The Washington times., 1914-02-16
MAY PROBE LABOR
CONDITIONS HERE
Industrial Investigation May
Include This City-EmpIoy-
ment Insurance Suggested.

Lead by reports to regard as siSnifi-
cant the number of unemployed work
men in Washington. the United States
Commission on Industrial Relations. VIII
include Washington in the sweeping in
vcstigation to determine the causes "f
lack of employment throughout the ma
ton. it is understood.
Figures used by Frank =. Walsh,
chairman of the commission, in showing
the need for such an inquiry, caused
wide comment in view fthe possible
Political significance.
In discussing the question this MORN
ing. President Wilson indicated his be
lief that the figures We're merely hear
say, and We're not taken from any data
the commission may have verified.
President Wilson regards the labor
situation as merely norVal, and that
such depressions are purely local. and
do not involve all trades.
The investigation is now in progress
in New York, Chicago. Kansas City,
and other large industrial centers
throughout the East and central West.
Mr. Manly. superintendent of field
work. said that the determination to
take up the investigation was a result
OF the survey of unskilled labor which
was instituted Immediately after the es-
tablishment of the commission.
We gnew,' he said, that each year,
at this season. there are a large num-
her OF persons out of employment. We
are not prepared. however, yet to say
whether the number of unemployed is
larger. smaller, or merely normal this
year"
-Four Investigators.
Four Investigators are now in the
| field.
| Mr.. Manly said remedial legislation
may be presented for Congressional ac-
ton. He said, however. a closer CO.
operation between labor and capital, en-
ploye and employer, may prove the So
| luton.
Mrs. ]. Borden Hartman. the resident
| commissioner, today said:
| Anyone who fails TO realize that
conditions are about the same in
the labor market now as they are at
| this season each year, is either 1S-
| norant of conditions or inSincere.
| The commission hopes to have
| more practical answer to the ques-
ton: What is to be done about the
| unemployed?' than the now famous
! one made by one Of our public men:
The unskilled laborers. who are the
chief sufferers from these annual
| periods of unemployment. are Tor tne
most part migratory. and belong to
| the class known as floating labor.
This makes the problem an inter
state one, which can only be ade-
| quately studied by Federal body.
Chairman Walsh declared that IL
| nothing else will avail, il NAV be neces-
sary- to urge employment insurance.
Employment Insurance.
| Employment insurance, he said, has
| spread rapidly in European countries.
| England has q national system, While
| Belgium, one of the first countries to
adopt such system subsidies its
| trades unions and permits theCa to
! care for the insurance :.
| Mr. Walsh's statement in part fol-
| lows: oo
Groups numbering from 100 to 1,Vo
| stand on the docks outside our great
! industrial plants each morning at ,
| O'clock hoping the foreman viii pull
them out of line and put item 10
work They are thankful II they get
only a few hours employment
| None can see this spectacle With
out realizing thta here Is something
society cannot afford to tolerate. The
nrobIem OF continuous employment
for iaborers is more difficult. put II
is a problem that must be solved II
we are TO check the increase IN our
great army of hopeless, homeless
men.
II nothing else will avail 1t may be
necessary to urge insurance against
employment