(1911), paper box making (1912), tailoring (1912), confectionery (1915), shirtmaking (1915), tin box manufacture (1915), hollow ware (1916). Under a subsequent Act of 1918 new powers were given to the Ministry of Labour, and a number of other indus- tries in which the organization of the workers was imperfect and the wages low were included in the scope of the Acts. The Acts are not confined to women's wages only, but affect numbers of men in tailoring and other industries.
The hourly rates fixed in 1912-6 for women varied from 2jd. to 3id., the lowest in 1914 being zfd. The rates rose gradually during the war, but in many cases, owing to the higher earnings possible to women in munitions and other work, more than the minimum rates were in fact paid. More considerable increases took place in 1919 and 1920, and by the end of 1920 8|d. or gd. was the common rate. A normal week, usually 48 hours, has been fixed, after which higher overtime rates are payable. Piece-rates arc fixed so as to give an average worker more than the minimum time-rate.
Wages in other Countries. Apart from the United States, there are very few authentic computations of the general movement of wages or earnings during the war. Sporadic statements of wages in particular industries exist, but they are of little use when a general view is desired. So- far as the information goes it indicates that wages in the neutral and Allied countries followed much the same course as in the United Kingdom. The nominal weekly rates increased later than prices in 1914-8 and gained rapidly (in spite of reduction of hours) in 1919-20, till at the be- ginning of the depression in the autumn of 1920 it was doubtful whether wages expressed in commodities were higher or lower than in 1914.
The following paragraphs summarize the available statistics. For their relation to prices see COST OF LIVING.
Nonvay. Up to the summer of 1918 wages as a whole appear to have increased about 90% since 1914. For April 1919 we have de- tailed statements such as follow, which indicate a general increase of 160 to 180 %. Wage rates are compared with those in 1914 taken as loo. Bricklayers, urban 254, rural 271 ; carpenters, urban 282, rural 279; bricklayers' labourers, urban 291; excavators, urban 301, rural 281; urban painters 281, bakers 288, shoemakers 309, tailors 244, carters 282, dressmakers 238, laundry workers 229; agricultural labourers (not provided with food and lodging) 279 ; State employees, railway guards, etc., 276, gangers and pointsmen 264, head engine drivers 231, assistants 261, postmen 258. By new collective agree- ments in April and May 1919 hourly earnings in factories were increased till in July 1919 they are stated at 341 (1914 = 100), but weekly hours were reduced from 55^ to 48. Unskilled labourers' rates are stated as 388 in Nov. 1919.
Finally an employers' association estimated that in May 1920 skilled adults' hourly wages were 382 in export industries, 398 in other industries, 349 in handicrafts, and for women generally 407, as compared with too in 1914.
Denmark. Hourly wages generally: 1914, 100; 1918, second quarter 170, third quarter 200; 1919, first quarter 224, second 257, third 338, fourth 352; 1920, first quarter 358, second 376, third 398. During 1919 daily hours were reduced till they were generally 8 in 1920 as compared with 10 in 1914. In 1919 (third quarter) hourly wages on the same basis were for male workers, skilled 330, unskilled 366, and for women 353. In April 1920 collective agreements made future changes proportional to the cost of living.
Greece. The Minister of National Economy (Greece) gives the figures shown in Table 9 for Athens as corresponding closely with those for other parts of Greece.
Table Q. Wages in Greece.
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Drachmas
Daily wage-earners:
1914
1920
Dockers ....
3-50 to 4
30 to 40
Bricklayers
4 to 4-75
18 to 20
Carpenters
4 to 7
18 to 25
Painters ....
5 to 6-50
20 to 25
Smiths ....
4 to 6
15 to 20
Printers ....
3
171025
Turners ....
3-80 to 6-50
8 to 15
Boiler-makers .
3-50 to 6-50
12 to 15
Fitters ....
2-50 to 6-50
6 to 16
Tailors ....
6 to 7
25
Miners ....
3 to 5
5 to 10
Monthly wage-earners: Corn mill workers .
100 to 140
305 to 420
Textile operatives .
180 to 200
720 to 820
Germany. It is estimated that earnings including overtime had increased 34% in industries generally between March 1914 and Sept. 1916, while hourly rates had probably increased 25%. In Sept. 1918 the average daily wage of male adults is stated as 12-46 marks and of women 6-01 marks, compared with 5-17 and 2-28 marks in March 1914 (241 and 264 if the earlier wages are taken as 100). The Federal Statistical Office gives weekly earnings for male adults as 35 marks for the year ending July 1914; if this is taken as loo subse- quent figures are Aug. 1919 286, Feb. 1920 486, Nov. 1920 686. Factory inspectors at the end of 1919 reported a tendency to approxi- mation between wages of unskilled and skilled workers.
Austria. The Austrian Trade Union Commission reported that in Oct. 1920 men's wages (in currency) were from 22 to 27^ times the rates in July 1914 and women's 20 to 25 times.
New Zealand. The Official Year Book for 1919 contains an elab- orate analysis of the minimum wages payable from 1901 to 1919 in 26 occupations. Wages do not necessarily move exactly with their minima, but in unskilled trades they are in fact generally the rates paid. The results are shown in Table 10, the level in 1911 being taken as 1000 in each occupation.
Table 10. New Zealand. Minimum hourly rates.
General
Skilled occupations
Semi- skilled occupations
Unskilled occupations
average (weighted in proportion to the num-
bers in oc-
cupations )
1901
929
915
940
932
1905
964
939
955
954
1910
992
991
IOOI
996
1912
1009
1006
1004
1006
1913
1024
1067
1025
1036
1914
1073
1078
IIO2
1087
1915
1073
1086
III3
1094
1916
1095
1147
H93
1152
1917
1124
1188
1250
I2OO
1918
1208
1247
1297
1258
1919
1352
1439
1451
1418
The occupations included are bakers, boiler-makers, bookbinders, paper- makers, bootmakers (male), bricklayers, builders' labourers, butchers, carpenters, coach-builders, coal-miners, drivers (horse), engineers, fell-mongers, flour millers, freezing works employees, fur- niture makers, grocers' assistants, iron and brass moulders, painters, plasterers, plumbers, seamen, slaughtermen, tailoresses, waterside workers, and woollen mill operatives (male). The Year Book for 1920 (p. 279) gives statistics for average wages in all but the small- est factories and workshops (Table n).
Table n. New Zealand. Average annual wages.
Males
Females
Amount
Percentage
Amount
Percentage
1900-1 1905-6 1910-1
1915-6
1918-9
81-9 88-5 115-1 133-5 159-4
71
77
TOO
116 139
3i-3 41-9 50-6
56-7 68-8
62 83
IOO 112
136
Australia. The Official Year Book for 1920 contains two state- ments relating to recent movements of wages from which Tables 12 and 13 are compiled. About 240,000 males and 80,000 females of all ages are included in the returns.
Table 12. Australia. Average annual payment peremployee.
Males
Females
Amount
Percentage
Amount
Percentage
1913 1914
1915
1916
1917 1918
123-3 126-9 128-0 133-7 143-5 146-1
97 too
IOI
105 113 115
^47-7 49-5 50-2 50-8 54-5 58-4
97
IOO IOI
103
no 118
Table 13. Australia. Average weekly wages in industries.
Adult Males
i Adult Females
Rate
Percentage
Rate
Percentage
1914 April 1914 Dec.
lyiS 1916 1917 1918 1919
s. d. 55 2 55 7 56 6 60 8
64 2
66 5 74 II
IOO IOI
1 02 no 116
120
136
s. d.
27 2
27 5 27 4 28 5 30 5 31 9 j57 i
IOO IOI IOI
105
112 117
137
(A. L. Bo.)
