Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-11-15
DEMAND FOR LABOR
GREATEST IN YEARS
State Labor Commissioner Comments
On Present Conditions-Can't
Supply Demand.

That the demand for labor at pres
ent is greater and the supply less than
has been the case in West Virginia
for the past 20 years, was the state
nent made by State Labor Commits
sioner l. V. Barton, of Wheeling, in
commenting on present conditions.
"In all my term of Office which has
been for 16 years, and as long before
as can remember taking any inter
est in labor conditions" said Mr.. Bar
ton, q have never known the demand
to be so great Applications for la
borers have ceased coming into this
office from the interior of the State,
for we simply cannot supply the de-
mand.
about 40 per cent. of the inquir-
les are for skilled laborers, which is
also a remarkable condition. Usually
the demand for this class of workmen
is slight, as compared with the de-
mand for common laborers.
Three powerful resons combine
to produce this unusual condition of
affairs, any one of which is capable
of making labor scarce in itself. The
first and most important reason is the
increased business activity through
out the State. This increase has been
steadily developing for nearly three
years, and is just now reaching its eli
max. During 1910 and 1911, 700 new
industries were started in West Vir-
ginia, employing approximately 10000
laborers, men and women These in
dustries are composed of manufacto-
ries, mercantile banking and mining.
THE second reason is the vast num-
Der of foreigners who have returned
to their native lands during the past
three years This movement has been
little short of marvellous, especially
during the past year The reason for
this movement is rather obscure, but
it would appear that the country was
becoming overstocked with foreigners
during the recent immigrations, and
that there is now plenty of room for
them at home. Another reason hav-
ing some weight with the return of
the foreigners is the aversion many
industries have lately developed to-
wards non-American labor, there being
many industries in the State where
foreign labor will not be accepted
THE third reason is the general
back to the farm movement which is
sweeping the entire country, this State
being no exception. This movement
has been gaining strength for FIVE
years and is still growing. Many
young men who have come into the
city from farms during the past de
cade are returning, and while this
would not appear to have much weight
on the subject it is just as vital. if
not more so, than the exodus of The
foreigners. Twenty years ago nearly
every youth who was born and rails
ed on a farm came into the city to
make a living. The far-l was consid-
cred too slow and lowly and as the
city at that time offered exceptional
opportunities to young and ambitious
men most of the farm products sue
ceeded. The result was that in a few
years the farms were almost depopu-
lated, as far as young blood VAS con
cerned, and they were left to the
doubtful abilities Of aging men. Now
the old hands are fast dying off and
conditions for young men in the cities
are no longer strewn with velvet, so
they are fast drifting back to the farm
amy one of these conditions in my
opinion are capable of producing a
scarcity of labor, and when they are
all combined the alarming scarcity of
the present time is not to be wondered
at.
Labor conditions are better in West
Virginia just now and have been so
for over a year than at any other
time in the history of the State. Dur
ing 1911 and so far in 1912 there has
been one labor trouble which was prac-