The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1916-01-21
Unemployed Army Still
Cause of Deep Concern

unemployment. The same thing oc
Cured at the close of our own Civil
war; and the workers of Great Brit
ain, following the close of the Boer
war, suffered all the pangs of fruit
less search for work. But where
each of these incidents involved only
a few hundred thousand men, what
will the conditions be when, at the
close of the present war; millions of
men are thrown on an already over
crowded labor market? If past eX-
perience is any criterion of what will
happen when hosts of soldiers dis
band, we must expect condition of
unemployment, poverty and misery
that will pale into comparative insig-
nificance the devastations of the war
itself. That millions of those men
will flock to this country to get away
from such conditions is certain, and
in proportion to their coming here
unemployment will greatly increase"
In an article in the November, 1915,
number of Scribners, Frederick c..
Howe, commissioner of immigration
of the port of New York, discusses
the probable tendency of immigration
after the present European war. Aft
er painting a very dark picture of
| the conditions inevitable after the
nd fi,,cr ri CT onc
and tendencies which will tend to
stimulate immigration, especially from
Southern Europe, he says: There I'M
doubtedly will be heavy immigra.
ton from these countries
SITUATION FAR FROM sATIsFAC-
TORY
The industrial situation in this
country is far from satisfactory.
Though our exports have increased
enormously; crops the greatest this
country has ever had, with good
prices; the steel industry turning out
vastly increased output, unemploy-
ment is almost universal.
| A study of the government reports
show that our extraordinary increase
in exports is almost wholly due to
supplying war materials and it's ac-
cessories, and Investigators find there
is very little else doing in this coun-
try at the present time. What will
! n hn
terial suddenly stops, and especially
when goods begin to come back,
which they must, sooner or later, to
pay off the balance due in our favor?
Judge Gary, chairman of the United
States Steel Corporation, January 5
issued a statement dealing with pres
ent conditions, in which he says. 81
would offer words of caution. We are
proceeding at a rapid pace. There is
great expansion at present. | fear
there is great initiation. Some of the
circumstances surrounding the finan-
cial and industrial world are peculiar
and not Justified. There will be jars
and jolts when eyes are opened and
things become normal.
more than this, foreign produc-
ers, in great need, will strive more
diligently than ever to supply the
countries that are financially able to
buy, and at prices based on cheap
labor and low cost, as they have a
perfect right to do"
The last statement is significant.
Europe, in order to pay off its war
debt, will have to produce goods cheap
enough to undersell the domestic
goods of other countries.
Another thing which will have a
far-reaching effect after the war: That
is, the great increase of women in
industry; even in this country wom-
en- have invaded lines of industry
which had heretofore been closed to
them.
REPORTS WIDELY DISTRIBUTED
In accordance with the order of
the last year convention, the eXecu-
tive committee had 5000 copies of
our last years report printed, At the
request of President Marsh and Sec
rotary Taylor, there were 5000 copies
turned over to them for their use in
the state. We sent a communication
and copies in number from 10 to 100
to Al states and provincial secretar-
les, besides copies to all labor papers,
officers of the American Federation
of Labor and numerous workers
throughout the United States and
Canada.
Brother j. G. Brown, while in at
tendance at the American Federation
of Labor convention, distributed
copies of our report to all the dele