The full text on this page is automatically extracted from the file linked above and may contain errors and inconsistencies.
MONTHLY REVIEW
OF THE
U. S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
WASHINGTON
VOL. Ill—NO. 3
S e p t e m b e r , 1916
CONCILIATION WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, JULY 16 TO
AUGUST 15, 1916.
The organic act of the department gives the Secretary of Labor
the authority to mediate in labor disputes through the appointment,
in his discretion, of commissioners of conciliation. During the
month, July 16 to August 15, 1916, the Secretary exercised his good
offices in 23 labor disputes. The companies involved, the number of
employees affected, and the results secured, so far as information is
available, were as follows:
N U M B E R O F L A B O R D IS P U T E S H A N D L E D B Y T H E 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 M M ISSIO N ER S O F C O N C IL IA T IO N , JU L Y 1G TO A U G U ST 15, 1916.
W orkm en affected.
R esult.
Nam e.
Directly. Indirectly.
Controversy "between Missouri Pacific R y . Co. a n d its signal
men.
Strike of m achinists, Y oungstow n, O h io ........................................
Strike of shipbuilding p lan ts, Norfolk, V a .....................................
Strike of shipbuilding p lan ts, New Y ork C ity a n d v icin ity ___
C ontroversy betw een Mare Island, Cal., a n d Brem erton,
W ash., N av y Y ards and th e ir m echanical forces.
Strike of iron m iners, Mesaba region, M inn...................................
Strike of street railw ay employees, H arrisburg. P a .....................
Controversy betw een W ash in g to n Steel & O rdnance Co. and
electrical w orkers, Geisboro, D. C.
Lockout of insurance agents, P ru d en tial Life Insurance Co.,
New Y ork, N. Y ., a n d Philadelphia, Pa.
Strike of carm en, E rie R . R ., P o rt Jervis, N . Y ...........................
(Tfl.rmp.rit w orkers’ strik e, New Y ork C ity ......................................
Strike of C entral of New Jersey R y. clerks, Jersey C ity, N. J . .
Cement w orkers’ strike, L a Salle, 111..
................................
Mn.ehinist,s’ strik e, H am ilton, O h io ..
C ontroversy betw een B altim ore & Ohio R . R . Co. and m aintenance-of-way employees.
C ontroversy betw een Crown Cork & Seal Co. and m achinists,
B altim ore, Md.
Controversy betw een A kron, Ohio, ru b b er m anufacturers and
employees, A kron, Ohio.
Strike of track m en , Chicago, B urlington & Q uincy R y . Co---C ontroversy betw een th e Coal & Coke R y . Co. a n d shop em
ployees.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[2S3]
12
A djusted.
800
3,700
10,000
15,000
15,000
33
2,700
100
250
50,000
'150
1,000
Pending.
Settlem ent
shops.
Pending.
Do.
Do.
Do.
C ontroversy endec
by
action
o
union in callin,
off strike.
Pending.
Do.
A djusted.
U nable to adjust.
Pending.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
200
in
Do.
Do.
A djusted.
Pending.
Do.
Do.
2
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OE T H E BU R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
The following strikes in Philadelphia, reported in the statement of
July 15, 1916, as pending, have been adjusted since that date: Jona
than Ring & Son, Mark D. Ring & Co., H. B. Thomas, Byrne &
Hance, Chas. W. Haven, Klink & Landis, H. B. Rinehard, John W.
Emsley, Bunker-Howard Spinning Co. (All fine woolen yarn
spinners, located in Philadelphia.)
FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR.
During July, 1916, the Division of Information of the Bureau of
Immigration of the Department of Labor placed 16,309 persons in
employment as compared with 11,960 during June, 1916. The opera
tions of the different offices throughout the country, by months,
since May, 1915, when fuller reports began to be made, are contained
in the statement following :
O P E R A T IO N S O P T H E D IV IS IO N O F IN F O R M A T IO N , B U R E A U O F IM M IG R A T IO N , D U R
IN G T H E M O N TH S O F M AY, 1915, TO JU L Y , 1916.
Y ear and m onth.
N um ber of N um ber of N um ber of N um ber
N um ber
applica
referred
ap applicants
tions for persons
em ploy actually
plied for. for places. to m
employed.
help.
ent.
1915.
M ay........................................................................
Ju n e .......................................................................
J u ly ........................................................................
A u g u st..................................................................
Septem ber............................................................
O ctober.................................................................
N ovem ber............................................................
D ecem ber.............................................................
1916.
J a n u a ry ................................................................
F e b ru a ry ...............................................................
M arch....................................................................
A p ril......................................................................
M ay........................................................................
Ju n e ....................................................................
J u ly ........................................................................
638
1,249
1,160
1,279
1,104
847
698
3,826
3,601
8,665
7,931
4,551
5,423
4,650
3,588
12,132
14,530
18,061
17,827
13,334
12,215
11,908
11,902
3,752
5,131
6,360
7,321
5,671
5,460
4,459
2,622
3,495
4,646
6,035
6,757
5,405
5,006
4,146
2,170
933
1,423
3,443
3,805
4,918
4,826
5,488
5,063
6,413
10,209
12,104
21,326
17,402
23,657
15,015
14,257
19,484
13,498
17,614
18,824
24,058
4,300
5,036
8,113
8,843
12,938
13,839
17,608
3,419
4,185
7,030
7,653
11,453
11,960
16,309
1,201
The following statement of the work of the 18 different zones
covering the whole country gives details for July, 1916:
SU M M A R Y O F A C T IV IT IE S O F U N IT E D S T A T E S E M P L O Y M E N T S E R V IC E F O R JU L Y ,
1916.
O pportunities
received.
Zone n u m b e r a n d office.
A pplica
tions for
help.
1. B oston, M ass......................... ........................
2. New Y ork, N , Y ..............................
Buffalo, N . Y ..................................
T o ta l.........................................................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Persons
applied
for.
A pplications for em ploym ent.
A pplica Referred
em
tions re to
ploy
ceived.
m ent.
N um ber
actually
em
ployed.
7
141
54
14
14
245
93
956
850
1,128
698
510
694
494
517
338
1,806
1,826
1,204
1,011
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OE T H E B U R E A U OF LABOR STATISTICS,
3
SU M M A R Y O F A C T IV IT IE S O F U N IT E D S T A T E S E M P L O Y M E N T S E R V IC E F O R JU L Y ,
1916—Concluded.
O pportunities
received.
Zone n u m b er a n d office.
A pplications for em ploym ent.
A pplica Referred
em
tions re to
ploy
ceived.
m ent.
N um ber
actually
em
ployed.
A pplica
tions for
help.
Persons
ap p lied
for.
3. Philadelphia, P a ........................................... ..................
W ilm ington. D el..............................................................
P ittsb u rg h , P a ..................................................................
86
21
15
588
524
196
505
288
27
273
224
13
246
302
101
T o ta l........................................................................
122
1,308
908
588
483
4. B altim ore, M d ..................................................................
42
110
156
192
180
5. Norfolk, V a................................................. \ ....................
17
182
114
42
22
515
515
106
169
106
169
6 . Jacksonville, F la ..............................................................
M iami, F la .....................................
Savannah, G a ......................................................
Charleston, S. C.........................................
Mobile, A la ..........................................................
i
2
2
1
106
38
732
14
362
97
4
146
1,215
792
792
18
1
21
1
289
47
35
13
19
22
336
35
13
5
6
34
9
11
9
2
10
T o ta l....................................................................
7. New Orleans, L a ..................................................
Gulfport, M iss.....................................................
T o ta l....................................................................
8. G alveston, T e x ...........................................................
H ouston, T ex ...........................................
E l Paso, T e x ...................................................................
A lbuquerque, N . M ex..........................................
T o ta l......................................................................
2
1
3
5
6
47
11
9
21
201
125
88
12
220
1,096
1,072
8
1,702
1,269
857
81
77
1,050
1,063
'737
64
1,044
660
63
443
3,909
3,111
2,914
2,789
11. M inneapolis, M in n.................................................
118
128
70
60
60
12. St. Louis, M o...............................................
K ansas C ity, M o...................................................
14
505
117
1,458
200
1,228
50
1,006
45
787
519
1,575
1,428
1,056
832
3
3
27
8
9. Cleveland, Ohio.............................................
10. Chicago, 111..................................................................
D etroit, M ich...................................................
Indianapolis, I n d ...........................................................
S ault Ste. Marie, M ich.............................................
T o ta l.............................................................
T o ta l...............................................................
13. D enver, Colo...................................................................
14. H elena, M o n t..............................................................
15. Seattle, W ash .................................................
A berdeen, W ash ............................................................
Bellingham , W ash .......................................................
E v e re tt, W ash................................................................
N o rth Y akim a, W ash.............................................
Spokane, W ash ........................................................
Tacoma, W ash ................................................................
W alla W alla, W ash ........................................
Sum ner, W ash.....................................................
P uyallu p , W ash ...........................................................
T o ta l.............................................................
153
62
866
1,022
3
3
27
8
150
31
829
92
162
1,317
226
167
456
92
92
416
92
75
538
74
530
209
350
150
925
580
2,529
390
2,500
1,250
883
639
1,165
490
1,894
650
728
511
1,088
382
1,775
639
696
511
1,065
'375
1 ,768
628
20
2,052
9,257
7,431
5, 763
5,626
16. P ortland, Oreg............................................................
1,224
2,589
2,512
2,454
2,399
17. San Francisco, C al.....................................................
193
412
1,248
654
378
803
767
803
767
18. Los Angeles, C al...................................................
San Diego, Cal..........................................................
335
778
103
1,017
T o ta l................................................................
335
778
1,120
H arvest hands (July), th ro u g h general inspector,
K ansas C ity, Mo..............................................................
G rand to ta l..................................................................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[285]
23
1,081
2,303
922
922
5,488
23,657
24,058
17,608
16,309
4
M O N T H L Y R EV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OE LABOR STA TISTICS.
WORK OF STATE AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYMENT BUREAUS.
In the following table data are presented for July, 1915, and
July, 1916, relative to the operations of public employment offices.
Information is furnished for State employment bureaus in 16 States,
municipal employment bureaus in 9 States, State-city employment
bureaus in 2 States, a Federal-State employment bureau in 1 State,
and a city-private employment bureau in 1 State.
O P E R A T IO N S O F P U B L IC E M P L O Y M E N T O F F IC E S , JU L Y , 1915 A N D 1916.
S tate and city.
California (m unicipal):
B erkeley—
J u l y , 1915..............................................
July, 1916.............................................
Sacram ento—
July, 1915................................ ............
Ju ly ' 1916..............................................
California (S tate-city):
Los Angeles 2—
July, 1915..............................................
Ju ly ' 1916.............................................
California (State):
O akland—
July, 1916.............................................
Sacram ento—
July, 1916.............................................
San Francisco—
Ju ly , 1916..............................................
Total:
July, 1915..................................
Ju ly ' 1916..................................
Colorado (S tate):
Colorado Springs—
July, 1915..............................................
July, 1916.............................................
D enver, No. 1—
July, 1915..............................................
Ju ly ' 1916.............................................
D enver, No. 2—
July, 1915.............................................
Ju ly ' 1916..............................................
Pueblo—
July, 1915............................................
Ju ly ' 1916..............................................
Total:
July, 1915.. . .....................
Ju ly ' 1916..................................
Connecticut (State):
B ridgeport—
July, 1915..............................................
Ju ly ' 1916.............................................
Hartford!—
July, 1915.............................................
July, 1916.................................. ..........
N ew H aven—
July, 1915.............................................
July! 1916.............................................
N orw ich—
July, 1915.............................................
July, 1916.............................................
W aterb u ry —
July, 1915..............................................
July! 1916..............................................
N um ber of persons
N um ber applying for w ork.
of persons
asked for New reg
b y em
istra Renewals.
ployers.
tions.
N um ber
of appli
cations
from em
ployers.
177
217
228
235
131
59
150
191
340
379
100
2,547
4,401
1,813
2,159
(i)
0)
(i)
0)
4,478
2,857
4,070
737
0)
729
994
541
322
958
959
801
259
831
777
1,295
2,439
2,306
345
2,416
1,725
568
9,285
3,085
7,532
906
1,242
0)
(»)
(6
C1)
0)
0)
.
0)
(>)
0)
1,025
0)
0)
0)
228
374
C1)
355
(!)
(6
0)
205
270
(>)
346
(!)
(i)
232
502
0)
533
858
810
0)
213
339
(i)
0)
249
C1)
0)
0)
(!)
497
0)
164
0)
1,943
232
1,419
0)
308
978
(!)
C1)
6)
6)
(!)
«
C1)
C1)
271
875
342
776
C1)
C1)
(i)
C1)
(D
(P
0)
(!)
265
553
315
741
(!)
C)
(1)
(1)
(>)
0)
(B
C1)
225
601
28
230
C1)
(x)
C1)
i 1)
(*)
6)
0)
19
224
156
156
6)
(1)
0)
(1)
C1)
(l )
(l)
127
109
0)
907
2,362
C1)
July! 1916..
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
340
379
(i)
0)
228
223
340
Total:
i N ot reported.
228
223
491
312
63
0)
0)
N um ber
ber
of persons Nofum
posi
referred
tions
to posi
filled.
tions.
(!)
(>)
2 Includes Los Angeles d istrict, 8 counties.
[ 286 ]
5
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E BU R E A U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
O P E R A T IO N S O F P U B L IC E M P L O Y M E N T O F F IC E S , JU L Y , 1915 A N D 1916—Continued.
N um ber
gof appli
cations
from em
ployers.
S tate and city.
Illinois (m unicipal):
Chicago—
July, 1916.......................
Illinois (State):
Chicago—
July, 1916...........................
E a st St. Louis—
July, 1915................
July) 1916...........................
Peoria—
July , 1915................................
July, 1916......................................
Springfield—
July, 1915..............................................
J u l y , 1916.............................
Rock Island-M oline—•
July , 1915......................................
J u ly ) 1916...............................
Rockford—
July, 1915...............................
July) 1916..........................................
Total:
July, 1915..................................
July, 1916..................................
In d ia n a (State):
F o rt W ayne—
July, 1915..................................
J u l y , 1916..................................
South B end—
July, 1915...........................
J u ly ) 1916...........................
Total:
J u l y , 1915..................................
July, 1916..................................
Iow a (State):
Des Moines—
July, 1916...............................
1 47
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
2 706
704
(8)
135
(8)
8,275
2 9 586
(8)
(8)
7,781
577
1,518
2 770
2 1 576
(8)
(8)
(8)
(8)
577
1,095
(8)
(8)
419
1,246
2 519
2 823
(8)
(8)
(8)
(8)
419
(3)
(8)
212
795
2 374
2 721
(8)
(8)
(8)
(8)
654
(3)
(8)
374
767
2 479
2 702
(8)
(8)
(8)
(8)
374
608
(8)
(3)
302
1,080
2 399
2 895
(8)
(8)
(8)
(8)
301
703
212
(8)
704
1,883
11)795
225
381
349
799
*253
460
109
115
362
575
348
485
142
279
294
878
412
389
117
39
271
392
243
316
633
967
591
801
34
105
54
12
40
11
41
49
72
50
90
6
50
79
45
61
109
285
459
300
993
617
63
282
38
145
57
364
57
364
120
646
95
509
00
K entucky (city-private):
Louisville—
J u l y , 1915..............................................
J u ly ) 1916........................................
K e ntucky (State):
Louisville—
July, 1915...............................
July, 1916.........................
Total:
July, 1915..................................
J u l y , 1916...............................
M assachusetts (S tate):
Boston—
J u l y , 1915..............................................
July, 1916..............................................
F all R iver—
July, 1915..............................................
July, 1916..............................................
Springfield—
July, 1915..............................................
Ju ly , 1916..............................................
W orcester—
July, 1915..............................................
July, 1916..............................................
T otal:
Ju ly 1915
.............................
July) 1916
.........................
704
(8)
(8)
K ansas (State):
J u l y , 1915.................
J u ly ) 1916..........................................
1 N um ber of requisitions.
2 N um ber applying for w ork.
N um ber of persons
N um ber applying for w ork. N um ber N um ber
of persons
of persons of posi
asked for
referred
tions
b y em New reg
to posi
filled.
istrar Renewals
ployers.
tions.
tions.
(8)
(3)
57
364
57
364
1,218
2)065
1,361
2)309
4 880
4 1,185
(8)
(8)
6 2,333
6 3,052
1,084
1,396
75
113
83
115
4 16
4 13
(8)
(8)
2 81
2 106
66
101
430
990
529
1,282
4 227
4 665
(8)
(8)
5 683
5 1,598
441
981
457
975
608
1,246
4 531
4 507
(8)
(8)
5 843
5 1,210
390
639
5 3,940
6 5, 966
1,981
3,117
—
3 N ot reported.
4 N u m b er who were registered.
[287]
5 N u m ber of offers of positions.
6
M O N T H L Y R E V IE W OF T H E BU R E A U OF LABOR STATISTICS.
O P E R A T IO N S O F P U B L IC E M P L O Y M E N T O F F IC E S , JU L Y , 1915 A N D 1916—Continued.
N um ber
of ap p li
cations
from em
ployers.
S tate and city.
Total:
.Tnlv 1Q15
____
Missouri (S tate):
K ansas City—
•Tnlv. 1915 ___________
Ju ly , 1916..... .......................................
St. Joseph—
Ju ly , 1915 ............................................
Ju ly , 1916..............................................
St. Louis—
Ju ly , 1915..............................................
Ju lv . 1916................... ..........................
Total:
Tnlv. 1915
.. ..
M ontana (m unicipal):
B u tte —
■Tnlv. 1915____________
New Jersey (m unicipal):
N ew ark—
.Tnlv. 1915____________
110
293
i 146
(2)
126
62
250
i 116
(2)
116
109
(2)
1,179
(2)
5,196
(2)
i 5,151
(2)
(2)
(2)
5,151
1,496
5,151
(2)
437
(2)
1,028
(2)
i 918
(2)
(2)
(2)
918
351
918
(2)
512
(2)
929
(2)
i 1,006
(2)
(2)
(2)
994
589
994
(2)
341
(2)
837
(2)
1806
(2)
(2)
(2)
806
415
793
(2)
464
(2)
! 464
(2)
(2)
(2)
464
381
464
88
247
i 216
(2)
204
197
40
337
i 220
(2)
220
204
(2)
156
(2)
1,018
(2)
i 861
(2)
(2)
(2)
861
695
861
(2)
9,860
3,927
9,817
•
M innesota (State):
D u lu th —
■Tnlv. 1915 .......................
July^ 1916 ............................................
M inneapolis—
Ju ly , 1915.................................... - ___
Ju ly , 1916 ............................................
St. P a u l—
J u l y , 1915..............................................
Ju lv . 1916.............................................
Total:
.Tnlv. 1915 . ___
126
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
800
1,203
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
1,509
2,099
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
833
1,351
(2)
(2)
3,142
4,653
399
826
(2)
511
400
1,550
I 443
i 1,428
(2)
(2)
(2)
1,047
(2)
(2)
1,828
1,288
1925
i 1,020
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
908
1,019
(2)
(2)
192
522
i 441
423
(2)
(2)
(2)
182
375
242
300
(2)
(2)
N ew Y ork (m unicipal):
New Y ork C ity—
J u l v . 1915____________
273
1,944
Ju ly , 1916..............................................
1 N um ber ap p ly in g for w ork.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
N um ber N um ber
ofpersons of posireferred
tions
to posi
filled.
tions.
OC
O
Tfl
M ichigan (State):
B attle Creek—
Ju ly , 1916..............................................
B ay City—
Ju ly , 1916
........................................
D etroit—
Ju ly , 1915..............................................
J u l y , 1916
........................................
F lin t—
Ju ly , 1915
............................ - .........
Ju ly , 1916............................................G rand R apids—
Ju ly , 1915
........................................
Ju ly , 1916..............................................
Jackson—
Ju ly , 1915..............................................
Ju ly , 1916..............................................
Kalam azoo—
Ju ly , 1915
........................................
Ju ly , 1916..............................................
Lansing—
J u l y , 1916..............................................
Muskegon—
Ju ly , 1916
........................................
Saginaw —
Ju ly , 1915...................................... - __
.Tnlv.1916
N um ber of persons
N um ber applying for w ork.
of persons
asked for
b y em New reg
istra Renewals.
ployers.
tions.
[288]
58
323
350
500
450
610
1,563
(2)
848
331
2,157
2,457
2; 188
2 N ot reported.
(2)
(2)
(2)
2,414
1,489
(2)
1,047
2, 220
495
460
272
350
751
1,536
462
1,178
741
3,048
255
1,800
M O N T H L Y R E V IE W OF T H E BU R E A U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
7
O P E R A T IO N S O F P U B L IC E M P L O Y M E N T O F F IC E S , J U L Y , 1915 A N D 1916—C ontinued.
S tate a n d city.
N ew Y ork (State):
A lbany—
Ju ly , 1915..............................................
Ju ly , 1916..............................................
B rooklyn—
Ju ly , 1915..............................................
Ju ly , 1916.............................................
Buffalo—
July, 1915..............................................
July, 1916..............................................
R ochester—
July, 1915..............................................
Ju ly , 1916.............................................
Syracuse—
Ju ly , 1915.............................................
Ju ly , 1916.............................................
N um ber
of a p p li
cations
from em
ployers.
N um ber af persons
N um ber applying for w ork. N um ber N um ber
of persons
of persons of posi
asked for
referred
tions
b y em New reg
to posi
filled.
ployers.
istra Renewals. tions.
tions.
363
770
780
452
0)
1,287
566
1,863
P)
836
1,079
C1)
545
P)
554
176
479
651
299
384
1,610
1,166
C1)
475
903
1,984
418
1,085
529
1,564
1,304
917
P)
61
608
1,402
398
1,052
745
1,860
889
717
114
964
1,335
440
663
805
703
1,108
399
56
944
616
540
501
4 639
9,036
2 250
5*485
P)
P)
Total:
Ju ly , 1915..................................
Ju ly , 1916..................................
O hio (State-city):
A kron—
J u l y , 1915..............................................
J u l y , 1916..............................................
C incinnati—
J u l y , 1915..............................................
Ju ly , 1916..............................................
Cleveland—
July, 1915..............................................
J u l y , 1916..............................................
Columbus—
Ju ly , 1915..............................................
Ju ly , 1916..............................................
D ayton—
Ju ly , 1915............... ..............................
Ju ly , 1916..............................................
Toledo—
Ju ly , 1915..............................................
J u l y , 1916..............................................
Y oungstow n—
Ju ly , 1915..............................................
Ju ly , 1916.............................................
P)
C1)
753
1,951
1,167
627
1,777
1,314
759
1,573
541
1,314
0)
P)
938
1,564
1,583
1,221
4,043
2,509
1,146
1,387
779
932
P)
(*)
3,752
7,297
3,128
2,809
6,505
6,661
3,659
6,335
2,897
5,202
1,144
2,826
801
892
2,616
1,892
1,127
2,227
1,827
0)
(l)
577
1,069
718
677
1,710
1,032
541
914
507
817
P)
C1)
2,205
5,118
2,214
1,386
3,802
1,747
1,878
2,438
1,793
2,068
P)
777
1,240
684
685
772
1,034
680
1,183
606
1,051
9 790
16,057
8 124
13*211
P)
C1)
•
P)
Total:
Ju ly , 1915..................................
Ju ly , 1916..................................
O klahom a (State):
E n id —
Ju ly , 1915..............................................
Ju ly , 1916..............................................
Muskogee—
Ju ly , 1915..............................................
J u l y , 1916..............................................
O klahom a C ity—
Ju ly , 1915..............................................
Ju ly i 1916..............................................
T ulsa—
Ju ly , 1915..............................................
Ju ly , 1916..............................................
.
(!)
m
P)
P)
( 1)
P)
(1)
C1)
(1)
0)
C1)
(1)
588
P)
P)
( 1)
(1)
P)
P)
( 1)
(4
102
870
(i)
P)
744
1.653
C1)
2,401
( 1)
P)
289
( 1)
(0
263
(1)
P)
( 1)
0)
Total:
J u l y , 1915..................................
Ju ly , 1916..................................
Oregon (m unicipal):
P ortlan d —
Ju ly , 1916..............................................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1,011
(l)
2,589
1 N ot reported.
[289]
266
0)
(l)
(1)
0)
168
272
14Q
178
225
436
767
8
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OP T H E BU R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
O P E R A T IO N S O P P U B L IC E M P L O Y M E N T O F F IC E S , JU L Y , 1915 A N D 1916—Concluded.
S tate and city.
Pennsylv an ia (S tate):
A ltoona—
J u l y , 1916..............................
H arrisburg—
J u l y , 1916..............................
Johnstow n—
J u l y , 1916..............................
P hiladelphia—
Ju ly , 1916.............................
P ittsb u rg h —
Ju ly , 1916.........................
Total:
Ju ly , 1916...................
R hode Island (S tate):
Providence—
Ju ly , 1915..............................
J u l y , 1916..............................
Texas (m unicipal):
Dallas—
Ju ly , 1915..............................
July, 1916..............................
F o rt W o rth —
July, 1915..............................
July, 1916..............................
Total:
Ju ly , 1915................. .
Ju ly , 1916................. .
S outh D ak o ta (Federal-State):
H uro n —
Ju ly , 1916..............................
V irginia (m unicipal):
R ichm ond—
Ju ly , 1915.............................
J u l y , 1916.............................
.W ashington (F ederal-m unicipal):
T a c o m a 3......................................
W ashington (m unicipal):
E v e re tt—
Ju ly , 1915.............................
Ju ly , 1916.............................
Seattle—
J u l y , 1915.............................
J u l y , 1916.............................
Spokane—
Ju ly , 1915.............................
Ju ly , 1916.............................
Total:
July, 1915.................
July, 1916.................
N um ber
of appli
cations
from em
ployers.
N um ber of persons
N um ber applying for work. N um ber N um ber
of persons
of persons of posi
referred
tions
asked for
to posi
b y em New reg
filled.
istra Renewals
tions.
ployers.
tions.
37
32
191
181
0 )
238
47
G)
465
159
0)
0)
0)
226
41
15
49
45
591
787
199
551
507
2,233
749
168
267
321
317
311
232
194
132
177
167
393
147
46
80
259
373
2 506
330
121
72
562
512
1,390
1,277
317
311
G)
G)
0)
47
167
393
167
393
275
315
199
307
442
708
366
700
60
3,691
1,270
0 )
1,270
1,270
146
288
254
691
2 550
711
G)
G)
269
795
158
396
212
438
G)
0)
G)
G)
G)
G)
G)
G)
G)
G)
2,950
3,347
3,198
6,471
G)
G)
G)
G)
3,403
6,497
2,936
6,009
G)
G)
G)
G)
933
4,075
863
3,929
4,336
10,572
4,011
10,376
2,229
4,610
1 N ot reported.
2 N um ber applying for w ork.
8 Figures for th is office are carried regularly in th e R e v ie w un d er th e subject, “ Federal em ploym ent
w ork of th e D ep artm en t of L ab o r,” to w hich th e reader is referred.
EMPLOYMENT IN SELECTED INDUSTRIES IN JULY, 1916.
In continuation of similar information given in this publication
for several months past, four tables are here presented, which are
designed to show the changes in the amount of employment in
representative establishments in 10 manufacturing industries be
tween July, 1915, and July, 1916, and between June, 1916, and
July, 1916.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[290]
M O N T H L Y R E V IE W OF T H E B U REA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
9
The following table shows that the number of employees in July,
1916, was greater than the number of employees in July, 1915, in all
of the 10 industries covered except cotton manufacturing and cigar
manufacturing. The greatest increase shown is 27.1 per cent for
the iron and steel industry. The amount of money paid out to em
ployees in July, 1916, was greater in all of the 10 industries than in
July, 1915. The greatest increase in the amount of money so paid
out was 49.5 per cent in the iron and steel industry.
C O M PA R ISO N O F E M P L O Y M E N T IN ID E N T IC A L E S T A B L IS H M E N T S IN J U L Y , 1915, A N D
JU L Y , 1916.
In d u stry .
Boots and shoes........
C otton manufactuxmg.
Cotton finish in g........
H osiery and underwear.
W oolen.......................
S ilk .............................
M e u ’s ready-m ade
clothing.
Iron and steel.............
Car building and repairing.
Cigar m anufacturing.
E sta b
lish
m ents
to
which
in
quiries
were
sent.
E sta b
lish
m ents
re
porting
lor July
both
years.
86
N u m b er on
p ay roll in
Ju ly —
Period of
p a y roll.
1915
1916
P ercent
of in
crease
( + ) or
decrease
(-)•
A m ount of
payroll in Ju ly —
1915
1916
Per
cent
of increase
(+ )
or
de
crease
(-).
92
63 1 w eek ........ 39,097
51 . .. d o ............. 40, 781
48,261
40,391
+23.4
- 1.0
$450,317
320,850
$621,556
363,618
+ 38.0
+ 13.3
19
82
14 .. .d o .......
8,542
51 . .. d o ............. 26,228
8,905
28,325
+ 4.2
+ 8.0
82,107
223,287
103,372
255,308
+ 25.9
+ 14.3
56
64
85
43 __do ___
32,473
47 2 w eeks___ 14,123
35 1 w eek ........ 16,074
35, 759
16,053
17,455
+ 10.1
+ 13.7
+ 8.6
304,877
271,204
198,432
423,855
317,056
226,140
+39.0
+ 16.9
+ 14.0
+27.1 3,597,452 5,378,285
+ 17.0
639,730
772,038
+ 49.5
+ 20.7
-
+
142
80
98 i m o n th __ 125,613 159,670
18 . ..d o ............. 22,383 26,195
107
56
1 w eek ........
17,270
16,430
4.9
175,308
175,762
.2
From the smaller number of establishments reporting the number
of employees actually working on the last full day of the reported
pay period it will be noted in the table following that more employees .
were on the pay roll in all the industries, except that of cigar manu
facturing, in July, 1916, than in July, 1915. The greatest increase
reported is 25.7 per cent for the iron and steel industry.
C O M PA R ISO N O P E M P L O Y M E N T IN ID E N T IC A L E S T A B L IS H M E N T S ON LA ST F U L L
D A Y ’S O P E R A T IO N IN JU L Y , 1915, A N D JU L Y , 1916.
E sta b
lish
m ents
report
ing for
Ju ly
both
years.
In d u stry .
Boots a nd shoes..................................................................
C otton m anufactu rin g .......................................................
Cotton finishing........ “ ..........................................
H osiery a nd u n d erw ear....................................................
W oolen............................................................
S ilk ......................................................................
M en’s ready-m ade clo th in g ..............................................
Iron and ste e l....................“ ...............................................
Car building and repairing.............................................
Cigar m anufactu rin g ........ .................................................
24
35
9
13
41
38
10
82
18
31
Period of
p a y roll.
1915
1 w eek __
__d o .........
d o __
__d o ..........
do . .
2 w eeks__
1 w eek .
J m o n th __
.. d o .........
1 w eek........
1 Increase of less th a n one-tenth of 1 per cent.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[291]
N um ber actually
w orking on last
full day of re
ported p a y perriod in Ju ly —
11,920
23,945
5, 776
9,690
29,415
11,623
1,218
99,269
20,690
6,131
1916
13,329
23,967
6,579
9,921
33,157
13,189
1,282
124,797
23,160
5,844
P er cent
of in
crease
( + ) or
decrease
(-)•
+ 11.8
0)
+ 13.9
+ 2.4
+ 12.7
+ 13.5
+ 5.3
+ 25.7
+ 11.9
- 4.7
10
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
All examination of the next table shows that half of the 10 indus
tries listed show an increase in the number of employees on the
pay roll in July, 1916, over June, 1916, and half show a reduction.
In the amount of money paid out to employees in wages a reduction
is shown for all the industries for July, 1916, as against June, 1916.
The greatest reduction is 13 per cent for the iron and steel industry.
C O M PA R ISO N O F E M P L O Y M E N T IN ID E N T IC A L E S T A B L IS H M E N T S IN JU N E , 1916, AN D
JU L Y , 1916.
In d u stry .
E sta b E sta b
lish
m ents mlish
ents
to
o rt
w hich rep
ing
for
in
ne
quiries Ju
and
were
Ju ly .
sent.
Boots a n d shoes........
C otton m anufacturing.
Cotton fin ish in g ........
H osiery a n d underwear.
W oolen.. .
S ilk ...............................
M en’s ready-m ade
clothing.
Iron an d ste e l............
Car b u ild in g a n d repairing.
Cigar m anufacturing.
N u m b er on
p ay roll in —
Period of
p ay roll.
June,
1916.
July,
1916.
Per
cent
of
increase
( + ) ’or
decrease
(-)■
A m ount of pay roll
in —
June,
1916.
July,
1916.
Per
cent
of
in
crease
( + ) or
de
crease
(-).
92
86
64 1 w eek ........ 48,578
52 ........d o ......... 41,988
49,096
42,056
+ 1 .1
+ .2
$637,092
386,816
$630,525
377,223
- 1.0
- 2.5
19
82
14 ........d o ......... 8,924
50 ........d o ......... 27,373
8,905
27,140
-
.2
.9
106,426
263,804
103,372
246,560
- 2.9
- 6.5
56
64
85
44 ........d o ......... 36,594
44 2 w eeks___ 15,196
33 1 w eek........ 16,657
36,141
15,253
16,245
- 1.2
+ .4
-2 .5
439,091
331,138
226,828
428,942
299,444
222,713
- 2.3
- 9.6
- 1.8
+ 1.0 6,124,440 5,329,374
603,624
- .3
680,136
-1 3 .0
- 11.2
i m o n th __ 157,693 159,338
16 ........d o ......... 19,499 19,439
142
80
100
107
55
1 w eek ........
16,199
16,285
+ .5
173,018
172,821
-
.1
In the table next below the industries of boots and shoes, men’s
ready-made clothing, and cigar manufacturing report a larger number
of employees as actually working on the last full day of the reported
pay period in July, 1916, than in June, 1916. A decline in the number
of such employees within the month is shown for all of the other
industries. The greatest reduction is 4.4 per cent for the car building
and repairing industry.
C O M PA R ISO N O F E M P L O Y M E N T IN ID E N T IC A L E S T A B L IS H M E N T S ON L A S T F U L L
D A Y ’S O P E R A T IO N IN JU N E , 1916, A N D JU L Y , 1916.
E stab
lish
m ents
report
ing for
June
and
Ju ly .
In d u stry .
Boots and shoes...................................................................
C otton m a n u factu rin g .......................................................
C otton fin ish in g ..................................................................
H osiery a n d underw ear.....................................................
W oolen...................................................................................
S ilk .........................................................................................
M en’s ready-m ade clo th in g ..............................................
Iron a n d steel.......................................................................
Car bu ild in g and repairing...............................................
Cigar m anufacturing.........................................................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Period of
p ay roll.
1 w eek........
34 ........ d o .........
9 ........ d o .........
12 ........ d o .........
42 ........ d o .........
37 2 w eeks___
8 1 w eek........
96 | m o n th __
16 ........ d o .........
28 1 w eek........
20
1 Less th a n one-tenth of 1 per cent.
[292]
N um ber actually
w orking on last P er cent
full d ay of re
of in
ported p ay pe
crease
riod in —
( + ) or de
crease
(-)•
June, 1916 Ju ly , 1916
11,508
23; 776
6,677
8,721
28; 387
13,227
790
131,230
17,873
5,513
11,691
23,765
6; 579
8', 374
27,947
12,830
799
130,378
17,078
5,618
+ 1.6
~ ( l)
-1 .5
- 4 .0
- 1.6
- 3 .0
+ 1 .1
- .7
-4 .4
+ 1.9
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OE T H E B U REA U OE LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
11
RECENT CHANGES IN WAGE RATES.
Inquiry was made on the volume of employment schedule sent to
reporting establishments as to changes in wage rates for the period
June 15, 1916, to July 15, 1916. Of the many establishments that
failed to report, it is probably safe to assume that in most cases the
omission of a definite reply indicated no change. No establishment
reported a decrease in wage rates. Based upon the information
received for the ten industries listed in the preceding tables, it appears
that the increases made in this period were few in number, and were
largely confined to a portion of the force, as, for instance, those
engaged in some one department or on some particular kind of work
in an establishment. The greatest number of increases in wages is
reported for the iron and steel industry, where certain groups of
employees or those in a selected occupation are reported as receiving
increases of from 5 to 15 per cent; seven establishments report increases
ranging between these figures. In the textile industries of cotton
manufacturing, cotton finishing, hosiery and underwear, woolen, and
silk, wage rates are reported as practically stationary, a total of only
five increases being reported from the establishments rendering
reports in these industries. In boot and shoe manufacturing,
increases are reported by two establishments. Increases of 10
per cent are reported by three establishments in the men’s ready
made clothing industry. In the industries of cigar manufacturing,
and car building and repairing, increases are reported by one estab
lishment in each of these industries.
ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTAL LABOR
OFFICIALS.
The third annual convention of the Association of Governmental
Labor Officials of the United States and Canada met in Buffalo,
N.Y., Monday, July 17, 1916, continuing in session until Thursday,
July 20. The convention was called to order by Commissioner Louis
Wiard, of the New York Industrial Commission. The address of
welcome was made by Mr. John Sales, secretary to the mayor of
Buffalo, and the response by James V. Cunningham, commissioner
of labor of Michigan, president of the association.
The subjects of factory inspection, woman and child labor, safety
regulations and safeguards, vocational education, and uniform legis
lation, occupied most of the time of the convention, papers or addresses
being given on these subjects, followed by extended discussions. In
the report of the secretary, John T. Fitzpatrick, commissioner of
labor of Missouri, attention was called to the importance of pending
bills in Congress providing that bulletins issued by departments of
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[293]
12
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R E A U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
labor be carried as fourth-class mail matter, and for the establishment
of a bureau of safety and of a bureau of employment in the United
States Department of Labor; also, to the McGillicuddy bill providing
more adequate compensation for government employees injured by
accident in the course of employment.
An address on woman and child labor was made by Oscar S.
Nelson, chief of the Department of Factory Inspection of Illinois, in
which he advocated keeping children in school until 16 years of age
and giving them vocational as well as academic training. Speaking
of his own State, he took the position that the mothers’ pension act
should be amended so that payments may continue until the child
is 16 years of age, and also that fathers, steadily employed but
receiving low wages, should receive aid from the State, in order to
keep their children in school until the age of 16. He claimed that
under the Illinois 10-hour law, in some places, hotels particularly,
women were subject to call 18 hours out of 24, and he urged a law
restricting their hours of labor to 8, to be performed within 10 con
secutive hours. This address led to an extended discussion on child
labor and vocational training.
A brief address on occupational diseases was made by John H.
Vogt, a chemical engineer connected with the Bureau of Hygiene of
New York, and at present engaged in an investigation of sanitary
conditions in the chemical industry of that State.
Commissioner Wiard spoke of the work of the New York Industrial
Commission, mentioning the fact that New York has 65,000 factories,
1,400 of which make regular monthly reports on the condition of
employment. An accident case is settled every 40 seconds in that
State. The commission holds itself in readiness to give advice to
both employers and employees regarding industrial conditions. It
issues pamphlets showing proper methods of guarding machines.
Mr. Louis Guyon, commissioner of labor of Quebec, spoke briefly
on conditions in that province. A paper read by Mr. Edwin Mulready, commissioner of labor of Massachusetts, led to an extended
discussion of foundry rules and safety measures. The subject of
uniform legislation was brought up by one of the delegates, and vary
ing opmions of the possibility of getting such legislation were
expressed.
A prolonged discussion on the subject of a uniform 8-hour day for
women in all the States led to the adoption of the following resolution
by the convention, all the States and Provinces represented voting
in the affirmative, except New York:
Whereas 37 States have enacted legislation restricting the hours of labor for
women; and
Whereas such regulations vary from an 8-hour working day to a 72-hour week; and
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[294]
M O N T H L Y R E V IE W OF T H E BU R E A U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
13
Whereas this Association believes in uniformity in this form of legislation: There
fore be it
Resolved, That this Association of Governmental Labor Officials hereby expresses
itself as favoring an 8-hour workday for all woman employees, and that such 8-hour
workday shall be performed within 10 consecutive hours.
Other resolutions were adopted by the convention favoring the
establishment of a labor department in Arizona; inviting the Inter
national Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions,
the American Association of Public Employment Offices, and other
organizations of a similar nature, to unite with the Association of
Governmental Labor Officials in deliberations on all subjects of
mutual interest under one organization; and indorsing the plan to
establish a national accident and fire prevention day.
Ashville, N. C., was selected as the convention city for 1917, the
date of the convention to he determined later by the executive com
mittee.
The following were elected as officers for the year 1916-17:
President, Oscar F. Nelson, chief, Illinois Department of Factory Inspection,
Chicago, 111.
First vice president, John J. Walsh, deputy inspector of buildings, Indianapolis, Ind.
Second vice president, Miss Linna E. Bresette, secretary of the Kansas Industrial
Welfare Commission, Topeka, Kans.
Third vice president, Miss Ella M. Haas, State deputy of the Ohio Industrial Com
mission, Dayton, Ohio.
Fourth vice president, Perry J. Ward, special agent of the Michigan Factory Inspec
tion Department, Detroit, Mich.
Fifth vice president, Edwin Mulready, commissioner of labor, Boston, Mass.
Secretary, John T. Fitzpatrick, commissioner of labor statistics, Jefferson City, Mo.
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC
EMPLOYMENT OFFICES.
The American Association of Public Employment Offices held its
fourth annual meeting in the city of Buffalo, N. Y., in the audi
torium of the Plotel Statler, on Thursday and Friday, July 20 and 21.
Delegates were in attendance from all the leading States having
employment office systems as well as from several of the Canadian
Provinces.
The meeting was called to order on Thursday morning by Charles
B. Barnes, president of the association. Mr. G. P. Berner acted as
secretary pro tern, as the secretary-treasurer, Dr. William M. Leiserson, had resigned, owing to the fact that he is no longer connected
with public employment office work.
An address of welcome was given by a representative of the mayor
of the city of Buffalo, after which the first speaker on the program,
Hon. Royal Meeker, United States Commissioner of Labor Statistics
57377°—1G-----2
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[295]
14
M O N T H L Y R E V IE W OF T H E B U R E A U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
delivered an address on “ What records should be kept by public
employment offices and how used.” Other speakers on this subject
were Charles F. Gettemy, director of the Bureau of Statistics, State
of Massachusetts, and Mr. G. P. Berner, superintendent of the
Buffalo branch of the New York State Bureau of Employment.
The subject was then opened for general discussion.
At the afternoon session, the first subject for discussion was “ How
can cooperation among Federal, State, and city employment bureaus
be effected.” The opening speaker on this subject was Miss Hilda
Muhlhauser, who is connected with the United States Department of
Labor. She was followed by Mr. Luke D. McCoy, secretary of the
Illinois Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The next subject for discussion was “A national system of employ
ment offices: How shall it be organized.” The first speaker was the
Lion. William B. Wilson, Secretary of Labor, Washington, D. C.
Mr. Wilson discussed the urgent need for public employment offices
and showed the advantage which could be secured by a national
employment bureau cooperating with State and municipal bureaus,
helping to coordinate the work between the different States and
cities of the country. Mr. Jacob Lightner, director of the Public
Employment Bureau of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Joseph Spitz, director
of the Public Employment Bureau of New Jersey, also spoke on this
subject.
“ Juvenile placement departments: Their connection with voca
tional guidance and trade schools” was the first subject discussed
at the Friday morning session. Mr. Alvin E. Dodd, secretary of
the National Society for Promotion of Industrial Education, New
York City, was the first speaker, followed by Mr. Warren W. Zurbrick, chairman of the vocational guidance committee, Buffalo, N. Y.,
Miss Rachael Gallagher, director of the Girls’ and Women’s Bureau,
Cleveland, Ohio, and Mr. George D. Halsey, vocational counselor,
Atlanta, Ga.
“ Special problems in the women’s departments” was discussed
by Mrs. Samuel Semple, member of the industrial board of the De
partment of Labor and Industries, State of Pennsylvania, and by
Miss Louise C. Odencrantz, superintendent of the women’s depart
ment, Brooklyn branch, New York State Bureau of Employment.
Miss Florence Burton, head of the women’s department of the Min
neapolis Public Employment Office, was unable to be present but
sent a very interesting paper on this subject.
At the afternoon session, Mr. Robert G. Valentine, industrial
counselor, Boston, Mass., delivered an address on “ Labor organiza
tions and public employment offices: How they can be mutually
helpful.”
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[296]
M O N T H L Y R E V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
15
Mr. Meyer Bloomfield, director of Vocational Guidance Bureau,
Boston, and Mr. A. L. Filene, member of the firm of William Filene
Sons’ Co., Boston, delivered addresses on the subject, “ Employment
managers’ associations: Employers and public employment offices.”
“ How shall suboffices of a public employment office be conducted
within a city” was discussed by Charles J. Boyd, general superin
tendent, State Employment Bureau, Chicago, and by Walter E.
Kruesi, superintendent of the Municipal Public Employment Office,
New York City.
This ended the regular program and it was followed by reports of
committees, selection of standing committees, and election of officers.
Although the regular appointed speakers filled in most of the time
allotted to each one of the subjects mentioned, many delegates ex
pressed their views on different questions in three-minute speeches.
After the regular program, several questions affecting the daily
work of public employment offices were brought up and interesting
discussions followed. On Saturday morning, July 22, there was an
informal meeting of the association, held in the Buffalo office of the
State public employment bureau. At a round-table discussion
many other questions on the routine work were threshed out by the
delegates.
A committee on standardization was selected, composed of Hon.
Royal Meeker, chairman; Charles F. Gettemy, director, Bureau of
Statistics, Massachusetts; H. J. Beckerle, superintendent, Public
Employment Office, Milwaukee, Wis.; C. H. Mayhugh, superintend
ent, Cleveland State-City Public Employment Office; and Luke D.
McCoy, secretary, Illinois Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is a
standing committee for the purpose of drawing up a system of uni
form records and formulating standard definitions of terms and
methods of work which can be used in all the offices throughout the
country, to the end that there shall be uniformity in the figures and
reports from all the States. It is the duty of this committee to
select from all the systems and methods now in use the best and most
efficient, and its report at the next annual meeting will be the most
important thing on which the association will have to act.
Among the important resolutions adopted by the meeting was
one placing the association on record in favor of the establishment
of a national employment bureau. The association also passed a
resolution requesting Hon. Royal Meeker, United States Commis
sioner of Labor Statistics, to edit and publish the proceedings of the
convention in the form of a bulletin of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Commissioner of Labor Statistics was further requested to pub
lish in the M o n t h l y R e v i e w the figures of the Canadian public
employment offices in conjunction and comparison with those of
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[297]
16
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
the State, municipal, and other public bureaus of the United States,
provided such publication is permissible.
This fourth annual meeting of the association was most successful.
The prevailing note was the deep interest manifested by everybody
attending it. All the addresses were listened to attentively and the
members showed that they were attending the meeting for the pur
pose of learning how to conduct better their respective bureaus and
offices.
The officers chosen for the next year are: President, Charles B.
Barnes, director, State Public Employment Bureau of New York;
vice presidents, Hilda Muhlhauser, Cleveland, Ohio; H. J. Beckerle,
Milwaukee, Wis.; J. D. Maloy, Saskatchewan, Canada; and George
D. Halsey, Atlanta, Ga.; secretary-treasurer, G. P. Berner, superin
tendent of the Buffalo branch of the State Public Employment
Bureau of New York.
The place chosen for the next meeting is Milwaukee, Wis., and the
time September 20 and 21, 1917.
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE SAFETY COMMITTEE OF THE INTERNA
TIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT BOARDS AND COM
MISSIONS.
An informal meeting of the Safety Committee of the International
Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions was held
at Buffalo, New York, July 18, 1916. The members present were
Chairman Victor T. Noonan, director of safety, Columbus, Ohio;
Leonard W. Hatch, chief statistician, New York Industrial Com
mission; Edwin Mulready, commissioner of labor of Massachusetts;
John Roach, chief of the Bureau of Sanitation and Hygiene, Depart
ment of Labor, New Jersey, and Fred M. Wilcox, member of the
Industrial Commission of Wisconsin.
The principal purpose of this meeting was to arrange for the next
meeting, which will be held in Detroit, at the Hotel Statler, on October
18, 1916, during the safety congress of the National Safety Council.
The committee, however, thoroughly discussed the question of safety
goggles. In view of the fact that it is difficult to get all workmen
to wear even the best goggles, it was decided to call the attention of
manufacturers to the importance of making goggles that workmen
will not object to wearing.
In order the better to secure cooperation between the various State
agencies Dr. Royal Meeker, United States Commissioner of Labor
Statistics, was appointed a member of the committee by the chairman.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[298]
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OP T H E B U REA U OP LABOR STA TISTICS.
17
CITIZENSHIP CONVENTION UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE BUREAU OF
NATURALIZATION.
Under the auspices of the Bureau of Naturalization there was held,
during the week of July 10, 1916, in the city of Washington, the first
convention of the kind ever held in the United States—a “ citizenship
convention”—attended by public-school superintendents, principals,
and teachers from various parts of the United States, representing
the 650 cities and towns where the public schools have cooperated
with the Bureau of Naturalization in the preparation for citizenship
of the candidate for that estate by naturalization. This convention
was also participated in by Government officials representing the
legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the Government, and
the staff of field officers of the Bureau of Naturalization, by whom
speeches and addresses were made.
The convention was called to order on Monday, July 10, at 10
o’clock, by the Deputy Commissioner of Naturalization, Raymond
F. Crist, who presided at each of the five sessions, the last one being
held on Friday, July 14.
In calling the convention to order, the Deputy Commissioner of
Naturalization referred to it as having a two-fold object, first, to con
sider the problems and advancement during the past year, and,
second, to discuss the textbook for each candidate for citizenship
who enters the public schools, which it is the purpose of the Bureau
of Naturalization to prepare and issue, in response to a call from
the many organizations interested in the Americanization work of
the public schools and the bureau.
During the past year citizenship was taught, commencing at the
opening of the school year with a small number of public schools.
The number of cities and towns responding to the call for coopera
tion with the Bureau of Naturalization grew to 650 in 44 States,
with favorable responses from the public schools of every State in
the Union. Those States not furnishing data as to cities or towns
whose schools could cooperate, offered full assurances of doing so
with the opening of the school year in the fall of 1916.
The Bureau of Naturalization sent the names of over 200,000 candi
dates for citizenship, including the names of their wives, to the public
schools in the 44 States. The work has been indorsed by the various
organizations devoted to philanthropic, civic, and national better
ment, by commercial bodies, by church organizations, and all others
concerned.
Oliver P. Newman, Commissioner of the District of Columbia, gave
an address of welcome to the delegates, and an address of welcome
on the part of the public schools of Washington was delivered by
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[299]
18
M O N T H L Y REVIEW OF T H E BU R E A U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
Ernest L. Thurston, superintendent of schools of the District of
Columbia.
Louis F. Post, Assistant Secretary of Labor, in an address of wel
come on behalf of the Department of Labor, described the official
relationship of that department to the Bureau of Naturalization and
to the citizenship convention. He described the course of legisla
tion which led to the creation of an executive department devoted
to the interests of labor. Quoting from his address with reference
to the Bureau of Naturalization:
The Bureau of Naturalization, which is one of four bureaus in the Department of
Labor, is alone specifically charged with the whole subject of naturalization in a
supervisory and administrative way. Once an alien has declared his intention to
become a citizen, two duties devolve upon the Bureau of Naturalization: One is to
see that the court does not improvidently admit him to citizenship; the other func
tion is to try to see to it that every alien who makes that declaration shall be fitted
for citizenship when he comes before the court, which is two years at least after his
declaration of intention. Now, it is in furtherance of those two functions that this
conference is gathered. Its object is to bring the statutory powers of the Department
of Labor and its Bureau of Naturalization into a union with the opportunities for
promoting good citizenship that offer themselves to those who do teaching in the United
States.
Commissioner Richard K. Campbell, of the Bureau of Naturaliza
tion, emphasized the need for teaching the principles of the Constitu
tion and the spirit of the Golden Rule as being essential in all instruc
tion, if the true spirit of America for humanity is to be imparted to
the citizenry of this country, whether it be of native or foreign birth.
Robert S. Coleman, chief naturalization examiner for the district
of St. Paul, Minn., reviewed the work of the Bureau of Naturaliza
tion in cooperation with the public schools throughout his district.
His remarks dwelt upon some of the difficulties encountered in the
organization of night classes under varying conditions of failure of
provision by law for the use of public funds for this purpose and the
great expanse of territory to be covered. A picture was presented
of the cooperation of the public schools with the Naturalization
Bureau, under widely varying conditions.
Clarence B. Miller, Representative in Congress from Minnesota,
gave a graphic illustration of the Americanizing influence of the
public schools in the Philippines and Hawaii by means of motion
pictures.
Hon. Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy, referring to the
cooperative work between the public schools and the Bureau of
Naturalization, said:
Our schoolhouses are the only institutions we have that do business only threefourths of the year. There is no business house in the country that could live and
close one-fourth of the time. We are learning that the schoolhouse must be the social
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[300]
M O N T H L Y R E V IE W OE T H E BU R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
19
center, the clearing house, and if we want to find the best type of American citizen
who lives in this land, you find it in those brought up in the history of American
independence; but the fathers, the adults, they need this education you are giving
them. You are the pioneers of a great work. It must spread and must grow in
every community, and it must be done not only for the good of the man coming
among us, but for our own good, because unless we lift up our fellows they will draw
us down.
Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor,
indorsed this cooperative work between the public schools and the
Bureau of Naturalization. He said:
I know of no more important function that the Naturalization Bureau of the Depart
ment of Labor could render than the education and the Americanization of the men
and the women who come from foreign shores. * * * I hold it to be the duty of
every agency of government and civic bodies and the individual citizens to help
in the movement that shall merge the people coming here from every clime into one
great whole, the people, the citizenship of the United States of America.
Philander P. Claxton, Commissioner of Education, gave an address
on 1‘Preparation for American citizenship and life.” The Bureau of
Naturalization is not in possession of a manuscript of this address,
but it is expected that the full proceedings will contain it complete.
Mrs. Cora Wilson Stewart, president of the Kentucky Illiteracy Com
mission, Frankfort, Ky., gave a description of her work, of which the
bureau has no manuscript. It is hoped that, with the publication of
the full proceedings, her remarks will be found therein.
Representative Albert Johnson, of the State of Washington, gave
an illustrated address on “ Outdoor school work in Tacoma.”
A general discussion of the subject-matter of the textbook was par
ticipated in by the delegates to the convention, advance transcripts
of which had been placed in the hands of several of those most
prominently before the bureau during the past year. The textbook
was prepared as a direct response to the call of those engaged in the
instruction of the foreigner in citizenship responsibilities. Many
valuable suggestions were received, and the general voice of the
meetings was that the bureau should proceed with its work and
produce a textbook in accordance with its plans.
In June, 1915, the Deputy Commissioner of Naturalization pre
sented the plans of the Bureau of Naturalization for securing the at
tendance upon the public schools of the candidates for citizenship to
Dr' William M. Davidson, superintendent of schools of Pittsburgh,
Pa. Dr. Davidson said that this plan solved one of the greatest
problems with which he had been confronted for some time, and it
answered the question, “ How can I get the candidate for citizenship
into the Pittsburgh public schools?”
J. M. Berkey, director of special schools and extension work of
the Pittsburgh public schools, told of the experiences of the schools
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[301]
20
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U REA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
in their cooperation with the Bureau of Naturalization in this work.
His discussion was limited to the conditions and needs for Americani
zation in the large cities, although recognizing the necessity for its
extension to rural communities.
’William M. Ragsdale, chief naturalization examiner, referred to
the work of the Bureau of Naturalization in cooperation with the
public schools throughout the Pittsburgh district.
The President of the United States was present and addressod the
convention. The following is quoted from his address:
I t is not fair to the great multitude of hopeful men and women who press into this
country from other countries that we should leave them without that friendly and
intimate instruction that will enable them very soon after they come to find out what
America is like at heart and what America is intended for among the nations of the
world. I believe that the chief school that these people must attend after they get
here is the school which all of us attend which is furnished by the life of the community
in which we live and the nation to which we belong.
I t is easy, my fellow citizens, to communicate physical lessons, but it is very diffi
cult to communicate spiritual lessons. America was intended to be a spirit among the
nations of the world, and it is the purpose of conferences like these to find out the best
way to introduce the newcomers to this spirit, and by that very interest in them to
enhance and purify in ourselves the thing that ought to make America great, and not
only ought to make her great, but ought to make her exhibit a spirit unlike any other
nation in the world.
My interest in this movement is as much an interest in ourselves as in those whom
we a:e trying to Americanize, because if we are genuine Americans they can not
avoid the infection, whereas if we are not genuine Americans there will be nothing to
infect them with, and no amount of teaching the Constitution (and I find very few
persons understand it), no amount of dwelling upon the idea of liberty and justice,
will accomplish the object we have in view, unless we ourselves illustrate the idea of
justice and of liberty.
L. R. Alderman, superintendent of schools, Portland, Oreg., told
what Portland is doing to Americanize foreigners. He showed that
during the past three years the attendance upon the night schools in
Portland had increased from 1,817 to over 6,000. He pointed out
that last year there were 26 nationalities represented in the schools.
Hon. William B. Wilson, Secretary of Labor, was called from the
city and detained during the period of the convention.
Frederick L. Siddons, associate justice of the Supreme Court of
the District of Columbia, dwelt upon the fact that while a decree of
naturalization converts the alien to an American citizen by title, it
tails far short in a large number of cases at least in accomplishing
the purpose in fact. An examination of the reasons for this showed
that in the past we have not insisted upon an education in American
citizenship. He referred to the inability of the administrative officials
and the courts to accomplish all that is desirable in the spread of the
gospel of American citizenship without the aid of the public school
teachers of the country.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[302]
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OP T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
21
M. J. Downey, assistant director of evening and continuation
schools of Boston, Mass., said that in Boston advanced classes
in citizenship were established during the past year as a result of
correspondence and conferences previously had with the Bureau of
Naturalization. Among other activities developed were the estab
lishment in the English high school of classes of instruction in Eng
lish and citizenship to non-English speaking people, and the establish
ment of afternoon classes for foreign-born women engaged in vari
ous occupations in the evening.
I. Walton Schmidt, secretary of the Industrial Welfare Department,
Board of Commerce, Detroit, Mich., gave the business man's view
point of the cooperative work of the public schools and the Bureau
of Naturalization. He stated that the public schools of Detroit and
the Bureau of Naturalization had worked together during the past
year to conduct and extend the educational work, especially among
the candidates for citizenship.
Andrew H. Melville, member, State Conference Board on Industrial
Education and chief of the Bureau of Civic, Commercial, and Com
munity Development, University of Wisconsin Extension Division,
Madison, Wis., spoke of the cordial support with which the entire
public-school system of the State of Wisconsin offered its cooperation
in the education of the foreigner for citizenship responsibilities.
The convention was brought to a close by the presiding officer in a
résumé of last year’s work. Arrangements are being made for the
publication of the entire proceedings of the convention.
THE FEDERAL CHILD LABOR BILL.
A bill entitled “An act to prevent interstate commerce in the
products of child labor, and for other purposes,” known as “ The
Child Labor Bill,” which passed the House of Representatives on
February 2, 1916, was amended and passed by the Senate on August
8. The conference report recommending the adoption of the amended
Senate bill was agreed to by the House and Senate on August 18
and 19, respectively.
STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS, FEBRUARY TO JULY, 1916.
According to data compiled from various sources by the United
States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of strikes and lockouts
during the six months, February to July, 1916, inclusive, was 1,865.
The number similarly compiled during the corresponding months of
the year 1915 was 543.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[303]
22
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E BU R E A U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
The following table shows the number of strikes and lockouts
begun in each of the months February to July, 1916, inclusive,
together with 162 strikes and lockouts reported as having occurred
during that period, although the month in which they began was not
reported. The number of strikes compiled during the corresponding
months of the year 1915 is also given. In comparing these figures
it must be borne in mind that, although the number of strikes in 1916
has undoubtedly been larger than those in the corresponding months
of 1915, the sources of the bureau in obtaining data in regard to strikes
have also increased, and the difference between the two years is there
fore not so great as the figures would tend to show. The strikes and
lockouts were distributed as follows:
N U M B E R O F S T R IK E S A N D LO C K O U TS B E G IN N IN G IN EA C H M O N T H , F E B R U A R Y TO
JU L Y , IN C L U S IV E , F O R 1916 A N D 1915.
F ebru March.
ary.
K in d of dispute.
Strikes:
1916.......................................................
1915.......................................................
Lockouts:
1916.......................................................
1915.......................................................
Totals:
1916............................................
1915............................................
159
45
5
A pril.
May.
June.
218
75
321
91
496
111
250
54
8
July.
Total.
199
94
153
1,796
470
2
9
69
73
162
1,865
543
12
14
13
16
11
16
16
6
14
164
57
226
89
334
107
512
266
60
201
122
M onth
not
stated.
108
The above columns include disputes that began in the months
indicated only, and are subjected to monthly revision. More detailed
accounts of the disputes reported for each month preceding July
may be found in former numbers of the R e v i e w .
DISPUTES REPORTED DURING JULY, 1916.
The number of strikes during July shows a marked decrease from
that during the preceding four months, and most of these were local
in character, attracting but little attention from persons not directly
connected with them. The number of machinists’ and molders’
strikes decreased. The miners in Pennsylvania and Ohio have shown
a disposition to settle down to work, and although their strikes still
continue to be numerous, most of them have been short in duration.
Among the strikes that attracted attention were those of the packing
house workers in East St. Louis; rubber workers in Chelsea, Mass.;
cigar makers in Detroit; barbers in Brooklyn; cracker bakers in
Denver; the street railway strikes in New York City, Harrisburg,
Memphis, and in Portland, Me.; the strikes in the textile mills in
Pennsylvania; and the strike of the insurance agents in New York,
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[304]
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
23
New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The strikes in the New York garment
industry and of the cement workers in Illinois continued through the
month, and the strike of the Pacific coast longshoremen came to
an end.
The data in the following tables relate to 327 strikes and lockouts
concerning which information was received by the bureau during the
month of July. These include, in addition to the 201 strikes and
lockouts which began in July, 117 strikes and 9 lockouts which were
reported during the month, but began as follows: Fifty-five strikes
and 4 lockouts in June, 21 strikes and 1 lockout in May, 6 strikes and
2 lockouts in April, 5 strikes in March, 6 strikes in February, 1 strike
and 1 lockout in January, and 23 strikes and 1 lockout the dates of
commencement of which were not reported, but most of which
probably occurred in June or July. Inasmuch as strikes which start
toward the end of a month frequently do not come to the attention
of the bureau until after the report for the month has been prepared,
it is probable that corrected figures for July will show an increase over
the number of strikes herein reported for that month.
Of the disputes reported during July, 29 strikes and 1 lockout
occurred east of the Mississippi and south of the Ohio and Potomac
Rivers, 42 strikes and 1 lockout west of the Mississippi, and the
remaining 245 strikes and 9 lockouts in the district north of the Ohio
and Potomac Rivers and east of the Mississippi. More than one-half
of these strikes occurred in three States.
S T A T E S IN W H IC H F IV E
OR M O R E S T R IK E S A N D L O C K O U TS W E R E R E P O R T E D
D U R IN G JU L Y , 1916.
State.
P ennsylvan ia..........................................................................................
New Y ork...................................................................................................
M assachusetts.....................................................................................
O hio................................................................................
C onnecticut.......................................... ...............................
N ew Jersey............................................................
M issouri..”. ...............................................................................
Illinois.........................................................................................
Porto R ico................................................................................
Colorado...............................................................................................
Tennessee.........................................................................................
California.....................................................................................................
W isconsin............................................................................
In d ia n a .................................................................................... .
23 other S tates...................................................................................
T o tal...................................................................................................................
Strikes. Lockouts.
72
49
36
22
17
13
1
4
3
1
12
10
10
Total.
73
53
39
22
13
13
12
19
10
7
7
6
6
6
1
5
45
1
45
316
ii
327
6
6
6
Seven strikes were confined to women; 14 strikes and 1 lockout
included both men and women; in 28 strikes and 1 lockout the sex
was not stated.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
24
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
The industries in which four or more strikes and lockouts were
reported were as follows:
NUM BER
O F S T R IK E S
AND
L O C K O U TS IN S P E C IF IE D
D U R IN G JU L Y , 1916.
REPORTED
Strikes. Lockouts.
In d u stry .
tra d of;
.....................................................................................
M ining
-- ...................................................
"Rnilrfincr trad OS
...................................................................................
T?q.il roods
.............................................................................
Tip keys
......................................................................................
___________ _____ . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PlnfiTfng in r]i] strips
T extile WOfkrro
..................................................................
Brew ery workers
............................................. - ........................
Street railw ays
................. .....................................
Iron and steel mill <5
____ i i i l l t r ___. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cooks an'i w aiters
______ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mnarrvmen
..................................................................
Tobacco w orkers
- .......................... - ............................
Teamster*'
...................................................................
S treet laborers
............. .................................................
B utchers ................................................................................................................
F u rn itu re w orkers
. . , , ____________________ _____
Longshoremen and frig h t, handlers
.. r ____. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
R u b b er workers
................................................................
All others.......................................................................................................................
Total
IN D U S T R IE S
.................................................................................
42
43
37
19
14
17
15
10
12
10
6
6
6
Total.
44
43
38
19
18
17
15
2
1
4
12
12
10
6
6
6
2
5
5
4
4
4
4
53
2
5
5
4
4
4
4
55
316
11
327
Included in the above are 21 strikes and 2 lockouts of machinists,
and 14 strikes of molders; 40 of the mining strikes were in coal mines.
In 163 strikes and 9 lockouts the employees were connected with
unions; in 10 strikes they were not so connected ; in 3 strikes they were
not connected with unions at the time of striking, but became or
ganized during the course of the strike; in the remaining 140 strikes
and 2 lockouts it was not stated whether the strikers had union
affiliations or not.
In 270 cases the causes of the strikes and lockouts were given.
In 70 per cent of these the questions of wages or hours, or both,
were prominent. The principal causes are shown in the following
table :
P R IN C IP A L C A USES O F S T R IK E S A N D L O C K O U TS R E P O R T E D D U R IN G JU L Y , 1916.
Strikes. Lockouts.
Cause.
F or increase 71f wages
_ ________ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Because of rprlnotion of wages
.. ,
................................................................................
7?or d perpa.se of hours
..................................................................................................................
F o r increase of wages and dee.rpa.se of bonus
.................................................................
Because of un pm <4 ^yp.gpg r
- - __ ___________ ___ _____ _
...............................................................................................
Pépierai m odifions
Pondi fions and wage,s
.................................................................................................................
"Rprogni finn and p.losed sh o p ............................................................................................................
7?eengnifinn unri yyaues
_ _ _ 1111T1___...............................................
14ppngn}finn and h o u r s
*
___________ . . . ___ . . . . . . . . . . . . . ___
77ppnemi fi nn yqagps and hours
_ .......................................
Bepause of dwehargp of employees
_ ________ _____________ _________
Because of em ploy ni enfi of nonunion men
. « « w. t . .......... - ........... ..
In regard to th e p gj ’ppmpn' f .
- ...... .. ...................... - ..............
S y m p a th y .............................................................. .... .......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _. . . .
r i y p p p p i c*p r»f pnyyder i n mines
_ _ ____________ . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Misceli*7ti eons
- - - .............................. - .................................
N ot reported
.......................................................................................................
Total
................................................................................................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[306]
102
1
10
Total.
102
1
1
2
11
35
35
2
2
14
3
3
7
14
14
3
6
21
6
21
9
14
9
14
3
7
11
3
2
2
4
4
21
21
51
6
57
316
11
327
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
25
111 138 of the strikes the number of persons involved was reported
to be 94,672, an average of 613 per strike. In 27 strikes, in each of
which the number involved was over 1,000, the strikers numbered
73,641, thus leaving 21,031 involved in the remaining 111 strikes, or
an average of 189 in each. In 5 lockouts, in no one of which were
over 100 persons involved, the number of employees was reported to
be 202, or an average of 40 per strike.
In 220 strikes and 7 lockouts only one employer was concerned in
each disturbance; in 14 strikes and 1 lockout, 2 employers; in 5
strikes and 1 lookout, 3 employers; in 7 strikes, more than 3; in 70
strikes and 2 lockouts the number of employers was not stated.
In 85 strikes reported as ending in July, 19 were won, 21 lost, 37
compromised; in 1 the strikers returned to work under promise of
the employer to arbitrate the matters in dispute; in 7 the result was
not reported. No lockouts were reported as ending in July. The
duration of 62 of these strikes was given as follows: One day or less,
10; 2 to 3 days, 9; 4 to 7 days, 11; 1 to 2 weeks, 12; 2 weeks to a
month, 10; 1 to 3 months, 6; 5 months or over, 4. The duration of
the 58 strikes that lasted less than 3 months was 784 days, or an
average of 14 days each.
NEW AGREEMENT IN CLOAK, SUIT, AND SKIRT INDUSTRY IN NEW YORK
CITY.
Tne strike in the cloak, suit, and skirt industry in New York City,
which began on April 28, 1916, was terminated on August 4, when a
new agreement was signed by representatives of the Cloak, Suit, and
Skirt Manufacturers’ Protective Association and of the International
Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, and the Joint Board of Cloak
Makers’ Unions of the city of New York.
The Protective Association is reported as including in its member
ship 419 firms, employing 23,000 persons. The total number of em
ployers in the cloak, suit, and skirt industry in New York City, includ
ing members of the Protective Association, is estimated to be 2,200,
and the total number of employees to be 45,000.
The following is a reprint of the agreement:
This agreement, made and entered into this 24th day of July, 1916, by and between
the Cloak, Suit, and Skirt Manufacturers’ Protective Association, hereinafter styled
the association, and the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union and the joint
Board of Cloak Makers’ Unions of the City of New York, composed of and representing
Cloak Operators’ Union No. 1, Piece Tailors and Sample Makers’ Union No. 3, Cloak
and Suit Tailors No. 9, Amalgamated Ladies’ Garment Cutters’ Union No. 10, Cloak
and Skirt Makers’ Union of Brownsville No. 11, New York Reefer Makers’ Union
No. 17, Skirt Pressers’ Union No. 35, Italian Branch Cloak Makers Union No. 23,
Cloak and Skirt Makers’ Union No. 48, and Buttonhole Makers’ Union of New YYrk
No. 64, all collectively designated as the union, contracting herein for and in behalf
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[307]
26
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R E A U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
of the said unions and for and in behalf of the members thereof, now employed and
hereafter to be employed by the members of the association, witnesseth:
W h e r e a s , the association is composed of a large number of manufacturers engaged
in the cloak, suit, and skirt industry in the city of New York, and the union represents
the workers in the said trade, and
W h e r e a s , t h e p a rties h ereto d esir e to e s ta b lish term s an d c o n d itio n s u p o n w h ic h
m em b ers of t h e u n io n s h a ll w ork for m em b ers of t h e asso cia tio n .
Now, therefore, the parties hereto agree as follows:
p r e f e r e n t ia l u n io n s h o p .
1. The association recognizes the union and agrees that its members will give
preference to union workers when hiring help. The association also agrees that its
members will not discriminate in any manner against their workers for union mem
bership or activity. A union worker, within the meaning of this provision, shall be
a worker who proves his union membership to the satisfaction of the employer or his
representative, and of the chairman of the price committee.
49-H O U R W E E K .
2. A week’s work shall consist of forty-nine (49) hours in six (6) Week days, divided
as follows: On the first five working days of the week work shall begin at 8 o’clock
and continue until 6 p. m., with one hour interval for lunch. On Saturdays work
shall be done from 8 a. m. until noon. Workers observing Saturday as the day of the
Sabbath may work on Sunday instead.
O V E R TIM E R U L E S .
3. (a) No overtime Work shall be exacted or permitted in the manufacture of cloaks
and suits between November 15th and February 1st, nor between April 15th and
August 15th. Manufacturers engaged in special lines, such as the manufacture of
skirts, pile fabrics, linens, and summer goods, shall have the right to establish periods
different from those above stated, according to the demands of their business, pro
vided that such periods shall in all cases cover the slack seasons in their special lines,
and shall in all cases aggregate six months in the year.
10 H O U R S O V E R T IM E W E E K L Y .
(6) In the seasons in which overtime is permitted, such overtime shall not exceed
10 hours in any week, nor 2\ hours in any day, and shall be restricted to the first
5 working days of the week. Additional overtime shall not be permitted except in
cases of emergency, and then only with the consent of the union.
4. Week Workers shall receive double rate of pay for overtime.
N E W W A G E SC H E D U L E .
5. All cutters, pressers, sample makers, drapers, skirt basters, and skirt finishers
shall work by the week, and the minimum weekly wrage for such workers shall be as
follows:
Cutters.............................................................................................. 829. 00
Skirt cutters...................................................................................... 25. 00
Jacket upper pressers and reefer
upper pressers................... 26. 50
Skirt upper pressers......................................................................... 24. 00
Skirt under pressers......................................................................... 19. 00
Piece pressers................................................................................... 16. 50
Jacket under pressers and reefer
under pressers................... 22. 00
Sample makers......................................................................
24. 00
Drapers............................................................................................. 16. 00
Skirt finishers................................................................................... 12. 00
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[308]
M O N T H L Y R E V IE W OF T H E B U R E A U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
27
Buttonhole makers shall be paid as follows:
For unfinished buttonholes a minimum of 95 cents per 100 buttonholes; for finished
buttonholes a minimum of $1.35 per 100 buttonholes.
FO R OTH ER BRAN CHES OF TRADE.
6. Workers engaged in branches of the trade not above enumerated shall be paid
by the piece, unless the employer and his workers in any such branch agree upon
week work. In the latter case week work shall be permitted, provided:
(a) That wages be settled between the employer and the union, and
(b) That if week work is introduced, it shall apply to the inside shop and to all
contractors’ shops employed by the firm.
P IE C E R A T E S .
7. (a) Piece rates shall be settled between the employer and the price committee
of the workers in his shop in the presence of the chairman of such committee, or of a
temporary chairman in the absence of the latter. The price committee shall be
elected by such employees at a regular shop meeting from among workers who have
been employed in that shop not less than one to three months, if possible.
E X P E R T PR IC E A D JU S T E R S .
(6) If the employer and the price committee fail to agree upon the prices of any
garment or garments, then upon request of either side an expert price adjuster shall
be called in, and his decision on such dispute or disputes shall be final.
(c) Such price adjuster shall be secured in the following manner: As soon as practi
cable the parties hereto shall establish a price-adjusting board, which board shall
consist of three representatives appointed by the association and three representatives
appointed by the union. The board shall appoint an expert price adjuster who, with
the consent of the board, may engage such and so many assistant price adjusters as
may be from time to time required.
The expert price adjuster and the assistant price adjusters shall operate under the
direction of the board and shall be provided with a proper office separate and apart
from the association and the union, and all expenses connected with the said board
and the said adjusters shall be borne equally by the parties hereto.
FO R TH E
PRESEN T.
(d) Until the organization of the said board and the appointment of the price
adjuster and his complete staff the present method of adjusting price disputes shall
continue; i. e., separate price adjusters, one selected by the association and one
selected by the union, shall be called in at the request of either party and shall adjust
the dispute jointly.
NOTE.
(e) All prices once regularly settled shall remain settled.
75 C E N T S A N D 55 C EN TS H O U R L Y .
8. (a) Upon the adjustment of piece rates, prices shall be computed on a basis, aa
far as possible, of a yield to the operator and piece tailor of average skill and experience
of 75 cents an hour for each hour of continuous work, and to the finisher of average
skill and experience of 55 cents an hour. A finisher of average skill is one who is quali
fied to do all finishing work.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[309]
28
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U REA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
The said rates of 75 cents and 55 cents, respectively, shall not be considered either
as a m i n i m u m or as a maximum, but as a basis for computation.
9. Workers shall not be required to work on garments (except duplicate samples)
before a settlement of prices has been made.
A BO N U S.
10. A bonus, the amount of which shall be determined between the employer and
the price committee at the time of price making, shall be paid on all duplicate samples
upon which the price has not been settled.
11. All wages shall be paid weekly on a fixed day and in cash.
L E G A L H O L ID A Y S .
12-. All week workers shall be paid for the following legal holidays, to wit: Wash
ington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving
Day, and Christmas, and such ho M ays shall be observed. Workers may also refrain
to work on the first day of May, but without pay.
(/) Italian workers may refrain from work on Columbus Day, without pay.
13. (a) No contracting or subcontracting within the shop shall be permitted.
(6) No work shall be given to employees to be made at home.
(c) No operator or finisher shall employ more than one helper.
(d) The employer shall be responsible for the payment of wages of all liners working
for piece tailors.
NO
CO NTRACTS.
14. There shall be no time contracts with individual shop employees, except fore
men, designers, and pattern graders.
15. The employer shall furnish all employees with sewing machines driven by
electric power and with all material and requisites of work.
R E G IS T R A T IO N
O P CO N TR A C TO R S.
16. (a) All members of the association shall register with the association and the
association shall register with the union all names and addresses of all contractors
whom they employ or who do work for them.
(6) The association assumes the following guaranties for the contractors thus to be
registered:
1. That such contractors will maintain in their shops proper sanitary conditions
to the satisfaction of the joint board of sanitary control.
2. That such contractors will maintain the standards of wages, hours, overtime,
holidays, and other shop standards provided for in this agreement.
3. That they will pay for work done on garments of members of the association,
and if the contractors should default in the payment of such wages the association
members will pay the same to the extent of the work done on their garments: Pro
vided, That notice of default is given to such association members within one week
after such default.
4. Prices of garments made in contractors’ shops only shall be settled in the inside
shop by a joint price committee representing the workers of all contractors employed
by the firm, and the contractors may be present at such settlements.
5. Garments upon which prices have been settled in the inside shop may be made in
the contractors’ shops at the prices settled, with a deduction of 10 per cent upon tho
prices of finishing and 15 per cent upon the prices of operating.
But such deductions shall not affect hourly base rates provided in the agreement.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[310]
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OE T H E B U REA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
29
(c) A contractor, within the meaning of the above provisions, shall signify one who
makes up garments from material delivered to him in cut form by a member of the
association.
17. The joint board of sanitary control existing in the industry shall be continued
at joint expense.
18. The parties hereto agree to adopt, as soon as practicable, and not later than
within 60 days, suitable rules for the regulation and grading of apprentices in the
various branches of the industry.
19. The employer shall be free, according to the dictates of his business, to increase
or decrease the number of his employees to meet the conditions in his factory, and to
retain such of his employees as he may desire on the basis of efficiency.
20. There shall be no strike, general or individual, and no stoppage of work in any
shop so long as the employer shall observe the provisions of this agreement on his part;
nor shall there be any lockout, general or individual, so long as the workers shall ob
serve the terms of this agreement on their part.
The association agrees to enforce the performance by its members of all the expressed
provisions of this agreement on their part to be performed. If after investigation on
the part of the union, the union shall establish by proper proof to the association that
there has been a violation of any of such provisions, the association will remedy any
such violation and in a proper case will discipline its members therefor. The same
applies to the union.
The workers, however, shall have the right to strike against any employer who
exercises the power to increase and decrease his working force, as above set forth,
arbitrarily and oppressively, or who violates any express provision of this agreement.
The union shall neither call nor sanction any shop strike until at least 24 hours shall
have elapsed after it shall have given notice of the grievance to the employer; nor shall
the association order or sanction any shop lockout until 24 hours’ similar notice to the
employees.
This agreement shall enter into force on the date of its execution, and shall continue
for three years.
STREET RAILWAY STRIKE IN NEW YORK CITY.
The recent street car strike in New York City, which largely tied
up the Third Avenue system and threatened to spread throughout
the entire city, was amicably settled vpi August 7 through the efforts of
the Public Service Commission for the First District, after an investi
gation lasting three days, an account of which is set forth in a memo
randum issued by the Commission under date of August 10. The
strike began on the Yonkers and Westchester lines, extended to the
Union Railway in the Bronx, and then to the entire Third Avenue
system. On Wednesday, August 1, the commission retained Julius
Henry Cohen as special consul to the commission. The first hearing
was held on Wednesday afternoon, August 2, and proceeded from day
to day until Friday, August 4, at which time the following publie
statement was made:
Without making any formal finding at this time, the evidence already discloses a
situation which the commission feels should be brought to the attention of both parties.
It appears that President Whitridge, of the Third Avenue system, in 1913, entered
into an agreement with the men on the Yonkers and Westchester lines that all differ57377°—16——3
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[311]
30
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
ences between them were to be arbitrated; and that even the question whether or not
a difference at issue was arbitrable should also be submitted to arbitration..
There appears to be no dispute that the men on the Yonkers and Westchester lines
not only were ready to arbitrate the differences between them, but they asked for the
opportunity to arbitrate them.
Mr. Maher, sr., testified that, in his opinion, Mr. Whitridge overlooked or forgot this
agreement to arbitrate, so that on the 11th day of July the situation was that there
was in existence an agreement to arbitrate all differences between the parties, and the
resolution adopted by the directors on June 26 last placed exclusively in Mr. Whitridge’s hands the handling of the matter with the men.
It is already testified by Mr, Maher, sr., that this authority having been vested in
Mr. Whitridge (who left for Europe on the 15th of July), he, Mr. Maher, felt that he had
no authority to deal with the situation.
It was this omission or failure, in our opinion, to deal with the situation in accordance
with the agreement with the men, made in 1913, that precipitated, if it did not cause,
the strike on the Yonkers and Westchester divisions.
In the conference between Mr. Whitridge and the men, Mr. Whitridge contended
that the matter of wages or scale of wages should be treated as one scale for the entire
Third Avenue system. It is evident that efforts were already under way to organize
the men on the Third Avenue system. These efforts, it would appear, were accelerated
by the strike on the Yonkers and Westchester lines, releasing the men to meet with and
organize their brothers on the remainder of the Third Avenue system.
There can be no question that the strike on the Yonkers and Westchester lines and
the events which followed in the train of this strike, including the strike on the other
branches of the Third Avenue railroad and the threatened difficulties with the lines
of other companies throughout the city, came about as the immediate and logical
result of the attitude of Frederick W. Whitridge, president of the Third Avenue rail
road, and the actions he took in the matter prove conclusively that he either in
tentionally violated the agreement he made with the men to arbitrate and which he
was in honor bound to keep, or that he was so negligent in his duties to his stockholders,
his employees, and the public, as to forget entirely this important agreement.
We have already developed the fact that there is no real difficulty that stands in the
way of the parties getting together. On both sides there is a willingness to arbitrate
the only question of wages and working conditions that has thus far been presented.
Indeed, the union has stated that it is legally bound by its constitution to arbitrate all
differences before declaring a strike. The difficulty—apparent but not real—seems
to be that the men believe that they would be prevented from exercising their legal
right to organize. The statements of counsel for the Third Avenue system and of the
manager now make clear that whatever the personal feelings of any officer may be,
the Third Avenue railroad is not as a railroad opposed to the organization of the
men and recognizes clearly their legal and moral right to organize.
On the other hand, the men take the position that they do not desire the settle
ment of their grievances by any outsiders, but that all grievances shall be adjusted
by committees of the men on the lines with their employers, and in explaining what
they mean by recognition of the union, they have stated that they do not mean a
closed shop, nor the exclusive employment of union men, nor the interference by the
union with the management of the railroad.
We think that this investigation has already developed points upon which the
differences between the men and the officials of the railroad can be adjusted. We
have been assured by counsel for the railroads that a meeting of the board of directors
is to be held next Monday, at which authority is to be vested in some one in the absence
of Mr. Whitridge.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[312]
M O N T H L Y R E V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
31
Without waiting for our complete findings upon the evidence, we now recommend
that both sides get together, as it is apparent from the foregoing recital there are no
substantial differences between them which justify the continuance of the condi
tions that now exist, and we believe that if they take up this matter promptly in the
spirit in which the commission recommends, they will certainly arrive at a speedy
and satisfactory conclusion.
After listening further to counsel for both sides, the Commission
adjourned until the following Monday, in order to permit the Third
Avenue Kailway Co. to hold a meeting of its directors and to
authorize some one to act and to give the parties opportunity to
agree. In the meantime the Commission, on Saturday morning,
August 5, expressed its opinion upon the entire situation in the
following words:
The right of men freely to organize is a legal right no longer subject to question.
The right of men freely to select spokesmen or advisers is a corollary of this right.
The right to deal or to decline to deal collectively with an organization is likewise
a legal right. So, too, the right to employ or to refuse to employ members of a certain
organization is a legal right, justified morally in its exercise, according to the circum
stances of each case. But the right of the State to have its public utilities operated
safely, efficiently, and continuously is also a legal right. Which of these rights is
paramount—the rights of the people, or the rights of workers or employers? What
ever the application of these rights may be in private ventures, the right and the duty
of the State in respect to its public utilities are clearly paramount. It is true that
none of these rights—of the State, the worker, or the employer—are arbitrable. But
the adjustment of these rights so that each may be respected and properly balanced
involves important considerations. While all of these parties have clear rights,
the manner of exercising them is of the highest importance. The methods commonly
accepted as moral are the methods of argument and persuasion, and the methods
commonly condemned are those of coercion or oppression. Neither should the men
coerce acceptance of their views, nor the company coerce acceptance of its views.
Even if the company has the legal right to discharge union men, it is questionable
whether it can justify itself on moral grounds.
With public utilities, where the necessities of the people depend upon their opera
tion, it should not be permitted to any group of men, be they employees or employers,
to inconvenience and bring distress upon the whole people for the purpose of securing
acquiescence with its views. This is to substitute coercion arising out of the necessi
ties of the public for persuasion as a method for securing recognition of concededly
nonarbitrable rights. The consideration of the method is an arbitrable matter.
These principles, in the main, were applicable to the existing situation and were
confirmed by the previous conduct of the parties by their agreements.
The memorandum thereupon briefly reviews the facts as to the
strike in 1913 on the Yonkers Railroad now part of the Third Avenue
system. It seems that prior to that year an unwritten agreement
had been made by which the men were to be dealt with through
their organization and with committees of the men employed on
the lines. A similar agreement was made with Mr. E. A. Maher, sr.,
then manager of the Westchester lines. The memorandum states
that the existence of these agreements and their binding obligation
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[313]
32
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E BUREAU OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
upon the present management was admitted by Mr. Maher in testi
mony before the Commission in the recent controversy. In 1913,
the men claiming that these agreements had in certain respects been
violated, a strike took place in Yonkers, resulting in tying up the
entire street car system for a period of 14 days. The Public Service
Commission of the Second District having jurisdiction over these
railway lines, in conference with both the president of the road,
Mr. F. W. Whitridge, and the men, advised the latter to return to
work immediately and urged the former to arbitrate all future
differences that might arise. As a result of the efforts of the Com
mission, the following agreement was assented to :
1. The operation of the road shall be restored immediately under the employment
conditions prevailing on December 31, 1912, with all men then employed restored to
duty without prejudice to them.
2. That the company and the men shall consider all matters in difference, and that
any matters upon which they shall he unable to agree shall be submitted to arbitra
tion by arbitrators selected in the usual manner.
3. If any matters are claimed by either party not to be arbitrable, the question
whether such matters are properly the subject of arbitration shall be arbitrated.
The statement prepared at the time by Chairman Stevens, con
taining the above agreement, also included the following paragraph:
Mr. Whitridge clearly assented to the first and second propositions, but as to the
third made the statement that some questions are not arbitrable. He finally said
that he would abide by the decision of the chairman of the commission as to what
questions are arbitrable, and after some further colloquy, stated that the position of
the chairman that the question of what questions are arbitrable should be submitted
to arbitration was correct. The commission understands, therefore, that Mr. Whit
ridge assents to the third proposition, which was read in his presence.1
Upon this record and agreement the men returned to work. That
this agreement was applicable to the controversy arising between the
men and the company because of the refusal of Mr. Whitridge to
1The m em orandum of th e Commission contains th e following su p p lem entary statem ent:
O n A ugust 9, 1916, Mr. Cook, counsel for th e T h ird A venue railw ay system , asked th e Commission to
a dd to th e record th e following telegram sent b y Mr. W hitridge to C hairm an Stevens on Jan u a ry 13,1913:
“ The Tim es and other papers th is m orning contain w h at p u rp o rts to be a docum ent signed b y you and
given to th e m en, b u t of w hich I have n o t received a copy, giving th e gist of your conference yesterday.
T he last seven lines of th a t statem ent, beginning w ith th e words 'a n d after some fu rth er colloquy,’ are
erroneous and contain a fu rth er expansion of w h at I said, to w hich I do n o t assent.”
Mr. Stevens replied on Jan u a ry 17,1913:
* * * “ i t is v ery m uch to be regretted th a t there is n o t a perfect agreem ent in recollection as to the
conclusions reached. I apprehend, how ever, th a t it will occasion no trouble or em barrassm ent to anyone
in th e futu re, since there is b u t little if a n y possibility th a t i t w ill ever become a practical question w hether
th e statem e n t is correct or no t. * * *
“ This telegram a n d correspondence show conclusively th a t th e agreem ent to a rbitrate was m ade and
th a t Mr. W h itrid g e’s only exception w as to th e com plete accuracy of the record as com pared w ith his
recollection of th e agreem ent to a rb itrate, w h eth er or n o t a question was arbitrable.
“ In view of th e fact th a t th e only question involved in Ju ly , 1916, w as one of wages—a clearly and concededly arb itrab le m a tte r—th is question of Mr. W h itrid g e’s recollection is academic. A ny agreem ent to
arb itrate contem plates th a t either p a rty m ay raise th e p o in t th a t a m a tte r is nonarbitrable, b u t i t does
n o t rest w ith eith er p a rty arb itrarily to determ ine th a t a m a tte r is n onarbitrable, and Mr. W hitridge’s
position was th a t he w ould n o t arb itrate th e m a tte r of increasing w ages.”
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[314]
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OE T H E B U REA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
33
arbitrate was admitted by Mr. Maher, sr., in his testimony before the
commission.
The hearings before the Commission seemed to result in narrowing
down the Third Avenue controversy to these points: The company
was fully prepared to recognize the legal and moral right of the men
to organize and was ready, in broad terms, to pledge itself not to
interfere with this right.
We did not understand that the company would in any way interfere with the
selection of the committee, nor would they interfere with the men securing advice
from officers of the union, hut we did think that probably the company would not
wish to throw the weight of its indorsement to the organization, which it would do if
it acquiesced in the men’s request. The privilege to accord or withhold indorsement
or sanction of the union was, of course, for the company to exercise. We did believe,
however, that the public should not be deprived of its transit facilities because of a
controversy over such a matter, nor that the business of a great city should be sus
pended while the parties wrangled over this point. In our opinion if the men won
their first point, that is, that it was the duty of the company to arbitrate (for which
they had contended), and their second point, the recognition of their right to organize
and join a union, and obtained adequate pledges safeguarding them in this respect,
we believed that they should not attempt further, by crippling the public utilities,
to induce the company to give its indorsement to their organization. We were, and
are still of the opinion that in this instance the rights of the public and of the State are
paramount. We believed the company should be required to reduce to writing its
pledge not to discharge any of the men for joining the union, nor to interfere coercively
with their so joining, and we were prepared to require that, in order to avoid further
misunderstandings, the arbitration agreement of 1913 should be made effective. We
were hopeful of securing the acceptance of these views by both the men and the com
pany. On the Yonkers and Westchester divisions, though the men admitted that
-they long ago had “ secured recognition of the union, ” yet in the conferences and in
the correspondence leading up to the present strike, when Mr. Whitridge objected to
the designation of their committees as committees of their local union they promptly
presented a modified letter with the designation omitted, thus showing breadth and
wisdom in putting substance ahead of form. We believed, therefore, that we could
reasonably hope to convince them that they could afford in this instance to show the
same spirit and take the same stand. We were, moreover, clearly of the opinion that
the arbitration agreement of 1913, binding the men as well as the company to submit
such points of difference for arbitration, would send this matter to arbitration and thus
remove it as a stumbling block. We believed that this point was an arbitrable one, in
that it involved solely the company’s attitude toward giving its weight of sanction or
indorsement to the union, and since the company had a reasonable basis for arguing
that to give this sanction would be doing more than giving the men a fair and free field
to organize, it was subject to discussion and reason.
If we secured a settlement on Monday with these lines in the Third Avenue situa
tion—the “ red car lines”—we were hopeful that it would furnish a modus vivendi for
settling the New York railways situation—the “ green car line.” The “ green car
line ” strike broke Saturday morning.
On Saturday, August 5, the foregoing considerations were formu
lated, and Mr. Cohen was authorized to present them on Monday
morning to counsel for the Third Avenue system and the counsel for
the men, and he was authorized further to endeavor to secure their
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[315]
34
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
assent and promise of recommendation of approval of their clients.
On Saturday evening the mayor of the city of New York called upon
the chairman of the Commission and sought his cooperation in an
effort to avert further extension of the strike, the strike on the New
York railways having been followed by that on the Queens railways,
Second Avenue, and Staten Island lines. The chairman pledged his
cooperation and outlined to the mayor the plans and program of the
Commission. The mayor approved of both. On Sunday morning
the mayor telephoned the chairman that he had arranged for a con
ference, first with the representatives of the union and then with the
representatives of the New York Railways Co., to secure, if possible,
an immediate settlement of the strike along the lines outlined by the
chairman. The chairman and Mr. Cohen met the mayor and repre
sentatives of the men on Sunday, August 6, and laid before them five
propositions which, after some discussion and slight modifications
were finally agreed to and accepted by the representatives of the men.
In the afternoon these five propositions, together with the signed
proposal of the men, were laid before the president of the New York
Railways Co., and, with modifications in detail, accepted in the
following form:
1. The employees have the legal and moral right to organize, and the company
pledges that they will not interfere with the employees in their exercising of these
rights to organize, either by intimidation, coercion or discharge, nor shall employees
undertake to interfere with other employees in their exercising of their rights to
decline to organize, either by intimidation or coercion.
2. The company will receive and treat with a committee of the employees upon
any and all questions that may arise between them. This committee to select such
spokesmen or advisers as they may choose to represent them, without any objection
on the part of the company, and the company will in no way interfere with the selec
tion of the committee of employees, it being understood that if the committee shall
select to represent it the officers or other representatives of any particular organiza
tion, their appearance on behalf of the committee shall not be deemed to be a recogni
tion on the part of the company of the organizations of which they are the officers or
representatives.
3. That the question of wages and working conditions between the employees and
the company shall be taken up by and through a committee of the employees with
the officials of the company on a date to be agreed upon between them—such date
not to be later than the 20th day of August, 1916.
The committee and the company in conference shall attempt to reach a satisfactory
settlement upon all questions of wages and working conditions, and upon such points
as they may fail to reach an agreement they shall submit to a board of arbitrators,
the board of arbitrators to be composed of three disinterested persons, one to be se
lected by the officials of the company, one to be selected by the committee represent
ing the employees, and these two arbitrators to select the third.
Both sides to be given full opportunity to present all evidence and argument in
connection with their points submitted to arbitration, and the award of the majority
of the arbitrators, in writing, shall be final and binding.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[316]
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OP T H E B U R EA U OP LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
35
It is also agreed that all disputes that may arise between the company and the
employees in the future, on which they can not mutually agree, shall be submitted
to arbitration as herein provided.
4. In the interest of public safety and public service, the company wants it clearly
understood that the direction and control of employees in all matters looking to effi
ciency in the service remains with the company and is not to be the subject of con
ference or arbitration, but if a dispute should arise as to whether a particular case
falls within the above class, that question shall be subject to conference and arbi
tration as above provided for.
5. If the above is agreed to and accepted, it is further agreed that the employees
shall declare off the strike and return to work immediately, in the positions they
occupied prior to the time of going on strike, without prejudice.
This agreement to be underwritten by his Honor, Mayor Mitchel, and by the Hon.
Oscar S. Straus, chairman of the Public Service Commission for the First District.
The representatives of the men being again sent for, the changes
were submitted to them, and, after discussion, accepted by them.
On Monday morning the men at their halls ratified the arrangement
as to the railway lines. The directors of the Third Avenue Railway
Co. met and authorized the consummation of the settlement. The
board of directors of the New York Railways Co. also met on Mon
day and ratified and approved the action of their president.1
On the following morning, Tuesday the 8th, representatives of the
Second Avenue Railroad Co., representatives of the Queens County
road, and of the Staten Island companies, and representatives of the
men, together with the mayor, the chairman of the Commission, one of
the commissioners, and counsel for the Commission, met at the mayor’s
office, where all the representatives of the companies announced
their willingness to settle their strikes upon the same terms as had
been negotiated with the New York Railways Co. and the Third
Avenue Railway Co. This settlement was consummated by accept
ance and ratification of the men that afternoon.
The memorandum concludes:
Because of its supervision of the railroad, facilities of the city, it was the special
duty of this Commission to safeguard the lives of the citizens on its railroad lines and
to ascertain whether the franchises of the companies were being exercised. Without
1 T he m em orandum states th a t d u rin g th e day th e m ayor and chairm an of th e Commission sought to
persuade th e directors of th e com pany to ratify th e act of th e ir p resid ent and, in order to facilitate this
result, th e following s tatem e n t was secured from th e chairm an of th e em ployees’ com m ittee:
I have considered th e tw o questions of in terp retatio n of th e term s of settlem ent contained in th e letter
of Theodore P . Shonts as p resid en t of th e New Y ork R ailw ays Co., d ated A ugust 6, w hich you have pre
sented to me, and on behalf of th e m en on strik e I agree as follows:
T he language in paragraph 1 as follows:
“ N or shall employees und ertak e to interfere w ith other employees in th e ir exercising of th e ir rights to
decline to organize, eith e r b y in tim id atio n or coercion”—
shall be held to m ean in ad d itio n th a t th is applies as w ell to m em bers of th e association w hether th e y be
employees of th e New Y ork R ailw ays Co. or not.
The th ird paragraph on page 3 prescribing th e m ethod of selecting a board of arbitrators shall be am pli
fied b y th e following provision:
In case th e a rb itrato r selected b y th e officials of th e com pany an d th e arb itrato r selected b y th e com m it
tee representing th e employees shall fail w ith in te n days to select th e th ird arb itrato r, th e n such th ird
a rb itrato r shall be selected b y H on. Oscar S. Straus.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[317]
36
M O N T H L Y K EVIEW OF T H E BTJKEAU OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
knowledge of the facts the responsibilities for the situation could not he fixed. The
Commission not only had power, but it was its duty to examine witnesses and ascertain
the facts promptly. It was, in fact, the sole body having the powers of investigation.
The Commission believes that the two days of investigation into the Third Avenue
situation clarified the facts and fixed the responsibility.
While the settlement of the strike is important, the Commission believes that the
lessons to be derived therefrom are more important and should be plainly set forth as
a basis for further study and legislation. At this time it is not practicable to formulate
definite measures to be introduced in the legislature, but, in order that there may be
the widest possible criticism and opportunity for discussion, the Commission now
presents for consideration certain deductions which it makes and certain questions
which its experience suggests, as follows:
First. It is evident that the responsibility for maintaining service and adequate
transit conditions requires that the Commission shall be clothed with the fullest
powers. The public now believes that the Commission has such powers. This is not
true, however, for the statutes contain careful limitations which have been further
restricted by judicial decisions. If the Commission is to be an administrative body
to regulate and control public services, its power shall be ample and undoubted.
In applying this concretely to industrial situations it is obvious that even if public
opinion is the only power to control a given situation, such public opinion should be
brought promptly to bear upon the basis of authentic knowledge of the facts and the
just application of reason. If law and order are to be maintained in the community,
correctly informed public opinion must be given an opportunity to assert its power.
Second. We are of opinion further, that if it had been known that the facts in the
Yonkers and Westchester matter were subject to public investigations and inquiry
by the Public Service Commission, the men would have been satisfied with the
enforcement of the agreement to arbitrate and would have been satisfied with an order
from the Commission directing the president of the railroad to proceed with the arbi
tration. We, therefore, suggest that when aggreements to arbitrate are made between
public utility companies and their employees they should be recorded with the
Public Service Commission, and if ratified and approved, made a part of the binding
obligations of the company in the exercise of its franchise. This would permit the
making of voluntary agreements between employees of the companies and the com
panies, with the knowledge on the part of both that there was power in the Commission
to enforce the agreement. We are of opinion that the Public Service Commissions
law should be amended to compel parties to such agreements to register them with the
Commission, and in the event of a breach to permit either party to apply to the Com
mission for relief, and that the Commission should be vested with adequate power to
grant relief in such cases.
Third. The recent experience of the Commission indicates clearly, as did the
experiences in 1877 and in 1902, in the cases of the Boston & Maine Railroad strike
and the anthracite coal strike, that investigation and 'publicity are more than half the
cure for industrial differences.
Fourth. The rapid transit lines of the city are now or are about to be operated
under the provisions of the contracts entered into between the Commission, as repre
sentative of the city, and the companies, whereby the city is in a position of ownership
of the most of the lines and to a certain extent in partnership in the operation, thus
creating a situation unlike any existing elsewhere, wherein there is a direct municipal,
as well as public, interest in the continuous operation of the rapid transit systems
of the city. This raises the question which is presented for consideration and public
discussion as to whether the employees on such lines occupy a position toward the
public and the municipality different from the position occupied by the employees
of other public-service corporations.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[318]
M O N T H L Y EE VIEW OF T H E B U REA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
37
Fifth. There is no doubt that men have the right to refrain from working, and any
rule that requires a man to work against his will is in the nature of slavery. On the
other hand, there are positions of public service that require the performance of
instant duty; for example, the policeman or the fireman may not throw up his job
while on duty, though he may resign his position.
It may very well be considered at this time whether or not the principle should
be extended to the extent of saying that it is against the public interest that men
employed on railroad or other public utilities may, without notice, exercise their
right to quit their jobs in a group, thus crippling if not totally arresting the operations
of public utilities, to the great damage of the public. We are not undertaking now to
suggest what remedy, if any, may be just and practicable, but it is already the law
that the matter of the operation of public utilities is a matter of State regulation. Is
the quitting of the service a matter for State regulation?
These questions can not be settled without the broadest public discussion. They
should be considered from every angle, with due consideration for the rights of the
employees and the public.
We believe that the Commission should present these questions for consideration, so
that when it resumes its hearings for the purpose of framing legislation it will have
the benefit of receiving information, suggestions, and criticisms to aid in arriving at a
final conclusion.
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE BOSTON ELEVATED RAILWAY CO. AND ITS
EMPLOYEES.
The articles of agreement between the Boston Elevated Railway
Co. and the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway
Employees of America and Division 589 thereof,1 effective for three
years from May 1,1916, contain the following provision for arbitration:
The company agrees to meet and treat with the duly accredited officers and com
mittees of the association upon all questions arising between them, and should any
difference arise between them which can not be mutually adjusted, the same shall
be submitted, at the request of either party, to a board of arbitration to be selected
in the following manner:
One arbitrator shall be chosen by the company, one by the association, the two
arbitrators so chosen shall meet daily to select a third, and the three arbitrators so
chosen shall then endeavor to meet daily for the purpose of adjusting said difference,
and the decision of the majority of said board, submitted in writing to the company
and the association, shall be binding upon both parties.
In the event of the failure of either party to appoint its arbitrator within six (6) days
after arbitration is decided upon, the party so failing shall forfeit its case. Each party
shall bear the expense of its own arbitrator and the expense of the third arbitrator
shall be borne equally by the parties hereto.
The following are the more important articles of agreement: Pro
vision is made for the adjustment of grievances; employees are not
to be discriminated against because of membership in the association;
at least 1 day off in 15 shall be granted upon request; schedule
runs shall provide between 8 and 9J hours platform work, and at
i A rticles of agreem ent. B oston E lev ated R ailw ay Co. a n d A m algam ated Association of Street &
E lectric R ailw ay Em ployees of A m erica a n d D ivision 589 thereof. May 1, 1916, to A pr. 30, 1919. Bos
ton [1916]. 99 pp.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[319]
38
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U REA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
least 70 per cent of all such runs shall be laid out with outside time
not to exceed 11 hours, and in no case is a schedule run to have
outside time in excess of 14 hours; payment for platform time in
excess of 9 hours shall be at the regular hourly rate (with certain ex
ceptions); all employees are guaranteed not less than
hours pay
provided they remain on duty as long as required, not to exceed 14
hours.
Under the agreement hourly wages of motormen and conductors
on the surface lines, and of motormen, guards, brakemen, and gatemen on the rapid transit lines, for each year of service, compared
with the wages in force prior to May 1, 1916, are shown in the following
table:
H O U R L Y W A G E S i O F M O TO RM EN A N D CO ND U C TO R S ON T H E SU R F A C E L IN E S , A N D
O F M O T O R M EN , G U A R D S, B R A K E M E N , A N D G A TE M E N ON T H E R A P ID T R A N S IT
L IN E S O F B O STO N U N D E R T H E A G R E E M E N T , C O M PA R ED W IT H W A GES IN EFFECTP R IO R TO MAY 1, 1916, F O R EA CH Y E A R O F SE R V IC E .
Y ear of service.
R ate
from
R ate
prior to May 1,
May 1, 1916,to
1916 May 1,
(cents). 1917
(cents).
R ate
from
May 1,
1917,to
May 1,
1918
(cents).
R ate
R ate
R ate
from
from
May 1, prior to May 1,
1918,to May 1, 1916,to
May 1,
1916 May 1,
1919 (cents). 1917
(cents).
(cents).
Motormen and, conductors—Sur
face lines.
F irst 6 m ouths
Second f> m o n th s......................................
Second y e a r .............................................
T hird year ...............................................
F o u rth y e a r .............................................
F ifth y ear...................................................
Sixth year an d thereafter......................
26.75
27.00
28.25
29.00
29.50
30.50
32.00
28.75
29.00
30.25
31.00
31.50
32.50
34.00
29.50
29.75
31.00
31.75
32.25
33.25
34.75
25.50
26.50
27.00
27.50
28.00
28.50
27.50
28.50
29.00
29. 50
30.00
30.50
28.25
29.25
29.75
30.25
30.75
31.25
29.00
30.00
30.50
31.00
31.50
32.00
R ate
from
May 1,
1918,to
May 1
1919
(cents).
Motormen—Rapid-transit lines.
30.25
30.50 3 30.25 2 32.25 2 33.00
33.00
33. 75
31.00
31.75
34.50
31.75
33. 75
32.50
34.50
32.50
35.25
33.00
34.00
33.25
35.25
36.00
34.00
36.00
36.75
35 50
Guards—Rapid-transit lines.
F irst year .................................................
Second y ear...............................................
T hird y e a r.................................................
F o u rth y ear...............................................
Fifth y ear...................................................
Sixth year and th e re a fte r......................
R ate
from
May 1,
1917, to
May 1,
1918
(cents).
2 33. 75
34.50
35.25
36.00
36.75
37.50
Brakemen—Rapid-transit lines.
22.00
22.50
23.25
23.75
24.25
24.75
24.00
24.50
25.25
25.75
26. 25
26.75
24.75
25.25
26.00
26.50
27.00
27.50
25.50
26.00
26.75
27.25
27.75
28.25
Gatemen—Rapid-transit lines.
F irst y e a r...................................................
Second y e ar...............................................
T h ird y e a r.................................................
F o u rth y e a r .............................................
F ifth y ear...................................................
Sixth year and thereafter......................
18. 50
19.50
20.50
21.50
20.00
22.00
20. 25
20.50
22.25
22.50
23.00
21.00
21.25
22.25
22.75
23.00
23.25
23.75
22.00
23.00
23.50
23. 75
24.00
24.50
i Lay-offs n o t exceeding 30 m inutes are to be p aid for a t regular rates.
3 This rate applies to th e first year.
CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION IN MASSACHUSETTS.
As amended in 1914 the Massachusetts act providing for a State
board of arbitration for the settlement of differences between employ
ers and employees, requires that notice of a threatened strike or
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[320]
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
39
lockout be given to the State board in order that it may communicate
with the parties to the controversy and endeavor by mediation to
obtain an amicable settlement or to persuade them to submit the
matter to arbitration. These efforts failing, the board is required to
serve notice on the parties that it will investigate the cause of the
controversy to ascertain which side is mainly responsible or blame
worthy for its existence or continuance. This investigation is public
and, unless a settlement is reached, the decision of the board is
published, usually with a recommendation as to what ought to be
done to adjust the controversy. The board insists, pursuant to
law, that the parties shall either settle the matter between themselves
or agree to submit the whole question to arbitration by the State
board or by a board selected by themselves.
Operating under the law thus briefly outlined, the State board of
conciliation and arbitration, according to the recently issued thirtieth
annual report for the year ending December 31, 1915,1 considered
209 cases of industrial disputes. Of this number 86 were voluntarily
submitted to the board to be determined by arbitration; 100 cases
were amicably adjusted as a result of the board’s conciliation; in
18 cases, conciliation failing to bring about a good understanding,
and the parties refusing to join in a submission of the questions in
dispute to arbitration, public investigations were held. At the con
clusion of these hearings the board’s recommendations were adopted
by the parties in all except 5 cases. There were 5 petitions presented
for the board to determine whether the business of the petitioner
was being carried on in a normal and usual manner and to the normal
and usual extent. The treatment and disposal of the cases in 1915
cost $10,985.55, an average cost per case of $52.56. The sum appro
priated for the board’s use to cover this expense was $15,000.
The report notes that while the number of requests for changes in
working conditions, wages, and hours of labor continued undimin
ished there has been a decrease in the number of strikes since 1913.
This, it is stated, is largely due to the policy of conducting the
investigation already referred to and to the increasing tendency of
employers and organized employees to accept the advice of the
board and utilize the methods provided by statute in the settle
ment of industrial disputes.
An important feature in labor controversies is the trade agreement,
and it is stated that the board has prevented many industrial diffi
culties by drafting or correcting the draft of such contracts which con
tain provisions that negotiations and arbitration shall remedy the
difficulties that may arise thereafter. On this point the report says:
i M assachusetts. T h irtie th A nnual R ep o rt of th e S tate B oard of Conciliation and A rbitration for the
year ending Dec. 31, 1915. B oston, 1916. 245 pp.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[321]
40
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E BU R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS,
The trade agreement can not he too highly praised, but to eulogize it at the expense
of arbitration is to misstate its merits and to render it short lived or void, since it is
the arbitration clause that makes the contract a trade agreement. There are hun
dreds of such agreements in this State, the majority of which exist in the shoe industry.
The trade agreement grew out of conciliation cases, it being found that the effort to
compose a past difficulty would, with proper regard to the future, suffice to prevent
its recurrence. It differs from an agreement, which merely terminates a strike by
providing overtures, conferences, negotiations, and mutual adjustment of future
differences, and, in default of these, submission of such controversies to the judgment
of an impartial tribunal. The law gives the parties choice between the State board and
a local board, of which they select the members. Resorting to arbitration supposes
a disposition to peace, and requires a certain degree of harmony at the outset; it often
happens that the parties settle their controversy with little or no assistance while at
tempting to frame the joint submission of the case. The prevention of labor trouble,
the reconciling of adversaries, and the adjustment of friendly disputes are connected
so closely and resolve so freely into one another as to be inseparable in any practicable
design of substituting peace for industrial strife.
It appears that from 20 to 40 cases of arbitration in various stages
of procedure are constantly before the board, such cases being
brought by parties already disposed to peace and in agreement as
to the best method of securing it.
As illustrating the work of the board in settling controversies, one
case may be cited. There was a strike in the works of the United
States Cartridge Co. at Lowell. The parties could not be brought
into agreement on prices, nor could a joint application for arbitration
be secured. The employer requested the board’s opinion of fair
wages for the 347 kinds of performances required of the work people.
The employees returned to work pending the board’s recommenda
tion. The board investigated and recommended a wage scale, given
in full in the report, to be paid various grades of work people, and an
increase of 7 per cent in the pay of machinists. Both parties accepted
the board’s advices concerning what they ought to do and submit to
in order to adjust the controversy, and these recommendations had
the same effect as an award rendered on a joint application.
More than 200 pages of the report are devoted to a history of 158
cases adjusted through the efforts of the board.
RETAIL PRICES OF FOOD IN THE UNITED STATES.
Figures compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from reports
furnished by approximately 725 retail dealers in 44 of the principal
industrial cities of the United States show an increase of 2 per cent
from May 15 to June 15, 1916, in the combined price of 26 of the
principal articles of food.
Butter, flour, cheese, and milk showed a decrease in price from
May 15 to June 15, although the docline in the price of milk was but
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[322]
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
41
a fraction of 1 per cent. Canned salmon, rice, tea, and coffee showed
no change. All other articles increased in price, from raisins and
prunes, a fraction of 1 per cent, to potatoes, 19 per cent.
The table which follows shows the relative retail prices on May 15
and June 15, 1916, of 26 of the articles covered by the bureau’s reports,
together with the average money prices on the same dates. In com
puting the relative price terminal decimals are dropped, hut as the
use of round numbers fails to reflect slight changes in price, it has been
deemed advisable to use plus and minus signs to indicate more
exactly the relative price. Thus, the relative 112+ for sirloin steak
in June denotes that the relative price computed closely is more than
112 but less than 112.5. The relative price 112— for rib roast in June
indicates that the exact relative price is at least 111.5 or above, but is
still under an exact 112. When no plus or minus sign is used the
relative price is exact. The average money price is shown only to
three places, and the plus and minus signs are used in the same way
as they are used in connection with the relatives. Were the decimal
extended further, it would explain the few instances of apparent
inconsistencies between the average money price and the relative
price.
A V E R A G E M O N E Y R E T A IL P R IC E S A N D R E L A T IV E R E T A IL P R IC E S O F FO O D ON
MAY 15 A N D JU N E 15, 1916.
[The relative price shows th e p er cent th a t th e average price on th e 15th of each m o n th was of th e average
price for th e year 1915.]
Average m oney
price.
U n it.
A rticle.
M ay 15,
1916.
Sirloin steak:....................................................................
R ound s te a k ...................................................................
R ib ro a st..........................................................................
Chuck ro a s t.....................................................................
P la te boiling beef..........................................................
P ork chops 5 ..................................................................
Bacon, sm ok ed..............................................................
H am , sm o k ed ................................................................
LardJ p u re ................................................................. .
H ens A .............................................................................
Salmon, c an n e d .............................................................
Eggs, s tric tly fresh .......................................................
B u tter, cream ery..........................................................
Cheese...............................................................................
Milk, fresh.......................................................................
Flour, w h e a t..................................................................
Corn m eal........................................................................
R ice...................................................................................
Potatoes...........................................................................
O nions..............................................................................
Beans, n a v y ....................................................................
P ru n e s ..............................................................................
R aisins, seeded..............................................................
Sugar, g ra n u la te d .........................................................
Coffee.^............................................................................
T ea....................................................................................
All a rtic le s co m b in ed
.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
.
.
P o u n d ..........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
____ d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
Dozen...........
P o u n d ..........
........d o ...........
Q u a rt...........
¿-barrel bag.
P o u n d ..........
........d o ...........
P e c k .............
P o u n d ..........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
........d o ...........
.
[323]
June 15,
1916.
$0.276.248+
.216
.1 7 4 .130+
.2 3 0 .2 9 0 .289+
.169—
.241 +
SO. 286—
.257+
.224
.180+
.1 3 4 .2 3 2 .292+
.292—
.1 7 2 .2 4 4 -
.202
.202
.278+
.3 7 5 .247+
.090
.953+
.0 3 1 .0 9 1 .3 6 0 .0 5 1 .093+
.130+
.1 2 7 .0 8 6 .3 0 2 .551 +
.2 9 5 .367+
.2 4 5 .090
.933+
.031 +
.0 9 1 .4 2 9 .054+
.0 9 6 .130+
.1 2 7 .087+
.3 0 2 .551+
R elative price (av
erage price for
the year 1915=
100).
M ay 15,
1916.
108+
109108+
108107+
113+
106112 +
114116+
10183104107100+
9599+
100+
157+
147 +
121 98-
June 15,
1916.
112 +
113+
112 112 110 114+
107
113+
116
11710188
102106—
100
193+
100100+
130100100+
187
157124
98+
101 +
132100100+
107+
109+
101
42
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
The following table shows the average money prices and the
relative prices of the same 26 articles on June 15 of each year from
1912 to 1916:
A V E R A G E M O N E Y R E T A IL P R IC E S A N D R E L A T IV E R E T A IL P R IC E S O F FO O D ON JU N E
15 O F EA C H Y E A R , 1912 TO 1916.
[The relativ e price shows th e p er cent th a t th e average price on th e 15th of Ju n e in each year was of th e
average price of th e year 1915.]
Average m oney price Ju n e 15—
U n it.
A rticle.
1912
Sirloin steak ...................
R o u n d s te a k ..................
R ib ro a st.........................
Chuck ro a s t....................
P late boiling beef..........
P ork chops.....................
Bacon, sm o k ed.............
H am , sm o k ed................
L ard, p u re ......................
H e n s ................................
Salmon, c an n e d ............
Eggs, stric tly fresh ___
B u tte r, cream ery..........
Cheese..............................
Milk, fresh......................
Flour, w h e a t.................
Corn m e a l.......................
R ice..................................
Potatoes..........................
O nions.............................
Beans, n a v y ...................
P ru n e s .............................
R aisins, seeded.............
Sugar, g ra n u la te d .......
Coffee...............................
T ea...................................
Pound...
...d o .........
. .. d o .........
. .. d o .........
. .. d o .........
. .. d o .........
. .. d o .........
. .. d o .........
. .. d o .........
. .. d o .........
. .. d o .........
Dozen__
Pound...
.. .d o .........
Q u a rt___
¿ b b l.b a g
Pound...
__ do........
P eck ........
Pound...
__ do........
__ do........
__ do........
__ do........
__ do........
___do........
1913
1914
1915
200-
.2 5 8 - $0.260+ 50.260+
.2 2 3 - .234+ .232+
.202
.204
.200
. 171— .164+
.125+ .1 2 3 .209+ .218— .207+
.2 7 6 - .273+ .273+
.271+ .2 6 6 - .258+
.158+ .1 5 4 - .1 5 1 .2 1 9 - . 221. 210+
261 +
339-
.2 7 5 .3 5 3 -
.278+
.3 3 9 -
087+
873030+
.090
.8 0 3 .028+
.090
.7 9 3 .0 3 0 -
.268+
.339+
.053+
.051+
237+
205194
191 +
246243148-
.200
063+
A ll a rtic le s co m b in ed .
. 265.349+
.233 +
.089+
1.033+
.031+
.0 9 1 .254+
.0 4 0 .0 7 6 .1 3 3 .1 2 6 .069+
.3 0 2 .551+
R elative price June 15
(average for th e year
1915=100)—
1916
1912 1913 1914
.2 8 6 .257+
.224
.180+
.134+
.2 3 2 .292+
.2 9 2 .1 7 2 .2 4 4 -
93+ 101- 102+
90+ 98+ 103+
97+ 100+ 1021061039 4 - 103- 1079 0 - 101+ 100+
9 4 - 105- 103+
100+ 107 104+
9 6 - 105+ 106-
.202
.2 9 5 .367+
.2 4 5 .090
.933+
.031+
.0 9 1 .4 2 9 .054+
.0 9 6 .130+
.1 2 7 .087+
.3 0 2 .551+
102102
101+
102101102
100100102+
101 +
100 -
112+
113+
112-
112110-
114+
107
113+
116
117—
101-
7 8 - 8 2 - 8 3 - 7 9 - 88
94+ 98+ 9 4 - 9 7 - 102101- 1069 7 - 100- 100+ 99+ 100
87+ 80+ 7 9 - 103+ 93+
9 6 - 9 1 - 95+ 100+ 100100 + 100+
191- 117- 148+ 111— 187
116 1579 8 - 124
100+ 98+
100-
101+
9 6 - 8 1 - 7 8 - 105+ 132—
100+ 100100- 100+
96-
96 +
98 +
98
109+
A comparison of prices on June 15 from year to year shows an
increase in the price of all food combined of 14 per cent from June 15,
1912, to June 15, 1916. There was approximately no change from
June 15, 1912, to June 15, 1913; 2 per cent from June 15, 1913, to
June 15, 1914; no change from June 15, 1914, to June 15, 1915;
and a jump of 11 per cent from June 15, 1915, to June 15, 1916.
Potatoes declined 2 per cent from June 15, 1912, to June 15, 1916,
being the only article which was not higher on June 15, 1916, than on
the same date five years earlier. Flour, corn meal, prunes, and coffee,
were the only articles lower in price on June 15, 1916, than on the
same date one year earlier, although corn meal and coffee were but
slightly lower.
Meats advanced in the year from June 15, 1915, to June 15, 1916,
from 7 per cent for bacon to 16 per cent for hens. Other articles
which made marked advances during this period were beans, 27 per
cent; sugar, 26 per cent; onions, 35 per cent, and potatoes, 68 per cent.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[324]
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
43
RETAIL PRICES OF COAL, 1907 TO 1916.
Reports as to retail coal prices received by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics from approximately 250 coal dealers in the same 44 cities
from which reports are received as to retail prices of food, show an
increase of 3 per cent in the price of Pennsylvania anthracite white
ash stove coal from January 15 to July 15, 1916, an unusual condition,
as summer prices are ordinarily lower than winter prices. From
January 15, 1915, to January 15, 1916, there was an advance of 2
per cent, while from July 15, 1915, to July 15, 1916, there was an
advance of 8 per cent. The changes in prices of chestnut coal were
about the same.
In bituminous coal the changes were not so marked. There was a
decline of 1 per cent in the price from January 15, 1916, to July 15,
1916, but an advance of 3 per cent on July 15, 1916, over the same
date of the previous year.
The table given herewith shows the relative retail prices of Penn
sylvania anthracite stove and chestnut coal and of bituminous coal
for the years 1907 to 1916, inclusive, and for January 15 and July 15
of each year during this period. The yearly relative prices in the first
section of the table are averages of the January and July prices of
each respective year.
R E L A T IV E R E T A IL P R IC E S O F COAL EA C H Y E A R , 1907 TO 1916, IN C L U S IV E , A N D ON
JA N . 15 A N D JU L Y 15, O F EA C H Y E A R O F T H E SAM E P E R IO D .
[Average price for 1915=100.]
Year.
1907....................
1908....................
1909....................
1910....................
1911....................
1912....................
1913....................
1914....................
1915....................
1916....................
n
Penn Pen
syl syl B itu
vania vania
m i
white white
ash, nous.
ash, chest
stove.
n u t.
93
93
93
93
94
96
91
92
92
92
93
96
101
100
99
99
100
100
104
104
101
100
97
98
100
99
103
103
100
101
n
Pen n Pen
syl syl B itu
vania vania
m i
w hite white
ash, ash, nous.
chest
stove. n u t.
M onth and
year.
Jan u ary , 1907.
Jan u ary , 1908.
Jan u ary , 1909.
Jan u a ry , 1910.
Jan u ary , 1911.
Jan u ary , 1912.
Jan u ary , 1913.
Jan u ary , 1914.
Jan u ary , 1915.
Jan u ary , 1916.
94
95
95
95
95
96
104
92
94
94
94
94
96
103
100
101
100
101
103
103
102
103
99
100
103
100
105
106
102
101
M onth and
year.
J u l y , 1 907....
Ju ly , 1908___
Ju ly , 1 909....
J u l y , 1 910....
Ju ly , 1911___
J u l y , 1912___
Ju ly , 1913___
J u l y , 1914___
Ju ly , 1915___
Ju ly , 1916___
Penn P enn
syl
syl vania
B itu
vania w
hite m i
w hite ash,
ash, chest nous.
stove. n u t.
91
91
90
91
92
96
97
98
98
106
89
90
89
90
92
96
97
98
98
105
99
97
94
96
96
98
100
100
97
100
WHOLESALE PRICES IN 1915.
Wholesale prices of commodities in the United States averaged
considerably higher in 1915 than in the preceding year, according
to Bulletin 200 of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States
Department of Labor. The downward trend which set in toward
the close of 1914 did not extend beyond that year and by the end of
January, 1915, prices of many commodities had advanced to a point
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[325]
44
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS,
well above those of the year before. February prices in the aggre
gate were above those of January, but slight decreases occurred in
March and April. In May prices again advanced and, except for
small declines in June and September, continued at high levels
throughout the remainder of the year. The bureau’s weighted index
number for December was 105, the highest point reached in any
year since the collection of data for the present series of reports on
wholesale prices, dating back to 1890, was begun.
Violent fluctuations were recorded during 1915 in the prices of
many commodities, particularly drugs and chemicals, and metals
and metal products. In the former group, prices as a whole declined
during the first five months of the year, after which they rose sharply
until the December average was 39 per cent above the average for
January and 43 per cent above that for May. Metals and metal
products advanced steadily in price throughout the year, except for
slight declines in August, September, and October. The year closed
with prices in this group 37 per cent above the January prices.
In the fuel and lighting group there was little change in prices
during the first three months of the year, but marked declines took
place in the spring and early summer. In August prices again
advanced, the increase continuing for the rest of the year. The
December average for this group was 11 per cent above that for Janu
ary. Prices in the cloths and clothing group showed a steady ad
vance during the entire year, the increase from January to December
being more than 11 per cent.
Articles belonging to the food group were, in the aggregate,
highest in price in December and lowest in September. The increase
between January and December in this group was nearly 4 per
cent. Farm products averaged highest in May and lowest in Jan
uary, September, and November. The average for December was
only slightly above that for January. In the remaining groups
prices as a whole showed a falling tendency during the earlier part
and a rising tendency during the latter part of 1915.
Comparing 1915 with 1914, the group of commodities showing
the greatest increase in average yearly prices was that of metals
and metal products, the increase in the group as a whole being slightly
more than 11 per cent. In the drugs and chemicals group the
increase between the two years was nearly 10 per cent. The group
of farm products showed a 2 per cent increase in the average for
1915 over that for 1914, while the food group and the cloths and
clothing group each showed an increase of 1 per cent. Of three
groups showing a decrease in average yearly prices in 1915, as com
pared with 1914, fuel and lighting decreased nearly 6 per cent,
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[326]
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
45
lumber and building materials nearly 4 per cent, and house-fur
nishing goods nearly 1 per cent.
Of the 346 commodities or grades of commodities for which the
bureau collected wholesale prices for 1914 and 1915, 174 showed
an increase between these two years, 135 showed a decrease, while
no change was reported in the case of 37 commodities. A majority
of the 174 commodities which increased in price between 1914 and
1915 belongs to the farm products, cloths and clothing, and metals
and metal-products groups. Within these three groups, comprising
150 series of price quotations, 93 commodities or grades of commodi
ties increased in price, 44 decreased, and 13 were unchanged. Arti
cles showing an increase of more than 20 per cent were native steer
hides, rye, wheat, medium fleece wool, 2-32s worsted yarn, ingot
copper, copper wire, quicksilver, sheet zinc, and spelter. Some of
the articles in these three groups which decreased in price were
hogs, hops, cotton, cotton bags, cotton blankets, cotton flannels,
and raw silk.
In each of the three groups, food, fuel and lighting, and lumber
and building materials, more than half of the commodities decreased
in price from 1914 to 1915. In most instances, however, the decreases
were small, while increases of more than 20 per cent were recorded
for beans, rye flour, wheat flour, oranges, raw sugar, and zinc oxide.
Articles showing decided decreases in price were fresh and evaporated
apples, lemons, raisins, salt pork, cabbage, onions, potatoes, and
crude petroleum.
Of 10 commodities classed as drugs or chemicals, all but crude sul
phur increased in price in 1915, as compared with 1914. The most
decided increases were for alum (50.5 per cent), borax (24.5 per cent),
glycerin (37.8 per cent), muriatic acid (23.8 per cent), quinine (20.5
per cent), and sulphuric acid (29 per cent).
LABOR CONDITIONS IN HAWAII.
The fifth report of the Commissioner of Labor Statistics on labor
conditions in the Territory of Hawaii, which has been published as
Senate Document 432,1 presents statistical details, as required by
law, showing the highest, lowest, and average number of employees
engaged in the various industries in the Territory, classified as to
nativity, sex, hours of labor, and conditions of employment. A
large oriental population and a tropical climate make labor condi1 L abor conditions in H aw aii. L e tte r from th e Secretary of L abor tra n sm ittin g th e fifth report of the
Commissioner of L abor S tatistics on labor conditions in th e Territory of H aw aii for th e year 1915. S,
Doc. 432, 64th Cong., 1st Sess. W ashington, 1916. 192 pp. Illu strated .
57377°—16-
4
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[327]
46
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R E A U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
tions in Hawaii different from those on the mainland of the United
States. The average earnings and the standard of living of common
laborers are higher, although wages are lower and the opportunity to
advance is less than among such workers in California. At the
time the report was prepared skilled American and part-Hawaiian
mechanics in Honolulu were earning from $3 to $5 a day and unskilled
laborers and helpers SI.50 to $2 a day. The general condition of
Hawaiian workers appears to present no evidence of economic hard
ship, although individual instances of such hardship doubtless occur.
The chief industries of Hawaii are sugar production and pineapple
growing and canning. Sugar forms about nine-tenths in value of
agricultural products and more than four-fifths of the entire popula
tion is upon plantation pay rolls. The industry is highly centralized
and capitalized, and its growth, from a crop yield of 360,038 tons in
1901 to 646,445 tons in 1915, has been accomplished by bringing
more land into cultivation, mostly through great irrigation works,
and by increasing the return of cane per acre and the amount of
sugar made from a ton of cane through scientific cultivation, cane
selection and breeding, pest control, and fertilization, and through
improved construction and practice in mill and boiling house.
There are 47 corporations in Hawaii exclusively or largely engaged
in producing sugar, of which 43 operate mills. With one exception,
all are owned or controlled by Americans or Europeans. All but
three of the incorporated sugar plantations belong to the Hawaiian
Sugar Planters’ Association, which maintains a regular force of labor
recruiters in the Philippines and has a local transportation service
in those islands for supplying hands to Hawaiian plantations. It
prescribes schedules of wages to be paid to ordinary field hands by
plantations receiving labor from this source. I t also has established
and supervises a system of bonuses for plantation laborers, to be
noted later.
Most of the laborers employed in sugar production are Orientals—
36,378 (81 per cent) Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, and Filipinos being
employed in 1915 on plantations of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters’
Association. Of the 44,904 employed, 24,046 (53.5 per cent) were
Japanese, this being a decrease of 24.32 per cent in the number of
Japanese employed in 1908, when the largest number of this race
(31,774, or 69.7 per cent of the total employees) was employed.
Their places have been taken largely by Filipinos, of whom 183 were
employed in 1908 and 8,695 in 1915. European laborers repre
sented 11.5 per cent, Hawaiians 2.2 per cent, Americans 1.4 per cent,
and all others 3.9 per cent. Most of the skilled employees—that is,
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[3281
M O N T H L Y R E V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
47
those receiving $50 or more a month, exclusive of earnings of con
tractors and of persons receiving in excess of this sum on account of
overtime—are Americans, representing 34.15 per cent of the 1,696 so
classified in 1915.
Many field and some manufacturing operations are paid for at a
specific rate per unit of work. Cane cutting and loading are examples.
Other forms of plantation work are carried on under what are locally
termed “ short-time contracts,” which are in fact employment at
piecework rates. A very common and important true contract is
th e' long-term cultivating contract or “ profit sharing” agreement,
where a gang of men takes a field of cane and brings it to maturity for
a stated price per ton of cane raised. In addition to the contracts
mentioned, a man may rent a piece of land from a plantation, or use
his own land, to raise a crop of cane which he contracts to sell to the
mill at a stated price. He is called a “ planter.” The importance
of small farming carried on by these “ profit sharers” and “ planters”
is brought out in a section describing the manner in which their crops
are disposed of to the plantations, the method of arriving at the
amount to be paid for the product in the case of “ planters,” and the
elements entering into the cost of raising and milling cane. One
plantation buys practically all its cane from renters at a flat rate of
$3.25 a ton, and another sugar agency, representing five plantations,
during the five years ending with 1915, bought 1,030,888 tons of
cane from outside growers for which it paid an average of about $4.05
a ton delivered.
Of 43,208 unskilled laborers in 1915, the number of wage hands was
24,468 (56.63 per cent), contractors 15,121 (35 per cent), and plant
ers 3,619 (8.38 per cent). The proportion of Koreans who work by
contract is larger than that of any other nationality, and a table is
given showing that of about 21,000 Japanese engaged in cane raising
directly for the plantations nearly 10,000 are contractors.
Omitting women and children, the lowest rate paid common field
hands is $20 a month. On many plantations the base rate is $24
a month for all Europeans, and over $20 for Orientals. Many work
ers receive more than one rate during a single month, since they change
their occupations frequently. Contractors usually earn more than
daymen but their income is more variable. Their earnings bear no
relation to the price of sugar as do those of many “ planters,” but in
case of “ profit sharers” they do depend upon the yield of cane. The
following table shows the average rates of pay of common laborers
and the average and per cent of increase in daily earings of men
employed in profit-sharing contracts for those years for which sta-
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[329]
48
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U REA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
tistics have been gathered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics since
1902:
N U M B E R A N D A V E R A G E D A IL Y E A R N IN G S O F A D U L T M ALE F IE L D E M P L O Y E E S ,
1902, 1905, 1910, A N D 1915, A N D P E R C E N T O F IN C R E A S E IN E A R N IN G S .
1902
Field employees.
1905
1915
1910
Per
Per
Per
Av cent
A v
A v cent
A v cent
N u m erage N u m erage of de N u m erage of in N um erage of in
daily crease ber. daily crease
daily
ber.
ber. daily crease ber.
wage. since
wage. since
wage.
wage. since
1910.
1902.
1905.
Field h a n d s ......................... 15,307 SO. 68
.99
C ontract cu ltivators 2........ 9,286
All field labor 4........ 24,593
.80
11.0
17,749 SO. 65
.83
3,437
4.4
16.2
12,769 10.73
6,867
.91
12.3 110,899 SO. 81
9.6 3 6,885 1.23
35.2
.68
15.0
19,636
16.2 s 17,784
22.8
21,186
.79
.97
1 N ot including 150 field han d s, whose sex is n o t reported.
2 Includes those only whose average daily earnings were reported,
s N ot including 232 contract cultivators whose sex is n o t reported.
4 Includes those d ay h an d s and contract cu ltivators only whose daily earnings were reported,
e N o t including 382 field laborers whose sex is no t reported.
An important feature of the wage scale is the system of bonuses
introduced several years ago by the Planters’ Association. Under
this bonus plan, before it was amended as noted hereafter, employees
receiving $24 or less a month (on some plantations all employees
receiving less than $50 a month were allowed to participate), providing
they had worked upon an average 20 days each month for the plantation
during the preceding year, were allowed as a share of the plantation
profits at the close of the season a sum representing a percentage of
their earnings, this percentage to be determined by the amount above
a certain minimum per pound the plantation received for sugar sold
that year. With the price of sugar not exceeding 3.5 cents a pound
in New York, that is, $70 a ton, no bonus was paid. For every $1
a ton that the average price for the year rose above $70, a bonus of
1 per cent of their annual earnings was paid to laborers who had
worked the required 240 days during the year for the same plantation.
If a laborer did not work the full 240 days on account of physical
disability or because excused from work by the manager or dis
charged without his own fault, he received a bonus upon the amount
he earned during the time he did work. If a laborer had worked 240
days on the same plantation, part of the time as a day hand and
part of the time as a contractor, he was allowed a bonus on the
amount earned as a day hand only. This plan included only wage
hands. The bonus was paid on the regular pay day in November
or December for the year ending October 31. In 1915 the average
price of sugar was nearly $90 a ton, and the bonus paid to laborers
equaled 20 per cent of their annual earnings. In 1914, the last year
for which figures are available, the bonus was 5 per cent and the
amount distributed to 15,985 workers was $189,025 or an average of
$11.83 each.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[330]
M O N T H L Y E EV IE W OF T H E B U REA U OF LABOR STATISTICS-
49
Inquiry made by the Commissioner of Labor Statistics since the
study for the report was made has brought out the fact that on April 1,
1916, the bonus rate was increased to 1.5 per cent of the laborer’s
earnings for every $1 that the price of sugar rises above $70 a ton and
that the bonus is now paid to all contract cultivators or profit sharers
and to all short-time contractors, as well as to wage hands. I t does
not apply to contractors whose contracts are settled according to the
price of sugar. The requirement that the worker must remain on the
plantation a year to obtain the bonus has been abolished, and instead
all male workers laboring 20 days in a month are entitled to the
bonus for that month. One-fifth of the bonus is paid at each
monthly pay day, and the remaining four-fifths is payable at the end
of the bonus period, October 31. It appears from the correspond
ence that a number of planters are paying the bonus to all employees
earning $50 or less a month. This new system seems to have had the
effoct of increasing wages in other lines, pineapple plantation laborers
and domestic servants now demanding and receiving higher pay.1
When the bonus system was introduced it became necessary to
keep a complete record of the days worked and the monthly earnings
of each individual employed as a basis for the computations it required.
Before this, plantation timekeepers, who sometimes have 3,000 em
ployees on their pay rolls and seldom list laborers by name, but by
numbers, kept no record of cases where the same number was assigned
to different individuals in the course of the year. Therefore, it was
impossible to determine the earnings of particular persons with cer
tainty. With the new data afforded by the bonus accounts, and
through the courtesy of managers and bookkeepers, who undertook
much additional work for this purpose, statistics of the annual earn
ings of their employees have been compiled by several plantations.
These indicate average yearly earnings by nationalities as follows:
N U M B E R A N D A V E R A G E Y E A R L Y E A R N IN G S O F A D U L T M ALE SU G A R P L A N T A T IO N
A N D M IL L W O R K E R S , C L A S S IF IE D B Y N A T IO N A L IT Y .
Em ployees.
N ationality.
Average
yearly
earnings.
A m erican. . i ..........................................
Chinese....................................................
F ilipino...................................................
G erm an...................................................
H a w a iia n ................................................
Jap an ese.................................................
K o rean ....................................................
P orto R ican...........................................
Portuguese.............................................
R ussian...................................................
S p an ish ............................................... .
14
180
1,037
4
254
3,079
49
183
1,123
507
$833.18
321.23
200.33
561.41
382. 23
323.69
284.32
268.31
350. 77
368. 07
264.54
T o ta l............................................
6, 450
305.18
20
1 The H aw aiian Star-B ulletin of Ju ly 4,1916, contains th e announcem ent th a t d ay labor has gone u p from
$1.25 to $1.50, th a t yard boys who used to get $4 to $5 a w eek are now asking and getting $7 to $8 a week,
th a t wom en who used to ask $3 or $3.50 a week for dom estic w ork can n o t be coaxed w ith offers of $6 and $7
a week now . This, it is stated , is th e resu lt of th e new scale of wages p u t in to effect th is spring, a nd of th e
activities of th e pineapple canneries.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1331]
50
M O N T H L Y R E V IE W OE T H E B U R EA U OE LABOR STA TISTIC S.
Considering the demands of climate plantation workers are better
housed than many railroad laborers, mine workers, and unskilled city
workmen on the mainland. It is necessary to guard against deteriora
tion of quarters when laborers from the Orient, with low standards
of living and primitive notions of hygiene, are introduced. Many
plantations employ sanitary inspectors whose duty it is to inspect at
short intervals all laborers’ quarters and to enforce proper cleanli
ness. All large plantations provide hospital and medical attendance,
which is rendered free to most workers receiving low rates of pay;
in some places 10 cents a month is deducted from the wages.
Plantation workers receive, in addition to wages, free house, fuel,
and water, and in many cases land upon which to raise vegetables is
furnished free of rental. Living expenses are thus somewhat reduced.
It was found that a Japanese single man pays about $7 a month for
board, that a small family spends about $10 a month for provisions,
and that European laborers feel the increased cost of food more than
Asiatics.
The provisions of the workmen’s compensation law, enacted in
1915, cover agricultural laborers. This law provides for surgical,
medical, and hospital service for the first 14 days, not exceeding $50
in amount, but allows no compensation for the first 14 days of dis
ability. Sixty per cent of the wages may be paid during temporary
total disability. I t seems to have been the custom of plantations
and of some other large employers, to pay full medical expenses and
wages in such cases. In case of death or permanent disability the
law defines the rights of workers and gives them and their families
better assurance of uniform compensation than under the old system.
The act also protects many employees of small enterprises who
hitherto have had imperfect remedies for disablement in the pursuit
of their calling. No provision is made for compensating employees
whose wages exceed $36 a week. Plantations and canneries, which
are the largest employers, carry their own insurance.
Since the preparation of the report some inquiry has been instituted
to ascertain the effect of the compensation act. The replies seem to
indicate in general that the act has worked out satisfactorily and that
employers feel that it is on the whole a good law. An effort will
probably be made at the next legislature to shorten the period of
nonpayment, increase the hospital and medical treatment allow
ance, and also increase the per cent of wages to be paid in case of per
manent, partial, or total disability. The compensation provided under
the present law is not as liberal as that given by the sugar planta
tions under the old system of voluntary compensation. Most planta
tions have continued the old method of compensating for every day
lost and of paying indemnity for permanent injuries, such as the loss
of a finger.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[332]
M O N T H L Y R EV IEW OF T H E BU R E A U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
51
Next in importance to the sugar industry is the pineapple industry.
In 1915 12 canneries were in operation. Pineapple canning is
seasonal, the main crop coming in July and August. Most of the
labor is recruited from casual workers and none is brought from
abroad. Somewhat higher wages are paid in this industry than on
the sugar plantations, the average daily wage for adults, all nation
alities, being 97 cents for field labor and 94 cents for cannery labor.
Here also the Japanese predominate, furnishing 45.64 per cent of
the employees in the field and 36.07 per cent in the canneries.
As already indicated, most of the labor performed in Hawaii is
done by Asiatics, 81 per cent of all employees in 1915 being Orientals.
The increasing numbers and influence of the Japanese are indicated
by the facts that the amount of real estate upon which they pay
taxes rose in assessed value in 10 years from $168,545 to $1,002,203,
and that of 36,529 pupils of all nationalities in the public and private
schools, 13,553 (37.1 per cent) were Japanese.
The political influence of these people, whose Americanization is still in question,
will be reenforced by their growing economic influence. The Japanese have con
tinuously for many years extended their business activities, beginning with small
enterprises, until they are well intrenched in many lines of commerce and manufac
turing. They control the local fisheries, and their vessels conduct our trade with
the Orient and South America. No legal barriers stand in the way to prevent their
eventually acquiring a large influence in the sugar and pineapple industries, in both
of which they already have made a beginning. Japanese born in Hawaii, but, in
many cases, reared and educated entirely in Japan, are acquiring homesteads. As
lessees of small holdings they are rapidly forming the beginnings of a local peasantry.
So far as future results are predictable from present tendencies, the Japanese bid fair
to become owners of a large fraction of the arable land in the islands not directly culti
vated by corporations.
In summing up labor conditions in the islands, the report says:
Labor conditions in Hawaii are better than in most tropical countries and in some
ways they are better than in many mainland communities. The struggle for existence
is not severe. * * *
Most of the betterment of labor conditions during the past 15 years has not been
at the instance of the laborers themselves. I t has been partly forced from employers
by their competition among themselves for labor. No organized demand throughout
the islands has been made by laborers for higher wages, shorter hours, or other con
cessions. * * * The improvements in housing and camp sanitation, the gradual
betterment of medical service, and the financial support given to welfare work among
plantation laborers have been unsolicited by the laborers,. * * *
The plantation interests form a benevolent industrial oligarchy. The relations
existing between the plantation manager and his laborers are semifeudal. * * *
As sugar is the dominant economic interest of the islands, it is consequently the
dominant political interest. The territorial government, controlled in large part
by the sugar interests, seems to an outside observer to compare favorably with the
State governments of continental United States in point of honesty, intelligence,
and progressiveness. * * *
There is no reason for an alarmist attitude toward the Japanese. Those in Hawaii are
not unmindful that some mischance may in the future disturb the friendly relations
[333]
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
52
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
between their country and our own; but they do not court such an event. * * *
Their Americanization is as yet on the surface; it has not touched their hearts. * * *
If the coming generation of Japanese born in Hawaii are treated with fairness, they
may become as thoroughly Americanized as any of our citizens of European descent,
and may contribute much to the solution of social, economic, and political problems,
instead of passively existing in the community as knotty problems requiring solution
by our social, economic and political mathematicians. * * * To Americanize the
Orientals in Hawaii we must isolate them from direct contact and competition with the
laboring classes of Asia itself. Complementary to such a policy, necessary encourage
ment should be given to the immigration of Europeans. The Portuguese have proved
suitable settlers for Hawaii. * * *
Opportunity must be given those who save money to buy small farms. The present
homestead policy is not a success. The Territory ought not to alienate valuable cane
lands already under high cultivation for the profit of a few speculators and at the ex
pense of all the people. * * *
The water rights of the islands constitute a patrimony of the people which should
never have been alienated. Water as one of the component parts of a farm is quite as
essential as land. It is unfortunate that all the water sources in the islands are not
owned and administered by the Government. * * *
We may view labor conditions in Hawaii under two aspects. If we regard them
solely as present conditions of employment, as a topic exhausted when we have tabu
lated wages and earnings, hours of labor, industrial accidents, and other matters per
taining to the present condition of laborers, the subject might be closed with a reference
to the tables in this report. The tables show, considering the kind of labor used, the
service it renders, and the history of the laboring population of the islands, a satis
factory degree of progress. * * * But if we view labor conditions in Hawaii as
primarily important because they will determine the political future of the country and
the character of its civilization, then these other questions—of immigration and race
control, of land and water policies, and of civic development—are logically parts of
the subject. From the standpoint of our national interest in Hawaii, which gives occa
sion to the law calling for this report, these are the questions in relation to which
labor conditions are to be considered.
From this broader viewpoint the increase of a resident laboring population, the foster
ing of industries other than sugar making, the rise of a middle class derived from the
people who work with their hands, and the increase in smallholdings, are all hopeful
symptoms of progress toward a true civic community, organized to secure the welfare of
all its members. The Federal Government, in every policy affecting the Territory,
should strive to foster such a community.
WORKMEN’S COMPENSATION LEGISLATION OF 1916.
In 6 of the 12 States whose legislatures met in regular session in
1916, the Federal Congress, and the Island of Porto Rico, legislation
was enacted on this subject. The laws of Kentucky and Porto Rico
are new, the former taking the place of an act of 1914, declared
unconstitutional. (S e e Bulletin 169, p. 197.) In the other States
the legislation was chiefly amendatory, while the act of Congress is
new, superseding a number of special or incomplete laws. An
account was given of the Kentucky statute in the M o n t h l y R e v i e w
for June of the current year. The remaining legislation is noted
below.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[334]
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U REA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
53
In Louisiana two amending acts were passed, one of them (No. 243)
amending the act generally, materially enlarging its scope and
strengthening it in its benefits to the workman, and reducing the
waiting time to 1 week; the other (No. 270) makes it a misdemeanor
for an employer to deduct from his employee’s wages, directly or
indirectly, any contribution to meet the cost of premiums or other
charges for insurance under the compensation or any other act.
The Maryland statute was likewise amended in a number of points
by chapters 86, 368, 379, and 597. Some of the amendments are of
minor importance, as the one modifying the provision for the assess
ment of insurance carriers for the expense of administering the act, and
that authorizing the commutation of benefits to nonresident alien
beneficiaries to a lump sum on the basis of a valuation of three-fourths.
The list of employments covered is enlarged by including the opera
tion of horse-drawn vehicles; a comprehensive definition of mining is
also given, and employment is to be regarded as under the act where
the tipple or principal entrance to a mine is within the State, even
though the workings extend beyond its boundaries. Intoxication is
made a bar to recovery only when the injury results “ solely ” therefrom;
while the word “ unavoidable” is stricken from the definition of
diseases and infections incurred as a result of injuries, and for which
compensation is to be allowed. Also, provision for fractional losses of
vision and a modification of the law as to medical and surgical aid are
included.
Amendments to the Massachusetts statute are found in chapters
72, 90, 200, 307, and 308. The first provides that the report of
an impartial physician shall be received as evidence in any proceed
ing before the accident board or a committee of arbitration, if the
parties in interest have seasonably been furnished with copies thereof.
Chapter 90 reduces the waiting time from 2 weeks to 10 days.
The amendment contained in chapter 307 is a mere clarification of
the limitation contained in section 7 of chapter 807, Acts of 1913,
relating to compensation for injuries to public employees; while
chapter 200 is an independent act giving to any mutual liability
company authorized to do business in the State the same powers and
privileges as possessed by the Massachusetts Employees’ Insurance
Association. Chapter 308 is likewise an independent act (S e e
M o n t h l y R e v i e w for August, pp. 34 and 35), transferring the
powers and duties of the State board of labor and industries and the
industrial accident board sitting jointly to investigate industrial
conditions, etc., to the State board of labor and industries alone.
In New Jersey (ch. 54) a workmen’s compensation aid bureau
is created in the department of labor, and charged with the duties of
observing the operations of the law and making annual reports.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[335]
54
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OP T H E BU R E A U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
This bureau is authorized to investigate the causes of accidents and
facts relating thereto, and is to approve and file agreements of settle
ment between employers and employees, which are not valid until
such approval is given. If the parties do not agree within 21 days,
the bureau is to undertake to secure a suitable settlement.
Extensive changes are made in the law of New York, principally
by chapter 622, which makes a considerable number of additions to
the list of hazardous employments covered by the act, providing
also that any occupation or industry not included in the statutory
list may be brought under the act by the joint election of employer
and employees. In the original act compensation was restricted to
undertakings carried on by the employer for pecuniary gain, and
under this, municipalities had not been regarded as covered in con
nection with work on streets and highways, etc. The law was
amended in its application to public service so as to make it applica
ble thereto without regard to the question of pecuniary gain. “ Em
ployees” are made to include all persons in the service of an employer
whose principal business is the conduct of a hazardous employment
within the act, and not merely those persons engaged in the haz
ardous employment, as in the original act. Another extension of
the act is the inclusion of dependent stepchildren under the defini
tion of children as beneficiaries under the act.
Insurance under the act is made to protect the employer from all
liability save as provided for by the act itself. Employers failing to
secure payments of compensation by insurance or otherwise in accord
ance with the law, are guilty of a misdemeanor; and defaulting in
payments due subjects the employer to proceedings for the enforce
ment of the payment by judgment without appeal. Awards to
dependent parents or grandparents are increased in amount, while
payments on account of decedents whose beneficiaries are nonresident
aliens are limited.
Insurance carriers are to bear the expense of administering the
compensation law beginning July 1, 1916, from which date the
State fund must pay its own expenses, instead of from January 1,
1917, as previously directed. Another act (ch. 478) adds sections
to the municipal law and the State finance law by which it is pro
vided that contracts for public works coming within the scope of
the compensation law shall be void unless the contractor provides
insurance for his employees. Another act tending to safeguard
compensation insurance in the State is one (ch. 393) which requires
the approval of the State superintendent of insurance before divi
dends can be paid by mutual companies insuring employers’ lia
bility and workmen’s compensation and which fixes the surplus mini
mum of a foreign company at $100,000. In this connection may be
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[336]
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E BU R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
55
mentioned another act (ch. 441), which permits the attachment
of the property of an employer who is liable for the death of an
employee.
The law of Porto Rico is elective, providing for insurance in a fund
administered by the Government. There is no waiting time and no
provision for partial disability.
A bill providing for compensation for injuries to all civilian employ
ees of the United States has passed both houses of Congress at the
date of this writing.
OPERATION OF THE FEDERAL COMPENSATION ACT IN 1914, 1915, AND
1916.
The cost of compensation for fatal and nonfatal injuries and the
number of claims allowed under the act of May 30, 1908, providing
compensation to certain employees of the United States, are shown
by departments in the following table, covering the fiscal years
1914, 1915, and 1916. This table supplements the information
given in Bulletin 155 of this bureau, which is a detailed report of
operations under the act up to June 30, 1913. The figures shown
include for each specified fiscal year only those cases which occurred
during that year and for which claims were allowed. They do not
include cases pending at the beginning of the year. For certain
cases in 1916 reports as to the amount of compensation paid had
not been received. Estimates of the amounts paid for these cases
are given under the heading, “ Incomplete cases/’ and were com
puted by multiplying the number of claims allowed by the average
amount paid per case in 1915. The estimated total for 1916 is
COST O F C O M PE N SA TIO N F O R F A T A L AN D N O N F A T A L IN J U R IE S D U R IN G T H E FISC A L
Y E A R S 1914, 1915, A N D 1916 (A P O R T IO N O F T H E L A T T E R Y E A R E S T IM A T E D ).
1914
1915
1916
Com pleted cases. Incom plete cases .1
D epartm ent.
N a v y ............................................
W ar..............................................
In te rio r........................................
P ost Office..................................
T reasury......................................
A gricultu re.................................
Commerce...................................
G overnm ent P rin tin g Office..
Miscellaneous.............................
T otal
Total
am ount of Claims am ount of Claims
otal
E s tim a te d
al com pensa al amTount
compensa lowed.
of Claims am ount of Claims
tion paid.
tio n paid. lowed. com pensa al com pensa al
lowed.
tio n paid. lowed.
tion.
$131,147.20
114,445. 52
64, 754. 08
882.50
9,305. 01
13,622. 70
12,531. 09
4,825.15
T o tal................................. 351,513.25
1,166 $181,687.44
761 110,074. 45
373 63,808. 64
2
95. 75
78 12,967. 77
50 17, 766. 25
32
9,089. 02
44
4,111.10
2,506 399,600.42
1,530 $111,981.91
849 41,312.43
383
9,413.73
2
155.10
76
7,276. 38
73
4,162.19
42
2,301.95
52
2 ,2S7. 94
50.00
1,207 $83,679. 73
555 52,378. 60
113 10,727. 20
3
47.86
60
4,948. 27
36
8,274. 68
25
7,357. 72
32
474. 36
403
404
92
3,007 178,941.63
2,032 167,888.42
1,003
1
1
29
34
34
6
1 The considerable falling off of th e to ta l for 1916 as com pared w ith th e am ounts paid in 1914 and 1915 is
largely due to th e com pletion of im p o rtan t reclam ation projects and th e consequent reduction of th e w orking
forces.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[337]
56
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
GROUPING OF INDUSTRIES APPEARING IN THE WORKMEN’S COMPEN
SATION MANUAL.
A grouping of industries appearing in the Workmen’s Compensa
tion Manual, with corresponding code numbers, has just been issued
by the National Workmen’s Compensation Service Bureau, 13 Park
Row, New York City. This work has been specially arranged for
the convenience of statisticians. It contains an appendix in which
will be found a numerically arranged list of discarded classification
numbers and the classifications to which they refer.
This new grouping of Manual classifications has been revised to
conform more closely with the needs of accident compensation. The
code numbers of a great many industrial processes have been changed
and a considerable number have been dropped out altogether, as will
be seen by consulting the appendix. The Workmen’s Compensation
Service Bureau worked with the Committee on Statistics and Compen
sation Insurance Cost of the International Association of Industrial
Accident Boards and Commissions to revise the classification of
industries so as to get a more logical classification. I t was impos
sible for the Workmen’s Compensation Service Bureau to make its
classifications conform exactly with the classification adopted by the
Committee on Statistics and Compensation Insurance cost, but it will
not be difficult in most instances to translate accident statistics from
one classification to the other. To facilitate the work of translation
and comparison of accident statistics recorded under the two classi
fications, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, in Bulletin
201, prints opposite each industrial process listed the Workmen’s
Compensation Manual code number corresponding to that process in
the Manual.
•
The Workmen’s Compensation Service Bureau has done much to
bring about uniform classification of industries. The original classi
fication issued by it was taken as the basis by the Committee on
Statistics and Compensation Insurance Cost in working out a classi
fication of industrial processes.
RECENT REPORTS RELATING TO WORKMEN’S COMPENSATION AND
INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS.
NEVADA.
A report1 has just been issued showing the operations of the
Nevada industrial insurance act for the 18 months ending December
31,1914, for the year ending December 31,1915, and for the 30 months
ending December 31, 1915, covering the entire period that the act
has been in effect. The audit shows that during this period the total
i
N evada. R ep o rt of a u d it a n d investigation, b y George K . E lder, certified public accountant, and
M em orandum in re N evada In d u stria l Insurance A ct. R eview ing th e operation of th e act for a period of
30 m onths—Ju ly 1, 1913, to Dec. 31, 1915.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[33S1
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
57
receipts were $560,248.09 and the total disbursements $318,574.74,
leaving a cash balance of $241,673.35. Of the receipts, $557,248.09
represented premiums collected, and $25,000 was estimated as being
due at the time of the report. Of the disbursements, $235,018.81 1
was paid in compensation and $74,180.81, or 12.74 per cent of the
premiums collected and due, was paid for administrative expense.
The report shows total assets of $278,968.25 and total liabilities of
$295,758.46, the latter being distributed as follows:
Reserve fund............................................................................. $58, 224. 81
Pensions allowed....................................................................... 120, 224. 00
Liability account of pending claims (estimated).................... 117, 309. 65
Total........................................ ......................................... 295,758.46
Although this indicates a deficit of $16,790.21, it is explained that
10 per cent of premium income is set aside for the purpose of
creating an insurance reserve fund to provide for and absorb the
shock of a catastrophe without doing violence to the general fund.
As a matter of fact, our premium income has not been sufficient to provide the full
amount required by the 10 per cent rule. By setting up an insurance reserve fund,
or what might be called a catastrophe hazard fund, and assigning 10 per cent of pre
mium income, amounting to $58,224.81, to said fund, we show apparently a deficit of
$16,790.21. Eliminating such a reserve fund, we have a surplus of $41,434.60.
The following table shows the total and monthly average premiums
collected and the compensation paid during the three periods covered
by the report, for each specified class of industry:
T O T A L A N D M O N T H L Y A V E R A G E PR E M IU M S C O L L E C T E D A N D C O M PE N SA T IO N
P A ID F O R 18 M O N T H S E N D IN G D EC. 31, 1914, 12 M O N TH S E N D IN G D EC. 31, 1915, A N D
30 M O N T H S E N D IN G D EC . 31, 1915.
18 m onths ending
Dec. 31, 1914.
12 m onths ending
Dec. 31, 1915.
30 m onths ending
Dec. 31, 1915.
Class.
A m ount.
Average
per m onth.
A m ount.
Average
per m onth.
A m ount.
Average
per m onth.
Premiums collected.
M ining........................................... $189,456.52
Ore re d u c tio n .............................. 22,455.09
N evada Consolidated Copper
C o .............................................. 61,949.81
10)448.74
R ailroads......................................
P ublic u tilitie s ...........................
10,111.30
S tate, counties, cities, and
6,938.23
schools ......................................
Miscellaneous............................... 29,543.74
T o ta l................................... 330,903.43
$10,525.37 $127,061.47
13,770.00
1,247.50
$10,588.45 $316,517.99
1,147.50
36,225.09
$10,550.60
1,207.50
3,441.66
' 580.48
561. 73
39,172.36
7,017.77
7,219.15
3,264.36
' 584. 81
601.60
101,122.17
17)466.51
17,330.45
3,370 74
582.23
577.68
385.46
1,641.32
14,297.60
17,806.31
1,191.47
1,483.86
21,235.83
47,350.05
707. 86
1,578.33
18,383.52
226,344.66
18,862.05
557,248.09
18,574.94
Compensation.
70,686.30
6,627.99
3,927.01
' 368.22
92,313.69
10,203.62
7,692.81
850.30
162,999.99
16,831.61
5,433.33
'561.05
11,282.27
2,357.60
1,010.91
626. 79
130.98
56.16
10,013.72
3,332.95
2,170.40
834.48
277. 75
180.87
21,295.99
5,690.55
3)181.31
709.87
189.69
106.04
1,335.52
7,647.22
74.20
424.85
3,427.00
12,609.62
285.58
1,050.80
4,762.52
20,256.84
158. 75
675.23
T o ta l................................... 100,947.81
5,608.21
134,071.00
11,172.59
235,018.81
7,833.96
M ining...........................................
Ore red u c tio n ..............................
N evada Consolidated Copper
C-o................................................
R ailro a d s......................................
P u b lic u tilitie s ............................
State, counties, cities, and
schools........................................
M iscellaneous...............................
i The am o u n t actu ally p aid to Dec. 31, 1915, was $229,674.03; th e difference, $5,344.78, being th e discount
tak en on paym ents m ade before due.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[339]
58
M O N T H L Y R EV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
The premiums represented in the above table were collected from
1,230 contributors, employing 11,024 workers, with a total pay roll of
$31,693,712. The mining and smelting industries paid 81.45 per
cent of the total premiums and all other industries (not including
farm labor, stock and poultry raising, household and domestic
service) paid 18.55 per cent. The average number of employees in
the mining and smelting industries, on the basis of 360 days per year,
was 7,261, making the average yearly premium $25.94 and the
average premium rate per $100 of pay roll, $2,064.
During the 30 months ending December 31, 1915, 3,225 accidents
were reported, and 1,516 claims were tiled. Eighty-one accidents
were fatal. Of the 1,435 nonfatal accident claims filed, 137 were
rejected and 126 were in process of adjustment at the end of the year.
Only 38 of the fatal accident claims were disposed of for final settle
ment.
NEW JERSEY.1
The workmen’s compensation law of New Jersey, approved April 4,
1911, is compulsory only in so far as it affects State or municipal
employees, but may by election be made to cover all private em
ployments, casual employees excepted. The waiting period is two
weeks. In case of death the dependents receive from 35 to 60 per
cent of the wages of the deceased, the amount varying with the
number of dependents; those totally disabled are allowed 50 per cent
of their wages for a period not exceeding 400 weeks; and for partial
disabilities there is provided a fixed scale for specific injuries, with
others proportionate. . Medical expenses are paid by the employer
during the waiting period in an amount not exceeding $50, and in case
of death $100 is allowed for burial expenses. For the purpose of ob
serving the operation of this act an employers’ liability commission
was constituted and this commission, under date of December 31,
1915, filed its report for the year ending October 31, 1915,1 including
therein comparative statements for the years 1913 and 1914.
During the year covered by the report there were 7,080 nonfatal
and 263 fatal accidents reported. Of the former, 2 were total dis
abilities, 627 were permanent partial disabilities, and 6,451 were
temporary disabilities. Medical aid was supplied to 6,604 injured
employees, involving a total expenditure of $100,471.08, or an
average per case of $15.21. Compensation amounting to $396,483.16
was paid to 6,202 employees, or an average of $63.93 per case. It is
stated that 199 cases (3.1 per cent) legally entitled to compensation
1 N ew Jersey.
E m ployers’ L iab ility Commission. R eport for th e year 1915. T renton, 1916. 58 pp.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[340]
59
M O N T H L Y B E V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
did not receive it, while 239 cases (3.5 per cent) entitled to medical
aid failed to receive such benefit. The table following gives the
comparative record of nonfatal accidents for the three years 1913,
1914, and 1915:
C O M P A R A T IV E R E C O R D O F N O N F A T A L A C C ID E N TS F O R T H E Y E A R S 1913, 1914, AN D
1915, SH O W IN G T H E T O T A L A N D A V E R A G E C O M PE N SA T IO N AN D M ED IC A L B E N E F IT
PA ID IN 1915.
Accidents.
Year.
1913.......................
1914.......................
1915.......................
Total
disa
bility.
1
3
2
Compensation paid.
Per
m a T em po
n en t rary
partial disa T otal.
disa bility.
bility.
515
679
627
5,234
5,855
6,451
5,750
6,537
7,080
N um
ber.
A m ount.
4,103
0)
5,178
6)
6,202 $396,483.16
Medical aid paid.
A ver
age.
C1)
(l)
$63.93
N um
ber.
A m ount.
4,659
(!)
5,888
(l)
6,604 $100,471.08
Aver
age.
G)
0)
$15.21
1 N o t given In th e report.
Of the 263 fatal accidents reported in 1915, dependents were paid
in 149 cases, involving an expenditure of $297,051.58, or an average
of $1,993.63. The burial expenses paid were reported in 219 cases,
the amount being $23,481.56, or an average of $107.22 per case.
Lump sum payments averaging $1,040.28 each were made to three
aliens. There were 91 cases not involving dependents and 21 cases
entitled to compensation,but not receiving it. The table following
shows the comparative record for the years 1913, 1914 and 1915:
C O M PA R A T IV E R E C O R D O F F A T A L A C C ID E N TS F O R T H E Y E A R S 1913, 1914, A N D 1915,
SH O W IN G C O M PE N SA T IO N A N D B U R IA L E X P E N S E S P A ID , A N D L U M P SUM P A Y
M EN TS.
Y ear .
1913.....................
1914.....................
1915.....................
L um p sum
Compensation paid.
B urial expenses paid.
paym ents.
N um
ber of
acci
um A m ount.
dents. N um Per
Aver N um A ver
A m ount.
Average. Nber.
ber. cent.
ber.
aged
age.
233
249
263
95
112
151
40.8
45.0
57.4
2 $132,905.96 $1,947.14
4 191,033.51 1,910.33
5 297,051.58
1,993.63
59
128
219
3 $8,449.43 $145.68
16,368.98
23,481.56
127.88
107.22
3 $363.00
3
458.33
3 1,040.28
1 In each case th e average is more th a n $100. Since th e law allows only $100 for bu rial expenses i t is not
clear w hy more th a n th is am o u n t was p aid in m an y eases—41 in 1915.
2 This am ount was p aid in 68 cases, upon w hich basis th e average is com puted. In 2 additional cases,
n o t included, an average of $2,760 each was paid, th e definite am o u n t n o t being given in th e report. No
reference is m ade to th e disposition of th e oth er 25 cases.
3 T his am ount was p aid in 58 cases, upon w hich basis th e average is com puted.
4 T his am ount was paid in 100 cases, upon w hich basis th e average is com puted. In 2 additional cases,
n o t included, an average of $622.55 each was paid, th e definite am ount n o t being given in th e report. T he
other 10 were en titled to com pensation b u t did no t receive it, for reasons n o t given.
6 T his am ount was p aid in 149 cases, upon w hich basis th e average is com puted. In th e 2 additional
cases, not included, an average of $818.75 each was paid, th e definite am ount n o t being given in th e report.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[341]
60
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
More than half of the report is devoted to presenting the text of
legislation which the commission believes should be enacted, based
upon the following recommendations:
1. The passage of a compulsory workmen’s compensation law, including compensa
tion insurance, for the protection of employers from financial disaster and assurances
to those persons entitled to compensation of the payments provided by law.
2. The creation of a workmen’s compensation State insurance fund.
3. Provision for the organization of a bureau of workmen’s compensation in the
department of labor in order to secure more efficient administration of the compen
sation act. (Enacted 1916.)
4. The passage of an act requiring certain protective clauses in all policies of liability
insurance issued by the State.
5. The passage of a number of amendments to the present compensation act,
including:
(a) Increase of all schedules from the present basis of 50 per cent of wages to 66§
per cent.
(b) Increase of minimum payments to $6 instead of $5, and of maximum to $12
instead of $10.
(c) Increase of death payments to 400 weeks instead of 300, and in case of widows,
to life or until remarriage; and to children until they reach the age of 18 years; and
in the case of children who are physically or mentally incapacitated, for life or until
the removal of the disability.
(d) Increase of total permanent disability payments to life instead of 400 weeks.
(e) Provision for appeal to court for additional medical services in exceptional
cases.
(/) Compensation for loss of hearing.
(g) Six dollar minimum for all permanent injuries.
(h) Elimination of the discrimination against the dependents of aliens in fatal
cases.
6. Bringing within the operation of the law certain well-defined and easily recog
nized occupational diseases, including anthrax, lead poisoning or its sequela, mer
cury poisoning or its sequela, phosphorus poisoning or its sequela, arsenic poisoning
or its sequela, poison by nitro and amido derivatives of benzine, poison by carbon
bisulphide or its sequela, poisoning by nitrous fumes or its sequela, chrome ulceration
or its sequela, eczematous ulceration of the skin produced by dust or liquids, or
ulceration of the mucous membrane of the nose or mouth produced by dust, com
pressed-air illness or its sequela, telegraphist’s cramps, aniline poisoning, woodalcohol poisoning.
OHIO.
The Statement of the Condition of the Ohio State Insurance Fund,
as of May 15, 1916, includes a table showing gross earned premiums
amounting to $7,901,267.65; awards made, including paid and de
ferred, amounting to $6,678,328.50; 1 pending claims, including unre
ported, amounting to $749,398.67; total losses amounting to
$7,427,727.17; surplus of $473,540.48, and gross loss ratio of 94 per
cent. The net earned premiums versus loss cost, showing net loss
ratio, is set forth in the following table;
i Including aw ards m ade to th e m iddle of Ju ne, 1916.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[342]
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OP T H E B U REA U OF LABOR STATISTICS.
61
S T A T E M E N T OF N E T E A R N E D P R E M IU M V E R S U S N E T LOSS COST AS O F MAY 15, 1916
(E M P L O Y E R S ’ F U N D O N LY ).
Schedule.
Gross earned
prem ium .
B akers....................................
$69,475.02
Chemical—p a in t a n d drug
31,997.85
Coach—c a r r i a g e a n d
w agon.................................
162,127.87
Coal m ines............................
661,505.74
C ontractors........................... 1,446,289.12
E lec tric ..................................
142,831.41
Leather—shoes.....................
76,911.47
L um ber..................................
241,154.44
M eat........................................
60,851. 63
M etal...................................... 2,364,578.39
Milling....................................
46,029.87
Mining—n o t coal.................
26,059.14
562,928.56
M iscellaneous.......................
O ils.........................................
88,867.23
Ore and blast furnaces___
169,545.14
P a p e r..................... ...............
151,554.24
P o ttery —glass......................
286,718.50
P rin tin g .................................
85,292.61
R u b b e r..................................
163,144.76
Stevedore..............................
28,461.58
S tone......................................
189,200. 73
T extile....................................
84,472.43
Tobacco..................................
15,451.76
Vessel......................................
14,012 90
476,264. 71
W arehouse............................
W ood......................................
195,703.12
A b stra c t................................
59,837.43
T o ta l...........................
7,991,267.65
C atas
trophe
reserve.
N et earned
prem ium .
'Total losses.
$3,818.28
1,759.45
$65,656.74
30,238.40
$70,483.19
29,062.14
8,712.01
34,872.95
75,453.34
7,585.84
4,055.15
13,585.23
3,140. 65
133,843.73
2,635.11
1,377.76
30,047.69
5,037. 68
10,716.80
9,023.87
16,099.90
4,611.88
9,228.60
1,475.27
9,704. 64
4,584.32
808.72
709. 74
25,212.86
10.700.85
3,423.74
153,415.86
626,632. 79
1,370,8^5.78
135,245.57
72,856.32
227,569.21
57,710.98
2,230,734.66
43,394. 76
24,681.38
532,880.87
83,829.55
158,828.34
142,530.37
270,618. 60
80,680. 73
153,916.16
26,986.31
179,496.09
79,888.11
14,643.04
13,303.16
451,051. 85
185,002.27
56,413.69
155,062.05
759,263. 99
1,126,216.77
102,282.34
60, 111.11
267,549.02
47,833.16
2,293,782.33
50,370. 69
25,178. 24
578,750. 60
77,784.89
170,608.77
153,344.49
317,717.70
74,288. 22
146,870.80
28,026.38
185,259.28
59,904.48
4,645.56
18,926.39
410,957.25
172,529.70
40,917.63
432,226.06
7,469,041.59
7,427,727.17
Surplus.
Loss
ratio
(per
cent).
i $4,826.45
1,176.26
107.3
96.1
i 1,646.19
101.0
121.2
1132,631.20
244,619.01
32,963.23
12,745.21
i 39,979.81
9,877.82
i 63,047.67
i 6,975.93
i 496.86
1 45,869.73
6,044.66
1 11,780.43
i 10,814.12
i 47,099.10
6,392.51
7,045.36
1 1,040.07
i 5,763.19
19,983. 63
9,997.48
i 5,623.23
40,094.60
12,472.57
15,496.06
108.6
92.8
107.4
107.6
117.4
92.1
95.4
103.9
103.2
75.0
31.7
142.3
91.1
93.2
72.5
41,314.42
99.4
82.2
75.6
82.5
117.6
82.9
102.8
116.1
102.0
1 Deficit.
The total catastrophe reserve is that accruing from premiums on
State risks, to which must be added interest received on premium
deposits, amounting to $250,722.15, and self-insurance 5 per cent
catastrophe reserve, amounting to $192,624.56; making a total
catastrophe reserve of $875,572.77. In the statement issued Novem
ber 15, 1915, this amount was $670,586.01. The net surplus is the
source from which liability insurance companies would declare
dividends to stockholders.
It is stated that “ taken as a composite whole the Ohio State Insur
ance Fund is in an ideal condition of solvency,” and that the deficit
in several schedules in the above table will be removed when all
actual earned pay rolls to May 15, 1916, have been reported in place
of the estimates.
The following is the statement of the condition of the employers’
fund as a whole as of May 15, 1916:
Income.
P re m iu m s ......................................................................................... $8, 788, 916. 38
Interest.................................................................... ........
57377°— 16----- 5
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[343]
250,722.15
------------------- $9, 039, 638. 53
62
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
Disbursements.
Warrants paid...................................................................$4, 931, 692. 71
Refund vouchers to employers.......................................
93, 912. 85
Excess of income over disbursements
025, 605. 56
$4, 014, 032. 97
Assets.
Invested in bonds bearing minimum interest of 5 per
cen t............................................................................... $1,896,712.86
Inactive account bearing interest of from 4 per cent
to 4J per cent................................................................ 1,587,129.58
Active account bearing interest at 3 per cent................
9, 861. 42
Premium in course of collection (including additional
premium on account of pay-roll audits as reported by
auditing department)...................................................
520, 329. 11
$4, 014, 032. 97
Liabilities.
Reserve for losses (to bring all claims to full maturity). $2, 496, 034. 46
Reserve for unearned premium......................................
601, 111. 32
Surplus fund (catastrophe reserve). 1. Statutory re
serve ................................................................- ............
624, 850. 62
250, 722.15
(5) Nonstatutory surplus. 2. Interest...........................
Net surplus............................................................
41, 314. 42
------------------- $4, 014, 032. 97
Had the plan ceased operating on May 15, 1916, there would have
been returned to employers $916,887.19, distributed as follows:
Surplus fund from State risks (statutory catastrophe re
serve) .............................................................- .....................$432,226. 06
Surplus fund from self-insuring risks (statutory catastrophe
reserve)................................................................................. 192,624.56
Surplus from interest on premium deposits (nonstatutory
reserve)................................................................................. 250,722.15
Surplus from excess of earned premium over all losses......... 41,314. 42
Grand total surplus fund............................................... 916,887.19
The commission increased 196 rates and reduced 275 rates as of
July 1, 1916.
The report argues the economic value of the Ohio State Insurance
Fund to employers by presenting two tables, one showing for specific
industries the current workmen’s compensation insurance rates
under the Ohio plan as compared with liability insurance companies’
rates in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and
Kentucky; and the other showing the Ohio State fund rates com
pared with Ohio stock companies’ rates. For 82 representative
industries the Ohio State fund rate totals S114.43.1 Taking this as
i T he to ta l of th e rates is $106.94.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
To th is h as been ad d ed 7 per cent for average rate.
(344]
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R E A U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
63
100 per cent, the percentages for the States mentioned are as fol
lows: Pennsylvania, 137; Indiana, 157; Michigan, 160; Illinois, 201;
Wisconsin, 215; Kentucky, 225. Ohio stock companies show a per
centage of 232. It is noted that the Ohio plan provides a higher
scale of benefits than any other plan represented in the table.
The report states that the Ohio plan has been operated at an ex
pense ratio equivalent to 11 per cent of the earned premiums as
compared with an expense ratio of the liability insurance companies
of 45 per cent.
WORKMEN’S COMPENSATION INVESTIGATION COMMISSION, UTAH.
The governor of Utah has appointed the following persons as mem
bers of the commission authorized by the law of March 16, 1915, to
investigate workmen’s compensation laws and draft a tentative
compensation measure to be presented to the next legislature of that
State: Judge LeGrande Young, H. B. Windsor, and H. K. Russell,
Salt Lake City; Charles H. Pearson, Ogden; Don B. Colton, Vernal;
and Ira R. Browning, Castledale.
DRESSMAKING AS A TRADE FOR WOMEN IN MASSACHUSETTS.
Bulletin 193 of the Bureau of Labor Statistics is a study of the
dressmaking trade in Massachusetts.1 Two hundred women workers
and 100 employees of various types were interviewed in Boston con
cerning processes of the trade, means of learning these processes, the
various occupations, requisite qualifications, length of time necessary
to acquire them, the wages paid for the various kinds of work, the
seasons and their significance to the different types of workers. In
addition, the bulletin includes statistics gained from a study of the
trade made in Worcester, Cambridge, and Somerville for the State
board of education, and the results of a survey in Lowell. Supple
menting these facts, data concerning wages, actual earnings, and
seasons were obtained from pay rolls of 14 custom shops employing
735 workers and from two dressmaking factories covering 522 workers.
The development of the dressmaking trade is traced through four general stages—the family dressmaker; the journeyman dressmaker; the
custom dressmaker, including the private worker and the specialized
and commercial branches of the trade, and the manufacturer. Chapter 3*
discusses the industrial conditions in the trade, including business ad
ministration and the problems of capital, competition, and the labor
force. Chapter 4 deals with irregularity of employment, emphasizing
i D ressm aking as a trade for w omen in M assachusetts.
tin 193 [in press]. W ashington, 1916. 175 pp.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[345]
U n ited States B u reau of L abor Statistics, Bulle
64
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
the seasonal character of the work and the instability of the labor force.
The prevalence of overtime, wages and earnings in Boston, and oppor
tunities both inside and outside the shops for learning the trade are
each considered in a separate chapter.
Dressmaking is said to rank among the best of women-employing
industries in offering the workers a living wage, the reason given
being that the fundamental and underlying principle of women’s
dress is variety, which makes the trade one of the least standard
ized in process and product. Notwithstanding it is one of the most
seasonal of all trades, it seems to offer opportunities for self-devel
opment and financial advancement discovered in few other industries
open to the woman of limited education. Especially is this true in
the custom branch of the trade.
In the general survey of the dressmaking trade in Massachusetts
two tendencies are noted: Production under the factory system—the
stage of the manufacturer—has shown a phenomenal growth within
the last few decades; and in the custom branches of the trade the
small and medium-sized shops are disappearing before the competition
of the domestic or day workers on the one side and the large shop
on the other. For example, the relative importance in the cities
mentioned of day and home workers as compared with the custom
dressmakers is shown by the fact that of 1,627 employees only 18.7
per cent were reported as custom dressmakers.
As the trade passes through these successive stages, the place of
production seems to show a continuous movement away from the
home toward increasingly commercialized and industrialized quarters.
The size of the working force and to a certain extent the quality of
the product alter from stage to stage so that each has certain charac
teristic conditions as to division of labor and wages paid. The plain
sewer receives from $6 to $9 a week, this wage remaining about the
same whether she goes out by the day or works in a specialized shop.
As the trade develops, more and more specialized workers are added,
until each department has its head worker, whose wages range from
$10 to $50 or $60 a week, depending on the degree of responsibility,
with a force of assistants whose wages range downward to $6 or less,
according to the character of their work.
The opportunities for young workers to learn the trade vary with
the different types of shops. In general they were found to be best
in the shop of moderate size, where the worker is still under the im
mediate supervision of the employer, where subdivision of labor has
not been carried to a point which deprives the learner of an all-round
training, but where the class of work done enables her to fit herself for
the higher branches of the trade. The medium-sized shop, however,
is being crushed out by competition. At best the opportunities for
acquiring the trade in the shop are limited and unsatisfactory.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[3461
M O N T H L Y R EV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
65
The report gives in detail the wages received by workers performing
each process. Forty-nine per cent of the custom and 36 per cent of
the factory workers, 16 years of age and over, studied on pay rolls,
received $9 or more; 66.9 per cent of the custom and 52.9 per cent
of the factory workers received $8 or more. This is a very good
showing compared with other women-employing industries.
The study of the industrial conditions of the trade brought out
three problems—the need for capital, competition, and the difficulty
of securing skilled workers—which are set forth as vital factors in
determining the development of the dressmaking trade. Recruiting
the labor force is a most serious problem, since the disappearance of
the apprenticeship system and of opportunity for learning the trade
in the shop, together with the increasing demand for skill and artistic
ability, are leaving both employers and employees in a practically
untenable position. Many of the workers are recruited from the
Boston Trade School for Girls; of the 317 interviewed in this con
nection, 39.1 per cent had secured their positions through this agency.
Approximately 33 per cent were employed through friends, rela
tives, or personal acquaintance with forewomen or employers. The
report gives considerable attention to the reasons why girls enter this
trade, the nationality of workers, their age at beginning work, their
previous employment, schooling received, the attitude of their
parents toward dressmaking as a trade, the living conditions of the
workers, and their attitude toward the unions.
An entire chapter is devoted to a discussion of the irregularity of
employment, due primarily to seasonal fluctuation and instability of
the labor force. Taking the trade as a whole, the working year varies
with the city in which the shops are located, since it is the social life
of the people which determines the seasons. Most of the shops
scheduled work 10 and under 11 months. Seasonal fluctuation and
irregularity of work reach their height in the large shops of the
specialized workers. As to the season of the individual workers, it
was found that only 21.8 per cent of the custom and 15.3 per cent
of the factory workers were employed as much as 40 weeks, the
characteristic trade year, in one shop. Two reasons are given for
the instability of the labor force—lack of opportunity to learn the
trade and the inability of the workers to measure up to the demand.
“ The trade no longer provides the opportunity for training its work
ers, yet it increasingly demands greater skill and ability.”
The report notes considerable overtime in the dressmaking trade.
The usual day is 9 hours. More than half of the 200 workers visited
reported overtime during the year; one-third of those reporting
received no pay for additional time and work. Overtime was reported
for 59 shops, though in only 6 was it habitual or frequent. More than
one-third (39 per cent) of the 59 shops did not pay for overtime.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[347]
66
M O N T H L Y R E V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
Data on wages and earnings in Boston show that more than onehalf in custom and two-thirds in factory dressmaking are industrial
workers, with varying degrees of manual skill, earning from $5 to $10,
and that the professional workers who combine skill with artistic and
administrative ability, representing one-third of the custom and onefifth of the factory workers, are found in the $10 to $15 wage group,
though experts and heads range from $18 to $50 a week. Viewing
the wage with regard to two important factors, age and experience,
those earning less than $5 were found to be young workers with short
experience and those earning $18 and over young women between 25
and 30 years of age with a working experience of more than 10 and
less than 20 years. The large group earning $7 to $10 comprise an
infinite variety of ages and experience. But the real earnings of the
worker can not be accurately estimated from her nominal weekly
wage, for this is decreased by two important factors—short absences
and dull seasons. Short absences of less than a week reduce the
income of the custom worker about 10 per cent and that of the factory
employee 14 per cent. The loss from slack seasons is more difficult
to estimate, but it is probably considerable.
The importance of coordinating technical training with trade
experience is emphasized. To this end it appears necessary to in
crease the opportunity for acquiring skill and artistic ability through
the trade schools, where the fundamentals may be learned so that the
girl may be fitted to enter the trade with that knowledge which she
would otherwise have gained through the apprenticeship system
which disappeared about the beginning of this century. Suggestions
along this line are offered for the benefit of the educator, the placement
worker, the parent, the prospective worker, those interested in pro
moting industrial welfare, and the customer.
REPORT OF WOMEN’S CLOTHING WAGE BOARD TO MASSACHUSETTS
MINIMUM WAGE COMMISSION.
A report was made July 19, 1916, to the Massachusetts Minimum
Wage Commission by the Women’s Clothing Wage Board, appointed
to investigate wages of women in women’s clothing factories, recom
mending that adult women in such factories be paid not less than
$8.75 for a full week’s work. The board also recommended a mini
mum wage of $7 a week for inexperienced women and $6 for girls
under 18 years of age. Hearings were appointed, beginning August 3.
The recommendations have not yet been approved by the Minimum
Wage Commission. If finally adopted the rates are to be mandatory
and are to go into effect February 1, 1917.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[3481
MONTHLY REVIEW OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.
67
THE MINIMUM WAGE BY LAW.
A report bearing the above title 1was made by Alexander J. Porter,
chairman of the minimum wage commission of the National Civic
1Federation, at the sixteenth annual meeting of that organization, in
^Washington, D. C., January 17, 1916. The first part of the report
is a discussion of the important features of the minimum-wage prob
lem, the views of proponents and opponents, propositions favoring
legislation, trade-union opposition, attitude of employers, and the
basis of wage determinations. The second part, which was prepared
i by Miss Marie L. Obenauer, relates to the present status of the
{minimum-wage controversy.
What is termed by the report the most conspicuous feature of the
‘minimum-wage controversy, is the fact that “ capital and labor do not
.mark the lines of its cleavage.” This means that both among
iemployers and among workers there are those who favor and those
.who oppose minimum-wage legislation. Thus, such legislation was
lenacted in California against the opposition of organized labor, while
^the Brooklyn Central Labor Union pronounced in its favor; and a
.recent report of the National Manufacturers’ Association was adverse
to such legislation, while the retail dry goods associations of Cali
fornia and of San Francisco indorsed it. The views of a number of
representatives of capital and labor are given, opinions both favorable
and unfavorable being expressed by each side. The commission
expresses the belief that the fate of minimum-wage legislation in this
country hangs upon the decision of the United States Supreme Court
as to the constitutionality of the Oregon law, a decision which has
;been pending since December 17, 1914. The fact that this law
embodies the features subject to judicial review in most of the other
;State minimum-wage laws renders this decision especially important.
The discussion of minimum-wage legislation by the public, as dis
tinguished from employers or wage earners, is stated to revolve
about the following propositions in its favor:
1. Wage boards recognize the impossibility of the individual worker dealing with
the employer on equal terms.
2. The great mass of women workers, because of their youth and their brief tenure of
industrial status, are unorganized and are likely to remain so.
3. As it is a distinct menace to the common weal that these women—prospective
mothers of men—should work for subnormal wages, the State is forced to take action.
In regard to the opposition to minimum-wage legislation on the
ground that it is contrary to the spirit of American institutions and
leads to socialism, a statement of Prof. Henry R. Seager, of Columbia
i T he M inim um W age b y Law : A survey of its statu s in countries w here such legislation has been
enacted. Issued b y th e M inim um W age Commission, N ational Civic F ederation. New Y ork 1916
49 pp.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[349]
68
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
University, is quoted to the effect that, in his belief, such legislation
differs only in degree from the legal regulation of safety and sanitary
conditions and hours of employment; that the spirit of American
institutions, as interpreted by the United States Supreme Court, is
broad enough to embrace hour regulations for women and children,
and even for men in hazardous employments, and that if the need and
efficiency of minimum-wage regulations can be demonstrated they
will be recognized as within the scope of that broad power of police
through which individual liberty may be curbed for the common
welfare. Another and a more important objection, namely, “ That
a State which decrees that its citizens shall not be employed for less
than the living wages that may be prescribed is logically bound to see
that such citizens be given employment at such wages or be main
tained in some other way,” he acknowledges as valid. He main
tains, however, that great advantage would result from the serious
attention States enacting laws of this kind would be obliged to give
to such problems as unemployment and its remedies, industrial edu
cation and vocational guidance, and making provision for indigent
widows and orphans and other dependents.
Organized wageworkers in America are particularly interested in
the possible effect of the legal minimum wage on trade-unionism.
They reason that if it “ should carry with it disintegration of the vital
forces of the labor union, though it might persist in name, and even
grow in membership, the union would be deprived of its essentials of
independence, self-direction, and elastic adaptation to the needs of a
forceful mass mechanism.” They see that “ the substitution of a
series of court determinations for union decisions would inevitably
convert the labor organization in its essential substance from a selfgoverning entity into a mere association of petitioners for favor at the
hands of a dominant power foreign to their body.”
It is pointed out that the minimum wage in this country is an
American problem, entirely distinct in economic, legal, and social
aspects from that in other countries. When Victoria and New
Zealand first passed laws regulating wages, trade-unionism was at a
low ebb, unemployment general, and the working classes helpless,
and the inception of the minimum wage was largely in the line of
compulsory charity. The increase in membership of Australian
labor organizations is interpreted by American unionists opposed to
the minimum wage, “ not as a growth of true unionism, but merely
as a logical necessity for the association of wage earners in order to
meet the requirements of statutes which contemplate petition, repre
sentation, and inclusion in awards when wageworkers perforce deal
with wage courts. * * * The labor movement in Australia has
become, through State action, a thing of court permission, direction,
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[350]
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
69
and limitation. * * * This prospect does not add to the comfort
of trade-unionists in this country, accustomed to having quite often
their own way.”
From a general expression of their sentiments American tradeunionists apparently consider that the legal minimum wage is inter
woven with compulsory arbitration, and this has been denounced in
trade-union conventions, both in this country and in Great Britain.
It was stated in a report made two years ago at the Seattle convention
of the American Federation of Labor that the labor movement of
America had, “ through the force of organized effort, succeeded in
establishing minimum wages and maximum hours of labor far
superior to those prescribed by the wage boards of other countries,”
and the executive council was instructed “ to watch developments
where such legislation is in force and to record carefully the activities,
the decisions, and the trend of minimum-wage boards.”
Representatives of capital who are opposed to the minimum wage
base their judgment on the ground not only of its unconstitutionality,
but also of its impracticability. Apparently, however, employers in
the United States do not consider the minimum wage a problem of
the first order, and the statement is made that in general their atti
tude toward the subject is undefined, or rather a set of mingled senti
ments, none very strong; they are not inclined to question a method
having possibilities for good for the weaker elements of society,
though they doubt whether laws can be devised to cover all such ele
ments. At the same time they insist that all principles relating to
hiring labor ought to be of general application. A representative of
the largest employers’ association in America expresses the opinion
that the minimum wage must tend to become the maximum.
Regarding the basis of determinations, the conclusion is reached
that before there is any agreement of what is a fair day’s pay there
must also be an agreement as to what is a fair day’s work for the
average worker in a given industry, and this is declared to be true,
notwithstanding the general legal requirements that cost of living
shall be the basis of the determination.
With reference to the desirability of minimum-wage legislation, the
opinion is expressed, in summing up the first part of the report, that
experience is insufficient at present to warrant any conclusion, and it
is recommended that observation and investigation be continued
another year.
In the second part of the report a review is made of minimum-wage
experience in this country and in foreign countries, in order to ascer
tain the status of the minimum-wage controversy. The only record
available in this country was that for Oregon, covering 2,000 women
affected by wage determinations, and these determinations had been
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[351]
70
M O N T H L Y R E V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
in effect not over six months and in some cases less.
experience, the following statement is made:
In regard to this
The results of the first half year’s experimentation with minimum-wage determi
nations in this country, according to the records submitted by employers, show that
no jeopardizing burden has as yet been thrown upon business. They further give
evidence of some substantial gains in wage rates and earnings. The results also show a
decrease in the number of women employed, somewhat in excess of the decrease in the
amount of business done, and also in excess of the decrease in number of men employed.
To what extent these results are temporary, are affected by local or general business
conditions, and to what extent they indicate ultimate effects on minimum-wage legis
lation, further experience alone will tell.
Information as to the operation of minimum-wage laws in foreign
countries is limited to Australasia, no record of experience being avail
able from Great Britain and France, which are the other foreign
countries legally recognizing the principle of minimum-wage deter
minations. Even in Australasia the figures are incomplete, and rele
vant data are confined principally to Victoria. The reason given for
not taking New Zealand into consideration is that the theory of the
m i n i m u m wage there is to adjust the scale of wages, not to the mini
mum needs of decent and healthful living, but to a fair relation to
the profits of industry, and that “ it is just one instrument of power
for the compulsory settlement of industrial controversies.”
The principle of the minimum wage in Victoria has grown since
1905, when it was given statutory permanence, until determinations
now cover one-third of the workers in all pursuits. In seeking to
apply the experience of that country to the problem in the United
States, however, the differences in conditions must be carefully con
sidered. In the first place, the minimum-wage law in Victoria in
cludes men under its provisions. In this country the exclusion of
men places the burden of the expense of maintaining a living wage
upon the industries in which woman and child labor is a substantial
item in cost of production, and restricts the area to which the problem
applies. In Victoria the principle applies to both skilled and un
skilled occupations, and the extent to which high-paid occupations
bear the burden of the minimum for the unskilled is difficult to ascer
tain. The fundamental conditions under which the principle of the
minimum wage has developed in Victoria differ widely from those in
this country. One difference, namely, the slow growth of population
in Victoria as compared with the increase in this country, is attributed
to its remoteness from European markets and the severe droughts,
and not to the effect of labor legislation, as has been claimed by some.
The most significant difference is the homogeneous character of the
population, as compared with ours. In Victoria 97 per cent are
native born or born in the United Kingdom. On this point the re
port says:
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[352]
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R E A U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
71
This important difference * * * is by no means a warrant for concluding that
minimum-wage legislation can not succeed here, but it should act as an effective check
upon the wholesale assumption that because one type of such legislation has endured
and grown in a homogeneous population, a modified type will take a like course among
a heterogeneous people.
This difference in population has a direct and serious bearing upon the fact that
our laws require the determinations to be made on the basis of healthful living. In
some States no other consideration is even named. Such a basis is much less difficult
to find in a land of homogeneous population than it is in a country whose peoples are so
diversified and whose standards of living vary as widely as they do in this country.
The task before the minimum-wage authorities in the United States is to trace out a
common base line of “ reasonable health and comfort” where no common standards
prevail, and the voluminous discussions, including those on Australasia, do not furnish
much concrete data.
On the great problem of interstate competition, which has figured
prominently in most recent controversies over restrictive legislation
affecting women and children in industry, Australasian experience
furnishes very limited instruction.
The final conclusion reached is that the efficacy of the minimumwage principle in the United States must be measured chiefly by the
results of the experiments we are ourselves making. To make
intelligent progress, more information, of an up-to-date, accurate,
complete, and unbiased character, showing the effects of wage deter
minations both upon woman and child labor and upon the industries
affected, is absolutely necessary.
MINIMUM-WAGE LEGISLATION IN AUSTRALASIA.
According to Prof. M. B. Hammond, who, because of his recent
studies in Australasia, speaks with special authority, this study,1which
appears as Appendix V III to the Fourth Report of the New York
Factory Investigating Commission, “ furnishes the most complete
account of the Australasian efforts to regulate wages and working
conditions by means of compulsory arbitration courts and wages
boards that has yet appeared in the English language.” Prof.
Hammond thinks that the title of the monograph is inadequate, for
“ a reader interested in compulsory arbitration as a means of
lessening strikes would hardly expect to find here a treatment of
such legislation and its results, although the author has discussed
fully all the subjects covered by the arbitration courts, not merely
their work in establishing a minimum wage. ”
Dr. Paul Stanley Collier, the author, does not write from first-hand
knowledge but bases his study upon literature, official and otherwise,
i M inimum-wage legislation in A ustralasia, b y P a u l Stanley Collier, P ublished as A ppendix V III of
th e F o u rth R ep o rt of th e New Y ork Factory In v estig atin g Commission, pp. 1845-2268. A lbany, 1915.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[353]
72
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
personal interviews with those familiar with the subject, and by
correspondence with public officials in Australia and others having
intimate knowledge of the laws and their administration.
The larger portion of the monograph is devoted to the organization,
activities, and accomplishments of the minimum-wage boards in
Victoria, which were established primarily to do away with the worse
forms of sweating and underpayment in certain industries; to the
work of the conciliation councils and arbitration court which were
provided in New Zealand originally for the purpose of achieving indus
trial peace; and to the legislation enacted in New South Wales to
regulate the terms of industrial contract and the right to strike,
which is characterized as a type midway between that of Victoria and
New Zealand. Comparatively little space is given to the Federal
law' and the decisions of the Commonwealth arbitration court which
have furnished standards for other tribunals.
The author notes three general methods for the establishment of a
legal minimum wage:
First, by the enactment of a statutory race positively forbidding the payment of a
lower wage than that specified; second, by an order of a compulsory arbitration court
fixing minimum wage rates and employment conditions for various classes of workers;
and lastly, by a determination of a wage-board arrived at by a compulsory conference
of employers and employees. Aside from these general plans, there is the well-known
method of conciliation.
It appears that the minimum vTage in Australasia has been fixed
either by wages hoards or by a compulsory arbitration system with
the deciding power lodged in a court consisting of a judge and per
haps a representative of the employers and of the employees. Several
points of resemblance between the two systems of regulation are noted:
(1) A minimum wage for adult workers and a special rate for those less competent
is provided for by each method. (2) Each plan has passed through an evolution
more or less similar. The minimum rate itself, the permit scheme, provisions for
learners, the enforcement of awards and determinations, the penalty for discrimina
tion against those taking part in the proceedings of a court or boards, the repression of
strikes, and the need for conciliation, all these are problems which have arisen in the
course of time under both methods and have been met in much the same way. (3)
Under every system except that of the Commonwealth the main tribunals for the fix
ing of wages are deliberative bodies, where both employers and employees are repre
sented.
Likewise, several points of difference between the two methods are
noted:
(1) Wages boards as such have no jurisdiction over strikes and lockouts as do the
courts of arbitration. (2) The scope of the arbitration courts is wider and their quasi
legislative and judicial powers are greater than those of the wages boards. (3) Under
the wages boards plan there is less interference with individual rights, contracts, and
organizations than under compulsory arbitration. (4) The wages-boards scheme in
its purity implies the voluntary submission of the parties with compulsion only after
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[354]
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U REA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
73
every form of investigation and appeal is exhausted; arbitration relies essentially upon
compulsion. (5) The wages boards make no distinction between unionists and nonunionists, but have dealt with men as individuals. Compulsory arbitration depends
essentially upon organization, and as unionism has been a most important factor in
its administration preference is frequently given to unionists.
Admitting all the differences that exist, it is believed that these
two plans of wage regulation are approaching each other in many
esssential respects.
The author traces the origin and general nature of the wages-boards
system in Victoria, affecting approximately 150,000 workers, and
cites the effect of certain awards made by specific boards, notably
in the bread making, furniture making, boot and shoe, and men’s
clothing industries. As a result of the operations of the boards, wages
have been raised but, it is stated, not to the extent that has often
been claimed. The average increase seems to have been greater in
the board than in the nonboard trades, but this may be due to the
fact that the former are larger and more important. “ Not the
least important is the indirect effect of board determinations in
maintaining the wage scale in nonboard trades higher than it might
otherwise be.” In the following summary the author admits certain
difficulties in the administration of the Victoria plan, but also notes
its possible advantages:
In the administrative history of the Victorian plan are illustrated all the defects
usually found in such a scheme. The problem of industrial education is still unsolved.
The system of apprenticeship has in many ways been a failure, so much so that Mr.
Justice Higgins has characterized it as “ a farce.” Despite the strong influence of the
Commonwealth court and the attitude of the court of industrial appeals, the wages
boards do not adhere to any fixed principles in making their determinations. The
permit system has been quite successful, but even this has not prevented the unfit
in some lines from failing of employment. The old-age pension scheme is one phase
of a policy which must ultimately involve the care of society’s misfits. The enforce
ment of the law, now upon an efficient basis, has demonstrated that collusion between
employer and employee is most difficult to prevent where it is seriously attempted.
* * * The cost of administration has been quite moderate for the amount of work
done, being <£9,922 ($48,285.41) for the year 1911-12. Taking everything into con
sideration, it may be said that the administrative difficulties in Victoria have largely
been overcome by the tact and purpose of sympathetic officials.
In New Zealand the conciliation councils, which superseded the
original conciliation boards, appear to do practically the same work
as the wages boards in Victoria, and dispose of a large majority of
disputes without recourse to the arbitration court. The subjects
falling under the jurisdiction of this court include’wages and remuner
ation of workers, the hours of employment, sex, age, and qualification
of workers, and the mode, terms, and conditions of employment. As
already suggested, the arbitration law was passed with the object
of securing the abolition of strikes, and to this end it has furnished
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[355]
74
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
a means for peaceful collective bargaining through the former con
ciliation boards and the present conciliation councils. The author
concludes:
Strikes have not been abolished, but have been restricted. * * * It is true that
preference to unionists, the apprentice question, and the permit system have been
subjects of controversy. But what reform measure of any consequence has ever sur
vived without criticism? If the court has not raised wages to meet all the demands
of labor, neither has it thwarted the expansion of industry. I t has been the cause of
generally raising wages to a small extent, and has established crudely the cost of
existence as the minimum standard of remuneration. It has shortened hours and
given payment for overtime. I t has steadied business and helped to bring prosperity
to employer and employee alike. On the other hand, it has not prevented in certain
districts almost the whole value of a rise in wage being absorbed by an increase in the
rents of dwellings. Slight wage increases have sometimes been made the pretext for
inordinate exactions in the price of food. But the cost of living has not outstripped
the reward of toil and the well being of the masses is further advanced now than it
was 20 years ago. Sweating has been definitely abolished. Competition has been
put upon a fairer plane. Female workers have been put upon a level vastly superior
to that of the prearbitration days and thus have been largely disarmed as the industrial
competitors of men. The act was not intended to solve problems of rent, land values,
the tariff, and taxation. I t was intended to secure industrial peace, and in this it has
been but partially successful.
Tlie author points out that in New South Wales wage legislation
combines the fundamental essentials of an arbitration court and
wages boards, but that it has, if anything, a wider scope of control
than the systems of Victoria and New Zealand upon which it was
patterned. Legislation at first provided for voluntary settlement of
disputes, but the result seems to have been meager and in 1901 a
compulsory arbitration law was enacted which differed fundamentally
from the New Zealand system in that it eliminated conciliation
entirely, leaving compulsory arbitration as the one and only method
for dealing with all disputes. This law, however, apparently failed
to accomplish the ends for which it was designed. Accordingly, in
1908, the arbitration court was combined with the system of indus
trial boards, through whose efforts, it is stated, wages have been
raised, women have profited from the conditions established some
times to the detriment of men, the cost of living has increased but
not because of the rise in wages, unemployment has apparently
decreased, and there has been a growth in trade-unionism. Pointing
out certain deficiencies in the system, the author suggests that strin
gent prohibitions have oftentimes failed to prevent strikes, prices
have sometimes been forced up upon the mere pretext of a wages
board, collusion between employer and employee to evade the law
has not been unknown, and awards have overlapped.
In no other State has the principle of the living wage been so ably enunciated, or
the wage itself been so clearly defined and accurately fixed. But in the practical
application of the principle, the minimum wage has often been fixed higher than
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[356]
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
75
the living wage. While there are strong arguments against this practice it has guar
anteed to the workingman a share in the fruits of prosperity. It has given him a
foothold in his struggle for better things. For this reason if for no other, compulsory
arbitration is entitled to consideration as one method of solving the problem of the
underpayment of the working classes. Admitting the disadvantages of wage regula
tion as exemplified in this State, it deserves a hearing as a solution of one of the most
serious of our industrial ills.
The Commonwealth conciliation and arbitration law, originally
enacted in 1904, “ constitutes the only industrial tribunal in Aus
tralia which has the power to put competing employers of all States
upon the basis of equality.” The jurisdiction of the court includes
all matters relating to work, pay, hours, rights or duties of em
ployers or employees, and the conditions of employment or unem
ployment. Its verdict is final. Strikes and lockouts are prohibited
by a fine of £1,000 ($4,866.50), but peace by conciliation rather
than by arbitration is the primary purpose of the court. In deter
mining the minimum wage this court has apparently considered
the market value of services rendered as the most important test
to be applied, although allowance seems to have been made for
such factors as the responsibility of the work and the increased cost
of living. Mr. Justice Higgins seems to have established the prin
ciples upon which to fix the minimum rate for unskilled labor when
he declared that it should be an amount necessary to meet the
“ normal needs of the average employee regarded as a human being
living in a civilized community.” This wage in a recent case before
the court was fixed at 50 shillings ($12.17).
The following excerpts from the concluding chapter present a
brief summary of the effect of wage legislation and its administra
tion in Australasia:
Notwithstanding these difficulties [certain limitations imposed upon the various
courts], the jurisdiction of the several acts has not been limited so as to seriously
impair their effectiveness. Freedom of reference coupled with the desire to con
ciliate is the first essential of effective wage legislation.
The practice of giving conditional preference to unionists has been quite successful.
The extension of an award or determination so as to include all of the establishments
in any given industry within a State or locality, otherwise known as the common
rule, is a procedure common to several States in one form or another. It has been
employed most frequently in New Zealand and in New South Wales, and in some
cases has been of unquestionable value.
The problem of the less competent worker, which was not recognized at the outset^
has been met by the issue of licenses, entitling the person to whom one is granted
to work for a lower rate than the minimum for a certain period of time. * * * It
should be remembered that in the main times have been prosperous and that the oldage pension scheme has helped to take care of the real incompetents. Yet it must
be admitted that the permit system has quite effectively performed the function for
which it was created.
For simplicity of procedure and early decisions, the wages boards and conciliation
conferences are superior to the arbitration courts. * * * As regards cost, wages
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[357]
76
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
boards are more inexpensive to the parties concerned than arbitration courts. * * *
It may be that the administrative expenses should be reduced, but considering the
nature of the work accomplished, it can hardly be claimed that the cost of these
tribunals is excessive.
Rates [of wages] with some exceptions, have usually been advanced by the orders
of the wage tribunals. Wages in trades so governed have generally increased during
the past decade or more, as have wages in unregulated trades and throughout the
world. Women as well as men have benefited thereby.
In Australia generally it would seem that the effect of wage awards and determina
tions has been to unduly inflate the pay of unskilled as compared to skilled workers.
* * * But this is not saying that the minimum wage is necessarily the maximum.
Although statistics as to wage distribution are largely lacking, the weight of opinion
is contrary to this supposition.
Taking conditions in Australasia as a whole, for the period preceding 1912, there
is no evidence to prove that the increase in the cost of living outstripped the rise
in wages.
Upon the whole wage legislation has not meant the displacement of men by women
workers.
In the experience of Australasia there is no justification for the contention that
higher wages necessarily mean higher prices for the finished product.
In conclusion the author declares that the regulation of wages by
law is no longer regarded as an experiment, but holds an accepted
place in the labor legislation of these countries. In New Zealand the
arbitration law seems to have been advocated by the middle-class
Liberals and supported by the trade-unionists, with a similar situa
tion in Victoria and South Australia, while the labor interests appeared
more directly responsible for the legislation of Western Australia,
New South Wales, Queensland and the Commonwealth.
Initiated for different reasons and at different periods, the wage and arbitration
laws of Australasia have had a various yet similar history. As regards administration
the problems involved in the definition of the minimum wage in the matter of appren
ticeship, in the extension of awards and determinations, in the granting of permits to
the less competent workers, and in the actual enforcement of the law—these problems
have been much the same and the outcome in each State has been similar. From
the economic and social standpoint, positive gains are to be recorded. Home work
has been reduced to a minimum and sweating has been definitely abolished. The
cost of living has increased with the rise in wages, but this has not necessarily been
due to a resulting increase in the cost of production. There is no evidence that the
efficiency of production has been diminished, and industry has generally prospered.
As opposed to these facts the negative aspects of the situation are not to be min
imized. Occasionally the wages boards have been dominated by capital, and it is
doubtful if discrimination against employees can be prevented in such cases. Inter
state competition has sometimes forced a board to fix an unduly low rate of wages,
but the Commonwealth court has proved itself effective in meeting this difficulty.
Following the enactment of wage decisions, some workers have been discharged, but
where displacement has occurred the inefficient worker has been the first to go.
Strikes and lockouts are still prevalent, but have been restricted. Some of the
workers seem to be losing their so-called fighting spirit, but labor is better organized
to-day than ever before. The opinions of certain classes have also undergone a change.
In New Zealand it was the employers who first opposed the act. After a series of
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[358]
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
77
unfavorable awards it is the employees who are now inclined to regard the acts with
distrust. Seven judges have presided over the court since its creation, and some of
them have been severely criticized because of the awards they have made. But
notwithstanding, the principle of regulating wages, at least in Australia, is generally
sanctioned both by employers and employees. On March 31, 1914, 445 awards
and agreements were in force in New Zealand. One month later there were effective
in Australia 575 awards and determinations and 415 industrial agreements. The fact
that each law has been amended and redrafted so many times i« an eloquent testi
monial to the fact that the people of Australia have no desire to return to the old
system of unrestricted competition in the purchase of labor. Among the tradeunionists the feeling seems to be growing that more can be gained by compulsory
arbitration than by wages boards.
APPLICATION OF THE MINIMUM-WAGE LAW FOR FEMALE HOME
WORKERS IN THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY IN FRANCE.
In its January to May issues of the current year, the bulletin of the
French Ministry of Labor gives a list of the Departments in which
minimum-wage boards { c o m ité s d e s a la i r e s ) and boards of trade
experts {c o m ité s p r o fe s s io n e ls d ’e x p e r tis e ) have been established and
shows the minimum time and piecework wage rates determined by
these boards in pursuance of the law of July 10, 1915, a translation
of which may be found in volume 1, No. 6, page 36 ff of the R e v ie w .
The Departments in which wage boards and boards of trade experts
have been established are the following: Seine-Inférieure, Morbihan,
Haute-Savoie, Hautes-Alpes, Basses-Pyrénées, Nièvre, Haute-Loire,
Lot, Indre-et-Loire, Territoire de Belfort, Landes, Savoie, Cantal,
Corrèze, Côte d’Or, Finistère, Jura, Sarthe, Pyrénées-Orientales, Loire,
Hérault, and Alpes-Maritimes. The minimum time wages determined
vary between 18 and 35 centimes (3.47 and 6.76 cents) per hour and
the piece wages were compiled by the boards by fixing the time re
quired for the execution of the individual articles and multiplying
this time by the minimum rate per hour.
In one instance, that of the Department Hérault, the minimum
wage of 27^ centimes (5.31 cents) per hour determined by the wage
board was protested by the Government and an appeal for a review
made to the central wage commission, sitting in the Ministry of
Labor, which reduced the minimum wage to 22| centimes (4.34 cents).
LABOR LEGISLATION OF NEW YORK IN 1916.
The outstanding piece of legislation coming under this head is the
very considerable extension of the compensation law, noted under
the title, “ Workmen’s compensation legislation of 1916” (p. 52).
Other acts relating to the same subject are discussed under that head57377°—16-----6
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[359]
78
M O N T H L Y R E V IE W OF T H E BU R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
ing also; while, with the exception of a few items of minor importance,
legislation on other subjects is noted below.
Amendments to the Factory Law permit plate glass instead of
wired glass in factory windows in certain situations (ch. 62); and
except factories with automatic sprinkler systems from statutory
requirements as to fire-alarm signal systems and fire drills (ch. 466).
Chapter 465 amends the section of the Labor Law relative to the
issuance of employment certificates for children in factories and in
mercantile establishments. The sections applying to the respective
employments are made identical and the requirements more strin
gent, one provision being a prohibition of issuance of employment cer
tificates to children under 15 years of age who are not graduates of
a public elementary school or its equivalent. Another amendment
(ch. 278) extends the provisions of section 485 of the Penal Law,
which relates to the employment of children under 16 years of age
at certain restricted occupations, to the production of motion-picture
films. Such employment is placed in practically the same class as
concerts and theatrical exhibitions, except that applications for
motion-picture work by children under 16 years of age must describe
in detail the part to be played by the child.
Railroad employment is affected (ch. 424) by extending the require
ments of existing law to the effect that locomotive engineers must
be able to read and speak English, and to see and understand signals,
bringing other train employees and flagmen, except crossing flag
men, within the act.
Affecting classes of persons less frequently included in the groups
for whom labor legislation is usually enacted are chapter 587, which
regulates theatrical contracts and fees, and chapter 586, which cre
ates in the department of agriculture a bureau of farm settlement
for the distribution of immigrant agricultural laborers.
Chapter 151 amends the Penal Law with reference to the observ
ance of the various hours-of-labor laws of the State, the provision
for forfeiture of the contract for a violation of the eight-hour statute
for labor on public works being stricken out of the penal law; while
by chapter 152 this eight-hour law is amended by fixing as penalties
for its violation fine and imprisonment for the first offense, a second
offense operating to forfeit the contract, in addition to an increased
fine.
COMPULSORY ARBITRATION IN NORWAY.
The principle of compulsory arbitration in the settlement of a
limited class of industrial disputes has been recognized in Norway
recently, but only as a temporary measure. The law of June 9, 1916,
permits the royal authorities of that country to compel reference to
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[360]
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
79
arbitration of such disputes as involve matters of grave public con
cern. Such authority, however, continues only so long as the war
in Europe lasts.
The compulsory investigation of labor disputes, incorporation or
registration of associations of employees or employers, and the legal
recognition of the collective agreement had already been secured by
the Arbitration Act of August 6, 1915.1 This act had originally been
a compulsory arbitration law, but opposition on the part of both
employers and employees had defeated it. A general strike early in
1916, following a protracted strike of four months in the mining and
the iron and steel industries, and finally involving in the neighbor
hood of 70,000 workmen, forced upon the royal authorities the seri
ousness of the situation and resulted in the law of June, 1916.
Pending reference to arbitration under the new law, conditions
of work, hours, and wages must continue unchanged, except, of course,
so far as the parties themselves may agree. The determination of
the court takes the form of a collective agreement, which becomes a
definite legal contract of employment. I t becomes, therefore, illegal
to strike for determining the application or intent of a collective
agreement. No agreement is to continue in force longer than three
years, unless both parties stipulate otherwise.
As under the former law of August, 1915, fines ranging from 5
crowns ($1.34) up to as high as 25,000 crowns ($6,700) are assessable
against an employer or workman who takes part in or assists in
unlawful labor disputes.
The court established under the new law consists of a chairman
and four associates, for the latter of whom alternates are also ap
pointed. These associates represent equally the national associations
of employers and employees, while the chairman is appointed by the
Crown. If the parties in interest fail to appoint their representa
tive, the Crown may act.
The usual court processes are observed by the arbitration body,
witnesses are summoned and documents called for in the usual man
ner. If requested by either party, the proceedings may be behind
closed doors.
1See Monthly
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
R eview , voi. 1, November, 1915, pp. 81-85.
[361]
80
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E BU R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS IN VARIOUS EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.
FRANCE.
STRIKES IN 1914 AND 1915.
In its March-April-May issue of 1916, the bulletin of the French
Ministry of Labor gives the following statistics as to strikes in 1914
and 1915:
N U M B E R O F S T R IK E S A N D S T R I K E R S A N D R E S U L T S O F
B Y IN D U S T R Y G R O U P S.
N u m b er of strikers participating in strikes
w hich were—
N u m b er of—
In d u stry group.
1914
A griculture.....................................
Mining, forestry, and fishing---Food p ro d u c ts...............................
Chemical in (in strips
P rin tin g engraving, e tc .............
L eather a n d hides .7 ....................
Textile in d u strie s.........................
C lothing and cleaning
W oodw orking (cabinetm aking)
29
21
13
23
25
ii
30
117
20
22
20
10
1915
4
2
7
13
3
10
25
4
1
1914
3,297
73,872
1,253
3,251
4,443
’ 624
9,826
15,679
1,351
1,209
3 686
1 168
14,841
1,677
17, 455
6,934
P a r t Vis anrj stones
P nil f l i n g ........................................
T ran sp o rta tio n ..............................
169
79
1
1
6
21
T otal.....................................
672
98 160,566
63
20
Successful.
P a rtly
successful.
1915
1914
1914
329
289
' 426
891
4,403
249
90
847
320
103
440
702
94
346
3,802
34
289
18
23
1,238
'172
45
364
705
3,161
1, 765
Strikers.
Strikes.
S T R IK E S , 1914 A N D 1915
223
1,010
1915
1914
2,018
18,564
415
1,595
1,801
'514
9,184
7,622
985
245
1,690
' 767
2,009
'416
5,684
3,330
432
39
176 54,988
735
94 1,216
1,940
16
340
261
296
3,532 4,255
332
129
675
1,908
356
12,468
'556
23
40 8,610
40 1,839
2,012 56,839
4,674 90,622
200
61
440
422
490
90
88
9,361 13,105
1915
W ith o u t
success.
18
291
1915
90
113
68
570
86
208
381
120
132
907
2,675
In 1914 a total of 672 strikes, involving 160,566 strikers and 3,654
establishments, and causing an aggregate loss of 2,187,272 working
days, was reported, and in 1915 a total of 98 strikes, involving 9,361
strikers and 304 establishments, and causing an aggregate loss of
55,278 working days. For the year 1913, the corresponding figures
were 1,073, 220,448, 8,479, and 2,223,781, respectively. (This is the
only comparison with preceding years made in the bulletin.) The
average number of days lost per striker was 13.6 in 1914 and 5.9 in
1915.
A majority of the strikes of 1914 and 1915 were caused by wage
demands. Demands for higher wages caused 408 strikes, with 63,638
strikers, in 1914, and 67 strikes, with 7,281 strikers, in 1915. De
mands for shorter hours of labor were the next frequent cause.
That the results of the strikes were much more favorable for the
strikers in 1915 than in 1914 may be clearly seen from the following
table.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[362]
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E BU R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
81
R E S U L T S O F S T R IK E S , 1914 AN D 1915.
1914
1915
Strikes.
R esult.
N um
ber.
Strikers.
Per
cent.
Strikes.
Per
cent.
N um ber.
N um
ber.
Strikers.
P er
cent.
N um ber.
P er
cent.
T erm inated successfully.................
C om prom ised....................................
F a ile d ..................................................
129
217
326
19.2
32.3
48.5
13,105
56,839
90,622
35.4
56.4
23
31
44
23.6
31.6
44.8
2,012
4,674
2,675
21.7
49.8
28.5
T o ta l........................................
672
100.0
160,566
100.0
98
100.0
9,361
100.0
8.2
STRIKES FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR TO THE END OF 1915.
In a separate table the bulletin shows that during the first 17
months of the war (Aug. 1, 1914, to Dec. 31, 1915) a total of 116
strikes, involving 10,421 strikers, took place. Of this total, 18
strikes, with 1,060 strikers, broke out in the last 5 months of 1914 and
98 strikes, with 9,361 strikers, during 1915. Of the 116 war strikes,
100 lasted less than one week, 10 from 8 to 15 days, 3 from 16 to 30
days, and 2 from 31 to 100 days.
During the year 1914, 21 lockouts were reported, affecting 294
establishments and 1,706 employees. From the viewpoint of the
employers 9 of these lockouts were successful, 11 were compromised,
and 1 failed.
GERMANY.1
STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS, 1915.
Strike statistics for the year 1915 show a greater deviation from
the figures for labor disputes during normal years than do those for
the year 1914. The seven months of peace of 1914 accounted for
the high total of labor disputes for that year. The figures for 1915,
however, fall below those of any previous year reported. Only 141
labor disputes (137 strikes and 4 lockouts), affecting 185 establish
ments, of which 38 had to close down, and 12,866 striking workers
were enumerated for 1915. The small extent of labor disputes of
1915, as compared with preceding years, may be perceived from the
following table:
N U M B E R O F S T R IK IN G A N D L O C K E D -O U T W O R K E R S , 1899 TO 1915.
Strikers.
Locked-out workers.
Period.
Average, 1899-1903..........................................
Average, 1904-1908..................................
Average, 1909-1913.................................................
1914......................................................
1915.................................................
N um ber.
P er cent.
83,384
210,933
226,187
58,682
11,639
86.4
75.4
69.0
61.7
90.5
1 R eichs-A rbeitsblatt, 1916, No. 5.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[363]
B erlin, 1916.
N um ber.
13,075
68,884
101,406
36,458
1,227
P p . 416 If.
T otal
num ber of
striking and
P er cent. locked-out
workers.
13.6
24.6
31.0
38.3
9.5
96,459
279,817
327', 593
95,140
12,866
82
M O N T H L Y BE V IE W OF T H E B U REA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
The statistics for the year 1915 are especially distinguished from
those for recent preceding years by the relatively small proportion
which lockouts form of all labor disputes. The number of workers
locked out in 1915 formed only 9.5 per cent of the total number of
workmen participating in strikes or lockouts.
As regards the results of labor disputes, as compared with preced
ing years, it is noteworthy that the figures show an increased tendency
toward success for the workmen, as may be seen from the following
table:
R E S U L T S FR O M T H E V IE W P O IN T O F T H E W O R K M E N O F T H E L A B O R D IS P U T E S O F
1915.
P er cent of strikes.
Period.
Suc
cessful.
Average, 1899-1903...................
Average, 1904-1908.................
Average, 1909-1913...................
1914..”. . ......................................
1915..............................................
15.0
9.6
8.8
14.9
13.2
P er cent of lockouts.
Per cent of strikes and
lockouts.
P ar
P ar
P a r
tially Failed.
tially Failed. Suc
Suc
tially Failed.
cessful.
cessful.
suc
suc
suc
cessful.
cessful.
cessful.
47.5
46.6
39.6
46.6
47.2
37.5
43.8
51.6
38.5
39.6
18.9
6.8
2.2
.9
22.7
62.4
75.5
19.9
94.7
58.4
30.8
22.3
79.2
5.3
15.5
8.9
6.8
9.5
12.0
44.2
50.5
50.7
36.4
51.7
40.3
40.6
42.5
54.1
36.3
The number of labor disputes in 1915 is too small to form a reliable
basis for other comparisons than those made above.
STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR UP TO THE END OF 1915.
In addition to statistics of labor disputes for the year 1915, the
Imperial Statistical Office has also compiled such statistics for the
first 17 months of the war. The principal facts shown by these sta
tistics, grouped according to industries, appear on the next page.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[364]
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
83
ST A T IS T IC S O F L A B O R D IS P U T E S D U R IN G T H E F IR S T 17 M O N T H S O F T H E W A R ,
A U G . 1, 1914, TO D EC. 31, 1915, B Y IN D U S T R Y G R O U P S.
In d u stry group.
N um
ber of D ura
labor tio n
dis (days).
putes.
N um
ber of
estab
lish
m ents
affect
ed.
N um
ber em
ployed
in the
estab
lish
m ents
affect
ed.
D ays
lost
N um
b
y the
ber
strik
s trik ing or
ing or lockedlocked
out
out.
w ork
ers.
N um
ber
throw n
out of
employ
m ent,
no t in
cluding
those
strik
ing or
locked
out.
N um
ber of
estab
lish
m ents
affect
ed
w hich
m anu
fac
tured
w ar
m ate
rials.
Strikes.
80
19
48
25
3
102
1
27
1
3
5
14
45
3
5
2
12
2
4
4
16
15
18
5
5
16
M ining................................................................
Stones and e a rth s ............................................
Metal w ork in g ..................................................
M achinery.........................................................
Chemical in d u strie s. .
Forest hy-prodiictsT extile in d u s try ..............................................
P aper ................................................................
Leather
.......................................................
W oodw orking...................................................
Food p ro d u c ts.................................................
Clothing ___
B u ild in g ............................................................
P rin tin g engraving etc
Com m erce.........................................................
T ransportatio n .................................................
TTot.els restau ran ts .saloons
Theaters
24
3
T o ta l........................................................
10
26
2
86
2
10
1
19,474
327
1,481
15,962
. 153
131
1,099
305
675
345
5,727
114
5,682
36
15
13,723
2
42
3
1
1
6
1
771
357
115
18
163
880
205
52,956
1
13
10
11
37
489
198
61
216
965
35
1,601
7
547
207
43
16
268
87
28
36
18
35
5,713
260
243
3,074
1
220
15,784
794
914
844
9
8
11,886
11
111
692
978
1,188
375
906
4,058
35
7,544
609
1,526
833
360
16
85
40
47,928
1
4
16
1
50
1,017
182
1
3
1
3
1
7
6
2,940
31
Lockouts.
1
30
3
4
1,284
62
1,165
62
1,813
1,860
4
51
7
1,346
1,227
3,673
All disputes during th e first 17 m onths of
the w a r...........................................................
167
931
212
54,302
14,950
51,601
2,940
31
D isputes during 1915......................................
141
863
185
48,356
12,866
45,511
2,372
25
M achinery
Clothing
Total
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
3
21
[365]
84
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OP T H E B U R EA U OP LABOR STA TISTICS.
C A U SES A N D R E S U L T S O F L A B O R D IS P U T E S D U R IN G T H E F IR S T 17 M O N T H S OF
T H E W A R , A U G . 1, 1914, TO D EC . 31, 1915, B Y IN D U S T R Y G R O U P S.
In d u stry group.
R esult of the disputes
Cause of disputes.
from the view point of
N um
the w orkm en.
ber of
labor
dis
Mis
a rtly
Suc Psuc
putes. Wages. H ours
of
cella
Failed.
labor. neous. cessful. cessful.
Strikes.
24
3
M ining........................................................................
Stones and e a rth s ....................................................
Metal w o rk in g .............
M achinery..................................................................
Chemical industries
■Forest, hy-p ro d n ets__
T extile in d u s try __
P a p e r..........................................................................
■ L eather.....................................................................
W oodw orking. . .
Food p ro d u c ts..........................................................
C lothing.....................................................................
B u ild in g .....................................................................
P rin tin g engraving etc
Commerce..................................................................
T ran sp o rta tio n .........................................................
TTotels restau ran ts snlnons etc
Theaters etc
2
35
1
13
10
3
1
T o ta l................................................................
163
23
8
7
4
10
26
1
1
20
1
2
1
3
5
4
4
16
1
1
3
5
4
12
8
2
1
2
138
23
35
1
11
1
1
2
5
1
3
3
11
2
1
2
1
2
4
10
10
5
4
2
20
1
2
3
1
3
1
2
i
1
1
1
1
7
4
3
5
12
1
3
2
2
5
9
3
52
31
1
1
1
2
5
1
1
5
7
21
1
8
4
3
41
91
1
1
2
2
2
Lockoutsd
M achinery
Clothing
...........................................................
Total
3
1
4
All disputes during th e first 17 m onths of th e
w a r......................
..........................................
167
31
43
93
D isputes during 1915__
141
24
39
78
1 Causes of lockouts: In tro d u ctio n of graded wages and continuance of overtim e w ork; reduction of
wages in force a t tim e of lockouts; refusal to gran t dem ands of workers; change of collective agreem ent—
no t separately reported.
In the above two tables the fact of the small extent of labor dis
putes from August 1, 1914, to December 31, 1915, is again confirmed.
The total for the first 17 months of the war, 167 disputes, with 14,950
participating workmen, falls far below the lowest figures for the
individual years since official strike statistics were first published.
The extent of the labor disputes during the war appears to be still
smaller if, in addition to the low number of disputes, establishments
affected, and participating workmen, the relatively short duration
of the disputes is considered. The total of 167 disputes during the
17 war months, with 14,950 participating workmen, had a total
duration of 931 days. If the duration of the dispute is computed
per striking or locked-out worker, it is found that each worker lost
3.45 days of work, while the average number of days of work lost
during the 5-year period preceding the war was 34.16 per striking or
locked-out worker. The total number of days Inst by all workers
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[366]
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
85
participating in the disputes was 51,601, while the lowest number of
days lost in any year since the publication of official strike statistics
was 1,950,847, in 1902. The extent of the labor disputes computed
in this manner is therefore only 2.65 per cent of the lowest extent in
the 15 years preceding the war.
None of the disputes occurring during the war were large or sym
pathetic strikes or lockouts of the kind that may always be observed
during years of peace. They were generally isolated and rather
accidental differences, developing into labor disputes of small extent.
For this reason, relatively few of the disputes were supported by
third parties, i. e., only 22.8 per cent of all disputes and 23.9 per cent
of all participating workers. In the last five years of peace, on the
other hand, 74.9 per cent of all disputes with 87.3 per cent of all par
ticipating workmen were supported by trade organizations or other
third parties.
The demands of the workmen which caused the labor disputes
during the 17 war months were not much different from the demands
made in peace times, as most of them (138 in 163 strikes) related to
wages.
In the labor disputes of the first 17 war months 2,927 workers, or
19.6 per cent, participated in disputes which terminated with full
success, 6,747, or 45.1 per cent, in disputes which terminated with
partial success, while 5,276, or 35.3 per cent, participated in dis
putes which terminated as failures from the workmen’s point of view.
According to the average figures for the five years preceding the
war, 6.8 per cent of the workers were fully successful in their labor
disputes, 50.7 per cent partly successful, and 42.6 per cent failed
of success. Therefore the workers were more successful in labor dis
putes during the war than in the preceding years of peace.
STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS, FIRST QUARTER, 1916 (PRELIMINARY STATISTICS).
During the first quarter of 1916 a total of 22 labor disputes, all
of them strikes, were reported to the Imperial Statistical Office.
These strikes involved 23 establishments and 2,969 striking workers.
Their total duration was 167 days, or on an average 7.59 days per
strike. Each striker lost 4.2 days, the total number of days lost
by all strikers being 12,552. If these preliminary figures are added to
the figures for the first 17 war months shown above, a total of 189
labor disputes, with 17,919 participating workers, is obtained for the
first 20 war months.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[367]
86
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
GREAT BRITAIN.
LABOR DISPUTES, 1915.1
The number of labor disputes reported for the year 1915 was
674, involving 445,936 workers, with an aggregate duration of
2,969,700 days. The number of disputes is lower than in any of the
four preceding years, while the number of employees affected and
duration are each below those of the five preceding years. Each
item is also below the yearly average for a nine-year period.
The following summary table gives the data relative to labor dis
putes for the years 1914 and 1915:
N U M B E R O F D IS P U T E S . N U M B E R O F P E R S O N S IN V O L V E D , A N D A G G R E G A T E D U R A
T IO N IN W O R K IN G D A Y S O F A L L D IS P U T E S IN P R O G R E S S , 1914 A N D 1915, B Y IN D U S
T R Y G R O U P S.
1914
1915
N u m b er of—
In d u s try group.
D is
putes.
B u ild in g ............................................
Coal m ining......................................
O ther m ining a n d q u a rry in g ................................
E ngineering.............................................
Shipbuilding............................................
O ther m etal..........................................
T extile....................................
C lothing..............................................
T ran sp o rtatio n ................................
O ther industries, a n d employees of public
a u th o ritie s....................................
T o ta l...............................
177 37,670
158 271,242
19
1,438
90 18,795
87 17,632
58 14,456
97 22, 248
48
4,397
58 13,546
207
N um ber of—
Aggregate
duration
Em
in w ork
ployees ing
days.
in
volved.
47,105
D is
putes.
3,199,426
3,718,387
62,696
878,247
127,213
298,550
765,088
61,529
93,128
707,073
999 448,529 1 10, 111,337
Em
ployees
in
volved.
61 15,388
77 296,064
5
785
97 24,930
46
6,856
44 12,478
67 33,472
37
5,150
78 25, 111
162
Aggregate
duration
in w ork
ing days.
129,600
1,643,700
10,200
222,500
49,000
67,900
382,200
24,300
158,900
25,702
281,400
674 445,936
2,969,700
1 T he to ta l includes th e d u ratio n (200,000 w orking days) of th e general strik e in D ublin, b u t w hich is not
d istrib u te d in th e tra d e groups.
Except in a few cases, no data are available as to the causes or
results of disputes. On January 1, 1916, there were 13 of these
disputes still unsettled, among which is that of the 1,200 weavers
who went out on August 25 for payment of standard list prices.
LABOR DISPUTES IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 1915 AND 1916.2
On the opposite page are given comparative statistics of labor dis
putes for the first six months of 1915 and of 1916.
1 B oard of T rade L abor G azette, Jan u a ry , 1916, p. 6.
2 B oard of T rade L abor G azette, Ju ly , 1916, p. 255.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[368]
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
87
N U M B E R O F D IS P U T E S , N U M B E R O F P E R S O N S IN V O L V E D , A N D A G G R E G A T E D U R A - ;
T IO N IN W O R K IN G D A Y S O F A L L D IS P U T E S IN P R O G R E S S , F IR S T S IX M O N T H S,
1915 A N D 1916, B Y IN D U S T R Y GROUPS.*
Jan u a ry to June, 1915.
Jan u a ry to June, 1916.
N um ber of—
Aggregate
d u ratio n
m ploy
E m ploy in w ork
Dis Eees
in
ees in ing days. putes.
volved.
volved.
N um ber of—
In d u s try groups.
Dis
putes.
Coal m ining................................................................
O ther m ining a n d q u a rry in g ................................
Engineering................................................................
Shipbuilding...............................................................
O ther m etal................................................................
T extile.........................................................................
C lothing......................................................................
T ransportatio n..........................................................
O ther in d u strie s............................................ .
T o ta l.................................................................
26
29
170,400
15
34
17
31
73
5,886
21,265
541
15,705
896
2,541
45,124
5,962
19,946
16,112
145,800
106,400
12,700
121,300
5,500
7,000
976,300
27,700
87,200
338,700
951,000
300
133,978
1,828,600
83,000
106; 400
58
27
26
36
24
51
82
9,634
3L 625
33
18,675
3,210
9,940
25,798
3,316
16,954
16,451
184,600
26,200
46,400
216,900
14,800
360
135,636
1
Aggregate
duration
in w ork
ing d a y s.
1,100
101,200
52
31
5
36
6
i T h e figures h a v e been am ended in accordance w ith th e m ost recent inform ation.
NETHERLANDS.1
The Central Statistical Bureau reports 250 strikes in the Nether
lands during 1914, involving 13,953 strikers and 844 establishments.
Of the total number of strikes reported, 165 involved an increase in
wages, 31 related to a decrease in wages, 60 related to other wage
questions, 51 related to demands as to hours of labor, 21 involved a
demand for unionism, 31 related to reinstatement of discharged
employees, 18 were in relation to shop rules, 36 involved questions of
the contract of hire, and 60 related to miscellaneous demands.
Strikes due to two or more causes are included under each cause.
The strikers succeeded in 59 instances, were partially successful in 89,
failed in 84, and concerning 18 disputes the result was unknown or
doubtful. More than one-half, or 149 strikes, lasted less than one
week.
EMPLOYMENT OF DISCHARGED SOLDIERS AND SAILORS ON THE LAND
IN GREAT BRITAIN.
The problem of the employment of discharged soldiers after the
war continues to be given attention by the British Government
The second report of the Departmental Committee on the Settlement
and Employment of Sailors and Soldiers on the Land 2 has recently
appeared. The first report, which was briefly summarized in the
1 C entraal B ureau voor d e S tatistiek . W erkstakingen en n itslu itin g en in N ederland gedurende, 1914.
T h e H ague, 1915. (B ijdragen to de S tatistiek v a n N ederland, new series, No. 224.)
2 G reat B ritain . D ep artm en tal C om m ittee on th e Settlem ent a n d E m ploym ent of Sailors a nd Soldiers
on th e L an d . P a rt I I of th e final rep o rt of th e D epartm ental C om m ittee appointed b y th e president of
th e B oard of A griculture an d Fisheries to consider th e settlem ent a n d em ploym ent on th e land in England
a nd W ales of discharged sailors and soldiers. London, 1916. 39 pp.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[369]
88
M O N T H L Y REV IEW ' OF T H E BU R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
April, 1916, issue of the M o n t h l y R e v i e w , pages 11 to 13, dealt
with the settlement and colonization of discharged sailors and sol
diers on the land, and the second part takes up the question of their
employment as distinguished from their settlement upon the land.
The matter of the settlement of discharged sailors and soldiers was
dealt with first because immediate action was considered necessary
in order to acquire and equip land for that purpose. But as a com
paratively small proportion of the men in question who desire occu
pation on the land can be settled immediately as small holders and
as the great majority will have to earn their living by means of wage
work, the problem of their employment is in reality the larger one.
“ For both alike we have to keep on the land those who were on it
before, and to draw to the land those who were not on it before.”
The policy of settlement, for the carrying out of which the committee
recommended an appropriation of £2,000,000 (19,733,000) to be placed
at the disposal of the board of agriculture, should be regarded, the
report declares, “ as a permanent system for providing an agricul
tural ‘ladder’ by which the industrious and enterprising laborer
can obtain a small holding as the result of his industry and intelli
gence.”
Three purposes underlie the investigations of the committee: (1)
How to meet the probable shortage of agricultural labor at the end
of the war; (2) how to defeat a serious amount of unemployment
which may occur on demobilization; (3) how to extend and develop
agricultural industry in the highest interests of the nation.
Addressing itself to the first problem, the committee estimated
that about 320,000 men had left agricultural employment since the
beginning of the war, an estimate which it was considered would be
exceeded before the end of the war. Some of this number will un
doubtedly return to agricultural pursuits. But the wastage of war
and the desire to settle in town or to emigrate to the oversea dominions
will considerably lessen the number who will return to agriculture.
A shortage of at least 25 per cent is therefore estimated by the com
mittee; that is, about 80,000 men.
To meet this shortage in agricultural labor, four courses are sug
gested: (1) To continue the employment of women and children, as
during the war; (2) to em pk^ more labor-saving machinery; (3) to
attract to agriculture men who were not so employed at the out
break of the war; (4) To reduce agricultural employment by putting
more land down to grass.
The first two courses are dismissed as inadequate to meet the short
age, and, furthermore, “ the use of child labor on the farm, whatever
its justification during the war, ought not in the national interest to
be continued permanently.” Inasmuch as the putting down of more
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[370]
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U REA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
89
land for grass would curtail agricultural production, the final recourse
in making up the shortage of agricultural labor after the war is to
attract nonagricultural workers to the land. To do this, the com
mittee considered it necessary to insure such workers a satisfactory
wage, adequate housing accommodations, more of the amenities of
community life, and reasonable prospects of improving their position
in life. Absence of these conditions, the committee remarks, accounts
for the decline in population in rural districts in recent years.
The committee was unable to come to any agreement as to how to
secure a satisfactory wage for those discharged soldiers and sailors
who might enter agriculture after the war. Although the question
of a minimum wage was discussed, no definite recommendation was
arrived at by the committee as a whole. Of the 9 members, 4 favored
the establishment of a minimum wage, while 5 considered such leg
islation as uncalled for at the present time, “ when the wages in the
industry stand at a higher level than they have ever reached before.”
In order to provide housing accommodation, the committee urged
the enforcement of the act of August, 1914, which authorized the
board of agriculture to advance large loans to local authorities and
public welfare societies in agricultural districts for the purpose of
erecting cottages and to enforce which no attempt had yet been
made. If more houses were provided by the local authorities under
this act, the so-called system of “ tied” cottages would be less onerous.
(This is a system by which farmers purchase or rent with their farms
a number of cottages in which their employees are housed.)
The charging of an economic rent, the committee declares, would
also tend to remove difficulties in the way of providing new cottages
in the country district. The committee points out that the prac
tice of letting good cottages at a nommai rent tends to keep the
standard of wages low and to discourage building.
To meet the unemployment which may occur at demobilization,
the committee recommended provision of relief work in the shape,
for instance, of reclamation of waste lands and afforestation by the
State and local authorities.
On the question of the extension and development of agricultural
industry after war, the committee makes some striking recommenda
tions. In order to bring more land under cultivation, it suggests
the following measures as most worthy of consideration: (1) A
guaranty by the State of a minimum price for home-grown wheat
for a period sufficient to give confidence to the farmers; (2) an
offer by the State of a bonus for each acre of permanent grassland
brought under the plow and kept in a proper state of cultivation;
(3) the imposition of import duties on agricultural produce suffi
cient to give the protection that is necessary to the farmer.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[371]
90
M O N T H L Y R E V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
Lastly, the committee suggests the possibility of the establish
ment of new agricultural industries as, for instance, the sugar-beet
industry, the increased growing of potatoes for the manufacture of
industrial alcohol and starch on a large scale, and the cultivation
and manufacture of home-grown tobacco.
In conclusion, the committee emphasizes the fact, in their opinion—
that no large amount of new capital or labor can be attracted to the soil unless the
armer has some security in the future for more stable prices for his chief products
than have prevailed during the past 40 years. If agriculture were developed
and put on a new and firm basis, it would employ many thousands of additional
men. The resulting competition for labor would tend to maintain agricultural wages
at least at their present enhanced level, and probably to raise them still further. If,
however, during the period of development in the agricultural industry, there existed
any serious unemployment in the country generally, owing to depression in town
industries, agricultural wages might have to be maintained by legislation designed
to insure that the agricultural laborer receives his due and proper share in the added
prosperity of British agriculture.
There is a separate minority report which emphasizes principally
the necessity of immediate action in putting in the form of law
whatever recommendations may be acceptable so as to be prepared
for the rush of unemployed when the war ends. The minority also
recommends most strongly the establishment of a minimum wage.
The report closes with a memorandum on the reclamation of land.
SICKNESS INSURANCE IN FRANCE.
France affords a typical example of a system of voluntary State
subsidized sickness insurance as distinguished from a compulsory
State system such as prevails in Germany and Great Britain. The
French system is an adaptation of the mutual benefit features of
trade-unions and fraternal organizations to the needs of a nation
wide system of sickness insurance.
The mutual aid societies are the oldest and at the same time the
most common institution in France for the collective assumption of
the burden entailed by sickness, accident, or the infirmities of old
age. They differ from the benefit societies in the United States in
the fact that in France as in other European countries the Govern
ment has taken cognizance of their existence, has enacted special
laws regulating their operation, has subsidized them, and has at
tempted to organize them in such a way as to provide a uniform
system. Within the scope of these laws there is wide range for the
operation of different ideas and objects, so that they retain their
status as voluntary organizations, though granting of subsidies to
societies conforming to certain standards naturally leads to the
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[372]
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
91
acceptance of such standards and a consequent narrowing of the
range of variety in organization.
At present these mutual aid societies are regulated in their opera
tions by the act of April 1, 1898, supplemented, as is the European
practice, by a series of laws, decrees, and orders issued by different
authorities in the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, which con
trols the application of the act. The present law defines mutual aid
societies as provident societies which have one or more of the fol
lowing objects: (1) To assure to their members and their families
assistance in case of sickness, injury, or infirmity; (2) to provide
pensions for retirement; (3) to contract for their members individual
or collective insurance against death or accident; (4) to provide for
the payment of funeral expenses; and (5) to make provision for aid
ing widows, orphans, and other dependents of deceased members.
Establishment of trade courses, free employment offices, and insur
ance against unemployment are functions which may be added, but
expenses incurred for them must be met by special contributions.
The law recognizes three classes of societies: (1) Free societies;
(2) approved societies; and (3) societies recognized as institutions of
public utility. Federations of these societies may be formed in order
to distribute, if desired, expenses involved in supplying medicines,
providing retirement pensions, travel benefits, relief of protracted
cases of illness, and the maintenance of free employment offices.
To all these societies the State, the departments, or the munici
palities may grant subsidies for their support, acquiring, in return, a
certain amount of control over their operations. The principal dis
tinction between these three classes of societies lies in the amount
of subsidies granted and the degree of control exercised by the
authorities. The free societies, by reason of not subjecting them
selves to complete control, are not privileged to receive as large sub
sidies as the other associations. Societies recognized as institutions
of public utility differ only slightly from the approved societies, and
since 1903 have not been distinguished from them in the official
statistical reports.
In the class of approved societies there has developed in recent
years a group of societies known as pupil societies (s o c ie tie s s c o la ir e s ),
comprised, as their name indicates, of school children.
Regulation under the law consists in inspection of the constitution
and by-laws of the different societies, examination of their accounts,
conditions of membership, amount and the application of contribu
tions, manner of constituting retirement pensions, etc. Mortality
and sickness tables are prepared for the mutual aid societies by the
ministries of the Interior and Commerce, and the investment of their
funds is also regulated by law.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[373]
92
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R E A U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
All their books, registers, minutes of meeting, and other documents
are open to the inspection of the department prefect, subprefect of
arrondisements, or their representatives. These officers report to the
Minister of the Interior, who submits annually to the President of the
Republic a report on the operations of the mutual aid societies.
Furthermore, in order to facilitate the enforcement of the provisions
of the law, a superior council of mutual aid societies is provided. This
consists of 36 members, one-half representing the mutual aid societies,
the other members representing the Senate, Chamber of Deputies,
Council of State, the ministers of the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce,
and Finance, the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences, the Supe
rior Council of Labor, the Institute of French Actuaries, the Academy
of Medicine, and the medical associations of France. All members
are elected for four years, and serve without compensation. The
principal duty of this council is to give advice concerning all regula
tions and other acts affecting the operation of mutual aid societies.
Two classes of members are provided for, participating and hon
orary. The former make the required contributions and receive the
benefit payments from the societies, while the latter pay either a fixed
contribution or make donations to the society without receiving any
of its benefits. In case honorary members meet with reverses, they
may be admitted as participating members.
The income for the payment of the various forms of benefits is
derived from the dues of the members, gifts, legacies, and Govern
ment subsidies.
The membership of these societies is probably most largely recruited
from the employed classes, although no recent statistics are available
on that point. There is reason to believe, however, that in most in
stances the members are salaried persons, better paid skilled workers,
and small farmers.
Compared with the population of France at the latest census years,
the proportion of participating or active members, excluding the
membership of the children’s societies so as more accurately to seg
regate the employed classes, was as follows:
C O M PA R A T IV E M E M B E R S H IP O F M U T U A L A ID S O C IE T IE S IN FR A N C E A T T H R E E
L A T E S T P O P U L A T IO N C EN SU SE S, 1901, 1906, A N D 1911.
Year.
Population
a t census
year.
Particip ating members
of m u tu a l aid socie
ties .1
N um ber.
1901...................................
1906...................................
1911...................................
38,962,000
39,252,000
39,602,000
1,891,482
3,290,875
3,688,603
P er cent
of popu
lation.
4.9
8.4
9.3
1 Does no t include participating m em bership of children’s or p u p ils’ societies, num bering in th e years
above 448,331, 696,466, and 814,651, respectively.
J
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[3747
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OE T H E BU R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
93
The percentages shown in this table undoubtedly exaggerate the
proportion of wage earners who are protected by sickness insur
ance in France in comparison with the population, as a large proportion
included in the figures are professional or semiprofessional employees
and the better paid commercial employees, as already indicated above.
The popularity of the voluntarily organized mutual aid society for
assuming the risks of sickness among school children is perhaps some
what surprising. Of the total membership (4,565,071) in 1912,
817,895, or approximately 6 per cent, were in the pupils’ societies.
The series of tables on the extent and development of voluntary
sickness insurance in France have been compiled from different
sources not quite comparable in many ways. The data for the year
1912 have been taken f/rom a recent number of the official bulletin of
the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.1
The data for the series of years 1906 to 1911 generally have been
taken from the statistical year book of France.
N U M B E R A N D M E M B E R S H IP O F M U T U A L A ID S O C IE T IE S F O R A D U L T S A N D
P U P IL S , D E C E M B E R 31, 1912.
[Source: B u lletin d u M inistère d u T rav a il et de la P révoyance Sociale, Paris, 1916, vol. 23, p. 121.]
Class of societies.
A pproved or recognized p u b lic welfare
societies for a d u lts ................................
A pproved or recognized p u b lic welfare
societies for p u p ils ................................
Free societies.............................................
N um ber
of so
cieties re
porting
on Dee.
31,1912.
N u m b er of h o n
orary members.
T otal.
Aver
age
per
so
ciety.
N u m ber of p a r N um ber of hon
ticipating mem orary a nd p artici
p a ting members.
bers.
T otal.
Aver
age
per
so
ciety.
Total.
Aver
age
per
so
ciety.
16,431
472,125
28
3,388,352
206
3,860,477
235
2,168
2,641
44,868
35,851
21
817,895
358,824
377
136
862,763
394,675
398
149
21,240
552,844
14
4,565,071
5,117,915
i B ulletin d u Ministère d u T ravail et de la Prévoyance Sociale. Paris, 1916. M ardi-A pri 1-May. Vol. 23,
Nos. 3-4-5, p p . 121-125.
57377°—16-----7
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
1375]
94
M O N T H L Y R E V IE W OE T H E BU R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
R E C E IP T S A N D D IS B U R S E M E N T S O F M U T U A L A ID S O C IE T IE S F O R A D U L T S A N D
P U P IL S F O R T H E Y E A R 1912.
[Source: B u lletin du M inistère d u T rav a il et de la Prévoyance Sociale, P aris, 1916, vol. 23, p. 122.]
A pproved
A pproved
a d u lt socie p u p ils’ socie Free societies. All societies.
ties.
ties.
Item .
R ec e ip ts.
C ontributions of—
P articip atin g m em bers......................................
H onorary m em bers........................... ................
Fines a n d entrance fees............................................
S ubsidies.......................................................................
D onations an d legacies.............................................
In te re st on in v e stm en ts............................................
$7,747,214
857,846
1,338,763
2,337,072
432,605
2,434,552
$791,093
19,331
36,569
T o tal..................................................................
7,028
66,859
$1,277,719
96,083
204,166
9,110
246,876
353,265
$9,810,026
973,260
1,579,498
2,346,182
686,510
2,854,676
15,148,052
920,880
2,187,219
18,256,152
4,970,182
1,307,847
313,920
757,294
538,658
1,857,691
1,084,379
218,870
724,948
284,450
39,894
110,270
84,156
234,416
6,984
5,914,000
1,592,297
354,839
867,564
672,717
2,150,737
1,621,442
D isb u rsem en ts.
E x p en d itu res on account of sickness....................
Pension<5; allowances, etc.
..............................
F uneral expenses........................................................
A id to w idow s, orphans, aged persons, e tc ..........
Costs of a d m in istra tio n .............................................
Miscellaneous ex p en d itu res.....................................
D eposits for retirem en t fu n d s.................................
1,025
49,903
58,630
530,079
T o ta l...................................................................
10,829,971
858,507
1,485,118
13,173,596
A sse ts............................................................................
109,388,935
3,729,617
11,013,019
124,132,371
AVERAGE
C O N T R IB U T IO N S , B E N E F IT S , A N D A D M IN IS T R A T IV E
M U T U A L A ID S O C IE T IE S , 1912.
EXPENSES
OF
[Source: R ap p o rt su r les opérations des sociétés d e secours m u tu els p e n d an t l’année 1912, Journal Officiel
de la R épublique Française, Jan . 23,1916, pp. 85 H.]
A pproved societies g ra n t
ing—
Ite m .
Sick
ness
bene
fits
p rin ci
pally.
C ontribution p e r p articip atin g member:
M ales....................................................... $1.92
1.44
F em ales.................................................
C hildren.................................................
.82
E x p e n d itu re for sickness relief per particip atin g m em b er.................................. 1.81
E x p e n d itu re p er case of sickness............ 6.18
"Medical a id ...........................................
1.48
M edicines, e tc ......................................
1.50
P ecuniary a id ...................................... 3.19
F uneral benefits p er deceased particip a n t m em b er........................................... 11.00
A id to widows a n d orphans per member a id e d ................................................... 20.51
A id to aged or infirm persons p er case
a id e d ........................................................... 4.18
A d m inistrativ e expenses per particip a tin g m em b er.......................................
.10
A d m inistrativ e expenses:
P er cent of re c e ip ts ............................. 3.53
P e r cent of d isb u rsem en ts................ 4.40
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Free societies granting—
Sick
ness R etire
and
en t
retire m
m ent bene
fits
bene princi
fits
princi pally.
pally.
O ther
bene
fits
princi
pally.
Sick
ness
bene
fits
princi
pally.
Sick
ness
and
retire
m ent
bene
fits
princi
pally.
R etire
m ent
bene
fits
princi
pally.
$3.01
2.40
1.09
$2.01
3.08
.78
$1.50
.73
3.28
$2.89
1.84
.86
$4.36
2.22
1.23
$9.66
6.33
2.36
2.29
7.11
1.80
2.05
3.26
8.18
1.31
è. 86
.16
8.47
.67
.32
7.48
2.81
6.21
1.16
1.30
3.75
2.73
9.19
1.64
2.15
5.40
12.94
24.68
28.49
11.85
17.26
13.56
56.40
39.69
15.23
9.13
13.46
20.84
11.25
2.81
7.37
.20
.15
.12
.12
.51
.52
.16
.06
4.60
5.10
3.38
5.06
4. 45
5.24
3.06
4.43
6.65
8.52
2.84
8.14
4.58
5.62
5.23
3.80
[376]
Pu
O ther pils’
bene socie
ties.
fits
princi
pally.
$2.41
3.17
.69
$0.97
8.49
.38
. 13
7.98
.27
2.21
.04
.03
2.14
22.63
29.88
4.66
20.31
89.09
6.19 105.46
95
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
N U M B E R O F M U T U A L A ID S O C IE T IE S F O R A D U L T S A N D N U M B E R O F P A R T IC IP A T IN G
M E M B E R S , 1906 TO 1911.
[Source: S ta tistiq u e G énérale de la France, A nnuaire S ta tistiq u e , 1913, P a ris, 1914, vol. 23, p. 120*.]
N um ber of socie
ties.
P a rticip a tin g m em bers on Dec. 31.
A pproved so
cieties.
Y ear.
A p
prox ed Free. Total. No.
re
p o rt
ing.
1906..
1907..
1908..
1909..
1910..
1911..
.
13,575
14,343
.
14, 998
.
15, 612
.
17,900
.
.
3,224
3,204
3,177
3,176
3,179
M em
ber
sh ip .
Free socie
ties.
A ssets, Dec. 31.
A ll societies.
No. M em No.
re
b er pre
p o rt ship.
o rt
ing.
ing.
M em
ber
ship.
A pproved
societies.
Free so
cieties.
T otal.
16,799 13,080 2,876,234 2,992 414,641 16,072 3,290,875 $42,271,892 $9, 472,779 $51,744,671
17, 547 13, 890 3,013,207 3,041 411,592 16,931 3,424,799 45, 752,120 10,014,826 55,766,946
18,175 14,346 3,103,635 2,958 395,989 17,304 3,499,624 50,729,733 9,212, 205 59,941,938
18,788 14,420 3,160,275 2,918 390,485 17,338 3,550, 760 52,294,432 9,871,865 62,166,297
21, 079 15,832 3,173, 464 2, 806 379,132 18,638 3,552,596 55,589, 756 10,307,623 65, 897,379
16,130 3,317,771 2,690 370,832 18,820 3 , 688, 603 55, 879,979 10,905,001 66,784,980
F IN A N C IA L C O N D IT IO N O F M U T U A L A ID S O C IE T IE S F O R A D U L T S , 1906 TO 1911.
[Source: S ta tistiq u e Générale de la F rance, A nnuaire S ta tistiq u e , 1913, P aris, 1914, vol. 23, p p . 121 *
a n d 123*.]
M em bership on
Dec. 31.
N um
ber of
socie
ties
re
Y ear.
p o rt
ing
on
Dec.
31.
Receipts.
D isbursem ents.
C ontributions
of—
H ono P a rtic i
ra ry
p atin g
m em m em H ono
bers.
ra ry
bers.
m em
bers.
P h y si
cians’
O ther fees
and
P a rtici receipts. m edi
p atin g
cines.
m em
bers.
F u n er
al, wid
ows’
a n d or
p h a n s’
bene
fits.
Depos
its for
re tire
m ent
funds.
A dm in
istration,
aid to
Pension
sick
funds.
m em
bers and
children
a nd m is
cella
neous
disburse
m ents.
Approved societies.
Dolls.
1 9 0 6 ..
1 9 0 7 ..
1 9 0 8 ..
1 9 0 9 ..
1 9 1 0 ..
1 9 1 1 ..
Dolls.
Dolls.
13, 080
. 382,286 2,876,234 739,893 10,013,955 3,390, 498
13, 890
. 397,596 3,013,207 776,532 6,538,389 4,032,241
14,346
. 410,968 3,103, 635 836,315 7, 090,019 4,477,427
14, 420
. 415,875 3,160,275 814,386 6,920,350 4,264,082
15, 832
. 436,005 3,173,464 836,156 7,597,158 4,370,745
16,130
. 454,974|3,317, 771 846,069 7, 786, 691
Dolls.
1,999, 230
2,109,515
2, IIS', 626
2,309, 000
2,336,050
2,524,131
Dolls.
545,019
611,516
651,194
827,429
832,808
962,341
Dolls.
Dolls.
266,312
284, 882
260,352
273, 972
287,969
307, 739
841, 694
849,049
797, 580
821,367
893, 717
781, 490
Dolls.
848,535 4,298,491 39,888,178
971, 221 5,089,208 41,531,284
1,498,694 5, 276,747 44,432,267
1,357,963 5,576,306 44,281,148
1,114,906 5,828,417 45,396,116
1,072,572 6,097, 392 49,094,536
Free societies.
1 9 0 6 ..
1 9 0 7 ..
1 9 0 8 ..
1909.. .
1 9 1 0 ..
1 9 1 1 ..
2,992
.
3,041
.
2,958
.
2,918
2,806
.
2,690
.
33, 740
34,866
36,335
34, 769
34, 736
35, 492
415,641 94,646
411, 592 96,120
393,989 99, 302
390, 485 110, 719
379,132 94, 806
370, 832 92,943
1,086,941
1,289, 695
1,266,579
1,278, 093
1,313,377
1, 292, 553
890, 486
837,157
760, 243
796, 036
823,310
840, 612
273,103
285,980
285, 406
271,551
268, 071
271,326
155, 650
182, 846
152, 831
152, 012
183,458
223, 009
0)
0)
(!)
0)
C1)
C1)
1 The free societies have no special pension funds and are paying pensions out of th e ir resources on h a n d .
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[377]
96
M O N T H L Y R EV IEW OF T H E BU R E A U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
SIC K N E S S A N D M O R T A L IT Y ST A T IS T IC S O F M U T U A L A ID S O C IE T IE S F O R A D U L T S
1901 TO 1911.
[Source: Statistiq u e Générale de la France, A nnuaire Statistique, 1913, P aris, 1914, vol. 23, pp. 122*
and 124.*]
Year.
N um ber of
members
over 55
years of age.
Cases of
sickness.
Compen
Cases of
sated
sickness Com pensated days of
per 100
sickness
days of
mem
per com
sickness.
pensated
bers.
case of
sickness.
D eaths
per 100
m em
bers.
N um ber of
pensions
aw arded
from the
general
pension
fund u p
to Dec. 31.
Approved societies.
1901.................................
241,796
1902.................................
259,351
290,824
1903.................................
1904................................. ■ 296,690
1905.................................
317,020
1906.................................
400; 112
1907.................................
481,695
1908.................................
458,320
1909.................................
504,957
1910.................................
505,277
1911.................................
396,743
413,304
426,430
446,392
497,759
542; 897
551, 803
560,884
615,272
666,283
731,040
32.20
29.80
29.20
18.88
20.21
18.07
19.46
20.99
5,440,762
5,673,829
5,878,991
7,187,441
7; 254', 003
7,596,923
8,419,575
8,048,457
8,599,282
8,502,859
9,132,803
21.4
21.4
22.2
25. 8
22.1
1.52
1.36
1.38
22.3
1.08
1.30
1.20
1.30
1.25
23.9
29.7
21.9
22.0
24. 6
46,077
46,808
48,315
51,010
53 128
55,018
56, 732
58,649
60,014
61, 743
63,113
Free societies.
1901.................................
1902.................................
1903.................................
1904.................................
1905.................................
1906.................................
1907.................................
1908.................................
1909.................................
1910.................................
1911.................................
49,197
51,205
52,656
52,483
53' 460
52', 827
51,627
51,448
50,801
50,018
91,850
94,711
97,572
99,550
97,447
98,835
100,260
96,864
93,575
100,139
96,796
29.7
27.8
27.8
23.8
24.4
24.5
24.0
26.4
1,470,045
1,453,968
1,401,302
1,456,935
1,552,858
1,598; 240
1,676,230
1,549,404
1,630,738
1,478,640
1,466,945
21.0
19.4
20.1
20. 0
20. 0
20.3
22.4
20.4
22.3
21.0
22. 8
1.50
1.34
1.32
1.22
1 10
1.30
1.46
1.38
1.45
1.43
21,490
1 9,677
9,874
8,875
9,359
s; s u
8', 956
8.926
9,286
1 Decrease due to change in statu s of one society w ith 12,320 pensioners from a “ free” society to an
“ approved” society.
SOCIAL INSURANCE IN SWITZERLAND.
The subject of insurance in Switzerland is reported upon by the
American consul at Zurich in a special dispatch under date of
May 15, 1916.1 Those paragraphs of the original manuscript relating
to social insurance are as follows:
Dr. J. von Dymowski, in his doctor’s thesis on old age and invalidity insurance in
Switzerland, which was presented in 1914 at the University of Zurich,2 has stated
that up to February 4, 1912, the day on which the Federal law of June 13, 1911, pro
viding for insurance against sickness and accident, was approved in referendum by
the voters of Switzerland, there was no real social insurance in Switzerland. The
provisions for social insurance that were in existence previous to that date were
either such as were applicable only to certain classes of people or which were more or
less locally restricted in their field of activity. Examples of the former were the
compulsory factory liability law and the military insurance, and of the latter the
mutual old-age, sickness, etc., insurance in certain Swiss Cantons.
The Federal law of June 13, 1911, mentioned above, provides for (I) optional sick
insurance, which may, however, be made compulsory by the individual Cantons, and
1 This rep o rt has been p rin ted in full in th e Econom ic W orld, New Y ork, June 24,1916, pp. 825-828.
2 Published b y Rascher & Co., Z urich and Leipzig.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[378]
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
97
which, operates through approved mutual sick insurance funds that are subsidized by
the Federal Government, and (II) compulsory insurance against accidents that are
incidental as well as also those that are not incidental to the operation of certain
specified industries and occupations. This accident insurance is to be provided by
the Swiss Accident Insurance Office in Luzerne, acting through its agencies in all
parts of Switzerland and cooperating with approved sick insurance funds. The office
provides also optional insurance for persons, the insurance of whom is not made
compulsory.
The premiums for the optional sick insurance are paid by the insured; those of the
compulsory accident insurance that is incidental to the operation of the respective
industries, are to be paid by the employers; three-fourths of the premiums for the
nonincidental accident insurance and seven-eighths of that of the optional accident
insurance are to be paid by the insured and the remainder in each instance by the
Federal Government. As yet, however, only the part of the law providing for optional
sick insurance has been in operation since January 1, 1914; it is reported that the part
of the law concerning accident insurance is to be enforced on January 1, 1917, but
the date has not yet been definitely announced by the Federal Council. Statistics
covering the insurance in accordance with this law are of course not obtainable.
Through its law of June 28, 1901, which has been in force since January 1, 1902,
Switzerland is doubtless the only country wdiich has insurance specifically for its
soldiers. The purpose of this is to insure the soldiers and other military persons
against the industrial results of sickness and accident, incurred during military
service. The insurance provides hospital treatment and sick benefits for temporary
incapacity, invalidity pensions for more or less permanent incapacity, and burial
expenses and annual pensions to the survivors in the case of death. Except in the
case of sickness or accident that is incidental to military service performed exclu
sively for, or in the interest of, the individual Cantons, the Federal Government itself
covers the entire cost of the military insurance, which, moreover, also provides satis
factory insurance to more than 15 per cent of the entire population of Switzerland.
During the years 1911 and 1912, the last for which these particular statistics are
available, losses amounting to $244,688 and $262,524 were paid, respectively, to 5,906
and 6,035 insured persons and their survivors. Of these amounts $113,404 and $123,677
respectively, were in the form of hospital fees and sick benefits in the case of tem
porary disabilities and the balance in each case was paid in the form of invalidity
pensions, burial expenses, and annuities to survivors, in the case of permanent dis
abilities.
In addition to the above-named social insurance under Federal control there are
also two cantonal insurance organizations, the Social Insurance Fund of Canton
Neuchâtel and the Old-Age Insurance Fund of Canton Vaud. The former is a mutual
organization with optional membership which was established by the cantonal law
of May 15, 1906, and which enjoys a cantonal subsidy. It provides straight life in
surance policies as well as mixed and annuity policies, and the following table repre
sents the total business during the years 1912 and 1913:
O P E R A T IO N S O F T H E SO C IA L IN S U R A N C E F U N D O F CA NTO N N E U C H A T E L D U R IN G
1912 A N D 1913.
1912
Item .
Prem ium s received (approxim ate)
Losses p aid (a p p ro x im ate )............
N u m b er of policies in force (ap
proxim ate) ..................................
A m ount of insurance in force........
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[379]
1913
8171,770
881,060
8188,175
885,885
13,982
83,651,560
14,872
83,940,850
98
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E BU R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
Of the total number of policies during the year 1913, 6,620 policies, representing
insurance to the amount of $1,242,920, were straight life insurance policies, and
7,707 policies, representing $2,653,750, were mixed policies, and 545 policies, repre
senting $50,180, were annuity policies.
The Old-Age Insurance Fund established in Canton Yaud by the law dated March
2, 1907, combines old-age insurance with various forms of savings deposits. The
premiums or deposits may be either definite or provisional; the latter maybe with
drawn within 10 years after payment. The principal purpose of this is to enable
employers to provide old-age insurance for their workmen without being compelled
to risk losing such payments in case of the premature death or disability of the in
sured. This insurance fund also makes special efforts to encourage deposits by
women and children, especially school children. The cantonal government further
more makes very liberal contributions to the premiums or deposits of citizens of the
Canton, who are industrial tradesmen or workmen, whose annuities do not fall due
before their 55th year, and whose annual premiums or deposits range from francs 6
($1.16) and do not exceed francs 60 ($11.58).
The total number of the insured during the years 1912 and 1913 were 13,823 and
14,996; the total premiums received were $30,141 and $33,531, to which there is added
$15,052 and $16,664, cantonal contributions, and the total payments to the insured
amounted to only $470 and $724, respectively. The comparatively low payments
are explained by the fact that the fund has been in existence but a short time.
Besides the above Federal and cantonal social insurance organizations there are
also a large number of special funds for definitely restricted membership, such as the
funds of the employees of the Federal railways and of the Post Office Department.
The fund of the former, which was established in 1907 and in which membership is
made compulsory to all able-bodied employees not over 35 years of age, provides
insurance or benefits in the case of incapacity, sickness, and death. The contribu
tions consist of membership fees, percentages of the employees’ salaries, etc., on the
part of the employees, and equal contributions on the part of the Federal railway
management. During the years 1912 and 1913 the membership, total contributions
of insured and management, and total benefits paid, were as follows:
M E M B E R S H IP , C O N T R IB U T IO N S , A N D T H E B E N E F IT S P A ID B Y T H E F E D E R A L R A IL
W A Y S F U N D S , 1912 A N D 1913.
Item .
M em bership.......................................
C ontrib u tio n s....................................
B enefits...............................................
1912
1913
19,986
$2,231,370
S884,442
20,563
$1,428,721
$1,006,186
Insurance funds also exist for the cantonal official employees in a number of Can
tons as well as also funds for municipal employees in some of the larger cities. The
teachers’ associations in many parts of Switzerland also maintain funds for the benefit
of their members. The work of Doctor Dymowski furthermore lists 128 other local
funds maintained by trades-unions, employees in certain factories and industrial
establishments, etc., which during 1903—the last for which the figures are given—
had a total membership of 57,962, made total collections to the end of that, year
amounting to $2,294,369 and total disbursements amounting to $649,266.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[380]
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E BU R E A U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
99
LEGAL AID BUREAUS IN GERMANY, 1914.
Although it is the duty of the various kinds of courts to grant legal
protection to persons appealing to them for aid for specified claims
or against specified violations of the law, it happens frequently that
justified claims go without redress because they were not presented
in proper form or because the person entitled to a claim is ignorant
of his right. Moreover, ignorance of the law often causes discontent
which might be avoided by proper legal advice to the discontented
persons as to their rights. Persons of small means are, however,
frequently not in a position to engage the services of a reputable
lawyer or are afraid to take their case into court, and therefore fall
into the hands of some unprincipled lawyer using unprofessional
methods. To combat this evil free legal aid bureaus have been estab
lished in most civilized countries by the State, communes, or private
associations, and it is a gratifying fact that in many instances the
legal profession has taken an active interest in these bureaus, because
they have become convinced that these bureaus do not divert pay
ing clients from reputable lawyers, but merely protect people of small
means from the extortions of unprincipled members of the legal
profession.
The establishment and maintenance of legal aid bureaus has
become one of the most important branches of social welfare work,
and in no other country have such bureaus been established in such
large numbers and done such efficient work as in Germany. Accord
ing to the latest statistics on legal aid bureaus published by the
Imperial Statistical Office1 1,027 of these bureaus existed in 1914 in
Germany. They gave information or legal advice in 1,780,570
instances and in 459,765 instances prepared legal papers for persons
seeking aid. The statistical office classifies the bureaus into the
following 9 principal groups: (1) Communal or State bureaus; (2)
bureaus maintained by public welfare associations; (3) bureaus for
women; (4) bureaus maintained by workmen’s organizations; (5)
bureaus maintained by employers’ organizations; (6) sectarian
bureaus; (7) bureaus maintained by political organizations; (8)
bureaus maintained by organizations of salaried employees; and (9)
rural bureaus. The relative importance of the individual classes of
legal aid bureaus and their development during 1914, as compared
with 1909 and 1913, is shown in the table following.
i Die R echtsberatung der m inderbem ittelten Volkskreiso im Jah re 1914. Sonderbeilage zum ReichsA rbeitsblatte N o. 5. B erlin, 1916. 30 p p .
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[381]
100
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
W O R K O F L E G A L A ID B U R E A U S IN G ER M A N Y , 1909, 1913, AN D 1914.
1909
1913
N um ber of—
Class of bureaus m aintained
by-
T o ta l....................................
101 248,621
28 134,870
79 33,772
40,348
25,401
9,326
N um ber of
N um ber of
Times Legal
legal papers B u
B u advice
reaus.
pre reaus.
was
given. pared.
Communes or th e S ta te .............
Public welfare associations........
W omen...........................................
W orkm en’s organizations:
W orkm en’s secretariates of
free trade-unions...............
B ureaus of inform ation of
free trade-union cartels ..
H irsch-D u n e k e r tradeu n io n s.................................
C hristian trade-unions........
I n d e p e n d e n t tradeunions—
P o lish ..............................
O thers..............................
N on m ilitan t trad e-u n io n s..
E m ployers’ organizations..........
Sectarian associations:
P ro te sta n t..............................
Catholic—
G eneral............................
P o lish ..............................
W omen and g irls..........
Political organizations...............
O rganizations of p riv a te salaried employees......................
R u ra l b u re a u s..............................
1914
Times
legal
advice
was
given.
Legal
papers B u
pre reaus.
pared.
144
36
107
387,764
207,753
52,869
58,777
38,546
11,961
158
35
109
336,653
201,375
74,363
57,412
35,424
16,103
724,993 185,142
Times
legal
advice
was
given.
Legal
papers
pre
pared.
111 565,496 143,620
129
126
692,590
180,361
172
40,226
1,869
232
52,670
18,027
180
42,221
15,953
44
21
32,982
15,467
6,548
21, 777
60
83
61,966
IS, 974
11,977
23,400
58
52
51,245
15,535
8,972
19,587
8
12,659
8,372
2
527
1,130
13
9
28
13
28,073
5,294
27,654
13,905
16,913
3,162
l b 778
5,320
15
19
19
5
1,413
3,600
23,563
3,688
15,696
10,207
14,646
1,008
6', 148
4,599
14
26,683
11,098
58
43,894
15,529
47
32,867
11,909
117 275,466
93,638
134
19
258,313 102,451
10,735
6,913
3; 899
1, 344
8'421
18,611
105
19
7
21
193,846
10,080
5,890
8; 936
73,972
5,964
i; 521
3,839
44
61,815
10
11
10,261
3,607
25
42
1
62,528
2' 710
1,661
12
1
713 401,516 367,261 1,143 1,982,605 521, 322 1,027 1,780,570
2,347
1
459,765
On account of the war, the number of legal aid bureaus, and the
business transacted by them, slightly decreased in 1914. Nearly
all the legal aid bureaus maintained by communes, the State, or
public welfare societies, and some of the bureaus for women and
bureaus maintained by employers’ and salaried employees’ organiza
tions, belong to the Federation of German Public Welfare and Non
partisan Legal Aid Bureaus, which represents its affiliated bureaus
in all legal procedures at the Imperial Insurance Office. The federa
tion issues a bulletin, “ Die gemeinnützige Rechtsauskunft,” and is
the principal factor in the development of the legal aid bureau
movement.
IMMIGRATION IN JUNE, 1916.
The number of immigrant aliens admitted into the United States
during the first seven months of 1916 has been in excess of the number
admitted during the corresponding months of 1915. There has also
been an increase from month to month during the first five months of
1916. Compared with the preceding month, June shows a decrease
of 0.8 per cent and July of 18.6 per cent. These facts are brought
out in the statement following.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[382]
M O N T H L Y EE V IE W OF T H E B U R E A U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
101
IM M IG R A N T A L IE N S A D M IT T E D IN T O T H E U N IT E D ST A T E S IN S P E C IF IE D M O N TH S,
1914, 1915, A N D 1916.
Month.
1914
Ja n u a ry ........................................................................................
F e b ru a ry .....................................................................................
M arch...........................................................................................
A p ril..............................................................................................
M ay...............................................................................................
J u n e ..............................................................................................
J u ly ...............................................................................................
1915
44,708
46,873
92, 621
119,885
107,796
71, 728
138,244
Per cent
increase
over pre
ceding
m onth.
1916
15,481
13,873
19,263
24,532
26,069
22,598
21,504
17,293
24, 740
27,586
30,560
31,021
30, 764
25,035
8.5
43.1
11.5
10.8
15.1
i .8
18.6
1 Decrease.
Classified by races, the number of immigrant aliens admitted into
and emigrant aliens departing from the United States during June,
1915, and 1916, was as follows:
IM M IG R A N T A L IE N S A D M IT T E D IN T O A N D E M IG R A N T A L IE N S D E P A R T IN G FR O M
T H E U N IT E D S T A T E S , J U N E , 1915 A N D 1916.
A d m itted —
D eparted—
Race.
Ju n e, 1915. Ju n e, 1916. Ju n e, 1915. Ju n e, 1916.
African (b lack )...........................................................................
A rm enian.....................................................................................
B ohem ian an d M oravian.........................................................
B ulgarian, Serbian, M ontenegrin..........................................
C hinese.........................................................................................
Croatian a n d S lav o n ian ...........................................................
C u b an ...........................................................................................
D alm atian, B osnian, H erzegovinian....................................
D u tch a n d ’F l e m i s h ................................................................
E ast In d ia n .................................................................................
E n g lish .........................................................................................
F in n is h ........................................................................................
F ren c h ..........................................................................................
G erm an..........; ............................................................................
G reek............................................................................................
H ebrew ........................................................................................
I r is h ..............................................................................................
Ita lia n (n o rth )...........................................................................
Italian (s o u th )...........................................................................
Jap an ese.......................................................................................
K orean.........................................................................................
L ith u an ia n ..................................................................................
M agyar.........................................................................................
M exican........................................................................................
P olish...........................................................................................
P ortuguese..................................................................................
R o u m an ian .................................................................................
R u ssian ........................................................................................
R u th en ian (R u ssn iak )............................................................
S candinavian .............................................................................
S cotch...........................................................................................
S lo v ak ..........................................................................................
S p an ish ........................................................................................
Spanish-A m erican....................................................................
S y rian ...........................................................................................
T u rk ish ........................................................................................
W elsh..........................................................................................
W est In d ia n (except C u b an ).................................................
O ther peo p les.............................................................................
N ot specified.............................................................................
T o ta l..................................................................................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[383]
487
41
77
258
293
78
432
4
288
6
3,099
368
889
1,034
998
811
2,648
485
2,358
722
643
106
46
305
171
33
498
4
615
7
3,016
459
1,893
841
3,791
1,292
2,123
424
5,374
974
8
1
36
44
1,076
229
848
37
308
144
1,875
1,125
39
43
1,070
460
715
74
319
99
115
230
22,598
30,764
747
199
69
21
8
171
1
5
3
207
191
2
201
76
18
1,054
79
300
72
519
57
236
236
3,570
90
715
96
361
69
107
13
160
311
650
56
6
16
12
14
153
40
3
846
88
1,811
1,288
15
1,354
267
55
38
72
157
283
12
243
152
4
59
115
353
226
19
381
61
94
2
2
43
45
31
62
9
546
5
639
215
11
212
33
36
50
1,488
51
4
3
9
48
54
1,148
10,830
6,361
6
8
102
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U REA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
OFFICIAL REPORTS RELATING TO LABOR.
UNITED STATES.
C a l if o r n ia . —Industrial
Accident Commission. Building Construction Bulletin No. 1
{revised). Construction Bulletin No. 7, on the handling and use of explosives.
Sacramento, 1916.
Building Construction Bulletin No. 1, revised, gives suggestions that have been
embodied in previously issued illustrated bulletins, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6, depicting
the danger of accidents from the following causes: Flimsily constructed scaffolds,
defective ladders, unguarded floor openings, protruding nails, and unsafe piling of
material. Bulletin No. 7 contains 21 precautions to be observed for the prevention
of powder explosion accidents. Each bulletin is in the form of a placard to be tacked
up in a conspicuous place for the information of employees.
----------- Boiler Room Bulletin No. 1. Sacramento [1916].
A bulletin in the form of a placard to be placed in the boiler room giving suggestions
to promote safety in the operation of boilers.
------------ Bulletin No. 1, relating to safety and efficiency in mines, April 1, 1916.
[Sacramento.] 15 pp.
Recites the causes of accidents from falls of rock and ore, and suggests the respon
sibility of operators and miners to prevent such accidents. Also tells how to prevent
fires in mines and in this connection gives protective measures applicable to practi
cally all mines. Concludes with suggestions to mine foremen.
M a s s a c h u s e t t s .— Bureau of Statistics. Sixth annual report on union scale of wages
and hours of labor in Massachusetts, 1915. April 1, 1916. Boston, 1916. 103
pp. (Labor Bulletin No. 114/ being part 2 of the annual report on the statistics
of labor for 1916.)
Shows time rates of wages and hours of labor prevailing in the principal organized
trades in Massachusetts in 1915; the data pertain principally to October 1, 1915.
Fifteen tables of the report relate to the following trades and services:
Building Trades.
Teaming.
Domestic and Personal Service.
Telephone Service.
Food, Liquors, and Tobacco.
Theatrical Employment.
Garment Trades.
Woodworking and Upholstering.
Metals and Machinery.
Miscellaneous Trades.
Paper and Pulp Manufacturing.
Federal Service.
Printing and Allied Trades.
Municipal Service.
Stone Working and Quarrying.
----- State Board of Conciliation and Arbitration. Report for the year ending December
31, 1915. Public Document No. 30. Boston, 1916. 245 pp.
A d ig e st of th is rep ort ap p ears o n p a g e 38 of th is iss u e of th e R e v ie w .
N e w Y o r k . —Bureau of Statistics and Information. New York labor laws of 1916.
[Albany, 1916.] 68 pp. (Department of Labor special bulletin, issued under the
direction of the Industrial Commission, No. 78.)
Contains the text of labor laws enacted by the legislature in 1915, and is preceded
by a general summary review.
----- Factory Investigating Commission. Fourth report, Appendix VIII, pp. 18452268. Minimum-wage legislation in Australasia, by Paul Stanley Collier. Albany,
1915.
A review of this treatise appears on page 71 of this issue.
— ( N e w Y o rk Cit y ). — Commission on Pensions. Report on the pension funds o f
the city of New York. Part II. A n actuarial investigation of the mortality and
service experience of the special and general service funds for municipal employees,
including tables and diagrams on family history and a valuation of assets and liabili
ties. New York, 1916. xiv, 422 pp.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[384]
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
103
The above report “ contains the fundamental facts which are indispensable to the
intelligent consideration of the city’s existing pension plans, and upon which alone
a sound, properly organized new pension system can be constructed. It represents
the results of a complete actuarial investigation of the nine existing pension systems
of the city of New York, and furnishes the first comprehensive data ever available
with reference to these funds.”
O h io .—Industrial Commission. Department of workshops and factories. Proposed
rules relating to steel mills. Columbus, 1915. 14 pp------------Statement of the condition of the Ohio State Insurance Fund as of May 15,1916.
Statement showing the economic value of the Ohio State Insurance Fund to Ohio
employers. [Columbus, 1916.] [-1] pp.
A summary of this report appears on page 60 of this number of the R e v i e w .
—--------- Program, Second Annual Industrial Safety Exposition of Ohio and Safety
Conferences under the auspices of the Industrial Commission of Ohio. A t Central
Armory, Cleveland, Ohio, January 22 to 29, inclusive, 1916. Cleveland [1916].
16 pp.
T e x a s ( D a l l a s ). —First annual report of the Department of Public Welfare, 1915-16.
[Dallas, 1916.] 88 pp.
Reports the operations of the employment bureau through which 2,678 people were
placed; the free legal aid bureau which handled 914 cases at a cost of a trifle over $1
per case; the social service bureau which ministered to 824 families; the municipal
lodging house which in five months served 1,198 different men to whom 13,316 meals
and lodgings were supplied for work and cash; special charitable organizations in the
city; the municipal correction farm; the department of health; the park board; the
board of education; and the censors of commercialized amusements, etc.
U n it e d S t a t e s .—Congress. House. Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
Bills affecting interstate commerce. Hearings before the Committee on Interstate and
Foreign Commerce of the House of Representatives, Sixty-fourth Congress, first
session, on II. R. 9047, 9132, 9216, 10485, 11243: Safety on railroads for passengers
and employees, and hours of service and increase of pay of inspectors, April 18 to May
5, 1916. Washington, 1916. 247 pp.
-------------------Committee on the Judiciary. To authorize the working of Federal convicts
upon public highways. Hearings before the Committee on the Judiciary. House of
Representatives, Sixty-fourth Congress, first session, H. R. 5772, ser. 41, February 28,
March 1 and 3, 1916. Washington, 1916. 43 pp.
The purpose of this bill is to extend aid to the several States in the building of public
highways and authorizing the working of certain Federal convicts upon such highways,
or in the preparation of road material. At the hearings, there appeared on behalf of
the bill the State highway commissioner of Virginia, the chief road engineer of West
Virginia, and representatives of the American Federation of Labor.
------------Senate. Committee on Education and Labor. Interstate commerce in goods
manufactured by convict labor. Hearing before Committee on Education and Labor,
United States Senate, Sixty-fourth Congress, first session, on S. 901. A bill to
limit the effect of the regulation of interstate commerce between the States in goods,
wares, and merchandise wholly or in part manufactured, mined, or produced by
convict labor or in any prison or reformatory. Wednesday, January 19, 1916.
Washington, 1916. 14 ppContains statement of Mr. Ralph W. Wheelock, of the Minnesota State Board of
Control, in opposition to the bill, who represented that the enactment of the bill would
unduly restrict the sale of binder twine and farm machinery manufactured by convict
labor in Minnesota. Minnesota claims to have a model system for the employment of
convicts, one feature of which involves making a proper charge for the wages of the
convicts and prorating a certain portion so charged to the families of the prisoners.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[3851
104
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OP T H E B U REA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
U n it e d S t a t e s . —Department
of Commerce. Bureau of Corporations. Trust Laws an d
Unfair Competition. Washington, 1916. 832 pp.
Tliis report is designed to cover in compact form the laws of the various countries
of the world pertaining to the prevention or regulation of monopoly by government,
and the prevention of unfair practices of competition. Among the chief subjects dis
cussed are Federal antitrust legislation, the judicial decisions thereunder, and the
influence of such legislation on forms of business organization, the antitrust laws of
the several States, the legislation of foreign countries with regard to combinations,
and the laws and judicial decisions in the United States and foreign countries with
regard to unfair and unlawful competition.
FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
F r a n c e .— Conseil
Générale de la Seine. Rapport au nom de la commission mixte d u
travail et du chômage, relativement aux mesures à prendre pour procéder à l’organisa
tion du travail au moment de la démobilisation, présenté par Henri Sellier et Émile
Deslandres. Paris, 1916. 59 pp.
A report of the mixed commission on labor and unemployment of the Department
of the Seine to the General Council of the Department on measures to be taken after
the conclusion of peace to find prompt employment for workmen-soldiers discharged
on the demobilization of the French armed forces. The first part of the report de
scribes the public efforts made in the Department of the Seine after the outbreak of
the war to relieve unemployment, how pecuniary aid was given to the unemployed
and their families, and how through the organization of a departmental employment
office the relatively high rate of unemployment in the Department was reduced very
considerably. Based on the experience acquired during the great economic crisis
after the outbreak of the war, the report in part two makes recommendations as to
measures to be taken at once to avert a crisis of like magnitude on the demobilization
of the army. The measures recommended are: Organization of public aid, organiza
tion of the labor market, and creation of employment by means of public and depart
mental works, and by improvements in land and water transportation. In an appen
dix, Georges Limarchand submits a paper on the improvement of waterways in Paris
and its suburbs.
----- Ministère de l’Instruction Publique et des Beaux-Arts. Compte Rendu du Con
cours des Cités-Jardins, par Emile Cacheux, Délégué du comité de patronage des
habitations à bon marché de la Seine. Paris, 1916. 15 pp.
This is a reprint of an article which appeared in 1912 in the Bulletin of Economic
and Social Sciences (Bulletin des sciences economiques et sociales) and describes and
comments upon a competition of architects in laying out and constructing a model
garden city for the Department of the Seine, which includes Paris. The author,
M. Emile Cacheux, is a member of the Housing Committee of the Department of the
Seine, one of the duties of which is to offer prizes to encourage the construction
of low cost dwellings for women and men. (See Bulletin 158 of this Bureau, p. 132).
----- Ministère du Travail et de la Prévoyance, Sociale. Direction du Travail. Travaux
des Commissions Mixtes Départementales pour le maintien du travail national (année
1915). Vol. 1—Seine. Paris, 1916. 147 pp.
In a circular letter of February 5, 1915, the minister of labor requested all prefects
to organize departmental committees of representatives of employers and workmen,
and of employer’s and workmen’s organizations for the discussion of problems relating
to labor. These committees were to act as advisory bodies to the departmental
authorities in manner similar to that of the Permanent Committee of the Superior
Labor Council in its relation to the State authorities. The present volume contains
the minutes of the sessions of the Departmental Committee for the Department of the
Seine in which were discussed reports of subcommittees on unemployment and prob
lems relating to employment, commerce, and apprenticeship.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[386]
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OP T H E BU R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
105
r it a in . —Board of Trade.
Handbooks on London Trades. Clothing Trade.
Part I, Girls. London, 1915. 52 pp.
This pamphlet is one of a series of handbooks being prepared on behalf of the Board
of Trade primarily for the guidance of members and helpers of advisory committees
for juvenile employment in Greater London in connection with their work of advising
boys and girls as to the choice of suitable employment. The pamphlet was written
before the outbreak of the war and represents conditions prevailing in normal times.
It describes briefly the method of entering, hours of labor, wages, qualifications
necessary for applicants, suggested educational courses, opportunities for workers, and
other general considerations in connection with the following clothing trades: Arti
ficial flower making, boot and shoe trade, cap making, corset making, dressmaking,
embroidery, millinery, silk hat making, tailoring, umbrella making, wholesale cloth
ing trades, and wig making.
----- Departmental Committee on the Settlement and Employment of Sailors and Soldiers
on the Land. Part LI of the final report of the Departmental Committee appointed
by the President of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries to consider the settlement
and employment on the land in England and Wales of discharged sailors and soldiers.
London, 1916. 39 pp.
A summary of this report appears on pages 87 to 90 of this number of the R e v ie w .
----- Ministry of Munitions. Notes on the employment of women on munitions of war
with an appendix on training of munition workers. London, 1916. 94 PP- Illus
trated.
This publication, issued by the Ministry of Munitions, Great Britain, is a photo
graphic record, with brief written descriptions, of what is actually being done by
women in munition factories on processes hitherto performed solely by skilled men,
and is intended to “ act as an incentive and a guide in many factories where employers
and employed have been skeptical as to the possibilities of the policy of dilution.”
The volume is the result of visits of an expert engineer to workshops in various parts
of the country where the dilution of skilled labor is in actual operation, and illustrates
some of the operations which women, with the cooperation and assistance of the work
men concerned, are performing in engineering shops. There is included a brief
appendix on training munition workers. (The “ dilution” of labor refers to the intro
duction of unskilled and semiskilled workers in work where formerly all the operations
were carried on by skilled workers.)
I n t e r n a t io n a l A sso c ia t io n o n U n e m p l o y m e n t ( F r e n c h S e c t io n ). —UOrganisation
Nationale du Placement à VEtranger pendant la Guerre. Paris, 1916. 22 pp.
( Circulaires du Secrétariat général. No. 36. July 1, 1916.)
This is a reprint of an article by Edouard Fuster from l’Avenir, Paris, June, 1916, and
is an account of the work of the national employment office systems of Great Britain
and Germany during the period of the war.
I n t e r n a t io n a l S tatistical I n s t it u t e .— Bulletin de VInstitut International de
Statistique. Vienna, 1915. 3 vols.
The first two volumes of this bulletin constitute the minutes and papers and dis
cussion of the meeting of the International Statistical Institute held in Vienna, Sep
tember 9 to 13, 1913, while the third part or supplement is an index of the first 20
volumes, which include the present work, of the bulletins of the International Statis
tical Institute. The delay in publication—a year and a half after the meeting in
question—is explained by the Austrian committee in whose hands was placed the print
ing and publication of the minutes of this meeting, as due to a protracted strike which
occurred in Vienna in the establishment which contracted to do the printing and also
to the disorganization resulting from the European war. It may be noted that although
printed in 1915, the volumes were not ready for distribution until 1916, through the
firm of W. P. van Stockum & Fils, at The Hague, who are the publishers and sole
distributors of the present volume of the bulletin. The papers and reports of the
institute, which are contained in volume 2, appear in English, French, and German.
G reat B
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[387]
106
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
On March 15, 1915, the Institute had 202 members, of whom 14 were honorary and
188 active. It may he noted in passing that the institute held its first session in Rome,
April 12 to 16, 1887. The present session at Vienna in 1913 was the fourteenth. Only
one session has ever been held in the United States, namely, the fourth, September
11 to 16, 1893, in connection with the World’s Columbian Exposition.
I t a l y .— Ministero di Agricoltura, Industria e Commercio. Direzione Generale del
Credito e della Previdenza. Provvedimenti in materia di economia e di finanza
emanati in Francia in seguito alia guerra Europea. Part I: August 1, 1914, to
July 31, 1915. Rome, 1916. 368 pp. (Annali del Credito e della Previdenza.
Series II, vol. 11.)
The present volume gives the text of all economic and financial measures—laws,
decrees, ordinances, circular orders, etc.—enacted in, France between August 1,
1914, and July 31, 1915.
J a p a n .—Department of Finance.
The Fifteenth Financial and Economic Annual of
Japan, 1915. Tokyo. (No date.) vi [I], 202, V I M, pp., diagrams, map.
Among other matters contained in this volume are to be found statistics of facto
ries classified by motive power, industries, etc.; Operatives classified according to
occupation; Average daily wages of laborers; Index numbers of wages; Wholesale
prices of principal commodities; Index numbers of prices of commodities; Number
of cooperative societies, etc.
N e t h e r l a n d s .— Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek. Beknopt overzicht van den omvang
der Vakheweging op. 1 Januari, 1915. (Bijdragen tot de Statistiek van Nederland,
new series. No. 222.)
Contains statistics of organized labor as of January 1, 1915. During the year the
number of unions increased from 3,223 to 3,373, while the membership increased
from 220,275 to 227,391. Classified according to a confessional or religious line of
cleavage, it appears that the membership of the unions of that class increased 10.5
per cent, while the membership of unions not organized on a religious basis increased
somewhat less than 1 per cent of the unions in existence on January 1,1915, 2,149, with
a membership of 149,101, or 65.57 per cent, were affiliated with some one of the 5
national federations, while the remaining unions were not so affiliated. The tradeunions of the Netherlands were organized in 156 federations, with 3,004 local sections
(unions), and a total membership of 199,323, 24 national unions with a membership
of 4,867, and 345 local unions with a membership of 23,201. Outside of these organi
zations, there were 634 workmen’s associations, not classifiable strictly as trade-unions,
having a membership of 75,721. The following table shows certain statistics of the
trade-union movement in the Netherlands from 1911 to 1915:
M E M B E R S H IP O F T R A D E -U N IO N S A N D P E R C E N T O F SUCH M E M B E R S H IP IN
U N IO N S A F F IL IA T E D W IT H T H E C E N T R A L F E D E R A T IO N O F L A B O R , 1911 TO 1915.
M em bership affiliated
w ith th e central
federations.
N u m b er of m em bers in —
Year.
P ro testan t
unions.
1911 ...................................................
1912.....................................................
1913 ...................................................
1914.....................................................
1915.....................................................
12,575
13' 090
12' 425
14' 812
15,982
Catholic
unions.
23,480
25,758
30,769
37) 498
41,.809
Nonsecta Ail traderian unions. unions.
117,634
130,296
145)836
167) 965
169) 600
153,689
169,144
189) 030
220,275
227,391
N um ber.
72,646
82,570
101)428
137) 893
149,101
P e r cent.
47.27
48.82
53.66
62.60
65.57
------------Jaarcijfers voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden. Rijk in Europa, 1914.
The Hague, 1915. li, 375 pp. Folded diagrams.
This is a statistical yearbook of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Europe, a sep
arate volume appearing for the colonies each year. It contains, among other mate-
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[388]
M O N T H L Y R EV IEW OF T H E B U R E A U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
107
rials, factory inspection statistics, statistics of occupational diseases, hours of labor
of child workers, wages and hours of labor, strikes and lockouts, collective agreements,
trade-unions, retail and wholesale prices, social insurance, statistics of manufacture,
etc.
—— — Werkstaldngen en uitsluitingen in Nederland, 1914■ The Hague, 1915. 60 pp.
(Bijdragen tot de Statistiek van Nederland, new series, No. 224-)
This volume contains statistics of strikes and lockouts in the Netherlands during
1914. A digest of the contents will be found on page 87 of this number of the R e v i e w .
N e w S o u t h W a l e s .—Registrar of Friendly Societies. Friendly societies, trade-unions,
building societies, cooperative societies, and transactions under the workmen's com
pensation act, 1910; report of the registrar for the year \1913-\1915. (Sydney, 19141916.) Svols.
These volumes contain statistics and finances of the different mutual aid and
benefit societies enumerated in the title.
The prosperity of all these associations is said to have been very adversely affected
by the war.
The average membership, the amount of assets, State subsidies, and payments made
for specified benefits are given in the table which follows:
ST A TISTIC S O F F R IE N D L Y S O C IE T IE S IN N E W S O U T H W A L E S , 1905 AN D 1910 TO 1914.
Benefit paym ents.
Year.
1905.........................
1910.........................
1911..........................
1912.........................
1913..........................
1914..........................
Mem
bership
(average).
101,463
149,579
164,910
179,932
188,590
182,325
Assets.
$4,675,091
6, 911,136
7,333,027
7,775,475
8,266,816
8,686,367
State
subsidies.
$71,961
84,424
96,400
100,814
113,545
Sick pay.
$427,186
607, 286
723,045
809,153
844,099
840,912
Medical
Funeral attendance
donations.
and
medicines.
$117,034
146,243
186,674
198,689
223,625
216, 296
Total.
$489,414
625,963
696,104
768,036
830,196
887, 202
$1,033,635
1,379,492
1,605,823
1,775,878
1,897,920
1,944,410
In the table following are shown the data relating to the membership of tradeunions, according to trade groups.
N U M B E R O F T R A D E -U N IO N S A N D M E M B E R S H IP , 1914, B Y T R A D E G R O U PS.
Assets.
-
N u m N um ber Per cent
bers
ber of of m em minem
each
unions.
bers.
trade.
T rade group.
B uilding..........................................................................................
C lothing...........................................................................................
Engineering an d m etal w orking............................................
Food, d rin k , a n d n arco tics........ 7 .............................................
Team ing, hauline; etc..................................................................
Mining an d sm elting....................................................................
P a sto ra l................... 7.....................................................................
P rin tin g , bookbinding, etc........................................................
R ailroads an d stre et railw ays...................................................
N avigation a n d sh ip p in g ...'......................................................
M anufacturing, n o t otherw ise specified..................................
M iscellaneous^.............................7 .............................................
T o ta l....................................................................................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[389]
20
8
47
22,685
6' 610
19,243
18,244
6,365
26,857
22i941
3,998
47,018
19,933
14,363
29,457
205
237,714
18
25
9
23
5
8
8
13
21
9. 5
Total.
Per
m em
ber.
12.4
$92,055
23,578
96,517
i l, 949
15,831
212,213
74;248
43,093
112^402
5 l' 507
69,703
59,902
$4.06
3. 57
5. 01
2.29
2. 49
7.91
3.24
10.78
2.39
2. 58
4.85
2.03
100.0
892,998
3.75
2. 8
8.1
7.7
2.7
11.3
9. 6
1.7
19.8
8.4
6.0
108
M O N T H L Y K EV IEW OF T H E B U R E A U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
Z e a l a n d . —Department of Labor. Decisions under the worker's compensation
act filed for the year 1915. Vol. 14. Wellington, 1916. xxvi, 37, [6] pp.
N o r w a y . —Riksforsikringsanstalten. Aarsberetning nr. 19, 1915.
[Christiana, 1916.]
60 pp.
Contains the report of 1915 of the State Insurance Institute of Norway which admin
isters the various social insurance laws of that country.
S w i t z e r l a n d . —Schweizerisches Volkswirtschafts-departement.
Berichte der schewizerischen Fabrik-und Bergwerkinspektoren über ihre Amtstätigkeit in den Jahren 1914
und 1915. Aarau, 1916. 174 PPThis volume contains the reports of the individual Federal factory and mine in
spectors of Switzerland for the years 1914 and 1915. The factory inspectors’ reports
relate to general working conditions, workrooms, accidents and occupational diseases,
their prevention and compensation, workmen’s lists, shop rules, wage payment, and
hours of labor, woman and child labor, enforcement of labor laws by the authorities,
and welfare institutions in their individual inspection districts. Compilations of some
of these statistics were made for all Switzerland. The compilations of accident sta
tistics and of statistics of occupational diseases relate to 1913 and 1914, and summaries
of the data presented are shown in the following two tables separately for factories and
nonfactory establishments :
N
ew
IN D U S T R IA L A C CID E N T ST A T IS T IC S, 1913 AN D 1914.
Nonfactory establish
ments.
Factories.
Item .
1914
1913
1913
1914
"Number of workers em ployed...............................................
In d u stria l accidents causing—
Tem porary d isab ility........................................................
P erm an en t d isab ility ........................................................
D eath .....................................................................................
341,259
22,737
4
104
16,283
1
15,874
3
58
102
96
T otal accidents 1 ....................... .....................................
Com pensation p a id ....................................................................
T otal n u m b er of days of p artial d isab ility ............................
22, 930
1G.472
18,034
§997,360
449,586
11,682
$650,417
350,664
$675,163
350,541
$446,762
248,715
11,478
1 T he to ta l includes all accidents reported during the year, inclusive of those whose result w as not know n
w hen th e present statistics were compiled.
ST A TISTIC S O F O C C U PA T IO N A L D IS E A S E S , 1913 A N D 1914.
N um ber of cases causing—
Perm a
nent
D eath.
disa
bility.
P artial disability.
Cause.
1914
1913
Cases.
Days
lost.
Cases.
Lead a n d its com p o u n d s...................
M ercury..................................................
Pentachloride of p hophorus...............
B ichrom ate of potassium or sodium
Chlorine..................................................
H ydrochloric a n d hydrofluoric a cid .
Sulphurous acid....................................
N itrous gases.........................................
Suiphureted hydrogen........................
Carbon m onoxide a n d carbonic acid.
Phosgene.................................................
M ethyl b ro m id e ...................................
Benzine...................................................
N itrobenzol............................................
A niline....................................................
P henylh y d razin e..................................
Carbolic acid ..........................................
44
1,999
2
22
2
203
78
47
64
26
2
172
48
113
T o ta l............................................
73
2,913
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
3
3
1
1
2
6
1
4
4
[390]
23
739
15
1
28
3
4
104
1913 1914 1913 1914 1913 1914
1
45
2
3
3
68
3
75
2
22
1
1
42
30
110
Days
lost.
1
1
125
26
17
43
1,273
1
1
2
1
3
4
4
7
3
1
1
1
1
4
4
1
22
2
2
1
1
12
2
1
1
T otal.
2
2
2
1
1
76
45
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
109
The report of the mine inspectors relates to the years 1914 and 1915, and deals with
general conditions in the mining industry, mine accidents, and the enforcement of
labor laws. At the end of 1915, 57 mines with 894 workmen were in operation. The
accident statistics are compiled by kind of mineral mined, and the total results are the
following:
Accidents causing partial disability:
1914 .
1915 .
Cases...................................................................
62
32
Days lost............................................................
885
692
Accidents per 1,000 workers......................................
69
36
Days of disability per accident...............................
14
21
Days of disability per workman..............................
1
0. 8
Amount of compensations paid................................ $974. 55
$627. 83
OFFICIAL PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS RELATING TO LABOR.
LABOR DEPARTMENTS AND BUREAUS.
Ca n a d a .— The
Labour Gazette issued by the Department of Labor by order of Parliament.
Ottawa, July, 1916.
Industrial conditions during June, 1916; Proceedings during June under the Indus
trial Disputes and Investigation Act; Trade disputes June, 1916; Reports from
employment offices; Immigration and colonization; Wholesale and retail prices,
1915 and June, 1916; Fair wages schedule in Government contracts, June, 1916;
Recent industrial agreements; Industrial accidents, June, 1916; Annual convention
of the Canadian Manufacturers’ Association; The effect of the war upon the prices of
bread; Report of the Mayor’s Committee on Unemployment; Report of the Ontario
Workmen’s Compensation Board, 1915.
D e n m a r k .—Statistiske Efterretninger udgivet af det statistiske Department, Copenhagen,
July 6, 1916, (vol. 8, No. 10).
Crop conditions on July 1; Displacement of population at the census of 1916;
Unemployment, April, 1916; Retail prices, June, 1916.
F r a n c e .—Bulletin du Ministere du Travail et de la Prevoyance Sociale, Paris.
March-April-May, 1916 {vol. 23, Nos. 3, 4, 5).—France: Activities of the mixed
departmental commissions on national labor; Strikes, March and April, 1916; Coal
mine labor, February and March, 1916; Production of and commerce in coal, 1914 and
1915; Strike statistics for 1914 and 1915; Report on subsidies granted to unemploy
ment funds in 1914; Mutual-aid societies in 1912; The national unemployment funds
(Paris, and suburbs of Paris); Reports from the central and departmental employment
bureaus; Minimum-wage rates established under the law of July 10, 1915; Economic
index numbers, first quarter, 1916; Laws and decisions of courts relating to labor.
Foreign countries: Germany—Review of the labor market, January and Feburary,
1916; Cost of living in Berlin, January and February, 1916; General results of work
men’s insurance, 1913. Austria—Employment; Unemployment among tradeunions, October to December, 1915. United States—Working conditions of women
and children in American industries. Great Britain—Labor market, February and
March, 1916; Strikes in February and March, 1916; Statistics of labor exchanges.
Norway—Factory law, September 18, 1915. Miscellaneous—Industrial and com
mercial conditions in Paris, second half of 1915; French exports and imports first four
months, 1915 and 1916; Wholesale prices, March-April, 1916; Official decrees, orders,
and documents.
G e r m a n y .—Reichs-Arbeitsblatt, herausgegeben vour Kaiserlichen Statistischen Amte,
Abteilung fur Arbeiterstatistik. Berlin.
(The April, 1916, number has not been received by the Bureau.)
May, 1916.—Labor market in Germany, April, 1916; Labor market in foreign
countries (Great Britain, Switzerland, Sweden, Canada); State of employment in
57377°—16— -8
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[391]
110
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
Germany in April, 1916, according to reports from various industries and from sick
funds; Unemployment in German trade-unions, April, 1916; Unemployment in the
Netherlands, February, 1916; Labor market in Germany, middle of April to middle
of May, 1916, according to reports of free employment offices; Activities of free employ
ment offices, April, 1916; War measures within the sphere of workmen’s insurance;
Wages of women and children in New Orleans; Wage statistics of the local sick funds of
Magdeburg and Dresden; Working conditions in German potash mines; Strikes and
lockouts in Germany during 1915 and since the outbreak of the war; Decisions of
industrial courts; Statistical tables of the labor market.
Supplement: Statistics of legal aid bureaus for people of small means, 1914.
I t a l y .— Bollettino dell’ Ufficio del Lavoro. Ministero di Agricoltura, Industria e Commercio. Rome. {Semimonthly.)
June 16, 1916.—Labor market, by localities and industries; Employers’ and em
ployees’ organizations; Congresses and conventions; Retail prices and index num
bers of foodstuffs in Italian cities, first six months 1914 and April, 1916; Labor disputes
in Italy, second half of May; Activities of the labor office; Activities of the provincial
labor office in Udine, 1915; Experiments as to the effect of high pressure in labor
under water; New system for direct moistening of the warp on the loom; Insurance
against occupational diseases through the workmen’s compensation act in Victoria
(Australia); Court decisions affecting labor.
July 1, 1916.—Labor market, by localities and industries; Labor disputes in May
and first half of June, 1916; Employers’ and employees’ associations; Congresses and
conventions; Royal decree, June 22,1916, creating a ministry of industry, commerce,
and labor; Activities of the labor office; Publications of the labor office (strike statis
tics of Italy, 1913); Occupational diseases caused by dust, benzine, and benzol
poisoning; Toxicity of methyl alcohol; Court decisions affecting labor.
July 16, 1916.—-Labor market, by localities and industries; Employers’ and employ
ees’ organizations; Wages and hours of labor in metal-working industries during 1915;
Congresses and conventions; Retail prices and index numbers of foodstuffs in Italian
cities, first six months 1914, and May, 1915 and 1916; Retail prices of foodstuffs in
foreign countries—Great Britain (increase in June, 1916, over July, 1914); Germany,
Berlin (increase in April, 1916, over July, 1914); Austria, Vienna (increase in April,
1916, over July, 1914); Labor disputes, second half of June, 1916; Meeting of the
Permanent Committee on Labor, July 10 and 11, 1916; Appointments of presidents
and vice presidents of industrial courts; Industrial accidents caused by machinery
in the State of New York during 1911-1913; Purification of the waste water of glue
factories; Apparatus for the purification of waste water in wool washing establishments.
N e t h e r l a n d s .— Maandschrift van het Centraal Bureau voor de StatistisJc.
The Hague.
June, 1916.—Review of the labor market (building trades, clothing, cleaning and
laundries, and coal mining), May, 1916; Employment of fishermen, dock workers and
interned soldiers, June, 1916; Employment in brickyards during the winter of 191516; Unemployment and unemployment insurance, May, 1916; Amendment of the
State budget as to unemployment insurance; Reports from employment exchanges,
May, 1916; Strikes and lockouts, May, 1916; Labor conditions on public works, June,
1916; Collective agreements, etc.; Trade-union reports, number organized, disbanded,
etc.; Prices (wholesale and retail), June, 1916; Maximum wholesale and retail prices
established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce, June, 1916;
Passports issued, May, 1916; Court decisions affecting labor; Miscellaneous reports of
social and economic import; Prices in foreign countries (Australia, Canada, Denmark,
Germany, Finland, Great Britain and Ireland, Italy, Norway, Austria, Switzerland,
Sweden); War measures in foreign countries; Industrial conditions in foreign coun
tries; Statistical tables on the labor market, housing and building inspection, occu
pational diseases, and State finances; Laws, regulations, ministerial orders, etc.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[392]
M O N T H L Y R E V IE W OE T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
N e w S o u t h W a l e s .— The
I l l
New South Wales Industrial Gazette issued by the Department
of Labor and Industry. Sydney.
May, 1916 (vol. 10, No. 1).—The industrial situation, April, 1916 (minimum wages,
prices, employment, strikes, etc.); Labor legislation; Workmen’s compensation;
Court decisions affecting labor; Reports of the factory inspector; Industrial registrar;
Labor exchanges, etc.; Reports of the wages boards; Industrial agreements and arbi
tration awards; Labor exchange settlement No. 14.
N e w Y o r k .— The Bulletin issued monthly by the New York State Industrial Commis
sion. Albany.
July, 1916.—Reports of minutes of meetings of the Industrial Commission; Cases
before the legal bureau; New rule 4 (specifications of fire escapes accepted as required
means of exit); The workmen’s compensation law applied to municipalities, with
advantages offered by the State insurance fund; Proposed general safety conference
in New York under the auspices of the commission; Workmen’s compensation cases;
Accident prevention; Report of the Bureau of Mediation and Arbitration; The labor
market; Reports from the Bureau of Inspection.
N e w Z e a l a n d .— Journal of the Department of Labor. Wellington.
June, 1916.—The labor market; Reports from the women’s employment offices;
Recent legal decisions (also what decisions affect labor in Great Britain); Statistical:
Persons assisted to employment, May, 1916; Cooperative works in New Zealand;
Current retail prices, May, 1915; Trade-unions registered, etc.
Q u e e n s l a n d .— The Queensland Industrial Gazette. Brisbane.
June 10, 1916 (vol. 1, No. 4).—The labor market; Reports of the labor exchanges;
Recent legal decisions and arbitration awards; Factory accidents occurring since
May 1, 1916; Prices fixed by the Central Sugar Cane Prices Board and by the Control
of Trade Board; Trade agreements, etc.
S p a i n .—Boletin del Instituto de Reformas Sociales. (Publicación Mensual.) Madrid.
June, 1916 (vol. 13, No. 144).—Reports from the office of the secretary and tech
nical divisions; Strikes; Cost of living; Congresses and conventions; Labor legislation;
Report from foreign countries (strikes and lockouts in France and Great Britain);
Labor legislation in Uruguay.
S w e d e n .—Sociala Meddelanden utgivna av K. socialstyrelsen, Stockholm.
No. 6, 1916.—The labor market, May, 1916: Establishment of a State unemploy
ment commission; Subsidies to Government employees during the war; Investigation
of the housing conditions of people of small means in Norrkoping; Report of the com
mission on materials of construction; Development of public employment offices;
Royal decree, May 19, 1916, providing for State aid to indigent unemployed; Royal
decree, May 19,1916, amending the ordinance, June 1, 1912, as to aid to the wives and
children of conscripts; Law, May 30, 1916, establishing maximum war prices; Law,
June 9, 1916, regulating the disposition during the war of specified property; Law on
compulsory arbitration in Norway; Strikes and lockouts in Sweden, first quarter, 1916;
Industrial accident statistics, 1910, 1911, and 1912; Reports of the factory inspectors
on serious industrial accidents; Miscellaneous notes relating to labor in Sweden and
foreign countries; Statistics of public employment offices in Sweden, May, 1916;
Retail prices and cost of living in Sweden, 1905, to May, 1916; Live stock prices in
Sweden, 1905, to May, 1916; Live stock supply and estimated consumption at public
slaughterhouses, May, 1916; Fish prices in Stockholm and Gottenborg, May, 1915, to
May, 1916.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[393]
112
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OP T H E B U R EA U OP LABOR STA TISTICS.
MISCELLANEOUS.
I t a l y .—Bollettino
della Emigrazione. Commissariato della Emigrazione. Rome.
{Monthly.)
May 15, 1916.—Statistics of Italian transoceanic emigration, first four months, 1916;
Suspension by Austro-Hungarian accident insurance institutes of payment of pen
sions to Italian subjects injured in accidents in Austria-Hungary; Savings of Italian
emigrants transmitted to Italy in 1915 through the Bank of Naples; The compensa
tion law of the State of New York; Decision of the court of appeals of Naples in the
matter of the obligation of licensed steamship companies to complete their contracts
of transportation of Italian emigrants repatriating; Monthly statistics of transoceanic
emigration from Italian ports, April, 1916; Current news relating to emigration and
labor in foreign countries; Financial statement of the administration of the emigra
tion fund for the fiscal year 1915-16; Safety regulations for steamers carrying emi
grants; Decree, April 6, 1916, creating a special fund for the relief of unemployment
and of Italian subjects whose accident pensions due from enemy countries were sus
pended; Circular letter of the minister of war relating to subsidies for dependents
residing abroad of volunteers serving in the Italian army; Current publications relating
to emigration and labor.
----- Bollettino dell'Ispettorato dell’ Industria e del Lavoro. Ministero de Agricoltura,
Industria e Commercio, Ufficio del Lavoro. Rome. {Bimonthly.)
November-Decemher, 1915.—Personnel of the inspection service; Activities of the
inspectors during November and December, 1915; Administrative orders; The writ
ing and printing ink industry in Lombardy and Venice; Fatal accident caused by an
electric current; Production in 1915 of Italian wool-combing establishments, and new
establishments erected.
S p a i n . —Boletin del Consejo Superior de Emigration.
Madrid. Abril, 1916 {Num.
82); mayo-junio, 1916 {Num. 83).
RECENT UNOFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS RELATING TO LABOR.
Alliance Employment Bureau, New York City. Inquiries into trades for factory
workers. Sample mounting and sample case making, perfumery trade, paper-box
making, candy trade, case making for jewelry and silverware. 1913. 29 pp. Inquir
ies into trades for industrial art workers. Air brush work, novelty painting, costume
illustration. 1913. 19 pp. Inquiries into trades for boys. The blue-print trade.
1916. 8 pp.
This bureau is affiliated with settlements and other organizations. These inquiries
were made to learn whether it was desirable for the bureau to place workers in the
branches of employment named.
----- Annual reports, 1913-1915. 3 vols.
American cloak and suit revieiv. Directory of women's wear manufacturers. No. 10.
Spring ed., New York City, 1916. 240 pp.
American Federation of Labor. Iowa branch. Official labor directory, Des Moines, 1916.
192 pp.
A list of national and international unions of the United States and Canada, with
names and addresses of secretaries of local unions in Iowa. Also contains proceedings
of the 24th annual convention of the Iowa State Federation of Labor, at Marshalltown,
June 13-16, 1916.
Baty, T. Vicarious liability. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1916. 244 pp.
A short history of the liability of employers, principals, partners, associations, and
trade-union members, with a chapter on the laws of Scotland and foreign States.
Bitting, A. W. Canning and how to use canned foods. Washington, D. C., National
Conners’ Association, 1916. 184 pp.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[394]
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E BU R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
113
Contains a description of methods employed in modern canning and a brief outline
of proper sanitary measures for canneries.
Blackford, Katherine M. II., M. D., and Arthur Newcomb. Analyzing character, the
new science of judging men; misfits in business, the home and social life. New York,
Review of Reviews Co., 1916. 488 pp.
Treats of analyzing character in vocational guidance, in selection of employees,
and in persuasion. Has a section on principles and practice of character analysis
and an appendix on requirements of the principal vocations.
Chance, Lady. Housekeeping on 25 s. \$6.08] a week or under. Published by the National
Food Economy League. London. 16 pp.
Clearing house for employment. Atlanta, Ga. First annual report . . . year ending
April SO, 1916. 14 pp.
An account of the fiscal year’s work by the first public employment bureau operated
in Georgia.
Cleveland Chamber of Commerce. Report of committee on industrial welfare. Industrial
profit sharing and welfare work. April 10, 1916. 85 pp.
Summarizes in concrete form the plans and methods in use by 27 companies con
ducting profit-sharing schemes and 23 companies doing industrial welfare work.
Compton, Wilson. Wage theories in industrial arbitration. 1916. pp. 324-342.
Originally printed in the American Economic Review, Yol.YI, No. 2, June, 1916.
Confederation generate du travail. Conference of delegates from the general federations of
trade-unions of the allied countries . . . June, 1916. London, Cooperative Printing
Society {Ltd.), 1916. 15 pp.
An historical survey of the efforts to coordinate and nationalize labor legislation.
Cowee, G. A. Practical safety methods and devices, manufacturing and engineering.
New York, Van Nostrand, 1916. 434 PPIntended to provide for employers, superintendents, foremen, underwriters, safety
inspectors, and engineers generally, a convenient summary of standard safety methods
and devices as developed and perfected by those who have specialized in this subject.
Contains 127 illustrations.
Davenport, Daniel, General Counsel, American Anti-Boycott Association. An analy
sis of the unanimous decision of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts, declaring the
anti-injunction law unconstitutional. New York. 15 pp.
Davison's textile blue book of the United States and Canada. 1916.
A directory of all textile manufacturers, dyers, finishers, etc., together with other
trade information, such as date established, capital invested, and number of em
ployees.
Farnam, II. W. The Seamen's Act of 1915. Washington, 1916. 16 pp. {Senate
Document 333, 64th Congress, 1st session.)
An address delivered at the ninth annual meeting of the American Association for
Labor Legislation, Washington, I). C., December 28, 1915.
Farrar, F. A. Factories and great industries. Cambridge {England), University Press,
1916, 90 pp.
A popular account of the textile industries, printing, and the making of paper,
leather, and straw hats. Also treats briefly of trade-unions, old-age pensions, State
insurance, and the relief of distress.
General Federation of Trade-unions. 17th annual report. London, 1916. 45 pp.
This federation had a membership of 1,076,634 for the fiscal year ended March 31,
1916, a decrease of 9,757 from the preceding year. The total income for the fiscal
year was £70,391 10s. 7d. ($342,560.38). The total expenditure was £11,122 6s.
2d. ($54,126.71), of which £7,437 10s. lOd. ($36,194.80) was for federation benefit,
the latter showing a decrease of £12,279 3s. 8d. ($59,756.65) from 1914-15. There
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[395]
114
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
were 176 industrial disputes, involving 15,510 members. During the year the Amal
gamated Society of Engineers, with a membership of 154,350, seceded from the Gen
eral Federation of Trade-unions, for the ostensible reason that there was an excess of
contribution over money benefits received.
Greenwood, John II. A handbook of industrial law. London, University of London
Press, 1916. 288 pp.
Intended as a practical legal guide for trade-union officers. It contains chapters on
the legal position of trade-unions, national health insurance, unemployment insurance,
and workmen’s compensation.
Hollingsworth, II. L. Vocational psychology, its problems and methods. New York,
Appleton, 1916. 808 pp.
A study of the various methods now used in selecting a vocation. Deals with
character analysis, ways of selecting employees for different kinds of work, the use
of psychological tests, and the value of impressions based on physical appearance,
letters of appreciation, judgment of associates, self-analysis, etc. The volume in
cludes a discussion contrasting the vocational fitness of men and of women.
How to manage men. Chicago, A. W. Shaw Co., 1914. 64 pp.
Presents the ideas and methods which 24 factory managers have proved in their
work. Has suggestive chapters on getting shop cooperation, handling the wage ques
tion, shop discipline, winning department interest, and showing employees how to
work.
International Harvester Company. Employees’ Benefit Association. 7th annual report,
1915.
Janes, G. M. The control of strikes in American trade-unions. Baltimore, Johns Hop
kins Press, 1916. 131 pp. (Johns Hopkins University studies . . . series 84, No. 3).
The purpose of this study is to describe the control of strikes exercised by general
or national unions. It discusses the development of control, the part taken by the
national agent or deputy, the influence of arbitration, the initiation of strikes, the
independent strike, the management of strikes, strike benefits, and the methods used
in bringing a strike to an end.
Lakeside Press. Schools for apprentices. The school for apprentices of the Lakeside
press. . . . Chicago, Donnelly, 1916. 39 pp.
London. City and guilds of London institute. Report, 1916. 112 pp.
This institute conducts extensive courses of instruction in mechanical and elec
trical engineering, chemistry, applied art, and the skilled trades and occupations.
Maynard, Edith L. Women in the public health service. London Scientific Press. 1915.
128 pp.
McKendrick, A. Back injuries and their significance under the workmen’s compensa
tion and other acts. New York, Wood, 1916. 173 pp.
Minneapolis Civic and Commerce Association. 4th annual report, 1915. 155 pp.
Contains committee reports on housing, industrial development, industrial welfare,
and unemployment.
Modern Hospital, The, Industrial welfare number. St. Louis, August, 1916 vv
87-184.
An interesting number of this monthly periodical, giving articles and editorials
relating to the subject of industrial welfare and many “ stories” from various indus
tries relating to welfare work.
National Association of Corporation Schools—Advance copy. Report of Committee on
Vocational Guidance. The organic development of business. 1916. 148 pp.
This report is an attempt to set forth what employee, employer, and society should
strive for in the human relations in industry—a realization of an organic unity in each
individual life, in each business, between businesses, and between business and
society.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[396]
M O N T H L Y R EV IEW OF T H E B U R E A U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
115
National Civic Federation. Minimum-wage committee. The minimum vjage by law . . .
Report made by Alexander J. Porter . . . January 17, 1916. 49 pp.
An analysis of this report appears on page 67 of this number of the R e v i e w .
National Metal Trades Association. Synopsis of proceedings, 18th convention, New
York, 1916. 80 pp.
National Workmen's Compensation Service Bureau. A grouping of industries appear
ing in the Workmen's Compensation Manual with corresponding code numbers specially
arranged for the convenience of statisticians. 51 pp. Appendix I, List of classi
fications which have been discontinued or regrouped. 17 pp. Published by the
National Workmen's Compensation Service Bureau, 13 Park Row, New York
City. [1916.]
A b r i e f d i g e s t o f t h i s p u b l i c a t i o n a n d t h e a p p e n d i x a p p e a r s o n p a g e 56 of t h i s i s s u e
of t h e R e v i e w .
O'Grady, J. J. Cotton carding. Woonsocket, Robinson Press [1912]. 103 pp.
A handy reference book for superintendents and overseers.
[Ring, H. L.] The problem of the unemployed. (Anonymous.) 2d ed., Houston, Tex.,
1915. 282 pp.
Rossiter, Alfred. A pocket manual for character analysts and employment managers.
New York, Newcomb, 1915. 63 pp.
Samvirkende fagforbund i Danmark. Beretning til de Samvirkende fagforbunds repraesentantskabsm<j>de. April, 1914; April, 1915; and April, 1916. 3 vols. 136, 179,
and 168 pp.
Reports of the annual meetings of the federated trade-unions of Denmark.
Sherman, P. T. Liability and workmen's compensation insurance on the reciprocal or
interinsurance plan. 1916. 16 pp.
Smith, J. R. Commerce and industry. New York, Holt, 1916. 596 pp.
Springfield Survey Publications. Lndustrial conditions in Springfield, Lllinois . . .
L. C. Odencrantz and Z. L. Potter. New York, Russell Sage Foundation. June,
1916. 173 pp.
A survey by the Committee on Women’s Work and the Department of Surveys
a n d Exhibits.
An analysis of this survey will appear in a later issue of the R e v i e w .
Trautman, W. E. One great union. 5th revised edition. Published by the Workers'
International Industrial Union. Detroit. 31 pp.
Travelers' Insurance Company, Hartford, Conn. Coal mining hazards. Hartford, 1916.
174 pp.
United Shoe Machinery Company. Efficiency through hygiene. Beverly, 18 pp.
Van Kleeck, Mary. Industrial investigations of the Russell Sage Foundation . . . New
York, January, 1916. 18 pp.
A brief account of the work and purpose of this foundation.
Van Overbergh, Cyr. La Grève Générale. Brussels and Leipzig, Misch & Thron, 1913.
651 pp.
A sociological study on the Belgian general strike of 1913, engineered by the working
men of Belgium to obtain universal suffrage. After describing the form and object
of the general strike of 1913, its organization, basis, and development, the author at
tempts to analyze its political and social results and to solve the question whether the
prestige of the socialists or that of the bourgeoisie has gained in the conflict.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[397]
116
M O N T H L Y R EV IEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
BUREAUS OF LABOR, INDUSTRIAL COMMISSIONS, ETC., AND THEIR
CHIEF OFFICIALS.
N am e and title of chief official.
State.
Nam e.
U nited States
A rkansas.
California
Colorado.
Connecticut
Georgia
H aw aii.............
Id a h o ...............
Illinois.............
In d ia n a ............
Io w a .................
K ansas.............
K e n tu ck y .......
L o u isian a........
M aine...............
M ary lan d ........
M assachusetts.
D o .............
Michigan.
M innesota...............
M issouri..................
M o n tan a.................
N e b ra sk a ................
N e v a d a ...................
N ew H a m p sh ire . .
New Je rse y ............
N ew Y ork
N o rth Carolina.
N o rth D akota..
Ohio
Title.
Location of bureau
or address of
board or com
mission.
Commissioner.......
W ashington, D. C.
N am e of bureau.
B ureau of L abor S ta R oyal M eeker........
tistics.
/B ureau of L abor and f.T. C. C lary ..............
(E dw ard I. M cK in
\ Statistics.
ley.
B ureau of L abor S ta John P. M cL augh
lin.
tistic s.
........do ................................ A xel Sw anson.......
D ep artm en t of L abor W m . S. H yde.
an d F acto ry Inspec
tion.
/D e p artm e n t of Com- iH. M. Stanley.
,J. T. D erry __
\ merce a n d Labor.
D ep artm en t of Im m i
gration, L abor, a n d
Statistics.
B ureau of Im m igra
tio n , L abor, and S ta
tistics.
B ureau of L abor Sta
tistics.
B ureau of S ta tistic s___
B ureau of L abor S ta
tistics.
D ep artm en t of L abor
an d In d u stry .
B ureau of A griculture,
L ab o r,an d S tatistics.
B ureau of L abor and
In d u stria l S tatistics.
D ep artm en t of L abor
and In d u stry .
B ureau of Statistics
a n d Inform ation.
B ureau of S ta tistic s___
___ do....................... L ittle Rock.
Do.
D ep u ty com m is
sioner.
Commissioner....... 948 M arket Street,
San Francisco.
D ep u ty com m is D enver.
sioner.
Commissioner....... H artford.
....... d o ....................... A tlanta.
Do.
A ssistant commis
sioner.
R alp h A. K e arn s.. Commissioner........ H onolulu.
S. J. R ich
Commissioner.
L. D. McCoy.......... Secretary....... .
Springfield.
T. W . B rolley........ Chief............... .
A. L. U ric k ............ Commissioner.
Indianapolis.
Des Moines.
P. J. M cB ride........ ___ do............. .
Topeka.
M at S. C ohen......... ___ d o ............. .
Frankfort.
W m . M cG ilv ray .. ___ d o ............. .
N ew Orleans.
Roscoe A. E d d y .. ___ do ...............
A ugusta.
Charles J. F o x ....... Chief............... .
B altim ore.
C. F . G e tte m y ___ D irector......... .
(Alfred W . Donovan C h airm an ___
[State B oard of L abor M rs.M aryH.Dewey
■j a n d In d u strie s (5
( m em bers).
John F . T o b in ___ C om m issioner of
James A . D onovan.
labor.
IJ.
V. C unningham . Commissioner........
Dr.AlfredH.Quessy
D ep artm en t of L a b o r .. (James
E d w in F.
MH
u lre
.. D ep u ty com m is
amad
m yell
sioner.
D ep artm en t of L abor W . F. H o u k ........... Commissioner........
an d In d u stries.
B ureau of L abor Sta J. T. F itz p a tric k .. ........d o ......................
tistics.
D ep artm en t of L abor W . J . Swindle- ........d o ......................
a n d In d u stry .
h urst.
B ureau of L abor and F ra n k M C offey... D ep u ty commis
sioner.
In d u strial Statistics.
L abor Commissioner’s W . E. W allace........ L a b o r commis
sioner.
Office.
B ureau of L a b o r.......... . J . S. B. D av ie....... Comm issioner........
/Lewis
T.
B
ry
a
n
t..
........d
o ......................
D ep artm en t of L ab o r.., (John I. H o lt.......... A ssistant
commissioner.
John M itch ell........ C h airm an.
Jas. M. L y n c h .......
IS tate In d u stria l Com- W m. H . H . Rogers
( mission.
Louis W ia rd ..........
E d w ard P. L y o n ..
.H enry D. S a y e r... S ecretary .........
D epartm ent of L abor M. L. S h ip m an l.. Commissioner.
an d Printing.
D epartm ent of Agricul R. F . F li n t..........
-do.
tu re and Labor.
W allace D . Y a p le . C hairm an...............
/In d u stria l Commission H erbert L. E l i o t . . Vice chairm an___
( (3 commissioners).
T. J. D u ffy ............
[George L. Stough Secretary
ton.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Boise.
[398]
Boston.
721A New A lbion
B uilding, No. 1
B e a c o n S tr e e t,
Boston.
Lansing.
Do.
St. Paul.
Jefferson City.
Helena.
Lincoln.
Carson City.
Concord.
T renton.
Do.
A lbany.
381 F o u rth
Ave-
> nue, New Y ork
C ity. *
Raleigh.
Bism arck.
C olum bus.
Do.
Do.
Do.
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E BU R E A U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
117
BUREAUS OF LABOR, INDUSTRIAL COMMISSIONS, ETC.—Concluded.
N am e a n d title of chief official.
State.
N am e of bureau.
Nam e.
D ep artm en t of L a b o r. . W . G. A sh to n.......
B ureau of L abor S tatis 0 . P . H o fi..............
tics a n d Inspection of
Factories a n d W ork
shops.
P en n sy lv an ia........ D epartm ent of L abor Jo h n P . Ja c k so n ...
a n d In d u stry .
J ohn P. J ackson. . .
Olda-boma
Orp.gOTl -
Mrs. Samuel Sem
ple.
Jam es C. Cronin
O tto T . M allery ...
M aj.John P.W ood.
,Wm. L au d er..........
Philippine Islands B ureau of L a b o r............ Manuel T in io .........
. . .do
....................... F . C. R o b erts........
■pnrto T?ioo
B ureau of In d u strial G. II. W e b b ..........
T?]iorlo Tsi and
Statistics.
South Carolina___ D epartm ent of Agricul E. J . W atso n .........
tu re, Commerce, and
Industries.
T e n n e sse e ............. D ep artm en t of W ork- W .L . M itc h e ll....
shop a n d Factory
Inspection.
T exas
B ureau of L abor Sta- C. W . W o o d m an ..
tistics.
B ureau of Im m igra H . T . H aines.........
"BtHh
tion, Labor, a n d S ta
tistics.
Rnrp.an of L abor and J . B. D o h e rty ........
Virginia
In d u strial Statistics.
"Wacb in gt, on
Bureau of B ab o r............ C. H . Y ounger.......
........ d o . ............................. Jac k H . N ightin
W ^st Viuginia
gale.
[J. D. B eck ..............
Fred
M. W ilco x ...
/In d u stria l Commission •1George
Wisconsin
P . H am \ (3 commissioners').
brecht.
[P. J . W atro u s........
(Industrial B oard
D o ..................... \ m em bers).
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Title.
Commissioner........ Oklahoma.
........d o ...................... Salem.
........d o ......................
H arrisburg.
Commissioner of
labor and in
dustry.
(5
[399]
Location of bureau
or address of
board or com
mission.
Do.
Secretary................
D irecto r.................. Manila.
Chief......................... San Juan.
Com m issioner........ Providence.
........d o ......................
Columbia.
Chief inspector . . .
N ashville.
........d o ......................
A ustin.
........ d o ......................
Salt Lake City.
........d o ......................
Richm ond.
........ d o ......................
........ d o ......................
O lympia.
Wheeling.
C h airm an ...............
Madison.
Do.
Do.
Secretary................
Do.
118
M O N T H L Y R E V IE W OF T H E BU R E A U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
STATE BUREAUS FOR FACTORY INSPECTION AND CHIEF INSPECTION
OFFICIALS.
N am e and title of chief official.
State.
N am e of bureau.
Name.
A labam a.
A rkansas.
California
D o ...
B ureau of L abor an d
Statistics.
B ureau of L abor S ta
tistics.
In d u stria l A c c i d e n t
Board.
Colorado
B ureau of L abor Sta
tistics.
Connecticut.
D ep artm en t of L abor
a n d F acto ry Inspec
tion.
W .H . Oates, M .D. In spector of jails,
alm shouses, cot
to n m ills, a nd
factories.
J. C. C lary.............. C om m issioner___
B ox 282, Mo n t gomery.
Jo h n P . M cLaugh- ........d o ___
948 M arket Street,
San Francisco.
U nderw ood B uild
ing, 525 M arket
S treet, San F ran
cisco.
D enver.
lin.
A. J. P illsb u ry ___ C hairm an
'W m . Gibbons.
Dr. W m . R . MesFlorida.
Illinois.
Indiana
Io w a . . .
Kansas.
K entucky.
L ouisian a........
M aine...............
M arylan d........
D o .............
M assachusetts.
M ichigan.........
M innesota.......
M issouri...........
N e b ra sk a .........
N e v ad a ............
L ittle Rock.
Alex. Sw anson___ D ep u ty commis
sioner of labor
a n d chief factory
inspector.
W m . S. H y d e ........ F actory inspector. H artford.
Miss M ary S. Ma
lone.
D elaw are,
Title.
Location of bureau
or address of
board or com
mission.
Child labor in
spector.
Inspector for 10hour law.
Inspector of can
neries.
State labor inspec
tor.
Ford B u i l d i n g ,
W ilm ington.
507
W ashington
S treet, W ilm ing
ton.
R ehoboth Beach.
R oom 6, B aldw in
B uilding, Jack
sonville.
D ep artm en t of F acto ry Oscar F . N e lso n ... Chief......................... 608 South D earborn
S treet, Chicago.
Inspection.
In d u stria l B oard............ E d g ar A. P erkins. Chief inspector___ R oom 120, State
C apitol, In d ia n
apolis.
Commissioner........ Des Moines.
B ureau of L abor Sta- A. L . U ric k ...
tistics.
Commissioner of Topeka.
D ep artm en t of L abor P . J. McBride,
labor a nd in d u s
and In d u stry .
try and ex officio
S tate factory in
spector.
Comm issioner........ Frankfort.
B ureau of A griculture, /M at S. Cohen.
L abor in s p e c to r... Paducah.
Labor, a n d Statis- (Jack N elso n ..
tics.
Commissioner........
Orleans.
W
m
.
M
cG
ilvray...
B ureau of L abor and {Mrs. M artha D. Factories inspector New
R oom 11, C ity H all
In d u stria l Statistics.
New Orleans.
of Orleans P a r
Gould.
ish.
D ep artm en t of L abor Roscoe A. E d d y ... Commissioner of A ugusta.
labor and S tate
a n d In d u stry .
factory inspector.
B ureau of Statistics Charles J. F o x ........ Chief......................... B altim ore.
a n d Inform ation.
W om en’s
Ten-H our Miss Sarah F . Mar Chief inspector___ E q u itab le B uild
tin .
ing, B altim ore.
B ureau.
W . Dono- C h airm an ............... 721A New A lbion
State B oard of L abor i[Alfred
c B uilding, No. 1,
van.
a n d Industries.
Beacon
Street,
[E dw in M ulready.. Commissioner of
labor.
Boston.
D ep artm en t of L a b o r... J. V . Cunningham . Commissioner of Lansing.
labor a n d chief
factory inspector.
D ep artm en t of L abor W . F . I lo u k ........... C o m m i s s i oner; St. Paul.
and Industries.
chief inspector.
B uild
D ep artm en t of F actory A. S. Jo h n sto n ___ Chief inspector___ Fullerton
ing, St. Louis.
Inspection.
B ureau of L abor and F ran k M. Coffey.. D eputy com m is Lincoln.
sioner of labor
In d u stria l Statistics.
and factory in
spector.
com m is Carson C ity.
L abor Commissioner’s W . E . W a lla c e .... L abor
sioner.
Office.
Office of S tate L abor
Inspector.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
J. C. P r iv e tt..........
[400]
M O N T H L Y R E V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
119
STATE BUREAUS FOR FACTORY INSPECTION AND CHIEF INSPECTION
OFFICIALS—Concluded.
N am e and title of chief official.
State.
N am e of bureau.
Name.
Title.
commisN ew H a m p s h ire .. B ureau of L a b o r............ J. S. B . D avie........ L abor
sioner a nd fac
to ry inspector.
Irving A.W atson,
Secretary.................
B oard of H ealth.
Do.
M. D .
D ep artm en t of L a b o r... Lewis T . B ry a n t - . Commissioner........
N ew Jersey
Oh air m an 1 ____
N ew Y o rk .
S ta te In d u stria l Com
mission.
C h airm an ...............
(W
allace
D
.
Y
aple.
In d u stria l Commission. \T . P . K earn s.......... Chief dep u ty , diO hio............
vision of work
shops, factories,
and public
buildings.
D ep artm en t of L a b o r .. W . G. A shton........ Com m issioner........
Oklahoma.
Commissioner
of
B
ureau
of
L
abor
S
tatis
Oregon___
0 . P . H o if..............
labor and fac
tics and Inspection of
to ry inspector.
Factories and W ork
shops.
fH . G. K u n d re t___ C h airm an ...............
B oard of Inspectors of •¡Mrs.
D o ............
Mollie R . Secretary.................
Child Labor.
1 T rum bull.
B ureau of Inspection, | John Price Jackson Commissioner........
Pennsylvania
D ep artm en t of L abor [L ew R . P a lm e r ... Chief inspector —
and In d u stry .
Office of Factory In J. E llery H u d so n .. ........do.......................
R hode Island
spectors.
D epartm ent of Agricul
ture, Commerce, and
Industries.
Tennessee............... D epartm ent of W ork
shop and Facto ry In
spection.
Texas....................... B ureau of L abor S tatis
tics.
U ta h ......................... B ureau of Im m igration,
Labor, and Statistics.
V erm o n t................. Office of Facto ry In
spector.
V irginia................... B ureau of L abor and
In d u strial Statistics.
W ashington........... B ureau of L a b o r............
S outh C arolina----
W est Virginia.
W isconsin.
Location of bureau
or address of
board or com
mission.
•Concord.
T renton.
A lbany.
Columbus.
Oklahom a.
Salem.
I Portland.
jlla rrisb u rg .
R oom 308, S tate
House,
Provi
dence.
E . J. W atso n......... Commissioner........ Columbia.
W . L . M itc h e ll.... Chief insp ecto r----
N ashville.
C. W . W o o d m an .. Commissioner........ A ustin.
H . T . H aines......... ........do.......................
A llan C alhoun___
S alt L ake City.
F acto ry inspector. M iddleburg.
J. B . D o h e rty ........ Commissioner........ R ichm ond.
Commissioner of Olym pia.
labor.
Jack H . N ightin- Commissioner........ W heeling.
gale.
j.T. D . Book.............. C h airm an ...............
In d u stria l Commission. \C . W . P ric e ............ A ssistant to com- Madison.
mission.
C. H . Y ounger----
do.
i The first d e p u ty commissioner of labor is inspector general of th e State. T he S tate is divided into 2
factory inspection districts, w ith a chief factory inspector under th e commissioner of labor in charge of each.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
120
M O N T H L Y REV IEW OF T H E BU R E A U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
MINIMUM WAGE BOARDS.
Arkansas.—Minimum Wage Commission (3 members):
J. C. Clary.
Mrs. Eva Reichardt Masingill.
Miss Mary H. McCabe.
Address of commission: Little Rock.
California .—Industrial Welfare Commission (5 members):
Hon. Frank J. Murasky, judge of superior court, chairman.
Mrs. Katherine Philips Edson.
A. B. C. Dohrmann.
A. Bonnheim.
Walter G. Matthewson.
H. A. Scheel, secretary.
Address of commission: San Francisco.
Colorado.—State Wage Board:
No board in existence since August, 1915; no appropriation.
K ansas .—Industrial Welfare Commission (3 members):
P. J. McBride, chairman.
John Craddock.
Mrs. Genevieve M. Chalkley.
Miss Linna E. Bresette, secretary.
Address of commission: State Capitol, Topeka.
Massachusetts.—Minimum Wage Commission (3 commissioners):
Arthur N. Holcombe, chairman.
Mabel Gillespie.
Edwin N. Bartlett.
E. Nathalie Matthews, secretary.
Address of commission: Rooms 720-721, New Albion Building, 1 Beacon
Street, Boston.
. Minnesota .—Minimum Wage Commission (3 members):
W. F. Houk, commissioner of labor, chairman.
A. H. Lindeke.
Eliza P. Evans, secretary.
Address of commission: St. Paul.
N ebraska .—Minimum Wage Commission:
George E. Norman, Omaha.
Anna L. Hawes, Lincoln.
Oregon .—Industrial Welfare Commission (3 members):
Edwin V. O’Hara, chairman.
Miss Margaret E. Howatson.
Amedee M. Smith.
Miss Bertha Moores, secretary.
Address of commission: 610 Commercial Block, Portland.
U tah .—No board. Commissioner of immigration, labor, and statistics charged with
enforcement of law.
W ashington .—Industrial Welfare Commission (5 members):
C. H. Younger, commissioner of labor.
Mrs. Jackson Silbaugh, secretary.
M. H. Marvin.
Mrs. Florence H. Swanson.
Mrs. W. H. Udall.
Address of commission: Olympia.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[402]
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E BU R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
121
W isconsin .—Industrial commission (3 commissioners):
J. D. Beck, chairman.
Fred M. Wilcox.
George P. Hambrecht.
P. J. Watrous, secretary.
Address of commission: Madison.
INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
California.—Industrial Accident Commission (3 commissioners):
A. J. Pillsbury, chairman.
Will J. French.
Meyer Lissner.
H. L. White, secretary.
Address of commission: Underwood Building, 525 Market Street, San Fran
cisco.
Colorado.—Industrial Commission:
E. E. McLaughlin, chairman.
W. C. Williams.
F. P. Lannon.
J. A. Warren, secretary.
Address of commission, Capitol Building, Denver.
Connecticut.—Workmen’s Compensation Commission (5 commissioners):
Frederic M. Williams, chairman, Waterbury.
Geo. E. Beers, 42 Church Street, New Haven.
Edward T. Buckingham, secretary, Bridgeport.
George B. Chandler, 209 Pearl Street, Hartford.
Dr. James J. Donohue, Willimantic.
I llinois .—Industrial Board (3 members):
J. B. Vaughn, chairman.
P. J. Angsten.
Robert Eadie.
W. V. Conley, secretary.
Address of board : 1003-1004 City Hall Square Building, Chicago.
I ndiana .—Industrial Board:
Edgar A. Perkins.
Chas. R. Hughes.
Samuel R. Artman.
Howe S. Landers, secretary.
Address of board: State Capitol, Indianapolis.
I owa.-—Industrial Commissioner:
A. B. Funk, commissioner.
Ralph Young, secretary.
Address: Des Moines.
K entucky.—Workmen’s Compensation Board (3 members):
Robert T. Caldwell, chairman, Fayette Bank Building, Lexington.
R. C. P. Thomas, Bowling, Green
S. W. Hager, Louisville Trust Building, Louisville.
Alexander Gilmour, secretary, Frankfort.
Address of board: Frankfort.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[403]
122
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
Ma in e .—Industrial Accident Board:
Eben F. Littlefield, chairman.
E. J. Carter.
R. G. Eddy.
Address of board: Augusta.
Maryland.—Industrial Accident Commission:
John Milton Reifsnider, chairman.
Charles D. Waggaman.
James Higgins.
Howard C. Hill, secretary.
Address of commission: Equitable Building, Baltimore.
Massachusetts.-—Industrial Accident Board (5 members):
Frank J. Donahue, chairman.
Chester E. Gleason.
David T. Dickinson.
Thomas F. Boyle.
Joseph A. Parks.
Robert E. Granfield, secretary and executive officer.
Address of board: New Albion Building, 1 Beacon Street, Boston.
Michigan .-—Industrial Accident Board (3 members):
Thos. B. Gloster, chairman.
James A. Kennedy.
Third member to be appointed.
Gilbert W. Dickson, secretary.
Address of board: Oakland Building, Lansing.
Montana.—Industrial Accident Board (3 members):
A. E. Spriggs, chairman.
William Keating.
W. J. Swindlehurst.
A. G. McNaught, secretary.
Address of board: Helena.
N evada.—Industrial Commission (3 members):
John J. Mullin, chairman.
H. A. Lemmon.
William E. Wallace.
Address of commission: Carson City.
N ew J ersey .—Employers’ Liability Commission (6 members):
Wm. B. Dickson, president.
Samuel Botterill.
J. Wm. Clark.
John T. Cosgrove.
Walter E. Edge.
Edward K. Mills.
Wm. E. Stubbs, secretary.
Address of commission: Trenton.
N ew Y ork .—State Industrial Commission:
John Mitchell, chairman.
Jas. M. Lynch.
Wm. H. H. Rogers.
Louis Wiard.
Edward P. Lyon.
Henry D. Sayer, secretary.
Address of commission: Capitol Building, Albany.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[404]
M O N T H L Y R E V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
. —Industrial Commission (3 commissioners):
Wallace D. Yaple, chairman.
Herbert L. Eliot, vice cahirman.
T. J. Duffy.
George L. Stoughton, secretary.
Address of commission: Columbus.
O k l a h o m a . —Industrial Commission (3 members):
A. A. McDonald, chairman.
W. C. Jackson.
W. L. Blessing.
Address of commission: Oklahoma.
O r e g o n !—State Industrial Accident Commission (3 commissioners):
Wm. A. Marshall, chairman.
Harvey Beckwith.
Carle Abrams.
Address of commission: Salem.
P e n n s y l v a n i a . —Workmen’s Compensation Board:
Harry A. Mackey, chairman.
James W. Leech.
John A. Scott.
John Price Jackson, ex officio member.
Lee Solomon, secretary.
Address of board: Harrisburg.
T e x a s . —Industrial Accident Board (3 members):
T. H. McGregor, chairman.
J. II. Fowler.
J. H. Fricke.
W. R. Long, secretary.
Address of board: Austin.
V e r m o n t . —Industrial Accident Board (3 members):
Robert W. Simonds, chairman.
Sanford Daniels.
Fred T. Pease.
Laura M. Burbank, secretary.
Address of board : Montpelier.
W a s h i n g t o n . —Industrial Insurance Commission (3 commissioners):
E. W. Olson, chairman.
J. M. Wilson.
F. I. Gill.
Address of commission: Olympia.
W e s t V i r g i n i a . —Compensation Commissioner:
Lee Ott, commissioner.
C. L. Topping, secretary.
Address: Charleston.
W i s c o n s i n . —Industrial Commission (3 commissioners):
J. D. Beck, chairman.
Fred M. Wilcox.
George P. Hambrecht.
P. J. Watrous, secretary.
Address of commission: Madison.
O
h io
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[405]
123
124
M O N T H L Y BE V IE W OF T H E BU R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
ARBITRATION AND CONCILIATION BOARDS AND OFFICIALS.
Alabama.—State Board of Mediation and Arbitration (3 members):
George H. Denny, University.
E. W. Rucker, Birmingham.
James B. Drake, Birmingham.
Alaska.—Gov. John F. A. Strong, Juneau.
A rkansas .—Commissioner of Labor and Statistics:
J. C. Clary, Little Rock.
California.—State Board of Arbitration and Conciliation.
No board has been appointed; no appropriation.
Colorado.—Industrial Commission (3 members):
E. E. McLaughlin, chairman.
Frank P. Lannon.
Wayne C. Williams.
J. A. Warren, secretary.
Address of Commission: Capitol Building, Denver.
Deputy Commissioner of Labor:
Axel Swanson, Capitol Building, Denver.
Connecticut.—State Board of Mediation and Arbitration (3 members):
Lucius E. Whiton, New London.
Hugh C. Shalvoy, Danbury.
Edward W. Broder, Hartford.
G eorgia .—Commissioner of Commerce and Labor:
H. M. Stanley, Atlanta.
I daho .—Labor Commission:
J. A. Davis, commissioner, Boise.
Hugh C. Wood, commissioner, Spencer.
I llinois .—State Board of Arbitration (3 members):
Leo J. Winiecki, chairman, 2142 Clybourne Avenue, Chicago.
Harry M. Powell, care of Peoria Star Co., Peoria.
Lewis McGovern, Freeport.
Chas. D. Preble, secretary, 3610 Greenview Avenue, Chicago.
I ndiana .—Gov. Samuel M. Ralston, Indianapolis.
Governor may appoint arbitrators or investigators.
Maine .—State Board of Conciliation and Arbitration (3 members):
Frederick Bogue, chairman, East Machias.
Reginald Ingalls, Bar Harbor.
Alden M. Flagg, secretary, Auburn.
Address of Board: Bangor.
Maryland.—Chief of Bureau of Statistics and Information:
Charles J. Fox, Baltimore.
Massachusetts.—State Board of Conciliation and Arbitration (3 members):
Willard Howland, chairman, Chelsea.
Charles G. Wood, Concord.
Frank M. Bump, Raynham.
Bernard F. Supple, secretary, Boston.
Address of Board: Room 128, State House, Boston.
Michigan .—Commissioners of Mediation and Conciliation:
Frank L. Dodge, Dodge Block, Lansing.
James Couzens, Dime Bank Building, Detroit.
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[406]
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
125
Minnesota .—State Board of Arbitration:
H. M. Leighton, 127 South Tenth Street, Minneapolis.
W. H. Goetzinger, Lexington Avenue, southwest corner Como Avenue, St. Paul.
Third member died; no other appointment.
Missouri.—State Board of Mediation and Conciliation (3 members):
C. B. Dysart, chairman, Moberly.
J. C. Bassford, Mexico.
Phil R. Toll, 430 Midland Building, Kansas City.
H. F. Childers, secretary, Columbia.
Montana.—State Board of Arbitration and Conciliation.
No appointments yet made.
N ebraska .—State Board of Negotiation and Conciliation (3 members):
Robert B. Cowell, chairman, Omaha.
Frank M. Coffey, Lincoln.
Harry E. Reische, Chadron.
N evada.—Gov. Emmet D. Boyle, Carson City.
N ew H ampshire .—State Board of Conciliation and Arbitration (3 members):
Dr. John H. Neal, chairman, 452 State Street, Portsmouth.
George A. Tenney, Claremont.
Francis J. Hurley, Towne Block, Manchester.
N ew Y ork .—State Bureau of Mediation and Arbitration:
Frank B. Thorn, chief mediator, Department of Labor, Albany.
A. J. Donney, Department of Labor, Albany.
James McManus, Department of Labor, Albany.
Michael J. Reagan, 230 Fifth Avenue, New York City.
Ohio .—Industrial Commission (3 members):
Wallace D. Yaple, chairman.
Herbert L. Eliot.
T. J. Duffy.
George L. Stoughton, secretary.
Address of Commission: Columbus.
O klahoma.—State Board of Arbitration (6 members):
J. G. Leeper, Oklahoma City.
Thos. Bell, Hughes.
T. C. Wyatt, Wanette.
M. F. Landon, Lehigh.
Mont R. Powell, Oklahoma City.
Richard Alexander, Chant.
P ennsylvania .—State Bureau of Mediation and Arbitration:
Patrick Gilday, chief of bureau, Harrisburg.
S outh Carolina.-—Board of Conciliation and Arbitration (3 members'):
John A. Law, Spartanburg.
John Lee Davis, Columbia.
I. H. Hunt, Newberry.
U t a h . —State Board of Labor, Conciliation, and Arbitration (3 members):
Lafayette Hanchett, 983 Third Avenue, Salt Lake City
William Drysdale, Ogden.
James Greenwell.
V ermont.—State Board of Conciliation and ArbitrationFrederick E. Burgess, Burlington.
Solon A. Richmond, Brattleboro.
Washington .—Labor Commissioner:
C. H. Younger, Olympia.
57377°—16----- 9
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[407]
126
M O N T H L Y R EV IEW OF T H E B U R E A U OF LABOR STA TISTIC S.
. —Industrial Commission (3 members):
J. D. Beck, chairman.
Fred M. Wilcox.
George P. Hambrecht.
P. J. Watrous, secretary.
Address of Commission : Madison.
U n i t e d S t a t e s . —Board of Mediation and Conciliation:
Martin A. Knapp, chairman.
William L. Chambers, commissioner.
G. W. W. Hanger, assistant commissioner and secretary.
Address of Commission: 920-927 Southern Building, Washington, D. C.
W
is c o n s in
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[408]
M O N T H L Y REVIEW OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR ST A T IST IC S.
127
BUREAUS OF LABOR IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
C ountry.
Name of bureau.
Chief official.
Location of
bureau.
A rgentin a__
D epartam ento
del Trabajo.
Nacional
P re sid e n te ..
Buenos
Aires.
A ustralia.
L a b o r a n d In d u stria l
B r a n c h (B u reau of
Census an d Statistics,
D e p artm en t of Home
Affairs).
D ep artm en t of L abor and
In d u stry .
Common
wealth
S t a t istician.
M elbourne.
New South
W ales.
Queensland
A u stria ..........
D ep artm en t of L a b o r........
K . K . A rbeitsstatistisches
A m t im H andelsm inis
teriu m .
B elgium ......... Office d u T ravail (Minis
tère de l ’In d u strie e t d u
T rav ail).
C anada........... D ep artm en t of L a b o r........
T itle of publi
cation.
Frequency
of issue.
B oletín del De- M onthly.
partamento
n a c i o n a l del
Trabajo.
Labour B u lle tin .., Q uarterly.
M inister of S y d n e y .
L abor and
In d u stry .
D irector....... B risbane.
V o rstan d __ V ie n n a ...
N ew S outh W ales
In d u s tria l Ga
zette.
Soziale R undschau
Do.
Brussels.
R evue d u T rav a il..
Do.
L abour G azette___
Do.
Directeur
Général.
M inister of O tta w a ........
Labor.
Secretary___ T oronto.......
M onthly.
O n tario ___ B u reau of L abor (D ep art
m en t of P u b lic W orks).
Oficina de E stad ística del Jefe..........
Do.
Chile..........
Santiago___ B oletín de la Ofi
Trabajo.
cina del Trabajo.
D
irecktoratet
for
arbejds,
Copenhagen.
D
ire
k
to
r___
D e n m ark ___
og fabriktilsynet.
F in la n d .......... In d u stristy relsen (K ejser- ___ d o .......... Helsingfors., A r b e t s s t a t i s t i s k B im onthly.
liga Senaten).
Tidskrift.
F ran ce............ Office d u T rav ail (M inis D ire c te u r.. P a ris ............. B ulletin d u M inis M onthly.
tère d u T ravail et de la
tère d u Travail
et de la Prévoy
Prévoyance Sociale).
ance Sociale.
Do.
G erm any....... A bteilung für A rbeitersta P r ä s id e n t... B erlin.
R eichsarbeitsblatt.
tis tik , Kaiserliches Sta
tistisches A m t (M inis
teriu m des In n e rn ).
Do.
B oard of Trade
G reat B rita in D e p artm en t of L abor Sta D irecto r....... L ondon.
tistics (B oard of Trade).
Labour Gazette.
A th e n s..
Greece............ D ivision of L abor and
Social W elfare (D ep art
m e n t of I n d u s t r y )
(T m em a E rgasias K ai
K oinonkes Pronoias—
Upourgeio tes E th n ik es
O ikonomias).
Monthly,
Ufficio del Lavoro (Minis D i r e t t o r e R o m e........... B o l l e t t i n o
Ita ly .
s e m i tero per l’In d u stria , il
Generale.
dell’ Ufficio del
m onthly.
Commercio e il L av o ro ).
Lavoro.
Ufficio P rovinciale del La- D e p u t a t o M ilan...........
Provin
ciale.
Mexico City B oletín del De M onthly.
D ep artam en to del Trabajo
Mexico.
p a rtam ento del
Trabajo.
Do.
N etherlands . D irectie v a n den A rbeid D i r e c t e u r The H ague.
Generaal.
( D e p a r t e m e n t van
L andbouw , N ijverheid
en H andel).
N ew Zealand D ep artm en t of L a b o r____ M inister of W ellington. Jo u rn al of the M onthly.
Labor.
D ep artm en t of
L abour.
(De- D ire k to r___ C hristiania. Sociale Meddelelser B im onthly.
N orw ay____ Socialavdeligen
p artem en tet for Sociale
Saker, H andel, In d u stri
og fiskeri).
P e ru ..............
San J u a n ... B oletín..................... Irregular.
P orto R ico .. Negociado del T rab ajo ___ Jefe.
Do.
L isb o n ........ B oletim do T ra
P o rtu g a l___ Re partida o do T rabalho
balho In d u striai.
in d u stria l ( D i r e c q á o
geral do Comercio e I n
d u stria ), M inisterio do
Fom ento.
R o u m a n ia .. (2) ...........................
1 Speciallabor division in th e police d ep artm en t created in 1913, b u t its scope of investigation, etc., lim ited
to th e cities of Lim a a n d Callao.
2 A general m in istry of commerce a n d in d u stry .
0).........................
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[409]
128
M O N T H L Y RE V IE W OF T H E B U R EA U OF LABOR STA TISTICS.
BUREAUS OF LABOR IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES—Concluded.
Country.
Name of bureau.
Chief official.
Section for I n d u s t r y ,
Trade, a n d Social Legis
la tio n (M inistry of Po
litical Econom y) (Minis
ta r N arodne Privrede).
South A frica. (i).............................................
S p a in .............. In s titu to de R eform as S e c r e tario
Sociales.
G eneral.
Serbia.
D o ............ Dirección General de Comercio, In d u s tria y
T rabajo.
S w eden.......... K . K . Socialstyrelsen.........
Location of
bureau.
Title of publi
cation.
Frequency
of issue.
B elgrade___
M adrid.........
B oletín del In s ti
tu to de Refor
mas Sociales.
D irector....... ........d o ........... B oletín Oficial de
Comercio,
In
d u stria y T ra
bajo.
D ire k to r___ Stockholm .. Sociala M eddelanden.
Secrétaire. . . Z u ric h ..........
M onthly.
Do.
Do.
S w itz e rla n d .. Secrétariat O uvrier Suisse
(semiofficial).
U ru g u a y ........ Oficina del T r a b a j o
M ontevideo. B oletin de la Oil- Q uarterly,
(M inistero de In d u strias,
cina del Trabajo.
Trabajo e In stru cció n
Publica).
Intern atio n al In tern atio n al L abor Office. D irector....... Basel, Sw it B u lle tin ................... Irregular.
zerland.
1O nly a public em ploym ent office (labor d ep artm en t) in th e m in istry
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
[410]
of mines and in d u stry .
@FedFRASER