Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-06
WAR MUN|T|ON FACTORIES
HAVE ABSORBED WORKMEN
Richmond Employment Bureau Re-
ports Demand for Machinists
in Excess Of Supply.
LABOR SITUATION is GOOD
Less Unemployment in City, Says
Director Dickie, Than at Any Time
in Recent Months-Local Bureau
Joins Eastern Clearing House.

The enormous demands for skilled
machinists. created by the steady alb
sorption of this class of labor into the
establishments engaged in making war
munitions. Is responsible for an UMPIRE
ccdented demand for good machinists
In Richmond and In Virginia. accord
ing to Director Dickie, Of the NUM-
cipal Employment Bureau.
There is practically no unemploy-
ment at present in the machinist's
trade" said Mr.. Dickie yesterday. Il
am told by n high authority of the Ma
chinists' Union that there is Il coun-
trywide demand for this class of la
Dor which is not equal to the supply.
The immense munition making activi-
ties of this country and Canada are re-
sponsible for the situation. Men for
merly engaged in industries OF peace
have been absorbed by plants making
war materials, with the result that
there Is a demand for mechanics of the
; better class that cannot be filed"
FOUND WORK FOR 20.
DURING MONTH OF AUGUST
Conditions OF employment in Rich
mund, aid Mr.. Dickie, are more salts
factory than they have been in months.
Little or no skilled labor of any kind
is idle. and only a small percentage OF
unskilied workmen who desire employ
ment is not at work. During the month
of August the Municipal Bureau re-
ceived 131 applications for labor from
Richmond employers, and placed 202
persons.
Notwithstanding the comparatively
quiet state OF the building market, said
Arr. Dickie, comparatively few carpen-
tiers are out Of work. The demand for
good carpenters is lively and continu-
Gus. Tho bureau has received a large
| number OF calls for farm laborers. and
fc IN tn, in
a considerable number of men in this
field.
The Richmond Municipal Employ
ment Bureau has become a member Of
| the recently -organized Eastern Labor
Clearing House. composed OF the NUM-
| cipal or State bureaus located in about
thirty-tive cities east OF Pittsburgh and
in the Canadian provinces of Quebec
and Ontario.
The organization is designed as a
clearinghouse, covering a wide stretch
| OF populous territory. whose business
| it is TO inform idle men and women
where they may hnd work, and TO in
form employers where they may find
! suitable labor. The work of this or
ganization differs materially from the
work of the Federal Bureau Of Labor,
which undertakes to bulletin labor de-
mands all over the United States
AS member OF the Eastern Labor
Clearing House" said Director Dickie
yesterday, discussing the organization,
the Richmond bureau does not bulle-
! tin labor demands OF other member bu-
| reaus, unless the demand Is for 100
| persons or more, and then only when
| the workmen or workwomen called for
| cannot be placed locally. If a call
! comes in from one OF the member bu-
reaus for single person, we do not
J undertake to fill the order until we
have found II impossible to place the
person suitable for the demand in
| Richmond. In all OF these cases we
handle each application separately
through correspondence or interviews
with available persons
The organization has not been In
operation more than two months, but
IT has already demonstrated its prac-
ticahility. We have had no occasion
to call upon any OF the member bu-
reaus for material to IL a situation in
Richmond: but that does not mean tina I
we may not have to do 1t. In several
OF the cities whose bureaus are mem
bers OF the organization, the clearing
house function has been made use of
with satisfactory results"
Among the cities included in the
Eastern Labor Clearing House besides
Richmond are Atlanta, Baltimore, Bos-
ton. Bridgeport. Elizabeth. n. j.: Erie
Fall River. Hartford, Jamestown, N Y:
Newark, New Haven. New York City,
Norwich. Conn; Pittsburgh. Provi-
dence. r. L.; Scranton. Springfield,
Mass; Trenton. Waterbury and Wor-
cester, in the United States, and Mon
treal, Quebec, Sherbrooke. Berlin.
Brantford, Hamilton. London, Ottowa,
st. Thomas. Toronto and Walkerville,
in Canada.