South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-03-30
G. 0. P. Filibuster Cripples
Federal Employment Service
But Past Indiana Work Helps

One Of the 6nal duties ascribed 10
the Indiana employment offices un-
III March -. supported by financial
appropriation from the federal gov
eminent. gas survey OF Industrial
and employment conditions in the
territory Under their immediate
supervision This survey. according
To- a statement made bv HAYS r.
Buskirk. assistant 20 the federal
state director l. a. Huesmann.
shows that the Indiana employment
situation Is not acute except in
few Isolated cases The appropria-
lion for continuance Of the federal
service was killed bv republican fiji
buster in the .ag days OF the 65th
congress.
There are six or seven centers
100 Indiana i'm which by their very
nature the largest amount Of float
ing labor r. to be found" Mr.. Bus
kirk stated today. I'm these centers
80 reports have been made 20 the
employment service. mp 20 this time.
Indicating that the situation is par
ucularlv serious
Reports from volunteer boards
from draft boards and from employ
ers indicate that . majority of In
diana employers are giving prefer
ence TO returning soldiers and sail
ors boz the matter Of employment.
10 is felt that a great prepOnderance
or returning soldiers have had jobs
offered them. 10 Is true that these
jobs sometimes did not completely
suit the discharged soldier. The EN-
ployment service, through its voIun-
teer agents and its paid Offices has
records OF having helped get en-
ployment for Approximately four
thousand discharged soldiers and
sailors. in the state. There are. OF
course. many soldiers who have not
obtained suitable employment. There
are many. in parts OF the state who
nave obtained no employment. but
Il is felt BY those in the service that
this group is in the minority.
Contractors Need Money
Many contractors OF war work
have expressed 10 the employment
service that about the only thing
that rs holding them back from
complete operation OF their plants
IS their inability 10 obtain settle
ment for liGuidatng their contracts.
There were many informal contracts
IN Indiana which were legalized in
The closing days OF the last congress.
A. soon as these are adjusted more
general resumption OF industrial &C
tivity is looked for A great many
OF these plants produced practically
the same material or type of mater
ial for the war. that they did in
normal times They did. in many
cases. increase the number OF en-
ployes. and in so doing they ac-
CURED the employees Of many lines
which were curtailed by the prior
ity rulings. With the lifting OF these
priorities the latter part OF 1918
and the early part OF 1919 some Of
these plants resumed their custom
AIRY activity and re-employed many
Of their former employees who had
been permitted TO enter other lines
These now form a skeleton organi-
zation upon which TO build even
larger peace time forces.
There appears 20 be no greater
amount Of unempl oyment proper
tiOnately than is usual at this time
OF the year There is practically no
Building in progress over the state.
and there has been none for two
years. Many who formerly followed
building trades and were absorbed
INTO war work are now free TO en-
gage again in their vOcations.
Women Back at Old Work.
Among the war workers were
many women who left domestic
service and similar types Of work.
These have. for the most part re-
turned 10 their old places. Some
were the wives and sisters Of men in
service and naturally they regard
their responsibility in the manufac-
ture Of munitions as ended and they
no longer desire To work away from
home They are not considered. or
dinarily. in connection with the lab
or situation
The railroads have laid of n
large number OF track laborers and
because OF the financial embarrass-
ment OF the director general. il is
probable that there will be an en-
forced curtailment OF important and
needed improvements II IL not be
Heved this situation will cause any
serious amount Of unemployment in
The state however.
Farmers generally have been
hiring capa BILE help at higher wages