New-York tribune., 1918-12-19
ueads of Employers Asso-
ciations of Many States
See q Rosy Future Ahead
Predict Boom i'm Business
Condemn Talk of a Labor
Problem; Assert There Is
Lots of Work for All

Americas army, IT would appear, can |
,av down its rife with one hand and /
nick up a job with the other. If it
can4-well. thirty seven members of |
tho advisory committee of the National |
Council for Industrial Defence, repre-
senting manufacturing associations of !
.he same number of states. are suffer !
;ng under a peculiar delusion.
What is more, there is not only to
he employment for the fighting man,
Int for the portion of the population
which remained at home and kept him
y;ew Of the whole after-thewar indus
trial situation could hardly be con-
eeved than the one painted by the
committee.
cninions given were:
John NJ. Glenn, Secretary illinois
Manufacturers Association: "Illinois
will take care of its soldiers first. 1t
has no doubt that it will be able to
mobilization will free. Many big in
dustries, such as the manufacture Of
agricultural implements, have been
,unning on a 25 per cent production
basis during the war. Stocks IN many
lines are far below normal throughout
the country and must be replcnished.
The large tide of immigration has been
shut off for four years. Labor general
ly has been rendered less efficient by
fhe general national excitement. The
consequence of all these things is tAat
with the war ended the vacuum left by
the cessation Of government orders is
being filled with the greatest rapidity
and is making more and more apparent
the absurdity Of any fears in regard
10 adjustment.
Carl Hinton, secretary Colorado
Manufacturers Association: COLORADO
has been stripped of her labor during
the war At present we need all the
men we can get-so much so that one of
nv purposes here is to open an en-
povment office in New York for re-
turning soldiers. There is no posi-
bility Of labor surplus in Colorado"
". c. Billman, secretary New Jersey
Manufacturers Association: Our hrst
concern will be to take care of our SOL
diers. But it will not be hard. There
is such a dearth of material in peace
products throughout the country that
the cessation of war industries is hard
" being noticed. One big New Jersey
textile concern, after having its. war
work shut down on five minutes no.
tice. was able to get enough orders
from its regular customers to resume
capacity operation inside OF 1hree
weeks.
IN small village. which a big
munition plant had turned into good
sized town, 10000 workers who were
thrown out of employment at the con
olusion of the arnlistice we're absorbed
by the general market so quickly tha
the transition was hardly notlceable
Another big plant, which ordinaul!
employs 5000 men, is hiring extr;
II. 1T
c. B. Mccoy, president Ohio Manu-
faeturers' Association: "Akron, Ohio, !
calling right now for 10000 men to fl
the needs of the rubber industry. w
anticipate no difficulties Of industria
adjustment whatever Soldiers will b
eiven preference in everything"
J. E. Edgerton, president of tn
Tennessee Manufacturers Associate
and chairman Of the employment com
mittee of the National Association 9
Manufacturers: Tennessee will tax
care Of its returned fighters. IN ae
diton. the industries of the state WI
be able to absorb much labor not en-
uloved before the war. I do not bt
leve there will be any reduction
wages except where they have bee
artihcially inflated"
Thomas McCusker, secretary lndu
trial Association of Oregon: "Oregol
Of course. has been extensively engage
in airplane manufacture and shlpouli(
ing At present, there is some season
able unemployment as result OF u
winter shutdown in logging camps an
the like. but with the resumption
activity in spring there will be MOI
han a normal labor demand. Thel
will be Jobs for every returning so
der and for every other real wor
man"
John Kirby, jr, chairman. Nation
don't believe the country will ev
know such thing as an adjustme
process is going on. There is tr
mendous vacuum to be filed in all sor
of peace industries. | don't even TO-
for temporary crisis. Labor, in
opinion, is going to be Just as ma
TO get as it was before the war.
]. P. Bird. president Manufacture
Association Of New York and gene
manager National Council for lnd'
trial Defence: "I see no reason VIII
ever to anticipate a labor surpl
There will be plenty of jobs"
George r. Russell, secretary wa wa
ington Manufacturers' Assocla'ie
Washington will be able 10 use
the labor IT. can get"
Edward A. kimbaii, secre!'
r
Returning soldiers will get the pref
ence in Georgia, but it looks as tho'
there would be jobs for every one:
A. {. Rees, Secretary utan Manu,s a,s
urers' Association: I'VE nave sn
problem. We have had new war ;,,
dustries. Our returning men VIII
get their jobs back, although ! 90
that We shall need any extra LABOR,
The committee closed its two
meeting at the Hotel Astor yester
following a joint conference with
committee on after-the-war re
justments of the Manufacturers' Al
ciation Resolutions were passed
demning newspaper and other ST.
nents that the afterthe- war +, re
justments present particular diih
ties and stating it as the opinion
the committee that the country IS
the threshold of most unprecedel
business expansion" and hat the
nal demands of industry will SUI
work for all those now employed