Since all the laborers were paid the same rate per hour, the only possible explanation of the fact that a large number of men earn as little as $5.00 per week must be that the laborers were not employed continuously. More continuity of employment for a smaller number of laborers would, in this particular case, have resulted in more money being paid on an average to each man, so that the men would, to all essential purposes, have received an increase in pay even though the hourly wage rate were not increased.

Though that portion of the curves for the office forces seen at the upper left corner of Fig. 156 appears somewhat similar to the curve for laborers, the low earnings of a large percentage of the office force were due to the employment of office boys and other young employees who would have a fair chance to get a good training and grow up with the business. Therefore, the curves for the office forces need not attract the same attention as the curves for the laborers, who are all full-grown men having comparatively little chance for promotion.

The cpick change at $11.00 per week in the shape of the curve relating to the foremen and clerks is due to the fact that some of the foremen in this business are paid by the hour and not by the week. That some of the foremen receive as low as $6.00 per week and that only 93 per cent of the foremen receive over $11.00 per week is due to the fact that some of the men were off because of sickness or on leave of absence. If the attendance of these men were more regular the curves would not have such a decided peak at $11.00 per week. Though Fig. 156 has been plotted on a "more than" basis, the reader may, if he wishes, read it on a "less than" basis by referring to the right-hand scale which has zero at the top instead of at the bottom of the page.