The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-10-20
Six Thousand Metal Trades workmen
Unemployed.


The Employers association of Detroit,
as was stated above, has very complete
employment bureau of its own. Some 25.-
600 men are upon its rolls. and a careful
record Is kept OF what each man is doing.
and every effort is made 10 find a Job for
a competent workman who is ont Of en-
pioyment. At the present time fully 5000
men out of this 25.o00 are without jobs.
This is only in the metal trades, which
represent. perhaps one-third of the total
manufacturing interests of Detroit The
last census reported that 54.21S persons
were employed in the manufacturing es-
adjustments of this city. Basing esti-
mates upon figures which are known 10
be accurate. il is safe to say that from
1900 to 10000 men arc now without work
in Detroit. OF course, perhaps $500 Of
such number would be without work at
any normal period. because the factories
are always shifting. discharging and re-
employing men. but the tendency which
/ has been manifested here within the last
six months is that when men are dis
! charged and employed. two men VIII be
/ let go TO one that is taken back.
An astonishing index of the exceeding
| caution with which capitalists are pro
ceeding into new enterprises. or even into
/ attempts to expand their business, is TO
/ be found ia the figures just published by
the Detroit board Of commerce as to the
new capital which has been put into
business in this city in the past six
months. The figures show that in the
year 1908 thirty-fOur firms increased their
capital stock by $l3,544SQ0 During the
first six months of 1904 sixteen firms in
| creased their capital stock by only $685.
/ 600 This shows that while business may
/ not be going backward very rapidly. the
I undetermined high protective tariff Is
not causing business TO go forward.
Cost of Living Goes Up.
| Although a large number OF men have
! been thrown out of work and others are
now employed on short time. and wages
| here have remained practically stationary
for the past several years. the cost OF llN-
| ing has gone upward, just as 1t has in all
other parts Of the country. Meats, cloth
ing. boots and shoes. farming materials,
} household utensils, and everything that a
man Of moderate means must have 10
/ keep his family well and comfortable has
! ascended in price.
| fact that the wholesale price Of flour has
gone up more than 10 per cent In Detroit
within the last month, and about 30 per
causing the bakers 70 charge an in
/ creased price for bread. and this is TALL
ing as a great hardship on the poor.
Robert Morton, president Of the Morton
/ Baking & Manufacturing company, eX-
plains this situation in the following Ian
I'VE are today paying $50 per barrel
! for Minnesota flour. In September we
/ bought Il for S5.53, and IN August fol-
/ S4U7 a barrel. The margin of profit on
/ bread is small. In even the best OF times
/ and in view OF the advance IN the price
| az flour the bakers had either to increase
/ the price Of bread or TO so out of business
entirely" a.
This increase is thus charged TO the
| flour trust Yet there has been no repor'
/ within the last several months of any
/ increase in the price of wheat, of floui
manufacturing materials, flour labor, OF
/ many of the other constituents which e
/ into the production of flour. This IS al
| btit a part OF the steady. relentless. up
! ward movement of the cost OF Twins
which is grinding the laboFinS man anc
/ the man of fixed income slowly but sure.
/ " to the ground.