The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-05-06
PLENTY OF WORK IN IOWA.

| 'The demand for labor in Iowa this
year is even more encouraging to the
| workers than was the case last
| spring." says A. l.. Urick, president
| of the Iowa State Federation Oh La
Dor. The statement was made In an
| swer to a question prompted by the
news that the state is this spring in
tested with tramps who declare that
they cannot find work.
II do not know the, conditions af
| fecting common labor" said Mr.. Ur
| lex, "for the reason that our reports
| come from the organizations of skill
ed workmen which make up the fed
| GRAFTON. However, it generally fol
| lows of necessity that when there is
healthy demand for skilled labor
unskilled labor is furnished with EN-
ploy:nent, too. 49,.
''The conditions in regard to build
| ing furnish the best criterion as to
this spring there is a splendid pros
poet for great activity in the build
| ing trades. Indications are for q
| bigger year in this line than Des
MOines has seen TOR a long time.
Last summer was a big building
| season in Des Moines and all over
Iowa. In this city there was a de
mand for carpenters that at times
could not be met. If the coming
summer sees no financial trouble
think n will no n hu.iar nDo thop Iact
81 have just returned from Dubuque
after weeks visit with the unions
there. | find that there is good pros
pect for building there this summer.
There are not many large buildings
in prospect, although one manufac.
turing company is now erecting an
addition to its plant. A trip through
the. residence district assured me,
however, that many dwellings win be
erected in Dubuque TINS summer"
The. reports from Cedar Rapids,
Oskaloosa, Waterloo and Sioux City
are equally encouraging, and | ex.
pect to see good demand for labor
of all kinds in Iowa this year,
Inquiry at local employment agen-
cies yesterday ELECTED the informa.
ton that the demand for unskilled
labor is not great at present, because
this Is the "off season" The building
has not commenced and the railroad
work is delayed until the warm
weather opens in earnest. In few
days, however, employment agency
managers think that the demand for
labor of the unskilled kind will be on
the increase.
Men who have made the subject
study and are acquainted with condi.
tons in other states say that although
there are the usual number of un.I
employed men in Iowa this spring
who cannot be classed with the pro.
feSsioDal tramps. this is not an indica-
ton that labor conditions are bad in
Iowa.
There Is not the least doubt that,
In the eastern states and In the far
western states, there is a lamenableI
lack of employment. as the lingering
result of the panic of 1907. Through
out the east factories are running on
short time and with decreased forces
Of men. In the northwest the lumber
business is at standstiIl and build
ing operations are greatly decreased
as compared with two years ago. The
result, these men say. is that the un-
employed workers who are unable to
make a living in the east and west
come to the middle western states.
Of which Iowa Is the most prosperous.
Iowa cannot furnish employment for
Ill OF them, although iowa Is probably
"a little affected by the panic OF 1907
rs is any state In the union. !