Another 100 Millions a Year Great Britain's wages bill, if demands now being made are concede ed or offers made are accepted, will shortly have mounted by another £100,000,000 a year.
In several of the most important industries advances asked run into large figures, but the important fact to be remembered is that each settlement serves as a spur for some other class of workers who have been "waiting an opportunity.
Thus the railwaymen's demand for £1 a week arises, in part at least, by their own admission, out of the circumstance that more money is being given to miners and dockers. The railman do not intend to be left out when the "ghost" is walking.
Here are a few of the main facts and figures of the situation Miners.—The Government offer of 2s. a shift, would cost per ammu x... £235,000,000 Railwaymen.—Asking a week more. Application to be further considered by Central Wages Board on Tuesday. Cost {per annum if application succeeds £17,000,000 Dockers.—A national 16s.
a day minimum would involve an additional £10,000,000 Postal Works demands for wages to be brought up to pre-war purchasing value, plus 10s. a week, would cost per annutn abOUt een. £22,500,000 Tramwaymen's new proposal is for 10s., but they are ready to ballot on 8s. Cost per annum approximately £2,000,000 Farm Labourers now have 42s, a week minimum, but will ask the Agricultural Wages Board for 50s. minimum. Yearly cost about, £2,000,000 In addition to these there are the busman, cotton operatives, tailors, engineers and others. The sums involved altogether will not fall short of the estimate of £100,000,000 given above, and may easily exceed it.
Ir is stated that a big temporary hall is to be erected close by Tokio station for the forthcoming Sunday School Convention, and there is to be a choir of 1,000 voices, and all that sort of thing. The intention still holds good, says the "Japan Chronicle," to plant the delegates on long-suffering Japanese, who, for all their smiles, will enjoy it about as much as the inhabitants of an occupied territory having enemy soldiers quartered on them.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.