Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-07-16

Fifty skilled workers make this
| journey ALPHABETICALLY a carload
| each way every day-all because
they can find no houses for their
families in Harrisburg. Others in
the same plant come daily from
Carlisle. Mechanicsburg, Dauphin
and a score of other towns-wasting
| time needlessly and congesting the
railroads. These men can find no
homes here and the management,
which has tried to locate them in
good boardinghouses, find that all
such places are crowded and so
many are trying to handle business
beyond their capacity that conditions
have become bad.
Not House in Steclton
The Chamber of Commerce had a
canvas of Steelton made last week
to ascertain if any relief for Harris
burg could be procured in that quar-
ter The result showed not one de-
cent house for rent in that town. If
anything, conditions are worse there
than here. A few buildings not fit
for human habitation may be had
but not one house that would pass
muster of a board of health inspec-
ton, the report says.
Steelton has been able in some
degree TO meet increased business by
the installation of labor-saving ma
chinery. but even so the war has
caused a vast increase in population
and the labor turnover there is
much heavier than it would be if
workmen could procure good houses
at reasonable rentals.
Coming back to Harrisburg, one of
the largest steel works reports that
ii is unable to operate to capacity
because men cannot be induced to
accept local housing conditions
Ninety-tive per cent of this firm $
work is for the government. 1t could
employ probably 200 men more than
are now at work if they could be
persuaded to remain in Harrisburg,
and, the management admits, that
lack of housing is the obstacle.
Houses Needed
&. l.. Scott, of the Harrisburg
Manufacturing and Boiler Company.
has no doubt that the erection of
several hundred modern houses to
rent at reasonable figure, would
help his labor situation. lie now
needs from 10 to 100 skilled mechan-
les quite badly. Since November l.
1914 the labor force has been
doubled and during that time the
turnover has been considerable but
1t has been gradually reduced and
is only two per cent. greater at this
time than it was before the COM
mencement of the war, but it is be-
lleNed that the erection of suitable
houses would do much to stabilize
this.
The Harrisburg Pipe and Pipe
Bending Works is not at present IN
any very great need of more help.
but the labo" turnover is now twice
what it was before the war. Erec-
ton OF suitable houses would do
much to reduce this to a minimum.
Going 10 Washington
Secretary Jackson, of the Cham
Der of Commerce, announced to-day
that he would accompany President
Patterson to Washington tomorrow
to lay Harrisburg conditions before
the federal government. The
Chamber will ask for help and will
request that a neXpert be sent here
TO make a study of conditions.
Needs More Men
That the erection of several hum
dred modern houses 10 rent at rea-
sonable rates to the workinmen of
Harrisburg would tend to encourage
the laborers employed in the CITY
and vicinity to settle here perma-
nantly and remain at their Jobs
steadily was affirmed by Frank A.
Robbins, general manager of the
Bethlehem Steel Comany plant at
Steelton, yesterday.
Mr.. Robbins said his greatest
labor needs is unskilled laborers. and
he needs several hundred of these.
The labor turnover, he added, is
very much greater now than before
the war. 1t is difficult to get un-
skilled laborers to remain at one
job for more than a few DAYS at a
time. The unskilled laborers who
are making large wages at munitions
factories are coming more and more
TO constitute a huge floating popula-
ton, remaining at work for only a
short period at a time.
obviously, the addition of several
hundred modern houses, he said, to
be rented at sums within the reach
OF the laborer and his family would
be an inducement for the laborer to
settle near Harrisburg, and con-
rtibute his endeavors to a COM
munlty IN which he could prosper
best.
Mr. Robbins said that the nm
skilled labor problem is his greatest
trouble. He agreed to the need of
a means that would keep the laborers
at work steadily, as the management
or the huge plants at Steelton is
greatly lnconvenienced by the pres