for the duration of the emergency. Starting and finishing times vary within the limits of 8 a. m. and 6 p. m. on weekdays. Since this work is done in retail stores, finishing time is often extended to 9 p. m. on Saturdays.

Overtime work is usually paid for at time and a half, although several agreements establish a time and a third rate. Only straight time is paid for work done the night before a holiday. Work done on holidays is restricted to necessary work and must be paid for at twice the straight-time rate. With few exceptions the usual six holidays are provided. Several agreements specify that full pay must be given during the week in which a holiday occurs. One week's paid vacation is granted annually after a year's service with the firm under 5 agreements.

With a few exceptions the agreements require that all employees shall be union members. In such cases the union is designated as the source of supply for new workers. If the union is unable to furnish the required help within a reasonable time, employees may be hired on the open market but they must join the union within a period varying from 10 days to a month. Access to the shop during working hours is granted to union representatives, but in a few cases they must be accompanied by a representative of the employer.

Discharges are in all cases subject to review by the various adjustment agencies, four agreements providing that a discharge may be made only after written notice to and approval from the union. During dull periods work is to be equally divided among the regular force, the regular force being employees who have served a 2- or 3week probation period. In two agreements a minimum service of 1 year is required for participation in this share-the-work plan. Some agreements specifically prohibit any discharge or lay-off during the dull periods. One week's notice is usually required in cases of quits or lay-offs.

All disputes are to be settled within 48 hours, if possible, by the shop committee or shop chairman. All stoppages of work are prohibited until after recourse to arbitration. There is no uniformity among these agreements with regard to the composition of the arbitration agency. A single arbitrator, a board of 3 impartial arbitrators, and bipartisan boards with neutral chairmen are all provided.

Home work is prohibited in several agreements. In two no new home work is permitted pending a report from a joint committee established to effect a means of abolishing the practice.

Several agreements require the registration of contractors with the union and the union's sanction for any change in the list. Manufacturers signing agreements with the union must employ only union

contractors.

IN THE BITUMINOUS-COAL INDUSTRY 1

THE average annual earnings of bituminous mine workers in 1935 amounted to $917. This average applies to all wage earners in all occupations whose names appeared on the pay rolls of the companies covered by the Bureau's survey. Thus, it is possible that the same name may have appeared on the pay rolls of more than one firm, but it is believed that such duplication was not of sufficient extent to have any material influence on the average quoted. Also, it is possible that some of the workers may have secured additional earnings from other jobs or from work in mines not covered by the survey, but this, also, is believed to have been of rather rare occurrence.

The most fortunate employees were those whose names appeared in each of the 24 half-monthly pay-roll periods during the year. These constituted 50.2 percent of all the wage earners scheduled and their annual earnings averaged $1,146. Those employees who had work during 9 months of the year (i. e., during 18 pay-roll periods) constituted 79.4 percent of the total, and their annual earnings averaged $1,045.

Figures Are Part of Comprehensive Survey
of Wages and Hours

The above figures are preliminary, being based on reports covering 21,200 workers in 103 mines located in 19 States. The annual data were obtained by the Bureau as part of a comprehensive survey of wages, hours, and working conditions, which included approximately 100,000 employees in more than 500 bituminous-coal mines. In addition to the 1935 annual earnings, the information collected will show average hourly earnings, weekly hours, and weekly earnings for a recent period by occupation, color, State and region, and type of mine. Detailed figures covering various phases of the survey will appear later in this publication.

The annual earnings shown here are gross, as they include certain occupational expenses which in most instances must be borne by inside workers in underground mines. These expenses cover such items as explosives, tool sharpening, rental of safety lamps, cost of carbide for open lights, purchase of tools, etc. Moreover, the annual earnings reported are limited to those made by a worker in 1935 within a single establishment, thus excluding the earnings he may have obtained from other companies during the year. The figures plainly indicate, however, that in 1935 the great majority of the employees

1 Prepared by Edward K. Frazier, of the Bureau's Division of Wages, Hours, and Working Conditions.

worked for one company only, as nearly 80 percent obtained some work during 18 or more half-month pay-roll periods during the year. Lastly, annual data were secured for only those wage earners who were actually working during the period covered by the wages and hours data. This latter procedure lends somewhat greater weight in the figures to the more fixed part of the labor force than would appear if the data had been secured for each wage earner who worked any part of 1935.

The number of pay-roll periods over which an employee's work was spread, it should be pointed out, by no means expresses the actual number of days or hours worked during the year. The amount of time worked during a half-month pay-roll period varies seasonally, and there are sometimes differences between the working time of mines even during the same season. Thus, an employee may work an average of 4 days of 7 hours each per week during the fall and winter months and only 3 days of from 4 to 7 hours each during the spring and summer months. The number of man-hours available for each employee may be even less in some of the marginal mines, where employees may secure only 3 to 6 days' work during each half-month pay-roll period. Hence, the number of pay-roll periods over which work was spread can be used only as a measure to classify the employees according to the extent to which they may be considered regular employees of the firm.2

In presenting the data on annual earnings for 1935, the normalcy of the year should also be considered. On the basis of tonnage, the amount produced in 1935 was less than for any year between 1909 and 1931 and only 11.6 percent greater than in 1933. Likewise, the average number of days operated in 1935 was lower than for any year between 1925 and 1930, and only 12 days higher than in 1933, when the figure was 167. In view of these facts, 1935 conditions in this industry must be classed as below normal.

Data for Industry as a Whole

An examination of the distribution in table 1 shows that, among those employees whose work extended over 24 half-month periods, 3.0 percent received less than $600, 15.7 percent less than $800, and 38.5 percent less than $1,000. Of those earning $1,000 and over, 40.6 percent were paid $1,000 and under $1,400 and 13.4 percent $1,400 and under $1,800, while only 7.5 percent had yearly earnings of $1,800 and over.

Of the 21,200 male wage earners for whom annual earnings were secured, 10,640, or 50.2 percent, had work periods which extended throughout the entire year, and 79.4 percent had work which was spread over 18 or more half-month periods (9 months and

over). Furthermore, 89.0 percent secured some work during 12 or more half-month pay-roll periods (6 months and over). This leaves only 11.0 percent whose work was spread over periods of less than 6 months.

. Of those whose work was spread over 18 or more half-month pay-roll periods, 8.2 percent were reported as earning under $600, 25.9 percent under $800, and 51.4 percent under $1,000. The greater part of the 48.6 percent with annual earnings of $1,000 and over received $1,000 and under $1,400. Those paid $1,400 and under $1,800 formed 10.0 percent of the total, while only 5.1 percent obtained $1,800 and above. Among those who secured some work during 12 or more half-month periods, 12.5 percent earned less than $600, 31.7 percent less than $800, and 56.0 percent less than $1,000. For the earnings groups from $1,000 up, the distribution resembles quite closely that of the employees whose work was spread over 18 or more half-month periods.

When consideration is given to all employees who worked any part of 1935 (as covered in this survey), it may be seen that 21.6 percent received less than $600, 39.1 percent less than $800, and 60.9 percent less than $1,000. Only 39.1 percent were paid $1,000 and over. The employees in this group tended to concentrate in the class of $1,000 and under $1,400 (27.0 percent of all workers). Of the remainder 8.0 percent received $1,400 and under $1,800 and only 4.1 percent as much as $1,800 and over.

TABLE 1.-Percentage Distribution of Wage Earners in the Bituminous-Coal Industry According to Annual Earnings, by Pay-Roll Periods, 1935 1

Annual Earnings of Inside Workers
in Underground Mines

The 98 underground mines included in this tabulation supplied annual data for 20,723 employees, of whom 17,916,3 or 86.5 percent, were inside workers. The average yearly earnings of the inside employees whose work was spread over 24 half-month pay-roll periods amounted to $1,133 in 1935. This amount exceeds by $102 the average of $1,031 for those whose work extended over 18 or more half-month pay-roll periods. The average for those whose work was spread over 12 or more half-month periods amounted to $985, as compared with $904 for all employees who worked any part of 1935 (as covered in this survey).

The distribution of employees in table 2 shows that 3.1 percent of those who secured some work in each of the 24 half-month periods received less than $600, 15.4 percent less than $800, and 38.5 percent less than $1,000. Of the 61.5 percent paid $1,000 and over, 41.8 percent of all employees earned $1,000 and under $1,400, 13.2 percent $1,400 and under $1,800, and only 6.5 percent $1,800 and over.

Taking those employees whose work was spread over 18 or more half-month pay-roll periods, it is seen that 8.4 percent were paid less than $600, 25.8 percent less than $800, and 51.8 percent less than $1,000. Less than one-half, or 48.2 percent of the workers in this group, earned as much as $1,000 or more, of whom 34.1 percent had earnings of $1,000 and under $1,400, 9.7 percent $1,400 and under $1,800, and only 4.4 percent $1,800 and over.

As regards those who secured some work in 12 or more half-month pay-roll periods, 12.9 percent were paid under $600, 32.0 percent under $800, and 56.8 percent under $1,000. The remaining 43.2 percent had yearly earnings of $1,000 and over. Most of the employees in this group, however, were paid less than $1,400, as those earning more than that amount formed only 12.6 percent of the total.

Turning to all employees who worked any part of 1935 (as covered in this survey), 22.2 percent were reported as receiving less than $600, 39.6 percent less than $800, and 61.7 percent less than $1,000. Of the remaining employees 27.2 percent of the total were paid $1,000 and under $1,400, 7.7 percent $1,400 and under $1,800, and 3.4 percent $1,800 and over.

Of this number, 48.3 percent secured some work in every half-month pay-roll period in 1935 and 78.8 percent some work in 18 or more half-month periods.

Thus, over three-fourths of all the inside workers may be classed as regular employees.