025
75,127
8,083, 723
7,428, 055
3, 662, 318
2,438,230
303, 345
560, 635
2,873,180
7,458,264
4, 703,486
1,163, 715
1, 746, 542
323, 509, 048
1,275, 565
3,860,080
35,458, 730
1,189, 385
56,158, 525
3, 542, 055
812,495
1, 609, 775
1,154, 002
16,237, 250
810, 250
1, 591, 750
3, 710, 249
999, 548
9, 557,469
5, 330, 327
4,156, 020
2,602, 622
798, 730
586, 099
2,038, 709
5, 554,884
4,874, 201
866, 060
2, 396, 265
365,065,042
1, 117,110
4, 635, 829
30, 570, 299
1,007, 635
45,480, 550
3, 388, 565
577, 398
1, 533, 375
1, 539, 749
23,282,600
930, 250
1, 722, 310
2,669, 634
942,465
3, 581, 300
1,164, 950
2,180, 850
688,940
92,000
160, 300
860, 000
4, 432; 020
1,862, 875
573, 000
1, 000, 000
174, 749,900
368, 300
2, 537, 600
21, 628, 235
357, 235
16, 247,100
2, 539,650
340,440
1,108, 000
700, 724
11, 533, 300
261,400
953, 200
2,775, 200
284,010
6,360,840
752,159
1,060, 362
9, 010, 900
1, 728,159
163,189
289, 379
1,347,478
8,088,999
915,348
1,349, 741
10,358,378
9,773, 523
1, 036,791
2,053, 351
10, 332,026
3,187, 924
599, 086
635, 650
2,703,488
C ity and State
D allas, Tex _______
D anville, 111________
D avenport, Iow a___ : _____
D ayton , O hio_____________
1 N o t estim ated b y C ensus Bureau.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1928
1927
2 E stim a te as of J u ly 1, 1926.
f 1064]
H OU SING
151
REPAIRS, AND F A M IL IE S P R O V ID E D F O R , IN 310 C IT IE S IN T H E C A L E N D A R Y E A R 1928
Fam ilies provided
for
C ity and State
E stim ated
population,
Ju ly 1,1928
N um ber
_______
A kron, Ohio
A lam eda, C a lif ----------------A lbany, N . Y . _ ________
A llentow n, P a _ - _ _ -----Altoona, P a .- . ------- r . . .
A m sterdam , N . Y
_____
Alton, 111_________________
A nderson, In d _______ . .
Asheville, N . C _________
A shtabula, O h io ... ______
A tlanta, G a_______________
A tlantic C ity, N . J.. .
.
A uburn, N . Y
_____
A ugusta, G a _ __
Aurora, 111________ ______
(>)
2 32,400
120,400
99, 400
69,100
36,200
4 26, 797
2 34, 600
2 32,000
2 25, 500
255,100
54, 700
4 35, 677
56,700
47,100
2,557
504
615
556
155
42
167
268
370
20
3,170
57
31
318
301
Baltim ore, M d ......................
Bangor, M e. _______ ____
B attle Creek, M ich... ____
B ay C ity, M ich , _________
B ayonne, N . J ---------- -------B eaum ont, T ex _________
Belleville, 111______________
Bellingham , W ash --------- -Berkeley, C a l if ___________
B ethlehem , P a . _________
B ingham ton, N . Y ______
Birm ingham , A la_______
Bloomfield, N . J
Bloomington, 111__ ________
Boston, M a s s ... ________
Bridgeport, C onn________
Brockton, M ass_______
Brookline, M ass .............
Buffalo, Ñ . Y __________ B urlington, Iow a
____B utler, P a -------------------- B u tte , M o n t______________
830,400
26, 800
47, 200
49,600
95, 300
56,300
4 26,969
2 26,300
71,000
67, 600
74, 800
222,400
(])
2 30, 700
799, 200
4 143,535
4 65,343
45, 700
555,800
2 27, 100
4 25,230
43,600
C am bridge, M ass_________
Cam den, N . J _____________
C anton, Ohio____ --- --Cedar R apids, Iowa__
----C entral Falls, R . I
C harleston, S'. C__ -----C harleston, W . V a _ _______
C harlotte, N . C _ ---- --------C hattanooga, T e n n _______
Chelsea, M ass
_________
Chester, P a _____________
Chicago, 111___ _- Chicopee, M ass__________
Cicero, 111 - _____________
C incinnati, Ohio_.
.
Clarksburg, W . V a_______
Cleveland, Ohio. _______
Clifton, N . J ______________
P,(Ylnradn Springs, Colo
C olum bia, S. C ___ - - . -.Colum bus, G a ____ ________
C olum bus, Ohio- _ _ ______
Council Bluffs, Iow a______
Covington, K y ___________
C ranston, R . I .
.. - C um berland, M d _________
R atio
per
10,000
Per capita
expendi
tu re for
house
R ank keeping
T otal
of dwellings
city only, 1928
Per capita expenditure, 1928
Fornew F or re
b u ild pairs and
ings
additions
155.6
51.1
55.9
22.4
11.6
62.3
77.5
115.6
7.8
124.3
10.4
8.7
56.1
63.9
$61. 57
103. 85
55.18
41.94
18. 72
30.46
62. 69
88. 51
15. 49
98. 47
105. 79
10.00
20. 56
56.28
$4. 22
19.85
4. 53
6. 70
. 17
8.52
8. 20
8. 21
4. 66
8. 92
29.69
4.45
6. 79
6. 36
$65. 78
123. 70
59.71
48.64
18. 89
38. 98
70. 89
96. 72
20.15
107. 39
135. 48
14. 45
27. 35
62. 64
78
22
93
136
258
171
66
40
254
27
20
272
223
88
$44.11
61.96
31.84
13. 46
6. 70
21.19
25.48
54. 67
5.89
39.08
4. 74
4.46
14. 39
33.15
2,884
38
177
57
436
540
136
264
1,330
223
306
2,589
675
90
6,805
388
141
556
3,181
55
40
7
34.7
14.2
37.5
11.5
45.8
95.9
50.4
100.4
187.3
33.0
40.9
116.4
31. 89
17. 51
56. 92
30.04
18. 96
64.23
37. 63
61.14
77. 72
51.47
36. 93
57. 65
8. 99
5. 83
3. 92
7.15
1.97
12. 63
.25
10.05
7. 87
5.38
9.28
6. 31
40.88
23.34
60. 83
37. 20
20.94
76. 85
37. 88
71.19
85. 59
56. 85
46. 21
63.96
160
243
91
180
250
53
178
64
47
101
145
87
15.25
5.10
15.95
4. 62
10.16
26.41
24. 70
25.63
57.85
21.02
16.90
32.06
29.3
85.1
27.0
21.6
121. 7
57.2
20.3
15.9
1.6
42. 97
60. 01
21.39
22.17
125. 57
41.88
14. 87
12.00
4. 93
2.07
9. 68
3.18
4.24
12. 10
2. 02
1.51
3. 41
3. 47
45.04
69. 69
24. 57
26.41
137. 67
43.90
16. 38
15.41
8. 40
148
67
237
229
19
149
266
267
288
19. 58
33. 62
13. 55
11.22
110.83
19. 34
6.57
10.24
.26
125,800
135, 400
116,800
58,200
2 25, 700
75,900
55,200
82,100
73,500
49,800
74,200
3,157, 400
45,400
71, 600
413, 700
2 30, 900
1,010, 300
2 36,200
(0
50, 600
46, 600
299, 000
42, 300
59, 000
37, 500
2 34,400
863
350
374
157
44
46
258
1,237
611
142
243
34, 447
102
464
3,559
98
3,167
547
95
272
321
2,477
94
314
559
67
68.6
25.8
32.0
27.0
17. 1
6. 1
46. 7
150.7
83.1
28.5
32.7
109.1
22. 5
64.8
86. 0
31.7
31.3
151.1
56.81
49.94
26.40
31.90
8.96
5.05
47. 35
85. 86
54.12
18.04
20. 73
99.83
25.58
49. 72
74. 16
34. 80
46.54
94.96
7.45
4. 92
4.96
9. 99
2. 84
2. 34
4. 70
4. 99
9.87
5. 32
2. 81
2.63
2. 52
4.19
11. 55
3. 69
9. 05
2. 89
64.26
54. 86
31. 36
41.89
11.80
7. 39
52. 05
90.84
63.99
23. 37
23. 54
102. 46
28.10
53. 91
85. 71
38.49
55. 59
97. 85
83
111
210
157
282
289
124
43
86
242
240
32
221
116
46
174
107
36
28. 47
8.60
18. 67
11.84
3.58
2.11
15.58
53.98
25. 35
11. 51
13.48
55.35
8.11
35.44
52.28
11.56
16.08
70. 16
53.8
68.9
82.8
22. 2
53. 2
149. 1
19. 5
26. 63
21. 13
49.69
16. 58
22. 02
96. 19
26. 87
5.18
3. 63
4. 61
2. 57
4. 96
2. 75
2.18
31.81
24. 76
54. 31
19. 15
26. 98
98. 94
29. 06
208
236
114
255
228
35
218
21.90
15.04
38.57
6.18
16.16
74. 01
8.26
217,800
D allas, T ex . ------ --------- -38, 800
D anville, 111 ------------ - -4 52,469
D avenp o rt, Io w a___
___
184, 500
D ayton, Ohio..................... .
D a ta n o t collected.
1,199
164
140
732
55.1
42.3
26.7
39.7
29.20
19. 39
20. 21
48.84
7.93
4. 21
5. 52
7. 30
37.14
23. 59
25. 72
56.14
181
239
233
102 1
14.64
15.44
12. 11
14.65
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
2
4 S tate census Jan. 1, 1925.
[1065]
152
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
T able 5 .—T O T A L A N D P E R C A P IT A E X P E N D IT U R E S F O R N E W B U IL D IN G S A N D F O R
C ity and State
D ecatur, 111........... .
D enver, Colo____
Des M oines, Iowa.
D etroit, M ich ____
D ubuq u e, Io w a ...
D u lu th , M in n ____
D urham , N . C ___
T otal expenditures
E xpenditure
for new
housekeeping
dwellings
only,
1928
Expenditure
for new
buildings,
1928
E xpenditure
for repairs
and addi
tions,
1928
$3,906, 710
15,113, 000
4,154,173
117,458,340
764,425
2, 283, 368
9, 672,888
$262, 635
1, 657, 750
355,807
11, 801, 945
112,961
1,006,036
232,950
$4,169, 345
16, 770, 750
4, 509, 980
129,260, 285
877,386
3, 289, 404
9,905,838
$5, 790,415
15, 754, 600
2,876,131
145, 555, 647
1, 288, 207
4,431,435
2, 587, 754
$1, 967, 500
8, 249, 200
1,675,328
66, 448,106
269,500
947, 650
1,582,935
3,126,499
1, 678,961
426, 339
7, 266,012
2,972,117
2,490,326
2, 013,075
5,473,100
832, 616
355,405
110,291
306, 669
366,373
117,984
216, 608
356, 571
30, 500
231, 273
237, 596
307,411
917,154
872,050
330, 724
238, 901
509, 000
3,481, 904
1, 789, 252
733,008
7, 632,385
3,090,101
2, 706,934
2, 369, 646
5, 503, 600
1,063,889
1,905, 717
2,144,225
4,763, 688
13,178, 225
5,110,814
1, 760, 759
1,186,590
4, 304, 366
1, 220, 620
1, 299, 670
12,313,092
2,389, 700
5, 562,971
1, 891,883
10, 922,877
2, 660, 566
1,311,783
1,792, 561
5, 393,056
15, 917,225
3,415, 998
2,097, 830
(3)
950, 850
186,000
202,425
4, 631,150
1,478,025
1, 843, 880
1,055, 570
3,451, 000
590, 261
631,100
900, 426
2,104, 500
7, 714, 000
1, 488, 250
977, 600
262, 300
289, 260
252,235
1, 310, 577
85,499
604, 518
726, 688
1,459, 850
455,913
2,835, 644
822, 350
14,422, 729
579,130
1, 608, 702
5,011,124
11, 543, 787
1, 661, 565
1,
840, 768
637,975
22,087,451
1, 000,179
6,002,498
28,483, 764
2, 690, 578
469, 020
110, 500
8,495,144
203,000
184,488
2,128,815
6, 402,445
480, 645
E a st Chicago, I n d ___
E a st Cleveland, Ohio.
Easton, P a _________
E a st Orange, N . J ___
E a st Providence, R . I
E a st St. Louis, 111.......
Elgin, 111___________
Elizabeth, N . J ______
E lk h art, I n d ________
E lm ira, N . Y ________
E l Paso, T ex ________
Erie, P a _______ ____
E vanston, 111________
Evansville, In d ______
E v erett, M ass_______
E v e re tt, W a s h .............
1,836, 814
3,846, 534
12,306,175
4, 780,090
1, 521,858
677, 590
F all R iver, M ass..
F itchburg, M ass...
F lin t, M ic h ______
F o n d d u Lac, Wis.
F o rt Sm ith, A rk ...
F o rt W ayne, In d ..
F o rt W ayne, Tex..
Fresno, C alif_____
2, 546, 384
570,115
13,112,152
493, 631
1,004,184
4,284,436
10, 083, 937
1,205, 652
1, 668,121
1928
1927
(3)
G alveston, T ex_____
G ary, I n d _________
G rand Rapids, M ich
G reat Falls, M o n t__
Green B ay, W is____
Greensboro, N . C ___
Greenville, S. C ____
G reenwich, C onn___
2, 308, 562
5,240,875
6,435, 245
2, 525, 652
1, 831,861
4, 520,144
1,197,452
5,736, 745
368, 246
800,275
1, 751, 510
133,830
160, 000
528,151
242, 691
867, 635
2, 676, 808
6,041,150
8,186, 755
2, 659,482
1, 991, 861
5, 048, 295
1,440,143
6, 604,380
2, 974,415
15, 016, 529
12, 319, 420
1,163,119
2, 508, 898
4,837,830
1, 111, 182
5, 700, 062
1,146, 686
3, 701, 575
3, 584,100
789, 830
834,180
2, 030,865
729, 547
4, 559, 300
H agerstow n, M d ____
H am ilton, Ohio_____
H am m ond, In d _____
H am tram ck, M ich __
H arrisburg, P a . ..........
H artford, C onn_____
H averhill, M ass_____
H azelton, P a ________
H ighland P ark , M ich
H oboken, N . J ______
H olyoke, M ass............
H ouston, T ex_______
H untin g to n , W . V a_.
H utchinson, K an s___
462, 200
1,920,934
6,057,980
1,056,930
4, 713, 635
9, 394,186
444, 190
1,011,988
1,675,167
320, 790
913, 700
34, 598, 940
929, 600
1,067, 390
215,034
142, 099
469, 300
288,045
881,140
1,884, 257
109, 875
183,022
928,110
244,173
347, 400
710, 563
52,000
201, 722
677, 234
2,063, 033
6, 527, 280
1, 344, 975
5, 594, 775
11, 278,443
554,065
1,195, 010
2, 603, 277
564,963
1,261,100
35,309, 503
981, 600
1,269,112
1, 558, 205
1, 782, 749
6, 431, 200
1, 545,815
3, 569, 365
17, 529,941
909, 625
2,072, 504
2, 654,960
1, 519, 599
2, 044, 200
27, 326,475
1, 547,150
300, 510
1, 538,487
2, 759, 700
404,200
1,214, 500
4, 650, 269
271,400
343, 264
364, 500
70, 500
492,800
17, 806, 385
467, 900
467, 270
Indianapolis, Ind.
Irvington, N . J . . .
19, 354, 573
6, 556,253
2,612,813
83,041
21,967, 386
6,639,294
23, 682, 316
12,960, 227
Jackson, M ich___
Jacksonville, F la.
Jam estow n, N . Y.
Jersey C ity, N . J .
Johnstow n, P a __
Joliet, 111________
Joplin, M o ............
1, 550, 690
6,818, 590
1, 554, 990
12,943,194
961, 341
• 2, 773,828
1,231, 393
546, 396
841, 569
291,880
933,050
133, 753
307, 792
172, 346
2, 097, 086
7, 660, 159
1,846,870
13,876, 244
1, 095,094
3,081,620
1,403, 739
2, 575,644
12, 768,386
2, 745,835
13, 851, 780
1, 386,183
2, 793, 700
1, 355, 533
1 N o t estim ated b y Census B ureau.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
2 E stim ate as of Ju ly 1, 1926.
[ 1066]
0
10,224,100
5,021,800
1,107, 450
5,263,115
855, 000
7, 649, 000
345,150
1,412,900
591, 200
3 D a ta not collected.
H OU SING
153
R E P A IR S , A N D F A M IL IE S P R O V ID E D F O R , E T C ., IN T H E C A L E N D A R Y E A R 1928—Con.
Fam ilies provided
for
C ity and State
E stim ated
population,
J u ly 1,1928
N u m b er
R atio
per
10,000
Per capita
expendi
tu re for
house
R ank keeping
of
dwellings
city only, 1928
Per capita expenditure, 1928
For new For re
build pairs and
ings
additions
Total
D ecatur, 111. ______ _____
D enver, Colo_____________
Des Moines, Iow a_________
D etroit, M ich _________
D ubuque, Iow a___________
D u lu th , M in n ____________
D urham , N . C ........ ....... .........
57,100
294, 200
151,900
1,378,900
42,300
116,800
47,600
339
1,869
406
15,929
67
196
464
59.4
63.5
26.7
115.5
15.8
16.8
97.5
$68.42
51.37
27. 35
85.18
18. 07
19. 55
203. 21
$4. 60
5. 63
2. 34
8.56
2. 67
8.61
4.89
$73.02
57.00
29.69
93.74
20.74
28. 16
208.11
59
100
216
42
253
220
8
$34. 49
28.06
11.04
48.13
6. 37
8. 11
33.25
E ast Chicago, I n d ____ ____
E ast Cleveland, O hio-.
E aston, P a ______ _______
E ast Orange, N . J--.. ____
E ast Providence, R . L - --E ast St. Louis, 111_________
Elgin, 111_________________
Elizabeth, N . J E lkhart, In d
Elm ira, N . Y _____________
El Paso, T e x . ______ _____
Erie, P a
E vanston, 111_____ ________
Evansville, I n d ___________
E verett, M ass------------------E verett, W ash . __________
50,800
2 39,400
38,400
65,000
2 27,100
74,000
36,000
(')
(i)
50,000
117,800
(l)
47, 600
98,100
43, 300
4 29, 303
204
136
24
968
271
501
.207
1,002
' 155
120
310
397
945
420
283
123
40.2
34.5
6.3
148.9
100.0
67.7
57.5
61.55
42.61
11. 10
111.78
109. 67
33.65
55.92
7.00
2.80
7.99
5. 64
4. 35
2. 93
9. 90
68.54
45.41
19.09
117. 42
114. 03
36.58
65.82
69
147
257
24
26
186
77
18. 72
4. 72
5.27
71.25
54. 54
24. 92
29. 32
24.0
26.3
33. 36
15. 59
4. 75
2.61
38.11
18.20
177
260
12.62
7.64
198.5
42.8
65.4
42.0
258. 53
48. 73
35.15
23.12
18. 32
3.37
5. 52
17. 37
276. 85
52.10
40. 66
40. 49
3
123
162
164
162.06
15.17
22. 58
8.95
Fall R iver, M ass__________
F itchburg, M ass. ________
F lin t, M ich ____ _________
Fond du Lac, W is_________
F o rt Sm ith, A rk __________
F o rt W ayne, I n d _________
F ort W orth, T ex__________
Fresno, Calif........ ...........
134, 300
45, 200
148,800
2 26, 500
4 31, 643
105, 300
170, 600
64,000
110
25
2,221
59
61
407
1,758
146
8.2
5.5
149.3
22.3
19. 3
38.7
103.0
22.8
18.96
12.61
88. 12
18. 63
31. 73
40.69
59. 11
18.84
2.15
5.58
8.81
3. 23
19.10
6.90
8. 56
7.12
21.11
18.19
96. 93
21.85
50. 84
47. 59
67. 67
25. 96
249
261
39
244
128
139
72
232
3.49
2.44
57.09
7.66
5.83
20.22
37.53
7. 51
G alveston, T ex . ______ .
G ary, I n d ___ _____ .
G rand R apids, M ich ___
G reat Falls, M ont ----Green B ay, W is___________
Greensboro, N . C ___ ______
Greenville, S. C _____
50, 600
89, 100
164, 200
2 30,900
36,100
51, 900
2 28,100
(l)
369
890
895
260
186
446
193
344
72.9
99.9
54.5
84.1
51.5
85.9
68.7
45. 62
58.82
39. 19
81. 74
50.74
87.09
42. 61
7.28
8.98
10. 67
4. 33
4.43
10. 18
8. 64
52. 90
67. 80
49. 86
86. 07
55.18
97. 27
51. 25
121
71
133
45
109
38
125
22.66
41.54
21.83
25.56
23.11
39.13
25.96
H agerstow n, M d _______
H am ilton, O hio________
H am m ond, In d . ________
H am tram ck , M ich .
_ ._
H arrisburg, P a ____________
H artford, C o n n ............... . . .
2 32, 000
44, 200
56,000
99,800
86,900
172, 300
82
410
698
89
206
1,363
25.6
92.8
124.6
8.9
23. 7
79.1
14. 44
43.46
108. 18
10. 59
54. 24
54. 52
6. 72
3. 21
8. 38
2. 89
10.14
10. 94
21.16
46. 67
116. 56
13.48
64.38
65.46
248
143
25
277
82
79
9.39
.34. 81
49.28
4. 05
13.98
26.99
4 49, 232
38, 300
86,400
(i)
60, 400
« 164, 954
68, 600
(i)
68
57
117
5
86
4,463
87
146
13.8
14.9
13.5
9. 02
26. 42
19. 39
2. 23
4. 78
10. 74
11.25
31.20
30.13
283
212
215
5. 51
8.96
4.22
14.2
270.6
12.7
15.13
209. 75
13. 55
5. 75
4.31
.76
20.88
214.06
14. 31
251
6
274
8.16
107. 95
6. 82
382,100
2 34,600
2,511
1,022
65.7
295.4
50. 65
189.49
6.84
2. 40
57. 49
191. 89
98
10
26.76
145.14
250
63, 700
Jackson, M ich ------------------1, 658
140, 700
Jacksonville, F la _________
169
46,000
Jam estow n, N . Y . . ______
2,155
324, 700
Jersey C ity, N . J ----------73, 700
73
Johnstow n, P a ____________
41,900
180
Joliet, 111_________ ____ _
151
Joplin, M o____________ . . .
0)
* S tate census Jan. 1,1925.
39.2
117.8
36.7
66.4
9.9
43.0
24. 34
48. 46
33.80
39. 86
13. 04
66. 20
8.58
5.98
6. 35
2. 87
1.81
7. 35
32. 92
54.44
40.15
42. 74
14. 86
73. 55
204
112
165
152
271
57
17. 39
37.41
18.59
23.56
4.68
33. 72
H averhill, M ass _____
H azelton, P a . . . ____
H ighland P ark , M ic h ... .
H olyoke, M ass . . . _______
H ouston, T ex_____________
H untin g to n , W . V a -------Indianapolis, I n d ------------Irvington, N . J ___ . . . -----
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1067]
{ E stim ate as of Ju ly 1, 1925.
154
MONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W
T a ble 5 .—T O T A L A N D P E R C A P IT A E X P E N D IT U R E S F O R N E W B U IL D IN G S A N D F O R
T otal expenditures
Expenditure
for new
housekeeping
dwellings
only,
1928
E xpenditure
for new
buildings,
1928
E xpenditure
for repairs
and addi
tions,
1928
K alam azoo, M ic h ____
K ansas C ity , K a n s ...
K ansas C ity , M o ____
K earny, N . J ________
K enosha, W is _______
K ingston , N . Y ______
K n oxville, T e n n _____
K okom o, I n d ________
$1, 559, 478
1, 562, 452
14, 739, 275
6,115,160
3, 291, 659
1,020,006
6, 784, 741
459, 013
$475, 386
88,825
802, 000
136, 430
434, 745
716, 784
329, 796
67,653
$2,034,864
1, 651, 277
15, 541, 275
6, 251, 590
3, 726,404
1, 736, 790
7,114, 537
526, 666
$2, 223,046
1, 586, 790
14,822, 336
5, 795, 875
4,468,453
2,140, 093
5, 699, 417
480, 095
$640, 525
648, 620
7, 629, 200
2,945,000
2,484, 518
683, 050
3,187, 541
350, 262
L akew ood, O hio_____
L ancaster, P a ...............
L ansing, M ic h _______
Law rence, M a ss_____
L ebanon, P a _________
L ew iston , M e _______
L exington, K y _______
L im a, O hio__________
L incoln, N e b r _______
L ittle R ock , A rk ____
Long B each, C alif___
L orain, O h io_________
Los A ngeles, C alif___
L ou isville, K y _______
L ow ell, M ass________
L yn ch b urg, V a______
L y n n , M a s s _________
4, 512,046
1, 528,895
4, 919, 662
427, 500
403, 000
985,000
1,448,119
295, 217
3,450,854
3,804, 523
15, 607, 585
1,079, 714
91, 279, 946
15,462,120
630,805
916, 244
2, 841, 269
110,050
860,180
284, 685
175,135
257,325
5,000
169, 299
159, 217
192,495
455, 585
700, 240
97, 660
10, 398, 822
2, 657,955
310,945
176, 839
945, 535
4, 622,096
2, 389, 075
5,204, 347
602, 635
660, 325
990, 000
1, 617,418
454, 434
3, 643, 349
4, 260,108
16, 307,825
1, 177, 374
101,678, 768
18,120,075
941, 750
1,093,083
3, 786, 804
3, 516, 399
3, 004,838
7,330,420
913,134
604, 500
469,100
2,350,985
707,313
4, 398, 540
2,993, 636
13, 639,425
1, 300, 534
123,027,139
23,340, 610
971,115
1, 528, 729
3, 877, 775
2.172.400
839, 050
2,004, 800
104, 200
1, 801, 712
2,079,137
8, 631, 515
815,140
60, 977,127
8, 250, 300
170, 600
499, 710
1, 898, 500
M cK eesp ort, P a ..........
M acon, G a_..................
M ad ison , W is _______
M alden, M a ss_______
M anchester, N . H ___
M ansfield, O h io_____
M arion, I n d _________
M arion, O hio________
M edford, M a ss______
M em p h is, T e n n _____
M eriden, C on n ______
M iam i, F la __________
M ilw auk ee, W is_____
M inn eap olis, M i n n ...
M ob ile, A la _________
M olin e, 111___________
M ontclair, N . J ______
M on tgom ery, A la ___
M o u n t V ernon, N . Y .
M u n cie, I n d _________
M u skegon, M ic h _____
M u skogee, O kla...........
1, 845,076
1,997,240
6, 860, 767
2,695,847
827, 360
1, 668, 055
1,243, 660
1, 106, 345
4, 324, 637
12,223,414
1,008,926
1, 262,488
31, 764, 594
20,057, 560
3,158, 310
1,458,440
4,119, 035
2, 981,098
13, 650, 885
2,422, 019
1, 533, 007
530,330
339, 909
352,449
769, 347
197,097
231,359
140.819
63, 500
33, 940
190,196
2,059, 625
259, 795
683, 575
3, 641, 787
3, 200,165
187, 508
201, 335
524, 233
307.820
611, 564
452,129
277, 328
35,255
2,184, 985
2, 349, 689
7, 630,114
2,892,944
1,058, 719
1,808,874
1, 307,160
1,140,285
4, 514, 833
14,283, 039
1,268, 721
1,946, 063
35, 406, 381
23,257, 725
3, 345,818
1, 659, 775
4, 643,268
3, 288,918
14,262,449
2,874,148
1, 810, 335
565, 585
2,356,119
2, 886,116
4,461, 813
3,800, 093
1, 940,074
1, 779, 555
521, 560
557,793
4, 370, 512
12,402,920
1,316,177
9, 540, 937
37, 747,895
22,429, 620
2,146,241
1,170,010
5,446,164
2, 531, 347
16, 775,452
3,038, 813
1,078, 668
842,567
980, 535
1,248,170
4, 646, 200
2,307, 250
339,625
663.000
382.000
439,900
3, 689, 450
6,100,030
678,200
592,855
19,159,269
8, 377,920
1, 690,456
553, 084
3, 673, 324
1,023, 355
10, 991, 935
1,134,885
318,010
314, 350
4,893, 949
670, 694
29, 391, 765
4,893, 388
1, 038, 316
28, 600
808, 753
286,622
2,889, 608
642, 509
1,757, 670
426, 395
989,275
248,692
1, 358, 740
107, 500
7, 779, 394
1,019, 000
1,919,465
269,187
9,858,184
2, 769,494
259,810
167,140
564, 520
115, 545
600, 111
219,194
10, 386, 272
847, 046
10,094,405
707, 673
849, 962,931
66, 708,924
4, 270,153
599, 325
3,347,903
491,840
981,025 I
313, 940
4,225,963 I
555, 740
1 N o t estim ated b y Census B ureau.
5, 564, 643
34, 285,153
1, 066,916
1,095,375
3, 532,117
2,184,065
1,237,967
1,466, 240
8, 798, 394
2,188, 652
12,627, 678
426,950
680,065
819, 305
11, 233, 318
10,802,078
916, 671,855
4,869,478
3,839, 743
1, 294,965
4, 781, 703
C ity and State
N a sh v ille, T e n n ______
N ew ark , N . J . . . _____
N ew ark , O h io________
N ew Bedford, M a s s ...
N ew B ritain , C on n ___
N e w B ru n sw ick, N . J.
N ew bu rgh , N . Y _____
N ew C astle, P a ______
N ew H aven , C on n ___
N ew L ondon, C o n n ...
N ew Orleans, L a _____
N ew port, K y _________
N ew port, R . I ...______
N ew p ort N ew s, V a ___
N ew R ochelle, N . Y _ .
N ew to n , M a ss_______
N e w Y ork C ity , N . Y.
N iagara F alls, N . Y . . .
N orfolk, V a __________
N orristow n, P a _______
N orw alk , C on n ______
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[ 1068 ]
1928
1927
7,078,073
51,451, 630
653, 822
2,166, 627
4,103,884
2, 839,066
1, 517,651
3,037,495
11, 741,379
1,801,715
15,896, 775
439, 225
906, 330
548,015
9, 735, 614
10,138, 606
880, 333,455
4, 791,480
3,346, 826
1,826,101
3, 592, 009
2 E stim ate as of Ju ly 1, 1926.
101, 000
148, 000
573, 400
86,100
1,916, 074
16,655, 563
338, 300
281,100
1, 762,950
807,925
429,800
938,825
2, 227, 300
1.453.400
5,305,913
185, 300
309, 300
347,203
8, 639,450
8,986, 720
526,470, 604
2,447,278
1,984, 650
574, 000
2,371, 683
HOUSING
155
R E P A IR S , A N D F A M IL IE S P R O V ID E D F O R , E T C ., IN T H E C A L E N D A R Y E A R 1928—Con.
Fam ilies provided
for
C ity and State
E stim ated
population,
Ju ly 1,1928
N um ber
R atio
per
10,000
Per capita
expendi
tu re for
house
R ank keeping
of
dwellings
city only, 1928
Per capita expenditure, 1928
For new F or re
build pairs and
ings additions
Total
K alam azoo, M i c h ------------K ansas C ity, K a n s „ ..............
K ansas C ity, M o --------------K earny, N . J- ------------- —
Kenosha, W is_______ _____
K ingston, N . Y ----------------Knoxville, T erm , ________
Kokom o, I n d ---------- ------
56,400
118, 300
391, 000
2 32,100
56, 500
2 28,400
105, 400
40,400
165
321
1,969
857
295
126
940
82
29.3
27. 1
50.4
267.0
52.2
44.4
89.2
20.3
$27. 65
13.21
37. 70
190. 50
58. 26
35. 92
64. 37
11. 36
$8. 43
.75
2. 05
4. 25
7. 69
25.24
3.13
1.67
$36. 08
13. 96
39. 75
194. 75
65. 95
61. 15
67.50
13.04
188
275
169
9
76
90
73
279
$11.36
5. 48
19. 51
91. 74
43. 97
24.05
30.24
8. 67
Lakew ood, Ohio---------------L ancaster, P a ............... .........
Lansing, M ich -----------------Lawrence, M ass.—................L ebanon, P a ...... .............. . .
Lew iston, Me__ ---------------Lexington, K y ------- -----Lim a, O hio,
_______ ,
Lincoln, N e b r----- -----------L ittle Rock, A rk __________
Long Beach, Calif------- -----Lorain, O hio, ------------------
65,000
58, 300
79, 600
2 93, 500
2 25, 300
36,600
48, 700
49, 700
71,100
79,200
« 104, 200
44,900
0)
329, 400
* 110, 296
38, 600
105, 500
537
154
443
32
19
77
104
19
497
527
3,099
227
21,081
1,542
50
114
501
82.6
26.4
55.7
3.4
7. 5
21.0
21.4
3.8
69.9
66.5
297.4
50.6
69. 42
26. 22
61.80
4. 57
15. 93
26. 91
29.74
5. 94
48.54
48.04
149. 78
24. 05
1.69
14. 75
3. 58
1.87
10.17
. 14
3. 48
3. 20
2.71
5. 75
6. 72
2.18
71.11
40. 98
65.38
6. 45
26. 10
27. 05
33. 21
9. 14
51.24
53. 79
156. 51
26. 22
65
159
80
290
231
227
201
286
126
117
14
230
33. 42
14. 39
25.19
1.11
3.99
4.04
11.77
1. 73
25. 34
26.25
82.84
18.15
46.8
4. 5
29.5
47. 5
46.94
5. 72
23. 74
26. 93
8. 07
2. 82
4. 58
8. 96
55. 01
8. 54
28. 32
35.89
110
287
219
189
25.05
1.55
12. 95
18. 00
203
321
542
718
116
127
158
172
745
1,887
137
124
4, 965
2,240
638
109
323
726
1, 636
36.61
32. 63
43. 35
38.39
54.17
12. 35
55.66
151
175
16
115
281
105
19.46
20.39
92. 00
43. 21
3. 96
20.40
M arion, O hio, _ . _______
M edford, M ass --------------M em phis, T en n , ______
M eriden, Conn --------------M iam i, F la . . __________
M ilw aukee, W is
______
M inneapolis, M in n ______
M obile, A la.
_____
M oline, 111 _ ____
___
M ontclair, N . J
_______
M ontgom ery, A la ... --------M o u n t V ernon, N . Y . -----
50, 400
61, 200
50, 500
53, 400
85, 700
2 32, 500
(>)
2 33,400
52,900
190,200
37,100
156, 700
544,200
455,900
69, 600
35, 600
2 33, 700
63,100
54, 700
M uncie, In d
__________
M uskegon, M ich ------- -------M uskogee, O kla----------------
46, 800
46, 600
33, 200
Louisville, K y , , _________
Lowell, M ass,, __________
Lynchburg, V a___________
L ynn, M ass______________
107. 3
135. 86
134. 5
13.5
39. 1
50.48
9. 65
51. 32
6. 74
5. 76
15. 23
3.69
2. 70
4. 33
51. 5
140. 8
99. 2
36.9
7.9
91. 2
49. 1
91. 7
30. 6
95.8
115. 1
299. 1
33. 12
81. 75
64. 27
27.19
8. 06
58. 37
44.00
45.38
40.97
122. 23
47. 24
249. 56
1. 02
3. 60
10.83
7. 00
4. 36
6.69
7. 02
2.69
5. 66
15. 56
4. 88
11.18
34. 14
85. 35
75.09
34. 20
12.42
65.06
51. 01
48. 07
46.62
137. 78
52.12
260. 74
199
48
54
197
280
81
127
138
144
18
122
4
13.17
69.74
32.07
18.28
3. 78
35.21
18.38
24.29
15.54
109. 00
16. 22
200. 95
371
104
116
79.3
22. 3
34.9
51. 75
32. 90
15.97
9. 66
5.95
1.06
61.41
38. 85
17.04
89
172
265
24. 25
6.82
9.47
753
139, 600
3,288
473, 600
108
2 30, 600
42
4 119, 539
327
72,800
210
40, 800
74
30, 400
52, 500
143
546
187,900
218
2 29, 700
2,107
429,400
43
(>)
61
4 27, 757
N ew port, R . I ................... .
101
53, 300
N ew port News, V a ........ .
1,205
48,800
N ew Rochelle, N . Y
____
939
57, 300
N ew ton, M ass____________
N ew Y ork C ity, N . Y ___ 6,017, 500 109, 523
506
68, 300
N iagara Falls, N . Y ----------634
184, 200
Norfolk, V a_____________
96
36,200
N orristow n, P a _____ _____
358
2 30,100
N orw alk, C o n n______ _ . .
* State census, Jan. 1, 1925.
53.9
69.4
35.3
3. 5
44.9
51. 5
24. 3
27.2
29. 1
73.4
49.1
35. 06
62.06
33. 93
6. 77
39. 69
43.08
32. 54
25. 88
41.40
64. 63
22. 96
4. 80
10. 33
.93
2. 40
8. 83
10. 45
8. 18
2. 05
5.42
9. 06
6.45
39.86
72. 39
34. 87
9. 16
48.52
53. 53
40. 72
27. 93
46.82
73. 69
29.41
168
61
191
285
137
120
161
222
141
56
224
13.73
35.17
11. 06
2. 35
24. 22
19. 80
14.14
17. 88
11.85
48. 94
12. 36
24.50
4.16
15. 37
4.11
17. 36 230. 19
12. 35 188. 52
11. 09 152. 33
71. 30
8. 77
20.85
2. 67
8. 67 1 35.77
18.46 1 158.86
238
268
5
11.14
6. 51
177. 04
156. 84
87.49
35. 83
10. 77
15. 86
78. 79
M cK eesport, P a . ------------M acon, G a . ____________
M adison, W is ........................
M alden, M a s s -----------------M anchester, N . H --------- . .
M ansfield, O hio---------------
N ashville, T en n , ______.
N ew ark, N . J ___________
N ew ark, Ohio ,, . . _____
N ew Bedford, M ass----------N ew B ritain, Conn
___
N ew B runsw ick, N . J ____
N ew burgh, N . Y ------- ------ N ew Castle, P a __________
N ew H aven, C o n n ................
N ew London, C o n n ............ .
N ew Orleans, L a . . . ................
46658°—2 9 -— 11
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
40. 3
52. 5
20.34
22.0
11. 26
18.9
212.
83
246.9
163.9 176.17
182.0 141. 25
62. 52
74. 1
34.4
18. 18
27. 10
26.5
1
1
140.40
118.9
[1069]
151. 09
6 E stim ate as of Ju ly 1, 1927.
h
15
62
252
190
13
156
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
T a ble 5 .—T O T A L A N D P E E C A P IT A E X P E N D IT U R E S F O R N E W B U IL D IN G S A N D FO R
T otal exijenditures
Expenditure
for new
buildings,
1928
E xpenditure
for repairs
and addi
tions,
1928
O akland, C alif_______ ______
Oak Park, 111_________ ____
O gden, U ta h _______________
O klahom a C ity , O k la______
O km ulgee, O kla____________
O m aha, N eb r_______________
Orange, N . J ................................
O shkosh, W is_______________
O ttu m w a, I o w a ____________
$17,824, 002
9,074, 251
1,202, 325
12,267, 630
227, 615
$1, 713,163
216, 244
145, 900
1, 254, 368
25, 350
$19, 537,165
9,290,495
1,348, 225
13, 521, 998
252, 965
628, 337
9, 050, 410
398, 409
165, 922
65, 325
Pad u cah , K y _______________
Pasadena, C alif_____________
Passaic, N . J ______________
Paterson, N . J ______________
P a w tu ck et, R . I _______ _____
Peoria, 111_________________
P erth A m b oy, N . J _________
Petersburg, V a _____________
P h iladelp h ia, P a ____________
P hoenix, A riz_______________
P ittsb u rgh , P a . ........... ..............
527, 590
5,056, 253
2, 573, 057
6,214, 664
2, 430, 159
3,411, 295
910, 022
416, 767
100,023, 155
5, 604, 161
35, 223, 329
P ittsfield , M a ss.........................
P lain field, N . J _____________
P on tiac, M ic h ______________
P ort A rthur, T ex ____________
P ort H u ron , M ich __________
P ortlan d, M e _______________
Portlan d, O reg______________
P o rtsm ou th , O h io___________
P ortsm ou th , V a _____________
P ou gh k eep sie, N . Y . ...............
P rovid en ce, R . L . .............. ......
P u eb lo, C olo....... .........................
City and State
1928
1927
E xpenditure
for new
housekeeping
dwellings
only,
1928
3, 106, 499
852, 846
393, 775
$20, 518,417
9,080, 676
1,498, 260
12, 682, 293
262, 150
4, 567, 218
5, 581, 523
1,494,076
579, 900
$8,107, 443
5, 265,455
' 476', 300
8, 709, 509
45'550
2, 257' 950
1,306, 400
539, 066
204, 800
81,015
893, 300
488, 461
1,142, 027
392, 430
539, 965
457, 337
151, 861
12,202, 710
372, 501
4,150, 203
608, 605
5, 949, 553
3, 061, 518
7, 356, 691
2, 822, 589
3, 951, 260
1, 367, 359
568, 628
112, 225, 865
5, 976, 662
39, 373, 532
356, 000
8,965, 720
5, 603, 448
6, 369, 917
3, 586, 765
3,409, 575
1, 671, 872
279, 466
117, 590, 650
5, 645, 124
37, 111, 332
1, 657,915
3, 058,148
12, 637, 246
1, 646, 320
429, 450
2, 218, 792
18,407, 440
1,145, 200
534, 945
1, 460,119
13,172, 494
1,170,983
155, 215
406, 623
477, 980
234, 916
31, 725
520, 094
2, 868, 530
101, 885
153, 586
204, 701
2, 831,025
295,829
1, 813,130
3,464, 771
13,115, 226
1, 881, 236
461,175
2, 738, 886
21, 275, 970
1, 247, 085
688, 531
1, 664, 820
16, 003, 519
1,466, 812
1, 650, 690
5,046, Oil
17, 558, 296
1, 731, 380
839, 065
2, 326, 783
28, 973,455
1, 585, 007
463, 385
1,147, 667
23,132, 819
1, 625, 382
202, 735
3, 347' 929
l' 766, 650
2, 580, 513
1 , 923' 850
2 ,182j 500
432j 082
187, 650
51,432, 580
2,146, 922
13^ 270,969
X
1,117, 200
2' 066' 779
5,801, 365
' 457' 877
190, 550
1, 046, 350
9, 907, 285
615' 350
242, 055
691, 550
7,190, 600
911,825
Q uincy, 111_________________
Q uincy, M a ss_______ ______
1,096, 736
6, 505, 572
180, 221
364,440
1, 276, 957
6, 870, 012
1, 073, 321
5, 231, 872
529, 7753, 695' 600
R acine, W is_________________
R eading, P a _________________
R evere, M ass_______________
R ich m on d, In d ______ ____
R ich m on d, V a______ ____ ___
R oanoke, V a ________________
R ochester, N . Y ____________
Rockford, 111_______________
R ock Islan d , 111.................. ......
4,134,138
2, 809, 366
1,118, 897
703, 017
7, 579, 286
3,108, 331
15, 683, 912
4, 281, 725
503, 515
283, 351
998, 954
108, 245
237, 706
1, 265, 595
171, 092
1, 936, 886
1,454, 917
1, 079, 729
4, 417,489
3, 808, 320
1, 227,142
940, 723
8, 844, 881
3, 279, 423
17, 620, 798
5, 736, 642
1, 583, 244
6, 391,171
4, 614, 067
1, 602,120
1, 826,139
15, 216, 203
2, 583, 996
22, 589, 418
6, 553, 423
1, 999, 890
3,109,193
1, 507,650
942, 545
598, 342
3, 625,166
l' 369| 582
7, 960, 709
2, 721, 500
' 453; 500
Sacram ento, C alif......... .............
Saginaw , M ic h ______________
S t. Joseph, M o ______________
S t. L ou is, M o _______________
S t. P au l, M in n ______________
S t. Petersburg, F la __________
Salem , M a ss_________ ______
Salt L ak e C ity , U ta h ________
San A n ton io, T e x ___________
San D iego, C alif_____________
San Francisco, C alif_________
San Jose, C alif_________ _____
S avann ah , G a _______________
S ch en ectad y, N . Y __________
Scranton, P a ___________ ____
S eattle, W ash _______________
S heboygan , W is_____________
Shreveport, L a ______________
Sioux C ity , I o w a ____________
Sioux F alls, S. D a k __________
Som erville, M a ss__________
S ou th B en d , l n d ____________
4, 674,424
3,871, 672
1, 878, 643
38, 215, 329
7, 026, 558
1, 540, 000
1, 323,125
3,930, 626
16,732, 750
11, 310, 940
33, 822, 280
2, 233, 010
2, 010, 069
2, 962, 070
3, 597, 993
30, 540, 015
1, 596,165
4, 039, 341
1, 966, 060
1, 843, 540
1, 203, 945
6, 032, 415
849,908
477,913
125, 975
4, 613,166
1, 672, 955
306, 100
396, 560
1, 346, 778
1, 567, 609
839,198
3, 682,158
308, 290
127, 065
466, 410
1, 034, 250
4, 266, 960
512, 554
807, 084
204, 380
161,185
220, 252
330, 770
5, 524, 332
4, 349, 585
2, 004, 618
42, 828, 495
8, 699, 513
1,846,100
1, 719, 685
5, 277,404
18, 300, 359
12,150,138
37, 504, 438
2, 541, 300
2,137,134
3,428,480
4, 632, 243
34, 806, 975
2,108, 719
4,846, 425
2,170, 440
2,004, 725
1,424,197
6, 363,185
8, 422, 073
2, 708, 090
686, 924
328, 450
1 N o t estim ated b y Census B ureau.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1070]
8,814, 211
3, 610, 783
768, 898
41,417, 221
10, 071, 216
2, 907, 500
2, 727,080
4,855, 845
12,190, 280
13, 877,153
46,448, 676
3, 554, 430
2,180, 050
4, 318, 270
5, 707,115
29, 070,080
2,171, 940
3, 946, 370
1, 867, 575
2, 042, 505
3, 385, 850
4,888, 660
2 E stim ate as o Ju ly 1, 1926.
3, 302, 972
l ’ 469' 116
' 374' 200
19, 228' 980
4, 529, 238
828,100
707, 000
2, 297,410
8 , 66L 556
7, 247,101
19' 944' 664
1, 301,010
1,429, 665
1, 669, 500
1, 632^495
15i 833', 350
1,037,400
2,039, 914
1,058' 750
858, 920
861, 300
2,951,350
HOUSING
157
R E P A IR S , A N D F A M IL IE S P R O V ID E D F O R , E T C ., IN T H E C A L E N D A R Y E A R 1928—Con.
Families provided
for
C ity and State
E stim ated
population,
Ju ly 1,1928
N um ber
R atio
per
10,000
Per capita
expendi
ture for
house
R ank keeping
T otal
of dwellings
city o n ly ,1928
P er capita expenditure, 1928
Fornew For re
build pairs and
ings
additions
O akland, C alif____________
O ak P ark, 111______ ______
Ogden, U ta h ______________
O klahom a C ity, O kla_____
Okmulgee, O kla
_______
O m aha, N eb r ___________
Orange, N . J_ _ . ________
Oshkosh, W is..........................
O ttum w a, Iow a________ . .
274,100
57, 700
39,100
7,104, 080
0)
222, 800
36, 500
33,200
2 27,400
2,430
745
157
2, 637
15
412
281
155
38
88. 7
129. 1
40. 2
253.4
$65. 03
157. 27
30. 75
117. 87
$6.25
3. 75
3. 73
12. 05
$71. 28
161.01
34. 48
129. 92
63
12
196
21
$29. 58
91. 26
12.18
83.68
18. 5
77. 0
46.7
13.9
37. 80
74. 19
20. 69
11.99
2. 82
10. 92
5.00
2. 38
40. 62
85. 11
25. 69
14. 37
163
49
234
273
10.13
35. 79
16.24
7.47
Paducah, K y _____________
Pasadena, Calif
. _______
Passaic, N . J_ ______ _ _
Paterson, N . J . . .
P aw tucket, R . I ___ _______
Peoria, 111._______ _______
P e rth A m boy, N . J _ _
Petersburg, V a____________
Philadelphia, Pa_ _______
Phoenix, Ariz._ _______ _
P ittsb u rg h , P a ____________
2 26,100
62, 100
71, 800
144, 900
73, 100
84, 500
50, 100
37, 800
2, 064, 200
2 42, 100
673,800
94
600
351
748
455
437
104
48
10, 576
748
2, 544
36.0
96. 6
48.9
51. 6
62.2
51. 7
20.8
12.7
51.2
177. 7
37.8
20. 21
81. 42
35.84
42.89
33.24
40.37
18. 16
11.03
48.46
133. 12
52.28
3.10
14. 38
6.80
7.88
5. 37
6. 39
9. 13
4. 02
5.91
8. 85
6.16
23. 32
95. 80
42.64
50.77
38. 61
46. 76
27.29
15.04
54. 37
141. 96
58.44
241
41
153
129
173
142
225
269
113
17
96
7.77
53.91
24.61
17.81
26.32
25.83
8. 62
4. 96
24.92
51.00
19.70
P ittsfield, M ass___________
Plainfield, N . J ___________
Pontiac, M ich ____________
P o rt A rth u r, T ex __________
P o rt H uro n , M ich .
P ortland, M e -_ ... _
P ortland, Oreg _________
Portsm ou th , Ohio
_____
P ortsm outh, Va ___________
Poughkeepsie, N . Y _______
Providence, R. I _____ _
Pueblo, Colo. ____________
50, 000
2 32, 500
61, 500
2 33, 000
2 30, 700
78, 600
(0
41, 200
61, 600
39,100
286, 300
44,200
211
311
1, 735
210
71
261
2,321
169
85
96
1,134
372
42.2
95. 7
282. 1
63.6
23. 1
33. 2
33.16
94.10
205. 48
49.89
13. 99
28. 23
3.10
12. 51
7. 77
7.12
1.03
6. 62
36.26
106. 61
213. 26
57. 01
15. 02
34. 85
187
30
7
99
270
192
22.34
63. 59
94. 33
13.88
6. 21
13.31
41.0
13.8
24.6
39.6
84.2
27.80
8.68
37. 34
46. 01
26.49
2.47
2. 49
5.24
9. 89
6. 69
30. 27
11.18
42.58
55.90
33.19
214
284
154
103
202
14.94
3. 93
17.69
25.12
20.63
Quincy, 111- . . . _______
Q uincy, M ass________ ____
39, 800
67, 600
133
977
33.4
144.5
27. 56
96.24
4. 53
5. 39
32.08
101. 63
205
33
13. 31
54.67
Racine, W i s ______________
R eading, P a ___
___ _
Revere, M ass ___________
R ichm ond, Ind_
___ _ _
R ichm ond, V a . ___ _
Roanoke, V a. ____________
Rochester, N . Y - _ ______
Rockford, 111___________
R ock Island, 111- - - - - - -
74, 400
115,400
36, 000
2 31, 000
194, 400
64, 600
328, 200
82, 800
42, 700
681
263
247
153
764
364
1, 862
779
146
91.5
22.8
68. 6
49.4
39.3
56.3
56.7
94. 1
34.2
55. 57
24.34
31.08
22. 68
38. 99
48.12
47. 79
51.71
11.79
3.81
8. 66
3.01
7. 67
6.51
2. 65
5.90
17. 57
25.29
59. 37
33.00
34.09
30. 35
45.50
50. 77
53. 69
69. 28
37.08
95
203
200
213
146
130
118
68
182
41.79
13. 06
26.14
19. 30
18. 65
21.20
24.26
32.87
10.62
Sacram ento, Calif_____ ____
Saginaw, M i c h _______ . .
St. Joseph, M o __________
St. Louis, M o _______ ____
St. Paul, M in n ___ _______
St. Petersburg, F la . _____
Salem, M a s s .. ________ . .
S alt Lake C ity, U ta h ______
San A ntonio, T e x _______
San Diego, Calif . ______
San Francisco, C alif... ___
San Jose, C alif. _
. . . ..
Savannah, G a ...
_______
Schenectady, N . Y . . . . . . . _
Scranton, P a . ____________
Seattle, W ash ____________
Sheboygan, Wis_________ _
Shreveport, L a ___ _______
Sioux, C ity, Io w a . .............
Sioux Falls, S. D a k __ ___
Somerville, M a s s . . . _______
South B e n d ,In d __________
75, 700
75, 600
78, 500
848,100
6 250,100
53, 300
43, 000
138, 000
218,100
119,700
585, 300
45, 500
99, 900
93, 300
144, 700
383, 200
35,100
81, 300
80, 000
2 31, 200
102, 700
86,100
917
577
98
7,190
773
172
120
731
2,784
2, 146
6,084
370
430
269
292
4, 658
188
713
282
211
199
579
121.1
76.3
12.5
84.8
30.9
32.3
27.9
53.0
127.6
179.3
103.9
81.3
43.0
28.8
20. 2
121.6
53.6
87.7
35.3
67.6
19.4
67.2
61. 75
51. 21
23. 93
45. 06
28. 09
28.89
30. 77
28.48
76. 72
94.49
57. 79
49. 08
20. 12
31.75
24. 87
79. 70
45. 47
49. 68
24. 58
59.09
11. 72
70.06
11.23
6. 32
1.60
5.44
6. 69
5. 74
9. 22
9. 76
7.19
7.01
6. 29
6. 78
1.27
5.00
7.15
11.14
14.60
9. 93
2. 55
5.17
2.14
3.84
*12. 98
60
97
235
131
194
195
166
176
50
34
85
104
246
183
206
44
43.63
19.43
4. 77
22. 67
18.11
15. 54
16. 44
16. 65
39.71
60.54
34.08
28. 59
14.31
17.89
11. 28
41.32
29.56
25.09
13.23
27.53
8.39
34.28
6 E stim ate of Ju ly 1,1927.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1071]
57. 53
25. 54
50. 50
34. 78
34.64
39. 99
38.24
83.91
101. 50
64. 08
55. 85
21.39
36. 75
32.01
90. 83
60. 08
59.61
27.13
64. 25
13. 87
73.90
I
94
226
84
276
55
158
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
T a b l e 5 .—T O T A L A N D P E R C A P IT A E X P E N D IT U R E S F O R N E W B U IL D IN G S A N D F O R
T otal expenditures
E xpenditure
for new
housekeeping
dwellings
only,
1928
Expenditure
for new
buildings,
1928
E xpenditure
for repairs
and addi
tions,
1928
Spokane, W a s h ............ .
Springfield, 111________
Springfield, M ass_____
Springfield, M o _______
Springfield, O hio______
Stam ford, C o n n_______
Steubenville, Ohio____
Stockton, C alif________
Superior, W is_________
Syracuse, N . Y ................
$4, 879, 063
3, 319,125
4, 956, 324
1, 366, 035
1,407, 564
4, 009, 610
1, 151, 595
1,411, 142
1, 665, 705
11, 861, 603
$857, 715
420,028
1, 020, 475
249, 620
149, 203
1, 185, 668
41, 815
363, 724
186, 447
1, 358, 826
$5, 736, 778
3, 739,153
5, 976, 799
1, 615, 655
1, 556, 767
5,195, 278
1,193, 410
1,774, 866
1, 852,152
13, 220, 429
1, 693, 927
6,042, 716
1, 856, 435
2,803, 347
1,277, 019
21,990, 371
Tacoma, W ash_____ . . .
T am pa, F la __________
T a unto n , M ass_______
T erre H au te, In d ______
Toledo, O hio_________
T opeka, Kans__.............
T renton, N . J _________
Troy, N . Y ___________
Tucson, A riz____ ____ _
T ulsa, O kla___________
4,026, 470
3,042, 030
768, 247
605,195
14,463, 296
1,832, 950
3, 314, 867
1, 061, 600
2, 726, 395
12, 697, 207
633,945
575, 024
114, 250
368, 292
2, 882, 899
158, 564
791, 054
262, 064
168, 996
713, 844
4, 660, 415
3, 617, 054
882, 497
973, 487
17, 346, 195
1, 991, 514
4,105, 921
1,323, 664
2.895, 391
13,411, 051
4, 764, 728
6,145, 201
1,055, 999
1,212, 771
15, 513, 710
2,222, 196
4, 539, 632
3, 206, 057
2, 322, 550
14, 791, 854
2, 546, 000
1, 620,260
215, 300
336, 050
6,658,125
1,187, 550
1.172.100
786, 750
1,102, 972
7, 613,800
U nion C ity, N . J ______
U tica, N . Y ___________
749, 085
3,475,465
371, 671
441, 505
1,120, 756
3,916, 970
3,409, 526
3,381,105
326, 300
2.140.100
C ity and State
Vallejo, C alif_________
1928
1927
$3, 656, 500
3, 770, 303
8, 905, 819
( 3)
$2, 244,025
1, 929, 900
2, 776, 050
677, 275
987, 550
2, 244, 550
708, 000
809, 210
551,850
8, 000, 200
372,488
69, 359
441, 847
492, 898
182, 950
Waco, T ex__............ .......
W altham , M a s s ............
W arren, O hio_________
W ashington, D . C _____
W aterbury, C onn_____
W aterloo, Iow a_______
W atertow n, M ass_____
W atertow n, N . Y _____
W est N ew Y ork, N . J ..
W heeling, W . V a______
W hite Plains, N . Y ___
W ichita, K a n s________
W ichita Falls, T ex ____
W ilkes-Barre, P a ______
W ilkinsburg, P a ______
W illiam sport, P a ______
W ilm ington, D e l______
W ilm ington, N . C _____
W inston-Salem, N . C__
W oonsocket, R. I _____
W orcester, M a s s ...........
1,997,020
2, 285, 970
1, 667,940
50, 284,426
2, 944,450
2,460, 584
2, 729, 425
931, 030
1, 272, 875
1, 331, 806
12,093, 064
7, 323, 978
1, 315,400
3, 233, 464
1,810, 556
1, 733, 765
4,447, 657
592, 500
8,001, 722
464,470
5, 772, 236
294, 319
191,085
143, 680
3,690, 553
543, 850
261, 610
94, 670
221,419
355, 510
635, 682
539,142
650, 243
596, 012
662, 881
105, 005
347,175
1,129,452
156, 000
529, 306
454,073
1,488, 084
2, 291,339
2,477, 055
1,811, 620
53,974, 979
3,488, 300
2, 722,194
2,824, 095
1,152, 449
1, 628, 385
1,967, 488
12, 632, 206
7,974, 221
1,911,412
3.896, 345
1,915, 561
2,080,940
5,577,109
748, 500
8,531, 028
918, 543
7,260, 320
1, 573, 641
2, 217,925
1,425,474
39, 263,477
5,015, 638
1,151, 981
4, 281, 230
756, 204
1,685, 293
3,014,131
10,125, 792
5,848,942
4, 050, 687
4,934, 339
1,932, 390
2, 732, 695
6,805, 900
552,125
6,539,187
1,360,179
8,814, 669
631, 003
1, 744, 300
1, 084, 830
29, 601, 350
1,963, 500
848, 700
2, 246,800
278,800
577, 000
641, 280
6, 365, 600
3, 976,615
900, 788
753, 540
1, 009, 095
730, 090
2, 307,463
Y onkers, N . Y ________
Y ork, P a _____________
Youngstown, Ohio____
34,373, 299
1,347,932
8,108, 260
1, 245, 525
717,117
529,415
35, 618,824
2,065, 049
8, 637, 675
32, 585, 888
1, 588,854
9, 007,160
29, 553,210
575, 300
5, 043,935
222, 000
3, 597, 360
271,300
2, 509, 535
Zanesville, Ohio_______
475, 276
72, 788
548,064
1, 021,100
372, 785
T o tal___________
3, 098, 940, 040
324, 644, 421
3,423, 584,461
3, 593, 839,405
1, 762, 452, 315
1 N o t estim ated b y Census Bureau.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1072]
2 E stim ate as of Ju ly 1, 1926.
159
HOUSING
R E P A IR S , A N D F A M IL IE S P R O V ID E D F O R , E T C ., IN T H E C A L E N D A R Y E A R 1928—Con.
Families provided
for
C ity and State
E stim ated
population,
Ju ly 1,1928
N um ber
R atio
per
10,000
For new For re
build pairs and Total
additions
ings
119
106
167
211
247
23
185
193
$20. 57
28. 72
18.53
13.10
13. 53
51.25
21. 72
15.87
6.82
$52. 58
55.64
39. 90
31.25
21. 33
118. 61
36.61
34. 80
_
66. 33
75
40.14
5.74
5.07
2. 81
5.01
9.20
2. 52
5. 69
3.62
6.15
4.19
42.18
31.90
21.74
13.24
55.38
31.71
29.54
18.31
105. 29
78. 66
156
207
245
278
108
209
217
259
31
52
23.04
14.29
5.30
4. 57
21.26
18. 91
8.43
10.88
40.11
44. 66
11.63
33. 35
5. 77
4.24
17.40
37. 59
263
179 .
5.07
20.54
38.0
97. 6
84.8
78.0
42.85
61.62
46.20
91. 09
6.32
5.15
3.98
6.69
49.17
66. 77
50. 18
97. 78
135
74
132
37
13.54
47.02
30.05
53.63
Spokane, W a s h .., ....
Springfield, 111_____ ______
Springfield, M ass_____
Springfield, M o .
. _____
_______
Springfield, Ohio
Stamford, Conn . . ______
Steubenville, O hio__ _ . .
Stockton, Calif . ..................
Superior, W is
Syracuse, N . Y ___ _______
$109,100
67, 200
149, 800
51, 700
73, 000
43, 800
a 32, 600
51, 000
(i)
199, 300
574
352
647
305
315
331
191
226
136
1,561
52.6
52.4
43. 2
59.0
43.2
75.6
58.6
44.3
$44. 72
49. 39
33. 09
26.42
19. 28
91. 54
35. 33
27. 67
$7. 86
6. 25
6.81
4. 83
2.04
27.07
1. 28
7.13
78.3
59. 52
Tacom a, W ash .
_______
T am pa, F la .. . __________
T aunton, M ass_____ ______
Terre H au te, In d ___ . . . .
Toledo, O hio.
________
Topeka, H ans . _ _ _____
T renton, N . J
. . . . . . . ..
T roy, N . Y . _____________
Tucson, A r iz ___ . . . . . . .
T ulsa, O kla.
_________ _
110, 500
113,400
40, 600
73, 500
313, 200
62,800
139, 000
72, 300
2 27, 500
170, 500
822
647
60
113
1,698
304
223
157
336
2,187
74.4
57.1
14.8
15.4
54.2
48.4
16.0
21.7
122.2
128.3
36.44
26. 83
18. 92
8. 23
46.18
29.19
23. 85
14. 68
99.14
74. 47
U nion C ity, N . J ___
___
U tica, N . Y _____: _________
64,400
104,200
84
342
13.0
32.8
(i)
Per capita
expendi
tu re for
house
R ank keeping
dwellings
of
city o n ly ,1928
Per capita expenditure, 1928
43
177
362
306
4,305
504
270
454
53
170
125
856
1, 207
222
174
90
169
365
64
965
79
474
72.8
172.0
15. 7
41.5
66. 32
103. 39
27. 63
31.05
7.05
3.59
6.57
8.67
73. 37
106. 97
34. 20
39. 72
58
28
198
170
22. 88
85. 11
8. 27
14. 07
298.3
121. 6
421. 36
73. 76
18.79
6. 55
440.15
80. 30
1
51
221. 80
40.05
W ilkes-Barre, P a _______
W ilkinsburg, P a __________
W illiam sport, P a _______
W ilm ington, D el__________
W ilm ington, N . C _________
Winston-Salem, N . C ___ _
W oonsocket, R. I ________
W orcester, M ass. _______
46, 600
37,100
2 36,100
552, 000
(l)
37,100
2 26,400
33, 700
2 41, 000
(9
2 28, 700
99, 300
(l)
91, 900
2 28, 000
44, 000
128, 500
39,100
80, 000
53, 400
197, 600
18.9
32. 1
38.4
28.4
16.4
120.6
14.8
24.0
35. 18
64. 66
39. 40
34. 61
15.15
100. 02
8.70
29. 21
7. 21
3. 75
7. 89
8. 79
3.99
6.62
8.50
7.53
42. 40
68. 41
47. 29
43.40
19.14
106.64
17. 20
36.74
155
70
140
150
256
29
264
184
8. 20
36.04
16.59
17. 96
5.68
44. 97
5.08
12.70
Y onkers, N . Y _______ . . .
Y ork, P a ------------------------Y oungstow n, Ohio_______
121, 300
49, 900
174, 200
4,216
144
929
347.6
28.9
53.3
283. 37
27. 01
46.55
10.27
14. 37
3.04
293.64
41. 38
49. 58
2
158
134
243.64
11.53
28.95
2 30, 600
138
45.1
15. 53
2.38
17.91
262
44, 940, 049
399, 657
88.9
68.96
7. 22
76. 18
Waco, T e x . . . . ________ ..
W altham , M ass _________
W arren, O h io ... ________
W ashington, D . C _________
W aterloo, Io w a . _________
W atertow n, M ass_________
W atertow n, N . Y _ . . . . .
W est N ew Y ork, N . J . ___
W hite Plains, N . Y _______
W ichita K a n s ____________
Zanesville, O h io _____
T o t a l.. ____________
3 D a ta not collected.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1073]
12.18
39.22
COOPERATION
M e m b e rsh ip a n d S a le s o f C o n su m e r s’ C o o p erativ e S o c ie tie s
T
H E M arch, 1929, issue of Cooperation, periodical of the Coopera
tive League of the U nited States of America, contains a tabula
tion showing for 23 of the larger consumers’ cooperative societies (20
retail associations and 3 wholesales) the sales, membership, and net
gain for the years 1927 and 1928. These data are reproduced in the
table below. As the table shows, all of the societies had sales of more
than $100,000 during the year 1928, seven had sales of more than
$500,000, and three had sales of a million dollars or more.
M E M B E R S H IP A N D B U S IN E S S O F C O N S U M E R S ’ C O O P E R A T IV E S O C IE T IE S , 1927 A N D
1928
M em ber
ship
Income
N e t gain
State and society
1927
California:
F o rt Bragg Cooperative M ercantile Co., F o rt
B ragg----------------------------------------- -------- -------- 290
Illinois:
C ooperative T rading Co., W aukegan________ __ 1,240
M assachusetts:
U nited Cooperative Society, M ay n a rd _________
755
U nited Cooperative Society, F itch b u rg _____ . . .
600
U nited C ooperative Society, N o rw o o d .. _______ 200
M ichigan:
Soo Cooperative M ercantile Association, Sault
Ste. M arie
... ... . . . .
_
_ _____
580
Rock Cooperative Co., Rock __ _____________
374
F arm ers’ Cooperative T rading Co., H ancock___
772
M innesota:
F ran k lin Cooperative Cream ery Association,
M inneapolis___ ____ ____ ___________________ 4, 769
C loquet Cooperative Society, Cloquet _ _____ 1,117
W ork People’s Trading Co., Virginia.................... . 861
N ebraska:
Farm ers’ U nion State Exchange, Omaha (whole
sale)___ _____ _____
__________ _*____ 0)
N ew York:
Consum ers’ C ooperative Services, N ew Y ork___ 2, 838
Cooperative Trading Association, B rooklyn.
1,968
U nited W orkers Cooperative A ssociation,2 New
Y ork____________________
_ ___________ 1,800
C ooperative Bakeries of B rooklyn & E astern
N ew Y ork, B ro o k ly n .
...
. . . ___ . . . 1,100
R ussian W orkers’ Cooperative Stores, B rooklyn.
120
A m algam ated Cooperative Service Corporation,
N ew Y o rk __
______________ . . _ ______ 133
Ohio:
N o rth Star Cooperative Store Co., F airp o rt H a r
bor __ __ _______
_______
_.
C)
N ew Cooperative Co., D illonvale______________
410
W ashington:
Grange W arehouse Co., K e n t___ ______________
250
Grange Cooperative Wholesale, Seattle_________ 4 17
W isconsin:
Cooperative C entral Exchange, Superior.......... .
4 51
1 No d ata.
2 Store d ep artm en t only.
160
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1928
1927
1928
1927
290
$159,454
1, 350
579, 618
679,198
24,136
24,170
686
600
205
338,488
332, 746
113, 741
350, 000
319, 322
110,182
12, 589
10,949
1,371
13, 395
10,425
1,632
585
395
772
602, 847
144, 864
136,091
645, 862
178, 593
145,121
39, 886
12, 272
3, 544
37,011
16,175
6,685
4, 632
1,275
961
3, 341, 740
516, 278
316, 877
3,410, 397
545,152
373, 477
67,499
16,980
11,226
95, 521
17, 884
11,875
$175, 252 $15, 568
$9, 330
6, 300
1, 618, 288
1, 775,849
49, 096
37,930
3,152
2,114
530,156
428,121
611, 044
451, 070
34,611
11, 730
34,056
1,733
(')
202,298
413,806
11, 396
9,785
1,100
138
394, 793
149, 784
371,312
185,191
4,837
3,300
1,815
2,313
152, 747
(3)
3,722
150
(3)
(i)
350
449, 361
372,199
459, 514
218, 756
17, 284
11,216
14, 242
1,460
250
4 15
196,163
105,881
223, 290
109, 862
5,947
1, 786
3,293
1,321
1, 255,676
1, 517,813
18, 335
0)
3 In operation only a short tim e in 1927
4 Affiliated societies.
[1074]
1928
(>)
161
COOPERATION
D e v e lo p m e n t o f th e C re d it-U n io n M o v em en t in 1928
H E year 1928 was m arked by a rem arkable developm ent in the
credit-union m ovement. This is to-day perhaps the m ost rapidly
increasing branch of the cooperative m ovem ent in the U nited States.
M uch of this growth, however, is due to the activities of the Credit
Union N ational Extension Bureau, the N ational Service Relations
Council of the Post Office D epartm ent, and the encouragem ent of
some of the larger labor unions, such as the Brotherhood of Railway
Clerks.
The 1928 issues of The Bridge (Boston) list 368 credit unions as
having been established during th a t year. These are located, by
States, as follows:
T
N um ber
A lab am a________________________
A rk a n sa s________________________
C alifornia_______________________
D istric t of C o lu m b ia_____________
G eorgia__________________________
Illin o is__________________________
In d ia n a _________
Io w a ____________________________
K e n tu c k y _______________________
L o u isian a________________________
M ain e___________________________
M a ssach u setts___________________
M ichigan ________________________
M in n e so ta _______________________
M issouri_________________________
N e b ra sk a ________________________
41
1
12
1
30
30
16
17
4
3
1
35
23
31
24
4
N um ber
N ew H a m p sh ire _________________
N ew J e rse y ______________________
N ew Y o rk _______________________
N o rth C aro lin a__________________
O hio____________________________
O klah o m a_______________________
O regon__________________________
R hode Is la n d ____________________
T ennessee_______________________
U ta h ____________________________
V irginia_________________________
W est V irg in ia___________________
W isconsin_______________________
3
7
14
23
2
1
3
3
8
3
17
4
7
T o ta l_____________________ 368
A report (Bui. No. 9) of the director of service relations in the
Post Office D epartm ent states th a t from October 1, 1927, to Decem
ber 31, 1928, the num ber of credit unions among employees in the
Postal Service increased from 83 to 190, a gain of 107. D uring the
same period the membership rose from 16,257 to 25,397, the assets
from $1,001,535 to $1,770,952, and the loans granted from $3,183,890
to $6,329,736.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1075]
LABOR CONGRESSES
C o n v e n tio n of W o rk ers’ E d u c a tio n B u r e a u , 1929
H E sixth national convention of the W orkers’ E ducation Bureau
was held in W ashington, D. C., April 5-7, 1929.
The opening session was addressed by William Green, president
of the American Federation of Labor. He expressed the belief th a t a
trade-unionist “ is a stronger force for good if he is an educated
trade-unionist.” While it is desired th a t ideals be reached a t once,
hum an experience has shown th a t there is “ no short cut to the
m illenium.”
He referred to some “ who would have us follow some other policy
than th a t adopted by the American Federation of Labor in con
ventions assembled. M any of them are honest in their judgm ent,
sincere in their protestations, and earnest in their enthusiastic en
deavors to persuade the American Federation of Labor to follow some
other course; b u t * * * we are not to be diverted from our
fixed purpose to raise and advance, through practical, tried means
and methods, the economic, social, and industrial interests of the
workers of our great country.”
F urther on Air. Green said:
“ We are engaged in preserving our m ovement, not in tearing it
down. We are not blind. We are endeavoring to understand the
trend of the times, arid while we concede to every institution the
right to follow such academic policies as it m ay outline, we reserve to
ourselves the right to withhold support, financially or otherwise, to
an institution th a t would ridicule our philosophy, ignore it, and con
demn its leaders, and thus undermine the confidence th a t the rank
and file should have in those who lead them.
“ Now, regarding education, I repeat again, if I m ay, th a t we are
deeply interested in workers’ education, and we do not w ant to
restrict the workers in their examination of facts, b u t we w ant to
carry to them every opportunity to equip themselves w ith the power
of knowledge so they m ay succeed. ”
In closing his rem arks M r. Green expressed his sincere sym pathy
with the work of the convention and in the purposes and policies of
the W orkers’ Education Bureau, pledging his support to th a t agency
as follows:
T
So fa r as I am able to help it, it w ill'be helped. So fa r as I am able to raise m y
voice in its behalf it will be raised. A nd on th e o th e r h a n d le t no m an deceive
him self t h a t w hen foes a tta c k us, le t th e m be professing frien d s or open foes
com ing in th e lig h t of d a y or th e d ark n ess of n ig h t, vd ieth er in sheep or w olf’s
clothing* th e voice of th e A m erican F e d e ra tio n of L ab o r will be raised a n d we
will strik e back w henever we need to do so.
In the judgm ent of M r. Jam es H. M aurer, the president of the
W orkers’ Education Bureau since its establishm ent in 1921, who
spoke after M r. Green, the function of workers’ education is to
162
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1076]
LABOR CONGRESSES
163
“ rip free the dogmas and illusions which clutter up the social sciences
in order to present to the workers an understanding of social life
th a t will m ake possible an analytical survey of existing institutions. ’
H e held th a t for the last two years the workers’ education m ovem ent
has been losing ground. He attributed this in p a rt to w hat he re
garded as a denial by the American Federation of Labor_ th a t the
fundam ental purpose of such education was intelligent guidance to
“ a new social order. ” 1
Referring to the exclusion of Brookwood Labor College from
continued affiliation with the W orkers’ E ducation Bureau M r.
M aurer asserted:
I f th e w orkers’ ed u catio n m ovem ent, in conven tio n assem bled, will condone
th e suppression of one of its m o st successful a n d in flu en tial en terp rises a n d n o t
m ake effective p ro te st to th e la b o r m ovem ent, i t m ay ju s t as well fold u p its
te n ts a n d go hom e. T h ere w o u ld n ’t be enough sp irit le ft in th e m o v em en t to
keep it going for a n o th e r y e a r .1
Report of the Executive Committee
O n t h e a f t e r n o o n of April 5 the report of the bureau’s executive
comm ittee was subm itted. This report briefly records the progress
of the American worker’s education m ovem ent since the last biennial
convention in 1927 and summarizes some of the problems faced by the
m ovem ent during th a t period. According to this^ official document
such record shows greater success “ in the closer linking of the workers’
education m ovem ent w ith the needs of wage earners.”
Among the subjects discussed in the section on activities of the
bureau are educational advice, field and district' representatives,
research, publications, cooperation of the public library, cooperative
book service, registry of teachers and research work, and workers’
loan library.
A topical sum m ary is given below of th a t p a rt of the report which
deals w ith the general development of workers’ education in the
U nited States.
State federations of labor.—In 1927-28 there was less activity
among State federations of labor in behalf of workers’ education, due
in p a rt to the severe unem ploym ent conditions in certain localities.
Of th e S ta te s w hich in 1927 h a d ed u c a tio n a l d irectors, C alifornia, C olorado,
W yom ing, a n d P en n sy lv a n ia rem ain. In th e S ta te s of C olorado a n d W yom ing,
how ever, th e p ro je c t fo r a jo in t d irecto r fo r b o th S ta te s suffered a n in te rru p tio n
for a period of tim e w ith th e re su lt t h a t th e w ork w hich w as b eing carried on
has suffered. In th e S ta te s of N ew Jersey , M assach u setts, P en n sy lv an ia, a n d
O regon, a n d th e S outh, th e re h a v e been provisions for local ed u c a tio n a l directo rs
w ho are d ev o tin g p a r t o r all of th e ir tim e to th is a c tiv ity w hose resp ectiv e w ork
has been, in m an y w ays, n o ta b le in c h aracter.
The S tate federations of labor of California, Oklahoma, and Wis
consin, the com m ittee thinks, deserve special m ention for their recent
outstanding efforts in the cause of workers’ education, special indorse
m ent being given by the 1928 convention of the American Federation
of Labor to the successful cooperative educational activities of the
U niversity of California and the federation of labor of th a t State.
T h e reco rd of th e p a s t five y ears is a reco rd of g ratify in g ach ie v em en t. T h ere
h as n o t been th e slig h test effort on th e p a r t of th e u n iv e rsity to exercise co ntrol
¡New Y ork Times, New Y ork, A pr. 6, 1929, p. 16.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1077]
164
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
over th e classes w hich h av e been sta rte d . T h ere h as been a full m easure of
cooperation on th e p a r t of th e la b o r m o v em en t a n d th e S ta te in su p p o rt of th e
plan. P a u l S charrenberg, se c re ta ry of th e S ta te fed eratio n , h as a u th o riz e d th e
s ta te m e n t t h a t he is “ fully satisfied w ith C alifornia p lan , w h ereb y we cooperate
w ith th e S ta te u n iv e rsity in la b o r e d u c a tio n .” T h e o nly criticism t h a t h as been
raised h as been th e in a b ility to arouse a larg er n u m b e r of w orkers in th e S ta te to
th e use of th e facilities w hich h a v e th u s been provided.
Educational committees.—An increase is reported in the num ber of
educational com m ittees of central labor unions, of which there are
now 270 as compared to 260 in 1927.
Labor jorum s.—Open labor forums have been held in the period
under review by the Baltim ore Labor College, the Denver Labor
College, the New H aven Trades Council, and the D etroit Federation
of Labor. A forum is to be established in D urham , N. C. In Ohio
an am bitious plan for the developm ent of forums has been formulated
under the direction of the educational advisor of the federation of
labor of th a t State.
Week-end conferences.—Since its 1927 convention the bureau has
record of the holding of 32 week-end labor conferences in various
parts of the country, seven of these being called specifically for the
discussion of unem ploym ent while several others dealt with this
problem in connection w ith some other im portant subject—for exam
ple, the 5-day week, the injunction, and social insurance.
Among other subjects taken up a t these week-end conferences w ere:
Old-age pensions, youth and the labor m ovem ent, new wage policy
of the American Federation of Labor, poverty, workers’ education,
labor organization, the menace of the unorganized, the rem edy for the
textile industry, the newer relationships between capital and labor,
trade-union psychology, and “ Do savings cause depression?”
Labor institutes.—In the summer of 1927 there were three institutes
at Brookwood College, one for the United Textile Workers, one for
the women’s auxiliaries to trade-unions, and a third to discuss the
economics of the building industry.
A week’s (evening) institute for the discussion of labor problems
was arranged for by the educational director of the Wyoming Federa
tion of Labor and held a t Rock Spring.
In the summ er of 1928 two additional labor institutes were carried
on under the auspices of the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the International
Association of M achinists, one being conducted at K atonah, N. Y.,
and the other a t A tlanta, Ga.
Labor chautauquas.—The labor chautauqua was first tried out in
Pennsylvania coal-mining communities. In the summer of 1927
M r. Paul W. Fuller directed two labor chautauquas, one in Passaic
and the other in Paterson, N. J., the results of which are declared
“ sufficiently encouraging” to include such gatherings among the
m ethods of stim ulating the interest of wage earners in labor problems.
Workers’ colleges and study classes.—The executive comm ittee still
holds to its conviction of two years ago th a t the im portant nucleus
of the whole m ovem ent continues to be the local nonresident study
class or workers’ college. The com m ittee confesses, however, th a t
“ it is impossible for anyone to state accurately how m any study classes
are in session in any one y ear.”
T he to ta l aggregate n u m b e r of groups of stu d y classes a b o u t th e c o u n try
in all ed u catio n al groups, how ever, will p ro b a b ly n o t be considerably u n d er our
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1 0 7 8 ]
LABOE, C O N G R E SS E S
165
estim ate of tw o years ago. In ro u n d nu m b ers th is m ig h t rep re se n t betw een
30,000 a n d 35,000 stu d e n ts a t th e p re se n t tim e d istrib u te d in stu d y g roups in
classes in a t least 40 S ta te s of th e U nion. Some new S ta te s h av e also been ad d ed
to th e list. If th e s tu d y class itself be ta k e n as a u n it in stead of th e la b o r college
w hich is a collection of stu d y classes, th e n u m b e r of classes w ould p ro b ab ly to ta l
ap p ro x im ately 250 a t th e p resen t tim e.
Summer schools.—In addition to the labor institutes and week-end
conferences conducted during the summers of 1927 and 1928, the
following workers’ schools were also carried on:
Sum m er School for W om en W orkers in In d u stry , B ry n M aw r, P a.
B a rn ard S um m er School fo r W om en W orkers, New Y ork.
C olorado W orkers S um m er School, D enver, Colo.
Sum m er School for W om en W orkers in In d u s try (M iddle W estern), M adison,
Wis.
S outhern Sum m er School for W om en W orkers, Sw eet B riar, Va., 1927, an d
B urnsville, N. C., 1928.
T h e L eague Sum m er School (for wage earners), M iller’s P o in t, N. Y.
C asp ar L ab o r In s titu te , C aspar, W vo.
In 1928, under the auspices of the Southern Summer School, at
Burnsville, N. C., the first interstate labor conference was held.
Resident labor colleges.—Brief accounts are given by the executive
comm ittee concerning Brookwood Labor College, K atonah, N. Y.,
and Commonwealth College, M ena, Ark., and in a separate section
of the report the comm ittee gives its version of the recent controversy
between the American Federation of Labor and the Brookwood
Labor College. (This dispute was referred to in the account of the
1928 convention of the American Federation of Labor, in the Labor
Review, January, 1929, p. 106.)
Women’s auxiliaries.—The three institutes held under the auspices
of the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the International Association of M achinists
have already been referred to. The educational activities of this
body of women have aroused the interest of other auxiliaries to the
possibility of their undertaking a somewhat similar program. I t is
estim ated th a t there are about 100,000 wives, sisters, and daughters in
trade-union auxiliaries.
In Springfield, Mass., there is the W omen’s Economic _Council
which is an auxiliary educational body composed of the wives^ and
families of trade-unionists. Lectures and social and recreational
features are included in their educational program. In the beginning
the Central Labor Union made a small grant to carry on the council’s
activities, b u t this outside assistance is no longer _necessary as the
auxiliary has now become sufficiently self-supporting to finance its
own work.
Problems of American Workers’ Education
Curriculum.—The committee stressed the im portance of the cur
riculum in workers’ education and referred to the recent results of
the research of Edw ard C. Lindeman which are embodied in a
pam phlet entitled “ W hat W orkers S tudy.” The following analysis
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1079]
166
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
of 1,277 workers’ education courses in tlie United States from
1920-1927, inclusive, are taken from this publication:
N U M BER AND PER
C E N T O P W O R K E R S ’ E D U C A T IO N
S U B JE C T S , 1920-1927
N um
ber
Subject of course
Language an d expression__________
Economics
____________ ____ _
Sociology__ .
................. ..............
L abor and trade-unionism . . . ___
P s y c h o l o g y ___
__________
Politics, governm ent la w __ - ____
H istory (other th a n labor a n d eco
nom ics)________________________
T he a rts_________________ _____
Per
cent
383
215
141
136
85
60
30.0
16. 8
11.0
10.6
6. 7
4. 7
54
40
4. 2
3.0
C O U R S E S O N S P E C IF I E D
Subject of course
Science and m athem atics
H ealth, etcW om en’s interests
G eography. _
P h ilo s o p h y __
M iscellaneous__
-
T otal
N um
ber
Per
cent
37
20
19
11
6
70
3.0
1.5
1.5
1.0
1,277
100.0
5.5
Other ‘p roblems.—Included in the workers’ education problems in
the U nited States were the relation of labor colleges to the labor
m ovem ent, teaching m ethods and teacher training, textbooks and
pam phlets, mass education and the radio, health education, dram atic
art, and the financing of the workers’ education m ovem ent.
interest of Washington (D. C.) Public Library in Workers’ Education
D r . G e o r g e B o w e r m a n , director of the W ashington Public
Library, in his address a t the second session of the convention,
expressed the great interest of th a t institution in labor schools and
colleges and voiced his regret th a t the local workers’ school had been
abandoned and th a t there was no such school at the C apital at the
present time.
Field reports were m ade from Passaic and Paterson, the New
England area, California, the Southern Summer School, and on
week-end conferences.
Amendments to the Constitution
A f t e r s t r o n g protests from representatives of certain labor
colleges the constitution of the W orkers’ Education Bureau was
amended to provide th a t the m ajority of the members of the bureau’s
executive comm ittee be elected by duly accredited delegates a t large,
instead of being selected or elected by certain groups such as the
workers’ study classes and trade-union colleges.
Israel M ufson, of the Philadelphia Labor College, had contended
th a t the adoption of this am endm ent would m ean the control of the
W orkers’ Education Bureau by the international unions. A. J.
M uste held th a t the am endm ent proposed in the m ajority report of
the comm ittee on constitution was seemingly democratic b u t in
reality would create an autocracy unless the right of the smaller
groups to select members of the executive comm ittee was definitely
safeguarded. M atthew Woll had already explained th a t the recom
mended changes in the constitution would not exclude com petent
representatives of study classes and labor colleges from the executive
committee of the W orkers’ Education Com m ittee, and pledged
his support to such delegates in their efforts to secure membership
on the comm ittee if they were capable.
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LABOR CONGRESSES
167
According to Jam es H . M aurer, the presiding officer of the session,
the proposed amendm ents would cause irremediable injury to the
workers’ education m ovem ent, and if the changes were m ade he
would refuse to preside at future sessions.
Election of Officers
T h o m a s B u r k e , secretary-treasurer of the U nited Association of
Plum bers and Steam F itters, was elected president of the education
bureau, and Spencer M iller, jr., was reelected secretary.
Dinner Session
S p e a k e r s on the program at the dinner session on April 6 were
D r. L. F . Jacks, principal of M anchester College, Oxford, England;
D r. F rank M ann, president of the American Council of Education;
and Theodore G. Risley, Solicitor of the U nited States D epartm ent
of Labor; former United States R epresentative Edw ard K eating
served as toastm aster.
P ro g ra m o f Q u e e n sla n d T ra d e -U n io n C o n g re ss
N D U STR IA L and Labor Inform ation (Geneva), in the issue of
January 7, 1929, quotes from a Queensland daily paper the
following program of im m ediate demands adopted a t its fifth annual
session by the Queensland T ra d e -U n io n Congress, m eeting in Bris
bane from October 5 to October 9, 1928:
I
1. T h a t th e im m ed iate objective of th e in d u s tria l m o v em en t be th e 44-hour
2. T h a t th e im m ed iate ob jectiv e of th e m o v em en t be a basic w age eq u al to
th e cost of th e P id d in g to n C om m ission’s sta n d a rd of living [£5 16s. a week] plus
a n a m o u n t eq u iv a le n t to th e av erag e y early increase in th e p ro d u c tiv ity of th e
w orkers since t h a t s ta n d a rd w as fixed.
.
3. T h e ab o litio n of all piecew ork, ta s k a n d b o n u s sy stem s in all in d u stries.
4. T h e engagem ent of all lab o r th ro u g h th e u n ions based on th e e q u alizatio n
sj-^tem ^e
eal of ^ ie g^ate a n d F ed eral a rb itra tio n acts, a n d th e sim plification
of all w age co n tra c ts b y th e m eth o d of d irect n eg o tiatio n b etw een em ployers
a n d em ployees.
6. T h e im m ediate socialization a n d control of all b a n k in g a n d insurance
businesses.
7. T h e socialization of m edical services.
The congress also passed resolutions indorsing the policy of the
full basic wage for workers during periods of unem ploym ent and
illness, urging special endeavors to organize foreign workers, and
providing for a review of the whole industrial situation in the prin
cipal industries, w ith a view to reorganization of the trade-unions,
forming amalgamations where possible.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1081 ]
INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES
S tr ik e s a n d L o c k o u ts in th e U n ite d S t a t e s in M arc h , 1929
ATA regarding industrial disputes in the United States for
M arch, 1929, w ith comparable data for preceding m onths are
presented below. Disputes involving fewer than six workers and
lasting less than one day have been om itted.
The bureau is dependent upon trade journals, newspapers, and
labor periodicals for notices of strikes. These reports are followed
up by correspondence and when necessary by personal visits of repre
sentatives of the Conciliation Service or of this bureau.
Table 1 is a sum m ary table showing for each of the m onths—
January, 1927, to M arch, 1929, inclusive—the num ber of disputes
which began in those m onths, the num ber in effect at the end of each
m onth, and the num ber of workers involved. I t also shows, in the
last column, the economic loss (in m an-days) involved. The num ber
of workdays lost is com puted by m ultiplying the num ber of workers
affected in each dispute by the length of the dispute m easured in
working days as normally worked by the industry or trade in question.
D
table
1 .— IN D U S T R IA L D IS P U T E S B E G IN N IN G IN A N D IN E F F E C T A T E N D OF E A C H
M O N T H , JA N U A R Y , 1927, TO M A R C H , 1929
ber of workers in
N u m b er of disputes N um
volved in disputes
M o n th and year
Begin
ning in
m onth
In effect
a t end
of m onth
Begin
ning in
m onth
In effect
a t end
of m onth
N um ber
of
m an-days
lost
during
m onth
1927
J a n u a ry ___________________ ____ ________ . . .
F e b ru a ry ,
___ _ _________________ _
M arch_________
_______ .
.. _
A pril . . . __________________ _________ _.
M a y , _______________________ _____ ___
Ju n e _______________________________________
J u ly _______________________________________
A ugust _ __ _
.......
S e p te m b e r.. _____________________________
October _________
.
.....................
N ovem ber____
..
___________
D ecem ber______________________ __________
37
65
74
87
107
80
65
57
57
5%
27
28
18
45
67
88
116
88
63
53
58
58
51
54
5,915
9, 756
13,142
202, 406
22,245
18, 957
33, 994
8,150
12, 282
13, 024
5,282
4,281
2, 287
5,717
8,182
199, 701
200, 702
196, 323
199, 287
198,444
196, 829
82, 095
82, 607
81,229
58,125
115,229
214,283
5,265,420
5,136, 006
4, 863, 345
5, 308,123
4, 999, 751
4,945, 702
2, 724,117
2, 040,140
2,129,153
43
47
34
62
72
40
53
57
48
49
43
22
62
61
63
70
74
64
60
59
48
43
39
36
18,263
33, 602
7, 145
143, 834
15, 138
20, 941
17, 232
8, 279
8,041
26, 615
37, 650
5, 346
81, 676
104, 883
78, 362
134, 382
136, 094
134, 406
134, 102
129, 210
63, 650
41, 420
38, 553
36,196
2,135, 092
2,155, 559
2, 343, 415
4, 884, 430
3, 526, 608
3, 580, 719
3, 365, 803
3, 577, 599
2, 605, 713
1, 304, 647
1, 295,134
1, 001,414
45
48
67
34
35
45
14, 727
20, 066
14, 093
39, 484
40, 600
42,103
949, 692
916,527
1,088,374
1928
J a n u a ry ___________ __________ _ _
F e b r u a r y .______ _
___________ .
M a r c h .. _________ _ _ _______ _
A p ril_____ _______________________________
M a y . _________________ _ ________
June .
. . .
J u ly _______________________________________
A ugust . . .
__________
_______
Septem ber . . . __________
_____ _
O ctober. _______________ ______ ______
N ovem ber___________ _______
____
D ecem ber___ _______
_________ ________
1929
J a n u a ry .. _ _______________ ________
F eb ru ary ___________________ ________
M arch _ ____________ _______ ______ _
168
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169
IN DU STRIAL DISPUTES
Occurrence of Industrial Disputes, by Industries
T a b l e 2 gives by industry the num ber of strikes beginning in
January, F e b ru a ry /a n d M arch, 1929, and the num ber of workers
directly involved.
T
able
2 .—IN D U S T R IA L D IS P U T E S B E G IN N IN G IN JA N U A R Y , F E B R U A R Y , A N D
M A R C H , 192if
N um ber of w orkers involved
in disputes beginning in—
N u m b er of disputes begin
ning in—
In d u stry
Jan u ary
Bakery wnvkprs
Brick find t’ilu workers
B uilding tra d e s. _ __ _ _ _______
TVamstprs and phai iff puts
Clothing w orkers. _____ ________ - F u rn itu re w orkers. _ _ _ ___ __ __
Clas*' w orkers
TTnspital employees
TTnfpl and rpsta.nrnnt employp.es
"Laundry workers
T/Pathor workers
M etal tra d e s. _ ____ _________________
__ _ ___________
M ine w orkers
M otion-picture operators, actors, and th e
atrical w orkers__
__ ____ _________
Oil a nd chemical workers
B llhhpr workers
Phi phu il d i n g
Telegraph and telephonp pmploypps
Textile w orkers___ ________ ________ ¡.Miscellaneous____________ - ..........................
T otal
___________________
February
9
1
2
8
5
26
1
1
11
1
1
11
2
F ebruary
January
M arch
12
1
1
1
1
4
8
4
2
1
6, 228
19
15
1
1
1
1
8
141
1,081
157
4, 080
37
32
1,422
60
25
1,032
295
,
i
3
1
1
2
1
14
5
1
1
10
3
45
48
67
M arch
70
3,000
25
22
9, 325
20
25
457
9,923
73
25
855
1,138
250
50
6,403
71
14, 727
20, 066
14,093
44
1,478
94
100
240
15
550
Size and Duration of Industrial Disputes, by Industries
T a b l e 3 gives the num ber of industrial disputes beginning in
M arch, 1929, classified by num ber of workers and by industries.
T
able
3 .—N U M B E R O F IN D U S T R IA L D IS P U T E S B E G IN N IN G IN M A R C H , 1929, C L A S
S IF IE D B Y N U M B E R OF W O R K E R S A N D B Y IN D U S T R IE S
N um ber of disputes beginning in M arch, 1929,
involving—■
In d u stry
Team sters and chauffeurs----------------------C lothing workers
6 and
under
20
workers
--------___ __
1
1
1
M otion p ictu re operators, actors, a n d theatrical
20 and
under
100
workers
1
5
4
12
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
T o tal______________________________________
6
33
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500 and
under
1,000
workers
1
1
1
1
1,000 and
under
5,000
workers
1
12
2
1
1
1
T elegraph a n d telephone employees--------------------Textile w orkers---------------------------------------------------M iscellaneous______ _____________________________
[1083]
100 and
under
500
workers
18
3
3
6
4
170
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
In Table 4 are shown the num ber of industrial disputes ending in
M arch, 1929, by industries and classified duration.
T a b l e 4 .—N U M B E R O F IN D U S T R IA L D IS P U T E S E N D IN G IN M A R C H , 1929, B Y IN D U S
T R IE S A N D BY C L A S S IF IE D D U R A T IO N
Classified duration of strikes ending in M arch, 1929
In d u stry
B akery workers __ .
B rick and tile workers
B uilding trades •_
Team sters and chauffeurs .
C lothing workers
F u rn itu re w orkers _
Glass workers.
H otel an d restau ran t workers
M etal tra d e s___ .
M ine W'orkers____
M otion-picture operators, actors,
theatrical w o rk ers.. _
*
R u b b er w orkers___
Slaughtering a n d m eat packing
Telegraph and telephone employees
Textile workers ____
M iscellaneous............
T otal
__________
one- 1 m onth
One-half Over
half and and less
m onth less
th
an
th a n 2
or less
1 m onth m onths
2 m onths 3 m onths 5 m onths
and less and less and less
th a n 3
th a n 4
th a n 6
m onths
m onths
m onths
1
and
0
2
15
1
. 1
1
1
2
1
3
2
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
6
1
40
2
1
6
7
2
Principal Strikes and Lockouts Beginning in March, 1929
A n th r a c ite m in e r s , P e n n s y lv a n ia . —The Glen Alden Coal Co., of
Scranton, was affected by a s trike of 803 employees, beginning M arch
7, because of a disagreem ent involving the laying off of a m otor
runner. W ork was resumed on M arch 9 w ith the understanding th at
the case would be handled by t h e b o a r d of conciliation and the
um pire,” if the union com m ittee insisted on its claim th a t “ a m otorm an from another section of the colliery should have been laid off
instead of the one in the section where the work had decreased.”
T extile w o rkers {ra yo n ), T en n essee .—Following a strike which began
M arch 12, of 800 workers employed by the American Glanzstoff
Corporation, Elizabethton, the president of the com pany on M arch 13
ordered the plant closed indefinitely. This plant employs about 2,000
workers of both sexes. A t a conference with the president of the
company, the com m ittee representing the strikers asked for wage
increases ranging, it is said, from 15 to 30 per cent above the existing
scale.
On M arch 18 several hundred strikers were picketing the streets
and highways leading to both the American Glanzstoff plan t and the
adjoining p lan t of the American Bemberg Corporation. The plant
was closed, however, for several days because of the local unrest.
Operations a t this plant, which employs about 3,000 persons, were
fully resumed on M arch 28.
The strike began as a protest against low wages, b u t developed into
a fight for union recognition also.
The strike a t the Glanzstoff plant ended on M arch 22, shortly
after noon, when an agreement between plant officials and workers’
committees was ratified a t a mass meeting of strikers. The agree
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m ent provides th a t the wage scale for men employees at the Glanzstoff plan t will be the same as th a t prevailing a t the Bem berg plant
prior to M arch 18, which is said to be an average increase of about
20 per cent. W oman employees are to receive 18 cents an hour for
the first three weeks, 20 cents for the next three weeks, and 22 cents
thereafter until efficiency brings them to a 24-cent rate. This scale
is also represented as an increase.
Employees are to resume work under the open-shop plan, b u t there
is to be no discrim ination against members of the newly formed union.
Shirt makers, New Y o r k — A successful strike of approxim ately 1,000
shirt m akers in New York C ity is reported to have begun on M arch
13 against some 47 shops, as a protest against the practice of the
m anufacturers in having goods m ade up “ out of to w n ” where labor
was cheaper, alleging violation of contract. The strike ended by
April 5.
Textile workers, South Carolina.—A series of strikes by cottontextile workers began during M arch in South Carolina against a new
efficiency system, variously described as the Bedeaux system ,1 the
stretched-out or stretch-out system, the classification or extended
system, the m inute system, etc. The more im portant of these
strikes so far recorded are described below, according to location
W are Shoals: The 1,200 employees of the W are Shoals M anu
facturing Co. cpiit work on M arch 15 in protest against the “ B edeaux”
or “ m inute system .” They returned to work on M arch 18 following
the prom ulgation of a statem ent by the president of the company
reading as follows:
T o th e people of W are Shoals: In th e m a tte r of o u r difference a t th is tim e, I
am au th o rizin g M r. C obb, M r. G ary, M r. Lollis, M r. C lark, a n d M r. C alles to
advise you t h a t o u r m ill will open to-m orrow m orning. A ny sy stem a d o p te d
will be u n d e r th e ir com plete supervision, a n d th e system a d o p te d will be for th e
b e st in te re st of th e com pany a n d o u r people, in fairness to all. A ny necessary
a d ju s tm e n ts will be p ro m p tly m ade.
The employees prom ptly accepted this statem ent as meaning a
return to the old m ethod of operation.
Pelzer: Here 1,093 employees of the Pelzer M anufacturing Co.
were on strike from M arch 23^to M arch 25 against the “ classification
or stretched-out system .” The company agreed to return to the
old m ethod of operation and wages.
Greenville: A bout 1,200 employees of the Brandon Mills began a
strike on M arch 27 against the efficiency or “ stretch-out system ,”
which is described as a m ethod for the extension of the employee’s
duties to include more machines and more work, w ithout a corre
sponding increase in earnings. In fact, the new system, according
to press reports, sometimes resulted in a positive decrease in earnings.
The employees of the Poinsett Mills to the num ber of about 400,
also 125 employees of the Brandon duck mill, struck on the afternoon
of M arch 29.
i T he Bedeaux system has been described as a plan w hich provides for a supervisory bonus above stan d
ard, so th a t it, together w ith th a t for direct labor, equals a piece rate. In other words, any saving in earn
ings is divided betw een direct and indirect labor responsible for it in a ratio of 3 to I. Below stan d ard the
day wage is guaranteed. T he basis is a point called Bedeaux or “ B .” T his is m erely an am ount of work
assigned to one-sixtieth of an hour, or to th e m inute. R ate of pay is also reduced to a m inute basis a nd a
task is alw ays indicated as 60 B ’s tim es hours per day. I t is claimed th a t this B u n it perm its m easure
m ent of efficiency betw een dep artm en ts and plants. I t is said to be a system w hich provides a bonus to
th e supervisory heads of all departm ents and other nonproducers w hich is earned by the m an or wom an
doing th e actual w ork a n d th a t for every point earned the employee gets three-fourths and the boss onefourth, or 25 per cent.
46658°—29------12
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MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
The foregoing mill units are controlled by the Brandon Corpora
tion, which also controls the Woodruff C otton Mills a t Woodruff, S. C.,
where, it is understood, the workers also struck, m aking the total
num ber of employees of this corporation on strike, 2,400. These
strikes are still in progress, as the m anagem ent has declined to abolish
the so-called efficiency systems. The strike a t Woodruff, however,
did no t begin until the morning of April 1.
C entral: The Issaqueena Alill was affected by a brief strike involv
ing 500 employees. The strike began M arch 29 as a protest against
the so-called efficiency system. W ork was resumed on M arch 30
under the old m ethod.
The findings of a com m ittee of the South Carolina House of R ep
resentatives, according to press reports, were th a t “ the whole trouble
in the textile area where strikes have occurred has been brought
about by putting more work on the employees th an they can do.
The stretch-out system is not brought into play by the introduction
of any improved type of machinery— the strike, we find, is in no
sense a rebellion against improved textile m achinery.”
In th e “ s tre tc h -o u t” sy stem it is th e em ployee w ho does th e stre tc h in g . * * *
T o illu strate. In a c ard room in one m ill five section m en w ere em ployed a t
$23 p er m an p e r week. T h is force w as c u t to fo u r m en a n d th e p a y also c u t
to $17.25 p e r w eek p e r m an. S till la te r th is force w as red u ced to th re e a n d th e
p a y w as raised a little , to $20.23 p e r m a n p e r week.
In a spinning room th re e m en d id th e w ork a t 20 cen ts a n hour. T he force
w as c u t to tw o m en a n d th e p a y w as raised to 21 y 2 cen ts p e r hour. T he w ork
of one m an w as dispensed w ith.
In one m ill six sw eepers w ere em ployed on th e d ay shift. T w o were laid off,
a n d fo u r d id th e w ork, b u t th e re w as no increase in p a y fo r th e four.
T h ere w ere th re e sw eepers in a spinning room , th e p a v being $1.90 each. T he
force w as c u t to tw o sw eepers a n d th e p a y raised to $2.05.
In one m ill th e m an who h a d form erly o p e ra te d 24 loom s w as given 114 to
care for. W hen ru n n in g 24 loom s he received $18.91. W hen ru n n in g 114 he
received $23 p er week.
We could give o th e r in stan ces, show ing w h a t th is “ s tre tc h - o u t” sy stem m eans.
T his ad d itio n a l w ork,_we find, w ith o u t co m m en su ra te increase in p a y , h as b ro u g h t
a b o u t th e p ro te st w hich h as ta k e n th e form of w alkouts.
T h e w alkouts are th e cu lm in atio n of p ro tests. T h ey are th e final w eapons
of defense w hich th e w orkers h a v e em ployed.
Where the “ stretch -o u t” systems have not been introduced, the
comm ittee is reported to have found harm ony prevailing, with the
m ost cordial relation between employer and employee.
Textile {rayon) workers, Ohio.—M isunderstanding of a new m ethod
of twisting including a new piecework rate gave rise to a strike of
650 female employees of the Industrial R ayon Corporation, Cleve
land, from M arch 26 to April 2. The workers accepted the proposed
change in piece rates from 8}^ cents a pound for rayon handled to
6 cents a pound, under a guaranty, it is said, from the company th a t
their earnings would be as much for the ensuing two weeks as they
had previously been under the old scale. “ The machines are to be
slowed down so th a t one girl can handle 93 spindles instead of 63
as formerly. A t the end of two weeks the company agreed to consult
with the women as to w hether the new plan is feasible.”
Principal Strikes and Lockouts Continuing into March, 1929
T extile w orkers, N e w H a m p s h ir e .—The suspension of operations of
the New m arket M anufacturing Co., N ew m arket, is still on. The
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INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES
173
company has announced the intention of reopening the p lan t on April
15, and if a sufficient num ber of workers to operate the mill is not
secured within a reasonable time a large proportion of the mill
m achinery will be removed from New m arket and the rem ainder will
be either shut down or operated as shall seem advisable to the m anage
m ent.
Supplem ent: S o few employees reported for work after the reopening
of the p lan t on April 15 th a t the company decided to dose the mills
for an indefinite period; notices to this effect were posted on April 21
and the former employees have been notified to vacate the houses
owned by the company.
.
Shoe workers, Ohio.—No report has been received of the ending^ of
the strike beginning Februarv 15 against the U nited States Shoe Co.,
Cincinnati, b u t is understood th a t by April 22 the company had
filled the places of the strikers “ as desired and required.”
C o n c ilia tio n W ork o f th e D e p a r tm e n t of L a b o r in M arc h , 1929
B y H ugh L. K
e r w in
, D ir e c t o r o f C o n c il ia t io n
H E Secretary of Labor, through the Conciliation Service, exer
cised his good offices in connection w ith 46 labor disputes during
M arch, 1929. These disputes affected a known total of 30,750 em
ployees. The table following shows the_ name and location of the
establishm ent or industry in which the dispute occurred, the nature
of the dispute (whether strike or lockout or controversy not having
reached the strike or lockout stage), the craft or trade concerned,
the cause of the dispute, its present status, the term s of settlem ent,
the date of beginning and ending, and the num ber of workers directly
and indirectly involved.
On April Ï, 1929, there were 35 strikes before the departm ent for
settlem ent and in addition 19 controversies which had not reached
the strike stage. The total num ber of cases pending was 54.
T
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1087]
L A B O R D IS P U T E S H A N D L E D B Y T H E U N IT E D S T A T E S D E P A R T M E N T O F L A B O R T H R O U G H IT S C O N C IL IA T IO N S E R V IC E , M A R C H , 1929
W orkers in
vo lv ed
D uration
C om pany or in d u stry and location
N atu re of
controversy
C raftsm en concerned
Cause of dispute
Present status and term s of
settlem ent
Begin
ning
E nding
D i In d i
rectly rectly
1929
P a rtial adjustm ent. R eturned; al M ar. 1
lowed recognition and wage rates
fixed.
Pending ____________ ______ ______ Jan. 24
1929
M ar. 3
1,800
Adjusted. Allowed $12 per day;
small changes in working condi
tions.
Adjusted. Referred to arbitratio n ..
1
M ar.
2
Alleged violation of agree
Jan. 2
m ent.
Reduced force causing in P ending_________________________ M ar. 7
creased labor w ithout in
M
crease in pay.
oo R eal Silk Co., Paterson, N . J
........do _____ Silk w eavers_______ Wage cut of 14 per cent_____ ___ d o _________ _______ _____ _____ M ar. 4
oo Gelles N eckw ear Co., Boston, M ass. Controversy N eckw ear w o rk ers... Poor w orkm anship_________ A djusted. W ork done over b y em M ar. 5
ployees.
Sham okin & Treverton B us Co., S trik e ........... D rivers and m echan D ischarge of em p loyee for ab A djusted. All returned; settled by M ar. 7
Shamokin, Pa.
ics.
sence w ith o u t leave.
arbitration.
B ersted M anufacturing Co., Chi ____do_____ M etal polishers_____ Wages cut from $1.10 to 90 P ending __ _____ ______________ _
M ar. 1
cago, 111.
cents per hour.
A partm ent building, T h e Bronx, ____do_____ Laborers...... .............. . N onunion laborers____ _____ Unclassified. All union laborers Feb. 5
N . Y.
em ployed before arrival of com
missioner.
N orthw est N ational B ank, M in Controversy B uilding crafts_____ A sked th a t all union laborers P ending................................... ............
Feb. 26
neapolis, M inn.
be employed.
Shell Oil Co., Sacramento, C a lif.... ___ do_____ E m ployees_________ Alleged failure to p ay pre
.d o .
M ar. 8
vailing wage.
U nited States G ypsum Co., Oak- S trike_____ G ypsum m iners____ D ischarge of 40 m iners for P a rtial adjustm ent. M ajority re M ar. 2
field, N . Y.
failure to load quota of
turned; no change in conditions.
rock.
F lo y d W ells Stove Co., Royersford, ___ do_____ Stove m olders______ Em ployee discharged. ............ Unclassified. R eturned before ar M ar. 6
Pa.
rival of commissioner; interna
tional officers to review case.
M odern Shoe Co., H averhill, M ass. ___ do_____ Shoe w orkers_______ Alleged violation of agree A djusted. Allowed union recogni M ar. 13
m ent and asked restoration
tion; conditions improved.
10 per cent cut.
C arpenters and sheet m etal w ork Controversy C arpenters and sheet- Jurisdiction of metal-door Unclassified.
C ontroversy over __do___
ers, Jam estow n, N . Y.
m etal workers.
work.
m etal-door w ork continues.
S h irt m akers, N ew Y ork C ity ......... S trik e .......... Sh irt m akers............... Alleged violation of c o n tra c t. A djusted. W ill fully abide b y con . .. d o ___
tract.
FRASER
M ar.
5
Shoe factories, L y n n , M ass.
Strike.
Cleveland F u rn itu re Co., Cleve
land, Ohio.
Structural-iron workers, P itts
burgh, Pa.
_do.
U pholsterers_______
T hreatened
strike.
Ironw orkers________
M etropolitan G arm ent Co., Bos Strike..
ton, Mass.
Goldberg Bros. Co., Philadelphia, ___ d o .
<—i Pa.
Digitized for
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Lasters and stock fit
ters.
W aterproof-garm ent
makers.
U pholsterers_______
Asked 20 per cent increase, 8hour day, a nd union recog
nition.
Refusal to renew contract___
Asked $1 per d ay increase—
$13 for 8-hour day.
M ar.
140
O
2
W
t-1
«!
500
20
20
49
10
P>
6
M ar. 10
25
Èd
M ar.
M ar. 4
W
0
10
10
Sd
47
<1
H
1
3
(1)
200
500
M ar. 28
150
30
M ar. 13
250
45
M ar. 28
350
A pr.
1
M ar. 23
(')
1,000
4, 000
Vitrified-brick workers, E a st L iver
pool, Ohio.
Owens Shoe Factory, L ynn, M ass-.
W orking conditions................. Unclassified. P la n t closed; confer M ar. 12
ences refused b y com pany.
P ending............................................. ....... M ar. 14
-do.
Vitrified brickmakers
_do.
Lasters______ _____ _ Asked union recognition and
increase in wages for piece
work.
Discharges; alleged violation
M usicians.
of agreement.
R ayon textile work P rotest against low m inim um
wage.
ers.
Building crafts......... N onunion ironworkers---------
C astro, A lham bra, and R oyal T h e Lockout___
aters, San Francisco, Calif.
American Glanzstoff Corporation, Strike_____
E lizabethton, T enn.
Lafayette College B uilding, E as ___ do_____
ton, Pa.
Glen A lden Coal Co., Taylor, P a „ . ___ do_____
W orking conditions.
Silk w eavers.
A sked restoration of wage cut
and resinstatem ent of dis
charged employee.
A sked wage increase and im
proved shop conditions.
Installation of printing m a
chines; operators claimed
wages cut thereby.
A sked closed shop....................
[1089]
W ellwood Silk M ills, H aw ley, P a .
_do.
I. K ravitz Silk Co., Paterson, N . J . .
-do_
Logan & B ry a n t, brokers, U nited
States a n d C anada.
_do.
Telegraphers.
R utherford Co., A kron, Ohio_____
_do.
C arpenters and engi
neers.
T . & D . T heaters, Chico, Orville,
etc., Calif.
Longshoremen, Buffalo, N . Y ____
___ do _____
T heater em ployees..
Alleged violation of contract.
C ontroversy
Longshoremen_____
W orking conditions.......... .
D an P alter Shoe Co., N ew York
City.
Strike............ Shoe workers______
_do.
A merican Bem berg C orporation,
E lizabethton, Tenn.
d o.
Textile w orkers.
Colonial Shoe M anufacturing Co.,
Brooklyn, N . Y.
.d o
Shoe w orkers.
W m. G oldstein (Inc.), New Y ork
City.
L ackaw anna Term inal, H oboken,
N . J.
do ___
_do___
D es
_do.
W ilkes-Barre W eaving Co., WilkesBarre, Pa.
_do-
Beaver A venue
Moines, Iowa.
C hurch,
1 N o t reported.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
_do.
D re d g e m e n , d o c k
builders, laborers,
and hoisting engi
neers.
Lathers and carpen
ters.
Silk w eavers_______
0)
25
15
10
2,140
2,750
M ar. 27
4
15
M ar. 11
800
M ar. 11
M ar. 14
35
115
A djusted. Allowed 1 cent and 2
cents per yard increase.
P e n d in g ........... .................. ..................
M ar. 14
M ar. 18
54
7
Unclassified. C om pany conceded
closed shop before arrival of com
missioner.
Pending....... ............................................
M ar.
-do.
M ar. 17
A djusted. Allowed increase; no dis
crim ination; open shop effective.
A djusted. Agreed to em ploy union
ironworkers.
Unclassified. R etu rn e d before ar
rival of commissioner; d istrict
com m ittee to fix term s.
Unclassified. R etu rn e d on em ploy
er’s term s.
M ar. 12
M ar. 22
M ar. 8
M ar.
7
-do.
Unelassified. Allowed union recog
nition a nd 5 p e r cent wage increase
before arrival of commissioner.
Asked wage increase________ A djusted. Allowed increase; no
discrim ination; open shop effec
tive.
Unclassified. Increases
allowed;
Wages and recognition.
union agreem ent u n til M ar. 1,
1930.
agreem ent
A sked union recognition____ Unclassified. U nion
signed.
N onunion laborers employed- Pending........... .................... ...................
Asked wage increase and rec
ognition.
jurisdiction of certain w ork— A djusted. N either craft will per
form labor u n til international offi
cers m ake aw ard.
A sked 8-hour day, 30 per cent Pending......................................... ..........
increase, and im proved
working conditions.
M ar. 18
1
91
M ar. 8
120
M ar. 18
1
M ar. 15
250
M ar. 18
M ar. 21
3,000
M ar. 14
M ar. 20
90
M ar. 12
M ar. 17
M ar. 18
M ar. 21
M ar. 23
150
(i)
M ar. 20
M ar.
30
M ar. 23
INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES
M iners.
M ar. 15
120
200
400
5
70
90
Oi
LA B O R D IS P U T E S H A N D L E D B Y T H E U N IT E D S T A T E S D E P A R T M E N T O F LA B O R T H R O U G H IT S C O N C IL IA T IO N S E R V IC E , M A R C H , 1929—Con.
05
W orkers in
volved
D uration
C om pany or in d u stry and location
N atu re of
controversy
Craftsm en concerned
Cause of dispute
Present status and term s of
settlem ent
Begin
ning
D ufw in Theater, Portland, Oreg__
Controversy
N ew England Southern M anufacturing Co., Pelzer, S. C.
S trik e -.. - _
In d u strial Rayon
Cleveland, Ohio.
Corporation, ____do_.........
B randon Mills, Greenville, S. C __ ____d o ____
Underwood, E lliott, Fisher Co.,
H artford and B ridgeport, Conn.
Controversy
L. 0 . Bouquin Co., Oil C ity, P a . .. Lockout___
Building trades, Fort W ayne, Ind_- C ontroversy
Strour & Stritter, L ynn, M a s s ___
Fair Sex Shoe Co., L ynn, M ass___ .
Strike_____
_ do_ _ __
Stutz P lan t addition, Indianapolis, _ __do
Ind.
T o tal.
___
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
_____
___
1929
___ E m ploym ent of engineers___ A djusted. D i s p u t e d q u e s ti o n s M ar. 26
w ithdraw n.
W eavers and spin- Objection to new system in A djusted. System dropped; will -__do___
ners.
creasing num ber of looms
use old m ethod.
to operative.
T w isters and lacers__ Proposed wage cut 2Vi cents A djusted. R eturned for trial of ..-.do _
per pound; increased num
com pany’s terms.
ber of spindles.
C a rd e rs, s p in n e rs, Wages and m ethods________ Pending____
M ar. 27
and weavers.
M etal polishers ___ Wages
____________ ____
Unclassified. Increase of 5 cents per M ar. 12
hour to polishers and 6 cents to
buffers.
P ain ters________
A sked $1.10 per hour and 40- A djusted. Allowed 8-hour day, M ar. 22
hour week.
40-hour week, and adjusted wage
scale.
Building crafts_____ N onunion carpenters em A djusted. U nion carpenters em M ar. 15
ployed.
ployed.
C utters, stock fitters, Asked union recognition and Pending____
M ar. 24
and lasters.
wage increase.
do ___ __
_ do
A djusted. G ranted wage increase M ar. 4
and union recognition.
P ainters, cem ent fin Jurisdiction
A djusted. Compromised; cement M ar. 25
ishers, etc.
finishers paid for tim e lost.
Engineers
___
Ending
D i
In d i
rectly rectly
1929
M ar. 30
21
M ar. 27
2,500
Apr.
2
450
31
950
1,200
900
M ar. 25
200
4,000
M ar. 29
61
M ar. 25
26
224
300
7
125
M ar. 29
M ar.
10
16, 533
10
INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES
177
P r e sid e n tia l E m e rg e n c y B o a rd fo r D isp u te on T e x a s & P acific
R a ilro a d
N M arch 29, 1929, the President of the U nited States issued a
proclam ation creating an emergency board to investigate a
dispute between the Texas & Pacific Railroad and its conductors,
trainm en, engineers, and firemen. The membership of the board is
as follows: Jam es R. Garfield, Cleveland, Ohio; Chester H . Rowell,
Berkeley, Calif.; W alter C. Clephane, W ashington, D. C.; William
Rogers Clay, Frankfort, K y.; and F. H. Kreismann, St. Louis, Mo.
Of the seven cases presented to the board a t the opening of the
session, one was withdrawn by consent of both sides and two were
settled during the hearing by agreement.
The m ost im portant of the four remaining cases is the compensa
tion of employees who suffered financial loss by reason of being
compelled to vacate homes owned by them in Longview and M arshall
through the removal of the term inals to Mineola, Tex., and Shreve
port, La. In this case the board finds th a t “ the loss should be
borne equally by the carrier and the employees,” and recommends
th a t the claims should be settled in conference or, in case of a dis
agreement, by arbitration.
Pooling of cabooses in all freight service out of the new term inal
a t M ineola was opposed by the employees. _ The board finds th a t
“ the agreement as claimed by the employees is in force and th a t the
Dooling of cabooses, except in emergencies, should not be made other
than by agreement between the parties.”
In the assignment of passenger-engine crews to run through from
F o rt W orth to Texarkana, a distance of 249 miles, eliminating the
break a t Longview Junction, the board “ is convinced th a t the run
is excessive and should be abolished.”
Application of Texas & Pacific wage schedules and the interchange
of seniority rights for men in the train service of the five branch
lines owned by the company was requested by the employees. The
board is of the opinion th a t all m atters in dispute between the em
ployees on the subsidiary lines and the managers of those lines
should be negotiated, using the existing rates and schedules and
operating rules as a basis for any modification or changes th a t m ay
be requested by the employees or their representatives or by the m an
agers of the subsidiary lines.
The board transm itted its report to the President April 20. Follow
ing the report of the board both parties are forbidden to change
existing conditions, except by m utual agreement, for a further period
of 30 days.
O
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1 0 9 1 ]
178
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
S tr ik e s a n d L o c k o u ts in C a n a d a , 1928
T
H E statistical record given below of strikes and lockouts in
Canada from 1913 to 1929 is taken from the Canadian Labor
G azette for February, 1929 (p. 137).
S T R IK E S A N D L O C K O U T S IN C A N A D A , 1913 TO 1928
N u m b er of disputes
Y ear
1913 _______________________
1914_________________________
1915
___ ____
1916______________
1917__ ___ ____ .
1918______________________
1919___ _______ __ _
1920_________________
1921__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
1922 ________________ _
1923________________________
1924_______________ _______
1925___ ________ _____ ___
1926_________________
1927_______________
1928______ ______________
In exist
ence in
th e year
113
44
43
75
148
196
298
285
145
85
91
73
83
77
79
101
D isputes in existence in tb e year
Begin
ning in E m ployers
tb e year involved
106
40
38
74
141
191
290
272
138
70
77
63
81
73
72
97
1, 015
205
96
271
714
766
1,913
1, 273
907
569
419
415
510
598
652
726
W orkers
involved
39, 536
8, 678
9,140
21,157
48, 329
68.489
138, 988
52,150
22,930
41,050
32, 868
32, 494
25,796
24,142
22, 683
18, 239
T im e loss
in working
days
1, 287, 678
430, 054
106,149
208, 277
1,134,970
763, 341
3, 942,189
886, 754
956,461
1, 975, 276
768,494
1, 770, 825
1,743,996
296, 811
165, 288
238,132
In an analysis of the 1928 industrial disputes it is stated th a t m ost
of the tim e loss in the year in question was due to 21 of these con
troversies, involving from 250 to 1,500 directly affected workers; th a t
is, to employees on strike or locked out. One controversy, while
directly involving only 450 employees, indirectly affected nearly 6,000
as a result of the shutdow n of the establishment. One dispute alone,
th a t of the coal miners a t W ayne, Alberta, caused a loss of 51,000
days, or 21.4 per cent, of the entire time loss of the year.
N early 39 per cent of the disputes continued for less than 5 days and
62 per cent for less than 15 days.
In 1928 the highest percentages of time loss occurred in the follow
ing industries: M ining, 36.5 per cent; building, 32.7 per cent; clothing
m anufacture, 6.7 per cent; rubber m anufacture, 6.4 per cent; and
logging, 5.3 per cent.
Of the 101 disputes in the year under review, 46 were m ainly con
cerned w ith wage changes—28 w ith the purpose of securing increases
and 10 in opposition to proposed reductions. In 9 of these 46 contro
versies the workers were successful and in 18 partially so, while 4
cases were indefinite or unterm inated.
In 29 of the 101 disputes the results were favorable to the workers.
In 30 other cases, however, the workers m et w ith only partial success,
while 7 cases were indefinite or unterm inated.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1092]
WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR
W ages and! H o u rs in th e M o to r-V eh icle In d u stry , 1928
U M M A R IES of a study in 1928 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
of wages and hours of labor in the motor-vehicle industry in the
U nited States are presented in this article. Studies were also made
in 1922 and 1925 and the details of the results were published in
Bulletins 348 and 438. The details of the 1928 study will be available
later in bulletin form.
The 1928 d a ta for the industry as a whole are for 153,962 wage
earners of 94 representative m anufacturers of passenger cars, trucks,
bodies or parts in 8 States in which the industry is of sufficient im por
tance in num ber of wage earners to w arrant inclusion in the study.
This num ber represents 37.4 per cent of the total num ber in the
industry in 1925, according to the United States Census of M anu
factures, and 39.6 per cent of the total in the 8 States. The d a ta for
1925 were for 99 representative establishm ents and 144,362 employees,
and for 1922 were for 49 establishments and 56,309 employees.
The average full-time hours per week for the employees in 1928 are
49.4, as compared w ith 50.3 in 1925 and 50.1 in 1922. Average
earnings were 75 cents per hour compared w ith 72.3 cents in. 1925 and
65.7 cents in 1922, and average full-time earnings per week were
$37.05 in 1928, $36.37 in 1925, and $32.92 in 1922.
The averages in Table 1 for 1925 and 1928 are for all of the males
and of the females in each of the occupations in the industry and
for a group of employees designated as “ other employees.”
Average full-time hours per week for male axle assemblers, as
m ay be seen from the table, decreased from 50.3 in 1925 to 50.2 in
1928, average earnings per hour increased from 72.9 cents in 1925 to
75.5 cents in 1928, and average full-time earnings per week increased
from $36.67 in 1925 to $37.90 per week in 1928.
Average full-time hours per week for males in 1925 in the various
occupations ranged from 48.4 for sewing-machine operators to 53.7
for hardeners, and in 1928 from 42.4 for sewing-machine operators to
54.5 for hardeners. Averages for females in 1925 ranged from 47.8
for general painters to 51.8 for cloth and leather cutters, and in 1928
from 48.9 for p ain t sprayers to 52.8 for cloth and leather putters.
Average earnings per hour for males in 1925 in the various occupa
tions ranged from 51.2 cents for apprentices to $1,037 for dingmen,
and in 1928 from 57.2 cents for apprentices to $1,128 for dingmen.
Averages for females in 1925 ranged from 36.1 cents for inspectors to
57.3 cents for drill-press operators, and in 1928 from 39 cents for
inspectors to 63.6 cents for lacquer rubbers.
Average full-time earnings per week for males in 1925 in the various
occupations ranged from $25.60 for apprentices to $52.47 for dingmen,
and in 1928 from $27.80 for apprentices to $57.53 for dingmen.
Averages for females in 1925 ranged from $17.91 for inspectors to
$28.54 for drill-press operators, and in 1928 from $19.77 for inspectors
to $33.33 for lacquer rubbers.
S
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1093]
179
180
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
T a b l e 1 .—A V E R A G E H O U R S A N D E A R N IN G S , 1925 A N D 1928, B Y O C C U P A T IO N S
O ccupation
Sex
N um
b er of
estab
lish
m ents
1925 1928
A pprentices____
Assemblers, axle.
Assemblers, bod y fram e.
Assemblers, chassis.........
Assemblers, final_______
Assemblers, fram e.
Assemblers, m otor.
A utom atic operators, lathe
a nd screw m achine.
B ench h ands, m achine s h o p ..
B lacksm iths_____________
Boring-m ill operators____
B u m p ers________ ____ _
C rane o perators_________
C utters, cloth and le a th er.
D ie setters, sheet m etal.
D ingm en_____________
D oor hangers_________
D rill-press operators___
Forge-shop h e lp e rs.................
G ear-cutter operators_______
G rinding-m achine operators.
H ardeners.
H elpers___
Inspectors______
Laborers_______
L acquer ru bbers.
L a th e operators____________
L etterers, stripers, and varnishers.
M ach in ists___________ _____
M eta l finishers__ ____ ______
M eta l p a n elers.____ ________
M illing-m achine operators___
M olders, b e lt a n d d rip ______
P ainters, general......... ..............
P a in t sprayers.......................
P laner a n d shaper operators...
P la te rs_____________ _____
Polishers and buffers________
Punch-press operators. ...........
Sand blasters, e tc ___________
Sanders a n d rough - stuff
ru b b e rs_________
Sewing-machine operators___
Sheet-m etal w orkers.......... .
S traighteners________
Testers, final a n d ro a d .
Testers, m o to r_______
Tool a n d die m a k e rs ...
T op b u ild ers................ .
T rim bench h a n d s.
V arnish ru b b e rs__
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
M.
M.
F.
M.
F.
M.
F.
M.
F.
AI.
M.
F.
M.
M.
F.
AI.
M.
M.
Al.
M.
F.
M.
AI.
AI.
Al.
F.
Al.
AI.
AI.
F.
Al.
Al.
F.
AI.
F.
AI.
F.
M.
F.
M.
M.
F.
M.
AI.
AI.
M.
M.
M.
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M.
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M.
M.
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M.
M.
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M.
F.
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45
45
2
49
54
3
74
18
47
61
6
65
70
8
80
53
35
29
44
5
19
32
32
84
17
55
48
69
3
54
81
2
93
24
97
13
38
72
56
73
36
32
74
19
77
5
69
32
27
35
61
6
51
44
14
48
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42
45
48
80
64
14
35
26
34
49
48
3
47
5
53
7
66
22
45
59
9
54
N u m b er of
wage earners
Average
full-time
hours per
week
1925
1928
1925
544
1,922
24
3,091
1,167
2,703
13
3,256
12
4, 593
109
8,198
575
1,125
4, 859
81
1,842
48. 6 $0. 512 $0. 572 $25. 60
50.2
.755 36. 67
.729
.451 24. 80
50.3
.496
.799 37.54
50. 4
.739
49. 8
.419
49.9 49. 0
.758 34. 63
.694
.529 26. 00
50. 0 49. 8
.520
.774 36. 62
50. 1 50. 1 . 731
.507 25. 25
49. 8 49. 3
. 507
.770 37. 65
50. 0 49. 5
.753
.762 37. 20
49. 8 50. 1 .747
.460 24. 45
50.0 50. 4
.489
.806 37.97
49. 7 49.0
.764
$27.80
37. 90
22. 69
40.27
20.87
37. 14
26. 34
38. 78
25.00
38. 12
38.18
23. 18
39.49
50.2
49. 3
49. 6
50. 6
49. 8
49. 7
50. 5
51. 8
49. 9
50. 6
51. 2
50. 3
49. 8
51. 0
50. 6
50. 1
49. 9
53. 7
50. 9
50. 0
50. 1
49. 6
50. 4
50.2
50. 2
36.42
26.52
47. 58
38. 22
51.68
34. 86
40.80
24.34
40.24
57.53
43. 82
36.41
23.53
37. 26
37. 62
38.65
22. 99
40. 82
29.87
24.08
35.72
19. 77
29.10
23. 02
42. 30
33.33
38. 66
55.75
29.28
40. 43
45.10
41.33
37.82
46. 25
39.04
20.87
41.53
27.63
28.84
37. 42
46.05
35.73
25.19
35.40
2,902
34
7,400
318
1,115
4,851
48
2,622
67
7
79
56
43
37
39
4
22
36
41
78
15
58
50
70
4
56
74
4
90
29
92
21
43
3
69
59
6
81
55
34
70
30
77
3
71
5
38
33
56
61
6
44
2,439
35
1, 040
828
323
115
219
18
274
209
659
8,688
99
1, 661
1, 331
5,422
9
945
3,019
25
7, 676
437
16, 592
105
709
54
4
13
43
54
7
45
48
41
77
56
11
25
29
26
1,937
6,260
990
3, 604
3, 397
1,655
3, 549
266
1, 934
16
993
308
181
1,095
4,416
103
954
1928
Average
earnings
per hour
1925
50. 3
49. 3
48. 9
47. 3
49. 6
49. 3
49. 1
52. 8
47.4
51. 0
50.9
49. 6
50. 5
50. 7
49. 5
48. 8
50. 3
54. 5
48. 1
52. 0
49.4
50. 7
49. 4
49. 5
50. 3
52. 4
50. 0 49. 0
50. 1 50. 0
49. 8
50. 0 47.9
50. 6 50. 5
51. 5 49. 8
50. 4 49. 5
51. 0 50. 6
50. 6 50. 7
47.8 50. 3
50.0 50. 4
48. 9
49. 7 49. 1
50. 1 49. 5
50.4 49. 2
49. 6 47.9
50.0 51.3
50.8 48.7
.716
.568
.957
-765
1945
.726
.803
.517
.797
1. 037
.827
.712
.573
.753
.746
.765
.471
.725
.603
.491
.682
.361
.570
.403
.871
2,716
18
228
861
2,441
56
531
538
749
3, 523
4,090
287
385
669
357
50.5
.843
[1094]
1925
50.0
50. 3
50.0
50. 8
2,178
42
850
1 ,129
358
217
205
12
224
235
672
8,488
164
1, 833
1,121
5,419
8
720
4,085
17
7, 579
503
15, 535
119
1,465
36
5, 553
650
26
3,465
4,606
1,947
3, 231
672
2,155
8
1,581
19
401
358
2, 030
4, 268
100
1,026
378
1,113
3,111
39
628
741
1,433
3,689
4, 415
155
473
474
553
1928
Average
full-time
earnings
per week
49.7
51 4
48.4 42. 4
50. 7 51.0
50.3 50.5
49. 5 49.6
50. 9 49.8
50.8 49.9
50.5 51.4
50.2 48.8
50.6 49.6
51.4 49. 5
49.2 49.4
49. 7 50.8
50. 3 49.4
.762
.996
.806
.851
.770
.737
.823
.776
.519
.850
.786
.734
.908
.718
.457
.680
.718
.472
.783
.490
.753
.639
.712
.875
.808
.481
.754
.479
.901
.724
.538
.973
.808
1. 042
. 707
.831
.461
.849
1. 128
.861
.734
.466
.735
.760
.792
.457
.749
. 621
.463
.723
.390
.589
.465
.841
.636
.789
1. 115
. 588
.844
.893
.830
.764
.914
.770
.415
.824
. 565
.791
.756
.936
.746
.491
.727
.8P7
.540
.833
.513
.807
.489
.780
.699
.726
.919
.840
.536
.770
.483
.836
35. 94
28. 00
47. 47
38 71
47. 06
36. 08
40. 55
26. 78
39. 77
52. 47
42. 34
35. 81
28. 54
38. 40
37. 75
38. 33
23. 50
38. 93
30.69
24. 55
34. 17
17. 91
28. 73
20. 23
43. 72
38. 10
49. 90
40. 30
43.06
39. 66
37.14
41. 97
39.27
24. 81
42. 50
39. 06
36. 77
45. 76
35. 61
22. 85
34. 54
42. 57
34. 75
23. 93
39. 38
24. 26
38. 33
32.46
35.96
43. 93
40. 88
24. 72
37.10
23. 81
45.32
1928
40.11
27.76
35. 32
26.16
40.75
24.25
38.84
34.88
37.32
44.85
41.66
26. 53
38.04
24. 54
41.30
WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR
181
T a ble 1 .— A V E R A G E H O U R S A N D E A R N IN G S , 1925 A N D 1928, BY O C C U P A T IO N S —C ontd.
Occupation
Sex
N um
ber of
estab
lish
m ents
1925 1928
W elders a n d braziers
W elders, spot a n d b u t t _____
Woodworking-machine
operators_________________
O ther skilled occupations____
O ther employees____
___
A lloccupations..............A ll occupations, male
and female________
N u m b e r of
wage earners
Average
full-time
hours per
week
1925
1928
1925
1928
Average
earnings
per hour
1925
1928
Average
full-time
earnings
per week
1925
1928
M.
M.
68
33
66
41
783
677
1,197
825
50.3
50. 2
47.6 $0. 810 $0. 852 $40. 74
.792
.789 39. 76
49.5
M.
M.
F.
M.
F.
42
91
3
97
26
47
93
4
93
30
1,942
3, 771
8
10,171
305
1,815
5,615
8
12,819
391
51. 2
50. 0
50. 0
49. 9
49.6
50.5
48. 9
51.0
48. 8
49. 2
.674
.774
.536
.692
. 450
.729
.773
.509
.702
. 506
34.51
38. 70
26. 80
34. 53
22. 32
36. 81
37.80
25. 96
34. 26
24. 90
M.
F.
99
59
94 140, 930 149, 828
4,134
3,432
64
50.3
50. 1
49.4
50. 3
.729
.467
.756
.487
36. 67
23.40
37. 35
24. 50
99
94 144, 362 153, 962
50.3
49.4
.723
36.37
37.05
.750
$40. 56
39.06
Average Hours and Earnings, by States, 1925 and 1928
I n T able 2 are given average full-time hours per week, average
earnings per hour, and average full-time earnings per week for 1925
and 1928 for all males and females separately, and also for both
sexes combined, th a t were included in the study of the motor-vehicle
industry in each State in each of these years.
The purpose of this table is to show the increases or decreases in
average hours and earnings between 1925 and 1928 in each State
and also to furnish a comparison of those of one S tate w ith another.
Average full-time hours per week for the males in Illinois decreased
from 51.4 in 1925 to 49.2 in 1928, or 4.3 per cent, average earnings
per hour increased from 68.2 in 1925 to 70.4 cents in 1928, or 3.2 per
cent, and average full-time earnings per week decreased from $35.05 in
1925 to $34.64 in 1928, the decrease in average full-time earnings being
due to a larger decrease in full-time hours than the increase in average
earnings per hour.
Average full-time hours per week for males in .the various States
ranged from 48.5 in 1925 for the State with the lowest average to 53.4
for the one w ith the highest average, and in 1928 from 45.3 to 53.3;
for females they ranged from 48.3 to 50.9 in 1925 and from 48.4 to
54.4 in 1928; and for both sexes, or the industry, they ranged from
48 5 to 53.4 in 1925 and from 45.3 to 53.2 in 1928. The averages for
males in all States were 50.3 in 1925 and 49.4 in 1928, for females
50.1 in 1925 and 50.3 in 1928, and for both sexes combined 50.3 m
1925 and 49.4 in 1928.
Average earnings per hour for males in the various States ranged
from 59.3 cents to 75.6 cents in 1925 and from 64.4 cents to 79 cents in
1928; for females they ranged from 39.4 cents to 47.9 cents in 1925,
and from 44.1 cents to 51.6 cents in 1928; and for both sexes combined
or the industry, they ranged from 59.2 cents to 74.8 cents in 1925, and
from 64.3 cents to 78.2 cents in 1928. The averages for males in all
States were 72.9 cents in 1925 and 75.6 cents in 1928; for females,
46.7 cents in 1925 and 48.7 cents in 1928; and for both sexes, or the
industry, 72.3 cents in 1925 and 75 cents per hour in 1928.
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182
MONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W
Average full-tim e earnings per week for males in the various States
ranged from $30.90 to $37.88 in 1925 and from $32.84 to $38.55 in
1928; for females they ranged from $20.05 to $24.23 in 1925 and from
$23.03 to $25.25 in 1928; and for both sexes, or the industry, they
ranged from $30.78 to $37.47 in 1925 and from $32.75 to $38.24 in
1928. The averages for males in all States were $36.67 in 1925 and
$37.35 in 1928; for females, $23.40 in 1925 and $24.50 in 1928;
and for both sexes, $36.37 in 1925 and $37.05 in 1928.
T a b l e 2 .—A V E R A G E H O U R S A N D
Sex a n d State
E A R N IN G S , 1925 A N D 1928, B Y S E X A N D S T A T E S
N um ber
ofestab
lish
m ents
N u m b er of
wage earners
1925 1928
1925
1928
1925
1928
3,596
10, 028
82, 268
5,412
10, 878
16, 929
6, 675
5,144
Average full
tim e hours
per week
Average
earnings
per hour
1925
1928
Average full
tim e earnings
per week
1925
1928
M a les
Illinois________________ ___ _
In d ia n a . __ ______________ _ _
M ichigan __
_ __ _
N ew Jersey__ ___ __
New Y o rk , ______ _ _____
Ohio________ ___________ _
P ennsylvania. _ __ ________
W isconsin_____ _______
T o ta l_____________ _______
9
12
29
6
14
15
8
6
8
9
33
6
13
12
6
7
3, 361
10, 258
92, 784
5, 629
10,142
14, 624
8,127
4, 903
51.4
50. 6
50.1
50. 2
51.1
48. 5
52.1
53.4
49.2 $0. 682 $0. 704 $35. 05
50.9
.690
.652 34.91
48.8
.756
.790 37. 88
45. 3
.720
. 725 36.14
50.9
.685
.734 35. 00
49.6
.736
. 734 35. 70
52.8
.593
.644 30. 90
53.3
.674
.717 35. 99
99
94 140,930 149, 828
50.3
49.4
.729
.756
36. 67
37.35
4
9
18
3
10
9
3
3
3
6
25
3
8
10
4
5
20
277
2,354
137
110
416
50
68
60
342
2,840
51
226
412
95
108
50.9
49.9
50. 5
49. 7
50. 8
48. 3
50.1
48.2
54.4
50.4
50. 5
50.0
49.8
48.4
51.8
49.2
.394
.474
.464
.479
.477
.477
.420
.467
.441
.457
.487
.505
.507
.516
.460
.511
20. 05
23. 65
23. 43
23. 81
24. 23
23. 04
21. 04
22. 51
23. 99
23.03
24. 59
25. 25
25.25
24. 97
23. 83
25.14
59
64
3,432
4,134
50.1
50.3
.467
.487
23.40
24.50
9
12
29
6
14
15
8
6
8
9
33
6
13
12
6
7
3, 616
10, 305
84, 622
5,549
10, 988
17, 345
6,725
5, 212
3, 421
10, 600
95, 624
5,680
10, 368
15, 036
8,222
5,011
51.4
50. 5
50.1
50.2
51. 1
48.5
52.0
53.4
49.3
50.9
48.9
45.3
50.9
49.6
52.8
53.2
.680
.684
.748
.714
.683
.730
.592
.669
.699
.647
.782
. 723
.729
.728
.643
.714
34.95
34. 54
37.47
35.84
34. 90
35.41
30. 78
35. 72
34. 46
32.93
38.24
32.75
37.11
36.11
33. 95
37. 98
99
94 144, 362 153,962
50.3
49.4
.723
.750
36.37
37.05
$34. 64
33.19
38. 55
32.84
37. 36
36.41
34.00
38. 22
Females
Illinois_____________________
In d ia n a ,
_____________
M ichigan ___ _________
N ew Jersey __ ______
N ew Y o rk .. ___ _______
Ohio __ _______________
P ennsy lv an ia. _ ______
W isconsin_________
T o tal____________ ______
M ales and fem ales
Illinois.
_________
I n d i a n a __ ___
M ich ig an .__ . . . _ _
N ew Jersey__ ____
N ew Y o rk . _________
Ohio______________
P ennsy lv an ia. _ ______
W isconsin____________
T o ta l___ _______ _
Table 3 shows for each State 1928 average hours and earnings for
males in 18 im portant occupations, and for females in 12 occupations.
The employees in the occupations represent 51 per cent of the 149,828
males and 69 per cent of the 4,134 females included in the study of
th a t year.
Reading the figures for the first occupations, in explanation of the
table, it is seen th a t average full-time hours for axle assemblers
ranged by States from 49.7 to 52.4 per week, th a t the average earn
ings per hour ranged from 60 to 76.8 cents, and th a t average full-time
earnings ranged from $29.94 to $39.46 per week. The averages for
all States were: Full-tim e hours per week, 50.2; earnings per hour,
75.5 cents; and full-time earnings, per week, $37.90.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1096]
W AGES AND HOURS OF LABOR
183
T a b l e 3 —A V E R A G E H O U R S A N D E A R N IN G S F O R 18 S P E C IF IE D O C C U P A T IO N S , 1928,
BY SE X A N D S T A T E
N u m b er
of em
ployees
2
6
17
1
8
8
3
3
10
138
1,883
0)
279
290
48
50
49.9
50.8
50.3
(>)
49.7
49.7
49.9
52.4
$0. 600
.652
.768
0
.728
.745
.746
.753
$29.94
33.12
38.63
0
36.18
37.03
37.23
39.46
______________________________
48
2,703
50.2
.755
37.90
Assemblers, axle, female:
In d ia n a ____
. _______ _____ ____ _
..
M ichigan _ . ________ _______________
1
2
.526
« 26. 51,
Assemblers, axle, male:
Illin o is ___- - __ - _________- --------------In d ian a_____ _________________________
------M ichigan____ _ .
. ------N ew Jersey ,.
. _________________ ____
N e w Y o rk ..
. . . -------------- ---------Ohio . . _ ________________________ -Pennsylvania
. . ____________________
W is c o n s in ..____ ______ ________ ________
T o tal.
0
9
Average
full-time
hours
per week
Average
full-time
earnings
per week
N um ber
of es
tablish
m ents
O ccupation, sex, and S tate
0
50.4
Average
earnings
per hour
0
. _•___________ ________ _______
3
13
50.3
.451
22. 69
Assemblers, body frame, male:
Illinois______ ________________________
In d ia n a ___ _________ __________________
M ichigan . . . . . _______ ____________
N ew Jersey____ _
________ ________
N ew Y ork_____________ . ---------O h io ___ . __________________________
Pennsylvania—
_____________________
W isco n sin ... _______________ _________
4
5
16
2
8
7
1
4
124
572
1,428
64
279
422
0
356
42.3
50.4
50.7
50.0
50.3
50.0
.835
.682
.857
.734
.824
.757
35. 32
34.37
43.45
36. 70
41.45
37.85
T o tal________________________________
47
3, 256
Assemblers, body frame, female:
Indian a___
. __________ . . . ------M ichigan _ . _____________ _ --------N e w Y o rk ____________ . . . . __________
2
2
1
T o tal.
0)
0
.50.4
.795
41.50
40. 27
.321
.564
0
0)
0
.799
50.0
49.0
6
2
(')
52.2
16.05
27.64
0
-
5
12
49.8
.419
20. 87
Assemblers, chassis, male:
Illin o is ____ ________________________
_______________
Indian a _____ . . .
M ichigan___ ____ __________ _________
N ew J e r s e y . . . _______ _____________ —
N e w Y o rk . _____
______________
Ohio
_____ - --- ________ .Penn sy lv an ia___ _ ___________________
W isc o n sin ... _______ _ ______ _
...
4
5
17
4
6
10
3
4
251
214
2,534
403
249
578
163
201
41.0
51.9
50.0
42.3
50.5
49.4
49.8
52.0
.834
.612
.782
.740
.773
.738
.673
.671
34.19
31.76
39.10
31.30
39.04
36. 46
33. 52
34.89
53
4, 593
49.0
.758
37.14
Total
T o tal.
---------------- --------------------
. ____________ .- - . . . ____
Assemblers, chassis, female:
Indian a — - _____________
M ichigan
_________ _
_________
1
6
(])
108
0
49.8
0
.529
0
26.34
7
109
49.8
.529
3
5
13
2
7
8
4
3
35
117
599
28
86
154
77
29
49.9
50.8
48.8
46.8
50.2
49.2
52.1
53.4
.597
.733
.784
.751
.760
.822
.738
.730
29.79
37.24
38.26
35.15
38.15
40.44
38. 45
38.98
T o tal________________________________
Assemblers, m otor, male:
I llin o is ___ ____________________________
I n d i a n a - __ ____ _ ___________________
M ichigan____________________________
N ew Jersey ._
_____________________
N ew Y ork
_____________ ___ _____
Ohio
.
___ _____________
Pennsylvania
_______________________
W isconsin..........................................................
45
1,125
49.5
.770
38.12
7
6
19
2
6
11
3
5
275
283
3, 050
84
201
661
169
136
53.2
50. 7
49.4
50.0
50. 5
50.1
54.7
52.4
.699
.652
.792
.782
.732
.714
.754
.740
37. 19
33.06
39.12
39.10
36.97
35. 77
41.24
38.78
T o tal..................................................................
59
4,859
50. 1
.762
38.18
_ ----------T o tal-. ________________
Assemblers, frame, male:
Illinois_____________________
________
In d ia n a _________________ ____________
_____________
. .. ..
M ich ig an .. . .
N ew Jersey .. _
_____________________
N e w Y o rk ____
____________________
Ohio__ ____ ______ ___________________
Pennsylvania
.
_______________ . .
Wisconsin
.
.
_ . . . ______ _
1 D ata included in total.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1097]
26. 34
184
MONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W
T a b l e 3 .—A V E R A G E H O U R S A N D E A R N IN G S F O R 18 S P E C IF I E D O C C U P A T IO N S , 1928,
B Y S E X A N D S T A T E —C ontinued
O ccupation, sex, and State
N um ber
of es
tab lish
m ents
Assemblers, motor, female:
___
Illinois
__
______
Indiana
M ichigan-________ _
_____ _
T o tal________ . . . ._
1
1
7
N u m b er
of em
ployees
Average
full-time
hours
per week
(9
(9
(')
(')
63
Average
earnings
per hour
Average
full-time
earnings
per week
50.4
(9
(9
$0. 498
(9
(9
$25.10
___ . . . ____ . . .
9
81
50.4
.460
23.18
; A utom atic operators, lathe and screw machine,
male:
Illinois___
_____
____ _
. _______
In d ia n a ____
M ichigan_________________ __ .
N ew J e r s e y _________
_ . . ._
N ew Y o rk ...
Ohio
Pennsylvania
____
W isco n sin ... . .
. . . . .
4
4
21
2
8
8
4
3
29
195
1,088
24
295
152
36
23
55. 0
50.3
48. 1
50.0
50.6
48. 1
51. 8
55. 4
.695
.676
.850
.945
.744
.811
.735
.756
38.23
34.00
40.89
47. 25
37. 65
39.01
38.07
41.88
54
1,842
49.0
.806
39.49
6
9
28
3
10
10
6
6
274
564
5, 698
111
390
699
486
266
54. 1
50. 7
48. 6
50.3
50.4
49. 7
53. 1
55. 1
.645
.593
.771
.677
.686
.700
.661
.688
34.89
30.07
37. 47
34. 05
34. 57
34. 79
35. 10
37.91
78
8, 488
49. 6
.734
36. 41
2
2
5
2
2
2
32
20
68
4
36
4
54.8
50.0
49.8
50.0
48.2
50.3
.464
.359
.486
.612
.478
.418
25.43
17.95
24.20
30.60
23.04
21.03
15
104
50.5
.466
23.53
0
6
27
3
8
10
5
5
139
316
3, 657
109
466
448
166
118
53. 1
50. 7
47.9
50.2
49.9
48.9
53. 7
54.8
.690
.638
.828
. 791
.716
. 794
.679
.762
36. 66
32.37
39. 66
39.71
35.73
38. 83
36.46
41.76
70
5,419
48.8
.792
38.65
T otal
.
_
. . . . .
D rill-press operators, male:
Illinois____________________ . .
In d ian a____ ___________ ______
M ichigan______________ _. _
N ew J erse y ... _
___
N ew York _
Ohio______________
Pen n sy lv an ia______ _ _ _______
W isconsin . . . _ ______
T o ta l______
. ______
D rill-press operators, female:
Illin o is.. ___
...
In d ian a . ____
____
M ichigan____________
N ew Jersey. . . ______
N ew Y ork.
Pennsylvania .
T o tal_____
G rinding-m achine operators, male:
____
Illinois ______
Indiana _____
M ichigan _
N ew Jersey______
N ew York
Ohio
P en n sy lv an ia. . . ______
W isconsin_____ . .
T o tal__________ _
..
G rinding-m achine operators, female:
In d ia n a ..
...
...
M ichigan____ . . . . _
P ennsylvania_____ _
T otal
.
____
_ ______
1
2
1
(i)
3
(9
(>)
51. 3
(9
(9
(9
. 440
(9
22. 57
(9
...
4
8
50. 3
.457
22. 99
Inspectors, male:
Illinois _____ ______
In d ia n a . ________
M ichigan____ __ ._
New Jersev________
New Y ork______
O hio. .. .
P e n n s y lv a n ia .. ____
W isconsin___________
5
8
33
6
13
12
6
7
148
438
4, 966
169
498
772
431
157
52. 1
50. 6
48. 3
50. 5
49. 5
53. 0
53.0
. 658
. 600
.755
. 737
.672
.711
. 643
.623
34.28
30. 36
36. 77
35. 60
33.94
35. 19
34.08
33.02
90
7, 579
49.4
.723
35.72
T o tal---------------------------1 D a ta included in total.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1098]
WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR
T
able
185
3 .— A V E R A G E H O U R S A N D E A R N IN G S F O R 18 S P E C IF IE D O C C U P A T IO N S , 1928,
B Y S E X A N D S T A T E —C ontinued
Occupation, sex, a n d State
Inspectors, female:
Illinois, ____________ ____ ____ ______ _
In d ia n a . ________ ___________________
M ichigan .
___ ___ _______ ___ , ,
N ew Jersey
______ - ______ ________
N ew Y ork
___ _ ________________
Ohio
__- - _______ ___________
Pennsylvania
_ __________ ___ ______
W isconsin____________ ____ ____ ________
T o tal________________________________
Laborers, male:
Illinois
____________ _ _ ___
Indian a
_____ _ - _______
M ichigan __
__ ____________________
N ew Jersey _ - ____- ________________
N ew York __ _ __ _____________________
Ohio
_ _________________ -- ------------Pennsylvania. _ _________ -- -- _____
W isconsin
_ __ _ _ ________ ___
T o tal------
--------- -------------- ------------
Laborers, female:
Illinois
_______ ___ ___ ___ _____
M ichigan
_
-______________
__ -- -- ____________
New Jersey
N ew Y ork
_
____________
Ohio
__ _______________ _____
Pennsylvania
__
_ __ ________ _
W isconsin______________________________
N um ber
of es
tab lish
m ents
1
N u m b er
of em
ployees
Average
full-time
hours
per week
(9
(9
2
19
1
1
1
3
1
23
419
(9
(9
0 )
27
50.0
50. 6
(9
(9
(9
52. 5
(9
(')
Average
earnings
per hour
Average
full-time
earnings
per week
(9
$0. 333
.396
(9
(9
(9
.388
(9
(9
$16. 65
20.04
(9
(9
(9
20.37
(9
29
503
50. 7
. 390
19. 77
6
6
435
1,056
9,489
1,131
13
1 ,0 2 1
.661
.501
.605
.661
.564
.546
.486
.548
30.80
25. 45
29. 89
29. 02
28. 82
27. 19
25. 76
29.21
.589
29. 10
7
1,488
571
344
46. 6
50. 8
49. 4
43.9
51. 1
49.8
53.0
53. 3
92
15, 535
49. 4
9
33
12
6
1
(9
11
1
(9
(9
(9
(9
2
2
47. 5
.350
23.35
(1)19. 71
,,
22. 65
(9
16. 63
T o tal------------------------------------------------L athe operators, male:
Illinois
________ ____ _______ ______
Indian a
- __________ _______
M ichigan
_ _ _ ______ _ _
New Jersey
________ _
______
N ew York
_____ _ _______ -Ohio
-_______
Pennsylvania __
_ _ __
W isconsin,, . , , , ------ - -
21
119
49. 5
.465
23. 02
5
4
227
311
3,495
219
303
531
282
185
52.9
50.8
47.9
50. 1
50.7
48.1
52.4
55.0
.689
.629
.832
.755
.728
.780
.708
.706
36.45
31.95
39.85
37.83
36.91
37. 52
37.10
38.83
T o tal________________________________
L etterers, stripers, and varnishers, male:
_________ ____________
Illinois
Indian a
__
_____ _
------M ichigan
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _____
New Jersey
_________ ___ _
-- -New Y ork
_____ __ __ __ __ _
Ohio
__
_______ ________
P e n n s y lv a n ia ___ __________ __ _ - W isconsin______________________________
69
5, 553
49. 0
.789
38. 6 6
44.8
50.9
50.0
45.5
50.6
49.9
39.02
40.01
62. 35
44. 04
47. 21
53. 29
52.4
.871
.786
1.247
.968
.933
1.068
(9
.928
T o ta l,,, -------------------------------------------L etterers, stripers, and varnishers, female:
Indiana
_____
____
____
M ichigan _______ _______ ____ __
N ew York __________ __ __ - _______
Ohio___________________________________
59
50.0
1. 115
T o tal________________________________
M achinists, male:
Illinois
_
_____ _______ ___ ___ _____
_____ ________ -Indian a __
M ichigan
__________ - ___ ____
N ew Jersey
_______________ _____
N ew Y ork
________ _________ -Ohio
__ _____ __________ Pennsylvania
_
______________
W isconsin------ ---------------------------------------
6
T o tal_________________________ ____ --i D a ta included in total.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
97
4
13
2
3
1
6
8
24
3
9
10
)
0
(9
2
8
6
72
369
23
4
8
10
1
5
1
3
1
1
(9
50. 1
49.9
44. 5
22
50
82
(9
35
(9
650
(9
14
(9
50.0
. 560
48. 63
55. 75
(9
28.00
(9
(9
. 588
29.28
80
148
2, 380
116
250
.725
. 699
.893
.811
.758
.801
.729
.602
37. 77
35.51
41.61
40.31
37.60
39.41
38. 78
31.42
.844
40. 43
226
63
81
3, 465
47.9
[1099]
(9
(9
49.8
5
4
12
10
.395
.509
26
52.1
50.8
46.6
49.7
49.6
49.2
53.2
52.2
7
7
31
5
(9
.466
(9
(9
(9
(9
(9
(9
(9
202
186
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
T a b l e 3 .—A V E R A G E H O U R S A N D E A R N IN G S F O R 18 S P E C IF I E D O C C U P A T IO N S 1928
B Y S E X A N D S T A T E - C o n tin u e d
O ccupation, sex, and S tate
M illing-m achine operators, male:
Illinois.......................
In d ia n a _______
M ichigan________ .
N ew J e r s e y _________
N ew York__ __
O hio_____
Pen n sy lv an ia______
Wisconsin ___
T o tal______. . .
N u m b er
of es
tablish
m ents
Sewing-machine operators, female:
Illinois______ ______
In d ia n a __ __ ____
M ichigan______________
N ew Jersey ____
Now York
O hio. ____
P en n sy lv an ia. _ ____
W isc o n s in ____
4
52 9
50.8
48. 5
50.0
51.3
49.2
52.9
55. 3
70
3,231
49. 5
6
1
1
7
1
2
1
(>)
(0
0
0
132
(0
0
0
)
13
1
5
16
2
1
3
0
861
Tool and die makers, male:
Illinois__________
In d ia n a __ ___
M ichigan.
N ew Jersey_____
N ew Y ork . . .
Ohio. ____
Pen n sy lv an ia__
W isconsin________
6
29
4
5
5
40
274
2,391
77
208
336
126
71
77
3, 523
T op builders, male:
Illinois____
In d ia n a __ . . .
M ichigan ___
N ew Jersey______ .
N ew York .
Ohio___
P e n n s y lv a n ia ___ .
W isconsin..
10
10
0
0
0
0
0
rh
7
47
5
4
7
T o t a l . ___ . . .
T rim bench hands, male:
Illinois_____
In d ia n a ________
M ic h ig a n ___ .
N ew Jersey____
N ew Y o rk .. . .
Ohio____ _
W isconsin______
h
2
3
1
2
1
2
15
149
78
(>)
23
287
u0 . 2
^0
5
i
25 [
1Data included in total.
[ 1100]
385
.919
44.85
. 858
.750
. 867
.740
.900
. 875
.877
. 788
37.41
38.10
44.04
31.01
45.45
43.31
43.85
41.76
.840
41.66
. 515
.576
28. 35
26.80
0
24.72
0
28.92
.536
0
5
10
1
2
0
49.5
m
1
.730
38.03
40. 62
46. 22
42.65
42.18
43.86
39. 02
39. 27
.567
.536
0
1
0
0
0
0
. 60
26.16
.827
. 855
c
0
24.95
26.16
25.65
28.67
28.10
0
.795
50 0
51.0
0
'
. olo
15
365
4
0
.493
. OUo
22
51.0
2,204
500
293
10
2
0
34.73
40.82
)
35.32
50. 6
51. 5
50.0
51. 1
49 3
)
46 8
6
56
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
(0
0
3
20
T o t a l _____ _____
T op builders, female:
I n d i a n a ___
___
M ichigan.
N ew York . . _
O hio. . . .
P e n n s y lv a n ia ___
W isconsin____
T o tal___ ____
0
28
43
8
0
0
m
tv
43
57
6
37.82
42.4
22
9
$34. 70
31. 55
38. 70
35.80
36. 73
36.16
37.03
39. 71
.716
0
133
568
’
Average
full-time
earnings
per week
$0. 656
49.0
228
0
Average
earnings
per hour
41.4
22
T o tal_________
T o t a l . _____
Average
full-tim e
hours
per week
82
146
2,136
70
194
296
213
94
6
8
25
3
9
9
Sewing-machine operators, male:
Illinois__ _________
In d ia n a ___ _______
M ichigan____ . .
N ew Jersey______
N ew Y o rk ..
W isconsin__________
T o t a l _________
N um ber
of em
ployees
’
.595
.825
.752
. 725
.770
26. 53
0
0
30. 64
41.33
)
36. 25
36.18
0
38.04
WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR
187
T a b l e 3 .—A V E R A G E H O U R S A N D E A R N IN G S F O R 18 S P E C IF I E D O C C U P A T IO N S , 1928,
B Y SE X A N D S T A T E —C ontinued
O ccupation, sex, and S tate
T rim bench hands, female:
In d ia n a ----- ------- -------- 1 -- .-----------------M ichigan __ __ ---------------- ------ -- . .
New J e r s e y ______
____._ ------------New York _ . . . ---- ---------- -- . ----Ohio____ _____________________________
W isconsin ______
T o t a l . ___ . . . _______
1
______
N um ber
of es
tab lish
m ents
N u m b er
of em
ployees
4
3
50
501
C1)
23
55
36
29
609
12
1
3
6
Average
full-time
hours
per week
51.9
49.9
50.0
$0,445
.477
0 )
.518
.536
.506
50.8
.483
51. 2
50.9
(')
Average
earnings
per hour
Average
full-time
earnings
per week
$22. 78
24.28
(0
26.88
26. 75
25.30
24.54
D ata included in total.
Hours of Operation
A v e r a g e full-time hours per week for the employees in an occu
pation in the motor-vehicle industry or in all occupations in any one
State or in all States is the result obtained by dividing the aggregate
of the full-time hours for all employees in the occupation, State, or
States, by the total num ber of employees in the occupation, S tate or
States. The full-time hours per week of a motor-vehicle establish
m ent are those when the establishm ent is working its regular standard
of full time as established by a regular tim e of beginning and of
quitting work less a regular time off duty for eating, with no overtime
work and no loss of time for any cause.
The full-time hours per week of the 94 establishm ents covered in
1928 ranged from 40 for 4 plants to 58 per week for 1 plant, and the
hours of 44 plants were 50 per week.
Overtime Work
T h e policy of paying more than the regular rate for work per
formed outside of or in excess of the regular full-time hours of oper
ation per day and per week was in effect in 59 of the 94 establishm ents
th a t were included in the 1928 study. In plants in which employees
were paid extra for overtime any employee who worked overtime
was paid one and one-fourth or one and one-half times his regular
rate for each hour of overtime or his hours were “ boosted” by enter
ing on the pay rolls one and one-fourth or one and one-half hours for
each hour of overtime. In plants in which hours were “ boosted,”
actual working time was obtained by eliminating the one-fourth
or one-half hour of boosted time.
Bonus Systems
B o n u s systems were in operation in 44 of the 94 plants included
in the study in 1928. Earnings of all or a specified p a rt of the wage
earners at their regular rates in these plants were increased by the
addition of a fixed am ount or per cent for production, efficiency,
attendance, time saving, or length of service.
46658°—20
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
13
[ 1101]
188
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
E n tr a n c e W age R a te s fo r C o m m o n L a b o r, J a n u a r y 1, 1929
H E term “ common lab o r77 has m any interpretations among
different industries and even among different localities or plants
in the same industry. Also, m any employers m ake a practice of
increasing the rate of pay of a laborer after a stated length of service,
provided a sufficient degree of fitness for the job has been developed;
otherwise the employee is dropped. Owing to these difficulties in
the way of securing comparable data as to wage rates for common
labor, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has confined these statistics
to entrance rates alone— th a t is, to rates of pay per hour for unskilled
adult male common laborers when first hired.
This survey is limited to 13 im portant industries, which require
considerable num bers of common laborers. Some establishm ents
have reported two rates—for example, one for the 10-hour day and
one for the 8-hour day, or one for white and one for colored or Mexican
workers; these distinctions have not been m aintained in the tabu
lated data, although it is apparent th a t the lowest rates are shown
for those geographic divisions where there are large numbers of
colored or Mexican workers, while the highest rates are shown for
localities where an 8-hour day is more or less prevalent.
The industries included in this survey and the num ber of common
laborers employed a t entrance rates in the establishments reporting
in each specified industry, on January 1, 1929, are as follows:
T
A utom obiles____________________________________________
B rick, tile, a n d te r ra c o tta ______________________________
C em en t, _______________________________________________
E lectrical m ach in ery , a p p a ra tu s, a n d su p p lies___________
F o u n d ry a n d m ach in e-sh o p p ro d u c ts ____________________
Iro n a n d s t e e l . _________________________________________
L e a th e r_________________________________________________
L u m b er (saw m ills)______________________________________
P a p e r a n d p u lp _________________________________________
P etro leu m re fin in g ______________________________________
S lau g h terin g a n d m e a t p a c k in g _________________________
Public u tilitie s__________________________________________
G eneral c o n tra c tin g ____________________________________
T o ta l____________________________________________
24, 470
4, 181
1, 637
3, 579
9, 679
18,652
2, 611
11, 851
9, 481
3, 51S
7, 314
10, 596
32, 075
139, 644
The num ber of common laborers employed at entrance rates in
the establishments reporting, in each of the nine geographic divi
sions of the United States, on January 1, 1929, was—
N ew E n g la n d ___________________________________________
M iddle A tla n tic ________________________________________
E a s t N o rth C e n tra l_____________________________________
W est N o rth C e n tra l____________________________________
S o u th A tla n tic __________________________________________
E a s t S o u th C e n tra l_____________________________________
W est S o u th C e n tra l____________________________________
M o u n ta in ______________________________________________
Pacific--------------------------------------i _______________________
T o ta l____________________________________________
7, 867
26, 983
48, 468
12, 848
12, 820
6, 663
7, 907
4, 181
11, 907
139, 644
The weighted average hourly common-labor entrance rate for the
several industries combined, on Jan u ary 1, 1929, was 45 cents. The
general-contracting industry reported the highest rate,
—in the
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[1102]
WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR
189
Middle A tlantic division—while the lowest rate, 15 cents, was paid
in the sawmill industry, in the South A tlantic division.
The highest average rate per hour for any industry, 55.9 cents,
appeared in the automobile industry, followed by 48.6 cents in general
contracting, 48 cents in petroleum refining, and 45.7 cents in electrical
m achinery; the lowest average rate, 30.8 cents, appeared in the
sawmill industry.
The highest average rate in the nine geographic divisions, 52.2
cents, appeared in the E ast N orth Central division. The New
England, M iddle Atlantic, and Pacific divisions showed average rates
ranging from 46.4 cents to 48.4 cents. The lowest average rate, 26.3
cents, appeared in the E a st South C entral division.
The weighted average entrance rates per hour for all industries
represented in this study, including general contracting, have been as
follows: July 1, 1926, 42.8 cents; October 1, 1926, 43.4 cents; Jan u
ary 1, 1927, 43.2 cents; July 1, 1927, 42.6 cents; January 1, 1928,
43 cents; July 1, 1928, 44.9 cents; January 1, 1929, 45 cents.
Om itting data for general contracting, which industry was first
included in these compilations on July 1, 1926, average entrance rates
per hour for the periods studied have been: January 1, 1926, 40.2
cents; April 1, 1926, 40.5 cents; July 1, 1926, 40.9 cents; October 1,
1926, 40.9 cents; January 1, 1927, 41 cents; July 1, 1927, 40.4 cents;
January 1, 1928, 41.1 cents; July 1, 1928, 44.1 cents; January 1,
1929, 43.9 cents.
The rather pronounced increases in the average rate for July 1, 1928,
and January 1, 1929, as compared w ith average rates for previous
periods, are due to the great activities of certain.very large plants since
the spring of 1928. These plants have high entrance rates, and recent
activities have necessitated the taking on of very large num bers of
common laborers.
The table following shows, for each industry included, the high,
low, and average common-labor entrance rates per hour, Jan u ary 1,
1929, in each geographic division and in the United States as a whole:
H O U R L Y E N T R A N C E W A G E R A T E S F O R C O M M O N LA B O R , JA N U A R Y 1, 1929
[The rates on w hich this table is based are entrance rates paid for a d u lt m ale common labor]
Geographic division
In d u stry
Automobiles:
U nited
States
Cents
New M iddle
A t
E ng
land 1 lantic 2
E ast W est
E ast W est
N orth N orth South
South South M oun Pacifica
A
t
Cen Cen ta in 8
C en Cen
tral 3 tral 4 lantic 6 tral 6 tral 7
Cents
Cents
Cents
C ents
Cents
C ents
35. 0
35. 0
30. 0
30. 0
62. 5
62. 5
62. 5
62. 5
High
44. 6
47.4
56. 7
55. 9
Average
Brick, tile^and terra cotta:
2 0 .0
40.0
2 2 .2
30.0
27.0
18.5
18. 5
Low
___________
35.0
37.0
52.8
50.0
40.0
53.0
50.0
H ig h _________________
24. 1
26.8
37.8
42.4
48.1
38.9
34.9
Average—- .......................
1 Connecticut, M aine, M assachusetts, N ew H am pshire, R hode Island, V erm ont.
2 New Jersey, N ew Y ork, Pennsylvania.
3 Illinois, In d ian a, M ichigan, Ohio, W isconsin.
4 Iowa, K ansas, M innesota, M issouri, N ebraska, N o rth D akota, South D akota.
« Delaware, D istrict of C olum bia, Florida, Georgia, M aryland, N o rth Carolina,
ginia, W est Virginia.
6 A labam a, K entucky, M ississippi, Tennessee.
7 A rkansas, Louisiana, O klahoma, Texas.
8 Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, M ontana, N ew Mexico, N evada, U tah , W yoming.
9 California, Oregon, W ashington.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1103]
C ents
C ents
25.0
37.5
28.0
38.5
40.0
39.5
C ents
45.0
55.0
50.5
39.0
53.0
45.8
South C arolina, V ir
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
190
HOURLY ENTRANCE WAGE RATES FOR COMMON LABOR, JANUARY 1,1929-Continued
Geographic division
U nited
States
In d u stry
C em ent:
L ow ..... .................. ...........
H ig h ,,---------------------A verage______________
Electrical m achinery, ap
paratu s, a n d supplies:
Low ________
H ig h ,........ .................
A verage______________
F ou n d ry an d m achine-shop
products:
Low ..... .............. ..............
H ig h ,................................
A verage_________ ____
Iron and steel:
Low ..... ......................
H ig h ,,..............................
Average_______ ____
Leather:
Low ..... .........................
H ig h ,...................... ........
A verage............................
L um ber (sawmills):
Low _______________
H igh------------- -------Average______________
P a p e r and pulp:
L ow ............................ .
H ig h.......................... .......
A verage______________
Petroleum refining:
h OW___________________
H igh------------------------A verage._____________
Slaughtering a n d m eat
packing:
L ow ..... ...........................
H igh---- -------------------Average............................
P u b lic utilities: 10
L o w ,________________
H ig h------------------------Average______________
G eneral co n tractin g :1!
L ow __ ______________
H ig h .------- ---------------A v erag e...........................
T otal: L ow _____ ___
H ig h-----------A verage_____
C ents
N ew
E ng
land
E ast W est
E ast W est
M iddle N
orth N orth South South South M oun
A t
A t
Cen
Cen
Cen Cen tain
lantic
tral
tral lantic tral
tral
C ents
Cents
■25. 0
56.0
37.9
C ents
35.0
45. 0
43. 2
35. 0
45.0
38.8
C ents
33. 0
40. 5
35. 2
C ents
C ents
26. 0
33 0
30. 2
C ents
25 0
28 0
27.4
C ents
Pacific
Cents
33 0
56 0
46! 4
35.0
52.5
45. 7
35.0
48.0
43.5
38.0
51.0
44.4
40.0
52. 5
47.6
35.0
40.0
36.4
40.0
45. 0
42.6
17.5
60. 0
39.4
33.0
50. 0
39.9
30.0
51.0
41.3
35.0
50.0
42. 5
33.0
50.0
39.7
17. 5
43.8
28.3
25.0
40. 0
31.7
2 0 .0
35.0
45.0
40.3
30.0
50.0
41.9
35.0
50.0
44. 6
35.0
40.0
37.5
2 0 .0
44.0
36.1
22. 5
31. 0
26.9
60.0
42.1
45.0
54. 2
49.9
25.5
50.0
42. 7
31.6
60.0
44.8
25.0
40.0
33.0
33. 0
29. 6
15.0
50. 0
30.8
30.0
36.0
32. 0
30.0
35.0
34.4
30.0
40.0
35.6
32.5
35.0
33.8
15.0
35.0
21.4
2 1 .0
27.5
23.3
22.5
55. 0
43.1
33.3
50.0
47.0
35.0
50.0
41.2
30.0
55.0
43. 7
35.0
45. 0
41.0
30.0
38. 3
36. 3
22. 5
30.0
24.9
25.0
35.0
30.0
45.0
53.0
47.5
50.0
50.0
50.0
50.0
50.0
50.0
30.0
50.0
40.9
32. 5
32. 5
32. 5
25.0
51.0
44.8
45.0
60.0
54.2
53.0
62.0
57.0
30. 0
37. 5
36. 6
40 0
40 0
40. 0
40 0
45 0
41 7
25.0
40. 0
26.9
28.0
40. 0
29.6
35.0
42. 0
38.4
33.0
60.0
51.5
2 0 .0
40.0
34.5
35. 0
62. 5
44.3
40.0
75.0
55.5
.0
51.0
32.9
35. 0
62.5
45.1
31.0
75.0
48.4
50.0
42. 5
2 0 .0
25.0
62. 0
48. 0
19. 5
25.0
38.0
50.0
41.4
40.0
45.0
41.3
37.5
45.0
40.8
37.5
45.0
41.5
40.0
40.0
40.0
2 0 .0
61. 5
41. 9
35.0
61. 5
47. 7
38.0
61.3
46. 5
32. 5
60.0
47.6
30.0
40.0
36.3
50. 0
33.8
17.5
112. 5
48. 6
40.0
85. 0
56.8
25.0
112. 5
61.5
35.0
90.0
61.8
22. 5
75. 0
41.7
60.0
29. 3
17. 5
50.0
28.3
15.0
112. 5
45. 0
30. 0
85. 0
46.4
22. 2
112. 5
47.6
30. 0
90.0
52. 2
22. 5
75.0
41.0
15. 0
60.0
29.2
17.5
50.0
26.3
2 0 .0
40.0
45. 0
43. 7
44.0
60.0
53.7
41.0
49.0
48.9
42. 5
50.0
46.1
42 5
57 8
54 2
2 0 .0
30.0
50.0
41. 2
2 0 .0
22.5
30.0
27.3
2 0 .0
20
38.0
42.5
41.4
31.0
50.0
41.1
40.0
51. 3
42.8
!! i nc!u(?es street railw ays, gas works, w aterw orks, and electric power and lig h t plants.
11 Includes building, highw ay, public works, and railroad construction.
W ag e In c re a se s a s E sta b lish e d by R e c e n t A g re e m e n ts an d
A w ard s
Railway Clerks—Southern Pacific (Pacific Lines)
BOARD of arbitration was created by agreement dated Decem
ber 20, 1926, for the purpose of deciding a request for an increase
in wages by the railway clerks, freight handlers, express and station
employees on the Southern Pacific (Pacific Lines). The board con
sisted of W . B. K irkland, selected by the carrier, J. H. Sylvester,
selected by the employees, and J. O. Davis as the third arbitrator.
A
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1104]
WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR
191
The award of the board, issued on April 16, 1927, granted increases
in rates of pay in various amounts to the employees.1
Subsequently a dispute arose as to the applicability of said award
to employees in the consolidated yard office and freight station at
El Paso, Tex. The employees requested the U nited States Board of
M ediation on September 6, 1928, to reconvene the board of arbitra
tion for the purpose of ruling upon the dispute.
The board of arbitration was reconvened on February 18, 1929.
D ue to the inability of W. B. K irkland to serve as a member of the
board, both parties to the dispute agreed th a t L. R. Sm ith serve in
his stead.
On M arch 7, 1929, the board issued the following decision:
The award of the board of arbitration issued April 16, 1927, is
applicable to the employees in question.
Railway Clerks—Texas & Pacific Railway
R ailway clerks and freight platform employees of the Texas &
Pacific Railway will receive a wage increase of approxim ately 3 cents
an hour, through an agreement signed M arch 27. Several im portant
improvements in rules were secured, including time and one-half for
overtime.
The settlem ent was effected through mediation of the U nited
States Board of M ediation, J. W. W alsh representing the board.
Railroad Telegraphers
Chicago cb A lto n R a ilr o a d . —Telegraphers on the Chicago & Alton
Railroad secured a wage increase of 1% cents an hour effective Feb
ruary 16, 1929. A new rule providing for “ deadheading ” and time
and one-half for work performed during meal hours was negotiated.
L e h ig h V a lle y R a ilr o a d . —The telegraphers’ committee on the
Lehigh Valley Railroad requested an increase of 5 cents an hour and
relief days. On February 11 the committee accepted an increase of
2y2 cents an hour, w ith an understanding w ith the m anagem ent th a t
conferences would be renewed in April to consider additional increase.
The increase became effective February 1. The subject of relief days
remains open for further discussion.
S o u th e rn R a ilw a y s u b s id ia r ie s .—An increase in wage rates has been
secured for the employees in station and telegraph service of the
following subsidiaries of the Southern Railway: Carolina & N orth
western Railw ay; Yadkin Railway; H igh Point, Randlem an, Ashboro
& W estern Railway, and the Danville & W estern Railway. The
increases equal th a t awarded by the arbitration board to telegraphers
on the parent line in December, 1928, and are effective as of M arch 1,
1929.
G reen B a y & W estern R a ilro a d . — Telegraphers on the Green Bay &
W estern Railroad, on November 28, 1928, made a request for an
increase of 8 cents an hour and change in certain rules, including
vacations with pay for all employees.
On February 22, 1929, a settlem ent was reached by employees
accepting an increase of 5 cents an hour for all positions (excepting
1
L ab o r Review , Ju ly , 1927, p . 102.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1 1 0 5 ]
192
MONTHLY LA.BOR REVIEW
eight agencies which had been voluntarily increased by the carrier
within the past year) and a 15-day annual vacation w ith pay for all
telegraphers with five years or more service. The rule governing pay
for Sunday and holiday service was revised to g ran t tim e and one-haif
for all service performed on such days, w ith a m inimum of three hours
a t overtime rate. The increase is effective as of February 16, 1929.
M obile cb O hio R a ilr o a d . —T he telegraphers’ com m ittee subm itted a
proposition to the Mobile & Ohio Railroad to revise rules and wage
rates, requesting an increase of 10 cents an hour, vacations w ith pay,
time and one-half for all service on Sundays and holidays, and a
6-day week w ithout loss of compensation.
On M arch 4 a settlem ent was reached, increasing existing rates by
an equivalent of 2% cents an hour, 2 x/i cents thereof to be applied as
a flat increase, and the remaining one-fourth cent to be distributed as
m utually agreed upon between the com m ittee and the m anagement.
In addition an am ount of $20 per m onth increase on the pay roll was
granted for distribution to small nontelegraph agents. All requested
changes in rules were withdraw n in the settlem ent except the request
for inclusion of certain agency positions, which m atter it was agreed
would remain open for further negotiation.
Railroad Signalmen
N e w Y o r k C entral R a ilr o a d . —-Signalmen mechanics employed by
the Ohio central lines of the New York C entral Railroad received an
increase of 5 cents an hour, establishing a minimum rate of 82 cents.
Proportionate increases were granted other classes in the signal depart
m ent. Increased rates effective April 1, 1929.
C hicago, I n d ia n a p o lis cb L o u isv ille R a ilr o a d . —Through a recent
wage settlem ent on the Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville Railroad
a wage^increase of 4 cents an hour was secured for signalmen, signal
m aintainers and helpers, and a corresponding increase for other classes
on m onthly rates. The new rate for signalmen and signal m ain
tainers is 78 cents an hour.
N o rfo lk ¿a W estern R a ilw a y . —A recent agreement between the sig
nalmen and the Norfolk & W estern Railway provides for wage
increases of 3 cents an hour for all classes. This establishes a rate
of 80 cents an hour for signalmen and signal m aintainers, and pro
portionate rates for the other classes.
T e x a s cb P a c ific R a ilw a y . —The Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen
negotiated a new wage agreement w ith the Texas & Pacific Railway
fixing hourly rates ranging from 51 cents for helpers to 83 cents for
lead signalmen.
W abash R a ilw a y . —Railroad signalmen employees of the W abash
Railway have secured a wage increase of 3 cents an hour effective
February 1, with an understanding th a t in June there will be an
additional increase of 13^2 cents an hour.
Railroad Shopmen
A tc h is o n , T o p e k a cb S a n ta F e R a ilr o a d . —Shopmen employees of the
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad secured a wage increase,
effective M arch 1, 1929, of 5 cents an hour for mechanics, helpers,
and apprentices, and an increase of 2 cents an hour for coach cleaners.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[ 1106]
WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR
193
M is s o u r i, K a n s a s & T e x a s R a ilr o a d . —A 3-year agreement between
the Missouri, K ansas & Texas R ailroad and their shop employees
provides for a wage increase of 5 cents an hour for machanics, 4 cents
an hour to semiskilled, 3 cents an hour to helpers, and from 1 to 5
cents an hour to apprentices. Such increases became effective
M arch 1, 1929.
S t. L o u is - S a n F ra n cisco R a ilw a y . —Effective M arch 1, 1929, the
St. Louis-San Francisco Railway granted its shopmen a wage increase
of approxim ately 5 per cent, establishing a m inimum rate for firstclass mechanics of 81 cents an hour, and for second-class mechanics
65 cents an hour. Apprentices were granted a 2-cent scale increase.
T e x a s & P a c ific R a ilw a y . —Shopmen employees of the Texas &
Pacific Railway have secured a wage increase for mechanics of 5 cents
an hour, semiskilled workers an increase of 4 cents an hour, helpers
3 cents an hour, and apprentices from 1 to 3 cents an hour. Such
increase became effective M arch 1, 1929.
W ages
in
In d u str ie s
U n d er W o rk m en ’s
M in n e so ta
C o m p e n sa tio n
in
W AGE STLTDY compiled from accident reports on file in the
office of the Industrial Commission of M innesota is given in
its fourth biennial report, Ju ly 1, 1926-June 30, 1928. The table
following shows the average, median, and modal wages received by
injured workers in industries covered by workm en’s compensation
for the fiscal year 1928. In studying the wage figures it should
be borne in mind th a t the average wages in the five farm ing classifi
cations, in lum ber and logging, and in domestic service (which takes
in hotels and restaurants) include board and lodging com puted on
the basis of $7 per week. All other rates indicate the flat weekly
wage scale.
A
A V E R A G E , M E D IA N , A N D M O D A L W E E K L Y W A G E S IN IN D U S T R IE S C O V E R E D B Y
W O R K M E N ’S C O M P E N S A T IO N , 1927-28
W eekly wages
N um ber
of injured
workers Average M edian
M odal
Industries
G eneral farm ing-----------------------------------------------D a iry farm ing---- ---------------------------------------------Stock farm ing____________ ____ ______________
T ru c k farm ing_________________________________
O perating agricultural im plem ents (not b y farmer)
M in in g ...............................................................................
Q uarrying...............- ------------ ------------------------------Stone p ro d u cts________________________ ______ _
C lay p ro d u cts------- ------------ ------------------------------B rick a n d tile __________________________________
Glass p ro d u cts----------------------------------- -------------Ore reduction a n d sm elting-------------------------------Rolling m ills a n d steel w orks-------- --------------------Structural-iron w orks____________ ____ ____ ____ _
Foundries-------------- -------------- --------------------------M etal p ro d u cts------------------------------------------------A gricultural im plem ents____________________ - —
M achinery an d in stru m en ts---------------- -------------V ehicles_______________________________________
F u rn itu re ____________ _______________ _________
L um ber m ills (saw m ills)________________________
Planing m ills....................................... ...............................
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[HOT]
212
24
14
92
129
1,063
273
982
$21. 44
21. 83
22.86
22.68
25. 52
30.06
28. 77
30. 25
$20. 38
19. 16
26. 64
30.41
33. 09
26. 47
36. 47
27. 38
27.04
30. 56
26. 2 1
28.90
25. 64
23.85
25.65
24. 45
30.00
32. 75
27. 58
36. 25
25. 51
25. 79
25. 50
25.09
27.18
24.42
24. 43
24.89
$18. 40
17.60
2 0 .0 0
20.00
23.00
24. 75
28.59
25.00
27.54
24.60
30.00
25.61
21.52
24.81
1
121
39
43
85
74
981
1,153
270
2,005
300
380
264
356
21.66
40.00
32.60
24. 71
49.00
24. 38
24.76
21.74
22. 45
25. 35
22.
24.
24.
194
MONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W
A V E R A G E , M E D IA N , A N D M O D A L W E E K L Y W A G E S IN IN D U S T R IE S C O V E R E D B Y
W O R K M E N ’S C O M P E N S A T IO N , 1927-28—C ontinued
N u m ber
of injured
workers
Industries
W oodw orking___
L um bering and logging. _.
Leather a n d fu r. ._
Boots and shoes___ ___
R ubber and composition goods .
Chem ical and allied p ro d u cts__
P aper and p u lp m ills...
P aper products
P rinting a n d publishing___
T e x tile s .............
C lothing and furnishings
Laundries____________
Flour and grist m ills___
B akeries__
Slaughtering and m eat p a ck in g ...
Brew ing an d bo ttlin g.................... .
O ther food p ro d u cts..
M iscellaneous m anufacturing___
W recking and m oving___
Grading, excavating, and foundations
Erecting _ ___
Finishing, equipping, a n d in s ta llin g ___
Steam railw ays .
Electric railwavs
Cartage and storage
G rain elevators___
G arages_____
Stockyards- _. _
T ransportation b y w ater
Telephone and telegraph
Light and p o w e r..
Public utilities.
O ffices..
Stores..
Yards (not otherwise classified!
L um ber v a rd s..
Salesmen and outside agents
D om estic service
Personal s e r v ic e .____
Professional service . . .
M unicipal and p u b lic .. . .
M iscellaneous in d u s trie s ..
548
1,529
127
104
102
673
1,174
124
134
438
324
509
586
1,166
189
1,441
12
56
829
l ’ 194
4
269
2,784
228
2,145
128
54
207
1,052
31
203
1,146
412
125
1, 794
279
77
1,284
342
All in d u stries__ ____
------------------------------ -----------
40,524
W eekly wages
Average
18. 64
25.04
18.63
25.18
26.53
26. 78
M edian
(tîOI yo
OR
17.43
25. 56
27.49
27. 34
1Q R
O
lo.
OZ
24. 21
25. 37
O
A O
QO
Q
Z*t.
22. 83
oa
z i. in
iy
21.10
on
z u . nn
uu
09 1Q
ZÔ.
1o
O
R ZODK
ZO.
23. 67
25. 32
25. 84
27 41
24. 32
28. 93
21 22_
27.14
26! 40
23.03
26.55
35. 22
33.97
27.20
27.84
30.82
OR Krt
07 no
on zOQ
ou.
Qn
1
OU. 111
o k nn
0
M odal
$17.66
16. 32
30. 75
18. 55
24. 55
O
A 70
Z4.
tZ
0 1 OA
Zl. ou
24. 66
15. 53
22.10
20. 53
30. 00
21. 52
20. 69
n
zon
u . 7/u
OK 1/
11
ZD.
OK
OI
O
O. Zl
18.80
24. 45
24. 82
44 00
A X 1A
40.
iu
OK zu
OA
Zo.
on nn
oU.
UU
30. 65
24. 88
OA
OU. 11UA
Ol 0 7
z01i. on
oy
24. 20
45. 75
2o. 26
24. 83
OA 4/
A7
Z4.
O
K ZODK
ZD.
1ft. 04
K/f
lo
OK 14
1A
ZD.
29. 69
24.01
29. 33
28.48
07i . uu
nn
Z
26.41
25. 36
27. 51
20. 26
29. 03
33.23
28. 81
25. 66
26. 00
z01i. nn
uy
25.15
24 40
25.41
18 75
23 65
on 1i 0r
ou.
27 54
24 54
O
A fiA
Zl.
04
on
O
U. 7K
/0
OK ‘AiJL1
04
30.75
23. 58
9ft
Oft
ZD,
OX KA
Zo.
OU
71
S a la r ie s in C h ic a g o M u n ic ip a l Serv ice, 1915 to 1929
T
H E following schedules of salaries for specified positions in the
municipal service of Chicago were forwarded under date of
M arch 13, 1929, to the U nited States Bureau of Labor Statistics
by the m unicipal reference librarian of th a t city.
i M ost of the_ clerical positions in the municipal service fall under
the junior, senior, principal, and head grades. The few incum bents
in the chief clerk grade and the assistant chief clerk grade are paid
fixed or so-called “ fla t” salaries.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[ 1108]
195
W AGES AND H O U RS OF LABOR
SA L A R IE S F O R P O S IT IO N S IN C H IC A G O M U N IC IP A L S E R V IC E , 1915 TO 1929
G rade and d ate of
change of salary
A fter
Begin 1After
year 2 years M axi
ning
m um
in
in
salary grade grade
Position and date
of change
fter A fter
Begin 1Ayear
2 years M axi
ning
m um
in
in
salary grade grade
C lerical positions —
Clerical positions
Junior grade : 1
1915___________
1918
____
1919
____
1920
____
1Q99
1924 (Ju ly 1)___
1924 (Oct. 1)
1926 (Dec. 1) to
1929__________
Senior grade:
1915___________
1918
____
1919
____
1920
____
1924 (July 1)____
1924 (Oct. 1)____
1926 (Dec. 1) to
1929__________
G rade and d ate of
change of salary
C ontinued
$1 , 2 0 0
1, 320
1,500
1 , 680
2 1 , 680
1,800
1,880
1.500
$960 $1 , 080
1,080 1 , 2 0 0
1, 320
1 ,2 0 0
1, 380 1.500
1, 380 1.500
1,500 1 , 620
1,580 1, 700
1.500
1
, 620
1,740
2,060
1, 320
1,440
1 , 620
1, 740
1,860
1,940
1,440
1, 560
1, 740
1 , 860
1,980
2,060
1, 560
1,680
1,860
1, 980
1,680
1, 740
1, 980
2 ,1 2 0
2, 240
$840
960
1,080
1,260
1 , 260
2 ,1 0 0
2 220
2,180
,
2,300
2,360
2,480
After
Begin one- A fter
ning
half 1 -year
salary year in
in
grade grade
M axi
m um
2 ,1 0 0
Principal grade:
1915____________
1919
____
1920
____
1924 (July 1)____
1924 (Oct. 1)____
1926 (Dec. 1) to
1929_________
H ead grade:
1915___________
1919
____
1920
____
1924 (July 1)____
1924 (Oct. 1)____
1926 (Dec. 1) to
1929__________
Position and date
of change
Police departm ent
Fire departm ent
Patrolm en:
1915___________
1918
____
1919
1920___________
1920 (Jan. 1 )____
1924 (O ct. 1)____
1927_ _________
1927 (July 1) to
1929__________
Firem en:
1915___________
1918 _________
1919. _________
1919 (Jan. 1)____
1920
____
1920 (Jan. 1)____
1924 (Oct. 1)____
1927___________
1927 (Ju ly 1) to
1929_________
$900
1 ,2 0 0
1, 440
1, 632
1,640
1,840
1,990
2,140
$1 , 0 0 0
1,320
1,560
1, 752
1, 760
1, 960
$1, 320
1, 500
1 , 800
1,992
2 ,0 0 0
2 ,2 0 0
2 ,1 1 0
2, 350
2,260
2,500
$1,800 $1, 920 $2, 040
2,340
2 ,2 2 0
2 ,1 0 0
2,340 2,460
2 ,2 2 0
2, 340 2, 460 2,580
2,420 2, 540 2,660
$2,160
2,460
2,580
2,700
2,780
2,720
2,840
2,960
2,340
2,620
2,700
2,820
2,900
2,740
2 , 820
2,940
3, 020
2,520
2,960
2, 940
3,060
3,140
2, 700
3,000
3,060
3,180
3,260
3,080
3, 200
3, 320
3,440
2,600
After
Begin one- After M axi
ning
half 1 -year m um
in
salary year in
grade grade
$900 $1,056 $1,155
1, 320 1,440
1, 560
1, 560 .1 , 680
1,740
1 , 620
1, 752 1, 872
1,812 1,932
1,940
1 , 820
2,140
2 ,0 2 0
2,170 2,290
$1, 371
1, 500
1,800
1,800
1 , 800
1.992
1.992
2,440
2,500
1 ,2 0 0
1,440
fl, 440
\1 ,440
1,632
fl, 632
\1, 640
1, 840
1,990
.
2,140
2, 320
2 ,0 0 0
2 ,2 0 0
2,350
1 T here are 6 groups in th e junior clerk grade, and it is necessary for a person to serve 1 year in each group
before advancem ent to th e next higher. T h e requirem ent of 1 year’s service in a lower group for prom otion
to th e next also holds in th e salary schedules for other grades unless otherwise specified in such schedules.
2 $1,800 after 1 0 years in grade.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[3109]
M O N T H L Y L A B O R R E V IE W
196
A g r ic u ltu ra l W ages in C a n a d a , 1927 a n d 1928
W
AGES of agricultural laborers in C anada for 1927 and 1928
are given in the following table, compiled from the February,
1929, issue of the M onthly Bulletin of Agricultural Statistics,
published by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics (p. 44):
A V E R A G E W A G E S OF F A R M H E L P IN' C A N A D A , 1927 A N D 1928
M ales, per m onth,
sum m er season
Province and
year
Wages B oard
C anada:
1927............
1928______
Prince E dw ard
Island:
1927_______
1928______
N ova Scotia:
1927______
1928______
N ew
B ru n s
wick:
1927_______
1928..............
Quebec:
1927.............
1928.............
O ntario:
1927.............
1928...........
M anitoba:
1927............
1928______
Saskatchew an:
1927______
1928..............
A lberta:
1927______
1928______
B ritish C olum
bia:
1927______
1928........... .
$40
40
Females, per m onth,
sum m er season
M ales, per year
Females, per year
Wages
Wages
Wages
Wages
and Wages Board and Wages Board and Wages Board and
board
board
board
board
$62
63
$23
24
$19
23
$42
44
$384
382
$245
252
$629
634
$247
251
30
32
16
17
46
49
18
18
13
13
31
31
285
310
187
203
472
513
36
34
19
19
55
53
17
17
13
15
30
32
350
359
212
208
562
567
37
40
20
19
57
59
18
18
14
15
32
33
372
390
216
212
39
39
19
19
58
58
19
19
14
14
33
33
347
366
37
36
22
22
59
58
22
23
16
18
38
41
38
38
22
60
61
21
21
19
23
20
43
44
24
25
67
69
24
25
22
45
46
25
26
70
72
27
26
51
50
27
27
78
77
28
29
$22
225
$467
476
184
198
150
157
334
355
189
200
151
163
340
363
588
602
193
204
154
169
347
373
190
206
537
572
183
202
146
146
329
348
366
348
239
244
605
592
250
254
195
199
445
453
40
41
358
353
254
258
612
611
222
226
217
225
439
451
45
47
415
411
277
284
692
695
260
262
236
237
496
499
23
49
49
446
450
290
295
736
745
294
280
250
262
544
542
23
23
51
52
498
501
306
305
804
806
300
320
256
268
556
588
20
21
22
$220
The above table shows th a t in the summ er season m onthly wages
and board combined for both males and females were higher in British
Columbia than in any of the other Provinces, although the estim ated
value of m onthly board for females was equally high in 1928 in
Alberta.
B ritish Columbia also holds the C anadian record in 1928 for the
highest annual wages and board for agricultural male and female labor.
W ages in R o ad M o to r T r a n sp o r t in E n g la n d
RO W TH of m otor traffic has been as m arked in England as in
this country, and according to the M anchester G uardian in its
issue for M arch 22, 1929, the trade-unions, which had been taken
rather unaware by this sudden development, have waked up to the
necessity of regulating conditions in this new form of transport.
G
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[ 1110]
197
WAGES AND HOURS OF LABOR
Since the principal railroad systems have definitely adopted m otor
transport along the ordinary highroads as p a rt of their transporta
tion program , the N ational Union of It ail waymen has taken the
initiative in securing trade-union conditions for the men employed
in this branch. An agreement has been reached between the union
and the four principal railway systems by which the road transport
employees of the companies will be brought under the railw ays’ con
ciliation m achinery and will enjoy wages and conditions approxim at
ing closely to those on the railways. The field of the nonrailway
transport services is left open for the T ransport and General W orkers
Union to organize.
Because road transport differs in m any respects from railway
service, the agreement, which was to become operative M arch 25, is
regarded as experimental and is to be reviewed at the end of 12
m onths.
.
The principle of the 8-hour day and the 48-hour week is recognized,
b u t provision has been m ade for a good deal of elasticity in w orking
hours. Norm ally the week is to be worked in six turns of 8 hours
each, exclusive of mealtimes, b u t when necessary the daily tu rn m ay
be extended up to 12 hours, exclusive of mealtimes, provided there is
always a t least 9 hours of rest between turns of duty and th a t the
week does not exceed 48 hours. Overtime on ordinary days will be
paid for a t time and a quarter, and Sunday, Christm as D ay, and
Good Friday du ty a t time and a half. The paym ent for Sunday duty
is one of the particulars which m ay have to be modified in the light
of experience, b u t a trial will be made of the present plan.
Weekly wage rates are as follows:
W E E K L Y W A G E R A T E S OF R O A D M O T O R T R A N S P O R T E M P L O Y E E S IN E N G L A N D ,
[Conversions into U nited States currency on basis of shilling= 24.33 cents]
London
O ccupation
Shil
lings
R oad m otor drivers:
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[HU]
Shil
lings
Dollars
R ural areas
Shil
lings
Dollars
68
18.00
16.54
71
65
17. 27
15.81
67
61
16.30
14.84
64
60
15. 57
14.60
62
58
15.08
14.11
58
54
14.11
13.14
60
56
58
14.60
13. 62
14. 11
57
54
54
13. 87
13.14
13.14
53
50
50
12.89
12.17
12.17
74
M otor om nibus drivers:
Public vehicles________ ________ ________ - — - —
P riv stc vehicles_______________ - _______________
M otor parcel vanm en a n d goods m otor drivers:
Petrol or stesm v^hifiles
______________
Electric vehicles
_______________
M otor-bus conductors-__________ ____ ___ _________
Dollars
In dustrial areas
TREND OF EMPLOYMENT
S u m m a r y fo r M arc h , 1929
M PL O Y M E N T increased 0.8 per cent in M arch, 1929, as com
pared w ith February, and pay-roll totals increased 1 per cent,
as shown by reports made to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The classes of em ploym ent surveyed, the num ber of establishments
reporting in each class, the num ber of employees covered, and the
total pay rolls for one week, for both February and M arch, together
w ith the per cents of change, in M arch, are shown in the following
sta te m e n t:
E
E m p loym en t
E stab
lish
m en ts February,
M arch,
Pay-rolls in one w eek
1929
1929
Per
cent
of
change
____
12,151
1,310
158
1 ,152
307
8 ,870
3, 253
1,329
1,924
1,734
3,437, 733
316, 303
120, 004
196, 299
52, 643
644, 594
184, 737
38,104
146,633
141, 426
3,479, 686
305, 786
110, 984
194, 802
53,983
645,810
187, 421
38, 279
149,142
142,912
1 + 1 .2
- 3 .3
- 7 .5
- 0 .8
+ 2 .5
+ 0 .2
+ 1 .5
+ 0 .5
+ 1 .7
+ 1 .1
$ 9 5 , 809,938
9 ,5 1 0 ,6 0 4
4 ,277, 475
5 ,2 3 3 ,1 8 9
1, 543,909
18,8 3 4 ,4 9 0
4 ,6 3 3 ,4 7 5
1 ,1 2 8 ,1 4 8
3, 505,327
2 2, 383,979
$ 9 7 , 620, 846
8,056, 001
3 ,1 8 4 ,1 6 9
4 ,871, 832
1, 667, 340
19, 530,952
4, 716,332
1,152, 494
3, 563, 838
2 2 ,4 1 8 ,4 2 8
1 + 2 .1
- 1 5 .3
- 2 5 .6
- 6 .9
+ 8 .0
+ 3 .7
+ 1 .8
+ 2 .2
+ 1 -7
+ 1 .4
T o t a l _______ _
27,625
4, 777,436
4 ,8 1 5 ,5 9 8
+ 0 .8
132, 716,455
134,009, 899
+ 1 .0
L in e of em p loym ent
1. M a n u f a c t u r i n g __________
2. C o a l m i n i n g ______ _____
A nth racite _ __ ________
B itu m in o u s____
_____
3. M e t a l l i f e r o u s m i n i n g ___
4. P u b l i c u t i l i t i e s
____
5. T r a d e
W h olesale ________________
R eta il_____
6. H o t e l s
February,
M arch,
1929
1929
Per
cent
of
change
1 W eighted per cent of change, b u t th is m o n th th e w eighted and unw eighted per cents of change in
em ploym ent are identical; th e rem aining per cents of change, including total, are unw eighted.
i Cash paym ents only; see text, p. 214.
Increases in employment and in pay-roll totals were shown in
M arch in each line of employment except coal mining, in which both
anthracite and bitum inous coal showed the beginning of a more or
less seasonal falling-off in production. Owing to m arket conditions
a considerable num ber of collieries were idle during the first half of
M arch.
For convenient reference the latest data available relating to all
employees, excluding executives and officials, on Class I railroads,
drawn from Interstate Commerce Commission reports, are shown in
the statem ent following. These reports are for the m onths of January
and F ebruary instead of for M arch and April. Therefore, the figures
can no t be combined with those presented in the foregoing statem ent.
198
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1112]
TREND OF EM PLOYMENT
E m ploym ent
Line of em ploym ent
C l a s s I r a ilr o a d s ^ _______________
Jan. 15,
1929
Feb. 15,
1929
1 ,5 7 7 ,8 7 4
1, 589,351
Per
cent of
change
+0. 7
199
A m ount of p ay roll in e n
tire m onth
Jan uary,
1929
F e b ru a ry ,
1929
$ 2 28,588,841
$ 215,173,183
Per
cent of
change
- 5 .8
The total num ber of employees covered in this sum m ary, including
railroads, is 6,400,000 w ith pay-roll totals in one week of approxi
m ately $183,000,000.
1. E m p lo y m e n t in S e le c te d M a n u fa c tu r in g In d u str ie s in
M arch , 1929
M PL O Y M E N T in m anufacturing industries increased 1.2 percent
in M arch, 1929, as compared w ith February, and pay-roll totals
increased 2.1 per cent, according to returns made to the B ureau of
Labor Statistics by 12,138 establishments in 54 of the foremost m anu
facturing industries of the U nited States. These establishm ents in
M arch had 3,459,042 employees whose combined earnings in one
week were $97,220,138. These employees represent 53 per cent of
all employees in the 54 industries surveyed and more th an 40 per cent
of the to tal num ber of employees in all m anufacturing industries in
the U nited States.
An increase in employment in m anufacturing industries in M arch
has been shown in each of the last 7 years, except in 1924, b u t this
increase of 1.2 per cent in M arch, 1929, is considerably greater than
the increases in any of the years except 1923.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ weighted index of em ploym ent in
m anufacturing industries for M arch, 1929, is 98.6, as compared with
97.4 in February, 1929, 95.2 in January, 1929, and 93.7 in M arch,
1928; the weighted index for pay-roll totals in M arch, 1929, is 103.9,
as compared with 101.8 in February, 1929, 94.5 in January, 1929, and
95.2 in M arch, 1928. The m onthly average for 1926 equals 100.
M anufacturing employment stood a t a higher level in M arch, 1929,
th an a t any tim e since April, 1927, and pay-roll totals were greater
than a t any tim e since November, 1923.
Thirty-eight of the 54 separate industries had more employees in
M arch than in February and 39 industries reported higher pay-roll
totals.
The spectacular gains in M arch were 45.8 per cent in employment
and 38.9 per cent in pay-roll totals in the fertilizer industry, which
habitually reaches its highest level in M arch and April; carriages and
wagons showed gains of 13.8 per cent and 15.4 per cent in the two
item s; the gains in em ploym ent in shipbuilding, cast-iron pipe, canesugar refining, and women’s clothing ranged from 7.2 per cent to
5.7 per cent, while gains in employment of from 3.9 to 3.1 per cent
were shown in brick, machine tools, electric-railroad car building
and repairing, millinery and lace goods, foundry and machine-shop
products, and electrical machinery. The automobile industry gained
1.3 per cent in employment and 0.6 per cent in pay-roll totals, these
com paratively small increases being in strong contrast to the sharply
E
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1113]
200
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
upward trends of the two m onths im m ediately preceding; the iron
and steel industry gained 1 per cent in em ploym ent and 2 per cent
in pay-roll totals.
The decreases in employment in M arch were all sm all-except a
seasonal drop of 4.9 per cent in slaughtering and m eat packing.
The rayon industry reported an em ploym ent increase of 2.6 per
cent w ith a decrease in pay-roll totals of 1.3 per cent.
Increased employment and greater pay-roll totals were shown in
M arch in each geographic division w ith one exception— a small decrease
in em ploym ent in the W est N orth Central division. The pronounced
increases were in the W est South Central, M ountain, and Pacific divi
sions, while the increases in E astern States were less notable.
T a b l e 1 —C O M P A R IS O N O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S IN ID E N T IC A L
M A N U F A C T U R IN G E S T A B L IS H M E N T S IN F E B R U A R Y A N D M A R C H , 1929
N um ber on pay roll
In d u stry
F o o d a n d k i n d r e d p r o d u c t s . __
Slaughtering a n d m eat pack
in g —
Confectionery______________
Ice c re a m __________________
F l o u r . . ________ . . . _______
B a k i n g .______________ ____
Sugar refining, cane_________
T e x t il e s a n d t h e i r p r o d u c t s ___
C otton goods. . . . _ ______
Hosiery and k n it goods...........
Silk goods_______ ________
Woolen and worsted goods...
C arpets and rugs___________
D yeing and finishing textiles..
Clothing, m en’s ____________
Shirts and collars___________
Clothing, w om en’s . _______
M illinery and lace goods____
I r o n a n d s te e l a n d t h e ir p r o d
u c t s _____ _____________________
E stab
lish
m ents
F eb ru
ary, 1929
M arch,
1929
1,718
323,219
218,231
198
305
299
343
588
15
2,139
467
335
284
192
30
90, 266
32, 743
10,119
16, 434
62, 067
10, 590
627,445
221, 707
94, 760
65,637
63,199
25, 639
34,938
64, 008
21, 955
23,987
11, 615
85, 839
32,032
1 0 , 282
16, 013
62, 818
11, 237
632,230
220, 536
96, 354
6 6 , 959
62, 522
25,913
35, 127
65, 036
22,412
25,346
12,025
111
311
122
204
73
A m ount of p ay roll
(one week)
Per
cent of
change F ebruary,
M arch,
1929
1929
«
- 4 .9
- 2 .2
+ 1 .6
- 2 .6
+ 1 .2
+ 6 .1
0 )
-0 . 5
+ 1 .7
+ 2 .0
-1 . 1
+ 1 .1
+ 0 .5
+
1 .6
+ 2 .1
+ 5 .7
+ 3 .5
Per
cent of
change
$5,689,802
$5,595,232
2,332,166
600,499
340,435
430,186
1,669, 246
317, 270
12,595,968
3, 553,891
1,822,156
1,431,626
1,430,942
649,075
909, 648
1, 565, 649
352, 743
606, 994
273, 244
2,199,885
593, 725
347, 306
425, 903
1, 683, 709
344, 704
12,770, 702
3, 548,364
1,865, 282
1,469,454
1,396,808
653, 322
908, 799
1, 617,098
367, 260
647,017
297, 298
22,1 9 6 ,1 8 1
22, 725,967
9,214, 254
251,108
811,401
0
+ 2 .0
- 0 .6
+ 0 .1
0
- 5 .7
- 1 .1
+ 2 .0
- 1 .0
+ 0 .9
+ 8 .6
0
- 0 .2
+ 2 .4
+ 2 .6
- 2 .4
+ 0 .7
- 0 .1
+ 3 .3
+ 4 .1
+ 6 .6
+ 8 .8
1,840
705,689
718,895
204
38
164
276, 311
10, 536
27, 007
278, 990
11, 197
27,170
+ 6 .3
+ 0 .6
9, 037, 396
252, 616
810,881
995
265,173
33, 259
38, 575
273,437
33,441
40,041
+ 3.1
+ 0 .5
+ 3 .8
8,286, 566
882,153
1,303, 799
8
, 620, 539
876, 220
1,344, 303
- 0 .7
+ 3 .1
115
35, 600
19, 228
34,932
19,687
- 1 .9
+ 2 .4
1,082,936
539,834
1,055,158
552,984
- 2 .6
+ 2 .4
L u m b e r a n d i t s p r o d u c t s ______
1,380
234,919
237, 126
5,240, 562
635
321
424
134, 040
34, 091
6 6 , 788
135, 777
35, 082
6 6 , 267
0 )
+ 1 .3
+ 2 .9
- 0 .8
5 ,1 3 0 ,5 5 2
Lum ber, sa w m ills....................
Lum ber, m illw ork. . .
F u rn itu re ......................... .......
L e a th e r a n d its p r o d u c ts . . . .
L eather ............. ......................
Boots a n d shoes____________
P a p e r a n d p r i n t i n g .................
Paper and p u l p ____ _______
P aper boxes____ .
Printing, book and iob _ . . .
Printing, new spapers...............
2, 695, 095
788, 692
1, 646, 765
2, 759,295
839, 6 6 6
1, 641, 601
(0
Iro n and steel______________
Cast-iron p ip e ... __________
Structural ironw ork________
F o u n d ry and machine-shop
products_________________
H ardw are ________________
M achine tools
__________
Steam fittings and steam and
hot-w ater heating apparatus.
Stoves............................................
C h e m i c a l s a n d a l li e d p r o d u c t s .
Chemicals_______ .
Fertilizers_______ _ .
Petroleum refining.................
68
146
110
363
125,128
123,353
131
232
26, 359
98, 769
25, 988
97, 365
1,161
209, 589
209,070
217
185
329
430
380
144
176
60
60, 480
19, 549
50, 361
79,199
60, 504
19, 548
50,136
78, 882
97,174
103, 049
39,085
11,238
46,851
38, 677
16, 385
47, 987
«
+ 1 .0
0
- 1 .4
- 1 .4
0 )
+ (2)
- 0
- 0 .4
- 0 .4
C1)
- 1 .0
+45. 8
+ 2 .4
2 ,8 3 8 ,1 7 6
2, 743,499
672, 532
2,165, 644
647, 994
2,095, 505
6 ,9 8 2 ,2 1 0
7,084, 728
1,675, 505
448, 016
1, 718, 765
3,139, 924
1, 673, 749
457, 664
1, 769, 015
3,184, 300
2, 855, 821
2, 948,201
1,099, 519
202, 056
1, 554, 246
1,088,343
280, 596
1, 579, 262
+ 4 .0
+ 2 .4
+ 6 .5
- 0 .3
0
- 3 .6
- 3 .2
0
- 0 .1
+ 2 .2
+ 2 .9
+ 1 .4
0
- 1 .0
+38.9
+ 1 .6
T h e per cent of change has not been com puted for th e reason th a t th e figures in the preceding colum ns
are unw eighted a n d refer only to th e establishm ents re porting; for th e w eighted p e r c en t of change,
w herein proper allowance is m ade for th e relative im portance of th e several industries, so th a t th e figures
m ay represent all establishm ents of th e c o u n try in th e indu stries here represented, see T able 2.
2 Less th a n one-tenth of 1 per cent.
1
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1114]
201
TREND OF EMPLOYM ENT
T
able
1 .—C O M P A R IS O N O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S IN ID E N T IC A L
E S T A B L IS H M E N T S I N F E B R U A R Y A N D M A R C H , 1929—C ontinued
M A N U F A C T U R IN G
N um ber on p a y roll
E sta b
lish
m ents
In d u stry
S t o n e , c la y , a n d g la ss p r o d
_ u cts
_ __________
C em ent___
______ _____
B rick, tile, a n d te rra cotta
P o ttery ____________________
G lass............................................
M e ta l p r o d u c ts, o th e r t h a n
i r o n a n d s t e e l __________________
Stam ped an d enam eled w are.
Brass, bronze, and copper
products....... .................... .......
A m ount of p ay roll
(one week)
Per
cent of
change F ebruary,
M arch,
1929
1929
F eb ru
ary, 1929
M arch,
1929
129
120,323
22,901
33,949
20,377
43,096
123,597
23,490
35, 276
20, 741
44,090
229
75
56,179
20,325
56,892
20,693
+
35,854
36,199
+
€9
938
108
580
121
154
$3,062,153
637,336
809, 635
497,413
1,117, 769
$3,202,092
666,476
867, 677
504,424
1,163, 515
1,563, 139
506, 753
1,605,245
521,941
0
1 .8
1 .0
1,056,386
1,083,304
+ 2 .5
1,008, 035
1,028,414
0
147,711
860,324
138,402
890,012
-6 .3
+ 3 .5
21,667,932
16, 731,773
30, 857
21,971,028
16, 828,020
35, 610
+ 0 .6
+15.4
0 )
+ 2 .6
+ 3 .9
+ 1 .8
+ 2 .3
)
0
_______ . .
259
63. 815
63, 824
Chew ing and smoking tobac
co an d sn u ff...
_ ______
Cigars a n d cigarettes— ..........
28
231
9,131
54,684
8,949
54,875
- 2 .0
+ 0 .3
1,247
214
54
634,970
473,396
1,410
643,702
479,599
1,604
+ 1 .3
+13.8
419
25,771
26,773
+ 3 .7
T o b a c c o p r o d u c t s ..
V e h i c le s f o r l a n d t r a n s p o r t a
t i o n _ _ ____ . . . ______ _ .
A utom obiles___ _____ ______
Carriages and w agons_______
C ar building and repairing,
electric-railroad... _______
C ar building and repairing,
steam -railroad........................
M i s c e l l a n e o u s i n d u s t r i e s ______
A gricultural im plem ents------E lectrical m achinery, ap p a
ratus, a n d supplies
Pianos a n d organs........ .............
R ubber boots and shoes...........
A utom obile tires....... ...........
Shipbuilding............ ..................
R ayon 3 ...................................... .
A ll i n d u s t r i e s
___________
0)
+
+ 3 .9
+ 4 .2
10,705,176
856,934
477
78
340,283
27,155
+
2 .0
180
69
173, 710
8 , 373
16,475
61,413
33,035
179,177
8,133
16,165
62, 502
35,410
20, 644
+ 3 .1
- 2 .9
-1 .9
+ 1 .8
+ 7 .2
+ 2 .6
5,335,667
245, 512
374, 267
2,034, 548
993, 464
406, 068
5,721,036
250,470
376, 771
2, 037, 691
1, 061, 566
400, 708
9 5 ,8 0 9 ,9 3 8
9 7 ,6 2 0 ,8 4 6
11
2 0 ,1 2 2
12,151 3,437, 733 3 ,4 7 9 ,6 8 6
R ec a pit u l a t io n
by
C1)
0
833,393
10,219,969
830,443
44
82
13
+ 3 .0
4, 274,005
349,727
27,696
0
+ 4 .6
+ 7 .2
+ 1 .4
+ 4.1
801,878
135, 766
1 .0
0
4,103,424
134,393
560
P er
cent of
change
0
+ 3 .2
+ 7 .2
+ 2 .0
+ 0 .7
+ 0 .2
+ 6 .9
- 1 .3
0
G e o g r a ph ic D iv isio n s
G EO G R A P H IC D IV IS IO N
N ew England * ..............- ................
M iddle A tlantic 5 __________ ____
E a st N o rth C e n tra l6— ........ .........
W est N o rth C e n tra l 7 ......................
South A tlantic 8_ __________
E a st South C e n tra ls _ ________
W est South C e n tra l 1(1......................
M ountain 11 _________ _____ _____
Pacific 12...................... .......................
1, 4 5 3
2 ,8 2 4
3 ,1 4 2
1 ,1 2 5
1 ,4 9 8
619
506
217
767
401, 684
894, 726
1, 2 3 9 , 2 1 3
175, 241
347, 695
132, 305
86, 496
3 0 ,1 0 3
130, 270
404, 600
903, 319
1, 256, 767
174, 245
3 5 2 ,9 9 2
133, 387
89, 720
3 1 ,1 8 0
133, 476
All d iv isio n s...............................
1 2 ,1 5 1
3 ,4 3 7 , 733
3 ,4 7 9 ,6 8 6
+ 0 .7
+ 1 .0
+ 1 .4
-0 .6
+ 1 .5
+ 0 .8
+ 3 .7
+3. 6
+2. 5
0
$ 1 0 ,1 6 4 ,8 3 4
2 5 ,9 6 6 , 29 8
3 9 , 3 9 2 , 103
4, 45 5 , 758
6, 9 0 1 ,1 1 7
2, 531, 642
1, 9 0 9 , 6 8 5
855, 850
3, 632, 651
$10, 317, 621
26, 543, 224
3 9 ,9 8 7 , 704
4, 5 0 0 ,1 7 6
7 ,0 3 8 , 36 1
2, 541, 377
2, 053, 572
886, 052
3, 752, 759
9 5 ,8 0 9 ,9 3 8
9 7 ,6 2 0 ,8 4 6
+ 1 .5
+ 2 .2
+ 1 .5
+ 1 .0
+ 2 .0
+ 0 .4
+ 7 .5
-|-i5. Ö
+ 3 .3
0
iT h e per cent of change has no t been com puted for th e reason th a t th e figures in th e preceding colum ns
are unw eighted and refer only to th e establishm ents reporting; for th e w eighted per cent of change, w herein
proper allowance is m ade for th e relative im portance of th e several industries, so th a t th e figures m ay
represent all establishm ents of th e country in the industries here represented, see T able 2.
8 T he rayon in d u stry was surveyed for th e Jan u ary -F eb ru ary comparison for th e first tim e; since th e d a ta
for com puting relative num bers are no t y e t available th e in d u stry is no t included in th e indexes. T h e
total figures for 54 m anufacturing industries given in th e text, p. 199, do not include rayon.
4 C onnecticut, M aine, M assachusetts, N ew H am pshire, R hode Island, Verm ont.
«New Jersey, N ew Y ork, Pennsylvania.
«Illinois, Indiana, M ichigan, Ohio, W isconsin.
, ^
t
7Iowa, K ansas, M innesota, M issouri, N ebraska, N o rth D akota, South D akota.
«Delaware, D istrict of C olum bia, Florida, Georgia, M aryland, N o rth Carolina, S outh C arolina, V ir
ginia, W est Virginia.
» A labam a, K entucky, M ississippi, Tennessee.
Arkansas, Louisiana, O klahoma, Texas.
11 Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, M ontana, N ew Mexico, N evada, U ta h , W yoming.
12 California, Oregon, W ashington.
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202
MONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W
T a b l e 2 . - P E R C E N T OE C H A N G E , F E B R U A R Y TO M A R C H , 1929—12 G R O U P S O F IN D U S
T R IE S A N D T O T A L O F A L L IN D U S T R IE S
[C om puted from th e index num bers of each group, w hich are obtained b y w eighting th e index num bers
of th e several industries of th e group, by th e n u m b er of employees, or wages paid, in the industries]
Per cent of change,
February
to
M arch, 1929
Per cent of change,
F e b r u a r y to
M arch, 1929
G roup
Food and k in d red p ro d u c ts ...
Textiles and th eir p ro d u c ts ...
Iron and steel and th eir produ c ts ____
. . . ___
L um ber and its p ro d u c ts .. . .
Leather and its products___
Paper and p rin tin g ._ _
Chemicals and allied p roducts.
Stone, clay, a n d glass prod
u c ts ........ ......................
1
G roup
N u m b er
on pay
roll
A m ount
of pay
roll
- 1. 2
+ 1 .1
- 1. 2
+ 2 .1
+ 2 .1
+ 0 .8
- 1 .4
-0 . 3
+ 6 .1
+ 2 .6
+ 2 .2
-3 .3
+ 1 .6
+ 3 .0
+
+ 4 .6
2 .8
N um ber
on pay
roll
M etal products other th a n
iron and steel_____
___
Tobacco p roducts_____
Vehicles for la n d tran sp o rta
tion .
M iscellaneous industries___
A fl in d u s tr ie s .
+
A m ount
of p ay
roll
(0
+ 2 .7
+ 2 .3
+ 1 .2
+2. 7
+ 2 .1
+ 4 .9
+ 1.2
+
1 .2
2 .1
N o change.
Comparison of Employment and Pay-Roll Totals in Manufacturing
Industries in March, 1929, and March, 1928
T h e l e v e l of employment in m anufacturing industries in M arch,
1929, was 5.2 per cent higher than in M arch, 1928, and pay-roll
totals were 9.1 per cent higher.
M arch was the sixth successive m onth showing a higher level of
employment than the same m onth of the preceding year, the per
centage of increase, which in the first of the six m onths was 0.6 only,
having been substantially greater in each succeeding m onth.
Among the 31 industries which reported increased employment
over the 12-month interval the notable increases were: 39.3 per cent
in machine tools; 27.9 per cent in automobiles; 23.3 per cent in ship
building; 21.6 per cent in electrical m achinery; 21.2 per cent in
agricultural im plem ents; 16.7 per cent in brass products; 16.1 per
cent in foundry and machine-shop products; and 10.6 per cent in
automobile tires. The iron and steel industry showed a gain of
3.8 per cent.
, The outstanding gains in employment in the groups of industries
m this comparison between M arch, 1929, and M arch, 1928, were:
19.7 per cent in the group of miscellaneous industries; 14.7 per cent
m the vehicle group; 12.3 per cent in the nonferrous group; and 10.2
per cent m the iron and steel group.
The E a st N orth Central geographic division in M arch continued
to show a very large gain in this yearly comparison, the increase having
been 13.3 per cent, with the M iddle A tlantic division following with
a gain of 5.1 per cent.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
13116]
TREND OF EM PLOYM ENT
T
a b l e 3 ..—C O M PA
203
R1SON O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S IN M A N U F A C T U R
IN G IN D U S T R IE S , M A R C H , 1929, W IT H M A R C H , 1928
[T he per cents of change for each of th e 12 groups of industries a n d for th e to ta l of all industries are w eighted
in th e sam e m anner as are th e p er cents of change in T a b le 2]
P e rc e n t of
change, M arch,
1929, compared
w ith M arch, 1928
In d u stry
Pe c e n t of
change, M arch,
1929, com pared
w ith M arch, 1928
In d u stry
N um ber A m ount
of pay
on pay
roll
roll
N um ber A m ount
of pay
on pay
roll
roll
F o o d a n d k in d r e d p r o d u c t s .
Slaughtering
and
m eat
F lo u r.. . . . ______ . . . . .
B akin g ___________________
T e x t il e s a n d t h e i r p r o d u c t s . .
C otton goods________ . .
Hosiery and k n it g o o d s ___
Silk goods. ______
.. .
Woolen and w orsted'goods..
C a rp e tsa n d ru g s ..
. . . ..
D yeing a n d finishing tex
tiles. _______________ .
C lothing, m en’s __ _______
Shirts and collars_____ . .
C lothing, w om en’s
. .. ..
M illinery a n d lace goods..
Ir o n a n d s te e l
p r o d u c ts
and
+
0 .1
- 0 .3
-2 . 4
- 2.0
-2 . 7
+ 1 .4
+2. 3
+ 9 .6
- 0 .4
- 0 .9
- 1. 2
-1 . 7
+ 2 .8
+ 6 .2
-3 . 2
- 1. 2
- 0.2
+ 1 .7
+ 1 .5
+ 7 .3
+3.1
+4. 9
+ 2 .6
- 0. 2
+ 6 .3
+ 2 .7
+ 2 .9
- 2 .7
- 2 .3
+ 3 .4
- 1. 1
+ 3 .9
+ 3 .4
- 0 .3
+ 3 .7
+ 2 .9
Chem icals___ ____________
Fertilizers.
-. .
Petroleum refining-----------S t o n e , c la y , a n d g la s s p r o d
u cts
- ______ ________ .
C em ent _________________
Brick, tile, a n d terra c o tta ..
Glass____________________
M e ta l p r o d u c ts, o th e r t h a n
Stam ped and enam eled ware.
Brass, bronze, an d copper
Chewing an d smoking tobacco and snuff-.
Cigars an d cigarettes---------
th e ir
Iron and steel— ------------Cast-iron p ip e____________
Structural ironwork
F ou n d ry and machine-shop
products__
__ _____
H ard w are. . _______ . . .
Steam fittings an d steam
and hot-w ater h e a t i n g
app aratu s ___ _________
Stoves___________________
L u m b e r a n d i t s p r o d u c t s ___
L um b er,saw m ills. . . . .
L um ber, m illw ork____ . .
F u r n itu r e ..------- --------- --
+ 1 0 .2
+ 3 .8
-9 . 2
+ 9 .7
+13.7
+ 7 .2
-1 3 . 2
+ 9 .1
+16.1
+7. 0
+39.3
+ 22. 2
+ 1 0 .6
+44.9
+
2 .0
6 .8
(>)
—1. 7
+ 3 .1
+ 1 .2
- 4 .9
- 8 .9
Boots a n d shoes__________
—9. 2
-3 .6
—1 1 . 1
-7 .8
+ 1 .3
+ 4 .9
+ 0 .4
- 0.6
+ 3 .4
+ 2 .0
+ 2 .6
+ 4 .1
+ 6 .1
+ 4 .9
_
P aper a n d p u lp ----------------P aper boxes__ . . .
_ ..
P rin tin g , book and j ob . . .
P rintin g , new spaper. . _
P a p e r a n d p r i n t i n g _______
R e c a pit u l a t io n
d iv is io n
V e h i c le s f o r l a n d t r a n s p o r t a
t i o n . . _________ . . . . . .
A u to m o b ile s ...___ ______
Carriages a n d wagons
Car building and repairing,
electric-railroad.
Car building and repairing,
s te a m -ra ilro a d .______ -
+ 0 .9
+ 6 .3
- 0 .9
—4. 9
+ 3 .8
+ 2 .0
L e a th e r a n d its p r o d u c t s ....
G E O G R A P H IC
C h e m i c a l s a n d a l li e d p r o d
u c ts-. . . - - - - - - ------
- 4 .4
- 4 .3
-8 .9
—7.8
+ 8 .9
+12.3
+ 3 .6
+21.9
+ 5 .0
+16.7
+28.8
-1 .9
- 2 .4
- 6 .4
- 0 .9
-
+ 14. 7
+27.9
+ 7 .9
6 .6
1 .8
+18.3
+26.4
+10.5
- 6 .3
+ 4 .8
+19.7
+ 2 1 .2
+24.6
+21.7
+ 2 1 .6
-7 .6
-4 .8
+ 10. 6
+23.3
+25.5
- 5 .0
- 7 .0
+11.3
+26.3
+ 5 .2
+ 9 .1
W est South C entral___________
M o u n tain . . . .
___ . . .
Pacific_______________________
+ 3 .8
+ 2 .5
+ 0 .5
+ 8 .0
+ 4 .5
-0 .3
A ll d i v i s i o n s _________ . . .
+ 5 .2
+ 9 .1
A gricultural im plem ents___
E lectrical m achinery, app aratu s, and supplies..
R ubber boots and shoes___
A utom obile tires___ ______
Shipbuilding ___________
A ll i n d u s t r i e s
________
G e o g r a p h ic D iv is io n s
G E O G R A P H IC D IV IS IO N
"Nfow T T n g ln n d
M i d d l p A t l a n t , io
p jfls t N o r t h O n t r a l
W est N o rth C entral ----------f in p it h A t l a n t i n
E a st South C en tral----------------
+ 2 .1
+ 5 .1
+ 1 3 .3
+ 1 .4
+ 1 .6
+ 1 .4
+ 7 .9
+ 8 .0
+ 1 5 .5
+ 2 .0
+ 4 .7
+ 1 .3
N o change.
* See footnotes 4 to 12, p. 201.
1
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
-3 .8
-4 .8
- 8 .6
+ 0 .1
+ 4 .5
-4 .6
2
46658°—29-
+ 1 .8
+ 3 .5
- 5 .9
+ 8 .3
+ 0 .1
M i s c e l l a n e o u s i n d u s t r i e s ____
by
+ 1 .5
+ 5 .0
- 5 .1
+ 8. 1
14
[1117]
204
MONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W
P er C a p ita E a r n in g s in M a n u fa c tu r in g I n d u s t r ie s i n M a r c h , 1929
P e r
c a p it a
e a r n in g s
of employees, in the combined 54 m anu
facturing industries, in M arch, 1929, were 0.9 per cent higher th an in
February, 1929, and 3.7 per cent higher th an in M arch, 1928.
T hirty-four of the 54 industries showed increased per capita earn
ings in M arch as compared w ith February, while 35 industries showed
higher per capita earnings than in M arch, 1928.
T a b l e 4 . — C O M P A R IS O N O F P E R C A P IT A E A R N IN G S IN M A N U F A C T U R I N G IN D U S
T R IE S , M A R C H , 1929, W IT H F E B R U A R Y , 1929, A N D M A R C H , 1928
Per cent of
change M arch,
1929, compared
w ith —
Per cent of
change M arch,
1929, com pared
w ith—
In d u str y
In d u str y
M illinery and lace goods.................
Pianos and organs___________ . . .
E lectrical m achinery, ap p aratu s,
a n d supplies___________ ______
L um b er, m ill w ork_______ ______
P rin tin g , book and jo b __________
B rick, tile, and terra co tta_______
C ar building and repairing, steamrailroad________ _____________
Cigars and cigarettes___ ________
R u b b er boots and shoes..................
Sugar refining, cane........... ..............
P aper boxes..................................
Shirts and collars........ .............. .
C em en t. _____ ________________
P rintin g , new spapers.....................
Glass____________ ____ ________
Brass, bronze, and copper pro d
ucts..................................................
C lothing, m en ’s ...........................
F lo u r______ _____ ________
Carriages and w agons....... ..........
A gricultural im plem ents_______
Stam ped and enam eled w are___
. C onfectionery___ ______ _______
Iron and steel_________________
Lum ber, saw m ills_____________
Clothing, w om en’s ____________
F o u n d ry and machine-shop prod
u c ts............................. ....................
H osiery a n d k n it goods_____ I
Silk goods____________________
i Less th a n one-tenth of
1
F eb
ru ary
1929
M arch,
1928
+ 5 .1
+ 5 .0
+ 4 .0
+ 2 .3
+ 3 .9
+ 3 .5
+ 3 .4
+ 3 .1
+ 3 .0
+ 0 .5
+ 3 .1
+ 3 .1
+ 2.6
+ 4 .5
-0 .7
- 2 .3
+ 2.1
+ 2.0
+ 4 .8
+ 2.1
+ 2 .4
+ 1 .9
+ 1.8
+ 1 .7
+ 1.6
+ 1.6
+ 1.6
+ 1 .5
+ 1.2
+ 1.2
+ 1.1
+ 1.0
+ 1.0
+ 2. 6
- 0 .3
-2. 1
+0.8
+2. 6
+ 4 .0
+10.7
+ 5 .7
+ 0 .4
+ 2 .4
+ 0 .3
+ 1 .3
+ 1.0
+ 3 .4
- 3 .4
+ 0 .9
+ 0.1
+ 0 .9
+0. 7
+ 0.6
+ 5 .2
+ 3 .5
+ 1 .7
C otton goods__________________
F u rn itu re _____________________
Ice cream _____________________
C ar building a n d repairing, elec
tric-railroad_________________
Chem icals___________________
Stoves_______________________ "
P ap er a n d p u lp ___ ____________
B aking_______________________
Shipbuilding__ _____ __________
C arpets and rugs______________
P o ttery _______________________
Structural ironw ork____________
A utom obiles__________________
D yeing and finishing "textiles'"7
M achine tools_________________
Steam fittings and steam a nd hotw ater heating ap p aratu s______
Petroleum refining_____________
Slaughtering and m eat p a ck in g ,.
H ard w are_____________________
Woolen a n d w orsted goods____ I
A utom obile tires_______________
Boots a n d shoes________________
L eath er________________ I T T !
Chew ing a n d sm oking "tobacco
and snuff_________________
Fertilizers___________________
Cast-iron p ip e ...........................7 ""
A ll i n d u s t r i e s .
F eb
ruary,
1929
M arch
1928
+ 0 .4
+ 0 .4
+ 0 .4
+ 2 .7
+0.2
+ 0)
+(>)
-0.1
-1 .3
-0 .4
+ 1 .9
- 0 .3
- 0 .3
- 0 .4
- 0 .4
-0 .5
-0 .7
-0 .7
-0 .7
+6.0
+ 0.8
-2.1
-1.1
+ 2 .3
- 3 .5
-7 .9
- 0 .7
- 1.0
+ 0.6
+ 3 .7
-0 .7
+ 2 .9
-
-0 .4
+ 3 .2
+ 3 .4
+ 0 .3
- 4 .8
-0.8
0.8
-1.2
- 1 .3
-1.6
-1 .9
- 2 .3
+ 0.2
-
2.1
-0.1
- 4 .4
-4 . 7
- 6 .5
- 0 .5
- 4 .7
+0.9
+3.7
per cent.
W age C h a n g e s in M a n u fa c tu r in g I n d u s tr ie s
O ne h u n d r e d A N D e i g h t e e n establishm ents in 21 m anufactur
ing industries reported wage-rate increases made during the m onth
ending M arch 15, 1929. These increases averaged 7.1 per cent and
affected more than 24,000 employees, or 58 per cent of all employees
m the establishm ents concerned.
Twelve establishm ents in 8 industries reported wage-rate decreases
during the same period. These decreases averaged 10.2 per cent
and affected 473 employees or 33 per cent of all employees in the
establishm ents concerned.
Seventy-two of the 118 establishm ents reporting increases were in
the two car-building-and-repairing industries. These establishm ents
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1 1 1 8 ]
205
TREND OF EMPLOYM ENT
reported increases to more than 22,000 of their employees. These
increases combined w ith F eb ru ary ’s report make a total of 30,000
employees in 111 car shops who received wage-rate increases between
January 15 and M arch 15, 1929.
T a b l e 5 .—W A G E A D JU S T M E N T S IN M A N U F A C T U R IN G IN D U S T R IE S O C C U R R IN G
B E T W E E N F E B R U A R Y 15 A N D M A R C H 15, 1929
Per cent of increase
or decrease in
wage rate
E stablishm ents
Em ployees affected
Per cent of em
ployees
In d u stry
N um ber
reporting
T otal
increase
or
num ber
reporting decrease
in wage
rates
Range
In estab
Total lishm
ents
Average num
ber reporting
increase or
decrease
in wage
rates
In all
estab
lish
m ents
report
ing
Inert ases
Slaughtering and m eat packing.
B ak in g .......... ................................
Iron a nd steel-------------------- F o u n d r y and m achine-shop
p ro d u c ts........... ...........................
H ardw are . . . . . ------------------M achine tools............ .................. .
F u rn itu re - --------------------- -P aper and p u lp . __________
Paper boxes...................................
P rinting, n e w sp a p e rs ________
Chem icals_______________ ____
Fertilizers__ . . . ...........................
Brick, tile, and terra c o tta _____
Glass________________________
Brass, bronze, and copper prod
u c ts.
___________ ________
C ar building a n d repairing, elec
tric-railroad____ __________
C ar building a n d repairing,
steam -railroad_____ . ------A gricultural im p le m e n ts ...----Electrical m achinery, ap p ara
tus, and supplies----------------Autom obile tires_____ ________
S hipbuilding...................................
198
588
204
2
2
995
6
1
68
2
146
424
217
185
430
144
170
580
129
5
3
1
2
4
1.1- 3. 0
5. 9-12. 5
4.9
9. 1
4.9
4.0-15. 0
4. 8-10. 0
5. 0- 9. 3
2 .0- 10. 0
5.7
5.2
6.7
1 .0
1
4
8 .1
1 .0
4. 5-30. 0
5.0
7.0-20. 0
4. 2
4.7
10. 0
10.4
5.0
14.7
3. 5- 5. 0
1. 0- 9. 9
1
4
1 .6
1 0 .0
24
52
120
183
62
42
19
20
8
6
100
42
4
7
6
9
7
23
18
232
142
371
27
166
100
10
8
35
0
0
0
)
f0 t
0
(‘)
(')
0
0
)
(‘)
154
1
4.0
4.0
22
96
(l)
419
3
4. 4-10. 0
5.0
123
92
0
560
78
69
4.4- 9. 3
7.1
79
10.8
22,179
14
180
44
82
4
10.8
1
1
1
2 . 8 - 9. 0
5.0
1 2 .0
16
6
0
8
0
0
0
3.6
5.0
171
15
23
12.0
20
8
1 0 .0
1 0 .0
1 0 .0
50
70
55
25
12. 5
5.7
46
113
16
75
48
2
)
(‘)
0
Deer eases
C otton g o o d s...............................
C lothing, m en’s ........................... .
Iron and steel-----------------F o u n d r y an d machine-shop
p ro d u cts-------- --------------------L um ber, saw m ills____ ________
Boots a n d shoes______________
B rick, tile, a n d te rra c o tta ........ .
G la s s ____________ _________ _
1
467
311
204
1
1
2
995
635
232
580
129
1
2
1
12.5
5.0-20. 0
3
5.0-20. 0
1 0 .0
10.0
10.0
1 0 .0
1
2 0 .0
1 0 .0
10 0
2 0 .0
.
6
15
17
100
22
39
60
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Less th a n one-half of 1 per cent.
In d e x e s o f E m p lo y m e n t a n d P a y -R o ll T o ta ls in M a n u fa c tu r in g I n d u s tr ie s
I n d e x n u m b e r s for M arch, 1928, and for January, February, and
M arch, 1929, showing relatively the variation in num ber of persons
employed and in pay-roll totals in each of the 54 m anufacturing
industries surveyed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, together w ith
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1119]
206
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
general indexes for the combined 12 groups of industries, appear in
Table 6.
6 .—IN D E X E S O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D PA Y -R O L L T O T A L S IN M A N U F A C T U R
IN G IN D U S T R IE S , M A R C H , 1928, A N D JA N U A R Y , F E B R U A R Y , A N D M A R C H , 1929
T able
[M onthly average, 1926 = 100]
E m ploym ent
In d u stry
1928
[ M arch
G en er a l in d e x
F o o d a n d k in d r e d p r o d u c ts
Slaughtering a n d m eat p acking. _
( ConfectioneryI c e cream __ ____
F lo u r________________
B aking____ ________
Sugar refining, cane. ______
T e x t il e s a n d t h e i r p r o d u c t s ______
C otton goods . _
Hosiery and k n it g o o d s _____
Silk goods. _ ____
....
Woolen and w orsted goods
C arpets and rugs
... .....
D yeing and finishing textiles
Clothing, m en’s
Shirts and collars ___
C lothing, w om en’s _____
M illinery and lace goods________
I r o n a n d s te e l a n d t h e ir p r o d u c t s .
Iron and steel____ _____
Cast-iron p ip e ...
___ _
Structural ironwork . .
F o u n d ry and m achine-shop products ___
_
H ardw are
_ .
M achine tools . .
Steam fittings and steam and hotw ater heating a p p a ra tu s... . . .
Stoves ___________ .
L u m b e r a n d i t s p r o d u c t s _______
Lum ber, sawmills . . .
L um ber, m illw ork__________
F u rn itu re . . . _____
L e a th e r a n d its p r o d u c ts
L eath er.
_
...
Boots and shoes_____
P a p er a n d p r in tin g ..
P ap er and pulp . . . . .
Paper boxes_____ __
P rinting, book an d job ._
Printing, new spapers______
C h e m i c a l s a n d a l li e d p r o d u c t s ___
C hem icals___ .
Fertilizers. . . .
Petroleum refining____
S t o n e , c la y , a n d g la ss p r o d u c t s .. _
C e m e n t______
B rick, tile, and terra c o tta. .
P o tte ry _____ _
_ __ _
G l a s s . __ . .
M e ta l p r o d u c ts , o th e r t h a n ir o n
a n d s t e e l ___
Stam ped and enam eled w are
Brass, bronze, and copper products____________
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Pay-roll totals
1929
Jan u
ary
1928
F eb ru AI arch M arch
ary
1929
Jan u
ary
F eb ru M arch
ary
93.7
95.2
97.4
98.6
95.2
94.5
101.8
103.9
97.3
100.7
90.3
82.8
98.4
105.9
90.9
79.9
101.1
97.4
98. 3
88.5
80.6
101. 5
101.7
98.1
98.9
100.1
98.6
103.4
90.5
79.3
104.2
100.5
92.4
99.6
108. 4
91.9
78.9
101.5
98.5
92.8
99. 8
103. 9
91. 8
81.1
104. 1
101. 3
95.8
98 fi
97’ 9
90 8
82. 7
103 1
99.9
98.6
97.1
99.9
96. 5
109.6
105. 2
93. 7
94. 4
117. 2
101.8
95.4
101.5
106. 6
91.4
101. 3
105.7
94.7
95.4
120. 3
104.5
96.3
97. 6
93.8
92. 8
98.6
102.0
104. 2
86.9
86. 1
107. 4
89.9
102.2
89.3
91. 6
105.6
92.6
98.8
99. 1
95.5
97. 9
97.6
108.4
104. 7
92. 2
92.5
110.9
98.4
90.0
91.5
80.8
89.4
94.8
93.4
73.3
97. 7
97.2
94.0
69.1
97.6
99.2
95.0
73.4
98.1
92.5
95. 3
80.5
91.0
95.5
95.5
67.0
96. 3
102. 5
100. 2
70. 3
99.2
105 2
10¿ 2
69 9
89.9
89. 1
92.6
97. 6
92.2
104.4
95.3
129.0
90.8
89.0
98.2
97.7
93.0
129.1
106. 7
99. 1
138.0
in . 0
98 4
142.3
82.6
90.6
84.9
82.1
78.4
73.8
88.0
85. 2
85 7
87.3
86.2
94.6
87. 6
.2
83. 2
94.8
81.9
77. 9
79.1
92.0
84.9
80. 1
81. 1
97.0
91. 8
90.0
92.2
96.8
99. 7
95.6
87.1
87. 6
86.9
91.2
92. 0
91.0
88 2
88 6
103.2
95. 7
97. 4
103. 2
104. 7
98. 5
99. 1
105. 3
106 4
98 4
101 3
108.4
111.5
99.4
89.5
98. 7
90.4
100. 3
99. 5
98.3
96.9
98.6
92.9
95.2
98.3
107.9
101.6
93.9
103. 2
.2
96. 3
96.6
113. 3
102.9
102
102.0
101.1
91.9
82.9
101.4
100.7
96.9
1 0 1.2
100. 3
101. 6
103. 7
99. 6
103. 3
1 1 0.0
8
94.
91. 4
117. 0
98.8
120.1
101.3
94.8
124.3
84.3
84.8
81. 2
81.1
84.3
88.4
8 6 .2
84.5
83.4
93. 5
85.2
82. 2
83.3
94.2
85.5
82.1
83.6
95.4
96. 5
99. 1
95.6
91. 0
90. 8
91.0
93. 1
91.3
93. 5
98.8
94. 6
93. 2
99. 1
104.5
99. 6
94. 5
92.2
190.4
95.0
92. 6
102.9
107.0
95. 0
92. 6
102. 5
106. 6
101.4
95. 9
97. 3
102.2
106. 3
110.1
1 1 0.0
103.2
105.0
138. 6
90.4
100.7
105. 4
133. 2
85.3
95.1
104. 8
90. 4
110 2
1 00.8
107. 1
83. 1
8 6 .0
1 0 0.1
86
101.7
100. 0
146. 1
83.6
94.4
102. 7
92. 0
8 6 .1
97.3
106.1
95. 1
88.3
87.3
83. 5
79.8
97.0
91.9
81.6
78. 5
72. 7
94. 3
89.7
81.7
77. 5
70.2
95.4
93.9
84.0
79. 5
72.9
97. 1
96.0
87.1
81. 0
76. 7
102. 0
92.5
90.7
89.8
97.2
87.8
100. 7
91. 4
101. 9
93.0
90.9
101.7
105.1
106.1
[ 1120]
102 2
104.0
104 3
100
1
104 1
106 4
97. 2
104 0
109 8
97 9
95 1
1
9,4
7
!
107 5
9 9 .3
86
82
8
0
4
96.7
86
88.1
86 .8
99. 5
.
90. 2
90.9
102 5
109. 1
125. 3
92.4
77.5
72. 0
67. 6
85.2
91.2
79. 6
74. 1
65. 2
92. 7
96.8
83.3
77 5
69.9
94.0
100.7
92.1
93.9
102.4
84.8
109. 4
95.7
112 3
98.6
91.4
109.3
114. 8
117.7
207
TREND OF EM PLOYMENT
O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S I N M A N U F A C IN D U S T R IE S , M A R C H , 1928, A N D JA N U A R Y , F E B R U A R Y , A N D M A R C H ,
1929 -C o n tin u e d
T a b l e 6 . —IN D E X E S
T U R IN G
Pay-roll totals
E m ploym ent
Jan u
ary
94.2
91.4
81.0
87.2
89.2
94.3
94. 2
96.3
90.7
96.8
79.1
96.0
8 6 .1
89.9
89.1
105.6
132. 5
71.0
106.9
134.2
80.8
99.1
114. 1
78.9
95.5
111.4
74.3
114.8
143. 3
75.6
117.2
144. 2
87.2
90.5
93.8
101.2
90.6
91.3
94.8
82.8
83.6
87.1
79.6
87.6
91.3
90.4
113.8
101. 7
124. 1
107.3
134. 3
112.6
92.3
74.0
98. 5
106. 0
81.4
103.8
71.8
96. 1
103.4
93. 6
108.0
69. 0
91. 0
117. 8
96. 2
115.8
70. 3
91. 6
118. 0
Jan u
ary
9G.0
86.3
94.2
95. 1
85.2
96.2
93.9
99.8
.1
69. 2
90.5
100.8
95. 1
93.2
104.9
74.9
V ehicles fo r l a n d tr a n s p o r ta tio n
A utom obiles_____ ____ ____
Carriages a n d w a g o n s --------------C ar building a n d repairing, elec
tric-railro ad .. . . .
.. ..
C ar building a n d repairing, steamrailroad_____________________
98.3
83.5
M isc e lla n e o u s in d u s t r i e s ------------A gricultural im p lem en ts-----------Electrical m achinery, apparatus,
and supplies _ ___
Pianos and organs----- . . . . . .
R ubber boots and sh o e s... -----A utomobile tires.
Shipbuilding------ -------------------- -
121
F e b ru M arch
ary
F eb ru M arch M arch
ary
M arch
T o b a c c o p r o d u c ts ________________
Chewing and sm oking tobacco
and snuff _ .
- — - Cigars a n d cigarettes-----------------
1929
1928
1929
1928
In d u stry
81.6
89.7
106. 8
1 0 2 .8
121. 3
104.6
126. 8
107.4
129. 4
90.0
78.0
99. 1
100. 7
82.0
103.4
76.3
99. 8
108. 2
94. 1
106. 1
74.3
96. 1
109. 5
94. 3
109.4
72. 1
94.3
111.4
101. 1
138. 5
102.8
Table 7 shows the general index of employment in m anufacturing
industries and the general index of pay-roll totals, by months, from
January, 1923, to M arch, 1929.
Following Table 7 is a chart which represents the 54 industries
combined and shows, by months, the course of pay-roll totals as well
as the course of employment. I t includes the years 1926 and 1927, as
well as 1928, and January, February, and M arch, 1929.
T a ble 7.- -G E N E R A L IN D E X E S OF E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S IN M A N U ' F A C T O R I N G IN D U S T R IE S , JA N U A R Y , 1923, TO M A R C H , 1929
[M onthly average, 1926=100]
Pay-roll totals
E m ploym ent
M onth
1923
Jan u a ry . .
F e b ru a ry -----M arch ---------A pril________
M a y - --------J u n e _____ _
Ju ly _________
A ugust
--Septem ber----O ctober______
N o v em b er-- - .
D ecem ber____
1924
1925
1926
106. 6 103.8 97.9 100.4
108.4 105.1 99. 7 101.5
104.9 100.4 1 0 2 . 0
1 10.8
1 10.8
110.8
110.9
109.2
108.5
108.6
108. 1
107. 4
105. 4
A v e ra g e .. 108.8
1 0 2.8
100.2
101.0
98.8 98.9 99.8
95.6 98.0 99.3
92.3 97.2 97. 7
92.5 97.8 98.7
94.3 98.9 100.3
95.6 100.4 100. 7
95.5 100. 7 99.5
97.3 1 0 0 . 8 98.9
98.2
99.2
100
.0
1927
1928
97.3 91.6
99.0 93.0
99.5 93.7
98.6 93.3
97.6 93.0
97.0 93.1
95.0 92.2
95. 1 93.6
95.8 95.0
95.3 95.9
93.5 95.4
92.6 95.5
96.4
1929
1924
1925
1926
95. 2 95.8 98.6 93.9 98.0
97.4 99.4 103.8 99.3 1 0 2 . 2
98.6 104.7 103.3 1 0 0 . 8 103.4
105.7 1 0 1 . 1 98.3 101. 5
109.4 96.5 98. 5 99.8
109.3 90.8 95. 7 99.7
104.3 84.3 93.5 95.2
103.7 87.2 95.4 98. 7
104.4 89.8 94.4 99.3
106.8 92.4 100.4 102. 9
105.4 91.4 100.4 99.6
103.2 95.7 1 0 1 . 6 99.8
93.8 197.1 104.3
! Average for 3 m onths.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1923
[ 1121 ]
94.6
97.7
100
. (f
1927
1928
1929
99.8
97.4
93.0
95.0
94.1
95.2
91.6
93.2
89.6 94.5
93.9 1 0 1 . 8
95.2 103.9
93.8
94.1
94.2
91.2
94.2
95.4
99.0
96. 1
97.7
96.5
94.5
94.9
1 0 0.6
102.0
1 0 0.8
1100.1
208
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
MANUFACTURING
MONTHLY
M O N TH LY
IN D U STR IES.
INDEXES,
AVERA G E.
1 9 2 6 -1 9 2 9 .
192.6 = 1 0 0 .
105
100
95
90
85
JA N .
FEB.
MAR. APR.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
MAY
JU N .
JU L.
[1122]
AUG. SEP.
OCT.
NOV. DEC.
TREND OF EMPLOYMENT
209
T im e W ork ed a n d F orce E m p lo y e d in M a n u fa c tu r in g I n d u s tr ie s i n M a r c h ,
1929
R e p o r t s as to working time and force employed in M a rc h ,1929, were
received from 9,503 establishm ents in the 54 separate industries.
Employees in 82 per cent of these establishm ents were working full
time and employees in 17 per cent were working p a rt tim e, while 1
per cent of the establishm ents were idle; 36 per cent of the establish
m ents had a full normal force of employees and 63 per cent were
operating w ith reduced forces.
The establishm ents in operation had an average of 92 per cent of
a full norm al force of employees who were working an average of 98
per cent of full time.
T able
8
—P R O P O R T IO N O F T I M E W O R K E D A N D F O R C E E M P L O Y E D IN M A N U F A C
T U R IN G IN D U S T R IE S IN M A R C H , 1929
O perating establishm ents only—
E stablish
m ents
reporting
In d u stry
T otal P er
n u m cent
ber
idle
84
F o o d a n d k in d r e d p r o d u c t s ----------- 1,355
148
Slaughtering a n d m eat packing----252
C onfectionery--------- ---------------164
Ice cream ,......................... ....................
276
F lo u r ,........................................ ...........
503
B a k in g ........................................ .........
12
Sugar refining, c a n e . . ..................
(0
T extiles a n d th e i r p r o d u c ts ------------ 1,521
408
C otton goods............ .................. .........
173
Hosiery a n d k n it goods........... .........
179
Silk go o d s.---------- ---------------------162
W oolen and w orsted goods----------26
C arpets and rugs....................... .........
92
D yeing a n d fin ish in g ........................
221
C lothing, m en’s ...................................
73
Shirts and collars................................
138
Clothing, w om en’s ---------------------49
M illinery an d lace goods........... .......
0
I r o n a n d stee l a n d th e i r p r o d u c ts .. 1,617
155
Iron and steel. _ ..................................
24
Cast-iron p ip e ---------------------------151
S tru ctu ral iro n w o rk-------------------F o u n d ry and machine-shop p ro d
908
ucts........... ...................... ....................
52
H a rd w a re .......................... ..................
130
M achine tools.....................................
Steam fittings an d steam an d hot95
w ater heating ap p aratu s----------102
Stoves...... ................................. - ..........
(')
87
70
84
80
91
92
2
(!)
87
)
Ï
1
1,020
1
400
251
369
3
L e a th e r a n d its p r o d u c ts -------------L e a th e r.................. .......................... --Boots and shoes..................................
325
P a p e r a n d p r i n t i n g ..............................
Paper a n d p u lp ...................................
Paper boxes----------------------- ------Prin tin g , book and jo b ....... ............
Prin tin g , new spapers....................... .
907
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
98
99
94
98
96
20
8
100
8
99
13
99
88
12
16
9
15
23
98
97
33
67
12
88
7
42
44
25
91
58
56
75
4«
38
60
43
57
62
59
59
70
50
61
62
49
48
59
Average
per cent
of full
norm al
force em
ployed
in estab
lishm ents
operating
86
90
71
65
91
97
88
91
88
95
95
92
89
20
11
8
11
100
88
12
98
40
41
30
50
39
38
51
52
41
78
22
97
38
62
92
74
54
81
26
46
19
95
34
66
90
88
21
79
98
31
68
70
89
80
73
92
20
98
97
103
39
23
68
61
77
32
76
60
24
40
96
91
33
27
67
73
83
73
26
95
30
69
84
76
62
76
21
95
94
97
34
64
80
81
20
34
66
92
97
38
62
88
99
96
28
44
72
56
81
90
99
53
47
97
99
98
33
31
47
78
67
69
53
88
83
87
80
116
209
153
153
285
316
16
13
30
15
83
91
85
77
80
1
L u m b e r a n d its p r o d u c t s ............... .
L um ber, sawmills----------------------L um ber, m illw ork_________ _____
F u rn itu re ..... ........................................
Less th a n one-half of 1 per cent.
P er cent of Average
P er cent of
establish per cent
establishm ents
m ents in
of full
operating
which
tim e
w ith—•
employees
worked
worked—
by em
ployees
in estab
P a rt
F ull
F ull P a rt lishm ents norm
al norm a
tim e tim e operating force
foro«
(i)
92
88
('}
[1123]
80
96
96
27
8
38
24
17
13
20
8
12
20
4
4
100
98
97
99
99
99
100
100
21
83
102
93
91
98
98
96
93
86
121
90
78
92
88
100
102
210
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW
T a b l e 8 . -P R O P O R T IO N O F T I M E W O R K E D A N D F O R C E E M P L O Y E D IN M A N U F A C
T U R IN G IN D U S T R IE S IN M A R C H , 1 9 2 9-C ontinued
1
E stablish
m ents
reporting
P er cent of
establish
m ents in
which
employees
worked—•
Industry
T o tal
num
ber
C h e m i c a l s a n d a llie d p r o d u c t s .
Chem icals___________________
Fertilizers_______ ____________
Petroleum refining______ ____
S t o n e , c la y , a n d g la s s p r o d u c t s .
C e m e n t.____ ________________
B rick, tile, a n d te rra c o tta _____
P o ttery ______________ ________
G la ss._________ ________ ____
M e ta l p r o d u c ts , o th e r t h a n ir o n
a n d s t e e l ____________________________
689
8
87
383
116
103
15
230
Chew ing a n d sm oking tobacco and
snuff__________________ _____
Cigars an d c ig arettes........................
25
205
V e h i c le s f o r l a n d t r a n s p o r t a t i o n . .
1,002
A ll i n d u s t r i e s .
Average
P e r cent of
p er cent establishm ents Average
per cent
of full
operating
of full
tim e
w ith—
normal
worked
force em
by em
ployed
ployees
in estab
in estab F ull
P
a
rt
lishm
ents
P a rt lishm ents
al norm al operating
tim e operating norm
force
force
99
99
89
11
94
87
78
13
22
91
28
72
85
75
16
89
25
67
17
25
22
16
46
36
78
69
53
64
84
11
68
97
98
96
97
39
40
39
60
61
74
94
1
189
T o b a c c o p r o d u c t s ____________ _______
A gricultural im p le m e n ts .............
Electrical m achinery, ap p aratu s,
and su p p lie s.__________________
Pianos and organs_______________
R ub b er boots a n d shoes__________
A utom obile tir e s .____ __________
Shipbuilding____ ____ _________ "
F ull
tim e
108
135
32
63
126
M i s c e l l a n e o u s i n d u s t r i e s . . ...................
Per
cent
idle
275
Stam ped a n d enam eled w are____
Brass, bronze, a n d copper products.
A utom obiles__________ _________
Carriages a n d w agons______ _____
C ar building and repairing, elec
tric-railroad___________________
C ar building an d repairing, steam ra ilro ad ._______ ______ _____
O perating establishm ents only—
83
84
82
6
6
100
•
100
17
»8
16
18
98
99
61
76
78
93
91
97
90
100
5
60
35
93
35
69
91
5
76
58
24
37
96
92
40
35
60
60
89
91
12
99
28
47
17
72
192
53
83
116
67
88
154
48
73
14
100
27
96
312
88
13
100
33
67
88
488
90
10
99
20
80
84
80
19
28
98
46
98
54
49
190
49
112
88
12
38
40
18
100
62
15
101
78
89
106
87
92
86
373
1
1
67
70
130
55
38
73
1
62
60
82
90
9,503
1
82
10
.
i
8
93
93
98
99
45
41
38
85
80
55
58
17
98
36
63
20
2. E m p lo y m e n t in C o al M in in g in M a rc h , 1929
E
M PL O Y M E N T in coal mining— anthracite and bitum inous
coal combined—decreased 3.3 per cent in M arch, 1929, as
compared with February, and pay-roll totals decreased 15.3 per cent.
The 1,310 mines for which reports were received had 305,786 em
ployees in M arch whose combined earnings in one week were $8,056,001.
A n th r a c ite
E m p l o y m e n t in anthracite mines alone was 7 . 5 per cent lower in
M arch, 1929, than in February, and pay-roll totals were 25.6 per
cent smaller. Owing to m arket conditions a considerable num ber of
collieries were idle during the first half of M arch.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1 1 2 4 ]
211
TREND OF EMPLOYMENT
All anthracite mines reported are in Pennsylvania— the M iddle
A tlantic division. The details for F ebruary and M arch are shown
in Table 1.
T a b l e 1 .— C O M P A R IS O N O P E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S IN ID E N T IC A L
A N T H R A C IT E M IN E S IN F E B R U A R Y A N D M A R C H , 1929
N u m b er on p ay roll
M ines
Geographic division
February,
1929
M iddle A tla n tic 1 _____________
1
158
See footnote 5, p. 201.
120,004
M arch,
1929
110,984
Per
cent of
change
- 7 .5
A m ount of pay roll
(one week)
February,
1929
M arch,
1929
$4, 277,475
$3,184,169
Per
cent of
change
-2 5 .6
_
B itu m in o u s Coal
E m p l o y m e n t in bitum inous coal mines was 0.8 per cent lower in
M arch, 1929, than in February, and pay-roll totals were 6.9 per cent
smaller. These figures are based upon reports from 1,152 mines in
which there were in M arch 194,802 employees whose combined earn
ings in one week were $4,871,832.
There was an increase in em ploym ent of 1.2 per cent in the M iddle
A tlantic geographic division and an increase of 0.2 per cent in the
E ast South C entral division, bu t decreases appeared in the remaining
divisions from which bitum inous coal was reported.
The details for each geographic division are shown in Table 2.
T a b l e 2 .— C O M P A R IS O N O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S IN ID E N T IC A L
B IT U M IN O U S COAL M IN E S IN F E B R U A R Y A N D M A R C H , 1929
N um ber on p ay roll
Geographic division
1
M ines
February,
1929
M iddle A tla n tic .
__________
E a st N o rth C en tral___________
W est N o rth C en tral. .............
South A tlantic
_________
E a st South C en tral___________
W est South C en tra l__________
M o u n tain ____________________
Pacific................. .............................
.411 d iv is io n s ____________
i See footnotes 4 to
12
M arch,
1929
Per
cent
of
change
A m ount of p ay roll
(one week)
F ebruary,
1929
M arch,
1929
P er
cent
of
change
11
55, 537
31,392
5,528
43, 550
44,814
2 , 086
11, 791
1,601
56, 203
30, 415
5,118
43,342
44, 905
1,891
11,367
1,561
+ Ï.2
- 3 .1
- 7 .4
- 0 .5
+ 0 .2
- 9 .3
-3 .6
-2 .5
$1,426, 850
968, 097
158, 806
1,097, 040
1,005, 008
58, 386
457, 420
61, 582
$1,432, 636
772, 723
130, 990
1,080, 908
980, 071
48,227
381,366
44, 911
+ 0 .4
- 2 0 .2
-1 7 .5
-1 .5
- 2 .5
-1 7 .4
-1 6 .6
-2 7 .1
1,152
196,299
194,802
-0 .8
5,233,189
4,871,832
- 6 .9
318
170
57
259
230
27
80
, p. 201.
3. E m p lo y m e n t in M e ta llife r o u s M in in g in M arc h , 1929
E
M PL O Y M E N T in metalliferous mining was 2.5 per cent greater
in M arch, 1929, than in February, and pay-roll totals were 8
per cent greater. These percentages are based on returns from
307 mines which in M arch had 53,983 employees whose combined
earnings in one week were $1,667,340.
N otable increases in employment were shown in 4 of the 6 geo
graphic divisions represented in metalliferous mining, and even more
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[11251
212
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
pronounced gains in pay-roll totals were shown in each of the 6
divisions.
The details for each geographic division are shown in the following
table:
C O M P A R IS O N O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S IN ID E N T IC A L M E T A L
L I F E R O U S M IN E S IN F E B R U A R Y A N D M A R C H , 1929
N um ber on p ay roll
Geographic division
1
M ines
February,
1929
N ew England
.
____ _
M iddle A tlan tic____ ._ . . . . .
E ast N o rth C entral . . . _______
W est N orth C en tral________ .
South A tlantic - .......... ...........
E a st South C e n tra l-...... .............
W est South Central _______
M ountain ._ _ _ __________
Pacific____________ _______ ___
A ll d i v i s i o n s _____________
1
M arch,
1929
A m ount of pay roll
(one week)
Per
cent of
change F ebruary,
M arch,
1929
1929
Per
cent of
change
39
46
10, 824
6 , 474
11
, 060
7, 013
+ 2 .2
+ 8 .3
$270,023
190, 036
$290, 213
218, 318
+ 7 .5
+14.9
8
62
129
23
3,110
4,575
25, 678
1,982
3,178
4, 560
26, 2 1 1
1, 961
+ 2.2
-0 . 3
+ 2 .1
- 1 .1
56, 061
112,991
849, 590
65, 208
63,818
123,124
905,895
65,972
+13.8
+ 9 .0
307
52,643
53,983
+ 3 .5
1,543,909
1,667,340
+ 8 .0
+ 6 .6
+
1 .2
See footnotes 4 to 12, p. 201.
4. E m p lo y m e n t in P u b lic U tilitie s in M arch , 1929
M PL O Y M E N T in public utilities was slightly increased in
M arch, 1929, as compared with February, while pay-roll totals
were 3.7 per cent greater. R eports were received from 8,870 estab
lishm ents having in M arch 645,810 employees whose combined earn
ings in one week were $19,530,952.
The establishm ents reporting include electric railway, electric
power and light, gas, water, telephone, and telegraph companies.
Details for each geographic division are shown in the table following.
E
C O M P A R IS O N O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S IN ID E N T IC A L P U B L I C
U T I L I T I E S E S T A B L IS H M E N T S IN F E B R U A R Y A N D M A R C H , 1929
Geographic division
1
N ew England ____________ _
M iddle A tlantic _ __________
E ast N o rth C en tral____ - - _
W est N o rth C entral ___ _____
South A tlantic _
__________
E ast South C en tral_________
W est South C en tral______ _ _
M o u n tain ___________ ___ ____
Pacific_______________________
A ll d i v i s i o n s . . . ______ _
1
N um ber on pay roll
E sta b
lish
m ents February, M arch,
1929
1929
A m ount of p ay roll
( 1 week)
Per
cent of
change February,
1929
M arch,
1929
Per
cent of
change
333
1,448
1, 528
1,433
819
651
992
569
1,097
34, 911
191, 689
172, 285
69,109
49, 751
18,969
36,152
16, 599
55,129
34, 781
193, 394
171, 595
69,182
49, 777
18, 834
35, 757
17, 316
55,174
-0 .4
+ 0 .9
- 0 .4
+ 0 .1
+ 0 .1
- 0 .7
- 1 .1
+ 4 .3
+ 0 .1
$1,156,923
5,892, 079
5, 260, 978
1, 856, 811
1,346, 333
428, 705
849, 679
422, 291
1, 620, 691
$1,152, 598
6,192, 601
5, 429, 656
1,894, 530
1, 391,129
442,123
873,082
450,189
1, 705,044
-0 .4
+ 5 .1
8,870
644,594
645,810
+ 0 .3
18,834,490
19,530,953
+ 3.7
+ 3 .2
+ 2 .0
+ 3 .3
+ 3 .1
+
2 .8
+ 6 .6
+ 5 .2
See footnotes 4 to 12, p. 201.
5. E m p lo y m e n t in W h o lesale a n d R e ta il T ra d e in M arc h , 1929
M PL O Y M E N T in 3,253 establishm ents—wholesale and retail
trade combined—increased 1.5 per cent in M arch, 1929, as com
pared w ith February, and pay-roll totals increased 1.8 per cent.
E
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[ 1126]
213
T R E N D O F E M PL O Y M E N T
These establishments in M arch had 187,421 employees with total
pay rolls in one week of $4,716,332.
The establishm ents reporting are so carefully selected, from every
State and from nearly every class of wholesale and retail trade, as to
be reasonably representative of general conditions in each geographic
division and, consequently, in the United States as a whole.
•»
W h o le sa le T ra d e
E mployment in wholesale trade in M arch was 0.5 per cent greater
than in February and pay-roll totals were 2.2 per cent higher, as
shown by reports from 1,329 establishm ents having in M arch 38,279
employees whose combined earnings in one week were $1,152,494.
The details by geographic divisions are shown in Table 1.
T a b l e 1 .— C O M P A R IS O N OF E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S IN ID E N T IC A L
W H O L E S A L E T R A D E E S T A B L IS H M E N T S IN F E B R U A R Y A N D M A R C H , 1929
Geographic division
1
N ew E n g la n d - ____ ____
M iddle A tlan tic,
- . -----------E ast N orth C en tral__ _ -.
W est N orth C entral_________
South A tlantic,
-- --E ast South C en tra l-..
--------W est South Central
M o u n ta in .--- _______________
Pacific----------------------------------A ll d i v i s i o n s _____________
1
A m ount of pay roll
(one week)
N um ber on p ay roll
E sta b
lish
m ents February, M arch,
1929
1929
Per
cent
of
change
1,640
, 584
7, 770
7, 454
3,195
2,113
3, 358
714
5, 276
1,641
6 , 573
7, 860
7, 489
3,189
2,162
3, 365
715
5,285
+ 0 .1
- 0. 2
+ 1 .2
+ 0 .5
- 0 .2
+ 2 .3
+ 0.2
+ 0 .1
+ 0.2
$49,123
205, 678
233,042
205, 534
91, 020
61,821
90, 691
23, 724
167, 515
$49, 861
206, 189
236, 694
216, 467
91, 432
63, 024
93, 473
24,425
170,929
+ 1 .5
+ 0 .2
+ 1 .6
+ 5 .3
+ 0 .5
+ 1 .9
+ 3.1
+ 3 .0
+ 2.0
38,104
38,279
+ 0 .5
1,128,148
1,152,494
+ 2 .3
69
193
192
154
193
235
80
30
183
1,339
6
February,
1929
M arch,
1929
Per
cent
of
change
See footnotes 4 to 12, p. 201.
R e ta il T rad e
E mployment and pay-roll totals in retail trade were each 1.7 per
cent greater in M arch, 1929, than in February, as shown by returns
from 1,924 establishm ents which in M arch had 149,142 employees
whose combined earnings in one week were $3,563,838.
D etails for each geographic division are shown in Table 2.
T a b l e 2 — C O M P A R IS O N O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S IN ID E N T IC A L
R E T A I L T R A D E E S T A B L IS H M E N T S IN F E B R U A R Y A N D M A R C H , 1929
Geographic division
1
N ew E ngland ---------------- -----M iddle A tlantic _- __________
E a st N o rth C e n tra i.. . ________
W est N o rth C e n tra i. . . _____
South A tlantic --------- -,--------E ast South C en tral________ .
W est South C en tral__________
M o u n tain ____________________
Pacific —..........................................
A ll d i v i s i o n s _____________
1
N um ber on pay roll
E sta b
lish
m ents February, M arch,
1929
1929
A m ount of pay roll
(one week)
F ebruary,
1929
92
513
161
62
25
617
8,241
37, 003
39, 385
9, 569
15,092
4, 409
4, 761
1, 364
26,809
8,259
36, 798
39,995
9,831
15, 321
4,567
4,913
1,352
28,106
+ 0 .2
- 0.6
+ 1 .5
+ 2 .7
+ 1 .5
+ 3 .6
+3. 2
- 0 .9
+ 4 .8
$198, 818
895,904
1,035, 669
214, 419
321,950
79,094
97,986
23, 573
637,914
1,924
146, 633
149,142
+ 1 .7
3,505,327
29
224
201
See footnotes 4 to 12, p. 201.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Per
cent of
change
[1127]
M arch,
1929
Per
cent of
change
$203,274
912,839
, 068, 821
221,877
323, 716
85,319
96, 360
24,110
627, 522
+ 2.2
+1. 9
+ 3 .2
+ 3 .5
+ 0.5
+ 7.9
- 1 .7
+ 2 .3
3,563,838
+ 1 .7
1
- 1 .6
214
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
6. E m p lo y m e n t in H o tels in M arch , 1929
M PL O Y M E N T in hotels was l . l per cent greater in M arch,
1929, than in February and pay-roll totals were 1.4 per cent
higher, as shown by reports from 1,734 hotels having in M arch
142.912 employees and total pay rolls of $2,418,428.
The South A tlantic and Pacific geographic divisions in M arch con
tinued to show pronounced gains both in ^people employed and in
pay-roll totals.
Per capita earnings, obtained by dividing the total num ber of
employees into the to tal am ount of pay roll, should not be interpreted
as being the entire earnings of hotel employees. The pay-roll totals
here reported are cash paym ents only, with no regard to the value of
board or room furnished employees, and of course no satisfactory
estim ate can be made of additional recompense in the way of tips.
The additions to the money wages granted vary greatly, not only
among localities b u t among hotels in one locality and among em
ployees in one hotel. Some employees are furnished board and room,
others are given .board only for one, two, or three meals, while the
division of tips is made in m any ways.
Per capita earnings are further reduced by the considerable am ount
of part-tim e employment in hotels caused by conventions and ban
quets or other functions.
The details for each geographic division are shown in the table
following.
E
C O M P A R IS O N O F E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y -R O L L T O T A L S IN ID E N T IC A L H O T E L S
IN F E B R U A R Y A N D M A R C H , 1929
N u m b er on p ay roll
Geographic division
1
H otels
February,
1929
M arch,
1929
Per
cent
of
change
A m ount of p ay roll
(one week)
February,
1929
M arch,
1929
Per
cent
of
change
N ew England
____ _________
M iddle A tlantic
__________
E a st N o rth C entral _________
W est N o rth C entral _ ______
South A tla n tic -- _- ___
E ast South Central . . _______
W est South C e n t r a l ____
M o u n ta in ____________
Pacific..............................................
307
277
206
208
63
108
91
373
8,293
43, 613
23, 800
12, 772
16, 967
4, 856
9,213
3, 676
18, 236
8 , 256
43, 131
23, 895
12,949
17, 989
4,812
9,217
3, 658
19,005
- 0 .4
- 1 .1
+ 0 .4
+ 1 .4
+ 6 .0
- 0 .9
+ (2)
-0 .5
+ 4 .2
$139,174
796, 043
398, 284
190, 813
246, 200
65, 067
135, 496
60,085
352,817
$138, 991
791, 163
402, 202
191, 244
269. 390
6 6 , 630
131, 260
60, 399
367,149
- 0 .6
+ 1 .0
+ 0 .2
+ 9 .4
+ 2 .4
- 3 .1
+ 0 .5
+ 4.1
All divisions_________
1,734
141,426
142,912
+ 1 .1
2,383,979
2,418,428
+ 1 .4
1
101
See footnotes 4 to 12, p. 201.
2
-0 .1
Less th a n one-tenth of 1 per cent.
E m p lo y m e n t on C la s s i S t e a m R a ilro a d s in th e U n ite d S t a t e s
H E m onthly trend of employment from January, 1923, to
February, 1929, on Class I railroads— th a t is, all roads having
operating revenues of $1,000,000 or over—is shown by the index
num bers published in Table 1. These index num bers are constructed
from m onthly reports of the In terstate Commerce Commission, using
the m onthly average for 1926 as 100.
T
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[ 1128 ]
I
TREND OF EMPLOYMENT
215
T a b l e 1 —I N D E X O F E M P L O Y M E N T ON C L A S S I S T E A M R A I L R O A D S IN T H E U N IT E D
ST A T E S , JA N U A R Y , 1923, TO F E B R U A R Y , 1929
[M onthly average, 1926=100]
M o n th
A v e r a g e __________________
A v e ra g e for
2
1924
1923
Jan u a ry __________________ F e b ru a ry ____________________
M arch . _ __________________
A pril _______________________
M ay ________________ _ _ __
J u n e. . ___________________ .
J u ly _________________________
A ugust
______________
Septem ber _ ________________
October
_____________ ____
N o v e m b e r__________________
December
________________
98.3
98.6
100.5
1 0 2.0
105.0
107.1
108.2
109.4
107.8
107.3
105. 2
99.4
104.1
1925
96.9
97.0
97.4
98.9
99.2
98.0
98.1
99.0
99. 7
100.8
99.0
96.0
98.3
1926
95.6
95.4
95.2
96.6
97.8
98.6
99.4
99.7
99.9
100.7
99. 1
97. 1
97.9
1927
95.8
96.0
96.7
98.9
100. 2
101.6
102.9
102. 7
1928
95.5
95.3
95.8
97.4
99.4
100.9
1 0 1.0
102.8
103.4
101. 2
98.2
100.0
99.5
99.1
98.9
95.7
91. 9
97.5
89.3
89.0
89.9
91.7
94.5
95.9
95.6
95.7
95.3
95. 3
92.9
89. 7
92.9
1929
8 8 .2
88.9
i
88 .6
m onths.
Table 2 shows the total num ber of employees on the 15th day each
of February, 1928, and January and February, 1929, and pay-roll
totals for the entire m onth of each m onth considered, by principal
occupational groups and various im portant occupations.
In these tabulations d a ta for the occupational group reported as
“ executives, officials, and staff assistants” are om itted from the totals.
T a b l e 2 .— E M P L O Y M E N T A N D E A R N IN G S O F R A IL R O A D E M P L O Y E E S —F E B R U A R Y ,
1928, JA N U A R Y , 1929, A N D F E B R U A R Y , 1929
[F rom m on th ly reports of In te rsta te Commerce Commission. As d ata for only the more im p o rtan t occupa
tions are shown separately, th e group totals are n o t th e sum of th e item s under th e respective groups]
N u m b er of employees at
m iddle of m onth
T otal earnings
O ccupation
F eb ru Jan u ary , F eb ru F ebruary,
ary, 1928
1929
ary, 1929
1928
January,
1929
February,
1929
C lerks____ ________
. ______
Stenographers an d ty p is ts ______
271,818
155,933
24,699
267, 553
152, 245
24, 536
267, 771 $38,267,873 $39,183,444 $37, 699, 617
152, 307 20,671,125 21,182, 018 20, 084, 708
24, 663
3, 200, 083
3,125,116
3,110,677
M a in te n a n c e o f w a y a n d s tr u c
t u r e s . . ..
...
...
.
329,452
333, 704
331,957
29,871,638
32,351,690
38,277
37,511
36,910
2,606, 479
2,801,880
2, 431, 711
168,998
173,191
173,578
11,402,057
12,874,207
11, 457, 324
466,490
99, 018
56,906
101, 747
454,981
98,071
54,970
99,824
459,213
99, 268
55, 350
101, 140
59,062,209
14, 093,144
8 , 561, 092
10,869,511
62,365,302
15,172,035
9,133, 396
11, 713,054
58,422,336
14, 221, 518
8 , 457, 816
10, 988, 786
39, 320
37,574
38, 206
3, 604,074
3, 707, 626
3, 445, 020
53,241
52,806
53,001
4,097,319
4,343,166
3,964, 665
195,613
190,625
192,982
23,702,681
24,469,914
23, 019, 000
30,045
29,466
29, 446
4,591,430
4,784,475
4, 438, 704
23,475
23,027
23,076
3,473, 768
3,646,533
3, 304, 772
33,195
31,314
33,056
3,015,428
3,026,591
2,930, Oil
21,455
20, 689
20, 642
1, 637,760
1, 594,465
1, 577,479
T r a n s p o r ta tio n , tr a in a n d e n g in e .
22,444
305,584
21,829
309,182
21,917
315,511
4,236,398
58,839,303
4,363,883
65,854, 708
4,146,648
62,349, 539
R oad co n d u cto rs.. .
. . . ..
R oad brakem en an d flagm en..
Y ard brakem en an d y a rd helpers.
R oad engineers a n d m otorm en. .
R oad firemen a n d helpers______
34, 353
68,511
51,306
40,946
41,967
34,878
68,707
52, 307
41,124
42,082
35,273
69, 603
53,463
42, 039
42, 618
7,799,576
11, 228, 372
8 , 785,954
10,487,908
7, 782,953
8,655, 8 8 8
12,440, 066
9,771,328
11,803,989
8 , 726, 808
8,174, 358
11, 770, 127
9, 339, 676
11, 098, 903
8 , 207, 809
P r o f e s s i o n a l , c le r i c a l , a n d g e n e r a l .
Laborers, ex tra gang and work
tra in . . . . . . .
. . ______
Laborers, tra c k a n d roadw ay sec
tio n ________ ________________
M a in te n a n c e o f e q u ip m e n t a n d
s t o r e s . _ ____
.
____________
C arm en_______________________
M achin ists__ _______________
Skilled trad es helpers. _ _______
Laborers (shops, engine houses,
power p lan ts, an d sto res)_____
Com m on laborers (shops, engine
houses, power p lants, and
stores)_______________________
T r a n s p o r a tio n , o th e r t h a n tr a in ,
e n g i n e , a n d y a r d ________ ________
S tation a g en ts_______ _____
Telegraphers, telephoners, and
tow er m e n . _______
___
Truckers (stations, warehouses,
and p latform s)________ . . .
Crossing a n d bridge flagmen and
gatem en_______ ____________
T r a n s p o r ta tio n (y a rd m a ste r s ,
s w i t c h t e n d e r s , a n d h o s t l e r s ) ___
A ll e m p l o y e e s . . .
____________ 1,591,401
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
29, 536,043
1,577,874 1,589,351 213,980,102 228,588,941 215,173,183
[1129]
216
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
C h a n g e s in E m p lo y m e n t a n d P ay R o lls in V a rio u s S t a t e s
H E following data as to changes in em ploym ent and pay rolls
have been compiled from reports received from the various
S tate labor offices:
T
P E R C E N T O F C H A N G E IN E M P L O Y M E N T A N D PA Y R O L L S IN S P E C IF I E D S T A T E S
M o n t h l y p e r io d
P er cent of change,
Jan u a ry to F e b
ru ary , 1929
State, and in d u stry group
P e r cent of change,
F e b ru a ry to M arch,
1929
State, a n d in d u stry group
E m ploy
m en t
E m ploy P a y roll
m ent
P a y roll
M a r y l a n d — C ontinued
I llin o is
Stone, clay, and glass products
M etals, m achinery, a n d con
veyances
_______ ______
W ood p ro d u cts_____ _____ __
F u rs a n d leather goods______
Chemicals, oils, paints, e tc __
P rin tin g and paper goods____
Textiles .
_______________
C lothing a n d m illin ery______
Food, beverages, a n d tobacco.
M iscellaneous__ ______ _____
All m anufacturing in
d u stries.
...... ...........
T rade, wholesale and re ta il..
Services.
_ ____ _________
P ublic utilities _ .....................
C o a l m in in g .._______
B uilding a n d contracting____
All industries...................
Io w a
Food and kin d red p ro d u c ts..
T extiles. . . . . ................
Iron an d steel w o r k s .___
L um ber p roducts______ .
L eather p ro d u cts.
.. .
P aper products, p rin tin g and
publishing_____
P a te n t medicines, chemicals,
a n d com pounds.
Stone a n d clay p ro d u cts. .
Tobacco a n d cigars..
R ailw ay car shops ___
Various in d u stries______
All in d u stries______
- 0 .4
+ 4 .3
- . 8
2 .8
+
+ 2 .3
- .9
-3 .0
+ 3 .1
-.7
.0
+
2.0
+10.3
+ 9 .4
+ 5 .7
+ 4 .8
-3 .2
+ 4 .7
+ 8 .1
-.5
+ 1 .2
+
2 .2
+ 6 .3
-
1 .2
-. 5
+ .5
+ .7
- 4 .9
- 1. 2
+ 1 .2
+ 3 .9
+ 12. 1
+14.0
+ 1 .4
+ 5 .6
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
-1 .5
+ 5 .7
-3 .6
+ 4 .5
+ 3 .1
- 3 .0
+ 1 0 .0
+• 6
+ 2 .2
+ 2 .3
- 2 .0
+24.4
+ 6 .0
+ 5 .7
All m anufacturing_____
+ 2 .3
R etail d ep artm ent stores____
Wholesale establishm ents____
Public u tilities_____________
Coal m ines______________ . . .
H otels_____________________
- 2 .3
+L7
+ 1 .6
+ .7
+
1 .0
-.3
—.7
-4 .6
+• 4
-1 9 .9
E m ploym ent—
index num bers
(1919-1923=100)
F e b ru a ry to M arch,
1929
January, February,
1929
1929
M a ssa ch u setts
-7 .3
—2 . 8
+ 5 .3
-1 . 5
- 1 .7
Boots a n d shoes____________
B read a n d other bakery prod
u c ts ______________________
Cars and general shop con
struction and repairs, steam
+ .3
+ 2 .1
+13.1
+ 4 .2
+ 5 .2
+ .9
+ . 6
M a r y la n d
Food p r o d u c t s .. . ...... .............
Textiles . . . . .
Iron a n d steel an d th e ir pro d
ucts . . . . .
L um b er a n d its p ro d u c ts..
L eath er a n d its p ro d u cts___
R ub b er tires. .
P aper a n d p rinting
Chem icals an d allied pro d
u c ts_______ . . .
Stone, clay, a n d glass pro d
u c ts ___________
M etal products, other th a n
iron and steel_____________
Tobacco p roducts___________
M achinery (not including
transportation equipm ent) __
M usical in stru m e n ts________
T ransportation e q uipm ent___
C ar building an d re p a irin g ...
M iscellaneous............................
-1 .4
+ 3 .4
-0 .4
+ 3 .4
+ 1 .8
+ 2 .2
+ 2 .0
+ 1 .0
• + .9
+ 4 .7
+ 3 .4
+ 5 .4
-1 6 .3
+ 8 .4
+ 6 .5
+ 6 .3
+ 5 .8
+ . 2
railroads_________________
Clothing, m en’s a n d w om en’s.
C onfectionery______________
C otton goods_______________
D yeing an d finishing textiles..
Electrical m achinery, a p p a
ratu s, a n d supplies________
F o u n d ry an d machine-shop
p roducts_______ ________
F u r n itu r e .._____________ . . .
H osiery an d k n it goods...........
Jew elry____________________
L eather, tan n ed , curried a nd
finished_________ ________ _
P ap er a n d wood p u l p . . ..........
P rin tin g an d publishing_____
R u b b er footw ear____________
R u b b er goods, tires, a n d tubes
Silk goods__________________
Textile m achinery an d p a rts . .
W oolen a n d w orsted goods__
[1130]
All in d u s trie s .................
67.3
101.7
70.0
71.8
107.2
70.0
90.6
85.1
57.8
103.6
96.4
81.1
58.6
107.2
104.9
104.9
67.4
105.8
67.6
102.7
68.5
105.8
76.7
89.5
106.9
95.1
81.5
6 6 .8
101.7
79.0
51.3
78.8
93.2
108.5
89.0
83.3
101.3
54.0
78.5
78.1
79.4
1 0 0.6
TREND OF EM PLOYM ENT
217
P E R C E N T O F C H A N G E IN E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y R O L L S IN S P E C IF I E D S T A T E S —
C ontinued
M o n t h l y p e r i o d — C o n tin u e d
Per cent of change,
Jan u a ry to F e b
ru ary , 1929
P e r cent of change,
F e b r u a r y , to
M arch, 1929
State, and in d u stry group
State, a n d in d u stry group
E m p lo y
m ent
E m ploy P a y roll
m ent
P a y roll
O k l a h o m a —C ontinued
N ew J e rse y
Food a nd k indred p ro d u c ts.. .
Textiles an d th eir p ro d u c ts ...
Iron and steel an d th eir produ c ts______________________
L um ber an d its p ro d u cts____
L eather a n d its products____
Tobacco products _________
P aper a nd p rin tin g .
Chem icals and allied products.
Stone, clay, a n d glass products
M etal products other th a n
iron a n d steel ________ .
Vehicles for lan d transportat i o n __ ________________
M iscellaneous.............................
-3 .4
+ 3 .1
+ 2.0
- 0 .1
+ 7 .1
+ 1 .5
- 1 .6
+ 2 .3
+ 1 .9
- 3 .9
+• v
+ 4 .3
- 2 .1
+ 4 .9
+ 6 .3
- 5 .4
+ 2. 2
+ 6 .6
+ . 6
+ 5 .0
-.7
+ 1 .7
- 2. 1
+ 4 .5
All in d u s trie s .................
+ 1 .4
+ 2 .9
Textiles and cleaning:
Textile m anufacture___
Laundries, etc.............
W oodworking:
Saw m ills_____________
M illw ork, etc_________
All in d u s trie s ........... .
O k la h o m a
Cottonseed-oil m ills_________
Food production:
B akeries________________
Confections------- -----------Cream eries a n d dairies___
F lour m ills-------------------Ice and ice cream _______
M eat and p o u ltry _______
Lead and zinc:
M ines and m ills________
Sm elters_______ ________
M etals an d m achinery:
A uto repairs, e tc .......... .
M achine shops a n d foundries__ _____________
T a n k construction and
erection. ------------------Oil industry:
Producing a n d gasoline
m an u factu re.. _______
Refineries . ---------------P rinting: Job w ork.................
P ublic utilities:
Steam -railw ay shops____
Street railw ay s--------------W ater, lig h t, and p o w er..
Stone, clay, a n d glass:
B rick and tile .....................
C em ent and plaster_____
C rushed stone_________ _
Glass m anufacture.........
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
+ 7 .5
+ 2 .0
-.2
-4 .2
+ 8 .1
-.9
+ .8
-1 .2
All industries...............
E m ploym ent—
index num bers
(1923-1925 = 100)
F e b ru
ary, 1929
N ew Y o rk
Stone, clay, an d glass_______
M etals an d m achinery_____
W ood m anufactures _____ _
F urs, leather an d ru b b er goods
Chem icals, oils, paints, etc__
P a p e r___________________ . .
P rin tin g a n d paper goods.. .
Textiles __________________
Clothing and m i l l i n e r y .. ___
Food a nd tobacco___________
W ater, light, and pow er_____
+ 0 .3
+ 1 .3
M arch,
1929
P e n n s y lv a n ia
- 2 .6
+ 3 .7
- . 6
+ 2 .1
+ 1 .3
+ 1 .2
+ 1 .6
+ 2 .7
+ 6 .2
+ 1 .3
+ 1 .0
+
2.8
+ . 2
+ 5 .5
+ .3
- . 8
+ 1 .4
+ 1 .3
+. 2
+ 3 .3
+ 1 1.1
+ . 2
-.3
M etal products...........................
T ransportation equipm ent . . .
Textile p ro d u c ts .............. .........
Foods and tobacco__________
Stone, clay, a n d glass prod
u c ts _________________ ____
L um ber p roducts_____ ____ _
Chem ical p ro d u cts--------------Leather and ru b b er p roducts.
P a p e r a n d p rin tin g ............ .......
90.6
77. 5
99.8
94.7
82.5
77. 6
97.6
96. 2
91.3
81.0
72.0
98.0
96.2
90.8
All in d u s trie s .................
91.6
91.9
+ 3 .8
-2 9 .3
-.
-2 .9
1
.0
- . 2
+ 6 .4
+ 1 .9
+ 6 .3
+ 2 .5
- 6.8
+ 4 .9
+ 2 .1
+ 4 .0
+ 6 .4
+ 6 .6
+23.3
+ 8 .3
+. 9
-.3
+ 1 .4
+ 2 .5
+ .3
+ 3 .9
- 8 .3
-3 . 1
+ .3
-1 5 .1
- 10.2
- 1 .1
+ 3 .4
+. 6
+ 1 .2
- 2 .6
+ 1 .5
+ .7
-9 .2
+11.3
+37.1
+10.3
+ 1 .9
+ 10.1
+37.8
+ 8 .4
84.8
.1
94.6
P a y roll
F eb ru ary to M arch,
1929
-1 4 .2
8 8 .6
102
96.3
98.8
92.3
113.7
95.5
79.9
81.7
106.9
101.3
106.7
80.0
72. 1
116.1
98.8
108.0
100.5
83.6
M etal products-------------------T ransportation eq u ip m en t---Textile p ro d u cts-----------------Foods and tobacco--------------Stone, clay, a n d glass prod
u c ts _____________________
L um ber p roducts________ _
Chem ical pro d u cts--------------L eather a n d ru b b er products.
P ap er and p rin tin g ...................
110.1
All industries.
Per cent of change,
Jan u a ry to F e b
ru ary , 1929
W is c o n s in
E m ploy
m ent
P a y roll
M anual
Logging-------------------------M ining------------------------------Stone crushing an d q u arry in g .
M anufacturing:
Stone and allied industries
M e ta l.............................. .
W ood....................................
[1131]
+ 1 .5
-.9
+ 13.0
+ 4 .2
- 1 .0
+25.3
+ 5 .4
+ 2 .6
+52.4
+24.2
+15.2
-
1 0 .2
218
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
P E R C E N T O F C H A N G E IN E M P L O Y M E N T A N D PA Y R O L L S IN S P E C IF I E D S T A T E S —
C ontinued
M o n t h l y p e r io d — C o n tin u ed
P er cent of change,
Jan u a ry to F eb
ru a ry , 1929
Per cent of change,
Jan u a ry to. F eb
ruary, 1929
S tate, a n d in d u stry group
State, and in d u stry group
E m ploy
m ent
E m ploy
P a y roll
m ent
P a y roll
W i s c o n s i n —C ontinued
W i s c o n s i n — C ontinued
M a n u a l —C ontinued
M a n u a l —C ontinued
M an u factu rin g —C ontinued.
R ubber
L eather
. . . .
Paper . . . _ . ______
Textiles
______ . . . ._
Foods_________
__ _ __
L ight a n d power ____
P rin tin g a n d p u b lish in g ..
Laundering, cleaning, and
dyeing----------------------C h e m i c a l s (including
soap, glue, a n d expíosives) _____________
Com m unication:
Steam railw ays_______
Electric raliw ays________
Express, telephone, and
telegraph________ ____
W holesale tra d e ____________
H otels and restau ran ts______
All m a n u fa c tu rin g ... _
Construction:
Building
_____
H ig lrw a y ...
_____
R ailroad . . .
. . . . ._ _
M arine dredging, sewer
digging-----------------------
+3. 6
+5. 5
+ 1 .2 .
-. 7
- .2
+ 9 .9
+17. 7
+ 3 .9
+ 6 .3
-. 1
- 1 .8
+ 2 .4
+
+ 3 .2
+ 1 .2
+16. 6
+ 1 .8
- 8.0
- 8 .5
+. 1
-2 .5
+13.4
1 .0
N onm anual
+ .4
+ .4
+ 1 .5
- . 6
+ 3 .1
+14. 5
- 1 .6
-5 . 5
-2 .5
+ 3 .3
-7 .3
+ 7 .6
-3 1 .3
-4 .9
M anufacturing, mines, and
q u arries__________________
C o nstruction_______________
C om m unication____________
W holesale tra d e ____________
R etail trad e—sales force only_..
M iscellaneous
professional
services_________________ ‘
1 H otels a n d re stau ran ts__ . . . .
- . 2
+
+
1 .6
2 .1
+ .1
-6 .7
+ 1 .9
-1 .4
+ . 2
+ . 6
+ 4 .0
- 2. 1
+ 2 .7
+ 5 .0
Y e a r l y p e r io d
1
Per cent of change,
F eb ru ary , 1928, to
F eb ru ary , 1929
S tate, an d in d u stry group
|
E m p lo y
m ent
A ll industries_________
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
State, a n d in d u stry group
F e b ru
F e b ru
ary, 1928 ary, 1929
P ay roll
Illin o is
Stone, clay, and glass prod-
California
Stone, clay, and glass prod
u c ts ______________________
M etals, m achinery, a n d con
veyances_________________
W ood m anufactures________
L eather a n d ru b b er goods___
Chem icals, oils, paints, etc___
P rin tin g and paper goods____
T extiles____________________
C lothing, m illinery, a n d lau n
derin g________ ____ ______
Foods, beverages, a n d to
bacco____________________
W ater, light, a n d pow er..........
M iscellaneous. ...........................
E m ploym ent—
index num bers
(1922=100)
U CtS... _ _________________
- 4 .4
- 3 .5
+23. 7
- 4 .6
+19. 1
+26.9
+ 1 .7
+ 2.2
+24.0
- 5 .0
+17. 5
+28. 2
+3. 1
+ 3 .0
- 1 .5
+ .4
-a 6
-7 .9
- 8.0
+ i.i
+ 9 .4
+
10.8
M etals, m achinery, a nd conv e y a n c e s ____ ___________
W ood p r o d u c ts ___________
F u rs and leather g o o d s _____
Chem icals, oils, paints, etc
P rin tin g a n d paper g o o d s ___
Textiles . ______ _____ . . .
C lothing an d m illinery . . . . . .
Food, beverages, a nd tobacco.
All m anufacturing ind u stries..........................
T rade, wholesale and re ta il...
P ublic u tilities. . . ___
Coal m ining
B uilding and contracting____
All industries.................
[3132]
107.5
107.7
97.9
80.0
115.1
115. 2
119.0
113.0
67.6
91. 7
117.8
74.3
109.3
124.5
116.5
95.4
62.7
91.3
74. 7
133.8
7ñ 2
77.1
97. 7
98.4
68.9
139.3
88 .8
91.8
103. 1
TREND OF EM PLOYM ENT
219
P E R C E N T O F C H A N G E IN E M P L O Y M E N T A N D PA Y R O L L S IN S P E C IF I E D S T A T E S —
C ontinued
Y e a r l y p e r io d — C o n tin u e d
P er cent of change,
M arch, 1928, to
M arch, 1929
E m p lo y m en t—in
dex num bers
(1919-1923 = 100)
State, and in d u stry group
S tate, a n d in d u stry group
February, 1928
February, 1929
73.2
71.8
99.2
107.2
E m ploy P a y roll
m ent
O k la h o m a —C ontinued
M assachusetts
Boots and shoes____________
B read and other bakery prod
u c ts ______________________
Cars and general shop con
struction a n d repairs, steam
railroads_________________
Clothing, m en ’s an d w om en’s.
C onfectionery_____ _____ ___
C otton goods_______________
D yeing a n d finishing________
Electrical m achinery, appara
tus, a nd supplies______ ___
F o u n d ry a n d machine-shop
products_________________
F u rn itu re _________ _________
Hosiery a n d k n it goods--------Jew elry____ _______________
Leather, tan n ed , curried, and
finished__________________
P aper a nd wood p u lp ---------Printing a n d publishing. ____
R ubber footw ear-----------------R ubber goods, tires, and tubes.
Silk goods__________ ____ _
Textile m achinery and p a rts ..
W oolen and worsted goods__
All industries_________
75.2
96.6
76.8
68.5
102.5
70.0
96.4
81.1
58.6
107.2
102.6
104.9
64.6
105.4
89.6
100.9
68.5
105.8
8 8 .8
93. 1
104.0
104. 9
95. 1
115.9
62. 1
82. 6
79.0
93.2
108.5
89.0
83.3
101.3
54.0
78. 5
83.3
79.4
66.8
101.7
Per cent of change,
F ebruary, 1928, to
F ebruary, 1929
E m p lo y P ay roll
m ent
New York
Stone, clay, and glass-----------M etals and m ach in ery---------W ood m anufactures_________
F urs, leather, a n d ru b b er
goods____________________
Chemicals, oils, paints, e tc __
P a p e r______________________
P rin tin g a n d paper goods-----T extiles____________________
C lothing a n d m illin e r y ..____
Food a nd tobacco---------------W ater, light, a n d p o w e r.........
All industries_________
M etals and m achinery:
A uto repairs, etc
M achine shops and foun
dries__ . .
____
T an k construction and
erection______________
Oil industry:
Producing and gasoline
m anufacture_______ . .
Refineries______________
Prin tin g : Job w7o rk .. ______
P ublic utilities:
Steam -railw ay s h o p s ____
Street railw ay s-------------W ater, lig h t, and pow er.Stone, clay, and glass:
Brick and tile __________
C em ent a n d plaster _. . .
C rushed sto n e .. . . . . .
Glass m anufacture______
Textiles and cleaning:
Textile m anufacture . . .
Laundries, etc__________
W oodworking:
S aw m ills.. . ___ ________
M illw ork, e tc _________ .
All in d u s trie s ________
46658°—29— -1 5
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
+313. 0
+35.0
+50.2
+76.3
+74.6
+11.5
+14.0
+48.8
+ 6 .7
+32.3
+63.4
+ 3.8
+28. 2
+253. 6
+ 1.6
+30.4
+241. 3
+52.3
+18.3
+ 21.1
+ 8 .7
+36.4
+ 9 .5
+48.0
+ 5 .7
+36.3
-.4
-1 .7
+ 6 .5
+ 5 .6
+ . 0
+ 7 .0
+ . 8
+32. 5
+37.9
E m p loym ent—index num bers
(1923-1925 = 100)
j
j
M arch,
1928
!
M arch,
1929
P e n n s y lv a n ia
+ 2 .9
+ 12. 6
-4 . 1
+ 6 .6
+17.8
- 2 .4
+ 2 .6
+ .7
+ 3 .9
+ .7
-. 7
- 2 .6
+ 2 .6
- 6 .8
-. 6
+ 1.7
+7. 8
+ 5.9
+ 1 .2
- 1 .5
+ 1 .1
- 9 .4
+ 4 .4
+ 7 .4 '
M etal p ro d u c ts ...
--------T ransportation e q u ipm ent---Textile p roducts.
. ...
Foods and tobacco.. __
Stone, clay, an d glass prod
u c ts--------- ---------- . . . . .
L um ber products . . . .
----Chemical p roducts_____ ____
L eather and ru b b er products.
j P aper and p rin tin g --------------
82.2
76.9
105. 8
92.8
81.4
73.1
95.8
100. 5
95.3
81.0
72.0
98.0
96.2
90.8
All industries_________
87.9
91.9
8 8 .6
84.8
.1
94.6
102
P a y roll
M arch, 1928, to
M arch, 1929
O k la h o m a
Cottonseed-oil m ills..................
Food production:
Bakeries_______ _____ _
Confections_____________
Cream eries an d dairies__
F lour m ills____ ____ ____
lee a n d ice c re a m .............
M eat and p o u ltry ..............
L ead a nd zinc:
M ipes and m ills__ ______
Sïpplters_____ _____ ____
+321. 5
M etal products_____________
T ransportation eq uipm ent---Textile p ro d u c ts.----------------Foods and tobacco_____ ____
Stone, clay, and glass products
L um ber p ro d u c ts.. ------------Chemical products____ _
.
L eather and ru b b er products.
1 P ap er and p rin tin g --------------
+27.3
+ 4 .2
+ 22.0
—6 . 5
- 8 .9
+ 9 .0
+208. 5
- 8 .0
+ 2 0 .0
+ 8 .3
-2 1 .3
- .3
+150. 9
+ 9 .3
+123. 9
+ 2 .0
+118.1 j
-2 0 . 5 1
[1133]
All industries...................
74.1
115.0
94.3
79.5
74.3
104. 4
104.4
109.0
98.8
92.3
113.7
95.5
80.0
72.1
116. 1
98.8
108.0
90.7
1 00.2
88 .0
220
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
P E R C E N T OF C H A N G E IN E M P L O Y M E N T A N D P A Y R O L L S IN S P E C IF IE D S T A T E S —
C ontinued
Y e a r l y p e r io d — C o n tin u e d
Per cent of change,
F eb ru ary , 1928, to
F eb ru ary , 1929
P er cent of change,
F ebruary, 1928, to
F ebruary, 1929
State, and in d u stry group
S tate, and in d u stry group
E m p lo y
m ent
E m ploy P a y roll
m ent
P ay roll
W isc o n sin
W isc o n s in —C ontinued
M anual
Logging-----------------------------M ining____ . . . ______
Stone crushing and q u arry in g .
M anufacturing:
Stone and allied industries.
M eta l__________________
W ood__________________
R ubber . . . __ _ _
L eather
.
. _ ___
P ap er_____ ___________
Textiles___ __________
F o o d s ..............................
Light a n d pow er________
P rin tin g and p u b lish in g ..
Laundering, cleaning, and
dyeing_______________
Chemical (includingsoap,
glue, and explosives)___
- 4 .5
-1 7 .9
-4 4 . 2
- 1 .8
-1 9 .7
-3 5 .3
-3 7 .9
+11.9
+4. 9
+7. 0
4-5.2
- 2. 1
-1 1 . 7
+3. 8
+13. 1
+10.3
-2 8 .4
+20.3
+1. 5
+25. 5
+ 1 .7
-2 . 5
- 6 .8
+ 10.0
4 -2 0 . 1
+11.3
+ 4 .9
+ 5 .3
—14. 5
-1 5 .9
All m anufacturing. ._ _
+5. 5
C onstruction:
Building
.
...
H ig h w ay _______________
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
+ 10. 6
+49.7
+
1 1 .0
- 2. 2
+37.7
M a n u a l —C ontinued
C onstruction—C ontinued.
R ailro a d ... ____________
M arine dredging, sewer
digging----------------------C om m unication:
Steam railw ays
Electric railw ays
Express, telephone, and
te le g r a p h _____
_
Wholesale tra d e __ _________
H otels and restau ran ts______
+
1 .0
+ 3 .7
-5 .8
-2 3 .2
+ 8.5
+13. 7
—1 . 6
.0
—. 6
- 8 .4
+ 3 .0
—. i
+ 9 .2
+
-
+ 7 .2
- 5 .3
N onm anual
M anufacturing, mines, and
quarries. __ __ ___________
C onstruction. _______ ____ _
Wholesale trade ______
R etail trade, sales force only
M iscellan eo us professional
services.
___ _ _
H otels and re stau ran ts..
[1134]
2 .8
2 .0
+3. 1
+ .7
+ 10. 6
+ 5 .9
+ 8.9
-17. 9
+ 15.0
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL PRICES
R e ta il P ric e s o f F o o d in th e U n ite d S t a t e s
H E following tables are compiled from m onthly reports of actual
selling prices 1 received by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from
retail dealers.
Table 1 shows for the United States retail prices of food M arch
15, 1928, and February 15, and M arch 15, 1929, as well as the
percentage changes in the year and in the m onth. For example, the
retail price per pound of sugar was 7.1 cents on M arch 15, 1928;
6.6 cents on February 15, 1929; and 6.5 cents on M arch 15, 1929.
These figures show decreases of 8 per cent in the year and 2 per cent
in the m onth.
The cost of various articles of food combined shows an increase of
1.1 per cent M arch 15, 1929, as compared w ith M arch 15, 1928,
and a decrease of 0.9 per cent M arch 15, 1929, as compared with
February 15, 1929.
T
T a b l e 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 PO 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 A R C H 15, 1929, C O M P A R E D W IT H F E B R U A R Y 15, 1929,
A N D M A R C H 15, 1928
[Percentage changes of five-tenths of 1 per cent and over are given in whole numbers]
Average retail price on—
U nit
Article
Sirloin steak
P mi nil steak
H ih roast,
Ohiiok roast
P late beef
Pork oh ops
Paeon sliced
TTam sliced
Uamb, log of
Hons
M ar. 15,
1928
Feb. 15,
1929
M ar. 15,
1929
Cents
Cents
Cents
Per cent of increase
(+ ) or decrease
( - ) M ar. 15,1929,
compared w ith —
M ar. 15,
1928
+ 0.2
+ 0 .2
+ 0 .3
+ 0 .3
44.9
39.1
33. 1
25.8
17.7
47.8
42.1
35.4
28.7
20.3
47.9
42.2
35.5
28.8
20.3
____ ________ ____do__ ___
_ do._ ____
___ _____
____do _______
__ ______ ___do_
_______ ___d o _ ______
28.6
43.0
50.5
38.2
37.2
33.0
42.7
53.7
40.3
39.7
35.2
42.9
54.3
40. 9
40.5
+23
- 0 .2
___ do__ ___
Q uart
.. .
16-oz. can . . .
P o u n d . ____
____do -----------
35.4
14.2
31.7
14.3
11.4
58.5
27.6
31.4
14.3
11.4
58.3
27.5
- 1 1
P o u n d _______
_ _____ ____
________ ___ do__ ____
_____
_________ ___ do
___do.
____
____do__ ____
Palnlon nan nod, rod
M ilk fresh
_______
ATilk, evaporated
___________
P u tte r
Oleomargarine (all b u tte r substitu te s ).
11.2
57.3
27.4
38.2
38.5
Pheese
- - _________ ___do. ______
18.4
17.8
_
T,ard
__________ ___ do_
24.7
24.9
___ do
Vegetable lard su b stitu te
49.
1
37.0
Dozen
. ..
pggs strictly fresh
9.0
9.1
B re a d ... ________________________ Pound ______
1 In addition to m o n th ly retail prices of food and coal, th e b ureau publishes
tric ity from each of 51 cities for th e dates for which these d ata are secured.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1135]
38.2
18.4
24.8
42.1
9.0
Feb. 15,
1929
+7
+ 8
+7
+ 1 2
+15
0
+7
+ 0.4
+ 8
+ 1
+7
+9
+
1
+ 2
- 1
+
0
1
+ 2
+ 2
0
+ 0.4
- 1
+3
- 0 .4
+14
- 0 .4
- 0 .4
0
0
+ 0 .4
-1 4
0
- 1
th e prices of gas and elec
221
222
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW
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 I E 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 O R D E C R E A S E M A R C H 15, 1929, C O M P A R E D W IT H F E B R U A R Y 15, 1929,
A N D M A R C H 15, 1928—C ontinued
5
Per cent of increase
(+ ) or decrease
( - ) M ar. 15,1929,
com pared w ith—
Average retail price onArticle
U nit
F lo u r_______
Corn m eal__
Rolled oats.__
Corn fla k e s..
W heat cereal.
Pound.
___ do.
___ do.
8 -oz. package..
28-oz. package.
M acaroni___
R ice________
Beans, n a v y .
Potatoes____
Onions_____
M ar. 15,
1928
Feb. 15,
1929
M ar. 15,
1929
Cents
Cents
Cents
M ar. 15,
1928
5.3
5.2
9.0
9.7
25. 6
5.1
5.3
8.9
9.5
25.5
5. 1
5.3
8.9
9. 5
25.5
Pound.
___ do.
___ do.
___ d o.
___ do.
19.9
19.6
9.8
13. 8
2.3
19.6
9.8
14. 0
2.3
8.4
-3
+31
-3 2
+33
C abbage____
Beans, b ak ed .
Corn, canned.
Peas, canned..
___ d o ___
No. 2 can .
___ do___
----- do ___
5.2
11.4
15.9
16.7
5. 7
+10
15.9
16.7
Tom atoes, canned.
Sugar___________
T e a ________ :____
C oflee......................
___ do.
Pound.
___ do.
___ d o .
11.7
7.1
77.4
48.8
12.7
13.0
77.6
49. 5
77.7
49.6
P runes.
R a isin s..
B ananas .
O ranges..
___d o .
___ do.
D ozen.
----- do.
13.5
13.6
33.8
52.9
33.3
43.6
10. 1
10.7
3.4
6.3
W eighted food index.
8.2
11.8
6.6
14.2
11.6
11.9
15.9
16.7
6.5
-4
+2
-1
-2
-0 .4
-2
+4
0
0
+11
-8
+ 0.4
Feb. 15,
1929
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
+1
0
+2
-3
+1
0
0
+2
-2
+ 0 .1
+2
+0.2
14.3
+6
11.6
-1 5
-5
-2 7
+1
32.1
38. 7
0
-4
-1 1
+ 1.1
Table 2 shows for the United States average retail prices of speci
fied food articles on M arch 15, 1913, and "on M arch 15, of each
year from 1923 to 1929, together with percentage changes in M arch
of each of these specified years, compared w ith M arch, 1913. For
example, the retail price per quart of fresh m ilk was 8.9 cents in
M arch, 1913; 13.6 cents in M arch, 1923; 13.9 cents in M arch, 1924;
13.8 cents in M arch, 1925; 14 cents in M arch, 1926; 14.1 cents in
M arch, 1927; 14.2 cents in M arch, 1928; and 14.3 cents in M arch,
1929.
As compared with M arch, 1913, these figures show increases of
53 per cent in M arch, 1923; 56 per cent in M arch, 1924; 55 per cent
in M arch, 1925; 57 per cent in M arch, 1926; 58 per cent in M arch,
1927; 60 per cent in M arch, 1928; 61 per cent in M arch, 1929.
The c o s tjif the various articles of food combined showed an in
crease of 57.8 per cent in M arch, 1929, as compared with M arch,
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1136]
223
W HOLESALE AND R ET A IL PRICES
T a b l e 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 I E 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
M A R C H 15, 1929
M A R C H 15 O F C E R T A IN
S P E C IF IE D
Y EARS C O M PA R E D
W IT H
[Percentage changes of five-tenths of 1 per cent and over are given in whole num bers]
Per cent of increase on M ar. 15 of
each specified year com pared w ith
M ar. 15, 1913
Average retail price on M ar. 15—
Article
1913 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Sirloin steak .p o u n d -R ound stea k . .d o .
R ib roast______ do . .
C huck roast _ do.
P la te b e e f _____do ___
24. 7
21.3
19.4
15.6
11.8
37.3
31.7
27.6
19. 5
12.8
38.9
33. 1
28.6
20.6
13.3
39.6
33.6
29. 1
21.0
13.5
40.7
34.9
29. 9
22. 1
14.0
41.1
35. 6
30.4
22. 8
14.9
44.9
39. 1
33. 1
25.8
17.7
47.9
42.2
35.5
28.8
20.3
51
49
42
25
8
57
55
47
32
13
60
58
50
35
14
65
64
54
42
24
66
67
57
46
26
82
84
71
65
50
94
98
83
85
72
Pork c h o p s... ..d o . . .
Bacon, sliced___do . . .
H am , sliced ..d o . .
Lam b, leg of
do . .
H ens__________ do _ .
Salmon, canned, red
pound
M ilk, fresh___ quart
M ilk , evaporated
20.3
20. 1
26.0
19. 1
21. 4
28.3
39.2
45.0
36. 0
35.8
26.9
36.3
44.0
37.1
35.9
37.4
44.4
51. 2
39. 0
36.9
37.2
48.4
54.0
37.9
39.4
36.6
48.4
56.5
38.4
38.7
28.6
43.0
50. 5
38.2
37.2
35.2
42.9
54.3
40.9
40.5
39
50
73
88
67
33
39
69
94
68
84
70
97
104
72
83
85
108
98
84
80
85
117
101
81
41
65
94
100
74
73
64
109
114
89
31. 2 31.1 31.2 37.6 33.0 35. 4 31. 4
8.9 13.6 13.9 13.8 14.0 14.1 14. 2 14.3
53
56
55
57
58
60
61
12. 2 12. 1 11. 2 11. 6 11. 4 11. 2 11. 4
41.4 57.6 58.0 55.5 53.6 59.2 57.3 58.3
39
40
34
29
43
38
41
28. 2 29. 7 30.1 30.9 28. 7 27.4 27. 5
22. 1 37. 1 36.7 36.5 37.2 37.3 38. 5 38.2
15.6 17.4 17. 5 23.1 21. 9 19.4 17.8 18.4
68
12
66
12
65
48
68
40
69
24
74
14
73
18
46
55
45
38
32
55
39
52
48
68
94
90
46
68
88
79
34
68
67
76
40
63
61
79
59
61
55
83
9
13
27
36
26
17
14
47
87
67
273
147
127
53
89
27
27
93
31
37
43
38
76
24
40
72
37
43
65
31
43
64
20
43
66
B u tte r_______p o u n d ..
O le o m a rg a rin e (all
b u tte r substitutes)
pound
Cheese ______ do _
L a rd __________ do___
Vegetable lard substi-
22 4
Eggs, strictly fresh
___ ____ ...d o z e n .. 26.4 38.5
5.6 8. 7
B read
___ p o u n d ..
Flour
. . . . . . do___ 3.3 4.8
Corn meal
do._ . 2.9 4.0
8. 8
Corn flakes
Q7
W heat cereal
24 7
10 8
8.6 9.4
Rice
...
do.
11 4
Potatoes .
_. .d o
.
1.5
C abbage---------- do----Beans, baked
2.2
5. 4
6.6
24 5 25.8 25.6 25.2 24.9 24.8
34.8 39. 1 38.5 35.4 37.0 42. 1
8. 7 9.4 9.4 9.4 9. 1 9.0
4.6 6.4 6.2 5.5 5.3 5. 1
4.4 5.5 5.2 5.1 5.2 5.3
8. 8 9. 2 9.1 9.1 9. o 8. 9
9.7 11.1 11. 0 10. 8
24 3
19 5
9. 7
9 9
2.8
5. 9
6.2
24. 7 25.4 25. 5
20. 4 20. 3 20. 1
10.9 11.7 10.8
10. 4 9. 4 9. 1
2.5
6. 3
5.2
5.6
5.9
7.2
3.7
5.9
5.2
9. 7
9. 5
25. 6 25. 5
19. 9 19. 6
10. 1 9.8
10. 7 14.0
3.4
6. 3
5.2
2.3
8.4
5.7
12 8 12. 6 12.1 11. 6 11. 4 11.9
15 4 15 7 17. 9 16. 6 15. 9 15.9 15.9
17.4 18.0 18.5 17.7 17.0 16. 7 16.7
13 0
Peas, canned-----do----Tom atoes, canned
Mo 2 non
12.9
Sugar, granulated
. ___ pound . 5. 4 10.2
54.3 68.9
T ea ________ .d o ..
Coffee_________ do----- 29.8 37.9
10 f
12. 9 13. S 12. 2 12.2 11.7 13.0
10.4 7.7 6. 7 7.4 7. 1 6.5
70.9 75. 1 76. 1 77.6 77.4 77.7
40.8 52. E 51. S 49.3 48.8 49.6
17 8 17. S 17.1 15. 8 13.5 14.3
18 4 15 7 14 6 14 6 14. 3 13. 6 11. 6
3fi 7 30 0 37. 6 35. 3 34.1 33. 8 32.1
47.9 38.3 48. 3 47. 8 46.9 52.9 38. 7
All articles combined
__
46.4 48.2 55.9 64.9 58.5 56.1 57.8
I"~
--
i B eginning w ith Jan u a ry , 1921, index num bers showing th e tren d in the retail cost of food have been
composed of th e articles shown in Tables 1 an d 2, w eighted according to th e consum ption of th e average
iam ily. F rom Jan u ary , 1913, to Decem ber, 1920, th e index num bers included th e following articles: Sirlom
steak, rou n d steak, rib roast, chuck roast, plate beef, pork chops, bacon, ham , lard, hens, flour, corn meal,
eggs, b u tte r, m ilk, bread, potatoes, sugar, cheese, rice, coflee, and tea.
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[1137]
224
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
Table 3 shows the trend in the retail cost of three im portant groups
of food commodities, viz, cereals, meats, and dairy products, by years,
from 1913 to 1928, and by m onths for 1927, 1928, and 1929. The
articles within these groups are as follows:
Cereals: Bread, flour, corn meal, rice, rolled oats, corn flakes, wheat
cereal, and macaroni.
M eats: Sirloin steak, round steak, rib roast, chuck roast, plate beef,
pork chops, bacon, ham, hens, and leg of lamb.
D airy products: B utter, cheese, fresh milk, and evaporated milk.
table
3 .— IN D E X N U M B E R S O F R E T A IL C O ST O F C E R E A L S , M E A T S , A N D D A IR Y
P R O D U C T S F O R T H E U N IT E D S T A T E S , 1913 TO M A R C H , 1929
[Average cost in 1913=100.0]
Y ear and m onth
1913: Average for year___
1914: Average for y ear___
1915: Average for year___
1916: Average for year___
1917: Average for year___
1918: Average for year___
1919: A verage for year___
1920: Average for year___
1921: Average for year___
1922: Average for year___
1923: Average for year___
1924: Average for y ear___
1925: Average for y ear___
1926: Average for year___
1927: Average for year___
Jan u a ry ____________
F e b ru a ry _____ _____
M a r c h ,.........................
A p ril______________
M a y ........ .................. .
J u n e , . . .........................
J u ly ...............................
A u g u st_____ ____ _
Septem ber_________
Cereals M eats
100.0
106.7
121.6
126. 8
186. 5
194. 3
198.0
232. 1
179.8
159.3
156. 9
160.4
176. 2
175. 5
170. 7
172. 8
172.7
172.1
171. 7
171.6
170. 7
170. 6
171. 2
170.6
100.0
103.4
99.6
108. 2
137.0
172.8
184.2
185. 7
158.1
150.3
149.0
150.2
163.0
171. 3
169.9
168. 1
167.6
168. 5
170. 6
170.7
168.3
169.3
171. 0
173.0
D airy
prod
ucts
100.0
97. 1
96.1
103. 2
127.6
153.4
176. 6
185. 1
149.5
135.9
147.6
142.8
147.1
145.5
148.7
151.4
151.8
152. 2
150. 8
145.3
143.7
143.9
144. 5
146.6
Year and m onth
1927: Average for year—
Continued.
...................
October
N ovem ber.................
D ecem b er.................
1928: Average for year___
J a n u a ry ..____ ______
F e b ru a ry ......................
M a r c h ........................
A p ril.............................
M a y _____________
J u n e . ....................... .
J u ly _________ ______
A u g u st_____________
S eptem ber...................
October
N ovem ber . .
D ecem ber..
1929:
Jan u a ry ____________
F e b ru a ry ________
M arch . _____ _
Cereals M eats
D airy
prod
ucts
170.5
169. 8
168.6
173.7
169.9
168.1
149.4
150.2
152.8
167.2
168.0
168.0
166. 8
167. 2
168.3
169. 8
169. 3
168. 2
166. 7
165. 9
165. 3
164.2
179.2
168.3
167.8
167. 1
170. 3
175.4
177.7
184.4
189.5
195. 8
188.9
184. 9
179.1
150.0
152.2
150.7
150.7
147.8
147.3
146.1
147.1
148.3
151.2
151.1
152. 5
153.5
164.1
164. 1
164.1
180.9
180. 3
182. 8
151.9
152.6
152.4
In d e x N u m b e r s o f R e ta il P r ic e s o f F o o d i n t h e U n ite d S t a t e s
I n T able 4 index num bers are given which show the changes in
the retail prices of specified food articles, by years, for 1913 and 1920
to 1928,2 and by m onths for 1928 through M arch, 1929. 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 m onth and each year by the average price of th a t commodity
for 1913. These figures m ust be used with caution. For example,
the relative price of sirloin steak for the year 1928 was 188.2, which
means th a t the average money price for the year 1928 was 88.2 per
cent higher than the average money price for the year 1913. As
compared with the relative price, 167.7 in 1927, the figures for 1928
show an increase of 20}]! points, b u t an increase of 12.2 per cent in
the year.
In the last column of Table 4 are given index num bers showing
changes in the retail cost of all articles of food combined. Since
January, 1921, these index num bers have been com puted from the
average prices of the articles of food shown in Tables 1 and 2, weighted
2 For index num bers of each m o nth, Jan u ary , 1913, to Decem ber, 1926, see B ulletin N o. 396, pp. 44 to
61; B ulletin No. 418, pp. 38 to 51; a n d B ulletin No. 445, pp. 36 to 49.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[11381
W HOLESALE AND R ET A IL PR IC ES
225
according to the average family consumption in 1918. (See M arch,
1921, issue, p. 25.) Although previous to January, 1921, the num ber
of food articles has varied, these index num bers have been so com
puted as to be strictly comparable for the entire period. The index
num bers based on the average for the year 1913 as 100 are 154.4 for
February, 1929, and 153.0 for M arch, 1929.
T R E N D O F R E T A IL P R IC E S O F FO O D
1913=100]
JAM. FEB. MAR. APR. I W
JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP
OCT MOV. DEC.
The curve shown in the accompanying chart pictures more readily
to the eye the changes in the cost of the food budget than do the
index num bers given in the table.
T a b l e 4 .—IN D E X N U M B E R S O F R E T A IL P R IC E S O F P R IN C IP A L A R T IC L E S O F F O O D ,
B Y Y E A R S , 1913,1920 TO 1928, A N D BY M O N T H S F O R JA N U A R Y , 1928, T H R O U G H M A R C H ,
1929
Average for year 1913=100.0]
Y ear and
>. m onth
Sirloin R ound R ib
steak steak roast
Chuck P late
beef
roast
Pork
chops
Bacon H am
Hens
M ilk B utter Cheese
1913__________
1920__________
1921__________
1922__________
1923__________
1924__________
1 9 2 5 ..* ........ .
1926__________
1927__________
1928...................
100. 0
172. 1
152. 8
147. 2
153. 9
155. 9
159. 8
162. 6
167. 7
188. 2
100.0
177.1
154.3
144.8
150.2
151.6
155.6
159.6
166. 4
188.3
100.0
167. 7
147.0
139.4
143.4
145.5
149. 5
153.0
158. 1
176.8
100.0
163.8
132.5
123.1
126.3
130.0
135.0
140.6
148. 1
174.4
100.0
151.2
118.2
105.8
106.6
109.1
114.1
120.7
127.3
157.0
100.0
201. 4
166.2
157. 1
144.8
146.7
174.3
188. 1
175. 2
165.7
100.0
193. 7
158.2
147.4
144.8
139.6
173.0
186.3
174.8
163.0
100. 0
206. 3
181. 4
181. 4
169. 1
168. 4
195. 5
213. 4
204. 5
196. 7
100.0
209.9
186.4
169.0
164.3
165.7
171.8
182. 2
173. 2
175.6
100.0
187.6
164.0
147. 2
155.1
155. 1
157.3
157.3
158.4
159.6
100.0
183. 0
135.0
125.1
144. 7
135.0
143. 1
138.6
145. 2
147.5
100.0
188.2
153.9
148.9
167.0
159.7
166.1
165.6
170.1
174.2
1928: J an u a ry .
F ebruary
M arch . . .
A pril_____
M a y ______
J u n e ______
J u ly ______
A ugust . . .
September _
October . . .
N ovem ber
D ecem ber..
174. 8
176. 4
176. 8
178. 3
181. 5
186. 6
195. 7
200. 8
203. 9
198. 0
193. 3
189. 8
173. 1
174. 4
175.3
177.6
181. 2
186. 5
196.9
202. 2
205.4
200. 0
194.6
191.5
165. 2
167. 2
167.2
168. 7
172. 2
175.3
181.8
184.8
188.9
185.9
183.3
180.3
158.8
160. 6
161.3
163. 1
166. 3
172.5
180.6
185.0
190.0
188.8
185. 6
181.9
142.1
144.6
146.3
147.9
150.4
152.9
157.9
162.0
170. 2
171.9
171.9
168.6
149.0
140. 5
136.2
149.0
168.6
165. 7
177.6
190.0
211.0
179.0
170.0
149.0
165.2
161.9
159.3
158.9
159.6
160.0
162.6
165.9
168. 1
167.8
164.8
160.4
192. 2
190. 3
187. 7
188. 1
190. 3
192. 2
198. 5
204. 5
208. 2
206. 7
203. 0
198. 5
172.8
174.6
174.6
177.0
177.0
174.2
172.3
172.8
177.9
177.9
178.4
177.9
160.7
160.7
159. 6
158.4
158.4
157.3
158.4
158.4
159.6
159.6
160. 7
160.7
150.9
147.0
149.6
143.9
142. 6
140.7
141.8
144. 7
150.4
150. 1
152. 2
154.8
177.4
177.4
174.2
172.9
172.4
172.4
173.3
173.8
175.1
175.6
174.2
174.2
1929: J a n u a ry .. 190. 6
F e b ru a ry .. 188. 2
M arch ......... 188. 6
191.0
188.8
189.2
180.8
178.8
179.3
181.3
179.4
180.0
170.2
167. 8
167.8
153.8
157. 1
167.6
159.3
158. 2
158.9
200. 0
199. 6
201. 9
184.0
186.4
190.1
160.7
160.7
160.7
150.7
152. 7
152.2
173.8
172.9
172.9
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1139]
226
MONTHLY LABOR REV IEW
T a b l e 4.— IN D E X N U M B E R S O F R E T A IL P R IC E S O F P R IN C IP A L A R T IC L E S O F FO O D
B Y Y E A R S , 1913, 1920 TO 1928, A N D B Y M O N T H S F O R JA N U A R Y , 1928, T H R O U G H M A R C H ’
1929—C ontinued
[Average for y ear 1913=100.0]
Tea
Coflee
All
a rti
cles 1
100.0
352. 7
145.5
132. 7
183.6
167. 3
130.9
125. 5
132. 7
129. 1
100.0
134.7
128.1
125.2
127.8
131.4
138.8
141. 0
142.5
142.3
100.0
157.7
121.8
121. 1
126.5
145.3
172.8
171.1
162.1
165.1
100.0
203.4
153.3
141.6
146.2
145.9
157.4
160. 6
155.4
154.3
176.5
176.5
200.0
205. 9
194. 1
170.6
135.3
129.4
129.4
129.4
129. 4
129.4
129.1
129. 1
129.1
129.1
130.9
132. 7
132. 7
129. 1
127.3
125. 5
123.6
121.8
142.3 162.8
142. 1 163. 1
142.3 163. 8
141. 9 164. 1
141.9 164.4
142. 1 165.1
142.3 165. 1
142.3 165.8
142.3 166.1
142.5 166.4
142. 3 166.8
142. 1 166.8
155.1
151.6
151.4
152.1
153. 8
152.6
152.8
154.2
157.8
156.8
157.3
155.8
135.3
135.3
135.3
121.8
120.0
118.2
142.6
142. 6
142.8
154. 6
154. 4
153.0
Y ear a n d m onth
Lard
Eggs
Bread Flour
Corn
meal
Rice
P ota Sugar
toes
1913_________________
1920_ _______________
1921 ______________
1922 ..............................
1923 .........................
1924............... ...............
1925 ..................... .........
1926 ...........................
1927 ............................. _
1928.......................... . . .
100.0
186.7
113.9
107. 6
112.0
120.3
147.5
138. 6
122.2
117.7
100.0
197.4
147.5
128. 7
134.8
138.6
151.0
140.6
131.0
134.5
100.0
205.4
176.8
155.4
155.4
157. 1
167.9
167. 9
166. 1
162.5
100. 0
245. 5
175.8
154. 5
142.4
148. 5
184.8
181.8
166.7
163. 6
100.0
216. 7
150. 0
130. 0
136. 7
156. 7
180.0
170. 0
173.3
176.7
100.0
200. 0
109. 2
109. 2
109. 2
116. 1
127.6
133. 3
123.0
114.9
100.0
370. 6
182.4
164. 7
170.6
158.8
211. 8
288. 2
223.5
158.8
1928: J a n u a ry . _____
F eb ru ary ________
M arch __________
A p ril_______ ____
M a y _____________
J u n e ... _________
J u ly -------------------A ug u st__________
Septem ber_______
October _______
N ovem ber_______
D e c e m b e r..._____
119.6
115.8
112.7
112. 7
114.6
115. 2
116.5
118. 4
122.2
123.4
120.9
118.4
162.0
124.9
107.2
103.8
108. 7
112.5
120.6
130. 4
146.1
157.4
171.9
169.3
164. 3
164.3
162. 5
162.5
162. 5
164.3
164.3
164.3
162.5
162.5
162.5
160. 7
160. 6
160.6
160. 6
163.6
169.7
172.7
169. 7
163.6
160. 6
157.6
154. 5
154.5
173.3
173.3
173.3
176.7
176. 7
176. 7
176.7
176. 7
176. 7
176. 7
176.7
176.7
117.2
117.2
116. 1
114.9
114.9
113.8
114.9
113.8
114. 9
113.8
112. 6
113.8
1929: J a n u a ry .
____ 117.1
F eb ru ary ________ 116.5
M arc h .__________ 116.5
146.7
142. 3
122. 0
160.7
160. 7
160. 7
154. 5
154. 5
154. 5
176.7
176.7
176. 7
112.6
112. 6
112. 6
1 22 articles in 1913-1920; 43 articles in 1921-1929.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1140]
166.1
166. 1
166.4
W HOLESALE AND R ETA IL PRICES
227
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 O F FO O D IN 51
C IT IE S , M A R C H 15, 1928, A N D F E B R U A R Y 15 A N D M A R C H 15, 1929
iE zact comparisons of prices in different cities can no t be m ade for some articles, particularly m eats and
vegetables, owing to differences in trade practicesj
A tlan ta,
Ga.
1929
1929
O
CO
d
1929
CO
O
d
03
03
IO
rH*
1929
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
45.0
41.4
34. 1
27.7
44.8
40.6
33.6
27.5
43.0
37.3
30. 5
24. 7
49. 5
42. 1
35. 1
28. 1
48.6
41.4
34.7
28.8
P late beef______do_ __
Pork chops____ do . . .
Bacon, sliced___do___
H am , sliced____ do___
16.8
28. 5
41.9
53.3
19.3
32.7
41.8
55.7
19.3
34. 0
41.3
56.0
18.4
25.0
38.0
51.2
20.2
29.1
37.2
54.8
19.6
33. 7
37. 5
55.0
16.2
27.8
40. 5
49.3
18.9
31.6
41. 1
52. 4
18.6
33.2
41. 1
53. 1
L am b, leg of___ do___
H e n s......... .........d o ..
Salmon, canned, red
-------------------- do ___
M ilk, fresh____q u a rt—
M ilk, evaporated
_____16-ounce can.
B u tte r_______p o u n d ..
O le o m a rg a rin e (all
b u tte r substitutes)
. . . _______ p o u n d ..
Cheese . . . . . . do
L a rd .
_ ___ do ___
Vegetable lard substi
tu te _______ p o u n d ..
Eggs, strictly fresh
_ _________ dozen .
B read_______ pound .
F lo u r_________ do ___
39. 5 41. 1 41.6 37.8 38.4 39.3 39. 4 44.6 44.8 38.5 39.9 40.7 37.7 39. 5 40.3
35.0 36.2 36.7 39. 5 42.0 41.9 31.8 35. 1 34.8 39.4 42.3 42.9 40.2 42.8 43.4
P ru n es________ do___
R aisins________ do___
B ananas______dozen..
Oranges_______ do ___
Cts.
Cts. Cts.
CQ
§
Cts. C ts. Cts.
172.1 '72.8
55.4 56.2
39.5 42.9
30. S 32.8
173. 1
56.3
42.8
33.2
53. 5
47.2
40.6
31.8
54.2
49.3
40.0
33.3
53.6
49.0
40.1
33.5
22.4
33.9
42.2
60.1
22.3
37.4
43.3
60. 1
13.4
31. 5
49.4
54.6
16.3
34. 3
47.9
54.8
16.6
36.8
47.2
55.3
21.3
29.8
41.4
54.4
34.3 34.5 34. 2 33.7 28.0 28.2 36.3 32.7 32. 2 33.7 30.4 30.1 32.9 30.3 29.9
18.0 16.5 16.5 14.0 14.0 14.0 18.7 18.7 16. 7 15.5 15.5 15.5 16.0 16.0 16.0
13. 1 13.8 13.8 11.1 11.1 11.0 12.1 12.4 12.2 11.8 11.9 11.8 11.5 11. 5 11.4
58.2 59.5 59.3 60.9 61.9 62.3 58.2 60.0 59.9 58.8 60.2 60.4 57.5 57.9 59.1
27. 1 29.9 29.6 27.5 28.9 29.1 30.9 31.5 31.9 28.7 29.8 29.3 25.5 25.5 25.8
36. 6 37.1 37.2 36.9 37. 3 36. 7 36.7 37.2 37. 8 40. 5 40. 7 41.0 44. 1 4 2 .8 42. 7
16.7 18.4 18.5 16.3 15.8 16.2 17.5 18. 1 17.9 18.0 17.8 17.8 17.3 17.3 17.4
21.8 22.1 22.4 23.1 23.1 23. 1 19.7 20.9 21.4 25.0 25.3 25.5 25.5 25.2 25.2
33.9 46.2 39.1 34.5 51.1 41.9 34.6 44.8 39.4 54.3 64.6 55.9 52.0 63.0 55.9
10.8 10.8 10.8 9.6 8.5 8.5 10. 1 10.0 10.0 8.6 8.6 8.6 8.8 8.8 8.7
6.4 6.6 6.6 5.0 4.7 4.8 6.6 6.5 6.5 5.8 5.4 5.4 5.4 5.1 5.1
Corn m eal____ do ____
4.1 4.4 4.5 4.0 4.2 4.2 4. 1
R olled o a ts ___ do ____
9.6 9.9 9.9 8.1 8.2 8. 1 9.8
Corn fjakes
. 8-ounce pack ag e.. 9. 7 9.8 9.8 9.1 8.6 8.7 10.0
W heat cereal
. .28-ounce p ack ag e.. 26.6 26.9 26.9 24.4 24.0 23.9 27.4
M acaroni____ pound . 21.3 21. 5 21.5 19. 1 19.0 18.8 18. 1
Rice-------- ------ do. ._
8.9 9.5 9.5 9.5 9.2 9. 1 9.7
Beans, n a v y ____do___ 11.2 15.9 16. 2 10.7 13.7 13.8 11.1
P o tato es_______do___
Onions________ do . . .
C abbage---------- do___
Beans, baked
. _ . . . ..N o . 2 c a n ..
Corn, c an n e d ... do . . .
Peas, canned
do___
Tom atoes, canned
_____________ do___
Sugar________pound
T e a . _________ do___
C oflee.................do___
S
s
M ar. 15
Cts.
42.8
39.0
32.8
24.9
Cts. Cts.
03*
s
Feb. 15
Cts.
48. 3
43.3
34.9
28.5
Sirloin steak _. _pound __
R ound stea k ___ do___
R ib r o a s t _____ do. _.
C huck roast........do ___
JO
M ar. 15
Cts.
48. 2
43.0
34.6
28.6
S
a
Feb. 15
Cts.
42.4
38. 3
32.6
26.4
>o
Feb. 15
a
M ar. 15
*o
O
CO
d
03
Feb. 15
io
vCÖ
J
1929
M ar. 15
00
05
Bridgeport,
Conn.
Feb. 15
805
M ar. 15 |
Article
Boston,
M ass.
Birm ingham ,
Ala.
Baltim ore,
M d.
4.4
8.3
5.1
3.4
9.3
6.4
3.4
9.8
5.4
3.2
6.2
5.6
2.1
8.8
5.8
2.0
8.8
5.2
4.4
7.3
5.3
6.7
8.9
4.2
10.0
4.0
9.7
6.6
9.0
6.8
8.8
9.8
9.8
9.7
9.3
9.4
9.6
9.3
9.3
27.3 27.3 24.5 25.0
18.5 18.4 21.6 21.3
9.0 8.9 11. 4 10. 6
14.8 14.7 10.7 13.4
25.1
21.2
10.5
13.7
24.5
22.3
10. 7
10.3
24. 2
22. 5
10. 6
13.0
24.6
22.5
10.2
13.5
2.1
8.5
6.2
3.4
5.7
5.4
1.9
8.0
6.0
1.9
8.3
5.8
3.6
8.7
5.7
3.4
9. 1
5. 1
3.7
7. 1
6.8
2. 1
8.2
6.4
7.2
8.6
7.0
8.3
7.0
8.3
11.0 11.6 11.5 10.9 11.0 11.0 11.2 11.8 fl.8 12.6 12.8 12. 7 11.4 11.6 11.6
If. P 18.3 18.3 15.0 16.6 16.5 16.9 16.7 16. 5 17.9 17.9 17.4 19. 1 18.7 18.5
18.9 18.8 18.5 14.6 15.2 15.2 19.3 18.9 19.4 19.5 20.0 20.2 21.5 19.9 19.9
10.3 12.9 13.3 10.5 11.7 11.6 10.4 12.2 12.8 12. 1 13. 1 13.0 13. 5 14.2 14.6
7.5 7.3 7.0 6.4 5. 6 5.5 7.4 6.9 6.8 7. 1 6.5 6.4 6.9 6.4 6.4
104. 3 105.6 103.6 71.9 72.6 72.3 99. 7 97.4 97.4 72. 4 77. 1 75.8 61.0 55.6 55.6
48.8 52.7 52.7 44.2 45. 5 45.5 50.5 51. 7 52.1 53.1 54.3 53.7 47.3 47.1 47.3
14.1
15. 4
29.4
44. 5
15.5
13. 1
28. 1
31. 8
15.5
13. 5
26.9
31.2
11.5
12.9
25. 5
50. 5
12.1
10. 5
23. 5
37.2
12. 1
10.6
23. 1
33.6
16.1
14. t
38.2
52.3
16.4
12. 4
38. S
33.4
16.7
13.1
36. 4
34.2
12.9
12.7
47. t
55.8
14.2
10. 7
42.5
48.0
13.9
10.5
42.0
43.7
15.1
14.0
37.5
61. 5
14.7
12.8
33.8
48. 2
15.2
12.5
32. 5
42.4
i T he steak for w hich prices are here quoted is called “ sirloin” in th is city, b u t in m ost of the other cities
included in th is rep o rt it w ould be know n as “ porterhouse” steak.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[11413 I
228
MONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W
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 O F FO O D IN 51
C IT IE S , M A R C H 15, 1928, A N D F E B R U A R Y 15 A N D M A R C H 15, 1929—C ontinued
Buffalo, N . Y.
M ar. 15
M ar. 15, 1928
Feb. 15
M ar. 15
M ar. 15,1928
Feb. 15
M ar. 15
M ar. 15, 1928
Feb. 15
M ar. 15
1929
Feb. 15
1929
M ar. 15, 1928
1929
Cincinn ati,
Ohio
M ar. 15
1929
Chicago, 111.
Feb. 15
Sirloin s te a k ,.p o u n d ..
R ou n d ste a k ___ do ___
R ib ro a st______ do ___
C huck ro a st___ do ___
1929
C harleston,
S. C.
M ar. 15, 1928
Article
B u tte , M o n t.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
44. 3
37.4
33.2
26.7
46. 6
39.8
35. 1
29.5
46. 6
40. 5
35. 1
29.2
19.2
34.8
39.5
52.5
20.4
39. 7
39.8
52.5
34. 7
32.9
30.4
23.0
36. 6
32.7
30.8
25.3
16.3
28.9
49.6
52.5
17.5
31.5
47.9
54.2
36.1
33.6
30.9
25.3
36. 5
35. C
30. C
24.8
37. 7
35.8
30.4
25.6
16.3
30.7
36.8
44.5
19.4
33.7
36.9
46.8
19. 1
35. C
36. 2
46.8
48. C
38.8
37.7
28.4
52.5
42.6
38.7
32.0
52.4
42.9
38.2
32. 1
17.5
26. 5
46Y
50.2
19.8
32. C
46.6
52.7
20.0
38.8
47.5
53.6
41.0
36.8
33.8
24.6
45. 2
42.3
37. 5
27.8
45.2
42.6
37.3
28.0
18.4
26. 2
37.8
48.2
22.0
29.5
37. 6
53. 1
22.3
34.2
37.9
53.3
P late b e e f _____do . . .
Pork c h o p s... ..d o ___
Bacon, sliced___do ___
H am , sliced____do ___
17.1
30.8
39.4
48.6
L am b, leg of___ do ___
H e n s......... . . . do___
Salmon, canned, red
__________ p o u n d ..
M ilk, fresh___q u a rts ..
M ilk , evaporated
. . . - . 16-ounce can
B u tte r .. _ ..p o u n d ..
O le o m a rg a rin e (all
b u tte r substitutes)
._ ____ _.p o u n d ..
Cheese________ do___
L a rd ____ _____do___
V egetable lard substit u t e .. . ._ .p o u n d ..
Eggs, stric tly f r e s h
_________ ..dozen
B read _______ p o u n d . _
F lo u r.................... do___
35.6 36.4 37.4 34.8 41.1 40.5 41.4 44.0 44.0 38.1 41.1 41. 1 38.2 41.3 42.0
39.7 41.4 41.9 36.2 35.9 37.7 37.0 38.3 38.6 38.5 41.8 43.7 38.4 42.4 43.6
C orn m eal_____ do___
Rolled o a ts ...
do___
C orn flakes
— 8-ounce p ack ag e..
W heat cereal
..28-ounce p ackage..
M acaroni____ p o u n d . .
R ice___________do___
Beans, n a v y ___ do___
18.0
33.6
48.3
54.5
34.3
32. 5
28.5
22.3
34.5 30. C 29.5 32.4 32.4 30.8 34.6 28.3 27.8 36. 7 33.1 33.0 36.1 29. 4 29.1
13.0 14. C 14.0 14.0 14. C 14. C 19.0 19. (j 19. C 14. C 14.0 14. C 14.0 14.0 14.0
10. 7 11.1 11. C 10.7 11. 1 11.4 11.6 11.7 11.7 11.0 11. C 11.1 10.9 11.2 11.2
57.9 59.3 59.2 52.8 54.2 54.0 55.6 57.3 57.4 56.3 57.4 57.1 60.8 60.7 60.7
27. 6 26.1 26. 3
27.4 29. C 29. 1 27. 0 26. 6 26.6 27.9 28. 4 28. 5
39.6 39.8 39.2 37.7 37.5 37.5 35.4 34.8 34.7 42.7 42.3 41.9 39.8 39.7 39.3
16.9 17.5 17.5 21.8 21.7 21.4 18.8 19.1 18.7 17.9 18.3 18.7 16.0 17.2 17.2
25.6 24.8 25.0 30.3 30.7 30.7 21.6 21.1 21.3 26.3 25.8 26. C 25.6 25.2 25.2
42.1 53.8 47.5 37.3 54.3 48.6 34.3 44.6 41.9 39.9 54.3 43.5 35.6 50. 1 37.1
8.7 8.3 8.3 9.8 9.8 9.8 10.9 11.0 11. C 9.6 9.9 9.9 7.6 8.6 8.6
4.8 4.5 4.6 5.4 4.9 4.8 6.7 6.5 6.4 4.7 4.5 4.6 5.4 5.2 5.3
5.1
8.8
5.1
8.7
5.2
8.6
9.4
9.3
9.1 10.5 10.2 10.3
6.2
8.0
24.8 24.8 24.9 28.7
21.4 21.4 21.4 19.5
10. 1 9.6 9.4 11. 1
10.0 13. 7 14.2 10. 1
6.4
7.9
27.9
19.9
10.7
12.7
6.2
8.0
4.0
9.4
6.8
8.6
6.7
8.2
9.9 10.0 10.0
9.4
9.1
3.9
9.5
4.0
9.3
27.9 25.6 25.8 25.9 25.4 24.9
19.9 18.5 18. 5 18.5 18.9 18.7
10.6 6.7 6.6 6.5 10.4 10. 7
13.0 11.2 15.0 15.0 10.7 13.4
6.7
8.2
4.5
8.8
4.5
9.0
4.5
9.0
9.1
9.5
9.6
9.6
24.8 24.8 25.0 24.9
18.7 18.3 18.2 18.4
10 7 9.5 9.8 9.7
13.5 10.5 13.6 14.0
P otato es_______ do___ 3.2
O nions________ do___
7.0
C abbage_______do___
5.4
Beans, baked
------------- No. 2 c a n .. 9.9
C orn, can n ed __ do ___ 15.8
Peas, can n ed___do___ 16.1
Tom atoes, canned
...... ..........N o. 2 c a n .. 12.6
S u g a r.. _____p o u n d .. 6. 7
T e a _____ ____ . .d o . . . 68. 5
Coffee_________ do ___ 46.3
13.7 13.4 12.8 12.4 12.9 9.8 11.2 11.5 13.7 13.7 14.0 11.5 13.3 13.5
6.3 6. 1 8.4 7.9 7.7 6. 7 6.3 6.1 6.9 6.4 6.3 7.3 6.8 6.7
68.4 68.6 82.4 82.6 82.6 80.7 85.3 82.8 69. 5 70.8 70.4 80. 1 80.5 80.7
47.8 48.1 54.4 55.1 55.1 44.4 46.8 46.8 47.7 47.5 47.5 44.2 46.3 46.3
P ru n es________ do ___
R aisins________ d o .. _
B ananas . . . .dozen _
Oranges_______ do___
14.2
11.3
41. 6
54.7
13.0
13.0
41.8
56.9
1.8
8.6
5.8
1.7
9.0
6.3
1.7
5.6
6.1
1.7
8.0
7.5
1.7
8.2
6.8
2.6
9.3
5.8
2.5
9.3
5.5
3.2
6.3
5.4
2.4
8.0
6.1
2.4
7.7
5.9
3.4
6.6
5.5
2.6
8.0
6.3
2.6
8.3
5.8
10.3 10.3 13.5 13.9 13.9 9.8 11.1 11.3 12.4 12.6 12.5 10.4 11.4 11.5
16. 1 16.0 14.3 14.3 14.8 15.0 15.0 14.8 16.3 15.9 15.9 15.7 15.4 15.7
15.9 ¿5.7 13.6 14.2 14.2 16.5 16.2 16. 1 16.8 16.7 16.7 16.8 16.4 16.4
14.2 14.7 14.0 13.7
11. 1 14.6 13.0 13.2
40.2 213. 6 213. 6 212. 3
44.8 52.2 50.8 41.8
2P er pound.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
3.9
7.4
4.8
[11421
10.3 12.3 12.5
12.9 9.8 9.8
26.0 23.0 22. 5
38.8 25.3 21.9
15.3
14.0
40.4
56.8
16.4
11.5
37.8
46.0
16.2
11.4
36. 7
44.8
13.3
14.2
36.7
50.7
14.4
12.0
37.7
40.6
14.5
12.1
35.0
38.2
W HOLESALE AND R ETA IL PR IC ES
5 .— A V E R A G E R E T A IL P R IC E S O P T I IE P R IN C IP A L A R T IC L E S O F FO O D I N 51
C IT IE S , M A R C H 15, 1928, A N D F E B R U A R Y 15 A N D M A R C H 15, 1929—C ontinued
Cts.
44.9
39. 6
33. 1
29.9
44. 9
39. 0
33. 5
30. 1
44. 2
38. 2
32.8
27.3
19. 6
31. 2
41. 0
54.4
20.3
38. 6
42.4
56. 7
18.8
27.8
44. 6
50.0
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
44. 5
42. 0
37. 0
30. 1
37. 2
34. 2
27. 6
22. 5
38.
35.
29.
25.
9
5
7
6
23. 7
35. 3
45. 3
57.0
13. 9
25.8
43. 0
51.4
17.0
31. 0
41. 6
54.0
Cts.
Cts.
Cts. Cts.
46. 3
41. 6
36. 1
30.8
46.0
40. 9
36.9
30. 5
40.0
37.3
32. 5
26.2
44.0
42.0
36. 5
30. 2
21.7
31. 1
42.8
52. 5
21. 9
35.5
43. 0
53. 2
19. 6
31. 5
45.9
53. 1
22.7
34. 3
44.3
57.0
o>
»0
1929
2
M ar. 15
Cts.
O
O
CN
1929
S3
§
03
S
S3
§
to
D etroit, M ich.
Feb. 15
Cts.
to'
OO
04
05
1929
Feb. 15
S
§
OO
02
1929
M ar. 15
O
O
<M
05
to*
D enver, Colo.
Feb. 15
1929
M ar. 15
00
CT>
F e b . 15
Article
D allas, Tex.
M ar. 15
C olum bus,
Ohio
Cleveland,
Ohio
M ar. 15
able
Feb. 15
T
229
as.
Cts.
46.3
38. 1
33. 5
26. 2
as.
Cts.
38. 8
35. 9
29. 9
26.0
17.0
34.4
40. 9
54.3
16.8
27. 7
44. 9
53.9
£
Sirloin s te a d --p o u n d __
R ound ste a k — do- -R ib roast ____ do - C huck ro ast____do-----
42. 9
36. 5
30. 1
26.8
P late beef______d o----Pork chops------- do. Bacon, sliced---- do----H am , sliced........ do-----
17.8
27.8
41. 8
51.7
L am b, leg of___ do_._
H ens_________ do . . .
Salmon, canned, red
_______ _____do___
M ilk, fresh___ q u a rt..
M ilk, evaporated
_ 16-ounce can.
B u tte r_______p o u n d ..
O le o m a rg a rin e
(all
b u tte r substitutes
___________ pound
Cheese________ d o .. .
L a rd ___ ____d o ...
Vegetable lard substi
tu te .
pound
Eggs, stric tly fresh
. . . _____...d o z e n ..
B read _______ pound.
F lour___ _____ .d o ___
36.9 38.9 40.2 45.3 44. 5 47.0 43.9 46.3 46.9 36.5 37.4 37.5 38.9 40.9 41.6
38.5 41. 1 42. 1 38.0 40.4 40.8 32.3 34. 2 34.3 30.8 33. 1 33.7 39. 1 42.4 43.4
Corn m e a l__ ..d o ____
Rolled oats____ do___
Corn flakes
. .8-ounce p a ck a g e ...
W heat cereal
—28-ounce p ack ag e...
M acaroni . ..p o u n d .
R ice__ ________ d o .. .
Beans, n a v y ____do___
49. 6
40. 9
37.0
30. 2
50.0
41.3
37.8
29.4
19.4
34. 4
43.5
59.4
19.6
38.7
43. 9
61.1
35.6 31.1 31.3 37. 1 33. 7 32.2 38.8 33. 7 33.9 38. 1 31. 1 31.0 36. 1 31.0 30.3
13. 7 13. 7 12.0 10.5 12.0 12. 0 12.7 13.0 13.0 12. 0 12. 0 12. 0 14.0 14.0 14.0
11. 1 11.2 11. 2 11. 2 11. 5 11. 5 13. 4 13. 5 13. 5 10.1 10.6 10. 6 10.9 11.2 11.1
61.3 60.8 60.9 55.8 59.0 58.8 58.4 58.4 58.4 51.3 53.8 54.2 59.1 59.6 59.7
28.5 28. 5 28.7 27.3 27.7 27.7 28.6 28.6 28.6 24.3 24.8 24.6 25.7 26.3 26.1
40. 1 40.7 40.7 37.0 36.3 37.4 38.3 38.5 38.5 39.2 39.0 39.4 40.6 38.8 38.9
19.3 20.0 20. 1 14.5 15.3 15.7 21.8 21. 2 20.6 17.8 18.5 19.3 17.3 18.0 18.0
26.8 26.3 26.4 26.5 26.6 25.7 23.9 24.1 23.9 20.6 21.2 21.2 26.5 26.2 26.1
39.4 55.1 41.7 32.4 48.6 37.2 32.0 45.3 46.8 31.1 42.9 34.7 38.3 53.5 43.4
7.7 7.8 7.8 7. 2 7.7 7.7 9.3 9.2 9.2 8. 1 7.6 7.6 8.0 8. 1 8.1
5.4 5.1 5.0 4.9 4.9 4.8 5.6 5.2 5. 2 4.4 3.9 3.8 5.1 4.7 4.8
5.6
9.3
5.4
8.9
4.5
9.9
4. 5
7.5
4.6
7.5
4.6
7.5
9.7 10.1 10.0 10.2 10.4 10.2 10.2
9.5
9.7
5.3
9.0
3.9
9.6
4.3
9.1
4. 2 4.4
8.9 ; 10.1
4.4
9.9
10.0
9.7
26. 2
21.4
10. 4
10.3
25.8
20. 8
10. 2
13.9
25.9
20.8
10. 1
14.6
26.4
19.6
11.6
10. 2
26.4
19.8
11.5
14.1
26.1
20. t
11. C
14. 4
27.6
21. 7
11.6
12.1
27.4
21. 1
11.4
14.5
P otatoes_______ do___ 3.6 2.2
O n io n s ...._____do___ 6.3 7.7
5.4 6.2
C abbage____ ..d o ____
Beans, baked
13.0 12.0
________ No. 2 can
Corn, canned___do ___ 17. 1 16.3
Peas, canned___do___ 17.6 17.3
Tom atoes, canned
______ _____ pound
13.8 13.5
7.6 7.3
Sugar .................d o ___
T ea___________ do___ 80.0 80.2
Coffee_________ do___ 51.7 51.3
2.3
7.6
6.4
3.3
7.2
5.3
2. 1
8.8
6.1
1.9
9.3
6.2
4.9
7.3
4.8
4.2
8.2
5.9
6.0
9.1
6.1
9.2
9.8
9.8
9.8
9.8
27.5 24.6 24. 5 24.6
21. 5 19.3 19.3 19. 2
11.6 9.3 8.9 8.9
14.8 10.9 12.4 12.9
26. 2
22. 1
11.4
10.5
26.1
20. 7
11. 2
13.8
26.1
21.0
11.3
14.1
2.0 1.9
6.6 ' 7.0
4.8 4.4
2.9
5.8
5.3
4. 1
8.8
5.6
2.7
4.7
4.8
1.5 1.5
8. 1 8.1
6.8 5.7
12. 1 11.9 11.8 11.8 12. 2 12.6 12.7 11.2 11.5 11.6 11.1 11.9 11.9
16.0 14. 5 13.9 13.8 18.6 17.8 18. 1 14. 2 14. 2 14. 1 15. 6 15.3 15.3
17.2 14.8 14.8 14.8 22. 2 22.0 21.4 15.2 15.0 14.7 16.3 15.5 16.0
13.9
7. 1
81.5
51.6
P r u n e s ............. .d o ___ 13.7 14. 1 14.4
R a i s i n s .. . _____d o .. . 13.2 11.6 11.8
B ananas______d o zen .. 210.7 210.0 29.9
O ranges......... . .. d o ___ 57.1 48.5 42.2
12.7 13.2 13.5 11.9 13.7 14.2 11.8 11.8 11.7 12.2 12.9 13.1
7.6 7.3 7. 1 7.6 7.3 7.2 7.5 7.1 7. 1 7. 4 6.9 6.7
86.7 84. 5 87.8 105. 6 104. 1 105. 1 69.6 69.3 69.2 75.2 71.9 71.9
48.5 49.2 49.3 57.2 58.3 58.8 49.6 49.6 49.8 47.7 48.5 49.9
15.6
14. 1
36.0
56.7
16.0 15.6 16.6
11. 1 11.2 15. 3
40.6 37.5 37. 5
48.0 38.5 50.3
2 Per pound.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
6.1
9.4
[1143]
16.6
12.6
35. t
50. 2
16.7
13.4
35. C
48.3
14.3
13.2
2 8. 8
50.1
14.9
10.9
210.1
42. 5
14.9
10.9
2 8. 8
37.9
14.3
13.5
34.2
56.5
15.4
11.5
34.0
46.8
15.8
11.4
34.0
39.3
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
W HOLESALE AND R ET A IL PRICES
231
T a b l e 5-— A V E R A G E R E T A IL P R IC E S O P T H E P R IN C IP A L A R T IC L E S O F F O O D IN 51
C IT IE S , M A R C H 15, 1928, A N D F E B R U A R Y 15 A N D M A R C H 15, 1929—C ontinued
L ittle Rock,
Ark.
ON
O
<
a
1929
CO
2
to'
1929
8
2
to
1929
Cts.
Cts.
a s.
Cts.
a s.
44.5
40.7
34.3
28.8
44.0
41.0
35.6
28.9
41.1
34.3
33.0
24.6
45. 0
38.3
35.4
27.8
45.6
38.3
35.6
27.8
39.3
36.4
28.9
23.8
43.3
38.8
32.4
26.9
P late beef______do___
Pork chops____ do___
Bacon, sliced . . do___
H am , sliced____ do___
20.2
20. 5
42.4
47.4
21.6
32.3
42.1
50.9
21.4
35.3
43.3
53.2
18.0
34.0
49.1
63.7
20.7
41.0
50.2
68.2
20.3
44.6
50.0
67.6
19.2
24.2
43.4
47.3
22.5
30.1
43.9
48.8
Lam b, leg of . . . d o ___
H e n s ___ .
.d o . . .
Salmon, canned, red
__________ p o u n d ..
M ilk, fresh ._ q u a rt..
M ilk, evaporated
. . . ..16-ounee can .
B u tte r . . . ..p o u n d ..
O le o m a rg a rin e (a ll
b u tte r substitutes)
___________ p o u n d ..
Cheese
. . . .d o ___
L a rd __________ do . . .
Vegetable lard substi
tu te
..p o u n d
Eggs, strictly fresh
_______ . dozen..
B r e a d _______p o u n d ..
F lo u r_____ ____ d o ...
36.7 39.3 38.7 37.4 38.9 40.1 36.7 37.7 42.5 36.8 40.1 40.0 36.1 38.3 39.1
29.9 32.1 32.6 43.4 46.2 46. 2 35.4 39.1 38.3 42.2 44.0 43.9 30.6 34.4 35.6
Corn meal
. .d o ...
Rolled o a ts... ..d o _
Corn flakes
__ 8-ounce p ack ag e..
W heat cereal
. 28-ounce package
M acaroni . ..p o u n d _
Rice
_. _ .d o ___
Beans, n a v y ___ do ___
Potatoes _____d o ...
Onions________ do___
C abbage_______do ___
Beans, baked
. .
. No. 2 can...
C orn, cann ed . _ do___
Peas, canned ..d o ___
Tom atoes, canned
. . . . No. 2 can
Sugar. _ _____po u n d .
T e a ___________ d o .. .
Coffee....... ...........do ___
a s.
Cts.
44. 2 1 62.2 2 63.5 1 63.2
40.0 47.5 51.8 50.6
32.4 30.5 33.8 33.7
26.9 25.8 28.6 28.6
a s.
Cts.
40.5
36.2
28.8
23.1
23.0
35.0
43.3
50.4
19.0
25.9
36.2
41.5
22.1
31.8
36.2
45.2
21.3
34.4
35.2
45.6
18.3
23.4
36.4
47.1
03*
§
M ar. 15
Cts.
£
Feb. 15
M ar. 15
Cts.
40.0
30.8
30.8
24.5
S
Feb. 15
Cts.
Sirloin steak p o u n d ..
R ound stea k . ..d o ----R ib roast______ d o. . .
C huck roast........d o . .. .
M ar. 15
c3
§
to'
Feb. 15
03*
§
M ar. 15
8
s
»O
Feb. 15
1929
M em phis,
Tenn.
M ar. 15
1929
M anchester,
N . H.
Feb. 15
CO
05
Louisville,
K y.
M ar. 15, ]
Article
Los Angeles,
Calif.
Cts.
a s.
Cts.
45.2
41.8
32.5
26.6
45.0
41.0
31.9
26.6
20.9
30.0
35.5
51.9
20.8
31.5
35.2
53.1
36.1 32.5 31.9 33.6 29.8 29.6 35.2 29.5 29.8 35.0 29.7 29.9 33.1 35.6 35.6
15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 13.0 13.0 13.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0
11.9 11.9 11.6 10.0 10.0 10.1 11.8 11.8 11.9 12.7 12.6 12.8 11.6 11.6 11.6
56.1 57.5 57.5 53.0 56.5 54.3 58.9 61.5 60.8 59.1 59.1 59.0 57.9 58.7 59.0
27.5 28.0 27.8 25.4 25.3 25.3 27.0 27.8 27.9 25.6 28.6 28.3 24.3 26.0 26.0
38.8 36.2 36.3 38.8 38.3 38.5 38.1 37.1 38.0 38.9 38.9 39.1 33.9 35.6 35.2
21.0 20.4 20.8 18.5 20.4 20.0 15. 7 17.4 17.8 17.4 17.6 17.4 14.3 15.5 15.9
21.3 21.0 20.6 23.7 24.8 25.1 26.7 26.4 27.1 26.5 26.0 26.0 22.5 21. 5 21.4
30.1 48.2 34. 2 33.8 37.0 36.8 32.8 47.6 38.8 45.1 57.4 54.6 33.3 43.3 35.5
9.3 9.7 9.7 8.7 8.6 8.6 9.1 9.3 9.3 8.6 8.2 8.2 9.5 9.4 9.3
6.1 6.0 6.0 5.3 4.8 4.8 6.3 6.1 6.0 5.5 4.8 4.8 6.0 6.1 6.0
3.8 4.2 4.1 5.7 5.7 5.7
10.5 10.3 10.4 10.0 10.0 10.0
10.3
9.8
9.8
9.4
9.4
9.5
4.1
8.6
4.0
8.6
9.6
9.4
27.8 27.0 27.1 25.0 25.0 25.0 27.0 27.0
20.5 20.2 20.2 18.4 17.9 17.9 18.7 18.8
8. 1 8.0 8. 1 10.0 9.9 9.9 10.8 10.6
10.6 13.8 13.9 11.2 13.1 13.3 10.7 14.5
4.0
6.6
5.0
3.0
8.6
5.4
2.9
8.8
5.0
3.2
6.3
3.9
2.5
8.1
5.2
2.4
7.8
5.1
3.3
6.4
5.6
2.6
8.8
6.4
4.0
8.7
5.2
9.1
5.3
8.6
5.3
8.6
3.7
9.0
3.9
9.1
3.9
9.0
9.4
9.7
8.9
9.1
9.8
9.8
9.8
26.6 25.8 25.5 25.6 25.6 25.8 25.8
18.8 23.4 23. 2 23.1 19.7 19.7 19.9
10.4 9. 2 8. 5 8.5 8.9 8.5 8.5
14. 5 11.0 13.9 13.8 10.6 14.1 14.0
2.5
9.0
5.5
3.4
6.0
4.9
1.7
7.9
6.1
1.7
8.3
7.1
3.9
5.8
4.3
3.0
7.8
4.9
2.8
8.0
4.2
10.5 12.1 12.3 11.0 11.7 12.0 10.4 11.3 llf5 13.2 13.4 13.4 11.1 11.7 11.8
16.3 16.1 15.8 16.5 16.0 15.9 15.3 15.5 15.3 16.4 16.5 16.7 14.6 14.8 14.6
17.1 18.2 18.6 16.9 16.8 16.8 15.0 15.4 15.2 18.3 17.6 17.6 16.2 15.4 15.2
10.0 12.6 12.7 <14.8 <14.7 <14.9
7. 7 7.2 7.1 6.9 6.2 6. 1
105. 4 104.9 104.9 74.0 74. £ 74. C
53.3 54.1 54.0 53.3 54.1 53.9
P ru n es________ do ___ 13.8
R aisins. ______ do ___ 15.0
B ananas______d ozen. . 2 8. 9
Oranges_______ do ___ 51.4
15. 4
13.8
2 8. 7
52.1
15.6
13.8
2 8. 3
45.3
12.1
12.2
2 9. 2
43.6
13.1
10.1
2 9.0
44.9
13.5
10.2
2 9.1
40.8
10.5 13.1 13.4 12.3 12.8 13.6 9.7 11.5 11.6
7.3 7.2 7.0 7.1 6.6 6.7 7.0 6.8 6.7
90.5 95. C 95.0 64.1 65.2 64.9 97.9 95.6 95.6
50.2 49.9 50.0 50.7 50.9 50.5 48.4 49.2 49.8
14.3
14.1
2 9.8
45.0
16.0
11.6
210. f
33.2
15.9
11.4
2 9. i
29.7
12.6
13.4
2 9.5
53.8
13.5
11.0
2 9.9
41.5
13.3 13.7
11.0 1 14.5
2 9.8 2 8.9
36.1 49.2
14.4
12.3
2 8. 5
32.9
14.5
12.3
2 7.3
29.5
1 T h e steak for w hich prices are here quoted is called “ sirlo in ” in th is city, b u t in most of the other
cities included in th is report it w ould be know n as “ porterhouse” steaki
2 P er pound.
4 N o. 2p2 can.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1 1 4 5 ]
i
232
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
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 O F F O O D IN 61
C IT IE S , M A R C H 15, 1928, A N D F E B R U A R Y 15 A N D M A R C H 15, 1929—C ontinued
05
00
05
OO
03
»o
vT
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
38. 1
33. 1
29.7
25.0
40. £
37.8
33.0
28.9
41.9
38.2
33.3
28.8
38.5
37.5
30.3
24.5
15.5
29.7
46.4
45.9
19.4
33. 2
45.3
51.9
19.5
38.0
46.9
52.9
20.0
34. 5
43. 1
49. 2
‘o'
03
2
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
to'
S
h
C
3
M ar. 15
Cts.
OO
05
1929
Feb. 15
§
OO
05
M ar. 15
Cts.
s
s
Ù
c3
1929
Feb. 15
Cts.
M ar. 15
ä
s
1929
Feb. 15
1929
N ew H aven,
Conn.
2
a s .
Cts.
Cts.
1929
M ar. 15
00
N ew ark, N . J.
Feb. 15
M obile, Ala.
M ar. 15
Sirloin steak__pound__
R ound steak ___ do ___
R ib roast _____do _
C huck roast___ do___
M inneapolis,
M inn.
Feb. 15
Article
M ilw aukee,
Wis.
Cts.
Cts.
40. 5
36.2
30.9
27.1
44. C
39.2
32.5
30.4
43. 6
39.6
32.7
30.4
P late beef _ . . . d o . . .
Pork chops. . . . do___
Bacon, sliced___d o ...
H am , sliced. . . . d o ___
17.3
26.5
42.3
46.0
19.9
31. C
43.6
48.4
20.1
38.8
43. C
48.9
L am b, leg of___ do___
H ens__________ do___
Salmon, canned, red
_________ _ p o u n d ..
M ilk , fresh___ q u a rt._
M ilk , evaporated
___ .16-ounce can _
B u tte r_______p o u n d ..
O le o m a rg a rin e (a ll
b u tte r s u b s titu te s )
___ ____ pound
Cheese________ do___
L a rd __________ do___
V egetable lard substit u t e . . . ____p o u n d ..
Eggs, stric tly fresh
____________ dozen..
B r e a d _______p o u n d ..
F lo u r....................d o___
38.0 41.9 42.7 34.8 38. 1 38.4 40.0 43.8 43.8 39.0 40.4 40.3 39.3 40.0 41.1
35.4 38.2 39.6 35.4 38.2 38.8 33.4 35.0 33.8 37.3 40. 5 41.6 41.3 42.5 43.5
Corn m eal_____ d o ...
Rolled oats____ do___
C om flakes
— 8-ounce p ack ag e..
W heat cereal
. . 28-ounce p ackage._
M acaro n i____ p o u n d ..
R ice__________ do___
Beans, n a v y ___ do___
41.9
39.4
31.9
25.6
42. 5
40. C
32.5
26.3
20.6
33. 8
38. 2
50.0
21.0
33. 1
37. 7
48.9
50.4 4 9 . a 50. 8
47.3 4 7 . a 47.0
39.4 38.5 38.5
29.4 30.3 30.6
18.5
30.0
43.3
51.5
18.0
33.2
42.7
54.8
18. 1
36.3
43.0
56.5
58.2
47.3
38.8
29.2
60. 5
52.2
41. 1
33.4
17.3
27.9
44.8
56.1
17.6
33.8
44. 5
58.9
60.9
51.4
41.1
33.6
17.8
36.5
45.3
59.4
34.8 36.9 36.7 36.7 34.7 35. C 35.8 29.1 29.0 33.4 30.0 29.4 34.6 31.5 31.2
11.0 11.0 11.0 12.0 12.0 12.0 18.0 18.0 18.0 16.0 16.0 16.0 16.0 16.0 16.0
11. C 11.2 11.3 11.6 11.8 11.6 11.2 11.5 li. a 10.6 11. C 11.0 12.0 11.9 11.9
56.0 57.5 57.3 55.3 57.0 56.5 59.4 58.0 59. 2 59. 5 59.8 59.6 56.9 58.8 59.1
26.6 26.6 26.7 25. 5 25.8 25.6 29.1 29.2 29. 2 30. 1 29. £ 29.8 29.4 28. £ 28.9
37.5 37. 7 37.4 37.3 36.6 36.6 37.8 35.6 35. 6 39.0 41.3 41. 8 41.3 41.4 41.4
18.0 18.9 18.8 17.4 19.2 18.9 18.6 18.7 18.7 17.7 18.4 18.4 18.4 18.7 18.9
26.4 26.2 26.4 27.3 26.4 25.9 20.6 20.0 20. 1 25.6 25.5 25.5 26.1 26.0 25.8
32. £ 47.0 38. 1 33.9 43. 5 38.9 30.2 38.5 36.6 45.6 56.2 48. £ 50.9 64. 1 60.6
8.8 8. 7 8.7 8.9 8.9 8.9 10. 1 10. 1 10. 1 9. 1 9.0 9.0 9.2 8.7 8.7
4.8 4.4 4.4 5.0 4.5 4.5 6.1 6.0 5.9 5. 1 4.8 4.8 5.3 5.0 5.1
5.8
8.2
6.2
8.0
6. 1
8. 1
5. 7
8. 1
5.5
7.8
5.6
7.8
4.0
8.5
3.9
8.4
3.9
8.4
6.9
8.3
6.7
8. 7
6.7
8.7
9.5
9.4
9.2
9.7
9.6
9.0
9.5
9.3
9.3
9.2
8.9
8.9 10.0
6.9
9. 1
6.9
9.3
6.9
9.1
9.9 10.1
24.5 24. 5 24. 4 25.3 25.4 25.4 24.4 24. 2 24. 2 24.7 26.2 26.2 24.7 24.7 24.8
17. 7 17.4 17.4 18.3 17. 2 17.3 21. 1 20.9 20.9 21.4 21. 5 21.5 22.4 21.9 21.8
10.2 9. 7 9. 7 9.6 9. 7 10.0 9.3 8. 2 7.8 9.0 9.0 9.3 10. 2 10.2 10.4
11. 1 14.3 14.2 11.0 13.9 14.4 11.0 12.8 13.4 10.6 13.6 14.4 10.5 13.4 14.0
P otato es_______do___
O nions......... .......do ___
C abbage_______do___
Beans, baked
------- ...N o . 2 can _
Corn, canned___do___
Peas, canned___do___
Tom atoes, canned
________ No. 2 can _
Sugar ______p o u n d ..
'P ea___________ do ___
Coffee.................. do___
13.1 13.3 13. 5 13.0 14.0 13.8 10.2 10.7 11.4 10.5 11.1 11.5 12.8 14.4 14.6
6.8 6.4 6.3 7.2 6. 7 6.6 7.0 6.5 6.4 6.5 6. 1 6. 1 6.9 6.6 6.5
70.6 68.6 68.3 63.2 69.4 69.1 78.5 81. 9 81.9 59.3 56.9 58. 1 59.6 60.3 59.9
43.8 45.5 45.7 52.0 53.6 53.5 47.9 47. 5 48.5 47.8 50.0 48.8 51.9 51.4 51.4
P run es________ do___
R aisins________ do___
B anan as___
dozen..
Oranges_______ do___
13.8
13.6
2 9. 5
53.0
2.9
5.6
5. 1
1.8
8.2
7.3
1.7
8.3
6.3
2.7
5.9
5.0
1. 6
8.8
5.7
1.6
9. 1
5.3
2.8
7.6
4.1
2.8
8.6
3.6
3.9
6.4
5.3
2.5
8.6
5.5
2.3
8.4
5.5
3. 5
6.9
5.9
2.1
8.6
6.3
2.1
8.7
6.2
11.3 11.2 11.2 12.3 12.6 12.8 10.2 10.7 10.8 10.3 10.8 10.8 11.5 11.9 12.0
15.8 15.9 16. 0 14.4 15. 1 15.3 16.0 14. 6 14.4 16. 5 16.8 16.4 18.1 18.5 18.3
15.6 15.7 15.8 14.6 16.0 16. 1 15.4 15. 2 15.2 18.3 17.1 17.1 19.3 21.4 21.4
14.5
12. 1
29.7
49.8
14. 5 13.8
12.7 14.3
2 9. 6 2 11.3
39.8 52. 5
15.0 15.0
11.8 11.8
211.6 2 10.8
41.4 35.8
2 P er p ound.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
4.1
6.2
4.9
[1146]
12.9
13.4
24. 5
52. 5
12.3
10. 3
22. 5
31. 1
13.0
10.3
24. 0
30.7
12.6
13.8
38.0
54.7
14.0
10.8
37.5
46.0
14.0
11.0
37.5
44. 7
13.2
13.7
33.5
55.8
14.6
12. 5
33.7
48. 3
14.7
12.3
33.1
48.8
W HOLESALE AND R ET A IL PRICES
233
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 O F FO O D IN 51
C IT IE S , M A R C H 15, 1928, A N D F E B R U A R Y 15 A N D M A R C H 15, 1929—C ontinued
N ew Y ork,
N . Y.
Norfolk, Va.
00
05
O
O
<
N
05
00
<N
01
»o
03
§
c3
§
M ar. 15
c3
S
Feb. 15
M ar. 15
1929
Feb. 15
O
O
CN
05
»o'
rH
M ar. 15
1929
Feb. 15
805
M ar. 15
»o'
1929
Feb. 15
1929
Peoria, 111.
M ar. 15
1929
O m aha, N ebr.
Feb. 15
Article
N ew Orleans,
La.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
38.9
34.7
33.3
23.7
42.4
38. 1
35. 5
25.3
43.2
38.7
35.8
26.4
49.8
46.7
42.7
27.7
51.4
48.7
43.0
29.7
51.5
48.5
42.4
29.2
43. 1
37.4
33. 2
24.6
Cts.
Sirloin steak, _.p o u n d , _
R ound steak , do _
R ib ro a st, . . ,d o ,, .
C huck ro ast— .d o ___
46.7
40.5
38.5
28.8
46.5
40. 2
38.8
28.8
38.8
36.6
26.7
23.0
43.3
40.9
31. 1
27.2
44.3
41. 5
31. 5
27.6
36.4
35.0
25.5
23.2
37.8
36.7
28.9
26.3
39.3
37.9
29.3
26.9
do___
P la te beef___
Pork chops____ do___
Bacon, sliced
d o, , ,
H am , sliced........ do___
19.2
29.8
40. 6
47.7
22. 2
33.5
41. 2
51.3
22.6
36.0
43.4
51.0
23.3
34. 1
45. 2
54.8
24.6
36. 1
44.6
56.5
24.0
39. 1
44.7
57.0
17.2
28.6
42.2
45.6
20.9
30. 2
40.0
42.5
20.6
31.8
41.0
43.8
14.5
25.4
44.4
46.8
18.3
30.9
42.8
52.8
19.0
35.9
42.9
53.4
16.8
24.8
43.3
48.8
19.0
29.5
43.3
48.3
18.8
34.4
43.3
49.2
Lam b, leg of,, _ d o ,..
H ens _____ — do___
Salmon, canned, red
___________ pound
M ilk ,fre sh ,_ __q u a rt,.
M ilk, evaporated
16-ounce c a n ,,
B u tte r_______p o u n d ,.
O le o m a rg a rin e
(all b u tte r substi
tutes) _____ pound _
C heese.. ............do ___
L a rd ___. . . . . d o ...
Vegetable lard su b
s titu te .
p o u n d ,.
Eggs, strictly fresh
,
, __
dozen .
Bread
__ .p o u n d .
F lo u r....................do___
39.3 40.3 41.1 36.9 38. 6 39.2 40.0 43.3 42.5 36.2 37.4 37.7 37.2 41.9 41.9
34.9 36.7 38.8 39.5 41.3 42.3 36.5 38.1 39.6 31.3 34.7 35.5 32.9 36.9 37.5
»o'
Ui
a
s
»0
37.9 35.8 36.0 34.4 30.5 29.9 35.9 33.9 33. 2 35.9 34.0 34.3 35.5 33.8 32.8
14.0 14.0 14.0 15.0 16.0 16.0 18.0 18.0 18.0 10.3 11.3 11.3 13.0 13.0 13.0
10.9 11.0 10.9 10.7 10.9 10.9 11.4 11.5 11.4 11.4 11.6 11.6 11.2 11.3 11.4
58.2 59.4 59. 2 57.9 59.2 58.9 59.8 60.8 60.3 52.9 54.3 54.7 53.7 55.2 55.4
29.2 28.4 28.3 27.8 28.7 28.5 25.0 27.4 26.3 25.9 26.2 26.4 28.0 28.0 27.7
39.0 38.4 38.8 40.4 40.8 40.8 35.9 35. 2 35. 1 37. 2 34.9 35.0 37.4 36.3 36.6
17.0 18.3 18. 5 18.9 19.1 20.0 17.5 18.1 18.2 18.4 19.5 19.7 17.8 18.5 18.3
19.4 20.1 19.8 25.8 25.7 25.7 22.4 21.8 21.9 25.5 25.2 25.8 27.7 27.6 27.6
35.3 44.4 37.4 46.8 57.2 52.6 33.6 46.9 44.4 31.3 44.1 34.7 31.6 47.7 35.7
8. 7 8.8 8.8 8.8 8.6 8.6 9.9 9.6 9.6 9.6 9.7 9.8 10.0 10.0 10.0
6.6 6.6 6.7 5.1 4.9 5.0 5.5 5.4 5.3 4.3 4.2 4.2 5.0 4.7 4.8
Corn m eal___ .d o ____
4.1 4.1 4.1 6.7 6.8 6.8 4.7 4.7 4.7
Rolled oats . . . .d o ___ 8.8 8.6 8.5 8.7 8.7 8.6 8.6 8.8 8.9
Corn flakes
__ 8-ounce package.. 9.4 9.5 9.4 9.2 9.0 9.0 9.7 9.7 9.7
W heat cereal
. , 28-ounce package
24.8 25.0 25.2 24.2 24.3 24.5 25.1 25.1 24.9
M acaroni
.p o u n d _ 10.7 9.9 9.7 20.7 20.6 20. 2 19.0 19.0 19.0
R ice,
_______do___ 9.4 8.6 8.4 10.0 9. 6 9.7 11. 1 10.9 10.7
Beans, n a v y _ .._ d o ___ 9.6 13.2 13.7 11.2 14.2 14.4 9.8 13.5 13.8
P otatoes__ ____ do___
Onions
_____ do. . ,
C abbage_______do ___
Beans, baked
................ No. 2 c a n ..
Corn, c a n n e d ,. do
Peas, canned___do___
Tom atoes, canned
________No. 2 c a n ,.
Sugar.............. po u n d .
T e a ___________ do,
Coffee_________ do___
03
3.8
5.7
3.9
3.1
7.2
4.4
2.9
7.3
4.1
4.0
6.2
6.1
2.6
7.9
5.8
2.5
8.2
6.2
4.1
5.5
5.2
2.9
7.6
5.6
2.8
8.6
5.9
4.6
9.8
4.9
9.0
4.9
8.6
4.8
8.6
10.1 10.0 10.3
9.7
9.6
9.6
4.5 4.6
9.9 10.1
28.2 27.6 27.3 26.1 25.5 25.7
20.9 20.8 21. 4 19.0 18.8 18.8
10.8 9.9 10. 1 10.6 9.6 9.3
11.0 13.7 13.8 10.7 14.0 14.1
2.8
6.3
5.1
1.9
8.5
6.0
2.0
9. 1
5.6
2.9
5.8
4.5
1.9
8.9
6.1
1.9
9.0
5.8
10.8 11.0 11.2 11.1 11.5 11.6 9.7 10.5 10.7 13.0 12.8 13.1 10.3 11.1 11.3
15.1 15.5 15.7 15. 1 15.3 15.1 14.4 15. 2 15.2 16.1 15.7 15.8 15.3 14.3 14.6
17.2 17.6 17.2 15.0 15.6 15.3 16.8 17.8 17.6 15.7 15.4 15.4 17.2 17.3 17.3
10.5 11.9 12.3 11. 1 12.1 12.7 9.7 10.7 11.7 13.3 13.9 14.3 12.5 12.8 13.4
6.5 6.0 6.0 6.3 6.0 5.7 6.7 6.5 6.4 7.1 7.0 6.7 8.0 7.4 7.3
79.2 83.8 83.6 67. 1 67. 1 67. 1 95.4 94.7 95.6 77.5 78.7 77.7 67.2 66.1 66.1
35.4 37.6 37.9 46.7 45.2 45.0 50.2 50.9 50.3 53.7 53.6 53.6 48.6 49.5 48.8
P ru n e s ,........... . . d o ___ 13.9
12.9
R aisins_______ do__.
17.1
B a n a n a s _____dozen
Oranges...... .........do ___ 52.5
13.9
10.2
16.7
43.6
14.0
10.2
15.8
42.4
12.4
13.3
38.5
62.2
13.4
11.4
39.7
57.3
13.2
11.4
38.6
52.0
2 P er pound.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1147]
13.7
13.5
33.8
59.0
13.5
11.2
32.3
46.6
13.5
11.3
32.7
37.0
14.2 14.4 14.5
14.7 13.2 13. S
2 11.2 2 11.5 2 10.6
49.5 39. 2 37.2
16.0
13.5
2 9.8
50.7
16.8
12.4
2 9.9
43.2
16.8
11.9
2 9.7
40.9
234
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW
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 O F FO O D IN 51
C IT IE S , M A R C H 15, 1928, A N D F E B R U A R Y 15 A N D M A R C H 15, 1929—C ontinued
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
53.0
44. 3
40. 5
31. 1
53.3
44.6
39.6
31.9
161. 1
47.5
40. C
32.9
49.8
41.9
37.0
29.4
IQ
T—i
U
1929
1
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
165.; 1 68.5 i 69.8
48.5 52.5 51.6
33. ] 35.9 35.8
24. 7 27.6 28. 1
OO
CN
s
»O
s
s
Cts.
34. 4
32.2
30. 1
23.8
1929
M ar. 15
03
§
8
P ortland,
Oreg.
Feb. 15
Cts.
»o'
1929
M ar. 15
Cts.
Sirloin steak____
______
.p o u n d 160. 3 161.4
R ound steak _______ _________ L.do___ 46.4 47. 4
41. 0 40.5
R ib ro a st_____________________ d o ...
C huck ro a st___________________ do ___ 30.2 32.7
00
01
Feb. 15
cfl
2
Feb. 15
»o'
1929
P ortland,
M e.
M ar. 15
00
CM
05
M ar. 15
A r tic le
P ittsb u rg h ,
Pa.
Feb. 15
Philadelphia,
Pa.
Cts.
Cts.
36. 3
34. 7
29. 5
25. 6
36. 5
35.2
29.8
25.6
P la te b e e f _____
___
do
Pork chops____________________do___
Bacon, sliced__________________ d o ...
do
H am , sliced___________
17.9
31.4
40.9
52.5
19.3
36.1
41.3
56.8
18.7
38.9
41. 4
58.1
17.0
29. 4
46.9
56.8
19.5
34.4
47.2
58.5
19.7
38.6
46. 6
59.7
Lam b, leg of___________________do___
H ens____ ______ _______ __ _do___
Salmon, canned, red ___________ do___
M ilk, fresh________ _____ . .q u a rt
39.6
40. 1
32.4
13.0
42.3
42. 7
28.7
13.0
42.2
44. 1
27.7
13.0
40.7
43.6
34.6
14.0
42. 2
48.2
29.2
15.0
42.6
48.6
29.2
15.0
M ilk, evaporated. ____16-ounce can . .
B u tte r----------------------------------p o u n d ..
Oleomargarine (all b u tte r substitutes)
------- -------------. . .
. . . .p o u n d ..
Cheese____________________ _ do
11.7 11.5 11.4 10.3 11.0 11.0 12.3 12.3 12.4 10.3 10.1 10. 1
60.7 61.6 62. 1 60.7 60.9 61.0 58.6 60.2 61.0 55.3 56.5 54.9
19.2 24.5 24.0 18.6 20.7 20.3
27.5 32. 2 35. 1 30.3 35. 9 36. 6
40.4 39.0 38.8 48.8 50. 6 50. 6
49.8 52.5 54.4 53.4 52.2 53.8
37.5
41. S
35. 6
15.0
39.9
42.6
29.4
15.0
41.6
43.0
29.4
15.0
37.0
34.4
35. 7
12.0
40.3
36. 7
33. 2
12.0
40.4
36.1
32.9
12.0
28.6 29.0 28.8 28.6 28.0 28.0 27.3 26.9 27. 1 25.5 26. 4 26.3
42.3 42.3 42.4 41.4 42.1 41.2 39.5 39.1 38.9 38.5 38.4 38.4
L a rd ---------------------------------------do . . . 16.6 17.5 17.6 17.9 18.3 18. 1 17. 2 17.5 17.3 19.4 19. 5 18.8
Vegetable lard su b stitu te _______ do___ 25.0 25.1 25.2 27.0 27.2 27.3 26.2 25.8 25.8 28.7 27. 4 28. 4
Eggs, strictly fresh___________ d o zen ._ 40.3 54.6 46. 0 39.1 53. 7 45.8 43.6 58.0 52.2 30.4 39. 5 32. 8
______ ..p o u n d .. 9.4 8.3 8.3 8.6 8.9 8.9 10.1 9.0 9.0 9.2 9.3 9.3
B r e a d ---- . . . . . .
F lour-------------------------------------- do___ 4.9 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.6 4.6 5.3 5.0 5.1 4.9 4. 7 4. 7
Corn m eal____ . . . .
do
5.1 5.3 5.1 5.7 5.9 6.0 5.0 5.3 5.3 6.2 5. 9 5. 7
Rolled oats_____ _ _
do
8.4 8.3 8.2 9.0 9.1 9.2 8.1
7.7 10.7 10. 2 10.1
Corn flakes------------- 8-ounce package.. 9.4 8.8 8.8 9.8 9.8 9.7 9.9 9.8 9.6 9.6 9.6 9.6
25.2 24.4 24.6 25.2 24.6 24.7 25.6 25.8 25.8 27.2 26.8 27. 0
W heat cereal______ 28-ounce package
___ _ .pound
M acaroni_________
20.9 20. 2 20.2 22. 9 22.5 22.6 23.2 23.0 22.9 18.5 18. 0 18. 5
R i c e -------------------------------------- do ___ 11.0 10.3 10.3 11.2 11.0 11.2 11.4 11.3 11.3 10.4 9. 8 10.0
Beans, n av y _____ _
...
do
10. 1 14.0 14.5 10.7 14.1 14.6 11.2 13.6 12.8 11.1 14.0 14.3
Potatoes______________________ do___
3.9 2.4 2.4 3.6 2.2 2.5 3.4 1.8 1.7 2.2 2. 1 2.1
O nions_____ do
5.8 8.2 8.2 7.3 8.1 8.5 6.6 8.5 8.4 5.1 7.4 6.8
C a b b a g e .._____
___
do
5.3 5.5 5.5 6.1 7.0 5.7 2.5 5.0 5. 6 5.3 7. 2 7.0
Beans, baked_____________ No. 2 c a n .. 11.0 11.4 11.3 12.4 13.2 13.1 14.8 15.5 15.5 11.7 12.5 12.9
Corn, c a n n e d ....................... ..........d o ...
14.7 15.2 15.3 16.4 16.3 15.8 14.8 14.3 14.6 18.0 18.1 17.7
Peas, canned__________________ do ___ 15.7 15.9 15.7 17.0 16.5 16.3 17.5 17. 7 17.4 17.5 17. 5 17.1
Tom atoes, can n ed_____________ do ___ 11.6 12.6 12.8 11.5 13.3 13.3 12.1 12.2 12.9 416.1 H5. 0 <15.6
Sugar--------------------- ---------.p o u n d
6.5 5.9 5.7 7.3 7.0 6.8 7.1 6.4 6.2 7.0 6.7 6.5
T e a ---- -------------------------- -- . .. d o ___ 68.5 70.5 70.3 82.5 81.7 83.4 62.2 61.5 62.6 79.9 77.8 77.8
Coffee________________________ d o ...
42.9 43.7 43.7 47.7 49.9 49.7 51.6 52.5 52.9 52.9 53.6 53.6
P ru n es___ _______
do
12.8 12.5 12.6 13.0 14.5 14.2. 11.2 12.1 12.0 10.7 14.1 14.3
R aisins___ _________
do
13.3 10.8 10.9 13.4 11.7 11.7 12.8 10.9 10.8 12.9 11.7 11.3
B ananas---------------------- ------- dozen. . _ 30.3 31.7 29.6 38.2 38.8 36.4 HI. 7 *11. 5 HI. 3 212.0 HI. 0 210. 2
Oranges---------------------------------- do.
53.5 36.9 35.3 53.6 40.8 36.3 58.0 47.4 39.7 49.1 36. 5 26.3
1 T h e steak for w hich prices are here quoted is called “ sirloin” in th is city, b u t in m ost of th e other cities
included in this report it w ould be know n as “ porterhouse” steak.
2 Per pound.
4 N o. 2^j can.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1148]
W HOLESALE AND RETA IL PRICES
235
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 O F FO O D IN 51
C IT IE S , M A R C H 15, 1928, A N D F E B R U A R Y 15 A N D M A R C H 15, 1929—C ontinued
Providence,
R. I.
00
CM
05
A rticle
IO
C8
Cts.
Sirloin steak
---------R ound steak___________
R i b roast
------------C huck ro a st___________
____pound __ 1 7 7 . 5
_ ___ _do__ _ 5 1 . 5
_ _ _ _do___ 4 1 . 2
_______do___ 3 2 . 6
P la te b e e f ..
_ . . . . . . ______ do ___
Pork chops--------------- _ _______do___
______ do ___
Bacon, sliced
H am , sliced__________ ______ do___
pQ
2 0 .8
3 0 .9
3 9 .2
5 3 .5
N . Y .
03
cS
2
rg
S
2
OO
CM
02
1929
to
to
pH
3
Rochester,
V a.
00
iM
05
1929
to
R ichm ond,
to
03
S-4
03
3
£
S t.
1929
to
rÓ
<D
Ph
Louis, Mo.
1929
8
05
to
to'
S3
03
§
s
»o
rO
05
Ph
03
§
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
Cts.
1 7 7 .3 1 7 7 .7
55. 6 55. 4
4 2 .4 4 2 .7
3 3 .8 34. 1
4 3 .4
3 8 .8
3 3 .9
25. 5
4 6 .4
4 1 .7
35. 1
2 7 .5
4 6 .2
41. 3
3 5 .4
2 7 .8
4 5 .0
3 7 .9
3 3 .6
2 8 .1
4 5 .3
3 9 .0
3 4 .8
3 0 .2
4 5 .4
3 9 .1
3 4 .9
3 0 .4
39. 5
3 8 .7
3 2 .1
24. 2
4 4 .6
4 3 .0
3 5 .7
2 8 .2
4 4 .7
4 3 .1
3 5 .9
2 8 .1
2 5 .4
3 9 .6
4 0 .0
5 5 .3
1 8 .8
29. 1
4 0 .8
4 4 .3
2 1 .2
3 1 .6
40. 1
4 5 .4
2 1 .2
35. 3
3 9 .1
4 4 .7
1 6 .6
3 1 .0
3 7 .8
5 0 .4
1 8 .9
3 3 .9
3 7 .4
5 1 .8
1 9 .2
3 8 .3
3 7 .2
5 2 .9
1 7 .6
2 2 .4
3 9 .0
4 8 .8
2 1 .4
2 9 .4
4 0 .3
5 2 .8
2 1 .5
3 4 .7
4 0 .2
5 4 .7
Cts.
Cts.
2 5 .0
3 5 .0
40. 1
5 4 .1
3 9 .9 4 1 .8 4 1 .9 4 4 .4 4 4 .0 4 4 .8 3 8 .9 3 9 .8 4 1 .2 3 7 .3 39. 5 4 0 .4
L a m b , leg of------------- _. ______do
H e n s ... ____
______ ______ do__ _ 40.8 44.0 44. 2 36. 1 38.9 40. 1 40.7 41.8 42. 3 33.9 38.7 40.3
_______ do___ 33.‘5 30.4 30.2 34.7 32.8 32.3 36.3 31.1 31.4 35.8 32.4 32.0
Salmon, canned, red
M ilk, fresh____________ ...........q u a rt.. 15.7 15.7 15.7 14.0 14.0 14.0 13.5 13.5 13.5 13.0 13.0 13.0
16-ounce c a n ..
M ilk, evaporated
____ ___ pound
B u tte r_____ _ Oleomargarine (all b u tte r substitutes)
. . . pound.
Cheese__ _______ _____ ______ do___
11.7 11.9 11.8 12.3 12.5 12.5 11.3 11.4 11.3 10.2 10.8 10.8
56.6 57.6 58.4 59.8 63.4 62.8 56.6 58.3 58.2 59.8 60.5 60.3
27.1 26.8 26.7 29.6 31.1 29.9 28.4 28.3 28.5 26.9 26.6 26.5
38.5 37.8 39.3 37.0 37.3 37.2 38.8 39.8 39.8 37.2 37.0 37.0
L ard
___
__ ------- ____ __do___ 17.2 17.1 17.4 17.3 17.8 17.6 17.1 17.0 17.2 13.6 14.8 15.0
Vegetable lard su b stitu te __ ____do___ 26.3 26.5 26.5 25.5 25.1 25.5 26.2 26.0 26.0 25.2 25.3 25.5
_ dozen.. 48.2 55.8 56.4 32.9 46.1 37.9 39.4 54.4 46.1 35.4 47.0 38.0
Eggs, strictly fresh __ .
B read_________ _______ _____ p o u n d .. 9. 0 9.0 9.0 9.1 8.8 8.9 9. 1 8.6 8.5 9. 8 9.3 9.3
5.2
5.1
8.9
9.5
5.2
4.8
8.6
9.7
5.2
5.0
8.7
9.6
W heat cereal _____ 28-ounce package . 24.4 24.8 24.8
____pound . 22.9 22.8 22.7
M acaroni _ ___ _
______ do___ 10.3 9.7 9.7
R i c e ____ .
....
Beans, n a v y ___________ _______do___ 10.9 13.6 13.8
26.2
20. 2
11.4
11. 1
26.1
20.0
11.4
14.4
F lour_______________ _. _____ do__ _
Corn meal
. - . ______ do___
Rolled oats___ _____ . _____ do____
C orn flakes.. _ ___ 8-ounce package..
5.5
5.1
9.0
9.5
5. 1
5. 1
8.9
9.6
5.1
5.0
8.7
9.7
5.2 5.0
6.2 ■5.9
9. 1 9.0
9.4 9.2
5.0
5.9
9.0
9.2
5.1
4. 2
8.2
9.2
4.7
4.5
8.1
9.1
4.8
4.5
8.1
9.1
25.9 25.4 25.6 25.6 24.8 24.6 24.4
19.8 21.2 19.9 19.9 19.3 19.8 19.8
11.4 9.6 8.9 8.8 9.7 10. 2 10.1
14.5 10.6 13.8 14.2 10.0 13.7 14.1
3.6 1.8 1.8 3.8 2.7 3.3 3.2 1.5 1.4 3.4 2.5 2.5
P otatoes____
. --------- ______ do___
6.7 8.2 8.5 6.4 9.2 9.3 6.4 6.9 7.8 6.0 7.9 8.2
O nions_____ ____ ____ _____ do ___
5.5 6.2 5.9 5.9 6. 1 6.2 4.0 4.7 5.5 4.8 5.2 5.0
______ do ___
C ab b ag e... _ ____
Beans, bak ed ________ _ ...N o . 2 c a n .. 10.8 11.4 11.4 10. 1 11.2 11.2 10. 2 10.6 10.8 10.2 10.3 10.5
Corn, canned. . . . . . . _____ _do___ 17.1 17. 1 16.2 14.6 15.6 15.8 16.3 16.1 16.3 15.3 15. 5 15.6
__ __ _do__ _ 18.5 17. a 17.6 18. 1 18. 1 18.5 17.9 17.4 17.4 15.3 14.8 14.7
Peas, canned.
....
______ do___ 12.9 13.4 13.6 10.5 11.4 11.9 14.5 14.9 15. 1 11.1 12.0 12.6
Tom atoes, canned . .
6.8 6.1 5.9 7.0 6.7 6.4 6.4 6. 1 5.7 7. 1 6.6 6.6
Sugar_________________ _____p o u n d ..
T e a _________ ____ . . __ ___ do _ _ 60.0 58.8 60.4 90.5 93.2 94.8 69.0 70.9 69.6 75.8 77. 5 78.1
Coffee________________ ______do____ 51. ( 52.3 52. < 47.2 49. 3 48.6 46.4 48.2 48.2 46. 7 46. 2 47.3
P ru n es_______ _
___ ______ do_ _ 13.1 13.3 13.4 14.0 14.7 15.3 13.3 13.5 14. 1 14.3 14.7 14.7
R aisins______
_____ _______ do___
...d o z e n
B ananas___ . . . _ . . .
_______do____
O ranges__ . . . . .
13.7 11.9 11.7 13. 1 11.5 11. 1 13. 6 12.2 11. 9 13.7 11.1 11.0
33. 31. 9 31. : 40. 5 37. 35. 5 40.0 35.0 31.0 31.9 31.8 30.9
63. ( 49. 8 42. 55.0 34.9 34.6 55. | 56.0 43.5 50. 5 47.8 45.1
1 T he steak for w hich prices are here quoted is called “ sirloin” in th is city, b u t in m o s t of th e other cities
included in this report it w ould be know n as “ porterhouse” steak.
46658°—29------16
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1149]
236
MONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W
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 O F FO O D IN 51
C IT IE S , M A R C H 15, 1928, A N D F E B R U A R Y 15 A N D M A R C H 15, 1929-C ontinued
St. Paul,
M inn.
Salt Lake
C ity, U tah
1929
1929
A r tic le
Sirloin steak.................. ................ po u n d .
R oun d s te a k ................ . . . 1 .......... . d o . . .
R ib ro a st-.......... ........... ..............
d o ...
C huck ro a st_________ .................. .d o .. .
Cts
39. 7
34. 7
32.4
26.21
Cts.
40. ]
36. 1
34.2
28.2
Cts
40.7
36.6
33. 7
28. 3
Cts.
Cts.
Cts
35.9 37.5 38.0
33
37.3 37
27.
29.8 31.4
22.1 26. 2 26.2
San Francisco,
Calif.
1929
Cts.
Cts
37.7
35.6
34.2
23.7
Cts.
40.9
39. 3
36. 2
26.5
41. 1
39.4
36.8
26.9
Plate beef____________-------------- d o ...
Pork c h o p s .._________.............. . . . d o . . .
Bacon, sliced_________ ------------ d o ...
H am , sliced .................... ................ d o ...
16.
25.4
42. 5
44.7
Lam b, leg of...............................
do
H en s---------------------------------------d o ....
Salmon, canned, re d _____
do
M ilk, fresh ----------------------------- quart].
33.9 35.7 36.0 36. 39.8 40.8 39.5 42.8
33
36.4 36. 31.6 35. 1 34.8 43.2 44.
39.9 35.5 34. 34.5 33
33.5 32. 1 28.5
12.0 12.0 12.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 14.0 14.0
M ilk , evaporated______ 16-ounce can.. 12.2
B u tte r---------------------------------- p o u n d .. 54.3
Oleomargarine (all b u tte r substitutes)
. --------------------------------------- p o u n d .. 24.2
Cheese....... .........................................do___ 37.3
17.9
30.9
40.
48.8
18.1
35.3
42.1
48. 3
16.7
30.2
43.5
51. 5
19.0
36.7
44.2
55.0
Savannah, Ga,
20.0 18.8 21.0 21.0
38.1 36.0 38. 40. 7
44.3 54.8 54.8 56.0
55.0 59. 63.0 62.9
43.4
44.5
28.1
14.0
Cts.
18.8
28.3
37.8
42.5
18.8
29.8
37.6
43.3
39.0
30.0
35
17.0
41.1
32.9
32.9
17.5
42.6
36.3
33.1
17.5
L a rd -------------------------_------------ d o ...
Vegetable lard su b stitu te _______ d o ...
Eggs, strictly fresh____________dozen.
B read -----------------------------------po u n d .
17.6
28.5
33.8
9.3
F lour________
d o ...
Corn m eal_____________________ d o ...
Rolled oats____________________ d o ll]
Corn flakes------------ 8-ounce package.
5.0 4.7 4.7 4.2 3.6 3.6
5.2 5.3 5.4 5.3 5.
5.9
9.8 10.1 10.1 8.4 8 .
8.8
10.2 10.0 10.3 10.8 10.1 10.1
W heat cereal----------28-ounce package.
M acaroni— --------------------------pound
Rice---------------------------------------- d o ...
Beans, n a v y .. ........ ..............
d o ...
26.3 26.3 26.0 25.3 25.1 25.6
18.7 18.5 18.5 19.6 19.9 19.6
10.9 10.6 10.5 9.2 8.7 9.0
11.1 14.4 14.
10.1 11.9 12.3
Potatoes_______________-______ d o ..
O nions___________________ do ]
C abbage______________________ do"""
Beans, b a k e d ............. ...........N o] 2 can"
2.4 1.5 1.4 1.8 1.8 1.8 3.1 2.8 2.8 4.0
5.6 9.1 9.3 3.9 6.4 7.2 5.5 6.7 7.0 7.0
5.0 5.3 5.4 4.2 6.8 5.4
5.6
13.3 14.0 13. 12.4 12.3 12.6 13.0 12.6 12.7 11.
14.8 15.0 15.0 14.0 14.4 14.3 17.7 17.3 17.3 14.9
15.2 15.2 14.9 15.3 14.9 14.8 18. 1 17.7 17. 16.1
13. 14.5 14.5 414.1 413. 3 413. 6 14.3 415. 2 15.2 9.7
7.3 7.0 6.9 8.0 6.9 6.9
6.2 6.1 6.8
Corn, can n ed_________
Peas, canned__________
Tom atoes, canned_____
Sugar________________
........... . d o . . .
---------- d o ...
---------- d o ...
------- p ound.
5.7
6.9
5.1
7.2
5,
7.2
9.9
9.6
6.6
3.7
8.7
9.5
67.0 71.3 72.3 83.6 85.1 85.1 71.4 72.3 72.3 81.6
52.5 52.8 52.8 54.5 54.7 54.7 53.3 53.2 53.5 44.7
13.7 14.1 14.2 12.0 13.5 13.3 11.7 11.4 12.0 12.2
R aisins_____________________ do__
14.5 13.7 13. 12.9 11.6
11.9 10.3 10.2 13.
B a n a n a s...______________
dozen" 210.7 2 11.6 210.9 212.4 211. 5 211.6
10.4 31.1 30.6 29.7 28.3
O ranges----------------------------- ' do
57.5 56.0 45.5 47.3 40.7 36.3 53.6 51.1 40.7 46.2
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
4No. 2!£ can.
[1150]
11.4 11.3
58.3 59.9
30.7 30.8
35.8 35.6
19.3
17.0
41.9
10.7
18.9
17.0
37.8
10.7
6.5
3.6
6.4
3.5
8.4
9.6
8.6
9.7
25.2 25.2 25.2 24. 4 23.8 24.0
15.7 16.3 16. 2 18.0 18.0 17.8
10.6 9.0 9.3 9.2 8.9 9.5
11.0 12.7 13.1 10.3 14.2 14.2
T e a . -------------------------------------- d o ...
Coffee___________________
do
P ru n es......................... ...........]] ]]]]d o ]]]
2 P er pound.
Cts.
18.7
29.0
40.4
43.5
11.5 11.5 10.2 10.3 10.1 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.9
54.7 54.7 51.5 48.9 47. 54.1 56.7 55.7 58.5
24. 24.0 26.4 25.3 25.5 25.4 24.8 24.8 30.7
36.4 35.6 30. 29.0 29.5 40.9 39.6 39. 34.8
18.9 18. 20.1 20.2 20.0 22.3 22.6 22.3 16.2
27.0 27.5 29.1 29.5 29.5 27. 27.4 27.5 16.5
42.3 37.3 26.8 40.1 35.1 33.6 35.5 35.3 31. 7
9.3 9.3 9.8 9.7 9.7 9.5 9.3 9.3 10.6
10.0 10.0 10.0
Cts
37.8 40.5 4 .8
31
33.5 34.4
28,
30
32.7
20.6 23.2 25.5
3.0
8.3
4.7
2.9
9.0
4.3
11.1 10.7
15.2 15.2
17.0 17.0
11.1 11.2
i. 2
5.9
81.5 80.5
47.2 46.7
13.8 13.5
12.0 11.6
27.5 24. 5
27.9 22.7
237
W H OLESALE AND R E T A IL PR IC ES
T a b l e 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 O F FO O D IN 51
C IT IE S , M A R C H 15, 1928, A N D F E B R U A R Y 15 A N D M A R C H 15, 1929—C ontinued
GO
Feb. 15
M ar. 15
M ar. 15,1928
Feb. 15
M ar. 15
as.
C ts.
C ts.
42.7
42.7
31.3
28.4
48.7
42.0
35.5
27.2
54.8
48.4
38.7
31.1
53.7
47.
38.6
29.8
21.0
38. 5
53.7
58.9
16.7
25. 2
43.6
45.9
20.4
29.0
42. 1
48.2
20.4
35.0
42. 5
49.5
16.3
28.8
39.6
53.7
20.2
33.6
40.0
57.5
21.1
37.
40.'
57.
40.4
35.4
33.0
12.0
39.1
33.7
37.1
14.4
42.5
35.1
33.5
14.4
46.3
35.0
34. 1
14.4
39.7
40.4
35.1
15.0
41.1
42.4
29.5
14.8
42.
44.
28.
14.
Feb. 15
C ts.
42.3
42.3
30.5
27.5
M ar. 15,1928
C ts.
38.9
38.5
25.6
24.0
M ar. 15
C ts.
Cts.
C ts.
C ts.
C ts.
55. 1
46. 8
38. 8
30.2
61.5
50.3
43.3
35.3
60.4
49.7
41.3
34.2
38.4
35.0
31. 1
25.1
41.3
38.1
34. 5
27.1
41.3
38.0
34.0
27. 1
15.4
29.5
44.2
54.3
20.1
34.0
47.4
58.3
19.8
37.6
46.9
59.5
19.1
33.7
53.0
55.9
21.4
38.8
55.1
59.8
43.8 46.5 46.7 36.8
L am b, leg of........ .............................do—
44. 0 45.4 45.7 33.5
H en s________________________ -do—
Salmon, canned, re d ____________do ---- 36. 6 33.1 32.7 36.6
M ilk, f r e s h ...........................
q u a rt.. 13.0 13.0 13.0 12.0
40.3
36.0
32. 8
12.0
Sirloin s te a k ...............
R ound steak ----------R ib ro a st__________
C huck ro a st________
________ p ound.
__________ d o ...
__________ d0-_.
.............
d o ...
P late beef_________
--d o ----P ork chops____________________ do---Bacon, sliced___________________do---H am , sliced......... .............
. . . d o -----
1929
as.
Cts.
lO
1929
CÖ
g
03
§
85
03
Article
W ashington,
D . C.
Springfield, 111.
1929
Feb. 15
1929
Seattle, W ash.
M ar. 15
Scranton, P a.
03
11.9 12.0 12.0 10.3 10.3 10.3 11.9 12.0 11.9 11.9 11.8 11.
57.3 59.5 59.6 55.6 56.3 55.0 55.6 58.0 57.6 61.0 61.6 61.
M ilk, evaporated......... 16-ounce can..
B u tte r________
p o und..
Oleomargarine (all b u tte r substitutes)
____________
.p o u n d .
Cheese......... ............................ .........do—
27.8 27.5 27.5 25.1 24.9 24.9 28.2 28.4 28.2 28.5 26.7 26.
38.1 38.6 38.7 36.2 35.4 35.5 38.5 36.7 36.5 40.7 40.6 40.
L a rd ....................... ........................... do—
Vegetable lard su b stitu te .............. .do—
Eggs, strictly fresh____________dozen.
B re ad _______________________ p o u n d .
18.5 19.7 19.4 20.5 19.8 19.8 17.3 18.1
26.3 26.3 26.6 27.3 26.7 26.6 27.8 28.2
42. 6 55.8 50.1 34.6 42.3 36.9 33.8 47.1
10.6 9.9 9.8 9.7 9. 6 9.6 10.2 10.1
F lo u r ..--------------------------- d o ...
C orn m eal_______________
d o ...
Rolled o a ts .___________________do._.
Corn flakes. ............8-ounce package.
5.8
7.5
9.8
10.1
W heat cereal______ 28-ounce package.
M acaroni____________________po u n d . .
R ice__________________________ d o ...
d o ... .
Beans, n a v y ..................
25.3
22.6
10.4
11.2
5.4 5.4
7.6 7.6
9.9 9.9
9.9 10.1
4.9
5.5
8.4
9.8
4.7
6.0
9.2
9.7
25.5
22.5
10.0
13.8
26.4
17.9
10.6
11.1
26.7
18.0
10.5
14.0
25.5
23.0
10. 1
13.2
3.4 1.9
P o ta to e s ..------- ---------------d. o ...
6.d o ...7.3
O nions. ______________
C abbage---------------------------------- d o ... . 5.9 7.9
12. C
11.
Beans, b a k e d ........................ N o. 2 can.
4.7 5.2
5. 9 4.6
9.2 9.7
9.6 10.1
4.6
4.8
9.6
9.4
4.6
4.7
9.6
9.5
5.5
5.3
9.2
9.5
5.3
5.0
8.9
9.3
5.
4.
8.
9.
27.9
18.8
10.1
11.7
27.6
18.7
10.7
14.8
27.5
19. 1
10.4
14.6
24.9
23.4
11.4
10.1
24.3
22.0
11.2
13.8
24.
20.
11.
14.
26.8
18. (
10. (
14.3
1.8 2.9 1.8 1.9 3.2
8.1 5.1 7.6 7.6 6. E
7.5 7.9 5. L
7. ( 5.
12. 11. 12.5 12.8 10.1
Corn, canned_________________ .d o .. . . 17.1 16.9 17. 18.6 17.8 17.8 15.2
Peas, can n ed...........................
d o17.
... 17. 18. 19. 18.1 17.8 16.:
Tom atoes, can n ed ---------------d o.... 12. 12.9 i3.; 416. 415. 415. 13.7
7.6 6.. 6 .2 7.6
6.6 6.
Sugar........................
.p o u n d . . 7.
T e a .. . ..................
.d o .. . 72. 67.6 67. 1 76. 78. 79.. 84.6
50. 50.6 50. 51. 1 51.. 51. 51. £
Coffee------ ..----------------------------- do.
. 14.;
P ru n es................................
do. 13. 14. 12. > 13. 14. 14.
13. 12. 12.
R a is in s .................. ................... .d o ...
B ananas______ . . . . __________dozen. 32. 31. 31.
O ranges--------------- ..................... .d o .. . 58. t 48.; 46.
13.
21L
51.
;
10.
210.
33.
4 N o.
2 P er pound.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
10.
211.
42.
1,1151]
18.2 16.6 16.8 17.
28.3 24.8 24.6 24.
34.2 37.8 51.9 42.
10.1 8.9 8.9 8.
i
2.0 2.0
9.1 9.4
5.8 6. C
11.7 11.6
15.0 14.7 15.8 15. 15.
16. 16. 15.4 14. 14.
13. 13. 10.6 h .; 12.
7.9 6.1 6.7 6.1 6.
82. 82. 95. 90.' 92.
51. 51." 46.1 46.' 46.
14.6 14. 14. 15. 15.
14. C 11.6 11.'
29. 2 9.8 28.'
52.8 47. 38.
can.
4.0 2.4 2.
6.8 8.5 8.
5.9 5.5 5.
10.5 10.8 10.
13. 12.»1 12.
33.' 33. 31.
58. 39. 38
238
MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW
Comparison of Retail Food Costs in 51 Cities
T a b l e 6 shows for 39 cities the percentage of increase or decrease
in the retail cost of food3 in M arch, 1929, compared w ith the aver
age cost in the year 1913, in M arch, 1928, and February, 1929. For
12 other cities comparisons are given for the 1-year and the 1-month
periods; these cities have been scheduled by the bureau a t different
dates since 1913. The percentage changes are based on actual retail
prices secured each m onth from retail dealers and on the average
family consumption of these articles in each city.4
Effort has been m ade by the bureau each m onth to have all sched
ules for each city included in the average prices. For the m onth of
M arch 99 per cent of all the firms supplying retail prices in the 51
cities sent in a report prom ptly. The following-named 36 cities had
a perfect record; th a t is, every m erchant who is cooperating w ith the
bureau sent in his report in time for his prices to be included in the
city averages: A tlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Boston, Buffalo,
Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, D etroit, Fall River, Houston,
Indianapolis, K ansas City, L ittle Rock, Louisville, M anchester,
M emphis, Minneapolis, Mobile, Newark, New H aven, New York,
Norfolk, Omaha, Peoria, Philadelphia, Portland, M e., Providence,
Richmond, Rochester, St. Louis, St. Paul, Scranton, Springfield, 111.,
and W ashington.
T a b l e 6 . - P E R C E N T A G E C H A N G E IN T H E R E T A IL C O ST O F FO O D IN M A R C H , 1929,
C O M P A R E D W IT H T H E C O ST IN F E B R U A R Y , 1929, M A R C H , 1928, A N D W IT H T H E
A V E R A G E C O ST IN T H E Y E A R 1913, B Y C IT IE S
P e rc e n ta g e i n
c re a se M a r c h ,
1929, com pared
w ith—
C ity
1913
A tla n ta __________
B altim ore. _______
B irm ingham __
Boston _____ _ .
B ridgeport ______
B uffalo. .
_ .. .
B u tte . _____
Charleston, S. C __
Chicago
_ _
.
C in cin n ati________
C leveland___
C olum bus. ___ _
D allas___ ______
D enver
D etro it
_ _.
F all R iver
_____
H ouston
_____
Indianapolis _____
Jacksonville ___
K ansas C ity . ..
L ittle R ock_______
Los Angeles ______
Louisville
...
M anchester . . . .
M e m p h i s . . __ . . .
M ilw aukee. .
57.9
55. 4
56.8
53. 7
58.3
55.2
64.4
57.9
48.7
56.9
36. 6
59. 5
51. 5
52.1
41. 1
51. 9
49. 1
41. 6
55. 1
50.7
47.3
55. 9
M arch,
1928
.
.2
1.3
“ 0.8
“ 1.3
1. 0
3.3
1.5
2 8
0
2 .2
»
3. 5
1.4
3.1
3.6
0.8
1. 2
0. 2
3.0
3.3
0.0
1.9
3.2
1. 7
3.9
“ 0.3
2. 4
1.9
P er centage
decrease
M arch,
1928,
com
pared
w ith
F eb ru
ary, 1929
P e rc e n ta g e in
c re a s e M a r c h ,
1929, com pared
w ith —
C ity
1913
M inneapolis
1. 0
1. 3 1 M obile
N ew ark
New TTa.ven
.
0. 9 N ew Orleans
N ew Vork
0.8
1. 2
Norfolk
___
0.6
O m aha___
0.6
Peoria
Philadelphia
1. 2
P ittsburgh
2.2
1. 7 Portland, Me
• t 0.5
Portland, Oreg____
1 5 Pro vi d en ee
Richmond
0 8
0.0
Rochester
0. 7 St Pom's
0.8
St. Paul
*■0.3 Salt Lake C i t y ___
1. 2
San Francisco
1.9 Savannah
0.6
Scranton
1 .0
Seattle
__
__
0. 3 Springfield, 111
L 7 W ashln gton
55.5
4fi 3
2.0
1 1
M arch,
1928
? 0
1
0
a1
a^
53 8
55.4
53 7
57 5
38.7
a
0
0
0 6
0 8
L0
57. 5
31. 5
49. 7
5« 4
44. 3
59.0
2
1 3
4. 5
17
1 7
9 7
oo a
1.4
a 0
6
a
X
0
b 0 1
1 1
0 8
9 7
48.9
P ercent
age
decrease
M arch,
1929,
com
pared
w ith
F e b ru
ary, 1929
1
0 4
0 .1
n q
l 1
0 g
n g
1.9
1
23
1 fi
9 2
0 9
2.9
1 1
13
o0 1
1. 5
0 4
14
fi fi
1 .1
0 0
o n
i 2
1. 6
0 6
1
0.5
1.5
1
0 .8
° Decrease.
t
Increase.
For list of articles see note 1, p. 223.
/ T h e consum ption figures used from Jan u ary , 1913, to D ecember, 1920, for each article in each city are
given in the L abor Review for N ovem ber, 1918, pp. 94 and 95. T h e consum ption figures w hich have been
used for each m onth, beginning w ith Jan u ary , 1921, are given in th e Labor Review for M arch, 1927, p. 26.
8
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1152]
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL PRICES
239
R e ta il P ric e s o f C o al in th e U n ite d S t a t e s
T
H E following table shows the average retail prices of coal on
M arch 15, 1928, and February 15 and M arch 15, 1929, for
the U nited States and for each of the cities from which retail food
prices have been obtained. The prices quoted are for coal delivered
to consumers, b u t do not include charges for storing the coal in cellar
or coal bin where an extra handling is necessary.
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 bitum inous coal are averages of prices of the
several kinds sold for household use.
A V E R A G E R E T A IL P R IC E S O P C O A L P E R T O N OF 2,000 PO U N D S , F O R H O U S E H O L D
U S E , ON M A R C H 15, 1928, A N D F E B R U A R Y 15 A N D M A R C H 15, 1929
1928
C ity, and k in d of coal
U nited States:
Pennsylvania an th raciteStove—
Average price---------Index (1913=100)___
C h e s tn u tAverage price---------Index (1913 = 100)____
B itum inous—
Average price------------Index (1913 = 100)_____
1928
1929
C ity, and kind of coal
M ar.
15
199. 8
Feb.
15
M ar.
15
$1.5 40 $16 39
199.3 199 2
$15. 08 $15. 07 $15. 07
190. 5 190.4 190 4
$9. 26
170.4
$9. 07
160. 9
$9.06
166. 7
A tlanta, Ga.:
B itum inous, prepared sizes. $7.88 $8.05 $8. 05
B altim ore, M d.:
Pennsylvania an th racite—
Stove__________________ 116. 00 116. 00 116. 00
C h estn u t______________ 115. 25 115. 50 115. 50
B itum inous, ru n of m ine—
7.93
7.93
8. 07
H igh volatile_________
B irm ingham , A la.:
7 07
7 ^7
B itum inous, prepared sizes.
Boston, M ass.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
16.25 16. 25 1(5. 25
Stove_________________
C h estn u t______________ 16. 00 16. 00 16. 00
B ridgeport, C onn.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
14. 88 14. 88 14.88
Stove_________________
C h estn u t______________ 14.88 14.88 14.88
Buffalo, N . Y .:
Pennsylvania an th racite—
11 01
Stove_______________
C h estn u t______________ 13. 61 13. 53 1 3 ] 53
B u tte, M o n t.:
B itum inous, prepared sizes. 10.89 10.91 10.91
C harleston, S. C .:
9. 67
9. 67
B itum inous, prepared sizes 11. 00
Chicago, 111.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
. 16.95 16.90 16.90
Stove___________
_ 16.46 16. 45 16. 45
C h estn u t________
B itum inous—
Prepared sizes—
H igh volatile---11.88 1L88
Low v o latile___
R u n of mine—
8.25
8.25
.
8.25
Low volatile___
M ar.
15
C incinnati, Ohio:
B itum inous—
Prepared sizes—
High volatile_____ ___ $6. 50
Low v o la tile .. _ ___ 7.85
Cleveland, Ohio:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
Stove
__ _ _ _____ 15. 15
14. 75
C h estn u t__
_______
B itum inous—
Prepared sizes—
7.77
Low volatile.................... 9. 75
C olum bus, Ohio:
B itum inous—
Prepared sizes—
H igh volatile-------- . . . 6.41
Low volatile__________ 8. 38
Dallas, Tex.:
Arkansas anthracite—E g g .. 15. 50
B itum inous, prepared sizes. 12.70
D enver, Colo.:
Colorado an thracite—
Furnace, 1 and 2 m ixed. . 16. 00
Stove, 3 and 5 m ixed____ 16.00
B itum inous, prepared sizes. 10. 45
D etro it, M ich.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
Stove .
____ . ------ 16.00
C h estn u t___ _________ 15. 50
B itum inous—
Prepared sizes—
8. 46
H igh volatile. . . . .
Low volatile. ________ 10.28
R u n of m ine—
8.00
Low volatile — ----F all R iver, M ass.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
S to v e .. . . . ------ . . . - 16. 75
C h estn u t.. ---------------- 16.25
H ouston, Tex.:
Bitum inous, prepared sizes. 12. 60
Indianapolis, In d .:
B itum inous—
Prepared sizes—
6. 51
High v o la tile ________
9.00
Low volatile
_____
R u n of m ine—
7.25
Low volatile---------
1929
Feb.
15
M ar.
$5. 61
7.73
$5. 61
7. 73
15. 30
14. 92
15.25
14. 87
7. 30
10.00
7. 24
9.94
5.91
8.00
5.89
8.00
15. 75
13.17
15.50
13.08
16.00
16. 00
10. 51
16.00
16.00
10. 51
16. 00
15.50
16.00
15.42
15
8.30 • 8.27
10. 19 10. 22
7. 75
7. 75
16.50
16. 25
16. 50
16. 25
13.20
13.20
6. 24
9.00
6.18
9. 00
7.00
7.00
i Per to n of 2,240 pounds.
a Prices of coal were formerly secured sem iannually and published in th e M arch and Septem ber issues
of th e L abor Review. Since Ju n e, 1920, these prices have been secured a nd published m onthly.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1153]
240
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
A V E R A G E R E T A IL P R IC E S O P C O A L P E R T O N O F 2,000 P O U N D S , F O R H O U S E H O L D
U SE , O N M A R C H 15, 1928, A N D F E B R U A R Y 15 A N D M A R C H 15, 1929—C ontinued
1928
C ity, and k in d of coal
Jacksonville, Fla.:
B itum inous, prepared sizes
K ansas C ity , M o.:
A rkansas an th racite—
F u rn ace____
Stove No. 4_ _
B itum inous, prepared sizes
L ittle Rock, A rk.:
A rkansas anthracite—Egg
B itum inous, prepared sizes
Los Angeles, C alif.:
Bitum inous, prepared sizes
Louisville, K y.:
B itu m in o u s , p re p a re d
sizes—
H igh v o la tile ____
Low volatile ___
M anchester, N . H .:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
S to v e.-.. - -_
C h e s tn u t_______
M em phis, Tenn.:
B itum inous, prepared sizes
M ilw aukee, Wis.:
Pennsylvania a n th racite—
Stove____ _ C h estn u t____
B itu m in o u s , p re p a re d
sizes—
H igh volatile______
Low volatile
___
M inneapolis, M inn.:
P ennsylvania an th racite—
‘ Stove__________
C h estn u t--- _
B itu m in o u s , p r e p a r e d
sizes—
H igh volatile-- .
Low v o la tile ___ _
M obile, Ala.:
B itum inous, prepared sizes
N ew ark, N . J.:
Pennsylvania an th racite—
Sto v e_________ _
C h estn u t________
N ew H aven, C onn.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
Stove__________
C h estn u t
N ew Orleans, La.:
B itum inous, prepared sizes
N ew Y ork, N . Y.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
Stove__ ____
C h estn u t________
Norfolk, Va.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
Stove__ _ C hestnut - _
B itum inous—
Prepared sizes—
H igh volatile____
Low volatile____
R u n of mine—
Low volatile_______
Om aha, N ebr.:
B itum inous, prepared sizes
Peoria, 111.:
B itum inous, prepared sizes
Philadelphia, Pa.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
Stove- C h estn u t_____
Alar.
15
1929
Feb.
15
1928
$14. 00 $12. 00 $12.00
13. 50
15.17
7.50
12. 60
14. 33
7. 30
12.60
14. 33
7. 30
13. 50
10. 00
13. 50
10. 25
13. 50
10. 25
16. 50
16. 25
16. 50
7.11
9.40
7. 16
9. 75
7.05
9. 75
17. 50
17. 25
17. 25
17.00
17. 25
17.00
8. 33
7. 39
7. 39
16. 65
16. 20
16. 30
15. 90
16. 30
15.90
8.00
11. 12
7. 80
11. 08
7. 80
11.08
18.15
17. 70
18.28
17.90
18. 28
17.90
10. 98
13. 75
10.90
13.50
10. 90
13. 50
9. 50
9. 62
9. 62
14.00
13. 50
14. 00
13. 50
14. 00
13. 50
15. 10
15. 10
14. 90
14. 90
14. 90
14. 90
11.29
11. 21
11. 21
14. 75
14.42
14. 75
14.25
14. 79
14. 29
15.00
15. 00
15. 00
15.00
15. 00
15. 00
7.81
10.50
7.88
10.50
7.81
10.50
7.00
7.00
7.00
10.13
9. 50
9. 47
6.94
6.88
6. 83
14. 93
14. 43
C ity, and kind of coal
M ar.
15
114. 96 14. 96
114. 50 14. 50 j
M ar.
15
Pittsb u rg h , Pa.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
C h estn u t____ .
$14. 88
B itum inous, prepared sizes
5.44
Po rtlan d , M e.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
Stove -16.80
C h estn u t_____________
16.80
P ortland, Oreg.:
B itum inous, prepared sizes 13. 21
Providence, R. I.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
____
Stove 216. 25
C h estn u t__ _ _______ 216.00
R ichm ond, Va.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
S to v e ..
15. 50
C hestnut _
15. 50
B itum inous—
Prepared sizes—
H igh v o la tile ________
8. 75
Low volatile__
10. 21
R u n of m ine—
Low volatile_____ _ - 8.00
Rochester, N . Y.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
Stove__ ________
14.60
C hestn u t
___
14.15
St. Louis, M o.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
Stove. - _ 16. 90
C hestnut____
16. 45
B itum inous, prepared sizes
6.96
St. Paul, M inn.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
Stove______ ___
18. 15
C h estn u t__ _______
17.70
B itu m in o u s ,
p re p a re d
sizes—
H igh volatile - _
10. 68
Low volatile _ . _
13. 75
Salt Lake C ity, U tah:
Colorado anthracite—
Furnace, 1 and 2 m ixed18.00
Stove, 3 and 5 m ixed____ 18.00
B itum inous, prepared sizes
8. 36
San Francisco, Calif.:
N ew Mexico anthracite—
Cerillos egg . ______
26. 50
Colorado an thracite—
Egg------------------------------ 25. 75
B itum inous, prepared sizes 16.88
Savannah, Ga.:
B itum inous, prepared sizes. 11.13
Scranton, Pa.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
Stove______
10. 75
C hestnut____
10.50
Seattle, W ash.:
B itum inous, prepared sizes 10. 18
Springfield, 111.:
B itum inous, prepared sizes. 4. 44
W ashington, D . C.:
Pennsylvania anthracite—
S to v e .-. ____
15. 51
C h estn u t. __________
15.01
B itum inous—
Prepared sizes—
H igh volatile_________ 1 8. 75
Low volatile__ _____
10. 75
R u n of mine—
M ix e d .. ____________ i 7. 88
1929
Feb.
15
M ar.
15
$15.00 $15.00
5.25
5.25
16.80
16.80
16.80
16.80
13.07
13.04
216.00 216.00
216.00 216.00
15.00
15.00
15.00
15.00
8. 25
9.83
8.13
9.83
7.50
7.50
14. 75
14.25
14.75
14.25
16.80
16. 50
6. 43
16.80
16.50
6.46
18. 30
17.90
18.30
17.90
10.68
13.50
10.68
13.50
18.00
18.00
7.92
18.00
18.00
7.82
26.00
26.00
25.50
16. 75
25.50
16. 75
10. 24
10.24
10.53
10. 33
10.53
10. 33
10. 48
10.48
4.24
4.24
15.63
15.13
15.62
15.13
18. 75
11.42
i 8.75
11.42
i 7. 63
1 7.63
1 Per to n of 2,240 pounds.
2 T he average price of coal delivered in bin is 50 cents higher th a n here shown, P ractically all coal is
delivered m bin.
rpu
V*1'} J ? Savannah is weighed b y th e city. A charge of 10 cents per to n or half ton is m ade,
i his additional charge has been included in the above price.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1154]
W HOLESALE AND R ETA IL PRICES
241
In d ex ed N u m b e rs of W h o lesale P ric e s in M a rc h , 1929
H E general level of wholesale prices in M arch was slightly above
th a t of February, according to inform ation collected in repre
sentative m arkets by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U nited
States D epartm ent of Labor. The bureau’s weighted index num ber
stands a t 97.5 for M arch compared w ith 96.7 for February, an increase
of approxim ately three-fourths of 1 per cent. Com pared w ith
M arch, 1928, w ith an index num ber of 96.0, an increase of over 1 x/i
per cent is shown. Based on these figures, the purchasing power of
the dollar in M arch was 102.6 compared w ith 100.0 in the year 1926.
Farm products as a group were over \ x/i per cent higher th an in
the preceding m onth, due to pronounced increases for beef cattle,
hogs, sheep and lambs, poultry, and cotton. Grains, eggs, potatoes,
and wool, on the other hand, were cheaper than in February.
Among foods there were increases for fresh and cured m eats, and
decreases for b u tter and flour. The group as a whole showed no
change in the general price level.
T
T R E N D O F W H O L E S A L E P R IC E S
Hides and skins advanced slightly, while leather declined sharply,
resulting in a net decline for the group of hides and leather products.
Boots and shoes showed no change in average prices.
In the group of textile products advances in cotton goods were
offset by declines in silk and rayon. Prices of woolen and worsted
goods were fairly stable, while prices of other textile products ad
vanced. No change in the group as a whole was reported.
Prices of anthracite and bitum inous coal, and petroleum products
weakened in the m onth, causing a net decline for the group of fuel
and lighting m aterials.
Among m etals and m etal products, iron and steel products ad
vanced slightly, while more pronounced increases were recorded for
ingot and sheet copper, copper wire, lead, quicksilver, and zinc.
The increase for the group as a whole was nearly 2 per cent._
Advancing prices of lumber and shingles caused a small net increase
in the group of building m aterials.
Small decreases were shown for the groups of chemicals and drugs,
house-furnishing goods, and miscellaneous commodities.
Raw m aterials, sem im anufactured articles, and finished products
all averaged somewhat higher than in February, as did nonagncultural commodities considered as a whole.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1155]
242
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
Comparing prices in M arch w ith those of a year ago, as measured
by changes in the index num bers, it is seen th a t m etals and m etal
products and building m aterials were considerably higher, while farm
products were somewhat higher. A negligible price increase was
shown for foods, while no change in the price level was reported for
chemicals and drugs. Small decreases between the two periods took
place among textile products, fuel and lighting m aterials, and house
furnishing goods, and a considerable decrease among hides and
leather products and articles classed as miscellaneous.
IN D E X N U M B E R S O F W H O L E S A L E P R IC E S B Y G R O U P S A N D S U B G R O U P S O F
C O M M O D IT IE S
[1926=100.0]
M arch,
1928
G roups and subgroups
A L L C O M M O D IT IE S
February,
1929
M arch,
1929
Purchasing
power of
the dollar,
M arch, 1929
_ .
96.0
96.7
97.5
102.6
F a rm p ro d u cts. ____________
G rains___________
Livestock and p o u ltry . . . .
O ther farm p ro d u cts______ _
Foods _______
B u tter, cheese, and m ilk .. _
M eats______ _ ____
O ther foods__ . . .
H ides and leather p ro d u c ts... ___
H ides and skins . . . _______ .
L e a th e r... _____
Boots and shoes. _____ _
O ther leather p roducts.
Textile p ro d u cts__
C otton goods_____ _
Silk and ra v o n . _
Woolen and w orsted goods _.
O ther textile p ro d u cts..
F uel a n d lighting_______
A nthracite coal___
B itum inous c o a l.. _____
( oke________ _ _
M anufactured g a s... _. . . . _
Petroleum p ro d u cts_________
M etals and m etal p ro d u cts..
Iro n a n d steel. . . ______ _
Nonferrous m etals________
A gricultural im plem ents____
A utom obiles_______ .
O ther m etal p ro d u cts__ _
Building m aterials. __ .
L u m b er.. . .
B rick_____
C em en t___________
Structural steel________
P a in t m aterials. ____
O ther building m aterials______
Chemicals and d ru g s .._
Chem icals____
D rugs and pharm aceuticals__
Fertilizer m aterials.. .
Fertilizers___
____
H ousefurnishing g o o d s.. .
F u r n itu re .. _ ___
F urnishings. _
M isc e lla n eo u s._____
C attle f e e d _______
Paper and p u lp __________
R u b b e r______________
A utom obile tires______
O ther m isc ella n e o u s-_______
R aw m aterials______ _
Sem im anufactured a rtic le s.. ._
Finished pro d u cts_______
N onagricultural com m odities.........
103.5
113.6
96.3
105.0
98.0
104. 2
94.7
97. 7
124.0
157.3
129. 3
109.5
108.4
96. 5
100.9
84. 7
100.6
88.6
80.8
94.8
93.8
84.4
95.8
66. 6
98.4
95.2
90.4
98.8
104. 3
97.9
91.0
88.9
92.3
96. 5
97.0
85.5
92. 7
95.6
101. 0
71.1
96.5
96.8
98.3
97.9
98.6
86.8
154.4
90.5
55. 0
69.8
98.3
97.9
97.8
94.8
94.0
105.4
102.0
101.8
109. 2
98.1
109.9
102. 3
90. 9
109.0
106. 4
117.1
106. 6
107. 6
96. 1
100.8
83.1
100.9
85.6
81.3
91. 6
93.7
85.1
92. 2
68. 9
104. 4
96.9
105.0
98.8
111.6
98.4
97. 5
95.0
92. 5
94. 6
97.0
86.3
108. 6
96.1
102.4
71.1
94. 7
97.1
96.6
95.0
107.1
98.2
111.0
107.5
98.1
109.2
108.5
87.4
108.3
107. 9
112.8
106. 6
107.3
96. 1
101.3
81.9
100. 7
86.2
80. 6
91. 4
92. 0
85. 2
0)
68. 5
106.4
97. 1
117. 2
98. 8
111.6
98. 4
97.8
96.8
92.2
94. 6
97. 0
86. 7
110 5
95.6
101. 6
71.1
94. 7
96 7
96.5
95.0
97.4
80.0
122.2
87.8
50.6
55.9
100.2
98.9
99.1
96. 5
94.9
93.4
101.8
90.1
93.0
101.9
91. 6
92.2
114. 4
92. 3
92. 7
88.7
93.8
93. 2
104.1
98. 7
122.1
99.3
116. 0
124. 1
109 4
108.7
117 4
1 D ata n o t y e t available.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1156]
80.4
129.3
87.8
49. 6
56.1
100.3
98.1
97. 2
95. 9
94.3
(')
146.0
94 0
103 0
85 3
101 2
89. 6
101 6
102. 2
103. 3
108. 5
105. 7
103 1
115.3
90 5
104. 6
98 4
140 6
105. 6
103 4
103. 6
105.3
102. 7
125.0
81.8
113.9
197.6
178.9
99.8
101 1
100 9
103 6
105.4
COST OF LIVING
H o m e O w n ersh ip a n d th e F a m ily B u d g e t
A C C O R D IN G to an economic law expounded 50 or more years ago
by Professor Engel, a German economist, the percentage of the
family expenditure spent for housing is practically the same regard
less of the size of income. In other words, the more a family makes and
spends, proportionately the more it spends on housing. In 1928 the
Bureau of Labor Statistics of the D epartm ent of Labor m ade a survey
of the income and expenditure of 506 families of employees of the
Federal Government. Approximately 100 families with an income of
not over $ 2 ,5 0 0 per year were covered in each of the cities of Boston,
New York, Baltimore, Chicago, and New Orleans. In these families,
on the average 19.3 per cent of the family expenditure was for housing.
Some of the families were purchasing houses, b u t the m ost of them
were renting. The rental value was obtained for each owned house
and any paym ent above the rental value was regarded as investm ent,
so th a t the figures for housing speak for rent or its equivalent. In
general, the Engel law stated above was confirmed in this survey.
The sum of $4,000 will buy only a very m odest home, and even
then it will have to be in one of the smaller cities and off the main
street, or in a rem ote suburb of a large city. Should a family under
take to buy a $4,000 home and pay for it in 20 years in equal annual
installm ents there would be an average principal paym ent of $200
per year. Interest paym ent would add an average of about $150 a
year, m aking a round-figure paym ent of $350 per year, principal and
interest combined, to amortize the debt in 20 years. Also, there
would be real-estate taxes and insurance of, say, $50 a year. If the
m an of the house is handy and can paint the house, replace a broken
windowpane, or patch the roof, the estim ate for repairs wmuld be
$30 in cash per year. This, then, will require a paym ent of $430 a
year for 20 years, bu t after th a t the family will own the home, and
housing paym ents, except for repairs, insurance, and taxes, will be
ended.
If families renting have a housing charge of 19.3 per cent of their
expenditures, then a $430 annual housing charge would call for a
yearly family budget of $2,228. In other words, a family income of
$2,228 w arrants the purchase of a $4,000 home spread over 20 pay
m ents, wTiich would be ju st as easy as to pay rent. W ith the same
ratio existing, the following incomes w arrant the purchase of a home
to cost the am ount set opposite such income:
Incoine
Cost of home
$2,000_________________________ $3,
$2,500________________________ 4,
$3,000________________________ 5.
$3,500_______
6,
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
591
488
386
284
Incom e
C ost of home
$4,000_________________________ $7, 181
$5,000________________________ 8, 977
$6,000________________________ 10, 772
[1157]
243
244
MONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W
In connection with the above figures it should be borne in mind
th a t families paying for a home are m uch more inclined to be econom
ical and saving than families living in a rented house. They are willing
to pinch on clothing, furniture, amusements, and vacation, thus per
m itting a larger p a rt of the income to go toward buying the home.
On the other hand, it is quite common for families starting to buy a
home to buy one th a t is a little larger, more elaborate, and more
expensive than the rented home. The h e a rt’s desire is to own a home
and live better than before. W ithout doubt m ost families buying
homes are paying more in proportion than the figures given above
and m any families renting homes are paying therefor more than 19.3
per cent of their expenditures, because 19.3 per cent is the average.
The percentage varies as between cities, and as between families in
the same city. A larger annual paym ent for 20 years or an extension
of the tim e for paying therefor would of course finance a more
expensive house.
A paym ent of $430 a year for 20 years on a $4,000 house, by a family
having a budget of $2,228, means an aggregate paym ent^of $8,600
during the 20 years, b u t instead of all of it going for rent, the family
has in 20 years a house w orth $4,000 less depreciation, or plus an in
crease in valuation because of an advance in land values.
In the largest cities the m ajority of families live in rented houses or
apartm ents, few own homes or can afford to do so, and further, there
are thousands of families th a t do not have a yearly income of $2,228.
Such families can buy a house only by more than ordinary self-denial
and thrift, or by buying a very cheap house.
In actual practice it is not likely th a t a family could get a deed to
a house w ithout an initial paym ent. There woidd have to be a con
tra c t of sale with provision for a deed and m ortgage to be executed
after a certain period, or w hat is more probable, the family would have
to keep on renting and pinch and save to accum ulate money for a small
initial paym ent.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1458]
IMMIGRATION AND EMIGRATION
S t a t is t ic s of Im m ig r a tio n fo r F e b ru a ry , 1929
By J. J. I v u n n a , C h i e f S t a t i s t i c i a n U n i t e d S t a t e s B u r e a u
of
I m m ig r a t io n
TOTAL of 27,862 aliens were adm itted to the U nited States in
February, 1929; the im m igrant class, newcomers for perm anent
residence in this country, num bered 17,254, the rem aining 10,608
being tourists or other tem porary visitors. D uring the same m onth
14,512 aliens left the U nited States, 10,358 of whom were of the
visiting class or nonem igrants and 4,154 were emigrants leaving with
the intention of again m aking their home abroad. American citizens
returning to and departing from the U nited States in February totaled
33,216 and 32,347, respectively. Com pared w ith the previous m onth
there was an increase in both the inward and the outw ard passenger
movement. In February last 61,078 persons entered the United
States and 46,859 left for foreign countries, as aginst 51,696 returning
and 44,416 departing in January, 1929.
Over two-thirds, or 18,823, of the 27,862 aliens adm itted in Febru
ary were born in Europe, while 7,515 gave countries in the W estern
Hemisphere as their place of birth, principally C anada and Mexico;
1,223 were born in Asia; 247 in Australia, New Zealand, and the
D utch E a st Indies; and 54 in Africa. Of the total adm itted, 10,070
came in under the im m igration act of 1924 as im m igrants charged to
the quota, 5,353 as natives of nonquota countries, and 4,836 as
returning residents. Visitors for business or pleasure num bered
3,590, and 1,847 were passing through the country on their way
elsewhere. There were 1,509 aliens adm itted as husbands, wives, or
unm arried children of American citizens, and 657 as Governm ent
officials, students, ministers, professors, etc.
The principal races among the 17,254 im m igrant aliens for Feb
ruary, 1929, were the Germ an w ith 4,038, Mexican w ith 2,725, English
w ith 1,641, Scandinavian w ith 1,492, Irish w ith 1,421, Scotch with
1,159, Italian w ith 1,092, French with 924,. and Hebrew w ith 839.
These nine races supplied 88.9 per cent of the newcomers for the
m onth, which percentage is slightly above the average for the same
races during the eight m onths ended February 28, 1929. Canada
contributed about 68 per cent of the English im m igrants during these
eight m onths, also 53 per cent of the Scotch and 78 per cent of the
French, while practically all (over 99 per cent) of the Mexicans came
from Mexico, 82 per cent of the German from G erm any, 92 per cent
of the Italian from Italy, 61 per cent of the Irish from Ireland, and
87 per cent of the Scandinavian from Sweden, Norway, and Denm ark.
About 78 per cent of the Hebrew im m igrants came from Poland.
The present-day im m igrants are about equally divided as to sex,
nearly 2 out of every 3 are single, and about 1 out of every 6 is a child.
Of the 182,767 im m igrant aliens adm itted from July to February last,
91,902 were male and 90,865 fem ale; 117,586 were single, 59,013 married,
[1159]
245
A
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
246
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IEW
5,711 widowed, and 457 divorced. As to the age given a t time of
arrival, 32,432 were under 16 years, 44,322 ranged from 16 to 21
years, 54,945 from 22 to 29 years, 24,251 from 30 to 37 years, 10,689
from 38 to 44 years, and 16,128 were 45 years of age and over.
Compared w ith the same period of a year ago, there was a decrease
of 20 per cent in im m igration over the northern land border, 43,444
imm igrants coming in via the Canadian border during the eight
m onths ended February 28, 1929, as against 54,764 in the correspond
ing period a year ago. Of the 43,444 entering from July to February
last, 21,902 were male and 21,542 female; 27,098 were single, 14,584
married, and 1,762 widowed or divorced. Children under 16 years
of age num bered 6,660, while 9,936 of the im m igrants were from 16
to 21 years of age, 12,890 from 22 to 29 years, 5,811 from 30 to 37
years, 3,024 from 38 to 44 years, and 5,123 from 45 to 55 and over.
The bulk of these im m igrants from C anada settled in the States along
the border, M ichigan w ith 10,624 receiving the largest number,
followed by New York w ith 7,775, while 6,673 were destined to M assa
chusetts, 1,853 to Maine, and 1,084 to Vermont. The S tate of
California received 2,776 of the new arrivals and W ashington 2,127.
Of the wage earners entering the United States via the C anadian
land border ports, 9,936, or 23 per cent, were skilled workers, 5,220
laborers, 2,016 farniers, and 3,146 servants, while 2,498 were of the
professional and 1,935 of the miscellaneous classes. The num ber
listed as having no occupation, mainly women and children, was
18,693, or 43 per cent of the total.
IN W A R D A N D O U T W A R D P A S S E N G E R M O V E M E N T F R O M JU L Y 1, 1928, TO F E B R U A R Y
28, 1929
Inw ard
Period
O utw ard
Aliens
Aliens
de
de
Aliens ad m itted
Aliens departed
U nited
barred
ported
U nited
States
from
after
States
citi
land
citi
T otal enter
N on
zens T otal ing 2
ing i E m i NonIm m i im
zens
m i T otal arrived
emi T otal
de
grant grant
grant grant
parted
1928
J u ly --------------- 20, 682
24, 629
A ugust___
Septem ber____ 29, 317
October
__
29, 917
N ovem ber____ 24, 805
D ecem ber.-.
18, 357
15, 976
18, 620
26, 397
24, 797
14, 480
10, 213
36, 658
43, 249
55, 714
54, 714
39, 285
28, 570
32,974 69, 632
63,191 106, 440
80, 233 135, 947
49, 831 104, 545
23,198 62, 483
18,911 47, 481
1,286
1,412
1,364
1,798
1,694
1,551
96, 516
72, 771
67, 429
58, 815
43, 540
53, 439
768
1,180
915
807
927
1,054
17,806 10, 440 28, 246
17, 254 10, 608 27,862
23,450 51, 696
33,216 61,078
1,870 4, 670 10, 938 15, 608 28, 808 44, 416
1,461 4, 154 10, 358 14,512 32, 347 46, 859
1,019
1,036
T o tal___ 182, 767 131,531 314, 298 325, 004 639, 302 12, 436 53, 501 126, 042 179, 543 304, 242 483, 785
7, 706
7, 804
6, 488
8,093
7, 479
6, 549
8, 264
20, 249
15, 960
17, 231
16, 693
14,611
20, 002
28,053
22, 448
25, 324
24. 172
21, 160
28, 266
68, 463
50, 323
42,105
34, 643
22, 380
25,173
1929
J a n u a ry _____
F e b ru a ry . . . .
1 These aliens are not included among arrivals, as th ey were not p erm itted to enter the U nited States.
5 These aliens are included among aliens departed, th ey having entered th e U nited States, legally or
illegally, and later being deported
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[ 1160 ]
BIBLIOGRAPHY
P u b lic O ld-A ge P e n sio n s in th e U n ite d S t a t e s : A L ist of
R eferen c es 1
C om piled b y E d n a L . S t o n e ,
of
.
U n it e d S t a t e s D e p a r t m e n t o f L a b o r
L ib r a r y
the
Bibliographies
T ., c o m p .
Selected A rticles on O ld-age Pensions. N ew Y ork, H . W . W ilson Co.,
1927. lxii, 359 p p . (H andbook series, ser. 2, v. 1.)
B em a n , L amar
B ibliography, pp. [xxxvii-lxxii],
C a n a d a . P a r lia m e n t.
P e n s io n s .
H ouse
of
C o m m o n s.
S p e c ia l
C o m m it t e e
on
O ld -A g e
An Old-Age Pension S ystem for C an ad a. Proceedings of th e special com
m itte e ap p o in ted to m ak e a n en q u iry in to a n old-age pension sy stem for
C an ad a . . . O ttaw a, F . A. A c la n d ,'l9 2 4 . 99 pp.
"Select list of references on old-age pensions, D ep artm en t of L abor L ib ra ry ” , pp. 78-81.
J o h n s e n , J u l i a E ., c o m p .
Selected A rticles on Social In su ran ce.
xliv, 381 pp. (H an d b o o k series.)
New Y ork, H . W . W ilson Co., 1922.
Bibliography on old-age and inv alid ity insurance, p p . xlvii-liii.
R o b b i n s , E d w i n C.
T h e H igh School D e b a te B ook . . .
C lurg Co., 1923. 215 pp.
New a n d rev. ed.
Chicago, A. C. M c-
“ Old-age pensions” (briefs and bibliography), p p . 33-43.
R u s s e l l S a g e F o u n d a t io n , N e w Y o r k .
L ib r a r y .
P rovisions for care of th e aged; a selected biblio g rap h y .
4 p p . (I t s B ulletin No. 75, F e b ru a ry , 1926.)
T exas.
U n iv e r s it y .
N ew Y ork [1926].
D e p a r tm e n t o f E x te n s io n .
In terco lleg iate d eb ate s a n d bibliographies on old-age pensions a n d b a n k in g
a n d currency reform.^ A ustin, Tex., 1913. 54 pp. (B ulletin of th e
U niversity of T exas No. 284, E xtension series 34, Ju n e 22, 1913.)
Bibliography, p p . 26-28.
U n it e d
States.
L ib r a r y o f C o n g ress.
D iv is io n o f B ib lio g r a p h y
Select list of references on old-age a n d civil service pensions. W ash in g to n ,
1903. 18 pp.
------ ------- --------Select list of references on old-age a n d civil-service pensions
(su p p lem en tary to th e p rin te d list, 1903). [W ashington, 1918.] 20 pp.
(T y p ew ritten .)
General Discussion
Books and Pamphlets
A m e r ic a n
A s s o c ia t io n f o r L a b o r L e g is l a t io n .
O ld-age pensions?
[New Y ork, 1928.]
[4] pp.
“ Articles on old-age dependency published b y th e Am erican Association for L abor Legislation” ,
p . [4],
A m e r ic a n
A s s o c i a t i o n f o r O l d A g e S e c u r i t y ".
W hy old age security ?
[New Y ork, 1928.]
[4] pp.
1 A revision, w ith additional references, of th e bibliography, “ Public Old-age Pensions in the U n ite d
S ta te s,” in th e M o n th ly L abor Review for June, 1926. Does no t include civil service retirem ent plans.
For bibliography on “ Public Old-age Pensions in C an a d a ,” see M o n th ly L abor R eview for F ebruary,
1929, v. 28, pp. 406-411; on " P u b lic old-age pensions in A ustralia and N ew Z ealand,” see M arch, 1929,
v. 28, pp. 678-683.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1161]
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248
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
A m e r ic a n
F e d e r a t io n
L abor.
op
H isto ry , encyclopedia, reference book.
W ashington, 1919-1924.
2 v.
Action tak en b y th e Federation on old-age pensions, v. 1, pp. 303, 304; v . 2, pp. 209-211.
later resolutions a n d discussions see Proceedings, 1924 and later conventions.
------ E x e c u t i v e C o u n c il .
For
R e p o rt of th e executive council to th e fo rty -e ig h th a n n u a l convention,
New O rleans, 1928. [W ashington? 1928.] 100 pp.
Contains (pp. 74-87) an analysis of old-age pension law s of th e States w ith recom m endations
for a Federal commission to s tu d y th e problem . Includes also d ata on union old-age benefits.
A m e r i c a n L a b o r Y e a r B o o k , 1919-20-1928.
New Y o r k , R a n d School of
Social Science, 1920-1928.
7 v.
C ontains sections on th e progress of old-age pension legislation.
A m e r i c a n Y e a r B o o k ; a record of ev en ts a n d progress,
T he M acm illan Co., 1926—1929.
1925-1928.
N ew Y ork,
4 v.
Includes brief sum m aries of y e a r’s progress in old-age pension m ovem ent.
B a r d w e l l , F r a n c is .
T he A d v en tu re of Old Age . . .
Co., 1926. 299 pp.
B oston a n d N ew Y ork, H o u g h to n Mifflin
Stories ab o u t old people, know n to M assachusetts social w orkers. T h e introduction, “ How
to care for old people who are poor,” deals w ith different m ethods of care.
B e m a n , L a m a r T ., c o m p .
Selected A rticles on Old-Age P ensions . . . N ew Y ork, H . W. W ilson Co.,
1927. 359 pp. (H an d b o o k series, ser. 2, v. 1.)
C anada.
D e p a r tm e n t o f L a b o r.
Old-age pension sy stem s existing in v arious co untries. Issued as a su p p le
m en t to th e L ab o r G azette, M arch, 1926. O ttaw a, F. A. A cland, 1926.
15 pp.
“ U nited S ta te s” , p p . 14, 15.
------ P a r l i a m e n t . H o u s e o f C o m m o n s , S p e c i a l C o m m it t e e o n O ld A g e P e n s i o n s .
An old-age pension sy stem fo r C an ad a. P roceedings of th e special com
m ittee ap p o in te d to m ake a n en q u iry in to an old-age pension sy stem for
C an ad a . . . O ttaw a, F . A. A cland, 1924. 99 pp.
Legislation in th e U n ited States, pp. 19-24.
C a r n e g ie F o u n d a t io n f o r t h e A d v a n c e m e n t o f T e a c h in g .
A nnual rep o rt, 1924-
N ew Y ork C ity.
T h e chapters on “ Pension system s and pension legislation ” cover recent developm ents in teachers'
civil-service, and other pension systems.
C o m m o n s , J o h n R.
Principles of L ab o r L egislation (rev. ed.), by Jo h n R . C om m ons a n d Jo h n
B. A ndrew s . . . N ew Y ork & L ondon, H a rp e r & Bros. [1927] 616 pp.
“ Old-age and in v alid ity in su ran ce” , pp. 468-480.
C o n f e r e n c e o n t h e C a r e o f t h e A g e d , C le v e la n d ,
1924.
R ep o rt; T he care of th e aged, b y th e conference on th e care of th e aged.
W elfare F ed eratio n , C leveland, Ohio, S eptem ber, 1924. [Cleveland?
1924.] 50 pp. (M im eographed.)
P a rt I, “ T h e care of th e aged and infirm ,” b y A lexander Johnson, emphasizes th e superiority
of a pension over in stitu tio n al care for m an y aged people.
C o n f e r e n c e o n S o c i a l I n s u r a n c e , W a s h i n g t o n , D . C ., 1916.
Proceedings of th e C onference on Social In su ran ce, called by th e In te rn a tio n a l
A ssociation of In d u s tria l A ccident B oards a n d Com m issions. D ecem ber
5 to 9, 1916. W ashington, 1917. 935 pp. (B ulletin of th e U nited
S tates B ureau of L ab o r S ta tistic s No. 212.)
“ Com pulsory in v alid ity and old-age insurance, pensions, and retirem ent allowances, by
M agnus W . Alexander and John F ran k lin Crowell (w ith discussion),” pp. 763-779.
D e x t e r , R o b e r t C.
Social A d ju stm en t.
N ew Y ork & London, A. A. K n opf, 1927.
424 pp.
T h e chapter on “ Old A ge” (pp. 159-185) discusses th e extent of aged dependency and various
m ethods of caring for th e aged.
D o u g l a s, P a u l H.
T he W orker in M odern E conom ic Society, by P a u l H . D ouglas, C u rtice M.
H itchcock, an d W illard E. A tkins. Chicago, U n iv ersity of C hicago
Press. [1923] 929 pp. (M aterials fo r th e s tu d y of business.)
C hapter X V I, Old age: 1. Prevalence of old-age poverty. 2. Cost of indifference to old age.
3. Old age, poverty, an d m odern in d u stry . 4. M ethods of S tate insurance for old age. 5. Some
objections to a n o n eontributory system .
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[ 1162]
249
BIBLIOGRAPHY— PUBLIC OLD-AGE PENSION S
I.
H e a lth an d W ealth ; A su rv ey of th e econom ics of w orld h e a lth . . .
Y ork a n d L ondon, H a rp e r & Bros., 1928. 361 pp.
D u b l in , L o u is
New
T h e chapter on “ T h e problem of old age” discusses th e increasing num ber of aged, the scrap
ping of older workers, old age pensions and other means of support.
E p s t e in , A b r a h a m .
T he C hallenge of th e Aged.
N ew Y ork, T h e V an gu ard Press, 1928.
435 pp.
T reats of old-age dependency in th e U nited States and abroad. “ T he m aterial in C hapters X I
and X II (pension system s abroad) has been liberally draw n from the 1927 ‘ R eport of the Pennsyl
vania Commission on Old Age Pensions.’ ” —Foreword.
------ T h e challenge of th e aged poor.
{ I n N a tio n a l C onference of Social W ork.
Proceedings, 1925, pp. 328-334.)
------ F acing Old Age; A stu d y of old-age d ependency in th e U n ited S tates an d
old-age pensions. N ew Y ork, A. A. K nopf, 1922. 352 pp.
C ontents: I. A ctual condition of th e aged. II. Causes of old-age dependency. III. Existing m eth
ods of relief. IV . Old-age pensions; w h a t th e y are and th eir outlook for th e U nited States. V. Pension
system s of foreign countries and various States. V I. A ppendix. Bibliographical footnotes.
F raternal O rder of E agles.
A nsw ers to objections a d v an ced ag ain st old-age pensions. K an sas C ity
[1928]. 14 pp.
------ T he justice an d econom y of old-age pensions, K an sas C ity , M o., [1928].
33 pp.
------ M uch m ore a b o u t old-age pensions. K an sas C ity, M o., 1922. 32 pp.
—— R ecom m endation for a n old-age pension bill, su b m itte d by th e Old-Age
P ension C om m ission. [K an sas C ity , 1925?] 7 pp.
------ R ep o rt of th e Old-Age Pension C om m ission . . . 1925—[1927]. [K ansas
C ity? 1925-27.] 3 p am p h lets.
------ W h at th e press, churchm en, p ublic m en [and] e d u cato rs th in k of old-age
pensions. K ansas C ity , Mo., [1928]. 14 pp.
G i l l i n , J o h n L.
P o v e rty a n d D epen d en cy ; T h eir relief a n d p rev en tio n . N ew Y ork, T he
C e n tu ry Co., 1921. 707 pp.
“ T he aged d ependent,” pp. 235-269.
H a ll, G . St a n l e y .
Senescence, th e la s t h alf of life.
1922. 518 pp.
N ew Y ork, L ondon, D. A ppleton & Co.,
T he chapter on ‘‘ Statistics of old age and its care ” discusses briefly public and private provision
for old age, including th e old-age pensions in various countries, pp. 170-194.
H e n d e r s o n , C h a r l e s R.
In d u s tria l In su ran c e in th e U n ite d S ta te s.
C hicago Press, 1909. 429 pp.
C hicago, T h e U n iv ersity of
T h e outlook for public pensions for old age and invalidism is discussed on pages 319-322.
H o f f m a n , F r e d e r i c k L.
T h e P roblem of P o v e rty a n d P ensions in Old Age [and discussion], { I n
N atio n al C onference of C h arities a n d C orrection. Proceedings, 1908,
pp. 219-234.)
R eprinted in American Journal of Sociology, Septem ber, 1908, v. 14, pp. 182-196.
T h e au th o r points ou t th e need for thorough stu d y of th e facts before undertaking legislation.
J o h n s e n , J u l ia E ., c o m p .
S elected articles on social insurance.
381 pp. (H and b o o k series.)
K elso
N ew Y ork, H . W . W ilson co., 1922.
Selected articles on old age pensions, pp. 243-287.
I^ o b e r t
T he Science of P ublic W elfare.
N ew Y ork, H . H o lt & Co.
[1928]
428 pp.
Old-age pensions a form of poor relief, pp. 208-211.
L a p p , J o h n A.
T h e grow ing insistence upo n pensions in ste a d of in s titu tio n a l care fo r aged
d ependents. (W ith sta n d a rd bill fo r old-age pensions.) N ew Y ork,
[1925] 11 pp.
R eprinted from A merican L abor Legislation Review, M arch 1925, v. 15, pp. 23-29.
------ Ju stic e F irst . . .
N ew Y ork, C e n tu ry Co.
[1928]
vii, 185 pp.
“ Old age secu rity ” , p p. 73-82.
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MONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W
L a p p , J o h n A.
T he relatio n of
{In
N atio n al C onference
in d u s try to th e aged.
of C atholic C harities.
Proceedings,
1926.
pp. 217-224.)
“ N othing less th a n a state-wide or nation-w ide old age pension system w ill m eet th e needs of
th e aged of th e present generation and of those to come.”
L a t im e r , M u r r a y W.
O ld-age pensions in A m erica . . .
N ew Y ork C ity .
[1929]
14 pp.
R ep rin ted from American L abor Legislation Review, M arch, 1929.
M il l e r , G u r d o n R.
Social insurance in th e U n ited S ta te s.
1918. 136 pp.
Chicago, A. C. M cC lurg & Co.,
“ Old-age su p p o rt,” p p. 105-118.
N a s s a u , M a b e l L.
O ld-age P o v e rty in G reenw ich Village; A neighborhood stu d y . . . New
Y ork, C hicago [etc.], F lem ing H . R evell Co. [1915]. 105 pp. (G reenw ich
H ouse series, N o. 6.)
“ T h e need of public provision for aged people in A m erica” , pp. 93-105.
N a t io n a l A s s o c ia t io n o p M a n u f a c t u r e r s o p t h e U n it e d S t a t e s o p A m e r ic a .
Special re p o rt on old-age pensions, p re p a re d b y S. P. B ush.
{ I n i t s Proceedings of th e tw en ty -seco n d a n n u a l convention, M ay, 1917,
p p. 48-63.)
T h e com m ittee considers “ evidence lacking to prove a present necessity for the
en actm ent of old-age pension legislation for th e civil population. ’ ’
N a t i o n a l C i v i c F e d e r a t i o n . C o m m it t e e o n P e n s i o n s .
O ld-age pensions. _ E xperience in D en m ark , N ew Z ealand, A u stralia, F rance,
a n d G reat B ritain . C riticism of sim ilar p la n a d v o c a te d fo r e n a c tm e n t by
S ta te legislatures. R e p o rt m ad e b y P. T ecum seh Sherm an. F e b ru a ry ,
1923. N ew Y ork, 1923. 17 pp.
R eprinted in Selected Articles on Old Age Pensions, compiled by L. T . Bem an, 1927, pp. 298-316
------ I n d u s t r i a l W e l f a r e D e p a r t m e n t .
S t u d y E x t e n t of old-age d ependency. R e p o rt . . . u p o n econom ic a n d
physical s ta tu s of persons 65 y ears of age a n d o ver in N ew Y ork, New
Jersey, P e n n sy lv a n ia a n d C o n n ecticu t. In clu d es a d d itio n a l d a ta from
M assach u setts . . . [N ew Y ork, 1928] 158 p p . incl. tab les.
P . T ecum seh Sherm an, chairm an com m ittee on old-age annuities; E d m u n d S. Cogswell,
director of research.
P artial contents: Statistical report, b y E . S. Cogswell. T he analysis of M assachusetts
m aterial, b y E . S. Cogswell. Sum m ary s tu d y of almshouses in N ew Y ork, N ew Jersey, Con
necticut, and P ennsylvania, b y W om an’s dep artm en t, N ational C ivic Federation. “ Are 85 out
of 100 m en failures a n d dependents a t 65?” , b y A lba M . E dw ards. A nalysis of “ T he problem of
' old-age pensions m in d u s try ,” b y A braham E pstein, b y P . Tecum seh Sherman.
Sum m ary in M o n th ly L abor R eview , M ay , 1928, v. 26, pp. 960-962.
N a t io n a l C o n f e r e n c e o n O l d - A g e S e c u r i t y .
F ir s t, N e w Y o r k , 1 9 2 8 .
O ld-age security . R e p o rt of proceedings, F irs t n a tio n a l conference, h eld in
N ew Y ork C ity , A pril 10, 1928. N ew Y ork C ity, A m erican A ssociation
for Old-Age S ecurity. [1928.] 56 pp.
Papers w ere presented b y J. P . C ham berlain, J. L. Cohen, Leifur M agnusson, J. H . M aurer.
E . B. L ym an, a n d others.2
N e w I n t e r n a t io n a l Y e a r B o o k ,
1918-1928.
11 v.
1917-1927.
N ew Y ork, D odd, M ead & Co.,
’
E ach volum e contains a section on th e old-age pension m ovem ent in th e U nited States and other
countries.
N ew Y ork.
{ S ta te ) L i b r a r y .■ L e g i s l a t i v e R e fe r e n c e S e c t i o n .
C om pilation a n d d igest of th e law s of th e various S ta te s a n d G re a t B ritain
relatin g to old-age pensions. B y Ju n e L am b ert. A lbany, 1928. 121 pp.
(P h o to sta t copy.)
R u b in o w , I sa a c M .
Social Insurance, w ith Special R eference to A m erican C onditions.
Y ork, H . H o lt & Co., 1913. 525 pp.
New
“ T he pension m ovem ent in th e U n ited States,” p p . 389-412.
S e a g e r , H e n r y R.
Social In su ran ce, a P ro g ram of Social R eform , . . . N ew Y ork, T h e M ac
m illan Co., 1910. 175 pp. (A m erican social progress series.)
“ Provisions for old age,” pp. 115-145.
( A second conference w as held A pr. 26, 1929.
Old Age Security, M ay , 1929.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
B rief rep o rt in B u lletin of th e A m erican Association for
[1164]
BIBLIOGRAPHY— PUBLIC OLD-AGE PENSIONS
251
S q u ie r , L e e W .
Old-age D ependency in th e U n ited S ta te s; A com plete su rv ey of th e pension
m ovem ent. N ew Y ork, T h e M acm illan Co., 1912. 361 pp.
T exas.
U n iv e r s ity .
D e p a r tm e n t o f E x te n s io n .
Intercollegiate d eb ate s a n d bibliographies on old-age pensions a n d b an k in g
an d currency reform . A ustin, T ex., U n iv ersity of Texas, 1912. 54 pp.
(B ulletin of th e U niv ersity of Texas, No. 284. E x ten sio n series 34.
Ju n e 22, 1913.)
Also in Intercollegiate debates, v. 4, 1914, pp. 376-413.
U n it e d S t a t e s .
B u r e a u o f L a b o r S ta tis tic s .
L abor law s of th e U n ited S tates, w ith decisions of co u rts re la tin g th e re to .
W ashington, 1925. 1,240 pp. ( I t s B ulletin No. 370.)
“ Old-age pensions,” pp. 93-94.
-------------- L abor legislation of 1925-1927.
letins No. 403, 434, 470.)
W ashington, 1926-1928.
3 v.
(B ul
C ontains texts of S tate laws on old-age pensions.
--------- —— Decisions of co u rts an d opinions affecting lab o r, 1925. W ashington,
1926. 281 pp. (B ulletin No. 417. L abor law s of th e U n ited S ta te s series.)
“ Old-age pensions” , p p. 120-122.
—----------- O ld-age a n d d isab ility pensions. E x tra c ts from th e M o n th ly L ab o r R e
view, a p u b licatio n of th e U n ited S ta te s B ureau of L ab o r S ta tistic s, from 1926
to 1928. W ashington, 1928. 228 pp. (70th Cong., 1st sess., S. Doc. 140.)
Presented b y M r. Dill. M ay 3, 1928.
Includes articles on public old-age pensions, industrial, trade-union, and public retirem ent
in the U nited States and foreign countries.
systems
Articles in Periodicals
A m e r ic a n
A s s o c ia t io n f o r L a b o r L e g is l a t io n .
Old-age pension legislation. [1923-1928.]
A m erican L ab o r L egislation Review , M arch, 1923, Ju n e, 1925, M arch,
1927-Septem ber, 1928.
——— “ S ta n d a rd b ill” fo r old-age pensions.
A m erican L ab o r L egislation R eview , D ecem oer, 1928, v. 18, pp. 430-433.
A m e r ic a n A s s o c ia t io n f o r O l d - A g e S e c u r it y .
B ulletin.
A re
Ju n e, 1927-
N ew Y ork, 1927-
Reviews th e progress of th e old-age pension m ovem ent in th e U nited States and foreign countries.
P o o r h o u s e s “ A m e r ic a n ” ?
A m erican L ab o r L egislation R eview , M arch, 1926, v. 16, p. 103.
E x tracts from messages of G overnor R ichardson of California, and G overnor H artley of W ash
ington, vetoing old-age pension bills and from messages of other governors approving such bills.
W.
H ow to pension yourself.
S atu rd a y E venin g P ost, April 16, 1927, v. 199, No. 42, p p . 20-21, 65-66.
Atw ood, A lbert
T h e second of tw o articles on th e financial problem s of old age.
B a l d w i n , F. S p e n c e r .
O ld-age pension sch em es; a criticism a n d a p rogram .
Q u arterly Jo u rn a l of E conom ics, A ugust, 1910, v. 24, pp. 713-742.
B ased on th e studies of th e M assachusetts Commission on’ Old-Age Pensions, A nnuities,
an d Insurance of 1910.
B i g e l o w , W i l l i a m F.
Shall we pension th e aged? [E ditorial.]
G ood H ousekeeping, Ju n e, 1928, v. 86, No. 6, p. 4’.
W ork is needed by th e old rath er th a n public pensions.
J. P.
T h e beginning of old-age pension legislation in th e U n ited S tates, b y J. P .
C h am berlain a n d S terling Pierson.
A m erican B ar A ssociation Jo u rn a l, F e b ru a ry , 1924, v. 10, pp. 109-111.
C h a m b e r l a in ,
R eprinted in th e Economic W orld, M arch 1, 1924, v. 27, pp. 309-310; Journal of Com para
tiv e Legislation, F eb ru ary , 1925, 3d series, v. 7, pp. 114-118.
C h il d , R ic h a r d
W ash bu rn .
W h a t shall w e do w ith th e old?
E v e ry b o d y ’s M agazine, S eptem ber, 1909, v. 21, pp. 355-361.
46658°— 29■17
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252
C la rk , E vans.
O ld-age pensions increase in p ublie favor. N ew F ren ch law c o n tra st to
A m erican h esita tio n to g ra n t S ta te aid.
N ew Y ork T im es, A pril 1, 1928, sec. 10, p. 4.
C o l e m a n , M cA l is t e r .
S ecurity for old age. T h irty -se v e n foreign co u n tries a n d sta te s offer some
form of p ro te c tio n fo r th e old; only six A m erican S ta te s p e rm it old-age
pensions.
W om an’s Jo u rn a l, M arch, 1928, v. 13, No. 3, pp. 5-7.
C o n c e r n in g
O l d - a g e S e c u r it y .
Social Service B u lletin (M e th o d ist F e d e ra tio n for Social Service), M arch 1,
1929, v. 19, No. 5, pp. 1-4.
C o n f e r e n c e o n S o c i a l I n s u r a n c e , C h ic a g o , 1913.
Proceedings of F irs t A m erican C onference on Social In su ra n c e , Ju n e 6, 7,
1913.
A m erican L ab o r L egislation R eview , Ju n e , 1913, v. 3, pp. 147-292.
•“ Old-age insurance,” by F . Spencer B aldw in, pp. 202-212; discussion b y F. L. H oflm an,
K atherine Com an, L. W. Squier, I. M . R ubinow , p p . 221, 237-243.
E a v e s , L u c il e .
Pensions o r poorhouses?
S urvey, F e b ru a ry 15, 1928, v. 59, pp. 613-615.
A comparison of th e reports and findings of th e M assachusetts Commission on Pensions
(1925) and th e S tu d y on extent of old-age dependency by the N ational Civic Federation.
E p s t e in , A b r a h a m .
N ew developm en ts in th e care of th e aged.
H o sp ital Social Service, Ju ly , 1926, v. 14, pp. 21-27.
R ead before th e Pennsylvania Conference on Social Welfare, P ittsb u rg h , F ebruary 3-6,1926.
------ O ld-age pensions.
A m erican L ab o r L egislation Review , D ecem ber, 1922, v. 12, pp. 223-227.
A n argum ent for State pensions.
------ O ld-age pensions a n d A m erican lab o r leadership.
A m erican L ab o r M o n th ly , v. 1, Ju n e, 1923, pp. 26-33.
------ Pensions— On a n d off.
Survey, J u n e 15, 1925, v. 54, pp. 341, 342.
------ P resen t s ta tu s of old-age pension legislation in th e U n ite d S tates.
M o n th ly L ab o r R eview , O ctober, 1924, v. 19, pp. 760-767.
— —- R ecen t d ev elop m en ts in old-age pension legislation.
A m erican R eview , N ovem ber, 1925, v. 3, pp. 699-705.
— — A side lig h t on th e fam ily s ta tu s of aged d ep end en ts.
A m erican L ab o r L egislation R eview , M arch, 1925, v. 15, pp. 30-31.
From his address before th e A m erican Association for L abor Legislation, December 29, 1924.
F olks, H om er.
H om e life for th e aged.
Survey, O cto b er 15, 1924, v. 53, pp. 71, 72.
An argum ent for S tate pensions.
Review, Decem ber, 1924.
P a rtly rep rin ted in the Am erican L abor Legislation
W. J.
O ld-age pensions. .
In d e p en d en t, M ay 4, 1911, v. 70, pp. 950-951.
G hent,
R ep rin ted in Selected Articles on Old-Age Pensions, compiled b y L am ar T . Bem an, 1927,
p p. 141-144.
G o o d n o w , F r a n k J.
T he c o n stitu tio n a lity of old-age pensions.
A m erican P o litical Science Review , M ay, 1911, v. 5, pp. 194-212.
T h e a u th o r concludes th a t old-age pensions w ould probably be constitutional if provided
b y th e Federal G overnm ent for indigent persons. C itations to law s and decisions in foot
notes.
G r e e n , A d d i s o n L.
O ld-age pensions.
In d u s try (A ssociated In d u s trie s of M a ssach u setts), D ecem b er 26, 1925,
v. 16, N o. 17, pp. 3-4.
R em arks before th e Associated In d u stries of M assachusetts.
tu re rs’ News, F e b ru a ry 20, 1926, v. 29, No. 8, p p. 13-16.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1166]
R eprinted, in M anufac
BIBLIOGRAPHY— PUBLIC OLD-AGE PEN SIO N S
253
H ale, E dw ard E v erett.
A business proposition.
C harities, Ju n e 1, 1907, v. 18, pp. 275-278.
Foreign, experience should be applied in the U nited States.
H e r in g , F r a n k E .
A w akening in te re st in old-age p ro tectio n .
A m erican L ab o r L egislation R eview , Ju n e 1923, v. 13, pp. 139-144.
B y th e chairm an of old-age pension commission, Fratern al Order of Eagles.
H o f f m a n , F r e d e r i c k L.
S ta te pensions a n d a n n u ities in old age.
A m erican S ta tistic a l A ssociation P u b licatio n s, M arch 1909, v. 11,
pp. 363-408.
Tables of estim ated cost of State pensions, age statistics, etc., pp. 390-408.
I n s u r a n c e o r P e n s io n s ?
Public, F e b ru a ry 8, 1918, v. 21, pp. 168-169.
A dvocates Federal tontine insurance for old age or dependents.
and M arch 16, 1918, v. 21, pp. 245, 341.
J ohnson, A lex a n d er.
See also issue of F eb ru ary 23
A t th e end of th e road.
Survey, Ju n e 15, 1925, v. 54, pp. 339-341.
“ Sum m ary of recent aspects of th e facts, philosophy and technique of care for the aged.”
K im b a l l , I n g a l l s .
In d u s tria l pensions v. S ta te po o r relief.
A nnalist, Ja n u a ry 22, 1926, v. 27, pp. 149-151.
T h e conclusion is reached th a t insurance companies are the logical adm inistrators of sound
pension plans.
L a pp, J o h n A.
A d vantages of in su ran ce in d istrib u tin g th e cost of illness a n d old age.
A m erican L ab o r L egislation R eview , Ju n e 1928, v. 18, pp. 181-188.
L e g i s l a t i v e A c t i o n o n O l d - a g e P e n s i o n s , 1923.
M o n th ly L ab o r R eview , N ov em b er 1923, v. 17, pp. 1172-1174.
Sum m ary of laws in M ontana, N evada, Pennsylvania, and Alaska.
A L e g is l a t iv e R e v ie w [o f O l d - a g e P e n s io n B il l s in S t a t e L e g is l a t u r e s ,
1929].
T he E agle M agazine (F ra te rn a l O rder of E agles), M arch, 1929, pp. 19, 46.
O ther issues of the Eagle M agazine contain m aterial on th e work of the Eagles for pension legis
lation.
L e o n a r d , L o u is e .
S um m ary of discussion a t old-age pensions conference u n d er th e auspices
of B altim ore L ab o r College, in Y. W. C. A., F e b ru a ry 2, 1929.
B altim ore F ed eratio n ist, F e b ru a ry 15, 1929, v. 8, no. 46, pp. 1, 2.
L y n c h , J am es M .
Pensions are superio r to poorhouses.
A m erican L ab o r L egislation R eview , S eptem ber, 1925, v. 15, pp. 262,
263.
T h e experience of the Intern atio n al Typographical Union.
M a c k e n z ie , F r e d e r ic k .
O ld-age in su ran ce legislation now up to th e S tates.
A m erican L ab o r L egislation Review , D ecem ber, 1920, v. 10, pp. 254-255.
M o d l in , G e o r g e M .
W ho shall su p p o rt th e aged w orker? Shall in d u s try ’s p roblem be solved by
self-help or is it a fu n ctio n of th e S ta te ?
Forbes, A pril 1, 1929; v. 23, No. 7, pp. 35-38.
O l d - a g e P e n s io n s C o m in g .
N ation, M ay 4, 1927, v. 124, pp. 493-494.
[E ditorial.]
N atio n , Ja n u a ry 30, 1929, v. 128, p. 123.
P e n s i o n i n g o f W a g e E a r n e r s . [E ditorial.]
In d ep en d en t, N ov em b er 28, 1912, v. 73, pp. 1267-1268.
O ld a nd P o o r .
T he
A dequate pensioning can be done only b y th e state.
P e n s i o n s v s . P o o r h o u s e . [E ditorial.]
N ew Y ork T im es, Ju n e 28, 1927, p. C, col. 4-5.
Holds th e view th a t pensions are sim ply an o th er form of public relief.
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MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
E. G r o s v e n o r .
C o n trib u to ry pension m o v em en t growing.
In d u s try (A ssociated In d u strie s of M assach u setts), A ugust 11, 1928,
v. 21, No. 24, pp. 2, 3.
------ T h e old-age pension question.
In d u s try (A ssociated In d u strie s of M assa c h u se tts), A pril 3, 1926, v. 17,
No. 5, pp. 1-3.
P low m an,
Opposed to S tate pensions.
------- T h e problem of social insurance.
In d u s try (A ssociated In d u strie s of M a ssach u setts), M ay 28, 1927, v. 19
No. 13, pp. 3-4.
P u b l ic P e n s io n s f o r A g e d D e p e n d e n t s .
M o n th ly L ab o r Review , Ju n e 1926,
v. 28, pp. 449-458.
v. 22, pp.
1177-1185;
M arch, 1929,
Status of th e m ovem ent in th e U nited States.
R u b i n o w , I s a a c M.
W here will you be a t 65?
N ew R epublic, A pril 25, 1928, v. 54, pp. 289-291.
A critique of th e stu d y of th e extent of old-age dependency issued b y th e N ational Civic
Federation. Sum m ary in M o n th ly L abor Review, Ju n e 1928, v. 26, pp. 1187-1189.
S C H L IC H T IN G ,
L O U IS E .
W ho w an ts old age pensions? I.
I I . M ore w om en th a n m en, b y
Survey, Ju ly 15, 1924, v. 52,
S e a g e r , H e n r y R.
O ld-age pensions.
C harities a n d th e C om m ons,
T o -d a y ’s pro d u cers, b y Louise Schlichting.
M abel T ay lo r.
pp. 464, 465.
O ctober 3, 1908, v. 21, p p . 10-12.
“ N oncontributory old-age pensions w ill a d d a t once to th e sum of hum an happiness.”
S e a r s , A m e l ia .
O ld-age pensions.
F am ily, F e b ru a ry , 1927, v. 7, pp. 300-306.
Short bibliography.
Sherm an, P. T ecum seh.
D em oralizing effects of old-age pensions.
C u rren t H isto ry M agazine (N ew Y ork T im es), M arch , 1924, v. 19,
pp. 999-1002.
W i l l i a m s , I r a J.
O ld-age pensions.
C o n stitu tio n a l R eview , O ctober, 1927, v. 11, p p . 39-42.
A rgum ents opposed to old-age pensions, based on th e Pennsylvania cases.
W o o d b u r y , R o b e r t M.
Social insurance, old-age pensions, a n d p o o r relief.
Q u arterly Jo u rn a l of E conom ics, N ovem ber, 1915, v. 30, pp. 152-171.
Proposals for Federal Legislation
[T he follow ing bills to p rovide or in v estig ate old-age pensions h av e been in tro
duced in C ongress, 1909 to 1929:
61st C ong.: H . R . 14494; H . R . 17505; H . R . 25456; H . R es. 57.
62d C ong.: H . R . 13114; H . R es. 376; H . J . Res. 138; H . J. Res. 283.
63d C ong.: H . R . 4352; H . R. 8827; H R . 12108; H . R . 16543; H . J. Res. 180;
H . J. R es. 223.
6 4th C ong.: H. R 7555; H . R . 16508; H . R . 16512; H . R . 20002; H . R . 20351;
H . R . 233; H . R . 11481; H . R. 20576; H . R . 20950 H . R . 21053; H . J. Res. 28;
S. 7414.
65th C ong.: H . R. 2297; H . R. 3367; H . R. 4039; H . R . 6541; H . R . 7350;
S. 395.
66th Cong. H . R. 1433; H . R . 1471; H . R . 3077; H . R . 5001; H . R . 10431;
H . R. 10882; H . R . 14256; H . J. Res. 114; S. 2803.
6 7th C ong.: H . R 2227; H . R. 3187; H . R . 3723; H . R. 4074; H . R . 7037.
68th C ong.: H . R. 6858; S. 2655.
6 9th C ong.: H . R. 10387.
70th C ong.: H . R . 6511; H . R. 11474; H . R. 13616; H . R es. 266; H . J. Res. 278.
71st C ong.: H . R. 1199; H . Res. 23.]
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
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B IBLIOG RAPH Y — PUBLIC OLD-AGE PEN SIO N S
255
B e r g e r , V ic t o r L ,
[Speech in th e H ouse a d v o catin g a F ed eral sy stem of old-age pensions.]
C ongressional R ecord, A ugust 7, 1911, v. 47, pp. 3698-3700.
------ [A pension fo r th e v e te ra n of th e Spanish-A m erican W ar a n d for th e v e te ra n
of in d u stry . Speech in th e House.]
C ongressional R ecord, A pril 5, 1926, v. 67, pp. 6932-6933.
Contains text of his bill (H. R. 10387) to provide old-age pensions.
------ O ld-age pension.
C ongressional R ecord, M arch 28, 1928, v. 70, p p . 5508-5509.
R em arks in favor of his bill, H . R. 11474.
K e l l y , M. C l y d e .
O ld-age pensions. Speech in th e H ouse.
C ongressional R ecord, Ju n e 10, 1913, v. 50, pp. 1960-1966.
A rgum ent in favor of H . R. 4352.
R eprinted in Selected Articles on Old-age Pensions, compiled b y L. T . B em an, 1927, pp.
199-224.
L u n d in , F r e d e r ic k .
O ld-age pensions.
C ongressional R ecord, Ju n e 23, 1910, v. 45, pp. 8853-8857.
Speech in th e H ouse in support of his bill providing for a commission to investigate old-age
pension systems.
O ’C o n n o r , J a m e s .
O ld-age pensions.
C ongressional R ecord, M ay 8, 1928, v. 69, pp. 8160-8161.
R em arks on H ouse Jo in t Resolution No. 278, providing for a commission to inquire into
old-age dependency.
R i c k e t t s , E d w i n D.
[A ddress in th e H ouse on old-age pensions.]
C ongressional R ecord, F e b ru a ry 16, 1917, v. 54, p p . 3456-3458.
S h e r w o o d , I s a a c R,
[A ddress in th e H ouse on pensions.]
C ongressional R ecord, F e b ru a ry 20, 1920, v. 59, p p . 3206-3207.
S i r o v ic h , W il l ia m
I.
Old-age pensions.
C ongressional R ecord, M ay 25, 1928, v. 69, pp. 9936-9941.
In support of his bill H . R. 6511, providing for an old-age security investigating commission.
C ontains draft of proposed “ Old-age security b ill.”
------ [A ddress to th e H ouse on old-age pensions.]
C ongressional R ecord, D ecem ber 20, 1928, v. 70, pp. 944-948.
U n it e d S t a t e s .
C o n g ress.
H ouse.
C o m m it t e e o n L a b o r .
O ld-age pensions. H earin g s on H . R . 20002, p ro v id in g for pensions for
A m erican citizens w ho h av e reach ed th e age of 65 y ears a n d w ho are
incapable of m a n u a l lab o r a n d whose incom es are less th a n $200 p er an n u m ,
Ja n u a ry 27, 1917. W ashington, 1917. 10 pp.
S tatem ent of Isaac R. Sherwood.
State Legislation and Discussion
[In 1929 bills providing old-age pensions w ere in tro d u c e d in to th e legislatures
of ab o u t 26 S tates. F o r a su m m ary of th e various old-age pension bills in 1929
legislatures se e B ulletin of th e A m erican A ssociation for Old Age S ecu rity fo r
M a rc h -M a y , 1929.]
Alaska
[In A laska th e legislatu re passed a law in 1915, am en d ed in 1923 (ch. 46), allow ing
a p a y m e n t to needy “ A laska p ioneers.” In 1927, 287 aged resid en ts were
receiving pensions.]
Arizona
[An A rizona law of 1914 w as declared void by th e S uprem e C o u rt of th e S ta te .
(S ta te B oard of C o n tro l v. B uckstegge (1916), 18 Ariz. 277; 158 Pac. 837).]
California
[A bill providing for old-age pensions passed b o th houses of th e leg islatu re in
1925, b u t w as veto ed by th e governor.]
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MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
C a l i f o r n i a . S o c i a l I n s u r a n c e C o m m is s i o n .
R ep o rt . . . J a n u a ry 25, 1917.
S acram en to , 1917.
339 pp.
P au l H erriott, chairm an.
Progress of th e m ovem ent for old-age insurance and pensions in the U nited States, pp. 260-263.
------ S t a t e D e p a r t m e n t o f S o c i a l W e lfa r e .
Old-age depend en cy ; a stu d y of th e care given to needy aged in C alifornia.
[Sacram ento, 1928.] 64 pp.
B y E sth er D e T urbeville.
------ U n i v e r s i t y . H e lle r C o m m itte e f o r R e s e a r c h i n S o c i a l E c o n o m ic s .
T he d ep en d en t aged in San Francisco. P rep ared . . . in collaboration w ith
th e coordinatio n co m m ittee of th e San F rancisco C o m m u n ity C hest . . .
B erkeley, Calif., 1928. 127 pp. (U niv ersity of C alifornia pub licatio n s in
economics, v. 5, No. 1.)
Discusses th e extent of th e problem , causes, personal aspects, costs of relief and (Appendix A,
pp. 113-118) th e probable costs of a S tate pension.
Sum m ary in A m erican L abor Legislation Review, June, 1928, pp. 169-170.
Colorado
[A law ap p ro v ed M arch 19, 1927, p e rm its counties to estab lish system s of old-age
pensions. (A cts of 1927, ch. 143).]
Connecticut
C o n n e c t ic u t .
R ep o rt.
C o m m i s s i o n o f P u b l i c W e lfa r e .
H a rtfo rd , 1919.
136 pp.
W illiam Brosm ith, chairm an.
Old-age pensions were considered inadvisable for C onnecticut (p. 17).
A bill introduced in th e legislature in 1925 was rejected in committee.
C o n n e c t ic u t l a b o r u r g e s S t a t e a id f o r a g e d . S o c ia l is t s j o i n i n b a t t l e .
M a n u f a c t u r e r s p l e a d f o r d e l a y a n d in v e s t ig a t io n .
New L eader, M arch 16, 1929, p. 2, col. 4.
Illinois
S ö d erström
s t a n t ia l
b il l
pa sses
house.
O ld-age
p e n s io n
pro po sa l
m a kes
sub
PR O G RESS.
W eekly News L e tte r (Illinois S ta te F ed e ra tio n of L abor), M ar. 23, 1929,
v. 14, No. 1, p. 1.
Indiana
I n d ia n a .
C o m m itte e o n O ld - A g e P e n s i o n s .
T he re p o rt of th e co m m ittee a p p o in ted to in v estig ate th e q uestion of old-age
pensions. [Indianapolis, 1925.] [14] pp.
F ran k E. H ering, chairm an.
Recommends th e en actm ent of an old-age pension law.
house of th e legislature.
Bill introduced in 1925 passed one
Kentucky
[A law w as passed in 1926 allow ing counties to p rovide pensions for aged needy
persons (A cts of 1926, ch. 187).]
K e n t u c k y a d o pts o ld -a g e p e n s io n s .
A m erican L ab o r L egislation R eview , Ju n e , 1926, v. 16, p. 131.
P a s s a g e o f o l d - a g e p e n s io n a c t in Ke n t u c k y .
M onthly L ab o r R eview , O ctober, 1926, v. 23, p. 738.
Maine
M a in e .
C o m m i s s i o n o n O ld A g e .
R e p o rt on old-age d ependency.
[A ugusta, 1929.]
Su b m itted to th e Legislature Jan u a ry 3, 1929.
Maryland
[By a n a c t of 1927 (ch. 538) counties are a u th o rized to estab lish old-age pension
system s.]
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
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BIBLIOG RAPH Y — PU BLIC OLD-AGE PEN SIO N S
257
Massachusetts
[A law establishing a “ public b eq u est com m ission a n d a public b eq u est f u n d ”
w as passed Ju n e 12, 1928. (A cts of 1928, ch. 383.) A b stra c t in MonthlyL abor Review , A ugust, 1928, v. 27, p. 290.]
M assa ch u setts.
B u r e a u o f S ta tis tic s o f L a b o r.
T h irty -six th an n u a l re p o rt [for 1905].
B oston, 1906.
P a rt I I I (pp. 109-150) is a stu d y of th e estim ated cost of old-age pensions in M assachusetts.
tinu ed in its L abor B ulletin N o. 37, Septem ber, 1905, pp. 187-208.
------ C o m m i s s i o n o n O ld -a g e P e n s i o n s , A n n u i t i e s , a n d I n s u r a n c e .
Con«
P relim in ary re p o rt of th e com m ission, Ja n u a ry , 1909. B oston, 1909. 58 pp.
(G eneral court. H ouse D oc. N o. 10.)
------ -------R e p o rt of th e C om m ission, Ja n u a ry , 1910. B oston, 1910.
409 pp.
(G eneral court. H ouse Doc. No. 1400.)
M agnus W. Alexander, chairm an.
P artial C o n ten ts .— Statistical stu d y of aged poor in M assachusetts; Descriptive account of exist
ing systems; Proposed plans; T h e general question; Cost of various pension schemes as applied in M assa
chusetts; General conclusions concerning noncontributory pensions, compulsory insurance, and universal
schemes; Conclusions and recommendations.
Sum m ary and comment under t itle “ Old-age pensions by employers o n ly ” in Survey, F ebruary 5,
1910, v. 23, pp. 596, 597.
•------ C o m m i s s i o n o n P e n s i o n s (1914).
R e p o rt of th e C om m ission on Pensions, M arch 16, 1914.
345 pp. (G eneral C o u rt. H ouse Doc. 2450.)
Jam es E . M cConnell, chairm an.
Deals chiefly w ith pensions for public employees.
discussed in C hapter V (pp. 171-177).
------ B u r e a u o f S t a t i s t i c s .
B oston, 1914.
T h e problem of general old-age pensions is
R ep o rt of a special in q u iry re la tiv e to aged a n d d e p en d en t persons in M assa
ch u setts, 1915. B oston, 1916. 167 pp.
Appendixes: A. Bills relative to old-age pensions introduced in th e M assachusetts Legislature
in 1916. B. Specimen forms of inquiry. C. Bibliography—Old-age pensions. D . Table showing
expectation of life after 65 years of age. E . D escriptive account of national old-age pension
systems.
------ C o m m i s s i o n to C o m p i l e I n f o r m a t i o n a n d D a t a f o r th e U s e o f th e C o n s t i t u ti o n a l
C o n v e n tio n .
A sum m ary of existing law s on old-age pension system s a n d a bibliography.
B oston, 1917. 20 pp. (B ulletin No. 5.)
-------G o v e r n o r (Sam uel W. M cC all).
[R ecom m endations for old-age pension legislation in addresses to th e legisla
ture.]
M o n th ly L ab o r R eview , F e b ru a ry , 1917, v. 4, p p. 206-208; F e b ru a ry ,
1918,V . 6, pp. 441-443.
------ S p e c i a l C o m m i s s i o n o n S o c i a l I n s u r a n c e .
R ep o rt, F e b ru ary , 1917. B oston, 1917. 311 pp. (G eneral court. H .
Doc. No. 1850.)
F rank S. Farnsw orth, chairm an.
“ R eports on old-age pensions,” p p . 49-106. A m ajority of th e commission recom m ended a
system of noncontributory old-age pensions.
R eprinted in p art in Selected Articles on Old Age Pensions, compiled b y L. T . Bem an, 1927,
pp. 165-199.
Reviewed in M o nth ly L abor Review, M arch, 1917, v. 4, p. 428.
------- C o m m i s s i o n o n P e n s i o n s (1925).
R ep o rt on old-age pensions . . .
S. Doc. No. 5.)
B o sto n , 1925.
280 pp.
(G eneral court.
F rank H . Hardison, chairm an.
P artial C o n t e n t s .— 1. Sum m ary of investigations and recom m endations. II. T he aged
population of M assachusetts. III. Financial aspects of th e problem . A ppendixes: D . Old-age
pensions in other States; F . Previous investigations of old-age pensions in M assachusetts and
other States; H . S upplem entary statistical tables showing financial condition of 17,420 persons,
65 years of age and over, not dependent on organized charity.
Bill introduced in th e legislature in 1925 failed to pass.
Conclusions an d recom m endations reprinted in In d u stry (Associated Industries of M assa
chusetts), N ovem ber 21 and 28, 1925, v. 16, Nos. 12 and 13; also in American L abor Legislation
Review, D ecember, 1925, v. 15, p. 358, and in M o n th ly L abor Review, M arch, 1926, v. 22, pp.
679-681. Sum m ary b v A rth u r Richm ond M arsh in Economic W orld, N ovem ber 21, 1925, v. 30,
p. 740.
B a l d w i n , F. S p e n c e r .
T he findings of th e M assach u setts C om m ission on O ld-age Pensions.
A m erican S ta tistic a l A ssociation P ub licatio n s, M arch, 1910, v. 12,
pp. 1-27.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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MONTHLY LABOR R EV IE W
258
F. S p e n c e r .
T h e w ork of th e M assach u setts C om m ission on Old-age Pensions.
A m erican S ta tistic a l A ssociation P u b licatio n s, M arch, 1909, v. 11, p p .
417-430.
B a l d w in
B osto n C h a m b er o f C o m m er c e.
S p e c i a l C o m m it t e e o n S o c i a l I n s u r a n c e .
N o n co n trib u to ry old-age pensions a n d h e a lth in su ran ce.
15 pp.
E v erett M orss, chairm an.
Opposed to noncontributory pensions.
p p . 759-761.
C o g s w e l l , E d m u n d S.
[B oston, 1917.]
Su m m ary in M o n th ly L abor Review, M ay 1917, v. 4,
T h e sta tistic a l su rv ey of th e M assach u setts com m ission in v estig atin g th e
question of old-age pensions.
{ I n C asu alty A ctu arial Society.
Proceedings, v. X II, p t. 1. 1925,
No. 25, pp. 97-116.)
C o n a n t , R ic h a r d K .
Proposed m easures for im proving th e care of th e aged in M assach u setts.
{ I n N atio n al C onference of Social W ork.
Proceedings, 1926, pp.
562-564.)
E a v e s , L u c il e .
T he “ aged citiz e n s” of M assach u setts.
Survey, F eb ru a ry 15, 1926, v. 55, p p . 554-556.
Review and su m m ary of th e report on old-age pensions, b y the M assachusetts Commission
on Pensions, N ovem ber, 1925.
------ Aged clients of B oston social agencies, by a group of in v estig ato rs a n d social
w orkers. B oston, W om en’s E d u c a tio n a l a n d In d u s tria l U nion, 1925. 152 pp.
(C ooperative social research R e p o rt No. III.)
T h e need for pensions for th e aged discussed by social w orkers of Boston, pp. 125-140. Sum m ary in
Survey, Ju n e 15, 1925, v. 54, pp. 342, 343.
O l d - a g e P e n s i o n s P o l l a S t r o n g V o t e [ i n S i x M a s s a c h u s e t t s T o w n s ],
Survey, N ovem ber 27, 1915, v. 35, p. 197.
Minnesota
[A law establishing a c o u n ty -S ta te pension sy stem w as passed in M arch, 1929.]
M in n e s o t a .
L e g is la tu r e .
S e n a te .
I n t e r i m C o m m itte e o n O ld - A g e P e n s i o n s .
R ep o rt of th e in te rim co m m ittee . . .
George N ordlin, chairm an.
[St. P aul? 1929.]
14 pp.
Missouri
C o n s t i t u t i o n a l C o n v e n tio n , 1922-23.
T he record of th e proceedings of th e M issouri C o n stitu tio n a l C onven tio n ,
y ear 1922, on th e proposed a m e n d m e n t p ro v id in g for old-age pensions,
issu ed by Jo sep h B. Shannon, a m em b er thereof, O ctober 15, 1924.
[K ansas C ity, 1924.] 56 pp.
M is s o u r i.
Montana
[T he M o n ta n a law pro v id in g fo r old-age pensions w as p assed in 1923 (A cts of
1923, ch. 72).]
A s s o c ia t e d I n d u s t r ie s o f M o n t a n a .
M em orandum a n d co m pilation in re re su lts of o p eratio n of M o n ta n a old-age
pension law. [n. p., 1925.] 8 1 (m im eographed).
“ D istrib u ted b y th e N ational In d u strial Council, N ew Y ork.”
Regards adm inistrative operation as a failure. Sum m ary in M anufacturers News, N ovem ber
21, 1925, p. 10. S upplem entary d ata and observations in In d u stry (Associated Industries of
M assachusetts), M ay 29, 1926.
F l ig e l m a n , B e l l e .
If you grow old in M o n tan a.
Survey, M ay 15, 1923, v. 50, pp. 239, 240.
Gives th e provisions of th e law.
F raternal O rder of E a gles.
[1st]— 5 th y ear u n d e r old-age pensions in M o n tan a.
1923-1927.
5 leaflets.
C ontain reports of th e old-age pension commissions of th e several counties of M o n tan a to the
S tate auditor. R ep rin ted from th e Eagle magazine.
•------ T h e fifth y ear u n d er old-age pensions in M o n ta n a — p o in ts to w a rd th e early
doom of th e poorhouse.
C ongressional record, J a n u a ry 16, 1929, v. 70, p. 1854 (c u rre n t file,
a p p en d ix ).
S tatem ent presented b y M r. Dill.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY— PUBLIC OLD-AGE PEN SIO N S
259
Nevada
[T he first law passed in 1923 (ch. 70) w as repealed a n d a new law a d o p te d in
1925 (ch. 121).]
N evada.
O ld -a g e P e n s i o n C o m m is s i o n .
B iennial re p o rt of th e su p e rin te n d e n t of old-age pensions, 1923-24.
C ity, 1925. 23 pp.
C arson
M aurice J. Sullivan, superintendent.
Sum m ary of conclusions as to th e need of old-age pension legislation, Am erican L abor Legis
lation Review, Septem ber, 1925, v. 15, pp. 265-266; M o n th ly L abor Review , A pril, 1925, v. 20,
p. 892.
New Jersey
N ew
J ersey.
C o m m i s s i o n o n O ld a g e , I n s u r a n c e , a n d P e n s i o n s .
R e p o rt on h e a lth insurance.
R ah w ay [1917].
20 pp.
T h e commission believed th a t health protection should precede a ny provision for old age.
[A report of a pension commission recom m ending old-age pensions was presented to the A ssembly
in January, 1929.]
New York
N ew Y ork.
L e g is la tu r e .
J o i n t L e g i s l a t i v e W e l f a r e C o m m itte e .
R eports, 1927-29.
A n t in , B e n ja m in .
Old-age pensions now a S ta te issue. A com m ission is so u g h t to su rv ey th e
problem in N ew Y ork an d propose legislation.
N ew Y ork T im es, M arch 3, 1929, sec. 8, p. 22, col. 1-5.
R o o s e v e l t s t a r t s o l d - a g e a id s t u d y .
G o v e r n o r s a y s a d m in is t r a t iv e a n d
LEG ISLA TIV E PH A SES W ILL BE U N ITED IN G ENERAL C O N FER EN C E.
New Y ork T im es, Ja n u a ry 21, 1929, p. 2, col. 6.
[A bill providing for a commission of experts for th e s tu d y of old-age security and old-age pensions
was passed in April, 1929.]
Ohio
O h io .
H e a l t h a n d O ld -a g e I n s u r a n c e C o m m is s i o n .
H ealth , h e a lth in surance, old-age pensions. R ep o rt, reco m m en d atio n s, d is
senting opinions. C olum bus, 1919. 448 pp.
W . A. Julian, chairm an.
P a r t ia l C o n t e n t s .— P t. III. Old age and old-age pensions: T h e old-age problem ; T h e old
m an in in d u stry , analysis of census data, b y John O’G rady; Present statu s of th e aged; Old-age
assurance; T h e cost of old-age pensions; M in o rity report on old-age pensions, b y M . B. H am m ond.
A bill based on th e commission’s recom m endations was referred to th e voters in 1923 and re
jected.
Reviewed b y W illiam Leslie in Proceedings of th e C asualty A ctuarial and Statistical Society
of America, N ovem ber 21, 1919, pp 123-125.
-------------- S um m ary of findings, reco m m en d atio n s, a n d dissenting opinions.
C olum bus, 1919. 23 pp.
L a p p , J o h n A.
H e a lth a n d old-age in su ran ce in Ohio.
A m erican L ab o r L egislation Review , M arch, 1919, v. 9, pp. 47-58.
B y th e director of investigations of th e H ealth and Old-age Insurance Commission.
L i p m a n , W i l l i a m H.
A survey of th e conditions of th e d e p en d en t aged in th e S ta te of Ohio.
K ansas C ity , M o., F ra te rn a l O rder of Eagles, 1926. 24 pp.
Oregon
C o m m u n i t y B u i l d e r , Vol. 1, Nos. 1-7.
Salem ,
D evoted to th e m ovem ent for old-age pensions in Oregon.
D a v i s , F r a n k E ., C o m p .
Shall O regon have a n old-age pension law?
Pension League, 1927. 54 pp.
Oreg., 1928-29.
. . .
P o rtla n d , Oreg., Old-age
Pennsylvania
[The
P en n sy lv an ia old-age assistance a c t p assed in 1923 (N o. 141) w as declared
u n c o n stitu tio n a l b y th e S uprem e C o u rt of th e S ta te , F e b ru a ry 2, 1925. (Busser e t al. v. S nyder, S ta te tre a su re r e t al., 128 A tl. 80. A b stra c t in M o n th ly
L ab o r Review , M ay, 1925 „v. 20, pp. 1155, 1156.)]
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1173]
260
MONTHLY LABOR R EV IB W
P e n n s y l v a n ia .
O ld -a g e P e n s i o n s C o m m is s i o n .
R ep o rt, M arch, 1919.
H arrisb u rg , P a., 1919.
294 pp.
Jam es H . M aurer, chairm an; A braham Epstein, director of research.
P a r t ia l C o n t e n t s .—T h e problem of th e aged in Pennsylvania; E x ten t and n ature of existing
pension system s in Pennsylvania; T h e problem of old-age pensions; Old-age pension system s of
foreign countries.
Reviewed by W illiam Leslie in Proceedings of th e C asualty Actuarial Society of America, N ovem
ber 21,1919, p. 122.
-------------- R ep o rt, F eb ru a ry , 1921. H arrisb u rg , 1921.
6 pp.
------ ------- P rim er on old-age pensions a n d aged d ependency in P ennsylvania.
P rep ared by A brah am E p ste in . H a rrisb u rg [1921?]. 12 pp.
—— G o v e r n o r (P incho t).
O ld-age assistance in P en n sy lv an ia: R ig h tin g th e neglects of y esterd ay .
A m erican L ab o r L egislation R eview , D ecem ber, 1924, v. 14, pp. 288-291.
Excerpts from address before th e State Conference on Old-age A ssistance a t H arrisburg,
N ovem ber 13, 1924.
•------ C o m m i s s i o n o n O ld - a g e A s s i s t a n c e .
R ep o rt, Ja n u a ry , 1925.
H a rrisb u rg [1925].
112 pp.
Jam es H . M aurer, chairm an.
Sum m ary in M o n th ly Labor Review, July, 1925, v. 21, pp. 157, 158.
------ O ld - a g e P e n s i o n s C o m m i s s i o n (1926-1927).
R ep o rt of th e P en n sy lv a n ia com m ission on old-age pensions.
H arrisb u rg , P a. [1927]. 253 pp.
Ja n u a ry , 1927.
Jam es H . M aurer, chairm an.
C o n t e n t s .—Sum m ary: T h e old-age pension m ovem ent in Pennsylvania. W hat the indus
trial a n d business leaders of Pennsylvania prefer in old-age pension legislation. T h e possibilities
of a co n tributory pension system in Pennsylvania. T h e old-age pension m ovem ent in the U nited
States. Pension system s abroad.
P e n n s y l v a n i a S t a t e C o n f e r e n c e o n O l d - A g e A s s i s t a n c e , H a r r i s b u r g , 1924.
[Sum m ary of addresses before th e conference by J. F. Collier, M rs. W. B.
G ray, M rs. J a n e t W orkm an, Jo h n B. Andrews, I. M. R ubinow , D r. Ellen
C. P o tte r, a n d others.]
{ I n P en n sy lv an ia C om m ission on O ld-age A ssistance.
R ep o rt, Ja n u a ry ,
1925. ‘ pp. 83-98.)
Short sum m ary of proceedings and excerpts of addresses of G overnor Pinchot, James
H . M aurer, and M rs. W orkm an in A m erican L abor Legislation Review, December, 1924,
v. 14, pp. 284-304.
W.
U n co n stitu tio n al a n d void.
Survey, O ctober 15, 1924, v. 43, pp. 69-70.
B ru ere, R obert
C om m ent on th e verdict of th e C ourt of Com m on Pleas of D au p h in C ounty declaring the
law unconstitutional.
F o r P e n n s y l v a n ia p a t r ia r c h s .
Survey, Ju ly 15, 1923, v. 50, pp. 448-449.
C om m ent on th e provisions of th e law.
M a u r e r , J a m e s H.
Old folks a re n ’t new s in P en n sy lv an ia.
Survey, D ecem ber 15, 1924, v. 53, pp. 368-369.
P e n n s y l v a n ia S t a t e C h a m b e r o f C o m m e r c e .
Special re p o rt on old-age pensions, 1919.
R esea rch B u re a u .
P h ilad elp h ia.
[1919]
64 pp.
Discusses special problem s of an old-age pension program an d com pulsory old-age insurance ver
sus noncontributory pensions.
P e n n s y l v a n ia t o p e n s io n t h e a g e d .
L iterary D igest, M ay 26, 1923, v. 77, p. 16.
O p p o s it io n p r o p a g a n d a a t w o r k a g a in s t o l d - a g e p e n s io n s .
A m erican L abor L egislation Review , D ecem ber, 1926, v. 16, pp. 285-287.
Utah
[A law establishing a c o u n ty sy stem of old-age pensions w as passed in M arch, 1929.]
Virginia
V ir g in ia .
G en era l A s s e m b ly .
C o m m it t e e o n O ld - a g e A s s i s t a n c e .
R ep o rt of th e legislative co m m ittee on old-age assistance.
1926.] 13 pp. (S. Doc. No. 2.)
[R ichm ond?
Signed b y Alfred C. Sm ith, H arry R . H ouston, E dw ard R . Fuller.
Review ed in Am erican Labor Legislation Review, M arch, 1926, v. 16, p. 102; M o nthly Labor
Review , M ay, 1926, v. 22, p. 1033.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1174]
BIBLIOG RAPH Y — PUBLIC OLD-AGE PENSION S
261
Washington
[An old-age pension bill passed by th e W ashington L egislatu re J a n u a ry 5, 1926,
w as veto ed b y G overnor H a rtle y .]
Wisconsin
[The old-age pension law of W isconsin was passed M ay 13, 1925 (ch. 121).]
W is c o n s in .
I n d u s t r i a l C o m m is s i o n .
R ep o rt on old-age relief.
------
[M adison? 1915.]
76 pp.
C. H . C row nhart, chairm an.
Sum m ary in M o n th ly L abor Review, M arch, 1916, v. 2, pp. 286-290.
S t a t e b o a r d o f c o n tr o l.
E ig h te e n th biennial re p o rt, 1924-1926.
1 v.
T h e section on “ Old-age pensions,” p. 89, gives th e results of operation of th e old-age pension
in th e five counties w hich had adopted th a t system of relief u p to June 30, 1926.
Sum m ary in Am erican Labor Legislation Review, Septem ber, 1926, v. 16, p. 246.
D a l e , M a r g a r e t J.
law
A survey of th e poor relief in W isconsin w ith special em phasis on th e old-age
pension bill. [M adison] U n iv ersity of W isconsin, 1928. 35 leaves,
(m im eographed.)
C om parative survey of cost and results of poor relief and old-age pensions in Wisconsin. Con
clusions support th e “ theory th a t th e m ethod of old-age pensions is a more economical, hum ane
and scientific w ay of handling th e aged poor.”
L ip m a n , W il l ia m H.
An estim ate of th e pro b ab le cost of old-age pensions in W isconsin u n d e r th e
G ary bill as com pared to th e cost u n d er th e p resen t sy stem of indoor a n d
ou td o o r relief of poor. M adison, W isconsin, 1923.
O l d - a g e p e n s io n s y s t e m s .
C ongressional R ecord, Ja n . 5, 1929, v. 70 (c u rren t file), pp. 1198-1200.
S tatem ent on th e operation of th e W isconsin old-age pension act b y th e county judge of L a Crosse,
Wis.
W h y G o v e r n o r B l a in e s ig n e d t h e o l d - a g e P e n s io n b il l .
E x tra c t from
rem arks, M ay 12, 1925.
A m erican L abor L egislation R eview , S eptem ber, 1925, v.15, p. 264.
Wyoming
[A law establishing old-age pensions on a co u n ty basis was passed in F e b ru a ry ,
1929. An earlier law passed in 1927 w as v etoed by th e governor.]
G l o r i o u s v i c t o r y i n W y o m i n g ; th e " e q u a lity ” S ta te passes a m a n d a to ry
O. A. P. law — th e first in th e U n ite d S tates.
E agle M agazine (F ra te rn a l O rder of E agles), A pril, 1929, v. 17, No. 4,
pp. 5-6.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1175]
PUBLICATIONS RELATING TO LABOR
O fficial— U n ite d S t a t e s
C o l o r a d o .— In d u s tria l Com m ission.
T e n t h r e p o r t, f o r th e b i e n n i u m
1 , 1 9 2 6 , to N o v e m b e r SO, 1 9 2 8 .
D enver, 192 8 .
68 pp.
D ecem ber
D a ta relatin g to w o rk m en ’s com pensation are given in th is issue. T he re p o rt
also contains a section on la b o r disp u tes in w hich are discussed th e w orking con
ditions of th e coal m ines in th e S tate.
M a s s a c h u s e t t s .— Special C om m ission on th e N ecessaries of Life.
R ep o rt . . .
B o s to n , J a n u a r y , 1 9 2 9 .
1 3 8 p p . ; c h a r ts .
( H o u s e N o . 1 0 7 4 -)
M i s s o u r i .— W orkm en ’s C om p en satio n Com m ission.
F i r s t a n n u a l r e p o r t, f o r
th e p e r io d f r o m J a n u a r y 9 , 1 9 2 7 , th r o u g h D e c e m b e r 3 1 , 1 9 2 7 .
[1 9 2 8 ].
219 pp.
.
J e ffe r s o n C ity ,
D a ta from th is re p o rt are given in th is issue.
W y o m i n g .— W orkm en ’s C om p en satio n D e p a rtm e n t.
T h i r t e e n t h r e p o r t, J a n u a r y
1 to D e c e m b e r 3 1 , 1 9 2 8 ; t h i r d r e p o r t, C o a l M i n e C a ta s tr o p h e I n s u r a n c e P r e m i u m
F u n d , 1 9 2 8 ; s i x t h r e p o r t, W y o m i n g P e a c e O ffic e r s ’ I n d e m n i t y F u n d , 1 9 2 8 .
C heyenne, 1929.
149 pp.
T he re p o rt of th e w o rk m en ’s com pensation d e p a rtm e n t is review ed in th is issue.
U n i t e d S t a t e s .-—Congress.
S enate. C o m m ittee o n e d u catio n a n d labor. U n
e m p l o y m e n t i n th e U n i t e d S t a t e s .
H e a r i n g s p u r s u a n t to S . R e s . 2 1 9 , a r e s o lu
t i o n p r o v i d in g f o r a n a n a l y s i s a n d a p p r a i s a l o f r e p o r ts o n u n e m p l o y m e n t a n d
s y s t e m s f o r p r e v e n t i o n a n d r e l i e f th e r e o f, to g e th e r w i t h S e n a t e r e p o r t N o . 2 0 7 2 .
W a s h in g to n , 1 9 2 9 .
517 pp.
T he te x t of th e co m m itte e ’s re p o rt is pu b lish ed in th is issue.
----------------------- C om m ittee on In te rs ta te C om m erce. B i t u m i n o u s c o a l c o m m i s
s io n .
H e a r i n g s o n S . 4 4 9 0 , a b ill to r e g u la te i n t e r s t a t e a n d f o r e i g n c o m m e r c e
i n b i t u m i n o u s c o a l, p r o v id e f o r c o n s o l id a t i o n s , m e r g e r s , a n d c o o p e r a tiv e m a r k e t
i n g ; r e g u la te t h e f u e l s u p p l y o f i n t e r s t a t e c a r r ie r s ; r e q u ir e th e l i c e n s in g o f
c o r p o r a tio n s p r o d u c i n g a n d s h i p p i n g c o a l i n i n t e r s t a t e c o m m e r c e ; a n d to c r e a te
a b i t u m i n o u s c o a l c o m m i s s i o n , a n d f o r o th e r p u r p o s e s , D e c e m b e r 1 4 , 1 9 2 8 , to
J a n u a ry 23, 1929.
W a s h in g to n , 1 9 2 9 .
352 pp.
■------ D e p a rtm e n t of A griculture.
T e c h n i c a l b u l l e t i n N o . 1 0 5 : A s h o r t m e th o d o f
c a l c u l a t i n g e n e r g y , p r o t e in , c a l c i u m , p h o s p h o r u s , a n d i r o n i n th e d ie t, b y E d i t h
H a w le y , B u r e a u o f H o m e E c o n o m ic s .
W a s h in g to n , J a n u a r y , 1 9 2 9 .
2 0 p p .,
c h a r ts .
—— D e p a rtm e n t of C om m erce.
B u reau of M ines. B u l l e t i n 2 9 2 : M e t a l - m i n e
a c c id e n ts i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s , d u r i n g th e c a le n d a r y e a r 1 9 2 6 , b y W i l l i a m W .
A d a m s.
W a s h in g to n , 1 9 2 8 .
119 pp.
D a ta from th is re p o rt a p p e a r in th is issue.
-------------- ------- B u l l e t i n 2 9 3 : C o a l - m i n e f a t a l i t i e s i n th e U n i t e d S t a t e s , 1 9 2 7 , b y
W illia m W . A d a m s .
W a s h in g to n , 1 9 2 8 .
120 pp.
D a ta from th is re p o rt a p p e a r in th is issue.
—— D e p a rtm e n t of L abor. B u reau of L ab o r S tatistic s.
P r o d u c t i v i t y o f la b o r i n m e r c h a n t b la s t f u r n a c e s .
B u lle tin N o . 474W a s h in g to n , 1 9 2 9 .
145 pp.
T he m ore im p o rta n t p o in ts b ro u g h t o u t in th is stu d y w ere sum m arized in th e
L ab o r R eview for D ecem ber, 1928 (pp. 1-10).
-------------- -------- B u l l e t i n N o . 4H>: U n i o n s c a le s o f w a g e s a n d h o u r s o f la b o r , 1 9 2 7 1928.
( S u p p l e m e n t to B u l l e t i n N o . 4 5 7 .)
W a s h in g to n , 1 9 2 9 .
169 pp.
T his b u lletin aim s to cover wages an d hours of lab o r in union tra d e s an d
occupations n o t show n in th e b u re a u ’s previous union w age scales bulletins,
w hich h av e in clu d ed only th o se tra d e s w hich are fo u n d chiefly in th e larg er cities
an d w hich readily lend them selves to a fixed form of ta b u la tio n .
262
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1176]
PUBLICATIONS R ELA TING TO LABOR
263
U n i t e d S t a t e s .— D e p a rtm e n t of L ab o r.
B u reau of L a b o r S ta tis tic s. B u l l e t i n
N o . 1 ft7 ; P u b l i c s e r v ic e r e t ir e m e n t s y s t e m s — U n i t e d S t a t e s , C a n a d a , a n d E u r o p e .
W a s h in g to n , 1 9 2 9 .
223 pp.
T h e details of various phases of th is stu d y were p rin te d in th e R eview from
tim e to tim e as th e stu d y progressed.
-------------- C h ild ren ’s B ureau.
C h a r t N o . 1 5 : S t a t e la w s a n d lo c a l o r d i n a n c e s
r e g u l a ti n g th e s tr e e t w o r k o f c h ild r e n .
A t a b u l a r s u m m a r y o f r e g u l a ti o n s i n
e ffe c t i n th e U n i t e d S ta te s , b y E l l a A r v i l l a M e r r i t t .
W a s h in g to n , 1 9 2 9 .
29 pp.
S um m arized in th is issue.
■------ ------ ------- P u b li c a t i o n N o . 1 6 2 : P u b l i c a i d to m o th e r s w i t h d e p e n d e n t c h ild r e n ,
by E m m a O. L u n d b erg .
W a s h in g to n , 1 9 2 8 .
2 1 p p .; m a p s .
A brief su m m ary of th e progress of th e m o v em en t to a id m o th ers w ith d ep en d
e n t children, an d of th e conditions u n d er w hich th e aid is given in d ifferent S ta te s,
w ith th e a m o u n t p erm itte d , a n d th e m eth o d of a d m in istra tio n in each.
—-------------------- P u b l i c a t i o n N o . 1 8 8 : C h i l d w o r k e r s o n c i t y s tr e e ts , b y N e t t i e P .
M c G ill.
W a s h in g to n , 1 9 2 8 .
7 1 p p ., illu s .
A condensed su m m ary of P u b licatio n No. 183, C hildren in s tre e t w ork; dis
cussed in th e R eview for S eptem ber, 1928 (p. 60).
O fficial— F o re ig n C o u n tr ie s
F r a n c e .—
M inistère d u T rav ail, de l ’H ygiène, de l ’A ssistance e t de la P ré
voyance Sociales. Conseil S upérieur d u T rav ail. T r e n t e e t u n i è m e s e s s io n ,
N o vem b er, 1 9 27.
P a r is , 1 9 2 8 .
231 p p .
Proceedings of th e th irty -first session of th e S uperior L ab o r Council. T he
su b jects discussed included th e p ro h ib itio n of th e n ig h t w ork of w om en a n d
children in com m erce a n d in certain em p lo y m en ts in tra n sp o rta tio n , a n d th e
m edical care of em ployees w ho receive b o ard a n d lodging from th e ir em ployer.
G r e a t B r i t a i n .— In d u s tria l C o u rt.
A w a r d s 1 3 5 5 to 1 1 0 6 , J a n u a r y 1 , 1 9 2 8 , to
D ecem ber 3 1 , 1928.
V o l. X .
L ondon, 1929.
231 p p .
I n t e r n a t i o n a l L a b o r O f f i c e .— I n t e r n a t i o n a l L a b o r C o n fe r e n c e , e le v e n th s e s s io n ,
G eneva, 1928.
2 v o ls.
T he first volum e co n tain s th e proceedings of th e conference a n d th e second,
th e d irecto r’s rep o rt. A brief acco u n t of th e conference w as given in th e Sep
tem b er, 1928, issue of th e L ab o r R eview (p. 103).
------ S t u d i e s a n d r e p o r ts , s e r ie s A (i n d u s t r i a l r e l a ti o n s ) , N o . 3 1 : F r e e d o m o f
a s s o c ia tio n .
V o l. I V — I t a l y , S p a i n , P o r tu g a l, G re e c e , S e r b - C r o a t- S lo v e n e K i n g
d o m , B u lg a r ia , R u m a n ia .
G eneva, 1 9 2 8 .
105 pp.
U n o fficial
B r o w n , R o y M.
P u b l i c p o o r r e l i e f i n N o r t h C a r o lin a .
N o r th C a r o lin a P r e s s , 1 9 2 8 .
1 8 1 PP-> U lu s .
C h a p e l H ill, U n iv e r s ity o f
A careful stu d y of th e p oor relief sy stem of th e S tate , in tro d u c e d by a sk etch
of its develo p m en t from th e earliest days of N o rth C arolina. F o r th e m o st p a rt,
relief is still ad m in istered th ro u g h th e local alm shouse or c o u n ty hom e, a n d th e
d escription of th ese in s titu tio n s show s th e fam iliar featu res of w astefu l a n d inef
fective m an ag e m en t, lack of classification of inm ates, u n h e a lth fu l a n d depressing
surroundings, neglect a n d carelessness, w hich stu d ies of th e k in d h av e revealed
in o th e r S tates. T h ere a re som e encouraging exceptions, in w hich tra in e d a n d
in tellig en t su p e rin te n d e n ts h av e low ered costs, in tro d u ced im p ro v em en ts, p ro
vided excellent care, a n d b ro u g h t conditions to a s ta te w hich, co m p ared w ith th e
general level, m ay fairly be considered ideal. T he stu d y includes a discussion
of m eth o d s for im prov in g th e general situ a tio n , a n d a brief biblio g rap h y on th e
subject.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[1177]
264
MONTHLY LABOR R E V IE W
B r u è r e , H e n r y , a n d P u g h , G r a c e . P r o fita b le p e r s o n n e l p r a c tic e .
H a r p e r & B r o th e r s , 1 9 2 9 .
1^54 p p .
N ew Y o rk,
T his w ork contain s d escrip tio n s a n d a discussion of th e o u tsta n d in g personnel
practices of in d u stria l a n d co m m ercial concerns in th e U n ite d S tates. I t is
in ten d ed to serve as a p ra c tic a l reference book on th e su b ject.
C iv il S e r v ic e A s s e m b l y o p t h e U n it e d S t a t e s a n d C a n a d a .
T e c h n ic a l b u lle tin
N o . 1 : C l a s s i f i c a t i o n a n d c o m p e n s a t i o n p l a n s , t h e i r d e v e lo p m e n t, a d o p t i o n , a n d
a d m in is tr a tio n .
W a s h in g to n , M ills B u ild in g , 1 9 2 8 .
2 If. p p .
A re p o rt a d o p ted by th e assem b ly a t its a n n u a l m eetin g in S eptem ber, 1928.
G l ü c k , E l s i e . J o h n M i tc h e l l, m i n e r : L a b o r ’s b a r g a in w i t h th e g ild e d a g e .
Y o r k , J o h n D a y C o ., 1 9 2 9 .
270 pp.
N ew
T his biography of Jo h n M itchell, fo rm er p re sid e n t of th e U n ited M ine W orkers
of A m erica, is based largely on first-h an d research, in cluding in terv iew s w ith m en
who were associated w ith h im in his w ork.
H e r r i n g , H a r r i e t L.
W e l f a r e w o r k i n m i l l v illa g e s : T h e s to r y o f e x t r a - m i l l
a c tiv itie s i n N o r t h C a r o l i n a .
1929.
406 pp.
C h a p e l H ill, U n iv e r s ity o f N o r th C a r o lin a P re ss,
T his w ork, w hich is b ased on a first-h a n d stu d y of th e cotton-m ill villages of
N o rth C arolina, n o t only gives d etails concerning th e personnel w ork of th e
com panies b u t also tra c e s th e reasons for th e p a rtic u la r ty p e of developm ent
found in th e S o u th a n d gives th e opinions of v arious in d iv id u als w hich rep resen t
th e different p o in ts of view to w a rd w elfare w ork a n d w elfare th eo ry .
L obsenz, J ohann a.
T h e o ld e r w o m a n i n i n d u s t r y .
S o n s, 1929.
281 p p .
N e w Y o r k , C h a r le s S c r i b n e r ’s
L y n d , R o b e r t S . an d H e l e n M .
M i d d le to w n : A s t u d y i n c o n t e m p o r a r y A m e r i c a n
c u ltu r e .
N e w Y o r k , H a r c o u r t , B r a c e & C o ., 1 9 2 9 .
550 pp.
An intensive sociological s tu d y of a city of 35,000 p o p u latio n , called M iddletow n to p rev en t iden tificatio n . D eals w ith th e m a n n e r in w hich th e people get
a living, m arriage a n d hom ebuilding, schools, th e use of leisure, religious beliefs,
a n d co m m u n ity activ ities.
M a y , H e r b e r t L., a n d P e t g e n , D o r o t h y . L e i s u r e a n d i t s u s e — s o m e i n t e r
n a t i o n a l o b s e r v a tio n s .
N e w Y o r k , A . S . B a r n e s & C o ., 1 9 2 8 .
268 pp.
A stu d y of leisure tim e activ ities in th e p rin cip al co u n tries of E u ro p e m ade
u n d er th e auspices of th e P lay g ro u n d a n d R ecreatio n A ssociation of A m erica.
M e t r o p o l i t a n L i f e I n s u r a n c e C o . P olicyholders Service B ureau.
T h e use
o f r e s e a r c h i n e m p l o y m e n t s t a b i l i z a t i o n : A r e p o r t o n a p p l y i n g r e s e a r c h to
s te a d y p e r s o n n e l.
N e w Y o r k [1 9 2 9 7 ].
8 2 p p . ; c h a r ts .
R eview ed in th is issue.
M o r e l , E u g è n e . L a p r o d u c t io n et le s h u i t h e u r e s .
P a r i s , É d i t i o n s d e la C o n
f é d é r a t i o n G é n é r a le d u T r a v a i l .
[ N o d a te .] 3 2 6 p p .
T his w ork contains a collection of sta te m e n ts b y in d u stria l a n d lab o r le a d —
in F ran ce as well as b y econom ists, politicians, a n d o th e r re p re se n ta tiv e persons
on th e effects of th e eig h t-h o u r d ay u p o n p ro d u ctio n a n d u p o n th e econom ic life
of th e co untry.
N a t io n a l C h il d L a b o r C o m m it t e e .
C h i l d w o r k e r s i n O k la h o m a : A s t u d y o f
c h ild r e n e m p l o y e d i n E n i d , O k l a h o m a C i t y , a n d L a w t o n , b y C h a r le s E . G ib b o n s
a n d C h e s te r T . S t a n s b u r y .
N e w Y o r k , 2 1 5 F o u r th A v e n u e , 1 9 2 9 . 3 5 p p .
R eview ed in th is issue.
------ C h i l d w o r k e r s i n tw o C o n n e c tic u t to w n s , b y C la u d e E . R o b i n s o n .
2 1 5 F o u r th A v e n u e , 1 9 2 9 .
N e w Y o rk,
4 4 PP-
T he stu d y , w hich w as carried on d u rin g th e su m m er a n d fall of 1927 a n d th e
early p a r t of 1928, deals w ith th e to w n s of N ew B rita in a n d N orw ich, a n d included
897 cases of out-of-school children. T h e in v estig a to rs fo u n d a p e rsiste n t effort
to enforce th e child lab o r law s, a n d b u t few violations. V ery few children leave
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265
school before th e fo u rte e n th b irth d a y , only one boy was fo u n d gainfully em ployed
below th e legal age, a n d th e school grade req u ire m e n ts were closely observed.
H ow ever, 21 violations of th e n ig h tw o rk reg u latio n s a n d 46 v iolations of th e w ork
certificate provisions w ere fo u n d am o n g th e children stu d ied . T h e tw o chief
reasons given by th e children for leaving school were econom ic need a n d dislike
for school. T he ty p ic a l w eekly wage earn ed by th e ch ild ren was a ro u n d $10, $11,
a n d $12, th e boys earn in g slightly m ore th a n th e girls.
N a t i o n a l I n d u s t r i a l C o n f e r e n c e B o a r d ( I n c .) . I n d u s t r i a l r e la tio n s p r o g r a m s
i n s m a ll p la n ts . N e w Y o r k , 2 4 7 P a r k A v e n u e , 1 9 2 9 .
60 pp.
T his stu d y covers th e ex te n t, a p p ro x im ate cost, a n d th e ty p e of a d m in istra tio n
of th e personnel w ork w hich is being carried on in sm all estab lish m en ts, show ing
th e special problem s w hich th e sm all p la n t— th a t is th e p la n t w ith less th a n 250
em ployees— has to m eet.
N a t io n a l S a f e t y C o u n c il .
co n g ress, N e w Y o r k C ity ,
S tr e e t, 1 9 2 9 .
3 v o ls .
T r a n s a c t i o n s o f th e s e v e n te e n th a n n u a l s a f e ty
O c to b e r 1 to 5 , 1 9 2 8 .
C h ic a g o , 1 0 8 E a s t O h io
A brief n o te on th is m eeting, including a list of th e officers chosen for th e ensu
ing year, w as publish ed in th e L ab o r R eview for N ovem ber, 1928 (pp. 57, 58).
R ayner, R obert
& C o ., 1 9 2 9 .
M.
T h e s to r y o f t r a d e - u n i o n i s m .
278 pp.
L o n d o n , L o n g m a n s , G reen
A stu d y of trad e-u n io n ism in G reat B ritain , w ritte n from th e sta n d p o in t of a
d isin terested stu d e n t, dealing especially w ith dev elo p m en ts since th e fo rm a tio n
of th e L abor P a rty , a n d m ore p a rtic u la rly w ith th o se rising from w ar conditions
an d following th e conclusion of h ostilities. A brief a c co u n t of foreign tra d e union m ovem ents is included, designed to show th e ir influence u p o n th e B ritish
line of developm ent.
S o c ia l S c ie n c e A b s t r a c t s .
V o l. 1 , N o . 1 , M a r c h , 1 9 2 9 .
F a y e r w e a th e r H a l l , C o l u m b i a U n i v e r s i t y .
122 pp.
N e w Y o r k C ity , 611
T his first n u m b er of Social Science A b stracts, p u b lish ed u n d e r th e auspices of
th e Social Science R esearch C ouncil by Social Science A b stra c ts (In c.), in au g u
ra te s a new service review ing w orld lite ra tu re . T his issue is divided in to tw o
p a rts. D ivision I covers m ethodological m aterials, including historical, m iscel
laneous, sta tistic a l, a n d th e o re tic a l a n d philosophical m eth o d s, also te ac h in g and
research; D ivision I I covers sy ste m a tic m aterials, including h u m a n geography,
c u ltu ral anthropology , h isto ry , econom ics, p o litical science, a n d sociology. T he
su b ject m a tte r of th e lite ra tu re review ed u n d er econom ics includes prices, lab o r
an d w ages, an d cooperation.
W o r l d P e a c e F o u n d a t i o n . I n d u s t r y , g o v e r n m e n ts , a n d la b o r .
R e c o r d o f th e
I n t e r n a t i o n a l L a b o r O r g a n iz a t i o n , 1 9 1 9 - 1 9 2 8 .
B o s to n , 4 0 M t .
V ern o n
S tr e e t, 1 9 2 8 .
231 p p .
( W o r l d P e a c e F o u n d a t i o n p a m p h l e t s , V o l. X I ,
N o s . 4 - 5 .)
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