Wage Settlements Affect
350,000 Southern Workers
Taore than 350,000 Southern
workers shared in 320 wage set
tlements during the past month,
according to Brunswick A. Bag
don, Southern Regional Director
of the U. S. Department of La
bor Statistics. These settlements
provided increases in 315 instances
and decreases in five. The de
creases, though small in number,
affected approximately 200,000
workers and resulted chiefly from
automatic cost-of-living adjust
ment provisions in various union
contracts.*
Less than 70 per cent of the
April settlements involved wage
increases only; more than 20 per :
cent involved wage and fringe
benefits; and more than 5 per
cent provided for additional fringe
benefits only. Agreement exten
sions with no changes In wages
or supplementary benefits were
concluded in about 2 per cent
of the cases.
Wage increases of 5 cents to
10 cents an hour accounted for
62 per cent of the changes. In
creases of over 10 cents and up
to 20 cents an hour accounted
for 32 per cent, while increases
of less than 5 cents were granted
in only 12 per cent of the settle
ments. Four per cent of the
changes were for over 20 cents
an hour. No attempts have been
made to determine whether these
settlements are permissible under
existing Wage Stabilization Board
regulations, but about 10 per cent
are known to require WSB ap
proval. Wage changes during the
month were most frequent in con
struction, government, metalwork
ing, and transportation.
Approximately 70,000 Southern
construction workers in 55 wage
settlements received increases
ranging from contract extensions
without change to 36.6 cents per
hour. More than three-fourths of
the construction settlements were
for more than 10 cents per hour,
with most falling in the range of
15 to 20 cents.
I
In 35 settlements afFectng more
IT PAYS TO TRADE
With
OOGGETT LUMBER CO.
211 E. Park Ave. Phone 8179
than 8,000 metalworking employ
ees, increases ranged from 1 to
25 cents per hour, with most of
the adjustments occurring in the
5 to 10 cent range. Several set
tlements provided only for in
creased fringe benefits.
In the transportation industry,
33 settlements were noted during
the month of April. More than
9.000 employees received increases,
with most falling into the 5 to
10 cents range. In the South,
wages of more than 200,000 rail
road workers, whose rates are
tied to changes in the cost-of
living. were cut 1 cent per hour.
The percentage of changes at
tributable to government settle
ments accounted for only slightly
more than 10 per cent of the
changes. Where hourly munici
pal and state employees received
increases they usually amounted
to less than 10 cents. Where
teachers, policemen, firemen, and
administrative officers received
increases, the typical amount was
$10 per month, although the
range was from $6 to $50 per
month.
•Information was compiled from
direct reports, newspapers, union
and trade journals, and other
sources.
COUNTY CANDIDATES
Continued From Page 1
following seek this office, only
one to be elected: R. Hunt Park
er, William H. Bobbitt, Itimous
T. Valentine, Oscar O. Efird, Al
len H. Gwyn and F. Donald Phil
lips.
For Congress
Hamilton C. Jones of Charlotte
seeks re-election as a member of
Congress from the Tenth Con
gressional District. He is op
posed by Thomas Burton.
Sample Ballots
For the purpose of being of
assistance to readers of this
newspaper and other citizens The
Charlotte Labor Journal next
week will reproduce a copy of the
Sample Ballots, both State and
County. It may be worth your
while to read over these Sample
Ballots and familiarize yourself
with the various candidates seek
ing ofice and the platform upon
which they are running.
Some of The Things We
Lend Money on
Diamonds
Watches
Jewelry
Men’s Clothing
Tools
Silverware
Shot Guns
Rifles
Pistols
Trunks
Addin? Machines
Bags
Suit Cases
Musical Instruments
Kodaks
Typewriters
All Business Strictly Confidential. When in Need
of Money We Never Fail You.
8m aa for bargain in diamonds, watches, jewelry, clothing, etc.
RELIABLE LOAN CO.
201 EAST TRADE 8TREET
SERVING THE SOUTH
WITH GREATER
FOOD VALUES!
Shop And Save At The
Sign Of The CS Rooster
Colonial
Stores
p>
rog,ram
Saturday, May 24,1952
10:00 A. M. Registration of Delegates and Visi
tors (Hotel Lobby) (Paul Craft in
charge). This desk will remain
open until 6:00 P. M.
2:00 P. M. Business Session (Kuester Room)
Call to Order by J. T. Primm,
President, Charlotte Typographical
Union No. 338
Invocation
Rev. Robert H. Stamcy
Pastor, Commonwealth Methodist
Church, Charlotte
John P. White, Member of the
International Typographical
Union for 53 years
Address of Welcpme',
Mayor Victor Shaw
Address of Welcome,
Chief Frank Littlejohn of the
Charlotte Police Department
Opening Session of the Virginia
Carolinas Typographical Confer
ence. President E. M. Hathaway,
Presiding
4:00 P. M. Tea for the Delegates and Guests
of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Vir
ginia-Carolinas Typographical
Union, sponsored by the Ladies
Auxiliary of Charlotte. Mrs.
Radford B. Alexander, President
of the Conference, presiding.
(Parlor E & F—Mezzanine)
Guest Speaker: Mrs. Sam Black
welder, Secretary' of Local 375,
, N. F. P. O. C
9:00 to ??? Dance (Ball Room). Gib Todd’s
Orchestra. (Informal)
Sunday, May 25, 1952
9:00 A. M. Business Session (Kuester Room)
11:00 A. M. Judge Hubert E. Olive, Candidate
for Governor of North Carolina
will address the Conference
Delegates and Visitors
9:30 A. M. Business Session of the Ladjes
Auxiliary of the Virginia-Carolinas
Typographical Conference. Mrs.
Radford B. Alexander, President,
presiding (Tryon Room).
Judging of Scrapbook, Poster and
Articles, by five members of the
Virginia-Carolinas Typographical
Conference, chosen at random
1:30 P. M. Banquet (Ball Room)
Master of Ceremonies, John P.
White
Invocation,
Dr. Chas. G. McClure,
Pastor, Caldwell Memorial
Presbyterian Church
Speakers:
Harold H. Clark, Vice-President of
the International Typographical
Union, Indianapolis, Indiana
Ralph Nicholson, Editor and Pub
lisher of The Charlotte Observer
Thomas L. Robinson, Publisher of
The Charlotte News
Honor Guests
]. E. Dowd, General Manager, Charlotte News
H. A. Allen, Business Manager, Charlotte Observer
C. A. Fink, President, North Carolina State Federation
of Labor, Salisbury, N. C.
Hubert E. Olive, Candidate for Governor of North
Carolina, Lexington, N. C.
Victor Shaw, Mayor of Charlotte
Jord H. Jordan, President of Herald Press, Inc.
Charlotte
Giles C. Courtney, Richmond, Va., former Secretary
Treasurer of the Virginia-Carolinas Typographical
Conference and formerly a representative of the
International Typographical Union
She (Sliariotie St
ory
Charlotte, Queen City of the South, situated
in the heart of the Piedmont Carolinas, is the
largest city of North and South Carolina. In just
half a century Charlotte has grown from a town
of 18,091 inhabitants to a bustling city of 134.00C
persons. This rapid and substantial growth is
proof of the economic pre-eminence of the city
as a great commercial and manufacturing centei
serving two states.
When incorporated as a town in 1768 Char
lotte embraced only 360 acres of land and could
boast but a handful of sturdy settlers. Small as
it was, the town played a spunky and effective
part in the Revolutionary War. British General
Cornwallis was so stung by the resistance of
Charlotte patriots that he withdrew from the
town, calling it “a dammed hornets nest.” A
hornets nest is now part of the official city seal,
symbolic of the patriotism of its founders.
With more than 1,325,000 people living within
easy motoring distance of Charlotte, the city' has
become one of the 25 greatest markets in the
nation. Retail sales volume now approximates
$230,000,000 annually. Nearly 1350 retail estab
lishments in the city offer consumers almost every'
conceivable product. Downtown streets are lined
with modern, well-appointed stores which,
through attractive merchandising, draw people
from all sections of the Piedmont. Total buying
power of the Charlotte market exceeds $1,000,
00,0,000 annually, and the city’s individual and
per family buying power is tops for the Carolinas.
Although a newcomer to the ranks of great
cities, Charlotte has a mellow past which is
closely associated with all the great traditions
upon which America was founded. On May 20,
1/75, Charlotte patriots signed the Mecklenburg
Declaration of Independence, a document which,
although not generally acted upon until a year
later, laid the foundation for the American Dec
laration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The
date of the Mecklenburg Declaration appears on
the State flag.
Charlotte’s present day economy is so widely
diversified that her importance cannot be attrib
uted to any particular industry or business. Com
mercial activity in the city is closely allied with
he entire central Piedmont region, which looks
:o Charlotte as its focal point. Perhaps the most
important segments of the Queen City’s economy
are wholesale and retail distribution, manufactur
ing, transportation, and finance.
Two of the South’s best known and most
widely circulated newspapers are published daily
in Charlotte. The Charlotte Observer and The
Charlotte News. There are five radio stations
representing all the major networks and one tele
vision station now in operation. Southern Bell
Telephone Company, with over 57,000 telephones
in the Charlotte exchange, maintains its North
Carolina headquarters in Charlotte.
Aerial Vietc of Charlotte
Nobody needs statistics to see what is happen
ing Charlotte. Wholesalers are in business in
wholesale quantities. Ride out West Morehead,
along Thrift Road, turn right onto Tuckaseegee;
take a look at North Try on, Dalton Avenue,
Atando Avenue, and a dozen others. The land
slide is there in brick and mortar, rail sidings and
loading platforms. Warehouses and their strong
right arms, trucking terminals, are popping out
like puffs of popcorn on a hot stove. But these
new warehouses and terminals are not nearly as
temporary as popcorn; they are here to stay as
a major part of Charlotte’s economy.
Charlotte citizens have a deep faith in the
destiny of their Charlotte. They believe their
city will continue to grow as the South grows
and that anything good for Charlotte is good
for them. From this fundamental code stems the
magnificent spirit of progress and growth which
has enveloped the Queen Citv of the South.