Unit of

measurement

1915 Aver

age price
1916-av-

could scarcely remain in business under such circumstances, yet the Philadelphia business directory shows that there are about 4,550 independent grocers alone supplying food to Philadelphia consumers, not to mention the numerous meat dealers.

However, this is not a discussion of causes and remedies, but an analysis of tendencies. It has shown that the trend of food prices is decidedly upward, and has accurately measured that trend for Philadelphia. Moreover, it appears that the upward movement is likely to continue. While prices fell in July of this year they started upward again in August, and presumably are still on the increase. So long as the United States continues to feed a world whose production is curtailed by the ravages of war, and so long as gold continues to pour into this country at its present pace, prices may be expected to continue to rise. The question that now presents itself is that of real wages. Are the money wages of the masses keeping pace with the trend in prices? If not, real wages are falling, standards of living are being lowered, and from the standpoint of social welfare, we are not prospering. The study of wage statistics which follows will answer that question for Philadelphia.

THE TREND IN WAGES

CHARLES REITELL, PH.D.

The purpose of this wage study undertaken by the writer for the Mayor's Food Committee was to find out primarily what changes had taken place in individual wages paid in Philadelphia from January 1, 1916 to March 10, 1917. In order to determine such changes as thoroughly and completely as possible two distinct sources of information were used:

1. Wage returns from trade and labor unions.

2. The direct study of payrolls. This second source, which was by far the more complete, had the actual pay records of the employer as working material. Not only so-called wage-earners, but salaried men as well were considered.

The results of these two divisions of the work are given in detail.

'I TRADE AND LABOR UNIONS

To acquire the wage data from unions, special forms were sent to every labor organization in the city. This form requested wage

rates both at the beginning and at the close of the period (January 1, 1916 to March 10, 1917), also the length and exact period of wage contracts under which members were working.

Data covering 11,542 union workers were received, but of these only 7,518 were reliable and in such a shape as to be of value as a basis for conclusions.

The unions adequately reporting, with the number of active members in each were:

During the sixty-two weeks covered, the following wage changes took place:

Of the 7,518 workers, 4,569, or approximately three-fifths received no increase in wages; 615, or about 8 per cent received increases amounting from 1 per cent to 10 per cent of their wages; 824, or close to 11 per cent received increases of 10 per cent to 20 per cent of their income, while 1,510, or approximately 20 per cent had increases in wages of more than 20 per cent during the period. Charted, these figures may take clearer form.

The reason why so large a number of union workers received no increases, is largely because of prevailing long-term contracts with their employers. Especially was this true of the bookbinders', brewery engineers', upholsterers', weavers' and many other unions. Members of labor organizations working under these contractual

relations are not unlike the salaried men investigated, their slow changing incomes bearing no relation or adjustment to the quickly changing food prices. As one labor leader put it, "food prices are going up the elevator, while our wages have taken the stairs."

The actual amount of wages these workers were receiving on March 10, 1917 was:

WAGES OF 7,338 UNION WORKERS IN PHILADELPHIA MARCH 10, 1917

The following important conditions were found to prevail as general, or perhaps chronic, among the members of the unions investigated:

1. Everywhere unions were emphatic in calling our attention to the lack of any adjustment of long-time wage rates and shorttime commodity prices. Even in those unions where rates had been increased within a period of two months, there was dissatisfaction