The Detroit times., 1910-01-25
skilled LABOR IS
. At PREMIUM IN
DETROIT
Manufacturing Plants Are Expan1'
ing and Running at Full Capacity
and Cry for Mechanics Goes
Up On All Sides.
Prospects Are for Most Prosperous
Year in City's History-Recent
Immigrants Only Laborers
Unemployed.

While 1909 was the most remark.
ably prosperous year that Detroit has
) ever known, the developments Of the
frst week of 1910 are such as to indi.
cate that this year VII. far surpass the
last in the growth and volume OF
4 trade The most Impressive system
JUST now is the scarcity Of skilled
labor.
On all hands II is stated thai EN-.
I ployers cannot get enough skilled men.
Wages have gone up In the efforts
made 10 secure the best men. and no
man who has the ability &c handle
tools at all skilfclly has any reason 10
lack for opportunity TO wrk Even
among the unskilled labrers. there is
little complaint this winter.
It always happens at this season
that a great many men whose WORK
has been on railroads and similar con-
structlon labor, find themselves Idle
during the frozen season when out-of.
door jobs are much curtailed. But
this winter the greater part OF these
have been shifted into factory and mill
work. The rolling mills, chemical
works. and, more especially, the car.
Building plants. which employ com.
mon labor, have been running with
larger forces than they had year
ago. Such laboTers as remain unem.
3vlOyed are mostly foreigners OF recent
I Immigration. who are unfit for any
thing except the toughest construction
work. Even for these there is pros
I pect OF plentiful employment just as
4 soon as the winter moderates.
The cost OF building manufacturing
plants alone in and adjoining Detroit
last year was approximately $500
COO. This year 1t is expected TO go
\ far beyond that, the immense plant OF
the General Motors Co. being the most
pretentious OF the new structures. A
great number of smaller factories arc
prjected and My awaiting weather
which will permit OF masonry and ce
ment construction.
There are no firms within the EnF
ployers' association hut have enlarged
their plants during the past year and
ere doing a better. larger and healthier
business than they were a year ago. "
says John ]. Whirl, secretary OF that
association.
Detroit is not q cheap labor town.
The class OF worlzmen here is getting
better all the time. Detroit's workers
90 the average art more intelligent,
better paid and more enterprising and
prosprous than those OF other great
manufacturing cities. This is due to
the nature Of the industries here. De
trOit is getting more than her share OF
the general prosperity and there is no
ssRn OF any let-up."
The Board OF Commerce has been
closely in touch with the establish
ment OF new industries here and the
Increases in local plants. Secretary
Sawyer finds that conditions are &C
celaratingly prosperous. Several con-
Germs are looking toward Detroit with
3 view to locating here. while firms in
the field here now find themselves
crowded TO fill orders.
At the state free employment bureau
in the city hall. II was stated that the
greatest demand from employers is
To- men in such trades as machinists,
fo0lmakers, bench workers. moiders,
carpenters. engineers. steam filters and
lathe hands There has also been a
greet demand all winter for teamsters.
In October there were 400 places